re: chemical hysteria

Joe Portale (jportale@primenet.com)
Sat, 16 May 1998 10:12:55 -0700

Richard,

I would like to apologize for the knee-jerk reaction that I had over the
tasting of chemicals posting. I also agree that there is entirely too much
made out of the handling of common chemical compounds. It seems that we
have become conditioned to these reactions. The College where I am employed
once evacuated an entire building (four floors and over six hundred
students, faculty and staff) because someone dropped and broke a mercury
thermometer in a science lab.

I never intended to attack you intelligence nor your integrity with my
response. I will stand by my stand that tasting photo-chemicals is a bad
idea and would not promote the practice. We simple have a difference of
opinion.

Joe Portale
Tucson, AZ.