C James

I never thought of an external antenna, that's a great idea! I'll file it away for future stories. The external antenna could be hidden inside a bumper; so many are plastic or composite these days, and that's radio-freq transparent. Thanks! I hope you enjoyed your fictional dinner? Sacha just knows a cliffhanger when he sees one, and more importantly knows when he doesn't see one, and observes accordingly. BTW, if I was disposed to using cliffhangers, there could have been a good one at the end of chapter 30 if I'd parsed the chapter breakpoints a little differently. Say, end the chapter just as Jerry is thinking of killing the guys? :2hands: But, of course, I didn't do that. See? I always avoid cliffhangers! BTW, speaking of Jerry... this is the first time we've seen him kill. Well, sort of. He did kill the first guy he tried to get Kryton switches from, but we didn't see the murder itself. Did anyone notice any differences between Jerry, when killing, and Dimitri, when Dimitri did the "employee termination" thing? Do you think Eric will pay a visit to Jerry's Toowoomba facility? BTW, the title of Chapter 31 is "Problems and Solutions" CJ

I'd heard rumors but... This confirms it! That cliffhanger in DnCW 7 is every bit as diabolical as i thought!!! Hrmmm, just out of curiosity, Graeme, would it have been a spoiler if you had stated whose story it was in?

I mentioned, way back in the beginning (and i sure don't expect anyone to remember, heck, I barely do and I wrote it) that one of the reasons they had Joe as singer is that the three brothers can't sing. Brandon is vocals, and Brandon is shown as drinking very lightly at most after the concerts. These, however, are all excellent points. Partying like they are (especially Jon and Eric) is pushing it a little. Also, Jon and Eric having a couple of drinks half a day before a concert was a bit out of line (they were right to be concerned if Helen found out). But, the way I see it (and I may of course be wrong, this is just my opinion) is that rock bands are known for some excessive behavior. More than one has shown up on stage drunk. I recall reading somewhere, for example, that Van Halen was drinking backstage before going on at a big concert (US festival, I think) and ended up getting booed off the stage becuase they were too drunk to play. Thanks though for the link and comments; I hadn't known that alchohol before singing was detrimental to the chords themselves. Oh, and Sasha? HAve you considered the ramifications of your questions? Screaming a cliffhanger would be bad to do if one had consumed alcohol within recent days, correct? Thanks everyone for the GPS conversation and checking! YaP, I know you didn't mean for me to change anything, and I very much appreciated the topic coming up! Thanks! And Gary, thanks for checking under your hood! All that would be required is for the GPS to get a few hits. Its model isn't specified, but it is listed as a high-end (due to the price; I introduced the GPS in the "shop 'till you drop" chapter) Magellan. In the chapter where it was planted, Brandon uses the 12-volt lead (that normally allows the GPS to be plugged into a cigarette lighter) and wires it into the live side of the starter relay. That way the thing has power. It wouldn't need to record everything; Just a few hits would be enough to get them the location of the Toowoomba facility and see that the vehicle had also been making runs west (to the desert compound). If it ran out of tracks after a day or so, it wouldn't be a problem: it should still give them what they are seen to have; the fact that Jerry has been going to a spot in Toowoomba, and also out into the outback. However, this raises an interesting question; what would be a better way to plant an improvised GPS bug on a vehicle? I toyed with several other locations, but the need for a convenient full-time power source nearby was an issue. The other location I came up with was inside the spare tire; on some land rovers, the spare is on the back door, exposed. However, I couldn't figure a way for Brandon to get it inside the tire and re-inflate; he wouldn't have the high-pressure air in order to get it back and seated on the rim. A tire-inflation air pump would not be sufficient. The wire could have come out between the tire and the rim, sealed by a tiny bit of chewing gum or the like. The wire would have had to go to the brake lights or similar, and that was getting too complicated and too risky. I also wasn't sure what would happen if the internal battery GPS went flat while the vehicle was parked; would it resume tracking upon power-up? Another idea I had was the stuffed kanagaroos, but how would they get the GPS back, or get power to it? The inside of the Rover was another option (wire the thing under a seat, with power from the power-seat bus) but that would have required interior access. I was assuming that Jerry would not leave it unlocked. Another idea I had was the horn relay; that would have allowed the GPS to be placed just behind the radiator grill, a better location signal-wise. They'd have needed to pop the hood to install it, but they could have likely retrieved it without doing so. Basically I'm idea-shopping here, in case the GPS is used in future stories (I used on in FTL, too). Thanks!! CJ

GPS update... OK, I tried using a GPS, though a different model from the one in the story. I scurried under a large SUV and tried it. I got mixed results. The starter motor is low in the engine compartment, so it's not totally surrounded, BUT, from on top I had a darn hard time getting a signal and it took quite a few miniutes sometimes. YAP was right. I did get SOME in certain positions (having the vehicle in a very open space, in dirt, seems to help, as does parking it north-south rather than east-west, but it's marginal. I think (but do not know) that in record mode, it would get an occasional fix, especially on rough roads where the vehicle isn't always parallel to the ground. GPS's are too expensive for me to be willing to test mine by taping it to the starter motor. LoL So, a question: Is this close enough; I think it might work, enough to get a few fixes though probably not record the entire journey accurately. (though for the purposes of the story, only the former is needed) Or, I can edit the posted chapters so that the GPS is taped to the underside of the starter (which would be a rather risky proposition in many respects). Opinions? BTW, should I have gotten a little more inside Adam Creston's head in those final moments? I was trying to show that he really didn't have the ability to think, just react to the pain. Thanks! CJ

Ahhh. I'm afraid that one will have to stay broken; the main index had to change from htm to php

Thank Joe if it works! He made the change. From which URL?

Thanks... There was more to it than a case change; all the links in every chapter changed becuase the main site index changed from index.htm to index.php. That part wasn't the problem though, it was me deciding to "tidy up" by changing the structure that caused the problems. I should have followed my own advice, which is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and left the directory structure alone. LoL! Thanks Gary.

Yes! Tell me my best course of action. Thanks! Currently, what changed is not just the directory name, but the ltmp index file in the main dir. The old one was named LTMP.php, and the new one is ltmp.php That seems to be the main cause of the most broken links. As an iterim measure, I asked Joe if he could copy the existing file so both versions would be there. I know that wouldn't work in DOS but it should in UNIX. Then, I have a dilemma; I can either put the old file structre back. This isn't much work on my end; I use a find-replace utility to handle all instances of the links on my site. The question is, would restoring the old locations be best? or, re-crate the old dir but with each "chapter" file being a redirect to the new location? So, should I just go back to the old structure? Or is the second index file, with the old name, good enough? Or, should I re-create the old dir but with redirects in place of all the chapters? Thanks!! CJ

I wish I'd have asked, too.

Don't change your bookmarks yet... I'm working on it. Sorry for the mess!

Uhoh. Hmmm, I'll check on that. What I did was crawl under my 4x4 with a gps. It worked for me UNDER the starter motor but I think I had the GPS in the story located at the top or side of the starter. I'll check and see if that would work. I don't have a land rover, but the body style is similar on mine... Thanks!! CJ

I thought a mix of capitals and lower case was bad, so I thought I was fixing a problem. The real problem is that I screwed up and should have left that directory name alone. I'll see about adding redirects. The search engine problem never occurred to me (yet another goof on my part) Lol...

Oh crap... You mean on bookmarked pages? The ltmp directory did change. I originally had it as LTMPfiles and the mix of upper and lower case on servers is not good, I'd heard, so I changed it to ltmpfiles and tried to change all the site links. I still have to do the ones in my forum. BTW, I have learned my lesson; if it works, DON'T try and fix it! Changing that dir name was dumb on my part.

ROFL! You're right, making one's own site dissapear is not a good thing. It wasn't trying to do a redesign, just change the links and file structure. But, I managed to goof. The goof went in every chapter of every story, becuase I used a bulk find-and-replace program to do the coding changes. OOps. BTW, Joe added some code to the main page! It now displays recent forum threads, and links to them! (Thanks Joe!) Take a look... about halfway down the main page. (and the site is working again now, too; Joe fixed it). CJ

It's not rigged! And I also note that LiS 26 is leading with 100% of the vote!

The story is still there; it's just the main link from the main page that is broken (I screwed up). Link directly from my sig to the last chapter, and then from there you should be able to use the nav table at the bottom to access the files. (including the new Chapter 30) Sorry about this! It should be fixed soon! I changed the directory name so old links won't work... Stupid! I forgot about the forum links to chapters, now I have to go edit all the announcments and all the chapter threads. Duh!!! Thanks!! CJ

Well, now, I think SPiCE should be pleased so far? Eric is fine, no harm since he hurt his ankle, and he's happy! See? Everything is fine.

Something is bothering me... Okay, we have Cody out, engaged in some truly risky behavior... BUT, what about further down the line; Cody is in college; will he even stay in the area now that he's lost his funds? Can he make ends meet ob his own? What happens to Cody? Anyone have any ideas?

I have started the poll! Just for you.

Due to a certain Shadowy author's penchant for inflicting evil happenings upon Cody, I hereby inaugurate CLF, the Cody Liberation Front! However, to make it more pronounceable, we can call it CLiFf, been as cliffs are synonomous with Shadowgod. . Cody is an endearing character, though one with his share of troubles. The poor guy deserves better than to have all forms of trials and tribulations thrown his way! Dreams & Cliffed Wings is surely shaping up to be dramatic. Save Cody, free him from the dark Deity's clutches! Yes, save him from Shadowgod! Sign up now... Save Cody!!! :mace: :nuke: :sword: :axeman: :battleaxe: :fire: :mace: :2hands:

Okay, TL suggested this poll, so here it is, as he requested! (I always try and be helpful!) Which of Shadowgod's cliffhangers would you rate as the Mother of All Cliffhangers, and list the cliffies. I will past in a copy of the detailed list of LiS cliffies I posted here in this forum, but Shadowgod has cliffies in other stories too; Shot of Bourbon, Prelude to Destiny, and also Dreams & Cliffed Wings Warning, spoilers below!!!! Do not read unless you have already read Living in Surreality. Ch2 Joanne gave Jacob a look which spoke volumes, trust, understanding, but most of all that what happened with the school district in Sacramento wasn't entirely his fault. And we wait for two several more chapters before finding out WHAT Jacob did in Sacramento. Ch 5 Matt's face blanched, wondering how long Jacob had been standing there. Matt couldn't find the words, as Jacob slowly backed away, tears threatening to run down his cheeks. Jacob turned and ran from the school, unwilling to give Matt the satisfaction of seeing him hurt. This was a doozy of a cliffhanger, JAcob had just heard Matt deny him. This is the infamous locker cliffhanger; Jacob breaks his hand punching a locker. Ch 6 "Val?" he repeated in a high-pitched croak. The line went dead. Matt threw the receiver across the room with a painful howl, where it smashed against the wall. Wrapping his arms around his head, Matt attempted to shield himself from the anger and frustration he felt with himself, with Jacob, and most of all, with Valerie. We are left, feeling Matt's angst, he feelings of abandonment and betrayal, as the chapter ends in a dizzying cliffhanger. Ch 8, the "Nazi Waitress" tells Matt about Val and Jacob's appearing as a couple at the pizza parlor. Ch 9, Matt and Jacob caught in the act by Matt's father, and the chapter ends with Matt's Mom planning on having a long talk with Jacob's Mom. Ch 12 "Come over," Jacob commanded. "Wear a hat," then he abruptly hung up not giving Matt a chance to question. Jacob smiled, as he dialed Valerie's number next. What is Jacob up too? We are left HANGING to find out!!! Ch 14, Brendon kissed Jacob at the movies, and the chapter ended before it was resolved, leaving us to wonder if Val would castrate Jacob. Ch 18: Richard nodded his assent, "I'll talk with Matthew, he'll fight, just like the last time I came between him and this little shit. I think Matthew or Valerie said he had moved here from Sacramento. So you might want to tell this Raul guy that he may have to travel up north." "It won't be a problem for him; he had to go to Taiwan for s similar situation," Catherine shrugged as she pulled her self off of Richard's desk. "Find out how quick he can get me some starting information, will you, I want this Matthew issue dealt with before it becomes too much of a problem," Richard said, dismissing her, and in effect his son. Here we are getting into the truly dizzying cliffhangers: MAtt's Father has just sicked a PI on his own son!!! Ch 20 "Hello?" a familiar voice sounded from the other end that threatened to fracture Jacob's wide smile. "Jacob?" the voice asked, as Jacob's brow furrowed with the sound of his name in a voice he never thought he'd hear again. "Cody?" Jacob responded, his voice nearly catching in his throat as the excitement bled out from him. This is the call from Cody to JAcob, and the chapter ends, leacing us HANGING as we wonder what on earth it will entail. CH 21 "Hello," he spoke with a smile, watching as Cody pulled his shirt from where it was slung over his shoulder, using it to wipe the beads of sweat from his face, and then from his lean, sculpted torso. "Nice day today," Raul commented, making small talk. Cody spared the man a sarcastic smile. "Nice shirt," Cody smirked; panning the loud Hawaiian print shirt Raul wore with the top four buttons unbuttoned revealing the white A-shirt he wore underneath. "You didn't call me out here to mock my shirt," Raul observed, receiving a surrendering half-smile from Cody in the process. "I take you called me out here to talk." Cody took a moment to think about the guy's assessment. Figuring it was mostly true, he gave Raul a cocky nod, accentuated with an even cockier smile. Here we are left HANGING wondering what Cody will do regarding Raul's offer. Will he betray JAcob? Ch 22: Matt and Jacob at the quarry, manage to get locked out naked, and have to call Carlos. I'd call this a naked cliffhanger if ever there was one! Ch 23: "C'mon," Joanne said stepping away, her eyes threatening to water. "Let's all go have some lemonade," she offered opening the front door. this one is the infamous Lemonade Cliffhanger. Ch 26... Quite simply, the Mother of All Cliffhangers. And there we have it... 13 cliffhangers, each one building until we are slammed and ripped assunder by LiS 26. I'm definitely not saying that Shadowgod over-used cliffies, but rather, he uses them for effect. Devastating effect.

Congratulations Kevin!!! Thank you so much, for brightening our days, and for your always thoughtful posts.

Well, don't worry about accidental leaks; I think the Echidna primarily has spines for the author. And yep, I know you like the title; you picked a great one! Yep, Shadowgod named this chapter, and I love the new title, thanks! See, Shadowgod does far more than just add any perceived cliffhangers! It should be.. However, it was sent in as part of a major site update (most of the files on my site, including all chapters, had changes in the URL references. mainly changing structure, etc, and if I fouled up the PHP, it might not go online. Or, it might not work if it does. The site update is complicated, so we'll have to wait and see what Joe says. I would guess it will be up sometime today, but if I messed up, might be longer. CJ

*Cough* You might want to re-read Ch 1 and 2... Joe knows about Cody. Cody never explicitly told him, but, Joe figured it out by piecing together subtle clues, like seeing Cody date only guys. Joe knew about Jonathon, for example.

Would I do such a thing as that?