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Annotated Earth to the Moon

From: Rick Walter <fpwalter~at~UH.EDU>
Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2000 10:57:57 -0800
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~math.technion.ac.il>

Yesterday, Feb.1, Ron Miller wrote the Forum about The Annotated FROM THE
EARTH TO THE MOON of NYU professor, Walter James Miller (no relation).

Ron wrote: "The only faults I've found . . . have mostly to do with
Miller's unfamiliarity with astronautics. For one example, he seems
extremely confused as to what "g" or "g force" means and most of his
references to it make no sense. And trying to make a 900-foot hole in the
ground into a phallic symbol... one hardly knows what to say."

I'm sorry that Ron has returned to his old malicious sniping at Walter
Miller. And, as in the past, Ron's haste and compulsive hostility have led
him into making silly blunders. To wit--

1) WJM's description of GEES ACCELERATION is on p. 114, (with backward
references on pp. 131 & 163), and I'd always thought it eminently clear,
straightforward, and inoffensive. As a double-check I shared it this
morning with one of my contacts at NASA--who declared it admirably
accurate. Ron seems to be the one who's "extremely confused."

2) As for making the 900-foot-deep Columbiad "into a phallic symbol," Ron's
memory is playing tricks on him. On pp. 93 and 163, WJM's notes call it a
WOMB symbol, and French critics have made the same connection. Surely, as a
married man, Ron knows the difference between a phallus and a uterus.

Almost exactly 5 years ago, I asked Ron how this kind of gratuitous
negativity could "further the appreciation of Jules Verne." He still hasn't
come up with an answer.

Best,

RICK WALTER.



      
Rick Walter
Announcer
KUHF-FM Radio
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204-4061
713.743.0887
Received on Wed 02 Feb 2000 - 19:00:48 IST

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