Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hp-pcd!hplabs!hpfcso!hpcndaw!jason%hpcndjdz.HP.COM@hpcnd From: jason@hpcndjdz.HP.COM (Jason Zions) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: SF get-together? Message-ID: <21780001@hpcndjdz.HP.COM> Date: 19 Feb 90 02:12:41 GMT References: <9002112033.AA07676@ccb.ucsf.EDU> Organization: HP Colorado Networks Division Lines: 6 March 17th? Oh, frack, I won't be out there that weekend. I get out to the Bay area oftern enough, but I'll only be there over the weekend of the 24th. (PenSFA meets that weekend, though - any Callahan's regulars also go to PenSFA?) Jazz "Live in Colorado, work around the world" Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hp-pcd!hplabs!hpfcso!hpcndaw!jason%hpcndjdz.HP.COM@hpcnd From: jason@hpcndjdz.HP.COM (Jason Zions) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Jilara e-mail Message-ID: <21780002@hpcndjdz.HP.COM> Date: 19 Feb 90 02:44:39 GMT References: <1990Feb15.185156.25980@granite.cr.bull.com> Organization: HP Colorado Networks Division Lines: 30 "Okay, Eddie, start with the Jaws thing again. I think we're getting someplace here." Eddie looks at Jazz, shrugs, and starts "dat dat dat dat"ing again. Jazz borrows the Book Of Addresses from Fuzzface, and gives it a few folds. If you didn't know better, you'd swear that he folded the thing four times, each time along an orthogonal linear dimension. Fortunately, you know better, and hence attribute it to your current beverage and shimmer from the heat from the fireplace. After a few manipulations, Jazz gets a rather odd look on his face. "Lessee. According to my handy-dandy nslookup, "csd.mot.com" is not a valid domain. It likes the hostname csd.mot.com (192.43.205.66), and it likes hostname mot.com (129.188.136.100), but inquiring for fsdcupt.csd.mot.com evokes -" *** hpcndcf.cnd.hp.com can't find "fsdcupt.csd.mot.com": Non-existent domain You can almost hear the words in sepulchral tones; the punctuation is pronounced a la Victor Borge, but the accent is, well, Swedish. The look gets more thoughtful. "A little more poking around indicates that host csd.mot.com shares IP addess with urbana.mcd.mot.com. May not mean much, though; I'm a bit of a neo when it comes to slinging nslookup." The book is slapped shut and seems to *unfold* itself in mid-air as it leaves Jazz's hand on the way back to Fuzzface. "So, why don't you try an address like jane%fsdcupt@csd.mot.com, where csd.mot.com is known to live at 192.43.205.66. Good luck!" Path: mit-eddie!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hp-pcd!hplabs!hpfcso!daq From: daq@hpfcso.HP.COM (Doug Quarnstrom) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Love, and Lifelong Soulmates Message-ID: <9060029@hpfcso.HP.COM> Date: 19 Feb 90 05:02:31 GMT References: <|-!#5^|@rpi.edu> Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA Lines: 41 >Then there's the cynical (sorry, Doug) point of view, where the >person only half-heartedly believes that only his or her soulmate >can come to love them. They hide, or fade into the background, >and don't even try to stick their head out of the shell, effectively >turning themselves invisible-- how will you expect your perfect >love to find you if you don't make yourself visible? No Taldin, HERE is the cynical view: I will grant, for the sake of argument that soul mates do exist. I postulate that my soul mate lives in China. Let us assume that this young lady has some reason to make the long journey to Fort Collins, center of the &*%$# universe. I am sure that at the very moment our paths are about to cross, one of us will be hit by a bus. There. I can't let anyone infringe on cynicism, now can I? >"Now, for those of you who DON'T believe in soulmates at all-- >do you believe in souls? Good. Because where there's an inner >self, defining your hopes and dreams and ideals, there's someone >out there with hopes and dreams and ideas that complement yours. Jesus Christ, I hope not! Then the world truly isn't safe for democracy. > -Taldin The Blue Unicorn Ohhhh, have a nice day. Just a bit of levity, if not brevity. Cynic -- "You are blue, Unicorn.. the Blue of clear, cloudless days where everything seems like it's going right and nothing could go wrong.. and the Blue of despair and lonliness." jefyoung@pawl.rpi.edu ---------- Path: mit-eddie!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hp-pcd!hplabs!hpfcso!daq From: daq@hpfcso.HP.COM (Doug Quarnstrom) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Soul food: a love poem. Message-ID: <9060030@hpfcso.HP.COM> Date: 19 Feb 90 05:23:35 GMT Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA Lines: 44 Eyes arise. Surprised. Alive. Inside I ride a wave of love. A crest of lust. Green on green. Supreme. Serene. Shining health, you hold my wealth, Your ivory hand a band around my beating heart. Above above. A flying dove That speaks of peace and paces set, Our faces wet with tears of joy and gladness. The tears erasing and efacing Thoughts of loss and madness. Dusk and flame. All the same. Black and blue, not me or you. Now it starts. We grow apart. Up and down we pace around. Gnashing. Slashing. Break away. I knew that you would never stay. Green on green. Pristine machine. Cold as hell and just as well. Eyes descend. The end of friendship. Inside I die, but do not cry For wasted love. I truly love you. Forever and ever and never more. Cynic Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!bu.edu!mirror!necntc!ima!haddock!karl From: karl@haddock.ima.isc.com (Karl Heuer) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Love, and Lifelong Soulmates Message-ID: <15980@haddock.ima.isc.com> Date: 20 Feb 90 05:30:15 GMT References: <9060024@hpfcso.HP.COM> <|-!#5^|@rpi.edu> Reply-To: karl@haddock.ima.isc.com (Karl Heuer) Organization: Interactive Systems, Cambridge, MA 02138-5302 Lines: 51 In article <|-!#5^|@rpi.edu> jefyoung@pawl.rpi.edu (Jeffrey Young) writes: >"...Soulmates DO exist, because there aren't an infinite amount of major >variations on a theme of souls. Somewhere out there is someone just like >you, not with your name on them, but should you get together with that person >then the love that you share will be great indeed, for it will be true." The quiet fellow sitting near the fireplace mutters, just loud enough to be heard by those who care, but not interrupting the speaker. "Existence isn't good enough. Maybe I do have a soulmate out there somewhere, but that information doesn't do me any good unless I actually meet her, and she turns out to be single." He pauses for a moment, then starts to write on the paper napkin at his table. >"... To believe too strongly that you are destined to meet your soulmate in >the near future can easily get you hurt." "I've got plenty of patience, but only a finite lifespan." >"...How will you expect your perfect love to find you if you don't make >yourself visible?" "That's a problem for me, but I'm working on it. That's one of the reasons I came to Callahan's, in fact. But old habits die hard." He gets up suddenly and heads for the door. The napkin stays on the table, with the writing exposed: What care I for knowing a soulmate must be, If nobody ever directs her to me? How can we establish a meeting of heart, If we should be thousands of miles apart? What if she's decided that she could not wait, And already has a compatible mate? (For pairbonded women are poison to me: I am a believer in monogamy.) What if I don't find her before we turn gray, And she is long past her last childbearing day? Or if I do meet her, but I am too shy To show her that I am her wonderful guy, And so she assumes that I'm just one more geek: Then are not my prospects for romancing bleak? What good does it do that my soulmate exist, If my opportunities always are missed? What good does it do me to sit in this hole? I hear that there must be a complement soul-- One who would love me with all of her heart, And who would be with me 'til death do us part-- One who would walk with me under the moon. But only if I can encounter her soon! --Karl Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!think!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!psuvax1!psuvm!tag2 From: TAG2@psuvm.psu.edu Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: A toast, and Soulmates (more or less) Message-ID: <90051.091126TAG2@psuvm.psu.edu> Date: 20 Feb 90 14:11:26 GMT Organization: Penn State University Lines: 68 Deepvoice rises from his table where he and Hildebaby have been chatting. He finishes his drink on his way to the line (we seem to have a lot of pyromaniacs here who forget to finish their drink before the toast. Sheesh, my eyes are getting sore watching all the fireworks!). He raises his voice a little louder than usual, and says with a big smile: "This toast is for my brother, who is currently on a Navy destroyer somewhere and who isn't yet aware that one of his drawings was sold at a recent sci-fi con, his first 'pro' sale. Hey, bro, wherever you are, I'm proud of you,man. To Andrew Gryn,then, the coolest brother I could have wished for!" (*crash*) (*splinter*) Stepping down from the line, the man's smile disappears as he overhears some of Taldin's talk on soulmates. Deepvoice ponders this for a while, his face contorting and relaxing at intervals, as if he is having difficulty comprehending something. Finally, he says to Taldin : "I admire your faith, Unicorn. I'll confess to being on the cynical side of this discussion; it's a matter of fear of rejection, more than anything else. Rejection by another, leading to a confirmation of myself as unlovable, at least in my own eyes. No risk = no rejection, just emptiness. I fear pain, and in running from it, I find it." He looks down at the floor, as if ashamed. "Funny, I was a huge advocate of Change a few years back, but now I fear it, perhaps even above Death. Has something to do with me losing my identity if I change too much, I think. I've had the line 'Fear can only be conquered by Love' quoted to me. I don't know. I think it comes down to being sure enough of oneself so that one CAN risk. I'm not there yet; I pray that someday I will be. But then, I may never be." "I wish I could believe what you say about Soulmates, Taldin, but it's easier to lie in the shadows, despite the pain, than to risk. I've seen a lot of people risk and get burned badly; it's not a pleasant sight. Balances... hmmm, this reminds me of a dark song I know..." With that, the man pulls out his guitar and starts singing... Standing in the Shadow (@1984, by Whitesnake, used w/out permission) I'm running away from the feeling Hiding my face in the sand. I'm scared to love and lose again I don't know if I can. I don't need the night to remind me Where the lonely people go I try running away from Love But my heart keeps telling me "No!" Chorus: Too many people Standing in the shadow of love Too many people Standing in the shadow (standing in the shadow of love) I've been living so long in the darkness I know the cold embrace of the night. When morning comes, I close my eyes 'Cause I'm blinded with the light. Taking a chance on a feeling Is like waiting for a power to grow. So I stand at the crossroads, babe, Wondering which way to go.... (Chorus, repeat 1st verse, then chorus x 3). Wiping away a tear, Deepvoice is heard to mumble "Oh, well. I tried, anyway." He pulls his cloak around him and slides into the shadows... Tom Gryn........................tag2@PSUVM "Life is unfair, but there ARE balances..." - Joel Rosenberg. Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!fsdcupt.csd.mot.COM!jane From: jane@fsdcupt.csd.mot.COM (Jane Beckman x4030) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Personal interaction Message-ID: <9002201025.AA02117@fsdcupt.csd.mot.COM> Date: 20 Feb 90 18:25:18 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Lines: 41 Jilara smirks a little. "Centripetal force sounds like a circular daisy-chain to me. But gravity is such a weighty topic..." She ducks under the table for a moment, and holds up a white handkerchief. "But I was going to talk about interactions." Peers over the edge of the table to determine if it's safe. Whew! "Soulmates aside, remember that we're all we've got, and this isn't the dress rehearsal, folks! I think we need to appreciate people more for what they ARE and less for what they can be FOR US. When someone thinks they are in love, they seem to want to absorb the other person, rather like making them a food source to sustain them, or some sort of extra appendage grafted onto them. They become---dare I say?---possessions!" She bites her lip and looks rather grim. "That's how I got myself into this state of mind---I've been treated as a possession by most folks. First my parents, who believed that children are just an extension of you, to do with as you will, then this survivalist I went with for five years, in college and beyond. I hated being a possession, being a thing that was expected to have no thoughts or feelings of her own, save to amuse my captors. I shut off the world, to save myself, and am only now beginning to come out of my walls, again." She shakes her head. "I spend a lot of time alone, because I refuse to submit to gilded cages and rose-covered cottages. Better an exile than a slave, I say. But friends---friends don't want you to give up yourself to be something for them. Real friends, anyway. I treasure my friends for every wonderful thing that fits into my own world-space. Maybe that's the secret of soul-mates, real soul-mates. The other person is so close to being you, that you don't feel a need to change them into something FOR you. They already are, just by being." She smiles and chuckles. "A soulmate is, first and foremost, a friend. I submit this, because I have a soulmate who is a fellow woman---and we both define ourselves as heterosexual, thank you. A soulmate need not be someone you're having a passionate affair with. Just a reminder. Stereotypes will always trip you up. Don't discount anyone or any personal relationship just because it doesn't fit some desired stereotype." She looks pointedly at Bruce Sterling. "And remember, appreciate your lady friend for what she IS, not what she COULD BE. That's what attracted you, what she already is, right? Anything else is just icing." She chuckles. "Sometimes the secret to having your cake and eating it too is to scrape off the icing." She raises a hand to block possible flying objects. Path: mit-eddie!bu.edu!lll-winken!uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen From: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Love and War and Human Nature Message-ID: <509@sixhub.UUCP> Date: 20 Feb 90 18:06:37 GMT References: Reply-To: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen) Organization: *IX Public Access UNIX, Schenectady NY Lines: 14 In article haste+@andrew.cmu.edu (Dani Zweig) writes: | Ayn Rand's books are like Robert Heinlein's in that they seem to make the | deepest and most lasting impression on those who first read them in their | teens. Interesting thought... I certainly was not a teen when I read them the first time, but I enjoyed them anyway. _Atlas Shrugged_ seems to bear rereading better than some of her others. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc "Getting old is bad, but it beats the hell out of the alternative" -anon Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!apple!mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen From: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Mission of Gravity Message-ID: <508@sixhub.UUCP> Date: 20 Feb 90 18:04:26 GMT References: <8089@lindy.Stanford.EDU> Reply-To: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen) Organization: *IX Public Access UNIX, Schenectady NY Lines: 34 In article <8089@lindy.Stanford.EDU> GE.LJB@forsythe.stanford.edu (Louis J Bookbinder) writes: | "By the way," continues Nick, "Mission of Gravity's author is the | celebrated Hal Clement (psuedonym), who is still writing, not the late, | lamented Clifford Simak. I had a chance to talk with Hal (actually Harry Stubbs) this weekend at Boskone. I swear there were more lines of programming than NE3, at least seven for some timeframes. Hal gave a talk on "Why I was wrong about Triton," comparing his predictions for the moon with what was actually found. In thoe course of a one hour talk on one topic, I managed to gather about a half page of notes on other things. He must have been a great teacher before he retired! One of the points he made was that the plumes are almost definitely related to geysers rather than volcanos, and they are recent, since they lay on top of an ice cap which grew during the current 40 year "winter." I also found out the he wrote _ICEWORLD_, a book which I read originally 35 years ago, when I was too young to remember authors. I found a copy of the first edition hardcover at a disasterous price, and was able to get it autographed. We had a good talk about creating consistant alternate planets at NE3, and he gave me some good ideas on what was wrong with my original thoughts, to the point that I will be writing a fantasy if I ever do the story at all. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc "Getting old is bad, but it beats the hell out of the alternative" -anon Path: mit-eddie!mit-amt!snorkelwacker!think!bbn!granite!mwolf From: mwolf@granite.cr.bull.com (Mary-Anne Wolf) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Love, and Lifelong Soulmates Message-ID: <1990Feb20.184153.9773@granite.cr.bull.com> Date: 20 Feb 90 18:41:53 GMT References: <9060024@hpfcso.HP.COM> <|-!#5^|@rpi.edu> <15980@haddock.ima.isc.com> Reply-To: mwolf@granite.cr.bull.com (Mary-Anne Wolf) Organization: Bull HN Information Systems Inc. Lines: 26 A female voice comes from the vicinity of the ceiling. "I know I am capable of life-long emotion. I still think fondly of people I had crushes on years ago. Whether that's love is a matter of semantics I needn't resolved here. Let's be optimistic and say that I am CAPABLE of loving, that I HAVE a soulmate, and I MEET him, and he is AVAILABLE. I'm even prepared to accept that any of a number of people would be close enough to what I need in a soulmate, so I only have to meet ONE of them, not THE ONE. That's assuming a lot, but let's anyway. Even so, will I recognize the potential? Will he? Will he know that I'm available? Will one of us make the first move? I don't even know what I'm looking for. Looking at things from this perspective, it's amazing that love works out at all for anyone. It is less surprising that it fails to work out for so many at a given point in time." Mary-Anne mwolf@pws.bull.com (or mwolf@granite.cr.bull.com) "All the lonely people, where do they all come from..." --beatles song --