Editorial Notes

The MGI editorial staff from time to time issues corrections, explanations and items of interest to you, the MGI reading public.

Erratum. In his last post, Technology Then, Technology Now, mr. schprock incorrectly stated that the film Fantastic Voyage was a documentary covering a groundbreaking 1966 surgical technique. MGI has recently found out the Fox Movie Channel had instead aired a very realistically-done science fiction movie of an operation that never took place. Furthermore, we have learned that Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasance are actors, not medical doctors. Also, several people who know a lot of scientific-sounding words assure us that shrinking a group of human beings and a submarine down to microscopic size is impossible. We are sorry for any confusion this may have caused. The editors wish to point out that the Fox Movie Channel never showed a disclaimer warning the viewer that Fantastic Voyage was a work of fiction. MGI has sent a strongly-worded email to Sandy Grushow, Chairman of the Fox Entertainment Group, asking him to show more regard to this sort of thing in the future.

Amendment. In The Dangers of Reading Fiction, mr. schprock left out a very important point: reading fiction inevitably makes one more curious. He recalls buying a set of used World Book encyclopedias in the late eighties just to help him learn more about whatever book he was reading, whether the subject was space travel, the China trade wars, the California Gold Rush, whaling, and so on. Those encyclopedias have since been supplanted by the Internet, but the curiosity still burns bright. Ha! So there, Tommy! Right back atcha!

Update. In The Pi of Why, mr. schprock wrote the following: “Is the question why? infinite like pi, an irrational number, or is there really a bottom to the well? Is there an ultimate answer, like ‘yes,’ or ‘asparagus,’ or ‘Charles Nelson Reilly’? Or does it just go on ad infinitum?”

We asked Professor Bernard Eghed, head of the Very Important Research Department at MIT, to run the question “Why?” through its super computer. After two full days of calculations, Professor Eghed discovered the question is indeed finite. The answer? “Charles Nelson Reilly,” the professor disbelievingly told us. “How the hell did schprock know that?” We at MGI know it was just a lucky guess, but kudos to mr. schprock all the same.

Update. Representatives of MGI report that preliminary negotiations with the Pixar people on a full length animated feature film of Finding Susie Beans are back on track after MGI dropped its demand of casting Sebastian Cabot for the voice of Oliver Grendall. The reason? The noted English actor died in 1977. But a little birdie tells us that a certain Tom Cruise is very interested in the role, but Mr. Mel Gibson is having none of it. Stay tuned!

A Special Message. In case we don’t get a chance to say it later, the entire staff, families, clone units and hangers-on of Musings of Great Import Inc. and its parent company, Galactico Extruded Plastics, want to wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend!

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And now, it’s…

PICTURE TIME!

Here’s older daughter Lindsay. She’s 18 and just graduated high school, so she’s an “adult.” Riiiiight.

Younger daughter Ianna. Very excitable.

Myrna, Ianna and mr. schprock at Ianna’s “graduation.” (She’s going from the eighth grade to the ninth. They’re calling that a “graduation” these days.)

mr. schprock and the missus.

mr. schprock at the ferry landing at Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, last Saturday.

mr. schprock and Olie (who will be the subject of a future post).

Scenic view from Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard (take a short pause here to supply your own punchline.)

mr. schprock and his biking buddy, James T.

Striking a pose.