textfiles/messages/BACKWATER/bw840415.txt

LIST
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STATUS: ENTER ONLY
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1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask....
2 ********************* REMOVED: 15 APR 84 *******************
3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System)  Mike Day System operator
4 ************************************************************
5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
6                     PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privatly owned
8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
10 privatly owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
18 ************************************************************
19 #!"#!"$("#)!%($#)(&%=$#)&(!#&(#!$&(!%&(!)#+(&>)#$+(&)!#+$<(%#)$<(&>#!)$<&(
20 As I sit in the classroom in the third building in this 20th century 
21 institute of learning far up on the ppark blocks of this metropolis known a
22 as Portland, I wonder why my employer suddenly had need for a 20th century
23 computer expert. I remember how quickly it all happened...the reality booking
24 office...the reality transport...the inflight training (thank heavens for
25 sleep training)...That decrepit room  in Union Station...and suddenly here
26 I was...away from my friends at the Inn...away from the time period I knew
27 best...everything I new and loved gone....but lets make the best of it...
28 whoops...yes mr. Gilbert...what are the three basic forms of finding 
29 partitions...uhhh...oh yea..."First fit, worst fit, and best fit"...boy...
30 that was close...I gotta start paying more attention to the teacher...
31 But what is that I hear...the sounds of pipes...just like those at the inn.
32 could it be...my old friends at the inn, here??? I quickly excuse myself...
33 and amid the stares from the other students in the class, take my leave
34 from "20th century Operating Systems". I hurridly make my way in the
35 direction of the pipes. "They sure do have range today", I thinkto myself.
36 Myu excitement causes me to start running, after nearly being hit by
37 a mass transport device, and nearly running over a vagrant laying on the
38 sidewalk, I can feel(and hear) I am getting closer. As I turn a corner,
39 I see him...THE PIPER...standing outside, playing his pipes, as if to alertt
40 the city to his location. Without letting up on his playing, but with the
41 wink of an eye, he acknowledges my presence. A tavern...of course...be it
42 the 20th, 40th, or 10th century...I always know where My friends from
43 the Inn can be found. Entering, I find most of the old gang. "Hello  
44 apprentice...voyeur, MIG, TMA, Travaler...what on earth are you doing
45 here?", I questioned...and without waiting for an answer, "I have been here
46 about 2 weeks, getting some training in old computer technology. Isn't this
47 a crazy place? I have plenty of money...and a car...my car!!! I forgot it
48 in the excitement to get here...and..." Finally Bard calms me down with a
49 friendly hand onn my shoulder... "You can tell us all about it later...but
50 first sit down and have an ale", he says... Finally my friends...what a day!
51 #!"(#)+"*(#)+"*(#!"#!" L'homme sans parity  !"#$#"$!"#%!$"%$#!%!#$%#
52 PS...After re-reading this, I see some material for definite editing... when
53 will editing return?
54 #"!#$!"$#"%#$&%$'%&(&'(%$&'%$&!#$&#$%&%$&#$%&!#"$"('&()#($#")($!"%!"%
55 (this is going to be weird! I haven't FOUND the others yet!)
56 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
57 Someone was asking the bard, "How are we gonna find the others?"
58 "Well, at close range I can check for temporal charge... but
59 at greater ranges...
60 Wait a sec! This group is one of the least likely assemblages of
61 allegedly intelligent beings I've ever seen." He replaced the unit he had
62 been examining & removed another from the pack. "Yep, the improbability sensor
63 is picking up a bunch of traces!" (Glad I held onto it after blowing
64 that job track down the Heart of Gold!)
65 The first source they tried was a false trail. Some man named
66 Ivancie... funny, that had been the HIGHEST improbability reading! Oh well.
67 Much later they were crossing the river (for the second time)
68 when they heard the sound of pipes...
69 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
70 If anyone was wondering why our *beloved* mayor was so improbable, I
71 regret that to inform you that if you have to have it explained then you won't
72 understand the explanation!
73 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
74 The Asteroid Light (words: John Baoardman, tune: The Eddystone Light)
75 My father was the keeper of the Asteroid Light,
76 He slept with a Martian one fine night.
77 Out of this match came children three,
78 Two were mutants and the other was me.
79 Chorus:Yo, ho, ho, the jets run free
80 Oh for a life at the speed of c.
81 When I was but a space cadet,
82 They put me in charge of a proton jet;
83 I cleaned the tubes and filled them with fuel,
84 And picked my teeth with an old slide rule.
85 CHORUS
86 One night as I was heading for the moon,
87 And singing a well known space-man's tune,
88 I heard a voice come from out of the void,
89 And there sat my mother on her asteroid.
90 CHORUS
91 "Oh, what has become of my children three?"
92 My mother then she asked of me.
93 "One is on exhibit in a zoo on Venus,
94 And the other keeps a telepathic link between us."
95 CHORUS
96 The deuterons flashed in her hydrogen hair;
97 I looked again and my mother wasn't there.
98 But she telepathed angrily out of the night,
99 #Then to hell with the keeper of the Asteroid Light!#
100 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
101 ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
102 Cistop Mikey:somehow,Michael has come acrosed a western electric 212A 1200 baud
103 modem and we would like to put it on the Nerd.problem a)there are s DIP switches
104 that  are guarentied to be set wrong b) we`have no doc's on this beast.
105 perhaps you could help??
106 
107 the person who asked Michael Galassi`when a password is delivered,michael uses`
108 this board 1* a week if at all,but I can tell you that it's about a week right 
109 
110 now.
111 The Man in Gray
112 ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
113 THE ROAD HAD BEEN NOTHING MORE THAN OVER SIZED WAGON RUTS FOR MORE THAN A
114 FEW MILES WHEN I HAPPENED ON THE NEXT CROSSING. THERE, BEFORE MY EYES, WAS
115 THE SIGN OF A HIGH TECH CIVILIZATION: A FREEWAY! NOW, ALL I HAD TO DO IS
116 WAIT FOR SOME PASSERBY, AND HITCH A RIDE. SITTING ON THE SIDE CLOSEST TO
117 ME WAS SMALL BOOTH WITH A SIGN THAT READ "FREE LUNCH" AND ANOTHER THAT SAID
118 "INQUIRE WITHIN". NOT BEING ONE TO PASS UP A MEAL OF ANY KIND I PROCEEDED
119 TOWARDS THE PLACE. "I WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER MY FRIEND"!! I TURNED, LOOKING
120 FOR THE SOURCE OF THE VOICE BUT SAW NOBODY. ANOTHER STEP, "I'M TELLING YOU
121 PAL, YOU GO IN THERE AND YOU'LL BE SORRRRY!" WHEELING AROUND I SHOUTED AT THE
122 VOICE "WHAT'S IT TO YA?!" "NOT MUCH REALLY, I'VE ONLY WATCHED A DOZEN OR SO
123 PEOPLE GO IN AND NOT SEEN ONE OF THEM COME BACK OUT. THAT'S ALL!" WHAT A
124 REALITY!! FIRST I'M WALKING TO WORK, THEN I'M LOST IN SOME OTHER "WORLD"
125 AND NOW I'M TALKING TO THE AIR! AS I STOOD THERE WONDERING WHAT COULD OCCUR
126 NEXT A GUT FEELING CAME UPON ME. I WALKED UP TO THE BOOTH AND SHOVED A 
127 TREE BRANCH IN THE DOOR. NOTHING HAPPENED. THEN I TRIED PULLING IT OUT AND
128 WAS REWARDED WITH HEALTHY TUG IN RETURN. THEN INCH BY INCH, THE BRANCH WAS
129 PULLED FURTHER IN. I LET GO AND IT REMAINED SUSPENDED WHERE I HAD SHOVED
130 IT IN, THEN IT VANISHED! THAT DID IT FOR ME! I SLOWLY WALKED AWAY, NEVER
131 TAKING MY EYES OFF THE PLACE. THAT WAS DEFINITLY NOT THE INN I HAD BEEN 
132 LOOKING FOR.   
133 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
134     Thank goodness sombody with some pull in this reality has shown
135 up.  I really was begginning to worry....  Wait, did you say 1984?  
136 Great, just what I needed.  There sure wont be any bolo's around here.
137 (I cut this line of conversation as I started to get some really 
138 strange looks).  I have a few questions: first how did we get here.
139 second: How Are We Going To Get Back!!!!!!!!!!!
140     Also to our guide in this reality, I was not able to meet you before, but
141 I met most of the others later in the evening.  Unfortunatly now I'm HERE in
142 this when-wherever, please don't forget and leave me stranded.
143                               Fast Fred
144                               BSAL
145 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
146 HELP!!!!
147 HOW DO I GET PAST THE MENHIR
148 HOW DO I GET PAST THE LIZARD HEAD?
149 HELP FOR ZORK II!!!
150 HOW DO I GET PAST THE MENHIR?
151 HOW DO I GET PAST THE LISARD HEAD AND THREE HEADED DOG?
152 HOW DO I GET INTO THE BANK VAULT?
153 HOW DO I GET THE WAND FROM THE WIZARD?
154 HOW DO I GET THE RED SPHERE?
155 THANX---------JOHN CLUFF
156 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
157 ah, excuse me but i'm a bit new here.  What century is this INN in???
158 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$>>>>>>>>>>>darin<<<<<<<<<<<$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
159 darin, the Inn is in Innisfall. It also appears to exist simultaneously on
160 several other planes of existence. The Bathrooms, for example, are apparently
161 Roman, and the entrance has been known to face out upon Edwardian England.
162 The most consistent aspects of the Inn are its heavy wooden doors, the Rowan
163 tree growing by the road outside it, and the eclectic nature of the reality-
164 hopping patrons.
165 Enjoy!
166                 && The Mad Actor &&
167 ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
168 
DOES ANYONE IN THIS TIMEWARP KNOW WHATS GOING ON?
169 
????????????????????????????CRAIG???????
170 ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
171 MIKEY: I READ WHAT WAS ON THE PREVIOUS DISK BY FENCHEL? OR YOU......WHICH?
172 IT WAS VERY DEPRESSING, BUT QUIT TRUE.
173 CALL WAITING SRIKES AGAIN!....................SOMEONE TAGGED THE STORY
174 LINE AS SCIENCE FICTION. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IS INCORRECT. SF AND
175 FANTASY ARE DIFFERENT. SO FAR IN MY VOYAGES HERE FANTASY IS POPULAR, NOT TRUE
176 SCIENCE FICTION. NO OFFENSE INTENDED. WHEN, AND IF, A TRY AT SF IS ATTEMPTED
177 I SHALL TRY TO JOIN IN. I'M NOT MUCH OF AN INSTIGATOR.......WELL, NOT ALL THE
178 TIME, ANYHEY.
179 ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!DEBORAH?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
180 MIKEY: AT THE END OF THE SECOND LINE ABOVE ADD "TRUE".
181 ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
182 .          . ... ...         . .. ..... ...           ......
183 excuse me please sirs but could you not show the way to camaroon to me?
184 i was just going along you know minding my own business as usual when i
185 fell through a tangent reality into this awful place. i had been on the sixth 
186 of the eightfold ways to pure understanding when somehow i got something 
187 nasty on my sandals. this can be quite uncomfortable you know with an open
188 toed sandal and an inhibitor to romance also if you know what i mean (of course
189 you do). anyway i was hopping around like crazy on my one other foot trying
190 to figure out if i had damaged my chances for a gradual enlightenment in that
191 land when i stepped in the thingy-pile again you know and fell right over, which
192 was no fun at all but even worse is that when i hit the ground there was no
193 ground there and i must tell you that i am a most metaphysically sophisticated
194 person by as for this place i have no understanding at all. 
195 so who are all of you crazy people anyway not that i wish to offend you but
196 only discover if i safe here or must wear my laser slingshot and chastity 
197 girdle all the time. naturally i wish to be on the best of terms with all 
198 of you delightful people but of course that might not be easy considering 
199 what you all look like and smell like too if you know what i mean.
200 
201 where are all the girls?
202 ......   . . .........    . .                     ..................siddhartha
203 DOES ANYONE HAVE PROGRAM RECORDER?
204 CALL-1206423xxxx
205 ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>MIKEY::MAYBE YOU SHOULD MAKE
206 A PASSWORD SIGNON FOR THIS SYSTEM,THE PERSON ABOVE COULD JUST BE WIPED OFF 
207 THE LIST OF USERS. MAYBE THE BACKWATER GANG WOULD BE WILLING TO CHIP IN A 
208 LITTLE FOR THIS MODIFICATION.
209 Pheric Foerender
210 
211 #"!#')!+"*($#")(%$!)"*%=(!)$<#+%&!)$<'&!%'$%('%!)%='()"!*'?%)"$%"#!%#
212 In the immortal words of Aaron..."Another epsilon minus spilling his guts in
213 30 some lines of our beloved Backwater"...well that isn't exactly what Aaron
214 said, but its close enough. I guess along with the ENTER ONLY goes the
215 inability of the Inn users to do self-policing... Oh well...on to the adventure.
216 Hey Bard...is your bag like Dr. Who's Tartus?  You seem to pull more stuff
217 out of there! My knapsack (which I found was required along with $480 per
218 term to attend PSU) is always bulging with books, and I would like to
219 pick up a pack like yours, if possible. Also, could you tell Leonard,
220 if he ever does get to this reality, that I have some important papers for
221 him. Merci...
222 "!#!"$"#!$#"%$!" L'homme sans parity #!"$"#%!$#%&$%"%!$%!#$"%$#%#"%#"%
223 
224 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
225 Any baseball fans out there? It would be nice to get some reality into this
226 system. Let's hear it, fans...
227 ---------------------------------(<>)------------------------------------
228 WELL HERE WE ARE BACK TOGETHER AGAIN, HOW DID WE GET SO SCATTERED?
229 DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET BACK? THE AREA/REALITY WE ARE IN PRESENTLY IS 
230 TO STABLE FOR ME TO USE MY USUAL MEANS OF REALITY HOPPING, THOUGH THERE
231 SEEMS TO BE A SMALL AREA OF INSTABLITY ABOUT 150 KILOMETERS EAST OF HERE.
232 FUNNY THING ABOUT THAT AREA, SEEMS TO HAVE A MAGICAL AURA ABOUT IT AS WELL.
233 OH WELL, AS LONG AS I'M HERE, ANOTHER BEER...
234 -------------------------(<>)THE TRAVELLER(<>)----------------------------
235 NOTE: THE DOCTOR TRAVELS IN A 'TARDIS' NOT 'TARTUS'.
236 (<>)--
237 ***********************************************************
238 DEBORAH: IT WAS A QUOTE BY FENCHEL THAT CAUGHT MY EYE. IT IS FROM
239 ENERGIES OF LOVE BY JUNE SINGER.
240 
241 WAR IS WAR PERVERTED. THE PROBLEM IS NOT WAR BUT THE PERVERSION.
242 AND THE PERVERSION IS SEX PERVERTED. "WAR IS ENERGY ENSLAV'D"
243 FIND THE TRUE FIRE; OF WHICH THE FIRES OF WAR ARE A SATANIC PARODY.
244 FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. THE TRUE TEACHERS OF THE PEACE ARE THOSE WHO
245 HAVE THE HIGHEST POWER, WHO CAN WORK MIRACLES, WHO ARE MASTERS OF FIRE.
246 THEREFORE THE BUDDHAS ARE CALLED JINNAS, CONQUERORS. - NORMAN O. BROWN -
247 
248 WHILE I AGREE WITH THE OBSERVATION OF THE ABOVE QUOTE, I FIND THAT
249 I DISAGREE WITH THE CONCLUSION PRESENTED.
250 
251 NEED-LOVE CRIES TO GOD FROM OUR POVERTY; GIFT-LOVE LONGS TO SERVE,
252 OR EVEN TO SUFFER FOR, GOD; APPRECIATIVE LOVE SAYS: "WE GIVE THANKS
253 TO THEE FOR THY GREAT GLORY." NEED-LOVE SAYSOF A WOMAN, "I CANNOT
254 LIVE WITHOUT HER." GIFT-LOVE LONGS TO GIVE HER HAPPINESS, COMFORT, 
255 PROTECTION, IF POSSIBLE, WEALTH. APPRECIATIVE LOVE GAZES AND HOLDS 
256 ITS BREATH AND IS SILENT, REJOICES THAT SUCH WONDER SHOULD EXIST
257 EVEN IF NOT FOR HIM, WILL NOT BE WHOLLY DEJECTED BY LOSING HER, WOULD
258 RATHER HAVE IT SO THAN NEVER TO HAVE SEEN HER AT ALL. -C.S. LEWIS-
259 
260 AN INTERESTING OBSERVATION, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY MUCH ELSE.
261 
262 LOVE IS NOT CHEAP - LET US THEREFORE BEWARE OF CHEAPENING IT! ALL OUR
263 BAD QUALITIES, OUR EGOTISM, OUR COWARDICE, OUR WORLDLY WISDOM, OUR 
264 CUPIDITY - ALL THESE WOULD PERSUADE US NOT TO TAKE LOVE SERIOUSLY. BUT
265 LOVE WILL REWARD US ONLY WHEN WE DO. I MUST EVEN REGARD IT AS A 
266 MISFORTUNE THAT NOWADAYS THE SEXUAL QUESTION IS SPOKEN OF AS SOMETHING
267 DISTINCT FROM LOVE. SEXUALITY DISHED OUT AS SEXUALITY IS BRUTISH; BUT
268 SEXUALITY AS AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE IS HALLOWED. THEREFORE, NEVER ASK
269 WHAT A MAN DOES, BUT HOW HE DOES IT. IF HE DOES IT FROM LOVE OR IN 
270 THE SPIRIT OF LOVE, THEN HE SERVES A GOD. - C.G. JUNG -
271 
272 BASICLY A REASONABLE AND GOOD STATEMENT, BUT EVEN DONE OUT OF LOVE
273 IT CAN STILL BE WRONG. THE LOVE DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT, IT ONLY 
274 PROVIDES A MORAL REASON. --- LIFE CAN BE SO COMPLICATED <<< SIGH >>>
275 
276 ************************ CISTOP MIKEY *********************************
277 Dear Cistop Mikey;
278      I like it!
279                                            Dr. Frankenstupe
280 +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
281 +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_
282 {
283   ho hum....  what's this?   a terminal and modem? hmmmmmmm...
284 lesseee......(getting comfey in chair...sliding keyboard over..send a few CR's)
285 
286 
287 
288  USER NAME? foo
289  INVALID USER
290 
291  USER NAME? test
292  INVALID USER
293 
294  USER NAME? ivancie
295  PASSWORD?  pass
296 
297  INVALID PASSWORD
298 
299  USER NAME? ivancie
300  PASSWORD?  mayor
301 
302                                     WELCOME
303 
304                                       TO
305 
306                                      CMDN
307 ****************************************************************************
308  LOGON AT 01:57:26      PORT 23,DU
309 ****************************************************************************
310 
311 COMMAND: cat
312 UNKNOWN COMMAND
313 
314 COMMAND: catalog
315 UNKNOWN COMMAND  --  USE HELP
316 
317 COMMAND: help
318 
319   CITY MANAGEMENT DECISION NETWORK -- SUPPORTED COMMANDS:
320 
321 CHOOSER -- analyses options and picks optimum management stratagy
322 ARBIT   -- labor relation package
323 DOL.FLOW-- simulates PORTLAND'S economy....warning: run time minimum 3 minutes
324 ADVENT  -- executive relaxation catalyst...for hints type "HELP ADVENT"
325 
326 COMMAND: chooser
327 
328 CHOOSER      version 3.2
329 
330  POLY STAT DEVIATION PER PECU UNIT CORRELATION FACTOR 
331  (IN MILLI-KILROYS)? uhhh...^C
332 ^C
333 ^C
334 
335 COMMAND: help chooser
336 
337 CHOOSER HELP version 1.1a
338 
339   FIRST QUESTION: TELL THE COMPUTER HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WILL MAKE IF THE
340                  ANSWER IS "YES".
341 
342  SECOND QUESTION: TELL THE  COMPUTER HOW MUCH MONEY THE CITY WILL SAVE IF
343                   THE ANSWER IS "NO".
344 
345  THIRD QUESTION:  TELL WHEN THE NEXT ELECTION FOR YOUR OFFICE WILL BE HELD.
346 
347 CHOOSER HELP DONE
348 
349  COMMAND: chooser
350 CHOOSER      version 3.2
351 
352  POLY STAT DEVIATION PER PECU UNIT CORRELATION FACTOR
353  (IN MILLI-KILROYS)? $20.36
354  CROSS-COVARIENCE MODULUS? $2,000,000,000
355 
356  TIME DILATION PRO-RATION FACTOR OF MEDIAN POLLING? 136 years
357 
358 
359       THINKING.....................
360 
361 SOLUTION:
362 ******************************************************************************
363                 GO FOR IT!     YES, YES, YES!!!
364 ******************************************************************************
365 
366  EXPLAIN RATIONALE? don't bother...
367 
368  PLEASE ANSWER "YES" OR "NO"
369 
370  EXPLAIN RATIONALE? no
371 
372  END OF CHOOSER
373 
374  COMMAND: bye
375 
376  QUIT, ARE YOU SURE? does a duck have lips?
377 
378       THINKING..............
379  IS IT A DEMOCRAT? ^C
380 ^C
381 ^C ^C
382 
383 THANKS FOR CALLING................................
384  <<< SYSTEM DISCONNECTS >>>
385 
386 ~x~ j~
387 {
388 if the editor worked....
389     thank you CISTOP MIKEY....  text corrections made....
390 }
391 ===================================================================
392 That was beautiful!  Complete with time delays.  While the subject was
393 humorous, I really liked the 'feel' of being at the terminal.
394 But it must be why I couldn't get on for 2 hours.
395 Got anything else clever up your sleeve? (you have a sleeve, haven't you?)
396 ======================================================================
397 {
398    2 hours? well, ur, <blush> maybe i did overstay my welcome just a BIT.
399  do you have some sort of auto-dialer on your beast?
400 }
401 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
402    Deborah -- you are always welcome to participate in one of the fantasy
403 adventures should you wish to do so!  Science Fiction is, after all, a 
404 subset of fantasy.  The rules are formed by consensus.  We seem to be a
405 trifle loose and use such things as magic rather easily.  But, as someone
406 once said (please don't ask for the source of the quote) magic is 
407 indistinguishable from sufficiently advanced technology.  In a pinch, we
408 could probably find a rationale for our devices that approximates (at least
409 for a "soft" science-fiction mileu) an acceptable explanation.  We all are
410 willing to accept "magic" as an operative force.  However -- if push came to
411 shove, we could work in some glib explanations.  Why not jump in and join us
412 for this little romp??  We're in downtown Portland in the here and now.
413 I am dressed in kilts, standing near the doorway of a tavern, playing he
414 pipes, most of the group, exept the bard are within.  Come, join us!
415 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
416 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
417   From "What to do after you hit return" book of computer games:
418                      "High Technology is Low Magic"
419                                                       Aaron
420 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
421 addendum...
422 piper: I have found my "degree" of connectivity sufficent to support my 
423 current investigations. Or as Mulla Nasrudin might say "..........
424 ..." but seriously, folks, i seem to have found the object of my search.
425 dandy translator (probably trnsltd best version of "Fiery Intelligence"
426 availiable), and ooodles of Iranians have been keeping me on the path
427 (at least as close as i care to follow!) for awhile now.......perchance
428 have you ever met Barefoot John?
429                                        right person, right?
430                                             Aaron
431 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
432 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
433     To the two hour user:
434 It was worth it!! (dont do it again).  I loved every line.
435                 Fast Fred     BSAL
436 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
437 Voyeur: unless you write the software yourself, you CANNOT get a good upload
438 to BWMS. You will have to set the margin >> your text width to avoid 
439 problems with the "warning" bells. Your program will have to wait for
440 the echo of a character before sending the next char (if no echo
441 for several minutes, resend char). I *ONCE* managed to upload a 2 or 3
442 line msg by telling the computer (the middle-sized one) that it was
443 an Autolog sequence (only way to pause output!). Even prompted uploads don't
444 work well.
445 M. l'homme: I believe that I picked up the pack while traveling thru Nevia.
446 It isn't all THAT big... I really don't think there's more than 1 or 2
447 thousand cubic feet of storage. 
448 Everyone: please bear with me... we are getting ready to move & I have got 
449 LOTS of packing etc to do. 
450 Since I will be rather busy, why don't we let the "new" people "run"
451 things?
452 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
453 Thank Murphy! It IS the piper! thought bard as he approached the
454 tavern. The piper waved him in and continued to play...
455 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
456 OK I'm here. Now what?
457 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
458 ***************************************************************
459 Ivancie Log on - Loved it. Most original thing I've seen in 
460 months. Who are you? Backwater needs your imagination. Grand D.
461 ***************************************************************
462 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  *.*  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
463   Aaron: As Nasrudin might say.....
464      "They say your jokes are full of hidden meanings, Nasrudin.
465       Are they?"
466      "No."
467      "Why not?"
468      "Because I have never told the truth in my life, even once;
469       neither will I ever be able to do so."
470 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  Captn' Barefoot  >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
471 WELL SO FAR I HAD DISCOVEFED THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS DFREE LUNCH AND 
472 THAT YOU BETTER OFF TRYING TO,FIND YOUR WAYH AROUND AS ASK FOR HELP FROM
473 SPINNERAND LISTEN TO VOICES POUT OF NO WHERE. MAYBE IF I TRIUED TM?
474 ................................................
475 PIPER: THE QUOTE IS from Arthur C. Clarke "Any sufficiently 
476 advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" I think
477 it is in "Profiles of the Future".
478 _________________________________Leonard___________________
479 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
480 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< BEWARE THE BANDERSNATCH >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
481 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
482 !@#!#!@)$#@)%!#$)%+$#^)#%_$^(_!#%$(&$%)&+$@%_&(!_(%$_&)+^$%&(^_&(^_%&(%^&
483 Bard...You are moving??? Perchance will will tell me what neighborhood you
484 intend to invade? I still have to deliver some stuff to your friend Leonard,
485 how long will you be around in your current local (in this reality, I mean,
486 in the portland reality, which is to say the reality in Portland that is
487 not the other reality in portland, since we have two concurrent realities
488 in the same location in the same time frame but neither are realited to
489 each other except through that thin thread that holds all realities together
490 that some people call "The Farce"...well?
491 Oh by the way, do you know what this "bandersnatch" is? Is it anything
492 that Monty Python would make a movie about?
493 Adventures et all...Ca va? Where do we go now? What is the concensus on a
494 march down to the heart of this cities government? I say with our advanced
495 technologies we might be able to fix up this 'burg before we leave. With
496 the appearance of Ivan C. Terrible, and the upcoming local elections, we
497 could really create quite a stir! What say one and all?
498 (did I spell city's cities? My how this reality is getting to me?)
499 !@$#!@*$#*$)#@*$)@*!$#)$ L'homme sans parity $#@$*(@#)*$%@#)%*@#%@#%@#%@#%
500 Aside to Aaron. I will be at M F & E this saturday...it might be a good time
501 to come and get your money...(you have returned the books haven't you?)
502 $#$*#@()$*!)$*@#)*!%$)%*#$)*%^#$)^*#)%^*#$)*^!)$^*)#$*^)!$*^$)^*!)%*^&)!*&
503 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
504   L'homme: I didn't return the books, as M,F&E has already dispersed my 
505 coin......(there wasnt supposed to be a comma there, where are you, oh
506 clever "hacker"?) Does this mean i can keep them? Spent some time chatting
507 with MF&E at his reality, tried to use the PCjr as a rs-232 to centronics
508 converter with "A:copy com1: lpt1:"..didn't work...it works on an '11! But
509 then again my '11 has special disk....the disk of TRON! yi yi yieee!
510  Barefoot: As i have yet to drink horse piss---uh, read that as "attend
511 PorSFiS", I havn't met piper. Maychance you would show up at one of these
512 conclaves....give me a chance to meet both of you.
513  Piper: I didn't notice if John signed that text above, but thats him....
514                                                      Aaron
515 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
516 XXXXXXZ
517 XXXXXX    GOODBYE!!
518 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
519 The voice seems to have disappeared. Ah well, I don't see how I'm
520 going to get to George MathKneeBiter SlimeHopper's reality.
521 "Hallo, there!"
522  What's this, it looks like the Doctor. Maybe he'll give me a ride.
523 (If his vehicle can ever reach the right destination)
524 "Doctor, the patrons have been sent to another reality by George
525 MathKneeBiter SlimeHopper. Can I get a ride in you TARDIS?"
526 "I suppose it's not far out of the way. Although I usually don't
527 give rides to strangers dressed in black."
528 With a whistle, 24 aborigines enter the Inn and climb through the
529 doors into a police box.
530 "Who are they?" The Doctor let out a gasp.
531 "My aborigine companions. The perfectly harmless."
532 The Doctor enters the TARDIS with a chuckle and we flicker out
533 in a series of lurching whines.
534                The Ninja
535 ----------------------------(<.)DD>)-----------------------------------
536 The Ivancie section was graeDDeat! thgDough I suggest downloDDDDownlo
537 download in loading in the future.
538 ----------------------(<>)The Traveller(<>)-------------------------
539 The above was an upload, scrap the entire thing!!! without replace and
540 delete uploads are usless on this system!
541 -----(<>)-----
542 OH TO BE IN THE 20TH CENTURY... SIGH..
543  Is it my imagination or does CMDN run on a HONEYWELL 66/40a ?
544 to coin a phrase "yiiiii yiii yii"
545 With that and MIKEY this is quite a disk!
546                                            Mr. Tim
547 {
548    Traveller:    the back arrow key on your VT-100 look-alike dosn't really
549   erase the character. It just looks like it on your machine. Use BACKSPACE
550 (control-h). One of your escape sequences was crashing my system. Hope you
551  don't mind if i patched it.
552 
553  Mr. Tim: CMDN runs on imagination, not a Honey-Bucket. yiii-whatever back.
554 }
555 Greetings Earthlings,
556    We will be making tests on all of the humans in this area to deter
557 mine whether they have the "RIGHT STUFF" to be president.  To qualify,
558 you must be multi-faced (faced will do) and have lots of teeth.  Send
559 your application (available at any convienience store) to :
560                                Ronnie
561                                1600 Pensylvannia Avenue
562                                Washington, DC
563 {}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
564 {    for anyone who didn't notice... text to CMDN has been repaired.... }
565 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
566    The piper's mouth was nearly bone dry after four continous hours of
567 blowing into the pipes.  The moisture from his breath had condensed inside
568 the leather bag and oozed out through the leather causing a large stain
569 on his right side where it was squeezed against his side.  After bard went
570 into the tavern, he crisply stopped the tune, folded his pipes and went 
571 inside.  His companions had camped at two tables and from the noise ad
572 empty pitchers, had partaken quite freely of the thin weak beer that this
573 reality seemed to favor.  The piper's sporran was quite heavy, as he had
574 taken the precaution of setting his cap on the sidewalk before he began 
575 playing.  Salting it with several of the strange coins this culture used,
576 he noticed that these people really did not much value their coinage. 
577 They seemed instead to value curiously marked pieces of paper.  
578   As he walked toward the men's room, he lifted a nearly full pitcher of 
579 ale from his companion's table and drained it in a swift draught.  Ahh...
580 that soothed a parched throat.  Inside the men's room, the piper noticed
581 several pieces of paper tucked up under the waistband of his kilt.  Pulling
582 them out, he found that most were the paper this culture favored over money,
583 and several were slips of white paper with curious numbers written upon
584 them.  Now where??  Of course! while playing
585 several rather drunk ladies had come back several times.  But why??  Could
586 this reality have a nudity taboo???
587 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
588 aaron- glad your 'connections' worked.  I don't know Barefoot John, at 
589 least by that name.  However I may by another.  It will probably be quite
590 a while before I brave downtown Portland again.  I am definitly not a
591 city person.  My liver would not like the anesthesia necessary for a 
592 sustained stay in mundane reality portland.  
593 To the rest in our present adventure--  Did I not hear that some of you have
594 transportation?  I'm ready to leave at any time!
595 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
596 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
597  CISTOP MIKEY! TIME FOR A NEW DISK!    THIS ONE'S GETTING STUFFY. --MOTHER
598 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
599 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
600   piper: mundania too much for you? are you out in the Xanthian suburbs?
601 Aloha? Troutdale? ???......well, if you brave the elements and make it to
602 the next PorSfiS, look me up....
603                                                 Aaron
604 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
605 ************************************************************************
606 SIGH... HERE IT IS THE MONTH HALF OVER AND STILL NO PAM. SIGH...
607 ************************* CISTOP MIKEY **********************************

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