[Wikipedia-l] Dictation, encyclopedia

Merritt L. Perkins mlperkins3 at juno.com
Sun Aug 31 04:00:26 UTC 2003


Ray Saintonge asked if the reason that I use dictation was I have some
kind of disability. Someone suggested I may be sightless.. Dictation
programs make so many mistakes that you need keen eyesight. If you tried
to dictate with your monitor turned off you would not know what you are
doing and you would have a mess.
I have a cousin who is about four months older than I am and a couple of
years ago she went to an eye doctor for an examination. He found that she
had cataracts and operated on both eyes immediately. It all worked out
very well.
My eyesight is about 20/20. I have slight astigmatism and limited
accommodation. so that I cannot focus on things close up. I sit with my
face about 3 ft. in front of the monitor and am not wearing glasses.
Occasionally I use a magnifier. It is hard for me to see periods.
I thought that this was not the place to write about anemia, blood tests,
etc. but with further thought I decided that readers should know about
these things. All too often doctors are in a hurry to get to the next
patient so you don't get the tests and treatment you should have. You
should insist that the doctor be thorough and not skip the things that
should have his attention now instead of putting it off until it is too
late. 
I noticed a tiny growth on the edge of my ear. The doctor prescribed
Efudex, a very expensive cream. I read the instruction sheet that came
with it and refused to use it.
The doctor removed the growth surgically, a very minor operation, and a
biopsy showed it to be a squamous cell carcinoma. It is gone, cured. Now
there seems to be one starting on the other ear.
Efudex works on the DNA to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. You have
to keep applying the cream for a month or more and the area is sore all
the time.. You don't know when all of the cancer cells are killed.
I see no reason why I should go without necessities so that the CEO of
some big pharmaceutical company can have four luxury homes, entertain
lavishly, and have a $15 million art collection because he managed to
maneuver himself into a position of 
power without ever doing anything to create or produce the products,. 
A dictator is someone with absolute power. My computer often does not do
what I order it to do so I guess that I am not a dictator. Perhaps we
should have a new war, dictater for a person who speaks words that are to
be copied. I don't find dictater in the dictionary.
How can the people who write the Winkipedia articles live? They must have
some source of income; perhaps they are retired and have retirement or
investment income, are employed and do this in their spare time.
How do you go about writing an article for the Encyclopedia? What type
font and size of type do you choose? What about formatting? What computer
program can you use? 
. There is quite a lot of information about dropping the atom bomb on
Japan but I didn't see anything about the intelligence that followed. How
did they find out about the effect of a bomb? Years ago a man who lived
here told me that one day he was sent out on a mission. As they approach
the target he went back and strapped himself in. When the bomb bay doors
opened he leaned out and aimed his camera straight down at the clouds
below. All he could see was clouds. When the command came he snapped the
shatter. The few days later an officer asked him if he would like to see
some pictures and showed have pictures of what the atom bomb had done. He
told him, "You took those pictures"..
I don't know that this story belongs in the Encyclopedia. 
Merritt L. Perkins



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