Back in the 1980's, I ran a dial-up FIDOnet (http:///wiki/Fidonet) bulletin board system (BBS), based on MS-DOS no less, called 'The Dragon's Cave.' It featured a number of discussion groups and early online role-playing story threads. More specifically, I was carrying the 'FURnet' feed, a subsection of FIDOnet.

The interesting thing about the early BBS systems is they were all store-and-forward. Messages would be posted and, at a predetermined time (usually zero-dark-whatever in the wee hours of the morning, to keep the phone line toll charges under control), my system would place a modem call to a FIDO/FurNet hub, drop off its new postings and retrieve others.

As you might imagine, this is about as far from the near real-time interaction we have today as it's possible to get. This was a time when the Internet, though it existed, was just beginning to come to public attention. There was no 'WWW,' there were no 'MUCKs' or 'MUDs' or MMORPG's.

Nor were there 'smart' phones (an oxymoron if I ever heard one), instant messaging or any of the other near-instant communications we so often take for granted. Internet service providers were few, far between and expensive, and what few personal/individual accounts existed were usually connected through dial-up analog modems (the luckier ones often had access through whatever college or university they may have been attending). Mobile telephone service certainly existed, but it was limited to analog voice with airtime charges measured in dollars per minute.

But (perhaps best of all): There was no spam. None. Zilch. Zippo. The idea didn't even come along until the infamous 'green card' spam on Usenet (http:///wiki/Usenet) in 1992. Like (I suspect) most 'net users, I wish it never HAD come along!

In any case: I ran several characters, human and otherwise, on this BBS for many years and this is where the core of my writing experience comes from. It was an environment where you couldn't just throw your character(s) into any sort of random action. Each move had to be thought out and planned, often over a period of a couple of days and taking into account what others were doing.

As if this wasn't enough to get plenty of practice, creativity-wise, I've been reading science fiction and fantasy pretty much since I was six. If I didn't understand a particular novel or short story, I'd put it aside and pick it up again a few months later. Eventually, it would 'click' and I'd discover some pretty amazing worlds.

So, here I am, now in my early 50's and continuing the journey. As far as I'm concerned, the first HTTYD was the best animated movie ever, hands-down, no argument. It certainly turns 'Toy Story 3' into the flaming ball of ash it so richly deserves to be! I still can't believe that stinker took home an Academy Award...

Brace yourself for a shock: I really didn't care for HTTYD2. No, that's putting it too delicately. I felt betrayed, by Dreamworks in general and Dean DeBlois in particular. A copy of the review I posted to the 'audience reviews' section of is available on request, if you're curious (I'll need your E-mail address), but suffice to say if that's the kind of story "quality" (or lack thereof) we can expect for number three, I think DeBlois and his crew should just give up, now, before they bury themselves and Dreamworks.

For my day job, I fix electronics (communications gear, etc.) for the State of Washington (Civil Service). I have black curly hair, just starting to go silver in spots, amber-brown eyes the same shade as a red-tail hawk I once knew, and a bizarre sense of humor.

I pride myself on being an unrepentant Californian (transplanted to the Pacific Northwest) and a cultural infidel (thank you, Jimmy Buffett!) I get along well with most animals, particularly birds, have visited just about every oceanarium and most of the zoos in the US and Canada and I have the photo collection to prove it (both slides and digital).

I've had the privilege of playing and working with a number of exotic animals, including tiger and cougar cubs, dolphins and sea lions and (most recently) raptors, including an eagle or two.

I also count myself among the fortunate few who have had the experience of 'flying' (and crashing) the 747 jet simulator, back when Boeing still owned the things and I still worked for them.

All the above, and anything else I failed to mention, is subject to (sometimes sudden) change without notice.

Keep the peace(es).