Subject: Re: Another trusty rusty rerun...
From: sammie@world.std.com (Samantha Wilkinson)
Date: 1996/08/12
Newsgroups: alt.religion.kibology 
Message-ID: <Dw1p4D.8zr@world.std.com>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA

mmcirvin@world.std.com (Matt McIrvin) writes:

I had to say that. It's the giant crimson H embedded in my forehead which means that only Sam and Conan O'Brien can see me.

Oh, no, the dilemma! Is he referring to me? Should I follow up, making some comment about the special powers of my new glasses, thus seguing into a quotidian aside about how these supposed glare-resistant spectacles actually enhance glare and reflect it back adding a bright green color. But it would probably fall flat and everyone would think that I'm really lame and put me in their killfiles. I don't want to be another Ralph! But what other Sam would he be mentioning? Is this like one of those things where he means Sam O'Brien and Conan O'Brien. But who the hell is Sam O'Brien? He's probably alluding to some famous Sam and everyone knows who he's talking about EXCEPT ME. And then if I followed up assuming I was the Sam in question, everyone would think I was STUPID and laugh at me and I'd feel like, you know, how when you think someone waves at you so you wave back or say hi and they walk past and you realize they meant someone else and you feel really foolish and hope maybe they don't notice. But maybe I could say I was just playing off the coincidence of names and that I knew all along who he really meant. But maybe he does mean me. But we've never met! Of course, what're the chances he's met Conan O'Brien. Besides, what do Conan O'Brien and I have in common? Well, we both graduated from Ivy League schools, but would Matt know that? I mean, I try not to go around gratuitously mentioning that in public. Hey! What if I find some surreptitious way of determining whether or not Matt's talking about me. How 'bout I ask rone to ask Matt if he's referring to me and if, maybe, he might possibly be interested in me following up. But if rone tells Matt I think he means me and Matt doesn't, then he'll think I'm pathetic or something. Ok. I've decided. I'll play it safe; I won't follow up.

Sam
it's probably some SF allusion anyway