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Gold Rush Romp Gathering April 30th
Board: State: California
Apr 28, 2005 3:30pm
Thread Board
I have a limited edition personal traveler that will be available at the Gold Rush Romp. Just tell me which Nancy Drew book introduces Bess and George.

-Amanda from Seattle
Telescope for son
Board: Astronomy
Apr 28, 2005 4:07pm
Thread Board
My almost 10 year old is showing some interest in astronomy. He discovered he can earn a belt loop and pin for Cub Scouts. My daughter's interest is based in Barbie Swan Lake DVD (it has a lesson at the end on various constillations.)

Do you have suggestions for a telescope for him for birthday. We are very new (my husband and I haven't used one before) and his interest may wane quickly.

Also, we would like it to be somewhat portible so we can take it camping.

Thanks for the info.

Kim
Letterboxing Richters
Boston Globe article
Board: Letterboxing In the News
Apr 28, 2005 4:21pm
Thread Board
I received a direct email from a correspondent at The Boston Globe asking for assistance in compiling an article about letterboxing in Eastern MA.

I called the correspondent today and we spoke at length.

Tongue in cheek, I told him that I would be happy to tell him anything he wanted to know about letterboxing, but please don't publish an article !

I'll be working with this correspondent over the next week, educating him on the nature of letterboxing and letterboxers. I am going to try very hard to make sure that the article is well balanced, accurate, and as toned down as it can be.

Wish me luck!

Warrior Woman
Re: HELP!
Board: Atlas Quest Announcements
Reply to: #3855 by Red
Apr 28, 2005 4:35pm
Thread Board
Funny thing is after I sent this message the next time I logged back in it was corrected! Thanks Ryan for reading my mind before I even knew!

CR
Re: Missing Boxes/Boxers
Board: Atlas Quest Announcements
Reply to: #3841 by speedsquare
Apr 28, 2005 4:43pm
Thread Board
I do the same thing. I like challenges and enjoy looking for 'oft missing reported' boxes! Hey, this past Feb we found a letterbox in San Diego that had been moved about 100+m from its 'original intended' hiding spot in a densely vegetated area. Seems geocachers had stumbled upon it, converted it into a geocache (not sure if this was with the LB owner's approval or not) and rehidden it--without listing the changes to the letterbox clues. The geocaching 'clue' simply referenced the letterboxing clue--so it was obvious that it had been 'commandeered'. Thankfully, we saw the 'altar' of stones and twigs hiding the container--otherwise we would have never found the box.

So, that was one that's probably been listed as missing for ages. It had been on the 'market' for a couple of years and we were only the 3rd letterboxing group to have found it. There were probably over 100 visitors to it total. You never know what you may find when you look for those 'long lost' boxes. ;)

dvn2r ckr
Re: Boston Globe article
Board: Letterboxing In the News
Reply to: #3861 by Jabber
Apr 28, 2005 5:16pm
Thread Board
Quote We once drove for an hour on a gravel road (in a rental SUV) only to get within 3 miles of the Bombsite stamp and find the road closed--how frustrating is that.


A true letterboxer would have hiked the three extra miles to get the box! ;o)

-- Ryan
Re: HELP!
Board: Atlas Quest Announcements
Reply to: #3860 by Cherokee Rose
Apr 28, 2005 5:20pm
Thread Board
Quote Funny thing is after I sent this message the next time I logged back in it was corrected! Thanks Ryan for reading my mind before I even knew!


Hmm... How odd. I haven't done a thing. I've been gone all day bumming around town and even went to see a movie. Just got back a few minutes ago. =)

But that definitely sounds like a problem, so I'll look into it!

-- Ryan
Re: Telescope for son
Board: Astronomy
Reply to: #3858 by Compass Points
Apr 28, 2005 5:56pm
Thread Board
For a first, beginning telescope, these are some features I'd suggest looking for:

1. Pick a refractor. They require no "tuning" or special care like you'd find with reflectors, and they tend to be much lighter than an equivilent reflector scope.

2. Lightweight is definitely key. If it's over 15 pounds, keep looking. Shouldn't be difficult to find a good scope under 10 pounds, even. More than that, and you'll find it's a hassle to take out and get set up.

3. Don't buy it at Wal-Mart or another "discount store". (Though I have seen some good scopes at Costco, though Costco is more about "value" rather than "cheap".) You get what you pay for. A good, quality low-end scope will probably cost about $100. If it's $25, you're not going to see very good images through the scope, regardless of what the box promises. =)

4. Meade and Celestron are both well-known brands of telescope manufacturers that, as a whole, are of good quality. If you buy one of their scopes, you probably won't go wrong as long as the scope fits your precise needs. The quality of the optics, as it were, would not be a problem.

5. Buy a good star and/or moon atlas to go with the scope. It helps when you can identify the parts of the sky or moon and know what you're seeing. =) I especially like my moon atlas so I can actually name the various craters I find or pinpoint where man walked on the surface of the moon. (Well, it's not like you can see their footprints or anything, but you can see the crater near where they landed and such!)

6. Whatever you do, don't focus on the "magnifying power" of a scope. Of all the things that are rated on a scope, how much it magnifies is probably the least important consideration. You don't need more than 50x to see some really cool stuff in the sky! And you'd almost never want to go above 150x. Magnifying power is way overrated in telescopes, so just ignore that.

7. You really don't need a fancy super-duper mount to view something as big as the moon. Go cheap and get the mounts you have to manually move around. =)

And when you do take the scope out for the first time, look for easy targets first such as the Milky Way or the moon. (The moon is AWESOME to see through a telescope--even through a small scope the details you can see are astonishing.) The rings of Saturn, the phases of Venus, or the moons of Jupiter are pretty easy targets to find as well. You won't see deep-sky objects very well such as nebulas, galaxies, and such.

I don't really have any specific model I could recommend--anything that fits the parameters above should world more-or-less equally well. I went to Meade's website to see what I could find, and the first one I found that seems to match your needs would be this one: http://www.meade.com/catalog/ngc/index.html

It doesn't say how much they cost, but I see some listed at their eBay factory outlet store for $44, which sounds pretty darned good. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=74928&item=7505061948

It's refurbished, but heck, it'll be dark out--nobody will notice a couple of cosmetic blemishes on it. *smirk*

Anyhow, I'm not saying to go out and buy that particular scope--just look for one similar to it since that'll probably best fit your needs. =)

-- Ryan
Re: HELP!
Board: Atlas Quest Announcements
Reply to: #3855 by Red
Apr 28, 2005 6:01pm
Thread Board
Okay, I think I've fixed the problem. For now on, when you update your favorite boards, it'll automatically list all messages as being old. =)

Thanks for pointing out the problem!

-- Ryan
Re: Boston Globe article
Board: Letterboxing In the News
Reply to: #3863 by Green Tortuga
Apr 28, 2005 6:15pm
Thread Board
I'm wondering if this was the Bomb's Away letterbox?

I had a similar experience with one of Hoopoe's Letterboxes out near Mt Rainier last year. At least an hour on a gravel road straight up the mountain to a fire lookout. At the top, the road was closed/closing. Had to hike in the rest of the way. Die hards! Mostly because I didn't want to subject the car through that drive ever again. ;)

dvn2r ckr
Re: Plant-A-Box Gathering (SC) New Info
Board: Event News and Planning
Reply to: #3492 by Boxing Bee Bunch
Apr 28, 2005 7:30pm
Thread Board
I'm so ready for May 21st. I've got our camp site reserved, and a stamp of a banderbear (from Edge Chronicles) carved. Now I have to sit and twiddle my thumbs for 3 wks *sigh*.

Weyrwoman
Become a famous author!
Board: Writer's Workshop
Apr 28, 2005 11:04pm
Thread Board
It's time for the annual 55 Fiction short story contest if anyone's interested in entering. =) Here's the information the New Times provided in the latest issue:

Quote Become a famous author!
It's time for our annual 55 Fiction short story contest

How do you go about writing a 55-word story? Although the creative process remains complex and unfathomable, the rules are simple.

It's time again for the short story contest we call 55 Fiction, a time to show off your literary prowess by writing us a short story using only 55 words.

For thos of you who already understand the basics of storytelling, the following text will be redundant, so you can skip all this verbiage and get to writing. But others new to this genre should keep in mind what elements an effective tale require.

In the first place, stories have to take place somewhere, so be sure your story has one. I know that sounds obvious, but we've discovered over the years that some writers end up creating tiny essays instead of stories.

You also need some characters. Again, this sounds obvious, but it's something lacking, especially when writers mistakea poem for a story. Characters don't have to be people, of course. They can have infinite variations. Animals, rocks, microbes, ghosts. Anything.

To be effective, a story also needs conflict. The word itself can be misleading; conflict doesn't mean that your story needs a war or people fighting in the streets. It simply means that something has to happen in your story. The lovers argue. The deer flees. The alien is preplexed by the creatures below him on that strange, blue planet. Even in this last example, something is happening, even though our alien isn't moving or talking. There is conflict; a tension is present in the narraive.

This leads us to the outcome of the story, also known as resolution. This doesn't necessarily mean that the story has to have a moral ("Justice is its own reward," "In the end, love triumphs"), or even that the conflict itself is resolved. It may or may not be.

But what it does mean is that when the story ends, someone has to have learned something: He found out his wife wanted to kill him and grind him up in the garbage disposal; the star troopers successfully eluded the elien armada when they thought they'd been discovered; Jim was show to be as much of a liar as his father; whatever.

The characters in your story don't neccessarily have to have learned anything. But if they don't, then the reader must. The story's resolution is what creates its impacta nd meaning, giving readers a sense of completion and satisfaction.

Again, we can't stress enough the importance of making certain you're writing a story, not just a situation taking place that has nothing happening. So examine your work honestly. A lot of well-written entries have often contained intriguing characters in situations going nowhere, thus leaving the story's outcome uncertain or non-existant.

A few other things to keep in mind when you write your story: You can write about anything you like, but you can't use more than 55 words. A word is anything that's in the dictionary no matter how long or short. And, yes, that includes teensy words like "a" and "of."

Contractiosn count as single words, so if you're really seeking word economy, keep this in mind. If you write, "He will jump," it's three words. But if you write, "He'll jump," it's only two. Very economical. Also, any contraction that's a shortened form of a word is counted as a full word. Like using 'em for "them."

Hyphenated words don't count as single words. A compound adjective like "dyed-in-the-wool commie" is five words, not one. So is "long-time friend," etc. are good examples. But there is an exception: Any word that doesn't become two distinct, freestanding words when the hypen is removed. For example, "re" doesn't become a word when the hyphen is removed from "re-written," but "written" is.

And, no, the title of your story isn't included in the word count--but it can't be over six words long.

An initial also counts as a word (L.L. Bean, e.e. cummings, etc.) since it's basically an abbreviation of a full word. The only exception is when it's part of an acronym, like MGM or FBI.

Also remember that numbers count as words, too, expressed as either numberals (8, 28, 500, or 1984), or as words (eight, twenty-eight, etc.). Our hyphenated word rule applies here, too. Twenty-eight is two words, but when it's only one word when expressed as 28. Don't cheat yourself out of an extra word that you may need.

Any punctuation is allowed, and none count as words, so don't worry about being miserly with them if they do work to some effect.

And no jokes. In the past, we've tried to week out stories that are actually just old jokes re-written in a 55-word format.

You can submit as many stories as you want, but each story must be submitted typed on its own individual sheet of paper. Make sure your name, address, and telephone number of included on each story submission so we can contact you should you be one of our winners.

The deadline for all entries is 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 6. We'll publish the winners in our June 16 issue, so put a stamp on that envelope and mail your story to New Times 55 Fiction, 505 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.

And remember: Just 55 words.


There's also a small sidebar with a bit of history about the contest you might find interesting:

Quote The devil's in the details

It was a devilishly impossible idea: ask someone to write a story in 55 words or less--a real story, one with, as E. M. Forester would say, "a beginning, a middle, and an end." Anyone who knows writers knows that demanding brevity of them is sheer torture, so of course such an idea had to be the brainchild of Steve Moss, a man who loved to torture writers. For instance, if this were a 55-word story, I'd now be 26 words too long. Oops, 31.

When he first conceived of the idea in 1986, he never could have foreseen its popularity, which spawned two books, a series of seven one-act plays, and a short film. The books have been translated into several languages, offered as books-on-tap, packaged as bar coasters. And the stories just keep on coming, not just when New Times puts out the call for submissions, but year around and from all over the globe.

Steve received letters from teachers praising this exercise in economy, letters from angry writers explaining in many more than 55 words why it was an impossible task. Of course it wasn't impossible, it was just very, very hard, and the results were very, very fun.

The 55-Word Fiction contest is just one legacy left by Steve Moss, who I imagine is in heaven right now, sitting around a fluffy white cloud, challenging Hemingway, Faulkner, and Melville to a write-off. My money's on Steve.

-- Glen Starkey


As an FYI about that last paragraph, Steve Moss died four days ago which is why its sappy as it is. He founded the New Times, so this latest issue is essentially dedicated to him, his life, and all that.

And finally, the New Times website can be found at http://www.newtimes-slo.com/

I'd have just pointed a link to the rules for the contest, but I couldn't find them on the website anywhere. But if you're really serious about submitting an entry, they usually have examples from yesteryears in the weeks leading up to the deadline, so it might be worth checking out. =) If I see any news of it pop up, I'll let you know as well, but I'm not always reliable. ;o) Any information will probably be in the Arts section.

Okay, I'm done now. Any takers? =)

-- Ryan
Re: Telescope for son
Board: Astronomy
Reply to: #3865 by Green Tortuga
Apr 29, 2005 2:23am
Thread Board
Wow--this discussion reminds me of our experience on the Big Island about two years ago. If you ever get the opportunity to go to the Big Island, DO NOT MISS the Mauna Kea Observatory to watch the sunset and to see the stars through their telescopes there! We had to rent a special type of a car (SUV) just to be able to visit it but it was SO WORTH the expense!!! If not, you can hop on a tour from the big resorts. We were able to see the Southern Cross--the timing just happened to be right--and a bunch of other unique things that you can't typically see in the Contiguous United States.

My older sister (the ONE that doesn't letterbox) is big into astronomy with her homeschooled kids. I know she invested in a nice telescope for her oldest son (now 10) a couple of years ago. I even think she purchased it through Costco--if I remember correctly it was in the $150-200 price range. They absolutely love it! They move frequently all around the world (military) so they get to see really unique things along their adventures through life.

I also found a glow in the dark celestial map that has been quite useful outside. You can rotate it around for the various seasons. I think I found it at one of those 'kids science' type museums--where they sell all that cool stuff like chemistry kits, dinosaur puzzles, green slime recipes, geodes, rock candy, freeze-dried ice cream & sea monkeys.

dvn2r ckr
Re: Boston Globe article
Board: Letterboxing In the News
Reply to: #3861 by Jabber
Apr 29, 2005 4:15am
Thread Board
JabberJoBob wrote:

"This is just not a mainstream hobby! If everybody did it nobody could."

JJB - You are preaching to the choir!

The correspondent's wife discovered letterboxing, she told her husband, husband tells editor, editor sees something "fresh" to write out .... and so it goes.

That is why I am going to be working so hard to make this a VERY SMALL article, maybe tucked way back on page 317.

I very honestly told him that a letterboxer would rather *die* than see an article in the paper about letterboxing. I also very honestly told him how many boxers took their boxes and clues off public websites (like LbNA) once the media caught wind of our special little hobby.

With 5 years of letterboxing experience, I think I have the credentials to guide the correspondent down the right and *RESPECTFUL* path.

And, in the end, I am hoping to pursuade him NOT to write the article.

Or (evil grin) convince him to do the article on geocaching instead.

Mainstream media *is* discovering what we are doing. This correspondent could either work with a frank newbie who will take him to boxes that are not theirs and let him take photographs, or this correspondent could work with an "old timer" like me (started in 2000) and get a very discrete perspective.

It's a matter of picking the lesser of two evils.

Warrior Woman
Re: Boston Globe article
Board: Letterboxing In the News
Reply to: #3873 by Jabber
Apr 29, 2005 4:52am
Thread Board
Quote It's the one in the mountains above Brookings, OR, where the Japanese bombed in WWII to start a forest fire and try to divert our war efforts. A really interesting story.


That's precisely the one I thought it was. We did the drive, too. Thankfully the road was open! One of the neatest letterboxes we've found to date. It has a very personal meaning for our family, too--as our grandfather was a POW in Japan at the time it was going on.

Funny, it's one of Green Tortuga's boxes, too! You've sort of come full circle with the story!

dvn2r ckr
postal question
Board: Postals
Apr 29, 2005 8:13am
Thread Board
how do these postal letterbox " rings" work?
do you count them just like regular letterbox finds?
how do i try one?
Re: Telescope for son
Board: Astronomy
Reply to: #3865 by Green Tortuga
Apr 29, 2005 10:22am
Thread Board
Thanks for the suggestions and keep them coming. The research I've done on the web even for beginners suggest starting at a min. of $300.00. Which is probably best, but who knows how long we'll stay interested.

Honestly as this point just seeing the details on the moon and Saturns rings are just what will impress my kids.

I'll check out the links Ryan, thanks.

Kim
NoVA Riverbend box vandalized
Board: Atlas Quest Announcements
Apr 29, 2005 11:20am
Thread Board
I went out today to put a new logbook in Muskrat Ramble and instead found it vandalized and the logbook and stamp missing. The camouflage cover had been thrown in a nearby swamp, the book and stamp removed, and the box then carefully closed and also tossed in the swamp. I assume logbook and stamp are in the swamp also. Fortunately, I checked it just a few weeks ago and greatly enjoyed reading all the wonderful entries made this past winter and spring. Thank you all who took the time to write them. I will be putting out a new Muskrat Ramble sometime soon, and in a less-vulnerable location.

Waterbird
Re: postal question
Board: Postals
Reply to: #3875 by Mooky
Apr 29, 2005 1:24pm
Thread Board
Rings were created when people complained that they signed up for postal letterboxes but didn't get one for months. A single regular postal letterbox might have signup or 25-50 people. If you are number 47, you might not see that box for a year.

In a ring 10-20 people, or so, sign up for the ring. Every member creates a postal letterbox. A list of all the members is made. You mail your box to the next person on the list, and receive one from the previous person. Then you mail that one to the next person, and so on, until all the boxes have been mailed around the ring and everyone has received and stamped into every box. It is as if everyone sat in a ring and passed boxes around like a bucket brigade.

This way everyone receives a box about once a week.

The only downside is that the rings are very tempting and you can sign up for too many. :-) Postage and boxes on the table add up fast.

Most people do not count PLBs as F for Finds, since usually there is no challenge to receiving a PLB in the mail. I count them as PLBs.

The Yahoo group: postal_letterboxing, has the most information, and offers to join PLBs or PLB rings.

Scarab
Re: Hello and Well Come
Board: State: Maryland
Reply to: #3849 by 1LuckyLady
Apr 29, 2005 1:36pm
Thread Board
Wonderful to hear from a new letterboxer. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Phineas Boch, Ringmaster of Boch's Circus, the special event letterboxes to be planted for the Spring gather on the 14th, in beautiful,bountiful, boxious, Boyd's, Maryland.

We are gathering acts from around the country, and may I say that so far they are among the most amazing, entertaining, and detailed work that I have ever seen make an impression on this planet.

Please do not let your lack of hand carved stamp keep you inside and away from getting out there on The HUNT. Many of started with um, commercial stamps and worked our way up from there.

Look forward to seeing you at the gather. Pssst, here's a free pass for the sideshow. ["Boss, they's all free!" "Quiet you fool."] Bring your friends.

I am your humble, truly sincere Ringmaster,
Phineas Boch
For more information see the event calendar here on AtlasQuest and for more of the general information may I recommend letterboxing.info PTB
Re: HELP!
Board: Atlas Quest Announcements
Reply to: #3866 by Green Tortuga
Apr 29, 2005 3:27pm
Thread Board
Thanks Ryan!
Re: Hello and Well Come
Board: State: Maryland
Reply to: #3879 by Scarab
Apr 29, 2005 5:49pm
Thread Board
Quote Many of us started with um, commercial stamps and worked our way up from there.


Hey, you talkin' to me, huckster?

D.
XO
Re: Hello
Board: State: Maryland
Reply to: #3849 by 1LuckyLady
Apr 29, 2005 5:56pm
Thread Board
Welcome! We need all the luck we can get! Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Look forward to meeting you on the 14th!

Donna
Tempus Fugit
Re: NoVA Riverbend box vandalized
Board: Atlas Quest Announcements
Reply to: #3877 by Waterbird
Apr 29, 2005 8:26pm
Thread Board
Waterbird ....sorry to hear that. I wanted to tell you your "rara Avis" was a gift. Greatly enjoyed it. Since my adventure to find it I have created a new stamp....(had to improvise unfortunately lost my stamp in the woods that day.) (darn tree vines!) ha ha! So I believe I was the first for that series. and I stumbled on your chimp due to the fresh snow. any ways keep me posted on any new additions and I will surely let you know when I plant my first lb that won't disapoint. have some fav spots in d.c. and nova trails...SnailsPace....
Re: Marshmallow personality test
Board: Miscellaneous Oddities
Reply to: #3351 by Kantexan
Apr 30, 2005 9:16am
Thread Board
LOL! I love fire, but marshmallows just taste horrid if thry've been flamed! I have to do the slow careful toast so they're just light brown and soft :-)
Re: Started with store boughts
Board: State: Maryland
Reply to: #3883 by Tempus Fugit
Apr 30, 2005 12:48pm
Thread Board
"Many of us started with um, commercial stamps and worked our way up from there."

"Hey, you talkin' to me, huckster? D."
----------
I started with a store bought, the Doubtful Guest. I couldn't carve my way out of a wet paper bag back then.

I can still hardly draw my own name.

Scarab
Re: NoVA Riverbend box vandalized
Board: Atlas Quest Announcements
Reply to: #3885 by System
Apr 30, 2005 4:25pm
Thread Board
aterbird ....sorry to hear that. I wanted to tell you your "rara Avis" was a gift. Greatly enjoyed it.

Thanks for your message. The second of Rara Avis, Lady Ross's Turaco, was stolen early on, and I will be replacing that also, sometime soon. So you may not only the first but the only finder of the entire series. Let us know when you plant your first Lb!

Waterbird
Re: Telescope for son
Board: Astronomy
Reply to: #3876 by Compass Points
Apr 30, 2005 7:43pm
Thread Board
Quote Honestly as this point just seeing the details on the moon and Saturns rings are just what will impress my kids.


Yeah, that's pretty fun. =) You *don't* need a big scope to see the rings of Saturn. You shouldn't need a $300 scope for the big stuff that's easy to find, though. You can get a good $300 scope with a lot of bells and whistle, though. Like hooking it up to your computer and a mount that tracks the stars so you don't have to constantly adjust it. They're nice features if you want them, but for a basic scope, it's really not necessary.

Happy trails!

-- Ryan
Re: HH Guide to the Galaxy Movie!!
Board: Movie Moments
Reply to: #3482 by Weyrwoman
Apr 30, 2005 8:18pm
Thread Board
Saw it yesterday and loved it! I am still humming the opening tune sung to dolphins frolicking-"So long, and thanks for all the fish!" Even my kids loved it esp. my 9 year old and they've never read the book.
Kantexan
Re: postal question
Board: Postals
Reply to: #3878 by Scarab
Apr 30, 2005 9:18pm
Thread Board
ok.
thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions.