Former Member

I still think Marilyn will always be the third member in their relationship (however long it lasts, and statistics suggest that Mickey & Mark will probably not last forever). Mickey shares a whole lot more with his mother than most young men do. That Marilyn knows Sean’s last name is a strong indication of that fact. I still see plenty of warning signs that Mark seems unaware of. ;–)

My mother didn’t catch me doing anything like what Jack and Tracy were doing. She figured it out from a letter I gave her that said I was old enough to stay out overnight without their permission. She yelled and screamed at me, but then gave me the silent treatment for a week. But US Thanksgiving was coming up and she didn’t want to explain to relatives why we weren’t talking (or why I was eating with friends instead of family), so she gave up and just never, ever mentioned the topic for the rest of her life! Some parents deal with the Gay topic by pretending they don’t know even after there’s no question about it. ;–)

Miss Pringle is probably a very nice, grandmotherly type! ;–)

Allegedly, Donnie has been faithful to Susie too! ;–)

Usually those sorts of trusts allow the trustee to charge the trust for costs associated with the minor. I’m convinced that Donnie has come up with some pretty ‘creative’ charges against the trust. He almost certainly paid for that huge birthday trip (and Tom’s plane fare) out of the trust, for example. In the advertising industry, they are extremely inventive in how they expense things in their bills (especially their descriptions). The entire industry is an exercise in misinformation, half-truths, and clever lighting with vaseline on the lens. ;–)

Donnie’s not giving up without a fight. It’s difficult to look like the perfect family man without a family. Why are things so difficult for adulterers like Donnie who are stuck in the Fifties (when everybody ignored the philandering husband as long as he kept up with the bills and maintained a comfortable lifestyle for the wife and kids). When Plan A didn’t work, Donnie tried Plan B, When Plan B didn’t work, he switched to Plans C, D, E, and F. If nothing else, Donnie is persistent. He’s wrong, but he relentless.

Have many chosen the second option? Do you maintain a supply of various designs appropriate for different sizes and shapes of ‘endowments’? Chastity Belts, while significantly more expensive, offer a much more secure experience with no possibility for escape of the organ in question. There’s a very interesting model available from a company in the UK – very customizable with a premium price that’s very clearly British. (I can PM you the URL.) ;–)

@Page Scrawler, I'm sure you know I block autoplay of videos. So I have to go through extra hoops to see what you post. I should have known! But this is a new guy, isn't he? ;–)

I stumbled on ‘male’ versions of songs by female singers, created through software manipulation to lower the pitch. I had previously been aware of Cher’s ‘male version’ of Strong Enough that adjusted the gender in the song to imply that either the subject or the singer were bisexual. But that was Cher singing in her normal singing range where there are plenty of songs that are modified to make it sound like a female singer is male. I looked, but didn’t notice any Michael Jackson songs that were manipulated in the same way, but there’s Janet Jackson’s Black Cat… ;–)

Cecil Coles -- In the Cathedral

Someone as naïve as Mickey should not have jumped into bed with either Mark or Sean. Mickey was too eager to lose his virginity before he was emotionally and psychologically ready. Someone as naïve as Mickey was needs to get to know the guy before he has sex with him. Even though current culture suggests that instant everything is great, someone like Mickey should take his time. Someone as naïve as Mickey like I was when I was first Coming Out.

Is it Friday yet? ;–)

There seem to be several factors that each tilt an individual slightly towards same-sex attractions. Some are genetic, some are hormonal, and some are environmental. Studies of identical twins, who would probably share all three considerations, have found that the pairs do not always match in orientation. One of my best friends is the youngest sibling with three or four older brothers. Another best friend has three straight older brothers (including a fraternal twin) and a straight younger brother (fraternal twin of their only sister). I have a older and a younger brother who are both straight. None of the studies I’ve ever seen has ever suggested that they’ve discovered an absolute cause of homosexuality in humans. Personally, I believe that sexual orientation in men is similar to handedness. I think it’s a J-curve with most men being straight, a much smaller percentage being Gay, and an even smaller percentage being bisexual. But the studies of bisexuals sometimes indicates a majority of men, and sometimes indicates a tiny minority. I think it relates to the questions asked. Are they counting behavior or identity. There are men who identify as Gay, but have had sex with a woman. There are many men who have had sex with other men, but identify as straight – epidemiologists coined the term MSM to encompass all men who have sex with other men regardless of how they identify (Gay4Pay is just one variety). This topic is very complex and understanding it might shed light on other topics. Clearly it is controversial even within the LGBTQ+ community. Should there be topics we ignore just because they make us uncomfortable?

You surprise me all the time! ;–) Was Stravor the last working Searcher? Are there others who might not be happy that Hemothracene has fallen? Are there other retired Searchers like Stravor the Elder?

I did not expect that Dayson would turn out to be Keter’s cousin! So Dayson and Stravor will become relatives of sorts. At least we know Stravor’s parents already approve of Keter. ;–) The after-effects of the god dying sound like what you see after a major earthquake. Things were tossed, fell from shelves, and many others broken. After they clean up the biggest messes, the people will need to gather for reassurance and comfort. Everyone will be in shock for days. Maybe they should have taken Shade into the crypt too, to help bring Keter back. Shade and Keter had a strong bond similar to the bond Keter had with Strator. And Shade could carry Keter out to rest in Stravor’s parent’s house. Needless to say, I will miss Keter, Shade, Dayson & his staff, and even Stravor. ;–)

My Guesses: pepper mills; corks for open bottles of wine; freezer thingies to use instead of ice at parties; some weird Italian pasta maker...am I getting even close....

I would like to believe the old saying...size doesn't matter...but here...idk - hehe

Mon Dieu! What is this world coming to! (I freeze loafs of uncut sourdough bread so I can reheat it in the oven later.) ;–)

You don’t eat the whole loaf within a day or two? The French buy their bread fresh daily! I’d check to see what kinds of preservatives they added to your ‘bread.’ ;–)

Sliced sourdough bread? How sacrilegious! Sourdough should always be baked in a freeform loaf-shape! ;–)

Yeah, well, you’re not one of those authors who torments their characters. ;–) There are some who’d introduce a bullying neighbor or sadistic teacher. Others would find a distant relative to ‘reclaim’ Danny. There are so many possibilities that you’d never explore! ;–) And that’s why we’re reading this story!

Even I wouldn’t be cruel enough to mock Icarus with that last line!