Will Hawkins

Teen-age relationships are just as complex as adult relationships. The problem, however, is that they do not yet know how to turn them on and off. Many adults do not either, but that is a different story line. All of this 'relationship' situation is occurring in Artie's first month in San Francisco and he is just sixteen; it is easy to see how difficult it would be for a young man to figure out how to bear these complex relationships especially under the burden of hormone changes.Many adults collapse under far milder pressures, yet we expect raw youths to bear up under them.

And the question comes up -- who took the picture? I am with Artie on the raw fish episode -- I am not even fond of those anchovies some people put on pizza and they are cooked. But even worse was an Australian friend who asked for banana slices on his pizza!!! But then, having seen what the Aussies do to a hamburger with "the works", Lettuce, tomato, and cheddar cheese. Sounds like a good standard so far. Onions, bacon, and a chili mayo sauce. Bring it on. Grilled pineapple. Sure, why not? A runny fried egg. We've seen it done before. We're still on board. Pickled beets…. Sorry. You lost me..

And there is still Artie's and Adam's Grandparents lurking in the background. If they got a sympathetic Texas judge to assign them custody and they found out that Artie is gay, I could see them putting him in one of those special 'schools' that guarantee "to straighten your boy out and bring him back to God". Sure, we know they don't work, but the Grands are easily influenced/confused by their religious background and closed minds. I am upset/concerned about the future of both boys. Really though, the solution for Dizzy is the easiest -- get the abuser locked up, and give the mother a job in the restaurant. From the picture of the ant's nest action we saw earlier, they could use the added help.

Was there no insurance settlement after the accident that killed Artie's mom? Or did the grandparents short circuit that too?

Hey, rundmrunner was that a small pun in your comment, or maybe just a subtile Canadian joke?

Charlotte - From the version of her name her parents use, I got 'Shar', but is it (Shar - lot) or (Shar - lotta), or maybe (Kar - lotta)? Custody Battle: Because Artie is enrolled in a San Francisco school, perhaps his attorney could ask for a change of venue from Texas to California so as not to interrupt his schooling. That his uncle is a known homosexual (he was forced to leave Texas because of that 15 years ago) a small town homophobic judge might hold that he is an 'unfit guardian' and has influenced Artie to become queer. Somehow I feel that Adam can afford better lawyers than Grandfather though, so really, the whole thing is a crap shoot.

This chapter has signaled a lot of growing up on the part of Adam and Artie both. Adam's dip-shite boyfriend is better for him on the outside of the door. Question, if Adam were Artie's father, that would mean that Adam had carnal relations with Artie's mother at the age of 14-15. That is a little young to be fucking your sister, so from that we are able to conclude finally, that Adam is NOT Artie's father -- thank goodness, that concerned me a little as Adam just does not seem to be the type to be fucking his own sister, even in a North Texas community!!!!

He’s just taking a peak before he finishes the books! - He’s just taking a peek before he finishes the books! All the days I have been reading this series and I finally got one that even DQ missed!!!

Okay, Ace, now I am confused -- I had it all figured out that Adam had been kicked out of Backwater, Texas because he was gay. Now you toss in the looking like Artie thingy AND the trans possibility! One alternate can be eliminated if Adam and Artie ever take a shower together, if Adam has all his man-parts, he is probably gay. On the other hand if there is anything missing... Then there is the fact that he is in a business relationship with a person of the female persuasion. That, however, proves nothing... The fact that he is messy (beer cans all over the place and dirty laundry) proves nothing as well, maybe he is just lazy or too tired from his early morning schedule, but still THAT is not a typical action for a gay man -- Oh, shit, now I am really confused. But I am loving the tangled skein of the story and the conflict between the two youngsters for Artie's affections. Hugs for making my day!!!

I do not feel that Religion per se, is responsible for homophobia. Religion, that is, Belief in God, is not wrong, bigoted interpretation, however often results in negativism. Even reading the Christian Bible with a critical eye, taking into account that the prohibitions against homosexuality are expressed in only one book, and that was written nearly 2,000 years ago and has been used by those who misread it to excuse slavery, wife beating and several other actions of mankind that we now interpret as wrong. Stoning homosexuals is just one of those ancient wrongs. Those religious bigots who espouse the mis-readings of the book of Leviticus seem to ignore the messages of love and peace that abound in the remainder of the testaments. It is not religion that is wrong, it is some 'organized' religious sects, that preach hate and fear.

Sadly I have been negligent. Firstly, in wishing you well in your illness and, because I see new chapters to your stories, published, in your writing. You have been missed and since your return to authoring, I have ben busy reading elsewhere, not commenting on your creative efforts and encouraging you as I know should happen with an author. I also wanted to respond to your 'Bridgemont' series, The last I read they were in Sweden. Because that series takes place in the latter days of wind ships and the British Naval operations all over the world, it is a fascinating (and educational) tale. I, for one would like to encourage you in your efforts there. As far as the CAP series is concerned, it is going to take me a chapter or two to refresh my memory as to The Who and the Why of this story as well. I have sketched out a series of chapters of my own story that explores the good health in adults that could be brought about by getting the little miracle workers, now found only in fetal cord blood, into the blood stream of adults so that they might employ their 'housekeeping' abilities to curing the ills of mature humans the way they do with newly borns. If these 'undifferentiated nanocytes' (called: 'nannies') were real rather than fictitious, I would send some to you, to cure your cancer and restore your libido. Though because you are writing again, perhaps your own system has taken care of some of that -- I sincerely hope so. Best wishes and a belated welcome back to GA.

I led a sheltered life -- I never went to a Ben and Jerries for ice cream, but the flavors sound interesting; far out, but interesting. On the other hand, 'skipping class', that would be listed right after Grand Theft Auto in my list of heinous crimes. As I said, I led a sheltered life! Blow jobs, okay; going to a gay bar, sacrilege! I have been to one drag show in my life, yes, one. I thought it was interesting, but not my cup of tea. Lisps and limp wrists, just don't get to me -- hey, I am gay because I like MEN.No, not bears either. Just nice, strong men. I guess that restricts my selection in the gay community a little, but...

These chapters are the first where we have been following native peoples for any length of time. Historians and authors have been puzzling over how to refer to the races found on the North American Continent for years. The name Indians has fallen out of favor as these peoples are not natives of India. That name was applied by contemporaries of Columbus and the authors of his time as they did not realize that he had not sailed to India. The term Aborigine has beed used in Australia so to call these people Aborigines would be just as erroneous as calling them Indians. In North America, including Canada and the US, authors are beginning to use the expression 'First Nations People', as indeed these natives had a long history of governing them-selves from before the arrival of the British on the East Coast. There is even a college in Regina, Canada, the capital of the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada, called First Nations University. As an author writing a fictional story of course you may use whatever name you choose, but I am just saying that 'First Nations' is becoming widely accepted among historians and authors as a designation for these natives.

In one paragraph they are going Northeast and in the next paragraph, Northwest. From previous information, I believe Northwest is the correct direction. I used to live in Seattle and feel that the best way for a land-based army to attack that area would be from the North. A marching army from Canada could walk right into Seattle, not that I am recommending it!

Man is an apex predator. (I mean man in the sense of all humanity, not restricted to maleness). I know of no animal that man has not attacked and killed. Even the sling and stone that the Biblical David used to slay Goliath was designed to kill the wolves that would attack his sheep, He was a peaceful shepherd and became a man of war. Sticks, stones, knives, swords, arrows; even the atomic forces of the sun that are provided to bring life-giving heat and light to the earth, have been converted by man to the uses of war. We devote our best minds, our greatest creativity, to the killing and destruction of one another. What is it in the psychology of man that makes him happiest when he is standing atop a pile of corpses? Most of the advances of man in the sciences and in health care have been as the result of warfare. Is that it? Do we need the killing fields to move ahead, to increase knowledge? Is that truly the purpose of warfare -- bringing out the worst in man in order to bring out his best? Man has become so skillful in the ways of war because he needs that incentive to study, learn and better himself? I am not a strong believer in God, but even I cannot conceive of a deity so malevolent as to require killing and destruction to advance knowledge. I guess I am just too innocent for this world.

Whoops, my bad. I don't know where I got the idea that the author was British, but a quick check showed my error. I am not sure whether to apologize to the Brits or to the Carolinians!

The different abilities and inclinations among men is something, as DQ mentions, that the Generals forget, and something their commanders forget is the differences between Generals. I recall a discussion in which it was asked, 'why didn't the German General Staff bring Rommel back from Africa to defend Berlin and the homeland?' The answer was, they did and he failed miserably -- he was best suited for the rapid attack and movement that was the pattern of the Afrika Korps, but back among the European muddy roads and hedgerows he kept running out beyond his supplies. He was just unable to adapt his thinking to the slower means of transportation available in Central Europe especially after the allies had decimated the railway system.

Hey, congratulations, you used Crown Prince correctly. I guess that proves even an Englishman can learn how to address royalty! lol.

Another problem that the deaf have in speaking until they have a lot of practice at is volume -- the have a tendency to speak too loudly for the distance to the listener's ear, but with experience they can overcome that.

A beautiful tribute to a wonderful man. Daniel must be reading over your shoulder. Be strong and know that you will see him again someday, and that he will love you just as much as you loved him.

It is sometimes said, common sense is very rare. Voltaire, Dictionnaire Philosophique (1764)

Well here goes foot into mouth again (I am developing a taste for toes -- anybody interested?): In many of the monarchies of the world the heir-apparent to the ruler is known as the 'Crown Prince' (not Crowned Prince), that is except in Britain where his title is 'Prince of Wales', and he is addressed as 'Your Highness', not 'Your Majesty'. Note, I have left out the female heir-apparent, but I know that such a person exists if she is the eldest progeny of the ruler, but she is also addressed as 'Highness' and is titled 'Crown Princess'. The exceptions to this rule are many, but I have omitted them in the interest of clarity (brevity). HOWEVER, Eric, you are the author of this story and you may call these heirs-apparent anything you wish (except 'late for lunch'.) Oh. did Demetrius forget his clothing when he disappeared?

'Open mouth -- insert foot! I was all ready to object to the use of the word bath as a verb, but, just out of curiosity I looked it up on Grammarly and found out that bath can be used as a verb in English English. I wanted to use bathe, but found out that is an American English usage as a verb form. So no correction! Now, a question: is there any way to avoid the awkwardness of the terms English English and American English when discussing the difference between the two languages? Would 'British' and 'American' work? But then Canada, which also uses English English, is in North America, so that country would be included in both America and North America! As the King of Siam says, 'It is a puzzlement.'

Now the country of Cried will have another product to export -- hypodermics (ugh!), centrifuges, and surgical supplies. Now all we need is silk worms and needles for sutures and we will be do organ donations!

Not only have we discovered blood typing, but vaccination also and skinny hollow needles (ugh!) to inject the little guys into others. Now sterilization and surgical stitches and we are ready for anesthetics and organ transplants.