[Sca-cooks] Out of the food topic altogetherrantAuthenticitypolice

[Jeff Gedney]

William...

>Nah.  Just speaking plain and to the purpose.  I don't mince words.  Never have.  If a comment
>strikes a nerve, I'll respond to it, regardless of who posted it.  If that's seen by some as rude,
>then that can't be helped.  Eventually I will be censored, I'm sure, and then you can go about
>your merry way.

Learning to self-censor is a good thing. 
After I relized how much I was off the hook in this conversation, I took myself out of it. Maybe a tad later than I should have, but still... 
There is a difference between being "plain spoken" and being obstinate and rude... 
Several of your posts have danced very closely on that line... 


>There's really no telling, sometimes.  If publicly posting what others are thinking, but too timid
>to post, makes me dense, then so be it. 

That is a wonerful thing to be. A champion... 
But unless you are in reciept of several emails as to what others are thinking, you cant really use this as a justification.


>You have your opinion.  I don't agree with it.  
in the end, this is really what this is about. Other peoples views are not what you are citing, only your own. 
I, for one, dont presume to speak for anyone else... 
My opinions are mine, I am not projecting them on some silent majority for legitimacy, my opinions, and yours for that matter are fully, and equally legitimate, because I am allowed to have them as are you. 



>You can rail against me all you want, as long as you are prepared 
>to get it back tenfold.

FWIW, William, the "personal attack withering broadside" never works. 
Some people are just waiting and ready to go personal, and you can't ever win once you take it to that level.  
It's just going to p*ss off everyone involved, and end up giving them jollies and you agida.

>Right.  But the use of imperical terms in this regard is seen by many as aloof and demanding. 
>Trust me, I know.  I've been getting off-list replies from members of this list for a while now.

In any specialized practice, terms of art are commonplace and to be expected.
In Asian cooking, "Chow" is considered a technique, someone entering into the field of Asian cooking may not know that... Use of that term is accurate and expected. it is not intended as arrogant. Any of our terms can be taken that way. It was not until I have some training that I knew what "mise en place" meant. 
Did that make professional chefs intentionally arrogant for using the term that they as a group internally knew well and had the specific meaning they intended? no, I dont think so. they used it cause it was accurate, knew what it meant and were used to using it. It was not used in an attempt to be superior to untrained dilletants like I was.

>The intention is good, but the execution and the verbiage are...well...seemingly despotic.

That is YOUR interpretation... 

You should be at least as careful of ascribing motives to other's potings as you are requesting the rest of us take care in ascribing motives to yours.

Personally I dont see it as "despotic" or "elitist" just a verbal shortcut we are used to using. 
Like I said terms of art arise in every specialty, form cooking to Jurisprudence. Use of terms of art in the fields in which those terms of art arise is neither unsurprising nor ill-intentioned.

Capt Elias
-Renaissance Geek of the Cyber Seas

-------------------------------------------------------------
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather 
wood, divide the work, and give orders.  Instead, teach them
to yearn for the vast and endless sea. 
  - Antoine de Saint Exupery