KJames

Two others I should have included, Rob likes Calamari, but I don't, and neither of us dares escargot...wierd thing is, I've had fried frog's legs.

According to Wikipedia, you're right about the US+Canada consumption v. Scotland. Having a bit of Scot, Irish, English, on one side of the family and German and a spattering of most of the rest of western and northern europe on the other, I'm not really afraid to try anything once, but the great cook in my family (clan) was my paternal grandmother--and she never, ever, made a Haggis. (Not that I wouldn't try it, but I guess that there are some things that sane people just won't do) I have had Gefilte fish, most recently this last Passover, and I don't understand the big deal--it's chopped whitefish and pike, mainly. I don't even mind chopped chicken liver--which I have to make for Passover--but is the most unappetizing thing to prepare/cook. About the only thing I know that I still can't palate is Lobster. I tried a piece when I was 2 or 3, mom insisted, and I lost it...it tasted like a piece of fat and I tried a piece a couple years ago at The Crab Pot and still can't manage to do it. Shrimps and Crabs aren't as much of a problem, though--go figure. For those that want to try making a Haggis, there are several sources of recipes, but you can try this one: http://www.foodnetwo...cipe/index.html

Yeah, but you've got to admit that Orlando Bloom isn't exactly discouraging with his looks out of makeup, either! My secret crush all through HS was a slim blonde guy with cobalt blue eyes that you could see from 50 yards away...which is how I got my first look at them and him from my locker at the beginning of lunch the first day of my soph' year. About 2 months ago I saw a guy at a Home Depot just around the corner, and I would swear it was him or lose my 'privates' if it wasn't. Damn, he still takes my breath away!

My first Pride festival was with my ex-, and it was for Orange County--held on the campus of UC Irvine, so parking (unlike most festivals) wasn't a problem. Honestly, I was with him and that was all that mattered at the time. In retrospect, I was actually very intimidated, as I had never been to one, and really didn't know anyone who might be there. Since then, Rob and I have been to five of the Long Beach Pride festivals, three as a vendor, and won't be vendors again as it's way too expensive--we might go as paying 'visitors' for the fun (but even that's $20/pp!), but the big hoopla of standing in line for 2 hours to buy a 10oz. tap beer is just not my thing--we've been to an LA Gay event, which was a bit crowded on the small street it was on, and been to a couple Bear runs in Dallas, and a Folsom Street in San Francisco. San Francisco is interesting--it's one of the only places in the US, if not the only one, where public nudity is not considered an arrestable offense (unless someone complains, loudly)...so there was definitely a lot of eye candy for everyone to watch...I'm not quite as intimidated anymore, either.

Love cats and kittens...and medium to large dogs...even when they're puppies...Great Dane puppies are hilarious to watch!

I have to upgrade to an Xbox360...

Ditto! If I wasn't actually married, and had the income to travel around to date all the hot guys here, I wouldn't mind showing quite a few of them a nice time...the usual, a nice dinner out, a show or movie...quiet time...

I opted to knock off Brian, and Jim and Rich Crampton. Brian would be on the observation deck of the WTC, and the two Crampton brothers in the office of a client on one of the floors struck, discussing a deal for new construction in Claremont and elsewhere. The rest of JP's family still doesn't know about Brian, so his loss is to his adoptive family only, but JP and the rest find out about Jim and Rich when the rest of the family calls from Ohio upon seeing the news that morning. A big family complication is that somebody is raising a ruckus against Jim's and Rich's wills, as well as the trust left by their father--which predate those wills and ultimately determines who will hold all the beautiful, wealthy stock of Crampton Construction Company. JP, Stef, Brad, Robbie and Darius are all touring the colleges that Darius has applied to, and end up stuck and unable to return home for several days as a result--they, because of time commitments, do like many others and--since they're fairly well to do--just buy a car big enough to hold them and their luggage comfortably and drive across country home, taking turns at the wheel. And yes, they end up making a stop in Claremont. (Just something about that town that keeps drawing them back) Matt and Wade are visiting their parents, together, and things actually go reasonably well once Matt's parents realize that Wade is 'the senator's son', since they're such brown-nosers, but Matt's lawsuit against the bank went and started a state investigation against the bank when it was later audited, even though he filed to dismiss the suit--the feds discovered an impropriety by the bank's management in the handling of Matt's Trust, and things went downhill within the bank from there. No harm to Matt, though, the feds made the bank put money back into his trust. Wade's little brother is ready to introduce Wade to his boyfriend...and to ask Wade to back him up while he comes out... Meanwhile back in Claremont, lovely little place that it is, when our 'gang' gets there it's obvious that school has just started, and kids are out on the weekend...and they all bump into the lavender-eyed Hayes' kids (the ones in High School now)...lo' and behold all three of the triplet are gay! (wouldn't that frost Fred to know that his grandkids are all gay?!?) Just a few ideas, Mark...

Ah, Jeremy, mon ami! You take the wrong interpretation from me! I was responding to the previous poster's calling Marcel a 'clunker'...we have to have his POV from time to time, just because it is different. And it's interesting for his english speaking side as well, since his primary language in Canada is French, his english might be getting a little rusty by now...

Well, Mark, the way you wrote him and had his thought processes laid out, he comes across just that way--you were successful in having the character interpreted the way you intended him to come across.

What other universities have good law schools? There are several...including one in Chicago, if I recall correctly--since someone from another board I'm on is going there currently. This might be a good poll question if we can get enough Uni's listed.

Maybe while you're at UCR you'll get some time off on a weekend and go to D'land...maybe we could meet there.

That's one thing that surprised me, J-, but Brad always seemed to be very sure of himself, and his conversations with JP and Maman always seemed to drive home that they expected him to always be sure of himself in dealing with others. Did I read that wrong, or am I putting a spin on it?

Now, MW85, you have to bear in mind that Marcel is also french...

Yeah....turning the tables on Neil was fantastic! One of the best, if not the single best, scenes in the whole series! The other would be when Matt Carrswold called some school whore a skank in front of a whole bunch of students after she called him a faggot!

The US doesn't even allow the importation of this cheese from Italy, and as with all things banned from importation, there's a hefty fine for those who try it.

How do I surpass the greatness of those last 'Happy Birthday!' wishes? I guess brevity is the heart and soul of character, so: Ditto!

The way I see it, it could only have happened if they were assigned to the same unit together. Then, during battle, a couple of guys who resembled them closely were killed in such a way that burns and facial features were unrecognizable, leaving only dog-tag ID...that would have been accepted as positive ID in most cases, especially if their uniform shirts were also switched, then they could have abandoned using someone else's identity until the end of the war...but it doesn't sound like the type of character that either of them were.

As far as when? I had it figured out by the time I was 9...but didn't really come out to anyone until 16, and finally got comfortable with the idea when I moved out of my parents the first time at 21. It is Mark's story, and I'm sure he won't disappoint us in this regard--at least one of the boys will be gay! (out of three we could get one of each--gay, bisexual and straight!) So, I'm fairly sure we'll see a very responsible, close, loving and caring set of brothers, even if one turns out heterosexual I'm fairly sure he won't have negative biases toward homosexuals. And I love you, three, Mark!

Something like that...but it ain't Tootsie Roll Pops!

It was funny to hear the two africans saying, "These are the crazy, white man's goats!"

Well...I don't so much lick as suck nowadays...it works much better!

Adam, while I have faith in Mark's ability to work "miracles" as the God of this particular story series, you must have only finished a chapter--or stopped in the middle of one. Jeff's death was no accident, and it was a suicidal overdose. His remains were identified, and verified either through fingerprints or dental records. The letter he left behind was read in one of the stories, also. Don't think I'm against you here, reading of Jeff's death was a 3-day tear jerker for me.

True, I even lost count once trying to figure it out... Benji, you need more practice, you put your answer inside your quote of me. My tongue is plenty big enough to lick just about any hand-holdable sucker...

Not up on the European TV market, but an explorer with a Native American must be an interesting TV Series...wouldn't be a european version of "The Lone Ranger" would it? (I'm thinking not, as he was a cowboy, not an explorer)