Formosa

I accidentally discovered the acronym PMs recently...Personal Message-s There was a guy at my brother's old office and the sign on his door says PMS too, which is supposed to stand for personnel management (something? can't remember now). Had a picture of it before but can't find it...

How touching....my eyes and nose were moist almost from beginning to end, and I still have goosebumps now from seeing that true and deep love and bond between father and son. It's seeing people and lives like this which makes this world fill with hope. David PS: does anyone know the name of the song or the artist?)

Oh wow, good trivia to know for the next quiz night at the pub... I'm liking my new logo which I just got two days ago. It's purple, my favourite colour!

I woke up this morning to this news on the radio, and thought I was dreaming. Really surprised the way he was killed, but the the newsreader said it was instant, so I guess, and hope, it was probably less painful. Like many t(w)eens here, I grew up watching his crazy crocodile and werid and wonderful shows. One thing he taught me was respect and valuing the life and territory of all beings. He'll be much missed. May his kindness toward nature and all beings live on wherever he may be . UPDATE 3Sept2006 As a tribute to Steve's life (and death), here are a collection of cartoons .

*faints from excitement*

Hi everyone, thanks for writing back and all the support and sharing of your own experiences. I did feel so much better after reading many of your replies, and felt less like I'm the only one with the problem. Just briefly, it went pretty well actually. Started slow and awkward at first, but once I got to be in a small tour group with my own classmates, the conversation just carried on its own. I just went along with the conversation, smiled a lot, asked and answered, and conversations just went from there, from one thing to another. Met a really sweet and cute guy, but he's not what (you and) I thought/hoped he would be. Oh well...look, but no touch. If you're interested knowing details of what happened, my blog has more... Tomorrow is another day of induction, with lunches and dinners, a boat trip too, rounded off with a party. Normally I'm not so hot about parties, but I think I'll go along to see what it's like. Who knows I might even enjoy it. again, thanks to everyone! Really appreciate the replies! David

A little nervous at the moment. Tomorrow I

As much I long to be hugged, I'm actually scared of them too. Especially if it's completely unexpected, and from someone I barely know. I freeze completely then, and feel physically sick, and wonder sometimes if the 'hugger' is trying to 'take advantage of me'. Guess it's related to my experiences as a child, making me mot such a physical and 'touchy' person. I guess the most common hug I give and receive would be the , to and from friends. I haven't hugged anyone for a long, long time, until last week when I attended the wedding of a good friend who I've not seen for two years. It felt a little awkward, since he and I had an intimate something together back in uni, and a part of me read more into it than what it really was: pat on the back tag-and-go. My favourite hug, like with everyone else's I guess, is with a boyfriend. It's subtle and gradual, you know it's going to happen, but there's a sort of 'foreplay' involved before the actuall hug itself. Stand close to each other, look deeply into one another's eyes, feel each other's breath on the cheeks, then slowly, slowly our bodies inch closer and closer as the arms go around each other, sliding and exploring each other's bodies, chest, arms, before locking around the waists. A number of combinations could happen after that: either we stand there, forehead to forehead, staring into one another's eyes for a few moments, and enjoy the embrace and warmth of our bodies together...or we kiss. Or our faces brush against one another, heads resting on each other's shoulder, as soft words are whispered into the ears. All the while, the hands slide up and down each other's backs, exploring, maybe even digging underneath the clothes, and brushing against the skin. Last time that happened was...more than two years ago. Oh...I need a hug~

I just call it tap , because water is so clean here you can drink from the tap.

55% General American English 20% Yankee 15% Dixie 5% Upper Midwestern 0% Midwestern I've only been to America once in my life, and that was for less than a month twelve years ago! So I don't understand how I can speak General American, let alone Yankee, Dixie or Upper Western. Don't even have a clue what those last ones are. And to be honest I just randomly picked some of the answers (hush)! :wacko: I guess I just speak my own kind of English...

Thanks for the post. I've read the comment and appreciate it very much. >>Serious now, I agree writers should respond to any mail they receive, good or bad (flamers maybe). I find it helps build a relationship with the reader, and sort of give you an understanding what kind of people are reading, whihc in turn can help you get an idea what is 'expected' from you. I was surprised that many readers wrote back saying how much they identify with my story and the characters, and they go on to tell me their experiences. One or two online friendships developed this way. Some readers write back again after my reply, with even more suggestions and pointers. This is how I met my editor: we started out writing back and forth to each other, and he gave me lots of precious advice, and one day we 'clicked'.

Aha, thanks to Google and my googling, I guess i'm a little more cultured than before. Let me share my findings As the name suggests...candy that looks like booger. Surprising, not from the US.

"Boogers"? I'm 'googling' (verb use) as we speak...

Agree with people before: writers always want feedback, regardless of whether it's positive or negative. Flamers may annoy some people, but they could be ignored. Positive feedback can make the writer more confident, as it shows he's more or less on the right track and achieving what he set out to achieve, and therefore be more creative and motivated to write. Negative feedback can be helpful too, if it's constructive (so not just "it's crap", like John Prescott's comment on Bush's handling of the Middle East). Maybe something illogical in the plot, maybe the unrealistic turn of events or dialogue, maybe the poor grammar and spelling. Sometimes writers are so immersed in their own works they don't see the mistakes.These are all things that can help the writer improve his reading, and help the reader improve the reading experience. My editor once said reader-writer relationship is based on an mutual obligation: the writer has an obligation to produce something that is original and creative, and can touch people's hearts and minds; whereas the reader has an obligation to respond, review and reward the writer for the hard work in writing by expressing their opinions of the work. Most writers don't write for the sake of writing, but in the hope it being read. And readers don't read like dummies without at least having a reaction to what it is that they just read. So by all means, when readers read something, drop writers a line to tell them what you think, what you really think about the work. Problem I find is I always receive good feedback, saying how much people love my story and characters, and how they want more. Though I appreciate it, and it's encouraging, it doesn't really help me in making it better. Coincidentally, I got my first 'criticism' (if it can be called that, since it was very mild compared to all the good things he had to say) today, almost six months after starting to write, and I was thrilled! The guy pointed out something that seemed a little unrealistic, and I was glad since it hadn't occured to me. Finally, a flaw!

Love that spoof on Al-gebra. Al-gore should be careful in this day and age. And that other one on the lying clock made me almost choke on the chocolate I was munching on. What do people mean it's difficult to convert to metric? Mile>Km just divide by 0.6214 Pint>Litre just multiply by 3.7854 Pound>Kg just divide by 0.4536 It's elementary maths, not weapons of maths destruction!

Hi KetchupCola, So sorry to hear your (and some other people's) experience being kicked out. I can't say I went through something as terrible as that, but I did start living on my own when I was 13. I was lucky to have a roof over my head and the means to support myself, but some people I know weren't, and the stories I hear confirm what many have already mentioned about life on the streets. I guess you are lucky in a way to have someone like your aunt to fall back on, and I do hope that she will continue to be supportive and caring despite tensions with your parents. Again, I agree with others that being kicked out says more about your parents than about you. You were honest to yourself and to them, but they still live in denial, and hence the strong (and poor) reaction. If they were real parents who really cared and loved their son, nothing would change that relationship. One thing I've learnt is that sometimes the closest family may not be those you have the closest blood ties with...it may be a friend, a distant relative, or someone you just met. And home is not necessarily where you were born into, but somewhere where you feel comfortable and loved. And that is the most important thing in life: being comfortable with yourself and finding and being with people who love you for who you are. Just remember that whatever happens, you are not alone, and there will also be a way out, always be just something or someone around the corner to make terrible things less so. please take good care, and be true to yourself, David

Yeah to Firefox! I've been using it a while now, and don't for a minute miss the unpredictable crashes and slow processing time that Internet Explorer treated me to for years. Just love the tab function, which means I don't need to open and minimise all these annoying windows all the time. On my blog I can actually see who's using what browser, and though still a small minority, Firefox seems to be slowly gaining ground. One day, one day revolution will come... .

Hm, Europeans like to cling onto their pasts, whereas Americans tend to (try and) forget them. Which may be the reason why most Europeans think people on the other side of the ocean are 'less cultured'. I'm a few years older than ones born in 1988, but a lot of the names and things I've never even heard of. Which may make me the 'less cultured' one here...

AH! I just realised something: it's not 2029, but 2092! :wacko: Sorry for that misleading typo...and getting people's hopes (among other things) up. I guess it takes time for (wo)mankind to evolve into the sophisticated state of gayhood that we are already privileged to be in. Perhaps another reason to be proud. Soon people may start coming to us for advice on how to be gay I've been trying to find out where that research is, but there's nothing at all. It was reported in Winq (a gay-interest magazine in the Netherlands), and I didn't actually read it. Just saw a placard on the magazine's float yesterday (see pic). Hmmm, I wonder how everyone being gay will affect oil consumption... I don't actually live in A'dam, but The Hague, a bit to the south. A'dam is too touristy, crazy and smoky. I guess I had a good time, since it was my first (sweet memories...). Really enjoyed the whole atmosphere, and how for the past three days people can be as open and proud as they want to be. Seeing rainbow flags, cross dressers and gay couples kissing openly on the streets was in a way 'comforting'. But then again, I felt a little disappointed because of the amount of emphasis on sex, and sometimes outright provocative sexually-tinted behaviour I saw: as if sex is the only thing that defines us and differentiates us from the rest. Besides, probably would have been more fun if I went with someone (or came home with someone). It was not meant to be...

Just felt like sharing part of the craziness that's happening here in Amsterdam. Please visit my blog for pictures and more. Out of curiosity: how many people have been to such a gay pride, and what do people think about it?

I heard somewhere that dreams are supposed to be a way for your unconscious to deal with issues you're facing in daily life. I remember a period in my life when I was facing issues (abuse) from the past I 'd suppressed for a long time. I dreamt about these issues time and time again, each with different scenarios and imageries which probably only means something to me. After those dreams I was more able to face the past and more or less deal with them in real life. THen again, there are happy dreams too, or dreams of desire. We've all probably had wet dreams too I don't think scientists have quite figured out how the unconscious and conscious minds work or interact, but there's definitely some link there. A lot of our fears, joys, anxieties or wants are reflected in our dreams. When you focus too much on something, chances are you're likely to dream about it. I agree: not all dreams have a meaning, or can predict what the future holds. It's like horoscope, I guess. Good to know, but not something to cling onto as fact. Keep on dreaming!

I guess people write about teens (or at least younger people) because there's something remotely innocent and romantic about them. I mean teenage is really a time when the world seems to be boundless, when teens start exploring and discovering themselves and their budding sexualities. People in general seem to have a fascination with characters with one foot in childhood and one foot in adolesence. Something about the uncertainties, the embarrasements, the hidden blushes, first-time love and (s)experiences make teenage 'sexy' to read about. There does seem to be some (s)exciting about being young, and 'virgin' in life. I mean as a society we're so obsessed with youth and afraid of age(-ing). Some old(er) readers wrote to me saying that my writing allows them to relive their youth, something they still cling onto, if only in fiction, and dreams. Perhaps the way 'grown-ups' are confronted with harsh realities of modern life make the seemingly care-free and 'untainted' lives of t(w)eens so appealing. When you're young, it seems, everything and anything is possible. Boundaries lie where your imagination ends. And that in itself can be a very arousing form of 'erotica'. I'm writing about my own experiences as a teen, because personally I find nice to relive those memories. Depressing sometimes, to think back at the times past, but then comforting again to know I went through all that 'magic'. Perhaps it's that memory or feeling of the 'magic' of teenage that keep the hopes that I might find something just as special soon up. And I guess most people think this way, probably. But that's not to say adults or even old(er) people have less of a magical story to tell or to be written about. Regarless of how old we (or the characters in the stories) are, we're all just human beings looking to love and be loved.