💾 Archived View for gemini.spam.works › mirrors › textfiles › messages › BACKWATER › bw841126.txt captured on 2022-06-12 at 15:50:22.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
2 ******************* INSTALLED: 26 NOV 84 ********************************
3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System) Mike Day System operator
4 *************************************************************************
5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
6 PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
9 No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
10 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
11 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
12 To leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
13 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
14 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
15 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
16 Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
17 ************************************************************
18 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
19 I BELIEVE THE COMMENT IS "AT THE TOP!"
20 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
21 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""POOH BEAR""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
22
23
24 "#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"
25
SAMMY TWIT WAS HERE!!!
26 2#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"#"
27 WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE MESSAGES. HAS THE SYSTEM BEEN PURGED?
28 && && &&
29 It does look that way...
30 MiG: does he drive worse than I do? At least I've never run anyone over...
31 (I think.)
32 && && &&
33 The Poet was having trouble hanging on to his perceptions. Things started out in three dimensions, alright, but
34 what appeared to be natural lines rapidly shifted before his eyes into crystalline fractal shapes extending off
35 into the n-dimensional spaces of this reality. Perhaps extending into realities beyond. Strange, he thought, it
36 usually takes at least half an evening's drinking before things look like this... A buzzing grew insistently in his
37 ears, rising to an agonizing level as he raised his gaze to the sky and saw slicing through the unseen spaces...
38 "The golden Eagle!" The words exploded from him, startling his companions (whose attention was somewhere else
39 entirely). They were less startled, but more disturbed, when he then stiffened and keeled over onto the Piper.
40 && The Mad Actor &&
41 <+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>
42 Dear MIG:
43 According to her last entery, Kathy also asked for some hints on
44 ZORK.
45 ASP.
46 <+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>+<+>
47 GOODNESS! Drive B only has 461 lines on it, and it's already been demoted.
48 I guess Mikey must be planning on being OUT for a while?
49 _innocent bysitter_
50 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY
51 I have come across a rather bizarre catalog. It's for the SOF EXCHANGE.
52 Among the knives, guns, camo fatigues, etc they have slogan T-shirts.
53 A list follows:
54 Peace through Superior Firepower
55 Death Rides a Pale Horse
56 Special Forces - Living by chance, Loving by choice, Killing by profession
57 Marines - Let me win your hearts and minds or I'll burn your damn huts down
58 Participant Southeast Asia Wargames - 2nd place
59 Visit Lebanon, Help a Syrian meet Allah
60 (backed with: "Hey, we just stepped in some Shiite.")
61 Grenada: When you care enough to send the very best
62 Communism is CONTRA-Banned
63 C.A.T.T. - Central America Training Team
64
65 (Pity, they don't have my all-time favorite: Kill 'em all, let God sort
66 'em out)
67 Ian MacHinery
68 RYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRYRY
69 ::::::::::::::O O::::::::::::11/26::::::::::20:41::::::::::::O O::::::::::
70 Ian: bring that along to PorSFiS Saturday (Yes boys & girls, it happens
71 again this Saturday at the Mult. Cnty. Library at 2 PM); I'd like to
72 take a look at it. Some of those T-shirts tickle my fancy (I won't say
73 which ones, I'm not in the mood to defend myself against hordes of angry
74 whatevers here).
75 And if you happen to have any extra archive disks by then......?
76 And by the way - are you related to Francis X. MacHinery? Your position
77 as head of the Network and his as hereditary head of the FBI are somewhat
78 similar. (name that 'tune'...)
79 Given the presence of a certain party, do you suppose it would be a good
80 time to pick up on our McKane story again? (Where it left off, of course..)
81 babble babble babble babble babble babble babble babble babble babble babble
82 oooops! I mean
83 :::::::::::::::::O O:::::::::::::::voyeur:::::::::::::::O O::::::::::::::
84 Voyeur: I have on good authority that Ian's branch of the family was
85 disowned by Francis's branch (something about selling the Jupiter Bridge..)
86 As for archive disks, I should have 2 - 3 boxes of them back by Sat.
87 (& yes, I'm sure Mr. MacHinery will bring the catalog)
88 L'homme: As for archive disks, for any sessions after the current one,
89 could you put files FOUR (4) to a disk? And in *ORDER*?
90 _____________________________Leonard_______________________________________
91 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
92 So there we were levitated above the floor of the citadel by a glorious
93 ring of light. This is the feeling I h
ad always associated with the
94 phrase "gyre and gimble in the wabe." Except that we were wafting over a
95 sea of little rotund creatures who, no longer lulled by the music, were
96 baring their cute little fangs. Milchar scouted out possible exits through
97 time, space, and whatever other dimensions he commands.
98 (pause for switch to present tense.)
99 Suddenly the tide of globuloids is galvanized into quivering attention. A
100 large unhappy creature strides into the hall with a retinue of wide-eyed
101 smurfs. They fear him. He despises them. The more they try to please
102 him, the more he holds them in contempt. The Blue Demon is bored with his
103 conquest of this cuddly horde and if there were an easy way to do it, he
104 would casually annihilate them. This is sad, but we have our own problems
105 to consider.
106 Blue Demon has seen us. He smiles. Company, at last. A challenge. Fresh
107 meat. He seats himself in a lush chair and smugly awaits the dissipation
108 of our spell. We swim about helplessly as Milchar thumbs through his spell
109 collection muttering, 2here is pellxszfaalert189:0phgtirirowpw@
110
111 muttering "where is spell alert when youneed him ?
112 (This is not a code)
113 We dropped to the ground at Blue Demon's feet just as Milchar yelled,
114 "Of course, of course, we knew it all along!"
115 "Thank you, my little pilgrims, for collecting all the parts of the neck-
116 lace for me," simpered Blue Demon and put his huge hand around
117 Milchar's neck."
118 Knew what all along?
119 UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU Lila UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
120
121 ***********************************************************************
122 I'm slightly disapointed, I had hoped to find some helpfull hints so
123 i could dtop tearing my hair out when sitting down at adventure again.
124 Zork is worse, I have managed to get the painting upstairs, and kill
125 the troll, not much else. help!!! but what did I find? what I expected
126 a new disk. I think there is a cure for the smurfs and a way to get the
127 smurfs to go against "papa". but I'm not telling!! Ill be baccck later
128 with another "thrilling" chapter.
129 *********************************kathy************************************
130 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?/
131 Wasp:White Anglo Saxon... My country is the U.S., my aftershave is blitz
132 dark, my computer, SV328. My skin colour? depends on how much welding I do.
133 I have yet to find a Vic-20 user who doesn't have a better machine, write a
134 decent program. Nor have I seen one who enjoys his Vic-20 ever input any-
135 thing of great import. Any Vic-20 lovers out there care to disprove me?
136 Asp:Oops! thanks for setting me forward.
137 CDP:EEK! what an enjoyable evening, lets do it again sometime? We can get
138 into more and better Microcode.
139 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ~ ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?/MiG/? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?/
140 *************************************************************************
141 HMMMMMM
142 **********************.**************************************************
143 As we speak, Leo and Ontho are circling the northern wasteland of
144 Iceland watching for strange things that go "FLASH" in the night, err
145 or day, depends..
146 **************************************************************************
147
148 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
149 >> ALL ALLOWED << Wow, that's a change... I guess a couple of people
150 have had a change of thinking.
151 Prometheus: Would you happen to be one of the people that got to see a
152 private showing of `Star Trek III...' at ten o'clock the day it opened
153 at the JB Cinema? I was there also...
154 Voyeur: Since you were the last to bring up PorSFiS, is its meeting a
155 regular occurance?
156 And is the M.C.L. you mentioned the one downtown?
157
158 Yarn Weavers of The INN: Is it just my imagination, or is there more than
159 one person sharing the by-line to the same story? Every time I read another
160 installment of what seems to be the same story, there's a different name pinned
161 to the bottom line of it all. [` I'm so confused! ']
162 The Doctor: Does the name Lady Romanadvoratrelunder mean anything? If not
163 then it would be pointless to ask: Which re-generation?
164 To all: The young Master West should be on his way soon as probably only a
165 weekly installment from here on; I still need to consider alternate paths.
166 Three cheers for poetic license!
167 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ --->Sondargaard ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
168
169 ***************************************************************************
170 FYI: SONDARGAARD, YES IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE STORY CURRENTLY
171 EMPLOYING SMURFS, BLUE MEANIES ACTUALLY AND SOME 3/5 CARDS? I PERSONALLY
172 AM NOT INVOLVED WITH THAT ADVENTURE, BUT SEVERAL OTHERS ARE.
173 ***************************************.***********************************
174 Meanwhille back at the "ranch", Alex is starring up into the night
175 sky, giving his thoughts to the air. He had grown quite attached to Leo
176 and hoped she would endure the mission well. He could console himself in
177 knowing he passed on his knowledge to her with the best of his ablities.
178 And her test would also be his test of teaching. Sigh.. As he turned and
179 walked back to the shelter, he meet the old woman who offered her support.
180 No words were exchanged, but they clasp hands and went inside.
181 The sun was beginning to break and Leo wiped her eyes with the inside
182 of her mitten. the deck of the disk was covered with a fine coat of ice
183 that made moving about quite dangerous. Ontho was stirring too. Looks like
184 both of them had fallen asleep on the job. (tsk tsk!)
185 ***************************kathy********************************************
186 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
187 Milchar & Co. -- sorry I've not had time to contribute much lately, but
188 I'm up on a deadline at work (known as 16 hr days, 7-day weeks).
189 I'll try to help more when I can. Keep it going -- it's a pretty good
190 adventure so far!
191 pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
192 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
193 I barely had enough time. I yelled, "NARTQ RLOOJF!" A small ball of light appeared in my right hand, and I threw it
194 at the beast and ducked.
195 The ball travelled in a long arc, then decended down into the beast's eyes. The ball disappeared, but from the look of
196 the demon he wasn't too happy about what had happened to him. A brilliant light that close to his eyes had blinded him
197 temporarily. #Let's regroup, and plan out our defense from this thing. I have a small idea, but I'd like to hear
198 from the rest of you first. He'll be busy with trying to see for a little while.#
199 I looked about and tried to see what else existed here besides a huge demon and more crystal. Hmm... the citidel
200 was much more close to us now than before. And the little blue things were nowhere to be seen, although they could be
201 heard (to the west). I realized just how tired I was after all this effort. #How about we find a good spot to rest
202 for a while, after we get a good distance from this thing?#
203 +++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 06:47am / 11/27/84 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
204 ::::::::::::::::O O::::::::::11/27::::::::::08:19::::::::::::::O O:::::::::
205 Sondgaard: correct on both counts. PorSFiS is the Portland Science Fiction
206 Society, and meets every other Saturday at 2 PM at the Multnomah County Library
207 downtown on 10th. It is also an informal BackWater meeting (see what strange
208 faces lurk behind these even stranger personas). And Yes, some of the stories
209 here are multi-authored. The one about the smurfs is being written in
210 various amounts by Milchar, bard, piper, Lila, L'homme.
211 Kathy: West from the Troll room is the maze. Gather up all the junk you can
212 carry, then enter. Drop a piece in each room, then start mapping
213 (which way(s) can I go in each room - N,S,E,W,NE,NW,SE,SW,U,D). It takes
214 a while, but there are at least three reasons to figure out the maze.
215 :::::::::::::::O O:::::::::::::::::voyeur::::::::::::::O O:::::::::::::::
216 { ^+/* ---------------- ^+/* ---------------- */+^ ---------------- */+^ }
217 "Sometimes this place is like an oak tree in summer." Mez mumbled to no
218 one in particular.
219 "That doesn't make any sense at all", remarked the person with long
220 silver hair at a nearby table, "I don't suppose you'd care to explain?"
221 "Easy, there may be 'twittering at the top' but there's a great deal of
222 substance beneath, however, not all of it is readily visible."
223 "Oh, talking in riddles again, right?"
224 "Not at all, it's just that things are not always what they seem."
225 "Perhaps you might give a few examples. Would that be possible?"
226 "I'm afraid not, but there is a story that comes to mind that might
227 clear up the point a bit.
228
229 Once, in the days when craftsmanship flowered, there was a tinsmith, a
230 man of strength and character. Daily he worked at his trade, turning out
231 items that were both beautiful and functional. His work was in great demand
232 and there were few households in town that didn't have at least one utensil
233 made by this fine craftsman. His scope of vision extended beyond work, and
234 he could not help but notice the repressive conditions created by the people
235 in positions of political power. A great number of folks were little more
236 than slaves, taxed heavily to provide comforts for the rulers, and few
237 freedoms they could call their own. The efforts of the tinsmith to rectify
238 these conditions did not go unnoticed, he was thrown in jail.
239 As time went by the jailers became fond of the tinsmith and permitted
240 him to have a prayer rug, woven by his wife. One day when he was talking
241 with the jailers he said, "Perhaps you are aware that I am a metal craftsman,
242 and a good one at that. If you would bring me materials and tools I will
243 fashion artifacts. You can take these items to the market and sell them, thus
244 we can all profit from this miserable situation."
245 His keepers, being somewhat greedy, agreed to bring the tools and other
246 items requested. He fashioned many beautiful things. These were sold by the
247 jailers and the profits divided, although not very evenly. One day when the
248 jailers returned from the market they found the jail unlocked and the
249 tinsmith gone.
250 Our story moves forward to another time and place. The one time tinsmith
251 is now the leader of a large following, a group called the 'designers'. One
252 of the new arrivals to the group is inquiring how the name came to be.
253 "It's from a time when I was imprisoned for my beliefs. My wife went to
254 the person who had fashioned the locks on the jail and obtained the details
255 of the design. She then wove these into a prayer rug, at the very place where
256 my head would rest, during my daily prayers. Once I recognized the design for
257 what it was I fashioned a plan for escape. Under a ruse I persuaded my
258 jailers to bring tools and materials. From these I fashioned a key and made
259 my escape. That is how I came to be free, to form this group."
260 { ^+/* --------------- The Mesolithic Mathematician --------------- */+^ }
261
262
263 /{body}amp;!)_%&#)_&^_)#&!)_&_!&%+_!)#*&%_)&!#^_)&)_@$^&$)_&@)_#&%^@)_&^_@&_+@#&^_@)^
264 Lila:Is it safe to assume that you found the elusive 'key' that unlocks so
265 many 'important' things? Things to be treasured, and not ignored. Things
266 that require constant attention, without distractions from cross-country
267 truckers hell-bent of self-destruction. In as much as we try to survive
268 this world in which we live, conditions sometimes warrant extreme action
269 that may go against the first edict of survival. Self-preservation
270 is a strong force, but in preserving pain and suffering, is anything
271 really accomplished?
272 Leonard:And what else would you like sir, the proverbial eggs in your beer?
273 I have all the new archives on PCDOS disks now. I will delete the headers
274 for you, but the ordering of the files will remain as random as wheat
275 thrown 'gainst the wind. That could change however, if the man who is
276 responsible for the xfer of text files from machine to machine, namely
277 one voyeur, can be convinced to copy the files in order. Four files per
278 disk can be handled iff (not a typo, check you math texts) four files
279 fit. We try to please the customers here at Archive Center East, as long
280 as it doesn't mean too much trouble for us.
281 Kathy:Do you still need hints on getting the pirate's treasure chest? As for
282 Zork, voyeur can be a great aid. He recently stumbled through it, and
283 according to rumor, achieved all 350 points. His hints and clues will
284 I am sure be cleverly worded, to avoid giving too much away, unlike the
285 clods who reside on the CBBS systems.
286 PC&S'ers et all : So what exciting things are we going to do the Saturday?
287 I can't stand another early breakup like we had two weeks ago. I need
288 a break from my books. One can only take so much studying before the
289 words and numbers merge into one indistinguishable mass of jejune
290 abstraction.
291 *)_#*@)_%*@#)_%*@#_)*#@_)%*@#)_%*@ L'homme sans Parity *&#)_@*%)_*)_%*)_%@#*%
292
293 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
294 Not to go overboard on the current BUCKAROO BANZAI fascination,
295 I think the unindoctrinated should know just a little about it before they
296 go. Namely, yes there is somewhat of a comic book format to it, but also
297 that the director of the movie has been writing BANZAI stories for years,
298 which may tend to leave a few bases uncovered, such as...
299 *you kind of get a STAR WARS feeling about some of the characters because
300 sometimes there may be a reference to an individuals past or his character
301 trait. No problem, except they don't get back to it to tell you what was
302 so funny about the reference.
303 *And since he's been writing the stories for so long,(a matter of YEARS of
304 unpublished material,) some of the background is lost as to how some of the
305 characters actually developed.(Sorry, kid. That first screenplay don't cut it)
306 *And the last point is this; you might get the feeling that if it were a book
307 that you somehow read chapter five before you got to chapter two. (What?)
308 But don't let this sway you away, BUCKAROO BANZAI is a terrific show, and I
309 wouldn't miss it.
310 (I'm not too biased because I'm a projectionist at a Portland movie house,
311 but a good movie is a good movie...)
312 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ --->Sondargaard ^^^^^^^^^^
313
314 oh yea! More often the case is that the viewer isn't sophisticated enough
315 to tie loose ends together, and make coherence out of chaos. The general
316 public can`t take a complex movie, digest it, and come out feeling secure
317 in the knowledge that they 'understood' the film. Why are movies like ET
318 so popular, while films with real meaning and deep understatement like
319 'The Last Metro' go un-noticed, except for the intellectual set? It is a sad
320 day when movie directors must simplify plots and characters to keep producers
321 rolling in money from moronic masses in movie houses. How many good films
322 could have been great, if they hadn't been Americanized? For a society that
323 considers itself sophisticated, we sure could learn much from our European
324 neighbors. Foreign film directors are the last bastion of intelligence in
325 the movie theater. Without their input in the form of foreign films, what
326 a wasteland the movie industry would be. The few renegade American directors
327 who flush the Hollywood mentality all have been influenced by past and
328 present foreign directors. Without these kindred souls who still believe
329 movie making is an art, and not an industry solely bent on the almighty
330 dollar, the only thing of substance coming out of Hollywood would be the
331 NO SMOKING commercials. Save the dying breed of intelligent film makers.
332 Voice your opinion, support your position. If you revel in the carnage of
333 Friday the 13th part 2^5, then take no heed; but if your are a truly
334 concerned film goer, show your support in the best way possible, at the
335 box office.
336 A FILM FAN.
337
338 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
339 This will be a joint entry, the Doctor is sitting here cracking poor jokes as I type this. I am trying to convince him
340 to come to thee next PorSFiS, would any of you help me?
341 ++++++++++++++
342 L'homme; what progress? I haven't your working plot routine or the time to finish it anyway. I still have to do 2
343 late AP english assignments. I did talk to Tom about Saturday, I think he will hire someone else soon if my situation
344 doesn't change. Oh, well. Anyway, I can go.
345 +++++++++++++++
346 Haven't anything to enter for the adventure right now...
347 ????????????????
348 The Doctor and K-9 were STILL trying to fix the Dimensional Stabilizer floating around in E-Space (Pick a time, ANY
349 time!!). While rummaging through a pile of misc. items looking for a certain replacement part, he comes upon a strange
350 device..."Banzai Oscillation Overthruster...good idea, bad design. I'll have to have a talk with him. After all my
351 teachings and he still can't get it right." The Doctor chucks the 'thruster away. Just then a sudden jolt strikes the
352 Tardis. "What the...K-9, what's going on?" 'Master. We are being pulled somewhere by a force registering 610.4 on
353 the Umu scale.' "Damn that Milchar! I'm going to rip up those #%