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Pif Magazine
ISSN: 1094-2726
Published by:
Pif, LLC
PMB 248
4820 Yelm Hwy SE
Suite B
Lacey, WA 98503-4903
Praise? Gripes? Comments? Suggestions?
Write to us at talkback@pifmagazine.com
Subject: Poetry by Michael
Zack
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999
From: EstlinSka
Michael Zack is a wonderful poet. His imagery flows together so nicely, I can feel the ocean breeze on me and I long to be in the tropics writing my own poetry.
Subject: Millenium starts January 1, 2001
Date Mon, 06 Dec 1999
From: Jim Dunlap
Dear Editor:
I am really disappointed to find you disseminating such stuff. The Gregorian calendar starts the millenium on January 1, 2001. The FBI is warning all local law enforcement agencies that there will likely be violence against minorities and civil disruptions up to and including hate crimes and murder by religious bigots who don't know that the millenium starts the year after next. It is bad enough that the computer crisis will come in January without making it worse with this other stuff. Please check your facts before writing something like this. Those who have monetary reasons for pretending that the millenium starts next month are doing all they can to spread this falsehood. In addition, it is virtually certain that the Gregorian calendar was off at the very beginning by about seven years, so the REAL millenium actually probably began about six years ago.
Jim Dunlap
Editor's Remarks:
Yes, you're quite right. I've heard the arguments before. I've even debated
for your side on occassion.
The sad truth of the matter is it's an imperfect measurement (how accurate can it be, after all, if Pope Gregory XIII decided to rip 10 days out of the middle of October in 1582 with a flourish of his hand and a papal edict? -- or move the start of the new year from March to January?) The fact that the Gregorian calendar is based upon the Julian calendar - where the division of months (and the number of days within those months) varied wildly from ruler to ruler only adds to the mess. Couple that with the Vatican's relentless pursuit of associating the start of the "modern era" with the birth of Christ - a date even the most learned of scholars can't agree upon - the real question becomes "Which millenium is it?" Or, more precisely, "Who's millenium?"
Roughly one-third of the world's population uses the Chinese calendar - and orthodox Jews (for obvious reasons) have little use for a calendar based upon the birth of a man they still believe was not the mesiah.
In modern terms the phrase "end of the millenium" is really quite meaningless when tied to dates on a calendar only Western Civiliztion holds dear. The argument that there was never a year "zero" is neither here nor there. Being that our society is so closely tied to (and dependent upon) computers, the only end that really matters is that nanosecond when the clocks roll forward to the year 2000. That's when either all hell breaks loose or we exhale a collective sigh, believeing that we have cleared the first hurdle and the future looks bright.
Here's to the future ;-)
Richard Luck
Subject:
Macro-Fiction by Candy Shue
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999
From: Christine Allen-Yazzie
Nice story on pif. I like the language. Daring structure...demands patience, but it's interesting.
Subject: Rejection of short fiction
Date: Thu, 2 Dec 1999
From: MFried1044
I have submitted two stories to Pif; both were rejected. I just finished reading a story in this issue and realized that by emerging writers you really mean young writers. The story had no interest for me, just as my stories had no interest for you. I have had no trouble placing ten of my stories in several other magazines that are interested in mature subject matter. It would have been nice if you told me of your bias in favor of youth. I would not have troubled you with a second story.
Subject: Y'all do good work
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 1999 12:59:45 -0600
From: Curt Cloninger
Y'all did a great job of editing and laying out the flaming lips article. It was fun and pleasant to read, and that coming from someone who already knew what it was going to say.