Your right, Alex.  I am indeed jaded.  And I become more so by the year.  I
don't know how long you've been in this game, but I grew up in it,
literally. I am tired of yoyos expounding these wonderful theories,
spending millions of dollars of grant and foundation money, publishing 12
papers on the same dataset, and producing a long and illustrious
professional career on things that, when tested, mean nothing.  I fully
understand the spiralling, self-correcting aspect of basic research, but
the problem is that it takes so long to correct itself.  It's like sitting
at the kiddie table at Thanksgiving, realizing that Uncle Bob has to die
before you can be considered an adult. Staff, faculty and, by default,
their ideas, are so firmly entrenched by their own feelings of self-esteem,
etc., the blinders go up, and everyone else is wrong.....for a
generation....or more.  Punctuated Equilibrium at its finest.  Don't get me
wrong. I have made no great discoveries.  I have not had papers rejected
which I believed would change the course of humanity or snaildom.  There
are no sour grapes here.  Just my own observations and they sicken me too.

I am a field biologist by birth.  I can't help it.  My priorities are
elsewhere.  They come from long months alone in $3./night hotels with no AC
and a squeaky ceiling fan.  To me nothing else matters but to get as many
species in museums before they go extinct.  I assist in the documentation
of the land snail fauna of this planet which is going to Hell in a
handbasket.  The rest is luxurious masturbation (no offense, folks) and a
waste of all too few funds.

Yes, I know well who Sheppard is.  Yes, Cain's work on Cepaea is indeed
legendary and his fine research on diverse topics spawned the likes of
Cameron, Kearney, the Baurs, Murray and many others in different
disciplines who picked up the gauntlets on his many original theories.  He
is a fine and gentle soul who should always be remembered for his work and
his love for this neglected group of organisms.

I read as many scientific papers I can get my hands on.  I try NOT to
attend meetings, unless I need a nap.  I'll wait for the published version.
 I know they're important, especially for graduate students, but my
reputation preceeds me, good or bad, usually the latter.

In closing, we could continue this discussion on minutiae ad nauseum, but
I'd prefer not to.  I still think models, rules, etc. stink.  We have
attained impasse.  Your arguements are well documented and thought through
and I commend you. Ah, selectionists,.....natural selection.....no, I won't
go there.  'Tis tempting, but I have work to do.

Khuda Hafeez,

Kurt