C James

Not true!! The team, myself included, are absolutely dedicated to ensuring that the chapters are entirely cliffhanger-free! The final, plus epilogue, will appear about a week after the one that's about to post, Hellbound. I'm working on it now. Absolutely! To be honest, I haven't made up my mind. Well, I have, I just keep changing it. It's probably a sequel to "For the Love". What I can guarantee is it won't be a sequel to Circumnavigation; Circumnavigation has no sequel. But... it's true! I'm very well known for my utter avoidance of cliffs and cliffhangers. It's being worked on by the team. I do not know when I will receive it back. I will post it within a few hours of getting it back from the final team member. So it could appear at any time. I do apologize for the delay; I had no idea it would take this long for me to send the chapter out. At this point, that's highly unlikely. Sorry. Thank you Talonrider!!!!

Absolutely!! The chapter just went out for the first rounds of beta, and until it did, I didn't know where exactly to split it. However, it's split now; we'll get the big half as the next chapter. And I absolutely guarantee a tension-free ending, so no worries. Thanks!!! The chapter, tentatively entitled "Hellbound" (I just need to make sure I don't have another chapter by that name) is finally in beta. It has to be the most difficult chapter I've ever written. Hopefully the final chapter and epilogue will be done within a week, so no more long delays. But... I am well known for my absolute avoidance of cliffs and cliffhangers. How could cliffs be my natural habitat? Good idea, but that would be a non-survivable event. The hundred-foot waves in the back half of Dean would reduce Atlantis to kindling. The crew of Atlantis (those with a pulse, at least) do indeed face a little bit of a conundrum. Kind of a... brain teaser, one might say. And yep, I'd hate to have to put what happened on an insurance claim form.

Sorry I'm late to this!!! I can’t say enough good things about my team. Without them, my writing would be just files gathering electronic dust on my hard drive, never seen by anyone but me. However, that’s not all; they inspire me. Sometimes it’s very lateral; one will make a comment on something, maybe not even about writing, and then, or later, it will bubble to the surface and make its way into a story. Or, while looking at a typo one of them caught, I’ll see how a paragraph or scene could be improved. There are many ways they have input to the writing, and I am quite sure that they don’t realize just how much they contribute. They do even more than they know. I consider the stories that go out under my name to be not just mine, but ours. They truly are a team effort. Who are my team? That’s complicated. First, the guys who work on every chapter and story, and work it is. What they do is hard, oft thankless work. Bear in mind, I’m dyslexic, so typos are huge issue, to name just one. I try hard, via proofreading and running spelling and grammar checks in Word, to catch all I can before inflicting the chapters on the team, but a lot gets through. Catching typos, though, is just one small part of what they do. All make comments and offer opinions and ideas, which I find more precious than gold. Here are the regulars, the ones who have to put up with me week in and week out, and I’m going to do this alphabetically, for I could think of no other way. Emoe, Editor extraordinaire: He is, as he has been for many years, my guide, my teacher, and the man who polishes, fixes, and smoothes. More times than I could ever count, he’s taken a phrase, sentence, or passage that was convoluted and awkward, and changed it, making it better than I could have ever managed. Graeme: My mentor, a great author who guided and taught me when I was learning (and I’m still learning!). He is wise and insightful, with a special gift for characters and personalities, and for seeing what I cannot. More times than I can count, he’s come up with an idea for how to fix or improve something. He’s also inspired me many times without even knowing it, when something he has said triggers a new train of thought. RedA: A technical expert in many things, he most often reads for technical accuracy, and also lets me bounce what-ifs off him, to see if they’d work. It’s in large part his knowledge that gives my current novel, Circumnavigation, its real feel when it comes to yachting, and he helps in many other aspects as well. MikeL: The oft-grueling task of spotting and fixing my typos often falls hardest on his shoulders; he is usually the first who reads for typos and errors to see the draft pages. He also makes comments, observations, and reads for continuity, and asks questions that let me know how things look from the other side of the page. TalonRider: He offers his keen insight and thoughts, along with his skills at the grueling task of catching my goofs. His comments tell me how things are coming across to the reader (it’s often hard for an author to know exactly how something will read to someone who does not know the plot). Low Flyer: Truly gifted, an expert in grammar and structure, and he has keen eyes for spotting things that are amiss. Beyond that, his comments are insightful, and he has caught many things that I have missed, and also his comments have provided inspiration. Now, two guys who have helped me tremendously, including betaing an occasional chapter and scene, whom I certainly consider to be members of the team. However, their insightful comments in the forum are also an inspiration and tremendous help to me; Benji & Wildone. Also, to all the wonderful people who leave me feedback in the forum, reviews, PM’s, and E-mail; you are my inspiration, and your feedback give me the invaluable insight of letting my see the story through your eyes. Thank you. There are so many more I should thank, and so many things I should say about my team of friends, but were I to list them all, this post would be novel-length. All I can really say to sum it up, is THANK YOU for all that you do, and it is my honor to work with you. CJ

I think I've got a way to do it so it works well. We'll have a large chapter (larger than two normal ones), then a smaller one for the final. But, that's faked... it has to be. No goat would ever have anything to do with a cliff, or a cliffhanger. I think it's on the high side... by more than a factor of 10. That's a very good theory! The only small fly in the ointment; the narration explicitly rules out rescue of any sort being possible. So, from that, we can assume that there's no sub within range. It'll be a few weeks. A week or so after Circumnavigation wraps, I'm heading for South America for a few weeks. I haven't booked the tickets yet, it's still tentative (about three weeks from now), but don't worry, I won't do the final booking until after Circumnavigation wraps. Sorry I'm late with my promised 11pm update (it's now 3am) but my internet was out. Okay, the final chapter will be split, with the far larger half posting first. That half will be going out to beta by tonight (Wednesday). As for me, I need some sleep.

Welcome back, and get well soon!!!! I've been writing lines here and then deleting them for a few minutes, because I can't figure out what to say and how to say it (especially embarrassing for a writer!). I'm so glad you're back, and doing well.

Ack!! Now, now, don't blame me... clearly, this is all Bridget's fault.

The four souls and three beating hearts is on Atlantis. It'll make sense, I promise.

Thank you for withholding judgement. Just hang in there for a few more days.

Huh!!?!?!? Benji!!!! I didn't do anything to Trevor, Shane, Lisa, or Joel!!! Hurricane dean is not my doing! (just check the National Hurricane Center archives if you don't believe me). As for Atlantis being there, that was clearly Bridget's doing (via the honeymoon package). I had nothing to do with it!!!! So if you must blame someone, blame Bridget Bellevue!!! And how could I post an April 1st chapter when it's only December??? There will be no prank chapter... well, there will be a draft of a prank chapter posted here in the forum after the story ends. I'll explain in full, but only after Circumnavigation ends. BTW, the only dream sequence is Circumnavigation occurred just before Trevor reached Australia. He drempt that he came ashore, and was greeted by kangaroos and other wildlife singing "Waltzing Matilda". I made clear it was a dream sequence in the chapter. There have been, and will be, no more dream sequences. I'm not at all fond of them as a means to fool readers. I am indeed a mountain goat, and I do indeed live high in the mountains of northern Arizona, but all rumors and innuendo to the contrary, a goat (including a mountain goat) would never have anything to do with a cliff. Any claims to the contrary are just fictions, lies, and photoshop. And I freely admit that I cannot count. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll explain at the end of this post. Sorry for the delay!!! Except that Trevor has already returned to Florida (for the wedding) and it was mentioned in that chapter that this completes his Circumnavigation. I know the chapter is already a week late, and I still am not done. I sincerely apologize to everyone. I swear, I never intended this long a delay after a chapter like Doomsday. Part of the problem is taxes. I'm self-employed, so this means loads and loads of paperwork (anyone who has had to keep the records for, and then file, a Schedule C can surely sympathize). That's today's IRS for ya - they even make goats file, the bastards! However, I finished four days ago, and though I certainly didn't stop writing while working on taxes, it did eat into my time, as has work. So too has the need for sleep. I've pulled several all-nighters working on this chapter, but I've found that when I'm massively short of sleep, my writing suffers and I end up redoing it. So, last night I slept for 14 hours, and I'm feeling far, far better (and my writing is back up to par). This chapter is already very large, so when it comes to words per week, just like the last one, it'll be more than a normal chapter per week would have posted. However, I had no idea it would take this long, and it's already been too long. So... I'm setting a deadline. Either I get it all off to beta within 24 hours of right now (10:54PM... make it 11pm once I hit "post") I'll split the chapter and send it in, leaving one small chapter and the epilogue for the final. Even if split, it'll still be a huge chapter, and it will get us past all the conflicts and, um, hint of tension in "doomsday". I'll post an update by 11pm Tuesday (Arizona standard time). My sincere apologies for the delay.

When I first saw the above mentions of an April Fool's prank, it did give me an idea; post a brief, bogus "final chapter". However, for a variety of reasons, some of which I can't disclose until after the final chapter posts, and also due to the fact that April 1st does not usually come in December, I decided against it. I'm glad that you agree that there was no cliffhanger. Ah, but each installment would be a chapter in this case, so unless EVERY chapter ends in suspense, then there are no cliffhangers, right? I do admit that Doomsday had a hint of tension, but.... suspense? I think that's a bit of a stretch. Also, your definition specifies the end of the chapter, and the chapter text ended with a period at the end of a sentence. In fact, the final two words of the chapter told us nothing new, it was only the third to last that might have had a hint of tension. The final sentence was "Hanging on the edge of forever, Atlantis, tugged inexorably ever further into the raging heart of the beast that she could not avoid, carrying with her into that seething maelstrom four brave souls – and three beating hearts." Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!! <hug> I earnestly wish the final chapter was ready. I'll be making a post about it on the chapter thread. And yep, I know many of you are just teasing and don't really think there was really a cliffhanger. Huh?!?!?! But Talonrider... you know it's not a cliffhanger, right? But... me? Cliffhanging? Never! It's true that I live in the high mountains, and enjoy wilderness off trail hiking and climbing, but cliffs? I always avoid them! Ah, but as it is clearly 2012, and will still be at the final chapter post, I'm in the clear because I'm ineligible for 2012. (I'm also ineligible because Circumnavigation is entirely cliffhanger-free!) Today is indeed December 122nd, 2012. Therefor, it's far too early for an April Fool's joke. CJ

Cliffhanger free! Thank you!!! :worship: Can't be a goathanger though, because a goat would never have anthing to do with a cliff, or a hanger. Does this mean that you are, as yet, not fully convinced that there is no cliffhanger? But... how else can anyone respond to a false accusation of any sort other than by protesting? Hrmmm, good point in stepping forward. How about standing up? You? Shy and reserved? Forthrightly.... they don't use that word down under? Hrmmm... A detailed definition of cliffhanger-free would be something that does not contain a cliffhanger, or even a borderline gray area of one. Hrmmm... I seem to recall a warrant being issued for your arrest a while back... and the charge was that you'd used a cliffhanger. And in your defense you said, "I also say I'm innocent of all accusations of using a cliffhanger. There wasn't a cliff or a hanger in sight." Thank you!! I thank you, and December thanks you!!! Thank you!!! Is facing a cat 4 or cat 5 that even without the damaged boat one has no way of avoiding precarious or difficult situation? I don't think so... and the dictionary is on my side. Atlantis's conundrum isn't #1, because it is not dependent upon the will or pleasure of anyone. We can also rule out # 2 because the danger is not dubious or uncertain in any way (the narration rules out rescue, for example.) We can rule out #3 as well; there's no chance circumstances involved, no unknown conditions, nothing uncertain. And the danger isn't threatening, it's already there in full fury. Would you call being in the path of a monster hurricane with no way to get away "difficult"? It's not a word that would come to my mind for that situation, and I'm betting I'm in the majority on that. A shocking situation? Well, I suppose it's possible that there was; the lighting strike. But, we don't actually know who (if anyone) was hit. All we know is that Lisa wasn't. So it';s more the possibility of a shocking situation. What we have with Doomsday does not fit the definition of a cliffhanger, because if you look at any of the examples of cliffhanger listed, in all cases it's easy to guess a means by which the character MIGHT be saved. For example, rescue. But in Doomsday, the narration explicitly rules out rescue. So, what we have in Doomsday is more of a mystery about a conundrum; is there any possible way that any of the main characters might survive? There are even clues to guide the reader. So, it's a mystery, not a cliffhanger. I do however admit that the conundrum does create a slight whiff of tension.

Exactly! But... you're really proposing electrocuting me until I admit to something I didn't do!!! That's horrible... just horrible!!!

Interesting article on measuring the magnetic polarity of antimatter, but I do see some errors, such as the claim that there is no naturally occurring antimatter remaining. The fact is we have no idea to what degree the universe is composted of antimatter, and in any case some naturally occurring antimatter has been found; Hrmmm, as a guess, I'd say the article quoted in the first post (link) might have been written by a journalist who does not have a good grounding in particle physics, who thus buried the lede by choosing that headline. As James mentions, the speed of light is variable when in a non-vacuum. For example, Cherenkov radiation (the blue glow seen in reactor cooling pools, etc) is created by particles exceeding the speed of light in a materiel (water, plastic, etc) where it is less than in a vacuum. Planck vacuum fluctuations have also been known (or at least accepted theory) for decades. What's been lacking is the ability to measure it. That's what, IMHO, the research mentioned in the article is aimed at (and it is mentioned, at the end). Energy equate to matter, so by finding a way to measure the density of vacuum, they should be able to observe the actual amount of vacuum energy.

There are indeed a lost of volcanos in Central America (it's part of the Ring of Fire) but fortunately, the closest to the Panama Canal is over 80 miles away.

All a plot, by poor, innocent me???? And a conspiracy??? Why, that's preposterous! Until this very moment I was utterly unaware that Andy was campaigning for you. @ Andrew Q. Gordon: Hi! Nice to meet you!! All hail Cia, Queen of Cliffhangers! , Sovereign of the Malevolent Precipices, undisputed Ruler of the Edge of the Looming Abyss. Long may she reign!

I can, regrettably, confirm that there will be no chapter tonight. Sorry, but like the last one, it's large, and also very demanding to write. I'm working hard on it, but it's not even ready for beta reading yet. That's the bad news. The good news is best summed up from this direct and unaltered quote from an e-mail exchange I had with MikeL today;

Okay, in the chapter discussion thread, I said, So, I was hoping that, now that I've explained things and we've all had a chance to digest the chapter (I have, I ate my copy) that we can all come together and agree that it wasn't in any way shape or form a cliffhanger. (as we all know, both our team, and I, are utterly dedicated to keeping Circumnavigation cliffhanger-free) . I'm rather surprised that the number of declarations of cliffhanger-free has been a bit, um,... low so far. So, to get the ball rolling, I hereby call on our team to step forward and proudly and forthrightly proclaim "Doomsday" cliffhanger-free. I'll even go first (I'm a member of the team too, after all!) Doomsday is utterly and completely cliffhanger-free, and does not even come close to a cliffhanger. CJ

My thanks to everyone who has weighed in!! Okay, I think I should keep me mouth shut and not reply on the speculation posts, because I already put my foot in it once... I gave the wrong impression regarding Shane. I didn't mean to imply that it's he who is sans pulse, just that he was definitely at risk due to the water: but in a driving heavy rain, which they were, anyone on deck or in the cockpit is as well. But... It's a very reasonable offer. BTW, what's with the new siggy? 183 days? I think it's more like 14, max, until the epilogue posts and we're done. But... a goat would never have anything to do with a cliff. All this stuff about goats climbing mountains and such is just rumor, innuendo, and photoshop... It would be cultural insensitivity and intolerance to deny me the use of the goat calendar. The current record for a surfed wave is just over 100 feet, set off Portugul. But that's a peaking wave. Storm waves are basically blown out white water. Can't surf that too well, and even if you did, it wouldn't take you far- the individual waves don't keep going. But you're right, they are in a bit of a conundrum at the moment. Good points on the medical issue. If they were wearing protective gear and it was plot relavant, I'd have had to have mentioned it in narration, or worked it into dialog. That's just a personal rule of mine. Good idea though! Ah, but Lover's Leap is a real place, so I can't be blamed for that. I can't be blamed for the hurricane, because it's real too. I also can't be blamed for them being there, because that was clearly Bridget's doing. Wow, thanks!!! I'm working on it... it's proving to be a larger chapter than I thought; converting my original draft to a finished polished chapter is enlarging it quite a bit.

I'll be back to the thread later tonight or tomorrow (I'm on a writing jag, finishing up the final chapter, which was drafted but needs a lot of work). So just a fast note for now. First off, a bug THANK YOU to everyone who has commented. This story would not exist without feedback and comments, so in a very real way, the story would not exist without you. THANK YOU!!! On the defibrillator issue; in 2007, they were far less commonplace in non-medical settings than today. Atlantis does not have one, and likely would not have one, even today. Good thought though. Shane's lifesaver training included CPR. Therefor, he's the best hope whomever has the non-beating heart has. However, yes, he was standing in the bilge water, so he was the most at risk. That bilge contains electrical wiring, and also the grounding line for the mast routes through the area. If it's Trevor with the non-beating heart, if the cause is blood loss, CPR (or a defibrillator) can't help him. Lisa was seen after the lighting strike, so we can rule her out. That leaves Shane, Joel, or Trevor. Atlantis is in bad shape; no rig (the mast, sails, etc are all trailing over the side), she has bullet damage, and worse still, structural damage. Even without all that, she could not survive the storm's passage. The back side of the storm is carrying 100 foot seas and 150mph winds; if Atlantis gets in that, she's kindling. A non-survivable event. Also, the only reason the front half of the storm is milder by comparison is the wind (due to the counter clockwise rotation of the storm) is from the rugged, mountainous shore of Jamaica. One way to think of the back calf of the storm is like a solid wall of death running for over a hundred miles north to south, from the shore to the open sea to the south. That wall is moving west at 18 knots. Atlantis is in the way. Atlantis's top speed on engines is, in perfect conditions, 16 knots. Rough seas slow her. Thus, she cannot get out of the way or reach shore. The narration rules out rescue from any source. Also, time is of the essence. Atlantis was already marginal to begin the speed run to the southwest with her rig; she was barely, barely fast enough to have a chance of evading the storm. If her rig could be restored instantly, she'd have a chance, but how does one restore a rig instantly? It'd take a boatyard days. Could four people do it at sea, even without the storm? No. Even if they could splice the mast, they'd need a crane to step it back into place. It took Trevor days to jury rig a sail in the Southern Ocean, and then, he had a mast. And a jury rigged sail would not be enough now; Atlantis needs the speed of her full rig, and it is beyond saving. So, the three with beating hearts aboard Atlantis have a little bit of a conundrum, even without the issue of one person aboard lacking a pulse, a condition that may be permanent. I see the eye of Dean mentioned... okay, let's assume they could make it to the eye. What then? It's about five miles wide and moving about 18 knots. And per Wildone's map, it does not make landfall on Jamaica. (Closest approach was 20 miles per the national hurricane center, and 19 miles from other sources) And Dean will be obeying the historical record in all particulars. Caveat; as you can see from the map, when Dean was off Jamaica, he was not heading perfectly due west, but about three degrees north of true west. Due west is a bearing of 270 degrees, and Dean's course at that time was about 273 degrees. However, in the chapters I said "West". This was done for simplification only and has no plot significance. Dean's course will be exactly as the historical map shows. Okay, I do admit that the situation at the end of Doomsday is a bit on the tense side. And I was very happy to offer Wildone a lightning-less version of the chapter. I have to admit I was hoping he'd decline, because I could not figure out a good way of doing it, and I've had a long, long time to think about it (I knew the ending for Doomsday before I posted the first chapter of Circumnavigation.) About the only thing I could think of was to replace "lightning" with an innocuous term. Maybe "Fuzzy pink bunny". The problem there is Wildone would have had a chapter where they sky erupted and a fuzzy pink bunny blasted Atlantis. BTW, at critical times in the story, Trevor has been watching lightning. Remember the first paragraph of chapter one? Also, the first line of the prologue, Also, in Carnarvon, when an absolutely dejected Trevor was watching distant lighting. That was when Shane appeared in the rain, come to apologize for their fight. Until that point, they'd been enemies. There have been a few other times as well, but those two are the most important, and foreshadowed the end of Doomsday. Actually, quite a few bits of the story foreshadowed Doomsday. Remember Fantome, the big clipper cruise ship lost with all aboard in Mitch? (that's a real story, BTW). There are other things as well. Okay, I do admit that the end of Doomsday was a tad on the tense side. Those aboard Atlantis do indeed face a bit of a conundrum. They have a killer hurricane the size of Texas coming at them from the east, and Bridget's massive fleet to the west and southwest. And that heartbeat issue. And Atlantis is severely damaged in several ways. So yes, I admit, they face a bit of a conundrum. I'm sure we'd all like to see the final chapter as soon as possible. I'm hard at work on it now. What would spur me to even greater efforts (and thus get the chapter ready sooner) is if we could all agree that Doomsday was not a cliffhanger. (Wildone and MikeL are right!). A tad tense, yes. A bit of a conundrum, yes. But surely not a cliffhanger. (as we all know, I never, ever use those). Oh, and in case anyone gets any evil ideas, I'll point out that Circumnavigation won't be eligible for the 2013 Cliffhanger award, because it will be finished posting before the end of December, 2012. CJ Posted 111th of December, 2012.

I do admit that it is, perhaps, ever so slightly tense, and there is a touch of mystery to it. But it is the end of the story, and the major showdown, so I wrote a chapter 3 times normal length, to avoid breaking it. I felt that breaking this chapter up would spoil the flow of action. There are clues in the chapter. Quite a few. ;-) That's perfect!!!! Thank you for the goof alert!!! I did indeed goof there. I've just edited the chapter to fix it. Thank you Benji!!!!!!! As my team will surely attest, I'm notorious for missing words. This was one such time. The missing word was "room". It was supposed to be "room lines". They cut off the hotel lines to the rooms. Sorry for the confusion! Bridget's fleet is intact, save for the speedboat Atlantis destroyed. There are around ten boats racing south, to get into position to jump Atlantis if she races free of the storm. The rest, 60 odd, are a few miles west of Bridget, arrayed roughly on a north-south line. They will have to run for it very soon - but they have more time than Atlantis does, due to being several miles to the west (dean is approaching from the east). BTW, I posted above that I took no artistic license with Dean. I just remembered that I did, very slightly. Dean's actual historical course is just a few degrees north of due west, so in the chapter I simplified it and said "west" and coming out of the "east" instead of, for example, "Dean was roaring in from four degrees south of due east". This was just for simplicity, the same as I often round off mileages; the actual course of dean will be per the historical record. And Benji, I didn't create this mess they are in. Dean was real; the conditions portrayed are exactly as they were on that date and time and place; the night of August 19th, 2007. So I cannot be blamed for Dean. As for Trevor, Shane, Lisa, and Joel being there, I can't be blamed for that, either; Bridget did that, via her oh so thoughtful wedding present for Lisa and Joel. So blame Bridget, not me! I'm innocent. I'm worried about Trevor, Shane, Lisa, and Joel, too.

Benji!!!!! You've been taken in by the conspiracy... don't listen to them! This was not a cliffy. I'm sure all of our our faithful, hardworking team members will soon be along to verify that the chapter is entirely cliffhanger-free. Our wonderful team carefully scrutinizes every chapter for any hint of a cliffy. If there was one, surely someone would have seen it? What? Poor, sweet, innocent me a rat bastard? Also, please bear in mind that the bad things happening are Bridget's fault, not mine. Atlantis has indeed taken quite a bit of damage. BTW, to anyone wondering: Dean was a real storm, exactly as shown. I didn't make him up or take artistic license. This also, of course, means that I can't very well be blamed for what Dean does.

Chapter 154: Doomsday (Here's a link to google maps, centered on the areas in the chapter, which can be zoomed and moved around, because I know some of you are like me and love to follow along and see the areas on the story.) “Prepare to seize the resort,” the first amongst equals ordered, “Begin in ten minutes and make sure there’s some gunfire. Leave the guests trapped in their rooms, and make sure their phones aren’t interrupted.” They wanted a spectacle, a s

Posted 109th December 2012 - 08:47 PM DOOMSDAY is up! (it might take a minute after this post to appear). Okay, we've got a chapter up. And it's a big one; it's longer than three regular chapters. I'm now positive; after this chapter, we have ONE more (and an epilogue) remaining after tonight's chapter, "Doomsday". Doomsday is the next-to-last chapter. Posted 109th December 2012 - 08:47 PM

Thanks!!!! Actually, we are still under 100 chapters, due to having to convert to Australian maths for numbering the Australian chapters (Australians. being upside down, use inverted numbers). Then. when we re-crossed the equator, wen ended up shifting to an alphanumeric system, so today's chapter is chapter P3. And this is definitely the next to last chapter, so two weeks from today, we'll be done. December has indeed been very accommodating, and I am thankful that it has, otherwise we'd have a hard time getting this story concluded before the end of 2012. It is indeed a very flexible month For some reason, that reminds me of the ancient Chinese curse; may you live in interesting times. I think the next year of the goat comes in 2015, 3 years from now. ****************************************************************************************************** UPDATE: 1 hour or less to Doomsday. I'm working as fast as I can.

Thanks!!!! Three years and five months?!!?!? But I've been saying almost three years.... oops! It's 3 years and two months (October 2009 to December 2012, which is the current month) BTW, POSTING SCHEDULE UPDATE!!!! Scratch that 48 hours and make it no more than 24. It might be less, but it won't be more than 24 hours. CJ