Former Member

Much more unpredictable! ;–)

A Shostakovich andante for a still summer afternoon....

Victim-blaming also affects sexual assault victims (regardless of gender). You dressed too provocatively… (as though you were responsible for controlling his reaction). If you weren't walking around in that neighborhood after dark… (even though that’s your neighborhood). You flirted with him… (as if that gave him permission to attack you). You let him get to third base before you told him to stop… (as if he were somehow incapable of not going further). You didn’t fight hard enough… (even though he’s a foot taller and triple your weight). You were a convenient receptacle… (as if you are responsible for controlling his sexual urges).

Hmmm. Robbie needs to talk to a lawyer to write a will. He is in the unusual situation of being a minor with substantial wealth. Presumably, Robbie would want at least some of his money (or the apartment?) to go to Tom, his siblings, maybe his favorite young patient friend (who he needs to visit), some of his friends (an all-expenses trip to a game in the UK for his football-loving classmate?), possibly some of his favorite causes (a cure for his hero-worshiping little friend?) and charities, and he’d want to ensure that Donnieboy gets no benefits from his death!

Although SF Pride attendees skew towards young people, there are still plenty of older people there too. Some in parade contingents and others as part of the viewing masses. SF Pride has a main stage with speeches and several (4-6) peripheral stages with loud music of varying genres. And there are plenty of booths with information as well as food and assorted items for sale separating the stages. Oakland Pride is more family oriented as you might expect in the town with the largest Lesbian couple* population in the US. ;–) * The US Census only counts households with same-sex pairs who list themselves as a couple, there is no question asking about individuals who identify as LGBTQ+. There are probably a few non-romantically partnered same-sex pairs who check the wrong box and get included inadvertently. But there are also same-sex couples who for one reason or another don’t check the box that would count them correctly. The US Census is the source of the same-sex couple statistics quoted on many Wikipedia pages. ;–)

I can't say for sure it was Don, but I remember a father sneaking a cigarette in the backyard and getting caught by the protagonist. The father asked the protagonist not to tell his wife because she had forced him to quit. He only snuck cigarettes when he was especially stressed. ;–) I don’t recall ever seeing that allergy line before, but as you say there have been 123 chapters… ;–)

@Jaro_423 and @Will Hawkins appear to be among the readers who wait until a story is complete before they read it. They’re both Reacting and Commenting on the story now! ;–)

I don’t pay attention to tabloid newspapers, magazines, or TV shows and yet I’m still aware that both Tony Danza and Rami Malek have identical twins! ;–)

How long have they been married? How old is Nicola? How pregnant is Susie in the wedding pictures? Is Susie’s father holding a shotgun? ;–)

I was wondering why Heathcliff was wearing rumpled clothes! I thought Aidan’s confession of love threw him so much he was still processing hours later. It didn’t make sense, I learned about siblings with almost all the guys I ever dated. I can’t remember most of the names, but I can remember bits and pieces about them. It was important to me to learn about those sorts of things because it tells you how they relate (no pun intended) to others. It’s shocking that Heathcliff would avoid talking about a twin brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephews who clearly dote on him. Usually, the unmentioned relatives are people you avoid and don’t get along with – that’s clearly not the case here. I’m wondering how Heathcliff will explain this. ;–)

A legal guardian has some oversight that an adoptive parent doesn’t have. In hindsight, Robbie should have known there was a reason why Donnieboy was so insistent on the adoption. He wanted total control over Robbie. Robbie should check his finances to make sure Donnieboy hasn’t been embezzling to feed his nose.

They sell USB coffee mug heaters, if your distraction is your computer… ;–)

I try to be respectful and compassionate, but fall far short of my goals too often. It’s easier to come across as a nicer person online because you have more time to think things through than is possible in person. And here you can edit to correct your faux pas… ;–) Definitely no ill intent. She is my favorite Aunt! But it was certainly ill-considered. *ssholes can be wonderful. Being versatile, I enjoy both aspects of *ssholes. But Eric doesn’t seem to have explored any of that… ;–)

He had a wonderful sister? ;–)

Hmmm. Mad Men premiered in 2007 and ended on May 17, 2015. The Cockney Canuck was first posted on August 15, 2015. Could ‘Don Draper’ have inspired the name, career, and addiction of the homophobic adoptive father? ;–)

Even though Jo didn’t think it was funny, I thought this was a great line! ;–) Why do I have this insistent memory of Don sneaking a cigarette in the backyard? Am I getting this story confused with others again? I’m pretty sure I remember the scene being in this story! (This is just one of the problems with getting old.) ;–) This was also hilarious! There were several other fun line in this chapter. But I’m not going to quote them all. (You’re welcome.) ;–)

I think anyone who has moved to a different country (or to the country from the city, if that what you meant) would have interesting insights because of the different behaviors, expectations, and motivations in the two places. I know that moving from a suburban neighborhood into a much more urban part of the Bay Area has been educational and enlightening. The social contract is different here and people often wonder why I behave the way I do when it’s just normal suburban behavior (saying please and thank you, holding doors open for others, etc). ;–)

Unfortunately, I was not as impressed by the series. I read the first few books and stopped reading them…

As Eric is more like me in many ways, I could identify with him and his perception of Andy as condescending. Neither of them know the other well enough to understand how badly they’ve misinterpreted each other's motivations and intentions. But like Andy, I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth many, many times. I pondered to my mother’s sister about the inheritability of severe memory issues after the three deceased oldest sisters suffered from those end-of-life problems. The Aunt is the fourth oldest of five sisters. She connected the (unintentional) dots and was not happy to have that pointed out. :–(

A reminder to everyone, now is your opportunity (and responsibility) to Review this story. Help out readers who might be wondering if this is a story they should read or not. Express your opinion – I’m sure my Review isn’t exactly what you would write or what might entice you to read this story. ;–) Here’s mine, where’s yours? ;–)

There was an ancient Mad Magazine movie spoof (of Saturday Night Fever, maybe?) which starred ‘John Revolting.’. ;–)

Did you read that Mad Magazine issue too? ;–)

But… I'm wasting your time. You should be writing! ;–)

He was trying to blend into the walls and be invisible. (But that didn’t fit my metaphor.) ;–)

And that’s why there are so many lapsed-whatevers, Agnostics, and Atheists out there in reaction to their attitudes! ;–)