Path: mit-eddie!bu-cs!snorkelwacker!apple!sun-barr!lll-winken!arisia!sgi!shinobu!odin!sgi.com!scotth From: scotth@corp.sgi.com (Scott Henry) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Do not open 'til 12/21 Message-ID: Date: 22 Dec 89 15:12:33 GMT References: <44986@bu-cs.BU.EDU> <-8?`4@rpi.edu> Sender: news@odin.SGI.COM Reply-To: scotth@sgi.com (Scott Henry) Distribution: alt Organization: Silicon Graphics Inc, Mountain View, CA Lines: 26 In-reply-to: jefyoung@pawl.rpi.edu's message of 22 Dec 89 21:13:31 GMT He walks in through the back door (the one that is cyber-spacially linked to California), looks around to see that the crowd isn't, and walks up to the bar. He lays a single on the bar. "Hi Mike, I'll take a root beer". "For many people, the holidays are a time when they can go home and visit family and friends, and is a joyous time. There are others who (for whatever reason) would rather skip this time of year. I find myself in a sort of mix of the two states -- I like the time off (though it's not as much as it used to be), I like visiting my family (though now I can only see one part of it at a time), but I don't like Xmas any more... "I was going to make a toast, but I can't really think of how to make it as completely positive as I want, so I'll just wish everybody the best over the holidays, and drive especially defensively, please! I've come to like all of you from reading the posts, and I'd hate to lose any of you from somebody else's mistake." He finishes his drink, and takes his change (quarters are far too valuable to pass up...), and walks back out the back door... -- Scott Henry | Tardis Express -- when it Information Services, | absolutely, positively Silicon Graphics, Inc | has to be there -- yesterday. Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!clyde.concordia.ca!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!njin!princeton!phoenix!sksircar From: sksircar@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Subrata Sircar) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Logic? Message-ID: <12456@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Date: 23 Dec 89 02:55:05 GMT References: <12303@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <20940019@hplred.HP.COM> Reply-To: sksircar@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Subrata Sircar) Organization: SPAMIT Lines: 28 In article <20940019@hplred.HP.COM> egly@hplred.HP.COM (Diana Egly) writes: >Someday I'll have to tell the story of a friend of mine who killed >herself during the happiest part of her life. She chose to kill herself >because she knew that joy could not last forever -- and she did not >want to go through another valley. Not ever. From out of another ubiquitous corner pops a lurker, shuddering with dread. Going to the bar, he asks Mike, "You've got to have some hot apple cider with some cinammon and cloves, right?". Upon receiving the drink, he promptly downs a swallow despite the steam rising from the surface. Thirst quenched, he turns to Diana (May I call you Diana, I request? My name is Subrata) and says quietly, "That's got to be one of the scariest things I've read. Not that it is so totally unreasonable, but because the logic of it becomes so apparent when I consider some of the valleys in my life. It's truly sad that people can be so beaten down that when things finally start to look up, the contrast is so striking that they will do anything to avoid a downswing..." Stepping away to the line, he murmurs, "A toast. To all the people who have quit the "game" at some point - May they come out winners, somewhere, somehow." Draining the glass, he tosses it softly into the fireplace, and watches the shards slide over the glowing flames... -- Subrata K. Sircar, Prophet & Charter Member of SPAMIT(tm) sksircar@phoenix.princeton.edu SKSIRCAR@PUCC.BITNET "If my life was half as interesting as other people DREAMED it..." - R"BD"D Disclaimer: As if anybody/anything would want me speaking for them... Path: mit-eddie!bu-cs!spacey From: spacey@bu-pub.bu.edu (Eva Chan) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Newcomer (yes, yet another) and attentive Message-ID: <45099@bu-cs.BU.EDU> Date: 23 Dec 89 03:54:27 GMT Sender: daemon@bu-cs.BU.EDU Distribution: alt.sex Organization: Boston University Computer Science Lines: 9 -- Eva Chan spacey@bu-pub.bu.edu spacey@bucsf.bu.edu spacey@buengf.bu.edu spacey@bucsb.bu.edu engbs1c@buacca.bu.edu All the above mail is forwarded to spacey@bu-pub :-) Path: mit-eddie!rutgers!njin!princeton!phoenix!sksircar From: sksircar@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Subrata Sircar) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: So long, farewell... Message-ID: <12479@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Date: 23 Dec 89 03:19:32 GMT References: <12303@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <20940019@hplred.HP.COM> <12456@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> Reply-To: sksircar@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Subrata Sircar) Organization: SPAMIT Lines: 31 Arising from a seat at the bar, YAL (yet another lurker) goes to the bar, and gets a tall eggnog from Mike. Sipping it gently, he slithers and lurches over to the line, each time looking slightly embarrassed. When he finally gets there, the glass is just about empty. "Well, this will be my last posting until after New Years, unless I managed to find a machine at home. Anyway, I just thought I'd make a toast saying what Callahans has shown me. To the spirit of empathy, which suffers as we do, and rejoices when we do so no longer. To emotional support, caring and sympathy, for people we don't even know. To those who have had the courage to go on, long after others would have laid down to become dust. To a group of people on USENET who have gone over 500 messages without a single flame - a phenomenon long held to be impossible. To alt.callahans." <*CRASH*> He turns and quickly makes for the door, stopping to shake the Unicorn's hoof and take a Warm Fuzzy for his parents... (Hmmm, YAL... I kind of like that. Now all I have to do is build a persona around a lurker...) -- Subrata K. Sircar, Prophet & Charter Member of SPAMIT(tm) sksircar@phoenix.princeton.edu SKSIRCAR@PUCC.BITNET "If my life was half as interesting as other people DREAMED it..." - R"BD"D Disclaimer: As if anybody/anything would want me speaking for them... Path: mit-eddie!bloom-beacon!bu-cs!spacey From: spacey@bu-pub.bu.edu (Eva Chan) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: yet anotehr newcomer in for a drink and good conversation Message-ID: <45100@bu-cs.BU.EDU> Date: 23 Dec 89 04:24:13 GMT Sender: daemon@bu-cs.BU.EDU Distribution: alt Organization: Boston University Computer Science Lines: 95 An interesting young woman appears at the door. She has long dark hair that reaches just below the shoulders and dark eyes to match. The oriental complexion reveals a tired look about her. She scans the room and recognizes a couple faces. A smile of approval appears on her face. She strides over to the bar and asks for some Irish Coffee. The night had been quite cold. She takes her drink over to an empty table. There she contemplates the future and what it may bring. What will become of this world we all call home. She sighs and sips her drink. Looking around, she notices a young man with strawberry blond hair. He seemed to her rather pensive. She sighs and begins to ponder more about life. Then she begins to think aloud to herself: "I wonder about what this world is coming to. With all this violence, how can one stand to live here? Can't a person live happily with his neighbors? Must there always be a quarrel over things?" "I can not understand it. Nor do I expect to." "Right now, I am trying to understand myself. I wonder if the decisions I have made in the past are the right ones. I wonder what life lies ahead for me after school is done. Will I have a job? Will I be able to support myself? " "So many questions, yet none of them can be answered right away." "Sometimes I wonder if I will end up like one of the homeless. Down on their luck, they turn to the streets and call it home. It seems so senseless that this should even exist. Everyone has had a nice warm home in one point of their lives. But what could have happened to cause such grief and hardship? Is their own country doing this to them? Or is it their fellow man? Perhaps a Scrooge still exists in many places. A Scrooge who will never have any compassion for his fellow man. What is this world coming to?" She takes another sip and sits back. Sighs deeply and continues her thoughts. "I feel as if I should be able to sweep my hand over all this and make things all better, like when your Mom kisses a scratch and tells you that it will get better. Unfortuantely it doesnt work that way in the real world. It seems like it's every person for himself. Dog eat dog world." "Sometimes I feel more concern for others and not enough for myself. I feel that some of my persoanl defeats sould have been avoided. But now it's too late to change them. Life is a one way road...Once you start to travel down it, there is no turning back. One can only learn by mistakes." She pauses and shuts her eyes to think for a moment. Then reopens them and takes another sip of her drink and continues. "Many things could have but were not. Life is like that. It can never be like in the movies where one can go back and see things happen and perhaps alter them slightly but enough to make a difference to the present. It's alright to think about it and suppose about it, but it can't happen. Once done, it is very difficult to undo." "I guess i am fortunate enough at least to have some people care for me. I am glad that i have supportive friends and a loving sweetheart. But I can not but help think about those who aren't. Life can be cruel sometimes, but we are but human beings placed here with some purpose in life. One may never know what that purpose is, but to just make the most of it." She stops and finishes her drink. She gets up and walks over to the bar. Hands Mike the money for her tab and thanks him. She turns around and looks at the crowd. They seem to have been listening to her ramblings. She smiles and acknowledges the warmth of the people. She starts to leave but before she does, she walks over to where the young man with the red hair was sitting and places a pink rose in front of him. He looks up at her. She smiles at him and departs. Outside, the wind is cold, but the drink and people have given her some warmth. She pulls her collar up high around her neck and begins to walk away. But just before she loses sight of the tavern, she turns and says in a whisper, "Merry Christmas everyone and thanks." And with that she smiles and trudges on. It seems that she may be back again. Eva Chan (aka Bunny) spacey@bu-pub.bu.edu -- Eva Chan spacey@bu-pub.bu.edu spacey@bucsf.bu.edu spacey@buengf.bu.edu spacey@bucsb.bu.edu engbs1c@buacca.bu.edu All the above mail is forwarded to spacey@bu-pub :-) Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!mtxinu!unisoft!greywolf From: greywolf@unisoft.UUCP (The Grey Wolf) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Do not open 'til 12/21 Message-ID: <2724@unisoft.UUCP> Date: 23 Dec 89 03:12:09 GMT References: <44986@bu-cs.BU.EDU> <-8?`4@rpi.edu> Reply-To: greywolf@unisoft.UUCP (The Grey Wolf) Distribution: alt Lines: 98 "Hello and good-bye for the rest of the decade..." The wolf-turned-elf addresses the room, pouring himself another mug of Harp... "I have a toast to life itself, and all its 'paradoxical anomalies'. To those who responded to my confuzzion over my lady's attitudes on my name (thanks, gary@sun.mcs.clarkson!), thank you all very much. I'm sorry to have troubled the group with such a trivial problem. "I am doing well once again -- I'm used to the roller-coaster ride I've been on, for the highs have far exceeded the lows, and the ride looks to be coming to an end. "I send my love to you all, especially to those who invited me to the table I am at -- you're all very magical, wonderful people "To the Cynic, I've noticed that your signature has changed from 'Cynic' to 'Part-time Cynic' -- I think... that's a welcome change. I could have given you a run for your money six years ago, but no longer. "There is no greater joy than to love someone, in my opinion. Everyone should have this opportunity. "I would like to share with you something I wrote about six and a half years ago; I have music for it, but I wouldn't want to send over codes which would throw your disk drives out of alignment (I need a piano, anyway!), so I have lyrics. It's the only complete song I have managed to remember. It's dedicated to anyone with a purpose, though it was originally dedicated to someone I had a crush on." He takes a sip from his mug. "Let me explain -- for some stupid reason, I have always been a total sucker for a dancer. For not much other reason than there is something deep inside me -- beyond lust, beyond passion, something far more inexplicably intense -- which is stirred by the sensitivity and the sensuousness of a dancer. My lady does belly-dance, jazz dance, free-spirit dancing and wants to get into Irish dancing, ceilidh and step. And there is this rage, this energy which grabs me inside and doesn't let go. "For all of you out there who dance and know how to move the body in such a way, and don't feel like fools on a dance floor (like I do), you'll appreciate this. You'll appreciate it, also, dancer or no, if you've ever worked your tail off in any endeavour, and been appraised as the popular best, only to be looked over by the bureaucracy because they decided to arbritrarily pick someone else (usually because they don't like you, or they have the hots for the other one...). This stuff does happen." He pauses to breathe for a moment. "Well, enough ado. Here it is. I hope you like it." DANCER Dancer, dancing on an empty floor Follow the music, straining to hear the melody Take it away, dancer on the open stage, and dance To your heart's content, to eternity Look to the lights, look to the places Where the crowd would be Dancer, dancing on so gracefully I watch you dance, and suddenly You're dancing right inside of me Tell me, what troubles you? Why do you cry? You dance so well, yet you're not happy Tell me why... What's gone so wrong, what hurts deep inside? Tell me, I wanted to be there by your side While you cried... You say you're unhappy because you never have A time and place to perform for them And they don't care enough to watch you No matter where you are or what you do ...make the world your stage. I want to help you, To stand by you... I'd like to see you dance someday Upon the golden stage I'd like even more to see you find your way Out of this leaden cage To go and turn the page To go your own way... Now that you've made it to where you want to be Dancer, stop a moment, look back at me, I hope you take it all the way And be everything you'd ever want to be I'd love to see you dance someday... And in your dancing, I see... ...in motion... ...poetry. -- Roan Anderson Copyright (c) 1983, 1985, 1989. All Rights Reserved. -- "You guys are NUTS! En-Vee-Tee-Ess, NUTS!" -- History of the World, part I. Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!apple!agate!ucbvax!CCB.UCSF.EDU!robin From: robin@CCB.UCSF.EDU (Robin Colgrove) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Nature calls Message-ID: <8912230714.AA24648@ccb.ucsf.EDU> Date: 23 Dec 89 07:14:58 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Lines: 68 robin peeks cautiously in through the just cracked open door. Ascertaining that neither hungry Vampiress nor Irate Knight are about, he tentatively moseys in and sets himself down at the bar. "Joint's really emptying out for the holidays." he observes for no one in particular. "Too bad, 'cause I wanted to buy a round for all the nice folks who sent me mail after my slapstick entrance to this hole in the fabric of the universe." Feeling less self-conscious in the less crowded setting he tries again for a little persona-magic. Startlingly, a huge disarray of images clashes around his cringing form. Yellow cape and face mask...Feathers and red chest...Quiver of arrows and green leotard ...baseball mit and chewing tobacco...Garp and Moscow on the Hudson... whoah! Help! Too many Robins! Projection...OFF! yikes. Need to work on the control, here. "Pitcher of Anchor Steam, Mike, thanks." He leans back, takes out his brand new copy of the Rec.Humor.Funny Jokebook and starts in drinking and reading and drinking and laughing (smirk/chuckle/laugh/sidesplit) and wouldn't you know it, pretty soon Nature calls. He rises unsteadily from his stool and wobbles tight-sphincteredly toward the Men's Room. "..the tomatoes are still green but the cucumbers are all four inches longer! oho! That's a good one!" he chuckles to himself on the way to fluid status re-equilibration. The doors are labeled "Microgametogenous" and "Macrogametogenous." He could of sworn they read "console cowboys" and "razor ladies" last time he'd looked. He looks back, catching the last millisecond of a fading smirk on the broad Irish face of the proprietor. Entering the approprite portal, he quickly peeks at the mirror to assure himself that his hair is still just as rumpled and disorganized as when he left the house. A quick sheepdog shake of the head adds a few more ESU to the already highly entropic coiffure. After making a notable contribution to the water table he prepares to leave but is suddenly struck by a mischievous notion. Nobody around. I've never done anything like this before. What if somebody walks in while I'm at it? It's kinda naughty. Awwww... what the hey. He takes out his magic marker and prepares to place the first alt.callahans.graffito but is paralysed by writer's block. What to say? "DYLSEXICS UNTIE" ? Nah, too clinical. How bout "DISTRUST SLOGANS" ... too serious. "US out of North America!" no, too political. "There is no Gravity. The Earth SUCKS!" too nerdly. "Comments on my postings? Dial 1-800-DEV-NULL." too obscure. "For a good time call candy@cathouse.com" too stupid. An ASCII drawing of genitalia? Too juvenile, too, er, hard. "Hot bottom seeks Top quark. Light bonding OK w Infrared Slavery." nerdly AND obscure. "VIDI VICCI VENI" obscure and old. Ohhh I give up. Rising, he prepares again to leave but is halted by another thought. Ok, forget about being clever, let's just leave something interesting. He writes: The Thermo-Tacitle Emotional Transaction Metaphor Extended -------------------------------------------------------- hot slimey warm fuzzy bland pasty cool silky cold prickly --------------------------------------------------------- Glancing furtively around he returns to the bar, finishes his beer, wishes a merry christmas to the remaining patrons, and heads for the door. "And a 3*warmfuzzy + 0.25*coldprickly New Year to you to, robin." says Mike with a twinkle of the eye. "Seeyaround" Path: mit-eddie!bu-cs!snorkelwacker!apple!usc!samsung!uunet!microsoft!t-phils From: t-phils@microsoft.UUCP (the Eternal Stranger) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: This may be the last week... Message-ID: <10061@microsoft.UUCP> Date: 23 Dec 89 01:30:20 GMT Reply-To: t-phils@microsoft.UUCP (the Eternal Stranger) Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA Lines: 50 Well, this is almost it... I have exactly one week left on this account, barring any sudden good news (and frankly, I'm not holding my breath). My internship here at Microsoft ends next Friday, the 29th, and so far, I haven't been able to line up anything else. So as far as I know, from next Friday on until who knows when, I will be out of touch with the net; no email, and more importantly no Callahan's. (No paycheck, either, for that matter.) I'll be looking around for work, of course, and for net access, but it may be some time before I can find my way back here. I'll freely admit I don't look forward to that prospect; this place has helped me a lot over the last month or so. Some of the people I've met here have probably literally saved my sanity - not least you, Jilara; and Taldin and Greywolf, and the others in our little group. But now I'm going to have to find my way alone for a while. What a wonderful way to start out the New Year... This account will probably still be able to receive email for a while, but I may not be able to check it. If you want to reach me after next Friday, you'd better use papernet or phonenet - addressed to: Phil Stracchino (better not use Alaric, that confuses the snail) 14262 SE 6th St. #T202 Bellevue, WA 98007-7018 for papernet, or (206)865-0812. I'll be there for a while at least... I can't guarantee how long. I don't know what I'm going to do without you folks... I literally have more friends here in Callahan's, than everywhere else put together. Mike, the next round is on me... libation of choice, for everyone - every last one of you. Yes, you over there lurking in the corner - that means you too. "To friends: Friends give you a reason to keep smiling; Friends give you a reason to keep going; Friends give you a reason to keep living." <<< CRASH!!! >>> -- CHECK ALL BOXES THAT APPLY: [ ] Out-of-place Renaissance man [ ] Frustrated idealist with no utopia [ ] Romantic with no-one to romance [ ] Amateur superhero minus superpowers [ ] Sometime poet with no audience [ ] t-phils@microsoft.UUCP [ ] Gallant knight with no holy sword [ ] Software wizard seeking new tower [ ] Player at Life, with no rule book [ ] Empath with no-one to help [X] All of the above Path: mit-eddie!bu-cs!snorkelwacker!usc!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hplred!egly From: egly@hplred.HP.COM (Diana Egly) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Re: Me? A lurker? I suppose so... (plus thanks to lots of folks) Message-ID: <20940022@hplred.HP.COM> Date: 22 Dec 89 17:56:07 GMT References: <45070@bu-cs.BU.EDU> Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA Lines: 3 What figure forms a corner at ever point? A circle, I think. With all the corners at Callahan's I think it's approaching circular shape. Path: mit-eddie!snorkelwacker!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ucdavis!csusac!scott From: scott@csusac.csus.edu (L. Scott Emmons) Newsgroups: alt.callahans Subject: Merry Christmas Message-ID: <1989Dec23.195641.9020@csusac.csus.edu> Date: 23 Dec 89 19:56:41 GMT Organization: California State University, Sacramento Lines: 13 To all my friends, and friends to be, at Callahan's: M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S and H A P P Y N E W Y E A R May your christmas by happy, plentiful, and above all, joyful (shared joy...) -- L. Scott Emmons --------------- ...[!ucbvax]!ucdavis!csusac!scott ucdavis!csusac!scott@ucbvax.berkeley.edu