From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V3 #324 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Friday, December 4 1998 Volume 03 : Number 324 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Alloy: Re: alloy-digest V3 #322 ["Charles E. Kemp" ] Re: Alloy: iMacs [Paul Baily ] Alloy: Time to get back on topic! [Paul Baily ] Re: Alloy: iMacs [DThurkirk@aol.com] RE: Alloy: iMacs [Peter Fitzpatrick ] Re: Alloy: Re: alloy-digest V3 #322 [MacSuirtain ] Re: Alloy: Re: alloy-digest V3 #322 [MacSuirtain ] Re: Alloy: Nudes [MacSuirtain ] Re[2]: Alloy: iMacs [John_Hanson_at_FRMA01@ccmailgw.mcgawpark.baxter.com] Alloy: Reef Store Dream Turned Nightmare [Chris Cracknell ] Re: Alloy: Nudes [DThurkirk@aol.com] Not Re[2]: Alloy: iMacs - off on a tangent ["I T Admin @ Govt Office Nort] Alloy: Finally ... it's HERE! ["I T Admin @ Govt Office North West" ] Alloy:fun at e-bay [DThurkirk@aol.com] RE: Alloy: Christmas TV ["Beth Meyer" ] Re: Alloy:fun at e-bay [MacSuirtain ] Re: Alloy:fun at e-bay [Elaine Linstruth ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 01:54:03 -0800 (PST) From: "Charles E. Kemp" Subject: Re: Alloy: Re: alloy-digest V3 #322 > << Argh! I can't believe I missed it AGAIN. I had managed to see this > every year that I can remember until the last 2 years. One of these > days, I'll manage to record it. > >> > You aren't the only one..... what channel was it on? I looked all over for it > and couldn't find it. Fortunately I did record it a couple of years ago, but > there is still something about waiting to see it on TV, it keeps the child in > you alive. > > Stace Well, the very same day I mailed that out, I went to see some friends foir the first time in months and it turns out they had 4 of the Rankin-Bass christmas sepcials on VHS, so I borrowed them and plan on making copies tonight. weird how things work out sometimes. Hey Melissa- ssee what you can do about getting me a Charlie-in-the-box. ****** 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: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 21:53:24 +1100 From: Paul Baily Subject: Re: Alloy: Paul's title [sorry, still doing catch up...] ><< What you need is a good title to shore you up. How's > Listmaster Emeritus sound? >> > >I've been calling him The Supreme Being of Alloy (he did create it after all) >But I like the sound of Listmaster Emeritus... Paul, which would you prefer? >Or perhaps you have your own? >(and NO, "just some guy" isn't gonna cut it in this case :) Assistant Supreme Galactic Commander perhaps? :-) No really, just some guy is fine by me, JustSomeGuy if you want to be specific. I think I'd be embarrassed by anything more extravagant; don't get me wrong, I feel a quiet 'I helped make that happen' pride when I think of Alloy but I don't think I deserve a whole title because of it - I like to think that if I hadn't done something, someone else eventually would have. There is, after all, a spirit here that won't be broken(tm). When I started Alloy I was just some guy who had an idea, and when I handed the reins over to Robin I was, and am, still just some guy. Please allow me some semblance of humility. ;-) stay well, Paul. This message powered by Mercy On The Boy off Code Blue/Icehouse. ________________________________________________________________________ Paul Baily paulb@thehub.com.au JustSomeGuy http://www.thehub.com.au/~paulb Brisbane, Australia tel: +61-7-3857-8048/+61-413-120-867 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 21:52:40 +1100 From: Paul Baily Subject: Re: Alloy: iMacs [Hey I know this is ages old, but do you think I could let this go by without a comment? ;) ] >> has anyone got one of these new ones (I-Mac I think they're called)? > > >I know that Macs have already been roundly trashed on the list, but I just >thought I'd observe that the iMac seems to be a particular rip-off. uh, let's just agree to disagree on this one eh buddy? Each to their own'n'all. ;-) Oh okay, forgive me but I'll expand on that. :-) FWIW, I read the specs of the iMac in the months leading up to it's release and thought 'hmm kinda cute' (well as cute as a computer can get anyway), and then I got to play with one in the flesh. In a word, whoa. Looking at the broader picture of Mac OS itself, I know the majority of the world out there thinks otherwise (mob intellect at it's best...), but my humble opinion is that Mac OS has it right. At work I get stressed out managing a team of twenty something highly skilled people who daily tear their hair out trying to make something Microsoft claim is the best solution, usable for straightforward tasks. I spend a lot of my time trying to explain to divisional managers and directors why their people can't get their work done, and why my people spend so much time picking up the pieces. My question is why make things hard for yourself? At home I use Macintosh - and only Macintosh - because I really could do without the grief. Sure I enjoy working and playing with computers, but they should never, ever get in the way of what you want to do; to me that defeats the whole purpose. I just want to get stuff done, get it done with a minimum of fuss, and most definitely without having to tinker, cajole or tune settings & configurations unless I specifically want to. I've got better things to do with my time (like watch TGTTME for the nth time ;-). A tool is about what it can do for you to help, not what you have to do to it. As for stability, I honestly can't remember the last time my main Macintosh crashed. (...though I guess I could drop into the debugger and throw some bad assembly at it to force it to crash and see what the system error box looks like... ;-) Again, though I've worked a decade or so in the IT industry with more operating systems than I care to remember (though I think it was 10 at last count), this is just my personal, HUMBLE opinion. I don't want to start some 'my OS is holier than thine' religious war thread - I really couldn't be bothered; if Windows, be that 95, 98, NT workstation or even 3.1 does the job for you then you have my sincere respect and admiration - - I'm simply in favour of anything that works, all I'm saying is that for this little black duck, it's Mac OS. cheers, Paul. This message powered by the quiet sigh of the fan on a Power Macintosh 6200/75. ________________________________________________________________________ Paul Baily paulb@thehub.com.au JustSomeGuy http://www.thehub.com.au/~paulb Brisbane, Australia nuff said from HELL! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 21:54:59 +1100 From: Paul Baily Subject: Alloy: Time to get back on topic! Hi again, This is slightly Mac-related still (sorry!) but I ran across this the other day and thought these guys had such great taste they deserved a mention. The following is from the online help for a shareware Mac control panel called Menuette. [under the section 'about Tiger Technologies'] This section is provided for your reading enjoyment in case you have too much spare time -- perhaps you're in prison or something! Tiger Technologies is a small company comprised of two people and one cat (named Hobbes) [Ah, fellow Wing Commander fans! -P]. We have another cat, too, but it's not involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. Our previous Mac software efforts include Helium and Word Minder, both of which were included in the book The Mac Shareware 500 (published by Ventana Press). We also wrote Speed Beep, which "should have been a hit, but wasn't," according to superstar modern rock musician Thomas Dolby (he was actually talking about his classic song Europa and the Pirate Twins, but he would have said it about Speed Beep if he'd known). [...] Onya guys. :-) P. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 08:45:16 EST From: DThurkirk@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: iMacs Paul are you using a different Mac OS than I am? I have worked with Macs for years and every OS is less stable than the last. (8.5 does seem to crash a little less but it has more than a few other problems) I agree with everything you said about computers not getting in the way. But my Windows 95 machine has locked up only maybe three or four times since I've owned it. The Macs I end up using seem to crash about three times a day under constant work. That gets in my way. As far as the applications for windows being confusing and tough to work with, some are but that isn't a windows problem. That's a problem with the application. Befriend a windows machine today Dave T (fondly remembering typewriters) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 16:06:49 -0000 From: Peter Fitzpatrick Subject: RE: Alloy: iMacs as we say here in Dublin.....I'll be foooked if I'm getting involved in this thread.... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 12:04:41 -0500 From: MacSuirtain Subject: Re: Alloy: Re: alloy-digest V3 #322 Robyn Moore wrote: Re: showing of "Rudolph" > Actually, I think it was Monday. Yep, you're right. With no job, I'm a little out of touch with what day is what. Gotta get over that. > The season just keeps starting earlier and earlier...I saw The Grinch Who > Stole Christmas at least a week before Thanksgiving on one of the Turner > stations. Oh, that is SO WHACKED! I'm so with you on the "enough is enough with the early Christmas" stuff. Okay, we all know those nice people from Macy's are responsible for all of this. Before they came up with the Ultimate Marketing Gimmick, the Turkey Day Parade, Christmas was confined to, well... CHRISTMAS (more or less.) Like you, I grew up with the Parade being the beginning of the season. Hey, no problem. But when the drug stores and department stores, etc., start setting up before the Halloween candy is off the shelves... man, that is just wrong. Soon, it will be Christmas all year long. (I'm thinking "Brazil" here, and that's a little scary.) > >Anyone else find "The Little Drummer Boy" to be the darkest of the classic X-mas shows? > > I haven't checked that one out for years, so I don't remember. It's supposed to be on Fox Family on the 18th though, so I might. (They're running the sequel on the 9th. Go figure.) Like the logic there. Leave it to Fox to come up with that order. Re: the Drummer Boy... Aaron, the depressed, angry, alienated, orphaned drummer boy always filled me with a lot of angst as a kid. I wanted to reach in the screen and pull him out and try to cheer him up. And then, when his lamb gets killed by the passing chariot - oh, man. Love Greer Garson's narration, though. Happy to know, Robyn, that I'm not the only one who gets blue over those Misfit Toys. :-) Cheers, Melissa - -- Melissa R. Jordan Owner/Artist, Compass Rose Studios Unique Wearable Art in Large Sizes & Handstamped Handicrafts http://www.erols.com/jamesq/crs/welcome.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 12:07:45 -0500 From: MacSuirtain Subject: Re: Alloy: Re: alloy-digest V3 #322 Charles E. Kemp wrote: > Well, the very same day I mailed that out, I went to see some friends > foir the first time in months and it turns out they had 4 of the > Rankin-Bass christmas sepcials on VHS, so I borrowed them and plan on > making copies tonight. The only one I have so far is the one with "Heat Miser" and "Snow Miser." I *LOVE* that silly song. Whenever I see "Rankin-Bass," I think to myself "Rank and Base," which is the name my friends and I gave them after that DREADFUL animated version of The Hobbit they did ages ago. I was embarrassed to admit that I'd watched it. > Hey Melissa- ssee what you can do about getting me a Charlie-in-the-box. Done deal, Chuck. I'll pick one up for you today. Just zap me a snail mail address, and it's all yours. Cheers, Melissa - -- Melissa R. Jordan Owner/Artist, Compass Rose Studios Unique Wearable Art in Large Sizes & Handstamped Handicrafts http://www.erols.com/jamesq/crs/welcome.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 12:19:09 -0500 From: MacSuirtain Subject: Re: Alloy: Nudes Beth Meyer wrote: (Horrible story about creepy roommate snipped.) How vile, Beth. I'm glad that creep got caught. I understand that a popular thing now with creatures like that is the "panty cam." Guys take video cameras, tucked into shopping bags, and follow women around stores, up escalators, etc., all with camera in bag at a level to snoop up skirts. One of our local news shows (for November sweeps, of course) did a bit on this, and the ring of guys across the country who were meeting via the 'net to exchange "adventures" and tapes. Yuck, yuck, yuck. > "posing," and now the idea rather gives me the willies. (Of course, if I > did make a nude photo in my current state, it might give everyone else the > willies...) Actually, I always liked that Vanity Fair cover with Demi Moore very pregnant and naked. I thought it was beautiful - I think there really is something to that whole "pregnant and radiant" thing. I'm sure you'd make for a gorgeous, glowing portrait now -- naked or not! :-) You know, between my sisters, they have 13 kids. I just realized that I've never got to see any of them pregnant -- I was away at college or living overseas or in another part of the country for all of that. I'm sorry I missed it all. - -- M. - -- Melissa R. Jordan Owner/Artist, Compass Rose Studios Unique Wearable Art in Large Sizes & Handstamped Handicrafts http://www.erols.com/jamesq/crs/welcome.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 17:44:34 -0600 From: John_Hanson_at_FRMA01@ccmailgw.mcgawpark.baxter.com Subject: Re[2]: Alloy: iMacs - --IMA.Boundary.859507219 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Description: cc:Mail note part Author: Peter Fitzpatrick at Internet said... = as we say here in Dublin.....I'll be foooked if I'm getting involved in t= his = thread.... = And I say.. = Me too. Hello Peter, welcome to ze list. Bienvenue =E0 la liste ! = John - --IMA.Boundary.859507219 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; name="RFC822 message headers" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: cc:Mail note part Content-Disposition: inline; filename="RFC822 message headers" Received: from ns2.baxter.com (159.198.1.38) by ccmailgw.mcgawpark.baxter.com with SMTP (IMA Internet Exchange 2.1 Enterprise) id 00715070; Thu, 3 Dec 98 10:17:33 - -0600 Received: from chmls06.mediaone.net (chmls06.mediaone.net [24.128.1.71]) by ns2.baxter.com (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id KAA02274 for ; Thu, 3 Dec 1998 10:15:31 -0600 (CST) Received: from smoe.org (080020908e73.ne.mediaone.net [24.128.204.144]) by chmls06.mediaone.net (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id LAA00370; Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:09:04 -0500 (EST) Received: from localhost (daemon@localhost) by smoe.org (8.8.7/8.8.7/listq-jane) with SMTP id LAA27399; Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:07:43 -0500 (EST) Received: by smoe.org (bulk_mailer v1.10); Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:07:35 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by smoe.org (8.8.7/8.8.7/listq-jane) id LAA27386 for alloy-outgoing; Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:07:08 -0500 (EST) Received: from mail1D.dns.microsoft.com (etide03.microsoft.com [207.46.36.9]) by smoe.org (8.8.7/8.8.7/daemon-mode-relay2) with ESMTP id LAA27382 for ; Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:07:05 -0500 (EST) Received: by DUB-IMC-01 with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2232.9) id ; Thu, 3 Dec 1998 16:07:04 -0000 Message-ID: From: Peter Fitzpatrick To: "'alloy@smoe.org'" Subject: RE: Alloy: iMacs Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 16:06:49 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2232.9) Sender: owner-alloy@smoe.org Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. Precedence: bulk - --IMA.Boundary.859507219-- ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 14:46:42 -0500 (EST) From: Chris Cracknell Subject: Alloy: Reef Store Dream Turned Nightmare Paid a wee visit to the Reef Store the other night, it looks like they've taken a page from Ebay now. For those of you who arn't into classic videogame collection and have no idea what the "Reef Store" or a "Reef Store Dream" is I'll explain. A "Reef Store Dream" is a dream a video game collector has where he goes out and finds many sought after classic videogame items. Usally these are items that don't exist in the real world and only exist at The Reef Store, the place where classic videogame dreams and collector's luck come from. It is the realm watched over and protected by the god of classic videogame collecting Bira Bira. For more information on the Reef Store and Bira Bira visit the official Bira Bira webpage. (link on my page) Anyways, this particular Reef Store dream was rather bizarre and amusing so I thought I'd share it with you all. I was dreaming that I was at an audition that was being held in a converted warehouse in downtown Toronto. I ran into some friends who I used to perform with at the audition and I started talking to them about what's been happening since. One of them (my friend Paul who many Ontario residents may best know as the "Black John" guy from the Casino Rama commercials and as characters in about a zillion other Canadian commercials) asked me what I'm doing for the audition. I told him I was playing my "Drunk Uncle Charlie" song on the accordion and they all looked at me and said "Then don't you need an accordion?" I looked down to where I thought my accordion was only to find nothing. AAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa Now it's turned into one of those anxiety dreams like when you dream you're suddenly given a suprise math test. I'm looking for an accordion, any accordion. One floor of the warehouse appears to be a giant pawn shop and it has a number of accordions but none of them are the type I'm looking for (two reed, 12-bass, continental tuned) finally I decide that any accordion is better than no accordion at all (a view not shared by the rest of the world I might add) so I ask to see a nice black Titano three reed, 120-bass behind the glass. The lady who runs what I thought was a pawnshop says, "nothing here is for sale, this is an auction house you have to wait for it to come up on auction." Luckily for me she agrees to make the accordion the next item up on the block and I get it for a cool $75! WOOHOO!!! Got a great accordion for 75 bucks and still plenty of time to make it to the audition downstairs. But then I saw it... A VECTREX WITH THE COMPU-GAME ENHANCEMENT MODULE!!!!!! For those of you out there who have never seen the Compu-Game Enhancement Module for the Vectrex on your visits to the Reef Store I'll tell you what it is. It's an add on module for the Vectrex that turns it into a computer with colour vector graphics. It's black and the entire Vectrex fits into the back of it leaving only the screen and up visable. The keyboard is moulded into the base unit and the whole thing is rather curvey and rounded looking. It has a joystick built in on the right hand side of the keyboard and two cartridge slots on the top and a built in tape drive. On the side is an expansion bus and three more joystick ports so you can have 4 players. It's a very cool device and probably the rarest accessory ever made for the Vectrex. The only annoying thing is the rubber 'chicklet' keys on the keyboard. Now I'm faced with the dilema, do I blow off the audition (I don't know what the audition was for but it was something that could make or break my career) and wait to bid on the Vectrex CGEM or do I go for the audition (which I may or may not win) and risk letting this extremely rare piece of videogame history escape my grasp forever in which case I will likely forever be known on RGVC as the shmuck who blew his chance to get a Vectrex CGEM. I ran back downstairs and asked my friend Bob to stand by the stairs and yell up for me if they called me for the audition then went back upstairs to bid on the CGEM. I was trying as hard as I could to hide my excitement over the CGEM hoping that nobody else would take interest in it or know what it was. Finally the lady announced the next item up for bid was a "Vortex Computer Game". "heheheheheh" I though, "she doesn't have a clue what it is. I'll likely get it for a good price." The bidding started at $5 and I was first to raise my hand. But there were other people bidding on it in $2 increments and I was nervously dividing may attention between the auction that the stairwell. I decided I had better demonstrate to these people that I was serious with my intent to buy the CGEM and just raised my hand and kept it up so my bid was acknowleged as soon as another person raised the bid (I once discouraged people from buying an accordion I was after in a real-world auction by doing this and ended up getting it for $75, same price as the one in my dream). The people finally realized that I was walking out of there with the CGEM no matter what the cost so I got it for $40! Or so I thought. When I went to claim the CGEM the lady handed me a bag full of Vectrex games. It was a huge bag that had tonnes of carts (many of which exist only at the Reef Store) as well as tonnes of CGEM tape drive games. It turns out she was just auctioning off the CGEM games at that time, the actual CGEM with Vectrex was the next item up for bid. I wasn't too disappointed because I knew that all these games were worth way more than the $40 I paid for them but I was a little distressed because I didn't think I had enough time before my audition to bid on the CGEM itself. Just as the CGEM went up on the auction block my friend Bob came running up the stairs yelling, "Crackers! They're calling you!!" I literally bolted upright in the bed and woke up. Luckily my wife had already gotten up that morning so she didn't see me in that state because she never would have understood how a Reef Store dream could have gotten me so worked up. "It was a CGEM!!! A CGEM!!! I was > Subject: Alloy: Christmas TV someone said... >Anyone else find "The Little Drummer Boy" to be the darkest of the classic X-mas shows? Hey, what about Tim Burton's 'Nightmare Before Christmas' - not essentially an xmas show but pretty damn close. Anyone that hasn't seen it I would recommend grab a copy at your local video store. John (john@police.tas.gov.au) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 17:51:41 EST From: DThurkirk@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: Nudes In a message dated 12/3/98 12:20:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, wearart@erols.com writes: << How vile, Beth. I'm glad that creep got caught. I understand that a popular thing now with creatures like that is the "panty cam." Guys take video cameras, tucked into shopping bags, and follow women around stores, up escalators, etc., all with camera in bag at a level to snoop up skirts. One of our local news shows (for November sweeps, of course) did a bit on this, and the ring of guys across the country who were meeting via the 'net to exchange "adventures" and tapes. Yuck, yuck, yuck. >> Ya know I just don't get that kind of thing. There are loads of naked pictures taken with people's consent for the viewing pleasure audiences of all kinds of taste, so why are there sleaze bags who follow women around with hidden cameras? Dave T (must have missed that day in school) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 00:54:09 +0000 From: "I T Admin @ Govt Office North West" Subject: Not Re[2]: Alloy: iMacs - off on a tangent >Author: Peter Fitzpatrick at Internet > >said... > > >as we say here in Dublin.....I'll be foooked if I'm getting involved in this >thread.... > At 17:44 03/12/98 -0600, John wrote: > > >> And I say.. > > Me too. Hello Peter, welcome to ze list. Bienvenue à la liste ! > > John Where ARE my manners?? And where are YOURS? Yes, YOU!! Is there something significant in the fact that the usual number of 'welcomes' to a new subscriber were not forthcoming because Peter has MICORSOFT.com as part of his address. I sincerely hope it was just an oversight. Welcome Peter. If I can take Peter's comment off at a tangent, it reminded me of a little practical joke I saw, many years ago, played on a very staid and straight laced lady, rather a snob, at an office I worked in. It ws one of those slack periods when folk start playing silly games, or setting each other puzzles. In this case, it was a break time, and several of us were in the mess room, and one of my colleagues wrote four words on a piece of paper and handed it to the lady in question, requesting that she read it out loud. The paper had written on it WHALE OIL BEEF HOOKED Well, she read it out. ..... then again ... and again. By this time we were in danger of injuring ourselves with violent laughter, REAL 'ROTFL' if ever there was, but none of us would tell her what the joke was. She spent the rest of the day wandering around, muttering these words to herself, and those who heard her, but were not in on the joke, were shocked to hear a lady use such language. Finally someone told her and it was about a month before she spoke to any of us again. Still puzzled yourself. Try running the words together and in a slightly Irish accent. Still not there? Well, I'll be foooked!! Slarvibarglhee ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 00:54:13 +0000 From: "I T Admin @ Govt Office North West" Subject: Alloy: Finally ... it's HERE! "What is, what is, WHAT is?" I hear you ask. Me bike!!!!! It's finally arrived. Here we go, another Slarvi Saga. Remember all those weeks ago (at least 8 actually) when I bought the Trek and didn't like it. I ordered a nice hand made Dawes Horizon, with a three week delivery, but it didn't arrive. At the beginning of week 4, I rang the shop. They rang Dawes. "Very sorry, manufacturing problems, can't deliver before w/c 16 Oct." I was patient. W/c 16 Oct came and went, still no call from the Bicycle Doctor. I rang again. "Very sorry, still no delivery from Dawes, we'll ring them again." This time the excuse was a problem with paint, i.e. they hadn't got any, but were expecting it soon and the doc would ring as soon as it arrived (the bike, not the paint). My old bike was really on it's last legs, tires with no tread, one crank continually coming lose, so for the first time in years I started to drive to work, knowing that my new bike should be here RSN. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Wobbly lines - off at a tangent to the last tangent)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This week my daughter stars as Audrey in her am-dram production of Little Shop Of Horrors. Tuesday was first night, and I went to pick her up afterwards, at around 10:30. She'd been nervous during the day and hadn't eaten much, so 'could we go to the chip shop on the way home?' Hmmmmm. I don't know if the concept of 'Chip Shop' is known to our American cousins. English Chips are like French fries, but thicker, and can be bought with battered and fried fish, jumbo sausages, chop suey rolls, donner kebabs, mushy peas, pies etc. etc. or just on their own with salt'n'vinegar. Jenny bought chips and a pot of curry sauce. When we got home, she ate most of it, but shared some with me. B I G mistake, so late at night. I felt a little queezy when I went to bed and couldn't rest. I slept fitfully, but had to 'pay a visit' at about 2am. At 5:15 I just made it back to the bathroom before being sick, but then I felt a little better. Back to bed, but didn't sleep well. Up at 7:30 for work, feeling absolutely crap. Was this just exhauston, bad indigestion, or food poisoning? Jenny was OK, so it couldn't have been the chips and curry ... could it? Drove to work. Thank goodness I wasn't on my bike, I don't think I'd have made it. I was dog tired and felt like I was coming down with the flu. Had a terrible day at work. My boss is on holiday for three weeks, the database administrator was covering our other office, so it was me and my two students against the users. It's after 3pm and I'm wrestling with a user's printer problem over the phone. I look up, and what do I see? One of my boys is holding up a piece of paper on which is written the words 'Whale oil beef hooked'......... no, no, no, that's a different story ..... One of my boys is holding up a piece of paper on which is written the words "THE BICYCLE DOCTOR SAYS YOUR BIKE HAS ARRIVED." Today, of all days, when I'm not well enough to enjoy it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Wobbly lines - Scene 2 - At the Bicycle Doctor's)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unlike my normal self, I finished early at 4pm, but then I have an excuse today. I drove to the Doc's shop. I had a little plan to get my own back just a LITTLE bit, for having had to wait so long. It was nice and quiet when I got there, only one or two customers in the shop. One of the very friendly shop assistants realises who I am and is very welcoming. Here's my bike, with toe-clips and mud guards already fitted. How nice. "Is the paint dry?" I asked, and then I casually remarked, "that's not the colour I ordered." JUST for a second you could have heard a pin drop. "That's the only colour they come in, in that model," is her reply, just as she realises I'm winding her up. Well, it's very nice. The colour is 'Teal' and it has Shimano fittings, but all I want to do is get it in the car and get home. She adjusts the saddle to the right height for me, I flash the plastic, then I'm on my way. By the time I get home all I want to do is get to bed, which I do after a cup of tea and a couple of Neurofen. When I wake again at 10pm I'm feeling much better. A little soup and toast, then back to bed. I felt a lot better this morning, but didn't have time to transfer my lights to my new bike, and I'm still feeling weak, so it's back to work in the car. Rang out resident police inspector today to ask if he knows who I contact about registering the bike with the police. He knows a man who does, and he's very kindly arranged to meet me at home at lunch time tomorrow to do the biz. Finished at normal time tonight, came out of the office to find ... FOG!! Not a good night for trying out my new bike, but nothing's going to stop me having at least a little go on it. Got home, transfered my lights and went for a quick spin around the block. Slight adjustment to saddle height and handlebars required, but soon got it sorted out. Seems to be OK, tires are wider than the old bike, but I think I'll get used to it, but I've become so used to GT brake levers that I might find myself grabbing for levers that aren't there. I must be carefull. So, there you have it. A new cycling era begins for Slarvibarglhee. Which reminds me. How are the soft tissues, Robin? Are you back on your own bike yet? TTFN Slarvibarglhee ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 17:43:23 -0800 (PST) From: "Charles E. Kemp" Subject: Re: Alloy: Re: alloy-digest V3 #322 > the Parade being the beginning of the season. Hey, no problem. But > when the drug stores and department stores, etc., start setting up > before the Halloween candy is off the shelves... man, that is just > wrong. Soon, it will be Christmas all year long. (I'm thinking > "Brazil" here, and that's a little scary.) @ cue twilight zone theme >>> Too weird! I finally got around to buying myself a DVD player today, and the movie I bought to test it out was... BRAZIL! I Just got done watching it about half an hour ago, and I'm still floored by all the little detail things that I noticed that never really came through on my VHS copy. ****** 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: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 22:21:54 EST From: RThurF@aol.com Subject: Re: Alloy: welcome Peter! In a message dated 12/3/98 7:55:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, help.gonw.st@gtnet.gov.uk writes: <> My apologies!! After his initial post about being naked and drunk with Ernie & Bert puppets, he already felt so much like part of the family that I forgot to give him the official welcome. So, WELCOME, Peter!!! And may I ask.. how did you become interested in Thomas Dolby's music? Please tell us of your 'first time' encountering Thomas' work... and also tell a bit about yourself :) Robin T ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 22:58:08 -0500 From: MacSuirtain Subject: Re: Alloy: Christmas TV John Schofield wrote: > Hey, what about Tim Burton's 'Nightmare Before Christmas' - not essentially an xmas show but pretty damn close. Anyone that hasn't seen it I would recommend grab a copy at your local video store. I've never seen it. I was overseas when it came out, and I've never gotten around to renting it. Maybe that's this weekend's rental. Thanks, John! - -- Melissa - -- Melissa R. Jordan Owner/Artist, Compass Rose Studios Unique Wearable Art in Large Sizes & Handstamped Handicrafts http://www.erols.com/jamesq/crs/welcome.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 23:40:28 EST From: DThurkirk@aol.com Subject: Alloy:fun at e-bay In a fit of artistic mercantilism I finally put a painting up for sale on ebay! I've been getting lots of people interested in my work lately so I figured it was time to pay my $2 and toss one into the wiggling mosh pit that is ebay. Wish me luck. (For anyone who has seen the paintings on my page the one I put in is "Freshly Washed Street" Ohhhhhh how exciting.) __Dave T ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 22:07:37 -0500 From: "Beth Meyer" Subject: RE: Alloy: Christmas TV Hi, folks; >> Hey, what about Tim Burton's 'Nightmare Before Christmas' - not essentially an xmas show but pretty damn close. Anyone that hasn't seen it I would recommend grab a copy at your local video store. >I've never seen it. I was overseas when it came out, and I've never >gotten around to renting it. Maybe that's this weekend's rental. Oh, you must get it, indeed! While not a "classic" in the sense of the older Rankin-Bass specials that many of us have seen since we were kids, it pretty much qualifies as an instant classic in my book. Much like "The Gate to the Mind's Eye," it combines imaginative and eye-popping animation with wonderful music throughout. (Hey, like how I brought us back around to Thomas Dolby there?) Plus it is just funny and warped enough for odd characters like myself. Some moments to watch for: * The Halloween musicians' wheezy, minor-key version of "Jingle Bells." * One word: "BUNNY!!!!" * In spite of all the lovely, lyrical music in the film, the one tune that I always end up humming: "Kidnap the Santy Claus, throw him in a box, lock him up for 90 years, then see if he talks..." We actually bought the videotape and have watched it over and over, but have yet to get tired of it. Cheers, Beth (who is now going to go to bed humming the "Kidnap the Santy Claus" song...) Beth Meyer bethmeyer@mindspring.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 04 Dec 1998 00:12:57 -0500 From: MacSuirtain Subject: Re: Alloy:fun at e-bay Oh wow! What an amazing idea! I wasn't thinking creatively enough to consider eBay as a place to auction art. Brilliant, Dave! BTW, I've made over $300 this past month on eBay selling old Russian paperbacks and a butt-ugly tray that's been sitting in my closet since the mid-80's. (I'm hoping to make rent off of eBay this month.) Fingers and toes crossed for you -- hey, you should find some way to let Bowie know you've got a piece for sale out there! Cheers, M. DThurkirk@aol.com wrote: > > In a fit of artistic mercantilism I finally put a painting up for sale on > ebay! I've been getting lots of people interested in my work lately so I > figured it was time to pay my $2 and toss one into the wiggling mosh pit that > is ebay. Wish me luck. > > (For anyone who has seen the paintings on my page the one I put in is "Freshly > Washed Street" Ohhhhhh how exciting.) > > __Dave T - -- Melissa R. Jordan Owner/Artist, Compass Rose Studios Unique Wearable Art in Large Sizes & Handstamped Handicrafts http://www.erols.com/jamesq/crs/welcome.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 21:16:06 -0800 (PST) From: Elaine Linstruth Subject: Re: Alloy:fun at e-bay Hey that was my favorite one :) I hope you have lots of good luck. If you're successful, I know another artist that might appreciate the heads-up. Shuffling off to eBay to check out the latest... If eBay is pig-latin, what's it for in English? "e" ? - -- Elaine Linstruth Palmdale, CA (USA) On Thu, 3 Dec 1998 DThurkirk@aol.com wrote: > In a fit of artistic mercantilism I finally put a painting up for sale > on ebay! I've been getting lots of people interested in my work lately > so I figured it was time to pay my $2 and toss one into the wiggling > mosh pit that is ebay. Wish me luck. > > (For anyone who has seen the paintings on my page the one I put in is > "Freshly Washed Street" Ohhhhhh how exciting.) > > __Dave T > ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V3 #324 ***************************