MikeL

Furthermore... "And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness." (Leviticus 16:20-22 KJV) The Scapegoat - A Symbol of Satan The scapegoat was not killed, just as the spirit Satan cannot be killed. Instead, all of the guilt of the people was symbolically placed on the head of the scapegoat, who was then taken out into the wilderness and released (Leviticus 16:21-22).

You are one evil goat, Cliff. Shadowgod is a saint next to you. BTW, here's evidence of your relationship to Satan:

Hugs all around...

Cliff? Honestly! In case you haven't noticed, I put an appropriate quotation in my first post for each of your chapters. The Anton LaVey quote is in no way a reflection on us frogs' high moral standards or our pious demeanor. It's just a quote about Satan's thunder. I would appreciate a more circumspect treatment from you, considering frogs' standing in the community. Your title for chapter 26 is fine by me. It sounds like an Aesop's fable, which, I trust, means there will be no cliffhanger. If a frog plays a central role in the chapter, it will set a new, higher standard for gay literature. That's assuming there are no scurrilous remarks impugning our dignity. I don't mind that you have chosen a title for chapter 27 taken from LaVey's hymn. I mean, it's not like I hold the copyright. If it was my intellectual property, I would be talking to my legal counsel rather than writing this response. As for the volcano, you keep bringing it up in the story. I wish the thing would blow up, collapse, fizzle, or whatever so we readers could relax. Speculation that frogs have any hellish attachment to volcanoes is just so much "goat manure". That said, I am looking forward to the next chapter.

What a great story! If it ended here, I would be happy with the ending. But, I'm glad to know the story will continue. I always liked Luke...now I like Luke and Taylor. Thanks, Dom.

My personal impression is that weather forecasters are right about half the time.

Wildone posted this link to what I call a grader.

No one should ever take, or allow someone else to take, nude pictures of himself. If nude pictures exist, never e-mail or post them on the internet. The risks are too great. Think about your future.

You are quite right, Kit, about the unscientific nature of the survey on which the article was based. As I pointed out, it was not a medical study. The appearance of some correlation between frequency of masturbation and occurrence of prostate cancer may be mere coincidence. A scientific study would be required to determine if there is a cause and effect relationship. The real significance of the survey is that there is a plausible connection between the two...a higher level of testosterone, which is a known factor in prostate cancer. Masturbation and prostate cancer may both be the result of a very healthy libido and perhaps no other relationship exists.

Thanks for your post and the link to Dana Jennings' blog in the New York Times. The Times also has a very interesting video of Jennings discussing what prostate cancer is like for a man in his 50s.

Dom Luka has surfaced once again and has released chapters 3 and 4 of Hello Stupid, the continuing saga of Taylor and Luke.

Here is a picture of what we call a salt truck... It could be used to spread grit and salt together, but rock salt is used here. I used to live in a city that spread coal ash (clinkers) on snow or ice. Cars could get traction but the cleanup was a mess. We also have tanker trucks which spray brine on the pavement before a snow or ice event.

OK, guys...time to get serious. Most of the responses so far are what I expected: disbelief that masturbation could possibly lead to prostate cancer; discussion about the small sample size in the study; and comments on sensational journalism. In defense of WebMD, it is the most widely read on-line health site and it leans more to medical science than journalism. All articles published by WebMD are reviewed by medical professionals before publication. The report on Masturbation and Prostate Cancer Risk is based on a survey of men in the UK; it is not a medical study. The causes of prostate cancer are well known; certainly more study is required to determine if masturbation may be a cause. Risk factors for prostate cancer include age, race, diet, family history, and a sedentary lifestyle. Researchers may eventually add excessive youthful masturbation to the list. When a man has prostate cancer, testosterone is the enemy. Testosterone actually promotes the growth of prostate cancer. This fact brings the masturbation question into greater significance; a scientific study is needed to determine if there is a causal relationship. The results of a study may show only that men with a higher sex drive have more testosterone and a greater risk for prostate cancer. Forty years would be good for today's teenagers; not many of them will be diagnosed with prostate cancer before then. And a lot of progress is being made including current clinical trials on a vaccine which, if approved, will help promote the body's natural immune system to fight cancer. Currently surgical removal of the prostate and radiation can cure the disease, but they are not always successful even when used in combination. When they fail, the only remaining treatments are those which reduce testosterone production in an effort to slow the progression of the cancer. That's a great question, Drew. The majority of men will have prostate cancer in their lifetime. In fact, 80% of men who live to age 80 will have prostate cancer. Prostate cancer screening is recommended for men beginning at age 50. If you are in a high risk group, you should start having an annual PSA test at age 40. It is a simple lab test performed on a blood specimen. You're having blood drawn anyway...be sure to request a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test. If your father, brother, either grandfather, or any uncle has ever been diagnosed with prostate cancer, you should start testing at age 40. For the man diagnosed in his 70s or 80s, doctors will usually recommend deferring any treatment. At this age, prostate cancer usually progresses slowly so that the patient is likely to die from some other cause. The man diagnosed in his fifties potentially has a long road to travel. Unfortunately, the majority of men who have prostate cancer don't know it. That is changing because routine screening is now common. Of course, those men who never have a physical will never know. If you are 50 or older (40 or older in a high risk group) make sure you get an annual PSA test. Younger men...think about you fathers. Sorry to be so long winded about the subject, but it is important to me and to you. Hope I haven't spoiled your fun.

Chapter 5 of of Splash on the Web has been released. Another great chapter, Jack. We begin to learn more about Oleg's main investigation as he and Lamanna investigate Harvey Fine's murder. Oleg has a most enjoyable Saturday night and Thad and Brian finally meet. Whew!

Maybe...looking for a snow job.

Very familiar song, but I never made the connection to gay love before. Thanks.

Sex after a lengthy hiatus: Back in the saddle again.

I think we know him better now than we did a few days ago. He seems to have a problem. He could make his displeasure known in much less time if he had a good command of the language. It appears that he only knows one adjective.

If I did this right, it won't show up in the Games and Humor forum. There's certainly nothing humorous about it. Please read the WebMD article Masturbation and Prostate Cancer Risk. I know guys don't like to think about, much less talk about, prostate cancer. I don't know if it's embarrassment, fear of the unknown, or what. But it is important that every young man knows the risks and this article presents one of them. I'll not comment on the article now because that might keep some from reading it. Please do read the article...it's important.

Friends in Low Places, written by Dewayne Blackwell and Bud Lee, sung by Garth Brooks, a pretty fair country singer.

He is? I was thinking maybe subhuman.

Posted by ArpeGGio, January 30 2009, 10:47 AM Bummer.

Pitiful.

Bangkok Dangerous (1999) was an excellent Thai movie with an ingenious plot. Bangkok Dangerous (2008), starring Nicholas Cage, is written and directed by the same Chinese brothers as the original movie. I haven't seen the new version, but I will. I hope it is as good as the first, although the plot summary indicates some differences. The new version will probably be more widely seen in the US at least, judging from the heavy promotion it is receiving. I wonder if that isn't the main reason the Pang brothers did a remake.

Great chapter, Cliff. Eric and Jansen are getting closer while General Bradson is getting closer to Brian. Will the Iranians make lemonade? Another puzzle solved. There was a brief mention of the volcano in this chapter, reminding us that it remains as an unresolved issue in the story and is, therefore, still a cliffhanger.