MikeL

Counting chapters now may be like twiddling your thumbs...a waste of time at best.

Not funny, James!

A cowboy, who just moved to Wyoming from Texas, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Bud. He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more. The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, "You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a time." The cowboy replies, "Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in Arizona, the other is in Colorado. When we all left our home in Texas, we promised that we'd drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I'm drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself." The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there. The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn. One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, "I don't want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss." The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs. "Oh, no, everybody's just fine," he explains, "It's just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking. Hasn't affected my brothers though."

From the Associated Press: OSLO, Norway (AP) — A road tunnel in northern Norway will be shut for several weeks after a 27-ton truckload of sweet goat's milk cheese caught fire. Regional traffic department chief Geir Joergensen says flames engulfed the tunnel last week and gases from the melting, brown load hindered firefighters. It took four days to put it out. The driver was not hurt and no other vehicles were in the 3.6-kilometer (2.2-mile) tunnel at the time. Joergensen said Wednesday that the tunnel near the small Arctic municipality of Tysfjord, some 1,350 kilometers (840 miles) north of the capital, Oslo, likely will be closed for two more weeks. Goat's milk cheese, a sweet delicacy with a high sugar and fat content, is an essential part of many Norwegians' daily diet. A truckload of brunost cheese, like the kind seen here, recently caught fire in a Norwegian tunnel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbuJbPN3C-Y&feature=player_detailpage Never underestimate the power of goats.

Happy Birthday, Cowboy! Love ya.

On Guns A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. is 80,000,000. Yes, that's 80 million. The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all ages and all groups, is 1,500. C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is .0000188.* * All statistics courtesy of FBI. Statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners. Remember, 'Guns don't kill people, doctors do.' Not everyone has a gun, but almost everyone has at least one doctor. This means you are over 9,000 times more likely to be killed by a doctor than by a gun owner! Please alert your friends to this alarming threat. We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand! Note: Out of concern for the public at large, I withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical attention!

I agree, Dave. They are not safe and their fate may be horrible. Not only do they have to contend with severe weather and dangerous seas around Cape Horn, but they have many miles to go to reach the Falklands...about 48 hours. Bridget isn't the only one trying to track them down; there are the Argentines and possibly the Chileans.

Sugar would not do much damage to an engine or transmission, but put sugar in the gas tank? Look out! It's why ethanol should never be added to gasoline.

Wen, I think we Christians correctly thank God for the blessings we have. Our prayers should also include a request for blessings on those who are ill, bereaved, out of work, suffering from a natural disaster or other mishap. It is also appropriate for us to pray for those who are not Christians. If anyone objects, we will include those petitions in our private prayers only. As the Chinese New Year is approaching (February 10, 2013), I pray that you will have a happy and prosperous one. 春節

Whites Only Laundry

LOL. Same here. Poor goat.

Happy Birthday, Bleu! Our flourishing one.

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/6975499776/h22C99B59/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4RQYr9HeVxw

Safi, Morocco

A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him "Why do you carry a 45?" The Ranger responded, "Because they don't make a 46."

Another thing I've found interesting is to search for information on these locations. You can see pictures, maps, and read some historical and cultural information at Wikipedia.org on Carnarvon, for example.

Sorry about that TR. It's a wonder I beat you to it; I had several interruptions and thought I would never get that posted. The history bit is essential. Chile? I've been thinking they are going to the Falklands. Wasn't the Falklands capital, Port Stanley, mentioned earlier?

Wet blanket? I should think so. A little history never hurt anyone. In this case, it helps the reader understand why Trevor is being hassled by the customs agent at Ushuaia. The Argentines' record on international relations is a checkered one at best. Their past wars with neighbors Chile and the UK (Falkland Islands) influence the way Trevor is being treated and provide insight into his motivation for seeking to steal away and evade any military assets Argentina may use against him. Trevor and Shane are Argentina's newest enemies. Their preemptive strike was limited to potatoes. You have read 147 chapters of Circumnavigation because it's a good story. C J doesn't write the typical gay story. The detail enriches the reader's experience. As punishment, you should reread the history lesson.

Her speech was very graceful and lighthearted. It was the first time I ever heard "single" used as as euphemism for "gay" or "lesbian".

Benji, just because "the goat throws us curves" doesn't mean Grundig is one of the bad guys. Have you considered that the goat may also throw screwballs?

We've seen nothing in the story that casts any suspicion on Grundig. Bridget has enough henchmen without recruiting an obscure, junior customs officer in the tiny town Carnarvon, population 5,283. Has Bridget ever even heard of Carnarvon?

Look at the price tag. Who needs a weapon that would cost more than the value of all the potential targets combined?