From: jojw@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (John J. Wood)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: Idiotic Ugly Rumor-mongerers
Date: 14 Apr 92 12:09:49 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)

Bongo replies to castro@alm.admin.usfca.edu...
>also known as "hey! let's propogate some unfounded, unproven,
>quite possibly damaging insinuations about a public figure's
>private life *world* *wide*, just to ask 'gee! has anybody else 
>heard this?'!"
>
>I guess it was inevitable; we relived the sexist lyrics debate,
>we resurrected the ticketless heads flame-war, we asked the FAQ
>about WTF BIODTL stands for, it was about time somebody blundered
>in on this world wide bulletin board and asked (again, again, again)
>"HEY! HAS ANYBODY ELSE HEARD THAT xxx IS ON SMACK AGAIN???
>--sparky@dumbphuck.edu"
>
>Y'know, the very asking of the question publicly--and you can't get
>a lot more public than this--*creates* and *propogates* this ugly
>rumor about a friends personal life.

Thank you, brother bongo! This is only coming from me, but I have
*NO* room for bullshit rumors of the personal variety! You'd think
some people would learn from the pathetic "Phil's leaving the
band" fiasco in June 90, prompting Phil to mention at Cal
Expo on 6/10:

	"You know, I'd like to tell you something.  There's
	this rumor going around that I'm gonna leave the band
	after the Eugene shows.  Well, it's A BULLSHIT LIE!!"

Strictly opinion:  Phil *never* should have been put in that position
in the first place, and it was the result of one stupid idiot too many
spreading total garbage! And I'll bet Phil had to deal with that
issue numerous times before his impromptu "announcement".

>Even should it be true--and we have no tangible reason to believe
>it is--it would be none of our phucking business. None.

Exactly! What really ticks me off is that people will spread these
realms of stupidity that are NONE OF THEIR DAMN BUSINESS, just
to be "cool", with no discretion to the band whatsoever! I've
seen it on the net, and too many times in my own experiences.
It's one thing to mention, "The Dead may be playing at this 
cool little place in East Bumphuck," it's another when it
comes to personal, PRIVATE matters.  Would any of *you* like
it if false, private rumors were spread about you:  stuff that
is nobody's business but your own??  

>Sure we care about him. Sure we're addicted to the little rushes
>we get off of his superb musicianship. That gives us absolutely
>*no* phucking right to smear his name publicly on a casual, careless
>whim.

Bless you, brother bongo! I agree 1000%!!!!!!!

>Think about your actions, people. They matter. Rumors are harmful
>to people. Real, feeling people, not cultural icons. And every damned
>rumor spreads just like this.

And although the band certainly has celebrity status, they are
*people*, with a need for privacy like each and every one of us.
Each have their own lives outside the Grateful Dead, and rightfully
so.

>We don't live in a vacuum. Careless actions can create chain-reactions
>of repercussions that end up hurting people we care about. If we
>*really* care, we take responsibility for what we do. If we *don't*
>really care, then we ain't worth one whole hell of a lot in my
>ever so humble opinion.

I normally don't recall entire posts, but in this case, bongo 
nailed it.  If you're going to post such personal-related bullshit,
and *especially* just to be "hip", do yourself a favor and keep
it to yourself, as the majority of these slanderings are of the
same cloth as any supermarket tabloid:  TOTAL BULLSHIT!!!
Simultaneously, you'll save yourself plenty of flames and the
fact that you're only making a total ass of yourself!

As Blair Jackson once said in the Spring '89 issue of the Golden
Road, "Let's just get back to digging this great band."

My "PISSED" button now off...
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| John J. Wood                                  jojw@uhura.cc.rochester.edu  |
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| "What do you need to set your body free..."                  		     |
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