Cole Parker

Trab, that was really good! I loved that. I didn't reallize it was a story till you told me so at the end. You had me sucked in right and proper. Good job, man! C

Are we suggesting that attitudes have hardened these days? That one reason communication doesn't seem as effective as in the past is that neither party is as flexible as it should be, that views are often set in stone, and proponents of those veiws are increasingly more intractable? I'm often left feeling that way these days. Debates becoming shouting matches, with the participants quickly deciding that the duscussion is pointless becasue no one is listening to what's being said. They have their opinion, and by god, they're right and they don't want anything to deter them from thinking the way they do. We have some really thorny issues facing us as a country these days, issues that could be helped by all sides being allowed to explain their thinking in detail, and all sides actually listening to the arguments, thinking about them, seeing if something couldn't be agreed upon. But look at the debates on abortion, and homelessness, and illegal aliens, and wiretapping, and gun control, and on and on. These issues don't need to be polarizing, but they've become that. You're with me or against me, and if you're against me, I don't want to listen to what you have to say. I dont know just how long we've been moving in this direction, but it's hard to quibble about the fact we have. We could use a good dose of a return to manners, to calmness, to real thinking and real communication to help on these and so many other issues. All our rhetoric does now is wedge us further apart. Now helpful at all. C

Wibby: Whatever possessed you to take on Colin? Bad move, brother. Bad, bad, bad. Death wish, maybe? C

Douglas' Here's Looking at You, Kid finished today. What a marvelous piece of writing! I enjoyed every word of it. His unique voice and style, which we witnessed in Gang of Five, was on display again, and felt every bit as good here as it did there. He draws you into his scene adroitly and totally. You become a part of it, and develop a great empathy with his well drawn and lifelike characters. I was sorry to see this one end, but like knowing it's there for me to return to when I'm looking to reread a romanic, erotic and luminous piece of writing. Well done indeed, Doug. C

How appropirate, the Orang suggesting more postassium.Everyone knows a chief source of postassium is bananas.C

Soyey to hear than, Trab. C

It would appear they accepted your suggestion and the money and indeed added more flour to their product. But just how long can $20 last them? You may have to be sending them this amount weekly to insure the quality lasts. You probaby shouldn't be eating wheat products anyway. Soy, sir. The whole world's turning to soy. C

About the only thing weirder that that concoction, Trab, is that Colin, who eats healthy food and watches his diet like no teen I've ever known, suggested the alternative that primed you to sicken us with your artery-clogger. Congealed pork grease mixed with syrup? You are kidding, aren't you? And I comlained about Colin's standards! If this Forum ever has a food column, you two are banned. C

Peanut butter and bacon? Peanut butter and bacon? Peanut butter and bacon? Some people have absolutely no standards at all. C

I'm going to have to get a fan to cool me down when I'm reading you're guys' posts. Wheeeew! C

Enough about the milk! -- RadObstreperous, precocious, impatient youth.C

Trab, I was teasing. I loved you moving on from leaving us a picture of him taking care of himself to then telling him to get a grip.I don't know if it were intended as a pun. The "get a grip" comment was the first line of a completely different and more serious subject. So I assumed it was serendipitous.I just loved the juxtaposition of the two sentences.C

"And milk. Can you drink too much milk, I wonder? I must be on two to three pints a day. I Love it ... and NO health warning, which makes me suspicious" -- CamyMilk contains both calcium and fat. Fat clogs your little arteries, raises your blood pressure and leads to stroke and heart problems. Calcium, if you have too much in your system, gets into your kidneys and is the main element in kidney stones.Now, I don't know if the type calcium found in milk causes the kind of pain associated with kidney stones, and I don't know what fat content milk you're drinking, but why take the risk on something as dicey as milk? it seemed to me you had a much b etter plan working for you a while back.Drink red wine. Good for you. Both your heart and disposition. And encourages peeing, instad of blocking it up.C

There is a search engine associated with Nifty where, if you can remember anything at all about the title, the author's name, or any exact line or few words from the story, you might be able to find what you're looking for. Here's the link to the site. http://www.gaycafe.com/nifty.php C

A very awkward conjunction of words, Trab.C

Juno was the only nominee I saw. I loved it. I wish it had won. I think I'm in love with Ellen Page. I do like perky! C

At least you didn't mention any complaints about your parts down under. C

I was delighted in The Quantum when it began. But it never seemed to finish. I stopped reading it eventually. It's one of the stories that convinced me not to read unfinished works. I try to stick to that rule, but sometimes fail. I've read all of Douglas' HLAYK and am waiting for the final chapter; and I can't help but read Driver's unfinished stories. But my experience with The Quantum lingers, and with most stories, I wait. C

You guys humble me. Thanks so much. What else can I say? Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. C

Cheap is definitely not a modifier to be used with single malt scotch. The stuff is fiercely quality controlled in Scotland. There are, I believe, fewer than 100 distilleries that are licensed to produce it. It has to be aged for years; the fewest I've seen for bottled single malts is eight; ten and twelve year aging seems more the standard. Holding your inventory for that long obviously affects the price. You can buy it aged for 25 years or longer. Well, maybe you can, but such a bottle comes way to dearly for my budget. Which is the rub. The stuff certainly is expensive. But sipping a glass or two is something anyone that enjoys liquor, anyone with a smattering of sybaritic tastes, should try. I never liked scotch at all till I tried single malt scotch. C

The fact is, middle schools are where the most vicious and frequent bullying takes place. It certainly runs throughout high schools as well, but is not as a general rule as prevalent there. Boys in middle school are generally in the earlier stages of puberty, are experiencing changes in their bodies and thoughts and feelings, and for the first time having competitive and challenging thoughts about sexuality. This is also a time when the herd mentality is gaining it's strength, beginning to control thoughts and behaviors, a time when there is a premium on being like everyone else and people outside the norm are seen as a threat and so a target to the majority. Saying the subject of bullying is beyond the understanding or maturity level of middle school students is like saying to a boy of thirteen that he doesn't need to know about sex yet, he wouldn't find the subject of any interest at all for at least another few years.

Steven, you must be drinking cheap scotch. The good stuff is single malt scotch, and only a heathen would put water, or, shudder, ice in it. Drink it neat, man, and sip it, let it moisten your taste buds, then trickle down the back of your throat, as it inspires thoughts or peat and smoke and transports you to the lonely, barren hills of the Scottish coast. If you really want to taste something unusual, try Lagavulin. Amazing stuff. If your local pub doesn't have it, choose a different pub. C

From the pen of Camy:I love 'Duck Duck Goose' and I hate it, too. As a story it's had me in all states of emotion, yet as a writer I know I could never write anything similar. That kind of length would get me twisted up in knots so fast I'd have to admit myself to the loony bin.But why? That's what's bothering me. Why can I only seem to write short stories?I have a couple of nearly finished novels, and yet every time I think of finishing them, I get into a cold sweat.Camy:The why it is you don't want to finish your stories seems apparent to me, and as you're much wiser than I am, should be to you as well if you think about it.I think all writers have insecurities. I think it goes with the territory. We have to be open to what's around us, sensitive to thoughts and nuances and what's behind things, if we're going to expound upon them in our writing with any profundity at all. And if we're sensitive, if we're emotional, if we're intelligent--all marks of a decent writer--then it only makes sense we'd be sensitive enough to maintain some self-doubts as well. And if we doubt ourselves and our ability and our craft, then what could be worse than putting ourselves on the line, baring our souls to the world, by writing something down, then just letting anyone and everyone read it, and, oh my god, judge us for it? You don't have to suffer all that if you don't finish anything.But I've seen your writing, Camy. It's great. And I can feel the intelligence just oozing out of it. So the chance that you could write a longer piece and it would be awful, and get you tied up, and not be worth anything, isn't something to fret over. Trusting ourselves is sometimes difficult, but not do so, in your case, is completely unnecessary. There is no need. None at all.And if I misread your reluctance to write The End on something, I apologize.C

34 and 35 Satruday. Enjoy. C

Oh, that's seriously nasty! I love it! C