This one kind of petered out, but may be a place to start. http://www.apva.org/resource/jjrc/index.html Harris Kern ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ronald Whitaker" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 5:07 PM Subject: Re: 09282048Z07 What If > What if I became the first to commit to a subscription to that web site? > What a nice idea you have proposed for us to ponder. Thanks. > > Ronald L. Whitaker > Athens, OH > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Walter Waddell" <[log in to unmask]> > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Friday, September 28, 2007 4:51 PM > Subject: 09282048Z07 What If > > >> My 180-degree panoramic northwest porch view here in Verona, Virginia >> hardly compares with >> the ambient pleasantness and grandeur of the sweeping vistas viewed from >> Madison's >> Montpelier, Jefferson's Monticello, or Monroe's Ashlawn-Highland estates. >> Similarly, my >> life accomplishments, successes, and failures are hardly material for >> historical note. But >> I believe I did once enjoy something more than these great men may have >> had either the >> time or opportunity to do so during their occupancy of those great >> estates. >> >> I keep an old, but beautifully restored, milk box on my porch. My wife >> has colored it in >> keeping with the porch's décor and weatherproofed it for me. I store >> varied reading >> material in it and after yard work and on other occasions when I am just >> enjoying my >> porch; I can reach in to my outdoor library and have, to my mind, some of >> the best of what >> this world offers. >> >> In preparing the milk box to winter over, I was made to empty it >> contents. At the bottom >> of the stack were several issues of the Virginia Cavalcade. I thumbed >> through them and >> remembered that I had read one or two articles from each but had not read >> all the articles >> from all of them. All of these issues were very recent to the >> announcement to the magazine's >> death. I had this thought that I had at one time all the intentions of >> perusing their >> contents; but, upon knowing that the magazine would no longer be a >> regular in my mailbox, >> I "kinda" gave up -- succumbing to the sin of despair, disappointment, >> and defeat -- >> nothing to look forward to so why bother. >> >> As I write this, I remember the wonderful Virginia stories, the colorful >> and beautiful >> photographs and art work, and the engaging maps and drawings this >> magazine brought to my >> mailbox and the pleasure I had enjoying a good read on my very own >> porch -- again >> something I had that those fellows above may not have had. >> >> James Shreeve said in his "The Neanderthal Enigma: Solving the Mystery of >> Modern Human >> Origins: "By all appearances, the people of the Upper Paleolithic came >> into an innocent, >> unexamined world and galvanized it with symbol, art, metaphor, and story. >> They did not >> simply invent better means of surviving. They invented meaning itself." >> The rationales for >> the emergence of modern humans are varied and many. "No matter the cause, >> 40,000 years ago >> our ancestors developed an imagination. They learned to ask, What if?.." >> >> What if: a pool of authoritative, talented historians could submit >> digital material to an >> authoritative, professionally managed editorial staff? >> >> What if: approved material could be published entirely and only in "html" >> or "pdf" format >> complete with photographs and graphics and published on a web site? >> >> What if: interested readers could subscribe to that web site and enjoy >> complete >> "downloading" rights to published material? >> >> What if: interested subscribers could print out that material in a >> variety of quantity and >> quality forms including, but not limited to, glossy 8 x 10 photographic >> paper? >> >> What if: interested subscribers could bind or insert downloaded pages >> into plastic sleeves >> and create their own copy of a magazine? >> >> What if: I could sit on my lowly porch and relish something that former >> magnificent >> Virginia "thinkers, movers, and shakers" couldn't even imagine despite >> the splendor from >> their own vistas? >> >> What if: someone has a better idea? >> >> What if: they made it known? >