Hec, in Natter:

Tasty masturbation? I think that's only possible for certain employees of Cirque de Soleil.

mikal summarized the first 150 posts of Natter 12b. Read it to find out about ita's date.

connie neil in Like Sartre...

I'm all for the respect. So long as it's not quantified and people don't start sidling up to each other and saying "My respect's bigger than yours." Unless it's Saturday night, we're in a sleazy roadhouse, and everyone's drunk.

In "Angel", nonspoilery:

Madrigal: The Cheeseman could definitely have his own show. He'd fight against the false cheeses, such as his enemy, the Whiz, and he'd protect his friends from osteoperosis, he'd feed the needy multi ethnic street kids, and in a special episode aimed at that one bit of society just full of hatred, he'd slay lactose intolerance.

Madrigal in Natter:

I tend to think of my frequent lack of dreaming as the little hamster in my brain stumbling out of the wheel and staggering over to a corner where he rests and twitches with a cigarette until I wake up and he has to start running again.

Anne W., in B'cy. There's some context and stuff, but you can go read it there if you want to. I was going to just pull out a couple of things, but it would have been lots more than couple.

So, as kat perez put it, here is Little Buffistas on the Prairie.

There are people in this town who are the ones who keep things running. They are the equivalent of the miller, the grocer, the telegraph operator, the banker, the doctor, etc. These people are absolutely necessary for the life of the town, but in general, everyone treats them as they would any other neighbor.

Then, there are the people who are socially active on a large scale. They organize the quilting bees, the barn raisings, the potluck dinners, the dances, and so on. These people, like the people in the group above, would probably be known to or recognized by everyone in the town.

Other citizens will have a different sort of fame that makes them known to the community at large. They may be known for the beauty of their front garden, the stylishness of their dress, their rich baritone singing voice, the huge number of cats in the back yard, or the cupola on their house that has been turned into a bat refuge.

Then we have the people who are essential to the community on a smaller scale. These would be the people in the town who would be the ones people would go to for advice or a shoulder to cry on. They are the ones who may not seem "important," but who would be sorely missed by the community at large should they disappear.

There will be smaller, cohesive social groups within the town as well. The sewing circle whose chatter would certainly shock the Reverend should he drop by. The bunch who are the regulars at the local saloon. A book club that meets at the lending library and who exchange books sent from family members back east.

Of course, there will be many people in our hypothetical small town who keep to themselves for the most part, who maybe get together with a neighbor for a cup of tea, who will go to the monthly square dance if the mood happens to strike them at the right time, and who are polite, quiet, and not necessarily known to the majority of the townspeople.

Keeping with the frontier town metaphor, this is a place with many people who didn't necessarily like all the rules and regimentation that existed back east. On the other hand, they realize that it's nice to live in a civilized setting. Normally, they would only have to call in the law if a stranger came in and started causing trouble. That's when the sheriff would take her badge out of her bedside drawer and go out and Krav the offender. Afterwards, she would put back her badge and go back to looking at pictures of pretty, pretty men.

Other than that, most squabbles are taken care of on the spot as neighbors hash things out. There may be hard feelings for a while, but normally things will work out as all parties want to keep the town a nice place to live.

As the town has grown, however, certain decisions need to be made. Should the old barn be torn down and a proper dance hall be built in its place? Should the roads be paved? Does the school need a second teacher? Does the library need a special annex for its growing porn collection? When the town was smaller, things just happened as people had a spiffy new idea or as it was seen that certain things were needed.

This is when the town calls a town meeting to discuss the idea of the library annex. People get to voice their opinions on whether or not the porn collection needs its own room. It gets messy, especially when the comic book fans want their own annex, and another group of people decide that they would like to talk about how to decorate the Porn Room. Normally quiet townspeople may speak up, since the decision has some effect on their lives. Chances are that some feathers will get ruffled and some tempers will fray, but once the town meeting is over, people can settle back into their lives in the community. Not everyone will like every decision that is made, and some changes will be seen as changes for the worse by some, but by and large, it is the community making the decision.

New people will arrive in town from time to time, sometimes in groups, sometimes as they stroll into town by their lonesome. Some of these newcomers are content to settle into a little cottage at the end of town and get to know their nearest neighbors. Others will actively seek out the sewing circle, the book club, etc. and look for a way to get involved. Some of the established townsfolk will look at the newcomers askance, trying to figure out what kind of people they are and how they will fit into the community. Others will be quick to smother the newcomer in welcome, bringing over pie and telling him or her about all the things the town has to offer. Unless the newcomer turns out to be a troublemaker, chances are that in a while, people will have trouble remembering when he or she wasn't living there.

Cindy, in Bitches:

For those of you who celebrate, have a lovely Independence Day. Brits - have a lovely Thank goodness we got rid of that lot day. Canadians? You just had your day. Stop being so damned greedy. Aussies? I got nuthin'.

smonster, in Bitches:

I woke up one morning to find a note on the pillow:

Dear Smonster:

I'm sorry to do this to you, but I have to leave. I feel like you don't appreciate me, and you're always taking Inertia's side over mine. Maybe when I'm gone, you'll realize how much you need me. I'm going to fulfill my own dreams, since you can't even figure out what yours are.

I'm not coming back. You'll have to come find me.

Signed, Your motivation

The bitch of it is, she took my planner and all my hanging file folders.

Aimee serves, smonster volleys -- from Bitches:

Aimee: I *know* I left my motivation somewhere.....

smonster: It's not inside the sofa in HELL, is it?

Aimee: Dammit. That's where it is! Along with $2 in change and my missing prom pictures.

smonster: Yep. Me, I woke up one morning to find a note on the pillow:

Dear Smonster:

I'm sorry to do this to you, but I have to leave. I feel like you don't appreciate me, and you're always taking Inertia's side over mine. Maybe when I'm gone, you'll realize how much you need me. I'm going to fulfill my own dreams, since you can't even figure out what yours are.

I'm not coming back. You'll have to come find me.

Signed, Your motivation

The bitch of it is, she took my planner and all my hanging file folders.

And juliana beat me to the punchline. But mine has context!

Yeah, I miss her. Got a postcard from Africa last Thursday that just said "Doing. You?"