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Re: Re. Portales "feud"

Stuart...

Like you, I feel compelled to defend Mike Farmer.  I have been at this
business of collecting meteorites for about two years and have consistently
purchased from a handful of courteous and professional people, Mike, Eric
Twelker, Matt Morgan, Michael Blood, Blaine Reed, and a few others.  Each
has treated me with professionalism and in some cases outright kindness
(including some freebies).  I collect meteorites out of personal interest
and for use as educational tools for students at the university level.  I
have never found any of these people to be deceitful or dishonest and in all
cases they have gone out of their way to help me get what I need (or want).
Partially because of the occasional bickering on this list I have avoided
some of the more well known individuals and meteorites.  I have had a number
of E-mail conversations with Mike regarding meteorites, education, teaching
philosophy etc. and am convinced that he would be as concerned about the
scientific community getting their due as the collecting community.  As far
as Portales is concerned there is more than enough research material to go
around and collectiors and dealers like Mike should be able to sell at will.

Personally I think that this list could greatly benefit from a good shot of
whatever anti-ego drug we could find.  The greatest value of this list is
the information and resources it provides and not a vocal forum for ego
enhancement.   I fully agree with your statement:

"Personally I feel the List is no place for personal criticisms / attacks
whatever, those discussions should be off-List and kept between the parties
concerned, it sounds like playground name-calling to me, and at a time when
we're having to think seriously about "outsiders" attacking or criticising
us
(or should be, there's not been much response to my call-to-arms... maybe
people are happy to be compared to grave-robbers, I don't know...) the very
last thing we need is to be slagging fellow collectors off, but as the first
stone has been thrown..."

I personally wish that this list would cut out the "playground" name calling
and posturing and get on with the more important discussions.  I know that
the old argument will be made to "just use the delete button."  I have to
admit that over the summer with Monahans and now Portales my finger has
tired.

Steve

**************************************
Dr. Stephen Ervin
Department of Biology, CSUF
Fresno, CA  93740-0073
servin@csufresno.edu
**************************************
-----Original Message-----
From: STUARTATK@aol.com 
To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com

Date: Saturday, September 12, 1998 5:44 AM
Subject: Re. Portales "feud"


> I find myself troubled...
>
>Having read the recent postings re. the Portales VALLEY meteorites, I
>absolutely have to stand up and speak in defence and support of Mike
Farmer,
>as I don't like the attacks on him.
>
>Personally I feel the List is no place for personal criticisms / attacks
>whatever, those discussions should be off-List and kept between the parties
>concerned, it sounds like playground name-calling to me, and at a time when
>we're having to think seriously about "outsiders" attacking or criticising
us
>(or should be, there's not been much response to my call-to-arms... maybe
>people are happy to be compared to grave-robbers, I don't know...) the very
>last thing we need is to be slagging fellow collectors off, but as the
first
>stone has been thrown...
>
>The initial Portales Valley postings clearly stated the stone / stone &
metal
>nature of the meteorite, I remember it clearly. The pictures posted on the
net
>recently also show clearly some specimens have metal, others do not. I am
also
>sure that anyone who bought a specimen from any dealer on this List, who
was
>not satisfied with it upon receipt, would  be free to return it for a
refund,
>yes?
>
>Why am I so bothered? Well, Mike F was generous enough to send me, for
free, a
>specimen of Portales Valley. It has no metal veins at all, but I don't
care. I
>didn't open up the envelope and think "Oh... no metal..." I was delighted
and
>very grateful for the gesture. It has already been enjoyed by many people,
and
>will be enjoyed by many more people in the future.
>
>Finally, I can only suggest anyone who hasn't done so checks out the
>following:
>
>167.8.29.16/uwire/rs081406.htm
>
>Enough said.
>
>Bygones.
>
>Stuart
>
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