I'd be happy to return the favor, Anne. You can hit me at the profile address.

Thanks! Insent.

Back to you, Anne.

If aesthetic appreciation of pubescent boys is your thing, I highly recommend The Boy by Germaine Greer. Mmm... art historical.

Salieri is a god. This story just about made me cry, it's so incredibly beautiful. Lush, gorgeous prose and splendid characterizations. Plus, pumpkin pie!

How to survive after a nuclear holocaust:

Prince Michael finally established a routine and knowing that the daytime was a preferred time to venture out into the wasteland, would set up missions and find pockets of insurgency that slept during the intense heat of daylight, and attack them with zero casualties.

The difference between those outside and Prince Michael’s people simply being that the rouge group of sovereign individuals was never exposed unprotected to the atmosphere and the rest were exposed at the time of the attacks to the oxygen on the outside that was laden with ether.

What's a rouge group?

Two years had evolved since Armageddon, the resistance was gaining ground, 5 babies had been born to the Birkoff twins and to Mowen and Sarah, all products of Invitro fertilization and cloning.

Exposition is boring! Let's just jump ahead two years!

And in another story, in which Michael and Nikita are literally stranded on a desert island:

Because clothing was not a necessity, Nikita had fashioned covers and towels from the items of clothing they had in the boat. The couple wore bathing suits most of the time and as time passed Nikita created a line she called, ‘You Tarzan, Me Jane’, made of the hide of the wild boars that they ate, nothing gone to waste.

Michael had pleased her beyond believe when he concocted sunscreen using fruit, mud and coconut milk, trying many combinations of natural ingredients until he found the correct consistency for Nikita’s fair skin.

Next, they're going to make a telephone from coconut shells.

She interrupted, her blonde hair wild around her magnificent tanned face, she was angry, “I’ll have you know I am not a virgin, Helmut always said I gave great head.” With this she brought her hands to her mouth and gasped at the crude bombshell.

“That was a divine manifestation, a bit coarse but… Look Kita, this Helmut character was not a gentleman and even though you wear this pronouncement as a sexual badge of courage, it is not ladylike to repeat such things. I think of you as a little sister, we are here to survive, hopefully finish fixing the boat and go back to resolve the problems you have with your stepfather Paul…” He said while holding both her hands and looking at her with a studied gaze, familial and brotherly.

Remember, girls. It's not ladylike to give good head.

Nikita created a line she called, ‘You Tarzan, Me Jane’,

Amazing. Stranded on a desert island, she's creating couture wear!

Well, at least the sunscreen's useful.

Two years had evolved since Armageddon

The years evolved? *hits head on desk* W.T.F.?

Years passing, years slipping by, years skipping away into the distance, years having a party and eating too much metaphorical candy, these I can deal with, but evolving? No. Evolution is a process which organisms undergo, not something units of time do.

I would also like to know what makes this woman think that the daytime is the best time to go out after a nuclear holocaust, since as far as I'm aware radioactivity is not increased by darkness, and the only possible reason for prefering the daytime is that you're less likely to stub a toe, much the same as before the nuclear holocaust, but I'm not sure I can be bothered to raise the subject.

the rouge group of sovereign individuals was never exposed unprotected to the atmosphere and the rest were exposed at the time of the attacks to the oxygen on the outside that was laden with ether.

Ether. Huh. So they were all very stoned, just from breathing the air?

Um... is anyone out there willing to read a teeny little gen Sports Night ficlet? Basically, I have managed to talk myself into a corner and need help coming up with a somewhat witty punchline.

Profile address is good and any assistance much appreciated. I am about to go out & run some errands with Nora, so I may not get back to you immediately.