I thought I noticed someone videotaping the various VCF East sessions. Will this video be generally available? -- Tony

On Monday 26 July 2004 09:01, Vintage Computer Festival wrote: ---snip--- A LOT. I've seen them carry large quantities of bits. I've noticed from time to time chatting with you on the phone that your voice breaks up - now we know the source - the nasty li'l ant bit stealers. Lyle -- Lyle Bickley Bickley Consulting West Inc. http://bickleywest.com "Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"

The ants in my apartment seem to be attracted to water sources (and the fact that the apartment is kept at an even 75 to 80 F because of the five Mac servers humming in the dining room). Gross story follows. A few years back when I was a medical student and calling in sick usually meant failing a rotation, I got a bad case of bronchitis while on the ENT surgery service and ran a fever of 102 F. Naturally, you have to be unresponsive and on a ventilator to get off sick (and even then you may have to make up the work), so I went in anyway after coughing up half a lung's worth of brownish-red phlegm in the sink (and since I was ill and fogged on cough medicine, I forgot to wash it down). That afternoon, I returned to find a trail of ants leading up to the loogie in the sink, and a ring of dead ants around it who had tried to eat the ball of sputum, failed, and died. I have not yet tried to market it, since it has an inconvenient method of procurement, and I'm not sure how well it would work in a spray can. -- ---------------------------------- personal: http://www.armory.com/~spectre/ -- Cameron Kaiser, Floodgap Systems Ltd * So. Calif., USA * ckaiser(a)floodgap.com -- Don't be humble ... you're not that great. -- Golda Meir -------------------

Vintage Computer Festival wrote: OK; note to self: Stop using dead ants in circuits where fire or arcing might cause problems.

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 17:40:57 -0400 (EDT), John Lawson <jpl15(a)panix.com> wrote: When we lived in florida we had to replace the outside part of our Air Conditioner due to just such an ant invasion. According to the A/C repair guy, he had replaced a lot A/C units that had been damaged by ants. apparantly, it is the insulation on the wires that they like.

Vintage Computer Festival wrote: They do... They don't trust in computers, we do. :)

At 07:16 PM 7/26/2004, you wrote: This is the 3rd time you've used the F word recently. It's entirely uncalled for (well, except maybe in the case of the TSA). A fine word, on occasion, but I don't think the occasion arises much on this list. I see it's use here more as juvenile posturing than effective communication. (not to be offensive, point being I think the less of you for it's use and others might also) Course, that could just be me, but I thought a comment was in order. :-) Ed Kelleher Proverbs 9:8 - wisdom test

On Tue, 2004-07-27 at 14:23, Vintage Computer Festival wrote: Respect for the views of others, presumably. If some words are commonly deemed to be offensive, then it's likely there are some people on this list who will find them as such. Based on that, if non-offensive alternatives exist then it only seems courteous to use them even if they do form part of your own regular vocabulary. That's my take on it anyway, and seems a rational enough reason to me... Of course if you *know* you're among company who won't get upset then it's a totally different matter! Thus endeth the lesson. etc. etc. <simpsons> Think of the children! </simpsons> sorry :-) seeya Jules

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004, Lyle Bickley wrote: Then you have 9:13 - 9:18, and you wonder why anyone lends any credence to this stuff to begin with :) -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004, Doc Shipley wrote: I think you're reading a bit too much into this. Anyone may have been offended by such a comment doesn't truly understand their spiritual beliefs. And rather than go into a tirade about why religion is at the root of the world's problems today (and be able to state such a case FACTUALLY) I'll just leave it at that. -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004, Joe R. wrote: That's because calling someone a "fag" is somewhat like calling someone a "nigger". You just don't do that unless you really want to offend someone. It's a term of hate. Take the context you used it in--"BATF fags"--and replace "fags" with "niggers" and you (I hope) get my point. In my case, I was using perfectly valid language to perfectly express the way I felt about the TSA, ants, et al. It did not involve using a pointed derogatory term to offend any particular person. I was merely using an adverb in context. Joe, you can of course use any language that you please. I was merely pointing out that using that particular language can really hurt people, perhaps even people you like, and people who like you. -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]

On Wed, 28 Jul 2004, Joe R. wrote: Nope, I'm not using the word to insult someone. In this particular case I was using the gerund form, and also as an adverb. I was not using it as an insult against a particular person or group of people. That's a major difference. As I've said before, use any language that you please. You just won't be hearing me using offensive epithets. -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]

On Wed, 28 Jul 2004, der Mouse wrote: Does that mean that the words W*nd*ws and M*cr*S*ft are now off-limits?

On Wed, 28 Jul 2004, Jay West wrote: even though M-word W-word 3.1x is now over ten years old, and W-word95 will be ten years old a year from now?

----- Original Message ----- From: "Vintage Computer Festival" &lt;vcf(a)siconic.com&gt; To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" &lt;cctalk(a)classiccmp.org&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 12:53 PM Subject: Re: OT language crap Re: Insect Conductivity - language? a F**K. Festival Some words you just don't use (when is the last time you found the word "cunt" to be useful in general conversation with people you don't know?). Other words have different levels of being offensive depending on who is using it and who its being directed to. Black guy talking to another black guy "what's up my nigger" (they are friends) White guy in the KKK wearing a white sheet calling a black guy "nigger" in a menacing way. Telling somebody to "go fuck themselves" is offensive but saying "what the fuck" when somebody does a major screwup is not the same. If you stay away from words that are banned from public TV during prime time I guess you are safe with the majority of the public (assuming your not talking about religion, politics, drugs, race, sex, asking people what they earn, guns, abortion, evolution, athletic team mascots, confederate flags, pledge of allegiance, violence, nudity, terrorism, the truth, ________________ <=======< Insert anything interesting here). There probably isn't a single subject you can talk about that doesn't offend some group or individual in some way these days, political correctness sucks!

On Sun, 1 Aug 2004, Bob Shannon wrote: Of course, I never argued otherwise. I'm just saying that certain words are given an undue amount of weight these days because some people suffer -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]

On Tue, 27 Jul 2004, Roger Merchberger wrote: The whole discussion is ridiculous, if not entirely futile. Even if you were to star out one or certain letters, people still know what word you're referring to. So in effect, you're still using the word, because the understanding is there, and the actual word still pops into the reader's head and sends them into whatever apoplexy (or not) that they are prone to when stumbling across such words. Some people will argue that these sorts of words are only to be used in certain circumstances. Like they hold some super special value...like perhaps, they are sacred? What? I thought those words were profane? Sacred or profane? Which is it!? I say they are neither and both. God or Gawd or who the hell ever gave us free will, and He gave us these words to use and a mouth to emit them, god damn it! So I'm going to make full use of the Gifts that God Gave Me! When will this entirely way too priggish society we live in get over itself already? One of the most enlightening moments I've had in recent years was when Hans Franke was visiting a few years back. We were watching some show on TV (probably on Comedy Central) where some swear words were bleeped out. I, of course, having been raised in this obnoxiously Puritanical society, did not flinch. But Hans was like, "What!?" He was befuddled. Over what I did not know. I thought maybe he didn't understand the joke that was said. No, no, he understood the joke just fine. He was shocked--shocked!--that the curse word was bleeped! This distinctly American practice had been lampooned on German television, and he thought it was just the Germans poking fun at the uptight Americans. He was astonished that the practice was real and alive in the 21st century! I am too! Grow up already! You're an adult now. Mom will not be washing your mouth out with soap. You can really say these words! Really! Rejoice! -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]

Rumor has it that Vintage Computer Festival may have mentioned these words: <MODE="TongueInCheek"> Dude... Take a slow, long breath... in... out... ahh... now don't you feel better? ;-) </MODE> (Or is it that you haven't had your morning coffee/tea/beer yet?) ;-) [snip] That was my point. If you didn't notice, I was on *your* side, bud! (maybe I didn't make it fully clear, if that's the case, I apologize!) If I'm allowed to /assume/ yet again, probably never. Which is sad, indeed. Did he mention anything about how we treat a Playboy book? In a brown or blue wrapper in the top shelf behind everything else so you can't see anything other than the title? Compare that to the German lifestyle where they're considered "coffee-table reading" for lack of a better term... <MODE="AOLer"> Me Too! </MODE> ;-) If she does, I'm in *big* trouble, as she's either back from the dead, or I *am* dead[1]... Either way, I'd have a lot bigger problems than a sudsy belch! Laterz, bud... Roger "Merch" Merchberger [1] Unless I go to Hell instead. My mom was a great woman - if you believe in Heaven, I'll guarantee you she's there. However, if I do go to Hell, it won't be so bad... I'll be able to visit most of my friends! ;^> -- Roger "Merch" Merchberger | A new truth in advertising slogan sysadmin, Iceberg Computers | for MicroSoft: "We're not the oxy... zmerch(a)30below.com | ...in oxymoron!"

----- Original Message ----- From: "Vintage Computer Festival" &lt;vcf(a)siconic.com&gt; To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" &lt;cctalk(a)classiccmp.org&gt; Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 5:52 PM Subject: Re: Insect Conductivity - language? any Festival ---- http://www.vintage.org Me , I want to know what the ants said in reply. Translation anyone - looking for a babel fish......... I was up on the scaffolding outside my house today (we're having some cladding fitted ) fitting up my uhf aerial in a higher position when a squadron of flying ants descended on everything - from the park at the back of the house. I'm afraid I outdid Sellam , and ,statistically speaking , you wouldn't expect that many ants to be illegitimate. They wouldn't go away so I had to come inside , it's a bit dangerous when you're up high and ants are exploring every part of your anatomy ; I've just had a shower and two came out of my hair- silly little buggers. What's this got to do with fucking computers anyway ? ................... Where's the soap ? - Yes doesn't it ! ( Two nuns in the bath - old Morecambe & Wise joke ) Geoff.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Maslin" &lt;donm(a)cts.com&gt; To: "Geoffrey Thomas" &lt;geoffreythomas(a)onetel.com&gt;om>; "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" &lt;cctalk(a)classiccmp.org&gt; Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 6:28 AM Subject: Re: Insect Conductivity - language? I wooden know.

There is a major problem with ants crawling into A/C condensing units and fouling the contactors. It''s a prime source of income for HVAC contractors in the summer in Texas. The contactors make around $200 profit for each service call and it takes around 15 minutes to change the contactor. They can be taken apart and cleaned or the contacts rekitted, but nobody bothers, just swap the part and get on to the next call. This is in Texas of course. James -- www.blackcube.org The Texas State Home for Wayward and Orphaned Computers

SNip! You're lucky. Bugs is that conductive. I just had one Samsung monitor fixed by simply removing two fried asian beetles last friday. Cheers, Wizard