[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

VDA at 90

Hi RJ,

           I am glad you replied as you did, as I wanted to see what the 
interest level would be before I signed on to do a book or joined in planning 
an anniversary Convention. I have done alot of voluntering over the years, so 
I try to read the waters now before I jump. If the interest is not there then 
doing all this would just serve me and since I already know alot of the 
history, I would just be pleasing myself -- boring.
         I am wondering though what in the world is "cutting edge" about 
killies? New species? new collection trips? Well, the new species usually 
disappear after the next new species comes along. Someone one day will have 
to expalin to me how hobbyists in Germany (and here) managed to mantain the 
old strains of F. filamentosum (the best looking one ever), C. occidentalis 
(also the best) and (I don't know what genus its in now) calabarica before, 
DURING and after World War II, with its massive destruction, dislocation and 
loss of all conveniences and we do so much worse in our "stuff" filled, 
"info" packed world today? Why did "old, boring, useless and dull" keep 
strains alive for decades -- inbreeding and no collection codes to boot! -- 
and we run through new and cutting edge species like a knife through butter? 
Maybe its time to take stock of the past to truly understand the future. 
Maybe "cutting edge" is good for business but bad for killies? Personally, 
most of the best information I know about raising fish I learned from old 
guys long ago. There is some new information that has been equally as good, 
but those old guys came from a time when one could stop and look and listen 
and learn, and where one only had a few species to work with so one did 
everything they could to produce the best and make them last. They also built 
all the clubs we enjoy. Could we build them today? Maybe there are real 
things, unnoticed things, left to learn here. People seem to be saying here 
at times, "well, gee, the AKA used to offer all these things, what happened?" 
The answer is always that no one volunteers. Well, maybe no one really 
understands anymore why some of this stuff is important. We can't always see 
the real value of things in a world defined and driven by "cutting edge." 
That's a world of competition and ads. Killies are nature. Two totally 
unrelated "life" forms.

Robert E.
---------------
See http://www.aka.org/AKA/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
Follow-Ups: