Former Member

And that was the basis for the ABC Afterschool Special, I was an Elementary School Alcoholic! ;-)

Just like the Baldwin Sisters on The Waltons! They called it The Recipe. And seemed unaware that it was alcohol. ;-)

I’m guessing Hunter and Perry were served by Donna so you wouldn’t get calls for a story focused on her, right? ;-)

But I thought that was the tell-tale sign of a true Southerner! That and a pickup with a gun rack! With the secret still hiding in the backwoods… ;-)

Keen was the ‘60s equivalent of cool in the US. ;-)

I think it was Diana’s favorite soap. It’s the big rival of Coronation Street (aka ‘Corrie’). The San José PBS station started showing Eastenders back in the ‘80s. I started watching the show because Are You Being Served?’s Miss Brahms was on it! I remember Dot’s AIDS phobia story arc. I’m pretty sure they still broadcast it on the successor to that San José station, but I stopped watching it in the ‘90s as I got busier at work. ;-)

I’m sure he was hanging around the toilets hoping to see the equipment of teenage boys exposed when they take care of their bodily needs. It fits the pattern of self-hating hypocrites. Someone should report him for possessing child pornography! ;-)

Hartley is another Roy Cohn or J Edgar Hoover. A traitor to LGBTQ people! A horrid, disgusting, vile POS! He’s worse than Taylor or the other idiots who run the backward hamlet!

Just a little? ;-) I thought it was love one another. ;-)

I wasn’t under the impression that ratings had anything to do with what is posted on GA. For some reason, there are stories tagged ‘Australia’, but I’ve never seen any tagged ‘UK,’ ‘England,’ or ‘British.’ I have seen stories that include definitions of less commonly known expressions and slang words. Some of us in the US can even understand most of what they say on Eastenders! ;-) Popularity has nothing to do with originality or quality. Unfortunately, popularity is often associated with familiarity (and banality). We aren’t all here for the latest teenaged werewolf/vampire/zombie romantic comedy. Some of us are looking for variety and originality… ;-)

I’m an American, mine are too big to fit in my pockets! ;-)

Anything more springlike than a glorious rendering of Handel? Nope Jos Van Veldhoven leading the Netherlands Bach Society and the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, in Handel's Jubilate, HWV 279

Two of my cousins married Italians and my (Lesbian?) Aunt’s three-decade-long ‘roommate’ was half-Italian, half-German. My family must have been a culture shock for them! My family is very subdued and quiet, fairly traditional culturally. Very much the opposite of the Delveccio family! ;-) My older brother’s wife and a different cousin come from families with ties to New England, a little closer in temperament, I think. ;-)

James Ackerman (from Parker Owens’ A to Z) shares the same unusual middle name – are they distant relatives? ;-)

I keep mine on the top of my head, much more convenient that way – they occasionally slip in place on their own when I’m not paying attention! ;-)

I’d have to point out that that is part of the job: dealing with difficult students with respect. This isn’t a ‘50s Catholic school filled with crotchety old Irish nuns, rapping knuckles with their rulers. This isn’t a ‘50s Southern school with a ‘Board of Education’ wooden paddle that the Principal spanks disobedient pupils with. And this isn’t an 1800s classroom where the teacher humiliates students who make mistakes by forcing them to sit in a corner wearing a comical, conical ‘Dunce Cap.’ Administrators should respect all students equally without punishing some more harshly due to race/ethnicity, gender, or assumptions based merely on the opinions of previous schools as stated in records and files. Statistically, African-American boys are significantly more likely to be suspended even as early as kindergarten! As they progress through school, they become even more likely to be more harshly punished than other students for the same misdeeds. This leads to higher rates of juvenile detention and eventually the wildly disproportionate levels of adult incarceration! Latino/Hispanic, Native American, and certain Asian-American and Pacific Islander ethnic groups also have significantly higher levels of punishment than whites for similar issues. The recent racist Philadelphia Starbucks arrests are part of a much wider problem! As a (Northeast) Asian-American, I am much more likely to be ignored and overlooked than most others. I had problems that might have been addressed when I was in school if anyone had been paying attention back then. In the ‘80s when I had money to spend in electronics stores, I’d have to go look for someone to sell me stuff because they didn’t think I was there to buy things (that’s probably changed with all the wealthy Asian immigrant engineers around here). ;-)

Andy doesn’t seem to realize just how close to the edge Eric lives. Eric doesn’t have a fully-stocked pantry to rely on if he misses out on shopping day. Eric just barely scrapes by with his microscopic food budget! He crosses a tightrope without a safety net every week!

With all his gadgets, why didn’t Andy just add Eric to the calendar on his cellphone (oops, sorry) mobile to remind him he promised to take Eric shopping? And wouldn’t the truants have been more scared if Andy had taken a picture of them, again using his mobile, with their paint can and cider? A picture might have let the school identify who they were! I‘m afraid I’d be as forgetful [irresponsible] as Andy if I ever signed up to volunteer. The fact that it’s unpaid doesn’t mean it’s not a job with the associated expectation of showing up. I need something where I can drop in when I feel like working, not according to a prearranged schedule. ;-)

Another reason why I like reading these chapters in Reader View in Safari (or Firefox when the coding errors prevent it from functioning in Safari). ;-)

This imagery made me laugh! I’ve known a few young guys like that too. It’s as if no adult has ever complimented them before! ;-)

But at least @Bndmetl's muse hasn’t caught the epidemic that’s downed so many others on GA! ;-)

Ellen’s largest target market is straight women. Many of them are unaware of any other LGBTQ people in their lives. Ellen asks questions as a stand-in for all those clueless straight women, it’s a very common interview tactic on talkshows. It allowed Eric to supply the answer to the question many in the audience are wondering.

I loved how Bailey and Declan switched roles in this chapter. And, of course, it was wonderful to visit the boys again! I look forward to seeing how they deal with being teased about being caught kissing in bed! ;-)

But I think in this situation, Benjamina, Benedicte, or Benicia would have been waiting in the lobby too, since Travis is only boyfriend at the moment.

Not 1600 Pennsylvania Ave? (They could hide out with Melania and Baron. Those two are only props dragged out just for photo opportunities.) ;-)