From: steinly@topaz.ucsc.edu (Steinn Sigurdsson)
Newsgroups: sci.environment
Subject: Re: Topsoil as a commodity
Date: 23 Nov 92 00:50:49 GMT
Organization: Lick Observatory/UCO
NNTP-Posting-Host: topaz.ucsc.edu
In-reply-to: gil@Gilsys.DIALix.oz.au's message of 22 Nov 92 04:01:07 GMT

In article <722404867snx@Gilsys.DIALix.oz.au> gil@Gilsys.DIALix.oz.au (Gil Hardwick) writes:

   In article <JMC.92Nov21112054@SAIL.Stanford.EDU> jmc@cs.Stanford.EDU writes:

    > I am properly humbled.  Gil Hardwick has properly thrown out all this
    > irrelevant stuff about land prices, amount of topsoil per acre and
    > trucking costs.  He has properly ignored J. L. Hurst's observation about
    > deep loess in close proximity to land good only for pasture.

   Rightfully. Topsoil and therefore farm land is not valued against the
   costs of trucking it elsewhere, but on what crops it will produce in
   situ. Haven't we got that through to you yet?

I do believe the point is that there is not intrinsic reason
for this, namely in principle poor land may be made better
by addition of proper topsoil, as is done persistently on
a world wide basis. The issue is whether such activity is best
left to geology, weather and rivers, or whether we might
take active part...

    > He has gotten to the essence of a discussion appropriate to an
    > "International forum" - who is a good guy and who is a bad guy.

   I do confess to being slow to tune into Truth, Justice, and The
   American Way, but now that I have finally learned I can relax and
   proceed apace with the realisation that you are all satisfied that
   I know the rules.

Gil, do you approach all cultures you interact with with the same
bluster as you have the Net? 

    > He calls me a computer programmer.  Programmers laugh when they hear
    > that.  I'm a professor of ... .

   I do not give two hoots what you are a professor of; as I have stated
   previously I have no respect for whatever it is you represent here on
   the Internet. As you choose to use your position to promote your own
   eccentric political ideology, and to promote such economic absurdity
   as you do in all seriousness, you are no more than a buffoon.

Maybe it is time to add some history of the Net to Required Reading
For Newbies (as if a definitive one could ever be agreed on...).
A little research however, might show you Gil that Prof McCarthy is
probably a significant part of the reason why you can post here,
having put his authority behind a number of major free speach and
net access issues during the early days of the net. As I recall
Australia was one of the more persistent censors in the Good Old Days.
Although I suspect that Prof McCarthy had no direct hand in the 
opening of Oznet, I equally suspect the principles he championed
when the same issues were debated in the US and Canada were what
brought you (and many others) your access. 

*  Steinn Sigurdsson   			Lick Observatory      	*
*  steinly@lick.ucsc.edu		"standard disclaimer"  	*
*  I know people whose idea of fun				*
*  Is throwing stones in the river in the afternoon sun		*
*  Oh let me be as free as them					*
*  				- BB 1986			*
Newsgroups: sci.environment