A little lore, pleasegreenspun.com : LUSENET : occasional planet : One Thread |
I just flew in from Seattle and boy are my arms tired...badum-psh...My first entry onto the Occasional Planet bullboard begins with the query: from whence the origin Albatross? After logging numerous hours sacrificing millions of brain cells as a student in your ways, I'm ready for the grand secret shared by the ancients...answer and I proceed to a higher plane...AB
-- Robert Andrew Branan (rab@rollcall.com), August 04, 1997
. . . it was a dark a stormy . . .
no . . . I think it was actually a beer . . .
. . . Miller? . . .
somewhere in RTP
. . . I think it's Soltesz's fault
. . . no, let's blame Floyd . . .
. . . no, no, NO - you FOOL!
BLAME IT ON CAIN!!
. . . hmmmm . . .
don't blame it on me
it's nobody's fault
but it just seems to be his turn . . .geeze! - I've got work to do . . .
-- archivist (dale.swanson@usa.net), August 05, 1997.
Wow! I'd forgotten about the 'deep' history.Seems like I recall something one Brian Herndon called "Swimmer Deals", though the athletic misfits from throughout Grimsley were there - soccer, cross country, wrestling, tennis?, and others - a real athletic past
How shameful my thirty-something paunch!
-- forgetful (dale.swanson@usa.net), August 06, 1997.
Steve,Tommy and I are uncertain as to the origin of the 'albatross.wav' linked on the Albatross home page. Do you know where it comes from? Tommy just found it in a miscelaneous collection on the web without any attribution.
Please help oh Python King of Triva!
-- Dale (dale.swanson@usa.net), August 07, 1997.
The dating tree concept is DELETED!Dawn, you're absolutely right, it's not a place we really want to go outside of a late night inebriated game of truth or dare.
As an alternative, it would be much more fun to build a living "3-Degrees of Floyd".
How about a "3D-Floyd" LUSENET discussion list? We put Floyd at the top of the tree and then branch off with how people met. Following is just an idea with a few categories and names included. Those who care, please comment in this thread.
Floyd
- Greensboro (thru '87)
- Jennifer Wells Martineau('66)
- Tommy Joseph('7?)
- John Comer ('7?)
- Frank Armstrong ('7?)
- Claire ('8?)
- Will Sawyer ('7?)
- Isa Mandel ('90)
- Dale ('80)
- Dawn ('80)
- Carol ('8?)
- Soltesz ('8?)
- Meredith ('9?)
- Studders ('8?)
- Dave Jones ('8/7?)
- Beans ('8?)
- . . . etc.
- East Carolina Univ.
- Stratton Smith ('83)
- Christi ('8?)
- Wake Forest Law School
- Andrew Branan ('9?)
- other
I'm setting up the first level structure in a separate LUSENET group and we'll start working on it. I'll post the URL for the list in a follow-up to this message. DON'T POST IN THE NEW LUSENET TIL WE WORK OUT THE FIRST LEVEL STRUCTURE!
Dale
-- Dale (dale.swanson@usa.net), August 08, 1997.
OK guys,I've created the 3D_Floyd BBoard here on LUSENET!
Take a look and tell me what you think. Let's try to leave it alone until we work out the details here.
I can delete existing messages on the boards, so editing the basic structure now is easy. However, since it's threaded, any messages below a deleted message in the heirarchy are also deleted, so we need to get it as close to right the first time and then just let it grow.
please comment
-- Dale (dale.swanson@usa.net), August 08, 1997.
The complexity really is staggering!But that's why using a threaded discussion group to record connections is good: it's simple.
However, should the policy for adding be that people can ONLY add themselves? I think we have to leave it up to individuals, otherwise you might add Mary under yourself, Tommy may add her under himself
and she might draw a direct line between herself and Floyd. AHHH! So, let's say that you can add yourself AND you can add someone who's not net-connected at their direction (they say where they fit in).
As the tree grows it gets more and more difficult for me to yank someone out of the middle.
But the LUSENET is still probably the most cost effective solution to the 3DFloyd problem. Unless one of the EE-geeks at Avant! wants to pony up a more sophisticated on-line geneology system.
. . . continue, please . . .
-- dale (dale.swanson@usa.net), August 08, 1997.
Send me your email Jim! I'll add you to the list to received the weekly updates.If Jim doesn't have regular web access (he logged in through someone else's account) someone let me know if he's got email somewhere.
-- Dale (dale.swanson@usa.net), September 08, 1997.
Aha! I see from getting through a few new posts further down the list that Jim appears to have paid a visit to Steve's this weekend. So that's where he connected!Jim, if you ever get back online, why not set up an email account at some place like Net@dress. That way you can have an email address I can spam and you can just mooch online time from connected Albatrossers in RTP.
-- Dale (dale.swanson@usa.net), September 08, 1997.
I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. No, seriously, I'll leave it to Keith or Steve or Dave or Max to explain. It's their high-pitched "Aaaaalbatross" ringing through my memory banks. I believe it falls to them to explain...
-- not able to divulge (dutecht@mindspring.com), August 04, 1997.
that's right, somehow spam was involved in this conspiracy. Also, the name albatros didn't evolve 'till many years later. (I think around the time of the first newsletter...)
-- ?? (studders@avanticorp.com), August 06, 1997.
Uh, I can't remember. Seems like there were some fateful beach trips to Myrtle Beach back in 1981-1983 that are my earliest memories of anything to do with this group. Back then Will drove fast and regularly lost his wallet. Dale was some new kid from California, Keith had empty house and empty lakehouse parties (he was very popular). Max was skinny! I had long hair and ugly glasses. Floyd had some pretty wild parties in his parent's attic. I'm sure more could be remembered, but It hurts my brain!
-- I forgot (studders@avanticorp.com), August 06, 1997.
There is no one origin of a name. And this one is no exception. Some say Monty Python was responsible (see Albatross skit). Some read the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner and made the analogy between that unfortunate sea foul and their own inability to lose any of their high school chums. Some witnessed Keith Lanier rendering his once famous chicken call and looked it up in an Audobon Almanac. But whether you say Albatross or Oatmeal or Grimsley crowd or maladjusted, social-centric, hanger's-on with a notion to break into Max-factored versions of ole drinking tales, we know who we are. And we like it.
-- Stephen A Soltesz (steve@avanticorp.com), August 06, 1997.
Dale, you have found the infamous, Monty Python skit that I spoke of in one of my postings. John Cleese is yelling "Albatross!" as he walks down an aisle of a theater with his wares, i.e. a dead Albatross, very funny...especially since a man eventually does buy it...rotten flavor though!!!
-- John Cleese (steve@avanticorp.com), September 06, 1997.
We knew it was Python, but from where did that skit come? A movie or what?
-- Tommy (tjoseph@plcmc.lib.nc.us), September 08, 1997.
I think you will find it on the Video, Monty Python LIVE at Hollywood Bowl, not sure if it was evera a skit on the Flying Circus...
-- Steve Soltesz (steve@avanticorp.com), September 16, 1997.
I've always contended (against his best wishes) that Floyd is the common denominator of our group! You know what I'm talking about..."The Three Degrees of Richard Wells" and that great pickup line "So, do you know Richard Wells?" I offer up as an example my first encounter with a strange pair of blonde haired, sun bronzed creatures that Richard brought to Friendly Pool one day. They were from California, and they predated the resurrection of bell bottom jeans in the fashion industry by at lest 10 years. We were in awe. They grew to become integral parts of this organization. Can anyone guess who they are? I've personally been associated with the Floyd faction of this group since I met him and John Comer (and others) back in 1972 or 73 at Friendly Pool. We've been involved in aquatic activities ever since. Yes, Floyd has foisted this abominable thing on us. Oh yeah, I think the girls in the group had something to do with pulling the two major parts of it together into one. When they got tired of dating our part, they moved over to the Soltesz, Lanier, Studders, etc. part. But then they realized that we threw better parties, so they brought their dates to our events until we all realized we had common interests and melded together! Thanks girls!
-- Tommy (tjoseph@plcmc.lib.nc.us), August 07, 1997.
I have to agree with you, Tommy, about the Floyd connection, although I thought that Dale was the connection to the Max, Steve, Keith, John, and Dave crowd. Of course, Dale was connected to Floyd so... I don't believe the dating thing as the primary melder of the group, unless it was Jennifer (Wells) Martineau? or Mary? I know I didn't get involved in that until after the class of '82 had graduated.
-- Dawn (dutecht@mindspring.com), August 07, 1997.
I believe that Mary C. came to the party via me, from 9th grade Spanish Class (taught by Senora Leahy, yet another connection to Floyd, via her kids Erin-swimmer & James-civitan!) and Christ Church Youth Group, but I could be mistaken about that, what with the whole Tommy/Fran/Mary connection. Which came first? I ran into a wild Floyd connection a few years ago, too. That is, Glenn Perry, who I met via Dale in the ECU NC Student Legislature, met Floyd at Wake Forest Law School, without being introduced by me or Dale! Also, don't forget the most recent Floyd branch, the Black Mountain Music Festival group. That's one of his, right? This is making my head hurt....
-- Dawn (dutecht@mindspring.com), August 08, 1997.
I too, once thought I knew someone first! I was corrected by Floyd who said he knew both Fran and Mary long before he even MET me. I don't remember how he knew them, but he had cruel nicknames for Fran. I knew Fran from the 7th grade and met Mary the night of my sixteenth birthday at a party held at their house. It was the first place I ever drove to by myself.
-- Tommy (tjoseph@plcmc.lib.nc.us), August 12, 1997.
Tommy, you are so right about this whole Floyd-as-center-of-universe theory! No way can I beat 7th grade. Best I can offer is 9th grade. You know, now that I think about it, although Dale seems to think I am Carol's connection to the group (which I don't think I am), I believe that I remember Jennifer (Wells) Martineau say once that Carol's mom was her girl scout leader. Now that sets up potential for some real pre-historic connections, doesn't it!
-- Dawn (dutecht@mindspring.com), August 12, 1997.
I'm no expert, but I think that Black Mountain ties in through Jim Graves and company...
-- studders (studders@avanticorp.com), August 13, 1997.
I will take credit for maintaining the biannual black mountain pilgramage, and even expanding it to its current magnitude. But truth be told, Richard is responsible for me starting to go. I think it was spring '92. The first crew consisted of richard, christy, me, meredith, ty, bill c., bo h.,and forgive me but I'm forgetting a few people I think! So this just proves again that Richard is either God or spawn of the Devil! P.S. I need money by October 1 for next festival!
-- anonymously answered, September 06, 1997
I believe that this whole thing started with the brothers Erm & Slup, weren't they eaten by a huge albatross? I seem to recall a potato in that story as well...
-- Jim Leahy (jim_leahy@msn.com), August 08, 1997.