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1452 lines
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______ __ __ __ ______
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/ __ / / \ \ \ \ \ / _\/_ \
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/ /_/ /andom / /\ \ccess \ \_\ \umor | |____| |
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/ _ _/ / ____ \ \ __ \ \__ \____/
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/ / \ \ / / \ \ \ \ \ \ |_\____|
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/_/ \_\ /_/ \_\ \_\ \_\ |____|
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--------------------------------------------------
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The Electronic Humor Magazine
|
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--------------------------------------------------
|
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Version 1 Release 6 September 1994
|
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|
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Editor: Dave Bealer
|
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|
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Copyright 1994 Dave Bealer, All Rights Reserved
|
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|
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Printed on 100% recycled electrons
|
||
|
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Filmed before a virtual studio audience
|
||
|
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Random Access Humor is an irregular production of:
|
||
|
||
VaporWare Communications
|
||
32768 Infinite Loop
|
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Sillycon Valley, CA. 80486-DX2
|
||
USA, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way
|
||
|
||
|
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WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
|
||
The "look and feel" of Random Access Humor has been specifically
|
||
earmarked, spindled and polygraphed. Anyone who attempts to copy
|
||
this look and feel without express written consent of the publisher
|
||
will be fed to rabid radioactive hamsters by our Security Director,
|
||
Vinnie "The Knife" Calamari.
|
||
|
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|
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TABLE OF INCONTINENCE:
|
||
About Vaporware Communications.....................................01
|
||
Editorial - Hollywood Is Doomed....................................01
|
||
Lettuce to the Editor..............................................02
|
||
The Second Year Isn't Any Easier...................................03
|
||
How I Spent My Summer Vacation.....................................05
|
||
The Incredible Shrinking Department................................11
|
||
1994 RAH Reader Survey - Final Results.............................13
|
||
The Twit Filter: News Releasers....................................14
|
||
RAH Humor Review: Toggle Booleans..................................15
|
||
RAH Humor Review: Last Action Hero.................................17
|
||
Announcements......................................................18
|
||
Bumper Stickers Seen on the Information Superhighway...............18
|
||
Masthead - Submission Information.................................A-1
|
||
RAH Distribution System...........................................A-3
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 1 September 1994
|
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|
||
About Vaporware Communications
|
||
|
||
VaporWare Communications is an operating division of VaporWare
|
||
Corporation, a public corporation. Stock Ticker Symbol: SUKR
|
||
VaporWare Corporate Officers:
|
||
|
||
Luther Lecks
|
||
President, Chief Egomaniac Officer
|
||
|
||
Dorian Debacle, M.B.A. Gabriel Escargot
|
||
V.P., Operations V.P., Customer Service
|
||
|
||
Pav Bhaji, M.Tax.(Avoidance) Carlos Goebbels
|
||
V.P., Finance V.P., Political Correctness
|
||
|
||
Kung Pao Har Hoo, M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc. F.A.C.S, C.P.A., S.P.C.A.,
|
||
Y.M.C.A., L.E.D., Q.E.D., op. cit., et al.
|
||
V.P., Research & Development
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
NOTICE to sysops in Oklahoma and similar bastions of progressive
|
||
thinking: This issue of RAH mentions body parts (such as hands and
|
||
feet) that may stir the prurient interests of the Thought Police in
|
||
your area (or any other area that can reach your area by telephone).
|
||
You bear full responsibility for any reaction the presence of this
|
||
material on your system may evoke from the Forces Of Goodness And
|
||
Right (Reformed). Have a nice day.
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
Mental Nutrition Facts
|
||
Serving Size 1 issue Servings Per Container 1
|
||
=====================================================================
|
||
Amount per serving
|
||
Ideas: 23 Ideas from fatheads: 5
|
||
=====================================================================
|
||
% daily value
|
||
Total fatheads: 2 15
|
||
Saturated fatheads: 1 24
|
||
Castor Oil: 0 0
|
||
Silliness: 11 110
|
||
Total Comic content: 51
|
||
Actual jokes: 37 73
|
||
Puns: 14 1145
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
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Editorial - Hollywood Is Doomed
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||
by Dave Bealer
|
||
|
||
The movie rights to the shareware sensation _Doom_ have been
|
||
purchased by Ivan Reitman's production company. Charming. What's
|
||
next, _QEdit, The Motion Picture_? How about _Telix 2: Lack of
|
||
Judgement Day_? _The Mighty Desqviews_? The possibilities boggle
|
||
the mind. I'm calling my agent tomorrow to see if he can arrange a
|
||
cameo for me in _The Norton Utilities Take Manhattan_.
|
||
- - - -
|
||
Welcome to the Second Anniversary issue of Random Access Humor. We
|
||
had planned lots of special stuff for this issue. Unfortunately we
|
||
all goofed off for the entire summer, so you'll have to settle for
|
||
the usual low quality junk we sling at you month after month. {RAH}
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 2 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Lettuce to the Editor
|
||
|
||
Area: Internet Mail
|
||
Date: 06-23-94 22:03 (Private)
|
||
From: PETER.BASKWELL@DYNAMITE.COM
|
||
To: LETTUCE
|
||
Subject: John lennon
|
||
|
||
You sound alot like he did:)Big smile
|
||
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
Peter,
|
||
Yeah, but I can't hold the high notes like he did (unless I wear my
|
||
shorts too tight).
|
||
DB
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
Area: Fidonet Matr
|
||
Date: 06-09-94 07:54 (Private)
|
||
From: Giuliano Maciocci Jr
|
||
To: lettuce
|
||
Subject: The Clog has Gone
|
||
|
||
Hi There, Oh Glorious Dave, Holder of the Sacred Pen, Heir
|
||
of the Scroll of Demential Humour and Victorious Knight in
|
||
the Battle Against Bore!!
|
||
|
||
I just received the June issue of RAH, and was pretty glad
|
||
to notice that it has done nothing but improve. I missed
|
||
the previous issues thanks to a "E-Clog" which made us people
|
||
stranded in Zimbabwe "disappear" from the face of the
|
||
electronic world.
|
||
|
||
Anyway, I wanted to wish you success in whatever project
|
||
you may be involved in until September, and please watch
|
||
out for aliens. Too many people depend on you for their
|
||
sanity for you to just be abducted by some intergalactical
|
||
weirdo.
|
||
|
||
TTYL............Raver
|
||
|
||
[[[[ Giuliano Maciocci Jr -*- Maciocci2@Mango.apc.org ]]]]
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
Raver,
|
||
Unfortunately while I was away the Sacred Pen started leaking
|
||
onto the Scroll of Demential Humor. I don't remember how the
|
||
Battle Against Bore turned out...must have fallen asleep in the
|
||
middle of it.
|
||
|
||
I'm glad you're connected again. I saw a few weirdos in
|
||
Florida, but none of them appeared "intergalactical." Most of
|
||
them looked retired, or at least tired.
|
||
DB
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 3 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Area Rahuser, Aug-28-94 07:39PM
|
||
From: Dave Bealer
|
||
To: Kelly Price
|
||
Subject: OH NO!
|
||
|
||
KP> Yes, I must report that STriker Labs has learned of the
|
||
KP> existance of the WWIVnet Oracle. STriker Labs is
|
||
KP> investigating this to see if it's as funny as the
|
||
KP> Usenet Oracle.
|
||
|
||
Oddly enough I don't read the USENET Oracle anymore. There
|
||
was a time where there was at least one or two really funny
|
||
question/response pairings in each group of ten. Then it went
|
||
down to one or two good ones in three or four groups. Eventually
|
||
there was too much noise and too little signal, so I gave up.
|
||
|
||
I don't know exactly what caused the downslide in quality, but
|
||
I have a theory. The USENET Oracle may have become a victim of
|
||
its own success. Thousands of people are flooding onto the
|
||
Internet every day. "How to Connect to the Internet" and "What's
|
||
Hot on the Internet" are among the most popular types of computer
|
||
book titles these days. Nearly every one of these publications
|
||
mentions the USENET Oracle. Many of these newcomers send questions
|
||
or attempt to answer questions. Few of these people are genuinely
|
||
funny. The result is a general dilution of the humor level and
|
||
quality of the Oracle posts. Or maybe all the really funny people
|
||
who fueled the Oracle joke machine for the past few years graduated.
|
||
|
||
//Dave\\
|
||
- - - - - - - - - - - -
|
||
We want to hear from our readers! Get the same kind of respectful
|
||
answers to YOUR questions. Send your e-mail to:
|
||
Internet> lettuce@rah.clark.net
|
||
FidoNet> Lettuce at 1:261/1129
|
||
You can also ask your questions in one (or both) of our two new RAH
|
||
reader conferences. Internet users can subscribe to our RAHUSER
|
||
mailing list (send e-mail to: rahinfo@rah.clark.net for instructions)
|
||
and FidoNet users can ask their sysops to obtain the new RAHUSER echo
|
||
from the RAH Publication BBS (1:261/1129).
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Second Year Isn't Any Easier
|
||
by Greg Borek
|
||
|
||
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, students of all ages. Take your
|
||
seats please and for God's sake exercise some decorum out there!
|
||
That's better. Now, welcome to the first day of classes here at
|
||
Venerable Old University. As you know my name is...oh, er,
|
||
Flugelbottom, that's it, Dr. Horatio Flugelbottom. You may have
|
||
inferred by these gray locks that I've been teaching here for a
|
||
while. It's not terribly scientific for you to make wild assumptions
|
||
like that, but in this case your hypothesis would have been proven
|
||
correct. And, I'm proud to say, I've been teaching here since before
|
||
your parents were born.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 4 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Now, let's get down to business. During this hour I will be
|
||
lecturing on..., oh what was it? Wait, I have it written down here
|
||
somewhere. Was it in this pocket? No, that's lunch. Oh, here it
|
||
is, let's see if I can make this out..."Inspected by Number 12."
|
||
"Inspected by Number 12?" What kind of fool name is that for a
|
||
class? Wait, that must not be it..., let's see, ah, here it is in my
|
||
other pocket: Intermittent Protracting Concerts. What? That can't
|
||
be correct. Let's see..., oh yes, it must be Intermediate
|
||
Programming Contempts. Contempts? No, no, no, concepts.
|
||
Intermediate Programming Concepts! A bit of work but we got there in
|
||
the end, didn't we?
|
||
|
||
Hello, people, wake up out there! I shall now be forced to take
|
||
attendance. Now where did I put that attendance list? Was it in
|
||
this pocket? No, that's lunch. Hold on. Here it is. Now, where
|
||
did I put my glasses? Has anyone seen my glasses? Come now, I had
|
||
them just a minute ago. Where could they have possibly...oh, here
|
||
they are sitting on my nose, pretty as you please. Someone could
|
||
have pointed that out, you know. Now let's see, where did I put that
|
||
list. What's this? OK, here we are. Is there a Mr. Insertion here?
|
||
No? Well, that's one mark off for him. How about a Mr. Shell? I'm
|
||
waiting. No? Well, we're not doing too well today. First day
|
||
jitters, I suppose. Mr. Bubble? What an odd name. No? Mr. Heap?
|
||
Mr. Radix? Mr. Quick? Could be an epidemic of something. Odd to
|
||
have so many people out of sorts.
|
||
|
||
We'll just have to struggle along with the brilliant young scholars
|
||
that did manage to turn up. Today's lecture will be a comparison of
|
||
various sorting algorithms. The topic is a particular favorite of
|
||
mine. Wait, now, let me find my list. Was it in this pocket? No,
|
||
that's lunch. What's over here? OK, got it. Ready? Some of the
|
||
various sorting routines we'll be discussing today are: a dozen eggs,
|
||
a quart of milk, a pound of sugar, pickles... Pickles? I don't seem
|
||
to be able to recall a pickle sort. I remember being in quite a
|
||
pickle once. It was back in the fall of '47. The entire math
|
||
department, well, the whole school if you really want to get down to
|
||
it... OK, well maybe not the English department but definitely the
|
||
whatchamacallit department needed at least six whosits to go with
|
||
their five thingamajigs. What a hoot! No one ever suspected! How
|
||
we did laugh! What fun...
|
||
|
||
How did I ever manage to get off on that tangent? Stop distracting
|
||
me. What was I lecturing about? Oh, yes, Operations research,
|
||
that's right. Now, given a set of linear constraint equations and an
|
||
objective function containing variables that will be maximized
|
||
subject to those constraint equations, we can use the simplex method
|
||
to reduce... Did I leave the lights on in the garage this morning
|
||
when I left? I'm not sure now. I also noticed that the door needed
|
||
to be painted again. It seems like I just painted that pesky door
|
||
the other day. Let's see, when was that? It definitely was during
|
||
the early part of the Eisenhower administration, I remember that
|
||
distinctly because...
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 5 September 1994
|
||
|
||
People, people, wake up out there! Please try and bend your mighty
|
||
intellects to the problem at hand. Now if we could please continue.
|
||
Returning to our implementation of balanced binary trees...
|
||
[Tuition went up again this year. - ed.] {RAH}
|
||
--------------
|
||
Greg Borek is a C programmer with a "Highway Helper" (OK, "Beltway
|
||
Bandit" - but don't tell his boss we told you) in Falls Church, VA.
|
||
He has previously been mistaken for a vampire. Netmail to: Greg
|
||
Borek at 1:261/1129. Internet: greg.borek@rah.clark.net
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
|
||
by Dave Bealer
|
||
|
||
Reeling after two years of continuous writing and electronic
|
||
publishing, I intended to spend my two months off working on the
|
||
first draft of my first novel. Clever, huh? Although I have a few
|
||
more pages of notes and some photos for background material, the
|
||
summer was basically a washout on that score.
|
||
|
||
The first mistake I made was the decision to lapse back into couch
|
||
potato mode, just "for a week or two" to rest up from two years of
|
||
constant deadlines. The next thing I knew Wimbledon was over, and so
|
||
was half of my vacation. Note that this was only a vacation from
|
||
RAH. My boss still expected me to show up for work five nights a
|
||
week.
|
||
|
||
The second mistake I made was to refinance my house. This sounds
|
||
innocent enough, but everyone who has actually gone through this
|
||
process is grinding their teeth right now (without benefit of a
|
||
dentist or an anesthetic). The whole refinancing process was
|
||
designed by lawyers and accountants, with the help of politicians.
|
||
This means that no sane human being could ever possibly understand
|
||
it. Unfortunately I couldn't manage it either.
|
||
|
||
My third mistake was deciding to upgrade my BBS software and hardware
|
||
this year. I spent a ludicrous amount of time poring over incompre-
|
||
hesible feature lists. The basic decision on whether to go with a
|
||
multinode or multiline software platform can turn a grown human being
|
||
into a gibbering heap of twitching flesh. Or is that alcoholism?
|
||
The two conditions are nearly indistinguishable from one another.
|
||
|
||
These kinds of essays always have to feature the "trip to some
|
||
strange and different place" since that is the only interesting thing
|
||
that happens to most people during a summer off from school, work, or
|
||
whatever. My summer was no different. The trip in question was a
|
||
driving tour of Georgia and Florida. The two major destinations were
|
||
Atlanta, where I attended the Third ONE BBSCON, and Jacksonville,
|
||
Florida, where I did some research for the erstwhile novel. Armed
|
||
with a reconditioned notebook computer, I kept a trip log during this
|
||
excursion.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 6 September 1994
|
||
|
||
>> 1994 ONE BBSCON Trip Log <<
|
||
(a.k.a. Touring The South On Three Tornadoes A Day)
|
||
|
||
Tuesday, August 16, 1994
|
||
|
||
- left Pasadena, Maryland at approx 1300
|
||
|
||
- ran into rain North of Washington, DC.
|
||
|
||
- rain off and on all the way down the green, roofless tunnel of
|
||
I-85 through southern Virginia and North Carolina. Rain is
|
||
extremely heavy at times.
|
||
|
||
(A thought while I'm driving: so now several thousand sysops, who
|
||
usually sit around alone typing at each other, are all converging
|
||
(mostly one by one) on Atlanta to bond with one another. A scary
|
||
thought if ever there was one.)
|
||
|
||
- 2115 check into motel off I-85 in Charlotte, NC.
|
||
|
||
- find out from Weather Channel that I have been driving through
|
||
the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl all day. Rain continues to
|
||
pour during the two hours I spent watching _Last Action Hero_ on
|
||
HBO.
|
||
|
||
- As I type this, the Weather Channel is listing streets in
|
||
Charlotte that are already flooded. Tornado watch, flash flood
|
||
warning. The Emergency Broadcast System has been activated in
|
||
Charlotte. This is exciting. I begin to regret my decision to
|
||
stay in a single story motel.
|
||
|
||
- All in all, a charming day. This is the second time in five
|
||
years that a tropical storm has rained on my vacation. I'd
|
||
like to vacation in Europe someday, just to see what a tropical
|
||
storm looks like there.
|
||
|
||
Wednesday, August 17, 1994
|
||
|
||
- TS Beryl finally showed its heels to Charlotte, and a strange,
|
||
bright orb lit up the sky when I emerged from my room. The
|
||
storm anchors held, so my car hadn't floated away overnight.
|
||
|
||
- After popping out for a fast food breakfast (first time I ever saw
|
||
a croissant made from cornmeal) I puttered around the room for a
|
||
while trying to learn how to read a map.
|
||
|
||
- Refueled Dave and the car in Greenville, SC. Lunched at an
|
||
Olive Garden Restaurant. While not on a par with the best
|
||
Italian restaurants in most places, the Olive Garden chain
|
||
provides a refreshing change from the usual burger/waffle
|
||
fare available when travelling the southern interstate highways.
|
||
(It seems like there's a Waffle House and one or more well
|
||
known burger joints at every exit on I-85.) Even if you're
|
||
not into pasta, the Olive Garden's breadsticks and salad are
|
||
delightful.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 7 September 1994
|
||
|
||
- Discovered that the rolling hills of South Carolina are a
|
||
lousy place to use cruise control. The big trucks charge
|
||
past you on the downgrade, change to your lane on the flats,
|
||
then slow down (involuntarily, of course) on the upslope,
|
||
allowing the cruise control to attempt to merge your car with
|
||
the rear end of a forty foot trailer. This gets old real fast.
|
||
|
||
- Arrived in Atlanta just after 1500. The Inforum, where the vendor
|
||
expo and most of the seminars will be held, is three blocks from
|
||
the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, the official hotel. There are
|
||
several hotels closer to the conference site. What were the
|
||
organizers thinking? Worse yet, the "skywalk" that is supposed
|
||
to allow conventioneers to move about above streetlevel is
|
||
missing a segment. Some of us had to fall off the end into the
|
||
street several times before realizing this.
|
||
|
||
- Attended the Welcome Reception that evening in the Inforum atrium.
|
||
Quickly realized I didn't know anyone there and left. Resting up
|
||
for the days to come turned out to be a real good idea.
|
||
|
||
Thursday, August 18, 1994
|
||
|
||
- ONE BBSCON Opening Session in the main ballroom of the Marriott.
|
||
I arrived just before the 0900 start time, so I ended up seated
|
||
near the back. The speakers looked like puppets off in the
|
||
distance. Fortunately the speakers were projected on huge
|
||
display screens placed around the room (which were showing some
|
||
kind of weird Transformers videos before the show).
|
||
|
||
- First discovery of the show: I had been mispronouncing Jack
|
||
Rickard's name all these years. I had been pronouncing it like
|
||
Captain Picard's last name, only with a "R". It turns out the
|
||
accent is on the first syllable.
|
||
|
||
- Stan Hirschman, a V.P. with Software, Etc. still uses a 1200 baud
|
||
modem. You'd think the man would qualify for some sort of
|
||
employee discount.
|
||
|
||
- Scott Brinker, the boy genius of Galacticomm, spoke next. He was
|
||
very excited and talks with his hands (we're not talking ASL
|
||
here, either). You can tell he's a genius because he used the
|
||
word "paradigm" in his speech.
|
||
|
||
- Lance Rose was the next speaker. An attorney, Lance spoke at
|
||
length while saying relatively little. He's probably bucking for
|
||
politician.
|
||
|
||
- Colonel Dave Hughes: a genuine American character. That pretty
|
||
much says it all about this man, except that he still believes in
|
||
NAPLPS.
|
||
|
||
- Phil Becker, the president of eSoft, stole the program with a
|
||
laser light show. He has a book in print were he stated
|
||
categorically that 19200 bps was the maximum modem speed possible
|
||
on a regular phone line. I bet he'll never say "never" again.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 8 September 1994
|
||
|
||
- Dennis Hayes was the keynote speaker this year. He took a quick
|
||
poll of the attendees (around 3600 people) and found that almost
|
||
everyone was running at least 14.4 modems. About 25% already had
|
||
28.8 modems on their boards. Dennis predicted that combined
|
||
voice/data is the big future technology for online services.
|
||
Great, just great...we'll be able to *hear* the whining of the
|
||
twits. He correctly identified the major limitation for the
|
||
online future as the lack of ISDN. Has anyone figured out why
|
||
most of the Baby Bells are fighting widespread ISDN implementa-
|
||
tion tooth and nail?
|
||
|
||
- Lunch presented the first opportunity to actually meet some
|
||
people. Talked with a couple of sysops from Hawaii. If you
|
||
think you have trouble getting a low cost Internet feed, try
|
||
getting one in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
|
||
|
||
- Thursday afternoon brought several Electronic Publishing related
|
||
seminars. Suffice it to say there are some very exciting things
|
||
in store for electronic publications in general, and just maybe
|
||
for RAH in particular.
|
||
|
||
- I crashed early Thursday night and slept for about 10 hours. It
|
||
might have been more convenient if I'd made it back to my room
|
||
before crashing.
|
||
|
||
Friday, August 19, 1994
|
||
|
||
My second morning in the hotel I finally noticed that in hotel
|
||
bathroom, the hair dryer has a tag on it reading:
|
||
|
||
DO NOT REMOVE THIS TAG!
|
||
WARN CHILDREN OF THE RISK OF DEATH BY ELECTRIC SHOCK!
|
||
|
||
This message appealed to my repressed evangelistic tendencies.
|
||
There being no children available in my room, I rushed to the
|
||
lobby to carry out my programming. "You run the risk of death by
|
||
electric shock!" I screamed at the first child to cross my path.
|
||
Unfortunately I had not dressed for the day's activities before
|
||
reading the hair dryer tag. The hotel security people were
|
||
reasonably polite, given the circumstances.
|
||
|
||
Perhaps I should point out how forgetful I am. At one point during
|
||
this ONE BBSCON I purchased a $600 software package (Wildcat! V4 BBS
|
||
Suite) from a vendor booth. I then walked the whole 100 feet
|
||
straight down an aisle to the exit, heading for my next seminar. The
|
||
watchful security people asked to see my receipt. Darned if could
|
||
find it on me anywhere. Eventually I walked back to the vendor
|
||
booth, only to find that they had placed it in a drawer to wait for
|
||
my inevitable return. I had left the receipt sitting on a counter at
|
||
the booth.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 9 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Friday night several major vendors sponsored "Hostility Suites" on
|
||
the tenth floor of the Marriott Marquis. Alright, officially they
|
||
were called "Hospitality Suites," but the presence of cash bars
|
||
rather that open bars showed a certain amount of hostility, or at
|
||
least stinginess.
|
||
|
||
Saturday, August 20, 1994
|
||
|
||
Spend, spend, spend. My credit card was smoking by the end of the
|
||
vendor expo. A classic example of spending *way* too much money
|
||
because of all the money I was "saving" on show specials. It's a
|
||
good thing I'm not married, because I would've been divorced
|
||
immediately after this trip anyway.
|
||
|
||
I discovered that the atrium of the Marriott Marquis appears, from
|
||
the Garden Level looking straight up (not recommended for those who
|
||
suffer from vertigo), like the guts of V-ger, the alien machine in
|
||
_Star Trek: The Motionless Picture_.
|
||
|
||
The battery died on my notebook computer. It was two weeks old.
|
||
|
||
Dvorak/Hayes Awards Dinner:
|
||
|
||
About 1000 people sitting around eating overpriced food, which was
|
||
surprisingly good. It struck me that these people really *are* the
|
||
pioneers of a new industry. You can tell it's a young industry,
|
||
since we spent a good bit of the last hour throwing green nerf balls
|
||
with the word "Wonk" emblazoned on them around the room. Our table
|
||
specialized in trying to nail Nick Anis and Ward Christiansen, who
|
||
were going around throwing prizes at people. Since some of these
|
||
prizes were complete packages of Paradox for Windows (which weight
|
||
about 48 pounds each), it's lucky more people weren't injured.
|
||
|
||
Overall Impressions:
|
||
|
||
A wonderful, raucous, tiring experience. But one I wouldn't have
|
||
missed for anything. I didn't attend last year's convention in
|
||
Colorado Springs because I couldn't afford it. While it's debatable,
|
||
from a purely financial standpoint, whether I could afford it this
|
||
year, the simple truth is that nobody seriously involved in the
|
||
online industry can afford to miss this show. I plan to be there in
|
||
Tampa next year.
|
||
|
||
>> Vacation Mode <<
|
||
|
||
Sunday, August 21, 1994
|
||
|
||
All that said, I was so tired of seminars and gala banquets that I
|
||
blew off the final half-day and left Atlanta. Making use of my
|
||
exceptional navigation skills, my first day of return driving took
|
||
me to Jacksonville Beach, FL. Making the best of a weird situation,
|
||
I checked into the Days Inn Oceanfront Resort on the beach. At least
|
||
I had the waterfront part right.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 10 September 1994
|
||
|
||
On the way through southern Georgia and Florida I crossed an amazing
|
||
number of rivers with "oochee" in the name. Obviously some ancestor
|
||
of Charo was the first to explore this region.
|
||
|
||
Took a moonlight walk in the surf. This was the first time in nearly
|
||
five years that my feet had touched the Atlantic Ocean, or any other
|
||
water. The Atlantic whimpered.
|
||
|
||
Monday, August 22, 1994
|
||
|
||
Found out this morning why the beaches here look nearly deserted.
|
||
It's the first day of the school year for public school kids in
|
||
Florida. A rainy day in Florida to boot. Yuck (suffering from
|
||
sympathetic flashbacks)!
|
||
|
||
Ate lunch at a little place in Jacksonville Beach called the Hungry
|
||
Iguana (319 S. 23rd Ave. corner of 3rd St. (A1A)). These folks
|
||
serve a strange version of California/Mexican food. Strange but
|
||
excellent. I had the Grilled Shrimp Chimichanga: a fried burrito
|
||
stuffed with diced shrimp, black beans, cheese and served with
|
||
guacamole and sour cream. An $11 lunch (including a couple of
|
||
beers), but worth every penny. Definitely the best Cal/Mex meal I've
|
||
ever had (and I've actually had some in California).
|
||
|
||
The rest of the day was spent roaming around the Jacksonville area
|
||
doing background research for a novel I may or may not ever get
|
||
around to writing.
|
||
|
||
Tuesday, August 23, 1994
|
||
|
||
Looked around Jacksonville some more. Ventured down the coast to St.
|
||
Augustine in the afternoon. Wandered around the "Spanish shoppes"
|
||
area downtown. Ate lunch at a pub that was more English than
|
||
Spanish, then bought a couple of t-shirts and some postcards. St.
|
||
Augustine must draw more tourists than the Jacksonville Beaches. The
|
||
historic district was pretty well packed with rugrats and their
|
||
parental units.
|
||
|
||
Wednesday, August 24, 1994
|
||
|
||
Left Jacksonville Beach, FL. at 1015. Arrived in Pasadena, MD. at
|
||
0015 on 8/25/94. An 800 mile trip in 12 hours of driving. Stopped
|
||
twice for half hour meal breaks and at Greg Borek's place in Virginia
|
||
for an hour. Home at last. Now all I have to do is get a magazine
|
||
out in the next week.
|
||
|
||
Friday, August 26, 1994
|
||
|
||
Went to settlement on refinancing my house. Found out I had to wait
|
||
nearly a week to get my money. The Maryland State Legislature, in
|
||
its considerably less than infinite wisdom, decided to protect
|
||
Marylanders from themselves (again). They have a new law that gives
|
||
the customer the right to cancel any sales contract within three
|
||
business days and get all their money back.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 11 September 1994
|
||
|
||
In the case of a vacuum cleaner this isn't a big deal. You give the
|
||
vacuum cleaner back to the company, and they give you your money
|
||
back. In the case of a six figure real estate transaction, the bank
|
||
is not going to hand you the money, then hope you won't cancel the
|
||
deal a couple days later, effectively voiding their mortgage. Oh,
|
||
no. The money goes into a lawyer's escrow account until the three
|
||
days have passed. Then you get the money. Of course, the lawyer is
|
||
collecting interest on the money during this time. Gee, I wonder who
|
||
lobbied for that law? {RAH}
|
||
--------------
|
||
Dave Bealer is a thirty-something mainframe systems programmer who
|
||
works with CICS, MVS and all manner of nasty acronyms at one of the
|
||
largest heavy metal shops on the East Coast. He shares a waterfront
|
||
townhome in Pasadena, MD. with two cats who annoy him endlessly as he
|
||
writes and electronically publishes RAH. FidoNet> 1:261/1129
|
||
Internet: dave.bealer@rah.clark.net
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Incredible Shrinking Department
|
||
by Jerry Weichbrodt
|
||
|
||
Good afternoon, Smithers. I always say a Friday afternoon is an
|
||
excellent time to discuss disbursement of personnel. Don't you think
|
||
so, Smithers?
|
||
|
||
Oh yes, of course, sir.
|
||
|
||
Good. Let's see, now. How long have the rumors been flying about
|
||
the elimination of your--what was the name of that department, again?
|
||
|
||
Electrical Widget Engineering, sir.
|
||
|
||
Right, right. Hmm, now I seem to recall that talk has been going on
|
||
for about two years about disbanding that redundant group of yours.
|
||
What do you say we start making it happen, hmmm?
|
||
|
||
Whatever you say, sir.
|
||
|
||
That's the spirit! After two years, I expect we have the people well
|
||
softened up and ready for the change. I trust you have been working
|
||
hard to keep the people's morale up with those sappy posters about
|
||
having the employees' best interest at heart? I particularly like
|
||
the poster that talks about teamwork and caring in this time of harsh
|
||
external pressures.
|
||
|
||
Yes, sir, the employees like that one, too.
|
||
|
||
Oh, how can you tell?
|
||
|
||
By the way they have devoted so much attention to it. Someone even
|
||
used a compass to draw some very nice concentric circles on it. I'm
|
||
not sure where all the other holes in it came from. Probably have to
|
||
have the wall it's hanging on repainted after we take it down.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 12 September 1994
|
||
|
||
That's good. It got their attention.
|
||
|
||
Our employee bulletin board has gotten a lot of attention, too. I've
|
||
seen some innovative artwork on it recently.
|
||
|
||
Oh?
|
||
|
||
Yes, sir. Someone used one of our 50,000-dollar CAD packages to make
|
||
a very stylized price list showing the various categories of employee
|
||
and their going price.
|
||
|
||
Innovative use of resources, indeed.
|
||
|
||
Yes, sir. Then there was the note from one employee saying something
|
||
about, "will work for food."
|
||
|
||
That shows great initiative. Hmmm ... will work for food... shows
|
||
good promise for cafeteria staff. You know one of our latest
|
||
innovations is the realization that all employees are
|
||
interchangeable.
|
||
|
||
Yes, sir. In fact we have been taking that into account in the way
|
||
we do things in the department lately.
|
||
|
||
Oh?
|
||
|
||
Yes. You may be aware that we have recently had a lot of employees
|
||
transferring out of the department before things really go to pieces.
|
||
|
||
What!!!! How could you let that happen! Have you forgotten your
|
||
responsibility to keep them dangling till the last possible moment,
|
||
just in case I might change my mind? (Fat chance!)
|
||
|
||
I know, sir, but they've been very persistent. We--I mean they--
|
||
think you might have sort of a nasty streak and be just stringing
|
||
them along. Anyway, we have had quite a flood of people leaving the
|
||
department, so we've brought in contract help.
|
||
|
||
Good move, Smithers! Get the work done without having to pay those,
|
||
yuck, benefits.
|
||
|
||
My thought exactly, sir, and, really, those hippies I brought in from
|
||
the local commune haven't done badly at all at circuit design and
|
||
programming. I've managed to show 5 out of 8 of them where the On-
|
||
Off switch is on the computer.
|
||
|
||
Splendid. Remember, employees are just interchangeable parts in the
|
||
big corporate machine. If they weren't, they wouldn't look so much
|
||
alike.
|
||
|
||
Thank you, sir. Is there anything else?
|
||
|
||
Hmmm, ..., yes, there was one more thing. YOU weren't thinking of
|
||
leaving for another position, were you, Smithers?
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 13 September 1994
|
||
|
||
No indeed, sir. I hate the cafeteria food. I've decided to wait and
|
||
ride it out after all.
|
||
-------------
|
||
Jerry Weichbrodt is an electrical engineer with General Motors in
|
||
Milford, Michigan. He's also a new father, so a sense of humor
|
||
is particularly important to him. His Internet address is:
|
||
jerry.weichbrodt%tcb@ack.mi.org.
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
1994 RAH Reader Survey - Final Results
|
||
|
||
It's over at last. After five gruelling months of receiving and
|
||
processing survey responses, six weeks of goofing off, and about
|
||
three minutes of analytical work, the results of the survey follow.
|
||
|
||
Forty crazy people actually wasted their time by filling out the
|
||
survey. The results were fascinating. The average RAH readers is
|
||
28.35 years old, single, but nevertheless has 1.2 children and 2.6
|
||
aardvarks.
|
||
|
||
On July 30, 1994 a drawing was held (by Dave Bealer and Greg Borek)
|
||
at a secret, secure location somewhere on planet Earth. The winners
|
||
of the prizes are:
|
||
|
||
One year subscriptions to EXEC-PC, the world's largest BBS:
|
||
Rick Chartrand, Vanier, Ontario, Canada
|
||
Marty Wardius, Milwaukee, WI., USA
|
||
|
||
Six month Basic Internet Service on Clarknet and Internet Book:
|
||
Rob Waldo, Brookfield, CT., USA
|
||
|
||
The final standings in the humor/comedy preferences portion of the
|
||
survey are: (number of votes are in parentheses)
|
||
|
||
Stand Up Comic: George Carlin (5), Robin Williams (4), Stephen
|
||
(34 votes) Wright (3), Sam Kinison (2), and Eddie Murphy (2).
|
||
(Dis)Honorable mentions include: "Any politician"
|
||
and H. Ross Perot (who is obviously not just "any
|
||
politician").
|
||
|
||
Comic Actor: John Cleese (6), Robin Williams (4), Steve Martin
|
||
(36 votes) (4), Chevy Chase (2).
|
||
|
||
Comic Actress: Whoopi Goldberg (6), Goldie Hawn (4), Gilda Radner
|
||
(32 votes) (2). Interesting votes went to: Paul Schaffer,
|
||
Milton Berle, Robin Williams (the only person to
|
||
receive votes in three categories), and "several,
|
||
all unclothed."
|
||
|
||
Comedy Movie: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (6), Monty Python's
|
||
(39 votes) Life of Brian (3), The Naked Gun (2), Blazing
|
||
Saddles (2). Monty Python movies totalled 10 votes,
|
||
while Mel Brooks movies totalled 5 votes.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 14 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Comedy TV Show: Monty Python's Flying Circus (6), Home Improvement
|
||
(39 votes) (4), M*A*S*H (3), Seinfeld (2), The Simpsons (2),
|
||
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (2). Oddly enough ABC
|
||
Nightly News only received one vote.
|
||
|
||
Comedy Novel: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (11). No other
|
||
(32 votes) book received more than one vote. Interesting
|
||
mentions include _The Stand_ and _Rise and Fall of
|
||
the Third Reich_.
|
||
|
||
Comic Book: Groo the Wanderer (2). "None" was the most popular
|
||
(22 votes) answer in this category.
|
||
|
||
Columnist: Dave Barry (14), P.J. O'Rourke (3), Dave Bealer (2).
|
||
(35 votes) Both Daves were embarrassed by this, but for very
|
||
different reasons. {RAH}
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
The Twit Filter: News Releasers
|
||
by Dave Bealer
|
||
|
||
The amount of information flowing through cyberspace is astounding.
|
||
Every day the volume increases, making it more difficult for users to
|
||
sift through the gobs of information looking for something useful, or
|
||
at least of interest. Those who write messages increasingly find
|
||
their comments being lost in the shuffle. The best solution is to
|
||
write interesting messages. Of course this only works for people who
|
||
haven't already alienated so many folks that they're in *everyone's*
|
||
twit filter.
|
||
|
||
One tactic that has become popular recently is writing the message
|
||
in the form of a "news release." This kind of message differs from
|
||
a standard message mostly in that the words "News Release" appear
|
||
at the top of the message. The other difference is that the message
|
||
is worded to imply that this information was generated by more than
|
||
one person, usually at an "executive board meeting" or "celebrity
|
||
lawn dart tournament." All this fluff is designed to hide the fact
|
||
that the message was conceived and written by one guy during a five
|
||
minute break from kicking his dog. (Women don't kick dogs, they
|
||
simply lay a suicide-inducing guilt trip on them.)
|
||
|
||
On the rare occasions when a legitimate organization sends out an
|
||
online news release, the self-appointed "guardians of net tradition
|
||
and free information" that inhabit most networks jump all over the
|
||
sender. This is especially true when that root of all evil, money,
|
||
is mentioned anywhere in the news release. Most net guardians are
|
||
fundamentally incapable of making money (or doing anything useful)
|
||
themselves, so they're extremely jealous of anyone who can.
|
||
|
||
When detected, news releasers (and net guardians) should be placed in
|
||
your twit filter. This treatment is particularly effective for these
|
||
two types of twits, since it opposes their stated intention of
|
||
reaching as many people as possible with their "message." {RAH}
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 15 September 1994
|
||
|
||
RAH Humor Review - Toggle Booleans
|
||
by Ray Koziel
|
||
|
||
Over the past few years applications have been created to move many
|
||
of the items which used to sit upon the conventional desktops in our
|
||
offices to the electronic desktops on our computers. We have our
|
||
electronic clipboards, notebooks, calculators, and card files. But
|
||
what about some of the other items commonly found on desktops such as
|
||
your coffee mug? And with all these applications running wearing
|
||
down the bits in your PC wouldn't it be nice to have a utility to
|
||
regenerate them? And how about your mouse? Even though it may be
|
||
confined to its little pad, ever wonder how much mileage is put on it
|
||
in an average workday or work week?
|
||
|
||
Well, the answers to these questions and many more have been provided
|
||
by a small company in Canada by the name of Toggle Booleans. Toggle
|
||
Booleans is based in Ottawa, Ontario, the result of three individuals
|
||
- Don Leclair, Kevin Morton, and Kristianne Palmer - and their
|
||
neverending pursuit to develop silly, witty little programs and
|
||
utilities. The origin of Toggle Booleans is as interesting as the
|
||
programs they've created. The start of the company, according to
|
||
Don, was the result of database project that he and Kevin were
|
||
working on. One of the features of this program, which was the
|
||
source of alot of pain and confusion, was to allow the user to toggle
|
||
between different boolean operators. The F8 key became the "toggle
|
||
booleans" key and Don and Kevin liked the sound of it that it also
|
||
became the name of their company.
|
||
|
||
There are a number of different programs that Toggle Booleans
|
||
provides. Many of them are freeware while some are shareware. They
|
||
have also produced a few business applications as well. Many of the
|
||
freeware/shareware programs can be found on services such as
|
||
CompuServe or America Online. Also, your local BBS may have acquired
|
||
a copy of some of them too.
|
||
|
||
One of the products in the freeware line is "The Mouse Odometer."
|
||
This little program allows you to track the mileage of your mouse and
|
||
other statistics such as number of left and right button clicks,
|
||
number of keystrokes, etc. The "Bit Recycler" is a witty little
|
||
program that helps recycle your PC's worn out bits. Let's face it -
|
||
changing from 1's to 0's again and again can be quite stressful and
|
||
every once in a while need to be regenerated. In fact, the "Bit
|
||
Recycler" isolates "subversive bits" which have totally gone off the
|
||
deep end and are trying to overthrow the system. This program has
|
||
great graphics and animation too! The "Resource Monitor" is a little
|
||
program which keeps track of the memory and resources available on
|
||
your system.
|
||
|
||
Get your PC ready for Halloween with "Desktop Pumpkin" and "Desktop
|
||
Ghost." "Desktop Pumpkin" puts a blinking pumpkin on your desktop
|
||
and "Desktop Ghost" puts a ghost on your system that roams around the
|
||
screen. Also for your desktop is "Desktop Cigarette" and "Desktop
|
||
Coffee Mug"! Now you can smoke in the office without worry for
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 16 September 1994
|
||
|
||
"Desktop Cigarette" has 0mg tar, 0mg nicotine, and 0mg CO! The
|
||
"Desktop Coffee Mug" gives you a steaming hot cup of coffee right on
|
||
your desktop. But be careful - move an application over your mug and
|
||
it tips over, spilling some coffee on your desktop and leaving coffee
|
||
rings wherever you move your mug. Now that you have your coffee, try
|
||
a game of "Amazon Skulls" during your break. This game is based on a
|
||
game similar to one played by an ancient Brazilian tribe. Ok, your
|
||
in the middle of a crucial game of "Amazon Skulls" and the boss walks
|
||
in. What do you do? Well, if you have "Presto Saver" there is
|
||
nothing to worry about! This little utility fires up your current
|
||
screen saver with just a click of the mouse button.
|
||
|
||
The following programs are from Toggle Booleans shareware line.
|
||
Thought you saw the "King?" Well, with the Toggle Booleans "Elvis
|
||
Detector" you will know for sure whenever the presence of Elvis is
|
||
nearby. And, if you register, you will receive an enhanced detector
|
||
which will pick up other greats such as Roy Orbison and M.C. Hammer.
|
||
But that's not all! Toggle Booleans will also customize a detector
|
||
to fit your needs. "Name of the Game" contains a bunch of card
|
||
puzzles. But these aren't just ordinary card puzzles because custom
|
||
cards have been thrown into the deck, such as the 26 of spades and
|
||
the 'C' of hearts. "Mouse Warp" is a cursor enhancement utility
|
||
allowing you to select from a variety of custom cursors or to design
|
||
your own cursor plus many other functions.
|
||
|
||
"Swift Access" is a utility which allows you to set up a "toolbar"
|
||
containing your most often used applications. "Type Right" has the
|
||
ability to automatically correct common spelling mistakes as you
|
||
type. Unlike other spell checkers, "Type Right" works across many
|
||
Windows applications. "Video Benchmarks" provides a means to test
|
||
the performance of your video board and video driver by rating the
|
||
ability of drawing lines, filled areas, polygons, and bitmaps in
|
||
terms of actions per second. "Pop Charts" provides an easy way to
|
||
add sophisticated charts to illustrations, memos, and documents.
|
||
Last but not least is the "Non-Productivity Pack" which includes many
|
||
of the freeware products and trial versions of the shareware
|
||
products. The pack includes: "Coffee Mug", "Mouse Odometer",
|
||
"Presto Saver", "Resource Monitor", "Elvis Detector v1.0", "Bit
|
||
Recycler", "Swift Access", "Name of the Game, Public Edition",
|
||
"Desktop Ghost", "Desktop Pumpkin", and "Desktop Cigarette".
|
||
|
||
The following are the latest prices for their shareware products:
|
||
|
||
Elvis Detector $7 US/$8 CAN
|
||
Name of the Game $20 US/$24 CAN
|
||
Mouse Warp $20 US/$24 CAN
|
||
Swift Access $30 US/$35 CAN
|
||
Video Benchmarks $20 US/$24 CAN
|
||
Pop Charts $30 US/$35 CAN
|
||
Non-Productivity Pack $10 US/$12 CAN
|
||
|
||
Many of the freeware products can be found on CompuServe, America
|
||
Online, and probably a bulletin board system near you. Toggle
|
||
Booleans can be reached at the following address:
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 17 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Toggle Booleans
|
||
P.O. Box 4204, Station E
|
||
Ottawa, Ontario
|
||
Canada, K1S 5B2
|
||
|
||
Or, program developer Don Leclair can be reached via CompuServe at
|
||
73753,3044 or the InterNet at 73753.3044@compuserve.com.
|
||
--------------
|
||
Ray Koziel lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and one and a half
|
||
children. When asked about his thoughts on the information super-
|
||
highway, Ray replied that it was a "pretty nifty idea" but wondered
|
||
"how we could drive a car small enough to fit through a telephone
|
||
line". Ray can be reached via CompuServe at 73753,3044 or via the
|
||
Internet at 73753.3044@compuserve.com, which is most convenient.
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
RAH Humor Review: Last Action Hero
|
||
by Dave Bealer
|
||
|
||
Here we go again. What's this guy doing, reviewing a Schwarzenegger
|
||
film as humor? Well, I'll tell you...it's funny!
|
||
|
||
Arnold Schwarzenegger is probably the most successful action movie
|
||
star of the past decade. Body count movies make money, and Arnold's
|
||
are arguably among the best of the genre. In an ideal world Arnold
|
||
could go on making these hyper-violent flicks until he ends up old
|
||
and in a wheelchair - Ironside with a Austrian accent.
|
||
|
||
The trouble is the political correction movement. Liberals are
|
||
trying to blame all the world's crime problems on television and
|
||
movie violence. This is complete and utter bovine fecal matter, but
|
||
that is a discussion for another article. The point is that Congress
|
||
is putting a great deal of pressure on Hollywood to make less violent
|
||
films. Movie industry executives are making at least a token effort
|
||
to tone things down before laws are passed to dictate movie content.
|
||
One of the first of these tokens is _Last Action Hero_. The bad news
|
||
is most of the movies resulting from this trend won't be this good.
|
||
|
||
Directed by John McTiernan, whose previous hits include _Die Hard_,
|
||
this film takes campy movie parodies to a new height. One of the
|
||
reasons is the presence of actual action stars in the movie. Besides
|
||
Arnold himself, the film features cameos by Sly Stallone, Jean-Claude
|
||
Vann Damme, Sharon Stone, and Robert Patrick. Along the way it makes
|
||
fun of every action movie from _Hamlet_ to _E.T._.
|
||
|
||
_Last Action Hero_ subscribes to the theory of fiction having its own
|
||
internal reality. Heinlein fans will recognize this from the science
|
||
fiction master's later novels. Newcomer Austin O'Brien plays eleven-
|
||
year-old New Yorker Danny Madigan, who is magically transported to
|
||
Los Angeles. In particular, a Los Angeles that exists only inside
|
||
the latest Schwarzenegger film, _Jack Slater IV_. Given the fact
|
||
that their world is real enough to them, Jack and the other on-screen
|
||
cops display superhuman patience with this obviously insane child who
|
||
thinks they're in a movie...and knows a shocking amount about their
|
||
private lives.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 18 September 1994
|
||
|
||
People who are allergic to puns will want to avoid this movie like
|
||
the plague. One of the climaxes is triggered by the most horrendous
|
||
situational pun ever committed to celluloid. Most of the other puns
|
||
in the movie are on a par with typical Schwarzenegger fare.
|
||
|
||
What really makes this film enjoyable is the way it pokes fun at
|
||
movie conventions and unrealities. Jack's LAPD headquarters features
|
||
valet parking and police women in skin-tight latex suits (which are
|
||
excellent for sneaking up on bad guys). This mythical police force
|
||
includes Whiskers, an animated cat (with the voice of Danny DeVito),
|
||
and "the black and white digitization of Humphrey Bogart."
|
||
|
||
A 1993 movie that bombed at the box office (due to the experimental
|
||
low body count for an "Ahnold" film), _Last Action Hero_ has a witty
|
||
screenplay written by Shane Black and David Arnott. The cast, which
|
||
includes F. Murray Abraham (the man who killed "Moe Zart"), Robert
|
||
Prosky, Charles Dance, Frank McRae, Mercedes Ruehl, Anthony Quinn,
|
||
Art Carney, Professor Toru Tanaka, and Sir Ian McKellen, does an
|
||
excellent job. Anyone who missed this movie because of the bad
|
||
reviews made a "big mistake." {RAH}
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
Announcements and Observations
|
||
|
||
The RAH HQ BBS (The Puffin's Nest) is now running a U.S. Robotics
|
||
V.Everything modem. Speeds available are 1200 bps - 28800 bps.
|
||
Major changes are in the works for this BBS. Details will appear in
|
||
this space next month.
|
||
- - -
|
||
The deadline for submissions for the October 1994 issue is 09/25/94.
|
||
---------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
--- Bumper Stickers Seen On The Information Superhighway
|
||
|
||
I am NOT a NUMBER! I am a DEMOGRAPHIC!
|
||
|
||
Welease Bwian!
|
||
|
||
One man's theology is another man's belly laugh.
|
||
|
||
"Bother," said Pooh, as Cthulu rose up and ate him.
|
||
|
||
Poor eyes limit your sight, poor vision limits your deeds.
|
||
|
||
I am in total control, but don't tell my wife.
|
||
|
||
Anything that kills you makes you...well, dead.
|
||
|
||
Guillotine operator wanted. Chance to get ahead.
|
||
|
||
"The food here is terrible." "And such small portions, too!"
|
||
|
||
Real women don't have hot flashes, they have power surges.
|
||
|
||
Compost! A rind is a terrible thing to waste!
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 19 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Psychiatry - the care of the id by the odd.
|
||
|
||
Would you like a Yes/No prompt? (Y/N)
|
||
|
||
If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?
|
||
|
||
Time is the best teacher; unfortunately it kills all its students.
|
||
|
||
Forget the Joneses...I can't keep up with The Simpsons.
|
||
|
||
Drive not ready: A)lign coils, G)o to impulse, C)all Geordie.
|
||
|
||
Documentation: the worst part of programming.
|
||
|
||
I had my car's alignment checked. It's chaotic evil!
|
||
|
||
Difference between genius and stupidity? Genius has no limitations.
|
||
|
||
I medicate, therefore who am I?
|
||
|
||
Sysoping: more fun than being beaten with a sledgehammer.
|
||
|
||
I used to live in the real world, but I got evicted.
|
||
|
||
Toad: what happens to an illegally parked frog.
|
||
|
||
The shortest route between two points is under construction.
|
||
|
||
Just don't tell the asylum you saw me here.
|
||
|
||
I never knew lasers could be printed.
|
||
|
||
I just took an IQ test. The results were negative.
|
||
|
||
I got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.
|
||
|
||
Bill Clinton, America's leading truthphobe!
|
||
|
||
Excuse me...just what chicken and which road were you talking about?
|
||
|
||
Don't diet, download a virus to remove the FAT.
|
||
|
||
Enter any 12 digit prime number to continue.
|
||
|
||
A KGB keyboard has no <ESC> key.
|
||
|
||
Computers all wait at the same speed.
|
||
|
||
Prime directive MY BUTT! Set phasers to PUREE!
|
||
|
||
Why is that there are never enough days in a weekend?
|
||
|
||
Twisted mind? No...just bent in several strategic places.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page 20 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Get thee behind me Satan. I was here first.
|
||
|
||
Oh no, Satan...you stay right here where I can see you.
|
||
|
||
Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.
|
||
|
||
Essay: describe the universe in 500 words or less. Give 2 examples.
|
||
|
||
DCE seeks DTE for mutual exchange of data.
|
||
|
||
A)bort, R)etry, I)nfluence with large hammer.
|
||
|
||
Ever dance with the Devil in the pale moonlight?
|
||
|
||
Virginity: a curable congenital defect.
|
||
|
||
A cheap shot is a terrible thing to waste.
|
||
|
||
Bad command or filename. Go stand in the corner.
|
||
|
||
Heck is a place for people who don't believe in Gosh.
|
||
|
||
May your caffeine sources always be fresh.
|
||
|
||
When cryptography is outlawed, bayl bhgynjf juyy unir cevinpl.
|
||
|
||
Moby Disk: "Call me E-mail..."
|
||
|
||
This space accidentally left blank.
|
||
|
||
He who dies with the most TAGLINES wins!
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page A-1 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Masthead:
|
||
|
||
Editor & Publisher: Dave Bealer
|
||
|
||
Associate Editor: Greg Borek
|
||
|
||
Contributing Editors: Ray Koziel
|
||
|
||
Logo Design: Kelly Price
|
||
|
||
Contact: The Puffin's Nest BBS
|
||
FidoNet: 1:261/1129 (1200-28800/V.34)
|
||
BBS: (410) 437-3463 (1200-16800/HST)
|
||
Internet: dave.bealer@rah.clark.net
|
||
greg.borek@rah.clark.net
|
||
|
||
Regular Mail: (Only if you have no other way to reach us!)
|
||
Random Access Humor
|
||
c/o Dave Bealer
|
||
P.O. Box 595
|
||
Pasadena, MD. 21122 USA
|
||
|
||
>> Legal Junk <<
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor (RAH) is published ten times a year (September -
|
||
June) by Dave Bealer as a disservice to the online community.
|
||
Although the publisher's BBS may be a part of one or more networks at
|
||
any time, RAH is not affiliated with any BBS network or online
|
||
service. RAH is a compilation of individual articles contributed by
|
||
their authors. The contribution of articles to this compilation does
|
||
not diminish the rights of the authors. The opinions expressed in
|
||
RAH are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the
|
||
publisher.
|
||
|
||
This entire publication is a work of satire (except for these legal
|
||
bits here). If anyone takes offense to something published herein,
|
||
the fault (a lack of a sense of humor) lies with them and not with
|
||
the magazine. The editors and publisher will not be held responsible
|
||
for the use or misuse of any information contained in this magazine.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor is Copyright 1994 Dave Bealer. All Rights
|
||
Reserved. Duplication and/or distribution is permitted for non-
|
||
commercial purposes only. RAH may not be distributed on diskette or
|
||
in hardcopy form for a fee without express written permission from the
|
||
publisher. For any other use, contact the publisher.
|
||
|
||
RAH may only be distributed in unaltered form. Online systems whose
|
||
users cannot access the original binary archive file may offer it for
|
||
viewing or download in text format, provided the original text is not
|
||
modified. RAH may not be posted, in whole or in part, on public
|
||
conferences. Readers may produce hard copies of RAH or backup copies
|
||
on diskette for their own personal use only. RAH may not be
|
||
distributed in combination with any other publication or product.
|
||
|
||
Many of the brands and products mentioned in RAH are trademarks of
|
||
their respective owners.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page A-2 September 1994
|
||
|
||
>> Where to Get RAH <<
|
||
|
||
Copies of the current issue of RAH may be obtained by manual download
|
||
or Wazoo/EMSI File Request from The Puffin's Nest BBS (FREQ: RAH), or
|
||
from various sites in several BBS networks. Back issues of RAH may
|
||
be obtained by download or file request from The Puffin's Nest BBS.
|
||
|
||
Internet users may obtain RAH back issues as UUENCODED files attached
|
||
to e-mail. Free subscriptions are also available via mailing lists.
|
||
For more info, send an e-mail message to: rahinfo@rah.clark.net
|
||
The subject line and body can contain anything or be blank.
|
||
|
||
RAH is also available on the Internet via FTP:
|
||
|
||
etext.archive.umich.edu (192.131.22.7) dir: /pub/Zines/RAH
|
||
(ASCII Text edition compressed with gzip)
|
||
|
||
ftp.clark.net (198.17.243.2) dir: /ftp/pub/rah
|
||
(ASCII Text edition uncompressed - RAHyymm.TXT)
|
||
(ASCII Text edition compressed with ZIP - RAHyymm.ZIP)
|
||
(READROOM.TOC edition compressed with ZIP - RAHyymmR.ZIP)
|
||
|
||
>> Writing For RAH <<
|
||
|
||
Article contributions to RAH are always welcome. All submissions
|
||
must be made electronically. File attach your article to a netmail
|
||
message to Dave Bealer at 1:261/1129. E-mail (with file attaches)
|
||
may also be sent via Internet to: dave.bealer@rah.clark.net
|
||
|
||
Tagline and filler submissions may be made via e-mail. Article
|
||
submissions should be made via file. Submitted files must be plain
|
||
ASCII text files in normal MS-DOS file format: artname.RAH; where
|
||
artname is a descriptive file name and RAH is the mandatory
|
||
extension. If your article does not conform to these simple specs,
|
||
it may get lost or trashed. Also note that such imaginative names as
|
||
RAH.RAH might get overlaid by the blatherings of similarly minded
|
||
contributors. If your hardware is incapable of producing file names
|
||
in the proper format, you may send your article as one or more e-mail
|
||
messages. As the volume of mail increases it may not be possible to
|
||
make personalized responses to all submissions or correspondence
|
||
received.
|
||
|
||
The editors reserve the right to publish or not to publish any
|
||
submission as/when they see fit. The editors also reserve the right
|
||
to "edit", or modify any submission prior to publication. This last
|
||
right will rarely be used, typically only to correct spelling or
|
||
grammar misteaks that are not funny. RAH is a PG rated publication,
|
||
so keep it (mostly) clean.
|
||
|
||
RAH can accept only the following types of material for publication:
|
||
1) Any material in the public domain.
|
||
2) Material for which you own the copyright, or represent the copy-
|
||
right holder. If you wrote it yourself, you are automatically the
|
||
copyright holder.
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page A-3 September 1994
|
||
|
||
In writing jargon, RAH is deemed to be given "One Time Rights" to
|
||
anything submitted for publication unless otherwise noted in the
|
||
message accompanying the contribution. You still own the material,
|
||
and RAH will make no use of the material other than publishing it
|
||
electronically in the usual manner. Your article may be selected for
|
||
publication in a planned "Best of RAH" electronic book. If you want
|
||
your copyright notice to appear in your article, place it as desired
|
||
in the text you submit. Previously published articles may be
|
||
submitted, but proper acknowledgement must be included: periodical
|
||
name, date of previous publication.
|
||
|
||
RAH Distribution System:
|
||
(All these systems would be good places to find sysops with a sense
|
||
of humor...seemingly a rarity these days.)
|
||
|
||
The Puffin's Nest Pasadena, MD. Sysop: Dave Bealer
|
||
FidoNet> 1:261/1129 (410) 437-3463 28800 (V.Everything)
|
||
Current RAH Issue (text format): FReq: RAH
|
||
Current RAH Issue (Readroom format): FReq: RAHR
|
||
Back Issues of RAH: (text) FReq: RAHyymm.ZIP
|
||
(RAH9209.ZIP for premiere issue)
|
||
Back Issues of RAH: (Readroom) FReq: RAHyymmR.ZIP
|
||
(RAH9302R.ZIP and later only)
|
||
Complete Writers Guidelines: FReq: RAHWRITE
|
||
Complete Distributor Info: FReq: RAHDIST
|
||
|
||
European Gateway:
|
||
|
||
Digital Frame Voorschoten, Netherlands Sysop: Ed Bakker
|
||
FidoNet> 2:281/101 31-71-617784 14400 (V.32bis)
|
||
Digital-Net> 15:200/512 MomNet> 71:2000/2
|
||
|
||
RAH Official Distribution Sites:
|
||
|
||
-= AUSTRALIA =-
|
||
Northern Territory
|
||
Images Unlimited Darwin 3:850/110 61-89-41-1630 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
-= BELGIUM =-
|
||
Proteus/2 Brussels 2:291/711 32-2-3752539 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
-= CANADA =-
|
||
Alberta
|
||
The Darkland BBS Edmonton (NoFido) (403) 486-5835 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Ontario
|
||
Typecast BBS Kingston 1:249/107 (613) 531-0479 V.FC
|
||
The Next Level Scarborough 1:250/302 (416) 299-1164 Z19
|
||
Echo Valley Vanier 1:243/26 (613) 749-1016 V.32bis
|
||
Uncle Sphincter's Westover 1:221/279 (519) 624-0134 HST/Dual
|
||
|
||
-= FRANCE =-
|
||
The Data Zone Versailles 2:320/218 33-1-39633662 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page A-4 September 1994
|
||
|
||
-= GERMANY =-
|
||
The Harddisk Cafe Nidderau 2:244/1682 49-6187-21739 Z19
|
||
|
||
-= ICELAND =-
|
||
The Vision BBS Keflavik 2:391/20 354-2-14626 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
-= ITALY =-
|
||
Temple of Knowledge Rome (NoFido) 39-6-546880 Z19
|
||
|
||
-= NETHERLANDS =-
|
||
BIB Aalten Aalten 2:283/401 31-54-3774203 V.32bis
|
||
BBS Sussudio Denhaag 2:281/517 31-70-3212177 V.32bis
|
||
TouchDown Hoofddorp 2:280/401 31-2503-24677 HST/Dual
|
||
Pleasure BBS Utrecht 2:281/705 31-30-934123 V.32bis
|
||
Digital Frame Voorschoten 2:281/101 31-71-617784 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
-= PORTUGAL =-
|
||
The Mail House II Loures 2:362/29 351-1-9890010 V.32bis
|
||
The MAD BBS V.N.Gaia 2:363/9 351-2-3706922 V.32
|
||
|
||
-= SAUDI ARABIA =-
|
||
MidEast Connection Riyadh (NoFido) 966-1-4410075 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
-= SLOVENIA =-
|
||
R.I.S.P. Ljubljana 2:380/103 38-61-1599400 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
-= UNITED STATES =-
|
||
Alabama
|
||
J & J Online Chickasaw 1:3625/440 (205) 457-5901 HST/Dual
|
||
|
||
Arizona
|
||
Mission Control Flagstaff (NoFido) (602) 527-1854 V.FC
|
||
|
||
California
|
||
InfoMat BBS San Clemente (P&BNet) (714) 492-8727 HST/Dual
|
||
Automation Central San Jose 1:143/110 (408) 435-2886 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Connecticut
|
||
ModemNews Express Stamford (P&BNet) (203) 359-2299 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Florida
|
||
Ruby's Joint Jacksonville 1:112/129 (904) 777-6799 V.FC
|
||
The Software Cuisine Miami 1:135/57 (305) 642-0754 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Georgia
|
||
D.W.'s Toolbox Jonesboro 1:133/1719 (404) 471-6636 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Hawaii
|
||
Casa de la Chinchilla Honolulu (NoFido) (808) 845-1303 HST/Dual
|
||
|
||
Idaho
|
||
Phantasia BBS Boise 1:347/25 (208) 939-2682 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page A-5 September 1994
|
||
|
||
Illinois
|
||
The Crossroads BBS Chicago 1:115/743 (312) 587-8756 HST/Dual
|
||
|
||
Indiana
|
||
Digicom Evansville 1:2310/200 (812) 474-2263 V.FC
|
||
|
||
Maryland
|
||
Wit-Tech Baltimore 1:261/1082 (410) 256-0170 V.32bis
|
||
Outside the Wall Baltimore 1:261/1093 (410) 665-1855 V.32
|
||
The File Exchange Cockeysville 1:261/1134 (410) 744-1102 V.Every
|
||
Pooh's Corner Fells Point 1:261/1131 (410) 327-9263 V.32bis
|
||
Cybersystems Frederick 1:109/713 (301) 662-8948 V.FC
|
||
Robin's Nest Glen Burnie (P&BNet) (410) 766-9756 V.32
|
||
The Puffin's Nest Pasadena 1:261/1129 (410) 437-3463 V.Every
|
||
|
||
Michigan
|
||
Didi's Place Dearborn Heights 1:2410/120 (313) 563-8940 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Mississippi
|
||
Ranch & Cattle South Columbus (NoFido) (601) 328-6486 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
New Mexico
|
||
High Mesa Publishing Los Lunas 1:301/1 (505) 865-8385 V.32bis
|
||
Paula's House of Mail Los Lunas 1:301/301 (505) 865-4082 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
New York
|
||
The Batcave Brooklyn 1:278/204 (718) 694-0433 HST/Dual
|
||
|
||
Oklahoma
|
||
H*A*L Muskogee 1:3813/304 (918) 682-7337 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Oregon
|
||
Bitter Butter Better Tigard 1:105/290 (503) 620-0307 V.32
|
||
|
||
Pennsylvania
|
||
Writer's Biz Greenville 1:2601/522 (412) 588-7863 V.32bis
|
||
Milliways Pittsburgh 1:129/179 (412) 766-1086 HST/Dual
|
||
|
||
Texas
|
||
Incredible BBS Burleson 1:130/82 (817) 447-2598 HST/Dual
|
||
|
||
Utah
|
||
Vital Signs West Jordan 1:311/20 (801) 255-8909 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Virginia
|
||
Pen & Brush Burke (P&BNet) (703) 644-5196 V.32bis
|
||
Flying Dutchman Newport News 1:271/237 (804) 595-9383 V.32bis
|
||
The Time Machine Newport News 1:271/236 (804) 599-6401 HST/Dual
|
||
|
||
Washington
|
||
Spokane Online Spokane 1:346/20 (509) 326-1123 V.32bis
|
||
Dragon's Cave Tacoma 1:138/198 (206) 752-4160 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Random Access Humor Page A-6 September 1994
|
||
|
||
West Virginia
|
||
Blue Powder BBS St. Albans (NoFido) (304) 727-6733 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
Wisconsin
|
||
The First Step BBS Green Bay 1:139/540 (414) 499-6646 V.32bis
|
||
|
||
=====================================================================
|
||
|
||
Although not official RAH distributors, the following large
|
||
commercial systems carry RAH. (Uploaded by the editor himself.)
|
||
|
||
Channel 1 Cambridge, MA. (617) 354-8873 (Readroom)
|
||
|
||
EXEC-PC Elm Grove, WI. (414) 789-4210 (Readroom)
|
||
|
||
SPACE Menlo Park, CA. (415) 323-4193
|
||
|
||
Software Creations Clinton, MA. (508) 368-4137 |