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Written by Scott
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Sunday, 21 December 1997 |
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Page 3 of 4
(Mark of JLF)
No. But golly-gee, we do sell a really, really, really dangerous product. Sometimes I think we should take it out of the catalog. I'm not sure most people are ready to handle it. I'm not sure the public is intelligent enough, mature enough or responsible enough to be trusted with possessing such a powerful material. If too many people find out about this, they might make it illegal; but I'll tell you anyway. It is the most frightening item we sell. It is called “Rocks, Sticks and Fire,” and that's what it is. And I'm sure I don't have to tell you, the educated reader, of the abuse potential here. Why, sometimes I think I might someday have trouble sleeping because of the guilt. Just think, if someone took a stick and poked his, her or another's eye out with it. It would be my fault.....NOT! (Once again, our hero saved the day. Believe me, the philosophical lecture would have been much longer and much less pleasant).
(ED)
Do you ever get approached by government agencies regarding your activities?
(Mark of JLF)
No; never (except for the IRS).
(ED)
Are the toad skins really roadkill?
(Mark of JLF)
They used to be in older catalogs. I was then selling Bufo americanus. It is an indigenous species to this area. I would go out after summer rains at night and gather road-kills. The species in the current catalog is Bufo marinus. They are not road-kills. They were executed/assassinated/euthenized. They came from Miami, Florida where they are not indigenous; they are overpopulated aliens with a pest status (as they are in many other parts of the world).
(ED)
Do you worry that offering some of the products to the public will bring unwanted attention, and possibly cause something such as Amanita muscaria to become controlled?
(Mark of JLF)
Why in the world would Amanita muscaria ever become illegal? JLF “causing” it to happen? How would that work? Here again, maybe I'm speaking from an uneducated position. Yet, maybe I can offer a more reasonable perspective. Take two groups of people. The first group is all those who have read the JLF catalog (maybe purchased Amanita muscaria, maybe not). The second group of people will be of equal number to which you will have requested questions for this interview. The first group is unfamiliar with the group that came up with the questions, and the second group is unfamiliar with the JLF catalog or company. Now interview each group. Ask them one question: “Do you believe Amanita muscaria should be made illegal?” Which group do you think is going to be more likely to answer “yes?” I would say the second group. Wouldn't you agree? So who is “causing” what here? Surely you are not unaware of these dynamics? It would not matter if you took out the name Amanita muscaria and replaced it with Hygrophorus conicus or any other exotic Latin name (mushroom or not). The fact would remain that you are the one provoking fear and suspicion by the inferior quality of your questions. (Looks as though our hero went home early today).
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