MF42

Robinson's whole Mars series started out good, but towards the end drastically bogged down in all the main characters' various mental breakdowns, while the action ground to a halt. Matt

Peter F. Hamilton is a current favorite. I'm a big fan of the grandiose, space opera, complex world creation that he does so very well. I've enjoyed everything of Matthew Stover's that I've ever read. Matt

I just unofficially posted about nothing at all in your unofficial thread.

Uhhhh...whassa dat mean? Matt

Pics! Matt

[Homer Simpson] Mmmmmmm......McGriddle...........(drool)[/Homer Simpson] Matt

Training for the instrument ticket was my least favorite part of learning to fly, but the payoff is worth it. Not only do you get some important stayin' alive skills and expand the conditions in which you can make a trip, but the most beautiful vistas that I have ever seen were encountered while cruising in and out of clouds. Picture this: It's a grey drizzly sky and you haven't seen the sun in a few days. Go flying, climb up into the ugly grey, and it starts getting a little brighter. The more you climb the brighter it gets until that perfect moment when you break through and feel that impossibly bright sun on your face. Level off right there and cruise along the very top of the clouds, looking around at the slowly shifting snowy landscape, white plains, hills and valleys flowing smoothly around you, even a sprinkling of rainbows if you know where to look. Damn. Now I want to go flying again. But I have to save money for skydiving!

I'm with jakee on this one! Matt

That's great! Congrats on the 100th. The sheer enthusiasm in that post put a big smile on my face.

:: Back is still healing. Matt

I'm frequently amazed at the number of total strangers who are very concerned about the size of my penis. Matt

She mentions Istanbul at one point, but that's all I could understand. Matt

hahahaha She just keeps going...and going...and going... Matt

Years ago, at this small community college I attended, I was wandering through the fine arts building looking to see who might be hanging around. Dino, the director of all the school's music programs, comes jogging down the hall looking slightly panicked. He sees me, says "Matt! Tell me you're not doing anything for the rest of the day! You can really help me out!" "Uhh, ok, sure. What's going on?" "I need you to join the string quartet for the play tonight." "Dino...You know I play trombone, right?" "Yes! Don't worry, we'll make it work. You can do it, and it'll get us out of a bind. Please?" "What the hell. Sure." A few hours later I'm wearing tights, a ruffly shirt (blouse?), and a long white wig, playing the viola part of selected Mozart compositions on my trombone while the intermission crowd from a production of Amadeus mills around on all sides. I had had precisely two rehearsals in which to learn to read alto clef and blend my horn's tone with some very mellow strings. Actually got a few compliments on the sound.

Typically mid-twenties to early thirties. (I'm 30.)

Hey! The technique described above (the getting distracted, not the whole penis thing) has prompted huge blushing smiles from pretty girls more than a couple of times.

Stare at her, pull out your erect penis, start stroking it, and drool and breathe heavily. She'll get the message. Walt Bonus points for writing her name on your penis first. Extra bonus points for tatooing it. Matt

First jump many years ago infected me with the flying bug. Took an introductory flight, liked it. Went to school for my A&P. Took my fresh A&P and worked for a flight school that paid me in flight time. Got commercial and instrument, ASEL, and have still never paid for an hour of cockpit time apart from that introductory flight. Recently started skydiving.

In the middle of a conversation, wait for her to ask you a question. Don't answer, don't say anything for a few seconds, just hold eye contact until the silence is just barely starting to get awkward, then tell her that she always looks great and you got distracted. Then answer whatever she asked. Matt

[Homer Simpson] Mmmmmmm.....salmonnn....(drooling)[/Homer Simpson] Matt

Very very cool. Matt

Don't really know any celebs but have bumped into at various airports: Oprah Winfrey, Sylvester Stallone, John Goodman, the Wallflowers, the Beach Boys, and two smokin' hot chicks wearing Hustler t-shirts. Sir Alan Sugar bought himself a Cirrus and hired a pilot to ferry it across the Atlantic. The plane, because it's a Cirrus of course, immediately broke down before traveling even a few hundred miles. I fixed it and had a couple of brief telephone conversations with Sir Alan Sugar himself. I refrained from telling him that his Cirrus is an overpriced, poorly engineered and shoddily constructed plastic shitbox. In school, working Directv tech support I talked Jonathan Frakes through some troubleshooting. Same with Nick Nolte, and some NFL guy whose name I can't remember; the NFL guy was pissed that I neither knew nor cared who he was.

hahahahaha Matt

But why would you think that way? There is so much more to chemistry than just who has the highest education or earns the most money. and who's to say what is more "successful"? If you're happy at life and enjoying it.... that seems pretty successful to me. Karen Exactly!!!!! that is it right there. My attitude was formed by dating and loving one of these smart strong women, I freely admit smarter than me in many ways. Just as I was seriously considering proposing to her, she decided to dump me, and said one of the biggest reasons was my lack of "ambition" amd "money sense." Kinda left a bad taste in my mouth. Matt