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1 Jul 2021

“… an awkward, lifeless shrine - the Diana statue is a spiritless hunk of nonsense.”

Wow. British media (I say that loosely) is freakin’ harsh. I think they certainly could have done better. The expressions are horrid. My first thought was, “My oh my, the boys have changed.”

In retrospect, I might actually agree with that tabloidic headline. They should’ve done better. It looks more like a mockery. And I don’t subscribe to Royal fandom. But she was a selfless woman who, whenever she touched it, left the world a far better place.

***

Sigh. Two days after Lytton, BC recorded the highest temperature in Canada EVER, the village of two hundred and fifty is burning to the ground. Ninety percent caught fire. The rest may go too. Double sigh.

***

Anyone currently watching that worldly round ball game appropriately called, Football? The coverage is like Moto GP, very European, very, very awesome. The colours. The editing. The event. Games tomorrow and Saturday. Don’t miss ‘em!

***

Started writing my comp this morning after an early morning ride inside the cloudless, windy heat dome covering western Canada. The house is about to empty. No people, only puppies. I may sleep. I may write. It’s been a long while.

Some cold brew with a little Jameson’s Irish Whiskey for a creative kick. It is Canada Day. Maybe a weed chaser? geek

geek

Who am I foolin’? I’m no Colorado Verbs. hello2

hello2

30 Jun 2021

Hey All, good to see everyone is in good spirits (now that the place has a liquor licence).

I’ve been absolutely snockered. Busy like a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest. Hmmm… do those actually happen? Not very PC.

We are battling heat like we’ve never seen in western Canada. The day the kids’ mother announced she was expecting was the day we put in A/C. Thank goodness I feared for my life more than initiating an argument for opening windows.

To top of the heat, I had a motorcycle safety course for the past three days. I might as well have been working on an asphalt crew in a snow suit. Egad it was hot. We’d take numerous breaks where a garden hose was set up as a mister. We’d gear down, soak our body and clothes, and then gear up again. If you’ve never worn moto body armour before, we’ll, it’s heavy, especially when wet. But we adapted to the situation, drank tons of water, and powered through the training. Riding test was today. Fortunately, I successfully completed it. Lots of benefits including a massive insurance premium reduction. And now we ride.

Yes, I did buy a second bike. 2021 Yamaha Tenere (means desert). Will be using it for future travel plans around our continent. The Ping tour may be coming to a part of the countryside near you. Here’s the dream.

Kids are now done school. So proud of our two big bundles of fart gas. Yes, they think it’s funny. I have no idea why. LOL. Both did phenomenally well, especially given the COVID and lockdown situations their youngness had to navigate. Thirteen and eleven, soon to be one year more. I’ll be teaching the boy to drive this November. He’s such a good kid. Well mannered. He’ll be a conscientious driver. The girl, on the other hand, likes driving over people in any video game we’ve played. We’ll be using her mother’s vehicle when it’s time for her lessons.

Canada Day tomorrow. July 1. 2021 is already half over. How the hell did that happen?!?

Stay safe and have fun!

26 Jun 2021

Hot. Melting. Need ice.

23 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
NO COOKIES FOR PING!!!

You’re a very bad man.

Now what the heck does a beaver from Saskatoon want with a Canadian flag?

I sense a story about survival brewing. Hmmm…

True story. Apparently, the beaver wanted the pole. 🤭

23 Jun 2021

So, while listening to some sleep-enduring white noise on YouTube, an idea for the comp flowed gently into my consciousness. From the perspective of a toothbrush - life in prison.

The normal stuff - check. Slowly sharpening the handle into a shiv - check. Traveling in the old prison purse - um, check. The dialogue got very graphic and entertaining. Remember Forky from the last Toy Story? That’s close to the voice I heard. But when he started talking about his warm and moist traveling accommodations, I lost it. His sniffing and smelling while twisting up his bristles, and then realizing where he was was priceless fun.

Sadly, like most ex-cons, he too survived prison life, but was deeply scarred. He had difficulty transitioning to the freedom of the outside world. His new owner kept waking to find the toothbrush lodged in the warm comforts of his you-know-what. Creature or penal life force of habit, I suppose. Poor thing. He was just scared. It’s a survival story I’d like to write and read, but not a few thousand words worth. LOL.

I’ve brung? brought? left? a jar of my finest cold brew coffee in the fridge.

Grab a glass, add two ice cubes, and measure 1/4 cup of brew and a 1/4 cup of cold water. Add some sugar and cream for your personal taste. Stir ‘n enjoy.

Hump well, everybody. Hump well. By now, we should be able to do Wednesday’s without even thinking.

22 Jun 2021

Holy Molly, I almost missed this. This. Is. Awesome. Thank you.

But ya, naming this after the big L might be problematic. Whistle

Whistle

Thinking cap… activated.

22 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
Hey everyone.

It's a gorgeous day here. I'm feeling lazy, but plan to caffeinate my way out of it. Gotta write, gotta run errands, gotta tske my walk, gotta keep Talia and the cats entertained and happy! It's so stressful!

We went on an assemble-it-yourself furniture spree on Amazon - I've assembled a dresser and a coat-rack in the last few days. I love following the little pictures, making sure you have the right pieces, in the right arrangement. AND A BOOKCASE JUST SHOWED UP!!!

Clearly, I have work to do. A coffee and a ...wait, WHO STOLE ALL THE COOKIES!?

22 Jun 2021

Hey everyone,

Good to see new faces. That's the plan right? New faces. More writers. Lots more bums in the seats. SS 2.0. Let's Go!

Super swamped right now. bought some hammocks last night. Taking them camping next month. Set them up in the yard. I guess we'll each need one. I can see the family hanging out in those. Kids have suggested that during off season, the hammocks are set up in their room. I am considering it. Great idea.

Had to go water gun shopping for my son. Big water battle at school today. I ensured he has 'an extra' weapon when he empties his 1.9 L water tank of Nerf blaster fun. A little, deceptively strong hand water pistol tucked in the waist band for refilling protection. The girls like playing tag with him. He'll be a target today. I tease him that they try to tag him with their lips. I get the eye roll and "I can't tell you anything." I just make kissy faces and kissy noises. His sister LOVES IT!!!

Oh yeah, looks like I may have bought another bike. Dual sport. More for off road hooliganism. Will know later today.

I'll be back soon. I'll respond to those that read my musing. Thanks for that.

My kids. Sheesh. I don't know if I ever wrote about the machete, the guillotine, and the trebuchet. If not, I will.

Good day to y'all!

Oh yeah, I'm now addicted to cold brew coffee. I make it myself. So much cheaper. Soooo much better. Just finished a maple coffee batch. Yum-mee.

21 Jun 2021

If you've got some headphones, noise cancelling even better, then checkout this YouTube channel, AudioPhil. Yes, Phil. LOL. Very witty. The tech is beyond me. I still can't comprehend how photography is possible, but Phil uses his high end sound stuff, plugs something in, and somehow digitizes that magnificent vinyl into the digital we hear on YouTube. He and another guy periodically post comparison videos of different recordings of the same music. It's scary cool how the better released recording sounds so much deeper, crisper, and clearer.

Anyway. Check out his channel. The music is spectacular.

***

Went for a late night ride last night - left at 11:00 PM and it was still light outside. That's the benefit of summer in northwest Canada. We can stay up late with setting sun light. Warm. No wind. Dusky sky salted with stars. Plus, fewer vehicles on the road so more room for me.

***

Jon Rahm. Heck of a talent. I knew he'd win. A few weeks ago, he was leading The Memorial Tournament by six strokes heading into the last round - and tested positive for Covid-19. Ugh. Asymptomatic. Almost a certain victory but had to withdraw. Well, he loves Torrey Pines. Won his first tournament there. Proposed to his newish bride there. Now, the 26-year-old won his first major, on Father's Day, cradling his new born. He won $2.25 million too. Life will not get better for him. It's all down hill from there! icon_biggrin

icon_biggrin

So, when did YOUR life peak. LOL.

***

I posted a silly observational thingie I wrote a few years ago. I had never posted it. It made me chuckle because the stuff actually happened. For the most part. The essence happened. That's what we remember, right? Not the actual event, play-by-play, but the enhancement of such event in a manner that reflected best on it and those individuals involved. Or so I've been told.

Have A Great Summer Solstice Everybody!

No sacrifices tonight.

20 Jun 2021

The day started with a 3:00 am wake up call AKA doggie butt on my face. Then, a daughter's early rise to relieve me today of my first-of-the-morning, doggie-relieving duties. Titter. Titter. I said duty. Finally, and this never grows tired, the boy greeted me with a grand smile and a boisterous, Happy Farter's Day.

And so it begins...

US Open. Final Round. Phenomenal leaderboard. Mackenzie Hughes, a Canadian, tied for the lead. It's gunna be epic.

Ciao for now.

18 Jun 2021

Quote by AnnaMayZing
Quote by MagnificentBastard
With some, I really tried to twist the plot, distracting with one narrative while covertly leading with another.

Not to mention that one of mine that you twisted, G!

https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/micro-fiction/home-late.aspx[/quote]

Oh, I forgot about that! That was fun, wasn’t it?

We’ll try that again. Maybe keep it to two or three writers. IDK.

Or have teams compete for fun to see what each team comes up with.

18 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
Not that I can write micros for sh1t, ut I'd agree with Verity that the last line is the place to start. Good micros seem to all be really tightly structured: plot, plot, plot. You gotta know what you're gonna do before you get in.

Flash--which I like to think I'm pretty good at--are a different beast. The key, for me, is finding a tiny plot point, a small change in a character's attitude or situation, and focus entirely on it. If the plot of a novel goes from A to Z, the plot of a flash is from A to B - just one small step.

Agreed. You need to have stuck the landing before you even begin writing. I wrote many, many flash and microflash stories. With some, I really tried to twist the plot, distracting with one narrative while covertly leading with another. The Tonya-coined, G-spin evolved from flashing the reader. 🤭

I recall one story in particular that received lots of glowing feedback. If I can re-write it without the naughty bits, I might republish it. That particular story had a one word, ending sentence. Others of similar surprise ending ilk had several words more.

Just remember that every word counts. Use each wisely.

18 Jun 2021

Justifiable reason for demanding divorce: You didn’t help me kill the alien.

Situation involved shoe string, elbow grease, an ax, a fire pit, colourful flames, and toxic smoke. But the deed is done.

Poor pup. Woke me at 1:30. Bad case of the dreaded D. Probably ate something on last night’s walk that she shouldn’t have. She didn’t discharge in her kennel or the house. Thank you pup. Much appreciated. But three trips later, with me falling in and out of sleep for the next several hours, I suspect she’s empty and her nocturnal gastrointestinal activity the reason for my stressful alien encounter.

Coffee for the road please. Great morning for a ride.

Have a great weekend everybody.

16 Jun 2021

Quote by Survivor

Good morning, dear friends. *hugs*

Coffee is hot and so is the teakettle.

I heard from my sister yesterday that my aunt is going to be celebrating her 91st birthday on the 23rd. The thing is her children, my cousins, are having a birthday party for her. They virtually all live down in the Northwest corner of Arkansas. And that is one of the most Republican Trumpiest areas in the country. I doubt if half a dozen people down there have been vaccinated. It is a death trap for funky liberals who believe in science and detest the Loser.

What a shame. I have been fighting cancer for 6 years now. My wife is not in great health either. We simply cannot trust going into that place and getting the Covid. What a pity. We're going to pass the family gathering by.

I'm just waiting for the coffee to cool now for that first bracing sip.

Update: Breaking news, folks! Check out this notice from Nicola. It is great news!

https://forum.storiesspace.com/yaf_postsm183155_Update-re-plans-to-keep-the-site-going.aspx#183155[/quote]

Larry, stay healthy. Stay safe. You now can work towards posting #1000!

***

Yes, fabulous news. Time to drink coffee and mend fences.

Speaking of coffee, I really enjoyed the cold brew I made this morning. Super easy to make. Super smooth to drink. Requires little cream and even less sugar. But I think it’s better as a warm weather sipper than a morning pick me up. Regardless, a highly recommended on the Cooking With Ping scale of delishy things in life.

***

Changing gears, Monday was the anniversary of my father’s murder so many years ago. It’s weird. I remember when my son was five and thought, “Wow, how could someone take a little boy’s dad away?”

Many of us experienced loss last year. From Verbs pop and my mom, to Rump’s wife and Sprite’s brother, a friend’s son’s suicide, and Gill and Tonya’s devastating year of many loved ones lost.

My mom’s ashes have been with me for fourteen months now. She wanted her final resting spot someplace private across borders, but due to the pandemic, I couldn’t take her there. However, today is a big day; a massive day. If things go well, she’ll be on her way later this summer. Fingers crossed. This needs to happen.

***

Larry, did you enjoy Moneyball?

That scene in the music store with his daughter. BTW, she was the daughter in Ray Donovan. That was a prematurely-cancelled great series that had you on the edge. Anyway, I had that same moment with my daughter. She was learning ukulele and was learning to write music. She wrote me a little song. Using the three or four cords she knew, she played it for me. I tear up ever time I think of it, and thank goodness, I had the mind to record it. I wish I could share it with you. It would warm your heart.

***

US Open begins tomorrow. Got some golf to watch. But this year, I’m really looking forward to The Open Championship across the pond. It was cancelled last year and could not be rescheduled. Love me links golf.

***

Earlier this spring, I messed around with a little horror vignette of sorts on my phone. I might have something to publish. It’s been a while. Not getting too excited, but cautiously hopeful.

***

No negative reactions after my second Covid shot yesterday. Phew. Got the Pfizer. My first was the AstraZenica. Had some nasty things like a fever, fatigue, massively swollen lymph nodes, and a numb and tingly left arm that without the other symptoms could have been something much more serious.

Later.

Have a great day everyone!

15 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
Bull Durham is my fave ever, easily. Moneyball is good, a solid second. Field of Dreams a distant third - it's a little too touchy feely for me.

No, I wasn’t fortunate to be at the game. But at that time, I was a team manager for an athletics team. We traveled to TO and I arranged for the entire team to catch a game, beer, nuts, and all. It was magic.

Our top three are similar. Tougher question, what fills out your top five?

I’ll think on this but if Bad News Bears is on your list, you are dead to me. The Natural? So many others.

Funny isn’t it. For a guy who jokingly slams boreball, he sure does love baseball movies.

Just shook my jar of soaking coffee grounds. Twenty one hours to go.

If you can properly explain ‘scrapping pegs’ or some variation of that reference, I’ll give you the first taste of my Java elixir.

15 Jun 2021

Quote by Mendalla
Quote by Rumple_deWriter

It will be nice to know what the future holds for Stories Space. Not trying to rush anyone along but uncertainty is no fun, not at all. ;)

Updates are in several ongoing threads now, but this is the main one (if Ping would stop derailing it).

https://forum.storiesspace.com/yaf_postst8220_The-new-Stories-Space.aspx[/quote]

Careful there, Scott. Not here.

But for clarification, Larry publicly asked about my friend. I informed him. Nicola then called me a couple things because you threw a tantrum and blocked me, but not before saying nasty things to me about me and Maggie. I only responded to Nicola by sharing that our feelings were mutual. That's it. I did not derail anything. Stop being so negative. Others offered to help. Like a dog with a rotting bone, you chose to go your own way. Don't take your frustration out on me or anyone else, ESPECIALLY in this thread.

Sorry Bill. Sometimes censorship is a nasty thing. As Fox Mulder professed, the truth is out there. The world saw the evils of manipulative censorship for four years, didn't we? Don't need to go there ever again.

***

Started some cold brew coffee today. First time. Will report back tomorrow on how it turns out. Sitting in the fridge for the next twenty-four hours. Smoothest type of coffee I've ever tasted. After I filter it through the Areo Press tomorrow, and add a pinch of Kosher salt, it should be heavenly sublime.

Stay safe, everyone. Getting me second vaccine shot today. Looking forward to a world without masks.

15 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
Quote by elizabethblack

Oh dear. No infighting here.

That's certainly fair. I'm just frustrated this cafe is going south just as it was getting fun. But Life is change, and perhaps the new cafe will be fun as well. My apologies.

3-0 Mets-Cubs in the 5th as I watch it on time delay. Roland, come talk baseball!

A decaf would hit the spot.

More baseball. Impressive. Better than swinging both ways.

Darn it. Couldn’t post from my phone or Tic Tok

Search YouTube for, ‘he pitches with both hands’

Check out that glove.

15 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
Quote by elizabethblack

Oh dear. No infighting here.

That's certainly fair. I'm just frustrated this cafe is going south just as it was getting fun. But Life is change, and perhaps the new cafe will be fun as well. My apologies.

3-0 Mets-Cubs in the 5th as I watch it on time delay. Roland, come talk baseball!

A decaf would hit the spot.

I’ll talk baseball. Joe Carter. Toronto Blue Jays. Back-to-back series champs. I saw them at the Skydome. It was awesome.

Barry Bonds. Westminster Dog Show. Showed his own little doggie. Not a euphemism. Possibly.

***

JLo is back with Ben. Her ex-Yankee is fugly.

***

Moneyball is the BEST baseball movie ever. Bull Durham and Field of Dreams tie for second.

icon_biggrin

icon_biggrin

15 Jun 2021

Quote by Survivor
I'm afraid I have no clue about what team this logo is for. Fill me in, Ping.

Farm team hockey. I believe a feeder for The Habs. Cool logo, eh?

Had my first cold brew coffee today. Smooth. Gunna make my own.

***

Awesome list Rump.

14 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
I was hoping so, yeah.

You rang?

hello2

Epic weekend. Rolled over to Monday. Awesome weather although a morning thunderstorm is strongly factoring into a potential tornado warning.

Best new sports team logo. But they should have called themselves the Ice Demons, giving the beast glowing red eyes. Maybe even having bloodied body parts of opposing teams sticking out of its mouth. C'est la vie.

Stay frosty. It's hot out there.

11 Jun 2021

Quote by Survivor

Hello folks. It appears that whatever ailed Victor has passed away. He ate normally this morning and was taking his treats during our walk. He thought the treats smelled bad yesterday and refused to take them.

I suppose this will be a shopping day. I need to get some medicine and necessities like bread and milk. It is already 81 degrees and should reach 91 this afternoon. Not the kind of heat that any of us enjoy anymore.

Have fun out there.

Glad your pup is better. It’s a helpless feeling. Been there many times. Lots of hugs for the big V!

11 Jun 2021

Well, looks like there’s a solution on the table from Maggie. SS won’t ever look the same again, but hopefully, some of the essential elements remain. This was a good process to go through. Lots was learned, especially about people.

So the farewell tour begins.

BYOB, unless there’s a crate of some magical elixir in the back room. I guess we can call those leafy plants in the windows what they actually are - party plants.

The weekend has arrived.

Stay Safe Everyone!

10 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
Quote by MagnificentBastard
Well, I did it again. Nude bacon frying. Why do it? Just like climbing Everest, because it’s there. Off to emerg shortly for some ointment. Treatment for pigs is called, oinkment. My daughter laughs every time I say that. I’ll probably get the same British nurse who likes to make spotted dick jokes.

Anyway, none of this is true. What is true is the Mochaccino I made and am currently sipping.

Easy Mochaccino: Get your favourite hot chocolate powder mix and use as the sweetener. Make coffee a little stronger than usual. Add powder to coffee to desired taste. Add some sugar if you fear drink becoming too chocolatey, or choc-latte, if you want to generate a daughter’s eye roll and smile. Add cream or whip cream to soften flavour, making drink creamier. Delish.

Hope to go for a little ride this morning before the day gets too busy and the skies open.

When the hell did, “Have a good one,” become the standard cashier saying. I hate it. Have a good day is better. Have a good one is lazy language. Have a good what? Visit to the bathroom after eating at Taco Bell? Have a good divorce? Have a good fall after tripping on some guest’s kid’s toy left on the floor.

Have a good one is synonymous with See You Next Tuesday. If you don’t know what that means, best look it up. It’s not a kind way to say goodbye, but it is satisfying.

Anyway, have a good one everybody.

See you next Tuesday, Verbs.

I had to look that one up - my inner 12 year old boy is out mowing the lawn.

What's wrong with have a good one? Rabble-rouser. Talia is currently learning the sheer number of non-specific nouns i use in an average day, primarily: dealer, delio, thang, and thanger. As in, Would you take that delio and put it in the thanger?

No baseball today. Rematch with Larry's Padres on Friday.

Time to write. Coffee please.

You lazy-language, unemployed bum. f-hihi

f-hihi

toast

10 Jun 2021

Well, I did it again. Nude bacon frying. Why do it? Just like climbing Everest, because it’s there. Off to emerg shortly for some ointment. Treatment for pigs is called, oinkment. My daughter laughs every time I say that. I’ll probably get the same British nurse who likes to make spotted dick jokes.

Anyway, none of this is true. What is true is the Mochaccino I made and am currently sipping.

Easy Mochaccino: Get your favourite hot chocolate powder mix and use as the sweetener. Make coffee a little stronger than usual. Add powder to coffee to desired taste. Add some sugar if you fear drink becoming too chocolatey, or choc-latte, if you want to generate a daughter’s eye roll and smile. Add cream or whip cream to soften flavour, making drink creamier. Delish.

Hope to go for a little ride this morning before the day gets too busy and the skies open.

When the hell did, “Have a good one,” become the standard cashier saying. I hate it. Have a good day is better. Have a good one is lazy language. Have a good what? Visit to the bathroom after eating at Taco Bell? Have a good divorce? Have a good fall after tripping on some guest’s kid’s toy left on the floor.

Have a good one is synonymous with See You Next Tuesday. If you don’t know what that means, best look it up. It’s not a kind way to say goodbye, but it is satisfying.

Anyway, have a good one everybody.

See you next Tuesday, Verbs. kekekegay

kekekegay

9 Jun 2021

Um.

Mochaccino, please. Some whip and chocolate sprinkles too, please. And a skinny straw. Love my mochas long time.

She already had twins. Five came out the natural way. The others found different orifices to escape. Ten. Ten babies. I suppose it could have been worse. They could have been identical.

9 Jun 2021

Quote by gillianleeza
Quote by verbal
Quote by gillianleeza
The Woman in the Window on Netflix.

I had read the book but thankfully had forgotten the ending. It did not get great reviews but I enjoyed it. I love Amy Adams.

I know! The critics really blasted this, but we enjoyed it a lot! Amy Adams and Juilianne Moore (dreamy sigh) are both really good.

For a good story, google the book sometime. The guy who wrote it is quite a piece of work. He's a Talented Mr. Ripley level liar.

I looked him up, you are right, he has a lot of issues. I wonder if that is why he hasn't published anything new. Blaming his lying/deception on bipolar disorder is especially upsetting.

I've tried watching Tenet on HBO max a few times but can't get into it. I got lost in the beginning and didn't have the patience to continue. Maybe I'll give it another shot one night when I can't sleep.

Damn straight. I hated Tenet. I think I’ve mentioned that before in another land, far, far away.

Denzel’s son was miscast. I think he is an excellent actor, but this was not the right movie for him. I suspect the GoT showrunners had some influence on this flick. Or Momento’s. I might give the latter movie another shot.

Funny story. I almost met Mr. Washington in Mexico. The place we were at in Neuvo Vallarta has a marina. In slides this big boat. Yacht I think the high seas snobs call them. Anyway, we hung around eating lunch or something, then left to hunt for shells or something. We later learned Denzel and family had pulled in and out during the time we were away on the beach. Nuts. But this was pre-Ballers and Black Klansman fame. Both fantastic products in their own right. I wouldn’t have know him. He might have still been playing football. I can’t recall.

Please help Mandalla. He has a Cadillac stuck in his eye.

Was watching West Side Story the other day just to torture the kids. I
I’ve got The Doors and The Last Picture Show recorded. Just not in the mood to watch any movies right now. Haven’t been for months.

I saw zero Oscar nominated movies. All seemed depressing or just a little too forced-woke for me. Awakenings. That was a good movie.

9 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
Hey all.

HUGS

Nice to see all the love pouring out for Stories Space. Let me know how I can help. It's nice to know we'll all probably have a way to keep in touch, and read each other's work. I have nowhere else to talk about baseball! Or fiction!

Speaking of: the Mets got pummelled last night, by (I think) the worst team in baseball. It's so hard to tell if they are any good or not.

Tired. Did not sleep well last night. Slow day. It's nice out. Grilling tonight!

Coffee and a cookie please. Now where's that goofy lil monkey?

Freakin’ creepy, eh?

9 Jun 2021

Quote by Survivor

I made sure there was coffee available for the coffee crowd. Sara makes sure that there are virtually always cookies ready for us.

I just canceled an appointment with my dentist because I wanted the people who would work on me to tell me if they had been vaccinated yet. They refused to do that claiming it was their right under the HIPPA regulations here. I just told them it was my right to know that information. Simple as that. I am now going to have to find a new more progressive dentist.

Be careful out there.

Yes, definitely. Find a dentist who actually cares about their staff and patients. Geez Louise. More like HIPPO regulations.

8 Jun 2021

Quote by Mendalla
Quote by MagnificentBastard

Sara commented about accessibility. It currently is accessible on all of those platforms. R\

The forums still don't even adapt properly when zooming on a PC screen, let alone when viewing them on a smaller screen like a phone. At least they fixed it to the main story site works more or less properly now. That's a priority for fixing if we stay on this platform but likely goes away if we move to more modern software (Xenforo adapts to basically any sized screen automatically).

Incorporation is going to matter if we are handling significant amounts of money. It may be less important if we run as a small non-profit. I have never incorporated Wondercafe2. Our budget is c. $400 per year or less even after converting to CAD.

May I suggest starting a thread somewhere to discuss this? Seems like we are kind of cluttering up the cafe with our geek talk.

I'm sure the administration will be okay. It is how we did a lot of the org work on setting up Wondercafe2: threads on the original Wondercafe.

Good stuff. I’ve been sharing your comments with my friend. BTW, she will not be the new Gav. I think people do not truly know what Gav contributed to both sites. No one can replace him. That’ll be another matter to consider if SS continues on. Keeping it simple would be key. That where your expertise is important.

Incorporation matters for legal reasons. If a lawsuit is filed, for whatever reason, it is important to separate the people from SS. Can’t easily go after the people if they organization is incorporated. Another matter would be where to register stuff. Probably not the US. Too litigious. Canada? UK? Elsewhere? Nicola may be able to shed some light on that regarding the US vs UK.

Yes, start that thread. Once we have more info, we can post so all can see. As the thread grows, we can periodically summarize so we don’t need to read through all the posts.

8 Jun 2021

Quote by verbal
Quote by MagnificentBastard

With Mandalla’s past and current experiences, Sara’s cookies for fuel, and Verbs’, I don’t know what he’ll contribute 🤭, something might work to save and/or revive the space of stories.

Why, my expertise on kaiju and late 50s sci-fi movies, of course!

I've got some web game. I don't know much about web BBs, but I imagine there's a lot of building out of pages for stories, members, yadayadayada, and I'd be happy to help. I imagine there's a lot of boring grunt work in terms of editing a TON to text, and I could help there too.

I'm not a very good proofreader, but Talia is, and she might come help too (Ping I know you miss her avatar). Encourage her!!!

HUGS Hang in there everyone.

Anyway. We now have a new grill!!! Made some amazing sausage and pepper and onion sammies yesterday. Pork medallions and a mushrooms sauce are on the horizon.

Beautiful day out. Mets play the Os at 5. The coyote story is finally done, ready for some HEAVY editing, and I have a newsletter to write.

Coffee and a database-shaped cookie please.

I know all suggestions/solutions won't please everyone. At this point, everything is on the table. Deleting profiles is one of them. Agreed. There are some very important profiles that are, or should be deemed, legacies. Nicola, Rump, Sprite, Gav, etc. will know who those are, to name four that should be. Everyone still sticking around NOW should have a say. But when it comes to costs for servers, storage, etc, some stuff has to go.

It does look like the site has to move. Finding the most compatible situation is beyond my expertise, and that is why those discussions will be and should be first held by those who know what it's all about. My friend is chatting with Gav. Gav and Nicola will help where they can. Both want this site to continue on in some fashion, as do all of us. So, we see what we can do to make that happen.

Sara commented about accessibility. It currently is accessible on all of those platforms. Remember the challenges LS had with the mobile site. I personally will not go down that road. We have what we have. Let's keep it simple, but accessible. If there are easy solutions to making the site better, they absolutely should be considered. However, we need to be careful that not too many things are run by committee. If this thing turns into a run-by-committee, government-type operation, then I'm out. Right now I'm spearheading things, as far as I know. There might be someone else interested, but I only know of Mendalla and he has shared his thoughts and experiences. His input will be valuable during whatever steps needed to be taken, will be taken. I'm also taking in everything. Listening to those who know what it takes to operate and manage a site like this. When I have something more definitive, I will share in this thread, accordingly. But we are day two. Still so much more to learn and discover.

There still is a chance that SS won't be revived. That reality must be kept in the back of our minds.

But by keeping our eyes on the prize, and that means keeping this site up and running, in some fashion, is most important right now. That's all I'm doing. I'm trying to find a way. After that, if it's feasible, then it needs to be determined to whom or what the domain name gets transferred, and all the ensuing liabilities. This is where possibly a non-profit corporation or something should be looked at. Personally, I'm not excited about taking on all the risk. If I was in that position, my name would be Nicola. She's been there, done that. And is still doing that on LS. Just more food for thought. If something happens and the site needs to legal up, how is that done? I don't know. Those are very important questions that need answers. But first, finding a cost-effective, time-effective way to keep the site going. That's the first step. This site is more than some blog and it will be treated as such, if push comes to shove. So, we must be prudent.

Verbs, get your hand off my lap. Complimentary nuts are on the bar. FFS.