Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site burl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!rcj
From: rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Challenger Destruct
Message-ID: <989@burl.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 1-Feb-86 17:47:14 EST
Article-I.D.: burl.989
Posted: Sat Feb  1 17:47:14 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Feb-86 01:16:20 EST
References: <540@ihlpl.UUCP> <763@pucc-j> <410@ism780c.UUCP>
Reply-To: rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson)
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Technologies, Burlington NC
Lines: 32
Summary: 

In article <410@ism780c.UUCP> tim@ism780c.UUCP (Tim Smith) writes:
>In article <763@pucc-j> rsk@pucc-j.UUCP (Wombat) writes:
>>
>> I think such ill-founded and unsupported speculation as
>> this belongs in net.sf-lovers.
>
>Is this meant to be an attack on net.sf-lovers or science
>fiction in general?  And why?
>-- 
I believe (not speaking for Wombat) that it was meant to be an attack
on someone for cluttering a newgroup that discusses fact (or good
rumors that approximate fact  ;-) ) with fiction.  Science FICTION
is just that -- fiction.  Therefore it need not have any basis in
fact ("ill-founded" is harsh, but applies quite well in this case),
and need not be supported by facts ("unsupported speculation").

Science fiction is fine and dandy -- what happened to Challenger was
real, however, and many people grow amazingly sarcastic when subjected
to tripe...er..."ill-founded and unsupported speculation" from the
Twilight Zone -- namely laser weapons shooting down a space shuttle.
Particularly when they've just watched several neat people get crispy-
fried for the 473rd time on national TV...

Don't tell Reagan, though -- he's probably just Hollywood enough to
call Gorbachev on the hot-line and demand that the Russian bastard
*immediately* remove the 10Mwatt ultra-fancy-tracking laser from the roof
of the Cocoa Beach Holiday Inn.
-- 

The MAD Programmer -- 919-228-3313 (Cornet 291)
alias: Curtis Jackson	...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd mgnetp ]!burl!rcj
			...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua masscomp ]!clyde!rcj