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Glad to see MoM friends back online.

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Due to technical / internet work MoM has been offline for a while. As soon as all DNS servers around the world have updated it will be available for everybody again.

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Where is everyone?

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I've been right here; thanks for asking.

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I keep checking in every once in a while!

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On facebook I suppose...

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i am here and there. just wandering about.

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Right, who was it that was into the making of a real fur suit? Last weekend I was at the 25th Dutch Elf Fantasy Fair (15.000 visitors). I was ther to make pictures and encountered "Dan Belora Winters". I immediately had to think of MoM :)

https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...dd&oe=597C50A1

There was also a friend there who'se suit I also admired:

https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...72&oe=59BF741F

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Some steampunk creations were amazing
https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...71&oe=597FAEFC

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This, by the way, and the extensive park around it, is the setting for Elfia / Elf Fantasy Fair.
https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...60&oe=59831E35

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Amazing stuff, looks like a great time was had by all. Love your tree logo, Hans!

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AMFF is moving.

At present it is running 2 sites to allow for planned changeover.

If you want to find the new one; it's at http://san-andreas.org.uk/phpBB3/

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It's there for the moment. But when the paid forum shuts down, there'll be a redirect at the old URL.

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I've been a host on the NKT for a while now. I got tired of all the political posts, and being in a definite minority because of my views, of being called names and ridiculed from all sides. So last year, before the primary elections I quit posting. I still tried to carry out my host duties, but I did it silently. No one outside of staff, who I had informed of my decision, seems to have noticed. As I figured would happen.

Then came the renewal time, along with the associated expense. I read about it in the host section and informed them that because of the political posts and the way I had been treated when I tried to stand up for my views, I would not contribute as I had done ( the only web board that I had ever contributed to) nor would I do what I had done for the last couple of years, which was to post the thread asking for contributions.

The talk changed to perhaps moving the NKT to a free host, and everyone will have to re-register. Someone mentioned that perhaps MoM would want to combine with the NKT on the free host. I let it be known in a PM that if that happened and the politics were allowed as it is not allowed here, then I would quit both. I'm glad to say that someone mentioned that at the shutdown of the old Kitchen Table the NKT and MoM went their separate ways because of hard feelings between some members, some of which revolved around politics, so the idea of the two sites combining would most likely not be met with favorable views and would likely not happen.

I've just come from there. I told them that because it seems their plan for the free board is "business as usual" when it came to the political end of things, I would not be registering on the new NKT. When the present site shuts down I'll be done with them.

Thank you for this board. Thank you for the friends I've made here, and for remaining true to your original ideals. I'll stand by this place for as long as it's online.

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Thank you for your explanation, Allen.

I'm glad that the rules for discussion are different here. There's so much else to discuss than politics. In heated discussions, particularly in political ones, many people forget that the person holding a different view is just as human as they are, with feelings that can be hurt.

I know from experience that it can be very difficult to hold a minority view sometimes. (I was once practically driven off a TV-show forum for disliking an episode everyone else loved; trivial in comparison with politics, but the forum was dedicated to that show.) It would be easier if people would just let the arguments be about issues, but the sad thing is that often when people feel very strongly about an issue, the disagreement often becomes personal.

I disagree with you on many political issues, but I admire you for stating your points of view at NKT in a calm manner, even when the majority of posters seemed to question your sanity for holding the opinions you do. I'm sorry if I was ever a member of that pack, I hope not...

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Milo is the person I object to the most. He has gotten away with things (name calling and so on) that have gotten other people a vacation; Cavatica and Grey Bear in their day, as well as myself. Why? Because he's MILO, the golden boy who can do no wrong.

Over the years I've been on some pretty rough boards.... right up to and including XXX-rated ones, and been a moderator on some of them. I've stated to the rest of the host crew on the NKT that even on those boards, if anyone acted like Milo has done on the NKT, they would have gotten a week's vacation and then a ban if they didn't straighten up. But no one else wanted to take any action, not even a warning. That's why I'm giving up on them. Like I told the host crew, I'm to the point where I won't even wish them well.

They've made their bed. Now they can lay in it.

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I sort of guessed, as I've seen Milo and you lock horns on occasion. The problem is that he can express himself really well in writing, and may well have friends among the other mods. Even if hosts should stay neutral and treat every member in the same way, in practice they're only human and sometimes sadly play favorites. In such situations, the host in the minority has no choice but to leave, as you have done.

I don't know if you remember, but I was a host on the old KT's Talent board for a few years. I had to resign following some disagreements with Tony, who was admin at the time. The policy then was what happens in the office, stays in the office, but now, more than 10 years later it hardly matters. Ancient online history!

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I'm another one of the hosts over at the NKT and have came close to giving Milo that one week vacation. I didn't since the person he was giving the grief to was me and I didn't want it to look like I was retaliating.

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Milo's a putz

I very rarely respond to him these days, even when Ive wanted to drop a rock on him. Being a Mod over on QC for a while was a great teacher of patience, but I think I would have long ago wielded the Ban Hammer on Milo if I'd been a Mod over on AMCF for some of his actions.

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I feel a bit guilty for participating in the discussion concerning someone who isn't a member here. On some boards I've been a member and even a mod on, that's a warnable offense.

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Like I said I won't do it since I'm his current favorite target and to me it smacks of being retaliation. However I think this part of the thread should be ended since he isn't on this site and it is rude of us to discuss someone the other's may not know.

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Can we close the discussion over NKT please. It has no place here.
It was alright for Allen to state his views why he quit over there, no problem, and for the others to react to that. No problem. Let's not prolong it however.
You all have my admiration for not having any political or religious -- or whatever controversial topic is concerned -- discussion here, even though it's against the rules :)

To each his own and there's a place for everybody somewhere.

I know this board seems virtually dead at times but Cheryl is paying all this from her own pocket. Even though she's hosting it herself she still pays for hardware en VBulletin, so I'm very thankful for that to her and to her husband.

I think I'm about the the only regular visiting host here :) And I can't remember that I had to do something hostly! :) except for the occasional spam message. As far as I am concerned you belong to the core of the real McCaffrey fans. That has nothing to do with what your personal beliefs are in some fields. The reason for the existence of MoM is more general than politics, we just felt the other board strayed too much away from fandom and became too general. Having said that I do realise that McCaffrey discussion on this board has been minimal too but it's a haven and civilised board at least which I, for one, still enjoy to visit now and then.

Thanks for persevering my friends!

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Actually, Hans, it seems to me that the thing that keeps this board going isn't Anne-McCaffrey related either - it's the very active games section. NKT has one, but it hasn't been posted in for ages.

When somebody suggested combining the boards I wondered how much they'd thought it through, there's people on both boards who wouldn't want to be on the other. That's one of the reasons why the two boards have completely different characteristics, despite there being an overlap in membership. I like them both - but that's because they're different. And both helped me to stay sane when I was in a situation when anything that wasn't flat-earth "real" was frowned on.

Thirteen years of that has left me with a huge pile of unfinished creative writing projects, one of them being a Pern fan-fiction that was started in the days of the Old Kitchen Table. Now there's a chance of it getting finished. I've got a storm to write - but first I have to retrieve it ...

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I just said my good byes over there. I broke my self-imposed silence just this once, to let them know publicly how I've felt all these months. There's nothing left on the Table.

Like Vyon, maybe I'll get some writing done now. I know I'll be trying to post more here, so we can stay active, up and running. I hope others of a like mind will join me here.

So on that note, at least things are drying out, after all the unprecedented rain and flooding southern Missouri has endured. We were blocked in by a couple of overflowing creeks across our driveway for about 2 days, and I spent several hours on the tractor with my straight blade and box blade getting the washouts filled and said driveway passable again. There have been some fun mewmes about it all on Facebook. Good to know we have kept our sense of humor in the midst of all the loss. But then, us Ozark-Americans (we're not hillbillies or rednecks, thank you) can be a pretty cynical bunch.

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We felt like these were SO true....

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...9416722&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/FirstSliceM...914972/?type=3

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Allen, that's what we DON'T need, links to facebook :D (even if they are funny)
No art or DIY projects running at the time? Those you posted about were always interesting.

Vyon, I know what you mean and I know that Peter is a driving force behind them :) But the fact that this board still exists is very much AnneMcCaffrey related ;) iuf it weren't, it would have been long gone :)

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I know I already posted about me moving house at the end of last year and I have posted some pictures of my new kitchen.
Yesterday the new couch was delivered. Biggest part didn't fit in the elevator. Big fun that... NOT :( And today we, uh... my wife, plundered a cushion and pillow shop :)

A few weeks ago our new dining table was also finally delivered. We had to wait over three months for that. Chairs from Romania, table from Indonesia and the glass comes from China! It's a tad bigger than the one we had and we love it. And yeah, we also bought those bookcases with glass doors :)

https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net...0f&oe=5978DF11

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Great room Hans and I love the table but---what's with Lady Macbeth and Douglas Adams on the same shelf? I would have thought our archivist more organized than that!

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Umpf, those hardbacks are in alphabetical order by author! :)

ETA: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/s...dy-macbeth.htm

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Thanks for the explanation Hans, I knew there had to be some reason for it.

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Nice table and I like your bookshelves as well. For the curious among us is the table hardwood or bamboo? I know it can't be river stones (my third choice) from what I can see of it these days.

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You will be missed over there Allen (Gryphon) I do hope you change your mind later since you were one of the few over there that didn't ridicule me for my political beliefs.

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Lovely room, Hans. Is the photo of your son and his wife?

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Some of my latest laser stuff.

This one was a present for my brother in law's birthday. Easily duplicated.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...pssi7czvxv.jpg

I made this one for my sister, for her birthday. Of course, I could duplicate it if someone wanted to buy one.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...psipa8ssyi.jpg

This is a pattern I've engraved on pistol grips. I enlarged it for a plaque to sell.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...pstwnacvas.jpg

I'll make a second post with some more photos.

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Another of my wild animal series.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...psuomsgkol.jpg

Spirit wolf.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...pshcgx6oyg.jpg

And I still have the Dragonflight cover art plaque for sale.
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j1...ps6n04denx.jpg

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Those are amazing, Allen!

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They are blocks of tropical wood. If they are all hardwood I don't know. I'm not that good at recognizing wood varieties :)

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Yes Granath, the photo is of my son Niels and his lovely wife Denise.

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That's some great stuff, Allen.

Question: do you buy those slices of tree trunk or make and grind those yourself?