Monster Media 1996 #14/Monster Media No. 14 (April 1996) (Monster Media, Inc.).ISO/bbs_door/atw11.zip/ISSUE.011

Text File | 1996-01-26 | 1MB | 1 lines

@START@ ATW Policy                                                              Policy Statement for Across The Wire Monthly BBS Magazine:                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                      POLICY DATE: March 7, 1995                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                      General Policy:                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                 1.  No charge will be collected for access to this magazine.  The                   door/magazine may be run on a pay BBS, but no additional charge                 will be claimed for access to this information.                                                                                                             2.  Individual articles may contain there own copyright information.                                                                                            3.  The copyright notice on Across The Wire magazine is on source code              and the door reader only.                                                                                                                                   The following rules shall apply to all articles/screens submitted:              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~              1.  T&J Software retains the right to refuse any article submitted for              publication in Across The Wire magazine.                                                                                                                    2.  T&J Software reserves the right to modify/change the text of any                articles submitted (for spelling and clarity only) for the magazine.                                                                                        3.  T&J Software reserves the right to refuse any ANSI screen submitted             for publication in the magazine. BBS ANSI screens will be                       displayed pending room in the database. We don't want a bloated                 database filled strictly with BBS ads <G>.                                                                                                                  4.  BBS advertisements will only be included if the subject BBS is                  an active BBS carrying the magazine (regular uploading of the                   log file).                                                                                                                                                  5.  ANSI screens in "bad taste" will be rejected.                                                                                                               How to Submit Articles:                                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                         1.  Articles should be uploaded to T&J Software BBS by the 21st of                  each month to be included in the next month's magazine.  Articles               can be uploaded to the following locations:                                                                                                                     T&J Software BBS    717-325-9481  3 Nodes - 28.8k                                                   Upload to ATW SUBMISSION file area.                                                                                                         E-Mail to: [e-mail]                                                                                                                            Crash it to Fido 1:268/400                                                                                                                                  Submitting your BBS Name and Number for inclusion in the magazine:              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~              1.  A BBS will only be added to the magazine BBS Listing if the sysop               of the submitting BBS uploads the magazine log files on a monthly               basis.                                                                                                                                                      2.  After three months of no magazine log files being sent to T&J Software,         the BBS listing will be removed from the list.                                                                                                              3.  No charges will be collected to include a BBS name in the listing               or for advertising in an ANSI screen.                                                                                                                           Tom & Jane Wildoner                                                             T&J Software                                                                                                                                                @START@ATW Readers Questions                                                    ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: KARL ALBRIGHT                                                                                                                                     Hello, I usually get the Mag from FIDOnet direct but this months never          came thru so I had to call you direct and get it...I see I am not in            the BBS list this time so I recon I better start sending in my little           packets..heheh my bust there ... n e way, keep up the good work...              looks great.....                                                                                                                                                RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Hello Karl! I think we're going to change the BBS updates to a six              month interval instead of the current 4 months, that should take care           of some things! <G> In a future version of the door, we're going to             try examining the BBS List and compare it to the BBS Name in the                TJMAG.CFG file and send a reminder to you just in case!                                                                                                         Don't know how things actually move - we send the updates via several           routes and where they go from there is anyone's guess! <G>                      ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: Richard Mcdonald                                                                                                                                  Well..... I`m quite impressed with this magazine. I had no idea                 that it was so extensive, especially in the science area.                                                                                                       RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Science is one area that I never grow bored in! Thanks for the                  comments!                                                                       ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: Jeff Fisher                                                                                                                                       Hey Mister EDITOR person I think this thing you've got going is a               great idea.  Have fun and MERRY X-MAS.                                                                                                                          RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Thanks Jeff!                                                                    ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: DIGITAL UNDERTAKER                                                                                                                                Dear Atw, this is a test message to see if this mag is working.                                                                                                 RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Sure is!                                                                        ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: Warren Miller                                                                                                                                     Hi Tom! Thanks for the feedback! Got to reading the "meat" of the last          mag (12-95) and almost forgot to check the FeedBack! To the point of            expanding the mag into Science etc. I say go for it! :-) Just make              sure that you send me info on "getting hooked in". This last one had            me taking notes! Lots of good information to keep us all busy for a             month, if not more! Found out about several things that I had missed!           What I had missed made life a little easier. I occasionally tech for            a local dealer and he wonders where I come up with the hints for                system improvement. I just tell him I read "ACROSS THE WIRE"! :-)               Keep up the good work! Warren Miller - Sysop, Horseless Carriage BBS                                                                                            RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Hi Warren! We're still debating the Science only journal, just a                question of time to put it together!  We'll be sure to announce it in           ATW though! Appreciate the feedback!!                                           ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: BILL KERN                                                                                                                                         This is a test letter from Bill Kern to Tom Wildoner to test the                "Letter to the Editor" function in ATW 1.20 beta.  This sentence is             testing the screen-wrap function (failed <G>).                                                                                                                  RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     We'll try it again! <G>                                                         ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: Karl Rutledge                                                                                                                                     The mag. is a cool idea and has a ton of cool info and you have done a          good job keep up the good work. =)                                                                                                                              RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Thanks Karl!                                                                    ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: JEREMY PREECE                                                                                                                                     Hey ATW!                                                                        This magazine is getting bigger and better by the month!  Keep up               good work! (And thanks a million for the science articles... can't              live without those <G> )                                                                                                                                        RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Thanks Jeremy! I can't get enough of them either! <G>                           ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: WAYNE STANLEY                                                                                                                                     Hello Tom and Jane!                                                             I just found this on another BBS in my area, although he's not on your          Missouri list, yet, but I had heard about ATW for some time and wanted          to try it out. It is great! I think I'll put it on mine!                                                                                                        RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Hello Wayne! Let us know when you have it up and running!                       ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: JENNIFER WILKERSON                                                                                                                                HELLO PEOPLE HOW ARE YOU TODAY? I'M OKAY BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM.                                                                                           RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Sure we do! See above! <G>                                                      ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────      MESSAGE FROM: LINK                                                                                                                                              Hello, have you ever thought about starting up a SMALL technical                support area in your magazine.  Maybe, something like:                          ASK THE EXPERTS!                                                                                                                                                RESPONSE FROM: Tom Wildoner                                                                                                                                     Would love to if we had some technical experts on this end! <G> I'm             lucky I keep a BBS up and running! <G> Seriously though, I would love           to do something like that, but this is basically a two person                   operation (me and my better third, Jane).                                                                                                                       If anyone would like to respond to tech type questions and you                  consider yourself a tech expert, we'd love to have you contribute!              @START@Letter from the Editor                                                   Greetings!                                                                                                                                                      I'd like to personally thank you for viewing ATW this month! While ATW          remains a free monthly magazine, we regard it as almost a BBS staple.           We try to bring the latest reviews and news directly to your BBS on a           monthly basis!                                                                                                                                                  This issue adds several new features including the ability to download          articles from the door (if activated by your sysop) and the ability to          view back issues online! Let us know your comments!                                                                                                             We have been receiving several log file uploads as TJMAG.LOG, while             this is appreciated, we need you to run the program UPLOAD.EXE on a             monthly basis and answer the questions contained inside to have your            BBS added to the list.                                                                                                                                          What do you think of a monthly questionaire to include in the door              with answers to the questions in the next issue? Let us know! We would          also like to do a "user" questionaire to learn more about the people            reading ATW in an effort to help us serve you better on a monthly               basis!                                                                                                                                                          Well, my fingers are pretty well cramped (where's Jane when I need              her!) and I can't think of anything else to add for this month - oh,            yeah, we could sure use some regular monthly contributors to the                magazine! If you know of somebody else doing a monthly column and               would like to have it incorporated in ATW (as long as it doesn't cost           us anything <G>) please send them my way!                                                                                                                       One last note, ATW is now available at our ftp and WWW site for                 downloading, yeah!                                                                                                                                              anonymous ftp to 204.186.5.54                                                             -or-                                                                  http://204.186.5.54/public/default.htm                                                                                                                          Our provider hasn't hooked up TJSOFT.COM to the IP address yet, so              you're stuck with the numbers! Telnet coming soon!                                                                                                              One last, last note. This one applies to all those reading this! <G>            Every .ATW file sent up to us during the month of Feb 96 will be                eligible to receive a free T&J Software Registered Door program! We'll          randomly select the winner and announce it in the March 1996 issue -            your choice for the door! As they say, "you can't win if you don't              play!"                                                                                                                                                          Have a good one everyone! I'm outta here!                                                                                                                       ...Tom                                                                          @START@ATW BBS List                                                                        BBS's Proudly Carrying "Across The Wire" Magazine                               ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^                    NOTE: It is important to run the UPLOAD.EXE MONTHLY and to not keep                   uploading the same *.ATW file every month. Running the UPLOAD.EXE               file ensures us of having the most recent information from                      the readers!!                                                                                                                                             All BBS's with a date of 10/95 will be removed from the Mar 96 Listing          unless we receive your log files.                                                                                                                               Alabama                                                                         ~~~~~~~                                                                         Power Station BBS           Allen Godwin           334-574-6841   10/95         UP ALL NIGHT BBS            MAX2000                334-347-3001   1/96          Firefighter BBS             Shawn Gavin            334-981-9689   12/95                                                                                         Alaska                                                                          ~~~~~~                                                                          Arkansas                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        Boston Mountain Information Bob Sprague            501-634-2140   10/95          eXchange                                                                       Jackalope Junction          Steve Prado            501-785-5381   2/96                                                                                          Arizona                                                                         ~~~~~~~                                                                         PC-Arizona BBS              Ron Keane              602-423-0640   2/96          PharmAZcy Online!           Michael Guzzo          602-955-3835   2/96                                                                                          California                                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~                                                                      The Launch Pad BBS          Rick Olsen             805-734-3878   2/96          Alberhill Online!           Jeremy Preece          909-245-2232   2/96          ATTENTION to Details BBS    Clint Bradford         909-681-6221   12/95         Gonzo's Wild Cat! Place     Mark Gonzales          909-699-1656   12/95         Inland Sports BBS           Jim Charters           909-789-2978   10/95         The LOONEY BBS              Dan Looney             916-366-0375   2/96          Omni                        Charles Meadows        916-388-0905   2/96          The Next Generation BBS     Dave Schoonover        209-874-5148   2/96                                                                                          Colorado                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        The Mars Hotel              Cap Bateman            303-360-6626   2/96          The Saturday Knights BBS    Don Johnson            303-420-8927   2/96          NetComm BBS                 Bill Watts             303-730-7045   12/95                                                                                         Connecticut                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                     Terminal Frost              John Normington        203-928-2357   1/96                                                                                          Delaware                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        Renegade's Cove             Dave Osburn            302-653-1467   1/96          Keeper's Corner             Tom Underwood          302-653-7052   11/95                                                                                         Florida                                                                         ~~~~~~~                                                                         EastSide System             David Lane             407-337-1274   2/96          The Higher Power BBS        Ralph Allen            407-466-1661   11/95         Jupiter BBS Services        Ted Parsons            407-575-3853   2/96          Barney's PipeLine! BBS      Will Crain             407-728-7386   2/96          Treasure Coast Online       Dean May               407-878-0790   2/96          Communication Port BBS      Dale Dumont            813-545-0111   10/95         The Dark Side BBS!          Aubrey Presha          813-582-9214   2/96          Tropical Avenue             Big Kahoona            813-661-0853   12/95         Eyes & Ears BBS             Jan Edward Morell      904-423-6699   2/96          Flapping Jack's Place       Phil Edwards           904-563-1580   12/95         Wrinkles & Feathers BBS     Marty Barel            904-939-8404   11/95         Beyond The Rainbow BBS      Lone Rose Humphrey     813-623-3339   1/96          Bears and Wolfs BBS         Johnathon Humphrey     813-623-6526   1/96          Drum Corps USA              Lou Labetti            904-666-8405   1/96          THE HANGOUT BBS             Robin Gibson           904-651-5112   2/96          MainStreet Family Online    Donald and Tami                                       Servie                      Lumpkins             706-660-1131   2/96          EMail Connection            Gordon Cunningham      954-563-5941   2/96                                                                                          Georgia                                                                         ~~~~~~~                                                                         The Green Lantern BBS       Merrill Guice          912-245-0644   11/95         Kitty's Cafe!               Michelle Mendez        912-328-9909   11/95         Hi-Tech Gateway BBS         Dick Stein             706-694-3295   11/95         MainStreet Family Online    Donald and Tami                                     Service                     Lumpkins               706-660-1131   1/96                                                                                          Hawaii                                                                          ~~~~~~                                                                          Sparks!BBS                  Anthony McCullough     808-682-9402   2/96                                                                                          Idaho                                                                           ~~~~~                                                                           The UPPER ROOM BBS          Steve McNutt           208-331-0082   2/96          Anita's Place BBS           Anita Nikiforuk        208-666-4010   1/96                                                                                          Illinois                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        People Who Need People      Marty Ritter           312-271-4733   11/95         Addison DOS Haus            Leroy Hein             708-832-7754   11/95         The Sojourner BBS           Rick Flint             708-872-4096   2/96                                                                                          Indiana                                                                         ~~~~~~~                                                                         Nerdville BBS               John Guarnero          219-736-4957   2/96          ArcadiaVision BBS           John C. Tabler         219-766-2378   11/95         The Right Choice BBS        Skip Howard            219-962-2132   1/96          The CyberSpace BBS          Charlie Smith          317-856-9020   2/96          Graphic Station             Tony Hite              812-426-0477   1/96          KA9LQM Ham Shack BBS        Mike Anderson          812-476-7564   11/95         Orleans On-Line             Paul Seigle            812-865-3597   11/95                                                                                         Iowa                                                                            ~~~~                                                                            Horseless Carriage          Warren Miller          515-752-6554   2/96          Confession Corner BBS       Jon Clemons            515-753-1106   2/96          The Proteus BBS (RBBS-PC)   Robert Vander Broek    515-432-1965   2/96                                                                                          Kansas                                                                          ~~~~~~                                                                          501 EnterPrises BBS         David Kreifels         316-326-3906   1/96          The Firehouse BBS           Randy Leach            316-442-3702   11/95                                                                                         Kentucky                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        The Little Bitty BBS        Louis Luxemburg        502-933-7241   2/96          Magic$oft BBS!              Tem House              606-371-6337   12/95                                                                                         Louisiana                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~                                                                       Inner Sanctum               Aaron Corcoran         504-334-1547   2/96                                                                                          Maine                                                                           ~~~~~                                                                           Grouchy Marx BBS            Grouchy Marx           207-368-5402   11/95                                                                                         Maryland                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        ShareWare Paradise          Bryan Rittmeyer        410-239-7473   10/95         CRANk                       cRUz                   410-377-2559   2/96          Hafa Adai Exchange          Todd Cochrane          301-994-9460   1/96                                                                                          Massachusettes                                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                  Nocturnal                   Charlie Kaczor         508-943-8411   12/95         ARCHIVES                    John Viera             508-995-0085   2/96                                                                                          Michigan                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        Newaygo Online              David Jourden          616-924-4329   12/95         The Intensive Care Unit     Ben Shaver             906-428-3250   12/95         ...No Carrier...            Charon Cook            810-949-3809   2/96                                                                                          Mississippi                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                     The Eagles Den BBS          Gary Trivanovich       601-396-9811   1/96          BoxCars BBS!!!              Scott James            601-429-3175   12/95                                                                                         Missouri                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        The Parson's Toys           Bill Turner            314-774-3047   2/96          Beyond Tomorrow             Will Wright            816-263-0980   11/95         Adventure Zone BBS          Keith Tiggemann        314-346-9644   2/96          The Ozark Palace BBS        Wayne Stanley          573-346-1194   2/96                                                                                          Nebraska                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        Castle Keep BBS             Jim Kerber             402-292-1021   2/96          Mid-West BBS                Ernie Hundt            402-585-4482   2/96                                                                                          Nevada                                                                          ~~~~~~                                                                          Virtual Partners BBS        Scott & Cindy Ramer    702-644-1731   1/96          The Music Hall II           Paul Rudolf            702-356-5867   2/96                                                                                          New Hampshire                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                   Politically Incorrect       Bill Ford              603-625-2687   10/95         BRICKYARD BBS               Don Foster             603-332-0419   2/96                                                                                          New Jersey                                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~                                                                      The Waterside BBS           Darrin Hentze          201-641-5375   2/96          Space Station II            Bob Meany              609-665-0969   2/96          ADAMSCOM Online....tm       Mark Adams             908-572-7490   1/96          The Spinning Wheels BBS     Ken Bourke             908-781-0232   11/95         The Waste Land BBS          Tom Stasyshyn          908-782-4974   2/96                                                                                          New Mexico                                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~                                                                      Political BBS               Brian Tafoya           505-672-1665   12/95                                                                                         New York                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        UnderWorld BBS              John Jaromin           518-587-2540   11/95         The Sanatorium!             Barry Bogart           607-648-8565   2/96          Farby's Funhouse            Gary Farbman           914-744-5085   10/95         Go Diamond! BBS             Curtis Brewington      914-665-1725   2/96          Hidden Paradise BBS         Dean Brooks            716-345-9800   2/96                                                                                          North Carolina                                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                  Gentle Breeze BBS           Larry Beheler          704-657-6898   2/96          The Pig-Pen BBS             Boss Hog               910-324-1703   12/95         Mayberry BBS                Randy Culler           910-789-8183   2/96          FamilyFun                   Shirley Gurley         910-364-4996   1/96                                                                                          North Dakota                                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                    Daedalus Online             Davis Robinson         701-857-6090   12/95         Gamma World BBS             Lance Powell           701-727-9811   2/96                                                                                          Ohio                                                                            ~~~~                                                                            Let's Talk BBS System       William DeFranco       216-845-3249   10/95         The Edge of Insanity        Dale Miracle           216-896-4251   2/96          FIRST TRY                   Ken Mathews            614-685-3013   12/95         Doug's Place BBS            Douglas Reese          614-759-7018   10/95         Hall of Fame BBS            Dennis Haddox          216-456-8856   2/96                                                                                          Oklahoma                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        Huggy bears BBs             Donald Burch           405-949-2090   10/95         The Circle BBS              Michael Warshum        918-445-5273   10/95                                                                                         Oregon                                                                          ~~~~~~                                                                          Emerald Online BBS          Chuck Orton            503-343-1420   10/95         The Visible Spectrum BBS    Robert L. Clark        541-574-9262   1/96          WithDrawn                   Nik Bauer              503-557-3372   2/96                                                                                          Pennsylvania                                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                    Innovations BBS             Bob Pacifico           610-264-8530   10/95         T&J Software BBS            Tom & Jane Wildoner    717-325-9481   2/96          The FreeLand BBS            Marty Cox              717-636-0936   2/96          Stimpy's Sandbox            Mark Friend            717-730-8504   1/96          Woody's NutHouse            Jim Woodward           717-748-5728   2/96          The Northeast File Bank     Stuart Wilson          717-876-0152   2/96          Blue Light Special          Brad Peters (Fubar)    717-957-9230   2/96          Centinel                    Eric Lanius            717-852-8121   2/96          The Summit SearchLight      Richard Lis            814-886-2563   2/96          Frank's Place BBS           Frank Lisak            412-422-8246   2/96                                                                                          South Carolina                                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                  Monetta Boy's BBS           Shuler Burton          803-685-6020   2/96                                                                                          Tennesee                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        The Tazewell BBS            Jim Edmondson          615-626-0557   2/96          The Peek Hole BBS           Mike Howard            615-758-4288   12/95         The Registry BBS            Bill Kern              615-870-0794   2/96          JOE'S GARAGE BBS            Joe Pusateri           901-382-0268   12/95                                                                                         Texas                                                                           ~~~~~                                                                           Tin Can BBS                 Rickey Starling        409-544-7098   12/95         Cyberbase                   Jerry George           409-774-7225   10/95         Casa De La Luz              Chuck Haynes           512-219-9853   2/96          Ralph                       Cody                   512-339-7838   1/96          Dingle Delaware             Cathy Keller           512-442-8145   1/96          Rusted Shut                 Eugene Lee             817-778-2828   2/96                                                                                          Utah                                                                            ~~~~                                                                            Virginia                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        AD Public Message System    James Goldbloom        703-998-2958   2/96          Servant of the Lord BBS     Charles Wootten        804-590-2161   2/96          PowerBase BBS               Chris Elliott          804-793-3618   1/96          The Gondor BBS              Kevin Jendro           804-872-0543   12/95         EduComm BBS                 Keith Wright           804-838-1245   2/96                                                                                          West Virginia                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                   The Bit Bank                Jamie Willingham       304-728-0884   10/95         Pa-Pa Bears BBS             Steve Criner           304-755-4319   12/95                                                                                         Wisconsin                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~                                                                       The BIRCH BARK BBS          James Fish             414-242-5070   10/95         AARRGGHH! BBS               Victor Loberger        414-334-7041   1/96          The Binary Bicycle          Scott Daniels          414-375-1877   2/96          MarLyn's Manor              Marve & Lynn Heisler   414-432-1393   2/96          K-9 Korner RBBS             Ron Mainguth           608-849-9796   12/95         Northern Lights!            Greg Schlagel          715-426-9886   1/96          Birnamwood Bytes Bbs        Rick & Jeff            715-449-3071   10/95         NIKOhost BBS                Christopher Nikolai    715-675-5756   2/96                                                                                          Puerto Rico                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                     Hurricane BBS               Luis Benitez           809-781-4207   1/96          Puerto Rico Online          Rafael Alcocer         809-745-1157   1/96                                                                                          Canada                                                                          ~~~~~~                                                                          The Foothills HAM BBS       Chris Kringel          403-283-1107   11/95         The Midnight Oil BBS        John Wagontall         403-329-3381   2/96          THN Systems Canada          Dave Turner            416-255-2484   2/96          You Want it You Got it BBS  Chief White Cloud      519-445-0998   12/95         The Back Door/2             Peter Lazenby          604-632-4640   11/95         Playtime II BBS             John Farrow            613-546-6604   2/96          Rednecks and Renegade       Terry Bendell          705-444-5326   11/95         Wang's Studio               Michael Wang           905-527-5467   11/95         The BBS Encounter           Glenn Woerffel         905-737-4639   1/96          Powerline                   Riptide                519-884-6106   1/96          Link's Place                Link!                  519-472-8581   2/96          Platinum Communications     Glenn Jarvis           905-770-9540   2/96          Thee Basement               Jeff Demchuk           306-761-5289   2/96          Smooth Noodle Boot          Darryl Schmidt         604-554-4497   2/96                                                                                          Australia                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~                                                                       Wicked City                 Jeff Ainsworth         [phone]               Music Talk                  Steve Gasson           [phone]               Ace BBS                     Peter Nitschke         [phone]                                                                                               United Arab Emirates                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                            NPCserv BBS                 Elias Khoury           011971-5005-207                                                                                              Japan                                                                           ~~~~~                                                                           HoneyTree BBS               Dwight Collins         011-81-3117-62-8914                                                                                          Portugal                                                                        ~~~~~~~~                                                                        VISUS BBS                   Jose Camara            351-1-7968168                                                                                                United Kingdom                                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                  The Juke Joint BBS          Kurt Adkins            [phone]                                                                                          New Zealand                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~                                                                     InverNet BBS                Keiran O'Regan         643-2130-959                                                                                                                                                                                 How to get your BBS listed:                                                                                                                                     1.  Run the program UPLOAD.EXE which is included with the ATW                       door. This program will ask you for some information and                        will then ZIP up the information and log file. The file created                 will be called xxxxxxxx.ATW - simply upload this file to T&J                    Software!                                                                                                                                                       T&J Software BBS    717-325-9481  3 Nodes - 28.8k                                                   Upload to ATW SUBMISSION file area.                                                                                                         E-Mail to: [e-mail]                                                                                                                            Crash it to Fido 1:268/400                                                                                                                                  2.  Your BBS will remain on the list indefinitely as long as the log files          are sent to T&J Software on a monthly basis.                                                                                                                3.  After lapsing for three months, your BBS listing will be removed.                                                                                           4.  The UPLOAD.EXE must be run each and every month!                                                                                                            @START@Medications for Weight Control                                           Medications for Weight Control:                                                                                                                                 The exact mechanism of action of appetite suppression has not been              established, it is thought that direct stimulation on the satiety               centers in the hypothalamic and limbic portions of the brain causes one         to "feel full".  Stimulation of these centers in caused by changes in           the amount of various neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine,              etc.) available to the neurons (nerves).  Other stimuli are also                involved in appetite control and would include visual and chemical              food-related (taste, smell) factors in other parts of the CNS.                                                                                                  The class of medications most commomly associated with weight-control           are the amphetamines.  This class of medications stimulate the release          of norepinephrine and dopamine.  Usually amphetamines are used as a             last resort in weight-control, when other weight-reduction programs             have failed.  They have a high potential for abuse and are classified           as Schedule-II drugs by the DEA, which means that they can be                   addicting.  You will need a physician to physically write a new                 prescription each time you need a refill.  Amphetamines are usually             prescribed in conjuction with a physician-controlled weight program.                                                                                            Here's a list of each with Brand names in parentheses:                                                                                                          1. amphetamine (generic only)                                                   2. dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine, Ferndex, others)                               3. methamphetamine (Desoxyn)                                                    4. amphetamine mixtures (Adderall)                                                                                                                              There are other medications for weight-control classified as                    anorexiants or anorectics.  These medications are derivatives or                chemically-similar to the amphetamines.  They act in similar ways to            the amphetamines but may also have affects on the neurotransmitter,             serotonin.  These medications are classified as Schedule-II through             Schedule-IV dependent on abuse potential.  Schedule III, IV, and V meds         can be filled for up to six months on one prescription.  These                  medications are usualy tried before attempting to use amphetamines.                                                                                             1. Benzphetamine (Didrex), Schedule-III                                         2. Diethylproprion (Tenuate, Tepanil, generic), Schedule-IV                     3. Fenfluramine (Pondimin), Schedule-IV                                         4. Mazindol (Mazanor, Sanorex), Schedule-IV                                     5. Phendimetrazine (Plegine, Adipost, generic, others), Schedule-III            6. Phenmetrazine (Preludin), Schedule-II                                        7. Phentermine (Fastin, Ionamin, generic, others), Schedule-IV                  8. Methylphenidate (Ritalin), Schedule-II (usually used for ADHD)               9. Ephedrine (generic only), Rx and OTC (usually used for Asthma)                                                                                               There are also OTC medications that the FDA considers safe and                  effective weight-loss products, when used as labelled.                                                                                                          1. Phenylpropanolamine (Accutrim, Dexatrim, others)                             2. Benzocaine (Diet Ayds, Slim-Mint)                                                                                                                            Phenylpropanolamine is chemically-similar to ephedrine, but causes less         CNS stimulation.  It is usually used as a nasal decongestant, but also          has been approved for short-term weight reduction.                                                                                                              Benzocaine is a local anesthetic that is claimed to help reduce weight          by decreasing the ability to taste sweets, thereby reducing the need to         satisfy the sense of taste and subsequent craving.                                                                                                              These classes of medications are not without their side-effects.                They can cause problems such as insomnia, restlessness,                         drug-dependence, tachycardia, and elevated blood pressure, as well as           some other less common side-effects.  Do not use these medications              while pregnant, unless under a physician's supervision.  Caution should         also be exercised in those with uncontrolled hypertension.                                                                                                      Drug treatment of obesity is of limited value because the only                  satisfactory means of long-term weight control is behavior and diet             modification.  The best weight loss program would consist of caloric            reduction and an increase in physical activity.  In my opinion, drug            treatment may help facilitate this process, but should not be used              long-term.                                                                                                                                                      Michael Guzzo, Pharm.D. Candidate                                               PharmAZcy Online!                                                               [phone]                                                                  ========================================================================        @START@BOOKS: Reviews of Coffee-Table Books                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          BOOKS                                                            BOOKS                                                                                                                            by                                                               JASON ANDERSON AND BILL REYNOLDS                                                                                                             Round about this time the office gets filled with objects that don't            seem to be books per se. I mean, they're not really literary novels,            sex 'n' shopping opuses, Griffin And Sabine-style objets d'art or               book-length neo-con rants. Most of these suckers are too big. These,            then, are coffee-table books for people who generally would never keep          anything so bourgeois as a coffee table in their pads -- indeed,                they're more likely to drink coffee out of their hands than use                 anything as gauche as a mug.                                                                                                                                    But, alas, these books are made to be consumed, and you are consumers,          and consumers need guides, so here's eye's Consumer Guide To Bizarro            Holiday Books.                                                                                                                                                                          JASON ANDERSON'S PILE                                                                                                                   * Bryan Adams (Firefly Books, $29.95 paper). Yeah, that's all it says           on the cover. Inside, lush photos of Bryan at home, at play, onstage,           hanging with Pavarotti and mugging for the commoners. Not as cool as            the even larger Bj"rk picture book, and certainly low on the                    "inadvertent kitsch" scale. On page 61, Bryan rejects sexism by                 averting his gaze from a picture of Dorothy Stratton.                                                                                                           * Arriving at least five years after what I termed the "Peter                   Greenaway Conversation" (i.e., four knobs discussing what they didn't           like about The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover) was                     unavoidable, The World Of Peter Greenaway (Journey Editions, $90                cloth) is a companion piece to the Limey's many incomprehensible but            sumptuous films and teleplays. Greenaway and co-author Leon Steinmetz           deliver what Greenaway's best films do: hardcore art damage.                                                                                                    * In 1982, Gary Larsen attempted to shock with Rock 'n' Roll Babylon            (Plexus Books, $27.95 paper), a survey of unsightly behavior by rock            stars too dead to sue him, including lots of naked people (but not as           many as The World Of Peter Greenaway). A new, equally tasteless                 edition has surfaced, with a few updates and an unsatisfactory new              chapter devoted to the scandals of Jacko, Madonna and Cobain. It is             still appallingly written and that still doesn't matter.                                                                                                        * In Wynton Marsalis' Marsalis On Music (Norton, $39.99 cloth), a book          version of his musical-appreciation-oriented TV series for preteens,            the young fogey's interest ranges from Ellington to Ellington. Piss             off, Wynton, and bring us some circus freaks.                                                                                                                   * Speaking of freaks, an essential stocking stuffer is the                      unconscionable Answer Me (AK Press/Marginal, $19 paper), featuring the          first three issues of America's most notorious fanzine. The husband-            and-wife Goad team list their favorite killers and suicides and reach           unprecedented levels of misanthropy. Morally repugnant in every way,            but very well-written (no typos guaranteed!).                                                                                                                   * Paranoiacs may also crave more of an X-Files fix than one hour per            week. And, yes, once a television show turns into literature, it's              become totally uncool. Regardless, Brian Lowry weighs in with The               Official Guide To The X-Files (Harper Prism, $21 paper) -- full plot            synopses and Fox-sanctioned information about the production. N.E.              Genge, a Canadian no less, has written The Unofficial X-Files                   Companion (Crown, $17.95 paper), which is more sketchy on plot data             and credits but far loonier when it comes to the back story material.           Scully and Mulder also star in Kevin J. Anderson's Ground Zero (Harper          Prism, $28 cloth), the first official X-Files novel. It's terrible.                                                                                             * MTV Unplugged (MTV Books/Distican, $65 cloth) is terrible, too, but           that's mostly because there's a huge picture of Don Henley in it. But           who could forget the magic of MTV Unplugged Episode 3 featuring The             Alarm and Nuclear Valdez? Ah, the early '90s -- such an innocent time.          One more thing: Most of the pictures in this boxed monstrosity have             all the resolution of the screen of a 20-year-old Sony Trinitron.                                                                                                                        BILL REYNOLDS' PILE                                                                                                                    * Freaks Of Nature (Quill/William Morrow, $13.95 paper) by John                 Callahan is the sixth compendium by our guy, so it must be good. Plus,          it's got the best of his '95 cartoons, which means our fearless                 quadriplegic manages to insult all the usual suspects: gays, lesbians,          straights, feminists, liberals, Republicans, militia wing-nuts,                 quadriplegics, sports heroes, Michael Jackson, O.J., the media, Rush            Limbaugh and various forms of American cupidity.                                                                                                                * There's lots of famous pics in Rolling Stone: Images Of Rock & Roll           (Little, Brown, $68 cloth) with RS' usual bias toward the '60s, but an          effort has been made to include some great shots of the R&B pantheon,           too. In fact, the most telling one I haven't seen before is of Memphis          Slim, Willie Dixon and Big Joe Williams sharing a laugh outside a               studio in '61. A pricey jump into the rock 'n' roll toilet.                                                                                                     * Warning: Audio book. Namely The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll             (Audio Literature, $16.95), but Carroll's whiny New York drawl                  couldn't be more suited to his streetwise, otherwordly-far-beyond-his-          teenage-years stories of drugs, school, drugs, sports, girls, drugs,            sex, drugs, prostitution for drugs and drugs. Great stuff for highway           driving.                                                                                                                                                        * Feeling tetchy? Try these on for size, from Peggy Thompson and Saeko          Usukawa's Hard-Boiled: Great Lines From Classic Noir Films (Raincoast           Books, $19.95 paper): "I don't like your manner." "I'm not selling              it." Or: "Do you look down on all women? Or just the ones you know."            Or: "Maybe I'm gonna die. You've got even bigger problems -- you're             gonna live." Yes, all your favorite tough-talking cons and grifters --          Bogie, Mitchum, Bette Davis. Great pics, too.                                                                                                                   * If you like the unspeakably unreal, then Planet Vegas (Collins                Publishers San Francisco, $42 cloth) is for you. Populated by geeks             and freaks, the sleaze-fest in the desert has been cleaned up and               sanitized for moms, dads and the kids, and the principle of Fordism             holds to the mecca: make gambling affordable and a family value, just           like the Model T. Other than Wayne Newton, I can't imagine a finer man          than Kenny Rogers to write the introduction , can you?                                                                                                          * Screaming Life: A Chronicle Of The Seattle Music Scene                        (HarperCollinsWest, $49 cloth) is a coffee-table exercise for grunge            nostalgists, I guess, because this photographic essay of musical life           in Seattle should have come out in 1994. It's awfully expensive, but            there is the extra-special CD with nine groovy trax like "Negative              Creep." On the other hand, Clark Humphrey's exhaustive history of the           scene, Loser: The Real Seattle Music Story (Feral House/Marginal                Distribution, $24.50 paper), is admirable, if only because it's nice            to know that there's someone out there who cares whether The Posies             were once members of Sky Cries Mary.                                                                                                                            * Finally, a parlor game: Joseph Aguayo's After-Dinner Freud                    (Viking/Penguin, $17.95). Now, we know Freud has been taking a beating          lately, and psychoanalysis isn't the trendy way to relieve oneself of           discretionary income that it once was, but still, wouldn't you want to          impress your friends with this poncy collection of psychiatric Trivial          Pursuit? Sure you would! First card: Where was Freud born? (Hint:               Heidegger taught there.) You play the rest. Next year, Jung gets his            own deck!                                                                                                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          Books archives ---------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Books          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@BOOKS: Reviews of Tom & Harlequin in Hogtown                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                              January 4 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          BOOKS                                                            BOOKS                                                                                                           Tom, the Unknown Tennessee Williams                                                       By Lyle Leverich                                                                Crown, $49 cloth                                                                                                                                              Harlequin In Hogtown                                                               By Neil Carson                                                    University of Toronto Press, $19.95 paper                                                                                                                                           by                                                                       ROBERT ARMSTRONG                                                                                                                     Theatre folk have long memories for each other, but notoriously short           memories of the plays themselves. So the personalities grow, while the          work tends to shrink.                                                                                                                                           Lyle Leverich's authorized biography of the first half of Thomas                (Tennessee) Williams' life attempts to straighten out some of the               myths, many of which were spread by Williams himself. There's still             plenty of dirt here -- things like his parents' hopeless and sexless            marriage, the lie about his age that enabled him to shine in a contest          held for significantly younger dramatists, and his abandonment of his           mentally ill sister (the obvious model for Laura in the Glass                   Menagerie.) But what gets lost in the book's restrained and                     sympathetic tone is a sense of the real artist Williams was.                                                                                                    Although Leverich declares he won't psychoanalyze the playwright,               often that's exactly what he does, and often without much insight.              Williams himself was woefully inarticulate about his artistic method.           The result of Leverich's inadequate assessment is that readers will be          left with the impression that Williams simply plucked lint from his             navel, then spun it into cloth that occasionally shimmered.                                                                                                     Neil Carson also avoids psychology in his much slimmer investigation            Harlequin In Hogtown. Though also a historical reclamation -- in this           case of George Luscombe and Toronto Workshop Productions (the two are           inseparable) -- the book doesn't set out to dispel myths, but to put            Luscombe and TWP back on the map.                                                                                                                               Established in 1959, TWP was the only alternative to drawing room               comedies in this city until the great wave of government funding in             the early '70s. Even (or especially) by today's standards, Luscombe's           vision was truly radical. Beyond his avowed socialism, by working               entirely within a collaborative process, and emphasizing movement over          text, early hits like Hey Rube! and Mr. Bones achieved staging effects          unlike anything seen before in Toronto.                                                                                                                         Carson's reliance on newspaper reviews to both describe TWP's shows             and to establish their importance is a bit disturbing, however,                 particularly given that he claims many critics didn't understand                Luscombe's work. Also missing from the book is a deeper analysis of             why the small theatre community turned away from TWP during the early           '80s, ultimately abetting the theatre's collapse in 1989, and what              this implies about the role of peer-assessment juries in awarding arts          funding.                                                                                                                                                        Luscombe's main sin (unlike Williams') was that he wasn't a writer.             Despite 30 years of work, he left little record of his methodology              behind. By failing to detail the practice of how Luscombe worked with           his actors, Harlequin In Hogtown misses a chance to describe TWP's              real, lasting influence. If Leverich's fantastically detailed use of            Williams' private journals is what makes his biography impressive,              it's the lack of primary sources that prevents Carson's book from               rising above the level of historical survey.                                                                                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          Books archives ---------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Books          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@Subject: Reviews of new poetry books                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                              January 4 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          BOOKS                                                            BOOKS                                                                                                                            by                                                                      RICHARD SUTHERLAND                                                                                                                    Cultures in collision should be good for poetry.                                                                                                                It isn't just that poets get high on foreign languages. If vocabulary           alone got you all the way to poetry, the UN headquarters would be the           literary centre of the world.                                                                                                                                   What you really need to turn this raw material into the higher state            of language that is poetry is to catch the sensibilities in two or              more cultures, take the contradictions and particulars and somehow              make them stick together, at least for the duration of the poem.                                                                                                Terry Watada, in his collection A Thousand Homes (Mercury Press,                $11.50 paper), attempts this kind of synthesis. A second generation             Japanese-Canadian, he is very much himself the product of two                   cultures: his parents' Japanese culture and the mainstream of Canada's          composite culture. There's a tension in this that makes the book more           exciting.                                                                                                                                                       Watada can't escape from the entanglements of his two cultures.                 Noticeably more Canadian than his parents, he is also less Japanese             and so more different from them than most of us are from our parents.           This kind of generation/culture gap is fodder for loads of Canadian             culture. But unlike so much of this stuff, Watada's work isn't too              obvious or preachy.                                                                                                                                             The problem is Watada is still looking in from the outside, observing           somebody else's problems; the experiences in these poems are his                parents'. Watada fails in that he doesn't really have the chops as a            poet to convey that convincingly, although I have no doubt that Watada          understands the dilemma that faced his parents and that to an extent            faces him.                                                                                                                                                      Which is more than I can say for George McWhirter in relation to his            subject. Incubus: The Dark Side Of The Light  (Oberon Press, price) is          a Canadian's experience of Southern Mexico. McWhirter's Mexican                 inspiration is just more of the same old romantic obsession with the            foreign. This kind of shallow exoticism has been with us for, what,             200 years or so and McWhirter hasn't got much to add to the tradition.                                                                                          I wouldn't say there's anything really wrong with McWhirter's                   perspective but it's too limiting, especially when he's writing about           the people who live there: they're just so much scenery. The images             too, though well-described, are incidental. He could be writing about           the Arctic, East Africa or virtually anywhere.                                                                                                                  What McWhirter is missing is a genuine relationship with his subject;           he's really just a literate tourist. Whatever the merits of the poetry          might be, McWhirter's appreciation of Mexico is limited by the context          -- it really has nothing to do with him. All his technical skill and            gift for imagery just doesn't signify because in the end what he's              writing about doesn't matter that much.                                                                                                                         Neither of these two books can compare with the strange music that              Phinder Dulai spins in Ragas From The Periphery (Arsenal Pulp Press,            $12.95 paper). Dulai, a Punjabi writer living in Burnaby, B.C.,                 achieves what neither of the other poets does: a genuine meeting of             two cultures in poetry.                                                                                                                                         How he does this is more mysterious, but part of it has to be the               inseparable relationship between what he's saying and how he's saying           it. Punjabi rhythms and speech patterns force their way into the                English words of these poems. You can't help noticing that it sounds            different. It jars in a way that calls attention to itself. The two             cultures aren't really integrated but they do meet and sparks fly.                                                                                              Dulai does not feel integrated into Canadian culture. As the title              says, he feels like he's working from the periphery of society, and             this in a multiple sense: as a poet far away from his own culture,              outside the mainstream of the place in which he lives, as well as               through his experiences in low-paying menial work.                                                                                                              If it weren't so beautifully and thoughtfully expressed you might find          his work self-pitying. But that's part of the magic of poetry. When             its various elements come together it changes the base material of the          world and the poet into something really moving.                                                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          Books archives ---------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Books          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@Review of City Life by Witold Rybczynski                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 11 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          BOOKS                                                            BOOKS                                                                                                                        CITY LIFE                                                                  By Witold Rybczynski                                                          HarperCollins, $27 cloth                                                                                                                                                   by                                                                          Edward Kay                                                                                                                        Ever notice how one of the first things anyone returning from Paris             does is to wonder regretfully why here isn't like there (in                     appearance, that is -- only the truly perverse would miss the absence           of all those snotty Gallic waiters and nuke-detonating governments)?            This is the question that inspired Witold Rybczynski's latest work,             which examines why North American cities developed the way they did.            It leads him into a revealing exploration of the urban environments we          take almost for granted even as we carp about them.                                                                                                             Rybczynski is a Canadian architect and academic who was a professor of          architecture at McGill University until recently, when the fear of              snotty Gallic separatists forming a nation of their own drove him into          the arms of the University of Pennsylvania. He's a thoughtful observer          who conveys his ideas in lucid, engaging prose free of the pomposity            and techno-babble that often render architectural writing opaque and            unapproachable.                                                                                                                                                 Rybczynski considers both sociological and technological factors in             tracing the evolution of North American cities and why that evolution           took them in a different direction from their European counterparts.            He also looks at the future of our cities, and makes some predictions           that may surprise some and horrify others. High-density inner cores,            he believes, will inevitably decline in importance, displaced in                popularity by low-rise, low-density communities. This he views in an            essentially positive light.                                                                                                                                     At first blush, that could be taken as a terrifying endorsement of              suburban-style development, and indeed Rybczynski does have a lot of            good things to say about shopping malls, which leads me to think he's           either spent too much time in them, or not enough. On the other hand,           he points out that many of the most attractive European cities --               Paris and Amsterdam come to mind -- are very low-density compared to            places like Manhattan and Chicago. He also points out that in those             European cities, the high price of urban real estate, combined with             low-rise buildings, means that you have to be rich to live there in             anything larger than a closet.                                                                                                                                  This may not persuade you to learn to love Mississauga or stop making           Scarberia jokes, but Rybczynski does settle the question with that              decisive if maddening point: if here looked like there, you probably            couldn't afford it. So there.                                                                                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          Books archives ---------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Books          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@Review of Anger by Bill Landis                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 11 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          PAPER VIEW                                                  PAPER VIEW                                                                                                                    LOOK BACK AT ANGER                                                                                                                                                      by                                                                        ALEX PATTERSON                                                                                                                      Now that a crummy TV series is exploiting Kenneth Anger's astounding            Hollywood Babylon books (see eye, "Look back at Anger," March 30,               1995), it's gratifying that a book about the author has come along to           set things straight. Anger: The Unauthorized Biography Of Kenneth               Anger (HarperCollins, $35 cloth), by Manhattan movie critic Bill                Landis, is a corrosive volume chronicling the long, sordid life of              American underground cinema's granddaddy. You've heard of a warts-and-          all biography? This one's nothing but warts.                                                                                                                    Kenneth Anger (ne Anglemyer) was a showbiz kid who changed his name --          predating punk by 30 years -- in his quest to become, in Landis'                phrase, "to Hollywood what Karl Marx was to capitalism." Before he was          20, Anger was making his own 16mm affronts to decency -- common enough          these days; unheard of in the '40s. This magus manque courted infamy            and censure with his "Magick Lantern" cycle of shorts: symbol-infested          bad dreams mingling acidhead abstruseness with speedfreak aggression            like the toilet-trading Fireworks ('47), the depraved Inauguration Of           The Pleasure Dome ('54) and the orgiastic Scorpio Rising ('63).                                                                                                 Along the way, Anger also became a masochistic homosexual, a follower           of English occultist Aleister Crowley's doctrine of "sex magick," a             bad influence on Mick and Keith (which takes some doing) and a one-man          Altamont. The man who compiled the jaw-dropping gossip of Hollywood             Babylon (first legitimate English-language publication 1975) and                Hollywood Babylon II ('84) emerges as a talented but lazy, stone-prone          artist and a fairly unpleasant human being, given to petty vendettas            and endless litigation.                                                                                                                                         Anger is admirably researched, and executed with obvious zeal for its           subject. (Zeal that is, predictably enough, unrequited: upon learning           of the book, Anger hexed his biographer with a Crowleyan curse.) But            there's also a certain editorial sloppiness: Anger's friend Curtis              Harrington is never identified as a fellow filmmaker (B-plus efforts            like Games, The Killing Kind). Landis also suffers from spelling                problems ("flair" for "flare," "wile" for "while"), and is under the            impression Jimmy Page was Led Zeppelin's lyricist. Even so, Anger is            an entertaining and informative introduction to "one of the                     underground talents who truly mattered."                                                                                                                                                   PORKY'S REVENGE                                                                                                                      What do Anger's experimentalism and splatter/grossout teen trash have           in common? Not much, actually -- except that they have both inspired            wrath from mainstream moralists. In Laughing Screaming: Modern                  Hollywood Horror & Comedy (Columbia University Press, New York, $24.95          paper), University of Michigan film prof William Paul comes neither to          praise Carrie and Friday The 13th, Animal House and Meatballs, nor to           bury them. Instead, his argument goes like this: anything that's                appealing to that many people deserves some sort of serious                     investigation. (New York's American Museum of the Moving Image agreed,          and programmed a recent series of these titles for their egghead                audience in conjunction with the publication of this book.)                                                                                                     On the subject of film preservation, Woody Allen once said, "Every              movie deserves to be preserved, except Porky's." Yet Paul can't help            defending lowbrow horror and comedy as traditional "festive arts." His          twin totems are The Exorcist ('73) and Animal House ('78), though               Paul's real subjects are the rip-offs that followed through the '80s:           the Halloweens, the Nightmares and the Meatballs'. These were the               years when movies devolved into new lows of tastelessness: the noble            tradition of horror slummed into splatter, while comedy belly-flopped           into the gutters of grossout. There was something going on out there            alright, and it's time someone paid attention to it.                                                                                                            At 510 pages, Laughing Screaming delves more deeply into these genres           than almost anybody will need. Some of it is slow-going, but the                writer at least keeps his discussions sensible and straightforward,             admirably steering clear of the kind of campus claptrap that has                rendered much contemporary criticism unreadable. But as one of very             few books ever to address these declasse genres (another is Jon Lewis'          semi-semiological but generally comprehensible 1992 The Road To                 Romance And Ruin: Teen Films And Youth Culture), it's definitely worth          preserving.                                                                                                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          Books archives ---------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Books          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@Review of Pussy, King Of The Pirates                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 18 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          BOOKS                                                            BOOKS                                                                                                                PUSSY, KING OF THE PIRATES                                                            By KATHY ACKER                                                              Grove Press, $30 cloth                                                                                                                                                    by                                                                       PATRICIA SEAMAN                                                                                                                      Reading Kathy Acker is a relentless wade through blood and guts of              mythic proportions to get to the heart of politics, and not everybody           will be able to stand it. It's the Itchy And Scratchy Show, unedited.           Pussy, King Of The Pirates is a brilliant, hilarious, electrifying and          pornographic deconstruction of history and language. Do it to me one            more time...                                                                                                                                                    In another of her infamous acts of literary piracy, Acker reworks               Stevenson's Treasure Island, transforming it into a revolutionary               manifesto. Acker's grrrl pirates, like Genet's sailors, live a life of          freedom as the pariahs of society. With them we cross the ocean of our          collective unconscious into a realm of cultural collapse, filled with           the stench of corpses and decay. Violent images and graphically                 charged language work to reveal race/class/gender politics. And there           are also plenty of satisfying opportunities here to indulge a general           hatred of the government.                                                                                                                                       O, Ange, Mad Dog and the others take us on a journey through                    whorehouses and slums, graveyards and the minds of dead poets on a              hunt for the hidden treasure: jewels, gold and the ancient myths that           inform the contemporary imagination. Every word, sentence and image             has a literal, metaphorical and referential meaning and fluctuates              between them. The language comes into focus, frightens and then                 departs in Acker's dizzying process of exposing and subverting                  ideology. In this surprising, infuriating and funny book, the reader            must be willing to suspend a desire for linear understanding, take              pleasure in the anxiety produced by fragments of meaning, and be                happily willing to postpone comprehension until the end.                                                                                                        The embodiment of po-mo, Acker exposes jewels as junk and turns junk            into jewels in her peculiar world, punctuated by dreams and dream-              logic. Pussy, King Of The Pirates is another fine opportunity to have           a half-guilty, thought-provoking, gleefully vindictive laugh. And as            Acker says, "crucified from within by all that's intolerable in the             world and proud of it -- that's my kind of writing." Pussy Rules!                                                                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          Books archives ---------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Books          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421          @START@New Environmental Guidelines for Paper Buyers                            Thought you might be interested to know that, as The New York Times             reported the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on December 19, 1995,             released a report designed to provide guidance for paper buyers who want        to make environmentally-preferable paper purchases.                                                                                                             Notably, the EDF Paper Task Force Report recognized that │Bleached kraft        pulp mills have reduced releases of dioxin by over 90% since 1988.▓ The         report also supports chlorine dioxide as a pollution prevention                 technology and recommends its use in the pulp bleaching sequence,               noting, │The replacement of elemental chlorine with chlorine dioxide in         the bleaching process reduces the discharge of chlorinated organic              compounds, including dioxins.▓                                                                                                                                  The task force findings support the conclusions of a report issued              earlier this year by AET that documents the dramatic decline in dioxin          advisories on waterbodies downstream of U.S. pulp mills. In fact, since         1990, 13 states have lifted a total of 17 dioxin advisories from                waterbodies downstream of U.S. pulp mills.                                                                                                                      The task force also recommended that purchasers:                                                                                                                    Ç  reduce the use of office paper                                                  Ç  buy recycled paper                                                              Ç  give preference to paper companies that are striving for                    minimum-impact mills.                                                                                                                                           AET is an international association of chemical manufacturers and forest        products companies dedicated to improving the environmental performance         of the pulp and paper industry. AET was created to establish a                  clearinghouse of educational and technical resources relating to                chlorine dioxide and its use in chemical pulp bleaching.                                                                                                        For more information about chlorine dioxide and its use in paper                manufacture, as referenced in the EDF report, visit our web site at             http://aet.org/. You can also access the full EDF report at                     http://www.edf.org/.                                                                                                                                            Patrick Hurston                                                                 Alliance for Environmental Technology (AET)                                                                                                                     @START@CLIMATE RESEARCHERS CLOSE-IN ON AEROSOLS                                                                                                                            CLIMATE RESEARCHERS CLOSE IN ON AEROSOLS                                                                                                             One major obstacle to explaining and predicting climate change                  has been poor understanding of the role of tiny airborne                        particles known as aerosols.  Most aerosols associated with human               activities are emitted during fossil fuel and biomass combustion.               The particles have short atmospheric lifetimes relative to carbon               dioxide and tend to cool regions where they are concentrated.                                                                                                   But since the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)                  issued its __First Assessment Report__ in 1990, scientific                      advances have greatly improved our understanding of aerosols.                   This progress was noted in a __Summary for Policymakers__                       approved by the IPCC's Working Group I on 29 November 1995 as                   part of the IPCC's __Second Assessment Report__.  The Working                   Group explained that better assessments of aerosol influence have               helped scientists di                                                            impacts on climate from what                                                    would otherwise occur naturally.  This distinction supports                     Working Group I's important new conclusion that "the balance of                 evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on                global climate."                                                                                                                                                 Researchers with the Hadley Center for Climate Prediction and                  Research (Bracknell, Berkshire, UK), an organization funded by                  the British government, have made crucial contributions to this                 progress.  J.F.B. Mitchell, T.C. Johns, J.M. Gregory and S.F.B.                 Tett reported their results in "Climate Response to Increasing                  Levels of Greenhouse Gases and Sulphate Aerosols," published                    earlier in 1995 by __Nature__ magazine (vol 376, pp 501-504, 10                 August 1995).  In an article published in the same issue ("A                    Successful Prediction?", pp 463-464), Tom M.L. Wigley, of the                   National Center for Atmospheric Research, said that "when                       considered along with other recent work, these results mark a                   turning point in our ability both to understand past changes and                predict the future."                                                                                                                                            The Mitchell et al. article is the first published description of               research fully integrating aerosols with greenhouse gases into a                computer model capturing key interactions between the oceans and                the atmosphere.  According to the authors, the result                           "significantly improves the agreement with observed global mean                 and large-scale patterns of temperature in recent decades."  Such               agreement "is a necessary, though not sufficient, condition for a               model to produce reliable estimates of [future] climate change."                                                                                                Based on experiments extending to 2050, the model suggests a                    global mean warming rate of 0.2oC per decade, 0.1oC less than                   would occur without aerosols.  While such estimates convey some                 idea of the magnitude of aerosols' effects on global mean-                      temperatures, the figures are easily misinterpreted.  Global                    mean-temperature increases in reality will not occur with such                  perfect regularity decade after decade.  And local temperature                  changes will vary widely from those expected at the global level.                                                                                               Furthermore, the slower near-term warming-rates may provide a                   misleading impression of what is likely to occur in the longer-                 term.   Mitchell et al. suggest that in the longer-term, the                    relative impact of aerosols will diminish and global warming will               accelerate as shorter-lived aerosols are overshadowed by rising                 accumulations of longer-lasting CO2.                                                                                                                            FOR MORE INFORMATION:                                                                                                                                           J. F. B. Mitchell                                                               Hadley Center for Climate Prediction & Research                                 Meteorological Office                                                           London Rd                                                                       Bracknell, Berkshire  RG12 2SY  United Kingdom                                  Tel: [phone]/420242                                                     Fax: [phone]                                                            E-mail: [e-mail]                                                                                                                               Tom Wigley                                                                      National Center for Atmospheric Research                                        PO Box 3000                                                                     Boulder, Colo.  30307                                                           Tel: [phone]                                                       Fax: [phone]                                                           E-mail: [e-mail]                                                                                                                               SOURCES AND ADDITIONAL READING                                                                                                                                  Charlson, R.J. and J. Heintzenberg (eds.), __Aerosol Forcing of                 Climate__ (Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 1995).                                                                                                       Dickson, David, "Aerosols' Role Simulated in New Global Warming                 Model," __Nature__, 374 (6522): 487 (6 April 1995).                                                                                                             Kerr, Richard A., "Study Unveils Climate Cooling Caused by                      Pollutant Haze," __Science__, 268 (5212): 802 (12 May 1995).                                                                                                    Mitchell, J.F.B., T.C. Johns, J.M. Gregory and S.F.B. Tett,                     "Climate Response to Increasing Levels of Greenhouse Gases and                  Sulphate Aerosols,"  __Nature__, 376: 501-504 (10 August 1995).                                                                                                 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, __Scientists,                  Ships, and Aircraft Head to South Pacific to Study Airborne                     Particles That May Be Cooling the Earth__ (Boulder, Colorado:                   National Center for Atmospheric Research, 27 October 1995).                     Available via the NCAR's World Wide Web Site at                                 http://www.ucar.edu (see "Press Release" section).                                                                                                              University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, __The North                    Atlantic Oscillation: New Findings on a Key Player in Winter                    Climate__ (Boulder, Colorado: National Center for Atmospheric                   Research, September/November 1995).  Available via the NCAR's                   World Wide Web Site at http://www.ucar.edu (see "Press Release"                 section).                                                                                                                                                       US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, __Scientists                to Study Link Between Atmospheric Pollution and Global Change__                 (Washington, DC: NOAA, 26 October 1995), NOAA 95-76. Available on               the World Wide Web at http://www.noaa.gov/public-                               affairs/pr95/oct95/noaa95-76.html.                                                                                                                              Wigley, Tom M.L., "A Successful Prediction?" __Nature__, 376                    (6540): 463-464 (10 August 1995).                                                                                                                               @START@GROUND SURFACE-TEMPERATURES SHOW WARMING                                                                                                                          GROUND SURFACE TEMPERATURES SHOW WARMING TREND                                                                                                         To estimate the degree to which climate change has occurred,                    accurate  temperature records are required.  Such data, covering                the last 125 years, is available in the form of surface air                     temperatures (SAT) recorded by people widely scattered around the               planet. But according to David Deming of the University of                      Oklahoma's School of Geology and Geophysics (Norman, Oklahoma),                 SAT data is "sparse to nonexistent" before 1870.  Without                       accurate information on earlier temperatures, scientists have a                 harder time interpreting the more recent data.                                                                                                                  In search of supplemental temperature data, Deming has used                     ground surface temperature (GST) data generated by other studies                from boreholes drilled at several North American locations.                     These boreholes penetrate from 30 to 3000 meters below the                      surface, and provide "a running record of the long-term mean                    [SAT] and departures from it" over periods extending as far back                as the 18th century.                                                                                                                                            Writing in __Science__ (1576-1577, 16 June 1995), Deming notes                  that "averages inferred from groups of boreholes have all                       revealed warming trends."  In the Eastern part of North America,                data suggests a 1-1.5oC warming, beginning in the mid-1800s.  The               warming in western areas seems to have been smaller and later                   (beginning in the 20th century).  He concludes that the "most                   parsimonious interpretation of the GST studies as a whole is that               they represent a continental-scale climatic warming."  He adds                  that the "sum of the evidence is consistent with theoretical                    predictions of warming" from the human-induced buildup of                       atmospheric greenhouse gases.                                                                                                                                   SOURCE                                                                                                                                                          Deming, David, "Climatic Warming in North America: Analysis of                  Borehole Temperatures," __Science__, 268 (5217): 1576-1577 (16                  June 1995).                                                                                                                                                     @START@CARBON LOSSES FROM CANADA'S FORESTS                                                                                                                              WILDFIRES SPARK CARBON LOSSES FROM BOREAL FORESTS                              Forests in 1980s were major source of Canadian CO2                                                                                                       Canadians each summer expect wildfires along with hot                           temperatures.  But with fires threatening evacuated towns and                   airports closed because of smoke, summer 1995 was exceptional.                  It was the third warmest summer in a century,  and about 7                      million hectares (17.3 acres) of vegetation burned -- making it                 the second most severe fire season on record.  After a lull in                  fire activity during the early 1990s, this year's fire season was               more typical of the 1980s when both the annual temperatures and                 areas burned broke records.                                                                                                                                     Forest fires have become more frequent and more severe for                      several reasons: fuels have accumulated on the forest lands, fire               managers either allow fires to burn or are less successful in                   containing them, and weather has been favorable for fires.  Some                suggest that climate change associated with human activities is a               factor, but no such connection can yet be proven.                                                                                                               Regardless of causes, growing fire losses carry a major impact on               the flows of carbon in the forests.  In "Retrospective Assessment               of Carbon Flows in Canadian Boreal Forests" (in __Forest                        Ecosystems, Forest Management and the Global Carbon Cycle__                     [Heidelberg, Germany: Springer-Verlag, in press]), Canadian                     researchers Werner A. Kurz and Michael J. Apps say that fires and               other disturbances have reached the point where Canadian forests                may now be a net __source__ of carbon to the atmosphere.                                                                                                        Using a carbon-budget model, Kurz and Apps estimate carbon fluxes               to and from Canadian boreal forests during the period from 1920                 and 1990.  In the sixty-year period from 1920 to 1979, these                    boreal forests accumulated carbon at roughly 147 million metric                 tons of carbon (MtC) each year.  This is a large quantity                       relative to Canadian carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion               (i.e. approximately 113 MtC in 1990).                                                                                                                           But more frequent and severe disturbances, mostly wildfires and                 insect infestations, have stimulated a decline in the rate at                   which boreal forests accumulate carbon.  Circa 1980, the forests                may have became a net source of atmospheric carbon.  The model                  suggests that during the 1980s, net flows of carbon from Canada's               forests to the atmosphere totaled an estimated 57 MtC/year --                   comparable in magnitude to about half the annual Canadian                       emissions of carbon from fossil fuel combustion.                                                                                                                The situation is not likely to be reversed anytime soon.  Kurz                  and Apps say that the high frequency of fire and other                          disturbances during the last 20 years will probably affect both                 carbon stocks and flows for decades.  "Scenario analyses of the                 Canadian forest sector C [carbon] budget for the next 50 years                  suggest that, for many scenarios, the forest could remain a C                   source in the near future."                                                                                                                                     Kurz told __Global Change__ that the findings are the results of                ongoing research and that the estimates therefore are subject to                change.  He also emphasized some of the model's limitations.  For               example, year to year variations in temperatures and                            precipitation affect the growth-rates of trees but are not                      included yet in the model.  Kurz said that the higher                           temperatures of the 1980s may have boosted growth rates which to                some degree offset the effects of the fires.                                                                                                                    BOREAL FORESTS AND GLOBAL CARBON                                                                                                                                Since boreal forests are large reservoirs of carbon, they occupy                an important position in the global carbon cycle.  It is this                   same glocal carbon cycle that determines atmospheric CO2                        concentrations each year.  Variations in flows of carbon through                the forests therefore have important climate implications.                                                                                                      Until now, most researchers have assumed that annual carbon                     emissions from boreal forests were roughly equal to their annual                carbon uptake.  But the model results raise doubts about this                   assumption.  Kurz and Apps say that "it is inappropriate to make                this assumption for forests where natural disturbance regimes are               the dominant force driving vegetation dynamics over large areas."               They add that "changes in these disturbance regimes -- changes                  that may be significantly influenced by human activities,                       including modification of the climate -- are critically important               in determining the net atmospheric exchange" of carbon.                         Scientists, therefore, must consider carefully the role of                      wildfire, insect infestations and other disturbances in                         evaluating future impacts of boreal forests on atmospheric                      concentrations of CO2.                                                                                                                                          Estimates made by Kurz and Apps suggest that for much of this                   century uptake of CO2 into the "reservoir" of Canadian boreal                   forests has helped to offset some of the carbon emitted from                    fossil fuel combustion.  This finding is consistent with other                  recent research suggesting that these forests have been important               carbon sinks.  Indeed, the forthcoming __Second Assessment                      Report__ of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change                       estimates that current uptake by boreal forests is about 0.5                    billion metric tons of carbon (mtc) per year, almost half of the                net release of carbon (1.1 billion mtc/year) from tropical                      deforestration and other land-use changes).                                                                                                                     But the apparent recent switch from carbon sink to carbon source                indicates that this capacity to offset fossil-fuel emissions                    cannot be assumed to continue indefinitely.  The startling                      conclusions of Kurz and Apps represent a wake-up call for                       government officials in Canada, the US and elsewhere who expect                 to partially offset their countries' future fossil-fuel CO2                     emissions by increasing the amount of carbon tied up in forests.                Not only may some forests fail to provide all the expected carbon               offsets, they may actually fare even worse:  they could go up in                smoke.                                                                                                                                                          SOURCES AND ADDITIONAL READING                                                                                                                                  Apps, Michael J. and David T. Price (eds.), __Forest Ecosystems,                Forest Management and the Global Carbon Cycle__ (Heidelberg,                    Germany: Springer Verlag, in press, 1995); NATO Advanced Science                Institute Series.                                                                                                                                               Arris, Lelani, "How Much Can We Rely on Forests for Carbon                      Sequestration?__," __Global Environmental Change Report__, VII                  (20): 1-3 (24 November 1995).                                                                                                                                   Auclair, Allan N.D. and Thomas B. Carter, "Forest Wildfires as a                Recent Source of CO2 at Northern Latitudes," __Canadian Journal                 of Forestry Research__, 23: 1528-1536 (1993).                                                                                                                   Auclair, Allan N.D. and Julie A. Bedford, "Conceptual Origins of                Catastrophic Forest Mortality in the Western United States," p                  249-265 in Sampson, R. Neil et al., __Assessing Forest Ecosystem                Health in the Inland West__ (Washington, DC: American Forests,                  1994).                                                                                                                                                          Auclair, Allan N.D., Julie Bedford and Carmen Revenga, __The                    Missing Carbon Sink in the Terrestrial Biosphere__ (Washington,                 DC: Science and Policy Associates, Inc, 1994), Task 5, Report 8                 under EPA Contract No. 68-D1-0109.                                                                                                                              Campbell, Ian D. & John H. McAndrews, "Forest Disequilibrium                    Caused by Rapid Little Ice Age Cooling," __Nature__, 366 (6453):                336-338 (25 November 1993).                                                                                                                                     Copps, Sheila, "Global Warming and Canada's Forest Fires,"                      __Globe and Mail__: A11 (10 July 1995).                                                                                                                         Dixon, R.K. et al., "Carbon Pools and Flux of Global Forest                     Ecosystems," __Science__, 263 (5144): 185-190 (14 January 1994).                                                                                                Environment Canada, __A Snapshot of Weather Highlights From                     Summer '95__ (       : Available from the Environment Canada                    Enquiry Center.  Tel: [phone].  Fax: [phone].                   Fax: [phone].  Available on the World Wide Web at                       http://www.dow.on.doe.ca/comm/index.html.                                                                                                                       __International Forest Fire News__.  Edited by Johann Georg                     Goldammer of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Freiburg,                  Germany), this biannual publication provides some of the best                   coverage of issues related to the interrelationships between                    wildfires and climate change.  Free subscriptions are available                 from: Timer Section, UN-ECE Trade Division, Palais des Nations,                 CH-1211 Geneva 10.  Fax: [phone].                                                                                                                       Jardine, Kevin, __The Carbon Bomb; Climate Change and the Fate of               the Northern Boreal Forests__ (Amsterdam, the Netherlands:                      Stichting Greenpeace Council, 1994).                                                                                                                            Kurz, Werner A. and Michael J. Apps, "Retrospective Assessment of               Carbon Flows in Canadian Boreal Forests," Chapter 14 in Apps,                   Michael J. and David T. Price (eds.), __Forest Ecosystems, Forest               Management and the Global Carbon Cycle__ (Heidelberg, Germany:                  Springer Verlag, in press, 1995); NATO Advanced Science Institute               Series.                                                                                                                                                         Kurz, W.A. and M.J. Apps, "An Analysis of Future Carbon Budgets                 of Canadian Boreal Forests," __Water, Air and Soil Pollution__,                 82: 321-331 (1995).  Special issue on Boreal Forests and Climate                Change.  Also available as:  Apps, Michael J., David T. Price,                  Joe Wisniewski (eds.), __Boreal Forests and Climate Change__                    (Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Press, 1995).                      Details on the book are available from Kluwer Academic Press at                 gopher://gopher.wkap.nl/00gopher_root1%3a%5bbook.biol.3300%5d3300               1009.txt.                                                                                                                                                       Levine, Joel S. (ed.), __Global Biomass Burning.  Atmospheric and               Biospheric Implications__ (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 1992), 569               pp, 395 illus, $75.00                                                                                                                                           Levine, Joel S., Wesley R. Cofer III, Donald R. Cahoon, Jr and                  Edward L. Winstead, "Biomass Burning; A Driver for Global                       Change," __Environmental Science and Technology__, 29 (3): 120A-                125A (1995).                                                                                                                                                    MacKenzie, Debora, "Where has all the Carbon Gone?" __New                       Scientist__, 141 (1907): 30-33 (8 January 1994).                                                                                                                National Commission on Wildfire Disasters, __Report of the                      National Commission on Wildfire Disasters__ (Washington, DC:                    National Commission on Wildfire Disasters, 1994).                                                                                                               The Nature Conservancy, __The Potential Effects of Climate Change               on the Native Vascular Flora of North America.  A Preliminary                   Climate Envelopes Analysis__ (Palo Alto, CA: Electric Power                     Research Institute, 1994), EPRI TR-103330.                                                                                                                      O'Hanlon, Larry, "Fighting Fire with Fire," __New Scientist__,                  147 (1986): 28-33 (15 July 1995).                                                                                                                               Price, Colin and David Rind, "The Impact of a 2 x CO2 Climate on                Lightning-Caused Fires," __Journal of Climate__, 7 (10): 1484-                  1494 (10 October 1994).                                                                                                                                         Stocks, B.J., "Global Warming and Forest Fires in Canada," __The                Forestry Chronicle__, 69(3): 290-293 (June 1993).                                                                                                               Taylor, John, "The Mutable Carbon Sink," __Nature__, 366 (6455):                515-516 (9 December 1993).                                                                                                                                      Van Wagner, C.E. and M.D. Flannigan, "Climate Change and Wildfire               in Canada," __Canadian Journal of Forest Research__, 21 (1): 66-                72 (January 1991).                                                                                                                                              Vinson, Ted S. and Tatyana P. Kolchugina, __Carbon Cycling in                   Boreal Forest and Sub Arctic Ecosystems__ (Washington, DC: United               States, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and                 Development, 1993), EPA/600R-93/084, Proceedings of the                         International Workshop on Carbon Cycling in Boreal Forest and Sub               Arctic Ecosystems: Biospheric Responses and Feedbacks to Global                 Climate Change, September 1991.                                                                                                                                 Wisniewski, J. and R.N.Sampson (eds.), "Terrestrial Biospheric                  Carbon Fluxes: Quantification of Sinks and Sources of CO2,"                     __Water, Air, Soil Pollution__, 70 (1-4): Special issue (October                1993), summary of workshop and 44 papers from workshop held in                  March 1993.  Details on the book are available from Kluwer                      Academic Press at                                                               gopher://gopher.wkap.nl/00gopher_root1%3a%5bbook.envi.b100%5db100               48.txt                                                                                                                                                          CONFERENCE                                                                                                                                                      4-10 August 1996.  Shushenskoye, Krasnoyarsk Region, Russian                    Federation.  __Seminar on Forest, Fire, and Global Change__.                    Sponsors: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and Food                and Agriculture Organization.  Contact:  J.G. Goldammer, Fire                   Ecology Research Group, c/o Freiburg University, Bertoldstrasse                 17, D-79085 Freiburg, Germany.  Tel: [phone].  Fax: +49                761 80 80 12.  E-mail: [e-mail]                                                                                                          @START@OZONE DEPLETION & HEALTH RISKS                                                                                                                                MIDDLE-LATITUDE OZONE DEPLETION INCREASES HEALTH RISKS                                                                                                     According to the National Cancer Institute, between 1973 and 1992               the incidence of melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer,                       increased faster than any other cancer among caucasians in the                  US.  Now accounting for 3% of cancers diagnosed nationwide, the                 American Academy of Dermatology calls melanoma "an undeclared                   epidemic."                                                                                                                                                      This alarming trend may persist or even accelerate for at least                 one reason: stratospheric ozone is being depleted, allowing                     additional damaging ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation to penetrate                   into the lower atmosphere.  UV-B radiation increases the risk not               just of melanoma, but also of non-melanoma skin cancers, eye                    disease and infectious diseases.                                                                                                                                According to the latest __Scientific Assessment of Ozone                        Depletion__ issued by the United Nations and the US Government,                 human-influenced ozone-depletion may peak around 1998 and will                  persist well into the 21st century.  For the US and other mid-                  latitude countries of the Northern hemisphere, ozone losses                     during summer and fall months may peak at 6-7% relative to ozone                concentrations in the 1960s.  Winter/spring depletion could peak                at nearly twice those levels.                                                                                                                                   Other factors remaining constant (not necessarily the case), such               losses would result in comparable percentage increases in UV-B                  radiation.  As the level of radiation increases, health problems                may increase even more rapidly.  Some evidence suggests, for                    example, that increases in UV-B exposure can cause                              disproportionately large increases in non-melanoma skin cancer.                                                                                                 Alternatively, people may change their lifestyles to limit                      exposure to UV-B or otherwise minimize the health risks.  Many                  such measures are sensible even in the absence of ozone                         depletion.                                                                                                                                                      One thing people can do is to monitor UV levels.  "UV Indices"                  are reported daily by the National Weather Service and widely                   disseminated by the media.  When the UV index is high,                          individuals may limit time in the sun or cover skin with                        clothing, hats or sun-block.  Sun-blocks are rated on a scale                   called the Sun Protection Factor (SPF).  The American Academy of                Dermatology recommends using a sun-block with an SPF of at least                15.                                                                                                                                                             Finally, people can familiarize themselves with UV-B health                     hazards and early symptoms of cancer and other medical-problems                 related to UV-B exposure.  Information on skin cancer is freely                 available from the __American Academy of Dermatology__ (Tel: +1                 708 330 0230), the __American Cancer Society__ (Tel: +1 800 ACS                 2345) and the __National Cancer Institute__ (Tel: [phone]                    6237).                                                                                                                                                          @START@SUBSIDIES AND US CO2 EMISSIONS                                                                                                                               LOWER SUBSIDIES CAN HELP ECONOMY WHILE REDUCING EMISSIONS                      Removal of transportation subsidies found "most attractive"                                                                                                  In October 1995, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change                  identified over a dozen general policies which countries could                  implement to limit their greenhouse gas emissions.   Among these                are energy pricing strategies, including lower energy subsidies.                                                                                                A recent study shows that reducing or eliminating subsidies in                  the US could "play a significant role in achieving the climate                  change goal of reducing GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions."   The                  research suggests further that "if the revenues that would be                   freed up by the elimination  of subsidies were channeled toward                 policies that encourage capital formation or labor supply, then                 the economy would grow both faster and in a more environmentally                sustainable fashion than it would otherwise."                                                                                                                   Michael Shelby, of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA,                 Washington, DC) presented these research findings in a paper                    entitled __The Climate Change Implications of Eliminating US                    Energy (and Related) Subsidies__ presented on 6 September 1995 to               the __Conference on Evaluating Energy Subsidies, Information for                Today's Policy Choices__.  Shelby coauthored the paper with                     Robert Shackleton and Alexander Cristofaro of the EPA; and                      Malcolm Shealy a Senior Analyst at Decision Focus, Inc.                         (Washington, DC).                                                                                                                                               They looked only at a "well-defined set of conventional subsidies               to the energy sector" along with some large subsidies outside                   that sector having an important impact on energy use.  The EPA                  sponsored two studies using different models to estimate the                    implications of subsidies for emissions.                                                                                                                        ENERGY SECTOR SUBSIDIES                                                                                                                                         Within the energy sector, subsidies contributing most to higher                 greenhouse gas emissions are low interest loans to the Rural                    Utility Service (formerly the Rural Electrification                             Administration), the tax-exempt status of municipal utilities,                  the percentage depletion allowance (for land from which fossil                  fuels are extracted), tax breaks for power-marketing agencies                   (such as the Tennessee Valley Authority), and government                        contributions to the Black-Lung Trust Fund and the Abandoned Mine               Reclamation Fund.                                                                                                                                               The two models produced widely divergent estimates of the impacts               of eliminating all energy sector subsidies.  One model, which                   suggested that the subsidies currently amount to about $9.4                     billion, estimated that their elimination would reduce annual                   emissions by 12 MtC in 2010.  For comparison, the Energy                        Information Administration estimates that total US emissions in                 2010 (without eliminating all of the subsidies) would be 1,621                  MtC.  For 2035, the model indicates that subsidy elimination                    could cut emissions by 46 MtC (2% of year 2035 emissions).                                                                                                      The other model, however, estimates that energy sector subsidies                total $15.4 billion and that their elimination would reduce                     annual emissions by about 64 MtC in 2010.  The second model finds               that subsidy elimination becomes much more important in the                     longer term and by 2050 could contribute 30% of the emissions                   reduction required to stabilize emissions by that year.                                                                                                         TRANSPORTATION SUBSIDIES OFFER "LARGEST POTENTIAL"                                                                                                              This research also identifies very important subsidies provided                 to activities outside the energy sector, particularly in                        transportation. Among all subsidies considered in the models,                   those provided for parking and highways offer the largest                       potential for reducing emissions.  Eliminating highway subsidies                could in 2010 reduce CO2 emissions by 33 million metric tons of                 carbon (MtC) below what they otherwise would be in 2010.                        Eliminating parking subsidies would cut another 19 MtC.  These                  subsidies offer the largest emissions reductions __per dollar of                subsidy removed__, placing them among "the most attractive of the               options" presented.                                                                                                                                             In a distant third place (regarding potential emissions impacts)                are housing subsidies in the form of tax preferences.                           Eliminating housing subsidies would affect construction in ways                 tending to reduce energy use in the residential sector.  But the                existing stock of houses is so large that changes in new home                   construction can have initially only a relatively small impact on               overall energy use in the residential sector.                                                                                                                   Consequently, elimination of the residential subsidies would                    yield only a 5 MtC reduction in annual CO2 emissions by 2010 -- a               small reduction compared to what can be achieved by eliminating                 transportation subsidies during the same period.  "What remains                 unknown," the authors cautiously add, "is whether a more                        dispersed pattern of land use is encouraged by the favorable tax                treatment of housing, and whether this pattern of land use, in                  turn, causes more energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from                  vehicular travel."                                                                                                                                              POTENTIAL LIMITED BY POLITICS                                                                                                                                   As with all models, underlying assumptions must be considered                   carefully in interpreting results.  The modelers assumed                        subsidies would be eliminated quickly enough to affect emissions                beginning in 1995.  Eliminating subsidies, in fact, would                       probably take years -- if they could be eliminated at all.                                                                                                      Although subsidies offer tantalizing targets for those trying to                cut deficits or limit greenhouse gas emissions, they are                        notoriously persistent and difficult to reduce or eliminate.                    They often enjoy popular support and promote widely-accepted                    objectives.  The authors conclude that subsidies should                         nevertheless be reconsidered in response to emerging                            environmental concerns such as climate change.  But given the                   practical and political difficulties associated with tackling the               subsidies, any emission reductions would be pushed much further                 into the future than the current research seems to suggest.                                                                                                     SOURCES                                                                                                                                                         Shelby, Michael, Robert Shackleton, Malcolm Shealy and Alexander                Cristofaro, __The Climate Change Implications of Eliminating US                 Energy (and Related) Subsidies__, paper presented at Conference                 on __Evaluating Energy Subsidies, Information for Today's Policy                Choices__," held on 6-7 September 1995 in  Washington, DC.                      Conference sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy and                           Environmental Protection Agency.  For a copy or additional                      information, contact Michael Shelby, Energy and Transportation                  Sectors Division, Office of Policy Development,US EPA,  Room                    3020, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC  20460.  Tel: [phone]                 5492.  Fax: [phone].                                                                                                                                    United States Department of Energy, Energy Information                          Administration, __Annual Energy Outlook 1995; With Projections to               2010__ (Washington, DC: EIA, 1994), DOE/EIA-0383(95).                                                                                                           ADDITIONAL READING                                                                                                                                              Alliance to Save Energy, __A Comparison of the Subsidy Estimates                in the Alliance to Save Energy's Federal Energy Subsidies.                      Energy, Environmental, and Fiscal Impacts and the Energy                        Information Administration's Federal Energy Subsidies: Direct and               Indirect Interventions in Energy Markets__ (Washington, D.C.:                   Alliance to Save Energy, 1993).                                                                                                                                 Koplow, Douglas N., __Federal Energy Subsidies.  Energy,                        Environmental, and Fiscal Impacts__ (Washington, D.C.: The                      Alliance to Save Energy, 1993); available for $20 from the                      Alliance to Save Energy, 1725 K Street NW, Suite 914, Washington,               DC 20006-1401, USA.  Tel: [phone].  Fax: [phone].                  The main volume, which itself contains a detailed Appendix A, is                supplemented by a two volume Appendix B which presents in detail                the data and the methodology which supports the analysis.                       Appendix B is available separately.                                                                                                                             United States, Department of Energy, Energy Information                         Administration, __Federal Energy Subsidies: Direct and Indirect                 Interventions in Energy Markets__ (Washington, D.C.: Energy                     Information Administration, November 1992).                                                                                                                     @START@IPCC REPORTS ON THE WEB                                                                                                                                  IPCC REPORTS ON THE WEB                                                                                                                                         Four key reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate                      Change are soon will be available on the World Wide Web.  The                   documents, part of the IPCC __Second Assessment Report__ are                    the __Synthesis Report__ and the 3 __Summaries for                              Policymakers__ (from Working Groups I, II, and III.  They will                  be posted Web at http://www.unep.ch/ipcc/ipcc95.html.                                                                                                           The IPCC told __Global Change__ that 2 of the Summaries for                     Policymakers (from WGI and WGIII) would be posted by the end                    of the day on 21 December 1995.  WG I covers the science of                     climate change and WGIII focuses on economics and social                        dimensions.  The other two documents will be posted at a later                  date as a few things must be cleared-up beforehand.                                                                                                             @START@OLDEST GERMINATING SEED                                                                                                                                  OLDEST GERMINATING SEED-Scientists grew a tiny green shoot from a               1,288-year old seed from China.  It is thought to be the oldest seed            ever germinated, and it may yield clues on how to slow aging.  "This            sleeping beauty, which was already there when Marco Polo came to China          in the 13th century, must have a powerful genetic system to delay its           aging," said Jane Shen-Miller, a plant physiologist at the University of        California at Los Angeles.  "It is unbelievable it could sleep for              thousands of years and in four days a little green shoot emerged."  The         research began in 1982 when Shen-Miller obtained a few brown,                   oval-shaped, marble-sized lotus seeds from the Beijing Institute of             Botany.  In 1983, Shen-Miller filed through the hard shells of four of          the seeds and watched three of them sprout.  She then burned the                seedlings to obtain radiocarbon dates.  The oldest was 1,288 years old.         The researches cited several reasons for the seeds' longevity, including        a thick shell that protected the seed from air and water and the                presence of L-isoaspartyl methyltransferase enzyme, a protein-repair            enzyme found in humans and elsewhere in nature.  Further analysis could         offer clues to plant and animal longevity, the researcher said.                                                                                                 @START@OZONE DEPLETION                                                                                                                                          OZONE DEPLETION-The hole in the earth's protective ozone shield grew to         an area twice the size of Europe at its peak during October, growing at         an unprecedented rate during 1995.  The World Meteorological                    Organization said the ozone hole over Antarctica began to grow earlier          than usual this year as well.  "During the entire winter-spring season          of 1995, major ozone deficiencies of more than 10 percent have also been        observed over the northern middle latitudes, expanding to a record 35           percent, over Siberia," Rumen Bojkov, World Meteorological Organization         expert, told a preparatory meeting in Vienna.  The southern ozone hole          results in a 60 percent decrease in the total ozone concentration over          Antarctica.                                                                                                                                                     @START@GLOBAL WARMING UPDATE                                                                                                                                    GLOBAL WARMING UPDATE-The Earth's average surface temperature climbed to        a record last year, according to preliminary figures, bolstering                scientists' sense that the burning of fossil fuels is warming the               climate.  Spells of cold, snow and ice like ones this winter in the             northeastern United States come and go in one region or another, as do          periods of unusual warmth.  But the net result of these local variations        was to make 1995 the warmest year globally since records first were kept        in 1856, says a provisional report issued by the British Meteorological         Office and the University of East Anglia.  The average temperature was          58.7 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the British data, seven-hundredths        of a degree higher than the previous record, established in 1990.  The          British figures, based on land and sea measurements around the world,           are on of two sets of long-term data by which surface temperature trends        are being tracked.  The other, maintained by the NASA Goddard Institute         for Space Studies in New York, shows the average 1995 temperature at            59.7 degrees, slightly ahead of 1990 as the warmest year since 1866.            But the difference is within the margin of sampling error, and the two          years essentially finished neck and sunburned neck. The two figures             differ somewhat because they are based on different combination of              surface temperature observations around the world.  One year does not a         trend make, but the British figures reveal the years 1991 through 1995          to be warmer than any similar five-year period, including the two               half-decades of the 1980s, the warmest decade in the record to date.            This is so even though a sun-reflecting haze cast aloft by the 1991             eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines cooled the Earth                  substantially for about two years.  Quoted off the record, a leading            scientists said, "By the year 2,000, global warming will be so obvious,         that we will see major food disruptions and energy shortages.  This is          an incredible amount of fool-hardiness, because free-energy devices are         well established by our clandestine Research and Development                    departments, but are withheld for commercial uses because of the oil            companies control over the economy. The petrol-chemical industries are          reaping in billions of dollars a day in profits, at the expense of the          human race.  But what else is new!"  Would you say these are false              profits or false prophets?                                                                                                                                      @START@GROUNDWATER MAILING LIST                                                                                                                                 ANNOUNCING:    GROUNDWATER and GROUNDWATER-DIGEST                               A New Internet Mailing List.                                                                                                                                    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Kenneth E. Bannister                                                            List-Owner                                                                      GROUNDWATER                                                                     @START@Games in Win95 MS-DOS Mode Mini-FAQ                                                                                                                      Games in Win95 MS-DOS Mode Mini-FAQ                                                                                                                             Version 1.0, 21 Dec 1995                                                                                                                                        I have seen a number of requests from people interested in running              DOS games that are memory hogs under Win95 MS-DOS mode.  So I thought           I'd put this in a more respectable form that can be modified and                added to as people find new tricks.  Please send comments or additions          to Rob Eiben ([e-mail]).                                                                                                                                       1.  How can I run a game in MS-DOS mode?                                        2.    What are the different levels of MS-DOS mode?                                3.    How do I specify special CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files?                  4.    How do I make a prompt to optimize memory settings?                          5.    Can I run MemMaker in MS-DOS mode?                                           6.  What exactly must I run in MS-DOS mode?                                     7.  How can I access compressed drives in MS-DOS mode?                                                                                                       --------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                           1.  How can I run a game in MS-DOS mode?                                                                                                                        The easiest way to run a game (or any program) in MS-DOS mode is to             create a shortcut to the program and at the Program tab, choose the             Advanced tab.  On this page, check the box that says, "MS-DOS Mode".            Of course this assumes you have already tried to run the program                in a regular Win95 DOS box.                                                                                                                                     2.  What are the different levels of MS-DOS mode?                                                                                                               The first level is merely checking the "MS-DOS Mode" box.  This will            give you access to your CD-ROM and compressed drives because a stub             of Win95 stays in memory.  You can also usually get >600k free with             this first level of compliance.  But some games (notably Steel                  Panthers) still do not perform well at this level.                                                                                                              The next level is to specify special CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT                files.  If you do this, Win95 will shut down and reboot using the               CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT commands that you type into the two                 boxes on the Program\Advanced page.  At this level you have no                  access to Win95 functionality and must provide all drivers and                  TSRs in your specific files.                                                                                                                                    3.  How do I specify special CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files?                                                                                                 If your program does not need much tweaking, you can take the                   default CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT that Win95 provides and use                 the Configuration button to select several options:  EMS, disk                  cache, MS-DOS command line editor, direct disk access.  Soundscape              owners can also set MT-32 mode here.  Other peripherals may add                 options to this list.  Remember, though that the Configuration                  button will wipe any changes you made to the specific AUTOEXEC.BAT              and CONFIG.SYS files.                                                                                                                                           Usually, though, if your program does not run in straight MS-DOS                mode, these settings will not help either.  In addition, these                  do not give you access to your CD-ROM, compressed drive, or                     VESA driver, nor do they load anything high.  Often by this time                you will usually want to modify things yourself. Since Win95 reboots            you to DOS at this level, you must specify everything to access                 your computer (HIMEM, EMM386, Mouse, CD-ROM, Compression, VESA,                 etc.)  You can figure them out and type them into the boxes or                  you can use the snazzy prompt method outlined below.                                                                                                                                                                                            4.  How do I make a prompt to optimize memory settings?                                                                                                         An easy way to debug MS-DOS mode is to point the Program\Cmd line:              to C:\Windows\Command.Com.  When the system reboots, you will find              a CONFIG.SYS and an AUTOEXEC.BAT in your root directory.  These                 are what you typed in the boxes in the shortcut for MS-DOS mode.                In addition, any changes you make to these files with the MS-DOS                editor will be reflected in the shortcut when you EXIT back                     to windows 95.  Also, if you reboot, Win95 will take you back to                this DOS prompt (until you hit ESC at the bootup or type EXIT                   from the DOS prompt).  Thus you can tweak to your heart's content,              just like you were in regular DOS.  When you have your settings                 tweaked, change the Program\Cmd line: to the name of your program.              I also like to leave a shortcut to the prompt so that I can get                 to the real DOS command line when I want.                                                                                                                       5.  Can I run MemMaker in MS-DOS mode?                                                                                                                          Yes.  There is a copy of MemMaker on the Windows CD-ROM in                      E:\other\oldmsdos.  You will need to copy the following to your                 C:\Windows directory:                                                                                                                                               ChkState.Sys                                                                    MemMaker.Exe                                                                    MemMaker.Inf (may not be necessary)                                             MemMaker.Hlp (may not be necessary)                                             Sizer.Exe                                                                                                                                                   Win95 will add some lines to the AUTOEXEC.BAT to run the DOS prompt             and then to get you back to windows when you type EXIT at the prompt:                                                                                           C:\Windows\Command ...                                                          C:\Windows\Win /XW ...                                                                                                                                          Before you run MemMaker, you should REM these lines out, as well as             any programs that don't stay resident (like SSINIT.EXE for the                  Soundscape.)  If you don't REM the above lines out, when the Command            processor is started again, MemMaker cannot complete its analysis               and you'll be dumped to the DOS prompt.                                                                                                                         Also, MemMaker did not seem to do well in optimizing the DRVSPACE.SYS           driver (probably because of its size).                                                                                                                          6.  What exactly must I run in MS-DOS mode?                                                                                                                     You must specify everything if you choose to specify your own special           CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT.  That includes, HiMem, EMM386, SmartDrv,           your compression driver (DRVSPACE.SYS for most), CD-ROM, Mouse,                 VESA, and Soundcard drivers. Win95 will provide you with (almost) no            functionality.  For the exception, see the next question.                                                                                                       7.  How can I access compressed drives in MS-DOS mode?                                                                                                          According to the Win95 Resource Kit, the new IO.SYS program will                automatically load DRVSPACE.SYS (which loads either DBLSPACE.BIN                or DRVSPACE.BIN depending on which you use) at bootup.  The default             setting is to load this 100k driver into low DOS memory, a sure                 kill for any game.                                                                                                                                              To load this driver high, you must specify it on a DEVICEHIGH line              like so:                                                                                                                                                        DEVICEHIGH=C:\windows\command\drvspace.sys /MOVE                                                                                                                This will override the IO.SYS loading the driver low and will attempt           to place it in high memory.  Note, you must have enough high memory             to do this.                                                                                                                                                     It might seem reasonable to change the Win95 default CONFIG.SYS to              load this driver with DEVICEHIGH all the time, even when you boot               Win95.  But according to a knowledgebase article, specifying the                DEVICEHIGH causes Win95 to be unable to unload the 16-bit *.BIN                 driver when the 32-bit *.VXD driver loads.  Thus every Win95 DOS                box will be saddled with a loss of 100k of upper memory.  Thus you              should only load this driver with DEVICEHIGH when you are                       specifying an MS-DOS mode box.  Loading the driver with DEVICE will             allow Win95 to unload the 16-bit driver when the 32-bit driver                  loads later in the Win95 boot process.                                                                                                                          SAMPLES                                                                                                                                                         Here are the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files that enabled me to               run Steel Panthers with 585k free on a compressed drive.  Steel                 Panthers does not use EMS, so in order to modify these to provide               EMS memory, change the NOEMS line of the EMM386.EXE line to RAM.                With EMS support, I could only get 540k free.  Note that some of                these lines were modified by MemMaker.  Change them where needed.                                                                                               <CONFIG.SYS>                                                                    DOS=SINGLE                                                                      DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\Himem.Sys                                                     DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=B000-B7FF                                  BUFFERS=21,0                                                                    FILES=30                                                                        DOS=UMB, HIGH                                                                   LASTDRIVE=H                                                                     FCBS=4,0                                                                        REM The drivespace driver                                                       DEVICEHIGH=C:\windows\command\drvspace.sys /MOVE                                REM My CD-ROM driver                                                            DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND\D011V110.SYS /D:MSCD000 /P:170M /I:15 /V                                                                                          <AUTOEXEC.BAT>                                                                  SET TMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP                                                         SET TEMP=C:\WINDOWS\TEMP                                                        SET PROMPT=$p$g                                                                 SET winbootdir=C:\WINDOWS                                                       SET MSINPUT=D:\Apps\Mouse                                                       REM MSCDex, The mouse, and the VESA driver                                      LH C:\Windows\Command\MSCDex.exe /D:MSCD000 /L:E                                LH D:\apps\mouse\MOUSE.exe /Q                                                   LH C:\Windows\Command\Univbe.exe                                                SET PATH=C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\COMMAND                                          REM The following is added by the Soundscape driver and is not                  REM memory resident.  Ignore this if you don't have a Soundscape.               SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM                                                  SET BLASTER=A220 Ixx Dx T1                                                      SET SNDSCAPE=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM                                                  D:\APPS\SNDSCAPE\SSInit /I                                                                                                                                      @START@Galactic Civilizations 2 review                                                                                                                          My Galactic Civilizations 2 package arrived in the mail today, along with       a copy of David Brin's latest book, a music CD I'd ordered, a package           from my sister, and a copy of OS/2 Magazine.  Far too much stuff to deal        with!  Of course, the GC 2 game was high on my priorities list, though          I've at least glanced at the other stuff.  Anyhow, here's a review,             based upon about three hours' of play.                                                                                                                          In brief, the game includes quite a few nice improvements over the 1.07         version, but it's also got enough bugs and design flaws that I'd                probably return it if I'd bought it in a store and didn't know that             Stardock is pretty good about upgrading their software.  In other words,        I'm counting on Stardock fixing the numerous problems with the game.            Once that's done, it'll be a good product.                                                                                                                      This review assumes that the reader is at least passingly familiar with         GC 1.                                                                                                                                                           My system:                                                                      ----------                                                                                                                                                      AMD 486DX2/66 CPU in an ASUS PCI-486SP3G motherboard                            16MB RAM                                                                        NEC CDR-84 2x SCSI CD-ROM connected to NCR controller on motherboard            Cardex Challenger ET4000/W32p PCI video board, 1MB RAM, 1024x768x256 mode       miroCONNECT 34 wave Mwave-based sound board                                                                                                                     Warp "Red Box" version with FixPack 16 installed                                miro 1.33 Mwave driver CD, but with 1.0-level audio support from the              /pub/mobiles directory on ftp.pcco.ibm.com (later Mwave audio drivers           crash GalCiv 1.07)                                                            W32SML1 small fonts WPS modification                                                                                                                            My game:                                                                        --------                                                                                                                                                        I've started a game with all five AI players, set at "dumb" and                 "average" intelligence levels.  One is set to be "evil," another to             "good," and the remaining three are at "random."  I'm playing in a              medium-sized universe.  I normally go for larger games and more                 intelligent players, but I thought I'd start small and simple for the           first game.                                                                                                                                                     So far, I've explored about 75% of the galaxy and have about fifteen            colony worlds.  I've encountered three of the other civilizations.                                                                                              First, the good stuff:                                                          ----------------------                                                                                                                                          - The packaging is about a 100,000,000% improvement over the GC 1                 packaging.  The art on the box and the manual are both high-quality.            (Though Stardock nearly lost a customer, since I was skimming through           the manual while eating lunch, and might easily have choked to death            in laughter at the first mention of a specific name for a governor.)          - The overall level of artwork in the game is higher than what's present          in 1.07.  The various aliens, planetscapes, etc., are all much nicer.           So are some of the ships, though others look rather silly (I can't              help but think that the colony ships now look like matchsticks, for             instance).                                                                    - The new music is, in general, better than that in 1.07.  The extent of          improvement in this realm will depend upon the sound card, though, as           all the music in GC 2 seems to come as .WAV files, whereas GC 1 used            MIDI for most (but not all) music, and MIDI files will sound very               different on different sound cards.  (My miro board is pretty good in           this respect, so others may be overwhelmed by the improvement in                sound, whereas I was only impressed.)  Aside from the technical aspect          of sound quality, the scores are better for GC 2, as well, at least             IMHO.                                                                         - There are new ships and changes to the technology tree.  Whether this           is positive in an absolute sense remains to be seen, but it does break          old habits.                                                                   - Ship range limits add a new dimension to the game strategy.  So far,            I'm still in the colonization phase and so don't have any first-hand            experience with how this might impact military strategy.  It seems              that I've hit a "brick wall," though, as between sectors colonized              entirely by aliens and deep space sectors, I've colonized as far as             I can, short of conquest.  I imagine that random factors in star                placement will have serious impacts on different games in this                  respect, far more so than in GC 1.                                                                                                                            The bad stuff:                                                                  --------------                                                                                                                                                  GC 2 is, in many ways, superior to GC 1; but it's got a few design flaws        and a large number of bugs, which I'll enumerate here.                                                                                                          Design flaws:                                                                   -------------                                                                                                                                                   - The game installs a GALCIV.INI file to the root directory of the C:             drive.  The temporary GC save file is also stored here.  As far as I            can tell, there's no way to get these put someplace more reasonable.            IMHO, this is a real blunder.  Programs have to store such things               somewhere, of course, but they should be able to put their clutter              in a directory the user specifies.  That's what subdirectories were             created for, and this practice harkens back to CP/M and PC-DOS 1.0.             I expect OS/2 programs to be better-behaved than this.  This flaw is            particularly annoying for me, since my C: partition is a small FAT              partition that I devote to DOS programs that won't run under OS/2,              so the ~700K taken up by the clutter GalCiv dumps there is significant.       - When loading or saving a game, GC 2 defaults to the root directory              of the CD-ROM drive.  This forces changing the drive letter and                 wending one's way through directories to the desired destination                directory, which is a nuissance.                                              - Attempts to change the default directory by changing the "working               directory" for the program object results in an un-runnable program;            OS/2 complains that it can't run the program.                                 - Attempts to directly load a saved game and bypass the directory-                changing behavior by drag-and-dropping a saved game also fail.                - Saved games still consume ~700K of disk space each (long-time GC                players have been asking for compressed saved games for a long                  time).                                                                                                                                                        Bugs:                                                                           -----                                                                                                                                                           - The GCMOVIE.AVI that comes on the CD doesn't run on my system; it               gives me code 5515 errors, just like the GC preview AVI "ad"                    movie did.  (Playing without a sound driver revealed that this AVI              is identical to the ad, except that it lacks the Stardock contact               information at the end.)                                                      - The game has locked up OS/2 twice when starting it.  I've not yet               tracked this down completely, but I suspect it's related to                     failed attempts to start it (as in the various design flaws,                    above); subsequent attempts often lock up OS/2.                               - Once, I got the scientific breakthrough music and a grey screen, but            the game was totally unresponsive.  Hitting <Ctrl-Esc> eventually               brought up an OS/2 dialog to the effect that a WPS folder was                   unresponsive, with one option only:  to kill it.  When I did, the               WPS restarted and GC continued, though much of the scientific                   breakthrough text was undecipherable.                                         - The colors look really bad.  Specifically, text in a dialog box is              often surrounded by an area that's a different color than the rest              of the dialog box, which looks pretty bad, like an amateur cut-and-             paste operation.  I saw something similar with GC 1.07 after I                  installed FixPack 16, so I suspect this is related to that FixPack.           - (This one may not be a bug at all.)  At the start of the game, the              Rebels already held a planet (it was #1 on the top planets list).               When I found the system they held, I discovered that they had                   colonized a Class 3 planet in a system which had a Class 21 planet              available.  Do the Rebels really have the IQ of an eggplant, or is              this a bug?  Or did the game perhaps dump an AI player on that                  armpit of a planet, and that resulted in an instant rebellion?                - Some planet surface views (e.g., Class 1) look really bad at 256                colors.  (All of them looked bad when I first started the program, but          changing the defaults to 256-color mode fixed this for most of them.)         - Some low-class planets don't have surface views at all.  (This may              not be a bug, though; most of these look like gas giants, which may             justifiably be said to not have surfaces.)                                    - Text placement in some dialogs (like the scientific breakthrough                dialog) is poor with the small fonts modification I'm using.  (This             problem is not specific to GC 2, though; it's present in GC 1.07                and in other programs, too.)                                                  - If a trading encounter occurs during the course of a turn (e.g., the            freighter enters the alien star system on autopilot), the trade music           continues until it runs out.  (I've only had one trade encounter so             far, so this may be a more general design flaw.)                              - I ran the program successfully two or three times.  On one of these             attempts, I found that the screen was clearing to 100% white each time          I entered a new destination for a ship.  This is hard on the eyes.              This didn't happen the other times I ran the program, though, and I             don't know what might have been different in my runs to cause it.             - The star map doesn't always re-draw itself.  This problem is                    especially prevalent when the above white flash occurs.                       - The colonization event involving the dinosaur-like creatures didn't             have an associated graphic.                                                                                                                                   General comments:                                                               -----------------                                                                                                                                               Overall, although I like the improvements in the game, I'm VERY                 disappointed in the stability and number of bugs and design flaws               present.  I've used a lot of commercial and beta-release products, and          GC 2 more closely resembles the latter than the former.  Stardock has           shown that it supports and upgrades its products, though, so I've hope          that GC 2 will receive bug fixes, hopefully soon.  I suppose part of my         disappointment comes from the fact that Brad Wardell posted so many             messages extolling the stability and bug-free-ness of GC 2, and now that        I have it in my hands, I find that it's buggier than any 1.0x release           I've seen.  In fact, though I'm reluctant to draw the comparison because        it's so negative, GC 2 reminds me of WordPerfect 5.2 for OS/2 in its            bugginess.  I'll hasten to add, though, that Stardock has proven itself         to be a more reputable firm than WordPerfect Corp. was before it was            taken over by Novell.                                                                                                                                           Many of the bugs, however, seem to be or at least might conceivably be          related to FixPack 16, drivers, etc.  This makes me think that the cause        of the problems is inadequate testing on different machine                      configurations at Stardock.  I'd urge them to invest a few dollars in a         wider variety of hardware, especially sound and video cards; and to keep        different OS/2 versions on different machines for testing purposes.  A          few comments from Brad make me think that they currently only have              SoundBlaster sound cards, so of course it's not surprising that an              occasional glitch will show up on other hardware.  Unfortunately, this          gives a very bad impression and is very annoying to customers having            other configurations.  [PAS, OPTi, and Mwave owners have all reported           problems with the GC 2 preview "ad" AVI file, for instance.]  I've also         just backed out of my FixPack 16 install, and I'll see if GC 2 behaves          any better without it (using FixPack 5, my previous configuration).                                                                                             Overall, I'd have to advise anybody who hasn't yet bought GC 2 to hold          off until a bug-fixed version appears.  This is especially true because         the size of the executable (2.1MB) and .DLLs (many more megabytes) means        that a disk-based update will consume a substantial amount of disk              space.  (Of course, if Stardock offers to ship new CDs to customers at          minimal cost, that may help matters.)  I'd like to urge Stardock to have        the next release beta-tested before shipping it, and I offer my own             services in that regard.                                                                                                                                                            --Rod Smith                                                                                      [e-mail]                                                                                                                                @START@Stars! Basic Strategy, Issue #2                                                                                                                          Stars! v2.x Basic Strategy Guide, Issue #2                                      **********************************************************************                                                                                          General/Interface Tips:                                                         --------------------------                                                                                                                                      From: Stars! Master Jim Sun                                                                                                                                     Set up a mining operation such that the mining ships                            dig up slightly more than the transports can carry in a round-trip              period; the excess will be left on the planet surface, easy to pick up          by special human dispatched transports.  eg:                                                                                                                    My home world Emperial Gate lacks germanium, but the uninhabitable              planet Uranium 5 light-years has a 30 million ton germanium reserve.            So by mid-game, I have enough miners on Uranium to dig up slightly              over 600kt germanium every year; then I set one transport (a large              freighter) to "load from fleet" at Uranium (set target to the mining            fleet), and "quick drop" at Emperial Gate; repeat.  Besides this "EG-U          Express," every once in a few years I manually dispatch a transport to          haul the excess germanium on Uranium surface to another planet of mine          that need some germanium supplement.                                                                                                                            From: Stars! Master Rick Steeves                                                                                                                                Instead, keep sending mining ships to that planet, with orders to               "merge with fleet" (your mining fleet).  Set transports to "Fleet               Load" from the mining fleet (not the planet, so that when you strip             the planet and have the mining fleet move, the transports will                  follow".  On the "Quick drop" leg of the transports Repeat action               journey, change the fuel requirements from "Load Optimal" to "Load              exactly" and have it be enough to get to the miners empty, and back             when full of cargo. This prevents the dreaded "Out of Fuel" message             when the miners strip the planet of all of the fuel.                                                                                                            From: Barry Kearns, Editor                                                                                                                                      There's a REASON that the speed gauge changes color when you step it            up to Warp 10.....  Your ship WILL take damage and may very likely              EXPLODE if you try to go that fast!  Unless, of course, you select no           ramscoops and get the Interspace-10 engine...                                                                                                                   Strategic/Tactical Tips:                                                        --------------------------                                                                                                                                      From: Barry Kearns, Editor                                                                                                                                      >Does anyone have any idea how much damage                                      >self-destructing ships cause?  It seems as if it would depend on               >something--the ship's weight, if nothing else, but I have no idea what.                                                                                        Lots.  A lot more than you might think.  I've had to drastically                revise several of my strategies to take suicide runs into account.              The damage done by a self-destruct is an area-effect weapon with a              radius of 4!  (This means it damages EVERY ship within 4 squares).              The damage fall-off is 100% in the target square, 50% for 1 square              away, 25% at two squares, 12.5% at three and 6.25% at 4 squares.                That may not seem like much, but take a gander at how the raw damage            is figured.  Raw damage is computed as the greater of the ship's mass           (less cargo & fuel) OR the ship's RATING.  Check your ship designer.            I've got some ships in there with ratings of OVER 10,000!  That's               right, an area effect weapon doing 10,000 points of damage to every             token in the same square, and plenty to the surroundings as well.                                                                                               You can take out a LOT of an incoming bombing fleet with a successful           self-destruct.  But you've got to survive long enough to close with             the enemy before you detonate (Overthrusters help here..) and keep in           mind that you may be quite likely to lose a lot of YOUR ships in the            process.                                                                                                                                                        My number-one defense tactic against an incoming bomber fleet is to             station five fleets of single Cruisers with Epsilon Torps and                   Overthrusters set to Self-Destruct at Medium range.  I find that at             least one seems to survive long enough to blow most of the enemy                fleet, including all of the bombers, sky-high.                                                                                                                  Counter-strategy:                                                               My favorite method for taking out suicide squadrons is to send swarms           of "mites" ahead of my invading fleets.  Since the kamikazes will               detonate regardless of the VALUE of the enemy ships, I can make quite           cost-effective tradeoffs in taking these guys out.  Any kamikazes that          are fast enough to be effective against my squadrons with initiative            15 are also expensive enough that the insignificant cost of my "cannon          fodder" shock wave makes for a quite-effective defense.                                                                                                         Ship/Starbase Design Tips:                                                      --------------------------                                                                                                                                      From: Barry Kearns, Editor                                                                                                                                      >    First, why do several of the ship designs have multiple slots for          >scanners and/or cloaks? My experience has been that you only need one          >of either item to get scanning/cloaking ability.  Is there an extra            >benefit for extra scanners/cloaks or this there something I'm missing?         >Or are the extra slots useless?                                                                                                                                In Version 2.0, both cloaking devices AND scanners are cumulative.              Try building a particular ship model with one cloak, check the "%               cloaked" indicator for that fleet (just the one ship), then add a               second cloak and do the same again.  Same with scanners.                                                                                                        From: Stars! Master Jim Sun                                                                                                                                     The frigate is good for acting as fleet eyes, like carrying scanners            for the combined fleet; a few torps are also handy.  That's of course           assuming you don't have meta morph hulls at our disposal.  Frigate              hull is also the ideal platform for mine-layers (when you don't have            MM hull); it delivers the most number of mine despensers per cost.                                                                                              The problem with destroyer hull is that you can't have both thrusters           and shields at the same time; the lack of shield makes the ship                 unscalable; besides, to keep the destroyer under 100kt, you will have           to use energy tech armors, which consumes a lot of germanium, which is          the limiting factor when you start building a beam-weapon based navy.                                                                                           Race Customization Tips:                                                        --------------------------                                                                                                                                      From: Barry Kearns, Editor                                                                                                                                      One of the options to keep in mind when designing your custom race is           the potential for selecting "Only Basic Remote Mining".  This gives             a good-sized point boost in exchange for giving up all except mini-             miner capabilities.  However, it is the ADDED bonus of a 10% boost in           the upper population limit for each planet that I find makes this               option so attractive.  Keep in mind, however, that Hyper Expansion              DOES NOT get this 10% bonus, they are limited to 50% of planet                  capacity.                                                                                                                                                       From: Barry Kearns, Editor                                                                                                                                      Haven't made ANY customization changes yet?  Consider the following             tradeoff:  If you set ALL of your research costs to +25%, this gives            almost enough points to take your population per resource from 1000             down to 800, the lower limit.  The net effect of this is that your              research can grow at the same rate (costs 25% more, but colonists also          produce 25% more...), but there will be more resources available for            non-research purposes.   Note that this tip is NOT universally                  accepted,                                                                       as "sound" and may be considered BAD advice by some...  Stars! Master           Dorn Peterson prefers to distribute the points in a more "growth"               fashion, rather than specifically choosing pop/resource = 800....               see the next entry for his perspective:                                                                                                                         From:  Stars! Master Dorn Peterson                                                                                                                              I take research is 25% more expensive in all fields and spend the               points on items that make me grow faster.  I only have to be 25%                bigger than my opponents for this to come out as an even trade, and             then those 25% more resources allow me to build 25% more ships (of              course I hope and plan to make the extra growth make me be a lot MORE           than 25% bigger than my opponents.)                                                                                                                             @START@XCom Enhanced Play - Reanimation (fwd)                                                                                                                                             -The Reanimation Enhancement-                                                         (revised 1/16/96)                                                              (spoilers included)                                                                                                              I would like contribute to the thread XCom Enhanced Play what I call the        _Reanimation Enhancement_ for XCOM1/UFO.  This enhancement is based on use      of the "reanimation" function of the utility, ufoedi12.exe (previously          ufoedi11.exe) by Marco Kaiser ([e-mail]).  Ufoedi12 does not    work with TFTD, but I have used it very successfully with XCom1 and             recommend it highly.  Many players have been requesting rescue missions in      future XCom games; this enhancement offers some of that flavor.                                                                                                 Ufoedi12 allows the player to "reanimate" any troops that have been killed      in battle.  This alone is not much fun, but the reanimation enhancement I       propose here creates a way to "earn" a reanimation of a fallen soldier:  For    each _alien medic_ the XCom force captures alive and completely                 interrogates, the player is allowed to exit XCom1 and reanimate one dead        soldier of his choice using ufoedi12.                                                                                                                           Alien medics can be found only among the Floaters and Sectoids.  On the         beginner difficulty level at which the program bug forces all players to        operate, two alien medics are aboard each abductor vessel staffed by            Floaters or Sectoids.  My information indicates that there is one alien         medic at each of the following sites:  alien bases, battleships/assaults on     friendly bases, harvesters, terror ships/terror sites, and supply ships.                                                                                        -Tactics and Weapons-                                                                                                                                           Wouldn't it be fun to have a good reason to bring back some of your best        troops a while after losing them?  The greater need to capture aliens, to       allow reanimations, should lead to cases of heroism and sacrifice on the        part of rookies and squaddies, but beware of losing officers to revive other    officers.                                                                                                                                                       Much of the fun of the reanimation enhancement comes in the effect it has on    tactics and equipment.  When a ufo is encountered that most likely carries      an alien medic, take it undamaged, if possible, and properly equip the          assault craft.  Explosive weapons may kill a valuable medic accidently.         Thus the enhancement favors stun weapons - which tend to be underutilized       otherwise - motion scanners, and mind probes (although at least sometimes       the alien medic can be spotted carrying a stun launcher as a weapon).  Laser    weapons may be favored too, since as clipless weapons they conserve space on    assault craft needed for stun ammo.  Also, laser weapons are generally          effective against Floaters and Sectoids.                                                                                                                        Roles on the XCom assault team will include using scanners and mind probes,     stunning aliens, collecting and transporting them, and even serving as          stun-equipped guards when medics are taken early in missions.  Some of the      troops and tanks will use lethal weapons to eliminate non-essential, and        threatening, alien types, although care has to be taken against reaction        fire that might kill a medic.                                                                                                                                   -Reanimated Troops-                                                                                                                                             Troops reanimated by ufoedi12 reappear at their last bases.  They are           wearing their last armor, and are restored to any psionic training and          assault craft they were a part of before death.  This last aspect can create    anomalies, as sometimes the craft are no longer there - reassign these guys     - and craft can be overstaffed if the player is not careful.  Excess troops     arrive at battlescapes suspended outside of the assault craft.                                                                                                  Troops reanimated by ufoedi12 return with the rank of "squaddie."  For          officers and noncoms, accept this demotion as part of the concept of coming     back to life and into service, or use the soldier-edit feature of ufoedi12      to restore the soldier to original rank.                                                                                                                        You may want to use the same feature to promote immediately certain troops      for any outstanding heroism toward capturing an alien medic and thereby         reanimating a comrade.  This may be difficult, however, as battles sometimes    end before the player can notice who has done what.                                                                                                             -Complications and Details-                                                                                                                                     Expect to capture plenty of stunned aliens with this enhancement.  Try not      to interrogate all of them right away, since after a number of aliens have      been researched the XCom program will stop clearly reporting the results of     research on medics.  At this point the player can drop the enhancement, or      keep track outside of the program.  Also, later in the game captured medics     will not appear in containment facilities, necessitating similar measures.                                                                                      Since it is too easy to capture aliens using psionic power, if psionic power    is used against any alien medic, that medic cannot be used toward a             reanimation.  (You can disable psionic power altogether with Scott Jones'       xcomut31.zip utility.)  We might say that psionic mind control or panic         wipes out its knowledge of reanimation.                                                                                                                         If an experienced player finds capturing alien medics too easy, let _two_       medics, or a combination of alien races and specialist types, be the            prerequisite for a reanimation.                                                                                                                                 If the soldier.dat file is carried over from previous games, it will become     quite lengthy with names of killed and sacked soldiers.  Also, Marco Kaiser     says that XCom overwrites dead soldiers in the soldier.dat file when you        recruit new ones.                                                                                                                                               -Some Cites and Some Sites-                                                                                                                                     Thanks to MPS for XCom, even with bugs they won't fix, and to Marco Kaiser      for ufoedi12.  He says to find it at ftp.surfchem.kth.se/pub/xcom or            http://www.surfchem.kth.se/~aa/xcom/xcom.html with UFOEDI12.ZIP.  Thanks to     Scott Jones for xcomut31.zip (available at http://users.aol.com/stjones and     at ftp://users.aol.com in the stjones directory).                                                                                                               -Some Concepts-                                                                                                                                                 Thanks also to Andrew L'Amoureux ([e-mail]) for suggesting the      concept that a medic must be captured each time because "perhaps each           person's DNA, memories, and/or specific injuries vary so widely that            completely new research is required for each resurrection."  He also asks,      "How do you see this reanimation actually happening in game terms?                                                                                              The Dr. Frankenstein sew-pieces-back-together approach?                         The clone-the-body-and-reprogram-the-memories procedure from Car Wars?          The use-transporter-to-recreate-last-known-pattern method from Star Trek?       The recapture-lost-souls-with-ultra-tech-device routine from Riverworld?"                                                                                       . . . to which I reply, "clone and reprogram," I suppose.  Certainly we will    not use the _Pet Sematary_ routine.                                                                                                                             Lastly, he suggests, "How about re-naming resurrected soldiers?  Now            presenting:  Commander Tom Crossett IV, Colonel Shigeru Fugimoto VI, and        Squaddie Forrest Gump MCCXXVIII...."                                                                                                                            -Feedback-                                                                                                                                                      If you try the reanimation enhancement, mail me about your results and any      tricks you come up with.  I find it has the desired effect of adding            interest and suspense to the old routines of trying to kill all the aliens      and reloading disastrous missions.                                                                                                                              Frank Fairfax                                                                   ([e-mail])                                                                                                                                       @START@STONEKEEP: WEAPONS AND ARMOR FAQ                                                                                                                         STONEKEEP WEAPONS AND ARMOR FAQ VER 1.0                                                                                                                         by Barry Brook ([e-mail])                                                                                                                            The realm of Stonekeep provides a wide variety of weapons                      and armor for Drake and his companions to use in their                          quest. They are found scattered throughout the game,                            generally with the more powerful items found in the later                       stages.                                                                                                                                                          The following tables provide details on the weapons usage                      (one or two hands, missle, slashing, crushing, stabbing),                       and on the amount of damage they inflict. The damage index                      used is based on the initial strength of Drake (3 dots).                        As Drake's strength increases (to a maximum of 10 dots),                        the amount of damage the weapon inflicts increases from                         the standard table values in the following way:                                 Strength increased to: 4 (+3 to damage), 5(+6), 6(+10),                         7(+14), 8(+18), 9(+22), 10(+27).                                                So when Drake's strength has reached 10 dots, he will                           inflict up to 107 points each hit with the Shadow weapon.                       Now that's quite a body blow!                                                                                                                                    Agility affects the speed at which a weapon may be used                        (at maximum agility, I could swing the Shadow hammer twice                      a second!). Weapons skill affects the accuracy of your blows                    (to a maximum of 100% accuracy).                                                                                                                                 Different weapons are better at inflicting different types                     of damage. Monsters may be more susceptible to a particular                     type of force. For instance, slimes are hurt more by slashing                   than crushing, whereas skeletons take much more damage from                     crushing weapons than slashing ones. Don't concentrate on                       only one type of weapon, be flexible (get some skill in hammer                  and sword work!). Over all, I've found crushing weapons to                      be most useful, so make sure you specialize in the hammer!                                                                                                       Similarly, Armor is better at deflecting some forces over                      others. A general rule to follow is that armor is most                          effective against slashes, and least effective against stabs.                   The best armor combination I was able to achieve gave me a                      defense of Cut(32), Crush(27), Stab(26). Anyone done any                        better?                                                                                                                                                          Shields are a bit of a problem area. I haven't been able                       to quantify the their defense bonus, so I think they don't                      work quite the same as regular armor. Instead, I believe                        successful use of a shield actually deflects a blow                             completely. The better you are with a shield, the less likely                   you are to be hit. Shields range from wooden types, to leather                  throggish ones, circular metal (dwarven?) types, to the                         wedge-shaped magickal one given to you by the dwarven chief.                    I think I've listed them here in order of effectiveness.                                                                                                        The take home message for weapon utilization in Stonekeep is:                                                                                                   CONSIDER YOUR OPPONENT WHEN CHOOSING YOUR WEAPON, AND DON'T                     JUST STICK TO ONE TYPE!                                                                                                                                         Good luck!                                                                                                                                                             WEAPON TYPE        # HANDS   CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                                                                                                       MISSLE WEAPONS                                                                  Magical throwing axe         1       27      0       0                          Short bow & arrow            2       0       0       20                         Mechanimagickal gun          1       0       17      0                          Crossbow & bolt              2       0       8       15                         Throwing axe                 1       12      9       0                          Dart                         1       0       0       9                          Dagger (warm)                1       0       0       9                          Stone                        1       0       9       0                          Dagger (simple)              1       0       0       7                                                                                                          SLASHING WEAPONS                                                                Sword (shadow)               2       80      0       0                          Axe (shadow)                 1       43      43      0                          Sword (ice)                  1       18      0       0                          Sword (stone)                1       16      16      0                          Axe (battle)                 2       15      12      0                          Sword (long)                 1       15      0       0                          Axe (dwarven)                1       14      11      0                          Sword (dwarven)              1       11      9       0                          Sword (broad)                1       9       8       0                                                                                                          CRUSHING WEAPONS                                                                Hammer (shadow)              2       0       80      0                          Hammer (war)                 1       0       24      0                          Hammer (standard)            1       0       15      0                          Quarterstaff                 2       0       12      0                          Fist                         1       0       7       0                                                                                                          STABBING WEAPONS                                                                Dagger (shadow)              1       0       0       80                         Spear (shadow)               2       43      0       43                         Dagger (penetration)         1       0       0       30                         Pick (dwarven)               2       0       0       16                         Dagger (throggish)           1       0       0       13                         Pick (sharga)                2       0       0       13                         Sword (throggish)            1       10      0       10                         Ballista bolt                2       9       0       10                         Sword (sharga)               1       8       0       8                                                                                                          ARMOR TYPES                                                                     Breastplate (ancient)                15      10      10                         Breastplate (plate)                  10      7       7                          Leggings (ancient)                   8       8       8                          Shirt (magickal chain)               8       5       3                          Leggings (plate)                     7       5       5                          Leggings (faerie)                    7       3       3                          Helm (ancient)                       5       5       4                          Shirt (chain mail)                   5       3       1                          Helm (eastern)                       3       3       2                          Skirt (chain mail)                   3       2       1                          Helm (Jesters)                       2       2       2                          Helm (dwarven)                       2       2       1                          Breastplate (leather)                2       1       1                          Ring (armor)                         1       1       1                          Leggings (leather)                   1       1       1                          Helm (battered)                      1       1       0                          Nothing                              0       0       0                                                                                                          @START@STONEKEEP: COMBAT FAQ Ver 2.0                                                                                                                            STONEKEEP: COMBAT FAQ Version 2.0                                                                                                                                By Barry Brook ([e-mail])                                           Last revision: 4th January 1996                                                                                                                                 Note: This FAQ is not intented to cover every aspect of Stonekeep. Combat,      weapons, armor and monsters are the concern of this document. If you want       general game hints, or solutions to puzzles, try Doug Swarin's STONEKEEP FAQ,   or Dave's Semi-official walkthrough of Stonekeep.                               This FAQ will be posted to comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg every two weeks.           This FAQ (and other useful Stonekeep information) can also be found at the      following web sites:                                                            http://www.spice.co.uk/~richard/stonekeep/index.html                            http://www.et.ee/spoiler/RPG/Interplay/Stonekeep.html                                                                                                                                                                                           INDEX                                                                                                                                                           1. Importance of good combat knowledge                                                                                                                          2. Frequently Asked Questions                                                      a) What is the best weapon to use?                                              b) What is the optimum armor configuration?                                     c) When should I use missile weapons?                                           d) Who are the best NPC fighters?                                               e) How can I increase my skills?                                                f) Which is better, magick or hack-n-slash?                                                                                                                  3. Weapons                                                                         a) Missile weapons                                                              b) Cutting (slashing) weapons                                                   c) Crushing weapons                                                             d) Piercing (stabbing) weapons                                                  e) Miscellaneous weaponary                                                                                                                                   4. Armor                                                                           a) Body armor                                                                   b) Leg armor                                                                    c) Head armor                                                                   d) Rings                                                                        e) Shields                                                                                                                                                   5. Denizens of the dungeons                                                        a) Dungeon items                                                                b) Ants                                                                         c) Sharga                                                                       d) Green slimes                                                                 e) Snakes                                                                       f) Otyughs                                                                      g) Hornets                                                                      h) Triffids                                                                     i) Ettins                                                                       j) Squealing fungi                                                              k) Throgs                                                                       l) Mummy (undead)                                                               m) Golden Dragon                                                                n) Trolls                                                                       o) Ice witches                                                                  p) Ice Queen                                                                    q) Skeletons                                                                    r) Flying Skulls                                                                s) Scourge                                                                      t) Fire Elementals                                                              u) Spinning spikes                                                              v) Dark Dwarves                                                                 w) Khull-Khuum                                                                                                                                               6. Revision notes and copywrite                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                1. THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMBAT KNOWLEDGE                                                                                                                       Stonekeep is a dangerous place. Numerous untold horrors (well actually they    are told in this FAQ) await, ready to send you to your doom. Are you ready      for the challenge, the blood, the gurgles, carnage, of combat in Stonekeep?      The realm of Stonekeep provides a wide variety of weapons and armor for        Drake and his companions to use in their quest. They are found scattered        throughout the game, generally with the more powerful items found in the        later stages. Search diligently, for new and more powerful items only           increase your chances of getting through the dungeons in one piece. A good      grasp of combat tactics is essential for completing Stonekeep. The aim of       this FAQ is to give this basic grounding for all you prospective Drakes out     there. Read on, and soon you'll know what weapons to use, what armor to         equip, how to get out of trouble, and how to cause some!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        2. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS                                                                                                                                   2a) What is the best weapon to use?                                                                                                                              I.M.H.O., the best weapon in the game is the Shadow Hammer. It packs a         clout equal to the Shadow sword or dagger, but hits like lightning. On          maximum agility, I was able to strike at twice a second with the Shadow         hammer! (c.f. Shadow dagger, about 2/3 that speed). For missile weapons,        you can't beat the magickal throwing axe. Stick it in your left hand, and       it magickally reappears there after being throw. No collecting ammo here!       It hits very hard too.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          2b) What is the optimum armor configuration?                                                                                                                     The best armor configuration I've been able to achieve is:                        Cut(34)  Crush(29)  Pierce(28)                                               Can anyone do any better (without spells)?                                      This is done by equipping the following:                                        Ancient Breastplate, leggings and helm, three armor rings, and the ring of      ducking. Add the magickal wedge-shaped shield, the spells "shield" and          "armor", and you're pretty darned near impregnable!                             Note: the magickal chain mail shirt affords better protection than the          ancient breastplate against cutting attacks, but falls down in the crush        and pierce categories.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          2c) When should I use missile weapons?                                                                                                                           Missle weapons are ideal for softening up opponents before engaging in         hand to hand melee. If you hear footsteps, try to spot the monster and          hit them with a few ranged attacks before they arrive. Enigma is REALLY         good at doing this. Missle weapons are best utilized when staring               through an open door. The monsters stupidly wait for you to enter. All          you have to do is keep chucking those missiles through the door, and            you'll eventually kill them, without ever getting hurt. The exception           which proves the rule are the flying skulls. Those meanies blow this            tactic out the window, by firing magic bolts at you. So watch out.              Consistent use of light missile weapons will increase agility.                                                                                                                                                                                  2d) Who are the best NPC fighters?                                                                                                                               All have their good points. Farli is good with the hammer, and gets better     with time. Stick a shield in his other hand. Karzak does well with an axe.      Both are great stand and deliver guys. Enigma is brilliant for ranged           attacks, but he won't fire through a door. Sparkle is useless in combat, but    does heal you from time to time. Skuz is a bit of a wimp, but lets you watch    that ballista bolt work! Dombur...give up on Dombur. Wahooka casts some nice    magic bolts, but doesn't do much else but groan in melee. Don't rely on NPCs,   trust only your own ability to see you through the day.                                                                                                                                                                                         2e) How can I increase my skills?                                                                                                                                Patience. Attack anything that's attackable (i.e. barrels, beds, mats,         skeletons etc.). Go to one of the parapets of the Entrance to Stonekeep,        where you'll find a drain that provides a ready supply of ants to defeat.       Similar situation in one three of the rooms of the second level of Stonekeep,   except this time it's snakes coming out of the drains, so you have to be a      little bit tougher. The large glorystone in the dwarven blacksmith's area is    the best for weapons practice. It lasts forever, and each blow to it is         acknowledged as a hit.                                                           Consistently use a particular weapon to increase your skills with it (an       increase in weapon skill increases your accuracy). Remember though, that a      newly found weapon of the same basic type (e.g. Standard hammer -> Stone        hammer) will feel different in your hands, and thus will require a bit of       use to hone your skills back to their old levels. The increase in damage        most often makes it worth it. Use of heavy weapons will increase your           strength, use of light weapons increases your agility. An increase in either    of these stats will add to your vitality, leading to a life point gain.                                                                                                                                                                         2f) Which is better, magick or hack-n-slash?                                                                                                                     I find this is a personal choice. Your steel is always with you, but mana      needs recharging. Magickal bolts can deliver quite a punch, especially when     charged with meta-runes. The best ones to use are firebolt, icebolt or          lightning, enhanced with meta-runes (potency, area, triple). A shrink rune      works too, making some opponents (e.g. otyughs) a more manageable size. Scare   sometimes makes them flee, allowing you to peg missiles at their back!           A weapon in both hands however, can give you a more rapid attacking rate.      Just remember, all your mana might be drained, but like a faithfull dog, your   weapons will always be by your side (you can probably tell where my biases      lie ;-) I think protection spells are the best use of magic in combat           situations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     3. WEAPONS                                                                                                                                                       The following tables provide details on the weapons usage (one or two          hands, missle, slashing, crushing, stabbing), and on the amount of damage       they inflict. The damage index used is based on the initial strength of         Drake (3 points). As Drake's strength increases (to a maximum of 10 points),    the amount of damage the weapon inflicts increases from the standard table      values in the following way:                                                    Strength increased to: 4 (+3 to damage), 5(+6), 6(+10), 7(+14), 8(+18),         9(+22), 10(+27).                                                                So when Drake's strength has reached 10 points, he will inflict up to 107       points each hit with the Shadow weapon. Now that's quite a body blow!                                                                                            Different weapons are better at inflicting different types of damage.          Monsters may be more susceptible to a particular type of force. For             instance, slimes are hurt more by slashing than crushing, whereas skeletons     take much more damage from crushing weapons than slashing ones. Don't           concentrate on only one type of weapon, be flexible (get some skill in          hammer and sword work!). Over all, I've found crushing weapons to be most       useful, especially in the later stages of the game, so make sure you            specialize in the hammer! More on this in the monsters section of this FAQ.                                                                                                                                                                     3a) MISSLE WEAPONS                                                                                                                                                  WEAPON                    # HANDS   CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                       Throwing axe (magickal)      1       27      0       0                          Bow (short) & arrow          2       0       0       20                         Mechanimagickal device       1       0       17      0                          Crossbow (sharga) & bolt     2       0       8       15                         Throwing axe (standard)      1       12      9       0                          Dart                         1       0       0       9                          Dagger (warm)                1       0       0       9                          Stone                        1       0       9       0                          Dagger (simple)              1       0       0       7                                                                                                                                                                                      3b) SLASHING WEAPONS                                                                                                                                                WEAPON                   # HANDS    CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                       Sword (shadow)               2       80      0       0                          Axe (shadow)                 1       43      43      0                          Axe (stone)                  1       18      14      0                          Sword (ice)                  1       18      0       0                          Sword (stone)                1       16      16      0                          Axe (battle)                 2       15      12      0                          Sword (long)                 1       15      0       0                          Axe (dwarven)                1       14      11      0                          Sword (dwarven)              1       11      9       0                          Sword (broad)                1       9       8       0                                                                                                                                                                                      3c) CRUSHING WEAPONS                                                                                                                                                WEAPON                    # HANDS   CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                       Hammer (shadow)              2       0       80      0                          Hammer (stone)               2       0       30      0                          Hammer (war)                 1       0       24      0                          Hammer (ice)                 1       0       17      0                          Hammer (standard)            1       0       15      0                          Quarterstaff                 2       0       12      0                          Fist                         1       0       7       0                                                                                                                                                                                      3d) STABBING WEAPONS                                                                                                                                                WEAPON                    # HANDS   CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                       Dagger (shadow)              1       0       0       80                         Spear (shadow)               2       43      0       43                         Dagger (of penetration)      1       0       0       30                         Spear (stone)                2       0       12      15                         Pick (dwarven)               2       0       0       16                         Dagger (throggish)           1       0       0       13                         Pick (sharga)                2       0       0       13                         Sword (throggish)            1       10      0       10                         Ballista bolt                2       9       0       10                         Sword (sharga)               1       8       0       8                                                                                                                                                                                      3e) MISCELLANEOUS WEAPONARY                                                                                                                                      There are lots of items Drake can simply pick up and throw, although they      can't be equipped in his hands. Some of these make really good weapons. Oil     flasks for instance, explode in a fireball when they hit the ground (or an      opponent), and do quite a bit of damage. They can be thrown through a door.     You can also throw skulls, broken swords, parchments etc. but I don't vouch     for their effectiveness!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        4. ARMOR                                                                                                                                                         Armor stops Drake from taking as much damage. So does a high agility. The      better the armor he is wearing, the less likely he is to be hit, and if he      is he, he will sustain proportionally less damage. Some forces are more         easily deflected by armor than others. A general rule to follow is that armor   is most effective against slashes, and least effective against stabs. Some      magickal armor, such as the faerie clothes, will grant magickal resistance      to certain types of creatures (Trolls in the case of faerie clothes). Other     non-armor rings will grant resistances e.g. poison immunity.                    Armor can be divided into five categories, detailed in the tables below.                                                                                                                                                                        4a) BODY ARMOR                                                                                                                                                      ARMOR TYPE                  CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                               Breastplate (ancient)        15      10      10                                 Shirt (magickal chain)       11      7       4                                  Breastplate (plate)          10      7       7                                  Shirt (faerie)               3       3       7                                  Shirt (chain mail)           5       3       1                                  Breastplate (leather)        2       1       1                                  Nothing                      0       0       0                                                                                                                                                                                              4b) LEG ARMOR                                                                                                                                                       ARMOR TYPE                  CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                               Leggings (ancient)           8       8       8                                  Skirt (magickal chain)       8       5       3                                  Leggings (plate)             7       5       5                                  Pants (faerie)               7       3       3                                  Skirt (chain mail)           3       2       1                                  Leggings (leather)           1       1       1                                                                                                                                                                                              4c) HEAD ARMOR                                                                                                                                                      ARMOR TYPE                  CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                               Helm (ancient)               5       5       4                                  Helm (From the far east)     3       3       2                                  Hat (Jesters)                2       2       2                                  Helm (dwarven)               2       2       1                                  Helm (battered)              1       1       0                                                                                                                                                                                              4d) MAGICKAL RINGS                                                                                                                                                  ARMOR TYPE                  CUT    CRUSH   PIERCE                               Ring (ducking)               3       3       3                                  Ring (armor)                 1       1       1                                                                                                              4e) SHIELDS                                                                                                                                                      Shields are a bit of a problem area. I haven't been able to quantify the       their defense bonus, so I think they don't work quite the same as regular       armor. Instead, I believe successful use of a shield actually deflects a        blow completely. The better you are with a shield, the less likely you are      to be hit. Since NPCs only seem to utilize a weapon in one hand, I tend to      alway equip their other hand with a shield, to give them a bit of extra         protection. Shields range from wooden types, to leather throggish ones,         circular metal (dwarven?) types, to the wedge-shaped magickal one given to      you by Torin, the dwarven chief. I think I've listed them here in order of      effectiveness.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  5. DENIZENS OF THE DUNGEONS                                                                                                                                     a) Dungeon items                                                                Description: Skeletal corpses, piles of refuse, mats, beds, barrels, grain      sacks, snow drifts, tables, chairs etc.                                         Location: Every level                                                           Attack characteristics: Stationary                                              Combat tactics: Hit them with a weapon to destroy. Good idea, as they often     conceal useful items, in addition to giving a little extra weapon practice.     I do suggest however, that you don't destroy this sort of stuff in the          Dwarven clanhalls...they might get a little upset with you!                                                                                                     b) Ants                                                                         Description: Large black insects, ~1' high at the shoulder.                     Location: Entrance, Stonekeep lv1, Feeding grounds lv1                          Attack characteristics: Rear on back legs and bite.                             Combat tactics: Aim low. Better to hit them from a distance with a missle       weapon, as your usually weak in the early stages of the game, and want to       avoid too much hand to hand combat.                                                                                                                             c) Sharga                                                                       Description: Small, yellowy-green humanoids similar to goblins, generally       about 4' tall (note: there are exceptions!).                                    Location: Entrance, Stonekeep lv1 & lv2, Sewers, Sharga mines lv1 & lv2,        Temple Entrance, Temple of Throggi, Feeding grounds lv1 & lv2, Ice caverns.     Attack characteristics: Like to stab or slash with a short sword. May fire      crossbows. Sharga in the ice caverns posess ice swords.                         Combat tactics: Aim your blows for the eyes; you can sometimes blind them.      The head is generally a good place to attack. Ranged attacks through doors      works excellently. If they run (after taking damage), pull out the missle       weapons quickly, and punish them!                                                                                                                               d) Green slimes                                                                 Description: Sluggish, green and gooey, slither on the ground.                  Location: Stonekeep lv2, Sewers.                                                Attack characteristics: Crushing attacks with pseudopodia.                      Combat tactics: Use slashing or stabbing attacks, put away the hammer!          Magickal fire scares them; hit them with missiles when they retreat.            Aim low, and move around, they're not very fast.                                                                                                                e) Snakes                                                                       Description: large green serpents, about 6'-8' long.                            Location: Stonekeep lv2, Sewers, Sharga mines lv2.                              Attack characteristics: Rear and strike...quickly. They hurt, but they're       not poisonous.                                                                  Combat tactics: Slash at the body, the belly is the weakest area. Move          around, so you're only facing one at a time.                                                                                                                    f) Otyughs                                                                      Description: Squat, large mouth with 'orrible brownish teeth (there is          obviously no Otyugh dentist in the sewers), three pinkish tentacles with        suckers.                                                                        Location: Sewers, Temple entrance.                                              Attack characteristics: Strike with all three tentacles, and bite.              Combat tactics: Be careful. These garbage guts are tough! Ranged attacks        work fine, and since they are slow, you can generally stay out of harms way     and attack with missles. When forced into melee, slash the tentacles with       a sword or axe, you can chop them off after a while, and thereby reduce the     amount of damage the Otyugh can inflict. Be careful. Did I say this already?                                                                                    g) Hornets                                                                      Description: Small flying hymenopterans, with a nasty great stinger.            Location: Sharga mines lv1, Feeding grounds lv2, Faerie realm.                  Attack characteristics: Standard hornets just try to sting you, the ones in     the Faerie realm spit magickal fire, so watch it.                               Combat tactics: Don't attack the sentry hornet at the beginning of Sharga       mines, an incessant flow of insects will proceed to attack you if you try.      There is a nest near the stairs to the mines second level; stand back with      your missile weapons an party on...they won't come after you, and it's a        great way to increase your skills. In the faerie realm, charge those fire       spitters and hack them to bits quickly, don't stand back and try to hit them    with missles...you'll get toasted.                                                                                                                              h) Triffids                                                                     Description: Green-red plants, with a stalk. 3' tall. Immotile.                 Location: Sharga mines lv1 & lv2, Feeding grounds lv1 & lv2.                    Attack characteristics: Envisceration (I assume). Anyway, parts of the plants   insides hurtle out towards you. Pretty slow missiles.                           Combat tactics: Back up two squares and fire away with missiles. Their slowly   flung attacks will be in vain, and never reach you. Sitting ducks if you don't  approach them, since they're anchored to the ground. Vulnverable to crushes.                                                                                    i) Ettins                                                                       Description: Two-headed giant, dressed in a loose skin. One head is a dog, the  other a man. Wields a massive spiked club, snores really loudly.                Location: Sharga mines lv1.                                                     Attack characteristics: One hit and you're history.                             Combat tactics: Don't try to fight this fellow. It simply does no good. If he   wakes up, you freeze, he talks, then you die. I know it's not fair (I felt like kicking his ****) but that's life...or death. Cast a silence spell on your      party and attack his barrels with throwing daggers from a distance.                                                                                             j) Squealing fungi                                                              Description: One large toadstool (looks like the Fly Agaric) surrounded         by two smaller ones.                                                            Location: Sharga mines lv1 & lv2, Feeding grounds lv1, Faerie realm.            Attack characteristics: Doesn't attack you, but squeals it's head off if you    step next to it. This calls other denizens of the area (sharga, throgs,         trolls), and they to the fungi's dirty work.                                    Combat tactics: When you see one, stand back and hit it hard with a ranged      weapon. Choose a powerful one, as if you don't kill it first blow, it'll        scream it's hyphae off!                                                                                                                                         k) Throgs                                                                       Description: Tall humanoids (around 6'), generally dressed in red, with large   eyes and a pig-like nose. Throg shamans wear cloaks and/or feathers. Look       similar to the classic orc.                                                     Location: Temple entrance, Temple of Throggi, Feeding grounds lv1 & lv2,        Dwarven clanhalls.                                                              Attack characteristics: Throg warriors carry a leather shield in one hand, and  a curved, wicked looking sword that slashes and stabs. Shamans are magickal,    and delight in hurling lightning bolts with a runewand, which unfortunately     dies along with the caster.                                                     Combat tactics: They're tough, but don't like you moving about in combat (why   don't you just stand still so I can hit you??). Aim for the face or the legs,   they generally are pretty good at blocking body blows with their shield.        Ranged attacks work well, but they move fast, and will run to engage you.       Whatever you do, don't stand back to face the shamans (e.g. Gorga Karn),        they'll toast you. Instead, charge these fellows and engage them at point       blank range, they're pretty weak at melee. There is a dwarf in the clanhalls    working on a wall. He's actually a throg, so make sure you slaughter him.       Remember, I've met a few good shargas, but I've NEVER met a nice throg. Show    no mercy.                                                                                                                                                       l) Mummy (undead)                                                               Description: Tall (7') undead humanoid wrapped in bandages, which emerges       from a sarcophagus. Mean!                                                       Location: Dwarven clanhalls.                                                    Attack characteristics: Gropes at you with great effectiveness, hurting, and    giving you a form of mummy rot, which continues to slowly drain your life       points.                                                                         Combat tactics: He's slow, so you can stand back and hammer him. When he        approaches, run back into the corridor and contiue to punish him from a         distance. If you want to go toe to toe, use slashing weapons. He takes a lot!                                                                                   m) Golden Dragon                                                                Description: Huge ancient lizard, squashed into mineshafts (can you imagine     how uncomfortable that must be). Name is Vermatrix Goldenhide.                  Location: Feeding grounds lv2.                                                  Attack characteristics: Will wack you with her tail, or breath a deadly column  of flame, which toasts you instantly.                                           Combat tactics: Don't attack her, she's nice. Just do what she says.                                                                                            n) Trolls                                                                       Description: Green humanoids with long noses, dressed in cloaks. ~5' tall.      Location: Faerie realm.                                                         Attack characteristics: They move fast, and hurl magick.                        Combat tactics: To begin with, make sure you've got a four-leafed clover from   Sweetie, otherwise they're invisible. The iron spike you found will help to     stop them wizzing about the place. If you're wearing all the faerie gear,       you're laughing, their magick just bounces off you. If not, move in close and   bash, they generally don't last too long. This especially applies to the troll  shaman, get close to him and force him into melee. Warning: don't go past the   troll gate until you have the right gear, okay!                                                                                                                 o) Ice witches                                                                  Description: Small floating spiky iceballs, sort of like the head of a          morning star. White-blue in colour.                                             Location: Ice caverns.                                                          Attack characteristics: Spits magickal icebolts with great accuracy and effect. Combat tactics: Don't stand back, dash in and engage them at close range. If    you've stolen Helion's orb, you'll be immune to their attacks. If cast a        warming spell on your party and you're laughing.                                                                                                                p) Ice Queen                                                                    Description: Tall woman (6') with black hair and bluish skin, dressed in a      leotard and black boots. Don't let looks fool you.                              Location: Ice caverns.                                                          Attack characteristics: She'll blast away with magickal icebolts, at a very     rapid rate.                                                                     Combat tactics: Cast a warming spell on the party. Then fling the coldfire at   her, which will disrupt her immunity. The chase is then on. She can't hurt you  but you'll have trouble hitting her...she dashes about like an olympic          sprinter, which can get rather frustrating. I've found a good way to get her.   Stand in the corner of one of the squarish sections of her domain. When she     comes along, throw some oil flasks at her. She'll occasionally freeze you       solid, don't worry, this is only temporary, and won't drain life points. When   you're out of flasks, arm yourself with Dombur's mechanimagickal device, then   machine gun ahead of her. As she dashes around the corner to engage you,        she'll be blasted by a volley of rocks. This soon saps her life! If you run     out of rocks, pick up, and continue in trigger happy mode.                                                                                                      q) Skeletons                                                                    Description: Skeletal (obviously), with a helm and a longsword. One type is     short, the other is tall. You can guess which is tougher. Shadowy forms exist   on the eastern side of the Palace of Shadows.                                   Location: Feeding grounds lv1, Ice caverns, Palace of Shadows.                  Attack characteristics: They slash away manically with their longsword. Once    destroyed, they'll reanimate in around five seconds (once only).                Combat tactics: Ranged attacks if possible, using something that crushes. In    hand to hand melee, a good crushing weapon inflicts the most damaging blows     (you can almost hear that bone crunch). There are no real weak spots, so        just aim for the ribcage. Once you've dropped it, grab some part of its         anatomy (in the nicest way possible), and keep it. This stops them              re-animating. You may grab the skull, sword or helm. Another technique, is      to smash the bones before they re-animate; this works well when you're          attacking through doors and can't reach, but can be dangerously time            consuming if you've still got another skeleton to deal with (they often work    in pairs).                                                                                                                                                      r) Flying Skulls                                                                Description: Large mobile skulls, with nasty red eyes and gaping jaws.          Location: Palace of Shadows, Tower of Shadows lv1.                              Attack characteristics: They bite, and they spit magic. Be careful with these   creatures, as their magickal bolts fire through open doors.                     Combat tactics: Forget ranged attacks. They're hard to hit, and will punish     you with their magick bolts. Instead, dash up to them, and hit them with a      crushing weapon (a hammer, esp. the Shadow Hammer works best). There is a       technique for fighting these monstrosities through doorways. Stand at the       door and chuck you're magickal throwing axe (remember, it'll always reappear    in your hand). You'll be safe until their eyes start to glow. When this         happens, back up, the door will shut, and their magickal bolt will harmlessly   dissapate on the door. They are then easy pickings. The main thing is...watch   their eyes!                                                                                                                                                     s) Scourge                                                                      Description: Large flying skull, with smaller ones whizzing around the main     skull leaving colourful magickal trails. He likes to talk.                      Location: Palace of Shadows.                                                    Attack characteristics: Same as Flying skulls, he bites and he hurls magick.    Combat tactics: Contrary to popular belief, you don't NEED the shadow           weapon to kill this guy. I've slaughtered him with the warhammer. It does       help greatly however, since it hits so dammed hard, and you need to hit this    guy hard. There are three skulls to kill in all; he say something about         revenge as each one snuffs it in turn, and will warn his master after you       finally cave in his last temple with your hammer. Stay close to him, swing      fast, and he'll be no problem. He lasts a long while, that's all.                                                                                               t) Fire Elementals                                                              Description: Pillars of orange flame with a vaguely humanoid form.              Location: Tower of Shadows lv1, lvl2 & lv3.                                     Attack characteristics: Well, they just touch you with hot fingers really, but  boy, that can hurt!                                                             Combat tactics: Ice magick works well, as do ice weapons. I use the ice sword   or ice hammer I picked up in the ice caverns, that seems to deal with these     guys pretty well. They are tough however, and do take a lot of beating. Don't   need to aim anywhere in particular, but as always with tough monsters, keep     moving around! A shield rune activated on your party sure helps cut down the    damage you'll sustain.                                                                                                                                          u) Spinning spikes                                                              Description: Bronze coloured cylinders, armed with lots of spikes.              Location: Tower of Shadows lvl.                                                 Attack characteristics: They float in front of you and spin those spikes. They  also deliver a nasty little suprise when they die, by exploding in fire ball,   with a similar magnitude to an oil flask.                                       Combat tactics: They hate to be crushed, so use a hammer or axe. Since they     tend to explode, it's better to run back a few squares and hit them with        missiles. Watch out for a big nasty invincible one; you'll have to use a bit    of trickery to trap him out of harms way. No good going toe to toe with this    fellow, he'll grind you into pulp.                                                                                                                              v) Dark Dwarves                                                                 Description: Short (4'), wear helms, have beards, carry axes...your standard    dwarves really, except they're nasty and grunt like animals (possessed).        Location: Tower of Shadows lv1, Lair of the Dark Dwarves.                       Attack characteristics: Throw oil bombs, and slash with their battleaxe.        Combat tactics: Enigma deals with the first one. In their lair, don't stand     back. They'll fry you with a barrage of oil bombs. Get in close and aim for     the face or the legs; they'll soon be gurgling their last gurgle. If you want   to be the nice guy, run straight past them into a square room, and wack the     hell out of the idol you'll see (It has the head of a polearm on top). See      what happens.                                                                                                                                                   w) Khull-Khuum                                                                  Description: The Shadow King. A god. Nasty. Unmerciful. Dressed in plate        armor, with a flowing cape. He's missing arms, those gauntlets just float in    the right place. He's magickal, and likes to blast you in the Palace of         Shadows. He's the angel fallen from grace. Get the picture?                     Location: Entrance to Stonekeep, Palace of Shadows, Tower of Shadows lv4.       Attack characteristics: He can do what he likes. He's a god remember.           Combat tactics: One word. Intelligence. You'll have to outwit him to beat       him. This is one place where steel will let you down. Use that squishy thing    in your head. He can't handle that power!                                                                                                                                                                                                       6. REVISION NOTES AND COPYWRITE                                                                                                                                  This FAQ has been heavily reworked since the last version. After a number      of suggestions, the format has been altered to make it appear more like         other FAQs (especially Doug Swarin's complete STONEKEEP FAQ) for ease of        reading. A number of weapons and armor items have since been added, and the     values for a few corrected. A section on monsters has been included. I think    that I've now listed every weapon, piece of armor and monster in the game.      However, if anyone knows of any others, PLEASE e-mail me, and I'll update       the FAQ to include the new item(s) or monster(s). Your contribution will be     duly acknowledged!                                                               Feel free to distribute this document where ever you want, but please don't    change anything. Just tell me about any errors in the information, and I'll     make sure they're corrected.                                                     Thanks for reading this far....enjoy combat in the brilliant game STONEKEEP!                                                                                   @START@Xenophage Public Beta Released by Apogee Software                                                                                                                        Released December 29th, 1995 by Apogee Software                                                                                                                           XENOPHAGE: Alien Bloodsport                                                                                                                     PUBLIC BETA     PUBLIC BETA     PUBLIC BETA     PUBLIC BETA                                                                                           XenoPhage:Alien Bloodsport is a fighting game made by Argo Games and published  by Apogee Software.  It features unique creatures 3D-rendered at huge size,     panoramic backgrounds with a pixel-smooth panning & zooming camera, and other   gratuitous cool stuff.                                                                                                                                          Strategy Plus magazine said of Xenophage: "...revolutionary game design, it     may indeed knock fighting fans into another universe of apocalyptic action."                                                                                    In Xenophage a godlike alien race has become so bored that they rely on other   species to provide them entertainment.  They've snatched representatives from   the universe's most feared species and organized a fighting tournament.  The    loser forfeits breeding rights for its entire race!  The tournament winner      gets the honor of dying at the hands of the Champion.                                                                                                           Xenophage features:                                                                                                                                             * 8 characters, 2 champions, and several surprises.                             * Supports high resolution (SVGA) 640x480 mode for *much* greater detail.       * The fully rendered foes are the largest, most detailed characters ever seen     in a fighting game, nearly as tall as the entire screen.                      * Innovative panoramic screen panning, zooming and real-time scaling, shadows,    and special effects.                                                          * Interactive, animated environments, with special dangers!                     * Special moves, combos, resurrections, and humiliations.                       * Story mode, Free Play mode, and Training mode.                                * The Blood Flow Meter lets you adjust the gore.                                * Plenty o' secrets.                                                            * Flesh ripping, blood sucking, claw slashing, tail whipping, karate kicking,     fist slamming, body ramming, blood spurting action - need we say more?                                                                                        Minimum system requirements:                                                                                                                                    * IBM PC or 100% compatible                                                     * 486DX/33 MHz processor                                                        * 8Mb of RAM                                                                    * Double speed CD-ROM drive (for registered version)                            * MS-DOS v5.0 or greater.                                                                                                                                       Preferred:                                                                                                                                                      * Pentium 66 Mhz or better                                                      * 16 Mb RAM                                                                     * VESA Local Bus (VLB) or PCI video with fast DOS access                        * VESA BIOS compatible 256 color SVGA at 640x400 or 640x480                     * Quad speed CD-ROM                                                             * 16-bit sound card and wavetable synthesis                                     * Speed compensating joystick card                                                                                                                              Supported hardware:                                                                                                                                             * Music Cards: AdLib, AWE 32, General MIDI, ProAudio Spectrum, SoundBlaster,      Sound Canvas, SoundMan 16, SoundScape, Gravis UltraSound, WaveBlaster.                                                                                        * Sound Cards: AWE 32, ProAudio Spectrum, SoundBlaster, SoundMan 16,              SoundScape, Sound Source, Gravis UltraSound.                                                                                                                  * Input: Keyboard, Microsoft compatible mouse and driver, one 4 button            joystick (such as Gravis Gamepad) or up to two 2 button joysticks.                                                                                            * The Registered version of the game comes on CD-ROM only.                                                                                                      Xenophage: Alien Bloodsport is Copyright (c) 1996 Argo Games                                                                                                    Where to find Apogee's Games Online                                             ===================================                                             1. APOGEE'S WORLD WIDE WEB BBS:                                                                                                                                    Available at http://www.apogee1.com, Apogee's Web BBS uses the pioneering       Web BBS software from Software Creations.  All of Apogee's files are here,      along with all the patches you'll need to upgrade your games, as well as        the latest news, chit-chat, and anything you'd ever want to know about          Apogee!   Also available here is our "Live Shot" video camera, as well as       game contests, and other cool stuff.                                                                                                                         2. OFFICIAL APOGEE FTP SITE:                                                                                                                                       Anon FTP can be gotten at ftp.uwp.edu in /pub/msdos/games/apogee.                                                                                               NOTE: The newest releases might be in /pub/games/incoming.  Make sure                 to check there, too.                                                                                                                                   3. APOGEE'S HOME BBS:  THE SOFTWARE CREATIONS BBS                                                                                                               The Software Creations Web BBS (http://www.swcbbs.com) broke new ground on      the World Wide Web, and is sure to continue the award winning successes of      Software Creations.  Make sure to check out this site!                                                                                                          The dialup DOS based Software Creatons BBS has been voted North America's most  popular BBS two years in a row by the readers of Boardwatch Magazine.  It was   also featured on the TV show Prime-Time Live!  It can be reached at:                                                                                               [phone] -- 28.8k v.34                                                    [phone] -- 9600-14.4K v.32bis                                            [phone] -- 2400 baud                                                                                                                                  2. America Online - Use the keyword "apogee" to reach the Apogee Forum.                                                                                         3. CompuServe - Type "go apogee" (at any ! prompt) to get to our Forum.                                                                                         5. Fidonet Filebone - If you are a Fidonet SysOp, you can now get Apogee's                            games on the Fido filebone.  Talk to your local filebone                        hub about the four Apogee areas (see FILEBONE.NA for more                       information).                                                                                                                             Files in this Release                                                           =====================                                                           To assist in your search, here is a listing of the files as released from       Apogee.  All BBS files from Apogee bear a PKZip -AV stamp.  If your file does   not say "Authentic Files Verified #TRH 310 - Apogee Software" when you          decompress it, it's possible you do not have the original unmodified file.  If  in doubt, call Software Creations.  They will always have the original files as released from Apogee.  The file sizes provided is what they are as they are     released from Apogee.  The actual size you download might vary a few k on the   larger side due to .ZIP comments being added as the file goes between here and  you.  So long as the -AV stamp remains intact, you can be sure that the file    is original.  However, if the file does not bear the -AV stamp, it is not in    it's original form as released from Apogee Software.                                                                                                            Filename     | What it is                                        | File Size    ============================================================================    XENOBETA.ZIP | Xenophage: Alien Bloodsport Public Beta           | 5,354,715                                                                                         There are no split files for the public beta.  Once the official v1.0              shareware is released, there will be split files made available.                                                                                                                                                                             ---------------------------------------------------------------------          |     Joe Siegler - Apogee Software |        |\      _,,,---,,_       |         |               [e-mail] | ZZZzz  /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_   |         |                                   |       |,4-  ) )-,_..;\ (  `'-'  |         |            http://www.apogee1.com |      '---''(_/--'  `-'\_)       |         |         finger [e-mail] |  Flash, the sleeping kitty cat! |          ---------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                      @START@ANNOUNCE: Avarice Preview Now Available!                                                                                                                     Avarice Preview Now Available!                                                         Virtual Reality Adventure Game Arrives for the Holidays                                                                                                       For Immediate Release                                                           Thursday, December 21, 1995                                                     Contact:    Michael Duffy                                                                  Stardock Systems, Inc.                                                                313/453-0328, 313/453-1480fax                                                                                                                                 Canton MI,Stardock Systems has made Continuous Software Systems' Avarice       virtual reality game available to the general public this Christmas season.     Avarice Preview is a virtual reality adventure game in which you must unravel   the mysteries of your missing uncle's mansion.                                                                                                                  The player starts out with a letter from your long lost uncle who has invited   you to visit him at his estate for "the opportunity of a lifetim".  When you    arrive, no one is there and your first clue that something is amiss is that a   bloody hat is on the dock.  Avarice Preview successfully combines the graphics  and interface features of high end VR games such as Myst and Seventh Guest and  combines it with the direct interaction in the world found in the old Infocom   series of games such as Planetfall and Zork.  Players will be able to truly     interact in the Avarice world. For example, when a player finds an orange, they'find that they can peel the orange, break the orange up, burn the orange, eat   the orange, or perform many other actions on the orange. All these actions are  seen in true 24bit color rendered graphics.                                                                                                                     "Truly, the magic of Avarice is the depth of the world. Avarice clearly raises  the bar in the graphics category. Not too many games can boast being played fullscreen at 1280x1024x16.8 million colors. It s safe to say that the graphics are pretty sharp." said Bradley Wardell, President, Stardock Systems, Inc.                                                                                                                                                                          Another feature that separates Avarice from other graphics intensive games is   that it has settings for making the game playable on a wide range of systems.   For example, the game defaults to maximum color maximum resolutions but if playefind that the game is not fast enough for them, they can change the graphics intone of four graphics modes: High Resolution, Medium Resolution, Low Resolution, and Gray scale.                                                                                                                                                 "With this flexibility, high end game players are not having to play to the lowecommon demoninator and you can still play it on a 486 by turning the graphics doto suit your needs. Ironically, even at the  low  resolution it still running athigher resolution than virtually ever other game on the market." said Wardell                                                                                   The magic to Avarice Preview lies in the operating system.  OS/2 Warp is a 32bitmulithreaded operating system that allows Avarice to load much of the graphics  in a background thread.                                                                                                                                         "While the player is examining a picture, he ll notice that the hard drive and  CD ROM is spinning. I imagine this will be quite startling to players migrating to OS/2 Warp from DOS and Windows who are not familiar with the power personal  computers have had locked inside of them all this time." said Wardell.                                                                                          Avarice Preview acts as a sort of 'prequel' to the upcoming release of "Avarice:The Complete Saga" which arrives early next year. Avarice Preview comes with a  coupon for a $30 discount toward the sequel.                                                                                                                    Avarice Preview can be found at resellers in the USA.                                                                                                           Stardock can be reached at 313/453-0328, FAX [phone], email [e-mail]:http://oeonline.com/~stardock.                                                                                                                              @START@ANNOUNCEMENT: Waystation 1.1 available                                                                                                                   Remember playing Infocom interactive-fiction games?  Zork, Planetfall,          Trinity, and the like?                                                                                                                                          Ever wonder what happened to them, or if people are still making those games?                                                                                   They are.                                                                                                                                                                              --=== Waystation ===--                                                                                                                   Driving home from work one night, your car's engine suddenly dies.  You         let the car roll onto the shoulder and park it, then get out and open the       hood.  You aren't sure what you can do to fix the engine, but looking           under the hood is what you're supposed to do when something goes wrong.                                                                                                                                                                         Suddenly, an intense beam of blue light streaks down from the heavens and       engulfs you.  It blinds you, and a tingling sensation sweeps through your       body.  You lose consciousness.                                                                                                                                  You wake up some time later, alone in a cell, with no idea of how you           got there...                                                                                                                                                                           --==================--                                                                                                                   Waystation is an interactive-fiction game written using TADS, the text          adventure development system.  A package containing the game and the            necessary runtime program are available via anonymous ftp from:                                                                                                      ftp.cdrom.com /pub/games/newest/way.zip                                         ftp.wustl.edu /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS/games/way.zip                                  phy.duke.edu  /pub/sgranade/waypc.zip                                                                                                                      If anyone has problems finding it or getting it to run, please feel free to     email me at [e-mail].                                                                                                                              @START@Galactic Civilizations 2                                                                                                                                 Galactic Civilizations 2 Now Available!                                             Highly anticipated sequel to award winning game arrives!                                                                                                       Tuesday, January 2, 1996                                                                                                                                        Canton, MIStardock Systems announced that Galactic Civilizations 2 began       shipping in volume today.  Galactic Civilizations 2 is the second version of    the highly acclaimed strategy game.                                                                                                                             "We think that Galactic Civilizations 2 is going to knock people s socks off!"  said Bradley Wardell, President of Stardock Systems, Inc. "The first one had manof the right elements to be a classic game but the new version adds some excitinnew strategic features as well as state of the art graphics and an original     digital stereo sound track that would give movies a run for their money."                                                                                       Galactic Civilizations is a space based strategy game for OS/2. In it, you must guide mankind while exploring and colonizing a new galaxy. The player must managtheir economy, research new technology, and fight intergalactic wars with their star fleets.  What makes Galactic Civilizations unique is the fact that it is   the only major game of this genre (on any platform) to take advantage of 'thread                                                                                Players quickly see the benefits of using the advanced features of a 32bit      multithreaded OS such as OS/2 Warp. Not only do the computer players in GalacticCivilizations not cheat unlike most games, they play immensely intelligently.   Moreover, the economic engine behind the game also runs in an independent threadallowing the galaxy to have a complex and powerful economic model.                                                                                              "To use an analogy, when you play chess with your friend, you don t shut your   eyes while your friend is thinking of moving his piece on the board. You look   at the board and think of your next move. However, most strategy games on PC's djust that -- they don t think at all while you are taking your turn. Now, put thgame on a great OS such as OS/2 Warp and your opponents can 'think' about what  they are going to do while you are busy moving your pieces. Now the time betweenturns is remarkably short and the economic simulation portion of the game has noperceived performance impact." said Wardell.                                                                                                                    The original Galactic Civilizations was acclaimed by players and reviewers.     OS/2 Magazine awarded it the 1995 Editor s Choice Award and I-PC Games awarded  it "Best Strategy Game" and edging out popular DOS and Windows games to win "Gamof the Year".                                                                                                                                                   For players, Galactic Civilizations 2 adds features such as governors that managyour star system resources for you, star ship ranges which allow empires to be  more isolated from one another, hooks for future internet play, and many other  requested features.                                                                                                                                             For retailers, Stardock contracted F.J. Fisher Communications, Inc. to superviseand design the packaging to ensure that the game sells itself on store shelves. Moreover, Stardock has commited to backing Galactic Civilizations 2 with the    largest marketing budget ever seen for an OS/2 consumer product.                                                                                                Galactic Civilizations 2 can be found at resellers in the USA such as Indelible Blue (1-800-776-8284), Kiyo Design, Computer Cosmos/2, and OS+Resource.  Stardocexpects it to appear in most retail outlets in the coming weeks.  You can also  obtain it from Stardock Systems at 313-453-0328.  A complete list of OS/2 softwaresellers is available on Stardock s world wide web site.                                                                                                       Galactic Civilizations lists for $59.95. A $29.95 upgrade price is in effect untFebruary 1st.  It requires OS/2 2.1 or later, and a double speed CD ROM.                                                                                        Stardock can be reached at 313/453-0328, FAX [phone], email [e-mail]:http://oeonline.com/~stardock.                                                                                                                              @[e-mail] -- 3D Graphical MUD                                                                                                                  Terra Nova Interactive Corporation is pleased to announce the first             alpha release of its new 3D graphical MUD, "Other Realms: Meridian 59."         Hundreds of people have logged in and tried out the next step in                on-line games since we made it available last Friday (December 15).                                                                                             This game will for the first time enable you to interact with other             players and with the environment in full 3D: talk with other players,           explore the countryside (alone or with a group), slay monsters, find            treasure, learn skills, solve puzzles, and take part in the political           intrigue that's bubbling up (word has it the king is insane, and may            even have killed the queen... but this is just rumor) -- all in fully           animated, first-person 3D.                                                                                                                                      Players use fully animated avatars with a wide range of appearances             (millions of unique appearances possible), and can communicate with             others using text, gestures, facial expressions, ...or the point of             a sword.                                                                                                                                                        It's not just a shooter, and it's not just chat.  It is a multi-player          gaming experience like no other.                                                                                                                                A free alpha version of the Other Realms client program is now                  available for downloading from our website at http://www.otherrealms.com        (or http://www.boulevards.com/otherrealms -- both will get you there).          This release is a limited alpha version; we will be adding capabilities         and areas of the world in the coming weeks.  The next release will be on        January 5, 1996, and we are making incremental updates in the meantime.         The full version of the game, with a greatly expanded world and expanded        features, will be made available on CD-ROM in 1996.                                                                                                             The game requires a 486/66 with 8Mb of RAM to run (and this will run            it well -- you don't need a Pentium to _really_ play).  It runs under           Windows 3.1, Windows NT, and Windows 95 (Mac version coming soon!),             and requires a Winsock-type (SLIP/PPP) connection to the Net.  Additional       technical information is available at our web site.                                                                                                             In the meantime, please visit our website (www.otherrealms.com) for             additional information and clues into the workings of Other Realms.             We're also giving away Cool Stuff to a random selection of people who           fill out the survey on our page.                                                                                                                                See you in Other Realms!                                                        --                                                                               Michael Sellers    Terra Nova Interactive Corp.    [e-mail]                    [phone]    http://www.terranova.com/~sellers                    ** Download our free, 3D graphical MUD alpha at www.otherrealms.com **                                                                                         @START@Announcing: Rexx-Adventure!                                                                                                                              INTRODUCING...                                                                                                                                                  Rexx-Adventure!                                                                                                                                                 The only Interactive Fiction engine for OS/2 Presentation                       Manager.                                                                                                                                                        Rexx-Adventure lets you play and write text adventures.  A                      point-and-click interface lets you concentrate on enjoying the                  game, not wrestling with vocabulary.                                                                                                                            Rexx-Adventure is a 32 bit OS/2 application written with VX-REXX(TM).                                                                                                                                                                           The full size adventure "The Resident - You visit the WEB, I live               here." is included.                                                                                                                                             Best of all, Rexx-Adventure is distributed as FREEWARE.                                                                                                         You can get Rexx-Adventure on the World Wide Web at                                 http://www.io.com/~desantom                                                                                                                                    Or by anonymous FTP at:                                                             ftp.io.com/pub/usr/desantom                                                        ftp.gmd.de                                                                         hobbes.nmsu.edu                                                                    simtel.coast.net                                                                                                                                               If anyone has problems or suggestions, e-mail me at                             '[e-mail]'.                                                                                                                                              VXREXX is a trademark of Watcom International.                                  'Rexx-Adventure' and 'The Resident' are Copyright 1995                          by Mike DeSanto.  All Rights Reserved.                                                                                                                          @START@Arcade America by 7th Level                                                                                                                              Arcade America                                                                                                                                                  Grunt, jump and belly bump across the country with Joey and the Monsters        as you make your way through 60 outrageous levels.  Arcade America, the         only game that truly separates the tough guys from the mondo weenies.           Find secret doors, hidden passages, special items and more!                                                                                                     Available at the finest software stores.                                                                                                                        Now shipping the Windows version.   Mac version available soon.                                                                                                 Download the demo at:                                                           http://www.7thlevel.com/products/arcade/america                                                                                                                 @START@*** INTERNET PC GAMES TOP 100 * ISSUE 159 ***                                                                                                            ==============================================================================  |       * * *  I N T E R N E T   P C   G A M E S   C H A R T S  * * *        |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | (c) 1996 World Charts                Issue 159 - Week 3 - January 15, 1996 |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | This week the votes from 1005 people have been used to compile this chart. |  | The charts are checked out weekly by most game developers and publishers.  |  | Let them know what games you like and start voting for this list now!      |  | Send your votes to [e-mail] and you'll get the next chart    |  | sent to you personally. Ask for the document that tells how to vote. Just  |  | send a message with subject line 'send doc' and you'll know all about it.  |  | The format for every line with a vote is:  points title [ ID ]             |  | YOU MUST INCLUDE THE ID NUMBER, and between brackets! It is NOT optional.  |  | You can allocate a maximum of 20 points, BUT NOT MORE THAN 5 FOR ONE GAME. |  | An example can be found at the bottom of this list. LOOK AT IT FIRST!      |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | All your votes and comments should be sent to [e-mail].      |  | If you use any other address, then your message will not be received.      |  ==============================================================================                                                                                  ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: advertisement ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                                                                                                           ATOMIC ENTERTAINMENT                                                              PROUDLY PRESENTS                                                     SKUNNY - A NEW 32 BIT PLATFORM GAME !!!                                                                                                          Experience the fastest,most exciting platform game released to the market in    years. Up to six levels of parallax scrolling, 3D rendered animations.          The game contains more than 750.000 graphics elements and a built-in level      editor to create your own levels. Dozens of objects to interact with:           Camp Fires, Gold Coins, Barrels, Ropes, Boosters, pinball, Mine Car, Magic      Carpet, Saw Blades, etc. Find hundred of secret passages, bonus levels and      the treasure!  Requires DOS 3.x+, 486+, 8MB, 9MB Hard Disk space (32 MB         for the full version!!) and a sound Card.                                                                                                                       Fully playable demo available (3 huge levels):                                   - our home page: http://www.atomic-ent.com/webpage                              - our ftp site: ftp.atomic-ent.com/pub/atomic                                   - Compuserve ACTION forum (keyword: SKUNNY)                                     - ExecPC (type FFC - file SKUNNY10.ZIP)                                         - ftp.funet.fi     /pub/msdos/games/skunny/skunny.zip                           - ftp.uwp.edu      /pub/msdos/games/skunny/skunny.zip                           - http://happypuppy.com/games/lordsoth                                                                                                                         Send e-mail to:                                                                  [e-mail]   or   [e-mail] (Atomic)                                        or   [e-mail] (Magic Touch)                                                                                         ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                                                                                   The following Top 40 contains the best download PC games in the world.          The list includes demo versions, shareware versions and freeware games.         Vote for a game in this chart if you think other people should download it.    ==============================================================================   Download Top 40                       Edition 29 - Week 3 - January 15, 1996   ==============================================================================   TW  LW  NW Title                      Developer/Publisher(s) Cat HI ID Points  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------    1   1   4 Descent 2: Counterstrike {demo}Parallax/Interplay AC  1 [1821] 311    2   2  29 Descent {share}                Parallax/Interplay AC  1 [1644] 183    3   3  29 Nethack 3.1 {free}                        DevTeam RP  1 [1186] 138    4   6^ 10 Warcraft 2: Tides of D. {demo} Blizzard/Interplay ST  4 [1774] 124    5   4  14 Hexen: Beyond Heretic {share}            Raven/Id AC  1 [1751] 109    6   9^  9 Extreme Pinball {share}      Epic/Electronic Arts AC  4 [1776]  65    7   5  29 FreeCell {W} {free}                     Microsoft ST  5 [1660]  59    8   7  29 Doom {share}                                   Id AC  4 [1645]  61    9  10^ 29 VGA Planets {share}                  Tim Wisseman ST  7 [1651]  56   10   8  29 Stars! {share}                       Star Crossed ST  3 [1662]  47   11  11  29 Angband {free}                Robert Alan Koeneke RP  2 [1255]  42   12  12  17 Tyrian {share}                       Eclipse/Epic AC  3 [1725]  45   13  15^ 29 Heretic {share}                          Raven/Id AC  7 [1648]  41   14  17^ 29 3D Lemmings {demo}Dimension Cr./Eclipse/Psygnosis AC  6 [1619]  38   15  13   8 Mahjongg: The Real Game {share}      Berrie Bloem ST 12 [1783]  31   16  16  19 Abuse {share}                       Crack Dot Com AC  6 [1715]  35   17  18^ 29 Slicks 'n' Slide {share}           Timo Kauppinen SP 11 [1659]  32   18  14   9 Indenture {free}                   Craig Pell/VGR AD  8 [1777]  25   19  25^  4 Stars! 2.0 {share}                   Star Crossed ST 19 [1816]  41   20  19  29 Terminal Velocity {share}   Terminal R./3D Realms AC  3 [1646]  31   21  24^  3 Indycar 2 {demo}                          Papyrus SP 21 [1810]  31   22  21  26 Nahlakh {share}                     Tom Proudfoot RP 21 [1692]  27   23  28^  5 Toyland {O} {share}                 Rainald Menge AC 23 [1813]  32   24  20  25 MechWarrior 2: The Clans {demo}        Activision AC 15 [1696]  20   25  22  29 Scorched Earth {share}             Wendell Hicken AC  7 [1673]  23   26  30^ 13 Capitalism {demo}       Enlight/Interactive Magic ST 12 [1761]  30   27  23  29 One Must Fall: 2097 {share}                  Epic AC  8 [1647]  21   28  29^ 29 Wacky Wheels {share}                Beavis/Apogee AC  9 [1649]  20   29  26  28 Rise of the Triad: The Hunt Begins {share} Apogee AC 10 [1668]  17   30  34^ 28 Mordor: Depths of Dejend {W} {share}     MakeItSo RP 13 [1681]  20   31  33^ 29 Minesweeper {W} {free}                  Microsoft ST  5 [1184]  18   32  38^  2 XenoPhage: Alien Bloodsport {share}   Argo/Apogee AC 32 [1833]  19   33  39^ 11 The Dig {demo}                          LucasArts AD 32 [1765]  17   34  31  29 Jazz Jackrabbit {share}                      Epic AC 13 [1652]  13   35  27   9 Radix: Beyond the Void {share}  Neural Storm/Epic AC 14 [1778]   9   36  32  11 Terminator: Future Shock {demo}  Bethesda/US Gold AC 16 [1766]  12   37  35   7 BreakFree {share}                  Software Storm AC 29 [1780]  14   38  36  15 Dark Forces {demo}               LucasArts/Virgin AC 27 [1713]  15   39  37  29 Sherlock {share}                    Everett Kaser ST 11 [1654]  13   40   -^  1 Tempest 2000 {share}                        Atari AC 40 [1844]  10                                                                                      Dropped Out:                                                                                                                                                     40  20 Xquest                                   Atomjack AC 38 [1482]                                                                                       The following games have not yet received enough points to enter the chart:    ==============================================================================    Runners Up for Download Top 40       Edition 29 - Week 3 - January 15, 1996   ==============================================================================           NW Title                         Developer/Publisher(s) Cat  ID        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Tip  1   2 SeaHaven Towers {share}               J. Daniel Kulp AC [1836]       Tip  2   6 Battle Beast {W} {demo}                    7th Level AC [1814]       Tip  3   6 Jigsaw {free}                          Graham Nelson AD [1815]       Tip  4   1 Rayman {demo}                                    UBI AC [1845]       Tip  5   5 Baryon {share}                     Acro/Game Factory AC [1823]                                                                                      Eleven Odd Questions for Brad Wardell from Stardock                             ==============================================================================  Q: Did Sid Meier or MicroProse complain about the title Galactic                   Civilizations?                                                               B: No.  Actually, I've never even met him but would like to.  I've talked to       MicroProse many times (we're on very good terms) about the possibility of       working with them on future collaborations. Nothing very solid right now.                                                                                    Q: You're developing games for OS/2.  Why bet on a dead horse?                  B: :) If I mentioned how much we grossed this year on this dead horse I don't      think anyone would call OS/2 dead again. :)  Look at how many people            develop for WIndows95 right now even though its retail sales estimates are      under 5m (retail not preload).  OS/2's been a good market.  We do intend to     go cross-platform (Linux, Windows95, etc.) in the next year or so though.                                                                                    Q: How do you feel about winning the Internet PC Games Awards for strategy         game and overall game of 1995?                                               B: That's great to hear! The support of our customers makes it worth it. I do      think this sends a message to game companies that users are very interested     in the "guts" of the game rather than the fluff.  GalCiv 1's original           graphics were pretty inadequate compared to other games of the genre            (GalCiv 2 addresses this) but the fact that the AI is smart and doesn't cheat   seems to have made up for this. I must admit though, I have logged many         hours on Civilization and Masters of Orion even as of late. I love those        games.                                                                                                                                                       Q: What will be the next platform you'll develop for?  NeXT or PowerMac?        B: Linux and Windows95 look like good options for us to expand onto. We            definitely see OS/2 as our primary launching platform. OS/2 is the only OS      I've seen so far that has its own games newsgroup (comp.os.os2.games) which     makes for a major advantage in developing for first.                                                                                                         Q: How many did Galactic Civilizations sell? How many of you can live from it?  B: Well, I can't say how many copies GalCiv 1 sold publicly but I can say how      well GalCiv 2 has done. We shipped about 11,000 copies on the first day and     we're not even in the stores yet.                                                                                                                            Q: What is it in OS/2 that you would change right away if it were your own OS?  B: Make it MUCH more user friendly for consumers. Windows95 has better direct      video performance than OS/2 does and you can stick a CD into the CD ROM         drive and have it run the program right from there.  The other things I'd       like to see changed we actually made a product to address that -- Object        Desktop.                                                                                                                                                     Q: How many man-hours went into the development of GalCiv?  And GalCiv 2?       B: GalCiv 1 took our team about 2 years to develop.  GalCiv 2 took about           3 months to develop but cost twice as much as GalCiv 1 because of the           digital sound track and graphics.                                                                                                                            Q: What if we called Chris Roberts to link the Wing Commander world to your        games and boost the sensation a little?                                      B: That would be pretty neat.  The Kilrathi died in WC 3 though so we'd have       to have it take place between WC2 and WC3.  Someday, this sort of thing         WILL happen.  Whether through OpenDOC or some future form of OLE, games         will link to each other.                                                                                                                                     Q: When will GalCiv for Windows 95 be ready?                                    B: I'm afraid there will never be a Windows95 version of GalCiv.  It's very        dependent on OS/2 and would require a complete rewrite to do that. Our          future space strategy game, Galactic Federations, will probably be ported       to Windows95 after the OS/2 version.                                                                                                                         Q: How did Stardock come into existence?  And couldn't you find a decent job?   B: :) Well, my mom finally said "Get out of the house!". No seriously,             Stardock started in my dorm room some years ago as a "customs solution          provider" (i.e. custom software and hardware). Over time, Stardock grew.        We grew in notoriety when we entered the OS/2 market last year with Galactic    Civilizations.  The OS/2 market has been pretty good for us. We expect that     by the end of 1996 one out of every three OS/2 products purchased (whether      games, apps, or utilities) will be a Stardock product.                                                                                                       Q: What would you say if we'd force Bill Gates to listen to you for 5 minutes?  B: Keep up the good work! :)  He is fiercely competitive and while I can't say     I admire his ethics, his business sense and ability to leverage his             position are impressive.  I do think that Microsoft now serves as a major       stumbling block towards progress in the computer era.  I believe Mr. Gates'     time is up and it's time to step aside and let a new generation with new        ideas come through.  His resistance to OpenDoc and Java are two examples of     Microsoft standing for an obstacle for technological progress.                                                                                               :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: advertisement ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                                     STARS!                                                                                                                                      The Premiere Space Strategy Game for MS Windows                                                                                                     Forge your destiny in the Stars! furnace. Custom build a race and make          the universe your's by design as you take on up to 15 friends and enemies       or go solo against the computer. Stars! has what you've been looking for        (but haven't found) in other space strategy games:                                                                                                              - Unmatched depth of play and strategic flexibility                             - Single computer, LAN, Internet, email and BBS turn-based play                 - Built-in automation that allows you to focus on strategy                      - Complex, honest computer players                                              - A dynamic, flexible interface that you control                                - Configurable winning conditions                                               - A top-rated tutorial and extensive online player's guide                                                                                                      >>>> New in Version 2.0: New 3D Graphics, Stargates, Wormholes, Rail Guns,      Armed Starbases, Faster Engines, Minefields, Salvage, Mass Drivers,             Enemy Heading and Speed Vectors, and over 200 other great new features...                                                                                       Download the fully playable shareware version:                                  WWW:  http://www.webmap.com/stars!                                              FTP:  beast.webmap.com    /stars/v2.0    stars!2.zip                            ****  World-wide download sites: send e-mail to [e-mail]              :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                                                                                    The following Top 100 contains the best full price PC games in the world.       The list includes commercial retail games and registered shareware games.       Vote for a game in this chart if you think other people should buy it too.     ==============================================================================   Commercial Top 100                   Edition 159 - Week 3 - January 15, 1996   ==============================================================================   TW  LW  NW Title                      Developer/Publisher(s) Cat HI ID Points  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------    1   1  16 Command & Conquer {C}             Westwood/Virgin ST  1 [1729] 771    2   2   6 Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness {C}        Blizzard ST  2 [1817] 639    3   3  55 Descent {reg}                  Parallax/Interplay AC  1 [1565] 376    4   5^ 66 Doom 2: Hell on Earth                Id/GT/Virgin AC  1 [1502] 309    5   4 159 Civilization/CivNet                    MicroProse ST  1 [1002] 361    6   6  24 MechWarrior 2/NetMech: The Clans {C}   Activision AC  6 [1697] 248    7   7  65 Galactic Civilizations/Shipyards {O}     Stardock ST  1 [1508] 248    8  25*  3 Galactic Civilizations 2 {O}             Stardock ST  8 [1828] 312    9   8  60 Warcraft: Orcs and Humans      Blizzard/Interplay ST  4 [1528] 213   10  10   9 Hexen: Beyond Heretic {reg}           Raven/Id/GT AC  8 [1775] 211   11   9  47 Dark Forces {C}                  LucasArts/Virgin AC  2 [1585] 197   12  11  66 Master of Magic                 SimTex/MicroProse ST  3 [1501] 223   13  13 119 Master of Orion                 SimTex/MicroProse ST  2 [1344] 192   14  14  14 Crusader: No Remorse {C}   Origin/Electronic Arts AC 14 [1741] 164   15  12  15 Need for Speed {C}    Distinctive/Electronic Arts AC 12 [1738] 151   16  16  57 Wing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger {C}   Origin AC  6 [1562] 168   17  15  91 U.F.O./X-Com: Enemy Unknown     Mythos/MicroProse ST  1 [1437] 175   18  17  18 Star Emperor {O}                         Stardock ST  4 [1716] 160   19  18  59 Panzer General                      SSI/Mindscape ST 11 [1522] 159   20  19  13 Steel Panthers                      SSI/Mindscape ST 18 [1757] 144   21  20  15 Heroes of Might and Magic               New World ST 17 [1737] 143   22  27^  9 Stone Keep {C}                          Interplay RP 22 [1779] 145   23  21  78 Tie Fighter/add-on               LucasArts/Virgin AC  3 [1473] 117   24  28^  6 The Dig {C}                             LucasArts AD 24 [1798] 132   25  22  41 X-COM 2: Terror f.t. Deep       Mythos/MicroProse ST  8 [1600] 108   26  26   6 Fifa International Soccer 96 {C}  Electronic Arts SP 26 [1787] 122   27  24  12 Ascendancy                   Logic Factory/Virgin ST 22 [1753] 108   28  23  13 NHL Hockey '96                    Electronic Arts SP 23 [1748]  94   29  30^158 Dune 2: Building of a Dynasty     Westwood/Virgin ST  4 [1110] 140   30  29  67 Colonization                           MicroProse ST  5 [1496]  97   31  49*  2 Avarice Preview {OC}                 CSS/Stardock AD 31 [1837] 126   32  32 109 Doom/Ultimate Doom {reg}                       Id AC  1 [1386] 101   33  31 105 SimCity 2000                      Maxis/Mindscape ST  2 [1399]  99   34  33  37 Full Throttle {C}                       LucasArts AD 10 [1612]  81   35  35  11 Caesar 2                       Impressions/Sierra ST 35 [1742]  83   36  36  61 Transport Tycoon                       MicroProse ST 14 [1521]  80   37  34  39 Jagged Alliance                Sir-Tech/Mindscape ST  9 [1605]  73   38  41^116 Day of the Tentacle             LucasArts/US Gold AD  6 [1268]  97   39  40^156 VGA Planets {reg}                    Tim Wisseman ST  3 [1131] 100   40  44^  6 11th Hour: Be Afraid of the Dark Trilobyte/Virgin AD 40 [1809]  85   41  38  13 Championship Manager 2                     Domark SP 38 [1746]  68   42  37  20 Phantasmagoria {C}                         Sierra AD 19 [1712]  65   43  42   7 Stars! 2.0 {reg}                     Star Crossed ST 42 [1786]  68   44  39  55 Heretic {reg}                            Raven/Id AC  4 [1566]  56   45  47^  6 Capitalism {C}          Enlight/Interactive Magic ST 45 [1806]  66   46  51^127 Warlords 2/deluxe                             SSG ST 11 [1284]  80   47  50^ 68 System Shock  LookingGlass/Origin/Electronic Arts AC 11 [1438]  66   48  46  95 Myst {CW}         Cyan/Broderbund/Electronic Arts AD 11 [1426]  65   49  45   6 Rebel Assault 2: The Hidden Empire      LucasArts AC 41 [1795]  50   50  43  46 World at War: Stalingrad       Atomic/Avalon Hill ST 12 [1584]  48   51  52^ 15 World at War: America Invades {C}Atomic/Avalon H. ST 29 [1736]  48   52  56^ 39 NBA Live 95 {C}            Hitmen/Electronic Arts SP 34 [1602]  48   53  48  69 World at War: Operation Crusader Atomic/Avalon H. ST 16 [1489]  43   54  67^  2 Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within {C}     Sierra AD 54 [1832]  52   55  54   5 TFX 2: EF2000                           DID/Ocean SI 54 [1797]  47   56  57^ 12 Mortal Kombat 3                         Midway/GT AC 36 [1755]  49   57  61^ 11 Microlearn Game Pack 2 {O}      Microlearn Nordic AC 38 [1764]  48   58  66^  3 Mission Critical {C}                Legend/Virgin AD 58 [1807]  50   59  60^ 28 Star Trek TNG: A Final Unity {C}Spectrum Holobyte AD 16 [1641]  46   60  59  36 Terminal Velocity {reg}Terminal Reality/3D Realms AC  3 [1616]  43   61  58   7 Destruction Derby {C}       Reflections/Psygnosis AC 58 [1788]  43   62  53  83 The Settlers/Serf City              Blue Byte/SSI ST  6 [1458]  40   63  70^108 Sam & Max Hit the Road          LucasArts/US Gold AD 11 [1379]  46   64  63   7 Worms {C}                           Team 17/Ocean AC 54 [1784]  39   65  75^  5 Screamer                          Graffiti/Virgin AC 65 [1801]  42   66  69^157 World Circuit/F1 Grand Prix            MicroProse SP  3 [1123]  46   67  65 158 Star Control 2: Ur-Quan Masters          Accolade AC  3 [1116]  47   68  79^  4 Battle Isle 3: Shadow of the Emperor    Blue Byte ST 68 [1769]  42   69  64 150 X-Wing/Imperial Purs.,B-Wing    LucasArts/US Gold AC  1 [1169]  46   70  55  32 Stars! {reg}                         Star Crossed ST 20 [1629]  29   71  62  41 Bioforge {C}               Origin/Electronic Arts AD 30 [1599]  33   72  77^ 61 Under a Killing Moon {C}           Access/US Gold AD 22 [1517]  38   73  82^  5 Advanced Civilization {C}             Avalon Hill ST 73 [1803]  37   74  68  60 Nascar Racing                      Papyrus/Virgin SI 21 [1529]  30   75  81^ 26 Buried in Time {C} Presto/Sanctuary Woods/US Gold AD 42 [1687]  36   76  72   6 The Dame Was Loaded                  Beam/Philips AD 57 [1800]  32   77  74  15 Fade to Black {C}        Delphine/Electronic Arts AC 54 [1740]  30   78  78 132 Syndicate/add-on         Bullfrog/Electronic Arts AC  5 [1271]  41   79  83^  9 3D Ultra Pinball                           Sierra AC 61 [1754]  31   80  73  55 Little Big Adventure/Relentless        Adeline/EA AD 18 [1538]  28   81   -^ 91 Battle Isle 2/add-on           Blue Byte/Accolade ST 36 [1439]  38   82   -^153 Railroad Tycoon                        MicroProse ST  8 [1121]  39   83   -^  1 Monopoly {C}                      Westwood/Virgin ST 83 [1841]  31   84  91^149 Empire Deluxe/add-ons                   New World ST 18 [1177]  39   85  76   2 Earthworm Jim 2                        Activision AC 76 [1830]  30   86  80 156 Ultima Underworld 2  LookingGlass/Origin/El. Arts RP  2 [1127]  37   87  88^ 19 Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure {CW}      Activision AC 51 [1714]  29   88   -^  1 Allied General                      SSI/Mindscape ST 88 [1829]  28   89  84 101 Pinball Fantasies  Digital Illusions/21st Century AC 10 [1416]  31   90   -^  1 Front Page Sports: Football 96             Sierra SP 90 [1825]  28   91  90 132 Betrayal at Krondor                Dynamix/Sierra RP  6 [1275]  34   92  97^ 65 One Must Fall: 2097 {reg}                    Epic AC  6 [1505]  29   93  89 159 Darklands                              MicroProse RP  8 [1008]  35   94  85  72 Crusaders o.t. Dark Savant       Sir-Tech/US Gold RP  5 [1104]  28   95  87  15 Magic Carpet 2: The Netherworlds {C}  Bullfrog/EA AC 57 [1739]  25   96  95 140 7th Guest {C}                    Trilobyte/Virgin PU 16 [1230]  32   97  71  46 Realms of Arkania 2/Schwarze Auge 2      Sir-Tech RP 53 [1514]  18   98  92  67 NHL Hockey '95                    Electronic Arts SP 37 [1493]  23   99  86   8 Tyrian {reg}                         Eclipse/Epic AC 84 [1768]  20  100  98 111 Epic Pinball/Silverball {reg}                Epic AC  3 [1359]  24                                                                                      Dropped Out:                                                                                                                                                     93  51 1942 Pacific Air War                   MicroProse SI 93 [1460]           94 157 Links 386 Pro/add-ons              Access/US Gold SP  6 [1006]           96  57 Roids {reg}                           Leonard Guy AC 15 [1531]           99  36 Monty Python's Waste of Time {C}        7th Level AC 39 [1588]          100   4 Extreme Pinball {reg}        Epic/Electronic Arts AC 92 [1789]                                                                                       The following games have not yet received enough points to enter the chart:    ==============================================================================    Runners Up for Commercial Top 100   Edition 159 - Week 3 - January 15, 1996   ==============================================================================           NW Title                         Developer/Publisher(s) Cat  ID        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Tip  1   6 Anvil of Dawn                   DreamForge/New World RP [1819]       Tip  2   3 Terminator: Future Shock {C}        Bethesda/US Gold AC [1834]       Tip  3   5 Actua Soccer {C}                             Gremlin SP [1824]       Tip  4   1 Williams Arcade Classics                          GT AC [1846]       Tip  5   8 Shivers                                       Sierra AD [1791]       Tip  6   1 Formula One Grand Prix Manager {C}  Edcom/MicroProse SP [1847]       Tip  7   2 EA Sports Cricket 96  Beam/EA Sports/Electronic Arts SP [1838]       Tip  8   2 Tilt!                                     NMS/Virgin AC [1839]       Tip  9   6 2600 Action Pack 2 {W}                    Activision AC [1818]       Tip 10   4 Frankenstein: Through the Eyes o.t.Amazing/Interplay AD [1831]       Tip 11   2 Wipeout                                    Psygnosis AC [1842]       Tip 12   1 Pro Pinball: The Web {C}                      Empire AC [1848]       Tip 13   8 Druid: Daemons of the MSynthetic Dimensions/Sir-Tech RP [1796]       Tip 14   7 High Seas Trader                         Impressions ST [1808]       Tip 15   5 Torin's Passage {C}                           Sierra AD [1826]       Tip 16   2 Jungle Book                            Disney/Virgin AC [1840]       Tip 17   2 Endorfun                         Onesong/Time Warner PU [1843]       Tip 18   1 Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat {C}    Mindscape RP [1849]       Tip 19   1 The Hive {C}                                 Trimark AC [1850]                                                                                      ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: advertisement ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                                                                                                  !!!!!!!!!!--ROCKET SCIENCE GAMES--!!!!!!!!!!                                                      presents                                                                 THREE NEW GAMES FOR PC                                                                                                                                            -----LOADSTAR-----                                                          The Legend of Tully Bodine                                                                                                                                  -----CADILLACS AND DINOSAURS-----                                                      The Second Cataclysm                                                                                                                                                      &                                                                                                                                                      -----WING NUTS-----                                                                                                                                Visit our web site @ http://www.rocketsci.com                                                                                                         Win prizes on our CONTEST page!!  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CASH PRIZES---                                                                                                        www.rocketsci.com-----new for PC-----www.rocketsci.com-----outrageous                                                                                       ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::                                                                                                                                                                  ==============================================================================  | TW : This Week          | The Internet PC Games Charts are compiled using  |  | LW : Last Week          | votes sent by gamers from all over the world.    |  | NW : Number of Weeks    | The latest charts are published every Monday on  |  | HI : Highest Position   | Usenet in the comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.* newsgroups.|  |  ^ : Climbing           |--------------------------------------------------|  |  * : Bullet             | If you send your votes, do it like this:         |  | AC : Action             | > 5  Dark Invader  [1435]                        |  | AD : Adventure          | > 4  Mysterious Forces 2  [1322]                 |  | PU : Puzzle             | > 5  Super Fighter  [1502]                       |  | RP : Role-Playing       | > 2  Magic of Zuul 4  []                         |  | SI : Simulation         | > 4  The Lost Tycoon  []                         |  | SP : Sports             |--------------------------------------------------|  | ST : Strategy           | (c) 1996 all rights reserved |      World Charts |  | {free}  Freeware        | Distribution of these charts | Balderikstraat 16 |  | {demo}  Demo Version    | is granted only by written   | 3032 HC Rotterdam |  | {share} Shareware       | permission.                  |   The Netherlands |  | {reg}   Registered      |--------------------------------------------------|  | {C}     CD-ROM Only     | By email: [e-mail]   [e-mail] |  | {W}     Windows Only    | On the WorldWideWeb:  http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo |  | {O}     OS/2 Only       |      Supported by XS4ALL Internet Provider       |  ==============================================================================  ========                                                                        Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.adventure                                     Subject: Sierra games - debug modes e.t.c.                                      From: Peter Kelly <[e-mail]>                                       Date: Mon, 08 Jan 1996 15:47:26 -0800                                                                                                                           This is a multi-part message in MIME format.                                                                                                                    -----------------------------270263181113638                                    Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii                                      Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit                                                                                                                                 Does anybody know and cheats/debug modes/other interesting hacking              stuff for sierra games? I have attached a document that details some            of them in the AGI and SCI games.                                               I also have a program called SCI decoder which allows you to view               images and text in SCI(e.g.LSL3) and some SCIV(vga e.g. KQ5) if                 anybody is interested.                                                                                                                                          -----------------------------270263181113638                                    Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii                                      Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit                                                 Content-Disposition: inline; filename="1.TXT"                                                                                                                   SCI GAMES(e.g. king's quest 4, police quest 2, larry 2&3)                       ---------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                        * Please note that some SGI releases, the old ALT-D cheats                        from the AGI releases work.  Check out the section                              elsewhere in this list about AGI cheats.                                                                                                                     In Sierra-Online games like a LSL2, LSL3, KQ1 (1990) you can                    enter Sierra's debug mode by pressing <LShift><RShift><Grey ->.                                                                                                 All global variable values can be changed.                                      Changes have effect after exiting DEBUG mode.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Global variables                 Notes                                          -----------------------------------------------------                      1    Game ID (Ex. kq1)                Read only (*)                             2    Room number (Ex. rm8 for room #8)Read only                                 3    Speed                            0 - Max, but 99 is quite slow             4    Unknown                                                                    5-8  Something from EventHandler                                                9    Pointer to obj. Inv              Read only                                 12   Previous scene number                                                      13   Scene number                     Can be used for teleport.                 14   Breakpoint flag                  If non-zero, Auto-DEBUG on room                                 CHANGE                                                                15   Score                            New score is displayed only after                               next non-DEBUG change.                                                16   Max Score                        New score is displayed only after                               next non-DEBUG change.                                                30   Pointer to SG Directory.         Use INSPECT to view SG directory.                                                                                         ------------------------------------------------                                Comments: (*) Value changes have no effect. They are automaticaly               restored.                                                                                                                                                       SCIV debug commands                                                                                                                                             q         Quit                   Quit immediatly                                t         Temp variable          Inspect temp variable                          a         Inspect acc                                                           i         Inspect                See chapter "Inspect"                          o         Object                 See available objects.                         r         Resources              See resources                                  s         Send stack                                                            d         Display memory                                                        f         Free heap                                                             g         Global variable        Inspect global variable                        l         Local variable         Inspect local  variable                        b         Break in (If object value is changed, Auto-DEBUG)                     c         Inspect current object                                                --------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                      I N S P E C T                                                                         Inspect subcommands                                                                     ---------------------                                                        Up, Down, Left, Right                Scroll                                     Enter                                Next item                                  [,]                                  Move to address                            i                                    Inspect                                    e                                    Edit                                       c                                    Collection: If you press C while                                inspecting Inv, you can get                                                                 Inventory List.                                                                                                                                            Use inspect subcommands recursively.                                            Ex. While viewing Inventory List, assign ego address to owner.                  ego, owner are objects. So you can collect all treasures at                     any time.                                                                                                                                                   Warning:    Write ego in lowercase.                                                                                                                             You can inspect hex address of memory (Ex. $3455) or any object (Ex.            Sound)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Obtained from text file, originally by Alexander Isaev, 2:5020/92                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               AGI GAMES(e.g. larry 1, police quest 1, king's quest 1)                         -------------------------------------------------------                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         In Sierra AGI games (made until about 1989) you can usually                     enter the cheat mode by pressing ALT-D.  Press the enter key as                 needed to get rid of the messages on screen.                                                                                                                    You are now in debugging mode.  In some games, you need to do this              each time you enter a new room, in others, it always remains on.                                                                                                Some debugging commands:                                                                                                                                        ZAP           - Teleport.                                                       TP            - In other games.                                                 SHOW VAR      - Show the value of a variable.  0 is your room number.                           In LSL and Space Quest 1, #90 is your money.                    CHANGE VAR    - Guess.                                                          <F6>          - In some games will show priority bands.                         GET OBJECT    - Get any item (by number).                                       GET ALL       - Some games use this rather than GET OBJECT.                     OBJECT NUMBER - In some games, shows object numbers.                            <Alt> - <V>   - Version information                                             <Alt> - <P>   - Shows walking areas.                                            <Alt> - <E>   - Display coordinates                                             <Alt> - <I>   - Information about objects                                       <Alt> - <Z>   - Instant Quit                                                    <Alt> - <M>   - Heapsize                                                        ROOM NUMBER   - Guess.  Show and tell.                                          OBJECT ROOM   - Sowh where an object is.@[e-mail] Very fast 1-pass disketThank you for your contribution.  This upload is now available as                109749 Dec 20 05:10 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/diskcopy/dcf51.zip                                                                                                 I can vouch that this is a very useful and flexible 1-pass disk                 copier.                                                                                                                                                         : Date: Thu, 21 Dec 1995 02:14:50 -0800 (PST)                                   : From: Chang-Ping Lee <[e-mail]>                                : To: [e-mail]                                                            : Cc: [e-mail]                                                   : Subject: dcf51.zip diskette copier uploaded                                   :                                                                               : File name: DCF51.ZIP                                                          : One line description: Very fast and powerfull 1-pass diskette copier          : Replaces: DCF*.ZIP                                                            : Suggested Garbo directory: diskutil                                           : Uploader name & email: [e-mail]                                : Author or company: DCF Software                                               : Email address: [e-mail]                                        : Surface address: P.O. Box 60064, Palo Alto, CA 94306, U.S.A.                  : Special requirements: None.                                                   : Shareware payment required from private users: Y                              : Shareware payment required from corporates: Y                                 : Distribution limitations: Vendors must identify it as shareware outside       :                           package.                                            : Demo: N                                                                       : Self-documenting: Y                                                           : External documentation included: Yes, 64 KB                                   : Source included: No                                                           : Size: zipped 107 KB, original 168 KB                                          : 10 lines description:                                                         :                                                                               : Powerful 1-pass diskette duplication utility.                                 :                                                                               : * VERY POWERFUL: Support PC standard and extended formats such as             :   Microsoft DMF, IBM XDF and more. Copy Macintosh HD disks on PC too.         :   FORMAT DISKCOPY DISKCOMP all in 1 pass. Command line arguments or           :   HOT keys for backup or multiple target. Support 4 drive systems.            : * VERY FAST : 42+% faster than DOS, 33+% faster than competing programs.      : * VERY EASY TO USE : Command line or menu driven. On-line help. Mouse         :   support. Utilize extended memory.                                                                                                                           @[e-mail] PPP dial up access program                                                                                                                  Thank you for your contribution.  This upload is now available as                598021 Dec 20 15:05 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/connect/tamer99p.zip                                                                                               : Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 17:19:38 -0500 (EST)                                   : From: [e-mail]                                           : To: [e-mail]                                                            : Subject: tamer99p.zip A PPP Dial Up Access Program For DOS                    :                                                                               : File name: tamer99p.zip                                                       : One line description: PPP dial up access program                              : Replaces: tamer99m.zip                                                        : Suggested Garbo directory: net                                                : Uploader name & email: [e-mail]                          : Author or company: same                                                       : Email address: [e-mail]                                           : Surface address: 125 N. 14th Suite 204, Fort Smith, AR 72901                  : Special requirements: 286 or higher, MODEM                                    : Shareware payment required from private users: Y                              : Shareware payment required from corporates: Y                                 : Distribution limitations: none                                                : Demo: N                                                                       : Nagware: Y                                                                    : Self-documenting: N                                                           : External documentation included: Y                                            : Source included: N                                                            : Size: 597,751 bytes                                                           : 10 lines description:                                                         : Net-Tamer is a PPP dial up access program, which requires no TSR              : packet driver. You can use it to web browse, get/send your email,             : get/send usenet messages, FTP upload/download a file, TELNET to               : another internet address, or check the time and date. It is a                 : robot, which will get email and usenet groups then log off so you can         : use the included offline reader, or you can choose to stay on and             : look around. It will also do a download/upload of mail or usenet              : on a timer. The program is speech friendly to users of talking programs       : for the visually imapaired. No forms support for WWW in this edition.                                                                                         @[e-mail] Verbal Tutor for US College Entrance Exams                  Thank you for your contribution.  This upload is now available as                316273 Dec 1 02:30 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/education/sat-vv23.zip                                                                                              : Date: 23 Dec 95 19:54:09 EST                                                  : From: James Bair <[e-mail]>                                  : To: Garbo PC Uploads <[e-mail]>                                         : Subject: SAT-VV23.ZIP upload 22 Dec 95 Tutor for US College Entrance Tests: SA:                                                                               : >Please redesign your installation procedure so that any drive from           : >C: to Z: can be chosen if the user so wishes. Then please resubmit           : >and will consider the situation anew.                                        :                                                                               : I have done so and have re-uploaded the following to the Garbo FTP site:      : --------------------------                                                    : File name: SAT-VV23.ZIP                                                       : One line description:Verbal Tutor for US College Entrance Exams, SAT, ACT, GRE: etc.                                                                          : Replaces:VVxx.ZIP, VV-SATxx.ZIP, SAT-VV21.ZIP                                 : Suggested Garbo directory:pc/education                                        : Uploader name & email:James Bair, [e-mail]                   : Author or company:James Bair                                                  : Email address:[e-mail]                                       : Surface address:P.O. Box 203, Shelton, CT, 06484-0203, USA                    : Special requirements:DOS 2.1 or higher                                        : Shareware payment required from private users:Y                               : Shareware payment required from corporates:Y                                  : Distribution limitations:N                                                    : Demo:N                                                                        : Nagware:Y  (1 reminder screen)                                                : Self-documenting:Y                                                            : External documentation included:Y                                             : Source included:N                                                             : Size:609K, Zip 311K                                                           : 10 lines description:                                                         : Verbal Vanquish v2.3 <ASP><ESC> The Strategic                                 : SAT/ACT/GRE tutor that can really improve                                     : your score on entrance exams. 12 lessons                                      : emphasize STRATEGY, not boring drill.                                         : Includes strategic word list and shows how                                    : this can improve your SAT score                                               : incrementally. Author is award-winning                                        : teacher whose students have averaged 70 point                                 : increase in SAT Verbal scores after lessons.                                  : Vanquish your anguish with Verbal Vanquish.                                   :                                                                               :                                                                               : Long description:                                                             : Verbal Vanquish v. 2.3 <ASP><ESC> Vanquish your Anguish on the SAT and        : similar tests with VERBAL VANQUISH. Students using author's techniques have   : increased their SAT VERBAL scores an average of 70 points. VERBAL VANQUISH    : emphasizes three things which most SAT prep programs and books lack:          : 1)STRATEGY. Scores are raised by adopting test taking strategies, NOT         : boring drill. This program tells you HOW. 2)REAL SAT/ACT/GRE STYLE            : QUESTIONS. Many programs have sample questions that would NEVER appear on     : such tests. The questions in VERBAL VANQUISH are like the real thing.         : 3)AUTHENTIC VOCABULARY. The words used in VERBAL VANQUISH have been           : selected because of their appropriateness to the SAT and similar tests. The   : word list will REALLY help.  Complete registration includes the classic       : published SAT word list book for even more help. For higher scores, VERBAL    : VANQUISH really works!!!                                                      :                                                                               : Includes latest information on ACT and SAT-I. Good for SAT, SAT-I, PSAT,      : ACT, GRE, LSAT, and the various Teachers' Proficiency Tests. Also works       : with GED, N.Y. Regents, and other similar tests. Similar MATH VANQUISH        : available through registration.                                                                                                                               @[e-mail] Auto-detect modem port and capability                        Thank you for your contribution.  This upload is now available as                10283 Jan 1 01:00 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/comm/qfmodem.zip                                                                                                     : Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 13:31:09 -0500                                          : From: "Anthony Mai" <[e-mail]>                                        : To: [e-mail]                                                            : Subject: QFMODEM.ZIP Auto-detect modem port and capability                    :                                                                               : File name: qfmodem.zip                                                        : One line description: Auto-detect modem port and capability                   : Replaces:                                                                     : Suggested Garbo directory: /pc/comm/                                          : Uploader name & email: Anthony Mai  [e-mail]                          : Author or company: Anthony Mai                                                : Email address: [e-mail]                                               : Surface address: Box #28, 10 Vairo Blvd., State College, PA 16803 USA         : Special requirements:  286 system or above.                                   : Shareware payment required from private users: No                             : Shareware payment required from corporates: No                                : Distribution limitations: None                                                : Demo: No                                                                      : Nagware: Yes                                                                  : Self-documenting: Yes                                                         : External documentation included: No                                           : Source included: No                                                           : Size: 10KB                                                                    : 10 lines description:                                                         :     QFMODEM: Automatically detects modem port and modem                       : capabilities on PCs. This is a very small DOS utility                         : to help you to identify the modem port and determine                          : the capability of the modem. Freeware. Feel free to                           : use and re-distribute. Uploaded by author Anthony Mai                         :                                                                               : Long description:                                                                                                                                             @[e-mail] Convert from GIS ARC/INFO into MapInfo                       Thank you for your contribution.  This upload is now available as                165751 Dec 21 14:18 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/graphics/arcm106.zip                                                                                               : Date: Thu, 21 Dec 1995 14:42:59 GMT                                           : From: [e-mail]                                                       : To: [e-mail]                                                            : Subject: ARCM106.ZIP converts files from the GIS ARC/INFO into MapInfo        :                                                                               : File name: ARCM106.ZIP                                                        :                                                                               : One line description:                                                         :         ARCM106.ZIP converts files from the GIS ARC/INFO into                 : MapInfo.                                                                      :                                                                               : Replaces: /pc/graphics/ARCM104.ZIP                                            :                                                                               : Suggested Garbo directory:                                                    :       /pc/carto (cartographie)                                                :    or /pc/GIS (Geographical Information Systems).                             :    If you cannot, put it in /pc/graphics.                                     :                                                                               : Uploader name & email: Brice EYCHENIE : <[e-mail]>                   :                                                                               : Author or company:                                                            :       Brice EYCHENIE                                                          :    210 chemin du Sorbier                                                      :        Les Carabins                                                           :      13270 FOS SUR MER                                                        :           FRANCE                                                              :                                                                               : Email address: <[e-mail]>                                            :                                                                               : Surface address: the same as "Author or Company:"                             :                                                                               : Special requirements: MS-DOS, and Windows for a doc. file.                    :                                                                               : Shareware payment required from private users: Y (50 Francs or $                                                                                              : 10)                                                                           : Shareware payment required from corporates: Y (50 Francs or $ 10)             :                                                                               : Distribution limitations: No limitation                                       :                                                                               : Demo: N                                                                       :                                                                               : Nagware: Y                                                                    :    The software displays registration reminders                               :                                                                               : Self-documenting: Y, in English and in French in the file                                                                                                     : ARCMAP.WRI.                                                                   :                                                                               : External documentation included: Y                                            :    Type : ARCMAPUK ?                                                          :    You can see ARCMAP.WRI too                                                 :                                                                               : Source included: N                                                            :                                                                               : Size: 161 Kb zipped, 360 Kb if not (4 files).                                 :                                                                               : 10 lines description:                                                         : ArcMap : A program for converting files from ARC/INFO to MapInfo,             :          version 1.06, 11 Decembre 1995, Written by Brice EYCHENIE.           : ArcMap converts files from the GIS -Geographic Information System-            : ARC/INFO into MapInfo. To use, if the file contains only polygones,           : just type "ARCMAPUK filename.E00" and it will convert. If the file            : contains lines and polygones and you want only the lines, type                : "ARCMAPUK filename.E00 l". It also converts the points.                       : ARCMAP.EXE is the french version, ARCMAPUK the English one.                   : The read files are for Windows. ARCMW056.EXE is a french version                                                                                              : for                                                                           : Windows, but without the options.                                             :                                                                               :                                                                               : (Brice EYCHENIE)   [e-mail]                                                                                                                          @[e-mail] SkyMap Win3/Win95 planetarium, C.Marriott                   Thank you for your contribution.  This upload is now available as               1729767 Oct 20 16:12 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/windows/astronomy/skymap30.zip                                                                                        : Date: Sat, 23 Dec 95 10:49:31 GMT                                             : From: [e-mail] (Chris Marriott)                               : To: [e-mail]                                                           : Subject: skymap30.zip SkyMap 3.0 Win3/Win95 Planetarium uploaded              :                                                                               : File name:              skymap30.zip                                          : One line description:   SkyMap 3.0 Planetarium for Win3/Win95                 : Replaces:               skymap22.zip                                          :                                                                               : Suggested Garbo directory: /windows/astronomy                                 :                                                                               : Uploader name & email:  Chris Marriott ([e-mail])             :                                                                               : Author or company:      Chris Marriott                                        : Email address:          [e-mail]                              : Surface address:        9 Severn Road                                         :                         Culcheth                                              :                         Cheshire WA3 5ED                                      :                                                                               : Special requirements:                                                         :                                                                               : 16-bit version requires Windows 3.1, 386 or better CPU, 4MB RAM.              : 32-bit version will run on any PC capable of running Windows 95.              : A maths co-processor is STRONGLY recommended, but is not essential.           :                                                                               : Shareware payment required from private users:  Y                             : Shareware payment required from corporates:     Y                             :                                                                               : Distribution limitations:                                                     :                                                                               : None, provided the package is distributed intact and unaltered.               :                                                                               : Demo:       N                                                                 : Nagware:    Y                                                                 : Self-documenting:   Y                                                         : External documentation included: N                                            : Source included: N                                                            :                                                                               : Size:   1.7MB (zipped), 3MB (installed)                                       :                                                                               : 10 lines description:                                                         :                                                                               : SkyMap is a shareware planetarium program for the IBM-PC, and is              : suitable for both people with a casual interest in astronomy and              : serious amateur astronomers. Two types of map can be displayed - a            : view of the sky as seen by the observer, and a detailed "finder"              : chart suitable for use at the telescope. Detailed info can be shown           : for any object on the map, and high-quality charts printed.                   : This package contains two versions of the program - the 16-bit SkyMap         : 2.2 for Windows 3.1, and the 32-bit SkyMap 3.0 for Windows 95 or              : Windows NT 3.51. The installation program will detect which operating         : system is running and will install the correct version automatically.         :                                                                               : Long description:                                                             :                                                                               : SkyMap is a shareware planetarium program for the IBM-PC. This                : package contains two versions of SkyMap - SkyMap 2.2 for Windows 3.1          : and SkyMap 3.0 for Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51. The installer               : will detect which operating system is running and will install the            : appropriate version automatically. If you already have SkyMap 2.2             : and have no intention of upgrading to Windows 95 or Windows NT in             : the near future you do NOT need this upgrade!                                 :                                                                               : SkyMap can display accurate maps of the sky (hence the name...) for           : any location on Earth, and for any date between 4000BC and 8000AD.            : Two types of map can be drawn; a "horizon map" which shows the sky            : as seen by an observer, and an "area map" which shows a detailed              : view of a small part of the sky - this latter type of map is intended         : for use as a finder chart at the telescope.                                   :                                                                               : SkyMap can display the following items:                                       :                                                                               :  - Stars. The evaluation version is supplied with 15000 stars to              :    magnitude 7. The registered version of the program has the                 :    complete SAO catalog of 259000 stars to mag 9.5 and can use                :    the Hubble Guide Star Catalog CD-ROMs to displays stars to                 :    mag 15. All star positions are accurately corrected for precession,        :    proper motion, nutation, aberration and refraction.                        :                                                                               :  - Constellations. Names, "stick figures", and official IAU                   :    boundaries of all 88 constellations can be displayed.                      :                                                                               :  - Planets. All planets plus the Sun and Moon are displayed. Mean             :    errors in planetary positions are less than half a second of arc.          :    The Moon is shown with the correct phase and orientation in the            :    sky. Extensive physical data can be shown for all planets. The             :    32-bit version shows Jupiter's satellites and Saturn's rings.              :                                                                               :  - Deep sky objects. The complete SAC database of 11000 deep sky              :    objects is supplied (galaxies, nebulae, clusters, etc). All                :    objects are drawn with the correct size; galaxies are shown in the         :    correct orientation in the sky. The registered version is supplied         :    with an extensive deep sky description database giving detailed            :    information about each object - descriptions, classification,              :    and observing notes.                                                       :                                                                               :  - Comets and asteroids. The program is supplied with a large database        :    of comets and asteroids which can be edited and added to by the            :    user. Orbital elements of new comets can be obtained from the              :    SkyMap web page at http://www.execpc.com/~skymap at any time.              :    Any number of comets and asteroids from the database can be                :    selected for display on the map.                                           :                                                                               :  - A grid of Alt/Az or RA/Dec lines can be superimposed on any map.           :                                                                               :  - A user-editable database of information about telescopes and               :    eyepieces is supplied. Any combination of eyepiece and telescope           :    can selected, and the resulting "field of view" circle drawn on            :    the map. Finder circles for the popular "TelRad" (tm) finder               :    can also be displayed on a map.                                            :                                                                               : There is a LOT of information available in SkyMap, and if it was all          : displayed the map would be impossibly confused. Toolbars make it easy         : to select exactly which information is displayed, and you can "zoom in"       : on, and scroll around the map to make it easy to view information.            : Detailed information about any object on a map can be displayed by            : clicking on it with the mouse.                                                :                                                                               : Once a map is arranged to your satisfaction, a high-quality printout          : can be made on any printer supported by Windows.                              :                                                                               : Improvements in SkyMap 3.0 compared with SkyMap 2.2:                          :                                                                               : There is nothing radically new in SkyMap 3 compared with v2.2; just           : lots and lots of minor improvements which users have requested over           : the last year. Amongst these are:                                             :                                                                               :  - The main improvement is in the speed. As a 32-bit program, SkyMap 3        :    runs about 4x faster than the 16-bit version 2.2.                          :  - Information about any object in the database can be displayed              :    without having to draw a map showing that object.                          :  - Jupiter shows positions of the 4 Galilean satellites, and longitude        :    of the central meridian.                                                   :  - Saturn displays a picture of the ring system.                              :  - Mars displays info about the longitude of the central meridian.            :  - MUCH improved printing capabilities - you can now add a title to           :    any map and enter "notes" to be printed on the map.                        :  - All information dialogs now have a "Copy" button which copies the          :    information to the Clipboard for pasting into other applications.          :  - All controls are now on "floating palettes" which offer much greater       :    control than was available in v2.2.                                        :  - A new time control palette makes it easy to move the map time              :    forwards or back by any amount.                                            :  - Maps can now be scrolled with the cursor keys.                             :  - Lots of keyboard shortcuts added - eg press "N" to display the north       :    horizon, "Z" (Zenith) to display a whole sky map, etc.                     :                                                                               :                                                                               : Plus lots more!                                                               : --                                                                            : --------------------------------------------------------------------------    :  Chris Marriott, Warrington, UK      | Author of SkyMap v3 award-winning      :  [e-mail]            | shareware Win31/Win95 planetarium.     :             For full info, see http://www.execpc.com/~skymap                  :       Author member of Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP)           : --------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                    @START@Nicely colorful new Hubble images at Garbo,sci.astro                     Wed 17-Jan-96: Obtained a number of the latest Hubble images from               stsci to Garbo's atstronomy collection. These are both interesting              and nicely colorful.                                                                                                                                             93168 Jan 17 12:51 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/gifstar/btlgeuse.gif                 btlgeuse.gif Atmosphere of Betelgeuse with hotspot, Hubble, 15-Jan-96                                                                                           274951 Jan 17 12:51 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/gifstar/eggneb.gif                  eggneb.gif Egg Nebula 2688, beams around dying star, Hubble, 16-Jan-96                                                                                          452317 Jan 17 12:51 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/gifstar/hdfdtl.gif                  hdfdtl.gif Sample galaxies from Hubble's deepest-ever view, 15-Jan-96                                                                                           423037 Jan 17 12:51 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/gifstar/hdfwf3.gif                  hdfwf3.gif Several hundred never before seen galaxies, Hubble, 15-Jan-96                                                                                        324563 Jan 17 12:51 ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/gifstar/ngc7027.gif                 ngc7027.gif Planetary Nebula NGC 7027, stellar death, Hubble, 16-Jan-96        @START@ON SCREEN: Cutthroat Island                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                     CUTTHROAT ISLAND                                                                                                                     Starring Geena Davis and Matthew Modine. Screenplay by Robert King and          Marc Norman. Directed by Renny Harlin.  Opens Dec. 22.                                                                                                                                      (ee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                        by                                                                         Gemma Files                                                                                                                        Initially, at least, Cutthroat Island -- Geena Davis' latest vehicle -          - really had me torn, since part of me eagerly supports the idea of             any film in which the main character is a strong, skilful, take-charge          woman.                                                                                                                                                          And Davis' role here certainly seems to qualify; in her first five              minutes on screen as 17th-century pirate captain Morgan Adams, she              does more hard riding, sword-fighting, rescuing people from being made          to walk the plank and kicking and punching guys' lights out than most           male action heroes do in a whole movie, pulling it all off with an              engagingly goofy kind of tomboy glee in her own toughness.                                                                                                      But since her husband/director Renny Harlin (of Cliffhanger and Die             Hard 2 fame) has somehow neglected to actually build a worthy vehicle           around this character, I just can't make my thumb go up far enough to           applaud this historic achievement.                                                                                                                              Much of the fault lies in Cutthroat Island's script, which plays as             though Harlin and company took a classic pirate movie and had it                rewritten to conform to the cheesiest of modern-day action film                 conventions. Things still blow up, but the bad guys use gunpowder and           cannon-shot rather than plastique; every telegraphed joke is still              milked for all its worth, with a few "historical" references thrown in          here and there (none of them accurate).                                                                                                                         To nit-pick, one villain tells another: "So-and-so couldn't tie his             own shoelaces without advice." In an age when buckled slip-on shoes,            boots or bare feet are the norm? "Hook his own eyes," maybe -- but no,          actually, it's too early for that, also. Still, sure is a nicely                familiar put-down, eh?                                                                                                                                          But who knows -- Geena and her co-stars (Frank Langella, especially,            as her vaguely incestuous uncle "Dawg" Brown) seem to be having the             time of their lives, so maybe their enthusiasm will rub off, making             Cutthroat Island the season's big crowd-pleaser. In my opinion,                 though, it remains a miss rather than a hit: a clear-cut case of nice           try, but no gold doubloon.                                                                                                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: Dracula: Dead And Loving It                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                               DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT                                                                                                                Starring Leslie Nielsen and Peter MacNicol. Screenplay by Mel Brooks,           Rudy De Luca and Steve Haberman. Directed by Mel Brooks.  Opens Dec.            22.                                                                                                                                                                                         (e of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                         by                                                                       Carolyn Bennett                                                                                                                      Sigh. Heavy sigh. Heavy, weary sigh. Heavy, weary, doleful sigh.                Heavy, weary, doleful, head-down-can't-raise-it-out-of-stinging-                embarrassment sigh. I'm going out on a limb here, but light                     entertainment shouldn't make you feel wringing discomfort.                                                                                                      I remember when a new Mel Brooks movie was heralded, anticipated with           giddy joy. Now a new Mel Brooks movie (in which he writes, produces             and directs) is greeted with caution. It's like visiting a dear                 relative in the hospital -- you're glad to see him or her, but the              circumstances are depressing. I wanted to like Dracula: Dead And                Loving It, but I also wished I still believed in Santa Claus. Cold,             stark reality has a way of crushing the best intentions.                                                                                                        Leslie Nielsen is Count Dracula of Count Dracula fame. He takes up              residence next door to the blustering Dr. Seward (Harvey Korman) and            his lively and buxom female charges. Count Dracula, being Count                 Dracula, seduces the busty beauties and makes them blood donors, under          the watchful eye of his lunatic slave Renfield (Peter MacNicol).                Seward enlists the help of a metaphysician, professor Van Helsing (Mel          Brooks), and one of the pretties' fiances (Steven Weber, the guy from           Wings). Together, they all lumber through the familiar story.                                                                                                   With Dracula: Dead And Loving It, Brooks attempts to recapture the              zany magic of his 1974 film Young Frankenstein. Not only was Young              Frankenstein a laugh riot, it had a definite mood and was an                    accomplished bit of filmmaking. It was also a product of the '70s,              when audiences (probably because everyone was stoned) could tolerate            languid set-ups. In 1995, audiences expect spoof movies to have rapid-          fire bits à la the Naked Gun series -- if this one doesn't work,                there's another in 10 seconds. In Dracula, the insufferable wait                between tepid gags exhausts any timing or rhythm. Incessant mugging             and flat dance numbers can't prop up the feeble script. Isn't there             anyone else in charge at Brooksfilms? Where did the money come from to          get this project off the ground? Isn't it time somebody attended to             Mel Brooks?                                                                                                                                                     The only redeeming thing about Dracula is that Harvey Korman is                 getting scale and can now buy himself some decent single malt.                  Virginia, there is no Santa Claus and there is no Young Frankenstein            2.                                                                                                                                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: Waiting To Exhale                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                    WAITING TO EXHALE                                                                                                                     Starring Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Lela               Rochon. Screenplay by Terry McMillan and Ronald Bass based on                   McMillan's novel. Directed by Forest Whitaker.  Opens Dec. 22.                                                                                                                              (e of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                         by                                                                         GEMMA FILES                                                                                                                        To be filed under "It's Just True": This world really is full of                movies I wish I could like better, and Waiting To Exhale --                     actor/director Forest Whitaker's new feature, based on Terry                    McMillan's bestselling novel of the same name -- certainly qualifies.                                                                                           On first examination, at least, the adaptation seems remarkably                 faithful. Our central characters, four firm friends based out of                Phoenix, Arizona, are Savannah (Whitney Houston), whose mother's                expectations keep her involved with a married man; Bernadine (Angela            Bassett), whose husband just left her for his young, white, female              employee; Robin (Lela Rochon), whose bad sexual judgment keeps her              involved with several married losers; and Gloria (Loretta Devine),              whose low bodily self-esteem has kept her out of the game for years,            but whose new next-door neighbor is starting to look awfully good.                                                                                              On closer examination, however, it becomes regrettably plain that               first-time screenwriter/producer McMillan, with the help of veteran             Ronald Bass (Rain Man), has managed to turn her own wonderfully wry,            roundtable commentary on the ephemeral and cyclic nature of "the real           thing" into a Black-centric Hallmark card on wheels, stuffed full of            enough sensual detail and bittersweet commentary to choke a horse.                                                                                              Since everybody involved more than does her part (even Whitney), I              came out feeling as though I would have happily watched any one of the          four movies Waiting To Exhale was trying to be -- except maybe the one          with Loretta Devine because it got totally cut to the bone. (In the             book, her big crisis involves a lifetime of emotional denial and bad            eating habits finally catching up with her, leading to a heart attack;          in the movie, she spends a little while being peeved because Gregory            Hines disagrees with her child-raising methods.)                                                                                                                All of which reduces Waiting To Exhale to the level of a mere feel-             good sobfest, the kind where everybody involved gets their own                  Epiphany, but the audience remain almost entirely unmoved.                                                                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: Sudden Death                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                       SUDDEN DEATH                                                                                                                       Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Powers Boothe. Screenplay by Gene            Quintano based on a story by Karen Baldwin. Directed by Peter Hyams.            Opens Dec. 22.                                                                                                                                                                              (ee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                        by                                                                        ALEX PATTERSON                                                                                                                      Sudden Death is from a screenplay by somebody called Gene Quintano. My          guess is the script was bought by a dyslexic producer who misread the           name as "Quentin Tarantino." Regardless of its origins, the final               product is just another routine outing for Jean-Claude Van Damme.                                                                                               Van Damme, an action-figure so pumped up he even has muscles between            his ears, plays security-guard Darren McCord. McCord has the bad luck           to take his kids to the Stanley Cup match at Pittsburgh Civic Arena             (Penguins vs. Blackhawks) just as a terrorist gang is taking hostages           up in the owners' box. While the unwitting crowd enjoys the game,               McCord alone must prevent them from getting detonated at the end of             the third period.                                                                                                                                               Yep, it's Die Hard With A Facemask -- but instead of Bruce Willis,              we're stuck with the Belgian Bulge. And instead of a director who               instinctively knows where to put his camera and how to crank the                suspense (John McTiernan, say), we're stuck with the competent but              anonymous Peter Hyams (who coached Jean-Claude through the equally              forgettable Timecop a couple of years back). Van Damme remains an               amiable enough screen presence, though, and the boy can certainly               fight, even if he still don't talk so good. (This time they're                  explaining away the star's awkward accent as French-Canadian -- though          the name McCord might strike Jacques Parizeau as less Quebecois than            "ethnic.")                                                                                                                                                      You've seen all this before -- and you've seen it better. The sole              moment of flair or imagination is when McCord spends a few minutes              hiding out as a the Penguins' goalie: the sequence vividly evokes how           terrifying it must be to guard the net while NHL pros bear down on              you. If only Hyams could have concocted more scenes like this, Sudden           Death might've been more than a standard-issue blow-em-up.                                                                                                      And rather a long standard-issue blow-em-up too: taking 110 minutes to          reach its inevitable conclusion, the game isn't the only thing here             that goes into overtime, ensuring that Sudden Death isn't nearly as             sudden as it ought to be.                                                                                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: Tom And Huck                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                       TOM AND HUCK                                                                                                                       Starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Brad Renfro. Screenplay by Stephen          Sommers and David Loughery based on Mark Twain's novel The Adventures           Of Tom Sawyer. Directed by Peter Hewitt.  Opens Dec. 22.                                                                                                                                    (ee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                        by                                                                        David Drayton                                                                                                                       The poster for Walt Disney Pictures' new feature Tom And Huck                   proclaims Mark Twain's legendary creations, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry          Finn, as "the original bad boys." That's right, kids -- forget Bad              Boys' macho, gun-toting, hipper-than-thou, lingo-spewing Martin                 Lawrence and Will Smith. Tom and Huck were badder than bad before               there was even movies!                                                                                                                                          Seems kind of sad that Disney would try to make a connection between a          classic American tale and a cheezy, bang-bang buddy film. But there             you have it. Maybe I'm naive, but shouldn't an adaptation of a story            as familiar as The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer be able to sell itself?                                                                                             And that's exactly what this film is (don't let the title fool you),            an adaptation of The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer. It's definitely Tom's            story, with all the famous scenes intact: Tom tricks the neighborhood           boys into white-washing a fence; Tom and Huck witness Indian Joe                murder Doc in the cemetery; Tom defends the wrongly accused Muff at             his murder trial; Tom and Indian Joe battle it out in the climactic             showdown in the caves.                                                                                                                                          Yes, it has all the elements of Twain's novel, but there's little               feeling for the adventure and no feeling for Twain's anarchic, satiric          vision of small-town America, where only two no-good "wild boys" know           the truth of what's really going on.                                                                                                                            Everything about this new production is either terribly safe, like the          casting of Home Improvement's Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Tom, and Peter          Hewitt's blander than bland direction, or terribly goofy, like Charles          Rocket (ex of SNL) as Judge Thatcher. The only fresh vision comes from          Brad Renfro as Huck. Anemic-looking and apathetic to the core, his              Huck comes across as the great-great-grandfather of pre-teen slackers           -- you expect him to show up wearing a backwards cap and toting a               skateboard.                                                                                                                                                     But don't listen to me. The kids at the screening I attended loved it.          It seems that Tom's story can still inspire boys and girls, no matter           how pedestrian the filmmaking.                                                                                                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: The 'sex and violence' Othello                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                              THE "SEX AND VIOLENCE" OTHELLO                                                                                                                                             OTHELLO                                                                                                                          Starring Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh. Screenplay by Oliver           Parker adapted from Shakespeare's play. Directed by Oliver Parker.              Opens Dec. 29                                                                                                                                                                              (eee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                        by                                                                        ALEX PATTERSON                                                                                                                      New York -- The new Othello is one of those movies that arrives with            ready-made controversies. Two points must be dealt with before any              level-headed discussion may proceed:                                                                                                                            (1) A few weeks back, a New York Times opinion piece accused director           Oliver Parker of using sex and violence to sell his film version of             Othello to the modern movie audience. As with much of what the sadly            slipping Times prints these days, this is nonsense. What British stage          veteran Parker and his actors have created isn't perfect; but it's an           intelligent, respectful interpretation. Yes, there's more skin on view          than usual, though only a prude would find it gratuitous. As for the            alleged '90s-style bloodshed, there's considerably less than Roman              Polanski crammed into his Macbeth a quarter-century ago.                                                                                                        (2) Will lazy hacks throughout the English-speaking world please                refrain from facile Othello/O.J. Simpson comparisons? Shakespeare's             doomed hero was a brave military leader -- not a womanizing, wife-              beating cokehead with a full-time pool-cleaner. Facts such as these             have a tendency to alter the dynamics of a situation.                                                                                                           The 1995 Othello does, however, have one fairly radical element: for            the first time in movie history, Othello is played by a black man. As           fine as Orson Welles (in 1952) and Laurence Olivier (in 1965) may have          been, each lacked one thing that Laurence Fishburne (What's Love Got            to Do With It, Boyz N The Hood) can bring to the role of the ill-fated          Moor of Venice: knowledge of what it means to be black. The drama of            an African general whose marriage to a Venetian nobleman's daughter is          thwarted by his conniving underling Iago (Kenneth Branagh, well cast            as a slimy opportunist) isn't solely about racism, of course. But race          is certainly in the mix, and it hasn't been much addressed before now.                                                                                          "I don't know if this is a watershed moment for blacks in the movies            or not," says Fishburne, "but if it is, I'm really honored to be a              part of it." Shakespeare's real topic was, as always, human frailty,            but the 34-year-old actor believes the playwright was aware of the              racial situation because he wrote it "in the early days of the slave            trade, when there was suddenly an African presence in Europe.                                                                                                   "Right from the beginning," he continues, "I had a definite idea of             who Othello was. My take on the character was that, before he became a          general, he'd been a pirate. I knew instinctively Othello should be             bald, and have earrings and tattoos." Those tattoos -- a series of              squiggles and shapes running along the temples of Fishburne's gleaming          dome and possibly the coolest markings ever inflicted on human flesh -          - are based, the actor reports, "on lines and figures like circles and          triangles that are found in every culture on earth."                                                                                                            Although Kenneth Branagh has become one of the most annoying directors          (Peter's Friends, Frankenstein) currently at work, Othello requires             him only to act -- something, it's become easy to forget, the man does          quite well. This arrangement suited Branagh, too. "It was very nice             not having to direct," he remarks. "It made for a less anxiety-ridden           shoot." Considering that someone who put Keanu Reeves in Much Ado               About Nothing is fully capable of giving Fishburne's role to the Fresh          Prince, I'd like to say it's nice for us not having Branagh direct,             too.                                                                                                                                                            The film's primary problem lies not in any vulgarizing of the content,          nor in Parker's streamlining of the bulky text: but in the Euro-                friendly maneuver of having heavily accented Frenchwoman Irene Jacob            (Red) play Desdemona. As decorative as Jacob is, the Moor's milky               bride is too crucial a part to be assigned to someone uncomfortable             attempting any kind of English, let alone the iambic pentameter of a            genius from four centuries back.                                                                                                                                This Othello is not the visionary masterpiece of Welles' version, nor           the sensitive traditionalism of Olivier. But it might just prove to be          the right Othello for the time. Fishburne himself says it best: "This           is not a Hollywood movie. It's a Shakespeare movie. It's different              from earlier ones, yeah. But there ain't no cars or flying saucers in           it!"                                                                                                                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: 12 Monkeys                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                        12 MONKEYS                                                                                                                        Starring Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe. Screenplay by David Peoples          inspired by Chris Marker's La Jetee. Directed by Terry Gilliam.  Opens          Dec. 27.                                                                                                                                                                                  (eeeee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                       by                                                                        ALEX PATTERSON                                                                                                                      Terry Gilliam doesn't make a lot of movies -- only five in 14 years,            excluding collaborations on Monty Python projects -- but every one of           them is, for one reason or another, pretty special. From 1981's Time            Bandits though Brazil (Gilliam's masterpiece, and one of the key films          of the '80s), and The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen (an interesting            failure) to The Fisher King (his biggest hit), Gilliam has always been          a challenging and a fabulously gifted filmmaker. Now, with 12 Monkeys,          the transatlantic troublemaker has made the most impressive -- and              most important -- studio release of the year.                                                                                                                   Continuing in his predictably unpredictable mode, Gilliam has taken a           25-minute short by a French Communist from three decades ago (little            seen outside of film school) and turned it into a two-and-a-quarter-            hour magnum opus. 12 Monkeys' credits identify Janet and David                  Peoples' script as "inspired by" Chris Marker's La Jetee (The Runway),          though their film is, ironically, less indebted to its foreign source           material than Reservoir Dogs was to Hong Kong's City On Fire, which             got no credit at all. But connections with La Jetee are not as                  important as what Gilliam has done with them. And what he's done with           them is rarely less than spectacular.                                                                                                                           We're in the early 21st century, and something dreadful has wiped out           about 99 per cent of the human race. Those left live underground in a           technocracy evidently controlled by a clique of batty scientists with           totalitarian tendencies (shades of Brazil). The scientists have                 constructed a crude time-travel device, and choose an inmate named              Cole (Bruce Willis) to go back to the mid-1990s to see if anything can          be done to re-route the course of history. Turning up naked and                 hostile in the streets of present-day Philadelphia, though, only gets           Cole locked up once again.                                                                                                                                      In the madhouse, he's treated by a sympathetic psychiatrist (Madeleine          Stowe), and is befriended by a rich virologist's wacko son, Jeffrey             Goines (Brad Pitt). Goines leads an animal-rights group calling                 themselves The Army of the 12 Monkeys, who may or may not be taking             their activism beyond postering and picketing to wildly irresponsible           lengths. Despite his limited vantage point, Cole begins to piece                together what might have happened to the world -- and what might be             done to prevent it.                                                                                                                                             "Bruce Willis?" you may be saying to yourself. "Brad Pitt?" Well,               yeah, each of these men is capable of doing good work for the right             director -- and contemporary American directors don't get much better           than Terry Gilliam. As for Stowe, she's usually reliable, as are co-            stars Christopher Plummer (as Pitt the elder) and Frank Gorshin (from           the old Batman TV show).                                                                                                                                        In these artistically timid times, mainstream filmmakers generally              have to choose between cheap-but-meaningful and trivial-but-expensive.          Terry Gilliam is almost alone in mounting huge-scale epics like 12              Monkeys on serious subjects like the extinction of humankind. (This             would explain why it takes him so long between jobs.) Here, Gilliam's           concept may sound like Terminator 2 meets Outbreak, but the execution           is wholly his own: smart, sophisticated, visually astounding, and more          than a little bit crazy. It's major-league derangement that no sane             person will want to miss.                                                                                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@REVIEW: JUMANJI                                                                                                                                                                               JUMANJI                                                           A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10):  4.9                                                                                                                                          United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/15/95 (wide)                                              Running Length: 1:40                                                            MPAA Classification: PG (Mayhem)                                                Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, Bonnie Hunt,                     David Alan Grier, Bebe Neuwirth, Jonathan Hyde                            Director: Joe Johnston                                                          Producers: Scott Kroopf and William Teitler                                     Screenplay: Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain based on the              book by Chris Van Allsburg                                                Cinematography: Thomas Ackerman                                                 Music: James Horner                                                             U.S. Distributor: TriStar Pictures                                                                                                                                   Apparently, the producers of JUMANJI wanted this film to be a              JURASSIC PARK for 1995's holiday season.  If so, it's a badly misplaced,        and ultimately futile, hope.  For, although no one would suspect Steven         Spielberg's 1993 dino-picture of having a plot worthy of great                  literature, at least it had a storyline -- something this film is               lacking.  JUMANJI takes approximately one-hundred minutes for four              people to play a board game.  The result isn't much more fun or                 involving than watching a few friends play Monopoly.  Even the Robin            Williams manic humor can't save JUMANJI, at least not entirely.                                                                                                      The film's biggest claim to fame are its special effects.                  Unfortunately, they don't look as impressive in extended scenes on the          big screen as they do in short clips on TV.  In fact, there are times           when the sequences of charging rhinos, elephants, and zebras look               downright cheesy.  The monkeys certainly aren't convincing and the              LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Audrey II-type man-eating plant would have been          more effective had it broken into a song.  ("Feed Me"?)  JURASSIC PARK          showed how amazing computer-generated creatures can be when properly            handled; JUMANJI shows what happens when less care is given to the              technology.                                                                                                                                                          The film opens with a brief segment in 1869, where two children            furtively take a board game called Jumanji into the dark depths of a            forest, where they bury it, uttering a quick prayer for the soul of             whoever digs it up.  Switch to Brantford, New Hampshire in 1969, where          with a boy named Alan Parrish is getting ready to run away from home.           Before he leaves, however, he decides to play one round of a game --            called Jumanji -- that he recently found near his father's work site.           So, along with his friend Sarah, he sets up the board, rolls the dice,          then gets sucked out of this world into some dark elsewhere.                                                                                                         Twenty-six years later, Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley            Pierce) move into Alan's old house.  They find the Jumanji game and             start to play.  Judy goes first, and her move causes surprise, real-life        appearances by lions and monkeys.  Then, when it's Peter's turn, Alan           mysteriously re-appears, much older and looking suspiciously like Robin         Williams with a lot of excess facial hair.  A grown-up Sarah (Bonnie            Hunt) soon joins the trio, so all the players are assembled.  From then         on, it's a race to finish the game before rampaging safari rejects              destroy Brantford.                                                                                                                                                   The movie goes something like this:  someone makes a move, then the        characters spend the next ten minutes running away from whatever animals        they unleash.  Then it's the next player's turn.  And so on... until the        game (and the movie) ends.  JUMANJI comes across more as a blueprint for        some deluxe amusement park ride than a legitimate film.  It's a                 pointless trek.  The "adventure" is repetitive, he thrills are brief,           and the moments of character-building drama are effete.  Only the comedy        works, but there's not enough of it to justify an entire motion picture.                                                                                             This is the kind of embarrassing dud that results when Hollywood           places special effects and a neat concept over a well-told story.  The          children's book JUMANJI, written by Chris Van Allsburg, makes for good          reading for a young audience, but it's hardly the sort of material upon         which to base a major motion picture.  The men and women behind JUMANJI         didn't just lose a turn; they lost their way.                                                                                                                   - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: SENSE AND SENSIBILITY                                                                                                                                                          SENSE AND SENSIBILITY                                                    A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10):  8.1                                                                                                                                          United Kingdom, 1995                                                            U.S. Availability: 12/13/95 (limited)                                           Running Length: 2:15                                                            MPAA Classification: PG (Nothing offensive)                                     Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise,               Gemma Jones, Emilie Francois, Harriet Walter                              Director: Ang Lee                                                               Producer: Lindsay Doran                                                         Screenplay: Emma Thompson based on the novel by Jane Austen                     Cinematography: Michael Coulter                                                 Music: Patrick Doyle                                                            U.S. Distributor: Columbia Pictures                                                                                                                                  It's a curious thing that the best 1995 adaptation of a Jane Austen        book happens to be of her worst novel.  SENSE AND SENSIBILITY was the           author's first published work and, as is often the case with early              writing efforts, displays an undeniable shallowness:  themes are half-          developed, characterization is uneven, and plotting follows a                   predictable straight-forwardness.  Austen's later books, including              PERSUASION, which was developed into a wonderfully sumptuous film               earlier this year, and EMMA, which received unusual treatment in                CLUELESS, plumb the human soul far more deeply, creating characters and         situations of greater versatility and vitality.                                                                                                                      That's more in the nature of literary criticism than a film review,        however.  SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is a wonderful motion picture, even             given the weaknesses of the source material.  Emma Thompson's screenplay        has remained faithful to the events and spirit of the book, while               somehow managing to plug a few holes and infuse the tale with more light        humor than is evident in Austen's original text.  The resulting product         is a little too long (one-hundred thirty-five minutes), but still               represents a fine time at the movies, especially for those with a bent          towards historical romantic melodramas.                                                                                                                              As mentioned above, the story isn't all that complex or surprising,        and those unfamiliar with Austen's work won't be left in the dark.              We're introduced to the three Dashwood sisters:  Elinor (Emma Thompson),        the eldest -- a old maid past marriageable age who keeps her emotions           bottled up in favor of a constant show of public decorum; Marianne (Kate        Winslet), the middle child, who is Elinor's opposite in temperament and         attitude; and Margaret (Emilie Francois), an eleven-year old who seems          to be following in Marianne's uninhibited footsteps.  The girls live            with their mother (Gemma Jones) in a small country cottage to which they        are "exiled" after their half-brother inherits their father's estate and        decides there's not enough room for everyone.                                                                                                                        During the course of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, three men come in and          out of the Dashwoods' home:  Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant), a charming, if        somewhat inept, young gentleman who captures Elinor's heart; Colonel            Brandon (Alan Rickman), a gallant neighbor who is hopelessly smitten by         Marianne; and the dashing Willoughby (Greg Wise), who is the living             embodiment of Marianne's every fantasy.  The story of who ends up with          whom, and how they get that way, is told with deft skill and a                  pleasantly humorous romantic touch.                                                                                                                                  As is so often the case in British productions, acting is more             important than the script or the impressive production values.  Emma            Thompson's Elinor can join the actresses' characters from HOWARDS END,          THE REMAINS OF THE DAY, and this year's CARRINGTON as examples of top-          notch, finely-nuanced performances.  Here, perhaps borrowing a leaf from        Anthony Hopkins, she develops a poignant portrait of a woman who must           conceal a broken heart beneath a proper, civilized exterior.  Thompson,         who has never before played a character suffering from this kind of             repression, proves she's as good at this as she is being the freespirit.                                                                                             Kate Winslet, who received her first international exposure through        HEAVENLY CREATURES, fits perfectly into the period setting, recalling a         younger Helena Bonham Carter.  Her youth and energy are perfect for the         overly-emotional Marianne.  Winslet isn't as accomplished as Thompson at        capturing the camera's attention, but rarely is she completely eclipsed,        either.  She interacts effectively with her co-star as Marianne and             Elinor learn from each other when it's best to temper emotions and when         it's best to let them go.                                                                                                                                            As expected, the supporting cast is excellent.  Emilie Francois is         a marvelous find as little Margaret.  Hugh Grant brings his usual boyish        charm to Edward, and Alan Rickman (DIE HARD), too often pigeonholed into        villainous roles, shows for the first time since TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY           that he's very much at home in a romantic part.  Greg Wise is suitably          roguish, and veterans Gemma Jones (FEAST OF JULY), Harriet Walter               (Harriet Vane in TV's LORD PETER WIMSEY MYSTERIES), and Robert Hardy            (MARY SHELLY'S FRANKENSTEIN) give personality to characters with less           screen exposure.                                                                                                                                                     The novel's flaws guarantee that SENSE AND SENSIBILITY cannot be a         perfect motion picture, but it would be difficult, I think, to do much          better with the material than Emma Thompson and director Ang Lee (EAT           DRINK MAN WOMAN) have here.  With more Jane Austen on the way (versions         of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and EMMA), it's still too early to say which             adaptation will stand out as the best, but SENSE AND SENSIBILITY makes a        strong case.                                                                                                                                                    - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: HEAT                                                                                                                                                                                  HEAT                                                              A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10):  5.8                                                                                                                                          United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/15/95 (wide)                                              Running Length: 2:52                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Violence, profanity, sexual situations)                 Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Diane Venora,                            Amy Brenneman, Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, Ashley Judd, Wes Studi           Director: Michael Mann                                                          Producers: Art Linson and Michael Mann                                          Screenplay: Michael Mann                                                        Cinematography: Dante Spinotti                                                  Music: Elliot Goldenthal                                                        U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures                                                                                                                           Pacino meets De Niro.  It has the sound of a classic screen moment.        These actors -- two of the best in the business for more than twenty-five       years -- have previously appeared in the same picture only once (THE            GODFATHER II), but, due to the split-timeline nature of the script, they        never interacted.  Now, in HEAT, writer/director Michael Mann (THE LAST         OF THE MOHICANS) has contrived a cinematic intersection in their careers        ("contrived" being the operative word), and the result is,                      unfortunately, a colossal disappointment.                                                                                                                            Given the lofty status of its headlining stars, HEAT could have            been the standout film of the 1995 holiday movie season -- but it isn't.        In fact, not only is it not a great movie, but it's not even an                 especially good one.  At best, it's a serviceable cops-and-robbers              thriller with a running time that drags on for about twice as long as it        needs to.  Someone should have told Mann that if he was going to make a         routine movie, he should have kept it to a reasonable length.  I lost           track of how many times I checked my watch during the nearly three              interminable hours it took HEAT to play itself to a predictable                 conclusion of a chase scene and a shoot-out.                                                                                                                         There are too many characters, and the script wants to spend time          filling in background for each of them.  The first problem is that all          the character-building information is cliched and uninteresting.  Worse         still, the exposition kills any momentum built by HEAT's best scenes --         the heists.  Some background on the main adversaries -- Pacino's officer        Vincent Hanna and De Niro's bad guy Neil McCauley -- is obviously               necessary, but it all drags.                                                                                                                                         About forty minutes of HEAT is involving.  The rest varies from            humdrum to tedious.  That's not a very good success rate.  The                  ballyhooed meeting between Pacino and De Niro (which takes place in a           cafe) should have radiated tension and raw energy.  Instead, it's pretty        average.  Neither of the actors gives a noteworthy performance.  They're        going through the motions, picking up paychecks.  Not that great emoting        would have made much difference.  Mann's script is not meant for                stunning thespian displays.  The dialogue is pedestrian, and, because of        the noticeable lack of intensity, the cafe tete-a-tete might as well            have featured Jeff Daniels and Ed Begely.                                                                                                                            The basic storyline is familiar.  Vincent is a police officer              investigating a series of crimes committed by Neil's group of trained,          experienced robbers.  Now, with the cops closing in, the criminals have         decided to call it quits after one more big-time job.  Meanwhile, both          men -- good guy and bad guy -- are having personal problems.  Vincent's         marriage is falling apart and Neil, after decades of loneliness, has            finally found a woman with whom he connects.  All of these elements are,        of course, brought crashing together for the final act.                                                                                                              The cast is top-notch, as are most of the performances.  Tom               Sizemore (TRUE ROMANCE) plays one of Neil's right-hand men; Val Kilmer          (BATMAN FOREVER) is another.  In the spouse department, Ashley Judd             (RUBY IN PARADISE) is underused (again) as Kilmer's wife, Diane Venora          is matched with Pacino, and Amy Brenneman plays De Niro's girlfriend.           Also on hand are Jon Voight, Wes Studi, Denis Haysbert, and (in a truly         thankless part) Nathalie Portman (the girl from THE PROFESSIONAL).                                                                                                   When all is said and done, about the only reason to see HEAT is for        the "big" meeting.  It's not much, but it's all this movie really has to        offer.  There's action here, but it's nothing special, and the long             stretches of banal dialogue and formula plotting mute the impact of the         staccato, bullet-laden bursts of energy.  Another 1995 title might be           more apt for this particular motion picture -- instead of HEAT, try             SMOKE.                                                                                                                                                          - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: RICHARD III (1995)                                                                                                                                                              RICHARD III (1995)                                                      A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10):  7.9                                                                                                                                          United States/United Kingdom, 1995                                              U.S. Availability: 12/22/95 (limited)                                           Running Length: 1:45                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Violence, sexual candor, brief nudity)                  Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Ian McKellan, Jim Broadbent, Annette Bening, Kristin Scott-Thomas,              John Wood, Maggie Smith, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne,                    Edward Hardwicke, Jim Carter                                              Director: Richard Loncraine                                                     Producer: Stephen Bayly                                                         Screenplay: Ian McKellan and Richard Loncraine based on the play by                   William Shakespeare as adapted for the stage production by                      Richard Eyre                                                              Cinematography: Peter Biziou                                                    Music: Trevor Jones                                                             U.S. Distributor: United Artists                                                                                                                                     RICHARD III -- it's Shakespeare that has nothing to do with Kenneth        Branagh.  Actually, at first glance, this film doesn't appear to have           anything to do with the Bard's play, either.  Opening in a 1930's               England war room with a tank crashing through a wall, one is immediately        struck by the realization that, whatever this movie is doing, it                certainly isn't preserving the story's original time frame.  However,           while the sets and costumes have been moved to a mythical, Nazi-like            pre-WWII England, the dialogue, characters, actions, and themes remain          unchanged from the original text by Shakespeare.  While this curious            clash between a near-modern setting and the much older source material          might seem confounding, it actually serves to energize the play, as well        as making it more palatable to present-day audiences.                                                                                                                Being released at the same time as a new version of OTHELLO (which         has Branagh, along with Laurence Fishburn and Irene Jacob), RICHARD III         is likely either to usher in a new, mini-era of screen Shakespeare              revival, or show that two Shakespeare films are capable of glutting a           small marketplace.  OTHELLO is a far more traditional interpretation            than RICHARD III, and, other than authorship, about the only thing the          movies have in common is that both excise significant portions of               dialogue from the original text in the interest of saving time.                                                                                                      RICHARD III is the last in the series of Shakespeare histories to          chronicle England's tribulations during the period before the Tudors            took the throne (an event which occurs at the end of RICHARD III, when          Henry VII, the first of the Tudors and grandfather to Shakespeare's             Queen Elizabeth, becomes King).  This play tells of the machinations of         Richard (Ian McKellan), a royal prince with a twisted spine and                 grotesque physical appearance, to place himself in power.  Richard is a         spiteful person who kills without compunction and, in the process, earns        nothing but enmity from all around him.  There are four bodies that             impede his march to the crown:  two of his brothers -- Clarence and King        Edward -- and the king's two young sons.  One-by-one, Richard has them          removed, caring only that he should one day rule England.                                                                                                            Sir Ian McKellan, a veteran of screen and stage, takes the title           role of Richard and turns in a performance that is equal parts                  captivating magnetism and chilling menace.  It's an amazing piece of            acting that is worthy of notice at Oscar nomination time.  A fine cast          supports McKellan, including Kristin Scott-Thomas (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A          FUNERAL) as Anne, Richard's wife; Annette Bening (THE AMERICAN                  PRESIDENT) as Queen Elizabeth; Nigel Hawthorne (THE MADNESS OF KING             GEORGE) as Clarence; John Wood (SABRINA) as King Edward; Jim Broadbent          (ENCHANTED APRIL) as Buckingham; Maggie Smith (THE SECRET GARDEN) as the        Duchess of York, Richard's mother; and Robert Downey Jr. (CHAPLIN) as           the queen's brother.                                                                                                                                                 Does Richard have a conscience?  Can evil such as his triumph              completely, with no recompense expected on this side of the grave?  Can         the British monarchy exist without venom and corruption filtering up to         the highest levels?  These are a few of the more cogent questions               addressed by RICHARD III, and McKellan and director Richard Loncraine           make sure that they remain intact in the final version of the film.                                                                                                  In its own bloody way, RICHARD III is as enjoyable to watch as any         recent screen production of Shakespeare, and the shift to the 1930's            with its attendant Nazi imagery (parallels between Richard III and              Hitler abound) gives the film a twist that conventional productions do          not have.  If there's a flaw to the movie, it's that this is one of             Shakespeare's least ambitious and less thematically rich plays.                 Nevertheless, since the only memorable motion picture version is                Lawrence Olivier's 1956 version, RICHARD III doesn't suffer from                overexposure, and this new interpretation offers an unconventional-- and        easily accessible -- perspective.                                                                                                                               - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: NIXON                                                                                                                                                                                  NIXON                                                            A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                       RATING (0 TO 10): 7.8                                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/20/95 (wide)                                              Running Length: 3:10                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Language, mature themes)                                Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Anthony Hopkins, James Woods, Paul Sorvino, Joan Allen,                         Powers Boothe, Ed Harris, Bob Hoskins, J.T. Walsh, E.G. Marshall,               David Paymer, David Hyde Pierce                                           Director: Oliver Stone                                                          Producers: Clayton Townsend, Andrew G. Vanja, and Oliver Stone                  Screenplay: Oliver Stone, Stephen J. Rivele, and Christopher Wilkinson          Cinematography: Robert Richardson                                               Music: John Williams                                                            U.S. Distributor: Hollywood Pictures                                                                                                                                 It's always a tricky proposition to make a motion picture based on         recent history -- and the more public the episode, the more difficult it        is for the film maker to balance drama with accuracy.  This is                  especially true when that film maker is Oliver Stone, a director known          more for self-aggrandizement than for the thoughtful handling of                difficult issues.  Under Stone, JFK turned into a three-hour paranoid           ordeal with a conspiracy theory ten times less plausible than the Warren        Commission's "one bullet" hypothesis.  NATURAL BORN KILLERS became a            sickening display of indulgent ego-stroking.                                                                                                                         It's entirely because of Stone's reputation that the even-                 handedness of NIXON is such a surprise.  While not an unassailable              portrait of the late president, this movie at least attempts to present         Nixon as a human being, with all the failings and greatness inherent in         a man of his stature.  Nixon is portrayed an neither demonic nor                angelic.  This is a rare occasion where Stone's script is more concerned        with executing a character study than pushing a political agenda.  The          film even ends with a touching tribute culled from Nixon's funeral last         year.                                                                                                                                                                That's not to say that Stone has stuck entirely to the historical          record.  Unwilling to abandon conspiracy theories, the director comes up        with a rather ridiculous connection between Nixon and JFK's assassins.          The man linking the title character to November 22, 1963 is a rich Texas        oil magnate, played by none other than Larry Hagman.  While his name            isn't J.R. Ewing, the similarities are too obvious to ignore.  One              wonders if Stone didn't include this bit just to incite controversy and         raise a few eyebrows.                                                                                                                                                NIXON is not a simple regurgitation of historical events.  In fact,        history is used primarily as the backdrop against which this character          study takes place.  Less a biography than an impressionist's vision, the        film may disappoint those expecting a vitriolic attack on someone who is        surely not among Stone's heroes.  But the lead personae, as realized by         Anthony Hopkins, isn't reduced to an unthinking, unfeeling caricature.          While Nixon is depicted as a paranoid, borderline-megalomaniac, he's            also shown to have deep moral convictions, a strong sense of loyalty,           and a love of his country.  The drama plays out in a Shakespearean              fashion, with Nixon's tragic flaw of hubris clearly in evidence.                Hopkins is not heavily made up -- and therefore doesn't really look like        his character -- but his mannerisms are perfect and he is allowed a full        range of facial expressions (unlike Robert Duvall in STALIN).   Hopkins         does far more with acting than fake jowls could ever accomplish.                                                                                                     The film's structure is disjointed, especially during the first            hour, as the narrative skips back and forth through time from Watergate         to 1960 to the 1920s and 30s.  Stone is giving us a snapshot of Nixon's         life, but it comes in such a random and haphazard fashion that it dims          the dramatic impact and dilutes early character development.  It's not          until the film's second hour, as Nixon faces the dilemma of how to end          the Vietnam War, that Hopkins' character starts to click.                                                                                                            Stone's penchant for bizarre cinematography damages the film more          often than not.  Many of the odd camera angles, film stock switches, and        surrealistic superimposed backdrops are distracting rather than                 effective.  Unfortunately, this has become one of Stone's trademarks; he        seems unable to make a film without making some kind of statement to the        effect of:  "Look at me!  I'm an artist!"  NIXON would have been better         focused without such grandstanding.                                                                                                                                  There are several memorable scenes in NIXON and these, along with          Hopkins' outstanding portrayal, keep the viewer engaged.  One takes             place at the Lincoln Memorial, where Nixon faces a group of student             protesters and tries to explain why he can't stop the Vietnam War.              Another is a confrontation between the President and his wife (Joan             Allen) as his whole life goes up in smoke.  Then there's a moment in the        White House where Nixon and Kissinger (Paul Sorvino) pray as the                President prepares to offer his resignation.  And, throughout the whole         film, there's Nixon's ongoing competition with JFK, his most bitter foe         in life and death.                                                                                                                                                   NIXON really doesn't offer any surprising insights, nor does it            break new ground for the director.  This is a dynamic -- if flawed --           look at the man who, for better and for worse, changed America's place          in the world and its perception of itself.  There are few who do not            have an opinion of Nixon.  In this motion picture, Oliver Stone presents        his vision of the forces that drove and motivated the late President.           And, factual or not, there's no denying that NIXON has moments when it          is nothing short of compelling.                                                                                                                                 - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: CUTTHROAT ISLAND                                                                                                                                                                  CUTTHROAT ISLAND                                                      A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 5.6                                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/22/95 (wide)                                              Running Length: 2:04                                                            MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Violence, sexual situations, language)              Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, Frank Langella, Maury Chaykin,                     Patrick Malahide                                                          Director: Renny Harlin                                                          Producers: Joel B. Michaels, Laurence Mark, James Gorman, and                         Renny Harlin                                                              Screenplay: Robert King and Marc Norman                                         Cinematography: Peter Levy                                                      Music: John Debney                                                              U.S. Distributor: United Artists Pictures                                                                                                                            Renny Harlin, whose previous directorial efforts include DIE HARD 2        and CLIFFHANGER, seems fond of big, explosive action pictures.                  Unfortunately, excepting his debut (the middle film in the DIE HARD             trilogy), plot coherency hasn't been a particularly important attribute         of his movies.  CLIFFHANGER was little more than a series of spectacular        stunts linked together by a paper-thin story.  If anything, the strands         of logic in CUTTHROAT ISLAND are even thinner.  Fortunately, as a               spectacle for the eye and ear, this high seas adventure is more than            capable of capturing its audience's attention.  Holding it for more than        two hours is a different matter altogether...                                                                                                                        By his own admission, Harlin patterned CUTTHROAT ISLAND loosely            after CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK, with his real-life wife, Geena            Davis, taking the Errol Flynn role.  However, while the special effects         and explosions here far outstrip Hollywood's early pirate movies,               storyline, characterization, and acting are vastly inferior.  Thus,             while CUTTHROAT ISLAND may have cost $70 million to produce, it's still         a pale shadow of its predecessors.                                                                                                                                   The "twist" here, as already mentioned, is that the hero is a              female.  Davis doesn't plumb her acting skills deeply in this shallow           portrayal of Morgan Adams, the captain of a pirate ship called the              "Morning Star."  It's 1668 in the Caribbean, and she's on a treasure            hunt.  Millions of pounds of gold are reportedly buried somewhere on            Cutthroat Island, but the map to the treasure location is in three              separate pieces, and Morgan possesses only one.  Each of the other              sections is held by her uncles.  While Morgan is willing to make deals          and share the wealth to put the maps together, her Uncle Dawg (Frank            Langella) would rather take the more expedient route of killing everyone        who gets in his way -- including his niece.                                                                                                                          The love interest, Shaw (the male Olivia DeHavilland?), is played          in typically lackluster fashion by Matthew Modine (replacing Michael            Douglas, who bowed out at the last moment).  Modine has absolutely no           chemistry with co-star Davis, and watching these two together is about          as exciting as sitting through those dumb slideshow commercials that            precede movies in many theaters.  Frank Langella, who has apparently            joined Dennis Hopper and James Woods as good foaming-at-the-mouth stock         villains, does his usual shtick, although he's somehow not all that             menacing here.                                                                                                                                                       CUTTHROAT ISLAND is more entertaining for its dumb storyline and           overt silliness than for its nearly nonstop action.  Technology plays           its part in what the film has to offer, as well.  Some of the visuals           are breathtaking (especially a scene where a pirate ship explodes).             Sound editing is excellent and the score (written by John Debney and            performed by the London Symphony Orchestra) is suitably rousing.                CUTTHROAT ISLAND is a mindless diversion.  If, for whatever reason, you         decide to go, maintain low expectations.  Hoping for more than a bunch          of loud bangs and ridiculous dialogue will rob CUTTHROAT ISLAND of its          amusement value.                                                                                                                                                - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT                                                                                                                                                  DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT                                                A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 5.0                                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/22/95 (wide)                                              Running Length: 1:30                                                            MPAA Classification: PG-13 (Sexual "humor")                                     Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Leslie Nielsen, Mel Brooks, Peter MacNicol, Steven Weber,                       Amy Yasbeck, Lysette Anthony, Harvey Korman                               Director: Mel Brooks                                                            Producer: Mel Brooks                                                            Screenplay: Mel Brooks, Rudy De Luca, and Steve Haberman                        Cinematography: Michael D. O'Shea                                               Music: Hummie Mann                                                              U.S. Distributor: Columbia Pictures                                                                                                                                  When it comes to spoofs of horror films, one of the greatest of all        time is surely Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, a movie that's as clever         as it is funny.  Now, more than two decades later, Brooks has attempted         to re-create the magic by doing to Bram Stoker's vampire legend what he         did in 1974 to Mary Shelly's gothic tale.  Alas, DRACULA: DEAD AND              LOVING IT doesn't come close to the level attained by YOUNG                     FRANKENSTEIN.  It's a toothless parody that misses more often than it           hits.                                                                                                                                                                Maybe one of the problems is that there have been so many attempts         to lampoon vampires.  A few, like George Hamilton's LOVE AT FIRST BITE,         have been genuinely funny.  However, most, like BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER        and VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN, have failed.  With DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT,        Brooks is far from virgin territory.  Some of his jokes here have been          used before, and, even for the good ones, familiarity mutes laughter.                                                                                                Ultimately, however, DRACULA is infected with the same disease that        has plagued the last several Brooks films -- it's just not all that             funny.  Sure, there are humorous bits here and there throughout the             running length, but not enough to justify an entire movie.  DRACULA:            DEAD AND LOVING IT sputters as badly (or worse) than ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN         TIGHTS, LIFE STINKS, and SPACEBALLS, to name a few.  Whatever                   inspiration stirred Brooks to make YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN has long since            deserted him.                                                                                                                                                        The storyline of DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT is an amalgamation of         all the various screen incarnations of Stoker's tale.  English                  businessman Renfield (Peter MacNicol) travels to Transylvania to meet           with the mysterious Count Dracula (Leslie Nielsen).  While staying at           the count's castle, Renfield falls under Dracula's spell.  Together, the        two travel to England, where Dracula begins his reign of terror by              draining the blood of two lovely women:  Lucy (Lysette Anthony) and Mina        (Amy Yasbeck).  When Lucy's health fails, her guardian, Dr. Seward              (Harvey Korman), and his assistant, Jonathan Harker (Steven Weber), call        in the strange-but-brilliant Professor Van Helsing (Mel Brooks) to              unmask the fiend.                                                                                                                                                    Given the comic turn his career has taken since the early '80s,            it's hard to believe that Leslie Nielsen was once a serious actor.              These days, thanks to the Zucker brothers (AIRPLANE, THE NAKED GUN), he         has become an accomplished satirical performer.  His sense of timing is         impeccable, and this asset has made him a sought-after commodity for a          wide variety of spoofs.  Here, Nielsen takes on the title role, but his         presence can't resurrect this stillborn lampoon.                                                                                                                     Unless you're a die hard Mel Brooks fan (are there any of them             left?), there's no compelling reason to sit through DRACULA: DEAD AND           LOVING IT.  The sporadic humor promises some laughs, but the ninety             minutes will go by slowly.  The general failure of this movie leads to          one obvious question:  why couldn't Brooks just leave Dracula dead and          buried?                                                                                                                                                         - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: WAITING TO EXHALE                                                                                                                                                                 WAITING TO EXHALE                                                     A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 5.6                                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/22/95 (wide)                                              Running Length: 2:04                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Sexual situations, profanity, mature themes)            Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Angela Bassett, Whitney Houston, Lela Rochon, Loretta Devine,                   Gregory Hines, Leon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Wesley Snipes        Director: Forest Whitaker                                                       Producers: Ezra Swerdlow and Deborah Schindler                                  Screenplay: Terry McMillan and Ronald Bass based on the novel by                      Terry McMillan                                                            Cinematography: Toyomichi Kurita                                                Music: Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds                                               U.S. Distributor: 20th Century Fox                                                                                                                                   The first thing to note about WAITING TO EXHALE, Forest Whitaker's         theatrical feature debut as a director, is that it will likely be a huge        success with its target audience.  Many black women will see themselves         in this motion picture, and, subconsciously using their personal                background to fill in gaps left by the screenplay, they will declare            this film a triumph.  I wish I could be as positive with my opinion, but        I found WAITING TO EXHALE to be seriously flawed -- a string of                 connected vignettes that propel the four main characters along easily           predicted character arcs.                                                                                                                                            Of the quartet of stories, Bernadine's is the most compelling.             It's no coincidence that this character is played by Angela Bassett, the        best actress in the cast.  Bernadine has been dumped by her husband of          eleven years (Michael Beach), a rather slimy fellow who has left her            with their two children so he can move in with his white mistress.              Needless to say, Bernadine doesn't react well to this news and her              response -- torching his car with all his possessions in it -- will             almost certainly garner loud cheers from women in the audience.                                                                                                      Although not as interesting as Bernadine, Loretta Devine's Gloria          offers some worthwhile moments.  She's a single mom trying to cope with         her son's growing need for independence, her ex-husband's confession            that he's gay, and her own lackluster sexual life.  Fortunately for her,        a handsome new neighbor (Gregory Hines) moves in, and he seems to have          all the answers.                                                                                                                                                     WAITING TO EXHALE's other two characters -- Savannah (Whitney              Houston) and Robin (Lela Rochon) -- are basically separate aspects of           the same personality.  Both are stuck in bad relationships that they are        unable or unwilling to escape from.  Neither of these stories is of more        than passing interest, and the movie slows to a crawl when Houston or           Rochon takes center stage.                                                                                                                                           Whitaker's direction, like the tone, is uneven.  Some of the               switches from comedy to drama are forced and abrupt.  That said,                however, WAITING TO EXHALE contains a fair number of genuinely humorous         sequences, many of which make pointed comments about male insensitivity.        There are also several memorable serious scenes, the best of which team         Angela Bassett with Wesley Snipes.  Not only does this pair sizzle, but         the dialogue is intelligently-written and the performances are on-              target.                                                                                                                                                              The most significant fault in WAITING TO EXHALE is its character           presentation.  With the exception of Bernadine, I never felt anything           for the women populating this film, as they failed to capture my                interest or sympathy.  Part of this can be attributed to bland                  performances by Houston and Rochon, but the script must bear an equal           share of the burden.                                                                                                                                                 No doubt about it -- this is a "women's movie" (or, as it's                alternatively referred to, a "chick flick"), but it's among the year's          weakest.  HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT and MOONLIGHT AND VALENTINO             covered comparable ground earlier in 1995, and there are similarities           between WAITING TO EXHALE and THE JOY LUCK CLUB (especially since co-           writer Ronald Bass was involved in the book-to-screen transition of Amy         Tan's novel).  Of all those films, however, this one has the most               artificial and disjointed "feel".  Personally, I don't buy the "male            bashing" accusation that has been leveled at WAITING TO EXHALE.  The            treatment of men in the movie seems fine, and there are other problems          more worthy of attention.  Given the dearth of significant roles for            black women in motion pictures, it's refreshing to see these four               bonding on the big screen -- and that's almost reason enough for this           film to have been made.  Nevertheless, it's difficult to deny that              another layer of substance is needed to lift the movie about this               superficial level of melodrama.                                                                                                                                 - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: BALTO                                                                                                                                                                                 BALTO                                                             A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 6.0                                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/22/95 (limited); 12/25/95 (wide)                          Running Length: 1:17                                                            MPAA Classification: G                                                          Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Featuring the voices of Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, Bob Hoskins,                      Phil Collins, and Jim Cummings                                            Director: Simon Wells                                                           Producer: Steve Hickner                                                         Screenplay: Cliff Ruby, Elana Lesser, David Steven Cohen, and                         Roger S.H. Schulman                                                       Music: James Horner                                                             U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures                                                                                                                                 Aside from the obvious discrepancy in animation quality, there's           one very big difference between BALTO and films like BEAUTY AND THE             BEAST, ALADDIN, and THE LION KING.  While the men and women at Disney           pen their scripts with audiences of all ages in mind, the four                  screenwriters for BALTO have aimed their film strictly at the under-            twelve crowd.  This movie isn't likely to sicken adults, but it                 definitely isn't meant for them, and that's one of the reasons why              BALTO's take at the box office is going to be dramatically less than            what a corresponding Disney release could rake in.                                                                                                                   The animation is serviceable, although not eye-popping.  There are         some scenes, mostly during snowstorms, that look impressive, but these          are offset by a number of pedestrian, Saturday morning cartoon-like             sequences.  BALTO certainly isn't a visual treat.  There aren't any             show-stopping tunes, either.  With the exception of the closing song            ("Reach for the Light", performed by Steve Winwood), there's not a              musical number to be found, which, more than anything else, accounts for        the short running time.  For good or ill, songs tend to pad out animated        motion pictures.                                                                                                                                                     BALTO opens and closes with short live-action sequences featuring          Myriam Margoles and Lola Bates-Campbell.  95% of the film, however, is          animated -- a colorful, if unspectacular, rendition of the tale told by         Margoles to the young Bates-Campbell.  (BALTO is very loosely based on a        true story.)  The action takes place in 1925 Nome, Alaska, where a              diphtheria epidemic has struck.  With bad weather encroaching, the only         way to retrieve life-saving medication from Anchorage is by dog sled.           BALTO tells of how a half-wolf/half-dog struggles through blizzards and         treacherous terrain to save the life of one little girl, while finding          puppy love along the way.                                                                                                                                            The vocal talents employed for BALTO are adequate, although not            standouts.  Kevin Bacon has the title role.  Bridget Fonda is Jenna,            Balto's dog girlfriend.  Jim Cummings, who was last heard in THE LION           KING as one of the hyenas, gives voice to Balto's rival, a sort of              canine Gaston.  Then there are the requisite comic sidekicks:  Bob              Hoskins as Boris the goose and Phil Collins as a pair of jolly polar            bears, Muk and Luk.                                                                                                                                                  BALTO isn't a great animated feature, but, Disney's computer-              generated TOY STORY aside, it's the only one of its kind this holiday           season.  Well-paced, politically correct, and undemanding, the movie is         good for children.  Its appeal for parents is another matter altogether,        however -- but at least most of them won't hate it.  Or so Universal            Pictures and Amblin Entertainment hope.                                                                                                                         - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: GRUMPIER OLD MEN                                                                                                                                                                  GRUMPIER OLD MEN                                                      A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 5.5                                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/22/95 (wide)                                              Running Length: 1:35                                                            MPAA Classification: PG (Profanity)                                             Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret, Sophia Loren,                         Kevin Pollak, Daryl Hannah, Burgess Meredith                              Director: Howard Deutch                                                         Producers: John Davis and Richard C. Berman                                     Screenplay: Mark Steven Johnson                                                 Cinematography: Tak Fujimoto                                                    Music: Alan Silvestri                                                           U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers                                                                                                                                    As 1993 drew to a close, movie-goers in search of light                    entertainment were treated to the delightful (if formulaic) GRUMPY OLD          MEN, a reunion of the often-paired odd couple of Jack Lemmon and Walter         Matthau.  Now, two years later, John Gustafson (Lemmon) and best enemy          Max Goldman (Matthau) are back at it again.  Only this time, their barbs        lack the zing of the previous outing.  And that's not all that's missing        in this ill-advised sequel.  GRUMPIER OLD MEN isn't as fun, spontaneous,        or amusing as the original.  In short, it's a poor retread that can't be        redeemed by the pleasure of seeing Lemmon and Matthau together.                                                                                                      GRUMPIER OLD MEN picks up some six months after the end of the             first movie.  It's Autumn in Minnesota, and normal fishing has replaced         the ice variety for John, Max, and John's father (Burgess Meredith).            John's daughter Melanie (Daryl Hannah) and Max's son Jacob (Kevin               Pollak) are busy planning their wedding while newlyweds John and Ariel          (Ann-Margret) are settling down into a comfortable routine.  Meanwhile,         Max does his best to hide his own loneliness, but his stated preference         of a TV dinner in front of GERALDO doesn't fool his son, who encourages         Max to start dating.  As luck would have it, a very eligible Italian            divorcee (Sophia Loren) moves into town around this time, and her               eventual pairing with Max seems inevitable.                                                                                                                          Maybe the actors aren't having as much fun this time around, or            perhaps the jokes are just too flat, but GRUMPIER OLD MEN is uninspired.        Even Burgess Meredith, who easily stole the first film, isn't as good           here.  The movie seems like something made exclusively because its              predecessor was a box-office success.  Whatever magic GRUMPY possessed,         GRUMPIER lacks.                                                                                                                                                      As was the case in the 1993 movie, the best part arrives during the        end credits.  If you bothered to come at all, this series of bloopers           and outtakes is worth staying for.  Meredith's list of creative double-         entendres is easily GRUMPIER OLD MEN's comic highlight.  Unfortunately,         the competition for this honor is pretty feeble.  The sequel has only           about a third as many legitimate laughs as the original.                                                                                                             While this may not be the final on-screen teaming of "putz" Lemmon         and "moron" Matthau, hopefully this is the last time we'll see them as          John and Max.  It's not difficult to recognize that there's still               chemistry between the actors, but they need a new behind-the-scenes             creative team.  These particular grumpy old men have had their day.                                                                                             - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: SHANGHAI TRIAD                                                                                                                                                                     SHANGHAI TRIAD                                                       A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 7.9                                                                                                                                           Hong Kong, 1995                                                                 U.S. Availability: 12/20/95 (limited)                                           Running Length: 1:48                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Violence, mature themes)                                Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Gong Li, Li Baotian, Wang Xiaoxiao, Sun Chun, Fu Biao, Li Xuejian         Director: Zhang Yimou                                                           Producer: Jean-Louis Piel                                                       Screenplay: Bi Feiyu                                                            Cinematograpy: Li Xiao                                                          Music: Zhang Guangtian                                                          U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics                                        Subtitled                                                                                                                                                            During the decade of the 1990s, Zhang Yimou, one of the most               internationally acclaimed of all the so-called "Fifth Generation"               Chinese film makers, has made a series of visually striking, narratively        compelling pictures, including RAISE THE RED LANTERN and TO LIVE.               SHANGHAI TRIAD, Zhang's latest offering, delves deeply into the workings        of Shanghai's gangland during the 1930s.  Reminiscent of Prohibition-era        Chicago -- and therefore depicting the universality of organized crime -        - SHANGHAI TRIAD is a fascinating, though imperfect, look at the lure           and power of greed to corrupt and destroy.                                                                                                                           The story is told from the point-of-view of 14-year old Shuisheng          (Wang Xiaoxiao), a country "innocent" brought by his uncle (Li Xuejian)         to Shanghai to work for Boss Tang (Li Baotian).  Zhang uses Shuisheng to        represent the audience; everything that takes place is seen through the         young boy's eyes.  In fact, there are several effective first person            camera shots where we see events unfold as if from Shuisheng's                  perspective.  Like those of us watching the film, Shuisheng has no              knowledge about what it means to live in Tang's circle, and his                 education is ours.                                                                                                                                                   Shuisheng's first job for the Boss is to serve his mistress, the           petulant, controlling Bijou (Gong Li).  Like Shuisheng, Bijou was born          and bred in the country, but, unlike her new servant, she has allowed           the bright lights, easy money, and fast life of Shanghai to corrupt her         innocence.  A singer in the Boss' nightclub and lover to both him and           one of his top men, she is trapped in a situation that is out of                control.  There are times when she recognizes the futility of her               existence and lashes out in mingled pain and despair.                                                                                                                SHANGHAI TRIAD takes place over an eight-day period that chronicles        Shuisheng's arrival to work for the Boss, his conflicted emotions for           Bijou, a bloody attempt to kill Tang, and the subsequent flight to an           island safe house.  There is plenty of action, but, like Zhang's                previous films, the primary focus is on relationships and internal              conflicts.  The interaction between Shuisheng, Bijou, and Tang forms the        central dynamic, and those three characters represent this movie's true         "Shanghai triad."                                                                                                                                                    Unfortunately, due in part to the script and in part to a flat             performance by young actor Wang Xiaoxiao, Shuisheng comes across as             bland.  Even though he's in nearly every scene, we're rarely sure what          he's thinking or how he feels about those who control his life.  There          are hints of sexual curiosity, growing faithfulness, and building               horror, but Wang does a poor job conveying these elements.  His eyes and        too-often blank expression create an unfortunate dramatic vacuum.                                                                                                    Conversely, the always-luminescent Gong Li is at the height of her         ability in SHANGHAI TRIAD, almost making up for what's lacking in her           young co-star.  Her Bijou is a marvel of subtlety and complexity.  Not          only is Gong an amazing actress, but she has an undeniable screen               presence as well.  Bijou may be her most sultry role to date, as she            sashays her way across the screen, purring the words to the song                "Pretending", her character's anthem.  While the relationship between           Bijou and Shuisheng is left disappointingly underdeveloped, the actress'        performance makes it easier to overlook this defect.                                                                                                                 With its underworld violence and straightforward narrative,                SHANGHAI TRIAD may be Zhang's most accessible film to date.  It is not,         however, his best work, having neither the epic scope of TO LIVE nor the        quiet emotional power of RAISE THE RED LANTERN.  Yet there is still much        to like about SHANGHAI TRIAD, not the least of which is the production's        gorgeous look (credit the director and his cinematographer, Li Xiao).           SHANGHAI TRIAD overflows with memorable imagery and atmosphere.  And, as        this film verifies, a weak entry by Zhang is often far more engrossing          than a strong entry by many other directors.                                                                                                                    - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: SUDDEN DEATH                                                                                                                                                                        SUDDEN DEATH                                                        A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10):  3.0                                                                                                                                          United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/22/95 (wide)                                              Running Length: 1:50                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Violence, language)                                     Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Powers Boothe, Raymond J. Barry,                         Whittni Wright, Ross Malinger, Dorian Harewood                            Director: Peter Hyams                                                           Producers: Moshe Diamant and Howard Baldwin                                     Screenplay: Gene Quintano                                                       Cinematography: Peter Hyams                                                     Music: John Debney                                                              U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures                                                                                                                                 The "DIE HARD formula" rears its head several times each year,             sometimes with great success (SPEED), but more often as a miserable             failure (UNDER SIEGE 2).  SUDDEN DEATH, a DIE HARD meets BLACK SUNDAY           action flick with Jean-Claude Van Damme playing the hero, falls squarely        in the latter category.  Even the weakest entry of Bruce Willis' trilogy        (this year's DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE) was markedly better than SUDDEN         DEATH.                                                                                                                                                               Admittedly, any DIE HARD clone is going to demand a heavy dose of          the ever-popular "suspension of disbelief".  However, there's a                 significant difference between accepting a few contrived plot devices           and being asked to swallow a storyline that is utterly preposterous and         implausible.  Nothing in SUDDEN DEATH makes any sense, and there are            times when the action is so outlandish that the film moves into the             realm of self-parody.  About the best thing that can be said about this         movie is that the action scenes, directed by Peter Hyams (OUTLAND), are         choreographed with flair.  Unfortunately, the material connecting them          is worthless.                                                                                                                                                        Van Damme plays the typical John McLane-type hero:  some down-on-          his-luck guy who gets stuck in the crossfire when a nastier-than-nasty          bad guy (suavely essayed by Powers Boothe) decides to take some                 hostages.  In this case, our villain chooses game 7 of the Stanley Cup          Finals at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena to spring his trap.  His hostages --         in addition to every man, woman, and child in the stands -- include the         Vice President and Van Damme's daughter (Whittni Wright).  If a huge sum        of money isn't transferred into his numbered bank accounts, he's going          to start killing people -- first one or two, then everybody attending           the game.                                                                                                                                                            While trying to stop Boothe's Foss, Van Damme gets to fulfill a            fantasy:  defend the Penguins' goal at a critical juncture of the game.         Never mind that no one, including his teammates, recognizes he's not the        real goalie, or that he's supposed to be finding and defusing bombs             instead of slapping around a puck on the ice.  If this seems like the           scene from THE NAKED GUN where Leslie Nielsen impersonates an umpire,           it's probably just a coincidence, although both films have about the            same level of believabilty in these instances.                                                                                                                       Hard as it may be to accept, Van Damme has finally found a cast            that acts on his guttural level.  Powers Boothe looks as if he could            care less about the role, and appears content to do the absolute minimum        to cash his check.  He's neither sinister nor menacing, and doesn't             offer a single biting one-liner.  The young actors playing Van Damme's          children are awful and Raymond J. Barry's Vice President is a walking,          talking cliche.  There's nothing interesting about any of these                 characters, and no real reason to care whether they live or die.  For a         movie trying to build suspense through the dynamics of character                relationships, that's a fatal flaw.                                                                                                                                  Simply put, SUDDEN DEATH is a bad movie.  Although not quite as            unwatchable as two of this year's similar entries -- MONEY TRAIN and            UNDER SIEGE 2 -- the film has virtually nothing to recommend it to              anyone who allows their brain to continue functioning while in the              audience.  Deriving shallow enjoyment from SUDDEN DEATH's poorly-acted,         extravagantly absurd series of predictable action sequences demands one         of three characteristics: an irrational fondness for Van Damme, a love          of stale, artless films, or an unhealthy tendency towards masochistic           experiences.  This particular DIE HARD clone comes dead on arrival.                                                                                             - James Berardinelli ([e-mail])                                                                                                                  @START@REVIEW: FOUR ROOMS                                                                                                                                                                            FOUR ROOMS                                                        A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 4.2                                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/25/95 (limited)                                           Running Length: 1:26                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, nudity, violence)                            Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Producer: Lawrence Bender                                                       Music: Combustible Edison                                                       U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films                                                                                                                                      FOUR ROOMS, a four-segment anthology directed by independent film          darlings Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, and              Quentin Tarantino, has to be one of 1995's major disappointments.               Perhaps it's the format itself -- twenty minutes isn't enough time to           develop much in the way of characters or story.  When Martin Scorsese,          Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen tried a similar structure for             their ill-fated 1989 offering of NEW YORK STORIES, "flop" was the most          commonly heard description.  More problematic than the format, however,         is FOUR ROOMS' execution.  Shoddy acting and direction typify three of          the segments (Robert Rodriguez's being the exception).  Even Tim Roth,          one of the best actors of the '90s, has his weak moments.                                                                                                            FOUR ROOMS takes place on New Year's Eve at the Mon Signor Hotel,          one of Los Angeles' most notorious dives.  Ted the bellhop (Roth) has           just joined the staff and is in for "a really bad night."  Ted is the           glue that holds the four stories together as he moves from room-to-room         and problem-to-problem.  Roth, with an accent that unaccountably fades          from American to British, plays Ted like a cross between Jim Carrey and         John Cleese.                                                                                                                                                    "The Missing Ingredient"                                                                                                                                        Rating (0 to 10):  1.0                                                                                                                                          Cast: Tim Roth, Valeria Golino, Madonna, Ione Skye, Sammi Davis,                      Lili Taylor, Alicia Witt, Amanda De Cadenet                               Written and Directed by: Allison Anders                                         Cinematography: Rodrigo Garcia                                                                                                                                       By far the most lame of FOUR ROOMS' stories, "The Missing                  Ingredient" lacks anything resembling intelligent dialogue, coherent            plotting, or competent acting.  This trite mess is easily the low point         in the short career of writer/director Allison Anders, whose 1992               release, GAS FOOD LODGING, was a positive triumph.  "The Missing                Ingredient" plays like an R-rated episode of a bad TV sitcom, with              profanity, bare breasts, and sex failing to liven things up.                                                                                                         The story -- what little there is -- revolves around a witches'            coven trying to resurrect the spirit of a stripper.  All the ingredients        (mother's milk, virgin's blood, sweat of five men's thighs, and a year's        tears) are ready except for a sperm sample.  Since witch Eva (Ione Skye)        failed in her assignment to bring this vital component of the mixture,          she is charged with seducing Ted and getting what she needs from him.                                                                                           "The Wrong Man"                                                                                                                                                 Rating (0 to 10):  2.5                                                                                                                                          Cast: Tim Roth, Jennifer Beals, David Proval                                    Written and Directed by: Alexandre Rockwell                                     Cinematography: Phil Parmet                                                                                                                                          Unlike many reviewers, I wasn't a big fan of writer/director               Alexandre Rockwell's debut feature, IN THE SOUP.  While the film                contained several instances of insightful comedy, the entire production         seemed self-indulgent.  It's doubtful, however, that even those who             heaped effusive praise on IN THE SOUP will have many kind words for "The        Wrong Man".  This totally unfunny segment places Ted in between a man           (David Proval) and his wife (Jennifer Beals) while they play S&M games.         The episode isn't effectively comical, provocative, or titillating.             Rockwell's confused script degenerates into dirty language with a cheap,        predictable conclusion.                                                                                                                                              "The Wrong Man" is one of those stories that, because of a certain         artistic pretentiousness, thinks it's a lot more humorous and clever            than it actually is.  Really, it's basically a pointless short that,            following right after Anders' disastrous opening, dooms FOUR ROOMS to a         forty-five minute start that's almost unendurable.                                                                                                              "The Misbehavers"                                                                                                                                               Rating (0 to 10):  7.1                                                                                                                                          Cast: Tim Roth, Antonio Banderas, Tamlyn Tomita, Marisa Tomei,                        Lana McKissack, Danny Veruzco                                             Written and Directed by: Robert Rodriguez                                       Cinematography: Guillermo Navarro                                                                                                                                    After struggling through an unwatchable first two episodes, FOUR           ROOMS finally stumbles upon something worthwhile in its third.  By now,         a large portion of the audience probably won't care.  However, for those        with patience, "The Misbehavers" offers an oasis in an otherwise                creatively barren land.  Robert Rodriguez's contribution starts with Ted        being induced by a $500 tip to baby-sit for the two small children of a         gangster (Antonio Banderas) and his wife (Tamlyn Tomita).  Of course,           Murphy's Law rears its head, and just about everything that can go              wrong, does.                                                                                                                                                         Although a fair portion of the humor in "The Misbehavers" is of the        crude variety, it's skillfully handled by film maker Rodriguez (EL              MARIACHI), and, as a result, is occasionally sidesplittingly funny.  The        two child actors (newcomers Lana McKissack and Danny Veruzco) are apt           performers, and Tim Roth does his best manic John Cleese imitation.             There's also a riotous phone conversation between Roth and Marisa Tomei         that, despite its brevity, may represent FOUR ROOMS' comic highlight.                                                                                           "The Man from Hollywood"                                                                                                                                        Rating (0 to 10):  5.5                                                                                                                                          Cast: Tim Roth, Quentin Tarantino, Jennifer Beals, Paul Calderon,                     Bruce Willis                                                              Written and Directed by: Quentin Tarantino                                      Cinematography: Andrzej Sekula                                                                                                                                       There's no doubt that a fair number of those in the audience will          be present because Quentin Tarantino is involved in this film.                  Unfortunately, Tarantino's episode can't save FOUR ROOMS.  Not only is          it pointless, but it lacks the energy that characterized the director's         feature films (RESERVOIR DOGS and PULP FICTION).  Also, while "The Man          >From Hollywood" features Tarantino's rapid-fire dialogue, the actor            speaking many of the lines is one of the most inept and uncharismatic           performers in movies these days:  Tarantino himself.                                                                                                                 "The Man from Hollywood" is based on an old Alfred Hitchcock TV            episode, where a man bets his finger that he can start his lighter ten          straight times.  Ted is brought in to wield the hatchet to remove the           digit (should the need arise), earning a fee of $1000 for his troubles.         The two bettors are big-time Hollywood director Chester Rush                    (Tarantino), who's putting up his 1964 Chevy Chevelle, and actor Norman         (Paul Calderon), whose pinkie is on the line.  Also in the penthouse            suite is profanity-spewing Leo (Bruce Willis) and, reprising her role           from "The Wrong Man", Jennifer Beals.                                                                                                                                Even though "The Man from Hollywood" is merely twenty minutes long,        it drags, and only the conclusion has any zing.  Whether Tarantino is           played out has yet to be determined, but his efforts in FOUR ROOMS are          feeble at best.  It's only the ugliness of Anders' and Rockwell's               segments that make Tarantino's somewhat palatable -- but "The Man from          Hollywood" is still no better than mediocre by his, or anyone else's,           standards.                                                                                                                                                           At its best, FOUR ROOMS is reminiscent of John Cleese's '70s TV            series FAWLTY TOWERS.  Far more frequently, however, this movie recalls         one of the worst hotel movies of all time, BLAME IT ON THE BELLBOY.             While spending ninety minutes watching FOUR ROOMS doesn't rank alongside        the distasteful experience of a full night's stay at the Mon Signor,            it's still a poor way to waste an evening -- New Year's Eve or                  otherwise.                                                                                                                                                      @START@REVIEW: THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN                                                                                                                                                    THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN                                                  A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10):  8.2                                                                                                                                          France, 1995                                                                    U.S. Availability: 12/15/95 (limited)                                           Running Length: 1:52                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Mature themes, profanity)                               Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Daniel Emilfork, Ron Perlman, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon,                   Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Mireille Mousse, Jean-Louis Trintignant              Directors: Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro                                     Producer: Claudie Ossard                                                        Screenplay: Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro, Gilles Adrien                        Cinematography: Darius Khondji                                                  Music: Angelo Badalamenti                                                       U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics                                        In French with Subtitles                                                                                                                                             In 1991, the creative team of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro             introduced movie-goers to their nightmarish view of a post-apocalyptic          world where troglodytes inhabited the underground and a butcher relied          on apartment tenants to keep his meat cabinet full.  DELICATESSEN, a            bizarre black comedy, became something of a cult hit -- certainly not           everyone's fare, but those who got it, loved it.  Now, four years later,        Jeunet and Caro are back, and, with their latest film, THE CITY OF LOST         CHILDREN, it's apparent that they have neither moderated their approach         nor mainstreamed their vision.  THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN is as visually        striking and daringly offbeat as its predecessor.                                                                                                                    In THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, Jeunet and Caro have presented               another gloomy world where "normal" life is no more.  The film is               saturated with atmosphere and features some of the most imaginative set         construction of the year.  The picture works in part because the film           makers have taken the time and effort to frame a strange land where all         their quirky characters can live and operate.  Jeunet and Caro's movie          is thematically and stylistically inspired by such diverse sources as           FRANKENSTEIN, DRACULA, BRAZIL, TIME BANDITS, and THE WIZARD OF OZ.  Like        DELICATESSEN, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN is characterized by dark,               twisted humor, yet this movie is more of a fantasy than a macabre               comedy.                                                                                                                                                              THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN relates dreams to creativity, youth, and         wonder.  The capacity to escape the rational world through imagination          fuels not only the desire to continue living, but the need to make              something out of one's life.  In this film, we are introduced the               brilliant-yet-warped mad scientist Krank (Daniel Emilfork), who is aging        prematurely because he cannot dream.  In an effort to stay alive, he has        begun capturing children to steal their dreams.  One of the toddlers            abducted by Krank is little Denree (Joseph Lucien), the brother of a            simpleminded circus strongman named One (Ron Perlman).  One is joined in        his search for his brother by Miette (Judith Vittet), the nine-year old,        wise-beyond-her-years leader of an orphan gang.  Together, One and              Miette seek to penetrate Krank's fortress; elude his six cloned henchmen        (all played by Dominque Pinon), the deadly Miss Bismuth (Mireille               Mosse), Irvin the talking brain (voice of Jean-Louis Trintignant), and          the scientist himself; and rescue Denree.  It proves to be a difficult          task.                                                                                                                                                                While much of THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN is surreal and strange, the        film's emotional center -- the relationship between One and Miette -- is        nurtured with care and genuine feeling.  Miette sees in One and Denree          the chance for the family she has never known, although there are times         when her intentions towards the older, child-like man seem more romantic        than sisterly.  It's to Jeunet and Caro's credit that they are able to          present the ambiguities of this relationship tenderly, without ever             injecting a hint of the sordid or perverse.                                                                                                                          Daniel Emilfork is wonderfully frightening as Krank.  Bald-headed          and evil-looking, he evokes memories of Max Schreck's vampire in the            classic silent film NOSFERATU.  Dominique Pinon, who had the lead in            DELICATESSEN, uses his unusual face and goofy mannerisms to good comic          effect in turning the clones into the Six Stooges.  Judith Vittet shows         great promise from one so young in her appealing portrayal of Miette,           and Ron Perlman is effective as the strong, silent One.                                                                                                              Like DELICATESSEN, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN won't be to everyone's        taste.  In fact, even though I thoroughly enjoyed Jeunet and Caro's             previous film, it took a while for me to warm up to this effort.  The           first forty-five minutes are poorly-paced and it's easy to get lost down        one of the script's many dark, maze-like alleyways.  The film tends to          lurch along in fits and starts until Miette becomes established as a            central character.  From that point on, improvement is immediate and            consistent.  For those who enjoy the offbeat, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN         is worth taking the time and effort to find.                                                                                                                    @START@REVIEW: GEORGIA                                                                                                                                                                               GEORGIA                                                           A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10):  8.4                                                                                                                                          United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 12/8/95 (limited)                                            Running Length: 1:58                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, mature themes, sex, nudity)                  Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mare Winningham, Ted Levine, Max Perlich,                 John Doe, John C. Reilly                                                  Director: Ulu Grosbard                                                          Producers: Ulu Grosbard, Barbara Turner, and Jennifer Jason Leigh               Screenplay: Barbara Turner based on a story by Barbara Turner and                     Jennifer Jason Leigh                                                      Cinematography: Jan Kiesser                                                     Music: Steven Soles                                                             U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films                                                                                                                                      In 1994, Jennifer Jason Leigh was robbed by the Academy of a much-         deserved Oscar nomination for MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE.               Undaunted, Leigh returned to the screen in 1995 with a pair of                  tremendous performances in films of vastly different tone and                   temperament:  DOLORES CLAIBORNE and GEORGIA.  It is for the latter              movie, which the actress was instrumental in bringing to the screen,            that she will likely receive the recognition she was denied last year.          GEORGIA is a tour de force for Leigh, and her portrayal of the troubled,        passionate Sadie lingers in the mind long after many of the movie's plot        details have faded.                                                                                                                                                  GEORGIA is a slice-of-life motion picture that lacks a definite            beginning and end. It's a dual character study of two sisters and an            examination of the complex dynamic which fuels their atypical                   relationship.  While the movie could easily be called SADIE, because            it's more about Leigh's character than her older sister, Georgia (Mare          Winningham), the film makers have chosen their title carefully, because         everything in this movie comes back to Georgia -- even Sadie, who often         defines herself in terms of her relationship to her sister.                                                                                                          The sisters are classic opposites.  Sadie is passionate, generous,         giving, and emotionally open.  She loves singing with her whole heart --        it's her reason for being alive -- yet she is painfully bereft of               talent.  Conversely, while Georgia is reserved and emotionally shackled,        her glorious voice has made her a hugely successful Country/Western             singer.  So, as Georgia performs in packed arenas, Sadie must make do in        front of a few drunks at a local night club.                                                                                                                         Yet Sadie never resents Georgia's success.  She attends her                sister's concerts, applauding unreservedly after each song, and                 repeatedly identifies Georgia as the "only one who matters" to her.  But        Sadie's untempered, desperate passion and ambition terrify Georgia.  She        sees her sister as a monster who drains people's energy then swallows           them up.  In her view, Sadie has latched onto her and won't let her go,         and someone as balanced as Georgia cannot cope with the all-consuming           suffering and triumph that defines Sadie's existence.  Like magnets of          shifting polarity, these two are both drawn to and repelled by each             other.                                                                                                                                                               Leigh, whose career has included roles in such diverse films as            FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN, RUSH, SINGLE WHITE         FEMALE, THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, and MRS. PARKER, infuses Sadie with an             inextinguishable inner fire.  There are times when it's uncomfortable to        watch this performance because it's so powerful  -- Sadie is raw passion        coupled with a total lack of talent.  Never is this more apparent than          when she sings from the heart.  The emotion is there, but not the               ability.  The one thing Sadie wants more than anything else, she cannot         have, and this realization incites her spiral into drugs and alcohol.                                                                                                Mare Winningham is no mere second fiddle as the title character.           The nature of her role -- a much more calm, rational personality --             demands that she often remain in the background, but she holds her own          in scenes with Leigh.  For the movie to work, it's important that               Georgia be a vital and multi-dimensional personality, and Winningham            brings these elements to her portrayal.                                                                                                                              GEORGIA was a personal project for Leigh (her mother wrote the             screenplay and she and Winningham are long-time friends off-screen), and        it shows in her presentation of Sadie.  Director Ulu Grosbard opts for a        stark, simple style that underlines the tremendous swings of emotion            that characterize the film. GEORGIA doesn't possess an amazingly                original narrative, but what distinguishes this picture is the depth of         the characters and the amazing power with which the two leads breathe           life into them.                                                                                                                                                 @START@ON SCREEN: Georgia, on her mind                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                              January 4 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                         GEORGIA                                                                                                                          Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Mare Winningham. Screenplay by                Barbara Turner. Directed by Ulu Grosbard.  Opens Jan. 5.                                                                                                                                   (eee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                        by                                                                         DENIS SEGUIN                                                                                                                       There are movies and then there are movie moments: a shot, a sequence,          an episode that encapsulates the film in which it appears -- the part           is the whole. Such moments make good films great and ameliorate bad             ones. Similarly, there are actors who by their very appearance raise a          film a notch. Jennifer Jason Leigh is such a performer. Few mention             The Coen Brothers' The Hudsucker Proxy except in reference to Leigh's           turn as the quintessential American gal -- Katharine Hepburn, Jean              Arthur, Rosalind Russell, Barbara Stanwyck all rolled into one. Ditto           Miami Blues, ditto Mrs. Parker And The Vicious Circle.                                                                                                          In Ulu Grosbard's Georgia, the story of a singer who can't sing, Leigh          delivers a movie moment. It comes when Georgia (Mare Winningham), a             successful folk singer, invites her sister Sadie (Leigh), an                    unsuccessful bar-band back-up singer, onstage to do a number. But as            is the case with movie moments, there is a fair bit of movie                    aforehand.                                                                                                                                                      When we first meet her, Sadie is hanging around with a guy whose sport          involves pointing a gun at Sadie's forehead and pulling the trigger.            She is a "doomed character" writ small, the sort who gets found naked           and dead and unmissed in a dumpster; the miracle is that she never              meets such an end or a loaded gun but continues against the odds, in            spite of herself.                                                                                                                                               She is in every way Georgia's inferior -- with one vital exception:             Sadie is manically energized, relentless, hectic. You couldn't call             her a prodigal because that would suggest that her return is welcome;           rather, she abandons, leaves and otherwise splits with such frequency           that people are beyond care. Everyone -- her sister, her bandmates --           addresses her with quiet exasperation. It doesn't take long before you          find yourself hissing steam.                                                                                                                                    At last fall's Toronto film fest to publicize the movie, Leigh                  described the preparation for the character. She started by dressing            the part, wearing the gallons of make-up, the heavy strokes of black            eye-liner. Her inspiration came from photographer Nan Goldin's                  portraits of transvestites.                                                                                                                                     "There's something about them that seemed really Sadie, something               heartbreaking and beautiful in their yearning to be something they              will never be. They do it with such pride and courage. That was Sadie           to me. She'll never have the gorgeous voice." That voice you hear is            that of Leigh, which says something about her fearlessness.                                                                                                     "I've made a lot of movies," she says, "and most of them didn't do              well at the box office, but I don't care about that. It's meaningless           to me. It means a lot to the studio and the people who make the movie,          but to me it's about the process and being able to do it. It's the              same for Sadie, she just wants to do it. The difference is that she             wants to be famous too."                                                                                                                                        The film, written by Leigh's mother, Barbara Turner, captures the               tragicomic cycle of shabby gigs, late-night wind-downs and day-long             recuperations that is the life of a bar band. You see the band playing          their hearts out and then the reverse shot shows the audience and               venue: a few people in a bowling alley. When Sadie takes the stage              from Georgia and launches into Van Morrison's "Take Me Back" and                stretches it out for eight and a half minutes, you feel the whole               movie compressed into a small space.                                                                                                                            "That song speaks so much of Sadie," says Leigh. "It really is her              whole life, she wants to go back to when she and Georgia were easy and          close. If she could live in Georgia's back pocket she would. And yet            she craves attention. She comes onstage with arms raised as though              everyone is there for her when in fact nobody knows who the fuck she            is."                                                                                                                                                            And when Georgia eases herself back onto the stage to try to find a             gracious musical exit for her sister, Sadie reads enmity in Georgia's           intentions. Says Leigh, "Georgia is just worried that this 'song'               could go on for 20 minutes."                                                                                                                                    The world will not be divided into two groups: those who like Georgia           and those who don't. Few will be drawn to a film so unremittingly               depressing and, of those, most will be disappointed by the absence of           a death-spiral conclusion. But the true downbeat aficionado will be             thrilled. Like its central character, the film just keeps coming back,          an old and punch-drunk boxer staggering forward to deliver a few                flailing swipes and receive more punishment.                                                                                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@REVIEW: MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS                                                                                                                                                               MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS                                                     A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 8.1                                                           Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             U.S. Availability: 1/12/96 (wide)                                               Running Length: 2:22                                                            MPAA Classification: PG (Mild language)                                         Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, W.H. Macy,                    Jay Thomas, Alicia Witt, Jean Louisa Kelly, Terrence Howard               Director: Stephen Herek                                                         Producers: Robert W. Cort, Ted Field, and Michael Nolan                         Screenplay: Patrick Duncan                                                      Cinematography: Oliver Wood                                                     Music: Michael Kamen                                                            U.S. Distributor: Hollywood Pictures                                                                                                                                 When THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT was released, many knowledgeable movie-        goers commented how the sentimentality of its "feel good" storyline             recalled the work of director Frank Capra.  Now, with MR. HOLLAND'S             OPUS, another Capra-esque motion picture has reached today's theaters.          Similar in theme and content to DEAD POETS' SOCIETY and IT'S A WONDERFUL        LIFE, this movie persuades its audience that no life spent in a worthy          pursuit is ever wasted.  Unlike THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, however, it             doesn't stoop to heavy-handed proselytizing.  And, while no one will            accuse MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS of getting its message across subtly, it's a          more dramatically secure picture than Rob Reiner's -- when it                   manipulates, it does so skillfully.                                                                                                                                  MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS spans thirty-one years in the life of a high            school music teacher.  When Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) first comes        to the newly-dedicated JFK High School in 1964, he has a dream of               spending a few years teaching to accumulate a nest egg, then returning          to his true passion:  composing.  His loving wife, Iris (Glenne Headly)         is completely supportive -- until she becomes pregnant.  After that             unexpected event, teaching is no longer just Glenn's "fall back                 position".  It has become his means to provide for his family.                                                                                                       Yet Glenn finds that instructing students in music appreciation has        its rewards.  When lectures and text assignments don't fire his pupils'         passion for the subject, Glenn tries unique ways of encouraging an              understanding that "playing music is supposed to be fun -- it's about           heart... not notes on a page."  Repeatedly during his three decades of          teaching, Glenn chooses boys and girls with special skills to nurture           and encourage.  In the process, he creates a deep loyalty among JFK's           student body while straining the harmony of his home life.  His wife and        son wonder if Glenn cares more about his pupils than about them.                                                                                                     The musical metaphors in MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS are rather obvious, and        the soundtrack is an effective mix of pop tunes, classical compositions,        and Michael Kamen's score.  While no film this decade has equaled the           accomplishment of Krzysztof Kieslowski and Zbigniew Preisner in wedding         music and visuals for 1993's BLUE, MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS has moments when          it comes close.                                                                                                                                                      Like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, this movie is about appreciating the           value of every person's effort to better the lives of others                    irrespective of the individual cost.  DEAD POETS' SOCIETY told a similar        story in a similar setting with similar themes, but MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS          has enough singular material to preserve its unique identity.  Those who        prize the message and tone of those other pictures, however, will almost        certainly enjoy this one.                                                                                                                                            Most of the time, when Hollywood wants to show changes to a                character over a significant span of time, a relatively young actor is          used, and the aging process is accomplished via (usually fake-looking)          makeup.  For MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS, the film makers tried the opposite,            choosing a performer whose actual age closely matches the final age of          the main character, then using makeup to rejuvenate him for the film's          early sequences.  Surprisingly, the result doesn't excessively stretch          credibility, although Richard Dreyfuss never looks thirty (possibly             forty).  As always, the actor turns in a strong performance, regardless         of how old Mr. Holland is supposed to be.  Supporting players like              Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas (as one of Glenn's teaching buddies), Olympia         Dukakis (as a crusty principal), Alicia Witt (as Glenn's first                  "project"), and Jean Louisa Kelly (as a student with a crush on her             music teacher) keep MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS in tune.                                                                                                                      In recent years, it has become common practice for movie studios to        release at least one emotionally stirring drama around the holiday              season.  In 1992, it was SCENT OF A WOMAN.  In 1993, SHADOWLANDS.  Last         year, NOBODY'S FOOL.  Flaws aside, one common element in these films is         that each focuses on the triumph of the human spirit, using a story that        seeks to touch the heart.  MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS deserves a place in their         ranks.  It's a symphony of solid storytelling and good feeling that pays        tribute to Hollywood's rarely-seen, gentler side.                                                                                                               Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli                                                                                                                               @START@REVIEW: 12 MONKEYS                                                                                                                                                                            12 MONKEYS                                                        A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 8.4                                                           Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****                                                                                                                           United States, 1995                                                             Running Length: 2:09                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Violence, profanity, nudity)                            Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Bruce Willis, Madeleine Stowe, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer,                  David Morse                                                               Director: Terry Gilliam                                                         Producer: Charles Roven                                                         Screenplay: David Peoples and Janet Peoples, inspired by LA JETEE               Cinematography: Roger Pratt                                                     Music: Paul Buckmaster                                                          U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures                                                                                                                                 Any film that enters the realm of time travel does so at its own           peril.  You need look no further than last year's disastrous TIMECOP to         understand why.  Even James Cameron's TERMINATOR films treaded                  uncertainly through the minefield of paradoxes created by people                venturing across the landscape of their own pasts.  Thus, it's a                refreshing to encounter a movie with a logical, intelligent approach to         the dangers of zipping through time.  While I won't claim that TWELVE           MONKEYS has a decisive solution (how can anything be "decisive" when            it's so firmly grounded in fantasy?), this approach makes sense,                primarily because the time trippers here aren't trying to change the            past (hence, wiping out reality), but are instead observing it to make a        better future.                                                                                                                                                       As it is, though, that future looks pretty bleak.  On December 13,         1996, in Philadelphia, a malignant virus was let loose.  Months later, 5        billion worldwide were dead.  The few survivors were relegated to living        underground in germ-free cellars and tunnels.  On the surface, Earth was        ruled by animals, insects, and vegetation.  Mankind's legacy to the             planet was its slowly-decaying cities.  Witness one of TWELVE MONKEYS'          early scenes, where bears and lions roam the deserted streets                   surrounding Philadelphia's snow-encrusted City Hall.  It's a chilling,          almost gothic, sequence that perfectly establishes the film's dark mood.                                                                                             James Cole (Bruce Willis) is a 21st century convict living in a            hellhole prison sometime in the 2020s.  In order to reduce his sentence,        or even obtain a full pardon, he "volunteers" to travel back in time to         the 1990s to obtain a pure sample of the virus so that modern science           can analyze it.  Cole's trip takes him to 1990, where he is incarcerated        in a Maryland asylum under the care of psychiatrist Kathryn Railly              (Madeleine Stowe).  One of Cole's fellow inmates is a totally off-the-          wall nutcase named Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt), the son of renowned              virologist Leland Goines (Christopher Plummer), a man whose name is             featured prominently in future headlines.                                                                                                                            TWELVE MONKEYS spans four time periods:  1917 in the trenches of           World War One, 1990 in Maryland, 1996 in Maryland and Philadelphia, and         the 2020s deep beneath Philadelphia.  Like director Terry Gilliam's             previous efforts BRAZIL and TIME BANDITS, this movie is saturated with          atmosphere.  The grim, gray film has two tones:  somber and apocalyptic.        Those in search of feel good escapism would do better to check out MR.          HOLLAND'S OPUS.                                                                                                                                                      For the most part, TWELVE MONKEYS is a maze of plot twists and             turns.  Yet, despite all the hiccuping through time, the story is               neither exceptionally obtuse nor hard to follow.  In fact, it's possible        to make shrewd guesses about some of what's going to happen.  Even a            movie as complex as this doesn't want to lose its audience along the way        -- at least not for too long.                                                                                                                                        One of the most unsettling aspects of TWELVE MONKEYS is that the           story is told from the perspective of an unreliable narrator, even              though it's ostensibly third-person point-of-view.  There are multiple          interpretations for the entire picture.  It can be viewed as a somewhat         atypical science fiction adventure, a black comedy/social commentary,           the paranoid nightmares of a deluded madman, or some combination of all         three.  It's up to each individual to determine which is the most likely        "truth", and this storyline ambiguity, more than anything else, makes           TWELVE MONKEYS a consistently engaging motion picture.                                                                                                               Although the movie as a whole is open to interpretation, certain           elements of Gilliam's film are straightforward.  TWELVE MONKEYS uses a          rapier-sharp wit to skewer both sides of the animal rights' movement, as        well as the general conscience of society.  The scenes of wild animals          running amok might recall JUMANJI to some, but Gilliam's sense of style         makes for more startling and lasting images.  If anything, these                sequences underline the ephemeral nature of humanity's supremacy on this        planet.                                                                                                                                                              While script, settings, and production design are obvious strengths        of TWELVE MONKEYS, acting is not.  Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe are         adequate (and, at times, perhaps a little moreso), but neither does             anything noteworthy here.  Brad Pitt gives a deliciously over-the-top           performance that, while derivative of Jack Nicholson's more memorable           roles, is nevertheless enjoyable -- enjoyable, but not superlative.             Supporting players like Christopher Plummer and David Morse (who                outacted Nicholson in THE CROSSING GUARD) are hardly worth mentioning.                                                                                               Those looking for a perfect winter double feature might consider           matching TWELVE MONKEYS with Jeunet and Caro's THE CITY OF LOST                 CHILDREN.  While each motion picture maintains its own identity, there          are numerous similarities, the most obvious being a darkly twisted view         of an apocalyptic future.  The films compliment each other, and it's            plain that the directors have precise visions that are effectively, and         sometimes spectacularly, realized.  Best of all, both movies challenge          the mind -- something that too few productions can be accused of these          days.                                                                                                                                                           @START@ON SCREEN: Tie-Died                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 11 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                      TIE-DIED: ROCK 'N' ROLL'S MOST DEADICATED FANS                                                                                                      Directed by Andrew Behar. Documentary.  Jan. 12-14. Bloor Cinema, 506           Bloor W. 532-6677. (See eye's Independent & Repertory listings for              times.)                                                                                                                                                                                    (eee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                        by                                                                        ARC WEISBLOTT                                                                                                                       Right up until the passing of Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Dead remained          a swelling subculture, fueled in recent years by a new generation who           eschewed the callow mosh pits of Lollapalooza for something much more           spiritual -- if only on the surface.                                                                                                                            Tie-Died succeeds in scratching that surface, straight from the                 trenches of 1994's summer tour. But the ploddings of Garcia et al.              never appear on screen, since the film focuses on those lemmings who            gather in the parking lots, looking brutally bleary eyed when                   interrogated in broad daylight. The zonked-out discourse of Deadheads           is delightful in spurts -- like the veterinarian who practices on the           caravan (really, what kind of person takes their dog to a rock                  concert?) -- yet director Andrew Behar diverts in due course, in                search of some meaning behind this peripatetic spectacle.                                                                                                       To offer some context, the feature is prefaced by an eight-minute               short, A Conversation With Ken Kesey (directed by Tie-Died's associate          producer, Peter Shapiro), in which the paunchy acid-test avatar slurs           this pearl of wisdom: "The kids will watch five hours of mediocre               music just to have that one click happen." Later on in Tie-Died,                Kesey's grown-up son Zane emerges among those in pursuit of that                elusive click; as a youngster, frolicking in the Grateful Dead's inner          circle, he admits to having had no idea the band played actual songs.           Meanwhile, we're also acquainted with an 11-year-old who's been on              tour since birth, while getting home-schooled (or would that be VW              van-schooled?) by his father, whose railings against the system rival           the rhetoric of the Michigan Militia.                                                                                                                           All the film's comments from certified Deadhead authorities are                 superfluous -- it's conflict that provides Tie-Died's most compelling           moments. One grizzled road warrior chafes about how the band has                become "apathetic and apolitical," while a T-shirt vendor confesses to          sleeping with a weapon in the face of growing unrest amongst the                touring trolls. Naturally, drugs become the focus at a couple points            along the way, revealing a growing movement of folks who've learned to          love the Dead without the aid of chemicals.                                                                                                                     Thankfully, Tie-Died never gets too hazy (nor too wavy, nor too gravy)          -- when one hippiechick starts trilling a tranquil spiritual in the             dead of night, it's set to a montage of standard-issue blinding images          from the nearby Las Vegas strip. So, unlike the music that's the                catalyst for all of this tribal behavior, Tie-Died doesn't meander too          much in its 80 minutes, proving that a condensed, conventional trip is          eminently preferable to that longer and stranger one. M                                                                                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: Four Rooms                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 11 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                        FOUR ROOMS                                                                                                                        Starring Tim Roth, Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Beals. Written and             directed by Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez and            Quentin Tarantino.  Opens Jan. 12.                                                                                                                                                         (eee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                        by                                                                         GEMMA FILES                                                                                                                        One, two, three, four. A sequence that's become the basis for every             protest cheer currently known to man -- and now, the basis for                  quadruple-hander comedy Four Rooms, with four sections written and              directed by Allison Anders (Mi Vida Loca), Alexandre Rockwell (In The           Soup), Robert Rodriguez (Desperado), or Quentin Tarantino (no                   explanation necessary).                                                                                                                                         Premiered with overblown hype at last year's Toronto International              Film Festival, the film pursues harried bellhop Ted (Tim Roth) through          New Year's Eve at the once-great Mon Signor Hollywood Hotel. And while          even its current rigorously re-edited form (23 minutes were cut from            the original version) gives new meaning to the terms "slight" and               "incestuous," Four Rooms proves that cheesiness can be both an art and          a science -- by applying independent tactics to classic Hollywood               screwball comedy.                                                                                                                                                                         ROOM ONE -- CHICKS                                                                                                                    The Missing Ingredient, Anders' donation, pits Ted against a coven of           modern-day witches, a premise she gleefully uses as an excuse to cram           her cast-list with as many cool actresses (including Madonna, Lili              Taylor and Ione Skye) as she can. After hitting the Honeymoon Suite             like an estrogen-powered sex tornado, the ladies realize they lack a            crucial element to complete the night's ritual: semen. Enter Ted, who           later discovers that this is as good as it's going to get for him all           night.                                                                                                                                                          Whipping together animation, aggressive elevator music (by neo-lounge           lizards Combustible Edison) and celebrity cameos, Anders sets the tone          for a '90s version of all those light-as-air, über-wacky comedies we            grew up watching on TV: The Pink Panther meets What's Up Doc in the             lobby of the California Suite. And Roth responds with a chameleonic,            risky performance, twitching and wriggling unctuously as he lets the            rest of the movie unspool behind him like a roll of toilet paper stuck          down the back of Jerry Lewis' pants.                                                                                                                                             ROOM TWO -- NO BUDGET (ON A BUDGET)                                                                                                            Cut to Alexandre Rockwell's The Wrong Man, which sends Ted into the             middle of a couple's psychosexual mind games. He (David Proval) is an           insecure, pill-popping madman brandishing "a big fucking gun." She              (Jennifer Beals, Rockwell's real-life other half) spends much of the            segment tied to a chair, with a gag in her mouth. Granted, it's not             much of a sequence. But by restricting it to how Ted will talk himself          out of being shot, Rockwell moves the action forward, then bows out to          let the real experts take over.                                                                                                                                                         ROOM THREE -- EDITING                                                                                                                   Just down the hall in Robert Rodriguez's room, meanwhile, The                   Misbehavers are already gearing up for action. Mexican mafia couple             Antonio Banderas and Tamlyn Tomita want a night out sans offspring, so          they threaten Ted into securing it for them and leave their kids                watching TV-- a task soon discarded in favor of champagne, smoking,             playing darts with a hypodermic needle and eventually discovering the           source of a mysterious but pervasive stench.                                                                                                                    With no jumping over cars or two-handed gun-play allowed, Rodriguez             nevertheless uses his trademark kinetics to choreograph a mountingly            lunatic scenario, setting us up for...                                                                                                                                           ROOM FOUR: THE DISGUSTING PUNCHLINE                                                                                                            Because just as Rodriguez knows he can't hope to match Tarantino's              scriptwriting panache, Tarantino knows Rodriguez has him beat hands             down on visual oomph. So his capper -- The Man From Hollywood,                  shamelessly showcasing himself as the world's most obnoxious Hot Young          Star With Entourage -- is a typically dialogue-and cultural-reference-          heavy freakout, culminating in a date between Ted, an entourage                 member's pinkie and a very sharp chopper...                                                                                                                     So be warned: if you buy a ticket for Four Rooms expecting Pulp                 Fiction part two, you will be disappointed. At its best, it's an                amusing mishmash, a cinematic love letter kept strictly between                 friends. But I've been offered a whole lot worse over the years -- as           have you.                                                                                                                                                       And with this missive, at least, the participants are all talented              enough to bear an audience reading over their collective shoulder.                                                                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@REVIEW: EYE FOR AN EYE                                                                                                                                                                     EYE FOR AN EYE                                                       A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 3.5                                                           Alternative Scale: *1/2 out of ****                                                                                                                             United States, 1996                                                             U.S. Release Date: 1/12/96 (wide)                                               Running Length: 1:41                                                            MPAA Classification: R (Violence, profanity, mature themes)                     Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Sally Field, Kiefer Sutherland, Ed Harris, Beverly D'Angelo,                    Joe Mantegna, Alexandra Kyle, Charlayne Woodard                           Director: John Schlesinger                                                      Producers: Michael I. Levy                                                      Screenplay: Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa based on the novel by                        Erika Holzer                                                              Cinematography: Amir M. Mokri                                                   Music: James Newton Howard                                                      U.S. Distributor: Paramount Pictures                                                                                                                                 EYE FOR AN EYE, the latest from director John Schlesinger (MIDNIGHT        COWBOY, SUNDAY, BLOODY SUNDAY), opens with a promising, if disturbing,          premise:  a woman stuck in traffic hears the rape and murder of her             teenage daughter over a cellular phone.  This is the kind of incident           that can cause a complete psychological collapse, but the script isn't          interested in real drama.  And, when the killer gets off on a contrived         technicality, EYE FOR AN EYE doesn't ask many tough moral questions, and        those few it does pose, it has no intention of really addressing.  This         is a misfired attempt to create a new THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE-           type thriller, not an examination of psychological and emotional trauma.        The result is as fundamentally distasteful as last year's THE TIE THAT          BINDS.                                                                                                                                                               The McCanns are a happy, middle-class American family:  parents            Karen (Sally Field) and Mack (Ed Harris), 15-year old daughter Julie            (Olivia Burnette), and little girl Megan (Alexandra Kyle).  One morning,        everything is perfect, but by nightfall, it has turned to a nightmare.          A psycho-sicko deliveryman named Doob (Kiefer Sutherland) rapes and             murders Julie while her mother listens helplessly on a car phone.  After        being arrested, the killer is let go because of an improper procedure on        the part of the DA.  Doob promptly begins stalking another woman and            making threatening advances towards Megan.  Karen, convinced that               justice is impotent, takes measures of her own, including obtaining a           gun and learning how to use it.  Then, with the aid of two vigilantes,          she plans her retribution, Old Testament style.                                                                                                                      A solid cast doesn't always equate to a good movie, as EYE FOR AN          EYE demonstrates.  Sally Field, Ed Harris, Kiefer Sutherland, and Ed            Harris are all accomplished actors, but their performances here are             adequate at best.  (And who can blame them, given the low quality of the        material?)  Sutherland is especially shortchanged by his character, a           lunatic nasty with no redeemable or human qualities whose sole purpose          is to be hated by the audience.  For EYE TO AN EYE to work on its own           least-common-denominator terms, this is necessary.                                                                                                                   The longer the film runs, the more preposterous the story becomes,         abandoning any sort of semblance of reality in favor of the ultimate            revenge scenario.  EYE FOR AN EYE forces its way towards an inevitable          conclusion.  It's not believable, but it is predictable, and that's             exactly what a thoroughly manipulated audience will want at that point.         Does it take much savvy to guess which character is going to get their          just desserts in the movie's final reel?                                                                                                                             EYE FOR AN EYE is one of three pictures currently in theaters about        parents coping with the deaths of children.  Both of the others, THE            CROSSING GUARD and DEAD MEN WALKING, are vastly superior, and the               latter, a thoughtful examination of some of the same issues that drive          this film, makes EYE FOR AN EYE look like puerile rubbish.  Despite             paying lip service to high ideals, Schlesinger's movie has no moral             compass, and is only interested in delivering cheap thrills.  And, while        there's a place for that in movies, appropriating this particular               storyline for such a base intention feels uncomfortably like a                  defilement.                                                                                                                                                     James Berardinelli                                                                                                                                              @START@REVIEW: ANTONIA'S LINE                                                                                                                                                                      ANTONIA'S LINE                                                      A film review by James Berardinelli                                              Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli                                                                                                       RATING (0 TO 10): 8.5                                                           Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****                                                                                                                           Netherlands/Belgium/UK, 1995                                                    U.S. Release Date: undetermined                                                 Running Length: 1:42                                                            MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Nudity, sex, profanity,                          mature themes, violence)                                                  Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1                                                                                                                                 Cast: Willeke Van Ammelrooy, Jan Decleir, Els Dottermans,                             Thyrza Ravesteijn, Dora Van Der Groen, Marina De Graaf                    Director: Marleen Gorris                                                        Producers: Hans De Weers, Antonino Lombardo, Judy Counihan                      Screenplay: Marleen Gorris                                                      Cinematography: Willy Stassen                                                   Music: Ilona Seckaz                                                             U.S. Distributor: First Look Pictures                                           In Dutch with subtitles                                                                                                                                              ANTONIA'S LINE, director Marleen Gorris' fourth feature film, won          the Most Popular Film Award at 1995's Toronto Film Festival, and it's           not hard to understand why.  This small Dutch film is a heady, life-            affirming mixture of drama, comedy, romance, tragedy, philosophy, and           art.  In an era when the concept of "the family" is being eroded, Gorris        underlines the importance of community.  And, by confronting death from         the atheist's point-of-view, she shows that even though we all have only        "one dance to dance", death is in one sense a new beginning, as the             grave transforms corpses into fresh nutrients for the soil.                                                                                                          Opening shortly after the end of World War II and continuing for           over forty years, ANTONIA'S LINE introduces us to four generations of           women -- Antonia (Willeke Van Ammelrooy), her daughter Danielle (Jan            Decleir), her granddaughter Therese (Els Dottermans), and her great-            granddaughter Sarah (Thyrza Ravesteijn).  The film begins in the post-          war Netherlands with Antonia returning to the village of her birth.  In         her company is her young daughter, whose initial impression of the town         is that it's an unpromising place.  Antonia, who left twenty years ago,         has come back to bury her mother and take over running her inherited            farm.                                                                                                                                                                The movie progresses by highlighting various episodes in the lives         of the characters.  Aside from Antonia's family, we're introduced to            many of the town's other residents:  Farmer Bas, who carries a torch for        Antonia; Crooked Finger, a student of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche;               retarded Deedee, who is raped by her own brother; Mad Madonna, who bays         at the full moon; a man known only as "the Protestant", who desperately         loves his howling neighbor; and many others.  Together, these misfits           and outcasts form Antonia's tight-knit community -- those friends and           neighbors who are always ready to support one of their own, regardless          of the circumstances.                                                                                                                                                Gorris imbues each of her characters with a sense of uniqueness,           and we come to care about them, whether they're around for the entire           film or just a small portion of it.  The story flows smoothly from event        to event, balancing such disparate elements as madcap humor (Danielle's         vision of her grandmother rising from a coffin and breaking into a              chorus of "My Blue Heaven") and shocking violence (two rapes).  The only        obvious flaw in the structure of ANTONIA'S LINE is its over-reliance            upon a voiceover narrative; there are times when the plot is too easily         advanced by telling instead of showing.                                                                                                                              ANTONIA'S LINE is a thematically rich motion picture, with a visual        style similar to that of Dennis Potter's work (PENNIES FROM HEAVEN, THE         SINGING DETECTIVE).  In addition to the evident message about the               importance of community, the film challenges different philosophies             about death, from those of Schopenhauer to those of the Catholic church.        It condemns the hypocrisies of organized religion while endorsing the           concept of "church" as a gathering place.  It celebrates painting, math,        music, and all forms of creative expression.  And it gently advances the        director's feminist agenda, illustrating that women can thrive (not just        survive) without men.  Antonia doesn't want a husband and Danielle's            lover is a lesbian.                                                                                                                                                  The final lines of ANTONIA'S LINE are:  "And, as this long                 chronicle draws to a conclusion, nothing has ended."  Such is often the         case for life stories brought to the screen with heartfelt realism.             Aided by a fine cast giving unaffected performances, Gorris has                 fashioned a rare and wonderful world capable of provoking both laughter         and tears -- sometimes at the same time.                                                                                                                        James Berardinelli                                                                                                                                              @START@ON SCREEN: Dusk Till Dawn                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 18 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                      DUSK TILL DAWN                                                                                                                      Starring George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino and Harvey Keitel.                   Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino. Directed by Robert Rodriguez.  Opens           Jan. 19.                                                                                                                                                                                   (eeee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                       by                                                                         GEMMA FILES                                                                                                                        I ask you -- could a movie get much cooler?                                                                                                                     It's late afternoon, way out in the middle of nowhere (Texas branch),           and the Gecko brothers are getting into their usual brand of trouble.           Heavily tattooed career thief Seth (George Clooney) is trying to keep           the body count to a minimum while simultaneously finagling passage              across the Mexican border for himself, his little brother Richie                (Quentin Tarantino), and the money they recently boosted from a                 Wichita bank.                                                                                                                                                   Unfortunately, bespectacled Richie happens to be a psycho geek who              routinely hallucinates reasons to kill everyone that cross their path,          a personal tic with which Seth is rapidly running out of patience.                                                                                              Enter former preacher Jacob Fuller (Harvey Keitel), whose motorhome             Seth craves as perfect camouflage -- and his kids, including a nubile           daughter (Juliette Lewis), whom Richie soon just craves. A pep-talk at          gunpoint from Seth and several hours of hard driving later, the Geckos          and company have reached their destination: the Titty Twister, the              grossest biker/trucker topless bar this side of Mississippi. There,             they'll drink, watch the show, and wait for their friend Carlos to              arrive, after which they'll let the Fullers go.                                                                                                                 Only one problem: the Twister is staffed by vampires! And both                  families are on their menu!                                                                                                                                     Already evident from the palpable ease and enjoyment of their Four              Rooms collaboration, the creative love affair between Desperado                 crazyman Robert Rodriguez and Tarantino reaches full, bloody bloom              with Dusk Till Dawn. Words and vision collide, releasing an                     action/horror apocalypse -- a slippery cinematic escalator headed               straight to hell, standing room only, chased equally with big dollops           of necrosex and a sense of humor blacker than midnight down a coal              mine.                                                                                                                                                           Performance-wise, Clooney, Lewis and Keitel simply rule. And Tarantino          hits all the right notes with his whiny, foot-fixated, frighteningly            unpredictable Richie. (Instead of blaming him for not wanting to give           up acting, critics might try noticing how well he knows -- and writes           around -- his own limitations.)                                                                                                                                 So climb aboard, all you fellow honorary bad motherfuckers, because if          (like me) you spent Christmas waiting for something to rock your New            Year, then make no mistake: From Dusk Till Dawn is the one for you.                                                                                                                                                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: Eye For An Eye                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 18 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                      EYE FOR AN EYE                                                                                                                      Starring Sally Field and Kiefer Sutherland. Screenplay by Amanda                Silver and Rick Jaffa. Directed by John Schlesinger. (AA)                                                                                                                                   (e of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                         by                                                                       PAMELA CUTHBERT                                                                                                                      What do you do when justice fails? That's the query in the new John             Schlesinger film, Eye For An Eye. It's not a simple question, but               answered in the condescending, vacuous tone of the movie, the response          is unquestionably: "You take the matter into your own hands."                                                                                                   The premise is straight out of a vigilante movie, but the familiar car          chases, empty warehouses and moustachioed machos are nowhere to be              seen.                                                                                                                                                           Here, our story is set in a Los Angeles stately home, complete with             flowered wallpaper, a wholesome mom and dad, and two lovely girls -- a          veritable emblem of upstanding America.                                                                                                                         Playing on the often tried (and rarely respectfully treated) premise            that there's no safe haven, we are invited to Megan's sixth birthday            party. But instead of cake and pin the tail on the donkey, we are               witness to the brutal rape and murder of her elder sister.                                                                                                      The killer is found, let go on a technicality, and mommy dearest sets           out to right the wrong. To say much more is to give away the thin plot          that fills the rest of this right-wing diatribe. But who wants to see           this TV-trash anyway? It's got bad karma.                                                                                                                       Sally Field is mom (in a role written for Michael Douglas) and she              becomes hard to look at as we suffer through an excess of excruciating          close-ups of her haggard, stoic visage. Kiefer Sutherland, as the               killer, is a silly cliche (he scoffs at the whimper of a stray dog he           showers in hot coffee).                                                                                                                                         To add insult to injury, a divide between Mom and Dad (an unconvincing          Ed Harris who doesn't know how to handle his bloodthirsty spouse) is            bridged by a morally abhorrent move she makes in the end.                                                                                                       Schlesinger has had his stylish moments, especially when the                    portraying street life of grimy slums, but there is little that is              reminiscent of the director who made Midnight Cowboy and Marathon Man.          In the end, I was astonished he would retreat into this unredeemable            tale that supports the NRA. Hats off to Gingrich and woe to the rest            of us.                                                                                                                                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON SCREEN: Mr. Holland's Opus                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 18 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON SCREEN                                                    ON SCREEN                                                                                                                    MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS                                                                                                                    Starring Richard Dreyfuss and Glenne Headly. Screenplay by Patrick              Sheane Duncan. Directed by Stephen Herek.  Opens Jan. 19.                                                                                                                                   (ee of 5 eyes)                                                                                                                                                        by                                                                       Carolyn Bennett                                                                                                                      The crowd applauded at the end of the film. A few people wiped away             tears. By all accounts, Mr Holland's Opus succeeded in entertaining             the sneak preview audience. A story about a man's 30-year journey from          selfish whiner to benevolent elder should gently warm the cockles of            one's heart. All I ask of a feel-good/do-good movie is that it doesn't          warm the cockles of one's heart with a blowtorch. Mr. Holland's Opus            has all the subtlety of knee to the groin, and it's a toss-up as to             which is more painful.                                                                                                                                          Richard Dreyfuss is Glenn Holland, a musician who takes a gig teaching          high school so he can settle down and concentrate on composing. The             class of 1965 is an assortment of dunderheads who can't tell an                 inversion from an invention. As much as he'd like to quit, Mr. H. must          continue teaching because his wife is with child. This first taste of           adult responsibility sets the plot in motion, taking Mr. H. from his            salad days as a unconventional instructor who'll teach his students             music "anyway he can" (introducing the rock 'n' roll to the                     classroom), through melancholic middle age and family troubles                  (there's a new girl on the block who can really sing Gershwin), to a            forced early retirement in mean old 1995 because of budget cuts.                There's a lot going on here and it will all push buttons you didn't             even know you had.                                                                                                                                              The problem with Mr. Holland's Opus is its scope. Instead of                    concentrating on one or two themes (e.g. delving into the transforming          power of music, or exploring the current intellectual climate), the             movie glosses over three decades of societal change and politics (will          people ever tire of seeing old news footage?). For the embodiment of            everything decent, fair and liberal, Mr. Holland is, on close                   examination, one ordinary hack. Everybody makes sacrifices -- it's              just that Mr. Holland's can be set to music. Still, most people will            recognize themselves in Mr. H. and for a majority, that is enough.              Yawn.                                                                                                                                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          collected reviews -----------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Movies          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@*** INTERNET MOVIES TOP 100 * ISSUE 001 ***                              This list of most popular movies in the world is sent to:                                                                                                        * all people who have voted for the chart, and those who asked for info         * several people responsible for the more important WWW sites in this world     * people on the Games Charts and Movies Charts mailing list (just for once)     * a few other people who might be interested in these global charts                                                                                            It's rolling! The votes have been added up, the compilation algorithms shook    like a mighty earthquake, producing a sparkling electronic newborn baby,        newsgroups are being flooded and WWW sites are being raided, because...         The new global Internet Movies Top 100 is taking off!                                                                                                           This is the first edition of the Internet Movies Charts. Next editions will     follow every Monday. If you send your vote for the Internet Movies Charts, you  will receive the next edition automatically. Your votes will be used for five   weeks in a row, but their weight decrease every week. The more often you        vote, the more your influence on these charts will be. You can read all there   is to know at our WWW site http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo, where you can read       about voting formats and rules, compilation algorithms and other info.                                                                                          All votes for movies are appreciated, but be aware that these Movies Charts     only carry the *current* most popular movies. Try to vote for movies you find   in the chart, or other new movies you have seen recently. Try *not* to          focus on old movies if they are not in the current chart, because chances for   old movies to enter the list are minimal. If you don't want to see your votes   wasted, you're encouraged to vote for current and new movies only. (Don't       think that we want to limit your freedom in voting! You have every right to     vote for an old movie if you want to. It's just that such a vote won't make     any difference, like your visit to an old movie won't make any difference       for the box office lists. We just hope you like to use your votes in the most   effective way, which means to vote where it actually makes a difference!)                                                                                       Now, have your first look at the new chart, and read more about it afterwards:                                                                                     This file only includes the latest Movies Chart, but we have much more.        Go to http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo if you want to see other charts and info.    ==============================================================================  |         * * *  I N T E R N E T   M O V I E S   C H A R T S  * * *          |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | (c) 1996 World Charts                   Issue 1 - Week 1 - January 1, 1996 |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | This week the votes from   65 people have been used to compile this chart. |  | Send your votes to [e-mail] and you'll get the next chart     |  | sent to you personally. Ask for the document that tells how to vote. Just  |  | send a message with subject line 'send doc' and you'll know all about it.  |  | The format for every line with a vote is:  points title [ ID ]             |  | YOU MUST INCLUDE THE ID NUMBER, and between brackets! It is NOT optional.  |  | Use [] or [0000] as the ID number for albums not yet listed in the chart.  |  | You can allocate a maximum of 20 points, BUT NOT MORE THAN 5 FOR ONE GAME. |  | An example can be found at the bottom of this list. LOOK AT IT FIRST!      |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | All your votes and comments should be sent to [e-mail].       |  | If you use any other address, then your message will not be received.      |  ==============================================================================                                                                                   The following Top 100 contains the best movies and videos in the world.         Vote for a movie in this chart if you think other people should see it too.    ==============================================================================   Internet Movies Top 100                 Edition 1 - Week 1 - January 1, 1996   ==============================================================================   TW  LW  NW Title Category                           Label/Publisher HI   ID    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------    1   -   1 Apollo 13 DR/RO                        Imagine/Universal  1 [1001]    2   -   1 Toy Story AN                                Pixar/Disney  2 [1013]    3   -   1 GoldenEye AC/AD                   Eon/MGM/United Artists  3 [1011]    4   -   1 Se7en TH                                        New Line  4 [1006]    5   -   1 Braveheart AC/AD        Icon/Ladd/20th Century/Paramount  5 [1002]    6   -   1 Crimson Tide TH                                Hollywood  6 [1008]    7   -   1 Batman Forever AC/AD                              Warner  7 [1005]    8   -   1 While You Were Sleeping CO/RO          Caravan/Hollywood  8 [1004]    9   -   1 The Net TH                              Winkler/Columbia  9 [1010]   10   -   1 Get Shorty CO/DR               Jersey/MGM/United Artists 10 [1016]   11   -   1 Smoke/Brooklyn Boogie DR                   Smoke/Miramax 11 [1018]   12   -   1 Casper AD/FA                            Amblin/Universal 12 [1024]   13   -   1 Die Hard: With a Vengeance AC/TH    Cinergi/20th Century 13 [1007]   14   -   1 Outbreak DR/TH                              Punch/Warner 14 [1012]   15   -   1 First Knight AC/DR                 First Knight/Columbia 15 [1031]   16   -   1 The Usual Suspects AC/TH   Gramercy/Blue Parrot/PolyGram 16 [1003]   17   -   1 Waterworld AC/AD                               Universal 17 [1009]   18   -   1 The Bridges of Madison County DR/ROAmblin/Malpaso/Warner 18 [1023]   19   -   1 Forrest Gump CO/RO                             Paramount 19 [1101]   20   -   1 Congo AC/AD                   Kennedy/Marshall/Paramount 20 [1026]   21   -   1 Under Siege 2: Dark Territory AC                  Warner 21 [1037]   22   -   1 Desperado/El Mariachi 2 AC                      Columbia 22 [1019]   23   -   1 The Cure DR                             Island/Universal 23 [1080]   24   -   1 Carrington DR/RO                 Freeway/Shedlo/Gramercy 24 [1064]   25   -   1 Rob Roy DR/RO                Talisman/MGM/United Artists 25 [1015]   26   -   1 Clueless CO                                    Paramount 26 [1021]   27   -   1 Pulp Fiction DR                                  Miramax 27 [1102]   28   -   1 Showgirls DR                    Vegas/MGM/United Artists 28 [1044]   29   -   1 La Cite des Enfants Perdus AD        Lumiere/Sony/Canal+ 29 [1045]   30   -   1 To Wong Foo, Julie Newmar CO                   Universal 30 [1062]   31   -   1 The Basketball Diaries DR                Island/New Line 31 [1067]   32   -   1 Now and Then/Gaslight Addiction DR       Moving/New Line 32 [1083]   33   -   1 Schlafes Bruder/Brother of Sleep DR   Dor/Iduna/Perathon 33 [1086]   34   -   1 La Haine/Hate DR                            Kasso/Canal+ 34 [1096]   35   -   1 Speed AC/TH                                 20th Century 35 [1103]   36   -   1 Interview with the Vampire HO/DR                  Geffen 36 [1104]   37   -   1 Nixon DR                                     Buena Vista 37 [1105]   38   -   1 Le Bonheur Est Dans le Pre                               38 [1106]   39   -   1 Gazon Maudit CO                                     Renn 39 [1107]   40   -   1 Natural Born Killers AC                           Warner 40 [1108]   41   -   1 Mortal Kombat AC                                New Line 41 [1022]   42   -   1 Johnny Mnemonic TH/SF        Alliance/Cinevision/TriStar 42 [1028]   43   -   1 Pocahontas AN/RO                                  Disney 43 [1030]   44   -   1 The American President CO/RO        Castle Rock/Columbia 44 [1040]   45   -   1 Casino DR                                      Universal 45 [1055]   46   -   1 Assassins AC                        Donner/Silver/Warner 46 [1057]   47   -   1 Mallrats CO                   Unstable Molecule/Gramercy 47 [1079]   48   -   1 In the Mouth of Madness HO/TH                   New Line 48 [1034]   49   -   1 Strange Days AC                  Lightstorm/20th Century 49 [1035]   50   -   1 To Die For CO                                   Columbia 50 [1036]   51   -   1 Lord Of Illusions HO/TH          Seraphim/United Artists 51 [1098]   52   -   1 Heat AC                                           Warner 52 [1109]   53   -   1 Species HO/SF                         MGM/United Artists 53 [1017]   54   -   1 A Little Princess DR                       Baltimore/Fox 54 [1085]   55   -   1 Don Juan DeMarco CO/RO        American Zoetrope/New Line 55 [1020]   56   -   1 Just Cause TH                     Fountain Bridge/Warner 56 [1049]   57   -   1 Copycat TH                            New Regency/Warner 57 [1052]   58   -   1 Before Sunrise CO/RO                  Detour/Castle Rock 58 [1014]   59   -   1 Bad Boys AC                                     Columbia 59 [1025]   60   -   1 French Kiss/Paris Match CO/RO Working Title/20th Century 60 [1027]   61   -   1 Tank Girl AC/SF               Trilogy/MGM/United Artists 61 [1029]   62   -   1 Judge Dredd AC/SF                    Cinergi/Buena Vista 62 [1032]   63   -   1 Forget Paris CO/RO             Face/Castle Rock/Columbia 63 [1033]   64   -   1 A Walk in the Clouds                 Zucker/20th Century 64 [1038]   65   -   1 Babe: The Gallant Pig CO        Kennedy Miller/Universal 65 [1039]   66   -   1 Boys on the Side CO/DR         Alcor/Hera/Canal+/Regency 66 [1041]   67   -   1 Nine Months CO                              20th Century 67 [1042]   68   -   1 The Quick and the Dead AC                        TriStar 68 [1043]   69   -   1 Powder DR/FA                           Caravan/Hollywood 69 [1046]   70   -   1 Murder in the First DR                            Canal+ 70 [1047]   71   -   1 Dangerous Minds DR                    Via Rosa/Hollywood 71 [1048]   72   -   1 Kiss of Death DR/TH                         20th Century 72 [1050]   73   -   1 Kids DR                                        Excalibur 73 [1051]   74   -   1 The Brady Bunch Movie CO                       Paramount 74 [1053]   75   -   1 Highlander 3: The Sorcerer AC/FA   Falling Cloud/Miramax 75 [1054]   76   -   1 Englishman Who Went Up a Hill CO/RO     Parallax/Miramax 76 [1056]   77   -   1 Funny Bones CO                                 Hollywood 77 [1058]   78   -   1 Hackers TH                            MGM/United Artists 78 [1059]   79   -   1 Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls CO    Morgan Creek/Warner 79 [1060]   80   -   1 Jeffrey DR                                         Orion 80 [1061]   81   -   1 Beyond Rangoon DR  Pleskow/Spikings/Castle Rock/Columbia 81 [1063]   82   -   1 The Brothers McMullen CBrothers McMullen/Fox Searchlight 82 [1065]   83   -   1 Clockers DR                40 Acres and a Mule/Universal 83 [1066]   84   -   1 Devil in a Blue Dress DR              Mundy Lane/TriStar 84 [1068]   85   -   1 When Night is Falling RO                         Crucial 85 [1069]   86   -   1 Living in Oblivion CO                      JDI/Lemon Sky 86 [1070]   87   -   1 How to Make an American Quilt DR/RO            Universal 87 [1071]   88   -   1 The Prophecy/God's Army AC/FA           Overseas/Miramax 88 [1072]   89   -   1 Something to Talk About CO/RO                     Warner 89 [1073]   90   -   1 Home for the Holidays CO/RO       Egg/PolyGram/Paramount 90 [1074]   91   -   1 Tierra y Libertad/Land and Freedom DParallax/Road Movies 91 [1075]   92   -   1 Virtuosity TH/SF                               Paramount 92 [1076]   93   -   1 Billy Madison CO                               Universal 93 [1077]   94   -   1 Power Rangers: The Movie AC/FA        Saban/20th Century 94 [1078]   95   -   1 Incredibly True Adventure: Two Girls in Love ADFine Line 95 [1081]   96   -   1 Miami Rhapsody CO                   Cantaloupe/Hollywood 96 [1082]   97   -   1 Unstrung Heroes CO/DR          Ruth and Arnold/Hollywood 97 [1084]   98   -   1 My Family/Mi Familia American Zoetrope/Majestic/New Line 98 [1087]   99   -   1 Tales From the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight HO Universal 99 [1088]  100   -   1 Mute Witness HO/TH                           Cobblestone100 [1089]                                                                                   The following movies have not yet received enough points to enter the chart:   ==============================================================================    Runners Up for Internet Movies Top 100 Edition 1 - Week 1 - January 1, 1996   ==============================================================================   TW  LW  NW Title Category                              Label/Publisher   ID    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Tip  1   1 Waiting to Exhale                              20th Century [1110]   Tip  2   1 Jumanji                                             TriStar [1111]   Tip  3   1 Grumpier Old Men                                     Warner [1112]   Tip  4   1 Father of the Bride 2                            Touchstone [1113]   Tip  5   1 Sabrina                                           Paramount [1114]   Tip  6   1 Sudden Death                                      Universal [1115]   Tip  7   1 Tom and Huck                                         Disney [1116]   Tip  8   1 Dracula: Dead & Loving It                          Columbia [1117]   Tip  9   1 Cutthroat Island                                        MGM [1118]   Tip 10   1 Balto                                             Universal [1119]   Tip 11   1 Sense and Sensibility                              Columbia [1120]   Tip 12   1 Money Train                                        Columbia [1121]   Tip 13   1 Four Rooms                                          Miramax [1122]   Tip 14   1 White Man's Burden                                          [1123]                                                                                  Of course, such a first edition of a new chart can be a quite dull thing to     look at. Things will get more exciting in the next weeks:                                                                                                       - Next week the movies will start moving, where it's *your* votes that            determine which movies go up and go down. And your votes for new movies will    cause new entries to appear.                                                  - Our WWW site will carry the graphical version of the chart, with lots of        links from movies to more info about the them. So, you have never heard         of some of the movies in the list? Just click on the titles, and you'll be      transported to other WWW pages, telling you all you need to know.             - You will see bullets for the fastest climbing movies, you will see stars        for the movies with the largest points increase, you will see Runners Up,       that almost made it in the chart, but just didn't.                            - Did you know this? If you include the URL of your own home page somewhere       in your votes message, then our popular WWW site will automatically link to     your homepage!                                                                - At our site you will find letters from readers, past issues of all charts,      links to important other sites, editorial comments, etc.                                                                                                      So, what are you waiting for? Make a link to http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo. And    don't forget to vote (again), because the chart cannot live without our votes.  The list has to be fed, has to be nurtured and cared for. And you can help us   with that.                                                                                                                                                      ==============================================================================  | TW : This Week          | The Internet Movies Charts are compiled using    |  | LW : Last Week          | votes sent by gamers from all over the world.    |  | NW : Number of Weeks    | The latest charts are published every Monday on  |  | HI : Highest Position   | Usenet in rec.arts.movies.lists+surveys.         |  |  ^ : Climbing           |--------------------------------------------------|  |  * : Bullet             | If you send your votes, do it like this:         |  | AC : Action             | > 5  The Trousers [1034]                         |  | AD : Adventure          | > 4  Eighty-Four []                              |  | AN : Animation          | > 4  Revenge of the Net [1087]                   |  | CO : Comedy             | > 3  Adelaine [1049]                             |  | DR : Drama              | > 4  Hot-spots! []                               |  | FA : Fantasy            |--------------------------------------------------|  | HO : Horror             | (c) 1996 all rights reserved |      World Charts |  | RO : Romance            | Distribution of these charts | Balderikstraat 16 |  | SF : Science Fiction    | is granted only by written   | 3032 HC Rotterdam |  | TH : Thriller           | permission.                  |   The Netherlands |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  |              By email: [e-mail]    [e-mail]              |  |              On the WorldWideWeb:  http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo              |  |                   Supported by XS4ALL Internet Provider                    |  ==============================================================================  @START@ON DISC: Travis Tritt                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                            December 21 1995          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON DISC                                                        ON DISC                                                                                                                       TRAVIS TRITT                                                          Greatest Hits From The Beginning                                                             Warner                                                                                                                                                            by                                                                          CHUCK EDDY                                                                                                                        My favorite Travis Tritt video is "Anymore," where he leaves the                hospital where he used to be a wheelchair-basketballing Jon-Voight-in-          Coming-Home Vietnam vet (he got his appendages blown off à la                   Metallica's "One") and he and his pregnant wife go for a long walk on           a short, slippery pier and she falls off and conks her head on a rock           and dies, but gives birth to a beautiful baby anyway, thus making               Travis a single dad with a lucrative life-insurance income until he             marries his gay black best friend from the veteran's hospital.                                                                                                  OK, maybe the weird camera angles confused me and I got a few                   specifics wrong. I'm pretty sure the song was "Tell Me I Was Dreaming"          which sounds almost the same as "Anymore" and "Foolish Pride" (i.e.,            dirgy), but it's still the best cut on Travis' Greatest Hits since it           comes closest to capturing Lynyrd Skynyrd's wind-tunnel guitar ache             from "Tuesday's Gone."                                                                                                                                          Travis has actually had a couple of Country Music Television hits that          might be equally as good, but for some reason are left off his best-of          -- namely, his stuttering talking blues "Bible Belt" (from My Cousin            Vinny) and his Jimmie-Rodgers-wannabe Great Depression tribute "Lord            Have Mercy On The Working Man." At least half of Greatest Hits' tracks          I've never even heard on CMT; the nearest thing to a surprise is                probably "I'm Gonna Be Somebody," which starts out like "Shooting               Star" by Bad Company.                                                                                                                                           Travis' cover of the Platters' "Only You" isn't as moving as Garth              Brooks' cover of the Fleetwoods' "Mr. Blue," but for the most part              Tritt's better off crying in his beer than trying to act drunk --               "Here's A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)" takes a wittily mean-               spirited dump on some chick who dumped him, but "The Whiskey Ain't              Workin' " merely proves that Travis' frequent duet partner, glam-billy          phoney Marty Stuart, has one of the blandest voices in country, and             "Put Some Drive In Your Country" and "Country Club" are just your               usual kiss-up-to-Waylon-and-Duane-Allman-and-people-who-drink-from-             paper-cups-and-drive-pickups.                                                                                                                                   "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" and "Ten Feet Tall And Bulletproof" boogie a bit                harder, I suppose, but Travis never once convinces me he's a true               death-row rowdy on the order of, say, David Allen Coe -- sensitive              love-mushers like "Can I Trust You With My Heart" and "Drift Off To             Dream" seem bigger clues to his unfashionably hatless grooming habits.          To quote the Barbarians: Hey Travis, are you a boy or are you a girl?           With your long brown hair, you look like a girl.                                                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          music archives at ------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Music          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON DISC: The Songs Of XTC                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                              January 4 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON DISC                                                        ON DISC                                                                                                                     VARIOUS ARTISTS                                                      A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs Of XTC                                                   Thirsty Ear/Outside                                                                                                                                                      by                                                                         EMILY SMITH                                                                                                                        XTC were geniuses of memorable, literate songs, infectious melody and           dazzling pop. A Testimonial Dinner: The Songs Of XTC is concrete                evidence that their finely crafted songs are easy to destroy.                                                                                                   The few bearable moments feature artists who surely must have                   registered some alarm upon learning what an otherwise talentless                monument of dung this album was to be. "Statue Of Liberty" is done              Man-style by Joe Jackson; Ruben Blades belts out a strong, salsa                rendition of "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul"; and They Might Be            Giants fittingly cover the weirded-out, clever Dukes Of Stratosphear            song "25 O'Clock."                                                                                                                                              Freedy Johnston is incapable of carrying off the glorious refinement            of "Earn Enough For Us" with his plain, wimpy voice. All sense of               intricate mystery is lost in the straightforward musical arrangement.           Imagine Billy Joel singing "Uptown Girl" while being smothered with a           pillow. On the other hand, in eagerly making up for a lack of vocal             range, The Rembrandts render "Making Plans For Nigel" a little too              meaty, beaty, big and bouncy. Stick to TV show theme songs, kids.                                                                                               Spacehog don't even try to compensate for their failings. They display          no reverence for the gem "Senses Working Overtime." By slyly placing            grotesque inflections and funking chord emphases in unanticipated               places, they demolish the ornate styling.                                                                                                                       But by far the biggest debacle is The Crash Test Dimwits' dragging,             punishing version of "All You Pretty Girls." You'd never know it's              actually a catchy tune. Someone should have sent them over a cliff in           a recalled minivan after they crucified the Replacements'                       "Androgynous." But no. They were allowed to go on to wreck another XTC          song previously this year. And now this.                                                                                                                        This is The Last Supper for XTC. Their epitaph shall read: Hooray for           Peter Pumpkinhead.                                                                                                                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          music archives at ------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Music          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON DISC: Pulp's pyjamarama                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                              January 4 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON DISC                                                        ON DISC                                                                                                                           PULP                                                                      Different Class                                                               Island/A&M/PolyGram                                                                                                                                                      by                                                                        JASON ANDERSON                                                                                                                      Now that the modern rock hordes have agreed that the best image is no           image at all, it's no wonder I feel starved for a bit of pizzazz. Ill-          fitting clothing in garish colors, a few hand gestures, a good light            show -- that sort of thing.                                                                                                                                     I thank the gods of style that Sheffield's Pulp are moving overground           with their fifth album, Different Class. Of their Britpop                       contemporaries, they are the most unique, with an identity chiefly              provided by the circus-geek-slash-swinger charisma of singer Jarvis             Cocker. The man's a rock star in the wrong body.                                                                                                                Speaking historically, Pulp most resemble Roxy Music circa Manifesto -          - i.e., Eurodisco subjected to a cruel Anglo art-rock mangling. Cocker          is as mannered a vocalist as Bryan Ferry, and while Pulp lack a player          as distinctive as guitarist Phil Manzanera or saxophonist Andy MacKay           (Russell Senior's violin was much more prominent on Pulp's last                 record, His 'N' Hers), they have the essential degree of panache and,           on Different Class, the help of Chris Thomas, who produced Roxy's               masterpiece, For Your Pleasure.                                                                                                                                 But way too much of today's English pop is fourth-generation Xeroxing           of better music whose only drawback is that it's not new any more.              Pulp's originality lies in Cocker's ability to depict the sordid                peculiarities of the sexual behavior of average people. Average as in           middling, mediocre... except for those times of high drama that come            to define a life, however dour that life may really be.                                                                                                         So we're back to moments again, and Cocker's have gained clarity and a          keener desperation. The song that broke them into the mainstream in             the U.K. (and may yet score as a novelty hit in these parts) was                "Common People," in which Cocker gives a woman of another class a tour          of the world of the barely privileged poor. A masterstroke for its              pacing alone, "Common People" functions as superlative rock and pop --          Pulp's shining moment. Two or three songs return to staple Pulp                 scenarios, but the rest of Different Class shows them on the top of             their game as perverse confectioners. The ingenious "Disco 2000" (riff          cribbed inexplicably from either Laura Branigan's "Gloria" or ABBA's            "Does Your Mother Know") paints Cocker as a man cheated out of his              rightful mate and his rightful life, and his ploy as a too-late                 lothario is touchingly pathetic ("What are you doing Sunday, baby?              Would you like to come and meet me maybe? You can even bring your               baby"). "Sorted Out For E's & Wizz" is a bittersweet tribute to dance           culture from the perspective of the real audience -- aimless kids out           for the kicks of soft drugs and mild rebellion. Elsewhere, Cocker               writes of beds -- the ones suddenly barren as well the ones you                 shouldn't get into but do anyway.                                                                                                                               The quality that Different Class shares with captial-g Great Records            is that it fills a gap you didn't realize you felt. Absolutely                  magnificent.                                                                                                                                                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          music archives at ------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Music          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@SPINcycle -- January 4                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                              January 4 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          SPINcycle                                                    spinCYCLE                                                                                                                            by                                                                         EMILY SMITH                                                                                                                        * THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN/Hate Rock'n'Roll (American/Warner):                  Reeeeeooorrrr. Grrind. Whirrrr. Pop! Huzzah! The best JAMC release              since Darklands. After the biting disappointment of 1993's The Sound            Of Speed, I feared the Reid Brothers had become casualties of                   complacency. But the Jim'n'Willie I know 'n' lurve are baaaaack.                Beautifully poppy melodies under layers of OsterizerÖ guitar. Just the          right number of sugar cubes. But JAMC are still nasty and bitter.               Coolness.                                                                                                                                                       * TREBLE CHARGER/Self=Title (Smackin' Worm/Sonic Unyon): Honest ta              god, I just don't get it. Why do the kiddies love treble charger so?            Wimp-o-matic vocals to complement generic indie-pop. For a band so              frightfully dull, they are terribly energetic. Perhaps the first track          CD-ROM thing is pant-peeingly exciting, but I wouldn't know because             I'm not rich enough to own the necessary wares.                                                                                                                 * DOWNLOAD/Furnace (Cleopatra/Cargo): Experimental, outerspace synth-           gunk. Really cool album artwork though. Perhaps an exhibition would             have been a better idea than an album.                                                                                                                          * HEAVY VEGETABLE/Frisbie (Headhunter/Cargo): Egads! Namby-pamby                dobedobedo early-'70s Campbell'sr Soup jingle stuff. None of the                tummy-warming pleasantries of chicken noodle. Cream of rutabaga,                anyone?                                                                                                                                                         * SPOOKEY RUBEN/Modes Of Transportation Vol. 1 (TVT/MCA): Nope,                 Spookey Ruben is not a creepy kinda sandwich. But he sure does sing             lots about food -- an eerie "Welcome To The House Of Food," a slightly          mystical "The Size Of You" and the fast food combo "Wendy McDonald." A          synthesized mode of travel that's a mover and a shaker.                                                                                                         * NOFX/I Heard They Suck Live (Fat/Cargo): Liner notes explain the              reason for releasing a live album: "Those fuckers [people selling               bootleg NOFX CDs] are making shitloads of money while making us sound           shitty." The usual in-yer-face, up-yer-butt kinda attitude you'd                expect from the 'FX. They don't suck live -- they sound like Bad                Religion.                                                                                                                                                       * VARIOUS ARTISTS/Punk: The Next Generation (Barely Legal): A better            than expected compilation of of three-chord, California-style Canadian          punk. But what the frig are Ripped Emotions doing on here? Sad, but             true -- I really like their poodle-haired, overly-made-up, tight-               trousered "Opinionated Assholes." Then again, I like Hanoi Rocks.               Other notables: Ripcordz, Headcramp and 5 Knuckle Chuckle. And, of              course, fliz-rock, tink-rock skatepunks Trunk railing against being             suckered into socially acceptable behavior by their parents in "It's            Not Up To Me." Well, kiddies, I'd write more but I gotta go get me a            five-foot mohawk.                                                                                                                                               * VARIOUS ARTISTS/R.A.F.R. (Flipside): An absolutely essential                  compilation of Rock'n'Fuckin'Roll mainly from New York and L.A. The             spirit of down and dirty sleaze-rock lives! Includes exalted styling            potentates D-Generation, Mad Daddys and The Humpers. Get it. Play it.           Love it. Or else.                                                                                                                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          music archives at ------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Music          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@ON DISC: Small Karp                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 18 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          ON DISC                                                        ON DISC                                                                                                                        THE SMALLS                                                                  Waste And Tragedy                                                                     Cargo                                                                                                                                                            KARP                                                                           Suplex                                                                        K/Outside                                                                                                                                                           by                                                                         EMILY SMITH                                                                                                                        Two records, 10 reasons and a whole lotta brown Crayola demonstrate             why these bands are in league with Satan.                                                                                                                       1. Both Karp and The Smalls are engaged in noisemongeringly hefty,              thunderingly chunky, devilish enterprises. And to think dear ol' Satey          did this all on his own. How dare it be said "one is the loneliest              number." Pah! Try 666 on for size!                                                                                                                              2. If you change just one letter in each of the band's names you get            Krap and The Smells. After all, brown is the funniest color.                                                                                                    3. Brown. Ha ha ha! Both of these bands sound brown too. You know,              like, the nacho cheese dip that looks and tastes brown (Karp) or the            kind that is a deceptively inviting orange, yet tastes brown (The               Smalls).                                                                                                                                                        4. The Smalls' album cover is brown. Karp's album cover would have              been brown, if they had the artistic sensibility to realize its super-          fantastic shit-tastic hilarity value (and it would have been a whole            bagga laundry funnier than any of the lyrics on Suplex).                                                                                                        5. In the Hollywood Group Exercise "Get No Toys (When You Pay The               Money)" Karp yowleth "Don't worry mom/ Oh yeah, they're clean." Isn't           it nice of them to promote The Smalls by singing about them?                                                                                                    6. The Smalls are not One Size Fits All, but are environmentally                friendly because they reuse, reduce and recycle their angst (the usual          suspects: torment, guilt, depression, rage). If you aren't sure if              that makes them green or brown, think back to kindygarten. What                 happens when you mix yellow and blue? Green. And when you add red?              Isn't fingerpainting fun!                                                                                                                                       7. Karp are not angst-ridden, rather they view everything as a joke or          game. You know how funny it is when you leave a box of chocolates on            the radiator.                                                                                                                                                   8. Bleeeeearrgh! Rrrrrreeeee! Unrelenting dissonance! The call of               Beelzebub. (In the case -- and that would be briefcase -- of The                Smalls, add jazzy incentive and the ability to sing.)                                                                                                           9. The Smalls' "Uranusexplodes." As if the title isn't enough, it's             big and fast. And it's about revenge.                                                                                                                           10. On these two records, you are never safely out of striking                  distance from Satan's three-pronged pitchfork of evil. In Hell, some            things are just a darker shade of brown.                                                                                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          music archives at ------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Music          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@SPINcycle -- January 18                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          eye WEEKLY                                             January 18 1996          Toronto's arts newspaper                      .....free every Thursday          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          SPINcycle                                                    spinCYCLE                                                                                                                            by                                                                         ERIN HAWKINS                                                                                                                       This week: Our heroine Enya sits underneath the Pine tree Scorning              Ashley and Stompin' Tom for taking beastly delight in wacky 'baccy!             Huh?                                                                                                                                                            * NIGHTMARES ON WAX/Smokers Delight (Warp/Wax Trax/Cargo): Slick,               funky, chill-out soul for 4 a.m. listening pleasure. Sort of like a             rave-ing Sade. Indulge.                                                                                                                                         * STOMPIN' TOM/Long Gone To The Yukon (EMI): Good ol' Stompin' Tom is           the only person who can sing about hockey, panning for gold, the GST            and Mulroney's blitzkrieg with equal measures of conviction and                 whimsy. A substantial 19th album from a man we'd all wish to have for           an uncle.                                                                                                                                                       * SCORN/Gyral (Scorn/Earache/Cargo): Mick Harris' ambient/industrial            trance-inducing drum loops and eerie keyboard noodling creates a                stoned-out-of-your-mind effect without the aid of herb. Don't tell              Terence McKenna, but it's actually better.                                                                                                                      * ENYA/The Memory Of Trees (Warner): Thousands of layered voices,               storm-tossed instrumentals drowning in synthesizers, doom, gloom,               pixie dust and frolicking munchkins. Yup, Enya keeps doing the same             album over and over again, but it's always a dreamy-good album. Break           out the thumb screws and party down.                                                                                                                            * THE NECTARINE NO. 9/Saint Jack (Shake/Warner): First off, top marks           go to song titles such as "This Arsehole's Been Burned Too Many Times           Before." Yes, the strange mixture of fuzzy, sleazy garage guitar, big,          loud drums and sardonic lyrics combined with the odd tranquil                   instrumental make this Scottish pop/rock carnival ride seem like a              cross between the Stooges and Michael Brook in a Can. Go figure. But            we like it like that.                                                                                                                                           * COURTNEY PINE/Modern Day Jazz Stories (Verve/PolyGram): England's             smash sax figure of the '80s returns with fantastic '90s hip-hop-               flavored jazz disc chock-full of clever samples and the supreme vocals          of Cassandra Wilson.                                                                                                                                            * BEASTS OF PARADISE/Gathered On The Edge (City Of Tribes): Didgeridoo          master Stephen Kent and vocalist Eda Maxym have wandered down a dark            country road and come back with some lush and enchanting folk/pop               tunes.                                                                                                                                                          * ABDEL ALI SLIMANI/Mraya (Real World/Virgin/EMI): Unquestionably,              Algerian Slimani has a strong and emotive voice which, when treated             with a healthy dose of reverb, sounds even more haunting and                    spiritual. Too bad, then, that producer/bass warrior Jah Wobble lets            about one-third of the album drown in generic disco grooves.                    Fortunately, the other two-thirds feature a supreme hot-pot of exotic           percussion and strings.                                                                                                                                         * ASHLEY MACISAAC/HiÖ How Are You Today? (A&M): A stupid album title,           insipid tunes and an obnoxious "Celtic grunge" marketing strategy make          for one too many toe-curling moments. And the Kurt Cobain-in-a-kilt             look definitely has to go. Humbug!                                                                                                                              * WILD STRAWBERRIES/Heroine (Nettwerk): More polite Canadian pop from           our local Dini Petty Show-appearing husband-and-wife team. Warm 'n'             fluffy coffee-shop music that's about as inviting as a yeast                    infection.                                                                                                                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~          Retransmit freely in cyberspace        Author holds standard copyright          http://www.interlog.com/eye                     Mailing list available          music archives at ------------> http://www.interlog.com/eye/Arts/Music          [e-mail]     "...Break the Gutenberg Lock..."     416-971-8421                                                                                          @START@Albums Charts Issue 001                                                  This list of most popular albums in the world is sent to:                                                                                                        * all people who have voted for the chart, and those who asked for info         * several people responsible for the more important WWW sites in this world     * people on the Games Charts and Movies Charts mailing list (just for once)     * a few other people who might be interested in these global charts                                                                                            It's rolling! The votes have been added up, the compilation algorithms have     finished: The new global Internet Albums Top 100 is taking off!                                                                                                 This is the first edition of the Internet Albums Charts. Next editions will     follow every Monday. If you send your vote for the Internet Albums Charts, you  will receive the next edition automatically. Your votes will be used for five   weeks in a row, but their weight decrease every week. The more often you        vote, the more your influence on these charts will be. You can read all there   is to know at our WWW site http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo, where you can read       about voting formats and rules, compilation algorithms and other info.                                                                                          All votes for albums are appreciated, but be aware that these Albums Charts     only carry the *current* most popular albums. Try to vote for albums you find   in the chart, or other new albums you have bought recently. Try *not* to        focus on old albums if they are not in the current chart, because chances for   old albums to enter the list are minimal. If you don't want to see your votes   wasted, you're encouraged to vote for current and new albums only. (Don't       think that we want to limit your freedom in voting! You have every right to     vote for an old album if you want to. It's just that such a vote won't make     any difference, like your purchase of an old album won't make any difference    for the retail hitlists. We just hope you like to use your votes in the most    effective way, which means to vote where it actually makes a difference!)                                                                                       Now, have your first look at the new chart, and read more about it afterwards:                                                                                     This file only includes the latest Albums Chart, but we have much more.        Go to http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo if you want to see other charts and info.    ==============================================================================  |         * * *  I N T E R N E T   A L B U M S   C H A R T S  * * *          |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | (c) 1996 World Charts                   Issue 1 - Week 1 - January 1, 1996 |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | This week the votes from   85 people have been used to compile this chart. |  | Send your votes to [e-mail] and you'll get the next chart     |  | sent to you personally. Ask for the document that tells how to vote. Just  |  | send a message with subject line 'send doc' and you'll know all about it.  |  | The format for every line with a vote is:  points title [ ID ]             |  | YOU MUST INCLUDE THE ID NUMBER, and between brackets! It is NOT optional.  |  | Use [] or [0000] as the ID number for albums not yet listed in the chart.  |  | You can allocate a maximum of 20 points, BUT NOT MORE THAN 5 FOR ONE GAME. |  | An example can be found at the bottom of this list. LOOK AT IT FIRST!      |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | All your votes and comments should be sent to [e-mail].       |  | If you use any other address, then your message will not be received.      |  ==============================================================================                                                                                   The following Top 100 contains the best CD's, LP's and MC's in the world.       Vote for an album in this chart if you think other people should buy it too.   ==============================================================================   Internet Albums Top 100                 Edition 1 - Week 1 - January 1, 1996   ==============================================================================   TW  LW  NW Title - Artist                           Label/Publisher HI   ID    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------    1   -   1 Something to Remember - Madonna          Maverick/Warner  1 [1002]    2   -   1 Mellon Collie - Smashing Pumpkins                 Virgin  2 [1010]    3   -   1 Daydream - Mariah Carey                    Columbia/Sony  3 [1001]    4   -   1 Anthology 1 - Beatles                    Apple/EMI Music  4 [1003]    5   -   1 Memory of Trees - Enya                         WB/Warner  5 [1021]    6   -   1 No Need to Argue - Cranberries            Island/Mercury  6 [1077]    7   -   1 Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette     Maverick/Sire  7 [1011]    8   -   1 Cracked Rear View - Hootie & The Blowfish      Atlantic/  8 [1033]    9   -   1 Made in Heaven - Queen              Parlophone/EMI Music  9 [1015]   10   -   1 Presidents of the USA - Presidents         Columbia/Sony 10 [1044]   11   -   1 P.U.L.S.E. - Pink Floyd                        EMI Music 11 [1091]   12   -   1 Post - Bjork                   One Little Indian/Polydor 12 [1043]   13   -   1 Throwing Copper/Four Songs - Live        Radioactive/MCA 13 [1030]   14   -   1 Gold Experience - Prince/TAFKAP/The Symbol     WB/Warner 14 [1099]   15   -   1 Crazysexycool - TLC                           LaFace/BMG 15 [1008]   16   -   1 Tuesday Night Music Club - Sheryl Crow       A&M/Polydor 16 [1095]   17   -   1 Morning Glory ? - Oasis                    Creation/Sony 17 [1024]   18   -   1 Alternative - Pet Shop Boys                              18 [1101]   19   -   1 One Hot Minute - Red Hot Chili Peppers         WB/Warner 19 [1028]   20   -   1 Circus - Lenny Kravitz                            Virgin 20 [1096]   21   -   1 Collective Soul - Collective Soul                        21 [1102]   22   -   1 Different Class - Pulp                    Island/Mercury 22 [1048]   23   -   1 Nobody Else - Take That                             RCA/ 23 [1069]   24   -   1 Medusa - Annie Lennox                               RCA/ 24 [1093]   25   -   1 Bedtime Stories - Madonna                                25 [1103]   26   -   1 Vault 1: Greatest Hits 1980-1995 - Def Leppard   Mercury 26 [1019]   27   -   1 Automatic for the People - REM                 WB/Warner 27 [1097]   28   -   1 Seal - Seal                                   ZTT/Warner 28 [1054]   29   -   1 Debut - Bjork                  One Little Indian/Polydor 29 [1098]   30   -   1 Design of a Decade 1986/1996 - Janet Jackson A&M/Polydor 30 [1005]   31   -   1 The Wall - Pink Floyd                                    31 [1104]   32   -   1 Waiting to Exhale - Various Artists           Arista/BMG 32 [1009]   33   -   1 Great Escape - Blur                      Food/Parlophone 33 [1042]   34   -   1 Boombastic - Shaggy                               Virgin 34 [1058]   35   -   1 Stripped - Rolling Stones                         Virgin 35 [1006]   36   -   1 HIStory - Michael Jackson                      Epic/Sony 36 [1012]   37   -   1 Colour of My Love - Celine Dion            Columbia/Sony 37 [1045]   38   -   1 Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen      Columbia/Sony 38 [1013]   39   -   1 The Bridge - Ace of Base                    Mega/Polydor 39 [1014]   40   -   1 Fresh Horses - Garth Brooks            Capitol/EMI Music 40 [1018]   41   -   1 Insomniac - Green Day                     Reprise/Warner 41 [1023]   42   -   1 These Days - Bon Jovi                            Mercury 42 [1032]   43   -   1 Ten - Pearl Jam                                          43 [1105]   44   -   1 Whaler - Sophie B. Hawkins                 Columbia/Sony 44 [1055]   45   -   1 Money for Nothing - Dire Straits                         45 [1106]   46   -   1 Carry On Up The Charts: Best Of - The Beautiful South    46 [1076]   47   -   1 Mortal Kombat - Various Artists                     TVT/ 47 [1080]   48   -   1 Don't Ask - Tina Arena                                   48 [1081]   49   -   1 Forrest Gump - Various Artists                 Epic/Sony 49 [1087]   50   -   1 Lion King - Various Artists               Disney/Mercury 50 [1090]   51   -   1 Mirror Ball - Neil Young                                 51 [1107]   52   -   1 Twelve Deadly Sins - Cyndi Lauper                        52 [1108]   53   -   1 Monster - REM                                            53 [1109]   54   -   1 Themes - Vangelis                                        54 [1110]   55   -   1 The Visit - Loreena McKennitt                            55 [1111]   56   -   1 Ballbreaker - AC/DC                     East West/Warner 56 [1041]   57   -   1 Erasure - Erasure                         Mute/CNR Music 57 [1094]   58   -   1 Ozzmosis - Ozzy Osbourne                                 58 [1112]   59   -   1 Boingo - Boingo                                          59 [1113]   60   -   1 Get to the Chorus! - Roxette                   EMI Music 60 [1026]   61   -   1 Amplified Heart - Everything But The Girl                61 [1065]   62   -   1 Greatest Hits - Bangles                                  62 [1114]   63   -   1 Ultimate Singles Collection - David Bowie      EMI Music 63 [1092]   64   -   1 It's a Mistery - Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band          64 [1115]   65   -   1 Pulp Fiction - Various Artists                       MCA 65 [1050]   66   -   1 Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio               Tommy Boy/Pias 66 [1004]   67   -   1 Welcome to the Neighbourhood - Meatloaf           Virgin 67 [1007]   68   -   1 Jollification - Lightning Seeds                Epic/Sony 68 [1066]   69   -   1 Life - Simply Red                       East West/Warner 69 [1016]   70   -   1 Up All Night - East 17                    London/Mercury 70 [1029]   71   -   1 Greatest Hits 1985-1995 - Michael Bolton   Columbia/Sony 71 [1017]   72   -   1 New Beginning - Tracy Chapman                            72 [1068]   73   -   1 Your Little Secret - Melissa Etheridge    Island/Mercury 73 [1022]   74   -   1 Love Songs - Elton John                   Rocket/Mercury 74 [1025]   75   -   1 Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains          Columbia/Sony 75 [1027]   76   -   1 Greatest Hits Collection - Alan Jackson       Arista/BMG 76 [1034]   77   -   1 Souvenirs - Vince Gill                               MCA 77 [1035]   78   -   1 Woman In Me - Shania Twain                       Mercury 78 [1037]   79   -   1 Remix Collection - Boyz II Men                   Motown/ 79 [1039]   80   -   1 Starting Over - Reba MCEntire                        MCA 80 [1040]   81   -   1 The Hits - Garth Brooks                Capitol/EMI Music 81 [1046]   82   -   1 Tails - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories                 Geffen/ 82 [1047]   83   -   1 Dreaming of You - Selena                       EMI Music 83 [1049]   84   -   1 Greatest Hits - Don Henley                       Geffen/ 84 [1051]   85   -   1 Best of UB40 (volume 2) - UB40                    Virgin 85 [1052]   86   -   1 Inside Out - Culture Beat                 DancePool/Sony 86 [1053]   87   -   1 Beautiful Dreams - Chris de Burgh            A&M/Polydor 87 [1056]   88   -   1 Cross Road (The Best of) - Bon Jovi              Mercury 88 [1060]   89   -   1 Voices - Vangelis                       East West/Warner 89 [1061]   90   -   1 II - Boyz II Men                                 Motown/ 90 [1063]   91   -   1 D'eux - Celine Dion                        Columbia/Sony 91 [1064]   92   -   1 Big River - Jimmy Nail                  East West/Warner 92 [1067]   93   -   1 Power of a Woman - Eternal          1st Avenue/EMI Music 93 [1071]   94   -   1 Picture This - Wet Wet Wet                               94 [1074]   95   -   1 Pocahontas - Various Artists              Disney/Mercury 95 [1072]   96   -   1 Batman Forever - Various Artists               Atlantic/ 96 [1084]   97   -   1 I'll Lead You Home - Michael W. Smith           Reunion/ 97 [1079]   98   -   1 Forever Blue - Chris Isaak                               98 [1086]   99   -   1 Said and Done - Boyzone                          Polydor 99 [1075]  100   -   1 Robson & Jerome - Robson Green & Jerome Flynn       RCA/100 [1059]                                                                                  (Due to lack of time, the label/publisher info is not yet complete. Rest        assured that we will try to have it all done by next week.)                                                                                                     Of course, such a first edition of a new chart can be a quite dull thing to     look at. Things will get more exciting in the next weeks:                                                                                                       - Next week the albums will start moving, where it's *your* votes that            determine which albums go up and go down. And your votes for new CD's will      cause new entries to appear.                                                  - Our WWW site will carry the graphical version of the chart, with lots of        links from albums to more info about the artists. So, you have never heard      of some of the albums in the list? Just click on the titles, and you'll be      transported to other WWW pages, telling you all you need to know.             - You will see bullets for the fastest climbing albums, you will see stars        for the albums with the largest points increase, you will see Runners Up,       that almost made it in the chart, but just didn't.                            - Did you know this? If you include the URL of your own home page somewhere       in your votes message, then our popular WWW site will automatically link to     your homepage!                                                                - At our site you will find letters from readers, past issues of all charts,      links to important other sites, editorial comments, etc.                                                                                                      So, what are you waiting for? Make a link to http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo and     let it be your shopping list from now on! And don't forget to vote (again),     because the chart cannot live without our votes. The list has to be fed, has    to be nurtured and cared for. And you can help us with that.                                                                                                    ==============================================================================  | TW : This Week          | The Internet Albums Charts are compiled using    |  | LW : Last Week          | votes sent by gamers from all over the world.    |  | NW : Number of Weeks    | The latest charts are published every Monday on  |  | HI : Highest Position   | Usenet in the rec.music.misc newsgroup.          |  |  ^ : Climbing           |--------------------------------------------------|  |  * : Bullet             | If you send your votes, do it like this:         |  |                         | > 5  greatest hits        The Trousers [1034]    |  |                         | > 4  I love you to death  Bam-Bam []             |  |                         | > 4  dancemania           Various artists [1087] |  |                         | > 3  Moonshine            U42 [1049]             |  |                         | > 4  Take Five the album  Take Five []           |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  | (c) 1996 all rights reserved                                  World Charts |  | Distribution of these charts                             Balderikstraat 16 |  | is granted only by written                               3032 HC Rotterdam |  | permission.                                                The Netherlands |  |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|  |              By email: [e-mail]    [e-mail]              |  |              On the WorldWideWeb:  http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo              |  |                   Supported by XS4ALL Internet Provider                    |  ==============================================================================  @START@Unofficial Space Shuttle Manifest                                        The following is the Unofficial Space Shuttle Manifest. This file gives the     launch dates, orbiter, and payloads for upcoming shuttle launches. The launch   time and orbit parameters are also given where available. Note that the launch  date and time are officially set about two weeks before launch at the Flight    Readiness Review (which usually selects the date and time in the manifest).     The manifest is also subject to a lot of shuffling and date changing (which     leads to the STS numbers not being in order) so beware when planning to see a   shuttle launch.                                                                                                                                                 Please send changes and updates to:                                                                                                                             Steven S. Pietrobon,  Satellite Communications Research Centre, University      of South Australia, The Levels SA 5095, Australia.      fax [phone]      [e-mail]  http://audrey.levels.unisa.edu.au/~steven                                                                                      Current versions of the Unofficial Space Shuttle Manifest (this file) and       Unofficial Space Shuttle Launch Guide (for detailed information on how to see   a shuttle launch) can be found by anonymous ftp to audrey.levels.unisa.edu.au   in directory space/ in files shuttle.man and shuttle.txt, respectively. A list  of previous shuttle flights is in space/shuttle.rec and Unofficial Space        Shuttle Press Kits (reformatted versions of official press kits) are in         directory space/shuttle/ .  A NASA version of the Launch Guide can be found in  http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/miscinfo.html.                                                                                                                       The official space shuttle press kit is available via anonymous ftp to          ftp.pao.hq.nasa.gov in directory /pub/pao/presskit and is usually available     about a week before launch.                                                                                                                                     For the latest and greatest information call the following:                                                                                                     1 800 572 4636 - Visitor Information Center information and next launch.        1 800 KSC INFO   Florida 1 800 number. Florida only information thanks to                        Richard F. Jones ([e-mail])                      [phone] - Space shuttle mission information.                             [phone] - Space shuttle launch preparations.                             [phone] - Space shuttle status line. Technical, lots of TLA's. Just                       remember, we warned you.                                       [phone] - Kennedy Space Center Information Line                                                                                                          You can also:                                                                                                                                                   http://www.uttm.com/space/missions/future.html                                  http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm                        http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/shuttle/futsts.html                                  http://www.gdic.com/aqua/sts.html                                               finger [e-mail]                                                                                                                                   Abbreviations used in manifest:                                                                                                                                 STS - (Space Transportation System) number of the flight. The STS numbers are   not in order due to delays in some missions and changes in schedule once an     STS number has been assigned.                                                                                                                                   Date - Day Month Year - dd mm yy (Note that most launches are on Thursday.)                                                                                     Time - Earliest launch time. The "S" means "U.S. Eastern Standard Time" and "D" means "U.S. Eastern Daylight Time".                                                                                                                             Window h:mm - The time frame, in hours:minutes, available for launch that day.  Some windows have "COLAs" (Collision Avoidance) during the window when the      shuttle cannot launch.                                                                                                                                          Inc. deg. - Inclination of the orbit in degrees when the shuttle is launched.                                                                                   Alt. km - Altitude in kilometres.                                               1 nautical mile = 1.852 km, 1 statute mile = 1.609344 km, 1000 feet = 0.3048 km.                                                                                The abbreviations for the Orbiter names are                                     Col     Columbia   (OV-102)                                                     Dis     Discovery  (OV-103)                                                     Atl     Atlantis   (OV-104)                                                     End     Endeavour  (OV-105)                                                                                                                                     Payload - Payloads in the cargo bay that are being launched.                                                                                                                     SPACE SHUTTLE MANIFEST (12 Dec 1995)                                                                                                                                Window  Inc.  Alt.                                        STS     Date    Time   h:mm   deg.  km   Orbiter  Payload                       -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 72  11 Jan 96  0418S  0:59  28.45  463  End-10  SFU-RETR, OAST-FLYER, EDFT-03                                                   SSBUV/A-05, LACIE/GAS(2)        75  22 Feb 96  1508S  2:30  28.45  296  Col-19  TSS-1R, USMP-03, OARE, EDO      76  21 Mar 96  0334S  0:06  51.60  296  Atl-16  S/MM-03, SPACEHAB-SM, EDFT-04,                                                  MEEP-D                          77  16 May 96  1249D  2:30  39.00  283  End-11  SPACEHAB-04, SPTN 207/IAE,                                                      TEAMS, GBA(12)                  78  27 Jun 96    -     -    39.00  278  Col-20  LMS, OARE, EDO                  79   1 Aug 96    -    0:05  51.60  296  Atl-17  S/MM-04, SPACEHAB-DM,                                                           SPACEHAB-05                     80   7 Nov 96    -     -    28.45  352  Col-21  ORFEUS-SPAS-02, WSF-03,                                                         IEH-02, EDFT-05, EDO            81   5 Dec 96    -     -    51.60  296  Atl-18  S/MM-05, SPACEHAB-DM           -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 82  13 Feb 97    -     -      -     -   Dis-22  HST SM-02                       83   3 Apr 97    -     -      -     -   Col-22  MSL-01, EDO                     84   1 May 97    -     -      -     -   Atl-19  S/MM-06, SPACEHAB-DM            85  17 Jul 97    -     -      -     -   Dis-23  SPACEHAB-06, CRISTA-SPAS-02,                                                    IEH-03, JFD, SEDSAT/SLA-02/CVX  86  11 Sep 97    -     -      -     -   Atl-20  S/MM-07, ENERGY MODULE,                                                         EDFT-06, MEEP-R, PASDE-02       87   9 Oct 97    -     -      -     -   Col-23  SPACEHAB-07, USMP-04,                                                           SPTN 201-04, COOLLAR/GBA,                                                       MIGHTY-SAT 1/DATA, EDO          88   4 Dec 97    -     -      -     -   End-12  SSAF-01-02A, NODE 1 (2 Storage                                                  Racks), PMA1, PMA2             --------------------------------------------------------------------------------S = Eastern Standard Time (-5:00 GMT), D = Eastern Daylight Time (-4:00 GMT)    COOLLAR ?                                                                       CRISTA  Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometer Telescope for Atmosphere                CVX     Critical Viscosity of Xenon                                             DATA    ?                                                                       EDFT    Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Demonstration Flight Test                 EDO     Extended Duration Orbiter                                               GAS     Get Away Special                                                        GBA     GAS Bridge Assembly                                                     HST SM  Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission                                IAE     Inflatable Antenna Experiment                                           IEH     International Extreme Ultraviolet Hitchhiker                            JFD     JEM (Japanese Experiment Module) Flight Demonstration                   LACIE   Laser Altimeter Camera IRIM (Infrared Imaging) Experiment               LMS     Life and Microgravity Spacelab                                          MEEP    Mir Environmental Effects Payload                                       MSL     Materials Science Laboratory                                            OARE    Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment                                OAST    NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology                         ORFEUS  Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer       PASDE   Photogrammetric Appendage Structural Dynamics Experiment                PMA     Pressurized Mating Adapter                                              S/MM    Shuttle Mir Mission                                                     SAREX   Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment                                        SEDSAT  Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Satellite         SFU-RETR   Space Flyer Unit Retrieval                                           SLA     Shuttle Laser Altimeter                                                 SPACEHAB-DM   SPACEHAB Double Module                                            SPACEHAB-SM   SPACEHAB Single Module                                            SPAS    Shuttle Pallet Satellite                                                SPTN    Shuttle Pointed Autonomous Research Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN)        SSAF-xxA   Space Station Assembly Flight - American Element                     SSBUV   Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultra-Violet Instrument                       TEAMS   Technology Experiments Advancing Missions in Space                      TSS     Tethered Satellite System                                               USMP    United States Microgravity Payload                                      WSF     Wake Shield Facility                                                                                                                                                 SPACE SHUTTLE MANIFEST ( 1 Dec 1995)                                                                                                              STS     Date    Orbiter  Payload          (continued)                           -------------------------------------------------------------------------------  89  26 Feb 98  Col-24  NEUROLAB (Space Life Sciences Laboratory), EDO           90   2 Apr 98  Dis-24  SPACEHAB-08, WSF-04, AMS, IEH-04                         91  18 Jun 98  End-13  SSAF-02-03A, Z1 TRUSS w/ CMGs, SPL (PMA3), Ku-Band, EVAS 92  30 Jul 98  Col-25  AXAF-I                                                   93  24 Sep 98  Dis-25  SSAF-03-04A, P6, PV MODULE (4 Battery Sets), TCS                                Radiators, S-Band                                        94   5 Nov 98  End-14  SSAF-04-05A, US LAB (4 Lab Sys Racks)                    95   3 Dec 98  Atl-21  SSAF-05-06A, MPLM (1 Storage, 7 Lab Sys Racks), UHF,                            SLP (SSRMS)                                             -------------------------------------------------------------------------------  96  11 Feb 99  Dis-26  SSUF-01, MPLM (ISPRs)                                    97  18 Mar 99  End-15  SSAF-06-07A, AIRLOCK, SLP (HP GAS)                       98   6 May 99  Atl-22  SSAF-07-08A, S0 TRUSS, MT, GPS, Umbilicals, A-L Spur     99  15 Jul 99  End-16  SSUF-02, MPLM (ISPRs, 2 Storage Racks), MBS             100  12 Aug 99  Dis-27  SSAF-08-09A, S1 TRUSS (3 Rads), TCS, CETA, S-Band, Ext                          Cameras                                                 101   7 Oct 99  Atl-23  SSAF-09-10A, NODE 2 (4 DDCU Racks), CUPOLA, 1 O2 Tank,                          SLP (HP GAS)                                            102  11 Nov 99  End-17  SSAF-10-11A, P1 TRUSS (3 Rads), TCS, CETA, UHF, Ext                             Cameras, U/R                                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AXAF-I     Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility-Imager                          AMS        Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer                                          CETA       Crew and Equipment Translation Aid                                   CMG        Control Moment Gyro                                                  DDCU       DC-to-DC Converter Unit                                              DM         Docking Module                                                       EDFT       Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Demonstration Flight Test              EDO        Extended Duration Orbiter                                            EVAS       Extravehicular Activity System                                       FLT OPPTY  Flight Opportunity                                                   GPS        Global Positioning System                                            HST SM     Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission                             IEH        International Extreme-UV Far-UV Hitchhiker                           ISPR       International Standard Payload Rack                                  MBS        Mobile Base Support                                                  MPLM       Mini Pressurised Logistics Module                                    MT         Mobile Transporter                                                   OAST       NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology                      PMA        Pressurized Mating Adapter                                           PV         Photovoltaic                                                         Px         Port Truss Element                                                   Sx         Starboard Truss Element                                              SLP        ?                                                                    SPL        Solar Pumped Laser                                                   SSAF-xxA   Space Station Assembly Flight - American Element                     SSBUV      Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultra-Violet Instrument                    SSRMS      Space Station Remote Manipulator System                              SSUF       Space Station Utilisation Flight                                     TCS        Thermal Control System                                               UHF        Ultra High Frequency                                                 U/R        ?                                                                    WSF        Wake Shield Facility                                                                                                                                              SPACE SHUTTLE MANIFEST ( 5 Oct 1995)                                                                                                              STS     Date    Orbiter  Payload          (continued)                           ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 103  13 Jan 00  Dis-28  SSAF-11-12A, P3/4, PV MODULE (4 Battery Sets), 2 ULCAS  104  17 Feb 00  Atl-24  SSAF-12-01J/A, JEM ELM PS (5 JEM Sys, 2 ISPR, 1                                 Storage Racks), SPDM, ULC (2 O2 Tanks)                  105  30 Mar 00  End-18  SSAF-13-01J, JEM PM (3 JEM Sys Racks), JEM RMS          106  11 May 00  Col-26  HST SM-03, U/R                                          107  13 Jul 00  Atl-25  SSUF-03, MPLM (ISPRs, 1 Storage Rack), P5 PV SPACER     108  24 Aug 00  End-19  SSAF-14-13A, S3/4, PV MODULE (4 Battery Sets), 4 PAS    109   9 Nov 00  Col-27  USMP-05, LTRM                                           ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 110   8 Feb 01  Atl-26  SSUF-04, MPLM (ISPRs), ULC (1 O2 Tank, Attached Payload)111  29 Mar 01  Dis-29  SSAF-15-02J/A, JEM EF, JEM ELM ES, ULC (4 PV Battery                            Sets)                                                   112   3 May 01  Col-28  SCIENCE MISSION                                         113  21 Jun 01  Atl-27  SSAF-16-02E, MPLM (1 APM Storage, 3 US Storage, 7                               JEM Racks), ULC (2 PV Battery Sets)                     114  16 Aug 01  Dis-30  SSAF-17-14A, CENTRIFUGE (10,900 kg), S5 PV SPACER       115   4 Oct 01  Col-29  HST SM-04                                               116   1 Nov 01  Atl-28  SSUF-05, MPLM (ISPRs, 1 Storage Rack)                   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 117  10 Jan 02  Dis-31  SSAF-18-15A, S6, PV MODULE (4 Battery Sets), Port                               MT-CETA Rails                                           118  14 Feb 02  End-20  SSAF-19-16A, HAB (6 Hab Racks)                          119  11 Apr 02  Atl-29  SSUF-06, MPLM (ISPRs), ULC (1 O2 Tank, Attached Payload)120  23 May 02  Dis-32  SSAF-20-17A, MPLM (1 Lab Sys, 8 Hab Sys Racks),                                 ULC (2 PV Battery Sets)                                 121  27 Jun 02  End-21  SSAF-21-19A, MPLM (3 Hab Sys, 11 US Storage Racks)      122   3 Oct 02          FLT OPPTY                                               123   7 Nov 02          FLT OPPTY                                               ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 124  27 Mar 03          FLT OPPTY                                               125  17 Apr 03          FLT OPPTY                                               126  29 May 03          SSAF                                                    127  14 Aug 03          SSAF                                                    128  11 Sep 03          FLT OPPTY                                               129   4 Dec 03          FLT OPPTY                                               ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- APM        Attached Pressurised Module                                          CETA       Crew and Equipment Translation Aid                                   FLT OPPTY  Flight Opportunity                                                   HST SM     Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission                             ISPR       International Standard Payload Rack                                  ISS        International Space Station                                          JEM        Japanese Experiment Module                                           JEM EF     JEM Exposed Facility                                                 JEM ELM ES JEM Experimental Logistics Module Exposed Section                    JEM ELM PS JEM Experimental Logistics Module Pressurised Section                JEM PM     JEM Payload Module                                                   JEM RMS    JEM Remote Manipulator System                                        LTRM       ?                                                                    MPLM       Mini Pressurised Logistics Module                                    MT         Mobile Transporter                                                   PV         Photovoltaic                                                         Px         Port Truss Element                                                   Sx         Starboard Truss Element                                              SPDM       Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator                                SSAF-xxA   Space Station Assembly Flight - American Element                     SSAF-xxE   Space Station Assembly Flight - European Element                     SSAF-xxJ   Space Station Assembly Flight - Japanese Element                     SSAF-xxJ/A Space Station Assembly Flight - Japanese and American Element        SSUF       Space Station Utilisation Flight                                     ULC        Unpressurized Logistics Carrier                                      ULCAS      Unpressurized Logistics Carrier Attach System                        USMP       United States Microgravity Payload                                   U/R        ?                                                                                                                                                   Keepers of the manifest, in remembrance:                                        Ken Hollis - [e-mail] - 1990 to 9 March 1994                              - Banned from posting to sci.space.shuttle by NASA and Lockheed                                                                                      @START@Unofficial Space Shuttle Launch Guide                                    The following is the Unofficial Space Shuttle Launch Guide. This file contains  information on how to get a launch or landing pass, and if you can't get one,   where to view the shuttle for launch or landing. This file also contains        Shuttle frequencies, HAM frequencies for listening to and watching NASA select, hints on photographing launches, where to watch SSME test firings, how to get   accredited as a Press Personage, internet sites to get additional NASA          information, how to get the latest two line element sets, and information for   teachers on how to access NASA information.                                                                                                                     Please send changes, updates, or information you think should be in this to:                                                                                    Steven S. Pietrobon,  Satellite Communications Research Centre, University      of South Australia, The Levels SA 5095, Australia.      fax [phone]      [e-mail]  http://audrey.levels.unisa.edu.au/~steven                                                                                      Shuttle Manifest                                                                ================                                                                Current versions of the Unofficial Space Shuttle Manifest and Unofficial        Space Shuttle Launch Guide (this file) can be found by anonymous ftp to         audrey.levels.unisa.edu.au in directory space in files shuttle.man and          shuttle.txt, respectively. A NASA version of the Launch Guide can be found in   http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/miscinfo.html. A list of previous shuttle flights is in space/shuttle.rec and Unofficial Space Shuttle Press Kits (reformatted       versions of official press kits) are in directory space/shuttle/ .                                                                                              The official space shuttle press kit is available via anonymous ftp to          ftp.pao.hq.nasa.gov in directory /pub/pao/presskit and is usually available     about a week before launch.                                                                                                                                     For the latest and greatest information call the following:                                                                                                     1 800 572 4636 - Visitor Information Center information and next launch.        1 800 KSC INFO   Florida 1 800 number. Florida only information thanks to                        Richard F. Jones ([e-mail])                      [phone] - Space shuttle mission information.                             [phone] - Recorded launch status during countdown.                       [phone] - Space shuttle launch preparations.                             [phone] - Space shuttle status line. Technical, lots of TLA's. Just                       remember, we warned you.                                                                                                                       You can also:                                                                                                                                                   http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm                        http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/shuttle/futsts.html                                  http://www.gdic.com/aqua/sts.html                                               finger [e-mail]                                                                                                                                                                                                                   NASA Causeway Site Passes                                                       =========================                                                       Thanks to [e-mail], Mark and Julie Bixby ([e-mail]) Peter Armstrong ([e-mail]) and Christopher A. Poterala               ([e-mail]).                                                                                                                                        You can view shuttle launches right from the base at the NASA Causeway Site     which is about 10 km from the launch pad. This is the BEST and closest view.                                                                                    The KSC visitor center offers bus rides from the visitor's center to the        Causeway Site. The cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children. For information and  reservations you will need to call [phone], Ext. 260. This number (Group Sales) does not start accepting reservations until 7 days before launch. The    bus tickets must be picked up prior to launch day.                                                                                                              You can also obtain a free Causeway Site Pass for your vehicle by sending a     postcard with your name and address to                                                                                                                          Car Passes                                                                      PA-Pass                                                                         Kennedy Space Center FL 32899                                                                                                                                   Car passes are reserved as the requests are received based on their remaining   availability.  Your car pass will be mailed to you approximately 30 days before the mission's launch. If you will be leaving your residence before the pass     will reach you, give the address in Florida where you will be staying.                                                                                          Each vehicle launch pass allows the entry of a vehicle. If you have a van,      please request a vehicle pass for an oversized vehicle. One per address. In     general, if you know the launch that you wish, ask for that launch. The launch  pass is good for that launch no matter how many times it is postponed. If you   know a general time frame, then ask for that time frame. You can also obtain    NASA Causeway passes by writing to any NASA centre.                                                                                                             [e-mail] does, however, have a short-cut on how to get launch   pass on short notice: call your Senator's or House Representative's office.     For information on a pass if you have requested one, call KSC public affairs at [phone].  For information 24 hours before the launch on how the launch   is progressing, call [phone].                                                                                                                                                                                                            Other Viewing Recommendations ([e-mail] and others) =============================                                                   If you can't get a launch pass I suggest you come to Titusville. Go east on     State Road 50 from I-95, to US-1. Go north on US-1 to the "Miracle City Mall"   at Harrison. Park somewhere north of this spot. Anywhere north along highway 1, or east (as far as you can) along highway 406 (402) is good (specifically Sand  Point Park), just as long as you can see the VAB and don't have trees blocking  the view. Also you can try Jetty Park at Port Canaveral (you will be south of   the launch looking north).                                                                                                                                      Regardless of where you are going to see it, arrive early (at least 2 hours     before launch). Be prepared to get into some real heavy traffic, it will also   take some time to get out of the area. Bring along some food and drink,         umbrellas, sun glasses, sun screen, portable TV/radio, binoculars, VCR,         whatever.                                                                                                                                                       When watching a launch, listen to FM Station 91.5 (it is a local religious      station) or AM 580 out of Orlando (Thanks to Matthew DeLuca). NASA Select       Television is carried on Spacenet 2, transponder 5, channel 9, 69 degrees West, transponder frequency is 3880 MHz, audio subcarrier is 6.8 MHz, polarization is horizontal.                                                                                                                                                     TV: Local stations such as channels 56, 2, 6 & 9 sometimes have live coverage.  They usually just interrupt the program that is in progress for the final 2     minutes of prelaunch, and then a couple of minutes after launch. Same for       landing.                                                                                                                                                        Radio: Some local radio stations to listen to are 91.5 FM, 99.3 FM, 101.1 FM,   1350 AM and 580 AM.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Internet Access for Visitors to KSC (Jerry Russell, [e-mail])            ===================================                                             Any visitors to KSC that would like to have Internet access to get their mail,  stay in touch, are welcome to stop by our Network Control Center in Cocoa, Fl.  and get online free! If you have a computer with you we will give you a FREE    guest account for 24 hours, menu based (text) account with full Internet        access. We are a commercial provider here in Cocoa, but offer this service to   our visitors as a FREE service and encourage you to use it!                        FLORIDA ONLINE, 3815 N US 1, #59, Cocoa FL 32926, [phone] voice,               635 8833 DOS BBS, 633 4710 FLORIDA ONLINE, 635 9050 fax.                                                                                                                                                                               Shuttle Frequencies                                                             ===================                                                             The Space Shuttle transmits on three frequency bands: UHF, S-Band, and Ku-Band. The UHF frequencies are simple AM voice and are very easy to copy. These        frequencies are used for launch and landing operations, EVA operations, and as  an additional voice downlink when other channels are in use for the current     ground station has no S-Band capability.                                                                                                                        The frequencies in use are:                                                      296.800 MHz : Air-to-ground, or Orbiter to suit                                 259.700 MHz : Air-to-ground, or suit to Orbiter                                 279.000 MHz : Suit-to-Orbiter, or suit-to-suit                                  243.000 MHz : Standard military aircraft emergency frequency                                                                                                   The S-Band system is one of the primary Orbiter downlink bands.  The voice      channels are digital slope delta modulated and are multiplexed in with the rest of the Orbiter telemetry and is very difficult to copy. Much of the downlink    TV is on S-Band also, but is wideband FM and should be easy to copy. The        frequencies are:                                                                                                                                                2287.500 MHz - Primary digital downlink                                         2250.000 MHz - Wideband FM with either main engine analog telemetry during                     launch, or TV during orbit operations.                                                                                                           The Ku-Band system is used in conjunction with the tracking and data relay      satellites and is used much more heavily in Spacelab flights than in others.    The data rate is very high (50 Mbit/s). These transmissions are directed        to TDRS satellites in geostationary orbit on a frequency of 15.003 GHz.                                                                                         (Information via WA3NAN, and WA4SIR)                                                                                                                            Ed Sileo ([e-mail]) says that Shuttle audio can be heard on 169.4       MHz at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB). The transmitter site is on Lehman Ridge   on the east side of Edwards near the Astronautics Lab. This can be heard during all flights since you never know when the shuttle may land at EAFB.                                                                                                                                                                             Shuttle Audio Retransmissions                                                   =============================                                                   Excerpt from the Goddard Amateur Radio Club (GARC) Shuttle Retransmission Fact  Sheet (from Jim Blackwell, N3KWU, [e-mail])                                                                                            Retransmission of Shuttle air-to-ground audio from the GARC (WA3NAN) may be     heard on the following frequencies:                                                                                                                               Frequency       Mode         Antennas                                             (MHz)                                                                           3.860        SSB LSB    N-S/E-W Dipoles                                         7.185        SSB LSB    N-S/E-W Dipoles                                         14.295       SSB USB     3-element Yagi                                         21.395       SSB USB     5-element Yagi                                         28.650       SSB USB     4-element Yagi                                         147.45      FM Simplex  Phased vertical                                                                                                                     Where SSB is Single-Side-Band and LSB, USB indicate either Lower and Upper Side Band. A short-wave receiver possessing a Beat Frequency Oscillator (BFO) is     needed to receive these transmissions.                                                                                                                          GARC maintains a Bulletin Board System (BBS) which is accessible by way of the  Internet, modem and packet radio. The BBS contains areas with information on    the club, mail distributed by the Amateur Satellite Corporation BB (AMSAT-BB)   listserver, SAREX bulletins and Space Shuttle mission information. During       Shuttle missions, users can also access Keplerian Orbital Elements (Keps) which are generated by the club based on information generated by NASCOM at GSFC      (these  orbital elements are read over-the-air by our volunteer operators). The BBS is accessible by the following means:                                                                                                                           1.  Internet: telnet to wa3nan.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.105.17)                   2.  Telephone: [phone] (up to 14.4 kbaud supported)                      3.  Packet Radio: WA3NAN on 145.090 MHz in DC area.                                                                                                         Just follow the login instructions.  Note: Full access to the BBS is limited    to members of the club.                                                                                                                                         GARC also maintains a WWW Server containing a wide variety of information about the club, its activities, as well as links to other Amateur Radio resources.    The URL address is:                                                                                                                                             http://garc.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/garc-home-page.html                                                                                                                                                                                               Excerpt from rec.radio.amateur.misc FAQ Part 3 (modified):                                                                                                      Shuttle audio is re-tranmitted by the following Amature Radio stations.                                                                                         Station  Centre  VHF      10m     15m             20m     40m    80m            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------  WA3NAN   GSFC    147.450  28.650  21.395          14.295  7.185  3.860          W6VIO    JPL     224.080          21.280          14.282  7.165                 K6MF     ARC     145.585                                  7.165  3.840          W5RRR    JSC     146.640  28.495  21.350          14.280  7.227  3.850          AK8Y     LERC    145.670 or 147.195 (alternate)                                 W1AW     ARRL    147.555  28.0675 21.0675 18.0975 14.0475 7.0475 3.5815 1.818   KA9SZX           146.880  (Video at 426.250)                                    K4GCC            146.940                                                        WA4VME           145.170                                                                                                                                        You might also try 20192 LSB which is NASA.                                                                                                                     All frequencies are in MHz.  Use FM on VHF, USB on 10-20m, LSB on 40-80m.       WA3NAN - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), Greenbelt, MD                 W6VIO  - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA                     K6MF   - NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, CA                     W5RRR  - NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, TX                           AK8Y   - NASA Lewis Research Center (LERC), Cleveland, OH                       W1AW   - ARRL, Newington, CT (news bulletins, 9:45 PM and 12:45 AM EST)         KA9SZX - Champaign-Urbana, IL                                                   K4GCC  - John Anderson, Titusville, FL (near or at Kennedy Space Center)        WA4VME - Melbourne, FL (near or at Kennedy Space Center)                                                                                                        You can also telnet spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov and follow the menus to a listing   of repeaters in the USA that offer this service.                                                                                                                Retransmissions of Shuttle audio on amature radio frequencies                                                                                                   State       City        Date Reported         Frequencies (MHz)                 ----- ----------------  -------------  -------------------------                AL    Birmingham        10/10/89       145.150 145.380                          AL    Huntsville        12/31/92       147.100 173.025                          AR    Russellville      3/24/92        439.250                                  AZ    Phoenix           12/9/91        421.250 449.000                          CA    Los Angeles       1/7/90         52.640 224.940                           CA    Los Angeles       12/21/89       1241.250                                 CA    Los Angeles       12/4/91        145.320 145.460 445.400                  CA    Los Angeles       12/4/91        445.425 446.575 447.000                  CA    Los Angeles       12/4/91        447.025 447.400 447.475                  CA    Los Angeles       12/4/91        448.375 448.500                          CA    Monterey Bay      7/1/91         145.585 443.300                          CA    Mount Wilson      10/18/95       224.940                                  CA    Northern          3/19/90        145.530                                  CA    Redondo Beach     9/23/93        145.32 W6TRW                             CA    Sacramento        4/10/91        147.195                                  CA    San Diego         3/23/92        449.450 1277.25                          CA    San Francisco     4/29/91        427.250 444.775                          CA    San Joaquin Vly   5/6/89         52.22                                    CA    Santa Barbara     4/21/90        1277.000                                 CO    Denver            11/27/93       147.225 (NASA select audio)              DC    Washington        11/28/83       147.450  (Greenbelt, MD)                 FL    Cape Canaveral    10/11/89       146.940                                  FL    Clearwater Beach  4/10/95        442.075                                  FL    Daytona Beach     1/25/92        147.150                                  FL    Fort Lauderdale   12/03/93       442.650                                  FL    Gainesville       3/30/92        146.900                                  FL    Jacksonville      4/25/90        147.12                                   FL    Lakeland          7/18/92        147.375                                  FL    Largo             4/24/95        51.84                                    FL    Largo             11/4/94        145.23                                   FL    Largo             4/10/95        421.25 (video & audio)                   FL    Orlando           5/8/92         147.150                                  FL    St. Petersburg    11/4/94        443.625                                  FL    Vero Beach        4/19/90        145.130                                  Fl    North Lauderdale  12/03/93       145.750                                  GA    Ashburn           5/5/89         147.285                                  GA    Atlanta           12/4/91        146.655 147.345 427.250                  GA    Forsyth           6/7/90         147.915                                  IA    Cedar Rapids      10/18/89       146.400 444.300                          IL    Champaign-Urbana  11/30/93       146.880 [e-mail]                   IL    Chicago           4/19/90        145.350                                  IL    Downers Grove     9/23/93        145.350                                  IL    Morton Grove      12/7/93        145.350                                  IL    Rolling Meadows   2/12/92        145.350                                  IN    Indianapolis      3/15/92        426.250                                  ME    Portland          12/16/89       146.925                                  ME    York              12/16/89       224.840                                  MN    Central           2/19/90        149.200                                  MN    Twin Cities       3/11/89        145.150 147.120                          MN    Waseca            1/2/90         147.450 427.250                          MO    Gladstone         12/7/93        224.660                                  MO    Kansas City       3/25/92        145.430 426.250                          MO    St. Louis         1/25/92        442.000                                  NJ    Central           7/5/92         443.400 (PL 141.3)                       NJ    Northern          12/12/93       146.610                                  NY    Albany            9/6/91         146.820                                  NY    Long Island       3/30/92        448.425                                  OH    Dayton            5/4/89         145.110                                  OH    Greenville        3/11/90        146.790                                  OK    Tulsa             2/6/92         144.340 146.940 421.250                  PA    Pittsburgh        6/25/92        145.470                                  PA    Pittsburgh        9/23/93        145.650                                  SC    Orangeburg        12/3/93        146.805                                  SD    Watertown         1/14/92        145.550                                  TX    Dallas            7/18/90        145.310 448.750                          TX    Dallas            9/13/91        146.600                                  TX    Houston           6/27/92        146.640                                  WI    Wausau            9/5/91         146.820 147.060 421.250                  VA    Norfolk           Feb 1993       144.340 431.750 FM audio, 427.250 video                                                                                  Thanks to Dana Rodakis ([e-mail]) and Gary Grahn (WA1TSS,      [e-mail])                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Amateur TV Repeater of NASA Select                                              ==================================                                              Chris Best ([e-mail]) writes:                                                                                                                     I belong to a local ham radio club called the Launch Information Service and    Amateur Television System (LISATS for short).  We operate, in the Cocoa Florida area, an Amateur TV Repeater where we, during shuttle missions, re-broadcast    NASA Select (from a satellite receiver located at the repeater site). We also   have a computerized bulletin board (VIDEO) at the repeater site which cycles    through screens of interest to hams, one being a projected launch schedule      (shuttle and expendable).  The LISATS repeater can be viewed by anyone with an  outside antenna and a cable ready TV in the launch area.  Please checkout:                                                                                      http://ddi.digital.net/                                                                                                                                         and follow the links to the local amateur radio clubs.  The two primary points  of contact for LISATS are myself (ham radio callsign N4KCI) or Ernie Baldini    ([e-mail], K4RBD) who is the prefered Amateur TV expert.                                                                                                                                                                        Photographing Shuttle                                                           =====================                                                           [e-mail] has some hints for photographers:                                                                                                   Get the longest lens available (e.g. rent one at Helix). I used a 300mm         shooting from Titusville and was still too far away to clearly see the shuttle. However I could take beautiful shots of the engine's firetrail and the smoke.                                                                                   Put your camera into continuous shooting mode (unless you have a VERY high      speed camera like a Nikon), as the whole spectacle will be over within no time. I shot about 1 roll of film (36 pictures) until the shuttle was gone for good   while almost constantly pressing the button.                                                                                                                    Use a LOW speed film (ASA 50) as the light is so bright (Remember: NASA         launches only under good weather conditions), that even with a long tele lens   you still have enough light left for short exposure times (I had 1/1000 with F  5.6 and a Kodachrome 64). That way making detail enlargements is also easier,   meaning less grainy.                                                                                                                                            Try to AVOID a tripod, as the shuttle moves "upwards to the right" (at least    from Titusville with the standard 28 degree inclination). You are more flexible if you use a onepod or even better one of those professional harnesses, that    you wear like a jacket and that support your long lens (like a tripod attached  to your upper body).                                                                                                                                            During the night before the launch you can see (at least sometimes) a search    light illuminating the launch pad. With a tripod and a very long exposure time  (> 20 sec's on Kodachrome 64) you'll get nice pictures as well. Make several    shots with different times according to general night time photography rules.                                                                                   A final hint for the early-birds: I was lucky enough to see the big and red     glowing sun rising exactly behind the VAB (from the US1 in Titusville). An      incredible view, that didn't even require a tripod.                                                                                                                                                                                             Jim Blackwell ([e-mail]) has these hints:                                                                                               I can also say something about photographing night launches.  Basically, for    STS-61 and STS-67 I used 1000 ASA film and shot at 1/1000 th of a second at     F/8.  For STS-61 I was at the VIP site at 5.15 km and used a 70-210 mm zoom at  the 210mm setting.  For STS-67, I was at the NASA Causeway (about 10 km I       think) using a 500 mm f/8 lens.  Got great shots in both instances.  I used     Kodak Royal Gold (used to be Ektar) 1000 ASA film which is fine grained.  I     would also advise anyone to remove any filters they may have on their lenses as they can get nasty internal reflections and that a triapod is a must,           especially with the 500 mm.  I also used a cable release and a motor winder on  the camera.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Expendable Vehicles                                                             ===================                                                             These are usually launched from the southern part of the base, best viewing is  at Jetty Park or south along the beaches of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach. Not as crowded as shuttle launches, but still give yourself some time to arrive     early. Jetty park can fill up so plan an alternate. Again bring your stuff.                                                                                                                                                                     Landing Information                                                             ===================                                                             Unfortunately the KSC landing strip cannot accommodate a "viewing public"       because it is situated on wetlands, however [e-mail] suggests:                                                                                  If you do happen to try and view the landing at KSC, do not despair when you    realize actually how far away US 1 is from the runway.  Even a moderately       powered set of field glasses will provide good views of the Orbiter as is       decelerates into the KSC area.  That twin sonic boom is very unique and, for    me, was well worth the drive by itself.  You will actually be able to see the   Orbiter as it comes into the KSC area and turns on the heading alignment circle better than during the final approach.                                                                                                                          Don Diego ([e-mail]) and Peter Armstrong ([e-mail])      also suggest:                                                                                                                                                   The best viewing site for the Shuttle landings is the Shuttle Landing Facility  (SLF).  There are bleachers available about 140-180 metres from the runway.     What a great spot.  Not only is it the best possible viewing site, you get to   hob knob with astronauts and VIP's.  VIP invitations now sent out by NASA       headquarters are for launches and landings (see following section on VIP        passes).  Other passes from NASA may also invite you to the landing if you are  a shuttle worker or involved with the payload. Unless you have very good        connections, the general public cannot have access to the SLF.                                                                                                  As with the launch facilities NASA Select audio is provided on site as are      restroom facilities and vending areas run by NASA.                                                                                                              For a realistic spot there's really only one choice.  On US1 in Titusville      across the Indian River from KSC. Hope it's not early in the morning,           otherwise, you're going to be facing directly into the sunrise.  I've tried on  several occasions to try to catch a glimpse of the orbiter coming in as I was   in Cocoa Beach or the city of Cape Canaveral but you're just too far away.                                                                                      Whether you get lucky enough to get on KSC or have to settle for the US1 site   you're in for a real treat.  A landing is every bit as exciting as a launch.    During a launch it's Boom, Zoom and in two minutes it's gone.  But with a       landing you have time to soak it all in.  The key is picking it up visually as  soon as possible.  The thing to remember is at 15,000 metres (50,000 feet) the  orbiter can be seen directly over the landing sight.  Look straight up and      watch for the puffs of smoke coming from the Reaction Control System (RCS)      jets.  Once you pick those up you should have no difficulty following it around the HAC and all the way down.  Contrary to popular belief the thing doesn't     land silently.  When you've got an object that big and bulky cutting through    the air at that velocity you get a wind rushing noise that has to be unique.                                                                                    US1 in Titusville can be accessed from SR50 from Orlando or I-95 from the North or South.  Local radio stations that have the best NASA coverage for any NASA   related event are WMMB AM 1240 or 99.3 FM.  Prior to any operation events can   be followed locally on TV channels 2, 6 or 9.  Or pick up a copy of the local   newspaper The Florida Today.  Some hotels in the area also carry NASA Select.                                                                                                                                                                   For a landing pass at Edwards, Mary Shafer ([e-mail]) says: (Steve Handler ([e-mail]) advises us: The Public Affairs Office at      Dryden Flight Research Center says that there are no landings scheduled in 1995 for Edwards and thus they are not giving out any landing passes at this time.   They also indicated that the ability to see landings at Edwards is via the      courtesy of the Air Force.)                                                                                                                                     There are three ways to see the Shuttle landing at Edwards AFB, listed in order of restrictiveness of access and availability.                                                                                                                  1.  The East Shore area on the lakebed.  Take Hwy. 14 to Avenue F and follow    the signs or take Hwy. 58 to 20 Mule Team Road and follow those signs.  This    area is opened about 2 days before the scheduled touchdown.  The viewing area   is an unimproved area so don't expect many amenities.  I think that there are   sanitary facilities and that food and drinks can be purchased.  It's suggested  that you bring food and water. Nothing is required for access to this area.     If any viewing is allowed this site will be open.  The only times they don't    open it is for the DoD's classified missions.                                                                                                                       Burns Fisher ([e-mail]) says the view you get depends on  exactly what course the shuttle comes in on. If the shuttle lands on the        ascending node of its orbit you only see the shuttle coming straight in and     landing in front of you...but not too close. For a descending node landing the  view is much more spectacular as you see the shuttle turning and passing right  above you (described by Burns as "a *gorgeous* sight!").                                                                                                        2.  The hillside viewing area.  This is on the hillside, just above             Ames-Dryden, and requires a special pass.  This pass is good for one vehicle,   with any number of passengers.  You can't enter the Ames-Dryden complex but you can walk down the hill to the cafeteria and the gift shop, etc.  More           amenities, including radio transmissions from the Shuttle and JSC.  Some of us  believe that this area has the BEST view of the landing.  I believe that the    Hillside, like the East Shore, is open for all unclassified missions.  These    passes can be obtained by writing, as detailed below. Ames-Dryden employees can also obtain them.                                                                                                                                               3.  Official guest.  Access to the Ames-Dryden complex.  You get to watch the   landing from the ramp, which is right on the lakebed.  (The Shuttle lands some  distance away, depending on which runway it uses.) The crew speaks to the crowd just before they return to JSC.  There are special aircraft displays (including the SR-71, F-15, F-18, X-29, etc.) in the hangars.  The radio transmissions are broadcast.  This method is only predicted for a few missions this year. Opening the Facility is fairly labor-intensive and very disruptive, so we won't do it   for every possible mission.                                                                                                                                     You can write, as detailed below, to obtain these badges and parking permits.   To obtain a hillside pass or official guest badges, write to:                                                                                                   NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility                                       Public Affairs Office                                                           P.O. Box 273                                                                    Edwards CA 92523-5000                                                                                                                                           Do this early, because there is a limited amount of space.  If you get these    and then discover that you can't attend, please try to pass them on to someone  else who can use them.  Incidentally, there is _no_ charge for any of these.                                                                                    William Daul ([e-mail]) suggests it is quicker to call your congress  person and ask for a VIP pass.  They usually have you pick the pass up          somewhere near Edwards.                                                                                                                                         Come see the Shuttle land--it's great. Wear warm clothes!                                                                                                       If the Shuttle lands in the morning, it will be cool to downright cold.  Forget the myth that the desert is always hot, it may be in the low 60s even in the    summer at sunrise.  It's frequently freezing in the winter.  If it's much       warmer, it's because the wind is blowing.                                                                                                                       However, if you're an Official Guest and will be hanging around until the       Astronaut Departure Ceremony, it may be warm by then.  Wear layers.                                                                                             Especially, wear warm footwear.  Official Guests will be standing around on the cold, cold ramp and all your body heat will seep out of your feet into the      concrete heat sink.  Running shoes work well.  Hillside Guests will be sitting  up on metal bleachers.  The portions of their anatomy in contact with the       bleachers (feet and seat) may get _real_ cold.                                                                                                                  Here is a list of Freqs for the White Sands Missile Range                                                                                                       Military Police: 36.100   141.250                                               Laser Operations: 173.5625                                                      Drone Operations: 164.500  172.400                                              Cooling: 168.000                                                                Maint: 34.490                                                                   Missile Tracking: 412.875                                                       Range Control: Channel 1  36.510                                                               Channel 2  34.850                                                Telemetry: 38.450, 38.710, 38.950, 40.100, 41.450                               Photography: 30.090, 41.430, 139.440                                            NASA operations: 34.310, 164.100, 169.075, 169.400                                                                                                                                                                                              SSME Test Firings (thanks to [e-mail])                       =================                                                               The Stennis Space Center in Mississippi does Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME)   test firings, which, if I understand correctly, can be viewed by the public.    Try their public affairs office for details. The Marshall Space Flight Center   in Huntsville, Alabama also has an SSME test facility where you may be able     to view the firings.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Press Site Passes                                                               =================                                                               If you can convince a local newspaper to write you a letter of accreditation,   you can be a official Press/Media representative.  This allows you much         closer viewing, and material from NASA on the mission. The Press Site is        just east of the "Dome" at LC-39 near the VAB. The shuttle while on the pad is  obscured from view by the launch towers.                                                                                                                        Requests for accreditation should be mailed/faxed to the accreditation          secretary two to three weeks prior to launch.  The request must be from a       credible media source and it must be on company letterhead stating the          requester(s) full names, social security number, affiliation and purpose (i.e.  John B. Quick, 111-22-3333, Time Magazine, photographer).  The letter must be   signed by the requester's supervisor/editor/or person in charge.  All calls     concerning accreditation should be given to Leslie.  These requests can be      faxed to [phone].  After you are accredited, you can call the Media tour info number, [phone] for Photo ops, remote camera setups, etc.                                                                                           Public Affairs Office                                                           Attention: Accreditation                                                        M/S PA-MSB                                                                      Kennedy Space Center FL 32899                                                                                                                                   Call [phone] a couple of weeks after submitting the letter to make sure  that your name is on the list as an accredited press type person.                                                                                                                                                                               Static Test Road Passes (Peter Armstrong, [e-mail])                  =======================                                                         This site (just north of the causeway on the cape side) is accessable only via  a "Static Test Road" pass, which is (usually) only obtainable by those involved with shuttle payloads. If you know someone involved with a mission they might   be able to get a pass for you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  VIP Passes (Peter Armstrong, [e-mail] and others)                    ==========                                                                      Astronauts families and other VIP's are situated at the VIP site 1.5 km north-  east of the VAB and away from the press. The site is only 5.15 km away from the pads. It offers great viewing of a launch and is near the site for the new      Apollo exhibit site which will enclose the Saturn V that is now near the VAB.   You can see the backside of Pad B and therefore don't see the initial ignition  very well. These passes are available by NASA invitation only and cannot be     normally "requested".                                                                                                                                           People at the VIP site are taken there via bus from the parking lot of          Spaceport USA.  About ten minutes after the launch the buses return and take    the VIPs back to Spaceport USA.  From there, VIPs must contend with the traffic themselves, which is filled with all the people coming from the Causeway and    Static Test Road sites.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Gold Passes                                                                     ===========                                                                     These are reserved for guest's of the Kennedy Space Center director. You can    basically go _anywhere_ your guide can take you. You generally have to be a     guest of the KSC director to get one of these.                                                                                                                                                                                                  Forward Fireman Team ([e-mail])                          ====================                                                            The absolutely positively best place is to get yourself a place in the Forward  Fireman Team. This is an exceedingly rare thing to come by and takes            considerable political pull but it has been done. This team is the group that   parks 1650 metres from the pad in one or more Armored Personnel Carriers ready  to go in and aid a crew abandoning ship in an extreme emergency. Needless to    say they can tolerate only one or at most two extra persons in and among them.  You stand a better chance if you have had any kind of fireman training -        especially fighting shipboard fires (like Naval veterans) - because then you're more likely to be actually *useful*.                                                                                                                            The noise at that distance is no longer noise. It's just one great big horrible screech. Also, the heat off of the yellow-white hot SRB flame columns is so     terrific that you have to wear those silver colored fire-proof suits and head   coverings. You don't dare leave a camera by itself on a tripod without heat     foil covering because it will likely melt or at least burn up the film inside.                                                                                                                                                                  Anonymous ftp Sites                                                             ===================                                                             Image info provided by (in part) Daniel M. Israel ([e-mail])  and Kevin C. Marsh ([e-mail]):                                                                                                                   ftp://ames.arc.nasa.gov/pub/GIF                                                 ftp://ecf.hq.eso.org                                                            ftp://explorer.arc.nasa.gov/pub/SPACE/GIF                                       ftp://explorer.arc.nasa.gov/pub/SPACE/JPEG                                      ftp://ftp.univ-rennes1.fr                                                       ftp://gipsy.vmars.tuwien.ac.at/pub/spacegifs                                    ftp://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cdrom/image                                           ftp://ftp.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/images                                               ftp://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/pub/images/shuttle                                   ftp://images.jsc.nasa.gov                                                       gopher://images.jsc.nasa.gov                                                    ftp://sseop.jsc.nasa.gov                                                        ftp://stsci.edu                                                                 ftp://wuarchive.wustl.edu/multimedia/images                                                                                                                                                                                                     World Wide Web Pages (thanks to Jim Dumoulin).                                  ====================                                                            http://www.spacecamp.com/             - Space Camp                              http://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/           - NASA Office of Space Flight             http://shuttle.nasa.gov/              - Shuttle Mission Home Page               http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/kscpao.htm - NASA KSC Public Affairs         http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/de/de-systems.html                                                                        - NASA KSC Engineering Development        http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/              - Kennedy Space Center                    http://www.nasa.gov/                  - NASA Home Page                          http://www.nasa.gov/nasa/nasa_hottopics.html  - NASA * Hot Topics *             http://www.nasa.gov/nasa/nasa_subjects/nasa_subjectpage.html                                                          - NASA Information Sources by Subject     http://www.hq.nasa.gov/               - NASA Headquarters                       http://www.arc.nasa.gov/              - Ames Research Center                    http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/dryden.html  - Dryden Flight Research Facilty          http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/GSFC_homepage.html  - Goddard Space Flight Center      http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/              - Jet Propulsion Laboratory               http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/              - Johnson Space Center                    http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/           - NASA JSC Digital Image Collection       http://www.larc.nasa.gov/             - Langley Research Center                 http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/             - Lewis Research Center                   http://www.msfc.nasa.gov/             - Marshall Space Flight Center            http://www.sti.nasa.gov/  - NASA Scientific and Technical Information Program   http://www.nasa.gov/nasa/nasa_affiliates/nasa_institutes.html                                                         - NASA Affiliated Institutes              http://www.nasa.gov/hqpao/other_agencies.html  - Other Space Agencies           http://space.mit.edu/                 - MIT Center for Space Research                                                                                                                                                                           Johnson Space Center BBS                                                        ========================                                                        The Public Affairs Office at the Johnson Space Center operates a BBS to provide information to the public.  Check this board for updates to the Keplerian       element sets during the flight.  To access the BBS, call [phone] using  1200 baud (do NOT connect at 2400 baud), 8-N-1, at the ENTER NUMBER: prompt,    enter "62511" and you will be connected to the BBS.  Direct dial numbers are    [phone] and [phone].  Check file area 30 or 99 for latest       element sets.                                                                                                                                                   NASA JSC's Electronic Space Information BBS is intended to provide 24-hour      access to biographies of NASA officials and astronauts, news releases, space    flight mission press kits and television schedules, space shuttle systems       information, flight manifests and schedules, and other information about the    space program.                                                                                                                                                  Additional X-Windows information and can be obtained by anonymous ftp to        krakatoa.jsc.nasa.gov or 139.169.31.12.  Donations: Much of this library        is comprised of donations by local contributions.  We encourage all donations   concerning X windows such as widgets, programming tools, and other applications.                                                                                                                                                                Marshall Space Flight Center Spacelink                                          ======================================                                          You can also access: THE NASA Spacelink, Huntsville, Alabama, 24 Hours. Has a   great deal of information about NASA's space program, including press releases, shuttle status reports, shuttle press kits, and images.                                                                                                         Telnet            spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov (login as guest)                               WWW                     http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov                          Anonymous FTP           spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov                                 Gopher                  spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov                                 Modem Calls             [phone]  (8-N-1)  (Up to 14.4 bps)                                                                                                                                                                               Science, Technology and Classroom Demonstrations                                ================================================                                Call Argonne National Laboratory 708-252-8241, or Internet newton.dep.anl.gov   or 130.202.92.50.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Jet Propulsion Laboratory                                                       =========================                                                       Anonymous ftp to ftp.jpl.nasa.gov or by dialup modem to [phone], up   to 9600 baud v32/v42bis/MNP5. The www address is http://www.jpl.nasa.gov .                                                                                                                                                                      CD-ROMs                                                                         =======                                                                         For more information on CD-ROMs, telnet to nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov, username:      NODIS (no password).  For a hardcopy catalog phone [phone] or send email  to [e-mail] and ask for the "NASA Earth and Space Science   Data on CD-ROM."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                NASA Press Releases                                                             ===================                                                             NASA press releases and other information are available automatically by        sending an Internet electronic mail message to [e-mail]. In the body of the message (not the subject line) users should type the words                  "subscribe press-release" (no quotes). The system will reply with a             confirmation via E-mail of each subscription. A second automatic message will   include additional information on the service. Questions should be directed to  [phone].                                                                                                                                                                                                                                NASA Headquarters                                                               =================                                                               Anonymous ftp to ftp.pao.hq.nasa.gov in directory pub/pao (has press releases,  shuttle status reports, and shuttle press kits).                                                                                                                                                                                                Orbital Elements                                                                ================                                                                The most current orbital elements from the NORAD two-line element sets are      carried on the Celestial BBS, [phone], and are updated several times     weekly. Documentation and tracking software are also available on this system.  The Celestial BBS may be accessed 24 hours/day at 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, or     9600 bps using 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity. Orbital data available on    T. S. Kelso's BBS is also available by FTP at archive.afit.af.mil, in the       /pub/space directory. The elements are also routinely posted to the             sci.space.news news group. Another good source of Space shuttle 2-line          orbital elements is the RPV ASTRONOMY BBS (310-541-7299). Thanks to T. S. Kelso ([e-mail]).                                                                                                                                           Brian Rehm ([e-mail]) tells us:                                                                                                               ftp://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov/Instructional.Materials/Software/Tracking.Elementsalso contains the latest orbital elements. There is also tracking software      available here for both Macs and PCs.                                                                                                                           There's a list of some 4100+ elements posted weekly at ftp://kilroy.jpl.nasa.   gov/pub/space/elements/satelem. You can also get the entire unclassified NORAD  catalogue (somewhat painfully) from a site at Goddard (anybody have the address for this?).                                                                                                                                                     You won't find the elements for _ALL_ the objects out there, but you will find  a much larger list at ftp://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/pub/sat/satelem. The files are UNIX Z-compressed and have over 3000 objects. To decompress them, just leave    off the .Z when ftping them.                                                                                                                                    Eric Kaercher ([e-mail]) writes:                                                                                                                For the latest information about the Shuttle Elements Mailing List, including   how to subscribe and unsubscribe, access to the archives, etc., send a message  containing only "info elements" in the body of the message to                   "[e-mail]" or read about the list with your web browser at             http://www.cts.com/browse/garym/elements                                                                                                                                                                                                        Teaching Material                                                               =================                                                               If you are or know a teacher, and they would like some teaching material        posters or pictures, have them write to the following address with the          pertinent information:                                                                                                                                          NASA                                                                            PA - ESB                                                                        Kennedy Space Center FL 32899                                                                                                                                   To receive the "NASA Report To Educators" and other NASA publications, write to the address below:                                                                                                                                              Educational Publications Services                                               Mail Code XEP                                                                   NASA Headquarters                                                               Washington DC 20546                                                                                                                                             Serving inquiries related to space exploration and other activities:                                                                                            Teaching Resource Center                                                        NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory                                                  Mail Stop CS-530                                                                4800 Oak Grove Drive                                                            Pasadena CA 91109                                                               [phone]  Fax: [phone]                                                                                                                             If you're interested a phone number and address you can contact for public      information from JPL concerning unmanned planetary exploration:                                                                                                 [phone]                                                                                                                                                  Public Information Office                                                       NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory                                                  Mail Stop 186-120                                                               4800 Oak Grove Drive                                                            Pasadena CA 91109                                                                                                                                               Serving all states through workshops and materials:                                                                                                             National Air and Space Museum                                                   Smithsonian Institution                                                         Education Resource Center, MRC 305                                              Washington DC 20560                                                             [phone]  Fax: [phone]                                                                                                                                                                                                             Keepers of the manifest, in remembrance:                                        Ken Hollis - [e-mail] - 1990 to 9 March 1994                              - Banned from posting to sci.space.shuttle by NASA and Lockheed                                                                                      @START@Comet Shoemaker-Levy Home Page Tops 6 Million Accesses                   COMET SHOEMAKER-LEVY HOME PAGE TOPS 6 MILLION ACCESSES                          December 21, 1995                                                                                                                                               The access count to the Comet Shoemaker-Levy home page at JPL has               recently topped the 6 million mark.   The Comet SL9 home page is still being    updated with the latest news and images on the aftermath of the comet impacts   with Jupiter. With over 1,400 images, the home page has the world's largest     collection of comet impact images  available on the Internet.                                                                                                   The home page can be accessed at:                                                                                                                               http://newproducts.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/                                                                                                                                  ___    _____     ___                                                           /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]      | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |                              ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   Pasadena, CA       | Help!  I've posted and I    /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|                    | can't follow up!            |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     |                                                                                                            @START@Galileo's Ability to Withstand the Conditions of Space                   What is the Temperature of the Galileo Spacecraft?                                                                                                                  The temperature of something in space, like the Galileo spacecraft,         depends on many of the same factors that determine the temperatures of          things on Earth.                                                                                                                                                Some of these factors are:                                                                                                                                      Is the thing in sunlight or shade?                                              Is it made of material that absorbs or reflects heat?                           How is it insulated?                                                            Does it have any internally generated heat?                                     What is it in contact with, or is it near something really cold, like a         block of ice, or near something really hot, like a stove?                                                                                                           Why is temperature important to worry about for a spacecraft?    Just       like your car, the spacecraft has moving parts, fuel (and oxidizer), and        electronics that are designed to work properly only when their                  temperatures are kept within the proper limits.  For example, if it's           really cold outside, your car's oil can become so thick that it doesn't         properly lubricate the engine, the battery may not generate enough              charge, and the coolant may even freeze.  And if it's too hot, your             coolant can boil, causing your engine to overheat.                                                                                                                  The range of temperatures that have to be designed for in space is          even greater than for your car.  For example, the temperature of deep           space is about -270 degrees Celsius, or -454 degrees Fahrenheit, which is       just above absolute zero.  At this temperature, just about everything,          including air, becomes solid. So that means that parts of the spacecraft        which have to face deep space are constantly losing heat to it and must         be heated.  Those parts which have to face the Sun can become very warm,        as much as a couple of hundred degrees Celsius, and they are designed to        be cooled somehow.  In fact, the hottest parts of Galileo are the power         sources, whose outer cases are 220 degrees Celsius, and the coldest part        is the infrared instrument's detector, which is -220 degrees Celsius, a         range of 440 degrees Celsius that has to be designed for!                                                                                                           How are such heating and cooling demands met?  One way is to simply         orient the spacecraft to use the Sun to warm certain parts.  Don't forget,      though, that the variation in solar intensity, which varies by a factor         of 50 from Venus to Jupiter has to be taken into account in the design.         Another technique is the use of special insulation, called multi-layer          insulation, which covers much of the spacecraft to keep in heat (or keep        out heat).  Where heat must be let out, louvers (which open when they are       warm and close again when they are cold - these work on the same                bi-metallic principle as a home thermostat) are used. The location of           components is also designed to direct excess heat from hotter ones to           ones which need additional heat, through conduction and radiation               (infrared), much like a fireplace sends heat out into a room.  The latter       requires that materials and their coatings be carefully selected for the        appropriate heat conductive and radiative properties.  Where the above          methods are insufficient, direct heating by electric heaters or                 radioisotope heater units (which create heat by the decay of radioactive        materials, in this case, plutonium) is used.                                                                                                                        One of the more delicate temperature balancing acts is keeping the          propellant tanks from getting too hot or too warm.  Generally they are          kept at about 16 degrees Celsius.  If they get too cold, the propellant can     freeze, while if they get too warm the pressure might get too high to           safely use the rocket engines.  In fact, much of the electrical power           which is not being used by the instruments or engineering components is         usually directed into the propellant tanks.  Some other typical                 temperatures are the scan platform motor (points the cameras) which will        operate from -10 to 5 degrees Celsius.  The electronics generally range         from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius.  Instrument operating temperatures vary          from -30 to 20 degrees Celsius, depending on their operating mode and           the operation of nearby components.  Noteworthy exceptions are the              camera's detector at -110 degrees Celsius and the previously mentioned          infrared detector.                                                                                                                                                  Given the complexity involved in designing Galileo, it was necessary        to test the spacecraft inside a big chamber that simulated space                conditions to prove all parts would be at the proper temperature.  This         chamber simulates the Sun with special lamps, and has all of the air            drawn out of it to simulate the vacuum of space.  In-flight, there are          about 140 different temperature measurements being radioed back to              analysts on the Galileo flight team, who are constantly checking                to see that they are within prescribed limits.                                                                                                                      As you can see, temerature control of the Galileo spacecraft is a           complex, diversified task that continues to be a rare and exciting              engineering challenge.                                                                                                                                          Jerry M. Millard                                                                Temperature Control and Mechanical Devices Engineering                          Galileo Orbiter Engineering Team                                                                                                                                @START@Cassini Animations Available                                             CASSINI SPACECRAFT ANIMATIONS                                                                                                                                   Six computer animations of the Cassini spacecraft are now available on          the Cassini home page.  Cassini is a joint effort between NASA and ESA to       send an orbiter to Saturn and parachute a probe to the surface of Titan.        The Cassini mission is scheduled for launch in 1997.  The new animations are    available in the "What's Hot" section at:                                                                                                                       http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/cassini/                                                                                                                                The animations are in both MPEG and QuickTime                                   formats, and low and high resolutions versions are also provided.  The          animations are courtesy of the Jet Propulsion Lab and the European Space        Agency.                                                                                                                                                               ___    _____     ___                                                           /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]      | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |                              ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   Pasadena, CA       | Help!  I've posted and I    /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|                    | can't follow up!            |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     |                                                                                                            @START@Space Calendar - 12/28/95                                                Welcome to the Space Calendar!                                                                                                                                  This Space Calendar covers space-related activities and anniversaries           for the upcoming year.  It is also available on the World Wide Web at:                                                                                               http://newproducts.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/                                                                                                                  The WWW version of the Space Calendar includes links to other home pages        that have additional information on that subject.                                                                                                               This calendar is compiled and maintained by Ron Baalke.  Please send any        updates or corrections to [e-mail].  Note that launch dates   are subject to change.  Also, note that anniversary dates are listed in 5 year  increments only.                                                                                                                                                The following people have contributed to this month's calendar:                                                                                                    o Phillippe Berthe - Panamsat/Measat-1 launch is now Jan 9, 1996.                                  - Intelsat 707 launch is Feb 1996.                                              - MUSES-B launch is now Sep 1996.                            o Gunter Krebs     - MSAT-1 launch is now Feb 1996.                             o Steve Newby      - NOAA-K launch is now Aug 1, 1996.                          o Keith Stein      - REX-II launch is Jan 11, 1996.                                                - Hyflex launch is now Jan 31, 1996.                                            - Seastar launch is now Jan 1996.                                               - Conquest launch is Jan 1996.                               o Erik Kuulkers    - Koreasat-2 launch is now Jan 5, 1996.                      o Bob Kozon        - POLAR launch is now Jan 22, 1996.                          o Vladimir Agapov  - Gonets launch is now Feb 9, 1996.                                             - Cosmos launch is Jan 16, 1996.                                                - Gorizont launch is Jan 18, 1996.                                              - Raduga launch is Feb 28, 1996.                                                                                                                                    =========================                                                            SPACE CALENDAR                                                                 December 28, 1995                                                           =========================                                                                                                             * indicates changes from last month's calendar                                                                                                                  December 1995                                                                     Dec ?? - JCSat Launch (Japan)                                                   Dec ?? - KUPON Launch                                                           Dec ?? - Spektrum X Proton Launch (Russia)                                    * Dec 28 - IRS-1C Molniya Launc (Russia)                                        * Dec 29 - XTE (X-Ray Timing Explorer) Delta 2 Launch                             Dec 29 - Galileo, Solar Conjunction Ends                                        Dec 31 - Leap Second Will Occur                                                                                                                                                                                                               January 1996                                                                    * Jan ?? - Seastar Pegasus XL Launch                                            * Jan ?? - Conquest Starfire 1 Launch                                             Jan 01 - 195th Anniversary (1801), Discovery of the First Asteroid (Ceres)               by Piazzi.                                                             Jan 03 - Galileo, Probe Data Playback Begins                                    Jan 03 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower                                              Jan 03 - Earth at Perihelion (91,400,005 miles from Sun)                      * Jan 05 - Koreasat-2 Delta 2 Launch                                            * Jan 09 - Panamsat-3R/Measat-1 Ariane 4 Launch                                   Jan 11 - STS-72, Endeavour, Space Flyer Unit Retrieval                        * Jan 11 - REX-II Pegasus XL Launch                                               Jan 15 - 20th Anniversary (1976), Helios-2 Launch (Solar Orbiter)             * Jan 16 - Cosmos Launch (Russia)                                                 Jan 17 - Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko Perihelion                               * Jan 18 - Gorizont Proton Launch (Russia)                                        Jan 18 - Asteroid 1992 QN Near-Earth Flyby (0.1588 AU)                          Jan 20 - Asteroid Irene at Opposition                                         * Jan 22 - POLAR Delta-2 Launch                                                   Jan 22 - Moon Near Venus & Saturn                                               Jan 24 - Asteroid Aten Near-Earth Flyby (0.2234 AU)                             Jan 24 - 10th Anniversary (1986), Voyager 2 Uranus Flyby                        Jan 28 - 10th Anniversary (1986), Space Shuttle Challenger Explosion          * Jan 31 - Hyflex J-1 Launch (Japan)                                              Jan 31 - Asteroid Eleonora at Opposition                                        Jan 31 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Apollo 14 Launch                              Jan 31 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Luna 9 Launch (Soviet Moon Lander)                                                                                          February 1996                                                                     Feb ?? - SAC-B Pegasus XL Launch                                              * Feb ?? - MSAT-1 Ariane 4 Launch                                               * Feb ?? - Intelsat 707 Ariane 4 Launch                                           Feb 01 - N-Star B Ariane 4 Launch                                               Feb 03 - Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, Closest Approach to Earth (5.2286 AU)    Feb 04 - Clyde Tombaugh's 90th Birthday (1906)                                * Feb 06 - Comet Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova Near-Earth Flyby (0.1702 AU)           * Feb 09 - Gonets Tsiklon-3 Launch (Russia)                                       Feb 09  - Palapa Atlas IIA Launch                                               Feb 11 - Saturn, Rings Edge-On from Earth's Perspective                         Feb 14 - Chiron, Perihelion                                                     Feb 16 - NEAR Delta 2 Launch (Asteroid Eros Orbiter)                            Feb 19 - 10th Anniversary (1986), Mir Space Station Launch (Soviet Union)       Feb 20 - Soyuz TM-23 Launch (Russia)                                            Feb 22 - STS-75, Columbia, Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1R)                   Feb 22 - Venus/Moon Occultation, Visible from Hawaii                          * Feb 28 - Raduga Proton Launch (Russia)                                          Feb 29 - Soyuz TM-22 Returns to Earth                                                                                                                         March 1996                                                                      * Mar ?? - MSX Delta 2 Launch                                                     Mar ?? - Seastar Pegasus Launch                                                 Mar 01 - Astra 1F Proton Launch (Russia)                                        Mar 01 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Venera 3 Impact on Venus                      Mar 04 - 215th Anniversary (1781), Herschel's Discovery of Uranus               Mar 06 - 10th Anniversary (1986), Vega 1, Comet Halley Flyby                    Mar 08 - 10th Anniversary (1986), Suisei, Comet Halley Flyby                    Mar 09 - 10th Anniversary (1986), Vega 2, Comet Halley Flyby                    Mar 10 - Priroda Proton Launch (Russia)                                         Mar 11 - 10th Anniversary (1986), Sakigake, Comet Halley Flyby                  Mar 13 - Galileo, Probe Data Playback Completed                                 Mar 13 - 10th Anniversary (1986), Giotto, Comet Halley Flyby                    Mar 16 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Gemini 8 Launch                               Mar 18 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #3 (OTM-3), Apojove Maneuver          * Mar 21 - STS-76, Atlantis, 3rd Shuttle-Mir Mission, SPACEHAB                    Mar 28 - 10th Anniversary (1986), ICE, Comet Halley Flyby                       Mar 31 - Asteroid 1990 VA, Near-Earth Flyby (0.2253 AU)                         Mar 31 - Asteroid Bacchus, Near-Earth Flyby (0.0678 AU)                         Mar 31 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Luna 10 Launch, 1st Moon Orbiter                                                                                            April 1996                                                                        Apr 01 - Progress M-31 Launch (Russia)                                          Apr 03-04 - Lunar Eclipse                                                       Apr 07 - Daylight Savings, Set Clock Ahead One Hour (USA)                       Apr 12 - 35th Anniversary (1961), 1st Man in Space, Yuri Gagarin                Apr 12 - 15th Annivesrary (1981), 1st Space Shuttle Launch, Columbia, STS-1     Apr 17 - 20th Anniversary (1976), Helios-2 Perihelion (.29 AU from Sun)         Apr 17 - Partial Solar Eclipse, Visible from New Zealand                        Apr 18 - Asteroid Pallas at Opposition                                          Apr 19 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Salyut 1 Launch, 1st Space Station (Soviet U  Apr 20 - Lyrids Meteor Shower                                                   Apr 24 - Cluster Ariane 5 Launch (ESA/NASA)                                     Apr 29 - SAX (X-ray Astronomy Satellite) Atlas Launch                                                                                                         May 1996                                                                          May 04 - Venus at Greatest Brilliancy (Magnititude -4.5)                        May 05 - 35th Anniversary (1961), 1st US Man in Space, Alan Shephard            May 05 - Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower                                             May 07 - Asteroid Vesta at Opposition                                           May 08 - Lunar Occultation of Comet Hale-Bopp                                   May 11 - 80th Anniversary (1916), Albert Einstein's General Theory of                    Relativity                                                             May 14 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #4 (OTM-4)                              May 16 - STS-77, Endeavour, SPACEHAB-4                                          May 18 - Asteroid 1991 JR, Near-Earth Flyby (0.1087 AU)                         May 19 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Mars 2 Launch (Soviet Mars Orbiter/Lander)    May 22 - Pluto at Opposition                                                    May 25 - 35th Anniversary (1961), John F. Kennedy's Moon Goal Speech            May 28 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Mars 3 Launch (Soviet Mars Orbiter/Lander)    May 29 - Asteroid Ceres at Opposition                                           May 30 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Mariner 9 Launch (Mars Orbiter)               May 30 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Surveyor 1 Launch (Moon Soft Lander)                                                                                        June 1996                                                                         Jun 01 - Progress M-32 Launch (Russia)                                          Jun 01-06 - Space 96, Albuquerque, New Mexico                                   Jun 03 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Gemini 9 Launch                               Jun 04 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #5 (OTM-5)                              Jun 11 - Asteroid Icarus Near-Earth Flyby (0.1012 AU)                           Jun 16 - Asteroid 1990MU Near-Earth Flyby (0.2499 AU)                           Jun 20 - Summer Solstice                                                        June 22-23 - Universe '96, Santa Clara, California                            * Jun 27 - Galileo, 1st Ganymede Flyby (Orbit 1)                                  Jun 27 - STS-78, Columbia, Life & Microgravity Spacelab (LMS)                                                                                                 July 1996                                                                         Jul 01 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #6 (OTM-6)                              Jul 04 - Jupiter at Opposition                                                  Jul 05 - Earth at Aphelion (94,512,258 miles from Sun)                          Jul 06 - Soyuz TM-24 Launch (Russia)                                            Jul 09 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #7 (OTM-7)                              Jul 17 - Venus at Greatest Brilliancy (Magnititude -4.5)                        Jul 18 - Neptune at Opposition                                                  Jul 18 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Gemini 10 Launch                              Jul 20 - 20th Anniversary (1976), Viking 1 Mars Landing                         Jul 21 - 35th Anniversary (1961), Mercury 4 Launch                              Jul 25 - Uranus at Opposition                                                   Jul 26 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Apollo 15 Launch                              Jul 29 - Delta-Aquarids Meteor Shower                                                                                                                         August 1996                                                                       Aug ?? - ADEOS/NSCAT Launch                                                     Aug 01 - STS-79, Atlantis, Mir Docking                                        * Aug 01 - NOAA-K Titan 2 Launch                                                  Aug 02 - Asteroid Toro Near Earth Flyby (0.2208 AU)                             Aug 06 - 35th Anniversary (1961), Vostok 2 Launch                               Aug 06 - Asteroid Eger Near Earth Flyby (0.1151 AU)                             Aug 06 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #8 (OTM-8)                              Aug 09 - 20th Anniversary (1976), Luna 24 Launch (Soviet Moon Sample Return)    Aug 10 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Lunar Orbiter 1 Launch                        Aug 12 - Perseids Meteor Shower (Potential Meteor Storm)                        Aug 17 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Pioneer 7 Launch (Solar Orbiter)              Aug 24 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Luna 11 Launch (Soviet Lunar Orbiter)         Aug 25 - 15th Anniversary (1981), Voyager 2 Saturn Flyby                        Aug 28 - Asteroid 1991 CS Near Earth Flyby (0.0620 AU)                                                                                                        September 1996                                                                    Sep ?? - Intelsat 709 & ARD Ariane 5 Launch                                   * Sep ?? - VSOP-Muses-B Launch (Japan)                                            Sep 03 - 20th Anniversary (1976), Viking 2 Mars Landing                         Sep 03 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #9 (OTM-9)                              Sep 06 - Galileo, 2nd Ganymede Flyby (Orbit 2)                                  Sep 11 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #10 (OTM-10)                            Sep 12 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Gemini 11 Launch                              Sep 16 - Asteroid 1989 RS1 Near Earth Flyby (0.1958 AU)                         Sep 22 - Autumnal Equinox (18:00 UT)                                            Sep 23 - 150th Anniversary (1846), J. Galle's Discovery of Neptune              Sep 26 - Saturn at Opposition                                                   Sep 26-27 - Lunar Eclipse                                                       Sep 28 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Luna 19 Launch (Soviet Lunar Orbiter)                                                                                       October 1996                                                                      Oct 04 - Asteroid Juno at Opposition                                            Oct 07 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #11 (OTM-11)                            Oct 09 - Draconids Meteor Shower                                                Oct 10 - 150th Anniversary (1846), William Lassell's Discovery of Neptune's mo           Triton                                                                 Oct 12 - Partial Solar Eclipse                                                  Oct 21 - Orionid Meteor Shower                                                  Oct 22 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Luna 12 Launch (Soviet Lunar Orbiter)         Oct 22 - Asteroid 1989 UQ Near Earth Flyby (0.1505 AU)                          Oct 23 - Asteroid 4947 Ninkasi Near Earth Flby (0.2131 AU)                      Oct 24 - 145th Anniversary (1851), William Lassell's Discovery of Uranus moons           Umbriel and Ariel                                                      Oct 25 - 325th Anniversary (1671), Giovanni Cassini's Discovery of Saturn's mo           Iapetus                                                                Oct 25 - Asteroid 4197 1982 TA Near Earth Flyby (0.0846 AU)                     Oct 27 - Daylight Savings - Set Clock Back One Hour (USA)                       Oct 27 - Asteroid 3908 1980 PA Near Earth Flyby (0.0613 AU)                     Oct 29 - 5th Anniversary (1991), Galileo Flyby of Asteroid Gaspra               Oct 29 - Asteroid 1991 VE Near Earth Flyby (0.0853 AU)                          Oct 30 - 15th Anniversary (1981), Venera 13 Launch (Soviet Venus Lander)                                                                                      November 1996                                                                     Nov 01 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #12 (OTM-12)                            Nov 04 - Galileo, 1st Callisto Flyby (Orbit 3)                                  Nov 04 - Taurids Meteor Shower                                                  Nov 04 - 15th Anniversary (1981), Venera 14 Launch (Venus Flyby/Lander)         Nov 06 - Galileo, Europa Observations (Orbit 3)                                 Nov 06 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Lunar Orbiter 2 Launch                        Nov 07 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #13 (OTM-13)                            Nov 07 - STS-80, Columbia, Wake Shield Facility (WSF-03)                        Nov 08 - Edmund Halley's 340th Birthday (1656)                                  Nov 11 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Gemini 12 Launch                              Nov 14 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Mariner 9 Mars Orbit Insertion                Nov 14 - Andromedids Meteor Shower                                              Nov 17 - Leonids Meteor Shower                                                  Nov 23 - Asteroid 1993WD Near-Earth Flyby (0.2466 AU)                           Nov 27 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #14 (OTM-14)                            Nov 27 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Mars 2 Mars Orbit Insertion/Lander Crash               (Soviet Union)                                                         Nov 29 - Asteroid 4179 Toutatis Near-Earth Flyby (0.0359 AU)                                                                                                  December 1996                                                                   * Dec 02 - Mars Pathfinder Delta 2 launch (Mars Lander/Rover)                   * Dec 02 - 25th Anniversary (1971), Mars 2 Mars Orbit Insertion/Mars Landing    * Dec 05 - STS-81, Atlantis, 5th Shuttle-Mir Mission, SPACEHAB                  * Dec 13 - Geminids Meteor Shower                                               * Dec 14 - Tycho Brahe's 450th Birthday (1546)                                  * Dec 15 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Dollfus' Discovery of Saturn Moon Janus     * Dec 16 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #15 (OTM-15)                          * Dec 19 - Galileo, 1st Europa Flyby (Orbit 4)                                  * Dec 22 - Galileo, Orbital Trim Maneuver #16 (OTM-16)                          * Dec 22 - Ursids Meteor Shower                                                 * Dec 22 - 30th Anniversary (1966), Luna 13 Launch (Soviet Moon Lander)         * Dec 27 - Johannes Kepler's 425th Birthday (1571)                                                                                                                    ___    _____     ___                                                           /_ /|  /____/ \  /_ /|     Ron Baalke         | [e-mail]      | | | |  __ \ /| | | |     Jet Propulsion Lab |                              ___| | | | |__) |/  | | |__   Pasadena, CA       | Help!  I've posted and I    /___| | | |  ___/    | |/__ /|                    | can't follow up!            |_____|/  |_|/       |_____|/                     |                                                                                                            @START@Possible Global Dust Storm on Mars                                       -----------------------------------------------------------------------         CLANCY MILLIMETER OBSERVATIONS INDICATE POSSIBLE GLOBAL DUST ACTIVITY           ON MARS: VISUAL CONFIRMATION HIGHLY DESIRED                                     -----------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                           Todd Clancy (CU/LASP) reports that observations from Kitt Peak                indicate that a large-scale dust storm is likely occurring on Mars.                                                                                               Todd is observing Mars with the 12-m NRAO telescope, measuring                atmospheric CO absorption lines at millimeter wavelengths.  Normally,           under clear atmospheric conditions, there is a large enough temperature         difference between the Martian surface and atmosphere to result in the          formation of absorption features having high contrast.  However, under          dusty conditions, the surface-atmospheric temperature difference is smaller,    and the absorption feature constrast is substantially decreased.                                                                                                   Todd reports that observations from Kitt Peak this week (at Ls=222)          reveal lower CO absorption band contrast than usual, indicating                 an estimated >=20K elevation in the atmospheric temperature above the           10-20 km level.  This amount of atmospheric heating is consistent with a        global-scale dust storm event, similar in nature though not as                  large as the events reported by Clancy and colleagues Grossman and              Muhleman during April 1994 and April 1992.  Todd notes that since this storm    has apparently just begun (atmospheric heating was not detected in this         year's observations prior to Ls=222), it is probably only in the                early to mid stages of the dust buildup.  Additional millimeter observations    are planned for this weekend and later in January in order to confirm the       storm and to more accurately quantify the dust opacity.                                                                                                            It would be highly desirable to obtain visual confirmation of                this dust event, both in order to scrutinize the storm itself as                well as to "practice" obtaining the types of groundbased support                observations that are needed by the upcoming Mars Pathfinder mission.           However, this is a difficult and challenging task, as Mars is                   currently only 4.0 arcsec in apparent diameter and only 13 degrees              from the Sun (and approaching conjunction).  Both professional and              amateur observers who can observe Mars now are encouraged to do so              to try to provide visual verification and additional information about          the character of the dust storm.  Unfortunately, the Hubble Space               Telescope will not be able to observe Mars until September because of           solar phase angle limitations.                                                                                                                                     Please pass along this information to interested colleagues, and             feel free to send along any questions, comments, or observing progress          reports to the email address listed below.                                                                                                                      -------------------------------------------------------------------------       Jim Bell                                                                        -----------------------------------------------------------------               Cornell University                                                              Department of Astronomy                                                         Center for Radiophysics and Space Research                                      424 Space Sciences Building                                                     Ithaca, NY 14853-6801                                                           phone: [phone]                                                             fax: [phone]                                                               email: [e-mail]                                           WWW: http://marswatch.tn.cornell.edu                                            -------------------------------------------------------------------------       @START@Meteorite Recovered in Japan                                                                                                                             On NHK International satellite TV (Monday morning, Japan time)                  it was announced that a large meteorite fragmented over Ibaraki                 prefecture on Sunday afternoon. The broadcast featured residents                of Urawa city talking about the appearance of the fireball.                                                                                                     A small fragment was recovered (near Tsukuba city), apparently                  a stony meteorite with inclusions of iron/nickel. NHK reported                  that this was confirmed to be meteoric by a local museum. It                    was claimed that the parent body was quite large, roughly 10                    meters in diameter, although only one small fragment was                        immediately recovered.                                                                                                                                          In the Tenmon Guido (Japan's premere amateur astronomy magazine)                you read articles about extensive meteorite seaches, so I'm sure                there will be many people out searching though the countyside.                                                                                                                                       --- Steve Johnston.                                                                                                        ----------------------------------------------------------------                Forwarded from Yoshiro Yamada:                                                                                                                                  Today's newspapers and TV news reported that a fireball appeared over           Saitama and Ibaraki prefectures about 16:20 (UTC+9h) on January 7.              The fireball travelled in an approximately easterly direction.                  An explosive sound was reported.                                                The event was captured on photo/video recording by the residents.               A probable fragment (5cm, 60g) of the meteorite also was found.                                                                                                 Yoshiro Yamada                                                                  Astronomy Section                                                               Yokohama Science Center                                                         [e-mail]                                                                                                                                                @START@Jonathan's Space Report No. 272                                          Jonathan's Space Report                                                         No. 272                       1996 Jan 11                   Cambridge, MA       --------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                Shuttle                                                                         -------                                                                                                                                                         Space Shuttle Endeavour was launched on 1996 Jan 11,  at 0941:00 UTC,           beginning mission STS-72. Endeavour entered a 66 x 455 km x 28.5 deg            transfer orbit at main engine cutoff (0949:35), followed                        by separation of the ET-75 external tank (0949:47). The OMS-2 apogee burn       at 1024:30 placed the OV-105 spacecraft in a 180 x 460 km orbit.                The NSR rendezvous burn tomorrow will place Endeavour on track                  to meet up with the SFU satellite, currently in a 469 x 478 km                  x 28.5 deg orbit. The Japanese National Space Development Agency's              Space Flyer Unit (SFU) was launched by an H-II rocket in Mar 1995.              A NASDA astronaut, Koichi Wakata, is a member of the STS-72 crew.                                                                                               The STS-72 launch was unusual in that for the first time there                  was no mission requirement for a transatlantic landing (TAL)                    abort site, since with a single engine failure the Orbiter could                have made it either to orbit or back to the Cape at all times                   during the ascent. Two engine failures might have caused the                    crew to go to the Banjul, Gambia, site since the weather                        was bad at the mission's nominal TAL site at Ben Guerir,                        Morocco.                                                                                                                                                        Payloads on STS-72 include the Spartan 206 satellite (known                     also as OAST Flyer) and the EDFT-3 spacewalk experiment.                                                                                                        Errata                                                                          -------                                                                                                                                                         In JSR 271A, the Start launch fell on Russia, not the Sea of Okhotsk as         originally reported. NIITT should read MITT - Moscow Institute of               Thermal Technology. Gals-2 was procured and delivered on orbit to Land          by AO Informkosmos, so change owner to Informkosmos/Land. The UNAMSAT           was built by Moscow State University for UNAM. Molniya-3 is probably            owned by MSvyazi (Russian Federation Ministry of Communications).               Finally, it is more accurate to call the Foton and Resurs buses 'Zenit',        instead of 'Vostok', the design is ultimately derived from the                  Vostok and Zenit spacecraft first built in 1960-63.                                                                                                             In JSR 271B, the Israeli Shaviyt was omitted from the summary table, and        an extra Zenit appeared mysteriously. The totals should have read 80            launches, not 79. The Soyuz launchers are from TsSKB/Progress, not              Energiya.                                                                                                                                                       Recent Launches                                                                 --------------                                                                                                                                                  IRS-1C raised its orbit on Jan 1 from 805 x 817 km to 816 x 818 km.                                                                                             The Skipper satellite (JSR270) will investigate UV emission from a body         entering the Earth's atmosphere. It will dip in and out of the                  atmosphere in a low perigee orbit. (Thanks to Gunter Krebs for info).           However, as of Jan 10 Skipper was still being recorded by Space Command         in its original 804 x 813 km orbit. (To be more precise, there are              three objects from the 1995-72 launch. Object A, identified as IRS,             raised its orbit. Objects B and C, which I am assuming are Skipper              and the 2BL rocket stage, are in the 804 x 813 km orbit. Space Command          has not as far as I know identified either object as Skipper. It is possible    that Skipper is actually a fourth, uncataloged object but at the moment         I find this unlikely.)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Table of Recent Launches                                                        ------------------------                                                        Date UT       Name            Launch Vehicle  Site            Mission    INTL.                                                                             DES.                                                                                 Dec  2 0808   SOHO             Atlas IIAS     Canaveral LC36B Astronomy   65A   Dec  5 2118   USA 116          Titan 4        Vandenberg SLC4E Recon      66A   Dec  6 2323   Telecom 2C   )   Ariane 44L     Kourou ELA2     Comsat      67A                 Insat 2C     )                                  Comsat      67B   Dec 14 0610   Kosmos-2323  )                                  Navsat      68A                 Kosmos-2324  )   Proton-K/DM2   Baykonur LC200L Navsat      68B                 Kosmos-2325  )                                  Navsat      68C   Dec 15 0023   Galaxy IIIR      Atlas IIA      Canaveral LC36A Comsat      69A   Dec 18 1431   Progress M-30    Soyuz-U        Baykonur LC1    Cargo ship  70A   Dec 20 0052   Kosmos-2326      Tsiklon-2      Baykonur LC90   Eorsat/Sci  71A   Dec 28 0645   IRS-1C     )     Molniya-M      Baykonur LC31   Rem.sensing 72A                 Skipper    )                                    Military    72B   Dec 28 1150   Echostar 1       Chang Zheng 2E Xichang         Comsat      73A   Dec 30 1348   XTE              Delta 7920     Canaveral LC17A Astronomy   74A   Jan 11 0941   Endeavour        Shuttle        Kennedy LC39B   Spaceship   01A                                                                                                                                                                   Payloads no longer in orbit                                                     --------------------------                                                                                                                                      Nov  5        Columbia        Landed at KSC                                     Nov 18        Molniya-1 (80-92A) Reentered                                      Nov 20        Atlantis        Landed at KSC                                     Dec  7        Galileo Probe   Entered Jovian atmosphere                         Dec 11        Kosmos-398      Reentered over Pacific                            Dec 18        Kosmos-2305     Deorbited                                                                                                                         Current Shuttle Processing Status                                               ____________________________________________                                                                                                                    Orbiters               Location   Mission    Launch Due                                                                                                         OV-102 Columbia        OPF Bay 2     STS-75  Feb 22                             OV-103 Discovery       Palmdale      OMDP                                       OV-104 Atlantis        OPF Bay 1     STS-76  Mar 21                             OV-105 Endeavour       LEO           STS-72                                                                                                                     ML/SRB/ET/OV stacks                                                                                                                                             ML1/                      LC39B      STS-72                                     ML2/                                                                            ML3/RSRM-53               VAB Bay 1  STS-75                                                                                                                     .-------------------------------------------------------------------------.     |  Jonathan McDowell                 |  phone : [phone]            |     |  Harvard-Smithsonian Center for    |                                    |     |   Astrophysics                     |                                    |     |  60 Garden St, MS6                 |                                    |     |  Cambridge MA 02138                |  inter : [e-mail]    |     |  USA                               |          [e-mail] |     |                                                                         |     | JSR: http://hea-www.harvard.edu/QEDT/jcm/space/jsr/jsr.html             |     |      ftp://sao-ftp.harvard.edu/pub/jcm/space/news/news.*                |     '-------------------------------------------------------------------------'                                                                                     @START@Littles Named Director of Marshall Space Flight Center                   Brian Welch                                                                     Headquarters, Washington, DC            January 16, 1996                        (Phone:  [phone])                                                                                                                                          David Drachlis                                                                  Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL                                    (Phone:  [phone])                                                                                                                                          RELEASE:  96-3                                                                                                                                                  LITTLES NAMED DIRECTOR OF MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER                                                                                                               Dr. J. Wayne Littles has been named the new Director of                    the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, NASA                        Administator Daniel S. Goldin announced today. Littles will                     assume his new post on Feb. 3.                                                                                                                                       Littles currently serves as the Associate Administrator                    for the Office of Space Flight. He will replace G. Porter                       Bridwell, who announced Jan. 11 he was retiring from NASA                       after 34 years of service.                                                                                                                                           "Dr. Littles has the necessary managerial and technical                    experience to lead Marshall into the 21st century," Goldin                      said. "As the Agency's Center of Excellence for space                           propulsion, I want Marshall to lead the world in research                       and development of next generation propulsion systems. Dr.                      Littles is uniquely qualified to provide the leadership                         necessary to meet that challenge."                                                                                                                                   Pending selection of a replacement, Wilbur Trafton, who                    currently serves as the director of the international Space                     Station program, will be the acting Associate Administrator                     for the Office of Space Flight.                                                                                                                                      As the head of the Office of Space Flight, Littles                         directed both the Space Shuttle and Space Station programs                      for NASA.  During his tenure, NASA restructured the Space                       Station program, streamlined the management of the program                      by putting it under a single prime contractor, and led                          discussions with the Russian Space Agency concerning their                      participation and contributions to the international Space Station.                                                                                                  Littles has led the Space Shuttle program through an                       extensive redefinition of requirements and put in place a                       restructured program which has achieved significant cost                        savings while maintaining safety as the highest priority.                       Most recently, Littles has been leading the effort to                           consolidate Shuttle operations under a single prime                             contractor to further reduce overlap, streamline operations                     and reduce costs.                                                                                                                                                    Littles will be returning as director of the same NASA                     Center where he began his federal career in 1967 as an                          engineer in the former Propulsion and Vehicle Engineering                       Directorate. Littles spent 24 years at Marshall in positions                    of increasing responsibility, eventually becoming the Deputy                    Director in July 1989.                                                                                                                                               He left Marshall in January 1994 when Goldin named him                     as the Agency's Chief Engineer where he oversaw the                             technical readiness and execution of all NASA programs. He                      was named to the post of Associate Administrator for Space                      Flight in November 1994.                                                                                                                                        @START@Voyager Project Home Page                                                The Voyager Project home page is now available:                                                                                                                 http://vraptor.jpl.nasa.gov/voyager/voyager.html                                                                                                                Voyager 1 and 2 were launched in 1977 to encounter Jupiter and Saturn.          After the Saturn encounter, Voyager 2 went on to become the first               spacecraft to visit Uranus (1986) and Neptune (1989).  Both spacecraft continue to operate and are well beyond the orbit of Pluto in their current search       for the heliopause boundary.  The two Voyager spacecraft have sufficient        electrical power and propellant to continue operating until the year 2020.                                                                                      Below are some gee-whiz facts on the Voyager mission.                                                                                                           Ron Baalke                                                                      -------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                                                       GEE-WHIZ Stuff About The Voyager Project                                                                                                                        The Voyager mission was officially approved in May 1972, has received the       dedicated efforts of many skilled personnel for over two decades, and has       returned more new knowledge about the outer planets than had existed in all of  the preceding history of astronomy and planetary science. And the two Voyager   machines are still performing like champs.                                                                                                                      It must come as no surprise that there are many remarkable, "gee-whiz" facts    associated with the various aspects of the Voyager mission. These tidbits have  been summarized below in appropriate categories. Several may seem difficult to  believe, but they are all true and accurate.                                                                                                                    OVERALL MISSION                                                                                                                                                    * The total cost of the Voyager mission from May 1972 through the Neptune         encounter (including launch vehicles, nuclear-power-source RTGs, and DSN        tracking support) is 865 million dollars. At first, this may sound very         expensive, but the fantastic returns are a bargain when we place the costs      in the proper perspective. It is important to realize that:                       1.  on a per-capita basis, this is only 20 cents per U.S. resident per             year, or roughly half the cost of one candy bar each year since                 project inception.                                                           2. the daily interest on the U.S. national debt is a major fraction of             the entire cost of Voyager.                                                                                                                              * A total of 11,000 workyears will have been devoted to the Voyager project       through the Neptune encounter. This is equivalent to one-third the amount       of effort estimated to complete the great pyramid at Giza to King Cheops.                                                                                     * A total of five trillion bits of scientific data will have been returned        to Earth by both Voyager spacecraft at the completion of the Neptune            encounter. This represents enough bits to encode over 6000 complete sets        of the Encyclopedia Brittanica, and is equivalent to about 1000 bits of         information provided to each person on Earth.                                                                                                                 * The sensitivity of our deep-space tracking antennas located around the          world is truly amazing. The antennas must capture Voyager information from      a signal so weak that the power striking the antenna is only 10-16 watts        (1 part in 10 quadrillion). A modern-day electronic digital watch operates      at a power level 20 billion times greater than this feeble level.                                                                                          VOYAGER SPACECRAFT                                                                                                                                                 * Each Voyager spacecraft comprises 65,000 individual parts. Many of these        parts have a large number of "equivalent" smaller parts such as                 transistors. One computer memory alone contains over one million                equivalent electronic parts, with each spacecraft containing some five          million equivalent parts. Since a color TV set contains about 2500              equivalent parts, each Voyager has the equivalent electronic circuit            complexity of some 2000 color TV sets.                                                                                                                        * Like the HAL computer aboard the ship Discovery from the famous science         fiction story 2001: A Space Odyssey, each Voyager is equipped with              computer programming for autonomous fault protection. The Voyager system        is one of the most sophisticated ever designed for a deep-space probe.          There are seven top-level fault protection routines, each capable of            covering a multitude of possible failures. The spacecraft can place itself      in a safe state in a matter of only seconds or minutes, an ability that is      critical for its survival when round-trip communication times for Earth         stretch to several hours as the spacecraft journeys to the remote outer         solar system.                                                                                                                                                 * Both Voyagers were specifically designed and protected to withstand the         large radiation dosage during the Jupiter swing-by. This was accomplished       by selecting radiation-hardened parts and by shielding very sensitive           parts. An unprotected human passenger riding aboard Voyager 1 during its        Jupiter encounter would have received a radiation dose equal to one             thousand times the lethal level.                                                                                                                              * The Voyager spacecraft can point its scientific instruments on the scan         platform to an accuracy of better than one-tenth of a degree. This is           comparable to bowling strike-after-strike ad infinitum, assuming that you       must hit within one inch of the strike pocket every time. Such precision        is necessary to properly center the narrow-angle picture whose square           field-of-view would be equivalent to the width of a bowling pin.                                                                                              * To avoid smearing in Voyager's television pictures, spacecraft angular          rates must be extremely small to hold the cameras as steady as possible         during the exposure time. Each spacecraft is so steady that angular rates       are typically 15 times slower than the motion of a clock's hour hand. But       even this will not be quite steady enough at Neptune, where light levels        are 900 times fainter than those on Earth. Spacecraft engineers have            already devised ways to make Voyager 30 times steadier than the hour hand       on a clock.                                                                                                                                                   * The electronics and heaters aboard each nearly one-ton Voyager spacecraft       can operate on only 400 watts of power, or roughly one-fourth that used by      an average residential home in the western United States.                                                                                                     * A set of small thrusters provides Voyager with the capability for attitude      control and trajectory correction. Each of these tiny assemblies has a          thrust of only three ounces. In the absence of friction, on a level road,       it would take nearly six hours to accelerate a large car up to a speed of       48 km/h (30 mph) using one of the thrusters.                                                                                                                  * The Voyager scan platform can be moved about two axes of rotation. A            thumb-sized motor in the gear train drive assembly (which turns 9000            revolutions for each single revolution of the scan platform) will have          rotated five million revolutions from launch through the Neptune                encounter. This is equivalent to the number of automobile crankshaft            revolutions during a trip of 2725 km (1700 mi).                                                                                                               * The Voyager gyroscopes can detect spacecraft angular motion as little as        one ten-thousandth of a degree. The Sun's apparent motion in our sky moves      over 40 times that amount in just one second.                                                                                                                 * The tape recorder aboard each Voyager has been designed to record and           playback a great deal of scientific data. The tape head should not begin        to wear out until the tape has been moved back and forth through a              distance comparable to that across the United States. Imagine playing a         two-hour video cassette on your home VCR once a day for the next 22 years,      without a failure.                                                                                                                                            * The Voyager magnetometers are mounted on a frail, spindly, fiberglass boom      that was unfurled from a two-foot-long can shortly after the spacecraft         left Earth. After the boom telescoped and rotated out of the can to an          extension of nearly 13 meters (43 feet), the orientations of the                magnetometer sensors were controlled to an accuracy better than two             degrees.                                                                                                                                                   NAVIGATION                                                                                                                                                         * Each Voyager used the enormous gravity field of Jupiter to be hurled on to      Saturn, experiencing a Sun-relative speed increase of roughly 35,700 mph.       As total energy within the solar system must be conserved, Jupiter was          initially slowed in its solar orbit---but by only one foot per trillion         years. Additional gravity-assist swing-bys of Saturn and Uranus were            necessary for Voyager 2 to complete its Grand Tour flight to Neptune,           reducing the trip time by nearly twenty years when compared to the              unassisted Earth-to-Neptune route.                                                                                                                            * The Voyager delivery accuracy at Neptune of 100 km (62 mi), divided by the      trip distance or arc length traveled of 7,128,603,456 km (4,429,508,700         mi), is equivalent to the feat of sinking a 3630 km (2260 mi) golf putt,        assuming that the golfer can make a few illegal fine adjustments while the      ball is rolling across this incredibly long green.                                                                                                            * Voyager's fuel efficiency (in terms of mpg) is quite impressive. Even           though most of the launch vehicle's 700 ton weight is due to rocket fuel,       Voyager 2's great travel distance of 7.1 billion km (4.4 billion mi) from       launch to Neptune results in a fuel economy of about 13,000 km per liter        (30,000 mi per gallon). As Voyager 2 streaks by Neptune and coasts out of       the solar system, this economy will get better and better!                                                                                                 SCIENCE                                                                                                                                                            * The resolution of the Voyager narrow-angle television cameras is sharp          enough to read a newspaper headline at a distance of 1 km (0.62 mi).                                                                                          * Pele, the largest of the volcanoes seen on Jupiter's moon Io, is throwing       sulfur and sulfur-dioxide products to heights 30 times that of Mount            Everest, and the fallout zone covers an area the size of France. The            eruption of Mount St. Helens was but a tiny hiccup in comparison                (admittedly, Io's surface-level gravity is some six times weaker than that      of Earth).                                                                                                                                                    * The smooth water-ice surface of Jupiter's moon Europa may hide an ocean         beneath, but some scientists believe any past oceans have turned to slush       or ice. In 2010: Odyssey Two, Arthur C. Clarke wraps his story around the       possibility of life developing within the oceans of Europa.                                                                                                   * The rings of Saturn appeared to the Voyagers as a dazzling necklace of          10,000 strands. Trillions of ice particles and car-sized bergs race along       each of the million-kilometer-long tracks, with the traffic flow                orchestrated by the combined gravitational tugs of Saturn, a retinue of         moons and moonlets, and even nearby ring particles. The rings of Saturn         are so thin in proportion to their 171,000 km (106,000 mi) width that, if       a full-scale model were to be built with the thickness of a phonograph          record the model would have to measure four miles from its inner edge to        its outer rim. An intricate tapestry of right-article patterns is created       by many complex dynamic interactions that have spawned new theories of          wave and particle motion.                                                                                                                                     * Saturn's largest moon Titan was seen as a strange world with its dense          atmosphere and variety of hydrocarbons that slowly fall upon seas of            ethane and methane. To some scientists, Titan, with its principally             nitrogen atmosphere, seemed like a small Earth whose evolution had long         ago been halted by the arrival of its ice age, perhaps deep-freezing a few      organic relics beneath its present surface.                                                                                                                   * The rings of Uranus are so dark that Voyager's challenge of taking their        picture was comparable to the task of photographing a pile of charcoal          briquettes at the foot of a Christmas tree, illuminated only by a 1 watt        bulb at the top of the tree, using ASA-64 film. And Neptune light levels        will be less than half those at Uranus.                                                                                                                    THE FUTURE                                                                                                                                                         * The solar system does not end at the orbit of Pluto, the ninth planet. Nor      does it end at the heliopause boundary, where the solar wind can no longer      continue to expand outward against the interstellar wind. It extends over       a thousand times farther out where a swarm of small cometary nuclei,            termed Oort's Cloud, is barely held in orbit by the Sun's gravity, feeble       at such a great distance. Voyager 1 passed above the orbit of Pluto in May      1988, and Voyager 2 will pass beneath Pluto's orbit in august 1990. But         even at speeds of over 35,000 mph, it will take nearly 20,000 years for         the Voyagers to reach the middle of the comet swarm, and possibly twice         this long for them to pass the outer boundaries of cometary space. By this      time, they will have traveled a distance of two light-years, equivalent to      half of the distance to Proxima Centauri, the nearest star.                                                                                                   * Barring any serious spacecraft subsystem failures, the Voyagers may             survive until the early twenty-first century, when diminishing power and        hydrazine levels will prevent further operation. Were it not for these          dwindling consumables and the possibility of losing lock on the faint Sun,      our tracking antennas could continue to "talk" with the Voyagers for            another century or two!                                                    @START@Model Trek--The Reviews--Enterprise B                                    Model Trek:                                                                     The Review                                                                                                                                                      Name of the Kit:                        USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B               Stock # of the Kit:                     8762                                    Name & Address of Kit Maker:            The ERTL COMPANY, Inc.                                                          P.O. Box 500                                                                    Dyersville, Iowa   52040-0500                           Telephone:              800/553-4886                                            E-Mail Address:         None                                    Special Tools Required:                 Airbrush                                                                                                                OVERVIEW                                                                                                                                                        Skill Level:                            2                                       Number of Pieces:                       49                                      Quality of Detail & Moldings:           Good                                    Fit & Finish:                           Good                                                                                                                    IN-DEPTH REVIEW                                                                                                                                                 The USS Enterprise, NCC-1701-B is one of the new generation AMT                 models for the Star Trek line.  AMT is the original licensee of                 the Star Trek model line and historically has not produced models               that were of very good quality or better.                                                                                                                       The newer generation model kits, which started with the USS                     Enterprise D several years ago have improved on the overall fit                 and finish of the models, but the moldings still leave something                to be desired.  I don't know whether it's the molding process that              AMT uses, or the quality of the plastics, but their models still                suffer from excess flash and problems with difficult separation                 from the parts trees which inevitably leave small indentions in                 the parts which must be sanded carefully before painting and                    assembly.  This model was no different, although the flash was                  kept to a minimum.  There are still obvious seams on several of                 the parts that must be carefully sanded, and in a few spots you                 have to use filler to close up gaps between pieces (see Tips &                  Tricks below).                                                                                                                                                  This kit shares several common pieces with the USS Excelsior kit                released late last year.  The lower primary hull, impulse engine                shroud and hull bows are the same as are the pieces for the warp                drive pylon and the basic warp nacelle structure.  The upper                    primary hull and the secondary hull are different, as well as                   several detail pieces which have been added to the warp nacelles.               My kit even included a navigational deflector piece from the                    Excelsior kit which is not usable with this kit.                                                                                                                One piece which is distinctively different is the stand, which is               of very poor quality.  Although it looks OK, once you've completed              the model and placed it on the stand, you'll quickly discover how               flimsy the upright piece is as you model begins to list to one side.            Mine looks like it's flying at 45 degress to port.  I've ordered                another stand from the Excelsior kit to use with the Enterprise B.              I would suggest you do the same.  (Parts can be ordered from the                address given above.)                                                                                                                                           The assembly portion of the instructions included with the model                were easy to follow, however you'll have to pay very close attention            to the painting instructions if you don't want to mess things up.                                                                                               AMT has also started to supply separate painting and decal instructions         with some of it's larger Star Trek models, including this one.  This            is a feature that I really appreciate from a model maker.  This kit,            like the Excelsior, has a lot of detail painting, so an airbrush will           come in very handy for some of the larger detail areas.  Additionally,          the painting instructions don't suggest an overall color to use; an             oversight AMT has had with most of it's Star Trek kits.                                                                                                         TIPS & TRICKS                                                                                                                                                   Gluing Together                                                                                                                                                 Assembly of the kit is very easy although you need to take care to              paint a lot of your pieces before you actually assemble them together.          I prefer to assemble the main pieces and then paint them, but because           of the model design, that's often not possible.  This means that you'll         have to do some extra sanding and filling after the pieces are finally          glued together, and then some touch up work over the sanded and filled          areas.                                                                                                                                                          After assembling the upper (201) and lower (2) primary hull pieces, as          well as the impulse engine shroud (16), turn the unit over so the lower         hull (2) is face up.  You may find that there is a gap between the              pieces.  User some model filler to fill in this gap, and after everything       dries, sand the filler smooth and flush with the other surfaces.  You           can now paint this section as a unit before adding the remaining pieces         as outlined in part 1 (A) and (B) of the instructions.                                                                                                          The remaining pieces are assembled as the instructions outline.  Be sure        to follow the painting instructions given in each section carefully before      your actually assemble the pieces and allow plenty of time for the paint        to dry before handling the parts.                                                                                                                               Painting                                                                                                                                                        I used Testor's Flat White paint as my overall color for the model.  I          prefer the flat paint to the gloss because it dries much quicker and            (I think) looks much better.  It also makes handling the pieces much            easier and goes on in thinner coats than the gloss paints do.                                                                                                   All of the smaller clear parts are painted red, while the warp nacelle          field generators (102) are painted a medium transparent blue and the            inner (100) and outer (101) warp drive radiators are painted a dark             grey. Remember that when painting clear pieces such as this to apply            the paint to the inside surface only.                                                                                                                           Before final assembly of the main pieces, use the separate decal and            painting instructions as a guideline for masking off the pieces and             paint your major detail areas.  Once everything dries, apply your               decals to each main section and then do your final assembly.                                                                                                    CONCLUSION                                                                                                                                                      The Excelsior class ships have been growing on me in terms of looks             over the past few years.  I always felt the ship was awkward looking            because of the small saucer section compared to the overall size of             the ship.  The Enterprise B makes up for this with the second set of            impulse drive engines which increase the size of the saucer section             a little.  Additionally, the paint details of this class of starship            are much better than any of the other ships to date, which makes for            a visually interesting model.                                                                                                                                   This is an fun kit to build, and you can easily customize it to your            liking.  If you take the time to follow the basic paint scheme                  included with the instructions, with only a few modifications on your           own part, you'll end up with a handsome model that you can be proud             to display.                                                                                                                                                     Greg                                                                            _____________________________________________________________________           Model Trek: The Review is copyright 1995 by Gregory L. Havican                  Reviews may not be reproduced on CD-ROM or any commercial computer              network without the express written consent of the author.                                                                                                      E-Mail: [e-mail]                                                     URL: http://www.io.com/~topman4u/ModelTrek.html                                 _____________________________________________________________________                                                                                           Greg Havican          /   "You! Out of the pool!" -- gene police                ---------------------/------------------------------------------                [e-mail] /   http://www.io.com/~topman4u                             Finger for PGP Key /   Check out Model Trek: The Reviews at:                                      /   http://www.io.com/~topman4u/ModelTrek.html                ----------------------------------------------------------------                The soc.motss FAQ, HTML version is available at:                                http://www.io.com/~topman4u/newfaq1.html OR                                     http://www.skepsis.com/.glbo/motss/newfaq1.html                                                                                                                 @START@TREK RATE results (TAS)                                                  This is one of seven posts with the results of the TREK RATE survey             for how well USENETters like TREK episodes.  There is also an accompanying      ballot in a separate post.                                                                                                                                      RATE is the average rating the episode got on a scale of zero to one (one       being highest).                                                                                                                                                 NUM is the number of unique votes that particular episode has received.                                                                                         EPISODE NAME is the episode name, followed by what series it is from            (A)=TAS, (B)=novels, (D)=DS9, (M)=movies, (N)=TNG, (O)=TOS, (V)=Voyager                                                                                         RATE  NUM EPISODE NAME                                                          ===== === =================================================================     0.332  18 BEM (A)                                                               0.385  22 INFINITE VULCAN, THE (A)                                              0.428  18 HOW SHARPER THAN A SERPENT'S TOOTH (A)                                0.436  20 LORELEI SIGNAL, THE (A)                                               0.461  18 AMBERGRIS ELEMENT, THE (A)                                            0.465  15 TERRATIN INCIDENT, THE (A)                                            0.470  14 BEYOND THE FARTHEST STAR (A)                                          0.473  15 PIRATES OF ORION, THE (A)                                             0.485  18 JIHAD (A)                                                             0.496  18 MAGICKS OF MEGAS-TU, THE (A)                                          0.517  18 PRACTICAL JOKER (A)                                                   0.523  13 SURVIVOR, THE (A)                                                     0.540  15 ONCE UPON A PLANET (A)                                                0.542  19 EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, THE (A)                                          0.550  15 ONE OF OUR PLANETS IS MISSING (A)                                     0.557  13 ALBATROS (A)                                                          0.587  19 MUDD'S PASSION (A)                                                    0.616  17 COUNTER CLOCK INCIDENT, THE (A)                                       0.645  21 MORE TRIBBLES, MORE TROUBLES (A)                                      0.694  20 TIME TRAP (A)                                                         0.733  22 SLAVER WEAPON (A)                                                     0.765  23 YESTERYEAR (A)                                                                                                                                        @START@TREK RATE results (DS9)                                                  This is one of seven posts with the results of the TREK RATE survey             for how well USENETters like TREK episodes.  There is also an accompanying      ballot in a separate post.                                                                                                                                      RATE is the average rating the episode got on a scale of zero to one (one       being highest).                                                                                                                                                 NUM is the number of unique votes that particular episode has received.                                                                                         EPISODE NAME is the episode name, followed by what series it is from            (A)=TAS, (B)=novels, (D)=DS9, (M)=movies, (N)=TNG, (O)=TOS, (V)=Voyager                                                                                         RATE  NUM EPISODE NAME                                                          ===== === =================================================================     0.296  10 MERIDIAN (D)                                                          0.361   4 FAMILY BUSINESS (D)                                                   0.457  26 MELORA (D)                                                            0.463  14 RIVALS (D)                                                            0.487  20 SECOND SIGHT (D)                                                      0.508   5 DISTANT VOICES (D)                                                    0.541  10 HEART OF STONE (D)                                                    0.541  33 STORYTELLER, THE (D)                                                  0.542   9 ABANDONED, THE (D)                                                    0.544  28 FORSAKEN, THE (D)                                                     0.558  44 MOVE ALONG HOME (D)                                                   0.561  48 DAX (D)                                                               0.568   7 FASCINATION (D)                                                       0.595  35 PASSENGER, THE (D)                                                    0.597  16 ALTERNATE, THE (D)                                                    0.600  35 VORTEX (D)                                                            0.607  52 Q-LESS (D)                                                            0.625   2 FACETS (D)                                                            0.636  69 LIFE SUPPORT (D)                                                      0.637  30 DRAMATIS PERSONAE (D)                                                 0.639  34 BATTLE LINES (D)                                                      0.642  25 INVASIVE PROCEDURES (D)                                               0.646  47 MAN ALONE, A (D)                                                      0.656  36 IF WISHES WERE HORSES (D)                                             0.663  75 PROFIT AND LOSS (D)                                                   0.668  23 RULES OF ACQUISITION (D)                                              0.673  44 NAGUS, THE (D)                                                        0.673  52 BABEL (D)                                                             0.677  85 PARADISE (D)                                                          0.690  17 ARMAGEDDON GAME (D)                                                   0.691  45 PAST PROLOGUE (D)                                                     0.694  17 SANCTUARY (D)                                                         0.697  34 PROGRESS (D)                                                          0.697  77 PROPHET MOTIVE (D)                                                    0.705   7 EQUILIBRIUM (D)                                                       0.708  83 PLAYING GOD (D)                                                       0.710  23 CARDASSIANS (D)                                                       0.712  76 SHADOWPLAY (D)                                                        0.715  50 CAPTIVE PURSUIT (D)                                                   0.720   5 THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (D)                                         0.740   3 EXPLORERS (D)                                                         0.742  10 TRIBUNAL (D)                                                          0.747  12 PAST TENSE, PART II (D)                                               0.747  69 EMISSARY (D)                                                          0.762  10 SEARCH PART II, THE (D)                                               0.783  29 IN THE HANDS OF THE PROPHETS (D)                                      0.789   9 HOUSE OF QUARK, THE (D)                                               0.790  56 COLLABORATOR, THE (D)                                                 0.796   9 CIVIL DEFENSE (D)                                                     0.803  81 DESTINY (D)                                                           0.808   9 DEFIANT (D)                                                           0.811  10 SEARCH PART I, THE (D)                                                0.818  78 VISIONARY (D)                                                         0.820  30 HOMECOMING, THE (D)                                                   0.823  13 PAST TENSE, PART I (D)                                                0.823  18 WHISPERS (D)                                                          0.835  28 SIEGE, THE (D)                                                        0.837  68 MAQUIS PART I, THE (D)                                                0.840   2 ADVERSARY, THE (D)                                                    0.840  31 CIRCLE, THE (D)                                                       0.846  17 WIRE, THE (D)                                                         0.849  89 BLOOD OATH (D)                                                        0.850  10 JEM'HADAR, THE (D)                                                    0.851  74 MAQUIS PART II, THE (D)                                               0.868   8 SECOND SKIN (D)                                                       0.870   4 DIE IS CAST, THE (D)                                                  0.880  76 CROSSOVER (D)                                                         0.883   3 SHAKAAR (D)                                                           0.921  24 NECESSARY EVIL (D)                                                    0.926   5 IMPROBABLE CAUSE (D)                                                  0.949  33 DUET (D)                                                              0.950   1 OUR MAN BASHIR (D)                                                    0.980   1 WAY OF THE WARRIOR, THE (D)                                           0.998   1 VISITOR, THE (D)                                                                                                                                      @START@TREK RATE results (BOOKS)                                                This is one of seven posts with the results of the TREK RATE survey             for how well USENETters like TREK episodes.  There is also an accompanying      ballot in a separate post.                                                                                                                                      RATE is the average rating the episode got on a scale of zero to one (one       being highest).                                                                                                                                                 NUM is the number of unique votes that particular episode has received.                                                                                         EPISODE NAME is the episode name, followed by what series it is from            (A)=TAS, (B)=novels, (D)=DS9, (M)=movies, (N)=TNG, (O)=TOS, (V)=Voyager                                                                                         RATE  NUM EPISODE NAME                                                          ===== === =================================================================     0.186   5 ICE TRAP (B)                                                          0.200   1 DEBTORS' PLANET (B)                                                   0.236  28 TRIANGLE (B)                                                          0.257  24 PROMETHEUS DESIGN, THE (B)                                            0.271   3 NIGHTSHADE (B)                                                        0.312   4 DEATH COUNT (B)                                                       0.323  27 PRICE OF THE PHOENIX, THE (B)                                         0.325   2 WINDOWS ON A LOST WORLD (B)                                           0.350   9 MUDD'S ANGELS (B)                                                     0.353  21 FATE OF THE PHOENIX, THE (B)                                          0.363   4 SHELL GAME (B)                                                        0.368  12 PERRY'S PLANET (B)                                                    0.375  19 SHADOW LORD (B)                                                       0.386  11 DEVIL WORLD (B)                                                       0.404  19 SPOCK:  MESSIAH (B)                                                   0.413  31 MUTINY ON THE ENTERPRISE (B)                                          0.418  14 DEATH'S ANGEL (B)                                                     0.420  16 TREK TO MADWORLD (B)                                                  0.422  22 CRY OF THE ONLIES (B)                                                 0.435  32 CHILDREN OF HAMLIN, THE (B)                                           0.446  21 TRELLISANE CONFRONTATION, THE (B)                                     0.450   1 SPARTACUS (B)                                                         0.457  11 GROUNDED (B)                                                          0.463  37 GHOST SHIP (B)                                                        0.464  19 PEACEKEEPERS, THE (B)                                                 0.464  27 KILLING TIME (B)                                                      0.472  26 CORONA (B)                                                            0.479  16 ENEMY UNSEEN (B)                                                      0.485  23 ABODE OF LIFE, THE (B)                                                0.488   9 CHAINS OF COMMAND (B)                                                 0.491  10 GHOST WALKER (B)                                                      0.504   7 WAR DRUMS (B)                                                         0.505  17 POWER HUNGRY (B)                                                      0.507   5 IMBALANCE (B)                                                         0.512  28 TIMETRAP (B)                                                          0.514  27 GULLIVER'S FUGITIVES (B)                                              0.518  31 KLINGON GAMBIT, THE (B)                                               0.519  30 ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT (B)                                             0.520  27 CAPTAIN'S HONOR (B)                                                   0.523  13 CONTAMINATION (B)                                                     0.526  27 WEB OF THE ROMULANS (B)                                               0.531  33 DWELLERS IN THE CRUCIBLE (B)                                          0.537  35 BLACK FIRE (B)                                                        0.538   4 FACES OF FIRE (B)                                                     0.538  28 FINAL NEXUS, THE (B)                                                  0.543  27 DOOMSDAY WORLD (B)                                                    0.543  31 CHAIN OF ATTACK (B)                                                   0.545  23 BOOGYMEN (B)                                                          0.547  10 STARLESS WORLD, THE (B)                                               0.547  36 DEEP DOMAIN (B)                                                       0.550   4 STARSHIP TRAP, THE (B)                                                0.550   9 WORLD WITHOUT END (B)                                                 0.553  10 ROMULAN PRIZE, THE (B)                                                0.553  38 MEMORY PRIME (B)                                                      0.554  12 VULCAN (B)                                                            0.555  35 SPOCK MUST DIE! (B)                                                   0.557  25 COVENANT OF THE CROWN, THE (B)                                        0.558  27 BLOODTHIRST (B)                                                       0.559  18 EXILES (B)                                                            0.568  18 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (B)                                               0.571  32 STAR TREK V:  THE FINAL FRONTIER (B)                                  0.572  37 BATTLESTATIONS! (B)                                                   0.574  28 DEMONS (B)                                                            0.579  26 EYES OF THE BEHOLDER (B)                                              0.590  11 PLANET OF JUDGEMENT (B)                                               0.591  58 ENTERPRISE:  THE FIRST ADVENTURE (B)                                  0.592   6 STAR TREK LOG ONE (B)                                                 0.595   5 STAR TREK LOG FOUR (B)                                                0.596  13 DEVIL'S HEART, THE (B)                                                0.600   4 DESCENT (B)                                                           0.603  24 PAWNS AND SYMBOLS (B)                                                 0.605  33 THREE-MINUTE UNIVERSE, THE (B)                                        0.607   7 PERCHANCE TO DREAM (B)                                                0.609  35 METAMORPHOSIS (B)                                                     0.610  43 DREADNOUGHT! (B)                                                      0.611  22 MINDSHADOW (B)                                                        0.612  27 DOUBLE, DOUBLE (B)                                                    0.615  38 STAR TREK:  THE MOTION PICTURE (B)                                    0.616  23 FLAG FULL OF STARS, A (B)                                             0.620   2 FROM THE DEPTHS (B)                                                   0.620   2 SANCTUARY (B)                                                         0.624  31 CRISIS ON CENTAURUS (B)                                               0.625   2 PATRIAN TRANSGRESSION, THE (B)                                        0.627  14 BEST DESTINY (B)                                                      0.627  14 FORTUNE'S LIGHT (B)                                                   0.629  35 DREAMS OF THE RAVEN (B)                                               0.631  17 HOME IS THE HUNTER (B)                                                0.632  17 GALACTIC WHIRLPOOL, THE (B)                                           0.634  13 PROBE (B)                                                             0.637  17 CALL TO DARKNESS (B)                                                  0.642  32 STRIKE ZONE (B)                                                       0.650   3 GUISES OF THE MIND (B)                                                0.650   5 HERE THERE BE DRAGONS (B)                                             0.650   6 GREAT STARSHIP RACE, THE (B)                                          0.652  36 TEARS OF THE SINGERS (B)                                              0.656   4 DISINHERITED, THE (B)                                                 0.658  47 LOST YEARS, THE (B)                                                   0.659   8 STAR TREK:  THE NEW VOYAGES (B)                                       0.669  37 VULCAN'S GLORY (B)                                                    0.672   8 BIG GAME, THE (B)                                                     0.674   7 LEGACY (B)                                                            0.675  37 STAR TREK III:  THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (B)                              0.675  42 ENTROPY EFFECT, THE (B)                                               0.682  49 YESTERDAY'S SON (B)                                                   0.687  34 ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, A (B)                                          0.688  44 VULCAN ACADEMY MURDERS, THE (B)                                       0.689  34 MASKS (B)                                                             0.690   5 BLOODLETTER (B)                                                       0.690  12 RELICS (B)                                                            0.690  46 WOUNDED SKY, THE (B)                                                  0.690  53 HOW MUCH FOR JUST THE PLANET? (B)                                     0.691  12 UNIFICATION (B)                                                       0.694  29 SURVIVORS (B)                                                         0.696  42 IDIC EPIDEMIC, THE (B)                                                0.698  46 KOBAYASHI MARU, THE (B)                                               0.703   9 STAR TREK:  THE NEW VOYAGES 2 (B)                                     0.706   7 EMISSARY (B)                                                          0.708  35 STAR TREK IV:  THE VOYAGE HOME (B)                                    0.710   4 RENEGADE (B)                                                          0.720  49 ROMULAN WAY, THE (B)                                                  0.727  39 TIME FOR YESTERDAY (B)                                                0.729  15 STAR TREK VI:  THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (B)                           0.733   3 SHADOWS ON THE SUN (B)                                                0.733   3 TRAITOR WINDS (B)                                                     0.736  11 STAR TREK:  THE CLASSIC EPISODES VOLUME 2 (B)                         0.736  32 PRIME DIRECTIVE (B)                                                   0.739  31 PANDORA PRINCIPLE, THE (B)                                            0.739  52 STRANGERS FROM THE SKY (B)                                            0.745  10 WORLD OF STAR TREK, THE (B)                                           0.747  36 STAR TREK II:  THE WRATH OF KHAN (B)                                  0.750  10 STAR TREK:  THE CLASSIC EPISODES VOLUME 1 (B)                         0.751  43 FINAL FRONTIER, THE (B)                                               0.751  44 DOCTOR'S ORDERS (B)                                                   0.752  10 STAR TREK:  THE CLASSIC EPISODES VOLUME 3 (B)                         0.752  39 ISHMAEL (B)                                                           0.759  59 SPOCK'S WORLD (B)                                                     0.777  20 MAKING OF STAR TREK, THE (B)                                          0.785  22 REUNION (B)                                                           0.790  49 VENDETTA (B)                                                          0.800   5 SAREK (B)                                                             0.810  35 Q-IN-LAW (B)                                                          0.824  52 MY ENEMY, MY ALLY (B)                                                 0.825   2 BETRAYAL (B)                                                          0.826  15 RIFT, THE (B)                                                         0.834  27 IMZADI (B)                                                            0.836   6 FALLEN HEROES (B)                                                     0.836  41 UHURA'S SONG (B)                                                      0.848  38 FINAL REFLECTION, THE (B)                                             0.869   4 SIEGE, THE (B)                                                        0.901   9 DARK MIRROR (B)                                                       0.930   1 CROSSROAD (B)                                                         0.939   7 STAR TREK ENCYCLOPEDIA, THE (B)                                       0.973   3 Q-SQUARED (B)                                                                                                                                         @START@TREK RATE results (TOS)                                                  This is one of seven posts with the results of the TREK RATE survey             for how well USENETters like TREK episodes.  There is also an accompanying      ballot in a separate post.                                                                                                                                      RATE is the average rating the episode got on a scale of zero to one (one       being highest).                                                                                                                                                 NUM is the number of unique votes that particular episode has received.                                                                                         EPISODE NAME is the episode name, followed by what series it is from            (A)=TAS, (B)=novels, (D)=DS9, (M)=movies, (N)=TNG, (O)=TOS, (V)=Voyager                                                                                         RATE  NUM EPISODE NAME                                                          ===== === =================================================================     0.236  78 AND THE CHILDREN SHALL LEAD (O)                                       0.279  96 SPOCK'S BRAIN (O)                                                     0.373  72 APPLE, THE (O)                                                        0.382  75 WAY TO EDEN, THE (O)                                                  0.397  53 MARK OF GIDEON, THE (O)                                               0.428  61 LIGHTS OF ZETAR, THE (O)                                              0.435  64 OMEGA GLORY, THE (O)                                                  0.446  81 CATSPAW (O)                                                           0.450  63 ALTERNATIVE FACTOR, THE (O)                                           0.456  80 GAMESTERS OF TRISKELION, THE (O)                                      0.463  90 CHARLIE X (O)                                                         0.467  77 EMPATH, THE (O)                                                       0.470  76 ELAAN OF TROYIUS (O)                                                  0.478  73 CLOUD MINDERS, THE (O)                                                0.484  71 PLATO'S STEPCHILDREN (O)                                              0.485  66 TURNABOUT INTRUDER (O)                                                0.487  52 WHOM GODS DESTROY (O)                                                 0.494  62 SAVAGE CURTAIN, THE (O)                                               0.494  73 LET THAT BE YOUR LAST BATTLEFIELD (O)                                 0.511  85 MIRI (O)                                                              0.512  52 THAT WHICH SURVIVES (O)                                               0.523  67 FRIDAY'S CHILD (O)                                                    0.523  81 WHO MOURNS FOR ADONAIS (O)                                            0.528  68 WHAT ARE LITTLE GIRLS MADE OF? (O)                                    0.531  72 SPECTRE OF THE GUN (O)                                                0.532  65 PRIVATE LITTLE WAR, A (O)                                             0.535  62 BY ANY OTHER NAME (O)                                                 0.539  66 WINK OF AN EYE (O)                                                    0.540  59 IS THERE IN TRUTH NO BEAUTY? (O)                                      0.542  73 MAN TRAP, THE (O)                                                     0.546  86 MUDD'S WOMEN (O)                                                      0.551  62 METAMORPHOSIS (O)                                                     0.565  85 SQUIRE OF GOTHOS, THE (O)                                             0.566  70 RETURN OF THE ARCHONS (O)                                             0.566  80 FOR THE WORLD IS HOLLOW AND I HAVE TOUCHED THE SKY (O)                0.567  78 CONSCIENCE OF THE KING, THE (O)                                       0.573  65 OPERATION--ANNIHILATE! (O)                                            0.575  75 BREAD AND CIRCUSES (O)                                                0.578  68 DAGGER OF THE MIND (O)                                                0.585  73 CHANGELING, THE (O)                                                   0.589  62 PATTERNS OF FORCE (O)                                                 0.591  65 REQUIEM FOR METHUSELAH (O)                                            0.596  71 DEADLY YEARS, THE (O)                                                 0.614  89 ASSIGNMENT:  EARTH (O)                                                0.615  89 CORBOMITE MANEUVER, THE (O)                                           0.616  75 PARADISE SYNDROME, THE (O)                                            0.617  75 ENEMY WITHIN, THE (O)                                                 0.623  60 RETURN TO TOMORROW (O)                                                0.627  75 WOLF IN THE FOLD (O)                                                  0.629  86 GALILEO SEVEN (O)                                                     0.631  64 OBSESSION (O)                                                         0.638  75 DAY OF THE DOVE (O)                                                   0.639  87 COURT-MARTIAL (O)                                                     0.642  85 ARENA (O)                                                             0.648  64 IMMUNITY SYNDROME, THE (O)                                            0.650  69 ALL OUR YESTERDAYS (O)                                                0.652  83 I, MUDD (O)                                                           0.658  70 TOMORROW IS YESTERDAY (O)                                             0.659  78 ULTIMATE COMPUTER, THE (O)                                            0.660  63 THIS SIDE OF PARADISE (O)                                             0.661  69 TASTE OF ARMAGEDDON, A (O)                                            0.665  87 WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE (O)                                      0.677  81 THOLIAN WEB, THE (O)                                                  0.681  80 CAGE, THE (O)                                                         0.683  81 SHORE LEAVE (O)                                                       0.698  83 NAKED TIME, THE (O)                                                   0.703  86 MENAGERIE, THE PART 2 (O)                                             0.709  86 MENAGERIE, THE PART 1 (O)                                             0.712  67 ERRAND OF MERCY (O)                                                   0.735  77 ENTERPRISE INCIDENT, THE (O)                                          0.748  90 DEVIL IN THE DARK (O)                                                 0.756  86 PIECE OF THE ACTION, A (O)                                            0.760  77 JOURNEY TO BABEL (O)                                                  0.768  98 AMOK TIME (O)                                                         0.770  98 SPACE SEED (O)                                                        0.774  98 DOOMSDAY MACHINE, THE (O)                                             0.826 100 TROUBLE WITH TRIBBLES, THE (O)                                        0.835  89 BALANCE OF TERROR (O)                                                 0.848  92 MIRROR, MIRROR (O)                                                    0.892 107 CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER, THE (O)                                                                                                                  @START@TREK RATE results (MOVIES)                                               This is one of seven posts with the results of the TREK RATE survey             for how well USENETters like TREK episodes.  There is also an accompanying      ballot in a separate post.                                                                                                                                      RATE is the average rating the episode got on a scale of zero to one (one       being highest).                                                                                                                                                 NUM is the number of unique votes that particular episode has received.                                                                                         EPISODE NAME is the episode name, followed by what series it is from            (A)=TAS, (B)=novels, (D)=DS9, (M)=movies, (N)=TNG, (O)=TOS, (V)=Voyager                                                                                         RATE  NUM EPISODE NAME                                                          ===== === =================================================================     0.338 153 STAR TREK V:  THE FINAL FRONTIER (M)                                  0.498 156 STAR TREK:  THE MOTION PICTURE (M)                                    0.561   2 STAR TREK:  THE MOTION PICTURE (M)                                    0.583   2 STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER (M)                                   0.675 155 STAR TREK III:  THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (M)                              0.738   2 STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (M)                               0.774  18 STAR TREK:  GENERATIONS (M)                                           0.789 158 STAR TREK IV:  THE VOYAGE HOME (M)                                    0.813 117 STAR TREK VI:  THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (M)                           0.864 157 STAR TREK II:  THE WRATH OF KHAN (M)                                  0.872   2 STAR TREK: GENERATIONS (M)                                            0.905   2 STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (M)                            0.922   2 STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (M)                                                                                                                     @START@TREK RATE results (VOY)                                                  This is one of seven posts with the results of the TREK RATE survey             for how well USENETters like TREK episodes.  There is also an accompanying      ballot in a separate post.                                                                                                                                      RATE is the average rating the episode got on a scale of zero to one (one       being highest).                                                                                                                                                 NUM is the number of unique votes that particular episode has received.                                                                                         EPISODE NAME is the episode name, followed by what series it is from            (A)=TAS, (B)=novels, (D)=DS9, (M)=movies, (N)=TNG, (O)=TOS, (V)=Voyager                                                                                         RATE  NUM EPISODE NAME                                                          ===== === =================================================================     0.383   3 ELOGIUM (V)                                                           0.400   1 PARTURITION (V)                                                       0.400   5 JETREL (V)                                                            0.450   1 TWISTED (V)                                                           0.470   3 CATHEXIS (V)                                                          0.517   3 FACES (V)                                                             0.521   9 PHAGE (V)                                                             0.550   1 HEROES & DEMONS (V)                                                   0.580   6 EMANATIONS (V)                                                        0.597   3 LEARNING CURVE (V)                                                    0.622  63 37S, THE (V)                                                          0.647   3 NON SEQUITUR (V)                                                      0.665 114 EX POST FACTO (V)                                                     0.717 106 INITIATIONS (V)                                                       0.726   5 PRIME FACTORS (V)                                                     0.729 128 TIME AND AGAIN (V)                                                    0.730 124 CLOUD, THE (V)                                                        0.754 123 PARALLAX (V)                                                          0.842   3 STATE OF FLUX (V)                                                     0.843 143 CARETAKER (V)                                                         0.849 129 EYE OF THE NEEDLE (V)                                                 0.923   4 PROJECTIONS (V)                                                       0.997   1 RESISTENCE (V)                                                                                                                                        @START@TREK RATE results (TNG)                                                  This is one of seven posts with the results of the TREK RATE survey             for how well USENETters like TREK episodes.  There is also an accompanying      ballot in a separate post.                                                                                                                                      RATE is the average rating the episode got on a scale of zero to one (one       being highest).                                                                                                                                                 NUM is the number of unique votes that particular episode has received.                                                                                         EPISODE NAME is the episode name, followed by what series it is from            (A)=TAS, (B)=novels, (D)=DS9, (M)=movies, (N)=TNG, (O)=TOS, (V)=Voyager                                                                                         RATE  NUM EPISODE NAME                                                          ===== === =================================================================     0.259 111 SHADES OF GREY (N)                                                    0.346 120 JUSTICE (N)                                                           0.369 103 LOSS, THE (N)                                                         0.369 118 ANGEL ONE (N)                                                         0.375 134 ROYALE, THE (N)                                                       0.396 126 CHILD, THE (N)                                                        0.401  69 IMAGINARY FRIEND (N)                                                  0.407  66 COST OF LIVING, THE (N)                                               0.428  95 LONELY AMONG US (N)                                                   0.429 103 WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS (N)                                             0.433  63 NEW GROUND (N)                                                        0.438 113 HAVEN (N)                                                             0.440  20 FORCE OF NATURE (N)                                                   0.446  52 AQUIEL (N)                                                            0.454 101 LAST OUTPOST, THE (N)                                                 0.455 102 MANHUNT (N)                                                           0.455 107 BONDING, THE (N)                                                      0.462  96 ICARUS FACTOR, THE (N)                                                0.466  99 TOO SHORT A SEASON (N)                                                0.470 105 SAMARITAN SNARE (N)                                                   0.472  65 MAN OF THE PEOPLE (N)                                                 0.476 136 SKIN OF EVIL (N)                                                      0.477  17 SUB ROSA (N)                                                          0.477  24 LIAISONS (N)                                                          0.480  96 HOME SOIL (N)                                                         0.480 108 CODE OF HONOR (N)                                                     0.484 108 OUTRAGEOUS OKONA, THE (N)                                             0.486 120 DAUPHIN, THE (N)                                                      0.489 106 PRICE, THE (N)                                                        0.490 108 SYMBIOSIS (N)                                                         0.490 128 MENAGE A TROI (N)                                                     0.494 104 COMING OF AGE (N)                                                     0.503  99 UNNATURAL SELECTION (N)                                               0.509  99 UP THE LONG LADDER (N)                                                0.509 105 SUDDENLY HUMAN (N)                                                    0.511  31 SUSPICIONS (N)                                                        0.513 119 GALAXY'S CHILD (N)                                                    0.519 114 WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS (N)                                           0.520  92 ALLEGIENCE (N)                                                        0.525 101 EVOLUTION (N)                                                         0.526 121 PEN PALS (N)                                                          0.527  72 ETHICS (N)                                                            0.529 100 MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE, A (N)                                          0.538  13 HOMEWARD (N)                                                          0.539 141 NAKED NOW, THE (N)                                                    0.540 114 DEVIL'S DUE (N)                                                       0.549 166 ENCOUNTER AT FARPOINT (N)                                             0.550  67 OUTCAST, THE (N)                                                      0.551  72 MASTERPIECE SOCIETY, THE (N)                                          0.551  82 IN THEORY (N)                                                         0.556 100 LOUD AS A WHISPER (N)                                                 0.557  71 HERO WORSHIP (N)                                                      0.559  96 WHERE SILENCE HAS LEASE (N)                                           0.563  87 VENGEANCE FACTOR, THE (N)                                             0.567 101 TRANSFIGURATIONS (N)                                                  0.567 116 NIGHT TERRORS (N)                                                     0.567 118 NEUTRAL ZONE, THE (N)                                                 0.574 134 CAPTAIN'S HOLIDAY (N)                                                 0.577 105 LEGACY (N)                                                            0.578 105 GAME, THE (N)                                                         0.578 107 BATTLE, THE (N)                                                       0.579  87 HALF A LIFE (N)                                                       0.581  93 HOST, THE (N)                                                         0.581 129 HIDE AND Q (N)                                                        0.585  23 INTERFACE (N)                                                         0.588 108 SCHIZOID MAN, THE (N)                                                 0.590 102 MASKS (N)                                                             0.591 125 ARSENAL OF FREEDOM, THE (N)                                           0.596  45 BIRTHRIGHT, PART II (N)                                               0.597  83 GENESIS (N)                                                           0.601  60 VIOLATIONS (N)                                                        0.603 126 WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE (N)                                      0.604  23 DARK PAGE (N)                                                         0.604 147 11001001 (N)                                                          0.607  96 SILICON AVATAR (N)                                                    0.609 107 HIGH GROUND, THE (N)                                                  0.614  14 EMERGENCE (N)                                                         0.618  64 POWER PLAY (N)                                                        0.619 120 BIG GOODBYE, THE (N)                                                  0.620  58 RASCALS (N)                                                           0.620 128 QPID (N)                                                              0.621 112 FINAL MISSION (N)                                                     0.622  35 DESCENT, PART II (N)                                                  0.623  96 JOURNEY'S END (N)                                                     0.626 103 HUNTED, THE (N)                                                       0.628 100 IDENTITY CRISIS (N)                                                   0.630  71 PERFECT MATE, THE (N)                                                 0.631 109 SURVIVORS, THE (N)                                                    0.633  66 BLOODLINES (N)                                                        0.640  67 REALM OF FEAR (N)                                                     0.642  55 QUALITY OF LIFE, THE (N)                                              0.643  61 MATTER OF TIME, A (N)                                                 0.643  99 DISASTER (N)                                                          0.646  62 TRUE Q (N)                                                            0.646 138 TIN MAN (N)                                                           0.651 108 DRUMHEAD, THE (N)                                                     0.654  42 LESSONS (N)                                                           0.659 104 ENSIGNS OF COMMAND, THE (N)                                           0.659 128 MOST TOYS, THE (N)                                                    0.659 137 ELEMENTARY, DEAR DATA (N)                                             0.660 112 BOOBY TRAP (N)                                                        0.663 113 CONTAGION (N)                                                         0.669 103 PEAK PERFORMANCE (N)                                                  0.670  86 EYE OF THE BEHOLDER (N)                                               0.675 105 ENEMY, THE (N)                                                        0.677  86 WOUNDED, THE (N)                                                      0.679  58 SCHISMS (N)                                                           0.679 142 DATALORE (N)                                                          0.683 111 CLUES (N)                                                             0.684  70 FIRST DUTY, THE (N)                                                   0.684 103 HEART OF GLORY (N)                                                    0.684 145 SAREK (N)                                                             0.685  61 FISTFUL OF DATAS, A (N)                                               0.685  78 TIME'S ARROW, PART 2 (N)                                              0.687 107 ENSIGN RO (N)                                                         0.691 117 HOLLOW PURSUITS (N)                                                   0.692 126 DATA'S DAY (N)                                                        0.696 120 TIME SQUARED (N)                                                      0.700  23 ATTACHED (N)                                                          0.700 108 EMISSARY, THE (N)                                                     0.706  47 BIRTHRIGHT, PART I (N)                                                0.708  60 NEXT PHASE, THE (N)                                                   0.708  76 CONUNDRUM (N)                                                         0.710 132 FUTURE IMPERFECT (N)                                                  0.716 137 CONSPIRACY (N)                                                        0.716 140 FAMILY (N)                                                            0.719  64 FIRSTBORN (N)                                                         0.720  39 CHASE, THE (N)                                                        0.727 102 UNIFICATION II (N)                                                    0.727 114 FIRST CONTACT (N)                                                     0.728  28 RIGHTFUL HEIR (N)                                                     0.728 124 OFFSPRING, THE (N)                                                    0.732 114 UNIFICATION I (N)                                                     0.743  87 THINE OWN SELF (N)                                                    0.744 114 REDEMPTION II (N)                                                     0.745 115 NTH DEGREE, THE (N)                                                   0.746 127 REMEMBER ME (N)                                                       0.748 125 WHO WATCHES THE WATCHERS (N)                                          0.751  78 TIME'S ARROW (N)                                                      0.757  25 GAMBIT, PART II (N)                                                   0.758  82 MIND'S EYE, THE (N)                                                   0.759 141 BROTHERS (N)                                                          0.761  26 GAMBIT, PART I (N)                                                    0.765 125 DEFECTOR, THE (N)                                                     0.767  44 STARSHIP MINE (N)                                                     0.767 107 MATTER OF HONOR, A (N)                                                0.768 129 SINS OF THE FATHER (N)                                                0.775  36 SECOND CHANCES (N)                                                    0.778  18 INHERITANCE (N)                                                       0.778  21 PHANTASMS (N)                                                         0.778  62 CHAIN OF COMMAND, PART I (N)                                          0.779 108 REDEMPTION (N)                                                        0.782 110 REUNION, THE (N)                                                      0.785 136 DEJA Q (N)                                                            0.788  68 PREEMPTIVE STRIKE (N)                                                 0.795 174 BEST OF BOTH WORLDS PART 2, THE (N)                                   0.797 128 MEASURE OF A MAN, THE (N)                                             0.798 118 DARMOK (N)                                                            0.801  91 I, BORG (N)                                                           0.805 135 Q WHO (N)                                                             0.808  28 TIMESCAPE (N)                                                         0.814  59 TAPESTRY (N)                                                          0.817  35 DESCENT (N)                                                           0.817  59 CHAIN OF COMMAND, PART II (N)                                         0.821  81 RELICS (N)                                                            0.833  18 PEGASUS, THE (N)                                                      0.836  98 CAUSE AND EFFECT (N)                                                  0.848  56 FACE OF THE ENEMY (N)                                                 0.849  17 LOWER DECKS (N)                                                       0.867  47 FRAME OF MIND (N)                                                     0.873  60 SHIP IN A BOTTLE (N)                                                  0.883  80 INNER LIGHT, THE (N)                                                  0.890 162 BEST OF BOTH WORLDS, THE (N)                                          0.905  25 PARALLELS (N)                                                         0.912 165 YESTERDAY'S ENTERPRISE (N)                                            0.935  85 ALL GOOD THINGS... (N)                                                                                                                                @START@Midshipman's Hope                                                                                                                                                                MIDSHIPMAN'S HOPE                                                         A book review by Peter Cash                                                                                                                            [spoilers begin midway through the review, after a warning.  Therefore, I am    putting the reference information up front so people wanting to find the        book do not need to go past the spoiler mark to get the info.  --AW]                                                                                            %T      Midshipman's Hope                                                       %A      David Feintuch                                                          %C      New York                                                                %D      1994                                                                    %I      Warner books ("Aspect Science Fiction")                                 %O      paperback, US $5.50                                                     %G      ISBN 0-446-60096-2                                                      %P      391 pp                                                                                                                                                  For reasons that I will not speculate upon, future societies that are           conservative, or in which Christianity plays a significant part, are a great    rarity in the science fiction genre. The presence of both these elements in     David Feintuch's MIDSHIPMAN'S HOPE (and the rest of the books in this           series) is enough to mark them as unusual. What makes these books _sui          generis_ is that this society is not viewed by either the author or his         characters as being particularly evil--or even undesirable. Throughout, the     author's viewpoint is non-judgmental.                                                                                                                           The society in Feintuch's books is presented as a reaction against the          chaotic "age of rebellion" (presumably our times); by the end of the 22nd       century, the world has been united under a "Yahwist Reunification Church",      the political arm of which is (so help me) the United Nations. Feintuch         understands that liberal and reactionary trends alternate in history, and       doesn't make the mistake of so many SF writers who merely assume that the       social mileu of the future will be characterized by the _laissez faire_         morals of our own.                                                                                                                                              As a Christian, I have to say that Feintuch's "Yahwist Reunification" is far    too legalistic for my taste--I have no desire to live in a theocracy, and       especially not this rather grim one. However, it's refreshing to read a SF      novel in which prayer and faith are an ordinary part of life.                                                                                                   I suspect that the social background was necessary for the kind of story        Feintuch wanted to write. According to the cover blurb, he's a student of       Napoleonic-era British naval history. It was plainly Feintuch's desire to       write a story with a setting as close as possible to that era. To do this,      he didn't need to set up a theocracy, of course (Britain was never one)--but    he did need a very hierarchical society in which strictest discipline,          including corporal punishment for minor infractions was plausible.                                                                                              The socio-religious background is more than just a stage setting, however.      Faith in God and an absolute devotion to duty are integral to setting up the    motivations and conflicts of the major characters, particularly Midshipman      Nicholas Seafort.                                                                                                                                               So far, I've read two of the "Seafort Saga" books--MIDSHIPMAN'S HOPE and        CHALLENGER'S HOPE. A third--PRISONER'S HOPE--waits on my nightstand to be       read. The cover blurb to one of the books mentions that this is a four part     series, and that all the books were written before the first was published,     so we should have the fourth novel--FISHERMAN'S HOPE--in our hands soon.                                                                                        Minor spoilers follow. You have been warned.                                                                                                                    Nicholas Seafort is a seventeen year old midshipman--the most junior officer    grade possible--aboard a large space craft heading toward a colonial            outpost. Due to a series of accidents, all officers senior to Seafort die,      and he is forced by the laws of his service and his sense of duty to take       command of the ship--despite his unshakeable conviction that he is not          qualified to do so. At first, I thought this was going to be a                  kid-becomes-hero juvenile novel, and I almost put it down. I was soon           surprised, however, by the complexity of Seafort's character, and by some       surprising plot twists.                                                                                                                                         Seafort is anything but an archetypal SF space opera hero. He lacks all         confidence in himself, and suffers dark torments of conscience for every        misstep--real or imagined. While those around him see Seafort as a hero, to     himself he is an abject failure, and he cannot believe that everyone doesn't    see him for the fraud he thinks himself to be.                                                                                                                  In the second book, things turn considerably darker than the first. Instead     of a functional ship, Seafort spends most of CHALLENGER'S HOPE as captain of    a derelict, trying to hold together the mutinous and desperate crew and keep    the ship capable of supporting life--despite his own conviction that they       are all going to die. Sometimes, things got almost too grim--I was often        left wondering how things could possibly get worse...until they do. Seafort     becomes more despotic and erratic as conditions get worse, until he is          driven to the ultimate extreme--a choice between violating a sworn oath or      saving his ship from destruction. This oath is no light thing--it is sworn      to the Lord God personally, and violating it means to spend eternity            suffering in hell. This is not a dilemma familiar to any of us; yet Feintuch    makes it painfully real in this story.                                                                                                                          I've found these two books captivating and refreshing, and can't wait to        read the rest to find out what happens to Seafort. It's a tribute to            Feintuch's writing and originality that I really can't tell whether Seafort     will wind up as a hero or as a dog in the end. I do hope he discovers that      God is more forgiving than he has been led to believe.                                                                                                                       |      Die Welt ist alles, was Zerfall ist.     |                  Peter Cash   |       (apologies to Ludwig Wittgenstein)      |[e-mail]                                                                                   @START@PARTISAN by S. Andrew Swann                                              [As a review of the second book in a trilogy, this might be something of a      spoiler for the first volume.  --AW]                                                                                                                            This is the second book in the Hostile Takeover trilogy.  As is usual for       middle books in a trilogy, more details of wider theme are laid out, some       threads left dangling from the first book are tied off, and new ones are        unraveled to be resolved by and by.  A satisfying book, perhaps, but not the    rush of a new story unfolding as in a first one, nor the sweep of resolution    as in a final one.                                                                                                                                              But despite the problems a middle book is heir to, there's a good solid         adventure story here, and plenty going on to keep the reader involved.  You     can read the book stand-alone, before the first one, but you'll be missing      out on a lot of detailed background, so some of the quick interleavings will    make less sense than they would otherwise.                                                                                                                      The adventure story is simply the continuation of the conflict set up in the    first book, between ex-spook Dominic Magnus, and his still-spook brother        Klaus Dacham, who is obsessed with hunting down Dominic, and killing him.       The reasons behind this conflict slowly become clearer as more details are      revealed across the span of both books, and we see looming behind the scenes    many hidden layers of related events, both fallout from and motivation for,     the simple foreground conflict.                                                                                                                                 Wheels within wheels, the personal conflict is wound up in a political          power-play to force the anarchistic planet of Bakunin to join the               Confederacy (which it so far has declined to do), which in turn are wound up    in succession politics in the Confederation executive branch, which in turn     affect the balance of power between multiple planetary alliances, both human    and alien.                                                                                                                                                      And the intricate political setting is complemented nicely by a rich            technological background, as humans have many high-technology artifacts, but    have intentionally shied away from the Vinge Singularity, having been burned    by nanotechnology and AI disasters.                                                                                                                             Swann does seem to get a bit more polished and adept with each book.  He's      written a trio of books (a bit more independent than a trilogy, but just        barely) about the frank/moreau era in the same universe as this trilogy, and    he has the touch of laying out an intricate background and setting amongst a    deftly told story that I most like about the SF genre when done well.                                                                                           So, while not strictly necessary, you may want to get the first in this         series, to read it in order.  But the series in general, and this second        book in particular, are well worth the read.  I'm eagerly awaiting the          finale.                                                                                                                                                         %A S. Andrew Swann                                                              %D 1995                                                                         %G ISBN 0-88677-670-8                                                           %I DAW                                                                          %C New York                                                                     %O $4.99 paperback                                                              %P 342 pages                                                                    %S Hostile Takeover                                                             %T Partisan                                                                     %V 2                                                                                                                                                            Wayne Throop   [e-mail]                                                [e-mail]                                                                                                                           @START@EXILES by Melanie Rawn                                                   It may be the first in a series, but it picks up a long-continuing feud         between the Mage Guardians and the Lords of Maleris, a thousand years after     the mageborn humans reached and settled on the planet, hundreds of years        after a disastrous war between these factions that devastated the entire        ecology, and lost most accurate pre-war records and history.                                                                                                    This makes for a very interesting setting, just the kind I'm most fond of,      where the society, technology, and ecology are all intricately                  interconnected, and there are *reasons* why people act the way they do, and     the physical background is the way it is.                                                                                                                       The event that starts us on this particular story thread is the destruction     of Ambrai, the stronghold of the Mage Guardians and location of their           training academy, and the beginnings of a new phase in the ages-old struggle    between the mageborn factions.  The destruction is due to a political           disaster apparently unrelated to their age-old foes, but Ambrai is              nevertheless very thoroughly destroyed, and the balance of power shifted.       The book tracks how subtle maneuvering behind the scenes by Gorynel Desse,      one of the most formidable Mage Guardians, manages to scatter many of the       important Ambrai heirs into exile and hiding in many locations, in              preparation for a counterstroke perhaps decades or more away.                                                                                                   Very good stuff, but not without flaws.  There were two that seemed most        flaw-like to me.  First the implausibility of the mirror-reversal of gender     roles, so that men are sex objects, and women the real "people" in the          world.  True, this is related to the background, because of the social order    that grew up in the wake of the Waste War.  But there are many features of      making it such a simple mirror reversal that just don't ring true, for          example the overriding importance of fertility in women, coupled with the       freely available choices of military or mercantile careers for women.           Second, the ending, where the bad gals-n-guys get theirs seems tacked on as     an afterthought.  I expected to be left dangling (it is, after all, the         first in a series), but instead the good folk get back into power... but        just because bad folk who had earlier proven invincible simply walk on stage    in the last few scenes, one by one, clutch their chests and recite a few        angst-soaked lines and inarticulate gurgles, and drop dead for no particular    reason.  (I'm exaggerating of course, but only slightly.)                                                                                                       Though flawed as I say above, I enjoyed the book on balance.  The intricate,    (mostly) self-consistent, and cleverly-unfolded background is very nice.        The magical Ladder system and its mnemonic song verses, for just one            example, are very evocative.  The imagery and characterization is vivid and     enjoyable.  I have no idea how the plot will develop from now on; the           foreshadowing is just "ominous stuff will ensue".  But I'll probably get any    subsequent works set there; it'll be nice to return to this universe, given     an opportunity.                                                                                                                                                 BTW, this is another of those books I probably wouldn't have bought and         read, except for the Michael Whelan cover and inside-cover illustrations.       VERY nice.                                                                                                                                                      %A Melanie Rawn                                                                 %D 1994                                                                         %G ISBN 0-88677-668-6                                                           %I DAW                                                                          %C New York                                                                     %O $5.99 paperback                                                              %P 836 pages                                                                    %S The Ruins of Ambrai                                                          %T Exiles                                                                       %V 1                                                                                                                                                            Wayne Throop   [e-mail]                                                [e-mail]                                                                                                                           @START@REVIEW: THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN                                                                                                                                                 THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN                                                     A film review by Bryant Frazer                                                   Copyright 1995 Bryant Frazer                                                                                                            Written and Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro                        Dialogue by Gilles Adrien                                                       Cinematography by Darius Khondji                                                Edited by Herve Schneid                                                         Music by Angelo Badalamenti                                                     France, 1995                                                                                                                                                         The best poster art of 1995 is unquestionably the composite still          featured on ads for THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, showing a muscular               redheaded man purposefully rowing a boat across a sea peppered with             floating mines.  At the bow of the vessel, a younger girl, perhaps 10           years old, looks back over her shoulder almost balefully.  They're en           route to what looks like a cross between a mist-shrouded palace and an          oil rig, matte painted in sillhouette against the moonrise.  It's said          that a picture is worth a thousand words, but this one teases, offering         glimpses of a story that exists in the imagination, and is not                  necessarily dependent on the "reality" established by the film it's             meant to promote.                                                                                                                                                    That picture isn't taken directly from the film, but it may as             well be.  Its evocative power is indicative of the real strengths of            the filmmaking duo of Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro.  These two              headstrong fantasists cut their teeth on music videos and television            commercials before settling in to make the much admired DELICATESSEN            (1991), a black European comedy about cannibalism.  Accordingly,                American audiences had their first real exposure to Jeunet and Caro             when art houses nationwide were blitzed with that film's trailer--a set         piece drawn straight from the movie itself, and involving the apparent          rhythms of lovemaking in an apartment building from hell and its impact         on everyday life in adjacent rooms.  To this day, even movie fans who           never saw the actual movie still harbor vivid memories of seeing the            brilliantly entertaining trailer to DELICATESSEN.                                                                                                                    That mastery of imagery and montage is what keeps Jeunet and               Caro's newest film from being a mere clutter of dazzling images.  CITY          OF LOST CHILDREN is something of a fable set in a city in either the            future or an alternate reality.  The movie has to do with a scientist           named Krank (Daniel Emilfork), who is aging prematurely because he              lacks the ability to dream.  Fighting to reverse the aging process, he          sends his blind minions out to kidnap the city's most potent                    dreamers--the children--and bring them back so he can invade the                children's dreams and make them his own.  Circus strongman One (Ron             Perlman, the beefy guy from the posters) gets involved when his adopted         brother, little Denree (Joseph Lucien), is abducted by the Cyclops, who         see the world through one electronic eye and do Krank's bidding.                Events turn, and One teams up with the orphan Miette (Judith Vittet) on         a mission to invade Krank's laboratory and rescue his beloved brother.          The other characters in the laboratory include Krank's assistant, Miss          Bismuth (Mireille Mosse), a disembodied talking brain floating in a             fish tank (given witty, world- weary voice by Jean-Louis Trintignant),          and a battalion of clones (all of them played by Dominique Pinon).                                                                                                   The actors are more than up to the challenge of breathing life             into the concept.  Perlman, a busy actor whose credits include THE NAME         OF THE ROSE, ROMEO IS BLEEDING, and last year's CRONOS, is entirely             credible as the simple strong man driven to his quest by love for a             child.  Daniel Emilfork's Krank is a bizarre yet pathetic creation, and         our distate for his persona is mitigated by our understanding of his            desperation (after all, we're the ones who paid money to visit someone          else's dream for an hour or two).  And whether it's Vittet playing an           orphan who's become wise and jaded beyond her years, or Lucien as the           toddler who's mostly unfazed by the pyrotechnics that have the other            kids screaming, the children here defy the Hollywood standard of                cinematic children who are by turns cutesy pies or obnoxious hams.              Since the children are the film's center, the metaphorical imaginative          core of a society that has perhaps forgotten the value of its dreams,           it's reassuring that the actors give unmannered performances that put           the histrionic antics of celebrity brats like Macauley Culkin in proper         perspective.                                                                                                                                                         Aided and abetted by Jean-Paul Gaultier's costuming, Caro's art            direction ensures that this city truly is something to behold, although         our visit is fragmented so that we have little opportunity to get a             sense for a whole environment.  For the most part, Caro and Jeunet              create their nightmare world by stacking their most striking visuals on         top of one another in a shot-by- shot montage that amplifies the                chaos.  But the real show-stoppers are the sequences that stretch the           film's tightly constrained sense of location while staying within the           episodic format (the best involves a spider's web, a shipwreck, and a           healthy sense of wonder), though even that doesn't shake the constant           feeling that we're watching master craftsmen at work, not peeking into          another universe.                                                                                                                                                    But when they work, oh boy, do they work.  Jeunet and Caro have a          keen sense of their characters, from the lead roles all the way down to         the bit parts, and the crucial dream sequences are marvelously surreal,         right down to the accompanying sound mix. (It's fitting that Sony is            releasing this one just before Christmas, because Santa figures in a            couple of the dreams, for better or for worse.) Angelo Badalamenti's            music is surprisingly effective throughout, and Miette's final                  nightmare is nothing short of breathtaking.  The film contains a                remarkable number of digital effects shots, and indeed, is surprisingly         reliant on technical wizardry, whether it's allowing Pinon to play six          different parts on-screen at the same time, or enabling show- stopping          close-ups of Fleakins, the bug who offers up a flea's-eye view of the           world before shooting characters up with a strange poison.  The rich,           shadowy cinematography, which is a key part of the weirdness at work            here, is by Darius Khondji, who shot DELICATESSEN but also, probably            more famously, this year's Hollywood hit, SE7EN.                                                                                                                     But somewhere in the middle of all this, there's a story that              needs to be told, and the one here is just a little humdrum.  For all           its whacked-out creativity, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN is a bit short on         ideas for what to do with itself.  The dream thievery is reduced to a           child-in-peril excuse to get our obligatory hero into the laboratory,           and Krank's invasion of dreams isn't even fully distinguished from what         we might expect from a Nightmare on Elm Street sequel.  And at the              climax, we're treated to a pretty rote escape-from-the-madman routine           that ends in a big explosion a la any number of American action                 movies.  Would that a movie this wondrous weren't simultaneously so             formulaic.                                                                                                                                                           I'd hate to discourage any fan of the surreal from buying a                ticket, since it's a truly impressive piece of work.  Still, something          very important is missing.  It's all well and good to break out all the         wide-angle lenses, run amok with the set design, and frighten a few             children, but I do wish there was a little more light at the end of the         tunnel.  It seems that Jeunet and Caro are very satisfied with what             they have wrought, but it's hard to experience the film on a very               personal level, because we're never given the sense that anything real          is at stake, or that there's anything in the rather unpleasant world            presented to us that's really worth fighting for.  For all their                formidable skills, Jeunet & Caro need to balance all of the nightmare           and grimace with just a little bit of hope and magic.  I'm rooting for          them to deliver the goods next time -- but I'm not sure they have it in         them.                                                                                                                                                                Technical note: The credit scroll bears a designation that some            prints have been struck with digital sound, but the theater I was in            just turned the Dolby Stereo up to a full roar.  The almost deafening           volume was appropriate to the film, but the constant popping and                crackling from the Angelika's overloaded sound system was not.  Try to          see this one in a digital auditorium if you can.                                                                                                                --                                                                              DEEP FOCUS (Movie Reviews)                                                      http://www.panix.com/~bfrazer/flicker/                                                                                                                          @START@Fan Terms - A-L                                                                                                                                          Fancy III this isn't, but it's a pretty good list of fan terms,                 and in this case is being used as a supplement to another listing.              To the best of my ability, I'm including only terms that were coined            in sf convention and fanzine fandom or net terms which have won                 acceptance by the closest parallel -- the rec.arts.sf.fandom news               group -- on the net.  Specifically excluded are lots of (a) stuff               that comes from sf stories rather than the community of fandom and              (b) "net" language except where it is relevant to "fan" language.               Quibble with me if you disagree; I've been known to change my mind              from time to time.                                                                                                                                              This actually started out as someone else's list of fan terms; Katie            Rathslag/[e-mail], I'm told.  I picked them up,             commented on some and critiqued others, then sat back waiting to see            if another version might appear.  One didn't and now pipple are                 sending suggestions and comments on to me, rich brown at                        [e-mail]; they're welcome.                                                                                                                               @! PARTY:                                                                       A party usually attended only by netters.  An attendee gains access             by stating his/her net address.                                                                                                                                 ACTIFAN:                                                                        Short for "Active Fan".  Implied activity in fanzine fandom and                 usually at least one other area (conventions or clubs) of the                   microcosm.  (Archaic but making a comeback.)                                                                                                                    AJAY: (aka "A.J." for Amateur Journalism)                                       The name the hobby printers who belong to the mundane amateur press             associations have given to their hobby, which predates and partially            inspired fandom's apas.  (The mundane apas differ from fandom's in              two respects, generally; theirs do not have minimum activity                    requirements or a maximum number of members.)  The vast majority of             the participants in the mundane apas, over the years, have been hobby           printers; only a few have been hobby writers.  Nonetheless, some fans           prefer calling themselves "amateur journalists" or even "amateurs"              over the Gernsbackian designation "fans".  (For those who may think             of "amateur" as a pejorative, the term comes from the Latin "amare,"            which means "to love"; amateurs are people who do things for the love           of doing them.                                                                                                                                                  ANIME:                                                                          Name given to generally stfnal Japanimation, and the people who enjoy           it.                                                                                                                                                             APA:    (Amateur Press Association)                                                A bulletin board system conducted through snail mail that produces              actual artifacts.  For each edition (called a "mailing" or                      "distribution"), members contribute pre printed personal informal               fanzines (apazines), many of which include or consist mostly or                 entirely of comments on the contributions published in the previous             mailing or distribution.  The contributions go to an Official                   Collator (OC) or Official Editor (OE), who makes up distributions               consisting of one copy of each zine and gives or sends them out to              each of the members.  To remain a member, one must meet minimum                 activity (minac) requirements, usually defined as a certain number of           pages of original material within a given timeframe, plus (in most              instances) pay dues to defray the costs of postage and publication of           an Official Organ (OO).  Some apas are designed for discussion on               specific topics (e.g., APA 69, sex; REHUPA, the Robert E. Howard apa;           CAPRA, the movie apa, etc.) while most are general interest.                                                                                                    APAE:                                                                           Plural of APA.  But not much used.  Fans say "Data is" too, even when           they're not talking about the android or making a statement like                "'Data' is a plural."                                                                                                                                           APA F:                                                                          The first weekly amateur press association.  The (largely                       overlapping) membership of Fanoclasts and FIStFA of the 1960's met on           alternating Fridays in New York City.  Dave Van Arnam, and various              other Fanoclasts, got involved in an incident on a subway (see                  "Subway Incident") after a meeting, and Dave was urged to write it              up.  He began doing so in a weekly fanzine he named FIRST DRAFT,                which he distributed at FIStFA and Fanoclasts meetings.  When others            began publishing and bringing fanzines to the meetings for                      distribution in a similar vein, an OO was published on site and APA-F           got started.  It was killed off after 69 mailings by generally mutual           agreement.                                                                                                                                                      APAHACK:                                                                        Somebody who (arguably) spends too much time writing for apae and/or            who expends most of their fan activity in apas.                                                                                                                 APA L:                                                                          The second weekly apa, distributed at meetings of LASFS.  When APA-F            was in its infancy, word of it got back to people in Los Angeles,               some of whom began contributing from afar (having someone in New York           City fandom act as agent, franking their zine into the APA-F                    distributions and picking up an APA-F distribution to be mailed to              them).  In a very short period of time, LASFS instituted its own apa            along similar lines -- which continues today.  Some interesting                 records were achieved.  When both groups were at their height, Dave             Van Arnam was publishing four weekly fanzines -- two for APA-F and              two for APA-L -- some of them 20pp or more in length.  And Fred                 Patten was the "Cal Ripkin" of APA-L, having a contribution in each             of the first 1000 APA-L distributions.  (That's one thousand -- not a           typo.)                                                                                                                                                          APAZINE:                                                                        An apazine is any zine that is distributed through an apa, whether or           not it has any additional outside circulation.                                                                                                                  AUTOCLAVE:                                                                      The first fanzine fan's convention.  A good idea but no one at the              time thought of continuing it beyond the first, either locally or by            passing the convention around to other groups across the country.                                                                                               BEARDMUTTERINGS:                                                                A type of poetry invented by damon knight in which there are no                 spaces between words, indicating that it should be declaimed as one             long word: "Iopeneyestodarknessstillnessfeelwormscrawlingovermeohmy-            GodcoulditbethatIamdead?"                                                                                                                                       BHEER:                                                                          Beer.  Some fans may stick an "h" into a word like "Beer" or                    "beerbust" and not realize that, by implication, they're admitting an           affinity for the fannish ghod Ghu (or GhuGhu).  Then too, there are             those who regard Beer (or Bheer) as a minor fannish deity unto                  itself.  Thus, Berkeley fandom's "Tower of Bheer Cans to the Moon" is           both a totem poll and a technological marvel.                                                                                                                   BIRDBATH:                                                                       A totem of Harlan Ellison et al.'s 7th Fandom.  Don't ask why; it's             a bit of whimsy.                                                                                                                                                BNF:                                                                            Big Name Fan; a fan of accomplishment who is not merely "well known"            but "well liked" throughout the microcosm.  It is important to note             that, unlike certain other designations (e.g., "fan", "neofan",                 "trufan") one cannot legitimately claim BNFdom for one's self; to do            so invites laughs of derision, since it's a term of admiration which            must be applied to you by others, if at all.                                                                                                                    BOF:                                                                            Initially stood for "Best Of Fandom"; several fanthologies bore the             title with the appropriate year attached "Best of Fandom '57," "Best            of Fandom '58," "Best of Fandom '63" &c.  Now generally published               annually by Corflu.  But another meaning has crept into usage and               been adopted:  Boring Old Fart.                                                                                                                                 BRANDONIZATION:                                                                 After Carl Joshua Brandon, who turned out to be a hoax created by               Terry Carr, Ron Ellik, Pete Graham and Dave Rike.  Carl Brandon's               specialty was writing full-scale fannish parodies that went quite a             bit beyond pastiche; they were close to word-for-word "translations"            of certain mundane works into fannish.  Brandon's parody of J.D.                Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has Holden Caufield getting kicked            out of FAPA rather than an exclusive boarding school, living in a               slan shack instead of a dormitory, interacting with other fans rather           than school mates and faculty &c.  By elevating fannish concerns to             such levels, the works served as effective satires as well.                                                                                                     BROOKLYN INSURGENTS:                                                            New York's third club (and second invitational club) made up                    primarily of fanzines fans, begun in the late '60s and continued                through the early '70s.  Noted for not really insurging against much            of anything, except the same thing insurgents had been insurging                against since the '40s.  Co-founded by Arnie Katz and rich brown,               initially called "Raymond" (until the joke wore thin), held first in            the apartment of rich & Colleen Brown and later in the apartment of             Arnie & Joyce Katz.                                                                                                                                             BYDCO_M_Z!                                                                      An apa term, the letter "M" being underlined, standing for "But You             Didn't Comment On _My_ Zine! (so I'm not going to comment on yours)".           The parenthetical comment is implied.                                                                                                                           CLUBZINE:                                                                       A zine put out by (and usually for) members of an SF club.  Can be              anything from a simple meeting notice to a full-fledged general                 circulation fanzine.                                                                                                                                            COLOPHON:                                                                       According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a colophon is: "An               inscription placed usually at the end of a book, giving facts                   pertinent to it's publication."  As is often the case, fans got it              backward and so generally put the colophon in front of their                    fanzines.  Wherever it's placed, it contains the publishers' names,             address(es) (sometimes telephone and/or fax numbers and/or e mail               address(es)), the name of  the fanzine, the issue number, copyright             notice (if any) and anything else the zine editor may want to                   put in it.                                                                                                                                                      CoA:                                                                            Change of Address.                                                                                                                                              CON:                                                                            Convention.                                                                                                                                                     CONCOM:                                                                         Convention committee.                                                                                                                                           CONDOM:                                                                         Either a prophylactic or all the people who attend conventions, or              possibly both.                                                                                                                                                  CONREP:                                                                         CONREPORT:                                                                      A first-hand report of a convention, generally printed in a fanzine,            tending toward the anecdotal; in most cases, the intent is to                   entertain rather than provide information, so they don't aim to tell            you about every item on the program, just what the writer did and               what others said and did in interacting with him/her.                                                                                                           CORFLU:                                                                         1.  Mimeo correction fluid.                                                     2.  Name of an the first annual convention for fanzine fans; the                other is called Ditto.                                                                                                                                          COSMEN:                                                                         What members of Claude Degler's Cosmic Circle were to be called.  No            telling what women were supposed to be called, for all that they had            a presumably significant role in Claude's scheme for fans to become             the race that would rule the sevagram, i.e., serving in those "love             camps" in the Ozarks.                                                                                                                                           CRIFANAC:                                                                       CRItical FAN ACtivity.  Some aspect of fan activity deemed more                 important than others, i.e., meeting your minimum activity                      requirements in an amateur press association at the last possible               minute.  Coined by Charles Burbee and usually (but not always) used             with self satirical intent.                                                                                                                                     CROGGLED:                                                                       Surprised/dazed/brought up short.  "I was croggled when you said you            used peanut butter in lieu of mimeo ink in my Gestetner."                                                                                                       DAUGHERTY PROJECT:                                                              After Walter J. Daugherty, a member of LASFS who was often satirized            by insurgents Charles Burbee and Francis T. Laney for his grandiose             schemes that never came to fruition.  Hence, any fannish project that           is overblown and highly unlikely to be brought to a successful                  conclusion.                                                                                                                                                     DEADWOOD:                                                                       Someone who remains a member of an apa by meeting only the minimum              activity requirements, usually badly and at the last minute.                    Sometimes it's implied that there's a degree of fudging going on as             well, e.g., writing and publishing the required number of pages, only           in 14 point type.  Or printing four lines of bad verse per page.                                                                                                DEGAFIATE:                                                                      To resume fanac after gafiating.                                                                                                                                DIRTY OLD PRO:                                                                  Generally an affectionate (not necessarily derogatory) sobriquet for            a professional writer.  (But make sure you know them and that they              know your intent; see comment with "FEELTHY HUXTER".)                                                                                                           DITTO:                                                                          1. (n.) Brand name of a particular spirit duplicator.                           2. (v.) To reproduce via spirit reproduction.                                   3. (n.) Name of the second annual convention for fanzine fans;                  the other is called Corflu.                                                                                                                                     DNP                                                                             Do Not Print (or, for Net purposes, Do Not Post).  This is more                 important in fan etiquette than in netiquette; in the latter, it is             presumed that it is Bad Form to quote someone else's email on a                 bulletin board, although some people still sometimes make the error             of doing so.  While letters technically remain the intellectual                 property of the writer, most newspapers, magazines and fanzines                 assume anything submitted to them is for publication.  Saying, *The             following is DNP...* indicates that you are withdrawing any implicit            permission to print that part of your missive.                                                                                                                  DNQ:                                                                            Do Not Quote; see DNP.  Something given to you with a DNQ attached              means the information is for your eyes only and is not even to be               talked about to your best friends.  To be absolutely iron clad, try             *The following is DNP/DNQ.*  Commentary: Breaking someone else's DNQ            or DNP can mark you as the kind of person who is untrustworthy; at              the same time, it must be obvious that the DNQ/DNP can be misused to            bad purpose, i.e., it's a great way to slander someone behind their             back.  What to do if someone you hardly know slanders one of your               best friend in a DNQ/DNP to you?  Advise the person who gave you the            DNQ/DNP that you consider them back stabbing low life cowardly scum             but that you will abide by the DNQ/DNP this one time only; if they              persist, they have been warned and you are free to tell your friend             what they have said and done.                                                                                                                                   DUFF:                                                                           Down Under Fan Fund.  A fund which helps send a fan from North                  America to attend either the Australian Worldcon or National                    Convention and, in alternate years, helps send a fan from                       Australia/New Zealand to attend a Worldcon or NASFIC in North                   America.  Founded on the model of TAFF, the first winner was Lesleigh           Luttrell in 1972.  Two or more fans run against each other in any               given DUFF race; fans pay a voting fee to cast ballots, and donated             items are auctioned to offset the costs.  After the fan attends the             convention, they become administrators of DUFF for the next two years           (one electing a fan to come to their country, one electing a fan to             go across the Pacific and replace them on their return) who                     distribute and count the ballots and act as liaison with conventions            where items are auctioned.  Costs for this lengthy travel being what            they are, in many cases DUFF has only been able to defray most but              not all of the delegate's expenses.                                                                                                                             EGOBOO:                                                                         A boost to the ego.  Having a letter or article published, being on a           panel, being talked about favorably in a conreport, etc.  The fannish           medium of exchange.  See: Egg O'Bu in THE ENCHANTED DUPLICATOR.                                                                                                 ELRONS:                                                                         (after *L. Ron* Hubbard, pulp sf writer who invented [the word is               chosen with care here] the *science* of Dianetics and *religion* of             Scientology) Bronzed Lemon spoof awards for the Worst Sf Novel, Worst           SF Film, Worst Contribution to SF, etc., given by the British                   Columbia Science Fiction Association (now called West Coast Science             Fiction Association) at their annual SF convention *V Con* beginning            in 1971. E.g.:  John Norman (of GOR novels fame) has won 15 Elrons to           date (1995).                                                                                                                                                    ENSMALLED FANZINES:                                                             As the cost difference between Third and First Class mail in the U.S.           narrowed and eventually disappeared altogether, large (24pp+) and               regular (bimonthly/monthly/biweekly) fanzines generally became a                thing of the past.  With few exceptions, large fanzines with an                 editorial, contributions of articles, columns and essays and a                  lettercolumn fell to publication schedules of quarterly at best,                which reduced their sense of immediacy.  Small "personal" editor-               written fanzines could be published more frequently, but lacked a               sense of participation.  Enter the "ensmalled" fanzine, in which the            editors put an editorial, an article or column or two and a                     lettercolumn into no more than 8pp.  This could be mailed at the same           rate as a first class letter.  FAST & LOOSE, PONG, IZZARD and WIZ               were some of the better titles.                                                                                                                                 EOFAN                                                                           EOFANDOM:                                                                       Jack Speer became one of fandom's earliest historians, introducing              his Numbered Fandoms concept, initially covering First Fandom, Second           Fandom and Third Fandom.  Fandom being as young as it was, some of              these "eras" lasted only a few years.  Every numbered fandom has its            own focal point fanzine and a slightly different slant regarding                fandom's "purpose".  But fairly early on, Speer discovered he hadn't            started his history of the microcosm early enough...so, on revising             his original, he dubbed this earlier period "eofandom" and the fans             who were active there became "eofans".  Its usage makes it possible             to write a sentence which makes perfect sense when read but seems               like nonsense when spoken: "An eofan can never be a neofan."                                                                                                    EZINE:                                                                          Electronic fanzine; a publication whose primary medium is electronic.           (e.g., _Cyberspace Vanguard_, _E-Views_, &c.)                                                                                                                   FAANFICTION:                                                                    Fiction (sometimes sf, sometimes not) about fans published in                   fanzines.  Can be serious, humorous or both; can be about Real Fans             using Real Fan Names, or about imaginary/hypothetical fans.  See                "FANFICTION".                                                                                                                                                   FAANNISH:                                                                       see FANNISH                                                                                                                                                     FAFIA:                                                                          FAFIATE:                                                                        1. Forced Away From It All (i.e., not by personal choice).                      2. Fell Away From It All; turning one's interests elsewhere.                                                                                                    FAKEFAN:                                                                        Someone who doesn't read or feel any particular attraction to science           fiction but who enjoys the company of fans and fandom's social order.           Some stuffed shirts have used the term as a pejorative.                                                                                                         FAN:                                                                            Short for fanatic.  Can be applied to any devoted aficionado, but in            context (such as in rec.arts.sf.fandom) means someone who enjoys (or            once enjoyed) reading science fiction and/or someone who enjoys the             company of sf fans.  It is important to note, however, that "fan" is            a slippery term that, again depending on context, might mean any sf             reader or might mean only those who are involved in a particular                segment of the microcosm, such as the net, fanzines or conventions.             This is usually qualified at the outset "sf (reader) fan" or "fanzine           fan" so subsequent usages mean the same as the subset indicated                 initially.                                                                                                                                                      FANAC:                                                                          Fan activity.                                                                                                                                                   FANCYCLOPEDIA:                                                                  An encyclopedia about sf fandom.  Jack Speer published the first one;           Dick Eney published Fancyclopedia II.  Work on a third is ongoing.                                                                                              FANED:                                                                          Fanzine editor.                                                                                                                                                 FANFEUD:                                                                        An ongoing conflict between individual fans, fan societies (regional            or generic, e.g., "Trekkers" v. "Trekkies", skiffy nuts v. everyone,            etc.), fan societies and individuals, etc.                                                                                                                      FAN FICTION                                                                     Amateur sf that all too frequently gets printed in fanzines put out             by relative neofen (although some people with more experience in the            microcosm persist in their ignorance).  Generally looked down upon              because, with rare exception, if the piece were any good it would be            published professionally.  People who write sf for fanzines learn               little besides how to write bad sf for fanzines.                                                                                                                FANHISTORIANS                                                                   Fans who write the histories of fandom, who publish the histories of            fandom, who are interested in the histories of fandom.                                                                                                          FANHISTORICAL:                                                                  Of and pertaining to fanhistory.                                                                                                                                FANHISTORICON:                                                                  The first convention/formal meeting of the Timebinders, fandom's                fanhistorical society.                                                                                                                                          FANHISTORY:                                                                     The history of fandom.                                                                                                                                          FANMAG:                                                                         Short for "fan magazine" (obsolete).                                                                                                                            FANNE:                                                                          A female fan (obsolete)                                                                                                                                         FANNISH:                                                                        FAANNISH:                                                                       (adj.) Having to do with the interpersonal/social aspect of sf                  fandom, e.g., fanzines, conventions, clubs, feuds, etc.  Often                  considered to be the opposite of the pejorative form of "sercon".               Fannish has also been defined as "anything two fans do together"; it            implies a state of mind and generally requires a sense of humor                 (thus, the contrast with "sercon").  The extra "a" in "faannish"                indicates a slightly more extreme case of fannishness, with greater             emphasis on fan doings than on sf.                                                                                                                              FANOCLASTS                                                                      An "invitational" New York fan club founded by Dick & Pat Lupoff,               Larry & Noreen Shaw and Ted & Sylvia White.  Most, but by no means              all, members were fanzine fans but the only real requirement was that           of compatibility with other members.  In the mid 1960's, under Ted              White's leadership, the club bid for and won the right to put on the            1967 Worldcon in New York.                                                                                                                                      FANTHOLOGY:                                                                     A reprint collection of fan writings.  Can be a "Best of" the year, a           "Best of" (or representative sampling) an individual fan or even a themed       collection.  Corflu has published an annual best-of-the-year                    volume since Corflu Ocho.                                                                                                                                       FANWRITING:                                                                     The writings of fans, oddly enough.                                                                                                                             FANZINE:                                                                        A magazine put out by one or more fans.  (Abbr: ZINE or FMZ [= Fan              MagaZine].)  Term coined by Russell Chauvenet.                                                                                                                  FAPA:                                                                           Fantasy Amateur Press Association; the oldest fan apa in the world,             founded circa 1939 and still going.  However, there are mundane apas            which predate those in fandom, and at least three of them--UAPA, AAPA           and NAPA (or United APA, American APA and National APA)--are still in           existence.  H.P. Lovecraft published a "paper" (as they call their              fanzines) called THE ALCHEMIST for one of them that predates the                first real fanzine (or the first real sf prozine, for that matter).                                                                                             FAUNCH:                                                                         1. (v.) to desire, to want; often with sexual overtones.                        2. (v.) to hunt for, to acquire; "He's gone on the faunch for some              bheer."                                                                         3. (n.) a yearning; "She's got a serious faunch for chocolate."                                                                                                 FEELTHY HUXTER:                                                                 See "Dirty Old Pro".  Generally an affectionate term, but make                  certain either (a) the huckster in question is aware of that before             you use it or (b) your dental coverage includes replacement of lost             teeth.  Keep in mind too that even the term "huckster" is considered            a pejorative in some fan circles; in the Southwest they are called              "dealers" everywhere except, possibly, Las Vegas.                                                                                                               FEMFAN:                                                                         FEMME FAN:                                                                      A female fan (obsolete).  The term, that is; female fans will NEVER             be obsolete.                                                                                                                                                    FEN:                                                                            Plural of fan. (Man is to men as fan is to fen.  But *fans* is okay             while *mans* isn't.  Go figure.)                                                                                                                                FEUD:                                                                           see FANFEUD                                                                                                                                                     FIAWOL:                                                                         Fandom Is A Way Of Life.  A fannish philosophy opposed to FIJAGH.                                                                                               FIJAGH:                                                                         Fandom Is Just A Ghoddamned Hobby.  A fannish philosophy opposed to             FIAWOL.                                                                                                                                                         FIAGGH:                                                                         Fandom Is A Ghoddamned Ghood Hobby.  A fannish philosophy that takes            the extremes of FIAWOL and FIJAGH and tries to make them meet in the            middle.                                                                                                                                                         FILK:                                                                           1. (n.) Folk music on SFish or even fannish themes; some even go so             far as to say folk music by fans no matter WHAT the theme.  The term            may have originally been a 1953 typo by Karen Anderson in a SAPS zine           for "folk singing".  It is also believed, by others, to be an                   abbreviation for "filthy folk singing".                                         2. (v.) to perform filk music.                                                                                                                                  FILKER:                                                                         Someone who likes filk songs.  Someone who performs filk songs.                 Sometimes both.                                                                                                                                                 FIStFA:                                                                         The Fannish Insurgent Scientifictional Association.  A NYC fan club             founded by Mike McInerney and Earl Evers that became a kindof                   "sister" club to the New York Fanoclasts, despite differing                     philosophical approaches:  Fanoclast membership was by invitation;              FIStFA was open to anyone.  In its early years, FIStFA only had to              compromise its democratic principals once -- an attendee who was                attempting to boil his hypodermic needles on Mike McInerney's stove,            a heroin addict, was told he was persona non grata.                                                                                                             FMZ:                                                                            Abbreviation for fanzine(s);  orig. "fan magazine(s)".                                                                                                          FOO:                                                                            The second fannish Ghod, from the '30s.  FooFoo (and Foo is short for           FooFoo as Ghu is short for GhuGhu, the first fannish God) is embodied           on earth as Jack Speer, author of the first Fancyclopedia.  The holy            color of Foo is black, as Foo was a ghod of mimeography.  See also              Melvin, Ghu and Roscoe.                                                                                                                                         FUGGHEAD:                                                                       (n.)  A more polite way of calling someone an absolute idiot.  This             was an in-print euphemism for use in fanzines back in the days when             the Post Office felt part of their duty was to read, as well as                 deliver, the mail; you weren't supposed to use certain four letter              words.  The term was brought into use by Francis T. Laney.  In wire             correspondence (wire predated tape as a recording medium), where it             was presumed the post awful would not go to the trouble of listening,           Laney pronounced the term with the appropriate four-letter word in              place of "fugg".                                                                                                                                                FUGGHEADED:                                                                     (adj.)  really stupid.                                                                                                                                          FURRY FANDOM:                                                                   Fandom revolving around anthropomorphized animals.  "Furry" art,                fiction and games.  May or may not have sexual overtones.                                                                                                       FWA:                                                                            Fan Writers of America.  A spoof on the SFWA.  At the Corflu banquet            every year, the past president of the fwa is elected, i.e., the                 president for the year just past.  In typical jingoistic fashion,               "America" in this context means the entire world; some UK fen have              been elected fwa past President.  You join fwa the same way you join            fandom or become a trufan.                                                                                                                                      GAFIA:                                                                          GAFIATE:                                                                        Getting Away From It All.  Note: Gafiate means to get away from                 FANDOM.  Originally, it meant the opposite.                                                                                                                     GAFMOI:                                                                         Getting Away From Most Of It.  Dropping most fan activity but making            an exception or two by hanging on to a small part of it, i.e., a FAPA           membership or attendance at some particularly enjoyable regular                 convention.                                                                                                                                                     GAMERS:                                                                         Fans, or fringefans, who are into playing sf and fantasy based role             playing games, often at conventions.                                                                                                                            GENZINE:                                                                        General topic and/or general circulation fanzine; in other words,               usually not an apazine but one available to whomever the editor cares           to mail it to, even sometimes including subscribers.  This can get              confusing because sometimes the editor of a genzine will become a               member of an apa and thereafter circulate the zine through the apa AS           WELL as his/her own "general" mailing list.  Or an apazine can ALSO             be circulated to a large number of people outside the apa (when                 WARHOON won its Hugo, it was a SAPSzine that had outside general                circulation, e.g.)                                                                                                                                              GESTAFAX:                                                                       A device for cutting special Gestetner mimeograph stencils which                enabled the user to print illustrations with heavy dark areas or even           photographs via mimeo.  The illustrative material and the stencil are           placed side by side on the "drum" of the device.  When turned on, the           drum would begin to turn; a photoelectric scanner would begin moving            from left to right, slowly scanning the illustration, and every time            it "saw" a black area, the stylus at the corresponding spot on the              stencil would cut the stencil.  When fans first started making use of           the device, they would usually pack as many illustrations/photos as             they could on a white legal-sized surface, and have this gestafaxed             by a professional service; they would then cut the stencil into as              many parts as there were illustrations, and use stencil cement to put           them in the proper place on a typed stencil on which space for the              illustration had been left.  The cost of a single gestafaxed stencil            ranged from $5 to $7.  Over the years, some fans bought their own,              and when the per-stencil cost dropped to around $1-$2, simply                   gestafaxed entire pages of type and illustrations together.                                                                                                     GESTETNER:                                                                      A German brand of mimeograph that for many years was unavailable in             the U.S. because they were so much better than American brands.                 Where US models has cotton ink pads, the Gestetner utilizes a silk              screen; where American mimeos rely on internal brushes and centrifugal          force (or, on cheaper machines, outside applications with a brush) to           spread ink around, the Gestetner uses sophisticated waver rollers;              the Gestetner also has a sophisticated method of adjustment that                allows for better registration (where the print area will hit on the            page), which made it superior for two- and three-color work.                                                                                                    GHU:                                                                            Fannish Ghod invented by Donald Wollheim and John B. Michel in the              30's.  Wollheim was the personification of Ghu on earth.   Ghu's holy           color is purple because Ghuist publish using spirit duplicators or              hectographs and the primary ditto or hecto carbon is purple.  Note:             Ghu and GhuGhu are one and the same.  Likewise Foo and FooFoo.                                                                                                  GOH:                                                                            Guest of Honor.                                                                                                                                                 GOSHWOW:                                                                        Enthusiastic, perhaps a little too much so.  A shortening of                    "Goshwowoboyoboy!", the title under which Time Magazine ran their               rather sneering and condescending report of a World sf convention.                                                                                              THE GREAT SPIDER:                                                               A fannish god.  Deity of the fannish religion "Spiderism".  The Great           Spider eats peoples' souls when they die, unless they have paid an              appropriate bribe to a priest of the Great Spider.  He has also been            known to eat cars in order to provide parking spaces to particularly            devout followers.                                                                                                                                               GUFF:                                                                           GUFF was dreamed up by Chris Priest in 1977 to complete the triangle            of fan funds and bring a first Down Under fan to Britain for the 1979           Worldcon.  (DUFF makes the exchange between Australia/New Zealand and           North America, while TAFF does the deed between NA and Europe                   [although generally the UK]).  Without the tiresome business of                 actually having a free trip anywhere, Dave Langford (UK) and Leigh              Edmonds (in Australia) were the first administrators.  John Foyster             was the first winner, and it seemed rather a nice idea to continue.             The name DUFF being already taken, Chris imagined GUFF as standing              for the Get Up-and-over Fan Fund, which didn't sound so brilliant               when time came to do a southward trip, but as Don Marquis (who never            stood for the fund either) so aptly put it, you can't have everything           [This description provided by Dave Langford with the admonition that            I should mark it "Copyright (c) Astral Leauge 1979 do not impinge               copyright or the Leauge will take MEASURES.")                                                                                                                   HECTO:                                                                          Hectograph; a primitive means of text reproduction, involving making            a bed of gelatin, transferring ink to the gelatin and then laying on            and picking up pieces of paper.  Upwards of 50 copies might be made,            of which perhaps 15 were borderline legible.                                                                                                                    (HH,OK):                                                                        "Ha Ha, Only Kidding."  A parenthetical comment following an                    insulting remark intended to remove the sting.  Seems to have                   originated in Minneapolis fandom.                                                                                                                               HOAX:                                                                           It is a special tradition in fandom to fake things, like persons                (Carl Joshua Brandon; Carl J. Brandon, Jr.) or deaths (Bob Tucker has           died several times).  Should be done with care.  Hoax deaths, not at            all; they're not really funny.                                                                                                                                  HOGU:                                                                           Informal anti Hugos (see HUGO) in which the worst, rather than the              be                                                                                                                                                              @START@Fan Terms - M-Z                                                                                                                                          MELVIN:                                                                         Some latter day FooFooists recognize Speer only as a prophet and not            as Foo Incarnate.  These FooFooists are followers of Melvin, the Bem            of Bems, and are guided by Melvin's Words of Wisdom, e.g., "Hang by             your thumbs!"  Melvin also provides helpful homilies with regard to             fannish courtesy: "Thou Shalt Not use peanut butter in lieu of ink in           someone else's Gestetner."                                                                                                                                      MIMEO:                                                                          A mimeograph machine, used for duplicating fanzines.  The preferred             choice of FooFooists.                                                                                                                                           MINAC:                                                                          The MINimum ACtivity requirement for an apa, usually expressed as a             number of original 8.5x11" pages which need to be published and                 distributed through the apa within a given time period.                                                                                                         MUNDANE :                                                                       1. (n.)  Someone who is not a fan.                                              2. (adj.) Pertaining to the world outside fandom.  The dictionary               definition is "common, ordinary".  Mundane is also the name of the              country Jophan lives in until he is inspired by the Spirit of Fandom            to seek Trufandom on the other side of the Mountains of Inertia in              THE ENCHANTED DUPLICATOR.                                                                                                                                       N'APA:                                                                          An apa which was formed for publishing members of the National                  Fantasy Fan Federation (a.k.a. N3F); several prominent fans joined              the N3F for the first time just to participate, which was the source            of some amusement until the knowledgeable president of the N3F warned           off the welcoming committee, who through naivete were "welcoming" to            fandom people who had been active in the greater microcosm for                  decades.  Not to be confused with NAPA.                                                                                                                         NAPA:                                                                           One of the largest and oldest "mundane" amateur press associations;             although many fans have been members, and some formerly prominent               fans have come into our microcosm through this association (Bill                Danner, Helen Wesson, e.g.), it is primarily a club for amateur                 printers rather than amateur writers.                                                                                                                           NASFIC                                                                          The National Science Fiction Convention; whenever the Worldcon leaves           the North American continent, a NASFIC is held as a kindof substitute           for US fans who can't make it to the overseas convention.  See also             "Noncon".                                                                                                                                                       NEBULA:                                                                         The "Best of" awards given out at the annual meetings of the Science            Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.                                                                                                                         NEGOBOO:                                                                        Negative egoboo; criticism.  This is to egoboo what "Die soon and               wither" is to "Live long and prosper."                                                                                                                          NEOFAN:                                                                         A new, inexperienced or unknowlegable fan.  Not necessarily a                   pejorative in fanzine fandom, although some people appear to think              so.  The neofan is the only source of future potential BNFs.  In Bjo            Trimble's classic "The Littlest Neofan," the Littlest Neo cannot                compete with the writing/drawing prowess of older, more experienced             fanzine fans, nor can he equal their abilities in the mechanics of              publishing, but the gift he brings to anything he does is one which             fandom cannot long survive without--his sense of wonder.                                                                                                        NEOPRO:                                                                         Anyone who has sold very few stories and hasn't been at it long.                                                                                                NETZINE:                                                                        See EZINE                                                                                                                                                       NEWBIE:                                                                         Net equivalent to "neofan".                                                                                                                                     NEWSZINE:                                                                       A fanzine with news of interest to the fannish community.  Sercon               newszines have news primarily of the professional community with                fannish news sometimes thrown in for good measure, fannish newszines            have news primarily of fandom with professional news sometimes thrown           in for good measure.                                                                                                                                            NONCON:                                                                         A gathering of fans, most often at someone's home, during all or part           of the Labor Day weekend, for those who cannot go to the Worldcon               (for financial or other reasons) but who nonetheless feel restless              about not meeting with other fans on Roscoe's birthday.                                                                                                         NYDAHL'S DISEASE:                                                               Also know as "Annishthesia".  A particular kind of gafia or fafia               with overtones of "burnout".  The specific case for which the disease           is named involved a young fan named Joel Nydahl, who published a                monthly fanzine called VEGA which became something of a mini-focal              point after QUANDRY folded.  For the first anniversary issue, Nydahl            knocked himself out producing a 100pp annish--a rare accomplishment             in those days, particularly for a 16-year-old--but it apparently got            little in the way of response and the young fan editor promptly                 gafiated, puzzled and dismayed.  It would appear, however, that some            assumptions were made that were not really true.  Friends of Nydahl             have stated that he had been falling behind at school while                     publishing his fanzine and dropped out of fandom not in disgust at              the poor response his final effort received but because he was                  entering college.                                                                                                                                               OB:                                                                             Short for "obligation".  Archaic.  From Eric Frank Russell's sf                 classic, "...And Then There Were None."                                                                                                                         OBLITERINE:                                                                     British mimeo correction fluid.                                                                                                                                 OC:                                                                             Official Collator, the person responsible for collating an apa.  Like           many an OE, they may also mail out the apa.  The exceptions tend to             be those apas which are adjuncts of some local club  Apa L at LASFS,            e.g., where virtually all the members/contributors pick up a copy               after it has been run off on the club's electric Gestetners.                                                                                                    OE:                                                                             Official Editor, the person responsible for collating and mailing out           an apa.                                                                                                                                                         ONESHOT:                                                                        A fanzine published on one and only one occasion, usually on the spur           of the moment, often first-draft.  The latter frequently results in a           publication that is forced, stilted and unpleasant.  The "classic"              oneshot, as published during the Laney/Burbee Insurgency, was                   different because participants usually brought previously written and           polished material to it.                                                                                                                                        OO:                                                                             Official Organ, the memberzine of an apa.  Clubs other than apas can            also have OO's; The National Fantasy Fan is the OO of the N3F, e.g.             In an apa, the OO generally lists (1) the titles, editors and pages             of publications in the individual apa mailing, (2) a membership                 roster listing all active members and the dues and/or minac they owe,           plus waiting listers, and (3) official reports from the OE/OC and               other officers, if applicable.                                                                                                                                  OUTLANDERS:                                                                     A former Los Angeles fan club for members of LASFS who lived in the             "outlands" of Los Angeles, and thus found it difficult to make it to            every meeting of LASFS.  When the club disbanded in the early '50s,             some fans began using as an interlineation or filler in their                   fanzines the slogan "South Gate in '58"--South Gate, California,                being where their founder, Rick Sneary, lived, the idea being to                promote a reunion of Outlanders at that time.  Eventually, however,             it became a successful Worldcon bid; the Solacon was actually held in           a Los Angeles hotel which was ceded, for the weekend, by the Mayor of           Los Angeles to the Mayor of South Gate so that it could actually be             held there.                                                                                                                                                     OZ:                                                                             The fantasy world created by L. Frank Baum for his classic children's           novels, including but not limited to "The Wizard of Oz."  Also, in              fandom, an affectionate term for Australia.                                                                                                                     OZARKS:                                                                         Where Claude Degler planned to have his "love camps" where members of           his Cosmic Circle could breed the race of fans destined to rule the             sevegram.                                                                                                                                                       PANEL:                                                                          A collection of people called together to conduct a discussion on a             specific topic at a con.                                                                                                                                        PERSONALZINE:                                                                   PERSZINE:                                                                       A zine put out by one person, usually about the activities and                  thoughts of the editor.                                                                                                                                         POCTSARCD:                                                                      Sometimes known as the little typo that made good.  Lee Hoffman made            it and from that time onward no one in fandom ever used a postcard              again.                                                                                                                                                          PRO:                                                                            Although some people seem to think this is anybody who has ever been            paid for a story, it is in fact short for "professional" and should             be applied only to those who have made a significant portion of                 their living by writing.                                                                                                                                        PROXYBOO, LTD.                                                                  A whimsical and mythical commercial enterprise, run by Walt Willis              and Lee Hoffman, which offered to conduct various ego-boosting forms            of fanac in the name of whoever paid their exorbitant fees (which               started at $10,000/year and went up, depending on the services                  rendered).  Guaranteed to turn the customer into a Well Known (or, at           the higher end of the fee spectrum, Big Name) Fan--its advertising              claim being that anyone who was a WKF or BNF was already a Proxyboo,            Ltd. client.  Vernon McCain ran a rival service, but it was quite               exclusive, working only for those whose initials were "rb"--and in              its advertising named its supposed major "success story" clients,               i.e., Ray Bradbury, Robert Bloch, Redd Boggs, &c.                                                                                                               PROZINE:                                                                        A professional sf magazine.                                                                                                                                     RAE,BNC:                                                                        apa term, "Read And Enjoyed, But No Comment", or "Rare And Ennobling,           But No Cigar"                                                                                                                                                   RELAXACON:                                                                      A convention at which there is little or no programming, but plenty             of places where fans can gather and talk and party and smof and                 engage in fourth dimensional verbal crifanac.                                                                                                                   ROSCOE:                                                                         Fannish Ghod invented by Art Rapp, Rick Sneary and Ed Cox in 1949.              Roscoe is a beaver whose birthday is Labor Day Weekend (which all               fans celebrate, Roscoeites or not).  Possibly the most popular of the           fannish ghods, for reasons unknown, although Rapp speculated that it            might have been a numbers game.  Foo was invented by one fan (Jack              Speer) and Ghu by two (Don Wollheim with the help of John Michel),              and Rapp speculates:                                                                                                                                            Then mighty Roscoe's cult arose                                                   (as every SPACEWARP reader knows)                                             Interpreted by deacons three:                                                     Rick Sneary, Edmund Cox and me.                                               The moral of this history, fan                                                    Is: cults ain't founded by one slan;                                          Attempts by two make fandom nod,                                                  For only t'ree can make a ghod.                                                                                                                               S,AS:                                                                           1.  "Smiling, Always Smiling", roughly equivalent to ; ).                       2.  "Snide, Always Snide".                                                                                                                                      SBOF:                                                                           Society of Boring Old Farts a.k.a. Secret Bastards of Fandom.  Not              only do SBOFs tell SMOFs what to do, they strike terror in the hearts           of fans everywhere with their innate ability to run anyone they don't           like out of fandom on a rail.  They meet twice yearly in obscure and            exotic places, from Romanche Deep to Majorca, or New Dorp to Rybinsk            Reservoir, make snap judgments with regard to charting the course of            fandom's future, thunder out arbitrary orders and are instantly                 obeyed.                                                                                                                                                         SCI FI:                                                                         1.  Science fiction like junk produced for mass audiences.                      2.  Non fannish term for science fiction.                                       3.  Seriously intended hyper fannish name for science fiction, based            on the popularity of "hi fi" equipment, invented by Forrest J                   Ackerman.  Unfortunately, his own association and involvement with              "schlock"/grade B sf movies brought the term to its currently                   accepted meaning (covered adequately by definitions 1 and 2 above).             There's also the tongue in cheek comment, "Hoi polloi pronounce it              psi phi, but we cognoscente call it skiffy."                                                                                                                    SCIENTIFICTION:                                                                 Term coined by Hugo Gernsback to describe what is now called "science           fiction" or "speculative fiction" and which was once called                     "scientific romance"; used fairly commonly in the '30s, now used                nostalgically.  (also STF, adj. STFNAL)                                                                                                                         SEMIPROZINE:                                                                    Semiprofessional magazine.  See WSFS rules governing the Hugo awards            for details.                                                                                                                                                    SENSITIVE FANNISH FACE:                                                         1.  Term used to describe fans, referring to the confluence of large            amounts of body fat, glasses and facial hair (the latter chiefly in             male fans) marking fans.  Always seemed to be used in faaanfiction as           marginally self satirical, as in the assertion that fans can                    sometimes tell that someone else is a fan because they had a                    Sensitive Fannish Face.  (Trufans can tell other trufans by their               "auras," usually at upwards of 150 feet.  They can also tell whether or         not a fanzine contains a mention of their name simply by laying                 their hands upon the cover.)                                                    2.  Code, according to Rusty Hevelin, for gay fans. (obsolete)                                                                                                  SERCON:                                                                         Serious and Constructive.  Sf fandom was founded by sercon fans (back           in the late 20s) who wrote letters to prozines to comment on and                criticize the stories.  Because Hugo Gernsback published the                    addresses with the letters, those people started writing to each                other.  This correspondence led to the development of clubs (the                Science Fiction League), the fanzine and fandom as a social unit.  By           the 1940s, the term came to be used derisively, because sercon fans             tended to take themselves (and science fiction) too seriously; they             valued making lists over genuine critical insight, would rather                 pontificate than tell a joke and saw it as their duty to "promote"              science fiction to the place where it belonged, i.e., at the top of             the pile of all Literature.  These pipple got a lot of fun poked at             them.  By the early '70s, however, the term lost its derisive clout             as newcomers misapplied it to works of serious and at least somewhat            constructive criticism.  :: In the late 1980's, "getting sercon"                became a euphemism for "getting stoned".                                                                                                                        SFWA (or SFFWA):                                                                The Science Fiction (& Fantasy) Writers Association.  Originally just           SFWA.                                                                                                                                                           SHACKTIVITY REQUIREMENTS:                                                       Most APAs allow married couples to share a single membership.  One              set of dues and one mailing is all they get, but if both maintain               regular activity requirements, they can each vote in the egoboo poll            (if any) and in the election of officers.  Some of the social changes           that are generally associated with the '60s actually got started in             the late '50s--and Charles Burbee, who was then an official of FAPA,            addressed one of them by pointing out that some couples were choosing           to live together and try things out rather than getting married only            to discover that they were really incompatible.  Not to put too fine            a point on it, Burbee said, they were getting shacked up.  Burbee               ruled that these couples could have a dual membership in FAPA, just             like a married couple, provided they met "shacktivity requirements,"            i.e., provided they proved to him that they did the same things                 together that married couples do.                                                                                                                               SKIFFY:                                                                            see SCI FI                                                                                                                                                      SLAN:                                                                           The race of persecuted super humans in the A.E. van Vogt novel of the           same name.  Slans, depicted as the next stage of human evolutional              development (homo superior), all have tendrils in their hair and are            natural telepaths, who were being hounded to their deaths by we mere            homo sapiens, presumably because we didn't want to be replaced.                 Fans, who felt like a persecuted minority because of the reactions              they got from mundanes for merely reading that Crazy Buck Rogers                Stuff, identified readily enough with the slans, but none more                  strongly than Claude Degler.  While the consensus was that fans are             not really slans, Degler and his Cosmen (members of Degler's club,              the Cosmic Circle) seemed to believe it seriously, and were planning            on love camps in the Ozarks where fans could go to breed the race               that was destined to rule the sevegram.                                                                                                                         SLANSHACK:                                                                      A tongue-in-cheek reference to Deglerism, meaning any household with            two or more unrelated (except sometimes through marriage) fans.                                                                                                 SLASH FICTION:                                                                  Fiction with a homosexual theme; originally started with Kirk/Spock             (Kirk slash Spock) stories.                                                                                                                                     SMOF:                                                                           Secret Master of Fandom.                                                        1. Tongue in cheek term for the guys in smoke filled back rooms who             *really* decide the course and future of Fandom.                                2. Person Behind The Scenes; usually applied to that rarefied "upper            stratum" of fandom that goes 'way beyond the call of duty to ensure             that Fandom gets to do what Fandom *wants* to do, e.g., Worldcon                chairs of note, gonzo hotel negotiators, super golly gee whiz con               programming types, etc.                                                                                                                                         SMOFCON:                                                                        A convention for convention planners/runners.                                                                                                                   SMOOTH or even SMOOOOOOTH:                                                      (v.)  To drink bourbon with Bob Tucker and appropriate ceremony.                                                                                                SPECULATIVE FICTION:                                                            SPEC FIC:                                                                       Any fiction of a speculative nature, especially science fiction,                fantasy and horror.                                                                                                                                             SPIDERISM:                                                                      A fannish religion.  Originated by John Kusske, Al Kuhfeld, and                 Blue Petal.                                                                                                                                                     STF:                                                                            STFNAL:    see SCIENTIFICTION                                                                                                                                      STFNIST:                                                                        A snotty stuffed-shirt way of saying "science fiction fan".                                                                                                     SUBWAY INCIDENT:                                                                It was in the early a.m., after a meeting of the Fanoclasts, just a             few days after the Kitty Genovese incident.  Kitty Genovese was a               young woman in Long Island, New York, who was knifed repeatedly; to             her screams of terror and pleas for help, her neighbors closed their            doors and windows and did nothing, so that her attacker was able to             keep coming back until, finally, he killed her.  No one who heard her           cries even called 911; they "didn't want to get involved".  Dave Van            Arnam had been particularly vehement in his condemnation of "these              scumbags who pass for human beings" at that Fanoclast meeting.  Dave,           Earl Evers, Mike McInerney, Steve Stiles, rich brown were all waiting           for the same subway; as it pulled into the station, a knife-wielding            man inside one of the cars was chasing a woman.  Dave stepped in,               simultaneously shielded the woman from the man, held the man at bay             by threatening him with his balled up fist and held the door of the             car open with his shoulder until the motorman--who simply wanted to             leave--called the police.  Earl Evers kept the man with the knife               wondering by going into a low karate crouch and sidling around behind           him, while the rest tried to look like they would back Dave up.                 After the police came and took the man away, everyone urged Dave to             write up the incident.  He started doing so but never told the full             story--this is probably the first time it's ever been told--in his              fanzine FIRST DRAFT, which inspired APA-F, which inspired APA-L.                                                                                                TAFF:                                                                           Trans Atlantic Fan Fund.  In most alternating years -- excepting when           funds are low and/or some other need to reschedule is perceive -- a             European fan (usually but not always from the UK) is chosen to attend           a convention in North America, usually the Worldcon (the NASFIC would           be a possibility in years when the Worldcon was being held out of the           country but not in Europe).  When the Worldcon IS being held in                 Europe, in practice one of the races is usually slowed down or                  speeded up so that a North American fan will go to any European                 Worldcon, otherwise in those alternating years a NA fan is chosen to            attend a European convention (usually the Eastercon in the UK).  To             run, two or more fans from one side of the Atlantic get two                     nominators from their side and three nominators from the other side             of the Atlantic to be listed on the TAFF ballot.  The ballots are               distributed with fanzines or handed out at conventions and require a            minimum donation to vote; some conventions also hold benefit auctions           for the Fund.  Winners usually attend the convention as a guest,                spend some time before and after the con getting to know fans better            in the host country.  They are generally expected to write a trip               report but it's not an iron clad requirement.  The winners do spend             the next two years acting as TAFF administrators, one for the next              TAFF race for fans going to their country and one for the following             race for fans going back the other way.                                                                                                                         TECHIE:                                                                         Fan with a major interest in technology, especially do it yourself              technology.  The word is sometimes heard outside SF fandom, in                  computer culture and maybe other places ("...I'm a peeping tom techie           with x ray eyes," Timbuk3).  Some have opined that mundanes use the             term as a pejorative.                                                                                                                                           TIMEBINDERS:                                                                    A loosely knit organization of fans interested in promoting the                 preservation of old fanzines and fanhistorical research.                                                                                                        TIMEBINDING:                                                                    The human trait involved in the passing on to new generations of                accumulated knowledge, which in turn makes it unnecessary for each              new generation to "reinvent" the wheel and allows that generation               to use the wheel as a tool or stepping stone to invent something                else.  Robert A. Heinlein, in an early GoH speech, claimed fans did             this particularly well.  This listing of fan terms is an exercise in            timebinding.                                                                                                                                                    ToC:                                                                            Table of Contents.                                                                                                                                              TOWER OF BHEER CANS TO THE MOON                                                 Late 1950's Berkeley Fandom's (Terry Carr, Pete Graham, Dave Rike,              Ron Ellik, Bob Stewart and "Carl Brandon" [a hoax fan]) contribution            to the space race.  While the Russian sputnik went over like a lead             balloon and the U.S. Vanguard rocket fell on its face, Terry Carr               used trigonometry he'd learned in a college astronomy course to                 determine the distance to the moon.  Getting a parallax view of the             moon from two different points in Carl Brandon's back yard, Terry               determine that the moon was about 20 feet in diameter and                       approximately 150 feet above ground level.  He appealed to his fellow           Berkeley fan's love of science fiction to get them to make a                    contribution to the space race  by using all the "profits" they made            from the various fanzines they published to buy six packs of beer. These        they drank, quite selflessly, so as to use the empties to                       create, in Carl's back yard, a Tower to the Moon.  As the tower rose,           various plans were suggested -- harpooning the moon with a church               key, or even climbing the tower to bring the moon back down to the              surface of the earth where it would be kept forever safe from the               hands of the ghodless commies who were trying to grab it before we              could.  Occasionally, partying fans at conventions will construct               such a tower out of bheercans in Terry Carr's memory.  The last such            known was at Magicon, on a night when there was no moon, although Art           Widner was heard to intone, "If you build it, it will come."                                                                                                    TRACK:                                                                          A sequence of related programming events held sequentially, usually             in the same room.  The term is used when such "tracks" occur in                 parallel with one or more other such sequences, which are then known            as alternate tracks.                                                                                                                                            TREKDOM:                                                                        TREKKERS:                                                                       TREKKIES:                                                                       "Trekdom" is short-hand for Star Trek Fandom, which is separate from            mainstream sf fandom while having a degree of overlap.  "Trekkers" is           the polite way to refer to these people; "Trekkies" has derogatory              overtones.  It has been remarked that some of the most devastating              holy wars have been between, not different religions, but different             sects of the same religion; there is something of this here.  Many sf           readers consider Star Trek to be mediocre or even "dumbed down" sf.                                                                                             TRIP REPORT:                                                                    Description of a trip undertaken by a fan (often in the company of              other fans) printed in a zine.                                                                                                                                  TRUFAAN:                                                                        TRUFAN:                                                                         1. Tongue in cheek term for a "real" fan.  Anyone who sincerely                 believes they are a trufan is a trufan.                                         2  Also apparently believed to be used by some older generation fans to         refer to the members of their particular enclave of fandom.                     3. Term of admiration for a particularly active fan.                                                                                                            TRUFANDOM:                                                                      TRUFANNISH:                                                                     Trufandom is the geographical place inside your head where sf fandom            takes place; trufannish is the adjective which describes what Trufans           do.                                                                                                                                                             TUCKERIZED:                                                                     Bob "Wilson" Tucker, who is generally credited with helping fandom to           acquire a sense of humor in the early days of the microcosm, has                written and published professional mystery and sf novels in which he            uses the real names of fan friends for characters that bear no                  resemblance to the real fan.  If someone does this to you, then you             will have been "Tuckerized".                                                                                                                                    TWONK'S DISEASE:                                                                A dread affliction, also known as falling of the armpits.                                                                                                       TYPER:                                                                          Short for "typewriter," an archaic device used by olden-time fen (and           still reportedly in use in some quarters even today) for writing                everything from letters to fanzines.  Today's computer users would              recognize the basic primitive keyboard as being the same                        configuration as that used on a word processor, except that the                 typer's lacked function keys, numbered key pad, most alternate                  purpose keys and programming functions, and the only purpose of the             "shift" key was to change from upper to lower case.  Typers print               each keystroke directly onto paper as it is typed, making revision              difficult.  But their "advantage" was that they were excellent                  "mates" to the primitive mimeographs and spirit duplicators and could           hit a mimeograph stencil (or Ditto master) with sufficient force to             make the kind of impression needed to cause the stencil or master to            work properly.  Rumor has it that some of the very earliest typers              were in no way electrically powered but rather were operated solely             by means of manual force.  It is possible, however, that this may be            one of the "fanciful tales" for which old-time fans were known.                                                                                                 VAPA:                                                                           The Vanguard Amateur Press Association.  Fandom's second apa, a spin-           off from FAPA that had such people as James Blish, Judy Merrill,                damon knight &c. as members.                                                                                                                                    WAHF/WAHF'D:                                                                    An acronym for We Also Heard From--a column, usually at the end of a            lettercolumn in which several letters have been published,                      acknowledging receipt and perhaps quoting a few lines from other                letters received.  Someone whose letter has been WAHF'd has had their           letter put in the WAHF column rather than the letter column.                                                                                                    WAITING LIST:                                                                   ("WL"):                                                                         Unlike the open-ended mundane version, most fannish apas have a                 limited number of members.  When that number is reached and the apa             is not invitational, people who wish to join are kept, in the order             of their application, on a "waiting list" in the Official Organ of              the APA.  When a member drops out or is dropped--resignation, failure           to meet activity requirements, failure to pay dues--the first person            on the waiting list is invited to join.                                                                                                                         WESTERCON:                                                                      One of the oldest and largest regional conventions.  Has been held              over the years at various West Coast locations by various fan groups.                                                                                           WKF:                                                                            Well Known Fan.  Someone who has been around fandom in a conspicuous            way (in fanzines or at conventions) for a while so that his/her name            is well known by other fans.                                                                                                                                    WOFAN:                                                                          A female fan (obsolete).                                                                                                                                        WORLDCON:                                                                       The one, the only, annual world science fiction convention at which             the Hugos are given out.  As a service mark "Worldcon" should always            be capitalized.  Probably.                                                                                                                                      WSFS:                                                                           The World Science Fiction Society.  The unincorporated literary                 society whose members are made up of Worldcon attendees, who choose             the Hugo Awards every year and select the site for the World Science            Fiction Convention (Worldcon) three years in advance.                                                                                                           WYLASOC(M)WTC?:                                                                 apa term, "Would You Like A Saucer Of Cream (Milk) With That                    Comment?", usually in response to a "catty" comment.                                                                                                            YMMV:                                                                           Your Mileage May Vary.                                                                                                                                          ZINE:                                                                           Fanzine.                                                                                                                                                        @START@[www] Science Fiction Resource Guide                                                                                                                     Announcement suitable for re-posting anywhere...                                                                                                                As of 01 January 1996, Chaz Baden ([e-mail]) is stepping down      from his post as maintainer of the Science Fiction Resource Guide. Mats hrman   [if that doesn't come through, it's Ohrman with an umlaut on the O] of Sweden,  [e-mail], will maintain the SFRG from that point.                                                                                                    The new Maintainer's URL will be                                                    http://sf.www.lysator.liu.se/sf_archive/sf-texts/SF_resource_guide/                                                                                            The stateside copies will still be active,                                                                                                                          http://sundry.hsc.usc.edu/hazel/www/sfrg/                                             ftp://sflovers.rutgers.edu/pub/sf-lovers/Web/sf-resource.guide.html                                                                                            as well as the other mirror sites,                                                                                                                                  http://www.vir.com/sfrg/sf-resource.guide.html                                     http://www.lamp.ac.uk/~spc/sf/sf-resource.guide.html                               http://kiwi.emse.fr/SF/sf-resource.guide.html                                                                                                                  so you don't have to change your HTML if you don't want to.                                                                                                     Many thanks to the hosts of the mirror sites for their help.                                                                                                    There is a button available for use on *your* web page to indicate a link to    the SFRG. It's 40x40 pixels, at                                                     http://lacon3.worldcon.org/www/Icons/sfrg.gif                                                                                                                  The SFRG was maintained by Gareth Rees until January 1995, when I (Chaz)        accepted responsibility.  Since then, I've been busy maintaining the L.A.con    III web page                                                                        http://lacon3.worldcon.org/ and can't keep up with the 50                      updates/month that the SFRG receives.  I'm very grateful to Mats for taking up  the torch, and wish him the best of luck.                                                                                                                       Please send all future SFRG update information to Mats at this special e-mail   address:                                                                            [e-mail]                                                                                                                                            It would help if you could please include the URL, name of the site, a brief    description, and name of the site maintainer & e-mail address (if it's not      yourself) when sending in new entries for the SFRG.                                                                                                             Chaz                                                                                                                                                            @START@--= THE INTERNET TOP 100 SF/FANTASY LIST =--                                    ----======= THE INTERNET TOP 100 SF/FANTASY LIST =======----                                                                                                    Edition Number 54                           7th January 1996                                                                                               r--------------------------------------------------------------------------,    | This chart was compiled using votes sent in by 952 people. If you want   |    | to vote for a book, then send a message containing your votes to me at   |    | [e-mail]. Each line of your message should      |    | contain a vote for one book, and should be of the form: Score out of 10, |    | Title of the book, and then the Author or Editor of the book.            |    L__________________________________________________________________________J                                                                                  =============================================================================== Pos |                Title              | Type | Author/Editor     | Score      ===============================================================================   1  Lord of the Rings                           J.R.R. Tolkien      8.76 (407)   2  Tigana                                      Guy G. Kay          8.30 (70)    3  Ender's Game                          S1    Orson Scott Card    8.27 (370)   4  The Long Run                                Daniel Keys Moran   8.20 (40)    5  Hyperion                              S1    Dan Simmons         8.20 (189)   6  1984                                        George Orwell       8.12 (111)   7  The Demolished Man                          Alfred Bester       8.12 (93)    8  Dune                                  S1    Frank Herbert       8.10 (374)   9  The Anubis Gates                            Tim Powers          8.09 (66)   10  The Moon is a Harsh Mistress                Robert A. Heinlein  8.02 (218)  11  Ubik                                        Philip K. Dick      8.01 (46)   12  Way Station                                 Clifford Simak      8.01 (54)   13  The First Chronicles of Amber         S     Roger Zelazny       8.00 (159)  14  The Earthsea Trilogy                  S     Ursula Le Guin      7.96 (137)  15  Player of Games                             Iain M. Banks       7.95 (82)   16  A Fire Upon the Deep                        Vernor Vinge        7.95 (127)  17  Last Dancer                                 Daniel Keys Moran   7.94 (25)  ^18  The Stars my Destination                    Alfred Bester       7.92 (104)  19  Stand on Zanzibar                           John Brunner        7.91 (90)   20  Lest Darkness Fall                          L. Sprague de Camp  7.90 (29)   21  Aristoi                                     Walter Jon Williams 7.89 (36)   22  The Book of the New Sun               S     Gene Wolfe          7.87 (100) ^23  Good Omens                                  Pratchett/Gaiman    7.87 (43)   24  Lord of Light                               Roger Zelazny       7.86 (109)  25  The Hobbit                                  J.R.R.Tolkien       7.86 (265) ^26  Timescape                                   Gregory Benford     7.86 (37)   27  Witches of Karres                           James Schmitz       7.85 (27)   28  Neutron Star                          C     Larry Niven         7.85 (68)   29  A Canticle for Leibowitz                    Walter M. Miller    7.84 (134)  30  True Names                                  Vernor Vinge        7.83 (28)   31  Snow Crash                                  Neal Stephenson     7.81 (121)  32  A Song for Arbonne                          Guy G. Kay          7.77 (42)   33  Startide Rising                             David Brin          7.74 (179) ^34  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe  S1    C.S. Lewis          7.74 (60)   35  The Dispossessed                            Ursula Le Guin      7.73 (117)  36  Bridge of Birds                       S1    Barry Hughart       7.73 (26)   37  The City and the Stars                      Arthur C. Clarke    7.73 (43)   38  A Scanner Darkly                            Philip K. Dick      7.71 (41)  ^39  Past Through Tomorrow                 C     Robert A. Heinlein  7.70 (34)   40  Double Star                                 Robert A. Heinlein  7.69 (62)   41  The Left Hand of Darkness                   Ursula Le Guin      7.68 (160)  42  Protector                                   Larry Niven         7.68 (61)  ^43  The Foundation Trilogy                S     Isaac Asimov        7.68 (287)  44  The Door into Summer                        Robert A. Heinlein  7.68 (91)   45  Fahrenheit 451                              Ray Bradbury        7.67 (113) ^46  Tau Zero                                    Poul Anderson       7.67 (37)   47  The Dying Earth                       S1    Jack Vance          7.66 (48)   48  Use of Weapons                              Iain M. Banks       7.65 (70)   49  Speaker for the Dead                  S2    Orson Scott Card    7.64 (223) ^50  The Wheel of Time Series              S     Robert Jordan       7.64 (131)  51  The Dragonbone Chair                  S1    Tad Williams        7.63 (67)   52  Gateway                               S1    Frederick Pohl      7.63 (143) ^53  To Your Scattered Bodies Go           S1    Philip J. Farmer    7.62 (45)   54  The Forever War                             Joe Haldeman        7.61 (130) ^55  The Summer Tree                       S1    Guy G. Kay          7.60 (39)   56  Mort                                  S4    Terry Pratchett     7.59 (47)   57  The Fall of Hyperion                  S2    Dan Simmons         7.57 (124)  58  Have Spacesuit, Will Travel                 Robert A. Heinlein  7.56 (76)   59  Nova                                        Samuel R. Delany    7.55 (27)   60  Methuselah's Children                       Robert A. Heinlein  7.53 (35)   61  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy  S1    Douglas Adams       7.52 (272) ^62  Lord Valentine's Castle               S1    Robert Silverberg   7.52 (42)   63  The Snow Queen                        S1    Joan Vinge          7.52 (38)   64  Jhereg                                S1    Steven Z. Brust     7.52 (62)  ^65  The Darkest Road                      S3    Guy G. Kay          7.50 (35)  ^66  Five Hundred Years After                    Steven K.Z. Brust   7.47 (17)   67  City                                  C     Clifford Simak      7.47 (64)   68  I Robot                               C     Isaac Asimov        7.47 (174)  69  Downbelow Station                           C.J. Cherryh        7.47 (46)   70  Eon                                   S1    Greg Bear           7.46 (68)  ^71  Guards! Guards!                       S8    Terry Pratchett     7.46 (35)   72  Creatures of Light and Darkness             Roger Zelazny       7.45 (28)  ^73  The Saga of the Pliocene Exile        S     Julian May          7.44 (45)   74  Green Mars                            S2    Kim S. Robinson     7.43 (48)  ^75  The Warrior's Apprentice                    L.M. Bujold         7.43 (31)  ^76  More than Human                             Theodore Sturgeon   7.42 (27)  ^77  The Shockwave Rider                         John Brunner        7.41 (27)   78  The Mote in God's Eye                       L.Niven/J.Pournelle 7.41 (186)  79  Neuromancer                                 William Gibson      7.41 (236)  80  Puppet Masters                              Robert A. Heinlein  7.40 (69)  ^81  To Green Angel Tower                  S3    Tad Williams        7.40 (35)   82  The Uplift War                              David Brin          7.40 (126)  83  Starship Troopers                           Robert A. Heinlein  7.39 (171)  84  Cyteen                                      C.J. Cherryh        7.38 (76)  ^85  Glory Road                                  Robert A. Heinlein  7.37 (30)   86  Childhood's End                             Arthur C. Clarke    7.37 (160)  87  Citizen of the Galaxy                       Robert A. Heinlein  7.37 (86)   88  The War of the Worlds                       H.G. Wells          7.36 (73)   89  The High Crusade                            Poul Anderson       7.36 (30)   90  The Time Machine                            H.G. Wells          7.35 (110)  91  Marooned in Realtime                        Vernor Vinge        7.35 (60)   92  Slaughterhouse 5                            Kurt Vonnegut       7.35 (36)  ^93  Jack the Bodiless                     S1    Julian May          7.34 (27)   94  Tunnel in the Sky                           Robert A. Heinlein  7.33 (51)  ^95  Cyberiad                                    Stanislaw Lem       7.31 (21)   96  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep         Philip K. Dick      7.30 (50)  *97  Songmaster                                  Orson Scott Card    7.30 (29)   98  Legacy of Heorot                            L.Niven/S.Barnes    7.30 (35)   99  Count Zero                                  William Gibson      7.29 (53)  100  Enchanter's End Game                  S5    David Eddings       7.28 (46)  ===============================================================================                                                                                 {S1} indicates that the book is the 1'st book in a series.                      {C}  indicates a collection of short stories.                                    *   indicates that the book was not on the chart last week.                     ^   indicates that the book has risen from last week's position.               A,B  indicate that two books by the same author are in different series.                                                                                        This chart is also available via WWW at                                                                                                                             http://www.clark.net/pub/iz/Books/Top100/top100.html                                                                                                        NOTE: When voting for series, _The Book of the New Sun_ will refer to the       first four books. _The Urth Cycle_ includes _The Urth of the New Sun_.          Also _The Chronicles of Amber_ refers to all ten books. You are also allowed    to vote for each book in the series individually.                                                                                                                                                                                               The Book of the New Sun / The Urth Cycle                                        ----------------------------------------                                        The Shadow of the Torturer    S1  7.87 (100)                                    The Claw of the Conciliator   S2  7.61 (82)                                     The Sword of the Lictor       S3  7.78 (66)                                     The Citadel of the Autarch    S4  7.77 (67)                                     The Urth of the New Sun       S5  7.00 (46)                                                                                                                     Wheel of Time Series                                                            --------------------                                                            The Eye of the World          S1  7.29 (131)                                    The Great Hunt                S2  7.20 (126)                                    The Dragon Reborn             S3  7.50 (123)                                    The Shadow Rising             S4  7.60 (116)                                    The Fires of Heaven           S5  7.64 (109)                                    Lord of Chaos                 S6  7.61 (94)                                                                                                                     Foundation Series                                                               -----------------                                                               Foundation                    S1  7.68 (287)                                    Foundation and Empire         S2  7.41 (209)                                    Second Foundation             S3  7.49 (216)                                    Prelude to Foundation         S4  5.81 (75)                                     Forward the Foundation        S5  5.97 (66)                                     Foundation's Edge             S6  6.21 (97)                                     Foundation and Earth          S7  6.08 (87)                                                                                                                     The First Chronicles of Amber                                                   -----------------------------                                                   Nine Princes in Amber         S1  7.62 (159)                                    The Guns of Avalon            S2  8.00 (63)                                     Sign of the Unicorn           S3  7.78 (61)                                     The Hand of Oberon            S4  7.77 (60)                                     The Courts of Chaos           S5  7.92 (60)                                                                                                                     The Earthsea Series                                                             -------------------                                                             A Wizard of Earthsea          S1  7.96 (137)                                    The Tombs of Atuan            S2  7.48 (76)                                     The Farthest Shore            S3  7.55 (60)                                     Tehanu                        S4  5.62 (30)                                                                                                                     The Saga of the Pliocene Exile                                                  ------------------------------                                                  The Many Coloured Land        S1  7.44 (45)                                     The Golden Torc               S2  7.34 (26)                                     The Nonborn King              S3  6.93 (21)                                     --                                                                              Tristrom Cooke                | Editor of the                                   [e-mail]  | Internet Top 100                                                              | SF/Fantasy List                                 @START@T&J Software BBS                                                         ████████╗██╗██╗███████████████████         ╚══██╔══╝██║██║██║████████╗██║     SysOp: Tom Wildoner    ██║██╔     ═██╔═╝████║(717)325-9481                     ██║██████║╚█████╔╝INTERNET: tjs     [[e-mail]    ╚═╝╚═════╝╚════╝     FIDO: 1:268/400   ███     ████╗██████╗███████╗████████╗██╗██╗     █████╗██████╗███████╗██╔════╝██╔═══██╗      ██╔════╝╚══██╔══╝██║██║██╔══██╗██╔═     ═██╗██╔════╝███████╗██║██║█████╗       ██║██║█╗██║███████║██████╔╝████     █╗╚════██║██║██║██╔══╝██║██║██     █╗██║██╔══██║██╔══██╗██╔══╝███████║        ╚██████╔╝██║██║╚███╔███╔╝██║██║     ██║██║███████╗╚══════╝╚═════╝╚═╝       ╚═╝╚══╝╚══╝╚═╝╚═╝╚═╝╚═╝╚══════╝        ██████╗██████╗███████╗             Specializing in DOORS and UTILITIES!██╔     ══██╗██╔══██╗██╔════╝█Our Doors      █are█informational,██     ████╔╝██████╔╝███████educational, or      just for fun. So██╔══██╗██╔══██╗╚════██          come█by█and relax        █at█a█place                ██████╔╝██████╔╝███████║where        █our DOORS█are█always open!     ╚═════╝╚═════╝╚══════╝             @START@ Current versions of T&J Software Doors/Util's                             --== T&J Software ==--   Current versions of doors and utilities                                                                                                File Request from 1:268/400                                                                                                                                     Program                                 Version    MAGIC                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                     * Announce!: Send screens prior to door.   v3.70     ANNOUNCE                     ANSI Vote Booth: Users vote on screens.  v2.60     ANSIVB                     * GoodUser: Good user door access only.    v1.70     GOODUSER                     Money Market: Stock market game.         v4.00     MONEYM                       OneRun: Set door entries.                v3.50     ONERUN                       T&J Lotto: Lotto number door.            v1.70     LOTTO                      * BadUser: Restricts door access.          v3.00     BADUSER                      Convince!: Convince users to reg doors.  v1.50     CONVINCE                   ! Dollarmania!: Online slot machine.       v3.00     DMANIA                       Lasso!: Classic online hangman door.     v1.50     LASSO                        Lemonade: Sell the most to win.          v4.10     LEMONADE                     Prize Vault: Guess the combination.      v4.60     PVAULT                       Scramble: Unscramble words 28,000+       v4.00     SCRAMBLE                     Bordello: Online whore house!            v1.51     BORDELLO                     Video Poker: Just like the casino's.     v1.71     VIDEOP                     * Ratio!: UL/DL ratio for door access.     v1.20     RATIO                        Studs!: Adult online action!             v1.50     STUDS                        Studette!: Adult online action!          v1.20     STUDETTE                     Strip Poker!: 5 card stud, male/female.  v1.31     SPOKER                       OnLine!: Text viewing/searching.         v1.90     ONLINE                       T&J Raffle!: Prize give-away door.       v1.10     RAFFLE                       On Line Legal Advisor Door               v1.10     OLA                        * AgeCheck!: Age limitations for doors.    v1.10     AGE                        * TJYesterday: Yesterday's callers WC!     v2.10     YEST                       * TJStat: Activity log analyzer WC!        v2.10     TJSTAT                     * TJTop30: Top Downloaded files WC!        v1.20     TOP30                      * WinCheck!: Add on for T&J Lotto.         v2.00                                  Bible Online: The complete Bible.        v1.00     BIBLE                        Business Cards: Share with other BBS's!  v1.00     BCARD                        LimitLog: Limits logs per day WC!        v1.00     LIMIT                      * WCAlarm: Alarms on ERROR.LOG WC!         v1.00     WCALARM                      JunkYard: Collect/Sell garbage.          v1.00     JUNKYARD                   * ExState: Business Cards utility.         v1.00                                * World Fact Book 1994                     v2.00     WORLDFB                      FedJobs: Online federal jobs.            v1.10     FEDJOB                       Apocrypha Door: Complete text.           v1.10     APOC                       * TJNew (WCX): New callers WC!             v1.00     NEWWCX                     * TopDL (WCX): Top downloaders WC!         v1.10     TOPDL                      * TopUL (WCX): Top uploaders WC!           v1.00     TOPUL                      * TJSLevel (WCX): Sec. level sorter WC!    v1.00     SLEVEL                     * TJBad (WCX): Bad user lister WC!         v1.00     BADWCX                     * TJGood (WCX): Good user lister WC!       v1.00     GOODWCX                    * TJTFiles (WCX): Top files WC!            v1.00     TFILE                      * TJMessage (WCX): Top message poster WC!  v1.00     TMESSAGE                   * TJWho? (WCX): Who's online? WC!          v1.00     TJWHO                      * FArea (WCX): File area lister WC!        v1.00     FAREA                        Consumer Information Door                v1.00     CINFO                      * U.S. Census Door                         v1.00     CENSUS                       Book of Mormon: Complete text.           v1.00                                  Consumer Product Safety Door             v1.10     CSAFETY                    * Across The Wire Monthly magazine!        v1.01     ATW                        * 144BBS Door: View/Search online.         v1.00     144BBS                     * InBetween: Classic online card game.     v1.00     TJINB                        Endangered Species Door                  v1.10     ESDOOR                       Hubble Space Telescope Info Door         v1.00     HST                          DogFAQ Info Door                         v1.00     DOGFAQ                       Finder Door                              v1.00     FINDER                                                                                                       *= Free door/utility program WC!= Wildcat! BBS Program                          != InterBBS Door!                                                                                                                                               All doors can be found on the T&J Software BBS at:                              [phone] 28.8 (3 Nodes - 28.8k)                                            Internet: [e-mail]                                             FIDO: 1:268/400                                                                                                                                                 FREQ: TJSOFT for a complete information package! (about 25k)                                                                                                    FTP: 204.186.5.54                                                                                                                                               WWW: http://204.186.5.54/public/default.htm                                                                                                                     FTP: ftp europa.com   /outgoing/DOORS/tj-software                                    anonymous login with EMail address for your password.                                                                                                      Visiting Sysops have instant access to all doors/utility programs.                                                                                              How to get the latest copy of all T&J Software Doors/Utility Programs:                                                                                          1.  Format SIX HD disks (3.5" only).                                            2.  Get THREE dollar bills.                                                     3.  Mail your $3 and SIX HD disks to:                                                                                                                                                  T&J Software                                                                    397 W. Broadway                                                                 Jim Thorpe, PA 18229                                     ──┬──                                                                             │om   T&J Software                                                          @START@Finder! - New Door Release                                               --------------------------------------------------------------------            New Door Release:                                      Finder! v1.00            --------------------------------------------------------------------            GENERAL:  Supports most BBS's, COM ports, non-standard IRQ's,                             fossil drivers, DESQview and network ready, and much more.            --------------------------------------------------------------------            NMS Software - 12/17/95 - This door marks a joint release from T&J              Software and Parole Software (North Meets South Software).                                                                                                      Finder! is an online text file retrieval system designed to help you            locate, search, and download text files online. Finder! supports                searches of single keywords or two keywords using an AND/OR search              routine. After prompting for keyword(s), Finder! then asks if you               would like to search text files based on the date of the actual files.                                                                                          The door supports X, Y, and Zmodem downloads from the door.                                                                                                     Setup is EASY! A simple .CFG file contains two items. The first is              the subdirectory name (i.e. Science Text Files) and the second is the           full path to the directory. All you need to do is fill the directory            with text files and Finder! will take care of the rest. This will even          work on CD-Rom's containing text files! Up to 100 directories may be            defined in the registered version.                                                                                                                              T&J Software will maintain a file area (Area #11) on our BBS which              will contain text files for your use in the door. You may logon to              our BBS at 717-325-9481 and enter *FINDER TEXT NOW at the logon                 prompt for instant access!                                                                                                                                      FILENAME:  FINDER10.ZIP                                                             SIZE:  150k                                                                                                                                                 You can get your copy of Finder! from:                                                                                                                          MAGIC: FINDER from 1:268/400 or 1:151/185                                         FTP: ftp.europa.com /outgoing/DOORS/tj-software                                      ftp.ids.net /Wildcat/TJSOFT                                                                                                                                 Tom & Jane Wildoner                   Dennis Maidon                             397 West Broadway                     9411 Buffalo Rd                           Jim Thorpe, PA 18229                  Clayton, NC 27520                         VOICE [phone]                   VOICE [phone]                       *between 5:00 & 8:00 p.m.             *between 4:00 & 8:00 p.m.                    Eastern Time Weekdays                 Eastern Time Weekdays                  The T&J Software BBS                  The PAROLE Board                          [phone] - 3 Nodes               [phone] - 2 Nodes                   [e-mail]             [e-mail]                          FIDO 1:268/400                        FIDO 1:151/185                            ftp.europa.com                        http://www.cris.com/~dmaidon                  /outgoing/DOORS/tj-software       ftp.europa.com                            ftp.ids.net                               /outgoing/DOORS/parole                    /Wildcat/TJSOFT                   ftp.ftp.ids.net                                                                     /Wildcat/parole                    @START@T&J Software Reg Form!                                                   ===========================================================================     Mail to:  Tom Wildoner              Make check or money order                             The T&J BBS               payable to TOM WILDONER                               397 West Broadway                                                               Jim Thorpe, PA 18229-1907 BBS: [phone] 28.8k - 3 Nodes                    INTERNET: [e-mail]                                                                                                                             YOUR NAME:_________________________________________                             ADDRESS:___________________________________________                             CITY/STATE:___________________   ZIPCODE:__________                             BBS NAME:_________________________________REQUIRED!                             BBS NUMBER:_(______)________-_____________REQUIRED!                             BBS SOFTWARE:______________________________________                             If registered under an ALIAS name please indicate                               your ALIAS:________________________________________                             FIDO NUMBER:______________                                                                                                                             Prize Vault!  $10 < >    Lasso!       $10 < >   Scramble!      $15 < >          Money Market! $15 < >    Dollarmania! $15 < >   ANSI                            OneRUN        $10 < >    T&J Lotto!   $15 < >   Voting Booth   $10 < >          Convince!     $10 < >    OnLine!      $15 < >   Studs!         $25 < >          Studette!     $25 < >    Bordello!    $20 < >   Video Poker!   $15 < >          Strip Poker!  $15 < >    T&J Raffle!  $10 < >   Bible OnLine,                   On Line Legal $35 < >    Lemonade     $10 < >   Apocrypha, and                  Business Card $20 < >    Consumer Inf $15 < >   Book of Mormon $20 < >          LimitLog (WC) $10 < >    End. Species $10 < >   JunkYard       $20 < >          InBetween     $15 < >    Consumer Safety        HST Info Door  $15 < >          FedJobs       $30 < >    Door         $15 < >   Finder         $30 < >                                                                                          Bible OnLine is shipped on 3HD 3.5" disks, disks included in price.             * Also includes Book of Mormon and Apocrypha Doors (FREE)                                                                                                       SUB-TOTAL (FROM ABOVE)-------------------------->>>>  +____________                                                                                             If you ordered from 2 to 9 doors deduct $3                                      for each door ordered!                                -____________                           --=== OR ===--                                                    If you ordered 10 or more doors deduct $5                                       for each door ordered!                                -____________                                                                                             TOTAL ------------------------------------------>>>>  =____________                                                                                             I would like to download my keys YES_____  NO_____                                                                                                              If you are not a user on our BBS, please indicate the                           filename and password for the file. If you are a user                           on our system, we'll leave you a message with the                               filename and password.                                                                                                                                          FILENAME:__________________.ZIP   Please be original!                           PASSWORD:__________________                                                                                                                                     Additional Costs:                                                               I would like my order sent on disks along with                                  demo's of the doors. Add $4.00 (4 - 3.5" HD)          +____________                                                                                             Just my keys on (1) disk add $2.00                    +____________                                                                                             The Total amount of your order! --------------->>>>   =____________            =======================================================================         CHARGE IT! (Card will be verified by Combined Warning Bulletin!)                                                                                                     NAME (as it appears on card) ______________________________________             EXPIRATION DATE: ____/_____                                                     CARD NUMBER: __________________________________                                 SIGNATURE: ____________________________________ DATE: ____________                                                                                         Comments or suggestions for any of the doors?                                                                                                                   _______________________________________________________________________                                                                                         _______________________________________________________________________                                                                                         _______________________________________________________________________                                                                                         _______________________________________________________________________                                                                                         Orders outside the United States, please use your credit card or                postal money order in U.S. Funds. Any checks received from outside              the U.S. will be returned!                                                                                                                                      Don't forget, you can always register these doors online in door #7             using your VISA or MASTERCARD by calling [phone]. The same discounts      will apply if you order online! You may also order demo disks and such          as part of your order.                                                                                                                                          We also have some free doors and programs available to download from            our BBS, they include:                                                                                                                                             - Announce! which sends a one screen announcement to users                        before the actual door is run.                                                - Environmental Quick Tips which makes environmental type                         screens in rotation.                                                          - BadUser which prevents bad users from playing your doors.                     - GoodUser which only allows good users in your doors.                          - T&J Stat which is an activity log analyzer for Wildcat! 3.x.                  - T&J Top 30 which lists the top 30 downloads from your                           Wildcat! 3.x activity log.                                                    - T&J Yesterday! which makes a nice screen showing yesterday's                    callers. For Wildcat 3.xx only!                                               - Ratio!, keep users with bad UL/DL ratios from entering your                     doors!                                                                        - WinCheck! checks for winners in T&J Lotto door.                               - AgeCheck! checks users age before allowing door entry. Will                     only work with DOOR.SYS and BBS that users have a birthdate                     entry.                                                                        - 1994 CIA World Fact Book!                                                     - DogFAQ Door complete dog information!                                         - 144BBS List Door.                                                             - Various wcCode applications (free).                                        @START@The UPPER ROOM BBS                                                                    Boise & the Treasure Valley's Fir     st Christian BBS!             ▄                         Serving the Lord 24 hours since 1992                         ▀█▀                                                                                 ▀        The UPPER ROOM Bulletin Board                                  │                   208-33     1-0082   8-N-1   14.4kbps                                       │                   BBS Software:  Spitfi     re v3.5                             ▄▄                       Your Sysop:    Steve McNutt, BAC                 │  │         ╟|╢                            SFNet Hub_ID:  A0208000                         ·· ···█       ·█                                                                     ::::::██     ■■■               █                           │                        ░░░░░░░░░░" "" " ""█              .....█                        │ │                 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░" """" """"█       :.:::█               │            " """    ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░     ░░░░""" """"""" ░░::.::     █              ===     " """          ░░░░░:: : ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░     "" """""" "" ░░:::.: ░                  = =   ░"""""            ░░░░░:::: ░░░░░░░▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒        " """""""""" ░░.:::: ░░░░     ░░        ==== ░░░"" ""         ░░░░: :: ▒▒▒▒▒.                   ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓" """"  """" ░░:::::           ░░░░░░░░░░░░  ====                   ░░░"  "" . ░░░::::                    ▓▓▓▓:. . ███"""" """" "               ▒▒.:::: ░░░░░░░░░·· ·              ===""" . ▒..:: ::.██..::.     .  ▀   """ """""""" ▓▓::·······              ░░░░░:: :" " " "  ▒░░     ░::: * 30 Online Games   *         Online CD-Rom   * Christian Reading Room        * Across The Wire Magazine   * SFNet Interna     tional .QWK Net * 33 File Areas   *      sWORDnet - God & Country .QWK Net   * Man     y Other Features                                      @START@People Who Need People                                                   ■■■■■■■■          ▄▓▒█▓▄▄▓▒█▓▄▄▓█▓▒█     ▓▒░▄▄▓█▓▒█▓▒░▄■■■■■     ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■▐▓     █▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓███████████████████████████████████     ████████████████░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌         ▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓█████HÉår ¥É        ███████████████████████████████████████░▒▓█▐▓         █▓▒█▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓█     ████████ÆÑd WÉ£çòmÉ tô....███████████████████████     █░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒         █▓▒░▌░▒▓█████████ ███████████████████████     ██████████████████░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌       ▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓█████████         People Who Need People████████████████░▒▓█       ▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒█▓▒          ░▌░▒▓█████████(312) 271 - 4733 8N1█             28,800 Bps██████████░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒         █▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓████     █████Adults Only (18+) ████████████████████████           ░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒         █▓▒░▌░▒▓█████████Featuring:████████     ████████████████████████░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌        ▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓█████████∙        █Shareware & PD Files - NightOwl CD's ███         ░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒         █▓▒░▌░▒▓█████████·█100     's of Adult GIFS  - Super Smutware CD░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒      █▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓████     █████∙█Lots of interesting Newsgroups        ████████░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌        ▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓█████████·          █Internet UUCP Connect███████████████████         ░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒         █▓▒░▌░▒▓█████████∙█Onl     ine Games Featuring L.O.R.D. 3.26a███░▒▓█        ▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒█▓▒          ░▌░▒▓█████████·█Multiple Netw     orks  G-X Rated SIG's██████░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒        █▓▒░▌▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌░▒▓████     █████∙█Personals/Global Registry             █████████████░▒▓█▐▓█▓▒█▓▒░▌           ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■        ■■▀▓█▓▒█▓▒░▀▀▓█▓▒      █▓▒░▀  ▀▓▒█▓▀▀▓▒█▓▀              ■■■■■■■■           @START@The Gondor BBS                                                           ▄▄██▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒██▄▄        OFFICIAL WILDCAT! BBS ▄██▒▒▒▒▒▒████     ▒▒ ▒▒████▒▒▒▒▒██RUNNING      VERSION 4.11a █  ░▄▄▄█             ░░░░█████▒▒▒▒▒█                 ▒░ ░▒█▒▒▒▒▒███░░░            █▄▄FIDO  1:271/380 █ ░██▀  ▄─  ▄▄▄█      ▀▀█    ░░░       ▒▒█             ▐▐█▒▒ ██  ▀░░     █▄ █▀▀█▄▄  ░░░██░  ▄     ▄█▀▀▀  ▄███▀▀ █▄ ▀▀▄▄▄████▒   ▒████▄     ▄▄▀▀ █ ▀ █  ▀▀▀▀▄▄  COME AND             ░░░░ █ ▀▀▀▀█▄▄   █████▄▀▀▀▄       ▀▀█▄██▀█ █▀ █▄█▀██               ▄▀ ▀▄ ██   ▄█▀▀▀   VISIT              ░░░▀█ ▄ ▀█▄▀ ██ ▄▀              ▄    █       █    ▄▀▄ ██ ▄       █▀  The Gondor BBS    ░░ ░░      ██▌ ██  ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀░░▄▄▀▀▀▄▄       ░░▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀  ▀         ▄▀  Newport News, VA░█▒▒▒       ▄▄█▄▄▄▄ ▄▀▀▄░░▀▀▀░░▄▀▀ ▄▄▄▄     █▄▄  ▀▒▒█  2 Nodes v34 & v32         ▐▒▒▒▄▄▀       ▀▄ ▀■▀▀▀▀▀▀▀■▀        ▀ ██████▀▀▄▒▒▒▌   (8     04) 872-0543  Thousands of   ▐█▒▒▒▒██▀█ ▀█▀ ▀            ▀███ ███▀▀ ▀█▀ ▀  ░░░█▌         ┌──────────────┐Files▒░░▒█       ░░▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀ ▀▀░░█▒      ░│ Tidwater HUB │░░░░       ▀▄▀█▀▄ ░░░│ for Wildnet!      │ Over 100 On-Line    ▀▒░░▀▄▄░░░▄▐ ▌▄░     ░░▄ ░▄▀│   & WSnet!   │   Door Games      ▀▒░  ▀▀▐█▐▌█▌█              █▐█▌██▌▌██▐      ▌█▌▀▀ ░▀░└──────────────┘       ░░ ░  ▐▐▓▒▀░▓        ▀░▀▓░█▀░                   ▐▐░ ░▀  ▒SysOp:       ░   ░░    ░▀▄░  ▌▌▐████          ▒▒▒████▌ ▌▌ ░░▀  ░░▒       Kevin Jendro░    ░░   ░░▀▄  ▐▌      ████▒▒▒████  ▐▄▀▀         ░   ▄   ▄   ▄  ▄▄░ ░░░ ░    ░░  ░▀▄▄▄           ███████████   ▄▄    ░    █░▒██▒      ▒██░▒░█▀▓░░░ ░   ░ ░░░       ░█▓ █▌████████▌     █▄▓▒▒▒█▒▓█░░▒▓█░░░     ░░░░░░░ ░░ ░   ░█▌ ▐▌▓██████▓         █▌ █▌▄░▒▒▒▒  ▒▓▓    ▀█         ▌░░  ░ ░░░░░░░ ▒░▌▐     ██▐▌▌█▐▐▌▐▌▐          ▌▄░▀ █▒   ▒▓▒▐                                                                                  @START@Servant of the Lord BBS                                                  World Religions and Cults┼Sensuality/Homos     exuality/AIDS┼Satan, Demons, AngelChristian Studies     ┼Prai▄▄▀Prayer Worship┼Music an     d Movie Reviews┼Church and BBible History┼       ProL▄▄██Life.Abor█       on┼Society.La█ Governmen     t┼Arguable.IssuesTrinity █                ▄███            ██                      ██        ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄Newsletters █      ██  ▄██         ┼      ██                     ██   █ ┼         ██  Magazines N█          ██     ▄▄▄▄▄▄▀ ▄▄▄▄ ██                 ┼    ██  ██                    ██ █ █Love ┼           Family P█      █     █            █  █ ███       ██  █         █   █   █   ██ ██      █ParentBible St        ██   █▄     ▄▄▄▄  █  ██ ██     █          █ █   █  ██  ██  ██       █  █BiograFamous C█             ██     ██   █      █ ▄█             █ ██   ██ ██▄▄▄▄█         █ █ █▄██  ██ ██             █GraphiGame Pro█ ███                 ██▄█▄▄▄▄▄██▀█       █ ▀██  █   █      █      █  ██  ██ █┼               █PASTORVirus Pr█ ██           ┼      ██        ██   █  ▀█      ███          █   █          ██    █BIBLICBible Se█         █       ██                        ██        ┼        ███          █   █NOLOGYDungeons        █     █             of the Lord BBS                 █             █   █AlcohoForeign Lang                  ▄▄██┼Christian Networks List┼Tele     communications┼Rom█n CatholicsBible      Subject Word Searches┼Evangelism and Missions Texts      ┼Online Bible and SSeedMaster┼Antiqu     ity: 1st & 2nd Centuries┼Christian Research Institute       ┼Handicapped Information Bible               Home of the        Commentaries Sermons Apo     logetics┼Christian Poetr  CI On-Line Bib     le College  Bible Study Outlines┼Ba            ptism┼Books and Tracts┼Pr         804.590.2161 ┼ 804.590.2221Points to Ponder          ┼GeograArchaeology┼Prophecy┼      Holy Spirit┼Devotionals┼KJV Materi      als┼Inspiration┼Liter          @START@Visible Spectrum BBS                                                     ┌  ┐ ┌┬┐ ┌─┐ ┌┬┐ ┬─┐ ┬   ┬─┐   ┌─┐ ┬─┐ ┬─┐ ┌─┐ ┌┬┐ ┬     ──┐ ┌ ┐ ┬┐┌┬└┐┌┘  │  └─┐  │  │─┤ │   │─    └─┐ │─┘ │─  │         │  │─┬┘ │ │ │└┘│└┘  └┴┘ └─┘ └┴┘ ┴─┘ ┴─┘ ┴─┘   └─┘ ┴        ┴─┘ ┴─┘  ┴  └ └  └─┘ └  ┘┌────────────────────────────     ────────────────────────────────┐└─────────     ───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘┬     ─┐ ┬─┐ ┌─┐│─┤ │─┤ └─┐┴─┘ ┴─┘ └─┘            Running Wildcat! v4.12  [phone] Hayes Optima 28.8k      v.34Newport, Oregon (on the coast)SysOp:   Robert      L. Clark online since 1992  We carry the Intelec netw     ork; have almost 20 CD's available, including the  Night Owl, Pi     er, and Software Vault series.  We offer the PC Catalog, lots        of door games, Across the Wire magazine, and much much more!              The BBS is simply a friendly and colorful place to visit!  Give u     s a call!!                                      @START@Ralph                                                                    ██           World's Largest Collection Of      Door Games Online!!██████████████████████     █████████████████████████████████████████████████                           ████████████▄ ▀▀█████████████     ██████▀▀▀████▄▄▄▀████████▀██                          ███████████████▄▄▄▄  ▀█▀▀▀▄ ▀██████▀▀█▄▀▀█▄ ██ ▀█▀      ▀█▀ ▀████████████████      ███████████        ███▀▀▀ ▄▄▄▄  ▀▄ ▀▄▄ █▄  ▄▄  ██ ██  █▄███     ███████████████████████████████████████▀█▄▄ ▀█▄  ██     ██  ▀▄██████████████████████████████     ██▀▀██▀▀██▀█▄▄▄SysOp: Cody▀██       ██████████████████████████▀███▄▄▄█▄▀▀▄▄ ▀▀▄        CoSys: Mirth & Sean  ▀█████████████████         ███████▀▀█▄▄▄▄▄ ▀▀▄▄▀████████     ████████████████▄ ▄▄▄▄▀▄   (512)339-7838 /      (512)339-2624 - 28,800 Baud ▀█████████████     ▀▄ ▀█▀▀▄▀▀▀█▄▄▄▀▀████████████         ███▄▄█████▄▄▀██████████     ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌─┐    ┌─────┐ ┌─┐ ┌─┐  Home Of      Austin Online Echo▀▀████████│ ┌──     ┐ │ │ ┌──┐ │ │ │    │ ┌─┐ │ │ │ │ │& Bizzare Creations     ▀█████│ └──┘ │ │ └──┘ │ │ │    │ └─┘ │ │      └─┘ │▄█▄▄▄▄  & Stuff Magazines    ▀██         █│ ┌─┐ ┌┘ │ ┌──┐ │ │ │    │ ┌───┘ │ ┌─┐ │         ▄▄█████████▄▄▄▄▄███▄▄███        │ │ │ └┐ │ │  │ │ │ └──┐ │ ││ │ │ │▄██      ██████████████████████▄▄▄█▄▄▄▄▄████     └─┘ └──┘ └─┘  └─┘ └────┘ └─┘└─┘ └─┘████████     ██████████████████████████████                                                                                              Totally Free BBS, 27 CD's Online, Over 400 D     oor Games Online, InterBBS Games                     @START@Parole Software!                                                         ██████████          ████████████         ████████████         ████████████         ████████████         ████████████         ██████████           ─┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴─     ─┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴████             ─┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─Live! From the Heart of North      Carolina┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬████          ─Dennis Maidon, SysOp┬▄██     ██████┌────────────┐█████████████████     ▄▄──┬─┴──┬─┴████             ─┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬─▄██████████│      919-965-4696│█            ██████▄      ─┴─┬──┴─┬████─┬─┴─     ─┬─┴──┬─┴─┬──▀████████████└──────────     ──┘             ████████▀─┴──┬─┴            ████─┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬─┘            ███████████████*BBS Direct*   ███         *██████████████▀▀┴─┬──┴─┬        ████─┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─▄▄█     ████████████████Clayton, NC██████████     ████████████▄┬─┴──┬─┴██        ██─┴─┬──┴─┬──▄▄████████████████      FIDO 1:151/185.0█████████████████████          ┴─┬──┴─┬████─┬─┴──┬     ─┴█████████████▀▀▀─┬─┴──┬─┴──┬              ▀███████████████████████▀▀┴──┬─┴──┬─┴     ████─┴─┬──┴█████     ██████▀▀─The─Parole            ┴Board─BBS┴▀      ███████████████▀──┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬██     ██─┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴─ 8.4 Gb Fil     e Storage─┬─┴▀███████████▀─┴─     ─Super Rassle┴██       ██─ Satellite! ┬──┴─┬─     ─┴─ A WILDCAT! BBS ──┴─┬──             ▀████████▀┴─┬──  CatLi     st   ┬████─        RIP Graphics┴──┬─ Home of "PAROLE      Software" ─┬─▀█████▀─┬─┴──      OLT! / PSA ┴██        ██─Xpress! Mail┌──┴─┬──┴─┬─     ─┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬──┴─┬─▀██▀──┴─┬──      Sex Trivia ┬████       ─┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴─┬──┴────┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴─     ─┬─┴──┴─┬─┴──┬─┴──┬████            ─┴─┬──┴─       US Robotics modems exclusively       / v.Everything      ─┬──┴─┬██       ██─┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴"When you only have time t     o call the very best"┬─┴──┬─┴──┬─┴██      ██████████          ████████████         ████████████         ████████████         ████████████         ████████████         ████████                  @START@Parole Software Programs                                                                         The Parole Board BBS                                                                Clayton, NC                                                                                                                                   Node1 -> [phone] ──> USRobotics V.Everything                                          InterNet: [e-mail]                                                     http://www.cris.com/~dmaidon                                                                                                                ╒═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕                 │ You can now get updates to this file via the InterNet.  Use │                 │ the `finger' command to get the latest version.             │                 │                  `finger [e-mail]                   │                 ╘═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛                                   ----- VISITIN' WARDEN -----                                                                                                                 Welcome to The Parole Board BBS.  As a Visiting SysOp you have *NO*             U/L-D/L ratio so you can pig out to your hearts content.                                                                                                        We now have several very useful utilities for SysOps:                                                                                                           You may also request the REGISTER.TXT by using the MAGIC! name of               "REGISTER".  The distribution sites may be requested by "SITES".                                                                                                                         ----------------------                                                 wcCode Applications for Wildcat! 4.x                                                                                                            BD_MSG12.ZIP   Send your users a personal message on their                                     birthday.  Also creates a full color BULL or HELLO                              screen.  FREE!                                                                  MAGIC!: BIRTHDAY                                                                                                                                 AN_MSG10.ZIP   Send users a personal message on the anniversary of                             the first call to your BBS.  FREE!                                              MAGIC!: ANV_MSG                                                                                                                                  NEWCAL15.ZIP   Creates a bulletin of all the new callers to your                               system for a specified number of days.  FREE!                                   MAGIC!: NEWCALL                                                                                                                                  WHOYST10.ZIP   Creates a bulletin of all callers that placed a call                            to your BBS yesterday.  FREE!                                                   MAGIC!: WHOYEST                                                                                                                                  WCPAGE15.ZIP   [P]age SysOp replacement module.  FREE!                                         MAGIC!: PAGE                                                                                                                                     TIC2WC10.ZIP   A TIC processor for WC! 4.01.  Free!                                            MAGIC!:TIC2WC                                                                                                                                    WCDEL10.ZIP   Utility to delete files from WC! db from a text file.                           Free!                                                                           MAGIC!: WCDEL                                                                              ----------------------                                                                                                                 GPAPER55.ZIP   Adds Compu-Paper effect to text files.  New Look!                               Now supports WC!3, PCB, Synchronet and SearchLight                              special color codes.                                                            MAGIC!: GPAPER                                                                                                                                   ACOLOR62.ZIP   Adds ANSI color to text files.  Completely SysOp                                configurable.  Supports WC!3 and PCB color codes.                               MAGIC!: ACOLOR                                                                                                                                   CVTWCT30.ZIP   Utility for WC! SysOps to convert the data in                                   WCTEXT(r).DAT and WCTEXT(r).DEF to text files.                                  Useful.                                                                         MAGIC!: CONVERT                                                                                                                                  CVTPRM10.ZIP   Utility to convert the WC!4 .PRM files to ASCii                                 format.  Very useful utility.  FREE!                                            MAGIC!: CVTPRM                                                                                                                                   STANDBY!.ZIP   Batch file utility that holds a batch file for a                                preset time or immediately runs the bat file if the                             preset time has passed.                                                         MAGIC!: STANDBY                                                                                                                                  TAGGER10.ZIP   Utility to add a bit of change to your BANNER files                             in your BBS Mailers.                                                            MAGIC!: TAGGER                                                                                                                                   0BYTE-12.ZIP   Creates the '0' byte files you need to properly                                 install a CD-ROM drive on WC! 3.0.                                              MAGIC!: 0BYTE                                                                                                                                    DAYB4-15.ZIP   Creates HELLOx or BULLx screens informing users of                              number of days till Christmas.  Supports WC!3.x and                             PCB specific color codes.                                                       MAGIC!: DAYB4                                                                                                                                    RCOLOR21.ZIP   Discontinued!                                                                                                                                    PCOLOR21.ZIP   WC! utility to add color to the WCPRO double files                              listing.  Uses WC! specific "@" color codes.  Now                               supports WC! 3.x and 4.x.                                                       MAGIC!: PCOLOR                                                                                                                                   TXTLOG11.ZIP   Utility to notate text files from a batch file with                             a short message and the date and time.                                          MAGIC!: LOGGER                                                                                                                                   PRTNUM10.ZIP   A FREE utility to write the users record number and                             expiration date to the ACTIVITY.LOG for each caller.                            A WC!3.6+ specific utility.                                                     MAGIC!: NUMBER                                                                                                                                   HOSTGE22.ZIP   A not so light-hearted look at the "leader" of our                              nation.                                                                         MAGIC!: HOSTAGE                                                                                                                                                           ----------------------                                                                                                                 PSA-V21.ZIP    Purity 1000 Stand-Alone Version.  Now your users                                can enjoy Purity 1000 in the privacy of their home.                             It includes ANALYZE.EXE which will compare the                                  output files from PSA and P1000.                                                MAGIC!: PSA                                                                                                                                      SUPTRV10.ZIP   Play at home trivia program with 1700+ questions.                               MAGIC!: SUPER                                                                                                                                    XMAS-20.ZIP    Informs you of the number of days left till Xmas.                               Batch Utility.                                                                  MAGIC!: XMAS                                                                                                                                                            ----------------------                                                            BBS DOOR PROGRAMS                                                             ----------------------                                                                                                                   PICK7_10.ZIP   BBS Door program based on KENO/Lotto.                                                                                                            RASSLE.ZIP     Wrestling Door Pgm for WC! and other BBS systems                                Super Rassle v6.2                                                               MAGIC!: RASSLE                                                                                                                                   ADOPT50.ZIP    Adopt-A-Door program to let your users know that a                              particular door program needs a sponsor.                                        MAGIC!: ADOPT                                                                                                                                    PURITY27.ZIP   Door Program based on the PURITY 500 questions.                                 This program is for *Mature* Adults Only!                                       MAGIC!: PURE500                                                                                                                                  P1000V27.ZIP   Purity 1000 - Lots of new features that are                                     available for the users.  Adults Only!                                          MAGIC!: PURE1000                                                                                                                                 SEXTRV52.ZIP   Sex Trivia Door Program.  For *Mature* Adults Only!                             MAGIC!: SEXTRV                                                                                                                                   ESP!24.ZIP     Guess the Number  BBS Door Game.  FREE!                                         MAGIC!: ESP                                                                                                                                      BDERBY26.ZIP   New Baby on the way?  Let your users guess the                                  baby's vital stats.                                                             MAGIC: DERBY                                                                                                                                     OLT-50.ZIP     On-Line Trivia  1750 Questions on various subjects.                             Now supports a RIPSCRIP interface.                                              MAGIC!: OLT                                                                                                                                      OLTR-V26.ZIP   OnLine Text Reader  Read text files online.                                     Multi-BBS Door program.                                                         MAGIC!: OLTR                                                                                                                                     FWISH23.ZIP    File Wishing Well -NEW!- Allow users to list                                    files they are looking for.                                                     MAGIC!: WISH                                                                                                                                     RREAD33.ZIP    Discontinued!                                                                                                                                    SPRTRV38.ZIP   NCAA Sports Trivia  Multi-BBS Door Pgm.                                         MAGIC!: SPORT                                                                                                                                    AWARD38.ZIP    Entertainment Awards Trivia   Questions pertaining                              to the Academy Awards.                                                          MAGIC!: AWARD                                                                                                                                    MOVTRV38.ZIP   Movie Trivia  BBS Door Pgm to test your Movie Trivia                            Knowledge.                                                                      MAGIC!: MOVIE                                                                                                                                    DMDTRV38.ZIP   Diamond Trivia  BBS Door Program with questions                                 pertaining to baseball.                                                         MAGIC!: DIAMOND                                                                                                                                  CELEB38.ZIP    Celebrity Trivia  'Fascinatin' Facts about Famous                               Folks' BBS Door program to test your knowledge about                            Famous People.                                                                  MAGIC!: CELEB                                                                                                                                    TRKTRV18.ZIP   Star Trek Trivia.  A BBS door program to test your                              knowledge on all aspects of "Trek" trivia.                                      MAGIC!: TREK                                                                                                                                     QUOTES20.ZIP   Quotes & Quips! Trivia.  Door program to test your                              knowledge of famous sayings and quotes throughout                               history.                                                                        MAGIC!: QUOTE                                                                                                                                    CATLIST.ZIP    CatList! v4.70 BBS List Door.  Works similar to                                 WCLIST on Mustang! BBS.  Compat. w/Wildcat! Only!                               Notifys users when their listings have expired.                                 Now incorporates RIPSCRIP Graphics!                                             MAGIC!: CATLIST                                                                 MAGIC!: CLIST386  >PATCH for 386 compiled version.                              MAGIC!: CLIST286  >PATCH for 286 compiled version.                              MAGIC!: CATTEXT   >CATLIST.TXT from CatList door.                                                                                                PTIME15.ZIP    Post Time.  A horse racing simulation door.                                     MAGIC!: POSTTIME                                                                                                                                 TTRIAL26.ZIP   Time Trials.  A drag racing simulation door.                                    MAGIC!: TTRIAL                                                                                                                                   CLSSAD26.ZIP   Classified Ads.   A BBs door program that allows                                users to input ads.                                                             MAGIC!: CLASSIFY                                                                                                                                 CEVENT23.ZIP   Current Events.  A calendar door for BBSs.  New                                 features.                                                                       MAGIC!: EVENT                                                                                                                                    HERALD12.ZIP   An announcement type door that allows the sysOp to                              send a display screen to their users.  Supports                                 RIPSCRIP!                                                                       MAGIC!: HERALD                                                                                                                                   TORC11.ZIP     Truth or Consequences v1.0  Initial Release                                     A FREE Gag door for your users enjoyment.                                       MAGIC!: TORC                                                                                                                                     HISTRY12.ZIP   American History Trivia.  Initial Release.                                      MAGIC!: HISTORY                                                                                                                                  OLREV-10.ZIP   Initial Release!  A full featured Review door.                                  MAGIC!: REVIEW                                                                                                                                   OLG-V10.ZIP    Initial Release!  A full featured Graffiti Door.                                MAGIC!: OLG                                                                                                                                      STATES10.ZIP   US States Trivia door.                                                          MAGIC!: STATES                                                                                                                                   GEOTRV10.ZIP   World Geography Trivia door.                                                    MAGIC!: GEOGRAPHY                                                                                                                                QSLOT10.ZIP    Quarter*Slots  Online Slots door.                                               MAGIC!: QSLOTS                                                                                                                                                         ------------------------                                                                                                                         Check out the PAROLE Software File Area for current files.                                                                                                                     ------------------------                                                                                                                           All programs "Copyright 1991-95, PAROLE Software"                                              ALL RIGHTS RESERVED                                     @START@Access Denied Public Message System                                      █████╗██████╗██████╗  ██████╗  ███████╗     ██╔══██╗██╔══██╗██╔══██╗ ██╔══██╗ ██╔════╝ ┌───     ───────███████║─────██║──██║────────        ██████╔╝─██████╔╝─███████╗──────────┐           │ AD██╔══██║██║  ██║██╔══██╗ ██╔══██╗ ╚════██     ║AD │ │██║  ██║ ██╗ ██████╔╝ ██╗    █████     █╔╝ ██████╔╝ ███████║│ │╚═╝  ╚═╝ ╚═╝ ╚═════╝       ╚═╝    ╚═════╝  ╚═════╝  ╚══════╝│ │THE ACCE     SS DENIED PUBLIC MESSAGE SYSTEM│ ││ │        (703) 241-1826│ ││ │300-28.8k      Multi-Node QuickBBS Version 2.80│ │SysOp: J     ames Goldbloom (1:109/611@Fidonet)│ ││ │     The NUMBER ONE rated message dedicated online BBS for o     ver│ │10 years with 100,000 callers.  Intern     et, Fidonet, Local│ │messages from 1,000+ us     ers.  Private node also available.│ ││ │       Send INTERNET netmail for FREE, primary support for INET.         │ ││ │ ADEASY MENUS - FRIEN     DLY - SIMPLY THE BESTAD │ └──────────────────────     ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘              @START@PharmAZcy Online!                                                        ███████ ████████ ████████   █     █ ████  ██ ▀   █████████ ██████ █████  █████ █     ██████ ██████   ██   █████ ██  ██████  ██ ██  █       ██  ▀ ██ █ ██ ██  ██ ██   ▄ ██▀██▀████  █     █ ██████ ██    ██ █ ██ ██  ██ ██████ █████   ██     █████████ ▀▀████   ██ █████ ██ ██ █████ ████ ██      Guest Users - Enter██   ██ ██  █ ██ ██ ██  █      ██▄  ██Name: Guest User███████ ██  █ ██ █     █ ██  █ ██▄▄ ▄▄Password: Guest   ┌──────     ───────────────────────────┐  Ask A Pharmacist           │ Pharmacy/Medical/Computing BBS          │─┐Message Conference   │ 2400      - 14400 bps, 24 hrs/day    │ │┌──────────────────     ──────┐   │ (602) 955-3835 ■ Phoenix, AZ    │ │     │Your SysOp:│─┐   │ Wo     rld Message Exchange <WME>    │ ││Michae     l Guzzo│ │   │ {COMMO} Support Board        │ ││   Pharm.D. Candidate   │          │   └─┬───────────────────────────────┘        │└─┬──────────────────────┘ │       └─────────────────────────────────┘└────────────────────────┘