HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: erikred@ocf.berkeley.edu (Erik Nielsen)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Rhetoric: The End of Morality in Society (?)
Date: 14 Apr 1992 18:31:33 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Open Computing Facility
NNTP-Posting-Host: tornado.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Apr10.052925.17818@cco.caltech.edu> lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU writes:
}StM, whose four years of graduate work in economics STILL don't allow him to
}make sense of this objection, suggests:  "So?  Pay him the fair market rents in
}potatoes!  Or in indentured servitude.  Or in whiskey.  Or in whatever
}commodity you prefer.  Market rents do NOT depend on a universal medium of
}exchange."

But the thing is that in a barter system there isn't necessarily a standard
of trade.  Potatoes may be worth x today and y tomorrow.  The barter system
emphasizes one's ability to bargain-- a skill which one cannot rely on in a
standardized commodity environment.  Why should you, an owner, be willing to
give me x in exchange for y, when the standard value of x is twice y?

Erik, the BFG
-- 
     "All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain."
			Roy, _Blade Runner_
Erik Nielsen					erikred@ocf.berkeley.edu
From: tjlee@iastate.edu (The Lamplighter)
Subject: Re: All mind and no heart?
Originator: tjlee@pv740b.vincent.iastate.edu
Organization: Seven Wishes Lamp Co.
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 04:49:15 GMT

Curious Of All Natures writes:

>Shared pain lessened, shared joy increased...  but I have nothing to
>share but confusion.  Confusion and a calm familiar inner quiet where
>I'd rather be rage and storm.

	"This sounds so familiar!" the Lamplighter exclaims.  "You see,
I've always been very sensitive to emotional attack (grade school was a
hell), so as a child I developed this kind of inner warm void; feelings
about other people got switched off.  I could feel about friends (but I
had to know them really well), about ideas, and about fictional
characters, since they weren't out to hurt me."

	"At one point, I don't remember exactly when, I either found out
or decided that not feeling things was bad.  So I've been trying to stop
being shy, to stop 'switching off' when people I didn't know well were
around.  It's only been partially successful."

	"Realizing I was doing it was a big step.  Music listening and
playing has been a big help.  My relationship with Aurora (Tammy Jo) has
changed this a great deal; I don't feel hurtable when she's around.  And
yes, reading and posting to alt.callahans has also helped greatly."

	"Well, I'm still trying.  Good luck; may you find your way!"

-----------------------<| "Often the test of courage is not to die
  <=|- Tom Lee -|=>   -<|  but to live."
  tjlee@iastate.edu   -<|  -- Conte Vittorio Alfieri
-----------------------<|
From: jwwalden@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (Birith)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Potstickers
Date: 7 Apr 92 20:38:52 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Physics

In article <rr6gqINN84c@agate.berkeley.edu>, erikred@ocf.berkeley.edu (Erik Nielsen) writes:
> In article <9204021542.AA11030@cipric.mn.org> jmh@cipric.mn.org (Janet M. Huss) writes:
> }    Moments later, she returns, bearing a large pot.  Tendrils of steam
> }sneak up from the slightly dislodged cover she is trying to keep from 
> }falling.  Someone jumps up to help her.  A few others sniff the air; 
> }someone successfully identifies: "Potstickers!"
> }    "I'm hoping to have dinner with a dragon," she comments with a 
> }grin.  "Birith has a weak spot for these.  Then, afterwards, I think
> }I'm for a game of story poker.  Any takers?"
> 
> 	"Ye gads!" bellows the giant, "I remember the last time we had
> potstickers here!  Save me some before they disappear!"  He races up to her
> and holds out his plate, and thanks her for the treat.  "Mmm," he mumbles
> through a mouthful of delicious potstickers, "Dese ur dem goot!"  He washes
> them down with some mead, left over from March Crown.  "Ah!  Those hit the
> spot.

Birith rumbles softly as he sleeps, occassionally twitching his tail or
changing positions (safely away from crushable patrons).  But then a wonderful
smell reaches his nostrils and the dragon sniffs, searching for the source,
still asleep but beginning a wonderful dream about Chinese food.  He sighs
happily and grins, showing a mouthful of huge sharp teeth.  But the smell
continues, so he sniffs around some more and wakes up, thinking
<<Potstickers!>>

The blue dragon looks round quickly and sees a Giant eating the potstickers! 
Oh, no, it's a nightmare!  Huge giants eating the potstickers!  He bugles
loudly in alarm and launches into the air, the floor of Callahan's creaking
under the force of his movement. Once in the air, the sweep of his huge wings
manages to temporarily disrupt many of the conversations occuring in the Place.
He lands heavily near Grey Lady and the pot of potstickers, looking round for
the Giant!  Fully awake now, he can't find any giants (at least not ones that
seem like giants to dragons) and shakes his head to clear the sleep away.

The only thing that comes to mind is the smell of the potstickers, stronger
than ever.  Birith manages a bow to Grey Lady, thinking, <<Pardon me, but could
I have some of those wonderful, delicious, scrumptious potstickers that you
have there?>>, his huge eyes whirling a very appealing shade of blue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Birith (and P'relan)		     "Run with wind and weather
jwwalden@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu	      To the music of the sea
 or jwwalden@miavx1.bitnet	      All four winds together"-"Available Light"
From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Subject: Re: RHPS
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 20:49:23 GMT

In <rsv5fINNco8@agate.berkeley.edu> erikred@ocf.berkeley.edu (Erik Nielsen) writes:

>In article <1992Apr7.164209.22500@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski) writes:
>>"ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh, eddie." (i always wanted to do columbia, but
>>i can't tap dance :)

>"Whatever happened to Saturday Night?" croons the giant, who suddenly has
>"LOVE" and "HATE" tatooed across his knuckles.  "I really love that Rock 'N'
>Roll!"


>>kitten wants to do the time warp with the bfg...

>[Show us your mother, Riff!]
>It's astounding, Time is fleeting,
>Madness [Our House!] takes its toll.
>But listen closely, [How much longer?] Not for very much longer,
>I've got to [Smoke a bol!] keep control.

>I remember!  Doing the Time Warp!  [Kick! Kick!]
>Drinking those moments when, the blackness would hit me,
>And the void would be calling [Sounds like a hangover!]

>LET'S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN!!!

all kitten can do is giggle helplessly at the bfg....

"not meatloaf for dinner agaaaaaaain?!"
--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 

"kittens today are not properly trained--the way that they were when
victoria reigned." asparagus (gus: the theatre cat)
From: olson@husc8.harvard.edu (Chip Olson)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Capital punishment (was Re: abortion)
Date: 16 Apr 92 12:39:32 GMT
 085204.11735@cco.caltech.edu>,<1992Apr13.222723.11059@husc3.harvard.edu><1992A
 pr14.201623.23815@cco.caltech.edu>,<OLSON.92Apr15212547@husc8.harvard.edu><1992Apr16.075142.562
Organization: Spam-On-A-Rope Inc.
In-reply-to: lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU's message of Thu, 16 Apr 1992 07:51:42 GMT

In article <1992Apr16.075142.5628@cco.caltech.edu> lydick@SOL1.GPS.CALTECH.EDU (Speaker-to-Minerals) writes:

>Well, let's see now.  If we assume that, on average, we prevent one murder for
>every convicted murderer we execute (and, given the fact that capital
>punishment in California requires "special circumstances," this seems a not
>unreasonable assumption;  BTW, the one "special circumstance" with which I take
>strong exception is that of killing a policeman [they knew the job was
>dangerous when they took it]), then if the "he can't murder again" argument
>doesn't save a significant number of lives, capital punishment BY THE SAME
>STANDARDS doesn't take a significant number of lives.  You can't have it both
>ways.  Either both are significant or neither are.

Agreed.  It's not like we're threatening ourselves with extinction by executing
too many people.  

[me:]
>>"I don't have my statistics handy, but I believe TX and FL fired up their
>>electric chairs immediately after the Supreme Court relegalized the death
>>penalty in '76 (?), and their murder rates haven't exactly plummeted since
>>then.

>Totally irrelevent.  They execute only a small fraction of the murderers
>convicted in either state.  Unless you can name a state in which the murder
>rate HAS plummeted since then?

Um, so what are you arguing?  All I'm saying is that the reintroduction of
the death penalty hasn't served as a deterrent to crime, even in the states
that use it the most enthusiastically.  

[me again:]
>>Our judicial system is far from perfect, and there will always be unfor-
>>tunates who fall through the cracks."
>
>And our penal system is far from perfect:  There will always be a few convicts
>who are (either intentionally or unintentionally) released back into society. 

Agreed.  In the case of less serious offenders, that's part of the point.  

--
-Chip Olson. | olson@husc.harvard.edu | ceo@gnu.ai.mit.edu (seldom used)
"So come all ye lovers of the Good Life, your children playing in the sun,
And set a sympathetic flag a-flying, and be there when the Dutchman comes..."
                                      -Jethro Tull, "Flying Dutchman"
From: andrea@cm.deakin.OZ.AU (Andrea Todkill)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Rhetoric: The End of Morality in Society (?)
Date: 10 Apr 92 04:39:20 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Computing & Mathematics, Deakin University, Australia

In article <wdsm98y00awEFUpVZY@andrew.cmu.edu> ml5a+@andrew.cmu.edu (Mark Beirne Lively) writes:
>	Now on the abortion issue, I am strongly pro-life while i realize this
>is not a popular position i have only one thing to say about popular
>positions.  "take out a loan and buy some balls!"
Owl smirks sourly. "Such machismo. How very surprising."
>I just realized that in someways that the abortion debate is  much like
>the American civil war. 
Owl's grin sharpens. "Yes, and it's the _women_ who are the modern slaves,
and the pro-choice groups who are fighting to give them their freedom." 
>	Fade to a small famr shrouded in fog.  The sun begins to rise in the
>east over a small barn adn a a sunken road appears in the distance.  As
>the fog slowly burns off it leaves a metalic smell mixed with an oder of
>rotting flesh.  hundreds of thousands of bodies lay where they fell
>several deep.  This is antietam.  Lets not repeat the smae mistake twice.
Fade to a suburban room. Anywhere, anyday. The sun begins to rise, touching
the empty staring eyes of a young and desperate girl lying in a pool of her
own blood, a twisted length of wire still clutched in her stiffening fingers.
Replay this scene thousands of times a year. This is anywoman. Let's not make
the same mistake twice.  (P.S. For those of you who can't see my point, 
Let's lay off the blatant emotional bludgeons, OK? Anyone is capable of
using them, even me, see? They prove absolutely _nothing_ for either side.)
>"But I don't want to be a hero and don't give me that ours is not to     
>reason why stuff either."                                                OvO
"But I don't want to risk my life in a backyard abortion,                ()_() 
and don't give me that ours is not to reason why stuff either."  - Owl.   " "
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: RH and steel bars
From: olson@husc8.harvard.edu (Chip Olson)
Date: 8 Apr 92 00:07:54
Organization: Spam-On-A-Rope Inc.
In-reply-to: mdm@PREMISE.PRIME.COM's message of 7 Apr 92 05:42:47 GMT

In article <9204070542.AA19720@premise.prime.com.> mdm@PREMISE.PRIME.COM (Michael McAfee) writes:

		"All this talk of Rocky Horror brings back memories
>	of when I ushered the Rocky Horror midnight shows at the Harvard
>	Square cinema in Cambridge.  Some favorite lines:
>
>		"A laser capable of firing a beam of pure anti-matter!"
>		[Peanut butter!]
>

Castellan opens up a laptop PC that happens to be lying in the grass,
and types quite rapidly for a 2-finger typist.  "Thanks... I didn't have
that one in my script, and I've gone to the Harvard Square shows several
times.  A close friend of mine used to work the show; did you by any
chance ever know Graham Mitchell?"

"Oh, by the way, anyone who wants my script has to send me all the lines
they know that aren't in it.  Sorry if I didn't mention that little catch
before :-).  Eventually I hope to get it on an anonymous FTP site somewhere
and do regular updates."
--
-Chip Olson. | olson@husc.harvard.edu | ceo@gnu.ai.mit.edu (seldom used)
"So come all ye lovers of the Good Life, your children playing in the sun,
And set a sympathetic flag a-flying, and be there when the Dutchman comes..."
                                      -Jethro Tull, "Flying Dutchman"
From: vad276g@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (Stephen McNamara)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: balrog meets Tizrak !
Date: 2 Apr 92 14:15:01 GMT
Organization: Monash University, Melb., Australia.


   The brumby is steadily cheering himself up.

AXM113@psuvm.psu.edu (Abner Mintz) writes:

>>kitten giggles as the light bulb goes on over her head....

>Tizrak, startled, looks up at the bulb.  "Watt's that?"

   "It's a sign of her potential."


-- 
     The Silver Brumby of      vad276g@lindblat.cc.monash.edu.au (till Apr 13)
      the Silicon Plains           brumby@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au

      The grass is always greener on the other side of the network.
From: p65331727@violet.ccit.arizona.edu (The Artful Dodger)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Dr. Asimov
Keywords: Death, Renescance Men, etc.
Date: 6 Apr 92 16:04:00 GMT
Distribution: world,local
Organization: University of Arizona
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


	Arty stands up from behind his table of homework and
crosses to the bar.  "Mick, I'd like a sprite, no ice."
	Mike sets it in front of him, starts to mention that
he prefers Mike, then stops.  "You look like someone died, Art."
	"Someone did.  Dr. Asimov, one of the last Renasance men,
died last night.  When I was a kid, Dr. Asimov was one of my favorite 
science fiction writers.  Later, I read his factual works, and
was enlightened.
	"I understand he was rather annoying to know personally,
but his works are wonderful."
	Arty crosses to the line.  "To the Big 3 - Heinlein, Asimov,
and Clarke - and all the wonderful things they gave us."
	he chugs his sprite, and throws the glass in the fire.


The Artful Dodger P65331727@CCIT.Arizona.Edu
"Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went arround giving people advice.
They killed him."
	-Anonymous history student
From: lusinchi@imag.fr
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: to Emter
Date: 6 Apr 92 08:04:36 GMT



--
>Happily, Emter takes the Balrog over to a corner of Didi's meadow where,
>out of sight of most of the other patrons, she begins to show him some of
>the dances she knows. As she expected, he learns very quickly. :-) But she
>does hope that his purple coloring is only temporary . . .



After a full week of non stop dancing, the balrog finaly collapses, 
exhausted but with a beaming smile.
.......Emter..... this was so..... you are dancing so......
seeing he can't find proper words, he gives his friend a big hug....
Then, stepping a little backward ( and it's plain that he is hiding 
something behind his back ) he says :
And I've got a little gift for you.... for your kind lessons and your
wonderful dancing...
he then produces from behind his back a huge bouquet, three time his size.
All the flowers are of the purest shades of white.
They come from the deepest part of my mines, they have never met 
sun rays .... until now...
The purple color threatening to return to his face, he clumsily offers
the bouquet to Emter, burrying her under the white flowers, then 
gives her a quick but warm hug, and fumbles some words
_so ...thanx again.... but.... I must depart...you know... exams....
and the quickly reddening balrog makes a quick retreat, leaving her friend with
only her head popping out of the flowers.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: milar@seq.uncwil.edu (Panther)
Subject: Re: RHPS
Organization: Univ. of North Carolina @ Wilmington
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 15:07:39 GMT

pierce@navo.navy.mil (Jim M. Pierce) writes:

>In article <1992Apr5.202544.29473@seq.uncwil.edu>, milar@seq.uncwil.edu (Panther) writes:
>|> Panther, shedding her normal dignified demeanor, suddenly appears
>|> in a French maid's costume, complete with red wig, and yells, "You 
>|> have no neck...."
>|> 	 Just as suddenly, the costume disappears.  "I haven't seen it since
>|> Halloween...that's the only time they show it in Wilmington."
>|> She sniffles slightly in self-pity.

>     "Gee Panther, I'm sorry to hear that you only get to see it once a
>  year. A video store about 1/8 mile away carries it. So, if and when
>  I have any spare time { ha ! } I can rent it or go to the mall and 
>  watch it there with a good audience. Unfortunately, the mall just
>  shows it on weekends, and since I work weekends..." NickD.


Panther sighs.  "Yeah, I could rent it too, but somehow it's just not the
same...Unless, of course, I could get about fifteen people together and
we all watch it.....That'd be neat."
From: aralph@cix.compulink.co.uk (Alan Ralph)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: They're coulomb to take me away, ha ha, hee hee, ho ho
Date: 9 Apr 92 03:14:22 GMT
Reply-To: Alan Ralph <aralph@cix.compulink.co.uk>
Organization: Gated to News by demon.co.uk

SEA sez:
>SEA has been listening to the pun fest from her usual spot in the hot tub. 
>After getting another drink from Mike, she turns to face the punsters and
>proceeds with: "IC that my delicate ears don't have the capcitance to
>resist this current flow.  I'm out of phase and amp sure to need grounding
>before this circuit is complete.  I'm wafering on the edge of reluctance
>and this situation needs to be rectified by admittance to the home for
>transient punsters."  Turning to toe the line, SEA throws her glass into
>the fireplace and says, "May we all reach a steady state soon."
[...]
>We now  return you to the regularly scheduled frequency.  Tune in tomorrow
>same Bat Time, same Bat Channel!

"Holy Circuit Breakers, Batman! Looks like we got here in the nick of
time!"

"Yes, Robin. And now to neutralise this menace with the aid of my trusty
Batarang!"

*woosh!* *KLUNK!* "I surrender! It's a fair cop!"

"And now to hand you over to Commissioner Gordon. And this time you'll
stay earthed for a good long time!"


Altogether now.... "NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA.... BAT-MAN!!!!"

Alan Ralph <-> Kimberley MonTemplar
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: lindercs@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU (Galadin (Craig Linderoth))
Subject: HoloMUCK
Reply-To: lindercs@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU
Organization: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 19:23:14 GMT

	Galadin sure hopes that kitten gets straight and comes over to HoloMUCK
soon.  That also goes for anyother Callahanian around.  Especially you Didi. 
It's a great place just to hang out and talk in real time.  Well, just had to
put my 2 cents in.  By the way kitten and Didi, I have something special for
you 2 if you ever show up there.


******************************************************************************
*Craig Linderoth                * Reality is for People who Lack Imagination.*
*Lindercs@Rosevc.rose-hulman.edu*   The Callahanian Protector of People from *
*ChemEng, Rose-Hulman           *    Outrageous Pun Throwers    SPLAT :)     *
******************************************************************************           
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: moh2@quads.uchicago.edu (Kateri/Mary Anne)
Subject: Re: Dr. Asimov
Keywords: Death, Renescance Men, etc.
Reply-To: moh2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Distribution: world,local
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 19:17:34 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.163759.21641@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski) writes:
>In <1992Apr7.043823.9961@midway.uchicago.edu> moh2@quads.uchicago.edu (Kateri/Mary Anne) writes:
>kitten puts an arm around kateri and hugs her, hard....
>
>"but, kateri...when did clarke die...i hadn't heard that."

"Perhaps the person who told me so was misinformed...oh, I hope so.  Does any-
one know?"


-- 
The autumn leaves are falling like rain.
Although my neighbors are all barbarians,
And you, you are a thousand miles away,
There are always two cups at my table.		 - A T'ang Dynasty poem
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: tjlee@iastate.edu (Tom Lee)
Subject: Door into Darkness
Originator: tjlee@pv740b.vincent.iastate.edu
Organization: Seven Wishes Lamp Co.
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 03:09:52 GMT

	Attention puzzles to Tom, at the chalk line still.  He was in
the process of toasting.  "Also," he says, holding up his drink
(remember what kind?) as he has for four days, or about a minute,
depending on whose time you're counting,

	"To boldness."  A quaff and a crash follow.  Eyes fix on Tom;
the expression on his face is not particularly bold.  There is some
there, but there is worry, too, enough to cause pain.

	"Can I talk for a bit?" he asks.  "Would you mind?"  Nobody
listening seems to mind too much.

	To the Danger Room door he walks.  "This Door to Anywhere, I
opened a year, three months, and five days ago, by way of announcing my
engagement*," he says, touching the dusty control panel by the steel
doorknob.  "Anybody who was watching at the time saw Aurora and the
Lamplighter pass through to a certain place, a place with a lamppost, a
morning of hope."

	Blue-green digits come to life, and Tom's lithe fingers quickly
reprogram the Door as he speaks.  The coordinates blur, spinning wildly,
though he hopes not randomly.  "I go where Tammy Jo goes.  She got
refused for graduate study at Wisconsin, Michigan, and Chicago ... and
accepted at Columbia.  I go to an uncertain future."

	A green light goes on, and Tom turns the knob.  The Door opens a
crack; nothing is visible through it.  "For one thing, I don't know for
certain that I'm going to graduate by the end of the summer.  In fact, I
don't even know that I'm going to be supported through the summer.  And
even if I do leave here with a master's, I don't know if I'll be able to
get a job in New York City.  If I can't, we're going to have to borrow a
lot of money.  A LOT of money."

	Tom opens the door a bit more and looks through.  There is
blackness beyond -- darker and smoother than velvet, silent and
unresponsive.  "I don't even know if I can handle living in a big city,"
he says, facing the darkness, and the echo of his voice is swallowed
more hungrily than by any soundproofing ever made.  His voice sounds
small, tiny, but he repeats to himself that same old Goethe quotation
that he always repeats to others.

	"'Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.  Boldness
has beauty and power and magic in it.'"  A giant step follows, then
nothing.  The Door swings closed, "clunk," and the controls blink off,
"bleep."

-----------------------<| "Often the test of courage is not to die
  <=|- Tom Lee -|=>   -<|  but to live."
  tjlee@iastate.edu   -<|  -- Conte Vittorio Alfieri
-----------------------<|

* I think WildCard invented the Door, though.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans