Random Comments/Stream of Consciousness Thread

[Bad Penny]

FWIW - I've been a long time Koontz reader (I hesitate to say "fan" because, whilst I enjoy his books, I'm nowhere near as passionate about them as I am about Kings works) .. The first one I read was a PB Shadowfires under the Leigh Nichols pseudonym (hadn't heard of Kootz at that time) .. Since then (and that'd have to have been around 20 years ago - maybe more) I've picked up all the trade HC releases, and have enjoyed them for what they are (some more so than others, for sure). I have a couple of the Charnel House L/E's (mainly cos they were fairly well priced on the secondary market and are really beautiful productions, and a couple of flat signed as well (pick up mostly by accident rather design). Basically, in terms of the criticisms levelled at his body of work, all I can say is that it's horses for courses, millions love his stuff, just as many don't, and I imagine the same is true about any other author you care to mention (although, of course, the numbers of fans/detractors vary significantly)

[Highbury]

I would second that Dean is an incredibly nice guy and he is a very humbled. He takes the time to write back to fans still. I read his books when i first started with King and i actually liked Koontz more. I would venture his books are a perfect gateway for younger folks who want to jump into the paranormal suspense and horror. If his books are shit then its the finest fertilizer out of California

[Scoogs]

It was nice out, so I went to the beach yesterday...



A few more shots here (still learning the camera).

[Tito_Villa]

If anyone would be willing to read a short extract from my latest story called 'Everyone Loves Clowns' that is in Turtleback Lane and give me some feedback (either positive or negative, it all helps) i would very much appreciate it.
Cheers

[Ben Staad]

I do not like being responsible. Purchase a Gunslinger 1st or use some unexpected monies to take care of things that we need. Sadly I need to take the route that doesn't include a GS...Arrgghhh. Just venting and not looking for any replies.

On the plus side the things I will be spending the money on are very much needed and will alleviate (for a time) some stressers in my life. Without this little surprise these things wouldn't have happened. Woot!

[carlosdetweiller]

I do not like being responsible.

Come to America illegally. We will take care of you and you will not have to be responsible. Free health care, food stamps, unemployment benefits.....you name it we will give it to you. If you and your wife have an anchor baby while you are here you will be set for life. I think it may be just what you are looking for.

[Mr. Rabbit Trick]

I do not like being responsible.

Come to America illegally. We will take care of you and you will not have to be responsible. Free health care, food stamps, unemployment benefits.....you name it we will give it to you. If you and your wife have an anchor baby while you are here you will be set for life. I think it may be just what you are looking for.

Good old America! It's just like living in Britain.

[Ben Staad]

Dammit I'm already in the US so apparently I'm doing something wrong.

I do not like being responsible.

Come to America illegally. We will take care of you and you will not have to be responsible. Free health care, food stamps, unemployment benefits.....you name it we will give it to you. If you and your wife have an anchor baby while you are here you will be set for life. I think it may be just what you are looking for.

[carlosdetweiller]

Dammit I'm already in the US so apparently I'm doing something wrong.

My bad. For some reason I mistook your username for one of the Aussies or New Zealanders.

[Iwritecode]

Dammit I'm already in the US so apparently I'm doing something wrong.

I do not like being responsible.

Come to America illegally. We will take care of you and you will not have to be responsible. Free health care, food stamps, unemployment benefits.....you name it we will give it to you. If you and your wife have an anchor baby while you are here you will be set for life. I think it may be just what you are looking for.

There are plenty of people here living pretty well off without having to do much of anything. They are the ones that come into where my wife works and buy tons of junk food and soda with their food stamps and then pull out a wad of money to buy smokes and lottery tickets.

[carlosdetweiller]

Dammit I'm already in the US so apparently I'm doing something wrong.

I do not like being responsible.

Come to America illegally. We will take care of you and you will not have to be responsible. Free health care, food stamps, unemployment benefits.....you name it we will give it to you. If you and your wife have an anchor baby while you are here you will be set for life. I think it may be just what you are looking for.

There are plenty of people here living pretty well off without having to do much of anything. They are the ones that come into where my wife works and buy tons of junk food and soda with their food stamps and then pull out a wad of money to buy smokes and lottery tickets.

And then drive away in their Escalade!

[The Library Policeman]

I love America! Not just saying that because of my friends here on the board either. I've been lucky enough to visit various states in the US over the years and enjoyed every minute of it.

Can I come and live there please?

[carlosdetweiller]

I love America too. I love living here. We just have a lot of things that need fixing. Like every other country does, I guess.

[Ari_Racing]

I do not like being responsible.

Come to America illegally. We will take care of you and you will not have to be responsible. Free health care, food stamps, unemployment benefits.....you name it we will give it to you. If you and your wife have an anchor baby while you are here you will be set for life. I think it may be just what you are looking for.

Yesterday the argentinian national tax agency announced that every single package purchased via e-commerce that comes from other country needs a legal declaration to pay for taxes that not always applied and now will. Since last December, if you purchase something that has to be paid in dollars, you pay a 35% extra that you're supposed to recover at the begining of the year but so far I don't know anyone that was able to do it. And today...today I ate for breakfast that you can only receive two packages per year through the state mail system (couriers not YET included). You can't purchase dollars (at least legally...). Now you can't purchase stuff abroad and I don't have a doubt that more restrictions will come in the next...days? weeks? months? Plenty of time until October 2015 when the new elections will take place.

So yeah...all the countries have issues, but it seems that none except mine is implementing the same policies as North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba. I thought I'd never say this but these days I don't like at all to live in my country.

[Merlin1958]

I love America! Not just saying that because of my friends here on the board either. I've been lucky enough to visit various states in the US over the years and enjoyed every minute of it.

Can I come and live there please?

I have a "guest" bedroom, Alan.

[The Library Policeman]

I love America! Not just saying that because of my friends here on the board either. I've been lucky enough to visit various states in the US over the years and enjoyed every minute of it.

Can I come and live there please?

I have a "guest" bedroom, Alan.

I'm there!!

[Randall Flagg]

I do not like being responsible.

Come to America illegally. We will take care of you and you will not have to be responsible. Free health care, food stamps, unemployment benefits.....you name it we will give it to you. If you and your wife have an anchor baby while you are here you will be set for life. I think it may be just what you are looking for.

Yesterday the argentinian national tax agency announced that every single package purchased via e-commerce that comes from other country needs a legal declaration to pay for taxes that not always applied and now will. Since last December, if you purchase something that has to be paid in dollars, you pay a 35% extra that you're supposed to recover at the begining of the year but so far I don't know anyone that was able to do it. And today...today I ate for breakfast that you can only receive two packages per year through the state mail system (couriers not YET included). You can't purchase dollars (at least legally...). Now you can't purchase stuff abroad and I don't have a doubt that more restrictions will come in the next...days? weeks? months? Plenty of time until October 2015 when the new elections will take place.

So yeah...all the countries have issues, but it seems that none except mine is implementing the same policies as North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba. I thought I'd never say this but these days I don't like at all to live in my country.

For books, I suggest you deal outside (but still legal) the system.
Have proxies (Angels) buy books for you and mail them to you as gifts. People are very giving.
If you "like" the person who sent you the gift, you can also send them a $ "gift" as a separate transaction.

[George at C-Springs]

Yesterday the argentinian national tax agency announced that every single package purchased via e-commerce that comes from other country needs a legal declaration to pay for taxes that not always applied and now will. Since last December, if you purchase something that has to be paid in dollars, you pay a 35% extra that you're supposed to recover at the begining of the year but so far I don't know anyone that was able to do it. And today...today I ate for breakfast that you can only receive two packages per year through the state mail system (couriers not YET included). You can't purchase dollars (at least legally...). Now you can't purchase stuff abroad and I don't have a doubt that more restrictions will come in the next...days? weeks? months? Plenty of time until October 2015 when the new elections will take place.

So yeah...all the countries have issues, but it seems that none except mine is implementing the same policies as North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba. I thought I'd never say this but these days I don't like at all to live in my country.

Damn Ari ... sounds like the beginnings of a police state. Sure doesn't make much sense to punish citizens for buying things from other countries. The high taxes I somewhat understand, that's pretty common (Italy, Germany, etc.), but a limit of two packages a year? You can do better than that in a POW camp. Let us now what we can do to help, if anything, when the time comes.

[jhanic]

Ari, I've been watching events in Argentina for a while now and I also read about the new restrictions. Kirchner seems to be running, as you said, in the mode of Venezuela, Cuba, etc. Hard currency is difficult to come by in Argentina, and the state needs all it can get. I can only offer you my support and prayers that things will change for the better soon.

John

[Ben Staad]

I really could not have said this any better. Best of luck to you and yours, Ari.

Ari, I've been watching events in Argentina for a while now and I also read about the new restrictions. Kirchner seems to be running, as you said, in the mode of Venezuela, Cuba, etc. Hard currency is difficult to come by in Argentina, and the state needs all it can get. I can only offer you my support and prayers that things will change for the better soon.

John

[Merlin1958]

At the risk of annoying anyone, and I am taking that caution very seriously, there is something going on that the general membership may get a kick out of. Apparently, my "minions" have devised a method to make me "pay for my sins". Rather devious, if you ask me, but I have agreed in any case.

http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...mpetition-Poll


This is a way to offer some "payback" to me while still helping the HF. Give it a look see.

Spoiler:

LOL LOL LOL

[Ari_Racing]

For books, I suggest you deal outside (but still legal) the system.
Have proxies (Angels) buy books for you and mail them to you as gifts. People are very giving.
If you "like" the person who sent you the gift, you can also send them a $ "gift" as a separate transaction.

The issue is not purchasing...I still can do that. The issue is that nothing enters the country except two packages, no matter if it's purchase or gift. Since I still have some package on transit, I'll know better in a week or two. At this very moment, no one seems to know exactly the impact of these restrictions.

Damn Ari ... sounds like the beginnings of a police state. Sure doesn't make much sense to punish citizens for buying things from other countries. The high taxes I somewhat understand, that's pretty common (Italy, Germany, etc.), but a limit of two packages a year? You can do better than that in a POW camp. Let us now what we can do to help, if anything, when the time comes.

I'm not against taxes, of course, but so far we have the highest taxes of all South America and NOTHING goes back to the people. As for the packages...I can't even understand it, let alone believe it. Thanks for your comment and help

Ari, I've been watching events in Argentina for a while now and I also read about the new restrictions. Kirchner seems to be running, as you said, in the mode of Venezuela, Cuba, etc. Hard currency is difficult to come by in Argentina, and the state needs all it can get. I can only offer you my support and prayers that things will change for the better soon.

John

Thank you, John. I really hope things change, but I don't think it will, at least not soon.

I really could not have said this any better. Best of luck to you and yours, Ari.

Thank you! Much appreciated.

As for packages, I'll get a friend of mine in USA to get all my stuff for now until I can travel again (probably by the middle or end of the year) and for books from Spain the same. I really hate this situation, but I'll find a way to get my stuff eventually.

Thanks, guys. I really appreciate your words.

[Merlin1958]

The Yankee's signed, Tanaka!!!!

[George at C-Springs]

My son and I designed a patch (he did a rough design and I edited and computerized) for Rocky Mountain Star Stare 2014, annual national astronomy event hosted by the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society. This year they asked kids to come up with the theme and design ... as far as I know Erick is the only one who did anything, so odds are good at it being accepted. If so, it'll be on hats, t-shirts, pins, etc. They also asked Erick to be a presenter this year, so if we're not in Italy this summer he'll be doing that as well. Here's the three initial versions of the patch I made up last night (in Word and Paint, if you can believe it, because I don't have a decent graphics program). The colors represent the sun (gold), the daytime sky (blue), the nightime sky (purple), and white (stars). We used the Hercules Constellation as the center piece because if my time travel astronomy app is correct, Hercules will be directly overhead of Gardner, Colorado on Friday June 27th at midnight, which is the when and where for RMSS.

[Ben Staad]

@George I like the patch you created. Looks like it was a great family project.

FYI. Here is a link to some WKIT gear on cafepress:

http://www.cafepress.com/zoneradiogear/6007840

And just a heads up. I've never actually had any major issues with items from cafepress but the items I have bought are not high quality.