More oil on the fire?

[Jonathan Silk]

I am saddened that my casual reference appears to have been taken as 
some sort of veiled attack against one of our colleagues, or his 
opinions or positions. Nothing could be further from my intent. I 
intended, in fact, no particular claim at all, and merely thought 
myself of my "contribution," if it can be called that, as akin to a 
comment one might insert into a rather heated discussion at a 
cocktail party (perhaps with the naive intention of calming what 
seems to him, from the sidelines, unneccessarily contentious): "By 
the way, I've noticed something that seems, but is after all perhaps 
not at all, tangentially related to what you were talking about..." 
That this could have given the impression of encoded criticism I 
sincerely regret, and hope my colleague will accept my apology for 
inadvertently conveying that impression. If he concludes that I am a 
fool, as one might judge someone at a cocktail party who makes 
sometimes nonsensical asides or apparent non sequitors, well, better 
that than he think me malicious or disrespectful.

Indeed respectfully, JAS
-- 
Jonathan Silk
Department of Asian Languages & Cultures
Center for Buddhist Studies
UCLA
290 Royce Hall
Box 951540
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1540
phone: (310) 206-8235
fax:  (310) 825-8808
silk (at) humnet.ucla.edu