[TUHS] Happy New Year and an amusing story from the past

[Ronald Natalie]

A prosperous New Years to all us old UNIX farts.

Years ago the USENIX conference was in Atlanta.    It was a stark contrast between us and the Southern Baptists who were in town for their conference as well (punctuated at some goofball Baptist standing up in the middle of one of the restaurants to sing God Bless America or some such).

Anyhow, right before the conference someone (I think it was Dennis) made some comment about nobody ever having asked him for a cast of his genitals.   A couple of friends decided we needed to issue genital casting kits to certain of the UNIX notables.    I went out to an art supply store and bought plaster, paper cups, popsicle sticks to mix with, etc…   Gould computers let me use one of their booth machines and a printer to print out the instructions.   I purloined some bags from the hotel.   It was pointed out that you need vaseline in order for the plaster to not stick to the skin.    Great, I head into the hotel gift shop and grab ten tiny jars of vaseline.   As I plop these on the counter at the cashier, she looks at me for a minute and then announces…

I guess y’all aren’t with the baptists.

People took it pretty tongue in cheek when they were presented.    All except Redman who flew off the handle.