Dear T x.

[Guest guest]

Dear Tx

Getting sponsorship would be great. I for one could not give a flying one

where it came from. We do need the money, and you don't have to stay

sponsored if you don't like the sponsor. Let's entice Macs on board.

Yummy big M herbalists with extra cheese. Even better, what about Glaxo or

Pfizer. See boss, it's like this, I disagree with you when you recently said

'awareness is a process not an event'. Awareness, in the mind of the modern

consumer, is an event, just ask Al Qaeda...or Ulrika . Herbal

medicine has been around since before us, if you see what I mean, so how

much more time do you need. I'm so depressed that the Institute went along

with the voluntary ban of kava. The only people that got the publicity out

of that freebee was Holland and Barratt. The truth is that by going along

with them we became non newsworthy. If we'd said we were not going to ban it

and keep on merrily supplying it, then that would have maybe caused a little

conflict, and that is newsworthy. It's easy to let the press know about

these things...isn't it PR group lurking person? The other thing that really

stinks is that now 'we' have gone along with this kava ban it's only a

matter of time before some clever journo/pr person for the 'enemy'

reports..'even the herbalists stopped using it'. Only have ourselves to

blame. If we had supported Holland and Barratt in the stand they made we

could have asked them for some money (if you are too scared to ask for money

then I'll do it), maybe even a mention next to the kava pills in the

hundreds of stores they have. A nice little Institute emblem, next to the

kava pills saying..'as supported by the NIMH..phone this for more

info...standardisation, it's great, just what drug companies want.. etc

etc " . So a potential sponsorship plus free publicity scam lost there I

reckon.

Love

Sx (cos it really Sx)

p.s.

Do you see what I mean about the event being important Trudy? Not so long

ago I also managed to attract your attention with the greatest of ease. I

glued some words together, pulled the pin and sent them to the Herbal

Thymes. You wanted to kill me...I could tell...my telephone ear is still

bleeding...see though how an event caught your attention, I did not even

have to leave my typewriter to do it. Now I've done it again...haven't I?

Easy peasy! Now the truth is Trudy I am not having a go at you or anyone, I

have the utmost respect for you and the awful position you find yourself in,

especially when people like me keep popping up. It's only my own pathetic

attempt to show you how easy it is to attract attention through conflict and

disagreement rather blind acceptance. As far as I can see, someone is trying

to take away our jobs (and what I believe in) and our tools. I say no. They

are actually providing us with potential press by giving us the chance to

say NO, most vociferously. Potential sponsors need to see us. At present we

are hiding ourselves behind the legislation.

But I do love you.....honest.

p.p.s. So here's a peace offering Trudy. I know a Doctor, journo type who

writes for the Observer and Mail and has already expressed a vague interest

to me in writing something on the dangers of legislation, the loss of basic

freedoms entailed in removing herbs. His stuff lies around for quite some

time as it gets on web sites and things and he has a large following. He is

a doctor with a huge interest in herbs and nutrition. I have not pursued it

because (as you can tell) my attitude is to let the public know they are

having basic human rights removed, herbalists will be flung into prison,

blood in the streets etc etc, and I was even worried the NIMH might not

approve of so forthright a stance!! But if you want to see if we can get

something sorted out; you, me, the doc and the PR man, I'd be only to happy

to help (call me on 029 20219853). It's free, and I might get back into your

good books, cos I really do love you....

honest I do...