MikeL

It would appear it's not here.

Do you think anyone would actually search for that?

Not universal. In the US we get another week of Daylight Savings Time; then we get an extra hour of sleep. Looking forward to that. The Red Sox lead the Rockies 3 games to zip; final game tomorrow night. All's well. Goodnight.

Eat goats. Kiss frogs. There was once a young man who was crossing the road. As he was making his way over a frog called out to him and said, "If you kiss me, I will turn into a beautiful princess." The young man picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog called out from the young man's pocket, "If you will kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will come to your house for one week and cook and clean for you." The young man took the frog out and smiled at it and then put it back into his pocket. The frog called out from the young man's pocket again, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I'll stay with you for as long as you want and do anything you want me to." Again, the young man removed the frog, smiled at it, and then placed it back into his pocket. Finally, the frog called out from the pocket, "What is it with you? I told you I'd stay with you, and cook and clean for you and do anything you want me to do. Why won't you kiss me?" The young man took the frog from his pocket and said, "Look, I'm gay. I don't have time for girlfriends

Goat Recipe: * 2 T salad oil * 2 lbs. cubed goat meat * 1 tsp. salt * 1.2 tap. garlic powder * 1/4 tsp. oregano * 1/8 tsp. ground cumin * 1 large onion, chopped * 1 T flour * 1 10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles * 1 10-oz can water Brown meat in hot oil. Add salt, garlic powder, oregano, cumin and onion. Cook until onion is soft. Sprinkle flour over all and allow to brown, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes and water. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid will be absorbed. Serves 6 (or 24 normal people). Sorry, couldn't find any candles.

Kevin, 3,000 posts. Congratulations! Rather rarified air you are breathing compared with us mere mortals. Even "prolific" pales by comparison.

Hooray! Thanks, CJ, for planning ahead and keeping us involved in the story while you are gone. I am enjoying it very much. I hope we have seen the last of the vestal "virgins".

Chapter 13 Thankfully, Brandon does the right thing. He is clearly more mature than Jon and Eric. Great chapter, CJ. Hope you have an awesome trip. We all eagerly await your return and the next installment.

And Rory, Luke, and Seth?

QUOTE(Bondwriter @ October 10 2007, 12:00 PM) * A zeta-reader is last? Not sixth? What then is an omega-reader? Or, are there only six readers? Enquiring minds want to know.

All Helen has to do is place a call to the senator about his sweet little daughter; then we find out if the senator has balls. We already know some real ones do not. Sorry for the political comment. We now know that the two story lines will converge in Australia. I'm ready for chapter 13; hope it will be lucky for Brandon and Chase.

Endangered species laws seem to work well in many cases in the US. There are now more white-tailed deer (the most common species in the eastern states) than there were when the first Europeans settled here 400 years ago. That has created a growing problem as the human population and infrastructure grow. CJ, I'm anxiously awaiting chapter 12. Thanks for a very interesting story.

I get the sense that you are well-traveled. I have been to several of the places mentioned in the story and your descriptions are very much what I remember. Thanks for a great story.

Hooray! It's been a while since you finished your latest story. It's good to know you are finally in a position to write again. I'm am looking forward to your new story. Take it easy.

See: Diagnosis and Treatment. Hope you will be OK soon.

More like 44 days, but who's counting? Welcome back! Having a good boss is a good thing. The impression you make in your first job after completing your education is significant for your whole career. A good boss makes all the difference and it sounds as if you are off to a good start if he has taken you into his confidence already. Stick with it even if it's not the dream job. Don't be too quick to change. What are the chances of you advancing to the boss' position?

My avatar has a secret meaning. I can't tell you what it means because it is a secret.

And if you don't believe that, Do as Carlos Mencia suggests. Go to Wal*Mart and look at people. That is all. Excuse me. I shop at Wal-Mart regularly...especially for groceries. Most thrifty people do. As a rule, however, I don't look at the other people there.

Bless the Beasts and the Children is also a 1971 movie: http://imdb.com/title/tt0068286/ Hmmmm...maybe Blockbuster has it. Just kidding, Dom.

Dom, you didn't mention your recent puniness. I trust that means you are feeling better. Hope so. I took the shorter of the two tests (the other was fourteen pages long which turned me off). I think the results are questionable; they really didn't describe me. A type 3 Achiever? I'm about as laid back as they come. At best, I must agree with nobody: This reminds me of horoscopes; a grain of "truth" obscures a lot of inapplicable generalities. IQ tests provide worthwhile information and diagnostic tests to uncover physical diseases should be taken seriously. Most of these self-evaluations are designed to drum up business for the sponsor. I noticed the website accepts donations (PayPal preferred). Reminds me of business consultants who come into a company, ask the employees what they would do, and give management a big bill for recommendations that management could have had for free if they only listened to employees. What type is a laid back cynic? Did anyone check out the website's disclaimer? See for yourself: http://www.eclecticenergies.com/home/disclaimer.php Happy Valentine's Day!

Dom, poor baby! Take care of yourself, drink plenty of liquids, etc. Don't let two-faced idiots get you down. They're not worth the effort it takes to dislike them. Hope you feel better soon.

Dom, poor baby! Take care of yourself. Claritin over the counter is supposed to be for alergies, but it works for cold symptoms too. Remember, an untreated cold usually hangs on for seven days; with some good medicines, you can be over it in a week. Don't put too much faith in the nature gods. Scientists are only human and tend to see things in human terms. It's possible, as you say, that aliens are already on the way. They may live 70,000 years rather than 70. They may reproduce in route. A lot of things are possible in non-human terms.

"Do You want fries with that?" is by Tim McGraw, a/k/a Mr. Faith Hill; he's also the son of baseball great Tug McGraw. Dom? You're not a big country music fan? Saddest "fish story" I ever heard. But a very interesting, well done story.

Dom, I am excited to hear that TOSOM 14 is finished; am looking forward to reading it. I think everyone will understand your need for a break. If writing is a chore, it may be reflected in the quality of your writing, and no one would want to see that. We will all hope that after you complete your current projects and take time off to recharge your batteries, you will find some great inspiration for another story and we will be the beneficiaries of that. We will certainly miss the excitement of all the cliffhangers while you are away. All the best, MikeL