1051 lines
64 KiB
Plaintext
1051 lines
64 KiB
Plaintext
NUMBER OF LINES: 999
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001=Usr:0 Null User 06/30/87 20:34 Msg:0 Call:0 Lines:19
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1$If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
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2$************************* 06 APR 90 **************************************
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3$Welcome to BWMS II (BackWater Message System II) Mike Day System operator
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4$**************************************************************************
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5$GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS II IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
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6$ PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
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7$BWMS II was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS II is a privately
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8$owned and operated system which is currently open for use by the general
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9$public. No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the
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10$system is privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all
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11$messages which I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the
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12$system, it will be periodically purged of messages (only 999 lines of data
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13$can be saved). To leave a message, type 'ENTER'. Use ctrl/C to get out
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14$the ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering
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15$the message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to
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16$replace the line. To exit from the system, type 'BYE' 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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002=Usr:1 CISTOP MIKEY 04/05/90 23:43 Msg:5110 Call:28404 Lines:3
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20 You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.
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21 -- William Blake
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22 *********************************************************************
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003=Usr:286 Jeff Marten 04/06/90 04:16 Msg:5111 Call:28406 Lines:22
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23
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24
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25 Sorry, KURFUR, neither luck nor call waiting nor dark of knight...
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26 My God, the air is thin up here, but nothing a brace of sherpas and big tanks
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27 of oxygen can't fix.....let's start off the disk with a little slice from the
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28 URBAN SKETCHBOOK :
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29
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30 The man is dressed pretty sharp, nice suit, nice shoes, briefcase...he's stand-
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31 ing at the corner waiting for the WALK signal with a distracted, preoccupied
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32 air about him. The panhandler shuffles up...asks for a quarter. "I haven't got
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33 a quarter" the man says, a look of bemused honesty covering his face. "C'mon,
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34 doc, one quarter..." says the panhandler. The man in the suit pulls the pockets
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35 out of his trousers, they flap in the breeze like penguin wings. The man smiles
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36 The panhandler shuffles away, muttering "Why's a dude like you gots no money?"
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37 The man in the suit gets his WALK signal. "I'm not sure" he says to himself
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38 as he steps off the curb, "I think it has something to do with lawyers".
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39
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40 -+|[ ThingFish ]|+-
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41 The Dawn Of A New Disk
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42
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43 {+}{+}{+}{+}
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44
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004=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 04/06/90 12:21 Msg:5112 Call:28411 Lines:105
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45 696969696969
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46 part 4b
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47 First of all, there is nothing mysterious about state diagrams. If you
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48 saw them, you would see a bunch of circles connected together with arcs.
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49 The arcs would have arrows which point in one or both directions.
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50
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51 Let's say you are in the state "brush your teeth". So, you have a
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52 circle with the words, "brush your teeth", inside of it. Now, let's say
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53 the event "Done brushing teeth" occurs. That would form an arc which
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54 leads to another circle. In that circle, you might have, "take your
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55 morning dump". Then some event would lead from that circle to another,
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56 and so on. So, we can use states and state transitions to describe what
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57 we do in every day life.
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58
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59 You remember, I hope, that Dr. S relied on such principles for the
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60 portion of the TOI equations which I reviewed. The circles were
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61 memories and the transitions, or events, were things which could happen
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62 to those memories. Some of those things generated new memories, some of
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63 those things altered old memories (is there any difference?).
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64
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65 How these memories could or were manipulated determined whether or not
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66 intelligence existed. After identifying and validating a set of
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67 memories, the subject under study would be examined for transitions. If
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68 certain transitions occurred, then intelligence was said to exist.
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69
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70 That appears to be the essence of what Dr. Samatsi had to say. Okay,
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71 Howy, are you happy? Oh yes, Howy also said that I tend to believe that
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72 everyone automatically understands what I REALLY mean. In other words,
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73 if you can't read my mind, we might have some trouble communicating.
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74
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75 To quick off the whole process, you need a base for memories, a
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76 mechanism for transitions, and a seed (which was described with some
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77 very complicated sounding physics term-I like 'seed' better). Since
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78 reading the papers, I have built some simple models based on my one
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79 night scan of his theories. I wrote these in C, which is a most
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80 wonderful programming language, and ran them, complete with graphics, on
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81 some 386 machine with the graphics that look like photographs. That
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82 detail of resolution in the graphics was not necessary because all that
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83 was displayed were the little circles around some identifier and the
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84 arcs for the state transitions. My little intelligences grew and died
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85 somewhat like the dots in game of Life, though in a much more dispersed
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86 manner. It was fascinating.
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87
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88 A psychologist once told me that we never forget anything. Everything
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89 we have ever seen or experienced is somewhere tucked away in our grey
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90 matter. We are awash in memories.
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91
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92 That may or may not be true, I really don't even know how a person could
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93 begin to prove such a thing. Nonetheless, a persistent memory is not a
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94 requirement for the equations to work. Some memories might only have a
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95 fleeting lifetime before they are transformed into some unrecognizable
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96 form or obliterated altogether. What is necessary is for a certain
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97 number of memories to stick around long enough for the intelligence
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98 process to occur. Once it has occurred, other memories must continue to
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99 persist for sufficient time to sustain the process. Once the memories
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100 drop below a certain threshold, the process stops completely.
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101
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102 Off on a tangent again, I see! What I meant to say was that the good
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103 Dr. had no intention whatsoever of modeling human intelligence. He was
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104 attempting to model some effect of which human intelligence was a
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105 specific example. So, whether our memories last forever or we really do
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106 forget is irrelevant. The point is, they last long enough for us to
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107 qualify as intelligent.
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108
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109 Now, Herman's memories last quite long, too, so it could be argued that
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110 he is extremely intelligent, that is, if you hadn't followed what we've
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111 discussed to date. The point is, good ol' Herman's memories do not
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112 exhibit the transitions necessary to say he is even remotely
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113 intelligent. Herman is a rock.
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114
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115 So, that is how our night went. Bob murmuring little gems while in a
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116 trance, Prissy exhibiting motherly love to a child which wasn't even
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117 her own, me looking through the TOI equations, and Howy taking it all in.
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118
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119 Now I wonder, do the TOI equations describe where intelligence ends and
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120 where it starts? I'll never know until Dr. Chen lets me see the rest of
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121 the papers. It appears from what I saw that night, that the equations
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122 could be applied to any set of memories and the transitions studied for
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123 any particular subject. At first, though, I could not see how you could
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124 get a transition between a memory between, say, Prissy and Bob. Then I
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125 realized I had made a severe error. External stimuli is not ruled out
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126 as an event which can cause a transition. If that stimuli originates
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127 from another intelligence and causes a transition in your own memories,
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128 then the two intelligences have really formed an intelligent system. At
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129 one end of the scale you could have billions of intelligences
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130 interacting with each other, exhibiting the intelligence of a single
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131 subject, at the other you could have a single intelligence interacting
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132 with nothing, perhaps drifting through the ocean all alone. The equations
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133 did not seem to rule out any of these possibilities, though these
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134 conclusions are completely my own-they are not from the TOI papers.
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135
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||
136 --------------
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||
137
|
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138 Yes, I've been delaying going back to the office for obvious reasons.
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139 You'll see what happened when I got back in the next episode. In the
|
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140 meantime, Howy asked me to include a quote this time around which showed
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||
141 him as more human than I've led you to believe. This is the best I
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||
142 could come up with:
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||
143
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||
144 "Stay away from the humanoid bitch with the big knockers."
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||
145 -Howy, to some other life form, at Frizby's Outpost 9
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146 ========================================================================
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||
147 (...to be continued...)
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148 696969696969696969
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149
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005=Usr:219 Friar Mossback 04/06/90 14:18 Msg:5113 Call:28413 Lines:16
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150 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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||
151 Posting this for a friend, so please respond directly to him, not here.
|
||
152 Thanks, Friar
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||
153
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||
154 Wanted: Parts for an AT&T 6300 computer with a color monitor. I am
|
||
155 looking for a power supply and a color monitor card. Both these
|
||
156 parts are fried in my machine. If anyone can help, please call at
|
||
157 503-464-6521 during the day (7:30 AM to 4:30 PM) an s o yo
|
||
158
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||
159 Thanks!
|
||
160 [][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
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161 THe previous upload got nailed, somehow. The friend's name is Wylo
|
||
162 Schwartz (WHY-LOW) And his PC is "really most sincerely dead"
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163 TNX
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164 DJJ
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165 [][][][][]
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006=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 04/07/90 17:45 Msg:5114 Call:28424 Lines:6
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166 :::::=====::::=====:::::=====:::::=====::::::=====::::=====:::::=====:::::=====
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167 Friar: Glad to see you back among the land of the living! Any chance that
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168 we can finally end our little story? Michael's been brewing up a storm in
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169 his trans-dimensional asteroid waiting for a signal from the Quantier to
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170 reappear... and for that evil menace Friar to rear his head again!
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171 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
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007=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 04/08/90 14:28 Msg:5115 Call:28438 Lines:4
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172
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173
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174 Then again.....
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175
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008=Usr:180 Wesley Smith 04/08/90 18:33 Msg:5116 Call:28439 Lines:4
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176 I am interested in other blind computer users, I have only been able to get up
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177 bulletin boards for a short time thanks to my good friends Gorge and CArolyn.
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178 I really have had fun experamenting with them. My name is Wesley Smith. If i
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||
179 be of help to any other blind users please leave me a message up hear. TNX for
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009=Usr:181 Sudden Death 04/09/90 00:08 Msg:5117 Call:28445 Lines:10
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180 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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181 Here's an interesting outlook on life... tell me what you think of it:
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182 "Nothing we do matters. Noting we achieve or destroy matters. Love, friendship,
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183 family, honor, wisdom, knowledge, power--noe of it realy mtters, because none o
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184 of it lasts. It's all mortal--every endeavor, every accomplishment. Even our
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185 gods become food for worms. Some day even the worms will end, and there shall
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186 be nothing. From the moment we're born, we're touched with rot and decay. A
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||
187 seed of barkness festers in our souls and grow. Eventually, it ruptures the
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||
188 surface of our flesh, withering both body and soul--and we die."
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189 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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||
010=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 04/09/90 07:40 Msg:5118 Call:28448 Lines:19
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||
190 &*&*&*&*'s
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||
191 The problem with that philosophy is it fails to take into account the dynamic
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192 and fractal nature of society and culture. Every action we take has some
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193 sort of long range effect. Our very existence assures our immortality. If
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194 we are born we will shape the world. We can not help it. It WILL happen.
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195 Some of us shape it in very large and obvious ways, while others shape it in
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196 smaller or less obvious ways.
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197
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198 As long as mankind and his descendents exist you and I will live on in some
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199 small way. And if we meet extraterestrial intelligences we will live on in
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200 some small way in them as well. The evil we do today has the potential to
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201 last for a very long time. To say that it does not is repugnant and untrue.
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202
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203 Oh, a final note. Why is it that people who are self destructive seem to have
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204 this desire to take the rest of the world with them?
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205
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206 An Astral Dreamer
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||
207 &*&*&*&*'s
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208
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011=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 04/09/90 14:22 Msg:5119 Call:28464 Lines:17
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209 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
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210 Self destructive types attempt to take the world with them because, as you
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211 said, every single individual is tied to the Earth in some way, large or
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212 small. To fully destroy oneself means to break that tie, and to do so also
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213 requires that the other half othe link be obliterated.
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214
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215 Oh, and about that philosophy, Milch... I believe it's called
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216 existentialism... "Nothing matters, none of our accomplishments mean
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217 anything..." etc.
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218
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219 Why do you ask? Just curious? I mean, after all, it isn't important!
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220 Nothing you could tell me is in any way significant! Nothing this BOARD
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221 could tell me is significant! NOTHING MATTERS!!!
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222
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223 And now, easy listening...
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||
224
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225 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::(Suppport Twin Peaks)====:::::====
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012=Usr:286 Jeff Marten 04/10/90 01:34 Msg:5120 Call:28478 Lines:22
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226
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227
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228 {+}{+}{+}{+}
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229
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230 AAh! A very interesting aside, Senor Zephyr. Might there be some
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||
231 Backwater Feedback on Twin Peaks ? Is it me, or was that the
|
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232 strangest two hours of Network Televised Entertainment Broadcasting
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233 I've ever seen. If you're looking for just what it is the show's
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234 about, you'd find yourself looking at a Murder She Wrote, or even a
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235 Quincy script. It's not the plot, that's for sure. Wouldn't it be
|
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236 something if really horrible crimes were presented in such a way that
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237 people who saw them dramatised on TV would feel like maybe pretty people
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238 and fast cars have got nothing to do with it; and the real horror would
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239 become real and people wouldn't confuse murder and rape with entertain-
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240 ment any more ? Wouldn't that be interesting ? David Lynch (director)
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241 has definately got a line on it. Let's see what happens.
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242
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243 -+|[ ThingFish ]|+-
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244 Support Twin Peaks
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245
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246 {+}{+}{+}{+}
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||
247
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013=Usr:186 Wesley Smith 04/10/90 16:23 Msg:5121 Call:28483 Lines:4
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248 I am interested in chatting with other blind users on this board.
|
||
249 my name is Wesley Smith, I am interested in the ways they use there computers f
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250 telecommunications.
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251
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014=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 04/11/90 14:00 Msg:5122 Call:28500 Lines:28
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252 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
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253 Well, we'd darned BETTER support it, because ABC doesn't seem to care.
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254 They've scheduled Twin Peaks opposite Cheers (Ha, ha ha!), and I seriously
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255 doubt that Twin Peaks is close enough to pabalum to be digestible for the
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||
256 average viewer's tastes.
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257
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||
258 Then again, maybe Dave'll surprise us all. I'd really LIKE to see the
|
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259 series continue, if for no other reason than to figure out just WHAT the heck
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260 is going ON there!
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261
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262 On a more positive note, roughly 1/3 of the viewing audience present that
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263 night was watching Twin Peaks, which means that, even if the series dies in
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264 its presently scheduled time slot, odds are good that ABC will move them to an
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265 area on the schedule where the series can flourish.
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266
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267 It's interesting to listen to everyone talking about "that new show Twin
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268 Peaks, created by that Lynch guy...
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269 Didn't he do DUNE and BLUE VELVET?" Obviously, it's tres chic now to be a
|
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270 Lynch fan, and yet I've not heard ANY of these Nuveau Noire types mention
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271 ERASERHEAD... Guess that one is for those of us who've been into the scene
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272 since the beginning...
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273
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274 Ask me why I'm on a bulletin board.
|
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275
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276 It's the only thing to do in a town where a yellow light means you should
|
||
277 try to hit the pedestrians.
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||
278
|
||
279 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::==(Support Twin Peaks)===:::::====
|
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015=Usr:219 Friar Mossback 04/12/90 06:10 Msg:5124 Call:28513 Lines:5
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280 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
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281 Senor Zephyr- I support twin peaks on whomever I find them. Yes, the
|
||
282 Quantier is still in my posession. And I have fully recovered from my
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||
283 wounds. It must be time to make way to the pool.
|
||
284 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
||
016=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 04/12/90 09:55 Msg:5125 Call:28520 Lines:123
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285 696969696969
|
||
286 ========================================================================
|
||
287 5a of many
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||
288 The Little UFO that Could
|
||
289 *************************
|
||
290 * TOP SECRET *
|
||
291 *************************
|
||
292 GAMMA SIGMA PHI
|
||
293 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
|
||
294 by
|
||
295 Benjamim Jamen
|
||
296
|
||
297 "If you had the opportunity to kill your worst
|
||
298 enemy in such a way that no one could ever know,
|
||
299 would you do it?", asked Yuan Ping.
|
||
300
|
||
301 "Am I no one?", Dr. Samatsi replied.
|
||
302 ----------
|
||
303 "Our leaders lied to us and we are now pissed..."
|
||
304 -Yuan Ping, student, explaining the philosophical
|
||
305 basis for the recent demonstrations.
|
||
306 -----------
|
||
307 "And now we toss young Ping's ashes with the thousand
|
||
308 others. A sky yet dark with ashes, so we may see
|
||
309 the sun again someday."
|
||
310 -Buddhist Monk, rough translation.
|
||
311
|
||
312 The wind played the chimes in the backyard. It made me think of Bob.
|
||
313 His "Mom" had said that, at the ripe age of two, he had asked why the
|
||
314 wind played such music. Then, I saw a brittle leaf caught in the
|
||
315 breeze. Up, across, down, up, stall, down again. As I watched the
|
||
316 motion, the coolness brushed against my arms. The wind was at all
|
||
317 places at once, playing the music, toying with the leaf, touching
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||
318 my arms.
|
||
319
|
||
320 Suddenly, an idea intruded: Did the wind blow because the chimes were
|
||
321 ringing or vica versa? To me it is obvious: the wind blows (cause) and
|
||
322 the chimes resonate (effect). I wonder how Dr. Samatsi sees it. For
|
||
323 that matter, I wonder if I could even comprehend his perception of it.
|
||
324
|
||
325 Some wierdo somewhere is staring at the same sky, waiting for a UFO to
|
||
326 fly by. Perhaps he has some hand held gadget he dreamed up to get
|
||
327 the UFO's attention. By the way, if you haven't heard, UFO no longer
|
||
328 means what it stands for. If you see a curious phenomenon which refuses
|
||
329 to be identifed, it is not a UFO by today's standard unless it can be
|
||
330 characterized as an unidentifiable machine. If it swoops down and takes
|
||
331 you to Vega, you have a definitive reason to refer to it as a UFO: it is
|
||
332 a machine and you were inside.
|
||
333
|
||
334 There were no UFO's today, though, just airplanes and stuff like that
|
||
335 from Dulles roaring in the distant background. And the chimes playing.
|
||
336 And the sky turning bluer and bluer. I couldn't take my eyes off of it,
|
||
337 the blue was so dark now. Is the sun setting? I tried to look, but it
|
||
338 turned black before I could turn around and then a voice started
|
||
339 booming,
|
||
340
|
||
341 You will watch your planet become a dead, wind swept rock,
|
||
342 like mine. You will watch your planet become a dead, wind
|
||
343 swept rock, like mine. You will watch your planet become a
|
||
344 dead, wind swept rock, like mine...
|
||
345
|
||
346 And then, I woke up. This is not a cheap Hollywood trick. I did wake up,
|
||
347 I was covered with sweat, and the wind chimes were ringing with the June
|
||
348 wind just outside of my window. My body was shaking from the dream. The clock
|
||
349 read 2am. Probably too much sun from the day before. I was playing
|
||
350 happy homeowner then and resealed the driveway. The net effect was
|
||
351 radiation poisoning (aka, sunburn) and, now, bad dreams. Damn.
|
||
352
|
||
353 I went downstairs to the kitchen and made a cup of golden Oolong. How
|
||
354 can green tea be golden, you ask? I let it sit in the refrigerator for
|
||
355 a few days, pour off whatever is on top, and stick the result in the
|
||
356 microwave. The result is a gold/amber liquid of the sort that nations
|
||
357 have fought wars over. It's amazing you can still buy it legally in
|
||
358 this country.
|
||
359
|
||
360 While the tea was brewing, I must have drifted off again. This time
|
||
361 Howy and I were driving down the highway. A black Ford pickup passed us
|
||
362 in the left lane. Howy said, "That truck has no driver!", so I stepped
|
||
363 on the gas and started a chase. As we got close to the truck, it became
|
||
364 clear to both of us what had happened. The next morning, we were
|
||
365 sitting in a meeting in our Reston office with the boss and a bunch of
|
||
366 government people, telling them we could build a machine to prove this
|
||
367 works in just two weeks. Some fat guy in the back, I think his name was
|
||
368 John Alderleigh, said, "You guys are always promising to deliver stuff in
|
||
369 two weeks. Why don't you give us a realistic schedule for a change?".
|
||
370 Howy explained that this was really simple, it COULD be done in two
|
||
371 weeks. Some time later (probably more that two weeks, knowing us...),
|
||
372 we had it. 'It' was a box about the size of a 10 inch TV, in fact, it
|
||
373 looked quite a bit like a little TV. The boss said he wasn't convinced
|
||
374 it would work. I switched it on for a demo, explaining, "It would take
|
||
375 an infinite amount of energy to recreate the specific universe with
|
||
376 which we are concerned. Since an infinite amount of energy is not
|
||
377 available in this universe, it would, at first, seem impossible to create
|
||
378 the target universe. However, it turns out that by perfectly
|
||
379 replicating one element of the target universe, the rest of that
|
||
380 universe follows.". I switched on the TV for the demo. The boss looked
|
||
381 skeptical. Some element of the alternate universe appeared. I would
|
||
382 like to say it was a vase, but realized it was not anything to which I
|
||
383 could appropriately relate. But, my mind liked to think of it as a
|
||
384 vase. So, let's call it a vase. I stuck my hand THROUGH the screen,
|
||
385 and looked up at the boss. It was written all over his face: still not
|
||
386 convinced. I said, "You have to do this very slowly, with a steady
|
||
387 motion, or you will lose your hand.". When I pulled my hand out, it was
|
||
388 beautiful, glistening with a predominately blue iridescence, glowing so
|
||
389 brightly that it was not longer recognizable as a hand. Eventually, it
|
||
390 cooled down and became a hand again. The boss was still not convinced.
|
||
391 So, I said, "Okay, we're going in. Go in head first. Don't back out
|
||
392 unless you want to leave your head behind.". Before he had a chance to
|
||
393 say anything, I was inside. Then, I was on the other side. Howy popped
|
||
394 out next. Then came the boss. The look on his face was that he was
|
||
395 still not convinced, as he sarcastically said, "This is great-how do we
|
||
396 get back?". Now we were standing in the middle of a street of a very
|
||
397 clean city. The TV was nowhere to be seen. Hence, to the unanointed,
|
||
398 the way back was not obvious. "Just deactivate the energy source to the
|
||
399 original image we produced. The whole universe will collapse and we'll
|
||
400 be back where we started.". That was me. We wandered around the city
|
||
401 for some time. Then, someone was chasing us, as they do in dreams at
|
||
402 times. Howy and the boss got worried and jumped into a Tbird to get
|
||
403 away, but I said don't worry, as I placed my finger over the energy
|
||
404 source.
|
||
405 (...to be continued...)
|
||
406 696969696969696969
|
||
407
|
||
017=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 04/12/90 15:35 Msg:5126 Call:28528 Lines:37
|
||
408 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
|
||
409 The air below thee Stone Triangle wavered for a few scant moments, as
|
||
410 rippling beams of green darted across a thickening cloud of acrid smoke. As
|
||
411 the moments ticked by, forms began to become visible amidst the swirlings of
|
||
412 the haze.
|
||
413 "Are you sure that this is the place, Mukluk?" Michael queried,
|
||
414 stepping beyond the thin boundary of the cloud to survey the ramshackle
|
||
415 huts scattered hither and yon across the technorganic landscape.
|
||
416 *Apparently, as distasteful as the notion sounds.* Mukluk lifted a
|
||
417 massive paw almost daintily, frowning at the thick orange mud that clung to
|
||
418 the pads. *Very distasteful...* he mused, sending thoughts of crashing
|
||
419 waves to Michael through the husky's telepathic link.
|
||
420 "And our surroundings?"
|
||
421 Mukluk's inaudible voice dripped with psychic sarcasm. *And here we
|
||
422 have a classic Pyrrixian slum... more likely than not housing fugitives who
|
||
423 couldn't even make it in the Networks... too unskilled to even be petty
|
||
424 thieves.* He raised a paw and pointed towards a massive complex spewing smoke
|
||
425 in the distance. *Most of them probably work at that factory... our present
|
||
426 destination. It supplies power to the recharging batteries of the Patriots.*
|
||
427 Michael winced. "Terrific. We're on our way to the main storehouse for
|
||
428 Pyrrix's police force... Simply topper planning, my lad."
|
||
429 All around them as they walked, the desolation grew more and more
|
||
430 pronounced. *Most of these slums, or Alleys, to use the vernacular, are here
|
||
431 because the Technarchy couldn't find a useful manner in which to plot them
|
||
432 into the Design yet.* His eyes scanned the ground, only faintly marred by
|
||
433 the computer chips imbedded into the surface that usually coated the
|
||
434 landscape, often taking on mutagenic forms resembling wheat fields. *See?
|
||
435 Barren. Give 'em time, though. I'm sure that they'll eventually exhaust
|
||
436 the current fuel resources and end up just bulldozing the whole place to make
|
||
437 way for some Grand Industrial Complex.*
|
||
438 "Just what the world needs."
|
||
439 Mukluk froze without warning, staring straight ahead. *Good lord.*
|
||
440 Michael wasn't pleased.
|
||
441 The canine looked up into the night sky, grimacing as a large shadow
|
||
442 began a rapid descent. *Patriots...*
|
||
443
|
||
444 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====(Support Twin Peaks):::::====
|
||
018=Usr:31 The Doctor 04/12/90 16:13 Msg:5128 Call:28529 Lines:1
|
||
445 ?????????????????????????????????????????????? Psuedo-Lurk ????????? Doc
|
||
019=Usr:4 Milchar 04/13/90 00:12 Msg:5129 Call:28534 Lines:6
|
||
446 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
||
447 Zephyr: I'm not the author of the writings above. I have been in rather
|
||
448 severe lurk mode as my computer has been dead for about a week. I believe
|
||
449 it is someone using the '+++++' border that did not know this might cause
|
||
450 confusion with my own border.
|
||
451 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milch ++++ Hey, CM, it works! :-) ++++++++++++
|
||
020=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 04/13/90 06:44 Msg:5130 Call:28536 Lines:11
|
||
452 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
453 (Remember that story I was doing a while back? Heres an attempt at another
|
||
454 entry.)
|
||
455
|
||
456 I'd always wanted to be in a band, but the I'd never pictured myself as
|
||
457 being chained to the stage during performances. Even my new found talent didn'
|
||
458 t offset the downside of the situation very much.
|
||
459
|
||
460 An Astral Dreamer
|
||
461 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
462
|
||
021=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 04/13/90 14:17 Msg:5131 Call:28541 Lines:89
|
||
463 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
|
||
464 (We don't LIKE having to come up with a cliffhanger because our time is almost
|
||
465 up...)
|
||
466
|
||
467 Michael withdrew his phase pistol. "Just what are we dealing with anyway?
|
||
468 Quick run-down."
|
||
469 Mukluk paused for a moment as he accessed PRISM'S bio-link. *Fully
|
||
470 automated. Primary frame is laced with highly resistant metallic substance.
|
||
471 Practically inescapable... highly acute artificial senses, almost
|
||
472 animalistic in their tanacity...*
|
||
473 The shadow dropped from the sky like a stone. "Fight or flight?"
|
||
474 *Ahem!* Mukluk coughed. *I DO believe I said 'inescapable' some time
|
||
475 ago...*
|
||
476 "Fight." Michael groaned.
|
||
477 The Patriot landed at the opposite end of the corridor of hovels.
|
||
478 It was huge, much larger than Mukluk had anticipated from the reports
|
||
479 sent down by PRISM... Much larger. And PRISM hadn't said anything about
|
||
480 the huge vibro-knife that the Patriot was weilding in its vast, red, metallic
|
||
481 hands. And PRISM definitey hadn't mentioned the autorifles running along
|
||
482 the creature's shoulders. PRISM's report seemed, in fact, to be
|
||
483 distinctly tinted with a color of the spectrum resembling that of a rose as
|
||
484 seen through a prismatic lens, judging from the massive arsenal that seemed to
|
||
485 be sprouting from every concievable nook and cranny of the Patriot's
|
||
486 candy-crimson structure. #Cease and desist, Urbanite.# the Patriot hissed,
|
||
487 steam issuing forth from the massive, saber toothed steel clamps that
|
||
488 composed the monster's jaws.
|
||
489 "THIS is the police force?"
|
||
490 *Things get rough here. Remember the Keeper incident? Or Zod, for that
|
||
491 matter?*
|
||
492 "I read the reports."
|
||
493 #Psychobabble.# the Patriot leveled the point of the vibro-knife at
|
||
494 Michael. #Irredeemable tripe.# Black steel kneeboots clomped against the
|
||
495 ground as the beast approached, the steady hiss of the hydraulic fluids
|
||
496 keeping rhythm with its stride, and with the twitching of the metal hoses that
|
||
497 erupted from the back of its neck to snake out across its massive form.
|
||
498 #Definite twit.#
|
||
499 "What's he talking about?"
|
||
500 *Don't ask.*
|
||
501 #What we have here is a failure to communicate.#
|
||
502 "Boy, I'll say, big fella. Look, my dog and I were JUST on our way to
|
||
503 the factories. Honest." The truth hurts.
|
||
504 The Patriot tapped Michael on the head with the flat of the vibro-knife,
|
||
505 knocking him o his knees. Mukluk regarded him slit-eyed. *Your dog?*
|
||
506 #Commie punk.# growled the Patriot as its burning LED eyes narrowed.
|
||
507 #The moment has arrived to venerate your pitiful musings from the master
|
||
508 disk.#
|
||
509 Michael's eyes narrowed, anda moment later five gaping holes
|
||
510 erupted from the Patriot's chest. Michael watched as the Patriot
|
||
511 staggered back, regaining its footing by placing its weight on a nearby
|
||
512 automobile, whichmoments later became a fuel injected steel mass. #Nice
|
||
513 flame, punk.# it gasped.
|
||
514 Michael heard the phase pistol hum, and pulled the trigger five times
|
||
515 before returning the weapon, now exhausted, to its holster. *Some day
|
||
516 you're going to have to tell me where you got that.* Mukluk muttered.
|
||
517 "When I got it." Michael corrected as Mukluk's eyes widened.
|
||
518 The Patriot had regained some small degree of the menace it had
|
||
519 possessed upon its entry, but the battery and hydraulic fluids spilling
|
||
520 down across its triangular chest emblem detracted, as the black, viscous
|
||
521 substances clashed with hot pink. Yet it pressed on with no observable
|
||
522 loss of enthusiasm. #If you are in need of help, you need but ask.#
|
||
523 However, the snap of its electronic voice led the two adventurers to the
|
||
524 general conclusion that here was an offer for a type of help that was
|
||
525 both determental and unnecessary.
|
||
526 *Michael... what else are you carrying?*
|
||
527 The Patriot began bridging the gap between itself and the pair.
|
||
528 "A stiletto?"
|
||
529 *Not the most brilliant of moves.*
|
||
530 "When was the last time five shots didn't take something down?"
|
||
531 *True.*
|
||
532 Suddenly, the Patriot stopped in its tracks, looking skyward, as if
|
||
533 listening to some voice inaudible to the observers. #General disclaimer.#
|
||
534 it finally snarled in their general direction. #This isn't over yet, but
|
||
535 we're trying to raise the system. Just wait. Have a Mike Day.# The
|
||
536 twin rocket pods on its back sprang to life and it soared skyward as if
|
||
537 the encounter and probable ensuing bloodshed paled before another matter
|
||
538 of utmost importance to its scrambled circuits.
|
||
539 Michael and Mukluk were silent for a few moments. Nothing moved.
|
||
540 Finally, the canine looked up into the eyes of its master. *Well, that's
|
||
541 cast a bit of a gloom over the evening...*
|
||
542
|
||
543
|
||
544 Meanwhile, the Patriot rejoinned the squadron it had left behind to
|
||
545 deal with the unknown users on the ground below. Across its LED eyes,
|
||
546 as well as those of its brothers, a message began flashing. -Abort
|
||
547 Present Orders.- -Quantier has been sighted.- -Friar in vicinity.- The
|
||
548 robots complied, homing in on the Quantier's unique energy pattern.
|
||
549 Before long, the air above a tiny hovel was thick with retrosmoke...
|
||
550
|
||
551 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::(Support Twin Peaks:=====:::::====
|
||
022=Usr:189 Smiling Sandi 04/13/90 22:32 Msg:5134 Call:28546 Lines:6
|
||
552 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
||
553 NEW USER
|
||
554 What are we to enter on the board? Is this just a general open forum?
|
||
555 Thanks.
|
||
556
|
||
557 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Smiling Sandi !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
||
023=Usr:1 CISTOP MIKEY 04/14/90 20:58 Msg:5135 Call:28559 Lines:4
|
||
558 Sandi,
|
||
559 You can enter pretty much anything you want here. The format is whatever you
|
||
560 make of it. Welcome to the system by the way. Hope you find it enjoyable
|
||
561 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
024=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 04/15/90 00:07 Msg:5136 Call:28564 Lines:5
|
||
562 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
563 Mind Blank.
|
||
564 An Astral Dreamer
|
||
565 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
566
|
||
025=Usr:70 Kurfur Redlig 04/15/90 12:53 Msg:5137 Call:28568 Lines:14
|
||
567 KKKKKKKKKKKurfur Redlig |
|
||
Hoppy Easter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
||
568
|
||
569 I went to see The Gods Must Be Crazy II yesterday, and I wholeheartedly
|
||
570 reccommend this film to everyone out there. It takes a bit of
|
||
571 intelligence to understand all of the humor (although there is enough
|
||
572 slapstick for children to enjoy), but is still incredibly funny. Not
|
||
573 only that but it has a good message thrown in as well.
|
||
574
|
||
575 I heard that one of the characters in Twin Peaks is an actor from around
|
||
576 Portland. He plays the bad guy that occasionally pops up with the scar
|
||
577 on his face. From what I hear, he's also missing an arm. Is he really
|
||
578 from around these parts?
|
||
579
|
||
580 KKKKKKKKKKKKKurfur Redlig | No More Coloured Eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
||
026=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 04/15/90 16:11 Msg:5138 Call:28570 Lines:9
|
||
581 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
|
||
582 Kurfur: Nope, no 'One Armed Man' roaming around Twin Peaks. Are you, perhaps,
|
||
583 thinking of The Fugitive?
|
||
584
|
||
585 Happy Easter Everyone! I oughtta know! (Sorry, folks, couldn't resist... old
|
||
586 rabbits die hard, I guess...)
|
||
587
|
||
588 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::(Support Twin Peaks)=====:::::====
|
||
589
|
||
027=Usr:186 Wesley Smith 04/15/90 17:01 Msg:5139 Call:28572 Lines:1
|
||
590 Computer for sale.
|
||
028=Usr:189 Smiling Sandi 04/15/90 19:49 Msg:5140 Call:28575 Lines:9
|
||
591 !@#$%^&*(---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
592 Thanks for the welcome Astral Dreamer. If anyone has a mouse for sale (cheap),
|
||
593 please let me know. I need one for my IBM XT.
|
||
594 I hope everyone who wanted to had a nice Easter. I spent the wee hours of te
|
||
595 morning in the hospital (zzzzzzz). My sister had a baby. Congratulations, Sis
|
||
596 I have a neat story to share with everyone sometime when I have more time to
|
||
597 type it in. (It's shore, don't worry!) Bye for now.
|
||
598 *^*^*^Smiling Sandi*^*^*^
|
||
599 !@#$%^&*(----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
029=Usr:219 Friar Mossback 01/01/80 01:47 Msg:5141 Call:28581 Lines:29
|
||
600 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
||
601 Sandi-
|
||
602 Call 777-xxxx and leave a private message for Friar. I have a mouse for you
|
||
603 that is both new and cheap.
|
||
604
|
||
605 I woke up after a long sleep. I needed refreshment, having been completely
|
||
606 healed by the rest, but left very very hungry. I reached for my pouch, hoping
|
||
607 to grab one of those thick ham sandwiches. Instead I pulled out that damned
|
||
608 goblet. I set it on the table, then reached in again. Ahhh, there it was, the
|
||
609 ham sandwich. Magical pouches are handy things to have around.
|
||
610
|
||
611 I chewed on the sandwich, wondering what the strange noise was buzzing around
|
||
612 overhead. Loudest damned mosquitoes I had ever heard. Then the goblet, what
|
||
613 was it that man had called it, Quantier? It began to buzz as well.
|
||
614
|
||
615 Suddenly, it shot blue fire from it's bowl, arcing only upward, in an inverted
|
||
616 cone. The roof of the hovel I was in vanished in fire, and I looked up, and
|
||
617 in terror saw metallic men in hot pink starting to rain down on me. With
|
||
618 only an instant to spare the table I was on, myself and a barmaid, and that
|
||
619 damned goblet, were in the middle of a meadow. A strange twin sun in the east.
|
||
620
|
||
621 The barmaid fainted.
|
||
622
|
||
623 "Damn! Now where am I?" I decided just to eat the sandwich and wait. If only
|
||
624 the owner of the "Quantier" would ask me for it, I would give it to him. But
|
||
625 then how would I know who the owner was? Would the thing itself tell me?
|
||
626
|
||
627 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][]][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
||
628
|
||
030=Usr:11 L'homme sans Par 01/01/80 04:24 Msg:5143 Call:28582 Lines:11
|
||
629 %*@#%(_#(%_)#*%#%_)(_$@$(_!+@)$+!_@%(_)*%_(!_@(%_@)(+!$)~+_$)!_+%)%*_!%*_!(!_@
|
||
630 Mil *char: So, why don't we hear from you anymore on this system?
|
||
631 AD: How goes the BBS? How goes the hard disk?
|
||
632 Voyer: Is the supermachine still being super?
|
||
633 CisternOp: Sorry, could not make the Thursday meeting - school is just
|
||
634 taking too much time.
|
||
635
|
||
636 Well, that about catches me up here. No word from either alex1 or alex2
|
||
637 on trips to Hawaii, as if I could take advantage of it anyway! :-(
|
||
638 *$@#_%*_#%(_)@#(%_@#*%@#% L'homme sans Parity %*(_@%_@#(%_)@#%*@#_%@%#%(@_#(%
|
||
639
|
||
031=Usr:1 CISTOP MIKEY 01/01/80 05:21 Msg:5144 Call:28584 Lines:17
|
||
640 If we were on the old system this disk would be full.....
|
||
641 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
642 Joke time:
|
||
643
|
||
644 Three generals were arguing to each other about what real courage was.
|
||
645 Finally the Navy General got feed up and said, "you want to see courage?
|
||
646 I'll show you courage! Sailor! Catch that anchour!" His aid rushed over and
|
||
647 stood under the anchor which smashed him to a pulp as it fell. "That
|
||
648 gentlemen" said the navy general, "is courage!" The army general responded,
|
||
649 "You call that courage? Watch this! Soldier! Stop that tank!" The army
|
||
650 general's aid rushed over to stand in front of the tank and was squashed
|
||
651 flat without a peep as the tank ran over him. The Air Force general laughed
|
||
652 at this and said, "Ho! You call that courage? I'll show you real courage!
|
||
653 Airman! Stop that F14!" The airman looked over at the general and said
|
||
654 "Screw you sir!" "Now that gentlemen," said the Air Force general, "Is real
|
||
655 courage!"
|
||
656 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
032=Usr:4 Milchar 01/01/80 06:13 Msg:5145 Call:28586 Lines:37
|
||
657 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
||
658 L'homme: Well, it goes something like this. My machine was in Limbo for
|
||
659 a week or two, and now... TA-DA! 386sx land! Celene is now what you might
|
||
660 call a bit zippier at what it does. Now, if I can get uupc and the MNP modem
|
||
661 talking to one another, I might even poll qiclab once in a while. :-)
|
||
662 I also seem to have come into the possession of a dual 10 meg Bernoulli, as in
|
||
663 one of those 8-inch-cartrige suckers. Which is fine, 'cause 16 or so carts
|
||
664 came with it. I've got around 300 meg of ALL REMOVEABLE storage now. Who
|
||
665 needs floppies?
|
||
666 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
||
667 A fresh breeze stirred the mirror surface of the river, causing the
|
||
668 sunlight to dance on the waves. The only sounds were caused by the wind,
|
||
669 which carried a scent of pine and stirred the boughs of the trees.
|
||
670 A peaceful scene, you will admit. Man had not yet left his mark on
|
||
671 this land, far from his cities and roads.
|
||
672 A pair of eyes scanned the scene. Their owner, a small mouse, spied a
|
||
673 tiny seed near a large circle of mushrooms. It nervously darted forward,
|
||
674 keeping hidden as much as possible, and anxiously awaited the prize before
|
||
675 it. The mouse smelled no predator, but... something felt wrong.
|
||
676 Bright light flooded the small clearing, startling the mouse and
|
||
677 causing it to run away. A thin line of dazzling blue light marked the
|
||
678 edge of the mushroom ring. A high piercing scrape clove the air, and when
|
||
679 it was done, the line had grown into a small door, complete with knocker
|
||
680 and brass doorknob.
|
||
681 The doorknob turned, and was followed by a sharp *click*. The door
|
||
682 opened outward a few inches. Shiny brown eyes looked out into the forest
|
||
683 clearing. "Ahh...err...ahhh...I don't see anything that looks dangerous.
|
||
684 Wait a moment." Thin, nimble fingers made odd gestures in the air,
|
||
685 seeming to trace intricate designs. A warm, amber glow illuminated the
|
||
686 dark shadow beneath the door. A small, brown-skinned humanoid figure
|
||
687 garbed in dark green garments was lit by the strong golden aura that
|
||
688 flowed from the designs in the air.
|
||
689 The small head dropped out of sight, and the door slammed closed.
|
||
690 There was a voice behind the door- "Can't be anything dangerous out there,
|
||
691 fellows-- I've never seen so much mana floating free in a world! I can't
|
||
692 imagine why that is. . .but it looks like we found a new home!"
|
||
693 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Milchar
|
||
033=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 01/01/80 21:13 Msg:5147 Call:28597 Lines:60
|
||
694 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
|
||
695 "Damn!" Standor hissed as he fluttered helplessly about the
|
||
696 sprawling array of video monitors. The rhythmic clicking and clacking of
|
||
697 thin steel wings careened about the huge chamber. "PRISM!" the falcon
|
||
698 muttered, distractedly, his amber eyes still fixed on the images flickering
|
||
699 on the screen before him. "Just WHAT is the meaning of this?"
|
||
700 #Unknown#, the calming voice whispered from throughout the cavern.
|
||
701 #However, energy fluctuations would seem to indicate that the Quantier is
|
||
702 no longer present in Techopolis. For that matter, I can't seem to locate it
|
||
703 anywhere near Pyrrix A'aaal.#
|
||
704 "Cross-reference nearby ambient dimensional links..."
|
||
705 #I did that already. The results are not promising. It dooesn't appear
|
||
706 as though any sort of dimensional jump was made. At least, there aren't any
|
||
707 indications of it. When you're dealing with a time displacement like this,
|
||
708 though, such readings are almost meaningless.#
|
||
709 "Don't I know it..." Standor let the images of the SINAT Bar & Grill
|
||
710 trail off...
|
||
711 The birdflapped over to one of the control panels designed for
|
||
712 physical interaction. "Concentrate on reading any fluctuations in the
|
||
713 null environment..." The two wire-thin "hands", miniaturized servo-units
|
||
714 that served in place of real ones, below Standor's wings punched a few
|
||
715 stray keys across the board, accessing some of the more mundane facets of
|
||
716 PRISM's psyche. The computer may have been amazingly quick to respond and
|
||
717 solve problems, but its artificial intelligence kept its mind limited to
|
||
718 concentration on a single task.
|
||
719 Within moments, Standor had accessed the transporter and returned
|
||
720 Michael and Mukluk to the asteroid. "I trust you had a pleasant trip."
|
||
721 teased the avian.
|
||
722 "Nothing we couldn't handle."
|
||
723 "Looked like it." Standor, now perched on a computer bank, waved a
|
||
724 wing towards the video monitors. "Now you only have the entire Pyrrixian
|
||
725 police force e after you for a minor violation."
|
||
726 *Couldn't be helped, amigo.* Mukluk interrupted. *The Patriots
|
||
727 aren't known for their understanding, and I'm afraid that a Time Loop
|
||
728 outweighs honorable time served.*
|
||
729 "Nevertheless," replied Standor, "we still have the little matter of
|
||
730 the goblet to deal with." The amber eyes within Standor's metallic skull
|
||
731 gleamed in the dim lighting. "And I'm afraid the news isn't good."
|
||
732 *Dimensional displacement?*
|
||
733 "Time jump?"
|
||
734 #Worse,# PRISM replied. #We don't know.#
|
||
735 Michael looked down at the clip on his phase pistol, which read that
|
||
736 the weapon had been recharged during transit. "We can't waste any time with
|
||
737 looking. PRISM, have you accessed every area sensors could detect?"
|
||
738 #Every one.#
|
||
739 "Run a check for extreme energy discharges, possibly related to some
|
||
740 sort of cloaking shield."
|
||
741 #Already done. Nada.#
|
||
742 "Any minor points of mention?"
|
||
743 #Just one. I notice that I'm getting a negative reading from the
|
||
744 various Stone Triangles.#
|
||
745 "What's so odd about that? The energy around them fluctuates with the
|
||
746 tides. You know that as well as I do, probably moreso."
|
||
747 #True. That's just my point. I measured the pattern, and there
|
||
748 should be a positive reading right about now.#
|
||
749 "Glitch?"
|
||
750 #Unlikely. Impossible.#
|
||
751 "Check it again."
|
||
752 #Still negative.# PRISM replied instantly, his voice ringing with
|
||
753 resounding satisfaction.
|
||
034=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 01/01/80 21:39 Msg:5148 Call:28598 Lines:53
|
||
754 "Any theories?"
|
||
755 #Just one. Whatever Friar and the Quantier did in the hut to escape
|
||
756 the Patriots shifted the polarity on about 53 Stone Triangles.#
|
||
757 Michael paused. "Incalculable energy would be needed for something
|
||
758 like that. Most scientific probes on Pyrrix A'aaal can't even seem to
|
||
759 get through the first layer of energy shielding on a single Triangle, much
|
||
760 less alter the structure of all 53..."
|
||
761 *So where is he?* Mukluk broke their musings.
|
||
762 "Just a thought..." Michael began. "PRISM, you've been running general
|
||
763 life readings on the planet for Friar, haven't you?"
|
||
764@ "At present, anyway. Until I can narrow the range, that's all I can do.
|
||
765 #Until I narrow down the range, that's all I can do. Worse, my sensor
|
||
766 bands are STILL limited to their fixed efficiency. Spreading them out just
|
||
767 makes them work less accurately.#
|
||
768 "I want you to scan the Triangles for life readings."
|
||
769 #I already did, Michael. Friar isn't near any of them...#
|
||
770 "Scan the TRIANGLES!" Michael corrected.
|
||
771 Mukluk and Standor looked on, quizically.
|
||
772 #Don't you remember?# PRISM's voice suddenly changed into Michael's.
|
||
773 #'Incalculable energy would be needed for something like that'... Um-Hmm??#
|
||
774 "Right then. Guess we're just going to have to keep the whole field
|
||
775 in stasis and wai-"
|
||
776 The room wavered around them, spinning into a central point of
|
||
777 unimaginable brightness.
|
||
778
|
||
779 Michael, Mukluk, and Standor suddenly found themselves on a huge,
|
||
780 grassy plain. Twin suns blazed, yet the light from them seemed to cool
|
||
781 the burning ground rather than heating it. "Any thoughts?" he asked the
|
||
782 avian science officer.
|
||
783 "Welcome to the inside of a Stone Triangle, my friends..."
|
||
784
|
||
785 * * *
|
||
786
|
||
787 Elsewhere, thin, black-gloved fingers slid away from a green, oozing
|
||
788 control panel. "Perfect." a whispered voice sounded. "Just perfect."
|
||
789
|
||
790 * * *
|
||
791
|
||
792 Elsewhere, two kangaroo rats were surprised to find that the ground
|
||
793 beneath their feet had suddenly erupted into a giant white tower. They
|
||
794 fell to their deaths on the desert floor.
|
||
795
|
||
796 * * *
|
||
797
|
||
798 Elsewhere, PRISM wondered about the sudden disappearance of his
|
||
799 comerades. #Oh, this is going to end in tears, I just know it...#
|
||
800
|
||
801 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
|
||
802 HA! Deal with THAT, Friar!
|
||
803 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::(Support Twin Peaks:=====:::::====
|
||
804 Minor data correction... There IS a 'One Armed Man' in TWIN PEAKS, played
|
||
805 by actor Al Slocum. Sorry.
|
||
806 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
|
||
035=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 01/02/80 13:08 Msg:5150 Call:28604 Lines:8
|
||
807 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
808
|
||
809 The drive is fine, the bbs is doing great. Now, if I could only get some of
|
||
810 you people to call my bbs...
|
||
811
|
||
812 An Astral Dreamer
|
||
813 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
814
|
||
036=Usr:31 The Doctor 01/03/80 04:59 Msg:5153 Call:28620 Lines:1
|
||
815 ??????????????????????????????? Kinda Lurk Mode ??????????????????? Doc
|
||
037=Usr:4 Milchar 01/03/80 06:56 Msg:5154 Call:28621 Lines:31
|
||
816 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
||
817 Deep below the ring of fungus, a most peculiar meeting was beginning.
|
||
818 It began something like-
|
||
819 "Silence, Qinmers. The time has come to seal the gathering."
|
||
820 Quiet fell over the humanoids. Each turned to face away from the
|
||
821 others, his or her back to the center of the meeting. Each stared outwards
|
||
822 toward the perimeter of the group, concentrating. Instantly, a visible
|
||
823 barrier came into being, created and shaped by the desire of the humanoids.
|
||
824 The barrier whitened, lighting the interior of their meeting-place and
|
||
825 obscuring the outside world.
|
||
826 The task done, all of the humanoids turned to the center of the
|
||
827 newly formed barrier, sat down, and listened to First Qinmer Dun.
|
||
828 "It is well done, fellow Qinmers. The gathering is sealed. Now,
|
||
829 what news have we of this world? Will you speak, Qinmer Lihn?"
|
||
830 A hairless humanoid stood. "The breach to this world was difficult,
|
||
831 First Qinmer. The potential mana difference was enormous. The breach
|
||
832 is stable, however, and should remain so for at least three days. As for
|
||
833 the conditions in the world itself, allow my assistant to repeat his
|
||
834 findings here. Rew?"
|
||
835 Rew stood. His dark green cloak stirred a little, seemingly of its
|
||
836 own accord. His sea green eyes stared out of his coffee-hued face.
|
||
837 "Qinmers, I have not found any intelligent beings within the range of
|
||
838 my far-sight. The mana level of this world is some millons of kynon."
|
||
839 These revelations drew excited whispers from the gathering.
|
||
840 "All the evidence we have at this time tells us that this world could
|
||
841 be a perfect home."
|
||
842 Several Qinmer echoed "..home..", as if trying to remember how the
|
||
843 word tasted on their lips.
|
||
844 Home. Just a word? Not if you haven't had a home in centuries...
|
||
845 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Milchar
|
||
846
|
||
038=Usr:219 Friar Mossback 01/03/80 13:09 Msg:5155 Call:28622 Lines:5
|
||
847 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
||
848 Inside the stone triangle?!? Good grief. This will take some doing, give
|
||
849 me a day or so.
|
||
850 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|
||
851
|
||
039=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 01/03/80 19:38 Msg:5156 Call:28632 Lines:84
|
||
852 696969696969 part 5b
|
||
853 Then I woke up again. What was amazing was not the realism of the dream, but
|
||
854 the fact it had all taken place in less than two minutes. Weeks had passed in
|
||
855 my mind while just 120 seconds passed outside the mind. Amazing.
|
||
856
|
||
857 I looked through some old mail while sipping the Ooolong. It was already 3am.
|
||
858 My first day back at work was just a few hours away. My brain was scared, no
|
||
859 wonder all these dreams were being generated. I dozed off with my head on the
|
||
860 kitchen table and woke to the rising sun. After shaving and grabbing my
|
||
861 briefcase, I was headed off to the worst day of my life at work. To make a
|
||
862 long story short, the boss and I went into an available conference room around
|
||
863 9am. He shut the door behind us. That meant trouble.
|
||
864
|
||
865 "Ben, we've decided to give you some time off-with pay. How does three
|
||
866 months sound?"
|
||
867 Me, "THREE MONTHS!?!?!? What would I do with three months off? I'd go
|
||
868 bananas. I haven't had more than a week off straight in three years!"
|
||
869 "Let me level with you. The shrink says you need three months off, then
|
||
870 a few minor tests to see if you've gotten all the nasty drug out of your
|
||
871 system. Your area is sanitized, in case you haven't noticed, you will
|
||
872 not be allowed near or around sensitive material for at least three
|
||
873 months. So, why not take a nice little vacation and relax a while?"
|
||
874 "What the hell am I supposed to do with three months?"
|
||
875 "Look, it's with pay. Go somewhere. ENJOY YOURSELF FOR A CHANGE. Do
|
||
876 something..."
|
||
877 "I'm a mathematician, we don't like to enjoy ourselves." Okay, so I was
|
||
878 pouting.
|
||
879 "Fine, then, if you want to enjoy yourself, go prove Fermat's Theorum
|
||
880 during your vacation."
|
||
881 "Ha Ha. Very funny." I paused for a second, and then had an idea.
|
||
882 "Look, I'll agree to this if you'll give Howy 3 months off, too."
|
||
883 "That is absolutely not possible and you know that. Howy is working on
|
||
884 too many critical projects."
|
||
885 "Sounds like nothing I'm doing at the moment is of any value."
|
||
886 The boss replied, "You seem to be forgetting one minor detail. Howy didn't
|
||
887 ingest an unknown quantity of hallucinogenic drugs.".
|
||
888 "The jury is still out on whether I injested anything, either."
|
||
889 "You are finally catching on, Einstein.", the boss was getting hot. "If you
|
||
890 are going wacko, then you've got three months to come back to reality.
|
||
891 Whether it was drugs or wacko, you'd better have it out of your system by
|
||
892 then. WE are doing YOU a favor. Is that clear enough for you?". Damn, I'd
|
||
893 never seen him get that hot before. Even when I dropped my milkshake down the
|
||
894 bra of our receptionist in Rosslyn and directed her to go upstairs to the
|
||
895 'Insurance Office' and change (of course, three people where standing around
|
||
896 at the time who had no idea what we really do in that building until I let the
|
||
897 cat out of the bag when, in a totally confused state of mind after seeing one
|
||
898 of her brown spots come exploding out of the one size too small cup due to the
|
||
899 chocolate milkshake catalyst, I mentioned that the folks upstairs could take
|
||
900 care of her while I played the Agency receptionist downstairs), he wasn't this
|
||
901 hot.
|
||
902 I dropped my head and said, "Okay.".
|
||
903 He replied, "Fine. You have two hours to clear out. An escort must be with
|
||
904 you at all times. As of this moment, all clearances and associated privileges
|
||
905 are suspended. You are not to return to any of our facilities FOR ANY REASON
|
||
906 for three months after you leave today. Do you understand, Mr. Jamen?"
|
||
907 "What if a paycheck is late?"
|
||
908 "Talk to Howy. Let him take care of all interactions with the staff. Consider
|
||
909 yourself terminated if you do not follow these instructions.". This time he
|
||
910 didn't wait to see if I understood. He just left. Right on cue, one of the
|
||
911 male secretaries came in through the door to stand bodyguard. I was so shaken
|
||
912 that I wasn't sure what to do for the next two hours. I stood there and
|
||
913 looked down at the rug. A tear dropped on the rug, leaving a round wet
|
||
914 splatter. It was over for me. --------------
|
||
915 It has been just a month since the first basic principles of TOI were
|
||
916 released. In that time, a country's cities burned, its civilians massacred,
|
||
917 and chaos reigned. Why am I telling you what you already know? Because, what
|
||
918 you don't know is that Dr. Chen has refused to release any more of the TOI
|
||
919 papers due to the chaos in China. He is now frightened that what we've seen
|
||
920 over the past few weeks is sample of the society wide insanity which might be
|
||
921 induced through the misuse of the equations.
|
||
922 Have you ever heard such superstitious tripe in your life? First of all, at
|
||
923 this point, it appears that Dr. Samatsi's papers are nothing more than a
|
||
924 fascinating mathematical exercise. Yes, the good doctor did supposedly
|
||
925 withdraw permission to publish the papers after determining that much damage
|
||
926 could be incurred through a misapplication, but, what are you damaging? Some
|
||
927 models of intelligence which float across your computer screen? What
|
||
928 bullshit!
|
||
929 What happened in China was destined to happend even if Dr. Samatsi never
|
||
930 existed. I want to make that clear here, for the record.
|
||
931 ==========================================================================
|
||
932 (...to be contined...)
|
||
933 696969696969696969
|
||
934
|
||
935
|
||
040=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 01/03/80 21:50 Msg:5159 Call:28633 Lines:3
|
||
936 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
|
||
937 Friar: We aim to tease.
|
||
938 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::(Support Twin Peaks)=====:::::====
|
||
041=Usr:186 Wesley Smith 01/03/80 23:06 Msg:5160 Call:28637 Lines:1
|
||
939 c
|
||
042=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 01/04/80 13:14 Msg:5161 Call:28643 Lines:6
|
||
940 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
941 Not exactly a lurk, but close.
|
||
942
|
||
943 An Astral Dreamer
|
||
944 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
945
|
||
043=Usr:1 CISTOP MIKEY 01/05/80 02:41 Msg:5162 Call:28655 Lines:2
|
||
946 sort of a non-lurk lurk?
|
||
947 -------------------------
|
||
044=Usr:4 Milchar 01/05/80 03:28 Msg:5163 Call:28656 Lines:2
|
||
948 Get your official "I Lurked On Backwater And All I Got Was This Lousy
|
||
949 Message" T-shirts right here! Get them while they're hot! :-)
|
||
045=Usr:137 The Professor 01/05/80 05:42 Msg:5164 Call:28657 Lines:12
|
||
950 ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
|
||
951
|
||
952 This is all impressively eclectic - but it makes me feel old......
|
||
953 'course - I'm getting that way (long time it is since I saw the inner halls
|
||
954 of a school.....). I think for the time being I shall just continue to
|
||
955 "lurk" in the shadows for a while.
|
||
956
|
||
957 The Shadow Lurking Professor
|
||
958 ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
|
||
959 (can't help the border - to late to make up something resembling good)
|
||
960 and what happened to the dates? Somebody need a new clock battery?
|
||
961 g'night, all
|
||
046=Usr:31 The Doctor 01/05/80 22:32 Msg:5166 Call:28664 Lines:1
|
||
962 ??????????????????????????????? Lurk Mode ?????????????????????????? Doc
|
||
047=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 01/05/80 23:19 Msg:5167 Call:28665 Lines:7
|
||
963 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
|
||
964 Hmmm... only 37 lines to go! At the current rate, why, we'll be on to the
|
||
965 next disk in a week!
|
||
966
|
||
967 Oh well, at least never let it be said that everyone's favorite non-lagomorph
|
||
968 didn't contribute SOMETHING to fill space (DON'T SAY A WORD, MIKEY!).
|
||
969 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::(Support... you get the idea):====
|
||
048=Usr:13 voyeur 04/22/90 01:54 Msg:5169 Call:28678 Lines:19
|
||
970 ::::::::O O::::::04/22/90::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::01:53:12::::O O:::::::
|
||
971 L'homme: the supermachine is running adequately (although those 33 Mhz '486s
|
||
972 for not much more than I paid for my 386/33 4 months ago sure are
|
||
973 appealing... know anybody that wants an obsolete Northgate? <g>
|
||
974 I finally found out the real meaning of a suppressed immune system -
|
||
975 I got a rather minor infection in my arm, went to see the doctor when
|
||
976 my temperature hit 102 (I thought it was just the flu), and he nearly
|
||
977 threw me in the hospital to feed me I.V. antibiotics. Geez, the way
|
||
978 some people react to the simplest things...
|
||
979 Speaking of fever dreams, you may recall I was interested in a
|
||
980 Telebit T2500? I recently noticed in Lisa's BBS list that Forsbergs
|
||
981 TeleGodzilla is running a vanilla V.32 modem now, no longer the PEP.
|
||
982 What is the significance of this vis-a`-vis PEP & Telebit? Is the
|
||
983 *nix world going mainstream a la V.32, or is Chuck using his PEP
|
||
984 solely for UUCP? Inquiring minds (and potential buyers) want to know!
|
||
985 Did you know that if you rotate clockwise the first two letters of
|
||
986 UUCP you get CCCP? Ah HA! Unix is a Communist Plot!
|
||
987 Sorry 'bout that; must be a relapse.
|
||
988 ::::::::O O::::::::::::::::::::::::::voyeur::::::::::::::::::::::::::O O::::::
|
||
049=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 04/22/90 08:17 Msg:5170 Call:28681 Lines:11
|
||
989 &*&*&*&*'s
|
||
990 Well, looks like it time to fill the disk. I guess I'll do it by explaining
|
||
991 my latest theory on why the world is the way it is.
|
||
992
|
||
993 1. People react rather then thinking. This one leads to nasty things like war
|
||
994 and any other number of stupidities.
|
||
995
|
||
996 2. People hate to admit they are wrong. Combine this with one and what do you
|
||
997 get? The world the way it is today.
|
||
998 An Astral Dreamer (Leaving the implications as an excercise.)
|
||
999 &*&*&*&*'s
|