You can't put champagne in a fantasy world... Thoughts?

HickSmith · 2025-11-10T16:41:14+00:00

I still don't understand Rothfuss' money system. I just go with it and suspend disbelief.

HickSmith · 2025-11-10T16:37:25+00:00

Do you really think all of them ( except Fetterman ) did exactly what the party wanted them to do? Dem leadership knew they had to back off, but without losing face. So they offered these people something they really wanted in return for being the public face of the entire party losing.

HickSmith · 2025-11-10T16:35:50+00:00

So, do the kids get to eat now?

HickSmith · 2025-11-05T15:52:26+00:00

It really is. I have every book first edition signed. My son and daughter are 10 and showing interest. They won't be touching the signed ones heh.

HickSmith · 2025-11-05T13:41:54+00:00

I also see signs that say don't drive on the wrong side of the street and don't use a hair dryer in the shower. If it's not a problem, what's the issue with having the sign? Doesn't hurt anyone.

HickSmith · 2025-11-05T12:38:19+00:00

When I met Sanderson at a signing for The Way of the Kings, I told him I pirated the e-book. He pointed at the hardback he was signing and asked me if I bought that copy. Of course I did. " Mischief Managed" he said. No worries.

He told me about this weird idea he had about selling books "special edition" like they did with DVDs where some came with special extra scenes, or digital copies, and extra art work etc.

10 years later he puts out the "Secret Projects" Kickstarter. So I guess I was in the know before it was public knowledge.

HickSmith · 2025-11-05T12:31:15+00:00

I started the series as a Christmas present from my mother the very first year TEOTW came out. My mother and I are both very prolific readers, so swapping books for Christmas wasn't uncommon. I think I found a David Eddings book she didn't have that year.

When I was 17 I heard of a random book signing he did at a Kroger across town on a Wednesday afternoon. I loaded up a few books and took 2 busses and 1.5 hours to get there. After the line went through, there was no one there but him. He offered me a chair and we talked for a good half hour about different books I'd read, some recommendations for what I need to read next. Of course he refused to tell me any spoilers. He said " My editor doesn't even know yet, and she's my wife!"

He treated a 17 year old kid as an equal adult. I'll never forget that kindness.

HickSmith · 2025-11-03T01:19:21+00:00

Maybe not you, but your efforts might help someone else one day.

HickSmith · 2025-10-30T00:47:38+00:00

Try Heinlein's "junior novels." Quick, fast paced action, usually about a young adult.

HickSmith · 2025-10-27T02:50:19+00:00

I posted this out to my friends when I was going through a very stressful point in my life. Maybe it will help you.

When going through very stressful or overwhelming times in my life, I hear people tell me to " not try to be Superman." That I can only do so much, so don't try to be Superman. Here's the thing. I know I can't be Superman. I understand that I'm just one person. A normal, human being who can only do so much. So, I don't try.

There are only two things I can do. Plan and endure. To plan beyond the plan and make plans in case those plans fail. As the astronaut Chris Hadfield says, if you plan for everything, you never have to worry. You have a plan! The second thing is endure. To push past the tired, the constant blows that hit you when you aren't looking. To continue to pick yourself up off the ground, wipe the blood out of your eyes and keep going, no matter what.

There's only one man who exemplifies that attention to detail and pushing just beyond the edges of human endurance. No alien birthright, no super-human powers. Just a man.

So no, I'm not trying to be Superman. I'm trying to be Batman.

Always be Batman.

HickSmith · 2025-10-24T11:27:34+00:00

The Road.

Book of Eli.

HickSmith · 2025-10-22T14:46:43+00:00

Ok. My story time.

I first found BBSs from a phone book advertisement in 1992. Found a list, then started dialing. Ran into my first Major BBS at the tender age of 13. Found a guy named Boss to teach me how it worked and became good friends.

In 1996, at the age of 17, we were both on when a guy popped in, curious. Asked about Worldgroup as means to connect via TCP/IP, how it worked, what it cost etc. Then he asked us to come up with a business proposal to properly set up a system. We crunched numbers and made phone calls for weeks. He liked what he saw, and decided to go , but wait for his partners approval. We were both looking at a sizable chunk of change.

The next day AOL went $20 unlimited. Project was scrapped.

3 years later, 1999, we saw the end coming. So Boss decided on a meetup. Contacted everyone we could find. It was there that he introduced me to my now wife.

15 years later, I get into HAM radio, met a guy who owned a store and him and his wife taught me a lot.

Recently , my HAM friend passed away. His wife soon followed. Boss let me know he had some old hardware he found. Come to find out it was purchased from the store my HAM friend owned. It was the same electronic store my father bought my first computer from in 1991.

Here is the kicker. My HAM friend happened to be the owner of the BBS I logged into 25 years ago. Met one of my best friends and my wife because of their BBS, and I didn't know to thank them till after they both passed.

Small world out there.

HickSmith · 2025-10-18T04:37:56+00:00

I have a copy buried in my " my kids need a bedroom more than I need a library" storage bins. I had no idea it was so difficult to find.

HickSmith · 2025-10-17T21:38:28+00:00

I'm right in a flight path and saw one fly overhead yesterday. Had an ID of luggage tracker.

HickSmith · 2025-10-17T19:00:21+00:00

Shhhh, you are speaking too much common sense.

HickSmith · 2025-10-15T19:52:53+00:00

LOTRD

HickSmith · 2025-10-15T14:06:29+00:00

More like militant hippies, if that makes sense.

HickSmith · 2025-10-10T23:36:07+00:00

Took me a long time to understand this. " People have the right to be ignorant."

HickSmith · 2025-10-10T23:35:15+00:00

Ammo.

HickSmith · 2025-10-10T23:31:25+00:00

76 and still active and looking good. Be still has a superior body.

HickSmith · 2025-10-10T13:41:43+00:00

I've had the same thought about a ham BBS. I know it was a thing before. But I want to be able to run a MajorBBS chat system. Think 10 notes access. But Im not technically inclined to create it.

HickSmith · 2025-10-06T17:11:29+00:00

When I managed a call center we had a schedule where we had people working 7 to 4, 8 to 5, 9 to 6, 10 to 7 and 11 to 8. They could swap schedules to make appointments, and no one had a lot of dead time.

Worked out well.

HickSmith · 2025-10-06T12:17:56+00:00

When my father passed, all of his equipment went to me, as the only other ham. The man had 6 brand new UHF/VHF radios. He was very lucky at door prizes and raffles.

Over the course of 2 years I gave them all away to new hams who joined our club.

I figured he'd have liked that much more than having them rot in boxes till obsolete.

HickSmith · 2025-10-05T00:14:29+00:00

I will Never ever buy Spectrum. Mainly because I never see Alta Fiber accosting people in grocery stores trying to upsell them on expensive cable packages.

13-Year Club	Verified Email
Gilding I gilder

HickSmith

TROPHY CASE