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alloy-digest          Saturday, June 13 1998          Volume 03 : Number 155



                               Today's Subjects:
                               -----------------
  Re: Alloy: I've been lurking on e-mail load...  [dalexander@juno.com (Denn]
  Re: Alloy: Project B-Day ][ DIBBS (reprint and edit)   [Tim_Dunn@jba.co.uk]
  Re: Alloy: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good...  [RThurF@aol.com]
  Re: Alloy: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good...  ["Charles E. Ke]
  Alloy: Watermarking                      [Lem Bingley <Lem_Bingley@zd.com>]
  Re: [Re: Alloy: I've been lurking on e-mail load...]  [Keith Stansell <sta]
  Alloy: Various stuff                [Beth Meyer <gt9020a@prism.gatech.edu>]
  Re: Alloy: Keep an eye on your mailbox, Michael!  ["Michael and Denise Luc]
  Alloy: Indiana Pacers   ["Michael and Denise Luckey" <LUCKEY7@prodigy.net>]
  Alloy: Dolby 8x10s      ["Michael and Denise Luckey" <LUCKEY7@prodigy.net>]
  Alloy: Watermarking   ["Stephen M. Tilson" <Stephen_Tilson@compuserve.com>]
  Alloy: Bday2 Greeting deadline  ["Stephen M. Tilson" <Stephen_Tilson@compu]
  Re: Alloy: !! Art Book deadline/specs !!                   [RThurF@aol.com]
  Re: Alloy: Watermarking                                    [RThurF@aol.com]
  Re: Alloy: Friendships, Fires and Funerals  [IT Admin - Govt Office North ]
  Alloy: I'm baaack...                     [Eclipse <eclipse@white-star.com>]
  Alloy: Books! [longish]                  [Eclipse <eclipse@white-star.com>]
  Re: Alloy: I'm baaack...                                   [CJMark@aol.com]
  Alloy: Fun with Word <humor>  ["Stephen M. Tilson" <Stephen_Tilson@compuse]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 11 Jun 1998 23:36:24 -0600
From: dalexander@juno.com (Dennis S. Alexander)
Subject: Re: Alloy: I've been lurking on e-mail load...

>If anyone has or can point me to a good large clear scan of the cover 
>art from The Flat Earth (with the panning for gold shot), I will 
>design the J-Card from my idea.

I have the original LP and a large scanner and I live just a couple of
miles from you!  But I'm heading out of town and won't be back until June
22nd.

>Keith
>
>This message powered by spam which is totally out of my control 
>following this line:
>____________________________________________________________________
>Get free e-mail and a permanent address at 
>http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1
>

I know what you mean.  I suffer from the same leach-type advertising. 
Check below.
___________
JAMac (Dennis S. Alexander)
     www.dennisa.com - Nutrition/Income Opportunities

"Etch out a future of your own design..."  - Thomas Dolby

_____________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 08:27:59 +0000
From: Tim_Dunn@jba.co.uk
Subject: Re: Alloy: Project B-Day ][ DIBBS (reprint and edit)

CRACKERS doing Hot Sauce?!?!?

the mind boggles...............

the_copse

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 07:23:01 EDT
From: RThurF@aol.com
Subject: Re: Alloy: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good...

In a message dated 6/12/98 12:53:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
cekemp@netcom.com writes:

<< Before anyone asks, the tornado that struck today in Indianapolis didn't 
 even come close to me.  I had the day off work so I was over 30 miles 
 away, even though the tornado did destroy a daycare center just a couple 
 of blocks down the street from my place of employment. >>

was anybody hurt??
Robin T

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 06:13:17 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Charles E. Kemp" <cekemp@netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Alloy: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good...

> 
> 
> In a message dated 6/12/98 12:53:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
> cekemp@netcom.com writes:
> 
> << Before anyone asks, the tornado that struck today in Indianapolis didn't 
>  even come close to me.  I had the day off work so I was over 30 miles 
>  away, even though the tornado did destroy a daycare center just a couple 
>  of blocks down the street from my place of employment. >>
> 
> was anybody hurt??
> Robin T
> 

seems I *did* forget about that.  :)  There were very few injuries caused 
by the tornados, no deaths, just lots of property damage.  Luckily, it 
was about 6:15pm when the daycare was hit, so all the children were long 
gone, and the employees had just left.

****** Charles E. Kemp ****** cekemp@netcom.com ****** (812) 597-5950 ******
Just for the sake of it make sure you're always frowning, it shows the 
world that you've got substance and depth.  - Neil Tennant

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 14:56:05 +0100
From: Lem Bingley <Lem_Bingley@zd.com>
Subject: Alloy: Watermarking

Miles wondered thusly:
>I wonder if MusiCode "audio watermarking" is in fact a ten dollar
euphemism
for copy protection.  To wit: a system that will not allow you to make
copies
of prerecorded material.  Anybody got a line on this?

Digital watermarking is not for copy protection, it's for identification.
It's a process that's exactly analogous to watermarking paper: you weave
secondary information into the primary material of the object you're
protecting. Basically, what you do is add a code to the original
information in a way that will not significantly alter the reproduction of
the original. This is done by minutely adjusting values within the digital
representation of the music, picture, whatever. To find the watermark you
have to use software that knows what it's looking for and can find the
hidden information by scanning the digital file. Normally the watermark
will provide something like the name and contact details of the artist.

If someone steals you work and tries to pass it off as their own, they
won't be able to easily remove the watermark. One scan and their fraud is
exposed. As you suggested, Miles, it might be possible for someone to
reverse-engineer the watermarking software and thus work out how to 'rub
out' the watermark. I'm not sure if there are established ways to prevent
this.

Watermarking won't stop people copying material, but it provides a way to
show who they copied it from. It should also reliably identify the place
that legitimate users should send royalties to.

This stuff is reasonably well established in protecting images on the net.
See http://www.digimarc.com if you're interested.

Lem

Software Obscurata Specialist

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 16:25:03
From: Keith Stansell <stansell@usa.net>
Subject: Re: [Re: Alloy: I've been lurking on e-mail load...]

Sounds good, we'll work out the details when you get back.

I may need to get you to help me with WOTF - pecking out a midi song is harder than I thought it would be.  My level of respect to everyone who can do such things has increased ten fold.  But hope springs eternal - I will overcome and hash out something by September.

Keith the sole inhabitant of my cubicle.

JAMAC wrote:
> 
> >If anyone has or can point me to a good large clear scan of the cover 
> >art from The Flat Earth (with the panning for gold shot), I will 
> >design the J-Card from my idea.
> 
> I have the original LP and a large scanner and I live just a couple of
> miles from you!  But I'm heading out of town and won't be back until June
> 22nd.
> 
> >Keith
> >
> >This message powered by spam which is totally out of my control 
> >following this line:
> >____________________________________________________________________
> >Get free e-mail and a permanent address at 
> >http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1
> >
> 
> I know what you mean.  I suffer from the same leach-type advertising. 
> Check below.
> ___________
> JAMac (Dennis S. Alexander)
>      www.dennisa.com - Nutrition/Income Opportunities
> 
> "Etch out a future of your own design..."  - Thomas Dolby
> 
> _____________________________________________________________________
> You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
> Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
> Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]


____________________________________________________________________
Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 13:51:06 -0400
From: Beth Meyer <gt9020a@prism.gatech.edu>
Subject: Alloy: Various stuff

Hi, folks;

<Note:  I originally wrote and sent this e-mail at about 7:30 this morning,
and was wondering why I hadn't seen it -- then I remembered that I had
changed my return address in Eudora, and hence the mailing list software
wouldn't recognize me!  D'oh...)

Well, in 24 hours, I should be wearing a goofy-looking hat and gown and
preparing to file into the Georgia Tech gym, along with my friends Yiwei
and Larry and about 5000 electrical engineers.  And then, in about 60
hours, I plan to be driving out of Atlanta for good.  Yesterday I was
pretty frantic, but I feel a lot better now that I've finished and
distributed the second of the two decent-size papers I have due on July 1
(for conferences, not for school, obviously!)  Now we'll see if I can get
mostly packed today, since I'll need to spend tomorrow and Sunday with
family and friends.  Whew!

So, here are a few miscellaneous things I needed to ask about.  First of
all, Paul, would you be so kind as to change my Alloy address to
bethmeyer@mindspring.com, whenever it is convenient?  I was waiting a
little while, because it will not be easy for me to respond to mail at that
address until I get out to Colorado.  But then, at this point, I probably
won't be sending too many more messages before I get out there anyway.
Don't worry, I'll also be able to forward messages from the old address to
the new one, so I don't *think* I'll miss anything.

Second, when is that deadline for getting art to Robin for the birthday art
book?  I keep forgetting.  (I guess I can only keep about three deadlines
in my head at once.  Of course, if that deadline is also July 1, I will
freak.  Just so you know.)  Also, is the deadline for recorded messages any
different from the deadline for songs?

Cheers,
Beth

(who, while sorting and packing, will be wishing for City TV!)








- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beth Meyer				                    
US West Advanced Technologies                     Pager: +1-404-866-1362
4001 Discovery Drive, Suite 370                   FAX:   +1-303-541-8264
Boulder, CO 80303                               bethmeyer@mindspring.com

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 14:43:58 -0000
From: "Michael and Denise Luckey" <LUCKEY7@prodigy.net>
Subject: Re: Alloy: Keep an eye on your mailbox, Michael!

Thanks for the reply Robin and I'll look for it in the coming days.  We have
a dalmatian (named Barkley after the basketball player) which goes nuts
everytime he sees  the mailman-fortunately he doesn't mind the UPS carrier
so he can leave parcels at our door.  If the mailman leaves anything Barkley
usually chews it up thinking it's a toy!
Still looking for that magazine by the way....
M.L.
- -----Original Message-----
From: RThurF@aol.com <RThurF@aol.com>
To: alloy@smoe.org <alloy@smoe.org>
Date: Friday, June 12, 1998 7:50 AM
Subject: Alloy: Keep an eye on your mailbox, Michael!


>
>The title says it all... I've sent something out via UPS to you Michael...
>it's a small box with a surprise inside as thanks for the beautiful POSTER
you
>sent me!!!!
>
>Robin T

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 14:49:54 -0000
From: "Michael and Denise Luckey" <LUCKEY7@prodigy.net>
Subject: Alloy: Indiana Pacers

Ah, a fellow NBA fan! Being a 76ers fan means that I not only dislike Jordan
but half the league that continually beats up on them.
M.L.
- -----Original Message-----
From: Charles E. Kemp <cekemp@netcom.com>
To: Astronauts and Heretics alloy@smoe.org <alloy@smoe.org>
Date: Friday, June 12, 1998 8:05 AM
Subject: Alloy: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good...


>
>Before anyone asks, the tornado that struck today in Indianapolis didn't
>even come close to me.  I had the day off work so I was over 30 miles
>away, even though the tornado did destroy a daycare center just a couple
>of blocks down the street from my place of employment.
>
>Unfortunately, my place of employment was not damaged.  :)
>
>now on to other things...
>
>A hearty welcome back to Melissa J-J-Jordan! (Hey, it's tough to say
>Jor-Jor-Jordan when you're a Pacers fan)  I can't wait to hear your tales
>from the latest excursion.  If it's at all possible, I'd like to get the
>journals from your last trip to the former soviet republics...I lost them
>when my old puter died in January.
>
>This message powered by Bob Geldof's "Great Song of Indifference"
>
>****** Charles E. Kemp ****** cekemp@netcom.com ****** (812) 597-5950
******
>Just for the sake of it make sure you're always frowning, it shows the
>world that you've got substance and depth.  - Neil Tennant
>

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 14:57:54 -0000
From: "Michael and Denise Luckey" <LUCKEY7@prodigy.net>
Subject: Alloy: Dolby 8x10s

I'm trying to find some glossy 8 x 10s of TMDR-does anyone know of any
dealers that might carry some?  I saw a couple of press kits in the past
with photos but didn't buy them at the time and regret so now.
Gotta go,dinner's in the microwave sweetie!
M.L.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 17:16:27 -0400
From: "Stephen M. Tilson" <Stephen_Tilson@compuserve.com>
Subject: Alloy: Watermarking

Thank you, Robin and Lem, for enlightening me.

/\/\iles the /\/\use

*********************************************************************

   To err is human; to forgive, "bad command or file name".

*********************************************************************

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 17:16:28 -0400
From: "Stephen M. Tilson" <Stephen_Tilson@compuserve.com>
Subject: Alloy: Bday2 Greeting deadline

Dear Dr. (Beth),

 > Also, is the deadline for recorded messages any different from 
 > the deadline for songs?

Yes, it is.  The deadline for your recorded greeting is August 15th.  That 
gives /\/\iles a week to compile them and a week to get them to Ian Gifford 
who will then do the master Greeting mixdown.

Then Ian has to get that back to me in time for the Bday2 master.

/\/\

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:17:01 EDT
From: RThurF@aol.com
Subject: Re: Alloy: !! Art Book deadline/specs !!

In a message dated 6/12/98 1:57:20 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Dr Beth writes:

<< Second, when is that deadline for getting art to Robin for the birthday art
 book?  I keep forgetting.  (I guess I can only keep about three deadlines
 in my head at once.  Of course, if that deadline is also July 1, I will
 freak.  Just so you know.)  Also, is the deadline for recorded messages any
 different from the deadline for songs? >>

For the art book, your final submitted 2-D work must be SMALLER THAN 10x14 &
everybody must please get their work to me by SEPTEMBER 15th.
Anyone with something other than a 2-D artwork in mind should contact me &
I'll see if I can make appropriate accommodations.
All work must have been inspired by Thomas Dolby, his music, his film work,
his internet finesse.. whatever has inspired you. You may contribute written
works of fiction or poetry, photographic works, drawings, sketches, paintings,
sculptures, toys, games, etc... I was hoping this would be a fun project for
everyone who would like to participate!

Robin T

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:26:46 EDT
From: RThurF@aol.com
Subject: Re: Alloy: Watermarking

In a message dated 6/12/98 5:21:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time, Stephen writes:

<< Thank you, Robin and Lem, for enlightening me. >>

It's weird for me to be thanked by YOU for information about computer techno
stuff, Miles!! I am but a flyspeck on the information superhighway.

Robin T

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 00:25:03 +0100 (BST)
From: IT Admin - Govt Office North West <help.gonw.st@gtnet.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: Alloy: Friendships, Fires and Funerals

At 12:49 11/06/98 +-1000, John wrote:
>
> In real life I am a very quite person and probably would not be able to
say this to your faces.  Thanks for being there.
>

A quiet copper!!??  Unusual, I think.

>On a similar vein I felt a strange warm fuzzy feeling when I read of
Slarv's concerns for my welfare.
>

You're welcome.  We can all use warm fuzzies from time to time.

>
>Thanks, Slarv.  I was not directly affected by the fires but our Secretary
lost her house and everything in it to them.  I think Paul will understand
but for those who have not experienced a bushfire it's hard to imagine the
intense power and devastation these forces of nature possess.  They are
totally uncontrollable and unstopable.  They are also a fact of life in most
parts of Australia.  Two years ago a bushfire came within 20 metres of our
house.  One minute it was miles away and the next minute it was racing down
a hill towards the house.  The flames were just leaping from tree-top to
tree-top completely oblivious of the fire breaks the local brigade had made.
The heat was so intense that you had to cover your face when it was 50
metres away.  And then the wind shifted.
>

TV news being as global as it is these days, we get to see all this stuff
almost as it happens.  I know these fires occur annually, and I sometimes
wonder why anyone would want to live in a place that had a better than even
chance of being devastated by fire every 12 months, but I suppose there are
compensations.  Having seen them on the news around the last time we heard
from you for a couple of weeks, and knowing you're in 'the force' I just
thought your job might have necessitated you getting involved with rescues,
clean ups, etc.

>
>ps.  Hey Slarv was that a deliberate miss-spell of Tasmania?
>

Nope, it was probably because 	I'm so used to seeing cartoons of the
Tasmanian Devil, which I think is contracted down to 'Taz,' so it was a
genuine error.

Slarv-itch-barglhee

PS Don't get too close, it's hightly contagious.

I got a tiny spot in my right ear last week end.  More appeared on my neck
as the week wore on, then on to my cheeks.  I look like I've got chickenpox,
and the itching is getting pretty bad.  I went to the doc today and was
informed I have impetigo.  I am NOT amused.  Dog knows where I got it from,
but it's not a good time, this being my last day at work for a couple of
weeks.  I've got nice yellow ointment for my fizzog, and some antibiotic
capsules, and the doc says it should clear up in a few days.  Looks like
I'll just have to sit at home and watch the World Cup, trying not to itch.

TT (scratch, scratch) FN

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:55:29 -0700
From: Eclipse <eclipse@white-star.com>
Subject: Alloy: I'm baaack...

Greetings to the Alloyance,

In what is now going to seem like a weak echo of our dear Melissa's
recent return (Hi Melissa! Please do post your travel stories!), I too
am back after a month or two of absense and rare lurking (and I've just
caught up on all those messages.. I'm so proud of myself.. ;) )  and
have missed some interesting conversations and various momentous
events--late happy birthday's to Robin, Stephen, Tim, Robyn and uhm,
anyone else, if there was anyone else, also welcome/welcome back to
several people (okay, I'm lazy), and especially... a much belated
congratulations to Dr Meyer!  Hope the ceremony tomorrow isn't overly
boring. ;)

During that time I was away from Alloyland, I too was sick for almost a
month, though much more mildly.. a coming and going, rather energy
sapping sinus infection thing that has finally vanished for good.  I
also recently returned from a (very brief) trip, not to anywhere nearly
as interesting as Thailand.. ;) but I don't get out much, sooo...
Actually, I went to Southampton (Long Island, New York) to visit
Southampton college.  Yep, I'm going through that awkward
summer-of-senior-year-of-highschool courtship process with various
schools (and with that said, I guess it's time to spill my age.. Yes, as
of now I'm a ripe ol' sixteen years old.  Plus almost five months. ;) ) 
This trip was interesting...the campus was kind of dumpy, the admissions
people were obnoxious, but I got to gawk at the ocean for a while, make
a new friend and have a long conversation with a Dr Paul Forestell who
does something rather like what I'm interested in, studying whales and
dolphins.

(Uhhhm, Dolby content: I stayed overnight in one of the dorm rooms with
a student named Hind...don't ask me why--well, mostly so I could get up
and walk to Dr Forestell's class in the morning.  Unfortunately, she
only had a single, and so I had to sleep in a sleeping bag on the tile
floor.  If it weren't for my walkman and the tape of "Astronauts &
Heretics" that I grabbed just before leaving the car back in StL, there
is no way on this flat Earth I could have ever fallen asleep!  Goddess
bless Thomas Dolby...)

Yours,
  E(lipse

This message powered by the Pahinui Brothers' hawaiianized rendition of
"Come Go With Me" (yes, the Del-Vikings' '57 doo-wop standard), off
their self-titled album (which I bought solely on the basis of it having
a few tracks with Hawaiian-only lyrics..and to give me something to talk
about with my e-mail pal in Indonesia)

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 19:02:22 -0700
From: Eclipse <eclipse@white-star.com>
Subject: Alloy: Books! [longish]

Wow!  I'll have to make an Alloy reading list for future reference...
being about a week late on that conversation, but an avid bibliophile, I
have to rant for a while on my own top reading recommendations...

Nonfiction:

"Next of Kin", by Roger Fouts.  This is one of the best, most touching
books that I have read in a long time.  In a very personal fashion, it
details the story of the lives of both Washoe, the first chimpanzee to
be taught (parts of) a human language, and Dr Roger Fouts, her human
companion, care-taker, "brother" and advocate--as well as the latter's
painful progression from a scientist to an activist.  While I have a
particular interest in animal language & cognition research, I would
recommend this book to anyone.  (My mother heard Dr Fouts talking on the
radio, rushed out, bought it, read it and then told me I had to read it)

"Dolphin Dreamtime", by Jim Nollman.  Jim's spent a lot of time
traveling around the world playing music with animals.  In fact I've
probably mentioned him here before.  This book is a good read on many
levels, touching on art, spirituality and ecology while also being a
fascinating narrative of Jim's travels and experiences jamming with
wolves and dolphins and monkeys and more...

"Dove", Robin Lee Graham.  The true story of Robin's four year, solo
journy around the world in a 24-foot sloop, beginning in 1965, at the
age of 16.  He was in National Geographic once, and there was a movie
made off of the book, but I haven't seen either of those, so can't
comment on them.. the book is a fun read though, of real life young love
and adventure at sea, it's got that whole "coming of age" sort of thing
going.

I'll also echo Turq's recommendation of Steven Levy's "Hackers".
I've read many more good books lately, but most of them are somewhat
specialized (David Premacks "Gavagai! or the future history of the
animal language controversy", Albert Schutz's "The Voices of Eden: a
history of Hawaiian language studies", etc)


Fiction:

I have (much) less time for fiction, but the books that come to mind
are,

"Startide Rising", David Brin.  This is the second book of the Uplift
Series, and comes after "Sundiver", which Paul mentioned he was
reading.  ("The Uplift War" is the third book in the trilogy, but
naturally there are more Uplift books after that).  "Sundiver" is very
good, but "Startide Rising" exceptional (and it has lots of dolphins in
it!), very lucidly and lyrically written with a fairly complex storyline
and well developed characters.  (Paul: let me know what you think of
it.. ;) )

"Portrait of Jennie", Robert Nathan.  While I'd never heard of this book
before the owner of one of my favorite new & used bookshops lent it to
me (and haven't since), I gather it's something of a classic.  It's an
artistic, haunting love story (of sorts..maybe the sort of thing for A&H
fans? ;) ) that defies description, but, ah, I liked it.
 
"Fire and Hemlock", Diana Wynne Jones.  I discovered Diana a few years
ago in the children's section of the library, and she is one of my many
favorite authors.  I've had a lot of trouble finding her books in
bookstores though, perhaps because she lives over there in England
somewhere and doesn't seem especially popular here?  Anyway, she writes
delightfully unusual, entertaining fantasy, and has a special talent for
pulling a novel together into the sort of ending that leaves you
blinking and mouthing, "wow.. how did that happen?".  "Fire and Hemlock"
is especially unusual and rather complicated, but very enjoyable if you
can follow it.  I just lent it to my mother for the trip to Southampton,
and she read it on the plane, in the bed & breakfast before she went to
sleep, after she got up, and any spare moments we had.  I can't do it
justice in explanation, but it's the story of a girl named Polly,
rediscovering forgotten, illogical, fantastic childhood memories of a
ma, a musician, that she made friends with at a funeral she accidentally
attended, and the fantasy world that the two of them created. 

I like science fiction, fantasy & cyberpunk, and would echo some
previously mentioned books/authors (Orson Scott Card, esp the "Ender's
Game" set, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Roger Zelazny, William
Gibson, Anne McCaffrey...)

I've read Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose" and am actually in the
middle (okay, beginning) of "Foucault's Pendulum".  From some quotes of
Eco's on language (one on orcas in captivity too), he sounds like the
sort of person I'd like to have a long conversation with, and I'm rather
looking forward to reading his nonfiction works as well.

And wasn't it Lissu that mentioned Margaret Mahy?  If you like her,
you'd probably like Diana Wynne Jone's books too, if you can find them. 
I've read "The Catalogue of the Universe" (I'll mail you an extra copy
of I can find one, Lissu!), and the short-story collection "The Door in
the Air", of which "A Work of Art" (about a birthday cake) is a special
favorite of mine...

Oh, and as a last minute note, Daniel Pinkwater is another of my
favorite "children's authors", with some odd, zany books (I think there
was one science fictiony (almost hhgttg-y) one called "Borgle" that I
liked), some of you might recognize him from the clips that he does on
National Public Radio.

Well anyway, it's pleasant, if not surprising, to find that Alloids'
literary tastes are right up there with their musical ones! ;)

Yours in bibliophilia,
   -- E(lipse

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 21:32:57 EDT
From: CJMark@aol.com
Subject: Re: Alloy: I'm baaack...

Hey E(lipse..

Welcome back..   Nice to hear of your trip and visit to the campus.  I was
curious about your interest in studying whales and dolphins..   I have been
fortunate enough to visit a couple places that house dolphins for study and
for public viewing.  They are amazing animals.. and very cool.   There are a
couple of places in the Florida Keys that do various things with dolpins.. and
another place in Freeport in the Bahamas that is also very interesting to see.
If you ever want more info on these places.. let me know.  

Ciao for now..

Mark

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Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 23:10:34 -0400
From: "Stephen M. Tilson" <Stephen_Tilson@compuserve.com>
Subject: Alloy: Fun with Word <humor>

Does Bill Gates have a problem we don't know about?

1.   Open a new document in Word
2.   Type "Unable to follow directions" (without the quotes)
3.   Highlight the entire sentence you just typed
4.   Click Tools; Thesaurus (or hit shift-F7 to open the thesaurus)




Go ahead and try it.

/\/\iles the \/\/icked

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End of alloy-digest V3 #155
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