ReaderPaul

Excellent poem. I rarely read poetry, but this was well worth reading.

@drpaladin -- @Paladin -- @Bill W -- @sandrewn -- @Myr -- There is one more definition, used much less often. That would be -- restrained: to strain something in cooking or scientific study more than once, each time using a less coarse strainer.

A pleasant and enjoyable romp through the sky as two friends weave a story about what they are watching. The imagination of our two authors, @chris191070 and @BendtedWreath, runs wild in a happy way The tale is short, entertaining, and happy-toned, so much so that it is well worth reading. Thanks to two talented authors!

Okay. We know who is GA otter -- and who is the GA penguin -- is there a GA unicorn?

Love it! Great work, you two. Have @wildone and @Valkyrie seen this yet?

Paraphrasing Charles Dickens? Way to go, Chris!

Ha! Data privacy? The laws of the United States are too weak to REALLY regulate data privacy.

I have heard many euphemisms for the place where personal wastes are exited from the body. These include restroom, bathroom, relief station, relief room, necessary room, privy, stool room, latrine, outhouse, outdoor relief station, a couple of terms not suitable for inclusion on a public board, private room, washroom, water closet or W C, personal relieving area, and am probably not remembering some. Sometimes in the Christian Old Testament it was sometimes called "covering his feet" in the King James Version (KJV). Many items have euphemisms. An example of a now humorous euphemism was in an old book on marriage, which referred to a personal male part as the "male organ of generation" and urged cautious use if the "male organ of generation" was of large size. I chuckled out loud in the old bookshop at the phrasing.

Wow! Like so many persons I have seen, waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect weather, the perfect person -- it can lead to perfect regret. Well done!

Right. While the main money is technically that of Charlie, Kip, Rick and Adrian, Browbeat, Ragal, and Casper also use it. Also, when they bring guests, such as Max, Frit, Keerby, Pip, Robin, Horace, Amy, and probably Kiernan and his sister, Rowe and Robert (Rick's younger sister and brother), Dick, Rip Shannon, and Will Whitesaw, are probably allowed to use it with the permission of one of the original four. I am hopeful that in some future adventure we again see Durapar, Reudi, and some of the others from previous adventures again.

I like the idea of a collaborative story or three. The problem I see would be getting authors to agree on who does what chapter, and whether to do a plotted/outlined story or a "pantser" story where people can go off in any direction. Should be interesting, either way.

You mean hope a dong-a-long longer?

While this tale is worth MORE than five stars, five is all the system will let me give. As Jesse and Marty got to visit San Diego, they meet new friends, have fun, help heal misunderstandings, and gain fresh viewpoints on intimacy, love, and life. Of the many stories Geron has posted here, this is one of the very best (and he has never had a bad or mediocre story). This was the sixth of the Charm stories, and I hope someday he gives us an eighth one. I very much recommend this story.

@raven1 -- Good points, Terry. I read this when it first came out and have read it at least five or six times. The ages at which someone can think seriously about sex, life, and love --- that varies from person to person. At an early age some put 2+2+2 together and come up with six, and sometimes others at the same ages read between the lines and come up with 2+2+2+2 equals seven, eight, or even nine. As usual, @Geron Kees has included several excellent points and pointers about life in this story. Well done, both of you.

Just read this again, for probably the fourth or fifth time. As good as ever and probably seems better to me than ever before. As Jesse and Marty continue in their growing relationship, they are blessed with good parents, especially Jesse -- but he doesn't know how good they are for some time. Marty is blessed with a wonderful (though teasing) big sister. More adventures in this story, and several life and love lessons learned in this one. Very well done.

Just read this again, @Geron Kees, and it is a good as ever. Jesse and Marty are blessed with good parents, especially Jesse, and Marty is extra blessed with his big sister. And the guy in the shop -- Some persons look young for a long time. Well done indeed.

One thing online versus traditional print publishing is -- Online, there is rarely a monetary contract requiring you to deliver x number of words by time-frame y. I have a friend who has published two print books and is working on a third, to be self-published, so as to retain total control. He has been stuck on chapter 4 of his novel for a long time. I am going to suggest to him that he use the technique of @Jason Rimbaud -- placeholder sentences for that chapter and go on to chapter 5, and 6, and possibly more. The references back to the missing chapter will start to fill it in. I don't agree what one must always outline in great detail. If I ever write to publish, it will probably be as a "plantser" -- someone who has a plan outlined, but with flexibility to add relevant bits to the story. (A combo of planner and pantser.) I have read stories by authors who planned in great detail, and others who started writing with no concrete plan. Both ways CAN produce a good story, but not always. I also think beta readers are important for many writers. But a beta reader (or an editor, for that matter), should not be a cheerleader. They must be willing to say to the author "Hey! What's going on here?" One friend insists on being edited ONLY by himself. This can make for boring stories at time. My opinions only. As a friend once said, "Opinions are like noses. Everybody has one, and few are the same."

I can think of a couple of possibilities, whether for this story or some future Charlie Boone story, @Geron Kees. 1. -- In "The Sky is a Mirror, Charlie Boone," Chapter 7, a series of statements made by Eseffa and Max as follows gives me some ideas -- "What about the Moth?" Durapar asked. "What happened to them?" Eseffa looked happy. "They left the surface, and Jorli used the resources of Engris to fling them rather far away into the Cooee. Only a moment ahead of Lyrgris doing so, I might add." "That was a neat trick, getting the Moth soldiers out of here," Max said, eyeing the Madracorn with a grin. "I thought you guys couldn't teleport?" "We cannot," Eseffa replied. "But our machines are rather good at it, I would say." Max nodded. "Let me guess. Your machines can't teleport people that are dead." "Exactly so. Being dead does have its drawbacks. Nor can these machines operate beyond the confines of this world. An unfortunate limitation that may need to be rectified...." Since Browbeat is a mind in a Madracorn machine-life-force-container, will the device enable Browbeat to teleport someday? 2. -- Charlie and his second presence was not able to penetrate the planetary defense in a direct way. Could he project his second presence either through the Block People universe or the alternate universe which Ilessa and Hendrick came from in "Elementary, My Dear Charlie Boone!" -- or the universe where Nicklus exists in "There's a Strange Partridge in My Pear Tree, Charlie Boone!" -- and then back into the regular Charlie Boone universe? Just asking. I hope your recovery is proceeding well, Geron. May you be back to full health soon.

I take most of the statements above about safety with a shaker of salt instead of a grain of salt, if they are uttered by corporations. Many corporations seem to want just enough safety to avoid lawsuits and fines but still keep expenses down.

Usually, but not always, boys are more willing to be nude in same sex situations than girls, based on my observations.

With authors such as these, it is hard to go wrong. Thank you again, @Myr.

So far, I have not run into that information in my research, but it would not surprise me.

Wow. That suspension bridge is even taller than the Capilano Suspension Bridge originally built in 1889. It has been rebuilt at least twice.

I thought I had already reviewed this very good story. But the way several seemingly disconnected items are woven together -- playing piano, same-sex friendship, plays, school, and football into one short story (I consider a total of less than 40 thousand words a short story) was masterfully done. For full effect, one has to read the story for oneself. Sensitive issues are carefully addressed here, yet the "feel" of the story is mostly casual. Very well worth reading.

@Mikiesboy -- you have elegant ways of expressing what many of us feel at times. Thank you.