[Then and Now by FreeThinker]

As a rule, the 'blog' method of telling a tale turns me off, and I don't mind admitting I read the first few words and went somewhere else. Due to the length of this thread, I revisited the story today - and I had to read the whole thing. I was wrong, it is a good tale, well told and the method used, does work well here. So thanks both to Freethinker and the posters here.

I'll just go and stick my head in a bucket of soapy frogs...

[Kingdom Come by Mihangel]

A jolly good read, and I've just spent a sunny afternoon indoors, reading it.

By far the best story of the week.

[Doing Something - by Cole Parker]

Can't embed it (I did try) but to my mind, for a fat lady singing, this lady takes a lot of beating:

http://www.popmodal....d-Bless-America

To my mind, this song and lady in the film, "The return of Captain Invincible" epitomises the idea and is a better performance. But the song was written for the singer, and she did perform it many times.

As for the story, yes it could be ended with today's offering, but Cole always seems to round off tales completely, without falling into the trap of overdoing it. I'm sure there'll be a few smaller issues rounded off and I look forward to next week.

[Doing Something - by Cole Parker]

Yes! I was right. Not often I work out other folks plots. Thanks Cole for a darn good read.

[Doing Something - by Cole Parker]

Well, something has now leapt at me after the latest instalment. If I'm right, it explains some of the earlier actions. And if I'm wrong, I've still enjoyed reading and thinking about the tale.

Not saying what it is - I'm not a publisher of spoilers.

[A fiction revolution.]

The brewers own site on the beer, http://www.theakston...s/Old-Peculier/

There is also a pub locater on the site, and one is in my town... But I'd advise as does the site to ring and check as it is certainly not a session beer

A bottled beer site also remarks that the draught does not taste the same as the bottled, but I've not given a link since although this is true, the comment compare it to Fullers ESB which to my mind tastes nothing like it.They are both dark strong ales but that is as far as it goes.

Guinness - try Foreign Extra Stout if you can get it. It's a bit rare, very strong, only in little bottles but absolutely gorgeous.

On topic, the web is full of self publishing sites, but very few are consistently good places to visit. The trick of writing a good readable story is not that easy to learn. Ease of publishing, yes, but good?

[Oh Yeah...but can they shoot straight?]

You've not been stroked by a video?

Flattens grass, curls up and purrs.

[Murray through to Wimbledon Final!]

Careful, Murray gets a bit upset when you refer to him as being English - he's a Scot and proud of it. A lot of Scots have a bee in their bonnet about nationalities; leant it the hard way when I lived in Scotland for a few years.

Sure I could record one, but I'm not that keen on sport. In fact, I could record both and watch something else, my recorder is far cleverer than I am!

[Murray through to Wimbledon Final!]

For someone who generally turns the box off when sport come on, I've now got a problem, British Grand Prix and Wimbledon final at the same time.

[Railroad Bridges]

Very well written, I read the first couple of sentences, realised how good it was, and slowed right down (I am normally a very fast reader).

[Sanataria Springs - by Dabeagle]

Story gets a thumbs up from here. Dabeagle gets a rare honour, I've just read the story for a second time in a couple of days. And that is my mark of a good tale, does it stand a second read in a short space of time? Plot and characterisations both need to be good to get this.

:applause[1]: :applause[1]:

[Help! Tomatoes and Gardening Misadventures!]

Pop the baby green tomato into the freezer. When you clear the plants at the end of the season, you'll have more unripened green tomatoes.

Then look up chutney recipes on the web and make some chutney out of them. You won't find this published, or at least I haven't but add in an appropriate amount of fresh chilli peppers and make it moderately - not loony, hot. Yum!

[British children 'turn to American English']

Language is an evolving thing. I suspect though a lot of English kids are using computers with the spellchecker set to American English as many computer programs default to that.

Around my way, we generally say 'pop' but you'll find them referred to as 'soft drinks' on menus etc. I've never heard the word 'coke' applied to anything but a coke type drink and were you to request it and then get lemonade (the fizzy sort) you'd be most surprised.

The spelling of the word 'program/programme' is interesting. Quite a few English people, including myself will refer to a computer program, and a television programme. However, had we asked a teacher 40 years ago, the answer would have been, 'it's programme in English, the spelling without the second 'm' and 'e' is American. And from a etymological point of view, not that logical either since one could argue, the computer program was invented by a English lady, Ada Lovelace.

[John Jacob Erickson!]

A short story that could be the start of a serial novel as I've talked to Kiwi, the author. Be that as it may, in general I like the short story format, trying to convey a complex idea or ideas in few words.

http://iomfats.org/s...b-erickson.html

I'm not saying any more, as I'll spoil it for you, but at just over 1000 words (my computer counted them for me), worth a couple of minutes of your time.

[Texas Judges: Don't You Just Love Them?]

What does putting her in jail teach her? Other than a lesson that if she had money she'd be fine. I think she already knows that.

She does not need prosecuting, she needs help. Take some of the load off her and I bet there are no more attendance problems.

[On the Net]

As has been said often, the USA and UK are two nations divided by a common language. In the UK, political lampooning has history going back years and truthfully, by the standards of the 1700s and 1800s, Rick's language is mild.

There are many things that concern me about Milt Romeny, and his viewpoint on gay marriage is just one of them.

[Orson Scott Card - The Homophobic Bigot ups his ante]

Hmm, had heard similar reports on Orson Scott Card's views. Thankfully, although he has one sympathiser adding a comment, the rest are clearly against.

For my money, it's not a 'left' or 'right' wing issue anyway, it's quite possible to support gay marriage and be of either political standpoint.

[Rainbow town and Jesus land]

I'm a voracious reader, and a very slow writer.

I greatly enjoyed reading this. It read like it was a trailer for a longer story and certainly left the impression with me that I'd like to read the longer story when it comes.