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 --

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