BTN:  Birmingham Telecommunications News
COPYRIGHT 1989

May 1989    Volume 2, Issue 5

Table Of Contents
-----------------
Article Title                                  Author

Policy Statement and Disclaimer................Mark Maisel
Editorial Column...............................Randy Hilliard
File Transfer Protocols........................Tom Egan
Profile........................................Chris Mohney
Our Local BBS Systems..........................Mark Maisel
Nine Days After................................Tyros
Thrifty Household Hints........................Michele Cahoon
From The Kitchen...............................Chez Stephan
Message Board..................................Barry Bowden
Known BBS Numbers..............................Mark Maisel

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Disclaimer and Statement of Policy for BTN

We at BTN try our best to assure the accuracy of articles and
information in our publication.  We assume no responsibility for
damage due to errors, omissions, etc.  The liability,if any for BTN, its
editors and writers, for damages relating to any errors or omissions,
etc., shall be limited to the cost of a one year subscription to BTN,
even if BTN, its editors or writers have been advised of the likelihood
of such damages occurring.

With the conclusion of that nasty business, we can get on with our
policy for publication and reproduction of BTN articles.  We publish
monthly with a deadline of the fifteenth of the month prior to
publication.  If you wish to submit an article, you may do so at any
time but bear in mind the deadline if you wish for your work to appear
in a particular issue.  It is not our purpose to slander or otherwise
harm a person or reputation and we accept no responsibility for the
content of the articles prepared by our writers.  Our writers own their
work and it is protected by copyright.  We allow reprinting of articles
from BTN with only a few restrictions.  The author may object to a
reprint, in which case he will specify in the content of his article.
Otherwise, please feel free to reproduce any article from BTN as long as
the source, BTN, is specified, and as long as the author's name and the
article's original title are retained.  If you use one of our articles,
please forward a copy of your publication to:

Mark Maisel
Editor, BTN
221 Chestnut St.
BHM, AL 35210-3219

We thank you for taking the time to read our offering and we hope that
you like it.  We also reserve the right to have a good time while doing
all of this and not get too serious about it.

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Editorial
by Randy Hilliard


    It seems as if the time for the next BTN issue has come again. As a
matter of fact, again we are late with this issue.

    I don't suppose many of you are surprised to see my name on the
editorial byline again and for various reasons (which I will go into
later) neither am I.

    This issue should prove be a fairly interesting one; Tom Egan shows
up 2 1/2 times in this issue.  The first time is with an article on
transfer protocols and the other 1 1/2 times, well... just read on.

    Mark Maisel shows up with his regular article on our local BBS
systems.  This one is on The Islands BBS.

    Tyros, who has been noticeably absent from the BBS community due to
hardware problems is both back on the BBS's and in the BTN with an
article on free form thought.  Welcome back to the real world Tyros!

    Barry Bowden's regular Message Board article is here as well as
Mark Maisel's up-to-the-last-minute-updated list of known BBS numbers.
We have a new feature from Michele Cahoon with some very helpful
household hints.  Chez Stephan gives us a terrific sounding quick meal
that I am sure you will want to try.

    Last month Ed O'Neill notified everyone that he had a working
version of the EzNet code for PC Board 14.X.  The same weekend, those of
us who had been holding back from upgrading from 12.1 to 14.0 converted.
EzNet now comprises 11 nodes, one of which is the local WWIV BBS
network.  In the last few days Ed and another local Sysop managed to
link the PC Board oriented EzNet code with the WWIV message base at the
Byte Me BBS thus increasing the versatility of EzNet and enlarging the
number of boards that contribute messages.

    Users can file this under the "delete from the dialing directory"
header:

    Due to monetary problems (phone line expenses) Smitty's BBS will go
    down on May the 14th.  Outdialers can expect to get a "that number
    is out of service" for their dialing efforts.  It would be a nice
    gesture for those users who frequented Smitty's to take a moment to
    express their appreciation in his message base before he takes the
    board down for good.

    Sysop's can file this under the "worth remembering" header:

    Joe Kearley (Joker's Castle) has opened up a new conference on his
    board (#6) for System Operators.  His idea for the conference is to
    provide an atmosphere in the conference where a Sysop can "kick up
    his feet, drink a beer, and chat with other Sysops about the
    problems associated with running a BBS".  Also worth mentioning is
    the fact that it will give Sysops a chance to get to know each
    other a little better and possibly foster better relations among
    the local area Sysops. Messages and files are conference protected
    so this may be the place to look over new Door and Board software
    and chat with those who are using it already.

    You can file these under the "worth mentioning" header:

    Our Idiot-in-Chief was asked by the local chapter of the IEEE to
    address their computer sub-group on both BBS's in general and the
    BTN. With his usual grace, flair, and style Mark showed up in
    sandals, slacks, and a Union T-shirt.  Considering that all of the
    audience were dressed in suits, I can imagine they were impressed
    albeit I wouldn't wager on how favorably.  They were impressed (or
    amused) enough to allow him to speak to them for a little over two
    hours (which is more than most of us would do). I hope that not
    withstanding the impression that Mark made on them we will see some
    participation by some of the IEEE on the local BBS's and possibly
    in BTN.

    Since I am on the subject of Mark, I will explain why I am not
surprised to be editing this column; despite all of the objections that
you (as readers) and I (as victim) have made, Mark has insisted that I
continue to pump out this drivel.  After long and hard deliberation I
have come to the conclusion that I am stuck with it and that I will
probably never get Mark to understand my unsuitability for the position.
This brings to mind something I was told a long, long, time ago...

    "Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it
annoys the pig."

    Enjoy the issue folks...

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FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOLS
by Tom Egan, Remote Sysop of America Online

    Several times a week, I get mail, talk to, or see people who are
not aware of how the various File Transfer protocols operate. I plan to
give a brief, (well, maybe brief), outline of what each one is, how it
works, and how to use it on your favorite Bulletin Board system.

    The old original type of transfer is known as ASCII.  This is not
actually a FILE transfer protocol, as it will not send machine language
files at all. It is STRICTLY for use in transferring TEXT from one
machine to another, not FILES.

ASCII

    ASCII has NO ERROR checking or correction built in, so if an error
occurs due to noise or whatever, it WILL show up on your screen or in
your file. The only exception to this is if you happen to have a MNP
modem on BOTH computers. That type of modem WILL correct errors in ASCII
transmissions, but even so, ASCII is almost totally unused at this time,
at least on any IBM compatible computers. This is also the way your
computer speaks to another computer during Bulletin Board sessions when
you are not Uploading or Downloading files.

XMODEM

    Xmodem is the old, original 8-bit File Transfer protocol written by
Ward Christiansen. Although it is old, at least 1977 or before,and came
out long before IBM built the first PC, it works very well most of the
time. It WILL transfer machine language files, and it has ERROR
CORRECTION built in. That is, if an error occurs during transmission, it
will tell you about it, but then it will automatically re-transmit the
data that was defective, until it gets it right (or up to 10 tries, and
then aborts, this depends on the program using it). MOST transfers
(probably 99 percent of them) using XMODEM end up being error free after
they are received. The only real problem with Xmodem is that the data is
transmitted in 128 byte blocks at a time, and each one has to pass the
error tests before the next block is sent, making it somewhat slower
than the newer protocols.

1K-XMODEM (also known as YMODEM in some programs)

    1k-Xmodem is basically the XMODEM protocol, with a few changes.
Instead of the slower 128 byte blocks, 1K-XMODEM transmits 1024 bytes at
a time, and then does the error detection and correction. This means it
spends more time sending the files, and less time checking for accuracy.
It DOES NOT mean the files are more likely to have errors, just that it
will be longer before they are corrected. On most phone lines, 1K-XMODEM
is quite a bit faster than plain XMODEM, but on noisy lines, it can wind
up being slower, because it has to re-transmit 1024 bytes when an error
is detected rather than the shorter 128 bytes that XMODEM has to resend.
1K-XMODEM is VERY popular, and is probably the most often used protocol
at this time.

TRUE YMODEM (or just YMODEM)

    The real YMODEM has a few differences from 1K-XMODEM. It will
automatically send the name of the file to the receiving computer. That
means YOU don't have to enter a RECEIVE filename using Ymodem. True
Ymodem uses the same error correction techniques as XMODEM and
1K-XMODEM, and is fairly reliable, although it is not as popular as
either XMODEM or 1K-XMODEM. It is NOT 100 percent compatible with 1K-
Xmodem though, because it DOES expect to receive the filename as part of
the preamble data, and will hang if it does not receive this data.


ZMODEM

    ZMODEM is a relatively new protocol. It is usually used from DSZ, a
program by DSZ Associates, but not always. Zmodem has the ability to
vary the size of the blocks it sends, and can AUTOMATICALLY go to a
smaller number of bytes if the error detection rate is high. Zmodem also
uses a 32 bit error detection code (at least in DSZ) rather than the 8
bit code used by Xmodem and Ymodem, which makes a case for better
reliability of the received files. They ARE checked more thoroughly than
XMODEM, 1K-XMODEM, or YMODEM transmissions, but I personally have not
found undetected errors to be much of a problem in most file transfers.
Once in a great while an error will get past the error detection and
correction, but it is VERY seldom, at least in my experience. BUT,
Zmodem is capable of catching more of them than Xmodem, 1K-Xmodem, or
Ymodem. Due to the variable size of blocks (number of bytes), it is also
FASTER than the previous protocols in almost all situations, whether you
get noise or not.

YMODEM-G

    Ymodem-G is for use ONLY with MNP type error correcting modems,
(You will Know if you have one of these, THEY ARE EXPENSIVE, and usually
are 9600 baud Modems, with some exceptions) because the program does
absolutely ZERO, NONE, ZILCH, error detection or correction on it's own.
It depends on the modem to do that task for it, and why duplicate the
time and effort? In MOST cases, but not all, your modem has MNP only if
it is a 9600 baud modem. There are some 2400 baud MNP modems (I own
one), but they are rare. Ymodem-G transmits 1K byte blocks, and waits
on an ACKNOWLEDGE signal, before sending the next block, but does NO
error correcting in the process. UNLESS you have an MNP modem, do NOT
try to use this protocol. If you do have an MNP modem, this protocol is
GREAT (fast and efficient).

1K-XMODEM BATCH, YMODEM BATCH, YMODEM-G BATCH, ZMODEM BATCH

    These are the same protocols as described above, but have the
feature of sending or receiving a number of files, one after the other,
automatically (that's what BATCH means).

WXMODEM

    Wxmodem is short for Windowed-Xmodem. This is a variation of XMODEM
that is VERY useful if your phone call is being routed via satellite to
the other computer (automatically done by the phone company on some long
distance calls). Without getting too technical, Windowed Xmodem is the
same as Xmodem, same 128 byte blocks and error checking code, BUT, it
doesn't have to test each block immediately when it's received. Error
checking is still done, but it is allowed to SLIDE ( this is the WINDOW
part ) a little, usually up to 4 blocks. This gives the computers 2 to 8
seconds, depending on baud rate, to verify the data without having to
wait each time a block comes in. It still takes the same total time to
do the error checking, but you don't have to wait on the delay caused by
the signal going out into space and returning. The other protocols get
VERY inefficient when having to wait for the satellite delays, and the
smaller the block size, the worse it gets.

    By the Way, you MUST set up both the sending and receiving
computers to use the SAME protocol!!!!

    In the next issue, or as soon as I get time to finish the article,
we'll talk about IMODEM, SEALINK, TELELINK, MEGALINK, KERMIT (ALSO KNOWN
AS PCKERMIT), and RELAXED XMODEM, along with any other protocols I
happen to think of, or that you ask about. If you know of any I haven't
mentioned above, feel free to leave me mail on America Online
(205-324-0193), and I'll try to include them in the next article.

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PROFILE
by Chris Mohney

The Pro File is a short, half-serious biographical sketch given to
various computer telecommunications personalities around Birmingham.
Victims are selected randomly from a group of names put into the
notorious Hat.  Anyone who thinks himself brave or witty enough may
petition for admittance to the Hat by leaving E-Mail to me (Chris
Mohney, most boards around town) to that effect.  Anyone who wishes to
suggest more questions or sneakily nominate someone without their
knowledge may take the same route ....

---------

      Pro File on  TOM EGAN

---------

Age:  It's hard to say.  I'm pretty sure it's around 50, though it
     could be closer to 60.

Birthplace:  A rubbish-strewn gutter in the south of Namibia, outside a
            porn bookstore.

Occupation:  I attach those little plastic cylinders to the ends of
            shoelaces; you know, the things that keep the ends from
            fraying?

My hobbies include:  Deleting users, living high on the hog from all
                    the cash that comes in from the suckers who
                    subscribe to America OnLine. It's great! I even
                    get a tax write-off.

Years telecomputing:  Uh ... I don't know. I don't have my slide rule
                     handy and my fingers are in a cast.

Sysop, past/present/future of:
                    The Crummy Stupid Board with No Doors or Files
                    (1983-1986)
                    The Gdansk Numismatic Review
                    (A few drunken days in 1987)
                    America OnLine
                    (Not sure; in late 1987 Rocky Rawlins absorbed my
                     personality for his "bad guy" jobs)

My oddest habit is:  All my habits are odd, and most are illegal in
                    this state.

My greatest ambition is:  To finish this stupid form so I can go back to
                         watching "Joanie Loves Chachi" reruns.

The single accomplishment of which am most proud is:  Winning the
Pulitzer.

My favorite performers are:  Tiny Tim, Pee-Wee Herman, Joe Franklin,
                            Mortimer the Flying Opossum

The last good movie I saw was:  I've never seen a good movie.

The last good book I read was:  "Cooking with Linoleum Made Easy"

If they were making a movie of my life, I'd like to see my part played
by:  Somebody good-looking.  Rich and good-looking, the kind who gets
    the girls with a glance, cause that's the kind a guy I am, get it?

My pet peeves are:  Too numerous to list.

When nobody's looking, I like to:  Look at them.

(Belated April Fool's, Tom. I told you you'd be sorry.)

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??                                                                   ??
??          I had nothing to do with this Tom, trust me. MM          ??
??                                                                   ??
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

(Okay, okay ... just a joke, folks, here's the real thing.)


PROFILE
by Chris Mohney

The Pro File is a short, half-serious biographical sketch given to
various computer telecommunications personalities around Birmingham.
Victims are selected randomly from a group of names put into the
notorious Hat.  Anyone who thinks himself brave or witty enough may
petition for admittance to the Hat by leaving E-Mail to me (Chris
Mohney, most boards around town) to that effect.  Anyone who wishes to
suggest more questions or sneakily nominate someone without their
knowledge may take the same route ....

---------

      Pro File on  TOM EGAN

---------

Age:  A most depressing 37. I didn't realize I was the same age as
     Rocky. That's even MORE depressing. Oh well, 38 comes up in May.

Birthplace:  To my vast surprise, I was born in East St. Louis,
            Illinois. (Actually Fairview, Ill., but the closest
            hospital was in E. St. Louis, so therefore reads the birth
            certificate). I quickly made plans to remedy that
            situation, and moved at the age of 7. ( another mistake
            though, moved north, but that's another story) ( lived in
            Birmingham area for 28 years now )

Occupation:  District Engineer, Nuclear Products ( that should read
            Electronics Engineer, which is my profession, BUT, that's
            my present job title ( by the way, that's NOT power plants,
            it's NUCLEAR MEDICINE )

My hobbies include:  Computing, electronics design and building,
                    woodworking, flying ( licensed private pilot ),
                    water-skiing, sports car racing ( driving, not
                    watching ), beer-drinking, sex, gardening, more
                    sex. The above list is NOT necessarily in my
                    preferred order.

Years telecomputing:  Around 14 to 15 years. Designed and built my first
                     computer in 1975. Since then I've gotten smarter
                     and bought them, either assembled or such as "put
                     it together yourself" systems. My first "REAL"
                     computer was an IMSAI 8080. No keyboard or
                     monitor, just switches and lights, and a 2k
                     program took about 3 evenings to load in.

Sysop, past/present/future of:
                 Past:  CoSysop - The Towne Crier (1.5 years)
                        CoSysop - Birmingham BBS (2 years)

                        Sysop - G.E. WINS (Worldwide Information
                                           Network)(4yrs)
                               (This one is still active, but not
public)

              Present:  Sysop (remote) - America OnLine (2 years)

My oddest habit is:  Playing opera arias on trumpet while naked on the
                    couch at midnight being caressed by a dozen naked
                    slave girls imported from Nome, Alaska.

    I SORTA LIKED THIS ONE, EVEN THOUGH I DID STEAL IT FROM ROCKY.
     P.S.  Don't tell my wife. Good thing she sleeps soundly!!!!

My greatest ambition is:  Hurry up and get the new house built that I'm
                         working on, and partially designed. At least
                         that's my PRESENT greatest ambition, new one
                         next year, I hope.



The single accomplishment of which am most proud is:  Just being me.

My favorite performers are:  Alan Alda, Clint Eastwood, etc.

The last good movie I saw was:  I like the older spaghetti westerns,
                               such as those by Clint Eastwood. Also
                               M*A*S*H, and AIRPORT. There have been
                               many others, but these I REMEMBER.
                               Nothing lately ( 2 or 3 years ) has
                               really impressed me.


The last good book I read was:  I am ALWAYS reading, but I guess if I
                               had pick a few, they would be The Mists
                               of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, The
                               Sisters by Robert Littell, or maybe The
                               Dreamstone by C.J. Cherryh

If they were making a movie of my life, I'd like to see my part played
by:  Probably Alan Alda, since a lot of it is almost a comedy anyway,
    although it didn't seem that way at the time.

My pet peeves are:  Airline Companies, ALL fanatics, people who ask for
                   PROFILES, people who want BTN Magazine Articles,
                   deadlines, NOISE !!!, and a WHOLE BUNCH of other
                   things.


When nobody's looking, I like to:  After my hectic job, and when the
                                  board is running good, just sitting
                                  around drinking a cold beer and
                                  watching the grass and trees grow.
                                  QUIETLY!!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Our Local Bulletin Board Systems
Number Four In A Series
by Mark Maisel

Name:  The Islands BBS

Sysop:  Dean Adams aka Captain Jack

Co-Sysop:  Barry Bowden (could not do it without him)

Software:  PC Board 14.0/D

Been Around:  5 months

Baud Rates:  300-1200

Bulletins:  General System Information

Conferences:  Tarot - featuring the Realm of Tarot online fantasy war
                     game
             Reviews - Science fiction and music is discussed
             Games - Turbo-Chess and Black Jack doors are available

Computers Supported:  no system particularly supported and no files are
                     available

Files Available:  no file transfers available

Doors Available:  ProDoor, Turbo-Chess 3.0, Paz 21(Black Jack), Realm of
                 Tarot

Special Information:  the board is completely free and all are welcome
                     as long as you abide by my simple rules.  The only
                     board in the country that features The Realm of
                     Tarot game

Q. Why did you start your BBS?
A. I enjoy calling bulletin boards and I want to promote gaming,
  especially strategy games such as The Realm of Tarot.

Q. What has been your greatest reward from running your BBS?
A. Knowing that my users enjoy the board.

Q. What are your greatest regrets and annoyance associated with running a
  BBS?
A. That I cannot afford better equipment.

Q. What are your future plans for the BBS?
A. Immediately, I intend to increase storage capacity so I can add more
  games, upgrade modem to 2400 baud.  Hopefully, before the end of the
  year, I would like to move up to an AT compatible system and ad at
  least one more node to the system.

Q. What is the funniest thing that has happened on your BBS?
A. Almost deleting the entire Tarot conference while shuffling files to
  make Tarot work as a door.  It appeared that all the files had
  disappeared but I recovered after a brief panic.

Q. What is your favorite hobby/pastime outside of your BBS and computers
  in general?
A. Billiards and reading fantasy literature are favorites in the
  precious little time that medical school allows.

Q. What do you think your system offers that might cause someone to
  prefer your board over others?
A. The Realm of Tarot is really the only unique feature I can think of
  that might entice a caller to use my system over another.

Q. Why?
A. The Realm of Tarot game is now unique to this system.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NINE DAYS AFTER
by Tyros


    The last thing I consciously remember is sitting in a chair,
staring at a computer screen, wondering why a terminal program is
sitting ready, its host mode flickering gold and black, almost in eerie
invitation.


    The screen goes blank.  Mists seep from the corners of the monitor
and envelope my immediate surroundings.  I feel nauseatingly faint from
the fumes, when I voice calls...


    "Scott?"


    This is not my name, I tell myself.


    "Scott?"



    Who is calling?


    A figure emerges from the mists and stands in front of me.


    "Got any ideas?"


    "C'mon, I know you have to have one or two..."


    I stare blankly.


    "What about writing about how many 300 baud users are still calling
the boards?"


    "You can call around, I'm sure most of the sysops around here
would be happy to help.."


    "Scott?"


    "Fine then, it's all yours."


    The edges of my irises seem to scream out in a painful cacophony
of colors.


    That may or may not be a mixed metaphor.

    The figure waves jovially.
    "You take care now."

    I stare madly at the shape, receding into the thick velvet fog.

    "Take care."

    "Take care...."

    "Take care you don't support a certain POSITION in your story."

    "Remain consistent.  Even if you don't think your story is
AP-styled, stay with a consistent format."

    "Remember, never reveal the names of minors in the custody of
police."


    I blink, and this time it is the mist that recedes.

    I am sitting in a journalism class.

    In journalism class, they tell you how to formulate the lead of a
story.


    They tell you what to capitalize, what to numeralize.


    They don't tell you what do to when a CRT-monitor is challenging
you, making your very neurons wince at the heat, DARING you to create
something substantial.


    Then I answer back.


    I am a storyteller.  Mine is a long honored profession.  Today's
storytellers, though no longer so called, flourish still.

    I am a Reporter.

    I will do what it takes.

    I will do this and more.

    I will type out a piece of prose, so lurid and confusing, it will
stand out amid written schematics and lists and charts and series.

    I will throw format to the winds.

    I will vary the number of lines between paragraphs, to suit my
mood at that precise second.  This many confuse and constern, and so be
it.

    I will allow my indentations to vary likewise.  The beginnings of
my sentences will float, left and right, so that men may KNOW of what I
speak from.  The divine dance of sweet random nature is my guide.


    I will compose and contain, these thoughts which some will forever
wonder at.

    They will stare at each other in daze and befuddlement.  They will
say, Are these thoughts his own? Did they spring forth from his soul,
uncalled for and unrealized, like new life wishing itself to be known?

    Or did they rise, from somber plan and prior mediation, like number
problems needing to be solved, dominated by cynicism and worldliness,
and the knowledge of what is needed to nudge the souls of men.

    I will bare my deepest thoughts, and yet my most frivolous fancies
- and they will wonder.



    This I will do.


    This I have done.


    And now, nine days after, we have come full circle.

    I am TYROS!
    I sing the thoughts of men and the tremors of matter.

    I am Tyros, the scriptor.  This is my script.


And I am finished.

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Thrifty Household Hints
by Michele Cahoon

     If the soles on your terry cloth slippers wear out long before the
slippers, then get some iron on patches, cut them to the right size and
iron them on. The slippers will last twice as long.

    To make a broom last much longer, take an old nylon stocking, cut
off the foot, double the leg section and pull it over the straws,
leaving just a few inches of the broom for sweeping. This not only keeps
the straws from falling out but keeps the broom in perfect shape.

    To keep those scouring pads from rusting, instead of dipping the
scouring pad into the water, dip the article to be cleaned into the
water and then use the dry pad to clean it. By using this method you are
able to use the pads until all the soap is gone.

    Don't throw away used aluminum foil. When wadded and crushed
together, it makes a very effective scouring pad for pans and
casseroles. With a little soap and a wad of aluminum foil it works very
well.

    Cut the cuffs of worn out rubber gloves into narrow strips and this
will give you rubber bands that will last for quite some time.

    To prevent hard boiled eggs from cracking, take a needle and poke a
hole in the end of it. The air which normally is trapped causes the egg
to crack, this way it can get out and not crack the egg.

    For perfect garlic oil, buy some dried garlic. Break all the buds
apart. Cut off the end and top of each bud. Then peel with your paring
knife. Cut each little bud in half, drop them all in a bottle, cover
them with oil. Within one day the oil is so terrifically "garlicked"
that you will only need a few drops for your recipe.

    To have yourself, your very own fresh garlic. Just put an unpeeled
bud of garlic, root end down, in a glass with a bit of water, leave it
for about three days until the root appears; then plant it in a small
pot of soil. Empty condiment shakers are good for this. The garlic will
grow about a foot high, and as you need it just break off a piece (looks
like chives)!

    If you would like a splatter proof method of frying
hamburgers....Form the patties in any way, shape or form you like, then
flour them on both sides before frying them. Not only will this prevent
splattering, but the flour seals in the meats juices and gives the
patties a thin, crispy crust.

    To preserve metal finish on such things as earrings, purse clasps,
belt buckles,etc.. before using them, apply one or two coats of clear
nail polish. If this is repeated every six months, they will look like
new for ages.

    If you would like to have some of your windows with the frosted
look but don't want it to be permanent. Dissolve one tablespoon of Epsom
salts in a small amount of beer and apply the mixture with a brush to
the inside of the window panes. The best result I found to do the trick
was one cup of beer and 4 tablespoons of Epsom salts.

    A raw onion cut up and left in a room while painting makes the
paint odor less potent, yet the onion odor disappears too.

    To repair a broken China figurine, use clear nail polish to stick
the pieces together. You can use nail polish remover to get off the
excess polish.

    Creative gift giving: In a newly established household there are
always numerous tasks ahead so you can give them a starter-kit
containing the following:

    A medium-weight claw hammer
    A pair of pliers
    A medium-size screwdriver
    A small versatile saw
    A good variety of screws,bolts,nails,brads and tacks
    A variety of accessory hardware- hooks, hanging aids,etc.

    Well folks that's it for this issue of Household tips and hints...
hope they help!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

From The Kitchen
by Chez Stephan

    This is going to be short and sweet this month. It seems that
Father Time never gives us enough. Try this recipe over pasta . If you
decide to use pasta then make sure that you peel the shrimp before you
serve them. It is great either alone or served as a side dish.

    Prawns with Chilies and Garlic:

20 to 30 Large Prawns Shells On (these are shrimp to us folks here in
Dixie)
10 cloves of garlic
6 oz. fresh red chilies
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

    Trim prawns and slit along back with a pair of kitchen shears.
Remove vein. Wash, pat dry and set aside.

    Peel garlic and cut stalks of chilies. For chilies to be less hot,
remove seeds. The seeds are where most of the heat comes from in chilies.
Process garlic and chilies together to form a semi-fine paste.

    Place wok or iron skillet over high heat and when very hot add the
oil. When oil is starting to smoke add chili-garlic paste and fry over
medium heat until it is fragrant and the oil turns slightly red. Please
be extremely careful when you use a wok or any high heat the oil will
sometimes flame up.

    Add prawns and stir fry again until they change color. Add salt
and fry until sauce coats prawns. Serve individual portions or peel
shrimp and chop and add to pasta.

    This dish is HOT so consider yourself forewarned!

P. S. This dish is originally from Violet Oon's Kitchen in Singapore.

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MESSAGE BOARD
by Barry Bowden


                                     M A Y

                                    1 9 8 9

     S          M          T          W          T          F          S
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
�          �1         �2         !3         !4         !5         !6        !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          �          �          �          �          �          �BIPCUG   !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
!7         !8         !9         !10        !11        !12        !13       !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
�BAC       �          �CCS       �          �          �          �         !
!          !          ! (64/128) !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
!14        !15        !16        !17        !18        !19        !20       !
!Mother's  !          !          !          !          !          !         !
�   Day    !          �CCS       �          �          �BEPCUG    �         !
!          !          !  (Amiga) !          !          !          !         !
!BCCC      !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
!21        !22        !23        !24        !25        !26        !27       !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
�          �          �CCS       �          �          �          �         !
!          !          ! (64/128) !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+
!28        !29        !30        !31        !          !          !         !
!          !Memorial  !Memorial  !          !          !          !         !
!BCCC      ! Day      ! Day      !          !          !          !         !
!          !  Observed!  Traditional        !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
!          !          !          !          !          !          !         !
+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+----------+---------+



BEPCUG                                    CCS
Birmingham East PC Users Group            Commodore Club South
Jefferson State Jr. College               Springville Road Library
RUBY Carson Hall 114 (Meeting)            Huffman, Alabama
3rd Friday of Every Month                 2nd and 4th Tuesday (C64/C128)
7:00PM to 9:00PM                          3rd Monday (Amiga)
Paula Ballard 853-1200,ext 1463 (Work)    7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
              251-6058 (Home)             Maurice Lovelady 684-6843


BCCC                                      BAC
Birmingham Commodore Computer Club        Birmingham Apple Corps
P. O. Box 59564                           POB 5542
Birmingham, Alabama 35259                 Birmingham, Alabama 32555
UAB School of Ed. Bldg. Room 153          Regular meetings - 1st Sunday
2nd and 4th Sundays                         UAB Building #2, Rm 115 at 2PM
Starts at 2:00 PM
Rusty Hargett 854-5172                      Informal get-together every
                                            Saturday morning at 8:30AM
                                            at the Kopper Kettle in
                                            the Brookwood annex next
                                            to AC3

BIPCUG
Birmingham IBM-PC USER's Group
Room 535/541 UAB Nutrition Science Bldg
First Sunday 3:00 PM
(Delayed one week if meeting weekend
 is a holiday)
Marty Schulman   967-5883
Jim Caldwell     870-4729
Carolyn Daffron  969-1748


If you belong to or know of a user group that is not listed, please let
us know by sending E-Mail to me, Barry Bowden, on EzNet.
Please leave the following information :

                User Group Name
                Meeting Place
                Meeting Time(Day/date,Time)
                Contact Person
                Any  Other Important Information

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Known BBS Numbers For The Birmingham Area

**** The local EzNet nodes are marked with an asterisk ****

NAME                       NUMBER     BAUD RATES SUPPORTED   MODEM TYPE

68FREE                     933-7518   300, 1200
America Online Nodes 1-3   324-0193   300, 1200, 2400
America Online Node 4      251-2344   300, 1200, 2400, 9600  HST
American BBS               674-1851   300, 1200, 2400
Amiga Alliance             631-8367   300, 1200, 2400
*Bus System BBS            595-1627   300, 1200, 2400
*Byte Me BBS               979-2983        1200, 2400
*Channel 8250              744-8546   300, 1200, 2400
Club Phoenix               942-0252   300, 1200, 2400
*Crunchy Frog              956-1755   300, 1200, 2400
D3 Systems BBS             663-2759   300, 1200, 2400
Duck Pond BBS              822-0956   300, 1200, 2400
Fortress BBS               664-9040   300, 1200
I.S.A. BBS                 995-6590   300, 1200, 2400
Jim's Place                787-5512   300, 1200, 2400
*Joker's Castle            744-6120   300, 1200, 2400
LZ Birmingham              870-7770   300, 1200, 2400
*Magnolia BBS              854-6407   300, 1200, 2400, 9600  HST
*Pinson Valley BBS         854-9662   300, 1200, 2400, 9600  HST
ProSoft Systems BBS        853-8718   300, 1200, 2400
Psycho's Den               592-2545   300, 1200
*Role Player's Paradise    631-7654   300, 1200, 2400
Sparta PCBoard Nodes 1-5   979-0193   300, 1200, 2400, 9600  HST
Sparta PCBoard Node 6      979-0196   300, 1200, 2400, 9600  Hayes
Sperry BBS                 853-6144   300, 1200, 2400, 9600  Hayes
*ST BBS                    836-9311   300, 1200, 2400
*The Connection Node 1     854-9074   1200, 2400
*The Connection Node 2     854-2308   1200, 2400
The Outer Limits           969-3262   1200, 2400, 9600       HST
The Islands BBS            870-7776   300, 1200
*The Professional's Board  856-0679   300, 1200, 2400
Twilight Zone              856-3783   300, 1200
Willie's DYM Node 1        979-1629   300, 1200, 2400
Willie's DYM Node 2        979-7739   300, 1200, 2400
Willie's RBBS              979-7743   300, 1200, 2400
Ziggy Unaxess              991-5696   300, 1200