    ################################################################
    #                                                              #
    #           BTN:  Birmingham Telecommunications News           #
    #                                                              #
    ################################################################

    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    COPYRIGHT 1993                                    ISSN 1055-4548
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    Volume 7, Issue 5          Issue #69                   June 1994
    ----------------------------------------------------------------


                           TABLE OF CONTENTS
                           -----------------

    article title                                             author
    ----------------------------------------------------------------
    Disclaimer/Statement of Policy.............................Staff
    From The Editor.................................Scott Hollifield
    Notes From the Trenches............................Dean Costello
    Youth Speaks Out!........................A BTN Instant Talk Show
    Local Music In June.................................Judy Ranelli
    Special Interest Groups (SIGs).........................Eric Hunt
    Known BBS Numbers...................................Luke Whitley
    ----------------------------------------------------------------


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    ################################################################
    DISCLAIMER
    AND STATEMENT OF POLICY
    FOR BTN
    ################################################################


    We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
information in our publication.  We assume no responsibility for damage
due to errors, omissions, etc.  The liability, if any for BTN, its
*editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
of such damages occurring.

    With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles.  We publish
monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any time
but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear in a
particular issue.  It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise harm a
person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the content of
the articles prepared by our writers.  Our writers own their work and it
is protected by copyright.  We allow reprinting of articles from BTN
with only a few restrictions.  The author may object to a reprint, in
which case he will specify in the content of his article. Otherwise,
please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as the
source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
article's original title are retained.  If you use one of our articles,
please forward a copy of your publication to:


                              Mark Maisel
                             Publisher, BTN
                        606 Twin Branch Terrace
                          Birmingham, AL 35216
                             (205) 823-3956


We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
you like it.  We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
all of this and not get too serious about it.


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    ################################################################
    FREEBIE!!!
    GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT!               Systems That Offer Free BTN
    ################################################################

    The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is
    with no charge to any existing upload/download ratios.

    ADAnet One              Alter-Ego               Bone Yard
    Bus System              The Castle              Channel 8250
    C.A.B.                  The Comfy Chair!        Crunchy Frog
    DC Info Exchange        Final Frontier          The Guardian
    Hardware Hotline        Homewood's Hell Hole    Joker's Castle
    Leaping's Lounge        Lemon Grove             Lion's Den
    Martyrdom Again?!       The MATRIX              Milliways BBS
    The Outer Limits        Owl's Nest              Playground
    Safe Harbor             Southern Stallion       Starbase 12
    Thy Master's Dungeon    Weekends BBS


(This list includes some systems which are not local to Birmingham and
therefore not included on our BBS Numbers list.)

If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let
me know via The Matrix or Crunchy Frog so that I can post your board as
a free BTN distributor.  Thanks.


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    ################################################################
    NEWSFLASH!
                               NEWSFLASH!
                                                          NEWSFLASH!
    ################################################################



                           BTN CONTRIBUTOR IS
                               PLAYING AT
                          ** CityStages '94 **
                                   !!
                  Catch Judy Ranelli's band, The Ticks
                       Sunday the 19th at 12:15pm
                           on the Honda Stage
                               (I think)
                  See this month's LOCAL MUSIC column
                           for more details.



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    ################################################################
    FROM
    THE EDITOR                                      Scott Hollifield
    ################################################################


    Welcome to this month's ultra-slim issue, in the spirit of summer
fitness.  Of course, since you shouldn't be paying for this (and if you
are, I want to know who's making the money), you can't complain.  Less
is more, these days, or so I hear.

    If you do, however, happen to have an interest in maintaining a
fat and happy BTN from month to month, we're still looking for new
writers!  Drop me a note on Crunchy Frog, the Matrix or Alter Ego, and
read the submission guidelines included in this issue.

    That's it!  I'm keeping my own column short this month, to be
consistent... hope you enjoy our downsizing, because next month, don't
expect it to last.


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    ################################################################
    NOTES FROM
    THE TRENCHES                                       Dean Costello
    ################################################################


           This Makes a Difference?  Whom Am I Trying To Kid?


    Gosh, its been awhile since I last wrote freestyle.  Writing the
way I do for this column is pretty easy for me.  Unfortunately, most of
the writing that I have to do on a daily basis is not as freestyle as
this.  Anyway, this is a fun way of expressing oneself.

    There are a lot of things that need to be addressed, given things
that have been happening: Is it appropriate to mock the person who is
suing Bill Clinton for sexual harrassment that occurred three years ago
for using the 700 Club, et al, for legal fees?  Is medical reform dead
since Rostenkowski is about to hit the mats?  Will any changes occur in
Northern Ireland since Sinn Fein has been included in negotiations
between Ireland and England?  What are the chances of a solar system-
wide catastrophe occurring when that comet hits Jupiter in July?  Should
I be concerned with the test that shows glucose and albumin in my urine?
Will I ever be able to work on a different project?  All kinds of
questions, just begging to be thought about.

    It is currently Tuesday, May 31, 1994.  I am trying to convince
myself that what I am doing right now is not a waste of time.  I am
currently (well, in another window of my word processor) writing
summaries for the BRAC project.  Oh?  Never heard of BRAC?  If you are
in the military, you have definitely heard of BRAC. BRAC is the acronym
for Base Re-Alignment and Closure.  It is a committee that was set up by
Congress in, ummm, I believe 1989 in response to the lessening of
outside threats to the United States.

    It all started when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.  You see,
since approximately 1963, the United States has been based on a wartime
footing (check the economics during WWII and the Reagan Years.  They're
damned close), and unfortunately the Bad Guys apparently melted away.
So, we then have a whole lot of people, a whole lot of B-52s, and a
whole lot of bases that don't have anything to do anymore.

    Now, I can be sure to hear the counterstatements of those that look
at DoD as being the entitlement program of the Right.  Something along
the lines of, "We had to gear up the way we did. It forced the Soviets
into countering our every move, which drove them into dissolution", or
words to that effect I would imagine.  Hell, even Reagan realized that
there were too many military bases floating about the countryside.

    A bipartisan committee was created by Congress, the BRAC committee,
to determine which bases are to be shut down.  The idea is that if no
one person is accountable in Congress, than something can be
accomplished.  Look at it from your point of view.  You (the average
reader in Alabama) probably don't mind if Fort Dix (New Jersey) or The
Presidio (California) are shut down.  But I imagine that you have very
strong feelings about say, the Anniston Army Depot or Fort Rucker
being closed.  Congress is not stupid.  Your representatives, Shelby and
Hefflin, would stand up in front of Congress and make the most
impassioned speech available to describe to their colleagues about how
necessary it is to a Free America to keep Anniston open, even though the
effort at Anniston is replicated in many different bases all over the
country.  With the BRAC committee, he has a nice out, and you (the
teeming masses) won't be upset with him.  Let's face it, your average
military base contributes a lot to a community in terms of economic
resources; and your average community that has depended on your average
military base for the last forty years or so is not going to be doing
very well after the base packs up shop.

    And thus the necessity for a BRAC committee.

    Anyway, a lot of bases are being shut down (well, not really "a lot"
as I think of it.  I believe that in this second round of BRAC actions,
a total of 24 bases are being closed).  The next question that comes up
is what to do with the property after the government abandons it.
Sometimes it is easy.  For instance in San Francisco, many people are
chomping at the bit to get a part of the Presidio.  Nice location, close
to a lot of attractions.  Should make a lovely housing development.
Some are a little tougher in that they are in a fairly remote area or
in an area that cannot support development, but most are in a position
to be useful for civilian applications of one sort or another.

    And this is where I (and the Superfund process) come in.  There is a
small part of the CERCLA/SARA (Comprehensive Environmental
Responsibility, Compensation, and Liability Act/Superfund Act
Reauthorization Amendment) legislation that states that if you own a
property you are responsible for any contamination that has occurred at
the property at any point in the past.

    Spooky sounding, isn't it?  It should be.  The idea of it (in my
opinion) is to keep large companies from buying a piece of land
somewhere, dumping toxic materials on it, and transfering the land to a
holding company and saying, "Hey, the contamination was here when we got
the land.  We aren't responsible for it."  On the other hand, some
people will get burned since they didn't know the land that they had
bought had 10,000 buried drums.  To solve this, EPA added what is called
"De Minimus" to SARA.  What that means is that if you, the landowner,
can prove that you did not contribute to the contamination at the
property, than you will not be held responsible for the entire cost of
cleanup.  This also goes along with a legal phrase called "Joint and
Several Liability".  I'm not precisely sure what it entails, but I
believe it is something along the lines that if you (a company) can be
linked to contamination at the site, then you may be responsible for
either the entire cost of cleanup, or just a portion of the cost.
(Also, for the legal freaks out there, if you (a bank) loan a
considerable amount of money to a company, to the point that you are on
the company's board of directors, and the company gets busted under
CERCLA/SARA, then your bank can be held responsible under joint and
several liability since you had a say in the management practices of the
company.  Think about it for a minute...)

    Okay, how do you get around this?  Tricky.  More times than not
there is absolutely no problem with hazardous materials being on private
property (except in New Jersey [rim shot]), and chances are very low
that the Superfund monster will have to eat you.  Take a chance.  Live
life to its fullest.

    Or you can partake of a burgeoning industry: The Site Assessment
(SA).  The purpose of an SA is to examine the property that is about to
be purchased and make a decision based on the examination as to whether
it contains or contained hazardous materials.  This usually entails
performing a deed search (which should have been done before you bought
the land anyway), conducting a site reconnaissance which means that
someone who knows what they are doing takes a walk around the site and
examines it for icky things, such as drums, underground storage tanks,
lead-based paint, stressed vegetation, etc.  Ideally, the firm that
performs the SA has what is called E&O insurance (errors and omissions),
which means when they screw up, someone can cover the cost of the
screwup.  And the SA is what I am doing for the company.

    You see, a naval base in Florida has been scheduled for closing in
about another year or so.  Our job was to go to every building on the
facility (approximately 600 or so) and perform a site reconnaisance.
My job at this moment is to write a one-page summary of the
reconnaissance checklist.  It isn't much fun.  There is only so much I
can write on a warehouse or a BEQ, or whatever.  It is ugly-tedious and
I am very frustrated.  I guess that I can see the need for what I am
doing, but that doesn't get me though the problems of Doing It Now.

    When I first started into the environmental business I was very
idealistic.  Something along the lines of, "Hey, everyone, lets go save
the wilderness!"  It was a good feeling to get something done.  I
compare it to when a carpenter takes his/her child to a house and says,
"Look, I built this with my hands".  As a result of the projects I have
worked on in the past three years, I can go to a number of places and
say, "Look.  I cleaned this site so that it couldn't hurt anyone
anymore".  But I can't get that kind of spirit going on this BRAC
project.  Unfortunately, I have to go to the college I graduated from in
Pennsylvania on Monday and give a seminar on the wonders of the
environmental field.

    It is a bad time to try and convince people that this is the Best
and Greatest Thing To Do With Your Life, You Betcha.  The BRAC project
is almost done, and I can be free of it soon.  It has been long, and it
has tried my soul.  It has taught me that I need not do environmental
consulting for the rest of my life.  However, I don't know if I trust
others to do the job correctly.  I am very good at what I do, but I have
found that many people in this industry are either mercenary (anything
for a buck) or don't have the background to perform well.  The above
doesn't sound quite right, but it does serve to represent what I mean
fairly well.


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    ################################################################
    YOUTH
    SPEAKS
    OUT!                                   A BTN "Instant Talk Show"
    ################################################################



Item!  The Matrix dumps longtime-favorite traditional software PCBoard
for the far more expensive and controversial MajorBBS!  Is this a good
move for the Matrix?  And what do the users of a young turk BBS called
"Milliways" think about it?

Welcome to the first installment of a new feature in BTN, wherein we
take the pulse of the local BBS scene (or a part of it anyway) and
splash it up on your screen for all to see.  The basic idea here is a
combination of the ever-popular TV roundtable talk show, a la the
McLaughlin Group or Meet the Press, but done up in true '90s infobahn
fashion.

Each month, "Instant Talk Show" will pop up, unnanounced, on a local BBS
that features multi-user live chatting.  A topic will be announced, and
we're on our way!  (I also considered calling this column "Easy Article-
Writing From The Lazy Editor".)

This month, I showed my face and cyber-microphone in Milliways, one of
the boards in town that runs MajorBBS, which callers of the Matrix will
recognize as that board's newly adopted facelift.  In fact, that's
exactly what we talked about.

By the very nature of the Instant Talk Show, panel members go in and
out all the time, so the panel for our discussion will change names
once in a while.  For the purposes of preserving the "style" of the
conversation (and saving me a lot of work), only a minimal amount of
editing was done, as far as punctuation, syntax, etc. goes.

Two names you should be familiar with, however, are:

BTN:  That's me, your humble editor (and moderator).

and Zaphod:  The sysop of Milliways himself.

This month's Instant Talk Show was so long, I had to divide it up into
two parts.  Part two will be featured next month.


And away we go!


BTN:        What do you guys think about the "new" Matrix?

Die Hard:   I don't like The Matrix set-up.  I have met Rocky, and don't
            like him...can't afford a dollar an hour....chat section
            sucks...

Buster:     The Matrix does echo a lot of national conferences I
            believe.....

Zaphod:     No fun in the teleconference.. confused people everywhere...

The Master: someone has GOTTA tell rocky that he can't run that many
            high speed lines off of his hardware...

Buster:     Seriously MY problem is Matrix seems to be pricing
            themselves out of the market.....

Zaphod:     Outgoing Internet newsgroup postings are lame.. only a
            portion of the inbound trafic makes it..

Buster:     They are $1.00 an hour.  Full InterNet access thru Delphi
            would be $1.80

BTN:        But Zaphod, don't you think you should allow him time to
            get things settled?  It is a new experience for everyone,
            you know.

Zaphod:     Yes, but the Matrix is still COLD man.. unfriendly...

BTN:        Why do you suppose that is?

The Master: they dont know your name.  Milliways is like cheers...where
            everybody knows your name..

Zaphod:     Jan is interesting, but Rocky is never around, Tom is never
            around.. no one to help you, *I* had to help Jan the other
            day...

Frog:       Jan is all right. She Been real nice.

Zaphod:     Everyone wanders around the Matrix dazed it seems...

The Master: its just plain silly...most of the users there know more
            about running a MBBS [Major BBS] than the people running
            The Matrix.

Frog:       There is just so much stuff. There are some things I would
            like to down load. But who can find anything?

BTN:        Your complaint seems to stem primarily from the fact that
            the Matrix simply has many many more uses than Milliways.
            About no one knowing your name, I mean.

The Master: Partly...but people there are mainly..well...unfriendly...

BTN:        Have you had personal experiences like that?

The Master: on The Matrix? Well, yeah....half of the people in the
            teleconference don't even say "hi" when you go in..

Zaphod:     I think it is that there is no personal attention, and
            if you are gonna ASK for a buck an hour, there damn well
            better be friendly people there to help you.,

Buster:     Have you checked the AGE of some of their files?  OLD!

Zaphod:     Try this for fun, go to the CD-ROM library, and do a key
            word search based on ZIP.. ahahahah.. system crawls for DAYS

BTN:        Of course, some people need files that have been around for
            a while.

Buster:     true but they ARE hard to find......

The Master: i call only if i need a file...and that only if i cant get
            it anywhere else...

Sniper:     well, they have run a bbs for a long time, maybe they are a
            bit jaded... running a bbs can do that to you

BTN:        So you would advise Rocky to take on additional help staff?

Zaphod:     no, I think Rocky and Tom, and Jan, and whoever else is
            on staff should be more aware of their users, and be more
            open, and communicative, and FRIENDLY

The Master: they should be available, and Rocky needs to mingle with his
            users...

Buster:     What does Matrix say they offer over and above the other
            boards in town?

Zaphod:     Files, INternet...

The Master: i have NEVER seen Rocky online there...even when it was
            PCBoard.

Frog:       I have never seen Rocky on line on  matrix.

Bad Girl:   I got started on Matrix...before I knew about
            Milliways...have an account getting shorted time...just
            waiting on it to run out.

Zaphod:     Earlier, Bad Girl said it best... WE ARE MORE FUN.  We are
            the Cheers of Cyberspace.

BTN:        Of course, as cyberspace gets bigger and more crowded,
            it'll be harder to find places like "Cheers".  Do you think
            it was a mistake for the Matrix to ditch PCBoard?

Sniper:     that cannot be a mistake, Scott

The Master: actually, i think it was

Zaphod:     I think so, if Rocky and Co. are not going to utilize the
            potentials of the MBBS interface...

BTN:        And how would you suggest they do that?

Zaphod:     Like I said, be on line, and available more, respond to
            E-Mail in a not so curt fashion.. tell Jan to lose the "We
            are huge and getting bigger attitude"

The Master: PCBoard handeled everything but the teleconference better
            than MBBS

Sniper:     they must have wanted it just for the chat

Frog:       Mbbs proves that chat is where its at.

Buster:     Was TBBS considered?

Zaphod:     But MBBS, REQUIRES a fast machine... Does Milliways jerk
            and hop?

BTN:        I'm sure a lot of options were considered... I wasn't in on
            the sessions.

The Master: i recomended he go with Snet...he coulda run all that stuff
            on 2 or 3 machines...and had everything but a better
            teleconference to boot..

BTN:        That's another thing... you really thing that MBBS is worth
            the exorbitant price a sysop pays for it?

Zaphod:     YES!

BTN:        Do you guys foresee or detect the potential for a rivalry
            between Milliways and the Matrix since the switch?

The Master: HELL YEAH!

Zaphod:     Yes.

The Master: ...we will bury them.

BTN:        How come?

Zaphod:     We get HORDES of new users every day.. and most of them
            FROM the Matrix..

The Master: Milliways is wehre the chat is at

Zaphod:     Like Bad Girl for instance...

BTN:        Really?  You get a lot of disillusioned Matrix users?

The Master: we have had close to 20 in the last week or two..

Zaphod:     They LIKE the interface, but they like the way we implement
            it better...

Gradstud:   and chat is the main fucnction of MBBS . and Rocky has
            changed nothing... and ours is not as taxed as Rocky

The Master: actually, for chat, the only 2 BBSs that really compete at
            all are Genesis and milliways, and we have a better
            user/sub ratio

Zaphod:     We get lot's of Matrix refugees, that are dazzled by MBBS,
            but bored by the Matrix version of it..

BTN:        Why do you suppose that is?

Zaphod:     we get 350 + calls per day, averaging at LEAST 10 minutes
            per call.. for CHAT not files, not internet, but CHAT

The Master: we have had...er...over 70,000 calls in under a year

BTN:        Do you think it's possible for a BBS to work towards making
            a profit?

Gradstud:   we hope so... several already do

BTN:        I've heard from Rocky and every other established sysop in
            town that it won't happen... that you're always putting your
            own money into it.

Zaphod:     *WE* make a profit, as small as we are.. BUT, the money is
            ineffectively managed due to circumstances temporarily
            beyond my control...

Zaphod:     If we, with 12 lines, and 350 users, can make a profit, why
            the hell can Rocky not?

Bad Girl:   because Rocky doesn't know how to run a bbs.

Zaphod:     In a way he does not.. He is resting on his laurels...

Buster:     Wouldn't satelite feeds and uunet newsgroups cost MAJOR
            bucks?

Die Hard:   Because Rocky doesn't/won't know how to run a BBS if it
            walks up and bites him on the ASS...

BTN:        He's been doing so successfully for a decade or so,
            wouldn't you say?

Zaphod:     The new face of BBSing demands friendly, competent people
            around...

BTN:        How would you characterize the "new face" as opposed to an
            old one?

Zaphod:     Easy, Multi line systems are easily accesible now with
            changes in telco tarriffs, no more single line, chat when
            the sysop wants to. People EXPECT others online, and LIKE
            it when it happens... socializing, and talking.. not cold
            anymore..

The Master: thats why the multinode systems get so many bloody
            calls...and the little one line deals are losing callers..

BTN:        Cinnamon, do you or have you ever called the Matrix?  We're
            sort of discussing it.

Cinnamon:   i have called there...it is not what i look for in a
            bbs...

Zaphod:     people want to talk, to communicate, to know, to reach
            others... not be lost and stuck in an alien cyberspace. ...
            with no one to turn to..



NEXT MONTH:  Part 2.


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    ################################################################
    LOCAL MUSIC
    IN JUNE                                             Judy Ranelli
    ################################################################

    Here it is several days into June, and I have misplaced my glasses.
This is gonna be tough, and doubtless short.  Oh well...

Fri. 6/10
CYNICS/9 LB. HAMMER at The Nick
    If I'm not mistaken, the Cynics have put out beaucoup albums, which
is kind of disheartening if you're in this buisness: I've never heard of
them.  9 Lb. Hammer is a punkish loud fast fun thing from another state.
I never claimed to be well-informed, or if I did, I lied.

Sat. 6/11
FUZZY SUNS/TECHNO-SQUID EATS PARLIAMENT at The Nick
GLEN TOLBERT with LANE POOLE at Otey's
    Lotsastuff: Either feel sort of sonically disembowled at the Nick
thanks to weirdos Fuzzy Suns and poorly named mystery band Techno-Squid
Eats Parliament, or tell Deliverance jokes and enjoy great guitarist
Glen Tolbert with Lane Poole at Otey's (bluegrass, you dolt!).

Tues. 6/14
KILLDOZER/STEEL POLE BATHTUB at The Nick
    I hate you if you get to see this show because I have to work and
can't spare the vacation day. Needless to say Killdozer has produced the
finest version of "Sweet Home Alabama" in existence, while Steel Pole
Bathtub will be outstanding and is one of the few bands I would allow to
make my fillings ache with such volume and high frequency.

Fri.-Sun. 6/17-6/19
**** CITY STAGES!!! **** at Linn Park
    *If* you aren't a total moron, *if* you are someone who can brave
Port-a-Lets and warm beer, *if* you don't want to make me disgusted with
you, I am asssuming that you'll be at City Stages.  For one thing I'm
FINALLY PLAYING IN IT: that's the Ticks on Sunday, in blazing heat
with hangovers.  For another thing, it's one of the biggest music
festivals in the country, and enduring the crowds is sort of like Kane
lifting the vat of coals to get those cool dragon scars.  Besides
which, spending the afternoon listening to the folk acts and lounging on
the park grass is one of the best concert experiences anyone could have
anywhere.  Now, I must confess that I'm not overwhelmed with the lineup
this year, but they don't ask me who to book, and there's plenty for
people with different tastes.
    Recommendations:
    Wear a hat.
    See: the Fleshtones (whose new album rocks), Space Camp, Shallow,
George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, any Zydeco-ish acts when you're
snockered, Shining Time Station-Live! (this is an example of why City
Stages is really a great event.  Where else are you gonna see Shining
Time Station-Live!?), every weird dance act you can cram into your
schedule (Pacific Island Dancers, Gandy Dancers, Nigerian Traditional
Folk Dance (!?), the choir of Christ Temple Deliverance Church, The
Ticks naturally, THE NEVILLE BROTHERS, Roomful of Blues, B.B. KING,
Katheryn Tucker Windham (ghost stories), and Wiregrass Sacred Harp
Singers.
    Think of creative ways to sneak liquor into the event; have a
contest.
    Wear comfortable shoes.
    What I will avoid (which means nothing to you but I have to fill a
column with good sense): Indigo Girls, Widespread Panic, the Band,
The Pointer Sisters, and Locust Fork (sorry guys).
    What I will regret missing becuase I have to play during it:
"Hispanic Dance 'Ole".
    Scariest sounding event that I might muster up the nerve to attend:
The ubiquitous and secret "Nabisco Activities" which hopefully isn't
painful and which probably involves a book of mysteries which
participants can't divulge.  But if you get fezzes....

    AFTER City Stages, once you've recovered, there is still the rest of
June, which consists of:

Fri. 6/24
GRAVY at Dugan's
    Very rocking blues thing gaining in popularity and expertise.
The drummer used to work with me at EWTN.

Sat. 6/25
SCRUDGE/SOUL COW at The Nick
    Good gawsh, it's punk rock: Scrudge with lovely Chris Hendrix, and
Soul Cow which is neat-o weirdness (becoming habit in Birmingham to be
in a weird band with complicated music), but don't get me wrong, I like
them!

That's all till July!  <gasp>


 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

    ################################################################
    SPECIAL INTEREST
    GROUPS (SIG's)
    [COMPUTER RELATED]                         compiled by Eric Hunt
    ################################################################


    BIPUG                              Alabama UniForum
    Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group      Homewood Public Library
    UAB Nutrition Science Blg          1st Tuesday
    RM 535/541                         Shawn Cleary 870-6130
    1st Sunday (delayed one week
    if meeting is a holiday)
    Marty Schulman 967-5883

    Birmingham Apple Core
    Informal breakfast meeting every Saturday, 9am - 11am
    @ Kopper Kettle, lower level Brookwood Village Mall
    Formal meeting held second Saturday of each month, location
    variable (to be announced at breakfast meetings and in the
    user group's newsletter "The PEEL".)
    President: Sam Johnston - 322-5379
    Vice-Prez: Marie Prater - 822-8135

    The SIG listing is being re-verified. If you know of an active
    Computer Related user's group, please let me know.

    I can be reached via Internet email at
    eric.hunt@the-matrix.com or drop me a note directly on the
    MATRIX.


 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


    ################################################################
    KNOWN BBS NUMBERS
    FOR THE
    BIRMINGHAM AREA                         compiled by James Minton
    ################################################################

    Sysops, PLEASE check your listing to make sure everything is
    correct, especially the networks. Corrections should be mailed
    to either Luke Whitley or Scott Hollifield on The Matrix, Crunchy
    Frog, or Southern Stallion.


ADAnet One (Nodes 1-3)  250-0013   1200-2400             PCBoard 14.5
    [ez, fi, ad]
ADAnet One (Node 4)     254-6050   2400-14400   USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
    [ez, fi, ad]
Alcatraz BBS            608-0880    300-9600             PCBoard 15.0
    [he, vi]
Alter-Ego BBS           925-5099   1200-9600    USR HST  PCBoard 14.5
    [alt, ez, mn]
Baudville (Nodes 1-7)   995-0013    300-2400             Major BBS 6.12
    [none]
Bloom County            985-4335    300-28800   VFC 28.8 PCBoard 15.1
    [in,fr]
BulletProof             668-1624   300-19200    ZyXEL    Wildcat 3.90 *RIP*
    [none]
Bus System              987-5419    300-2400             PCBoard 14.2
    [none]
Byte Me!                979-BYTE!  2400-14400   V.32     WWIV 4.12
    [none]
Castle, The             841-7618    300-2400             Image 1.2
    [none]
Cherry Tree             681-1710  1200-14400             TriBBS 4.01
    [wm, ca]
Christian Apologetic    808-0763  1200-14400    V.32bis  Wildcat! 3.90
    [ez, cp]
Crocodile Country BBS   477-6283  1200-16800    USR DS   Searchlight 3.5 *RIP*
    [sl, fi]
Crunchy Frog (Node 1)   823-3957   300-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
    [ez, mn, lu, ll]
Crunchy Frog (Node 2)   823-3958   300-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
    [ez, mn, lu, ll]
Crystal Village         856-3749   1200-2400             VBBS 6.10
    [cr, cs, al, ho, co, fn, vi]
Den, The                933-8744    300-14400   USR DS   PCBoard 15.1
    [ez, mn, il]
Digital Publishing      854-1660    300-9600    V.32     Wildcat! 3.60
    [pl]
Dogpatch BBS            669-1705   300-38400             PCBoard 15.1
    [none]
Drawing Room, The       951-2391   300-14400    V.32/42  Wildcat! 3.90
    [none]
Electro-BBS             491-8402   300-14400    V.32/42  Maximus 2.01
    [fi]
Family Smorgas-Board    744-0943    300-2400             PCBoard 14.5
    [ez, fi, mj, bc, fa, ic, cf, cd, ve, ad, wg, pt, ed, gn]
Final Frontier          838-5634   300-14400             VBBS 6.11 *RIP*
    [al, he, re, fn]
Free Enterprise         856-9809   300-14400   V.32/42   Remote Access 2.01
    [fi,it,sz,br]
Genesis Online (1-8)    620-4150    300-2400   V.32bis   Major BBS 6.11 *RIP*
    [mr]
Genesis Online (9-16)   620-4379  2400-14400   V.32bis   Major BBS 6.11 *RIP*
    [mr]
Gone Fishin'            733-0860  1200-14400   V.42bis   Searchlight 3.5a *RIP*
    [do, sl]
Guardian, The (Node 1)  425-1951  1200-14400   V.42bis   VBBS 6.11
    [vi]
Guardian, The (Node 2)  425-1956  1200-14400   V.42bis   VBBS 6.11
    [vi]
Joker's Castle          664-5589   300-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 14.5
    [ez, mn, un]
KickAxis BBS (Node 1)   733-0253  1200-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 15.0
    [he]
KickAxis BBS (Node 2)   733-0299  1200-14400    USR DS   PCBoard 15.0
    [he]
Knight's Castle         631-6668   300-14400             WWIV 4.23
    [ce, bi, fn]
Leaping's Lounge        856-2521  1200-14400             GTPower 18.00
    [gt, ez, mn, wm, di]
Lions Den               871-9688   300-14400    USR DS   Wildcat! 3.90
    [wi, fi]
Lumby's Palace          520-0041   300-14400             VBBS 6.0
    [he]
Magic City (Node 1)     664-9883   300-14400    USR DS   Wildcat! 3.90
    [di, wm, wi, ca, cm, pe]
Magic City (Node 2)     664-0435    300-2400             Wildcat! 3.90
    [di, wm, wi, ca, cm, pe]
Magnolia BBS            854-6407   300-14400    USR HST  PCBoard 14.5
    [ez, mn]
MATRIX, The (Nodes 1-14)  323-2016 300-2400              Major BBS *RIP*
    [ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr]
MATRIX, The (Nodes 20-23) 323-6016 9600-14400   USR DS   Major BBS *RIP*
    [ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr]
MATRIX, The (Node 25-26)  458-3449 9600-14400   V.32bis  Major BBS *RIP*
    [ez, mn, th, il, in, us, al, sh, sc, gl, ic, ri, fr]
MetaBoard               854-4814   300-14400    USR DS   Opus CBCS 1.73
    [fi, ad]
MetroMac BBS (Node 1)   323-6306   1200-28800   V.FC     TeleFinder 3.1
    [none]
MetroMac BBS (Node 2)   252-0582   1200-28800   V.FC     TeleFinder 3.1
    [none]
Milliways BBS (Node 1)  956-3177   1200-2400             Major BBS 6.11 *RIP*
    [none]
Milliways BBS(Nodes 2-6)956-2731   1200-2400             Major BBS 6.11 *RIP*
    [none]
Missing Link            853-1257   300-16800    USR DS   C-Net Amiga 2.63
    [cl, cn]
Neon Moon               477-5894   300-14400             TriBBS 4.0
    [none]
Party Line              856-1336   300-14000    V.32bis  TriBBS 4.0
    [cc, wm, di]
Playground              681-5070  1200-14000    V.32     TriBBS 5.0
    [wm, di, al, ez]
Posys BBS               854-5131    300-9600    V.32     PCBoard
    [none]
Programmer's Shack      988-4695  2400-14400    HST DS   Renegade
    [ws, fi, it]
Quiet Zone              833-2066    300-2400             ExpressNet
    [none]
Safe Harbor (Node 1)    665-4332    300-2400             GTPower 18.00
    [gt, ez, mn, lg, ae, fr]
Safe Harbor (Node 2)    665-4355   300-14400    USR DS   GTPower 18.00
    [gt, ez, mn, lg, ae, fr]
Sam's Domain            956-2757  1200-14400             SL. 3.50
    [da, he]
Safety BBS              581-2866    300-2400             RBBS-PC 17.4
    [none]
Southern Stallion       322-3816   300-16800    ZyXEL    PCBoard 15.1 *RIP*
    [alt, ez, lu, th, rs, un]
Sperry BBS              853-6144    300-2400    V.32/42b PCBoard 15.0
    [none]
ST BBS                  836-9311    300-14400   HST      PCBoard 14.2
    [ez]
StarBase 12             647-7184  1200-14000             TriBBS 4.0
    [ez, mn, wm]
Thy Master's Dungeon    940-2116   300-57600    V.32/42b PCBoard 14.5
    [fr]
Torch Song              328-1517  1200-14000    V.32/42b Wildcat 3.90
    [pr, st, gn]
Weekends BBS            841-8583  2400-16800    USR DS   Wildcat! 3.9
    [ca]
Willie's DYM (Node 1)   664-9902    300-2400             Oracomm Plus
    [or]
Willie's DYM (Node 2)   664-9903    300-2400             Oracomm Plus
    [or]
Willie's DYM (Node 3)   664-9895    300-2400             Oracomm Plus
    [or]
Willie's DYM (Node 4)   664-9896    300-2400             Oracomm Plus
    [or]
Ziggy Unix BBS          991-5696    300-1200             UNaXess
    [none]

*RIP* = BBS Software is RIP Graphics capable. You must be using a RIP
compatible term software to view them. RIPTerm or QmodemPro v1.50 are
the only two I know of that support it at this time. RIPTerm is shareware
and can be downloaded from most BBS's. QmodemPro is a commercial product.

The two-letter abbreviations you see on the line below the names of
many of the bbs' in the list signify that they are members of one or
more networks that exchange or echo mail to each other in some organized
fashion.


ad  = ADAnet, an international network dedicated to the handicapped
ae  = Arts & Entertainment, a national network, multi-topic
ag  = AgapeNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic
al  = AlaNet, a local network, multi-topic
alt = AlterNet, a local network, multi-topic
an  = The Annex, an international network, multi-topic
at  = AdultNet, a national network, adult-oriented
bc  = BCBNet, a local network, religion-oriented
bh  = BhamTalk, a local network, multi-topic
bi  = BitchNet, a national network, uncertain at press time
br  = BreezeNet, National network, multitopic
ca  = CafeNet, a local network, restaurant/dining, recipes, etc.
cc  = Coast2Coast, a national network, multi-topic
cd  = CDN, a national Christian network for file distribution
ce  = CheeseNet, a local role-playing game network
cf  = CFN, a national Christian network, multi-topic
ch  = ChristNet, a national Christian network
cl  = CLink, uncertain at press time
cm  = CompuLink, a national network, multi-topic
cn  = CNet, multi-topic
co  = ComicNet, a local net for comic book readers
cp  = CAPNet, a national Christian network, multi-topic
cr  = CrystalNet, uncertain at press time
cs  = ChaosNet, uncertain at press time
cy  = Cybernet, uncertain at press time
da  = DateNet, uncertain at press time
de  = DevNet, an international network for programmers and developers
di  = Dixie Net, a regional network, multi-topic geared toward the south
      eastern United States
do  = DoorNet, a national network for the distribution of BBS doors
ec  = EchoNet, an international network, multi-topic
ed  = EduNet, a national network devoted to homeschooling and Christian
      education
er  = ErosNet, an international network, adult oriented, files & messages
ez  = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network
fa  = FamilyNet, an international network, multi-topic
fi  = FidoNet, an international network, multi-topic
fn  = FrontierNet, a local network, multi-topic
fr  = FredNet, a regional network, political discussion
fs  = FSNet, uncertain at press time
ga  = GameNet, a local network, uncertain at press time
gl  = GlobalLink, an international network, multi-topic
gm  = GayCom, an international network, homosexually oriented
gn  = GlobeNet, an international network, multi-topic
gt  = GTNet, an international network, multi-topic
gy  = GayNet, a national network, homosexually oriented
he  = HellNet, a local network, multi-topic
ho  = HobbyNet, a local network for hobbyists
ic  = ICDM, an international Christian network, multi-topic
ie  = Intelec, a national network, multi-topic
il  = ILink, an international network, multi-topic
in  = InterNet, an international network of mail, linking businesses,
      universities, and bbs', multi-topic
it  = ITCNet, a national network, multi-topic
lg  = Local GT Net, a local network, connecting GT Power systems
ll  = LlamaNet, a national network, freeform correspondence
lo  = LocalNet, uncertain at press time
lu  = LuciferNet, an international network, adult oriented
ma  = MAXnet, a local network, connecting WWIV and VBBS systems
mj  = MJCN, an international network for Messianic Jews
mn  = Metronet, an international network which echoes RIME, multi-topic
mr  = MajorNet, an international network, multi-topic
nl  = NewLife, uncertain at press time
np  = NPN, a national network for new parents
or  = OraNet, a national E-mail network
pe  = Planet Earth Network, a national network, multi-topic
pl  = PlanoNet, a national network, multi-topic
pn  = PoliceNet, an international network, law-enforcement only
pr  = PrideNet, a national homosexually oriented network
pt  = PRNet, a national network devoted to 2nd amendment rights
rf  = RF Net, a national network for ham radio users and hobbyists
ri  = RIME, an international network, multi-topic
rb  = RoboLink, a national network, multi-topic
re  = RealityNet, uncertain at press time
rp  = RPGnet, a local network for role-playing games
rs  = RoseNet, a national network, technically orient*ed
ru  = RushNet, a national network for Rush Limbaugh fans
sc  = Science Factor Net, a national network, science and technology
      oriented
se  = SEC, a regional network, homosexually oriented geared toward the
     southeastern United States
sh  = Shades N Shadows Net, a national network for role-playing games
sl  = SearchlightNet, a national network, multi-topic
sm  = SmartNet, a national network, multi-topic
sn  = ShadowNet, a national network for role-playing games
ss  = SexSations!, a national network, adult-oriented
st  = StudsNet, a national network, homosexually oriented
sz  = SCN-Net, uncertain at press time
te  = TECHnet, a local network, hardware and utility oriented
th  = ThrobNet, an international network, adult oriented
un  = U'NI-Net, an international network, multi-topic
us  = Usenet, an international network existing on the Internet, multi-
      topic
ve  = VETLink, a national network for military veterans
vi  = VirtualNet, an international network, multi-topic
wg  = WGA, an international network devoted to genealogy research
wi  = WildNet, a national network, multi-topic
wm  = World Message Exchange, an international network, multi-topic
ws  = WishNet, uncertain at press time
ww  = WWIV-Net, an international network, multi-topic
