Cole Parker

However, at that tender age, you were cute as hell. You can't possibly deny that.C

I wrote some poetry in my youth. If I do so now, which I don't, it's more for humorous effect than anything else. I find the form limiting. I do know when I was trying it, years ago, it did seem that some emotions could be best expressed in that format. I don't remember why that was, but do remember feeing that to be the case.I think you have to concentrate a lot harder on each word when you're writing poetry. When I'm writing prose, frequently a lot of words come to mind in a mass, and I have to hurry to get them down on the page before I lose them. You can't do that with poetry. Or at least I can't. I can with prose. I have to go back then and massage them a little, but for the most part, that works.Maybe I just don't have th patience for poetry.Man, someone could write a poem to that thought.C

This is beginning to sound like a lesson from Despondency 101. Maybe the second stanza lightens up a bit?<g> C

The only question I see in the whole riddle is, "what?" C PS- And old is a matter of attitude, you young whippersnapper you, Trab!

I like them both, though readily admit poetry is not really my thing. It always seems to me to be posturing a bit, and throwing words together that might not mean exactly what you're try to say but fit the rhythm or style of the thing. But that just my gut reaction to most poetry, and if you can't say something nice, my mommy told me not to say anything at all, so I'll shut up now.C

If you don't tell us what happened, and soon, I'll personally find your restaurant and throw you into the Hobart mixer.WHAT HAPPENED?C

Music to my ears. The red is to describe my blushing. C

Wow! How wonderful. I agree with the concise Raccoon.Camy Terse, Camy. He was terse.C

Yes, everyone. I'm expecting there will be lots of sameness, and some interesting diversions. C

Trab, as usual, makes a lot of sense.I can offer another reason for Mark's behavior. It could be simply that he wants you to know that he's comfortable with you. He came across originally as anti-gay, and he now is your friend, he's said that to you, and he now wants to act that way, to show you he's not afraid of personal contact with you, to show you that you being gay is no problem at all for him. That's a possibility.Human relations are so complex, and feelings are so changeable from one minute to the next, and he could have several motivations for what he did. But trust is implicit in all of them.If you want to know what to do, I'll offer a piece of advice for you to think about. From my perspective it's a perfect one, but you'll have misgivings about it for sure. It's this.Print out that blog entry and give it to him to read. You're such a good writer, and have put so much of yourself, your real, true self into that piece of writing, that no one could read it without coming away knowing so much more about you, and feeling a true empathy with you, and a friend, which Mark certainly has shown himself to be, would be honored to read that. After doing so, he would have to then explain himself to you; how could he not? I don't see a downside to doing this, unless it's you simply cannot bare yourself quite to the degree that letting him read that would do.I love the fact you've given up cocaine. You're too valuable a human being to kill yourself with it. You're too special to have your wits dulled to that degree. You don't like being able to feel everything, all the pain that is there in living. But you're dulling the happiness, too, and life is filled with the one as much as the other. I think you're starting to feel that now.Please keep writing. I know you're okay when you're doing that.C

Where do your story ideas come from? What determines whether it's going to be a short story, a serialized novel-length story, or something else, like an anthology? C

With lots and lots of hands on practice, I imagine.<g> C

If the raccoon does show interest, just remember, they like to wash things before they have at them, and that could be lots of fun. Think of the possibilities. Those tiny paws, playing around, patting and probing. Hmmmmm. As for sequels, wait a minute or two at least. No one else has read all of this one yet. Give me a break here. When was the last think YOU wrote, for crying out loud, Mr. Colin? And how did you know my trouser was open anyway? C

Sure you do, Nick. Sure you do. Keep saying it and it might be real. Hee hee hee. C

This is probably not on topic at all, but I have to interject something here. Where but at AD could I find some of my favorite people in all the world, Des and the Wibster and the incorrigible Colinian and Trab, talking about peeing on one's feet and mismatched socks and pendulous and sticking to chairs and such? It's so hilarious and droll and wity and wry that I just sit here with a happy smile on my face, loving it all. Thanks, guys. C

Just doin' my job, mon. Just doin' my job.<g> Thanks so much! C

Me thinks raccoons never apologize. Me thinks they never feel the need to. Shame, Wibby, shame. C

Am I missing something here? The quesition as posed on my monitor is, what do you wear when you visit? Are you suggesting anyone goes visiting people in the altogether? Or just wearing socks? Come on here. Who would do that? I only go visiting fully clothed. And it's never been different. Maybe I've led a restricted life? But I cannot imagine it any other way. Has anyone here ever answered the door naked? I've heard people do that. Where would you ever get the guts to do that? C

I, probably like most Los Angeleans, have similar thoughts every time I'm on the freeways here. The number of cars running alongside me, filling five lanes all going in the same direction, is matched by a similar number of cars going in the other direction. They fill the freeways, going in opposite directions, probably 18 hours a day. You can't help think that it would make more sense for everyone to stay home, not go in opposite directions. I've also thought of how many people drive to offices to work on computers all day, work that could quite obviously be done at home with our current technology. The problem is that bosses wouldn't see their employees working. They tend to equate work done to time spent doing it at a work station they can visually monitor, rather than the content of the work that has been done. This is a human problem rather than a technical one. We need to get past that. Think of the thousands of gallons of gasoline that could be saved daily just by letting these people work at home. There are probaby many solutions to problems like this. And we'll start solving them as they become more acute. We're reaching that point at a rapily accelerating pace. C

Kids are just so at risk. They feel things so desperately, and this kid didn't know where to get help. His whole world seemed ready to bite him, and he couldn't see any good ending. What a tragedy. It seems to be the sensitive kids, the good kids, the imaginative kids who suffer the most and are most susceptible. C

You guys seem to be walking directly down the middle on this. Okay, I'll take a stand. A definitive stand. I think there's something to worry about with Global Warming. (There. I capitalized it. It therefore MUST be a problem.<g>) I think it's real. From what I've read, there are certainly arguments on both sides of the issue, with eminent scientists weighing in for and against. But the proponderance of opinion seems to fall on the side of the issue claiming it's real. Both sides have managed to politicize the issue, which of course obfuscates it. It would be easier to get at facts without that, but it's what we have. I attended a conference at Cal Tech recently where the matter was discussed. The people who work and teach there are far smarter and better informed on this than I am. They discussed the arguments on both sids of the issue, and it was debated by panelists in front of the audience and they took comments from the audience and discussed them as well. I left the conference with the feeling that there are a lot of questions still to be answered, but that a lot of very smart people are very concerned that this is a very real phenomenon. I went into the session feeling it was a lot of poppycock. I left thinking I should change my opinion. One thing that was suggested is that all nations should stop burning so much oil. If this would done, it would certainly hurt developing and developed nations disproportionately. But I think it's an obvious direction to be walking in. I don't think the world is ready for us to run that way. Not quite yet. Cole

I agree with you, Steven. A lot of us are just beginning this journey into authordom, and are a little uncertain of our writing. It takes courage to present things for public inspection, especially writing, because so much of that comes from deep within ourselves, comes from our heart and intellect, and to have that unfavorably criticized can really and truly hurt. Criticism is required if we're going to improve, so I think we all realize there is a place for it. But I wholly concur with you. If someone has some truly negative things to say, I feel the best place to say them is in private. I think we all have private email addresses that can be used. The stories also have feedback forms that are private. If there are general statements that concern not only the immediate story but all writring, then it may be appropriate to disseminate them. But it's so easy to hurt, to undermine, to even stop someone from trying. I think we all need to be aware of that when we offer criticism. I've been very lucky. I have generally received only favorable comments. If, when I first began, I had received the other kind, I'm pretty sure I'd simply have quit at that point. That I didn't is because fellow authors, and readers, were very kind. C

Good old Des. (With the emphasis on the middle word!<g>) He's certainly the one to tell us about all things Southern! C

What the sam hill are they storin' chitlins and collards in the hen house for? They must be damn Yankees to do such a blame fool thing. Lawdy me! Them things don't belong in no henhouse! C

2ting? Did Trab really say 2ting? That was wonderful! It really fit what preceeded it.. I love it! C