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Subject: Tom Brown Classes
From: [Requested anonymity]
Date: Fri, February 15, 2008 3:50 pm

Hey Al,

I'd just like to say that I am a tracker student, I was highly amused by your article and also not offended in the least bit. I think that those who are offended deserve the criticism described in your trip. You're description wasn't wholly negative, even if biased. Much of the criticism for Tom's school was warranted. I would like to point out however that you took the "Penn and Teller: Bullshit!"(http://www.atheistnation.net/video/?video/00794/atheist/bullshit-end-of-the-world/) view of Tom's classes as a course to prepare you for the imminent end-of-the-world-catastrophe. I mean, of course, civilization will one day end, just like everything else. Even the sun is going to go out someday. But why is it right around the corner?

I think the "spiritual" aspect is one part of Tom's classes--the worst part. I'm not saying that spirituality is bad, it really just draws the wrong crowd. People idolize Tom. People pay Tom way too much money. Tom and Tommy use "Coyote teaching" as a cop-out for laziness. Tom and Tommy are probably huge hypocrites. They do (both now) drive hum-vees (sp? Tommy has an H3, the vanity license plate reads "T3S H3"). I am not going to argue these points. But I think you don't realize a lot of the things the school goes over should be used practically and not for survival purposes. If you were to blow another thousand bucks to take the next class (or go to your local library and get "Naked into the Wilderness" by John McPherson) you would see that these things can have practical implications on our daily lives. Maybe the end isn't around the corner, but it doesn't mean we should drink only bottled water all day from plastic bottles and drive giant SUV's. There's also the fact that, if one chooses, you can use these skills to live somewhat comfortably without a formal job. Sure, the skills are a lot of work, but if you love them (which I do), then it's really just like playing all day, having everything you need, and NOT needing a job. Sure Tom's a jerk and a hypocrite, but he got me into these things that I now love, and I think that's worth something.

- [Requested anonymity]

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Thanks, anonymous, for your remarks. They definitely help in making this a serious analysis of this subject, as opposed to some sort of "bash-Al-for-having-a-clue" forum.

.al