Docile

I find so far the parts with Jim to be the most enjoyable. He provides a sense aptitude and confidence that seems lacking in the other characters. Having him present, even if not accomplishing much, does well to counterpoint the general hopeless feeling from reading what seems a long string of false conclusions reached by the other 'goodly' authority figures present.

Hey, just started reading your story and I wanted to let you know I'm really enjoying it. For some reason there don't seem to be many reviews, so I thought I'd add one. Of particular interest to me is the way you incorporated a decent amount of technical detail into the description of the ship. This added a lot of believability to Trevor's character while also giving a very clear picture of what seems to be one of the major settings of the story.

When you struck it, would you say it rang a middle c? I have to agree with this sentiment. It works the other way as well. There are certain people, mostly older than myself, who have done a lot for me. If ever those people needed help, I would provide all I was capable of providing to ensure their continued high quality of life. I have no idea what my father's finances are like, but my mother is unlikely to have any problems when she retires. If she does, my sister and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up the slack.

I've thought a lot on this topic. Is what we are defined solely by the combination of external stimuli and our initial state? If this is the case, would that absolve murderers? Would it demerit 'heroes'? What knowledge I currently have on this subject is worth roughly nothing at all, and so I have decided I am not allowed to have an opinion on the subject. I have also decided it is ultimately pointless. The most bizarre phenomenon I have encountered is the strange way the public seems to feel toward explanation. Let us assume that your view is in fact correct, and turn it back upon the punks. Understanding that societal pressure caused them to become who they are does not absolve them from your or my scorn. It only makes sense to scorn people for bad behaviour, because then operant conditioning works to change them toward presenting a more desirable societal image. (Hey Billy, is that not amusing coming from me?) Many people, unfortunately, let their base instincts rule them in ways they don't perceive. I doubt any of them in the car actually dislikes joggers, but instead have friendships similar to the relationship tyrants have with their country. By turning eyes outward toward a common enemy, local famine can be more easily ignored.

The narrator's mode of speech here is enticing in its bizarreness. He uses descriptive language with heavy metaphor and symbolism while keeping the reader emotionally distant through his almost detached self-analysis. The imagery used here is very vivid. I enjoyed how the almost absurd metaphors painted a clear and identifiable image.

Happy Birthday Madame Frost. Here's hoping for a day full of your favourite deserts and your most decadent people.

The world as we know it has ended, but humanity goes on.

Outside of Eden - Prologue When I was young, I'd ask my mother which plants were likely to grow thorns as seasons pass. She'd answer me, voice strong with confident, accusing pride, that 'the roads of charcoal and ash, and the timbermen that burned along them so well, were long behind us. The days of sacrifice, honour, and lustful hope were forever gone. The path ahead was life as was meant to be lived: we would not die from lack. Forward streams ran clear, shining with pr

Love isn't always simple.

He was a strange man Bright smile Pale lips He spoke only lies Cold Hands Tight Grasp He spoke only hate Lives stalled Hears seized I loved to be hated by this strange man

I very much enjoyed this chapter. I was starting to feel the strain that comes from not having any conflict outside that of bitchy characters, so the placement of such a major plot point worked nicely. The characters are as vivid as always. Will annoys me to no end with his self involvement - reading from his perspective makes me feel itchy - but that just proves how believable the character is. I'd also like to mention that John is probably my least favourite character in this series so far, for having so little class as to whine about losing play time when his grandfather will be recovering from surgery.

If they put up with the likes of me they'll put up with anyone.

Well said. Also, sorry about the false call out on the nurse practitioner thing, my ears were sure red after doing some research.

In general I'd say that I've been pretty lucky with my life. My circumstances drove me to excel, I have a few good people in my life, and I have little to complain about in the genetics department. If I could be choosy, I would like to be more intelligent. I'm content with my life as it is, but I'm always trying to learn more and more complex concepts, and it would be quicker with another 10-15 IQ points backing me up.

I can count pretty high, John. : P I get kind of annoyed when my friends ask me for fashion advice. Not that I dress shabbily, but these are mostly girls. I fail to see how, being gay, I'm more likely to know which cut of a skirt goes better with a certain type of figure. I'd imagine any girl who doesn't dress in rags would know better than a guy, and that a straight guy is more used to appreciating the figure of women than a gay one. Also, quite often when talking to people I've only recently met, I get the "are you sure you're gay? You don't seem gay." Like it's somehow bizarre that I can talk to them about a serious subject for more than 5 minutes with out having to shove a stranger's cock in my mouth to satiate my man-thirst.

I led a pretty sheltered life in my childhood, so I actually didn't know what 'gay' was. I realized I was sexually attracted to guys about as soon as I hit puberty, but I still assumed that I would marry a girl some day. A little bit after that I realized I wasn't attracted to girls at all, and thought that that could become a problem. The wonders of the internet showed me that it was not a problem at all.

while I can't find it in me to agree with "time sucks", I admit that I sometimes find it disconcerting how quickly my life seems to be moving. That said, you paint a pretty pathetic picture of it. I like to think that when I'm 35 I'll be too busy saving the world from plague to have midlife crises. : P

I've heard those gay people make terrible doctors : P

Interesting letter. I'm not sure if you've already sent it or not, but I feel I should tell you that tacking on an extraneous thought on the end weakens your argument a bit. If you want to address that issue as well, you should deal with it in full instead of making it seem like an afterthought. "P.S. I want equal rights."

I have to agree with this. Unless there is a serious complication with the child developmentally, I could not condone surgery. You are not going to improve a kid's self esteem by making them more "beautiful". Beauty is subjective, and impossible to quantify. All you are going to teach your kid is the miracle of plastic surgery. As a young child problem solving skills work very differently than ours, and imprinting is stronger. Kids are always going to get teased about something, and that kid is going to thereafter look for a solution in changing their appearance. What you need to do is help your kid be well adjusted regardless of how they look, and MAYBE when they are old enough they'll get the surgery themselves and won't have developed any compulsive disorders along the way.

I have a bad habit of making scenes in situations like this. Seeing what looks like a relatively defenseless person crying and being told they have 'no choice' about anything would be enough for me to ask what was going on. I'd probably get into a big argument in the middle of the restaurant, and then being furious with the T.V. crew afterward for making me feel so much anxiety over a fake situation.

I am happy to make his acquaintance. I have a secret fondness for stop motion animation.

{ Age 10 and a gift a tool { no instruction manual but walking is easy seconds to anywhere skipped through in spaces of nowhere } Age 11 and a gift a tool knowledge and power { no instruction manual but progress was quick age restrictions translated YES, I'm 18!! } Age 12 and a gift a tool Knowledge and power A weapon { Legs used for more than walking cars can be driven with precision

This has to be a joke. A university in New Jersey? I think not. : P Seriously, I am not very surprised. My university seems just as irresponsible with their money, to be honest. They spend large amounts of money on things that seem high profile, especially early in the year, in an attempt to dazzle the students, rather than use more of it to improve the actual school resources, like better lab equipment and storage facilities.

Well, I think it is obvious that all of the comp sci students will swarm you so quickly that you'll never even get to the ground wearing that badge. : P