37 Comments
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Rebecca Rhoads's avatar

I’m on the boat.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

See you there.

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John Lightle's avatar

To the Honorable King Mark, Sign me up. I know the Sultans song quite well. Knoffler got me plucking finger style years ago. However, since it rains during the day, and on an earlier campaign pitch, does the king of Markland propose rain jackets for his commoners? Let's not start that talk about the Great Raincoat Revolt just yet.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Well done with the Sultans song. I think you misread. It only rains from 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Which is technically morning, but for all practical purposes is during the night while people are sleeping. No one on Markland needs to be awake before 9:00 a.m. unless they choose to be.

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John Lightle's avatar

King Mark, I prefer the afternoon showers. Everyone runs inside and no one mows grass or runs their leaf blowers. That when I sit out under the awning and play my guitar. Ah, the sweet solemn afternoon rain.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Perhaps I will create a patch of rainforest where it will shower in the afternoons and then dry right up by supper time.

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John Lightle's avatar

King Mark, You got everything figured out!

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Mark Starlin's avatar

That’s why I’m King. 🤣

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

You had me at Churros, King Mark. I will apply for citizenship on this Utopian continent under the guise of pastry chef, but, alas, I fear I will be long dead before the continent cools ... unless you can find an ACME Super Insta-Kooler to use when building this thing. And, by the way, will that volcano gold be the property of every citizen or just King Mark? Just asking.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

I will rent some CO2 jetpacks and my friends and I will fly over the continent to cool it. Everyone can mine their own gold and keep it. There will be plenty to go around as long as people don't mine so much that the continent sinks.

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Kim Smyth's avatar

Luckily, I can play the guitar! 😉

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Woo Hoo! Get busy on those Knopfler licks.

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Kim Smyth's avatar

I didn't say I HAD a guitar, just that I can play one. Maybe someday soon, ill get another. 😀

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Mark Starlin's avatar

What!? That is sacrilege—a crime against humanity. You must buy one immediately and put an end to this madness. Music is one of the last remaining magics in the world. If you can make music, you must! No excuses.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

Put Markland near Iceland and Greenland...

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Mark Starlin's avatar

There is no room. And it is way too cold up there. I will be using some of the vast unused Pacific Ocean for my new continent.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

Okay. That space between Australia and Antarctica needs feeling.

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Chris Cohlmeyer's avatar

Maybe we need to go with creating Markland 2.0 to have winters to go skiing then summers akin to Markland 1.0

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Mark Starlin's avatar

I am of the mind that if people want to ski or feel cold, they can fly to a colder climate. However, if enough people request it, as a King, I will look after my subjects' interests and grow a mountain with snow on the top, so people can go skiing on the mountain while the rest of us stay toasty warm in the lowlands.

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Chris Cohlmeyer's avatar

Ski and surf the same day 😍

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Now you are talking.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

I will stick close to the equator. I prefer consistent weather.

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3musesmerge's avatar

Fantasy?

I’m tasting notes of The Last Kingdom and Jerry’s Bakery peanut squares.

Are we there yet?

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Um...excuse me, 3MM, you'll have to get in line...

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3musesmerge's avatar

A line?!

Maybe it’ll be easier to invent Gailland? 🤭

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Mark Starlin's avatar

The line (queue) starts behind me. Start working on those donut-making skills, Bassano. Even friends have to earn their way. 🤣

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

I’m on it.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Not yet. Meanwhile, tell me more about Jerry’s Bakery and these “peanut squares.” Do they ship? I found a donut at a gas station (of all places) In Minnesota that was very close to the Supreme donut. It was a rectangular donut instead of a cinnamon roll, but close enough. Unfortunately, I live in North Carolina and that is a long way to go for donuts. 😬

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3musesmerge's avatar

“How much lawwwwn-ger” Thalia wails from the backseat.

Yellow cake slathered with vanilla buttercream and rolled in salted peanuts.

Dang! Now I really want one!

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

I keep clicking on the boxes asking me to ACCEPT COOKIES. But no one has ever sent any. What's with that?

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Mark Starlin's avatar

I know! How rude! The internet is nothing but trickery.

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Richard Ritenbaugh's avatar

I'm glad your new continent will have standards. So many do not these days. "Markland" is an okay name. As a Tolkien fan, I would have lobbied for "The Mark."

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Mark Starlin's avatar

I thought about calling it Awfulland, to trick people, like Greenland did. But I figured people would have a hard time spelling it, so I decided to keep it simple.

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Richard Ritenbaugh's avatar

"Awfulland" may have kept some of the riff-raff away. But I applaud your decision to go with "Markland."

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Mark Starlin's avatar

I can always change it. I am King, after all.

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Richard Ritenbaugh's avatar

Indeed, Sire.

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Mark Starlin's avatar

😂

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