695 lines
30 KiB
Plaintext
695 lines
30 KiB
Plaintext
****************************************************************************
|
|
### # # ### ##### ## # # # ## ## # # ### ##### ## ### ###
|
|
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
|
|
# #### ### # # # # # # # # # ## # #### ### # #
|
|
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
|
|
# # # ### # ## # # # ## ## ## ### # # # # # ###
|
|
____________________________________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
# # ### #### # # #### # # ### #### ##### # # ##### ####
|
|
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
|
|
# # # # # #### ### ### ##### # # #### ##### # # ##### ###
|
|
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
|
|
### ### # # # # #### # # ### # # # ##### ##### ####
|
|
*******NUMBERS 211 TO 215*****************************BY DANIEL BOWEN*******
|
|
*****Please note, some of the quoted addresses within this file may no*****
|
|
***longer be correct. Please always use tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu for enquiries***
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Alarming Toxic Custard"
|
|
|
|
|
|
***#####*::####:/#///#/-#####-+####++|##||\##\\\\ Toxic Custard
|
|
*****#***:#:::::/#///#/-#-----+++++#+||#||\\#\\\\ Workshop Files
|
|
*****#***:#:::::/#/#/#/-####--++###++||#||\\#\\\\
|
|
*****#***:#:::::/#/#/#/-#-----+#+++++||#||\\#\\\\ Number 211
|
|
*****#***::####://#/#//-#-----+#####+|###|\###\\\ August 8th 1994
|
|
|
|
TOXIC HISTORY OF THE WORLD
|
|
Part 9 of Quite A Big Number
|
|
|
|
60 BC
|
|
Pompey, Crassus and Caesar divide Rome's government between them,
|
|
forming a Triumvirate, even though none of them can work out what
|
|
it means. Caesar begins conquest of Gaul. Peter Arnett of the
|
|
Caesarian News Network, in Gaul when the conquest begins, asks
|
|
Caesar why it is taking place. Caesar replies, saying something in
|
|
Latin, which Arnett can't understand.
|
|
|
|
53 BC
|
|
The Triumvirate Baseball game begins. Crassus defeated and killed
|
|
by Parthians. Strike one!
|
|
|
|
51 BC
|
|
Caesar completes conquest of Gaul. Peter Arnett leaves in disgust,
|
|
and decides to go to Baghdad and wait for something to happen
|
|
there.
|
|
|
|
49-48 BC
|
|
Caesar sneaks up on Pompey, who escapes to Egypt and is murdered.
|
|
Strike two!
|
|
|
|
44 BC
|
|
Caesar is murdered. Et tu Brute an' all that. Strike three!
|
|
|
|
43 BC
|
|
Octavian, Caesar's nephew, Antony and Lepidus form Second
|
|
Triumvirate, despite still nobody knowing what it means. Octavian
|
|
ignores all the laughter about his name.
|
|
|
|
42 BC
|
|
Octavian and Antony defeat Brutus and Cassius, chief plotters
|
|
against Caesar. Octavian rules Rome's west, while Antony rules the
|
|
east, and gets it on with Cleopatra. Octavian continues to ignore
|
|
the jibes about his name.
|
|
|
|
31 BC
|
|
Octavian defeats Antony and Cleopatra at Actium, after he hears
|
|
that Antony said his name sounded poofy.
|
|
|
|
30 BC
|
|
Deaths of Antony and Cleopatra. Meanwhile, Octavian finally gets
|
|
hold of a very early draft of the dictionary, and learns to his
|
|
disappointment that Triumvirate has nothing to do with virility or
|
|
bizarre sexual practices. Oh well.
|
|
|
|
27 BC
|
|
Octavian finally gives in to pressure, and changes his name to
|
|
Augustus. Oh, and he becomes the first Roman Emperor. And manages
|
|
to get a month named after him. Not bad for a Thursday.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Alarm clocks hate me. And to show how much they hate me, they do
|
|
three things:
|
|
(a) while I'm trying to set the alarm time on the clock, it will
|
|
uncontrollably and unpredictably skip past the precise time I
|
|
want, forcing me to hold down the buttons for another "24 hours"
|
|
(b) it might wake me up at the time that I last night told it to
|
|
wake me up at (which is about three hours than the time I would
|
|
*now* like it to wake me up)
|
|
or (c) it decides not to wake me up at all, and by the time I fall
|
|
out of bed I discover that I should have been at work five hours
|
|
ago.
|
|
|
|
The problem then, is this: It's very hard to revenge the things that
|
|
alarm clocks do. You can't throttle them because they have no neck.
|
|
They have a face, yes, but no neck.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
Failed business tycoon Christopher Skase is still battling
|
|
extradition from Spain to face trial in Australia, claiming illness.
|
|
But he doesn't seem to be attracting much sympathy. Why? Because he's
|
|
taken in exile in Majorca, that's why! It's not exactly a case of
|
|
"awww... poor Skasey... down and out... penniless... sunning himself
|
|
on the beach in Majorca... leave him alone..." Instead it's "Bring
|
|
him back to face the music! Ill and he can't fly? No hurry then - put
|
|
him on a boat!"
|
|
Obviously he should have gone somewhere like Rwanda. Then it'd be
|
|
"Good old Chris, helping the starving masses... leave him be! Stop
|
|
hounding the man!"
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
PARLIAMENT HIGHLIGHTS
|
|
|
|
Would the honourable member for Fuzzlewoddock care to elaborate on the
|
|
very poor knock-knock joke that he was seen telling on last night's
|
|
"A Current Affair" and explain why the Australian public shouldn't
|
|
expect our leaders in government to relate better gags?
|
|
|
|
I refer the House to my meat and two veg joke of November 23rd
|
|
1989, which am I'm sure the honourable member would recall was a
|
|
real pisser. And furthermore, I would name the honourable member
|
|
for Argghhhhhhnort as someone who, along with the bulk of the
|
|
Opposition, seems unable to tell the simplest riddle even in
|
|
the prime joke-telling environment of the parliamentary bar at
|
|
2am when even Senator Bishop is completely blotto.
|
|
|
|
In that case would the honourable member for Fuzzlewoddock care to
|
|
listen to the following joke, which I'm sure will show that we in
|
|
Opposition are dedicated to providing the taxpayers of this country
|
|
with the most amusing jokes. It goes like this... "My wife's gone to
|
|
the West Indies..."
|
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Toxic Custard is over for another week,
|
|
thank goodness. If you're the kind of
|
|
sadomasochist that would like to see
|
|
some old ones, then the more fool you.
|
|
Email tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu for details.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Copyright (c) 1994 Daniel Bowen. May be freely distributed without
|
|
profit provided no modifications are made.
|
|
--
|
|
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia--| Telecom don't pay me to write Toxic
|
|
Work: dbowen@vcomtelc.telecom.com.au| Custard. That's why I write it at home.
|
|
Play: dbowen@gnu.ai.mit.edu---------| Oh, and blah blah my opinions only,
|
|
TCWF: tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu-----------| blah blah the usual disclaimer stuff
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
"Toxic Custard burnt at the stake"
|
|
|
|
|
|
TTTTT CCCC W W FFFF 2222 1 2222 Toxic Custard Workshop Files
|
|
T C W W F 2 1 2 Number 212 - 15th August 1994
|
|
T C W W W FFFF 2222 1 2222 written by Daniel Bowen
|
|
T C W W W F 2 1 2 TCWF - 4 years old on 13th August
|
|
--T---CCCC-WWWWW-F----2222-1-2222-----------------------------------
|
|
|
|
TOXIC HISTORY OF THE WORLD
|
|
Part 10 of Quite An Almost Limitless Amount
|
|
|
|
4 BC
|
|
True birthdate of Jesus.
|
|
So, let me get this straight. Jesus Christ was born 4 years before
|
|
himself. Is this the result of some sort of miscalculation on
|
|
someone's part, or an unusual time distortion?
|
|
|
|
0
|
|
All the calendars change from BC to AD, which must have been very
|
|
confusing for the people around at the time. I'm glad I wasn't
|
|
around then. Not only would it mean that I would be dead now, but
|
|
heck, even Daylight Saving confuses me.
|
|
|
|
5 AD
|
|
Jesus taught water-walking by a travelling entertainer.
|
|
|
|
14
|
|
Augustus dies. The Romans begin advertising in all the fashionable
|
|
journals for a replacement. "Emperor wanted. Preferably mad. Must
|
|
look good in a laurel wreath and have own toga."
|
|
|
|
30
|
|
Jesus crucified, followed by the biggest certified magic trick in
|
|
history.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
I know the Christians will probably burn me alive for this, but I'm
|
|
tempted to ask anyway - how do we really know that the Bible is
|
|
accurate? For all we know, it could have been made up by the Dark
|
|
Ages equivalent of Barbara Cartland. It's a similar formula to
|
|
today's novels. Some killing, lots of begatting, the traitor in the
|
|
second-last scene... all set in a backdrop of the Roman occupation...
|
|
Come to think of it, Barbara Cartland *does* look quite old...
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
The Swiss goverment plan to donate to the United States a new tribute
|
|
to the years of teenage angst that we all go through.. the arguments
|
|
with parents, the acne, the pressures of homework. It will be located
|
|
in New York, and named The Statue Of Puberty.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
THING PART 13
|
|
====================
|
|
|
|
JEFF: What do you think about this Schumaker-Levy thing then?
|
|
|
|
RON: I think it's great. I think it's fantastic that they're
|
|
introducing a levy to support our local shoe industry. You
|
|
know, I bought some shoes the other day that...
|
|
|
|
JEFF: Hold on, wait, whoa. Schumaker-Levy is not a local industry
|
|
support scheme. It's a comet that's exploding into Jupiter.
|
|
|
|
RON: Oh. Ah. Well, in that case, it's good that for once the
|
|
astromoners have something to look at other than a few
|
|
thousand stationary dots.
|
|
|
|
JEFF: Yeah, but...
|
|
|
|
RON: I know, I know, they get eclipses to watch every few years.
|
|
But they can't actually *look* at them, can they, 'cos
|
|
they're wossname, they're masturbatory; they send you blind.
|
|
Anyway, eclipses are all the bloody same, aren't they. It's
|
|
never a surprise what happens. Sun. Moon. Moon moves in front
|
|
of Sun. Darkness. Moon moves out of Sun's way. Darkness ends.
|
|
Sun shines again. Moon buggers off back to its own orbit. Big
|
|
deal!
|
|
|
|
JEFF: Well, maybe you'd be a little more interested in all this if
|
|
you lived on Jupiter.
|
|
|
|
RON: Hmmmm, that's a thought. Any idea what the dole rates are
|
|
like there?
|
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
THIS has been another one of those
|
|
very silly Toxic Custard things. And
|
|
I'm very much afraid to tell you that
|
|
there's another two hundred and
|
|
eleven of these things floating
|
|
around various ftp sites. Where?
|
|
Well, email tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu for
|
|
details.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Copyright (c) 1994 Daniel Bowen. May be freely distributed without
|
|
profit provided no modifications are made.
|
|
--
|
|
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia--| Toxic Custard is brought to you
|
|
Work: dbowen@vcomtelc.telecom.com.au| by me. Just me. Only me. The opinions
|
|
Play: dbowen@gnu.ai.mit.edu---------| of no other persons or organisations
|
|
TCWF: tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu-----------| are included in its production.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Would you care for a drink - if it was, like, disabled, and
|
|
you had to look after it?
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
"Interfering Toxic Custard"
|
|
|
|
|
|
T C W F
|
|
-------. -. -------. Toxic Custard Workshop Files
|
|
,-------' | -------| Number 213 - 22nd August 1994
|
|
`-------- | -------' Written by Daniel Bowen in the spare room
|
|
|
|
TOXIC HISTORY OF THE WORLD
|
|
Part 11 Of One Of The Largest Amounts I Can Think Of
|
|
|
|
43 AD
|
|
Emperor Claudius sends force to conquer Britain, just so he can
|
|
have somewhere to go to the beach and be miserably cold and wet.
|
|
Claudius decides he will make Britain the most fashionable of all
|
|
the Roman colonies, and packs several million togas for the
|
|
Britons. The South is soon subdued into wearing them, despite
|
|
resistance from Caractacus (who *really* doesn't like togas). He is
|
|
captured and sent to Rome in chains and a toga. The Romans work
|
|
their way northwards.
|
|
|
|
61
|
|
Boadicea, queen of the Iceni, decides togas suck, and revolts
|
|
against the Romans, burning their tailor shop in London. But her
|
|
army is annihilated and she takes poison just as a Roman legion
|
|
arrives over the hill with a toga with her name on it.
|
|
|
|
68
|
|
Nero, last emperor of the house of Augustus, begins to realise what
|
|
a grave mistake the Toga Invasion of Britain was. Not for the waste
|
|
of resources, or the cruelty of enslaving an entire nation, but
|
|
because the togas are flared. He commits suicide.
|
|
|
|
70
|
|
Emperor Titus captures and destroys Jerusalem, driving the Jews
|
|
from the Holy Land with threats of enforced flared toga-wearing.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
GOING TO A SHOW
|
|
|
|
First you need to book your ticket/s. Booking for a show is a concept
|
|
invented by people who like being organised. These are the people who
|
|
don't believe in the concept of the masses spontaneously deciding to
|
|
turn up to see X perform, and just rolling up to the venue and
|
|
seating themselves. No. The people who invented venue booking like
|
|
the idea of you deciding exactly what you're going to do on a
|
|
particular Tuesday night several decades in advance. They also like
|
|
slotting every person that attends that venue into the worst seat
|
|
possible.
|
|
|
|
Have you ever noticed that no matter how shitty the seats that the
|
|
ticket seller is selling you, they never apologise? You are
|
|
guaranteed never ever to hear them say "Yes, we have these two seats,
|
|
located forty-seven kilometres from the stage, and with only the
|
|
merest hint of a view from behind a concrete wall, and oh my God, I'm
|
|
so sorry we can't offer you anything else. It's appalling. I really
|
|
can't sell you these seats for the same price that the people in the
|
|
fifth row centre paid when they booked, 3.72 seconds after sales
|
|
opened."
|
|
|
|
No, instead it's that kind of sneer that says "well, you should have
|
|
made an effort with the other fifty-million people who wanted good
|
|
seats, two weeks ago when these tickets went on sale. But now you
|
|
decided you really have to go to this, and you'll never get better
|
|
tickets *now*... so cough up, sucker."
|
|
|
|
And have you read the disclaimer on the back of the tickets?
|
|
Virtually telling you that the stadium could collapse, the act could
|
|
get their legs sawn off in a ballooning accident, and your seats
|
|
could accidentally be demolished during refurbishment, but you still
|
|
wouldn't get any of your money back.
|
|
|
|
Come the actual day of the concert, you roll up to the venue. And
|
|
instantly you're made to feel inferior by the ushers. Because they
|
|
may only be ushers, but boy are they dressed nicely. They are
|
|
*always* dressed nicely. Whether you're going to see the latest
|
|
Gilbert & Sullivan Opera, or the heaviest of heavy metal bands, it's
|
|
always bow tie, "just this way, sir", and shining the torch in the
|
|
vaguest direction of your seats.
|
|
|
|
Maybe they should dress and behave according to the actual content of
|
|
the concert. So when it *is* a rock concert, the ushers can be
|
|
dressed in jeans and torn t-shirts, and greet the audience with "give
|
|
us your fuckin' tickets. Find the seats yourselves."
|
|
|
|
In fact, it's a shame The Police don't tour anymore; the ushers could
|
|
greet everybody at the door with a pair of handcuffs and a body
|
|
search.
|
|
|
|
"Look, I've got the tickets, they're in my pocket..."
|
|
|
|
"Shut up and lean against the wall" <rummage> <rummage> "Ahh.. what
|
|
have we here then, sunshine? Tickets for this very gig! Very good
|
|
tickets, too. C'mon, where'd you get these then?"
|
|
|
|
"I didn't know they were they were fifth row centre, honest! My
|
|
brother got them for me! He knows the promoter! They're for
|
|
personal use only; I'm not a dealer!"
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
The new generation of mobile phones, the digital GSM standard, has
|
|
now taken hold in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and most European
|
|
countries. But it seems to have interference problems, which makes
|
|
me(*) wonder how they ever convinced communications regulators to
|
|
agree to the standard. Especially Austel, the Australian body, who
|
|
are normally so awkward with agreeing to new equipment.
|
|
|
|
"Good morning gentlemen. So, you've come to tell us about your new
|
|
proposed GSM digital mobile-phone standard?"
|
|
|
|
"Yes, that's right. It's now accepted in well over 50 countries
|
|
as the new standard."
|
|
|
|
"Okay.. now.. does it cause any interference in other electronics?"
|
|
|
|
"Ummm well, yes, a little bit."
|
|
|
|
"Ah.. well, never mind, never mind. We're all for international
|
|
standards here at Austel, I'm sure it's nothing major. Does this new
|
|
standard of yours have any effect with the operation of planes?"
|
|
|
|
"Err well, actually can cause planes to ummm.. plummet screaming
|
|
towards the ground. A bit. But only if you try to use the phone
|
|
while you're on a plane!"
|
|
|
|
"Hmmm.. well, okay, never mind, international standards an' all that.
|
|
We have to keep abreast with technology. So does it cause any
|
|
problems with hearing aids?"
|
|
|
|
"Well, you understand, if you have a system as advanced as this
|
|
one, it's bound to cause some conflict on the radio frequency
|
|
spectr.... Yes."
|
|
|
|
"Well, that's okay, got to join up with the Global Village, you
|
|
know... How about pacemakers? Any problems?"
|
|
|
|
"Any problems? No, no. Well, not many. You just need to keep
|
|
away from people who have them, that's all."
|
|
|
|
"But obviously if you do happen to cause any problems, you can always
|
|
call for an ambulance, can't you. Well, I don't see any problem with
|
|
this. Welcome aboard."
|
|
|
|
(*) Actually, this came from an idea by Brian Smith.
|
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Hey, guess what? If you thought you were
|
|
going to read here that you can get TCWF
|
|
back-issues by ftp, and for information
|
|
on that, email tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu, then
|
|
you are completely wrong.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Copyright (c) 1994 Daniel Bowen. May be freely distributed without
|
|
profit provided no modifications are made.
|
|
--
|
|
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia--| Toxic Custard. All opinions
|
|
Work: dbowen@vcomtelc.telecom.com.au| expressed here are entirely my
|
|
Play: dbowen@gnu.ai.mit.edu---------| own responsibility, and not
|
|
TCWF: tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu-----------| linked to the CIA one little bit.
|
|
|
|
Daniel's definition of Heaven: A triple-chocolate Pop Tart, a glass
|
|
of milk, and the consumer electronics pages of a Myer catalogue.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
"The Shorter Toxic Custard"
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||| ||| | | |||| ||| ||| | | | | | Toxic Custard
|
|
| | | | | | | || | | | Workshop Files
|
|
| | | | | ||| | | || | | | Number 214
|
|
..|....|||..|.|..|.......|||..|||.|..|.|...|.....29th.August.1994....
|
|
|
|
TOXIC HISTORY OF THE WORLD
|
|
Part 12 of a multitude
|
|
|
|
79 AD
|
|
Pompeii and Herculaneum are destroyed in the premature eruption of
|
|
Vesuvius. Pompeii goes on to become Number One in the "Top Ten
|
|
Cities Covered By Volcanic Ash That Archaeologists Like To Bore
|
|
People To Death By Talking About At Parties". Herculaneum, on the
|
|
other hand, fades into obscurity.
|
|
|
|
82
|
|
Agricola, governor of Britain, attempts conquest of Scotland. He
|
|
fails utterly, gives up his governorship, and goes back to Rome to
|
|
market a new kind of black coloured fizzy drink.
|
|
|
|
93
|
|
Trajan goes shopping in the International Annexing Mall, stopping
|
|
by the Imperialism Boutique and picking up Dacia (modern Romania)
|
|
and Mesopotamia to add to the Roman Empire Collection Of Invaded
|
|
States.
|
|
|
|
117
|
|
Hadrian tries to keep barbarians wearing skirts out of Roman
|
|
territories by building fortifications, including a 70-mile-long
|
|
wall (Hadrian's Wall). The most incredible feat in its construction
|
|
was convincing the builders that he wasn't joking. "You want us to
|
|
build WHAT?!"
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
How many keys do you use to unlock your door? Two or more? How is
|
|
it even though it's something we do every day of every year -
|
|
unlocking the door - we fumble with the keys and nearly always get
|
|
them mixed up? Mine are even colour coded for God's sake. Green and
|
|
purple. Couldn't be more different. And yet my brain works this out
|
|
so slowly that I've almost forced the green one into the purple one's
|
|
lock before I realise that it isn't going to fit.
|
|
And just when I've got the lock/key relationships figured out, I
|
|
have trouble with the clockwise/anti-clockwise choices. "Turn, turn,
|
|
hey, it's stuck, oh bugger, I turned it the wrong way again, didn't
|
|
I."
|
|
Maybe I should get a sign for the door to discourage burglars.
|
|
Something like "Not even the people who live here can open this door.
|
|
And they've got the keys."
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
It has been exclusively revealed to Toxic Custard that the
|
|
Government will shortly introduce a toll for being boring. Under the
|
|
plan, boring people found being boring in the company of other, more
|
|
interesting people, would be fined $20. Sources in the government say
|
|
that the plan would encourage people to lead more interesting lives,
|
|
and to switch from, say, stamp collecting, to Antarctic scuba-diving.
|
|
It will also have a productivity benefit, with less people falling
|
|
asleep during the day because they have to listen to whatsisface
|
|
talking about double-entry bookkeeping again.
|
|
In order to work out who should pay the fine, government Interest
|
|
Inspectors will scour the land, looking for such obvious signs of
|
|
boredom as discussing subclause B of *anything*, wearing grey suits
|
|
with grey ties, reading Jeffrey Archer novels on the train, and
|
|
arguing about the plural of agendum.
|
|
"Oh no, really Inspector. I'm very interesting, really. I know
|
|
I'm reading the Financial Review, but it was all they had left. Look,
|
|
I'm sure I've got something interesting in my brief case. Train
|
|
timetables? No? Ummm.. packed lunch? Hey, what's that... no, wait!
|
|
Someone planted this Thesaurus on me, honest!"
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
I think that all of us can look back on our lives... and remember
|
|
some truly stupid idiotic things that we have done over the years.
|
|
Things that make us cringe now.
|
|
Sometimes they're things that you realise straight away are just
|
|
*stupid*. Those are the worst. Where ten seconds later you find
|
|
yourself thinking "why did I do that? Why?! I didn't have to do that.
|
|
If I'd have just... instead. It was so easily avoided. Is there any
|
|
way I can undo it?" I hate those ones. I prefer it when it's several
|
|
years (if not decades) before you fully comprehend your past
|
|
stupidity. At least then you don't even entertain the thought that
|
|
you can do anything to reverse it now.
|
|
This isn't leading to anything. If you think I'm telling all of
|
|
you about the stupid things I've done, you've got another thing
|
|
coming.
|
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Your eyes have just been feasting on
|
|
another issue of Toxic Custard. If they
|
|
would care to tuck in to dessert, a
|
|
beautifully presented course of back-
|
|
issues, with optional side dressing,
|
|
then you may care to jump towards your
|
|
nearest ftp session. For full details,
|
|
email tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Copyright (c) 1994 Daniel Bowen. May be freely distributed without
|
|
profit provided no modifications are made.
|
|
--
|
|
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia--| All opinions expressed here
|
|
Work: dbowen@vcomtelc.telecom.com.au| are entirely my own responsibility.
|
|
Play: dbowen@gnu.ai.mit.edu---------| No aliens have taken control of
|
|
TCWF: tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu-----------| my mind. Well, not lately.
|
|
|
|
VERY BAD ONE LINER LOOKING FOR A HOME:
|
|
"Steam engines have tender relationships"
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
"Toothless Toxic Custard"
|
|
|
|
|
|
MORON PRODUCTIONS presents a MEGATHICK production
|
|
in association with MCCAULIFFE EXPLOSIVES CORPORATION
|
|
a file by DANIEL F BOWEN "TOXIC CUSTARD WORKSHOP FILES 215"
|
|
co-producer CHOCOLATE editor DANIEL F BOWEN co-producer
|
|
MARTIN D OMNISPLAT production designed ARNOLD ELKSQUASH
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know those times when you stagger out the door and your
|
|
personal grooming isn't *quite* up to the standard that it should be?
|
|
Perhaps it happens once in a blue moon; perhaps it's once a month,
|
|
perhaps it's every day.
|
|
It might only be one little thing that you haven't done. Say, you
|
|
haven't brushed your teeth. But as you close the door behind you, the
|
|
little pangs of guilt rise and flutter around your mind. And you
|
|
start to wonder if people will notice. Will people openly mock you in
|
|
the street for not having brushed your teeth? Or will they back away
|
|
in disgust as you breathe at them? Does it smell that bad?
|
|
Those little pangs are perfectly capable of convincing your
|
|
overly-paranoid brain that until you rectify the teeth situation,
|
|
everyone you meet will personally ring up your dentist to inform him
|
|
or her of your sins. And what happens if the pangs get their way?
|
|
Well, let's put it this way: I have been halfway to the station on my
|
|
way to work before deciding to turn back and embrace the Colgate
|
|
Fluoriguard.
|
|
Because when it comes down to it, you can't let dentists get any
|
|
incriminating evidence. They're sadistic even when you think you've
|
|
been *good*, having brushed your teeth for at least five minutes,
|
|
twenty-seven times a day. "Dear me Mr Bowen, you've really been
|
|
letting go here. Look at those gums, deary deary me. You don't really
|
|
want false teeth do you?"
|
|
Doctors don't behave like this. You don't generally hear from the
|
|
doctor that "Dear me Mr Bowen, you are turning into a fat bastard,
|
|
aren't you. So, you're aiming for a heart attack and blood pressure,
|
|
are you?"
|
|
Mind you, dentists are actually paid to abuse you. They rarely do
|
|
any actual work on your teeth. This continues a noble tradition. The
|
|
word "dentist" is actually derived from the Latin word dentistum,
|
|
which means "sadistic abusive maniac in white jacket who drives a
|
|
Mercedes".
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
TOXIC HISTORY OF THE WORLD
|
|
Part 13 of a great number
|
|
|
|
162 AD
|
|
A little known Roman, known as Accumulas, invents a new kind of bet
|
|
that he calls the "Accumulator". He wagers that during his
|
|
lifetime, the Empire will be ravaged by plague, that many generals
|
|
will be made Emperor, and that hoards of foreign tourists will
|
|
invade.
|
|
|
|
164-180
|
|
Plagues ravage Roman and Chinese empires. Accumulas celebrates by
|
|
getting far too drunk.
|
|
|
|
180
|
|
Century of war and disorder begins for Rome, during which a
|
|
succession of generals are made emperors by troops in their pay.
|
|
Accumulas shouts everyone within shouting distance a drink.
|
|
Perpetual invasions by Franks, Goths, Parthians, Vandals and
|
|
Huns follow. The Huns are ruthless fighters; the Vandals are
|
|
destructive maniacs; the Parthians are merciless tyrants; the Goths
|
|
are lumbering brutes; and the Franks are hordes of men with
|
|
clipboards, and pens in their shirt pockets, all called Frank.
|
|
|
|
203
|
|
Accumulas claims his enormous payout, but is unfortunately killed
|
|
just afterwards when he gets in the way of an invading army.
|
|
|
|
226
|
|
Artaxerxes founds new dynasty in Persia. He has many of his people
|
|
executed, most of them for their awkward attempts to proclaim "Long
|
|
Live Artaxerxes!"
|
|
|
|
284
|
|
Diocletian, the only Roman Emperor to have gone on a management
|
|
course, re-organises the Roman empire with two joint emperors and
|
|
two subordinate emperors. He also forms the Roman Empire Steering
|
|
Committee, organises regular persecution reviews, and institutes a
|
|
weekly co-facilitated meeting, during which both the Christians and
|
|
lions are able to air their views, before eating each other.
|
|
|
|
312
|
|
Constantine defeats his joint emperor in the West, Maxentius, and
|
|
goes solo.
|
|
|
|
313
|
|
Constantine legalises Christianity, and later makes it the State
|
|
religion. Constantine's brother later becomes the first person to
|
|
be charged with insider trading, after making a healthy profit on
|
|
shares in the local bible making company.
|
|
|
|
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
|
|
|
THING PART 14
|
|
====================
|
|
|
|
JEFF: I'm sure you could find some kind of job if you just put your
|
|
mind to it.
|
|
|
|
RON: Like what?
|
|
|
|
JEFF: Well, what are you good at? What skills do you have?
|
|
|
|
RON: I don't know.
|
|
|
|
JEFF: You don't know? Do you know anything? Did you go through
|
|
eight years of schooling and not remember anything about it?
|
|
|
|
RON: Well it all went hazy after that day I walked into the wrong
|
|
toilet one lunchtime and was persuaded to smoke certain
|
|
substances.
|
|
|
|
JEFF: What kind of substances?
|
|
|
|
RON: I don't remember. In fact, the only thing that I do remember
|
|
is that I don't remember. And that's all I remember about
|
|
school. That, the mortar bomb incident, and the time I
|
|
inadvertently found myself leading a skinhead protest to the
|
|
principal's office.
|
|
|
|
JEFF: So have you considered applying for leadership of the Liberal
|
|
party?
|
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Your brain has been feasting on the latest
|
|
issue of Toxic Custard. If you would care
|
|
to enjoy a Toxic Custard dessert, back-
|
|
issues are available by ftp. Email
|
|
tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu for details
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Copyright (c) 1994 Daniel Bowen. May be freely distributed without
|
|
profit provided no modifications are made.
|
|
--
|
|
Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia--| All opinions expressed here
|
|
Work: dbowen@vcomtelc.telecom.com.au| are entirely my own responsibility.
|
|
Play: dbowen@gnu.ai.mit.edu---------| Evil scientists have not planted
|
|
TCWF: tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu-----------| these thoughts into my mind.
|
|
|
|
According to my diary the next blue moon is on October 7th.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
the Toxic Custard Workshop Files by Daniel Bowen, Melbourne, Australia
|
|
|
|
Copyright (c) 1994 Daniel Bowen. May be freely distributed
|
|
without profit provided this notice remains intact.
|
|
|
|
For subscription and back-issue information, contact tcwf@gnu.ai.mit.edu
|