Never thought ADC was funny either. Merriman, poor soul, clearly can build a very nice model from the most basic materials, and without scratch builders, we don't have a hobby, because someone has to master the parts for the kits we buy and build. Tell you what, though, without us assemblers, there's no hobby either, because next to nobody would be left to appreciate scratch-building skill.
The root of the problem (and if there is a problem, it's Merriman's not mine, so I don't care much whether it's ever solved) is that he can't get anyone to buy into his elitist mindset, no matter how much he berates us. This latest posting seems like a stealth attempt to get us to pay attention. Judging by the size of the thread, it succeeded, but perhaps the attention is a little less positive than he might have wished. Shrug.
Mark Schynert