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Smiley

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Everything posted by Smiley

  1. Congrats to both or you....next step is Rear Admiral.
  2. Please join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EST) on January 14th, 2017 (01:30 A.M., January 15th (GMT)), for a discussion of The Great Zero by Jonathan Walter. The story is from the 2011 "Fiction" issue of The New Yorker magazine. This week's selection deals with the socio-political impact of the great depression and concurrent "dust bowl" drought of the early 1930's. It is not a pretty story, but I found it interesting. The story has the same feel to it as do Steinbeck's depression era novels, and I hope you will agree with me that this story is well worth reading. It should provide ample grist for our chat mill. The story is available for at: https://www.theatlantic.com/feed/author/jonathan-walter/ Meeting Place: Webchat: http://www.koach.com...#Readers_Corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I hope to see you all there, and don't forget...bring a friend. Log attached: reaers log 01-14-2017.txt
  3. Smiley

    Ten Cent Drinks

    that's a totally unfair characterization of rertired people
  4. OK, we have a new sub-forum for Web Development. We need Web Developers and those who always wanted to know about Web stuff but were afraid to ask to post their questions and answers here. I'll start with off with a question. Can anyone define Web Development in terms I can understand, Are we talking building an html file for a home page or developing multi-player online role playing games or both of those things and everything in between? Answers please ---
  5. For unto us a child is born...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
  6. Congratulations. Have a happy wedding day and best wishes for your future with your new husband.
  7. I hope you all have a pleasant holiday season and that we can resume our weekly Readers' Corner Chats refreshed and ready for some intellectual stimulation. Please join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EST) on January 7th, 2017 (01:30 A.M., January 8th (GMT)), for a discussion of The Adventure of the Green Skull by Mark Valen. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced us to Sherlock Holmes in 1887 and wrote more than 50 short stories and novels about the great detective, the last published in 1927. Holmes, the detective, needs no introduction. The popularity of the character is evidenced by Holmes' appearance in countless theatrical and film productions. The Adventure of the Green Skull is one selection from an anthology of Sherlock Holmes stories written by an assortment of some of our most talented contemporary writers. It's offered as a "free sample" of that anthology, The Improbably Adventures of Sherlock Holmes © 2009 by John Joseph Adams published by Night Shade Books. The story is available for download or on-line reading at: http://www.baen.com/readonline/index/read/sku/F1597801607 (note: the link is to the title page of the anthology, from that title page select "8" from the Bookmark Chapters matrix in the left hand margin.) The link includes an introduction (cover page) eight short stories, and end notes--all of which are well worth your attention, although we will only discuss this story (chapter 8) in readers' corner. Meeting Place: Webchat: http://www.koach.com...#Readers_Corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I hope to see you all there, and don't forget...bring a friend. Log attached: readers log Jan 7 17.txt
  8. How did I know how the story ended before I finished the fifth sentence?
  9. Please join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EST) on December 17th, 2016 [01:30 A.M. (GMT), December 18th], for a discussion of the story Significant Figures by Rachael Acks. This story, like last week's, is a reasonably recent offering from the online magazine Strange Horizons. Rather than the dark, brooding tale from the Lousiana last week, this story feeds us a pleasant platter of humor with our breakfast waffles. The story, a parody of classic pulp science fiction, offers a selection of cliches that should elicit a few lol's from even those who would normally eschew a science fiction tale. I am certain you will enjoy it. A pod cast of the story is available on the same site as the written story, I can recommend both (although I far prefer to read my stories with my own two eyes). The story is available on line on the web in the DSecember 16th, 2013 edition of Strange Horizons magazine: http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/significant-figures/ The chat will be in our normal Readers' Corner chat room: Webchat: http://koach.com/cha...=readers_corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I believe you all will enjoy the story as much as I. There will be no "Readers' Corner chat on Christmas or New Years Eves so I hope to see every single one of you for this one (our final Readers' Corner meeting of the year). LOG ATTACHED: readers log 17 dec 16.txt
  10. Please join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EST) on December 10th, 2016 [01:30 A.M. (GMT), December 11th], for a discussion of the story The Opening of the Bayou Saint John by Shawn Scharber. The story is a dark fantasy with a Poe like feel. The story is set in New Orleans, home to cajun and creole cuisine as well as cajun and creole religions and legends. Mix a bit of voodoo with a bit of cajun belief in bayous haunted by the spirits of unbaptized infants and locally grown werewolves, called the rougarou of the bayous, and a grieving mother of a still born child, and you may come up with a story as moody and thought provoking as this one. Shawn Scarber lives and works in North Texas. He’s written a number of short stories that have appeared in magazines, collections, and e-zines. He’s a Clarion West 06 graduate and an active member of the Future Classics Speculative Fiction Writers. The story is available on line on the web in the February 8, 2016 edition of Strange Horizons magazine: http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/the-opening-of-the-bayou-saint-john/ The chat will be in our normal Readers' Corner chat room: Webchat: http://koach.com/cha...=readers_corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I hope you all enjoy the story as much as I. I sm certain we will have fun discussing it. LOG ATTACHED: Readers Log Dec 10 2016.txt Readers Log Dec 10 2016.txt
  11. They taught us during concealed carry class that the best place for an inside the pants holster was over your appendix....unless you were left handed. Too easy to get caught in clothing if over the kidney. And yes, you arevery careful to stay outside the trigger guard on the draw.
  12. Not one weapon in a position where it can be reached and used quick enough in an emergeny. Might as well have left all the hardware at home in the closet.
  13. Please Note: There will be no Readers' Corner chat on November 26. Family commitments over the Thanksgiving weekend will prevent too many of our regulars from attending to warrant a meeting. We ask you to join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EDST) on December 3rd, 2016 [01:30 A.M. (GMT), December 4th], for a discussion of the story The Drowning Detective by David Cox. The story is a detective story in the old style, with a hard drinking, just slightly uncouth, anti-hero type detective trading blows and bad one liners with a collection of sleazy characters. If you like Humphry Bogart film noir movies I think you will love this story. The action takes place in the UK (that means England to the geographically handicapped), and therefore involves a slightly different twist on the dialog (mostly due to the quaint differences between the queen's and american english). But there are sufficient bad one liners to keep all of us who speak some form of the language smiling. The story is available on line at: http://www.thrillingdetective.com/fiction/02_05_03.html The chat witll be in our normal Readers' Corner chat room: Webchat: http://koach.com/cha...=readers_corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I hope you all enjoy the story as much as I did, and please drag a friend with you to the next chat. Log attached: re log dec 3 2016.txt
  14. That certainly is a very large signature icon
  15. Please join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EST) on November 19th, 2016 [01:30 A.M. (GMT), November 20th], for a discussion of the story Married to a Murderer by Alan Russell. The tale is a "crime" story with an unusual twist. I think you will enjoy it. I won't go into any detail because I don't want to spoil it for you. This story is available on-line at: http://www.mysterynet.com/love/romance/married/ Webchat address: http://koach.com/cha...=readers_corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I look forward to discussing the story with you next Saturday evening. Oh, don't forget to bring a friend. Log Attached: RC Log 11-19-2016.txt RC Log 11-19-2016.txt
  16. Smiley

    Dawn

    In my experience with a number of public and office networks, such as those found in medical and dental facilities, government facilities, banks, etc...... The webmasters or systems admins block all connections to any and all IRC servers/networks. Some firewalls and virus scan programs still list IRC clients as potential viruses or virus threats and demand that the computer admin give specific permission to connect. I'll bet that's what's going on there, i.e. Koach.com is a known irc provider hence, by default, too risky to allow on the hospital network.
  17. Smiley

    Dawn

    Glad to see you amoung the living. You had us scared. Take care of yourself.
  18. Please join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EST) on November 12th, 2016 [01:30 A.M. (GMT), November 13th], for a discussion of the story A Kid, a Chopper, and a Veteran by Kevin Hughes. This is a recent story about a gift from a generous young man to an aging disabled veteran. It is a gentle, touching story published on line in October of this year. It a good tale to tell on Veteran's Day weekend. I think you will appreciate it. Kevin Hughes is an amateur writer, who seemingly writes as a hobby posting he works on-line on StoryStar.com. StoryStar seems more of an blog than a commercial web site, and it carries a number of short stories and essays by aspiring authors (and by authors who simply like to share their works with others). I think that this particular tale will give us much to discuss. This story is available on-line at: http://www.storystar.com/php/read_story.php?story_id=13102 Webchat address: http://koach.com/cha...=readers_corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I hope you all enjoy the story as much as I did, and I look forward to discussing the story with you next Saturday evening. Oh, don't forget to bring a friend. Log Attached: readers 11-12-2016.txt readers 11-12-2016.txt
  19. ohhhhweeee, now you and I are the same age again.
  20. You will never see another conservative president as long as those who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living!
  21. Smiley

    Dawn

    Thank God....tell her that NC is pulling for her. Have her ask her internist about the possibility of an insulin pump or pod system, they make management of blood sugar a lot easier. Smiley/Picker
  22. Please join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EDST) on November 5th, 2016 [00:30 A.M. (GMT), November 6th], for a discussion of the story The Suffragette’s Election by J. S. Bangs. This is a recent speculative story about a time, not too very far in the future, where electronic voting provides every citizen, no matter how woefully ignorant (or even so apathetic that they use automated bots to vote on their behalf), with the opportunity to decide the merits of every proposed law. Of course, any automated system is subject to hacking, and one then must then decide for themselves whether hacking of a corrupt or stupid system is right or wrong. I personally have no experience with internet voting, and I refuse to vote "early" as some of my more liberal acquaintances prefer--I always thought there was something wrong with counting votes from people who had died prior to the actual election (even in Chicago where it has been going on for at least 60 years). With the U.S. elections looming the Tuesday following our next chat, I thought a tale about the election process would provide a welcome relief from the drone of political commercials in the midst of the most unpleasant political campaigns by all candidates in the past 50 years. The story is interesting, the chat about it should be great. This story was published on line in the February 2013 on-line edition of Crossed Genres magazine. It's available at: http://crossedgenres.com/magazine/002-the-suffragettes-election/ Webchat address: http://koach.com/cha...=readers_corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I hope you all enjoy the story as much as I did, and I look forward to discussing the story with you next Saturday evening. Oh, don't forget to bring a friend. Log attached: Readers Log 11-01-2016.txt Readers Log 11-01-2016.txt
  23. Please join us for our next chat in #readers_corner at 8:30 P.M. (EDST) on October 29th, 2016 [00:30 A.M. (GMT), October 30th], for a discussion of the story The Heart-Beat Escapement by Rachael Acks. I have had very little exposure to and have never quite understood the "Steampunk" phenomenon. In retrospect, while doing my due diligence on this weeks selection, I learned that number of films which I have enjoyed fall into that category (most notably Hugo, a movie which I loved and of which this story reminds me). While the story might fall into the genre of Science Fiction or perhaps Fantasy, the theme deals more with love, respect, and parental responsibilities. This story was published on line in the November 2016 on line edition of Crossed Genres magazine (unfortunately the magazine went out of business after its December 2016 edition.) It's available at: http://crossedgenres.com/magazine/016-the-heart-beat-escapement/ Webchat address: http://koach.com/cha...=readers_corner mIRC Users: /server -m chat3.koach.com:6667 -j #readers_corner I hope to see you all for the chat, and don't forget to bring a friend. Log attached: Readers Log 10-29-2016.txt
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