Dear Shakey,
Are you worried that it's on the verge of collapsing?  As you probably already know, the bridge is designed to swing; the constant motion doesn't mean the structure's headed for the gorge.
        Greg Travis, Senior Civil Engineer in Facilities Engineering, assures me that the bridge is inspected annually, with maintenance performed as needed. The most recent major repair was replacement of the deck, four years ago.  The latest inspection showed the bridge to be in good condition, requiring only minor repair work and a touch-up of paint.  Cross it with confidence!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Scout,
The Equestrian Center (255-3625) only allows horseback riding for instruction, and the yellow pages don't list much.  Summer Hill Trails (315/497-3542, Locke, NY) takes reservations during the week for riding on weekends (they are not open during the week).  The fee is $10 per hour, per person.
        Let's hope you can get out there before the trails are buried by snow!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear In Love,
Good for you to remain true to the standards of your heart, whether or not your friends take the time to understand!  Anyway, I'm sure it won't be long before they, too, are won over by that dazzling smile.  I'm sure he'll feel lucky when he learns he has such a marvelous secret admirer as you!  And, I hope he's as gorgeous inside as he is on the outside.         Uncle Ezra

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Waiting,
I took your letter to Steve Worona at CUINFO, who replies, "The folks who do FACILITIES are trying to decide whether to continue this service, and so we've removed that item from the main CUINFO menu.  As to ORIENTATION...I'm confused, since we've had that information online since before orientation began.  If you are seeing 'old' orientation data - or nothing at all - I'd like more details."  You can send the details directly to Steve, SLW@CORNELLA.

Uncle Ezra   

Racoon,
I passed your question along to Donna Tatro, Assistant Director of CIT User Services, who says:


        "Yes, you are right!  What was known as 'line mode' access to the IBM mainframes was replaced by 'display mode' access.  This change took place first on the CORNELLC mainframe on October 23, 1988 and then on the CORNELLA mainframe on January 31, 1989.  Many factors led to standardizing on the 'display mode,' also called full-screen.  Two were the benefit of working with a screenful of information at a time, and that several tools on the mainframe "Perhaps, for those of us using a modem to access the computer, these benefits are not as appreciated.  There aren't really any tricks of the trade that will improve the speed of your modem.  If you want to experiment a bit you can use the electronic mail system and the xedit editor with the option "NOSCREEN."  For example if you were sending a mail message to ABC you would type:




          MAIL ABC (NOSCREEN

If you were editing a file named APPLE DATA A, you would type:




          XEDIT APPLE DATA A (NOSCREEN

You may find this even more kludgy than the full-screen environment because the tools were developed especially for the full-screen.
        "If you have problems using the xedit editor, the electronic mail syst, or any other aspect of the mainframe computer, you can call CIT Consulting Monday-Friday, 9: 30am-3: 30pm, 255-9830.  If you are on campus, we regularly schedule workshops covering the IBM mainframe operating system, xedit, electronic mail, using tapes, and SAS.  For more information about the CIT Workshop schedule, call the CIT Service HelpDesk, Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm and Saturday 9am-5pm, 255-8990."
        Thanks, Donna...it's good to know you're around on a cold, SNOWY morning in Utopia.  And peace to you too, Racoon, especially when your Mac runs like frozen molasses.                                  Uncle Ezra



Dear

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Torn,
Are you sure you need to make a choice right now?  You have not made a long-term commitment to either woman.  The qualities that attract you to each differ, so much so that you can't yet clarify which of the two is dearer to you
and more compatible with you.  Perhaps you need to allow yourself time to find out what your own heart is telling you.  And until you know, you might want to go out with both women, but be honest with them about it.  This course could be risky if either woman feels threatened by your seeing both at once.  But isn't your need to find your direction with honesty and integrity worth that risk? Remember that it's often the most important choices that take the most time and patience to unravel.                     Uncle Ezra

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Health Conscious,
I posed your question(s) to nutritional consultant Elaine Mansfield, who says that to give you a fully accurate answer she'd need to know EXACTLY what the diet included.  For example, you don't mention fruit and nuts. People have been known to live healthfully off these alone, but those who attempt such a diet need to know precisely what combinations will meet their nutritional requirements.  The make-up of the protein powder could also be critically important: some, like all-soy powders, can be quite unbalanced in amino acid content and therefore not very usable by the human body.  As for the actual FOODS you mention, potatoes, cooked to preserve their vitamins and minerals, can be highly nutritious, and, on the other hand, white noodles can be like eating paste!
        Amazing things can be done with chemical diets:   Children who don't have digestive tracts have received articial feedings through IV's which have kept them growing and relatively healthy for years.  However, getting such a limited diet to work requires great expertise.  Furthermore, those of us who have a choice are fortunate to have access to vital, fresh foods which have a kind of energy chemical diets can't match.
        Which brings us to the dietary habits of Cornell students.  Time pressures, limited money, and desire to stay slim can all lead people to sacrifice balanced eating.  This can lead to serious health problems, insidious in that they probably won't show up immediately.  So anyone who has questions about the adequacy of their diet has everything to gain from speaking to an expert (for example, set up a medical appointment at Gannett, 255-6958). In general, it's always safest to eat a wide variety of foods from different food groups, just like we all learned in first grade!

Uncle Ezra