22 Responses to “Book Second Printing Update”

1. 1 Kris Wise Sep 1st, 2007 at 3:18 pm

   Dear Bob,

   This Blog responder is a voice out of the past. Have thought of you many, many times since the ’60′s, and always with good wishes for you, your family (Betty and your children) and your Company, and for your well-earned prosperity. I’m retired now (since 1999), and still working on a project I started when I worked at Linac: golf. A side note: I appreciate your attempts to get me into and through college; I have many fond memories about our association, Bob: GA, Linac and all my colleagues, there.

   When I left Linac, it should have been with trepidation, but it wasn’t. I just appreciated your recognizing that I needed a change—and certainly not from you, nor anything about Linac. I’ve found out, mainly in my golden years that I’m not happy without a challenge, and you gave me the opportunity to have my next challenge, by your putting in a well-appreciated word to Dr. Ralph Stahl, for me. Since then I’ve had my challenges: Green Farm Flash X-ray device testing and hardening/ three field assignments to NTS, Mercury, Nevada, as instrumentation-trailer-operator/EMP work/24 years, as Journeyman Electrician at SDSU/wrote a golf book, The Answers to Par Golf, and taught the subject through the College of Extended Studies with three-group-classes per-year for 20-years/began and have succeeded in figuring out how to test and balance golf clubs (which I referred to earlier in this note to you)/ got married/had four children, three adopted/joined Toastmasters and overcame most of my speech difficulty.

   And now, we get to the main reason for my writing this Blog to you, Bob. After seeing your UCSD presentation, “The SAIC Solution with J. Robert Beyster and Gene Ray” , my recommendation to you for advertising your book, is for you and Gene to contact Charlie Rose for a recorded interview. I checked his archives, and didn’t see your names mentioned. This would be an ideal medium for you to introduce your book to the world, to say nothing of the public, thus, meeting you two fine gentlemen. Mr. Rose’s address, as I’m sure you would find, is as follows: Charlie Rose, Inc., 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY – 10022, Phone: 212-617-1600. I record Charlie Rose every night (KPBS 12am to 1am, Monday through Friday) on DVD, and watch him the following day when I’m working on my golf project in our garage. I feel absolutely confident that if you and Gene pursue this avenue, you will get your well-deserved advertising coverage, and thereby bring your sales up by a significant amount.

   Bob, thank you once again for all the opportunities you’ve given me, going back to the time in early 1958, when you called me at home and asked me, “How would you like to operate an electron-linear-accelerator?” I had no idea what the machine was, at the time, but it sounded good, and I answered you, without hesitation, in the affirmative. Well wishes are sent to you and your family, and for all your endeavors. I hope that by my stepping up, this will in some small way reciprocate and help you like you have helped me so many times. And, to this day, I try to use your ideals as my role model: hard work and perseverance. May God always be with you and keep you.

   Sincerely,
   Kris Wise

2. 2 Kris Wise Sep 2nd, 2007 at 11:46 am

   Dear Bob,

   One short addendum to my note to you yesterday, September 1, 2007: I thought of one more venue for getting the word out to the people about your book: Coast to Coast , KOGO-AM, 600, weeknights 8 pm to 4 am, with George Noory (George is also from Michigan, Detroit) . Many of Coast’s guests have books they are talking about.

   Coast-to-Coast has several million regular listeners, of which I am one. With my pillow speaker, I use Coast to get off to sleep each night. They also have Saturday and Sunday Coast, as well, with Ian Punnett, the narrator. When you review the topics that Coast covers, don’t be scarred off by some of their subject material. As a talk show they cover the entire spectrum from the conventional to the opposite limit (sometimes, even I have to turn it off), but for the most part their subjects are very interesting.

   A regular on air contributor is Richard C. Hoagland, a former space science museum curator; a former NASA consultant, and during the historic Apollo Missions to the Moon, was science advisor to Walter Cronkite and CBS News. Good luck to you, Bob…I hope one or the other venues (Charlie Rose/Coast-to-Coast) helps you.

   Best to you,
   Kris Wise

3. 3 Dr. Beyster Sep 10th, 2007 at 11:45 pm

   Kris: Thanks for your comprehensive remarks regarding the past which we’ve shared together, and your recommendations for how we might better promote the book. You and a number of other people joined us from General Atomic and stayed with SAIC until retirement — even now working with my daughter and myself on FED activities. It was a good training ground for all of us, since we had to work hard, we were self-supporting, and we got to know government customers. I like your ideas about going on some talk shows. We will approach Charlie Rose. I listen to Roger Hedgecock at around 6 p.m. on KOGO and I will definitely listen to Noory, send him a book, and see if I can discuss this on his show. — Bob

4. 4 Kris Wise Sep 30th, 2007 at 8:04 pm

   Bob: Thank you for your answer to my e-mail. I’m elated that you like my suggestions. I have so many good memories of our association that I feel very honored that I can now reciprocate and give back to you for all of the many kindnesses you’ve extended not only to me, but even more importantly, to humankind. There is one story I like to regularly recall with a high degree of fondness, from my days at Linac. If I may, I’ll briefly relate: We had just upgraded to the 45 Mev machine, and we were able to randomly tune to 1 Mev with a tight energy spectrum. Randomness in this regard bothered all of us, as we were used to quickly and efficiently tuning the machine to the parameters of a given experimenter. Dr. Victor Van Lint, I’m sure you recall, used 1 Mev for most of his experiments. Sometimes taking two shifts of operators, eight hours each, back to back to get a usable beam, it was equally as random as Monte Carlo. I asked you if you minded my coming in on my own time and just play with the machine, trying to get the necessary insight to reduce the pattern of tuning to a hard and fast plan. You agreed, and I named my own schedule—Saturdays, Sundays and other odd times, for months. It finally came, as if an epiphany! Happiness filled the air when I gave you a full report. I’ve used the basic strategy from that period for many other similar projects, although not quite as involved. Again, Bob, thank you for your welcome response. Please give my best to Betty and your children, although they were quite small when I would see them sometime around your annual Christmas party. Very best wishes to you and yours are extended. Kris

5. 5 Kris Wise Oct 1st, 2007 at 12:09 pm

   Bob: Another thought came to mind that you might be interested in, and that is to contact Jack Welch, retired CEO of General Electric. As I feel sure you know, but just in case…not, I just wanted to mention one of Jack’s many, present endeavors: holding seminars for seated CEO’s. He holds classes at various locations around the country, and tells them, if not teaches them as to how they can improve their business strategies. You may know Mr. Welsh personally, and if this is true, so much the better. Your book would be presented to a captive audience through his help. And, your book and unique concept may very well be precisely what the Industry needs: fresh and original thinking, taking into account the worker at all levels…from bottom to top, and vice versa. I’ve taken the liberty to do a limited search, and an article that appeared in Fortune, by senior staff writer Betsy Morris struck my attention. The piece is entitled, “Tearing up the Jack Welch playbook,”. May I recommend that you use Netscape Browser, rather than Internet Explorer, because the latter has a lateral, encroachment problem of text imposing on adjoining text. By the time you open the above in Internet Explorer, the problem might well be solved, as I wrote Betsy Morris a friendly e-mail, telling about the above listed problem in the Internet Explorer publication. The very best of luck to you and your team, as you bring your book to the marketplace of worldwide proportion, if that coverage does not yet exist. – Kris

6. 6 Dr. Beyster Oct 8th, 2007 at 9:18 pm

   Kris: Tuning the linear accelerator was truly an art form, and some operators were better than others. You must have been one of the better ones, and Heartline was also. There was a secret approach to doing this and it had to be done remotely because of the radiation level in the shielded cell. There were efforts to find the best algorithms for tuning the accelerator. As you recall, we were able to run the accelerator relatively reliably 24/6, with a day off for maintenance. — Bob

7. 7 Dr. Beyster Oct 8th, 2007 at 9:19 pm

   Kris: Thank you for your additional idea. We’ll send Jack Welch a copy of the book and see if he has comments. — Bob

8. 8 Kris Wise Oct 11th, 2007 at 10:41 am

   Bob: Thank you for your kind words. Bob, if its convenient for you, some time I would appreciate your giving me a reference source to the paper that was published by Neal Norris, who came down from High Voltage Engineering Corp. with what was referred to at that time as a “truck load of equipment for him to use and attempt to understand and explain what one one the operators (that reference was to myself) had discovered. I never did see the paper, and I think it would quite a nice experience to see it. I’m sure you recall that Neal went to EG&G shortly before I went there. Bob, I again want to wish you the very best luck in your successful pursit of taking your book to the people. I can envision a worldwide arena coming to call on you. Best wishes. — Kris

9. 9 Dr. Beyster Oct 22nd, 2007 at 4:55 pm

   Kris: Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of that paper. You might try to track down Neal Norris by way of Google. Neal worked for a company in the early ’60s that I believe was named Arco (not the oil company). By the way, what are you up to nowadays? — Bob

10. 10 Kris Wise Oct 24th, 2007 at 11:30 am

    1. Bob: Forgive me while I use a pat response from my days in Toastmasters, “I’m so glad you asked me that question.” Approximately 40 years have elapsed since I last saw you, and, in a lot of ways, I’m doing the same thing as then. And, that is attempting to figure out the golf swing and golf clubs. Offhand, it sounds easy… no big deal…. But, when one stops to think about it, golfers, golf professionals and golf manufactures have had over 400 years to think it through and get it right. Since taking up the game in 1960 (Arnold “Arnie” Palmer inspired me to take it up with his devout enthusiasm and passionate desire to go about his work (much like, if not identical to yourself), as he won the Masters Tournament that year. Golf has been my major recreation and past time, ever since. I’ve undertaken the golf project very much in like manner to my approach to figuring out the low energy tuning procedure (1 Mev with a tight spectrum) for our 45 Mev Linac, at General Atomic. The basic thesis in both cases is virtually the same as that in the proverbial story about the Little Locomotive (Choo—Choo), “I think I can, I think I can!” More realistically, I attempt to get “inside the equipment,” and from that perspective figure out what the machine needs to operate at its optimum performance. It’s been no small task, but I like to think of the project in like terms to the late President John F. Kennedy when he made a remark in one of his famous speeches, “We’re going to the moon… because… (it’s) hard….” I like to say to people, if it were easy, everybody would be doing it. Now that I’m retired, this project gives me an ongoing, everyday challenge to put more pieces together into the puzzle. When we’re in town (which is most of the time) I go to work every day and work for at least two to four real good hours. I like to think that at this time I am 80% toward my goal. Some of the puzzle pieces are original in their scope, which would presently, in their own right, change… if not improve… golf. There is a carry over to other athletic game-instruments: baseball and softball bats; tennis, squash, racquetball racquets; pool cues; (although not yet tested, hockey sticks, cricket bats, etc. could be included, in my estimation). Where you have a real yacht, we have a land schooner… a recreational vehicle. We have had our RV (a 33 foot Winnebago Brave) since 1994, and have taken many enjoyable trips to Indiana to see my wife’s family, and several trips to North Carolina to see our oldest daughter, Auburn. Lynn, my wife, likes to go back at least every three years, and this was perfect when all of our children (2 boys and 2 girls) were still at home. Even when we’re in town, we make it a point of going to Mission Bay every week, for a nice evening meal together… no TV, nor cellular… just soft music. I could go on and on, but I won’t. Thanks for your answer, Bob. I tried Google without success, but that’s okay… no problem! — Kris

11. 11 Dr. Beyster Nov 12th, 2007 at 5:53 pm

    Kris: Thanks for the update on your career and life. One of the great regrets I have is that I did not take up golfing when I could have as a boy, and continue it in future years. It is one of the best ways to meet people, exercise, and make business deals. That’s water over the dam now as I am now not able to rectify that at 83 years of age.

12. 12 Kris Wise Nov 12th, 2007 at 10:50 pm

    Bob: It was a pleasure giving you an update on my life and career. It may not be so far out of the realm of possibility for you to seriously consider golf, especially if you would allow me the honor to use some of my expertise in teaching you. I believe I mentioned that I have a “golf studio” in our garage. It’s not pretty, but it is effective. I have a large brush mat from which to hit full shots, in any trajectory that one chooses. As far as age goes… in my estimation that term is strictly relative to the individual. If it is your desire to learn, and you feel physically up to the task, I would say that golf is definitely in your future—should you say the word.

    It’s appropriate that you wrote on this particular day, because just yesterday another major breakthrough came to pass (this represents either all or part of the remaining 20%, as referred to in my previous Blog response to you), which helps more and more for things to make sense. I would deem it a privilege to work with you and teach you the golf game. I would especially like to describe to you certain things that I’ve learned of which, not being an educated engineer, nor scientist, I find it difficult articulating, particularly on paper.

    Yes, my goal someday is to apply for a patent on my findings, which are novel and unique. When I took up this project, I was—and still am—totally open-minded to anything that proves its worth and merit to me. In stages, I have reduced the complex to what I consider a simple essence. The patent for which I want to apply will basically represent a system, which can, ideally, be used by anyone: professional or amateur. At the risk of sounding a bit bold, I want to bring the golf swing and golf club balancing/tuning technology into the 21st Century. How’s that for a goal?

    It would greatly please me if I could bring the “secret” of golf to the surface—in like persuasion to that of the low-energy tuning technique of Linac at General Atomic. In the low energy tuning procedure, which I identified, was a major event in my life. I still have warm inner feelings when I think of how good I felt for having developed this very much-needed plan, as my last Blog reflects. Sharing is the bottom line…. Whether it was, then, enlightening the other operators, or, now, teaching the golf swing (and where appropriate, elaborating on a new golf club balancing technology), I find the experience exhilarating. When our children were growing up, I used to tell them to, “Find your happiness through your work.” I would surmise that you might well agree with this premise. I still vividly remember the high number of hours you would work, week in and week out… year after year. Do keep in mind my offer to you for learning the golf swing. It would be a pleasure teaching you. Say the word, and I’ll put the coffee pot on (you still like coffee, I would suppose). It’s good hearing from you. Thanks for your response.— Kris

13. 13 Dr. Beyster Nov 20th, 2007 at 11:44 am

    Kris: Thanks for your offer. I’ve found that when I played golf as a kid — even though my father was a good golfer — I was not able to correct my golf swing and focus on the ball. Now I’m not sure I have the strength to swing a heavy driver. I will check with my physical therapist. Stay tuned — I’ll let you know.

    –Bob

14. 14 Kris Wise Nov 20th, 2007 at 4:05 pm

    Bob, it would be a pleasure working with you on your golf swing, should you get the necessary clearance from your physical therapist. I purposely haven’t gone into detail about the depth to which I’ve researched the golf club and the golf swing. For most people it would be far more than they would want to know. Even at this liberty, I’ll try to be brief. I can make up any club—from driver to putter, at any length, and virtually any swing weight (swing weight, as you may or may not know, is a relative/perceived weight measurement that is known to the golf world) and overall weight (naturally, to achieve a specific goal, there must be trade-offs in adjoining criteria).

    Historically, a driver in the fairly recent past has been pridefully advertised as having a low of 55-gram driver shafts. Just within the last few days have I discovered what I believe to be the lightest shaft on the market, at 45-grams (this is based on Grafalloy’s advertising: please see below web site). The name of this shaft is the Grafalloy Pro Launch http://www.grafalloy.com/grafalloy/prolaunch45.asp. A driver with this shaft could be ordered new from the factory through a local dealer. You could market-select any driver from any manufacturer that you choose, if you wish. Now, here is an important caveat. Should you choose to order, please specify that the shaft must not be cut to length. This dimension I would want to personally supervise to give you the longest shafted driver that you can comfortably swing, which will yield (as you can imagine) maximum yardage off the tee. Which all golfers desire!

    As I’ve mentioned from time to time in my Blogs to you, I’ve learned certain things about the golf swing and golf club, which are unique/novel/new/different that are some of the necessary prerequisites for a patent. Should you choose to work with me, you will be privy to the very latest methodology, with regard to the golf swing and golf club—unequivocally not found anywhere else, at this time. What I’m kindly and respectfully asking you to do is not buy anything until we can talk (other than possibly a new driver, mentioned above), and I can fill you in on the pros and cons. The possible exception would be in the regard of a driver, which for your benefit should have the lightest shaft possible. In that way I can help you cut the driver you choose, by keeping one, main thing in mind: comfort.

    In the irons department, I’ll be extremely brief, and say that I’ve taken the liberty to assemble the pieces and the parts to make an 8-iron for you, if you choose to work with me. Before I put this club together, I’ll need to know your anatomical dimensions so we can make the necessary trade-offs, above, just like for metal woods. I would imagine your required lie angle will be similar to mine—you are a bit taller, but generally we are in the same ballpark. When I go beyond a 2-degree angle change, I must heat the metal to cherry red, thus preventing breakage. I won’t, currently, give any specifics about my irons, but I will say that they are beyond 2-degrees from the “norm.” And, I do welcome this variance from prior art (a term used in the world of patents, as you know), because that just makes present art (also patents) even more pertinent. Should you decide to join forces with me, the above mentioned 8-iron will get you started. It will let you go immediately to a driving range and resume where you were as a kid, but this time having more fun. This is true, because I will show how to overcome the dilemma (which I’ve been there and done that, and is the main reason for my undertaking this project in the first place) of, to use a brief quote from your last Blog, “I was not able to correct my golf swing and focus on the ball.” There is one more quick mention: Many golfers, both professional and amateur, are plagued with lower back problems, as I’m sure you’ve heard. I’m pleased to tell you that my system precludes this unnecessary vice. More later—should we work team up. It was good hearing from you, Bob, and I look forward to the possibility of again working with you. — Kris

15. 15 Dr. Beyster Dec 4th, 2007 at 7:08 am

    Kris: Thanks for your lengthy memo. I’m not sure right now about taking you up on your generous offer. I would really like to do it, but I suspect I’m too old to really develop a good golf swing. I’ll ask my physical therapist if he thinks I should do it. Frankly, I should at least like to try it and see if I’m capable because it would be a lot of fun. – Bob

16. 16 Kris Wise Dec 4th, 2007 at 2:56 pm

    Bob: Thanks for your responding acknowledgement to my last memo. It would be a pleasure seeing you and a delight sharing with you some things that I’ve learned, since last seeing you—some 40 years ago, if I calculate correctly. I promise, if we worked together, we would be constantly aware of your limits and limitations. The main thesis would be to share with you how to have fun in golf. I feel sure you will possibly agree that the real fun is in the learning. Because most golfers believe that golf is an on-going learning process, it would therefore stand to reason that golf could conceivably give you an element of happiness and fun for the rest of your life. How’s that for a positive projection? But, its true: After my having played and studied golf for 47 years, I still to this day anxiously anticipate whatever will be my next thing to learn.

    The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, in that just this morning I took Lynn, my wife, to the airport for a flight to North Carolina to join our daughter, Auburn, for a driving trip to Vincennes, Indiana… to attend a wedding. I’ve got a clean slate (no honey-do’s), and an open schedule. If now is convenient for you, we could get started whenever you say the word.

    By the way, Lynn and I visited a mutual friend yesterday, Stan Roberts. I feel sure you remember Stan, as he was a contractor who did work for General Atomic, and especially Linac in its early days; he also worked as an employee in the Planning Department of GA. Stan and Jack Goode, whom you also probably remember, formed the construction company of Goode and Roberts in the 1960’s. Their Company is still well and thriving, although Stan has been retired for sometime, now. We visited Stan, his wife, Dorothy, and their daughter, Gay. They had us up to their timeshare at Lawrence Welk for a light lunch, and heavy reminiscence. We were next-door neighbors in Imperial Beach when I attended high school at Mar Vista High School (mine was the first graduating class from what was then a new school). They have long since returned to their roots: Grand Junction, Colorado. This is near their hometown of Fruita, Colorado. They are all three happily in good health, although Dorothy’s eyes are a problem for her, unfortunately.

    Bob, not trying to rush you. When and if you say the word, I will call your foundation and leave my personal telephone number, fax number and e-mail address for your convenience of contacting me, if you wish. I’ll look forward to your reply. – Kris

17. 17 Dr. Beyster Dec 17th, 2007 at 8:24 pm

    Kris: Thank you for your pleasant note of December 4th. Please call the Foundation and leave your phone number so I can contact you if I have time on my schedule to consider golf. — Bob

18. 18 Kris Wise Dec 17th, 2007 at 10:23 pm

    Bob: I’ll be happy to! By the way, on the Charlie Rose web site, I found a place where suggestions/proposals may be sent in for review of their merit http://www.charlierose.com/home . If you haven’t yet heard back from Charlie Rose, this might help get some action, as there is a place I’ll describe where you can e-mail directly to the production staff who, it sounds like, are looking for interesting possibilities. This tag is found on the Home Page, please see the above web address, where if you’ll look to the right hand column, about half way down the page, it says, “Contribute>Show ideas>Email the producers here. One more quick note: I’ve subscribed to Charlie Rose’s Features http://www.charlierose.com/rss/features , a feed that’s quite interesting, with quite an array of good topics. You, too, might be interested. I’ll look forward to hearing from you, Bob. I’ll call your office tomorrow and leave my telephone number. – Kris

19. 19 Dr. Beyster Dec 28th, 2007 at 7:01 pm

    Kris: Thank you for the Charlie Rose suggestion — we will send him a copy of the book as soon as we can. I hope you will call Ralph and leave your telephone number. — Bob

20. 20 Kris Wise Dec 30th, 2007 at 12:15 pm

    Bob: With considerable pleasure I responded to your request of calling your foundation office on December 17, 2007 (at that time I didn’t have Ralph’s name), and left a message into the answering machine with my telephone number. The following day, 12-18-2007, I received an e-mail from Mary Ann requesting particulars be e-mailed to her office, who would forward the message to your “executive assistant,” whom I now know as Ralph. In the e-mail response I included all the particulars (name, address, telephone number, fax number, e-mail addresses (which includes my alternate) and driving instructions for the easiest first-time-route) including Map Quest driving instructions to my home. In the e-mail for forwarding by Mary Ann, I took the liberty to invite her, “to come and look on, listen in, or participate; please feel free (I told her), as you’re very welcome to come.” Bob, I trust that you and your family had a Merry Christmas, and that you all have a forthcoming Very Happy New Year in 2008. — Kris

21. 21 Kris Wise Dec 31st, 2007 at 12:14 pm

    Bob: At your request I called FED, your foundation, and directed a telephone message response to Ralph, giving him my telephone number to be passed onto you. You may, if you would like, e-mail me (my e-mail address is on file at FED from Blogging), and I’ll be pleased to respond. I stand to be corrected: In my last Blog, I mentioned that I didn’t know the name, Ralph. I found a note to myself with his name and the FED telephone number. Age does strange things to one’s memory. My apology…. I’m glad you like the idea of following up with Charlie Rose.

    In the meantime several other possibilities occurred to me, and probably to you, as well. As we all know the Hollywood writers are still out on strike, which gives a wider door of opportunity for those guests who might normally have difficulty being scheduled (entertainment stars/celebrities seem to take priority) on the main shows: David Letterman with CBS, Jay Leno of NBC, Jimmy Kimmel for ABC, Steven Colbert whose show is The Colbert Report on the Comedy Channel, etc. I know, personally, in the latter case of Steven Colbert that he regularly has guests from the world of Industry, who, in large part are visiting his show to advertise their books. In the opinion of the above show-hosts they are unanimously treading lightly so as not to unduly offend the writers union, Writers Guild of America.

    It is the general consensus of the major network shows that the above productions must be prepared to accept guests of the second and third wave of entertainers/actors/talent. I do not mean to imply that you are not “first wave” – I’m simply suggesting that the present may well present an opportune time period for you and your book to receive maximum exposure. Before I close there is one more talk show celebrity, you might want to consider, who is extremely good with interviews and has a very large following, Larry King who airs on CNN. I look forward to hearing from you and having the opportunity to share with you some things I have learned in golf. Shall I put the coffee on? – Kris

22. 22 Kris Wise Jan 7th, 2008 at 11:58 am

    Bob: I appreciate your interest in my golf project, and if it should be your desire to work with me this would be very pleasing. It seems as though we have thus far encountered a bit of difficulty in hooking up, as it were. To help alleviate this “bump in the road,” as of today’s outgoing U.S. Postal Service mail (snail mail), I’m sending a letter to you containing all the particulars that you need to contact me, along with driving instructions to come to my home. This letter of course is addressed to you at your Cave Street address in La Jolla. I know, as I keep repeating myself, that you are a very busy person, and you have countless things to occupy your time. I just wanted to let you know that I’m doing my part by supplying information you have requested, for you to use at your discretion. The very best of luck to you, as you promote your book. I assuredly realize that your book project is most likely topping your priority list, presently. If you choose not to go into golf right now, this is fine. Just please know that you have an open door policy to use at anytime you choose. It has been a pleasure conversing with you through the useful medium of Blogging. — Kris