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Sirens and bells!
We have a new Regular! Please welcome Klasko aboard, and go check out her story on the Meet the Regulars link above. (applause, applause)
Meanwhile, if you’ve been hanging out with us for a while and would like to become a Regular, submit your bio (150 words max) to me at worldblog@gmail.com.
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back to top66 Comments to “Technical Update: Calling all “Regulars””
Welcome Klasko.
What did you think of Germany?
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Welcome, Klasko! Wait, don’t I know you? I am sure I have read things by you somewhere..oh yes, it is coming back to me, haven’t you been on world blog? For quite some time?
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Hi.
Am I missing something?
I know I’ve read Klasko’s bio before.
Did she post it before, or am I having incredibly vivid deja vu?
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Welcome aboard, Karen! I see in your profile that you’re yet another WoW regular who’s a writer or an aspiring writer. There sure are a lot of them on here. You also say you’re taking a serious writing course. Is that a college course, correspondence course, online course…? The reason I ask is that I’m considering becoming a writer myself, and I’ve seen ads for something called the Long Ridge Writer’s Course. The ads make it sound great, but I figure it’s probably a scam. Do you (or anyone else on here) know anything about it? I have a couple great ideas for a play and a sitcom that I need to get serious about.
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NJL – I loved Germany! I started out in Wuerzburg as a soldier myself, and then Berlin – I’m dating myself – before the fall of the wall. I loved Berlin. There was always something going on, plus my daughter was born there.
After a four-year break, we went to brautiful Bad Toelz, just north of the Austrian border in Bavaria, about a 30 min drive to Munich. As busy as Berlin was, Bad Toelz was laid back. We lived there when the Wall fell. We stayed there until they drew down our community and moved us all to Stuttgart and spent a year in Stuttgart.
We did a lot of local cultural things everywhere we lived in Germany. My husband and I both speak German.
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Mumsee – I remember you as well from all my comings and goings and my previous blog lives.
EYG – Ihave probably mentioned things about myself in some of my posts. I know I’ve mentioned my husband’s SF background.
Night Train – I’m taking the Christian Writers Guild Apprentice Course online by correspondance. I highly recommend it. I am more than a year and a half into it and will be finishing it up in June and then in July, I plan to move on to the Journeyman Course.
I don’t know anything about Long Ridge.
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Welcome Klasko to the world where the inmates are running the asylum.
This is a fun place to be. I don ‘t know of any other blog where liberals and conservatives have such civil discussions. Occasionally someone gets testy, but overall, it’s pretty tame.
I’ve learned a lot by eavesdropping. I don’t comment as much as I’d like because of busyness, but I read much faster than I type.
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Thanks, Klasko!
Lynn, did you take any correspondence courses in writing? Can you recommend any? I’m assuming that you have to be a Christian to take the course Klasko refers to?
Man, I have got to get this play and this sitcom out of my head and on to paper!
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NT: If you do have to be a Christian to take the course, let me know and I’ll show you how you can become one.
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Welcome aboard, Klasko.
I guess I’m just having an out-of-body experience!
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Thanks, Meta, but I used to be one, so I’m pretty sure I can fake it!
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Night train, I’ve been saving to buy my own Television network for some time. If you want to hang on to that sitcom idea until I have enough money I’ll take a look at it. I have $2.16. I only need a few hundred million more. I’ve already offered Drill a job but he hasn’t given me an answer.
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KBells, I’m telling you, this sitcom idea is HUGE.
It will be a big, big hit.
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How would you like it if his name were Ehud Barak Obama??
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Hey, isn’t Harrison S Key a playwright? Maybe he could help me with my play.
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Welcome, Klasko!
What’s your play about, NT? And please don’t say, “About 3 acts.” Groan.
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Lynn, did you take any correspondence courses in writing? Can you recommend any?
No, no correspondence courses for me. You could probably learn of some good correspondence courses at http://www.writersdigest.com (it’s a magazine website.
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TJ, it’s set in the South in the 1950s. It’s about a middle aged couple trapped in a dead marriage, who can only deal with each other through layers of alcohol and denial. But one night, they’re forced to confront decades of buried secrets, and each other, after their 18 year old daughter runs off with an Orthodox rabbi. It’s called Fiddler On A Hot Tin Roof.
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Night Train – Come to think of it, Writers Digest offers some correspondance courses of their own and some of them pertain to screenwriting if I’m not mistaken. They are on the up and up too.
I don’t know if you have to be a Christian to join the CWG and take their courses, but it sure helps. It’s very Christ centered.
Metanoia, NT, TJ and Lynn – thanks for the welcome. You too, Mumsee, EYG and NJL. It feels good to belong.
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Welcome Klasko from Regulars, Wanna-be Regulars, Lurkers, and the occasional knuckle dragging troglodyte.
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Welcome back, Klasko! I remember you under your old screen names from the days of yore…
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NT — hilarious!!!
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NT #11: Good answer!
Although strictly speaking, if you have a Reformed background, if you were once a Christian you will always be one. You may end up in heaven after all. And wouldn’t that be shocking!
But then again, as a strict Calvinist would say, only God knows if you are one of the elect. So either way you don’t have much choice.
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Welcome aboard KLasko. (Did I say it right?) I think I’ve communicated with you before. If I had known your husband was SF, I would have been nicer. I certainally don’t want any angry SF guys coming to H’ville looking for me.
Night Train, (11) I’m afraid you wouldn’t be the only one faking it. ‘taint funny.
As for those ideas, I don’t have any professional writing experience, except technical papers (I used to Google, with picture, but eventually they just listed the references; now they’re gone. Just as well.)
I would recommend sitting down and putting those ideas on paper. You can polish it later. If you’ve got it, put it down and get Lynn, Cheryl or some others to help you. I’ll bet they would.
I knew a man once who didn’t write. He spoke into a tape recorder and had others polish it.
KBells, I have $27.50 for your station. Then you owe me. If you need a stand in for Burt Lancaster, I’m your man.
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Welcome, Klasko, but I think you were here long before I arrived. It’s an interesting club we have here. As with most groups that I end up being a part of, you don’t have to be crazy to join, but it helps.
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Chas – I can’t recall you being anythig but nice to me in our dealings. We get that a lot about the SF thing. He’s just a regular guy. When he was younger and more full of his bad self, I used to remind him that when I was growing up, Girl Scouts wore green berets too. My daughter thinks her Daddy’s a Teddy Bear.
Ivan – I’ve met a few knuckle dragging troglodytes. I think they’re some of my
husband’s friends and associates.
Thanks for the welcome back, Cameron. Pretty sure I remember you too from the days of yore.
Ajisunn – Thanks for the welcome. I think I qualify as a crazy person. SF wives are all nut jobs, so I guess I fit in.
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Welcome, Klasko, to the regulars.
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Night Train, #13 How huge? Because the way things are going I’m thinking the budget will be about $80 an episode.
Chas #24 You have a deal. I’ll get my writer to work on the remake of “Elmer Gantry” right away.
BTW welcome Klasko.
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Welcome Klasko.
I enjoyed reading your bio.
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Welcome KLasko.
My first thought when I saw “SF guy” was someone who likes Science Fiction. Then I thought that didn’t make sense, so it must be someone from San Francisco. But I couldn’t figure out why that would make Chas think he should have been nicer. So now I’m guessing maybe it means Special Forces?
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Night Train, #13 How huge? Because the way things are going I’m thinking the budget will be about $80 an episode.
HUGE huge, that’s how huge! Right up there with Seinfeld, The Simpsons, Friends, etc. It will be one of the most popular sitcoms in the history of TV
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Pauline – Yes, Special Forces. But he’s retired.
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Thank you Janie, Kbells, Victoria and Pauline.
Glad you enjoyed the bio, Victoria.
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How about showing gravitars on Meet the Regulars?
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Klasko, welcome aboard. I’ve enjoyed your posts. For me the wife of a Special Forces guy gets automatic respect.
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# 23: Metanoia, being a good strict Calvinist, I must say that I don’t know of any Calvinists who would say that if someone once claimed to be a Christian but then apostasized and completely renounced the faith, that they were still a Christian somehow and will wind up in heaven in heaven some day. The Apostle John (1 John 2:19) seems to agree. To use the terminology of NT above, there are probably quite a few folks “faking it.”
Of course, whether a person was a Christian and lost his salvation v. whether the person was “faking it” and his fruits bore out a false profession, really all comes out about the same in the wash. The real thing we (you and I and all others in the body of Christ) need to concern ourselves with is giving a false assurance of salvation. This was really common about 20 years ago with the “easy believism” movement (so-called) in some churches. John MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus, the first Christian book I can remember buying and reading after becoming a Christian, was written to combat the promotion of a form of “cheap grace” that was going around at that time. Similar problems exist today (they have probably always existed), when we stress being a believer but don’t talk about such things as discipleship and commitment and sanctification. At best, we’re probably good at making babies but not much good at helping them become adults.
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Kbells #12: But I DID accept the kind offer to be on your television show. But I am sort of worried about my . . . um . . . lack of photogenic charisma, so to speak.
For instance, when I take one of my dogs to the vet, the vet people often try to snap the leash on ME and try to drag ME away into the back, and even ask the dog to fill out the information form (which then never gets done quite right, by the way – dogs are useless when it comes to filling out forms.)
Anyway this sort of thing is worrisome to me, especially for the times when I am taking a dog in to get ‘fixed’.
And my lack of photogenic charisma should be worrisome to you, too. For success and ratings, you should only want beautiful well-groomed people with tiny little noses on your television show.
My nose looks like a four-billion year old over-sized asteroid and my face like the back side of the moon after a massive meteor strike. When I go to the Science Center, kids think I am some sort of astronomy exhibit.
Maybe I could get some sort of plastic surgery before appearing on your show? Or just appear with a bag over my head all the time; that would be sort of mysterious, and ratings might go up and speculation about who is the mystery man would abound and viewership might soar, so that just might work.
But then there is my overall PHYSIQUE problem, if you get my drift. Maybe ALL of me could be in a sort of box, a really BIG box, like a piano crate or a refrigerator box. That would REALLY be mysterious and just might appeal to the audience’s sense of the unknown.
Oh. But then there is my VOICE problem, too. Maybe instead of actually talking, I could just pass written notes out of a slot in the box on the set?
However that would require some degree of COORDINATION, which is not exactly my strong suit, if you get my drift.
But other than those few minor drawbacks, I have the star quality and stage presence of a Sean Connery, I can assure you.
So I will contact my agent and let him know that I am available for your TV show.
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Klasko – Welcome aboard, from one Karen to another.
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Drill, #37. “My nose looks like a four-billion year old over-sized asteroid and my face like the back side of the moon after a massive meteor strike. When I go to the Science Center, kids think I am some sort of astronomy exhibit.”
Then I have a sci-fi role that you sound perfect for.
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Klasko: By the way, hello, also. I have thought you were a regular already for some reason. This is a good crowd here, except for those who do not agree with me.
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I remember Karen L and her postings. Welcome back. You sound a lot like me . . .
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Klasko, I have never heard anyone really rave about Stuttgart until today! I’m glad you enjoyed your time in Germany — and thank you and your husband for your service!
KBells, maybe NT can write the screenplay for Drill’s story (especially the one about the Aerostar!) I’ll meet Chas’ contribution.
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NJL – Actually, being drawn down from a relative paradise in Bavaria, (mountains and all), to the southern end of Stuttgart next to the dump was a bitter pill. But we were fortunate to get quarters in the north end of town in Ludwigsburg. It was a small quadrangle of six buildings in the middle of a German neighborhood, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. But the commute south to work gave my DH practice for the northern VA commute.
Then we had to do “Drawdown Dance II.” They closed our new neighborhood, but by then, we were scheduled to come back stateside anyway. They really thought they were going to make me move to a set of temp quarters for 3 weeks before we left… That absolutely did NOT happen! I refused to move. So we lived in an empty neighborhood as the only residents for 3 weeks.
Stuttgart wasn’t so bad, but it was not my favorite place of them all. I liked living in Germany in general.
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Thanks for the welcome Peter L, Drill, Karen O and Michelle.
Michelle – I’m glad you remember me. I was thinking the same thing about you whenever I’ve read your posts.
Drill I’ve been finding some of your posts amusing when you’re in a humorous mood. My favorite was the umbrella in the truck.
You should publish some of that stuff. I’d buy it.
KBells – I’ll contribute my meagre writing talents if you’ll have me. I’ll work with Night Train. (That is if NT doesn’t mind).
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Amphib writes:
How about showing gravitars on Meet the Regulars?
We recently had a discussion about the technical aspects of doing that. I can’t remember the technical reasons, but the result was we shelved the idea for the time being.
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Lynn, any updates from the web diva on a date for the poker threads?
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KLasko, where did you live in Northern Va.? I lived in Falls Church seven years and Annandale 31.
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Klasko,
Welcome to the wretched hive of scum and villany. Calvinism = Mos Eisley.
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,i>Calvinism = Mos Eisley
Archaic Star Wars reference lost on younger generation…
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Sorry, evidence for Calvinism (or at least hubris) = Jar Jar, for any of you born after 1990.
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I’m not sure what’s more insulting, Rob: calling Calvinism hubris or comparing it to Jar Jar Binks…
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#44. Klasko, since NT will be working on the sit-com you can either write the Drill story or the Elmer Gantry remake.
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Chas – Still live in NOVA. Started in Woodbridge on the route 1 corridor renting a house for a year and a half because we didn’t knoew the area when we arrived in ‘92.
Moved to a townhouse in Dumfries because we were a one income family and didn’t want to live above our means. Lived there for ten years.
When we deferred our log home in MI dream for a few more years, I told DH that I would not live in a townhome any longer. It felt like living in quarters.
We now live in a single family home that isn’t the size of a shoebox – modest, but an empty nest – in Woodbridge. Technically, it’s in Lake Ridge, 6 miles away from the townhouse, but it cut 30-40 min off DH’s commute.
DH tells me that he’ll be ready to retire (again) in about 2 more years. I can’t wait!! The pace of life around here just sucks you in. I have become a homebody.
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Robhays – since I live with a Star Wars geek – or used to – he’s in grad school now – I got the reference to Mos Eisley. Actually, he happens to be home for his spring break and I shared it with him. He says, “Ouch! There’s no need to be insulting!”
TJ – He thought comparing it to Jar Jar was the bigger insult.
Of course this is the same guy who’s thinking of Lutheran seminary at some point…
Thanks for the chuckle, guys.
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KBells – I’ll get to work on both of them. Right away!
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Klasko: I lived in that quadrangle in Ludwigsburg for just over a year when I was a boy. My father was a doctor at the Bad Cannstatt hospital, and we went to school in Pattonville. I have memories of playing in that upraised area in the middle of the quadrangle – British bulldog, football, marbles, and comic books. And one memory of being at the Ludwigsburg castle around Christmas when all of the pathways were lit up by candles. I have long wanted to go back to that area to see how it all has changed. At least I can now say that I have ‘met’ someone whose family members were the last residents of that quadrangle! That must have been a strange three weeks for you guys. Would that have been around 1991?
Bad Toelz sounds beautiful.
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Tychicus – Wow! That’s pretty cool! My kids went to school in Pattonville too. Tat’s where they wanted to move us for 3 weeks. They were in the process of closing Pattonville as well at that time. One thing I enjoyed in Ludwigsburg was the flower show at the castle gardens. I remember taking my kids to the fairy tale gardens at the castle quite often. We bought a season pass to the castle gardens. Our kids used to ride their bikes on the service road inside the quadrangle. Nobody ever drove their cars in there much. Which building did you live in? I was in the one that faced the main drag – southern most of those 2 buildings. First floor. We lives there from Jul 1991-Sep 1992.
Bad Toelz was lovely.
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Klasko: If by main drag you mean Stuttgarter Strasse, then we were in one of those two as well. I can’t remember about directions from there, but if the castle was south of the quadrangle, then we lived in the more northern of the two. First floor as well. I remember that the apartment was considerably smaller than the duplex where we had lived in Frankfurt [and there were four of us kids!].
Other memories: Baseball at Robinson Barracks [and in Pattonville]. Friday night roller skating. And b/c it was the early-70’s, the Baader-Meinholf gang was active in Germany. I remember playing outside on that service road while there was talk that everyone should stay inside b/c of that gang.
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Yes it was Stuttgarter Strasse. I had forgotten the name of the street. I think you lived in the building next to the one I lived in.
We felt very safe in that neighborhood. In fact, on Saturday mornings, our daughter walked to the bakery to buy brotchen. She was in 3rd grade. I would never have dreamed of letting her walk down the block here in the US.
We moms used to hang out and drink our coffee on the park benches in the raised center of the quad after we put our kids on the school bus every morning.
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When you mention the Backerei, that reminds me of some of our bad behavior [even though I was a good kid].
We would stand in the store with our backs to the candy and stuff gummi-snakes [or gummi-whatever] into our back pockets. We would also ring people’s doorbells and then run away. 
Was the playground still the centerpiece of the raised center when you were there?
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Yes. There was the playground in the very center and they had a pavillion with a green dome with a concrete picnic table. There were several more wooden picnic tables and a grill too. All that was at the end toward the castle side.
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I don’t remember all that – it must have come after “my day.”
Wow – more than 60 comments in a thread that is basically dedicated to you. Isn’t that neat?
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I’m flattered.
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(OK, make it 64) Hi, Klasko! #53 sounds like you live near me. (Here’s hoping you’re not unduly alarmed by that) My family and I are “in quarters,” so to speak, near intersection OBR / Occoquan Rd.
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Hi Neighbor! – We’re off Minnieville. (In the middle of all that construction). I’m familiar with your general area. Probably know the “quarters” neighborhood you live in too. Been in Woodbridge long?
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Six years. We bought where we did by necessity (couldn’t afford anything else) and should have sold about eighteen months ago when even these old THs were fetching prices in the mid-3s. But didn’t. Hindsight is 20/20 …
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