David McLeod

Oh! What wonderful thoughts and kind words. Thank you all, so very much. I'm keenly happy to be back. No mystery: what was originally thought to be an operable condition (spinal stenosis) has turned out to be 10% stenosis (i.e., not worth the risk of an operation) and 90% neurological/neuromuscular. On the other hand, no one is quite sure exactly what it is. The good news is that it isn't a serious, life-threatening disease. I had an unexpected reaction to a drug that was thought to have promise (something about increasing the effectiveness of neurotransmitters). I guess "walking coma" is a pretty good description of how I felt for a couple of weeks. I've been assured that I didn't say or do anything too silly (or disgusting) during that time. Silver's condition in Nephylim's "Enigma" in eFiction, less the physical and emotional scars, is pretty similar, I think. (I do not pretend to be anywhere close to as hot as Silver.) I have found a neurologist who seems to have a rational plan for diagnosis (so far, all the doctors' terms been descriptive but not diagnostic). Meanwhile, the bad news is that I get to go to the gym twice a day for a regimen of exercise designed to keep the nerves firing and the muscles responding. I won't bore you with the description of the eye candy that inhabits the gym. Can you say "silver lining"? Again, thank you all for your words and thoughts. David

Okay, let's try this, again. Glad you didn't say, "better half." (Just kidding.) Welcome! Hmm. Competition. Another author. Seriously, glad to have you! Welcome...the closet's big enough for both of us. And the site is inclusive enough, too. Ditto your thanks to the folks who keep the site up and running so well. Welcome!

Damn. Go into a walking coma for a couple of weeks, and miss all the interesting new members! Sounds like a lively crowd. Alex, hope you've found lots to enjoy, and that active membership will bring new friends. John, welcome and congratulations on your first post. Hope to hear more from you! Adrian, glad you found Nephylim; she's a great person and exceptional on many levels. And of course, you are welcome on the site. Ditto to liking your sense of humor. Any more fun facts to share? Welcome! Apparently, one may quote only a limited number of people at a time, so, here's Take Two: Priscilla, be welcome and don't be shy, here or elsewhere. Be bold... Daisy, the stories will always be here when you need a break from journal articles. Enjoy! And welcome. Ira, you'll find a number of folks whose first language isn't English, and some lively discussions arise on occasion about idiomatic language. In fact, some of the most interesting discussions are between native speakers (American) and native speakers (UK/Commonwealth). So...be welcome and don't hesitate to put your oar in the waters. Aaron, glad to hear from you, and look forward to your participation. Hi, back at you. Stop by, anytime.<BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break">

Apologies for the multi-quote. I've been away, but didn't want ot overlook anyone. Welcome to all! Envying the time you have to read, and that you have yet to discover some of the truly excellent stories you'll find on the site. On behalf of all authors (I know...it's presumptive...) Thanks! We live on sunlight, air, and readers' feedback. The community is as important, IMHO, as the stories. Hope to see you on the forums. Ditto, sort of. Hope to hear from you. You're off to a good start with a great author. Glad you found us. Jas, nice to meet you, too. Hope you find lots of favorites here. Always good to have another author, and your genre sounds great. Looking forward to reading.

Be ready to write no matter where you are...a small pad and a pencil in your pocket at all times. Heck, I've texted ideas to myself when I couldn't find paper and pencil. Eavesdrop (as Nephylim suggested). Do not discount anyone as the source of inspiration. I got an entire short story out of a casual remark made by a counterperson in a fast food restaurant. Oh, and burnt offerings (goats come to mind) on a hilltop altar couldn't hurt. (Just kidding.)

Great interview with a great author. Nephylim is an inspiration to us all, and it was a thrill to see a little way into the depths of her character (rather than her characters).

Thank you, all, for your wishes. Sorry to have been out of touch for a bit. Back in circulation, for a while, at least. Very happy to hear from all of you. David

This was excellent satire: well written, comprehensive. Thanks, James. (Of course, who among us hasn't been tempted, at one time or another, to demand the school board put intelligent design into the curriculum?)

I knew you had a good reason.

What you said is just fine! Welcome.

Thoughtful, cogent treatment. Logical. Too bad you couldn't be a politician with all those virtues.

Nor in the third; however Kevin as Gargoyle was a great picture!

Absolutely! Although, it can be painful. The hardest part is throwing out stuff. (Be sure to save the original as a computer file, though.) One of my creative writing teachers suggested "pruning" 30% of the words when doing a rewrite. He was a strong advocate of the notion that each word, each beat, each lilne of dialogue, etc. must "carry its own weight." Have fun!

HH: Thanks for posting this, and letting us know how to access the videos. At last, perhaps the internet is living up to its promise.

Welcome, Chris. What sort of stories do you like? If you want a sampling, check out the anthologies.

Obviously I need something more constructive to do; however, since I go to the gym every day for physical therapy, I'm in a good position to do research. Fewer and fewer guys walk from the locker to the showers without a towel wrapped around them. (Same towel they're going to use to dry after the shower...not a pleasant thought.) More and more are drying while in the shower stall (cramped!) and then wrapping that wet towel around themselves to walk back to the lockers. I've already suggested the reason for the prudery: the virulent hatred of homosexuality by a vocal minority leading to a fear of being thought to be "tainted." "If you say something often enough and loudly enough, no matter how ugly or false it is, people will come to believe it." "If you can't come up with a logical argument, try namecalling." If you don't believe those statements, just listen to the politicians on CNN and Fox.

Again, late to the party and the best replies have been taken. Nice one, MikeL! Now, to the question: salon. Two reasons. It's cost effective: a $28 styled haircut lasts about six weeks. At one of the barber shops (or chain "clip and snip" places), a $15 haircut lasts about two weeks. Second: My stylist shampoos my hair after cutting so I'm not walking around the rest of the day shedding tiny hairs or itching. I wish I could add something humorous to this forum. Where is that Muse?

Welcome, Ben. You'll find all sorts of stories with various degrees of intimacy and sex...let us know what you think of them. Welcome, Organic. Authors live for feedback and reviews; hope you're leaving some! I'd be happy for you to parody anything I've written...except that most of what I've written is a parody, already...

Thanks, esp. to Graeme for all the hard work.

Why is is that Neph always gets the first word? Happy...whatever.

In the immortal words of Ray Romano's father: Holy Crap. Are you still having birthdays? I quit years ago.

PD: Looking good! I want to know why your eyes are closed.

You're okay...don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I was less than half-way through when I realized . So I stopped reading.

What to do? 1. USA: Write your congressperson and both of your state's senators. A letter. Not an email. 2. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper(s). If the newspaper has a 'call in' or blog, call or post. 3. Contact Human Rights Watch at http://www.hrw.org/ or: Human Rights Watch 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10118-3299 USA Tel: 1-(212) 290-4700 And please, follow the links and read the story. The influence of American evangelicals, and their agenda, smacks of genocide. Yes, genocide. This is not a political statement. It's a calm, reasoned evaluation.