Abraxas

I prefer the Glock 21C myself.... Abraxas

Two Thumbs Up!! I'm looking forward to the sequel. Merry Christmas to all! Abraxas

Tim, Ben, and Codey?s family; The news of Codey?s passing, while expected, is still a difficult pill to swallow. I remember one of our former leaders speaking eloquently about a thousand points of light: people who make this world better by their mere presence, and their interactions with the rest of us. Clearly, Codey was one of those shining stars, and our world, my world, is a darker place with his passing. He is, indeed, free of what limited him here, and I can only think to ask the almighty to accept one of his own back into the fold of heaven. Codey left us with a legacy that will live on in the form of his stories and poems: accomplishments many adults fail to leave in their wake, an awesome accomplishment from one of such tender years. I will remember Codey as one who was passionate about his craft, a fierce and loyal friend: a young man firmly grounded in the realities of this world, while hoping and striving for something better. I am saddened by his passing, but he will live on in our hearts, our thoughts, and our memories. Vaya con Dios, my friend. Rick (aka Abraxas)

Hey! We Air Farce vets resemble that remark (may the farce be with you!)! Still, while I served a full career, it sucked that I had to do so from the back of a very dark closet. The only way this ever gets fixed is if we find a president with a big set of cojones willing to face down his general staff with the same moxie that President Truman did. He basically told them to integrate the armed forces or hand in their stars. The generals were the ones who blinked. I suspect that what it would take is a President Hillary: she clearly has a bigger set than her philandering husband. Abraxas

I enjoyed reading The Wheel of Time series. I used to ride the train into my downtown office, and the many books in the series kept me entertained during many a ride in and out of the downtown corridor. To be honest, the series ran so long, I sort of got burned out on it after reading book eight, The Path of Daggers. Part of the problem, I think, was that I was reading The Wizards First Rule series, by Terry Goodkind at the same time. Still, Jordan created excellent, believable characters, and a fascinating world for his story to unfold on. One day, I'll go back and re-read The Wheel of Time series from start to finish, or as close as we'll get, since it would appear from the article that Robert Jordan was working on book twelve when he passed away. What a shame, he passed too soon. It seems the song was right: Only the good die young. Rick

Author Robert Jordan Dies By BRUCE SMITH ? 2 hours ago Source: Associated Press CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) ? Author Robert Jordan, whose "Wheel of Time" series of fantasy novels sold millions of copies, died Sunday of a rare blood disease. He was 58. Jordan, whose real name was James Oliver Rigney Jr., was born and lived in this southern city most of his life. He died at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston of complications from primary amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy, his personal assistant, Maria Simons, said Monday. The blood disease caused the walls of Rigney's heart to thicken. He wrote a trilogy of historical novels set in Charleston under the pen name Reagan O'Neal in the early 1980s. Then he turned his attention to fantasy and the first volume in his Wheel of Time epic, "The Eye of the World," was published in 1990 under the name Robert Jordan. Jordan's books tells of Rand al'Thor, who is destined to become the champion who will battle ultimate evil in a mythical land. Book 11, "Knife of Dreams," came out in 2005; there was also a prequel, "New Spring: The Novel," in 2004. The other titles in the series include "The Great Hunt," "Lord of Chaos" and "The Path of Daggers." Jordan was working on a 12th volume at the time of his death, Simons said. "The younger devotees of the series, who seem to be legion, have a habit of dutifully rereading the complete gospel before each addition. ... (Jordan) creates a universe simple enough to master and then challenges the characters to do the same in meticulously choreographed battles against chaos and dissolution." In a 2004 online chat on the USA Today Web site, Jordan said he hoped to finish the main "Wheel" series in two more books. "It's not an absolute promise, but I'm very much hoping for it and I think I can do it," he wrote. Most of the books made The New York Times list of best sellers. In an interview with The Associated Press in 2003, Jordan discussed having a best seller. The first time it happens "you go out in the middle of the floor and you do a little dance. Then you go someplace booze is being served and buy a drink for everybody in the house. "You have to have talent to some extent ? I certainly hope I have talent ? but you have to have luck as well," Jordan said. "Once you get that first shot, that will get you noticed for the rest of your books and that will give the rest of your books a better chance." He said in the interview that his Southern background came through in his work, even though it is set in a fantasy world. "What I write is certainly not set in South Carolina, but I have had a number of reviewers comment on the fact that I write with a distinctly Southern voice," he said. "It goes beyond more than simply where the story is set. I believe it is something we take in in the air and the water. It's a matter of word choices ? of the rhythms of sentences and the rhythm of speech in particular." A graduate of The Citadel, South Carolina's state military college, Rigney worked as a nuclear engineer at the old Charleston Naval Shipyard before taking up writing full time in 1977. He served two tours of duty with the Army in Vietnam. He was decorated several times, including winning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Bronze Star. He is survived by his wife, Harriet McDougal Rigney. Funeral arrangements had not been finalized on Monday, Simons said.

Maybe there are a few perks to being an airport screener after all! Abraxas

So far, so good. Looking forward to chapter 5. Abraxas

Graeme; I know the car accident is a bit of a cliche', but it can be handled well. Like you, I've seen innumerable, and unmemorable, stories using the car accident as the catalyst for whatever life changing actions are described in the story. One example of a good use of the car accident that I can remember, though, is Driver's 'Sudden Storm'. Now I admit that a bus is a good deal bigger than a car, and a bus accident impacts many more lives than one car accident. Perhaps, like Driver, you just need a unique angle. How about having the car be destroyed as part of an intergalactic invasion by three armed space aliens, and how the redoubtable Aussies lead the world to victory? You could spin that into quite a yarn! Just kidding...I think. :blush: Rick

Bravo! Bravice! Brava! No spoilers out of me, go read your own copy! Abraxas :blush:

I'll second that sentiment. I finally finished the last Potter book, and believe J.K. Rowling did a fine job of tying up the loose ends. There were even a couple of places towards the end where I found tears forming...I guess its just the sentimental muggle in me peeking out. If you haven't read it yet, go get it! Abraxas

For those of you who have been following Chris Lydon's Sci-fi romp, The Falcon Banner Cycle, the fourth book is finally available at Lulu.com. You can download the pdf version for $5.00 if you are interested, or there is a paperback version available for a higher price. I got it, read it, and loved it. If you enjoy Sci-fi, give it a shot, its well worth the read! Cheers; Abraxas PS If you don't want to spend the five bucks, the story will probably eventually wind up on CRVBoy.com

Dude; Thanks for posting this article. I've wanted to support something like The Point Foundation, but had never found anything I felt I could trust. I'll be dropping them a check shortly. Here's hoping it will help support those who both need and deserve the support. Cheers; Abraxas

Hey, can anyone else get to Archerland? I've been unable to reach the server since Friday. Abraxas

I have to agree with Pecman. As loathsome as Falwell was, Fred Phelps is infinitely worse. Not even Falwell deserves Phelps. This just another in a long series of incidents that prove there is no low Fred Phelps cannot sink to. I do wish I could have heard that segment from the Howard Stern show! Abraxas

Last week I couldn't even spell punkchewashun, now I are one...

Hang in there Johnny. You and your Mom will be in my thoughts and prayers. Godspeed; Abraxas

It may be tasteless to celebrate the passing of this bigoted overblown windbag, and the end of his hate-filled rantings, but just this once, I think being tasteless is something I'll have to indulge in. I won't throw a party over it, but must admit I felt the darkness recede slightly, making the world feel a bit lighter with his passing. I can only hope that, in the end, he receives a measure of the pain he so liberally bestowed on the gay community. Now if only Fred Phelps would have the good grace to follow Falwell into whatever awaits him in the afterlife... Abraxas

I spent nine years living and working in Buddhist countries and have to point out that I felt more comfortable there than I do here in the land of fundamentalist christianism (which has nothing to do with Christianity, by the way). I've never once known a Buddhist to spout the intolerant hate filled rhetoric practiced from many of our pulpits each and every Sunday. But this is wide of the point. The real point is that Dan's work is interesting, engaging, and filled with characters you wish you actually knew. I've enjoyed the Do-Over stories, but think my actual favorite is Dreams of Humanity. If you enjoy Sci-Fi, this is well written quality fiction. Give it a shot. Abraxas

I'd have to agree with Cole, Draginacht's 'David' series is well worth a read. If you read for content and enjoyment, you'll like it. If you read it as a literary critic, you might not..... Abraxas

Quite right...they're lower than whale crap!

I love Maximum PC! Its far better than all those ad laden rags that call themselves computer magazines..... The reviews tend to be brutally honest and to the point. Abraxas

While I may not have the background to address the legal issues here, I do know that Drake was a strong proponent of his rights under Copyright law. I suspect if his works were to be suddenly posted without permission, he would resurface quickly to take legal action against the appropriate person or persons. Drake has completely dropped out of sight. His former site administrator, Lugnutz, is unable to contact him, as is someone he once counted as a brother, Dewey. If he won't respond to those folks, I doubt he'll respond to anyone else. Based on conversations with Dewey, Jeff, and Blue, I have my own ideas about why he dropped out of sight and will only say that while I respect his right to go his own way, I honestly wish things were different. Drake, like many of our fellow writers, is a rare talent, and one I personally miss greatly. Abraxas

Drake Hunter is another extremely talented writer who, for whatever reason, has completely withdrawn from the web. 'Finding His own,' 'A Place to Live,' and 'A Royal Thief' were also imaginative, excellent stories, the first two of which tied in with Dewey's 'For the Love of Pete' series. Its a shame that Drake has chosen to, or was driven to, hide the light of his talent from the world. Come back Drake, we miss you. Abraxas

Camy; I think it is, but then the difference in picture quality between North America's analog NTSC standard and digital HD is much broader than between HD and the PAL television system used across most of Europe. I lived in London for two years and can tell you I really noticed the difference in quality when I came back to the states, with ours being noticeably worse than yours. If you lived here, I'd say sure, that you could find a high definition projector for a reasonable price increase over the "standard' projectors. Given that I have no idea what the british market looks like these days, I'd hesitate to give you any advice other than go find a good electronics shop and view the difference for yourself, and then see if you can afford the price difference. Finally, the drivers behind the transition might be different. Here in America, the federal government has mandated that digital HD be the standard transmitted for 'over the air' television by 2009, so you'll either have to update your TV to an HD capable set, or buy a 'converter' box. The reasons are all economic. Our government plans to re-sell the radio frequency spectrum currently in use by the old analog television stations: spectrum liscenses worth billions to the US Federal treasury. I have no idea if there is any such requirement going on in Europe, so again this may, or may not be a driver for you to consider. If it isn't, and you don't see much of a quality difference, save yourself a few quid...you can always spend it on something else. On the other hand, if, like me, you enjoy your movies as sharp, bright, and crisp as at the theater, you might want to consider it an investment in the future. Cheers; Abraxas