Mea Culpa
- From: "deacontde" <deaconttde@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: 16 Nov 2005 17:49:17 -0800
Dear Friends:
Upon long and deep reflection on my rather immature and offensive
behaviour in this newsgroup, I wish to apologise publicly to everyone.
It is obvious to me now, as it must have been to many here who are much
smarter than I, that I have contributed significantly to turn this
previously fascinating and resourceful newsgroup into a very unpleasant
forum. Although it is true that I love music, many times I have
pretended to know much more than I actually do. I have commented and
made categorical assertions about recordings which I haven't even
listened to! This has not only annoyed the more erudite members whose
knowledge I could only wish to approach, but it has also confused the
neophytes, some of whom have unjustifiably become my admirers.
Although I have offended most people here, I want to offer heartfelt
apologies to the following individuals:
- To Samir: I am terribly sorry that you have become the recipient of
my anti-semitic rants. In reality this has nothing to do with
anti-semitism but with pure envy. Not in a million years could I
approach your vast knowledge of the piano literature and of the more
colourful performers of the keyboard. If only you were better
connected, you could have put together a far more interesting piano
collection than the mistake-ridden hodge podge I managed to assemble. I
beg your forgiveness most humbly.
- To Arri: You will never know how sorry I am for the evidently severe
annoyance I have caused you. I must confess that by engaging me in what
has amounted to a recurring pissing contest you have managed to bring
out the worst in me. If I had an ounce of restraint and prudence, I
would have avoided many unpleasant confrontations with you. My use of
obscenities in our exchanges (in fact, in any exchanges) is something
that I will forever regret, but I especially feel chagrined to have
made you the victim of my rage. I can only hope that you will accept
this apology.
- To Matthew: My attacks upon you, like those upon Samir, have been
masked under the guise of anti-semitism. In reality I have admired your
unparalleled discographical knowledge of the obscure and your zest for
taking down incompetent people in the recording business. Having been
on the inside and on the take, you can believe me when I tell you that
no one in the business approaches you when it comes to zealously
guarding the interests of serious music lovers and collectors. The
regret I am expressing for having wronged you is in direct proportion
to your diligence in attacking these 'morons', as you colourfully put
it.
- To David Gideon: My calling you a thief is simply unforgivable. You
have unearthed some of the most precious recordings that haven't been
reissued due to the negligence of pseudo-producers and pedantic people
in the recording business who cry piracy too often to disguise their
incompetence and to justify their raison d'etre. I owe you, dear David,
more than an apology. You have my sincere admiration.
- To Dan Koren: How can a man of scarce talent like me not be enraged
by your infallible ear and impeccable taste? Your biting and pithy
responses to often esoteric inquiries are the envy of music critics.
Finding out how you manage to do it is something that will keep us busy
for quite a while. Alas, I may not live long enough to encounter such a
discerning music lover, but I must be satisfied with the fortune of
having witnessed your glow.
- To John Harrington: My animosity towards you is nothing more than
pure self loathing. You remind me of myself when I was young and naive,
when I used to smoke pot, attended countless (and useless) peace
rallies and thought that I could change the world by doing so. I have
now come to see the error of my ways, and although I hate to admit it,
people like Ward Hardman and Owen Hartnett are right: we will always be
in the minority because intelligent and sensitive people always are. I
am terribly sorry, my dear comrade in arms, for making you so
uncomfortable. Finally, I will forever be plagued by guilt over the
threats I made against your family. If there is any restitution I can
make to you and them to purge this anguish from my soul, please let me
know.
-To Jeffrey Powell: I want to convey a sincere and abject apology to
Ansermetniac for the many cruel, unjust and downright vulgar comments I
have made about him. I now realize, at long last, the very valuable
public service our dear colleague of the Sunshine State performs by
posting his fine transfers and remarkable re-equalizations of so many
great recordings that the corporate Do-Dos have either withheld from a
deserving public or screwed up so badly they might as well not have
been issued.
- To David Gable: Your musicological credentials are indeed impressive
and it has been boorish of me to contradict you so often. I know this
has annoyed you to no end, but it has also displayed how out of my
league I am in discussing such matters with you. You, like perhaps no
one else in the group, bring out the contrarian in me. I still do not
understand myself why this is, but I must say that my new therapy gives
me hope that I will some day understand this obnoxious aspect of my
personality and will help mitigate such nasty encounters in the future.
In the meantime, do not even think to diminish your output. I have
secretly collected your treatises; in fact, although I am ashamed to
admit it, I have often quoted from them at parties and dinner
receptions. So you see, dear David, I have been a thief myself, and I
can only hope that you will accept my apology in the spirit of this
frank admission.
- To All Woodland Hills Residents - Wherever That Is: At the height of
my mania, I became obsessed with finding the identity of my
Doppelganger. Like the
hero in the great Edgar Allen Poe story "William Wilson", I was
horrified to discover that the culprit was in fact myself! My rage
against my fellow man had
reached such a fever pitch that my personality bifurcated under the
strain. In a desperate measure to hide my rapidly deteriorating
psychological state from the denizens of this newsgroup, I embarked on
a snipe hunt for my alter ego. In a matter of days I managed
to accuse practically every regular group participant, and I became
strangely obsessed with the burg of Woodland Hills. One of these days
I'll have to purchase an atlas to learn exactly where Woodland Hills
is. I hear that their fig harvest is lovely.
Space and time limitations prevent me from apologising to all I have
wronged. To those I have omitted, I offer twice as many apologies than
to those above. Although I cannot guarantee that my behaviour will be
significantly different in the future, I am hopeful that my new
medication will at least make it easier to control my uttering
obscenities at the drop of a hat. I have also engaged a new and more
experienced therapist since I realized the younger chap I was seeing
was really taking advantage of me. In closing, dear friends, may the
blessings of whatever God you believe in rain upon you.
Most humbly and sincerely,
TD
.
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