What is it with the badge ego!
Just an observation...

For someone who claims not to care about badges, you seem to care a lot about badges.


You're right, it probably is ego, but know what, it's also a heck of a lot of fun chasing badges. Fun is something you might want to try on here, for no other reason than it is fun.

I think I need to tackle these challenges too, it's been a while since I got a shiny new badge. <img src="/images/emoticons/happy8.gif" alt="happy8">

I have and it got me nowhere when all the apples go to a few pies. A posse does not change the truth.
A posse may not change the truth (whatever that means), but neither does repeating the same thing over and over, ad infinitum. The truth, in this case, is that:

1. Most of our members enjoy badges
2. Those who don’t have the option of hiding them on their profile
3. Someone else receiving a badge doesn’t affect you in the slightest
4. Badges aren’t going away on this site

This matter has been discussed and debated for months, and although the resolution was clearly not to your liking, it is time for you to lay down your king and gracefully accept defeat.

Thanks for the bump, Bill and Larry!

Another challenge and a prompt will be posted soon. For those who haven’t received their Challenge Champ badge, I’ll try to get caught up with awarding those in the next couple of days. <img src="/images/emoticons/icon_geek.gif" alt="geek">

Feb 2, 2018

On this day, one year ago, I came home from the hospital following a complete hysterectomy. The surgery was supposed to be the end of a growing health concern that had lasted for eight months up to that point, but the pathology report led to more tests and procedures until I was finally given a clean bill of health three months later.

What happened to this thread? Is freedom is speech dead here, then?

The thread got tidied up at the request of the parties involved. Freedom of speech refers to government impeding a person’s rights, not to what is removed from a privately owned website.

Today marks the first I have noticed of some changes to the badges on our site here. Apparently our good friend Gav is making some updates. If you go to the Badges list you will read quite a few changes. Some are simply badges that are renamed. That is the case with the old Prolific Writer and the Omnium badge. Those two are now called the Diverse Writer and the Plenary Writer.

I won't mention all that I saw in the list. But there are interesting changes.

One that is of interest to me particulary is the new Author 250 badge for authors with over 250 stories. I, along with Colors_of_the_Wind and CKAcres, now display that badge. However, it should be noted that we three are no longer listed in the Authors' list. I assume it has to do with this badge change. I will hope that we three will reappear in the Authors' list again, perhaps tomorrow when the system has a chance to recycle itself.

But it is going to be fun to watch the changes as they occur. <img src="/images/emoticons/icon_rr.gif" alt="rr">

Yes, Gav has had his hands full making all the badge changes requested. There are a few wrinkles to iron out yet, but I think many people will be pleased by what’s been done.

<img src="/images/emoticons/icon_flower.gif" alt="flower">

FWIW, years ago Alan told me the length of story that, in his experience, was most likely to sell to contemporary fiction magazines, both in print and online.

And what was the magic number, you ask?

1,200 words.

Thanks for the suggestion, all. Marcie’s profile bio has been updated to reflect her passing but preserved in all other respects, and her forum rank has been changed to “Rest in Peace”

http://upload.storiesspace.com/336129720-4793E3AC-24B2-4EFD-BAE2-8C3E0CDC16E2.jpeg

http://upload.storiesspace.com/656318734-150E1CDA-5F88-4F3A-8FE2-C35A8A1D1FF5.jpeg

http://upload.storiesspace.com/89880239-728FC4F1-F234-45DA-B4A7-2D9830933B17.jpeg

http://upload.storiesspace.com/1894199345-5F528B19-ED53-4A46-AF62-97B853A7A451.jpeg

http://upload.storiesspace.com/1216209160-C730C468-D4F4-4ECF-AFF4-4A71CD4C7E36.jpeg

Just a note —

If Gav makes all the badge changes requested, some of us will see our badge count fluctuate. <img src="/images/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="icon_smile"> <img src="/images/emoticons/happy8.gif" alt="happy8"> <img src="/images/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="icon_smile"> <img src="/images/emoticons/happy8.gif" alt="happy8"> <img src="/images/emoticons/drunken_smilie.gif" alt="drunken">

Suggest you send this, your thoughts, to every Member via PM because not every Member visits the Forum.

You might be right. How do I send a PM to all SS members?

It would be very cumbersome for you to do. However, we're working on getting a newsletter message ready to go out to all members and will include a pointer to this thread in it. <img src="/images/emoticons/icon_flower.gif" alt="flower">

Sipping dirty martinis Watching girls in bikinis And strumming on my Les Paul Albert King ambles through Riffs ‘I’ll Play the Blues for You’ Man, I really got it all CHORUS It’s a dream vacation No place I’d rather be Yeah, a dream vacation Not sure where I’m at But it suits me Checking out pics From my Exakta 66 Can’t believe what I see Don’t remember all those Sometimes, that’s how it goes...

Added 07 Oct 2018 | Category Songs | Votes 12 | Avg Score 5 | Views 312 | 10 Comments

  MARTIN HANDED A MUG of fresh coffee to Jane and slid into the seat opposite her at the breakfast table, pausing a moment before he spoke. “Jane, I need to ask you something.” Caught off guard by the statement, she slopped a little of the steaming liquid. “You always do that when I’m holding a drink,” she chided gently, dabbing the spill with a napkin. Her lighthearted tone belied...

Added 13 Sep 2018 | Category General | Votes 11 | Avg Score 5 | Views 224 | 6 Comments

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Added 12 Sep 2018 | Category General | Votes 11 | Avg Score 5 | Views 308 | 6 Comments

Note: This compilation occurred to me more than a year ago. In fact, the reason I logged on to Facebook on March 14, 2017, was to reach out to Alan and propose that we combine our efforts, merging his Colorado Calling and my Jersey Rejoicing into one poem. Instead, I learned that morning of Alan's passing a few days earlier. It threw me for a loop, and the idea got pushed to the back of...

Added 17 Mar 2018 | Category Poetry | Votes 7 | Avg Score 5 | Views 433 | 6 Comments

  1. NaIgnoNaNoWriMo: Just ignore all the NaNoWriMo hoopla and hype. Pretend you didn’t read this or anything else about the writing frenzy that occurs every November. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s almost impossible to ignore NaNoWriMo anymore. But you can say you did. I promise not to tell anyone otherwise. 2. NaNanoWriMo: In the short time remaining, craft some kick-ass nano fiction....

Added 30 Nov 2017 | Category Musings | Votes 3 | Avg Score 5 | Views 558 | 2 Comments

You always did like surprise endings, A twist no one could see coming, And that last one of yours was a doozy. Days later, we're still reeling, Not from the shock, which dissipates, But from a grief that lingers. You probably never knew The regard people held you in, For it seemed to sneak up As we chatted and laughed About topics big and small. Our esteem grew Alongside your virtual...

Added 17 Mar 2017 | Category Poetry | Votes 20 | Avg Score 5 | Views 807 | 10 Comments

The president is doing great Only a fool would think Otherwise Most everyone believes We should trust him There is no cause for concern But some are saying The country is in danger People are scared Nothing could be further from the truth Everything is going to be fine Now read from the bottom up… * * * © 2017 by M.P. Witwer • All rights reserved    ...

Added 15 Feb 2017 | Category Musings | Votes 14 | Avg Score 5 | Views 682 | 15 Comments

There was a crooked man Who ran a crooked race [1] And with his crooked words, Put opponents in their place He chopped them down, one by one ’Til a single foe remained On merit, she’d win handily, So he painted her with disdain [2] This shameless huckster’s style Is totally ‘in your face’ At any time in memory, It would have brought him great disgrace But that isn’t how it happened, Not...

Added 16 Jan 2017 | Category Musings | Votes 9 | Avg Score 5 | Views 720 | 8 Comments

1. NaNO!WriMo: Do not write anything — not a single word — for 30 days. The challenge is tougher than it might seem. 2. NaDoWriMo: Chronicle every episode of The Simpsons in which Homer exclaims, "D'oh!" This, of course, requires watching every episode of The Simpsons. Not a bad way to spend the month. 3. NaSloWriMo: Writing shouldn't be a race. Take it slowly, savoring the...

Added 05 Nov 2016 | Category Humor | Votes 10 | Avg Score 5 | Views 610 | 8 Comments

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Added 26 Oct 2016 | Category Musings | Votes 10 | Avg Score 5 | Views 656 | 7 Comments

When a noted writer hits the wall with her current project, she heads to the beach to concentrate on her work, but instead finds a charming distraction. This award-winning short story (approximately 4,500 words) has been called “magnificently well-crafted,” “clever,”...

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