Bad Boy Stunt

I wanted to e-mail Dirty Dan to tell him that MACAnews could use his stuff if the boys with white shoes and pants don't want it. Dan doesn't seem to be listed in the Pampa reference manual. Maybe I need to look in the section for members that reside in outer space. If possible send me his e-mail address.

Roy Glenn ([email protected])or ([email protected])

DAN ..has no e-mail and his commerdor 64 is a little out of date.

He'll get a hold of you.

Scott(dan good people) Riese

Dan moved up from the Sinclair/VIC 20??

LAST EDITED ON May-21-02 AT 07:36 PM (CST)

Roy Glenn,

In their own ways, both Scott and Larry gave the correct response: I don't actually have my own e-mail address, am using the system here at work.

For what it's worth, I don't encourage anyone to contact me here, although a few have figured it out and are certainly welcome to continue. I must say that we are not very good at actually dumping the data in a timely fashion, however...

You and the small number of critics might be real surprised at how well the Bad Boy Stunt column is received by what I view as a clear majority of PAMPA members. Okay, okay, anecdotal evidence--the worst kind in many cases--only, but ya ought to see my mail.

This is not a dare to alter my universe, but the fact is there still has not been one negative response come directly to me, even following the fun and games seen on this very forum earlier in the year and concerning the articles dealing with two- and four-strokes. Even the critical letters in Stunt News weren't cc'd to me, something I would have done in such a circumstance.

Well, there was one negative response. But I had to call Windy myself; he didn't call me, so that single instance of wailing to the moon hardly qualifies.

Danny Dirt

P.S. Ooops, an edit. Roy, I didn't mean to lump you and those critical of BBS column together. I know well the difference, the wording was merely awkward. Dirt.

Dan,
Hey, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. You just have more opinions than most.

Going to Albany?

Randy

Dan,

It's good to hear that many PAMPA members like what you write. I'm with those that like it. Stunt News has plenty of good technical things, so a little humor and some off the wall stuff adds a bit of diversity.

Roy Glenn

Danny Dirt, You can put this reader's feeling and comment where ever you want, plus side or negative side. I don't particularly like the style, but what the heck--- I don't have to read it either . I am like an owl with laryingitus(sp). I don't give a hoot.
Bigiron

I enjoy Dan's cocky writing style. He's fun to read, even when he's got a prune in his whiskers (<== engineering expression, meaning we can see that he's made a mistake..).

L.

Dirt,
Get your self a Hot Mail or Yahoo E-mail account & you will have your own E-mail for any one you want to be e-maied by. You can go to these from any computer even the public library. You do not have to own a computer to be connected.

Pat, you are wrong about EVERYONE having access to a computer. 15 miles one way to the nearest library with computers, then a four hour wait for the Geeks who are looking at porno to get off and then another few hours for the school kids to get their homework and then getting help in running the darn thing. Nope not realistic. Also many of the other country members are not permitted such access. Thus since most models cost less than a computer, Anyone who is interested in both but cannot afford both , will probably opt for the models. I would!!
Bigiron

Bigiron13: Would you please very carefully read the first half of the second sentence in your previous posting? Nasty boy...

I own a computer, just choose not to get it hooked up to the internet. The unit here at work is convenient, real fast, and I don't feel a slave to it, as I might if doing this sort of stuff at home.

Larry: I do this to learn, maybe more than most. So I honestly would like to know the source of the "prune in his whiskers" comment. No ego involvement here, I won't "Zambelli" you even if we disagree. Or I am wrong.

Hey Dirt, I am one of many that thoroughly enjoy the style, wit and sarcasm that permeates your literary expertise. I'm sure the abundance of technical knowledge buried therein is lost on many of our avid wannebes' but some of us do Get It! We'll talk more in the future, Alfadawg

AlfaDawg,

Ya know, if you were even close to being a mainstream sort of guy, your positive comments would mean so very much more to me and the folk on this forum.

Thanks, Bob. Of course you get it. You read what I write, not what you think I wrote. You see what's there, even when it takes a little bit of thought.

While it doesn't bother me at all when critics like Tom Dixon--maybe especially Dixon and his like, along with Zambelli--don't get it, it is more than a little confusing to read their responses, go through the article in question one more time, double-check their unbiased review(s), and then to conclude they simply did not read the same article I wrote. Again, no problem. But it sure does nicely frame their views on, and opinions concerning, many other subjects.

Dan, here's a letter I sent you via Tom Morris because I couldn't find your email address:

Hi Dan, rarely am I motivated to respond to such a matter but your comments near the end of your article in May/June 2002 Stunt News have motivate me to do so. I would like to give you my perspective on your controversial 4-cycle article (Jan/Feb 2002 Stunt News).

First, let me say that I haven't been influenced by anything other than what has been published in Stunt News; not the Internet, not anyone else's opinion. So, mine is about as "unbiased" as the replies can be from the "average Joe".

I consider myself to have a great sense of humor and I have no trouble seeing lots of it in your article. However, it's definitely not funny to me where you mention Windy's name several times (in jest?). You effectively thumbed your nose at his pioneering work with 4 cycles for stunt and I don't blame him or anyone else for getting upset or being insulted by that. Simply put, humor ceased to exist at that point. I can certainly understand pro and con support from both sides in this matter. However, the complaints have absolutely nothing to do with people not having a good sense of humor as you claim and it's too bad you do not appear to understand this point. If I wanted to subscribe to that brand of humor I would have subscribed to MAD Magazine rather than Stunt News. Also, I don't appreciate comments like "write their own damn article" being made. How arrogant can you get? This has no place in Stunt News.

Under the circumstances, I believe you owe PAMPA members an apology, especially Windy and Tom Morris. You have caused others to take out their frustrations over your article on the best Editor any publication could ever hope for. You have an opportunity to regain some lost respect by apologizing. It's a great person who can laugh at and learn from his own mistakes and we all make them from time to time. After that, I'd highly recommend that you follow your own advice and "let it lie".

Dennis Saydak (Eggbert)

Eggbert,

I trust you will excuse me for not taking your posting very seriously. You were so upset that you wrote an e-mail, sent it to Tom Morris, but just couldn't quite find the ambition to print it out, slap on a stamp and mail it to the guy who actually wrote the artcile? Weak effort, my man...

When people like AlfaDawg and I refer to some others as "Not getting it," we are not talking just about humor. Possibly you should review Whitely's posting of May 23; I don't believe you even "get" this short missive, let alone what Bob and I are really talking about, our mutual interests.

There are many ways to look at this event, many different approaches, all of which are fine by me. I have my way of looking at things, my articles reflect that. Of course. You don't like it. Or certainly take exception to things which weren't even in my articles, insulting Windy being just one.

(Incidentally, it is my view that there are no U.S. Stunt fliers who can rightfully be referred to as pioneers when it comes to the application of four-strokes to our event. The real pioneers are all Europeans, even if it is quite likely U.S. fliers will be the ones to take them to the next step as far usefulness and functionality.)

There will be no apologies forthcoming. Not to PAMPA members, Windy (who might want one, but won't get it), or Tom Morris, who I can assure you sees no need for such foolishness.

I love you statement that I "...have caused others to take out their frustrations over your article on the best Editor any publication could ever hope for." Now if people have beat up on Morris because I wrote something and he simply plugged it in-- per PAMPA and Stunt News policy--I am to blame for their misguided and totally inappropriate actions? Has it not occurred to you that these guys and their actions are the problem, not any article I wrote?

Look, read this very slowly, as many times as required: Dan Rutherford writes Bad Boy Stunt. Dan Rutherford takes full responsibility. Anyone who has a problem with any BBS article should immediately purge their minds of retribution against innocent bystanders. No whiney excuses about not being able to find an e-mail address; others have not had your problem, even though I have not yet actually published the address. I'm not hard to locate, the U.S.P.S still seems to function, telephonics long ago quit being mysterious or hard to use.

LAST EDITED ON Jun-02-02 AT 01:24 AM (CST)

Dan,

Gotta love the intensity of some. I mean, they are after all, toy airplanes. This isn't world peace we're talking about. You express your opinion. I can tell you you're wrong, that I think you're full of it or whatever. But it's still just your opinion. Last I checked, you're fully entitled to it.

I work with kids. One of the all time greats is the kid gets in trouble at school. He says, some other kid said something about (your chice: his mother, his dog, his choice in breath mints, whatever). So the kid punches him. I ask him, was what the kid said true? He says no. So, I ask, why do you care what he said? And why get yourself in trouble over something that isn't true?

It's always amazing to me how worked up some folks get over their pastimes.

Dan, your reply was pretty much what I expected. Your lack of consideration for others, disregard for the best interests of PAMPA and the need to feed a huge ego has been made abundantly clear in this matter. Other than that I'd expect you are a great guy.

Licking stamps and envelopes has gone the way of the dinosaur in case you haven't noticed. I didn't phone you because I don't personally know you and I have no interest in engaging in argument. I simply wanted you to have my feedback. I figured the most logical and quickest way to do that was through Tom Morris. Now that I've accomplished that task I will "let it lie".

>>Dan, your reply was pretty much what I expected. Your lack of consideration for others, disregard for the best interests of PAMPA and the need to feed a huge ego has been made abundantly clear in this matter. Other than that I'd expect you are a great guy.<<

Wow, Dan, you're a regular anti-social.

LAST EDITED ON Jun-02-02 AT 04:47 PM (CST)

> Simply put,
>humor ceased to exist at
>that point. I can certainly
>understand pro and con support
>from both sides in this
>matter. However, the complaints have
>absolutely nothing to do with
>people not having a good
>sense of humor as you
>claim and it's too bad
>you do not appear to
>understand this point. If I
>wanted to subscribe to that
>brand of humor I would
>have subscribed to MAD Magazine
>rather than Stunt News. Also,
>I don't appreciate comments like
>"write their own damn article"
>being made. How arrogant can
>you get? This has no
>place in Stunt News.

The Editorial policy for Stunt News, as set by Tom and fully supported by the PAMPA EC, is to print essentially anything that is submitted. The only items that are edited, as I understand it, are those that are obviously libelous or obviously personally driven. Dan's article isn't even in the ballpark of libelous nor does it contain anything resembling a personal attack. It therefore doesn't come close to violating that policy and thus was published as written.

The reason for this policy is to address concerns of those who objected to the previous editorial policies. These persons were concerned that the editing was being applied in a unfair and discriminatory manner to provide a slanted view. I don't for a second think this was true, but...

The only solution that results in complete freedom of expression with no possibility of accusations of bias is to not edit content at all. This also has the effect of making the content of Stunt News essentially "populist" - if you want to see something printed, it's up to you.

One can't have it both ways. We can either print everything, and take the chance of alienating some people, or heavily edit, and leave ourselves open to further accusations of bias. The added effect would be to reduce or eliminate the free exchange of ideas via argument. Argument (decorous argument), far from being a bad thing to be avoided at all costs, is absolutely mandatory for advancement of understanding.

Criticizing an approach/technique/idea is not the same as criticizing the person that uses or advocates it. If we don't accept this, and instead decide to take everything personally (as sadly common trait in Stunt), we might as well quit trying right now.

Brett Buck
PAMPA District 10 Director
[email protected]

I will second Brett's comments. He and I have disagreed on a few occasions and agreed on a lot more. It is possible to disagree, even take opposite sides, without feeling it is a personal attack on you. Sometimes (a lot of times) there is more than one way that is proven to be successful, and the modeler needs to choose which is more suitable to him. But how do you know unless both sides are presented? And if we present an idea that doesn't prove to be the best and someone else presents a better solution, well, we all can still learn.

(I am still trying to ponder Brett's solution of using an assymetrical tail while trying to figure the benefit of an assymetrical wing.)

All that I want to say to Dan, is "you go girl" I've been doing
this since 1952, and I enjoy your writing, may not agree with
everything, but who does ?

Eggbert,

Apologies for being so predictable.

Dinosaurs never managed to lose billions of dollars per year, while the U.S.P.S. does so without problem. Still, the U.S. mail remains a reliable and useful way to communicate; the very small amount of extra effort to avail yourself of this service simply means you aren't very serious in your objections.

Why assume you would get an argument by calling? Even when I called Windy he didn't get an argument. We had a conversation, a discourse on subjects varied, no problem. Of course, calling would mean making some effort beyond blasting off an e-mail...

All of your problems with me aside, especially as they don't concern me overmuch, it is important that you understand PAMPA and Stunt News policy when it comes to articles submitted to Mr. Morris. Brett's explanation above is the best I have seen on the subject. I am hoping you will "get it," otherwise you may end up quite the embittered modeler, and for no good reason at all.

Also note that, within the context of Stunt News policy, a challenge of "...write their own damn article." is hardly the result of an arrogant attitude.

My wife still loves you, Jim and Janet