Former Member

I didn’t realize this chapter was posted until I got a Notification that @FanLit Commented on it! ;–) Oh my. Theatre Queens (note the pretentious, non-US-standard spelling – pronounced in a very fake British accent) cannot seem to understand that not all of us just burst into song at the drop of a hat! But Trout is very unusual to have never seen The Sound of Music! ;–) I’m not a huge fan of musicals, but even I’ve seen The Sound of Music and Rent as well as Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Footloose, and Flashdance. But not My Fair Lady. I know some despair at my ignorance. ;–) Now I just need a Love, a Sad and an Angry, Reaction! ;–)

If I had to do that, you’d never get Comments from me. ;–) Shut up! You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I have two computers, an iPad and an iPhone so I have plenty of backup if something goes wrong! You’re stuck reading what I think about the stories. ;–)

My younger brother and our nephew (ie not his son) both seem to have inherited my Uncle’s early balding genes. That made my Uncle look like the older brother for those who knew both his older brother (my father) and him. That also makes me look like the youngest of the three brothers instead of the middle child. ;–) Male pattern balding is inherited from your mother’s side of the family. (My maternal grandmother’s only brother disappeared in Brazil and couldn’t be located after WWII. Since my mother only had sisters, there’s no one to confirm that against in our family.)

Poor Eric. He just want to live his quiet life, but people start vicious lies about him anyway. Kids who were truant and vandalizing his cottage succeeded in their quest to tarnish his reputation in retaliation for him reporting them. Society thinks everyone should be paired up like the animals in the Noah’s Arc fable. They can’t understand why some of us remain single all our lives. Or maybe they’re jealous that we don’t have alimony payments or other signs of an unhappy relationship…

It’s good that all of Artie and Adam’s friends have expressed their support for them. They’ll need all the support they can get when they travel with Dizzy into hostile territory. It looks like they’ll only have the possibly marginal support of Artie’s mother’s best friend.

Added to all this is that not only did Adam take his nephew to California, probably one of the most un-Texas-like state in the Union, but they live in San Francisco, which many consider to be a modern day resurrection of Sodom & Gamorrah. (A beloved, now-deceased newspaper columnist preferred ‘Bagdad by the Bay.’) Had California and Texas remained independent countries after their separation from Mexico, they probably would have had a war or two by now. As it is there is extreme sibling rivalry with all the bickering and arguing typical of these sorts of relationships.

As a reader, I feel ignored if the author has not either Reacted or Replied to Comments on their story. While I appreciate getting a Reply on every Comment I make, I can understand why an author might choose to ignore one or more Comments. I believe a minimum effort should be Reacting to Comments to show that they’ve been noticed and read. I’m sure I offended one author because I recently had trouble believing early- to mid-teenagers (acting like middle aged men) with access to tens of thousands of dollars in disposable income buying expensive, exotic, esoteric audio equipment, but said author has not even Reacted to anyone’s Comments to the story!

So now it’s at least three boys Dewberry has been molesting! I think if both Woody and Lucas went to the school administration, they’d have to take it seriously. These sorts of cases often get swept under the rug (thousands of molesting priests, other religious leaders, and scout masters are proof of that!) – if they are even reported. Rapists and other sex offenders are often more believed than the victims by police and other authorities. It’s even worse when cases get to court where the victim is shamed and blamed for ‘causing’ it to happen – it’s slightly more subtle than the past when victims were told they were to blame because of the revealing way they dressed! Rapists attack ancient little old ladies in bed – you can’t tell me granny in her nightie is enticing! Rape is a crime of violence!

Lots of parents (and guardians) drink alcohol, but get upset when they find out their child has had a drink… ;–)

I think it works better as, “Bradley, you so ugly, when you was born the doctor slapped yo Mama!” ;–)

Well that helps explain why your stories are easier to read than many others I follow where there are many more grammatical errors. ;–)

Because NamirRaj has been Commenting on the first few chapters of the story tonight, I’ve gone back to read the Comments from those chapters. It’s amazing how long we’ve been waiting for the answer to why Adam was so hated in his hometown. I cannot blame Adam for being angry and upset by his treatment, but I doubt I would have done what he did. ;–) I won’t at-sign (I can’t remember what it’s called) NamirRaj since it wouldn’t be fair to have someone get a Notification about a chapter they haven’t read yet. ;–)

Don’t you mean, “How could any author DO this to me!?!” ;–)

I’ve been told that straight guys love living in San Francisco because there’s less competition for straight women. ;–) On the other hand, there’s a surplus of straight male tech nerds in Silicon Valley. Relatively well-paid, but socially inept. Not really great catches for anyone. ;–) All those actor wannabes in the LA area are shallow and vain. Pretty, but intellectually un-stimulating. Very high maintenance. ;–)

I might hate organized religion, but even I never considered vandalizing a church! Although, there were a few reasons why I’d fantasize about turning crosses upside down at the rescue mission. But that’s because that’s a much more appropriate configuration considering some of their very un-christ-like policies and attitudes. ;–) But I have to admit I’ve met at least a few good people at most of the religious organizations I’ve ever come across throughout my life… ;–)

For me, this story was getting a little marginal during the Fran period, but after Robbie realized that he’s Gay and not even slightly straight, I’ve been enjoying it again! ;–)

A very different philosophy compared with Apple. The features most people use are available free with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote for MacOS and iOS, but even TextEdit for MacOS covers all of my needs. I could get most of the components in MS Office (except Access) on both MacOS and iOS, but why do I want to pay for that crap? ;–)

There are free alternatives out there. I can’t tell you anything about PC applications. But I know about several options on MacOS. And there’s always Google… ;–) Doesn’t Windows include a basic text editor? Do these stories require more than the basic tools available in a basic text editor? What special features do Word and Office offer that you need?

I notice there are no easily-missed promises of publication dates there! ;–) The key is to under-promise and over-deliver – an occasional ‘one more thing’ is welcome too! ;–)

Most homeless people have cellphones that come with prepaid minute plans – often called burner phones. Others have very cheap plans with limited minutes per month. But there are a few who have very expensive phones – their priorities are not very practical. Phones are essential because landlords usually call to confirm that they’ve accepted your application. An alternative is if an agency offers a message service, but you still need to use a phone to access it and if you don’t respond quickly enough, they might withdraw the offer. Or if an agency will receive mail for you, but again, time can be critical. Smartphones can allow access to the internet, but usually with severe restrictions. Fortunately public libraries usually offer free WiFi. Smartphones are much cheaper and more portable than computers. California has a program that gives recipients of certain social service programs a free smartphone with unlimited phone and texting, but very limited data per month. There is a similar Federal program that might be connected. All I know is that all regular California phone users pay a small fee each month that subsidizes either limited landline phone service or the free, but limited, smartphone. But if you don’t qualify for one of those other programs, you don’t get the free phone either. The senior transit card allows me to get discounted rides on transit. A regional agency set up the program where almost all the transit agencies in the region accept the debit-type transit card as payment. They have special cards for children, the disabled, and seniors which allow those who have them to ride at a discount, sometimes half price! ;–) The Catholic church seems to export your more fervent fanatics to the US to serve as Priests and Nuns here. Lots of Irish and Italian Priests and Nuns in prominent positions, but that also includes many children of immigrants too. All I know as an Agnostic is that the Bishops in the area and the ones in the news usually have either Irish or Italian last names. You’d think there’d be more with Hispanic or Southeast Asian names here in California… ;–) I’ve been in an apartment for over five years now. I’ve been in this building the whole time, but I switched from a noisier one off the lobby a couple years ago. This one is much larger, as well as quieter, for the same rent. ;–) I was selected for a Section 8 Housing Voucher Wait List a couple years ago. This is a Federal program that is administered by local governments. The one I’m on is in the county I used to live in, next to the one I currently live in. I expect to be waiting three or four more years before I get my voucher. Then I’ll have to search for a landlord who will accept the voucher. Landlords don’t like dealing with either the government restrictions involved or many of the potential tenants who have qualified for the vouchers. My current landlord accepts them, but I have to live in the jurisdiction that sponsored the voucher for at least a year before I can use it anywhere else. It is very difficult to get on the Wait Lists at all. Thousands apply for the few vouchers that are available. In Alameda County (the agency that sponsored the List I’m on), Oakland (where I used to live) has its own List, so I cannot use the voucher in that city. One of my difficulties is that I hate using the phone – I worked in retail almost all my life and was required to disrupt whatever I was doing to answer the calls (unlike many of my former coworkers, I cannot just ignore the ringing). I don’t like going to new places alone and making calls to unknown landlords feels just as scary. I was able to find this apartment only because the shelter I was staying at had a very sympathetic Housing Coordinator who made all the calls for me and I only had to put in a rental application after I’d seen the apartment – and he drove me here to see it! (He also helped me move my stuff from storage into my new apartment.) One of my problems was that I sort of fell through the cracks. It took more than two years to get Disability. In the meantime, I didn’t qualify for unemployment because I was fired from my last job (due to side-effects of my clinical depression, although I didn’t realize it at the time). I’m not a parent, so I didn’t qualify for any of those benefits. I’m not a Vet, so I didn’t qualify for any of the programs set up to assist the (honorably discharged) ex-military Vets. I’m not a drug or alcohol addict, so I didn’t qualify for any of those sorts of programs. I’m not an ex-con, so I didn’t qualify for any of the programs for those who’d been incarcerated. I wasn’t homeless because of a disaster like a fire or flood, so I didn’t qualify for those sorts of programs either. I was fortunate that I’d already sought psychological and psychiatric treatment for depression and anxiety. I had more than two years of documented proof when I applied for Social Security Disability. My initial application was denied (as is typical) for not being serious enough to prevent me from working. I was able to get a non-profit organization to assign me a pro bono lawyer to argue my case for me and he was able to get the hearing judge enough information for my case to be won. The legislators who create the laws and the administrators who set up the rules generally don’t check to see the effects of their determinations. Many of the legislators have an agenda to discourage applicants from receiving benefits. Underfunding agencies that deal with social services is defended as trimming waste, but really just makes caseloads heavier and lines longer. In California, Republicans forced through legislation that forces social service applicants to provide fingerprints and what amounts to a mugshot. Ostensibly this is to prevent fraud, but is intended to make applicants feel like criminals. It’s part of the demonization of the needy by the ultra-wealthy. The Observer. In the Americanized Enneagram (of personality), I am a 5, the Observer. (I had always thought it was originally developed by Sufi philosophers, but Wikipedia doesn’t mention anything about that. Wikipedia also says most now consider it to be pseudoscience.) ;–)

Thank you, Carlos! A perfect way to kick off the year. I enjoyed everyone's answers, and thought the questions were great

I’ve had hints of what you dealt with. The warning on the most recent posting is one example, but you’ve also mentioned a few things elsewhere. I will probably read more, but not right away… I’ve read some very dark stories here on GA, some that felt very real as I was reading them even while I knew they were fictional. I think it’s important to read the dark stuff as well as the light and fluffy stuff. It’s a way to maintain balance and to remember what the real world is really like. I can no more ignore the world and what happens outside the US than I can ignore what happened to a friend.

I don’t know if I’ll be emotionally ready to read more about your life today. You posted a new chapter of this, but since I don’t remember reading any of the previous postings, I decided to start at the beginning. I can identify with some of what you went through, but most of it is much more difficult than my own experiences. My situation couldn’t have been much more different when I was homeless. I had a bunch of my stuff in storage and I had a lot of clothes in there. Although little of it was new, it was all stuff I’d purchased new for myself. People never thought I was homeless because my clothes were in better condition than most of the homeless people I met. Because I grew up in the suburbs and the rest of my family are all college graduates, my vocabulary sounds like a college graduate too. In the words of one Case Manager, I ‘presented well.’ I spent a lot of time in libraries using their free WiFi on my laptop (which was struggling to function being a decade old by then). Your curiosity and need to learn sets you far apart from the majority of homeless people I met. Many are too overwhelmed by their circumstances to ever look up and wonder about anything outside their immediate situation. They’re certainly not satisfied with where they are, but there is no linkage in their minds to learning as a way out. Many are relying on someone to fix their problems for them – and to a certain degree I did that too when I was applying for Social Security Disability. ;–) But I wasn’t content to just drift along like many others. I made sure to try to find a new place to stay when my time limit expired at the shelters. I had enough education and knowledge to not just get swept under the rug. When a very simple psych survey was going to prevent me from seeing Social Service’s psychologist, I was smart enough to ask if I could see them anyway and was allowed to do so with no problems. This let me keep getting a monthly cash loan until my Disability case was approved. It was something most applicants would not have thought to request – and Social Services counts on that to keep their costs down. ;–) I share your curiosity and need to learn. I remember frequently reading our dictionary and encyclopedia when I was a child for entertainment. The inside cover of the dictionary had a chart of the European languages, showing the various language families and how most of them were Indo-European languages. I was fascinated by the connections and by how Finnish and Hungarian were related even though their speakers were physically far apart. I’d pick a page and just start reading definitions. Sometimes a definition would make me curious about another word. It was more work and took more effort than using Wikipedia where clicking on a link leads you to yet another interesting page. MacOS’s Dictionary.app makes it even easier by not only providing Oxford’s dictionary, but also Wikipedia pages all within the same app! ;–)

So does Dea-Con own the ranch or is it some sort of rental or lease? It doesn’t seem likely that a mathematician or a the head of a foundation would choose such an out of the way location that doesn’t have an ocean for surfing nearby. I don’t think there are any world-class observatories either… ;–) I think as wealthy adopters, they should have prioritized finding an orphan child with expensive medical needs. Possibly a rare genetic condition that siblings also inherited. A condition that a certain foundation could funnel funding for finding a future treatment or cure! Of course this could be something that turns up after the adoption… ;–) As a son who still regrets not saving all his mother’s recipe boxes and cookbooks when his parents’ house was being cleared out when they were moving into an assisted care facility, I think someone should try to locate Angie, Brad, and Johnny’s mother’s (or father’s) cookbooks and recipes so the kids can feel some continuity with their past. It’s not as though Don and Marco cannot afford to do it. ;–) What happened to their parents’ property? Did it all get disposed of? Do the kids get visit their home one last time? Do they get to keep any mementoes of their parents? Don Marco sounds like the name of a pretentious Mexican Restaurant. ;–)

What is the point of evidence if they don’t label who is speaking/texting? There is no context! How can this be useful?