rustle

Wow! I just lost the Dorkier Than Thee game! Thanks, guys!

The good thing about being bipolar is knowing that good times come back around.

Careful, guys. Nostalgia is the first step toward the grave.

This discussion has gone a long way from the original post, but that's not a bad thing. IMO, the whole issue of gender and gender identity is a backlash resulting from behavioral expectations based upon primary sexual characteristics. It's led to a lot of research trying to correlate plumbing with personality traits, with indeterminate results. No normal childhood is lived in a vacuum. Society's expectations will always be present. Some are good for society, e.g., murder is bad. Some serve to make sense of the world in which we live. Accepting things on their own terms takes more brain cells than seeing a person in a frilly pink dress and assuming that person is biologically female. Or knowing what's between somebody's legs leads us to expect the person to act in a particular way. I think learning this as a child is a useful life skill, just as learning what those expectations are is useful. Knowing that wearing a dress will cause a stir, while wearing jeans will not, enables me to avoid making a stir, or to make a statement, as I choose (although I'd look a lot worse in a dress). Raising a child in a gender-neutral environment doesn't seem as beneficial to me as raising a child to understand expectations, occasionally making choices that fly in the face of those expectations, and learning to deal with the effects of those choices. The first seems to deny reality; the second teaches coping skills. If a little girl wants a GI Joe, I think that's fine, but at some point, I hope the parents would explain to the girl that some people don't think a girl should play with that toy, and might make comments, but that the comments really don't matter. Although I've said the word choices, I believe we're each driven by our own nature to express our lives in our own way. As sexual attraction is not a choice, gender identity is not a choice. Life's always going to be a challenge. Since joining GA, I've talked with a few transgendered folks, cross-dressers, and other defiers of the norm. They've helped me accept and appreciate what I discover, instead of anticipating and expecting.

Poor kid is gonna have a rude awakening when he goes to school. I hope he's up for it, and does OK. As for the parents, they set out to bend the curve, and their child was their lab rat, their pawn, their tool. Based on the article, they weren't doing something the child wanted or needed, and might or might not have a harmful effect on the kid. Reminds me of the parents who boasted of their 3 children: we had a boy, a girl, and a toy.

My favorite is forest green, but looking at my closet now, I see lots of red and charcoal grey.

Which is one reason I always carry a pocket knife. Speaking of which, I hate it when somebody hands me a blunt knife. Might as well give me a rock to beat myself with. People, if you carry a knife, learn to sharpen it, and keep your tools in good repair.

Thanks, as always, for posting. This was a beautiful chapter, full of great characterizations. I really like the way Tom is portrayed. The dialogue flows well, too. Some writers focus on settings, some on action or plot, but yours always centers on characters and their interactions. I hope you always keep writing. It's a little late to say it, but happy new year, Owl. May it bring you all the best in life.

Thanks, Percy.

Insurance companies negotiate a discount cost from providers. The cost they start with is the uninsured price, the highest they charge. Most likely, if you got a job with health insurance coverage, you would be insured without any issue, even if you had cancelled your coverage previously. If you cancelled your coverage, then tried to get another individual policy, you might have some difficulty, or be subjected to a physical exam before they offered to cover you. You might consider looking for a less expensive individual policy. Minimal coverage can still get you admitted to a hospital, where no coverage at all might keep you out. When I went to the hospital, my insurance was billed first. Since I hadn't satisfied my deductible, the hospital then billed me. But I had already been admitted, and I took my time paying that bill. If you look for an individual policy, talk to an independent insurance agent. The agent won't be an employee of the insurance company, and may offer several different policies from several companies. Then you can choose the option that's best for you. Good luck.

budget shortfall at work, & mgmt. assumes they can expect field operatives to use their own vehicles without even having a conversation with them another 500 miles/month on a personal car? sure, fine. wait 12 weeks for reimbursement for mileage? thank you, sir, may i have another?

Really glad you liked it. Thanks for the comment.

It never ceases to amaze me that people accept for themselves a collar of their own forging.

Dad died when I was 9, and Mom didn't remarry until I was 19. I often wonder what it would have been like to have 2 parents, whatever gender. If I were a kid growing up today with 2 dads or 2 moms, it wouldn't be nearly as big a deal as when I was comin' up. But I wonder if gay parents wouldn't be just a bit more self-aware than many who fall right into a traditional family. Maybe a little more authentic as human beings. Sure, that's stereotyping, but we're in fantasy land now, right? Yang, I've forgotten what it was like to have somebody do my laundry for me. I did my own since I was 10.

I've only read 8, but I'd like to add a few to the list: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Brave New World The Mosquito Coast The Story of Edgar Sawtelle Thanks for the List, James. It reminded me of several I've meant to read for some time.

Dude, I'm just totally chagrined I didn't know til now. Hope it was the best, with lots more yet to come. Happy Burfday, guy.

Cell phone conversations in a public restroom, complete with sound effects. Can't wait for smellavision app on iphones.

drivers who hang in your blind spot, when they could pass or drop back supermarket shoppers who form a blockade with their baskets, then stop distracted drivers - The other day, my co-pilot checked, and over half the vehicles we passed had a driver playing with the phone.

Added benefit to whiskers. You can condition them, so they're soft. No razor burn for your partner.

...followed by that uncomfortable silence when they pass you by, looking for brains...

When a man has a generic face, whiskers can add a lot. Johnny Depp looks great with whiskers. So does Sean Connery. I wear a beard, because it's an improvement, I hate to shave, and it's better for the skin. Besides, if I shaved it all off, my man would leave me. My upper lip hasn't seen the light of day since I was 15. Chow Yun Fat is killer in a fu manchu.

Lacey's birthday?!!!! Lemme see, what should I wish for for ya, little monster? 500 hp, fuel-injected, top-down, on a twisty-turny road, with 1000 watts blasting and your hair on fire? whirled peas? an all-nighter with the guy of your dreams? (WTF, I hope you get 'em all!) All the best, dude.

When I first read this, I sent it back w/o edits because it didn't seem right to change a thing. It's a very moving piece.

Time to get more intimate with your characters, I guess. Best of luck, and be back soon.

Thanks for reading, Michael, and thanks for commenting. Glad you enjoyed it.