JamesSavik

Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is the closest I’m likely to get.

Of the wild cats, Ocelots are stunning. There's a YouTube video of a farm family who found one in their barn and raised it, thinking it was a domestic cat. They raised it and got a big surprise. It was released into the wild but came back and lives in the forest near their ranch and visits them regularly.

I heard philately would make you go blind.

Does having six make me a cat herdsman?

There's a paper mill in Shreveport that emits a wretched effluvium like a million orcs practicing synchronized farting.

It is better for monstrous beasts to haunt your dreams, than for monstrous people to haunt your life. If you have an abusive partner, stop lying to yourself about it and kick them to the curb. It won't get better, and you can do better.

It was fun to write. I know that people without rural roots probably don't know anything about pasture parties. They're lots of fun and combine the best aspects of camping and partying. There are some places that have semi-formalized this practice to keep end of school parties from getting out of hand and dangerous. They're going to happen. This way, kids don't have to get behind the wheel when they're over. The movie Dazed and Confused came close.

My apologies. I loaded the wrong version. 🙄 They are indeed the Grant family: James, Silas and Matthew. DeSean is, DeSean and NOT DeShaun (facepalm). To be honest, I published it early accidentally. I was multitasking and doing taxes at the same time, and plead temporary insanity. 🤪

Initiation Weekend May A radio in the senior parking lot blared Alice Cooper’s Schools Out for the Summer. It was the seniors' last day. Per tradition, the guard changed at eleven o’clock sharp on the Wednesday before finals. The graduating seniors were done. They got in their vehicles, fired up their engines, and left school for the last time as students. When the last senior’s truck pulled out, the new seniors took possession of

Schools out for the summer! Our heroes from Boyfriends for Christmas are back, and what a difference six months makes. They are about to take part in Initiation Weekend where they'll make new friends, take part in a local tradition and grow up a little.

My periwig is a ball cap. I don't want a dead rodent on my head.

Most people have to have help to wean themselves off opiates. It can get really ugly. There are muscle spasms, craps, nausea and that's the high points.

When I see rawboned guys at the gym, I want to feed them some cornbread. Bruh, do you even eat?

In movies, you might call these people extras. Life is full of extras. -the ten other people in an AA (12-step) meeting -the usuals at the bus stop -the three people who always hit McDonald's for breakfast when you are there -Mr. McCorkell, who runs the newspaper stand in the lobby They can be useful: -When Todd got home from the AA meeting, what David A said about holding onto resentments bugged him for hours. He was really starting to hate David A. Whatever he said had an uncanny knack for being precisely what Todd didn't want to hear. -Mark at the bus stop was really in a mood this morning. His teenagers were getting on his nerves. -I was standing behind one of the regulars at McDonald's when I heard about the plane crash. -When I figured out that Mr. McCorkell, who ran the newspaper stand in the lobby, was the only person worth a damn in the whole building where I used to work, I updated my resume. That's all folks. You need never mention them again. OR... they might become useful later on, so you mention them in passing. You don't have to name them, but by naming them, you give them a little upgrade in status as a person who was memorable enough for your protagonist to know by name. Who knows? Maybe Todd gets serious about his sobriety and asks David A to be his sponsor. Maybe Mr. McCorkell becomes your character's Yoda. The craft of writing is an art, not a science. Figuring out who is a character, who is an extra and how many words they get is one of the zillion and a half decisions you have to figure out on the way. Choose wisely. -

Young pianists are often challenged to do difficult pieces at public recitals. I understand it can be a terrifying experience.

People are mere dilettantes at pomposity compared to cats. Cats have mastered being pompous into a fine art.

I had a settee, but I had to reclassify it as a scratching post. 🐈

Today’s authors face new challenges. Our predecessors could be as subtle and nuanced in their approach as they saw fit. Now you have to bludgeon your readers with a lead filled clue stick and they still say- duh, I don’t get it.

The smell of forests in the Pacific Northwest is amazing. Douglas fur, alder, hemlock, and pine combine to create a fragrance that is spectacular.

Some might argue that creativity is an intrinsic part of being gay. We see things differently than the rest of the human herd. Art, literature, science and technology would be very different without our contributions. I contend creativity is the gay superpower.

One of the undiscovered countries of writing is the effect of violence on the perpetrator. It's not at all what you might think. Of course, there are mindsets who revel in it. We've done the homophobic bully trope to death. What we have not explored in great detail is what makes him (or her) tick. That is often ugly and a head-space most readers or writers do not wish to visit, even in fiction. An even more interesting case is the psychology of people who are thrust into violence by circumstance, like a teacher forced to act to stop a school shooting or an employee of a retailer who is forced to act to stop a robbery. These people are often punished for their good deeds. The truth about violence is that it leaves profound psychological scars on all parties involved, victim, perp, or innocent bystander. It can be so deep as some PTSD specialists suggest that it can rewire the brain neurotically and cause a condition called emotional dysregulation (link below). This can be verified by brain scans. Substance abuse is a problem as old as grapes and has traditionally been treated as a primary disorder. What is being discovered that often, it is actually a symptom of underlying mental conditions like PTSD and bipolar disorder. Treating addiction has historically been very difficult, with a low success rate unless the underlying disorder is recognized and addressed. Helpful links for more info: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Overview, Mayo Clinic Complex PTSD, Psychology Today Emotional Dysregulation, Psychology Today Role of PTSD in Substance Abuse

Nectarines are a type of peach. They are actually a mutation which gives them a smooth skin and smaller size. Nectarines may taste sweeter than peaches in general, but their sugar content is actually a bit lower. They are a healthy sweet snack you can enjoy without guilt.

Rending Time Darkest night to brightest morn, Depressive state to manic glee This is a horrific burden borne In desperate silent misery Unknown and unseen, the battle rages, The inner war never ends. On invisible silent fields, where the cage is, Remembered pain yet rends. Battles and wars may mercifully end, Don't ever make the mistake of thinking it's done, In your dreams, wounds and fallen friends, You'll smell the blood and smoke and wonder, did we really win?

No Cajun larder is complete without at least a half dozen different peppers.