HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mar@physics.su.OZ.AU (David Mar)
Subject: Re: Newbies on the March
Summary: Don'cha love it when the Subject line don't reflect the content?
Organization: School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 09:04:47 GMT

>Splash listens and nods. "Australia is a strange case ... weights
>(particularly birth weights, for some peculiar reason) are _always_ quoted
>in imperial (although the official weight is metric).  Most people
>still only know their height in feet and inches.  Certainly most hardware
>items are described in imperial measures, although that's starting to
>change over now.

Danger Mouse always seems to get messed up with discussions of measurement
systems...

"I don't know about weights. I only know my own in kilograms, nothing
else. Most of my friends, although, seem to be extremely conversant with
the arcane unit of 'stones', and find kilograms hard to deal with for
human weights. I do know my height in feet/inches, but only because I've
communicated it several times to Americans.

"But I don't know where you are buying your hardware supplies, Splash!
I buy the occasional piece of timber, and I've never seen imperial
measures on them. They've always been marked in millimetres.

"One of the worst offenders for units, though, is astronomy. Through
sheer bloody-mindedness and inertia, I am forced to have to cope with
anachronisms like Angstroms (where the SI nanometre is a perfectly
sensible substitute) and to measure the size of astronomical objects
in centimetres!"

- Danger Mouse.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk (Mary Branscombe)
Subject: Re: The world, and what it'd be like...
Reply-To: maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 01:06:00 +0000


Darkshot feels we "don't get out enough..."
Scuse me - but this is out - it's not where I live, or work - it's 
where I meet my friends. Most people here make a difference to others 
just by coming here. We all wonder "do I matter" occasionally - 
kitten, you sure matter to me. And I want to thank the people here 
who make *me* feel I matter. When I share part of myself and *reach 
someone - when Castellan was moved by my toast about life, when my 
candle inspired Liralen (is the saint optional? ;-)) - I know I 
matter to the friends I have here. This reaching and touching is too 
important not to mention.
Mary MerryTail in serious mood.
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+
| Ommmmmm, said the lift                    |maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk |
| Organisation: Me? You're joking, right?   |maryb@cix.compulink.uucp  |
|I know I type "teh" for "the" My fingers have their own accent ;-)    |
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center
Date: Monday, 21 Dec 1992 11:50:22 EST
From: Philip J. Comins <PJCHC@CUNYVM.BITNET>
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Another new arrival

In article <1992Dec21.074114.18324@ra.msstate.edu>, jmpierce@whale.st.usm.edu
(Jimmy Malcolm Pierce) says:
>
> Eric.Troup@ofa123.fidonet.org writes:
>>The door to Callahan's place opens, and the sound of straining wood
>>can be heard as a huge, furry creature squeezes its way through into
>>the bar.
    [ deleted a bit for length ]
>>        He strides up to the bar, careful not to knock anything over
>>with his bulk, and says, "Anybody got any suggestions as to what's
>>really good?  I'm parched."
>
    Of course!  The odds are that we've got everything here for your mutual
pleasure. Come, share a drink with me (before I go outside to join in a certain
ritual) Mike, this guy's first through third are on ME (yes, I said it). SO!
I suggest ... ummm ... anything behind the bar. It's all good. In fact, you're
such a large fellow, you might try one of everything (don't know how you're
gonna feel tomorrow though ...)
    Mike, another tea for me please (oh boy, I'm rhyming my silly-bulls again).
I'm sorry, I haven't given you any help with something to drink, have I?
Oh well, I know you'll think of something ... I've got a feeling ...
                                                     -- Philip J. Comins
From: ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Quantum (and untutored Zen) and Beliefs (was Re: Absolutes)
Date: 23 Dec 1992 23:23:21 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: degas.wag.caltech.edu

Bernard says:
>I just wanted to make a small observation about Schrodinger's Cat:
>We may not know if the cat is alive or dead.
>But, certainly, the _cat_ must have observed something!

"I don't know about that.  There have been finals weeks where, by the end
of the week, I wasn't sure whether I was alive or dead!"

"By the way, welcome to the Place!"
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk (Mary Branscombe)
Subject: Solstice healings
Reply-To: maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 19:14:00 +0000

I planned to light a candle for the Solstice - for the turning of the 
year, for Didi and for the new joy in my life with Ignatz, as today 
is also his birthday. I didn't have any candles in the house, I 
discovered, so I made a candle of myself today. I gathered my 
energies, grounded and centred and felt the flood of energy that 
connects me to earth and sky, like a flodd of candle flame through 
me. I lit it in love and joy and hope and I've been carrying it in me 
all day, feeding it with happiness and leaning on it when I've been 
tired to grow its healing strength.

Now I walk slowly through the Place, into the meadow, to bring the 
candle to Didi and my dear friends here. I reach inside myself, and 
pass the flame on.

Mary MerryTail
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+
| Organisation: Me? You're joking, right?   |maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk |
|                                           |maryb@cix.compulink.uucp  |
|I know I type "teh" for "the" My fingers have their own accent ;-)    |
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+

Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: xrjdm@twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov (Joseph D. McMahon)
Subject: Re: Snowball
Organization: NASA/GSFC NCCS
Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1992 20:23:12 GMT
Reply-To: xrjdm@calvin.gsfc.nasa.gov 
X-Posted-From: twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <memo.834025@cix.compulink.co.uk>, maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk (Mary Branscombe) writes:
> "Snow Fight!! Come on! Didi-sprite? Gypsy Woman? Jason? Michael? 
> Everyone? I feel just like a good fifteen minutes hurling snow!"
> Mary MerryTail lunges out into the snow-filled meadow after Jammer 
> and the Lady, hoping desperately that the same effect that keeps her 
> glasses in the fireplace will give her an even chance of hitting 
> someone with the snow ball she's scooping up....
> 
At the mere mention of the "sn" word, Teddy leaps to his feet, capering around
joyously in a tight little circle, then heads for the door. Sab, Booka, and 
Steling have already piled outside and are busy shoving their noses into the
snow, looking up every once in a while to snort with a ring of snow stuck in
their eyebrows, mustaches, and beards. Kandy walks over to the door, wanders
about for a minute or two, and then comes back in to find a warm spot.

Teddy is running around at top speed, pausing every once in a while to shove
his nose deep into the snow and flick it into the air with his head. He soon
is a mostly-white dog. He runs up to Joe, begging him to make a snowball and
throw it so he can try to grab it out of the air, then pretend to run and hunt 
for it, sliding, rolling and diving.

 --- Joe M.

RealWorld: we've had rain, rain, and rain, with the result that the back yard
           is now a sea of mud from the pups churning around in it. We go
           for walks out front, where there's a sidewalk... Otherwise, 
           envision the same as above, with mud instead of snow. 8-o

-- 
                  Joe McMahon | 
                  P.O. Box 13 | "I've only had it since yesterday."  
            Lothian, MD 20711 | 
xrjdm@twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov |                    ---  n. rothwell
From: maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk (Mary Branscombe)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Snowball
Date: 30 Dec 92 19:06:00 GMT
Reply-To: maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk


TITLE: Re: Snowball
Jammer is ambushed by the Lady...
"Snow Fight!! Come on! Didi-sprite? Gypsy Woman? Jason? Michael? 
Everyone? I feel just like a good fifteen minutes hurling snow!"
Mary MerryTail lunges out into the snow-filled meadow after Jammer 
and the Lady, hoping desperately that the same effect that keeps her 
glasses in the fireplace will give her an even chance of hitting 
someone with the snow ball she's scooping up....
"Keep the mocha warm till we get back please, Mike?"
Mary MerryTail
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+
| Ommmmmm, said the lift                    |maryb@cix.compulink.co.uk |
| Organisation: Me? You're joking, right?   |maryb@cix.compulink.uucp  |
|I know I type "teh" for "the" My fingers have their own accent ;-)    |
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: jammer@eskimo.com (Lyle Harwood)
Subject: Re: boo
Organization: -> ESKIMO NORTH (206) For-Ever <-
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 10:37:21 GMT

Stephen McNamara (brumby@nella7.cc.monash.edu.au) wrote:
:    The brumby pricks his ears at kitten's giggling.
: 
: aaron@atlantis.uucp writes:
: >Barbara Trumpinski (trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu) wrote:
: >: kitten collects jammer's mocha breve....and giggles.  "here you
are,
: >: good sir...no one has called me 'wench' in years...not since my
friend
: [...]
: >"Well, kitten, we could start calling you 'wench' more often if you
want.  We
: >could even make that your official net.alias, or at least add it
after conan
: >the librarian.  How far are you willing to go with this 'wench'
thing?"
: 
:    "I dunno, a lot of people might find adjusting to the new name a
bit of
: a 'wench'. Still, if a nut like you can't torque her into it..."
: 
:    The brumby prepares to bolt.
: 
: 
: -- 
:      The Silver Brumby of          brumby@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au
:       the Silicon Plains            brumby@zikzak.apana.org.au
: 
:       The grass is always greener on the other side of the network.

Jammer groans, and begins launching peanuts.
"Not good, not good at all, no."

Warrior roars, and lays on his belly with his paws covering his eyes...
From: snarf@access.digex.com (Sean Eustis)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: oops
Date: 22 Dec 1992 03:01:31 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: access.digex.com

Heh, almost forgot to let that last glass feel the effect of gravity.

<<KEEERASH!>>

 


-- 
In VR -- The Dreamweaver		In RL -- Sean Eustis
						snarf@access.digex.com
"God never closed a door without
 first opening another."
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Water you all doing? *grin*
From: dapetersen@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (Toothpick (-:)
Date: 2 Jan 93 20:49:23 -0500
Organization: Petersen's Homestead

Toothpick, by the fire, realizes that intense contemplation to the exclusion
of food - her state lately - is detrimental to one's health.

Getting up to stretch, she looks around and the New Year's Pizza Party (NYPP),
now in full swing, engulfs her.

"HEY TOOTHPICK," someone yells, "WHERE'S YOUR COSTUME?!"  She grins and heads
for the Folks room, emerging in an instant in a clingy, shimmery blue sequined
dress.  It almost seems to, well, flow around her.

"This party has mermaids, dolphins, crabs, pirates, penguins, and all manners
of fish and sea life - but no sea!  I guess it was left to me to remedy the
situation - consider my costume...water!"

SOmeone rolls her eyes as Toothpick grins and heads for the VPM.

"Wow. This is fun!  It's only recently that I discovered that pizza ISN'T
the foul space waste concotion I had been taking it for all my life.  I
*still* consider most of it pretty foul, but there IS one kind I like...which
happens to fit in nicely with the theme, too!"

Having thus spoken, Toothpick very nicely asks the VPM for an individual
white seafood pizza - with lots of cheese, garlic, shrimp, crab, and...what
the heck...lobster!

"Yum!  But..."  She looks around for a place to sit. "Where do you sit under
the sea?"  SHe settles on what might be a piece of a sunken ship...or a regular
chair, if you aare imagination deficient. (-:

***
Toothpick
aka Debbie Petersen
dapetersen@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu
216-467-3055
***
-- 
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: amanda@wam.umd.edu (Me again)
Subject: Re: January birthdays
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 1993 14:39:18 GMT

Amanda happily accepts the Chocolate Assasination cake from Amanda....  "Yup,
you have found one of my weak spots - chocolate!!  If there is a nectar and
ambrosia of the gods, it's chocolate for the ambrosia (and tea for the nectar,
can't forget that civilized caffeine rush :)

amanda@wam.umd.edu       -- Starting 1993 off Right --        Amanda Babcock
From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jason)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: *Now* I can celebrate.
Followup-To: alt.callahans
Date: 28 Dec 1992 17:08:51 GMT
Organization: the Polyhedron Group
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aaa.uoregon.edu

In article <7fz2hpl@rpi.edu>, youngj4@rebecca.its.rpi.edu (Jeffrey 'Taldin'
Young) wrote:
> Taldin somehow manages to salute the writer of that poem - Jason, was it?

Jason nods "Yep. Glad you liked it."

> "To The End Of My Worries--IT'S OVER!"
> 
> He grins. "It appears, after all that worry, I seem to be the proud and
> relieved owner of my Very Own Comp Sci Bachelors Degree from RPI.
> Got a C in the course I thot I failed-  Prof. Issaccson, I might just name
> my first kid after you.   The long wait is over.  Four and a half years
> of -- no, 17 years of education, over.   Khai, this feels great!!!"

<<CRASH!>>

Jason's glass follows Taldin's. "Congratulations on the degree! Of course,
one hopes you -never- really stop learning, but it's nice to have the
pressure of getting a real college degree off your back, isn't it?"

Jason
From: snarf@access.digex.com (Sean Eustis)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Con!
Date: 30 Dec 1992 21:08:02 GMT
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: access.digex.com

In article <1992Dec30.035034.26093@wam.umd.edu> amanda@wam.umd.edu (Me again) writes:
>Amanda (NOT the one with the Ekho...) wanders in, wondering if any 
>Callahanians are planning on attending MD/DC/VA's EveCon Jan. 1, 2, & 3.

Dreamweaver speaks, "Yep, I'll be there. Easy to recognize, too. I'll be
the same as in alt.callahans physically (ie. blond, jean jacket, nice guy,
etc) and my name on the badge will be Dreamweaver. Anybody else?"
	"oh, wait a minute. I might also have orange-red hair and a green
army jacket and some face paint. But, I'll still be me."



-- 
In VR -- The Dreamweaver		In RL -- Sean Eustis
						snarf@access.digex.com
"God never closed a door without
 first opening another."
From: ekho@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (amanda rothman)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Danger Room
Date: 29 Dec 92 18:07:44 GMT
Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida

noj@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Jonathan E Miles) writes:

> ekho@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (amanda rothman) writes:
> 
> >Anyone interested to take this on?  I would be willing to participate."  
> >Ekho looks around the room, "The "defeated" team could buy the victors a 
> >round of drinks, if a prize is desired for incentive... A friendly game." 
> 
> Itosu looks up from several piles of crumpled papers.
> 
> "I'd absolutely LOVE to...A good battle game would be great training, and
> promises to be fun."
> 
> He grins slyly before making the next statement.
> 
> "And being an ogre has many advantages and disadvantages for such a game, it
> will be interesting to discover them.  Besides, my poetry is at a standstill.

  With a raised eyebrow, Ekho nods and says, "All knowledge is useful.  
That's three; anyone else?"

  Amanda grins and says, "Since Ekho and I are going to be on opposite 
teams, does that mean you're on my side, Itosu?  I think that Ekho 
wouldn't mind..."

  "Indeed.  A large challenge," Ekho deduces.
From: jane@soave.swdc.stratus.com (Jane Beckman)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Pizza Party
Date: 22 Dec 92 21:35:21 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., San Jose, CA

"Mmm, broccoli quiche and spinach souffle!" Jilara says,
taking her special order from the counter and heading over to
Abner's table.  "We won't bother Alaric with this.  He doesn't
relate to anything green that's not a pea or a broad bean!"

"Hey, who ordered the fried okra?" Callahan asks.
--
  Jilara   [jane@swdc.stratus.com]

"The field of pseudo-science hasn't progressed much in ten
years, except to gain access to the net." --from ca.earthquakes
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: aaron@atlantis.uucp
Subject: Another Bizarre Coincidence
Organization: Atlantis Communications, Edmonton, AB, Canada
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 05:20:53 GMT

Alfvaen is always listening to music while Netting.  Usually he just has a
little black box at his waist, and a wire that snakes from there into his left
ear, but it doesn't distract him from conversation.

This time, though, in the middle of the New Years Pizza Party, he suddenly sits
bolt upright and then starts laughing wildly.

"Wench, a drink!" Alfvaen calls, and kitten fetches him a Wildberry.  He says,
"To coincidence, oldest and dearest friend!"  Then he downs the drink and
tosses the glass into the fire.

"I have one song which may be called a New Year's Song--Murray McLauchlan, Tom
Cochrane & Paul Hyde doing a song called 'Let The Good Guys Win'.  It's on
Assorted, Tape 28.

"I listen to my tapes in random order.  I have almost 800 of them, and this
system has worked well for me in the past.

"Today--New Year's Day--I was listening to Assorted, Tape 28.  On New Year's
Day I was listening to my only tape with a New Year's Song on it.

"Now, I have listened to about four or five tapes so far today.  Straight odds.
Five out of 700, say(most of my newer tapes aren't in the schedule yet).  Less
than 1%.  Not bizarrely improbably by any means, but still a bit strange.

"I love it!"

-- 
---Alfvaen(Still looking for "October's Baby")
"Give me your mirth.  It bores me when you weep.                                 My loves you cannot touch.  They're buried deep."  ---Don Marquis
Current Album--Janet Jackson:Control
Current Read--Tesseracts4
From: kf8nh@kf8nh.wariat.org (Brandon S. Allbery)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Sunglasses (was Re: Hats)
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 92 16:19:47 EST
Distribution: world
Organization: Brandon S. Allbery's Personal System

My mailfeed of alt.callahans is now a newsfeed.  For however long that lasts
before things change *again* :-)

aahz@netcom.com (Mean Green Dancing Machine) writes:
> The real point that I'm making is that polarization is the only way to
> reduce glare relative to the actual brightness level.  (Unless someone
> more knowledgable about optics corrects me?)

I can't comment on that... but it is a peculiarity that "glare" reflections
have a tendency to be vertically polarized, so horizomtally polarized
glasses do a very good job of reducing them.

++Brandon

He's BAAAACK! Brandon S. Allbery     NOTE NEW ADDRESS!!! kf8nh@kf8nh.wariat.org
From: rowanf@crc.ricoh.com (Rowan Fairgrove)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Foggy Days
Date: 30 Dec 92 01:18:22 GMT
Reply-To: rowanf@crc.ricoh.com (Rowan Fairgrove)
Organization: RICOH California Research Center

A co-worker gave me a wonderful book of poems by his
grandfather (who was one of the literary lights of the 1920's)
and I found a poem in it which I would like to share with
my friends here.  We here in California are no strangers to
the fog and there have been days when I have felt the feelings
this poem invokes.  Enjoy!

The Veil of Fog

I can give welcome to a foggy day
As freely, for the freshness of its change,
As to the bravest blue and gold display
That sunlight ever blazoned.  Is that strange?
The softened brown, dim purple, muted green
Whisper their secret to me in a smile
With finger on the lips, more felt than seen
The childlike reticence of innocent guile.
The deepest joys of life, that most endure,
Are half concealed within a floating veil,
Awaiting our discovery.  Crystal pure,
Outlasting time, their truth can never fail.
    So does the fog instil the urge in me
     To vision what no outward eye can see.

From _The Vineyard & the Sea: Poems by Charles Wharton Stork_


Gypsy

Rowan Fairgrove

*****************************************
Current Book:  The Silent Stars Go By (James White)
Current Music:  More Magical Songs (Bob Stewart)
Current Movie:  Peter's Friends
Current Holiday:  Hogmanay
Current Drink: Mumm's Extra Dry
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: ekho@cybernet.cse.fau.edu (amanda rothman)
Subject: Re: Hello
Organization: Cybernet BBS, Boca Raton, Florida
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 03:41:00 GMT

  Amanda smiles and walks up to Dreamweaver, "Welcome to the Place!  I'm 
glad to meet you.  My friend, Ekho, and I would like to join you in 
adding our energy for the continued healing of the Sprite."

  Amanda holds out her hand to Ekho who walks over, pauses, then takes 
her hand.  They both concentrate, friendship and energy perceptively 
flowing between them and then concentrating in their linked hands.  
Amanda holds out their hands to Dreamweaver, "Shared giving heals the 
healers as well as the healed."

              Yours in Time and Space
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: mar@physics.su.OZ.AU (David Mar)
Subject: Re: 1993
Organization: School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 04:23:47 GMT

>Mary MerryTail... by the way - who was collecting those recipes? Is 
>the cookbook still on the boil?

Danger Squid raises a hand... er... tentacle. "I have enough recipes to
release the first version of the Callahans Cookbook, but just need to take
a little time to organise it a little better. I'll try to have it ready
for people to request within a week or two.

"BTW, all you newcomers, in case you haven't heard about this project it
is going to be a collection of Callahan's patron's favourite and most
callahanish recipes. There are quite a few chocolate-related recipes
so far, surprise, surprise. But anything will do - just send me something
you like to cook and eat! (with appropriate accreditation if the recipe
is not your own)"

DS sips some tea between slices of his everything pizza. "It's good to see
the pizza party going so well. Maybe we can keep it going until Nicarra
returns!"

- Danger Mouse... um... Squid.
From: ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Chess match
Date: 22 Dec 1992 04:25:50 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
NNTP-Posting-Host: degas.wag.caltech.edu

>>"Hmmm... best make that 4-d with four people."  Liralen says with a smile.
>>"I can't play chess to save my life... even took a workshop in it and was
>>systematically the worst player in the class.  The instructor actually sat
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Splash follows:
>	"a system?  in chess?  I've never found it  :-)
>>down with me for an entire class time and eventually threw up his hands."

"Actually, it makes sense," notes Abner.  "She had a chess system which 
involved making the same moves each time, no matter what her opponent did.
Right Liralen?"  He grins.  "Thus, she was systematically the worst player ..."

"Of course, I'm pretty bad at chess myself ...  My memory is bad enough that
I generally forget my strategy half way through a set of moves, and have to
improvise the rest ...  Not to mention forgetting that the opponent has certain
pieces that have to be pinned down!"
Newsgroups: alt.callahans