Ah, but decades ago, the illegality of selling tobacco to minors was easily defeated by any enterprising youth with pocket change; just feed a few coins to one of the ubiquitous vending machines and pull the little handle.

Near the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has seized a Portuguese-flagged container ship that somehow has ties to Israel.

As a response to the Damascus strike, this seems to be pretty thin gruel. Staying tuned...

Yes, you two are communicating, but not about what you can mutually control. I know it is a huge and risky leap to each let go of your pain and fear, not put expectations on each other, be honest, open, and defenseless, build mutual trust, and focus on what concrete actions and behaviors you want to...

Communication is key. You need to be as agape with each other as you can mutually manage. If you are far apart on feelings, focus not on what each feels, but on what each can do and be for each other. What does she need from you and you from her? Admittedly, I am coming at this from a somewhat uniqu...

[actual plating by Dam-sel]

Having sampled poppyseed, apricot, and lemon, these are yummy hamantaschen. Both crust and fillings are spot on.

(referring to Helen Blood 's lengthy and noteworthy post on prior page) That is the kind of analysis at which the Watch once excelled. Well done! The Falkner bits hit pretty hard. Hadn't made those connections before; despite knowing SRD would draw on such literary roots as a young author nee litera...

The most common collective noun for a group of beavers is colony or lodge.

In all fairness, Stevie, the name 'Liete' did not occur to me until reading your response. That triggered the ah-ha moment of...I'll not say more, in case someone wants to craft a future question.

Based on later events, that certainly makes sense...

Roslyn (aka Cicely) is not far from here. Watchers planning to visit the site who want to meet other community members can make their intentions known; raising at least enough Watchers to qualify for a mini-Elohimfest ought to be doable.

Yup posted my word games in the wrong thread … and couldn’t see the delete *x* option … so there you have it. no way of covering those faux pais … do must bear my shame 🤦‍♀️ One of the mods for this forum can easily clean that up...were any of them still active Watchers. Of the three, ali is probab...

Yes, that's it. ...the truth was his programming wouldn't let him either hurry or dodge. As if Trumpet 's homing signal wasn't enough of a betrayal, his datacore required him to behave with the mindless predictability of a moron; to ensure that any ship who followed him would find him impossible to ...

These were neither ignorant nor insensitive people, peter. I doubt they believed in the position they were advocating; this was a hypothetical based on "disperse the Gazans to get them out of the Israeli cross-hairs" (admittedly, quite tone-deaf to both the Palestinian and Jewish diasporas...

Dealt with some ill-informed folk who wanted to equate: the easy-out of rehoming elsewhere Gazan peoples whose assets are now negligible providing a new base for the Taiwanese and their industries (especially semiconductor production / innovation) One problem: Taiwan (or, more accurately, Formosa) i...

@Menolly and I also met @Cord Hurn at the 2014 Elohimfest.

Also a reasonable guess, but nobody on Trumpet knew about Punisher yet.

Both answers are adjacent to the truth, but not quite there.

That's a solid guess, but not what the story tells.

Peter, this is part of the follow-up to the rather heated disagreement between our States in the 1860s. Our Constitution was amended to disqualify anyone previously taking an oath of office who subsequently engaged in or supported an insurrection. Having done so, they no longer were eligible for any...

After Trumpet escapes the destruction of Thantos Minor and the decision is made to take Vector to the Valdor system to analyze the mutation immunity drug, Angus makes this trip in a series of gap crossings that is relatively slower than what Trumpet is capable of doing. He claims this is to protect ...

Soar.

Classic Donaldson ratcheting tension, redeeming irredeemable characters while abruptly dispensing with other irredeemables. Closing chapters of Chaos and Order are amazing!

Yes, I know what I've done by answering. Soon...