I WAS rude not to let you all know how much I appreciated your help, advice and great quotes. I'm sorry. Typical newspaper reporter, I launched right into my next gig. Forgive me, folks. You people made that story. As far as reaction, I got a nice haul of supportive emails. And some guy called me a Homo. I was flattered, but he didnt mean it as a compliment. Jerk. The piece was not as nuanced as it could have been, ofcourse. But it's difficult to capture that kind of subject - or any subject really - in a short length. And I didnt use many of your thoughtful responses to my questions. There wasn't enough room for more than a tiny sampling. Next time.

Speaking of my next assignment, I'm looking into the HIV bodybuilding community. My understanding is that it's huge. My "angle" - ofcourse - is steroids. ESPN did a story in this in the winter. But I'd like to try to get into the subject on a deeper level. Does anyone have any ideas? Contacts? I can talk off the rcord (No names) on this subject. It's very sensitive. I can be reached by respknse onm this board or my email (Swebby@mercurynews.com) I look foward to your help.

-Sean

All is forgiven, since you wrote such a fine and informative article. Good luck writing your next piece, which I of course look forward to reading, especially now that I am registered to read things at the Mercury News' site. It's not always possible to find that paper on the streets of SF.

[ May 13, 2005, 10:46 PM: Message edited by: MPetrelis ]

Wow! The AP wire is circulating the story and it's starting to get picked up by papers across the country!

Now, lots of people will read this great story in their papers.

[ May 16, 2005, 08:22 PM: Message edited by: MPetrelis ]

Great read. Thanks, Mike.

Is there a URL for the published article? Thanks in advance!

They're posted in this thread. Registration is required at the site, though if you follow my instructions for going through Google News and click on their links you may not have to.

Thanks, Joe!

Too funny.

I want a masculine gay black male aging chemist day with a big ole rainbow-colored test tube shaped like a bat as my symbol.

I'm just hoping there isn't a hue and cry from the left-handed Eskimo pipe-welders. You don't want them on your bad side.

LXN