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[EU]

Come on now. This is all really a bunch of bullshit, isn't it? We know Sheridan hasn't talked with anyone recently.

Simply making a pronouncement is not going to cut it. Until I hear something new...that is, directly from Sheridan...I will defer to 377 to speak for Sheridan in such matters. After all, Sheridan has already made clear to me...in the first person...whom he trusts.

[Shutter]

Come on now. This is all really a bunch of bullshit, isn't it? We know Sheridan hasn't talked with anyone recently.

Simply making a pronouncement is not going to cut it. Until I hear something new...that is, directly from Sheridan...I will defer to 377 to speak for Sheridan in such matters. After all, Sheridan has already made clear to me...in the first person...whom he trusts.

Of course it is. Peterson strikes me as a direct guy. he would not hide behind someone..

[EU]

Come on now. This is all really a bunch of bullshit, isn't it? We know Sheridan hasn't talked with anyone recently.

Simply making a pronouncement is not going to cut it. Until I hear something new...that is, directly from Sheridan...I will defer to 377 to speak for Sheridan in such matters. After all, Sheridan has already made clear to me...in the first person...whom he trusts.

Of course it is. Peterson strikes me as a direct guy. he would not hide behind someone..

Well said. That is exactly right.

[Shutter]

I don't know what color the world is in Bobby's world. I recently called him out about his lies of Georger making the comments in 2011 and the recent one's on another site. he closed his forum down hours later.

I posted on Bruce's site for Robert to have Peterson contact me if he's telling the truth. my in box surrounding Peterson is still empty here? Robert probably reads the two site hourly everyday. Meyer might be taking shifts as well, who knows?

This is what Robert lives for...corruption and drama.

[georger]

I don't know what color the world is in Bobby's world. I recently called him out about his lies of Georger making the comments in 2011 and the recent one's on another site. he closed his forum down hours later.

I posted on Bruce's site for Robert to have Peterson contact me if he's telling the truth. my in box surrounding Peterson is still empty here? Robert probably reads the two site hourly everyday. Meyer might be taking shifts as well, who knows?

This is what Robert lives for...corruption and drama.

Meyer has nothing to do with this and has no interest whatever - Meyer has a brand new job teaching and has no time for Cooper right now. It took him two weeks to catch up with his old email ... he's too busy to care about Cooper right now. 

[Parrotheadvol]

So, Blevins has this "agreement" with Peterson that goes back a few years? But he don't give a damn about it until someone else, who just happens to be on Shutter's forum, starts working on it himself? I can't say I'm surprised.

Would an email exchange even be considered as a legal agreement of any kind? I wouldn't think so, but I guess 377 could better answer that. Even so, if this was something Blevins had an agreement to do, you would think that he would have the manuscript in hand. The fact that he don't, and he is demanding it be turned over to him tells me that he is once again, full of shit.

[377]

PHVol wrote: "Would an email exchange even be considered as a legal agreement of any kind?"

Not in my opinion. If Sheridan hasn't signed anything and has not yet provided a manuscript, it's going to very difficult for Blevins to prevail in a claim that he has an enforceable exclusive publication agreement. I honestly don't know what is currently transpiring between Sheridan and Blevins. They may be tight and Blevins may have all the rights he claims, but I have only seen one side of that story. Nothing from Sheridan directly. Blevins said Sheridan is reading all of this. Sheridan should just state FIRST PERSON DIRECT what his wishes are regarding publication.

I do know that Sheridan is VERY sensitive about anyone editing his work. One thing Blevins, Snow, Bruce and I agree on is that the manuscript would benefit greatly from some skilled editing, not to change content but simply to make it more readable.

It's really an interesting standoff if Snow has the ONLY purchased copy. He does not have to provide a copy to anybody ever, so how can Blevins publish anything? And global warming makes it unlikely that we will see that cold day in hell when Blevins and Snow can negotiate an amicable agreement. Maybe there is a copy that can be accessed in the Library of Congress. I believe one was filed with his copyright registration application. Blevins is pursuing this. Oliver Stone may have a copy. Pete tried to send one to him.

I want to see it published and available for purchase, and (sorry Pete) edited too. If AB and Snow both publish it I will buy a few copies from each. They should both publish redline versions of Pete's original manuscript available online to purchasers of their edited versions. We could then see how two different musicians interpret the same song.

Jo and Blevins have threatened litigation repeatedly. Nothing ever gets filed, predictably, so why make the threat in the first place? I and Galen Cook are the only two lawyers on the forum and as far as I can recall neither of us has ever threatened to sue people here. Courts (with the possible exception of Small Claims Courts) are the worst place in the world to resolve civil disputes. Lawyers make a very good living off people who choose to ignore that basic fact.

377

[377]

PHVol wrote: "So, Blevins has this "agreement" with Peterson that goes back a few years? But he don't give a damn about it until someone else, who just happens to be on Shutter's forum, starts working on it himself? I can't say I'm surprised."

Actually, Blevins was ready willing and able to proceed and asked Sheridan repeatedly to send him a copy of the manuscript.  Sheridan just never sent it. The dormancy wasn't due to any laziness on Blevins' part. Sheridan stopped the process. I find it impossible to believe, however, that Sheridan has only one copy that resides in the memory of a now malfunctioning computer. It's possible that Sheridan won't let go of the manuscript because he simply cannot tolerate the idea of even one word being changed in the pursuit of "editing". 

It is true that Snow's recent activity lit Blevins up.

377

[snowmman]

In terms of leaving Sheridan's voice as it is, and just editting for puncation, spelling, hyphens...
I know I am not informed enough to deduce the nuances of why Sheridan writes his sentences a certain way...and so have to hold my editorial desires in check.

If Sheridan were here, I'd have a conversation with him about his overuse of "however". I think he's taken enough writing courses, to see that he uses 'however' too thickly...I bet he doesn't even realize it. But I'll curb my keyboard, and remember it's Sheridan's work, not mine.

I did add some commas to his howevers, though

Example. Sheridan loves this particular form of complex sentence.

He was a West Point Graduate, and in command of the advisory team; however, the only contact Grecco had with the colonel was at his Saturday evening briefings when Vince gave his weekly progress report.

I'm working on the cover (front/spine/back) right now. I think the image he had in 2008 is essential. Apparently a friend drew it for him, I think.  I'm going to use a different font for title/author though, since I don't think Sheridan made an informed choice on the front cover font he used then. Also, I have to abbreviate the back cover text to make it fit in the smaller 6x9 format.

I've decided I'm going to put the one-page Rimbaud poem in as an unlabelled foreword. I think it adds texture to the title, for those who might not be aware that the title is well known in literature.

I really wanted to make the overall background color for the cover a dark red, but because of the front image, I think it works best with a vanilla white background.

I'm still in awe at the time Sheridan apparently invested in this. Some of the writing is a little stereotypical "vietnam" macho male genre stuff. But, no matter what, it's an historical record, I think, of what Sheridan experienced and how he processed it.

I love how Sheridan writes with "dialog". He has a real ear for using dialog to tell the story, not just third person sentences.

[Shutter]

The bottom line here is Peterson is not viewing this forum. he would of contacted someone by now if he was here. I also put Bobby on the spot to have him contact me and still nothing in my email from Peterson. I don't think he has any clue is has become the main subject..

[Bruce A. Smith]

Some editorial thoughts, Snow.

Petey writes old-school Chicago style. He was taught in the 50s, remember, and has not integrated modern styles into his writing, at least not by the 1960s and 1970s when he wrote his book.

The use of a semi-colon is now considered paleolithic. Instead, use a period and start a new sentence. Bridge words, like "however," "nevertheless," or "though" work best at the beginning of a sentence, in my view.

Editing to someone's voice is very difficult. Only the best editors do it well. Good luck. You're a better man than I, Gunga Din. I know I'd muck it up.

[377]

I can imagine a pretty cool movie, fictional of course, where Grecco becomes Cooper.

The time will be right on the 50th anniversary of NORJAK.

I'd volunteer to do the jet jumps for free. I'd be too old, but they can do wonders with makeup and blue screen. CGI will be so good by 2021 that they will likely need neither a 727 or any real jumps.

I also want to be an advisor on the scenes involving the Saigon Sport Parachute Club. What a crazy scene, skydiving where shots are being fired at you during descent.

377

[Shutter]

Some editorial thoughts, Snow.

Petey writes old-school Chicago style. He was taught in the 50s, remember, and has not integrated modern styles into his writing, at least not by the 1960s and 1970s when he wrote his book.

The use of a semi-colon is now considered paleolithic. Instead, use a period and start a new sentence. Bridge words, like "however," "nevertheless," or "though" work best at the beginning of a sentence, in my view.

Editing to someone's voice is very difficult. Only the best editors do it well. Good luck. You're a better man than I, Gunga Din. I know I'd muck it up.

Now when you talk with people they will also start out saying "so" I went to school today. each time they respond will have "so" in the lead...

[snowmman]

heh, thanks Bruce
I agree with you: two short sentences would have been the way to go. Trust that the reader will see the opposing points of view, you don't have to highlight it.

But yeah, I have to leave it as is.

As I read his writing and his frequent rages in his writing, I find myself being afraid of touching the words too much, lest Sheridan give me a 92-year-old beatdown.

Oh yeah, there are no smiley faces in the text. However, as noted before, I was blown away while texting with Sheridan this year, that he sent me a gif in a text message. The dude stays on top of things!

Some editorial thoughts, Snow.

Petey writes old-school Chicago style. He was taught in the 50s, remember, and has not integrated modern styles into his writing, at least not by the 1960s and 1970s when he wrote his book.

The use of a semi-colon is now considered paleolithic. Instead, use a period and start a new sentence. Bridge words, like "however," "nevertheless," or "though" work best at the beginning of a sentence, in my view.

Editing to someone's voice is very difficult. Only the best editors do it well. Good luck. You're a better man than I, Gunga Din. I know I'd muck it up.

[snowmman]

oh 377...if there's a need to depose me, I'll just give my deposition in advance.
Here it is:

which makes me wonder if this "lawyer" has any idea what kind of grades one must recieve in college to be accepted at a top medical school, if you have the vaguest clue on how talented one must be to lead a surgical team. I have an M.D. from Harvard, I am board certified in cardio-thoracic medicine and trauma surgery, I have been awarded citations from seven different medical boards in New England, and I am never, ever sick at sea. So I ask you; when someone goes into that chapel and they fall on their knees and they pray to God that their wife doesn't miscarry or that their daughter doesn't bleed to death or that their mother doesn't suffer acute neural trama from postoperative shock, who do you think they're praying to? Now, go ahead and read your Bible, Dennis, and you go to your church, and, with any luck, you might win the annual raffle, but if you're looking for God, he was in operating room number two on November 17, and he doesn't like to be second guessed. You ask me if I have a God complex. Let me tell you something: I am God.