[Dixielandjazz] The view from under the bus

[David Dustin]

OK, DJML¹ers and Gentlepeople, I¹ve been thrown under the bus and I confess
and repent the obvious error of my ways. Hang that Scarlet Letter (³Mr. A²)
on me because I happen to believe that Mr. Sharp made a good point. Timid I
am not. Naïve I must be to think that a CLEARLY labeled off-list expression
of support to Mr. Sharp¹s worthy opinion about losing the forest for the
trees would remain private. I didn¹t request anonymity ³because that is just
the kind of guy [I am]², an unfortunate characterization which appears to
have struck some of you as either timid OR arrogant. (Haven¹t figured that
one out yet.)  In fact I requested no anonymity at all! I sent a private
message in which ³off-list² came first in the subject line, came home
tonight (whistling a marvelous new line on ³Hindustan²) to discover that I
am now up there with the Anti-Christ...or maybe even Coltrane.  Evidently
many of you prefer attacks on an unwitting victim of a breach of confidence
to debates of Mr. Sharp¹s original point.

And yes, notwithstanding 600 (?) members, step back and take a fresh look at
this forum.  Are there really more than a dozen persons posting to this
list?  I¹ve been suspicious that there are maybe 2 guys (obviously a banjo
player and a trombonist) in a boiler room somewhere in China who have a
bunch of stolen email addresses and a computer program that randomly
generates unending arguments about how many angels can dance on the head of
a pin.

Now, how can we all get remedial reading lessons to Brother Sharp?

David Dustin