Heh. It worked. Maybe I should start writing all my HN responses like
    this. :-)

    In the early '90s I occasionally wrote circular messages, and once, I
    recall spending a good chunk of an hour composing one in the shape of
    a Christmas-tree: stacked triangles, gradually getting wider from the
    top to the bottom of the "tree". One letter wide at the very tip, and
    then 2 at the top of the next triangle. The bottom of each triangle 2
    letters wider each time, I think. You get the gist. I widened the top
    as there are not many 1-letter words in English and few 2-letter ones
    to choose from.