astronaut example on p.313

[PGS%MIT-OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA]

    Date: Friday, 8 November 1985  14:17-EST
    From: Guy Steele <gls at THINK-AQUINAS.ARPA>

        Date: Thursday, 7 Nov 85 11:56:33 PST
        From: S Sridhar <sridhar%tekchips%tektronix.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>

        On p.313, we've
         (setq x (make-astronaut :name 'buzz :age 45
    			     :sex t :helmet-size 17.5))
        I don't like this :sex t. It would be perhaps more appropriate
        to have :sex 'm or :sex 'f or ...

    I suppose that this is one of the "subtly witty" things that Winston had
    in mind (see the quote on the back cover).  The entire point is that it
    isn't clear.  Then again it is: it says that the astronaut has a sex,
    but doesn't say which.  (HAL, in the movie 2001, is an examples of an
    astronaut that has no sex.)  I'm sorry you don't like it.  It certainly
    is not exemplary of god programming style.  Maybe we should change it in
    the next edition.

Gee, I always read it as an allusion to the joke in which a job applicant,
filling out an employment application form, chews over the SEX: ____
question for a while, and then writes in "Occasionally."