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Post Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:44 pm 
 

Speeding the trial/appeal process and serving just punishment promptly would likely solve most of the problem and the rest of this discussion would be near academic only.  Since much of the appeal process is about matters of law, the appeals courts probably just need good databases and more judges and clerks to speed it up.  That would be money well spent if it worked.

Until then, I hope none of us ever face the problem that guy did.  Who knows how one would respond when one's family is threatened like that.  Flipping out about it seems reasonable to me.

And, thanks for the advice on the #17.  I may put one up in January with better keywords.  It found a good home though, so it worked out fine!  :P


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Post Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:57 pm 
 

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:
Use "HOHOHO". I believe it's 20% off.


Thanks for this.  I purchased Fight On 1-3, The Majestic Wilderlands and since seeing King's post Stonehell Dungeon after looking it up on there.

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Post Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:19 pm 
 

Plaag wrote:
Thanks for this.  I purchased Fight On 1-3, The Majestic Wilderlands and since seeing King's post Stonehell Dungeon after looking it up on there.

ShaneG.


I saw Fight On #1 and #3 but not #2. Haven't ordered from lulu before though so I'm probably missing the obvious.

  

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Post Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:18 pm 
 

Heill, if you are getting 20% off...

Sorry, had to pimp my stuff.

http://www.lulu.com/product/e-book/the- ... ey/6000581


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:07 am 
 

Private detective William Dear (think: Dallas Eggbert disappearance) has filed to run for Texas governor as a Democrat. No one is sure why because he doesn't stand a chance in hell of winning. A cynic would say it's to promote his non-fiction crime books.....

Too bad Kinky dropped out so early.  He didn't have a chance in hell of winning, either, but he's a hoot when he's being interviewed (and not shy about tossing insults at incumbent moron Rick Perry).

Mike B.

AUSTIN —The ever-changing Democratic race for governor morphed into a contest between the mayor and the millionaire Monday as humorist Kinky Friedman dropped out to run for state agriculture commissioner.

Friedman's departure left outgoing Houston Mayor Bill White and hair-care millionaire Farouk Shami as the two main contenders for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and lessened the chances of the race going to a runoff.

While it does not clear the field for White, it gives him the advantage over a less-known and less experienced opponent. White has a track record in office and proof he can win elections.

Shami says he will spend $10 million of his own money to win the nomination with his rags-to-riches life story, but he still will have to answer the ultimate question: Is Texas ready to have a hair-dresser for governor?

Also in the contest are Fort Worth school teacher Felix Alvarado and Mount Calm private investigator Bill Dear.


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:14 am 
 

Can anyone recommend some good and simple photo / image editing software. I recently got Adobe photoshop and illustrator, which seem excessively complex for what I want to do. I just spent the better part of an afternoon trying to delete some text off a jpg image and write in new text on these programmes, but can't do it..... arrrrgggh. I'm sure it is possible, but I'll have to get a Bachelor degree in Adobe program use first.

I need something that will allow me to do it in a snap.

  

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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:55 am 
 

HermitFromPluto wrote:Can anyone recommend some good and simple photo / image editing software. I recently got Adobe photoshop and illustrator, which seem excessively complex for what I want to do. I just spent the better part of an afternoon trying to delete some text off a jpg image and write in new text on these programmes, but can't do it..... arrrrgggh. I'm sure it is possible, but I'll have to get a Bachelor degree in Adobe program use first.

I need something that will allow me to do it in a snap.

*g* Know what y'mean. In theory that should be a two minute task if the background isn't overly complex.
I'll probably get shot down down in flames, though, for suggesting that GIMP ( http://www.gimp.org/ / http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/ ) is easier to use for such tasks. :)

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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 1:14 am 
 

I'd agree with that, I've been a Gimp user for some time and it is good for photo altering.

Something in that sentence doesnt sound right...
8O


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:14 am 
 

Cool. Thanks ... I'll give it a try.

  

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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 3:18 pm 
 

OK, tangentially apropos of the recent debate about home invasion, I have a situation and a question for those of you with kids..

My son started 1st grade this past August. One of the things the school does to keep parents informed is to make automated (i.e., recorded) phone calls alerting us about school events, fundraisers, but also criminal or safety-related things that affect the students. In the past two months, we've received 6 (SIX!) calls from the principal, reporting an attempted abduction of a student at my son's school. None have been successful, thankfully. Descriptions of the vehicles involved (these have all been vehicles approaching students headed to/from the bus stop) vary, as apparently do the individuals involved.

My question is...WTF?!?!? Is this sort of thing commonplace, and I'm just becoming aware of it? Is this a rash of attempts specific to my area, or have you guys (with children) heard similar things in your areas? Is there a white slavery ring operating down the block from me?? I mean, seriously, W. T. F.????? Hell, I'm one of bbarsh's "leftists", and I'm tempted to send my 6-year-old to school packing heat!


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:37 pm 
 

MetamorphosisSigma wrote: I mean, seriously, W. T. F.????? Hell, I'm one of bbarsh's "leftists", and I'm tempted to send my 6-year-old to school packing heat!


Yes it happens, but that is a very high number. We get 3 or 4 a year. I have three kids - two in middle school and one in elementary so I have some experience. It also seems to happen in bunches. That is the MO of those pieces of shit that need to be removed from society. And by removed, I would prefer via electric chair...But no some judge will let them out in a few years and they wind up killing someone's child.


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:34 pm 
 

I think most of them are custody issues.  Even parents who know they are bad often try to circumvent restraining orders.


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:44 pm 
 

faro wrote:I'll probably get shot down down in flames, though, for suggesting that GIMP ( http://www.gimp.org/ / http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/ ) is easier to use for such tasks. :)

ashmire13 wrote:'d agree with that, I've been a Gimp user for some time and it is good for photo altering.

I last used GIMP a few years ago.  It had not gotten much easier to use.  While it was a powerful image editor, it didn't have the same menu setup as other Windows programs.  However, I believe that an add-on exists to make the GIMP menu simpler.  GIMP is a good choice, and it is available for Windows and Linux.

For Windows, try Paint.NET (http://www.getpaint.net/).  It is a simple and easy-to-use program.  It supposedly is powerful, but I've never needed to use any of its photo-editing features.  Quick edits of scans, etc., are dead-bang simple.

Hope that helps more than it confuses.

  

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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:48 pm 
 

Pipswich wrote:I think most of them are custody issues.  Even parents who know they are bad often try to circumvent restraining orders.


No, in none of these cases did the child know the person. I live in a semi-rural, relatively small community, and word gets around fast. If that were it, I wouldn't be so concerned (in the sense that it wouldn't potentially involve my children). Just glad I'm here at home to take him to the bus stop and meet him there after school.


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:24 pm 
 

Pipswich wrote:I think most of them are custody issues.  Even parents who know they are bad often try to circumvent restraining orders.


Pip, this dismissive attitude is not helpful. Talk about enabling...I know it is very hard to admit that evil exists. It exists in our cities and neighborhoods. I am not being paranoid, but pragmatic. How many stories of raped and battered children do we have hear (and the criminal shockingly lived around the corner!) before we take this issue seriously. Sexually abuse or kill a child = death penalty.


And I could've bought these damn modules off the 1$ rack!!!

New modules for your Old School game http://pacesettergames.com/

Everything Pacesetter at http://pacesettergames.blog.com/

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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:38 pm 
 

bbarsh wrote:
Pip, this dismissive attitude is not helpful. Talk about enabling...I know it is very hard to admit that evil exists. It exists in our cities and neighborhoods. I am not being paranoid, but pragmatic. How many stories of raped and battered children do we have hear (and the criminal shockingly lived around the corner!) before we take this issue seriously. Sexually abuse or kill a child = death penalty.


Definitely. Though reluctantly, I was forced to come to the same conclusion when one of our neighbors (two doors down, and someone we knew somewhat) committed suicide in jail while awaiting arraignment for violation of his probation. Why? you may ask, was he on probation? He had exposed himself to children at one of our state parks a number of times, and had finally after a few incidents been apprehended. Evidently he had cut some sort of plea deal to keep himself off of the sex offender list, or we would have known already. The probation violation? He attended his son's little league baseball game, and wasn't allowed to be around kids. Someone in the know spotted and reported him. Since he knew it would come out in the press....hanged himself. Nice guy, or so it seemed. I trick-or-treated with my older son at his house three or four times, spoke to him at length a handful of times, and had absolutely no clue. In retrospect, he was ever so slightly creepy, but that's purely hindsight.


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:53 pm 
 

Hi,

you cant tell about people.

Someone I used to go drinking with turned out to be a serial killer. He's now doing life.

Seemed like an OK guy at the time (as long as I didn't discuss politics with him - opposing views)

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Post Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:13 pm 
 

lawrenson wrote:Hi,

you cant tell about people.

Someone I used to go drinking with turned out to be a serial killer. He's now doing life.


You win (JK) :).

I've tried not to let these little revelations over the years about people I know turn me cynical (yeah, there are others  :roll: , a college friend of mine is in a federal penitentiary for being the mastermind behind an illegal immigration match-making marriage scam, for instance). It's really not easy.


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