Once upon a time there were giants.
You may not believe this but it is surely true.
They went by sobriquet such as Leach, Olquin, Radovanic, Duke of Urls, Bennett (including both B the Wise and B the Foolish), Uncle Jessie, Self, Bitchslap Bob, TurdBarge Al - and continue in a litany of fine madness.
They were the abstract geniuses of their time - but they are no more.
True, there are some smatterings of revelation from time to time - but the good old days are gone.
The all consuming swamp of Lurkdom has consumed most of them.
Absolute disinterest has taken the rest.
And there was so much to be learned.
Hearken ye, my children, and punch some of those names into a Google search - using the advanced search function, as Author's name, within the Groups category, within the specific parameter of rec.woodworking.
You will soon see how far we have fallen.
There was a Dark Age once in Western History. A time of indolent madness driven by the religiosity of madmen, leading to a stoppage of real thought.
But there was also a, "rose fingered dawn", there was a time of rebirth, regrouping, Renaissance.
As against the creeping Darkness of this Darkened Wreck, this age consumed by Miller, Hinz and Clarke - which sounds all to much like the bottom of a bad batting order - replace them in your thoughts with the Murderer's Row of Radovanic, Leach and Olguin (who is batting third here but whom I understand to be a damned fine cleanup hitter).
Look them up in Google. Look them up and say a coven's prayer, so as to raise them up in your minds.
For, some can indeed be raised up - and some might visit you with their wisdom.
There were giants once among us, strong and tall - I would see them back again.
Thomas J. Watson - WoodDorker
tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)