MJ85

So this whole thing can be traced back to the original Thompson brothers' perversion of their own sexuality, of warping it to use it in a twisted, evil power dynamic (referencing your latest reply right above mine)......all those years ago. A dynamic that their family line has, no doubt, continued ever since. At what point does the Thompson Curse (as it were, even if a self-inflicted one) finally end? Especially given that the world is far removed now from what it was then. What is the purpose of holding on to this revulsion, this denial of being a male loving another male? Especially since it's not like the Thompson name carries any genuine prestige that it may have before. Allowing, of course, for the fact that Levi, meanwhile, has his own journey of self-acceptance to commence forthwith...

I'm not sure I agree with "nothing redemptive", but to your point about nothing that we have seen - are elements in motion that have just been out of our view? Or is perhaps Casey not even consciously aware of a way to redemption, as yet? I for one am wondering about the backstory about how "The Thompsons" came to be "The Thompsons", as they are now known, so to speak. @Mark Ponyboy Peters is there a prior story I ought to consult for a refresher on that score?

Indeed. And I'm of the mind that perhaps Levi is not the only one over the course of this story to be in a position to be thrust out of or even defy the reputation of one's upbringing... 🤔

I'd say you are a week early, sir.

About that...turns out that apparently such seven-figure advances were becoming more and more commonplace at the time that he wrote/released this. That in turn makes me wonder if maybe it wasn't actually as "highly anticipated" as that would suggest? IDK. The Rise of the Seven-Figure Advance (article is from 2014)

This kind of makes me wonder how Phil's history with Matt...came about, so to speak. Back in Chapter 4, Matt said Phil was one of the only people who knew he was gay, doing so "with an expression on his face that [Luke] found difficult to read. [Luke didn't] know if it was guilt or shame, or a combination of both". Then in Chapter 10 when they were play-fooling around, it occurs to Luke that Matt and Phil had been lovers...

And here I was thinking this should've been Monday's word of the day.

A perfect example of how it can be both the most populous city in the U.S. and fairly isolated/insulated unto itself.

That is specifically a sample, where it's made overt that at least parts of the already-existing song are being re-used in the new one, and the creators of the previous song are credited. See also: "I'll Be Missing You" sampling "Every Breath You Take", "SOS" sampling "Tainted Love", "Fantasy" sampling "Genius of Love" - just to name a few.

Zonked is what happens when you just got swindled into Making a bad bad Deal.

Full disclosure: Apparently Kramer and said partner (David Webster) had originally had a relationship in the 70s, but it ended somewhere before 1978 - and that split is in turn what inspired the book. They'd get back together in 1991 - and then, in turn, were together for the rest of Kramer's life.

I could be wrong, but somehow I suspect the second question is the one that's more pressing for Steve here. I go back and forth between briefs and boxer-briefs - briefs slightly more often, I usually just switch if I'm feeling kind of "constricted", so to speak, on a given day. For instance, yesterday I wore boxer-briefs, today I'm wearing briefs. Form-fitting/supportive, and not too tight. I gave up regular boxers years ago - too loose for me, which I don't really find comfortable, especially when they'd bunch up. (And if it matters, having that "slot" does not help; I entered "yes, I don't use" for #2 because while most of my pairs don't have it, some still do.)

Old habits die hard?

I myself am 5'6, so I'd probably consider guys who are...say, 5'9-5'11, taller than me enough that it's noticeable, but not really beyond that. Go 6' and above, and for me it starts to look like a mismatch if me and the other guy got together. In any case, the consistent reference to David being tall made me wonder what kind of height dynamic was in play here.