THE FIRST SWILNEWS OF A NEW REGIME!
Complete with 4 part harmony and choreography.

(Music: Pomp and Circumstance) Along with the new president (now
revealed to be the infamous SMOS), a new cabinet was inducted last
Friday. Josh Smith moved on from the position of treasurer and took
up the post of official understudy. Replacing him is Jere7my
Tho?rpe, also known as the Dying Flutchman. Stephen Sample takes
over as procurator of Birdwainer. Deb Holtzman retains her titles
as curator of Birdwainer, Guardian of Invisibility (or the Keeper
of the Invisible Flame (I'm not saying a word)), and adds the title
of First Lady of SWIL (FLOS). The post of Minister of Propaganda is
currently vacant and waiting for someone to volunteer to fill it.
Finally the goat would have been awarded the title of Leader of the
Loyal (ha) Opposition, but he has not been located yet. (Cut to
shot of meadow with goat singing the Beatles' "Revolution".)

The filksinging was loud, lusty, and generally out of key. In other
words, exactly what a filksing should be. It was finally ended by
a faulty fire alarm which sent people out into the cold night.
(Scene of people leaving Bond to the music: Burning Down the
House.) Our weekend battle with the nefarious electrical system of
Swat continued the next day when the meeting was held up while we
tried to get the lights on. (Music: They Might Be Giants' Whistling
in the Dark.) The meeting itself was fairly small due to large
numbers of people marching in Washington. (Music: We Shall
Overcome.) Thus several matters were put off until next week: BEM
(submit to Fran), t-shirts (submit designs to Nao), Pterodactyl
Hunts.

Things that did come out of the meeting. The St. Valentine's Day
Massacre desperately needed someone to organize it. However since
then Peter Wagner has agreed to organize it. If you wish to take
part in it, talk to him. If you don't know what the Massacre is,
come to the meeting Saturday and ask. As always we'll being playing
Live Chess during Parent's Weekend. Josh Smith will organize.
(Music: Opening Ceremony from the musical _Chess_) There will be
SWIL the 13th: Reunion Part II next fall. More details as things
are planned.

Now the first in a regular series of reviews:

Clarke County, Space by Allen Steele. Steele writes hard science
fiction with what could be described as a blue-collar feel to it.
(He tends to focus on the day to day life of laborers and such.)
His mistrust of government also shows again in this book. While the
plot line is not all that unique or exciting, the characterization
is well done and believable. If you like the harder edged science
fiction, Steele's work is worth checking out. (review by Jeff
Hildebrand, copy available for borrowing)

Attendance from 1/26/91:
Deb "FLOS" Holtzman, Jim "SWAPA's in!" Moskowitz, Joshua "How nice"
Mackay-Smith, Melissa "they slice bagels, don't they?" Shaner, Joel
"Back after a really horrible break" Offenberg, Aaron "Wink?
Maybe." Brockett, Chris "I brought a real live guest" Hogendorn [as
opposed to a fictional dead one?], John "Chris' _real_ guest"
Rieffel, Jim "deja vu" Moskowitz [wait a second], Deb "nothing to
write" Barolsky, Luke "of the Hankins family" Hankins, Josh "down
three" Smith, Susannah "FHL is a boring place to spend your
morning" Hauze, Peter "don't expect me to be original" Wong [so
who's clone are you?], Ed "Now, at last, I get to put a quote into
the attendance list" Bernstein, Secret Master of SWILdom.

     No chance for dismemberments next week, but if she shows up
for the next two weeks, Susannah will be up for dismemberment. And
any member can be dismembered if they only show up for the next
three weeks.

                                                  SMOS