Gee Whillickers

Those are a hoot!

For me, I need to get out and get moving. The ideas come quicker that way, and I can write half a story in my head while I'm out for a hike. Or a ride. I'm lucky enough to be living near some astoundingly beautiful country. Here's some pics from today's ride, lots of room for story ideas while up in those mountains! See http://imgur.com/a/NQ2F5 for the full album. Okay guys, what's your inspiration?

He very likely wouldn't find too many issues with his sexuality if he came here to Canada to play in the CFL. One of the most popular players in the league, an MVP running back who has a breakfast cereal named after him, has two moms. He gave a shout-out to them when being interviewed after the last game, a win where he got 173 rushing yards, and the announcer and studio guys didn't bat an eye. He often does community support work for lgbt causes. Different league though, different game, and different rules. Different skill set. Some players thrive, others crash and burn. The CFL: We're longer, we're wider, and our balls are bigger. (A short lived advertising campaign from the eighties, referring to the longer, wider field and the larger football. It was pulled after somebody complained. I thought it was hilarious.)

Yes. The video was posted, with permission, by his boyfriend. Apparently the boyfriend's family is taking care of him.

Nice idea. I like it.

I saw this too and was going to post it here. Thanks for beating me to it. So sad that un-evidenced beliefs take precedence for these folks over their own flesh and blood.

http://www.salon.com/2014/08/28/would_you_criminalize_fornication_desperate_new_argument_against_same_sex_marriage_laughed_out_of_court/

Looks like it may have been a DNS issue with my ISP. When I switched to Google's DNS server it immediately cleared up.

Just curious if this is just happening here, or if other people are experiencing it. AD forum pages have been loading extremely slowly for me for the past few days. To the point at times where the forums are completely unusable. I waited long minutes for this post-new-topic page to load. This is not occurring on other web pages. This is occurring in both Firefox and Chrome, negating browser config issues. Server issue for AD forums? 512K issue? Something more local to me?

Chris, you may be interested in giving a listen to CBC radio One, Two, and Three. My go-to radio programs when I want to listen to something interesting or thought provoking. Online streams available. http://www.cbc.ca/radio/

Cole, I agree entirely with your assessment. There just isn't enough to go by, and obviously we are only seeing a small part of the story.

Sigh. http://www.nbc12.com/story/26319685/cops-summerville-high-school-student-arrested-after-writing-threatening-message-on-assignment Shockingly, after police searched him, his locker, and his bookbag, no guns were found. Nor were any dinosaurs.

I may not know a lot about ballet, but talent and skill are almost always recognizable.

He'll remember you. Somehow I'm fairly sure of this. Message him.

Very sweet, and nicely done. But! He used the original series voiceover (Shatner) and music with ST:TNG references! (Stewart) There's gotta be some kind of points off for that. Tsk, tsk. Either way, very clever.

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills, For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father! The arm beneath your head! It is some dream that on the deck, You’ve fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

I'm always happy when I don't get a gutterball and a pin or two falls down. That's a win in my books.

Suspected suicide. Sigh.

I first read this story a number of years ago. I loved it then, and have re-read it once or twice since. It is among my favorite stories in the genre. I'm very pleased to see it here.

I just finished this wonderful tale. Very well written, the characters were interesting and real and the ferris wheel scene was just excellent. Thanks for writing this.

Okay Dabeagle. Wasn't it you that gave me grief on one of my stories about cliffhangers! Hah! I see you too are prone to that little literary teaser. Just an excellent story, and an excellent series so far. I love the thread that ties these together, unusual and plausible. Absolutely excellent writing. Absolutely stellar characters. Now, when's the next installment? Cliffhanger. Harumph.

Thanks for the kind words. Part Two will be up on Wednesday.

Nah, just to be clear, that was all in fun, and was hyperbole. I abhor the idiots on motorbikes that ride far faster than traffic, weaving in and out like lunatics. Like so many similar things, people notice that which is noticeable. The majority of bikes, travelling along with traffic and riding sensibly, aren't even noticed by most non-riders. One idiot though, and the perception becomes something like, "All those motorcycle riders are idiots and lunatics!" That's what track days at the track are for. I've been riding for decades. I am a motorcycle instructor. I teach students how to stay alive and stay safe, and how skilled riding leads to more fun, not less. I prefer to stay alive so I can have the opportunity to ride again.

It's just so hard to type when your hands are holding the grips and working the controls. Believe me, I've tried it. Especially at 160 km/h, the wind blast tries to rip the keyboard off the bike. Did I say 160? Ahem. For all you young readers, obviously that was a misprint. I would never egregiously break speeding laws like that. Never.