#Wes Borland ladies and gentlemen

[are-we-really-doing-this]

Okay I don’t think I’ve seen Wes in a Corset from this angle and Jesus wept that waist is itty bitty.

[zerohour1974]

Day 25 : Why I still like Word Perfect 5.1 for DOS

Hello ladies and gentlemen to Day 25 of the daily blog challenge for the month of January.

So Word Perfect 5.1 for DOS is very much an old word processor in fact it was released in November 1989 so yes it is over 21 years old.

Yes it was the first real word processor I ever sat and used in anger.  So the program is quite special to me in that respect.

I remember running it using two floppy drives with the Amstrad PC 1640 DD which I believe was an Intel 8086 machine. So that may be an earlier version

But we were definitely using Word-perfect 5.1 for DOS when I was at college.

Now many people remember that blue screen with its white text and it was one of the best selling products for Word Perfect at the time.

However most may not know why it’s a blue screen with white text as opposed to most word processors which use black text on a standard white background like Microsoft Word and many more.

Well this is due to an experiment by the author Jerry Pournelle who tested various colours of backgrounds and text colours.  After extensive research he realised that black text on white backgrounds would start to strain the eyes causing it to blur if you had to sit and type for longer than twenty minutes or more.

For long term typing he worked out that using a blue background with white text.  This allowed you to type for many hours without getting eye strain and text tended not to blur over long time reading.

Microsoft Word actually still has this colour setting in the options but it is not turned on by default.

So Word Perfect 5.1 is designed for writers in mind as they realised many people in this field spend hours staring at the screen so they were one of the first to default this colour scheme.

Borland also used this colour scheme for its primary IDEs for Turbo Pascal and Turbo C so it was a definite proven factor.

I also believe Jerry Pournelle said that if you can’t get white text on blue. He recommends yellow text on a red background can be equally easier to read which several Microsoft IDEs took up.

If anything Jerry proved that black text on a white background while it may look good on paper it is far from the best way to view documents.

It’s funny really as it took the computing world a long time to grab this as you will notice that most operating systems are now using a dark mode.

Anyway I am getting sidetracked... Word Perfect 5.1 for DOS was one of the most used word processors during the DOS era.

However Word Perfect 6 for Windows was not popular it was a WYSIWYG based processor and was black text on white background like Microsoft Word.

Microsoft Office suite of course was the best for Windows and it slowly put Word Perfect out of business.

It then became owned by Novell, and was passed to Corel who I believe still own it today but it has never been the major force it was during the DOS days.

I still like to play with Word Perfect 5.1 as it still a fully functionally working word processor.

[josiebelladonna]

Saturn Is Ascending | Chapter 9: The Pegasus Over California

Wilson awoke to Lewis muttering something in the seat behind him. Gayle replied with something: Wilson couldn't exactly hear it muffled behind the seat. He gazed out the window to the wispy high clouds surrounding the summits of the Rocky Mountains against the clear blue late afternoon sky. He rolled his head over at Desdemona, who was reading a book of which he could only discern as 1408.

“When do we get to Reno?” he groggily asked her.

Desdemona raised her gaze to outside the window to remember what the stewardess had told her.

“I think in a couple of hours. We just flew past Denver so it'll be that long. Our rental car's going to waiting for us like last time but we'll be pushing it this time, though, because we're arriving later.”

“I swear, I saw another one of those demons on the wing,” Lewis told Gayle in a low voice.

“It's okay, Lewis, I didn't see anything. It's okay, just go back to sleep. We'll be there in a while—”

Wilson sighed as he folded his hands over his stomach. His eyes scanned the television screen bearing a newscast hanging in front of the passengers in front of him. He couldn't hear anything coming from it as the passengers both wore headphones: he watched a picture of Ivan and Zelda shroud the screen with the words WILSON CASE DISMISSED; ALL CHARGES DROPPED written underneath them. He gasped and leaned forward to better see the picture.

“Laurie, look!” he pointed at the television screen.

Desdemona glanced up to follow his gaze. Her face lit up.

“Oh, my God!” she excitedly whispered, trying to not wake other passengers who may be sleeping. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched a blond woman four rows ahead of them put a gloved fist through the television screen in front of her which showed the same newscast, but she couldn't care to say anything. Ivan and Zelda were free people. She reached over and hugged Wilson, whose heart swelled inside his chest.

He couldn't believe it. It was as if a dead weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

Wilson leaned back and relaxed against the seat with a light fluttering feeling in his chest. He reached up and pushed his blond hair back behind his head. He sighed with relief. His body felt warm to the touch right then and there. It would be another two hours but it would be two hours in which he could just relax and let loose for the first time in a long time. The intercom system crackled on. For a brief second, Wilson flashed back on his stint under Pinkie Borland's rule where she'd wake him up at dawn using that intercom system. It felt so far away in the past: a part of him still wished he had the opportunity to speak to her, to really truly speak to her but Pinkie was gone so it was neither here nor there at this point.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking—we'll be arriving in Reno in less than two hours time. Be sure to bundle up warm because tonight the forecast says it's supposed to be seven degrees Fahrenheit and overcast. The high for tomorrow will be around the twenty degree mark with the moderate chance for snow. If you're heading up to Lake Tahoe, they'll be expecting around five feet of snow at water's edge. All ski resorts, especially Mount Rose, Kirkwood, Incline Village, and Squaw Valley, will be open with an extra seven feet of snowpack. Dinner will be served in about ten minutes: the choices tonight are Atlantic salmon or teriyaki chicken. So if you're hungry and can't wait until we get to Reno, don't be afraid to speak up to the stewardesses. Enjoy the rest of your flight.”

Desdemona turned to Wilson just as the intercom crackled off.

“Are you hungry?”

He showed her a shy smile.

“After what happened last time we flew out here—I'm not going through that again.”

She glanced off to the side to remember that one time. The pains in his stomach returned to her memory and then she nodded.

“Oh, okay. Besides, I'm sure Ivan and Zelda have things to eat.”

“How 'bout you, Lewis, would you like something to eat?” Gayle asked in a low voice.

A brief pause.

“I'd like the chicken, please.”

“Okay, so that's two chickens—”

Wilson leaned back against the seat, eager to see his father and his sister again. His stomach began to ache again but this time it was from excitement. He sighed through his nose and closed his eyes.

Neptune, Hamilton, Minerva, Siegfried, and Spencer broke through the dark clouds hanging over the ocean, just beyond the Bay Area. The late afternoon sun shone down on their heads as the clouds broke away from all around them. Siegfried and Hamilton clasped their hands to their hats as they stared down the Bay Area. Near the inlet where Neptune had beached himself, they could see the pile of rubble that used to be Victorious Industries. Minerva shivered at the thought of Victor's body being buried in that pile. The pegasus soared over San Jose: Hamilton peeked down to see their shadow gleaning over the buildings and on pieces of the pavement. Bizarrely no people traversed the streets. He raised an eyebrow.

Neptune racked his memory for where Ivan and Zelda lived. Wilson never specifically told him where they lived other than just Carson City. In other words, they would have to comb through the city in order to find Ivan and Zelda. He kept this thought on his mind as they sailed over the Sacramento watershed and headed towards the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Siegfried glanced to his left to see Mount Shasta quietly looming off in the distance. Jupiter frightened him but this was something else.

It stood there at the northern end of the Central Valley, its four cones all blanketed in snow, like a silent gravestone. Siegfried had nearly flown into a gas giant but this reminded him of the violence and hate on Earth, the very violence and hate his ancestors escaped from to live in peace and yet they formed violence and hate all of their own. Minerva followed his gaze and so did Hamilton.

The three of them kept their eye on Mount Shasta, and to the right Mount Lassen, all the way over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Lake Tahoe, wherein low, feathery clouds began to form all around the shoreline. Neptune shivered. He peered to his left to see dark clouds engulfing Mounts Shasta and Lassen in darkness and then cascading over the northern Sierra Nevadas. The wind began to pick up and all four of them ducked down as Spencer soared over the highest peak over Lake Tahoe just before beholding the vast western side of Nevada. He huffed from the high altitude.

“Is it okay?” Neptune called out.

“I think Spencer's tired,” Siegfried hollered. “I don't know why because Neptune's atmosphere which is way bigger than the Pacific Ocean. It's alright, though: we're nearly there—whoa, boy—whoa, jeez, HERE WE GO—”

Spencer speared past the snowy jagged slopes of Mount Rose. The snow drifts lapped out at them as they shot down towards the foothills. The trees down below whirred past them in a white and dark green blur. The foothills began to rise up from under the Spencer's body: the black raven wings shone in the late afternoon sun. Siegfried watched the shrubs and the trees whir past. Spencer began to gallop in mid air just as they came close to the ground. A boulder jutted up from the cold ground. The massive black hooves ricocheted hard against the boulder which rocketed them back up into the sky.

Minerva kept her arms around Siegfried's large belly, Hamilton remained hunched down behind her, and Neptune clasped his hands on Hamilton's round waist as Spencer sailed over the cold, barren crevices and the sparse trees on the hills towards Virginia City. They dove down on the other side of the hill towards a few rows of black railroad tracks. Spencer began to gallop in mid air once again. They dropped down onto the tracks, the big black hooves pounding against the metal towards a big white squared building. Large black letters decorated the top of the building: as they drew closer, Siegfried, Minerva, and Hamilton read THE SUTRO TUNNEL, ESTABLISHED 1867. In front of the building were two Positrons, their orange eyes burning into their minds once again.

Spencer shot out his wings once again. He slammed his hooves against the Positrons' heads, using them as a springboard to leap over the entrance to the Sutro Tunnel. The Positrons collapsed onto the ground as they returned to the sky once again, over the hills and towards Virginia City. The pegasus tilted to the right in order to soar towards Carson City. The four of them could see the massive clouds gathering near the summits of the mountains upholding Lake Tahoe: the sun weaved in and out of the dark, wet clouds. The cold wind howled through their hair; the Carson Bypass entered view. Neptune glanced up to his right to see a large airplane flying low over the hills and descending down towards Reno.

Meanwhile, Desdemona, Wilson, Lewis, and Gayle prepared to board off the plane as they dipped down towards the runway. The butterflies danced about Wilson's stomach: he just wanted to bypass the whole landing and going through the airport thing and skip to the part where he sees Ivan and Zelda again. The plane thudded onto the tarmac and drifted for a few minutes before slowing to a stop in front of one of the gates. He could feel Ivan hugging him again as he slung his black overnight bag over his shoulder. The four of them strode through the Reno Airport and past the blonde woman who punched the television screen on the plane.

“Lethia Graves,” a customs agent called her to the desk. She brushed past Wilson: he never caught a good look at her face but he felt it wasn't worth it since she punched a television screen when she saw his father and his sister were set free. They made their way through the sliding doors into the parking lot, now darkening with cold black shadows from the sun disappearing behind the storm clouds. Desdemona pointed at the little black Mini Cooper parked in the same spot as the first time she and Wilson came by themselves. Lewis yawned as they crossed the parking lot towards the car and Desdemona unlocked the doors. They set their bags in the wayback: Desdemona heard a low clink when she set Wilson's overnight bag next to hers. She flashed a puzzled glance at him.

“What'd you bring?” she demanded. He reached over and unzipped the bag to show her his black quiver, sealed closed and full of arrows, and his bow on top of his clothes. She widened her eyes in surprise.

“You brought your arrows? I thought you couldn't do that!” Her mouth fell agape.

“I wanted to show Dad and Zelda what I can do,” he replied with a shrug. “Lewis told me it helps when you call them your tools because you're with the Circus and not your weapons.” He winked at her. She closed her mouth and nodded at him.

“I guess that'd explain why you were never pulled aside from any of those agents. Anyways, come on, let's go—” He rezipped the bag and they rounded the wayback to the car doors. Desdemona placed herself into the driver's seat, Wilson right next to her in the passenger seat, Gayle and Lewis eased into the back seats.

Lewis rubbed his eyes as he leaned his cane against the middle backseat. Gayle yawned. Neither of them were adjusted to being three hours behind but Desdemona assured them that it would heal with time. She breathed into her hands and switched on the heater. They lingered there in the parking lot before making their way to the freeway: the valley began to grow darker with the increasing clouds. Gayle dozed off but Lewis stared out the window to the rolling sparse hills and the cold snow blanketed mountains.

“Amazing scenery,” he said aloud as they drove past the low icy black Washoe Lake.

“Oh, I think it's gorgeous,” Wilson agreed with him. “When we came here for the first time last month and it was still light out—you should've seen it, Lewis—you would've loved it.”

Just as they neared the ridge and into Carson Valley, Spencer swooped down into the heart of Carson City. Like with San Jose, the streets were deserted: not a single person walked down the street and not a single house had even so much as a porchlight on. Neptune, Hamilton, Minerva, Siegfried, and Spencer blindly galloped up Carson Street past the Ormsby House and City Hall.

Hordes of Positrons lined the streets. Spencer sped up Carson Street towards the north side of town, his black hooves loudly clomping on the cold dark pavement. Even as they reached the Carson Shopping Mall, Positrons continued to populate the sidewalks, behaving just like regular citizens and passersby.

Desdemona decided to take the first exit off of the Carson Bypass so they could drive down Carson Street and towards Robinson Street. Wilson nestled down in his seat, never feeling so warm in his life. The last time he truly felt warm like this was when his mother was alive. They were about to go past the Carson Shopping Mall when a massive dark red horse galloping up the wrong side of the road forced Desdemona to slam on the brakes, jerking them all forward in their seats.

Gayle shook awake. Lewis clung to his seat belt, his eyes widening as the memory returned to him once again. Wilson's mouth dropped open at the sight of the horse as it stopped in front of the grill of the car: it must've been as tall as one of the Positrons but with shiny deep red fur and a wispy black mane and matching tail. Desdemona spotted a belt of luggage wrapped around the horse's waist and four people on board. She recognized blue and red high top sneakers and boots with two inch heels dangling down on either side of the horse.

She opened the window and leaned out into the cold night.

“Siegfried?” she called out. Siegfried turned his head to see her.

“Aunt Desi?”

Wilson opened his window to see them for himself.

“Where'd you get the horse?” Right as he said that, the big black wings attached to its body glimmered under the streetlamps which began to switch on for the night.

“The pegasus, I mean?”

“Where's Ivan and Zelda?” Neptune called out.

“Oh, hey, Neptune!”

“We're going to their house right now,” Desdemona explained. “You guys want to follow us?”

“We'd love to,” Minerva promptly answered. “We don't know where they live anyways.”

Siegfried gently tugged back on Spencer's neck to get them out of their way. Desdemona eased on the accelerator and Spencer followed her down to Robinson Street. Night had completely fallen over Carson City at this point: Neptune shivered at the cold wind blowing down from Lake Tahoe. He could feel the snow coming. At least Minerva looked nice and warm between her brothers: he wasn't even wearing a shirt. Hamilton glanced back at his shivering as they drew closer to the Golden Nugget Casino.

“Are you cold?” he kindly asked. Neptune quickly nodded. Hamilton glanced at his coat and frowned.

“I'm not sure if my coat'll fit you but I can hold you, though.”

Hamilton reached around Neptune's shoulders and held him as if giving him a hug. Minerva and Siegfried glanced back at them and they both smiled. His hands massaged Neptune's bare shoulders: his skin felt like ice.

“Oh, yeah, your skin's cold.” He turned his head to see the black Mini Cooper turning right down Robinson Street.

“It's okay, though. I think we're getting close.”

Desdemona rolled down to the end of the block to that little duplex house, the only house on the entire block with the porchlight turned on. Zelda stood on the porch wrapped in a black pullover sweater with a small paper bag in her hands. She raised her eyebrows at the little black car pulling up to her curb. She recognized Wilson's face and her eyes lit up.

“Dad! Arthur and Desdemona are here!” she called into the house. Spencer trotted up behind the Mini Cooper and then halted in place next to the curb. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of it.

“—and with a giant horse!” Ivan bustled out of the front door dressed in a black button up sweater and black and white striped trousers. He watched in awe at the pegasus bowing down to the pavement to let the Blue siblings and Neptune to climb off. Minerva flung her arms around him to warm him up. Siegfried and Hamilton hurried to the car: the latter opened the rear passenger door and reached out for Lewis to take his hand; the former opened the front passenger door for Wilson climb out of his seat. Lewis wobbled on the sidewalk as his mother handed him his cane. Wilson stood to his feet and hurried towards Zelda. He flung his arms around her; her hair never smelled sweeter. She took a glimpse into his eyes with a beaming smile on her face.

“My little brother—” She peered down and lovingly patted his belly.

“—as soft and sweet as ever.”

He noticed the paper bag in her hands.

“May I ask what's in there?”

“Dried chili peppers. I was going to hot chocolate with them.”

“Sounds tasty.”

He turned to Ivan, dressed in all black to make everything about him even fuller and more jovial: he showed Archer Wilson a big warm smile.

“So, did you hear?” he playfully asked.

“I did!” Wilson leapt forward and threw his arms around Ivan's warm body. He rested his head on Ivan's shoulder; he tightly wrapped his arms around Wilson's upper back and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Minerva planted a soft kiss on Neptune's lips. She pulled back to gaze into his eyes.

“I go by my real name now,” she told him in a low voice. Neptune questioningly raised his eyebrows.

“Which is—?”

“Minerva. My name is Minerva.”

Neptune smiled.

“I like that. I like that a lot.”

Siegfried and Hamilton set their arms around Lewis and Gayle's shoulders; Desdemona slung her handbag over her shoulder. She glanced over at Spencer, who had lay down on the grass next to the pavement: his front legs were pulled in under his chest. He huffed and shook his head as he pulled his wings in towards his large crimson body.

“What do we do about the horse?” Desdemona suggested.

“I guess as long as no Positrons come to him, I'm sure he'll be fine,” Hamilton assured her. “He's more used to the cold than we are.”

Wilson let go of Ivan and turned around to see Neptune with his arm around Minerva, Desdemona with her handbag over her shoulder, and Siegfried and Hamilton helping the still wounded Allisons, all of them heading towards Ivan and Zelda's front step. Ivan set his hands on his hips and showed everyone a sly grin.

“Let's see, I remember you two—” he gestured at Hamilton and Siegfried. “—Hamilton and Siegfried, right?”

They glanced at one another past Lewis and Gayle's heads.

“He got the order right, too,” Siegfried declared, touching his neck: he had neither his neckerchief or his bowtie on.

“He even got the order right!” Hamilton echoed.

“I remember Siegfried's built like me and Hamilton's the one with the big blue eyes,” Ivan continued. He turned to Minerva leaning against Neptune's bare chest.

“Pluto and Neptune.”

“I go by my real name Minerva now,” she promptly replied.

“I stand corrected—Minerva and Neptune!” Ivan winked at her. He turned to Lewis and Gayle and tilted his head to the side.

“I don't think I've met you guys yet.”

“Dad, this is Lewis, that amazing young journalist I told you about before we left. The September Son.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah! I remember now! The infamous Lewis.”

“And this is his mother Gayle. She's a Sunday school teacher. I should also add, she's recently a widow. She and Lewis were in a car accident that killed her husband and his dad.”

Ivan's expression turned solemn. He reached out, took Gayle's hand, and gently kissed the back.

“They also recently lost their house to a fire so they're without a home at the moment.”

He kissed the back of her hand again. He glanced up and into her eyes. She showed him a kind smile.

“Let's get you guys out of the cold,” he told her and Lewis. He turned his attention to the others. “And of course all of you. Neptune, let's get some clothes for you—you must be freezing!”