Path: mit-eddie!bu.edu!bucsf.bu.edu!austin From: austin@bucsf.bu.edu (Austin H. Ziegler, III) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Happiness... Message-ID: Date: 12 Apr 90 17:20:25 GMT Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu Organization: Boston University College of Engineering Lines: 18 "Diet Sprite, Mike. I've got some good news, actually." I toe the line: "To love and friendship!" "No, this is not just another joy posting. I've found someone that I really like and that really likes me for who I am. There is just one problem. You see, she met someone else just before she met me. And when she found that she liked me, she (rightly) said she just can't dump the other guy. The worst part is that Ron and I are good friends. Well, we came upon a setup: she will date us (both of us), and choose between us. Right now, (in my biased opinion) I think I'm the best 'candidate' but if she should choose Ron, I'm very willing to back out. I'm keeping my fingers crossed." austin -- austin@buengf.bu.edu ** address changed from @bucsf ** 700 Commonwealth Box 2094, Boston, MA 02215 (617) 375-8272 BUENG '93 "I feel much better now..." -- HAL, _2001_ Path: mit-eddie!mintaka!yale!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!shelby!lindy!news From: HF.ZMF@forsythe.stanford.edu (Miriam Ferziger) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Wanted: more glue Message-ID: <8940@lindy.Stanford.EDU> Date: 12 Apr 90 18:33:23 GMT Sender: news@lindy.Stanford.EDU (News Service) Distribution: usa Lines: 29 In article , nap92@campus.swarthmore.edu writes: >"No, I didn't mean that. Perhaps it hasn't been the happiest time recently, but >we're ALIVE. And we all make mistakes, and life goes on......" "The amazing thing about parents," Viola said as she approached Nao "is that they are a lot more human than their children usually think. I bet that if most of us asked about our parents college days (assuming, of course, that they went to college) they made mistakes as bad as (possibly, no, probably) worse than we have! No doubt this is true in general!!" >She slumps into a handy chair, and mutters so that you can barely hear-- >"I'm almost afraid to talk to him....I'm afraid to talk to my parents....I'm >afraid to talk to my advisor....I'm generally afraid and incompetent...." "Afraid, I will believe, Nao. But incompetent?!?! That is something I refuse to believe. You gave me a warm fuzzy just when I needed it and let me cry with you. How can such a terrific person be "incompetent"?" >Her tone changes, and her fists clench, and she tosses her no-longer-bangs out >of her face. >"WHY CAN'T I GET MYSELF CLEARED UP?!" "I wish I could answer that," said Viola. "Until then, would you like a drink and a warm fuzzy, my seems to have reproduced." >And there she sits. Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!husc6!polito From: polito@husc9.harvard.edu (Jessica Polito) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Story Poker (was Re: Hello, did any one hear me?) Message-ID: Date: 12 Apr 90 20:13:46 GMT References: <11551@encore.Encore.COM> <79081@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <35460@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Sender: news@husc6.harvard.edu Organization: /sc4a/ua/polito/.organization Lines: 47 In-reply-to: goldfarb@ocf.berkeley.edu's message of 12 Apr 90 12:46:17 GMT Maya orders herself a fresh lemonade and takes it over to thabe 15b. "Thanks, Mike -- Yum!" "Hmm.. I'll join in, if I may... I've been following the old game with some interest. Let's see... I probably need to ante up (did I misspell that? Sorry...)... "Well, once upon a time there was a girl. Or maybe even a young woman -- mid teens. Now, she'd always wanted to act, but never seemed to get the parts. So she hung around the theatre, enjoyed teching plays, and had a good time anyhow. Then came a production of "dracula," which she auditioned for, just as she'd auditioned for every other show. And somehow, she found herself with the lead -- Dr. Van Helsin, vamipire killer extrodinaire. Well, this show became very important to her -- she started doing everything she could for it. This made for a LOT of stress. Well, the person playing Dracula recognized this. And he startted talking to her, drawing her out. She'd always been shy, was never good at talking to people. Till then. SHe found herself pouring out everything to him, and he understood. He sent her poems of sympathy, unsigned but undeniably his. As far as she could see, he CARED. And so she began to care, as well. In other words, she fell for him. "Like a load of bricks," she fell. He knew this; he could see it. She had reason to believe that her cared for her as well... There were midnight oui-ji board sessions, when everyone's hands were on the pointer, and theirs just happened to touch. Well, he drained her of what little energy she had that wasn't going into the show. And then he walked away, sated. Their last conversation was closing night. She tried to talk after that; he seemed never to hear her. To her, he will always be a vamire in truth; seductive, succesful, and draining... THe memory and the pain live on -- particularly when she found that he showed his next conquest, also a member of the cast, a letter she had written to him. She has tried to drive a stake through the heart of the memory, but finds that she still treasures it too much to do so. And so the poem he wrote is up on the wall of her room, and she still reads it for comfort... the last lines, to someone who always aspired to be something more, are "I think I understand. Why must the tallest girls insist on wearing heels? --a friend." Well, there's my ante -- sorry if t'was too long. Who's next?" Maya sits back; an careful observer will seee the tesion evaporate as she carresses her midnight black warm fuzzy (and yes, they can be black -- with the merest hint of stars...)\ --maya -- Humans... God's attempt to pass the Turing test. Path: mit-eddie!mintaka!yale!think!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!psuvax1!xavier!news From: jdh92@campus.swarthmore.edu (Hildebaby) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Hello, did any one hear me? Message-ID: <4WJHVLJ@xavier.swarthmore.edu> Date: 12 Apr 90 16:39:14 GMT Sender: news@xavier.swarthmore.edu (USENET News System) Organization: Ministry of Propaganda - SWIL Lines: 20 In article <4601@pegasus.ATT.COM>, psrc@pegasus.ATT.COM (Paul S. R. Chisholm) writes... >You have a problem I don't: the name you go by, Hildy, is very similar >to the handle, Hildebaby, of a old-time former (?) regular. Which is >*not* to say that you need a new name! "Hello? Yes I'm still around. I haven't been posting as much recently since I've been down with mono, but I haven't gone anywhere. Yes I was wondering if the similarity in names between Hildy and Hildebaby would cause anyone problems. I'm not too worried about it since I think people realize (at least now) that we're two seperate people. "Oh yes, welcome Hildy. -Jeff =-=-=-=-=-=-="Unprepared! That's the student's marching song."-=-=-=-=-=-=- Jeff Hildebrand Swarthmore College, Swarthmore PA 19081 JDH92@campus.swarthmore.edu or JDH92@SWARTHMR.BITNET "I plan to live forever or die trying" - Vila, Blake's 7 "I want to see the universe, not rule it!" - The Doctor, Doctor Who 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: Feeding frenzy Message-ID: <9004121622.AA08058@fsdcupt.csd.mot.COM> Date: 12 Apr 90 23:22:45 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Lines: 56 Jilara shrugs. "I haven't seen such a feeding frenzy since Cynic commented on having invoked one. I suspect, also that a lot of us haven't been ignoring you so much as we haven't seen you come in. (And I was unable to get into The Place for a while, due to electronic difficulties.) I think everyone wants you to know you really *are* welcome. Nothing like threatening to walk out, to get a response. Oh, and not only is there Hildebaby, there's also Wildy. It can get absolutely mind-boggling to keep track of." "Yeah, you can't tell the players without a scorecard," Fast Eddie cracks, holding up a pencilled list of names, with "Score Card" written across the top. Jilara notices it also has things like poker winnings, fencing points, and other trivia noted on it. She goes over and gives Austin a hug. "I'm NOT mad at you. When I get on my soap box, I scare people a lot, though. Something about a stern Jilara that does that." Sigh. "But this place is as real as any other place I go. It's just in a different---reality space. I agree that if the Place, or the net, becomes one's only reality, you've got a problem. Of course, if you go over to Rosa's Pinball and Video Palace and spend your life _there,_ you've got a similar problem. Maybe we're arguing semantics. Besides, a lot of that discourse wasn't leveled at you specifically, but rather at a larger syndrome. "It's the way I know people who hang around the SCA who say that it's okay to lie, cheat, steal, sleep with other's spouses, etc. because "the SCA isn't REAL,i" and it's their PERSONNA that does that. That's a load of B.S. It's just a way of saying they refuse to accept responsibility. Reality is what affects YOU in terms of what you think, feel, experience... "And well, to some of us, Callahans is more than an electronic gin joint. I met my SO in Callahans. I have a new circle of friends that I interact with outside The Place, whom I met there, too. It's just a place, maybe "second star to the right and straight on 'til morning," but it's a place like any other, in that some folks find their way here, and decide to stay and share fellowship. You might not meet Jilara at the office, but you'd definitely meet her at the Starry Plough, an Irish folk bar I go to a lot. (And people know me by that name, there, too.)" She walks to the chalk line. "I haven't made a toast in a while, so I think I'll make one now. To ALL the places where we meet friends, and God bless each and every one of them (place and friends, both)!" CRASH! "Hmmm, virtual Steeleye Span...that's as redundant as 'live and in person,'" she ruminates as she walks back to her table. "All reproduced music is virtual, by nature. Hmmm... I wonder if anyone has also ever seen anyone 'dead and out-of-person'? Oh yeah, that must be what Elvis was, when he came in here..." ---Jilara the Exile (I hope.) "If I'm not home accepting what I cannot change, I'm out changing what I can't accept." ---Ashleigh Brilliant alternate mail path: jane%fsdcupt.csd@urbana.mcd.mot.com My email went to Urbana, but all I got was this stupid router! Path: mit-eddie!mintaka!think!sdd.hp.com!cs.utexas.edu!husc6!shelby!lindy!news From: HF.ZMF@forsythe.stanford.edu (Miriam Ferziger) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: WARNING Message-ID: <8951@lindy.Stanford.EDU> Date: 12 Apr 90 23:07:00 GMT Sender: news@lindy.Stanford.EDU (News Service) Distribution: usa Lines: 50 In article <13045@csli.Stanford.EDU>, cphoenix@csli.Stanford.EDU (Chris Phoenix) writes: >Fascinating. (One raised eyebrow.) >I didn't realize that this had actually been tried as an experiment. >It's happening, every day, here at Stanford! >Maybe I have the wrong kind of friends. But I can go for several days >without being touched. In fact, I'm often forced to. I don't have a SO at >the moment, and most people around here, even friends, Don't Touch. >Personal space seems to be at least two feet wide. If you invade it, the >other person will often leave. Even if you sit down next to someone and >watch TV, they'll get up and leave! If you walk too close to someone, they'll >back away, or sideways, or wherever you aren't. >It's a real rejection. Viola looked hurt that a member of the Stanford community doesn't get enough touching. "One of the best ways I know of to touch people, and of course be touched by people is massaging. A lot of people out in the world don't know what massages are about, many of them think they are about sex <> Wrong answer. They are about relaxing. Although this may include sex, it frequently doesn't. Anywho. . . if you can find an acquaintance, or better yet, a friend who seems nervous, tense, etc. offer them a massage. Or don't offer it and just *do* it (as the Nike ad goes). You would be surprised how receptive and appreciatve people can be if you pick the right ones. >And so it's not just that they discourage touching. >They force you to discourage touching! Talk about cruel... Does >anyone have a solution? Naaah. This is even worse than those >social rules I yelled about a few months ago, and no one had a >solution for those either. The trick is that _you_ have to change _their_ assinie social rules. In this case everyone will win. >-- >Chris Phoenix | "I've spent the last nine years structuring my >cphoenix@csli.Stanford.EDU | life so that this couldn't happen." >...And I only kiss your shadow, I cannot see your hand, you're a stranger >now unto me, lost in the dangling conversation, and the superficial sighs... ---------------------- O Time! thou must untangle this knot, not I; It is too hard a knot for me t'untie. --Shakespeare (_12th Night) --Viola HF.ZMf@Forsythe.Stanford.edu ---------------------- Path: mit-eddie!mintaka!yale!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!lll-winken!bu.edu!husc6!encore!encore.com From: terryk@encore.com (Terence Kelleher) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Techno Garbage Message-ID: <11590@encore.Encore.COM> Date: 13 Apr 90 03:13:26 GMT Sender: news@Encore.COM Reply-To: terryk@encore.com (Terence Kelleher) Organization: Encore Computer Corp Lines: 99 "Damn these machines!" A voice comes out from behind Hildy. Perhaps you didn't even see the bearded man when he came in, but there he is. "That posting you put out last night didn't even show up on the stupid machine it was sent from" , he barks. Hildy leans towards him. "Isn't that one of those stupid machines you build?". "mutter mutter... Probably that damned Berkley code. Or the trash Gnews. Certainly not MY code failing". He kicks the small grey monitor a couple times, and it seems to spark to life. "Give me a dollar, Hildy. I need a beer". . . . . "That was Terry, my husband of 10 years. Its his box your sending all the mail to. I'll answer it when I get time, although it won't be soon. As he said, we posted last night and it did not get through. Its been a tough couple days. His father died yesterday." She pats the red warm fuzzy in her lap. "Red's my favorite color. I used to like it 'cause it stood out, but they went and made it fasionable, bummer. To Man who talked with Books, I started a conversation but I wouldn't recommend my method. It seems to have struck a nerve that seems to be a little raw. My first posting was an attempt to get an overall view to see if I fit. I'm a mother of three (Girl 8 yrs, Boy 2 yrs, Girl 4 months) and I happened Callahan's peeking through my husband's piles of bits. I don't get out of the house, physically, so I hoped that here I could get out another way. I don't know how well I would fit in with college students, so I wanted to see who was here. Boy, did I find out." "Nick asked how I survived(?) my childhood. It got worse in my teens (doesn't it always?). I told myself if I could make it past 18, I could live through ANYTHING. Thank God, I met the bearded man at the bar then. He helped to make 18 surviveable. But I stick with the idea that I can live through ANYTHING. I've noticed most people have the attitude that "this is the worst I'm living through, and I'll be OK at the end", but they don't stick to it. They go through hell several times. I did it once. I don't want to go back. Thanks for the drink, Nick." "Welcome, Farendil and a drink on me. I figure I better welcome someone, 'cause I'll be here a while." "Mom's may not be good for much, but with all this talk of hugging, I know I'm good for something. When I had my first, there was an article saying that to grow up healthy, you had to have seven hugs a day and to stay healthy, as an adult, three to five hugs was the RDA". Hildy opens here arms to everyone. "I'm still catching up on the ones I missed when I was a kid, nevermind the ones I'm giving to treat hurting friends. Any takers?" . . . Terry gets up from the bar, a white "Genny" can in his hand. He walks to the line and swallows the last of the brew. A questioning look on his face. "How Dad drank this stuff, I'll never know". "To Bob Kelleher", he says, and tosses the can into the fireplace. The dull clunk echos strangely in the bar. An empty glass still sits at his place at the bar. A glass flies over from the poker table, and the more familiar sound of crashing glass is heard. A hint of "Jameson's" is in the air. Hildy starts to sing with about the worst Irish brogue you've ever heard. Terry quickly joins in, though his voice is a little choked. Look at the Coffin, with golden handles Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead? (Chorus) Let's not have a sniffle. Lets have a bloody good cry. And always remember the longer you live, the sooner you'll bloody well die. Look at the mourners, bloody great hypocrates. Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead? *Chorus* Look at the flowers, all bloody withered. Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead? *Chorus* Look at the preacher, bloody sanctimonious. Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead? *Chorus* Look at the widow, bloody great female. Isn't it grand, boys, to be bloody well dead? *Chorus* He moves back to the bar, to get a "real" beer. "Something warm and dark. Thanks, Mike". -- Terence Kelleher Encore Computer Corporation terryk@encore.com Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!usc!samsung!uunet!shelby!csli!cphoenix From: cphoenix@csli.Stanford.EDU (Chris Phoenix) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: WARNING Message-ID: <13085@csli.Stanford.EDU> Date: 13 Apr 90 07:03:57 GMT References: <8951@lindy.Stanford.EDU> Sender: cphoenix@csli.Stanford.EDU (Chris Phoenix) Reply-To: cphoenix@csli.stanford.edu (Chris Phoenix) Distribution: usa Organization: Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford U. Lines: 37 In article <8951@lindy.Stanford.EDU> HF.ZMF@forsythe.stanford.edu (Miriam Ferziger) writes: > Anywho. . . if you can find an acquaintance, or better >yet, a friend who seems nervous, tense, etc. offer them a massage. >Or don't offer it and just *do* it (as the Nike ad goes). You would >be surprised how receptive and appreciatve people can be if you pick >the right ones. I've tried that. Both with friends and with acquaintances. I scare them. I can't think of one person at Stanford that I can trade backrubs with, except my brother. Maybe I'm picking the wrong people, but I tried a lot of them before I gave up. Yes, I gave up. I don't offer backrubs anymore to Stanford people, except in *very* unusual circumstances. If you've found people you can trade massages with, might I join the group, at least sometimes? >The trick is that _you_ have to change _their_ assinie social rules. >In this case everyone will win. Ya, right. They just run away. I don't know how to change their rules, because to do this they have to admit they have rules. And they won't do that. Sorry if I sound cynical, but that's the way it is around here. You think I haven't tried to change people's rules? But they always claim they don't have any. Because then they'd have to stop being superficial, and hiding behind their masks. Have you ever had any luck changing people's rules? If so, can you *please* tell me how you did it? (This question is directed at anyone who's listening.) By now, I'm just trying to ignore all the social people so I don't get too upset, and try to survive as best I can with the few people I can find who are willing to touch. I don't have much hope for social people. I used to think maybe they could change, but I've given up trying. -- Chris Phoenix | "I've spent the last nine years structuring my cphoenix@csli.Stanford.EDU | life so that this couldn't happen." ...And I only kiss your shadow, I cannot see your hand, you're a stranger now unto me, lost in the dangling conversation, and the superficial sighs... Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!psuvax1!xavier!news From: nap92@campus.swarthmore.edu Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Wanted: more glue Message-ID: Date: 13 Apr 90 14:09:07 GMT Sender: news@xavier.swarthmore.edu (USENET News System) Organization: poor Lines: 44 In article <8940@lindy.Stanford.EDU>, HF.ZMF@forsythe.stanford.edu (Miriam Ferziger) writes... >In article , >nap92@campus.swarthmore.edu writes: >"Afraid, I will believe, Nao. But incompetent?!?! That is >something I refuse to believe. You gave me a warm fuzzy just when I >needed it and let me cry with you. How can such a terrific person >be "incompetent"?" Nao steps out of the dance corner, and walks over to Viola, smiling. "I called my father tuesday night. He was wonderful--told me to go ahead, and that it's not the end of the world, and he still loves me, and that I'm still a good person. Amazing how much it reassured me. I was glad of it. You're right. Incompetent was not a word that I should have said. A little disorganized maybe, insecure maybe, but not incompetent." >>"WHY CAN'T I GET MYSELF CLEARED UP?!" > >"I wish I could answer that," said Viola. "Until then, would you >like a drink and a warm fuzzy, my seems to have reproduced." "I'll gladly take another warm fuzzy. I"ll even take a glass of lemonade. Thank you, Viola." Nao walks over to Hildy, smiling. She pulls out a button that says "Free Hugs" and offers it to her. "Another hug person! I'll have a hug gladly." She smiles as she hugs Hildy. "Thank you." When she gets back to the Scottish dancing corner, she has to pile up all but one of the warm fuzzies in an armchair. There are far too many for holding and dancing at the same time. That one fuzzy she carefully sets on her shoulder, where it clings, purring. "If you need a warm fuzzy, just ask. I"ve got plenty. Plenty of hugs available, too...." -Nao / v \ | Nao Parkhurst | "Ductions must be intro, and come | | nap92@campus.swarthmore.edu | first, like salad in restaurants." | | nap92@swarthmr.bitnet | -Ursula K. LeGuin / \ ^ Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!apple!mips!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!tank!uwvax!sabertooth.cs.wisc.edu!lewandow From: lewandow@sabertooth.cs.wisc.edu (Gary Lewandowski (TA of Doom)) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: WARNING Keywords: Touch Message-ID: <10151@spool.cs.wisc.edu> Date: 13 Apr 90 14:43:40 GMT References: <15156@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <14660@reed.UUCP> <13045@csli.Stanford.EDU> <79103@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Sender: news@spool.cs.wisc.edu Organization: University of Wisconsin, Madison -- Computer Sciences Department Lines: 24 In article <79103@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Thenomain writes: >I'd think it interesting to note that not everyone is comfortable with the >touch factor. I, for one, jump or feel very, very nervous when people get/ >stand/whatnot too close to me. Call me silly, but I have no idea what they >expect, or if they expect anything. I have this experience when someone whom I either don't really know or don't particularly like touches me. Incidental contact is no big deal, but when they make this deliberate play of touching me I want them to know that I don't feel that intimate with them. With my friends, however, it is an expected happening -- at least with the friends I met in college. There is a very nice warmth to a hug or just the touch of a hand when a friend is doing it. Part of being friends is being able to touch each other, perhaps. (And having said that, I have to note that Gilly's hugs and warm fuzzies always seem to convey the same feeling of friendship, which seems to be a function of Gilly. :-)) -- gary lewandow@cs.wisc.edu "But I *want* my outs to count" -- Christine Lavin