Is there anyone out there????

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Beyond the Sidewalks : One Thread

For some reason I feel that we're all just "evaporating" into thin "cyber" air! No one really "talks" much here anymore. Does anyone else feel this way...or is it just me and my imagination?! Has anyone else been to Chuck's new forum? I checked it out, but am not really comfortable with posting there. Guess I'm just lonely!!

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2002

Answers

Hi Marcia, Well it is planting time and birthing time here in NW FLA. Doesn't leave a lot of time to play with the computer. Just wanted to say hi, and let you know I try to at least check in once a day and catch up. Daryll

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002

Its spring tra la :>)

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002

I don't think it's your imagination. I guess everyone is busy with Spring things. I sometimes have ahard time thinking of anything to say that I think you all will find interesting.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002

Yeah, I'm still here. When I'm not at work - blehh. Rain, rain and more rain - it's got me a little blue. Reading the comments on the other lusenet forums has put me in a bit of a funk too. Haven't said anything here, 'cause I don't want to offend anyone. I won't be going with the other forums when they move - there isn't anyone at CS I care about anymore (aside from those of you from here that still post there - and I'd rather read you here!) So, I've been slinking over to Gardenweb and ogling other people's ponds on the pond forum. As if buddy Mike could get the tractor in through the flood to dig me a hole. Sigh. I like it over there at Gardenweb; like their set up. Wonder if Spike would start us a homesteading forum over there if lusenet goes boom?

I worked last night and it was a booger of a night - 3 admits; 2 major panic attacks; 2 borderline PIA's playing their little games and trying to manipulate the staff - when they weren't trying to forment a revolution among the other patients; and one catatonic lady that I spent the whole evening trying to decide whether or not to park the crash cart outside her door. Codes on the wacko ward are not fun. Still worrying about her - she had a funny odor - and you can think I'm nutso if you want; but I can "smell" death. People who are going to die and people with cancer have a certain odor. Glad I'm not working this weekend. And thank heavens for the "normal" crazies who helped keep the night almost under control!

The brat is home and keeps coming in the door and staring at me - I think she wants the computer; and I guess I'd better go get some sleep anyway. Maybe I'll be in a better mood when I get up - hope so anyway! You all take care,

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002


Polly,

I know the sickening sweet smell also. You ain't crazy

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002



Nope Polly......not nuts, just "know" the smell. I used to hate it when I would come on and smell it really strong and "know" I was going to probably lose a couple of patients before I went home.

Just a very strange time Marcia.........this too shall pass.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002


Yeah...I know you all are busy. And I apologize for my post. I hope I didn't make anyone feel guilty about not being here more often. Spring IS a very busy time of the year!! Guess I'm just in a "funk"...what with family issues, etc. And a good cyber-friend of mine, who I used to chat with on messenger almost every night, is offline for the summer. So I'm kinda missing the joking around we used to do!!

Denise...I know what you mean about not wanting to post stuff that might be boring to others. I feel the same way!!! Takes alot to bore me!

Jay...methinks that Harry has "something" up his sleeve :-)!! 'Nuff said!!

Polly...I've smelled that "smell" only once in my life...when my grandfather was dying. It sure is something you never forget!! You, Diane and others that devote their time to taking care of the sick and dying are heaven-sent!!!!! I did get my book "Shelters of Stone" in the mail today. So...I hereby promise to pick up that book and READ when I get bored :-)!!!

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002


I'm here! Don't I count? What am I chopped liver or somethin'?? :oP Went to a Shearing Workshop today. It focussed on llamas but I met some awesome people and many have sheep. Great time!!! Worked in the barn and the flower beds and housework when I got home. Man am I pooped! Probably won't do diddly squat for a week..

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002

Hellooooo...Started the garden, painting the basement, moving a tree, still have to finish the fence; just have more and more things to do I guess. For a few days there, it was thundering every night so I wouldn't go on.

I don't really like the new form on CS. It hurts my eyes and all those little yellow people are giving me the willies, especially the ones who move.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002


Good gravy, Marcia - don't apologize!! I was wondering where everyone was too! I'm just such a downer to be around when I've got the blues that I didn't want to spread it around!

Got the boat out yet? I could use it down here - in the yard! Oh yeah - sleevelss pullover dress and black rubber barn boots - we're making a fashion statement today, fer sure!! No lobstah; but plenty of crawdads in the yard!

Hope you enjoy Shelters of Stone; I need to re-read it. I went through it so fast, that I'm sure I missed some stuff. Hope it doesn't take her 5 years to write the next one. I kind of wonder if someone else wrote the sex scenes - the cadence changes somehow. Then again; it IS a pretty basic procedure to descibe - LOL!LOL! Gee, have you ever noticed how, in romance novels, no one is ever short, fat or under-endowed?!

And now that I've discussed sex, fashion and the weather...what else is there?!

I AM in a better mood now, in case you couldn't tell! Hubs grilled some pork chops for supper, to go along with a salad of mixed greens and some cheesey mashed potatoes; then we went out and weeded one 3x12 bed in the garden - with all this rain; the weeds are flourishing - darn it! I'm getting the beds weeded, slow but sure! We finally finished putting the wood chips down in the pathways of the first section of garden - at least it looks "done". Then, Hubs and I went to town to buy Mama Gano one of those little yard windmills for Mother's Day - y'know, you'd think that man would know better than to take me to a farm store this time of year!! Five more tomato plants, 3 packs of seed, some canning jar lids, a small clay "strawberry jar" planter and a huge bag of those orange circus peanut candies later; he finally escaped, to mourn the tatters of his checkbook. Hee hee hee!!!

Got home and Pop, Lisa and Bailey were here; Bailey had to help me gather the eggs as usual - she loves my chickens!! They had brought me out a chicken tea pot to go with all my other chicken stuff in my kitchen. Bailey can count to five - so she counts all the chickens in my kitchen for me; five at a time! Pop was trying to be sneaky getting the circus peanuts open 'til I caught him and told him that I had bought them for him anyway - I think it kind of took the fun out of it for him! Then Lisa saw the strawberry jar and asked what I bought it for - Pop thought it was for the hen and chicks that I'd brought home a week or so ago, but I reminded him that I had already planted them; then told Lisa that I planned to turn it upside down and slightly bury it in the garden for a toad hotel. Need I tell you what Pop thought of that idea?! He'll probably try to sneak out in the morning and plant something else in it, just because!

We're under another flood watch here - supposed to get more rain and storms tonight, but it has cleared a bit. I'll just cross my fingers and toes, in hopes that I can get out in the garden for a while tomorrow. I need to plant the tomatoes that I just bought; plus some peppers that I have under lights in the house; then set my toad hotel and go out to the back yard and bring the birdbath up to the garden and decide where to put it. I have so many birds in the garden this year, but no damage to plants yet! Tons and tons of goldfinches, wrens, robins, cardinals and jays; plus a rose breated grosbeak, orioles and hummers and all the small woodpeckers - and Pop saw a Red headed woodpecker on the hedge tree out back the other day too! Unc has a phoebe building a nest on his cabin wall; and we're all waiting to see if the barn swallows come back this year as well.

I'll need to do some more weeding tomorrow too, but I'll need to get Jessie's grad announcements addressed before I get my hands too dirty! I need to get my nasturtiums planted under the peach trees to repel borers; and the morning glories planted on the hog panel trellises as well. Bun's hutch needs cleaning - and I need to fill a couple of beds in the garden up level, so that works out well! I went on a "leaf thief" run in MIL's neighborhood the other day; picking up lawn trimmings this time of year instead of leaves; Hubs was sweet enough to unload them for me....something about wanting to use his own darn truck to haul something every once in a while, or something like that!! I told him what a doll-baby he was anyway! Going to have to make that run down to the new winery soon! I'll try to decide whether to toss the clippings in the compost pile, or use them for mulch....hmmmm, broccoli likes it feet cool; maybe I'd better mulch! It's amazing what you can grow out of season if you just baby it a little bit!

Jay, your garden in a box business sounds fascinating! Have you thought about offering different size or shape gardens? I really admire your enterprising nature! How I wish we all lived in a community together! I'd like to help Jay sift worm cast and transplant; maybe pot up some dye plants to take over to sheepish, Ali and Susan's spinning shop, before dropping by Marcia's for a bowl of chowder! Can we play a dreaming game?! If we did all live in one neighborhood; what would your place be like; and what skill would you share with the community?

I see a town square...a park kept mown by privately owned sheep. The square would house a baseball diamond and horseshoe pits; maybe a soccer field and volleyball court. There's a pavillion where we hold family reunions in the summer time and weenie roasts in the fall; and use it for a farmer's market in the summer time. I see a small community building with a big kitchen; where we can hold town meetings, have potlucks and other celebrations and hold a farmer's market in cooler weather. I see it being used as a community canning center, a school, a place of worship, a crafting center.

I think that I would like to have about half the land that I do now; or if more; then a larger part would be in timber. I'd like to have a small co-op type market, I think; and perhaps work with an NP or GP in a small infirmary a couple of days a week. I'd like to keep bees again, and trade my honey for milk and other items of need. I'd keep my chickens; but I'd trade for or buy other meat animals. I'd have my gardens of course; and take extra plants and produce to the farmer's market each week. Perhaps I'd do sewing alterations for those folks who's clothes seem to keep shrinking!! I see a small grey shingled house with turquoise shutters and door; a wide front porch with some comfortable rocking chairs; and a calico cat curled up on my old glider as well. Who can I hire to put in a brick sidewalk from my garden fence to my door; and over to my shop?!

Tell me what you see...

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2002



Just busy! Still recovering from the new addition, what wwith cleaning and the unexpected plumbing repair too. Anniversary party here which was last night and quite fun. Then there was picking up the innoculated mushroom logs and selling excess chicks, canning ramps and on and on. Hope everyone is enjoying their spring. We have had so much rain and more coming today. Gotta go get those chicks up, so have a good day everyone.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2002

I haven't been posting much because lately it's all just whine, whine, whine -- that's ME doing the whining, not other people. My personal little Jinx seems to have found me again (dagnabit, I thought I mailed ALL of that lava back to Hawaii!!!) and things just keep going wrong. SOmething is down, broken, sick, virused, etc. It gets BORING to hear a litany of my disasters. Even I'M bored with it.

I've been slowly bowing out of Countryside. I will rarely post anything there anymore, even on the horse threads, due to the way things have gotten. I'm wondering where a lot of the people who I used to really like on that site have gotten to. I mean, I KNOW where you all are, you're here, but there are other folks who have packed it in and left.

I'm thinking that I should get off the computer right now and go and construct a pea trellis so that the next nice day that we have (i.e. not sleeting on us, or raining a duck drowner) I can go out and jab it in the ground and plant my peas..

Does anyone know if there is a problem with cross-pollination between Sweet Peas (the flowering, smelly variety) and Garden Peas (the eating kind)?

Has anyone tried planting Alpine strawberries under their blueberry bushes? How'd it work out for you?

And because I'm thinking of immoral mushrooms and what not (and because Anne mentioned mushroom innoculations), has anyone ever tried growing mushrooms on toilet paper rolls? I've seen it advertised in one of my catalogues and it seems like it would be quite the conversation starter!

I got volunteered to put on a spring luncheon for the local Women's Club....I'm thinking up evil things to do to them....oh, not THAT evil! Just unexpected things, broaden their horizons a bit. These are people who probably have never eaten a garden cress sandwich (darn stuff is growing awfully slow!), nor had a violet in their salad. If they weren't so expensive, I'd think about starting mushroom spawn toilet paper rolls to put on every table as a centerpiece! But I'll probably be nice and not do that (I told you I was having evil thoughts).

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2002


Hello everyone it's been very slow around here today. We have been so very busy that it's finally caught up with us,we took the day off and didn't do a thing!!

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2002

Hey Julie, I love the Partridge Family reference! Ha!

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2002

I meant BRADY BUNCH!!! Sheesh, I have lost my mind temporarily. Sorry.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2002


Alison...Of course you're not "chopped liver"!! As a fellow "Northeasterner" (is that a word?), I need you here! I think we're in the minority. BTW, I always put chopped liver in my turkey gravy :-)!

Dee...aren't those moving "people" strange?? I don't like the new format over there either. I've read some of it, but will not post there...just stubborn, I guess. If I have a question that I think no one here can answer, I'm gonna post it at the old CS site. Wonder how long that will be accessible??!!

Wow, Polly!! Why should I start reading a new book when I have your posts to entertain me :-)!!?? But I tell ya, I'm REALLY curious about those "sex scenes"! And...it might be a "pretty basic procedure" to some people, but for others...well, even a road map wont help them :-)!!!! Nope, we don't have the boat in yet. It's either been too windy or the tide hasn't been right. I really don't want to try to launch a 21ft. boat in wind and rough water!!

Oh yeah, Polly, let me tell you what I see...I see us all having one of those transporter thingys that they have on Star Trek. Then we could all go visit each other instantly!!

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2002


Have you noticed about 3 days before a person dies they start feeling much better? Pain goes away sometimes then BONG!!!

Hey whats that death smell ...smell like? If I start getting real rank must I worry? Ha!....Kirk

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2002


Kirk...are you saying that some folks go out with a bong?? Is that a "bong up side of the head" or do they hear a "bong" :-)??

Probably we've ALL been pretty rank at one time or another, but we're not dead yet!!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Kirk, I can't really describe it; but it's one you never forget. I told Hubs you needed me to run out to CA to sniff you, but he just gave me one of "those" long-suffering looks, so I think that is a no- go!! I don't like smelling it in the hospital, but I hate worse to smell it out in public. I'm not even sure what causes it - systems failure maybe?

Okay, let's see; Marcia and Harry are going to run the transporter service...can we get combo cell phones/transporter modules; or do we still have to call Scotty to beam us up? You're gonna need one heck of a solar panel to power up that baby! Hmmm...maybe Julie and Joy can share the taxi business (to go along with their other "family" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) business: "You gonna wanna go by horse or by electric car, Ma'am? Uh-huh, okay...looks like we got an ETA of Tuesday - sometime." Wouldn't that be grand!!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Polly...go over to CS and check out the post "address of new site". You automatically get "transported" to that other place :-)!!

Beam me up, Scotty. There's no intelligent life down here...except at BTS!!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Polly, your town sounds wonderful! I'm ready to move...when can we start? I think we need some kind of a water feature...did you already mention one? A place for contemplation, or the town center, or? We probably need a smithy of some kind, too. And should our healing folk have a special location? And will the sun always shine?

I have been mostly just puttering (except I guess the fencing project wasn't exactly that) around in the garden...adding a few plants here, potting up some herbs there, but I haven't gotten filthy dirty yet. We are missing another duck; now down to four, and they aren't keeping up with the slug population! I have even let the chickens out into the front yard, but I'm still seeing slug bites on some of my plants....I was hoping the duck (hen) was off having babies, and maybe she is, but it's been over a week since we've seen her. I may have to buy ducklings this year...

The social stuff has been piling up. Now with better weather, I'm in a time crunch. Hey, my neck got sunburned on Saturday (I spaced) and now I'm a redneck for the first time in my life. Know any good forums I can post to??!

Speaking of forums, I feel strange about the transition at CS, I guess. I really liked it when Jd was still around, and even when Dave was. I miss that CS connection. Somehow I think the integrity of the forum has been compromised, but hey, it's still supposed to be a free country. It's just different. I did try to visit the new location, but it was too *busy* visually or something. I'm just turning into a real geezer, probably. If I start sounding like Hoot, please let me know (and fast!).

Shearing school! Yikes. Just thinking about that, makes re-fencing the entire farm seem like an easy project. Still, it's time for haircuts around here again. Rodeo round-up time! Yee-haw!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


On reflection, I think when Chuck started posting his picture at CS, the whole paradigm of the forum changed for me. I started seeing the vase instead of the two faces, if you know what I mean...

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Sheepish...I had to get out my Webster's for the word "paradigm" :-)!! I agree. CS did seem to change once that face started appearing! I wish it would stay where it is now, although I do understand that the name needs to be changed. If folks want to go to the "busy place" well that's fine, but keep the other site around...if possible. Has anyone else noticed that there seems to be some new folks posting there? Or am I imagining that?! Maybe if it stays active enough...it will stay around?? I don't know much about the technology aspect of forums....

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Gee, that's funny...I was seeing two faces. Both of them belonging to Chuck.

Ow! Ow! Bad! Bad!

That wasn't nice of me, was it?

;o)

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Polly made a "funny"....!!! Good one!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I'm not sure if you mean Chuck when you say the new face appearing, but assuming that you do, I don't think he (as an individual) had all that much to do with changing CS. It's been changing since I started posting there. I don't think Ken changed it that much either. Though the reactions to Ken becoming moderator changed things! I guess you can point to certain times where changes became obvious, but the reasons are a whole lot more complex than those "pivotal points".

I haven't been going to CS much anyway since Ken left as moderator (and I'd already cut down before that). Not really in protest against Chuck taking over, though he never would have been MY choice. Factors causing me to drift away from CS: I think I've seen every permutation of squabble issues already and I'm tired of reading the same old things and the same reactions all the time. No one seems to have EVER changed their minds based on someone else's post -- at least I've never seen anyone admit it. But a MAJOR reason for me was that it had just gotten too darn big. Couldn't keep up with the major influx of questions/threads (most of which had been asked before). The Lusenet format and restrictions of it simply cannot handle that kind of volume coherently -- IMO anyway!

The Lusenet boards were NOT my introduction to bulletin boards and discussion groups on the Internet, so with my very first one, I had to learn more complicated ways of doing things. I don't find them bothersome. Some sites do have too much going on -- too graphics intensive. There is something more "peaceful" about the simplistic look of the Lusenet forums. With that in mind, I may play a bit with our backup board and see if I can change anything to make it any more "serene". If we ever do move there "permanently" I would have to get rid of those blasted pop-ups. They kill serenity quickly!

I think possibly a few people will still hang around the CS Lusenet site, until something happens to close it down, anyway.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Oops, I forgot, I wanted to put this into the post above:

funny thread

It's a thread from Singletree that was both very funny and only too true about the nature of bulletin/discussion boards.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Triple posting! Shame on me! Or maybe I'm just talking to myself . . .

Anyway, I was suddenly struck with the notion that the original CS forum had become a 'city'. When it started, it really was like the countryside, not many folks, everyone friendly and helpful, even if they didn't share the same opinions, religions, and politics. Then it grew, got more like a small rural town, and then grew to a bigger town, and so on and so forth.

If CS had been able to stick to just homesteading or country living topics, it probably wouldn't have been overwhelmed (or at least would have taken a lot longer). But everyone has to get into the socializing aspect and that's when the fun also can turn to no-fun pretty quickly. Can't criticize anyone for wanting to socialize though, because I'm just as guilty.

Maybe it's better if we split into smaller groups. No site can be all things to all people . . . I'll probably try hanging out CStyle and Singletree more, see if that meets my "homesteading" needs. Oh, and GardenWeb, of course! ;-)

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


You're not talking to yourself, Joy...I'm here :-)!! I checked out your "funny post". Really cute and SO true!!! I've also been looking at GardenWeb. Wow! Lots of info there. I don't go to the other forums, but I guess I should check them out, also. Is Singletree for singles only??

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Hi all! The feeling I have about Chuck is that he appeared out of the blue just a very short time ago, he's not really a homesteader (which is no biggee I guess, neither am I anymore, but a stockbroker? weird...), and he immediately sticks his mug on his posts, which no one had done before. After that it felt like in no time flat he had taken over the place, all the while maintaining this 'nice guy' personna. Now I will admit to my perspective being greatly influenced by that hideous post on CF; it was like a punch in the stomach to me......I don't suppose folks who are not directly affected can know how much those things hurt. Somehow I think I would prefer being in a room with Doreen and gang to him and his; at least I get the feeling they put their real personalities out there, rather than talking out of both sides of their mouths.

It's funny how a few hateful or angry words can damage relationships forever, and damage people's feelings of how, or whether, they themselves fit in this world, anywhere at all.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Soil and compost forum at Gardenweb, Marcia! That's where the wackos hang out. Click on conversations. I see Julie there every once in a while. (Hi Julie!) Ooops! Not saying Julie is a wacko. Except maybe a compost wacko, 'cause I think that's required. Let us know who you are if you start to post, Marcia; and where!

I also like the organic gardening, vegetable gardening and pond forums over there. And farm life. Garden party, too; but you have to pay $$ to be able to post on that one. I figure that all the forums will probably go $$ soon; and $15/yr is pretty darn reasonable for all the time I spend on line, guess I should just pay it!

Yeah, Joy - I like your city analogy. Me, I couldn't handle the we- WILL-shove-it-in-your-face-religious stuff. And the 47 me-too posts that went along with it. And Ardie with her "Oy vey" and milk and cookies and naptime crap. What? She thinks nobody can figure out where she's coming from? "I don't agree with you so I will demean you by treating you like a child.", rather than posting an intelligent reply. I didn't like Chuck when he started posting. I don't like him any better now. I don't like his religious stuff and I don't like his homophobia. I also wonder what the sam hill a stockbroker is doing moderating a homesteading forum. Huh? What? It just don't compute. I thought Ken was okay as moderator; but wondered where he found the patience to put up with Joel. All the forms of Joel.

I did still post - maybe a couple of times a month; but CS was mostly read only for me since this forum started. Love you guys!! No good posts over there anymore, it seems. I liked the social ones as well as the question ones - and, back in the good old days, no one seemed to get steamed if we got a little social in our answers on the question threads back then, either. I mean, you wouldn't go into the coffee shop and blurt out a question and then stomp out in a huff if someone added a bit to their answer, would you? Sheesh!

And yeah, Marcia; I did click on that thread and got transported - KIDNAPPED! - in my opinion.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Putting aside personalities, my aversion to change and most everything in between..........can't see myself on the new site. I went there and played around by invitation before it was opened up and thought it was a fun toy. Now that it is up and running, I just visited it for the first time in days and it took forever to load on my slow dial-up. I have a very up to date computer, but I actually homestead in the middle of nowhere and have better things to do with my time that wait forever. Funny.........I have maybe asked 5 or 6 questions there.....tops.......and most generally never got an answer. Personally, I think joy's description of city etc. was very apt, and I would take it even a step further. The mix has changed so much lately that it doesn't even resemble the forum I lurked on for almost a year before I posted.

I really love garden web for browsing, will order the CD from Phil of all the forums, backed up in the last few days, and will bid CS good bye with a few very good memories, and of late.........a very sour taste for CS in particular and forums in general. There are so many people that you think you know, but you really don't. Mostly I have felt just more and more invisible on the forums and it too often carries over in to how I see my "real world".

Considering the fact that I have found that I have a serious "addiction" to the whole thing, I have not exactly figured out how to "treat" it. Most addictions can be best treated with cold turkey total withdrawl; but I really find a certain degree of value in this one, and as with food, I am hoping to fit it appropriately into my life. (haven't managed the food one so we will see how I do with the computer :>) )

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Oh Polly, thank you so much for permission to gossip!! I cracked up at your comments about Ardie, who drives me nuts too!! One has to be polite to someone who lives in a wheelchair, though, if she really does that is HA! but I am so weary of her trying to control people's conversations with her cranky, empty comments. I swear if she "yawned" one more time I was gonna pay her a visit (she DOES live in Wisconsin after all). Apparently her position is "if I aint interested in the subject, you may not talk about it!". Rather than ignore subjects that dont interest her, she feels the need to insert some sort of patronizing grunt. Arghhh.......

I liked your analogy too, Joy, tho I may take a slight exception to the reference to country folks as all being friendly and helpful. There are some real rascals, introverts and curmudgeons out there too!

I have written to the CS magazine, filing my complaint about what Chuckie has done on the Lusenet page. Removed the CS listing from open forums and the listing he replaced it with has a link to HIS forum. I'm pretty sure the whole idea was that the mag didnt want any connection to the internet forum, and now that most of the old fundies etc have rejoined it, I would be surprised if they feel any differently. If they do, I'm cancelling my 26 year subscription. More sadness. :(

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Yep, I'm here and like others have already observed it's Spring, or more like summer since it generally goes over 90 every day now except for *maybe* today since we *might* get some rain. We'll see what happened when I get home.

I'm afraid the Dark Side has sucked me in and I'm posting in the Timebomb2000 forum again. Doggone it, they're still the place to go for fast breaking news it's just the other stuff is so *insidious*. One of the posters started a contributed story and I thought "what the heck, one post won't hurt" and it just sucked me right in! It's not even a good scenario, in fact it's a mediocre one, but here I am with a young novel's worth of posts and more to go. Sigh...

I have checked out the new Countryside forum and will continue to post though I really need to be cutting back on posting everywhere. CS has been in a state of change for years now, long before Chuck arrived, before Ken, and many of those changes have nothing to do with the magazine but a lot to do with the Lusenet software. I miss the ease of posting Lusenet offers but it really didn't take very many assholes for things to get out of hand right quick. I don't like moderation either but it seems we humans just won't have it any other way from what I have observed of our behavior.

Been hanging out in the Gardenweb a bit myself. Mostly need to get out and *do* more and *talk* less!

.......Alan.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Hold off on dropping the subscription for a bit, okay, EM? Just on a whim, I went to the Countrysidemag.com page and clicked on forum - it takes you to the Lusenet password protected site. You can't get on, of course, without a password. I think that the poor Belanger's are probably just sick to death of the negative light that the forum has thrown on the mag lately. (Heck, most of those folks didn't even know that there WAS a magazine, let alone subscribe to it!) They allowed Chuck to take over the forum with the idea that it not be connected to CS - good plan in my opinion - so they really have NO control over what he's done with it. You have to really appreciate what Steve tried to do when he started the forum; and it WAS good for a long time. It just got beyond their control. I feel really bad because I think that there was already maybe a rift in the family when Steve left to go back to his carpentry job (and sorry to see him go, I was); I'd hate for this to cause more problems in the family - I want CS the mag to be around for a good long time!! I got a copy of the forum archives from Phil over at Country Style, just so I could remember the good old days. I know that I would never have met most of you folks through the magazine; and I'm really grateful that the forum provided me the chance. Big Hugs to you all!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Polly...I just noticed that I can still get to the CS "ask a question" page through the link you sent me! Do ya think it still works?

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

Don't worry, Polly, I'm not doing anything until I hear a reply from the folks at Countryside. I'm no internet expert, but I'm pretty sure the password page comes up from the CS site cause Chuckie put it there. Joy, you know? He doesnt want anyone having access to the whole shebang except him. I wish no ill on the mag either, trust me, unless of course they should have lost their minds and are supporting Chuck's new forum.

If you check out his forum, he has a post over there about taking a poll, asking his harem what their opinion is on what he should do with the CS forum, and got a majority of them to vote to close it immediately by scaring them with dangers of vandalism to the archives. Was it very likely that the archives could have been damaged by anyone who didnt have access to the administrative screens, Joy? I know there are hackers who can do most anything, but to my knowledge that was NOT among the problems or skills of the troublemakers over there, so it sounded like more manipulation to me.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


What a day...geesh, first CS is gone AND then Dixie dies on my soap!!!

Polly...when I do get around to posting at GardenWeb, I'll be using my real name!

EM...when did the archives become the property of Chuck (and his forum) and not available for public viewing? Is it going to be illegal for anyone to peruse them unless we pass "inspection" by Chuck? "Oh...what a world...what a world!!"

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Gosh, Marcia, I hear ya! Jake died on mine!

Good question about the archives.........the archives should belong rightfully to Countryside mag, dontcha think? not Chuckie's forum, for cryin out loud. They surely dont belong to an exclusionary group when their contents are riddled with entries from people who are not privy to its access. I think its stinko.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Thanks, EM! I was just thinking that the poor Belanger family has suffered enough!!

Marcia, I just put that in about what name in case your own name is taken already at Gardenweb. I seem to recall (back in the dark, dusty crevices of my brain) that you have to register.

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Hmmmm...maybe I'll go to Gardenweb incognito :-)!!

I think that CS magazine should have control over the archives, at least whatever was posted up until the day that Chuck officially opened his forum. There should be a link to them from the magazine's homepage. Lots of info there that I enjoyed reading!!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


I went to google...just out of curiosity. I can get to the archives by putting in my email. If you click on the title, you get the "enter password" screen, BUT if you go to "cached" you get right in...even to where you can post a response to a question! Has anyone else found about this??

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I remember that the CS position was that if someone didn't take the whole thing over that they were just going to push the delete button and make it all disappear. I have the CD that Chuck made, and if that thread is on it, I will cut and paste it here when I have time. There is a little button on the administrator's page that you can push and a whole forum will disappear. Phil has a back up that would include, I believe, even yesterday for $5.00 that would include shipping and handling (with the extremely cold and rainy day we are having I did lurk over on the new site ;>) )

I think Alan really hit the nail on the head about the forums. It is pretty easy to speculate about people and their intent, but IMO that is all we can really do......is speculate. I just lurked over on CS2 and the very same dialog is going on. These forums sure do make for the strangest bedfellows!!!!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


The whole issue of the archives being in danger of vandalism was bogus, as I see it, cuz there are dozens of people out there, including chuckie, who already have them on disk. So what the heck else COULD have been his motivation for frightening people than a power trip? Inquiring minds want to know........

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I can't get the new forums to work on either one of my home computers. It totally locks up and I have to reboot, which is a huge pain. So I guess I won't be visiting there anymore. I'm afraid to go look at what has happened to the old site because I don't want to get transported to somewhere that will lock me up.

I discovered the forum at the same time I discovered the magazine, back in Sept. 2000. I guess that I joined too late to experience the "good old days". About the only good things I can say about it is that I was able to purchase a really cool drop spindle from someone there (I'll be darned if I can get it working though!) and best of all, I met all of you!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


That's another thing that kinda "bugs" me! How can you sell something that already belongs to everyone??!! Yeah, I know Phil is putting his time and expense into copying these CD's, but I just don't think it's right. He could have at least offered them as "free" and if some folks wanted to donate money for his effort...fine. It doesn't make any difference to me since I don't have a computer and cannot use the backup CD. Maybe I'm just "weird"!!

Sherri...I didn't discover the forum til Jan. 2001! Although I've been a magazine subscriber since '77. I wish I could have experienced those "good old days"!! But, in spite of all the problems with the CS forum, I'll keep my subscription going. I do enjoy the magazine! Like you, though, I'm damn glad I met all of you guys!!!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


NOTE FROM JOY: I edited Diane's post just to put in the italics so that it's clear at a glance that it's a quoted thing.

Hi folks. Looks like we're closing in on 500 registered users, our first 1000 posts and for the most part, the response to the new site has been very good. I appreciate all the warm comments and emails. We've still got work to do ironing out a few bugs, but I'd like to address one order of business with you first and get your feelings and opinions.

The old countryside forum is still open, but has sort of been a ghost town in the last few days, with traffic being down over 90% from the average.

However, it still contains our valuable archives, and I plan to incorporate them with this site in some way, either by simply mirroring the archives here (in which case they would still look the same as they do now, only no new postings would be allowed) or by integrating them in some way with our new site. Perhaps we'll start with the former and end with the latter. In any case, it is imperative that we keep the archives available.

I'm concerned about the fact that now since we're mostly posting on this site, the old site won't be getting as much attention, and is hacker (or troll) bait. I'd really get strung up by you all if I let the archives get crashed or something.

I could put a password on it, known only to me, that would keep anyone from messing with it for the time being, but I want to ask your opinion first.

I could also back it up in its entirety (including all the offshoot forums) on my computer and then we'd have the forum archives for use as we see fit. I plan to offer backup CD's again at some future date, but not anytime real soon, I'm kinda swamped as it is.

So, what shall we do with the old site? It belongs to you all, so you make the decision. Here are the choices as I see it:

[list=]Leave it as is and available for new postings Password it for the time being until a decision is made one way or another. Back it up and close it completely Other - any better ideas?[/list]

Let me know what you think by answering the poll. You must be logged in to do so. (if you are not registered and would like to vote, email me at homesteadingtoday@mission4me.com or post here.

This is your forum, give me your opinion. _________________ Chuck

I posted this here for people who might not have had a chance to read it. I didn't vote, but I wasn't scared. I am grateful that Phil has put the time in and think $5.00 is really cheap. Oh well, I guess I must be one of the harem or something ;>(

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Thanks for posting that, Diane. No...you're not one of the "harem"!! And you're right...$5.00 is very cheap for all that information. But, like I said, I'm weird and just don't think it's right to sell it!! Guess that's why Harry and I aren't "rich" after being self-employed for 15 yrs. :-)!!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I still don't like those little yellow faces....I swear they are laughing at me....

I remember too, when you used to have to wait sometimes a week for a new question to pop up on CS. Those were the days my friend...

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Marcia, I guess I don't really feel like Phil is selling the forum; more like I'm paying him to do a job (transcribing it to CD) that I don't have the time, knowlegde or equipment to do myself. Kinda like if I brought the Neon into Harry for something mechanical; I wouldn't expect to bring in my own parts and tools and have him do the job for me for nothing. Same thing with Phil. (Does Harry lower himself to work on Neons?! What a car, what a car!!)

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002

I think five bucks is cheap too; I know I'd pay a lot more than that.

I thought this was amusing! "The old countryside forum is still open, but has sort of been a ghost town in the last few days, with traffic being down over 90% from the average. " Talk about self-fullfilling prophecy!!

-- Anonymous, May 13, 2002


Polly...sure we work on Neons!! What gets the big "Nope, don't work on those" from us is BMW, Mercedes and Volvo. They're a pain in the patootie to work on and the parts are waaay over priced!! BTW, Polly...dug our first batch of steamers last night...mmmm good!!!!

Dee...just keep telling yourself, "Those faces are my friends!" :-)!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


Ow! Ouch!! Jab, jab! Sniff - Marcia, I thought you were my friend! You and Jay - you've got steamers and he's got fresh tomatoes! I'd jump in the infamous purple Neon and run away from home, but I don't know which direction to go!!

Kind of hard to figure out how traffic dropped 90% isn't it. Let's see; shut off the new question function + take the troublemakers with him...gee; surprized it was only 90%!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


Hey now, don't be dissin Volvos...I've owned 'em for years...they last forever!

Okay, how do I send in my $5 again? I know that someday, I'll want a copy, even though right now it seems ridiculous to me...

You know, the whole world has changed; not just the CS forum. Seems that way to me, anyway.

I just liked the text (back to my old original comment about Chuck's face). It could have been *my* face (heaven forbid!) and I still wouldn't have liked it. At least with just Times New Roman 12 (or whatever this is), I can fake that we're living a homestead life much better. The graphics is too, oh how do you Americans say? modern! Funny, with the internet and all.

Late for work, but had to stop in!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


I see Julie there every once in a while. (Hi Julie!) Ooops! Not saying Julie is a wacko. Except maybe a compost wacko, 'cause I think that's required. OF COURSE she's a wacko! Most definitely! Wackos 'R' Us (not to mention Ratheads). I was reading over there last night and saw posts from both Julie and you, Polly. I almost posted to the thread just to say HI to you two, then decided that was too silly and a waste of their bandwidth. I can say HI here. I see that people are asking for a separate forum over there for vermicomposting (separate from soil & compost). Sounds like a good idea to me.

As for your comment on Ardie, Polly, yes, probably sometimes she was being patronizing. But a lot of times I agreed with her -- both "sides" of any issue were replete with proponents who were behaving badly, i.e. in a childish fashion! Don't you just hate it when someone whose opinion you share acts like a brat? I always think something like, "You're NOT helping acting like that!" Oh, BTW, I met Ardie in person (very briefly) last year at the energy fair, and yes, she really does use an electric cart thingie to get around in. She has very dark almost black hair (probably dyed, it has that look -- and I am NOT being catty! :-P), in a hairstyle that I would characterize as something updated from the forties or early 50's. Just to try to give you a better "picture" of her. I didn't talk to her long enough to form any other opinions. I met Dave B at the same time, though I'd seen him before (other years).

Diane wrote Mostly I have felt just more and more invisible on the forums and I have to concur. And comment that when that happens, a lot of the enjoyment goes for me. It means it's gotten TOO big -- again, like my city analogy, everyone starts becoming anonymous. {sigh} EM, yeah, not everyone is friendly in the countryside, real or cyber -- I was just speaking in generalities. Also, when the community is small, the bad actors feel more exposed, less covered by anonymity. People were putting forth their polite faces way back when.

I think OCS (Original Countryside) is eventually going to be deleted, at least from Lusenet. I was just rereading the administrative stuff, and you can't just change the name of your forum. Something about the threads are linked/associated with it that way. Since the Belanger's don't want the forum associated with their magazine, I think it will just have to disappear. They appear to be cutting Chuck a lot of slack about how fast it all happens. I think I'll just get a disk from Phil. And probably hang out on his site. I hope he isn't infested with trolls and subsequently driven insane . . . >:-{

I MAY go answer Chuck's poll and protest being locked out. But not if I have to register.

Sheepish, Lusenet displays the text in whatever font you have set as your default on your computer. I think most computers come set with Times New Roman set as the default, but I changed mine to Lucida Sans Unicode. Other good ones are Arial and Comic Sans MS, for ease of reading. I also set the size of my text a bit larger so it was easier to read. You can change your font by clicking on Tools, Internet Options, then Fonts (on the General tab). Size can be changed by clicking on View, then Text Size and choosing one.



-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


Did anyone else get their "invitation" from Chuck to join his countryside forum?? Just got mine! I don't think that I'll be sending an R.S.V.P!! All I want is to be able to access the archives without permission from him. After all, reading those archives has helped me get through many a sleepless night :-)!!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Hi Joy,

I didnt mean to sound like I think Ardie is a terrible person or anything; I'm sure she isn't. Just a comment on the annoying habit she has on the forum of trying to stop talkinga about stuff she's not interested in. I cant count the number of times I have spent a long time reading a thread of heartfelt opinions (sometimes mine included :)) and then come upon one of Ardie's yawns! I just think its rather rude that's all. And yes, to post anything over at Chuckie's place you must register first.

And Marcia, yes, I got the invite, and I DID send an RSVP. Couldnt help myself. :)

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


Joy, how's about I amend that statement about registering! Let's just say I don't know how its done! :)

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

I responded to Chuck's RSVP as well. It's probably not the sort of response he wanted. :->

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Yep, I did and yep, I did.

.......Alan.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


Awww - no fair teasing me like that!! What'd you say??!! Huh? Huh? I got an invite too; haven't responed electronically yet; tho I did give his e-amil what I considered to be a rather eloquent snort!

The following is in no way a critcism of what you said Joy; just a bit of clarification of my feelings. I agree that a lot of the times when Ardie posted one of her little comments, that people were out of line; but she apparently is clueless about how to deal with angry people. You sure as heck don't pat them on the head and say "Now, now." That just pisses 'em off worse. And it was a constant thing with her - do a google check on her and see how often that she actually posted a useful answer to a question; compared to how often she pulled the P/A crap. Sorry, but I don't buy that physical handicaps give you the right to be a jerk when whatever is going on has absolutely nothing to do with your handicap. Too many examples of appropriate behavior by handicapped individuals out there to make an exception for her behavior.

And, next time you're over at SCM; do say HI! Or better yet, post something! (PS - tell Julie that I will never, ever, ever look in her freezer!) Hee-hee-hee!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


Yeah...c'mon EM and Sherri!! What DID you guys say??? I haven't responded...and will not! I must admit that I have been "there", just checking it out. But I'm just not comfortable there...ya know what I mean??!! Like I said before...I'm weird!!

Polly...can I post sometimes at Singletree (or should I be asking Jay) or should I wait for an invite...or what?? I just HATE to jump into a new forum uninvited!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


From the posts at Singletree, Marcia, everyone is welcome. Doesn't even matter if you're not single!

Well, I wasn't "offended" by anything posted about Ardie. Just adding my two cents. Yep, she can be annoying, but I also often agreed with her. Maybe the difference is that I didn't post about it! ;-)

Yes, Polly, best to stay out of the freezers of my family members -- you never KNOW what you'll find there. There have been many who have been grossed out. I know there are at LEAST two dead bodies in Mom's at the moment . . . They'd be in mine, but I only have the fridge freezer -- not big enough! We're not a very squeamy bunch, I guess!

I was able to post over there as a "guest", though I told them who I am. I requested that they make the CS Archives read only and let us back in. Does anyone want to bet that request will go nowhere? :-{ I'm curious to hear what the responses to Chuck's "invite" were too!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002


As far as what I said to Chuckie, well lets just say I said pretty much what I feel; wasnt terribly tactful, but not exactly rude either. Was glad for the opportunity to get it off my chest. So it goes.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Let's just say that if my response was posted on the new forum, I would have been labeled as a "potty-mouth". :)

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Moderation questions? read the FAQ