wildone

OMG !!! I'm still scared from the arguments that my Grandfather and Dad had when Grandpa said first gear was a waste of time. Heaven forbid if I started in second with my Dad in the vehicle , we wouldn't be having this conversation now if I did. Steve Edit to add: Only exceptions were starting on ice, snow, or mud.

Happy Birthday Jan Hope you have a great day and continue to soar high throughout the next year. Steve

I agree with some posts that when visiting a foreign place, and you don't know the roads and not familiar with the vehicle, that the automatic takes one less thing to worry about out of the equation. Now does anyone have the experience of driving a "3 in the tree" manual transmission? Now that was idiotic in my opinion. Your gear shifter was on the steering column on the opposite side from your turn signal arm. It had 3 gears and a reverse. I didn't think the gearing was as well as a four or five gear floor mount. I had the pleasure of driving a van with it for six months, and I hope they retired the vehicle when I was done due most likely to a burnt out clutch, transmission, and a bent steering wheel from me pounding on it with my fists and cussing. Steve

Always have had manual, mostly due to having to drive on snow and ice covered roads. It easier to stop and start with the manual transmission.

Wherefore art thou come to thy conclusions of thee? Okay, bad example :wacko: , but the point is that english has changed as people have changed. Would it then be fair to say we should all speak English from Victorian times? Don't think of it as degradation, but evolution of the language . Steve

Upbeat song: Paralyzer by Finger Eleven Just a great song: Hallelugh by KD Lang (a bit better than Leonard Cohen's original version) They could be your Canadian contribution to the CD Steve

One of my closer friends has been living with HIV for over twenty years now. But he knows as well as I know, he is one of the lucky ones. Actually at times when his t cell counts change, his doctors take him completely off the meds for months at a time. But eventually he needs to go back on them. I have also been with him when he is having a rougher time, and it is not something you'd wish on anyone, for anything. If anything I learned from him over the past ten or so years is: Don't be afraid of someone with HIV/AIDS. Although safe sex is not really an option, it doesn't mean you need to shy away from them, not touch them, share a dessert with them , etc. I would say most people with it know what is risky and what is not. Just hopefully they know they have it, and second that they are a good enough person to tell you about it. Steve

I tell ya, their impostors!!!

I think that I have a pretty good idea behind the two chapters, and I have a funny suspicion that if you look further into the past chapter, the explanation of the names of Chapter 19 and 20 might be hidden there . Hopefully this doesn't count as a spoiler, it's too damn cold outside to try and pull spines out of my body right now with mittens on. But since I'm not a alpha, beta, omega, delta, gamma, or zeta reader, I'm just guessing. Steve

CJ, I have done a little bit of research into your species . Now, I understand you are claiming to be a goat, right? And you live in the high mountains of Arizona, right? So would it be fair to say your a Mountain Goat? When you search Wikipedia for Mountain Goat it gives you this: So first off we find out that you're not a true goat ! An impostor I say. Next, it tells us that you like to rest on rocky cliffs that predators cannot reach. So in fact, you love cliffs, you life depends on cliffs, your survival is due to cliffs. This must mean that you "hang" out on cliffs to protect yourself from us . And while your up resting on your cliff, you must be thinking about how to use cliff (hangers) to get back at us. Steve P.S. I won't mention how the latin name, oreamnos kinda sounds like ornery

Happy Birthday Benji !!! Here's hoping you have a great year!! Steve

or ? You choose

Graeme, I'm impressed .

Sorry CJ , but you appear five days too late for this post. It appears that posts 11, 12, and 13 are the binding rules. Possibly you can use the option of getting the majority of the GA Administrators to publicly name themselves and support your purposed changes . Keep us informed Steve

Hey Puppster, I noticed you mentioned you have read FTL and up to the current chapter of LTMP. So make sure you exercise your democratic right to let everyone know how you feel about CJ and the title of being :king: :king: The Queen of the Evilest Cliffhangers :king: :king: here. It seems 37 people have weighed in on this topic, and we would be glad to hear your opinion and share your vote, or you can remain totally anonymous . Steve

Ooops, my fault for not being more careful :wacko: . I must have still been in shock that not only did CJ end this chapter in a cliffhanger, but he announced that he would be putting seven key characters in a situation of a cliff hanger . Although I do believe LiS 26 was a doozy, I have a feeling it will pale in comparison to what is coming up for the guys in Instinct.

Caution, possible spoilers below; I'm a bit worried for a certain Russian engineer by the name of Dimitri !! I think his social ineptitude will be a deciding factor on his lifespan with his current employer. It seems like the bomb assembly is going along quite well, and may be done sooner than later. Unfortunately it seems like his transfer to the fertilizer project may be sooner as well. I must also say the CJ, you handled the technical aspects in a good way. Rather than getting too much into them, you showed your knowledge of the process, but got away from becoming too technical by keeping further conversation between Dimitri and Vladimir not in the story. I love scenes when the characters wake up in each others arms.... or falling out of the same bed . I'm glad the Chase got the most important birthday present from Brandon. If there is any question in the Shadows mind about the closeness of the two, I'm sure that Brandon's expensive gift to Chase will reaffirm their suspicions. Now, with the comment about Brandon going to the closet and "briefly" searching for something, I imagine Chase's attire at the pool will be a bit more risky than the Shadows shorts and t-shirts. Me thinks Conner will be pleased (okay, me too!!!), this sounds like it is going to be a great pool party. I must warn you though CJ, you may have backed yourself into a corner here. How possibly could Instinct and The Shadows go rock climbing around Vegas (Red Rock Canyon NCA possibly?), and not have a scene with one of your characters hanging off a cliff? Thus indeed proving your love of cliffhangers . Great chapter CJ, the wait was worth it. Steve

ROFL

And lets not forget, by CJ actually posting in this forum, he is acknowledging that there is a possibility that he is indeed the Queen :king: . It has been amazing seeing the recovery of CJ since he has come back from Europe. I wonder what exactly it was that has put him on this path? Possibly seeing the heart of monarchies? Perhaps the attitude towards regents of the population? Whatever it is, it is a breath of fresh air that CJ is embracing what we all have been trying to get him to see . Steve

I seem to recall that joke from years ago ! And as far as Cj's silence, I was thinking the same thing. Since it may have come a little too close to the story's eventual outcome, CJ has no option to be silent or face the posibility of gaining a spine or two from you . Steve Edit to add: And at least, no comment about him being a stud

Dang, on vacation and missed this momentous occasion. Congratulations on hitting and exceeding 5000 posts CJ. As mentioned before, your posts do make a difference here. I do believe that in troubled times, people turn to their Queen for leadership, and once again you are out in front . As far as the "kill Wildone" comment, I'm sure you don't really feel that way (Also I'm a bit nervous getting on a plane in a couple of hours heading back to the Great White North ) . Thank you CJ for all that you do. Steve

Ahhhhh, the pieces are starting to fall in place. Here I thought it was The Scar seeking revenge, but in truth, CJ is writing a story to reflect his true feelings . I believe that a young Cj (back when he was just a kidd ), was sold into a life of being a 'stud', traveling the Australian countryside and eventually onto Europe, and then the US. Being that CJ just couldn't be 'that kinda goat', he faced several threats and challenges from farmers to become dinner. Miraculously he escaped and turned to a life of pounding out stories with his cloven hooves. But, he always remembers that one farmer in Tooborac who turned his life upside down. This mental trauma inflicted upon him also must be the reason of some of other character misgivings that have developed over the years (eg. denial, deflection, etc.) . Finally able to come to grasps with his past, CJ has turned to literature to express his deep hatred for that farmer and the country that turned their backs on him. Although there is no real bombs, I'm sure he is just expressing his feelings through his writings of The Scar. Obviously the Instinct part of the story is to distract us from the 'real' story. Thanks for the story CJ. It makes us understand you a bit more . Steve

And.....any futhermore changes to the rules will now require constitutional consent of 75% or more of GA Administrators who publically acknowledge their name and position in such challenge. Any persons of such title may be allowed only one vote per that persons name, not per position. Any challenges to above rules must be filed within fifteen minutes of posting time.

Don't you mean "snow job" Steve

Now CJ, I do believe that you have mentioned numerous times that any final errors are entirely yours. So, this means that in the unbelievable event that Steve were actually to insert a cliffhanger, that the final result was yours, not Steve's. Furthermore, the final posted chapter is entirely of yours, thus any cliffies are to be entirely reflected upon you. Hmmm, didn't we go down this route already If your unsure about the wording and simpleness, check here . I really don't know how more simpler that we can make it. But....as my queen, I will submit to your wishes and if you want another vote to confirm what a vast majority has already stated, then so be it.