Guest Editorial from Justin Zzyzx<\/p>\n

Hot Juicy Gossip!<\/p>\n

One of my favorite quotes has always been “Hell is Other People”. You could find it inscribed on buttons, bumper stickers, t-shirts, of course, now it has gone the way of the “Kilroy was here”. For the younger audience, I’m just waxing nostalgic. Of course, after many years of being alive and consuming Sartre’s play NO EXIT, I understand the quote was much more than that basic quote. The story of four people locked in a room with no exit, which turns out to be hell (sorry for the spoiler), the quote is better extended. “Hell is Other People’s Opinion of You”. Much worse, much more self reflective. Possibly something that only comes with age and insight into one’s self. Are people allowed to change? Or must we always look at them with the view we once established?<\/p>\n

During my 20+ years in this industry I got to meet a veritable “Who’s Who” in the club of mineral dealers. Mostly lovely people, enjoying this fine hobby. Some of them retired school teachers and professors, some ex-geologists, mixed in with some plain ol’ capitalist merchants. Indeed, there is always the train of gossip that swirls around, but you CERTAINLY, well, ok, RARELY, found anyone in the hallways of hotel shows, or in the middle of arena just shouting obscenities and showering the show with bad tidings. If there was, or when, those sellers would not find themselves in the graces of the general buying public. Then, the internet came along. The dark, evil internet. Nobody has really painted as beautifully dark a picture of the internet as Bo Burnam.<\/p>\n