HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Subject: Re: (Yawn)<Blink>Um. Hello ...
Reply-To: mtemplar@redunser.demon.co.uk
Distribution: world
X-Mailer: cppnews $Revision: 1.20 $
Organization: Chez MonTemplar, Redunser
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1992 13:39:05 +0000

In article <1992Dec9.181916.2179@spuddy.uucp> wumpus@spuddy.uucp (Jim Cheetham) writes:
>Scratching his head, the Wumpus wonders if his posts are making it out
>into the world, where they ought to be ...
>
>But then, being an overtired sort of creature, he lapses back into
>a semi-coma again ... not so much a lurker as a generator of quiet
>"z" sounding noises in a darkish corner ...
>
>But, having a choice of places to fail to lurk in, Callahan's definately
>takes first place ...
>-- 
>       -jim, <wumpus@spuddy.uucp> or <!uunet!mcsun!uknet!spuddy!wumpus>
> * Meeeow ! Call Spuddy on (0203) 638780/638693 for FREE mail & Usenet access *


*prod!* "Hey, Wumpus! Don't go back to sleep just yet!"

MonTemplar thrusts a cup of tea into the hands (paws?) of the recumbent Wumpus
in an attempt to revive him...

--
Alan Ralph, AKA Kimberley MonTemplar (when in alt.callahans)
aralph@cix.compulink.co.uk  OR  mtemplar@redunser.demon.co.uk
Cominatcha' c/o Demon Internet Services - Internet for a tenner+VAT a month!
Note: redunser is NOT associated with any other site of demon.co.uk
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: aaron@atlantis.uucp
Subject: Re: It's a girl!
Reply-To: aaron%atlantis@kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca
Organization: Atlantis Communications, Edmonton, AB, Canada
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL7]
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1992 05:43:02 GMT

Stephen McNamara (brumby@nella7.cc.monash.edu.au) wrote:
:    Well, some, probably most, of you have been aware that my wife Robyn was
: pregnant.
: 
:    At one minute to eight this evening, Friday the eleventh of December,
: Jennifer Rhiannon McNamara was born, after thirty two hours of fairly
: difficult labour by Robyn. At the moment she is in a humidicrib, because
: she found this breathing business a bit difficult for a two and a half week
: premature baby. However, she seemed to have gotten the hang of it when I
: left the hospital.
: 
:    This was the first time in my life that I have cried for joy. I don't
: think I will ever forget it.

"Yay!" Alfvaen says.  "To Jennifer Rhiannon McNamara!"  He throws his glass
into the fire, still half-full, causing a cloud of steam to rise.  (It
undoubtedly joins many others there, since he's a couple of days behind...)
"This makes two Callahaners born since I came here, with two other pregnancies
announced.  Well, maybe Marie didn't announce hers, but she did drop an offhand
mention or two.

"I just hope that Jennifer isn't as common and cliche a name in Australia as
it is here in North America.  Rhiannon is cool, though.  My best wishes to
mother and child..."

--
---Alfvaen(Still looking for "October's Baby"(as opposed to Jennifer, who must
be "December's Baby")))
"Well the end of the tunnel, it never came up
 'Til I came to the end of the line."  --John Hiatt
Current Album--Prince:Parade
Current Read--John Crowley:Engine Summer
-- 
---Alfvaen(Still looking for "October's Baby")
"Well the end of the tunnel, it never came up
 'Til I came to the end of the line."  --John Hiatt
Current Album--Prince:Parade
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: pope@physics.su.OZ.AU (The Nightstalker)
Subject: Re: seduction
Organization: School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 06:30:32 GMT

In article <Bz954s.1Kt@news.cso.uiuc.edu> trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski) writes:
>
>>>kitten has yet another topic for discussion....seduction music.
>
>nightstalker says:
>
>>"I worry about you kitten!  Well, I don't seduce, well not anymore.  But I
>>would say the best music is generally something the other person can relax to,
>>and that you can relax to as well.  I like Mozart, Enya and Clannad when my
>>better half is around for a quiet evening of chatting and D&M."
>
>>"To love, and to pleasant evenings."
>
>><crash>
>
>"actually, i was just expanding on a discussion that was taking place
>in my vicinity....but i will agree with your toast..."  kitten tosses
>her glass into the fireplace.   <crash>

"Ah, I see (or rather read).  Indeed, and what a toast it is.  However, I am
finding that when you are in love you are vunerable to the strangest paranoia
possible.  Forunately, it has been all paranoia.  To love."

<crash>


--
Mick Pope,                                          |      "On Christ the
Sir Frank Packer Dept of Theoretical Physics,   ----|----   solid rock I
School of Physics, University of Sydney,            |       stand, all other
Sydney, Australia, 2006.  (02) 692 3241             |       ground is sinking
                                                    |       sand." - C. Wesley
Jesus is the reason for the season.                 | 
And the comment for today is:  
          
 "Actually its a buck-and-a-quarter quarterstaff, but I'm
  not telling him that!"  - Daffy Duck
From: mar@physics.su.OZ.AU (David Mar)
Subject: Re: greetings and subroutines
Organization: School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 01:09:06 GMT

>		The dark elf orders some hot chocolate ("rassa-frassa
>	winter rassa-frassa lucky Australians rassa-frassa") and tries
>	to catch up on conversation.

Danger Mouse looks out the window at the rain. "Lucky? Yeah, I suppose,
if you like your summers to be like winters.

"Sydney has had one (count them, one) day worthy of being called summery
recently. I have been carrying my umbrella for the past couple of weeks.
The last time I didn't have it with me, I got wet. Some days have been
downright cold - try 9 degrees (Celsius, that's about 17 deg F) below
the average for this time of year."

DM looks around. "Oh gosh, have I been complaining again? Sorry folks. I
guess it _is_ still a bit warmer here than places north. I didn't like
the look of those storms in the north-east US last week."

- Danger Mouse.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: jpalmer@onetouch.COM (John Palmer)
Subject: Re: Unbe Awakens
Organization: MCS/OneTouch, Inc.
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 92 18:59:21 GMT

   Another thought on morality. . .

    Ethics are based on 'agreement'. . . this works, do it, violating this may
not be 'wrong' in some cosmic sense, but we won't do it because it was
established for a damn good reason.

    Morality is based upon something slightly stronger. . . not 'mere'
philosophy, but something at least one step up on practicality and pragmatism.

    My claim is that logic, a priori, can't yield something one step up on
practicality and pragmatism, since if you could develop it with logic, it would
be practical, or pragmatic, or whatever.

     That is, ethical systems can be made by logic; moral systems claim at
their base to be based on something a little bit stronger than logic; thus, my
claim is that one must transcend logic (be 'religious') to come up with
something stronger than logic.

     I KNEW I wasn't really saying anything after all!

     i.e, if you claim your actions are based on something deeper than simple
logic, your actions are not based on beliefs formed simply by logic. . . 

     And I am naming beliefs about morality that are not brought about by logic
'religious' by redefining 'religious' to MEAN just that.

    As I said, I'm not saying anything,but I'm saying it fancy.

    Am I a philosopher now?

                                       John
-- 
John Palmer					jpalmer@onetouch.COM
Columbus, OH					...!uunet!onetouch!jpalmer
From: ice9@hotcity.COM (Jeremy Dragt)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Special Limited Offer!!!
Date: 17 Dec 92 05:52:14 GMT
Organization: BBS

In article <1ggdk2INNf9b@agate.berkeley.edu>, c188-cr@po.berkeley.edu (Chua Hak
Lien) writes:
>In article <JBrandt-131292123000@aaa.uoregon.edu> JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU
(Thyra
>) writes:
>>"GOOD NEWS! It looks like Phoenix may regain custody of her daughter,
>>Devon, within the next two weeks, and her son a few months from now once
>>his treatment schedule is worked out. She will relay a post soon with the
>>details."
>
>"Ahh, sigh.. what a semester ( or year, depending on when you came in. )
>Deaths, departures, births, returns, good news and bad news, flames..
>aye, I propose a toast! To .. the Spirit of Callahans, where here, one
>knows how fortunate is friendship, how rich is life, and how beautiful
>people really are! Let us toast with enough drink to drown
>the world, and with a cry that every soul through Crosstime will hear!"
>
>!!! HIP-HIP-HOORAY !!!
>
>C+ throws his Sangria into the fireplace, to a resounding
>
><< CRASH!!!! >>>
>
>C

I toast my toasted almond, toss it back and toss it in with the fury of a woman
scorned and a resounding YEAH.
 <<<ker-ash>>>
From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Thyra)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: INTRODUCTION: Knight and day
Followup-To: alt.callahans
Date: 14 Dec 1992 20:15:02 GMT
Organization: University of Oregon, Architecture
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aaa.uoregon.edu

In article <1992Dec13.223147.19644@netcom.com>, henry@netcom.com (Henry
Polard) wrote:
> Henry checks his quotidians and says, "I think I've got things
> straightened out. My line is very noisy right now, so I'll log off.
> I look forward to talking with you further."

Thyra smiles. "Yep. that fixed it. Your last post came through just fime,
quotes and all."

Purrs,
Thyra
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Dalek has entered the building
From: djsnyder@husc10.harvard.edu (David Snyder)
Date: 17 Dec 92 22:07:08 EST
Organization: Harvard University Science Center

In article <B9uXVB2w165w@cybernet.cse.fau.edu> doctor8@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (Clay Evans) writes:
>
>> trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski) writes:
>> 
>> > the dalek says:
>> > 
>> > >There is a eery quiver that sounds through the Place, similar to the
>> > >familiar noise of the Doctor's TARDIS, but quicker, clearer and more 
>> > >well tuned.  A large metal box appears in the middle of the Place.
>> > >A door in the box opens, and a pepperpot shaped creature slides out.
>> > >"Exterminate," cries the Dalek.  "Exterminate."
>> > >No one in the place showest the slighest sign of terror.
>> > >"Exterminate?" asks the Dalek.  He is suddenly struck by a stream 
>> > >of positive emotions, a stream that bores into his brain and
>> > >activates parts that the Dalek had long belived remove.  The Dalek
>> > >finds happiness.  He'd like to order a drink, but has no experience
>> > >ingesting alcohol.
>> > 
>> > "you don't have to drink alcohol here in the Place...but if you do it
>> > won't hurt you...welcome..."  kitten is trying to figure out who exter
>> > minute is ....
>> 
>>   Tiring of stalking Amanda... (for now; don't let that encourage you.), 
>> Ekho appraises the newcomer.  "Quite an interesting mode of 
>> transportation.  Would you take it amiss if I looked at it?  I have been 
>> doing research into parachronic technology, a type of dimension travel, 
>> you could call it."  Amanda has been staring at the Dalek throughout the 
>> conversation.  When it becomes apparent that no "extermination" is to 
>> come about, she offers, "Welcome to the Place.  Care for a jellybaby?"    
>> A hesitant grin appears, and she moves closer to Kitten and Ekho.
>> 
>>            Yours in Time and Space
>
>     The Doctor, who has been sitting carefully, not knowing what to 
>think of this latest arrival, finnaly rises. He strolls over to the 
>Dalek, fishing in a bag for something. He removes a large box, from which 
>he produces a massive banana cream pie. Suddnely breaking into a 
>mischievous grin, The Doctor smashes the pie right on tope of the Dalek, 
>scooping a bit onto his eyepiece for good measure. Roaring with laughter, 
>he proclaims "Welcome!"... and ducks.
>
>The Doctor

"MY VISION IS IMPAIRED" cries the Dalek "I CAN NOT SEE."  He starts
rotating and randonly moving around the move, bumping into various people.
(Excuse me).  Finally, the Dalek crashes into the pool, and sinks to
the bottem. This serves to clear the Dalek's eyepiece and cheers him
up incredibly.  However, he will need some assistance getting out of
the water.  (Luckily Dalek casings are waterproof.)

The Dalek
From: ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Unbe Awakens
Date: 19 Dec 1992 04:53:43 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: degas.wag.caltech.edu

Abner listens in to the discussion of Scientific Creationism.

"One of the Creation 'Scientists' showed up at Penn State a few years back.
His greatest argument against evolution was that, since evolution insists
that we evolved from less complex organisms, it violates the fundamental laws
of physics; the second law of thermodynamics states that disorder always
increases."                      

"For the non-physicists out there, the flaw with this argument is that 
entropy always increases for *closed systems*, and the earth is not a closed
system since it has an outside power source.  If the sun shut down, evolution
(and life for that matter) would grind to a halt in short order ..."

"That guy gave me a bad headache!"

Abner Mintz
Current Read: This Newsgroup
Current Listen: Y'all
From: mjmh@crsa.bu.edu (Michael J M Holmes)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Utopiae (Was: Amanda wants to be a Kesh)
Date: 16 Dec 92 15:47:23 GMT
Organization: Boston University Center for Remote Sensing

In article <1giqdrINN64c@newsman.csu.murdoch.edu.au> keulen@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Splash!) writes:

>arsmith@lamar.ColoState.EDU (Alan Smith) writes:

  [deleted for space - Big Al talking about different people's utopias]

>>actually, I do have a point, lemme ramble a little more)  But, life is not
>>(as a rule) what we make it, so sometimes we get to, er, 'step back.'  

>Splash pipes up:  "Au contraire my friend ... I'm interested in a
>philosophy called Conscious Reality Creation - `life is what you make it',
>on some level.  One of my favourite phrases is `If life sends you lemons,
>make lemonade!'  Just a comment ..."

"Thanks, Splash!"  /* had been listening, with some consternation, to Big
Al's discourses on utopias, and life.

"I've never heard of 'Conscious Reality Creation,' but it seems
pretty similar to the idea behind how I live day-to-day."

"The reason why Big Al's statement concerned me is that I think
too many people believe that they have no control over what happens
in their life.  In fact, I believe a lot of people live their lives
that way without even consciously realizing it."

"When it first hit me that there was another way of looking at
things, I started to look at a variety of experiences in my life
from the standpoint of: I *do* have control over this, I can
change it if I want to.  It's amazing how this transformed
how I handled things, how I felt about myself, and increased
my normally high levels of optimism!"

"It can sound extreme, and I am not always able to describe
this philosophy clearly to others, but the more you *believe*
you can do something about situations, the better you feel
about yourself, and the more likely it is you actually *do*
something to change what you don't like."

/* smiles.  "It just seems to make sense to me.  And it's
not like being a 'control-freak,' more just being able to
be an active participant in your life rather than passively
accepting whatever comes at you."

"I don't know if I read you wrong, Big Al - I don't want to
assume you are pessimistic or passive if you were just
making a point, or making a joke.  But I *do* know a few
people who have that view and take it seriously - and I
can't understand it, because they seem to be perpetual
victims of *everything* in their life."

:)  <hugs>




-- 
========================================================================
Mike Holmes       mjmh@crsa.bu.edu           "Happiness Will Prevail!"
Boston University Department of Geography (a truly GREAT place to work!)
========================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Speaker-to-Minerals)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Unbe Awakens
Date: 17 Dec 1992 02:02:22 GMT
Organization: HST Wide Field/Planetary Camera
Distribution: world
Reply-To: lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol1.gps.caltech.edu

In article <1992Dec10.045406.27625@midway.uchicago.edu>, mss2@ellis.uchicago.edu (Michael S. Schiffer) writes:
=	"Of course religion has nothing to do with morality to a
=nonreligious person-- fiction cannot provide a basis for morals, and
=if the person believed a religion's view of the world to be fact he
=wouldn't be nonreligious.  But equally obviously the adherents of a
=religion disagree with the premise that the religion is fiction-- and
=_that_ is the question on which the relevance of religion to morality
=hangs.  And unless the Pessimist has a new proof up his sleeve, that
=controversy is likely to remain right where it stands now.  Either a
=given religion is true and its claims (if any) with regard to morality
=are extremely relevant, or it is false and its claims with regard to
=morality are relevant only insofar as they coincide with whatever
=really _is_ true about the universe.

Which implies that, at best, all but one of the religions out there are
irrelevent to morality.  At worst, all of them.

=Since bowls of Alpha-Bits rarely
=provide reasons for people to do what they do, the comparison doesn't
=seem apt.  A person may guide her actions because she wishes to escape
=the wheel of karma, or because she wishes to draw near to God, or
=because she wishes to become a god, or because she wishes to achieve
=the maximum amount of happiness before she dies, or for some other
=reason-- very few people will base their actions on the advice of a
=bowl of Alpha-Bits, however learned a cereal that may be.  :-)"

Perhaps not on Alpha-Bits per se, but lots of people DO base their actions on
the results of divinations, be they horoscopes, tarot, or what have you.  How
is looking for a message in a bowl of Alpha-Bits any more nonsensical than
looking for one from a Ouija board?  And some people do, indeed, base their
actions on such things.
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Thursday, 17 Dec 1992 09:58:27 EST
From: Philip J. Comins <PJCHC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Celebrations

    Philip walks into the Place with a small grin of apology written all over
his face. "Ok," he admits, "I wasn't here yesterday and I late in doing some-
thing AGAIN." He walks over to Mike and places more bills on the countertop,
saying in a low voice, "Gin and Tonic please, Mike. NO, it's NOT for me ... I
want er, mushrooms. Yes, cooked mushrooms. Then bring everyone whatever they
want."
    Philip takes the Gin drink and carefully brings it over to the Pincushion
who takes it with glee (I don't know if you were in the mood for this so early
the morning but ...)
    "1) Ladies&Gentlemen. It gives me great pride and pleasure to announce that
it was this man's birthday yesterday and I didn't see anyone posting him a
happy birthday. I expect you all to toast now.
     2) Yes, Gypsy, I WILL indeed try some of your delectable tea. Whatever
you think is good. Could I also have a buttered scone?
     3) I admit that I've been holding off wishing Stephen congradulations on
his new baby girl Jennifer. It's just that I have a younger brother ... and ...
well, she's good now but just you wait ... that's gonna change...
     4) I was talking to a good friend of mine who happens to be in the field
of cybernetics, and we were discussing our new friend the Dalek. He suggested
that we juryrig a feeder to his adrenalin intake systems (the Dalek equivalent
of food) so that he can have his first taste of alcohol (among other things).
Maybe those Borgs I saw in here the other day would return and help us with the
surgery?  By the way, I like the peanut thrower, the impliment suits you very
well.
     5) To Chris, who walked through the door for the first time and I wasn't
here to greet him personally. Welcome to the Place, my friend! You can have
whatever you like, on `my tab' (I would have said `on me', but I know that gag
already, and I'm wearing clean clothes for a change!)
     Hmm, is there anything else? Uh, I may be offline for a while due to my
own finals, but I'll periodically check out what's happening at the bar. If
you happen to see me, well, you're not seeing ME, but a tween (a clone).
     A toast then, 'afore I go to my first final:
           To all of us. We love each other because someone has to!"
     <<CRASH>> followed by many <<CRASHES>>
                                               -- Philip J. Comins
From: ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Humor (was prejudice)
Date: 14 Dec 1992 22:36:11 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: dali.wag.caltech.edu

Henry Pollard writes:
>I am begining to think that, while humor may involve pain and
>humiliation, those are not what is essential to humor; for you can
>get lots of humorless pain and humiliation. I recall reading
>somewhere that the essential ingredient of humor is incongruity.

Abner adds, "Perhaps the essence of humor is incongruity, but most people
find incongruity painful?  That would explain why most humor seems to be
connected with pain ..."

"I'll have to ask my father about that.  He's a professor at the University
of Maryland, and humor is his area of specialty ...  Speaking of which, he
may be visiting me in March!  He's thinking of attending a conference on
Burlesque here in L.A. - and I'm trying to convince him to take me along
(sounds interesting, eh?)!"

Abner grins, blushing slightly.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: aahz@netcom.com (Mean Green Dancing Machine)
Subject: Re: humour=pain & life=imitation. (was Re: prejudice)
Organization: Don't blame me, I voted for Bill 'n' Opus
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 19:39:20 GMT

In article <104510@bu.edu> mjmh@crsa.bu.edu (Michael J M Holmes) writes:
>In article <1992Dec10.120731.27289@bmerh85.bnr.ca> sjane@bmers248.bnr.ca (sjs) writes:
>
>  [some deletions for space - a funny parody of another film mentioned as a
>        possible counter-example]
>
>>But, leaving the realm of film and TV, word plays (eg. puns) are an example
>>of humour which isn't at someone else's expense, no?
>
>/* half-smiles.  "But who said that puns were humor?  Seriously, now
>that you've brought that up, I think that may have been the only case
>that seemed to contradict the theory.  But the theory does tend to
>fit a huge majority of humor."

Someone else probably said this already (I've been reading less than 1%
of Callahans lately), but the pun is at the "expense" of the word being
punned.  As Michael said in _Stranger in a Strange Land_, humor comes
from a sense of *wrongness*.
-- 
                         --- Aahz (the *other* Dan Bernstein)
                             @netcom.com 

Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6

"Would you like some toast?!"
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: jmpierce@whale.st.usm.edu (Jimmy Malcolm Pierce)
Subject: Re: Aus RealSpace [Re: UK Realspace]
Organization: University of Southern Mississippi
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 23:27:48 GMT

(Splash!) writes:
>DJ writes:
>
>>  "Texas ! Of course thats were we would meet !" DJ, a Texan, for those
>>who don't know already !
>
>"Yeah - but _where_ in Texas?" pipes up Splash (from Western Australia,
>which happens to be three times the size of Texas ;-)  ).

  "Why, in the midle of the Outback ! Where else would the geographical
center of Australia be? Or if wetater was needed, a city or town centrally
located for all, " DJ.

  Or Dallas, Texas !
  :-)

-- 
 Jim Pierce Bach. of Sci. in Applied Computer Science USM - Gulf Park Campus 
             jmpierce@whale.st.usm.edu  Disclaimer: Standard.
             Video. Cher: Love and Understanding.