HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: henry@netcom.com (Henry Polard)
Subject: Re: New Year Pizza Party
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 07:08:26 GMT

In article <1993Jan4.204321.29551@crc.ricoh.com> rowanf@crc.ricoh.com (Rowan Fairgrove) writes:
>Gypsy sees the Place transformed into an undersea
>theme and still celebrating the New Year.  Having just
>had a lovely Hogmanay herself, she quickly changes into
>a Selkie costume and asks the VPM for a haggis, tomato
>and goat cheese pizza.

Haggis! Boyoboy! It's been ages since I've eaten haggis (its
ingredients may seem unappetizing, but they're no worse than your
average sausage). May I have a slice of your pizza?

>She swims over to Kitten-the-mermaid, the Merrytail Dolphin,
>Henry (the Seal of Approval -- are you related to the Selkie clan?),

I'm virtually related.

> ... to wish them all a most happy and 
>prosperous (secular) New Year and to offer hugs to any who would like one.
Henry accepts Gypsy's delightful hug and returns it, tickling her
nose with his whilskers. *Ahhhh..*

>Current Movie: 'Oss 'oss, wee 'oss

This sounds fascinating - can you tell me anything about it?
Where is it playing?

Happy Twelfth Night (and the rest, too!)

-- Henry Polard, your friendly neighborhood fraternal marxist.
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: xrjdm@twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov (Joseph D. McMahon)
Subject: Re: Snarking late February in Pittsburgh and LA
Keywords: n
Organization: NASA/GSFC NCCS
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 16:17:15 GMT
Reply-To: xrjdm@calvin.gsfc.nasa.gov 
Distribution: usa
X-Posted-From: twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu

In article <1993Jan7.205526.3217@e2big.mko.dec.com>, pel@maximo.enet.dec.com (Phillip E lujan) writes:
> 
> (Michael D. McAfee) writes:
> [Michaels rehi to Snark deleted... greetings are irrelevant.]
> |>
> |>		Speaking of Callahan's stories, John Ockerbloom's
> |>	oeuvre was wonderful.  I was waiting for a "Rudolf the Red
> |>	knows reine, dear" pun, but considering what he gave us, I don't
> |>	feel rooked at all.
> 
> Starknight checks his ears.  "Chess puns?  You must think we're pawns for you
> to push around, Michael..."
Oh, no. Rook, don't get him started, he'll keep it up all knight...

-- 
                  Joe McMahon | Take me out to the ball game
                  P.O. Box 13 | Take me ... out to the park
            Lothian, MD 20711 | Take me to ... the movies, 'cause
xrjdm@twinpeaks.gsfc.nasa.gov | I love to ... sit in the dark
From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Thyra)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: A Voyager Returns, with a Difference
Date: 12 Jan 93 02:04:15 GMT
Followup-To: alt.callahans
Organization: the Polyhedron Group
NNTP-Posting-Host: aaa.uoregon.edu

In article <1it3nvINN3gb@sal-sun44.usc.edu>, pechever@sal-sun44.usc.edu
(The Heckler) wrote:
> 
> In article <C0MBMB.8Dt@news.cso.uiuc.edu> trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski) writes:
> 
> >kitten obliges...and hugs the scribe warmly...."welcome back."
> 
> "Thanks K. Mike, some milk for the bar's favorite furry feline, please?
> No offense, Thyra."  A grin flashes in the shapeshifter's direction.

Thyra has been partying in the new-year as a twin-tailed mer-cat. She
glides out of the water and resumes her normal (?) feline/human form. "None
taken, my friend" She gives the Scribe a warm, welcome-home hug. "After
all, Kitten has been a regular here a lot longer than I have."

Hugs and Purrs,
Thyra
From: mjmh@crsa.bu.edu (Michael J M Holmes)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: A purple return...
Date: 11 Jan 93 19:19:04 GMT
Organization: Boston University Center for Remote Sensing

The front door opens, and in a swirl of mauve snow,
/* returns to The Place.

He tosses a purple bill on the counter.

"Hi Mike!  Something warm please, it is *frigid* here in RL!"

Mike hands him some cocoa, in a violet mug.  /* takes it,
grapefully, and goes to a nearby table.  Before taking a sip,
his purple face crinkles, and he sniffs the air.

"Smells like the pun-geant odor of pun-ishment in here!"

Suddenly, a flash of his favorite color catches the purple guy's
eyes.

"Kitten!  I *LOVE* your hair!!!  Don't change it - lilac it that way!"
He runs over to her to give her a hug.  "And with one of *my* hugs,
we can match the rest of you to your hair!  Temporarily, at least!"

"Gosh, too many people here that I want to say hi to and hug!  Before
I make the rounds, let me introduce myself to the newcomers who
arrived during the holiday break (when I was out being festive and
NET-deprived!)."

-------------------------------
In VR:  /*  a thoroughly purple dude, from head to toe, and things
that he touches tend to turn purple as well.

In RL:  Mike Holmes, unfortunately no purple skin or hair, but
I do wear purple *all* the time - and things around me tend to
be *replaced* by purple things!!  I'm a full-time staff person
and a part time student here at Boston University.
-------------------------------

/* then goes to hug Didi, because he became *very* concerned
while catching up on posts, but he is happy to see her back here
safe and sound.

"Linda, is there any of that Mardi Gras cake left?  Purple,
green, and gold, right?  Sounds excellent!"

Then /* starts to greet (read: hug!) the Patrons of the Place,
while wondering why dragon's eggs never seem to come in the
color purple...


-- 
========================================================================
Mike Holmes       mjmh@crsa.bu.edu           "Happiness Will Prevail!"
Boston University Department of Geography (a truly GREAT place to work!)
========================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: jammer@eskimo.com (Lyle Harwood)
Subject: Re: an idle observation
Organization: -> ESKIMO NORTH (206) For-Ever <-
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 08:31:06 GMT

Edmund Schweppe (schweppe@acs.bu.edu) wrote:
: kitten puns yet again:
: 
: >kitten whirls around....ready to club jammer.  but she refrains,
: >because she understands what it means to be a diamond in the rough...
: >his hearts are pure...kitten hands jammer a spade so he can clean up
: >the nuts...
: 
: Merlinvin tries to suppress a chortle and fails miserably. "So,
kitten,
: THAT's why your RL name is Trump-inski!  Well, those puns deserve
something
: special..."  Merlinvin throws a handful of bridge mix at kitten.
: 
:
>***********************************************************************
*
: >conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten        /\ /\  barbara ann 
: >"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"   {=.=}
: >                                           ~  
trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
: >"love is the wild card of existance"
:               ^^^^^^^^^
: >                          rita mae brown
: 
: "Aha!  She's been finessing this one past us for who knows how long!
: Well, once you're done carrying your trey around the Pl-ace, serving
: drinks to every man jack here, you should sit down for a while - I
don't
: think you've eight even one piece of pizza yet!"
: 
:
________________________________________________________________________
__
: Ed Schweppe o/k/a Merlinvin - schweppe@acs.bu.edu,
:     (or for faster replies)   eschweppe%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil
: All standard disclaimers (also datclaimers and deotherclaimers) apply.

Jammer says
"Ah! Bridge Mix. wench, I bid you bring me some."
From: tjl9@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Thomas J Lee)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: New Year Pizza Party
Date: 8 Jan 93 22:11:34 GMT
Reply-To: tjl9@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Thomas J Lee)
Organization: Columbia University

Thyra writes:

T>Thyra looks at the sea-grass and pouts, but just a bit. "I don't know,
T>really. It came from Netarts Bay on the Oregon coast (About 45 degrees N
T>latitude, East rim of the Pacific Ocean).

	Hearing only the briefest edge of this conversation, the Lamplighter
jumps a bit.  "Netarts?  I've been there!"

The Lamplighter's short signature
From: schweppe@acs.bu.edu (Edmund Schweppe)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: an idle observation
Date: 10 Jan 93 19:05:44 GMT
Organization: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

Jammer quotes me:

>Edmund Schweppe (schweppe@acs.bu.edu) wrote:

[ kittenish card-sharping deleted ]

>: Merlinvin tries to suppress a chortle and fails miserably. "So, kitten,
>: THAT's why your RL name is Trump-inski!  Well, those puns deserve
>: something special..."  Merlinvin throws a handful of bridge mix at kitten.
>
>"Ah! Bridge Mix. wench, I bid you bring me some."

"No, Wench, first to me!" Merlinvin jumps in preemptively. Then, realizing
his vulnerability to being slammed by other bridge-lovers,  Merlinvin
suggests that the bridge mix be auctioned off...

__________________________________________________________________________
Ed Schweppe o/k/a Merlinvin - schweppe@acs.bu.edu,
    (or for faster replies)   eschweppe%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil
All standard disclaimers (also datclaimers and deotherclaimers) apply.
From: aaron@atlantis.uucp
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Analog (was Re: S.R. does it again)
Date: 5 Jan 93 04:53:09 GMT
Organization: Atlantis Communications, Edmonton, AB, Canada
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

Rowan Fairgrove (rowanf@crc.ricoh.com) wrote:
: I cannot argue with your personal preference, but I must correct
: your statement that _Analog_ runs lots of serials.  That policy was
: changed several years ago.  In my opinion, Dr. Schmidt is doing a
: wonderful job as editor and if you haven't read it in a while, you 
: might want to try it again. 

Alfvaen goes to his RL shelf and rummages around.  "Okay.  Analog November
'92--part 3 of 4, "Assemblers of Infinity" by Kevin J. Anderson & Doug Beason.
Analog December '89--the last time I bought it before then--Conclusion,
"Sparrowhawk" by Thomas A. Easton.  Analog July '89--Conclusion, "The Washer
At The Ford", Michael F. Flynn.  Then we have a fair space, at least of the
five or six issues I have in that interval, and then was have, in the July
'84 issue, Vernor Vinge, "The Peace War", Part 3 of 4.

"From that scanty evidence, just ten or so issues sampled at random, I see
four serials(which must span at least another twelve issues between them),
three of which are within the last three years.

"The bulk of my Analog issues are from '89, the first year I had a real
opportunity to but them--any earlier ones I got second-hand.  I would buy an
issue because I saw one author I liked listed on the cover, and then find out
when I got it home(this emptor didn't caveat enough)that a quarter or more of
it was taken up with a serial.  And normally I don't like any of the stories I
didn't buy the issue for specifically, or at least not to any great extent.

"I can report much better success with IASFM.  I've seen a total of three
serials in the ten years or so I have of it(admittedly, the first few are a bit
sparse--I have a lot in '81, but not as many for the next three or four years),
and only one of those is incomplete.  (Okay, I guess I subscribe...)  And I'm
more consistently impressed with the stories.

"Ah, well.  De gustibus non est disputandum.  I dispute the fact that the
number of serials has died down lately--if you have better evidence, I wouldn't
mind seeing it, and I'm admit I'm wrong if the facts show it."

Alfvaen hits himself on the forehead.  "God, StM better get back soon, or else
I'll evolve to take his place..."  Unbe, Mishael and Nightstalker pale visibly
at this and back away...;-} ;-}  Alfvaen grins.  "No, not really, but really,
isn't there a little bit of StM in all of us?

"Or, as Michael the Chaotic would say, a little bit of Alfvaen in all of you?"

-- 
---Alfvaen(Still looking for "October's Baby")
"I'm gonna follow my feelings...I'm gonna follow my senses...I'm gonna follow   my compass!"  --Lone Justice
Current Album--Tom Waits:Blue Valentine
Current Read--OnSpec Winter '92
From: kf8nh@kf8nh.wariat.org (Brandon S. Allbery)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: an idle observation
Date: Sun, 03 Jan 93 22:51:28 EST
Distribution: world
Organization: Brandon S. Allbery's Personal System

JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jason) said in <JBrandt-030193162045@aaa.uoregon.edu>:
> had eluded him. Shadow kept poking her nose into his deck, and Pegasus said
> "There are times I want to pull that Decker's Jack.", so Jason jacked out

But then his deck won't be playing with a full jack!

++Brandon

He's BAAAACK! Brandon S. Allbery     NOTE NEW ADDRESS!!! kf8nh@kf8nh.wariat.org

Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: li@Data-IO.COM (Phyllis Rostykus)
Subject: Re: A Christmas Story
Organization: Data I/O Corporation
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 22:00:35 GMT

In article <JBrandt-281292085343@aaa.uoregon.edu> JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Jason) writes:
>In article <1992Dec25.075320.24135@rock.concert.net>,
>darkshot@rock.concert.net (Michael B Garrett -- Chudys) wrote:
>>  "A toast: To engineering- a talent so formidable that it can make you 
>> believe in magic- even when you know how it works. And to my Dad- a master
>> magician. The world is poorer without you, and your talents. If there is
>> an afterlife, you're gonna have to explain that one to me. Cheers!
>
><<CRASH!!>>

<<CRASH!!>>

-- 
Phyllis Rostykus    | "... and how you feel can make it real  | - _US_
aka Liralen Li      | Real as anything you've seen            |   Peter
li@Data-IO.com      | Get a life with this dreamer's dream."  |   Gabriel
From: keulen@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Splash!)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: A dead ringer
Date: 11 Jan 1993 05:46:51 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au


A church was advertising for a new bell-ringer.  One of the likely
candidates, a strapping young lad, was being interviewed for the position,
and was taken for a tour of the belfrey.  The priest in charge of the
church asked for a demonstration of the candidate's bell-ringing skills. 
The young lad was happy to oblige, and ran up to the bell, butting it with
his head, and producing a resounding clang.  When the bell swung back
however, it hit the poor lad fair in the head, and knocked him out of the
bell tower, to his death, some 6 storeys below.

The police sergeant on the scene approached a witness, and asked if she
knew who the deceased was.  "I'm sorry officer, I don't know his name, but
his face certainly rings a bell."

Damien (Splash isn't sure he wants to add his name to this one  :-)  )


--
		Splash!		*To love is to LIVE!*
   (aka Mike van Keulen -- e-mail: keulen@csuvax1.murdoch.edu.au)
From: keulen@csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au (Splash!)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: harpy gnu ears
Date: 6 Jan 1993 22:02:19 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au


Splash pipes up from his lurking corner (temporary - I only have about 200
articles to catch up on |-)  )  "And from the remote side of Oz - a very
Happy New Year to all of my friends here ... being able to share the
experiences of a year, like kitten has done here, really embodies the
spirit of Callahans.  I'm really glad I found the Place ... it, and all
you folks here, kinda fill a hole in my life at this point in time.  Thank
you all.

"To the friendship that is Callahans!"

<<CRASH!!>>

Splash!

--
		Splash!		*To love is to LIVE!*
   (aka Mike van Keulen -- e-mail: keulen@csuvax1.murdoch.edu.au)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: cliveg@cix.compulink.co.uk (Clive Grace)
Subject: Re: Look, ma!  Portholes!
Reply-To: cliveg@cix.compulink.co.uk
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 23:24:00 +0000


> -Spriteful hug!  And, to Tanais, whom I have yet to meet properly.
> That was a beautiful and very touching post.  Thank you.

At this Tanais lifts his hat and gracefully bows, but he waggles his 
ears in a most coquetish manner. It's his way of expressing relief, 
affection (and a little 'irreverence' at the formality of his 
action). His family and indeed his home world of vulpis is steeped in 
tradition and formality and to waggle one's ears is the best way to 
show a sprite such as Didi that he is indeed overjoyed  to see her -- 
both for the first time, and (to all outward appearances) healthy.

"My pleasure Ma'am". Is all Tanais can whisper. He is too overjoyed 
to say anything else.
--
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+
| When I grow up, I want to give up being   |cliveg@cix.compulink.co.uk|
| a Journalist and learn how to write...    |                          |
+-------------------------------------------+--------------------------+
|       Bisexual knitter of quality and distinction since 1992.        |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+

Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: aaron@atlantis.uucp
Subject: Birthday
Organization: Atlantis Communications, Edmonton, AB, Canada
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 05:01:27 GMT

Some patrons of the Place see the Didi-Sprite swimming about from patron to
patron, whispering in their ears.  Those particularly observant may even note
that the patrons' gaze flickers to Gypsy Woman and a few others only dimly
seen.

When it comes to Alfvaen's turn, he looks at his watch, pressing the button to
display the date, and then mutters, "Oh, close enough.  What with propagation
delay and time zones and such, it should be the 6th by the time they see this."

He then turns to the Gypsy Woman(who is, if he's not mistaken, done out as a
Selkie?)and gives her a warm hug.  "Happy Birthday, Rowan!  Didi tells me it's
your birthday today--the 6th, Epiphany, Twelfth Night, etc.  Have a great
birthday!"  Nobody stops to comment on it being January 6th in the middle of a
New Year's Party--this kind of thing happens all the time in the Place.  (Sort
of like Douglas Adams' eternal floating party.)

"And Reverence Pavane, if you're out there, happy B-Day too!  Your birthday is
probably almost over by now, but I certainly hope it was happy anyway!"

-- 
---Alfvaen(Still looking for "October's Baby")
"I'm gonna follow my feelings...I'm gonna follow my senses...I'm gonna follow   my compass!"  --Lone Justice
Current Album--The Nylons:4 On The Floor
Current Read--Tanya Huff:Blood Trail
From: narxtc@casc.math.uh.edu (Noah Ramon)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Wench
Date: 4 Jan 1993 02:18:21 GMT
Organization: UH Dept of Math
NNTP-Posting-Host: casc.math.uh.edu

Kitten writes :
>"but doesn't that involve honest work?"  giggles kitten  "....besides,
>there's a hole in my bucket!"

Dear Liza, Dear Liza...

Sorry, couldn't resist!
--
*******************************************************************           
* Noah Ramon - The Bi-Bulb     * Your only limitation is your own *
* Mail to : narxtc@math.uh.edu * imagination - Beans Barton       *
*******************************************************************
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: jammer@eskimo.com (Lyle Harwood)
Subject: Re: an idle observation
Organization: -> ESKIMO NORTH (206) For-Ever <-
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 03:29:00 GMT

Little red-headed girl (carrot@bear.stonemarche.org) wrote:
: In article <1993Jan10.145856.2967@eskimo.com> jammer@eskimo.com (Lyle
Harwood) writes:
: 
: >  "U2 can prevent florist friors."
: >
: >Jammer breaks for the door.
: 
:  But before he can get there all the firelizards (except Stan)
: swarm around between him and the door. Jammer has the chance to wonder
: why they seem to resemble chipmunks...
: 
: Soora: <<Ok kids, SPIT!>>
: 
: Jammer gets spattered with some rather soggy peanuts...
Jammer rolls around the floor, holding his stomach and laughing, and
then
holds his arms up in surrender, and hollers 
"enough! enough! Warrior, where are you when I need ya, huh?"

Warrior's tail lashes, and he spits one last peanut.

"You should have seen all yer faces! After all the storys I've told
in here, y'all were expecting another tear jerker...."

Jammer collapses in another gale of laughter.
From: JBrandt@AAA.UOregon.EDU (Thyra)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Computer, open a channel to a.c.
Followup-To: alt.callahans
Date: 5 Jan 1993 17:23:03 GMT
Organization: the Polyhedron Group
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: aaa.uoregon.edu

In article <93004.133102PJCHC@CUNYVM.BITNET>, Philip J. Comins
<PJCHC@CUNYVM.BITNET> wrote:
> Ladies and Gents, you saw those bills I put on that there counter ... line up,
> drinks ..." pause (Did I say pause?) PAUSE "...oh all right; 
> Drinks ARE on me!"
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Hi Phillip!" Thyra -swims- up to him as a twin-tailed mer-cat. "Welcome
back! Were still having the New Years Party. Care to change to an undersea
theme costume and join me for a dance?" She takes a squeeze-bulb of
Dragon's Breath from mike, and sips on it as she floats. "Besides, it will
give you a chance to wash off the drinks that are no doubt about to be
poured on your head!" She swims out of harms way and waits for a reply,
sipping on her drink.

Hugs and Purrs,
Thyra
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
From: aaron@atlantis.uucp
Subject: Re: Hullo...
Organization: Atlantis Communications, Edmonton, AB, Canada
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 04:37:19 GMT

Noah Ramon (narxtc@casc.math.uh.edu) wrote:
: Alfvaen writes :
: >"By the way, I've asked this before, but maybe someone knows now...how
: >exactly
: >do they calculate the check digit at the end of an ISBN?  All I know about it
: >currently is that when the ISBN goes up by one, the check digit goes down by
: >two, modulo 11...anyone have anything more to add?  Even my wife, a Library
: >Technician, doesn't know..."

: Well, in the "Numerical Recipes" series from Cambridge U Press (0-521-...), 
: they list the formula. It isn't so much a check digit as a full checksum(?)
: The formula is : (for sample abcdfghij)
:  a10 + b9 + c8 + d7 + e6 + f5 + g4 + h3 + i2 + j1  = 0 mod11
: (with a last digit of "X", it is equal to a value of 10)

: I'll check tomorrow just to be sure, though. 

"No, the last digit is still a check digit in that case, since all the true
information is coded in the first nine--language, publisher, and catalogue
number.  But that formula looks like it works!  When i goes up by one, j must
go down by two to compensate, which is exactly the behaviour I observed.  So
if you transfer the a-i terms to the other side, then you have a method of
calculating j--

j=-(10a+9b+8c+7d+6e+5f+4g+3h+2i)(mod11)

"Modulos of negative integers >are< defined, aren't they?  Yeah, they must be.
Subtraction is defined, so I can just take 0-x as -x.  Sorry, I'm babbling.
But now I have a way to >do< it!  Yay!  I have some books old enough to have
ISBNs without check digits, and they've really been driving me crazy..."

-- 
---Alfvaen(Still looking for "October's Baby")
"I'm gonna follow my feelings...I'm gonna follow my senses...I'm gonna follow   my compass!"  --Lone Justice
Current Album--Stewart Copeland:The Equalizer & Other Cliff Hangers
Current Read--Robert J. Sawyer:Far-Seer
From: pel@maximo.enet.dec.com (Phillip E lujan)
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Bi-bulb (was Re: Dalek has entered the building
Date: 8 Jan 93 15:17:22 GMT
Reply-To: pel@maximo.enet.dec.com (Phillip E lujan)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


In article <106468@bu.edu>, schweppe@acs.bu.edu (Edmund Schweppe) writes:
|>
|>Starknight writes:
|>
|>>(Attributions deleted to please the bandwidth spirits.)
|>
|>[ so are all the old puns ]
|>
|>>"Theses puns are true joules.  I'm dyne to jump in on this thread, so here
|>>I am faraday.  Let me amp-lifiy my current thoughts:  Never leave a static
|>>pun around an electronics technician; he might shock you."
|>
|>Merlivin, an ex-Navy ET1(SS) himself, is impressed.  "May I have the honor
|>of conducting you to the Bad Puns Hall of Fame?"

Starknight (who in RL is an ex-Air Farce Missile Maintainence Tech) looks up
at Merlinvin's pun-ishing offer.  "Are you sure we have a path?  We might have
to take a short cut through an open gate..."