Biff Spork

There are various ways in which climate change can make weather more extreme. Some of them are fairly obvious – if you warm up the planet, you’re going to have more frequent and intense heatwaves. Warmer planet, you’re going to have more extremely hot days. You tend to see more flooding events, because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, so when it does rain or snow, you actually get more precipitation. The rain and snow falls in larger amounts, and that’s something we’ve seen as well in

@Summerabbacat, thanks for your kind words. I'm glad Bumper's father begins to appear in a better light. With regard to your concerns about the boys' psyches. Neither Bumper nor Marcus have other close friendships - not because of isolation or some personal deficiency, but because they've been looking for something deeper than a casual friendship. Also, both boys are self-actuated, Marcus especially. He saw the climate crisis, decided something had to be done, figured out what he could do, and does it, not for anyone else's approval, but because it needs to be done. Both boys are vegan, but Bumper has not been raised in a vegan house. He must have made the decision himself at some point and and persisted, regardless of what anybody else thought or said. So, we have two very self-directed boys, both looking for a deeper relationship. For them, as I believe for most thirteen-year-old boys, it's 'in for a penny, in for a pound.' They don't do anything by halves, and when they meet their ideal counterpart, they give everything they've got to building a relationship based on openness and commitment. Mayberry Billy: "Mayberry" was the name of a fictional American small town that was the location of an immensely popular TV sitcom in the 1960s — "The Andy Griffiths Show." I suspect the show was so popular (ranked number 1 during most of its eight year run) because it was how America wanted to see itself. Mayberry is the quintessential American town. I coupled that with the name "Billy" since it was (and is) one of the most popular of American boys' names. When Bumper calls Marcus "Mayberry Billy" he is paying tribute to Marcus' classic American boy costume of blue jeans, striped T-shirt, and running shoes. Would Bumper and Marcus be aware of that allusion to a 1960s TV show? The show was so popular that it has been on TV as re-runs ever since, all 249 episodes, and even today it would be hard to find an American who has never seen the show. In many of those episodes, the boy star of the show, Opie Taylor, is dressed in a striped T-shirt, blue jeans, and high-top runners. Few participants at the Old Growth demonstrations: I saw this mostly as one of the effects of the COVID pandemic. The environmental movement had really begun to gain some momentum three or four years ago - much of it, alas, was lost when the pandemic arrived and people became fearful of gathering in crowds. Thanks again and please give my greetings to the cats who are staying with you. Biff

Flash floods are quick-rising floods most often caused by heavy rains over a short period (usually six hours or less). Flash floods can happen anywhere, although low-lying areas with poor drainage are particularly vulnerable. Also caused by dam or levee breaks or the sudden overflow of water due to a debris or ice jam, flash floods combine the innate hazards of a flood with speed and unpredictability and are responsible for the greatest number of flood-related fatalities. ( https://www.nrd

@Summerabbacat Sorry! I didn't mean to turn your comment into a lecture on veganism - especially to you, who are very close to vegan. The point I wanted to make is that veganism is not a bunch of little rules, but is one big simple rule - if it comes from an animal, it's not ours to use or consume; it's theirs. That was the basis of Marcus' reasoning when he decided not to purchase feather headdresses or cowrie necklaces.

Thanks @Summerabbacat for your kind words and ongoing commentary. Cowrie shells: They have been valued and used as currency in many different traditional cultures. I suspect the reason is that they are very attractive little shells, both to look at as well as to feel, because they are very smooth. They are also small, so if you accumulate a bunch, you can string them together and wear them. Since they were valued as currency, jewelry, or trade items, it's probably safe to assume they were actively harvested by coastal peoples to trade for products from the hinterland, without regard for whether the inhabitants of the shells were dead or alive. What's often not understood about veganism is that it's not just a diet - it's a lifestyle firmly based on not exploiting animals in any way. So, a vegan will not wear or use leather, fur, wool, silk, or down (or sea-shells), and as well as avoiding obvious items like meat and fish, a vegan is also careful to exclude products containing eggs, dairy products, honey, gelatin, lard, tallow, or any other animal byproduct. It may seem complicated, but it's not. Simply put, if it comes from an animal, it's not going to be part of a vegan's life. Marcus' use of various diminutives of 'Bumper' as pet names: Marcus explores many - Bumps, Bumpsy, Bumpster, Bumpus - and I always think of them as expressions of his (big) brotherly love for Bumper. Bumper accepts them as terms of endearment without comment, though he would probably be offended if anyone other than Marcus dared to play with his name. Bumper, on the other hand, always refers to Marcus as 'Marcus.' I see that as a form of respect. He recognizes that Marcus is more mature, confident and thoughtful than he is and he admires him.

@VBlewThanks for your comment. Yes, for these boys it was love at first sight but that's not the end of the story, it's the beginning. Building their friendship and mutual respect on the basis of that initial love is what they've now embarked on. It's life's most wonderful adventure.

@Summerabbacat - Thanks for your kind words and discussion of Marcus' thoughts on love and sex. I'll take this opportunity to amplify some of what I was thinking when I wrote these boys' characters. I have great faith in boys' capabilities to make good decisions, provided they have good information. Marcus may seem too mature and articulate for his age, but he has experienced great sorrow (the death of his parents and then the death of his grandfather.) At the same time he has been brought up in an environment where he has always been surrounded by intelligent, caring adults and tutors. Bumper is flippant with regard to his parents, but he knows they care for him. Asking Marcus to supper with them shows how much he trusts and respects his parents. They give him responsibilities appropriate to his age (dishwashing and garbage), but also give him space to express his ideas and make his own decisions (he's vegan and his parents are not, but they cater to his decision). Not having any close friends has made him a more thoughtful and independent boy than many, but he hasn't had to face the losses that have made Marcus a more profound thinker.

LONDON, 24 August, 2021 − The world’s pollinators are in decline − and scientists now have a surer idea of why. The bees, butterflies, wasps, beetles, flies, bats and hummingbirds (yes, animals and birds too) that shift pollen from one flower to another and help three-fourths of the world’s food crops to fruit and reproduce are on the way out. Oblivion awaits insects and other pollinators because of the things humans have done, and go on doing. And it will be humans that could pay the b

LONDON, 3 May, 2021 - In the last decade, the Amazon forests of Brazil released more carbon into the atmosphere than they absorbed, thanks largely to human activities that cleared or degraded the canopy. Those activities make it impossible for affected forests to stave off climate change. And a survey of the cooler forests of North America has revealed that these, too, could be surrendering more carbon than they soak up from the atmosphere, thanks to human-triggered climate change and the ever g

Thank you, Summerabbacat, for your discussion of the story and the relationship between Bumper and Marcus. With regard to Bumper's father, one thing to remember is that teenage boys often exaggerate their fathers' inadequacies, and all we know of Bumper's father is what we hear from Bumper. I think you'll enjoy the next chapter - so far the story has been "love at first sight," and the question always arises then of what happens next. Chapter 5 explores how these boys take it in an unusual direction. Thanks for your kind words about my writing. I work at it, and I'm happy it pleases at least a few readers.

LONDON, 7 May, 2021 - Climate scientists warn that - unless the world acts to limit global heating - the Antarctic ice sheet could begin irreversible collapse. The ice on the Antarctic continent could raise global sea levels by more than 47 metres, higher than a ten-storey building, and enough to unleash catastrophic sea level rise. Global warming of just 3°C above the long-term average for most of human history would bring on a rise from south polar melting of at least 0.5cms a year from about

Hey Mattyboy, thanks for your kind comment. Thanks VBlew. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I'm glad it reads well. The billionaire boy thing has been done before but it's fun to fantasize in that world for awhile. @Summerabbacat All I can do to reply to your comment is blush. Thanks. Most of the time I enjoy the act of writing, and chuckle and cry at the appropriate places. But when I wrote, "Was I, perhaps, unconsciously hetero?" I laughed out loud. Oh! The horror of being straight!

@GanymedeRex - Thanks for your kind words about the story. As for my views on climate change, I really do hope they are ridiculous, but I'm afraid they're not.

Thanks for your comment, GanymedeRex. Opening paragraphs are difficult - in the attempt to get the opening right I endlessly re-work it. Sometimes, alas, the labor shows. I'll keep your comment in mind during the next re-write.

Hi Jjeffalch, Thanks for your comment. I'm glad you are enjoying the story and getting to know Bumper and Marcus. I had fun writing this chapter. I hope to keep you guessing as the story progresses. Biff

LONDON, 9 November, 2018 – Scientists once again have confirmed that humankind’s actions have triggered ever-greater extremes of rainfall – and an ever-greater rise in disastrous flash floods. Scientists and engineers from China and the US report in the journal Nature Communications that flash floods now cause more deaths as well as more property and agricultural losses than any other severe weather-related hazards. These losses have been increasing for the last 50 years and over the la

Thanks for your comment VBlew. It seems to me that as the climate crisis worsens, activists, especially young people, are becoming frustrated and more aggressive. It's their future that is being gambled away, and they are probably going to get even angrier and more aggressive as conditions get worse.

Thanks for your comment, Summerabbacat. From the raccoon's point of view, poisoning does seem extreme. Bumper's father might consider moderating his language and talk about "culling" the raccoon to make the idea more palatable.

Thank you, Summerabbacat. It's refreshing and heartening to read your comment.

I didn’t go to sleep for a couple of hours, but when I did, I slept so deeply it was mid-day before I awoke. My memory of the night’s events was dream-like until I retrieved the camera and watched the video. It wasn’t a dream. It had all unfolded exactly as I remembered. While I picked up the garbage and re-set the trap, I decided what to do. A note in the kitchen offered me ten bucks if I mowed our lawn and that filled out the rest of the afternoon. Before supper, I laid out what I would n

Thanks for your comment VBlew. I should get you to write my blurbs - you have the knack.

Thanks for your comments Rick, and Leo622. As for what the ninja kid is doing - it shall be revealed! Stay tuned.

The koteka, horim, or penis gourd is a penis sheath traditionally worn by native male inhabitants of some (mainly highland) ethnic groups in New Guinea to cover their penis. They are normally made from a dried-out gourd, although unrelated species such as pitcher-plant are also used. They are held in place by a small loop of fiber attached to the base of the koteka and placed around the scrotum. A secondary loop placed around the chest or abdomen is attached to the main body of the koteka.

During the COVID pandemic, two thirteen-year-old boys fall in love while attempting to deal with the climate crisis. They meet while rescuing a racoon. Their relationship strengthens as they add information to parked vehicles, restaurants, and a fountain. Later they demonstrate in drag, practice foreplay, run around naked on the prairies, develop a close relationship with prairie dogs, and experience an extreme weather event.