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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO oOOOO OOOO. OOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" .OOOOOO OOOOOo OOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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OOOO oOOOOOOO OOOOOOO. OOOO oOOOO
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OOOO .OOOO OOOO OOOOOOOOo OOOO OOOO"
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OOOO oOOOO OOOO OOOO "OOOO. OOOO OOOOo .OOOO'
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OOOO .OOOO" OOOO OOOO OOOOoOOOO "OOOO. oOOOO
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OOOO oOOOOOOO..OOOO OOOO "OOOOOOO OOOOoOOOO"
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OOOO .OOOO"""OOOOOOOO OOOO OOOOOO "OOOOOOO'
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OOOO oOOOO ""OOOO OOOO "OOOO OOOOOO
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|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| There Ain't No Justice |
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| #81 |
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|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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- Eulogy -
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by Lazarus Long
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I don't even know why I'm writing this, in this way, except that Tal would
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have wanted it this way. He loved this magazine... he called it his own
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personal slice of freedom. So here is my tribute to him, told in the way he
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would have wanted the story told.
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Tal Aaron Meta was born in Orlando Florida on August 31st, 1965. His birth
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mother, for reasons unknown, gave him up for adoption to Edward & Joan Meta,
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a young Navy couple. Perhaps one of the reasons his mother gave him up for
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adoption was that she knew, somehow, that he would be born deformed. Not in a
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gross, obvious manner, but deformed nonetheless.
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The first few years of his life he spent in hospitals, while doctors worked
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to correct the deformity he had been born with. After six years and nine
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major operations, they succeeded. But the strain of the medical care and the
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long days of seperation sometimes encountered by his adoptive parents caused
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them to drift farther and farther apart, until they finally divorced.
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He lived the next few years of his life in the small town of Browns Mills,
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NJ., just outside Fort Dix, an Army training center. He attended the local
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schools, and was generally accounted as being an excellent student. In those
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days, he was an avid reader of mystery novels, ranging from The Hardy Boys,
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Ellery Queen, Sherlock Holmes, and Agatha Christie. Electronics also
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interested him, and he became quite good at designing listening devices and
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"bugs" with which to investigate his neighbors for possible secrets they
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might be keeping. He was something of a "wild child"... a latchkey kid with
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plenty of time on his hands. The sort of kid other kids mom's weren't exactly
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thrilled to have their children hanging out with.
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At the age of nine, his mother urged him to go and live with his father for
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awhile, while she tried to put her life back in order (she'd suffered a minor
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"breakdown" shortly before making this request). Edward Meta had remarried in
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the years since his divorce, and had had two kids with his new wife, Dorothy.
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So Tal moved away from Browns Mills and joined his father at Lakehurst Naval
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Air Station.
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It was at Lakehurst that Tal really began to become the person he would
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always be in later years. Thrown into an unfamiliar town, one where everyone
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was from somewhere else, or going somewhere else soon, he withdrew almost
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totally into himself, and made very few friends. He also learned, over the
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ten months he spent living with his father, just how much he hated the man.
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Family disputes eventually led to his father's second divorce, and six months
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later Tal himself ran away from his father to return to living with his
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mother.
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Joan Meta had moved to Jackson during this time, leaving Tal with all of a
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mile and a half to run. After a years worth of generally slacking off and
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being rebellious at school, Tal finally began pulling in straight A's again,
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much to the pleasure of his teachers. It was also during this time that Tal
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turned even further inward, denying himself the throes of adolescence to
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explore the inner workings of his own mind.
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The first years of his High School career, Tal was an avowed pacifist, albeit
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one with a wiseass attitude and irreverent sense of humor. He studied such
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eclectic courses of inner mastery as Zen and Yoga (although too far out of
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shape to really use most of yoga, the breathing and centering techniques were
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easily adapted to other things). He also studied the writings of Confuscious,
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Machiavelli, Sun Tsu, and discovered science fiction, whereupon he left all
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other reading-for-pleasure behind.
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Tal was doing well at his mastery of the self until he began to notice that
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more and more his mind kept wandering in a certain direction. A direction
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often refered to as "behind himself", because thats where she almost always
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was sitting. Angelique. She wasn't "beautiful", but she was intelligent,
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pretty, and had a certain way of half-smiling at him that left him unnerved.
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So he did the only thing he could do... he maneuvered his mother into moving
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as far away from Jackson as they could get.
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Somwhere between Jackson and Seaside Heights, Tal underwent a different sort
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of metamorphisis. He ceased to be a pacifist, and began to openly study
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"war". Not just physical fighting, but the mental gymnastics of debate and
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dominance. He took up fencing, and some karate. He took to skulking about the
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rooftops, usually to stargaze. But eventually came graduation, and Tal set
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off to see the world courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.
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Once firmly ensconced in Basic Training, Tal began putting many of the things
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he taught himself in High School to use. He used his skills with "making
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people do what he wanted" to maneuver himself into a position of moderate
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authority in the pseudostructure of BT. When the leader of his flight began
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to annoy everyone, he saw to it that that person was discredited and
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"recycled" to another flight. But Tal did make one "mistake" during all of
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this, he thought himself finally strong enough to take on an old "rival". He
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got back in touch with Angelique.
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Now, I'm not going to go into what that episode led too; Tal did that himself
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in TANJ.074, and I am not competant to add to it. But during the years he
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chased after Angelique in vain, he did many other things. He underwent
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training to become an Inflight Refueling Specialist, or Boom Operator, flying
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onboard a KC-135A Tanker. During his tenure in the Air Force, he was awarded
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the Good Conduct Medal and the Achievement Medal, flew reconnisance support
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missions in Alaska, played tag with Soviet "Bear" Bombers in Iceland, and
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spent the month he was grounded in England seeing the countryside. To him,
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the crowning achievement of his Air Force career (aside from getting out
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early) was being a part of what was humorously called "North Africa Bomb Comp
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'86", but known to the public as the raid on Libya.
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After he got out of the Air Force, he came "home" to Seaside Hts, there to
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chase Angelique until at long last they split up. Once home he spent a month
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or two hopping from job to job, doing everything from working in a deli, a
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liquour store, shovelling dirt (for all of four hours) until he finally came
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to rest at the local lumberyard as a truck driver and jack-of-all-trades.
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After the breakup with Angelique, as he has already said, he finally got
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himself involved with computers. His earliest modem exploits involved the
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Commodore 64 oriented Q-Link system on Telenet, which is where he wound up
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meeting Ground Zero of A.T.I./Red Phone fame. This brought him into contact
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with people like Android Pope, the Unbeliever, Horseride, and other members
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of the "underground". When he finally began to call boards local to himself,
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he found them childish and unfulfiling, so he decided that the only way to
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show the locals how to REALLY run a BBS was to do so himself.
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While he originally intended to call his first BBS "CyberSea Productions",
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"Tessier Ashpool" was a much more fitting name for someone who called himself
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Neuromancer at the time. Debate over the name brought him in contact with
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local personalities like Midnight Raider and Sage, with whom he was good
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friends for quite a number of years. They later together helped found the
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group "Panther Modernz" that was the original driving force behind the
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"Modernz" e'mag.
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Eventually, Tal's explorations of the computer underground drew attention to
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himself, and he was busted courtesy of U.S. Sprint. Again, Tal did the story
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of his own bust, arrest and prosecution in previous TANJ issues, so I will
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not cover old ground here. By the time of his bust, however, he had already
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met and been dating Cool One (better known as Judy to most) for almost a
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year. As he'd declared bankruptcy only a few months before he was busted, he
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had enough free cash on hand to rapidly put together an even better computer
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setup and put his next BBS, "TANSTAAFL" up in short order.
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With the return of Tal to active BBSing came the birth of this very e'mag I'm
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writing for right now. Originally founded by Tal so that he wouldn't have to
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endlessly retell the story of his "persecution", it eventually grew into a
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well established fixture of the electronic scene, with a score of writers and
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who knows how many support sites. Sometime early the next year, Tal and Hegz
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finally solved the complexities of echomail & fidonet technology without
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benefit of pestering anyone else, and founded TLSNet. A month or two later,
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Tal used the same knowlege to found what he called "MontyNet", a small, two
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BBS network that eventually grew into the monstrosity now known as GodNet.
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GodNet, like TANJ, was part of Tal's vision of freedom of speech. A place
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where anyone could say anything, where no belief was too silly to be
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ridiculed for sheer spite, and where (mostly) he could do as he damn well
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pleased without fear of censure from above. While GodNet was initially just a
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fixture of the local area, he eventually interested a sysop out in Arizona in
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joining (Grinning Coyote) and GodNet suddenly became semi-national.
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Soon after "going ld", GodNet was offered a merger with another network
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called SoftNet. In theory, the merger was a good one; GodNet was strong on
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messages, but had no visible file echoes, while SoftNet had a great file area
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but weak message areas. However, relatively soon after the merger, Fetus,
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SoftNet's ZC and then in charge of GodNet's file echoes dropped out of sight
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after several cross country bounces. Tal tried to keep both ends of the
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network running, but eventually was forced to settle for a median level of
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activity in both areas.
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As the years passed, GodNet eventually spread until it was nationwide, with
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systems in several states, as well as Canada and finally, Australia. Tal was
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fairly well pleased with it as a whole... while it had its occasional
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problems, for the most part he felt it was a success.
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In TANJ.074, Tal spoke of his life entering a "new cycle", but,
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unfortunately, unknown to him, it was the final cycle. Several weeks after
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writing 074, Tal did indeed hear from Angelique again, and for the last few
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months of his life he and she had come to understand each other far better
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than they ever had before. Mind you, she was still married, and happily so,
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and Tal was engaged himself, but he learned many things. Like why she'd
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REALLY broken up with him so long ago. And that the love they'd felt for each
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other had never really died.
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But, since they were both happy in their current relationships, they showed
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an amazing amount of adult restraint and learned at last how to be just
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friends. (Although Tal had a fairly rough time of it <g>) And his life with
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Cool One was really just beginning to take off itself; they had moved in
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together early in January '94, and were living together blissfully until the
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middle of the month when Tal was involved in a near fatal accident involving
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stairs and a refrigerator. Unknown to either of them at the time, during
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Tal's convelesance he finally fullfilled a lifetime dream and fathered a
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child.
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However, earlier today, March 18th, 1994, Tal was struck by an out of control
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car and killed. He leaves behind his fiancee, Cool One, and their unborn
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child. it is my hope that both TANJ and GodNet will continue without Tal to
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guide them.
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Tal was a real whirling son of a bitch. He'll be missed.
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Tal Meta - 8/31/65 - 3/18/94
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<20> <20><> <20>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> <20> <20>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>۲<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> <20>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> Phoenix Modernz Systems: 908/830-TANJ
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> The Syndicate: 908/506-6892
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> Another Bloody BBS: 61/3-754-3599
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> Yellow Submarine: 404/552-5336
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<EFBFBD>۱<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> Urban Discipline / VaS World HQ : 313/464-1470
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<EFBFBD>۱<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> Earth's Dreamlands: 313/558-5024
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> RipCo ][: 312/528-5020
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> fActioN/DownGrade Evolution 205/995-0794
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> <20> <20> TANJ Mailing Address <20>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> PO Box 174 <20>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> Seaside Hts, NJ <20>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> <20> 08751 <20>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>۲<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20><> <20><><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD>;
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> <20> <20> <20>
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