C James

Hmmm ... Vance likes the picture I have posted better than the shirtless one of me in boxers! lol Or I could always just switch back to the picture of Elton John in a tutu ... Hmmmm! You have raised a most interesting issue, LB! The shirtless one of you that I saw only showed your shoulders (you were laying down). So, this obviously means that there are more shirtless pictures of you... But, even with a shirt on, the one in your profile now is a hot photo... As for which is hotter... Hmmmm.. I think the only fair way to make the determination is LET YOUR FANS DECIDE!!!!! I hereby submit this modest proposal for a new thread.. A poll as to which of the pictures is hottest. We will of course need to see the aforementioned shirtless-in-boxers photo, and any others you might have... So, anyone care to chime in and offer a vote of support, so we can see more of LB?

Haha ... I just put a fairly recent photo of me (January 2006) in my profile ... I'll leave it there for the next 24 hours in case anyone wants to see that I'm really not that good-looking ... and after that, I'll switch it back to that hot pic of Edison Chen, my favorite Chinese pop singer! *drools* Uhhh, LB, I think that I clearly win this particular argument! People, go take a look at the photo! Bear in mind that probably isn't the most flattering of camera angles, either! I could also very easily picture you with longer hair, about like that of "Connor" on the SOOTB main page. Sorry, LB, but I agree with Elton John's assessment of you on this one! (and surely, you wouldn't want to contradict Elton, now would you?) I'll also mention that I wasn't just guessing about LB... He's had his pic in his profile before, quite a few months ago... A Shirtless pic, that time!

I like your choice for Cody (that's spot-on for how I envision him), and I see the choice of Alex Pettyfer (though a different picture) made it to the SOOTB page here as Connor's photo! That's a great choice IMHO! As for Ryan... Check out the SOOTB page at Awesomedude, and that's just how I picture Ryan, and he's even playing Lacrosse! Link to page For Connor, I like the pic on the SOOTB page, but here is one that fits my image of him a bit more closely.

Chapter 21 of DIR will the the 100th chapter of the DO series, so I can see why DK might want a change. I'm sure that whatever he chooses to write will be great, whether it's something to do with DO or not. I dunno... For some reason, I'd just prefer my state to be first in something other than gubernatorial impeachments, federal indictments, and convictions. Sort of like (I'm guessing) that you aren't overly thrilled with Florida being target #1 for hurricanes... Hmmm, hurricanes and politicians... They do, upon reflection, have so much in common... Both contain an enormous amount of hot air, and can be massively destructive.. I too thought it was great that Davey got to play in the Olympics! This time, he sure does seem to be "doing it right", IMHO, as things seem so much better all the way around. The OBL hunt sure looks fascinating, too! Good luck with your moving. I know all too well what hell that can be (especially international moves, which I've done). It usually takes me about a year to get over mine (and months to prepare), and come to think of it I still have boxes to unpack from several moves ago. I should probably adopt a new rule: If I haven't opened the box in a decade, I probably can survive without it and should get rid of it. Now that is certainly an interesting idea! They certainly could to that, especially as Davey has "inside info" regarding what will happen. Hmmm.. I definitely think you are on to something there! Thanks! As for other things coming up in DIR... I have concerns regarding the health of Davey's father. If I recall correctly, he passed away in timeline 1 around this time, and then in DO as well. One of the things I like most about this whole series is the gradual "redemption" of Davey's Father.

Back when this was posted, one thing I sure didn't think was that Trent would end up getting his ass kicked by Connor! I love the unexpected twists and turns of this story!

I like the changes! Both the editing and the formatting and background (assuming I'm remembering correctly) changes are great! That's a very moving story. The part about your friend was both uplifting and, at the end, poigniant and sad. That really blows that your friends parents split you up. And, yes, you were deliciously evil for getting him naked every chance you got! I think, though, that you may well have dodged a bullet. Think about what might have happened had things gone on for a few months, and you had turned 18. His parents might have filed charges. I do see why you love Elton John so much! I'll close with one final, innocent ( ) observation: It is indeed well known that Hot younger guys are picked out of the audience at EJ concerts, as LB was. Elton John is also known to have very discerning tastes in men (and knows hot when he sees it!) and called LB "handsome". I'll leave it to the active imagination of the readers as to was this says about LB's appearance..

How right you are! I was, though, torn between Connor and Toby. Toby was described by Mikey as "sex on legs", and I love his sometimes-devilish attitude. He's also a swimmer, and I love swimmers and divers! One of my all-time favorite stories has a guy in it who becomes a swimmer and diver (Shane..)

IMHO, it's not going to make DK feel great if he comes back and finds his forum inactive due to his abscence of just a few days. Dom's still gets posts and Dom hasn't been active for weeks. So, would anyone care to join me (please) in some speculation about what will happen in 15 or later chapters? My hunch is that Davey has plans for Bin Laden... I also find the conjunction with the upcoming operation Desert Fox (Clinton's 4-day strike on Iraq) to be very interesting. If Davey knows where Bin Laden will be, could he use his military status to gain access to targeting co-ordinates for standoff weaponry like the Tomahawk cruise missile? From their launch points in the Red Sea (where some of the TLAM's for Desert Fox were actually launched from) Sudan (where Bin Laden was at that time) is well within range (It's where Clinton's missile attack on Sudan was lauched from). And, once a missile is launched, it doesn't matter if anyone notices it going "off course", as there is no way to self-destruct a warshot (contrary to what you see in the movies). This theory would be predicated on Davey gaining access to the cruise missile targeting packages, which would require access that he probably doesn't presently have. BUT, he did probably have high-level access codes during his naval career in DO, and they might work in this timeline, soooo... OK, that's one theory I have... It's about all I can think of that won't require him to "come out" as a time traveler to anyone. Unless, of course, Davey and Brian are going to personally go hunting...

I had no idea! Ok, you say don't ask.. but, I'm one nosy bastard (and Goats aren't known for their tact) so I'm very curious: What was the genre? If I had to guess, I'd guess either History, or, given your current location and specialty, instruction manuals? I recall a friend of mine, about a dozen years ago, who proudly announced that he was being published, and promised us all a copy of his book. We got one, too: turned out, it was a technician's spec and maintenance manual for a hydraulic valve assembly (talkmotor). Not exactly riveting recreational reading.

I posted a comment about that in the chapter thread, but should have read this thread first. Y'all beat me to it by a day or more. I don't know how I missed this thread before. I did vote in the poll just now, so I guess I couldn't have voted previously?

I think that's a good way to describe SOOTB, too: deeply and complexly written. I hope LB doesn't take offence, but when the first chapter went up, but before I read it, I was fairly skeptical: he was a new writer, and I'm skeptical about ongoing series at the best of times, and usually avoid them even from established writers such as Dom, until they are well underway. But, the first chapter of SOOTB intrigued me, and I was fully hooked by Chapter 2. I really loved the whole Toby-Ryan dilemma, and how well portrayed both bothers are. Speaking of Ryan, and his current problem, I just thought I'd toss out this quote from chapter 5, regarding Ryan's ADD (attention Deficit Disorder) That, IMHO, could explain a heck of a lot about his current atypical behavior.

I was wondering when someone was going to suggest viewing the evidence... Not because I object, but because I think it's an excellent idea and just didn't want to be the first to suggest it. Seriously though, I don't care what he looks like, and I love his writing!

Nick, might I guess that you don't like Ryan too much? I like Ryan, except for whatever his current problem is. I've been wondering who will end up with whom.. My guess at the moment is likely to get me flamed, but remember, they are just wild guesses (and I'm not even saying if these are what I'd like to see). Connor/Cody. I think Cody was written very deeply and complexly, much more like a major character than a minor one. This is especially true of his mother. There definitely seemed to be chemistry between Connor and Cody, as well. It's also looking clear that Ryan and Connor are getting closer to a major split, unless whatever is wrong with Ryan changes. Mikey and Dominic... Just a hunch here. And finally, I'm going to go WAY off the deep end here.. And theorize about the longshot of all longshots. Suppose that the reason Trent Lomax is such a homophobic bully is that he is gay and in denial? What if his fight prompts a major self-evaluation, and some major personality changes? What if a newly single and still odd-acting (pluss bitter and dejected) Ryan ends up being friends, and then more, with him? (oh, boy, am I gonna get flamed for this one!) Elanor Van Epps... Hmmm. I don't know who (or if) she ends up with anyone in the story. But, for some reason, I clearly see her going to law school. Buddha, I have been accused of a great many things my a great many people, but I can assure you that "thinking too much" is not amongst them! Well, my predictions above for who-ends-up-with-whom might stir some conversation... Or, get me lynched.

ROFL! With Gaydar like mine, is it any wonder that I sometimes doubt it exists? Interesting! I'm very intrigued by Lesbians with gaydar, as it sort of disproves the theory of "it takes one to know one". I've never been "gaydared", either, which is one of the things that makes me wonder just how much reality their is to gaydar. However, cases like yours sure seem convincing! Glomph, I'm really sorry to hear about this. That must be painful. Have you ever considered looking him up? Also, is it possible that he wasn't even out to himself? I remember when I was in my senior year of High school, and was still in denial. I had a Best Friend who I was, I can now admit, very jealous and possessive of. At the time, I thought I just wanted to be best friends, but now I can see that I really wanted more. Had he at that time offered, I'd have probably been shocked and turned him down. Still, your story is very poigniant indeed. I was lucky that my guy actually did something about it, or I'd have been in a similar situation. However, in my case, there wasn't the emotional issue. While we did become boyfriends, it was soon apparent to both of us that we were not in love, just good friends who enjoyed, well, being more than friends. So, when he moved, it wasn't a sad breakup for either of us, and we did stay in touch for a while.

I don't know if I'm correct or not, but in my expiriance the guy a Lesbian is with for cover is a "beard", while the cover girlfriend of a gay guy is a "cover". I have, however, heard "beard" used for both, though not often. Wow. Thanks for sharing that. That could indeed have been weird for you. What I find very interesting though is that you do sometimes have physical attraction to women, but not emotional. I'm the opposite: I've often found some women emotionally attractive, but never felt any physical attraction at all. So, your feelings for your freind would have been the norm for me when it comes to women. Maybe that's why I have so many Lesbian friends. It sounds to me like you have a great outlook! Yep... I've seen gay guys who end up in straight marraiges, so I would guess it would be sort of like that for both of you. Not a good situation IMHO. The Married couple I mentioned are basically married on paper only. They do live together, but at separate ends of a very large house. As far as I know, they have never been more than just good friends. From what they say, I think they got married mainly for legal and financial reasons. Hmmmm, I wonder if this is a form of Gay marriage that even the homophobes could support? After some thought, though, I think you are right about Cameron: he must have at least some "gaydar" to have been able to find guys to hook up with as often as he did.

Excellent point! I'm surprised to say I did too! I have no recollection of that paragraph, and I tend to read the stories here very carefully, often reading sections 2 or 3 times....so I can't imagine how I missed it....perhaps I really am losing it :wacko: Kevin, it sounds like you should do very well when it comes time for the exam at the end of the story . Kitty LB's original reply ended with a wink, and in spite of that it never occurred to me that he might have added that to the chapter and re-posted it! I'd forgotten that full hosted authors can upload directly to their pages. Good eye, Kevin! Hey, does this mean that something I said impacted the story? Cool! I sure agree about Ryan.. Something is definitely up with him IMHO. And that picture of Connor is indeed adorable! Adorable and hot! As for Toby... I hope he pulls through, but you might want to keep those chopsticks handy!

Hmmmm! Those are some very interesting points! I never thought I had "Lesbiandar" BUT, after reading your post, I recalled the first few people I ever came out to. Two out of the three turned out to be Lesbians. I'd been looking for people I felt would be accepting, and were good friends, so picked them. I think I still do have more Lesbian friends than gay male friends. So, perhaps I do have "Lesbiandar" after all. Come to think of it, I'm usually more comfortable around Lesbians than I am around gay men. Thanks for bringing this up, or the possibility would never have occured to me. That could be why I was so oblivious in the roommate story of my previous post. I'd only been out to myself for a very short while (I was in denial until college). I was used to assuming that everyone was straight. I'm also (then and now) notorious for being oblivious to body language and subtext in all forms (I mis-read people and situations a LOT) even where sexuality is not involved. Good points. However (and this doesn't contradict anything you said), IMHO, in some cases someone deeply in the closet (Like I was) will take great pains to avoid giving any ambiguity or other clues. I do agree with the part about watching guys when they think they are out of sight: That can be a big clue!

I think my own gaydar is still often talked about by college friends of mine. In college, I was looking for a new place to stay, and a friend of a friend said that he was looking for a new roommate to split the trailer he was living in. I was deeply in the closet, and the idea of being roommates with this guy kinda scared me: He was very hot (blond, tan, surfer-type) and hardly ever wore a shirt (this was in Phoenix, Arizona, so not unusual). So, I was scared of "slipping" and being caught staring at the eye candy and outing myself. But, I needed a place, and he seemed like a nice guy, and he sure was nice to look at. In other words, I had a serious crush on him, and moved in. I was very paranoid that he would find out that I was gay. This was rather dumb, as he had commented many times about how stupid homophobia was. I'd agree with him on that, but was always careful to imply that it (homosexuality) "wasn't my thing". He usually hung around in the trailer in just boxers, and I sure had to struggle not to stare, especially when he stretched, which he did a lot. Sometimes, when we were drinking, he would let fly with comments like "I don't see why more guys aren't gay: a guy would be better at knowing what another guy likes in bed... I think every guy should try it at least once.." I'm suppose that most people reading this are starting to pick up on something about him.. But I didn't. I didn't even clue in on the fact that he just might be someone who would be open-minded enough to come out to. (in spite of his making statements like that!). One night, while drinking, we started play-wrestling on the couch. He started nibbling on my ear, and asked me if that bothered me. I said "no, feels great" and one thing quickly lead to another over the next few hours. Finally, a few hours later, it did finally dawn on me that he was probably gay. And, all it took was for this ping on my gaydar to occur was for us to have sex, with him starting it! Long story short (too late!), he was not only gay, but out (apparently everyone but me knew!), and flirting with me! And it took me MONTHS to find out. He said he thought I was straight, but wanted to see if I would "experiment". We ended up being boyfriends, but split up a few months later when he moved back East. I've always regretted those lost months, and the additional fun we could have had if I'd have figured it out sooner. I guess I'm just lucky that he decided to try making the first move, or I'd have probably never figured it out. So, if you can live with a very hot half-naked guy who is making passes at you and still be oblivious, then and only then can you say that you have gaydar on par with mine..

The subject of Gaydar came up on one of the story forums, and I thought it might be interesting to discuss it here. My own personal position is that of mild skepticism. I've yet to see gaydar in action, without fairly obvious clues. "Fairly obvious clues" would include stereotypical gay mannerisms, extreme effeminism, a high voice and manner of speech, etc. Now, my own "gaydar" is so bad that I often miss even very "out" guys! I'm a bit oblivious, but after years of practice I can now pick up on really subtle clues such as a guy kissing another guy in public. So, has anyone here ever seen gaydar in action in real life, in situations where clues are not obvious? I'm not trying to argue this one way or the other, I'm just curious what others here think.

This is what happens why you are trying to read a chapter while at work! ROFL! Yep, I somehow missed that entire paragraph!!! I often find I've missed things when reading. I guess it's a darn good thing I'm not an editor! Thanks for the heads up! I'll paste it here... Great! BTW, is that pic on the new SOOTB page your impression of Connor? All I can say is HOT! Very hot!

I have to agree. I think something is clearly going on, but, especially when dealing with psychology (far more than any other branch of medicine) LB has vast leeway: there simply isn't a "right" answer, as it could quite literally be almost anything. About the only thing I'm positive of right now is that something is amiss. I didn't find that so hard to believe.. Sadly, I've seen that sort of thing often enough. Basically, a surprise outing resulting in being tossed out in the emotional heat of the moment, and then calmer heads prevailing the next day. The problem is that (from what I've seen anyway) that the home environment is usually very uncomfortable after that, certainly in the near term. It's one of those things that can play out all sorts of ways, but I suspect that Mikey will have some rough times ahead. Comments? You mean like in a forum? Sorry, but I have no idea how to do that.. and I'm too lazy to post anyway. Thanks again for a great chapter in a great story! And congrats on the full hosted status! You have sure earned it!!! :graduated:

Stud-goat!! My hero. No question about it. The Lomax's of this world need to be removed from the gene pool. ROFL! Nah, at that time I bore a much greater resemblance to another critter: One that clucks and lays eggs. I only fought because I was cornered and he had started hitting me, not just shoving. Had I been able to run, I'd have done so. The bully was two years older than me and a lot bigger, and I was a devout chicken. I only fought back due to knowing that I had no reason not to: I was going to get beaten up anyway. I was already bleeding from a punch in the mouth, so I had no doubts as to what he intended. My goal, as I recall, was to just land one good punch. I did, just a jab to his nose, and I'm not really sure what happened. I don't know if I stunned him, or just surprised the heck out of him. That left him open to a sweet left cross, which I was delighted to deliver (I still have a little scar on my knuckle from his busted teeth ). At that point I still expected to lose, but he started to stagger, took a swing, missed, and turned away. That left him open to a kick to the back of the knees, and to my shock he went down, hard (right up until then, I was positive I'd lose). A kick to the nuts kept him there (which is why I really loved Connor kneeing Trent!) and then, well, I kept going until a teacher pulled me away about a minute (and a lot more kicks and punches) later. I think I kept going because I was so angry for the months of abuse the SOB had dished out. Maybe I also wanted to be sure there was no question as to who had won. I really don't know why, but I do remember that I never even considered stopping. I ended up with a fat lip, a black eye, and badly bruised and cut hands. He ended up with a broken nose, two black eyes, major dental work, a fat lip, a cracked rib, and plenty of sore body parts. Fortunately for me, this was in a far saner time, when the person starting the fight was the one who got in trouble. I never had any further trouble with him, nor for that matter did anyone else while I was around. For the remainder of my time in that school, no one tried to bully me at all. The very weird thing was that I was definitely NOT popular before the fight. The "in crowd" basically ignored me (If I was lucky). However, after the fight, suddenly they wanted to be palls! What phonies! I remembered them from before, though, so kept my distance, and also kept the same friends I'd had before. The biggest lesson I learned that day: Bullies are usually mostly bluff, and nowhere near as tough as they like you to think. I never ran from one again. I thought that, too. I've seen denial and "pulling away" from a sick person before, but it, I think usually applies only to the sick person, so I think I was wrong. I too am very perplexed regarding his reaction to Mikey (Ryan's best friend!) being thrown out of his home. I sure hope the problem with Ryan can be found and fixed, or I doubt that Connor and Ryan will be a couple for long. I'm wondering what will happen with that concert Connor has been asked to give. It's for the Seniors, and Trent Lomax is a senior.. That could get dicey if he (Lomax) decides to go for revenge. I wonder what will happen in Ch. 19? A lot of big issues seem to be coming to a head! Ryan's behavior, Toby's cancer, and the mystery as to why we didn't see any of Connor's friends or schoolmates so much as mention the fight with Lomax. Plus, what will happen with Mikey? And Cody? I've definitely noticed that! Hmmmm... As to where he got it... I suspect that a certain author here at GA, whom I shall not name (but I'll give a clue: his initials are DK), is corrupting LB! That might also explain the cruelty (rape, and now cancer) that LB is showing to his poor, innocent characters!

Steve, I think it's only fair to warn you that agreeing with me is the fastest and most efficient way to destroy your credibility on any group! Seriously though, I'm really looking forward to seeing how that angle plays out... I hope you have a great time on your sailing sojourn! Seville is indeed beautiful. Where are you heading next? Are you on an around-the-world sail? Kyle has a girlfriend? I don't recall seeing one mentioned? I may of course be just not remembering, as it's been a while since I've read the earlier chapters. If he does have a girlfriend, then that may indeed be very significant. I just hope that she is either his real girlfriend, or a *fully aware and informed* "cover". I stress the *aware and informed" part because one thing I utterly despise is a gay guy "leading on" a girl for use as a cover. I consider that to be very, very cruel if she is unaware of the situation, and as I like Kyle, I hope he wouldn't do that.

Nick, I hope I'm wrong, but I agree about Ryan: that scene with Mikey really blew me away, and made me wonder what the heck was going on with Ryan, as it seems now to be a lot deeper than "just" involving his brother. This does not bode well IMHO. As for the fight... Personally, I LOVED it that Connor beat up Trent Lomax! I have never been one to share in the angst about such things, as I consider bully-beating to be the best of all possible outcomes. Connor didn't start the fight, so IMHO there wasn't a thing wrong with pounding the bully into the ground. I can speak with some experience on this.. When I was in Jr. High, the school bully made me one of his targets. I did the usual avoid-and-hide, but one day I got cornered and was being beat up. I figured that if I was being beat up, I had no reason not to try and get a few licks in myself. To my utter shock (and, not doubt, that of every spectator), I won, and no, I didn't let the SOB off any easier than Connor did (I continued the fight well past the point of self-defence). Perhaps Connor's feelings of guilt are due to his other emotional issues. For me, though, I loved the scene, and couldn't see that he had a single thing to regret. I'm guessing that much of his angst comes from his underlying emotional and self-esteem problems. I'm also betting that this fight results in even bigger changes in his self-esteem than what we have already seen. One thing that surprised me, a LOT: Beating up the school bully would IMHO not pass quietly in Jr. High or high school, yet non of Connor's friends seem to be making a big deal over the fight (or even mentioning it). I find that odd because the one thing I did regret about the fight I mentioned above was that everybody made a big deal out of it. It took me about three hours of that before I had heard it so often that I almost wished I'd lost instead! They quite literally never seemed to shut up about it.