C James

Hrmmm, a coordinated effort by geese! That would solve the AK-47 problem... I hope it doesn't mean that! I wouldn't use racial terms in my stories unless it was a plot requirement. Here's a story that should tell y'all what it means... Search on the word "chevo" in the story. BTW, it might not be slang but an actual spanish word, so my apologies if I mislead earlier.

Hrmmm, Geese with AK-47's? Hrmmm... I'd have thoguht a goose would use something smaller, like an Uzi??? BTW, the Chevo Landscaping truck played a role in planting the nuke in LA, and now in the goings on in Colorado. So here's the question: What does "Chevo" mean? I'll give a hint.. it's a Spanish slang term.

Wow, thanks!! Honestly though, my system (I build my own) is mainly ok. Let's see... 3ghz cpu, fairly new motherboard, USB 2.0, firewire, etc, 4 gigs of Ram, 5 physical hard drives (around a quarter-terrabyte of HD space) customized tower case with 11 fans (1 larger one for the air filtration in the air pre-intake; I got suck of dust in my case so I rigged pre-filtration of the case air intakes), 2 CD drives (one a burner) and two 3 1/4 inch floppy drives (yes, i still use 'em) plus all manner of card readers, etc. I only built this system last year; however some of the hardware (some drives, plus the vid card) was from my old system. It might look old though, the 25" CRT monitor is a decade old. The new vid card will support multiple monitors, so I might get a large LCD for a second monitor. My laptop, on the other hand, is a nearly dead clunker. It fails to boot one time in three, is insanely slow (it's about 10 years old) and the battery is kaput. However, right now I'm glad of it.

I wanted to touch on the gun laws issue... I did look into Colorado laws, and based on what happened, no one would be in any real trouble. The person with the AK-47 (Graeme, that's not a spoiler!! It was a person, it's the only possibility!) fired first, so making them into swiss cheese was quite legal. That would be the case most anywhere in the US, I think. Where the law gets tricky is when it comes to shooting in other circumstances. For example, shooting a burglar in your own home. In some states, that's fine. In others, you can get in hot water (but usually won't be charged). In Arizona, I'm fine as long as I don't shoot the burglar in the back. If you shoot while they are trying to flee in most states, you can get in trouble. However, the statutes in Arizona are technically that you need to feel threatened. Well, my reasoning would be (and many people have used this ) is that if someone breaks into my home while I'm in it, I feel threatened by that. Who knows what they could do? Hrmmm... Going to their house in the dark to apologize with an assault rifle! That would be an interesting scene!!

Thanks Gary!!! I got it and replied. Ok, an update; Definitely my graphics card. I can get my main system to boot without it, and confirmed this my netting in on my home network to my one shared drive. (I have six physical hard drives split into nine logical (lettered) drives). I then tool my graphic card and cajoled a friend into letting me try it in his system. He agreed, but no further than the splash screen; he didn't want to worry about driver issues (and I agree). Result? The card is dead. So, between a dead card and my PC being able to boot, I'm positive it's just the card. I've ordered a new one (I had to do some searching to find a win2k compatible one). Found a good one and ordered it. It should be here Monday. Between now and then I'll be confined to the cranky old laptop. If it conks out completely, I'll be gone until Monday or Tuesday.

It looks like the video card on my main sysem has failed. I've tried two monitors, and nothing. It does however boot, or appears to. Anyway, I'm stuck on my ranshackle laptop for now. I'm hoping I can get the main systm running again soon, at least in time to post the next chapter. I have no way of getting it out of that system otherwise. So please excuse my abscence, I have a computer to tear into...

I can't comment on what will happen (otherwise, the Echidna will get me!!) but, I can say something from the posted text: Joe (lump) knows where Instinct is. From Chapter 36:

Read Shadowgod's "Prelude to Destiny", blood and death everywhere!! Don't let him mislead you... he's evil, I tell ya, EEVIL!!! ACK!!! Wildone!!! Not you too? Surely you agree with me that Shadowgod is the one deserving of jail? Need i mention Motorcycles??? (LiS 26!!) Now, let's take a close look at Shadowgod's stories... The protagonists are in peril! Bullies, vehicular accidents, all kinds of things!! I really do think that seeing as this is Shadowgod's forum, we should concentrate on pointing out his gratuitous cruelty to his characters! Nope! Read it again: I said before, during, or after April 22nd. I think the "after" part still applies, no? Hrmmm, if His Shadowyness is not forthcoming with Dreams and Cliffed Wings 6 soon, do you think it might be appropriate to return him to jail? Hrmmm.. That might be workable, very workable!

I'm a firm believer in saving the dramatic climax for a story's finale. Things might possibly become.. tense. The Greylag Goose did indeed play a key role. Mario didn't know that there are different types of Geese. LoL. However, he'd have been hard pressed to find a Canada Goose quickly enough for his needs, i suspect. My favorite bit was the General's question: Yep, dead birds usually don't fly along at 20k feet wearing bomb belts. It's just one measly mysterious bullet riddled body, that's not a cliffhanger!

Thanks Tim! One suggestion; it's easier to fix mistakes a chapter at a time than to try and go back and fix them to an entire story. I'm still slogging through FTL trying to fix deficiencies in my writing, and it is a slow process. Cliffhangers?!!?!? But I can honestly say that the first 40 chapters of LTMP are comparatively cliffhanger-free! BTW, LTMP will have 46 chapters, plus an epilogue. I still need to do some polishing, and of course the beta and editing process, but the writing phase of LTMP is over.

There were two errors in LTMP 40, "Greylag Goose", that I've changed. In the prior chapter, I mentioned CO2 emissions from a faulty keroseane heater, but it's supposed to be CO: Carbon Monoxide. I changed that, but stupidly forgot that I'd used the same term in 40, so I changed Dimitri's reference of CO2 to carbon monoxide in 40, too. Sorry. Also, I goofed regarding Chase's laptop. In fact, I goofed twice. It was pointed out during beta that using a modem to connect to a dialup account via a cell phone is rather antiquated, so I changed it to a nonspecific of just using a cell phone to connect a laptop to the net. However, I forgot that I'd used the word "modem" in a prior sentence, so I have changed it. It now reads:

But I don't see how this is a cliffhanger? We know the body is not that of an Instinct member, or Helen. What could possibly be tense about that? I mean,. what's the worst that could happen? BTW, my higher threshold for cliffhangers, I meant the threshold where somthing is deemed to be a cliffie. I still don't see how this one is. After all, I almost never use cliffhangers. (and even the one time I have, LTMP 37, it was due to me being under the influence of Shadowgod's cliffhanging throne.).

ACK! Now, now, I will point out that you are being overly clever regarding the author's name. Shadowgod has used many names (being known by many names is, after all, one of the Devil's known traits). If we include Shadowgod, shadowgod, shdowgod, and Blackheart, then we have an utterly different situation! In Failure of the Heart, an incomplete story that eventually was re-written to become LiS, our Author, under the pen name of Bleackheart, killed Jacob. Also, let's not forget his short stories! We have Almost Home, and Prelude to Destiny. That body count is getting rather large, I tell ya! Yeah, but YOU have a very large death toll! Shadowgod, though, has quite a large one himself. He's evil like that!

Ahhem! Remember Jacob smashing his hand in LiS, early in the story? Also, please recall Matt's strange dream of watching The Destruction of Earth by an Asteroid! That could well have been a premonition, so, does the earth get destroyed on DnCW?!?!?

Cliffhanger? One measly bullet riddled body and you declare a cliffhanger? I'd have thought that after reading Shadowgod's stories, you'd have developed a much higher threshold for cliffhangers!!!

I'm not sure how I can answer this without a spoiler. All I can say is that if it's Dimitri and Mario, then they would have driven their SUV down closer to the ranch for the attack. They'd have needed to make a faster getaway than going on foot would have allowed.

Now, now, I never misdirect! The goose is important. You'll see in chapter 40. Off a CLIFF!?!?!? Ahhem, sorry, but no cliffs! This is not a Shadowgod story! BTW, Ch 40 should be online within the hour.

Fear not! I'm happy to report that His Shadowyness has been released! However, he's likely to be a little touchy about his visit to you-know-where, so I'm going to struggle mightily and refrain from the normal "But you look good in stripes" sort of jokes. In fact, he's likely to be in denial, so let's go easy on him. Ahh, but nothing bad happened to them! They weren't hurt! The worst injury to a main character has been a hairline fracture of a tiny ankle bone! Now, contrast this to what happened in LiS! See? Shadowgod is cruel to his characters!! No wonder they locked him up...

That's not true! I'm always good to my characters. Shadowgod, on the other hand, is cruel! And that's why he's been, shall we say, detained.

What? Me, Joke? Would I ever do such a thing as that? 0:) He's been locked up, for cruelty to his characters.

Me? In denial? Not true! Now, Shadowgod, he's in denial... BTW, speaking of His Shadowyness, he should be restored to freedom Sunday or Monday, so we'll be hearing from him soon, I'm sure.

Happy Birthday, oh Wizzardly one! Have yourself a GREAT day, and have fun!!! :wizard: :wizard: :wizard: :wizard: :wizard:

Congratulations Dan and Robert!! This is indeed wonderful news!

I just wanted to mention the title of chapter 40. It's "Greylag Goose"

Now, now, just becuase I said I have a lot in common with The Scar, don't go jumping to conclusions!