earth

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
::::. `::::::. :::::. :::::: ::::: ::::: :::::: .::::: .::::::' .::::
::::::. ::::::: `::::: :::::. :::: :::: .::::: :::::' ::::::: .::::::
`:::::::.`::::::.`::::: ``                 '' :::::'.::::::'.:::::::'
. `:::::::.`:::::.``   ..:oo888888888888oo:..    ''.:::::'.:::::::' .
::. `:::::::.``   ..oo8888""""        """"8888oo..   ':'.:::::::' .::
:::::.`::::'  .oo888"""     If the Earth     """888oo.  ':::::'.:::::
`::::::.``  o888""    were only  a few feet in    ""888o   :'.::::::'
. `::::` .o88""   diameter and floating a few feet   ""88o   '::::' .
:::. `  o88"   above a field somewhere,  people would   "88o   ' .:::
::::` o88"  come from everywhere to marvel at it. People  "88o  '::::
`::` o88"  would circle around it, marveling at its large   "88: '::'
:.  o88   pools of water, at its little pools, and all the    88o  .:
:` o88'  water flowing between the pools.  They would marvel  `88o ':
: :88"   at the very thin layer of special gases surrounding   "88: :
. o88'  it, and at all the water  suspended within the gases.  `88o .
 .88o   People would marvel at all the many creatures walking   o88.
:.88o   about the surface of the ball, and also the many more   o88.:
::88o   creatures in the water. The people would then declare   o88::
:'88o   the ball supremely precious,  because it was the only   o88':
 '888.  one they would ever have,  and they would protect it,   888'
. "88:   so that it would never be harmed. The ball would be   :88" .
: `88o   the greatest wonder known, and people would come to   o88' :
:. "88.   behold it, be healed by it, to gain its knowledge,  .88" .:
'.  888.  to feel its beauty and to wonder how it could be.  .888  .`
.::  888.  People would love it,  and defend it with their  .888  ::.
:::: `888.  very lives,  because they would each somehow  .888"  ::::
:::'.  "88o   realize their lives, their own roundness,  o88"  ..`:::
' .:::.  "88o.   could not exist without it. If the   .o88"  .::::. `
::::::::'. `888o..   Earth were only a few feet   ..o888'  .`::::::::
::::::'.:::.  `"888oo...    in diameter.    ...oo888""'  .:::.`::::::
:::'.:::::::'..  `""8888oo:....      ....:oo88888""'  ..`:::::::.`:::
' .:::::::'.::::: .. `"""88888MJittlov88888"""' .. ::::::.`:::::::. `
::::::::'.:::::'.::::. :..... .... .... ....: .::::.`::::::.`::::::::
::::::'.::::::'.::::: .::::: .:::: ::::. ::::. :::::.`:::::::.`::::::
---- -------- ------- ------ ----- ----- ------ ------- -------- ----
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/// ///a@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@a\\\ \\\
///a@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@%@a\\\
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WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

 The above inscription is at the center of Wells Cathedral in Wells,
 England, and typeset within a two-foot circle.  Although no author
 is credited, it's positioned next to a photo of Archbishop Desmond
 Tutu, smiling amid a cheering crowd.  I copied it down, in Oct'95,
 and ascii-transcribed it for the Internet.  Pass it on...