Bondwriter

I was not ironical. I was patiently waiting. That's what happens when you kid around too much, people don't take you seriously anymore. I guess goats have their share of responsibility when it comes to having people kid around too much. But since it got you to edit one more chapter, it was worth being misunderstood.

Why would I? Maybe "Allez chier les gars..." is profanity on the other side of the Atlantic, but in our fine Somme district it means "You're great guys, your insightful ideas and views on life overwhelm me with joy and glee." Plus I have other means to get potty-mouthed guys to remain quiet... And we're patiently waiting.

Having second thoughts on buying Jack. What if he's not up to the expected level of performance? Does Leviticus say something about after-sales service?

I'd pay 100

This is somehow giving away the answer to the question that, properly phrased, should have been "Could Eric himself have been blackmailed?" Echidna! Echidna!

Could Eric have been blackmailed himself? Or is CJames defending him for the sake of defending him? (And "pushing" his next chapter in his usual way?)

That wouldn't be too bad, believe me. He wouldn't have to dig pits under the blazing Arizona sun. And I'm humane, I call my slaves "employees". Right, too bad he didn't choose more morally correct businesses such as weapons trafficking and drugs smuggling.

Obviously the wisest thing to do. In Alaska if possible. But this nuisance of a kid might weasel his way into staying home to keep going with his evil cronies. We're barely halfway through, from the author's statements, so we might not be rid of the little pest yet. I wouldn't mind Steve and Chris experimenting a bit more on restraining him actually. In shorts.

Instead of fueling the feud that has been raging in this thread for a while, I'll follow Graeme's example and comment on Eric's coming back. (How do you like this for being a goody-two shoes, Jack? ) Steve's dad should definitely turn his cellar into a prison cell, just in case, or have bars put up on Eric's window and an iron door to his room. One is never too cautious. But as he's proved to be a good-hearted person, despite the suspicion some have of him being a criminal mastermind, I deem it unlikely. I'd bet Eric's going to bring some more trouble, which is a shame for the lead characters, but a good thing for us readers so there are more adventures in store. The Piedmont sheriff kidnapping Steve and Chris? I see him more into murder, unless he captures one to blackmail the other into surrendering the mysterious data stick. And taking pictures for his devious business, if Michael is to be believed, but I'm starting to really think he's right on this one. Only the future will tell us...

Jack, your "catch me if you can" number is

How long will this "cure" urban legend spread by bigoted b*st*rds wreck the lives of fine people? The only result they get is to have people mentally self-castrated. Is there any serious research debunking such myths? Yeah, and what CJames says about how it could justify these sick camps make me puke. Any scandals have come out on possible abuse of kids in these jails for innocents?

What's this bleeding-heart liberal mumbo-jumbo? My slave labor exists only so that I make profits. They're being fed (lightly), have got shelter, and have 7 hours of rest a day. What else should they get? Wages? Thanks to Leviticus, I can get ludicrous income AND feel good about myself!

Yeah, the beauty of having been an empire. Then the list would be way too long.

He! He! That means that technically you become game again! I got the goat's mass e-mail offering you, but I'm wary of being able to make this a profitable deal. I read somewhere you don't eat much (good point), but at the moment I don't really see what I could get you to do. What does Leviticus say about how to make money out of your slaves? Were you referring to Andorra and the Channel Islands, CJames?

I don't mind the "fade to sex" stuff. It makes the few sex scenes this more powerful, and though I love reading erotica, this is not what CJames is after and what I expect from his story. Any people from the UK, Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Monte Carlo, Italy, Spain to bid for? I seem to understand Leviticus refers to neighboring nations...

Man, Glomph, you have psychic powers or what? Do you also predict the lottery numbers? I'll wait to see if your next predictions come true, but they're quite likely to!

Uh... CJames, I was the one who said that the mount could have been some sexual innuendo. And from my knowledge of other European languages, the equine analogies exist in about all of them. Well, I won't ask for the title of next chapter, since you must have carefully scheduled its release in your marketing campaign, but it's the next piece of information I'm waiting for. Is this the inside humor? "Tsk, tsk," Veronica scolded, "how soon they forget. There is an immutable law of nature that has, as a requirement for true ditzyness, that a guy must be three things: Blond, and named Steve."

The mount! DIY! Yup, I should have seen it coming. The sermon is nicely written, and Reverend Mike's antics can be easily visualized. (One point he could also make is about treating workers fairly, I found out looking in this antiquated set of laws) This is obviously an educational chapter, not only giving a different point of view on religion, but also explaining how to set up a mailbox. And Veronica's legal babble is hilarious. One little thing I might suggest: it comes to my mind because of this example, but this is a feeling I've had at other points. During the whole Speedo joke, we're given the set-up, how it comes down and Chris finds out as they pu their laundry in the washer. Then, though that's what would happen in reality, he repeats the whole thing to the audience; but yet it is fiction, couln't he just grunt some annoyed thing when his friends find out Steve pulled a prank on him? So THEY figure out so the story is not repeated, or not by the same person. Just a remark. Overall nice chapter. It feels we're in the middle of the story and bracing up for what comes next.

We all have our little problems, don't we? Didn't prevent to shyly, quietly post tons of messages... What about the contest?

I remember having similar feelings towards my fellow-students. A lot of the idiots (as far as I know) got OK positions later in life. Success in high-school does not determine your success in life. Same with popularity. College is the real concern to end up with knowledge and skills. I think it's especially true in the U.S. And yeah, making (mildly) fun of students by letting out a few outrageous comments waiting for a reaction can be fun. Quite distressing when no one notices too. Then, you know you've got a lot of hard work to do...

Michael's sorting out made it clear to me that in the initial post there was some flaw in exposing the facts; indeed it was the definition. Reviewing some things... But I taught for over a decade, and I've been quite amazed at how little reaction you could get sometimes saying things that could appear outrageous. There are group dynamics involved. And sure some teachers are idiots, but I've also met a number who were really involved and concerned. And yes, intelligence and brightness may be scary for a lot of them. So hold on, people! The workplace dynamics are not any better! As for Old Bob's proposal, it seems some already use the resources available. I'm willing to help out with French learning, and essay writing in general, provided it's not a last minute request and it's help, and not actually doing the homework.

Welcome, ixchemistry! It shouldn't take you more than two or three weeks to find your way around!

Thanks a lot for the explanation, James. As you may have noticed, a few around here do NOT live in the USA. The media we're exposed to have very different things on, and if, overall, we tend to have 80% of US movies, series and cartoons, the perception of it is not the same. In an average Mad Magazine, there are always 15/20% of jokes I won't understand. Your explanations are then quite welcome, and nicely done. I had read the blog, but had no idea what it referred to. But, this being said, it seems some number superstition is building up here, with people refraining to add posts and going to edit previous ones. I clicked on the subject by mistake, otherwise I wouldn't have noticed your kind reply. Which was technically your thousandth.