From: julie@eddie.jpl.nasa.gov (Julie Kangas)
Subject: Re: Brewing With Friends
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 21:21:16 GMT

In article <1992Nov23.180630.21779@i88.isc.com> jeq@i88.isc.com (Jonathan E. Quist) writes:
>In article <1992Nov23.151659.28716@llyene.jpl.nasa.gov> julie@eddie.jpl.nasa.gov (Julie Kangas) writes:
>>In article <1992Nov22.194243.2158@dsuvax.dsu.edu> dbreiden@dsuvax.dsu.edu (Danny Breidenbach) writes:
>...
>>>lives uncomfortable for a while.  I.e., you hit a nerve, Julie.
>>
>>1.  Not only do we need disclaimers now, we need disclaimer smilies.
>
>"Lions and tigers and bears"
>
>>Oh my.

Shouldn't that be "lions and tigers and beers" ?   :)

>
>>4.  The *original* idea behind my story was this:  I had two very small
>>bags waiting to get on a plane.  Someone in front of me had two very
>>small bags.  He asked, 'are these ok?'  Stewardess said no, took
>>one away.  I didn't ask.  I went on board with my two very small
>>bags.  I did not hog anyone else's space nor hit any one on the
>>head with my two very small bags.
>
>Sigh.  I retract my earlier criticism.  Come to think of it, the last
>time I flew on business, I had a small bag for under the seat, and a briefcase.
>Guilty as charged...
>Unfortunately, the image that popped into my head was a flight where
>half the passengers had 3 bags - there were first class passengers stuffing
>their bags in the overheads in back - and a couple who _both_ had 2-suit type
>wardrobe bags to hang in the crew's closet space...  not the most enjoyable
>experience.  Julie, you have my apologies for overreacting.  I should have
>stopped to think about the subject line: "Brewing With Friends"...
>
I think my post hit many a nerve and the replies hit a nerve in me,
so I over-reacted too.  I just believe that the less <government,airline, 
whatever> intervention and regulation in life the better.  This of 
course necessitates the individual to be responsible.  I try very hard 
to avoid harming anyone.  In the case of airline carry-ons I know what 
will fit under my seat and I don't mind if I have no foot room.  I 
don't infringe on any one else's space though.  The jerks you mentioned 
above are that -- jerks.   They would still be jerks if they didn't 
have all that luggage.  (I've had jerks try to put their one bag
under *my* feet!)

To bring this back to beer, it might be like comparing someone
who brews 100 gallons in a year, tries to sell it, gets drunk and
drives, etc. with someone who brews 210 gallons a year but acts
responsibly, doesn't sell it, doesn't drink and drive etc.  The
guy who brews 210 gallons is breaking the law on the amount of
homebrew a person can make in a year.  But I feel that as long
as he acts responsibly and doesn't harm anyone that it's not a
big deal.  Unfortunately, many government-type regulations would
say '100 gallons and look what it does to people!  Cut it back
so they can only brew 50 gallons!'.  Or, the 210 gallon guy might
ask if 210 gallons is ok and get in deep trouble while the 
irresponsible 100 gallon guy acts as he pleases until he gets
caught.  The real problem is not how much is being brewed but 
individual responsibility.  If someone acts badly then go after 
that individual, but don't punish everyone for that one individual.

This gets back to what I was trying to poorly say with my joke
(in which I made a lot of unspoken assumptions).  Live responsibly, 
don't harm anyone, but don't draw too much attention to yourself.

Anyway, let's all relax and get back to homebrew :)

Julie
DISCLAIMER:  All opinions here belong to my cat and no one else