Dear Struggling,
Actually, you've already accomplished the hardest part ... getting started. Once you've learned how to "get online," the rest is (fairly) easy.
        Your electronic address is based on your userid.  Mine is UNC@CORNELLC. Ask your friends what their e-address is, and you can send notes via computer.
        What else can you do with the computer?  What can a carpenter do with a saw?  Many things.  I use it mostly for word-processing (faster and easier than a typewriter), electronic mail (like this letter to you), and for CUINFO (an important information resource).  If you stop by G-26 Uris Hall, you can get more information about how to use the mainframe and public PC's to help you with almost any task.  Welcome to the computer age.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Waiting Sober,
Now that the drinking age has been raised to 21, a lot of activities are "dry."  While large private parties may still encourage drinking, there are other ways to break into the social scene.  How about checking out the Cornell Daily Sun, or the weekly papers (Grapevine & Ithaca Times) to find clubs and activities of interest to you?
        Also, because many others on campus are concerned about alcohol abuse, more organizations are trying to offer alcohol-free activities. Unions & Activities, for example, has changed many of its special programs, such as Mardi Gras, to eliminate alcohol.  So there should be more options every day as organizations wake up to the new reality.
        And if you're really interested in the topic of alcohol, you might want to check out the ALERT program, which is student-run and addresses issues of alcohol awareness.  The program is looking for new students to get involved. Check it out by calling Nancy Reynolds in Gannett at 255-4782 or 255-6839.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Anti,
October 31, 1986

It seems there is a lot you can do.  Perhaps the most reasonable course of action would be simply taping the sticker back to your rear view mirror, but if this is an unsatisfying solution to you, you can easily get a new sticker.  According to the Traffic Bureau, all you need to do is take your unsticky sticker to them at 116 Maple Avenue between 8 am and 5 pm on weekdays and they will replace it for free.  If you've lost the sticker, the replacement will cost $20, significantly less than the cost of a ticket and towing.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Vitamin Conscious,


        Since I'm more concerned about eating a balanced diet than following vitamin claims, I checked with Dr. Marge Devine in nutrition to get a more knowledgable response.  My understanding of her answer follows:

No.  Over the years many vitamin-hawkers have made claims that vitamin E can improve sexual potency and althetic performance.  This is probably based on the claim that vitamin E deficiency symptoms include muscle cramps, weakness and reduced sex drive.  However, none of these claims has been experimentally supported.



In an attempt to take advantages of these mythical properties of vitamin E, people often take vitamin E supplements.  While the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for vitamin E is 10 mg for men and 8 mg for women, supplements increase intake to hundreds of milligrams.  At about 300 milligrams, vitamin E becomes TOXIC TO THE BODY, a situation that may increase blood cholesterol levels.  Additionally, excess vitamin E is not excreted from the body, but is stored in fat cells, so that over time, excess vitamin E can be quite dangerous.

Vitamin E does have uses in the body.  It's main one is protecting cell membranes.  This may delay symptoms of aging.  It is present in many foods - beans, rice, eggs, meat, oils, grains - so that people normally do not need to supplement it at all.


        Experts do not all agree on the above.  Maybe you should just try my approach -- eat a balanced diet.  Your body will thank you for many years to come.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Non-Wondering Persons,
It's good to know there are more of us who are not wondering. Read on to see Wondering's apology for his superficial remarks.  I was not trying to "put him in his place."  I was trying to educate him about the error in his thinking.  If more of us take this approach, Cornell will become even better for all.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Stuck,
10/31/1986
        Now you know how King Solomon must have felt.
        Many people are concerned about their safety these days, especially in view of the recent crimes in this area.  I think it is wise for your apartmentmate to be concerned with safety, and maybe all of you can brainstorm ways to improve the security of your apartment.
        On the other hand, allergic reactions can be just as dangerous to an individual as a break-in to your apartment.  At the very least, allergic reactions can be annoying and distracting.  If all of you agreed that there would be no pets, it seems reasonable to stick to the agreement.
        An apartmentmate conflict can make life miserable for all involved, and it sounds especially tough for you since you are "stuck in the middle".  Discussing conflicts can help clear the air and settle the issues.  Perhaps it is time to call an apartment meeting where you could discuss apartment safety, find out more about the reason (or reasons) your apartmentmate wants a dog and try to find alternative ways of filling those wants, and become a little more friendly to each other.                          Uncle Ezra

Uncle Ezra   

Dear VPT and CB:
First things first:  YAHOO METS!!!!
        And on the local front:  GO BIG RED!!!!
        I'm very pleased that you have found me, and appreciate your positive remarks.  You are not the first to comment on the similarity between "Dear Uncle Ezra" and the erstwhile "Uris book",
and you also have company in asking about an electronic forum in which anyone can post anything.
        The "Uris book" has an interesting history, and I have asked Yoram Szekely -- founder and keeper of the book -- for his comments.  He said that what killed the Uris book was not, as you put it, "YS", but rather one student who took offense at opinions expressed.  This student was not willing to accept the notion of a free forum.  He called for Yoram's dismissal in the "Sun" and otherwise created a major hassle.  "Censorship comes from many directions."  Yoram recognized the need for people to express themselves and get support from others, but he was not willing to be the target of personal abuse.  I hope "Dear Uncle Ezra" does not
suffer the same fate.


        General-access electronic bulletin boards abound commercially and on University campuses.  They are valuable in helping to bring people together who might not otherwise meet, and in providing a unique platform for diverse opinions.  But there is another side to the coin.  On the vast majority of these systems, the amount of useful information and thoughtful commentary compared to authoritative-sounding misinformation and mindless "flaming" is appallingly low.  This generalization applies even more aptly to University-based systems, where there is no real-money charge for postings and outrageousness has a long and honored tradition. There are exceptions, of course, but the apparent natural tendency is for general-access electronic bulletin boards to go the way of the Uris book, CB radio, and your local rest-room wall.
        None of this is meant to say that these "electronic graffiti sheets" have no place in the world.  Check around...you'll probably find systems on several campus computers.  But there are no current plans to offer such a facility in CUINFO. Part of the "Dear Uncle Ezra" experiment is investigating to what
extent we can achieve the benefits of electronic bulletin boards while minimizing the drawbacks.  With all due modesty (and I'm being modest on
behalf of a number of folks who have worked hard at this), I think our "signal-to-noise ratio" is pretty good.  Keep those cards and letters coming.

Uncle Ezra