A photon gets pulled over by a traffic cop for speeding.In the last issue of STONE HILL LAUCH TIMES, I touted the virtues of Lauren Podolak's home page. Well, not only do I think her costume page is great, but others do too. Lauren's Costume Site is featured in the June issue of "NetGuide Magazine" on page 106. It was given a four star rating. Next time you are surfing the net, drop by http://ddi.digital.net/~milieux/costume.html and see it for yourself
The cop says, "Show me your license and registration." The
photon says, "I don't have them with me." The copy says, "Why
not?" The photon replies,
"I'm traveling light".
If you are a die-hard "Star Trek" fan, here's a contest for you.
Starfleet International, Medical Division, is sponsoring a charity drawing to benefit children stricken with Pediatric AIDS who are in the care of the Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, Texas, and the Dallas Children's Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (of course). All proceeds will be divided equally between the two hospitals.
One of the prizes is a Blue Cover 2nd Edition copy of the Starfleet Medical Reference Manual, published in 1977. The book has many autographs by actors who have portrayed medical personnel on various "Star Trek" shows. There are also autographed photos of some of the actors as well. Other prizes include books, models, photos and other unusual items of interest to "Star Trek" fans.
Tickets are $2 each, paid for by check or money order made payable to Sue Harke. Orders for tickets must include a S.A.S.E. and should be addressed to: Drawing, c/o Sue Harke, P.O. Box 830872, Richardson, TX., 75083-0872. Please include your name, full mailing address, your phone number, e-mail address if you have one, and let Ms. Harke know what areas of SF you are interested in: "Star Trek," "Babylon 5", "X-Files," "Forever Knight", "Star Wars", "Doctor Who", or the always at the end of the list, OTHER.
The drawing for prizes is scheduled to be held during the opening of the next "Star Trek" movie in November 1996.
If you would like to verify that this is a legitimate charity event, you can write to Cook Children's Medical Center, Dick Chamberlain, Vice President for Developement or David Rogan, Vice President for Development, 801 Seventh Ave., Fort Worth, TX., 76014.
CONGAMES '96 . . . . . Don't forget to circle June 15 & 16 on your calendar. That's the weekend of Stone Hill and NECRONOMICON's newest child to make its debut in the world. We have had such good response to our gaming program at NECRONOMICON that we decided there might just be a calling for us to put on a convention dedicated only to gaming. ConGames '96 will not replace gaming at NECRONOMICON or even cause it to be decreased. I heard there was a rumor to that effect and it should be put to rest. NECRONOMICON will have just as much gaming as ever, but now there's even more for you devoted gamers with the first annual ConGames '96. The convention will be held at the Camberley Plaza in Tampa on the aforementioned dates of June 15 & 16. The cost of membership is $10 a day, and will be sold only at the door. If you would like more information on ConGames '96, you can call Dean and Heather Dryer at 352-687-8901 or send email to: NecConRep@aol.com.
Helpers are still needed for varios duties at ConGames, so if you can spare some time to help out, let Dean and Heather know. You don't have to be a gamer to do this good deed. There are jobs that don't require you to know about gaming even if this is a gaming convention.
As is the case with NECRONOMICON and our media/fanzine convention, VIDCON, Stone Hill's pet charity Wildlife Rescue, Inc. will receive money earned from charity events. There will be raffles for some great stuff, so bring a couple of dollars extra to spend on raffle tickets and help Wildlife Rescue, Inc.
NECRONOMICON '96 NOTES . . . . . We've had word that several fine folks who are not listed in previous guest lists and our flyer will be able to be with us at the convention. In addition to the people you already know about, you can meet and greet Jack Haldeman, Barbara Delaplace, Vince Courtney and Richard Starr.
STONE HILL BIRTHDAY WISHES. . . Many happy returns of the day are wished upon:
Marna Faber- June 16 Heather Dryer- June 28 Chrissy Orsini- June 22 Terri Jones- June 29 Eric Carroll- June 22MORRIS' MINI REVIEWS--BOOKS . . . . . If you have not read Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, you have missed a real treat and a must for anyone who loves to see logic and language played taken to entertaining extremes. I've read these books at least four times each, and they are as much fun on each successive reading as they were on the first.
MORRIS' MINI REVIEWS--MOVIES . . . . . All right, "Twister" really does have very little plot and not always good science. It's a special effects movie only, but I have to admit that "Twister" entertained me. It was a white knuckle trip all the way and I didn't feel cheated out of my money. Sometimes that's all you expect from a movie and all you need. It was fun.
"Spy Hard" is exactly what you would expect from the people who have brought you the "Naked Gun" movies. It's loaded with in-jokes and lots of cameo appearances by TV and movie favorites. I had a crush on Leslie Nielson when I was 12 and he was playing Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, on "The Wonderful World of Disney" show and I've liked him ever since. It's obvious that he has a great time playing these very silly people and I have a great time watching him do it. I think many of you will too.
MORRIS' MINI REVIEWS--WEB SITES . . . . . All right, I'll admit it. I've got a problem. I'm hooked. I should never have learned how to surf the net. However, since I have, I might as well tell you about some nifty-keen web pages I've run across.
ALTA VISTA MAIN PAGE-- http://www.altavista.digital.com This is a search engine and I've been able to find anything and everthing by using it. I've tried others and they are fine, but this one is my favorite.
OFFICIAL BABYLON 5 WEBSITE-- http://www.babylon5.com Here's one for "Babylon 5" fans. It's got bios of the cast, a jumpgate to other "Babylon 5" sites and other SF sites, images from the show and more. Good fun and bound to keep you at your computer longer than you ought to be there.
WARNER BROTHERS HOME PAGE-- http://www.warnerbros.com From this page you can get to all kinds of neat stuff about TV, movies and even to a post office where you can send your e-mail buddies a WeB Card.
YOYODYNE ENTERTAINMENT PAGE-- http://www.yoyo.com Those who were/are "Buckaroo Banzai" fans will remember YoYodyne Industries. Well, this page is pretty cool, just like the old Buckaroo himself. It's got games to play and surveys to answer for prizes.
USFA ONLINE-- http://www.usfa.org Since two of the members of my household have taken up fencing and I have a friend who has a fencing school, I wanted to know more about it asking my friends all my stupid questions. So, I went on-line and got a veritable encyclopedia of information from the United States Fencing Association page.
A STONE'S THROW AWAY . . . . . The July 14 Stone Hill meeting will be at Marna and Jack Faber's home at 8200 Hornwood Place, Tampa. The phone there, in case you need directions, is 813-880-9640. Marna and Jack have a pool, so bring your swimming clothes and a towel. You do know where your towel is, don't you?
STONE HILL KIDS BRAG BAG . . . . . Just a few weeks ago, there was a Hillsborough County-wide math contest. Julie Oswald participated in the contest and tied with four other students for first place in second grade level. Her dad and mom are very proud. It's great to see how well all the Stone Hill kids are doing in school. I think we know where some of the great minds of the future might come from.
I get to brag a bit about my own kid, even if he is all grown up now, this month. My son, Kendall David Morris, just got is B.S. from the University of South Florida in biology with a specialization in biotechnology. He also took the Graduate Record Exam and let's just say, his score is good enough for any graduate school in the country.
FILKER'S FOLLY
(Note: Annie had so much news this issue, that this online posting is close to its page size limit. Filker's Folly is an additional 1-1/2 pages, so it has been omitted from this online copy of the June Launch Times. If ya just gotta have your fix, email me and let me know, and I'll post this section at another link.......Lauren Podolak--milieux@digital.net
SOMETHING SPECIAL . . . . . Recently, I received the following letter and poem from fellow Stone Hill member John Brudy. I think it deserves to be shared without editing.
Annie:
. . . .I first came up against this piece long ago... source forgotten. I am still deeply moved by it. I know it doesn't fit Filk singing, but isn't this close to what we mean when we talk of the "sense of wonder"? I have no copies, so I tried to re-construct it as well as I could. I remember it as being better than this. Has anyone seen it? I would dearly love to know the name of the poet. Seems to me it was Tom something. I even had the effrontery to make up a title, which doesn seem appropriate. Sorry. . . . . . -JB
Never in our lifetimes, nor in that of stars
but far beyond the next Collapse, when,
out of the final static leftover ashes, the nascent life-stuff,
nourished as before by the same Forceful Power,
will again greep from fractures in the next
Big Bang.
Surely then will form once more the magic helix, as it did then, when
the First Force again arises triumphant, eternally recurring.
Caressed by sterile future seas
we'll bask once more beside the Patient, welcoming shores of our
Gene Pool.
Join me then, love, the way you are today.
I'll bring the wine.
*** If anyone does know the author of this piece, let me know and I'll pass the information along to John.
COOK'S CORNER . . . . . Here's a cookie recipe I just tried out the other day. It's passed the test at home and at Tampa's Fencing Academy. Coach Duran and his students thought I was just some eccentric lady who gave them cookies. Little did they know they were being used as test subjects. Well, there wasn't a Stone Hill meeting to get guinea pigs from and you have to try the food out somewhere....
CHOCOLATE CRINKLES
2 cups sugar 4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 cups all purpose flour
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted 2 teaspoons baking powder
and cooled 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup powdered sugar
Mix together sugar, oil, chocolate, vanilla and eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder
and salt. This will form a very soft dough. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar. Roll it around to coat and
form it into balls. Place two inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Use margarine
or shortening to grease the sheets rather than cooking spray. Bake for twelve
minutes. Using a spatula, remove cookies to a foil covered counter to cool. This
makes five to six dozen cookies.
"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."
"The dessert is said to be to dinner what the madrigal is to literature-- it is the light poetry of the kitchen."
................--George Ellmanger
IF YOU WANNA TELL 'EM WHAT YOU THINK . . . . . Last month, I gave you some addresses to write to in support of "Babylon 5". I have one more address you might like to have if you'd like to write to anyone actually involved in the production of the show. Write: c/o BABYLON 5, 14431 Ventura Blvd., Suite 260, Sherman Oaks, CA., 94123.
If you have heard the news that the "X-Files" is moving to Sunday night next season and you don't like it, let FOX know about it. As I said last time out, keep letters short and to the point and in your own words rather than using a form letter.
Anyway, here are the people to write to and the address:
Peter Roth-- President, Ken Hutton-- Senior Vice President current Programming, Dana Freedman-- Vice President Current Programming, 20th Century Fox Television, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA., 90035.
If you just can't get in the mood to write a letter, you can phone FOX at 310-277-2211. You can visit the FOX web page and get e-mail to them that way by going to: http://fox.com or send e-mail direct to: askfox@foxinc.com. (While your at it, these are also the same folks to contact if you enjoyed the Doctor Who movie that was broadcast on May 14th. Fox is concidering picking up the show for the fall, let them know what you think!)
One of the points being made by many who don't want the "X-Files" moved to Sunday night is the fact that it will be moved around in time because of late running football games. I, for one, have refused to watch programs because they don't start on time on Sundays. You never know when those games will end and you miss the beginnings of the shows half the time. It's annoying and it will lose viewers for even a good program.
Till next time, take care and have fun!.....--Annie
P.S. Remember that you can get Stone Hill and convention information on our web pages at The Miliuex Page and The Stone Hill Home Page (linked at the bottom of this document)