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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
My Christmas card to him--mailed the day he died--came back today. SIGH...
I forgot to post that I owe him thanks for teaching me about the "Find on this page" feature of my computer; he saved me a good deal of time, by that.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 180
member
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 180 |
I am very sorry to hear that Dr. Bill passed away. He was kind enough to correspond with me for quite some time. We sympathized with each others' unique situations. Dr. Bill shared some colorful stories about the war, his life and some racy jokes as well. And yes, he was a bit of a flirt. I loved 'talking' with him and really missed him when he wasn't able to use the computer anymore. Since folks are sharing their PM's I'll include one from him as well:
.......
Re: Ancient news story
From: wwh
Dear Dawn: I hope I didn't send this ancient yarn with
the Indian one. This was told on Boston radio back in
the fifties as an actal occurrence. I very much doubt
that.
Allegedly a man found his car battery was so low, he
could not start the motor. So he hailed a passing car,
and asked the lady driver to give him a push.
This was back in the days when cars with automatic shift
had to be pushed up to 30mph before ignition would begin.
So he asked her to give him a 30mph push.
She backed way up, and WHAM hit him at 30mph.
That's too dumb even for a dumb blonde joke. Incidentally,
I think the 'dumb blonde' joke is stupid. The only tiny
grain of plausibility in it is that pretty girls aren't
compelled to use their brains, and so may get by without
learning very much. But they are still able to make monkeys
out of some men who think they know it all.
Love, Bill
.........
Bill was never harsh with me, but always kind and empathetic. I miss him.
Regards,
Dawn aka gift horse
P.S. Thanks Jackie for letting me know about this thread.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
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veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
Below are some short posts from Bill to me that are eclectic in that they, to me, outline his very expansive human nature...if Bill's nature can be outlined.
*********************************************************
Dear Milo: Sweet are the uses of adversity. It can bring
out the best as well as the worst in people.
The prosperity we now have makes even gifted people
just lay back and relax. And the slobs take over. Bill
***********************************************************
Dear Milo: how about a NASA program to send rockets with
extremophiles to Venus, to modify the environment there
so that in a million years or so it would be fit for
human colonization.
*********************************************************
Dear Milo: but until a tribe has plenty to eat, nobody
has time to wonder about the stars.
************************************************************
Dear Milo: Even as official Court Jester like you can
expect no merriment to be experienced by members
for something everybody hates.
Speaking of Jesters, there is an ancient sad tale
of a King and his Jester who got lost in the woods.
Before they were found, the King got so hungry
he was at his Wit's end.
Hope I haven't told you that one already. Bill
****************************************************
Dear Milo: working my way through school, I worked nights
at a high priced mental hospital, the McLean Hospital
in Waverley, MA. I had a room up on the top floor of one
of the buildings where some of the kitchen and laundry
help had rooms. One of them, a Scotsman had come to this
country just after WWI, when somebody tried to get a
soccer league going.
He had been in the famous Black Watch
regiment, and was proud of having been one of those who
shot Sir Harry Lauder's son in the back for being an
abusive snob. He had become an alcoholic, and had horrible
nightmares. He also stammered very badly.
One day the guys took him to a baseball game at the old
Braves Field, not far from Boston University.
After the game the group got on a trolley, which at the
next stop had a large group of B.U. coeds get on. One
of the coeds stood in front of Scotty, and said in a voice
intended for all the car to hear:
"You'd think a gentleman
would know enough to get up and give a lady his seat."
Scotty glared from one end of the car to the other.
Everybody was looking him, which made his stammer worse.
"Fffffffive ffffffucking yars Ah sot in the trenches,
and no girrrrul asked for my seat!"
There was a roar of laughter, and his tormentor turned
very red, and hid among her classmates.
*****************************************************
Dear Milo: I very much regret that my vision has taken
away my ability to use a credit card, so I don't have
one any more. I'm very much embarrassed that I have
no way of contributing. I used to have her address,
but I couldn't read it if I knew where I kept it.
I'm a real blivet. ( a blivet used to be term for
200 pounds of shit it a 100 pound sack) I still
wonder about Wordwinds fifteen bluebirds in one house.
Way back in the winter. I never saw more than two
bluebirds at once. Now I can't tell the mockers from
the small black birds. Unless the mockers sing of
course. I mean just when they perch on phone wires
in back yard.
I had a bit of fun with Father Steve
a couple weeks ago. He posted about word 'haptic'
referring to robots with artificial 'feeling' of
obstacles. I had idea there might be a medical
or psychiatric word using the 'hapt- ' root
Six guesses and I hit paydirt:
'Haptosis' = non-consensual sexual touching.
Ever guilty of that, old buddy? Bill
**************************************************
Dear Milo: I just had a very nice PM from Theresa.
She's just fed up with the Internet in general.
At least I am relieved to know that no tragedy has befallen her,
as I feared.
Thanks for your kindness. I miss your posts also.
I say love to all the girls, and I know you won't
misconstrue it, when I say 'Love' to you too. Bill
************************************************************
Last edited by themilum; 01/01/07 06:12 AM.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 2,154 |
I have been away for a bit and just heard. Bill was one of the first to welcome me to the board and was very protective (and occasionally over-protective :-) of the newbie learning her way around. He was also the first on-line person that I came to consider a friend, I wish I had been able to meet him in person.
Thank you for the pictures.
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,439 |
I sent copies of all the notes I received from Dr Bill directly to his granddaughter to adress in her post.
We had several discussions about posting private messages and - being an old fuddy duddy - I sent them instead of posting.
He was a gentleman of a different age with all the graces and prejudices of a time gone by - but always a gentleman.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8
stranger
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stranger
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 8 |
I have made a stab at scratching the surface of organizing the thankfully impressive volume of stories that have been preserved from my grandfather/Dr. Bill. Many of you have read at least a few of them, I'm sure. If you visit the website, I have just uploaded my most recent edits. There is so much text to sift through, that formatting and sequencing will have to wait until another time. I've also mainly left his typos and such. I have not yet incorporated material from everyone who has sent some to me - so be patient if you don't see something yet. Please let me know if you have something that would aptly fit any one of the headings. There are some real gems there already. (link updated February 12/2007) www.doctorbill.info
Last edited by Gretel; 02/13/07 04:07 AM.
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 133
member
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member
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 133 |
I found this site in 2004, daring to begin to post as DR. Bill was posting less frequently. I am honored to have been among those whose
private posts he read and answered, and the last, I think, echoed his
loneliness--he assured me that my use of the word 'lesion' to my physician's appointment secretary had been appropriate, and added
"Thanks for asking me." I'll try to know him better, even now, by watching for wwh in any archives I get into, and I'm sorry to learn that he's no longer with us.
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 389
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 389 |
The dear Doctor always treated me as an equal, at least, although his knowledge, wisdom and experience outstripped mine by far. We shared stories, although he never let on that his were far better. He always thanked me for any correspondence and even asked me to do a little research for him - but it was probably really to help me. He helped so very much, and I have missed him more.
Some time back, I was lamenting some silly squawking that was going on here, and this is how he soothed me. As always - with a given smile:
"Dear Owlbow:
Tolerance is something we all have to learn.
When I was small, a favorite game for our gang was 'fireman'.
There firealarm in the town consisted of
a bell on tower where firehoses were hung to dry, (to keep them
from being weakened by mildew, before nylong was invwented)
and a steam powered whistle on a shoefactory a quarter
of a mile due east of firestation, electrically synchronized.
We were due north of the fire station, and heard the
bell before we heard the whistle.
So in our game, we pushed our little carts and wagons
around yelling 'Dang Hoot! Dang Hoot'.
One day we got an invitation to play firemen on Sprague's Hill
a mile due east of firestation.(On a line from firestation
to shoe factory, to top of Sprague's Hill.
When we got there, those stupid kids didn't know what to
yell. They were all yelling 'Hoot Dang, Hoot Dang'. They
wouldn't listen when we tried to tell them they were
wrong.
Just as the fists were about to fly, we heard the
fire alarm, and were absolutely dumbfounded to hear it
go 'Hoot Dang. Hoot Dang'.
We suddenly realized that on Sprague's Hill, the
shoe factory was nearer than the firestation, so the
Hoot got there before the Dang.
It taught me not to be so quick to think the
other guy a damned fool. "
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055 |
He will not be forgotten.
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