1767 lines
91 KiB
Plaintext
1767 lines
91 KiB
Plaintext
BTN: Birmingham Telecommunications News
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COPYRIGHT 1991 ISSN 1055-4548
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May 1991 Volume 4, Issue 5
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Table Of Contents
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Article Title Author
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Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Staff
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Publisher's Corner.............................Mark Maisel
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Editorial #1: The Non-Smoking Traveler.........Michael Davidson
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Editorial #2: Thoughts On BBS'ing..............Raymond Danner
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Editorial #3: Humor?...........................Dean Costello
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Getting In On The Ground Floor.................Pope R.J. Gumby
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Everything you wanted to know, etc.............Eric Hunt
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The Adventures of R.G. Strangemind & Herbert...Jeremy Lewis
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Birmingham BBS'ing.............................Erica Sullivan
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ProFile: Sarah Maisel.........................Chris Mohney
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Notes From The Trenches........................Dean Costello
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Game Reviews...................................Raymond Danner
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Review: Star Control..........................Colby Gibson
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Review: Icon Manager 1.0......................Eric Hunt
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Video Electronics: Part 2.....................John Lane
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Special Interest Groups (SIGs).................Barry Bowden
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Known BBS Numbers..............................Staff
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Echoes/Network List............................Staff
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Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN
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We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
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information in our publication. We assume no responsibility for damage
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due to errors, omissions, etc. The liability, if any for BTN, its
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editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
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etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
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even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
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of such damages occurring.
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With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
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policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles. We publish
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monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
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publication. If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any
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time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear
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in a particular issue. It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise
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harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the
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content of the articles prepared by our writers. Our writers own their
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work and it is protected by copyright. We allow reprinting of articles
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from BTN with only a few restrictions. The author may object to a
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reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article.
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Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as
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the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
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article's original title are retained. If you use one of our articles,
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please forward a copy of your publication to:
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Mark Maisel
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Editor, BTN
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221 Chestnut St.
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BHM, AL 35210-3219
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(205)-956-0176
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We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
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you like it. We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
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all of this and not get too serious about it.
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F R E E B I E : G E T I T W H I L E I T S H O T !
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The following boards allow BTN to be downloaded freely, that is with no
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charge to any existing upload/download ratios.
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The Connection LZ Birmingham Alter-Ego
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Channel 8250 Little Kingdom Joker's Castle
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Crunchy Frog Myth Drannor Posys BBS
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The Matrix Abject Poverty The Bus
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The Outer Limits Bloom County The Round Table
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DC Info Exchange Radio Free Troad Programmers Shack
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If you are a sysop and you allow BTN to be downloaded freely, please let
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me know via EZNet so that I can post your board as a free BTN
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distributor. Thanks. MM
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N E W S F L A S H
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Hey sysops! Gimme your attention for a moment. Please take a few
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minutes and look at the EZNet Echo List and the Known BBS List. Drop me
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a note on your board or in the EZNet letting me know if your information
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is correct. If it isn't, please post the correct information so I can
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update it for the June issue. I've not had the time I usually do to
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call out and check on you, so I'm asking you to help me keep things
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accurate. Oh yes, one more thing...give me your opinion on whether or
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not I should change or get rid of the EZNet Echo List. I don't know how
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useful it is if at all. Any of you other folks reading this are also
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quite welcome to help me out here. MM
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Publisher's Corner
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by Mark Maisel
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This issue is a whopper! There is quite a bit to cover and I have
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a few words for you all as well. First off, I'm sorry we're a day or
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two late getting this to you. Illness and many other obstacles stood
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between me and this issue. I have overcome them, but at the cost of
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timely release of this issue. It has been worse so no griping.
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Time to deal now with an issue of great importance, or so it would
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seem, to many of you. I decided to take a break from the parties I
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throw for you and I am quite ready for one now. Unfortunately, many of
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the same problems that caused this issue to be late and some upcoming
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travel prevent me from making good on my plans to have had a party in
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April and now my tentative plans for May are fading away rapidly. I am
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truly sorry about this as I'd hoped to have at least one more good one
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before the heat hits us. Unless something terrible happens, be on the
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lookout for something in June. This isn't gospel, it is a rumor, so
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keep it as such and treat it with the disrespect it deserves.
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There is big news on the big board in town, Matrix. It finally got
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to become a part of ILink, a very nice international network that has
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nearly doubled the number of conferences on Matrix. The number at last
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tally was 347. There ought to be something there for everyone now. In
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addition, Rocky, after being jilted by some religious network, decided
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to start his own, TheoNet. This new network has a varied selection of
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conferences discussing different religions and aspects thereof. Knowing
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Rocky, it will be very easy for sysops to join the network and he
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certainly has enough lines to accomodate many customers during nightly
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mail runs by other systems. I understand that in the short time he has
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offered TheoNet, he has already had interest from places as far away as
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the Pacific Northwest. I wish him the best of success with TheoNet and
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thank him for acquiring a link into ILink. I have been harrassing him
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and ILink officials for some time now and it has paid off well. Look
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for more news from Matrix soon!
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The issue has an interesting twist. I have been asking for
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editorials and boy have I received them. I have three this issue. The
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first is a rebuttal to Tim Straughn's editorial on the smoking traveler
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that appeared a few issues back. The second is an opinion piece on
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bbs', etiquette, and general bbs subjects. The third is most unusual,
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at least it was for me. I found it incredibly amusing though I do not
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know if that was the intent of the author. It has to do with what one
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allegedly must do to become a "bestest buddy" of mine. It also contains
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several opinions that I neither condone nor condemn. I'll let you read
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into them what you wish; as if I had a choice, ha ha. One thing I'll
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say is that a certain party can rest assured that the author is
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incorrect in what he says regarding him.
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The rest of the issue is filled with interesting and entertaining
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stuff too. Everyone has done a fine job, even Pasty Boy. We have a
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guide to using local boards, continuing fine fiction, a newcomer's view,
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a Profile of a very young user (I assure you I had no input into the
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choosing of this victim), the monthly note from our estranged user, some
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reviews, and the second in a series of articles on home electronic
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entertainment appliances. Pick and choose or read it all. I personally
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think you should read it all. I did and was more than pleased.
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Editorial #1
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The Non-Smoking Traveler
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by Michael Davidson
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Tim, before I start off, I'd just like to say that I hope you and
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other smokers find no offense in this editorial, as I found none in
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yours. I simply feel that it is needed to see a non-smokers opinion on
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this matter.
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First of all, I'd like to tell a story about a personal experience.
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As a young sports fan, I enjoy going to ball games of most any kind. In
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fact, my dad's office has season tickets to the Barons. It was a great
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summer day, and the smell of the ballpark filled my nostrils. Then
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another protruding smell ruined the moment. No, it was not perfume.
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Nor was it one of George Carlin's farts. It was the horrible smell of a
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rude smoker who paid no mind to my discomfort. I'm not saying that all
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smokers are rude like that, but some are.
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I also hate that there is no gum sold in airports. I also need it
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for my popping ears. That's why I plan ahead and stop at a drugstore
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before I get to the airport. I do think that it is horrendous that they
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sell cigarettes in a no-smoking facility. Now to address the issues
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that you bring up. The reason that smokers were forced to sit in the
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back is that second-hand smoke has been proven to be dangerous to
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non-smoker's health. This is fair "discrimination", as you call it.
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The reason that discrimination against blacks was unfair was that the
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surgeon general did not prove that blacks are hazardous to our health.
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As for perfume, it is not considered a nasty habit, and once again it is
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not bad for us. If you'd like to fart, go ahead. It is, however, as
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socially unacceptable as smoking.
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One more thing. Smoking in the workplace. It is quite reasonable
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for the company to not allow smoking, but to allow tobacco chewing. I'm
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afraid that I'm repeating myself too many times, but once again I will
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say that tobacco chewing does not endanger the health of the employees.
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Then there is the final issue I would like to present in this short
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editorial: the children of smokers. Did you know that the non-smoking
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spouses of smokers are at a 25% greater chance of getting lung cancer
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than the non-smoking spouses of non-smokers? I assume that the same
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applies to children. Of course they are at greater risk, but that's not
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all. They experience great discomfort every day of their life at home.
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After the fire has burned out and the butt is in the ash tray, the smell
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still remains. The awful smell. I just hope that for your kid's sake
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you educate them about smoking and tell them not to start in the habit.
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As for the smokers, I realize that most of you started when we were not
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as knowledgeable on the topic as we are now. I don't blame you for your
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vice, or think less of you for it. (Well, not much less, anyway.)
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Well, my 30-minute homeroom is up, so this is the end of the
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article. I don't have anything more to say, anyway. If you smokers, or
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non-smokers for that matter, disagree with me, as I'm sure you do, feel
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free to express your opinion to me, as I'm sure you will.
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Editorial #2
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Thoughts on BBS'ing
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by Raymond Danner
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Although few people have asked my opinion about BBS etiquette, here
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goes!
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First off, the people blasting mail readers, (Dean Costello, in
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#33, for ex.) are DEAD wrong. They make the assumption, based on a FEW
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(ab)users of said software, that ALL people using off-line mail readers
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are gonna post zillions of messages on every BBS carrying an offline
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reader door. This is not so. MOST of us are responsible adults, or young
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people (shaddup, Ricky!!) who do not abuse the privilege of visiting the
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home or business of the sysop of the BBS in question, and only reply to
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those messages that are seen as needing a reply.
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Secondly, on the subject of "leeches", I feel for Tim Straughn, and
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all the other sysops, who see GOBS of downloading going on, with little
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to NO message base activity. This is not the purpose of a BBS. The
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purpose of a BBS is PRIMARILY to provide information, secondly, to
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provide files. Most BBSs also have door programs, which is an added
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plus. Face it! If someone entered your home, and started to download
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software onto floppies without your permission, or even WORSE, got
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copies of stuff you had, then turned around and gave you junk in return
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(say, you allowed this person to get copies of some of your really good
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games, then he leaves you copies of Trucker and other crap like that...)
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you'd get majorly P.O.'d! This is the SAME as someone downloading a lot
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of files, and then (maybe) uploading MSDOS v5.00, or some other
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commercial 'ware. Just as bad is uploading something the sysop has
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deleted, and indicated s/he did NOT want on the BBS again, or
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deliberately duplicating software that IS available under another name.
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Mr. Straughn has been most upset by this practice, as it only clutters
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up the HD, and takes up a LOT of space. Another thing I agree with Tim
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Straughn about is the archive that does not have any documentation with
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it at all! This seems to indicate one of four things: 1. It is a pirated
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program. 2. It is a "hosed" version of legitimate shareware. 3.
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(assuming upload by author) the person seems not to CARE if anyone can
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use the program or not. 4. Virus or other nasty...
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As for myself, I have fallen victim to #3, through my own mistake.
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I now write all documentation as I craft the program; one time, I
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actually wrote the docs before I wrote the program! (This program, in
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fact, is still in the very early working draft stage...)
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Something else that is disturbing to me is the fact that some
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people do not give accurate descriptions of the files they do upload.
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For example, I downloaded a game called JOUST.ZIP, that was described as
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"Great EGA/VGA game", only to find out that it is VGA only. Made me
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wanna do violent things to the uploader, who deliberately LIED, since I
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paid long-distance charges for the download. I, on the other hand,
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always attempt to describe the program as accurately as possible in the
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space provided. This can be a real challenge, since some BBS software
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only allows one 40-character line for file descriptions. PCBoard, WWIV,
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OraComm, and some others, by allowing multiple lines per file, help
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tremendously. WWIV's limit of 10 lines is kind of ridiculous, though. If
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anyone actually USED all 10 lines in a description, I'd wonder at their
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wit and nerve.
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Basically, that is all for now. See you on-line!!!
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Editorial #3
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I had a curious thought. For whatever reason, a lot of people in the
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Birmingham telecomputing scene want to get close to Mark Maisel. I had
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my own reasons, chief among them was intense boredom during the daytime.
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So, it occurred to me that what a lot of the Dean wanna-be's would want
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is a primer, of sorts. Therefore, it has lead me to the following:
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How To Be Mark Maisel's Bestest Buddy
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by Dean Costello
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There are some pretty good reasons why it would behoove the average
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person to become a MMBB (Mark Maisel Bestest Buddy). Among them are some
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of the perks that I enjoyed: Neat games and other software that Mark
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got "for evaluation purposes", a meal or two (I have had more meals at
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the Maisel's, through Mark and Kathy, than you can shake a stick at),
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access to the CD library, and sleeping privledges. Other perks of being
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a MMBB include choice of seats at parties, unlimited access to the good
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cups and glasses, road trips, access to alcohol (if necessary), access
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to neat drugs (through Kathy), and most of all, the potential of
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becoming an 'insider' of the BTN world, which may include random gossip,
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some knowledge about hardware and software, access to incredible deals,
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and the wherewithal to interact on a social level with people that you
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have only heard of, and have them recognize you on the street.
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The first step, of course, is being noticed by Mark. It is not all that
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difficult. For better or for worse, Mark replies to almost all of the
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mail directed at him. I, for one, am more of a elitist about the mail
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that I respond to. I am still on almost all of the boards in
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Birmingham, but if you don't see mail from me, it is because:
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a). You are one of the people that I never respond to, since your
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messages have been judged to be stupid and/or ignorant. As a
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general rule, if you fall into a category of this nature, you will
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not be a MMBB, since Mark and I have similar taste in friends. He
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will respond to your messages, but you will never eat Kathy's
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Chicken in a Slightly Spicy Sauce, with Green Onions from the Front
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Yard (unsavory sounding but a very tasty dish, nonetheless). There
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are exceptions to this rule, but they are few and far between.
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b). You don't leave me mail.
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Obviously, the hard part is not being noticed, but being noticed as
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being 'clever', or 'funny', or just 'not dippy'. A lot of you are
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noticed, but you are not being noticed in a positive light. If only you
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heard the way that Mark and I (as a member of the MMBB) have said about
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you...
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The second thing is to get an invite to Mark's place. I really don't
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count going over to his place for parties, since everyone is invited to
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those things. It is the little things, like the Music Parties, or the
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VCR Parties, or the J.D. Parties that really count for the MMBB pledges.
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I believe that I started using the BBS' in Birmingham about April of
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1989, made a splash when I hit, so I had high visibility going for me.
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I was entering a message in the Listeners' conference, when I was
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force-Chatted, and asked to drop by. I had seen the ads for the BTN
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party (I believe it would be the mid-August one), and had no intention
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of going, but I had a pretty good idea where his house was. I wandered
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over, and the rest is history. Apparently, I made a pretty good
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impression at the time. Try to be nice, but relaxed. This ain't a
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job interview, just a 'social' gathering. Probably not more than Mark,
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Kathy, Sarah (the daughter, for the acolytes [any stray datum will help
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you]), and one member or another of the Court. The Court is a core
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group of individuals, such as myself a couple of months ago, Jet Thomas
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(he spends a lot of time there, but few people realize it), Scott
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Hollifield (at one time, but I have heard that his mobility has been
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hamstrung), or Chris Mohney (Poor Chris...put his money on the wrong
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horse) that spend an awful lot of time at the house. As a prospective
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MMBB member, your goal is to become a member of the Court.
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Okay, you went to the first invite to the Maisel house. As I said, it
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doesn't really count if it came as the result of an upcoming BTN party,
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but that is a good opportunity to lay the foundation of being a MMBB.
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One thing about the party: If you become annoying, hang it up. For
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instance, it looks to me that Colby Gibson will never become a MMBB due
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to his very bad taste in music, his haircut, and his general "I am sooo
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cool, but very insecure" attitude. Sorry, quick aside. Anyway, the
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trick is to be invited back again and again. The tricks are not all
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that hard to learn. It just takes a little practice to get the hang of
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it. The tricks are (but are not limited to):
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a). Individuality. For Christ's sake, be different. And I believe
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that that is the big thing: Do, Speak, Think, Eat, Walk,
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SOMETHING, different from the rest of the lemmings. If you do
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something a little unusual, you will be remembered, and asked back.
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But if you get carried away, after you leave, you will be mocked by
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the rest of The Court.
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b). Entertainment value. What's in it for Mark? Do you tell good
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jokes, or at least clever anecdotes and witty comments? Or is you
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don't, are you so bad you're funny? These are good things.
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c). Naiveness. Being shocked is fine, but try to cover it up with some
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kind of Almost-But-Not-Quite-Convincing act. Double takes are
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nice, also, but don't be obvious (see the French Knights when they
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first see the wooden rabbit in "Holy Grail" for an example of too
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much).
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These should allow you to get your foot in the door. And should have
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you come back on a regular basis (say, once every two to four weeks).
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Okay, you are cool. You are invited to Mark's at a fairly regular
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basis. Now, how do you keep and improve upon your newly-won status?
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Remember, you aren't a MMBB quite yet, but you are on your way. Well,
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the following hints should put you over the top:
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1). Accessibility. If you want to be a MMBB, you must be in a position
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to go to Mark's at a moments notice. Also, physical location is a
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factor. F'r instance, Mark will probably not call you up to go
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driving in North Jefferson County if you live in Calera. I lived
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about 4.5 miles away, so it was convenient.
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2). Never just 'drop' by. In the 1.5 years that I have known Mark
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fairly well, I dropped by without calling about, umm, 4 times. No
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more. Ask Jeff Hollingsworth about not calling before coming by.
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3). Get along with The Court. For maximum advancement, it is wise to
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be friendly with others. A relationship outside of Mark is wise.
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F'r instance, to be a MMBB, I became friends with the entire court,
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just to be on the safe side. It worked so well that I am using one
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of them to live with for a couple of weeks.
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4). Feign interest in Kathy and Sarah. Kathy does most of the cooking,
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therefore to get the food, you should be nice to her. You know the
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drill, pretend to care about her job, see how she's feeling, ask
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her opinion about things; that kind of thing. I didn't feign
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interest in Sarah very well, since my patience with children is
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limited (Jet Thomas was a champ at this), but I did pretend to care
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about her schoolwork and her music. It seemed to work fairly well.
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|
|
5). Be disdainful of people that boast about their systems. A certain
|
|
amount of pride is reasonable, but people like Kelly who
|
|
continually is trying to get a faster system, bigger HD, faster
|
|
modem are to be smiled at, then dismissed.
|
|
|
|
6). Pretend to care when Mark goes on long discourses about the origin
|
|
of place names in Alabama. Ask questions about current Alabama
|
|
affairs.
|
|
|
|
7). Feign concern when either the 386sx or 286 doesn't boot up.
|
|
|
|
8). Plant tiny ideas in Mark's head in order to discredit members of
|
|
The Court (assuming you aren't one by now).*
|
|
|
|
9). Play mind games on Mark. Also, he loves a good practical jokes, so
|
|
prepare to spring them on Mark frequently and often.
|
|
|
|
10). Talk about what a great guy Rush Limbaugh is.
|
|
|
|
11). Bust on Frank Zappa. He loves hearing people bust on that loser.
|
|
|
|
12). As I think of 'losers', call other users 'losers' at fairly
|
|
frequent intervals. Chances are that Mark will really enjoy the
|
|
insult. The more vile and unfounded, the harder Mark laughs. He
|
|
gets such a charge about this kind of thing.
|
|
|
|
* This is for experts only, since it is a VERY dangerous gambit, but if
|
|
it works, your advancement is assured, so use sparingly.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, with the above hints, strategies, and tactics, you will be a
|
|
MMBB person, and an all-around general insider in the BTN world so fast
|
|
your head will spin. Trust me, it works.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Getting In On the Ground Floor
|
|
|
|
Excerpt from a recruiting speech, given by the Grand High Poobah of
|
|
Silliness, Episkopos R.J. Gumby himself, at the North Malden Investor's
|
|
Council, 4/15/91
|
|
|
|
"Have you ever noticed how many people are getting obnoxious and
|
|
uppity these days, claiming they have such titles as "Reverend" or
|
|
"Bishop"? Ever wondered just what the HELL they were talking about? Ever
|
|
wanted to boss people around all day, only to retire to a locked room at
|
|
night and snicker and plan their ultimate downfall?
|
|
|
|
"What'd you say? No? Oh. Sorry. Go play Megatraveller or something,
|
|
while I talk to the rest of these people. Go on, this isn't any of your
|
|
business. And don't slam the door.
|
|
|
|
"There. Much better. Anyone else want to leave? Hmm? Yes, you in
|
|
the front row. What? You should have thought of that before we began
|
|
this. You'll just have to wait.
|
|
|
|
"The Church of the Crunchy Frog wants YOU (or at least a reasonable
|
|
facsimile)! Why, you may ask? Because... we're looking for a few good
|
|
silly people. Actually, we wouldn't mind several thousand good silly
|
|
people, but you've got to take this kind of thing one step at a time.
|
|
But this is a golden opportunity for YOU, Random Q. User, to become more
|
|
than you've ever dreamed... a raving lunatic.
|
|
|
|
"Yes, that's right. Tired of your typical nine-to-five week? Tired
|
|
of your typical life, your typical home, and your typical 2.6 kids? Ever
|
|
wanted to just go completely off the deep end and start a vegetarian
|
|
commune in Sweden? Well, if you answered that last one YES, you're a bit
|
|
too weird for us. Go stand over there. Yes, you. Someone will be in here
|
|
to collect you later. Bloody weirdos...
|
|
|
|
"Now, then, where was I? Of course. Join up now and become a
|
|
certified Raving Lunatic. Amaze your friends, fool your enemies, mystify
|
|
your psychiatrist with your Officially Non-Official title(s). Snicker
|
|
behind other people's backs, because you know that when the excrement
|
|
hits the oscillating cooling device, you'll be ready for it, because
|
|
you've Trained for This Sort of Thing. Learn to smile maniacally, a
|
|
great tactic to unnerve chess opponents and lawyers. And more.
|
|
|
|
"Sign up now and Get The Joke! And remember; it's not blasphemy,
|
|
it's... satire."
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
Official
|
|
(sort of)
|
|
Church of the Crunchy Frog
|
|
Membership Application
|
|
|
|
Please answer all questions as fully as possible
|
|
|
|
1. Name: _____________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
2. Are ye a human being, and not a cabbage or something? _____
|
|
|
|
3. Age (in hexadecimal): ______
|
|
|
|
4. Name: _____________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
5. Religious persuasion, if any: _____________________________
|
|
|
|
6. Desired "holy name": ______________________________________
|
|
|
|
7. Are you sure you want to go through with this? ____________
|
|
|
|
8. Name: _____________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
9. What does the word "proxy" mean? __________________________
|
|
|
|
10. Are you a member of the Evil and Insipid Off-Line Reader Menace?
|
|
_____________
|
|
|
|
11. Why or why not? __________________________________________
|
|
|
|
12. Use the word "phlegmatic" in a sentence: _________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
13. Would you be willing to donate almost obscene amounts of money to
|
|
your Church superiors without asking for a reason? _______
|
|
|
|
14. There is no question 14.
|
|
|
|
15. How would you rate your tolerance to pain? _______________
|
|
|
|
16. In ten words or less, describe your ego. _________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
17. When you add the numbers of your birth date together, do they total:
|
|
23? ________ 18? ________ 378? ________
|
|
5? ________ 8? ________ 6.5? ________
|
|
17? ________ W? ________ 73? ________
|
|
If so, why? ______________________________________________
|
|
|
|
18. In thirty words or less, explain your theory of where Spam comes
|
|
from. ____________________________________________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
19. Have you even been admitted to the Betty Ford Clinic for Gummi Bear
|
|
abuse? _____
|
|
If so, how long have you been "straight"? ________________
|
|
|
|
20. How do you rate your chances of getting in here? _________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
21. Have you ever accidentally injured yourself with:
|
|
A blender? _____ Your foot? _____
|
|
A washing machine? _____ A staple gun? _____
|
|
A belt sander? _____ A stale doughnut? _____
|
|
A frozen burrito? _____ A 747 turbine? _____
|
|
Hydroflouric acid? _____ Live hamsters? _____
|
|
If so, may we laugh at you about the incident(s)? _____
|
|
|
|
22. Name: ____________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
23. Just what makes you think you're qualified to be in the Church
|
|
of the Crunchy Frog? _____________________________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
__________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
STOP!
|
|
You have reached the end of this section of the test.
|
|
Put your pencil down. You may check your work on this section only.
|
|
Do not go back to any of the other sections.
|
|
|
|
When completed, send (via E-mail) to R.J. Gumby, care of the Crunchy
|
|
Frog. Send no money. Do not eat this file.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Everything you wanted to know about BBS'
|
|
(but didn't care to ask)
|
|
by Eric Hunt
|
|
|
|
This is "A New User's Introduction to the Birmingham BBS Scene" or,
|
|
more commonly, anarchy explained. So you've found out really what your
|
|
modem does! You have access to all the information you can digest or at
|
|
least what Brett Thorn can tell you, more files and programs than you
|
|
can ever use, and more silly, outrageous people to converse, scream,
|
|
argue, and flame than you ever thought existed. This article is intended
|
|
to guide you through the proverbial ropes (bit stream didn't sound
|
|
appropriate here), to introduce you to some of the local weirdos; we
|
|
won't talk about the GMC or Spam conferences will we?, and to generally
|
|
calm your fears over the whole issue of BBS'. Perhaps it'll even calm
|
|
your subconscious fear of Dean returning to rule once again.
|
|
|
|
Bulletin Board Systems are run by people. YES! Real live breathing,
|
|
reproducing, dying human beings. Granted, these people have a nasty
|
|
habit of appearing very unworldly, they do exist, although it's been
|
|
rumored that Dean had been running a WWIV board somewhere, those rumors
|
|
cannot be substantiated. These system operators, sysops, as they are
|
|
called, sacrifice everything, in many cases even their first born, for
|
|
the continued existence of their progeny, the BBS. What other normal
|
|
people would spend upwards of several thousand dollars so that OTHER
|
|
people can derive enjoyment from it? Sysops would.
|
|
|
|
Now there's this message thing. Messages are central to a BBS's
|
|
existence. New BBS'ers have two options: 1) Jump in headfirst 2) Lurk
|
|
like the rest of them. When you jump in headfirst, you get to compete
|
|
with the likes of Mark Maisel (ask Ricky about him), Brett Thorn (ask
|
|
any Project member about him [ask HIM about the Project, I don't have
|
|
column space for it here]), or Maggie Harden (ask Lee about the week he
|
|
was abused). You can also converse with such strange and unusual likes
|
|
as R.J. Gumby (hail the Pope!), Dirty Vicar (don't get any paste from
|
|
him, though), or Omega Ohm. Finally, the mystical Dean might condescend
|
|
and leave you a long distance message all the way from Maryland. The
|
|
best place to start talking to everyone is EZNet. EZNet is a network of
|
|
BBS' here in Birmingham that share a common message base. You can enter
|
|
a message on one EZNet BBS (say the Crunchy Frog) and someone on another
|
|
EZNet BBS (say the Matrix, or the Little Kingdom) can read and respond
|
|
to it. See the BBS list at the end of the magazine for the EZNet
|
|
members. You can also discuss a number (over 100) of different topics on
|
|
any of the national mail echoes that are carried. In those conferences,
|
|
discussion is a bit more serious, though. You wouldn't want to discuss
|
|
the mating habits of a whippet, or anything along those lines. They are
|
|
interesting, though, and deserve a look-see. Finally, if you prefer not
|
|
to leave messages yourself, you can always lurk. Lurking is simply
|
|
reading all the messages but not leaving any yourself. It's like you're
|
|
not even there, but you are. To each his own, I suppose.
|
|
|
|
An important practice that must be learned before becoming very
|
|
active on a message base is that of quoting. Quoting is the practice of
|
|
relisting parts of the message you are replying to in your reply. This
|
|
is done so that the person you are replying to knows what the fart you
|
|
are talking about. This becomes extremely important in the conferences
|
|
that are echoed to more than one BBS, as the reference numbers for the
|
|
reply do not work in the echoed bases. Quoting is most easily done with
|
|
an offline mail reader, such as EZReader 1.33, or Silly Little Mail
|
|
Reader 1.05 (called SLMR, or Slimer for short,) but you can also quote
|
|
using either the BBS software itself (if it is PCBoard 14.5) or with
|
|
your comm program (Telemate 2.11 is the easiest to quote with.) If you
|
|
need help quoting, most everyone can help you online (especially Brett,
|
|
or Maggie!)
|
|
|
|
Messages aren't the only reason for calling a BBS. Many BBS's have
|
|
substantial libraries of shareware, freeware, and public domain
|
|
programs, utilities, and graphics. You do need to know about the dreaded
|
|
thing called a RATIO, though. Most sysops do not want you downloading
|
|
(that's what transferring a file from the BBS to your computer is called
|
|
[in fact, if you are reading this, then you probably understand
|
|
downloading]) all sorts of things without contributing files yourself.
|
|
To prevent "leeching," as uncontrolled downloading is called (there
|
|
aren't any "leechers anonymous" groups, but who knows what the future
|
|
holds. I'm sure Tim Straughn would love to moderate the group and help
|
|
them mend their ways), sysops have developed the file transfer ratio.
|
|
The ratio is generally a number expressed like 10:1 (but some of the
|
|
sysops have it 1:10. Bill Freeman should be able to tell you more.) All
|
|
this means is that you can download 10 files before you have to upload 1
|
|
file. Be warned: the ratio is different for every BBS, so check first.
|
|
Files are a very important part of BBSing, but make sure you don't abuse
|
|
the privledge the sysop gives you.
|
|
|
|
Using a modem and a BBS might seem a bit daunting at first, but
|
|
take heart, we're not as crazy as we seem. New users frequently complain
|
|
that they are criticized unfairly or harshly for early mistakes. Perhaps
|
|
they are, but the criticisms are never truly personal. If you simply
|
|
tough it out, and ignore the more vocal critics of your "newness", you
|
|
will find yourself quickly fitting in. Soon you will be able to argue
|
|
with the best of them, quote like a pro, and download all the best
|
|
files. Have no fear, you TOO will be converted to a blithering modem
|
|
idiot, abandoning food, water, wife, husband (and the niceties
|
|
associated with the previous two choices!), and family for the computer
|
|
and modem. You will be a Changed One.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
The Adventures of R.G. Strangemind and Herbert
|
|
by Jeremy Lewis
|
|
Copyright 1991 by Jeremy Lewis
|
|
no reprints without the permission of the author
|
|
|
|
Chapter III
|
|
|
|
R.G. woke up, only to be knocked out again. Herbert woke up, only
|
|
to be knocked out again. R.G. and Herbert both woke up, just in time to
|
|
look very confused when they were both knocked out again. Although they
|
|
were unaware of it, (They were busy being knocked unconscious) over them
|
|
stood a strange looking blue alien with a rubber mallet. The alien's
|
|
name was Slob. Slob was a rather round and cartoonish fellow, with
|
|
round black eyes and a mouth that seemed to be a little larger than his
|
|
head.
|
|
|
|
He, Slob, was standing over our heroes and hitting them over the
|
|
head with the mallet every time they began to stir. They would open
|
|
their' eyes and see only a bright blue flash before they were once again
|
|
unconscious. Slob continued the pattern of blows for quite sometime
|
|
before he was bored and put the mallet on a high self in the wall and
|
|
left the room. Slob walked through the halls of his mighty ship
|
|
wondering if Emperor Splort had noticed. He couldn't have seen what
|
|
happened on Earth could he? He was sure that he had been far enough
|
|
away from Earth not to affect reality and he almost had been, but that
|
|
darned blue button just had to have appeared.
|
|
|
|
Slob was angry, in fact, he was angry enough to litter! Right there
|
|
in the middle of corridor six, Slob whipped out a piece of paper and
|
|
threw it to the ground. A large smile of malice appeared on his face
|
|
and he ground the piece of paper into the nice tidy floor. He was just
|
|
about to spit on the paper when an overly loud voice behind him bellowed
|
|
,"YOU HAVE LITTERED!" Slob screamed.
|
|
|
|
R.G. awoke. As he looked up, he beheld one of the purple things
|
|
(that didn't exist). He only had time to yell, "HERBERT!!!" when his
|
|
mind which had become so used to only logical thinking decided to go on
|
|
vacation, leaving his body to fend for itself. As R.G. fell to the
|
|
floor, Herbert awoke. He was, needless to say, quite startled by the
|
|
sudden shriek R.G. had emitted and after convincing himself that he
|
|
wasn't going to be knocked out again, he stood up. The nonexistent
|
|
purple thing, who had been staring at the gibbering R.G., turned to face
|
|
the rising Herbert, with hate in his eyes (that didn't exist). Herbert,
|
|
quite oblivious to his seemingly-impending doom, began to stretch
|
|
himself.
|
|
|
|
"Rargh?", asked the confused figment.
|
|
|
|
"R.G., did you saying something?" is what Herbert meant to say, but
|
|
as he turned and saw the monster although came out was "Argh!". The
|
|
monster, reassured of its monsterhood and ability to frighten people,
|
|
charged Herbert. Fortunately, Herbert was prepared and as the monster
|
|
was bearing down upon him, swung his fist in a punch that knocked the
|
|
purple thing right into existence, not to mention a really hard wall.
|
|
Herbert advanced towards the monster and the monster (that was now quite
|
|
existent) sighed. Herbert, taking this as a sign of hostility ran in
|
|
horror down the hallway.
|
|
|
|
Meanwhile in the recesses of the ship, R.G.'s mind was trying to
|
|
find it's way back to his body.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Birmingham BBS'ing
|
|
by Erica Sullivan
|
|
|
|
I must admit that at the start, I hated computers and everything to
|
|
do with them. It was Christmas time and I really wanted a car.
|
|
Apparently Santa decided that I hadn't been good and for whatever the
|
|
reason Santa had, the family got a computer instead of the cute little
|
|
maroon Accord I wanted.
|
|
|
|
One Sunday afternoon I walked downstairs to find my parents in
|
|
front of the computer having fun. Well, this was a concept hard for me
|
|
to understand so I went to investigate and this is where I found the
|
|
world of BBS'. It was an amazing thing and I found myself beginning to
|
|
enjoy the computer. The days and weeks went by and I found myself
|
|
running everybody off the computer so I could use it.
|
|
|
|
At first I was having a lot of trouble moving around the boards
|
|
until I started meeting Sysops and conversing with them over the
|
|
computer( yet another new and amazing concept). After regularly
|
|
chatting with SySops I began to ask questions. One of the many
|
|
questions I asked was, If there were a lot of users in Birmingham. To
|
|
my surprise, the answer was yes. The next question I asked was how come
|
|
I only see the same handful of users over and over? This is where I
|
|
learned about Lurkers. (This computer has really expanded my
|
|
vocabulary). I guess that I fell into the category of a lurker.
|
|
|
|
As a new user (and one of the few females) I would like to say that
|
|
at first it seemed hard to participate in conferences and so forth
|
|
because it seemed everybody knew everybody else. After thinking about
|
|
this a while I decided to go ahead and participate more. Anyway, the
|
|
worst that could happen would be my ears burning. I guess what I'm
|
|
trying to say is that it's ok to go ahead and participate. Most of the
|
|
people on the boards are very patient and nice people(hee hee), so don't
|
|
worry about making mistakes, someone will let you know (all in fun). So
|
|
all of you lurkers out there - GO AHEAD. The BBS is a great hobby and a
|
|
great way to open up and get a good laugh. So don't hesitate, go ahead
|
|
and post(We need a few people with a great since of humor, hee hee).
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
ProFile
|
|
by Chris Mohney
|
|
|
|
The ProFile is a short, half-serious biographical sketch given to
|
|
various computer telecommunications personalities around Birmingham.
|
|
Victims are selected randomly from a group of names put into the
|
|
notorious Hat. Anyone who thinks himself brave or witty enough may
|
|
petition for admittance to the Hat by leaving E-Mail to me (Chris
|
|
Mohney, most boards around town) to that effect. Anyone who wishes to
|
|
suggest more questions or sneakily nominate someone without their
|
|
knowledge may take the same route....
|
|
|
|
---------
|
|
|
|
Pro File on SARAH MAISEL
|
|
|
|
---------
|
|
|
|
|
|
Age: Eight and a half
|
|
|
|
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama
|
|
|
|
Occupation: Going to school
|
|
|
|
My hobbies include: Bothering my mommy and daddy, playing piano & violin
|
|
|
|
Years telecomputing: One
|
|
|
|
Sysop, past/present/future of: Sarah's Whippets Who Eat Peanut Butter BBS
|
|
|
|
My oddest habit is: Play with boys (most of the time) instead of girls
|
|
|
|
My greatest unfulfilled ambition is: To have a million dollars
|
|
|
|
The single accomplishment of which I am most proud is: Having Erik Peek
|
|
for my boyfriend
|
|
|
|
My favorite performers are: Maxwell Smart, Frank Zappa, Mojo Nixon, Yes
|
|
|
|
The last good movie I saw was: Home Alone
|
|
|
|
The last good book I read was: Cricket Magazine
|
|
|
|
If they were making a movie of my life, I'd like to see my part played
|
|
by: Erica Pipkin, a friend of mine
|
|
|
|
My pet peeves are: my Daddy, sometimes my friends, the computer when it
|
|
does not do right, and SCHOOL!
|
|
|
|
When nobody's looking, I like to: do something I'm not supposed to like
|
|
say BAD WORDS! (gasp)
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Notes from the Trenches
|
|
by Dean Costello
|
|
|
|
This Month: "Mom Always Liked You Best!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
My younger brother came home for the week. This is apparently the
|
|
Spring Break for Johns Hopkins. Scott complains about how boring it is
|
|
here. I just smile...
|
|
|
|
With Scott here, the dog pressure on me is lessened, which is a good
|
|
thing. I am about ready to kill the dumb thing. Well, I shouldn't call
|
|
the dog dumb, since it is a fairly smart organism. Mom (who in about 20
|
|
years is going to be one of those nasty women with a couple of hundred
|
|
cats who will be cheerfully referred to by the rest of the neighbors as
|
|
"The Cat Woman") has a towel on one of the nice chairs so that the cats
|
|
have a comfortable place to sleep. The dog likes to chase the cats, and
|
|
they usually just climb up on one of the chairs, and then tease the dog.
|
|
The dog now jumps up on the chair as far as he can, grabs the towel in
|
|
its teeth, and pulls the towel out from under the cat. It won't be long
|
|
now.
|
|
|
|
Which reminds me; yesterday one of the precious cats got outside. I
|
|
can't understand why the cats want to go outside, since they merely get
|
|
the shit kicked out of them by the other cats in the neighborhood, but I
|
|
digress. Mom comes home and discovers this turn of events, and blames
|
|
me for it. Several snide comments were aimed my way, such as, "You
|
|
needn't worry. With any luck, it's dead", or "I guess you're happy
|
|
now". The cat came home, after she had driven around the
|
|
neighborhood for a half hour. But what can I expect from someone who
|
|
said to me, "The cats are the only things in this house that love me".
|
|
True quote. But the cat came home after Mom drove around. I am tempted
|
|
to kill the cats, since they chew up the plants, jump on the dining room
|
|
table when we are eating ("Don't bother the cat. It's only on the
|
|
table. It isn't hurting you"), and scratch the piss out of wallpaper,
|
|
furniture, and upholstery. As I write this missive, I see a cat came
|
|
into my room, jumped up on the bedside table, knocked my lamp, clock
|
|
radio, a book, and a glass of milk onto the floor, then left my room.
|
|
For whatever reason, the cats like to come into my room. And, again for
|
|
whatever reason, the slats on my bed fall out every so often. I think
|
|
that those two phenomena can be wed without a lot of trouble. It would
|
|
be a terrible tragedy.
|
|
|
|
The job situation isn't the greatest just yet. I have decided to not be
|
|
ashamed of my failure to become an employed person, but to revel in my
|
|
ineptitude. I have taken to hanging my rejection letters on the
|
|
refrigerator. Starting to run out of magnets, too... There was also a
|
|
revival in town this week. A great event, with all of the local
|
|
churches putting aside their Christian Rivalries for the unclaimed souls
|
|
of Cambridge, and pulling together to have a joint event from the entire
|
|
religious community of the area. I was debating going down there on the
|
|
last day, and in the middle of the revival start speaking in tongues,
|
|
thrashing about on the floor ("I have demons running allllll through my
|
|
body" -Betelgeuse), maybe doing a quick Whirling Dervish routine.
|
|
Something to break up the monotony of your basic Protestant revival
|
|
service. But God knows I wouldn't want to embarrass Mom.
|
|
|
|
I have noticed some curious things about Mom and Dad around my brother.
|
|
It seems as if they are treating him differently than I. I have always
|
|
noticed that whenever Dad wanted something done (from getting him some
|
|
coffee to resetting the foundation of the deck), he always asked me.
|
|
When Mom wanted something done (usually getting a pot from a high shelf)
|
|
she always asked Scott. Kind of curious, but I have noticed the
|
|
difference between the tasks Scott is given ("Scott, clean up the
|
|
kitchen) and the tasks I am given ("Dean, paint the deck"). I am not
|
|
sure why the discrepancy occurs. I need to talk to Jet about it. He
|
|
seems to know these things.
|
|
|
|
But anyway, Scott's home, thus making my days a little less tedious.
|
|
Unfortunately, he discovered Mah Jhong for the Atari ST, so now he plays
|
|
a lot of that. On the plus side, the Fiero is working now, so I am
|
|
again mobile. I overheated on my way to Randy's house one fine fall
|
|
afternoon, and that was that for long- distance Fiero travel. Which
|
|
reminds me, I still owe him for a radiator hose he bought me that night.
|
|
Also, for a thermostat. I did buy he and Chris dinner, though. But on
|
|
the other hand, he has my waste water treatment book. I guess it all
|
|
evens out. But that night really was a frustrating experience for me.
|
|
It is enough to really make me angry...
|
|
|
|
<Eds. note: Dr. Costello's keyboard died from striking it in a blind
|
|
rage, and to finish up the column, we had to transcribe a telephone
|
|
conversation between ourselves and the Doctor from his Maryland home.>
|
|
|
|
Editor: To get back to the subject of the article.
|
|
|
|
R. Dean Costello: Yes?
|
|
|
|
Eds: So, where is your brother, now?
|
|
|
|
RDC: Scott has left for New Jersey. Kind of an amusing series of
|
|
events, if you are into mind games by someone with the
|
|
subtlety of a Panzer division going through the Ardennes.
|
|
|
|
Eds: What do you mean by that?
|
|
|
|
RDC: Well, he has been mocking my use of the modem for the entire
|
|
time he has been home, by using a lot of cutsey expressions
|
|
about my being a "computer geek", and such. I was tempted
|
|
to ask him how long its been since his Hitler Youth frat
|
|
buddies at school have rolled a fag, but I let it pass.
|
|
|
|
Eds: What do you mean? That people at <name deleted> University
|
|
in Baltimore are such that they roll fags?
|
|
|
|
RDC: Looks that way to me. At least that is what I heard between
|
|
Scott and one of his buddies at the frat as we were walking
|
|
to some place for lunch. Apparently, they go into a park
|
|
near their place (Lyman Park, for those that know
|
|
Baltimore), and have one of their 'pretty boys' try and lure
|
|
some of the fags that hang out in the park. A lot of them
|
|
do, from what they say. Anyway, after the fag has been
|
|
lured over to the bait boy, the rest of the frat people jump
|
|
out from the bushes, beat the shit out of the poor guy, take
|
|
his money. You know, the basic fag-rolling modus operandi.
|
|
|
|
Eds: How common is this?
|
|
|
|
RDC: Shit if I know. I don't know how common it is. It is just
|
|
what I read in the paper, and what I overheard.
|
|
|
|
Eds: Weeeell, that is a good use of a higher education.
|
|
|
|
RDC: Damn straight. Who says they don't teach kids well these
|
|
days.
|
|
|
|
Eds: Right. Where were we? Oh yes, Scott mocking you about
|
|
BBS'.
|
|
|
|
RDC: Yup. Thursday night he wanders into my room while I am
|
|
on Delphi, and starts asking me stuff about BBSs. You know,
|
|
transfers, messages, and such things. I look at him funny,
|
|
wonder what is going on, and proceed to enlighten him, and
|
|
he pretends to be interested. After a couple of minutes of
|
|
this, he leans over my computer, and asks me, in a very
|
|
smooooooth manner, when I'll be ready to leave tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
Eds: A smooooooth manner?
|
|
|
|
RDC: Uh huh. Basically, tries to slide it into conversation like
|
|
it was something that was almost beneath speaking about, and
|
|
as if he was only nailing down a minor detail.
|
|
|
|
Eds: Wasn't he?
|
|
|
|
RDC: Hell no. I knew nothing about his rutting plans. But I am
|
|
getting out of sequence. So, I say leave for what. He
|
|
replies to take him back to Baltimore. I reply why should
|
|
I want to do that. He replies it is a favour. I ask why he
|
|
wants to go back to school. So he can leave to go see his
|
|
love-bunny in Jersey. Kind of funny, watching him trying
|
|
to manipulate me into taking him to Baltimore. Oh well,
|
|
whatever I guess.
|
|
|
|
Eds: Cute, what a guy. Why didn't he just ask?
|
|
|
|
RDC: I don't know. The same reason why whenever someone asks him
|
|
something important, and he is at a disadvantage, he will
|
|
not say anything whatsoever. Things that are uncomfortable
|
|
to verbalize are usually ignored.
|
|
|
|
Eds: Nice way to conduct interpersonal relationships.
|
|
|
|
RDC: I reckon. I wouldn't want to date him.
|
|
|
|
Eds: What were his motives behind all of this?
|
|
|
|
RDC: Like I said, whenever uncomfortable things are brought up in
|
|
conversation, they are ignored. Try to follow this logic.
|
|
I have to go get him on Friday. He leaves Saturday morning
|
|
to go have sex with the girl at her school in Pennsylvania (she
|
|
is a pre-dental person. Squeeal!). He comes back Monday
|
|
morning, and bitches for the entire week until Thursday
|
|
night, when he struts his new manipulative powers.
|
|
|
|
Eds: That's curious. If all he did was complain about home, and
|
|
conspire to get away from home, why did he bother to come
|
|
home in the first place?
|
|
|
|
RDC: I can't figure it out. Why did he bother to come home if
|
|
all he is going to do is bitch and moan?
|
|
|
|
Eds: That's what I asked you.
|
|
|
|
RDC: I still don't know. I assume that he is concerned about
|
|
financial concerns. You see, Dad still pays for most of his
|
|
expenses in Baltimore, and by God, he has an incredible
|
|
expense account. I saw what I spend in Alabama, and I spent
|
|
about half of what Scott does. I assume that Dad is
|
|
basically bribing Scott to come home, and Scott realizes
|
|
that if he doesn't perform token filial obligations, he'll
|
|
be cut off real quick. And Lord knows we wouldn't want that
|
|
to happen.
|
|
|
|
Eds: You are starting to sound bitter.
|
|
|
|
RDC: Yeah, I know. I had better stop now, since it is no longer
|
|
even remotely funny, and I am getting more bitter and nasty
|
|
than this situation requires.
|
|
|
|
Eds: Umm, Doctor? About this Jen person? Sounds like a big
|
|
load of sour grapes from this end of things.
|
|
|
|
RDC: Not hardly. Or at least, I don't think so. She doesn't do
|
|
a thing for me. The thing that annoys me about her is that
|
|
I have seen her waving her finger in Scott's face, making
|
|
sure that he did precisely what she wants him to do. The
|
|
boy is serious pussy whipped. Dad seems to think that she
|
|
is only out for a Hopkins graduate. But whatever the
|
|
reason, his cutting his parents and I out of his life so
|
|
abruptly is a bit of a shock. Give me some time to
|
|
acclimate, for Christ's sake.
|
|
|
|
Eds: Yeah, right Doctor. All you REALLY need is a cheap woman.
|
|
|
|
RDC: Shit, yeah, that's what I need, alright. Hell, I can't even
|
|
afford to pay my Rich's bill right now. See this mug here?
|
|
I can't even afford to do this, but I don't care anymore...
|
|
|
|
<tape ends, with glass breaking in background>
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
REVIEW: MOROFF'S SUPERBLAST!
|
|
by Raymond Danner
|
|
|
|
This game LOOKS good, but, just like Moroff's other offering I have
|
|
looked at, (EGA/VGA Pinball) it has incredible problems. First off, IF
|
|
you miss a ball in this game (at least on an 8088; haven't tried it on a
|
|
'286 or better) your computer goes to sleep. That is, your keyboard
|
|
ceases to function, and the computer seems to be frozen. Any program
|
|
that does this is poorly programmed, in my honestly humble opinion.
|
|
|
|
As for graphics, the program's use of them is quite beautiful,
|
|
altho the SUPERBLAST modes freeze right after the whoop of the start
|
|
up...with the PC's speaker howling at the top of its lungs!!!
|
|
Aaarrrggghhh!!! I HATE THAT!!! First time I tested the program, I used
|
|
the computer play mode with the fall- ing walls. Neat. There IS one
|
|
problem, tho. If you do not destroy all of a wall before it disappears,
|
|
it makes the next wall (the one that replaced it) negatively valued.
|
|
Seemed VERY odd to see the score get whittled away by the bricks the
|
|
ball hit. Eventually, it happened: The score got less than zero, and lo!
|
|
It SHOWED as negative! As for playability, I'd like the blame thing if
|
|
it ran on my system without hanging the system out to dry so often. I
|
|
rate using a 0 to 5 star rating. Here's how I rate this one:
|
|
|
|
Graphics: ***
|
|
Sound: *
|
|
Playable: ****
|
|
Reliable:
|
|
Manual: ***
|
|
|
|
Overall: *.5
|
|
|
|
I do not recommend this game (or any other Moroff offering) until
|
|
they clean up their act, and get the bugs out...
|
|
|
|
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\
|
|
|
|
REVIEW: DARK AGES VOL. I
|
|
|
|
This game by Apogee Software, is really nice. It plays well on my
|
|
10Mhz XT, and looks at least as good as Nintendo. The sound, when using
|
|
an AdLib or SoundBlaster card, is AWESOME! One small gripe: There is NO
|
|
way to turn off the auxiliary sounds that come through the PC speaker
|
|
(blasts, landings, etc) and this is a MAJOR concern when you play games
|
|
at night. No sound controls at all...Not good.
|
|
|
|
As for problems, there ARE a few. One of these, I wrote Apogee
|
|
Software about in the SHAREWARE conference. This little bug occurs EVERY
|
|
time you get your name on the high score list. After you enter your
|
|
name, the system starts to play a tune, then freezes on the first note!
|
|
If you do NOT make the list, it merely shows the list, and eventually
|
|
drops you back to the play menu. As for others? One of the others is of
|
|
course, the lack of a sound toggle. This is, in my humble opinion, a
|
|
serious lack, and SHOULD be looked into. My ratings follow:
|
|
|
|
Graphics: *****
|
|
Sound: *****
|
|
Playable: *****
|
|
Reliable: ***
|
|
Manual: ? (No manual in the archive I have...)
|
|
|
|
Overall: ****.5
|
|
|
|
This one is a DEFINITE winner in my book. If anyone needs help
|
|
getting through this admittedly TOUGH game, just ask in a private
|
|
message on the BUS with the values stored in the SAVEGAME.DA1 file. I
|
|
will post a return, also private, that will (probably) solve the
|
|
problem. Just make a file with the values I place in my reply named
|
|
SAVEGAME.DA1, get into DA1, then restore.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Review: Star Control
|
|
by Colby Gibson
|
|
|
|
Star Control: Published by Accolade. This game supports CGA, EGA, and
|
|
VGA/MCGA. It also supports a variety of sound cards and control can be
|
|
given in the form of a keyboard or joystick.
|
|
|
|
First off, you can run this game on just about any system. It is
|
|
kinda slow on XTs, but since I used to have one and I played it on a
|
|
friends, I can say that it is still enjoyable.
|
|
|
|
Star Control is on the premise of strategy in the space world,
|
|
where the Alliance of Free Stars and the Ur-Quan Hierarchy fight for
|
|
total domination of all known space. Earth isn't the deciding factor in
|
|
this one, because the ship that represents earth isn't too spectacular,
|
|
and there are thirteen other races that are fighting as well.
|
|
|
|
Races: The Ur-Quan hierarchy.
|
|
|
|
The UR-QUAN: They are ugly, and look like something you run over on the
|
|
road. They fly a huge dreadnaught, which can slightly slaughter you.
|
|
Stay clear, because it fires huge fireballs and can use its crew to
|
|
launch small fighters that will catch up with you and turn you into
|
|
space toast.
|
|
|
|
ANDROSYN: Humanoid. They pilot a ship that somewhat resembles a bottle
|
|
of bubbles. It fires molecular acid space bubbles and it can convert
|
|
into a comet which can then ram enemy vessels.
|
|
|
|
UMGAH: Not much is known at this time. They fly this slow, deadly
|
|
vessel. It projects an antimatter field in front of it, and the ship can
|
|
move backwards very fast to draw its prey into the field.
|
|
|
|
ILWRATH: Spiders. They fly this vessel which somewhat resembles the
|
|
Klingon's Bird of Prey. It fires a flame blast and can cloak.
|
|
|
|
Vux: The VERY-UGLY-XENOFORM. They fly this small vessel that has a
|
|
gigawatt laser mounted in the front. It can launch spores that attach to
|
|
the enemy vessel which slow it and reduce its maneuverability.
|
|
|
|
Spathi: Little plastic like dudes. They fly this ship which looks like
|
|
something I made with tinkertoys when I was little. It fires little
|
|
bullets out of between two of the drones and it has a B.U.T.T. cannon in
|
|
the rear.
|
|
|
|
MYCON: A being that is quite nasty looking. It is a sphere that fires
|
|
plasma spheres that track the enemy. It can regenerate its crew.
|
|
|
|
The Alliance of Free Stars:
|
|
|
|
CHENJESU: Crystal life forms. They fly a crystal ship that fires
|
|
crystals (the crystal it fires can then be detonated into smaller
|
|
crystals) and can launch a D.O.G.I., A crystal that tracks the enemy
|
|
ship and drains their energy if they come in contact with it.
|
|
|
|
EARTHLING: People, human. They fly a ship that resembles the starship
|
|
Enterprise. It fires nuclear missiles out of its front and has S.D.I., a
|
|
system that can destroy incoming threats at close range.
|
|
|
|
ARILOULALEELAY: Little green guys. They fly this little round thingy,
|
|
called the skiff. It moves extremely fast and can turn on a dime. It has
|
|
inertialess drive, which means it can stop on a dime and can hover right
|
|
next to a planet. It has a ventral, auto aiming laser and can randomly
|
|
teleport around the battlefield.
|
|
|
|
MMRNMHRM: Machines. They fly the X-FORM, a vessel that has 2 purposes.
|
|
In flyer mode it fires two lasers which meet at a focus point in front
|
|
of itself. It moves at a moderate speed, and can turn quickly. The
|
|
rocket mode moves extremely quickly but can't turn worth two cents. It
|
|
fires Long Range Missiles, and it can be very useful against sluggish
|
|
enemies.
|
|
|
|
SHOFIXTI: Little bear guys. They fly a real small vessel called a scout.
|
|
It moves extremely quickly, turns quickly, and fires little beads. It
|
|
can self-destruct, which means that you don't beat it down and leave it
|
|
for dead.
|
|
|
|
YEHAT: Kinda look like ostriches. They fly the Terminator a ship that
|
|
bears a striking resemblance to a boomerang. It can fire itty bitty
|
|
missiles out of each wingtip and has a energy field that lasts a second
|
|
or two so it can come at you, fire some missiles, and get away
|
|
unscathed.
|
|
|
|
SYREEN: Just what the name implies. Just like the women of Greek
|
|
mythology, they fly a ship that looks like an ACME rocket. It fires
|
|
little darts and can call out to the enemy ship, forcing some crew out
|
|
into space, which the SYREEN can then pick up for its own crew provided
|
|
it's fast enough.
|
|
|
|
These are the fourteen vessels that dominate the game scene. You can
|
|
choose, from the main menu, many different options to do.
|
|
|
|
SELECT PLAYERS: (I am putting this one here first because it will
|
|
provide info about things below).
|
|
|
|
This feature allows you to choose whoever will control each side. If you
|
|
are home alone, pick the Hierarchy or Alliance for the Computer.
|
|
|
|
When this is done, three additional boxes will come into the picture.
|
|
STANDARD, GOOD, AWESOME. This is the setting will determine how bad the
|
|
computer beats the hell out of you. At standard, it is easy, because the
|
|
computer's ship cannot use its special ability. GOOD and AWESOME,
|
|
however, mean that the computer can use the abilities and makes it a
|
|
bitter adversary.
|
|
|
|
If a friend is over, and you want to beat up on him for winning the last
|
|
few games of rummy, pick both sides to be HUMAN. It is easy for one
|
|
person to use the keyboard and another to use a joystick. However, since
|
|
some people are not fortunate enough to have a joystick, two people CAN
|
|
use the keyboard. You'll have to set it up with the external program
|
|
that comes with it. "KEYS.EXE"
|
|
|
|
|
|
A CYBORG is different. YOU select the ship for the enemy, but the
|
|
computer flies it. Real strange.
|
|
|
|
A PSYTRON is even more different. The computer selects the ship or
|
|
strategy, and you carry it out.
|
|
|
|
PRACTICE: This feature allows you to match any ship against any ship.
|
|
You can then fly around and get accustomed to the vessel in question.
|
|
After you get pretty good at flying a Dreadnaught around or something,
|
|
go on to the feature listed below.
|
|
|
|
MELEE: This feature is just war. Depending on the enemy you picked
|
|
(Cyborg, Psytron, Player 2, etc.) you will begin to fight. Usually, if
|
|
you are fighting against the computer, it will select first. In a little
|
|
box are icons representing your ship. You move the flashing box over
|
|
one, unless it has been destroyed and it will have a large red "X" over
|
|
it, and wait. The enemy will select his, unless he has already done so
|
|
at this point. Then on it is just like the practice feature. The two
|
|
ships selected will slug it out, and the winner will go on to fight the
|
|
next ship chosen by the enemy. Whomever is left with ships at the end of
|
|
MELEE is the winner.
|
|
|
|
Note: In selecting a ship to fight with, there is an icon of a question
|
|
mark. This randomly selects a ship to fight with. When the computer
|
|
plays against you, especially in the higher settings, it will select
|
|
this icon. You must choose the ship you feel most comfortable flying,
|
|
and hope for the best.
|
|
|
|
FULL GAME: This is the feature that the game is really built for, but it
|
|
isn't one I play a whole lot. This is where the strategy in the game
|
|
comes into play.
|
|
|
|
It will prepare the fleets for battle, and give you a screen full of
|
|
about nine different scenarios that you may choose. After picking one
|
|
that you like, you will then be moved into the galaxy.
|
|
|
|
The galaxy is randomly drawn, consisting of previously dictated planets.
|
|
After it arranges them, and sets the spin, you or the computer will be
|
|
able to start.
|
|
|
|
You will have a menu to pick of any of your existing ships. Once you
|
|
pick, you will then have the option to MOVE (Moving corresponds between
|
|
worlds. If they are moving at the same rate and are close, you can
|
|
probably move there. If they aren't, don't bet on it.), COLONIZE (You
|
|
may do this only if your ship selected is orbiting a life world), MINE (
|
|
Creates a mine which gives money to your starbase, which in turn pumps
|
|
out more starships to your cause), RECRUIT ( If you've had a colony for
|
|
a while, this option will become availiable. You can then fill ALL your
|
|
crew to full after a big battle. You must orbit the planet to do it,
|
|
however) , SCUTTLE (You can just ditch your ship. Stupid command), PASS
|
|
(This allows you to forfeit all your turns and wait for the next
|
|
happening).
|
|
|
|
When you want to prevent or delay and enemy from getting a planet or
|
|
getting by it, select the FORTIFY option. It will then erect a barrier
|
|
which the enemy must break through to get the planet or move to an
|
|
adjoining planet.
|
|
|
|
If you move into an enemy fortified area, you may elect to BESIEGE
|
|
(Break through the stupid thing). Bear in mind that the bigger ships
|
|
like the UR-QUAN and the CHENJESU make EXCELLENT barriers while smaller
|
|
ships like the SHOFIXTI don't make really great barriers. If you come
|
|
into an UR-QUAN fortified planet and try to besiege it with a SHOFIXTI,
|
|
you're gonna be there a while. If you come in with an UR-QUAN to a
|
|
SHOFIXTI fortified planet, you'll be there a turn or two.
|
|
|
|
If you have enough money, which you do get more of depending on how many
|
|
mines you have in operation, you may select the STARBASE and elect to
|
|
BUILD. This brings up a submenu which you can select a ship to build.
|
|
The ones you can build are usually in white. The ship will then appear
|
|
in the sector around the STARBASE. You can also MOVE the starbase
|
|
around, although it's not advisable. Always heavily fortify the
|
|
STARBASE'S planet, because if the starbase is alone and one little
|
|
shofixti comes in, BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!
|
|
|
|
Another way of fortifying a sector, or piggyback fortification is
|
|
putting an UR-QUAN or something in a sector. When you do that, an
|
|
incoming ship has to then destroy the UR-QUAN AND the fortification,
|
|
proving it quite difficult. For even heavier fortifying, keep two or
|
|
more ships in that sector.
|
|
|
|
Most of the time, the object is simple. Destroy the enemy starbase. Of
|
|
course, it might be just to destroy all of the enemy ships. The game
|
|
description will usually tell you what you have to do.
|
|
|
|
Bear in mind that building a colony, fortification, or mine takes
|
|
several turns. The ship selected will have that function highlighted in
|
|
red until it happens. It will show a little screen with the mine and
|
|
tell you that it is operational.
|
|
|
|
Be sure that when you begin a FULL GAME that you are fluent with the
|
|
ships and you can kick a sizable amount of rear because you will be
|
|
doing a good bit of battle.
|
|
|
|
Well, campers, that's about it. I hope that I covered everything under
|
|
FULL GAME. Oops, I didn't. One more thing, you will discover things that
|
|
will make your ship work better. But I won't tell you what they are or
|
|
what they do. That's for you to figure out. If I didn't cover something
|
|
else, tough beans. You'll have to live with it. This is a game review,
|
|
not a game manual.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Review: Icon Manager 1.0
|
|
Impact Software
|
|
12140 Central Ave.
|
|
Suite 133
|
|
Chino, CA 91710
|
|
Shareware, $19.95
|
|
Windows 3.0 required
|
|
by Eric Hunt
|
|
|
|
With the release of Windows 3.0 by Microsoft, many of the elements
|
|
that were considered "standard" items in a GUI were finally written into
|
|
the program. One of those elements was the ability to completely
|
|
customize an icon for any application using a standard icon file format.
|
|
Now, almost a year later, there are literally thousands of icons
|
|
available for almost any application, be it a Win-app or a DOS-app. If
|
|
you don't like the icon provided by your favorite Windows application,
|
|
chances are that you can find a better one to replace it. Also, you can
|
|
design your own icon with any number of excellent shareware icon editors
|
|
available. Icon Manager 1.0 is the program that ties all this together.
|
|
Designed around Windows' MDI (Multiple Document Interface), entire
|
|
libraries of icons can be collected and stored in a variety of formats,
|
|
including single icon (*.ICO), icon libraries (*.ICL), or icon archive
|
|
(*.ICA). Icon manager also can clip and save portions of the screen in
|
|
any of the formats above.
|
|
|
|
Icon Manager is a direct descendant of PBIcon, the excellent icon
|
|
capture program that could clip and save any 32x32 portion of the screen
|
|
as an individual icon. This has been carried over into the new version,
|
|
but the central theme of the program now is the organization of icons.
|
|
Different "pages" of icons can be open simultaneously (up to a maximum
|
|
of 50) and icons moved or copied freely among them. A convenient button
|
|
bar along the side provides easy access to the various modes: Move,
|
|
Copy, Show Bitmap Tool, and Trashcan (deleting icons). Icon Manager
|
|
provides four formats for reading icons and three for output. Icons can
|
|
be read into a page from traditional *.ICO files, from *.ICL (Icon
|
|
Library, a collection of icons in one file that Program Manager can
|
|
use), from *.ICA (Icon Archive, special compressed files that save from
|
|
20% to 30% disk space over the other methods of storing icons), and
|
|
finally from *.EXEs containing icons (all Windows 2.x and 3.0
|
|
executables). Once some semblance of organization is reached, Icon
|
|
Manager can save icons in any of the formats specified above except the
|
|
*.EXE.
|
|
|
|
Icon Manager provides very flexible tools for managing icon
|
|
libraries. Icons can be loaded singly or all at once onto a page. The
|
|
button bar along the side of the display area specifies what operation
|
|
is to be performed. When the Copy button is depressed, icons can be
|
|
dragged between pages on the screen and copies are made. Similarly, the
|
|
Move button causes icons to be moved around. Also, when the Move button
|
|
is depressed, dropping an icon into the trash can causes it to be
|
|
disposed of. Finally, there is another button that toggles the
|
|
"visibility" of the icon capture (or bitmap) window. The bitmap window
|
|
can also alter the transparency and inverse screen attributes of an
|
|
icon, a welcome addition to any Windows icon manipulation program. While
|
|
there is no facility for directly modifying the bitmap of an icon, this
|
|
can be accomplished easily with the use of another icon editing program
|
|
(such as IconEdit, or IKE) and the clipboard. Even Paintbrush will work
|
|
nicely. In the future, with Microsoft's OLE (Object Embedding and
|
|
Linking) technology, this integration of Icon Manager and an external
|
|
editor will be even more seamless.
|
|
|
|
Overall, I found Icon Manager to be extremely intuitive and very
|
|
useful. The only major drawback to the program was the inability to
|
|
reinsert an icon back into an .EXE. I do, however, understand that this
|
|
is not actually a limitation of the program, but a limitation of
|
|
Windows. It is apparently not possible to modify a Windows .EXE, as the
|
|
.EXE in question might be executing, and this would corrupt Windows, or
|
|
something similar. The ability to capture any portion of the Windows
|
|
screen as an icon is especially invaluable, as is the ability to change
|
|
the transparent and inverse screen attributes of an icon. The trash can
|
|
is an excellent idea, one that needs to be utilized more in Windows
|
|
programs. One other minor problem, and this is due primarily to my thick
|
|
skull, is the choice of bitmaps for the Move and Copy buttons. I found
|
|
them quite confusing, and had to actually refer to the manual to figure
|
|
out which were which. Whatever happened to simple phrases such as "Move"
|
|
and "Copy?" Documentation is very good -- it comes as a Windows write
|
|
file and is formatted for either LaserJet or Poscript laser printers.
|
|
Excellent examples for integrating Icon Manager with Paintbrush via the
|
|
clipboard are provided. Basic Registration is a very affordable $19.95.
|
|
A disk with the latest version and hundreds of icons is $6.50, and the
|
|
printed manual is $3.50
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Video Electronics: Part 2
|
|
Televisions In The 21st Century
|
|
by John Lane
|
|
|
|
This is the second in a three part article about home video
|
|
electronics. As a representative of one of the largest home consumer
|
|
electronic stores in the nation I feel I could give you, the consumer,
|
|
some valuable information about video electronics to help you in making
|
|
a purchasing decision in this area. Although I am far from being a tech,
|
|
I can answer basic questions that were not covered in this topic. Just
|
|
leave me a message to me on the Crunchy Frog or Matrix main board and I
|
|
will get back with you.
|
|
|
|
Televisions have come a long way in the past few years. They now
|
|
can range in size to 1.5 inches to huge big screen televisions that are
|
|
now 70 inches or more! We will limit the scope of this text, however, to
|
|
sizes within the 10 to 35 inch sets. These are all true viewing tubes
|
|
and anything less is usually LCD (Liquid Crystal Displays) and anything
|
|
larger are rear view projection screens.
|
|
|
|
Some of the better features are of course cable ready and remote
|
|
control. (Yes, they still churn out sets that are not cable ready and
|
|
those you need to look out for.) The tuning devices have advanced now
|
|
to what the industry refers to as a 181 channel cable ready tuner. No
|
|
that doesn't mean that you will get 181 channels and not all TV's has
|
|
this kind of capability. This number refers to the frequency bands that
|
|
the channels fall into. In the Birmingham area, for instance, I am told
|
|
that starting next spring you will get in the neighborhood of 67
|
|
channels or so, depending on your cable companies. You would then need
|
|
a tuner of about 155 channel cable ready tuner to get all of these
|
|
channels. In the areas such as Atlanta, L.A., Washington DC and other
|
|
mega-metropolitan areas they can offer you 125 channels. That's when a
|
|
181 channel cable ready tuner is needed so you won't have to have that
|
|
ugly box on top of your set even though you bought your TV as a cable
|
|
ready set.
|
|
|
|
And not all tuners are made equal. Some of the old veractor tuners
|
|
are still being made too. (those are the ones that you have to manually
|
|
dial in yourself with that little thumb wheel, like those old VCR's.)
|
|
There are now mechanical veractor tuners, digital tuners, frequency
|
|
synthesized tuners and more. The latter two are the added features that
|
|
makes the TV's give you a better picture by not giving you a ghosting
|
|
image, etc.. Those frequencies are then "locked on" if you will.
|
|
|
|
Remote controls differ too. Not all remotes will work on all other
|
|
sets. NO KIDDING! (Working in the retail sector really opens your eyes
|
|
to non technical types.) Beyond just changing your volume or channels
|
|
up or down, some now offer you what is a "learn" function on them. That
|
|
means that if you have a VCR or another TV or even stereo in the same
|
|
house you can effectively program your remote to operate those systems.
|
|
It offers convenience more than anything else, however programming them
|
|
is sometimes more of an inconvenience for some people.
|
|
|
|
Televisions now come in stereo sound although I have yet to see it
|
|
in the smaller 13 inch size. That means they have what is called the
|
|
MTS (Multi-channel Television Sound) Broadcast decoder. This is the
|
|
"chip" that can detect an incoming stereo signal, be it a broadcast or
|
|
cable signal, and tells the TV to change to the MTS decoder to broadcast
|
|
the signal into stereo sound instead of the old mono signal we're used
|
|
to. Those channels in the Birmingham area are your major networks,
|
|
(ABC,NBC,and CBS) FOX at night, and depending on your cable company HBO
|
|
and CINEMAX. MTV, however, DOES NOT come in stereo sound in the
|
|
Birmingham area. They do offer simulcast for this channel on your FM
|
|
receiver, although I am at a loss as to which channel. (I personally
|
|
despise MTV!) Stereo sound usually comes in 20 inch and up sizes. Be
|
|
careful and ask whether or not it has stereo output jacks on the TV.
|
|
That is needed if you want to hook it up to your stereo system to give
|
|
you the bigger stereo sound. That is, in fact, what stereo TV's are all
|
|
about. After you hook up your TV to your stereo system you need to
|
|
adjust your volume on your stereo to about where you want it, and then
|
|
take your remote control of your TV and turn your volume up and down as
|
|
you like. There is usually a switch, manually or on the "on screen"
|
|
displays to turn your internal speakers off. This way you won't get a
|
|
double sound or sound delay. Your sporting events and movies that come
|
|
in those channels sound much better then. A full more richer sound
|
|
should then be experienced. If you hook a VCR up to your TV and played
|
|
it through your stereo system it does not, however, achieve the HiFi
|
|
sound experience. It doesn't achieve the stereo experience, either,
|
|
(Yes there is a difference between HiFi and stereo) while you watch a
|
|
movie. All you did was split your mono signal that came from your VCR
|
|
into your TV and your TV split it into a left-right signal back through
|
|
your stereo. To get this HiFi experience you will have to purchase, by
|
|
hook or by crook, a HiFi VCR. (But that's another story!)
|
|
|
|
Generally speaking, manufacturers have faded from the 19" size and
|
|
have been producing just 20" TV's. The same could be said about 25"
|
|
televisions. Manufacturers have been producing 26" and 27" televisions
|
|
and for some better reasons. If you can imagine a light beam pointing
|
|
in one direction on the inside of a globe the light beam that hits the
|
|
face of that globe would be a small circle. Now while looking at that
|
|
same light beam from the outside which is facing you if the light beam
|
|
moved in any direction it would form an oblong light formation
|
|
especially as it approached the corners of your tube. The beam, or
|
|
rather the color guns, are fixed inside your tube. The light beam that
|
|
passes through the guns are scanning your television to the tune of
|
|
something like 552 times a second. Kind of boggles the mind, huh? Ok
|
|
now if you got all that you can see why a 19 or 25 inch television has
|
|
to bend the corners of it's set.... it's to make up for the distortion
|
|
because the light beam inside is fixed.
|
|
|
|
Better technology, of course, exists out there to give you better
|
|
edge definition and clarity along the edges of your tube. Thus, the
|
|
20", 26", and 27" television. Mitsubishi patented (and will continually
|
|
patent) things like a "dynamic beam forming" process and an
|
|
"anti-blooming" device that enhances the picture quality even better.
|
|
(Personally I am NOT a big fan of Mitsubishi but that point is
|
|
relatively moot in this dialogue. They do make a competitive
|
|
television, however.) Because of some of the later developments in
|
|
television, it wasn't too long until they made tubes the size of the
|
|
smaller front view projection sets of yesteryear. On the market today,
|
|
you can purchase up to and including a 35" television set. Mitsubishi
|
|
is the sole manufacturer of this product, however, they do sell the
|
|
tubes to other manufacturers such as RCA and JVC. Toshiba, Phillips,
|
|
and Sony are the only other players in the tube making process.
|
|
|
|
Sony, on the other hand makes a 42" size television, I believe, but
|
|
it is not available to the consumers. Their television, the Trinitron,
|
|
is a different and somewhat radical design than other manufacturers.
|
|
They have only one color gun inside their tube and thus with that one
|
|
color gun they developed a flat screen tube much earlier than other
|
|
manufacturers. With a flat screen tube they felt the horizontal lines
|
|
of resolution would be tighter even as the lines approached the edge and
|
|
corners of their screen which would give you a better television. They
|
|
must be doing something right because they waited approximately 14 years
|
|
after the television came to the market back in 1938 or so to produce
|
|
theirs in 1954. The Trinitron technology hasn't changed dramatically
|
|
since. Interesting point, I thought.
|
|
|
|
Some of the better bells on whistles now a days include on screen
|
|
displays that can adjust colors with the remote control. It prevents
|
|
you from having to continually walk to the set to adjust colors, etc.
|
|
Sleep timers that turn the television off at a specific time so you can
|
|
enjoy your set on the couch and bedroom and fall asleep. The TV will
|
|
automatically turn off so it won't run all night long. A great idea,
|
|
however, the monologue tone of the set is what put you to sleep in the
|
|
first place is now abruptly turned off and then wakes you up! I have
|
|
even heard of people using this feature to cook with. When the TV turns
|
|
off the roast is done. A channel return feature allows you to retune
|
|
your previous channel with the press of a single button.
|
|
|
|
Not surprisingly, with the advent of stereo sound on TV's you can
|
|
even adjust your sound quality with your remote as well. Separate bass,
|
|
treble, and balance is now available on most stereo models. The
|
|
Mitsubishi can even give you an on screen graphic equalizer right on the
|
|
set. Most sets even offers you a "lock out " feature on their sets so
|
|
you can effectively lock out with a three or four digit code television
|
|
program(s) therefore monitoring your children's viewing. Some adult
|
|
channels on cable warrants this feature, however, don't forget your ID
|
|
code to get back in! An on timer feature lets you turn your set on, not
|
|
as an alarm clock, (I guess it could be used for that) but at a specific
|
|
time so you wouldn't miss a favorite show. So it would turn itself on
|
|
or switch to that channel. Picture in picture (pip) is also available.
|
|
A pretty useless function if you ask me, but it will allow you to watch
|
|
one picture while you see another in the corner. The smaller picture is
|
|
digital and you listen to the big picture on the outside. Great for
|
|
sporting events or if you want to impress your neighbors but that's
|
|
about it.
|
|
|
|
That's about it on televisions. Stay tuned for the next BTN issue
|
|
where big screen and home entertainment systems will be discussed.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
|
|
|
|
BEPCUG CCS
|
|
Birmingham East PC Users Group Commodore Club South
|
|
Jefferson Sate Jr. College Springville Road Library
|
|
Ruby Carson Hall, Rm 114 2nd & 4th Tuesday (C64/C128)
|
|
3rd Friday, 7-9 PM 3rd Monday (Amiga)
|
|
Paula Ballard 251-6058 (after 5PM) 7:30-10 PM
|
|
Maurice Lovelady 684-6843
|
|
|
|
BCCC BIPUG
|
|
Birmingham Commodore Computer Club Birmingham IBM-PC Users Group
|
|
POB 59564 UAB Nutrition Science Blg
|
|
Birmingham, Al 35259 RM 535/541
|
|
UAB School of Education, Rm 153 1st Sunday (delayed one week
|
|
2nd and 4th Sundays, 2 PM if meeting is a holiday)
|
|
Rusty Hargett 854-5172 Marty Schulman 967-5883
|
|
|
|
BACE FAOUG
|
|
Birmingham Atari Computer First Alabama Osborne Users
|
|
Enthusiast Group
|
|
Vestavia Library, downstairs Homewood Library
|
|
2nd Monday, 7 PM 1st Saturday, 1PM
|
|
Benny Brown 822-5059 Ed Purquez 669-5200
|
|
|
|
CADUB
|
|
CAD Users of Birmingham
|
|
Homewood Library
|
|
3rd Tuesday, 6:30PM-8:30PM
|
|
Bobby Benson 791-0426
|
|
|
|
If you belong to or know of a user group that is not listed,
|
|
please let us know by sending E-Mail to Barry Bowden on
|
|
The Matrix BBS.
|
|
|
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area
|
|
|
|
NAME NUMBER BAUD RATES MODEM BBS SOFTWARE
|
|
SUPPORTED TYPE
|
|
|
|
*% Abject Poverty 680-9680 300-2400 ProBBS/ProDoor
|
|
* Alter-Ego BBS 925-0707 300-2400 MNP4 ProBBS/ProDoor
|
|
* American BBS 674-1851 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
Amiga Alliance ][ 631-0262 300-2400 Ami Express
|
|
^ Arkham Asylum 853-7422 300-2400 WWIV 4.12
|
|
*% Bloom County 856-0587 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
-* Bus System 595-1627 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2
|
|
*% Byte Me! 979-BYTE! 2400-9600 USR HST WWIV 4.12
|
|
Camelot BBS 856-0679 300-2400 Telegard 2.5
|
|
-*# Channel 8250 Node 1 744-8546 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
-*# Channel 8250 Node 2 744-5166 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5
|
|
* Crunchy Frog 956-1755 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
DataLynx 322-3425 300-2400 Oracomm5.L.30
|
|
Graphics Zone Node 1 870-5306 300-9600 MNP4 TBBS 2.1(16)
|
|
Graphics Zone Node 2 870-5329 300-9600 MNP4 TBBS 2.1(16)
|
|
Hacker's Corner 674-5449 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
+ I.S.A. BBS 995-6590 300-9600 USR HST TCOMM
|
|
-* Joker's Castle 664-5589 300-2400 PC Board 14.5
|
|
@ K-9 Corner 424-8202 300-2400 Image 1.2
|
|
*& Little Kingdom Node 1 969-0007 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.5
|
|
*& Little Kingdom Node 2 969-0008 300-2400 MNP4 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
LZ Birmingham 870-7770 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
* Magnolia BBS 854-6407 300-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.2
|
|
MICROTECH Comm. 951-5678 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
@ Missing Link 853-1257 300-2400 Image1.2
|
|
^ Myth Drannor 699-5811 1200-2400 MNP4 WWIV 4.11
|
|
Outside It's America 951-2473 300-2400 MNP4 WWIV 4.11
|
|
Owl's Nest 680-0851 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
PC Echange Link 663-2759 300-9600 USR DS QuickBBS 2.04
|
|
Posys BBS 854-5131 1200-2400 RBBSCPC17.3
|
|
+= Programmer's Shack 871-3356 300-9600 USR HST Telegard 2.5i
|
|
* Radio Free Troad 979-6183 300-9600 USR DS PCBoard 14.2
|
|
Safe Harbor 665-4355 300-2400 GTPower 15.00
|
|
Shadetree BBS 787-6723 300-2400 Phoenix 1.36
|
|
+= Source Line 674-0852 1200-2400 Telegard 2.5i
|
|
Sperry BBS 853-6144 300-9600 Hayes PCBoard 14.5
|
|
* ST BBS 836-9311 300-2400 PCBoard 14.2
|
|
The Commodore Zone 856-3783 300-2400 Image1.2
|
|
The Connection Node 1 854-9074 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.1
|
|
The Connection Node 2 854-2308 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.1
|
|
The Connection Node 3 854-0698 1200-2400 PCBoard 14.1
|
|
The Dog House 425-9255 300-1200 Image1.2
|
|
^ The Dragon's Hoard 833-3790 300-2400 WWIV 4.12
|
|
-*!$(The Matrix Nodes 1-4 323-2016 300-2400 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
-*!$(The Matrix Node 5 251-2344 2400-9600 USR HST PCBoard 14.5
|
|
-*!$(The Matrix Node 6 323-0799 2400-9600 UDS V.32 PCBoard 14.5
|
|
+= The Outer Limits 985-1725 1200-9600 USR HST Telegard 2.5i
|
|
The Quiet Zone 833-2066 300-2400 ExpressNET
|
|
+= The Round Table 938-2145 300-2400 WWIV 4.11
|
|
VCM(ee) BBS Node 1 655-4059 300-2400 USR DS Oracomm Plus
|
|
VCM(ee) BBS Node 2 655-4065 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
|
|
Victory Express 425-0821 300-1200 Image 1.2
|
|
Willie's DYM Node 1 979-1629 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
|
Willie's DYM Node 2 979-7739 300-2400 Oracomm Plus
|
|
Willie's DYM Node 3 979-7743 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
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Willie's DYM Node 4 979-8156 300-1200 Oracomm Plus
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Ziggy Unaxess 991-5696 300-1200 Unaxess
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The many symbols you see prior to the names of many of the bbs' in the
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list signify that they are members of one or more networks that exchange
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|
or echo mail to each other in some organized fashion.
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* = EzNet, a local IBM compatible network
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@ = Image network, a national Commodore network
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= = Telegard network, a local IBM compatible network
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+ = FidoNet, an international IBM compatible network
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- = Metrolink, an international IBM compatible network
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^ = WWIV-Net, an international IBM compatible network
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& = Intellec, an international IBM compatible network
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# = Uni'Net, an international IBM compatible network
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% = ThrobNet, an international IBM compatible network
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|
! = RastaNet, an international IBM compatible network
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|
$ = ILink, an international IBM compatible network
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|
( = TheoNet, a national IBM compatible network
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If you have any corrections, additions, deletions, etc., please let us
|
|
know via EzNet.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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EzNet Echo List
|
|
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This is a list of the current echoes that we are aware of. More are
|
|
in the making and will be posted in future issues. If you are a sysop
|
|
and are running an echo not listed for your board, please make us aware
|
|
of it so we may correct it next issue.
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|
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|
E P I A S B A W G
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|
Z r B d c T s e M
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N o M u i N t b C
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|
e g l t W r e
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|
t r t e A o s
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a c n y
|
|
m h u s
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Abject Poverty X X X X X
|
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Alter-Ego X X X
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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|
American BBS Not hooked into new central yet. MM
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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|
Bloom County X X X
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Bus System X X X X X
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Byte Me! X X X X X
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Channel 8250 X X X X X X X X
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Crunchy Frog X X X X X
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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|
Joker's Castle X X X X X
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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|
Little Kingdom X X X X X
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|
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Magnolia BBS X
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Radio Free Troad X X X X
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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ST BBS X X X
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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The Matrix X X X X X X X
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