[meteorite-list] What makes a hammer a hammer?

[Michael L Blood]

on 1/4/09 9:35 AM, lebofsky at lpl.arizona.edu at lebofsky at lpl.arizona.edu
wrote:


> Dave:

> 

> Johnny Carson also is responsible for one other "famous" phrase:

> 

> "billions and billions"

> 

> not Carl Sagan.

> 

> Larry

Hi Larry,
        But Johnny was making fun of Carl Sagan when he did that.
        Michael
 

> On Sun, January 4, 2009 9:29 am, Dave Gheesling wrote:

>> Michael wrote: "Dave Gheesling was essentially correct in stating that

>> The

>> "word," "HAMMER" first appeared in a book by Niven and Pournelle,

>> entitled, LUCIFER'S HAMMER, Fawcett Crest, 1977.

>> (Ironically, in the book, this term is a misnomer, as the Astronomer who

>> first views the object and predicts a Huge earth impact was named Hamner,

>> and it was a "religious" figure that stated that "Lucifer's Hammer" Was

>> going to punish the people of the earth"

>> 

>> Actually, it was sort of an intentional, or perhaps Freudian, misnomer,

>> ficticiously coming from Johnny Carson (well known for intentional

>> Freudian

>> slips).  Interviewing the ficticious astronomer, Tim Hamner, Carson said,

>> "Tim, it's your comet.  Could HAMMER-Brown actually hit us?"  Hamner

>> responds, "That's HAMNER-Brown."  Carson laughs, "Oh, what did I say?

>> Hammer?  It would be a hammer if it hit, wouldn't it?"  Fun read, by the

>> way, and the initial conditions are remarkably similar to a real H-B comet

>>  that would arrive two decades later...

>> 

>> Make it a great Sunday, everybody,

>> 

>> 

>> Dave

>> www.fallingrocks.com

>> 

>> -----Original Message-----

>> From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com

>> [mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Michael

>> L

>> Blood

>> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 4:39 AM

>> To: Steve Arnold dealer/Qynne; meteoritefinder at yahoo.com

>> Cc: Meteorite List

>> Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] What makes a hammer a hammer?

>> 

>> 

>> Steve, Robert, Dave, Walter, Mike, John et al,

>> Several comments:

>> (I would have responded earlier, but I was watching The Chargers KICK

>> ASS!)

>> 

>> 

>> 1) Any information listed on my hammer page

>> http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/Hammers.html

>> Regarding Sylacauga is more accurately expressed by (THE REAL) Steve

>> Arnold.

>> I stand corrected by him on All accounts regarding this specific hammer.

>> 

>> 

>> 2) Walter Branch's original page  can be seen at:

>> http://imca.repetti.net/metinfo/metstruck.html

>> His reference to "HAMs" he states, is a reference to "humans, animals &

>> man made objects" and is unrelated To my coining the term, "Hammer" in

>> reference to any Fall that resulted in a stone striking one of the above.

>> 

>> 3) Dave Geesling was essentially correct in stating that The "word,"

>> "HAMMER" first appeared in a book by Niven and Pournelle, entitled,

>> LUCIFER'S HAMMER, Fawcett Crest, 1977.

>> (Ironically, in the book, this term is a misnomer, as the Astronomer who

>> first views the object and predicts a Huge earth impact was named Hamner,

>> and it was a "religious" figure that stated that "Lucifer's Hammer" Was

>> going to punish the people of the earth (much like The gobledgook vomited

>> by the "religious" that state that AIDS is a punishment by God for the

>> "sin" of homosexuality.

>> I read this book 10 or more years before I got into meteorites But my use

>> of the term "hammer" was, in fact, inspired To a degree from this book.

>> However, I thought long and hard About the term I wanted to use before

>> deciding to use "hammer." Since I was collecting them and determined to

>> offer the largest Selection available of them, I felt a name was

>> definitely called For and "hammer" it was.

>> 

>> 4) When one coins a term, that person sets the parameters Of definition.

>> Inevitably these parameters will change or Be refined over time. My use of

>>  the term "Hammer" was In reference to a meteorite that "nailed"

>> something - specifically Human, animal or human made, just as was made

>> reference to In Walter's work.  Personally, I EXCLUDE roads and cultivars

>> (varieties of

>> hybridized fruit trees), though there are others who collect hammers that

>> include them.

>> 

>> 5) The entire fall is a "Hammer" fall and a specific individual that hit

>> A

>> specific object, animal or person is a "Hammer stone" (very, very Few

>> irons)(the use of "hammer stone" was introduced by Adam Hupe. Though I

>> originally debated his usage, conversations with him brought Me over to

>> his side on this issue). Of course, one would always prefer THE hammer

>> stone Of a fall or one of several.... For instance, I have 9 different

>> Park Forest "Hammers" that

>> include several houses, a car, a tow truck, A fire station, a baseball

>> grandstand, fence, etc. However, in many cases The one or few hammer

>> stones is not available (the guy in the boat Threw all that landed in his

>> boat into the river, as they were clearly "evil"- Chiang-Khan) or the tiny

>> Mbale stone that struck a boy.... I Have a

>> photo of him holding it but no amount of research has resulted In finding

>> ANYONE who can even say they have any idea of what Happened to that

>> particular stone. As for Allende, Pultusk, Holbrook, etc, there is written

>> documentation describing houses and patios, a train station being struck -

>> I

>> am working on a book that will cite a good deal of written records

>> attesting to such events - the topic is far too extensive to include here.

>> 

>> 

>> 6) I am amazed at the egocentric attitude of people who look down on

>> others Who are "into" something that holds no interest for them. It would

>> be like Me stating all NWA material is insignificant, regardless of rarity

>> of type Because it is nearly all undocumented as to both date of impact

>> and in The vast majority of cases, not reliably recorded as to specific

>> location of find. While these statements may (or may not) have

>> credibility, my personal Value system being applied is, relatively

>> speaking, irrelevant.

>> 

>> 7) Mike Gilmer asked why some falls were hardly ever referred to as

>> "hammers" though they fit the description: Holbrook, Allende, etc. Yes,

>> Mike, in those cases the fall, itself was so extensive and significant in

>> Other ways that, though they included in any reasonable hammer collection,

>>  That is not their only claim to fame.

>> 

>> 

>> 8) What percentage of meteorite collectors specifically collect hammers?

>> This would be an excellent polling question for the list. If people want

>> to Email me off list, I will count up the responses and report to the

>> list. I believe the list currently has about 900 members (it is impossible

>> to know Because a significant number of people use more than one email

>> address To receive posts). Regardless, we could get some idea. From

>> conversations I have had with collectors, my GUESS would be about 10

>> percent of all Collectors go out of their way to collect hammers (usually

>> as ONE of their Interests in meteorites). However, a pole would be far

>> more revealing, as Hammer collectors tend to contact me at a much higher

>> rate than other Dealers, I am sure. When I opened my "Hammer Page"

>> http://www.michaelbloodmeteorites.com/Hammers.html

>> I started with about 28 offerings of different falls. I now have over 40,

>> I

>> Belive. Both figures far surpass any other source I have been able to find

>>  Many times over.

>> So, if people email me, I will report to the list. Here is how: Put

>> ONLY "Hammer Collector" in the subject box (you don't even have to say

>> Anything in the body of the text if you don't want to). Please DO NOT

>> Include "Meteorite List" in the subject line - some days I get over 300

>> Emails in one day - guess which ones don't always get checked out?

>> (anyone who would get a specimen SPECIFICALLY Because of its status

>> as a hammer) - Neither the size of your hammer collection nor the size of

>> the specimens matter - just, do you collect them.

>> 

>> 9) I will report back to the list the number of people who said they

>> Collect

>> hammers.

>> 

>> 10) HAMMERS RULE!

>> 

>> 

>> Best wishes, Michael

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> on 1/3/09 11:59 PM, MeteorHntr at aol.com at MeteorHntr at aol.com wrote:

>> 

>>> Hello Robert,

>>> 

>>> 

>>> To answer your direct  question, no I have not seen the "Hodges's

>>> stone."

>>> 

>>> However, in Dr. King's  Meteorite Collection Catalog he listed the

>>> source of his Sylacaga specimen as,  and I  quote:

>>> 

>>> "Source: Alabama Mus. Nat. Hist., Douglas Jones"

>>> 

>>> 

>>> Now, if anyone on the  list has access to the Hodges's stone to

>>> examine, my hunch is that the core  would have been removed from the

>>> bottom portion, as it is displayed, and the  hole was probably plugged

>> with something and colored so

>>> as to hide the fact that  a core was removed.   My memory is a bit

>>> fuzzy,

>> but

>>> as I recall there  were some correspondence letters between Dr. King and

>>> the Alabama Museum of  Natural History at the time leading up to the

>> acquisition.

>>> And there was a  concern that any examination would not hurt the

>>> aesthetic appearance of the  stone.

>>> 

>>> However, it might be easier to ask the Smithsonian if their  records

>>> 

>> indicate

>>> that any of their Sylacaga was traded to Dr. King.    But with the

>> conflict

>>> NASA (including Dr. King) had with the Smithsonian in the  1960's I

>>> seriously doubt any trades were done with the Smithsonian.

>>> 

>>> As  many of you know, we auctioned off the King Collection, and it

>>> would make some  of you sick if you knew how cheaply that specimen sold

>>> for.  I was surprised at the time, but then again, there were many great

>>> specimens in the collection being sold, and most people had to

>> budget where they spent their

>>> money, so some things went a little lower than expected at that time.

>> Since

>> 

>>> then, the value has appreciated to more reasonable levels.

>>> 

>>> I hope  this answers your question Robert?

>>> 

>>> 

>>> Steve Arnold #1

>>> 

>>> 

>>> 

>>> 

>>> In a  message dated 1/3/2009 10:11:11 P.M. Central Standard Time,

>>> meteoritefinder at yahoo.com writes: Steve and List,

>>> 

>>> 

>>> Steve, are  you absolutely sure the core came from THE Hodges's stone

>>> (

>>> the one that struck her) and NOT the McKinney stone??? I have not

>>> actually seen  the Hodge's stone in person, and maybe you have, so you

>>> MAY be right. But ... if  I may quote a few words from "one of our

>>> illustrious members'" ( who I hope  doesn't mind me using them, and that

>>> he will join in the discussion, too )  website that state:

>>> 

>>> 

>>> "....There were two stones - the one that hit  the human and one

>>> other. The one that hit the human is the centerpiece in a  local museum.

>>> No one has ever had access to it. However,the second stone is

>>> in  the Smithsonion and though the remainder has never been available to

>>> the public,  it did have one core drilled in it. This core ended up in

>> the collection of Dr.

>>> King. After his death his widow allowed it to be cut into about 10

>>> whafer slices all of which all ended up as primary specimens in private

>>> collections."

>>> 

>>> So have you seen THE  Hodges' stone in person  and saw that there

>>> actually IS a hole drilled into THAT very one????

>>> 

>>> Thanks,

>>> Robert Woolard

>>> 

>>> 

>>> **************New year...new news.  Be the first to know what is

>>> making headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026)

>>> ______________________________________________

>>> http://www.meteoritecentral.com

>>> Meteorite-list mailing list

>>> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

>>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

>>> 

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> 

>> ______________________________________________

>> http://www.meteoritecentral.com

>> Meteorite-list mailing list

>> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

>> 

>> 

>> ______________________________________________

>> http://www.meteoritecentral.com

>> Meteorite-list mailing list

>> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

>> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list

>> 

>> 

> 

> 

> ______________________________________________

> http://www.meteoritecentral.com

> Meteorite-list mailing list

> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com

> http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list


Get 30% to 50% more gas mileage immediately (I did!):
http://go4best.water4gas.hop.clickbank.net/