633 lines
38 KiB
Plaintext
633 lines
38 KiB
Plaintext
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1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
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2 ************************* INSTALLED: 7 JAN 87 **************************
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3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator
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4 ************************************************************
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5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
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6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
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7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
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8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
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9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
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10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
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11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
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12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
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13 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
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14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
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15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
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16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
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17 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
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18 *****************************************************************
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19
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20 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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21 That door again! Oh, for a pair of earmuffs, like Bard's. And not a single
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22 appropriate spell on my 3 x 5 cards, either. On second thought, how about...?
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23 I spent some time flipping through the bundle of cards I had with me at the
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24 present moment, and soon came upon something that might help.
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25 "En la cima porgatim flubboru nimstull orgalmateh!", the card read.
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26 Drat. No good.
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27 Suddenly the terrible racket ceased of its own accord.
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28 Well, that was good. Now at least I can concentrate on those incantations.
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29 And Piper might be able to sleep, if he wishes. He certainly looks tired.
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30 But where had Innkeeper gone?
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31 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++ January 7, 1987 at 8:46pm +++++
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32 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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33 A noise so intense !!! And then an angry swarm of bees ? Perhaps another
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34 glass will ease the pain... Bartender ? Innkeeper ? Well, I guess I will
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35 get it myself. Going behind the bar, I served up tankards to everyone, and
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36 then remembered the times I had set one out in Piper's absence for him.
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37 "Say there Piper," seeing him awake from the noise, "Did those ales I set
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38 out for you reach you through the mist ?" I put the gold coin in the box for
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39 the round of ale and sat down again, thankful that my training allowed me
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40 to block out unwanted noise while passing desired communication through to
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41 me.
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42 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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43
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44 O\=<([V2V])>=/O
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45
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46
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47
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48 OFF
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49 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.EmuLurk
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50 ===============================================================
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51 Does anyone remember how the tradition of thinking of Backwater
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52 as an Inn was started? Or how being at the TOP came to have
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53 such significance? I was just curious. I thought it would be an
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54 interesting bit of history if any could remember.
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55
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56 George
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57 ===============================================================
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58 Ask MIKEY! He knows everything!
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59
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60 Want to buy an Apple //c computer? Write me email
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61 on PSG Fido or on Applephilia BBS. Thanks!
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62 Tell a friend!!!!
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63 Sean McKay
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64 /\/\/\/\
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65 \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
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66 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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67 I believe the apprentice could answer your question George. If not
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68 try asking Leonard or L'homme sans Parity.
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69 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~BARD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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70 Denizens of evil: Go to the Devil.
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71 Mocking reply: We have no Devil. Nah Nah Nah.
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72 D of e: Then go to blazes.
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73 M r: We have no blazes. Nah Nah Nah.
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74
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75 With conversations similar to the above, Paperback writer and friends are
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76 invited to a long walk off a short pier. It just isn't worth the time to
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77 talk to such people. Enough is enough.
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78
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79 F.L.B.
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80 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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81 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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82 Q: What would Sigmond Freud call a mantra?
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83 A: A fixation.
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84 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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85 Ah, I'm at the bottom. Such a feeling. But wait! Soon
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86 I will be appended to and be in the middle. Oh, well.
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87 \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\kaos\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
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88 You isn't on the bottem no more guy. Me is. Hi there, I'm back, killer eh?
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89 Whats with the first 2 messages there? Sounded kinda dicky to me.
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90 +++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+++
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91 +--------SPRECHENHALTESTELLE-----------++ (having probs. spelling my own name) ++++-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-92 off
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93 LET ME OUT!
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94 out
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95 ARRGHHH!!
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96 off
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97 Uh guys, I have'nt beeen on in awhile, how do I get out????????
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98
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99 out
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100 off
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101 /s
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102 done
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103 WHHHAAAAA
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104 done
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105
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106 WHAT AN IDJUT!
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107 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
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108 As I entered the Inn I realized that this was no ordinary alehouse. It seemed'
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109 a place to lose oneself. I sat, watched and waited, becoming familiar with
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110 the clientle and surroundings. What to make of all this? Here I sat, a man
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111 with no special powers, talents or abilities. Would they accept one such as
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112 I? Only time would tell. One thing was clear about this Inn, it was like
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113 no other I had encountered since I awoke in the "multi-verse". I longed to
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114 once again hike the cool greenness of Earth's mountain slopes. Yet there wa
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115 so much I did not know about this world. Here was a place to learn. Perhaps
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116 one of these strange wonderful people knew the way home? At any rate, they
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117 did serve a first rate brew. Something akin to happiness, but not quite the
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118 same emotion, settled on me. I smiled and drank my ale. It was interesting
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119 that there should be so much attention given to a mere door. Had I been in
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120 more sure of my position I might've asked someone what the fascination was.
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121 Time would tell though.
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122 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<gridley
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123 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
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124 "Thanks, Friar." The piper accepted the glass gratefully. The noise
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125 that had awakened him had abated, and the kitten was once more curled
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126 up in nearly a perfect circle. "I don't know if any reached me, but several
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127 times when I was nearly ready to give up, something lifted my spirits.
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128 Perhaps the material ale did not make it through the reality maze, but
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129 it seems almost certain that the spirit did."
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130 The piper reflected for a few moments as he stoked the kitten on his
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131 lap. "Perhaps that is the greatest gift of all that you can give someone
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132 -- your concern. Nothing else can penetrate the barriers of variant reality
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133 with which we surround ourselves."
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134 Finishing the ale, he sank back into the cushions of the chair and was
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135 soon dozing off again.
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136 ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
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137 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
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138 Maybe one of the other regulars can help me -
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139 I was informed earlier this week that my character was having something
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140 of a romance with some as yet unidentified person over the board. As I
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141 waws not in town when this was supposed to happen (last summer), I would
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142 appreciate any information on this. No, I'm not upset, just curious.
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143 Fast Fred
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144 BSAL (Ret and looking for new work still)
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145 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
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146 I believe that The Grey Ghost was the first to refer to the Inn as such.
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147 ____01/09/87__________Leonard_JD 2446805.5852_________18:03:01_PST_________
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148 |~|~|~~=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
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149
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150 How much longer can Backwater take all of this? Lone writers announcing tthem-
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151 selves to backwater in this most tedious fashion, stewing over mugs of ale.
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152 Are they all waiting for their big break, like in some hollywood choke-n-puke?
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153 With the exception of the regulars, it seems nobody is ready for the new faces,
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154 and would rather hang on to faint rememberances of the past. Is this what is
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155 destined for the once great backwater? Or is the infamous NET going to save
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156 the day for them. It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, and most
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157 likely, I will be deleted for speaking a viewpoint nobody wants to hear.
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158 Does anybody else in here feel the way I do....
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159
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160 |=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
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161
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162 Hello this is a test
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163
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164
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165 X
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166 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
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167 Boy, we seem to have more and more of the above happenning. Well, people
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168 have got to learn sometime. Instead of asking why people dont start something
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169 new, how about jumping in yourself (I know, alot to ask).....
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170 @@@@@@@@@@@@@
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171 I sat myself down in the corner to watch. The door was still the
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172 center of attention, but probably not for long. This still being a
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173 no-high-tech zone, I couldn't use a bolo, even if I still had one laying
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174 about. And now we even have a kitten in our midst. I'd better check
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175 my pockets, I should still have a bit of catnip somewhere....
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176 Fast Fred
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177 BSAL (Ret)
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178 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
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179 ******************************************************
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180 * Please Mr. Sysop. Please don't deleted me. This *
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181 * remains my sole existence. I live only when I *
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182 * might be heard. Please spare this humble voice. *
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183 ****************************Dissenting Opinion********
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184 O\=<([V2V])>=/O
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185 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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186 The Infamous NET has never saved the day. That has always been
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187 left to the really good writers who take the time to make
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188 carefully plotted well thought out entries. The NET is made
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189 up of a bunch of kids who are on an ego trip. They imagine that
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190 they are great writers so they put down everyone else to build
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191 up their own immature egos. Have patience, eventually one of the
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192 better writers will find the time to make an intelligent well
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193 crafted entry. Eventually they always do.
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194
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195 George
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196 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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197 ===================================================
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198
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199 GREATINGS FROM BEYOND THE VOID-
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200 ME ENTRY TO THIS PLACE WAS A HASTY ONE
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201 SO FOGIVE ME ABRUPT BEHAVIOR, I NOT QUITE
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202 ACCUSTOM TO YOU LAND YET. ONE NIGHT I BE
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203 IN THE GOLD KI-RIN INN ENJOYING THE COMPANY
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204 E SENSOUS YOUNG LADY THEN HER HUSBAND
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205 ABYSS TO THIS STRANGE LAND.
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206 ME BE ASKING THE HELP OF ANY THAT CAN GET
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207 I BACK TO WHERE ME ONCE BELONGED. ME WOULD
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208 MOST GREATFUL FOR SUCH A DEED.
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209 MY7AZHOD THE LOST
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210
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211 ===================================================
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212
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213 .........(GASP),HELLO......
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214 ........MY NAME IS HANSE, I AND MY COMPANIONS HAVE TRAVELED MANY LEAGUES,
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215 ......BLAST, DAMN MACHINES........ AT ANY RATE, WHEN WE LEOH, GODS!!!!!!
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216 THEIR HERE ALREADY, I MUST LEAVE IMMEDIATELY, TELL THEM NOTHING, FOR IT WILL DO
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217 YOU NO GOOD , AND I AM NOT A FORGIVING SOUL, FAREWELL,
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218 SHADOWSPAWN.
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219 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
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220 Mother-"
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221 I haven't talked to my mother in years now. I'm really not even sure if she's still alive. There was a time though,
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222 when that was different.
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223 When I was young, we were friends. Good friends. She spent hours with me, sitting on our porch, telling me stories
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224 of those things were when she was young, laughing at my dog Randy- as he lazily chased butterflies in the meadow before us.
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225 She was a good woman, always kind, with good things to say about everything. She could make the sun shine on a
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226 blustery day- Even the day Randy died.
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227 It was like any other day, the sun low in the sky as Randy and I walked down the dirt path that led out of the school-
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228 yard. Tall trees sent shimmering shadows to play with my footsteps as I walked towards home. Randy loved to chase the
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229 shadows that danced by my feet. He was a great dog. He was by best friend.
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230 We were walking beside the road one day, anxious to get home to dinner, when Randy found a bird to chase. He chased
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231 it a ways, and I lost sight of him as he ran round a bend in the road. I wasn't worried though, Randy was a good dog and
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232 always knew what to do. I heard two cars racing in the distance behind me. I turned to see them fly by me, round the bend,
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233 and listend to them as they roared back off into the distance. Randy hadn't returned to my side yet, but this was not
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234 strange. He always could find something to occupy himself with along the road.
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235 What I saw as I rounded the bend I will never forget. Randy lay there before me, breathing with obvious effort. Blood
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236 poured out of him, turning the dirt around him to rust colored mud. He looked at me and tried to raise his head, but it was
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237 no use, he was almost dead. I ran to him and threw my arms around him. Blinded by tears, I screamed out how much I loved
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238 him and how he was going to get better, as if it would help him. It didn't.
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239 I carried Randy's limp body all the way home. I was drenched in blood as I walked in the front door. I knew that
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240 mother could do something to save Randy.
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241 She took his dead body from my arms, walked outside, and set him down on the front porch. She turned, walked to me,
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242 put her arms around me, and told me of all the good things that would come of it. She told me how Randy would go to heaven
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243 to be with God and how he would have all the meadowns in the world to play in. She told me how he would never be sick,
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244 get a thorn in his paw, or even be hungry, ever again. My tears slowly dried as what she was saying began to make sense.
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245 Then she told me of the glorious way we would bury Randy. She said that because he was too good to be buried in the dirt,
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246 we would se his soul free and on its way to his better life.
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247 We spent the last hours of twilight gathering kindling to add to the wood we had gotten from out of the shed. We built
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248 a huge pile in the middle of the meadow and when we were through, mother placed Randy on top. She covered his with daisies
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249 she had gathered from around he before she lit the wood. It started with a spark and quickly grew into a roaring fire,
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250 spitting sparks upward.
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251 Randy went to heaven that night. I'll never forget seeing the air shimmer above the meadow as his soul rose, up into
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252 the night sky.
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253 -Shiva
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254 [[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
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255
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256 Excellent entry. That was touching and extemely well written. Keep up the good work. - Terry
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257 ************************************************************************
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258 George - Right on about the NET. If their talent was half as big as their
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259 egos they'd really have something, but they don't. I wonder when they're
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260 going to show us some the published work they keep bragging about. I
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261 can't imagine a publisher even looking at their drivel.
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262
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263 Shiva - Outstanding entry. It's good to see some really quality writing
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264 on Backwater. Congratulations.
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265
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266 Farnsworth
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267 ************************************************************************
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268 PRINT
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269
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270
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271 SHIVA, I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR PIECE, MY DOG WAS KILLED IN MUCH THE SAME WAY, AND I WAS REMINDED OF THE PAIN OF BURYING HER
|
|||
|
|
272 THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR LOSS WITH ME,(AND EVERYONE ELSE)IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. AGAIN THANK YOU, JEAN D.
|
|||
|
|
273 PRINT 224
|
|||
|
|
274
|
|||
|
|
275
|
|||
|
|
276 PRINT 226
|
|||
|
|
277 123456789012345678901234567890
|
|||
|
|
278
|
|||
|
|
279 I COME HOME
|
|||
|
|
280 LATE AT NIGHT
|
|||
|
|
281 MY ROM IS DARK
|
|||
|
|
282 I WON'T TURN ON THE LIGHT.
|
|||
|
|
283 TAKE OFF MY PANTS,
|
|||
|
|
284 PEEL OFF MY SOCKS,
|
|||
|
|
285 MY SHIRT HITS THE FLOOR
|
|||
|
|
286 AS I HIT MY BED.
|
|||
|
|
287 I DRIFT OFF TO SLEEP.
|
|||
|
|
288 I TRY NOT TO,
|
|||
|
|
289 BUT I DREAM.
|
|||
|
|
290 I TRY NOT TO,
|
|||
|
|
291 BUT I DREAM OF YOU
|
|||
|
|
292 AS I DRIFT TO SLEEP.
|
|||
|
|
293
|
|||
|
|
294 SUBMITTED BY MARK, THE PROFESSOR
|
|||
|
|
295 098765432109876543210987654321
|
|||
|
|
296 George: How do you know that the NET writers aren't the same "better writers"
|
|||
|
|
297 using an alias to try something different?
|
|||
|
|
298 Farnsworth: I don't recall any of the NET people claiming to have anything
|
|||
|
|
299 published. But they wouldn't lie about that sort of thing, either.
|
|||
|
|
300 They are not 'kids' the average age must be close to 30!
|
|||
|
|
301 *Some* of them may have ego problems, but don't try to blame all of them
|
|||
|
|
302 for one person!
|
|||
|
|
303
|
|||
|
|
304 I'm rather curious as to why some people seem to be *trying* to start
|
|||
|
|
305 trouble. Net hasn't done anything in a long time except leave a couple
|
|||
|
|
306 msgs *after* someone impersonated one of them!
|
|||
|
|
307 I see no need to make comments like "now I suppose NET will come in and
|
|||
|
|
308 fix everything" in such an obviously sarcastic tone. You obviously have
|
|||
|
|
309 not been on the system long as NET has only *once* gotten involved in
|
|||
|
|
310 one of the "Inn" stories. And all involved agreed that that was a mistake!
|
|||
|
|
311 ____01/10/87__________Leonard_JD 2446806.6093_________18:37:27_PST_________
|
|||
|
|
312 |=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
|
|||
|
|
313
|
|||
|
|
314 What's this? Backwater demonstrating civil tenancies and, yes, even reactions
|
|||
|
|
315 to someone else's thoughts? Not the vicious circle that I have grown used to.
|
|||
|
|
316 Maybe it is just the senior writers toying with those here who just read and
|
|||
|
|
317 aspire to write well. I don't know, and don't care to. I am glad to see that
|
|||
|
|
318 a change is coming about, but it has been long since needed. Maybe that is
|
|||
|
|
319
|
|||
|
|
320 what the door was all about.... Does it really matter? For all of you in NET
|
|||
|
|
321 think about this. One of 'them' is writing about you. How does it feel to be
|
|||
|
|
322 a part of such a prestigious organization? Does it make you feel good? Are
|
|||
|
|
323 you really proud to know that you have a skill that started only for it's
|
|||
|
|
324 ability to find and discredit/embarass/harass people. Maybe you don't do that
|
|||
|
|
325 now, but we all have our roots...
|
|||
|
|
326 |=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
|
|||
|
|
327
|
|||
|
|
328 hello
|
|||
|
|
329
|
|||
|
|
330
|
|||
|
|
331 #######################################################################
|
|||
|
|
332 I looked at the jar I held with no small amount of trepidation. I
|
|||
|
|
333 had only set eyes upon the dark red ball of matter enclosed in the
|
|||
|
|
334 protective glass of the jar twice before.
|
|||
|
|
335 The first time was at the start of an abortive adventure of which I
|
|||
|
|
336 had little control of. Just thinking of it caused my lungs to echo the
|
|||
|
|
337 pain they felt and my hands to shake again.
|
|||
|
|
338 The second and last time I had seen the thing within was after the
|
|||
|
|
339 end of that same adventure when I had found myself in my own wine cellar
|
|||
|
|
340 naked as the day I was born.
|
|||
|
|
341 I didn't see it that day, rather the day afterwards while in search
|
|||
|
|
342 of a particlar vintage that a customer had ordered. While looking in a
|
|||
|
|
343 storage box that I had thought that I had placed it in for safe keeping
|
|||
|
|
344 I saw something glowing a dull red between two casks on the floor.
|
|||
|
|
345 I hurried over, thinking at first that my torch has set some ball
|
|||
|
|
346 of dust on fire and I was going to put it out before it grew to flame.
|
|||
|
|
347 But as I reached in with a stick to drag it out I found that it wasn't
|
|||
|
|
348 fire that caused the glow, but something else.
|
|||
|
|
349 I knew what it was the instant I saw it in the flickering light of
|
|||
|
|
350 the torch. "So my friend, you weren't left behind after all I see."
|
|||
|
|
351 Knowing what would happen should I touch the surface of the ball, I
|
|||
|
|
352 went in search of and found a glass jar, then using the stick, I rolled
|
|||
|
|
353 the little red ball into the jar with extreme caution so as not to
|
|||
|
|
354 accidently touch it. I then placed it in the box under the trap in my
|
|||
|
|
355 room for safe keeping until I could consider the matter more closely.
|
|||
|
|
356 Now was the time to consider. I was faced with a situation that
|
|||
|
|
357 required more knowledge and understanding than my simple life had
|
|||
|
|
358 provided me. The ball of whatever it was in the jar was my ticket to
|
|||
|
|
359 that knowledge. Of course as with all things it came with a price.
|
|||
|
|
360 This 'price' is what I was in fear of. The loss of my identity,
|
|||
|
|
361 the loss of my very sanity. I had nearly lost it once before, would I
|
|||
|
|
362 be able to cope should I take the plunge? To share ones identity and
|
|||
|
|
363 very existance with a parisite is one thing when it happens without your
|
|||
|
|
364 expressed premission, but to purposefully submit oneself to such an
|
|||
|
|
365 existance...is this in itself a sane act? Of course it wasn't a
|
|||
|
|
366 parasitic relationship in truth, it would more aptly be described as a
|
|||
|
|
367 symbiotic one. But was it worth it? Was the value receieved worth that
|
|||
|
|
368 lost? Who can say?
|
|||
|
|
369 As I stood there watching the ball through the glass, trying to
|
|||
|
|
370 decide the best course, the ball began to glow in a slow pulsing throb.
|
|||
|
|
371 Not an unpleasing throb, just the opposite, it seemed to sooth my fears,
|
|||
|
|
372 allowing me to think of the positive aspects of the coming union. It
|
|||
|
|
373 must sense my presence and know that it's only chance of corporal
|
|||
|
|
374 existance was though me. 'Coming union' ? ah, then indeed my mind was
|
|||
|
|
375 made up after all, I only needed to convince myself that this course of
|
|||
|
|
376 action was best, that I was making the proper decision.
|
|||
|
|
377 Whether it was right or not, the decision was made, and I began to
|
|||
|
|
378 remove the lid. Tipping the jar, I let the ball roll out in my hand. I
|
|||
|
|
379 watched as after a moments hesitation the ball began to shink. In
|
|||
|
|
380 seconds it had disappeared leaving only a small pile of dirt and grease
|
|||
|
|
381 in my palm. - To be continued -
|
|||
|
|
382 ############################# The Innkeeper ############################
|
|||
|
|
383 Needle!
|
|||
|
|
384 Pin!
|
|||
|
|
385 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY
|
|||
|
|
386 Aha! So it is the "twit hunts" that caused you to acquire such a
|
|||
|
|
387 negative attitude towards NET. Well. They were NEVER a major reason for
|
|||
|
|
388 our existence. And we were around BEFORE they started. It's a pity we
|
|||
|
|
389 weren't as good at it as some seem to think. If we were then certain
|
|||
|
|
390 incidents last summer would have been VERY short lived! Those incidents
|
|||
|
|
391 show why CISTOP MIKEY allowed us to conduct the occasional "twit hunt",
|
|||
|
|
392 though most of the time the closest we came to actually condocting one
|
|||
|
|
393 was to post comments like "Looks like it's about time for another twit
|
|||
|
|
394 hunt".
|
|||
|
|
395 We NEVER we out to "discredit/embarass" people. "Harass" was a
|
|||
|
|
396 possibility, after all the people we were looking for WERE CAUSING
|
|||
|
|
397 TROUBLE ON THIS SYSTEM. This is our system just as much as it was theirs
|
|||
|
|
398 and given a choice, I suspect most users would rather have our "third
|
|||
|
|
399 rate spy stories" than ZZ TOP RULES, The Random Deleter, or others of
|
|||
|
|
400 their ilk. By the way, what were YOUR comments intend for if not as a
|
|||
|
|
401 "put down" of NET? (I'd say a put down comes under the heading of
|
|||
|
|
402 "discredit/embarass/harass")
|
|||
|
|
403 I suggest you contact someone with a set of the BW Archives and
|
|||
|
|
404 check out just what we REALLY did. And how often. You may discover you
|
|||
|
|
405 owe us an apology.
|
|||
|
|
406 Ian MacHinery
|
|||
|
|
407 Director, North America (retired)
|
|||
|
|
408 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY
|
|||
|
|
409 An apology?! Oh come now, why should anyone apologize to you because you
|
|||
|
|
410 acted like the bunch of twits you were supposedly chasing? I myself have
|
|||
|
|
411 no reason or desire to consider doing so. Just be cause you didn't like
|
|||
|
|
412 certain people who use the system doesn't mean that 'everyone' hates them
|
|||
|
|
413 as you do. There are those who consider your works to 0be no better
|
|||
|
|
414 than the very "twits" you supposedly were harassing. There is no difference
|
|||
|
|
415 in my view between 20 lines of "WKJEB OYRML YUWE_" and "ZZ TOP RULES".
|
|||
|
|
416 In fact, at least "ZZ TOP RULES" is a statement of expression that readable
|
|||
|
|
417 and thereby understandable to some extent compared to the scrambled
|
|||
|
|
418 alphabet that the NET so loved to spew forth on "your" system.
|
|||
|
|
419 Saying that you don't act like a twit does not automatically
|
|||
|
|
420 exonerate you from being one. Your actions have already spoken for you.
|
|||
|
|
421 - John Dilks (my real name, and I am not afraid to use it unlike you.)
|
|||
|
|
422 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
423 |~|~==|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
|
|||
|
|
424
|
|||
|
|
425 Ah, I see. You empowered yourselves to decide who was right and who was
|
|||
|
|
426 wrong, and set out to remove that which you found to be a waste of space
|
|||
|
|
427 and time. Well, did you ask everybody first? Did you think of all the
|
|||
|
|
428 prople you would affect BEFORE you started your little game? Are you so
|
|||
|
|
429 perfect that you can decide who can say what without being edited/deleted?
|
|||
|
|
430 I think that Backwater's policy of deletion is almost too strict now, and
|
|||
|
|
431 yet you have empowered yourselves to decide what appears here. Are you all
|
|||
|
|
432 the vigilante types you appear to be, or is that for the ringleader to
|
|||
|
|
433 decide? How can you decide? How can you be sure? If even one person would
|
|||
|
|
434 have derived enjoyment from one of the things you deleted, then you were
|
|||
|
|
435 wrong in all you set out to do. Maybe NET tries to be honorable, but
|
|||
|
|
436 censoring is still sensoring. You cannot force your opinions upon others,
|
|||
|
|
437 or expect everyone to believe the way you do. To try is criminal, and stupid
|
|||
|
|
438 besides. By the way, have you figured out who this is yet? Am I going to
|
|||
|
|
439 start getting calls at three in the morning, or are you just going to make
|
|||
|
|
440 sure I never post MY opinion anymore?
|
|||
|
|
441
|
|||
|
|
442 |=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|=|
|
|||
|
|
443 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
|
|||
|
|
444 Please, gentlemen, a little civility? We were doing so well there
|
|||
|
|
445 for a while, let's not spoil it. Besides, the (in)famous NET hasn't
|
|||
|
|
446 really had much to say in the last couple months. Maybe we shouldn't
|
|||
|
|
447 awaken the sleeping?
|
|||
|
|
448 My self, I'm quite anxious to find out more about our host's latest
|
|||
|
|
449 little diversion. Something to get our minds off of that beastly,
|
|||
|
|
450 noisy door. And maybe another mug of that fine brew from Meuphestea...
|
|||
|
|
451 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.Emu
|
|||
|
|
452 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
|||
|
|
453 "Ah ! Emu stops lurking in the back. A large tabnkard for you sir."
|
|||
|
|
454 I looked in the direction our Innkeeper had gone. "Cragmore ?", I said
|
|||
|
|
455 quietly, so as not to disturb Piper who had fallen back asleep, "I am
|
|||
|
|
456 getting a feeling of more than one soul in the other room. Would you
|
|||
|
|
457 mind ESPERing a look for me ?" I set down Emu's tankard and another for
|
|||
|
|
458 Cragmore who had drained his as well.
|
|||
|
|
459 [][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
|||
|
|
460
|
|||
|
|
461 ...............................................................................
|
|||
|
|
462
|
|||
|
|
463 It was extemely late in the afternoon, and I was just getting back from
|
|||
|
|
464 school, hungry, tired, and depressed from failing a geometry exam. I
|
|||
|
|
465 approached the door, only to find that I had left my housekeys in the locker
|
|||
|
|
466 at school. Great. So, I went around to the back and let myself in through
|
|||
|
|
467 the back window. With a brick.
|
|||
|
|
468 I looked through the entire house calling "Mom? Hello, mom?" As I
|
|||
|
|
469 approached the dining room table, I noticed a small note...
|
|||
|
|
470 "Dinner on your own tonight. Love, mom"
|
|||
|
|
471 --- What was that? A prelude to suicide? Where was the point? Where was the
|
|||
|
|
472 meaning? Or are you teaching your cat to dance on the terminal???
|
|||
|
|
473 ---Who Cares?
|
|||
|
|
474
|
|||
|
|
475 ################################################################
|
|||
|
|
476 Dear Readers:
|
|||
|
|
477
|
|||
|
|
478 I have a question I recieved in a recent letter that my panel
|
|||
|
|
479 of experts was unable to answer. I'm offering to you for your
|
|||
|
|
480 opinion. Is it socially inappropriate to urinate while taking
|
|||
|
|
481 a shower? Or doesn't it really matter since the urine is all
|
|||
|
|
482 washed down the drain anyway? My readers are all waiting with
|
|||
|
|
483 baited breath for your reply.
|
|||
|
|
484
|
|||
|
|
485 Ann Landers
|
|||
|
|
486 ##############################################################
|
|||
|
|
487 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
|
|||
|
|
488 Ian - It wasn't the twit hunting at all.
|
|||
|
|
489 In fact, that was somewhat amusing. What
|
|||
|
|
490 it was more than anything was the arrogance.
|
|||
|
|
491
|
|||
|
|
492 The NET presented itself as a literary
|
|||
|
|
493 elite yet generally didn't produce anything
|
|||
|
|
494 of better quality than the rest of us. It
|
|||
|
|
495 was the unjustifiable condescending
|
|||
|
|
496 snobbery that was offensive. It's interesting
|
|||
|
|
497 that something that happened so long ago
|
|||
|
|
498 still evokes such strong negative feelings..
|
|||
|
|
499
|
|||
|
|
500 I for one am now ready to let it drop.
|
|||
|
|
501
|
|||
|
|
502 Brad
|
|||
|
|
503
|
|||
|
|
504 P.S. - By the way, Ian, of all the Net
|
|||
|
|
505 writers you are undoubtably the most
|
|||
|
|
506 talented. Your writing has always been
|
|||
|
|
507 excellent
|
|||
|
|
508 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
|
|||
|
|
509 Balony! His was one of the most snobish of the lot.
|
|||
|
|
510 I personally thought that Ian was one of the poorer
|
|||
|
|
511 adn lousier writers. And I also agree with John D.
|
|||
|
|
512 that lines and lines of scrambled letters was no
|
|||
|
|
513 different then lines and lines of ZZ Top Rules or
|
|||
|
|
514 who cares crap. A twit is a twit no matter what
|
|||
|
|
515 he says otherwise.
|
|||
|
|
516 ============================ ME ==================
|
|||
|
|
517 \\\\\\\\\\\What is that deal, anyway?\\\\\\\\\\\kaos\\\\\\\\\\\\
|
|||
|
|
518 060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606
|
|||
|
|
519 Snobbish? Egotistical? Perhaps. Yet this same group has also produced many
|
|||
|
|
520 wonderful stories here on BWMS, under other names AND their 'NET' personas.
|
|||
|
|
521 The "twit hunts" began when a few people began abusing the system to an
|
|||
|
|
522 intolerable extent (I am NOT referring to ZZ TOP RULES, but rather to entire
|
|||
|
|
523 disks filled with carriage returns or the same obscenity 610 times). They
|
|||
|
|
524 began because the people who had grown to care for the system could not stand
|
|||
|
|
525 to see Mikey's time and effort wasted on disks full of nonconstructive garbage.
|
|||
|
|
526 The feeling that NET had become elitist had already been expressed within NET
|
|||
|
|
527 itself just as I became a member thereof; I believe that those feelings and
|
|||
|
|
528 ideas are a thing of the archives.
|
|||
|
|
529 Disclaimer: These words and thoughts are my own, and may not be the opinion of
|
|||
|
|
530 anyone else in the multiverse. -06
|
|||
|
|
531 060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606060606
|
|||
|
|
532 O\=<([V2V])>=/O
|
|||
|
|
533 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|||
|
|
534 I do not doubt that the abusers here need to be told to stop. Perhaps the
|
|||
|
|
535 reputation Net earned was from the fiction more than action itself. Are any
|
|||
|
|
536 of the people here fully informed? Not even all the Net agents have heard
|
|||
|
|
537 the whole story, I bet. Rumors of persecuting phone calls are just dumb. I
|
|||
|
|
538 know the Net, and they would not do that. A single call and a polite
|
|||
|
|
539 request would suffice and everyone knows it. If one phone call can save as
|
|||
|
|
540 much frustration as that, I am of the opinion it's a good idea.
|
|||
|
|
541 No one was ever arrested, abducted, robbed, or even bound nor gagged. No
|
|||
|
|
542 one was ever prevented from writing striking writing.
|
|||
|
|
543 And I am sure that most people ragging on Net were jealous of the
|
|||
|
|
544 steadfast friendships and the collaborative writing they enjoyed during
|
|||
|
|
545 their heyday. It might not be the sole reason for the insults. I could
|
|||
|
|
546 find a few dozen myself about the structure and people of Net. I will bet
|
|||
|
|
547 a quarter it is a significant factor however.
|
|||
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548 At this, I would like to write that the heyday I mentioned was years
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549 ago. We considered writing a story in which the characters met their ends
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550 and demises. We then found the time had passed for any of that. Put these
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551 arguments and reasons for despising the agents away. We have put our
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552 stories and our sentimental times away.
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553 Let's just go on ahead. Maybe let's even start a plot. I have this
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554 great idea about Nazi spies sabotaging a Liberty ship port in New Jersey...
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555 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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556
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557 -----------------------------------------------------------
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558 an allegory
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559 imagine she was a flier, she was a kite. her essence
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560 as a girl, as a human life, is reduced to a simple plane
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561 and a string.
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562 and as for me, i am a single young boy. a child who
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563 strolls on a long beach and watches the slight similarity
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564 of the ocean and the clouds. a child who figures his stroll
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565 is nothing of importance. neither to himself or to an
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566 eternity.
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567 watching my own motions as i kneel to grab the
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568 abandoned craft, i see that it is torn and stained.
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569 whether or not this kite is as significant as any
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570 other i simply find that it takes to the airstreams nicely.
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571 we spend hours in each other's attentions. neither
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572 one wishing to end a charming time, and neither spending an
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573 effort at leaving the other.
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574 i desired, a few times, to simply let the string go.
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575 away the kite and the afternoon. as the string would slip
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576 from my hands, i would grab it and hold it strongly. as it
|
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577 dove and spun in my control, it showed the desire and the
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578 pleasure which we actually felt during that day.
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579 our dance ended as a strong wind pressed it away
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580 from me and dragged the twine from my fingers. it raised up
|
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581 into the sky and over the ocean.
|
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582 no matter the stomping or the parading which i
|
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583 played at on the ocean shore, it was never as it was,
|
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584 when...
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585 i fondly remember that craft. our time spent on one
|
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586 another. and still, i depress myself as i imagine her
|
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587 laying on another ocean shore or her string in the fingers
|
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588 and gaze of another.
|
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589 -----------------------------------------------------------
|
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590 ###############################################################################
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591 right... go ahead .... how about a story about israeli spies sabotaging/
|
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592 blackmailing the administration because of perceived us withdrawal of
|
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593 funding for their lavi boondoggle.
|
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594 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||::-(
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595 %*_#@)*_)#@!%*!_)%*#!+_%(@#+^*@$+*^@+#_)^*$@+_^(@_(^+(^@+(+_@(^+_@$*^@+_*^@+_*
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596 To all the NET raters/beraters: I offer volumes of archives for persusal by
|
|||
|
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597 anyone who wants to see WHAT REALLY HAPPENED on Backwater. NET was a bunch of
|
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598 people writing spy/adventure stories. It was NOT late night phone calls or
|
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599 alley knife fights or deletion of anti-NET comments or anything else this
|
|||
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600 current crop of writers seems so caught up in. The people who write 95% of
|
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601 the stories have better stuff to do than transfer their stories from paper to
|
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602 reality. If someone out there had REAL problems with people claiming to be
|
|||
|
|
603 from NET, I am sure some of the writers who made up NET would be interested
|
|||
|
|
604 in hearing about it.
|
|||
|
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605 Comments like 'NET sucks' and 'They are all assholes' says much more about
|
|||
|
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606 the writer of the comments than anyone else. I get tired of the constant
|
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|
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607 bitching about what happened on Backwater. This is a strange and unique
|
|||
|
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608 system for writing stories and having fun, not for making enemies and taking
|
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|
|
609 out frustrations behind phony names or nameless entries.
|
|||
|
|
610 So, in the name of Backwater, and all this system can be for all of us, let's
|
|||
|
|
611 return to that ideal of creative writing used in a constructive manner, and
|
|||
|
|
612 drop the snide, mostly unsigned comments. Remember, most everyone knows who
|
|||
|
|
613 the NET people are.
|
|||
|
|
614 *%(_)#$@&*^%_)(&_)#@!&^_)!&^)!_^ L'homme sans Parity %&(@#)&%@#&%_#%)&!)+_#%&_)
|
|||
|
|
615
|
|||
|
|
616 GRAPHICS:
|
|||
|
|
617
|
|||
|
|
618 Announcing NCGA's Computer Graphics 1987 symposium.
|
|||
|
|
619 Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
|||
|
|
620 Hosted by the National Computer Graphics Association
|
|||
|
|
621 William L. Howard, Conference Director
|
|||
|
|
622 NCGA Computer Graphics '87.
|
|||
|
|
623 Call NCGA for registration details. Sign up
|
|||
|
|
624 soon.
|
|||
|
|
625
|
|||
|
|
626 NCGA : March 22-26.
|
|||
|
|
627
|
|||
|
|
628 END GRAPHICS.
|
|||
|
|
629 Quote of the day : C.Itoh printers are one fast son-of-a-pitch!
|
|||
|
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|
|||
|
|
TOTAL NUMBER OF LINES = 629
|
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