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Life & Arts Blogs
 
Letters ... we get letters!
By Jeff Wilkin
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
I’m always looking for more letters from people who read this web log. During the last three months, I’ve posted stories about unusual local history, creative slang words, weird hot sauces, television shows and even my brother Tim. And my Uncle Tim. I did get a few shouts from people who wanted to talk about two recent posts. I’ll start with the traffic one — after the April 22 “Fear and Loathing on the New York State Thruway,” I received a few lines from a “David,” who was also fed up with the mutants we must share the road with. These are the jerks who paste cell phones to their ears for miles and hours, yakking about nothing as they hit 90 east and west doing 90 east and west. Since then — just 10 days later — I’ve noticed this transgression more and more. What did these poor fools do before the telecommunications marvel of the age arrived? David says cops placed on full-time cell phone alert could easily pay for themselves and more. I’m with you, man! And as for speed kings, I see my colleague Joe Slomka talked about the fast crowd in his last Sunday Gazette opinion piece. Joe would prefer people scale back to 55 mph, in an effort to save tons of fuel and maybe prevent bunches of traffic accidents. I also received a note from someone who calls himself “Embalmer.” He claims he corresponded with Danny Lee Siebert, the serial killer who died of cancer in an Alabama prison last week. Anyway, “Embalmer” said he or she knew Siebert for the last four years, corresponded on a regular basis and “visited more than a few times.”
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May 17, 2008
9:19 a.m. [ Suggest removal ]
Hi, Jeff. Thanks for spotlighting my recent Comment. As a longtime weblog proprietor, I have a couple suggestions: (1) you get more Comments if you occasionally respond to the Comments directly in your Comment section -- as in having a conversation.
And, (2) weblogs are all about LINKS. When you mention an article (like Joe's above) include a link so your readers can easily get to the article. Likewise, when you mention a Comment in the body of your weblog, link to it, so your readers can easily see the entire thing. Making a hyperlink should only take a couple seconds after you've done a few.
By the way, I was very pleased to see Joe Slomka's column on Sunday, as I had written a lengthy posting on driving at the speed limit last week:
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ethicalesq/...
If you're interested in the Gas Tax Holiday issue, check out my posting about the silly gimmick:
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/ethicalesq/...
10:03 a.m. [ Suggest removal ]
David: Three thanks: One for excellent comments regarding madmen on the roads --- I was beginning to think I was the only one out there annoyed at constant cell phone gabbers and rocket racers --- driving onto the Schenectady Thruway Exit 25 ramp this morning, an SUV passed me at about 85 or 90 ... on a rush to get to the toll booth!!!
The second thanks is for the tip to generate more "letters" ... I am not a technical whiz as far as computers are concerned, but will ask the engineers in our tech services department to help me get more links in these posts! I was about to offer readers $5 for each response posted!
And third ... thanks for reading the web log! Good luck on the roads ...
PS Sounds like you have a Rochester connection ... I'm born and raised in the Flower City, Aquinas '73. Hope you did not go to McQuaid!!
11:20 a.m. [ Suggest removal ]
Jeff, You are very welcome. My family lived in NW Rochester when I was growing up (my Mom now lives in Gates). My twin brother went to Aquinas (class of '67) but I had higher academic aspirations and ended up being the only kid in my neighborhood going to McQuaid. After leaving Rochester for college in D.C., I considered Washington home for 20 years, and (for no sufficient reason) moved to Schenectady in 1988.
While talking to your techie guys, could you as them how I can remove that silly "no real name given" attached to my Username when I comment. I tried the procedure suggested for using my actual name weeks ago, but had no luck.
2:45 p.m. [ Suggest removal ]
David, another conversation with our tech guys is the least I can do for you ... although sometimes, I think the only thing that will get all the bugs out of our system is a can of Raid! Or an aluminum baseball bat.
Sorry your quest for higher academic aspirations fell short! The kids in the neighborhood must have wept bitter tears for you, as you began the sad journey to grim McQuaid each morning ... no doubt your brother excelled at noble Aquinas ...
Actually, whenever I visit Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons for occasional interviews, the uniforms remind me of old AQ ... sure wish other schools would go for some kind of uniform dress ... seems it eliminates so many problems, and maybe teaches kids an early lesson of the merits of dressing somewhat formally ....
Might be a "blog" entry about that, one of these days!!!