Backwoods Boy

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - Wm. Shakespeare

The China National Tourism Bureau advice recalled events during my thirteen months in Korea. But that was long ago.

I have a slightly different take on National Presidential Joke Day 🤔

endless

Medford, Oregon

deceive others

I'm glad to see you doing this. And it reminds me that I need to read the ones I missed while I was absent.

information

Yamhill, Oregon

up yours

wanted

Astoria, Oregon

measured response

I think the experiment worked perfectly. The couplet provides a teaser, or in more workaday terms, an executive summary, followed by the details. And, as expected, the details paint vivid, thought-provoking pictures. All three are wonderful, but the second hit a home run, reminiscent of seasonal changes with successive walks through woods.

Nooksack, Washington

exhibitionist

death wish

I enjoyed this story, and the other that you did from a "words prompt". It doesn't seem like much to go on, as opposed to the picture prompts from elsewhere - a picture is indeed worth a thousand words. I'm enjoying following the trail of breadcrumbs that @raven1 is leaving. These short stories are perfect for long summer days with so many other things to do.

Given the readership statistics presented and, as pointed out, the high cost in terms of time and effort - in an undertaking clearly devoid of benefits - it would appear that writers of Gay literature are the largest collection of masochists ever gathered together in one domain. Add to that the costs of non-constructive criticism, fear of rejection, domain "experts", and occasional outright abuse from a variety of sources, it's amazing that any of us bother. To further support that scenario, another GA statistic derived in full from the Authors listing indicates that of the 1026 authors with listed stories, 423 wrote only one story, and less than half wrote more than two. So, obviously, it's a dismal environment where only a few self-flagellating fools persist. However, the apparent assumption that unattainable fame and fortune are the only benefits to be pursued is fortunately in error, as the other half have learned. For most of us, this isn't a day job, but a hobby that reaps rewards such as friendship, knowledge, self-improvement, global understanding, and self-directed therapy in an environment where the members provide each other with support. It took me several years to figure all that out. I hope you get there sooner.

Davenport, Washington

median

mated pair

altruistic

square root

Nog (Historically, a type of strong ale that was mixed with eggs to make the festive drink.)