rick

Camy; Thanks for the feedback - I do appreciate it. I found an open source program called FontForge that looks like it will do what I need - the issue now is finding the time to learn another fairly complicated piece of software. Like Murphy said: Nothing is as easy as it looks, Everything takes longer than you expect... Cheers; Rick

I've been working on Chronicles again and have developed a set of characters for use as a runic alphabet within the story. Here's my challenge - how does someone as artistically challenged as myself convert these characters into a usable and scalable font? Does anyone know someone who can pull that off? Any idea on costs? Any help or suggestions are appreciated. Rick

For those of you following Chronicles and wondering why it hasn't been continued, life came along and interrupted my writing for better than a year. When I finally managed to get back to writing, my editor had a serious disagreement with the Codeysworld team and has stopped editing Chronicles, and hasn't posted anything to Codeysworld since very early this year. If I ever find a new editor/web content formatter, things may resume as I've managed to complete a couple of new chapters, but it's anyone's guess when that might happen. Sorry; Rick

Yeah, push that arctic air back where it belongs!

I'm not going to hold my breath either.... Rick

James; Expected or not, it's never easy to lose family. My condolences and sympathy on your loss. Rick

Welcome Michael! I feel as if I've come to know you a bit through e-mail and, of course, your stories, and look forward to seeing more of your work as you develop it! Warm Regards; Rick

Richard; I only wish I had the courage to walk the path you and your partner are traveling down. I hope things work out well for all three of you. Best wishes and warm regards; Rick

I cast my vote for Mozart...mainly because of the beauty and range of his musical creations, but also because the man was a bit of a rock star in his day, with some of his works being denounced by the clergy as scandalous. My kind of guy! Rick

An awesome piece of music, performed very well, indeed. Rick

This may well be a similar issue.... Thanks; Rick

Des; I'm generally pretty impressed, but I have several video clips where this player will, on its own, resize the video window to minimum after I've set it to a larger size...kinda annoying. Any suggestions? Rick

Thanks, Des. I'll give it a try. Rick

Does anyone know if this player will run with multiple instances open at the same time? Rick

Ahhh, Okay. Your favorite Biloxi places bracket Keesler air plane patch to the east and west. I don't remember either place specifically, although I ate at a bunch of places on the beach to avoid the food in the Keesler chow halls (insert puking smiley here). You'll have to tell me whether or not the drive through liquor store on the beach is still there...I always thought the concept was a scream... Have a great time in Ole' Biloxi, and eat a plate of crawfish for me! Rick

Keesler AFB? I don't remember a sea food place at Keesler AFB! I spent a couple of years there one summer/fall (Rick shudders as suppressed memories rise to the surface, all unbidden). Rick

James; I just got caught up with the story and wanted to say you've now got me wondering where this is going since a lot of the early (and obvious) plot devices have been bypassed. I'm looking forward to more... Rick

Absolutely...happens all the time (when I find the time to write, that is). Rick

A couple of comments from my own experience. In the course of twenty some odd years of education and training, I can remember only a couple of the people who taught me: most because they sucked, but only a very few because they truly shone as examples of what a good teacher could do. I can point to two teachers in elementary school who were able to inspire me to do my best and who nurtured creativity. In high school, I had a science teacher and the guy who taught the drafting and architecture courses who were able to do the same. For the most part, my high school math and Spanish teachers were examples of the worst of the lot. If the student didn't understand, in their minds, it was because of a deficiency in the student, not their lack of abilities as a teacher and inspiration. In college, there were a few more examples of what a good teacher should be like. I had two teachers in English who were outstanding. They focused on developing writing skills, not the rote mechanics of the language, and were very good at it. I still remember the two professors who taught me business law because they made you do the work and learn the ideas and concepts behind the written law. The could also be flat brutal to those who were unprepared, but they were less interested in whether your opinion differed from theirs than they were interested in whether or not you could muster a convincing and logical argument supporting your position. Most of my technical teachers in engineering were pretty much non-standouts, but I had a calculus and differential equations professor who made all those reams of calculations interesting. The same could be said of my statistics professor. On the other hand, the absolute worst instructor I have ever had taught accounting when I went back to school for a business degree. That guy was a waste of the space he took up in the classroom. Worse, he was actually counter-productive in his teaching style. So I think it's fair to say that teachers, regardless of locale and specialty, are subject to the same bell curve distribution that the rest of us fall on somewhere. There are a select few who are outstanding teachers who are capable of truly inspiring their students, a somewhat larger group who are good in some ways, followed by a large group who are merely mediocre at best. Rick

Well done, Phantom. Bravo! Note to Des: we need a clapping smiley. Rick

Trab brings up a good point, however. Media types are attracted to controversy and those with the biggest soapboxes like moths to a flame. As a direct result, people like Phelps are made out to be bigger and more important than they should be. While I'm on the subject, how is it that Savage has a radio show? The FCC fined CBS hundreds of thousands of dollars for a sub-second view of Janet Jackson's 30 year old titty. How is it that Savage and his hate filled rhetoric are allowed to stay on air? I don't get it... Rick

I see myself as an engineer, craftsman, and writer. I've never really thought of myself as an artist, probably because of the rather unusual behavioral connotations associates with arteests (spelling intentionally changed). Although, having read Des' earlier post, I guess I can see his point that the act of creating is inherently art-y. Rick

Good on you! Our British cousins have the good sense to keep troublemakers out of their country. I just wish we could export Fred Phelps and Michael Savage: permanently. The pair of them are a stain on the very fabric of the United States. While I support their right to spew the filth and hate they are so well known for, they make me wish for a loophole in the freedom of speech. Personally, I think they should both be muzzled, man in the iron mask style... Rick

I object to strip searching children (or anyone else) by school officials (or any other kind of 'official'), especially over such a damn fool stupid thing, on general principle. If you have probable cause, we have a process for this sort of thing that involves law enforcement, legal counsel, and parental participation. One child ratting on another in an attempt to get some leniency is not, in my view, probable cause. Who is there acting as an advocate for the accused child? Some pervert of a school principal? No, if you believe a child has done something illegal, involve the police and follow the same rules you follow in a criminal investigation. Doing anything else, in my view, constitutes an illegal search and seizure. Take a look at the following and show me where the fourth amendment doesn't apply to schoolkids: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Please note it is not otherwise qualified or limited to a specific age group, sex, sexual orientation, or any of the rest of that. I understand we have a drug problem in this country. I understand that the government has a legitimate need to control dangerous drugs and mitigate their impacts on society. This road, however, is a slippery slope. Once we exclude a specific class of citizen from the protections of the bill of rights, where, exactly, does that end? A recent example can be found in California's last election, or with some pencil-necked government functionary deciding that its OK to do something even worse (one such functionary, 'Mr Torture is OK' is now a Federal Judge). The most amazing part of this to me is the fact that this pervert of a principal is being supported in doing something so completely outrageous: and supported all the way the the US Supreme Court. The bastard should be in jail instead of a legal cause celeb. Rick

I'm looking forward to it, James... Rick