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'cat addiction - BS

23 Jun 99 - 11:10 AM (#89018)
Subject: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Sheye

Got this as a joke for web addiction, but it fit so well~~

'CAT Addict Survivors 12 Step Program

1) I will have a cup of coffee in the morning and read my newspaper like I used to, before the 'CAT.

2) I will eat breakfast with a knife and fork and not with one hand typing.

3) I will get dressed before noon.

4) I will make an attempt to clean the house, wash clothes, and plan dinner before even thinking of the 'CAT.

5) I will sit down and write a letter to those unfortunate few friends and family that are 'CAT-deprived.

6) I will call someone on the phone who I cannot contact via the 'CAT.

7) I will read a book...if I still remember how.

8) I will listen to those around me and their needs and stop telling them to turn the TV down so I can hear the music on the 'CAT.

9) I will not be tempted during TV commercials to check for new postings at the 'CAT.

10) I will try and get out of the house at least once a week, if it is necessary or not.

11) I will remember that my bank is not forgiving if I forget to balance my checkbook because I was too busy at the 'CAT.

12) Last, but not least, I will remember that I must go to bed sometime... and the 'CAT will always be there tomorrow!


23 Jun 99 - 11:28 AM (#89024)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Rick Fielding

1. I will stop trying to get my (intelligent) folk friends to visit the Cat.

2. I will stop telling people (who could care less) how brilliant and scatalogical Catspaw is.
3. I will stop reminding myself just how stoopid I am everytime I read a Peter T. posting. (after all, I can still at least play bass runs better than him)
4. I will stop worrying that everytime I even CONSIDER using profanity, somehow my late mother (or Joe Offer)will find out.
5. Now that I know the correct pronunciation of "slainte", I will stop pronouncing it "slainte"!
6. I will stop this right now and see what other threads are out there.


23 Jun 99 - 11:29 AM (#89025)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Wolfgang

two former threads:
help I'm addictied
Mudcat addiction Wolfgang


23 Jun 99 - 11:44 AM (#89029)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Allan C.

I just returned from being in the woods for fifteen days. No Mudcat. No way of even getting close to a computer. Man! It was a very difficult time! The pain, however was eased considerably by the fact that at no time during my adventure did I hear the slightest hint of rap music ( - if you will forgive my using those two words together in the same sentence!).

The true difficulty was in catching up on the threads after I got back. I am sure what I experienced was only a hint of what Catspaw endured (I am talking about cyber things only here). Anyway, it is good to be back among you. I must admit that even out in the wilderness, I thought about this place often. I guess I just missed home.


23 Jun 99 - 11:50 AM (#89031)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: bseed(charleskratz)

I was doin' all right, just checkin' the threads a coupla times a day (admittedly up from the OLD Gargoyle [NOI, Gargles} days when I could stay away for days at a time) and then I discovered--for the second time, after the real scholarship began, Hokey pokey and the Druids, and I was hooked again. I'd post, check back an hour later to see if anyone had responded to my post, hit a few others with my mostly inane contributions, check Hokey pokey again and someone else had posted, post again, then maybe shut down a while, play the banjo, play with the dogs, play at finding my carpet under all the junk I have piled around the computer, look up and see that empty face, and push the two fateful buttons again...

And all that was before Leej started the True Detective stories thread. I don't know when I'll see daylight again. --seed


23 Jun 99 - 11:59 AM (#89036)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From:

I know..The 'Cat has permeated my life. It's the first thing I do in the morning at work, at lunch, and when I get home at night, now that I have a computer at home. I resent anything thats take me away from the computer. Last night I went to see the wonderful Buddy Guy, in person, on stage and had to leave to go see him as soon as I got home. I really wanted the time to check The Mudcat. I was actually glad to get to work this morning. BTW, Buddy WAS great! For those of you who might never of heard of him, he's a great blues guitarist and singer.

annap


23 Jun 99 - 12:37 PM (#89050)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: MMario

These pesky rumours keep cropping up! The MudCat is NOT addictive. I can stop anytime I want to, and so can everyone else.

I had absolutley no problems getting through the 18.375 minutes I was out of touch yesterday.

MMario


23 Jun 99 - 12:53 PM (#89057)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Bert

So can I. I just don't want to.
Bert.


23 Jun 99 - 01:53 PM (#89067)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From:

I'm going to go take a walk to Battery Park in the sunshine right now!!

annap


23 Jun 99 - 01:57 PM (#89068)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: bseed(charleskratz)

My wife, co-dependent that she is, comes in from time to time, looks at me ruefully, shakes her head, and goes back out to the living room. Her sobbing sometimes becomes audible: that's when I put Art Thieme's CD back in the CDR drive in my Mac. I listen via headphones, of course. --seed


23 Jun 99 - 03:37 PM (#89091)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: katlaughing

My name is Kat and I am not a Mudcaholic!


23 Jun 99 - 03:49 PM (#89097)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Legal Eagle

Gee, is Buddy Guy still playing! He made a big impression in the UK in the 60s!


23 Jun 99 - 04:25 PM (#89116)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Allan C.

I recently saw Buddy Guy along with a huge bunch of others on a PBS show honoring Muddy Waters. Eric Clapton was there playing backup for these wonderful icons of the blues world. He must have been totally thrilled! It was a great show.


23 Jun 99 - 04:37 PM (#89127)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)

**gasp**wheeze** ya gotta help me..... coff coff
I've been up to my #$* in the demands of life for the past few weeks and haven't been keeping up with my mimimum daily Mudcat requirement...
Now I'm going thru DT's
AIEEEEEEEEE


23 Jun 99 - 04:44 PM (#89130)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From:

The thing that turned me on to Buddy Guy was an article I read from Eric Clapton that said he was one of the players that inspired him to play. Now anyone that could do that, I had to hear. So I went out and bought a CD. Now I adore his playing. Yes, Legal Eagle, he's still playing great and I was amazed how wonderful he looked.

still in a trance, annap


23 Jun 99 - 04:47 PM (#89134)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Roger in Baltimore

Animaterra,

That's the problem. When you've been off a while, you don't have time to go through the DT. Stick with the Forum, it takes less time then searching 6000+ songs on the DigiTrad Database.

Big RiB


23 Jun 99 - 06:16 PM (#89162)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: catspaw49

So Mario, what were you doing? Listening to "Alice's Restaurant?" The time frame fits. Of course that's also the missing gap in the Nixon Tapes. Was he listening to Arlo and didn't want the world to find out? Arlo believes this could be the explanation.

catspaw


23 Jun 99 - 09:17 PM (#89206)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: dick greenhaus

Hey Roger-- You're living in the past. The DT (fall 98) had well over 7000 lyrics; the Spring 98 edition, once Max puts it up, has 7800.


24 Jun 99 - 08:02 PM (#89491)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Roger in Baltimore

Thanks Dick,

I've been throwing that 6000+ figure around quite a bit when I think I'm meeting new folks on the 'Cat. And when do you think Max will put up the Spring 99 version? I'm surprised Joe Offer hasn't been clamoring for it. Hell, the summer Solstice just passed here in Maryland (I know Pennsylvania must be different. Everything is different in Pennsylvania. You can tell as soon as you cross the State line). 7800 huh? Whew that's a lot of typing Dick!

Big RiB


25 Jun 99 - 06:41 AM (#89625)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Banjer

Addicted? NO WAY....Just cause I come home, pat the dog on the way down the hall, turn on the pewter, click on the necessary icons to get my net connection started, go to bookmarks and select MUDCAT, then go find the wife and tell her hello, and hope that by now the 'Cat is on screen and I can catch up on what has transpired during my absence. No, I wouldn't say I'm addicted. Roll out of bed at 5:30AM, flip on the pewter, click on the necessary icons to get my net connection started, go to bathroom, pat dog on head on way, and then sit down to see what has happened overnight. No....No addiction here!;-)


25 Jun 99 - 08:00 AM (#89639)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Roger in Baltimore

Banjer! You've been reading my mail!!! You described my life too well (despite the absence of dog and wife).

Big RiB


25 Jun 99 - 06:26 PM (#89827)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: karenj

I am disappointed! I though this thread was about cats as in pussy cats, furry. purring little darlings, the life savers of people, especially womnen, living alone. Any real cat lovers out there?


25 Jun 99 - 09:09 PM (#89856)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: catspaw49

Once again here is proof that Banj, RiB, and I are somehow related. I've been really trying to "limit" myself, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. Then again, I don't work out either.

catspaw


26 Jun 99 - 01:25 AM (#89904)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Banjer

Sure an' 'tis 'true, ta be related to the (in)famous Catspaw is indeed an honor worth carryin' thru life. Also ta think that perhaps RiB an' others fell from the same tree is not unbearable! Just haven't figured out if the mother tree was a walnut or pecan.


26 Jun 99 - 01:27 AM (#89907)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Banjer

Please note if ya will, the time on this and the previous post!! I stand by ny earlier statement....Or as one of our recent presidential types said...."READ MY LIPS," No addiction here!!!


26 Jun 99 - 06:39 AM (#89934)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: catspaw49

And the time is...........

It was definitely a nut tree.

catspaw


26 Jun 99 - 07:32 PM (#90050)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Susanne (skw)

karenj - yes, there's one here at any rate. My last cat died back in April but last Monday I quite unexpectedly got another one - eight weeks old but fairly lively (in fact, he's climbing um my jumper as I'm typing). So from now on I'll have to share my spare time between the two cats - the furry one and the virtual one. It's not going to be easy! - Susanne


26 Jun 99 - 10:06 PM (#90071)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: catspaw49

Got seven and a weimaraner who acts like a cat out of self defense.

catspaw


27 Jun 99 - 02:38 AM (#90095)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Joe Offer

Gee, with the the Forum Search broken, you can't tell when you're being talked about.

Mr. Fielding, I see you haven't been paying attention. It's kindness I'm concerned about. Profanity don't make no nevermind to me - or to your mom. However, your late mother and I are very proud of you. You're a pretty darn good guy.

Mr. Baltimore ....er, Roger - Can't say I'm particularly concerned about the Spring 1999 database, either. Mick and I are working on a Windows 2000 super-secret experimental version. We've been able to give it Alison's beautiful voice and knack for tunes, and we've taught it to sing all 7,800-some songs. Now, if we could just give it her looks and charming personalty....

'Nuff said.

-Joe Offer-


27 Jun 99 - 03:40 AM (#90099)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: alison

Hahahahaha... what are you after Joe? ..... All this flattery...........

when you're finished sorting that one out.. can us girls (or me anyway) get Sean Connery's voice for our version please????

slainte

alison


27 Jun 99 - 03:43 AM (#90100)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Joe Offer

Hey, Alison, Mick and I are going to be on your version. Isn't that better than that Connery fellow?
-Joe Offer-


27 Jun 99 - 05:01 AM (#90103)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: dusterjim

OOps, what, hey what time is it anyway? Is the show over? Well OK, BUSTED, It's too late to call someone anyway, I'm going to bed (just as soon as I hit the reload button one more time) G'night

Jim


27 Jun 99 - 05:02 AM (#90104)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Llanfair

To return to the thread title just for a second, My name is Bronwen, and I am addicted to the Mudcat, but in Britain, they have ways of controlling such anti-social behaviour.

A £200 'phone bill'

Big brother has been watching me, and now is making me PAY. Poor Bron.


27 Jun 99 - 05:37 AM (#90106)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: dusterjim

Well OK, I'm reall going to bed now, REALLY


27 Jun 99 - 06:06 AM (#90109)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: dusterjim

Hey what can I say, I'm going to bed Now, REALLY!


27 Jun 99 - 09:56 PM (#90230)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Rick Fielding

Bron, I've heard from "Duckboots'" sister in Glasgow that this can be an expensive diversion. What actually are the costs to be on the net over there?

Joe Offer. I'm NEVER unkind - except for those rare times when I get a bit sarcastic. Profanity however is a horse of a different kettle of fish. Have you ever noticed how some folks deliver the ol' four letter words with panache and style, while others, just don't have the proper delivery to make it flow. One time I heard Heather yell "shit!" from the kitchen, and it just sounded so "un-Heather-like". I suggested she use some Scottish swear word more appropriate. Needless to say I was told to mind my own business.
rick


27 Jun 99 - 10:26 PM (#90238)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Dave Swan

So how, dear friends, do you explain this to people who are not inhabitants of this village? I was faced with this problem yesterday at work. On duty as the flight medic in the back seat of a helicopter, it was my job to watch for obstacles during landing. As we neared landing in the meadow which was the scene of our emergency, there appeared an airborne cowpie spinning in the rotor wash. It looked like Dorothy's house in the Wizard of Oz. The flight characteristics of this Friesian frisbie allowed it to remain airborne for 15 or 20 seconds as the pilot shut down. Now, normally flying fecal matter doesn't crack me up. O.K., a little grin maybe, some tenth grade humor, but nothing debilitating. Yesterday I flashed on recent postings concerning turd hockey and shooting the shit (literally) and had a hell of a time maintaining a professional demeanor as I gathered my gear to go to work. When someone asks what's so funny, how do you explain that you can't wait to tell the folks back at the N. Young outpatient clinic about the really cool airborne meadow muffin you saw at work today? Does the ethnic/cultural angle work ? "Is possum festival in old country this time of year. Brothers Greezank and Fliknor all province champion chip flingers. We laugh, drink, and sing chip flinging songs. I always laughing when pies fly." Or the detatched ethnomusicologist "Ektewelie, this reminds me of a most risible treatise on references to bovine excreta in the midsummer agricultural festivals of the....." Or the all American approach "Damn Sam, I wuz laffin' my ass off. You see that stuff? I gotta call my buddies 'Paw and Cletus, cuz they love a good shit sling and I know they ain't never seen anything like this." What to do? Dave.


28 Jun 99 - 03:56 AM (#90301)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Llanfair

Rick, in the UK, we get charged for local calls, which is around a penny a minute. Acouple, or three hour on the internet every day soon mounts up. This bill is about twice what we normally pay. You get free local calls in the US, don't you? Bron.


28 Jun 99 - 09:20 AM (#90336)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Alice

Bron, our local calls are not charged by length of time. We pay a 'flat fee' for monthly telephone service. I pay about $30 a month for each line into my house. One line is for the phone, and the other line I use for the modem and fax. My internet service provider charges $19.95 a month. I dial a local number to use the modem, but the cost of the service and extra phone line make me stay online ALOT... just to get my money's worth ;-)

If I had to pay an additional charge for the time spent online, well, I guess I would have to give up being a Mudcat.


28 Jun 99 - 09:58 AM (#90348)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Bert

Great story Dave - In true Mudcat tradition.


28 Jun 99 - 10:42 AM (#90358)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Roger in Baltimore

Alice,

Give up the Mudcat? Well, you can't be addicted then. You see, if I had to spend a penny a minute, I'd be spending about $1.80 per day or about $54.00 a month.

I'm already putting in $35.00 a month for the phone line and the ISP. Believe me, I'd come up with the other $19.00 some way. Maybe I'd start charging my son for his use of the Internet. He'd either pay up or give up ICQ. I suspect he'd pay.

An addict will find a way, some way, some how.

Gee, Alice, and I thought you were one of us.

Roger in Baltimore


28 Jun 99 - 11:14 AM (#90370)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Fadac

Free phone calls. Here in the San Francisco Bay area, there are several ways to get your Mudcat.

1. Ricochect modem. This is a wireless link to the internet. About $30/month for unlimited use. Nice part, dosn't tie up a phone line, bad part, only about 28k and $30/month.

2. Dial up modem. I have an account with Slip.Net. However the 56kbaud modem mostly does about 35-40K About $20/mo. Not real realable. Also sometimes have to pay message units if you call outside your "discrict"

3. Cable TV connection. One of my friends has this. quite fast.

4. ISDN Fast, but a per/min charge on top of the ISP bill. Could be $$$.

5. DSL Digital Subscriber Line. Ahhh mostest for leastest. About $40/mo. Supposed to be. 600kdown/128kup. But really much faster than that. Goes over standard phone line, with small wall box. You must have 10BaseT networking on your computer.

Other advantages?

You can do IP aliasing. This lets you put several computers on the net for one price. I normaly have three systems on the net at once. they all work just fine, over the single line. I have a FreeBSD box serving as the IP ailas provider, and as a gateway.

Works great!

-Fadac


28 Jun 99 - 04:12 PM (#90448)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Bill D

well, I got in 'early' with a big ISP provider..and bought 2 years of unlimited service for $6.74 a month! (they had offered up to 6 years at about $5.00..*sigh*)..now I pay $14...but still a nice average for the last 3 years..Bell Atlantic is offering DSL..and it is 'almost' cheap enough to dump my 2nd line, pay for installation, buy the modem and have phone/internet on one line..I am watching closely.(Cable is fast, but it is also dependant on the drain on the system by your neighbors watching re-runs of Gilligans Island..think I'll wait for DSL)


28 Jun 99 - 04:23 PM (#90454)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: annamill

I think I may be too old for this world Bill. Sometimes I really miss simpler times.

Sometimes I don't ;-)

annap


28 Jun 99 - 04:25 PM (#90455)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Fadac

annap, I don't regret using my old 300 baud acustic modem with a Vt-50 terminal. Can we say s l o w.

-Fadac


28 Jun 99 - 04:37 PM (#90460)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: bseed(charleskratz)

Dave, great story, great analysis of trying to explain Mudcat to the unwashed masses. Pam didn't make it to our party :( --and I was too pooped to go to the Starry Plough. See you Thursday--or are you on duty on Thursdays this week? Sonja is coming, I guess for sure; she, her boyfriend, and her parents, Wolfgang and Dorle, were at our party--her parents dancing during our early California waltz (Dona Dona), and after most of the guests had left, Dorle came and sang German folksongs with me on five-string (I don't know the words but the tunes are easy: "Du, Du, Liebst Mir im Hertzen," "Muss i Den," "Lili Marlene," "Ach Du Lieber Augustine," "Auf Wiedersehen"). --seed


28 Jun 99 - 04:38 PM (#90462)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Bill D

well, annap, there are big pieces of me that yearn for simpler times..but THIS..the internet/WWW/email etc..my soul has wanted it for 40 years! Just didn't know what it was till 4 years ago...I took to it like a duck to water, (not the 'hardware..I don't repair cars, either)..but the programs and search engines and chats and POWER to go places!! I just turned 60, and expect 3 whole new levels of tech in my lifetime..I can already imagine a virtual jam...live on 40" monitors...and wearable computers (yeah..I know, they have 'em..I mean cheap, easy ones).I can already access the card catalogs of 4000 libraries, most of the folk music I want, talk live(including voice, in some cases) to people in Australia and find answers to medical questions in minutes....

only one thing I need..cloning...*grin*


28 Jun 99 - 06:04 PM (#90477)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Peter T.

Bron, just to comfort you, I attended a lecture last year that argued that the reason why Europe lagged so far behind on communications technology and the Internet, and everything similarly related, was timecharging for local calls, thus slowing uptake rates for new media. Of course parents do get to see their children without the telephone in their ear ocasionally .....
yours, PeterT.


28 Jun 99 - 09:25 PM (#90533)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From:

Oh yeah..try loading realplayer..

annap


28 Jun 99 - 11:08 PM (#90571)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: BK

3 browsers; mudcat is the set up as the "home page" for my Netscape. Wife mutters something that sounds amazingly like "internet widow." (Imagine that!)

Cheers, BK


29 Jun 99 - 03:32 AM (#90627)
Subject: RE: 'cat addiction - BS
From: Llanfair

BK We don't have that problem, whilst I'm upstairs talking to you, Jim is downstairs either killing monsters or adding bits to the recordings he's making of me doing my stuff.(watch this space) He's just aquires a CD recorder, so the sky's the limit. I'm not the only addict in our house, it's just that mine is the one that costs. Peter T. You're right about the kids, but it is time that europe caught up with the US. BT's profits are formidable!!!! Bron.