Conference turris::scandia

    Thanks for the tip, Chad. I now have the news backbone stuff up and
    running from my account on a LAVc that the RSX writers have here in
    Spit Brook.  The new system is a HUGE improvement on the old method of
    USENET subscribing!
    
    The early notes mostly consist of introductions, and a discussion of
    the social and legal ramifications regarding alcohol comsumption,
    especially in Denmark and Sweden. 
    
    I do plan to monitor this group regularly.
    
    Appreciatively,
    
    Neil

    There's some interesting stuff about names/geneology(sp?) and
    travel as well.
    

There is a new newsgroup showing today -- it doesn't really have much to do
with this notes conference except for the word "swedish" in the group
name.


alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork



Chad

    Re: .3:              
    
    This appears suspiciously close to April Fools Day in the US :-)
    
    For those who need an explanation, "Swedish chef" is a pupper character
    from Jim Henson's TV 'Muppet Show' - he typically comes on singing a
    little ditty that ends with the pseudowords, "Bork, bork, bork"
    
    He's kind of stupid and clumsy in the kitchen in an amusing way. Henson
    probably gets away with this ethnic negativity because of his
    Scandinavian name.

    Thanks to the introduction of ClariNet service, news wires are again
    accessible to Digital employees. ClariNet is an experimental,
    for-profit commercial news service that uses USENET newsgroup
    technology to transmit the UPI news wire (among others). 
    
    I will occassionally be posting UPI news wires pertaining to  
    Scandinavian countries. These will be selected transmissions from the 
    newsgroup, CLARI.NEWS.EUROPE. My appologies to those readers who
    subscribe directly.

Another newsgroup has appeared.

This too has little to do with scandinavia except that often notes are written
in Norwegian, for those who are reading Norwegian.  Another intersection of
interest has to do with the affected names tracing back to Scandia. The group is

alt.magnus_and_ketil

The subject matter is difficult to determine, but revolves around the names
Magnus and Ketil.  It is bizzaro-to-the-max but some of the "poems" are funny,
or at least interesting?

Chad

ps: the group alt.swedish.chef.bork.bork.bork is long gone

Here is an example that I saw today in the alt.magnus_and_ketil group.

It is a piece of rather unknown viking lore...

Article 30 of alt.magnus_and_ketil:
Path: engage.pko.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decwrl!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!spool.mu.edu!uwm.edu!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!psinntp!psinntp!sunic!aun.uninett.no!ugle.unit.no!alf.uib.no!alf.uib.no!ketil
From: [email protected] (Ketil M. Malde)
Newsgroups: alt.magnus_and_ketil
Subject: Re: Greetings to Magnus Barfod
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 2 Nov 92 18:12:21 GMT
References: <[email protected]>
Sender: [email protected] (Bergen University Newsaccount)
Reply-To: [email protected]
Organization: student of numerical analysis at the University of Bergen, Norway
Lines: 54
In-Reply-To: [email protected]'s message of 30 Oct 92 13:07:56 GMT

>>>>> On 30 Oct 92 13:07:56 GMT, [email protected] (Milton A. Colvin) said:


	Milton> In the year 1102, Magnus Barfod undertook the general
	Milton> conquest of the Irish kingdoms; it is said that on the
	Milton> eve of his death he received this greeting from
	Milton> Muirchertach, King of Dublin

	Milton> May gold and the storm fight on your side, Magnus
	Milton> Barfod.  May your fighting meet with good fortune,
	Milton> tomorrow, 	on the fields of my kingdom.  May your
	Milton> royal hands strike awe, weaving the sword's web.  May
	Milton> those who oppose your sword be food for the red swan.
	Milton> May your many gods sate with glory, may they sate you
	Milton> with blood.  May you be victorious in the dawn, King
	Milton> whho treadupon Ireland.  May tomorrow shine the
	Milton> brightest of all your many days.  Because it will be
	Milton> your last. That I swear to you, King Magnus.  Because
	Milton> before its light is blotted out, I will defeat you and
	Milton> blot you out, 	King Magnus.

To which king Magnus answered, with eloquence, elegance, and almost an
etheral dignity: "Eat my cajones, paperface!"

Unfortunately, King Magnus Barfot's answer is not recorded in
any of the so-called history references.

Among other things, like the obvious partiality of the historians,
this has been due to that he was from a small village in rustic
surroundings, and thus didn't speak the language very well.  Also, the
answer is obviously rather prosaic.  As you all know, the viking
chieftains were not educated at the foremost universities, usually
majoring in senseless violence with minors in arson, pillaging, or
rape.  Who was he to give a quick and acrid answer, when some Irish
king dude throws a poem at him?

No, the more natural thing to do, the one he learnt back at the
village dances, under the starlit summer sky, drinking moonshine
behind the barn, the snow flakes drifting softly around their bare
feet, the thing to do was not to cite poems at each other, but rather
to chop the guy's head off.

This usually came as a surprise to the other person, and resulted in
much of the unnescessary bad reputaion the vikings experienced.
Especially when the poem was a greeting of welcome and kindness, and
the viking chieftain, who didn't have much of an ear for this kind of
thing, chopped the poets head off anyway.

I'll stop now..


--
 = Ketil Malde                     In real life:  [email protected] =
 = Nuke the whales!                    Honk if you love unicorns! =

Hi, 

Can anyone tell me how to access those news groups and get news ?

Thank you in advance.
-Etsi

    Re. .8 by TKOVOA::NAKAGAWA:
    
    >Can anyone tell me how to access those news groups and get news ?
    
    It depends on what kind of machine you are using. For VMS users there's
    an application called VNEWS that provides you with access to a Usenet
    newgroup server of your choice.  The ULTRIX folks have their own (X?)RN
    news reader. 
    
    To find out more about VNEWS, see the Notes conference CLO::VNEWS.