Letters to the editor, May 2007This a traditional letter column. You are encouraged to write a letter of comment on anything that you find worthy of comment. It will (may) be published in this column along with my reply. As editor I reserve the right to delete material; however I will not alter the undeleted material. E-mail to me that solely references the contents of this site will be assumed to be publishable mail. All other e-mail is assumed to be private. And, of course, anything marked not for publication is not for publication. Oh yes, letters of appreciation for the scholarly resources provided by this site will be handled very discreetly. This page contains the correspondence for May 2007.
From: Melinda Walsh …AND have passed it along to many Got a good one for ya tho’…HOW DO PEOPLE/ENGINEERS change the light bulbs on the highest structures/buildings???? Have a great week and thanks for replying IF YA DO, lol How do engineers (who may be people despite the evidence to the contrary) change light bulbs on the highest structures? This is a difficult question.Return to index of contributors
From: Peter Neilson Mr. Harter! Your letter from Wendi is dated 5/0/2007. This suggests to me that there is a bug in your calendar program. Did you write it in San? Perhaps you should think about respecifying San to eliminate any chance of committing fencepost errors. There are, of course, other possibilities. Wendi might live in a universe where May 0 is a genuine day. Or perhaps she’s using a “store-and-backward” messaging system. Or maybe perhaps she sent the message when Mars (or is that Venus?) was retrograde. Would you care to speculate even more possibilities? like whether she’s involved with time-travel or FTL projects, or might be a spy sent by Charles Forte? I must say, sir, that it is quite improper on your part to ask about dating Wendi Rinehart. She is a married lady and is the mother of three small children. (One of the three small children is six foot seven and weighs three hundred pounds, mostly muscle.) I shall have to report you to some authority. Since I am an authority of sorts, consider yourself as having been reported.Return to index of contributors
From: Lars Geisler
Hi – I came across your page because I’m reading
‘The mote in God’s eye’.
Back in the 70’s I was an avid SF fan, and in all those years I have
kept my SF collection on a shelf (against my wife’s protests),
and once in a while I pick one, and reread it.
Nowadays (?) I often google whatever takes my fancy: film, tv authors
etc. just to see what otrher peoples opinon might be or has been.
So I found your review. I think the book is completely outdated, and
represents a very naive view of how humans will interact
with another sepcies – The old fashioned British naval traditions,
reminds me of ‘Master and Commander’, and the whole idea
that some military ship should be used and a number of officers and
other military personal sent to interact with a new species, is Please excuse the spelling, I live in Denmark in the city of Aalborg. Thanks for writing an interesting letter. If you kept your SF to a single shelf you are a better man than I am, Lars Geisler. My mine occupies 20 or 30. I justify this on the grounds that i have friends whose SF collections are much larger than mine.Return to index of contributors
From: Philip Tyson Dear Friends, There is a man I will always respect and admire. He isn’t a movie star. He isn’t the President of the United States. He didn’t win a Nobel Prize and he wasn’t awarded any purple hearts. No, he is just a missionary, but he is also even more than that. He is my grandpa. Bob Tyson was born in a small town called Villa Rica, Georgia. He was a preacher’s son, but he was always the “redneck” of the family. He liked to race cars and blow up dynamite, so he was always a tough guy. He got married with a seventeen year old girl named Joan Costlow. They settled down in Villa Rica with their own house, land, and cars, all paid for, and both with good jobs. They had everything they could ever want or need, but God had other plans. In 1964, my grandpa was called to be a missionary. He and my grandma sold everything they had and went to Tennessee Temple University. After three years and a half of studying the Bible, they were off for the mission field in Honduras and Nicaragua. And that’s where they’ve been ever since. Now Good Samaritan Baptist Missions is bigger than they could ever have dreamed, all because of the leadership of Bob Tyson. He gave his whole life to the mission field. Many times he risked his life for the Lord’s work. He did what was right and nobody could back him down. He didn’t care what people thought about him; he just cared what God thought. He has been called a “fireball preacher” many times because when he preached, he never did beat around the bush. He told the people straight in their faces what they were doing wrong. In the tent meetings, cowboys on horses armed with guns would come up around the tent to listen, but Grandpa never hesitated. My grandma, however, could just “feel” the bullets coming by. Yes, Bob Tyson was a born leader and strong and tough and very stubborn, but he was also very compassionate. He would always try to help anybody in need. He not only worried about their spiritual needs, but their physicals needs too. People that knew him feared him, but they all loved and respected him. He kept things under control and going right, and if things didn’t go his way, then someone was in trouble. My grandpa’s health started going bad a few years back and now he’s not able to work anymore. Our family doctor, a few years ago, said to Grandpa “Bob, you’ve worn your body out for the Lord”. And that’s exactly what he did. He gave his whole heart and soul to the ministry and his body just wore out. He and his leadership are missed by everyone in the mission, and sometimes it might seem like we can’t do it anymore without him. But God’s not through with this mission. He has kept it going over five years now without Grandpa, and I don’t have a shadow of a doubt that He will keep it going even longer. There will never be another Bob Tyson, but there will always be God, and Grandpa would’ve wanted us to put our total trust in Him. Like I said at the beginning, Grandpa didn’t win a Nobel Prize and wasn’t given any purple hearts. But I can assure you that he will get crowns and awards in Heaven. And that can’t even compare to any awards he could get here. Like to many others, Bob Tyson is my hero. He always will be, and when the Lord calls him home, it will never be the same. But his spirit will always be with us, because he loved his family and the ministry too much to leave us. If anyone deserves a crown in Heaven, Bob Tyson does. He is a man of faith, courage, bravery, and a born-leader. But most of all, he is a man of God, and there will never, ever be another man like him, the redneck missionary, the fireball preacher, the loving grandpa, the man of God, Bob Tyson.
By Stephany Tyson, Thank you for writing. I’m not sure why I am getting this, but it is always a pleasure to see a granddaughter loving her grandfather.Return to index of contributors
From: Robert Eggleton Mr. Harter, I just wanted to share the most recent (5th) review of Rarity from the Hollow. Robert Eggleton ——– “Give yourself a treat with something different next time you’re ready to read. Try Rarity from the Hollow. It is one of the most unusual novels I’ve read in a great while. Look in on a dysfunctional family, poverty, child abuse, and the thought processes of a young girl turning the corner from childhood to adolescence, then put them all together in a surreal setting that looks at our society from a distinctly different viewpoint. You’ll enjoy the ride with Lacy Dawn and friends and family, but don’t expect the ride to be without bumps and enough food for thought to last you a long time.” — Darrell Bain — 2005 Fictionwise eBook Author of the Year Thank you for passing this on. Darrell Bain certainly seems to think that it is an exceptional novel.Return to index of contributors
From: Menu Cosmin My name is Menu Cosmin. what is your name? i find new friends. my mail is [deleted] and my yahoo messenger id is [deleted] . pls add for new friend. thanks Sorry, I’m not that desperate for new friends.Return to index of contributors
From: Rosalind Sexner Please tell me if you really do sell bagel seeds?thank you Not really. Maybe I should take it up as an internet business. I hear you can sell anything on eBay.Return to index of contributors
From: Wendi Rinehart “Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.” The trick is to pick it up with a single square of toilet paper.Return to index of contributors
From: Jhavie07 I’m glad you like my stories, but it would help if you mention which story the city appears in.Return to index of contributors
From: Erin Moore
Hi, I also have a copy of John, The Knight Who Came to Stockport by Lucille P. Howell copyrighted 1982. That has the information about the Commission of William Knight, Sailing Master by Thomas Jefferson on the Second of October, 1799. He was then ordered to the USS Augusta. My William was born in 1775 so I’m not sure if they are the same William Knight as Mrs. Porter is referring – he would have only been 15 at the time that she is thinking her William Knight was commissioned. If the two Williams are the same then Mrs. Porter and I would be cousins. (William died without issue and the only other of their siblings died in infancy.) He also was on the USS Philadelphia, USS George Washington, and USS President; I do not have any sources so far that link him to the USS Constitution. However, if my information might help either of them, please forward to them my E-Mail address. Mr. Harter’s specific question was not listed that I saw, so I do not know if I’m even on the right track with him. http://www.knight-france.com/geneal/legacy/234.htm Thanks very much for writing. I will pass this on to Rose M. Porter. I expect that you she will be very pleased to hear from you.Return to index of contributors
From: Lois Harter or Anna Cross The good news is that we picked up your wine. The bad news is you now owe us $83 for the wine and items we bought which we wouldn’t have purchased if we hadn’t had such a lovely time picking up your wine and visiting other wineries in the area… That isn’t a problem. I have arranged for you to receive $83 in vouchers for corn and bean chowder on the Wessington Springs Centennial wagon train trip. Just show up. (PS: Don’t wear your high heels.)By the way, your coverage statistics of Highmore would probably be vastly increased if, instead of the tag line “Visit Scenic Highmore, SD in 2007,” you changed it to “Visit Scenic Highmore, SD – Tour Stop of the Famous Buck Zumhofe Rock ‘N Roll Wrestling Midget Wrestling! Who could resist following that link?? Seems reasonable to me. Maybe I will add it to the main page banner.Return to index of contributors
From: Daren The lowest number on a US FM dial could also be 87.9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_broadcasting I needed to know that. There are so many things I need to know. I will schedule a correction. It will appear shortly after I make the correction.Return to index of contributors
From: Marlena Morgan Sent. Like your site. Using it in Theory of Knowledge class—you are now mildly famous in West Vancouver. Excellent. Now if I can just figure out how to become mildly famous in East Vancouver I will have it made. … continued on next rock … LOL….being mildly famous in East Vancouver is not a problem….we East Vancouverites are tolerant folks (I bring my East Vancouver earthiness to the posh people of West Vancouver)…i will now dub thee an honourary mildly famous East Vancouverite…cheers! I think I will cite that on my resume — Richard Harter, obscure internet personality, mildly famous in both East and West Vancouver, and sundry other places not numerous enough to mention.Return to index of contributors
From: Bruce C. Miller Thought you’d be interested in knowing that you came up #8 in the results from a Google search for the comic strip “Out of the Gene Pool.” The Darwin Awards came up as #4 in the same search. I’ve sent your link to a few friends who need to know. Thanks for the info and thanks for passing the word on. The more the merrier I always say. My site (which is an appalling sprawling mess) gets a lot traffic. Accoding to Earthlink it had 141,540 visitors in April. I have next to no clue as to where they all come from. My friends all say that I need a clue or two, so every data point is welcome.Return to index of contributors
From: Nicole Criswell I am writing to tell you how pleased I was of your site. I have two postcards of this “Face of the Bar Room Floor” I finally talked my mother out of them- She had previously gotten them from someone else. I was moved by this story a long time ago and just decided to see if I found anything. I’m sure there are more than one story behind this picture. Any way, to get to the point I was wondering if you knew where I could find a painting, more postcards (the one I have is old and yellow) or anything I could display in my home. It would be very much appreciated. I don’t have anything specific offhand. However you might contact the Rouge restaurant in the Central City Teller House (not to be confused with the Silverton Teller House). The “Face Bar” in the Teller House is the bar with a face upon the floor. They probably have postcards of the face for sale; if not they can probably point you in a good direction. Their address is:Return to index of contributors
From: Michel Durinx Circles are ancient, you know, at least that is true. I hope they have plotters on Orkney, otherwise the drudgery of endlessly drawing circles might get to the locals… [It does help pass the winter, though.] Funny thing: I asked Mathematica to draw me
A = {};
For[ i = -8, i ˜ 8,
For[j = -8, j ˜ 8,
For[k = 1, k ˜ 3, A = Insert[ A,
{Thickness[.0002], Circle[{0 + i/2*Sqrt[3] +
Sqrt[3]*j, 0 + i*3/2}, k],
Circle[{0 +
i/2*Sqrt[3] + Sqrt[3]*j, 1 + i*3/2}, k]}, 1]; k++]; j++]; i++]
Export["circlestuff.eps", Graphics[A], "eps"];
and it gave me a file with the same drawing! Well, nearly — it
didn’t match the imprecision, and it didn’t give the nice circle-y
cutout. So I persuaded LaTeX to look into the business, and in reply
to
documentclass[a4paper]{article}
usepackage[left=5mm, right=5mm, top=5mm, bottom=5mm]{geometry}
usepackage{pstricks,graphicx}
%
begin{document}
%
begin{pspicture}(0,0)(10,20)
begin{psclip}{pscircle[linewidth=0mm](9,9){9}}
includegraphics[width=190mm, clip=true, trim=40mm 18mm 40mm 18mm]%
{circlestuff}
end{psclip}
end{pspicture}
end{document}
it gave the desired result (with a variation of
Random[Real,{-.02,.02}] added to each coordinate)!
Given the sacred nature of this ancient geometry, should I now worship my computer? Or am I a god, having overthrown this ancient and therefore having dominion over circle-y thingses great and small (especially corn crops)? Confusedly yours, Well you should be confused; you have tampered with that that man is not meant to know. Actually what has happened is that you have imbued your computer with holiness. This does not mean that it is nicer. It will still continue to do perverse things; such is the nature of computers. However it will do so serenely.Return to index of contributors
From: Michael Hall Dear Sirs. We represent the adult dating sites SexDatePersonals.com and HornyMatches.com. We took a look at your site recently and we are interested in a link exchange. Our offer is quite interesting, a 3 way link as opposed to a reciprocal link. You link to HornyMatches.com and we link to you on SexDatePersonals.com. We offer the best type of link exchange there is and urge you not to pass this opportunity up. Also, SexDatePersonals has a very nice directory that we have been building so you are sure to find a category there for your site. If not, please just make your suggestion to us. Last thing is we would like our link to look like this:
Adult Dating [hyperlink] Have a great day and we look forward to doing business with you in the very near future, I don’t quite know what these gentlemen found in my web site that would give them the impression that a link exchange would be appropriate. Whatever it might be, I do hope that no one will point it out to me. There are things that Richard is not meant to know, and that includes what lies lie half forgotten in the dusty corners of his web site.Return to index of contributors
From: Sam Hine Johann Christoph Arnold is an author, speaker and founder of Breaking the Cycle, which teaches nonviolent conflict resolution in high schools and universities. His books include Seeking Peace, Why Forgive?, Escape Routes, and Be Not Afraid. You have his permission to publish this commentary on the Virginia Tech shootings. Please let me know if you plan to use it. Yes, I will use it for the May issue. As usual, I will do it in point-counter-point format. Thank you for passing this on.Return to index of contributors
From: Babyrose
this is the most awesome thing i have ever heard.. … It is definitely good to know that it is a chick, whatever it might be. I’ll keep that in mind.Return to index of contributors
From: christa taylor Can you give me step by step directions on how to make a tyranosaurous for a movie? i`m only 11 so i need words to understand. P.S.Can you tell me the jarassic park site? There are three basic ways to do it. They are stop/go clay models, animatronics, and computer graphics. In the clay model technique, you make a clay model of the dinosaur. You set it up in its starting position and take a picture of it with your movie camera. Then you move it just a little bit and take another picture. You keep doing this for picture frame after picture frame. When you get all done you splice them together and you have an action sequence. It’s very slow and very tedious. That’s what they used in the original King Kong. They didn’t use it in Jurassic Park.Return to index of contributors
This page was last updated May 24, 2007. |