[Sca-cooks] From the fabled List Administrator

[Ana Valdés]

Sitting in my flat in Montevideo I am touched by your letter, Gunthar. I
joined this list many years ago when Ras had incendiary arguments about
everything and I have stored several hundred letters from that time, from
offal to cusquinoles. I love this list, I learn from it very much and I am
very grateful you let me graciously in, not being in the SCA and not living
near any kingdom.
In love and friendship
Ana


On Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 1:23 AM, Michael Gunter <dookgunthar at hotmail.com>wrote:

> Hi,
> Many of you know me and some have never heard of me.  I'm the founder of
> this little list that was created...um...hell....more than a couple of
> years ago.  I've been absent and that is totally my fault. I guess Facebook
> is too easy now and I rarely read emails anymore, which is totally stupid.
> This list is one of the things I've created which has made me the most
> proud.  It was started as a way for me to tell everyone how they screwed up
> their feasts and how to make them better. Y'see, I thought I was a pretty
> shit-hot cook and feastocrat.  I didn't go for "Medieval" food much, but I
> presented feasts that stretched peoples' tastes and they seemed odd enough
> that you could squint your eyes and pretend they were "Medieval" and stuff.
> So I got on here, expecting a few of my friends from around the kingdom and
> we would all dish about that Stargate Yule feast and how it could be made
> better or what it did right.  So imagine my near shock when people
> subscribed from EVERYWHERE!  There were members of this list from every
> kingdom, some other countries and many who weren't even in the SCA but had
> heard this was the place to be to find out about period cooking.
> Something else happened...I found out that I was a blathering idiot.  I
> thought I knew about cooking and feasts and period food.  Well, I knew
> period food sucked at least.  Then these amazing people came on and told me
> about what food culture, history, cooking and period food was really like.
>  I learned many things and the most important thing I learned was to shut
> up when someone had something to say about a subject they were a master of.
>  I learned to share opinions, even when they differed with these experts in
> order to broaden the knowledge of our little passion.  I learned from the
> Masters.  I also learned there were people who were just like me.  Who knew
> everything and expected to show their greatness to the world.  Some got
> quite angry when they came on and bestowed their wisdom to the list only to
> have it slapped down.  Many pushed back against the "arrogant attitudes" of
> this list when their declarations were met with "where's the source of this
> attitude?" commentar
>  y.
> Some of these experts left in a huff to find places where people would
> listen to their wisdom without question.   Others stayed here and learned
> that their knowledge was valuable when presented correctly and they were
> willing to listen to others.  Many of the "experts" who came here learned,
> like me, they didn't know everything but knew something and they continued
> to learn and to add to the discussion.
> I've been gone far too long from this list and I need to get back in touch
> with everyone.  A rule that was created in the first years of this list
> continues (even though I'm not home much now), "This is my living room at a
> gigantic dinner party. There are no strict rules about the topics of
> conversation because we are all historians and food crazies so the
> conversation will pretty much stay on topic. But, though debate is
> encouraged, you will behave as an honored and respected guest in my house."
>  Everyone needs to behave as they would in a public gathering. Politeness
> is a must.  Heated arguments are fine, but with this crowd, you had damned
> better make sure you have substance to back up your philosophies.  If you
> get your feelings hurt because someone wants to know just where you got the
> information that the Mongols drank coffee then you need to either present
> your sources, grow an academic backbone, or find a place where scholars
> don't gather.
> This is an amazing room filled with some of the people I respect most in
> the world.  Each and every one of you are special to me and are rare gems.
>  Appreciate that.
> Or go sit in the corner.
> Yers,
> GuntharEvil List Administrator/Creator
> _______________________________________________
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> Sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/sca-cooks-ansteorra.org
>



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