Well I suppose I should just let this all pass. But since Tom made some specific accusations I feel I should respond just to set the record straight.
Professionally I am an adjunct faculty member teaching multi-media and programming at a small college in Long Beach, CA. I've been here for 6 years now and for the past two terms received the "Student's Choice Award" for best instructor. I came here after leaving a high paying corporate job after my boss left and his replacement didn't care for me. I prefer teaching to corporate management and am fine with the lower pay because this is a better way to make a living. Overall, I think I have a stable job history. Yes, I'm divorced, just like over 50% of the US population. I have my kids every weekend and they are delightful, strong and healthy children who love their Dad. No problems there. In addition to my 20 hours of college classes, I work on puja.net roughly 30 hours a week. I pay myself $1000 a month because if I didn't there would be no puja.net and I figure I'm worth $9/hour. The yagya program provides the funds to support 6 priests and their family. We pay them well and they live happily. This is my contribution towards the preservation of the vedic tradition. I created something where before there was nothing. I'd love to do yagyas full time just like I loved the 5 years I taught TM full time back in the 70's (in Chicago mostly). I probably could if I approached this as a business. But that seems to me to defeat the higher purpose. Inevitably Puja.net has business elements, but it has evolved into more than just yagyas; there are audio and video programs, a podcast, the service we do in the temples around Kanchipuram, the food and dhotis that we dontate to the children in the pundit ashrams, etc. Only the yagyas involve money right now. We are large enough and the participation levels are high enough that we can offer 4 days of full scale yagyas for $65. That is, to me, an accomplishment and I tend to view puja.net as a yagya co-op as much as anything. I know I've made mistakes and I am sure there is still room for improvement. But ten years ago there was nothing like a yagya co-op and I was figuring it out as I went along. So mistakes and missteps are inevitable. And certainly when one puts oneself out there, there are a few who will view it as a target opportunity. It just goes with the territory. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 1.2 million kids a year are victims of human trafficking. Stop slavery. http://us.click.yahoo.com/WpTY2A/izNLAA/yQLSAA/JjtolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
