ATM Re: Apologies to Randall

[Atmj1@aol.com]

My sincere apologies to Randall Wehler and the folks at S&T for starting a
thread that is getting far afield from what I had intended.

1) Mr. Randall Wehler, in the February issue of S&T, wrote a piece "Around The
Millennial Drum" indicating HE (not S&T) thought that telescope making was on
the wane.

2) While AGREEING with a few of his totally logical assertions, I felt he was
off the mark with the sweeping concept that our craft was having a hard time
staying afloat and that "the number of home-brewed telescopes at national
amateur gatherings has stagnated or dwindled,….)

3) I know Randall, and feel that he was merely reporting his observations,
based on what his ATM environment and experiences, told him were true.

4) My environment and experiences tell me something different.

5) I asked for help in gathering data for a proposed "counterpoint" article
offering more solid information to substantiate my feelings.

6) There has NEVER been any unkind feelings toward Randall nor will there be
no matter how much I wish to defend our strength. He merely expressed his
opinion and, the last time I looked, that was still allowed. 

7) I know Randall would be pleased to know that his AREA represents an
exception and not the rule. I have lived in MANY such areas: Pecos, Texas;
Parkin, Arkansas; Dover, Tennessee; and any number of "backwaters" across the
nation. However, while in 1964 the entire library and school systems of Pecos,
Texas had no books on telescope making, Stellafane was in full bloom and RTMC
was probably already in the making. From MY vantage point, I was alone in the
world. Obviously, such was not really the case. My SAMPLING, although very
important to me, was far too limited. I think this may have been the same with
Randall. The next time you hear someone jumping up and down about how over
populated the United States is, ask them how many times they have driven from
Ft. Smith to Flag Staff or Spokane to Minneapolis. If the answer is greater
than "0" suggest that they would do well to drop the tinted windows and give
up drinking. Yet, there is a natural tendency for folks smothered by bodies in
L.A. or New York (two hotbeds of modern thought and influence) to see the
whole of America through crowd colored glasses.  

I did not mean to insult Randall in any way. I did not mean to get ATMs all
fired up at the folks at S&T because they do not offer articles each month
rehashing what can be found in any number of places in the public library, the
net, back issues of TM, or ATM Journal.

Have any of you read the great book (and equally good door stop), The Two
Ocean War by Morrison? Some of us are still fit to be tied that Kalmbach won't
reprint TM for the good of the cause and now we are getting up a head of steam
to go after Sky Publishing for not reprinting "Gleanings." Please, one battle
at a time. Dave Eicher will be reporting Kalmbach's decision to me within the
next few weeks and I will put the results on the List as soon as I have word.
Rest assured that whatever the decision, the sun will still shine the
following day -- unless of course you live here in Seattle.

The Self-Serving Part Follows:

During the last List fiasco in which I was involved, trying to convince some
ATMs that trying to "fight" to get the rights to back issues of TM magazine
was much like trying to give CPR to a skeleton, Richard Berry (the FOUNDER and
EDITOR of TM for the few who might not know), himself came online and asked
people to do the logical thing and support ATM Journal. Still, there are those
out there who are ready to ALMOST demand that Kalmbach give up the rights to
TM or reprint them themselves, WHEN THEY ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE ATMA AND DO
NOT GET THE JOURNAL! To me, this is like the fellow who went over and under 3
SETS of WARNING baracades in the Cascade Mountains a few years back, only to
sue the State of Washington when he fell over a cliff. 

Have the folks at Kalmbach ever said to the ATM community, "You guys tell me
what you want and I will do it for you?" Have the folks at Sky Publishing ever
said to the ATM community, "You guys tell me what you want and I will do it
for you?" Yet, have I not put everything in my power at the feet of the ATM
community from the very beginning? Have I wavered to do my best for the
community even when anything resembling common sense would have dictated
otherwise? 

I believe there is a good chance ATM Journal will be allowed to reprint
selected articles from TM. With what I saw on the List today, we might even
see a compilation of Gleaning articles. This is all great. However, the
Journal is here NOW and could certainly use the support (through memberships
and articles) of those who now seem to concern themselves with little more
than an uncontrollable passion for rearranging deck chairs on Titanic. 

Just some thoughts.

Regards,

Bill Cook
Editor / Publisher, Amateur Telescope Making Journal