C James

That sign is merely in reference to your penchant for wicked cliffhangers. Hrmmmm, well, I'll hazzard a guess; that phone call utilized.. a telephone? Two, actually, one at each end... Seriously though, I can't wait to see what role Cody will play, and whether the evil plot by Catherine will work.

We probably have different definitions of "light traffic." I've driven in Europe before, and I sure do know what you mean. Traffic circles lose some of their utility when the traffic is heavy enough that you have to stop before entering the circle.

But Bondwriter, would a quiet, shy, and retiring forum lurker such as myself say such a thing intentionally? BTW, it is time to announce the next chapter title! And that means that I'm going to tell y'all the new chapter title. Yes, really I am! I'm actually going to say what it is.. yup, yup, I really will! Hmmm, so, should I write a few more paragraphs detailing that I'm going to announce the chapter title, or should I just say that' it's Fun in the Sun? Hmmm, decisions, decisions...

Now, now, Jacques Lagivr

Hi Aillie!! Let's all keep chanting... Well, all except shdowgod; him, we want writing! I thoguht I was the only quiet and shy lurker on this thread? I'll support the 21 demand, though! I think you are correct in your coded message. I keep trying to tell him that the ideal vehicle for Jacob is a 1972 Volvo sedan with a blown engine, but will he listen? Noooo... Awww, forgive me for what? Fory being a quiet and shy lurker? You could always drop a few hints about Ch 21..

There are incorporated cities in Arizona with far smaller populations than 6k! I can think of a few with under a thousand, and a couple of them are county seats. One has a population of about 400. Kingman sounds similar to Willkes-barr in a few ways; one is that the Kingman area is actually a cluster of cities. The incorporated city itself has a population of about 20k, but within 20 miles there are another 20k people. (in winter, at least). I drive almost every day, but I haven't seen a traffic light (let alone traffic) this month. (compared to me, Chris and Steve live in the big city). Yes, thanks Jack! We still plan on selling you... And a Moderator to bring things back on topic? Hmmm... Good idea, but where the heck can we find a moderator? They are never around when you need them... Seriously though, I'm one of the worst offenders for going off-topic, and I know it. The problem is that I usually can't get into speculative discussions about FTL. I sure love reading them, but I can't enter them without spoilers. For example, Graeme has just speculated about the guys being watched. Obviously, I can't comment, aside from my de rigiur 'they either are, or, they aren't'. But, to bring things back on topic, I'll pose a few facts; Piedmont is roughly based on Seligman, Arizona (home of such fine dining establishments as the roadkill cafe (yes, I'm serous). Lonesome Valley is based on several cities, but very much on a city between Seligman and Flagstaff: Williams, Arizona. Yep, as in Steve's last name. Williams is also the home of the Grand Canyon railway ( railway to the south rim of the GC). I seriously considered basing FTL in real AZ towns, but the geography would co-operate (I wanted the county seats to have the same names as the county, for simplicity, but that wasn't going to happen in the real world). I knew there would be a way to get an Echidna into the story... Yes indeed!

Hmm, my suggestion would put it uncomfortably close to Ayer's Rock, so, agreed, the Simpson Desert would be good. It is a pity that you are the only continent that lacks an active volcano, as that would make an ideal site. They could have some truly red hot sales.

McDonald's is so unfairly maligned. You can make a very healthy meal out of one of their burgers in three easy steps: #1 Throw away everything between the buns. #2 Throw away the buns. #3 Eat the high-fiber cardboard box that the burger came in. As for Walmart, you could minimize their impact by limiting the number of stores. Let them build one, but insist it be centrally located. The geographic center of Australia would be ideal IMHO. (that would be about 200 miles SW of Alice Springs.)

Oh, the OTHER devil... Don't worry, I'll always consider you the prime evil.

Ahhh, that's right, YOU were the reference (and hence, in your own words, the devil...) I don't go to Kingman that often (I try and stay out of big cities when i can) but I do recall that Walmart, just north of the Freeway. It is huge! And further proof that Kingman is huge: it has more than one supermarket! Ummm, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your respite of civility is, alas, short-lived; http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/walmar...4198011039.html Yep, get ready to be wal-marted. I don't mind walmart in small doses, but they tend to saturate the marker and drive the competition out of business. That results in far less choices for the shopper.

The devil as a reference? Hey, it was I who told you that Kingman has a wallmart! And it's a supercenter, yet! Now, as for the 40k number, that includes part-time residents. Snowbirds, we call them: they live here for the winter and the return to the notherern midwest (and even Canada) for the rest of the year. It also includes everything within 20 miles of Kingman. So, one walmart is more than enough. Though, I do know of a city with half that population that has TWO supercenters. UGh. Besides, Kingman isn't a fancy-shmancy big city, so I doubt there is a call for more than one store selling high-end clothing and such, like Walmart does. (there is a K-mart nearby, too). And yes, I admit it, I was hoping that you would forget that the tomato is a fruit.

Hmmm, I have never seen pineapple (or any other fruit except tomatoes) on a pizza anywhere around here. Does this mean that Australia is as strange as California? Hrrrrm, Kentucky Bourbon not a whiskey? That sounds like the same bizzare mindset that cuases some to insist that if it's not from France, it's not Champagne. (as I sit back, enjoying a drink of American Champagne). Now, I'd best run and hide before Bondwriter sees this...

Now, now, shdowgod, I call you my Anonymous Beta Reader becuase you are supposed to be anonymous! So shhhh!!! Besides, your anonymity is very useful: It gives us a chance to conspire against you; always a worthy goal. OK, I will concede the issue regarding Pineapple on Pizza, and merely opine: Only in California... And thank you very much for proving MY point regarding Kingman: Anywhere with a freeway and more than two offramps is HUGE! Kingman has become enormous: And Kingman has THREE, worse than that: there is a fourth just outside of the city! There are also over 40,000 people in the greater Kingman area, so, it counts as a big city. Heck, it's the fourth largest metro area (in population) in the state! (Flagstaff is slightly bigger at nearly 50k). And BTW, "only for or five offramps" and you think it's SMALL?!?!?! :wacko: And as for Bourbon, agreed. That name is a classic, as is the story(the first three chapters have been re-edited, BTW, and are great!). But I gotta tease you about something...

Howdy my Frosty Friend! Seems we agree about traffic. I hate it, and get pissed off after about five minutes of it. Remember the Lawyer (rick) stating that he was from Kingman, AZ, but couldn't go back because it had become a big city? Well, Kingman has indeed grown. It;s big now, but City folk can be, well, strange. I know of one who, as bizzare as this may sound, considers Kingman a small town! :wacko: But, said bizzare individual (he shall remain anonymous) does many bizzare things, like staying in chat, alone, and talking to himself for 24 hours straight. He also mentions strange things such as Pineapple Pizza in his writings, and names one of his protagonists after a type of whiskey!

Yes, I was shocked, too. Hmmmm, Coffee, and now cars. Both begin with C. BTW, "Studs Barecats" is a great name I have eaten at an IHOP, and they DO serve coffee, and lots of it, so I think we are onto something here. I'm very curious regarding "Charlie", and also to see how Jeremy reacts to his first time on stage.

Actually, it can, but it is very rare. A type 2 is not immune to the autoimmune problem that is the primary cause of Type 1. So, it is possible, and does occur on occasion, that a T-2 will become an adult onset Type-1. They will still have the high insulin resistance of a T-2, though. More commonly, a T-2 will become insulin Dependant when their pancreas finally fails, but that isn't the same thing as type-1, and they are not type-1's. You are absolutly right in the there is no "progression" from type 2 to type 1: they are very different diseases. LADA's (Late onset adult type 1 diabetes) does indeed have a honeymoon period, and that could well be part of the cuase of your problems with humalog; your pancreas will, intermittently and unevenly, still have residual function. If you have antibodies for T-1, and given that the orals are innefective, I'd say the original T-2 Dx was certainly wrong. Sorry to hear about the T-1, Jan

What? Me, use a cliffhanger? I never use cliffhangers! Thanks Jack! Thanks Jan!!! Thanks Jack!! Yes, the DC beltway would not be condusive to sanity. LoL. Of course, one huge problem that people moving to small places often discover; they miss city conveniences, like good stores and restaurants. But it does have its advantages, such as the traffic situation. LoL.

Hmmm, you are right! They ARE a day ahead. So that means that Monday there is Tuesday here. Therefor, Graeme is seeing my chapters on a Monday. If he would then send me said chapter on our Monday, I'd have it a day early and wouldn't have to write it. I do hope you realize that it's your fault that I am looking at this option... It's all due to that silly rule you have of not sending me an edited, completed chapter before I have written it... For example, I'd really, really like to have an edited, completed chapter 25 to look at right now, but you won't send me one until I write it and send it to you. Thanks Greame!!! I'm not quite sure why you won't discuss your reluctance to send me chapters... You are confusing this poor goat... Your version of Chris' line is excelent, though the word "mates" would ring decidedly strange in the US Southwest. I like the idea of Chris having Redhead choose who gets the second one, though. What strikes me as decidedly odd is that someone (Redhead in this case) would be inclined to argue while staring down the barrel of a gun. But, I have seen this in real life, and though I find it incomprehensible, I have seen it more than once, so I used it.

I think he just decided to use the empty chat room so he could talk to himself. Actually, you are still showing as logged in, and "there", over 12 hours later, but not there in chat, just on the board index. Very strange. Could you have a window open and minimized somewhere? Maybe try shutting all windows, logging out, then back in?

Cal is superb! Very evocative, and brilliantly written. The interplay between the characters is particularly well done. An excelent story.

I completely agree (and I admit that I'm guilty of that very thing in my stories). One thing I would like to mention here is that "Eatzi's" rang a bell with me, and guess what? It's real! http://www.eatzis.com/Default.aspx Wow, that place looks good!!! Jack, in my opinion that adds a great deal of realism. Hmmm, I do notice, tho0guh, that they sell coffee...

Well, it's up now, sorry about the time zone problems. Thanks! Yes, Graeme sees things on Monday that are posted on Tuesday, due to the dateline between here and Australia. I've often asked him to send me a copy of my posted chapters on Monday, so I'd have then a day before posting, with no need to write them, but he just isn't agreeable for some reason. He says the date line would have them arriving here on Tuesday, but, he could always sent them to me by routing them west instead of east, thus avoiding the dateline. BTW, Chapter 21, "down the Barrel," is posted.

These are extremely well done! I've been a fan of "Shot of Bourbon" since discovering it years ago, and the changes dramatically improve an already superb story. I highly recommend a re-read for anyone who has read the prior versions.

The instances that I've seen which bother me in that regard are when the story is brought to a conclusion, everything is resolved, but it keeps going... I don't mind sequels at all, but when it is done as additional chapters of the original story past the original ending, it bothers me. (I'm not referring to any story on GA, BTW, and none in particular). Hmmm, again we are being given extra-terrestrial hints. Ummm, I do hope that Matt, Valerie, and Jacob being sucked into a black hole and ripped into shreds by the tidal forces isn't how you plan to end LiS? I will, therefor, take issue with your statement! Tidal forces near the event horizon of a black hole can indeed pull any object apart, but the line would not, indeed could not, be infinite; it would terminate in the singularity itself, and thus be finite.

This one was a wild ride in more ways than one! The "coming out" went roughly as I'd guessed regarding the reactions of the various people. But, the fight with Doug looks to me like it was the harbinger of trouble, big trouble, due to that obviously not-accidental running-off-the-road. Great fight scene too, and oh, what an evil cliffhanger!!!!!!!! Great chapter!