old bob

Welcome Falling Star You got already 5 answers, all with a lot of questions. If you want a real advice, you have to tell you more about yourself. Just a few more questions, in disorder (just for a beginning): Where do you live? In a small town, in suburbs, on country? Do you rent a flat or stay at home? The expenses you cite are all entertainment expenses. What else do you have to pay? What kind of job did you try to get? You are 19. Did you go to High school? What did you learn? Any hobby which could be useful to get a job? Any friends elder than you, who could perhaps help? You said you have a boyfriend. Did you already come out to others? Any contact with gay organizations? What do you mean qualifying yourself as

Wow Where have you found this image ? I would like get others on the same kind ! One of my grandchildren has his birthday soon and he would be delighted with them. Tanks in advance. old bob

Nice pic Zilar, your smile is amazing . BTW, what is your mothertongue ? Bruges is in the Flemish Region of Belgium. I suppose it's Dutch ? Where did you learn your perfect English ? Old bob

Happy 31th Birthday I couldn't find better words than these from Mike . So I just join my wishes to theirs . BTW, I just gave a look to your site. Amazing ! the drawings, the choice of colors... Congrats for your work. And now I will go to read your stories, what I missed till now. Old bob

Happy 21st Birthday! I hope I'm not too late with my wishes and that the celebration with friends and family went well. You said: "It feels like its the end of something" ? You are right, but it's also the a beginning ! Give you enough time to consider what you want for your future. A good planning is the work half done . Enjoy your life, take care of yourself and last but not least, be happy now and in the future. Thats my wishes and advices . Old bob

I did and I do I'm still proud that my bad mood brought a lot of comments against me and supporting the necessity to encourage the authors. Thanks Gary for your posts. I got the lesson . Old bob

Maybe you are right on both matters . It's 10 pm here and I had a bad day :wacko: .It could be the reason of my unfriendly opinion (?). Old Bob

Hi Gary ! As I said "I'm not a polite person". You are right, from the view of the authors. The important word in my phrase was "useless". I'm too old to be gratuitous, so I meant "useless for me". But I suppose you agree with me about the need of marketing and the rest of my post. BTW, about to be "respectfully

The problem is the same for our authors and for published authors any kind. point 1 : the real test of success is the number of books sold, here read counts and page hits, and not the feed back, which is only the cherries on the cake. point 2 : a published book is never sold from itself. The author has to appear as a person, to become visible in press, TV, in libraries for "signatures-meetings", summarized he has to organize his marketing. Which is our market ? the forums ! In one word, the author has to appear as a person, to become visible in forums, chats and not only in reviews . The best example we have here is how CJ organized his marketing (and in the same time the marketing of others) with his "cliffhangers". point 3 : the best marketing can

It doesnt matter ! I found the blurbs OK, its a good help to make a first choice under the different stories and authors. If you dont agree with what the blurb says, its a reason more to participate and give your opinion . Work well done Graeme, and I hope you will do the same in the next Anthology . Old bob

Hi Mike, thanks a lot to have shared your dream with us. You can check my signature to see how dreams are important for me . I also went back in your blog and found "a sad and happy story". Wow You say its not your story, but the way you brought it is really impressing, clear, precise, a message of hope. The same with your dream. Each word counts. You have a gift : to know how to bring deep feelings with simple words. Dont be sad, keep going dreaming like you do. Life will bring you sooner or later reasons to be happy. Its my deepest certainty, coming from your own words. Old Bob

I didnt find any good picture from 1965 . This one is dated 1973. I was 44, living in a big country-house with a pool. You know the emblem of Paris (France) : "fluctuat nec mergitur" (he floats but dont sink). It was also mine, but not for long. 5 years later I had to sell the house . Old Bob

Hey it was for 57 years ! The car belonged to my father, He died 1969. I cannt ask him any more Sorry but I dont know the answer. Take care Gary and dont be angry against me Old bob

Gary made a suggestion in another topic (what do you like about being gay) to open a new thread. His question was : "Is there any empirical evidence to suggest that our former lives play any part in shaping our current life?" As I was the first to be asked, here my answer : I trend to believe in the Karma. Through the law of karma, the effects of all deeds actively create past, present, and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to him/her and others. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well.But I'm very prudent in my answer : "why not ?". Empirical evidence ? No. I just made twice in my life a strange experience : the first time, I was in a crisis situation, which needed a quick reaction; I felt suddenly that I was "an other". Normally, I'm a pacific person, with a peaceful ego. And it was as if another person had taken control of me, a fighter, merciless, ready to kill, and the people around me didn't recognize me. Later, they asked me : "what happened with you ?" and I couldn't answer. Another time, I came once for the first time in a town and it seemed to me that I knew some of its streets, as if I had allready been there. All that doesn't answer your question Gary. But it's an occasion to dream about it . Old bob

About Ginsberg's pictures, I prefer this one : Allen Ginsberg (left) with his lifelong lover and friend, poet Peter Orlovsky At least, even now, I have more hair on the top of my head Old Bob

Thanks for the "professor" Wait a little, I'm searching a picture from 1965.... If I remember well my look didn't change a lot within 15 years

Wow, I'm honored Kerouac (BTW also a bi !) the father of the Beat Generation! He was only seven years older than me. I have all the records (vinyl) of the musicians he influenced (The Beatles, Ben Gibbard, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Simon & Garfunkel, Ulf Lundell, Jim Morrison and others) and I read some of his books (On the Road, The Dharma Bums, Big Sur). But I was too well dressed to be a real bohemian hedonist .

"Jump"isn't the real word. I suppose I was allready waiting half an hour before the guy in front of me could finish his talk BTW, I dont remember who (she or he !) took the picture :wacko:

Researching old pictures in my closet, I found this one, from 1951 (I was 23). I couldn't abstain to put it here . funny clothing . Comparing with my personal photo in my profile.... some changes, isn'it ? The car is a Chevrolet. Old bob

Hi Gary and Kevin Never heard anything about reincarnation ? Kevin's soul could be much older as you think. Its just that he doesn't remember his former other lifes , but his inconscious does.To find out, he should be hypnotized . Old bob

First I look for the reasons. If it's physical (tiredness, bad digestion..) I take a nap in my rocking chair. My chance is that I'm an easy sleeper, I fall asleeep within 10 minutes. If it's "psychical", the reason is either to be searched outside (something went wrong in my relations with others) or inside (I'm not agreeing with myself about what I thought, told or did). I'm not very introverted, but if I go deep enough, the "inventory" gives me the answer I need to react, to adapt my feelings or my action. If you know why the bad mood, it goes away almost from itself. And if (not often) I don't find the answer, people around me do and tell me to change my mind . Old bob

Kevin, you are an "incorrigible" optimist . First I thought just to say here "I agree 100% with you". Then I looked back my about 65 years memories (I was 14 when I made my first "gay" experiences) and it seems to me that I have to explain a little more. I'm bi that means I have the advantage to compare my both sides, gay and straight. The feelings of Love and Lust can have the same strength on both sides; it depends only of whom you have before you. It's like a game the hazard (or the destiny) plays with you. I played a lot and I won each time. I would never change my fate and I'm grateful to be how I am. It was not always an easy path, I had to "organize" my life to make myself understood by the people around me, but I was accepted as I accepted myself . From the beginning, it was my choice and I'm proud of it. Old Bob

Trying to bring a non fictional story in the Summer Anthology was really a challenge. Only a top author like CJ could be so foolhardy to try and success . His duty is now to go on with this new kind of stories . When a story about the 10 lost tribes of Israel ? A rumour exists that they came to America. Why not ? And now, with the climate changes and the warming of Greenland, what will happen with the Inuits ? Yet another story ? Old bob

A part some pictures from wife and children, I have three wooden boards above my desk in my room office : one with "Desiderata" ("Go placidly amid the noise and haste..."), another with the Psalm 23 ( "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me....") and the third with larger letters : "CARPE DIEM SED MEMENTO MORI" (seize the day but remember that you must die). The first is for my daily meditation, the second against sorrow and sadness (It was the last words I exchanged with my dying daughter) and the third as a summary of my life. Reading them and act with them in mind was always a strong support and helped me to become what I am today. Old Bob

Raro's comment made me remember one point which could be a great help. I dont know if you have the same in the States, but here we have a lot of special books for writing the best job applications, including CV, models of letters of references. The way some HR managers write certificates include hidden tips for the next employer, which "invalidate" good written references, as a secret code between HR mangers. These books tell you how to decipher this "coded" references and how you can counter them. Could somebody tell us if such books exist in the States ? Old bob