Enough is enough.

["Karen Randall" <krandall@world.std.com>]

I'll tell you, this morning I was just about to say, "I quit.  I refuse to
play
in the sandbox with kids who can't play nice."  We have _got_ to get past
bickering and second guessing people's motives.

I talked to Dave G. last night and HE'S RIGHT.  He does not NEED material
from the showcase.  His first priority has to be to his readers.  Why would
they want to read a regurgitation of what Mary prints OR see her
"cast-offs"?  Mary, if you can do the whole job in TAG, and use enough
material that there's not enough left for PAM, you should say so now, then
do the job so thoroughly that people are sated with showcase info.  In that
case there is no reason for Dave not to fill those pages with more
interesting content.  As someone who has been involved with the showcase
from day one, I think it's an exciting event with wide appeal.  The number
of drop-dead gorgeous tanks is astounding.  If you CAN'T run good sized
photos of at least 30 tanks, there is more than enough material to go
around.  As a subscriber to both magazines, that's what _I_ want to see.

Dave does not see himself in competition with TAG at all, Mary. (neither do
I for that matter) I think it is very important for AGA, PAM and _MOST
IMPORTANTLY_ the HOBBY that the AGA MC not continue to drive a wedge between
AGA and Dave, when Dave is bending over backwards to support AGA.

Dave can be abrupt, and his E-mails come through with a sharp edge.
Sometimes his enthusiasm can be a bit overwhelming.  But his motives are
honorable.  Mary, how do you think authors are getting paid by PAM? PAM
doesn't have any money.  Dave is doing ALL the work for PAM, AND paying the
contributors out of his own pocket!  That may (hopefully) change at some
point, but Dave is NEVER going to get rich on PAM.  I doubt whether the
amount of money he gets out of it will EVER be equal to the pay he'd get for
working the same number of hours at McDonalds.

I will say for the record right here and now that I consider Dave a personal
friend, and a friend of this hobby.  And I don't like being put in the
position of being in the middle between a person I care about and an
organization that I care about.  No matter what others may think, Dave is
doing this for the love of the hobby, just like the rest of us.

The fact that he chose to direct his energies in a way that AGA didn't want
to participate (PAM) is NOT Dave's fault.  In fact, after the work he has
done for AGA for a number of years and the cold shoulder he has received by
some members of this committee, I think it takes a pretty big person to
_continue_ to want to support this organization.

Dave has worked extremely hard to put out a quality magazine for US, the
hobbyists.  Anyone who thinks that this is some "get rich quick" scheme,
think again.  He _could_ try to compete with TAG, but instead he has bent
over backwards to accomodate AGA.  Yes, we've had to iron out a few
problems, but _every time_ an "issue" has come up, when we've sat down and
TALKED with Dave about it as ADULTS, AGA has come out the "winner".  Not
because of winning any competiton, not because of winning any battles but
because Dave understands that what is good for AGA is good for the hobby,
and what's good for the hobby is good for PAM.

We need to get back to working with each other as a TEAM.  This divisivness
and competitive behavior is not only unbecoming of an organization of this
stature, but it's bad for the hobby.  I have spent many years now working
very hard to promote this hobby in every way I can.  I have every intention
of continuing to do that.  If AGA can't learn to work with the hobby
community, _including_ those who have a different perspective and those who
have a different agenda, then I'm not sure it's an organization that I want
to continue to associate with.  Enough is enough.  It's time to grow up and
act like a group of adults.

OK, I'll get off my soap box now, and go home.  I hope when I return to the
sandbox tomorrow, everyone will have decided to play nicer.

Karen