[continued from previous message]   
      
   6:30 PM    Bride of Frankenstein (1935)   
      
   SATURDDAY, November 1   
   5:15 AM    Eye of the Devil (1966)   
      
   [-ecl]   
      
   ===================================================================   
      
   TOPIC: Life on Mars (letter of comment by Steve Coltrin)   
      
   In response to Greg Frederick's comments on life on Mars in the   
   09/19/25 issue of the MT VOID, Steve Coltrin writes:   
      
   "TOPIC:  Life on Mars (comments by Gregory Frederick)"   
      
   Was expecting David Bowie.  Am confused.  [-sc]   
      
   ===================================================================   
      
   TOPIC: Help Desk Filk Songs (lyrics by Mark R. Leeper)   
      
   [These were written back in the 1980s, I think, when Mark was   
   working on an internal Bell Labs  user hot line. -ecl]   
      
   (To the tune of "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah", which in turn is   
   based on Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours")   
      
   Hello user, this is Hot Line.   
   Since you're calling, things are not fine.   
   So to tell us what has gone wrong   
   Leave your name and message at the end of this song.   
      
   Since our job is fault prevention   
   We will give you prompt attention.   
   We know problems are a bummer.   
   Oh, yes, don't forget to leave your phone number.   
      
      
   (To the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad")   
      
   We've been working on the system   
   All the live-long day.   
   We've been working on the system   
   Just to keep those bugs away.   
   If you think you have a problem   
   Leave your number and your name,   
   Cause if it is not fixed   
   We will get the blame.   
      
      
   (To the tune of "Red River Valley")   
      
   Oh, you say that your system is shaky,   
   And you've called up this number to weep.   
   Please tell us just what you think is flakey;   
   Leave your number when you hear the beep.   
      
   We will then get right onto your problem,   
   Make your system all ready to use.   
   Oh, how we love to answer this number;   
   No one ever calls us with good news!   
      
      
   (To the tune of "Old Man River")   
      
   You got a problem   
   On your computers;   
   We'll fix it real fast;   
   We're real straight shooters.   
   Leave your name 'n' number   
   When we get to ending this song.   
      
   We'll fix your problem   
   Both free and gratis.   
   Call 2-0-0-8   
   If you just want status.   
   Leave your name 'n' number   
   When we get to ending this song.   
      
      
   (To the tune of "Shine on, Harvest Moon")   
      
   Sign on, sign on any system that you like,   
   Be it Amanda or   
   Ragnar, Enterprise, Uhura, or Pike.   
   If it gives you any reason to moan   
   Leave your name and number   
   In a moment, on hearing the tone.   
      
   [-mrl]   
      
   ===================================================================   
      
   TOPIC: This Week's Reading (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)   
      
   These days a question I find myself asking, "Am I reading this   
   because I want to, or because I think I should?" If the answer is   
   the latter (and I am not reading it for a discussion group), I   
   move on. (For discussion groups, I may just skim the rest, though.)   
      
   I used to read about two hundred books a year. Now it's more like   
   one hundred, meaning I should assume my "lifetime reading plan"   
   (to borrow a phrase from Clifton Fadiman) should hold about a   
   thousand books. Now obviously I don't know what all those books   
   are, but I shouldn't waste these slots on things I'm not enjoying.   
      
   Which is why, for example, I am not going to read this year's Hugo   
   winner, THE TAINTED CUP by Robert Jackson Bennett. I was going to,   
   but when I opened it I was greeted by a map of a fantasy kingdom   
   with unfamiliar names, a list of neological military ranks and   
   titles in a strict hierarchy, and the information that this was   
   the first of a series. Nope. Which is why my comments tend to be   
   on older books. [-ecl]   
      
   ===================================================================   
      
                                        Evelyn C. Leeper   
                                        evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com   
      
      
              A sufficiently advanced scientist is indistinguishable   
              from a crackpot.   
                                              --Mark R. Leeper   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)