Audiogon/Asylum and magazine reviewers posts

I guess KR's suffering our ongoing biting at his ankles just proves my point, although I'll grant that maybe he doesn't take it badly - or give a hot damn. I submit that's part of the reason HE'S the reviewer in this exchange.

KR I would encourage you and the other "processionals" to bring your knowledge and exchange up to a new level. When Audiogon was a ‘shot from the hip/ fist and cuffs' site it was a whole lot easier to participate. Now it requires thoughtful responses that might actually help improve ones knowledge or enjoyment of the hobby. I beg you and your colleagues to consider Audiogon for what it is, the premier Internet site for Audiophiles. AA has it's place, but in the past two years it has been left behind by this site and the participants who frequent it. I believe we would all benefit from the insight of "professional" reviewers if not only because you are exposed to so much more. Maybe a place for you to start is in the review section, are there other components you have heard or heard about that might be similar in characteristics that people might look in to? Do you have suggestions to the writer that might be useful to them, help them to improve the review for the next time? How about music, in your position I would expect you have found music we should all be aware of. Could you make some suggestions? It seems to me there is a lot you could do to improve the hobby. I'm not saying you should not enjoy the ‘wild west' at AA, but I do believe your position in the audio community requires you to do all you can to expand the hobby.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am not intentionally standing back from Audiogon and it should be apparent that I, and other writers, do monitor it. OTOH, there are only so many hours in the day and I do respond to any and all posts which evoke sufficient motivation for me to do so. (Yours is one.)

BTW, one reason that writers (and others) try to be a bit circumspect about their postings was nicely demonstrated in last night's re-run of West Wing wherein a staffer responded to a Web group and reaped much more than he expected.

Swingman, thanks for the kind words.

I have not checked out the book, but can tell from your enthusiasm that it is definitely a must read. My reading has more or less been limited to Gourmet magazine, and my cookbooks. I have slowed down in my purchases of cookbooks over the past couple of years due to the good fortune of basically finding any recipe on the internet.

However, there is one recipe that I have never been able to find, chicken nin~on(sorry for the lousy representation, pronunciation is neen - yon). A French dish of chicken, in a broth with cream, mushrooms, white wine, etc. My mother used to make it for me as a child, and it was out of this world. Unfortunately, I have not had it since, and have never come across the recipe. If you or anyone was able to help out, I would be eternally endebted.