Ron

Yes, I agree that this is a good series overall. I thought the first two books were truly something new and exciting, but the third book managed to meander off for me.

I am enjoying the "Happy Birthdays" and "Happy Anniversaries", and the occasional "Congratulations" being given here, and they are wonderful sentiments to be sure. I can't help thinking that what Gay Authors has been doing these many years is more... than. My few short words will undoubtably fail to express the impact GA has had for so many of us toward encouraging and moving so many toward a new experience -- that our voices do have an impact through the written word. This is absolutely a result of the sometimes-stimulating interchange among authors and again on the various other forums (contributers, thank you), but also those interactions (be they public or private) between the author and the reader -- they have an impact. We all grow, or fade, as each person wants to do, but overall, and without doubt this organization and this website strikes me as a place worth the time and effort afforded by each one of us. Thank you everyone.

@northie We are apparently alike according to the "test". I didn't try to guess ahead, I answered as honestly (and privately using Google's Incognito browser) as I could, though I did have to think about some of my private opinions prior to checking a response.

It's a curious examination but one, I think, that has more to do with where you are in life (age for example) and situation (employed, unemployed, retired, location of residence, single or partnered, etc.) now than an overall definition of the individual throughout time. At this point in my life, I am considered a high 9: The Peacemaker - With a secondary peak at 5: The Investigator - And a smaller peak at 4: The individualist. I know that I would have answered the personality questions differently at other times in my life. I will note that I have often been a peacemaker of a kind so that's been a recurring attribute of mine, so there's that. I do think that at other times in my life the numbers for the various personality equations would have been more evenly spread for me.

You're so bad!

Looks like they're sending Nichelle Nichols into space. Follow the link for a free to read article from the Boston Globe.

Congratulations on your promotion, northie.

Safari browser on iPad works fine. PC using latest Chrome and I'm still seeing double avatars in various posts. But Chrome has been acting weird for this site over the last couple of updates -- I occasionally get a black page stating the GA's site is not secure and asks if I want to continue to the site. The lock is ahead of the site address, so I don't know what's going on there either.

It's not hard to understand that the youngest and the oldest members would make up a smaller piece of the chart. But overall, there's a good spread among the rest of the age groups. Seems like an author wouldn't have too hard of a time finding their age demographic to write for. I divide my time between my PC and my iPad in turn to access GA, sometimes this and sometimes that, and I'm just a little over two months away from being sixty-three years old. I've just earned the rare badge of being on-site 365 days in a row, but before badges I was here consistently regardless using one thing or the other.

Speaking of sad metaphors and innuendos, maybe I should’ve added a Ba-dum-ch at the end. My bad!

Sorry, @Zombie it’s just far too long for me.

Oh, it's come to this... sad metaphors.

This is an exceptionally effective way to keep the temperature down, it helps considerably with air-con cost, too. Sadly, but not too sadly, I never see my garden, but then again, it's too hot to spend time in the garden and quite frankly it's overgrown which is great for the bees and other pollinators, but the garden is looking scruffy beyond imagination. Then again, I don't see it with the curtains closed and I don't spend time in it either because it's surrounded by brick and it radiates heat which makes the garden too hot to spend time in it, and so I don't worry about my garden's condition... Is that a solution where everyone benefits? I have direct access to the garden, but other condominium owners in my mid 1800's townhouse do not; they must traverse down the fire escape or travel around the block and enter through the back gate; a journey of a full city block. This is to say that I have the sole use and I am also the only one to perform all the maintenance work which I have zero desire to do now in my dotage (if one can make fun of one's aging and make [sad] jokes about his aging that's a good sign right?). Anyway, stay cool as you can do.

Reading improves comprehension! But, no, I'm not saying they can read. @Mancunian has it right, you just need pictures; diagrams or line drawings work equally well.

I just noticed that the instruction manual for the car repair shows the same position the two men are in. One could say that they were just following directions.

Never mind.

I have always been an avid reader from the moment I learned how, but I read a variety of different topics from the usual childhood things -- with an emphasis on nature books. But when I got to fifth grade, in our middle-school library I discovered Doc Savage and I read as many books of this series as I could find there. After that I found more in my town's library, and I read until I exhausted that supply, too. Doc Savage first showed up in pulp magazines of the 30's and 40's and then made it into the paperback books I began to read so the character had a good run, I'd say. Keep in mind that I had no real inkling that I was gay yet, but what a man and his adventures were exciting! Later I discovered The Hobbit, and we all know what that leads to... a lifelong joy of reading fantasy and more Tolkien.

Congratulations on your promotion @astone2292

Microwave your asparagus. This is something new to me that I found by searching if this was a viable option, and it turned out to be a marvelous way to cook asparagus. Heating up the house by turning on the stove (gas in my case) to heat up water is not something I want to do in the warmer months if I can avoid it. For enough trimmed, medium-sized asparagus for one as a side dish. Microwave 1100 watts - paper towels sufficient to roll asparagus until completely wrapped (mine took four half-sheets) - your choices of seasoning - water. Lay out sufficient paper towels on the counter or cutting board. Trim and rinse asparagus shaking off excess water but do not dry and place on paper towels. Season asparagus to your preference. Roll asparagus in paper towels until covered with the seamed side down (if paper towels can be folded under on one or both ends do so). Sprinkle paper towels with water until wet but not dripping. Place the asparagus on microwave plate seam side down. Microwave for 3-4 minutes (depending on microwave power) and let sit for 2 more minutes. Open microwave door carefully, there will be hot steam, and remove covered asparagus with tongs to avoid burning yourself. Carefully unwrap the asparagus, plate them, and season further if you like, the addition of a pat of butter or some superior quality olive oil is more than acceptable here. Note: This worked like a charm. I set my microwave for 3.5 minutes and the asparagus was a little overcooked, so I'll try half-a-minute less the next time. I ground sea salt on the asparagus before wrapping and it didn't need more afterward, but I did mix some olive oil, a smidgen of Dijon mustard and a splash of sherry vinegar in a small bowl (I know, those aren't very precise measurements) and I spread that over the cooked asparagus, delicious. If you're cooking for more than one person or your asparagus is thick or thin sized, you'll need more or less time in the microwave. Begin with 5 minutes for thick stalks and check for doneness after the 2-minute sitting time, microwave in short intervals if further cooking is required. And of course, less time is needed if you're using thin stalked asparagus. Enjoy!

Remuneration is an archaic word (often used by accountants and lawyers), often confused with renumeration... The first means payment and the latter means recount, so it can be better to skip confusion and use informal words. Though, of course, it's wise to know the definition when you do see words less often seen.

Sorry to hear you caught the bug, Steve.

I think I may name a female character Plaudet (just to make it slightly different) in a future story. It would be a good name, don't you think? Of course, I'll have to fuss with the spell check issue.

This has been up for a while, and no one has said the obvious yet so I will... Rob, if you're listening it's been too long since we've had a story from you. And... Yes, dear readers, I know it's been a while since you've had the pleasure of something new from me, too. There are plans to rectify this anomaly.

@AC Benus Oh, my! Whatever could that be for?!! Is there a movie playing on the other side?

This is funny for what it’s meant to hint at, and it is funny for just that reason. Although, anyone standing on the other side of the sheet would need to step upon a stool for this scenario to work well. Yet, still, the implication remains humorous.