Sunlight Through The Shadows Volume II, Issue 8 August 1st, 1994 Welcome........................................Joe DeRouen Editorial: Love and Rockets.................L. Shawn Aiken Staff of STTS............................................. Special Survey for STTS Readers - Now offering prizes!.... Monthly Prize Giveaway Details............................ Special News Regarding STTS and the Internet.............. >> --------------- Monthly Columns ---------------------<< STTS Mailbag.............................................. The Question & Answers Session............................ My View: Baseball..........................Thomas Van Hook ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ Advertisement-Channel 1 BBS >> --------------- Feature Articles --------------------<< Confusion in the Courts.....................L. Shawn Aiken STTS Survey Results............................Joe DeRouen ÿ Advertisement-Exec-PC BBS >> ------------------- Reviews -------------------------<< (Software) CD-ROM Selector................Louis Turbeville (Movie) The Mask.............................Bruce Diamond (Movie) The Client...........................Bruce Diamond (Movie) Capsule Movie Reviews................Bruce Diamond (Music) Under the Pink/Tori Amos.............Andee SoRelle (Music) Speak of the Devil/O. Osbourne.....Thomas Van Hook (Book) From the Teeth of Angels/J. Carroll....Joe DeRouen ÿ Advertisement-T&J Software >> ------------------- Fiction -------------------------<< Bubbles.....................................Franchot Lewis Oldest Man on Planet..............................Ed Davis If I Could Talk to the Aliens................Bruce Diamond ÿ Advertisement-Chrysalis BBS >> ------------------- Poetry --------------------------<< The Splendid Mosque of St. Sophia..........Daniel Sendecki Untitled............................................Tamara Forgive Me.....................................J. Guenther Aegean.....................................Mark L. Denslow ÿ Advertisement-Texas Talk BBS >> ------------------- Humour --------------------------<< Top Ten List...................................Joe DeRouen The Write Stuff..............................Bruce Diamond The New Bill of Rights......................Author Unknown >> --------------- Advertisements ----------------------<< Channel 1 BBS Exec-PC BBS T&J Software Chrysalis BBS Texas Talk >> ----------------- Information -----------------------<< How to get STTS Magazine.................................. ** SPECIAL OFFER!! **..................................... Submission Information & Pay Rates........................ Advertiser Information (Businesses & Personal)............ Contact Points............................................ Distribution Sites........................................ Distribution Via Networks................................. End Notes......................................Joe DeRouen · þ · · · · · ÖÄ ·· Ö· º · Ö· Ç· ×Ä ×Ä Ç· Ö· Ö· ·· Ö· Ç· ×Ä Ç· Ö· ÖÄ Ç· Ú· Ö¶ Ö· ··· ÖÄ Ä½ Ó½ ÓÓ Ó Ó Ó¶ ÓÓ Ó½ Ó½ ÓÓ Ó Ó½ Ó½ Ó¶ ÓÓ Ó½ ÓÓ ÓÄ Ä½ ÓÓ ÀÐ Ó½ Ó½ Óн Ľ(tm) ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ\ Û||ÛÛ/ÛÛ ³ ³August 1st, 1994³ ³ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ\ ÛÜÛÛÜ /Û ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ÛÛÛ^^ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ---ÛÛÛÛÛÛ--- ³ ³ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ/ ÛßÛÛß \Û ³ The best in . . . ³¿ ÛÛÛ°°±°°ÛÛÛ^^ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ/ Û||Û \ÛÛ ³ ³À¿ÛÛ²°°°±°±ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÚÄÄij Fiction, Humour, Features, ³±À°°±±±°±±°²ÚÄÄÄÄ¿ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÚÙ°±²³ Poetry, and Reviews ³±²±±°±²°²°±±±°±²°ÀÄ¿ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÚÄÄÄÄÙ°±²Û³ ³°Û°±²±±²°±²°°±²°±²°ÀÄÄÄÛÛÚÄÙ°±°±²Û±²±³ Each and every month! ³Û²±°²²²°°°°±²Û°Û±±²±°±²ÄÄÙ°±²Û²°Û±±²±³ ³²ÛÛ°±²±°²°±²Û±±°±²Û²Û²°°±²Û±²°Û±±²±°±³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³²Û²°±²±°²²Û²²±²Û²°Û±±°±±²ÛÛ±±²±°±²Û²²³ ³ Joe DeRouen, Publisher ³ ³ÄÄÄÄIJ±°ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄij ³ L. Shawn Aiken, Asst. Ed ³ ³ ²±° ³ ³ ³ ³ ²±° ³ ³ Heather DeRouen ³ ³ ³ ³ Bruce Diamond ³ ³ ³ ³ Tamara ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Welcome Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved Welcome to Sunlight Through The Shadows magazine! In this issue, as well as in the future, STTS will strive to bring you the best in fiction, poetry, reviews, article, and other assorted reading material. STTS Magazine has no general "theme" aside from good writing, innovative concepts, and the unique execution of those concepts. STTS wouldn't have been possible without the aid, support, and guidance of three women: Inez Harrison, publisher of Poetry In Motion newsletter. Her's was the first electronic magazine I ever laid eyes upon, and also the first such magazine to publish my work. She's given me advice, and, more importantly, inspiration. Lucia Chambers, publisher of Smoke & Mirrors Elec. Magazine and head of Pen & Brush Network. She gave me advice on running a magazine, encouragement, and hints as to the kind of people to look for in writers. Heather DeRouen, my wife. Listed last here, but always first in my heart. She's proofread manuscripts, inspired me, listened to me, and, most importantly, loved me. Never could I find a better woman to live life by my side, nor a better friend. Now that that's said and done... Again, welcome to Sunlight Through The Shadows Magazine! I hope you enjoy it. Joe DeRouen Editorial Introduction Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved With this issue, STTS welcome regularly contributing writer and staff member L. Shawn Aiken to the position of Assistant Editor. As you'll note when you read Shawn's editorial (below) we haven't quite hammered out exactly what it is he'll do as asst. ed, but I'm sure STTS will be all the better for having him control a bit of it's destiny. This month, I'll turn over the editorial space to him. In months to come, this space will alternate as situation and time permit. Love and Rockets Copyright (c) 1994, L. Shawn Aiken All rights reserved Love and Rockets by L. Shawn Aiken I suppose I should introduce myself. L. Shawn Aiken here, but you can call me Shawn. I'm the new Assistant Editor for STTS. I don't even know where the ropes are around here, much less learn them, but I suppose Joe will eventually get around to telling me. The real reason for me writing this isn't to introduce myself. I just had a shock. Suddenly I realized that STTS didn't really mention something important in the July issue - the anniversary of the Apollo moon landing on the twentieth of the month. Okay, perhaps you don't understand my vehemence. Let me explain. I recently read an article about the anniversary. The writer said that he was at the Cape reporting on the launch back in '69, and he was sitting next to Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The rocket lifted off and he looked over to Mr. Clarke and was flabbergasted to see tears rolling down his cheeks. YES! I screamed. That's it! Perhaps normal people don't understand. You see a rocket on the pad. The countdown comes to a close. It ignites. Red hot fire spews out the back and tons of metal race off into the sky. And the tears come. It could be any rocket. Heck, it doesn't even have to be carrying people. It's just got to go up. It's weird. Of course, the more important the payload, the more tears. You try to hold them in around people. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The feeling - it's like "OH GOD YES! IT'S UP! JESUS, IT'S UP!" It's like we are suppose to be up there. We NEED to be up there. It doesn't matter if it's the Russians, or the Chinese, or hey, even the French. It's like a overwhelming, indescribable joy mixed with something bittersweet that I still can't actually identify. Perhaps it's understandable with people like Arthur C. Clarke. He's been writing science fiction for ages. He invented the communication satellite. His insights into space were so profound that Skylab astronauts even jury-rigged a centrifugal running track that he envisioned in 2001. Mr. Clarke waited all of his life to see that rocket go up. The tears were justifiable. But me, hey, I wasn't even born when they rode the first rocket to the moon. Three months later I finally arrived on the scene. But I look back on that old footage and it hits like a sledgehammer, and always the same. It's overwhelming. My first space memory was the Apollo-Solyuz rendezvous. I'm not sure when that was, but it was pretty early in my life. And it had a profound effect. We were doing things in space. Interesting things. But I never really wanted to be an astronaut. I'm sure I could never keep my mind on work up there. Sure, I wanted to go up there and visit, and hey, maybe live if I had the chance. But until NASA learns to sell itself to the public, I don't see it really happening in my lifetime. That doesn't really bother me personally. I'm just happy that we maintain a presence up there. Although, I'd be a lot happier if we maintained an even bigger presence. It all seems like a dream now, doesn't it? Within ten years of deciding to go to the moon, we were there. Think about what it was like back then. When we decided, we hadn't even sent anyone into space. We didn't know anything about it. Our society had only recently entered the atomic age. They didn't even have computers back then. Real computers, I mean. Think about it. The lunar lander's computer had 16K. The computer I'm writing this on is pretty primitive - only 640K of RAM. That's 40 times what old Neil had in the Eagle! The barbaric, primitive dark ages of the 60s somehow sent three men 250,000 miles to a distant planet and back again. A half million mile trip. And only 67 years before we had just learned to fly. Of course we can't go back now. The bulk of our space industry is wrapped up in keeping the shuttle fleet aloft. And we are going to strain ourselves getting the space station built. We can't afford such things anymore. The whole world is going to help having to get Freedom up. And perhaps that's how it should be. Us working together instead of fighting. Freedom will be another tear-jerker too. All of those shuttles going up with the parts. And that last shuttle loaded with the finishing touches. Oh dear. I never really wondered if there were other people like me. I just figured it was a fluke. But now that I hear of Mr. Clarke's tearful episode, I wonder. I suppose there must be. We wouldn't be up there if there weren't. The Staff and Contributing Writers of Sunlight Through The Shadows ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Staff --------- Joe DeRouen............................Publisher and Editor L. Shawn Aiken.........................Assistant Editor Heather DeRouen........................Book Reviews Bruce Diamond..........................Movie Reviews Tamara.................................House Poet Joe DeRouen publishes, edits, and writes for STTS magazine. He's had poetry and fiction published in several on-line magazines and a few paper publications as well. He's written exactly 1.5 novels, none of which, alas, have seen the light of publication. He attends college part-time in search of that always-elusive english degree. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, running his BBS, collecting music, playing with his five cats, singing opera, hunting pseudopods, and most importantly spending time with his beautiful wife Heather. L. Shawn Aiken dropped out of college when he realized that they couldn't teach him the two things he wanted to do; live successfully, and write. He had to find out these things all by himself on the road. Thus he became a road scholar. After spending his life hopping country to country, state to state, he now feels confident in his abilities and is working on his literary career. His main endevour is to become successful in the speculative fiction area, but he enjoys writing all forms of literary art. Heather DeRouen writes software for the healthcare industry, CoSysOps Sunlight Through The Shadows BBS, enjoys playing with her five cats, cross-stitching, and reading. Most of all, she enjoys spending time with her dapper, charming, witty, and handsome (not to mention modest) husband Joe. Heather's help towards editing and proofreading this magazine has been immeasurable. Bruce Diamond, part-time pseudopod and ruler of a small island chain off the coast of Chil‚, spends his time imitating desk lamps when he isn't watching and critiquing movies for LIGHTS OUT, his BBS movie review publication (now syndicated to over 20 boards). Recently, Bruce became the monthly movie critic for VALLEY REVIEW MAGAZINE, published out of Pennsylvania. LIGHTS OUT, now two years old, is available through the Rime or P&B Networks by dropping a note to Joe DeRouen, courtesy of Sunlight Through The Shadows BBS. The magazine will soon be available through Fido file request and Internet FTP. In the Dallas area, Bruce's distributor is Jay Gaines' BBS AMERICA (214-994-0093). Bruce is a freelance writer and video producer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. There is very little known about Tamara, and she prefers to let it remain that way. She's a woman of mystery and prefers to remain hidden in the shadows of the BBS world. (Enigmatic, don't you think?) Contributing Writers -------------------- Ed Davis...............................Fiction Mark L. Denslow........................Poetry J. Guenther............................Poetry Daniel Sendecki........................Fiction, Poetry Andee SoRelle..........................Music Review Louis Turbeville.......................Software Reviews Thomas Van Hook........................My View, Music Review Ed Davis has been scribbling seriously or has at least enjoyed the electronic equivalent, since 1981. Prior to that, his literary efforts were confined to whatever scrap paper he could find on a work bench at break or lunch time, since he was spending his working hours making chips and money in the guise of a Journeyman Machinist. Married to the same lady for 26 years and with two children still hovering uncomfortably close to the nest, Ed continues to write down his thoughts electronically. Check out the file NEWBOOK.ZIP, available from STTS BBS, for more of his work. Mark Denslow is a student at Saint Chrles Borromeo Seminary in the Religious Studies Division in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is working toward his Cerificate in Religious Studies and Roman Chatechetical Diploma. He hopes to be admitted to their Master of Arts Degree Program after completing the Cerificate and Diploma. He enjoys Poetry, Genealogy, Computing, and Religion. Grant Guenther, sometimes known as J. Guenther, confesses to be from a long-lost Martian colony, but in-depth investigations reveals that he was born and raised in a small but well-to-do community called Hartland in Wisconsin. A senior, he has written several collections of poems, and won many awards from his high school literary magazine, including 1st place for poetry and short-short fiction. He is the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and writes as a humor columnist (or at least he thinks so). Daniel Sendecki is a young, emerging, Canadian writer who lives in Burlington, Ontario. Currently, Daniel is pursuing his writing interests at home but intends to study literature at McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec. Andee SoRelle is a visual artist working in both paint and clay. She lives in the Dallas, Texas area and enjoys BBSing, (of course!) music, film, and kvetching about her day job. Louis Turbeville currently works as a computer analyst for the Air Force. He's originally from Hawaii (about an 1/8 Hawaiian ) and has a BBA in Management Information Systems from the University of Hawaii. Louis is married and has a two year old son who keeps him busy, especially when he wants to sit at the computer and write. His interest in writing was nurtured by his wife, a journalism and english major who's yet to be published and holds this very much against Louis. He's had a couple of reviews published on WindowsOnLine Review Magazine and hopes to broaden his base of published media in the near future. Author Unknown (oddly enough, his real name) has had several stories, poems, novels, plays, and pieces of artwork published throughout the world dating back to the dawn of man. So far, he hasn't received one red cent in royalties. Thomas D. Van Hook, sargeant in the USAF and part time demigod, is stationed somewhere in northern Europe. Due to the many warrants out for his arrest and psychotic acquaintances, he has asked that his precise location be kept anonymous. He and his wife Kathy spend much of their free time investing in the diaper industry due to a tiny Elfling that was laid upon their doorstep....recently dubbed Corey. In an effort to escape such bondage, Tommy has taken to haunting various castle- ruins, playing tag-you're it with certain ugly porcine creatures, reading SF and gracing his friends with poetry. His poetic style is marked with a characteristic honesty and directness that ranges from the dark and brooding to startling reflections of life. STTS Survey Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved Please fill out the following survey. This article is duplicated in the ZIP archive as SURVEY.TXT. If you're reading this on-line and haven't access to that file, please do a screen capture of this article and fill it out that way. If all else fails, just write your answers down (on paper or in an ASCII file) and include the question's number beside your answer. Everyone who answers the survey will have their name placed in a hat and, at the start of the following month, we'll draw a name to receive a special prize. Check out the Monthly Prize Giveaway article (from the main menu) for more details. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1. Name: _____________________________________________________________ 2. Mailing address: __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ 3. Date of birth: (Mm/Dd/YYyy) _______________________________________ 4. Sex: ______________________________________________________________ 5. Where did you read/download this copy of STTS Magazine? (Include BBS and BBS number, please) ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 6. Do you prefer to read STTS while on-line or download it to read at your own convenience? ( ) On-Line ( ) Download 7. Are you a SysOp? ( ) Yes ( ) No (if "No", skip to 10) 8. If so, what is your BBS name, number, baud rate? ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 9. Do you currently carry STTS Mag? ( ) Yes ( ) No ( ) I don't carry it, but I want to I carry STTS: ( ) On-Line, ( ) For Download, ( ) or Both 10. What do you enjoy the MOST about STTS Mag? ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 11. What do you enjoy LEAST about STTS Mag? ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ 12. Please rate the following parts of STTS on a scale of 1-10, 10 being excellent and 1 being awful. (if no opinion, X) Fiction ___ Poetry ___ Movie reviews ___ Book reviews ___ CD Reviews ___ Feature Articles ___ Software reviews --- Humour --- Top Ten List --- Question&Answers ___ Editorial ___ ANSI Coverart ___ MonsterBBSReview --- My View --- STTS BBS News --- RIP Coverart ___ Misc. Info --- 13. What would you like to see (or see more of) in future issues of STTS Mag? ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Return the survey to me via any of the following options: A) Pen & Brush Net - A PRIVATE, ROUTED message to JOE DEROUEN at site ->5320, in any conference. B) RIME Net - A PRIVATE, ROUTED message to JOE DEROUEN at site ->5320, in either the COMMON or SUNLIGHT THROUGH THE SHADOWS MAGAZINE conference. C) WME Net - A PRIVATE message to JOE DEROUEN in the NET CHAT conference. D) Internet - Send a message containing your complete survey to Joe.DeRouen@Chrysalis.org E) My BBS - (214) 629-8793 24 hrs. a day 1200-14,000 baud. Upload the file SURVEY.TXT (change the name first! Change it to something like the first eight digits of your last name (or less, if your name doesn't have eight digits) and the ext of .SUR) Immediate access is gained to my system via filling out the new user questionnaire. F) U.S. Postal Service - Send the survey either printed out or on a disk to: Joe DeRouen 3910 Farmville Dr. # 144 Dallas, Tx. 75244 Sunlight Through The Shadows Monthly Prize Giveaway Each month, STTS magazine will be giving away a prize. The prizes will range from registered versions of popular shareware packages to Compact Discs, to a year subscription (via a disk mailed to you) to STTS On-Line! In other words, you never know what we'll be giving away next! If the prize is shareware/software, unless otherwise noted, the versions available will be IBM compatible only. If another version is available, we'll make a note of that and ask you to let us know what system you have. To enter, please answer the survey located elsewhere in this issue. If you're reading it offline, edit the file SURVEY.TXT with an ASCII word processor, fill it out, and send it in one of the many ways listed. If you're reading it online, do a screen capture of the STTS Magazine Survey (available from the main menu), fill it out, and send it in. To be eligible for the contest every month, you just have to fill out the survey once. Everyone who answer's name will go into a hat and a winner will be drawn out each and every month. PRIZE FOR SEPTEMBER August's prize (to be sent out sometime shortly after Sept. 1st) is Cineplay's VGA/Soundblaster commercial game FREE DC! FREE DC! In this Cineplay adventure, you'll battle dangerous robots, laugh at the antics of your sidekick Wattson and comb the jungle for a mysterious gadget that holds the key to the survival of the last eight humans on Earth. FREE DC! features lifelike cinematic images and origial stereo soundtrack, action packed story by a professional screenwriter, live actors and claymation characters from the creator of the California Raisins, Point-and-click control, and much more! Internet Report Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved Great News!! We've switched our Internet connection around and you can now directly subscribe to STTS via the internet! INTERNET To get on the STTS mailing list, do the following: Send internet mail message to: STTS-REQUEST%textalk@egsner.cirr.com With either the following in the body: ADD SUBSCRIBE JOIN To be added to the list or: UNSUBSCRIBE DELETE REMOVE To be removed from the list. If you're a SysOp *Please* be sure to send me a note telling me your BBS's name, your name, your state and city, the BBS's phone number(s) and it's baud rate(s) so I can include you in the list issue's distribution list. Send the note to: Joe.DeRouen@Chryalis.ORG If you wish to FTPMAIL request the magazine, please send mail to: FTPMAIL%textalk@egsner.cirr.com With the following in the body: GET Where would be SUN9408.ZIP or whatever issue you're wanting to retrieve. The current issue available will correspond to whatever month you're in. Septemeber 1994 would be SUN9409.ZIP, etc. Many thanks to Texas Talk BBS (ad elsewhere in this issue) for the gracious use of their system for STTS's Internet needs. STTS Mailbag Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved ======================================================================== Number : 1344 of 1370 Date: 07/10/94 07:33 Confer : Poetry & Prose From : Allyssa Lathan To : Joe Derouen Subject : July ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'm happy, I'm happy, I'm happy... :) After months of seeing your posts about each issue coming out, the BBS I'm on now has STTS. I've been reading back issues a lot, but I think I can catch up pretty quickly... 'Lyssa, now a devoted STTS-reader Some really good poetry and fiction in STTS, but you'd know that, wouldn't you. (: --- þ TriNet: * Viking's Domain * Brownsville, MD * (301)432-5922 * 14.4 USR ======================================================================== ======================================================================== Msg#: 8783 *Internet* 07-11-94 19:47:12 From: ARTHUR.ECKARD@THE-SPA.COM To: JOE DEROUEN (Rcvd) Subj: AUTHOR ADDRESS To: joe.derouen@chrysalis.org Hi Joe, Just DLd SUN9407.ZIP and found myself stunned. I really don't know what to say - I've only tried to write this note a dozen times. First place in Fiction. Thank you very much. I'm honored. This is the first piece of work I've ever been paid for. I'm really overwhelmed and I don't know what else to say. Thank you very much. You have no idea what this means to me. I hope you're not too big for me the next time I have something to submit. A.M.Eckard | arthur.eckard@the-spa.com * RM 1.3 00253 * In the land of the trogdolytes the erudite man is food. ======================================================================== ======================================================================== The Question and Answers Session Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved The Question and Answers Session will be back next month. This feature is on hiatus until then. My View: Baseball Copyright (c) 1994, Thomas Van Hook All rights reserved [Each month, a reader/writer is offered the opportunity to give his or her viewpoint on a particular topic dear to them. If you'd like the chance to air *Your* views in this forum, please contact Joe DeRouen via one of the many ways listed in CONTACT POINTS elsewhere in this issue] As of this writing, Major League Baseball is poised on the edge of it's most exciting "second-half" in quite some time. The realignment that took place during the winter has added to the excitement of the potential division races. Not one single team is running away with their division at this point in the season. In the meantime, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Thomas and Matt Williams have very good chances of breaking Roger Maris' single-season home-run record. Frank Thomas also has a real chance to become the first Triple-Crown winner in quite some time. Attendance at most major league parks is on pace to break last year's marks. Yes indeed, MLB is looking at a summer that could be talked about for years to come. Despite all the excitement of record-runs, increased attendance and potential playoff races, baseball fans see the dark cloud of the players' strike on the horizon for this season. It's really nothing new. Strikes have been fairly common place since the late 70s within baseball ('72, '73, '76, '80, '81, '85 and '90). The Players' Union, which has made quite a few advances in how players have been treated since the inception of the game, has basically come to "loggerheads" with the owners over the issue of a salary-cap. This salary cap is designed to keep to keep the owners within a set level of spending concerning player's salaries. If this is agreed to, the current system of arbitration will be obsolete. The players will no longer be able to have their salaries raised to the astronomical levels we have witnessed since the 1990 free agent signings. The basic point here is that the owners stand to lose very little under this proposed system, while the players stand to lose billions of potential dollars. The game, however, stands to gain a lot through this system. Under the newest round of expansion, the current talent pool of players has been dilued even further. The teams that can afford the "big" stars are loading their teams up with such "gate-drawing" superstars. Teams located in the smaller markets can't gain these superstars to effect their turnstile counts. Under the new system that is proposed by the owners, these smaller teams will have a better chance to afford and obtain these stars for their lineups. This should provide boosts for their turnstile counts and for their team's on-field play. A strike will hurt quite a few people. For instance, some cities depend heavily on the revenue and taxes that the stadiums bring into their budgets. Average citizens employed for the season by the stadiums as vendors, merchandisers and the such, will see their pocketbooks experience a drought in times where everyone is feeling the financial "pinch." The owners will be slightly hurt since the revenue of their team won't be coming in on a regular basis, but most of the owners are financially independent through other means. The players are working from guarenteed contracts, and will make most of their contractual monies where they play or not. The young fans will experience a let-down as their idols (most notably the three mentioned above that are chasing basbeball history) are sent packing before the season draws to a close. And lastly, MLB itself will be hurt as scores of fans (most who remember the strikes of the past) leave MLB for other sports such as Football and Basketball. Fans believe that they are powerless to influence players and owners in such issues as salaries and the such. But they are wrong. Fans have a lot of influence on the game. Fans pay the sharply escalating prices of tickets. Fans are the ones that drop the dollar into the pockets' of the players and owners. In today's game of baseball, the ALMIGHTY dollar speaks very loudly. If fans would refuse to pay the high prices at the games, the players and owners might be able to see what ails baseball. If the Owners and the Players' Union can resolve their differences and avert a strike, remains to be seen. However, if a strike takes place, the long-term effects on MLB could possibly be as devastating as the 1919 Black Sox scandal. That scandal almost sunk baseball, except that a savior named Herman "The Babe" Ruth arrived on the scene and brought back the excitement missing from the game. I'm not too sure that the greed of the players and owners is going to find such a savior this time around. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ 110 Nodes * 4000 Conferences * 30.0 Gigabytes * 100,000+ Archives ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÛÛßßßßßß ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛßßßßÛÛ ÛÛßßÛ ÛÛ ÛÛßßÛ ÛÛ ÛÛßßßßßß ÛÛ ßÛÛ (R) ÛÛ ÛÛÜÜÜÜÛÛ ÛÛÜÜÜÜÛÛ ÛÛ Û ÛÛ ÛÛ Û ÛÛ ÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ Û ÛÛ ÛÛ Û ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ Ü ÛÛ ßßßßßßßß ßß ßß ßß ßß ßß ßßßß ßß ßßßß ßßßßßßßß ßßßßßßß ßßßß °°°°°°°° * Winner, First Dvorak/Zoom "Best General BBS" Award °°°°°°°° * INTERNET/Usenet Access * DOS/Windows/OS2/Mac/Amiga/Unix * ILink, RIME, Smartnet * Best Files in the USA * Pen & Brush, BASnet. * 120 Online Games * QWKmail & Offline Readers * Multi-line Chat Closing Stocks, Financial News, Business/Professional Software, NewsBytes, PC-Catalog, MovieCritic, EZines, AbleData, ASP, 4DOS Huge Windows, Graphics, Music, Programming, Education Libraries ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Channel 1 Communications(R) * Cambridge, MA * 617-354-3230 14.4 ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ °°°úfasterúbetterúless expensiveú°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° "Best Files in US" ° Confusion in the Courts Copyright (c) 1994, L. Shawn Aiken All rights reserved Confusion in the Courts by L. Shawn Aiken There is something wrong with the American judiciary system, isn't there? You hear people on the news complain about it all the time. Murderers spend a few months in jail, then are let go to continue their rampage. A mere accident made by an over enthusiastic police officer can cause a rapist to go free on a technicality. We see the symptoms, but what is the underlying cause of them? The bottom of it is that some people are criminals. Flat out. I'm sure no one came into this existence planning murder sprees. But somewhere along the way they decided to become criminals. There were probably quite a few factors in coming to this decision. It probably was the only was they thought they could successfully survive. The roots of these problems can probably be reached and handled, but frankly, our mental health scientists aren't very good at it. They try, Lord, they try, but there are few real successes. So, we have criminals, and for the foreseeable future, this country has no foolproof way of evolving them into upstanding members of the community. This is were the justice system comes in. Long ago, humanity realized that they were more successful in groups. Group members could specialize in survival related functions. Some could gather food, others could raise children, etc. Eventually, someone noticed that doing certain things were good for group survival, and others were bad. Forgetting to tend the fire could lead to it becoming extinguished. Very bad. So someone decided it was a crime for the fire tender to ignore the fire. A crime that could be punished. The Vestal Virgins were a long standing remnant of this philosophy. Soon humanity learned that there were many things that were bad for group survival. Certain members of the group were given the job to remember the rules. These became the wise men, the magicians, and the priests. When writing was developed, these rules were codified so that no one would forget the knowledge of the ages. Most people were used to following the rules. They were the customs of the people. They formed the basis of the community. But some people could not, for some reason or the other, follow the rules. The easiest way to get these people into line was to inflict horrific punishments on the evil-doers. Steal, and you get a hand lopped off. Quite an incentive plan. Our Founding Fathers felt that it wasn't necessary to be so horrific in the act of punishment, telling us in the constitution that there should be "no cruel or unusual punishment." They were reacting to the fact that European forms of justice usually came in the form of torture and starvation. So our judicial system's only real form of punishment is jail time or execution. No more lopping off of people's toes for kicking the butcher. Of course, there are fines and public service and such, but these are difficult to levy in their fullest extent, being nebulous at the best of times. It's a very narrow band of possibilities, not impossible to work with, but it takes a good deal of effort to handle. Justice is defined as "the impartial administration of the laws of the land." Our system is based on the English common law system. In that system their are few actual written laws. Law is based on what has been done before. If it was the custom in the shire to burn petty thieves, convicted petty thieves would be burned. This contradicts the Napoleonic system of law in which every single law is written down into thick books. Both systems require an immense amount of paperwork, but the English system is flexible and responsive, and herein lies the crux of the situation. The way our judicial system is set up is just fine. The judge, the jury, even the vociferous lawyers, all perform vital functions for fairness, truth seeking, and justice. It may not be the best way of doing it, but it does work - when it is allowed to. What prevents the justice system from working are the laws and the legislatures that enact them. When you put a law in effect that contravenes societies customs, mores, and tradition, it is doomed to failure. It is unenforceable unless people agree to it. Take Prohibition. Millions of men were sent off to war. They came back to find that the tee-totaler minority had taken over and outlawed alcohol. This was against the customs of American society. You always could go down to the bar and swig some grog. But now it was illegal. No government on Earth could have enforced that law. And what did it bring about? America was dying for a drink. And if there is demand, there will be suppliers. The criminal element developed and immense organization to transport alcohol to the public. Elliot Ness, with all of his vehemence, could not stop it. And then Prohibition was lifted. But the highly organized criminal element remained with their immense organization and highly developed transportation network. I have heard the argument to legalize narcotics linked with the Prohibition conundrum. This is faulty reasoning. Smoking dope is not a long standing cultural tradition. It is an aberration. Legalizing drugs is just as wrong as prohibiting the sale of alcohol. It contravene existing societal values. Anger and violence have always plagued humanity. But societies had a way of dealing with them. Dueling was a way of handling it. It may not have been the smartest thing to do. It may not have been at all pretty. But it was a way for people to deal with their problems. The Federal government outlawed dueling almost two hundred years ago. Well, it was a nasty business. But the government did nothing to replace it. So there was no outlet for anger and violence. So people walk around, pent up with anger, until they pop and climb up a tower and shoot nurses. I am not saying dueling was the answer, but it was an organized, socially accepted way of handling it. Slavery is an interesting institution to look at in this light. The Southern aristocracy had been using slaves for years to handle their crop production. It was their culture. It was way the southern society was established. But was it right? No. The Africans had no tradition of being snatched up and enslaved, beaten, and forced to work in the cotton fields. Once upon a time they had their own laws, their own traditions, their own judicial system. But the slave traders stripped that away. Their masters could get them to do nothing without brute force or threat of it. The Jews, when scattered through Europe fleeing persecution, kept their traditions in the form of their religious writings. They could always refer back to see how things were supposed to be. The slaves, even after freed, remembered little of their culture. They had no unity. They did remember a bit, though, but were not allowed to practice it, instead being forced to live in the pre-existing judicial system that had originally enslaved them. They had nothing in common with the 'whites', were forced to live under their rules, but could take no part in their society. In is no wonder the Black culture is in the chaos that it is in today. And it is also no wonder that we see so many Blacks floating about in the judicial system. Simply writing an amendment granting them equality is not enough. Our constitution states that 'all men are created equal'. We have strived to make that a part of our culture. It is our guiding philosophy. We aren't really good at it, but we try. It is our custom. An eventually, our custom will not only be to 'try', but to 'do'. So we see that the outlawing of dueling, the instigation of slavery, and the enactment of prohibition ran contrary to social customs, so they all ultimately created problems. There are many laws on the books that contravene existing values. The preponderance of these law confuses juries and ties the hands of judges from doing what he or she feels is right. They provide loopholes in which evil men can be released into society with no question. I doubt that in ANY culture it is okay for evil men to wander the streets raping little girls. Certainly it is not okay in our society. Yet, it happens, and it happens due to screwy laws and an ignorance of tradition. When we hold the rights of the criminal above the rights of good people, we are going back on millennia of tradition. Some hairy chieftain figured out perhaps tens of thousands of years ago that criminals shouldn't be allowed to run free in the society. It's a good tradition. I hope our legislatures rediscover that fact soon. And since we vote them in, perhaps we should let them know. For their sake as well as ours. Survey Results Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved Beginning next month, everyone who answers the survey will have thier name thrown into a hat for a random drawing. Each month we'll give away a prize of some great (or not-so-great) worth by drawing a name out of the hat. Sept. 1st will be the first such drawing, and everyone who's sent in a survey from one of the past issues will be entered into the drawing as well as the people that answer before Sept. 1st. After that, the drawing will only include surveys sent in after the date of the last drawing and before the date of the next drawing. The Sept. 1st prize will be Cimemark's claymation VGA/Soundblaster game FREE DC! Check out the MONTHLY PRIZE GIVEAWAY articles from the main menu for more details. # # # The results are in from the survey in the July issue of STTS, and tabulated below for a median score. So far, the response rate has been tremendous. We've received responses from all over the USA and several other countries including Canada, South America, and France! For those of you who've yet to respond, please do so now. Your response will be greatly appreciated, and help shape the look, feel, and content of the magazine in the months to come. I'd like to thank everyone who responded. Each and every one of your comments were read and taken into consideration. In the survey, I asked the readers to rate the sections of the magazine on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best and one being the worst. Here's the averages, taken by adding all the scores for an indiviual section (eg: fiction) and dividing it by the number of survey's received that scored that section with something other than an "X" for no comment. Magazine sections are ranked in order of scores, from highest to lowest: SCORES ÄÄÄÄÄÄ Fiction: 9.6 Poetry: 9.2 Book Reviews: 8.0 Editorial: 8.6 Feature Articles: 8.6 Humour: 8.7 Movie Reviews: 8.6 Software Reviews: 8.9 ANSI Coverart: 7.3 CD Reviews: 7.1 Question & Answers: 7.1 Summary: Fiction and poetry seemed to prove the most popular, as I was sure it would. Nothing really received *bad* scores, though, which is promising. Of the reviews, the software reviews seem to be ahead, the book and movie reviews seemed to be neck and neck, and the CD reviews place a somewhat distant fourth. What the above scores really *don't* tell is that the surveys seemed to be divided into camps. There were several people that read STTS mainly for fiction and poetry, and almost as many people who read it exclusively for the reviews. Both groups scored their interest group high while X'ing a "No Comment" on the other sections. Again, many thanks to those of you who took the time to fill out and send in your surveys. If you haven't yet filled out the survey, you still have time to do so. Thanks for reading and, if you haven't already, please fill out the survey! Þ°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±Ý ÞúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúÝ Þ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ 2400bps &  (414) 789-4210 Ý Þ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÙ "The best connection your USR HST 9600 (414) 789-4337 Ý Þ ³ ³ modem will ever make!!" USR HST 14400 (414) 789-4352 Ý Þ ³ ÀÄÄÄ¿ v.32bis 14400 (414) 789-4360 Ý Þ ³ ÚÄÄÄÙ Ü Ü ÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜ Compucom 9600 (414) 789-4450 Ý Þ ³ ³ ßÜß ÛÜÜÜ Û ÜÜÜ ÛÜÜÜÛ Û Hayes V-Series (414) 789-4315 Ý Þ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄ¿ Üß ßÜ ÛÜÜÜÜ ÛÜÜÜÜ Û ÛÜÜÜÜ v.FC 28800 (414) 789-4500 Ý Þ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Ý Þ Ý Þ þ Exec-PC BBS is the largest LAN and microcomputer based BBS in the world! 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Ý Þ þ Low subscription rates: $25 for 3 months, $75 for a full year Ý ÞúúúúúúúúúúúúCallútheúBBSúforúaúFREEútrialúdemo,úandúFREEúdownloadsúúúúúúúúúúúúÝ Þ°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±Ý Computer Software Reviews Copyright (c) 1994, Louis Turbeville All rights reserved CD-ROM Selector - 1st Edition Requires: CD-ROM Drive Commercial Program, DOS or Windows 3.1 Save The Planet Software Cost $32.00 Where do you turn if you need a particular CD-Rom disk, but can't find it in any local software store or it is not carried by any mail order software companies? The CD-ROM Selector would be a great place to start. This CD offers a directory listing of over 1600 titles, in any easy to find manner. There are many things to praise about this new and unique software endevour. First of all, the information on this CD is very complete and informative. There are other CD directory listing programs which list more CD titles, but none with the detail and organization of this program. For each CD you will find a decription of the CD, the publisher, contact phone numbers and adresses, and system requirements needed to run the program. All of this information is located on one helpful screen. With some of the other programs, like CD ROM of CD-ROMS you must navigate multiple screens to find the same amount of information. There are also several other little nuances that make this disk a pleasure to use. The most notable is that the program will run right from the disk, no files are copied over to your precious hard disk space. This is how a CD should run, why buy a CD-Rom and have it put 14+ megabytes of information on your hard disk. Another nice feature is that the program has all the necessary files to run with the MS-DOS interface or with a Windows interface program. Finding CD titles are fairly easy with the menu driven system. You choose a subject and follow the menu choices until you are given a display of CD titles. You can scroll up and down the titles as you please and when you want more information about a title you highlight it and press Enter. This is the screen where all the vital information is displayed. In addition to getting a brief description of the program, there are also over 230 screen shots of some of various CD-Rom programs. This allows you to get a feel as to what the programs interface and graphics will be like. There is also a demo of this program available on most BBS's and major online services. The latest demo I saw was called CDROMG11.ZIP, CD-ROM Guide version 1.1. This will allow you see what this program is like without actually buying it. While the demo is fully functional, it does not have nearly as much information on file for you to look at. For that you need to by the CD-Rom. If you are looking for some hard to find titles and want to be able to get all of the information on one easy to read screen, then this program is definitely worth considering. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ THE MASK: Charles Russell, director. Mike Werb, ³ ³ screenplay. Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden, story. ³ ³ Starring Jim Carrey, Peter Riegert, Peter Greene, Amy ³ ³ Yasbeck, Richard Jeni, and Cameron Diaz. New Line ³ ³ Cinema. Dark Horse Entertainment. Rated PG-13. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Fans of THE MASK comic book will be disappointed at the lack of horrific aspects in the movie version; fans of ACE VENTURA will be disappointed that Jim Carrey doesn't act like a lunatic in every single scene; fans of comedy flicks will be disappointed at the lack of plot or substantial characters, and at the surfeit of silly sight gags in lieu of a smart script or clever dialogue. But . . . but . . . fans of slapstick, of Tex Avery cartoons, and of Industrial Light & Magic's special effects wizardry will be celebrating like it's Christmas in August. THE MASK is a tremendous hoot, and then some. Previous attempts at making a larger-than-life human cartoon (e.g., THE VILLAIN, 1979, starring Kirk Douglas, Ann-Margret and Arnold Schwarzenegger; or any of John Hughes' bad-guys-as-movie- props pictures) have met with mixed success. But those movies didn't have the madcap energy and sheer *joie de vivre* of THE MASK, which has as much to do with Carrey's talent (yes, talent) as it does with the literally eye-popping effects. The trailer and the commercials for the movie have revealed the plot, such as it is, to everyone by now, so I'll briefly run down the numbers here. Mild-mannered bank employee Stanley Ip- kiss (Carrey), a professional doormat if there ever was one, discovers a mysterious mask one night. The mask, as he discovers, releases his inhibitions and leaves him free to revenge himself against the people who have used him. It also frees him to pursue a romance with the drop-dead gorgeous singer at the Coco Bongo Club, Tina Carlyle (Cameron Diaz). Unfortu- nately, Tina is hooked up with a mobster (Peter Greene), and The Mask's antics cause them to cross paths, as well as bringing the police hot on the green-faced prankster's tail. The mask manages to get Ipkiss out of as many situations as it manages to get him *into*. As mentioned before, the script is not particularly clever, containing the tired, clich‚d dialogue and situations of a secondhand comic book script. Lines like "Let's have a chat downtown" and "I'm keeping my eye on you" (both delivered by Peter Riegert as the stereotyped police lieutenant who's trailing The Mask) pepper the script, dragging the picture down under their leaden weight. Carrey, however, aided by wackily inven- tive computer graphics, saves the project, running on what seems to be an endless supply of adrenaline. Watch Carrey closely, though -- he's as inventive and energetic as ever, but the four- hour makeup jobs and rigorous shooting schedule look like they've taken their toll on him. He looks tired and worn-out, even as he's stealing a kiss from Diaz or playing with Max, his pooch. I just hope that Carrey isn't headed for major career burnout with his new-found popularity in Hollywood. He's dazzling as The Mask, exhibiting some surprising talents -- I knew he could dance, kinda sorta, based on an amusing scene in ONCE BITTEN (1985), an otherwise tepid vampire spoof. But I had no idea he could sing, after a fashion, and when he exhibits both talents in a show-stopping rumba number, leading a group of cops in a dance scene, he's amazing. The cartoony feel of the scene would have come screeching to a halt without Carrey's special brand of lunacy. While I maintain THE MASK has numerous problems, the effects, including Jim Carrey as the best human special effect around, are good enough to rate a full-price recommendation. RATING: 7 out of 10 Movie Review, "The Client" Copyright (c) 1994, Bruce Diamond All rights reserved Reprinted with permission ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ THE CLIENT: Joel Schumacher, director. Akiva Goldsman ³ ³ and Robert Getchell, screenplay. Based on the novel by ³ ³ John Grisham. Starring Susan Sarandon, Tommy Lee Jones, ³ ³ Mary-Louise Parker, Anthony LaPaglia, J.T. Walsh, ³ ³ Anthony Edwards, Brad Renfro, Will Patton, Bradley ³ ³ Whitford, and Anthony Heald. Warner Bros. Rated PG-13. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ THE CLIENT starts out peacefully enough: two boys playing by the riverside, smokin' cigarettes they filched from mama's handbag. Hold onto that moment, because you won't get another one like it until the film ends -- in between the two scenes is some of director Joel Schumacher's best work, finally landing him in the realm of film directors who work with people, rather than with sets and cameras. That may sound harsh, but in Schumacher's previous work (THE LOST BOYS, 1987; FLATLINERS, 1990; FALLING DOWN, 1993), he's shown more of an affinity for the look of a movie than for the soul. Of course, Schumacher receives help from a very talented cast, headed by acting powerhouses Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones as opposing counsel. Young Brad Renfro holds his own as the titular client, a young boy who witnesses a suicide after receiving information he wasn't meant to have. The information implicates Barry "the Blade" Moldano (Anthony LaPaglia), a swaggering Italian mafioso wanna-be whose passions run towards shiny disco suits, hunting knives, and dead Senators. "Reverend" Roy Foltrigg (Jones), a federal prosecutor who wants to put Moldano away for the murder, needs the dead body as evidence, and since Moldano's attorney blew his own head off, eleven-year-old Mark Sway (Renfro) is his only lead. Knowing that he's in trouble, Mark hires inexperienced Memphis lawyer Reggie Love (Sarandon) as his attorney. What Love lacks in experience, though, she more than makes up for with guts. She has to, because she's fighting a less-than-perfect background herself. THE CLIENT, when compared with John Grisham's other two novels that have been adapted for film (THE FIRM and THE PELICAN BRIEF, both 1993), is more personal and touching. We aren't side-tracked by high-power political stakes, despite Foltrigg's aspirations for office. The story follows Mark as he wrestles with his brother's post-traumatic stress disorder (brought on by the witnessed suicide), his mother's near-hysteria, and his own crumbling self-image as a tough street punk. Despite Schumacher's occasional references to Foltrigg's investigation and his love for publicity, and the director's penchant for reducing characters and motivation to a chess game, the human element of Grisham's novel shines through as the core of this movie. Reggie Love wins back respect for herself even as she wins Foltrigg's respect, and hammers out a satisfying agreement for her client and his family. The ending may be too "happily ever after," and the villains not quite menacing enough (I am getting tired of the Mob becoming the default fall guy for every hidden body and every unexplained insidious plot), but THE CLIENT shines when it tells Mark's simple tale of a boy caught up in forces over which he has no control. RATING: $$$ Capsule Movie Reviews Copyright (c) 1994, Bruce Diamond All rights reserved Reprinted with permission ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ TRUE LIES: Written & directed by James Cameron. Based ³ ³ on a screenplay by Claude Zidi, Simon Michael, and ³ ³ Didier Kaminka. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie ³ ³ Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Art Malik, Tia ³ ³ Carrere, Eliza Dushku, Grant Heslov, and Charlton ³ ³ Heston. Fox. Rated R. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Too much of a good thing, TRUE LIES is action director James Cameron's latest over-budgeted and over-produced slam-dunk starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Think "American James Bond" and you're on the right track. Ahnold plays secret agent Harry Renquist who has been married to Jamie Lee Curtis for 15 years as mild-mannered computer salesman Harry Tasker. Hot on the trail of a Middle Eastern terrorist, Tasker unexpectedly interrupts the case to put a tail on his wife, whom he suspects of having an affair. The whole movie side-tracks from the main action and offers Cameron a chance to degrade Curtis as she performs a strip tease supposedly for a man she doesn't know, all as "part of a case" that Tasker sends her on for punishment. The action sequences are some of Cameron's best (even including both TERMINATOR pictures), but the woman-bashing script leaves a bad taste in the movie-goer's mouth. RATING: 5 out of 10 ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD: William Dear, director. ³ ³ Dorothy Kingsley & George Wells and Holly Goldberg ³ ³ Sloan, screenplay. Starring Danny Glover, Christo- ³ ³ pher Lloyd, Tony Danza, Brenda Fricker, Ben Johnson, ³ ³ Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jay O. Saunders, Taylor Negron, ³ ³ and Milton Davis, Jr. Disney. Rated PG. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ "We're always watching," says Angel Al (Christopher Lloyd) throughout ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD, and if you buy into it (just like with FORREST GUMP, now playing), you'll think this is a cute picture and great summer fun. If you don't buy into it, the film becomes a bore, looking like a clone of ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (1993) or LITTLE BIG LEAGUE (now playing), with some neat special effects. All Roger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants is to have his father back, but Dad says it won't happen "unless the Angels win the pennant." When Roger prays for that very thing to happen, by golly, angels do appear in the ballpark, helping the league's last-place team climb up the rankings. Gruff Angels manager George Knox (Danny Glover) adopts Roger as the team's mascot, not believing in the angels because he can't see them. Wondrous things begin to happen, aided by some great special effects, and Knox finds himself believing, too. ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD is a good summer family film, but be wary of the too-sweet script -- it could cause cavities. RATING: 6 out of 10 ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ FORREST GUMP: Robert Zemeckis, director. Eric Roth, ³ ³ screenplay. Based on the novel by Winston Groom. ³ ³ Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti ³ ³ Williamson, Sally Field, Michael Humphreys, and Hanna ³ ³ Hall. Paramount. Rated PG-13. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ "My mama always said, 'Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.'" Sally Field's simple advice to her son, Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), can also be said of Robert Zemeckis, the director behind this human and technological FORREST GUMP follows the titled character through three decades of American history, seamlessly blending Hanks into actual his- torical footage, while telling the tale of a simple Alabama boy who does some incredible things. Gump does what he does more out of dogged determination and his sense of the right thing to do than he does out of any lofty motivation or self-important agenda. Because he's so open and easy to read, he becomes the perfect Everyman for today's movie audience. Hanks is sure to receive another Oscar nomination for his wonderful work here, and supporting actor Gary Sinise, as Gump's Army sergeant and friend in later life, should also receive the nod. Zemeckis, responsi- ble for the BACK TO THE FUTURE series and WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?, has finally matured as a story-teller, letting the characters, rather than the technical wizardry, drive the story. RATING: 10 out of 10 ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ THE LION KING: Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff, directors. ³ ³ Irene Mecchi and Jonathan Roberts and Linda Woolverton, ³ ³ screenplay. Starring the voices of Rowan Atkinson, ³ ³ Matthew Broderick, Niketa Calame, Jim Cummings, Whoopi ³ ³ Goldberg, Robert Guillaume, Jeremy Irons, James Earl ³ ³ Jones, Moira Kelly, Nathan Lane, Cheech Marin, Ernie ³ ³ Sabella, Madge Sinclair, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. ³ ³ Disney. Rated G. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Disney assembles the most impressive voice cast in recent memory and sets it loose on a Hamlet-inspired story set in Africa in THE LION KING, the studio's 32nd full-length animated feature. James Earl Jones lends voice to Mufasa, father to the next king, Simba, a playful cub who ends up exiled from the pride after his father's death. Jeremy Irons is the stand-out voice in this film, though, playing Mufasa's evil brother, Scar, who usurps the kingship in Simba's absence. The adult Simba, voiced by Matthew Broderick, and his childhood friend, Nala, played by Moira Kelly as an adult, are rather bland and uninspiring, a fault I've found with most of recent Disney output. This blandness is thankfully countered with the Abbott and Costello of the jungle, Timon and Pumbaa, given uproarious life by Broadway stars Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella. They introduce the cub to their philosophy in life through the song "Hakuna Matata (No Worries)," but it's the opening anthem, "The Circle of Life," that'll be best remembered, especially for next year's Oscar nominations. The other Elton John/Tim Rice melodies are as bland as Simba and Nala, but Hans Zimmer's African-flavored score adds a richness they lack. A warning to parents: younger children may have a problem with Mufasa's death during a wildebeest stampede, and with Simba's violent confrontation with his evil uncle. RATING: 9 out of 10 Music Review Copyright (c) 1994, Andee SoRelle All rights reserved UNDER THE PINK Tori Amos Atlantic Recording Corp. 1994 This newest album from Tori Amos is a strange tray of hors d'oerves. From the small surprise of a bacon-wrapped date to the exotic bite of pate on belgian endive, the songs present difficult choices. What treat should we taste first? I am the first to admit that I rarely understand Ms. Amos' lyrics. I sense mystery and the mystical in those words but they could just as easily be nonsense. My lack of comprehension does not lessen my enjoyment of these songs. The music on this CD is beautiful, with ghostly rhythm and sometimes bone-chilling harmonies. The album was recorded at a Hacienda in New Mexico and I can almost hear the desert sand blowing outside the door. The treats are rich here. Tori's world is one of a god who is like a selfish, macho boyfriend; mud pies cementing the bonds of friendship; and a waitress that others wish to kill. As was found in her previous work, Amos continues her theme of disgust with organized religion. She demonstrates this very obviously in "God" and in "Icicle" tries to shock us by choosing masturbation over prayer for self-fulfillment. God's ignorance of our real needs is also hinted at in "Pretty Good Year" and "Cloud on my Tongue." Other songs talk of failed or failing relationships, the abusing quality of men and the leftovers of childhood dreams and fears. In "Space Dog" Amos, in her enigmatic lyrics, hints at the world of children with its own language and landmarks. If you were a fan of Tori Amos' work before, this album will seem like a continuation of the rolling melodies, haunting vocals and unique musical landscape. In the liner notes, Tori thanks the manufacturers of her piano and this seems appropos as that piano flows through these songs tying them up and binding them harmoniously. If you are not familiar with Ms. Amos' songs then these treats may be too rich. I have a taste for exotic foods but know that I acquired that fondness slowly and the flavor of UNDER THE PINK can be as overwhelming as the best curried lamb. Take tiny bites. Perhaps you will want to eat something from that tray of appetizers and expand your palate. My score, on a scale of one to ten: 8 Music Review Copyright (c) 1994, Thomas Van Hook All rights reserved Speak of the Devil - Ozzy Osbourne (c) 1982 EPIC Records Track Listing: Symptom of the Universe; Snowblind; Black Sabbath; Fairies Wear Boots; War Pigs; The Wizard; N.I.B.; Never Say Die; Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath; Iron Man/Children of the Grave; Paranoid. Members: Ozzy Osbourne (Vocals); Brad Gillis (Guitars); Rudy Sarzo (Bass); Tommy Aldridge (Percussion) After leaving the group Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne formed his own band and released two studio albums, "The Blizzard of Ozz" and Diary of a Madman," featuring the talents of guitar-whiz Randy Rhoads. Osbourne was under contract to release a "live" album, which was being culled from the performances during the "Diary of a Madman" tour. Tragically, with the tour half completed, a freak plane accident in Florida killed Randy Rhoads before the recordings could be completed for the new album. Osbourne, not wanting to have the public think that he was prostituting Rhoads' death, shelved all the recordings from the tour and booked a concert in New York City for the recording of the "live" album that CBS Records wanted. Hiring on guitarist Brad Gillis (of the now defunct group Night Ranger) and bassist Rudy Sarzo (ex-Quiet Riot, ironically Rhoads' former band also), Osbourne recorded "Speak of the Devil." The strain on Osbourne is evident on this album, especially during the segments between songs where he is addressing the crowd. At this point in his career, with the death of Rhoads fresh in his memory, Osbourne was drinking heavily. Before one of the songs on the album, he toasts the crowd with a loud "cheers." In other places, he rambles on during his interaction with the crowd, sounding quite drunk at one point. Gillis does a wonderful job of imitating Tony Iommi, the lead guitarist for Black Sabbath, note-for-note on several songs, but stands out quite a bit on "Iron Man/Children of the Grave" where he makes some improvisations on the solo that sound quite inventive. Of course, Ozzy's favorite stand-by "Iron Man" is on this CD, but so are some very obscure Black Sabbath songs, such as "Fairies Wear Boots", "Symptom of the Universe" and "The Wizard." Even though Osbourne released this album in place of the Rhoads tracks, it's a very solid effort. Osbourne succumbed to the fans that wanted the live Rhoads tracks released, but he waited almost eight years to do so. That album is entitled "Tribute." This album may not have the luster that the later "live" album does, but it still proves that only Osbourne can give life to the old Sabbath classics. My rating on a scale of one to ten: 6.5 Book Reviews Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved FROM THE TEETH OF ANGELS Jonathan Carroll Doubleday $22.00 US, $26.95 Canada The book jacket blurb on Jonathan Carroll's latest novel, FROM THE TEETH OF ANGELS, calls this his "most daring and provocative novel". It claims to "ask - and answer - the ultimate question: What is Death?" The novel never really succeeds in asking, much less answering, what the blurb promises. Stylistically, Carroll's newest effort meets or succeeds all of his other novels. His staccato style has in the past been compared to german impressionist films and that holds true for this novel as well, but that's where comparison to his past novels end. FROM THE TEETH OF ANGELS is essentially the story of two people facing Death. Arlen Ford, a retired successful film actress who flees Hollywood for the gothic streets of Vienna. And Wyatt Leonard (AKA Finky Linky), former children's television star and terminally ill leukemia patient. Wyatt also finds himself in Vienna at the bequest of a friend who's brother (also living in Vienna) has disappeared. Several other characters weave in and out of the story, all having their own brief (and sometimes not brief enough) encounter with Death. Both Arlen and Finky Linky have wound their way through previous Carroll novels and finally have their chance to shine here. Unfortunately, their flames are snuffed out before they get the chance. FROM THE TEETH OF ANGELS seems much more like an outline than an actual novel. Topping out at a mere 212 pages, the story leaves the reader's appetite barely whet and certainly not sated. It poses many time more questions than it even attempts to answer, and oft times promising threads in the novel are merely forgotten or cut far short of their potential. FROM THE TEETH OF ANGELS is a decent read for a true Carroll fan, but probably not worth it in hardback. If you've yet to read any of Carroll's books and are wanting to pick up something to give it a read, stay away from this one. Instead, check out AFTER SILENCE, SLEEPING IN FLAME, or OUTSIDE THE DOG MUSEUM. Any of the three will leave you enchanted by the true nightmare magic, sensuality, and chilling storytelling that's become Carroll's trademark. Hopefully, FROM THE TEETH OF ANGELS is only a pause in an otherwise provocative and engaging career. My Rating: (out of 10 points) 5 Other books by Jonathan Carroll: THE LAND OF LAUGHS VOICE OF OUR SHADOW BONES OF THE MOON SLEEPING IN FLAME A CHILD ACROSS THE SKY BLACK COCKTAIL DIE PANISCHE HAND OUTSIDE THE DOG MUSEUM AFTER SILENCE ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ "Bringing our software to your home" ÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÜÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ßßßßßßÛÛßßßßßßßÛßßßßßßßßßÛÛßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß ÍÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍßÛÛÛßÍÍÍÜÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ÛÛ Û ÛÛÜÜÛÛ (717)325-9481 14.4 ßÛ ßÛÛÛÛß 2 NODES ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜÜ Ü Ü ÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ ÜÛ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÜ ÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÛÛÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÄÄßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÛÛÛÛÜÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÜÜÄÛÛÄÄÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÄÄÛÛÛÛÛÛÄÄÄÛÛÛÜÄÄÄÄÄ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÜ ÛÛ ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛ ÛÛÜÜÜÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÜÛÛÜÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÜ ÛÛÜÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛß ßÛ ßÛ ßÛÛÛÛß ßÛ ßÛ ßÛ ßÛ ßÛÛÛÛß Prize Vault Lemonade Scramble Dollarmania ANSI Voting Booth Studs! Studette BadUser Convince! OnLine! GoodUser T&J Lotto T&JStat TJTop30 Environmental QT Video Poker Announce Bordello! Money Market Bordello T&J Raffle RIP Lemonade AgeCheck Strip Poker RIP Voting Booth ...and more coming! Bubbles Copyright (c) 1994, Franchot Lewis All rights reserved BUBBLES by Franchot Lewis It is not bad for the young with no memory of the past. Those who were born before ... are the lucky ones. Their consciousness are clear of the dreams of freedom. The young have the holo-grams and the virtual reality apparatus that make their fantasies seem better than real. Damn, how those of us who are old enough to remember suffer! The good old days: back when people were able to move about freely - I miss those days too much. We could go naked - unthinkable to many now. We could walk outside and follow the naked breeze, and touch and be touched by the air and the ground, and by the plants, and by people - By Other Real Live People. When I felt lonely I could reach out and touch people and other natural and living things. Nowadays, there is no touching. We are sheltered in individual hard, reinforced plastic bubbles, protected, kept safe, without direct contact to the world. Yes. You would ask. I miss sex. I had a wife and she was great. Before I met her I had, had sex and sex was great. Sex was a great thing. Sex actually kept my head clear. Sex was a great physical and spiritual thing. I live for the day when we will be free from these bubbles. The government says there is hope: someday a cure shall be found for the virus that keeps mankind in individual quarantine. The old ones like myself get to watch the porno video channel, pipped directly to our individual quarters. We are encouraged to masturbate. The porno hour is my favorite time. It is my worst time too. Watching naked couples coupling floods my memory with pleasant and agitating thoughts. My sexual system longs to end the abstinence. I curse. Ejaculation, yes. The cursing, the forceful ejection of strong expletives, is a release. I curse the virus and the bubble and the government that keeps mankind in individual cells in a barrier stronger than the iron bars of any ancient gullah. Playing with myself, cursing, becoming irritated and not fully relieved sets the electronic monitoring devices, sensors, in my bubble jumping. This brings one of mankind's watchful keepers, the tin-looking-alloyed droid. The thing has come to investigate a possible malfunction of the machine that serves to shield me from the virus, or possibly, the iron-acting creature has come to halt a malfunction of my mind that could help me to escape into lunacy. The droid gages the situation quickly; as it does, it begins to try to give verbal comfort. It is bullshit that comes from its program. "Everything's okay?" it asks. "Did you enjoy the show? It will be repeated at 1400 hours." I do not answer. I never answer this bull. The droid continues, "You are looking especially nice today. Your weight is down. You look fit and trim. It's good to see that the diet program is working. Will you work out on the running track today?" I snap, "I can't start that damn thing!" Yes, it is easy to find ones self yelling at a machine. One thing about machines is that you can be upfront with them. You need not make excuses for yelling. You can say anything to them. You don't have to grand stand, pretend to be in control of the situation, or of your self, because you and it knows that the reason why it is here is because it is in control. Now, the droid nags, "You are doing well, but I must suggest that you must eat more of your vegetables. Your stool wasn't a good color, and we feel you are not eating enough of your vegetables." I do not answer. I have no intention of making excuses for the color of my stool to a machine. In all of my life before the virus, and the bubbles, and the machines, and the government and these nanny droids, I have never had to make excuses for the color of my stool, not to my doctor or to my own mother when I was a child. The droid is not deterred. You can't deter a droid. "If you prefer some other selection of vegetables just let us know. We will provide what ever you ask. What shall we serve you this evening?" "What I want," I reply. "Yes?" "What I want is very simple. Actually -" The droid cuts me short like it knows what I am about to say. "We are looking for a request for something we can give." "You can give it. It's what I've wanted these many years: My freedom." The droid makes a big, unusual noise that sounds a little like a cry of astonishment. "You want the virus to kill you?" "Go away," I shout. I turn away, hang my head. I feel a little smaller than usual. I have long surmised the uselessness of conversing with a droid. I promise myself I shall never do so again. Later: A few minutes pass 1400 hour. I stop watching the porno video. I turn off the viewer in my cell, so that I won't be tempted to peep. Suddenly, I have a visitor. I am introduced to the government's newest machine, a female whore droid. There has never been anything that has turned me off more than a female acting like a whore. A droid acting like a whore is a big nasty stinking cruel joke. This droid slinks in like a tart, and covered in practically nothing, so to accent its human-looking features. Its face is layered with rouge, and its body shows lots of bare human-looking skin, the more to make me want to puke. "Hello, darling," it gives a toothy smile. I shout at it, "Good bye." It smiles again, "To me nothing is more purely sensational than a forceful, masculine dude." "Quit," I shout. "I was never into rubber dolls." It answers," "I am a fully functional companion, and I do mean, fully functional." I have to ask. "What do you do? A Strip tease?" "If you would like. Also, I can enter your bubble through the air lock. I am free of the virus, of all viruses, so we can touch." "Go away," I shout. "You really don't mean that? Do you know why? I am for you. You have been obsessed with the need for unrestricted physical touching ever since you were a kid in high school." I growl, "So what?" It grins. "A woman, a person, not a machine, " I snarl. It answers softly, "I am an android, your droid, designed just for you, from your thoughts, your fantasies." "Yeah, my fantasies, the wild fantasies of a caged man." "I am real," it says. "A real machine. I don't do mechanical dolls." "Give me permission to come inside with you? I shall touch you in the raw, feel the warmth of your body, your body shall feel mine, the way you remember another's body feels." "Go away," I show my teeth. "I am for you," it replies. "I am like your fantasy woman, nothing's changed; everything's the same." I turn my back to it. Facing the other plastic wall, I refuse to turn around. "You want me," it insists. "I want a woman, another human being," I shout. It becomes urgent in its pleading for me to accept it. It says, its sole purpose is to sex me. I want a woman, I tell it. No, not talking to it, but talking to myself. I want a woman, not my hand, not a mechanized hole to receive my ejaculate. I want a woman. Yes. Certainly, this has much to do with my relationship with my late wife. She was good, a lovely woman. Always around her was the event of my day. She was never the whore, never blatant. Always, she wore a garment or two, or three to bed. She would lie there just waiting to be loved. She was exciting, when she was wrapped with clothing however frilly, however inviting. She was there to be uncovered, for my pleasure and hers. You can imagine my revulsion toward the female droid that the government has sent for me to masturbate in! Finally, after pestering me for what seems like an hour, the female droid gets the word and leaves. I shout a curse toward it as it goes. This brings me to the heart of this tale: The so-called greatest living man in all of Earth's history, the Savior, my friend Adrian Syn. Adrian was born three months before me. We grew up in the same neighborhood. Our folks were friends. He was smart and popular, popular throughout his school years and especially popular after he became a politician. He treated everybody as though he was their friend. The whole world to him was made up of one big bunch of good pals rather than of individuals out there in the pits grubbing and grabbing for theirs. This attitude somehow elicited respect and admiration from even the most normally skeptics among us. Adrian was just a regular looking guy: Not handsome, not tall, not short or skinny or fat, just regular. He worked hard and he thought hard. He was always writing books which always hit the best sellers' lists. No one really seemed to give too many serious thoughts to where his ideas might lead. I guess the idea of seeing him so often in print, on the best sellers' lists, on tv interview programs, got people to thinking that he was a regular guy who knew what he was saying. Now, he's locked up in a bubble and is going stir crazy like the rest of us old ones. As I've said, he was a regular guy and was everybody's pal, and nobody thought it was such a big deal when he had these bubbles built and the droids built. It was supposedly the only way to save the human race, to give us time to survive until the cure for the space virus is found. A virus that demands complete individual human quarantine in a totally sterile environment. We humans get to talk to each other over the communicator. We can see each other's faces through the tele-viewer. But we can not visit. If I could visit Adrian's bubble, I would go and punch him out. Maybe not punch him out, just smack him around a little - a little? A lot. I never liked Adrian's idea of bubbles. I resisted. I wanted to take my chances with the virus rather than be indefinitely locked away, immobile in a plastic prison. But, Adrian was determined. He had a list of people whom he wanted to save. I and a million others were on the list. Ten billion were not and they died. Those on the list could not resist. Of those who did, not one or two were not caught and put into bubbles. My wife didn't make the list. Once a month I call Adrian on the communicator just to aggravate him. I think that many others do the same. He, being like the popular regular guy his press still says he is, has to always accept the calls. His images comes up on the tele-viewer. Bubble living doesn't wear well with him. All of the fitness schemes that his government has programmed the droids to give us have done nothing for him. He's stooped, wizened, old-looking, like a white-haired, nearly bald troll, and not a fit specimen of manhood for the droids to preserve. He is the foremost hate object of my life, and I scream at him, hard, for two minutes until my tensed body tingles, and then slumps back in my chair, and I sign off. Oldest Man on Planet Copyright (c) 1993, Ed Davis All rights reserved OLDEST MAN ON PLANET "Let's face it, old son, your ass is in the toilet." Orville's words bounced against the clear lens of the helmet and back into his face. You could have called for help when the Sand Cat broke down, he chided himself. This time mentally. No... A big bad spaceman doesn't ask for help, especially when he just made everybody painfully aware that he was the oldest man on planet. Damn silly argument anyway. What did he care if mentally tossing silverware into coffee cups was a gift or a learned skill. He had been angry that the younger men had the skill and he didn't, and had let that anger lash out at the youngsters. Smooth move, Ex Lax. He chastised himself with what his Daddy had always said, when he screwed up. The old man had been too good to mess things up very often, but had also been the first to recognize the failure. Well, the oldest man on planet had his butt in a first class sling. The fall down the steep gully had been fun at first, in the low gravity, but quickly turned to tragedy when he landed wrong and felt the bone between his knee and ankle snap. The sound, captive inside his suit was God-awful. The pain followed quickly and caused him to black out temporarily. When he came back to reality, he thought the pain was no worse than an elephant stomping on his leg. He had never felt an elephant step on him, but he was willing to try. At least elephants lived on earth and he had a better chance of moving an elephant than trying to haul his battered hulk back up the hill behind him. Three sessions of mind searing pain moved his leg to a more natural position than the folded mess he found when he first looked down at his legs. When his vision cleared and the tears in his eyes allowed him to see clearly, he searched the dials and lights inside the helmet to see if he was leaking air. The suit was intact. Great, he thought, now you can sit here and die slowly, after the batteries run down. He looked at his power supply gage and saw he only had three hours of power remaining, then the ni-cads died and he quickly followed suit. Well, wily ole' spaceman, how you gonna' get out of this? The wily ole' spaceman didn't answer, his leg hurt too much for humor to help. This was a time for some industrial grade thinking. Crawling was out, his leg was calmly generating agony while he was motionless. Scooting on his bottom, like a kid in a pile of dirt seemed a sillier idea. He would quickly abrade a hole in his suit and... The manufacturer of the suit made them for men, not children who liked to play in the dirt. His suit radio was useless, the range was far too short to reach the base. Besides, real space heroes didn't call for help. Like hell, he thought. If you can drag your stupid carcass to the Sand Cat, you'll be plumb grateful to hook up to the big radio and scream for help. He tested the chin activated radio mike and smiled when he heard the answering hiss of static. No one liked the chin activators, but no one wanted to listen to all the cussing that seemed to come with the voice activated type. People, even spacemen, cussed a lot when they dropped things. Especially when the things hit toes and shins. Orville looked overhead and watched as distant stars winked on and off, as distance caused them to flicker. He mused about the miles and became melancholy, he was doomed to end his life on some remote piece of rock, far from Tennessee. His eyes refilled and he wept softly. "Off your ass, boy." Orville was startled to hear his father's voice. He had died ten years earlier in a train derailment on Earth. There was no way he could be speaking into his son's helmet. Memory, Orville reasoned. "I said get off your ass, boy. You ain't dead, yet. Move it." Orville's heart was pounding like a relay gone mad. He twisted his head from side to side, trying to see who was within sight and talking on his radio. Only the pale grey of the rocky plain was visible. Orville turned and ignored the pain as he searched the hill behind him. Nothing. No one there. He keyed his radio. "Who the hell is calling? Identify yourself. I'm Orville Carpenter and I need help." Static answered. Chills raced down Orville's spine and flooded his intestines. He clamped his buttocks to prevent messing the inside of his suit. Suddenly the small asteroid, with its tiny monitoring station, was no longer just a dusty planet in a busy sector of the universe. It was suddenly very scary. "Damn it. You turned to look up the hill, and didn't die of pain. Drag your stupid rear up the hill and get help." "Dad, is that you?" "Who the hell'd you think it was?" "My leg's busted. I'll never get to the Sand Cat. I'll tear holes in this suit..." The voice intruded on the almost whining voice. "Bull shit." Silence followed. Silence so thick it was scarier than the voice had been. "Dad..." "I gotta' go kid. I broke a lot of rules even talking to you. The rest is up to you." "But...Dad..." Only silence answered. Orville cowered in his space suit, trying to hide from something he could neither see nor understand. The chills held races up his legs and met at his crotch. They joined forces and crawled slowly up his stomach, tweaking his nipples to fear induced stiffness. His shoulders shook and his hair tried to stand on end. The chills dashed down his back and threatened to start the course again. "Dad..." Silence. "Damn you, Dad. Answer me. I can't make it." Anger stopped the chills and goaded the stranded spaceman. He pulled himself onto his stomach and hammered the ground with both fists. Then he began the agony of pulling his one hundred and ten kilo body up the slope. Twice he tumbled part way back down the slope. He felt blood start to flow from his shattered leg. A new fear, that he would now bleed to death before he ripped the suit or ran out of power, filled his mind. "Nobody gives a damn," he sobbed in despair. "Nobody gives a shit if I die." Self pity overwhelmed him thirty feet from the top of the hill and he slid a few feet back down the slope. Time ticked off slowly, the power gage inside the helmet moved slowly past the two hour mark, before Orville regained his composure. "Damn you..." He cursed his father, his school enemies, the man who built the suit with only four hours of power in the batteries, and every person who had ever done something rotten to him. The anger left. What remained could only be described as cold fury. Not the mad-at-the-world variety, rather the survive-this-disease type. He began his ascent again. This time he picked his route with more care. He used the larger rocks for leverage and pushed with his uninjured leg. He scaled the last thirty feet in minutes and let his head fall to the ground. The Sand Cat was several yards away, one red light still blinking on and off. The disabled vehicle looked better than the latest video from Earth. He had never felt stronger in his life, as adrenaline filled his system with power. He felt invincible, and crawled swiftly to the insect like conveyance. The swollen tires looked like someone had overinflated an inner tube for the beach. The frame looked like a spider holding four inner tubes upright. Pain, fatigue, and fear finally took their toll. Orville was light headed and sweating, as he slid the umbilical from his suit into the slot on the Sand Cat. A hiss of fresh oxygen told him the connection was made and that he no longer had to rely on the suit's recycling equipment. The power meter started a rapid ascent to the two hour mark and quickly passed the middle of the scale. Orville felt reborn. He rested his head and cried with relief. "This is Orville Carpenter. Does anyone hear me?" "This is TH-301 base. I read you fine, Orville. Go ahead." "My Sand Cat is broken down and I have a busted leg. I've turned on the radio distress signal. Please send some help." "Roger. I have your signal. By the time we get a gang outside we'll have you pinpointed. Are you in immediate danger?" "My suit is intact, I think. But I'm bleeding. Please hurry." "Roger. We have your location. The rescue pod is on its way. If you hold on for five minutes, you're home free." "Thanks." Darkness enveloped him, as Orville passed out and fell out of the Sand Cat. His rage was finally over. Bright lights greeted the return of the base's most talked about man. The entire fifty-three man detachment had been waiting to congratulate the only genuine hero the base had ever known. Orville looked into the worried eyes of the doctor and smiled. "Looks like I made it." "Yes, sir. We went back out there and followed your trail up that hill. No one knows how you managed that. You realize you have a compound fracture of both bones in your lower leg, don't you?" "Will it heal?" "You should be able to walk as well as ever. You'll have a cast for quite a while, but you will recover completely." "Thanks. I sure could use a drink." "There are a lot of guys out there who would love to buy you any drink you would care to order, but water will have to do right now. We have you pretty well doped up." The doctor handed a glass with a bent straw sticking out of the top to Orville and smiled as he drank. "Why do all those people want to buy me a drink?" "Hell, you're a hero. None of the rest of us would have had the guts to do what you did. What made you crawl back up that hill?" "I had to. Can you keep the people out for a while? I'm awfully tired." "Sure. We're just glad to have the oldest man on planet back with the living." Orville smiled and nodded, knowing that the practical minded doctor would never understand what had happened. He watched the door open and close, leaving him in solitude and silence. He sipped the water again and rested his head on the pillow. "Thanks, Dad." The wily old space man closed his eyes and felt a tear trickle down his cheek. Time enough tomorrow to be a hero, he thought. Right now I feel too much like a little boy. As sleep embraced Orville, he could almost see his father smiling. If I Could Talk to the Aliens Copyright (c) 1994, Bruce Diamond All rights reserved If I Could Talk to the Aliens by Bruce Diamond Let me tell you, if there's a shock cure for agoraphobia, I think I've found it. Wasn't my doing, though. Not my invention, not my idea. I was perfectly happy to spend the rest of my life in my penthouse studio. At first, I wasn't even sure how they knew of me. Or how to find me. My vidphone's unlisted and my address was known to only a handful of program executives, equipment distributors, delivery services and the deli around the corner. I think the deli tripped me up. The first sign of something unusual were the ghost voices on my commercial disk for 'Nuffsaid Voicewriters. The commercial copy read, "Get it write with 'Nuffsaid," but the first take in my studio sounded like, "Get it hello with 'Nuffhello." The second and third takes sounded pretty much the same. Two hours of searching through the equipment turned up zilch. Even the voice synther, the most sensitive piece of equipment in my studio, worked perfectly. No glitches. I suppose I should take this moment to explain why I need a synther. You know that as the world's highest-paid announcer (check last week's Variety if you don't believe me), my voice is my meal ticket. Sure, there's the tri-d and radio talk shows, but commercial work pays the rent on this place. The annual rent here puts the GNP of some Third World nations to shame. And don't get me wrong--a good fifteen percent of my gross proceeds last year were contributed to charity. Sorry about the digression. As I was saying, even the voice synther checked out. Since my voice brought in the bacon, so to speak, I had to keep those pear-shaped tones sounding the same year after year even as I aged. Thus the synther. All it did was take the age out. It wasn't supposed to add "hello" to my commercials. Which meant either I was losing my mind (not bloody likely), or had to call in a specialist to track down the glitch. I tried again. First time I had to do more than one take in months. I was glad to be working in my automated studio, so no engineer or producer could hear the glaring error. It didn't come out of my mouth, though, so I was still flawless. And the playback proved it. No stray hellos or anything this time, just my sterling delivery. Retired to my sumptuous bath after uplinking the commercial to the 'Nuffsaid producer. Ah, what a set-up. Dreamed about it for years, as I grew up tutored at home because attending school gave me panic attacks. Drew up the floorplans while taking a correspondence course in broadcasting. Researched the possibilities while building a reputation in radio and voiceover work. Moving next-door to the top station in the city sure gave the career a boost. Landed my first job and rapidly rose to the top. I had one of those voices that could sell anything, and the synther kept it that way as the years passed and left their footprints on my throat. If any of my producers had found out . . . Checked the newsfax while relaxing in the marble tub, covered in parfum bubbles, and looking for guests for future shows. My shows, "The Unique Miles Devins" on radio and "The Best of Everything with Miles Devins" on tri-d, specialized in the strange and unusual. An item caught my eye. "Local Scientist Talks to Aliens," in the Davenport, Iowa, Quad-Cities Timesfax. Didn't need to read the rest of the story to know this was a hot one. Dr. Stanley Folger from the Augustana College astronomy department in Rock Island, Illinois, right across the river from Davenport, according to the vidatlas. Wonder if Dr. Folger would like to see the big city? Most of these midwestern hicks couldn't wait to get to New York. I keyed him onto my guest list and sent it to my producer to book. That filled all the slots for the following week's show, providing Dr. Folger agreed to come. The vidphone chimed just as I finished making notes for future guests. I closed the guest file and flipped the screen to "receive." "Devins, what kinda crap you pullin'?" Tony Lawton, the 'Nuffsaid producer. Five feet two inches of smoldering nerd with no hair. "Tony, dear heart. I take it you received the spot on microwave?" I gathered some of the bath bubbles around me. No use giving him ideas. "Yes, I did, you damn overpaid, no-talent . . ." When Tony got like this, the best thing to do was let him run out of air. Three complete insults and he stopped to catch his breath. "Tony, my contract specifies 'no verbal abuse.' I get 150% kill fee and you find yourself another golden throat. Actually, at best, you'll find a silver throat." The synther hardwired into the vidphone kept callers from even guessing how far the pipes had rusted. Tony wheezed to a stop, ran a hand through the three hairs on his head and straightened his pink polka-dot tie. Abominable taste, but he paid on time. "Sorry, Miles, but you know what kind of deadline we're running on the 'Nuffsaid account." "Indeed. That's why I uplinked the spot over this morning." I deliberately ran the soap across my chest. Tony started to sweat and ran a hanky through his hairs. Always could play Tony like a sampler. "That's all well and good, M-Miles." Tony swallowed audibly. "But rush jobs don't help when I get defective goods." That almost got me up out of the bubbles. "That spot was perfect, bubbalah. As usual." "Oh, yeah?" Always with that snappy rejoinder. "Then listen to this!" After suffering through twenty seconds of watching Tony's smug face, I did stand up, rather suddenly. Tony's eyes popped out of his head. He always was easy to impress. But that didn't matter. I was trying to figure out how "hello, hello, can you hear me" got onto a spot I had already checked. I do not make mistakes. I do not send a less-than-perfect spot to a producer. Flabbergasted, I plopped back down into the bubbles. Tony managed to replace his eyes and rearrange his face into a semblance of smugness. The stuttering spoiled the image. "T-told you s-so." If it weren't for his obvious age, you could've sworn, time and time again, in court, even, that Tony was ten. "Look, dear heart," I said, turning my face casually from the screen to hide my consternation, "just give me a mo and I'll recut the spot." Tony loosened his tie and mopped his forehead again. "The deadline's too tight to book downlink time, Miles. You . . ." Tony took a deep breath and gulped. "Y-you'll have to . . . come to the studio and . . . r-recut it here." Time to end this. The old soap on the brush and do the back routine. "Out of the question, Tone. You know better than that. Now be a dear and book that downlink time. I'll make a special effort for you." I arched my back. The coup de grace. Tony's throat bobbed several times and the bowtie looked like it was ready to start spinning. "This airs tonight, Miles. D-don't f-fuck up." "Tony, such language! Naughty, naughty. Must be wishful thinking." I switched the vidphone off and sighed. After this session, that equipment gets the once-over. As an experiment, I uplinked the original take to the GTE bird and downlinked it back into my system. On playback, I nearly dropped the stinger I'd been sipping. A metallic voice scratched its way out of the Bose speakers. "Hello, can you hear me?" A terrible wash of white noise. "Hello, can you hear me? I wish to speak to Miles Devins, please." The playback stopped, but the voice continued. Nail files on corrugated tin. "Miles Devins, representative for Earth, please respond." "Hello?" I tried, thinking it had to be a joke of some kind. Maybe the maintenance engineer I stiffed the week before for his shoddy workmanship. Switching off equipment one-by-one seemed the best bet to isolate the voice. "Success!" Dry rustling, like sheets of paper being rubbed together, now came from the speakers. "Success!" another voice answered, and the rustling continued. Turning off the disk recorder, playback system and monitors didn't help. "Hello, are you still able to respond?" Off went the twenty-year-old Wollensack tape deck and the turntables. On went the voice. Tinfoil on teeth. "Hello? Please respond." Everything but the voice synther and the amp was off by now. "Hello? Hello?" May as well play along; at least the problem was isolated. "Hello, I'm still here." "That's it, Graffax." Yeah, that's what the voice said. "I got him." "Good," the other voice said. "Bring him up." Up? Everything went blue. # A pancake on a griddle. Steaks on a barbecue. Your mind on drugs. That was me, lit up with a megawatt blue klieg like I was in a stripper's nightmare. Well, I'm guessing about the stripper, having only seen them on tri-d. The intense blue partially blinded me, while two voices argued about me, the same voices that had issued from my own speakers. That bran muffin breakfast this morning began to seem like a bad idea. Sweat broke out on my forehead. An overwhelming urge to piss strained at my bladder. This wasn't my apartment. I hadn't been out of my apartment in over fifteen years. Hot shame burned my neck as warm piss trickled down my leg, staining my silk trousers. I couldn't move, but whether that was due to some kind of field or my own fear I couldn't tell. The voices came closer, as did the paper rustling. I still couldn't see clearly, but the approaching outlines didn't encourage me one bit. The edges appeared sharp and distinct. I could almost feel their hardness underneath my hands, still resting by my sides as though gripping a railing. Something had to be holding me up. My legs sure weren't doing the job. Voice one spoke, an insectlike chittering that my skin feel as though a thousand ants had burrowed into it. The chittering was followed by the metallic voice I had heard in my apartment studio. "Hello, Miles Devins, spokesman for the planet Earth. We are here to negotiate." Negotiate for what, and why me? My mouth wouldn't work. It filled with saliva that wouldn't go down. The sweat ran into my eyes, mercifully blurring the figures even further and stinging like hell at the same time. Voice two interrupted voice one's salutations. Chitter, chitter. "He chooses not to answer, Ch'kun. Perhaps they are better negotiators than we thought." "Hauck! Speaking out of turn reveals much, Graf. Be warned." While the two voices chittered at each other, I managed to squeak, "Home." "What?" said voice one. "He chooses the home strategy, Ch'kun. Rule ten of Kikul: 'To defend home takes strength. To defend honor, none. Home is the holder of nobility.' They intend to blow up their planet before losing it to us!" Voice one spat. "Hauck! Fair interpretation. You are good counsel, Graf." The voices spoke freely, so it was safe to assume they weren't aware I could hear and understand them even when they addressed each other. If the reason was more subtle than that, it wasn't divinable between my shivering fits. Voice one addressed me again. "Miles Devins, as you are spokesman for planet Earth, we accept your challenge of nobility. Carry our message back to your planet." "Wait!" The word came out of the tiny slit my throat had closed up to. Clearing my throat with a mighty effort (and in a way guaranteed to ruin it for two weeks), I said, "I'm not the person you want. You need the President, or the U.N., or someone like that." The rustling halted abruptly, then returned. Voice two chittered at twice its former speed, so fast that whatever had been interpreting it couldn't keep up. My hands could move now, so I rather shakily wiped my forehead and cleared my eyes. Voice one said, "He claims mistaken identity. Earth has an unprecedented degree of nobility." The chittering paused briefly, then resumed. "Miles Devins, we shall make your defeat the noblest of all our enemies." Voice two chittered excitedly. "Not the Grand Challenge, Ch'kun!" "Hauck! Wait for reply." The chittering subsided, and the two figures appeared to be awaiting my answer. Swaying unsteadily, unsure of ever seeing my penthouse, my safe burrow, again, I was near tears. "Please, please, I can't help you. Please . . ." "Ch'kun, the Grand Plea! And stated with such heartfelt emotion!" The chittering grew to an intolerable volume. Covering my ears didn't help. Voice one seemed to hesitate. "This is unforeseen. We have heard the Grand Plea only twice, and both times were we defeated. I have no choice." Voice one's figure made a slight movement, so slight it was almost invisible in the blinding blue light. A slow hissing came from the direction of the floor and the figure shrank downwards. An acrid stench hit me and I had to pinch my nostrils to keep from throwing up. Voice two said, "Top One Ch'kun has resigned his position as Marshall of the Companions. Our nobility is placed in your trust. Do as you will." "Just send me home. Leave me alone." I squeezed my eyes shut against the tears and the light. "It is yours." # They must have mistook me as spokesman for Earth because my voice and image are all over the airwaves. That's not boasting, just plain fact. I awoke in the holotelevision studio on the west side of my penthouse. My tri-d talk show originated here, interviews conducted with interactive holograms of my guests. Modern technology could make an agoraphobe out of anybody. The clock told me I still had time to make the deadline on the 'Nuffsaid Voicewriter. This time I checked the playback in three different players. Nary a stray "hello" from any of them. Flawless, as always. I had to laugh when Tony fainted. Standing in the doorway of his office in my best pink silksuit would've put anyone away. I warned him that hero-worship would get him in trouble sooner or later. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ ÚË Ë¿ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ Ú» É¿ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ ÚÉ ÚÍÑËÑÍ¿ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ ³ ³ ³º ÃÎÍÍÍδ ³ÌÍÍËÊÙ ÀÊÑËѼ٠ÀÊÍÍÍË¿ ÃÎÍÍÍδ ³º ³º³ ÀÊÍÍÍË¿ ³ ³ ÀÊÍÍÍÊÙ ÀÊ ÊÙ ÀÊ ÈÍÙ ÀÊÙ ÀÊÍÍÍÊÙ ÀÊ ÊÙ ÀÊÍÍÍÊÙ ÀÍÏÊÏÍÙ ÀÊÍÍÍÊÙ ³ ³ Dallas/Ft Worth's First & Longest Running Multi-User BBS ³ ³ Online Since 1979 ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ (214) 690-9295 Dallas (817) 540-5565 Ft. Worth ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ 64 Telephone Lines ³ ³ Internet E-Mail, FTPmail, Archie, Oracle, Usenet Groups ³ ³ Over 35+ Gigabytes of Files Represented - 12 CD-Rom Drives Online ³ ³ NO File Upload or File Ratio Requirements ³ ³ Interactive Multiuser Chat Conferences ³ ³ Dozens of Interactive, Real-Time, Games of Chance & Excitement ³ ³ Text, Graphics, & ANSI Color Completely Supported ³ ³ Dozens of Special Interest Areas - Literally 1000s of Messages Online ³ ³ USA Today Online Each Business Day ³ ³ Thousands of Interesting, Intelligent, Diverse Members ³ ³ Connex (Tm) - The Biographical, Friendship, and Matchmaking Service ³ ³ Voted # 1 BBS in Texas by Boardwatch BBS Magazine ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ High Speed: (214) 690-9296 Dallas (817) 540-5569 Ft. Worth ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ The Splendid Mosque of St. Sophia Copyright (c) 1994, Daniel Sendecki All rights reserved The Splendid Mosque of St. Sophia --------------------------------- His Father knew He would never see the facade of the second gallery; pinned and writhing to crossed stave the imperial box in the nave, nor the triumph of the cross in Rome, however adorned, gilded, or embossed, -More-the magnificent interior of the Mosque His Father knew He could never see the wonderful pillars of St. Sophie. Untitled Copyright (c) 1994, Tamara All rights reserved *--* 07-09-94 - 11:19:41 *--* A mournful echo, wolf's cry spills its howl onto the night wind The Spirit which calls soul to soul an undercurrent of voices echo in response. Where are you? the moon rises high Who are you? voices colour the sky From the folds of shadowy darkness comes a reply. Written online now.....by Tamara Forgive Me Copyright (c) 1994, J. Guenther All rights reserved forgive me by J. Guenther you'll have to forgive me; we don't have infinity to live, to see ourselves age at a nonexistent rate; our lives are mere flickers in contrast to the lantern of yours; you'll have to forgive me; i just don't seem to understand-- you preach love thy fellow man (or woman), yet we kill each other sans remorse; you tell us that we are all equal in your eyes, so why did whites and blacks pray in different churches? you'll have to forgive me, my Lord; if you love us all unconditionally, why would you punish us at all? couldn't you just forgive us? or don't you understand us, immortal martyr? i'll just have to forgive you, too. Aegean Copyright (c) 1987, Mark L. Denslow All rights reserved Aegean if out of Aegean morning sun rose anew and true and a white gull cried for some unwanted need could you hold it safe as the sky is surely blue? or would you say, "I've not yet done the deed." if midday sun fulfilled warm and right and the white gull resigned to land could you bask on the shore in calm delight? or would you say, "I might burn on the gray-hot sand." if setting sun bathed in indigo of eve and deep night fell in frozen motion could you enter that immortal sea? or as you said, "I can't." (the confusion of confession) for you were my sun in every even darkest hour in all things concerning life you had total power THE RATES HAVE GONE DOWN! THE RATES HAVE GONE DOWN! IT'S CHEAPER NOW! ÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄ ÖÄÄÒÄÄ¿ ÒÄÄ¿ Ä· Ú ÖÄÄ¿ ÖÄ¿ ÖÄÄÒÄÄ¿ ÖÄÄ¿ Ò Ò Ú ÒÄÄÄÄ¿ ÒÄÄÄÄ¿ ÖÄÄÄÄÄ¿ º ÇÄ ÖÐÂÙ ÇÄÄ´ ÓÄ¿ º ÇÄÄ´ º ÇÄÁ¿ º ³ º ³ º º ÐÄÄÙ ½ ÀÄ Ð Á ÓÄÄÙ º Ð Á ÐÄÄÙ Ð Á ÇÄÄÄÄÁ¿ ÇÄÄÄÄÁ¿ ÓÄÄÄÄÄ¿ º (2400) º (14.4k) º ³ º ³ ³ Ð (214) 497-9100 Ð (214) 680-4330 ÐÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÐÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÓÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄ 1:124/5122 (Fidonet) %textalk@egsner.cirr.com 28 Lines, Five 14.4k modems, 6 CDROMs, Fidonet, Internet, UltraChat Legends 5.0, Lotsa Games, Live Trivia, Social Gatherings, Friendly Atmosphere, Over 30,000 new messages daily, Expanding Gay Area 2400 baud D/FW Metro phone lines: (817) 424-1037 (817) 424-1978 Everyone online is 18 or over. NO EXCEPTIONS. Call TODAY for your free two-week trial offer. Top Ten List Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved Top Ten Good Things About Publishing STTS Magazine -------------------------------------------------- 10. Supporting MCI by calling long distance to distribute magazine 9. Ability to make or break young writers with a single keystroke 8. Hiding secret messages to foreign liberation movements in Top Ten List 7. Free promo goodies from software companies wanting good reviews 6. Voting in annual "best of" competition really gets me hot 5. Don't have to wear trousers to the office 4. Use old copies of magazine for kindling when building digital fires 3. Don't have to get a *real* job 2. STTS groupies trading sex for getting poetry published 1. Don't have to compromise artistic integrity by actually making money The Write Stuff Copyright (c) 1994, Bruce Diamond All rights reserved THE WRITE STUFF by Bruce Diamond The flyer came in the mail. I found it sandwiched between my dentist's latest advertising circular, IMPACTED WISDOM: A Newsletter for the Dentally Impaired, and the Captain Surfer Internet Decoder Ring that I had ordered (an incentive for sending the email addresses of 20 acquaintances to the CSI Foes & Enemies Program). The brochure was sealed with one of those adhesive circle doo-jobbers, so I ended up ripping it in half just to get it open. "The Fiction & Screenplay Writer's Online Writing Toolkit," the headline said. Now, I have to confess: I'm a sucker for electronic writing tools. Word processors, text editors, spell checkers, grammar checkers, script formatters, macro libraries, print spoolers, font managers, clich‚ finders, reading level analyzers, desktop publishing programs, clip art, fonts, ansi drawing programs -- if it's downloadable (*and* doesn't cost any file points), I'll download it. I don't use 99% of the stuff I download, but I gotta have it. It's the megabyte packrat in me, I guess. The flyer claimed the secrets to polishing stories and creating salable material could be had for three dollars. It said that "The Online Writing Toolkit" could help me do everything that the high-priced computer programs could do: create well-rounded characters, heighten tension, develop dramatic and believable plots, and smooth out my dialogue. I could become the biggest-selling author since the guy who wrote the "I'm cookoo for Cocoa Puffs" ad slogan. (Did you know the same guy also co-wrote NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE? Could you have lived without knowing that?) The problems with the high-profile interactive writing tools -- you know, programs like WRITEPRO, PLOTS UNLIMITED, STORYCRAFT and STORYLINE PRO, the ones that advertise in WRITER'S DIGEST and other magazines -- are the high costs and (reported) formulaic results. These programs cost struggling writers upwards from around a hundred bucks, and although some of them offer demonstration versions, the flyer asked, why pay for a crippled demo? "WriteWare could become WrongWare at these prices," it went on to say. "The Online Writing Toolkit" offered unlimited help for my writing, all for the price of a demo. Too bad I didn't read the flyer more thoroughly before sending my three bucks. You can probably guess where this is heading. I was too excited to think, though. Don't most of us have the Great American Novel or the Great American Screenplay tucked away in a drawer or archived somewhere on a floppy disk? The dream of writing the next great classic, the next New York Times Bestseller, the next box-office hit . . . well, let's just say some of us look for the easy way to fame and leave it at that, okay? Oh, and don't forget the money. The package from Scammem Enterprises arrived about a week and a half later. Funny, it didn't feel like a disk was inside the envelope; then I remembered the flyer's order form hadn't even asked for disk format, CPU speed, or even whether I ran DOS or Windoze. Those questions didn't matter, I found out after opening the envelope. Inside was a four-page pamphlet, not even typeset, which looked like it had been printed on some hobbyist's nine-pin dot matrix. "The Fiction & Screenplay Writer's Online Writing Toolkit," the faded, jagged letters trumpeted, "Your guide to striking it rich in New York or Hollywood!" I felt like my head had just turned into a sucker. But what the hey, I spent the money; may as well find out what it was all about. "Our first writer's tool will help you polish your dialogue and delve deep into your character's psyche. Motivation plays a key role in your character's believability, and a quick online visit to the BBS psychiatrist, Eliza, should give you a needed peek into your character's head. For an example, type the following quotes while you're online and see how Eliza answers. You'll be on your way to creating three-dimensional characters with which your readers can identify." Logging onto a local board, I selected Eliza from the games menu (games -- this is the way to become a successful writer?) and typed in the provided examples. Here's the entire session as it happened online. HELLO BRUCE I'M ELIZA. LET'S TALK. TYPE 'BYE' TO END THIS SESSION. >The problems of two people don't amount to a hill of beans in this >world. SAY, DO YOU HAVE ANY PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS? >Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she comes into this >one. I AM INTERESTED IN YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS PERSON. PLEASE DESCRIBE THEM. >Here's looking at you, kid. WE WERE DISCUSSING YOU--NOT ME. >We'll always have Paris. CAN YOU THINK OF A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE? >Louie, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. WHAT DOES THAT SUGGEST TO YOU? >Rosebud. I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND YOU FULLY. >I'll have what she's having. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU IF YOU GOT WHAT SHE'S HAVING >Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. COME, COME; ELUCIDATE YOUR THOUGHTS. >Use the force, Luke. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? >Snakes, why did it have to be snakes? WHY DO YOU ASK? >Open the pod bay doors, Hal. I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND YOU FULLY. >I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave. HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU CAN'T DO THAT DAVE >I want you to hold the chicken salad between your knees. WHY DO YOU WANT I TO HOLD THE CHICKEN SALAD BETWEEN MY KNEES >Always look on the bright side of life. WHEN? >She's my sister (slap) she's my daughter (slap) she's my sister (slap) TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. >Call me Ishmael. COME, COME; ELUCIDATE YOUR THOUGHTS. >Bye. Needless to say, it wasn't an entirely fruitful session, but since I was online, it seemed logical to keep working with the pamphlet. "Your characters need abilities, idiosyncrasies, the attributes that shape their personas. A visit to your BBS' multi-player games section will help here." I entered the online game, "Legendary Delusions," and starting "rolling" up attributes. The list seemed limited: strength, dexterity, constitution, wisdom, intelligence, and charisma. How would these numbers add up to a breathing character? I read on. "To fully flesh out your character, you might want to choose some hobbies from your board's Usenet newsgroups. Choosing something that real people are interested in makes your character that much more alive." Great. I checked the listings, and if I wanted a character that wasn't a computer programmer, a Mystery Science Theater 3000 fan, and into photography, I was out of luck. One newsgroup, .alt.rec.kinky, looked interesting, though. I jotted a note for that Sharon Stone screenplay I had been toying with. "Message areas, like Usenet newsgroups, are also useful for helping to frame a story told by letters (e.g., portions of Bram Stoker's DRACULA)." I dropped into the .alt.rec.kinky message base and got even better ideas for the screenplay . . . ones I can't share here, unfortunately. The portion of the pamphlet marked "Settings" recommended returning to the multi-player game for inspiration. Here's an example: "The flagstone pathway separates and leads into two different buildings here. One, to the east, displays a mighty tin can mounted above the door, the large building itself extending into the cave behind it. A second building, very worn and weather-beaten, barely stands to the south. Exit is possible in every direction except north." Most of the other settings followed the same formula, with more attention paid to which direction the character could move than to the sights and smells and sounds of the settings. I pushed on. Under the "Dialogue" and "Character Naming" sections, the pamphlet recommended visiting the board's chat areas. "Be wary when you name your characters. The name should be believable, but it should also reflect some innermost quality, the essence of the character." I suppose that lets out names like StormyKnight, LSD, and Kidgrunge. The advice under "Dialogue" was more specific: "When in chat to help polish your dialogue and make it sound authentic, remember the following three rules. 1) Your characters must always speak in capital letters. 2) Your male characters, to a 'man,' must always hit on your female characters every third sentence. 3) Everyone, but everyone, brags, lies, is defensive when confronted, and has an extremely short fuse." I didn't even bother entering chat my first time through the pamphlet. Yes, that's right, my first time. Though "The Online Writing Toolkit" seemed limited at first, I realized the richness, the depth of the advice was waiting to be discovered. You see, the pamphlet also advised using online horoscopes to determine plot and character motivation, and advised using online weather reports to fully realize my settings. Thank goodness I didn't give up after that first experience with the toolkit. My screenplay, "Revenge of the Nerds V: A BBS Romance," begins lensing next month, as they say in the biz. Look for me at the 1996 Academy Awards! The New Bill of Rights by Author Unknown NEW THE^BILL OF RIGHTS Nearly everything has changed in the United States since the Bill of Rights was written and adopted. We still see the original words when we read those first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, yet the meaning is vastly different now. And no wonder. We've gone from a country of a few million to a few hundred million. The nation's desire to band together was replaced by revulsion of togetherness. We exchanged a birthright of justice for a magic bullet, and replaced the Pioneer Spirit with the Pioneer Stereo. We're not the people who founded this country and our Bill of Rights should reflect this. As we approach the 21st Century, it's time to bring the wording up to date showing what we are and who we are. AMENDMENT I Congress shall make no law establishing religion, but shall act as if it did; and shall make no laws abridging the freedom of speech, unless such speech can be construed as "commercial speech" or "irresponsible speech" or "offensive speech;" or shall abridge the right of the people to peaceably assemble where and when permitted; or shall abridge the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances, under proper procedures. It shall be unlawful to cry "Fire!" in a theatre occupied by three or more persons, unless such persons shall belong to a class declared Protected by one or more divisions of Federal, State or Local government, in which case the number of persons shall be one or more. AMENDMENT II A well-regulated military force shall be maintained under control of the President, and no political entity within the United States shall maintain a military force beyond Presidential control. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall be determined by the Congress and the States and the Cities and the Counties and the Towns (and someone named Fred.) AMENDMENT III No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, unless such house is believed to have been used, or believed may be used, for some purpose contrary to law or public policy. AMENDMENT IV The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures may not be suspended except to protect public welfare. Any place or conveyance shall be subject to search by law enforcement forces of any political entity, and any such places or conveyances, or any property within them, may be confiscated without judicial proceeding if believed to be used in a manner contrary to law. AMENDMENT V Any person may be held to answer for a crime of any kind upon any suspicion whatever; and may be put in jeopardy of life or liberty by the state courts, by the federal judiciary, and while incarcerated; and may be compelled to be a witness against himself by the forced submission of his body or any portion thereof, and by testimony in proceedings excluding actual trial. Private property forfeited under judicial process shall become the exclusive property of the judicial authority and shall be immune from seizure by injured parties. AMENDMENT VI In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to avoid prosecution by exhausting the legal process and its practitioners. Failure to succeed shall result in speedy plea-bargaining resulting in lesser charges. Convicted persons shall be entitled to appeal until sentence is completed. It shall be unlawful to bar or deter an incompetent person from service on a jury. AMENDMENT VII In civil suits, where a contesting party is a person whose private life may interest the public, the right of trial in the Press shall not be abridged. AMENDMENT VIII Sufficient bail may be required to ensure that dangerous persons remain in custody pending trial. There shall be no right of the public to be afforded protection from dangerous persons, and such protection shall be dependent upon incarceration facilities available. AMENDMENT IX The enumeration in The Constitution of certain rights shall be construed to deny or discourage others which may from time to time be extended by the branches of Federal, State or Local government, unless such rights shall themselves become enacted by Amendment. AMENDMENT X The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution shall be deemed to be powers residing in persons holding appointment therein through the Civil Service, and may be delegated to the States and local Governments as determined by the public interest. The public interest shall be determined by the Civil Service. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The Pen is mightier than the Sword. The Court is mightier than the Pen. The Sword is mightier than the Court. - Rey Barry - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ 110 Nodes * 4000 Conferences * 30.0 Gigabytes * 100,000+ Archives ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÛÛßßßßßß ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛßßßßÛÛ ÛÛßßÛ ÛÛ ÛÛßßÛ ÛÛ ÛÛßßßßßß ÛÛ ßÛÛ (R) ÛÛ ÛÛÜÜÜÜÛÛ ÛÛÜÜÜÜÛÛ ÛÛ Û ÛÛ ÛÛ Û ÛÛ ÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ Û ÛÛ ÛÛ Û ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ Ü ÛÛ ßßßßßßßß ßß ßß ßß ßß ßß ßßßß ßß ßßßß ßßßßßßßß ßßßßßßß ßßßß °°°°°°°° * Winner, First Dvorak/Zoom "Best General BBS" Award °°°°°°°° * INTERNET/Usenet Access * DOS/Windows/OS2/Mac/Amiga/Unix * ILink, RIME, Smartnet * Best Files in the USA * Pen & Brush, BASnet. * 120 Online Games * QWKmail & Offline Readers * Multi-line Chat Closing Stocks, Financial News, Business/Professional Software, NewsBytes, PC-Catalog, MovieCritic, EZines, AbleData, ASP, 4DOS Huge Windows, Graphics, Music, Programming, Education Libraries ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Channel 1 Communications(R) * Cambridge, MA * 617-354-3230 14.4 ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ °°°úfasterúbetterúless expensiveú°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° "Best Files in US" ° Þ°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±Ý ÞúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúÝ Þ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ 2400bps &  (414) 789-4210 Ý Þ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÙ "The best connection your USR HST 9600 (414) 789-4337 Ý Þ ³ ³ modem will ever make!!" 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Ý Þ þ Low subscription rates: $25 for 3 months, $75 for a full year Ý ÞúúúúúúúúúúúúCallútheúBBSúforúaúFREEútrialúdemo,úandúFREEúdownloadsúúúúúúúúúúúúÝ Þ°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±°±²Û²±Ý ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ "Bringing our software to your home" ÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÜÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ßßßßßßÛÛßßßßßßßÛßßßßßßßßßÛÛßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß ÍÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍßÛÛÛßÍÍÍÜÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ÛÛ Û ÛÛÜÜÛÛ (717)325-9481 14.4 ßÛ ßÛÛÛÛß 2 NODES ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜÜ Ü Ü ÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛ ÜÛ ÜÛÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÜ ÜÛÛÛÛÜ ÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÛÛÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÛÛÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÛÛÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÄÄßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÜÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÛÛÛÛÜÄÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÄÄÄÄÛÛÄÜÜÄÛÛÄÄÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÄÄÛÛÛÛÛÛÄÄÄÛÛÛÜÄÄÄÄÄ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÜ ÛÛ ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÛÛ ÛÛÜÜÜÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÜÛÛÜÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛ ÛÛÜ ÛÛÜÜÜÜ ßÛÛÛÛÛÛÛß ßÛÛÛÛÛß ßÛ ßÛ ßÛÛÛÛß ßÛ ßÛ ßÛ ßÛ ßÛÛÛÛß Prize Vault Lemonade Scramble Dollarmania ANSI Voting Booth Studs! Studette BadUser Convince! OnLine! GoodUser T&J Lotto T&JStat TJTop30 Environmental QT Video Poker Announce Bordello! Money Market Bordello T&J Raffle RIP Lemonade AgeCheck Strip Poker RIP Voting Booth ...and more coming! ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ ÚË Ë¿ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ Ú» É¿ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ ÚÉ ÚÍÑËÑÍ¿ ÚËÍÍÍË¿ ³ ³ ³º ÃÎÍÍÍδ ³ÌÍÍËÊÙ ÀÊÑËѼ٠ÀÊÍÍÍË¿ ÃÎÍÍÍδ ³º ³º³ ÀÊÍÍÍË¿ ³ ³ ÀÊÍÍÍÊÙ ÀÊ ÊÙ ÀÊ ÈÍÙ ÀÊÙ ÀÊÍÍÍÊÙ ÀÊ ÊÙ ÀÊÍÍÍÊÙ ÀÍÏÊÏÍÙ ÀÊÍÍÍÊÙ ³ ³ Dallas/Ft Worth's First & Longest Running Multi-User BBS ³ ³ Online Since 1979 ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ (214) 690-9295 Dallas (817) 540-5565 Ft. Worth ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ 64 Telephone Lines ³ ³ Internet E-Mail, FTPmail, Archie, Oracle, Usenet Groups ³ ³ Over 35+ Gigabytes of Files Represented - 12 CD-Rom Drives Online ³ ³ NO File Upload or File Ratio Requirements ³ ³ Interactive Multiuser Chat Conferences ³ ³ Dozens of Interactive, Real-Time, Games of Chance & Excitement ³ ³ Text, Graphics, & ANSI Color Completely Supported ³ ³ Dozens of Special Interest Areas - Literally 1000s of Messages Online ³ ³ USA Today Online Each Business Day ³ ³ Thousands of Interesting, Intelligent, Diverse Members ³ ³ Connex (Tm) - The Biographical, Friendship, and Matchmaking Service ³ ³ Voted # 1 BBS in Texas by Boardwatch BBS Magazine ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ High Speed: (214) 690-9296 Dallas (817) 540-5569 Ft. Worth ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ THE RATES HAVE GONE DOWN! THE RATES HAVE GONE DOWN! IT'S CHEAPER NOW! ÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄ ÖÄÄÒÄÄ¿ ÒÄÄ¿ Ä· Ú ÖÄÄ¿ ÖÄ¿ ÖÄÄÒÄÄ¿ ÖÄÄ¿ Ò Ò Ú ÒÄÄÄÄ¿ ÒÄÄÄÄ¿ ÖÄÄÄÄÄ¿ º ÇÄ ÖÐÂÙ ÇÄÄ´ ÓÄ¿ º ÇÄÄ´ º ÇÄÁ¿ º ³ º ³ º º ÐÄÄÙ ½ ÀÄ Ð Á ÓÄÄÙ º Ð Á ÐÄÄÙ Ð Á ÇÄÄÄÄÁ¿ ÇÄÄÄÄÁ¿ ÓÄÄÄÄÄ¿ º (2400) º (14.4k) º ³ º ³ ³ Ð (214) 497-9100 Ð (214) 680-4330 ÐÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÐÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÓÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄÍÄ 1:124/5122 (Fidonet) %textalk@egsner.cirr.com 28 Lines, Five 14.4k modems, 6 CDROMs, Fidonet, Internet, UltraChat Legends 5.0, Lotsa Games, Live Trivia, Social Gatherings, Friendly Atmosphere, Over 30,000 new messages daily, Expanding Gay Area 2400 baud D/FW Metro phone lines: (817) 424-1037 (817) 424-1978 Everyone online is 18 or over. NO EXCEPTIONS. Call TODAY for your free two-week trial offer. There are several different ways to get STTS magazine. SysOps: Contact me via any of the addresses listed in CONTACT POINTS listed elsewhere in this issue. Just drop me a note telling me your name, city, state, your BBS's name, it's phone number and it's baud rate, and where you'll be getting STTS from each month. If your BBS carries RIME, Pen & Brush Network, or you have access to the InterNet, I can put you on the STTS mailing list to receive the magazine free of charge each month. If you have access to FIDO, you can file request the magazine. If you don't have access to any of these services - or do but don't wish to use this option - you can call any of the BBS's listed in DISTRIBUTION SITES and download the new issue each month. In either case contact me so that I can put your BBS in the dist. site list for the next issue of the magazine. (Refer to DISTRIBUTION VIA NETWORKS for more detailed information about the nets) Users: You can download STTS each month from any of the BBS's mentioned in DISTRIBUTION SITES elsewhere in this issue. If your local BBS isn't listed, pester and cajole your SysOp to "subscribe" to STTS for you. (the subscription, of course, is free) If you haven't any other way of receiving the magazine each month, a monthly disk subscription (sent out via US Mail) is available for $ 20.00 per year. Foreign subscriptions are $ 25.00 (american dollars). Subscriptions should be mailed to: Joe DeRouen 3910 Farmville Dr. # 144 Addison, Tx. 75244 U.S.A. * Special Offer * [ Idea stolen from Dave Bealer's RaH Magazine. So sue me. ] Having trouble finding back issues of STTS Magazine? (This is only the eighth issue, but you never know..) For only $ 5.00 (count 'em - five dollars!) I'll send you all the back issues of STTS Mag as well as current issues of other magazines, and whatever other current, new shareware will fit onto a disk. Just send your $ 5.00 (money order or check please, US funds only, made payable to: Joe DeRouen) to: Joe DeRouen 3910 Farmville Dr. # 144 Addison, Tx. 75244 U.S.A. Tell me if you want a high density 5 1/4" disk or a high density 3 1/2" disk, please. (The following form is duplicated in the text file FORM.TXT, included with this archive) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Enclosed is a check or money order (US funds only!) for $ 5.00. Please send me the back issues of STTS, the registered version of Quote!, and whatever else you can cram onto the disk. I want: [ ] 5.25" HD disk [ ] 3.5" HD disk Send to: ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ Submission Information ---------------------- We're looking for a few good writers. Actually, we're looking for as many good writers as we can find. We're interested in fiction, poetry, reviews, feature articles (about most anything, as long as it's well-written), humour, essays, ANSI art, and RIP art. STTS is dedicated to showcasing as many talents as it can, in all forms and genres. We have no general "theme" aside from good writing, innovative concepts, and unique execution of those concepts. As of January 1st 1994, we've been PAYING for accepted submissions! In a bold move, STTS has decided to offer an incentive for writers to submit their works. For each accepted submission, an honorarium fee will be paid upon publication. Premium access to STTS BBS is also given to staff and contributing writers. In addition to the monthly payments, STTS will hold a twice-yearly "best of" contest, where the best published stories and articles in three categories will receive substantial cash prizes. These changes took effect in January of 1994, and the first twice-yearly awards will be presented in the July 1994 issue. Honorariums, twice-yearly cash awards, award winners selection processes, and Contributor BBS access is explained below: HONORARIUM Each and every article and story accepted for publication in STTS will received a cash honorarium. The payment is small and is meant as more of a token than something to reflect the value of the submission. As the magazine grows and brings in more money, the honorariums will increase, as will the twice-yearly award amounts. Fiction pieces pay an honorarium of $2.00 each. Poetry pieces pay an honorarium of $1.00 each Non-fiction* pieces pay an honorarium of $1.00 each You have the option of refusing your honorarium. Refused funds will be donated to the American Cancer Society. Staff members ARE eligible for honorariums. * Non-fiction includes any feature articles, humor, reviews, and anything else that doesn't fit into the fiction or poetry category. TWICE-YEARLY CASH AWARD Twice a year (every six months) the staff of STTS magazine will meet and vote on the stories, poems, and articles that have appeared in the last six issues of the magazine. Each staff member (the publisher included) gets one vote, and can use that vote on only one entry in each category. In the unlikely event of a tie, the winners will split the cash award. Winners will be announced in the July and January issues of the magazine. Anyone serving on the staff of STTS magazine is NOT eligible for the twice-yearly awards. Twice-Yearly prize amounts -------------------------- Fiction $50.00 Non-fiction 25.00 Poetry 25.00 The winner in each category does have the option of refusing his cash award. In the event of such a refusal, the entire sum of the refused cash awards will be donated to the American Cancer Society. STTS BBS Staff members and contributing writers will also receive level 40 access on Sunlight Through The Shadows BBS. Such access consists of 2 hrs. a day, unlimited download bytes per day, and no download/upload ratio. A regular user receives 1 hr. a day and has an download/upload ratio of 10:1. Staff and contributing writers also receive access to a special private STTS Staff conference on the BBS. LIMITATIONS STTS will still accept previously published stories and articles for publication. However, previously published submissions do NOT qualify for contention in the twice-yearly awards. Furthermore, previously published stories and articles will be paid at a 50% honorarium of the normal honorarium fee. RIGHTS The copyright of said material, of course, remains the sole property of the author. STTS has the right to present it once in a "showcase" format and in an annual "best of" issue. (a paper version as well as the elec. version) Acceptance of submitted material does NOT necessarily mean that it will appear in STTS. Submissions should be in 100% pure ASCII format, formatted for 80 columns. There are no limitations in terms of lengths of articles, but keep in mind it's a magazine, not a novel. Fiction and poetry will be handled on a pure submission basis, except in the case of any round-robin stories or continuing stories that might develop. Reviews will also be handled on a submission basis. If you're interested in doing a particular review medium (ie: books) on a full-time basis, let me know and we'll talk. ANSI art should be under 10k and can be about any subject as long as it's not pornographic. We'll feature ANSI art from time to time, as well as featuring a different ANSI "cover" for our magazine each month. In terms of articles, we're looking for just about anything that's of fairly general interest to the BBSing world at large. An article comparing several new high-speed modems would be appropriate, for example, whereas an article describing in detail how to build your own such modem really wouldn't be. Articles needn't be contained to the world of computing, either. Movies, politics, ecology, literature, entertainment, fiction, non-fiction, reviews - it's all fair game for STTS. Articles, again, will be handled on a submission basis. If anyone has an idea or two for a regular column, let me know. If it works, we'll incorporate it into STTS. Writers interested in contributing to Sunlight Through The Shadows can reach me through any of the following methods: Contact Points -------------- CompuServe - My E_Mail address is: 73654,1732 The Internet - My E_Mail address is: joe.derouen@chrysalis.org RIME - My NODE ID is SUNLIGHT or 5320. Send all files to this address. (you'll have to ask your SysOp who's carrying RIME to send it for you) Alternately, you can simply post it in either the Sunlight Through The Shadows Magazine, Common, Writers, or Poetry Corner conference to: Joe Derouen. If you put a ->5320 or ->SUNLIGHT in the top-most upper left-hand corner, it'll be routed directly to my BBS. Pen & Brush Net - Leave me a note or submission in either the Sunlight Through The Shadows Magazine conference, the Poetry Corner conference, or the Writers Conference. If your P&BNet contact is using PostLink, you can route the message to me automatically via the same way as described above for RIME. In either case, address all correspondence to: Joe derouen. WME Net - Leave me a note or submission in the Net Chat conference. Address all correspondence to: Joe Derouen. My BBS - Sunlight Through The Shadows. 12/24/96/14.4k baud. (214) 620-8793. You can upload submissions to the STTS Magazine file area, comment to the SysOp, or just about any other method you choose. Address all correspondence to: Joe Derouen. US Mail - Send disks (any size, IBM format ONLY) containing submissions to: Joe DeRouen 3910 Farmville Dr. # 144 Addison, Tx. 75244 U.S.A. Advertising ----------- Currently, STTS Mag is being "officially" carried by over 90 BBS's across the United States. It's also being carried by BBS's in the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, and Finland. Unofficially (which means that the SysOps haven't yet notifed me that they carry it) it's popped up on literally hundreds of BBS's across the USA as well as in other countries including the UK, Canada, Portugal, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, Scotland, and Saudi Arabia. It's also available via Internet, FIDO, RIME, and Pen & Brush Networks. Currently, STTS has about 10,000 readers worldwide and is available to literally millions of BBSers through the internet and other networks and BBS's. If you or your company want to expose your product to a variety of people all across the world, this is your opportunity! Advertising in Sunlight Through The Shadows Magazine is available in four different formats: 1) Personal Advertisements (NON-Business) ----------------------- Personal advertisements run $5.00 for 4 lines of advertising, with each additional line $1.00. Five lines is the minimum length. Your ad can be as little as one line, but the cost is still $5.00. Advertisements should be in ASCII and formatted for 80 columns. They should include whatever you're trying to sell (or buy) as well as a price and a method of contacting you. ANSI or RIP ads at this level will NOT be accepted. Business ads will NOT be accepted here. These ads are for non-business readers to advertise something they wish to sell or buy, or to advertise a non-profit event. BBS ads are considered business ads. 2) Regular Advertisement (Business or Personal) --------------------- We're accepting business advertisements in STTS. If you're interested in advertising in STTS, a full-page (ASCII or ASCII and ANSI) is $25.00/issue. Those interested can contact me by any of the means listed under Contact Points. If you purchase 5 months of advertising ($125.00) the sixth month is free. 3) Feature Advertisement (Business or Personal) --------------------- We'll include one feature ad per issue. The feature ad will pop up right after the magazine's ANSI cover, when the user first begins to read the magazine. This ad will also appear within the body of the magazine, for further perusement by the reader. A feature ad will run $50.00 per issue, and should be created in both ANSI and ASCII formats. If you purchase 5 months of advertising ($250.00) the sixth month is free. 4) BBS Advertisement (Business or Personal) ----------------- Many BBS SysOps and users call STTS BBS each month to get the current issue of STTS Magazine. These callers are from all over the USA as well as Canada, Portugal, the UK, and various other countries. Advertising is now available for the logoff screen of the BBS. The rates are $100.00 per month. Ads should be in both ASCII and ANSI format. We're accepting RIP ads as well, but only for the this advertising option. If you purchase 5 months of advertising ($500.00) the sixth month is free. Advertisement Specifications ---------------------------- Ads may be in as many as three formats. They MUST be in ascii text and may also be in ANSI and/or RIP Graphics formats. Ads should be no larger than 24 lines (ie: one screen/page) and ANSI ads should not use extensive animation. If you cannot make your own ad or do not have the time to make your own ad, we can make it for you. However, there is a one-time charge of $10.00 for this service. We will create ads in ASCII and ANSI only. If you absolutely need RIP ads and cannot create your own, we'll attempt to put you into contact with someone who can. Contact Points -------------- You can contact me through any of the following addresses. Sunlight Through The Shadows BBS (214) 620-8793 12/24/96/14,400 Baud CompuServe: 73654,1732 InterNet: joe.derouen@chrysalis.org Pen & Brush Net: ->SUNLIGHT P&BNet Conferences: Sunlight Through The Shadows Conference or any other conference WME Net: Net Chat conference PcRelay/RIME: ->SUNLIGHT RIME Conferences: Common, Writers, or Poetry Corner US Mail: Joe DeRouen 3910 Farmville Dr. # 144 Addison, Tx. 75244 U.S.A. You can always find STTS Magazine on the following BBS's. BBS's have STTS available for both on-line viewing and downloading unless otherwise marked. * = On-Line Only # = Download Only United States ------------- BBS Name ........... Sunlight Through The Shadows Location ........... Addison, Texas (in the Dallas area) SysOp(s) ........... Joe and Heather DeRouen Phone ........... (214) 620-8793 (14.4k baud) (Sorted by area code, then alphabetically) BBS Name ........... ModemNews Location ........... Stamford, Connecticut SysOp(s) ........... Jeff Green Phone ........... (203) 359-2299 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Party Line, The Location ........... Birmingham, Alabama SysOp(s) ........... Anita Abney Phone ........... (205) 856-1336 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Left-Hand Path, The Location ........... Seattle, Washington SysOp(s) ........... Mark Pruitt Phone ........... (206) 783-4668 (14.4k baud) # BBS Name ........... Lobster Buoy Location ........... Bangor, Maine SysOp(s) ........... Mark Goodwin Phone ........... (207) 941-0805 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (207) 945-9346 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Northern Maine BBS Location ........... Caribou, Maine SysOp(s) ........... David Collins Phone ........... (207) 496-2391 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... File-Link BBS Location ........... Manhattan, New York SysOp(s) ........... Bill Marcy Phone ........... (212) 777-8282 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Poetry In Motion Location ........... New York, New York SysOp(s) ........... Inez Harrison Phone ........... (212) 666-6927 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Wamblyville Location ........... Los Angeles, California SysOp(s) ........... John Borowski Phone ........... (213) 380-8090 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Aaron's Beard BBS Location ........... Dallas, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Troy Wade Phone ........... (214) 557-2642 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Archives On-line Location ........... Dallas, Texas SysOp(s) ........... David Pellecchia Phone ........... (214) 247-6512 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (214) 406-8394 (14.4k baud) # BBS Name ........... BBS America Location ........... Dallas, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Jay Gaines Phone ........... (214) 680-3406 (9600 baud) Phone ........... (214) 680-1451 (9600 baud) BBS Name ........... Blue Banner BBS Location ........... Rowlett, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Richard Bacon Phone ........... (214) 475-8393 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Blue Moon Location ........... Plano, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Roger Koppang Phone ........... (214) 985-1453 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Bucket Bored! Location ........... Sachse, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Tim Bellomy Phone ........... (214) 414-6913 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Chrysalis BBS Location ........... Dallas, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Garry Grosse Phone ........... (214) 690-9295 (2400 baud) Phone ........... (214) 783-5477 (9600 baud) # BBS Name ........... Collector's Edition Location ........... Dallas, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Len Hult Phone ........... (214) 351-9871 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (214) 351-9871 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Foreplay Online Location ........... Dallas, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Sean Goldsberry Phone ........... (214) 306-7493 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... New Age Visions Location ........... Grand Prairie, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Larry Joe Reynolds Phone ........... BBS Name ........... Old Poop's World Location ........... Dallas, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Sonny Grissom Phone ........... (214) 613-6900 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Online Syndication Services BBS Location ........... Plano, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Don Lokke Phone ........... (214) 424-8425 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Opa's Mini-BBS (open 11pm-7am CST) Location ........... Plano, Texas SysOp(s) ........... David Marshall Phone ........... (214) 424-0153 (2400 baud) BBS Name ........... Texas Talk Location ........... Richardson, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Sunnie Blair Phone ........... (214) 497-9100 (2400 baud) # BBS Name ........... User-2-User Location ........... Dallas, Texas SysOp(s) ........... William Pendergast and Kevin Carr Phone ........... (214) 393-4768 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (214) 393-4736 (2400 baud) BBS Name ........... Deep 13 - MST3K Location ........... Levittown, Pennsylvania SysOp(s) ........... Mike Slusher Phone ........... (215) 943-9526 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Beta Connection, The Location ........... Elkhart, Indiana SysOp(s) ........... David Reynolds Phone ........... (219) 293-6465 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Bill & Hilary's BBS Location ........... Elkhart, Indiana SysOp(s) ........... Nancy VanWormer Phone ........... (219) 295-6206 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... FTB's Passport BBS Location ........... Frederick, Maryland SysOp(s) ........... Karina Wright Phone ........... (301) 662-9134 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... The "us" Project Location ........... Wilmington, Delaware SysOp(s) ........... Walt Mateja, PhD Phone ........... (302) 529-1650 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Hole In the Wall, The Location ........... Parker, Colorado SysOp(s) ........... Mike Fergione Phone ........... (303) 841-5515 (16.8k baud) BBS Name ........... Right Angle BBS Location ........... Aurora, Colorado SysOp(s) ........... Bill Roark Phone ........... (303) 337-0219 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Ruby's Joint Location ........... Miami, Florida SysOp(s) ........... David and Del Freeman Phone ........... (305) 856-4897 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... PUB Desktop Publishing BBS, The Location ........... Chicago, Illinois SysOp(s) ........... Steve Gjondla Phone ........... (312) 767-5787 (9600 baud) BBS Name ........... O & E Online Location ........... Livoign, Michigan SysOp(s) ........... Greg Day Phone ........... (313) 591-0903 (14.4 k baud) BBS Name ........... Family Connection, The Location ........... St. Louis, Missouri SysOp(s) ........... John Askew Phone ........... (314) 544-4628 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Pegasus BBS Location ........... Owensboro, Kentucky SysOp(s) ........... Raymond Clements Phone ........... (317) 651-0234 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Puma Wildcat BBS Location ........... Alexandria, Louisiana SysOp(s) ........... Chuck McMillin Phone ........... (318) 443-1065 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Badger's "BYTE", The Location ........... Valentine, Nebraska SysOp(s) ........... Dick Roosa Phone ........... (402) 376-3120 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Megabyte Mansion, The Location ........... Omaha, Nebraska SysOp(s) ........... Todd Robbins Phone ........... (402) 551-8681 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... College Board, The Location ........... West Palm Beach, Florida SysOp(s) ........... Charles Bell Phone ........... (407) 731-1675 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Treasures Location ........... Longwood, Florida SysOp(s) ........... Jim Daly Phone ........... (407) 831-9130 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Flying Dutchman, The Location ........... San Jose, California SysOp(s) ........... Chris Von Motz Phone ........... (408) 294-3065 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Matrix Online Service Location ........... San Jose, California SysOp(s) ........... Daryl Perry Phone ........... (408) 265-4660 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Aries Knowledge Systems Location ........... Baltimore, Maryland SysOp(s) ........... Waddell Robey Phone ........... (410) 625-0109 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Doppler Base BBS Location ........... Baltimore, Maryland SysOp(s) ........... Dan Myers Phone ........... (410) 922-1352 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Port EINSTEIN Location ........... Catonsville, Maryland SysOp(s) ........... John P. Lynch Phone ........... (410) 744-4692 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Puffin's Nest, The Location ........... Pasadena, Maryland SysOp(s) ........... Dave Bealer Phone ........... (410) 437-3463 (16.8k baud) BBS Name ........... Robin's Nest BBS Location ........... Glen Burnie, Maryland SysOp(s) ........... Robin Kirkey Phone ........... (410) 766-9756 (2400 baud) BBS Name ........... Chatterbox Lounge and Hotel, The Location ........... Penn Hills, Pennsylvania SysOp(s) ........... James Robert Lunsford Phone ........... (412) 795-4454 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Signal Hill BBS Location ........... Springfield, Massachusettes SysOp(s) ........... Edwin Thompson Phone ........... (413) 782-2158 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Exec-PC Location ........... Elm Grove, Wisconsin SysOp(s) ........... Bob Mahoney Phone ........... (414) 789-4210 (2400 baud) Phone ........... (414) 789-4315 (9600 baud) Phone ........... (414) 789-4360 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... First Step BBS, The Location ........... Green Bay, Wisconsin SysOp(s) ........... Mark Phillips Phone ........... (414) 499-7471 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Lincoln's Cabin BBS Location ........... San Francisco, California SysOp(s) ........... Steve Pomerantz Phone ........... (415) 752-4490 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Uncle "D"s Discovery Location ........... Redwood City, California SysOp(s) ........... Dave Spensley Phone ........... (415) 364-3001 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... File Cabinet BBS, The Location ........... White Hall, Arkansas SysOp(s) ........... Bob Harmon Phone ........... (501) 247-1141 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Starting Gate, The Location ........... Louisville, Kentucky SysOp(s) ........... Ed Clifford Phone ........... (502) 423-9629 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Darkside BBS, The Location ........... Independence, Oregon SysOp(s) ........... Seth Able Robinson Phone ........... (503) 838-6171 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Last Byte, The Location ........... Alamogordo, New Mexico SysOp(s) ........... Robert Sheffield Phone ........... (505) 437-0060 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Leisure Time BBS Location ........... Alamogordo, New Mexico SysOp(s) ........... Bob Riddell Phone ........... (505) 434-6940 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Base Line BBS Location ........... Peabody, Massachusettes SysOp(s) ........... Steve Keith Phone ........... (508) 535-0446 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... High Society BBS Location ........... Beverly, Massachusettes SysOp(s) ........... Chuck Frieser Phone ........... (508) 927-3757 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... High Water Mark, The Location ........... Wareham, Massachusettes SysOp(s) ........... Joseph Leggett Phone ........... (508) 295-6557 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... PandA's Den BBS Location ........... Danvers, Massachusettes SysOp(s) ........... Patrick Rosenheim Phone ........... (508) 750-0250 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... SoftWare Creations Location ........... Clinton, Massachusettes SysOp(s) ........... Dan Linton Phone ........... (508) 368-7036 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Extreme OnLine Location ........... Spokane, Washington SysOp(s) ........... Jim Holderman Phone ........... (509) 487-5303 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Silicon Garden, The Location ........... Selden, New York SysOp(s) ........... Andy Keeves Phone ........... (516) 736-6662 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Appomattox BBS, The Location ........... New Lebanon, New York SysOp(s) ........... Dan Everette Phone ........... (518) 766-5144 (14.4k baud dual standard) BBS Name ........... Integrity Online Location ........... Schenectady, New York SysOp(s) ........... Dan Ginsburg, Jordan Feinman, Dave Garvey Phone ........... (518) 370-8758 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (518) 370-8756 (2400 baud) BBS Name ........... Tidal Wave BBS Location ........... Altamont, New York SysOp(s) ........... Josh Perfetto Phone ........... (518) 861-6645 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Mission Control BBS Location ........... Flagstaff, Arizona SysOp(s) ........... Kevin Echstenkamper Phone ........... (602) 527-1854 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Chopping Block, The Location ........... Claremont, New Hampshire SysOp(s) ........... Dana Richmond Phone ........... (603) 543-0865 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Casino Bulletin Board, The Location ........... Atlantic City, New Jersey SysOp(s) ........... Dave Schubert Phone ........... (609) 561-3377 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Princessland BBS Location ........... Wenonah, New Jersey SysOp(s) ........... Pamela & Rick Forsythe Phone ........... (609) 464-1421 (2400 baud) BBS Name ........... Revision Systems Location ........... Lawrenceville, New Jersey SysOp(s) ........... Paul Lauda Phone ........... (609) 896-3256 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Hangar 18 Location ........... Columbus, Ohio SysOp(s) ........... Bob Dunlap Phone ........... (614) 488-2314 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Channel 1 Location ........... Cambridge, Massachusettes SysOp(s) ........... Brian Miller Phone ........... (617) 354-3230 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (617) 354-3137 (16.8k HST) # BBS Name ........... Arts Place BBS, The Location ........... Arlington, Virginia SysOp(s) ........... Ron Fitzherbert Phone ........... (703) 528-8467 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Bubba Systems One Location ........... Manassas, Virginia SysOp(s) ........... Mark Mosko Phone ........... (703) 335-1253 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Market Hotline, The Location ........... Rodford, Virginia SysOp(s) ........... Steve Mintun Phone ........... (703) 633-2178 (28.8k baud) BBS Name ........... Pen and Brush BBS Location ........... Burke, Virginia SysOp(s) ........... Lucia and John Chambers Phone ........... (703) 644-6730 (300-12.0k baud) Phone ........... (703) 644-5196 (14.4k baud) # BBS Name ........... Sidewayz BBS Location ........... Fairfax, Virginia SysOp(s) ........... Paul Cutrona Phone ........... (703) 352-5412 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Virginia Connection, The Location ........... Washington, District of Columbia SysOp(s) ........... Tony McClenny Phone ........... (703) 648-1841 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Vivid Images Press Syndicate Location ........... Wise, Virginia SysOp(s) ........... David Allio Phone ........... (703) 328-6915 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Imperial Palace, The Location ........... Augusta, Georiga SysOp(s) ........... Michael Deutsch Phone ........... (706) 592-1344 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Zarno Board Location ........... Martinez, Georiga SysOp(s) ........... Tim Saari Phone ........... (706) 860-7927 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Anathema Downs Location ........... Sonoma County, California SysOp(s) ........... Sadie Jane Phone ........... (707) 792-1555 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Happy Trails Location ........... Orange, California SysOp(s) ........... Don Inglehart Phone ........... (714) 547-0719 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... InfoMat BBS Location ........... San Clemente, California SysOp(s) ........... Michael Gibbs Phone ........... (714) 492-8727 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Cool Baby BBS Location ........... York, Pennsylvania SysOp(s) ........... Mark Krieg Phone ........... (717) 751-0855 (19.2k baud) BBS Name ........... T&J Software BBS Location ........... Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania SysOp(s) ........... Tom Wildoner Phone ........... (717) 325-9481 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Ice Box BBS, The Location ........... Kew Gardens Hills, New York SysOp(s) ........... Darren Klein Phone ........... (718) 793-8548 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Systemic BBS Location ........... Bronx, New York SysOp(s) ........... Mufutau Towobola Phone ........... (718) 716-6198 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (718) 716-6341 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Paradise City BBS Location ........... St. George, Utah SysOp(s) ........... Steve & Marva Cutler Phone ........... (801) 628-4212 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Regulator, The Location ........... Charleston, South Carolina SysOp(s) ........... Steve Coker Phone ........... (803) 571-1100 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Straight Board, The Location ........... Virginia Beach, Virginia SysOp(s) ........... Ray Sulich Phone ........... (804) 468-6454 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (804) 468-6528 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... TDOR#2 Location ........... Charlottesville, Virginia SysOp(s) ........... David Short Phone ........... (804) 973-5639 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Valley BBS, The Location ........... Myakka City, Florida SysOp(s) ........... Larry Daymon Phone ........... (813) 322-2589 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Syllables Location ........... Fort Myers, Florida SysOp(s) ........... Jackie Jones Phone ........... (813) 482-5276 (14.4k baud) # BBS Name ........... Renaissance BBS Location ........... Arlington, Texas SysOp(s) ........... David Pollard Phone ........... (817) 467-7322 (9600 baud) # BBS Name ........... Second Sanctum Location ........... Arlington, Texas SysOp(s) ........... Mark Robbins Phone ........... (817) 784-1178 (2400 baud) Phone ........... (817) 784-1179 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Dream Land BBS Location ........... Destin, Florida SysOp(s) ........... Ron James Phone ........... (904) 837-2567 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Hurry No Mo BBS Location ........... Citra, Florida SysOp(s) ........... Roy Fralick Phone ........... (904) 595-5057 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Star Fire Location ........... Jacksonville, Florida SysOp(s) ........... Bruce Allan Phone ........... (904) 260-8825 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Tree BBS, The Location ........... Ocala, Florida SysOp(s) ........... Frank Fowler Phone ........... (904) 732-0866 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (904) 732-8273 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Outlands, The Location ........... Ketchikan, Alaska SysOp(s) ........... Mike Gates Phone ........... (907) 225-1219 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (907) 225-1220 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (907) 247-4733 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Moonbase Alpha BBS Location ........... Bahama, North Carolina SysOp(s) ........... Steven Wright Phone ........... (919) 471-4547 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Outlands, The Location ........... Ketchikan, Alaska SysOp(s) ........... Mike Gates Phone ........... (907) 247-4733 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (907) 225-1219 (14.4k baud) Phone ........... (907) 225-1220 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Legend Graphics OnLine Location ........... Riverside, California SysOp(s) ........... Joe Marquez Phone ........... (909) 689-9229 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Locksoft BBS Location ........... San Jacinto, California SysOp(s) ........... Carl Curling Phone ........... (909) 654-LOCK (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Image Center, The Location ........... Ardsley, New York SysOp(s) ........... Larry Clive Phone ........... (914) 693-9100 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... SB Online, Inc. Location ........... Larchmont, New York SysOp(s) ........... Eric Speer Phone ........... (914) 723-4010 (14.4k baud) Canada ------ BBS Name ........... Beasley's Den Location ........... Mississauga Ontario, Canada SysOp(s) ........... Keith Gulik Phone ........... (905) 949-1587 (9600 baud) BBS Name ........... Canada Remote Systems Online Location ........... Toronto Ontario, Canada SysOp(s) ........... Rick Munro Phone ........... (416) 213-6002 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Encode Online Location ........... Orillia Ontario, Canada SysOp(s) ........... Peter Ellis Phone ........... (705) 327-7629 (14.4k baud) United Kingdom -------------- BBS Name ........... Hangar BBS, The Location ........... Avon, England, United Kingdom SysOp(s) ........... Jason Hyland Phone ........... +44-934-511751 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Pandora's Box BBS Location ........... Brookmans Park, England, United Kingdom SysOp(s) ........... Dorothy Gibbs Phone ........... +44-707-664778 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Almac BBS Location ........... Grangemouth, Scotland, United Kingdom SysOp(s) ........... Alastair McIntyre Phone ........... +44-324-665371 (14.4k baud) Finland ------- BBS Name ........... Niflheim BBS Location ........... Mariehamn, Aaland Islands, Finland SysOp(s) ........... Kurtis Lindqvist Phone ........... +358-28-17924 (16.8k baud) Phone ........... +358-28-17424 (14.4k baud) Portugal -------- BBS Name .......... Intriga Internacional Location .......... Queluz, Portugal SysOp(s) .......... Afonso Vicente Phone .......... +351-1-4352629 (16.8k baud) BBS Name .......... B-Link BBS Location .......... Lisbon, Portugal SysOp(s) .......... Antonio Jorge Phone .......... +351-1-4919755 (14.4k baud) BBS Name ........... Mailhouse Location ........... Loures, Portugal SysOp(s) ........... Carlos Santos Phone ........... +351-1-9890140 (14.4k baud) South America ------------- BBS Name ........... Message Centre, The (Open 18:00 - 06:00 local) Location ........... Itaugua, Paraguay SysOp(s) ........... Prof. Michael Slater Phone ........... +011-595-28-2154 (2400 baud) Saudi Arabia ------------ BBS Name ........... Sahara BBS Location ........... Dammam City SysOp(s) ........... Kais Al-Essa Phone ........... +966-3-833-2082 (16.8k baud) SysOp: To have *your* BBS listed here, write me via one of the many ways listed under CONTACT POINTS elsewhere in this issue. STTS Net Report Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved Sunlight Through The Shadows Magazine is available through FIDO, INTERNET, RIME, and PEN & BRUSH NET. Check below for information on how to request the current issue of the magazine or be put on the monthly mailing list. FIDO To get the newest issue of the magazine via FIDO, you'll need to do a file request from Fido Node 1:124/8010 using the "magic" name of SUNLIGHT. INTERNET To get on the STTS mailing list, do the following: Send internet mail message to: STTS-REQUEST%textalk@egsner.cirr.com With either the following in the body: ADD SUBSCRIBE JOIN To be added to the list or: UNSUBSCRIBE DELETE REMOVE To be removed from the list. If you're a SysOp *Please* be sure to send me a note telling me your BBS's name, your name, your state and city, the BBS's phone number(s) and it's baud rate(s) so I can include you in the list issue's distribution list. Send the note to: Joe.DeRouen@Chryalis.ORG If you wish to FTPMAIL request the magazine, please send mail to: FTPMAIL%textalk@egsner.cirr.com With the following in the body: GET Where would be SUN9408.ZIP or whatever issue you're wanting to retrieve. The current issue available will correspond to whatever month you're in. Septemeber 1994 would be SUN9409.ZIP, etc. RIME To request the magazine via RIME, ask your RIME SysOp to do a file request from node # 5320 for the current issue (eg: sun9408.ZIP, or whatever month you happen to be in) Better yet, ask your SysOp to request to be put on the monthly mailing list and receive STTS automatically. PEN & BRUSH NET To request via P&BNet, follow the instructions for RIME above. They're both ran on Postlink and operate exactly the same way in terms of file requests and transfers. I'd like to thank Texas Talk BBS and Archives On-Line BBS for allowing me to access the Internet and Fido (respectively) from their systems. End Notes Copyright (c) 1994, Joe DeRouen All rights reserved If you read this sequentially, you've just finished the magazine. Here's a few points you might want to go back and check out if you somehow managed to overlook them: * We're now offering a monthly prize to be given away for answering the STTS Magazine survey. Keep those cards and letter coming, folks! * Shawn Aiken's moved up in the staff ranks, becoming assistant editor to yours truly. Look for his style and taste to have an effect of the magazine in months to come. Make sure to let him know if you like it or not. For a taste of Shawn's style, peruse this month's editorial (LOVE AND ROCKETS) as well as his feature article, CONFUSION IN THE COURTS. * We're now in France. Cool, eh? Check out the distribution list for other countries and locations STTS is available in. It just might surprise you. * Bruce Diamond outdid himself this month, having no less than FIVE articles published in this issue. Three are movie reviews, one a humour article, and last but not least a nice bit of fiction entitled IF I COULD TALK TO THE ALIENS. Take into account his own elec magazine, LIGHTS OUT (movie reviews) as well as his new gig writing movie reviews for a newspaper in Pennsylvania and Bruce's been a busy guy. A couple of months ago in this very space, I promised changes. "Why fix it if it ain't broken?" some of you asked. "Why not?" I replied, with a wicked little gleam in my eye. The additions to this month are just part of the changes in store for STTS magazine. Keep your eyes open, and keep reading! Joe DeRouen, Aug. 4th 1994