Pre-Creation (1984)

In the beginning there was the DartBoard and it was Active, but it was also boring, so a pack of Large Furry Marsupials was created, and they WERE mischievous, and the DartBoarders were annoyed, so the JT was created, and he tried to control them, but they were not pleased, so they killed the original JT, and assumed his body and position, and that's how we came to have JT-the-LFM.

(DartBoard was a crazy unfocused mailing list that died from its own overuse, and was the first appearance of the LFMs, which were plural then.)

LFM's history of the Creation (aquiring initial members)

First Meeting (Fall 1984)

I was hacking (for a class) when I got a talk request from the LFM and we setup a physical meeting. Until then, JT was a purely VR contact. He invited me to the Essen Haus, but said I had to work till 10pm, but he said that they never went out before 10pm anyway, so we agreed that he'd pick me up at the lab about 10:10pm (10 min's to close)

Shanghaied

About 9:30, JT, Tom "The-tree-that-walks" and Dean "Trooper" (same build as bolo) came in to the lab and decided that I was leaving with them and picked up the rather SUBSTANTIAL executive wheely chair I was sitting in. Fearing for my life and job, I knew all my options were bad. In a futile attempt to resist, I hooked one foot around a LARGE 2-sided 6-drawer desk, and both my arms thru arms of a the chair. This had no effect on; they carried me and the chair, dragging the desk halfway across the raised computer floor. After a desperate plea for 5 min's I managed to find the only other lab-employee around, and conned him into covering my last 30 min's but *ONLY* if I'd take his 2-hour opening shift the next morning (7:45-9:45).

The Drive to the Essen Haus, as always, included the ritual playing of "The Ride of the Valkyries." Driving speed was adjusted (tho rarely by much) so the song ended just as we parked!)

So here I was...Shanghaied...first time ever at the Essen Haus, I'm walking in, and what do I see, but this big, blue & white checkered banner (flag?) that says "Hacker Pscorr-Brau" whereupon, I proclaimed, "Hey, this place must be good...they have HACKER beer" and *THAT'S* why my stein says "HACKER" on it!

The FaDC Party & Bolo (Dec 1984)

JT had this dead CCS 2000 (an S-100 system) Computer, and rather than throwing it away, he threw a "Fix a Dead Computer Party" with free beer from the Delta Sigma Pi Frat he lived at. Well, we all showed up, looked at the dead beasty, putzed with it for the required 3 minutes, agreed that it really was dead, then found the the beer keg, and the "Mexican Dice." Well, I knew that Bolo was good with computers (HW and SW) so I invited him to the FaDC Party. Apparently nobody told Bolo about the beer, because he spent about 2 or 3 hours actually FIXING that dead computer and damned if he didn't succeed!

BTS, the formal formation: (1985)

One night at the Essen Haus, JT invoked "Robert's Rules of Order" Officially created "The Blitztrinken Society," elected himself president, created a set of rules (does anyone remember ANY of the rules?) and established the official toast of "Ich habe getrunken nicht genug") or IHGNG for short. [Translation: I Have not yet Drunk enuf; yes we know it's bastard-German, but we like it that way.]

Reunions:

Graduations:	Hacker 85,	JT-LFM 85,	Trooper 88,
		Bolo 89,	Camper 89,

I was the first to take the "house plunge" in July 1986, and hosted the first Feast and reunion, Oktoberfest, 1986, and have been repeating it each year. We've been planning your 10th Reunion in Munich, Oktoberfest, 1996.

Party Field Marshal (June 1992)

As the Group grew and became geographically diverse, weekly meetings changed to a few planned annual events. One of these is the Bavarian Fest each Spring in Frankenmuth MI. A certain DeLorean-Driving Cannibalistic member from Detroit, scheduled a pre-Bavarian Fest party at his place on the Friday night preceding the Fest. I flew in for the festivities, and "he" picked me up, got some beer, dropped me at his place, then drove to OHIO to rescue his DeLorean from a repair shop. Well, I ended up cooking and playing host for HIS party until he returned about 8pm. For this stunning feat (and generally for my Okto-Feasts and general organizing) I was given the BTS title of "Party Field Marshal."

And know you know the REST of the Story!

John Wardale
HACKER
johnw@cs.wisc.edu
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