Announcement: Showdown on the River by J.L. Curtis is Available

 The Bell Cronicles: Showdown on the River is the latest release by author JL Curtis, known in many circles as the Prehistoric Naval Flight Officer . I haven't read it yet, but if it's anything like his previous novels it's well worth reading.  I expect an enjoyable, historically correct Western featuring white hats, six guns, and women that you wouldn't bring home to meet your mother.  There's other kinds of women too, but the way he writes about those saloon fillies - well, you'll have to read it for yourself.

Good job, Jim!  Keep up the good work!

What Am I?

Well, this is a bit nuts.  I used to play D&D.  Not AD&D, the actual, original game, D&D.  Created in part by The Great Gax, who is no longer with us.  There's a site which will pose 140 or so questions, then come up with you, personally, as an AD&D character - sans name.

My results are below the fold.

Writing Techniques by Jim Butcher

I found this on reddit - The Front Page of the Internet, and it's well worth reading. You can read the article for yourself as you like (Writing Techniques by Jim Butcher (Bestselling Fantasy Author of the Dresden Files)) but I've listed the individual missives below, in order.

Electronics Repair in Columbus, Ohio

If you got a good woman
Better pin her to your side
Now if you got a good woman
You better pin her to your side, yeah
'Cause if she flag my train Buddy
I'm bound to let her ride

 - Matchbox Blues, by Blind Lemon Jefferson; played by Albert King

If you were standing next to me, you'd know I was listening to music from my iPod - which is nothing short of a minor miracle.

On October 2^nd, 2004, my brother bought me a (then) top of the line iPod - an iPod Photo, which featured a 60 Gig drive.  I promptly loaded my entire collection of CDs on it and had space left over, which I've been slowly filling ever since.

My iPod, Repaired and Working

The trouble is that the battery has been slowly but steadily going south ever since.  Three years ago I took it to the local (Rotten) Apple store and asked about getting a new battery.

Sorry, no.  Okay, not all that sorry, but still no.  Apple manufactured these devices so they couldn't be fixed.  So no, but we can sell you new one which should work.

No thanks.

I tried other places with no luck.  No one wanted to touch it.  Apple, you see, didn't want it repaired.  

One month ago it stopped working.  But I kept looking for a repair place.

On Monday, December 28, 2020, I discovered Kurt Decker at Decker Electronics.  I took my iPod over to him, and he gave it a cursory look, then told me it would probably take about a week.  True to his word, I picked up my REPAIRED and fully functional iPod on Sunday, January 8, 2021.

Nothing succeeds like success.

Kurt Decker is a hands-on sort, and will work on just about anything.  If you're in or around Columbus, and need a TV, phone, or whatever repaired, this is the man to call.

Decker Electronics - ***** out of 5

Announcement: The Grey Man - Vignettes is now on Audible!

Author J.L. Curtis, AKA the Old NFO, published The Grey Man: - Vignettes back in October of 2014.  Thanks to the author (who has the tenacity of a bulldog) and the efforts of Scott Tackett at 3 Ravens, Tina Garceau (cover art), and Mark Bielecki (narration), this book is now available on Audible (Grey Man Vignettes)

If you're looking for something by way of entertainment, this is a solid choice.  The stories are well thought out, the characters develop, and the writing is well above average.

Atomic Explosion Courtesy of China

It must be true! I read it on SlashDot

From the article:
Space traffic experts are tracking two pieces of orbital garbage that appear to be careening toward each other: A defunct Soviet [military - wle]satellite and a discarded Chinese rocket booster that are expected to nearly miss each other -- with a slight chance of colliding -- Thursday evening.

From CNN:
Scientists are at a loss to explain the atomic explosion Thursday evening. About 250 Miles above the earth, a discarded Chinese rocket stage and a defunct Russian Soviet military satellite collided with what observers are describing as a truly spectacular pyrotechnics display.

If we still had the USSR this would be a great time to start a police action.

Questions and Answers

A friend of mine, actually more of an acquaintance, publishes a monthly newsletter which I try and take the time to read.  This month, in a self-described apolitical letter, he poses a few questions below the fold.  I decided to post a few answers.