Cole Parker

Both having equal advantage means neither has an advantahge over the other. Therefore, neither has an advantage. As Canadians supposedly have a superior educational system over and above Americans (not counting Canadians as Americans any more than San Salvadorans or Brazilians; hey, don't blame these conventions on me!) then you'd both have advantages over people to the south of you. Hence my statement dealing with advantages. C

Oops! Score: Trab- 1 WBMS- 0 And you're both Canadian, so there were no advantages anywhere. C

Awww! You guys are sooooo sweet! C

Trab, please review the above definitions. You're not living a suspense story, you're living Gothic Fantasy, because quite obviously, if you thought they meant your were sharp, you were living in a make believe world. Heh heh heh. C

I enjoy the compassion noted from everyone for Dude's headache, but think it's unwarranted. I didn't read his malady as an actual headache, but a metaphorical one caused by too much attention to a nonsensical question and the ensuing metaphysical responses. That being the case, if it be, then the answer isn't to find various and creative ways to score some Tylenol; it's to end this nonsense forthwith and dispense with 84, no matter what it's meaning or lack thereof. Without the source, the metaphor dies. Or I could be all wet and the headache approaching the pounding, throbbing, seeing spots and nauseous stage. C

I read Tappings some time ago and loved it. I don't usually read fantasy, but am not even sure this should be classified in that genre. Weird, eldritch sort of story that was very well written and a joy to read. C

If you say so. ??? C

Tut tut tut. So young, and yet so bitter.<g> C

Des said: The problem is not so much as to what is "straight-acting" as it is to find and recognise the self-respect each of us should have for ourselves as individuals and not for some cultural expectation of how we should "act", whether that is an adopted masculine, effeminate or gay image. These are the labels on the clothing of our humanity that do indeed maketh us the man or woman of our own perceptions of ourselves. Choice is being eroded by wearing other peoples' designs. We should do all that can to make sure we do not succumb to wearing the designer label personalities of any culture and instead seek to be ourselves. Trying to make people accept politically correct designer fashions of cultural images should not be our goal. Acceptance and encouragement of our differences as unique individuals is being overlooked for the sake of misplaced ideas of community safety with social acceptability. He also said: To get back to literary basics, we are seeing some effort in understanding and exposing these issues in some of our stories and poems. The gay novels that liberate us from the clutches of the homophobes can also free us from our own misgivings. In the mean time gay romantic fiction is serving not only as an amusement but as an important breaking down of the barriers which stop all humans, all of us, from appreciating ourselves as sentient beings, capable of loving each other and being in love. What words of wisdom, and how well expressed! You continually amaze me, Des, with the depth of your understanding of the human condition and your ability to articulate it. C

Altimexis: I've told you several times that I really like these stories, and I'll say it here publicly. They are great, and I look forward to each new episode. I'm glad you're going to bring Dave Reynolds back. I grew very attached to him when this all began, and though he's shown up in other tales, having another based on his doings is very welcome. C

Or better said, your talent at bringing them whimsically to life is absorbing our interest but not slaking our thirst for more.C

Wow!But where's old Abe Maslow?C

Quote from Des:Unlike the previous entry this one is based loosely on fictitious thoughts inspired by Cole's above advice.This was definitely serendipity, to get some new imaginings out of Des as a result of my throw-away description of him. What I expecting back from that, if anything, was a rant about my spurious suggestion that he had the art of dissembling down to a science. Instead, we get Chapter 2 of the continuing saga of Mr. Allthumbs and his mate, Sorefoot. Well done, Des, and don't farm out the franchise. You're doing great all by yourself.C

With your charm and grace and dissembling ability, I'm sure you'll be friends in no time and be invited over for tea. Remember the witticism, a stranger is simply a friend you've yet to meet. For you, it should be easy to turn dialing incompetence into an asset.C

Damn it, Des! Now you've got that melody running through my head. C

What they now have is a vast new following on AD, but a reluctant diarist to record their activities.What is we all chip in for gas and binoculars, Des?C

Colin-- good answers! And Trab-- hilarious! C

Bent? The bent path? Anyone else, I'd think he'd been smoking some of that strange smelling stuff. Or sampling the elderberry wine just to make sure it was all right, and then the bottle was suddenly empty. As that cannot be the case here, it must be sleep deprivation. So, what's been keeping you up nights? C<G>

Perhaps it isn't a conundrum, it just masquerades as one. It's total nonsense, but you probably won't buy that, either. We all have to make decisions in our lives, and our decisions help define us as poeple. I decided not to follow the dicates of Oxford as far as comma usage goes. Let that define me. If that makes me a rebel, I'll have to accept that label. C

I'd never for the world believe you two were cops!A nickel to the first one to tell me why I assign them that occupation. Well, a tuppence if you're British.C

Case in point, sir, case in point! C

Okay, I located the specified jottings.They do have a certain tongue-in-cheek quality to them, even if it is a bit morbid. But you quite obviously were writng with your words sandwiched in wry, so I can be excused for thinking you were being facetious. At least, that's my opinion and so I'll excuse myself.<g>I do have to wonder how you can grow to the ripe old age of 21, however, and never in your life have encountered a natural dick. That seems ludicrous to me. When I went to school, both Jr. High and High School, we had community showers, daily, following gym class. Most boys had suffered the surgeons knife, but a few, always a few, were adorned as they were borned (to make the rhyme really rhyme.) This was years ago, but my understanding is that today, even fewer boys are chopped around on than back when. So the chances that you would wend your weary way through a world of wicked wicks and not have encountered any in their natural state just blows my mind. Or makes me think that during periods of presumed exposure, the heights of passion clounded your vision, much like the Shadow clouded the minds of men.But I'll say no more on the subject, lest it be painful for you. And I'm delighted you found a way to emasculate your tormentor, fool that he was, and in so doing exposed your own creativity.C

And you're temerarious enough to call my writing beautiful! C

There's another reason no one flames Des. If we did so, he'd rip us a new orifice and do it so cleverly, so wittily and so humorously that we die laughing, and all the time he'd be preparing the skewers and firing up the barbie for our final roasting. Best leave mad dogs lie. Heh heh heh. C

I often have a problem with questions marks. Not in easy sentences like the examples Trab provided, but in more complex ones. Often, I'll have a sentence with a question imbedded within it, or at least with the question not at the very end of the sentence. Putting a question mark in the middle of the sentence doesn't work, unless I've used parentheses to sequester the question, and that's so disruptive that I almost never do so. I've generally solved this problem by simply letting the question stand without any marking, figuring the reader can work it out for himself. Should I take an umbrella with me today, wondered George as he stood on his front stoop, watching the gathering clouds darken the horizon. That's not the best example, but what I could come up with on short notice. If I re-ordered that and ended with the question, using a questions mark would be easy. This way, it always feels awkward. C