Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!usc!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!sco!caroline From: caroline@sco.COM (Caprice) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: a moment of thought Message-ID: <3298@scorn.sco.COM> Date: 16 Mar 90 18:53:08 GMT Sender: news@sco.COM Reply-To: caroline@sco.COM (Caprice) Distribution: alt Organization: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. Lines: 28 Caprice halts just outside the door of Callahans and reconsiders all that she said a minute or so ago. "Hmmm.... that sure was rough around the edges", she thinks to herself. "Well, it's a touchy subject, but on the other hand..." She goes back into Callahans, and heads straight for the growing pile of fuzz on top of Nick near the fireplace. "Hey there. I'm going to take a few of these off your hands for you, OK?" She knows he won't object, and even if he did, she's not sure she'd hear his voice from underneath all the fuzzies. She picks a couple of fuzzies off the top of the pile, making it somewhat easier for Nick to breathe, and feeling much better herself for having gotten them, even if she did simply help herself to them rather than have been offered them. She puts one on each shoulder, lets them settle a minute so they won't get lost later, and heads back out the door. -- More people would believe that cows really could jump over the moon if they didn't all burn up during re-entry. -- (stolen from somewhere on the net) Path: mit-eddie!bu.edu!bucsf.bu.edu!austin From: austin@bucsf.bu.edu (Austin H. Ziegler, III) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: A new arrival... Message-ID: Date: 17 Mar 90 07:16:42 GMT Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu Reply-To: cmoir@wpi.wpi.edu (C-More) Organization: Boston University College of Engineering Lines: 113 [ Sender's note...somewhat reminiscent of the beginning, don't you think, Jilara? Anyway, SilverSinger is a neat guy...he's been a friend of mine on IRC for some time now, and they just got alt.callahans at WPI and he's having problems posting. If the welcome message has not been posted in about 100 messages or so, it may be time for it to be reposted for the new callahanians at WPI...but I've said enough and SilverSinger has enough to say for himself... austin] --- A man enters the bar, looking incongruously imposing yet unimposing. About 6'2, brown hair interspersed here and there with a bit of red (betraying a Scottish heritage), and grey-emerald eyes that somehow seem to draw you in if you look too deeply... He appears to be somewhere in his mid-twenties. He's wearing a deep blue pair of pleated pants, and a grey sweatshirt with "WPI" stenciled in maroon on the front. On a chain around his neck is a silver unicorn pendant. He saunters up to the bar, fumbling for his wallet. "A spiked apple juice, if you please, Mike..." he says, slapping a dollar on the bar. He seems to look as if he wonders if he did it right. Grabbing the drink, he moves to the chalk line. "Hello, wonderful and wondrous people. Being new here, I still don't know what's right and wrong to do here. But being an adventurous sort, I'm willing to at least give it a try... Turning to Taldin and his Lady, he says "First off, I'd like to congratulate my dear friend on finding a soulmate. I knew he would. And Joelle, I'm certain you won't be disappointed. I hope to get to know you better in the future... "Oh, while I'm at it..." (the stranger fumbles in his pocket, finally finding what he's looking for. He takes a small brown cube, tosses it to Taldin, who deftly catches it.) "As a congratulatory gift, have a caramel, 'corn." Not knowing enough about the bar, he is hit by the few peanuts he finds thrown at him. He looks around, smiling. "Yes, I suppose I should have expected that." "I suppose it's only polite that I introduce myself. Here, I shall prefer to be called SilverSinger. Why? Well, why not? I will, however, answer to just 'Silver'. "It was recommended that I start paying attention to the goings on here at Callahans by none other than Taldin, here. I'm glad he did. Even having never read any of Spider Robinson's books, I felt right at home right away. "I suppose it's a message to me from somewhere that I found a copy of _Callahan's_Lady_ that someone left behind (foolish!) in a seat in an airliner. I read it and was immediately hooked. Next time I go to the bookstore, the first three are my next purchases. "Now for the reason I'm still here, instead of fading off into the background. I have a question for you all. "Perhaps the subject has been run into the ground, but it can't be helped. I am of the school that there are *more* than one 'right one for you'. That there is more than one person with whom you would be happy throughout life with. How do I know? Friends, I have managed to find two of them at once. "I hope you don't think that sounds selfish. I really don't want it this way, but I have found two women who, in each case, thinks that I'm the most wonderful man in the world, and they would rather be with no one else. Also in each case, I feel that same strong love. But the problem is that in each case I would be happy, but I must make a choice that will make one or the other upset and, though they claim otherwise, unhappy. "What each claims (yes, they know about one another) is that I must make the choice for myself, that I should choose the one that would make me most happy. For me this is agonizing. Either would make me just as happy, and would have the side effect of hurting someone I care about deeply." Here, a sad smile. "TO LOVE!" (A loud **crash** as the mug goes crashing into the fireplace) "Sometimes it finds you twice at once." "I'd be interested to know what anyone thinks, and I'll stick around so anyone who needs to know more may ask." Here SilverSinger looks somewhat uncomfortable. "Oh. I am a bit more than I appear to be, as some of you already know..." SilverSinger undergoes an instantaneous transformation. He changes...into a unicorn. A silver one. Somewhat larger than Taldin, and with the same color mane (a midnight blue). "Well, now you know." He turns towards Taldin and Joelle. "Again, I congratulate you and give my warmest wishes for happiness." Turning back to the bar at large, "And I thank you all for your patience." With that, SilverSinger changes back into his original (and more compact) form and moves away from the chalk line, approaching Taldin and Joelle where they stand. -SilverSinger -Silver Unicorn and new Spider Robinson reader >Appropriate .sig to come, once I think of one...< Path: mit-eddie!bu.edu!bucsf.bu.edu!austin From: austin@bucsf.bu.edu (Austin H. Ziegler, III) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: A Situation resolved. I guess... Message-ID: Date: 17 Mar 90 07:22:24 GMT Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu Reply-To: cmoir@wpi.wpi.edu (C-More,SilverSinger) Organization: Boston University College of Engineering Lines: 63 [Again, posted for SilverSinger because outgoing messages don't seem to be making it...I'll be doing this until he uses the mail-to-news for alt.callahans (where is that again? -- maybe that should be in the every-so-often welcome message...and update that pun thread!) or they can fix the outgoing messages at wpi.wpi.edu. I really don't mind posting for anyone if they cannot get outgoing messages...I mean, it is after all, something of note... (I of course, dodge all of the peanuts...) austin] SilverSinger comes from his place near the fireplace, away from MoonChilde and the rest. Sorrow is upon his face, and the tracks of many tears. "Friends, I recently proposed a problem of mine. I didn't realize just how soon this problem would vanish, but it has. Though I can't say I'm particularly happy with the results. "I mentioned that I believed I had found two possible soulmates at once. Perhaps this is still the case. But one of them has decided to decrease the inner turmoil she has felt, and that she has seen in me, by removing herself from the situation. "No, she is not gone entirely. She has just backed off, happy to just be friends. At least unless the other relationship doesn't work out, and then, she said, she would welcome me back. "One thing I cannot figure out is why this does not make me happy. Surely I have not lost anything, for she has agreed to always be there for me, to always be a friend...a dear one. But still I am not satisfied. I feel something has been lost, and I fear it may never return. "I suppose in time I shall be happy with this decision that has been made for me, but for now I wallow in the depression that should better belong with an honest breakup, one of a relationship that *actually existed*. But this hurts no less. "I know that it is not the place to rant and rave. I hope I am doing neither. I am just getting this off my chest. And if someone out there a explain this to me, I would be eternally grateful. "Mike, give me a shot of whiskey. Make it Scotch. Ah, thank you." **gulp** "TO HAPPINESS!!!" >>CRASH<< "May it yet find me. Or, better, may I find it within myself." Silver leaves the chalk line, looking suddenly thoughtful, and moves back to his friends. His gait seems somewhat lighter, as if some great weight has been removed from his shoulders. Peace, SilverSinger Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!bu.edu!mirror!necntc!ima!haddock!karl From: karl@haddock.ima.isc.com (Karl Heuer) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: the animated haystack Message-ID: <16203@haddock.ima.isc.com> Date: 17 Mar 90 03:40:41 GMT References: <8479@lindy.Stanford.EDU> Reply-To: karl@haddock.ima.isc.com (Karl Heuer) Organization: Interactive Systems, Cambridge, MA 02138-5302 Lines: 9 In article <8479@lindy.Stanford.EDU> GE.LJB@forsythe.stanford.edu (Louis J Bookbinder) writes: >"I'm Sorry, Mike. I wish I could help, but can barely help myself. >Speaking of bears, that was quite a trick with the plaid drink. Scotch, >I assume! "Chuckle. It should have been, just for the joke, but I'm a teetotaler. Maybe I should call it a Nonalcoholic Scotch?" --Karl Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!image.soe.clarkson.edu!news From: stadnism@clutx.clarkson.edu (Steven Stadnicki,,,) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: A poem; not mine, though. Message-ID: <1990Mar17.110633.2824@sun.soe.clarkson.edu> Date: 17 Mar 90 11:06:33 GMT Sender: news@sun.soe.clarkson.edu Reply-To: stadnism@clutx.clarkson.edu Organization: Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY Lines: 62 Well, I've been asked by a few people to post this, so I think I will. I hope that many of you out there find something for you, or of you, in it... I know I did. Unfortunately, mostly in the first stanza... but that's not important. Here it is, anyway. (Presumably (c) 1990 Chris Grant/Kyle Naarrscharck, reprinted without permission of the author (I tried, though)) Steven Stadnicki stadnism@clutx.clarkson.edu --------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Kyle Naarrscharck To: All Subj: what happens when a coyote is left alone to think about his fennec How must it feel To be surrounded by a Nothingness That extends farther than the mind can comprehend? An unscaleable wall An insurmountable obstacle Feeling that no matter where you reach You will find Nothing You will grab Nothing And you will pull Nothing back to you How must it feel? I can tell you... Now, how must it feel To see a light To sense a spark To feel an electricity Coursing over your body Stirring you to wakefulness Telling you You are not Alone Someone is there You will not die Alone To reach out And suddenly contact Love And be lifted away And know that you are cared for Wanted Needed How must it feel? I can tell you... How must it feel To contact another soul Another spirit Another essence To feel it To touch it To move with it And become one And share one another And to hold one another closely And to love one another Forever How must it feel? I will tell you... Path: mit-eddie!rutgers!njin!princeton!phoenix!sksircar From: sksircar@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (D. W. James) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Schtuff in general... Message-ID: <14635@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Date: 17 Mar 90 08:11:59 GMT References: <06AGL3D@xavier.swarthmore.edu> <1990Mar16.164449.17763@granite.cr.bull.com> Reply-To: sksircar@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Subrata Sircar) Organization: SPAMIT Lines: 2 Actually.... Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!goldfarb@ocf.berkeley.edu From: goldfarb@ocf.berkeley.edu (David Goldfarb) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: grenades Message-ID: <35012@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Date: 17 Mar 90 14:26:31 GMT References: <21780006@hpcndjdz.HP.COM> Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: goldfarb@ocf.Berkeley.EDU (David Goldfarb) Organization: ucb Lines: 61 In article <21780006@hpcndjdz.HP.COM> jason@hpcndjdz.HP.COM (Jason Zions) writes: )The Star Trek gang is >>; Cynic is >. )>>(beamout) )>Just as the shimmer begins, the cynic enters the bar and tosses a )>grenade into the shimmer. The grenade disappears with the group )>beaming up. ) )>The cynic smiles to himself. "Just another group of )>self-satirical geriatrics eliminated," he thinks to himself. ) )"Run that by, again, people! Kirk says folks are taking things too )seriously, that sometimes it can be just fun. The Cynic, whom we all know )takes things rather seriously, takes this advice to heart and has a little )fun. No damage; I remind you, *the grenade disappeared*. No explosion, no )shrapnel." "Did we read the same post? The grenade disappeared because it was transported to the _Enterprise_. Explosion there! 'Eliminated', I believe was the word." )Jazz looks at Jilara, scans past him to Zach, on around the )room. )"Who are you to gainsay cynic's reality? People walk in here wearing )personas; their reality, such that none may say otherwise. Who challenges )the reality of Unicorns, or tigers in the rafters, plaid drinks? Yet you )alter the imposed reality of The Place because the presented reality )doesn't permit you indignation." Zach smiles. "Who says I'm gainsaying Cynic's reality? It transported up, I yanked it back down. A simple apportation spell, no?" He stands up, now frowning. "All right, maybe I was challenging him. But we have one rather serious disagreement here. You say it was 'fun'. No way. "Grenades are not 'fun'. Grenades are pain and blood and the smell of shit from the loosened bowels of a corpse. That's what grenades *are*. That's what they're *for*. To quote a dear friend: 'No joke; not funny.' If Taldin started impaling people on his horn, and if someone spiked the plaid drinks with cyanide, I'd challenge their reality too. "What got to me most, I think, was that he was so damned *casual* about it. The grenade was "tossed", like a softball; nobody important was attacked, "just another group of ... geriatrics". Just another everyday, garden variety, casual, jokey slap in the face." Finally Zach lightens up a little. "You're right on one point: we can use a little more fun around here." He gestures. "*Here's* what I'd like to have seen the Cynic do if he was looking for fun. Something like," but his words are interrupted by the soft *PIFF* of a large fluffy snowball hitting Jazz in the face. Jazz gropes around, momentarily blinded while Zach chuckles. Then a number of small red lights cluster around Zach, who looks con- cerned. "What? No--wait--don't--Waaaaaa!" and suddenly the air is alive with cream pies piling themselves on him from all directions amid general laughter. "Ack," is all he manages at first. And then he starts to laugh himself. Licking his fingers, he comments, "At least they had the good taste to use chocolate velvet--my favorite..." He sighs. "Hey, Mike...Where do you keep your mop?" )Jazz David Goldfarb goldfarb@ocf.berkeley.edu (Insert standard disclaimer) "When your heart broke, it healed all wrong; so we'll break it again and re-set it." -- Diane Duane, _The Door into Shadow_ Newsgroups: alt.callahans Path: mit-eddie!mintaka!chaos.cs.brandeis.edu!lis From: lis@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Elisabeth Riba) Subject: SF/Comic Convention Message-ID: <1990Mar17.151827.5298@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu> Organization: Brandeis University Computer Science Dept Date: Sat, 17 Mar 90 15:18:27 GMT Lines: 49 * UNIVERSICON IV * UNIVERSICON IV * UNIVERSICON IV * UNIVERSICON IV * At Brandeis University * Saturday, March 24, 1990, 10 am -- 5 pm Guests include: Bill Mumy--Actor: Captain_America_the_Movie, Lost_In_Space, Twilight_Zone. Writer: Cometman(tm), Star_Trek(tm), Marvel_Comics_Presents(tm) Recording Artist: Barnes and Barnes ("Fish Heads") Mike Gold--Senior and Special Projects Editor of DC Comics Peter David--Author of Marvel's Incredible_Hulk(tm), DC's Star_Trek(tm) and Novels Strike_Zone and Knight_Life Elliot S! Maggin--Author of Superman(tm) and Challengers_of_the_Unknown(tm) Ken Penders--Artist of Captain_Atom(tm), Star_Trek(tm), DC's Who's_Who, Savage_Sword_of_Conan(tm) and Racer_X(tm). Convention Activities Include: Huge Dealer Room! Charity Auction! Freebies from Marvel, DC, and others! Panel Discussions! Movie Room run by the Boston Japanimation Society! Tournaments--AD&D(tm), DC Heroes(tm), Paranoia(tm), & Toon(tm) Admission: $6 at the door Tables: $65 (discounts available) To be held in the new Hassenfeld Conference Center at: Brandeis University 415 South Street, Waltham, MA (eight miles west of Boston) * Accessible by T on Fitchburg Commuter Line from North Station (Brandeis Roberts Stop). Walk up hill, University is to left * From Mass Pike, take 95 North Exit. Folow signs to Rte 30 (Exit 24). * From 128 South take Exit 24. * From 128 North follow signs to Rte 30. * Follow signs to Hassenfeld For more information and table orders, please write or call: Jeff Zitomer (617)736-7192 MB 1430 Brandeis U, PO Box 9110, Waltham, MA 02254-9110 Ely Nathan (617)736-8261 MB 815, Brandeis U, PO Box 9110, Waltham, MA 02254-9110 Or send E-Mail questions or requests to: Phil Gross philbo@cs.brandeis.edu -- Universicon IV--March 24, 1990 $6 | Lady Lis Brandeis U, Waltham, MA 10am-5pm | ~~~~~~~~ Mike Gold, Peter David, Bill Mumy | a.k.a. Elisabeth Anne Riba Elliot S! Maggin, Ken Penders & more | lis@cs.brandeis.edu Path: mit-eddie!mintaka!yale!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!pt.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!haste+ From: haste+@andrew.cmu.edu (Dani Zweig) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Collective noun for a buncha fuzzies? Message-ID: Date: 17 Mar 90 22:07:06 GMT Organization: Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA Lines: 6 While it's syntactically correct to talk about a single tribble, it doesn't make much pragmatic sense to refer to them in anything *less* than bunches. Are fuzzies different in that respect? --Dani Xref: mit-eddie alt.romance:2304 alt.callahans:1409 Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!usc!samsung!uunet!mailrus!iuvax!noose.ecn.purdue.edu!newton.physics.purdue.edu!maxwell.physics.purdue.edu!sterling From: sterling@maxwell.physics.purdue.edu (Bruce S. Woodcock) Newsgroups: alt.romance,alt.callahans Subject: A poem (LONG) Message-ID: <3330@newton.physics.purdue.edu> Date: 17 Mar 90 20:52:28 GMT Sender: news@newton.physics.purdue.edu Followup-To: alt.romance,alt.callahans Lines: 5 | Actually, life IS a bed of roses, but somebody | Of course I`m a romantic! | | somebody forgot to remove the thorns... | Why do you think I`ve never | | Internet: sterling@maxwell.physics.purdue.edu | had a girlfriend? | ----- I DO NOT SPEAK FOR PURDUE. PURDUE DOES NOT SPEAK FOR ME. SO THERE. -----