Re: Story

[Jim Davis <Madno@xxxxxxx>]

On Sunday, November 6, 2022 at 12:22:16 AM UTC-4, ABLE1 wrote:
> On 11/5/2022 7:23 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> > On 11/5/2022 3:18 PM, ABLE1 wrote:=20
> >> On 11/5/2022 3:47 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>> On 11/5/2022 12:13 PM, ABLE1 wrote:=20
> >>>> On 11/5/2022 2:17 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>> On 11/5/2022 10:46 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>>> On 11/4/2022 7:53 PM, ABLE1 wrote:=20
> >>>>>>> On 11/4/2022 8:44 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>> On 11/4/2022 4:38 PM, ABLE1 wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>> On 11/4/2022 6:19 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>>> On 10/31/2022 5:57 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> On 10/31/2022 4:34 PM, ABLE1 wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>> On 10/24/2022 2:40 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> On 10/22/2022 10:18 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 10/21/2022 7:47 PM, Jim Davis wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Friday, October 21, 2022 at 4:37:12 PM UTC-4, Bob La=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 10/18/2022 8:20 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Get creative.  Stop rehashing old themes or...=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It was either that or ransoming the planet with a giant=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> space laser.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> --=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bob La Londe=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CNC Molds N Stuff=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> --=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> WELL ! ....... YOU'RE the one who said to be creative    =
;-)=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> I guess my idea of creative is different than other folks.=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Maybe I should have said creative and ORIGINAL.  LOL.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Now you have a whole new premise to try and do something=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>> with/to.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> Flash Point was stolen from _________, where as ransoming=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> the earth with a space laser was stolen from ____________.=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> A totally different universe or franchise depending on your=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> level of suspension of disbelief.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> My other premise was NOT stolen from ___ _____ ______=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>> _________, but I can see where you might think that.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>> LOL It would seem that the Story is getting deeper by many m=
any=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>> fathoms!!   I hope nobody drowns!!!=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> I'm not sure which way I want to go next.  I guess that=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> depends on what I find next time I log on.  Whether I want to=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> do damage control or just go with the flow in whatever new=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> direction its gone.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> I've already over used the Achilles Segue.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> (I think I just coined that phrase.)=20
> >>>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> Remember our new demi-hero Agent Bean may not yet have seen=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> John's video clip at the end of the recording.  Certainly=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> Bennie Bean hasn't seen it.   I suspect if Agent Bean had=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> seen John defame the Secret Service his suspicion level about=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> the whole thing might be a bit higher, well, and he wouldn't=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> have needed his ten year old son to tell him what he was=20
> >>>>>>>>>>> listening to.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>> When I started down this path I was originally thinking very=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>> fast paced hacker-centric action adventure.  Motor cycle=20
> >>>>>>>>>> chases. Brutal police tactics.  Fleeing for you life in the=20
> >>>>>>>>>> face of overwhelming odds, and seeking a way to turn the=20
> >>>>>>>>>> tables in a grand unstoppable manner.  It has slowed down.=20
> >>>>>>>>>> Become more procedural. With one of our protagonists now being=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>> a ten year old I'm not sure the brutality of a modern high=20
> >>>>>>>>>> impact action thriller tells well. Its not like I can retell=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>> Treasure Island after all.  Maybe Bennie Bean needs to become=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>> superfluous soon. Identify some key points, and leave it to=20
> >>>>>>>>>> his dad and the hackers. Obviously Agent Bean needs to learn=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>> more before kicking it upstairs since his own agency has now=
=20
> >>>>>>>>>> been implicated in who knows what.=20
> >>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>> Hi Bob,=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>> It is my humble opinion that you should consider writing a=20
> >>>>>>>>> book, get it published, and sell a boat load.  Like Donald=20
> >>>>>>>>> Hamilton's Matt Helm=20
> >>>>>>>>> books, or Ian Fleming's James Bond.=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>> They did it, why not Bob La Londe's Agent Bean??=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>> You will never know if it will work, until you try.=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>> Honestly with all typing you do in the newsgroups your typing=
=20
> >>>>>>>>> skill=20
> >>>>>>>>> could are certainly good enough.  You can't be a "Hunt n'=20
> >>>>>>>>> Pecker"!!=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>> What is the worst that could happen??=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>> You got my VOTE!!!=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>> Les=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> I am published for article length work in motorcycling and=20
> >>>>>>>> fishing in newspaper and magazines.  (Maybe half a dozen pieces=
=20
> >>>>>>>> or so.) Years ago I had a web page dedicated to motorcycle=20
> >>>>>>>> games, and White Horse Press contacted me to say, "Let us know=
=20
> >>>>>>>> when you are ready to publish your book."  I also chat with=20
> >>>>>>>> George Burliss from time to time (publisher editor?) with Home=
=20
> >>>>>>>> Shop Machinist Magazine.  My latest bigger project is a video=20
> >>>>>>>> series on manual machining with a piece of shit desktop manual=
=20
> >>>>>>>> mini mill.  I was hoping to sell George on a pairing it with a=
=20
> >>>>>>>> monthly article, but he seemed to want to dumb it down to much=
=20
> >>>>>>>> for my taste. That might just be my perception.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> I actually am a hunt and peck typist.  I took typing in high=20
> >>>>>>>> school (somehow I passed), and lots of computer programming in=
=20
> >>>>>>>> college, but I never felt comfortable with classical home row=20
> >>>>>>>> typing.  I developed my own system that uses some classic=20
> >>>>>>>> typing, and about seven fingers most of the rest of the time.=20
> >>>>>>>> In high school at one point we were told we could type anything=
=20
> >>>>>>>> we wanted as long as we were typing. When I realized the=20
> >>>>>>>> instructor wasn't even collecting it I started writing porn.  I=
=20
> >>>>>>>> left a few copies on the bus, and pretty soon I had guys bidding=
=20
> >>>>>>>> to be the first to get my next fantasy adventure.  I burned out=
=20
> >>>>>>>> on that quick. There are only so many ways to say Joe got the=20
> >>>>>>>> girl, and I was never into the weird stuff.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> In college I wrote a story about show of force vs outbreak of=20
> >>>>>>>> violence. It was a western short fiction piece.  The college=20
> >>>>>>>> magazine editor loved it as did several of the other magazine=20
> >>>>>>>> staff, but their academic advisor refused to let them publish=20
> >>>>>>>> it. He was the classic left wing liberal academic before we=20
> >>>>>>>> called them left wing liberal academics. Considering some the=20
> >>>>>>>> really creepy stuff they did publish I was still surprised.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> I always wanted to write science fiction, but everything I wrote=
=20
> >>>>>>>> in that genre was basically juvenile wish fulfillment.  Joe=20
> >>>>>>>> space hero gets the girl, and the whole universe gives him=20
> >>>>>>>> ultimate power over everything. I never understood the social=20
> >>>>>>>> commentary of science fiction well enough to write truly good=20
> >>>>>>>> work like Heinlein (he also wrote some juvenile wish=20
> >>>>>>>> fulfillment) or Asimov.  I could read and understand it.  I just=
=20
> >>>>>>>> didn't understand that often that is more important than the=20
> >>>>>>>> science fiction adventure.  Of course there is the fantasy=20
> >>>>>>>> science meets real science like Larry Niven with Ring World or=
=20
> >>>>>>>> Neutron star, but I never had a good enough grasp of the science=
=20
> >>>>>>>> for that.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> Several years back I wrote an article for an outdoor magazine=20
> >>>>>>>> (that has since gone bankrupt), and it was a fiasco of brutal=20
> >>>>>>>> rewrites even after I cut out half the real content to meet=20
> >>>>>>>> their maximum word count.  Then they stiffed me.  They didn't=20
> >>>>>>>> even want to give me a copy of the issue with my article.  They=
=20
> >>>>>>>> said I could buy a subscription. That took all the wind out of=
=20
> >>>>>>>> my sails for a while.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> Writing is like a lot of things.  Its a lot of fun when you=20
> >>>>>>>> don't have to meet a deadline and pay the bills with it, or=20
> >>>>>>>> butcher it to fit somebody else's preconceived format.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> ... and I have to remind myself.  Just because I have published=
=20
> >>>>>>>> a few small things that doesn't make me a writer.  What skills I=
=20
> >>>>>>>> do have I have to credit to Sarah Sneed.  I had to take two=20
> >>>>>>>> semesters of English Composition in college.  I had dropped my=
=20
> >>>>>>>> second semester twice because I got instructors that hit you=20
> >>>>>>>> with a ton of writing assignments, but didn't teach anything.  I=
=20
> >>>>>>>> had steeled myself to slogging through it when I signed up for=
=20
> >>>>>>>> Ms Sneed's class.  She taught.  She taught about research,=20
> >>>>>>>> style, and readability.  I don't always use what she taught, but=
=20
> >>>>>>>> I when I don't its a conscious choice.  She taught about that=20
> >>>>>>>> too. When to break the rules. (anecdote below)  She is probably=
=20
> >>>>>>>> the primary reason I have any writing skills at all.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>> For the final assignment of the semester I had to write a=20
> >>>>>>>> research paper on a classic novel.  (not a survey piece)  I took=
=20
> >>>>>>>> it seriously and did it right.  We were told if we turned it in=
=20
> >>>>>>>> before the end of class during final exams it was on time.  I=20
> >>>>>>>> was working on it until the last minute doing rewrites, editing,=
=20
> >>>>>>>> and proof reading.  When I printed the final copy I knew I could=
=20
> >>>>>>>> make it to class before the end of the exam period if I=20
> >>>>>>>> hurried.  When I arrived I didn't even bother to park.  I just=
=20
> >>>>>>>> rode my motorcycle right up to the door of the classroom,=20
> >>>>>>>> grabbed my saddlebags and headed in to be stopped up short when=
=20
> >>>>>>>> the door wouldn't open.  I turned and saw her walking down the=
=20
> >>>>>>>> sidewalk next to the parking lot.  Afraid she might get away I=
=20
> >>>>>>>> chased her down the sidewalk on my motorcycle, and pulled up=20
> >>>>>>>> short in front of her. Probably a little stress leaked out in my=
=20
> >>>>>>>> tone when I complained she had said we had until the END of the=
=20
> >>>>>>>> period to turn in our paper.  I got an A.=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>> V-E-R-Y IMPRESSIVE Bob!!=20
> >>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>> Good read and Thanks for the history!!!=20
> >>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>> Les=20
> >>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>> I hesitate to write things like this that could be interpreted as=
=20
> >>>>>> a brag.  To often in recent years I've shared anecdotes from my=20
> >>>>>> life and been told I was a full of shit bullshit piece of shit=20
> >>>>>> lying sack of shit.  **=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>> Honestly though I don't consider this to be all that impressive.=
=20
> >>>>>> I can't ten finger type.  I never published a book, and I never=20
> >>>>>> really got paid to be a writer.  Its just a hap hazard group of=20
> >>>>>> secondary fumblings throughout my life over the course of 40ish=20
> >>>>>> years that paired with a little imagination allow me to=20
> >>>>>> occasionally crank out three consecutive sentences that are readab=
le.=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>> However, thank you.  I appreciate the recognition for them.=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>> Example: **=20
> >>>>>> One of my favorite actual brags used to be that I have been in=20
> >>>>>> business literally my entire life since I was four years old.  My=
=20
> >>>>>> mom explained to me the concept of profit.  She told me that if I=
=20
> >>>>>> bought candy bars and put them on the shelf in the family store it=
=20
> >>>>>> wouldn't be to long before I could buy more boxes to replace them,=
=20
> >>>>>> and have money left over.   I used the money my grandmother sent=
=20
> >>>>>> me for Christmas to put merchandise on the shelves of our store.=
=20
> >>>>>> I was in business at age four.   That was a bit of a brag, but it=
=20
> >>>>>> really wasn't intended to indicate I was a business mogul at such=
=20
> >>>>>> a young age.  Just that I have spent my entire life learning small=
=20
> >>>>>> business concepts.  I shared this in a machining group not to long=
=20
> >>>>>> ago.  I was accused of being a liar, taking credit for my mom's=20
> >>>>>> hard work, and that there was no chance at age four I was anything=
=20
> >>>>>> more than a pants shitting drooling blob.  That I was totally full=
=20
> >>>>>> of shit that had to totally be lying through my teeth. (Unless you=
=20
> >>>>>> were toothless how else would one lie?)  I tried to explain, but=
=20
> >>>>>> soon there were dozens of people piling on.  The shear mass of=20
> >>>>>> derision made it impossible for me to take the time to refute it=
=20
> >>>>>> all.  I just left the group. The reality is its true.  I did=20
> >>>>>> understand, but how can I prove that.  I can't.  Just that I have=
=20
> >>>>>> always done better as an entrepreneur than as an employee.  I=20
> >>>>>> never thought of it as exceptional until I was attacked for it.  I=
=20
> >>>>>> just thought it was a choice based on opportunity and education=20
> >>>>>> from a caring mother.=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>> I have other anecdotal memories, no doubt colored by time, that=20
> >>>>>> might be met with similar disbelief.=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>>=20
> >>>>>=20
> >>>>> However, I have never flown an airplane of any kind inverted, nor=
=20
> >>>>> was I ever a passenger in an inverted airplane of any size.=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>> Well Bob, now you went and did it...................=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>> I have flown inverted, jumped out of a perfectly good plane at 3000=
=20
> >>>> feet, flown a glider, flown a helicopter, flown a Cessna 152 backwar=
ds=20
> >>>> on a runway, flown a Cessna 152 in freezing rain until at full throt=
tle=20
> >>>> just above stall speed then landed, flown a (part owner) Ultra Lite,=
=20
> >>>> and many other experiences that would take a long time to read.=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>> Les=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>=20
> >>>=20
> >>> My father in law was a WW2 bomber pilot.  He claims he was taught to=
=20
> >>> land those big bombers by stalling them at just above ground level.=
=20
> >>> He claims getting his civilian pilots license he scared every one of=
=20
> >>> his civilian instructors because he did the same thing by "feel" with=
=20
> >>> small commuter planes.  Given the fact that he truly did remarkable=
=20
> >>> things including bringing back airplanes with gaping holes I tend to=
=20
> >>> believe him.  He also was the chief engineer in charge of building=20
> >>> the M16 production line at General Motors Hydramatic, and claims a=20
> >>> higher acceptance rate than any other manufacturer at the time=20
> >>> including Colt. There is always the chance you might have carried one=
.=20
> >>>=20
> >>> P.S.  Mattel NEVER made M16s or parts for M16s.  That's just a myth=
=20
> >>> perpetuated by soldiers and marines who had an aversion to the=20
> >>> plastic furniture on M16s.=20
> >>=20
> >>=20
> >> Those guys and gals did some rather amazing things in WW2.=20
> >> Makes sense for a plane that size to land them by stalling just=20
> >> above the ground.  First it won't fly below stall speed and second=20
> >> braking at a higher speed will take longer to stop.  I can see doing=
=20
> >> that with a smaller plane to be a different story.  Especially for an=
=20
> >> instructor that never flew a bomber!!!=20
> >>=20
> >> I haven't flow for a number of years at this point.  My license is sti=
ll=20
> >> valid but it is my physical that is needed along with a check ride.=20
> >> Did that some time ago after not flying for maybe 15 years and the=20
> >> flight instructor said after being up for 15 minutes and having me do=
=20
> >> this or that.  "Put me on the ground, you don't need me up here. Go ha=
ve=20
> >> some fun!!"=20
> >>=20
> >> It was great until I ran short on money and stopped.  Present day I=20
> >> would not pass the physical due to my hearing loss.  I just go to an=
=20
> >> occasional air show and drool!!!=20
> >>=20
> >> Les=20
> >>=20
> >>=20
> >=20
> >=20
> > I never felt like spending the money to be a real flyer.  I have looked=
=20
> > at experimental, but its still a bit much for essentially joy riding. A=
=20
> > buddy of mine (now deceased) bought an ultralight and kept it at a=20
> > private field owned buy a farmer we know.  He would take that bird out=
=20
> > of the hanger, and do "hot taxis" all day long, but as far as I knew he=
=20
> > never flew it before he sold it. Seemed so weird to me at the time.  It=
=20
> > was an interesting place where a handful of guys worked on various=20
> > projects.  Hanging from the ceiling of the hanger/barn was a delta wing=
=20
> > one of the guys started to build, but never finished.  Another guy I=20
> > knew looked it over with thought to finishing it, but in the end he=20
> > passed saying the frame material was to heavy.  Looked like rusted stee=
l=20
> > tube to me.=20
> >
> There was a local dealer of Ultra Lites that started a club. The club=20
> members (12 ea.) for a sign up fee of (I think) $375 became a part owner=
=20
> of a Ultra Lite. The guy then offered some instruction on how to fly=20
> the thing. I was only one in the club that had a Pilot License. Any=20
> damages that would happen were the responsibility of the member that=20
> caused it. The fuel tank held enough to fly for 2 hours. However,=20
> one guy kept giving full throttle to go up and then idle down and=20
> actually ran out of gas after about 90 minutes. He ended up in a=20
> cornfield and did $2000 in damages. There were other crashes.=20
> I never had one. We had one member that was I think 80 years or so=20
> old. He told the story that he was on the ground crew for a Ford=20
> Tri-Motor endurance flight. They filled the plane up with barrels=20
> of gas. There were two pilots and a mechanic. Every 4-6 hours they=20
> shut down one of the engines and the mechanic would climb out and=20
> replace the spark plugs because they would foul out. After he did=20
> one he would come back in and they start that one back up and then=20
> they would shut down another and he would do it again until all three=20
> were done. I don't recall the length of the flight but I am guessing=20
> maybe 48 hours of so. His name was Mr. Tripp. We called him Trippy.=20
>=20
> Anyhow he always wanted to fly. Never had the opportunity. This was=20
> his chance. He took a lot of lessons but for one reason or another he=20
> never got permission or allowed to do a solo. This went on for maybe=20
> 6 to 8 months. The one day the weather was great and he was feeling=20
> good and got to go on his first solo flight. I wasn't there, I only=20
> heard the story after. He taxied up the grass strip runway. Turned=20
> around and did a radio check. All good. Power up and started takeoff=20
> roll. Left the ground and climbed out. Went up to maybe 500' and=20
> started to go around the pattern. He was up for maybe 10 - 15 minutes=20
> and then they lost radio contact. He kept circling the field in a=20
> very slight turn but slowly descending. On the north side of the=20
> runway was sloped hill with wheat growing. Each time he went around=20
> and lost altitude he would get closer to the top of the hill. Still=20
> no radio response. The guys on site could only watch and wait. He ended=
=20
> up crashing on the hill and totaled the Ultra Lite. They got him=20
> off the hill and to a hospital. Ended up he broke an arm and some=20
> ribs. No one knows for sure but he had passed out during the flight.=20
> Maybe due to his excitement of actually flying or something else.=20
> He ended up buying a new Ultra Lite for the club but never flew again.=20
>=20
> It was about that time I decided that there was far to much danger with=
=20
> the club members not knowing how to fly safely. So, I cancelled my=20
> membership and received a total of $125 refund. About 2 months later=20
> the business owner took on a partner and they just finished building=20
> another Ultra Lite. The partner took it up for a test flight and=20
> decided to do some Chandelle's. At the bottom of the maneuver the wings=
=20
> folded and he died. A Chandelle is a extreme maneuver that you drop=20
> one wing and dive down and then pull up climb to a stall and then drop=20
> the other wing and do it again. Too much load on the wing spar and the=20
> tips will touch. The whole Ultra Lite business folded very quickly=20
> after that. Don't know what the club did with the Ultra Lite. I guess=20
> they sold it! I didn't care since I was no longer a partner.=20
>=20
> Ok, end of another story!!!=20
>=20
> Later,=20
>=20
> Les


Well - - - - - HOLY S%#T !  !  !  !  !  !
What a great bunch of posts ! =20

First, Just so you all know, The most exciting flying I've ever done is fly=
ing in a 747 first class, all the way to France and back again. =20

So - -  next,   Les, funny you should comment on Bob's writing skills. As t=
he story progressed I got more and more impressed by how Bob's writing seem=
ed to get more and more "professional" sounding. Thought maybe we had an Er=
nest La Lond - ingway snickering  in the background, as the rest of us flou=
ndered around with the written word all these years.

Bob  - - - I've got to say, I figure myself pretty good at communication an=
d business type of writing but your skill shown here in "The Story", Impres=
sed me as much, apparently, as it did Les.=20
.
I'm thinking - - - - Where the hell did THIS come from? I've been "talking"=
 to this guy for years now and there's never been any inkling of this level=
 of writing. Of course, there's never been such an opportunity either   -- =
- - but  - - - Really! I'm thinking, same as Les, What the hell, man, DO so=
mething with the talent.=20
.
Many (MANY) years ago, (when I was about 13 years old) I read my first scie=
nce fiction book. (which I still have down in the basement) That was it, Ke=
pt it up till I was at least in my 30's. When " I " was reading Asimov and =
Heinlein and all the other, of what I think of as the greatest SF story tel=
lers, I thought that after so many years of reading that genre I could writ=
e some of it. Well, I got about two paragraphs into it and determined that =
although I had the imagination for the story line, I didn't have the abilit=
y to be descriptive in my writing. I wrote as if I were "telling" someone a=
 story, which I found is a far cry from writing one. I just couldn't inject=
 metaphors, allegory, simile, analogy etc. into my writing. I spent more ti=
me thinking of how to inject them and how to write dialog then writing the =
story. Now I think - - - - If it was easy, everybody would be doing it, Rig=
ht?=20
.
But beyond easy -- or -- hard, there's a talent involved too. Few have it.
.
So, I went back to reading and just about that time I found Ayn Rand's Atla=
s Shrugged,  Nathanial Bandon and Objectivism and then Frank Herbert's Dune=
 came out and then I discovered the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings all of whi=
ch I had to read interspersed with sequels to Dune, over a period of a numb=
er of years,
(Books all of which i also have down in my basement)
.
The long time was due to a busy Business time keeping the company running. =
After that, apparently the habit was broken and there was no more time for =
reading. Now, all these years later, I don't read for entertainment anymore=
. Every thing that I have and interest in is available at my convenience, o=
n line, You Tube or TV.  I've tried to read a book or two and I get into it=
 a few chapters and then something (more important ?) comes up that I can't=
 get back to it for a while and then I just have to forget about it. So I d=
on't bother anymore. I  do. however,  "nostalgically" miss reading though. =
=20
.
So I figure that someday if/when I decide to stop working I'll be able to r=
ead. However, I have a very strong feeling that by that time I'll probably =
just doze off in my rocking chair.  :-)
.
In the meantime Bob, I'm sure if you were to  put a little effort (work) in=
to it you'd find your "groove" and a genre that would work for you. I think=
 you certainly have the "talent"