MikeL

Readers should keep in mind that Circumnavigation is a work of fiction. I am neither the cause of a cliffhanger appearing in the current chapter nor am I about to certify anything. I have never had any amphibious assault training. My military service was in field artillery with the rather esoteric specialty of target acquisition. I worked as a communications and reconnaissance officer, an airborne observer, and a battery commander. I have never followed a goat trail through a minefield.

Amazing! All my pictures were taken in the past.

Great blog, James. All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix must be the best of the rock classics. How many hundreds of covers have there been? My favorite... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3goJ6YUjE70 There must be some way outta here.

So, the chapter ends with... ...and you want me to do what? And yes, I noticed someone very familiar. Not funny, goat.

I should add to my earlier comments that I like many of the stories I read here whether written by American, British, or Australian authors as well as those written by authors for whom English is not their native tongue. I do notice some differences, but, as we say in Tennessee, vive le difference.

Cliff James has released Chapter 31 of Circumnavigation..."Standing Into Danger".

I've been without my father for eight years now. Celebrating Father's Day with my own sons today made me think of how brief a time I have remaining. We should celebrate more frequently. We are, after all, our fathers' sons.

In 55 nations around the world, today is set aside to honor fathers. If you are a father, Happy Father's Day to you. Have you wished your father a happy father's day? If not, stop what you are doing and call him now to tell him you love him. Are you estranged from your father? Why not call him and tell him you love him? That's a great way to begin the process of reconciliation. The day will come when you can no longer do that. I know as do many others here. Don't delay. The greater blessings will be yours.

Mine's the same year round. In fact, my sons claim I have the same haircut I had in high school. Tomorrow's Father's Day, by the way.

Happy Birthday, John! Hugs for you and Robbie. Everyone else, if you don't know which John we are celebrating with, see http://www.gayauthor...6127-rakuten06/

Would that really solve a problem or create new ones. Don't forget Corey's mother and her concerns about Jake. I agree with you on this point. Jake has a lot of pressure built up.

Perhaps my opposition to hitting women deserves some reconsideration. Obviously, a guy has to use common sense along with his consideration for the fairer (not weaker) sex. If she is resentful of his courtesy, he should seek the companionship of more appreciative women. I'm thinking gay guys have an advantage here.

Online At Once Record 449 on 27 June 2007 at 02:12 AM CDT I was sound asleep at the time.

Well, that does present a problem. I don't think I'll worry about the very few feminists who resent good manners.

I really had not noticed the difference in level of detail between American and British writers. I do notice other differences, but I've become accustomed to the different spellings or usage. The grammar rules differ between the two standards, but you get used to that as you read. The only thing that trips me up is unfamiliar British slang. For that, there's always http://www.wiktionary.org/. I can usually figure it out there. As for differing levels of detail, I'll watch for that now that you have raised the issue. I doubt I'll have a preference generally. I'll probably find some stories boring because of too much detail and others uninteresting due to sparse wording. I'm not sure there will be a nationality divide.

I agree on holding the door for someone being a common courtesy. It's one that we should apply to men as well as women and to young and old alike. I will always hold the door for a woman and if she is miffed that I stepped in front of her to do it, that's her problem. It just makes sense to hold the door for the person behind you regardless of who they are. Nearly 100% of people respond with "thank you". And guys, always open and close a car door for any woman riding with you. Then you walk around to the other side to get in the car; don't make her slide across the seat for you. My wife and I have been married 40 years and I still get the car door for her every time. Now, we've gotten away from the subject of hitting a woman. If you are always courteous, you will likely never be faced with that question.

Hey, Chase. "Irresponsible" is a word. You however are a responsible young adult. It's an attitude more than anything else. You need to push ahead with your education. Don't let a gnat of a problem deter you. It matters not if you are 21 or 27 when you get your degree. A potential employer might be more impressed with the slightly older guy who stuck with it than with a whiz kid just out of his teens. Have you considered doing volunteer work in your downtime? It looks great on a resume; it's experience. Maybe be a clerk for lawyers doing pro bono work. There's no pay but it looks better than burger flipper. Think about it. Properly worded, any experience looks great on your resume. Good luck.

I can corroborate CJ's claim. I proofread chapters 29 and 30 on February 28 and March 2, 2010, respectively. I still can't prevent cliffhangers.

Best wishes to you, Bloopy. Do be cautious whatever approach you take. Find people you trust and meet others through them. Anything anonymous can pose risks. You've accomplished a lot in a short time. Enjoy yourself and take care.

Probably operator error. Goats can't type.

Cliff James has released Chapter 30 of Circumnavgation..."Making Plans".

What a beautiful voice! Your description shows that he is beautiful in other ways. You need to keep friends like that.

So, England does not win! Way to play, USA!

Never make predictions, especially about the future. ~ Casey Stengel

If the Brits try to play football, the US soccer team will win for sure.