Writers Notebook

Archived Messages from September 19,2003 to November 11, 2003

Hi Heather: Glad you are back. This notebook isn't right without you. Sorry to hear that you are having a tough time right now. As far as jobs, have you checked your local schools. Many take substitute teachers and you need only a high school education. There are many drawbacks to this..like being used as a dartboard by the kids, diseases you seem to catch and keep forever, plus the need for a babysitter..but it pays on average about 60.00 a day. It's not great, but when is work ever great? Plus the kids are nice and the ability to take on the job when you can and drop it when you can't is a plus.

Home in bed with another flu and cold. I've caught everything this year. If I'm not spreading a disease, I'm catching it.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone tomorrow. Have a good time cooking!

Viv 11-26-2003 20:15

GARIESS: Or, 4: You're a Gemini, and it's a Gemini male thing.

MARK: It's interesting how humans perceive parts of the body depending on their culture. Casabas have nothing whatsoever to do with sex, it is only our culture that has made it so.
For instance, in Africa or thereabouts casabas would be no more sexual than, say elbows.
Then there are places where it's extremely sexy to see how far you can get your bottom lip to stretch by way of inserting a plate between lip and gums.
There are places where something as basic as legs which must be kept under wraps at all costs for fear of immodesty.

Not going anywhere withthis, just an observation.

Teekay 11-26-2003 19:03

MARK: You are failing 'Womenspeak 101' miserably :-D

Teekay. 11-26-2003 18:21

Cripes, I've just thought of a 3rd option, and that is you actually ARE my husband pretending to be GARIESS.

Teekay. 11-26-2003 18:20

Women are more known for their melons than men, and yes, I'll admit, more than once I have thought, "nice casabas," when looking womanward. People *are* often melon-headed, however, so I think the anlogy fits.

Mark 11-26-2003 18:20

GARIESS: I did not say I disliked the analogy of the watermelon, merely that I disagreed with it. Actually, I found it amusing.
But you're right, I guess some may consider me argumentative, funny, my hubby tells me I am all the time, I however disagree, I perfer to call it conversive.

Now, coming from 2 sources, both being male, that could mean one of two things.

1: I am argumentative and am unaware of it
or
2: It's a male thing and some men feel challenged if I question their theories.

There may be more, but those are the 2 that come to mind.

But, take heart, you're right on one count - I am cute (even if only on the inside) :-D
And kind.
And funny (read: strange)
And caring.
And I'm not listing the bad points, they are well able to speak for themselves :-D (and deliberately argumentaive is not amongst them)

And I think you're cute too :-)

Teekay 11-26-2003 18:16

Uh, oh, Double post. Well, that happens sometimes.

11-26-2003 18:04

One more thing. I see the NB is still being spammed by the Chinese mining company. I risked taking a look at the web-site, and I find that their product is good for use as flux in making iron products. I thought about ordering a few hundred tons, but then I reconsidered. I don't think the rest of you want to encourage this kind of industrial spamming in the NB. Who knows how many other industries would invade here if word got out that we are a soft touch for industrial supplies. Of course I could let you speak for yourselves in that regard.

gariess 11-26-2003 18:02

Something I should have mentioned earlier to Taylor. What you say about the IDEA that one man as lowly as Lee Harvey Oswald could kill a man as important as the president HAS GREAT MERIT. I believe you are right that many people simply wont be satisfied with that kind of answer. Like everyone else who heard the news at the time, I remember my first thought, it was to the effect that it must be a mistake or a hoax, that kind of thing can't happen. How could it? Surely they wouldn't let the president get killed by some nut case. I suppose that when a great many people came to accept that it did happen, they needed to think that there had to be a conspiracy.

gariess 11-26-2003 17:48

Teekay,

What you are referring to is not someone disgreeing with forensic experts. It is a case of forensic experts disputing each other. That sort of thing happens all the time. I am sorry if you don't like watermelon analogies, but impact to the human head is often compared to impacting melons of one kind or another. It is not uncommon for firearms people to try different kinds of bullets on melons to simulate impacting the human skull, especially the ones that are made to explode inside the target. It has something to do with weight, water content, and other things. Anyway, I will not discuss it any further. If you must be argumentative you can be so with someone else. You said earlier that I sound like your husband, but I assure you I am not. I still think you're cute, however. You just seem to have a propensity for argument. That is something many bright people like yourself have trouble with.

gariess 11-26-2003 17:34

Hi All :-)

GARIESS: I am thrilled that you picked my post to be the one you answered.

So, based on the hypothetical actions of a watermelon, others, whom you agree with, have decried the opinion of forensic experts?

Doesn't the forward movement of the body on impact presume correctly that the weight of the body was moved by the force of inertia?
I disagree with anyone's analogy of the watermelon representing the head and the post the body.
They are seperate entities and simply would not react the same way as a single human body unit.
I find it difficult to comprehend that people would even use it as an example.

And, with a watermelon there may be a certain chunk that stays behind, as with a body, the entire head may be missing, but the body's still there, and that would be about the only thing the comparison of the two would have in common.

You must stop watching Lee Ermey.

And thanks for cheering me up :-D

Why is everybody talking about this anyway? I musthave missed a vital posting.

Going...

Teekay 11-26-2003 16:36

**Taylor**

Just a g'day to all... Oh and I've found a new way to work out problems with writing. With storylines and that.
For the last couple of days, I step out back and just keep ditching a small soft football at a brick wall... While thinking about what I'm working on. It's so relaxing at the same time to

Taylor 11-26-2003 10:05

lianchun yang china jilin shanwei wollastonite mining co., ltd. 11-26-2003 3:15

I am only going to answer one post tonight.

Teekay, I watched a number of TV analyses of the JFK assasination. I have no recollection of which one had experts comment on the presumption that since the body lurched backward at the moment of impact, the fatal shot must have come from in front. This presumes that the weight of the body was moved by the impact. A challenge to this was made that the head can be likened to a watermelon on a post. In a more or less relaxed state the head rests fairly loosely on the neck. To make the point quickly, if you fire a high powered rifle (maybe even a low powered one) into a watermelon sitting on a post, the watermelon will certainly explode, but there is always a chunk that stays on the post unmoved. The melon has absorbed the energy of the impact even to the point of leaving part of itself on the post. If the post had a wired in nervous system connected to the watermelon that worked like a person's, the post might do anything by way of physical reaction independant of the watermelon sitting on it. In this analogy the watermelon represents the head and the post represents the body, if I need to be so explicit.

Lee Ermey does a TV show on the History channel in which he attacks watermelons with anything from a fifteenth century sword to a WW11 machine gun. The watermelons always lose these confrontations except for the little bit of themselves that they rest on. Personally, since I have always known watermelons to be of a most peaceful nature and entirely defenseless, I find these attacks to be unprovoked and unconscionable, but Mr. Ermey, the old gunny, takes a different view.

The marksmanship of Lee Harvey Oswald or the reliability of his rifle might be questioned in any number of ways, but nothing can be proved in that regard at this point. The fact that he was in the building with the rifle and at the window suggests that he had proven to himself, at least, that he could be effective with it regardless of its reputation.

gariess 11-26-2003 2:34

Awwwww, guys, thanks for the hugs, well-wishes and thoughts.
(I didn't figure anyone would laugh at my situation, Gariess, just at the possibility of a civil divorce...;o)
Thank you, Sunny, for telling me about your experience! Good to know I'm not the only one who thinks these things can be handled as the delicate nature they are without bruising anyone's feelings... at least past where they have already been hurt.
The kids are adjusting well, which is amazing and hopeful... we have both been keeping them well-informed on what's going on, as well as listening to them share their feelings and any fears/misunderstandings, misgivings, etc.
(Of course, there have been some really 'almost funny' misconceptions they mentioned when first hearing the news.)

My son asked if Dad was going to take half the cat. LOL

At any rate, thanks for the warm welcome back!
Good to be home. :o)

Heather 11-25-2003 22:57

HEATHER: I'm utterly gob-smacked.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGE HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I'm so glad you're back. Your news has me reeling so I can only imagine what place you're in right now.

What an entrance. Now, go back out and come in again with something a little less likely to throw my world off kilter will you :-)

HOWARD already gave me a bit of a shock. When I tuned in yesterday (I think it was yesterday), his was the first post I glanced at and I saw something about the president being killed and well....I thought for the tiniest fraction of a nano second that he was speaking about George W. Bush.
Give me a right start it did. (to be said in Cockney fashion for intended effect.)

GARIESS: You wrote: You are probably right about the meaning of ennui.
I'm having a little trouble coming to terms with the word 'probably'.
You sound like my husband :-D
'Yeah, you're 'probably' right, I really shouldn't have eaten those beans, where should we bury the cat?'
Damn tootin' I'm right. :-)

You also wrote: And don't get me started on which direction a body moves when a high velocity projectile blows away the top of a person's brain. The head absorbs the energy of the bullet, and the motion of the body is dictated by the instantantaneous spasming reaction of the nervous system to the shattering of the brain. Because the bullet comes from behind, in no way determines that the body will move forward during the miliseconds of impact. The resulting spasmodic event is totally unpredictable.

Ooer, and where did that juicy little fact come from? It's really very interesting and I really would like to know how one comes to be in possession of such knowledge.

You did not write:I assure you that if the hubby and I ever get to Australia, we will be sure to visit you. That would be fun.
RHODA did, and she sure better.

Going.....

Teekay 11-25-2003 15:17

It's good to be able to share in here.

Heather, I've been where you are -- wondering what the future would hold when my husband and I were divorced after 22 years of marriage. Our kids were only 6 and 9, and it was definitely scary. Fortunately, with effort, we've almost always been able to put the kids first, and that made decisions easier. My daughter said that we have one of the most civilized divorces she's ever seen.

I wish you well, and remember, you're never alone.

Sunny 11-25-2003 11:28

Heather, I've missed you, glad to see you back. Sorry to hear of the family problems, but then these sort of things happen, and I guess all one can do is hang on tightly and try to work it out the best for all concerned.

As far as the one gunman deal, I guess it could have been, but then have you ever tired to shoot one of those old Italian bolt actions? I have, most of them shoot a few feet either high, low, to the left, or the right of sight. Used to see them once in awhile at gun shows, those who had them on their table when I got there, ALWAYS had them on their table when we left, that is if they didn't get mad and toss them in the nearest dumpster. Those rifles have and always have had a well earned reputation of being the WORST battle rifle ever developed by any nation in any war. THe round was miss-designed, the barrel twist was completely wrong for the velocity, weight and ballistic coeficent, and the sights were so poor that one had a better chance of hitting a target by sighting down the side of the barrel, that is if you could find one with a reasonably straight barrel.

BUT then they say Oswell was an expert with the rifle, well so was I when I qualified with the M-16 in Basic Training but then about all that proves is that you've probably shot a rifle before Basic, and maybe went hunting a time or two, in contrast to those city boys who grew up never seeing, much less shooting any sort of firearm. AND I can assure you, I have tried shooting a few of those Italian battle rifles (took three in trade on an old .22 rifle I had on my table one gun show, just to get a chance to try the old junkers) and of the three I had an opertuntity to try, NONE of them had any sort of accuracy. SO saying that Oswell shot three very accurate shots in a matter of six seconds from a piece of crap rifle that is notorious for it's inaccuarcy, and hit the President twice at over a hundred yards (OK so he had an old weaver scope on the piece of crap rifle but that probably didn't help much!) in a moving vehicle (even though it was a bit slow moving) is a bit much for me to digest. Sure it COULD have happened that way, if every thing went exactly right but I have strong doubts that it did. I can't offer any explination since I wasn't there, in fact I was in the Sixth grade at the time, but then many who were there don't have any idea what happened either. Well then Oliver Stone knows what happened, but then Oliver Stone wrote crap about what happened in Vietnam too, and I understand most of it was exactly that.

At any rate, it's a fair topic to discuss when you haven't anything else on your mind.

Had a sort of intresting thing happen today, my murdering cousin's daughter's best friend stopped by, the daughter was taken away from her mother shortly after the murder and was eventually addopted by a family in another state. Nobody really knew what happend to her till today when the lady called, then came by for a copy of our famly tree. Seems the daughter is now in her thirty's and is trying to find info on her birth family, (she was like five years old when she was taken from here). She is afraid to contact any of us in person for fear there may be some sort of adverse reaction (there, of course wouldn't be but who's to blame her for being a bit fearfull of such things).

At any rate I gave them all the data, and promised to scan in all our photo's of her and her sister and cousins when they were still up here. Was nice to hear that she's doing well in her home away from here.

Still more snow, will it ever end??? It got cold yesterday, reaching -14, but today was a bit of a warming trend it's up to 30 above now, they say snow for Turkey day but I guess that's allright, our son and family can't make it this year, they will try for Christmas if all goes well with them.

Sorry to hear of the heart problems Garies, had one of those tests myself earlier this fall, thankfully mine turned out good. It did have me a bit worried there for awhile.

WRITE ON!

Jerry 11-25-2003 1:15

**Taylor**

Gariess: I believe the reason why so many people need to believe in the whole conspiracy is that JFK was a powerful man. Being a President and all. And if just one man can take down a President and throw people in turmoil like that, its too hard to comprehend. Take for instance if one man can do that then imagine what a group of people can do. The reason for believing in the theories, I think is fear and disbelief.

Taylor 11-25-2003 1:06

Heather,

You didn't hear me snorting or sneering. I don't react that way when I hear a friend having such problems. I wish you the best.

Teekay,

You are probably right about the meaning of ennui. I have enough trouble with the English language, how will I sort out French? Still, it seems that there should be more words for certain feelings. On the other hand it smacks a little of a bunch of blind people trying to work out what is green and what is red. One needs a reference, then communication can happen.

I have always wondered why so many people need to believe that JFK was done in by a conspiracy. Personally, I like the original lone gunman version. Sexing up the story, however, is inevitable in the end. There seems to be no end to all the armchair detectives. I even see where one investigator worked out a whole scenario that has a shooter firing from a sewer drain in the sidewalk and making an escape through the storm drains.

One thing I take great exception to is the interpretation of the amatuer photograph of the so-called "badge man" on the grassy knoll. I have been a photographer for over 50 years. I have done darkroom work on the best negative sources available, and I have never been able to enlarge even a fine grain negative as much as they have with the coarse grain amatuer film that was available in the early sixties, and come up with a readable image of such a small area. The "badge man," as far as I am concerned is horse-hockey. Someone has created a whole "policeman" out of shadows and light coming through trees and bushes. Actually, not a whole one, about one third. I can take any one of a hundred negatives with trees and bushes and conjure up anything you like. How about a horse or a donkey? just tell me what you want. After a 12X enlargement of one hundredth of an inch of film you can invent any image you want with so called "enhancement."

And don't get me started on which direction a body moves when a high velocity projectile blows away the top of a person's brain. The head absorbs the energy of the bullet, and the motion of the body is dictated by the instantantaneous spasming reaction of the nervous system to the shattering of the brain. Because the bullet comes from behind, in no way determines that the body will move forward during the miliseconds of impact. The resulting spasmodic event is totally unpredictable.

Besides, I have an alibi for that day.

gariess 11-25-2003 0:19

TEEKAY,

I assure you that if the hubby and I ever get to Australia, we will be sure to visit you. That would be fun.

HEATHER,

I missed you too. Good to have you back. I am sorry for your sad news. I hope the things with your job and your children come together.

GARIES,

Why not share these things? Yes it is heavy stuff, but that is what friends are for. I will be in prayer for you.

RACHEL,

Snow, what is that? It has been a long time since it has snowed around here. Certainly not while I have lived here, and with everyone here not knowing how to drive in the stuff, snow would be terrifying.

Rhoda 11-24-2003 23:27

Oooooooh boy...
There is just no way I'll be able to catch up with what's been going on here! So, (big intake of oxygen here) I'll just dive back in. I have been wanting to immerse myself in your words, my friends, but haven't had much heart to sit still and read, let alone write much more than a sad entrail of a grocery list.

Shall I just spill it, then? (I can hear the questions not yet written in your posts to come)
My husband and I are getting divorced.
I am still jobless, so there is much to be panicking about.
Hopefully the potential battle over the joint custody of the kids won't ever have to erupt, and we can all come to an agreement satisfactory to all. (Was that a snicker? I heard someone scoff!) I know not every couple on the brink of divorce is able to speak to one another, let alone agree; my eyes are on the sky when I say I hope we are not the average divorcing couple.
We weren't much of an average at any point.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Still no news from Ronsdale Press... I'll keep hanging onto the newsclips at the base of my mailbox, and torturing the mailman with my antics until one day I do hear back.
LOL

Hugs to all, and I HAVE MISSED YOU TERRIBLY!
Of course, it's my fault I've been away...
;op

Heather 11-24-2003 22:23

GARIESS: Are you sure the word is ennui? I always took that to mean boredom.
It's interesting we don't have a word for something so powerful, or maybe such elusiveness cannot be restrained within a language.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) to you.
You sound as though you could use some.

Teekay. 11-24-2003 16:00

**Taylor**

I wasn't alive during the Kennedy Assassination. And I don't remember much about the attempt on Reagen's life.

But two Historical events that come to mind has to be The Challenger exploding... It was such a change in attitudes in the couple of days that followed. It seemed everyone knew about it and felt the shock of it in some way. Especially the teachers.

The other would is the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. I remember spending much of my high school years wandering why it was up... and why they couldn't just sit down and talk it over. I remember I was hooked onto the news watching it with Awe at the people with sledgehammers and whatever to take the wall down.
At school the next day, it was like a celebration. Like relief or it was what we thought a step towards a solution.

Anyway that's enough dribbling from me.

Taylor 11-24-2003 10:12

looking for analysis for novel...anybody?

brad 11-24-2003 3:19

I had just learned the proper way to kill a man with a bayonet, when a jeep pulled up to the instructor stand, and a sergeant jumped out. With tears streaming down his face he told us that "Some asshole has just killed the President!"
We stood there in shock -- one of the guys the front rank pissed his pants -- and nobody said a word. Some of them thought it was just another instructor's trick to catch a recruit off guard, then use him for an example to the rest of us. But they formed us in squads and quick-marched us back to our company area, where we were dismissed for the rest of the afternoon.
We had just completed our rifle training the day before, and some of us -- myself included -- had qualified as "Expert," and were awarded weekend passes -- the only allowable weekend pass from basic training.
It was a Friday, and they did let us go, but that was a long wait in the Newark Airport, to get a free standby flight home. I made it eventually, and it was good to get home, but there was that same sense of shock everywhere I went.

howard 11-23-2003 21:11

Randall and Jerry -- I have to add my own recollection of being in Mr. Hardesty's 7th grade science class, drawing a picture of a battery, when Jenny Smith came back from the nurse's office to tell us that Kennedy had been shot. I was so traumatized that I (obviously) remember every single detail of that afternoon. My mom was volunteering as a library aide, and I ran down the hall into the library when they dismissed class, throwing myself into her arms and sobbing. She walked me to her car, crying herself, and exchanged a sorrowful glance with the vice principal. He just shook his head.

I wrote in my diary that night: "Why? Why? Why?"

Sunny 11-23-2003 19:42

Teekay,

You mentioned that powerful feeling of things remembered. It seems so strongly connected to the human sense of smell, somehow. I believe the French have a word, ennui, the definition of which covers that feeling. It seems odd that we have no English equivalent of it, because it is quite universal. I have often felt a pang of "ennui" so strong that it is barely endurable. Yet, with no proper definition, I cannot really say if it is that. But I must ask, what else can it be? If the English language has neglected something so dramatically tangible, can there be an even more overwhelming feeling we haven't a word for, and "ennui" is actually something else, a lesser phenomenon? It would make for an interesting discussion among writers, that.

I must adress Mel, and tell her that I haven't been insensitive, at all, about the loss of her father. I have pondered your loss, Mel, and I feel badly for you. I hope the future is a better time for you.

Early this week I have a date with the woman who knows, in the most literal terms, that the best way to a man's heart is through a catheterization tube. She is my favorite Irish lady, Dr. Sullivan. She has been there before and no doubt will be going there again, soon. She looked at the results of my thalium stress test last week and called to invite me in for a chat. I reminded her that I was turned down four years ago by the Surgeons for a triple bypass, so she explained that she wants to talk about new advances that have been made since four years ago. It seems that there are some new hardware devices that they haven't yet put inside me Maybe they are going to replace the doorknob they inserted in '99. I jest, of course, but it sometimes feels like there's a doorknob in there. I am sure she has some such thing in mind, at any rate. Have you ever noticed that doctors don't call you in unless they already have something in mind? I am sure we are not going to discuss partisan politics or the beet crop in West Texas.

I risk adding this weight to the NB, especially at a time when there seems to be so much weight of a medical nature, but there is an old saying that if one wants something done, one gives the task to a busy person. Now, I don't want anything done, of course, but there seems to be a parallel to that, when there is much health news of a weighty nature, weight being another thing that Dr. Sullivan is sure to remind me about. Speaking of which, I must now dine (while Dr. Sullivan is not looking.)

Later, you lot.

gariess 11-23-2003 18:11

Congratulations to England and Australia for a fantastic game of rugby. Both teams deserved to win the World Cup, but that little genius called Jonny Wilkinson made the difference. I was happy that the cup came to the Northern Hemisphere- European Union-England. But what was really moving was to see the sportsmanship and fairplay of all those wonderful athletes of both themes.

Jon is still drunk (of joy) for the England's win and cannot come to the Notebook. He asked me to do him that favour. So here I am in all my splendour. Kisses accepted.

Pussy 11-23-2003 7:46

RACHEL - if you like snow, come up here, we got over eight inches of the white crap. Did get it all cleaned up though, now the car and pickup have paths to the street, a path to the garage where I park the snowblower is clear, as well as a path to the garbage cans. Oh well.

If I were younger, think I'd have made a snow man or maybe played fox and goose, used to love that game, and snow ball fights, they were a blast, then there was a trip to the vacant lot where the City hauled all those huge chuncks of compacted snow, we made super forts out of those things, and the tunells we dug through those snow banks, it's a wonder we didn't die in a collapse or some such accident. On year the snow was so deep, we dug a huge six foot deep pit in the snow (just reached the ground) then took turns falling backwards down into the pit, the snow in the bottom cushined the fall, it was nearly as fun as a carnival ride.

It's snowing again up here, guess I may need the blower again in the morning...

Randall - I was in the sixth grade when Kennedy was shot. We were out on the playgrounds, I had just found a warm spot in the corner of the school, where heat escaped from the lunch room and kept me a bit warm, it was a bitterly cold day as I recall, when a friend came running, he was crying, told me of the shooting of our President.

I don't know that anyone who wasn't alive when Kennedy was in office could understand the love for that great man. The press told us it was a return to Camolot, and nobody know of the President's illnesses, or his flandering from where we stood he was the greatest president who ever lived. He stood alone before our feared enemy, the Soviets and turned them away from Cuba, he told us to "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country and we believed it to be the greatest words ever spoken.

When he died, it was as if we lost a parent, even our parents shed tears. We were told to go home and watch the history unfold on the televison, and we did.

Yep, I to have been watching all the "news" on the History Channel, each entry into "The Men Who Killed Kennedy" trys to show a different conspiricy. One said it was Johnson, another it was the Mafia, another, it was members of the durg underworld, another said Castro. I doubt that we will ever know the truth, and I doubt we would believe the truth if we heard it anymore, too many folks have said too much crap, mostly lies about the whole thing but they do have a point. If it were a conspiricy, the folks involved had to be very highly placed in the government.

Jerry 11-23-2003 0:21

Randall

Good evening gang...

I was sixteen and home alone watching a soap opera that fall day. Diagnosed with Hepatitis, I developed a yellow tint and a doctor ordered me quarantined. A full semester of my junior year in high school was awash. Not really "sick" in the true sense of the word, and with both parents working I had the house to my self. It was noon and a freshly cooked hamburger awaited me. I settled in the chair and began to watch noon time TV, a CBS station from Dallas. From that position, except to eat, use the bathroom, and sleep on the couch I strayed not for three days. In those times the family TV was only on short periods of time. I don't believe it was turned off for a week that month.

"Three shots have been fired at President Kennedy's motorcade," an voice said. At the words a developing sense of politics matured. I was aware that there had been trouble in Dallas in the months previous to that fall day. Someone shot at a radical army general. A visiting Adali Stephenson was assaulted with a sign during a protest. A full page add in a newspaper assailed the visiting president. Right wing activists ruled the day.

On a beautiful fall day the wife of Texas's governor Nellie Connally turned and said to President Kennedy, "Dallas loves you Mr. President."

Only seconds later a lone shooter or a group of men fired and we all became aware of how ugly the world may be. So now the question seems not so much who but why? To accept that just one man could cause so much sadness is almost impossible to understand. So we reach out. Develop conspiracy theories. Was it CIA? Rogue CIA agents? Inept Secret Service agents? J. Edgar Hoover? Rogue FBI agents? Anti-Castro? Pro-Castro? Communist KGB agents? Mafia intrigues? Rich Texas oil men? Poor Texas oil men who wanted to be rich? Vice-President Lyndon Johnson? Ex-VP Richard Nixon? The industrial/military complex? Dallas police officers? Pro-Vietnam American generals? Stepping in from left field one report said Oswald was simply a poor shot. He intended to kill Governor Connally, who was once Secretory of the Navy, because Connally would not grant him an honorable discharge from the Marines!! And my favorite...French dope king pins, tied to the CIA through the Mafia, acting on revenge for the assassination of the Diem brothers in South Vietnam through North Vietnam intelligence officers???? I'm really surprised that no one has concluded that the person behind the affair was Marilyn Monroe, miffed cause Kennedy ditched her! MY GOD! Bill Clinton look out!

(Sigh)

It's slowly coming out. The answers. Oswald's mistress in New Orleans had an hour on the History Channel. A tell all designed to throughly confused who the real Oswald was or wasn't. LBJ's mistress stepped out, claimed she had a son by LBJ! Told the world LBJ knew about the assisination attempt and said nothing. Guilt by admission I suppose.

"Murder will out," old Bill Shakespear wrote. Or was that Roger Bacon? Develop your own theory...

Night

Randall

Randall 11-22-2003 22:23

Hi All,
RHODA: I dreamt last night that you and your hubby came for a visit :-).

RACHEL: Lucky you!!! The way the weather's going here -very erratic, we could get snow for Christmas.
Although the last 2 days have been rainy and miserable and I'm not real sure how I'd cope with a Christmas where everyone was stuck inside.
It looks good on the movies, and I've fantasised about it for ever, but I think the reality would probably kill me.
Maybe I just need a bigger house :-)

I think it was very decent of the Wallabies to allow England the game *GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

Going...
to a kiddies birthday party.

Teekay 11-22-2003 16:12

OH MY GOSH!!!!!

Guys, it's snowing at my house!!!! I can not believe it. We hardly ever get snow, least of all in November. I've got the biggest grin on my face. I so want to go for a ride on the horses in the snow. I think that would be awsome! Right now it's just the least bit of fluff falling from the sky, but you wouldn't believe the excitement and screaming that errupted in my house when it was seen. I swear we all noticed at the same time (laughter). I know that for a lot of people on the NB, snow is not big deal, but for me it is, so just try to humor me ;o)

Ciao for now.

RDRKO

Rachel 11-22-2003 14:11

**Taylor**

Howdy all...

Seems I've picked up this bug again... Sketching on the back of scrap paper at Karoeke & jotting down notes of any ideas that come to mind.

How are you all going anyway? Good I hope

Taylor 11-22-2003 5:30

Weatherman is wrong again! We now have snow up to our ankles but it's comming down so fast you can't see the christmas lights on the house across the street. The wind is beginning to pick up from the twenty miles per hour it's been all day to up around forty miles per hour, maybe a bit faster. It will soon be a real live blizzard, and I have to go to bed and miss it.

Drat!

Oh well I can look at all the pretty white snow as I struggle with my old snow blower to make a path to the garbage cans and clean the drive way.

The turkey is well done, smoking went well despite the white crap falling from the sky, so Thanksgiving will have the added spice of a smoked turkey that will share the platter with the roasted one that we have each year.

Night all.

Jerry 11-22-2003 0:59

Boy, you lot sure partied hearty while I was abed. Don't think I'm going round picking up all the pooped party poppers.
(I don't know what you call party poppers - I'm talking about those little cups and you pull a string and it pops and tiny rolls of coloured paper explode out.)

PAMELA: I'm sorry. I didn't realise you were after advice. I usually have a plethora of advice to give away totally free, but when it comes to ways to earn money and be happy at the same time, well, if I knew, I'd do it myself.
Writing seems an awful slow way to do it - at least to begin with, but you've already had a book published, so you've broken through the hard ground.
I think Agatha Christi had the right idea - a book a year.
Or market gardening sounds good - if you like gardening.
Or maybe cottage industry.

BTW: Your daughter sounds very bright. (Not counting the male folk here or my hubby (sometimes) or Doctor Phil.)

MEL: I thoroughly empathise with your having to let the farm go.
My Nanna's house was sold to a naturapath, but it will always be my Nanna's house, where my childhood was happiest and memories that will never fade were made.
There are times, far too few, when I can be walking along and the faint indescribable scent of my Nanna's garden will come to me for just a fleeting moment and conjure up all those memories, then the nostalgia will kick in, that bittersweet ache for things past.

This isn't meant to sound depressing, just understanding.

GARIESS: I know! I know! (frantic waving of raised hand at the back of the class) I remember lots of little bits and pieces over the years, much as I remembered where you hailed from before reading it in your most recent post, and the answer to your question to LITTER is no, they are not related.
And I'm only butting in and telling you because LITTER is likely to miss your question.

Roight, I'm orf then.

Bew ella ndh aveawon der fuld ay.

Teekay 11-21-2003 16:43

LITTER,

Thank you for sharing the pictures. I think I could understand cuddling the baby rather than writing or posting on the Notebook. All are good things to do, but you have your priorities in the right place. Your grand-daughter is beautiful.

Rhoda 11-21-2003 12:06

Thanks, all, for your insight into what I should do to get out of my present occupation. Well, okay, you didn't actually do anything, but seeing it written down helped me make a decision. Write a book or sell a marketable skill? Hmmmm, I think I've gotta go with the latter. I've been an architectural designer since I was a girl building model houses out of shoeboxes and shirt cardboards instead of playing with my ready-made dollhouse. While I do think my book idea is good and would sell, it could, like my first, just garner a modest advance and income, not necessarily enough to quit my job. On the other hand, although only open a couple of weeks, my design efforts resulted in the sale of a whole-house remodeling plan for $1000. BTW, Teekay, I made a copy of the check to save before depositing it. I'm going to wait until spring (here, not in that upside-down place) since no one is thinking about remodeling during the holiday season, but I will definitely re-open my design firm then.

Mel, I'm glad you are able to be happy for your dad even though you will miss him from here. I'm really sorry about your having to sell the old farm you have such fond memories of.

Litter, I'm so jealous, I want grandkids too! Well, my daughter just met a guy she likes, the first one in a while (at 22, she thinks guys are generally stupid, perhaps due to where their brains are located at that age), so maybe other good things will follow.

Jerry, ah, yes, those wonderful "lids", just $10 for a whole ounce, talk about the good old days!

Randall, I think Bush II performed admirably after 9/ll, it's his actions since then that are being questioned. And as a Texan myself, I don't see him as the hunker down, straight-talking type (which has gotten me in trouble often enough), but as a spoiled rich kid used to having his own way.

Howard, I'm sorry Andria's baby didn't make it to term, with all the medical advances they are making, I hope they come up with something to help women who have such difficulties. At least they have made a lot of progress with preemies, so hopefully Kris' baby will join you all soon. BTW, you look really good for such an old fart :).

Love to all,

pamela 11-21-2003 11:12

And MARK, it's pronounced Ustraylya.

tsk, bloomin' Umericuns, carnt evin tork proply.

:-D

Teekay 11-21-2003 5:29

Hi All Again,

GARIESS: I am forgoing the purchase of the exclusive, highly desirable beachfront property I've had my eye on in order to hang the cheque on the wall.
Nevermind, I'll buy it with the next one HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA*SOB*

Anyway, truth be told, it would probably cost more in bank fees to change it to Aussie currency.

RANDALL: It's a known fact that Isaac Newton, discoverer of the gravitational force was American.
Australia does not have gravity.
American's have gravity because without it they would fall off the earth.
We do not have Jerry Springer and we do not have Ricky Lake.
This is because there are no people with blood rushing to their heads here, besides, most of us would be wa-a-a-ay too embarrassed to go on national T.V and do that sort of thing -even for money.
But, most importantly, we do have Big Macs :-).

LITTER: She's gorgeous!

HOWARD: I'm so sorry to hear that. Seems your lot are going through a pretty rough time lately. ((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))) for Andria.

Going....
It's 9 pm and I'm sure I should be doing something other than this.

Teekay 11-21-2003 5:11

lid?????

Lid????

LID - wasn't that what we used to call a baggie of pot back in the good old days of war and protest??

Wait, no war and protest, that's today right????

No, it was the 60's right???

Wait, is it the 60's???

Must be the pills or something?????

Well that weatherman who was eating his hat last night was wrong again, or so he said tonight, now he says we'll be getting five to eight inches of snow. Sure wish he'd make up his mind, and me with a turkey all ready to smoke in the morning.

I don't know if any of you still watch the TV, but I have it on for background noise and that DAMN SUNDAY, SUNDAY Dodge Ram commercial is getting on my nerves. It got so bad tonight that I threw my cane at the blasted tube. Too bad I'm such a bad shot with a cane, the TV lived and the commericial is on yet again as I type.

That's it, I'm going to bed and play with the box the kids came in.

Night all

WRITE ON!!!

Jerry 11-21-2003 0:11

Litter,

I suppose if I had known your name is McLaren, I would have aked this question a long time ago. Are you, by any chance, related to Philip McLaren who used to post here? It may seem to be a big planet for such a possibility, but this is a small NB. I am assuming your name is McLaren, because I looked at the pictures of the baby (very nice, by the way) who is named McLaren.

gariess 11-20-2003 23:56

Teekay,

Very good to hear about your check for the story. Can you cash a check and then put it on your wall? It seems one would have to surrender the check in order to have the money. Rather like that old thing about eating the cake and having it, too.

Somebody mentioned Australians or raised some question in regard to same. I hope this will not be percieved as some sort of strange discrimination, but I have found that the Australians I have met here in the NB have always been interesting and stimulating.

Here's a question. Why would anyone with a mining company want to spam this NB? How much mining business does anyone expect to pick up in here? When was the last time anyone ordered a few thousand tons of ore from someone they met in here?

Howard,

Did you mention getting something over the counter? I asked my pharmacist about Viagra. "Can I get it over the counter," I asked. He replied, "If you can get it over the counter, you don't need Viagra."

I guess you were speaking to the engaging Natasha/Lid when you asked about the substance being abused. I see that some have taken exception to certain references to American traits, real or percieved. Somehow, I fail to become aroused over being maligned by people who are as anti-eloquent as Natasha/Lid. I suppose it is because they so effectively impair their own credibilty.

I must welcome Jon. Welcome, Jon. How is Pussy?
(Now there is a question one can rarely get away with asking. Makes you wonder if that's the only reason I asked, doesn't it?)

gariess 11-20-2003 23:42

Randall

Hey!

Hi Pamela...Hi Mel...Sunny...Elaine...

Jerry, nice web site. I heard that Johnny Cash song before, but as all his writings he hit the nail on the head.

Teekay...you know, the darndest thing happened to me today. I was strolling along enjoying life and for some reason, the blood rushed right to my head! (Grin) Which was unusual, cause I usually feel I'm about to float away. Once a matter of great concern this falling away feeling could only mean I'm upside down on the face of the PLANET! Most Texans compensate for the lack of stable gravity here in two ways...vote the liberal ticket (for that warm fuzzy feeling) in elections or gobble down enormous amounts of fast food and sugar enriched soft drinks. I'm in the latter BTW. I expect this light, floaty (flatulent?) feeling is, no, not from lack of beam but a seasonal thing that only occurs when Australia is in summer. After all Australia is exclusive beach front property and in the summer a large portion of the population are all wet, in the water that is. What this has to do with anything is beyond me (excuse, while I gobble a Big Mac and double order of fries) I'm just padding the tale. (Grin) However...if the Roo, that is many various animals down that have a pouch, could it be that a little extra weight is needed to secure their position on the planet? Hum...? (BIG GRIN!)

Some rude persons might say that Texicans are light headed anyway what with LBJ and both Bush's as proof via their record as presidents! Not true I pontificate! Well yes, LBJ did leave office VERY wealthy...and yes he might have exerted some influence along that line but old LBJ was well meaning. Let Uncle Lyndon help you. If George #I had said "I'm gonna tax your butt off," instead of "Read my lips, no new taxes," he might have had time to expand his fortune as well. George #2 took a whammy on 9/11 so his historical status is yet to be decided! Understanding President Bush is hard for some people, cause he has that down home, hunker down in the cow lot and talk straight style that most Texicans understand...And what we as a nation need now more than ever.

Gotta go

Randall

Randall 11-20-2003 20:35

PAMELA -- Hi! Thanks! 39? no, it was my 62th. Dorie is recovering from some serious back surgery. I think she'd rather it be that, as she did sprain her back once, and the pain was much worse.

RANDALL -- Several films have done that to me. Probably too many to list. Just an old softie, I guess.

We got word yesterday that our Andria has lost her baby at seven weeks. She's devastated, and we're hurting for her. Our #2 daughter Kris is still hanging on, and is past one critical point, and feeling much better. Both have had problems in the past, and we're thankful for the blessings we have.

LITTER -- Beautiful pictures! Something to be proud and thankful for! Give her a kiss from me.

howard 11-20-2003 20:32

Litter -- she's gorgeous.(I just love babies with hair. Mine were both blindingly bald for a year, but turned out quite well in spite of that ;-) And your daughter looks like the most natural mom! November 11th is quite a significant date, you know. (I met my husband on that day!) Really, 11/11 is a magical number.
My very best to all of you!

Sunny 11-20-2003 20:28

Hi All.

Isn't it amazing how much energy you can put into cuddling a 2-week-old baby? Things seem to have got an awful lot busier of late, but it's different this time – less blind panic and more time to enjoy watching her grow…

Anyway, some pics of the little apple of my eye can be found at http://www.litterali.com/Ceitidh

Busy, busy, busy,

Litter Ceitidh 11-20-2003 19:58

Hi All,

MARK: It's all a matter of perspective.
How about if you guys have it all wrong and............you're really the ones with the blood rushing to your head???? Huh? Huh?

I've seen Jerry Springer.
I've seen Ricky Lake.

I know where the people with the blood rushing to their heads live :-D

PAMELA: Welcome back. Was wondering what happened to you.

Haven't time to catch up on all the posts just yet. Seems it's either feast of famine these days :-)

.....gnioG

Teekay 11-20-2003 17:50

Hey, All -

Just a note to say I'm still here...

ELAINE: Nice poem! Your muse is healthy and hovering!

HOWARD, RACHEL, SUNNY, TAYLOR, ED, TEEKAY, RHODA, PAMELA, and All - thank you for kind words, your thoughts and prayers the last couple of weeks. You are a wonderful bunch of people I'm proud to know! :-]

HOWARD - Belated HB!!! Another year wiser, huh?

TEEKAY, LAURA: Wow!!! Real checks in the mail for writing endeavors! You go, gals! You're so inspiring... now if I could just make more time to write my own stuff...

PAMELA: Indeed, at my father's viewing, I had the distinct impression that my dad's spirit had already SPRUNG from its earthly shell and zoomed ecstatically into the next world, a far better place than this - I'm happy for him. :-)

CHERI (You out there?): If I were already published, hauling in the dough by wheelbarrowfuls due to my literary fame (yeah, right!), I wouldn't have to tell you now... my siblings and I had to put the ol' homestead up for sale... eight acres of heaven on earth with an old farmhouse needing desperate repairs and empty of things now but still full of love and memories... sigh.

I will write tributary story settings for that old house, its wandering gardens, and the fields that were once home to a horse, among many other indestructible memories...

The muse has gone lyrical and is writing a song about the old place too...

Now if I only had time to sit at author's keyboard or composer's piano... maybe over the long Thanksgiving weekend next week...

I've run out of elipses..

A great day to all!

Mel 11-20-2003 15:13

Speaking of spirituality, I just finished reading Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet In Heaven". While I agree with others that it could have been better written, I still have to say that it really touched my heart. I recommend it for anyone who wants to feel better about why bad things happen to good people.

Sunny 11-20-2003 12:03

{Pamela}

Hey guys, I'm ba-a-a-ck! I haven't been absent due to writing, unfortunately, but just dealing with life's general bummers, trying to curb my homicidal tendencies at work, etc. Some good has happened too, my brother is still here with me and we just found him a house to rent a few blocks away from mine. He is moving from Alaska and I haven't seen much of him for the past two decades so it is great to have him here, but it will also be nice to have my tiny house to myself again. I'm determined to get out of the restaurant business now that all such work sucks; it used to be that if you had a crummy job, you could always find another, and I liked the flexibility that restaurant work provided. Since corporations have taken over, however, they all have us lowly-paid ($2.13 per hour) servers doing work that used to be done by kitchen people, leaving us hardly any time to take care of customers, the primary source of our income. Now I have to decide whether to try to get back on my book (which I still have a great deal of faith in) or re-open my architectural design business, which got off to a wonderful start but closed almost immediately when the insurance company that was supposed to help me get into another occupation ripped me off and suddenly cut off my assistance (I know you all will find that hard to believe). On a positive note, if I DO kill someone at work, I can probably get off on an insanity plea, since a doctor and therapist both said I shouldn't return to restaurant work. Just kidding---or am I? (Evil laugh)

Teekay, you crazy Aussie, big congrats on your first writing payment, however small, I know that feels good!

Natasha, some of us here would be interested in hearing about your supernatural experiences but your lack of punctuation is distracting; if you are in university, presumably you know how to capitalize the proper "I"? Using "i" instead is sooooo high school.

Howard, I gather that Dorie has a sprained back, I hope she recovers quickly and completely. You DO know not to put a red shirt in with whites, don't you? And happy belated birthday, 39 again?

Sunny, good to see you and thanks for the writing tips, I'll read that more carefully later and hopefully develop some good writing habits while dealing with life's hardballs.

Jon, I think bonny Prince Charles is getting quite enough kisses, thanks very much :).

Mel, I'm sorry for your loss, I'm sure you will miss your dad. But remember that he has "died" only from our point of view, really he has just left and gone on to another place, all a part of life.

Peas and love,

pamela 11-20-2003 10:44

Hey, y'all!
Sorry I haven't stopped in for a while. I've been so busy with school work and such. Actually, that's why I'm on, I need to find information on Crohn's Disease. Do any of you know anyone who has it? It would be great if I could get a couple of first hand experiences. If you find any information on it, could you send it to lvw_euph13@yahoo.com ? I'd really appreciate it.

On a lighter note, i have another poem for y'all to read.

Plea to My Muse

An empty pen
A wayward muse
Has left me dry
I've no more use
I need an idea
Fresh and with drive
With some spunk
That says "alive!"
But my muse has left me
And I'm all alone
Looking for the meat
And finding the bone
"My muse come back!
Give me consideration
I need you quickly
For some inspiration
Fill my pen
With ideas and dreams
And my paper with words
Just give me the means!
Maybe a shortie
Something short and sweet
Or possibly a poem
That has a steady beat
Maybe a novel
Possibilites are endless
But I need you, muse
Don't leave me friendless!
By contract, you're mine
Loyal companion and friend
With the perfect beginning
And just the right end
So, just once more
I give you my plea
I want to write
Please, come back to me!"

Copyright: Elaine @8:25 pm 11-12-03

Well that's all from me for a while. I'll be back to check on things. See y'all later!
Till Niagara Falls!

Elaine 11-20-2003 10:10

"The Civilized Male" Chapbook
Over the next two months I will be accepting submissions from short story writers, poets, artists, and photographers. The Chapbook will be published in February 2004. This opportunity is for both published and unpublished men and woman. This is a great opportunity for the unpublished to get into print and get paid for your work. Please e-mail an inquiry of interest to "The Civilized Male" Chapbook at william_hagan@excite.com

William Hagan Williamhagan.com 11-20-2003 5:50

Drive-by-post

RANDALL check out the link below, you'll love it.

Weatherman is eating his hat tonight, seems the two foot of snow he predicted is now to amount to a trace....\

think we need a new weatherman.

Jerry Flag 11-19-2003 22:41

gee sorry all,
sorry about my bad hair day at least now i have some more insight into who was trying to make contact.i'm glad to be here i coulndt stop thinking about the s**** that i wrote and how stupid i feel.I should not have stereotyped all americans your right about that, its just that i couldnt figure it out ,and i do realise that there is good and bad in every race i got e.mailed from some guy in a refugee camp with his missus and kid. so sorry about that jay but why that country?I mean why are you refugee in that country why not america?Ive never worried about money i was raised in a low income family .i'm feeling very dubious about this guy and i dont want to end up in any sort of trouble. i've been warned about viruses and how people use others to hack into each others commputers and use there e.mail addresses. I trully hope that this is not what this is all about.I would like to share my spiritual experiences if anybody is writing about the subject I dont think i would like to write a book myself though I am still trying to learn how to write university essays again I am very sorry about my outbursts I am always up front or what people here call straight up.And friend that's terrible how did you get caught ?Buy for now.

lid 11-19-2003 22:01

It's all that being upsidedown, blood rushing to yer head kinda thing.

I've never been to Owstraylyuh, but I've seen an Owstraylyun movie.

Mark 11-19-2003 21:49

Randall

Evening gang...

Boy is it nice in Texas! Jerry, temps are in the 70's, bright clear sky, fantastik!

Eddie French...amen to strange! I just wish some of these folks would stay around...at least control their thoughts...and offer a little more info rather than indulge in some weirded out cyber speak. Attempts to seek new forms of written communication usually fail because there is really nothing new under the sun. Still....

Howard... movies that make one cry.... interesting. When I was young John Wayne's movie ALAMO did. (To this day I cannot listen to Green Sleeves.) Most Texas lads cried when OLD YELLER had to be shot. Darn skunk! As an adult???? Well ... (pause) I saw a TV made movie one time with Richard Harris. He, I believe, had a pet goose? He took a small boat to help at Dunkirk when the Brits were forced to evacuate in 1940 (1941?). I believe he died and the goose circled overhead and then flew away. Bawled big time over that. Then, when the "good sergeant was killed in PLATOON as the helicopters flew away leaving him to die. Very bad scene. I try to stay away from movies like that. I have only been able to watch parts of the Mel Gibson movie WE WERE BOYS THEN (?) Too many bad thoughts of Vietnam. No, not what I did, but what I didn't do...

Glad to hear Dorie is up and around... I told my lovely spouse that once after a period of declining health (25 years) "Honey, glad to see you up and around."

She grabbed my lapels, jerked me up and snarled in her charming Ma Kettle voice. "I'm not round punk! It's time for you to knock off the fat jokes and take out the trash you weinie!"

Women, huh? (GRIN)

Jerry...my son in Minot has a computer now. Still can't get much communication out of him!!! He goes to a border town in Canada with his buddies, drink and party. (Sigh) Well, I can't be judgmental cause when I was in the Navy I did the same thing..., ah, in the South Pacific that is. Still, I wish he would do as I suggest rather than do as I did. I asked him what the base did when weather closed in. He said ... weather was not a factor and their operations went on. Which makes a lot of sense... "STOP THE COUNTDOWN! HOLD THE BOMBERS! It's starting to snow now. Our response will have to wait for clear weather! Inform the president!"

BTW... did anyone see that ex-general who is running for the democratic nomination (can't remember his name) weird out the other night. The day before he commented that the war in Iraq was a side-show. When the newsman asked if that was fair to the men who have died there, General what's his name freaked out! Big time. Said he never said that! Gave me the willies. Just who we need for president! An officer like the mad general in DR. STRANGELOVE ... General Jack D. Ripper!!! Emotions too close to the surface and quick on the nuclear trigger!

Better split...my wife read the mention of her earlier. Hold the war! Storm clouds coming!!!!

(GRIN)

Randall

Randall 11-19-2003 21:32

Hello, cats and people!

After a period of happiness in which I read thousands of books and wrote two volumes of a most intimate diary, I decided to get a broadband Internet connection and see how life has been treating my Notebook friends. I'm glad that all of you are still alive. Here's our program for the near future:

1. Stop all kinds of wars immediatelly. Okay, until next weekend.

2. Read everything we can about the wonderful poetry of the Arab world. It's really very good. I also love their architecture.

3. Watch the great match England vs. Australia on Saturday. It's rugby (not soccer unfortunatelly) but it's the world cup final. Sport is the best way to dissipate our natural frustration for not writing that masterpiece we promised to write and which we have been procrastinating . Well, it's time to write it right away.

Jon 11-19-2003 16:04

Hi All,

MARK: Why do you think they/he/she are from over thisaway?
If it's a spelling thing, then England has the same spelling.
If it's anything else, why then, I oughta.....

HOWARD: That's wonderful. Bet Dorie can't wait for the day she can do all the laundry and cooking and so on, by herself :-^

Thanks all for the encouraging words. Almost threw the cheque out yesterday while sorting through a pile of junk mail stuff -it's not worth a whole lot monetarily, but it surely do have deep sentimental value :-).

Ggooiinngg..................................

Teekay 11-19-2003 15:39

Strange people Around here lately
:¬)

Eddie French 11-19-2003 15:00

TEEKAY,

Congratulations on your short story. I am sure that first check will always be special indeed.

NATASHA or LID,

I think in the midst of your post, you took a few slams at Americans. I believe you said something about ignorance and arrogance being some of our characteristics. I was not sure, because you do not use punctuation and express yourself very well, so I was do not know whether or not to be insulted, being that I am an American. Having only your post to go by, I would conclude that ignorance is by no means just an American thing.

Well, today is a good day, and I refuse to receive any slights, real or perceived, from your post. Perhaps you are just having a bad day. I will just be thankful that I am not poor JAY who has somehow earned your disdain.

Rhoda 11-19-2003 14:47

I just finished watching THE TWO TOWERS, extended version. It rocks!!! I cannot wait to see THE RETURN OF THE KING.

Rhoda 11-19-2003 14:25

**Taylor**

Mark: If Natasha is an Aussie... Hope you won't hold it against the rest of us Aussies. LOL

Gabrielle: Please stay. I'm sure you're not as stupid as you say you are. And no offence to the others in here, but we're not as smart as we seem at times.

Tammi: Welcome.

Teekay: Congratulations on the payment.

Taylor 11-19-2003 11:22

you guys sound really smart, im stupid so bye

Gabrielle zup 11-19-2003 10:36

Any bets? NatashaLidTammi is from Oz.

Mark 11-19-2003 6:42

RACHEL: I seem to have a problem with the email right now. I guess I have a virus somewhere. Anyway, we just went on strike today--don't ask, coz I didn't like that new car anyway--so I have lots of time on my hands at the moment. I have picket duty tomorrow (just my luck the rotation starts on my day), so if you want to phone me, or me phone you, we'll talk on Thursday.

Ben 11-19-2003 2:15

hi~ everybody.. i m tammi.
i just want to write few words..
New directions of whereabout...
our lives r passing throuh this sophisticated journey of cycle.. seeing the truth of world depens on each one of us....
realizing the presense of this moment suffocates us......
delusions of minds ....
more difficult to arrange the reality than to follow it.....

tammi 11-19-2003 2:11

Ben,

You will need to send me your snail mail address. I have started to review the works that you gave to me. I will return them to you one at a time (not as an act of terror, but simply because I want to get them back to you as I go over them). After you have seen what it is that I have to say, you can let me know if you would like me to drop dead, or send on the next one ;o) Either way I'm cool. Can't say that I would drop dead on request, but you could always ask (grin/snort/wink).

Ciao for now.

RDRKO

Rachel 11-19-2003 0:30

Ok now first off, I realize insanity is simply a state of mind.

I think I'm approaching the border of that state.

Have been FORMATING and SETTING UP computers now for the last four or five days, again, if I ever find one of those little A__ holes who put out those viruses, I may well kill them where they stand!!!!

Enough complaining. I see we have a new member, one who has no idea what writing is all about, or at least wants to make it look that way. What ever, I guess we can well ignore such rantings, much the way many ignore mine when I get on my soap box from time to time.

Rest assured, getting it off your chest, even in a place such as this tends to take the pressure off to some extent, and perhaps, by letting her post here, we are preventing a crime against someone else should the nut crack up completely.

Jon good to see you again, it's always a pleasure.

Howard - Great news, I'm so very pleased things are going Dori's way. The meal sounds great, although my aging system would not permit my sampling such fine foods as the sourkrout despit my foundness of that wonderfully sour treat.

Mark - LINUX is looking better and better as the days go by, perhaps when they get wine perfected so the wife can play her windows games on it, I can introduce her to the simple pleasures of Mandrake.

The weatherman is threatening us with a blizard. Hard to believe since we've had a warm spell of late, in fact it was in the 50's today, and he says to expect the mid to high 60's tommorow, then the storm should start, perhaps on Thursday night, possiably as late as Friday night. Current predictions say we will receive between a foot and 25 inches of the white crap, pushed by winds up to 60 miles per hour, a true midwest blizzard the likes of which we haven't seen in several years.

Funney, I used to dread those storms when I was working, simply because when bad weather strikes the police are expected to do everything for the public, from delivering grocerys to snowed in old folks to delivering babies in cars half burried in snow banks. In small towns, the cops are forced to use the old 4 wheel drive pickup trucks to do their patrol and rescue, well they used to, now most small towns have at least one 4 WD SUV, thanks to the national war on drugs (the Fed says then need them to transport arrested drug offenders??? But it's nice that they get them from the Fed anyhow).

Now though when I can simply sit at home and watch the snow blow by the window, it doesn't seem to bring up the dread it used to, in fact I sort of look forward to it, for the change of pace. I filled our gas cans up today (expensive trip that!) so I can run the snow blower when it's over and open the drive way, and a path to the garbage cans in the back yard. ALso have to insure we have a clear path to the garage so I can smoke the turkey we have thawing.

Randall - big news in Minot - they've had their first murder since the mid 90's (I think that's what the newsman said) no big manhunt though the killer drove to a neighboring city and turned himself in. It was a boyfriend - girlfriend thing. It made the news in both North and South Dakota, along with the story of the young Native American who was killed in Iraq when his Helo crashed.

Rush has returned to the airwaves Monday, I got to listen to him for an hour or so. Missed his show today as the wife got control of the sterio this morning and put on Christmas Music so she could decorate the house. Maybe I'll get him on the truck radio on the way to Bismarck tommorow, we've got to get up there and do a bit of Christmas shopping before the big storm hits, it takes a long time to clean up after one of those three or four day blizzards.

Jerry 11-19-2003 0:25

JON -- Welcome back! I mean it! Welcome!

RANDALL -- Thanks -- Dorie is indeed almost pain free, just tired, and a good kind of aching. like the kind you expect when using muscles that haven't been used correctly in a while. We think she's going to be fine -- as long as she doesn't get impatient and run ahead of the doc and therapist. I let her help me with the dishes tomight. She dried a few and put them away. Then I let her help fold the laundry -- only one load of the three. Even let her help fix supper! We tried a new recipe -- sourkraut with apples, potatoes, onions, sweet red peppers, caraway seeds and brown sugar, with kielbasa. I let her cut up the potatoes and apples. It was delicious! But she gets frustrated because she can't do it all. The next six weeks is going to be rough on her, but she has to understand that she needs to let me carry to load for a while. Otherwise her back is not going to heal properly, and she'll be right back in that never ending cycle of pain and misery.

We just watched "Field Of Dreams" again. I cried again. Always do. So did she.

NATASHA -- ????? How expensive is whatever it is that you're smoking? Can you get it over the counter?

Gotta go write an essay on anthropocentrism.

'bye!

howard 11-18-2003 22:57

.hello it's lid again i'm really sorry i came here this is the last time, i trusted you. You know who you are as well as i do i cant trust you anymore liar please dont send anymore shit to me if you want to know something you should of asked me to my face! I am dissapointed with you ,forked tongue ,two heart, i feel really sad man , man i meant it when i said i've always loved you but am sad at your actions and its broken my heart, i'm not going to have an easy time getting over this i saw your fellows comments running me to the ground and i want to burn the taia but i wont,Its probably not a good idea to ever see each other again corrupter,you are as bad as most not all of your colleagus. see ya in hell!

last time from lid 11-18-2003 21:27

Randall

Hi...

Well ... son-of-a-gun ... Jon, welcome back my friend. And how are Americo and Pussy?

Jack...an evening well spent...

Howard ... I hope Dorie is without pain...

Natasha ... welcome. No one is perfect so your initial post, however incoherent, will work for now. Additionally, our posts may contain a misspelled word or two or three. I know it's hard to believe but most of us believe in and practice capitalization. Proper punctuation is a real plus. Coherence is very helpful. Naturally, formatting counts. Paragraphs are helpful. I'm not sure why, but some people insist on them. Long, run on sentences are difficult to read. Maturity is of significant concern girl. And writers read between words, between sentences, thereby establishing who is whom... Inventing cute little words "fullas" "korero" "papatuanuku" et al reek of immaturity.

Oh, one other thing... GOD AND AMERICA AND AMERICAN ARE ALWAYS CAPITALIZED!

But...that aside...lets hear supernatural...

Randall

Randall 11-18-2003 20:47

Follow up on my earlier message. Well, here goes the spammer. As mentioned, I will attempt to get things rolling on an updated version of the Notebook so I can block specific spammers. Sorry I am a little busy.

Jack

Jack Beslanwitch 11-18-2003 20:45

lianchun yang china jilin shanwei wollastonite mining co., ltd. 11-18-2003 20:36

Just got my extended version of Lord of the Rings Two Towers with 40 plus additional minutes of new material added. Look forward to sitting down some time tonight and going through it. Have been somewhat busy with other things. Hope to get to searching out a php version for the Notebook and additional login and password capacity so that we can block some of the spammers. Other than that, I am beginning to update forwriters.com finally. At least, I have added a donation button. Paypal for now and sometime this week Amazon. However, am beginning to do some writing that is centered around my diving and hope to get some of that up for perusal either here or up on the Workbook. Might even add a few pictures to go with the text :-).

Jon: Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome. Nice seeing you here.

Jack Beslanwitch forwriters.com 11-18-2003 17:11

Well, Well,Well,
My name is lid. You know i found this website because i was looking for jay yip jay hole the a hole, the whinger who popped up on my commputer uninvited. So i decided to look through all your fullas chat. What a COINCIDENCE i notice alot of the korero was about education the things i discussed wit jay hole the a hole.Yer i love to write but i still gotta lot to learn. Now i dont mean to be horrible but jay was very american to me rather ignorant and selfish , i dont know shit about politicks see i'm always having a moan to god i say "look can ya just get on with it none of us deserve this planet especially those of us living in an amerian based society and if ya dont agree your lying our whole worthless existence depends on burning the non renewable mineral resources of papatuanuku oh yer jay i think you are gay, but ya know thats ok. Anyway me and the supernatural get on well and if you people can tolerate me i can share my supernatural experiences with you all only if your willing though see i cant help kinda feeling pissed off coz that pop up up page led me straight here to people who by the sounds of things share my same interests which i hope is not a bad thing see its not like me to trust people very easily i'm sick of being called crazy . well ya know i cant blame you people if you dont want to know me see i know that the truth hurts and i unintentionally hurt people with it.it's ok to get back to me if you dare ,and i think the site is interesting.well gotta go .bye

Natasha leef you know 11-18-2003 12:17

Hey Jon,

Nice to see you pussy footin' around the site ;o) Hope your internet issues will iron out crisp and clean.

Teekay,

You go girl!

Rachel 11-18-2003 11:35

TEEKAY -- BRAVO!

howard 11-17-2003 20:10

Hi All,

Yesterday got my very first cheque for a short story. I'm going to frame it and hang it next to my wad of rejection slips.

Going...

Teekay 11-17-2003 15:34

Hi Rachel,

I got your email about Pessoa. Thanks. I'm in the process of getting a new Internet connection, experimenting with new software and all that. Boring. I'll write to you when I can (I don't know when but I hope it will be soon).

Kisses to all, mainly to Prince Charles

Jon 11-17-2003 15:18

Hi

11-17-2003 6:13

Hi Laura - good news, there's a workbook again,look at the dropdown menu at the top of the page on the left side. Not the same one, this one's better I think, more orginized, well differently organized at least.

Think I recall a Laura that mostly posted in the workbook back around the time of the online novel, something about a dream??? It's been a long day and my mind isn't all that it once was.

The virus infection still spreads, somehow it got back on my damn network so I've knocked down all the network, the internet access, the works (well except for this machine, and I just reformated it a few minutes ago AGAIN!!!)

If I ever catch that little bastard that starts one of these viruses, I guarantee he'll NEVER reproduce!!!, I'll treat him like the old story about the farmer and the two bricks!!

Jerry 11-17-2003 0:31

MEL,

I am so sorry about your father. Losing a parent is rough. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

HOWARD,

Still thinking about DORIE. I hope the healing is fast.

Rhoda 11-16-2003 22:39

TEEKAY -- Hi! Yes, it was chocolate, and thanks!

howard 11-16-2003 21:56

Hi All :-)

HOWARD: Correct me if I'm wrong, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

May it be chock full of good things and chocolate cake too.

LAURA: Congratulations to you :-)

Going...

Teekay 11-16-2003 15:37

LAURA -- I remember a Laura from way back then. Welcome back! And congratulations on the poem!

SUNNY -- thanks for the pointer to the page -- looks interesting & useful.

MARK -- yes, I remember you had that carcinoma removed. I know it's just a minor thing, but just the word gives one the heebie-jeebies! Now every new spot and wrinkle makes for interesting thoughts...

ALL -- have you seen the new "in the book" search tool on the AMAZON.COM web page? THey've scanned the full text of 150,000+ books (more coming) and you can search for a word or phrase within the text (not just title) of all these books. It's amazingly fast, and returns the word/phrase, and a page on each side of it. Can't print it (copyright) but it gives the source so you can buy or borrow the book/essay/etc. GOOGLE is coming out with the same thing soon. It looks like it will be very useful as a research tool!

howard 11-16-2003 14:38

Well, I got my first acceptance...it was a poem. Nevermore Magazine paid me 5 dollars for a poem of mine. I don't know if you still remember me, I was here when there was a workbook.

Laura Geannitales web ring 11-15-2003 22:37

HOWARD -- 5 or 6 months ago (sorry, I'm not getting up right now to look at the calendar) I had a basal cell cancer removed from my ear -- along with a piece of ear. Plastic surgeon put it all back together nicely. And those actinic keretosis things, last three years I've had bunches frozen off. They lose count. I get billed for 20 because they never really know how far beyond that they went.

Glad it's just muscle with Dorie. Though a sprained back muscle hurts more than a break.

Mark 11-15-2003 15:08

This may be a particularly useful newsletter:

Breaking the Spell:

Making time to write with a day job and family obligations isn’t easy.
Neither are the isolation that comes with the act of writing and the
rejections all writers must face. Often the barriers that stand between
our intentions and our writing seem insurmountable.

When I teach my Get the Writing Habit class, I ask the participants to
make a list of everything they can think of that stops them from
writing. I won’t let them quit until they’ve come up with at least 20
items. Their complaints range from having no writing space to
significant others who don’t understand them. They kvetch about the
puppy that poops beneath their desk and a computer that works only
sporadically. They gripe about mean editors and not being good enough.

Once the lists are completed, together we read them aloud with feeling.
As the rising cacophony of whining, ranting and wailing fills the room,
the whole atmosphere magically changes. When the last lament has been
voiced, we sit silently feeling how we are affected by the experience.
Some say it sets their teeth on edge. Others are queasy. Headaches and
muscle pains aren’t uncommon. A few people feel like crying. No one
feels like writing.

After we’ve processed the power of hopelessness, I have them go through
their lists again and rephrase each complaint as a question. “I can’t
write because my kids always interrupt me,” becomes “How can I get my
kids to stop interrupting me so I can write?” “My computer is ready to
die,” is transformed into “How can I get a reliable computer?”

Once a complaint becomes a query, its nature is transformed. Complaints
trick us into thinking that they are facts of life and that we have no
choice but to accommodate ourselves to them. Queries define challenges
that have solutions.

Before we begin the task of brainstorming those solutions, we have
another group reading. This time, as we voice our questions, the
atmosphere in the room lightens. People sit up straighter. Their body
posture is more open. Hope becomes a tangible presence.

Solutions to situations that seemed hopeless ten minutes before suddenly
present themselves. The parent whose children interrupt decides to try
instituting a system of rewards for good behavior. If that doesn’t
work, then Plan B will be to find a writing buddy with children and
trade babysitting for a few hours a week. The writer with the failing
computer can take it to a repair shop for an estimate. If the problems
can’t be fixed, he can begin doing some comparison shopping.

I’m convinced that complaints are negative spells that freeze us into
hopeless immobility. Hopeless immobility is just a synonym for writers’
block. Questions imply an openness to answers and they thaw our
resistance to writing so that we can once again move forward.

Creative Write:

Try making a list of the circumstances in your life that stop you from
writing. When you’ve finished, do a five-minute free write on each
item. Allow yourself to vent the mental moaning and whining that has
become the soundtrack to your writing life. Check in on how all these
complaints cause you to feel.

Now turn each complaint into a question. Do a timed free write for each
question. During your free-write, jot down all the solutions that come
to mind. Turn off your internal censor. Your job isn’t to judge; it’s
to brainstorm as many solutions as you can.

Begin with one item from your list. Choose a solution you can start
putting into practice today. Go do it.

Writing Markets:

Julie Heath is looking for brief, well-written stories for an anthology
about angelic assistance called Then Along Came an Angel. She’s
extended the deadline through December 2003. Contributors will receive
$25 and a copy of the book. Read Julie’s guidelines at
http://www.juliebonnheath.com/anthology_submissions.htm

Living Stupid: Dumb Things Smart People Do, an anthology edited by
Stephanie Marston, who co-authored Chicken Soup for the Empowered
Woman’s Soul, will be a collection of humorous, true stories. Marston
says she wants stories about the stupid things you’ve done “At Work,
Around the House, At Play, In Love, Outdoors, On Vacation, In
Friendship, With Children, With Your Parents, With Your Pets, By
Yourself, and During Sex.” Maximum word count is 1,200 words and
payment is $100. Send your story to Living Stupid, P.O. Box 31453,
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87594-1453 or email them to samarston@earthlink.net
by March 15, 2004.

Joan Chatfield-Taylor is editing an anthology called It’s Never Too
Late. Seal Press is the publisher. She is looking for stories about
midlife transitions that involve risk and affect relationships with
friends and family. These changes could involve work, personal life,
location or lifestyle. She will consider both new material and reprints.
Payment is $150 and two copies of the book. Submit stories between
1,000 and 5,000 words to Joan Chatfield-Taylor, 2066 Green Street, San
Francisco, CA 94123. For complete guidelines, e-mail
joanct@earthlink.net. Please put the words Never Too Late in the
subject line of your message.

Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul wants stories from people in
recovery. This anthology pays $300 for the stories they accept. The
deadline is February 2004. For more details, go to
http://www.chickensoup.com/

The Wall Between the Names: An Anthology of Poetry, Prose and Creative
Nonfiction about the Vietnam Era is seeking work from people who were
impacted by the war. The editors are looking for pieces by
non-combatants, refugees and vets who came home when the war was still
being fought. Submission guidelines are posted at
www.onceuponastory.com.

There’s Always a Story is looking for 2,000 to 3,000 word short stories
and travel essays. Those that are accepted will be read aloud and
distributed to spas and hotels as a guest service. Writers will receive
$250 for each accepted piece. Find out more at
www.theresalwaysastory.com.

If you find this newsletter useful, please forward it to a friend.

To subscribe go to www.kporterfield.com and click on the newsletter
subscription box or log on to http://www.topica.com/lists/creativewrites

Good Writing!

Kay Marie Porterfield
www.kporterfield.com

Sunny 11-15-2003 13:10

Howard,
Had one of those things removed a couple of years ago. Coincidentally, it was right next to my right elbow.
It was done with Local Anesthetic and took about 10 minutes in the doctors surgery. It's really no problem if you don't look. Came back clear anyway.
Good Luck.
Ed

Eddie French 11-15-2003 6:48

Look at that, I screwed up copyright, again. I don't know why I keep doing that.

gariess 11-14-2003 17:26

Howard,

I do sympathize with you for all your medical problems. I wish you and Dorie well. Medically speaking, we do not improve with age.

So, copywrited? Does that offer immunity to redundancy and overexposure... and redundancy and overexposure? I wouldn't consider it a missed opportunity for you, however. There is still vegetable, beef barley, and minnestrone. Heavens the list is practically endless. Personally, I am considering copywriting something in the chowder line. Possibly Oyster Stew for the sole (filet of.)

gariess 11-14-2003 17:24

GARIESS -- That whole "Chicken Soup" thing is copyrighted, and they've had pretty good success with the various target categories. I thought it was a pretty good idea myself, and wish I'd thought of it first! :-)

I was on my way in to school yesterday, and almost there when Dorie called me on my cell phone. She was crying, and in pain, so I turned around and headed back home.

She had turned to do something, and felt something "pop" in her back, with immediate sharp burning pain. I got home and got her quieted down, and gave her the pain meds and muscle relaxants to ease things. She doesn't like to take them at all, but she did then, and they helped. It was apparently just a muscle spasm -- the doc had warned us about them -- and it's settled down now, and she felt good enough to go into town with me this morning. My turn at the doc...

Now I have to go back next THursday to have something removed from beside my right eyebrow. He's certain that it's a basal cell cancer, and he wants to remove it and send it out for biopsy. Then he found a couple of small cysts on the back of my neck (they've been bothering me for a while) that he wants to remove also. He doesn't think these are cancerous, but wants to be on the safe side. It never rains but what it pours! Or something like that..

Not really concerned about it, but it does make one stop to think...

--

From the "Kids Say the Darnedest Things" category:
Our daughter and son-in-law in AZ were eating supper the other night, and four-year-old grandson Stephen choked on something (not serious, just coughed). Kris -- who is preggers and having chronic heartburn problems -- asked "Did it go down the wrong pipe?"
Stephen just looked at her, and thought for a minute, then asked "What color are our pipes?"
His dad said he didn't know -- it was just a saying.
Then Stephen put on his "lost in thought" face, and just sat there considering. After a few minutes he opened his eyes and said "I think I know, 'cause I just saw them. Daddy's and my pipes are light gray cause we're okay, but Momma's pipes are red 'cause she's got heartburn!"
His Dad asked how he knew that, and he said "'Cause I just closed my eyes and saw them."

howard 11-14-2003 15:49

I thought I would take a minute to get critical, here. When I say critical you know I am talking about myself. If someone else were to do it, they would be just plain mean. It's about this recurring post by someone who represents "Chicken Soup for the..." something or other. My problem is with the ripping off the "chicken soup" deal by all kinds of bandwagon jumpers since the whole chicken soup thing got started in the first place. If I am not mistaken, it was CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL, or some such thing and I can't think how long ago it was. Since that time so many "Chicken Soup for" things have come along that I would think anyone would shudder at the thought of such an originality deficit. The next time I see "Chicken Soup" I hope it's on a menu. Chicken soup for LUNCH.

Earlier I was bored and I got the idea to go looking through the NB archives. I went back randomly to a couple of years ago. There was a time when there seemed to be a discussion about some sentences, and different people put their oars in. I read one of my posts and I was astounded. I thought, My God, did I write that? I didn't even know I knew that. Wow, I had no idea I was so smart. But then I saw some other stuff I put in the NB, and I thought, Wow, what a putz. I never knew I was so dumb.

gariess 11-14-2003 1:05

Ok, one more time, this time with feeling!

I had this long boring post all typed up yesterday, and when I hit the enter, I got that damn "page not found" error, and when I hit the back arrow it was gone. I simply threw up my hands in disgust since my whole week has been like that. Not that I'm complaining, things could be worse.

Found a virus on my computer last week, right after I reformatted because of a damn virus so I reformatted it yet again. Haven't even got it all put back together yet when the daughter comes over with her computer under her arms, has a virus on it, reformatted it for her. Then the wife's computer started acting funny, she found a stupid virus too.

Now you may think they were all the same viruses, but not so. I could blame the anti-virus programs, but the wife and daughter have Norton, I had Macaffe's didn't catch them till they'd done their damage.

SO the daughter takes her computer home a couple of days ago, it comes back again today, she had another infection, this time Norton and a special removal tool took care of it, or so I thought till she took her machine home and got back up to check her email... ANOTHER DAMN Virus! I told her to let Norton run while she's at work and see if it can clear it up.

Meanwhile a buddy drop's off two of his machines "kids got viruses" he says, so I low level format the machines for him and set them back up with his software.

WHEN WILL IT END??

Howard - Tell Dorie I'm think of her, and that it gets better day by day.

Eddie - went to that site, kind of eye opening. I guess I've always thought, like I suppose many do who don't live in the area that England should just get out of Ireland and let the Irish settle the problem, but then if Northern Ireland has been part of your country since the 1200's that doesn't seem practical, I mean we've only been a country since the 1700's and I know full well that we'd put up quite a battle should Canada decide that we should just give them Maine since it's quite far north, and after all they have more in common with the folks in Maine then we do here in South Dakota.

Strange how things look so very different from afar.

I see Yang has paid us another of his wonderful chalky visits, wonder how many orders he gets out of his drive-by posting.

I put a little short story in the workbook, but after I hit the post I began to see the errors so disregard it, I'll do a bit of work on it if I get time between all the damn computer fixing and virus killing. (Sure would like to get my hands on the little nerd who writes those damn things, after this week I'd probably kill more then his viruses!)

I'm dreaming of a Linux system, but I know I could never make the wife and daughter give up their games....

Now aren't you glad I got that error yesterday?

Jerry 11-14-2003 0:40

Dear Friends:

I am currently putting together a literary anthology of contemporary love letters and emails (submissions information page below). I am hoping to get letters from a broad range of peoples, varying in age, ethnicity, background and orientation. With this project, I hope to show that love is just as much uplifting as it is devastating, and to commemorate the beauty of the human soul, which is at its most eloquent when expressing love and loss. Please pass this email along to anyone you know who may be interested in submitting. Thank you!

Julia

The Untitled Contemporary Love Letter Project

Words can so often express ever so eloquently what we can not say, face to face. In the realm of love, both at its zenith and its nadir, the human soul is often laid bare and raw as one expresses the truth of one’s soul to another on the page. In a time when the written word as an artform seems to have been replaced by alternate forms of communication, I believe that our hearts and souls still thrive through the inktrail of a pen on paper or as text left behind by a pulsing cursor to be transmitted through the infinity of cyberspace, and though we express ourselves in our own unique way, the experience of love and loss will be revealed to be upmostly universal.

This is a call for submissions of authentic love letters/emails to be included in a yet untitled literary anthology. I am looking for a wide range of people, both in ages, backgrounds, ethnicity and orientation.

Subject matter for these letters/emails include but are not limited to:

--the reveal of feelings

--confessions

--break ups

--separations

--recounting memories

…or basically any kind of correspondence in which one person is truly baring his or her feelings or soul to the one they love (or in some cases, used to love). The tone of these letters can range from happiness, loss, anger, betrayal, hope, regret, bittersweet, etc.

Email/letter exchanges between two parties is highly encouraged, though a separate release form must be completed by both authors for publication.

Please email submissions to juliashih@msn.com (put “love letter anthology submission” in the subject line) and include a short description of the circumstances/relationship surrounding the letter(s). Release forms are available by email request. All submissions chosen for publication will require a signed release form. All material will be strictly confidential, reviewed only by me, the editor. Submissions will not be returned so please do not send originals. Not all submissions will be included in this anthology. Only submitters of letters/emails that I am interested in will be contacted.

Best of luck and I look forward to sharing your experiences with the world!

-Julia P. Shih (juliashih@msn.com)

Julia 11-13-2003 18:26

Teekay,

I'm looking forward to it :o)

Take care you.

RDRKO

Rachel 11-13-2003 11:53

RACHEL: Mission accomplished. It should be there in 10 days max.

Teekay 11-13-2003 1:04

Hi All,

RACHEL: Just another example of my annoying procrastinatory habits.
I PROMISE I shall send it today!

MEL: My condolences to you and ditto what TAYLOR said.

HOWARD: Me too, am keeping you and Dorie in my thoughts.

ALL: Well the pitter patter of tiny feet has come to our household once again, this time in the shape of a 9 week old doberman puppy. Within 10 hours of his being here he has thoroughly wormed his way into each and all of our hearts.

Have a great day all, and if you're not up to that just have a peaceful one.

Going...
to the post office.

Teekay 11-12-2003 15:29

Mel,
Sorry I missed your earlier post.
Had to backtrack to find it. Thinking about you.
Ed

Eddie French 11-12-2003 15:02

Mel: Sorry to hear about your father's passing... Hang in there and take care of yourself to. Don't forget we're all here for you, I'm sure I can speak for everyone on that

Taylor 11-12-2003 14:19

Hey Howard,

I wanted to let you know that I'm keeping you and yours in my good thoughts.

Heather are you out there? I keep thinking of you. I know what hard work it is to seek a publisher. I send you some hugs.

Teekay, I never got that thing that you said you were sending off to me. I guess the mail takes a long time from Auz to Can.

RDRKO

Rachel 11-12-2003 11:28

SUNNY -- I'm making chicken stock (and soup) this afternoon! Just finished boning some chicken breasts, and I always save the bones, etc for stock. Then I can the stock in the pressure canner so I have good stuff to use when I need it for cooking.

I just received this in an email, and it's great fun -- especially if you like horses! Wait until it loads, then click on each horse and listen to them sing. Get the timing right, and it's great! Click them on and off separately, and sing along!
http://svt.se/hogafflahage/hogafflaHage_site/Kor/hestekor.swf

or
http://tinyurl.com/2d8m
(if that long one doesn't work)

howard 11-12-2003 10:49

Mel, my heart goes out to you at this time of sadness. I'm finding Thanksgiving to be a very difficult time to plan for. You're right to celebrate his life, especially through his writing, but don't forget to take time for the necessary moments of grief at his loss. They come so unexpectedly.

Litter, congratulations. How wonderful to have a new life to cuddle.

Howard, don't forget to cook lots of chicken soup for Dorie and yourself!

Wishing you all some sunshine to make it through the darker days. :-)

Sunny 11-12-2003 9:27

Mel,

Who needs a warm drink, when I have your beautiful words (hugs to you). I will embrace the idea of you writing out his stories. I think that is fantastic! I saw a flicker of your father in your words. That poem has punch. I think you should use it as an epigram to his works that you will bring to the page.

I give you good vibes and wishes that all will be well with you at this time.

Take care you.

RDRKO

Rachel 11-12-2003 0:44

MEL -- I'm saddened to hear of your Dad's passing -- our prayers go out on your behalf.

howard 11-11-2003 23:30

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lianchun yang china jilin shanwei wollastonite mining co., ltd. 11-11-2003 21:30

Hi Jerry,
(The rest of you just talk amongst yourselves for a minute)
I thought you might like to take a look at this site. There is a good diary section posted by a platoon commander from the Light Infantry. It does a good job of outlining the problems we faced back then. Try to imagine that you were posted to another State in the US and had to put up with this sort of situation and you will get a good idea of what it is all about.
Ed

Eddie French NI - Small Wars 11-11-2003 16:39

Mark,

Back in the late sixties there were a couple of radio personalities on a Boston station that came up with one of these things on a daily basis. I know "things" betrays an uninformed manner of telling, but I confess I don't know what these are called, or it would be more accurate to say I don't know what name refines or modifies them sufficiently, because they are stories.

This one is from an old ball player who told of a pitcher from a visiting team named Mel Famey. On a Sunday afternoon during a heat wave the home boys were playing against Famey and his bunch when one them got the bright idea to send a couple of cases of beer to the visitors dugout, it seemed he remembered that Famey had a considerable weakness for the stuff.

By the end of the sixth inning Famey was so wobbly that he walked in enough runs to lose the game, since the relief pitchers were no more competent even in a sober state. The home boy put a special emphasis on the part where he mentioned "...we would never forget the beer that made Mel Famey walk us."

This Bud's for you, Mark, you deserve it.

gariess 11-11-2003 0:23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stephanie Marston, 505-989-7596
Kill Date: March 15, 2004

LIVING STUPID: DUMB THINGS SMART PEOPLE DO
Do You Have Funny Story?

Have you done something that was dumb but really funny? We all have. And now Stephanie Marston, Co-author of Chicken Soup for the Empowered Woman’s Soul is seeking stories for Living Stupid: Dumb Things Smart People Do. Now you have an opportunity to contribute to this new series by sharing your humorous, true-life experiences.

What makes a good Living Stupid story?

A Living Stupid story is a humorous, true story, that tickles your funny bone or makes you laugh out loud. It’s a story about something you’ve done that later makes you smack your head and laugh at yourself. (It can even be a funny story about someone else.)

Chapter headings will include dumb things people have done At Work, Around the House, At Play, In Love, Outdoors, On Vacation, In Friendship, With Children, With Your Parents, With Your Pets, By Yourself, During Sex. Anecdotes should be fun-loving--the more outrageous the better, but keep it clean and “printable.”

If you have a humorous life experience and would like to be included in Living Stupid: Dumb Things Smart People Do, send your story to Living Stupid, P.O. Box 31453, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87594-1453. Please keep a copy of your story, as submissions cannot be returned. Or email stories to samarston@earthlink.net. (We prefer emails!) The maximum word count is 1200 words. For each story selected for the book a permission fee of $100 will be paid for the rights. There are no limits on the number of submissions. Stories must be received no later than March 15, 2004.

PS: You can write your story anonymously is that’s more comfortable!!

stephanie marston 11-10-2003 12:45

Hello to all of you -

RACHEL - so glad you caught the little she-hee-hee. Hope you had cocoa to warm your frozen toes!

LITTER - Congratulations, Grand-da, and hugs to the sweet wee one.

HOWARD - Dorie has been in my thoughts and prayers - I had after-pains from my hip surgery too, the back re-learning to straighten itself is a gruesome feeling. Tell her to hang in there - soon, she'll feel like a new woman.

I've just spent four days at a statewide conference for librarians - learned a few things, heard a few authors speak - very entertaining, especially Rob Sawyer, who recently won the HUGO Award for his SF novel, HOMINIDS. I liked what he said about science fiction being "philosophical" fiction, the realm wherein we ask "What if...?" and explore the consequences.

Doubly inspired for my job as well as my #1 hobby, I returned home... to learn that my dear old dad was back in the hospital with pneumonia. As we prepared to make the two-hour trip to Syracuse to see him yesterday morning, the call came. My 91-year-old father has passed to the next world, and I shall miss him but will remember the sparkle in his eye as he enjoyed life, enjoyed people, and shared his great sense of humor with those who knew him best. He too was a writer, poetry and short stories, and I hope to transcribe some of his voluminous story notes during the rest of my own life journey.

When I was in high school, my dad wrote a tiny poem anonymously that I entered into a student literary magazine just to see it in print:

"Time flits by
in teeny little patches
as if it were lit
by a pack of burning matches."
-- Anonymous (aka Robert H. Case, my dad)

He was right about the time-thing.
Write your stories TODAY. And keep an eye on the lighter side of life so you may live to the ripe old age of 91 or more. Cheers to each of you - enjoy your day! :-]

Mel 11-10-2003 11:21

Imagine if you will....

A woman awakens. She runs into the cold, crisp morning air in bare feet and silk jammies, her long hair in a mess of curl/wave/disorder as she rushes to the gates, which her horses seem determined to run out of, only to dart away from at the last second, as if the latches on the gates were some sort of demond seed. Feel the frost melting on warm toes, that quickly turn to ice, the way that frozen sand and rock will cut warm flesh. Feel the chill of the blowing wind that comes from through the spaces cut in the trees or where trees have recently fallen wreaking havok on yard and ground, fence and post, to blow against one in ways never before felt. Feel the shot of wind from the kick of horses feet near ones face, the rush of anger and the heat of one punch, through fist and arm that connects with the bull headed animals thick headed jaw (grrrrrrr)! Ohhhhh yes, this is a vegetarian, animal lover before the first coffee (grins and laughter). After this, I called for reinforcement, hauling my wearing husband from his bed. with halters, carrots, hay and grain did we tempt this evil seed of a horse and, at last we did capture her wicked beautiful little self. After that, since we all were chilled to the bones, it was to work. We called for friends, who came with saw and ax. Neighbours came with tracktors (spelling) and with good humor to cheer our hot yet cold selves. We spent the day in hack, chop, burn and haul of rock and dirt. Now all that is left to do is haul a little more rock, a whole lot of sand, some rubber mats, 9 to 10 cubed yards of cedar shavings, make a fence and then it will be time for a little rest and relaxation. I figure another week or so and life will be back to normal around here. Truth be told I'm getting a little worn feeling. Went to see the specialist doc who told me I'm so messed up that he is sending be to a special specialist. Hum, that sounds not so great. Ah well, frig them all, I'm still going to get things done. They can fix the body mess up later (snort/grin).

Ciao for now.

RDRKO

Ben, Mandy, don't give up hope for my crit work. It is on the way and will be in your laps by two weeks after semesters end at the latest. I'm thinking of you both, but thinking of Hop first.

Rachel 11-9-2003 20:10

JERRY: My bottom is essential to my way of life, but I don't wanna talk about that either.
Hee hee.
BTW: I don't really get annoyed at computer talk, I just find it a bit dull (cos I don't understand it) and like to have a bit of a joke with you guys.
You keep talking about them all you like, if I didn't like it I could always skip it.

RANDALL: Ah yeah, I read that, but big deal. If people find out later that it's not for them or LDS beliefs don't mesh with their own then they can leave.
And if they're stupid enough to get sucked in to giving over money or what have you, then maybe they're overdue for a bit of learning one way or the other.
In the article you posted seems to me the other guy was the obnoxious one.
No one's got all the answers, so who really cares what religion people join so long as they're good to others.

And one of the guys who came avisitin' was really cute!!
He was an American boy from over Roswell way and now I know why they send 'em in pairs.
(Marge Simpson laughter)

On the writing side of life:
2nd week, 2nd chapter edit starts today.
Actually, I probably could have done half the mss by now, but.............

Anyway, have a great day all and today I give special thanks to my frriend the computer for without it it I would never know and love you all.

Teekay 11-9-2003 16:05

MARK -- That's it exactly -- she can't sit, stand, or walk like she used to, because the muscles are being retrained back to their 'correct' positions. The hospital therapists had her doing the stairs on the second day after surgery. She does quite well getting into our living room -- three steps down into it, and three back up -- but we don't have a hand rail on the stairs going up to our second floor, so she's sleeping in the spare bedroom on the first floor. Not enough room in the 3/4 bed to sleep two, so I'm still upstairs in the queen-size.
If it gets too cold I'll see if I can build in a railing! ;-)

howard 11-9-2003 13:37

Randall

Oh Boy Teekay!!!

Your query has all the potential fun and games of an unexploded 1,000 pound aerial bomb! Please forgive me if I beg out of that one. I posted an article of Mr. Kirby's in October and it still plays out on Mark and Howard's workbook. So I'll dodge most of your question.

However, from talking with missionaries from both sects I have concluded that the young ones have little sense of humor, know nothing of the historical aspects of their diffuse religions, while older members are engaging and fun to be around. One wonders if, all things being the same, that perhaps Jesus's disciples were folks of little humor but wry and humorous later in life? (If possible fleeing from irate mobs determined to add martyr to your name?)

I post the Robert Kirby articles because they offer insights with humor. Speaking of humor...a friend in Utah, not LDS, told me once to tell Church of Christ members in Texas that their religion were mostly wagon cart Mormons who turned left on the Great Plains instead of keeping straight on to Utah! I casually mentioned this some years later to a woman who USED to be my friend. She was not amused!

A Mormon Bishop in Utah once told me this one... "They have found away to clear thistles from Southern Utah. Oh yes, they pour Jack Daniels on them and Jack Mormons eat ‘em plumb to the ground!" He laughed heartily at his own joke.

(Jack Mormons are LDS in name only.)

Outta here...

Randall "Ducked" Henderson

Randall 11-9-2003 11:39

Litter Congrats on another milestone in life.

Teekay, yes but without computers you and I would never know the other was alive, the same goes for all who visit these pages of wisdom. Even if some find computers boring, if not very annoying (I must admit I get a bit annoyed at mine once in awhile, well all the time!)

Jerry 11-9-2003 0:26

Off chat

Mark 11-8-2003 20:32

OK. Chat on the other screen, catch-up on this one.

Litter -- Congratulations to you, your daughter, and granddaughter.

Howard -- One step at a time, eh? Cate goes to a chiropractor every three weeks. There's always a day, or part of a day, after an adjustment when she's uncomfortable. The body gets used to holding itself in odd ways. Changing back to normal usually feels bad. Can't imagine how much change there must be in a body that had two bad disks over a long time.

Gariess -- You heard the long tale of medieval times in Alsace-Lorraine? The border river between two feuding kingdoms became the home of a great monster they called Yellow Fingers because of its finger-like appearance as it rose from the river to drag down any knight who ventured across. Yet, from either side the king could send a page boy safely across. Thus the common wisdom: let your pages do the walking through the yellow fingers.

Jack -- Wow. Bad news about the diving gear. On the PHP thing, I have some time. Let me know what features you want, I can do some leg work (finger work, actually).

Mark 11-8-2003 20:31

8 p.m. new york standard time . Am in chat. Will hang for a while.

Mark 11-8-2003 20:06

RANDALL,

Nice article, and I identify after living six years in the four corners area of New Mexico. I had at least two people whisper to me the question, "Are you LDS?" There was a great social/cultural divide between LDS folk and non LDS folk there. It was unfortunate, but nonetheless true, and we would have all been happier if we dropped the code words and admitted it. I was often mistaken for Mormon because I have big teeth, good complexion and am a clean cut conservative type.

Rhoda 11-8-2003 19:26

Hi All, :-)

RANDALL: Maybe you can help with this. I get the feeling that Mormons and Jehovas are somehow different from the 'normal' religions.
Now, I've chatted with a few and I just don't get what the problem is.
Do you know?

Teekay 11-8-2003 16:34

Randall

FYI... This might apply to all religious convictions?

Kirby: ASKING THAT DELICATE QUESTION
Robert Kirby

Tribune ColumnistBy Robert Kirby
Salt Lake Tribune Columnist

You meet someone for the first time. You like them. They seem to like you. You have loads in common. But in Utah there is a delicate question begging to be asked, a query that could spoil everything.

Sooner or later, one of you just has to say it out loud: "Are you LDS?"

Comes now that nervous moment when the response could go either way. By this I do not mean "yes" or "no," I mean someone choosing to twist themselves into a snit over it.

The question may be asked for a variety of reasons. Maybe you only want to know just how much you have in common. Possibly, if you're an idiot, you want to know who to avoid in the future.

The last time anyone asked for my religion was on TRAX. I overheard a couple across the aisle wondering out loud when they should get off to see the Salt Lake Temple.

"Four more stops," I said. "Can't miss it. Gray building. Looks like a super-sized Alamo. Gold angel on top."

During the following conversation, the couple tentatively asked if I was a Mormon. I told them the matter was sometimes much debated but, yeah, I was.

"Then maybe you can explain some things for us," the woman said, and proceeded to ask questions that proved they were nice agnostic tourists.

I am never offended by the religion question. It takes far more serious probing into my personal affairs to really bother me, stuff like a mugging, a colono-scopy or an IRS audit.

For some people, however, religion is deeply personal. Inquiring what faith they practice is tantamount to casually asking if they are wearing a diaper, something that should never be done even if it's obvious that one (or both) need changing.

I understand the question from a Mormon perspective. If one social question can save another a hundred questions, or possibly a social gaffe, why not ask it?

Knowing that someone is LDS -- although certainly no guarantee -- answers potential future questions about alcohol, coffee, smoking, ice cream, swinger sex and sometimes politics.

But I can also understand the issue from a non-Mormon perspective. Nobody feels like being judged if the person doing the asking is Mormon, and the answer is "no."

I have seen that smooth look of superiority that comes over a person's face when they find out that you aren't a member of the "correct" faith. I have also seen that superior look arise when people find out that I'm LDS.

It is an issue fraught with peril. So, we dance instead of ask.

Locally, we look for all the stereotypical Mormon clues: big teeth, conservative look, mid-calf shorts, neat hair, CTR rings, garment lines, etc.

But it's getting harder to tell who is and who isn't. Lots of clean-cut Republican-looking people who aren't Mormons call Utah home. And there's no guarantee that the tattooed and pierced weirdo next to you isn't waiting for a mission call.

I know, maybe we should wear nametags. Or not. Thinking that we already have each other figured out would only further prevent us from actually getting to know each other.
-----
Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Kirby welcomes mail at 143 S. Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84111, or e-mail at rkirby@sltrib.com.

Randall

Randall 11-8-2003 12:48

Randall

Hi gang...!

Stephanie ... ah, no not really anything to send. My life is a total bore and not much happens around here. Just a minute...

"Honey ... HONEY! The darn hogs are in the house again! WHAT? I can't understand what you're saying if you don't stop shouting. Well, close the bedroom door and get dressed! Shouldn't be naked this time of the day anyway. Save that sort of thing for the night! (Snicker) Just don't take after them with the shotgun. Last time that was a REAL SWINE disaster. Well ... there's a bag of corn on the floor next to the whiskey still in the bedroom. ON THE OTHERSIDE OF THE HOG! NO! NO! THE HARLEY! THE MOTORCYCLE! Stop screaming! They can't open the door. Well, they probably just want to come in and say hello. Jeeze, all they can do is look anyway. I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW MY PARENTS WERE MARRIED! Honey, listen to me! Sprinkle some corn the floor they will follow you out the back door! Just don't let'em get in the sour mash again."

Jesus H. Christ! I have to think of everything around here! Nothing worse than a bunch of drunk hogs stumbling around the den trying to work the remote control, channel surfing. Just like a bunch of men, want to see some woman naked, drink whiskey and watch Saturday afternoon football!!!

OH HELL! Now the mule is at the front door! Anyway Stephanie, guess I'll pass on the offer. Best of luck though.

Randall

Randall 11-8-2003 12:22

LITTER -- Great News! Give Katie a hug and a kiss for us!

Dorie is gaining steadily, and is about ready to tackle the stairs today. She had a confab with the doc, and he said that it really was much worse than he had anticipated. Evidently the herniated disk was impacting the nerves to both legs, and that's why she is feeling so much pain now -- the nerves/muscles are being returned to their proper state after so long a time in disarray.

This just in from an Efriend:

How Much Information? 2003 [pdf]
http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/research/projects/how-much-info-2003/

The research study documented on this site is a continuation of a study
conducted in 2000 that estimated "how much new information is created each
year." The results of the most recent study, which were published on October
27, 2003, show the approximate amount of new information stored on film,
magnetic, optical, and print media in the year 2002. This figure totaled
five exabytes, or five billion gigabytes. Different kinds of information
streams are also analyzed, consisting of radio, television, telephone, and
the Internet. These electronic data flows accounted for nearly eighteen
exabytes. Comparisons to the previous study are also drawn. The full report
of the study can be downloaded as a 112-page document or viewed online.

------
and I have trouble locating stuff in the phone book!

howard 11-8-2003 11:52

Congratulations Litter... That's great news!

Taylor 11-8-2003 7:34

I Can't say how impressed I am with the quality of the jingles, today. I have friends from Worcester, who moved here to retire (many folks from Worcester retire to the Cape, because Worcester is such a