Welcome to Lives On-Line. In this combination of a weblog and an ezine, I look at the best of what's called "on-line journals" for the past month, and link to those entries. I try to give preference to journals I've never, or at least rarely, linked with before.

All faults in selecting these are mine, as editor's choice. All excellencies are the original writers'.

Humor:

In her 7-26 entry, the ever-delightful Marn of MARN'S BIG ADVENTURE displays penis envy of a non-sexual and non-Freudian nature. Uh, perhaps you shouldn't read it at work. Someone might get the wrong idea...but this is all completely innocent, considering that it's about a bunch of men playing with their sex organs to make it imitate things like the Eiffel Tower, among others...

What would you do if you found you had a supernatural talent, and could get rid of whomever you wanted? See "I Can't Stop Killing Celebrities" before you answer. That's from PAPPS.

Many of us experience "Really Dumb Parenting Moments" that hit us all who are brave enough to try the parenting thing...that's from MAXIEGAL. Or perhaps you should peruse,with justifiable horror, "Car Wars"....or just examine a new disorder, "Post-Kinder Drop-Out Syndrome".

Drama:

"Compulsive Cleaning" is about being stuck in a behavior without escape or joy in it. That's from LIFE INSIDE OUT from the Net Diva.

In "THe Value of Shock" there is a plea to understanding the behavior of those who have suffered a terrible loss. That is one that hit home for me. I remember when Jamie died--- I went into shock. Literally, I think. I was cold and shivering. I was sleepy. People don't realize what such things do to people. That's from BECKY SAYS.

The drama of a new life appearing...a miracle we forget is a miracle...in "New Life". Also check out "Hurts so Good" gives "living on the edge" a whole new meaning---when we're talking about the edge of a razor blade. These are from I'M NO ANGEL.

Ignore the advice in the title. "Don't Read This, It's Pathetic" is a brutally frank look at being hit on by her share of unwanted propositions at a golf outing, and falling back into a self-destructive behavior....beause ghosts were awakened. Read it, it's extremely powerful. It's from MONSTRE.

Slice-of-life:

"Broken Hearted Savior" talks about music, love and the power of shared emotions, of emotions that are yours that are expressed in someone else's song. That's from JOURNEY OF A GIRL.

Who could help but identify with "A Smart Ass Out of Water" in which they described watching a baseball game....after previously hating baseball more than anything else in the world, save perhaps avocadoes. (Well, read it.) That's from DUCK-SHAPED PAIN.

"What Dies When We Give Up Our Dreams" is about being haunted by what might have been and dreams unrealized....that's from WATER LILLY VALLEY.

Quite frankly, slices of some people's lives are very different indeed. (Of course, I'm about as vanilla as they come, so perhaps I'm not the best judge.) For instance, you might read "Good Guy, Bad Guy" (definitely not a good idea to read at work--trust me.) to get an idea of how a submissive spends her time with her dom. In "The Thud Monster" we find how a sub copes with demands and a Sybian. (Again, same admonition about being careful reading it at work.) Yet interlaced with these passages are stories of life with the kids and a careful enumeration of "My Favorite Things" deftly and wonderfully written....as she dwells on chocolate and gardening and Lord Peter Wimsey videos and birds called scarlet tanagers.

These are from LESSONS LEARNED: NOTES FROM THE JOURNEY

Miscellaneous:

"Ramblerama" talks about love and long-distance relationships and how you can tell you're really in love. That's from JOURNEY OF A GIRL.

In "Biggest Fan" a letter to an unborn and unconceived child is nevertheless filled with love and confession. That's from NO RETURN ACCESS.

"Caustic Thoughts" is about dealing with issues of bitterness and whether men and women really can be just friends---- WHEN HARRY MET SALLY to the contrary. In another entry, she discusses "Walls" and how she treats them---both breaking down the hardest ones effortlessly, and stymied by the most gossamer ones. These are from I'M NO ANGEL.

In "A Stupid Question, an Acerbic Answer" the author answers why they don't wear a Pentangle to show their beliefs---or advertise them for the ignorant. That's from CF188.

That's enough for now....enough to show the extreme versitality of this unusual method of confession and self-examination. Join me next month for the next look at Lives On-Line.

After all, unless someone else reads it...

It's just not the same...