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001=Usr:0 Null User 06/30/87 20:34 Msg:0 Call:0 Lines:19
1$If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
2$************************* 19 NOV 90 **************************************
3$Welcome to BWMS II (BackWater Message System II) Mike Day System operator
4$**************************************************************************
5@GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS II IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
6@ PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
7@BWMS II was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS II is a privately
8@owned and operated system which is currently open for use by the general
9@public. No restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the
10@system is privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all
11@messages which I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the
12@system, it will be periodically purged of messages (only 999 lines of data
13@can be saved). To leave a message, type 'ENTER'. Use ctrl/C to get out
14@the ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering
15@the message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to
16@replace the line. To exit from the system, type 'BYE' then hang up.
17@Type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
18@**************************************************************************
19@
002=Usr:1 CISTOP MIKEY 11/18/90 00:59 Msg:5669 Call:32126 Lines:6
20 And while the great and wise decay,
21 And all their trophies pass away,
22 Some sudden thought, some careless rhyme,
23 Still floats above the wrecks of time.
24 - William E.H. Lecky
25 ************************************************************************
003=Usr:13 voyeur 11/18/90 02:57 Msg:5670 Call:32127 Lines:1
26 ::::::O O:::::11/19/90::::::::::::voyeur:::::::::::::::02:10:44:::::::O O::::::
004=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 11/19/90 14:36 Msg:5673 Call:32146 Lines:38
27 &*&*&*&*'s
28 Well, looks like somebody needs to get this disk roling. To bad I missed
29 being at the top.
30
31 I guess I'll fill space with twin peaks musings. First, Its a great show.
32 They've had some bad episodes, but only two that I can remember. Not
33 bad, as that means they have managed to be atleast good in 14 out of 16
34 hours (The two season premiers were two hours each.)
35
36 Now, You all may have noticed that the ratings have been droping. Heres
37 some thoughts as to why this is happening.
38
39 1. The show is to bloody complex for most people. I've seen many posts
40 in alt.tv.twin-peaks flaming the show, that later turned out to be silly
41 because people just didn't understand what was going on.
42
43 2. It isn't like anything else on TV. People have come to expect certain
44 things. For the most part, these things never come to pass. This drives
45 many people nuts. They don't like it when things don't go by the rules
46 that they understand. Makes them feel stupid, and TV has long been in the
47 business of making everyone feel like a genius.
48
49 3. It isn't a happy show. The characters are not perfect, and very bad
50 things happen to them. After Maddys death, I wasn't at all happy with
51 the show. I still don't like the fact that it happened, but I'm
52 begining to get an idea of where things are going, and it all fits in
53 rather well. I'd say that Donna is going to have some interesting times
54 soon.
55
56 That covers most of my ideas as to reasons. It makes me laugh everytime
57 I see a critic put down twin peaks. They are obviosly missing about
58 half of what is going on. Oh, I'm not sure anybody under then age of
59 16 should be allowed to see this show. Of course, chances are they wouldn't
60 understand most of it anyway.
61
62 An Astral Dreamer (You can't understand the show if you ain't read the diary)
63 &*&*&*&*'s
64
005=Usr:322 Stray Cat 11/20/90 10:16 Msg:5675 Call:32163 Lines:24
65@**********************
66@
67@Interesting developments on Ballot Measure 5, huh???
68@
69@I was looking for a number in the phone book and just happened to turn to the
70@Ms, and the Mor's more specifically, and the word MORFORD came to mind, so
71@I looked I see there's a Mark Morford there, he's a lawyer and noticed he
72@was with Stoel Rives Boley .... This morning I was wondering who all these
73@lawyers on the school board are and find that Stephen Griffith is with the
74@same law firm. I thought that was real interesting.
75@
76@Philip Morford is the one, you remember, who got the last minute, MIDNIGHT,
77@reprieve that enabled him to destroy houses in NW Portland before the
78@neighborhood could do anything about it ... the one that wants to "gentrify"
79@NW Portland.
80@
81@Well there's a Gerald Morford in the Personnel Dept. who is reputed to keep
82@a second, secret, negative file on employees in a dept. called EMPLOYEE
83@RELATIONS. He often acts as an "impartial" hearings officer at employee
84@grievance hearings ... I've heard he likes to humiliate victims by asking
85@trick questions. But that's only a rumor.
86@
87@***********************
88@
006=Usr:417 Chemo Sabe 11/21/90 11:44 Msg:5676 Call:32185 Lines:9
89 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
90
91 Why in the world are there THREE west side board members (of a total of
92 seven) when there are only two west side high schools (used to be THREE)
93 and thereby two CLUSTER areas, when there are SEVEN high schools on
94 the east side (FIVE cluster areas). Two board members live in NW Portland.
95
96 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
97
007=Usr:322 Stray Cat 11/21/90 13:30 Msg:5678 Call:32188 Lines:48
98@}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}
99@
100@THE ANIMALS IN THAT COUNTRY
101@
102@In that country the animals
103@have the faces of people:
104@
105@the ceremonial
106@cats possessing the streets
107@
108@the fox run
109@politely to earth, the huntsmen
110@standing around him, fixed
111@in their tapestry of manners
112@
113@the bull, embroidered
114@with blood and given
115@an elegant death, trumpets, his name
116@stamped on him, heraldic brand
117@because
118@
119@(when he rolled
120@on the sand, sword in his heart, the teeth
121@in his blue mouth were human)
122@
123@he really is a man
124@
125@even the wolves, holding resonant
126@conversations in their
127@forests thickened with legend.
128@
129@ In this country the animals
130@ have the faces of animals.
131@
132@ Their eyes
133@ flash once in the headlights
134@ and are gone.
135@
136@ Their deaths are not elegant.
137@
138@ The have the faces of
139@ no-one.
140@
141@ By Margaret Atwood
142@ From ANIMALS IN THAT COUNTRY
143@
144@Sorry, no time to proof!!
145@
008=Usr:11 L'homme sans Par 11/22/90 13:30 Msg:5681 Call:32208 Lines:35
146 *%)@#*%#(_)(!$)#@(%_(*@#$%*@_)$%(@#_)%(@#_%$@#%(*@#%^*_@*#%_@*%*@(%@%(@(@%@%@
147 AD: I agree with your thoughts on why TP in slipping in the ratings. Just like
148 the education system, the government, the news papers, and and endless stream
149 of crap we are subjected to, *everything* is geared towards the average
150 citizen, which of course doesn't exist. But the people really affected by
151 this targeting of material are those farthest away from the Norm. Smart kids
152 and slow kids suffer in school. Everyone suffers because politicians are too
153 busy playing politics, people get their news from television talking-head
154 news readers, and Twin Peaks falls in the ratings because the majority of
155 people would rather watch safe television like Cosby or Head of the Class
156 or Wheel of Fortune. It's Ok for people to watch stuff like that, but what
157 I object to is the constant weight of the so-called average majority stifling
158 creative projects like Twin Peaks. TP makes people think, makes people sad,
159 makes people mad, and makes people wonder. Another thing the show uses is
160 this strange technique used a great deal in some books and some movies, but
161 seen once a decade on television : symbolism. Things represent concepts,
162 ideas, or objects that go beyond simple identification. One must think
163 when one watches TP as to what one is *really* seeing. What does the
164 traffic light mean? What impending doom do the swaying trees and the howling
165 wind signify? What do the dreams mean, above and beyond the obvious? All
166 of these extras make the show that much more enjoyable, and that much more
167 difficult to sit back with a can of beer and figure out. So The Legendary
168 Neilsen Families are probably going to kill another unique show because
169 they are all stuck in the mediocrity of the least common denominator
170 syndrome that is running rampant in this country.
171
172 Twin Peaks is just another symbol of what is wrong, and its eventual
173 death will b another blow against intellectualism and irony and another
174 victory for Average-ness.
175
176 %*(#@*%_@#(%_)($!_)%(!%()!_%() L'homme sans Parity *%$!@*%$_)(!_)$(!_)(!)$(!_)
177
178
179 Uh uh, and Star Trek The New Generation is metaphor for the United
180 States losing the race for space.
009=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 11/23/90 10:35 Msg:5686 Call:32232 Lines:21
181 &*&*&*&*'s
182 I'm not sure that I understand the uh uh message. (BTW, I agree with you
183 L'homme.)
184
185 Was the person who left the uh uh message trying to say that symbolism and
186 intelectualism are meerly delusions that some people suffer from? I would
187 point out to this person that Lynch has I believe said in the past that
188 he puts symbolism into his stories on purpose. There are many in Twin Peaks.
189 The Street Light, the Log, BOB and MIKE, The Plastic, The letters under
190 the nails of BOBS victoms, nadines eye patch etc.
191
192 What many of them mean is still open to speculation. But they are there, and
193 we are constantly taunted with clues as to were they fit in the puzzle.
194
195 It is a defense of the intelectually lazy to put down the icons of those
196 that they feel threatened by. No surprise there I suppose. The human
197 race has shown itself to be a woefull kludge.
198
199 An Astral Dreamer
200 &*&*&*&*'s
201
010=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 11/25/90 17:41 Msg:5691 Call:32254 Lines:61
202 696969696969
203 The Tree Is Your Friend by Bob Fried
204
205 Just in case you are thinking of taking a 6-fn8
206 oot Standard Widespread Ficus for a
207 ride some evening in your Chevy Celebrity sedan, I want you to know that it CAN
208 be done -- not that I would recommend it. In fact, if you often notice a desir
209 to take your leafy friends for a spin, I'd recommend therapy.
210
211 Nevertheless, I drove such a tree from Cambridge to Amherst, New Hampshire one
212 night recently. It was a "fake" tree, so I wasn't really worried about it
213 messing up the interior of my impeccable automobile, and you shouldn't worry
214 either.
215
216 What is the first thing you do with a fake tree when you get it home? If you're
217 smart, you give it to your spouse and let her (or him, should you be one of
218 those who prefers a male spouse) worry about it. Being smart, I presented the
219 tree to my spouse.
220
221 "There it is," said I. "Enjoy it, Carolyn -- your very own fake ficus."
222 Carolyn found that the first thing to enjoy about a fake ficus is the task of
223 making it look "at home" in your home. You see, when they ship fake trees,
224 they're not too careful about arranging the twigs and leaves attractively. So,
225 that job is up to you. It is not a simple matter to bend the twigs in a way
226 that would convince an expert that Mother Nature herself placed the ficus next
227 to the TV set. Which is why it's a good idea to let your spouse worry about it
228
229 While Carolyn was busy wrestling with the tree, I removed the diamond-shaped ta
230 and started reading it:
231
232 Hello
233 My name is
234 #773
235
236 Yes, there is something eerie about standing in your own living room and readin
237 a note from a tree that moments earlier shared a 50-mile car ride with you.
238
239 The note continued:
240 I am fade resistant and waterproof, so
241 use me indoors or out. I require very
242 little maintenance. For years of
243 enjoyment, simply remove material
244 covering cement. Place me under a
245 gentle shower of warm water. Be sure
246 to pour off excess water in pot.
247 Then shake me gently, and allow
248 2 to 3 hours to dry. Replace covering
249 material. Your plant (me) is ready
250 for an encore.
251
252 It is not entirely clear to me what the tree does for an encore, and I will try
253 to avoid finding out. But I'll let you know if this ficus does anything other
254 than stand attractively next to the TV. If you don't hear from me, you can
255 assume that it's OK to get one for your own spouse. I'll even be happy to tell
256 you where.
257 ------------------------------
258 This is Number 176 in a series of articles designed to explain the world to
259 those who plan to live there and to visitors alike.
260 ------------------------------
261 696969696969696969
262
011=Usr:417 Chemo Sabe 11/26/90 14:31 Msg:5693 Call:32268 Lines:20
263 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
264
265 CHARACTERS FOUND AND LOST, from UNIVERSAL MYTHS by A. Eliot, w/intros by
266 M. Eliade/J. Campbell
267
268 How did man first learn to read and write? It is possible that ibis (crane)
269 tracks in the mud inspired the cuneiform clay printings of Babylonian scribes.
270 Who knows?
271
272 The ancient Egyptians maintained that their god Thoth, who had the head of
273 an ibis, taught them how to write. Thoth boasted to the other celestial
274 dieties of his gift, whereupon they giggled rudely. The sun god Ra asked
275 what Thoth's purpose had been. "Why," croaked the ibis-headed one, "to
276 help men remember things." Ra roared with laughter. "You," he said,
277 pointing at Thoth, "have given human beings the means to forget every-
278 thing they know. They won't need to remember anymore. They'll simply note
279 things down, like idiots, without a thought or care."
280
281 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
282
012=Usr:11 L'homme sans Par 11/26/90 17:55 Msg:5694 Call:32270 Lines:12
283 *@*(@#%(@%(%(@_)%^_)()#(%#%)@#(_)(%#(_)@(_)($_*%_)%^*@#)*_)$(@#_%()%*@%@%%(_@%
284 AD: I suspect the uh uh was in the BW spirit of a one-line gotcha, or in this
285 case a two liner. Just when someone tries to say something serious, there is
286 always someone else there to remind him or her that, no, sorry, seriousness is
287 not allowed here.
288
289 Perhaps someone should do a TP symbolism list, or in unix terms:
290
291 The Canonical Twin Peaks Symbol Registry
292
293 *_#@%(%(@_)%(@_)%*@#%@#%) L'homme sans Parity *%_@*%_)(*^_)@#*_(@#($_@#%*_(%@
294
013=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 11/27/90 07:29 Msg:5695 Call:32278 Lines:9
295 &*&*&*&*'s
296 Ah, I suppose that is possible. I do tend to get stuffy on occasion. Still,
297 this countries obsession with the shallow and easily understood does get on
298 my nerves on occasion. Sigh, I suppose to one extent or another its like this
299 everywhere.
300
301 An Astral Dreamer
302 &*&*&*&*'s
303
014=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 11/27/90 18:37 Msg:5697 Call:32284 Lines:21
304 696969696969
305 From: MIKE BAMBERG
306 To: ALL
307 Subj: ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILE
308 I have for sale the best !Project! for the environmentally oriented tinkerer.
309 An Electric powered vehicle!!! This is a volkwagon bug based kit car called
310 the Bradley GT which has been converted to an electric propulsion system. The
311 conversion is based on a kit provided by a man named Kaylor in CA. It uses a
312 17 HP 400Amp generator/starter as the drive motor. I have a cascaded relay
313 switching system to provide the power to the system. I've had this project for
314 about 10 years and have really lost interest in it. I've spent about $3500 on
315 it and there is still work to be done. If you have any experience in Fiberglas
316 and electronics this would be an exciting toy to complete. The finished
317 vehicle will go for about an hour at 35-45 MPH and would be great for a commute
318 of about 10 miles, with only moderate hills. If you have any interest, or know
319 of someone who might, give me a call and let's talk. I'd like to see someone
320 complete it. It would be a neat, inexpensive car for trips to the store and
321 such. My numbers are Home:(530)640-xxxx and Work:(503)227-xxxx.
322
323 696969696969696969
324
015=Usr:442 Michael George 11/28/90 22:46 Msg:5699 Call:32303 Lines:49
325 >>>Song Lyrics by Michael George of Those Who Say-
326
327 LUCKY MAN
328
329 There in his chair sits the Lucky Man
330 His famous paintings and marbled floors
331 are filled with the hopes of his innocence
332 Down empty hallways and corridors.
333
334 See the stranger on the shore
335 across the room and through the door
336 to have it all and still want more...
337
338 For everything that's come and gone
339 the life you struggled for and won
340 'til everything is said and done...
341
342
343 To win the game you have to score
344 Sell to the rich and mock the poor
345 The accusations kill the store...
346
347 For promises you give and take
348 Decisions that you've failed to make
349 Could this have been your big mistake...
350
351 Up with a start wakes the Lucky Man
352 He wakes from nightmares and prays for dawn,
353 Collecting his thoughts he lays back again
354 His troubled dreaming still goes on.
355
356 Feel the wind and raindrops pour.
357 You fear the chant and lion's roar
358 You've heard a thousand times before...
359
360 The dreams and visions that you face,
361 floating alone through time and space
362 something inside you can't erase..
363
364 For everything that's come and gone
365 the life you struggled for and won
366 'til everything is said and done.....
367
368 -copyright 1990 tws
369
370 What do you think of it?
371 We Play only original music that you can dance to.
372 Check us out sometime. We play often in the Portland area
373 "Those Who Say"
016=Usr:186 Wesley Smith 11/29/90 21:07 Msg:5703 Call:32318 Lines:1
374 I really like that set of lyrics, I think they are very good. I would like to
017=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 11/30/90 00:23 Msg:5704 Call:32320 Lines:5
375 &*&*&*&*'s
376 Checking in Testing, Testing. One Two Three.
377
378 An Astral Dreamer
379 &*&*&*&*'s
018=Usr:1 CISTOP MIKEY 12/01/90 23:54 Msg:5706 Call:32348 Lines:2
380 echo echo...
381 ............
019=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 12/04/90 02:30 Msg:5707 Call:32370 Lines:20
382 &*&*&*&*'s
383 Well, last saturdays episode of twin peaks was what seems to be the closure of
384 the Laura Palmer Story. It was a very good episode. Most of it seemed
385 to be more symbol and image oriented then reality based. This worked well,
386 as many mysteries were being explained. There was some very powerfull
387 acting, great lines and an overall feel that was increadable. All in all,
388 I'd say this was easily the best of the non Lynch directed episodes, and
389 perhaps the best of the entire series.
390
391 Things to notice, Why is Donna suddenly wearing her hair like maddy did?
392 Will this continue, and if so, what does it mean?
393
394 The show IS self consistent. Don't believe anyone who says it isn't.
395
396 Its sometimes hard to tell the red herrings from the true clues. Heres a
397 hint. There are NO red herrings. Only misinterpretations.
398
399 An Astral Dreamer
400 &*&*&*&*'s
401
020=Usr:417 Chemo Sabe 12/05/90 10:01 Msg:5709 Call:32385 Lines:16
402
403 ??????????????????????????????????
404
405 Another thing that might be overlooked regarding school administration, is
406 that many administrators are in fact teachers-on-special-assignment. This
407 will probably make it look like these are actual teaching staff, when actually
408 they are not. "Extended pay" for extra duty may be listed under something
409 else entirely ... who knows???? But there is also the danger of most
410 conflict being non-negotiable because the support staff union supposedly
411 protects the "rights" of both support and teaching staff; surely a conflict
412 of interest. From my observation, this seems to be a ploy to use one group
413 against the other, working mostly for the benefit of senior administrators and
414 the Board of Education.
415
416 ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
417
021=Usr:186 Wesley Smith 12/05/90 18:48 Msg:5710 Call:32394 Lines:4
418 I am looking for a byer for my laptops. I have an olivetti, and a toshiba t
419 1000. The are both in excelent condition, and have 512 K. of RAM. The olivetti
420 has #2. disk-drives, the Toshiba has #1. drive. For more information call
421 #231-xxxx and ask for Wes Smith. TNX for the use of this board, have a happy
022=Usr:286 Jeff Marten 12/08/90 02:04 Msg:5716 Call:32432 Lines:30
422
423
424 {+}{+}{+}{+}
425
426 -+|[ The Following Is A Public Service Announcement ]|+-
427 -+|[ From An Anonymous Oregon Motorist ]|+-
428
429
430 "As a late stage alcoholic with numerous drunk driving
431 arrests and nothing to lose, I can't stress enough the
432 importance of "Tying One On" this Holiday Season. Why, this
433 very afternoon I fully intend to get blind screaming drunk
434 on hard liquor--then drive home at top speed in my big
435 American car. I love the feeling of four wheel drift when
436 I'm loaded, and I'm in just the mood for some serious
437 heel-and-toe action behind the wheel. Insurance? I haven't
438 paid a dime since 1974. Confiscate my car? It's a $75 piece
439 of crap--be my guest. Send me to jail? It's the only time I
440 get regular meals, and besides, all my friends are there.
441 Stiffer sentences? Get real. I'll be out by happy hour and
442 everybody knows it. So come on everyone..."Tie One On"...I
443 know I will. And Happy Holidays."
444
445 -+|[ ThingFish ]|+-
446 I Oughta Be Ashamed
447
448
449 {+}{+}{+}{+}
450
451
023=Usr:417 Chemo Sabe 12/08/90 09:25 Msg:5718 Call:32434 Lines:12
452 !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
453
454 Interesting developments in the PPS "mole-station" case. First they blame
455 the "victim's" interference for the totally ineffective outcome of the whole
456 case, then they go on to charge the lawyer of extortion. Wonderful people,
457 huh? These people have got all Portland's children for a large percentage
458 of their young lives!!! I hope Mr. Wadsworth AND the parents both sue the
459 district up one side and down the other, along with the lawyer. Seems to me
460 it is the District who has a history of offering bribes.
461
462 !?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!???!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? .... Chemo Sabe
463
024=Usr:11 L'homme sans Par 12/08/90 09:42 Msg:5719 Call:32435 Lines:11
464 &$)(!*$)!(*$_)!@($_)(#~)#$*(%*_%*_)($(#)(@*$_)%*_)#($(%*_)$(_($_)$($(_)!$_)!($
465
466 AD: I would say that tonight's wake for leland/BOB would be the true close of
467 the Laura Palmer case: The physical entity of the killer is now dead. Perhaps
468 we'll see a large white horse at the funeral???
469
470 Milch & AD : So, all projects wrapped up? How much sleep last week total? 5
471 hours? Hope you got done what you needed to get done...
472
473 *%@#*(%@#(_)!($_)($!(!@$_)!($ L'homme sans Parity *$_@*_)%_!@#(_)(!$+@)($_+!($
474
025=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 12/08/90 11:35 Msg:5720 Call:32436 Lines:21
475 &*&*&*&*'s
476 I never got mine finished unfortunetly. I kept trashing Turbo Debuger 2.0.
477 Not an easy thing to do with pascal, but apparently I have a gift for it with
478 C. Mind you, this was with the 386 version running. The debuger would
479 just exit and leave me at the DOS prompt. I ended up doing better then I
480 thought I would after I found out what my final score was, but not nearly
481 as well as I thought I should have done. Oh well, thats what I get for
482 taking compiler design without having taken either of the discrete(sp?)
483 structures classes or Calculas. Next term should be even more fun. Who
484 needs sleep anyway? :-)
485
486 Hmm, I'm looking forward to tonight. I hope they can pull off this new
487 arc. They have 12 or so episodes to do it in I believe. I wonder what
488 the chances are that they will get renewed for next year...
489
490 Heres to hoping that BOB is gone for good. Though I don't mind the rest
491 of the spirits of course.
492
493 An Astral Dreamer (Off to get some more video tape.)
494 &*&*&*&*'s
495
026=Usr:186 Wesley Smith 12/08/90 15:15 Msg:5721 Call:32439 Lines:2
496 I want to take this time to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. I am
497 hoping for a successfull conclution to the gulf crisis for the comming season
027=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 12/08/90 22:57 Msg:5725 Call:32444 Lines:15
498 &*&*&*&*'s
499 Great Twin Peaks episode. The only problem I had with it was that the music
500 was way to loud most of the time. The Secret Diary implied that the major
501 would someday die, and apparently that event has finally come to pass. At
502 the very least, he has been removed from the story in a very wierd and
503 potentially final looking way.
504
505 And people say that they're making this up as they go along. I've read the
506 Diary, watched almost every episode atleast twice. Other then dates, they
507 havn't slipped up at all. OK, so they have made some visual errors. Big
508 Deal.
509
510 An Astral Dreamer
511 &*&*&*&*'s
512
028=Usr:322 Stray Cat 12/10/90 09:17 Msg:5729 Call:32469 Lines:54
513
514 li
515
516 }**{}**{}**{}**{}***{}***{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}
517
518 TORTURE
519
520 What goes on in the pauses
521 of this conversation?
522 Which is about free will
523 and politics and the need for passion.
524
525 Just this: I think of the woman
526 they did not kill.
527 Instead they sewed her face
528 shut, closed her mouth
529 to a hole the size of a straw,
530 and put her back on the streets,
531 a mute symbol.
532
533 It doesn't matter where
534 this was done or why or whether
535 by one side or the other;
536 such things are done as soon
537 as there are sides
538
539 and I don't know if good men
540 living crisp lives exist
541 because of this woman or in spite
542 of her
543 But power
544 like this is not abstract, it's not concerned
545 with politics and free will, it's beyond slogans
546
547 and as for passion, this
548 is its intricate denial,
549 the knife that cuts lovers
550 out of your flesh like tumors,
551 leaving you breastless
552 and without a name,
553 flattened, bloodless, even your voice
554 cauterized by too much pain,
555
556 a flayed body untangled
557 string by string and hung
558 to the wall, an agonized banner
559 displayed for the same reason
560 flags are.
561
562 By Margaret Atwood
563 From TRUE STORIES/SELECTED POEMS II
564
565 }**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}***{}**{}**{}
566
029=Usr:322 Stray Cat 12/10/90 20:45 Msg:5730 Call:32477 Lines:37
567
568 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
569
570 YEAH, YEAH, YEAH ... FOR THE BLACK UNITED FRONT!!!! **SOMEBODY** is
571 doing **SOMETHING**!! Seems like the only group doing anything any-
572 more. Hope most of PPS joings in. The districtsure seems to be striking out
573 alot lately. It's wonderful!!! The more pressure put on them, the more
574 they're gonna show their "true colors" ... like the recent statement
575 that the "molestation" "victims'" lawyer asked for money to keep quiet
576 about the district.
577
578
579 I heard Norma Paulus shortly after the election stating many teachers are
580 unhappy about the way they're treated and that she has a whole army behind
581 her to institute change. I believe she said teachers wanted to be treated
582 like adults. If the way I was treated by PPS is any indication, the dis-
583 trict has a LONG, LONG way to go. I have a written finding from a very high
584 administrator stating I needed to check out with the head secretary whenever
585 I left my desk ... like I was a third grader that needed a hall pass. This
586 is probably not only against the law and union rules, but showed an extremely
587 poor management style and total lack of problem solving. The head secretary
588 worked in a different office not only from me but from the receptionist, who
589 would have to be notified both when I left and when I came back. Of course,
590 none of the other secretaries in the other offices of the department had to
591 do that! To top that off, the union suddenly refused to arbitrate on the
592 case after they had promised to do so, had processed the paperwork and
593 appointed an arbitrator! They cornered me in the boiler room the day of my
594@another district administrator. What goings on.
595@
596 friend's memorial service and screamed at me (both of them) that they wanted to
597 settle the whole thing through another district administrator. They browbeat
598 me for almost two hours, I believe.
599
600 And that's just a FRACTION of what I went through.
601
602 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... seems to be getting a little more excitin
603
030=Usr:322 Stray Cat 12/11/90 07:54 Msg:5732 Call:32485 Lines:48
604
605 }**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}
606
607 CHRISTMAS CAROLS
608
609 Children do not always mean
610 hope. To some they mean despair.
611 This woman with her hair cut off
612 so she could not hang herself
613 threw herself from a rooftop, thirty
614 times raped & pregnant by the enemy
615 who did this to her. This one had her pelvis
616 broken by hammers so the child
617 could be extracted. Then she was thrown away,
618 useless, a ripped sack. This one
619 punctured herself with kitchen skewers
620 and bled to death on a greasy
621 oilcloth table, rather than bear
622 again and past the limit. There
623 is a limit, though who knows
624 when it may come? Nineteenth-century
625 ditches are littered with small wax corpses
626 dropped there in terror. A plane
627 swoops too low over the fox farm
628 and the mother eats her young. This too
629 is Nature. THink twice then
630 before you worship turned furrows, or pay
631 lip service to some full belly
632 or other, or single out one girl to play
633 the magic mother, in blue
634 & white, up on that pedestal,
635 perfect & intact, distinct
636 from those who aren't. Which means
637 everyone else. It's a matter
638 of food & available blood. If mother-
639 hood is sacred, put
640 your money where your mouth is. Only
641 then can you expect the coming
642 down to the wrecked & shimmering earth
643 of that miracle you sing
644 about, the day
645 when every child is a holy birth.
646
647 By Margaret Atwood
648 From TRUE STORIES/SELECTED POEMS II
649
650 }**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}
651
031=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 12/12/90 07:06 Msg:5733 Call:32495 Lines:8
652 696969696969
653
654 W 21/0Loigfra Excuse for War? By William Raspberry
655 Tepopc fabody war, with no prize wot h eso huands of
656 Aeia ie twudcst, can make you a little nervous. I'm getting a
657 ltl evu. I s' that I doubt the ability of America's fighting forces to take ou
658 tidrt oe ike Saddam HussensIa.M obsconcern the purpose for
659 digs.Smi en ecie sartls n ower-mad tyrant bentMIRRORMIRRORofkdkdk
032=Usr:322 Stray Cat 12/12/90 07:25 Msg:5734 Call:32496 Lines:127
660
661 ^^???? We supposed to decipher?? Clues?
662
663 }**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}**{}***{}
664
665 NOTES TOWARDS A POEM
666 THAT CAN NEVER BE WRITTEN
667
668 (For Carolyn Forche')
669
670 i
671
672 This is the place
673 you would rather not know about
674 this is the place that will inhabit you,
675 this is the place you cannot imagine,
676 this is the place that will finally defeat you
677
678 where the word WHY shrivels and empties
679 itself. This is famine.
680
681
682 ii
683
684 There is no poem you can write
685 about it, the sandpits
686 where so many were buried
687 & unearthed, the unendurable
688 pain still traced on their skins.
689
690 This did not happen last year
691 or forty years ago but last week.
692 This has been happening,
693 this happens.
694
695 We make wreaths of adjectives for them,
696 we count them like beads,
697 we turn them into statistics & litanies
698 and into poems like this one.
699
700 Nothing works.
701 They remain what they are.
702
703
704 iii
705
706 The woman lies on the wet cement floor
707 under the unending light,
708 needle marks on her arms put there
709 to kill the brain
710 and wonders why she is dying.
711
712 She is dying because she said.
713 She is dying for the sake of the word.
714 It isi her body, silent
715 and fingerless, writing this poem.
716
717
718 iv
719
720 It resembles an operation
721 but it is not one
722
723 nor despite the spread legs, grunts
724 & blood, it is a birth.
725
726 Partly it's a job,
727 partly it's a display of skill
728 like a concerto.
729
730 It can be done badly
731 or well, they tell themselves.
732
733 Partly it's an art.
734
735
736 v
737
738 The facts of this world seen clearly
739 are seen through tears;
740 why tell me then
741 there is something wrong with my eyes?
742
743 To see clearly and without flinching,
744 without turning away,
745 this is agony, the eyes taped open
746 two inches from the sun.
747
748 What is it you see then?
749 Is it a bad dream, a hallucination?
750 Is it a vision?
751 What is it you hear?
752
753 The razor across the eyeball
754 is a detail from an old film.
755 It is also a truth.
756 Witness is what you must bear.
757
758
759 vi
760
761 In this country you can say what you like
762 because no one will listen to you anyway,
763 it's safe enough, in this country you can try to write
764 the poem that can never be written,
765 the poem that invents
766 nothing and excuses nothing,
767 because you invent and excuse yourself each day.
768
769 Elsewhere, this poem is not invention.
770 Elsewhere, this poem takes courage.
771 Elsewhere, this poem must be written
772 because the poets are already dead.
773
774 Elsewhere, this poem must be written
775 as if you are already dead,
776 as if nothing can be done
777 or said to save you.
778
779 Elsewhere you must write this poem
780 because there is nothing more to do.
781
782 By Margaret Atwood
783 From True Stories/Selected Poems II
784
785 }***{}**{}**{}**}**{}**{}**{}
786
033=Usr:92 Katherine Dohert 12/12/90 15:42 Msg:5735 Call:32500 Lines:7
787 ****************************
788 Greetings all, just checking in. Can honestly say I have never watched
789 TP, so I don't know if it's above my head. LaHomme, please give us
790 a ring sometime, have VERY interesting news.
791 This is Wednesday and Hell all rolled together, hope to get out
792 alive.
793 *****backtothegrind*********kathyD*****************************************
034=Usr:116 ted mittelstaedt 12/13/90 21:00 Msg:5738 Call:32522 Lines:3
794 ?????????????????????????????????%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
795 I too send my greetings! Merry Christmas All!
796 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%??????????edward%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
035=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 12/14/90 12:34 Msg:5739 Call:32529 Lines:7
797 &*&*&*&*'s
798 Last week was the start of a new story line on TP, so now is as good a time
799 as ever to start watching.
800
801 An Astral Dreamer
802 &*&*&*&*'s
803
036=Usr:450 Friar Tuck 12/15/90 09:38 Msg:5743 Call:32546 Lines:5
804 --=--==--===--====--=====--======
805 Wow, I've been gone a long time. Passwords and everything, you guys are get-
806 ting fancy. Nice to see the only BBS that really looks like a bulletin board
807 is still running. Friar Tuck.
808 ======--=====--====--===--==--=--
037=Usr:322 Stray Cat 12/15/90 12:13 Msg:5744 Call:32548 Lines:7
809
810 @_)(*^%!@#$_(#@*$@^#$*#_
811
812 **ISN'T** it a crime to bore someone to death???
813
814 !_()*^@#$_#!+@(#N+!(@#+_)@(%^?
815
038=Usr:92 Katherine Dohert 12/18/90 22:09 Msg:5745 Call:32598 Lines:1
816 ****************goodevening***atwork10:25p.m.***slickerthans******kathyD***
039=Usr:11 L'homme sans Par 12/19/90 15:30 Msg:5746 Call:32604 Lines:11
817 *$%@*%_)@#(%@#(%@#(%^_)^*@(%_)($_)(~($_($%#(%)$%#(%#(_)(#_%(#^*@_)%(@#(_%@_@(
818 kathyD: I'll call. I gotta hear what this news is!
819 Stray Cat: I believe it is *not* a crime to bore someone to death, else 90%
820 of the television executives would be dead by now.
821 Margaret Atwood: Haunting, scary, horrific, and the most potent, of all, True.
822 AD: Sorry to hear about not getting the assignment done, but it wasn't a
823 total loss. I am disappointed to hear about the troubles you had with the
824 Borland stuff. That is supposed to be Microsoft's idea of quality, not
825 Borland's!
826 *_)@#(%_)@#(%)@#(%_)!@)$(_!($ L'homme sans Parity *&$(_*$_!@*%_)!*_)@($_!(@$
827
040=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 12/21/90 20:28 Msg:5747 Call:32632 Lines:11
828 &*&*&*&*'s
829 Thanks L'homme. I tend to have a gift for this sort of thing. I think
830 my logic circuits are so subtly broken that it drives computers mad. :-)
831
832 Sigh, no twin peaks for the next to saturdays.
833
834 Merry Christmas all!
835
836 An Astral Dreamer
837 &*&*&*&*'s
838
041=Usr:186 Wesley Smith 12/22/90 08:05 Msg:5748 Call:32637 Lines:3
839 I Wish all users of this system a Merry Christmas, and a happy new Year.
840 please don't Drink and drive I hope to read your messages well in to the new
841 year I hope Santa is good to all and leaves no coal in your socks. Ho Ho Ho
042=Usr:391 walt wilson 12/22/90 13:11 Msg:5749 Call:32639 Lines:2
842 Can anyone tell me what the &$## is going on here, and what this board is for
843 and where to get info.......
043=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 12/22/90 17:49 Msg:5750 Call:32643 Lines:100
844 696969696969
845 "CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS?" By Dr. James R. Hines
846
847 Factually, and historically, and sensibly, Christmas is supposed to be the
848 celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Of course, no one knows exactly
849 what date He was born. Even the exact year is a matter ofa wsconjecture.
850 Christians have chosen to celebrate the glorious event on the 25th of
851 December. But every year it seems that there is a little less emphasis on
852 Christ during the Christmas season. Gradually, Christ is being removed from
853 Christmas!
854
855 This began years ago in a very quiet and subtle manner. First, there was the
856 introduction of Santa Claus, to get the children so excited about reindeer
857 and a fat man passing out presents, that they would scarcely have time or
858 interest left for the Christ child. It is amazing that the One who is the
859 "truth" should be supplanted by one who is a lie, but that is the way it has
860 been. Then there was the promotion of the word "Xmas" as an abbreviation for
861 Christmas. Not that there seems to be any shortage of ink or paper to write
862 any other long words, but it was a nice and easy way to eliminate "Christ"
863 from "Christmas". Another of these rather devious means of eliminating
864 Christ's influence from the season was the introduction of parties,
865 revellings, drunkenness and the "office party" to the season. Certainly,
866 this is a big part of the season to most people. Strange, though, that when
867 it is someone else's birthday, we invite them, honor them, and celebrate it
868 with them. But when it is the celebration of Christ's birthday, most can
869 enjoy all the parties and festivities without even a thought of Christ.
870
871 More recently, the removal of Christ from Christmas is being carried out in a
872 more blatant and overt fashion. Now it is an all out attack to get Christ
873 removed from the season. this attack is carried on in the courts and seeks to
874 eliminate any reference to Christianity from public places and public
875 activities. Due to the influence of these atheists and ACLU activists, most
876 public school children can no longer sing Christian carols during the
877 Christmas season. Manger scenes have to be removed from city squares, parks
878 and municipal buildings. Crosses displayed on city water tanks have to come
879 down. Just as the inn of Bethlehem had no room for the Saviour when He was
880 born, the public place, the market place, and city hall have no room for the
881 Son of God today.
882
883 Why is it that some of these individuals and groups are so zealous in their
884 efforts to get Christ out of Christmas? There are reasons: some bogus and one
885 genuine. The first artificial reason given is that any display of the manger
886 scene or mention of the Christ child might offend someone of a different
887 religion. But what kind of a hollow, specious reason is that? Is this not
888 America, a land of diversity where people can express themselves, worship as
889 they please and hold whatever opinions they choose? Am I to be "offended"
890 because I encounter an opinion I disagree with? Am I to be "offended" because
891 Jewish people talk about the Passover, or I see a Muslim praying to Allah?
892 Of course not. This is America. I may disagree with someone but still
893 respect his right to whatever beliefs he chooses. Only the bigot is offended
894 because he encounters a different opinion than his own. Why is it that those
895 who would remove Christ from Christmas worry about Christians offending
896 others, but never seem to be concerned about their anti-god ideas offending us?
897
898 A second phony reason given by these anti-Christ zealots is the notion that
899 we must maintain the separation of church and state. "Don't you understand,"
900 they ask, "that our constitution guarantees the separation of church and
901 state?" This tune has been sung so loudly and so often, that people are
902 actually believing that it is unconstitutional for any government property
903 and activity to be in any way associated with anything religious. Such
904 u*Nnotions may be the result of brainwashing be the atheists, but are in no way
905 rted in historical fact. The Bill of Rights decrees simply, that congress
906 shall make no law establishing a religion. That is all it says and that is
907 all it means. Hanging a cross on a water tower is not making a law or
908 establishing a religion. Neither is the displaying of a manger scene. The
909 framers of our constitution accepted the fact that this was a nation
910 established with belief in Christian principles. While they would not allow
911 any particular denomination to be declared the official state religion, they
912 accepted and encouraged the participation of Christianity in every phase of
913 public and governmental life. There was never any intention on their part to
914 remove Christianity from the public domain.
915
916 There is a real reason why these people wish to get Christ out of Christmas.
917 It is not as high sounding as the phony reasons, but it is the real force
918 behind their actions. Simply put, they hate God. They do not want to obey
919 Him. They are afraid to face Him. In their lives they will deny Him, so in
920 their efforts they must try to remove Him. The holiness of Christ convicts
921 them. The acceptance of Christ frustrates them. The worship of Christ
922 appalls them. The salvation offered by Christ, condemns them. Instead of
923 surrendering, they will fight. They will push and protest, litigate and
924 agitate and stop at nothing to remove Christ from public view.
925
926 These people should face reality and recognize the futility of their task.
927 History has shown that Christ cannot be destroyed. They can pass laws but
928 they cannot outlaw god. They may turn off the Christmas lights, but the light
929 of the gospel will still shine. They can remove the cradle and the cross,
930 but they cannot remove the Christ. And someday they will fall on their knees
931 before Him and confess that He is the Lord God.
932
933 Now you, friend, are probably not going around smashing nativity scenes and
934 taking down crosses, but if you do not give Christ His rightful place in your
935 heart and in your home this Christmas, you are not much different than these
936 transgressors. Worship Christ. give your heart to Him. Read His Word.
937 Attend church to hear it preached. Put Christ into your Christmas.
938
939 Dr. James R. Hines is pastor of the Brentwood Baptist Church at 609 West
940 Dempster in Des Plaines, Illinois.
941
942 696969696969696969 Merry Christmas to All
943
044=Usr:445 Bullwinkle J. Mo 12/23/90 16:07 Msg:5752 Call:32655 Lines:2
944 Huh?
945 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
045=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 12/29/90 07:23 Msg:5766 Call:32745 Lines:6
946 &*&*&*&*'s
947 Ha, there are still lines available on Disk B!. Is anybody reading this?
948
949 An Astral Dreamer
950 &*&*&*&*'s
951
046=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 12/30/90 09:27 Msg:5769 Call:32754 Lines:6
952 &*&*&*&*'s
953 I guess not.
954
955 An Astral Dreamer
956 &*&*&*&*'s
957
047=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 12/31/90 03:58 Msg:5773 Call:32773 Lines:19
958 12/31/90 Quayle Notebook By RITA BEAMISH
959 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Vice President Dan Quayle's decision to play
960 golf at an American course that bars women is following him to a country that
961 forbids them to drive cars or socialize or work with men.
962 Quayle cut short an outing last Friday at the Cypress Point Golf Course in
963 Pebble Beach, Calif., after learning it was the subject of controversy because
964 it had no black members.
965 But he said Sunday he'll continue to play at the male-only Burning Tree Club
966 in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Md., where he is an honorary member by
967 virtue of his office.
968 "I've played there before and I'll play there again,"' he said when
969 questioned by reporters traveling with him to visit U.S. troops in the Persian
970 Gulf region.
971 "I'm not going to protest Burning Tree," he said. "Maybe they'll change. I
972 think it would be a good idea for them to take women into the club. I don't hav
973 any problem playing there in the meanwhile."
974 Further, he noted, "There are a lot other very well-respected people that
975 have played at Burning Tree."
976 ------
048=Usr:165 Bart Simpson 01/04/90 00:58 Msg:5776 Call:32829 Lines:3
977 Is one to assume from Quayle's comment that he is a "very well-respected"
978 person, or just that he THINKS he is?
979
049=Usr:493 michel shannon 02/12/90 00:32 Msg:5862 Call:33369 Lines:1
980 l'homme call DV 415-923-xxxx [*=*]