davidsen@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP (William E. Davidsen Jr) (12/10/87)
While my friend Bob Benway had been waiting for a version which didn't
double panic all the time, he sent a poem to jmsully @ uport. In return
he got a letter promising delivery "real soon now." After six weeks, and
after being told that it was sent "2nd day air" 10 days ago, he wrote a
sequel. I would like to share the poems and the letter with the net.
After six weeks bs:
WHEREFOR ART THOU, 2.3?
Have ye heard of the advent
(That's never to be?)
Of that Joy of Desiring,
VAT Release 2.3?
What sweet word can you bear me,
What wonderful vow
Can you breathe to me softly
Besides "Real Soon Now"?
"DOUBLE PANIC" assails me,
Daemons abend with glee,
Whilst I wait for salvation
In Release 2.3.
Under PC/IX must
I labor and hack,
When my soul's so impatient
And my heart cries "Alack"?
Shall I hie off to XENIX,
With a prayer that, SOMEHOW,
I can stave off disaster
'Til we reach "Real Soon Now"?
Or, perchance, flee to VENIX,
I'm desperate, you see,
(Though I'll carry a torch
For Release 2.3.)
Each bright morning I listen,
With keen, thirsting ear,
For some word of the coming
Of that software so dear.
Late each night I retire
Praying Fate will allow,
That the dawn will bring with it
The great "Real Soon Now".
O, QA and Production:
To thee will I bow,
When you FINALLY live up
To the words, "Real Soon Now!"
- Bob Benway
This is the letter:
>
>How much longer (gasp! choke!) until 2.3 sees the light of day????
>
Gawd, I hate to say this, but Real Soon Now. Actually, it has been sent
to production, and we should be shipping within a week or two. The up-
grade cost will be $60.00.
--
John M. Sully UUCP: ...!{sun | ucbvax | ihnp4}!amdcad!uport!techs
Microport Systems ARPA: uport!techs@ucscc.UCSC.EDU
Technical Support
--------
This is the sequel:
Sequel To "WHEREFOR ART THOU, 2.3?"
------------
"We will ship in October,"
They chortled with glee,
"On the twenty-sixth day and
We'll ship postage free!"
I, in ecstasy, trembled -
Could it be? At long last?
That, like cavalry coming,
My relief would sweep past?
At this point mid-November
Has since passed away,
Still, the promised new software
Is awaited each day.
Could it be that in Shipping
They sent it astray,
On a Slow Boat to China
With a built-in delay?
Yet, whatever the reason,
I hope the old skow
Will deliver that software
To me "Real Soon Now".
I am personally using Xenix, having lost my sense of humor some time
ago.
--
bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa)
{uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me