A Toast to Leigh and Michael

by Alan Alexander-Manifold

9 October 1992

Back when Northwestern first began to write the NOTIS code,
They never could have guessed the harvest from the seeds they sowed;
With tedious slowness, line by line, the system took its shape,
Till slowly, then more quickly, the news started to escape;
First one, then others joined the sites where NOTIS tapes had gone,
And some gave back to NOTIS features they had added on.
A NOTIS company was formed, with Jane Burke at the helm,
And many institutions joined the growing NOTIS realm.
Now here we stand in '92, the story doesn't end
It merely gives us data to predict the coming trend:
The new releases keep on coming (and the fix tapes, too)
And add-on products hit the streets just months after they're due.
In other words, this NOTIS creature keeps moving along,
And we can all be thankful that we've joined the NOTIS throng.

Like NOTIS, Leigh and Michael's love did not come overnight
Like most of us with NOTIS, it was not love at first sight;
But NOTIS winds blow strongly, and they had their way with Leigh,
She mouthed off, so she had to chair the SIG on VSE;
And things were not much different for our poor friend Michael S.,
For he got stuck chairing the SIG that deals with MVS.
Michael and Leigh began to talk, and drink, and talk some more,
And ended up...well, I don't know, because they closed the door.
But now we can congratulate them at the Bum Steer Roast,
So please lift up your glasses as I offer them a toast:
To Leigh and Michael, may your love continue to increase,
But don't greet every new year with another new release!
Allow your marriage to grow strong and prosper without check;
Who knows, someday it might be purchased by Ameritech!