
1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask....
2 ************************** INSTALLED: 21 DEC 84 ********************
3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System)  Mike Day System operator
4 ************************************************************
5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION PLACED ON
6                     THIS SYSTEM.
7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
18 ************************************************************
19 
20 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     (various notes)
21 1.  I'm on the top?  This has *got* to be a mistake!
22 2.  To Luingil;  Sorry 'bout that, I've fallen prey to my own fears...
23 3.  To kathy;  Having noted your comment about the 'gore' in DUNE, I forced my-
24     self to take another look at it in a different light... You're right,
25     most any time one sees the Baron, or any Harkonnen for that matter, there
26     was bound to be some gore involved.(That was including stuff that was just
27     down-right crude...)   Aside form all that, I do believe that I have found
28     that Pass I was looking for.
29 4.  Ah, the holidays and the snow... I knew it was too good to last.
30 5.  To the Man in Gray;  It's your choice; TOC to ya later...
31 6.  Now that it is time for everyone else to relax, it is now the time for me
32     to work.  Life seemed soooo simple only a fortnight ago, now, well...
33     Now I am having -serious- doubts about the India transaction. (PARANOIA)
34 7.  To Andy Rooney;  Have you done a story about 'Did you ever notice how time
35     flies when its five days til Christmas, and you haven't done any shopping
36     yet?'   If not, do one now.
37 8.  To all the others I say 'Noel, Enjoy...'                sigh...
38 9.  END OF LINE.
39 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     --->the Guardian     0255 Hrs     21 Dec 84
40                         ^         ^                        ^
41 (p.s.   Tell me how you figured out the PaPa CW Smurf.     --->S)
42 
43 ****************************************************************************
44 
45                  M E R R Y   C H R I S T M A S ! ! !
46 
47                              A L L
48 
49 **************************************************************santakathy****
50 new at this. GOODBYE
51 {c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{Merry everything!}{c}{c}
52   I wish everyone a very merry christmas!  A happy new year and a 
53 fabulous birthday whenever it is.  I hope you all recieve a great
54 amount of love and happiness and delight that christmas can offer
55 to us.  It's so pretty outside and so warm inside, why can't it 
56 be like this for a longer time...  I just sit inside my big window
57 and watch the snowflakes drift down from the sky and sit so merrily
58 on the ground with each other.  They make everything so pretty and
59 wonderful to look at.  I don't think much about how cold I get when
60 I stand outside, but I just love to look at the snow and watch it.
61 It's so beautiful.  
62   ^                                   ^
63  >*< Have a Merry Christmas everyone >*<
64   ^                                   ^
65 {c}{c}{snow flakes.}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{tammy}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}
66 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$#
67 Here I stood, in an empty lot.  The address Fred had found led nowhere.
68 "Are you sure this is the place?", I asked Fred.  "No mistake?"
69 "Yes, this is it....Farley, I've just deciphered PIV for you."
70 Hmmm... At least Fred was fast, if a little screwed up.  "Let's have it."
71 "PIV stands for NET.  Do you know what that means?"
72 NET.  NET?  Surely the NET was a piece of fiction that someone conjured up.
73 What was that doing in Joshua's file?  More questions, no answers- just an
74 empty lot.
75 "Listen, Fred, scan the lot.  Anything at all.  I want to get this all over
76 with by Christmas."
77 "O.K. Farley.  Wait, there is a source of energy at the back right end of the
78 lot.  I cannot trace its source.  Is that what you were looking for?"
79 "Yeah.  Listen, park yourself here and I'll go look in the snow.  I hope this
80 isn't just a wild goose."
81 I jumped out of the front seat and walked slowly to the part of the lot Fred
82 had indicated.  Nothing- just a lot of junk, cans, and snow.
83 "Farley, suddenly interference has trebled.  I cannot scan the lot."
84 Interference?  I stepped back a few paces, on a hunch.
85 "I, er, can sense the energy source now, Farley.  Maybe you'd better take me 
86 in for repairs.  My sensors are acting strangely."
87 "It's not you, Fred.  Someone doesn't want people snooping around here.  Look,
88 can you detect PRECISELY where the energy is coming from, then guide me there
89 when the interference comes back?"
90 "Sure.  Ok, got it locked now.  Move 5 meters forward, then 2.1 meters to the
91 right.  The energy source will be .2 meters ahead of you."
92 I carefully paced the measurements Fred gave me, and sure enough, the noise
93 came back.  I smiled a bit as I found a can that was sitting strangely on the 
94 ground.  I lifted it up.
95 Something hit me.  The last thing I heard was Fred yelling through the 'com,
96 "..men coming from hidden entrances behind you!"
97 Before Fred could get himself moving, the men had taken Farley below.  Not even
98 the snow showed where they had dragged him as it was blown around by a sudden
99 wind.  Fred resigned himself to wait.
100 #$##$##$##$##$##$# Farley #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$# 12/21/84-11:55 #$##$##$##$#
101 +-*/+-*/+-*/+-*/+-*/
102 To any Bit Bucket Fans,
103 The Bucket is online TODAY ONLY, Friday 12/21/84 for
104 testing of some new features.  Call it up and try it
105 out if you were a validated user as of 12/01/84.  New
106 users are locked out.  <I>nfo, <P>oll, <U>serinfo, and
107 <H>elp are disabled for the testing.  Leave a message
108 in GENERAL message base with suggestions or comments
109 on the changes.  The number is 761-xxxx.  The Bucket
110 will go offline at the 761-xxxx number PERMANENTLY late
111 in the evening of 21-DEC.  (That's TONIGHT, folks).
112 The system will return to operation in Mid-January at
113 a new number.  Messages will be posted on all popular
114 local BBS's once the system returns.
115 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
116 Rick Bensene - SYSOP, Bit Bucket BBS
117 +-*/+-*/+-*/+-*/+-*/
118 ***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***
119 Hark! A sound from yonder corner........Nary a soul is stirring.  "Inn
120 keeper? Where art thou, scoundrel?????".  "Bring me my food and drink".
121 The Terrible ogre Black Thunder has returned once again.... 'Tis time 
122 for yet another journey thinks Thunder... Where to is yet another question.
123 I wonder who is here? he mumbled to himself.   The venerable lady of the
124 shores and mountains? The omnipotent Dragon Lady? Rumours of her appear
125 ance have been rampant.  Balchazar? Who knows?  Well, all is quiet at the
126 Inn thinks Black Thunder...But who knows? He says as he nods off to sleep?
127 ***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***
128 ***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***
129 Kathy --  All is not lost, never fear! Chin up and cheerio and all that!
130 Life can and could be much worse I presume, having been in more than my
131 own share of dire straights as well
132 
133 
134 
135 
136 ***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-
137 Tammy -- (the previous message was mis-sent. Sorry) -- Life isn't all
138 THAT bad is it? I mean, chip chip cheerio!  I have been down life's many
139 and varied paths as well, some of them nastier than others, however: 
140 The one thing that keeps me going is that "no matter how bad the situ
141 ation, it could <*ALWAYS*> be worse.....".  Not knowing what the problem
142 is I don't know if I can help you, but do bear in mind that all is not
143 lost.  I frequently get disgusted with Xmas as well, and like Mikey, I
144 don't <FEEL> the words I mouth......So it goes. It somehow seems mildly
145 hypocritical to me in light of our present situation in the world...
146 In any case (those of you who frequent a certain board will recognize
147 this clue as to my identity......) keep the following in mind:
148 "There are some things in life so serious you just have to laugh at
149 them....."......  KEEP SMILING! 
150                                 Black Thunder
151 ***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-
152 ***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-
153 Kathy --  
154 Unbeknownst to the captain of yon ship which so recently we left
155 after he had boarded the English ship, a certain vagabond soon became
156 aware that there was trouble above.  Hidden from prying eyes, ensconsed
157 in a cubby-hole below deck, lurked the evil Black Thunder, who, having
158 just recently departed the Inn felt a desperate urge to take passage
159 on a ship.  Size or speed was not important. Only freedom mattered. 
160 The price on his head was too great to stay in one place, however much
161 he wanted to stay at the Inn.  Does this spell trouble for the pirate
162 captain's crew?  Trouble for Thunder himself?  Ha ha......"Only the
163 shadow knows"........
164 		Black Thunder
165 ***-***-***-***-***-***-***-***-
166 ***********************************************************
167 
168      HELP!!!!!!
169           I  would like to get numbers to any BBS's in the 
170        Portland area. 
171 
172              Please leave messages to me, Jeffrey 
173 
174                    THANKS
175                           Jeffrey
176 
177 ***********************************************************
178 
179 Jeffery, try these to start with:
180 
181 Name:                      Number:
182 -------------------------  ----------
183 Bargain Basement           287-xxxx
184 Bee Color BBS              629-xxxx
185 NW Connection              285-xxxx
186 -------------------------  ----------
187 Mad Max...
188 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
189   From Prometheus; Irked
190   I made the reference to cutting and did not leave my name for purposes of time. I do not beleive I was trying to be overly
191 sophisticated by saying that a miserable job was done in putting all the scenes together.
192 
193   My references to the person that should be professionally shamed were directed at the one person responsible for the final
194 version. Specifically the one technician responsible for the care of the film, and the grace of the final assembly.
195 
196   Forgive me for thinking that a film that was scratched as badly as that on the third night was badly cared for, and for the
197 thought that the final confirmation of Paul being Messiah should not be followed by a ramshackle ut to credits and muzak.
198 
199   It seems to me that I would have been impressed incredibly with the motion picture had it not been slashed the way it was.
200   I do notmind that a few roles were cut entirely, or that scenes in the book were omitted entirely simply because I saw Dune
201 as a movie, and not an adaptation of a favorite book.
202 
203   The promise of the movie in characterization and effects supplied me with mental pictures that Herbert's writing style does
204 not even hint at for me, thus my decision that reading Dune would be much more enjoyable than my thirty pages a few years ago.
205 
206   Niow, all points seemingly defended I am being called away for some really strange reasons. Something about halide lamps to
207 be installed or something...
208 
209 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
210 Dear Kathy,
211      Pokeacabinboy? Har, har, har. Boys that run from nuns? He He He.
212 You naughty darling.
213 ++++++++++++++++batpoop the magnificent, shocked & stunned +++++++++++++++++++
214 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
215 "Drat.", I said, looking down at the mess I'd made of the experiment.
216 It had been two weeks since I had been at the Inn (my time), but I hadn't gotten any rest.  My tower was still locked 
217 up when I arrived, and I soon began work in the lab to research restoration magics.  The fact that the once lovely Ruby
218 Valley had been scarred beyond recognition (and with I being the cause of some of it) made me try to repair the damage.
219 And so here I am.
220 As this field of magic is no where near my forte (transport, communication, and defense), I was having problems.  I 
221 seemed to have no knack at all for this sort of thing, but I was still determined to try.  Perhaps I would get lucky.
222 As I cleaned up the debris, I reviewed the laws of magic I knew of:
223 Sympathy, Contagion, Persistance, and Signatures.  I had given a good demonstration of the priniples of Sympathy &
224 Contagion during the last adventure...what might the other laws do to help?
225 Persistance.  Well, I was certainly being persistant.  Two weeks of repeating the same mistakes is shows a lot of 
226 stick-to-it-ivness.  Signatures?  "The attributes without mirror the powers within"... doesn't seem to help.
227 I finished cleaning up, and left for the library.  I prided myself in keeping a very large library, well supplied.
228 I opened the book I had been studying for the past five days, and read:
229 "...cannot accomplish. Your arts may fail you.  Life is the most dependable magic of all."
230 I closed the book, and thought.  Life?  Why not?  Didn't life help life?  Wasn't this most apparent at this time of
231 year, near Christmas?  Wasn't this what "good will toward men" meant?
232 I made up my mind.  I spent nearly three hours packing the necessary materials in a Portable Hole.  I folded the Hole 
233 neatly then fell asleep, wanting to be alert when I set off to help heal the Valley.
234 +++++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 10:30 on 12/21/84 ++++++++++++++++++ Definitely near Xmas time ++++
235 +++ Read Lyndon Hardy's "Master of the Five Magics" and "Secret of the Sixth Magic" if you haven't already. +++ Milch +
236 && && &&
237 Hello all... I liked Dune. The remarkable thing about a dancing bear is not how well it dances, but that it dances at
238 all. I thought that it could have been better, but I was still amazed at how much of the (essentially unfilmable) book
239 actually made it to the screen. You must understand that film is a here-and-now medium, and to include the background
240 material needed to really understand the story as well as the full story would make it the longest movie ever filmed.
241 && && &&
242 Luingil-- did anyone ever take you up on the meaning of your name? (come on, folks, it's an easy one...)
243 && && &&
244                                     !Notice!
245 For all of you out there who tried the ATE-BYTE system and hated it, and for those who took it to their hearts for
246 some really interesting writing, and for anyone else out there... KAMAS is no more. The system running at that number
247 is once again Nerdolux, written in C. The system will have multiple-board capability soon(perhaps by the time you read
248 this) and is MUCH easier to use. Fiction Fans, Fear Not: the Fiction section will be edited from the KAMAS system 
249 and put into its own section on Le Nerd. The number is still ATE-BYTE (283-xxxx).
250      && The Mad Actor &&
251 :::::::::::****************************
252 welcome back, Mad Actor! Where have you
253 been keeping yourself?
254 **************:::(Mad Actor fan club)::
255 
256 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     (pseudo-authors)
257 Now is the time for me to jump on the bandwagon again, so it seems...
258 (But all things are not as they seem...   ponder on *that*)
259 (It was suggested that I call myself 'pondergaard')
260 And the bandwagon is this:   Dino D.  Rag Sessions  Part III
261                            -----------------------------------
262 1.  DDL actually had very little to do with this movie, 
263     it's a  DAVID LYNCH  film!   (Eraserhead, The Elephant Man)
264 2.  Most of the scenes had been shot but were edited for final pacing.
265     We all have hopes that this material will be added on for the 
266     Video format (Too good for TV)
267 3.  Getting back to 'what has he done right?'
268     Wasn't  'The Dead Zone'  good enough for you?  He had the same amount
269     of participation in that film as he did in  DUNE.
270 (The person I am typing this for suggested that the person that entered the
271 one about editing it to  2  1/2 hrs for a  TV  format should have a 'thumper'
272 placed somewhere dark so as to attract a worm, but I won't put that in...)
273 4.  Enough of that, the tempers have all cooled down for now...
274     For a better look at David Lynch, read the article in the Fri, 21 Dec 84
275     Oregonian on page G-4 (in the Arts & Leisure section) or last months
276     issue of  Rolling Stone.
277                     (for a friend)
278 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     --->the Guardian     0254 Hrs     22 Dec 84
279 
280 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
281   The piper yelled a wordless yell -- a kind of bellow of rage and terror.
282 The winged cat (it really looked like a flying tiger) twisted in its charge
283 toward the pegasus.  She caught the big cat a clip on the head with one hoof
284 and a buffet from one wing, stunning it, and flew quickly to the piper.
285   The piper quickly pulled himself to her wounded side to examine the damage.
286 The cat's claws had cut cleanly through the hide, leaving the muscles below
287 untouched.  She was bleeding freely, but did not seem to be weakend too 
288 seriously.  Reaching into his sporran, the piper pulled out a needle and some
289 woolen thread and quickly sewed several stiches along the gashes to try to
290 control the spread.  The pegasus' blood reacted with the foriegn protien of
291 the wool to quickly coagualte, and slow the bleeding.
292   Resting his head against the pegasus' side, the piper felt a start, a sudden
293 tremor in her muscles.  Following her gaze, he saw the winged cat moving, 
294 shaking off its daze.  "My god, how can we fight that thing Peg?" the piper
295 said quietly.  He put his arms around the pegasus' silky neck and watched.
296 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
297 ___________________________________________________________
298 Rolling Stone : Yes! The News Source for the well-informed,
299 well-rounded individual. A News Source you can trust, where
300 onjectivity is always the key, and the plague of yellow-
301 journalism never enters into the final draft. Oh expert of
302 the movies, tell us more. Perhaps your next message can
303 quote National Inquirer and Reader's Digest, as Dan Rather
304 did last week.
305 As for dancing bears, I take issue with the opnion of
306 being content with sub-standard material. In this day of
307 a multitude of dancing bears, it is no longer sufficient
308 to say, 'But the bear dances!' One must question the very
309 foundation the bear dances on, right up to the style and
310 skill the bear utilizes. We should no longer sit still
311 and have our persons degraded by inferior  efforts and
312 half-baked schemes.
313 On to the pirate ship adventure. May I suggest your next
314 little scene include the rape and pillage of a town full
315 of CPAs, ala Monty Python & The Meaning of Life. You 
316 will find the effort much more to your level, and you
317 can play pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with contestants
318 much more suited to your level of competition.
319 The snow worshiper. You were obviously not caught in a
320 four hour traffic-jam on the south-bound lane of I-5.
321 The happy little snow flakes make for happy little
322 jack-knifes of 18-wheelers, which cause un-told problems
323 for the rest of us. Next time you wish for snow, may
324 it fall on your little head only, and leave the rest
325 of us with good old Portland rain!
326 
327 -------------------------------------
328 Could someone tell me the date of the
329 next Portland Science Fiction Socity
330 meeting?
331 ------------------------------Mad Max
332 ***************************************
333      To all interrested, not including the sourpuss who thinks pin-the-tail-
334 on-the-donkey is an alternate.  The Jolly Rodger story is on ice. I most likely
335 won't bring Salty to life for quite some time.  I was just in the mood at the
336 time.  Unfortunatly I seemed to have a stowaway on board, Black Thunder? I
337 hearby appoint you to Nosebleed's postion of First Mate and the story is yours.
338 Nosebleed heard stirrings below and discovered you, at that time you promptly
339 removed his rather large nose at the neck and took his job.
340 
341 Alex and Leo are out testing Leo's new ship and will soon be reporting in.
342 
343 Ontho, I'm afraid has died, his funeral is planned for the day after Xmas.
344 
345 ****************************************************************santakathy*****
346 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?/
347 "sourpuss" seems to be the name to use, I ENJOY the snow, I enjoy DRIVING
348 in the snow. My little spitfire with highway tires is all I need. perhaps those
349 of us with 70's "performance" slicks need to bitch a bit less? Why not sign
350 a name to that masterfull work of "cutting" down people? Most of us know
351 who you are, the "spell check" style is just too hard to hide. 
352 Scathingly yours,
353 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?/MiG/? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ? ?/
354 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
355 
356 for sale:   10 speed bike, good condition, never left out in rain. 8 years
357             new.  Yearly maint. was done at the now closed "action sports".
358             65.00  firm.
359 
360             schwinn  unicyle, good condition, 11 years new. stunt style.
361             45.00, or best reasonable offer.
362 
363             9' by 12'  oriental rug, made in America about 50 years old,
364             many good years left. (at least another 20)
365             100.00 firm.
366 
367             Yamaha tape deck, 9 years old, good condition, but absolete
368             to use with my hi tech stero.  Never have had any trouble
369             with it.  manual and cable's included.   40.00 firm.
370 
371             for free to good home, several years of "mother earth news".
372 
373 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$292-xxxx$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
374 ******************************************************************************
375 way to go MiG!!!,  I love driving in the snow in my little car too!!
376 ************************************************************santakathy********
377 {c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}
378 I don't know about driving in the snow but sliding around the freeways is
379 great!  And I was stuck in a three hour trafic jam with trucks and all,
380 I didn't get all crabby, I was having a fun time wishing people in the other
381 cars a merry christmas.  They seemed to enjoy being able to talk to someone.
382 Way to go MiG too!!!, way to go SantaKathy!!!
383 {c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{tammy}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}{c}
384 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
385 I wish I had a better memory!!  To whoever asked about my name:
386     No, to my knowledge no one has ever taken a stab at the meaning of 
387 my name.  Any part-timer in Beleriand can use his map book to help him
388 guess, and that is as close of a hint as I feel like giving out at the 
389 moment! (Wrapping presents took the Christmas Spirit out of my Bah Humbug
390 soul this morning.)
391     To Mad Max, or whoever ... I was informed by a good-hearted voyeur that
392 the next Portland SF meeting is 12/29.  I hope to make it then and meet
393 all the patrons of my favotire Inn.
394 /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/Luingil/\/\/(BAH HUMBUG)/\/\/\/\/
395 
396 
397 To all who consider sliding around the freeways "fun":  it was a jerk
398 like you that caved in the side of my car--and then drove off without 
399 leaving a note.  I got to take a taxi home, and of course I only carry
400 liability...so I get to pay whatever the mechanics will charge to fix the
401 damage myself.  These times have been noted as the "me" generation, but
402 one hoped to find a little more sense among the denizens of the Inn...Sigh.
403 (oh yes--the Oregonian said that there were "60 fender-benders an hour"!!
404 on Thursday.  Grow up, people, please!)
405                                                    "Batman"
406 
407 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
408 Well, at least we know what's got him ticked off.
409 I've had my share of mishaps on frozen highways too,
410 but I still enjoy the snow. I've had accidents during
411 bright sunny days too, but that doesn't make me mad at
412 the sun. Come on guy, grow up yourself. 
413 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ fred ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
414 
415 
416 **************************************************************************
417 Hmm, driving huh? while I was driving back from Tillimook today,
418 A thought passed through my head as I was coming over the Coast range
419 on highway 6. Here I am traveling 72 miles through rough  country
420 in a little over an hour. Something that not all that long ago 
421 took days! Now if I can just get over these mountains before this
422 rain turns into snow...
423 ********************** Cistop Mikey ******************************
424 All these worlds are yours except Europa.
425        Attempt no landing there.
426           Use them together.
427           Use them in peace.
428 
429 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
430 Milchar, mayhap thou shouldst peruse a tome called "Real Magic", by
431 P.I.E. Bonewits. It is available at Looking Glass Books - 318 SW Taylor.
432 Mr. Bonewits has a B.A. in Magic from UC (don't remember which campus).
433 He lists about a dozen "laws of magic".
434 ..............................the apprentice...............................
435 to all computer hackers-your attention
436 please
437 
438 "software by modem" a unique new way
439 of purchasing software-big savings
440 from computer to computer bbs.
441 
442 <<coming soon>>  <<watch for details>>
443 
444 ###########################################################################
445 
446 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     ('growing up')
447 It is odd finding the subject I was going to start has been already been 
448 brought up under less than a favorable situation.     Just a few short hours
449 ago Prometheus and I were discussing what an interesting conversation/debate
450 it would start if I would enter the statement I had spoken to him.     
451 The statement had the basic concept of  '...that is why I don't want to
452 finish growing - because being a kid is still so much fun...'     Obviously
453 there are some here that insist that we do while I proclaim that I will go no
454 further. (Sorry 'Batman' - not this year!) I forsee many possible tangents of
455 debate to persue (sp?)      Thought of any yet, Prometheus?
456 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^     --->the Guardian     1929 Hrs     22 Dec 84
457 
458 HAH! WHILE YOU PEOPLE WHO ENJOY SLIDING AROUND INTO OTHER'S AUTOS, I HOPE
459 YOU ALSO HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH HIGHER INSURANCE RATES, RUINED
460 SCHEDULES, AND OTHERWISE DISASTEROUS HAPPENINGS. I THINK I SAW ALL OF YOU
461 OUT ON THE FREEWAYS THE OTHER DAY. THERE WERE NO HAPPY PEOPLE SMILING
462 ABOUT BEING STUCK IN A TRAFFIC JAM WISHING OTHERS A MERRY CHRISTMAS. WHERE
463 WERE YOU STUCK, CANDY LAND? THERE WAS CURSING AS A BIG CADILLAC SLIDE INTO
464 A SMALL VW. THERE WAS A NEAR FIST FIGHT WHEN ONE MAN OBVIOUSLY UNACCUSTOMED
465 TO WINTER DRIVING DIDN'T APPLY HIS BRAKES IN TIME AND REARRANGED THE REAR
466 END BUMPER ON THE CAR OF SOME WOMEN WHO WAS MINDING HER OWN BUSINESS. YES,
467 I'M WISHING FOR A WHITE CHRISTMAS. JUST SIGN ME JOE'S TOW TRUCK SERVICE.
468 //////////\\\\\\\\\\\///////////\\\\\\\\\\\////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\
469 WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
470 WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
471 WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS
472 AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
473 
474 \\\\\\\\\\\\////////////\\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\\\\\\//////////\\\\\\
475                                                                              
476 
477 Fred, your philosophy(I use the term loosely, admittedly) is the same one 
478 that seems to prevail among many of my(and your?) generation: Whatever I do,
479 no matter what damage it may do to others, is fine because I WANT TO DO IT.
480 Summed up a little more succinctly(although earthily) by some bikers in a 
481 bar:  "If they can't take a joke(explitive deleted CM).".  It seems that some-
482 one had complained to the local police about the noise from unmufflered 
483 motorcycles at 3AM...but perhaps I digress.  The point?  Politeness is 
484 becoming an ever-rarer item in our society, as is concern for other people.  
485 Ascribe it to whatever cause you will--rampant television-watching(6 hours a
486 day?1? for an average American?!? or a poor education system or even terror
487 about the nuclear threat--but the fact remains that people are trampled at
488 Christmas in an onrush of shoppers after Japanese toy robots!  That people
489 starve in the midst of plenty; that some become unemployable forever because
490 they have been unable to work for too long(a "normal" person would surely
491 have been hired long before his benefits ran out...); that the rich evade
492 taxes more and more each year; and the fanatics on the Right attract more
493 and more followers every day.  Little to do with skidding on the ice, huh?
494 Well, Fred, the next time you step over someone on Burnside, the next time
495 you throw away a solicitation from a charity, the next time you cheat on 
496 your taxes, the next time you drink and drive(I'm sure that's almost as fun
497 as sliding on the ice, although I couldn't say from personal experience),
498 the next time you try to beat a red light and slam into the kid crossing the
499 sidewalk...remember that if the defeatists are right, that the world WILL end
500 tomorrow, that civilization will continue on its slide into darkness, 
501 remember, Fred, that you have done your part to accelerate that slide.  Be
502 proud, Fred, BE PROUD!!
503                                                     "Batman"
504 
505 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?/
506 O.K. Batman, this may shock you, and a few others, but I agree with most of 
507 your major points. My beef was that cursing snow for causeing something is
508 not all that right. I have NEVER in my life driven DUII and I never will, it 
509 seems to be a good way to die. On the other hand, snow driving is 
510 enjoyable to me. If people don't want to drive in it, they don't have to.
511 As for my choice of news media, I read RS as well as the christian science monitor.
512 Dow jones and anything else I can find. except the so called newspapers 
513 one finds next to the breath mints at checkout counters.
514 And yes, I used to have a 69 ford station wagon, 351M with a few horsepower mods to
515 it, that had the front end wiped out by a drunken driver, who was from "my
516 generation". I think that with 1 in 10 folks driving DUII on the weekends,
517 some of those accendents are not due to the me generation attitude.
518 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?/MiG/ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??/
519 
520 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
521 Wow, I am quite amazed at YOUR logic "Batman". 
522 
523 You seem to have made some sort of connection between 
524 people who enjoy snow and people who: 
525 (1. Enjoy destroying other peoples property for the fun of it.     
526 (2. Motorcycle gangs (with unmuflered bikes).             
527 (3. Watching an excessive amount of TV(?).
528 (4. Causing poor education.  
529 (5. Instigating the nuclear threat.
530 (6. The commercializm of Christmas.  
531 (7. Ignoring the starving people in the world.  
532 (8. Responsible for rampant unemployment.  
533 (9. Rich people evading payment of their taxes.  
534 (10. And being a part of the fanatic right.
535 
536 You have accused me specifically of:  
537 (1. Ignoring the plight of the homeless.  
538 (2. Refusing to be charitable to my fellow man.  
539 (3. Cheating on my taxes.  
540 (4. Driving while under the influance of alcoholic beverages. 
541     (How about drugs, you forgot drugs.)  
542 (4. Flagrant disregard for the law.  
543 (5. And Killing children.
544 
545 All this just because I happen to enjoy snow. Boy, I hate 
546 to think of what you think of people who like sunny 
547 weather!  When you start using logic again, let me know,
548 I might be willing to listen to what you have to say.
549 
550 Were it not all such an outragious accusation, I might be 
551 offended by it.  Instead I am amused by the total 
552 obnoxiousness of it all.
553 
554 Since you have no idea of who I am, the accusations you 
555 make are totally baseless and made without any thought on 
556 your part.  As such, I will treat them as such.  
557 
558 Instead of looking for the bad things in life, why don't 
559 you try looking for some good things, you might enjoy life 
560 a little more.  You may think the world is out to get you, 
561 but I assure you it isn't.  
562 
563 Merry Christmas anyway.  I hope you manage to find some 
564 happiness in this holiday season.
565 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ fred ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
566 
567 
568 Fred,
569      As you say, I don't know you(should I count myself fortunate?), and I
570 have no idea whether or not you cheat on your taxes, DUI, etc....  I am glad
571 you are amused, for I would like others to "enjoy life"(which I assure you I
572 do--of course, you don't know me and maybe I'm lying...)as much as I.  I also
573 wish, of course, that people wouldn't do things without considering the con-
574 sequences; I have a neighbor who is a quadripegic: he was drunk and dived 
575 into the Willamette at High Rocks...and broke his neck.  The next time you
576 are out sliding around, spinning your wheels, maybe you won't hit that kid on
577 the sled...but maybe you will.  The next time you go hunting, maybe it really
578 will be a deer...but maybe it won't.  As for sunny days, they cause skin 
579 cancer and nudity(just kidding).  No, Fred, perhaps you stand innocent of all
580 charges; maybe you volunteer, maybe you chase down drunk drivers, maybe you
581 work to prevent war,etc., etc..  I DON'T KNOW.  And, quite frankly, I really
582 don't care, for what you do is between your conscience and yourself...except
583 if you're the one who smashed my car---in which case, I WOULD be interested
584 in talking to you.  Maybe next time, you'll do something for someone--or at
585 least not do something for fear of hurting someone else.  If, like the Boy
586 Scouts, everyone did one(1) good deed a day without thought of recompense,
587 then, my, what a nice world this would be!  As far as attacking you 
588 personally, such was not my intent.  I did not mean to attack you, but to
589 persuade you...and Tammy and SantaKathy and anyone else who would care to take
590 up the cudgels on this issue.  Oh yes, dismissing my points as so illogical 
591 as not being worth discussing is an old(and somewhat direputable)tactic in
592 debate...  Care to try again?  I must venture forth from the BatCave now,
593 but rest assured---the BatCall will summon me tomorrow at the same Bat time,
594 the same Bat BBS(alright, so it's stretching a bad thing to the limits.  So
595 what?  I like it...and I daresay it hurts no one else...)
596                                                        "Batman"
597 
598 #$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$##$#
599 Oooh, that hurt.  My head pounded like crazy as I tried to keep the pain under
600 control.  I wasn't succeeding.
601 The roar in my ears faded and transformed itself into speech.  I kept my eyes
602 shut and listened in.
603 "You can get up now, Mr. Farley.  We know you're awake, the stunrod was only
604 set for 15 minutes.  Would you like to explain why you're snooping around here?"
605 I opened my eyes, and sat up.  I was in a clean white room, on top of a small
606 cot.  Two men sat in chairs on either side.  My equipment and my 'com were
607 gone.
608 "Where's my equipment?  That's valuable property!  And Fred?  Where's he?"
609 "All is taken care of, Mr. Farley.  Fred is still above.  The XD-40 is under
610 examination, and you are being questioned, so start talking."
611 "About what?  All I did was trace Joshua here, trying to find him for my 
612 employers..."
613 At the word "Joshua", the two men exchanged quick glances.  Hmm.  Mental note.
614 "Go on.  Who are your employers?", the one to my right asked.
615 "Ah, I forget.  The Fleeshies, or something like that.  Maybe is was Quiche-ees.
616 Why do you want to know, anyway?"
617 "Listen, Mr. Farley.  Do you know where Joshua is right now?"
618 "No.  If I did, why would I come here?  WHO are you guys, anyway?"
619 "Surely you have heard vague and totally inaccurate stories about an 
620 organization called the NET, haven't you?"
621 The NET.  They actually existed.  Those three letters were spelling a good
622 deal of trouble for me.  "Yes.  That's all I thought they were, stories."
623 "Hmmm.  We would like everyone to believe so.  Every once in a while we get a
624 leak about our activities, so we have this running legend about ourselves.  
625 When a leak happens, people think it's just another tall tale."
626 I began to feel acutely nervous.  If the NET was interested in Joshua, they
627 weren't going to let me have him... #$##$##$##$##$ Farley, end of disk #$##$##

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