I assume that numbers of you have seen this on CNN by now. I do plan to try to see the film.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2010/04/27/nat.tran...

Much Peace

Gwen

"You can prove anything you want with statistics!"

How true... especially when it comes to the Aztec ambrosia - chocolate.

In today's BBC news comes the revelation that chocolate lovers 'are more depressive', according to experts. Similarly...
29 Jul 2009: Calls to downsize chocolate bars
24 Dec 2007: Dark chocolate 'not so healthy'

Just to let you know, there's a new review of The Men Who Stare At Goats starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges. Find it here

If you haven't already seen it, for CG fans, there's also Planet 51, which you can find here

Today my feline protector Zoe began her final journey. We noticed she was losing weight, but suddenly she stopped eating altogether last week. Taking her to the Vet, we found she had both some kind of liver and kidney problems. Hoping it was just an infection, we left her there over the weekend so she could get the fluids she needed as well as the care. We hoped that would enough for her to recover. That wasn't meant to be. As with so many other things we hadn't the money to take things further. The Vet recommended exploratory surgery, but that was far out of our financial means.

Let's just be clear about this. There is no thought or implication of doing the "S" thing, OK?

I know that others have faced what I did a couple weeks ago. And usually after a period of bemoaning my circumstances, I have managed to bounce back fairly rapidly. But, this time just feels like a mortal wound in my soul.

I have been a little uncomfortable with the debate on "ownership" of stories. The theory is fine. An author owns their story and the rights to deal with that story as they see fit.

Dead easy, right?

But then you get to the somewhat more messy realities. A week or so ago I was trying to post a story and I was having Hell's own difficulties with formatting; can't blame anybody. It was me that was stuffing it up. Eventually I posted it. I took one look and (shock! horror!) deleted it. My pride wouldn't allow me to leave it there.

It was Saturday night, the evening after the airshow(so I thought).

I was a tad pissed, but not too much. I had been unable to even see the airshow from my house, unlike the normal deal where the stunts were mainly focused on one of the airbases’ runways which happened to be not more than a mile or so from my house.

Anyway, when our sort-of kid called and said he was taking the boat out to the harbor to watch the next day’s airshow, I was excited. I had to argue it out with hubby, but I was determined to go, and I was determined not to go as a boy.

Wow... 105 words leads to 26 and possibly + posts by others and a response thread by Nancy. Holy Schnikes!

Wow... I mean wow...

Anyway... thank all of you for your responses and for keeping things from getting too far out of hand. Some really interesting discussion.

To answer a few issues raised in the course of the conversation:

What a great weekend, Went to the Pacific Coast Dream Machine event in Half Moon Bay, California. What fun. It was sunny and the temperature was just right, about seventy,and I got a sunburn. The machines were awsome. There were around three hundred cars of all descriptions, airplanes from the second world war which did a flying demonstration, WOW. There were steam engines and a real steam roller which they actually drove down a paved road between runways.There were muscle cars, hot rods, restored classics, and the best thing was that they were cars owners felt very good about.

Okay... so I have a bit of a question.

I have two stories that aren't complete and need some work but I kind of need a bit of feedback on them. Since I plan on getting them actually published I have been trying to decide if I should give you all a little bit of them or not, just to get feedback. They won't be up for long but the feedback would help.

Since Nancy and Persephone posted Alfhilder and then removed it I figure that it is a possibility.

What do you think? And Nancy? it would be great to get your 2 cents.

The Working Girl Blog #14: Going out to lunch, or Being a girl means never having to pay To see all of Bobbie's "Working Girl" blogs, click on this link: http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/19261/working-girl-blogs

I think I mentioned the guy in one of my earlier blogs - you know? That manager that started the whole standard documentation brouhaha? Well, he asked me to lunch today. Yeah, I know.

Yesterday, my muse struck me hard. I nearly got in trouble for going too long on my break. But the last few paragraphs came to me and I had the good sense to jot them down.

Thank you all for waiting..

Oh, I haven't thought of a preview for the next chapter, mostly because I haven't figured out what part of it I could take a snapshot of and still leave you all waiting to see it.

I'll just stop wondering for a bit and try to get the actual chapter finished.

Ally Kat.

Sorry to have kept you all waiting, but Chapter 4 has just gone to Gabi for editing.

As soon as it's back, I'll post.

I hope it meets with expectations.

OK, some Iranian cleric has found the answer to why we have had so many earthquakes lately. Women! Women in provocative dress, to be precise. Seems the almighty is angry and letting us know about it by shaking things up. (Myself, think he's quaking with laughter, but who am I to contradict a Holy Man?)

Um' well, I understand the idea behind overclocking a CPU and infact used a machine for several years that had been overclocked by a friend of mine who was an INTEL engineer. That was 1998 or so. So here is this video, but I don't understand what they are saying about it. Does it mean that they are running a 300 Hz chip at 5000 Hz?

http://www.custompcblog.com/industry-news/what-is-coltan-tan...

Much Peace

Gwen

I had a problem the other day. There were several tractors, other bits of mobile farm machinery and lethal looking things that would mince you up and spit you out if you were silly enough to get in the way all going up and down my little lane..

To explain, I am surrounded by fields and have just a small lane to the front. Hence the farm traffic.

Just read a story on the BBC website, about a lost Wallaby, in Dorset, England.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/8636299.stm

That is a long way from their natural home, though actually there are some to be found out in the wilds of Derbyshire.

Wonder if Cathy, Angharad and Bonzai will make any claim of ownership.

Brian

In the past few days, I have been called "irritating, arrogant, and other stuff". I noticed that my last two posts have not survived. So, is someone deleting me, or am I simply, stupidly not hitting the second screen? I know that some of you don't like me, but... I dunno?

Gwen

I posted a new story two days ago. In terms of reads it is my most successful yet, and I am very grateful to the readers and those who have commented, but that is not the point of this blog.

I GOT MY SOCIAL SECURITY CARD PERMANENTLY CHANGED TO LEGALLY FEMALE MEW!!!!! NOW I CAN LEGALLY MARRY A GUY AND I CANT ANOTHER GIRL YAY!!!!!! *HUGGLES EVERYONE TO DEATH*

Well, one good thing came out of my recent debacle. Last Friday, after Prayer, the Sheik in charge of my Masjid wanted to see me. This is like the fourth time I have been called into some Muslim Man's office in four years, and I was prepared to hear the worst.

If you’re looking to read an excellent story, you might just want to read Boys’ School by Sarah Lynn Morgan.

http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/11243/boys-school-chap...

This is a story for those who love scintillating/realistic dialogue, compelling characters, and engaging plots.

As you may have noticed — I have a tendency to complain ad nauseam about votes, comments, and hits.

Well, I let my family bully me into getting my hair cut. Even my mom, who I thought was on my side, helped, and in fact provided the money. And they used my daughter to push me too. I gave in, and feel rotten about it. I make myself the promice that this is the last time i am letting them run my life.

(Me) I thought it was about time to give you lot a progress update on the Bike episode summaries. Remember the last time I posted, I'd done episodes one to 103, plus 900 to wherever we'd got to by then. A lot can happen in a few weeks, and the number of episodes covered has grown to over 600. There's also a cast list and a title page.

Like many authors who publish on this site, I gain a great deal of satisfaction from knowing that many others have enjoyed my work. Comments are wonderful, but there are typically around seven times more people who would normally vote without leaving a comment. With the indefinite suspension of the Voting System, it means that I would be blind to all those readers.

I tried to post Toil & Trouble 3 yesterday, but my internet connection had gotten so slow I couldn't get the page to load to post it! I tried for two or three hours before giving up. I had to go to my grandmother's house today to help clean it up so it can be sold (she died last month), and I just got home from that. But it's up now, and the links to/from VC are up, too. It's kind of short, as it was a last minute thing because none of the other story chapters I've been working on were ready for posting yet. I'll try to do better next week.

Saless

I have recently been thinking deeply about the way our society is towards our children regarding the LGBT community. atleast with my family and the neighbors around me. More often then not, I've gotten into a fight with someone, about letting someone be them selves, be they gay, transexual, bi, or straight. And more often than not, I get the urge to deck them when they get the smug look on their face when they think they've provided proof that I'm wrong.

It seems that those with an interest in women's apparel will sometimes go to great lengths to obtain them.

• Cops: MSU thong thief caught with 79 pairs of pilfered panties
• Charges possible for g-string thief

When I logged in earlier today I'm sure I saw a new story by Nancy Cole. Like the favourite morsels on my dinner plate I elected to save it for later while I took care of other internet 'duties'. Now it's gone! What a disappointment.

I hope it's merely to receive a little more polish before releasing it to the hordes ... or am I really going illusional?

Robi

...Live! http://www.flightradar24.com/

[EDIT Unsurprisingly as news of the site has spread rapidly today, the server is very busy. You may need to refresh a few times before it will let you in.... the config panel is supposed to have a user count, but whenever I've been in today it's stated "Too many users!"]

So far, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden appear to have closed down their airspace.
Helpfully, the Health Protection Agency have advised there's no health risk from the plume (unless you're flying a plane through it...)

Here's apparently what the Captain of the 1982 flight in which all four engines temporarily failed told his passengers - talk about understatement!

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are all doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress."

So why do I feel three days older than dirt? I'm so frustrated right now with the VA, with life, with damn near everything actually. I won't go into any of that in this blog, since you all have your own problems to deal with. Remember that BUTTON story that Grover posted? If that damned button was right here, right now, I'd jump all over that thing... in a freaking heartbeat, and have NO regrets about it after!

Well, my writer's block has ended, and I am back to writing again. Glad thats over, whew! I think I will get a hold of the gender specialist next week, if i can. It feels right.

Watching this video reminded me of a time when the world was new and bright and I was young and hopeful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QP-SIW6iKY&NR=1

The wall had just fallen a couple of years before and it was a time when we all wanted something better than the clusterfuck we've got...

2 songs that meant a lot to me then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDSh5wUtXt4&feature=related

I wanted to give yawl the 1989 video, the one that gave me hope for a better world back then, but I think this one is more appropriate. Sadder, wiser, but still hopeful.

Normally I don't do this, but I felt so moved that I just had to pass this along. I don't know how familiar you all are with the hit Disney movie, "Mulan", but it's been one of my favorites ever since it first released.

It's based on the legend of Hua Mulan, and tells the story of a girl who cross-dresses as a man to join the Imperial Chinese army to keep her father safe. Prior to this incident in the animation adaptation, she has a disastrous run-in with "The Matchmaker".

N.J. Elementary
School Cancels
'Cross-Dressing'
Fashion Show

www.foxnews.com/us/2010/04/13/nj-school-cancels-cross-dressi...

A school
superintendent in
New Jersey says a
"misunderstanding"
led an elementary
school teacher to
mandate that all
students -- including
young boys -- dress
as women in a now-
canceled fashion
show to honor
Women's History
Month.

The Working Girl Blog #5: Having lunch at the office, or maybe I should just keep my door closed

I spent the morning with my three team leads, talking about user requirements, and the fact that we had some questions that only the client can answer. Actually, a whole lot of questions. I had a short five minute talk about it with the boss. The upshot of it was was that all four of us are on our way to Richfield, Minnesota tomorrow.

Sorry, been busy.

Find Chapter 7 of SECOND CHANCE up on my site: http://tanyastales.yolasite.com/wip--second-chance.php

At long last we have
a sufficient quantity
of these so that each
person may have one
of his own.
Guard it with your
life. These TUITs have
been hard to come
by, especially the
round ones.
This is an
indispensible item. It
will help you to
become a much
more efficient
worker.
For years you have
been saying, "I'll do
that as soon as I get a
round TUIT."
Now that you have a
round tuit of your
very own, all those
things that have been
needing to be
accomplished will
surely get done!

You know, like, you know.

WherEVER did we come up with THAT to fill in the gaps in conversation.

Sorry, got off topic and I haven't even started.

It seems that the roller coaster keeps on coasting. Last week I was in the pits, then the electrolysis, which was a tremendous boost, then today.

Well, it seems like i am stuck, in more ways than one. I have paced the boundries of my cage and cant find an exit anywhere. Without a decent job, i simply cant transition. I cant get a decent job without schooling, and I cant afford schooling (dumb mistakes in my past mean i cant get a loan, either.) Meanwhile, i am also experiancing a lack of movent on the story front. I have about a dozen ideas, but cant seem to put anything together. ah, well.

There is a school of thought which states that the Daily Mail is engaged in an ongoing project to classify every inanimate object into those which cause cancer, and those that prevent cancer.

Perhaps not quite as daft as Facebook increasing your risk of cancer (!), apparently turning on a light when you wake up to relieve yourself in the night can cause it...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1265277/Cancer-dan...