Graeme

The more I learn, the more I wish that 1. I lived in the USA, 2. I was able to go to Dallas, and 3. I was single.... I'm glad you guys are having fun.

While it would be nice if I could go, too, that's impossible for a number of reasons. So, for those who are there... ENJOY!

Hi, Treyvan! I'll also take the opportunity to say happy 2nd anniversary of your GA membership, which comes up in only a few days time. Cheers! Graeme EDIT TO ADD: I also noticed that you're listed as being in Dallas. Were you aware that there's a GA get-together in Dallas this weekend?

Congratulations, James! It's good to have your competence and expertise acknowledged so quickly

Get well soon, Krista!

Happy Birthday! I hope you're spoiled rotten on your special day.

An author should never be pressured into changing something, just to keep some readers happy. There's nothing wrong with an author incorporating ideas from readers because they appeal, but it is their story, not the readers. If they let the readers tell them what is going to happen, then it's not their story any more.

Interesting I had always assumed that the Australian model was similar to the UK, but it appears that there are more differences than I was aware of. In Australia, there are essentially three levels of education: Primary (up to year/grade six) Secondary (up to year/form twelve) Tertiary (University and other further education) The term 'college' is not formally used. Many secondary schools call themselves colleges. There are colleges associate with universities, but they are typically dorms, not teaching colleges (eg. Queens College at the University of Melbourne is one of a number of places where out of town students can live during school terms). There is a state-wide system of testing/evaluation in year 12 of secondary school, and the results of that feed into the university entry program. This means that students don't typically learn if they get into the tertiary course they want until January (the school year starts in February). There doesn't appear to be an established system of retaking tests like has been described in the UK. That's why year 12 is such a stressful time for Australian students -- so much rides on just one set of exams at the end of the year. Like the UK, secondary schools tend to concentrate on education. Most social activities are completely divorced from the school system. This has the side effect that much of the social activities have wider age groups, too, because they are based purely on common interests. eg. A ham radio group would include enthusiasts from kids of ten (say) through to adults of seventy-plus. Sporting groups tend to congregate more along age lines, but many of these social groups cover a wide range in ages.

Happy Birthday! Enjoy your last year as a teenager And have a great day!

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day. Remember, it's all downhill from here, so enjoy the ride

Happy Birthday, Luc! ...Best wishes and all that stuff...

Happy Birthday, Rad! I hope everything is going well for you in Germany, and that you're really enjoying yourself!

A belated Happy Birthday!

The problem with your poll is that you didn't give an answer for people, like me, who voted "No" for the first question. Since I answered no, I obviously don't have a favourite one I like strategy games, but not real-time ones. I have, in the past, had lots of fun with games such as Civilisation (II & III), Master of Magic, Lords of Magic and Sim City. I haven't looked at any of the newer ones, as I rarely get the time to play them anymore. Okay, to be fair, I don't feel like playing them anymore, because there are other things I would prefer to spend my time doing Like reading and writing

I would have to say the increased ability to care. As a member of a minority, I think I am more aware of minority issues, which, for me, translates into an increased feeling of compassion. I know that's not everyone -- I know of a few guys who have been through the wringer and compassion is typically the last thing in their mind -- but that's me.

If Nick Archer gives you a review, listen He's a good author, and very knowledgeable about writing. You don't have to agree with everything he said, but pay attention

While I appreciate Gary's comment, I think I have to disagree. Unless you have the story completed and just waiting to roll out, a chapter a week is a very high strain on an author and editor -- especially for a story that goes for 30+ chapters. It is basically saying you're committing to working on the story every week for over six months. If the story, like LTMP, is 40+ chapters, you're talking about a year. A year without breaks.... Authors need breaks. They need to have their own lives. They need to have time to do other things -- even if it's just writing on something different (eg. anthologies). Readers need consistency. They need to have the interval short enough that they haven't forgotten what's happened before. A two week posting cycle is a good compromise. Weekly is better, if it's not too much of a strain (eg. if the chapters are prepared in advance and just rolled out), but if you are still working on the story, I think weekly is too much if you want to have a life outside of writing.

Cloning. It's an effective technique to make key and/or important people become more productive. Cloning of goats is certainly not outside the realms of current technology. The only question is how many clones do we need? I think two. That would mean three stories a week (from the original plus the two clones). Seriously, I can't work on more than one novel at a time. the only time I tried it, it wasn't very successful from a readers point of view (because of the gaps between chapters). You also have to consider your poor editor.... My opinion is write how you like writing, but only post one story at a time. What this means is that you'll eventually end up with a completed story, ready to go, when you've just finished posting another one. This gives you lots of slack for things like vacations, climbing cliffs, abseiling off cliffs, etc. Or, maybe working on a novel to be published, rather than posted

Something that took me a while to understand is that the American school year is almost continuous. Unlike Australia, where there are regular breaks during the school year (four terms, with a two week break between them, and a six week break between school years), the USA school year just rolls through. There are breaks for various national holidays, with longer breaks for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but Spring Break is a week off from school -- something that the students have been largely missing since their last Summer holiday. While, in theory, many of them are supposed to use the time to get ready for exams, it is used as an excuse to let their hair down and relax. Hence the reputation for being a bit rowdy at times.....

G'day, Ben/L! Welcome to GA. If you've any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask In the meantime, have a wander around and take as much time as you like to settle in. Cheers! Graeme

You are assuming a single goose. If you had a trained squadron of geese, some could be holding the machine gun, while another fires it. Just because there was only one body, that doesn't mean there weren't others out there. When the bikers used their night scopes to watch, they would have mistaken the coordinated activity of the geese to be a single person, and when they shot them, the survivors flying away would have been ignored as not possible (since the existence of trained machine gun-wielding geese squadrons is, or was, a closely guarded secret).

Happy 22nd Birthday! I hope you have a great day

Happy Birthday, Nate!

G'day, Knight! If you've got any questions, please feel free to ask. Everyone was new here once The Australian takeover started well before the UK takeover. Wait your turn

I think Florida is close to being unique in that respect. Most places require that there be a visible threat, not a perceived threat, before deadly use can be used.