WHY Keep PTG Politics Off This Page?

[Ron Nossaman]

>  Second, I believe it would end up being ruled by those who are trying to
>silence the free flow of opinion.
>
>Read PTG Politics postings, or don't read PTG Politics postings - as you
>will. (They are certainly easy enough to delete from your mail if you don't
>want them.) There are many of us who actually WANT to know what others think
>and feel - whether we agree with them or not. There are some in (and out of)
>PTG who want to be informed of all opinions before they make up their own
>minds. (Kind of like learning what the candidates think before you vote - A
>novel idea, for some.)
>But let this remain America, and let Americans continue to speak freely.
>
>I welcome your thoughts - either on the Page or in my box (whether you agree
>with me, or not).
>
>Randy Potter, R.P.T.
>
>
>
>
September 1988 Voicing Tool, Editor : Ron Nossaman   _with revisions_

       In the interest of keeping you up on the technological advances
sweeping around (and past) us, I would like to tell you about a new product.
It is a polymerized plastic substance made of our most abundant natural
resource...HYPE. It's called PolyTician and comes in a twelve part mix with
an expired shelf life date, no directions and no clue as to what proportions
of what ingredients will render what result.  The advertising claims promise
a spectrum of benefits consisting, not of what the product can do, but what
the competitors cannot.  In actual tests conducted in and on newspapers of
years past, an independent evaluation facility has ferreted out these
bizarre facts.

        The tested sample of PolyTician was found, initially, to be an
infinitely moldable material that spread easily except that it refused to be
trowled into a corner of any sort. It set up quickly but, unfortunately,
tended to loose it's shape when subjected to a load or was otherwise
depended upon. It ultimately stabilized in the least usable configuration
for any given application tried and stubbornly refused to cure prior to
reaching a state of utter uselessness. Strangely, when later attempting to
reshape it to a positive use it was found to have become rigid to the point
of being brittle.  It also became quite vociferous and had to be locked in a
soundproof room, where it is undoubtedly still trying to justify it's
position and gain support for it's programs. Curiously, it didn't seem to
matter in what combination, or in what proportion the ingredients were
mixed, all test results were identical.

      This is obviously a highly marketable product with unlimited military
potential.  There is clearly a vast promise of success in it's distribution.
Don't look for it on the shelves with a sign identifying it, you won't find
it. It will find you.  A representative will call.  He will leave samples.
You cannot escape.  If you find this product looking good to you just
remember it's non biodegradable.  It gets deeper with each use.

                          ________________________


   No names, no finger pointing, just some freely shared generic thoughts. A
consensus on matters technical is a tough enough thing to pound out broad
enough to cover the diversity of technicians and situations represented
here. Let's try to keep the potential for foaming at the mouth to a
reasonable minimum and leave the politics out of the tech forum. There are
many very fine people out there who realize that nothing can be done within
a group without resorting to politics. These people are identifyable by
their absense among the name callers and flamers. The people who jump up on
the soap box with torch in hand are generally the very people to avoid. In
defense of this view, I'd like to volunteer myself to be politically avoided
for the duration. Come on people, we spend enough time scraping our shoes
off as it is without actively chasing the bull. Thanks for your attention. I
feel better now Dave.
 Ron   =:^*^:=   Nossaman