From our Mailbag 09/16/00 - 10/13/00
What's This? The writers talking to each other? Oy!...
From Ed Cantarella, Bloomfield, MI, USA:
Kevin was quite right about the difficulty of determining when clapping would show appreciation, versus when it would be obtrusive. Myself, I sing in a church choir and sing solo's 10-15 times a year(Cantarella, literally translated, is little singer :)
I am appalled when people clap after a solo of traditional church music; on the premise that it is part of the overall worship service, not a performance meant to "wow" an audience.
I like to believe that as increasing amounts of music and art are being "sampled" and computer generated, and fewer young artists pick up a paint brush or a violin; those who can create from "scratch" will be held in much greater esteem - much as Rod noted how people in less literate societies hold writers (and storytellers) in great esteem.
Applaudding at the end of the Second Movement,
EC
From Ed Cantarella, Bloomfield, MI, USA:
My prayers are with the Yugoslavian people and brave journalists like Dragana.
EC
From Bob Powers, Marietta, OH, USA:
Rod, Ý
This week's G21 ranks at the top of the heap in sheer readability and entertainment.Ý There's not a bad note to be heard in this smooth symphony of words. Ý
The African food writer dines smartly on his topic.Ý I'm not one who cares particularly for articles on native foods, but he met the tests: informative, new, beautifully composed. Ý
Part Three of the art trio was, I think, the best of the bunch, which is as it should be.
Canterella's article zipped along in a professional funnyman manner. And, of course, the further adventures of Rod Amis always is entertaining. Ý
With such proficient authors, G21 is headed in just one direction. And you know what that is. Those monthly numbers are going to continue to be extremely pleasing. Ý And you did it. Ý
Bob
From Ron Diener, Raleigh, NC, USA:
This is for Vox Populi, in response to Ed Cantarella's article about borrowers. I hate to borrow. I do not know why friends insist that I use their stuff, when the results are usually disastrous.
Take, for instance, graduation: doctoral degree, all the big stuff. Friend says, I have this new 35mm camera - take it, use it, wait and I will unwrap it from the dealer's packaging. I just bought it.
So my female friend takes the camera and we go to the graduation. After all the ceremonies, I ask her what became of the camera. She gives me that dummernshit look, and I know already that I am going to be giving Friend $450.00 for a camera I never owned and/or used. And, for graduation, no pictures, either.
Or take, for instance, Handyman Friend sees me struggling with plywood for horse stalls. He says, Lemme go get my new superpowered Skill Saw from the pickup. Try this one and you'll never go back to Sears tools.
No thanx, I say.
But he ignores my sounds and returns with this brand new saw, brand new blade (which was the only thing wrong with my old Sears model), and he says, Go ahead! use it.
There were three rocks in that field where I was building horse stalls. One was as big as a fist, one was smaller than that. There was one large rock near the edge of the building. When I accidently dropped the Skill Saw, it was attracted magnetically to that one lonely single rock and it split the case and sparks and flames shot from the innerds of the saw and I saw the cord on fire. So I buy him another brand new Skill Saw after having used this wreckage for a cut about nineteen inches long - the saw was on sale for ONLY $69.95 (plus tax).
I still have my old Sears model (new blade though).
My final example is using Jack's pickup truck, a vehicle I insisted I did not want to use and did not want to drive. The story is so awful I cannot burden you with it.
I understand Ed's anger with the willful borrower. There is also, however, the tragedy of the unwilling borrower. Give him his due, too.
Loved the article, Ed.
Ron Diener,
Raleigh, NC
ED CANTARELLA RESPONDS: Uuuuuuuuuuuuh. I'm speEchless other than to say, that's why I seem to own one of every tool known to mankind.....I hate borrowing 'cause I understand the moral and financial obligations; plus, you do your best work with a tool you known and love (kinda like sex). LOL
From Diamond D, Higganum, CT, USA:
took a little while to catch up on G21 last night/this early morning... I must say the content is killer (& prolific at the same time), the design has been perfected and you are sitting on a goldmine my friend. fuck andover/VAlinux, you got all you need already...
cheers
-d
From Lisa K, Venice, CA, USA:
Neat website! A friend pointed me to your website and I'm glad he did! I loved-loved-loved! the article on African food. Give me more!
Sincerely,
Lisa K.
From Mahmoud bF, (No City Provided,) SINGAPORE:
Congratulations on bringing a true Asia voice to our web magazine! I hail Ana Jumari and hope that I will see more of her writing here!
Best to You!
Mahmoud
From Jack B. (No City Provided,) AUSTRALIA:
Mr. Amis,
I am rather disappointed to see no mention of the Olympic Games in Sydney among your magazine's coverage of world events. I must certainly believe that this was an oversight on your part, and that touting yourselves as "The World's Magazine" you would have something to say about this glorious and singular event.
Understand that I enjoy your global coverage and think you do a good job of representing views from outside the US, but I think this was a serious oversight on your part.
Regs,
Jack B.
ROD RESPONDS: Jack, thanks for visiting G21 and for writing. Methinks you spoke too soon, though. KEVIN CAREY did a piece on the Olympics this past week. You can find it as this past weekend's RDR. Cheers!
From Yvette P., (No City Provided,) FRANCE:
To The Editor:
I find it a great refreshment to see such a magazine as yours on the Internet. I wish you would run your articles a little more short, though.
This is not meant to offend.
Yvette
AND your favorite e-mails from The World's Mailbox
From Ken N., San Francisco, CA, USA:
Hi Rod
My RudeMountain.com cohort Morgan Sowden passed along your information to me. Thanks for taking an interest in our site. I just wanted to pass along to you some blurbage about us.
RudeMountain had its "soft launch" September 1st of this year. From just a small mailing to friends and associates, RudeMountain has grown to approximately 1,500 visitors per day in less than a month. From our site, approximately 100 cards are sent every day. We have thus far collected a database of over 1,000 Rudesters.
Since RudeMoutain is very viral in nature, numbers continue to grow even without any publicity and promotion. We believe this figure will skyrocket once we're listed in a few search engines and when like-minded Web sites begin linking to us.
RudeMountain was created by cartoonist, Ken Nash and Web entrepreneur, Morgan Sowden. It is our attempt to prove that two people in less than two weeks can create an entire site with more personality and spunk than a company like egreetings or bluemountain can produce after many months and millions of dollars in investment. A simple comparison between rudemountain and other sites clearly illustrates the devastating effect that an "e-commerce" mentali ty has on creativity on the Web.
Our goals for RudeMountain are fairly straight forward. We want to provide greetings that appeal to more than the simple demographic of "middle-income, Midwestern women between the ages of 25-45" (the largest market for online greetings and the ONLY market that Bluemountain, American Greetings, Hallmark, E-greetings, etc. are trying to target).
Diversity of opinion and taste are sorely lacking on the Web as marketers all aim for the largest possible audience. This sucks. And such weak-humored Web sites of water-down content will one day go the way of LIFE magazine, as niche sites with clear, loyal and rebellious users take the fray.
Once RudeMountain have established a clear and loyal following of users, we will begin to expand the site to offer other services and partnerships.
Are we promoting anti-social behavior on the Web?
You betcha.
Just as fish markets keep their fish fresh by placing predator fish in their tanks, the Web needs it's rebels and iconoclasts to prevent Web content from becoming overly sanitized and banal.
Ken
From Ana Jumari, (No City Provided,) SINGAPORE:
Greetings! A message about a petition from ALZARINA ABIDEEN:
Dear Brother,
Please do your bit for our Palestinian brothers and sisters.
TITLE: To the American Embassy in Singapore SUMMARY: Protest against the massacre of Palestinians during the Al-Aqsa Uprising
Click here to sign the petition:
http://www.petitionpetition.com/cgi/petition.cgi?id=855
From Blizzard Records, (No City Provided,) USA:
Hello,
Now open to The Public, Blizzard Records.com, for your local and regional music CD's from around the world. Hear great music only at http://www.blizzardrecords.com/direct.htm .
Thank You
From Andreas B., (No City Provided,) AUSTRIA:
perhaps this is worth a story ?
one world celebration
http://www.8ung.at/abc/oneworldcelebration.html
From Emma B., (No City Provided,) ITALY:
Toc toc. Mi scusi, sono Emma Bonino e la prego di partecipare al gioco online che stiamo organizzando perche' anche cittadini come lei (che non votino affatto radicale o che lo facciano, che non votino o non intendano piu' votare) possano partecipare alle nostre decisioni, essere presenti o rappresentati nei nostri organi dirigenti.
In vista delle elezioni politiche occorre tentare di allearsi con il Polo o con l'Ulivo? O combattere da soli? O organizzare il boicottaggio di elezioni non democratiche? Quali Riforme istituzionali, politiche, del lavoro, dell'impresa: "americane" o "tedesche", o nessuna? Quali politiche sulle liberta' individuali e sulla scienza, oltre che sulle droghe: proibizioniste o antiproibizioniste, come gia' sul divorzio e sull'aborto? E i partiti devono aprirsi a tutti i cittadini attraverso Internet, o restare "chiusi" come finora?
Dal 27 novembre al 3 dicembre si votera' online per eleggere 25 nuovi membri del Comitato Radicale. Se, come vivamente spero, lei intende partecipare a questo gioco, lo preannunci e registri cliccando qui: http://www.radicali.it/p_register/
Mi scusi ancora. A presto.
Emma B.
PS Questa email e' stata inviata nel rispetto della legge sulla privacy; se desidera maggiori informazioni o se intende cancellarsi, puo' cliccare qui: http://www.radicali.it/p_privacy_net/
ROD RESPONDS: Emma,
Thanks for visiting G21 and for writing. I'll trust people here understand your message.
This was the best translation I could get:
Toc toc. Me excuses, are Emma B. and I pray to participate it to the game online that we are organizing perche' also city like she (than they do not vote at all radical or that they make it, that they do not vote or they do not mean piu' to vote) can participate to our decisions, present or be represented in our managing organs. In sight of the political elections it is necessary to try of allearsi with the Pole or the Ulivo? Or to fight alone? Or to organize the boycotting of elections not democratics? Which institutional, political Reforms, of the job, the enterprise: " Americans " or " Germans ", or nobody? Which political on the liberta' individual and science, beyond that on drugs: antiprohibitionist proibizioniste or, like gia' on the divorce and the abortion? And the parties must aprirsi to all the citizens through Internet, or remain " sluices " like up to now? From 27 November to 3 December votera' online for eleggere 25 new members of the Radical Committee. If, as lively I hope, it means to participate to this game, the preannouncements and records here cliccando: http://www.radicali.it/p_register / Me excuses still.
Soon.
Emma B
PS This email e' be sended in the respect of the law on the privacy; if it wishes greater information or if it means to cancellarsi, puo' to cliccare here: http://www.radicali.it/p_privacy_net /