I think Dave Nevin out there in Oz has caught me red-handed trying to
stir up a survey out of an innocent question.  Members of the list, you
have (are getting) your groundswell of opinion.  In fairness, there were
some confirming negative comments sent in brown paper directly to me,
but I am not at liberty in a public medium to publish them.

Just so Dave and I can meet at dawn with our consciences free of doubt,
I would like to make clear to all the grant writers out there that I
have the utmost respect for your abilities to labor through the inchoate
and enthusiastic with the same boots and still manage to get something
onto paper.

The contributions of anyone who makes it a business to stimulate a
success more often than a failure or a willingness more often than a
turn-off, in my opinion, has a deserved niche.  Equally, I believe there
are folks out there who are selling Strunk and White as if English and
common sense were something new and arcane.  It would profit my
institution and many others if these people were properly identified and
the myth quietly buried.

Jim

--
James R. Brett, Ph.D., Director
Office of University Research
California State University, Long Beach
562-985-5314 or fax 562-985-8665
http://www.csulb.edu/~research