Noble Dust

Call For The Dead - John Le Carre Quite good, actually.

Damn I forgot about the Mynah and just thought of you as a Starling. And here I thought I was also a bird guy. Exposed. Anyway, you look very regal, f...

Did you subtly update your avatar? Very sneaky.

Yeah, this is important. Anger expressed in an unhealthy way affects not only those around you, but you yourself. It's a form of self-sabotage, which ...

I don't know, because, as I said, I'm trying to learn what the right expression is. You'd be surprised, as I'm actually a quite mild mannered and agre...

Thanks! It's not surprising; I think anger is unfortunately a common emotion here when disagreements raise their heads. @"T Clark" is the crow in his ...

Please send a hello on my behalf as well and let him know we miss him. I of course could do this myself since you say his email is in his bio, but I'm...

Paging @"T Clark". Do you read me?

I was raised evangelical Christian, perhaps borderline fundamentalist. I broke out of that prison a mere 8 or 10 years ago only to find myself in a di...

Is Atheism a religion?

Interesting, let us know how it goes. I'm also a big fan of the book.

That's true; having the answers to all life's questions, I'm simply a tag away. Yet so few realize.

Lunch: a next level homemade sandwich. Whole wheat, provolone, rotisserie chicken cold cuts, dijon, shredded romaine and sliced white onion dressed in...

I think it was because you had said it was your first time writing a short story. Considering it was really good and you won the contest, I thought th...

We're patiently waiting.

What is that, a pound of shrimp?

Hanover's opinion does not in any way represent popular American opinion, thank God.

Lonnie?

Hi Bella, Unfortunately I'm unable to rate your entry, as you haven't actually proposed a dish.

I am now accepting entries in the Noble Dust's Meal Prep Dinner Competition January 21 2024. Thread (this one) is pinned to the top. Hurry, you only h...

In terms of the voting system, I feel the need to chime in, as I think the current system was my idea, if I remember correctly. Apologies to those who...

Actually, I forgot to ask one question. Why is "THING" in all caps? It doesn't seem to fit everything else about the story.

Do you mean Notes From Underground? A seminal text for me.

In general, a few interesting points on this one for anyone interested. The house filled with pianos motif was actually the genesis of the whole conce...

:pray: Ding Ding Ding!! :flower: Thanks Amity as always for your detailed reading and analysis. You basically got it all spot on. I'll mention you in ...

Indeed. :up: Thanks for this, I see it in hindsight. The setting is important: The House. But where is the house? Whoops. Thanks for your further comm...

Oh, dear @"javi2541997", Please don't beat yourself up for the fact that us native English speakers can detect a non-native speakers writing. As has b...

I didn't manage to re-read this one, sorry @"ucarr". Your ability to write in different voices is very impressive. I do agree there were a lot of name...

I don't know that I commented on this either, @"ToothyMaw" so apologies. I enjoyed it actually, as you're a quite skilled writer. Short, enigmatic phr...

Good job @"Beverley"! I don't have much to add from what I said above. I hope you'll join us for the next one. :flower:

Yeah, I thought about not including this one.

@"Christoffer" I don't know that I ever commented on your story, so I apologize. I liked the sort of mystery-to-be-solved setting to start out, but th...

@"Jack Cummins" This one grew on me the most. To be honest I think you're writing has grown on me the most as well; after having read all of your entr...

Cool, this was my interpretation, but I don't know if I ever stated that. :up: I'm sure it didn't influence people's scoring. Thanks for following my ...

:up: I think you achieved your goal.

Good observation, which I did not pick up on. I think my reading might have been influenced by knowing the author (as was the case with all of them ob...

I think this clears it up for me. Maybe subconsciously I got that sense from the story, but I think I was expecting something clearer and more wrapped...

I agree. I know some readers were confused by the non-linear telling, which is understandable. For me, the great writing helped me keep on track in so...

Great work, @"Vera Mont". It's interesting, because professional writers do have a deft hand that's instantly recognizable. My brother is one (working...

:clap: I don't want to rank or pick favorites, but don't mind saying this was my favorite this time around. The simplicity of the language paired with...

Looking forward to hearing details from @"Baden". I love the viewpoint and the world in this story and want to know more.

In no order, the authors are: Dawn - @"Vera Mont" Unbecoming - @"unenlightened" Rip Out The Grass! - @"javi2541997" Errand Boy - @"ucarr" I Dream Of S...

Should I make a fake list to throw everyone off? :chin:

Essentially, yes.

Sbarro is a notoriously bad pizza chain that mimics NY slice shops that basically only exists in shopping mall food courts at this point.

Depends on how important pizza is to you. If you’re a nerd like me, it’s worth it.

There was no previous pizza making party. The first time I tried to make dough was a personal project involving no social event.

I think you know what I meant. What's your definition of a story?

I'm a sucker for a doppelgänger moment, so I enjoyed this development. Overall, I agree it's a bit confusing, although I'm also a sucker for surrealis...

The trend started after that, so doubtful. L'Industrie was one of the earlier ones and it opened in 2017. It really only became a thing after the pand...