Collab Weekly Digest - - 2018-05-29 Collab Weekly Digest - https://sffshortstories.com/collab These posts have been made to Collab in the last week. Click the link to read the story or add to it. You can choose not to receive the weekly digest in your profile. Or reply to this email to contact the admin. Collab News ------------ I have notifications in place and Vivian and I are testing them. Please help. You can enable notifications for writers on your reading list on your Edit Profile screen. Click Edit Profile in the menu and then scroll down to find the notifications checkboxes. You can add or remove writers from your reading list on their profiles. You have to do both to get writer notifications. Add writers to your reading list and enable some notifications to get the email notifications. Please let me know if the emails you receive are clear and comprehensible. You can also follow stories. Click Read the story so far or select a story in the Table Of Contents from the TOC menu choice. Right under the title you can Add or Remove the story from your reading list. Stories on you reading list should appear at the bottom of the reading list you see when you click the Reading List menu option. If you are contributing to a story this will let you know when someone else has added to it so you can jump right over and add some more. Thanks for your help testing Collab. My email is below. Contact me about anything that doesn't work, is unclear, or could be better. If you want to help write documentation for Collab we are using Collab Talk for this and other Meta Collab discussions Now testing Collab Talk, a single threaded discussion forum running on Collab. I modified the language file to change the menu and prompts to fit a discussion forum. Collab Talk, a forum for discussing, improving, and documenting Collab. collab.tk Since we changed domains Vivian and I are not staying logged in for days like we were on SDF. I don't know if the new server handles cookies differently in php or what but we are having to log in occasionally. Let me know if you are experiencing this problem. I'm trying to figure it out. I think I solved this one and I discuss it here. http://collab.tk/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-12-01:23:26.txt Please let me know if you are having trouble staying logged in. Email: hairylarry@deltaboogie.com --- --- Newest posts first. --- When Talking to Birds... continued Not only did they listen. They understood and obeyed. Susan would ask them to fly out to the barn and back and they would do it. She gave one of the birds a button and told him to drop it down the well. Button in beak off the bird flew and then he dropped it right down the well. One morning a whole flock of birds was waiting on her window. She showed them a penny and she asked if they could find any more. Off they flew bringing back 11 pennies, a nickel, two dimes, and a shiny new quarter. The next day she tried the same thing and only got three pennies. That's how she learned about the law of diminishing returns. Her life was changed. She spent every waking moment thinking up things to ask the birds to do. She was bird crazy. Sometimes she'd even dream about them. Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-29 at 21:47 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-29-21:47:49.txt --- The Sun Went Down As the Sun Went Up... continued The hatch opened up unexpectedly, and both the dog and I dropped, falling into what felt like hard gravity. Surprisingly, something soft caught us on the way down. Some sort of netting. We bounced a bit, settled, and then I was able to scramble to solid ground. I looked around, mesmerized by the lights. Posted by Dogtrax - posted on 2018-05-28 at 09:30 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000018/2018-05-28-09:30:42.txt --- Contrary Motion... continued I pulled out the map I had been given. Its folds and creases showed the map's age, and some of the lettering and some of the lines were lost to time. I'd have to infer or hope for the best. Sheryl looked over my shoulder as I spread out the map. "Are we here or there?" she asked, pointing. "Here." "And we're going there?" "If we're lucky. Do you see any signs of Mr. Stuart?" "No. Nothing. Are you sure this is the spot?" "Yes," I told her, although to be honest, I wasn't all that sure. For all O knew, the winds could have brought us far off course. "I guess we wait before we set off," I told her, and folded up the map. She eyed it a bit too eagerly, watching me stuff the map into the inside pocket of my shirt. I'd have to keep an eye on her. Posted by Dogtrax - posted on 2018-05-28 at 09:28 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000018/2018-05-28-09:28:21.txt --- A Night In The Park... continued I was running so fast I nearly missed it. A hand, reaching out from one of the castle doorways. It grabbed me by the shirt and began to pull me into the room. I resisted, at first, already scared out of my wits and in survival mode. Then I heard the voice. And recognized it. I let myself get pulled into the room. Posted by Dogtrax - posted on 2018-05-28 at 09:23 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000018/2018-05-28-09:23:52.txt --- When Talking to Birds It was only one day. One day out of many. Susan remembered how later, her mother listened and then told her that she had an overactive imagination. But that's not how Susan remembered it. Not at all. What she remembered was that one rainy day in June, the day she turned five years old, when she could talk to birds, and the birds listened. Posted by Dogtrax - posted on 2018-05-28 at 09:19 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000018/2018-05-28-09:19:55.txt --- A Night In The Park... continued There were several tarp covered pallets sitting around the entrance hall but they offered little protection or hiding possibilities. I tried to remember the layout of the castle but my memory was pretty sketchy since I had only been there once or twice. As I crouched behind one of the pallets it struck me that the entryway was wide open. Neither the park staff nor the renovators would have left the castle open for anyone to just walk in.It was probable the figure lurking outside had something to do with it. The cold creepy tingling up my spine reminded me I needed better cover. I glanced at the staircase that led up to another level and wondered if that would be a good choice. Would higher be better or would lower be better? Was lower an option? Bats fly, so higher was iffy and bats like dark caves so maybe lower was iffy as well. A movement at the entrance brought the bats into flight again and in panic I fled down a hallway to escape. Posted by vivian - posted on 2018-05-23 at 10:09 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000002/2018-05-23-10:09:45.txt --- A Night In The Park... continued I took a shortcut through a brushy area, ran alongside the castle, quickly turned in front and right through the door. The bats followed me in but they didn't bother me. They just flew up towards the ceiling and disappeared in the gray gloom. As my eyes adjusted I took a fright. Thousands of bats hung from the ceiling. Very quietly I turned to exit but there, standing outside the door, was a tall dark figure. I'm not sure it was the same guy but I wasn't taking any chances. I crept back into the castle looking for a place to hide. Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-23 at 07:31 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-23-07:31:40.txt --- Constantinople... continued I'm finally beginning to learn the language. Their word for dollar is ducks. Or dux. I haven't learned how to spell anything yet. You can get a meal for about 90 ducks. So now I know why that lady was so happy. And their word for happy is lowpie. And their word for idiot is lopi. except it's not really a long i or a long e, I guess lopi` or maybe with an umlaut. I don't really know German either. Anyway they sound almost alike and when I say them with my Americanese accent nobody really knows which I'm saying. Which is why when I pointed at myself saying happy, happy everybody nodded and grinned. I was making a bad pun and calling myself an idiot at the same time. That's ok. I can take it. It's better than being cold. And at least I'm not paying 1000 ducks for a apples anymore. Which is good because I'm running low on ducks. Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-23 at 07:21 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-23-07:21:16.txt --- The Feather That Fell In Love with a Turtle Dove... continued While the feather was stuck in the bramble the baby turtle doves grew bigger and bigger and the mama turtle dove thought it was about time to kick them out of the nest. The feather watched them one after another fluttering frantically and then finally flying, waiting to see if his turtle dove would be next. In fact his turtle dove was the last out of the nest. The smallest of all, or maybe mama was just saving the best for last, or maybe like the feather she couldn't bear to part with her. The feather was hoping for the best but his turtle dove, being small and all, never did fly but fluttered around a bit and finally landed on the ground right where the feather could see her. If he could only get her attention somehow. The feather flapped in the wind and said a little prayer for his turtle dove and for her eyesight and sure enough she saw him and hopped right over, somehow remembering her feather. Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-20 at 21:51 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-20-21:51:19.txt --- FAQ... continued There are notifications for when someone on your reading list starts or continues a story. To add or remove a writer from your reading list go to their profile by clicking their name on a post or by going to the Writer's Directory. If they are not on your reading list you will see a button that says Add (writer's name) to my Reading List. If they are on your reading list you will see a button that says Remove (writer's name) from my reading list. You can check who is on your reading list with the Reading List menu choice. So if you have a writer on your reading list and you have "Send notification when someone on my reading list starts a story" checked then when that writer starts a story you will get an email. Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-20 at 00:57 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-20-00:57:30.txt --- FAQ... continued After you log on click the Edit Profile menu choice. Below your profile are the notification selections. Email Notifications: _ Send Weekly Digest. _ Send notification when someone adds to a story I started. _ Send notification when someone adds to a story I contributed to. _ Send notification when someone on my reading list starts a story. _ Send notification when someone on my reading list adds to a story. If the box to the left of the description is checked you will receive the notification described by email. If the box is unchecked you will not get an email for that notification. Posted by admin - posted on 2018-05-20 at 00:53 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000020/2018-05-20-00:53:09.txt --- FAQ... continued How do I turn email notifications on and off? Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-20 at 00:44 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-20-00:44:50.txt --- Making It Up... continued I was on a roll. I had the gun on the mantel. I had the mantle on Kay's shoulders. I knew what D.K. stood for. And I was pretty sure I was about to make a few mistakes. I continued. There was a knock at the door. Danny and Kay looked at the clock on the mantel. It was nearly Midnight. "Who could that be at this time of night.", said Kay. "I'll see.", replied Danny and he opened the door. It was so dark Danny could hardly see. The wind was blowing rain through the door. Suddenly thunder cracked and lightning blazed across the sky. "Oh my", Danny shouted over the thunder. "You gave me a start. Come in, come in. What are you doing out on a night like this?" Danny's brother Lenny walked through the door. "I had to come and warn you.", he said. Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-20 at 00:43 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-20-00:43:08.txt --- Flaming Farskees... continued "I'm not sure but methane is explosive. How he intended to use it I couldn't say. But I have a few ideas of my own." The Major said, "Out with it. We need a few ideas here or we're all dead." "Ok", I said, "Here's what I've been thinking. The methane in the swamp is dispersed. It could catch fire but it wouldn't even blow a human to smithereens let alone a flaming Farskee. So we have to concentrate the methane somehow." "Large methane balloons would be great but they wouldn't be a lot more powerful than our anti personnel grenades. What we really need is methane and oxygen. With the right mixture a methane oxygen bomb might take out a Farskee platoon." "Delivery is a problem though. Balloons won't shoot out of a cannon. And we need more than a platoon size bomb anyway. They've got lots of platoons." "So I'm thinking, cover the swamp, drain the swamp, add oxygen, and kaboom, an army sized bomb." "Then all we have to do is get the Farskees to attack the swamp." Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-20 at 00:21 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-20-00:21:04.txt --- FAQ... continued Collab Talk is a discussion forum implemented in Collab and running on the same code except Collab Talk uses a different language file to change menus, prompts, and other text to fit the discussion format. Right now Collab Talk is at collab.tk. We are using Collab Talk to test Collab, to write documentation, to suggest changes, and for general discussion about Collab. Collab Talk could also be used for out of story communication by Collab Cowriters. Whether it's background info, character ideas, plot development, or whatever Collab Talk is a place where you can discuss Collab stories in progress. Posted by admin - posted on 2018-05-19 at 20:00 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000020/2018-05-19-20:00:27.txt --- FAQ... continued What is Collab Talk? Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-19 at 19:54 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-19-19:54:39.txt --- Contrary Motion... continued Fortunately we put down safely about at quarter mile from the woods right at the base of the foothills. To the east, flat grasslands. To the west, foothills, woods, and then mountains. We were supposed to meet Mr. Stuart and his party at the three peak pass in less than two weeks. It was a business arrangement. They were selling and we were buying. I'm not sure what it was were were buying. Had to be worth a lot and light enough to carry in a Gondola. Could be gold. Could even be diamonds. But probably not. There were easier ways to exchange one kind of money for another. I'm pretty sure I knew what it was. Secrets. I just didn't know what they were. The secrets. All I knew for sure is that everyone was keeping secrets. Even about the fact that we were there to buy secrets. We ate good. We'd be hiking in the morning. And the morning after that. For at least a week. Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-18 at 21:53 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-18-21:53:09.txt --- Once Upon A Time... continued "There is a fairy circle ahead, the biggest mushrooms I've ever seen. And we should be really quiet in case the Fairy King is in his circle. Never can be too sure when he's going to show up." They all followed the squirrel quietly and after they'd gone a couple hundred yards they peered around a bush and there was the fairy circle. The princess whispered, "That's not the Fairy King. Unless the fairy king is a girl." "Oh no, oh no', said the squirrel, "something is wrong. That's not the Fairy King. That's the Fairy Queen." She must have known that the princess and her animal friends were there because she gestured them forward. They quickly approached the Fairy Queen but did not walk into the circle. The princess curtsied and the others did the best they could at bows and curtsies. Watching closely the princess figured out that the possum was a girl while the fox and the badger were boys. "At least I won't make that mistake again.", she thought. Posted by hairylarry - posted on 2018-05-18 at 16:28 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000001/2018-05-18-16:28:53.txt --- Once Upon A Time... continued "Oh my," the princess sighed. "I have so much to learn! Thank you for telling me about Mr. Squirrel and I do apologize for assuming you were male." "It's quite all right Princess, it's a lot easier to tell a female fairy from a male than a female mountain lion from a male lion I suppose. Unless you get a little personal and I do not recommend that!" The princess suppressed a surprisingly unladylike guffaw and nodded her head in understanding. "Do you know where we are going?", she asked. "I am a little nervous about being away from my tower." "I'm not sure but I am sure Mr. Squirrel will tell us when we get there, Princess." The lioness turned abruptly and motioned fox, badger and possum to hurry up. When the other three joined them they quickened their pace. Mr. Squirrel was waiting for them sitting under a brush pile. When he emerged suddenly the princess screeched. "Shhh" he said. "We must be quiet now, no more talking. We are nearing our destination." Posted by vivian - posted on 2018-05-14 at 15:03 Central Time. Read the story so far - https://sffshortstories.com/collab/index.php?story=000002/2018-05-14-15:03:12.txt ---