We are trying to increase the content of Sacra Blue. This time we are not asking you to write articles. We would like you to write a small note to the Sacramento Bee and ask them to start carrying a new cartoon. Why should you do that? Because if the Bee picks up the cartoon, we will get cartoons for Sacra Blue as well.
The cartoon series we are interested in is Off the Mark by Mark Parisi. Mark is one of the best relatively unknown cartoonists Ken Hopkins has found in his extensive searches on the Internet. The reason he is unknown is because he is not distributing his cartoons through one of the big syndicates.
If this sample cartoon is not enough to convince you of the imagination that Mark pours into his work, go to his web site at www.offthemark.com. You will find hundreds of Mark's past cartoons on lots of topics. We are interested in the computer cartoons for Sacra Blue but he has done great work on many topics.
Please write a note to Scott Lebar at the Sacramento Bee and tell him that you think they should carry Mark Parisi's Off the Mark cartoon. Tell him what you like about the cartoons and why you can not live without them. Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number. Send your personal letter to the address below. If you can not take the time to write a letter, send e-mail to slebar@sacbee.com.
Sacramento Bee
Mr. Scott Lebar, AME/Features
PO Box 15779, Sacramento CA 95852
Remember that the more requests Scott Lebar receives, the more likely he is to have the Sacramento Bee carry the cartoons. Written letters are the most effective but e-mail should work as well.
Who Wants Free Software? Our Contest Flops
Last month we tried an experimental contest to gauge the level of interest in running a monthly contest. Judging from the number of entries, there is insufficient interest to warrant running the contest.
On the negative side, we only had one entry in the contest. On the positive side, it was easy to select a winner.
The winner of our contest is Carol Harris. Congratulations, Carol. She wins a copy of Microsoft Streets and Trips.
The answers to the contest were:
1. What was the bug responsible for the term "software bug"? C. Moth
2. Who is credited as being the first programmer? B. Augusta Ada Lovelace
3. What is the name of the first general-purpose digital computer? C. ENIAC
4. What company created the first mouse? A. Xerox
5. Who coined the computer terms "bit" and "software"? B. John Tukey
What went wrong? We really thought there would be more interest in the contest. We would like to know what went wrong. Please tell us. Were the questions to tough? Was the prize too small? Were the instructions hard to follow? Do you not want free stuff? We want to know. Send your comments to FreeSoftware@sacpcug.org
New Material
This month Tom Anderson starts a new column, Adventures in Computing, which will chronicle his encounters with the age of technology. Also making a debut in this issue are two comics, Geeks by Julie Sigwart and Little Man by Monta Elkins. Thanks to both cartoonists for allowing us to reprint their material.
Also this month: a review of PalTalk by Morton Richman, making his first contribution to these pages. David Larson is also a first-time contributor with his report on the meeting of the E-commerce SIG. And Bruce Boss makes his second appearance after an absence caused by medical reasons.
Thanks to all these members who make this issue the first all-electronic issue to top 50 pages.
