What do you want to talk about today?

I want to know why I can never get into the "inner" conference. "Internal Server Error" always comes up on my screen. I don't know much about computers, so what's up, Terry?

inner is a private conference run by wer. so you can only get into it if you are on the list of authorized users.

and yapp only has a couple of different error messages... that one is the most common

What wer said.

ditto

How ya doin', George?

It's time to put out that plea again. I have shelled out about $800 plus this month and I'm still lacking funds to pay for the domain name austen.com and some others, send your contributions to: The Spring Rt 2 Box 56r Cedar Creek, TX 78612 Make checks payable to The Spring. Any help you can send this way will be *very* appreciated and the first $70 received will go to rescue our austen.com domain name.

I want to talk about our failure to make the Golden Pebble awards for austin's best websites. first, here are the winners, which we were not among (hangs head in shame) http://www.Astrofish.net -- The people have spoken and made this redneck fisherman-astrological site numero uno and the winner of the "People's Choice Pebble." Of course, my psychic abilities should have been able to predict this outcome when I saw a bolded statement on the site directing Astrofish surfers to e-mail me and let me know Astrofish.com is the best. Astrofish, I look into my crystal ball and see a Golden Pebble coming your way. http://www.Internetv.com -- The "Funky Golden Pebble" goes to Rob Campanell and his new Internet production "Chemical Generation." In this "Real World"-type drama, DJ Deepfrog chronicles his quest to bring his hip-a-delic sound (Deepfrog Acid) to the world. It's waggle-your-hips funky, with a "You've Got Mail!" love twist. Here's your Pebble, DJ Deepfrog; why don't you take it for a spin? http://www.FixExpress.com and www.Sulekha.com -- The "Best Site Duet Pebble" goes to Sangeeta Kshettry and Satya Prabhakar. FixExpress.com is a yummy, one-stop info, trivia and humor site that boasts visitors from more than 100 countries. Sulekha.com is an excellent zine and literary community boasting some excellent writing by inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent. http://www.MikeJasper.com -- The "Angry Pebble" goes to Mike Jasper and his low-tech essay site. His spite, vengeance and cynicism made me laugh a lot over the past year. Besides, he's the only one who took me out for a burger after he appeared in my column. Congrats, Mike; next time, let's go to the Four Seasons. http://www.EthePeople.com -- When Austinite Alex Sheshunoff started a site at which you can contact local political officials via the Internet, it was bound to make this list. On his site, you can e-mail politicos and gripe about everything from impeachment to potholes. Alex, enjoy your "Power to the People Pebble." http://www.Unmall.com -- The "Buy This Pebble" goes to Unmall.com. It's about time someone linked Austin's great merchants and displayed them for the world to peruse and enjoy. It's one long, 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. Honorable mentions: http://www.Dumbest.com -- Margaret Moser and Bill Crawford have put up a site devoted to their book "Rock Stars Do the Dumbest Things." If you're too cheap to buy the book, this site will give you some good insight into rock stars and the dumb things they do. http://members.tripod.com/~poopunk/ -- An excellent e-zine by Ben Aqua. If you've forgotten what teen angst is all about, this site will remind you. http://www.chrissy.com/store.html -- Kitsch shopping to the tune of Muzak versions of "Here Comes the Sun" and "Downtown," this site boasts the best place in town for Ladyhead vases (don't worry, I didn't know what they were, either). Send questions, comments, ideas, products, graft and fan mail to Gregory Kallenberg at gkallenberg@statesman.com or write him at P.O. Box 670, Austin 78767. Look at these websites and tell me why we didn't stack up and what we need to do to make next years Golden Pebbles. We're just not insanely great enough yet. And if you feel we were left off and should have made the list, email Gregory Kallenberg and tell him he screwed up, big time, by not listing the Spring. Just in case you missed his email address: gkallenberg@statesman.com

its good to have these very specific goals for the Spring in mind. i am still mentioning the spring to anyone who will listen!

What do we need to do?

If'n I knew, I'd be doing it...

Have you looked at the golden pebble sites? What are we doing that we're not doing? How can we get more folks here? How can we improve our site? Better navigation? More features? Is the webcam a total bust? Does anyone watch it? We stopped playing videotapes all the time and we're half live and half taped now. And we have live feeds coming from both houses. What's it going to take?

What Gregory needs is an impassioned rebuke in his email box from ratthing. That would carry some weight!

me? ok, i will!

I just invited him to be a regulart participant here, as well...

oooh a regulart!!!

think I spelled it correctly in the e-mail, though... (how many points do I lose for spelling, teach?)

twas only a pre-test...

regulart. None. Because it's a cool mispelling.

Whup up on him a little, Stace.

love your philosophy on that one Paul!

especially if it describes a participant of Ree's conference...

huh?

regulart=chronic participant of the art conference...

From Gregory Kallenberg: "I thought soemone had bought the name. I'm glad you guys are still around. Look for a mention in next week's column. Gregory"

ahhh... was he confused by the .net as we all temporarily were?

seems so... I e-mailed Mike Jasper and Ben Aqua and invited them to join, as well...

Maybe they'll become regularts as well!

ah ha! the old com to net trick again!

Hey! I feel all warm and fuzzy!

Gregory Kallenberg's bit on the Spring in this week's XL ent, as promised... "www.Spring.net -- It seems a lot of fans of this tres cool Austin site missed my call for the 2nd annual Golden Pebbles Awards (best local sites). They are up in arms they weren't included. Well, guys, here's Spring.net for all to click upon and bookmark. I hope you're happy." all those who e-mailed him about not being included, please e-mail him again and tell him thanks!

Email thanks to mailto://gkallenberg@statesman.com

wait a sec, they give out awards for these places? HELLO!! what can i do?

recommend this place to anywhere you find that gives web awards...what kind of specifics are you looking for, Wolf?

*lol* is that the only way to get the word out? i'll go and submit this place to whomever...any specific type of awards we're limited to? or would anything do? and then we can have a trophy case somewhere!!

go, Wolf, go! submit, Wolf, submit! win, Wolf, win!

Alright, it could be at http://www.spring.net/awards cool!

I want to talk about nothing in particular...

and it seems that everyone else felt the same way...

I'd like to talk to Roan today in the farm conference about his incredible conspiracy theory regarding the Farm. I usually find it hard to believe paranoid conspiracy theories, but Roan provides some pretty convincing statements about some actual experiences he had. I'd be interested in what other folks think of his very "out there" thesis on how the Farm was underminded by "black ops".

Hey Any good raves going on in Austin as of late? Mike aka _cosmo_

Haven't heard of any, but I'll check on it.

unfortunately(?), cosmo, I don't hang around that crowd anymore...

I'm getting old...*sniff*

what do ya'll think about the Thought of the day thingy I got up in here? the guy who does those lives in Austin...

What is the thingy in question? I see no thingy.

the thingy over in the right hand corner that looks like a box with "Thought for the day" in it?!?!?

or, any other thingy you see and want to comment on, Autumn...

hey... just out of curiosity...what is the reason for the intermittent feb7,2036 date thing? (it is definitely marked in my calendar)... (and i hadn't noticed the thought of the day thingy, but am determined to search it out presently)

have done so and... and... they are even better than fortune cookies (which are usually the sources of my thoughts of the day) (such as they are) i like em

Where is this f*(#@^! thingy????

on http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/browse/porch/all/new right beside the description of the conference...

Aha! It is on the porch main page! I thought it was supposed to be in the upper right hand corner of this topic. Today's reminds me of those motivational posters in my husband's office.

sorry we confused you...

"We should abolish January and February. If we then divided the 59 extra days between July and August, we will cut out energy needs by about one- third through eliminating the coldest days of the year. Cold is largely a psychological matter. If people look at the calendar and see that it is July, they will be quite happy to turn the heat down." --John Galbraith, Ohio state representative

*grin*

Isn't he a famous economist?

I wanna know what's up with the new quarters!!!

Don't you like the Delaware ones? The tooth fairy thinks they're great! She can't wait for the other 49 to be issued.

No, I was serious...hadn't heard anything about them until I found one in my pocket...still don't know what's going on...

They're reminting the quarter in all 50 states (in order of when they joined the union).

thanks!!!!!!!

why, I want to talk about the today conference, of course! http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/browse/today/all

yippee...been talking to everyone on here the last couple of days, although the boss has been somewhat absent...

you chatterbox, you!

*sticking out tongue at you*

I want to talk about what a dweeb I am.. cuz I was having problems with my browser mail, so I changed the mail server to www.spring.net so I could send out some mail from there And how all my www.spring.net mail (that I usually access through Telnet (pine) jumped over onto my browser mail. And how I deleted it all because I didn't want it in both places and then how when I logged in and went to pin I had NO MAIL in my account (cuz it all was in my browser mail (that I deleted))... Then I want to hang my head in shame and ask "how in the hell do I put it all back???" (It's still in my browsers trash folder...)

does that folder work like the recycle bin and let you re-install instead of finishing deleting?

if not, you ought to be able to put it back through explorer...

what happened, stacey, is that when your browser email client went to talk to www.spring.net, it talked with both the POP server and SMTP server. it was the POP server who grabbed your mail off the server and fed it to your browser, then deleted it off the server. the only way to get it back to the www.spring.net server is to email it back  to www.spring.net. you should be able to do that from the deleted items folder. in your browser email package, there should be an option somewhere called "leave mail on server" or something like that. if you check this option, then the email your browser reads off the server will not be deleted, and will be there for you if you ever telnet in and use pine. also, unless you are connected directly to the Spring, you cannot use your browser's email client to send email. the SMTP server on www.spring.net does not accept mail from domains other than spring.net.

Thanks!

your post explains problems I've been having as well, Ray...

But none of mine. Ray, what's my problem, anyway?

hmmm. let's see. appears to have something to do with monkeys and large breasts, but i'm not certain.... let me check the log files, alexander, and get back to you... ;)

this post of yours, Ray, also explains problems I've been having...

this post of yours, Ray, also explains problems I've been having i can now meet people i have no anxiety about it --- it happens with irresistible mystery and charm rheumatoid arthritis left my body i'm 28 again, feel fit as a fiddle, feel oompah and voila and viola as a violin when i fart, the blap is music to everyone's ears (as well as being a tremendous relief for me) my entire mind is at perfect ease and likes to fiddle faddle with my heart and make it crack up and be in stitches until it howls and spins on its butt i'll walk around the yard and even the people of Scotland can feel my footsteps with uncanny sensitivity and bursting love children's voices light my way in the dark and i can run my fingers over where those concealed corners are in the entrance hall of her emotions (i'm talkin' of this new friend who lives so much human content, the trace of a desire is right now licking the outside of that blue cadillac she likes to drive off the 12th floor of Hotel Vertigo and land sweet and soft with exuberant acceleration in the driveway of wide-open romance) i have so much clarity now, i can link instincts with the center of the collective unconscious and purr deeply original forces that bunch up in simple pure soul release my ego has hung it up, exited, it's gone --- it made a filthy corpse, the soil is littered with its severed flesh, its sexual insecurities, its sweaty bank statements

jim, you da man. i hope you are feeling as great as you write.

he actually feels better if you touch him in the correct sub-continents during the supraproday sale phase of the moon in tempo with his tertiary time and phone line...

uh oh... Jim, are those wildflowers blooming in your living room or what?!?! Glad you're feeling so groovy. What did it? Coffee, sex, Jah's given up the pea gravel? Or did the residents of 37th street turn on those lights a little earlier than expected? That'd get me going too! Trying skating down the street next time you go... it's okay. The cras can't travel quickly so there's very little danger of being hit (oops, that was "cars" not cras) Anyway... back to the original point. Glad yer feeling so good... could you share some with WER next time you've reached a surplus?

it only feels good in being a writing (it was just fun to write, to do that) it's so obviously surreal i can feel totally depressed otherwise while writing something like that depressed isn't the write word, but the word would be something kinda negative but that particular time i actually was otherwise happening to be feeling basically ok but it didn't have anything to do with *what* i was writing that's just something about me and it's probably what any of you might've been figuring was the case with me? that what's said in the writing and what I'm actually feeling otherwise in my life are 2 different things, or can be? explanations do help sometimes.....was this not helpful, though? am i sounding like i'm misinterpreting or taking things too seriously or being dense or do i seem, say, uh, pretty distrustful as far as being sincere or having much interpersonal integrity, stuff like that? i wonder about myself....i worry about myself a mess.....ok ok

sometimes I wonder Jim. Not in a bad way...please don't misinterpret that! But sometimes the things you write just make me think..."Um...did I miss something?". But again, don't think that in a bad way - a failure on my part not yours!

I had so much to say... that it only came out as a smile.

with me and writing, i go for the impulse the impulse could be meaning to do anything with me it usually heads for humor and free associating and certain strong real touches of human truth mixed into that i don't know what it's about except right as it's coming out of me it's not very directed there's a different kind of control going on not so much conscious, but some.....there's some conscious direction but it's a real blend of conscious and submodalities of consciousness i do notice there is some belittling going on in my writing not in Response 76 (this topic), though i can see that my humor can miscommunicate it's working with stranger than usual variables (image-wise) --- that's a handful but there is a certain amount of lack of integrity going on at odd moments i'm putting some energy into growing, growth, development, as a person, i guess by taking a closer look at how that insincerity aspect actually feels to me as i look it over and look it over and look it over and see it and see it i experiment with words, it's highly experimental it's very weird being in the center of it sorta has a mind of its own but i can listen in better, by touching closer in on the spirit of it the orientation it seems to be coming from it's actually possible to hear clearly and it's possible to just not to hear i'm seeing if i can hear better it's real work i sometimes worry about losing the impulse when i listen in to the sincerity of it, but i'm wondering that it may be not such a worry, that the impulse doesn't necessarily fall down from being listened in to its sincerity, its voice, its orientation, spirit, etc. it's funny (or absurd?) to consider that there can be an amazing amount of mischievousness going on at the heart of sincerity, integrity it has to do with the pulse of change which is giving life its life, or living the life in life. anyone know? this make a little sense?

submodalities is a *great* word, stacey! :) i like your idea that impulse doesn't necessarily fall down from being subjected to some kind of critique - of being "listened to" as you put it. i'm not sure if i completely agree with the idea, at least on a personal level (for me, that is), but it's an teresting idea. i have always found that the best impulse is, to use the Spring analogy, just typed out and then sent, with no re-reading. however, as we haev all seen, too much impulse can be a negative thing as well as positive.

and I was bitten by the bug... at first my response was different... much different I did not submit it but did send it on

hmm?? non comprende :)

I was answering your non-question regarding impulsive posting, Mike.

Hmh, I like looking at Jim's postings. They look so dynamic.

Yeah, he's amazing.

my WORD, Jeeves...astounding! ;)

Does this mean your computer lives again, Annette?

(what, no insomniacs up tonight?!?!)

(me, but it's already 9:49 am over here. Good morning, Wer, how are you today?)

awake again, how are you?

Busy. Hacking all these cd titles in a spread sheet, 'coz we hand the lot over to our authors today (and it's mighty useful to know who got what from which label...). Already behind on schedule, it's 14:45 and we meet at 17:00 in FFM. See ya!

And has that been a good meeting! Great cappucino, too! There were us three publishers (two double as editors, one as direct distribution/subscription branch), the ad sales branch, four authors (a new one, too - looking forward to see how that works out, but he has some great ideas and interesting connections; hope his writing is up to it, too...) and a layouter/writer. Lots of feedback on #12, I gave an overview on planned stuff for #13, fixed dates, extended personal deadlines (for contributions, not contributors, mind you) and deal out serious CDs! Guess more'n 50 out for reviews... Some great stuff, too, Also some lame... As usual. I felt really great when I got back. They care! They contribute! We're all happy bunnies! Now I just got to find a legal way to get hold of some more carrots...

Wow, all that over a cappucino?

Had a glass of water, too, to be honest.

How's this for karma; a month or so ago, robbers broke into my house and stole my bass guitar, stereo, 2 VCRs, a flute, and most of my CDs and other assorted personals, including my address book and "scratchbook" for all of my internet goings-ons. That brought me down to my computer and tv for entertainment, ok? Last night, lightning finished off the tv and satellite reciever...now; I am down to my computer for entertainment, which I managed to have unplugged before the storm. Does anyone think I might sh uld be recieving some kind of...er...message from all of this? (ROTF!) -Humored but holding my breath...:)

Stop dancing with cross-dressing Texans?

Are you still living on the Farm, Annette? (Has anyone stolen your library card yet? That may be all you have left in the way of entertainment!)

quick...post your snail mail address!!!

Annette, how good's your German? What bass did you have?

My German is as limited as my good luck, Alexander...;) I had a Peavey Foundation bass. But, next week, I am going to purchase a Ibanez GSR100. Can't spend summer without a bass...too many good gigs happening. Everything else can wait...Hey, I still have YOU guys...right? (Shhhhhhh...guess I'd better not say that TOO loud, huh?)

(So you have some luck - got some German to? What do you play?)

Mostly the blues. Rock (the older stuff) finds it's way in, too. We do a lot of SRV and Eric Clapton, quite a lot of Motown stuff...right now, we're "re-organizing". (I like that word!;) ) The lead guitarist and lead singer were married, and, recently divorced, (typical story, hmm?) so, we're shuffling around for another lead guitarist. It will come together, but, it just takes time to get the right chemistry.

Did you keep the guy or the gal?

(Probably just kept the dog and the ole Pick-up truck...)

Aarrgh!! My hard drive has to be replaced! Help! I'm stranded in the sea of losers in the library...

woo woo! Autumn's hanging out with the bookworms!

Autumn, pitch me one of those Poe classics over there, please...:) (BTW, I moved from The Farm back to Hohenwald...couldn't stand the cold in that cabin!) Alexander, we kept the gal. The guy needed to move on into some other aspects of his music career, and, well, I think we were just holding him back from branching out when he needed to. He and his ex didn't really needed to get away from each other, anyway.

...DID really need to get away from each other... Jeez...it's late...brain is going mush...(mushier)

Oh. But I DO like mushy brains! So the guy needed to branch out, huh? Sounds like opening franchises was why they split... So: Who kept the dog and the pick-up? I guess he took that great vintage amp, too,... (More in Music Conf/Record Collecting topic...)

HEY!!!! I wanna talk about why the hell the 'what I ate today topic is frozen and who's gonna unfreeze it so's I can go on and on about all the good stuff I ate today!

did I freeze the wrong one? oops...

phew... now I feel less silly... you froze the wrong one!!!

no I didn't...

yep, you did!

no I didn't...

Bet you did... Alexander, SHE got the dog...HE got the pick-up. :)

he did Annette

He did Annette AND got the pick-up? Wow. Nowwaitaminute - whatareyoutellinme?

wouldn't matter Alexander... you wouldn't think about it anyway and what's the fun in that?!?!

;=}

Yes, but there's more to being than mere thinking. How about feeling, guessing, imagining, the whole nonintellectual apparatus? Works ok for me, way better than ratio-only, hardcore thinking approaches ever did. Bear with me. Just because I'm not so hot on intellectualism and indifferent brainism doesn't mean I've got no game going. Maybe I work with a different technique, but nevertheless I try, and try as good as any other. (Though admittedly trying sometimes *is* quite the trial... but that's the same for smart thinkers, too.)

just teasing you Alexander! gotta point out the discrepancy though... your posts certainly lend the reader to believe you are quite the intellectual thinker...

...wrong. I'm through with that. Ignorance is bliss.

worng... but if you insist on being ignorant to the truth... so be it! (just being argumentative of course but in reality i don't believe that ignorance is preferable to knowledge... on much of anything...) .ok

There is no truth. There are only opinions. Knowledge is a burden that's not always easy to bear; even more seldom is it appreciated by others. Ignorance is not the opposite to open-mindedness; ignorance is the opposite to itself. Ignorance is the perfect chance for growth.

then Ignorance is potential and not necessarily bliss...

Ignorance is bliss. Knowledge is competitive and segregates again in haves and have-nots. Makes people feel alienated from each other, even offended. Few people are offended by ignorance. (Mind you, my dears, we're not talking stupidity. That's a different topic, along with narrow-mindedness and prejudices and smart-assing and holier-than-thouing. File ignornace beside amateurism - who still love what they do -, and dilettantism, where everything is just play and fun. Maybe the three capital virtues - ignorance, amateurism, dilettantism.)

I don't know that I'd want that on my resume... William is an ignorant, amateur dilettante...

actually i AM offended by ignorance. racial and ethic and religious prejudices often (USUALLY) stem from ignorance... the majority of frustration in my work and the majority of accidents that happen in our facilities stem from ignorance -- learned or otherwise... I truly believe ignorance (especially intended) is a liability in most cases. I certainly see degrees and topics that one might choose, for his/her own self-preservation to be ignorant of... Sometimes when you ARE informed and have taken the time to be thought out on a topic, life is even more fun

Stacey, such stupidity is truly an awful thing. But I mean something different by ignorance, and again, it it a language and cultural barrier, limiting my means to express my feelings. Also, I realise that my position on things has much to do with the life I've lead up to now, which I lived and nobody else.

So, Stace, does my ignorance truly offend you? Or is it just that you are afraid that you would have to fit me into the categories where you got those people you think "ignorant" filed? Both would be sad, because unnecessary ("No need to kick a man who's down."), plus we got along great until I mentioned this absurd idea of mine, but it would be fun, though, or rather: fascinating to see how me being like this - trying not to get people blow up at me, and be really cooperative and accessible - would achieve opposite effects.

first of all I don't believe you're truly ignorant. I believe you are probably more informed than most and therefore would like to plead and/or be ignorant because the alternative is too complicated. You do not offend me. Truly ignorant people (who have no desire to improve on that situation and who in their ignorance misjudge things/people/ideas (yadda yadda yadda)) offend me frequently. Certainly not by their mere existence but in their apathy. The disintegration of society's as the world pnce knew them has a lot to do with this apathy IMHO. People would rather not know than know and feel compelled to at a minimum care if not contribute to a solution... BTW, please never misconstrue my getting all heated about a topic/idea/subject as something angry or personal against the speaker "poster"... when I am truly pissed all shall know!!! *smile*

because she'll SAY SO...

... she does, huh? What do you say?

that depends...

...?

precisely!!!

A-hem!

A-dress!

A-line!

A-nother?

what's a 'nother'?

that's over...who one?

Me two.

you eight it!!!

10ding the garden again, Stace?

cute! yep sure am. it's just 2 rainy today though .ok damn

So, no birds in the 3s?

*laugh* nope they fell on the 4.

Hmh, ice-cream - a nice big c1.

ooooh, my....all this over a pickup truck? (*snicker) ...interesting enough....;-)

ice cream...double c.....mmmmmmmm.

Well, Annette, what could I do? Feel like responding to # 121 ff. (Stacey hinted at something...), or check into http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/music/67.68 and tell us how they split up the record collection? I'm also curious - who got the amps? So, while we all have a nice big c1 - or double c1 -, would you tell me?

how come i cannot get audio with the "echo juliet" slides?? is this from the capezeyz show?

did you ever get your sound?

What I never got was any of you jokers to explain to me how to put images into a reply. I would very much appreciate it if somebody - even perhaps one of the more dignified entities floating around here - WOULD PLEASE TELL ME! Well, I want to post the cover of our #13 into the superstar topic.

tonight...I promise...gotta go do a command performance at Little Italy in a few moments...

Okay, Alexander: Got your default.htm page so that all the graphics work, and the top two links across the top to work...also made a copy of it called index.html so that any of these will work for the url... http://www.spring.net/~aschuth/ http://www.spring.net/~aschuth/index.html http://www.spring.net/~aschuth/default.htm posted the cover up in the superstar topic, so go in and do a view source and you'll see the correct code for that particular picture... (I'm gonna get credit in your mag for grunt webwork, right? it would look really cool on my resume...hehe...)

(Yeah, we'll get that figured, mate - still, get back to me on the merchandise issue...)

(Ok, as soon as I got my harddisk restored I'll download all that and work further on updating it... Still not in shape to publish it, like lots of old addresses around, no new content + images, concert schedules, etc.)

understood...

take the Austin Powers Personality Quiz, baby! http://www.careerpath.com/ows-bin/editorial.cgi/special/cpapquiz.htm?style=cp I turned out to be the Man Himself, Austin Powers! Smashing, love! You've made a match with the international man of mystery. You have a talent for mixing�work with pleasure, cocktails with spying�but you always accomplish your mission, no matter the obstacle. Or obstacles. Oh, behave! You're a man in psychedelic motion and recruited constantly. We won't talk about what for. Freelance consulting is the ideal career for you, allowing you the freedom to swing from one assignment to the other. Yeah, baby!

Just what I said. Why don't you listen to us here, but to some stupid quiz, baby?

cuz I can't afford the meds?

Oh, what meds? Get down to it, honey - this is all natural goodness, bright sunshine and honest excitement. (*yawn*) Most of the times, at least... Basically, it's really good for you!

the Spring as a whole, or listening to you guys?

"natural goodness, bright sunshine and honest excitement" is, sweety, what do you think? We folks don't always qualify for that, let's be honest, so go for a walk outside and watch a butterfly... (*walking off into the sunset, flowers in my hair + no sandals on my feet*)

Or forget about my crap, ignore the med-item (something serious or just prozac?), and hack away!

i'll forget about your crap...

...happy to hear that!

how's the knee?

Itchin'?

are you asking me or telling me?

Yeah. Huh, you're itchin to know, aren't ya? Wouldn't tell you, just to work up some suspense in your life... Naw, I spill it. This suspense-building thing only wrecks my nerves. Yeah, guess you are itching to know, and I'm itching to itch. &%$%�!-M�ckenstich!

and may I ask WHY are your knees itching?

Fungus? Athritis? Watch that, girl - you'll become as nosy as me! Just a M�ckenstich. No biggie, just itchy...

hey, is it just me or has anybody else noticed that the ad on the spring cam is for the Jaguars and they're using a picture of a cheetah?

and I thought it was an ocelot...

no, sweetie, didja see the black tear line from the cat's eye to his cheek? i wouldn't want to sign up with them to cheer or play football if they can't tell the difference between a jaguar and a cheetah.....

just teasin', Wolf, but my, you sure know your competition...

"it's canine vs feline here on this wonderful sunday morn' at the SPRING stadium..."

*grin* survival of the fittest, my dear!!

Mark me dead meat then. But, hey, can I bring allies?

...just took a vote...Sure you can! Anything I can do to help?

... sharpen your teeth and claws methinks!

*big wolfy toothy grin*

sorry to interupt... just came in from watching the shuttle fly over on re-entry...

woo woo! when I was a little girl in SA the shuttle used to piggyback into Kelly right over our backyard...

wasn't that cool!! i got pictures and if they came out good, i'll post them.

Please do post them. This is the first shuttle mission I have not have full screen nasa tv on nor checked the orbits to see when we could see it. It has been visible several times that I have looked, but it must have been much closer for you if it was coming in for a landing. Fantastic. I am thrilled for y'all!

Hope you guys have good memories because I expect a full color sketch if your pictures did not come out well.

*lol*

I think I might be artistic enough to pull that one off...

but then again...

....(getting out my knitting and finding a soft place on the grass)....I'll wait...just don't forget, please!

Re: Response 187 I know what ally I'm looking for, should I ever be in such a mess. In South China exists a small sort of wild cat (possibly called Biao), that does the most amazing thing for fun, which qualifies the kitty for major ally-materiel. You know how everybody says everything animals do is just driven by needs and urges, like to feed, etc.? Wrong. This krazy kat knows how to have a good time. When it is bored - say, it's Saturday night, it's in the middle of a South Chinese jungle, beer is out and the movie sucked - it positively JUMPS OM THE BACK OF A TIGER AND PUTS THEM CLAWS TO WORK ON THE TIGERS BUTT !

So, y'all are not impressed? Well, I was, when I found this in the english edition of a chinese People's Army general's commentary of Master Sun's Art of War (at last a commentary on the military virtues and errors, not all that economic and management blab you usually get from the Western authors). Imagine, a cutie l'il kitty, RIDIN' DA TIGER!

Oh, Yes, indeed I am impressed...I would like that kitty on my side. The very fact that they are not extinct speaks of their success in this enterprise Must check this out. Clever little devils, are they not!

Who are Austin 360 (our competition?!) and why are we not listed in their Web Directory of Communities Online?

I am still sitting on the soft grass from long time ago waiting to see the shuttle flyover. You promised...!

Couldn't resist *grin* PENN STATE 41 ARIZONA 7

That's the second site I've seen this embarrassment for Dick Tomey and all the players he took from Hawaii on...how many others are there? Hmmmm...

Just the one in Geo and the one on my Screwed topic, where I just put your Texas story. It was the beginning of what started out to be a happy day but is now ashes.

Why so glum? U can e-mail me if necessary. Or call...935-7171 ext. 426

It is what the email asking about confidences was about...

Thanks for last night, John...*smile*

U R welcome...everyone else, it's not what you think!

John, you are a gentleman and a scholar of the first order. I am a lady. You listened to me when there was no one else to talk to. Thank you for that. And, for the rest of you. Whatever where you thinking?!

Check out my post on Free Republic Is your Church BATF & FBI approved? http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a37c9 click Here

Check out my post on Free Republic Is your Church BATF & FBI approved? http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a37c9 Click Here

I get it right someday! Click Here

America needs a William Wallace now!

Marcia - and everyone else: I'm not thinking! How often do I have to explain... Davey, mah man - why should I check your post, and who's the Bill? You gotta work on dem teasers, man! (Side-question: If American needs a William Wallace now, what does it need tomorrow? And what does the rest of the world need? Just curious. And harmless.)

Which William Wallace is he talking about?!

Gosh, YOU gotta know - you're at least an US-citizen! How'm I to know?

The last William Wallace I knew sat behind me in 3rd grade. Historically, was he not "Braveheart" of cinema fame? Ask the Scots amongst us!

Great Scot, you knew Will Wallace! Whew! Tell us - how was he like? And, most important - what quality did he possess that your country - well, you know, *their* country, all the non-Hawaii-places - might be in great demand now?

Wild Will Wallace - boy, I still can't believe it!

The one I knew was kind of a jerk. Sniffled instead of blowing his nose...that sort...best left unremembered. And, I wonder how he remembers the girl who sat in front of him in 3rd Grade...! (yes, I know, Alexander, I did not make myself very clear on stating that these were two entirely different WW's!!!)

(Now, I got that, just wanted to tease you...) So, did Will the Wallace ever pull your braids? Or pin stupid notes on your back?

Not until the 4th grade when we got ink wells. He stuck one of my braids in his ink well, and while whipping my head around to see what he was doing, I managed to spray him with the ink in my hair!

Just desserts!

okay... I like chocolate raspberry anything... fruit cobblers are awesome... cheesecake accompanied with coffee is very worthy of my time... (how am I doing?)

If'n y'all's gonna talk like that, bring two spoons!!! I am HONGRY!!!

Ok time to awaken the intelligencia here...(there is intelligent life on the Internet, right?!) Check out Project Gutenberg on the net. Their goal is to make every book in existance FTP-able to your hard drive for free. Knowledge of the entire world at your fingertips. How incredible that seems to me! http://promo.net/pg

Friday, December 3 NASA and its various websites listed below will carry live from Mars the Polar Lander beamed to Earth from 157 million miles away. The sites will contain weather reports, science data, first sound clips ever beamed to Earth from "out there" and lots of pictures. Main Mars site will post the latest pictures and updates throughout the 90-day mission: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98 or http://marslander.jpl.nasa.gov JPL's main page has links to the latest Mars project as well as to probes sent to other planets over the last 20 years: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov JPL's Mars Educational site which includes activites for children and teachers: http://marsnt3.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.html UCLA, where the primary science team is based, offers a site focusing on the experiments aboard the Mars Volitiles and Climate Surveyor payload. http://mars.ucla.edu

Under the "why can't we just get along" topic (which was too hard to find so I put this here): German Tourists More Popular Than Some May Think BERLIN (Reuters) - Britons fond of mocking German vacationers for using towels to reserve poolside lounge chairs at holiday resorts may be in for a surprise. German tourists are more popular abroad than the traditional image suggests, a survey in the mass-selling Bild newspaper showed on Tuesday, particularly in Austria where 71 percent of locals said they found German tourists ``very agreeable'' or at least ``pretty agreeable''. Of the French respondents, 55 percent liked the Germans, while 54 percent of the Italians in the survey welcomed tourists from Germany, although 12 percent complained that they were arrogant. German tourists were least popular in Spain, a holiday destination for 14 million Germans each year, where 26 percent said they didn't like the Germans. However, in the tourist haven of southern Spain where German sunbed-grabbing antics are said to be at their worst 70 percent of respondents said they found the Germans agreeable.

Sure they do! Multiply 14 millions with, say, one thousand Marks, and you get a lot of smiling faces in Spain! When we have a bad recession here, it means for most people taking only two vacations a year instead of three. Like, "we won't have money for new ski-gear all around, so let's skip St. Moritz this year..." Huh, wish I'd be so well off! I'm with the some people who say "what recession? Doesn't look worse to me than usual..., with all dem black clouds and unpaid bills."

Hang in there, my dear. I am sure Spain subscribes to the "keep Spain green, bring money!"

Our money is copper, green and silver (the coins), and blue, green, brown and other stuff (the bills & the larger bills, which I can't remember to have seen in a while).

No wonder Spain is so colorful. The Deutchmark (and pfennig)has been making it so. I always wondered about that. hmmm...

My mother died today. My sister called about 10 am with the news. We were expecting it but I had hoped to visit her in two weeks. My last conversation with her was one of the best I have had in years, I didn't think it was going to be my last. She passed away peacefully. So I've been thinking back through the years today and remembering how her life was with it's ups and downs, her car accident, the wonderful years as kids at Chautauqua, the times in Houston when she moved to her apartment and the last years in Walnut Creek California where she stayed with my sister. Alice had been a real savior to mom over the last years, providing her with a home and comfort. She called my Uncle Harold and Aunt Ann today, and cousing Muriel and Aunt Jean in LA. Alice was in tears when she called this morning, it had only happened about 15 minutes before she called. It's a real different feeling, not having mom around any more.

Terry, I'm sorry to hear of your loss. When my grandmother died, I knew that I had seen her and been able to talk to her on one of her last lucid days, and that has always been a comfort. I'm glad you and your mom had been able to have a good talk before the end. My thoughts are with you and your entire family.

Thinking of you

*Hugs* Terry. Moms are very special people and I know you had a really good one because you turned out so splendidly. Everything you do and say reflects positively on her memory - I am sorry I did not meet her to thank her for you. My thoughts will be with you...as they are quite often anyway. Take care!

From John Burnett Terry, I am sorry about your mother's passing. Being prepared makes arrangements easier but you can't do your grieving in advance. I lost my dad in 1993 and not a day goes by that I still don't think about him. You are in my prayers. May God bless you. John

It's great that you two had a good relation with each other, Terry, and that she left without pain. Those are values one can't estimate too little. I wish you and your folks all the best. Comfort and take care of each other. Thinking of you, A.

A new Droolian (but long time email friend of mine who responded the night we needed a contact in Canada...) asked me to post this for her: Could you please convey my deepest condolences to Terry. I don't know him yet but he does great stuff for CF. Indeed he does; you are in our hearts and prayers tonight, Terry!

Oh, sorry...that was from Silvie!

God, terry, i am so sorry. i will be praying for you.

From another lady in Drool who is not quite comfortable about posting here: I was very sorry to hear about Terry's mom. Could you please forward my condolences to him. Tell him that Rumi is a great comfort in these situations. ...MoonDreams

Sending a big hug to you, Terry. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for all your good wishes. While I go to attend some affairs, I'm asking Ray and the folks steering austen.com and firth.com to continue on with the move to the new site.

gosh Paul, I feel like I've been under a rock... I'm sorry to hear about your mother's death. That whole wheel of life seems decidedly separate from our daily living and beyond the initial shock and sadness, I hope your thoughts and reflections regarding your mother and your times with her are warm and comforting.

Thanks Stacey, I've got a pile of cards on my dresser from the nice folks at Spring who sent condolences, I do have many nice thoughts of my mom, like the times she chased me around the tree at the park and many good memories, especially of the summers at Chautauqua.

Chautauqua? As in the area around Boulder?

Chautauqua as in upstate New York? My former father-in-law spent his summers there, as well. It was quite the place! Wonder how it has evolved over the years and if it is still as prestigeous...!

The chautauqua of which I speak is in Illinois, just across the Missouri border north of St. Louis. What are the areas around Boulder and upstate NY like? I'm glad you're out from under the rock, Stace' I wish more folks would emerge from out under their rocks!

You say rock? I say roll! WHAZZAT SPELL? WHAZZAT SPELL?

Also, I second the motion Terry put forward: "Folks, time to stop hibernating. What you waiting for, that hell freezes over? Damn, it might 'ave 'appened, and you coulda already 'ave missed it!" I 'ave spoken.

The Chautaqua area of New York State is in the Finger Lakes area in the north central area. A truly beautiful area and the home town named Chautaqua, NY. Alexander, I have no idea whazzat spell, but I am happy to see you posting again. Aloha!

Whazzat spell? Why, rock 'n' roll of course! Silly girl! hey hey, my my, ...

(I knew...*grin*)

... rock and roll will never die... (to finish Alexander's thought) Paul... Chautaqua is an area inside Boulder... right around the Flatirons. It's a gorgeous hiking park area... you used to live near Boulder during your bee pollen days, no? Marcia, your Chautaqua sounds very pretty too!

'Tis lovely. Lotsa big trees and serene lakes. Adirondack Mountains. Mosquitoes... I prefer your beautiful mountains, given the choice, Stace!

I visited Boulder for about a week when we were on the Caravan around the country. We picked rosehips in the snow up near Ward, CO. That was in the schoolbus days.

You are a most interesting man, Terry. I just have to spend an evening with you sometime to learn some of the intracies of which I see lttle hints here and there. Fascinating! Intriguing, even...

RELEASED AT 1:30 P.M. February 2, 2000 ALASKA ALERTS PUBLIC TO FRAUDULENT SOLICITATION FOR FAMILY MEMBERS SEATTLE -- It is with great regret that Alaska Airlines must alert Internet users that a fraudulent Web site has been created on the World Wide Web soliciting donations for the families of the passengers and crew of Alaska Airlines Flight 261. The site is not sanctioned in any way by Alaska Airlines. Further, the fraudulent site may also cause further damage by the spreading of a computer virus to those who visit the site. The only official site for information about Flight 261 and benevolent fund raising efforts for the passengers and crew is www.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines has mobilized its own specially trained team of employees to support and care for the family of the passengers and crew on Flight 261. The airline will continue to help loved ones and families through this difficult time.

from Arca Max weird news Wed, 09 Feb 2000 12:57:35 PST Things That Almost Make Sense A Billy Joel song has sparked a bit of controversy in the New York Senate race. New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is tweaking first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton over a piece of music that was played over the sound system prior to her otherwise carefully staged announcement Sunday that she is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from New York. A technician was playing a Billy Joel "greatest hits" CD -- evidently because it contained the anthem-like "New York State of Mind." But another prominent track on the CD is "Captain Jack," a story song about a young guy who passes the time on a Saturday night by smoking marijuana and giving himself pleasure. . . The New York Times quotes Giuliani as saying that "everything was written out, everything was planned...and the message that got out, and they say by mistake...is 'Let's say yes to drugs.'" A spokesman for Mrs. Clinton's campaign said neither the first lady nor her campaign staff chose to play the song, and that Giuliani should stick to the issues. But then, a lenient stance on drugs sounds like it might just be an issue...

The Oldest Known Valentine in English The oldest known valentine message in the English language has been discovered in the British Library. Written in Norfolk in 1477, the letter from a young lady to her fiance goes on display at the library next month. "My heart bids me evermore to love you over all earthly things" it reads "and if my friends say that I do amiss they shall not stop me from doing so". 'Technology may have changed, but some things are the same' A spokesman for the library said.

Like they say, "The more things change, the more they stay the same" (never quite understood that one, though...) Thanks, Maggie!

Somewhere way off topic Terry asked me about Geomagnetism. I posted this in Geo and in Radio, but am not sure he will see it. So, I post in Porch, also: ---------------------- SFI=192 | A=28 | K=3 down from 4 at 0300 on 25 February. SAF: low to moderate, GMF: at unsettled to minor storm levels Aurora Level: 8 ********** That is a propagation report, for those who do not know. The strength and clarity of distant radio signals is directly a result of those numbers. The higher the first number is( SFI = Solar Flux Index), the better. All of the others, the lower the better. Solar flux is the stuff which the Sun flings in all directions as it pulsates from internal fusion. It is seriously bad stuff for Earth. We are saved from most of it by Geomagnetism. When the ionosphere is bombarded with enough ionized particles, Auroras occur, and if it is strong enough, can interrupt long distance phones, satellites, missle defense systems and other things terrestrial. Here is a little graphic which shows how it works: Oh yes, the GMF designation above = Geo Magnetic Field.

Since I still cannot telnet, would you please link History 5 to Today conference, please?! No one goes into history much, and the topic is "This Day in History" which is appropriate to Today as well as to History... ..isn't it?

I hope you don't mind me posting this here - I find it very upsetting. This is my part of the world. WEST AFRICA: IRIN Focus on child trafficking [2000229] [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] CHILDREN: IRIN Focus on child trafficking in west and central Africa LIBREVILLE, 28 February 2000 (IRIN) - From 14-year-old girls forced into prostitution to domestics just out of their infancy and pre-teen boys leased to cattlemen, west and central African children are being condemned to deprivation and servitude, researchers and officials told IRIN. No-one knows exactly how many young lives are broken in this way. In fact, finding out and keeping data bases on the twin evils of child trafficking and the exploitation of children's labour are part of a common platform for action agreed at a regional consultation held on 22-24 February. In most of the region, girls, some of them as young as eight years old, are taken from from rural areas to towns to work as domestics. Many work for 12 hours each day and more, and are subjected to physical, mental and sexual abuse. Those taken from their countries also face isolation, some studies noted. Children from Mali are taken to Cote d'Ivoire via Burkina Faso, which is both a supplier of and transit point for child workers. So are Benin, Ghana, Nigeria and Togo, some of which are also recipient countries. Children are taken to Equatorial Guinea and to and from Cameroon. Gambian researchers suspect that there might be children going to work as domestics in Banjul from the southern Senegalese region of Casamance where a guerrilla war has been going on for 17 years. Kounboua Boulo Edoux of the Ministry of Labour in Chad told IRIN that nomadic cattlemen from northern Cameroon and central Chad travel to Moyen Chari region in southern Chad in the dry season, contract boys from farming communities to tend their herds, and take them as far as Central African Republic (CAR). The 'Subregional Consultation on Developing Strategies on the Trafficking of Children for Exploitative Labour Purposes in West and Central Africa' was held in Libreville, capital of Gabon, one of the countries to which people illegally ship children, some of whom die along the way. In one such case some two years ago, Nigerian researcher Professor Peter Obigbo told IRIN, about 30 children drowned when a boat capsized while taking them from southern Nigeria to Gabon. Child trafficking occurs both within and between countries as studies presented at the consultation - organised by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) showed. While doing sensitisation work in southern Chad on the worst forms of labour - the subject of a mid-1999 ILO convention that the Libreville meeting urged African governments to ratify - he met a small group of herdboys who had run away from their masters in the CAR. They were haggard, hungry and covered with wounds sustained while trekking through the bush back to the Chad border, according to Edoux. Their ages? "Twelve, thirteen," he said. The herdsmen approach parents either directly or through middle men, or area residents who earn 3,000 CFA francs (less than US $5) per boy, according to Edoux. The child is supposed to work for six months after which he receives a calf as payment and is taken back to his parents, an arrangement which some masters honour. Others, however, find pretexts to end it prematurely, which means that the child is not paid, while some take the children with them when they go back to their home areas at the end of the dry season. According to Edoux, soldiers from Moyen Chari stationed in central Chad sometimes rescue children left stranded after being abandoned by or running away from their bosses. Boys are also contracted out to cattle rearers in Ghana, receiving a cow at the end of four years' service, according to Emelia Oguaah, executive director of the African Centre for Human Development and one of a team of consultants who presented at the consultation preliminary findings from research they did for a subregional project of the ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC). Other boys work as assistant fishermen and, according to information she obtained while doing her survey in areas along the Volta Lake in eastern Ghana, these children fall into two categories. "Most are brought by their parents as apprentices in fishing or to work and assist the fishermen," Oguaah told IRIN. "Their parents collect money and visit their children regularly. But there is another group of children who, people in the area suspect, were stolen and sold to the fishermen." Area residents told her nobody visited these children "who become more or less slaves and are maltreated in various ways." Other Ghanaian children, girls, are taken to Cote d'Ivoire to work as maids, helpers in small restaurants or prostitutes, mainly by middle-aged Ghanaian women living in Cote d'Ivoire, according to Oguaah. Their unsuspecting parents generally have no idea of the conditions under which they work, she said, adding that the families of those forced into prostitution are made to believe their children would be given work. Overworked and illtreated, some run away and find their way to the Ghanaian border. "Those who come back are mostly those taken for prostitution and they are usually between 10 and 14," Oguaah told IRIN. Public transport operators, she said, told her they often arranged transportation for the returnees, but some refused to go back home because of conditions there and ended up living on the streets of Takoradi, a major town in the west of the country. Why do parents send their children to town or abroad to work? The reasons are legion, but poverty is one most often cited, according to Oguaah, Ebigbo - who was also a member of the team of ILO-IPEC consultants - and other participants in the Libreville encounter. Other contributory factors include lack of awareness of the risks involved, insufficient training and educational opportunities and a high demand for cheap, submissive child labour, the inexistence or inadequacy of national laws on child trafficking, weak institutional mechanisms and inadequate border controls, according to the platform for action that participants in the consultation have undertaken to implement. The platform includes strengthening sensitisation campaigns - which some countries have already started - targeting not only adult groups such as the media, women's associations and other NGOs that defend the rights of the child, but also children, through children's parliaments and other forms of organisation involving them. The platform also provides for reviewing penal codes to include child-trafficking offences which, it says, should be defined, and adequate and severe penaties set. It includes drawing up an international convention on child trafficking, stiffer regulations on the movement of children out of countries, training people who would implement new laws, and strengthening the capacity of monitoring structures and intervention units in terms of personnel and equipment. Another key area on which the consultation focused was the effect of trafficking and exploitative labour on the children. A UNICEF survey on Nigeria presented at the meeting noted that these practices result in the interruption of children's education, traumatises them and impairs their development. In the long term, children thus abused face a future of poverty and destitution and are sometimes caught up in a cycle of violence, insecurity and lawlessness, and HIV/Aids, according to the survey. A similar presentation on Burkina Faso noted that the traffic, "which is a brutal separation of the child from his or her family with all the emotional traumas this can cause ... develops negative sentiments and violent reactions in this fragile being, and makes him/her accustomed to violence" and certain types of anti-social behaviour. Improving care for the victims is therefore part of the platform. The government ministers, other state officials and non-governmental representatives who participated in the Libreville encounter agreed on a series of actions such as setting up or strengthening halfway houses and transit centres for children subjected to trafficking. They also expressed a commitment to "put in place human resources necessary for the medical and psycho-social support of children, and any other form of support, while waiting to reunite them with their families" and, after reunification, to empower parents to care for them. Empowering and strengthening the capacities of NGOs and providing protection for the victims of child trafficking, are also among the provisions of the platform, which provides further for improved knowledge and monitoring of trafficking. To guarantee implementation of the platform, the ministers undertook to report on its results as soon as they returned home, and delegates agreed, among other things, to set up a standing sub-regional monitoring committee comprising representatives of governments, labour, employers and civil society, with the participation of ILO and UNICEF. [ENDS] [IRIN-WA: Tel: +225 20 217354 Fax: +225 20 216335 e-mail: irin-wa@irin.ci] [This item is delivered in the English service of the UN's IRIN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or Web: http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer.] Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2000

Still thinking about Mozambique. MOZAMBIQUE: IRIN Focus on reconstruction [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] JOHANNESBURG, 6 March (IRIN) - The scourge of landmines laid during Mozambique's 16-year civil war could pose a new threat to returning villagers when the flood waters subside, leaving many of the deadly weapons exposed, unstable or swept to new areas. Demining specialists in Mozambique told IRIN they feared that the hidden devices would make rehabilitation that much harder, and complicate the campaign to rid the country of landmines. "We did not know for sure where the landmines were located before the floods started. Now we know even less after the mines were displaced by the floods," Jakob Kaarsbo of the UN's demining team in Mozambique told IRIN on Monday. Kaarsbo said demining activities have been put on hold because of the difficulty of access caused by flooding. Reconnaissance and surveys will have to be started afresh and maps redrawn once the floodwaters had subsided, he said. Nevertheless, the mine awareness campaign in Mozambique would continue. Kaarsbo's remarks were made as the country weighed the massive reconstruction effort that will be required to repair damaged roads, railway lines, bridges, schools and other infrastructure. Chissano estimates a multi-million package President Joachim Chissano announced that at least US $250 million will be needed to repair infrastructure in a country where the floods have also left more than a million people homeless, destroyed 10,000 hectares of planted fields, and claimed an estimated 30,000 head of cattle. Rui Fonseca, chairman of the state-owned Mozambican Ports and Railway Company (CFM), told IRIN the parastatal is losing an estimated US $50,000 a day due to floods which have paralysed the rail system in the southern parts of the country. Fonseca added that CFM has so far lost US $4.5 million in revenue since the start of the rains in February. "CFM will need about US $7 million to repair the damage to the rail system," Fonseca said. He added that the worst damaged line is the Limpopo line that links the country's capital, Maputo to Zimbabwe. Fonseca said about 4km of the line was submerged, while a further 4km was hanging precariously over huge gullies. "We expect the line to be operational in a month," Fonseca said. The Ressano Garcia line, linking Maputo to South Africa was reopened last Wednesday after the waters started receding, added Fonseca. Fonseca said, however, that the current repairs are being undertaken under an emergency plan, and that more substantial rehabilitation would cost much more. "Under normal circumstances, repairing a kilometre of track costs between US $300,000 and US $400,000." International lending agencies decline to cancel debt Meanwhile, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, whom Mozambique owes at least US $8.3 billion have said they will not cancel the country's debt. The IMF is, however, reportedly considering an emergency support credit to Mozambique and will accelerate the country's access to the approved funds totalling US $17.5 million for the roads and coastal shipping project. A World Bank official in Maputo, told IRIN on Monday that the Bank has also offered a helping hand: "The Bank has decided to suspend Mozambique's debt service for one year while the country tries to recover from the disaster." Jubilee 2000, the debt cancellation group, argues that Mozambique pays about US $73 million a year on debt servicing. This, said Jubilee 2000, compares to the country's budget of US $20 million for primary health care and US $32 million for primary education. Bilateral lenders Some bilateral creditors, however, have indicated their preparedness to cancel Mozambique's debt. Britain last week decided to cancel US $150 million owed by Mozambique, while Portugal wrote off US $150 million and Spain cancelled US $20 million. Jubilee 2000 argued that debt cancellation would make a significant difference only if Russia, Italy and France write off Mozambique's debts, which make up 50 percent of the country's bilateral debt. After completing six years of IMF-driven economic reforms, Mozambique was offered debt relief of US $3.7 billion last year under the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. Debt service payments were reduced on an annual basis from an average of US $114 million to US $73 million.

I've followed the flooding stories and the 'relief efforts'... so hard to imagine so much hardship while living in my cozy little house... with my cozy little job and my cozy husband... We haven't had a TV in so long, I was horrified to watch the QuickTime movies of the rescues... don't see that ugly drama in the newspaper or on the radio...

Just wait'll you deliver your baby in a tree top! I would not have survived and neither would have my son! Lots of this stuff posted in Geo http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/Geo/25 Miserable beyond belief!

We oughta have a place to announce really good stuff on conferences which we otherwise might not frequent. I can't find a better place than here that everyone reads (well, almost everyone...) so here goes. Geo topic 15 is Geosites for Kids (a place to find interesting stuff for parents, teachers, kids or really with-it adults.) There have been some really good stuff in there lately - even Emeritus Prof Frank noted how good it was. Now, do something really fun for yourself and check it out! Mahalo!

Oh, yes! Wolf has created a bunch of new topics in the collecting conference. Anyone collect Sports Memorabilia ****(Please link with Sports conference since I am still without telnet access to Spring!)**** Tie flies and collect same or fish for fun and/or food? How about model trains? I added mine to her collecting collection. Please check it out, too! http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/browse/collecting/all/new and Geo: http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/browse/geo/all/new

Specific plea: Link Collecting Topic 59 to the Sports Conference, Please.

I'm talking about the Oscars in movies tonight, since I just watched it and it's fresh in my mind. Did anyone else catch this years Oscars? Too bad Jeremy Northam didn't win supporting actor for the Winslow Boy, and Annette Benning lost in best actress. DeForrest Kelly wasn't mentioned among the departed cuts. George Lucas was totally ignored. But then there *was* something called the Matrix. Classiest act of the night was Michael Caine, he really gave others their credit. The comment to Tom Cruise was pure, unadulterated class. (He told him that supporting actors don't make near as much and it would have got him a pay cut).

DeForest Kelly was not mentioned? How could they ignore "Bones" of Star Trek?! I am very disenchanted with the whole Oscar scene...alas. Jaded, perhaps?

"Blame Canada" was clearly the best song! The rest were all boring pop-style songs.

Oh, that's what he was called in the original series? In German, they'd dubbed him "Pille" - pill. Didn't know he'd died, hope it was hard for him. Hmh, perhaps they didn't mention it, because all the huffy movie folks got him marked as a tv person? Might be... I don't know any movies he'd been in but the early Star Trek movies... Where else was he in?

Before the original Star Trek (for TV) made him famous, he was a bit player in B-rated Westerns and invariably played a bad guy with a serious need for a shave. Not appealing, at all!

The Star Trek movies count for something.

Indeed! (Large understatement on my part - sorry!)

Oh, definitely, Terry! And thanks for the info, Marcia!

*smile* Happy to help a fellow trekkie and those lurking...

Who's lurking?

If they would quit lurking and post something perhaps we qwould all know...yes? I have no idea ;)

Ah so...

and something a bit serious....i posted this in web but not many people have that on their lists (thanks marcia).... i may sound like an alarmist and this is the wrong topic to post this in but, here goes nothing..... please teach your children to be careful surfing the web. pedophiles and stalkers are out there and are blatant about what they want. with chat rooms being offered as free additions to websites, it's harder for "moderators" to control and report anything suspicious. i've removed the chat rooms from my site.

Thannks for posting this important message here. Two 11 yr old girls were lured to New Yrok City and raped recently. One is too many. Please take care and be aware of what your children are doing on the Internet.

also, cops are posing as kids on the internet and arranging meetings to catch the bad guys, isn't that great? the show i watched last night showed them do just that! a male officer posed as a 13 year old teenage girl......luv it when they catch the bad guys.

Me too...makes my day....*grin*

i would like to get the word out, does anyone know of any sites that spread the word about online pedophiles with buttons you can add to your site to help educate and inform your viewers? i have an anti child pornography on the web button but am looking for more of the same. and speaking of that, today, i got an email about teen sex sites and fetishes. disgusting.

Never noticed. I shall from now on, though. Adultstory.com has some mentioned in the intro at the top of the frontpage...

Wot? You did not get one about animals?! Talk about disgusting...!

http://www.pedowatch.org http://www.asacp.org http://www.hackers.com/ehap http://www.safesurf.com

well, thank goodness, hotmail made a bulk mail box for those mails that have multiple addresses on them. i had been sending a lot of junkmail to hotmail's abuse email account and now this bulk box appears. what a great idea.

Excellent. The more sites involved the less the chance of it proliferating, I hope, anyway...!

thanks for those links. i've got a pic up with a link to pedowatch.org. maybe we should add a couple for around here?

I think that is a splendid idea. One in Parents conference would be good and one in Collecting and SpringArk (I know you can do the latter 2 - can you do Parents, as well?)...Not sure about Geo but I can put one in there.

Porch is the most travelled conference - or used to be outside of Drool. Post one!!!

don't have access to parents but will do it in para, collecting, springark, and poetry...

can't do it in porch either...

it's done on my conferences....

here's a banner that's nonintrusive and small: link it to http://www.pedowatch.org

That is great, wolfie...but it is right where my globe graphic is according to my config and I could not bear to do anything to that. Hmmm...lemme think....

we can get the masters of spring to put it up! don't take away your globe!!

I just tried it on ones without active hosts like screwed and the history which I was supposed to cohost (I am the only one active in there and I get no respect) but I was not granted access. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

well, we'll just make sure terry knows about it and he comes in here once in awhile, right?

Did you read my venting in Grievances yesterday? Our Fearless leader reads but I think we must wait for the other since no one has even linked the ones we need (unless I call Kat and probably be paying $40 for a website I don't need just to be able to telnet so I can do these things....*frown* Amd I getting old and cranky or what?! (Please...be kind...!)

no you're not. i don't know where everyone is either....

I guess it is the time of year or whatever. Some are still trying to access Spring using the IP and email me why it no longer works...Others are lurking. I brought Lance and Ginny in lately, but I am rnning out of people I want to know me this well...or deserve to. (Thanks for saying I'm not *hugs*)

Speaking of our fearless leader, did you see how incredibly handsome he was on the latest video (NO, this is not to feed his ego, nor am I on a fishing expedition. Just stating facts!) ...Or did I ask you this before? I wanna picture of him like he looked in there! Awesome!

i think i missed it...

I tried to save the close-ups of him but even using pause and photographing the desktop did not work. I think there is no way to save it...so we gotta get someone with a snappy or something to do it. Spring has the choicest men attached to it, does it not?! *grin*

no bias there! *laugh*

*grin* I wonder how long I would have to leave for before I got a H1 come back Marcia on the Front Page. (Having been whipped into shape for adulthood promising me little by my 2 older sisters, it might be longer than my life expectancy!) Not bitter...not resentful...just hating being relegated to the bottom of the barrel again after having some really nice PR going. Yes, I know I could start my own webpage and post to blankness just as I do here some times.

{Yeah, I know I need to take a long hike or a run out under my tree with the silky grass underneath and cool breezes....) ((((((Terry, You promised to make a most important visit. Please do so ASAP. It might be more important than you realize!!!)))))

talk to me, marcia.... HUGS

don't know how long i'll be online this afternoon, so email to your heart's content!

I'm ok...I'll email you...*Hugs*

EARTHQUAKE - April 1 8:17 pm Hawaiian Standard time Guestimating it 5.5 magnitude

We had a quiet night, as far as I know. This was one of the strongest Earthquakes of recent times. Its epicenter was near Pu'u O'o on Kilauea's Southeast rift. It felt like some tremendously strong had shoved the entire house very abruptly - an unusual type. Usually they shake back and forth. John reported this morning "I had dozed off and it woke me up. Certainly shook the six-story building I live in."

the earthquake was in hawaii? (well, duh, if it woke john up).... heard that edo erupted again but nothing like it was on friday. unfortunately, that's all i know about that one. didn't even hear about your earthquake, marcia.

I know...if it happens over a weekend, even if the entire island explodes and disappears, you will not get information on it until Monday, and then, probably only from the foreign press...*sigh* I posted most of the information in Geo 26. Information is very slow in coming in even here where it happened. I am listening to the tour pilots as they can tell the changes in the volcano more quickly than the geologists on the ground can.

John tried to imply on his radio show this morning that the earthquake was caused by his falling out of bed. NOT!!!

*lol*

http://promotions.go.com/espn/mascots/challenge.html the Nittany Lion won the mascot battle! It was so close.. 50.0 to 49.9. Could anything be closer? But, it's great that your mascot won and I'm very happy for Penn State! 56,763 people actually voted on this important issue (including me, but we won't tell anyone!) I voted too, but I voted for my Nittany Lion! Thanks Barbara!!!

From the Tallahassee Police Department fraud unit: We want to update you on several issues involving the latest e-mails making their way around, and to follow-up on what we believe is a telephone scam. 1. Computer Virus We received over 50 inquiries within the last week regarding the latest computer virus e-mail floating around. However, what is different with this one is that it may have some merit. The e-mail states that a virus may infect your computer which will completely erase your hard drive, as well as dial 911 from your modem. The e-mail went on to point out that the FBI had issued an advisory about this particular virus. Actually, it was the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) which is an off-shoot of the FBI. You can read about this virus advisory at http://www.fbi.gov/nipc/nipcaaw.htm TPD's Public Information Office does not claim to be computer virus experts, and we have little understanding (and even less desire to know) of how this virus works or how to adequately deal with the virus should your computer become infected. Our purpose only is to respond to your inquiries about these e-mail rumors. For more specific and technical information, please contact your System Administrator. 2. ATM Envelopes/Cyanide E-mail Hoax This is another e-mail rumor that will not seem to go away. The e-mail makes specific reference to a person who died after licking an envelope from a Bank of America ATM machine. As far as we know, this rumor is totally false. We dealt with this particular e-mail rumor over a year ago, but it still keeps coming back. You can read about this latest urban legend at http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/culture/urbanlegends/library/weekly/aa04030 0a.htm If anyone has ANY credible proof that such an event took place, please let us know. Otherwise, delete the e-mail when it is sent to you, and please do not forward it to anyone. 3. TeleNation Update On March 21, 2000, we issued E-Alert # 00-07. This alert, in part, dealt with suspicious calls being received by some of our subscribers from a company called "TeleNation." Our readers stated that someone was calling their homes and asking a number of questions about the number of children in the family, computer habits, etc. We referred this matter to Investigator Gary Steinberg in TPD's Criminal Intelligence Unit for follow-up. Here is the text from his e-mails to us regarding his findings: "We completed a national search and found a corporation of the same name (TeleNation) out of North Miami Beach. There is no listing for phone service, though. I had a Detective from North Miami Beach PD go by the location for TeleNation today. The business was locked up but the Detective was able to contact the building manager. The manager said he has seen the person leasing the office come and go a few times, and that's it. The Detective left a note on the door for that person to call, but we have no expectation he will. Based on what the Detective observed and learned, she suspects a phone scam-type of business. Please instruct people to refuse any cooperation with any phone survey unless the caller is willing to provide the necessary information, name of business and call back number, to verify that the survey is legitimate." As we stated on March 21st, we are not saying that TeleNation is not a legitimate company. They may certainly be legitimate, but we are concerned with their survey methods and would like to know more about them. If anyone from TeleNation calls you and begins asking questions, please follow Inv. Steinberg's advice - don't tell them anything until they identify themselves, their company, and until they provide you with a call-back number. Legitimate survey companies will gladly do this. Also, please instruct your children that if a responsible adult is not present when calls such as these are received - don't relay any information about anyone living in the home. Instead, have your children ask for a call-back number.

I was asked to post this by a USMC retired Col. Many of us remember that during the Vietnam war Jane Fonda opposed the war, as many others, but she went to Vietnam and embarrassed the US Government and the prisoners of war by her actions. Many of these actions are spelled out below. It is appalling that her actions have been forgotten and that she may be honored as one of the "100 Women of the Century." JANE FONDA remembered? Unfortunately many have forgotten and still countless others have never known how Ms. Fonda betrayed not only the idea of our "country" but the men who served and sacrificed during Vietnam. There are few things I have strong visceral reactions to, but Jane Fonda's participation in what I believe to be blatant treason, is one of them. Part of my conviction comes from exposure to those who suffered her attentions. The first part of this is from an F-4E pilot. The pilot's name is Jerry Driscoll, a River Rat. In 1978, the Commandant of the USAF Survival School was a former POW in Ho Lo Prison-the "Hanoi Hilton." Dragged from a stinking cesspit of a cell, cleaned, fed, and dressed in clean PJs, he was ordered to describe for a visiting American "Peace Activist" the "lenient and humane treatment" he'd received. He spat at Ms. Fonda, was clubbed, and dragged away. During the subsequent beating, he fell forward upon the camp Commandant's feet, accidentally pulling the man's shoe off which sent that officer berserk. In '78, the AF Col. still suffered from double vision (which permanently ended his flying days) from the Vietnamese Col.'s frenzied application of wooden baton. From 1983-85, Col. Larry Carrigan was the 47FW/DO (F-4Es). He spent years in the "Hilton"-the first three of which he was "missing in action." His wife lived on faith that he was still alive. His group, too, got the cleaned/fed/clothe routine in preparation for a "peace delegation" visit. They, however, had time and devised a plan to get word to the world that they still survived. Each man secreted a tiny piece of paper, with his SSN on it, in the palm of his hand. When paraded before Ms. Fonda and a cameraman, she walked the line, shaking each man's hand and asking little encouraging snippets like: "Aren't you sorry you bombed babies?" and "Are you grateful for the humane treatment from your benevolent captors? " Believing this HAD to be an act, they each palmed her their sliver of paper. She took them all without missing a beat. At the end of the line and once the camera stopped rolling, to the shocked disbelief of the POWs, she turned to the officer in charge... and handed him the little pile. Three men died from the subsequent beatings. Col. Carrigan was almost number four. Another letter received, To whom it may concern: I was a civilian economic development advisor in Vietnam, and was captured by the North Vietnamese communists in South Vietnam in 1968, and held for over 5 years. I spent 27 months in solitary confinement, one year in a cage in Cambodia, and one year in a "black box" in Hanoi. My North Vietnamese captors deliberately poisoned and murdered a female missionary, a nurse in a leprosarium in Ban me Thuot, South Vietnam, whom I buried in the jungle near the Cambodian border. At one time, I was weighing approximately 90 lbs. (My normal weight is 170 lbs.) We were Jane Fonda's "war criminals." When Jane Fonda was in Hanoi, I was asked by the camp communist political officer if I would be willing to meet with Jane Fonda. I said yes, for I would like to tell her about the real treatment we POWs were receiving, which was far different from the treatment purported by the North Vietnamese, and parroted by Jane Fonda, as "humane and lenient." Because of this, I spent three days on a rocky floor on my knees with outstretched arms with a piece of steel placed on my hands, and beaten with a bamboo cane every time my arms dipped. I had the opportunity to meet with Jane Fonda for a couple of hours after I was released. I asked her if she would be willing to debate me on TV. She did not answer me. Her former husband, Tom Hayden, answered for her. This does not exemplify someone who should be honored as "100 Years of Great Women." Please take the time to read and forward to as many people as you possibly can. It will eventually end up on her computer and she needs to know that "we will never forget. " Lest we forget..."100 years of great women." What do you think? It is worthwhile passing on? Millions of vets who served during the Vietnam War believe it is. Please write your Legislators and voice your concern Whatever you decide, thanks for taking the time to read this.

Btw, the man who sent it to me spent many years as POW there. He is no phoney or rabble-rouser. He feels this deeply!

It puts a whole different spin on Jane Fonda. And she's in denial?

She has been "born again" so it is expunged from her heavenly record and we are supposed to do the same with our memories, I guess. I think it will not be that easy to do. Denial is a good word here!

The Today Show is live from Hawaii today, Volcano National Park? on Kileua (sp?), so if they run this when you wake up Marci you might want to check it out.

Now is 2:54 am in Hawaii and Matt is in front of a volcano. http://today.nbc.com has him answering questions about Hawaii today. Incredible lava shosts.

Check out the http://www.saveseed.com topic in the projects conference. I've overhauled this site and added some actual content instead of just a sign that says "future home of http://www.saveseed.com

We just saw it about 1/2 hour ago. That is one neat volcano, no?! I was hoping someone would see it on Spring. Yay!!! I am surprised there weren't pix of me during the time the subdivision was being covered. We were doing disaster relief work...it was heart-breaking! So, now you've seen the man who is retiring as Civil Defense Chief, Harry Kim. He is the neatest guy on the planet and he has a way to getting everyone to agree with him when it is a life and death situation. We will miss him terribly. He was the voice of calm in chaos!

Columbia, Online News offer Web journalism prizes NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Online News Association and olumbia University's journalism school, home of the Pulitzer Prizes, Monday announced the creation of a new set of international awards for the best in Internet journalism. The Online Journalism Awards will honor outstanding online journalism each year with 11 prizes in six categories, the Graduate School of Journalism and the Online News Association (ONA) said in a statement. Entries must be from English-language Web sites only, but the sites may be based anywhere. The journalism school will administer the awards at the request of the ONA, a professional group of reporters, producers and editors working in new media journalism. ``We believe these awards will be a major step towards one of our most important goals recognizing and encouraging journalistic excellence in this new medium,'' Rich Jaroslovsky, president of ONA and managing editor of the online Wall Street Journal, said in the statement. Journalism school Dean Tom Goldstein said, ``We are excited to administer the new awards as they will help to set the standards in the world of online journalism.'' The school administers the Pulitzer Prizes for newspaper journalism, letters, drama and music; the National Magazine Awards; the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards in Broadcast Journalism; the Maria Moors Cabot Prizes in inter-American Journalism; and other awards. The Online Journalism Awards' six categories are general excellence, online commentary, breaking news, enterprise journalism, service journalism and most creative use of the medium. The inaugural contest will be launched officially on July 3, with details and entry forms available at http://www.onlinejournalismawards.org. Articles published between July 1, 1999, and June 30, 2000, will be eligible. Sreenath Sreenivasan, a professor of new media at the school and a founding member of ONA, has been named administrator of the awards.

i wanna find out why this place is so dead! yesterday, i made a couple of posts and walked away for several hours. checked back in and my posts were still sitting in the "last five responses". WHAT's UP WITH THAT???? marcia and i cannot possible post by ourselves all the time and keep this place interesting! (although we certainly try) so you summer vacationing people, find a cyber cafe and post!! and the rest of you, get your butts back over here!!!!!!!

You tell'um, Wolfie!!! For Geo's 1st birthday it would have been nice if some of the lurkers posted something. They must be as bored seeing Wolf's and my posts as we are! Get your buns in gear and post something. It does not cost anything!!!

Well, Americ is back.......see him starring in Geo! New Topic and all. Yay!!!

another new topic? wow!!

Whoopee!!! Yup! and he actually said soemthing in there unlike another drive by creator who plopped bioregions in Geo and never came back to see it. Oh well. Yes, I am delighted that Mike and Americ created their own and use them.

Talk 2000 Olympics in the sports conference, NBC's Kristen Huntley is looking for chat hosts. What else is going on around Spring oday?/

I am still encouraging men who contact me to look at Geo and they often wander about Spring to check it out. My most promising poster, however, spends his time alotted for the internet talking privately with me. Oh well, He is very special!!! I have had many check in. Last night an astro engineering major from the USAF Academy talked to me and I got him do download Seti@home. I will hear from him again, I am sure. Have not lost one yet - and have had more than one proposal...! I do, however send the terminally young and lusty on their way with a tender suggestion that they need a younger specimen than I. Sometime I get them back, too! Life on the interent is truly interesting and there ares such intellgent and worthy men out there...*sigh* (Some are actually planning to visit the volcano...!!!)

Hope you can get some of them to go public, keep trying!

Got a some to login and two to post. One in Archaeology and one in Paleontology. The former is too busy digging now to post and the latter uses his per minute charges talking to me *smile* Oh, and another in Paleo... Am working on two astronomically-inclined gentleman and a geologist who is not related to me at this time...

Not related to Spring ... I've been shovelling sand from the back car park (nearest point to the back of my terraced house) into the garden. Today the paving slabs get laid in front of the French windows which were put in a six months ago....I have my eldest daughter's engagement party tonight, so I need to get the sand out of my hair for that. Oh well, think of the muscles I'm developing, who needs to go to the gym!!!! Next week we get a skip to put all the rubbish in.....I hate sorting things out, but I hate being in a mess too. Hooray, the four indoor doors that are now propping up my garden shed will go in the skip and disappear.... now what else can I put in there?????? The big worry is that other people will also put stuff in the skip - and we have to pay per ton to have it disposed of!!!

Americ's back in the philosophy conference. Michael Moore's musings on the presidential race in politics. Lot's in geo and today. There must be an army of lurkers, based on our stats.

Hey! Have a look in Education and Culture conferences, please....

Really, some good stuff in there!

Maggie, Geo first!!! Then, "social" schedule permitting, I will hunt for your stuff. You got Terry to read it! You must have some appeal I lack ( I must expend it all of it on IM...) Yeah yeah yeah, I know... I promise to go look!

If only 10% of the people who become aware of Geo actually go look at it, we are getting a bunch more hits than before I took to IM seduction (for enticement to post only , of course.) I know for a fact that at least the Europeans pay for their phone calls to the internet by minute, and prefer to talk to me personally when they do get online. Perhaps when they get bored with me...

Thanks for the positive responses. I will continue to hunt up some good stuff....

May I say hello to everyone sitting on the porch?

Take off your shoes and pull up a chair and join us!!!

What are you drinking??? Mine's good old english tea at the moment ... yesterday it was half bottle of wine, and I wasn't reponsible for the consequesnces!!!! *grin*

We arrived Sunday, July 16. We were both numb from the travel. Hawaii, as we later learned, is the most geographically remote location on Earth. We arrived at the Kona Coast Resort, checked in, and the rest is a blur. We woke Monday feeling great. Absolutely lost, but great. We needed a guidebook! We found a great bookstore (Middle Earth Bookstore, right behind Crazy Shirts) along the Kona coast, about a 10-minute drive north along the Pacific shore. I went looking at other stuff while Carol checked out the guides. Suddenly, she excitedly approached me with this weird-looking book in her hands. The cover seemed to glow. The Secrets & Mysteries of Hawaii. This is Jeffrey Field or fattymoon talking about Hawaii, more excerpts and a link are in today's travel conference.

Briefly, when passed by John Burnett and a former relative, the comments ranged from what was he smoking to if he had a former life as a teacher at Laupahoehoe school (the one he could not remember the name of) he would have known not to pick up any rocks. I must read futhrer into his travels...they are highly amusing for someone who lives here but terribly misleading for those who do not. However, he does appreciate the glories of this island which are so varied that we comprise a mini-continent all by ourselves.

ghost stories! halloween is upon us and we want to hear 'em--paraspring 27 is the place to be!!

Scare yourself and us, too!!! Meet you at Wolfie's Den!

In the politics conference, find out the real news about the Florida recount, the news that lies buried on the 3rd and 4th pages of newspapers, and see if my predictions on this Florida mess come true. This thing may have some twists and turns that you haven't heard of yet!

You are gonna make us hunt for it? Sheesh. I remember posting the URL for the specific post I wanted folks to read. Oh well, I guess learning 3 years on is better than never. Off I go to read your posting if I can find it...

OKOKOK---what happened to http://www.spring.net????? are we being hacked?

Did you find it? Ooops, I blew away the main page for a few hours today! Got it back just now.

I messed up earlier today thinking I was saving and index.html in to a subdirectory but I saved it in to the root web! Good thing I surfed to the main page a little while agao. I hope this main page is up to date enough.

*whew*

thank you, i was freaking out!! *HUGS*

Thanks for restoring order - we were afraid hackers had gotten in..

Sorry to barge in here, but I just wanted to wish the Springuers a Happy Thanksgiving.

Hauoli La H'omaika'i

HAPPY THANKSGIVING fellow Springuers!!

Hauoli La Ho'omaika'i

Happy Holidays to One and All!!!!!!!!

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2001!

the real Millenium!! *woohoo*

(terry, the spring stats link isn't working on the main menu)

Happy Birthday Kilauea 0930 January 3, 2001 You know how hard it is to remember anniversaries, especially "after all these years." Well, that happened today until a sentimentalist reminded us that today is the 18th anniversary of the ongoing eruption, which was born on January 3, 1983, and is now a healthy adult with no sign of early senescence.

Temptation Island and The Mole, two new shows and two new topics in the tv conference. And two new Survivor spinoffs.

Yup, I know a great deal about the island on which it was filmed, and a few important people thereon http://www.aprivateisland.com/ For the special few (it can handle 12 people each with individual attention)for a mere $1000+ per day per person including your own private butler.

Have you ever visited there? Did you see this show the other night?

I not only watched, I taped but did not recognize either guy I know there (long story best told in email). No, never been there... yet...