Former Member

But how many of us have been inside or even outside a bully’s house? I never did. But I would have avoided a place like that anyway! ;–)

I never do! ;–)

Several different people recorded it including The Everly Brothers and Cher, but I remember the Nazareth version. Roy Orbison had an Australian Top Five version in 1961 as a B-side, but it had significant airplay in Australia. In the UK, the Jim Capaldi (formerly of Traffic) version hit number four in 1975. Nazareth hit number one in Norway and the Netherlands and it was in the US Top 10 in 1975.

Especially the ones that haven’t been written yet! ;–)

…but there’s still two weeks for the installment after that! ;–) …and still three weeks for the one that follows that one! ;–)

Our Federal government isn’t even accommodating enough to provide Braille markings on our currency! All the money spent on anti-counterfeiting with no thought about the visually impaired. They have those embedded plastic strips with the microprinting on them, couldn’t they do something similar for Braille? I guess the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) didn’t cover this sort of thing…

I thought it was Brady’s place, since he was the last person mentioned before he woke up. And Brady would be considerate enough to leave a bucket, ibuprofen, and water next to Ember so he’d see them when he woke up. He probably called the cab too! ;–)

I worked with a woman who was in a love/hate relationship with a boyfriend. When they were together, they just fought all the time. When they were apart, she was compelled to get back together with him. It went on for years. Finally, she dumped him and found someone new. She eventually got married to the new guy and I lost track of them. (The new guy was comfortable enough with Gay people that he suggested going to a bar to pick up blonds/blondes with me!) ;–) A manager of mine used to argue with another manager all the time. She claimed to hate him. And then they got married. (They were both very nice people.) ;–) Ember misinterprets everything that Brady does in the worst possible manner. If he’d stop to think, he’d realize how much Brady has changed since school. And he’d realize how much they have in common. But he can’t do that quickly if we are to have an interesting story to read! ;–)

It seems to me that you have mentioned three different issue there. One about your stories and what happens to them. Two about your readers and having them contacted should something happen to them. And you’ve provided your son with the means to let us know. Three about your vision. I’ve mentioned a few things you can do with your computer to help you, some in the Comments, and some in PMs. You’ve said you’d look into those suggestions. But as a sighted person, I have no personal experience to share. Did I get them all right?

No, if Kyle had been the one kidnapper who was killed, I think he would have felt a little guilty since Kyle seems to be more a victim for following Mike than an accomplice. But the police will see him as an active participant in the crime. Shades of gray.

I’ll be attending Frameline42, this year’s version of the world’s oldest and world’s largest LGBTQ film festival. I am a member of Frameline, the organization that puts on the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival. I’ve been seeing movies at Frameline since before the 15th festival (I have the t-shirt to prove it and I know I didn’t get t-shirts for earlier festivals I attended). ;–) I get the Castro Pass that lets me see everything except the Opening and Closing Night Programs (they’re extra cost and much more expensive). So I sit in the theater all day for a week and a half (sneaking out to get dinner). It’s a 90-120 minute commute by train from home each way. ;–) I might catch a few of the LGBTQ specials on KQED, San Francisco’s PBS station. ;–) I’m proud that my own city and at least one of the neighboring cities (as well as the much larger cities of Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco) fly the Rainbow Flag over their city halls every year! Last year a local group put up an LGBTQ Pride art exhibit in the empty storefront on the ground floor of the BART parking garage. Unfortunately, there was some minor graffiti sprayed on the glass, proving that homophobia is alive and festering here too.

And here I am thinking about the potential eye candy when the students arrive to talk to Eric! ;–)

I’ve been unreasonably impatient in expecting Andy to do more for Eric by now. But going online and getting him higher pension payments plus the winter fuel payments is a huge improvement for Eric! And while fixing up the garden would cheer up anyone, it’s especially important for someone like Eric who did it for a living until his retirement! ;–) Does the UK allow for prescription glasses to be sold online like they are here in the US? There are so many advantages and benefits to being wealthy enough to have at least a minimal amount of technology in today’s world. Being poor can actually be much more expensive due to the lack of access. ;–)

It’s a good thing that Officer Rudigger saw them being forced into the van and followed them. Maybe that police department isn’t totally corrupt! Adam would have felt really guilty if Kyle had been killed instead of his father.

I wonder how successful over the long term marriages are which included any of those sorts of songs? If split between weddings with and weddings without, would there be a significant statistical difference? Does choosing those sorts of songs indicate anything about the bride and groom? The couple whose wedding reception I attended that featured Every Breath You Take is, as far as I know, still still married. But they’re Catholic and her parents were still subsidizing her outrageously expensive tastes. (Parents, this is a life lesson on why it’s not a good idea to treat your daughters like a princess. Why fathers and boyfriends shouldn’t fill the gas tank for her every single time. Why all children should be taught to be as self-sufficient as possible. Even, or maybe especially, if they are intelligent enough to be UC Berkeley graduates!) ;–)

I think the cop was being unusually talkative with Andre! Usually, they won’t tell an apparently uninvolved person anything, especially when that person is obviously poor or is a Person of Color. Police interact with individuals differently based on their apparent economic status as well as their skin color (black and brown people are treated with suspicion) – many studies have proven that statistically. Because my ancestors were from northeastern Asia and because I dress more like I’m from the suburbs, I get treated very differently by police than many of my neighbors. They are much more respectful and polite to me. I immediately get the benefit of the doubt even though others might have a higher income than I do. All because of appearance. Of course, it also helps that I am polite in response to them, and I speak like a college graduate even though I’m not. ;–)

"...simply paralyzing, Lord Canvasbottom..." George Gershwin's These Charming People, original cast recording, 1925

What a sad state of affairs when Andre’s, ‘It won’t do any good. She won’t care anyway.’ is so true!

I knew Stan would make sure to have a mini-Buddy with him even on his Honeymoon! When techie-type people leave their computer equipment behind, as Stan did, they always make sure to take a smaller, more portable version of their most vital equipment with them. For most people, it’s a smart phone or a tablet. My own laptop (MacBook Pro) is more powerful than my desktop computer (Mac mini), but both are much more powerful than my iPad. (My Android phone is a piece of junk that’s nearly useless even as a phone, but it’s free through California’s Lifeline Cellphone service.) I almost always have my iPad with me when i leave the apartment. ;–)

Sylvia would be amusing in a different context, but she’s so clueless and oblivious. So egotistical that how things affect others is completely beyond her. Even if they are just as concerned as Sylvia, most people would be polite enough to not express their worries out loud when they’re aware that others are suffering from a much more serious problem. I think we all know people who are similar to Sylvia, but much less extreme. ;–)

Car crashes and fatalities are very odd kinks! No wonder GA won’t let you post them here! Violence porn would not be acceptable. Just kidding. I know you write erotica that’s too explicit for GA. You’ve told me before, but I like intentionally misinterpreting things! ;–)

I loved it! Can you send me a Kevin of my own? I like taller, younger men! ;–)

Well, I’m glad you don’t write stories that feature car crashes and fatalities! ;–)

I liked both for different reasons. ;–)

You are so mean! What a nasty cliffhanger! While having anybody die is terrible, I’m hoping it’s Brad’s parent(s), not Brad himself!