[charlesr1958]

Originally Posted by sihaya

Speaking of threats of litigation, I have a funny story...

Recently, Mr. Borneman went to the UH *campus* police complaining to them that I was "harassing" him on forums and with my website. Apparently, he was politely told that comments of this nature on public web forums and websites do not constitute harassment and so they wouldn't be filing any charges. But since he apparently made such a fuss about it (and since there was that one PM I probably shouldn't have sent him where I may have teased him a little about his 6th authorship of his first peer-reviewed publication ever), the police officer said she'd ask both of us not to contact each other personally. As if I'd made any substantial effort to contact the man since July of last year... Well, at least the effect worked both ways. Maybe this is why I've been spared the kind of emails Patrick has received.

Of course, I'm not sure anyone explained to Officer Light that I was a bit "provoked" when Mr. Borneman posted on the MARSH forum that I had no experience in science research and failed to recant the comment even after concrete evidence to the contrary was provided. Or, earlier than that, a bit provoked by a disturbing phone call from his sister-in-law apparently in response to some joke I must have made in the Cage over at RM. Not that "provocation" ever excuses the utter lack of tack I've admittedly displayed (on occasion)... but I would think it could at least reduce my charge to "merely human."

And it gets better...

I then get an email from Brian Plankis that since the DIBs website has high school students as members, and in light of this "complaint" made to the UH campus police, he had no choice but to ban me from the DIBs forum. And just to add insult to injury, he told me that if I were ever to mention any of this to anyone, he may have to consider publicizing the complaint. Such class from such a young man, no?

So, now I know what you're all thinking... does this prove that I'm just out for vengeance? Do I really just hate Mr. Borneman? ...is that what this site is really about? And the answer is, yet again and emphatically; NO. This is about a leader of our hobby taking hundreds of pounds of protected Florida corals to a commercial facility, then having them come into jeopardy on his watch. That upsets me more than anything Mr. Borneman could have ever possibly done to me personally. Though honestly, all the above mentioned grief doesn't exactly warm my heart...

Anyway... I didn't really want to bring any of this up, but I figured if I didn't, someone else probably would eventually anyway.

I have to admit that it is quite amusing (and telling) that the mere possibility of Eric showing up to defend himself has one running to the confessional booth. The above cleary defines an agenda and motive which, in my opinion, totaly discredits and calls into question the entire "presentation" in addition to the fact that the information provided remains sketchy, haphazard and just plain old incomplete. As this and other threads throughout the forums progress and get stuck for lack of anything concrete, I see more and more hobbyists starting to realize what I have been trying to point out from the start. Who knows, might the beginning of some common sense and decency be creeping into the picture, along with some obvious revelations.
As for the additional permit provided, I failed to get anything out of that at all. For one, its a totaly blank .doc file that when opened for viewing, also allows anyone to modify it at will. Without dates/signatures and being a finished "product", I just didn't get it at all or saw the point of posting it as documentation. Not that it really matters though, because when we are fed one bit at a time while skipping over the "blanks" and jumping time lines, what else can one do but to note the obvious.