Merkin

Love the sound of children's voices singing. If their enthusiasm could be bottled and dispensed in pharmacies we'd never grow old.

Depends on whether you're a dog owner or a member of the British Parliament.

That's wonderful, Cole! I'm sure we'll all be looking forward to it.

OOh! A contest! And the winning tale gets a sequel written? Tough choice, but my vote's for "Recovery".

Shades of O. Henry...

This charming story is fast becoming a Valentine classic and I look forward to reading it every year.

Terezin Prisoners in the Nazi SS concentration camp at Terezín, Czechoslovakia, were allowed to delay their deaths by performing music. Did the sound of the songs mute the weeping? Could the swell of the orchestra mask the anguish? Would the guards ever pause to listen? Did they halt the trains for the music? Does barbed wire vibrate like violin strings? There can be no encore. Merkin

I confess I was a pump jockey for a short summer back in the 1950s and I benefited both by learning my way around cars and also by making a lot of adult friends whose cars I serviced in my small home town. Today, here in Virginia, our city has a few stations with two rows of pumps, one for self-serve and the other full-serve. I've found that it's a good idea to do full-serve every now and then; the local proprietors come to recognize you and take you and your car under their wing, pointing out the potential for service issues before they become big problems. An old geezer like me appreciates that.

So glad to see Colin back onboard with Chapters 9 and 10 updates to "Adam". The story so far is a great read and I'm looking forward to more as the mystery unwinds.

I want to laugh, but then I remember how enraged I am.

Well worth the read, Talo. Thanks for drawing it to my attention. I am by nature a 'glass half-empty' chap, but in the present day I see the glass as lying on its side.

No luck. Sorry, Cole. Could you act it out for me?

Your link takes me to a window to sign up for GMail. What's up, Cole?

A Canterbury Tale is a great choice to kick-off this new series, Mike. Free Thinker was among a handful of other excellent writers who introduced me to the possibility that there could be quality gay fiction published online, and I am so pleased that he is willing to revisit for us what was already a wonderful story,

Wait, Ivor, we do Christmas cookies--or is that Christmas biscuits? Crackers, I'm confused!

That's the kind of foreshadowing I like to see. Books 2 AND 3. Woohoo! Bring it on, Nigel.

What education? All they seem to be teaching in that Texas school is conformity to some asshat's notion of standards.

Great art inspires great art. Thanks, James.

After a long delay, Driver has added a new chapter to "Jack in the Box" and the impression I get from it is that we are getting close to the end of this saga. That's always a dangerous assumption with any of Driver's stories, and if you are a fan of his work you already know that he is knitting a universe of interrelated titles. So if your preference for online reading is to wait until a story posts its final chapter you may have a long wait indeed, but for those readers who enjoy catching up on Driver's insights and thoughts on the human condition this is a rare opportunity. http://www.storiesbydriver.net/

Depression and despair are a terrible burden, especially for a young boy in an era when "feelings" were suspect. Alan's fine story gets at the true meaning of friendship.

I just want to say how much I am enjoying “Living With Johnny” by Nigel. Not only is it filled with great characters, each one unique and each compelling the reader to get involved in his or her particular issues and difficulties, but the story is also constructed around multiple plot lines, intertwined so skillfully our attention is constantly challenged. At present there are so many balls in the air I am quite dizzy. I fully expect the main character to crack from the pressure of the responsibilities he has taken onto himself to ensure a safe and secure outcome not only for his own family but also for the young gay men he has taken into his care. And, not least, I am learning an extraordinary amount. This story is built up from carefully vetted facts about many of the elements of contemporary English life that could completely baffle an overseas reader. Ordinarily most storytelling on both sides of our pond assumes that readers along for the ride somehow possess basic knowledge of even the most arcane practices and customs, and these matters tend to hum along just below the surface of many stories with nary a nod toward a reader’s possible confusion and misunderstanding. However, Nigel takes the time to explain, whether it is the challenges of surviving as a free-lance technical writer, or the requirements surrounding home sales and purchases, or the film industry, or Jewish dietary practices, or boat design and boatbuilding, or the peculiar regulations affecting English historical sites and listed buildings. I feel I am getting quite an education.

Think Calvin Graham is any relation to Ender Wiggin?

Music is still the international common language, thank goodness.

Ha ha thanks, Pedro. I've enjoyed that before, but it fits the situation! The senate seats run-off in Georgia allows for renewed campaigning there and the Democrats have a mighty draw now. Mitch McConnell may also twig to the fact that if he wants to continue to suck up to the Executive branch and enjoy tea in the Oval Office there is a new sheriff in town.

I think Borton is a personality type we're going to see a lot more of in the days to come.