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TBS&E Issue No. 26 'Letter to the Editor'

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TBS&E Issue No. 26 'Letter to the Editor' TBS&E Number 26 Page number 1 The following gives you the full picture, what I TBS&E Issue No. 26 originally sent, and some background on the 'Letters to the Editor' process. ‘Letter to the Editor’ To score a letter to the editor you usually have to be quick off the mark, 'clever' and address an issue that is still going to be 'tomorrow's news'. By Garry P Dalrymple PO Box 152, I believe that at the Sydney Morning Herald they receive towards 500 submissions a day and they Bexley North have space to publish about 20 each day. NSW 2007 AUSTRALIA Getting published isn't always easy to do, as you have to be lucky to be the first or the best to express sentiments on the issue in question. I've For the April 2008 ANZAPA Mailing written and sent in letters similar to others that were published, but I doubt that a traditional 'pen On Thursday March 20, 2008 my on paper' letter stands much of a chance these days, its either email or fax to get your letter in third letter was published by the before the early afternoon deadline for next Sydney Morning Herald. morning's paper. What they published was; According to my email Sent folder I have sent in 30 or so 'letters' resulting in three SMH publication credits to date! Before I looked it up I As an amateur astronomer I had expected the number to be much greater read your front-page offer of than this, 40 or 50 attempts etc. Each time you the chance to win a ``$20,000 'score' you presume that the next success is only solar system'' with great an email away, that your average success rate is going to rise, but then after a few more emails the interest. I would certainly excitement falls away, the average success rate like my own set of sun and drops off until you are again surprised by a planets, rather than sharing success. with the rest of Earth's 6 The sequence of events went like this. billion or so inhabitants, but I would be prepared to lend it 1. My original email to the Sydney Observatory when it was doing something From: Dalrymple, Garry [mailto:[email protected]] newsworthy. Sent: Wednesday, 19 March 2008 11:53 AM To: SMHLetters Mail Garry Dalrymple Earlwood Subject: $20 000 Solar System offer It was in response to a banner advertising a Dear Editor competition to win a $20,000 Photo-voltaic home power installation. I read your front page with considerable interest this morning. You headlined with an offer of It read ‘Win a $20,000 Solar System’ winning a $20 000 Solar System. As you will read below there was quite a bit more to As an amateur Astronomer of long standing I my original letter than was printed on Thursday. If would certainly like to own one of these, my own my letter had been one letter higher on the letters to set of Sun and Planets etc. rather than having the Editor page then it would have been printed on to share with the rest of Earth's 5 Billion or so the back of the late great SF writer Arthur C. inhabitants, although I would be prepared to lend Clarke's Obituary, a brush immortality of a sort? it to Dr Nick Lomb of Sydney Observatory when it was doing something newsworthy. TBS&E Number 26 Page number 2 It does beg me to ask, 'Where on Earth (or I went to Clemton Park Public school, a few years elsewhere) are you storing these Solar Systems for after a younger Dr Nick Lomb. the eventual winners?'. They would have to take up a fair bit of 'Space' Wishing you well in al things Wishing you well in all things. GPD Garry P Dalrymple Late News On Thursday March 27, 2008 I received my 1 Eulabah Avenue Autumn 2008 issue of the Skeptic. My report of Earlwood NSW 2206 the ‘Weird History Symposium is featured on on Home Phone (after 7 pm) 02 9718 5827 BH 02 pages 57 and 58, the same text as you will find in 9707 6284 this issue. That’s two publication triumphs in one month! 2. The Letter to the Editor’s response Bookshelf news From: SMHLetters Mail The monster is finished and is currently sitting in [mailto:[email protected]] the Garage, Tardis like, with 31 of its 32 shelves Sent: Wednesday, 19 March 2008 1:07 PM To: Dalrymple, Garry occupied. It is holding all of my ‘Single Author Subject: RE: $20 000 Solar System offer Fiction’ that I can locate. That is, about 12 lineal metres of books in a four sided, door sized Hi Garry rotatable and wheeled thing. Some of these I may cull for Paradox Auction books ahead of the Thanks a lot for your letter - it made 2008 Freecon. Also I have separated out my us laugh and cringe at the same time. Fiction written by Australian and New Zealand (8 Could I suggest shortening it slightly ea books!) Authors (5 metres) and the bulk of my as shown below? Thanks non-single Author Anthologies (4 metres) are due to migrate back into my bedroom and fill a small Mike behind the door book case that I made years ago. Most importantly though I’m beginning to be able Mike Ticher to sort and eventually shelve ‘sorts’ of books with Letters co-editor Sydney Morning Herald a view to dedicating single shelves to single 02 9282 2984 ‘sorts’ of books or in some cases, deciding to delete these from my virtual library listing. As an amateur astronomer I read your front-page offer of the chance to win a I have also been looking for and finding more ``$20,000 solar system'' with great wood, with a view to building an improved version interest. I would certainly like my own of the monster, one that is pretty enough to be set of sun and planets, rather than seen in the house. sharing with the rest of Earth's 6 billion or so inhabitants, but I would be prepared to lend it to the Sydney Mailing Comments for ANZAPA Observatory when it was doing something mailing 241 February 2008 newsworthy. Garry Dalrymple Earlwood Postponed! 3. My reply to Mike Ticher To get this issue out in time I have had to put off reading and reviewing the February Dear Mike, mailing. I was about half way through By all means please do. and only one working day to wrap it up! If you publish this, in any manner at all that puts me Will try harder when I have more time, at 3, ahead of my late Uncle 'Gladys' Rhead who possibly a mailing comments only issue managed 2 letters to the SMH Editor during his life. before June? I'm also a committee member of the Sydney City Skywatchers, who meet at Sydney Observatory AND Traveller's Tales After taking my mum to the 'Imaging' centre for a TBS&E Number 26 Page number 3 scanning appointment I had time on my hands Examination in full daylight revealed that the bits wander around parts of Campsie that I do not get to were all uniformly one and three centimetre wide frequent during daylight on weekdays. slices of a door, evidently the difference between - For example I counted Fifteen Bicycles chained an Imperial door shaped hole and a new metric up at Campsie Station at Mid day, usually there are sized door. Uniform pieces of real wood I can about ten to be seen at around 9 am and 6 pm when always use! NB these pieces proved to be I pass through the station before and after work. essential in stiffening the stuff I had cut to size to - Near the imaging centre there was a heap of use as shelves on the monster four-sided techno-trash by the pavement, the usual chopped up bookshelf I have built. computer. There was also several pieces of bent sheet metal, mentally re-assembled this proved to be How big a bookcase can you carry on a bus? the six elements of a small satellite dish. I was It cost all of $15 from the Salvation Army shop very tempted to gather it up and take it home, flat-ish ($50 Delivery charge), a very good price for a real metal has got to be useful for something? And so wood, 4 by 4 foot by Bookcase, so I paid for it, put it goes, in Campsie Satellite dishes have joined TVs, my shoulder under it and walked it to the Station. computers and white goods as 'disposable' On the train I told people looking up from their household items. books ‘I like to read on the train too – A Lot!’ - I also found two magnetic car P Plates, joyous Getting it on the bus, round the doorway took discards by a newly qualified unlimited license some angling but was achievable. holder? I have used these as magnetic patches to Mum, as ever was surprised at the price and at rust holed steel roofing. my pick up and tote ability. Next weekend this - On another day in Campsie, from the bus coming bookcase moved out to the garage where it now and going I noticed a Buddhist monk, in robes and houses my Australian and NZ books. sandals pacing up and down Beamish Street to and - A few weeks after this, I noticed a discarded 2 from the Railway Station.
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