Dear Amos,
Your question presents a Catch-22:  If I list a few places -- or if readers come up with ideas -- people will flock there, and then they won't be private any more!  Beyond the obvious -- Bed and Breakfasts, parks and nature trails when the weather gets nicer -- people need to explore and find their own hideaways.  And oh yes, don't forget the romantic value of a car parked by a pretty overlook, like Sunset Park (west of and parallel to Cayuga Heights Road off Remington).

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Stirred to Write,
I passed your request along to Eileen Hughes, Willard Straight Dining Chef (255-5338), who replies:  "What can I say?  Our stir fry mix is truly 'an ancient Chinese secret' brought to us by our beloved chef Hsi Wang -- he won't even tell me!  I can tell you that all sauces start with ginger, garlic and green onions, soy sauce cut with orange juice or apple juice, and when finishing your stir fry add a few drops of sesame oil (making sure not to cook it).  Play with what you like, and then you too will have your secrets!
        Thanks, Eileen!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Considering Origins,
The short answer is that most Christian theologians do not view evolution as being incompatible with the Christian faith, according to Bob Johnson, Director of University Ministries (122 Anabel Taylor Hall; 255-6004; RLJ1@Cornell.edu).  To get into a little more depth about the various perspectives, I wrote to Rich McGee, who directs origins research for Christian Leadership Ministries (Rich@clm.org). He replies:
        "Christians have three primary views concerning dinosaurs and the fossil record.  Despite these differences, Christians are united in believing that God, who revealed Himself in the Bible, is the creator and that He made the universe, life, and humanity for a purpose.
        "View 1, which many people think Christians are required to believe, is the young-earth, flood-geology view.  This view states that the earth was created only 6,000 to 10,000 years ago and that Noah's flood caused all the fossil record and geological column, and skewed our systems of geological dating as well.  In this view, dinosaurs existed before the flood and were rendered extinct by it.
        "Many Christians reject this view as unscientific and not required by the Bible.  They usually hold either View 2 (old-earth or progressive creationism) or 3 (theistic evolution).  Both of these views accept the dating methods of science, that the earth is 4.6 billion years old and that the fossil record shows the record of life and extinctions in the various geologic ages, including the dinosaurs.  View 3 accepts all that science says about the evolution of life, adding that God initially designed it to unfold in this way. Just as we can say that God made us, even though we understand much embryology now, so we can say God made life, even though we understand many naturalistic processes concerning evolution now.
        "However, many Christians believe View 2 is more consistent with both the Bible and with the scientific data.  Biblically, Genesis chapter one describes eight separate creative acts by God over six 'days'.  These days could be interpreted in figurative or symbolic language for six long eras, so this view accepts an ancient dating of the earth.  This view holds that there are many discontinuities in nature -- e.g., non-life/life, reptile/mammal, animal/human, etc. -- and that at these discontinuities, God intervened with separate creative actions.
        "Again, the key Christian message concerning origins is not the age or flood or fossil issues, but that God is the creator of everything and that He created for His purposes."
        Thanks, Rich!  Out of respect for the phrasing many Christians use, I've left Rich's language as is, but it's important to add that some Christians also speak about God (or the Goddess) in Her creative activity.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Jane,
How could poetry ever be a burden?  You don't need to go crazy any more:  Your first fragment is from "Mon Reve Familier" by Paul Verlaine.  French Lecturer Nancy Gabriel, who tracked down this great sonnet for you, has the full text of the poem and will be happy to share it with you.  You can reach her at ntg2@Cornell.edu or 255-0721.  Nancy did not know the source of the second poem, but recommends that you ask Alice Colby-Hall, Chair of the Romance Studies Department (AMC12@Cornell.edu; 255-1375), for help.  Thanks, Nancy!
        Robert Herrick (1591-1674), in "Upon Julia's Clothes", penned the famous lines:


        "Whenas in silks my Julia goes,
         Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows
         The liquefaction of her clothes.


        "Next, when I cast mine eyes and see
         That brave vibration each way free;
         Oh how that glittering taketh me!"


        And William Wordsworth (1770-1850) wrote the fourth quote, in "A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal":


        "A slumber did my spirit seal;
         I had no human fears;
         She seemed a thing that could not feel
         The touch of earthly years.


        "No motion has she now, no force;
         She neither hears nor sees;
         Rolled round in earth's diurnal course,
         With rocks, and stones, and trees."


        If you're already turned on to these great poets, you're well on your way to finding your own good books!  George Herbert, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Jelaluddin Rumi (especially Colman Barks' translations), Rainer Maria Rilke, Denise Levertov, Gary Snyder, Theodore Roethke, and Maya Angelou are poets (among many more) to whom I return again and again.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Eager-to-know,
No, Larry Bossidy is not a Cornell alum, but he was honored here last Fall as the 1995 Robert S. Hatfield Fellow in Economic Education, the highest honor Cornell bestows each year on distinguished business leaders.  He gave his Hatfield Address on "Made in America -- Does It Matter Anymore?", which focused on the globalization of business.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Fed Up with Fitness Facilities,
Applause will break out from this office and many other spots across campus if you get rich and finance a free student fitness center!  I discussed your concerns with Al Gantert, Director of Physical Education and Intramurals (255-4286), who says that the quality of equipment in campus fitness facilities varies from "needing repairs" to "excellent".  For instance, Helen Newman, in Al's opinion is excellent, although it could be bigger; there's work to do in Schoellkopf and Teagle; Fitness West and North are "okay".  Fitness facilities are self-supported and receive no outside appropriations; Al notes that "had we not started them that way, they would not exist."  The money you pay to use them covers one full-time salary and all equipment repairs.
        The Athletic Department has a committee now looking at fitness facilities on campus, and Al believes you'll see a significant improvement within a year.  You can contact Committee Chair Andrea Dutcher (255-3817; AJD3@Cornell.edu) with constructive thoughts and suggestions.

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Hold the Salt,
As I watch the February crocuses bravely push their way through the still chilly soil, I hope we won't see much more salt this winter.  But having observed the piles of salt around campus during snowier periods, I understand your concern.  Grounds Associate Director Cliff Duda (255-4837) and I talked about the problem, and he stressed that the University places top priority on safety.  Sand does not alleviate the safety factor (see the 12/5/95 "Dear Uncle Ezra"
posting, Q02), and it creates another clean-up mess.
        No one argues with you that salting is a mess, too.  As Cliff puts it, "the salting operation is not rocket science, unfortunately." Mining produces differing sizes of rock salt, so it is very difficult for a salt machine operator to judge and calibrate the size of the machine's holes in order to precisely measure the amount of salt used.  And moisture (no stranger to us in winter or any Ithacan season!) causes the salt to stick together and clog the holes.  Once an operator finds a hole large enough to allow a stuck glob through, an outflow of extra salt is unavoidable.  Additionally, the machine operator has to steer through crowds of students, so s/he's doing the best s/he can under demanding circumstances.
        Cliff says that sometimes Grounds crews do pre-salt when anticipating icy conditions, because they can't respond quickly enough to keep everyone safe once there's ice campus-wide.  The Ground Department staff don't want to hurt the environment or waste money, but they do want to prevent accidents caused by people slipping.
        Cliff will be glad to give you any further clarification you need if you give him a call at 255-4837.  Thanks, Cliff!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear GREat,
You can pick up the registration booklets from the literature racks right outside 103 Barnes Hall and 203 Barnes Hall (the Career Center).  Best of luck with the test!

Uncle Ezra   

Dear Nephew,
Happy Belated Birthday!  I'm sure it will be even happier once you hear that you're right about the cubes.  They're called "vacation feeders", and they come in 3-day and 10-day sizes.  Under the Sea Pet Store at 23 Cinema Drive (in the Small Mall behind the Sheraton Inn; 257-7319) carries them; you can get there by bus (schedules available at the Day Hall information desk), take a taxi, or set up a ride with a friend.  "Pet Shops" in the Yellow Pages lists other stores you can try, some of which may be more convenient for you to reach.  Yet another option is to ask a friend to "fish-sit" by stopping in every day or two while you're away to feed your new pets.  If only fish had a larger perspective, I'm sure they'd appreciate your efforts on their behalf!

Uncle Ezra