Open message to Chris Schwarz & Adam Cherubini

Ditto.

Joe in a Cleveland suburb

>I think the current issue of PW is very good. The entire issue is good.

Keep it up!

Joe

Re: Open message to Chris Schwarz & Adam Cherubini

William Claspy in Cleveland

>I agree with Tim's sentiments, but will add that I felt the same disappointment when Don McConnell's column disappeared. His contributions were the reason I first subscribed to the publication. Adam's have been good as well. I'm sure Chris will have something (or has!) something up his sleeve for us Galoots.

And ditto on the congrats to Chris.

Bill

Me too

Steve Kubien

>I've really enjoyed Adam's work. I too have missed the hidden message (unless it is that great things can be done with some simple tools but we all know that, right?) but I have learned a bunch. Also, I agree, Adam should have a more long-term assignment.

Keep up the great work.

Steve Kubien

Good news & good news

Christopher Schwarz

>The good news is that Adam's column in the December issue will tie together all the threads from his other columns in 2005. It's a five-page column. I think you will be pleased with it. I was.

Adam will continue to write the Arts & Mysteries column for us in 2006. But there will be new themes and ideas to explore. Plus, Adam will be working with other traditional craftsmen (some of whom will have familiar names) to expand the breadth of his column. So you'll see just as much of Adam in our pages in 2006.

I have one more piece of news about Adam, but in the true spirit of Arts & Mysteries, I'll leave that for you to discover when the December issue arrives.

The other good news is that 2006 should see the return of Don McConnell to our pages. Don took a leave from his "From the Bench" column in 2005 to deal with important family and personal matters. We've been discussing a couple column ideas that should raise a few eyebrows on this side of the fence.

Also, FYI, Don has a new day job making planes at Clark & Williams. If you see him at the M-WTCA national meet this month, be sure to congratulate him. I'll be at M-WTCA, too, showing off the Roubo bench.

OK, back to work!

Chris

Outstanding news. Thanks.

Tim Caley - North Little Rock

>

Ditto!, congrats to Chris and morei

Doug Littlejohn

>I have greatly enjoyed the various articles weaving together hand tools, their techniques and how to apply them daily to WW. Also, to Chris' new role their, I know it will turn out good both for them and us readers/subscribers.

On another note, I must tip my hat to them as an organization. I have had a couple of opportunities (read problems that turned out to be opportunities) to learn at least business wise, just what they are made of.

Bluntly speaking, I put them in the same ranks as Lee Valley and LN in the quality of their customer service. A #1, on the spot, quick and without hessitation, they take care of the problem.

and Chris, I will get you to let me make good on the latest.

Sherwood

My swelled head

Adam Cherubini

>Thanks for all the kind words guys. I really appreciate your comments- again positive or negative. I'm trying to help. IMHO, I think we should all be very proud that PW is willing to give our ways some page space.

Yes the mysteries will soon come to an end, but I will continue to offer my gems for those observant elite. Indeed, as the year comes to a close, I leave a legacy for generations of woodworkers to come. It is a proud legacy of downright silliness. These are the things that really swell my head and cause me to puff out my chest:

1) In the axe article, the pictures are clipped because I was wearing a tee shirt that read "BOSCH POWER TOOLS engineered to perfection".

2) The line: "Get ready to hit me in the face with a pie,..." Can you believe PW actually printed this line? Does anybody think for a moment this would have passed the KGB censors in other woodworking magazines' editorial departments? Say it with me now; "I don't THINK so".

3) The bizzare comparison of workbenches with Northern Italian cuisine (you find the reference). (and note the author).

Keep your eyes open for these "gems"- frankly, I had no idea folks do stuff like this (sneaking silly stuff into otherwise serious articles) but apparently it has a long history.

Adam

Re: My swelled head

Christopher Schwarz

>When I had more time to goof off at work, I would occasionally craft photo captions that were haikus.

Yup. Geek.

One last thing. The photo for Adam's column in December had a couple employees swooning over Adam. Who knew that hand work could be sexy?

cms

Re: My swelled head

Adam Cherubini

> The photo for Adam's column in December had a couple employees swooning over Adam. Who knew that hand work could be sexy?

Sexy? Cool. Yeah. Tell the guys in the office I said hi.

Adam

Haikus

Patrick Gibbons

>Chris, I once turned in a haiku to a prof for a graduate school paper. He wasn't impressed. My Japanese room mate thought it was OK for a novice. I think I out-geeked you.

Perhaps

Christopher Schwarz

>Gutsy.

How's this: In college I took a course in Zen Buddhism. For the final exam there was only one question: "What is Zen Buddhism?" A classmate turned in his testing booklet completely blank. Not a word other than his name.

The professor, Ishi Yamada, have him an "A" for content and an "F" for grammar. Still, it came out to be a "C" all told.

Chris

Was it written in Japanese?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Wouldn't it be more appropriate to be asking that question of Chris, re. his classmate's Zen exam, instead of re. the haiku?

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I don't think so, especially since Chris' classmate turned in blank page(s), hardly matters in what language the blank pages are written. I was wondering about the significance of a Japanese roommate's approval of the haiku, the professor's disdain, and whether Patrick writes in Japanese.

Pam

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

Christopher Schwarz

>I dated Dr. Yamada's daughter for some time after that exam. I asked him about it once. He thought the blank answer was a stroke of genius and laziness. Hence, his grade.

That's all he said on the issue.

Chris

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

Bob Hackett

>Not a problem,just listen in Japanese.

MB-It`s not that it`s not funny...

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

Patrick Gibbons

>Some people won't even give me credit for writing in English, let alone Japanese. No, I don't know Japanese. My room mate was always kind and considerate and my haiku could have been a POS in reality and he would have never let on. A funny aside; once he told me about his uncle in the navy who had a parrot for a pet. "That's cool", I said. "Did he say, 'Polly wants a cracker'?" My friend looked at me with a disdainful look and replied, "No he says Ohio Gosyimasu." And there is proof positive about my Japanese skills as I know I have misspelled the phrase.

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native in FL. Exile :~(

>Patrick,

I can't spell it either, but I know that it means "Good Morning"

Todd O.

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>That's a pretty close approximation of "good morning," which is, in romanji, "ohayo gozaimasu."

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>You're slow tonight, Pam. Either that, or I have absolutely no concept of Zen.

It was supposed to be a joke: I realized the page was blank. That's what (I though) made it funny.

If the page was blank, how do you know what language it was written in? Further, If he had argued that he wrote the answer in Japanese, he might have gotten his grade raised to a B.

Re: Was it written in Japanese?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Nah, it's me tonight, real tired, to say nothing of hidebound. When I read it, I made all the connections, but didn't realize you were joking. Sorry about that.

Pam