A True Apple ][ Story

[obsbedia2@aol.com (Obsbedia2)]

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Long ago, in the far off, mythical land of Orange County, California, a group
of visionaries and world changers established a brotherhood of the Apple II.  

AND IT WAS GOOD.

Then came the Mac-heads.  They adorned their toaster computers with the sacred
fruit, so we took them into our brotherhood.  

"Incompatible!" they cried, and so they sequestered themselves off into other
chambers.

AND THERE WAS PEACE.

The Mac-heads grew in number and took more chambers, while the brotherhood of
the Apple II was forced to take a smaller and smaller cell.

AND THERE WAS TOLERANCE.

Woe, the winds of fortune turned against the Mac-heads and, like a plague,
their numbers dropped.  Month after month, year after year, with no end in
sight.  

How will we survive?  The sovereign has raised the rent, but there are fewer of
us than before.  What shall we do?

Why, raise the membership tax, of course.  

And so, the Brotherhood of the Apple II, which hadn't received so much as a
crumb of bread in years, paid the higher tax of silver.

The Mac-heads continued to fall in number alike raindrops from the sky.  "The
Big Blue Flame!  How shall we survive?" they whimpered.

The Brotherhood of the Apple II tried to ease their fears, for they, low and
behold, had been through much the same for many years, and yet they had
survived with spirits high.

The Mac-heads ignored them.  They held secret meetings and decided, in their
best bit-brain contrivance, that they should kill off the Apple II Brotherhood.
 "They are too few in number to do their share and their time is long past.  If
we slay them in their sleep, we may yet live another season on the $67/month,
which works out to $804/year, that their cell costs."  This higher tax shall be
paid with their blood.

The land was dark and blood was to be spilled, but ...



	... along came a quiet Apple II brother.  He ventured into the Mac-heads
message area and asked, "Do you intend to kill us, brothers?"

No response.

	He asked again.  "Do you intend to kill us tonight, brothers?"

A voice answered back, "Well, it's nothing personal.  We just can't afford you.
 Heck, we thought that you were dead already.  If we eat you, we can live at
least another season."

	The Apple II brother thought long and hard.  "What if you could eat the cost
of your newsletter?  It is more than TWICE as expensive a taste as we ... and
don't you have internet access, hi-res graphics, fast modems and processors
that can race the light from the sun?  Why spend thousands of dollars for some
old scroll that takes four weeks to prepare, print, fold, and mail, only to
arrive three days before your next meeting only if the wind is at its back? 
Lousy efficiency for a Mac-head, wouldn't you say?  What do you need it for?  

	Pope Jobs would be shameful of such foolishness.  He'd accuse you of heracy
and suspect you of using his precious gift just to play solitaire.  

Other voices responded, "You really have to go--nothing personal--it'll be
quick--we promise, trust us.  Our hands are tied.  You think that we're going
to enjoy this?  We'd keep you around if we could."

	Not all of the Mac-heads had stones for hearts and dung for brains.  Some had
been Apple II Brothers, but had given up the sacred 5.25 and 3.5 inch squares
for silver circles, so they told their former brother to look to the financial
records.  

AND HE DID.

	Low and behold, there was already feasting going on.  In the MISCELLANEOUS
COLUMN, he found that the Mac-heads' board of directors had the gall to spend
the collected taxes to fill their own bellies.  LUNCHES and DINNERS paid by the
many for the enjoyment of the very few, at the cost of the lives of the very
founding brotherhood itself!

	"Brothers,  does our board not love your brothers?  Brothers, we could live
highly and richly for years on what is being wasted here.  Surf the club's
webpage for news, and board, bring a sandwich!" he cried.  

"Oh, but we love our board.  They deserve a banquet, because they work so hard
to make things the best they can be for everyone."

	"Does 'Everyone' include the Apple II Brotherhood?"

THERE WAS SILENCE.

	"What have they done for those who took them in?  Have they adorned us with
hardware?  No.  Have they made us gifts of software?  I think not.  How many
guest speakers have they invited to visit us in our little cell?  One in four
years, but he came twice, so I suppose that he counts double."

But the board doesn't just run things, they make presentations, too.  Surely,
you wouldn't deny them food?

	"Yes, we would if we are to be the meal!  We have made our own sermons and
presentations for years and what have you given us?  HIGHER TAXES!!!   Now, you
wish to feed us to your precious board as a sacrifice for another season. 
 
							YOU IDIOTS!  After us, YOU'RE NEXT!

	It is written...
					The board exists to serve its members, 
		not the other way around.

FOR THIS, THE BOARD DID SMITE THE BROTHER.  THEY TOOK AWAY HIS FREE SPEECH, A
SACRED RIGHT IN THE LAND, AND ONE THAT MANY OF THE MAC-HEADS HAD GONE TO WAR TO
FIGHT FOR, BUT ALAS, THEY WERE NOW FOOLS.



	The brother smiled.


	He had faced fools before and his brotherhood had always survived.  The church
had turned its back on the Apple II Brotherhood and it had survived.  Villages,
once friendly to the Apple II Brotherhood, had disappeared or no longer
recognized the Apple II, and yet, it had survived.  

	Long ago, he had proclaimed that "only when we no long support each other,
will the Apple II die."

	and the brother smiled.

	His true brothers hadn't lost their faith, dignity, values or humanity.  They
were still there and they always would be.  The Blue Flame would continue to
burn away at Mac-heads season after season.  It was not the Apple II
Brotherhood, but the Mac-heads that were the true dinosaurs.  The signs were
there for all to see.  Yes, they were stronger, faster, AND fewer and fewer
each month.  In a handful of seasons, they would be gone forever.  

	The Apple II Brotherhood would continue to adapt and be eternal.

									][ Infinitum!


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										A true story.

	Currently, the Orange Apple Computer Club has more than enough money to
support both the Macintosh and the Flagship Apple II Users.  To COMPLETELY
offset the cost of the small classroom that the Apple II Group has been
assigned requires $804 a year at the current location.  

	BUT INSTEAD OF moving when the rent shoots up enormously, OACC stays at the
same site and wonders why it will be charged more each year.  

				Duh!  BECAUSE OACC keeps paying!

	BUT INSTEAD OF scrapping the worthless club newsletter and saving over $2000 a
year, they're going to keep this piece of fertilizer and use it to print the
Apple II Group's obituary.

	BUT INSTEAD OF providing a service to all of the members of OACC, the board of
directors has chosen year after year to ignore the Apple II GROUP, feeding
themselves --and I'm not talking McDonald's, folks --with everyone's membership
fees---AND THEN reporting that there isn't enough money to justify the Apple II
Group having a meeting place!
	
	Maybe they should take a walk and go work on the board of those internet
companies that are big time in the RED.  They should get hired quickly with
their OACC experience of putting image and their own pleasures above those of
the members that they were elected to serve.

Jay Edwards