MARK'S...
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 Volume 2 ~ Issue 9 ~ 21 January 2000     (C)2000 Mark Krell
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ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE...

A nice looking Russian lady responded to my profile three weeks ago.
I answered and as usual I directed her to my together page...

She now writes...

Hello, Mark.

Thanks for responding. I'm so sorry I could not respond to you sooner.  I 
have three jobs, it's at a factory, medical service, and shop. I work a lot 
but I like my profession as an artist.  In reality I don't have a computer 
therefor I can't check my mail often.  May I ask you be a little patient, 
please, if you don't receive my letter soon?  I promise to write as often as
I can.  I'll send you my photo.  I'll try to send more then one but I don't 
know if I can.  We have some problem with a scanner.  I don't know computers 
at all.

I studied English two years ago and I'm starting to forget it.  Now my 
daughter's friend helps me.  She knows English better then me.  I can't 
speak English. I need to practice more.  Now I have a chance to refresh 
English.

OK.  I want to write you something about myself.  I live in south of Russia 
in Volzhskiy. It's in Volgograd region.  May be you herd it or know 
Stalingrad city.  Stalingrad and Volgograd are same.  But I was born in 
Belgorod region in a village.  Now my mother lives there.  I left that place 
when I grow up.  I have a sister we are twins and a brother. And everybody 
lives here.  Our town is nice and I'd like you see it.  I have a small flat 
where I'm alone now.  My daughter (24) left Russia in May of this year.  In 
August she got married and I went to USA for the wedding.  Her husband is an 
American man and he is a good man.  I 'm happy for them.  I met his family 
and I liked them very much.  They live in NJ. Name of a town is ********. 
I'm going to come to USA during summer. American people are very friendly.  
America is an interesting country.  I read about it much and my daughter 
tells me about the USA a lot.  She loves this country and I'm happy that she 
enjoys living there.  I don't like to be alone but I can't find a man in 
Russia.  Like most Russian women I don't like Russian men.  Our men like to 
drink.
Here is my picture. I can't send other photos now. I'll try to send later.  
I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
******

P.S. I looked your site.  It's a long and interesting letter.

   WAIT!!!  SCROLL NO FURTHER!... WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???

   HAS THIS NICE LADY REALLY READ MY TOGETHER PAGE??? DOES SHE KNOW WHAT
SHE NEEDS TO KNOW FOR HER TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT ME???

   I'll put money on the table that says she doesn't!

Let's try again, shall we?...

Dear ******,

   Thank you for writing to me and sending me your photo.  I repeat that
I think you are a truly lovely woman.

   I have worked with the graphics file containing your photo and I have
attached a file named ******.jpg for return to you with this letter.  You
may wish to use this file with future emails because it is much smaller
than ****.tif and ******.jpg will send much faster over the internet.

   Your written English is certainly good enough to make you well
understood... Second languages are difficult to use because we think in
terms of the language we grew up using.  Even so, you are doing a good
job with your use of English.

   I note with interest that you have looked at my web page at
http://eiw.com/together/  I am not sure that you have taken the time
to fully read and understand its content.  I encourage you to read it
carefully because it will tell you a lot of information about who I am.

   I am a very nice man, but nobody is perfect.  My web page will give
you information that will help you to decide if you really wish to
meet me.

   I understand that Russia's economy is not an easy one to live in.
I congratulate you on your industry shown by you working three jobs.

   If you choose to send another graphic, I'd love to see some of
your art.

   I have heard that there are many men who drink in Russia.  I keep
some drink in the house for hospitality, but I drink very little.  A nice
glass of wine at dinner with a lovely lady perhaps.

   Drinking is a self-centered thing.  If I am with a lady who drinks a
lot, I wonder if the drink is more important to her than I am.  I also
do not like to deal with drunken behavior.  I'm sure you feel the same.

   I am pleased that your daughter has found her happiness... ********
Township, New Jersey is an area close to where I lived years ago... I
am living in Geogia now because the winters are shorter and not so hard
for me to deal with.

   Buford is a 45 minute drive from downtown Atlanta and this area has
a good economy.  When I moved to Buford in 1988, it was a smaller town.
Over the years, there has been much growth here and there is more
traffic, people, and stores.

   I live in a small three bedroom house here in Buford... Not a rich
area, but it is comfortable.

   I am interested in your reactions to the ideas and other information
presented on my web page, and I look forward to the next time you find
it convenient to write to me.

   Best wishes,

   Mark

Now, we wait... But not with any feeling of urgency.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Note-  The lady who responded two days ago evidently did not survive
my together page.

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CRAZY LADIES...

   I was living in an apartment in downtown Philadelphia when we got
married in the summertime... I took her there to live...  Three weeks
after we married... I was on my way out in the middle of the afternoon...

   During that three weeks everything was lovey-dovey; not an unkind
word or gesture between us.

   As I decended the stairs, through the partially open front door I
heard, "...and he beats me too!"... I stopped and listened for a bit and
when I'd had enough I opened the door, looked down at her and said, "If
you don't tell this girl the truth right now, I'm gonna start living up
to my reputation!"

   She faced the girl who lived next door that she'd been talking to
and said, "I don't know why I said those things... he really has been
very nice to me!"

   Seven years later she was no more sane and we parted as friends.

   C'MON GALS!!! - Let's have a crazy men department!... I KNOW you've
got stories!... Send 'em in!

---------------------------------------------------------------

ANOTHER DAY PASSES...

   And another sunset finds me holding no one (but Candy) and helping
her to feel loved and her me.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------

Installing LOVE.EXE

Customer: Can you help me install LOVE?

Customer Service Rep:  I can do that.  Are you ready?

Customer: I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to
install now.  What do I do first?

CS Rep:  The first step is to open your HEART.  Have you
located your HEART, ma'am?

Customer:  Yes I have, but there are several  programs
running right now. Is it okay to install while they are
running?

CS Rep:  What programs are running, ma'am?

Customer:  Let me see....I have PASTHURT.EXE,
LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE,and  RESENTMENT.COM running right
now.

CS Rep:  No problem.  LOVE will automatically  erase
PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating  system. It may
remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer
disrupt other programs.  LOVE  will eventually overwrite
LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called
HIGHESTEEM.EXE.

However, you have to completely turn off  GRUDGE.EXE and
RESENTMENT.COM.  Those  programs prevent LOVE from being
properly installed. Can you turn those off, ma'am?

Customer:  I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell
me how?

CS Rep:  My pleasure.  Go to your Start menu and invoke
FORGIVENESS.EXE.  Do this as many times as necessary until
GRUDGE.EXE and  RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased.

Customer:  Okay, I'm done.  LOVE has started installing
itself automatically.  Is that normal?

CS Rep:  Yes it is.  You should receive a message that says
it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see
that message?

Customer:  Yes I do.  Is it completely installed?

CS Rep:  Yes, but remember that you have only the base
program. You need

to begin connecting to other HEARTS in order to get the
upgrades.

Customer:  Oops...I have an error message already. What
should I do?

CS Rep:  What does the message say?

Customer:  It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL
COMPONENTS."  What does that mean?

CS Rep:  Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem. it
means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external
HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART.  It is one of
those complicated programming things, but in nontechnical
terms it means you have to "LOVE" yourself before you can
"LOVE" others.

Customer:  So what should I do?

CS Rep:  Can you find the directory called
"SELF-ACCEPTANCE?"

Customer:  Yes, I have it.

CS Rep:  Excellent, you are getting good at this.

Customer:  Thank you.

CS Rep:  You're welcome.  Click on the following files and
then copy them to the "MYHEART" directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC,
SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The
system will overwrite any conflicting files and  begin
patching any faulty programming.  Also, you need to delete
SELFCRITICIZE.EXE from all directories, and then empty your
recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone
and never comes back.

Customer:  Got it.  Wow!  My HEART is filling up with
really neat files.

SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now, and it shows
that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are
copying themselves all over my HEART!

CS Rep:  Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be
able to handle it  from here. One more thing before I go...

Customer:  Yes?

CS Rep:  LOVE is freeware.  Be sure to give it and its
various modules to everybody you meet.  They will in turn
share it with other people, and they will return some
really neat modules back to you.

Customer:  I will.  Thank you for your help

CS Rep: You're very welcome.

---------------------------------------------------------------

  Previous LoveLetters can be read at http://eiw.com/loveletters/

  Feel free to recommend LoveLetters to those of your friends to whom
it may be helpful or entertaining... http://eiw.com/loveletters/

  If you no longer wish to receive LoveLetters, send an email to me
with "No More LoveLetters" as the subject.

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end of issue.

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