Dear DMC,
As June is your Rest Areas Month, I would like to mention a book to you that I find to be very helpful as I drive around America. The book is "Rest Areas and Welcome Centers Along U.S. Interstates."
I suppose I am a dull man. I truly enjoy stopping at as many rest areas as I can. I take pictures of them. Would you like to see my pictures?
R.V. Rolling
+ + + + + + +
Dear R.V.,
The answer to your question is "yes." Please send us your pictures. We will publish them on our Rest Areas page (click here to get to our Rest Areas page).
The book you mention can be ordered from Amazon. Click here.
The book can also be viewed at the RV Bookstore's web site. Click here.
Sincerely (dull men are always sincere, mostly),
DMC
Collecting Traffic Signals
June 21, 2005
Dear DMC,
I came across this link and knew straight away it was perfect for your site - a web page about people who collect traffic signals.
http://www.imsasafety.org/journal/septoct02/septoctart2.htm
Crash (from Australia)
A sensible driver
June 23, 2005
Dear DMC,
I know this may be a case of preaching to the converted, but I just wanted to say that speed limits are just that, limits. They are not an instruction about how fast you have to drive. I keep to a sensible 20mph in 30mph zones, 25mpn in 40mpn zones, and a steady 50mph on the motorway. I usually drive in the fast lane of the motorway, not for the thrill, just to help other drivers to be aware of their speed.
C. Areful
Singing Waste Bins in Cambridge
June 10, 2005
Dear DMC,
Here is a link to a good story in the Guardian newspaper about singing waste bins in Cambridge. You will not be surprised to hear that they specialise in barber shop quartets.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1503349,00.html
Steve Reszetniak
June 10, 2005
Dear DMC,
I'm not sure how well it sits with your site, but I find the "Juggling in Movies" page [click here] (http://www.juggling.org/movies/) to be very nice, as it has good summaries at the end of each entry.
Joe
Pathetic Motorways
May 29, 2005
Dear DMC,
How about "Pathetic Motorways" as a link:
A celebration of everything that is least impressive about the UK motorway network (which is pathetic enough in total).
Peter
More about Boring Postcards
May 22, 2005
Dear DMC
Here are a couple of links to boring postcard sites. Sweden seems to be a world leader in this area.
http://www.maths.soton.ac.uk/staff/Dewynne/postcards.html
http://www.retroglobe.com/boring%5Fpostcards/
Yours in dullness
Steve Reszetniak
PS Oscar Wilde once said "Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast." We can all take heart from that.
22 Miles of Pure Dullness
May 22, 2005
Dear DMC,
I received an email recently that had in it this picture of a road sign of a place I think you dull men would like to visit. I have been trying to find out where it is. Can you help me? I would like to recommend it to my husband who is really dull.
Sincerely,
Wanda Ring
Boring Postcards
May 18, 2005
Dear DMC,
I have seen no mention yet in DMC of one of my favourite books: "Boring Postcards" by Martin Parr (ISBN 0714843903,publ. Phaidon Press). I think members should know of this timeless, nostalgic yet hilarious modern classic. I don't think I've anything more to say for now and I'm going to have another cup of coffee.
Yours appreciatively,
Keith Brown
+ + + + + + +
Dear Keith,
Thank you for your letter and mentioning the book "Boring Postcards." We too like the book. We cover it, as well as its sister "Boring Postcards USA," in our Book Reviews. Click here for the book you mention and here for "Boring Postcards USA."
Sincerely,
DMC
Went looking for tubs-in-fields, found something else
Dear DMC,
I was driving around Hampshire last week. I was trying to find tubs-in-fields. The closest think I could find was what you see in the picture above. Will it qualify to be on your Tubs-in-Fields page?
Sincerely,
Lou Finder
Dear DMC,
I found this picture of The Father of Accounting, Luca Pacioli. I have been hoping to find out when his birthday was so it could be listed on your web site's Monthly Events.
My father is an accountant. I hope to marry an accountant some day. I am only 13 now. I hope that by following the things you guys do, according to your wonderful web site, when I meet the accountant of my dreams we will have many common interests.
Dee Ebbitt
roundaboutsofbritain.com
May 10, 2005
Dear Dull Men,
Might I suggest the book "Roundabouts of Great Britain" and its accompanying web site http://www.roundaboutsofbritain.com/.
The site is a little heavy on the colour for my liking, but there's a reasonably limited selection of features.
Damian
The Codfather
May 10, 2005
Dear DMC,
Shops with amusing names: in Brisbane Australia a fish & chip shop with a gangster touch called "The Codfather".
Tony McGurk
[click here to see more about shops with amusing names]
A horrible way to objectify women
May 9, 2005
Dear DMC,
i feel this is a horrible way to objectify women [exclamation mark removed] why is it dull MEN? why can't it be dull women and men?? i am really offended [exclamation mark removed]
lol [exclamation mark removed]
Melanie Fawcett
+ + + + + + +
Melanie,
You ask a lot of questions. We have a question for you: why can’t use use capital letters where appropriate?
But putting all seriousness aside, we had always understood that it would be insulting to call a woman dull. Dull men do not like to insult women.
Sincerely,
DMC
Appropriate Window Openings
April 27, 2005
Dear DMC,
i just wanted to email and tell you an idea i had that seems to fit into the dull context. The idea is to take photos of one of your household windows at different levels of openness and then you can look at all the photos and decide what level of openness is more appropriate or wanted according to your mood, the weather, the quality of light, what day it is etc.
hope you like it.
i love the site.
Lewis
+ + + + + + +
Dear Lewis,
Thank you for this suggestion. If you have some photos of your windows opened at different levels, you can email them to us so we can put them up on our site.
Sincerely,
DMC
UK Election -- Think the election is dull?
April 24, 2005
Dear DMC,
Your readers will no doubt appreciate the article in today's The Sunday Times [click here] about this election campaign being the most boring in history.
Sincerely,
Pierce Veil
+ + + + + + +
April 25, 2005
Dear DMC,
I disagree that the election is boring. A hot issue is restrictions on immigrants. There are too many foreigners now in England. This has gone on far too long.
Take a look for example at the food we eat now. It is often said that chicken tikka masala is our national dish (that it has replaced chips). It’s not right to eat that hot food that belongs back in India. I can’t see any reason to eat food that hurts.
Noah Paine
+ + + + + + +
April 25, 2005
Dear DMC,
That snooze-o-meter at the end of the article was interesting. The spectrum from exciting to boring elections and issues is illuminating.
Sven Per Ekstrom
British Lawnmower Museum
April 19, 2005
Dear DMC,
Dear DMC My wife Anne found this one. Not just any old lawnmower museum, but the British Lawnmower Museum:
Click here [http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/gf86/]
I was particularly impressed by the photo gallery of owners' manuals. That's class, that is.
Steve Reszetniak
Joy of collecting — shopping lists
April 11, 2005
Dear DMC,
I collect shopping lists, perusing the rows of trolleys for discarded lists makes any journey to the supermarket an adventure. I wonder if any other DM share my interest.
Richard
+ + + + + + +
April 16, 2005
Dear Richard,
We were delighted to receive your letter. It prompted us to search around for other collectors of shopping lists that may exist. We found two outstanding web sites full of these lists. Click here. As you can see from these web sites, you are in great company. Congratulations [exclamation point withheld]
Sincerely [dull men are always sincere],
DMC
Grover Cleveland on Mount Rushless – was he truly dull?
April 12, 2005
Dear DMC,
I notice you have placed Grover Cleveland on Mount Rushless. Can any man who fathered a child without marrying the woman be dull? Be fair.
Bill Culbertson
Rhyming Words?
April 11, 2005
Dear DMC,
In the topic about "orange, silver, purple, and month", I'd like to say that porridge rhymes with orange (in english), pilfer rhymes with silver, and turtle rhymes with purple.
not entirely sure about the last one, but the other two rhyme.
Vladmir Kivkaval
Dull Activity: memorize our page that lists dull activities
April 6, 2005
Dear DMC,
For your page on dull activities:
"Memorize the whole page of dull activities."
He he, just kidding :)
Sincerely,
Just Rosy
April 5, 2005
Dear DMC,
It had to happen.
Members will surely want to know about Extreme Accounting. (This is like extreme ironing only with calculators.) Here's the link:
http://www.extreme-accounting.com/
Steve Reszetniak
April 5, 2005
Dear DMC,
The shoelace site. What more can I say?
http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/index.htm
Steve Reszetniak
Gander Newfoundland -- still a travel destination -- for dull men
March 20, 2005
Dear DMC,
I couldn't help but think of my fellow dull men when I read the New York Times this morning. There is a gerat aritcle about the airport at Gander Newfoundland. It was was the most important airpot in the world. It now has completel dulled down. Click here to get to the article which describes its transformation and what it is like to go there now.
I hope to travel there soon.
Sincerely,
Alvin Ambler
Avon Colorado Not Capital of Grammar
March 20, 2005
Dear DMC,
I like your link to Avon's web site [click here] with the great pictures of their roundabouts. And the link to the web cam aimed at one of the roundabouts. I have been watching the web cam shots for hours.
I don't want to be a spoil sport -- I think it is wonderful what Avon has done with their roundabouts and telling the world wide web about them. I feel it is my duty, however, to point out that Avon cannot be "The Roundabout Capitol of the Rocky Mountains." It can only be the "Capital" of Rocky Mountain roundabouts. Unless they build a building large enough to house their roundabouts.
Sincerely,
Graham Marr
Barometer World
March 15, 2005
Dear DMC,
How I wish I'd found your site earlier. Well, it would have been nice anyway. Being new to all this I don't want to rock the boat, but I though some of your members might be interested in this place.
http://www.barometerworld.co.uk/
I can imagine this may cause some excitement for which I can only apologise.
Simon
Winter (Safe) Excitement
February 24, 2005
Dear DMC,
Park your car next to the sea. Let it get iced over. Then get into it. Turn on the defroster. From your cozy seat inside the car, Watch the ice melt from the windshield and the other windows.
Regards,
Anonymous
Vice Presidents' Day
February 22, 2005
Dear DMC,
Yesterday was Presidents’ Day. But when is Vice Presidents’ Day? There is none . . . yet . . . but shouldn’t there be one?
Click here to get to a web site that is promoting such a day (once you get to that web page, do a “search” or “find” to get t the article by Jeff Kramer from the Orange County Register for his article about this.)
Are vice presidents dull? Some are. How about the present vice president? He is described on the web site as low-key, solid, reliable, dependable, no-nonsense. Is he our kind of guy or what?
Kramer’s article has an example of how dull vice presidents can be: Spiro Agnew once said, “A little over a week ago, I took a rather unusual step for a vice president . . . I said something.”
Sincerely,
Bob Bland
Valentine’s Day on Vail’s Chair 10
February 15, 2005
Dear DMC,
I read Grover’s experience on Chair 10 at Vail. My wife and I love Chair 10. We rode it yesterday. Every Valentine’s Day we ski Vail especially to ride Chair 10. It is where we had our first kiss (too many years ago to admit to).
Chair 10 is described as “a 17 minute ride built for love.”
And as “the 8th grade kissing chair, one of the few places a young couple can get some alone time in a world dominated by nosy adults, creeping g through dark timber on a love seat built for two.”
Click here to read more about Chair 10.
Sincerely,
Q. Pidd
Loveland, Colorado
Pickup Line Worked in an Office Depot on Valentine's Day
February 14, 2005
Dear DMC,
I am writing to thank dullmen.com for publishing Q. Pidd’s letter that suggested a great pickup line to use in a stationary store: “Do you come here often?”
I was in an Office Depot first thing this morning. A really nice looking lady was there. She was looking at the pencils.
I walked up to her and made it look like I was looking for pencils too. Our eyes met. I took a deep breath and asked, “Do you come here often?”
“No, this is my first time here. How about you?”
Wow. My heart pounded. I replied, “I come here a lot.” (I just blurted that out without thinking – I hope she doesn’t think I’m a nerd.)
“Then perhaps you could show me around.”
Wow. My heard pounded harder.
I showed her all around the store. We saw all the filing materials, the office furniture, computers, printers, fax machines, shredders.
Then we returned to the pencils. It turned out that she was undecided over number 2 or number 2.5 lead. I then came up with a little lie: I said I was wondering same thing and to find the answer I was going to buy both and test them out.
I picked up a package of number 2 pencils and a package of number 2.5 pencils. We proceeded to the cash register. I paid for them.
We went to a Starbucks. We both ordered defaf coffees. Then we tested out the pencils.
The upshot was that we each liked the number 2.5s the best. It’s great to know that we have that in common [exclamation point removed]
She gave me her telephone number. We agreed to meet again. I will phone her soon to set that up but first I want to think of what to suggest we do next. It will be hard to top that experience we had at Office Depot and Starbucks.
Sincerely,
Bob Bland
Denver, Colorado
Pickup Lines for a Dull Man
February 11, 2005
Dear DMC,
For Valentine’s Day I would like to share with your readers some pickup lines a friend of mine, who is a self-confessed dull man says he has used:
“Would you like to come back to my apartment to see my filing system?
“Would you like to come back to my apartment, I’d like to show you my fridge -- everything is arranged by use-by dates?”
“What was your major?”
To be used in a stationery store: “Do you come here often?”
What I don’t know is how they worked for him. Being a dull man, he does not talk about his conquests, if any.
Sincerely,
Q. Pidd
Loveland, Colorado
Holiday Destinations for Dull Men
February 5, 2005
Dear DMC,
At this time of year, dull men may be planning their holidays (or vacations). May I offer a few suggestions for an Excitement-Free World Tour
Blunt (S Dakota)
Boreland (Scotland)
Calm Lake (Ontario)
Dulla (Ethiopia)
Dull Center (Wyoming)
Flat (Alaska, also Texas)
Placid Lake (Florida)
Sleepy Eye (Minnesota)
The number one holiday destination, however, must be the German town of Dülmen. (I think this might also be a good place to discover more about the world-renowned German humour.)
Steve Reszetniak
+ + + + + + +
Dear Steve,
Those are great destinations for us. You have made a find contribution to the upcoming summer for many of us. We’d like to make a small contribution: can we add Lake Placid (New York) to your list?
DMC
A member's pickup line to use on Groundhog Day
February 1, 2005
Dear DMC,
I enjoyed reading the information you linked us to for boning up on Groundhog Day.
I plan to go out to a pasture north of my town first thing in the morning on February 2 to watch the groundhogs. There is a big groundhog town out there.
I hope some of the local girls will be out there also. I have my pickup line ready: "Do you want to hear me spell Punssutawney?"
Elmer Elmquist
Chappell, Nebraska
The Joy of Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day
February 1, 2005
Dear DMC,
Thank you so much mentioning on your January page safe excitement that January 31 was
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.
I went to their site and had a ball. I never realized there was so much I could learn about bubble wrap. And so many fun things I can do with it.
Sincerely,
Bob Bland
Durban South Africa's Airport Carousels Report

February 1, 2005
Dear DMC,
An addition to our already substantial list of airport carousels in the world - South Africa - Durban - clockwise [double exclamation marks removed]
Great site [exclamation marks removed]
Nina
German Jokes
January 29, 2005
Dear fellow dull men
This is a promising looking site. I haven't checked to see if they have my personal favourite, which goes something like this:
"Es war einmal ein Zwerg. Sein Vater war ein Schoter."
They don't write them like that any more. (It is a well-known fact that German humour is no laughing matter.)
Steve Reszetniak
January 29, 2005
Dear DMC Team,
I think you will like my dull yet amusing collection of shops with amusing names:
Please feel free to link to my site.
Best wishes,
Guy
New Park Benches in Ottawa
Ottawa Canada
January 25, 2005
Dear DMC,
We made these benches for the City of Ottawa with 2 x 400 lbs concrete feet with metal casing.
All the Best [exclamation point removed]
Russ Salo
National Sales Manager
Johnsons Environmental Products Inc.
Ottawa ON
Dear Russ,
Thank you so much for sending us this information and picture.
The park benches you make look to be very sturdy. We dull men like sturdiness. We also like the color of the benches – a nice beige.
We will recommend that dull men travel to Ottawa to visit your site and sit on the benches. But before we arrive, could the benches be turned around to face the other direction? That way we could enjoy the wonder view through the fence of those road repair storage buildings.
Sincerely,
DMC
Screenshots – Trip Down Memory Lane
January 25, 2005
Dear DMC,
Thank you so much for letting your readers know about the web site with 14 screenshots of Windows screens.
Looking at those screenshots as a real trip down memory lane.
-- All the crashes
-- All the phone calls to the help desk
-- Listening to the music for hours while on hold waiting for the help deak
-- All that rummaging around my house trying to find product key codes
Thank you for reminding me why I switched to a PC to a Mac.
Sincerely,
Bob Bland
Stunning Pictures
January 24, 2005
Dear DMC,
A fellow dull man forwarded this link to me, thinking I might glean some mild entertainment from its content. I feel I should share it with you
http://www.infosatellite.com/news/2001/10/a251001windowshistory_screenshots.html
Yours
Daniel Ferrett
History of Gloves
January 23, 2005
Dear DMC,
As winter is still with us, and many of us are still wearing gloves, I thought readers of dullmen.com would enjoy reading a web site that I came across this morning – click here – or go to:
(http://www.familyforest.info/gloves.htm).
Fascinating highlights about gloves I learned are:
 |
Cavemen wore gloves. They wore gloves to protect their hands. Their gloves were a primitive type of mitten. |
|
In England after the Norman Conquest royalty wore gloves as a badge of distinction. |
|
A custom developed of flinging a glove at the feet of an adversary to challenge the adversary’s integrity and an invitation to a duel. |
|
By the 12th century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, no well-dressed lady would appear in public without gloves. And gloves were becoming more accessible to commoners. |
|
A French Master Glover, Xavier Jouvin (1800-1844), devised a uniform system of glove sizes. |
Sincerely,
William A. Hand
Metronome Online
January 19, 2005
Dear DMC,
I find music these days to be too excting to listen to. I much prefer listening to a metronome.
If any of our readers have similar feelings, they can start out by listening to a metronome on the web at http://www.metronomeonline.com/ -- click here.
Sincerely,
Ty M. Inghe
Safe Excitement -- Disappearing Ice
January 16, 2005
Dear DMC,
My husband and I found a nice way to enjoy the start of a winter morning. The windows of our car, which we park on the street in front of our house, are often covered with frost these days.
Instead of trying to scrape the ice off or use one of those aerosol cans of deicing spray, we simply get into the car and start it up. We turn on the heater and defroster. Then we sit back and watch the windows clear up. My husband is thrilled to see the ice disappear. I rather enjoy it myself.
It doesn't take all that long. It makes me realize how much I appreciate time. As your Grover so wisely said when he gave a talk to our Garden Club recently (he talked about Why Women Appreciate Dull Men), time is what keeps everything from happening all at once. I am glad that the ice didn't melt all at once, if it had, I could not have enjoyed it so much.
Sincerely yours,
Dee Frost
Downsizing at the North Pole
December 27, 2004
Dear DMC,
I am an assistant to the CEO of a very large corporation. I am a dull man and love your site. (CEOs usually have dull men working for them.)
One of my tasks is to see what other corporations are doing. Today I received a press release which I attach below that your readers may enjoy reading.
Sincerely,
Tom Bland
PRESS RELEASE
North Pole, December 27, 2004
Today's global challenges require the North Pole to continue to look for better, more competitive steps. Effective immediately, the following economy measures are to take place in the "Twelve Days of Christmas" subsidiary:
The partridge will be retained, but the pear tree never turned out to be the cash crop forecasted. It will be replaced by a plastic hanging plant, providing considerable savings in maintenance.
The two turtle doves represent a redundancy that is simply not cost effective. In addition, their romance during working hours could not be condoned. The positions are therefore eliminated.
The three French hens will remain intact. After all, everyone loves the French.
The four calling birds were replaced by an automated voice mail system, with a call waiting option. An analysis is underway to determine who the birds have been calling, how often and how long they talked.
The five golden rings have been put on hold by the Board of Directors. Maintaining a portfolio based on one commodity could have negative implications for institutional investors. Diversification into other precious metals as well as a mix of T-Bills and high technology stocks appear to be in order.
The six geese-a-laying constitutes a luxury which can no longer be afforded. It has long been felt that the production rate of one egg per goose per day is an example of the decline in productivity. Three geese will be let go, and an upgrading in the selection procedure by personnel will assure management that from now on every goose it gets will be a good one.
The seven swans-a-swimming is obviously a number chosen in better times. Their function is primarily decorative. Mechanical swans are on order. The current swans will be retrained to learn some new strokes and therefore enhance their outplacement.
As you know, the eight maids-a-milking concept has been under heavy scrutiny by the EEOC. A male/female balance in the workforce is being sought. The more militant maids consider this a dead-end job with no upward mobility. Automation of the process may permit the maids to try a-mending, a-mentoring or a-mulching.
Nine ladies dancing has always been an odd number. This function will be phased out as these individuals grow older and can no longer do the steps.
Ten Lords-a-leaping is overkill. The high cost of Lords plus the expense of international air travel prompted