C James

Happy Birthday!!!

No, but I have looked things up online to make sure of minor details plenty of times, and I've also used maps when describing a road journey on roads I'd personally driven many times before.

Interestingly, many philosophers throughout history have been known to use various substances. My college philosophy teacher was indeed suspected of it. Actually, he was fired the following year due to showing up once to often with reddened eyes and smelling like burning leaves (which, of course, was exactly the problem ) The person below me has had a teacher who was drunk (or otherwise inebriated) in class.

I'm certainly perplexed by this story! I love it! BTW, Vic, I notice that the "OATS" (One And The Same) line is gone from your sig. I'm still on the "one and the Same" side, but I'm sure having doubts!

My apologies. I did a text search for "Gary" on the page and a quick visual scan as well for any discussion on him I may have overlooked but completely missed your oblique reference. I should

The poor kid is definitly confused, and has been conditioned to be obsessive. I hope he gets help soon, becuase he sure needs it. However, no matter what, he is far better off out of the hell he was living in.

What? Me, tease you? Would I do such a thing? I did notice, but I was trying to be subtle. There was an "eh" or two in there, so that's why I put "eh" in my comment.

Hi Nick!! I went through much the same growing up. At one point my parents heard some actress (yes, and actress) say that microwaving made food unhealthy, so they wanted to get rid of the microwave! I argued the point, and asked why an actress would have a worthwhile opinion on anything besides acting? (I have a special hatred for pontificating celebrities of any ilk). That fad faded, then it was all low-fat, then this, and then that. If they try and push margarine on you instead of butter, remind them that butter is far healthier than hydrogenated oil (the primary ingredient of margarine). (also, most margarine contains at least some trans-fat, which just about everyone agrees is very bad). I did, however, find one part of your parents dietary preferences exceedingly disturbing: Now, that's just plain wrong!

No comment? Humph!! I was a bit vague because it was so early after the chapter release, but it's a comment. I liked Gary, including his cute jealous streak and his temper. He wasn't my guess for who would be killed (Deci was) and I'll miss him in the story, but in combat, people die, and sometimes they die incidentally, even ironically. In the words of General John Sedgewick: "What! What men! This will never do, dodging from single bullets!They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist...." As to how I think this will affect Garret, my guess is that with all the death and destruction around him, Garret won't be affected all that much by Gary's death.

There appear to be two chapter 9's, while chapter 11 links to chapter 10! Chapter 12 brings up chapter 12. My guess is that 10 is missing, but I'm not sure. If you don't get an answer here, you might want to try the tech support team forum, which is a sub-forum of "administration communications", just under the Lounge in the main forum list.

:king: Happy Birthday Sam! :king:

Happy Birthday! :king:

I like her too! She's no wallflower, that's for sure! She also doesn't shrink from using her, ahem, unmentioned skills to extract information from prisoners when needed. I wonder if we will find out where she acquired that particular skill-set? I have a feeling that those skills will come in quite handy if they capture a senior member of the rebellion.

In mining country, way too many people have dynamite. It's dangerous because it becomes unstable with age. I remember a few years ago that a pickup truck on the beeline highway outside of phoenix blew up. I saw the hole in the pavement the next day; nothing much left of the truck or the driver. The guy had a box of dynamite in the back, and had just left it there. After a couple of years (yeah, he left it there for years) it degraded due to age and heat, then one little bump and kablewie! It's just lucky he wasn't still in town when it blew (he'd just left). Definitely upload some pics of the pit!!

I'll comment more later, but I just wanted to comment on the fatality of the recurring character: That is the way combat (and for that matter, life) is: Sometimes, people get killed, and in this case it was a recurring character. I was amazed by the nukes plan: if the accelerators are fairly immobile, they could be hit by masses accelerated to 50% C, thus giving each pound of impacting material more energy than a medium-sized nuke. Hmmm, however, that's what WE think of as a medium sized nuke: by that era, it's likely in the hundreds of megatons. Thank you for another great chapter, DK and Emoe!

Priest? Heck, I'd be delighted, and call a physicist, not a priest!

I do write a little every day, but I just bounce around between stories. I often say "to heck with it" and just blaze away at full speed if the muse strikes me, and then go back and do a "clean up" later. I see your point on this project, Graeme, and it's not for me either. To me, it just isn't "done" unless it has some quality so I'd never be able to say I "finished" it. However, if someone is inclined to give it a try, I think that's great!

I just work on whatever I feel like working on, and I find it helpfull to have several ongoing projects.

Thank you for another great chapter!! One thing I especially like is the body language that you so vividly portray. That really adds to the story. I love the dynamic between Matt and Valarie, too. I am intrigued by the way you leave us with little bits of info that leave more questions, such as what happened in Sacramento with the school district? That makes me crave more chapters! (hint, hint!)

I'm in a similar long-term drought situation here in the US Southwest, so I share your weather woes, and am unhappy about the weather (too much clear and dry). The person below me is more concerned about too much rain than not enough.

Ch. 11 certainly changed a LOT in the story, at least where it seemed to be going. I think 12 might just explain a very great deal...

Now you have done it!! I might just go take another peek at a literary monstrosity that I belched forth a few years ago.