MikeL

Cam, you are grown up or very nearly so at this point. Your mom will come to grips with that. If she has a boyfriend, then she is also at a new beginning. If he is a good person and a good match for her, he will resolve the need for a man in her life. The time has come when you can no longer fill that role. You need to convince her that Providence is not that far away from home. You can visit frequently...less frequently as time passes and her need for you to be the man in her life subsides. Hang in there. I think all these problems will resolve themselves with time. You may need to take the lead in weaning her away from this dependence. When you've done that, you have become an adult without doubt.

Very good chapter 19, Joey. We learn quite a lot about the evil "lady" dragon and her witch. It's good to know there is someone else with the same gift Miss Carol had. I hope Felix doesn't get into any trouble. We still don't know what Aimee and Georgia have planned. I'm ready for the next chapter.

It's true that we really don't know if Dirk is gay, but my guess is that he is. There is certainly something peculiar about his actions, especially the frequent trips to somewhere other than Miami. Father and son have a communication problem. How rare is that? Trevor is reluctant to come out to his dad because of the reaction he seems to be getting. But that reaction may be Dirk's way of avoiding a discussion he is very uncomfortable with due to his own sexuality. He may even fear that Trevor suspects that he (Dirk) is gay. Chapter 10 can't be too soon for me.

Happy Birthday, Joey! Y'alls need to have a great day, ya hear?

I have posted a new poem titled An Unremarkable Heart. I hope you will read it and reflect on the message. I also encourage you to read my comments following the poem for a fuller understanding. Please comment in this forum.

Joey, your story continues to be intriguing and touching. Please keep up the good work. Y'alls sure do know how to write.

I haven't seen North Country, but I did see Fargo. Does that count?

I'm shy.

Is this sarcasm, cynicism, or something else altogether?

Chapter 17 is HOT, Joey. What an ending! Aimee seems quite sinister, but maybe that's because we know she's Dr. Lewis' friend. What's her intention in giving a journalism seminar to three students? I'm enjoying the story. It has a real "down home' flavor.

So, journalism is about influencing public opinion, not reporting public opinion? I guess you don't learn that when you take a degree in Business.

Try to imagine what registration was like in the good old days...before computers.

The South \tha 'sau'th\, noun The place where... 1) Tea is sweet and accents are sweeter 2) Summer starts in April 3) Macaroni & Cheese is a vegetable 4) Front porches are wide and words are long 5) Pecan pie is a staple 6)

A study to be published January 22 in the Journal of Marriage and Family reports that same-sex couples can be effective parents. A report in USA Today includes the following:

Sorry to hear about the breakup, Eric, but it's good to know that it was amicable and that Matt is still a friend. Take care.

Chapter 16 is very sad, Joey. I feared something bad would happen to Clarke. I hope the situation improves in coming chapters. We still have Ms. Lewis up to no good.

Chapter 15 takes the story around a darker turn at its end. We have to hope that Clarke doesn't come to any great harm. If he does, it will be an example of parental rejection leading to disaster. Very good chapter, Joey.

Wikipedia has an interesting article on Southern US English pronunciation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_American_English). Below is the section on the Southern Appalachian accent (note the influence of Scots and Irish): Having lived half my life in Memphis and half in Nashville, I can testify that there is a noticeable difference in the native accent of the two cities, both of them in Tennessee and only 200 miles apart.

Southern US accents tend to be softer and pleasing to the ear. I'm talking strictly about accent and not grammar usage.

The British don't always pronounce place names the way they are spelled. This may not sound as bad as it looks. It could be something like "slew sole". Maybe some of our British members could help here. Rob? Of course, you might have to live in the neighborhood to know.

If you haven't heard, Jack has released Chapter 13 of Shifting Sands. The chapter title is "Business as Usual" and that holds up most of the way, but Jack promised an OMG moment in his announcement and the chapter ending really is that...a very big surprise. The thing I can't quite comprehend is Spike and Cray as babysitters.

Wow, Dom, I hope you feel better. You simply can't satisfy everyone. Some people are satisfied only when they have the last word. Your writing is great and it is improving. Please keep it up. Ignore the naysayers...literary critics and barmaids alike.

The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words. The winners are: 1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs. 2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained. 3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach. 4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk. 5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent. 6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown. 7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp. 8. Gargoyle (n), olive-flavored mouthwash. 9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller. 10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline. 11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam. 12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists. 13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist. 14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms. 15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there. 16. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

Jensen, your avatar is...touching. A solid 9.

Who dat?