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NUMBER OF LINES: 999
001=Usr:0 Null User 06/30/87 20:34 Msg:0 Call:0 Lines:19
1$If you are in need of help, you need but ask...
2$************************* INSTALLED: 3 AUG 89 ****************************
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 08/03/89 22:37 Msg:4197 Call:23053 Lines:2
20 It is not necessary to light a candle to the sun.
21 ********************************************************************
003=Usr:322 Stray Cat 08/03/89 23:31 Msg:4198 Call:23054 Lines:2
22
23 WOW, I'm first ... so where is everybody???
004=Usr:116 Michael Gray 08/04/89 04:49 Msg:4199 Call:23061 Lines:4
24 (((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
25 PRAYING WE DON'T GET MORE
26 NEWS SERVICE UPLOADS!!!!!
27 )))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
005=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 08/04/89 08:39 Msg:4200 Call:23063 Lines:6
28 &*&*&*&*'s
29 I was going to mention that I'm near the top, But I wont. :-)
30
31 An Astral Dreamer
32 &*&*&*&*'s
33
006=Usr:4 Milchar 08/04/89 11:29 Msg:4201 Call:23068 Lines:8
34 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
35 Friar: When do I get downtown? Why, every day. I live in an
36 apartment off the South Park Blocks.
37 ++++++++
38 Well, it was nice to see everyone who made it to the PCS Pizza Social-
39 small group though it was. Inner Mysteries of BW discussed and so on.
40 We really must do this more often.
41 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
007=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 08/04/89 15:24 Msg:4202 Call:23070 Lines:9
42 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
43 Well, then, if everyone is still here, then are we up to a little multi user
44 tale or two? And, hey, here's a novel ide... We might actually consider
45 FINISHING it instead of just ENDING it this time! That is, if anyone has any
46 ideas... And I assume Mikey does NOT
47 want anyone ressurecting the Inn, so that leaves that idea out. Suggestions,
48 faithful ones?
49 No rabbits this time, I promise! :)
50 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
008=Usr:322 Stray Cat 08/05/89 08:05 Msg:4203 Call:23083 Lines:5
51 XOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
52
53 Pretty neat border, don't you think??? Just wanted to try it out ...
54
55 XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
009=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 08/05/89 13:59 Msg:4204 Call:23088 Lines:10
56 &*&*&*&*'s
57 We had a cyber-punkish world going for awhile, but it has sort of died out.
58 But it wouldn't be that hard to revive.
59
60 Best we pick a genra and start in. I vote for cyber-punk, but I'm flexible.
61
62 An Astral Dreamer
63 &*&*&*&*'s
64
65 (Ok, so I can't spell.)
010=Usr:4 Milchar 08/06/89 00:00 Msg:4205 Call:23096 Lines:7
66 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
67 Weeellll... I'm flexible. Anything interesting would do, but I am
68 stuck for new thoughts at the moment. I shall ponder new avenues of
69 creativity. As for the Cyberpunk genre, I sort of wrote myself into
70 a corner, and couldn't think of a way out. A fresh start would be
71 best, all round.
72 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milch +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
011=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 08/06/89 11:36 Msg:4206 Call:23103 Lines:9
73 &*&*&*&*'s
74 OK, I know people are loging in. (You can't fool me, I'm level 1.) So could
75 you Please leave messages?
76
77 It seems that whenever somebody mentions writing the board dries up.
78
79 An Astral Dreamer
80 &*&*&*&*'s
81
012=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 08/06/89 14:04 Msg:4207 Call:23104 Lines:26
82 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
83 Cyber Punk, eh? Definite possibilities. Perhaps a cyber punk style planet,
84 keeping a bar room atmosphere in honor of the Inn, but creating some mystical
85 meeting place of the mind that somehow contrasts the stark-future outside the
86 window. No, not technology versus the mystical arts, but instead a world
87 where those arts are all but forgotten, and need to be revived. Unlike the
88 late, lamented Inn, this might allow for science fiction AN fantasy to exist
89 side by side... I've always been rather annoyed by writers who seem to think
90 that the two have to be exclusive on any given world. A sword & laser epic set
91 against the backdrop of a thousand worlds... Sinbad & Alladin mixing in
92 a touch of John Carter, with a little bit of Shadow & Doc Savage, to allow
93 for the heroic element that *usually* appears in the handles/characters used
94 by various individuals, and giving
95 those characters the opportunitty to take the best of both worlds... Magic
96 at its best, for all its wonder and its potential for creating plot ideas, and
97 science for transportation, logical continuity, and a SOLID background from
98 which the mystical element can bounce off of.
99 We'd need a little bit of Inn thrown in for good measure... Perhaps a few
100 lost artifacts? Say, no one ever really explained what the planet that the
101 Inn was on was like, did they? What
102 happened to the populance of that world? We've been shown that ma have the
103 ability to hop dimensins, so did they end up in this new planet? Dimension
104 change, or merely distance? Time change or simply different planet?
105 This is the best part about literary telecommunications... Look at us,
106 we're making a PLANET!
107 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::==Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::====
013=Usr:33 Mike Stanfill 08/06/89 18:23 Msg:4208 Call:23109 Lines:14
108 /*/*/*/*/*/*/*
109 O, Astral - not all of us are level one. I'd be willing to contribute
110 to a Fantasy/SF/CyberPunk storyline. Say, was the pond destroyed along
111 with the Inn? - that might be a good place to start. Something approx-
112 imating the old multi-user stories of the Inn would be ideal. Gurus:
113 is there a particular place/state-of-mind associated with BWMSII??
114
115 Mostly a swoblurk...
116
117 "In my opinion, anyone interested in improving himself should not _
118 rule out becoming pure energy." /#)
119 -Jack Handey, "Deep Thoughts" n n n (#/
120 / ~~~ ~~~ \/
121 /*/*/*/*/*/*/* -swob (a Self-Willed Orange Blancmange) /___/____\__\
014=Usr:219 Friar Mossback 08/06/89 21:46 Msg:4209 Call:23112 Lines:6
122 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
123 SWOB-
124 All right, I'll admit it, I am not *that* well read. Who is this Jack
125 Handey character, and where can I read more of him. He seems a rather
126 interesting bloke.
127 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][]
015=Usr:371 The Adherent 08/07/89 01:55 Msg:4210 Call:23119 Lines:11
128 L----!----!-----------------------------------------------------!----!---R
129 Mr. Rabbit: How about NOT using a bar motif that the memory might rest
130 in peace? ...just jack-in and cruise the nearest bright spot.
131 A. Dreamer: The place dries up? Oh, dry up yourself. :-) It just so
132 happens that I am trying to mold a start for something, yet I am
133 running into the age-old question of the solo-writer: What next?
134 MIKEY: (as I let the cat out of te bag...) I hope the 3M disks I gave
135 you are adequate (ie. they work). Just curious.
136 -adherent
137 L----!----!-----------------------------------------------------!----!---R
138
016=Usr:33 Mike Stanfill 08/07/89 13:43 Msg:4211 Call:23130 Lines:12
139 /*/*/*/*/*/*/*
140 Friar: I wish I knew where to find more Jack Handey stuff. All I have
141 are some quotes that appeared in the Oregonian a couple years
142 back. All I know is that he's an author from Arizona - maybe
143 Powell's has something. I'll have to check before I run out
144 of quotes!
145
146 "I wish I had a Kryptonite cross, because then you could keep both _
147 Dracula *and* Superman away." /#)
148 -Jack Handey, "Deep Thoughts" n n n (#/
149 / ~~~ ~~~ \/
150 /*/*/*/*/*/*/* -swob (a Self-Willed Orange Blancmange) /___/____\__\
017=Usr:287 Ralph Steadman 08/07/89 14:06 Msg:4212 Call:23132 Lines:92
151 Too Tired To Think...
152 I agree, let's all pray for no more "news" on BWMS. I personally
153 find the continual discussion of who's lurking and wanting to start a story but
154 having no ideas truly facinating reading. But then I'm...
155 Too Tired To Think...
156
157 696969696969
158 he, he, he. Your prayers are answered:DEBATE - HELP FOR THE WORKING
159 The working poor are not deadbeats. They don't want a government handout.
160 They want to earn their own way. They deserve our respect and our help.
161 Working poor is a concept we cannot accept, especially when the price is paid
162 in blood.
163 OTHER VIEWS:
164 CHRISTINE PRATT MARSTON, consultant and advocate on anti-poverty issues:
165 The plight of the working poor calls for a higher minimum wage, keeping more
166 factory jobs, making sure new jobs are good jobs, more education and training,
167 day care, health care for all, stronger unions, more worker-management
168 cooperation, more decent housing and more realistic standards for assistance.
169 JEFF RIGGENBACH, free-lance writer and broadcaster: There is no greater
170 enemy of the working poor than government. If those currently in government
171 honestly want to make life easier for the working poor, they should begin by
172 rolling back every effort they've made in that direction in the past. After
173 that, they should sit firmly on their hands.
174 REP. THOMAS DOWNEY, D-N.Y.: "It's up to government to make work pay more
175 than welfare."
176 DAVID ELLWOOD, Harvard professor, poverty expert: "For the first time in
177 history, we have sons making less than their fathers."
178 PATRICK GRACE CONOVER, national coordinator, church and society programs,
179 United Church of Christ: "When we focus on just one legislative aspect of the
180 problem of poverty, we often lose sight of the reality that those in poverty
181 are people."
182 BALTIMORE, MD., Gaynell Guice, 25, administrative assistant: "Instead of
183 giving billions of dollars away to foreign countries like Israel and spending
184 billions of dollars on weapons like the B-2 bomber, we need to put more money
185 in programs that would benefit the poor. We have many homeless, poor, lost and
186 hopeless people who could use those billions."
187 CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y., Benedict Cirino, 64, retired distributor: "I've been
188 following the HUD scandal, and I think Jack Kemp is doing all he can to clean
189 up the mess and make sure the poor get what they deserve. He's doing what he
190 can to help the poor. But I definitely think the minimum wage should be raised
191 ..."
192 MORAGA, CALIF., Joyce Kane, 40, homemaker: "It's like a Catch-22. No
193 matter what people do to make ends meet, it doesn't seem to be enough. The
194 government can't help with everything, but day care is one area where there
195 should be federal help ..."
196
197 DIPLOMATS QUIVER AT BUSH REMARK:-8/7/89
198 When President Bush put out a condemnation of kidnapping last week, some
199 U.S. diplomats shivered. In tarnishing with one brush Israel for capturing
200 Sheik Abdul Karim Obeid and Shiite terrorists for apparently killing hostage
201 Lt. Col. William Higgins, Bush signaled Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt he was
202 not knee-jerk in his support of Israel. Bush's words and Israel's act hurt
203 relations.
204 Talk of a Mideast hostage swap fills the air after Israel and its Shiite
205 neighbors staked out new turf Sunday. The Revolutionary Justice Organization,
206 which holds U.S. hostage Joseph Cicippio, pledged to free him if Israel frees
207 Sheik Obeid, 150 Lebanese, 300 Palestinian prisoners. Hezbollah leader Hussein
208 Mousawi threatened to kill an Israeli soldier unless Israel frees Obeid.
209 GADHAFI BRISTLES AT BRIT SNUB:-8/7/89
210 Col. Moammar Gadhafi was incensed by British media criticism of his
211 contention that William Shakespeare was of Arab origin. He had his radio,
212 JANA, strike back at British "chauvinism," saying any Arab ties to Shakespeare
213 would be "an honor to the British and Shakespeare himself and his family."
214
215 SENIOR SUICIDE RATE CLIMBING:-8/7/89
216 The suicide rate for senior citizens increased 25 percent between 1981 and
217 1986, say new government statistics. The rise brought the suicide rate for
218 those 65 years old and older to 21.6 per 100,000 - nearly double the national
219 average of 12.8 per 100,000. Science News reports in its Aug. 5 issue that the
220 suicide rate for seniors had been on a 50-year downward trend before 1981.
221
222 CHILDHOOD AIDS CASES TO RISE:-8/7/89
223 Nationwide, 1,681 children younger than 13 have AIDS, the Centers for
224 Disease Control said recently. New York City has the most cases, with 451. The
225 CDC expects the national number to increase to 3,000 by 1991. For every child
226 who has AIDS, CDC estimates there are two to 10 others infected with the
227 disease who remain free from symptoms.
228 The newly selected head of the National Commission on AIDS said recently
229 that she wanted to convey a simple message: "Everybody who dies is somebody's
230 son or daughter." Michigan pediatrician Dr. June Osborn was selected Thursday
231 to head the newly formed commission. She is dean of the University of
232 Michigan's School of Public Health, and a professor of epidemiology at the
233 school.
234
235 DRUGS SHOW PROMISE, DEMAND UP:
236 New evidence that the AIDS drugs AZT and deoxyinosine - or DDI - are
237 promising therapies against the disease is likely to pressure the government
238 to speed clinical trials of the drug. The Financial Times reported this week
239 that new studies showing the drugs effective in the early stages of the
240 disease has triggered a call for increased availability of the drugs to all
241 AIDS patients.
242
018=Usr:287 Ralph Steadman 08/07/89 14:26 Msg:4213 Call:23133 Lines:23
243 GOD, and the GOP +++ALWAYS+++ answer your prayers...just no always the way you
244 ask.
245
246 696969696969696969
247
248 CRRRUUUMMMBBBLLLAAASSSHHHHUUUMMMMBBPPPTTT!!!!! She was shocked into reality.
249 As her vision cleared and she was able to focus, she could see that she was
250 materializing inside what looked vaguely like the ancient Earth-style gathering
251 places she had read about in history classes. Only, somehow, she knew there
252 something unusual about this place. She couldn't seem to remember anything
253 prior to now. Where had she been? How had she gotten here? Her vision, and
254 thinking cleared a little more now, and she realized she wasn't alone. In
255 front of her was a round table, with a half-consumed dark amber fluid in a
256 container of some sort sitting on it. Across the size-less room she could see
257 several other creatures communicating with each other, but couldn't make out
258 their words, or details of their appearance. "They look humanoid, I think."
259 she thought to herself. Then she became aware of a feeling of warmth, and
260 friendship permeating the atmosphere, and she began to feel much better. As
261 she realized this, her vison cleared and all her senses returned. She could
262 see that a very cordial-looking individual was beginning to approach her.
263
264 ............................................................................
265
019=Usr:115 John Bach 08/07/89 20:08 Msg:4214 Call:23141 Lines:44
266
267 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
268
269 A *NEW* board to log into!
270
271 +-------------------------------------+
272 I I
273 I I\ \, ,/ I
274 I I I RACONA >Codisk station< I
275 I I/ /' '\ I
276 I I
277 I I
278 I I
279 I o We support ALL computer types! I
280 I I
281 I o Programmers welcome I
282 I I
283 I o Twittiness allowed I
284 I I
285 I o Flames and foul language only I
286 I on designated boards I
287 I I
288 I I
289 +-------------------------------------+
290
291 Phone Number: 503-236-xxxx
292 20 hours a day from 12pm to 6am weekdays, and 3pm to 6am Sunday.
293
294 SysOp: John Bach a.k.a. Hans Bolo
295
296 Co-SysOps: "Kid"
297 "Kev"
298 "Belgarath"
299 and "Scott H."
300
301 We are the *ONLY* CoDisk software supporter in the entire US.
302
303 System specs: IBM XT/turbo with 10 meg HD, 512k ram, Hercules graphics
304 Software: RBBS-PC 17.2a
305
306 Goal/plans: To become one of three rbbs-net boards in Portland, and to set up
307 a better programmer/user interface.
308
309 Call NOW!
020=Usr:219 Friar Mossback 08/08/89 08:24 Msg:4215 Call:23153 Lines:16
310 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
311 CRRRUUUMMMBBBLLLAAASSSHHHUUUMMMMBBPPPTTT!!!!!
312 I jumped in my chair, tipping over my snifter of B&B. I looked across the
313 room and saw a humanoid form misting into appearance. "An odd way to appear
314 here," I thought to myself, "But not too different from a set of bagpipes
315 as a time/space distorter."
316 I set my napkin on the spill, got up and ambled over to the new arrival,
317 stopping by the bar to grab a pitcher of ale, two mugs, a plate of sandwiches
318 and a shaker of salt. "Greetings friend. Are you hungry or thirsty? Let
319 us meet. I am Friar Mossback, of the Agnosti." I motioned to a chair and
320 set the food and drink on the table. I bowed and poured a bit of salt in
321 my hand, tasted it, threw the remainder over my shoulder, and handed the
322 shaker to the new arrival. If she knew the custom, we could at least know we
323 had a common heritage to work from.
324 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
325
021=Usr:115 John Bach 08/08/89 09:47 Msg:4216 Call:23157 Lines:7
326 from John Bach @9:45, 8-7-1989
327
328 This is an interesting board. Is it true that this is actually run on a
329 disk drive with this program burned into it?
330
331 Oh.. I just read the AU command... I see. So it IS a computer. I guess the
332 BWMS I was the one I'm thinking of.
022=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 08/08/89 12:54 Msg:4217 Call:23161 Lines:8
333 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::
334 As the illuminating light of the third moon slipped behind the Stone
335 Triad, small spheres of glowing energy bobbed up into the thick green mist
336 that swirled through the night sky, allowing night passersby the safety of
337 proper lighting, the better for them to conduct whatever business had
338 brought them to Pyrix A'aaal.
339
340
023=Usr:368 Nemesis Warlock 08/08/89 13:12 Msg:4218 Call:23162 Lines:73
341 On this particular night, if the unending blackness of the
342 Third Cycle could even be considered night, the streets
343 of the markets and the doorsteps of the shops were
344 surprisingly empty, save for a few stray gallowits and
345 night devils, scrounging for sustainance in their
346 unending struggle for survival in the sometimes harsh
347 environment that they called "home."
348 In one of the Networks, the dark alleyways that run like
349 silvery catacombs throughout the entire City of Day, a
350 beggar idly watched one of his mammalian comerades in poverty
351 as it dug through a waste receptacle, only yp appear
352 empty pawed from its odious depths.
353 "=Ey, little fellow, you're not going t'find
354 anything there.=" the old man muttered in Dialect, the slang
355 of the Legions. . . The vagabonds who inhabited the darkness
356 that enveloped the Networks.
357 The tiny creature paused, as if contemplating the words of
358 the beggar. Then, silently, it looked upwards at te
359 pale green sky, its long, whiskered ears pricked up, as
360 if the creature were answering a summons from on high.
361 With a start, the little animal whimpered and leaped away
362 into one of the nondescript corners of the Net, its
363 only action in passage being the overturning of the waste
364 receptacle, which promptly spilled its contents onto the
365 ancient vagabond who had been the sole observer of these
366 events.
367 Sputtering mild expletives, the man began to brush the
368 thick, syrupy products from his tattered green coat, clicking his
369 tongue in evident distaste over the present condition of his
370 out-of-date garb.
371 A cloud moved towards the Triad of Stone in the sky, pausing
372 just beneath its cracked surface. A low rumbling began to
373 rise from the distance, like the beating of a lonesome drummer
374 against drums of bone.
375 The withered old man paused from his cleaning and gazed at the
376 sky, as the small creature had done before.
377 "Clamph!" he whispered, so awed by the sight that was
378 now unfolding before him that he neglected the commands of his
379 chosen diety that Her name not be used in vain.
380 A low hum filled the alleyway, as the man backed into a corner,
381 spreading the greasy remains from the receptacle over the paper-littered
382 ground.
383 Then, suddenly, all sound ceased.
384 All was quiet.
385 A silent beam dropped from the thick cloud, a beam of sizzling
386 orange, contrasting starkly with the green sky from which, even now, it
387 was falling.
388 The pavement hissed for a few moments, and then a bright
389 flash forced the onlooker to turn his red-lined eyes from the odd
390 spectacle that was unfolding before him.
391 When he finally managed to store up enough courage to look once more
392 towards the beam, it had vanished. In its place stood a
393 tall, strikingly handsome young humanoid male. Dressed in grey,
394 reflective garb, with a cloak of bold blue upon his back, he strode
395 towards the old man, like an unearthly force given life by the
396 energy that seethed around him. It danced and sparked, sputtering
397 as bits of stray lightning crashed together where he moved. He
398 gripped the shoulders of the beggar with thin fingers that had an
399 impossibly strong grip for so thin and wiry a man, and with a voice
400 that tinged with the cold ring of steel, he whispered.
401 "This place. Where?" His eyes seemed to crackle with energy.
402 The beggar, speechless with fear, could only mutter and sob.
403 "Ah." the cloaked man said. "I see. Unintelligent life." With
404 a casual expression, he snapped the man's neck, tossing the lifeless
405 body to the ground.
406 The cloaked man jolted upright. A flash of understanding crept
407 across his features. "Understood. I will comply."
408 There, at last, he had been given his mission. Short, precise,
409 but leaving enough to chance to make this interesting. The hunt had
410 begun, and only with a word, which the cloaked man whispered again
411 and again under his icy breath.
412 "Friar..."
413 :::::=====:::::=====:::::=====::Zephyr::=====:::::=====:::::=====:::::=====
024=Usr:33 Mike Stanfill 08/08/89 15:10 Msg:4219 Call:23164 Lines:163
414 /*/*/*/*/*/*/*
415 Wll, it looks like the big Morality Debate is about over. I'd almost
416 forgotten I still had one more post on disk here - I'd just skip it but
417 I think it addresses some important points.
418
419 M> I don't even want to
420 M> get into morals, because that is a massive can of worms to deal with that
421 M> is purely personal in nature. Yet far too many people believe that _their_
422 M> moral system is the only acceptable system and that all other people must
423 M> be forced to comply to their personal vision of reality.
424
425 Certainly the person who faults others for not coming up with
426 the same conclusions he did does wrong, but do understand, this is
427 *not* what I am advocating. The kind of person you are thinking of
428 thinks that everybody else believes the same things he does, and if
429 he sees a discrepancy between what they do and what he believes, he
430 assumes that they see it too and did it anyway. In short, he thinks
431 that just because what they do seems wrong to him, that it also seems
432 wrong to them, and that they therefore do wrong in doing it. The kind
433 of person I'm thinking of believes what he does because he thinks it's
434 true, but at the same time he acknowledges that this is something he
435 has learned, something logical. Therefore, when he notices differences
436 in ideologies not in line with his own, he at once believes them to be
437 errors, but does not consider the one who believes them to be criminal.
438 If he sees something in the new ideology which he finds to be true, he
439 will adopt it. I try to be this kind of person. While I believe you
440 may be completely true to your beliefs, and therefore not *wrong* in
441 the personal sense (and have every right to believe what you do), I
442 believe wholeheartedly that your ideology is wrong. Much like the
443 quote you gave a while back (Voltaire???).
444 I don't fault the Ancients for thinking that pi was 3. They
445 were, of course, wrong, but it wasn't because they wanted to cheat
446 the pie-makers by ordering by radius and taking .1415... off of pi.
447 They honestly thought that it was three. If someone discovers that
448 the world we live in is not really Euclidean and hands me a new,
449 revised version of pi, I will certainly change my value, provided
450 I have reason to believe he's right. This means that I was wrong
451 in my previous belief, but not wrong in believing it. This is how
452 I feel about other ideologies, too. That is one of the main ideas
453 I'm trying to present.
454
455 M> I don't seek after "truth" in that sense, I seek after information.
456 M> I accept the concept that there may be many "truths". I try to understand
457 M> the alternate truths so that I can better understand how other people
458 M> think and how they have formed their reality.
459
460 My only problem with this is that I see no basis for your
461 preferring understanding to ignorance (or even open-mindedness
462 to closed).
463
464 M> I operate within the current version of my own reality, but I also
465 M> recognize that there are other realities and other versions of the
466 M> truth that may not fit my own. This does not make them right or wrong,
467 M> it only makes them different.
468
469 You say you operate within the "current" version of your own
470 reality. What was the reason you changed from your previous
471 versions of reality?
472
473 M> For some people Jesus was the son of God, for others he was just a
474 M> man who happen to be in the right place at the right time. Some people
475 M> demand that one view or the other be the only acceptable reality, so
476 M> they pick one and deny the other. Yet, they are both perfectly valid
477 M> views of reality that depend on your belief system.
478
479 A person may of course decide upon either one based upon his
480 best information, but surely only one can be correct.
481
482 M Though morality is often justified by logical proofs, it is
483 M> based in beliefs not logic.
484
485 Absolutely! Moral specifics may be justified by logic when
486 logic is applied to the basic beliefs (axioms). Morality in totality
487 cannot be justified by logic since its axioms are moral, not logical.
488 Note that this by no means precludes its being absolute. I take it
489 you believe logic to be absolute - make no mistake, this is a belief,
490 just as much as belief in morality is.
491
492 M> The logical proof is an attempt to
493 M> scientifically prove that a specific morality is the "right" one
494 M> and that all others are "wrong".
495
496 The logical proof may attempt to prove a specific morality
497 to be right and all others with the same axioms wrong, but only given
498 the reader accepts the axioms. The real essence of the moral system
499 lies in the axioms, all else is the logical extension of them. Surely
500 someone who didn't believe that the shortest line between two points
501 is straight would scoff at geometry texts. The geometry is only true
502 as long as the axioms hold. There has been some debate as to whether
503 the space we live in is Euclidean. In response, many texts take care
504 to note that they deal with Euclidean geometry and that the theory
505 discussed may not apply to all areas (like particle physics). If
506 one does not believe the premise, one will not believe the logical
507 extensions of it.
508
509 M> Though I'll certainly fight to keep my reality intact if
510 M> it is attacked by another.
511
512 How may someone attack your morality? If you do not share
513 _any_ common beliefs about morality, how can he expose (or think
514 he has exposed) some error in your thinking? There can be no
515 logical extension of 'there are no morals,' and nothing logical
516 (as far as *I* can see) can induce you to believe a moral axiom.
517
518 M> Mostly though, I tend to point out that one person's belief system
519 M> is not the only possible one when I see that stance taken. It doesn't
520 M> always gain me a favorable response, but at least they know where I'm
521 M> coming from, and just maybe they will think about it.
522
523 Good idea. But I hope they won't think they have to abandon
524 all hope for truth in order to believe it.
525
526 Hagbard> Logic is, in itself, self-defeating. If you can think of a
527 Hagbard> single paradox, then you will find what I am describing.
528
529 I think logic is quite robust, actually. Paradoxes are nonsense
530 in that they are not logical. 'This sentence is false' does not
531 attack the foundation of logic unless part of that foundation is that
532 all sentences are logically coherent.
533
534 Hagbard> Don't believe that logic is all-proof. After all, how do you
535 Hagbard> define logic? There is nothing lower: you have reached the
536 Hagbard> foundation of modern understanding.
537
538 Absolutely. You must either accept or reject logic, just as
539 you must accept or reject morality. All proofs must ultimately be
540 based in acceptance of *something* without question.
541
542 Hagbard> As for the good-evil thing, before anyone makes another entry,
543 Hagbard> have you considered that good and evil are self-defining? "What
544 Hagbard> is good shall not be evil, but what is Evil, shall not be good."
545
546 Of course. Acceptance of morality is acceptance of the dichotomy.
547
548 Hagbard> That is all YOU can be sure of - that "I think, therefore
549 Hagbard> I am", and that your view is simply a view, regardless of moral,
550 Hagbard> logical, or ethical values. To say that good and evil are evident,
551 Hagbard> is accepting pre-defined values. Start from the beginning
552 Hagbard> (foundation) and work your way there, or start from here
553 Hagbard> (acceptence of belief) an work your way back to the foundation.
554 Hagbard> But don't start from the middle and go both ways - unless you wish
555 Hagbard> to discuss mysticism, cults, religions, belief systems, cultures,
556
557 I don't quite follow you. I see acceptance of good and evil as
558 the foundation of morality. If you mean to start in the logical
559 foundation, I cannot think of a way to generate moral absolutes from
560 logical ones.
561
562 Snailhead> If it weren't for "evil", then "good" wouldn't look so good,
563 Snailhead> would it?
564
565 Calling something "good" would be like ascribing it the
566 quality of 'snervl,' which would be defineable only as 'nothing
567 can be un-snervl.' Without evil, good wouldn't look like anything.
568 If someone says that evil is good because good wouldn't be good
569 without evil, he is confused. He is using the concept of good and
570 evil to judge good and evil. His results are therefore meaningless.
571
572 "If someone ever accused me of being a hypocrite, I think I just _
573 would pretend it didn't bother me." /#)
574 -Jack Handey, "Deep Thoughts" n n n (#/
575 / ~~~ ~~~ \/
576 /*/*/*/*/*/*/* -swob (a Self-Willed Orange Blancmange) /___/____\__\
025=Usr:287 Ralph Steadman 08/08/89 16:00 Msg:4220 Call:23165 Lines:96
577 ...................................................
578 The individual seemed cordial indeed, presenting gifts and uttering what seemed
579 to be a friendly greeting. The tongue sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite
580 place a meaning to the sounds. She took the cylindrical container from the
581 smiling stranger, and bowed. She shook some of the powder onto her hand and
582 gingerly tasted it. It was salt! Vague snatches of memory began to present
583 themselves, but she couldn't seem to get them to focus into anything definite.
584 As she began to throw the rest of the salt over her shoulder, as she had seen
585 the other do, words began to enter her head. There was a warm familiarity to
586 this ritual, altho....Yes, she thought, this is a stop she had made before, but
587 when? And, "Where am I", she heard herself say outloud. The one who called
588 itself "Friar" smiled.
589 .....................................................
590
591 696969696969
592 `DARK CIRCLE' FILM: Judy Irving, documentary film maker, and B
593 vice president of Public Broadcasting Service's programming, talk with USA
594 TODAY's Barbara Reynolds about the film "Dark Circle," which looks at the
595 nuclear industry.
596 WHY HAS YOUR FILM `DARK CIRCLE' TAKEN SO LONG TO AIR?
597 IRVING: We tried about three times to get the show on PBS. First, they
598 wanted us to cut it to an hour. Then they were concerned with a certain
599 sequence that takes place at an arms convention where nuclear weapons are sold
600 like boats are sold.
601 WHAT CONCERNED THEM ABOUT THE SEQUENCE?
602 IRVING: We named all the corporations that built the hydrogen bomb, and we
603 included their slogans, too. That sequence was particularly troublesome to PBS.
604 WHY WAS IN TROUBLESOME TO PBS?
605 IRVING: General Electric, Rockwell International, and AT&T - companies
606 that have built the hydrogen bomb - are also underwriters of PBS programming.
607 So I would imagine that made them nervous, although they said the sequence was
608 not germane.
609 YOU BELIEVE PBS WAS TRYING TO CENSOR YOUR FILM?
610 IRVING: Yes I do. Because it was accepted for national broadcast in 1985
611 by PBS and then they unaccepted the film in the spring of '86. To me, that's
612 censorship. The ostensible reason was that it was biased and one-sided and
613 that it wasn't objective journalism.
614 HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THE CHARGES?
615 CHASE: It is doubly insulting to have a film maker make a charge like that
616 and then to do so without any evidence. I maintain that a look at the evidence
617 would show that when faced with direct objections by program underwriters, PBS
618 does not bend or break.
619 knuckle under maybe, but not bend or break.
620
621 OIL-RECYCLE PLANT ENDS IN FIGHT:-8/8/89
622 A $2 million oil recycling plant built in 1982 in Camden, N.J., has failed
623 miserably, officials say, resulting in a costly legal battle between the city
624 and the operator. The firm, Flowen Oils Delaware Valley Inc., is fighting the
625 city about ownership of land and $100,000-plus in property taxes. Camden
626 officials claim Flowen exploited the city and improperly filed for bankruptcy
627 in Texas.
628 SPILL KILLS HUNDREDS OF EAGLES:-8/8/89
629 The Exxon oil spill apparently caused hundreds of bald eagles in Alaska to
630 die or abandon their nests. Biologists say of 360 eagle nests, only 46 were
631 active at the end of June. And Robert Mesta of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
632 Service says some nests were found abandoned, with dead, oil-covered sea birds
633 in them.
634
635 CASH MISSING FROM COFFERS:-8/8/89
636 Up to 80 percent of the nation's cash is missing. The Federal Reserve says
637 an average of $243 billion in hard cash is circulating outside U.S. banks.
638 Another $27 billion is in vaults. But Fed statisticians can only account for
639 the amount adults hold in their pockets, purses and piggy banks, or 14 percent
640 of the $243 billion.
641 The Federal Reserve figures people in the underground economy - drug
642 dealers, tax evaders and organized crime figures - hold 5 percent to 6 percent
643 of the $243 billion in cash circulating outside U.S. banks. But nearly $200
644 billion can't be found. Many experts believe the missing money has made its
645 way, legally or illegally, into foreign lands.
646 The U.S. dollar is used as currency in underground economies in Poland,
647 Southeast Asia and other areas. It gets there through different means,
648 including crime and bank transfers. U.S. banks in New York, Miami and Los
649 Angeles routinely ship hard cash overseas. Citizens in South Africa, Central
650 America and other hot spots hoard dollars because the money is easily carried.
651 If foreigners are holding most of the U.S. cash, the nation could gain
652 from it because it amounts to an interest-free loan, says Robert Avery, a
653 financial expert at Cornell University. But that means the nation owes even
654 more to foreigners than statistics show. It's great as long as they hold it,
655 says the Fed's Paul Spindt.
656
657 BUSH KEEPS QUIET ON HOSTAGES:-8/8/89
658 The White House went quiet Monday in hopes underground diplomacy can help
659 free eight U.S. hostages held in Lebanon. White House press secretary Marlin
660 Fitzwater likened diplomatic efforts for the hostages to activity in a bazaar.
661 "There are a lot of ideas being floated, a lot of exchanges being made, but
6&2 it's primarily a matter of talking and listening and not signaling your
663 moves," he said.
664 WARSHIPS STILL OF LEBANON:
665 President Bush continued to apply behind-the-scenes pressure to Syria and
666 Iran and kept 30 ships and 20,000 sailors of the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet in
667 the Mediterranean off Lebanon, prepared for what Fitzwater called "every
668 scenario."
669 Welcome to the next war...oops...scenario, I mean
670
671 696969696969696969
672
026=Usr:352 Katie Kolbet 08/08/89 19:25 Msg:4221 Call:23168 Lines:26
673 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
674 IF there was anything she enjoyed, it was a good book. Finding one often
675 became a difficult task, but on such a gloomy and rainy August day, she
676 managed to pick out some obscure sf/fantasy story. Searching the house
677 for a quiet niche in which to cuddle up, she encountered a small golden
678 crown. Curious as to where it had come from and even more curious as to
679 why it was there, she placed it upon her head. Strangely enough, it
680 was a perfect fit. The crown was more of a single gold band with a
681 small jewel, probably a sapphire, hanging down upon her forehead. she
682 almost felt it become part of her. Thinking nothing else, she opened the
683 book.
684 "....a half-consumed dark amber...
685 She heard a noise and looked up. Almost as if the entire seen was real, she
686 could see it before her. Not quite understanding why, she set the book down,
687 and reached out to the table. The wood was rough beneath her hand. SHe
688 placed her weight on it and stood. A man, and a girl of some age sat before
689 her, yet she wasn't quite sure. No one had stepped into a story before.
690 The jewel seemed to glow with warmth, and she raised her hand to feel it.
691 The heat intensified, then suddenly disappeared altogether. She whirled
692 around to find her own way home, only to find it gone. Rather disturbed,
693 yet beyond curiousity to what adventures might lie ahead, she turned around
694 once more only to note that her jeans and sweatshirt had become a blue
695 dress and grey cape rather resembling a style which only existed in the
696 Middle ages. Shaken, she eyed the man........
697
698 ++++++Kaitlyn++++++++++++
027=Usr:287 Ralph Steadman 08/09/89 19:22 Msg:4222 Call:23190 Lines:100
699 6969696969
700 TOPIC - TEACHING CREATIONISM IN SCIENCE CLASSES:
701 Gordon Lewis, chairperson of the philosophy of religion department at
702 Denver Seminary, and Bill Honig, superintendent of public instruction for the
703 state of California, talk with USA TODAY's Mary-Ann Bendel about teaching
704 creationism in science classes.
705 IF STATES AGREED TO TEACH CREATIONISM, WHAT WOULD BE TAUGHT?
706 LEWIS: The doctrine of creationism is the belief that everything has
707 originated from a living God over a one-week period of creation. God, by
708 supernatural choice, decided to create each kind of animal and plant, and he
709 did so in about 10,000 B.C.
710 WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON TEACHING CREATIONISM?
711 LEWIS: I believe the view of Christianity has been censored from the
712 textbooks in our public schools, and there are books documenting that it was
713 done in the name of academic freedom. Society is being defrauded.
714 WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THE EFFORT TO INCLUDE CREATIONISM?
715 HONIG: Creationism, by our state board policy, is not science and so
716 should not be taught as part of the science class. The questions of who we
717 are, origins, why we're here, the broader purposes, and those religious ideas
718 should be talked about, not in a doctrinaire or sectarian way, but should be
719 addressed as ethics, morals, and religious issues, but not in science.
720 IS IT POSSIBLE TO RECONCILE RELIGION AND EVOLUTION?
721 HONIG: Many religious bodies came before our board and said, "We have no
722 problem with evolution. That could be God's way. That's the method God could
723 have chosen. It fits together. It makes sense. There's some beauty to it. It's
724 an aesthetically interesting way of happening."
725 PTL'S BAKKER IN DEEP TROUBLE:-8/9/89
726 Ex-PTL President Richard Dortch agreed Tuesday to testify at the trial of
727 his ex-boss, Jim Bakker - "nailing the coffin" for anything but prison for
728 Bakker, experts say. Bakker and Dortch were to go to trial Aug. 28 in
729 Charlotte, N.C., on charges of bilking PTL donors of up to $4 million. Dortch
730 will be sentenced within three weeks, facing up to 10 years in jail and a
731 $500,000 fine.
732 The mysterious ways in which God works Its wonders...
733
734 U.S. CATASTROPHES SET RECORD:-8/9/89
735 Natural catastrophes in the second quarter of 1989 produced the greatest
736 amount of insured property damage in the United States of any similar period
737 on record, says the American Insurance Services Group, Inc. Catastrophes
738 resulted in $1.25 billion of insured loss in the quarter, pushing anticipated
739 property damage claims to $1.41 billion for the first six months of 1989.
740 INSURANCE FRAUD ON UPSWING:-8/9/89
741 Staged auto accidents and phony medical bills, the most common schemes
742 used to defraud the insurance industry, have increased more than 71 percent
743 between 1989 and 1989, according to the Insurance Information Institute. They
744 account for nearly one-half of the more than 6,500 claims valued at more than
745 $700 million that were referred to the Insurance Crime Prevention Institute in
746 1988.
747
748 HOMELESS LAW UNDERMINED:-8/9/89
749 A federal law designed to help the homeless is being undermined by poor
750 communications and little emphasis on ways to keep people from becoming
751 homeless, according to a Rutgers University study released Tuesday. Study co-
752 author David Schwartz says 40 percent of the nation's homeless could be aided
753 by programs that help with rent payments or otherwise intercede in preventing
754 evictions.
755 Up to 14 million U.S. citizens could be out on the streets in even a minor
756 recession, warns a study by the Rutgers University's American Housing
757 Institute. Current number of homeless: Up to 4 million, and growing by up to
758 40 percent annually. An economic dip could double or triple that number
759 overnight with those now living one pay check or one domestic argument from
760 the streets.
761 SCIENTISTS TALLY WILDERNESS:-8/9/89
762 About a third of the Earth's land mass remains wild, devoid of all manmade
763 landmarks, two Sierra Club scientists said recently. Science News reports in
764 its Aug. 5 issue that the two found 18.56 million acres could be classified as
765 wilderness. Antarctica, which is total wilderness, leads the list. Next was
766 North America, which is 37.5 percent wilderness.
767 7.5 PERCENT DON'T HAVE PHONES:-8/9/89
768 About 7.5 percent of U.S. homes don't have telephones, the National
769 Telephone Cooperative Association said recently. Areas with the highest
770 percentage of phone-free homes are the South and West, where about 9 percent
771 of homes don't have the service. The Washington, D.C.-based NTCA said people
772 in rural areas and the poorest parts of the inner-city often went without
773 phone service.
774
775 BUSH SPEAKS SOFTLY ON CONTRAS:-8/9/89
776 The Bush administration, in a carefully worded statement, expressed
777 general support Tuesday for the Central American agreement to break up the
778 Nicaraguan Contras by Dec. 5. Word of the pact, signed Monday by five Central
779 American presidents, forced the administration into the position of supporting
780 an accord it lobbied against or breaking a signed Contra aid agreement with
781 Congress.
782 CALERO SAYS PACT MEANS NOTHING:
783 Contra leader Adolfo Calero says the pact to disband his fighters is "not
784 binding," and vows to continue the struggle against Nicaragua's Sandanistas.
785 "We are not obliged to it," Calero said Tuesday at the Miami headquarters of
786 the Nicaraguan Resistance. Calero said about 12,000 Contras were in camps in
787 southern Honduras and 3,000 are inside Nicaragua.
788 TOPIC - ENDING THE CONTRAS:
789 Frances T. Farenthold, chairperson of the Institute for Policy Studies,
790 and Jesse Hill Ford, novelist and screenwriter, discuss their views.
791 FARENTHOLD: As we look back on the past 10 years of U.S. policy, we see
792 failure, waste and untold human suffering. What is needed is a rigorous re-
793 examination and re-evaluation of the mind-set and techniques of the national
794 security state. Nothing less will bring peace to Central America. Nothing less
795 will introduce U.S. foreign policy to the political realities of today and
796 tomorrow.
797
798 696969696969696969
028=Usr:498 Hagbard Celine , 08/10/89 02:09 Msg:4223 Call:23201 Lines:57
799
800 {}
801
802 (swob) "You say you operate within the 'current' version of your
803 own reality. What was the reason you changed from your
804 previous versions of reality?"
805
806 I think that the word "current" is used strictly as a time reference
807 and not a state of being. That is, the word is used with the concept of
808 a moving frame of reference (time).
809
810 (swob) "A person may of course decide upon either one based upon his best
811 information. But surely only one can be correct."
812
813 To assume a dicotomy (sp), is to assume a defined state of being.
814 Your viewpoint would be exclusively encompassing. Only within the
815 limited confines of views and beliefs will you be able to exactly say
816 "this is correct/true/right. That is not." But this excludes the
817 possibility of other views (ie, you have eliminated any other reality,
818 alternate, parallel, or fictional) which, within that belief system,
819 might have a DIFFERENT answer or a SIMILAR answer. Because that "other"
820 belief system runs on a different axiom set, that also makes the
821 "alternate answer" (ie, the one you reject) potentially correct. In
822 fact, it could make it exactly correct. But which is the correct answer?
823 You must choose your perspective first (lay out the assumptions to
824 be used in your logic/morals) BEFORE you can arrive at a tenative
825 conclusion. An incorrect perspective would make your answer false,
826 but you can't really show that either perspective is correct to
827 begin with. So, you really are reduced to "I think, ergo, I Am",
828 because your conscienceness implies that you must exist first before
829 you can arrive at that conclusion. You are left with a multitude of
830 choices; personally I feel that a compromise would best serve
831 this. You have to assume ALL views before you can be truely
832 correct. Yes, that is all-encompasing and broad, but it's the
833 only way I'm aware of to compensate for this situation. Funny
834 thought: I'm using logic in an attempt to describe itself.
835 Redundant, isn't it?;->)
836
837 (swob) "I think that logic is quite robust, actually. Paradoxes are
838 nonsense in that they are not logical. "This sentence is
839 false" does not attack the foundation of logic unless part
840 of that foundation is that all sentences are logically
841 coherent."
842
843 Paradoxes ARE logical. But the logic system you must be using
844 seems to be binary.
845 There are at least FOUR answers: it is true, it is false, it is
846 BOTH, it is NONE. The fifth: it doesn't matter (actually appling
847 (sp) applying non-logic and chaos). Ponder this, and other multi-
848 answer logic systems, and you might understand why views are never
849 always correct (as above). Any of those five answers can be used
850 to justify a viewpoint.
851
852 A tired Hagbard Celine (2:32 am)
853
854 {}
855
029=Usr:219 Friar Mossback 08/10/89 09:29 Msg:4224 Call:23203 Lines:24
856 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
857 The woman in front of me (I could now see that she was human in appearance
858 and a female, and quite pleasant to look at.) seemed a bit confused or maybe
859 stunned. She at least knew of the universal peace greeting, or at least
860 was intelligent enough to mimic it. I suspected an education here, not just
861 mimicry. Who was this person.
862 "Where am I?" she spoke. A melodious voice that I am sure was given much
863 to laughter, and to tears.
864 "You are among friends here. All who come here are friends, until they prove
865 otherwise. Come, let us be comfortable. I have food and drink. Some of the
866 sandwiches are meat, and I apologize if that offends you, for I am an
867 omnivore, but I would eat only vegetables in your presence, if you wish."
868 She sat, not saying anything, but removed her outer cloak. She was indeed
869 pleasant to look at, but it was her manner which was most striking. This
870 was a woman of high station, but not haughty. She cared deeply about
871 something. This must be why she was here.
872 "Tell me, why have you come? No one arrives here without a reason."
873 She looked at me, and I saw fright behind the eyes for just a moment, then
874 she looked away and began to speak.
875 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
876
877 PS. Archivers- Any news on costs of the archives?
878 [][][][][][][] F.
879
030=Usr:287 Ralph Steadman 08/10/89 14:29 Msg:4225 Call:23207 Lines:43
880 .....................................
881 She was surprised to hear her own voice. She was also surprised that she
882 understood what the individual was saying. It wasn't easy to follow, "must
883 be an ancient dialect" she thought to herself. As the friendly individual
884 to talk of food, she realized she was famished. Her body told her that it
885 had been quite some time since she had last eaten, but she still could recall
886 nothing beyond the last several seconds. "Best be cautious" she remembered
887 her father telling her, at least she thought it was her father. Why was her
888 memory gone? What was she doing here? "Tell me, why have you come? No one
889 arrives without a reason" she heard, and it snapped her out of her thoughts.
890 She looked at this one calling itself Friar. His face not only looked friendly
891 but familiar as well. "I am not sure..." her shaky voice began. "I am having
892 trouble remembering anything, I don't know who I am or how I got here. You
893 look familiar somehow, have we by chance met before? Do you know who I am?"
894 Now she had done it. Admitted she was vulnerable. Something stirred deep
895 inside her that she recognized as fear. There was an image beginning to form
896 in her consciousness that blocked out the reality in front of her. For the
897 moment she could only see the ruins, the gray and black charcoal sketches of
898 a run-down city. Among the twisted architecture she was aware of creatures
899 moving, furtively, from place to place. Like a slow dissolve in a film, the
900 scene changed to what must be a palace or grand building of some sort. She saw
901 herself standing before a large icon, but she couldn't bring the image into
902 focus. Just as she realized this, the other brought her our of the reverie:
903 "You know, you DO look familiar to me as well, altho I can't say that I
904 remember you. Perhaps a little food will help your mind settle. Others that
905 have been thru here have sometimes found the materialization a bit, well,
906 unsettling." She began to feel more comfortable with the individual and tried
907 the food he offered. She usually didn't eat flesh, but she was so hungry she
908 actually enjoyed it. And another. As she ate, she felt as if her whole being
909 was being made more solid somehow. With each bite she seemed to have a little
910 more of her memory back. By the time she had finished the plate of sandwiches
911 (every single crumb), she almost knew who she was. She felt so close to it,
912 just like when you say something is on the tip of your tongue, it's there, I
913 know it, but .... She drank the liquid in front of her, looked at Friar, and
914 said, "Thanks. That helped quite a bit." She felt much better about the
915 stranger now. He had sat quietly while she ate. Not staring at her, but
916 obviously interested in her. "Tell me about yourself," she said. "Perhaps
917 we can find a commonality that will help me reconstruct myself. Maybe we'll
918 learn that we did, or will, meet at another time or place." She was gaining
919 confidence as she began to realize who she was, and why she was here. He
920 looked at her, seemed to consider her request, then began to speak in slow,
921 carefully chosen words.
922 ................................................
031=Usr:367 Mark Derby 08/10/89 23:40 Msg:4226 Call:23223 Lines:9
923 L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_snailhead_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_
924 re _Dark Circle_: When I saw the scene in which they listed the corporations
925 making the most profit from the building of nuclear weapons, I immediately
926 thought, "This is why it didn't get on the air." I also noticed that it was
927 one of the few PBS shows that didn't garner any big corporate sponsors,
928 whether defense contractors or not...
929
930 L_L_L_L_"and the shorter of the porter's daughters
931 dips a hand in the deadly waters..."L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_L_
032=Usr:84 Michael Miller j 08/11/89 13:53 Msg:4227 Call:23233 Lines:9
932 &*&*&*&*'s
933 Just looking in. I'll be gone for the weekend, so don't you probably won't here
934 from me again untill monday.
935
936 Happy disking!
937
938 An Astral Dreamer
939 &*&*&*&*'s
940
033=Usr:219 Friar Mossback 08/11/89 19:52 Msg:4228 Call:23236 Lines:31
941 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
942 She was obviously scared. And as I waited, I found she was also quite hungry,
943 cleaning off the plate quite well. I sat and waited, not wanting to stare,
944 but wanting to know more about her.
945 She asked me to tell her about myself, to see if that might jar her memory
946 of where we had seen each other before.
947 I began, not quite knowing where I should begin, but beginning just the same.
948 "I am Friar Mossback, a friar of the Agnosti. I seek only knowing and
949 learning. I eschew standard religion, but find truth where it is. That is
950 why I am called Friar.
951 "Special talents I have few. I have a gift for eating, as you can see, and
952 a friendly mage with a set of bagpipes once found for me this handy sporran
953 that always has a feast inside.
954 Saying that, I opened the bag up and spread a new meal in front of the lady.
955 She gasped with surprise, and I chuckled to myself. This is a common
956 phenomenon when people first saw the magic. I wondered why only I could make
957 the magic work as I was sitting back down. I glanced at the table and it was
958 my turn to gasp. This time the sporran had set two actual place settings,
959 with lit candles and silverware. Real china, and steaming bowls of vegetables
960 and meats.
961 The last time this had happened was just before the dangerous time occured.
962 Before the blackness. Something was coming, that could be glorious, or deadly.
963 And this woman was to be a key to it.
964 Would she be a friend or a foe? A lover or a murderer. I should watch very
965 closely, for either one is not something to be missed.
966 Feigning lightness, I said, "Quite a spread, eh? The magic only works this
967 well when it is inspired by beauty. It's never done it for me, so it must be
968 a comment on your beauty."
969 So saying, I took the flagon of B&B offered by the barkeep (the drinks *never*
970 seem to come out of the magic bag) and poured two small goblets.
971 [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] Friar [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
034=Usr:4 Milchar 08/11/89 22:39 Msg:4229 Call:23242 Lines:4
972 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
973 CM? Care to answer Friar? I don't remember what the Archives go for
974 nowadays... A rough guess would do, I suppose.
975 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Milchar ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
035=Usr:33 Mike Stanfill 08/12/89 21:55 Msg:4230 Call:23257 Lines:24
976 /*/*/*/*/*/*/*
977 Well, I guess I'd better fill these last few lines since I've got a
978 reply that won't fit. 24 lines, eh?
979
980 Guess I should think of something meaningful to say...naah.
981
982 let's just see how big a quote I can cram in here...
983
984 "If I lived in the Wild West days, instead of carrying a six-gun in
985 my holster, I'd carry a soldering iron. That way, if some smart-
986 aleck cowboy said something like 'Hey, look. He's carrying a
987 soldering iron!' and started laughing, and everybody else started
988 laughing, I could just say, 'That's right, it's a soldering iron.
989 The soldering iron of justice.'
990 Then everybody would get real quiet and ashamed because they
991 made fun of the soldering iron of justice, and probably I could _
992 hit them up for a free drink." /#)
993 -Jack Handey, "Deep Thoughts" n n n (#/
994 / ~~~ ~~~ \/
995 */*/*/*/*/*/*/ -swob (a Self-Willed Orange Blancmange) /___/____\__\
996
997 *I'm on the bottom! I'm on the bottom! NYaaaaaaaah!
998
999 */*/*/*/*/*/ | :::::::O O::: no, I am! :::::::O O:::::