Let The Music Play 23: Wake Up Call

[FrenchCanadian]

IMO, this is a much larger, more insidious form of cliffhanger. It's a cliffhanger that will be hanging over the story until the final chapter. No matter how many intervening chapters CJ writes, this cliffhanger will be there until the end, when either Scar/Jerry gets his or Instinct gets theirs. Oh, the cleaver goat! {Uh, sorry, that should be "clever". Still remembering thoughts of a barbeque that never happened.}

 

Colin

 

 

My thoughts exactly!!

 

Great chapter, though!!

 

BeaStKid

 

You guys sees cliffhangers everywhere. Or simply perhaps a rather loose deff of what is a cliffhanger. It is a suspense/adventure story!

 

Couldn't simply Jerry forgive and leave Instinct alone?

[Benji]

You guys sees cliffhangers everywhere. Or simply perhaps a rather loose deff of what is a cliffhanger. It is a suspense/adventure story!

 

Couldn't simply Jerry forgive and leave Instinct alone?

 

 

..........Around every goat is a cliff......I see CJ has caught he readers unawares!!

[BeaStKid]

It is a suspense/adventure story!

And that is how I like 'em...

[Graeme]

You guys sees cliffhangers everywhere. Or simply perhaps a rather loose deff of what is a cliffhanger. It is a suspense/adventure story!

Correction: CJ sees cliffhangers everywhere (except his own stories) and has a rather loose and weird definition of what is a cliffhanger. We're just using his own definition and applying it to his own stories.

 

His definition:

Bear in mind the two-out-of-three rule for defining a cliffhanger:

 

#1 There must be something left unknown at the end

#2 The chapter is written by Shadowgod (the King of Evil Cliffhangers)

#3 The ending is extremely tense, involving peril in some form.

 

You may not that he's recently tried to wheedle his way out of being accused under his own definition by altering that definition, but I still use his original definition when checking his stories for cliffhangers

[Bondwriter]

I'm surprised that with all the cliffhangers being discussed in this particular forum, it doesn't pop up first in googling "cliffhangers". It does with "evilest cliffhangers" and "cliffhanger queen", so it should end up being CJ the overall champion.

 

But he who writes adventure fiction should use cliffhangers unashamedly.

[Graeme]

I'm surprised that with all the cliffhangers being discussed in this particular forum, it doesn't pop up first in googling "cliffhangers". It does with "evilest cliffhangers" and "cliffhanger queen", so it should end up being CJ the overall champion.

This is where CJ's evil genius really shines Google doesn't report on forums, it only reports on single pages. Since he's split the feedback into multiple threads, they appear to Google as separate pages, and hence dilutes their weightings.

 

But he who writes adventure fiction should use cliffhangers unashamedly.

I've never said cliffhangers are wrong. Indeed, I've indicated approval of cliffhangers when used correctly. What I have been objecting to is:

 

1. C James denying he ever uses cliffhangers, and

2. The ridiculous level to which C James takes his accusations of cliffhanger use by other authors.

 

Graeme :mace:

[colinian]

The Scooter was never out of The Scar's sight during their encounter with customs. However, we have no idea who, if anyone, The Scar will think tampered with it. All he said is that it wasn't him. and then he observed that it must have been someone else.

CJ, I beg to differ. The scooter wasn't carry-on luggage. The scooter wasn't delivered to The Scar/Jerry on the baggage turntable. It was removed from the plane's baggage compartment and delivered -- without The Scar being present during the act of it being delivered. Customs officials would have had access to the scooter without The Scar observing that it happened.

 

Couldn't simply Jerry forgive and leave Instinct alone?

Yeah, sure. NOT. The Scar has no morals, no scruples. This is a guy who's going to off the engineer and the rest of his hirelings. Hell, he might even be planning to off Dimitri. He's a guy who'll explode one of his nuclear bombs as a "demonstration" but leave Instinct alone? I don't think so!

 

Colin

[Bondwriter]

The Scar has no morals, no scruples. This is a guy who's going to off the engineer and the rest of his hirelings. Hell, he might even be planning to off Dimitri. He's a guy who'll explode one of his nuclear bombs as a "demonstration" but leave Instinct alone? I don't think so!

Actually, I feel really bad about Vladimir. He's an engaging character, the happy carefree nerd.

As for Dimitri, I wonder. If Dimitri can get something out of getting rid of The Scar, he could too.

The question is: Does getting rid of Instinct push his agenda forward.

At the same time, he's kind of losing it as the fateful event is coming close.

 

Time (and CJ) will tell.

[C James]

I'm surprised that with all the cliffhangers being discussed in this particular forum, it doesn't pop up first in googling "cliffhangers". It does with "evilest cliffhangers" and "cliffhanger queen", so it should end up being CJ the overall champion.

 

But he who writes adventure fiction should use cliffhangers unashamedly.

 

Thank you Bondwriter!!

 

Yes, this story, like many of my others, is action/adventure in some regards. I will even admit, under duress, that this can often make things seem perhaps a little tense upon rare occasion.

 

This is where CJ's evil genius really shines Google doesn't report on forums, it only reports on single pages. Since he's split the feedback into multiple threads, they appear to Google as separate pages, and hence dilutes their weightings.

 

 

I've never said cliffhangers are wrong. Indeed, I've indicated approval of cliffhangers when used correctly. What I have been objecting to is:

 

1. C James denying he ever uses cliffhangers, and

2. The ridiculous level to which C James takes his accusations of cliffhanger use by other authors.

 

Graeme :mace:

 

Graeme!! Now what makes you think I planned all this?

 

I'm just trying to pay rightfull homage to Shadowgod, the King of Eeevil cliffhangers, and all the other cliffhanger users out there. (yourself very much included)

 

CJ, I beg to differ. The scooter wasn't carry-on luggage. The scooter wasn't delivered to The Scar/Jerry on the baggage turntable. It was removed from the plane's baggage compartment and delivered -- without The Scar being present during the act of it being delivered. Customs officials would have had access to the scooter without The Scar observing that it happened.

 

Hi Colin!!

 

I had to go check to be sure, but here is what it said in Ch 22:

 

After the plane pulled up to the gate, Jerry was the first to leave his seat when the jetway made contact with the plane's fuselage. Hurrying forward, he helped a stewardess remove Eric

[Graeme]

CJ, I beg to differ. The scooter wasn't carry-on luggage. The scooter wasn't delivered to The Scar/Jerry on the baggage turntable. It was removed from the plane's baggage compartment and delivered -- without The Scar being present during the act of it being delivered. Customs officials would have had access to the scooter without The Scar observing that it happened.

Colin, here's the relevant section from chapter 22:

After the plane pulled up to the gate, Jerry was the first to leave his seat when the jetway made contact with the plane's fuselage. Hurrying forward, he helped a stewardess remove Eric

[Bondwriter]

This is where CJ's evil genius really shines Google doesn't report on forums, it only reports on single pages. Since he's split the feedback into multiple threads, they appear to Google as separate pages, and hence dilutes their weightings.

 

 

I've never said cliffhangers are wrong. Indeed, I've indicated approval of cliffhangers when used correctly. What I have been objecting to is:

 

1. C James denying he ever uses cliffhangers, and

2. The ridiculous level to which C James takes his accusations of cliffhanger use by other authors.

I think cliffhangers are great, and writing cliffhangers that get your audience to beg for more is a feat.

As for google ranking, you mean I should link to this heavily loaded with cliffhangers post in this very thread so Google would eventually acknowledge CJ as not only being the Queen of Cliffhangers (and evilest cliffhangers for that matter), but also the Kaiser of Cliffhangers? The Stroessner of Cliffhangers, if time proves a Paraguayan connection (besides touristic views) with the Scar?

[Graeme]

I think cliffhangers are great, and writing cliffhangers that get your audience to beg for more is a feat.

As for google ranking, you mean I should link to this heavily loaded with cliffhangers post in this very thread so Google would eventually acknowledge CJ as not only being the Queen of Cliffhangers (and evilest cliffhangers for that matter), but also the Kaiser of Cliffhangers? The Stroessner of Cliffhangers, if time proves a Paraguayan connection (besides touristic views) with the Scar?

That's definitely a good idea. From what is public domain knowledge of the Google secret algorithm, the more links to that thread, the high ranking on a search for the word cliffhanger.

[colinian]

I had to go check to be sure, but here is what it said in Ch 22:

The Scooter was in one of the first-class storage closets (where they place oversized bags and such). It was never checked baggage. It was also never far from The Scar.

I forgot about that paragraph in chapter 22. However...

 

A friend of my folks is an airline executive with a major carrier. I asked my dad to check with him about storing a powered scooter onboard an airliner traveling from the U.S. to Australia. His answer was to go to this website: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14...14cfr382.41.htm. He said that a powered scooter for someone who is ambulatory with crutches and not disabled would not be allowed to be stored onboard any commercial flight originating in the United States. He also said that in the United States no one is allowed on the tarmac when baggage is being offloaded. He thinks that the same kind of regulation would also be in effect in Australia.

 

However, thisstory is fiction, and reading fiction requires a suspension of disbelief. I guess that would apply to government regulations as well.

 

Colin

[C James]

I forgot about that paragraph in chapter 22. However...

 

A friend of my folks is an airline executive with a major carrier. I asked my dad to check with him about storing a powered scooter onboard an airliner traveling from the U.S. to Australia. His answer was to go to this website: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14...14cfr382.41.htm. He said that a powered scooter for someone who is ambulatory with crutches and not disabled would not be allowed to be stored onboard any commercial flight originating in the United States. He also said that in the United States no one is allowed on the tarmac when baggage is being offloaded. He thinks that the same kind of regulation would also be in effect in Australia.

 

However, thisstory is fiction, and reading fiction requires a suspension of disbelief. I guess that would apply to government regulations as well.

 

Colin

 

Uhoh...

 

Hrmmm. You have a good point, and you might be right, but on the other hand the flight was not from the US: it was from Rome to Australia. I did check Quantas' timetable to make sure I picked a plausible flight, and I think the aircraft was a 747, so

it would have storage closets in the first-class section.

 

I found reference to Qantas' policy here:

 

Ms Grant said there was no issue with any wheelchair model being loaded onto Boeing 747s and 767s, Airbus A330s, Airbus A320s, or Bombardier Dash-8s.

 

Small electric mobility scooters that can fold down are classed as wheelchairs.

 

There is also the question of whether or not an airline might give preferential treatment to a VIP first-class passenger.

 

Hrmm, more serching seems to have many mention of placing wheelchairs in the hold, but none on board. the article you linked to says

 

(2) In an aircraft in which a closet or other approved stowage area

is provided in the cabin for passengers' carry-on items, of a size that

will accommodate a folding, collapsible, or break-down wheelchair, the

carrier shall designate priority stowage space, as described below, for

at least one folding, collapsible, or break-down wheelchair in that

area.

 

I do try and research details, but I admit, it's possible that I might have goofed on this one, but I still think it could have happened (though i might well be wrong).

 

Interesting point! Thanks Colin!

[BeaStKid]

I've never said cliffhangers are wrong. Indeed, I've indicated approval of cliffhangers when used correctly. What I have been objecting to is:

 

1. C James denying he ever uses cliffhangers, and

2. The ridiculous level to which C James takes his accusations of cliffhanger use by other authors.

 

Graeme :mace:

Same here. I find CJ's cliffhangers gripping. They are one of the many reasons (the main, actually) that I come back to read his stories...

[BlueSoxSWJ]

That's definitely a good idea. From what is public domain knowledge of the Google secret algorithm, the more links to that thread, the high ranking on a search for the word cliffhanger.

 

Actually, Google's algorithm isn't all that secret - they used to have it published in detail on their site, until someone realized that might not have been the best way to stay ahead of the competition.

 

Google's algorithm uses a combination of many factors, including:

 

- domain extension and URL (i.e. .edu pages get an automatic bump, sites with a ~ get reduced, since those often mean personal pages)

- contents and tags (what every search engine uses)

- contents of pages linking to that page, especially the text of the link and around the link

- score of the pages linking to that page (a link from a high ranking .edu site counts more than a link from a random internet forum)

- manual adjustments to avoid Google bombs

- manual adjustments in general (i.e. major sites like cnn, wikipedia, etc. get higher ranks)

 

 

I actually TAed for a class for 2 years that taught computer basics, and included a question on an assignment that asked why Google was unique in the way it found search results. Well, at the time, Google had replaced the detailed algorithm with an April Fool's Joke that never got taken down. And, well, some students found it easier to copy and paste their answers instead of writing new ones. You'd think that a student, particularly at an Ivy League school, would at least READ what was on the page being copied ... instead, we got the this, word for word, and all had a good laugh (except the student, who won a dean's hearing for plagiarism).

 

 

So anyways, the answer is that yes, more links to CJ's stuff that use the word "cliffhanger" as the link text will help his PageRank. Even better would be sites with outside URLs (not gayauthors.org) linking to his work.

[Benji]

Same here. I find CJ's cliffhangers gripping. They are one of the many reasons (the main, actually) that I come back to read his stories...

 

 

......Psssssttt! I always EXPECT clliffhangers from CJ, after all, he is the.......QUEEN!

 

 

Edited January 25, 2008 by Benji

[C James]

A thought just occurred to me (rare event, i know..)

 

What is google's policy on intentionally meddling with its ranking in this way?

 

Here's my worry; what if they object, and penalize a site for doing so be blackballing ALL it's google search rankings?

 

What we cant do here is anything that puts GA at risk, so does anyone know the answer here?

 

And BlueSox, I looked at your link, and then imagined the teacher's face when a student submitted it. OMFG!!!

Thanks Dude, that was hilarious! I'd have loved to have seen the student's face. Too bad the professor didn't make him explain the subject of his paper to the class.

[Benji]

A thought just occurred to me (rare event, i know..)

 

What is google's policy on intentionally meddling with its ranking in this way?

 

Here's my worry; what if they object, and penalize a site for doing so be blackballing ALL it's google search rankings?

 

What we cant do here is anything that puts GA at risk, so does anyone know the answer here?

 

 

...I wouldn't think so, but I do hope someone checks this out!

[Bondwriter]

What is google's policy on intentionally meddling with its ranking in this way?

 

Here's my worry; what if they object, and penalize a site for doing so be blackballing ALL it's google search rankings?

 

What we cant do here is anything that puts GA at risk, so does anyone know the answer here?

Well, I think there's nothing to worry about if the word cliffhanger comes up on the first page. At least not for GA.

1/ Google's intent is to record what's going on, and produce an accurate reflection of reality. Hence, if on an author's sites, a fiction writer uses cliffhangers often, and everyone agrees he uses said , it's indeed Google's job to reflect this reality. If, on top of this, the said author is crowned Queen of Evilest Cliffhangers,, how can they forget to record it?

2/ It's been rumored that in case of potential abuse, Google launches an investigation on sites, and tries to find a scapegoat. By this they mean a hairy quadruped of the ovine kind that they can merrily sacrifice on a bonfire. Is this rumor true? Will they manage to find such a being around these parts for fulfilling their nefarious plans? Only time will tell.

[C James]

I asked Myr, and he doesn't think the linking is a problem.

 

But, ummm, Bondwriter, it makes me nervous when anyone mentions a scapegoat.

[MikeL]

And BlueSox, I looked at your link, and then imagined the teacher's face when a student submitted it. OMFG!!!

Thanks Dude, that was hilarious! I'd have loved to have seen the student's face. Too bad the professor didn't make him explain the subject of his paper to the class.

I know a high school Spanish teacher who had students submit a short paper written in Spanish. He suspected one student did a cut and paste job off the internet when he found the paper difficult to read. The student couldn't read it either...it was in Portuguese.

 

Hey!. I just noticed I am now a "cool member". How is that?

Edited January 26, 2008 by MikeL

[FrenchCanadian]

I know a high school Spanish teacher who had students submit a short paper written in Spanish. He suspected one student did a cut and paste job off the internet when he found the paper difficult to read. The student couldn't read it either...it was in Portuguese.

 

Hey!. I just noticed I am now a "cool member". How is that?

 

ROTF LOL ya that's a good idea,, everyone should learn something about that,,, when submitting work from internet for school, be sure to at least take the right language, LOL

 

 

and a little congrat on the "cool member" 250 post,,

[C James]

I know a high school Spanish teacher who had students submit a short paper written in Spanish. He suspected one student did a cut and paste job off the internet when he found the paper difficult to read. The student couldn't read it either...it was in Portuguese.

 

Hey!. I just noticed I am now a "cool member". How is that?

 

ROFL!!!!! Yeah, submitting a paper in a laungauge you don't speak is a subtle clue that you may not have written it.

 

Congrats on the "Cool Member"

 

Hey, I forgot to release the chapter title last time, so here it is for next week: "Checkout Time".

[jfalkon]

Great chapter! (and the last two)

I didn't realy think of this one as a cliffhanger. I think you have desensatized me. :wacko: