One of the tricky things with special interest forums like this one, is to keep the posts interesting, stimulating and informative on a more or less daily basis, and not allow them to sink either into boring, meaningless tweets, or to become abusive. Either extreme, if it last for very long, means the group will lose members and ultimately fall apart. As a group that is essentially interested in a musical instrument, this lyre group differs from other musical SIGs because there is a unique, underlying religious element to it and there is NOTHING that will set people against one another faster than religious differences. Personally, I find religion - what people believe and why they believe it - to be one of the most fascinating subjects around, although I have no particular religious affiliation myself and am an equal-opportunity debunker! As for Mark Allen Barnes, he can be more.....DIRECT......than he probably should be in a group of this sort, but he is also a committed lyre-builder and an endlessly interesting if slightly eccentric fellow. I have learnt all sorts of things from him and I think he has told me a couple of times in the past, in so many words, that Im full o shit. Thats O.K., on closer consideration of something I have written hes turned out to be right, and besides it is not possible to offend me. A lot has been said about the Harraris in recent posts, and both Micah and Shoshanna have, to their credit, patiently and respectfully explained themselves and their point of view. For myself, regardless of what I may think about their religious affiliation and their explanations of their life task, I have to say I LOVE THEM. I dont mean that condescendingly or facetiously. I may not agree with them, but I am deeply impressed with their gentleness and lovingkindness at every turn. It is also my impression, all else notwithstanding, that Micah is one helluva fine instrument maker. Glenn, you are an important, informed, wonderfully imaginative and highly skilled luthier. I do hope you do not slam the door on this group because of something one person has written. Take it with a grain of salt. Everybody else does! BTW, many years ago, I had a personal encounter with the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Schneerson, and believe it or not our meeting became a chapter in a book written by a well-known Chabad scholar, and published by the sect itself. At the time, I had no idea who the Rebbe was and was baffled by the obvious, but futile, efforts of the men around him to get him away from me as quickly as possible.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 13:21:03 +0000
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