Carlos Hazday

DiC houses all the colors of the rainbow! I'm kinda vanilla and boring but have plenty of friends in different communities. Just because someone does things differently, doesn't mean they're wrong. It's refreshing to read your comments, we have some uppity, judgemental, jerks on GA and it's great to see someone accept someone else's choices.

Thanks, bud. Our constitution leaves a lot open to interpretation. That's the responsibility of the courts ultimately. Not all decisions have been perfect and politics and the times definitely influence them. The Bill of Rights is a good example of writing that's not entirely clear or easy to comprehend.

Must be hell being snowed in for the next six months in the dark. I'll think of him next time I pop a brewski by the pool.

Are you you also to blame for the big black box underneath the poll, Val? I assume it's a link to a video, but I get nothing but a black screen.

Martin forgot lightning when he conjured up the storm. A few crispy bigots would have been a great sight.

Cute... But body glitter? You nearly lost me there.

I can't begin to imagine how hard it is to write something like this. I couldn't do it. I'm in pain just reading it. Very, very well done, my friend.

Can you trust me? Am I devious enough to use misdirection? I swore to protect identities when I took this job. 😁

Don't make me fly out thete... you may end up stuck with me.

You have my address? Edibles are acceptable presents for all the holidays mentioned above. Jus saying...

LMAO - Don't credit me with that one AC, I'm just the messenger. It's 's fault. She sent in the questions!

Living in South Florida, the chances of a cold, snowy December are about as good as the chances of me not messing up commas in my writing. This time of year, my thoughts often turn to scaling the border wall and visiting our neighbors to the north. Oh, wait, never mind about that wall. Wrong direction. Anyway, because I’m thinking of snow, our Canadian members come to mind. The current issue of Ask an Author features a few of our authors from the frozen north. For good measure, I’ve added several Europeans to the mix. I’ve never been to Scandinavia, but I heard they get a couple of inches of the fluffy white stuff over there too. I have, however, visited Colorado and know what it’s like to fall on your ass and slide halfway down the side of a mountain. So, before we tackle the denizens of the higher latitudes, let’s visit with someone who can tell us all about living Rocky Mountain high. @MacGreg • What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? All three of these have elements that turn me on. Creative projects, vibrant, thoughtful, digging at the marrow of life; spiritual beliefs that we're all interwoven, connected in this life and meant to be here in this moment; courageous expression, benevolence, seeking truth, -finding worth in the mundane – all of these stimulate me. I could continue with intelligence, diligence, humor, loyalty, humility… but I won’t hog the blog with a laundry list of impetuses. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? “You did a fine job whipping people into shape down there. Now let’s see what you can do up here!” • • • • • @Dodger • What natural gift would you most like to possess? I’ve learned how to read people a lot better than I used to which helps me to weed out those who are detrimental to my well-being. Some people can do this naturally, but I’ve been too trusting in the past and easily fooled. I’m talking about life in general and not merely relationships. I’m tougher now, but it took a long time to learn. It may sound lame but to be a good judge of character is a very useful gift to have. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? You’re late! That’s assuming, of course, I make the cut in the first place. I’m hoping there’s an appeal process in which case, I may have to go all the way to the supreme court to squeeze in. On a more serious note. Having seen the damage religion does to people; I tend to follow a more atheist doctrine nowadays, but everyone to their own. • • • • • @Mikiesboy • If you were reincarnated as a plant or animal, what would you be? I'd be a large handsome Airedale, the King of Terriers. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? You're forgiven, now forgive yourself. • • • • • @wildone • I’m still mourning Santa... With the holiday season upon us, what is your present state of mind? I`m jovial! Actually looking forward to this year’s Christmas. Since Santa has arisen from the dead, from what I can tell, I think everyone will enjoy the holiday season this year without worrying about me. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome to the Hotel California. Wouldn`t that be cool? Really, I thought it would be neat if you went in to theatre and watched your life on a big screen with a laugh track and other sound effects to make it look like a black and white silent Charlie Chaplin film. • • • • • @Headstall • What sound or noise do you love?  Sound or noise? I would have to say the sounds of nature, and my horse's whinny would top the list. She's quite vocal, and we 'talk' every day. I also love listening to the conversations birds have from morning to evening, whether with each other or with me as I walk around the farm. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? If heaven does exist, I would want to hear God say my mom was waiting for me in the gardens on the south lawns. • • • • • @Ivor Slipper • What quality do you like most in a person? Kindness - especially to animals. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? "Err, I think you misread the date on your invitation, you're not due for another fifty years." • • • • • @Puppilull • What is your most marked characteristic? This is a tough question and I spent quite some time coming up with these few lines. I would prefer a friend tell me, but I’ll give it a try. I think I have to pick two traits: intuitive and analytical, if that is even a possible combination. To me, I see them as equally strong in myself. Growing up I more or less disregarded my analytical side and was convinced I was an artsy, flaky person. With dreams of writing for a living, I guess it suited me to think so, even if it didn’t really add up. Then, only a few years ago, a friend told me “Intuition is just fast track logic” and that made so much sense. Suddenly, these two seemingly opposite traits could meld. I need logic to make sense of the world around me, but I don’t have to spell everything out. Analyzing my gut feeling seems like a waste of time, and I prefer to rely on my intuition to guide me. Despite being prone to logical coldness, I have no problem reading and tuning into other people’s emotions. Sometimes I wish they would make more sense, though their weirdness does provide a lot of fodder for writing. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Initial reaction would be ”Wow, this was a surprise!”. I’m not a religious person in that way. If there are any powers to the universe, they aren’t a bearded man at some impressive gate in the clouds. More some sort of energy-based entity. But that could be my trekkie side talking. Even if I haven't believed in God while living, who would pass up an opportunity to meet the big guy? As for his judgement of me, I think I'm pretty safe. The mistakes I've made have been few and far between. And rather boring. The head honcho, on the other hand, has some explaining to do. Just look around you in the world today. I mean, what is going on? On darker days, I think it’s a rather cruel joke. When I’m in a positive mood, I view it as a learning experience. So hopefully, he'd say welcome and let me have at him with my lawyer style questioning. I can't imagine God shying away from some serious examination. In the meanwhile, I doubt we’ll ever get an answer. But that’s good. If we had all the answers, what would be left for dreams and writing? • • • • @Timothy M. • Mouthwash aside, What is your favorite cuss word? Well, in Danish it would either be Pokkers! or Pis! The latter is easy to translate since the English word Piss is similar. Pokkers means Pox or ‘May the Pox get you’ in the original version ‘Gid Pokker må tage dig.’ I have to admit to using Fuck and Shit a lot, because they’re less offensive when speaking Danish than they’d be in UK or the USA. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? “Welcome to the Heavenly Library. All the books you could ever want to read may be found here. You have all of Eternity to enjoy them.” • • • • • @Thorn Wilde • What is your dream of happiness? I guess my dream of happiness would be to live comfortably off my writing and my music. I have no need to be rich, I'd just like to be able to not worry about bills and rent, and have a bit left over for nice things for myself afterwards. I'd like to be able to go to concerts and spend time with my friends and be my own nerdy self. Basically, financial freedom, I suppose. • • • If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? If heaven exists, I guess I'd like to hear, 'Welcome! Come greet your dad and your granddad, and all your cats who died.' It wouldn't be heaven without cats. I don't really believe in heaven or hell, but if there's an afterlife, I'd like to spend it with all the people I miss. • • • • • That’s it for this month. Hope you enjoyed the format the last two months. In January, we return to the traditional approach. In the meantime, Happy Hanukah, Festivus, Solstice, Christmas, Boxing Day, and New Year!

CJ will make believers out of us all! Guess I did my job. Entertainment with a challenging subject. Readers like you keep me going, bud.

I don't think corporal punishment is in the cards...

@Dodger Thanks, bud. The reaction has been way beyond anything I could have hoped for. I dealt with complicated issues in less than 3k words so I had to choose what to focus on and it was the adults' reaction and the kid's speech. The entire episode could be turned into a much longer tale. I think the shortness here made it much more accessible, but then again the overwhelming response could be due to readers appreciating something other than the usual happy travelogues I write LOL

I suspect a lot of adults, gay and straight, would agree with you. Thanks for reading and commenting.

@Cole Matthews Thanks, Cole. I disagree with you. I don't see a need for more than what's presented as a reason for the way he reacts. I've found it interesting nobody referenced this line at all: I don't think we need a personal experience to feel outraged at seventeen people at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School being murdered, or any of the other mass shootings we seem to experience on a regular basis. Or be surprised at a teen saying Congress needs to get off their fucking asses and do their jobs; that's mild language compared to what I hear from kids his age. I support gun ownership and I feel the same frustration. In the story, Rogelio's father's a multiple-firearm owner so he's not been raised in a rabid anti-gun home. Each of us reacts differently and some may have considered Rogelio a wuss for only punching back against the principal after Lamont and Valerie got involved. Although an underlying factor, gun ownership was not meant to be the focus; standing up for what we believe in, and not allowing those in power to push us around was what inspired me.

I'm not that surprised a musician would be interested in learning about genderqueer matters. I think artistic individuals tend to be more accepting of differences. Obviously not all, but a high percentage.

I know, right? I wonder who took over my body and wrote a certain proposal and the subsequent wedding. As recently as this past week someone teared up. We all know my preferred happy endings include ass kicking and broken noses.

@dughlas The more we encourage kids like Rogelio (or for that matter CJ) to get involved and speak up, the better our chances for positive change. Thanks, Dugh. You have no idea how much I appreciate all the comments this story has garnered. And I agree it's wonderful to see different opinions expressed without anyone resorting to name calling.

@droughtquake Now we're teetering on a political discussion so I'll just say, Federalism, capitalism, and mobility can be powerful forces. If a state's unable to or unwilling to raise taxes to fund education, they will sooner or later lose population to places that do, and businesses will not necessarily flock to lower taxes locations. Without getting into detail, Amazon's new headquarters locations are a perfect example; Virginia and New York aren't exactly low tax burden locations.

My pleasure! By now you know I like setting stories in the real world and this one was no exception. Inspiration for me often comes from news reports.

Thank you, Dave. We're definitely on the same page.

Nurses have been historically overworked and under compensated. When fewer people went into the profession and shortages appeared, wages went up. Maybe we need something similar in education. I know there was a shortage in parts of Florida and school boards started offering monetary incentives when recruiting. Supply and demand is a wonderful way of eliciting desired outcomes.