X-Message-Number: 14476 Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2000 08:29:41 -0400 From: Paul Wakfer <> Subject: Accuracy in Quoting or Reference References: <> Several times people have referred either directly or indirectly to my use of the term "mental masturbation" within a CryoNet message of several weeks ago (#14245) which was made largely in jest, but began a major attack on me. However, even though "mental masturbation" is a commonly used expression, I specifically chose to *not* use it but instead wrote "brain masturbation" (it was brains and their hypothetical functioning with which people had been playing - playing in the sense of currently unprovable, and in my view time-wasting speculation which would in time be shown to be correct or not correct regardless of what people now decided). That choice of words was meant to lend a little irony and lightness to my remarks rather than to make a direct insult to anyone. However, the current topic of discussion, the existence or non-existence of ET's and why we have not been contacted, I do consider to be true mental masturbation since it is both off topic for this list and is acutely wasting of a scarce resource (our time) which could be spent on learning how to extend the length of our lives. Again I state that for those heavily engaged in the pursuit of such life-extending methods by one means or another, it is entirely forgivable that they should spend a few spare moments in such "fun" activities (although CryoNet is properly not the place for it), but for those who are currently doing little to achieve a goal which they profess to desire, I ask them to seriously consider their priorities and to make them consistent with their true purposes. -- Paul -- Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14476