jack scribe

Thanks, WBMS, for providing a link to his stories that are still available. I just finished "Falling Off a Log" and totally agree with your assessment. I'm going through a little writer's block starting a new story and Driver was a nice diversion. I can't imagine what must of happened to make him withdraw. Being an older guy, coming of age/coming out stuff usually doesn't interest me. But the way Driver handles the lives of these 14-year olds is quite refreshing. S P O I L E R alert: I thought having the protagonist to be an accepting, young man who discovers that he is most comfortable as a hetero added depth and dimension to the story. Jack

Concur! Finally, after procrastinating a month, I kicked my lazy ass and read the story. What a delight to follow the text with the audio clip. A first for me. It certainly makes to story much more of a personal experience. Jack

I'm not usually drawn to authoritarian stories...it's just not my thing. However, misgivings were sidelined by the exceptional writing. And the premise of the story is more about mind control than aspects of BDSM usually found in this category.The author is a skilled wordsmith and very creative. I especially enjoyed the narrative style of one character speaking to the other without responses in several sections. It is almost hypnotic and is tastefully erotic in a very subliminal sense. I strongly recommend this story. Caution: A Story for Mike should only be approached by adults. http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/authoritarian/story-for-mike. It is longer than most short stories...about the length of two chapters. IMHO, this is at a "Best of Nifty" quality level. Carve out an hour in your schedule for this read. I found myself going back and re-reading passages to savor what was presented. I don't know much about the author, Nexus Pas. He lives in the U.K. and has recently posted four other stories on Nifty in the Authoritarian section. The style of writing is most refreshing. Jack

He would now be 127. Few people remember that the Nobel Prize winner married his cousin, Elsa Lowenthal, after his first marriage dissolved in 1919. He stated that he was attracted to Elsa because she was well endowed. He postulated that if you are attracted to women with large breasts, the attraction is stronger when there is a DNA connection. This came to be known as Einstein's Theory of Relative Titty. Ta, ta and a rimshot. Jack

Hey TR I'm impressed. I didn't know that Andy had fans on AD. Here's the link:http://www.borowitzreport.com/ xoxo, Jack (not James)

And now, breaking news: Bush: I?ll Bring Troops Home on JetBlue No Exact Timetable, President Says Under increased pressure to announce an exit strategy from Iraq, President George W. Bush revealed plans today to bring U.S. troops home on the budget airlines JetBlue. Mr. Bush received praise for his decision to withdraw American troops, but his choice of JetBlue to transport them raised more than a few eyebrows. According to most official estimates, with its recent spate of scheduling problems and flight delays, JetBlue could take up to seven years to bring U.S. troops home, and possibly ten years in the event of inclement weather. But at a press conference at the White House today, the president argued that the selection of Jet Blue was ?crucial? to the success of his latest exit strategy. ?Setting an exact timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq would be playing right into the enemy?s hands,? Mr. Bush said. ?By going with JetBlue, our enemy will have no idea when we?re leaving.? To emphasizes his point, Mr. Bush added, ?And neither will we.? Across Iraq, U.S. GIs were hopeful that the news about JetBlue meant that they would be home by Christmas, or at least by Easter 2012. At JetBlue headquarters in Forest Hills, New York, CEO David Neeleman said that it was ?flattering? to be chosen to play such a critical role in President Bush?s new exit strategy, but wondered if his embattled airlines has what it takes to bring troops home from Iraq. ?We?re still having a hard time getting people home to Fort Myers,? Mr. Neeleman said. Elsewhere, Britain and Denmark announced that they were joining ?The Coalition of the Leaving.? Jack

This story is like an old pair of loafers: the more you get into it, the more comfortable it is. However, I sense that this chapter is the calm before a storm. A terrific read. Good going! Jack

Allow me to share with you a quote as I wish Mary a rewarding journey into motherhood: "As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." ~ H.L. Mencken (July 26, 1920) Jack

THANK YOU, PECMAN, for bringing this story to my attention! The writer tells a story in a manner of a Jean Shepherd or Bill Bryson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Shepherd, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Bryson BTW, I've just started Bill Bryson's newest book, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir (2006). It's a shame that "The Luckiest Summer" is buried in the Adult/Youth section of Nifty. I almost never go there for stories. In fact, the last time I perused the listings, there was a story called "In Your Country's Service" that came across as a training manual for NAMBLA. "The Luckiest Summer" is a marvelous, tender story that explores the mind of a 13-year old going through challenges of his mom and dad splitting up. At first - for a few chapters - I was irritated at the main character. Then, I realized what the writer had done. He presented the thoughts, insecurites and attitudes of a young teen in transition. Wow! He succeeded. Here is just one part of a paragraph as a sample of the author's way of communicating emotion of a 13-year-old guy who's come to some initial conclusions about his sexual orientation: **POSSIBLE SPOILER** "One second my mind was racing, and the question of whether or not I should kiss him was knocking around in my head at a dizzying rate, and the next second, our lips were pressed together and my hands were cupping the sides of his face; the transition was so flawless it was as if I'd been preparing for the moment all my life..." This story really deserves your attention. Jack

Sad news The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens ofcelebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

So what, then, is the difference between the two spellings? According to Google Answers, the two words have almost the same meaning in all cases, and g-r-a-y is simply an American derivation of the original spelling g-r-e-y. According to Flak Magazine, the difference can be chalked up to the same happenstances that led to organize/organise and judgement/judgment. Apparently e.e. cummings and Prince are partly to blame as well. However, among the several hypotheses for why gray and grey exist, I believe the following to be the best: Gray is a color. Grey is a *colour*. Now I'm going off to my apartment (flat), organize (organise) myself and watch the "Dancing with the Stars" program (programme). Jack P.S. I currently have a crush on Mario! What a hot guy.

A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see the bed nicely made up and everything neat and tidy. Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the pillow. It was addressed, "Dad". With the worst premonition, he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands: Dear Dad, It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to move in with my new friend because I wanted to avoid a scene with you and Mom. I've been finding real passion with John...he is so nice. I knew you would not approve of him because of all his piercings, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes...and because he is so much older than I am. John says that we are going to be very happy. He owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood - enough for the whole winter. John has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it and trading it with the other people in the commune for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for herpes so John can get better; he sure deserves it! Don't worry Dad, I'm 15 years old now and I know how to take care of myself. Someday, I'm sure we'll be back to visit. Your son, Chad P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Tommy's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are other things in life than the report card that's in my desk drawer.

I also suggest waiting for the completed story but for expanded reasons. He usually has several stories in production and the delays between chapters are very long. However, Dom's an excellent writer and has an loyal reader base. Jack

A song for the Rev Ted Haggard (one verse) "I'm looking for someone to turn the other cheek I'll go on Larry King and tell him, Larry, I was weak Deliver me from evil and deliver me from greed Deliver me a hot stud and a couple grams of speed" _______ It's a super-catchy little ditty about the woes of Ted Haggard. The title, "Meth and Man Ass," will probably keep it off the Billboard charts, but the tune will stick in your head...

I respectfully disagree, James. The American voters are/were thoroughly pissed at our unsuccessful involvement in the no-win Iraq war. Running a distant - but important - second was the utter disgust with corruption. The Democrats capture of the House and Senate reflected this dissatisfaction. If voters had voted down the ban on gay marriage in all the states that had the proposition, I would agree that it was a political earthquake with appropriate aftershocks. This was a needed course correction. Even the survivors are dead meat. Big Denny - out. Reynolds - out. The interesting aspect of this shift in power from GOP to Democrat is that several of the new faces are very main stream, middle-of-the-road, in their values. Add to the fray is Lieberman's power as an independent with vote tie-breaking influence. These factors, plus a willingness for Bush to lead (with a stick of dynamite up his rear) in a more by-partisan fashion,may produce more positive results. Unfortunately there are still elected slimeballs from both parties lurking in the hallways of Congress. A real political earthquate would be the day when it is illegal for ex-members of Congress to be a registered lobbyist a minimum of five years after they leave office. Or, for lobbyists to have ANY financial impact on members of Congress or government. I thought the crowning hypocrisy over the weekend - in addition to Rev Ted - were the Neo-con assholes complaining that they were being blamed for the Iraq fiasco. Perle, Adelman and Wolfowitz...eat your hearts out. You f**ked up...big time.

Thanks...I appreciate the thoughtful comments. The tone of the story was meant to be poignant. This relationship was in trouble - incognito - for quite a while. The two guys had diffuculty communicating and being honest about a relationship drifting apart. I speak from first hand experience. But I'm a shameless romantic and wanted to end the story with a happy resolution. Maybe I'll make caramel-dipped apples next year and check out the dads (single, of course). Jack

I came across this blog last summer: http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/ and immediately bookmarked it. The man has a treasure trove of experiences to share. His humorous, irreverent comments about the current TV shows and his remembrances of his past work - Cheers, M.A.S.H., among others - are a breath of fresh air. Helpful hints, such today's topic, "How to REALLY write a romantic comedy," tell you things that you won't find in the 'how to' books. Hope you enjoy this. Jack

Hi Joshia, I think that continuity in story posting is extremely important. The reader must have some sense of assurance that chapters will flow with regularity. I always have enough "in the can" to allow for dry periods or busy moments in my life. Once I start posting a story, I make sure it appears on a weekly basis. Graeme, I notice, follows an 'every two-week' posting practice. His readers have probably adjusted their schedule to allow for this pattern. Readers can be a fickle lot. Not only is there a quantity of material available, memory lapse sometimes short-circuits interest in a story if delays occur in posting. I think your m.o. with the "Angel" story is a good rule of thumb. Best wishes on your new story. Jack

I just finished a marvelous short story in Dude's Best of NIfty section and was curious if anyone knows whether the author - Savoir-Faire - has written recent material? The only stories that are listed in the Prolific Authors section date back to '97 - '98. http://nifty.org/nifty/gay/highschool/brown-eyed-boy Is he is still writing or still with us? Jack

Hey TR, Thanks for the heads up. Fortunately, Oprah is replayed at 11:00 p.m. in Palm Springs. I'll be watching. I love the 'he said-he said' controversy. As a businessman, however, I disapprove of fraternization and obvious sexual harrassment actions. It will be interesting to see where Oprah takes this interview. BTW, years ago I lived in Chicago and was great friends with a guy who was on Oprah's production staff. He was diagnosed HIV+ and, later, moved to full-blown AIDS. Oprah kept him on the staff until he couldn't work any longer. Then, she continued to pay his full salary and insurance until Bill finally succumbed to the disease. Jack

Hey, I participate in LCR 'cause I want to be part of change and protect our flank from the whacko right wing extremists (I also support HRC and was at a PS Stonewall Democrat event last week...Barney Frank was the guest speaker). Our Sacramento LCR lobbyist has been very successful in working with legislators and the governor to support GLBT issues. The Governator - who attended a LCR fund raiser last month - has signed more gay-friendly legislation than any other governor in U.S. history. We don't get everything but 75% is better than zip. LCR fought hard for Chaffee and several others last Tuesday. Give us a little slack. I'm glad that you're an equal-opportunity guy...biblically. Jack

This is a bumper sticker that was seen recently: 01.20.09-END OF AN ERROR Regardless of your politics, it is rather clever. Jack

Whoops, didn't realize that we had to log in again. Now I'm officially in the forums. ;o)

Whoops, Misread, I fear (not feer), the Google search when I returned home from work last night. :? My apologies to the firm in Irvine, CA.