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From: psc@lzwi.UUCP (Paul S. R. Chisholm)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Jerry Pournelle
Message-ID: <207@lzwi.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 24-Jul-85 22:10:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: lzwi.207
Posted: Wed Jul 24 22:10:35 1985
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< I can use my magic to change the color to red -- but I don't do windows. >

> >                                                            I wrote
> > him once and received a form letter back.  I wrote Asimov and
> > got a PERSONAL LETTER.  Pournelle writes fairly well, but seems

I've written both.  From Asimov, I got a post card and a big signature.
I wrote Pournelle very early in his BYTE career, and kept my letters long
on information for him (to have and share).  Since then, I've gotten
three word processed letters, and several hand-written ones.  The last
one was prefaced by a form letter (and sent just after he finished up
FOOTFALL.)

> >                         Pournelle writes fairly well, but seems
> > to lack humanity and care for anyone who gets in his way.

Hmm.  He does seem to think that there's nothing much wrong with the
strong taking what they can, on the assumption that most (many) strong
people will fight for the right things.  This whole subject could lead
to a discussion of selfishness and Libertarian philosophy (JEP doesn't
call himself a libertarian, but there are some ideas in common).  Please
put such a discussion somewhere else.  (Every Unix* system has a device
for storing such things. . . .)

> I had the occasion, a few years ago, to exchange ARPAnet mail with
> Dr. Pournelle.  His messages were well written, personable, and clearly
> thought out.

My experience, too.  But he prefers paper mail.  (At 300 baud, so would
I.  Besides, it's hard to jot a reply in the borders of email.)
 
> Somehow the topic of drinking came up.  Pournelle says he doesn't drink
> during the month of February "just to show that [he] can."  I wish I
> hadn't deleted the exchange; it was written during the month of (as if
> you couldn't guess) February.

I've shared a few drinks with him (he paid!) before the last couple of
Worldcons.  In each case, the company was him, me, and one other micro
hacke.  In each case, there was a faster rate of drinking than I've
been used to since college, and a *hell* of a lot more talking than
drinking.  JEP didn't get any louder than normal.  (A stint in the
artilliary - Korea??? - left him partially deaf, so he's always, ah,
quite easy to hear.)
 
> In spite of his behaviour, I found Pournelle to be a most colorful
> guest to the Internet and wish there were a way other people in the
> SF business could access the net and exchange knowledge.

Nuff said.
-- 
       -Paul S. R. Chisholm       The above opinions are my own,
       {pegasus,vax135}!lzwi!psc  not necessarily those of any
       {mtgzz,ihnp4}!lznv!psc     telecommunications company.
       (*sigh* ihnp4!lzwi!psc does *NOT* work!!!  Use above paths.)
       "It must be fast, and it must be red, and it must have windows."