Re: [Paddlewise] newsgroups happenings

----- Original Message -----
From: <Pipeguy55_at_aol.com>
>
> After reading a paragraph or two it becomes apparent that this person has
> something wrong with him.  I don't know what, I just know that it IS.  I'm
> only a dumb Bronx plumber myself and not exactly qualified to render a
> diagnosis, but this guy is suffering some sort of mental illness or
disease.
>
> If there is some way to stop him, without driving yourself nuts or
bankrupt
> in the process you should go for it.  If not then don't sweat it too much.
> Only like-minded individuals would take him seriously, and they are
probably
> few and far between.

Steven,

Thanks for the words of encouragement.  I too was raised in the Bronx and am
just a dumb writer.  But I can't quite be that sanguine about the situation.
People can easily be misled even by a badly told lie.  My worry is that a
search for name using Google bring up that statement of his.  It gets retold
and retold and eventually a lot of the nuttiness around it sheds off and all
that is left is the kernel of the lie.

Years ago, I was in the middle of a rift in a local club here in NYC between
two factions.  Since I am pretty articulate and can present a strong case,
the opposite side took a bead on me figuring that if they could bump me off
they would succeed.  They did all kinds of dirty tricks that went on for
about a year that I won't get into.  But one tact was to try to ruin my
reputation.  I had just started my newsletter about six months earlier.
They started spreading false accusations about it.  One friend happened to
hear one of these in an exchange between two people.  Some one was relating
what that they had been told.  With full belief, the individual passed on
that Ralph stole the information for his newsletter.  Now you have to
picture the situation back in 1991.  No was writing about folding kayaks,
period!  Where in the world would I be stealing it from?  It was all
original.  But the person, a well intentioned and well-meaning person who I
knew, simply had accepted the blatant lie without questioning it and passing
it on.

So, you never know.

ralph diaz



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