Former Member

I’ve had to apologize for things I’ve said that were misinterpreted (to put it mildly). When I post what I intend as a joke, it seems obviously humorous to me and I have been surprised that I’ve insulted someone unintentionally. I try to make sure I don’t repeat my mistakes, but written words can imply different things to people with varying backgrounds and experiences. I’ve had to apologize to people I respect very much and have edited posts to try to minimize the damage I’ve caused. It’s never enough, but I do try. I am Risk Averse and shy too. But I’ve gotten comfortable here on GA. I hope with time, you’ll be able to relax a little more. I’ve read a few of your Comments in the past. I like hearing from as many different people as possible. There have been many times when others have mentioned things that I’ve overlooked and I like to mention things others haven’t noticed. But there have been times when others have expressed what I thought so well that I could only say ‘Ditto.’ ;–)

You know, I don’t think you need to worry about that! ;–) I got a Notification that had me rereading Comments for chapter 1. I had forgotten the doctor’s original assessment of Max – and hadn’t remembered that was short for Maxon! I’m glad there’s a reasonable chance that Max will eventually be able to walk again. I hope Donny and Max will be able to encourage each other in those difficult stages towards being able to walk or even run again! ;–)

That was exactly why doctors started recommending them! ;–) Graham crackers and Kellogg’s cereals too! ;–)

A second helping. Listening to what was really cutting edge - this music - puts Bach in perspective, and just how eccentrically archaic his music was for the age.

I guess it depends on how many extras are needed for a production. The large crowd scenes are different from those used to prevent a set from looking deserted. I think once you get started, you get connections that make paid jobs more likely – just as with many things. ;–) I think most of the people who wear saggy pants as ‘fashion’ don’t understand the implications that they are advertising! And when their skin starts to sag with advanced age (assuming they achieve that), they’ll regret getting all those huge tattoos that advertised once-popular products and images, but became dated over the years. Fashions change and some people have intentionally done something permanent that will become unfashionable in the future. In the US, parents thought themselves fashionable or ‘normal’ when they had their infant boys mutilated with a circumcision – I wasn’t given a choice in the matter yet I have to live with the consequences.

More from that darling Saxon

Extras generally don’t get paid. (That’s why they’re extras.) I’m sure they sometimes advertise open calls. I know there were announcements on the local TV news shows here when they were filming crowd scenes for Milk – you just had to appear period accurate, so no saggy pants and facial tattoos! ;–)

Clearly, you both joined GA before I started posting my comments! ;–)

Oh, so you’re that guy – I didn’t realize they had them in Denmark too! ;–)

Did the emoticons use mouthwash and become extinct? ;–)

They do a lot of TV and movie production in Toronto for Hollywood. They can use all kinds of people in their shots. I’m sure they can even find a use for a “skinny-boy” who’s bright red with “Tim’s” written in white diagonally across him! ;–)

The cynic in me started out this chapter thinking, if not Louis & Don, then who? But that turned into Louis & Don would be perfect for Max. They’ll all get much more out of it than they can imagine right now! ;–)

We expect no less from Robbie (and you)! ;–)

Or maybe your youth? I grew up way before emojis. Color TV was available but much too expensive for my parents, so I grew up on black-and-white – even the (to me) gray-scale NBC peacock with the voiceover: ‘Brought to you in living color!’ ;–)

The homeless people I encountered were mostly from more urban neighborhoods. Very different from my suburban upbringing. The social contract I was taught was that you thanked everyone who helped you. They all thought I was odd for thanking people who served us meals or the people who rang up my purchases at a store. But that’s what people do where I grew up. ;–) So I thank writers by Commenting on their work. ;–)

California has been preparing for major earthquakes for decades. Much like Japan and New Zealand, we will get damage, but the entire region will not be flattened. The St Louis region is not at all prepared for the quake that’s coming to the New Madrid Fault – there was a big one that not only shifted the course of the Mississippi, but also rang church bells in New England! We try to avoid allowing new construction that would not survive a quake. Unlike the tornado magnets in the Midwest or the flimsy buildings along the coasts directly in the way of hurricanes. There are few, if any, deaths in California due to lack of heating during arctic winter conditions. The percentage of Californians who die of heat-related conditions due to lack of air conditioning is lower than out east. There are disasters everywhere people live. I know how to survive an earthquake. I could be better prepared, but overall, I like my chances out here better! ;–)

On another site (non-Gay), I got so upset about something someone posted on their Forum that I had to register there just so I could refute the statement. I’m sure that’s no surprise to @Carlos Hazday! I was active there until the site shut down. ;–) Here on GA, it was kind of the opposite. There was a story I liked so much that I had to Comment. So I was forced to Register. ;–)

I think Robbie should take Connor to visit his little friend, the boy he met at the hospital. Robbie could do with the indomitable cheer and this will show his more caring side to Connor. Maybe they can take Amy and Luke to visit too. That would make an interesting combination! ;–)

My brain mixes them up because it perceives ‘Geoff’ as a fancier version of the more familiar (in the US) Jeff. ‘Tony’ is usually associated with more working-class-type regular joes, often Italian guys. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but those are the associations in my brain for those names. ;–)

When I see him on TV again, I’ll remember his name. But his appearances are only local, so you probably won’t have heard of him. Unless you’re in the geological field and you might instead be familiar with David P Schwartz who used to work for the USGS – I met him when I worked in the computer store.

Well we don’t want Geoff & Tony engaging in conflict with each other! ;–) I’m worried about Stuart and his Cognitive Dissonance problem. Stalking Geoff Tony. Plotting how to regain ‘his’ Geoff Tony… ;–)

An e-friend of mine (who I met on a different site) was born in east Africa, but his family moved back to the UK when the country they were living in achieved independence. He has travelled all over the world (apparently on a UK passport) including Mexico, US, Australia, and even Mongolia. But because of Brexit, he recently discovered that he’s officially an Irish citizen! ;–)

A pay-per-view cage match! ;–) They fit the context of this story. You’ll notice I said they were annoying rather than disgusting or evil. Stuart and Joy are more frustrating than anything. Neither of them see themselves as particularly bad people. But Geoff & Tony need conflict to be engaging. ;–)

Shouldn’t the @Mancunian be the one saying that? I’d read that the TV shows were named after a Northern saying – and the original, UK version is set in Manchester! ;–)

When I worked at Target, I used to get rated on how quickly I completed transactions at the check out line. At first it was difficult to get an acceptable score, but then I discovered a few tricks – getting things organized before starting the transaction made a big difference. And I discovered how to pause the transaction (I can’t remember the term used). I never worried about my score after that! ;–)