Chris James

A humorous look at the life of a dog...from the dog's point of view. There, take that you cat people. https://youtu.be/_3Wj2TGL8Rc

A more in depth look at this American high school boy: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/high-school-student-ryan-chester-wins-350000-for-film-explaining-einsteins-theory-of-relativity-20151111-gkw4c0.html

I like this young man's explanation about the Theory of Relativity...but perhaps I am more enamored of the young man himself. Why couldn't all my science teachers look this handsome? I might have learned something. https://youtu.be/CYv5GsXEf1o

I was one of the lucky. The Vietnam War was raging as I came of draft age and managed to keep my college deferment until the war ended. Many friends were not so lucky...some of them never came home. I know there are those who feel their military service was an important part of their lives and I empathize with that. Vietnam was not my war, it should never have been ours. But the image that precedes this article says a lot about how wrong I would have felt as a soldier within an establishment that didn't respect me. It took a long time for gay soldiers to gain respect and it is still an uphill climb. Most of the guys I remember on this day were not gay but they accepted me for who I am. The men and women who were booted from their jobs for being gay need recognition. America's shame needs to be left in the past. http://www.joemygod.com/2015/11/11/veterans-day-democrats-promote-restore-honor-bill-to-correct-records-of-booted-gay-veterans/

The world is a difficult place to live and harder for some than others. It doesn't take much to give some people a helping hand and set them back on the path to success. When I read articles like this I am grateful for what I have and smile at the kindness often found in strangers. https://www.yahoo.com/realestate/gobekind-rescues-homeless-dad-little-1296698478600246.html I think there is a short story in this article, I will have to think about it.

Delightful beginning, Colin. Unfortunate that most kids don't know their legal rights as well as your main character. Looking forward to more of the story. Thanks.

Mark your calendars: on November 9, the LOGO network will present this documentary about elderly gay couples and their life issues. http://www.out.com/popnography/2015/11/06/watch-gen-silent-powerful-new-doc-about-lgbt-elders We all deal with our aging selves very differently, but deal with it we will as time goes by. The couple featured in the trailer at this link have a hard road ahead as illness overcomes one of the partners. I look forward to watching this program. Additional Information: Logo will show the documentary at 10 am and again at 9 pm EST.

In a society so enamored of guns in every F ing movie you see I doubt if animated films are even considered. But swear too much, show a little sex, or get too violent and your film is slammed with an R rating. What would it take to get the gun violence out of television programs or films? An impossibility, so every film or television program with guns should get an R rating to keep from glorifying such activity to children. Will it work...no, violence is addicting as any toddler can tell you from the time they talk. Welcome to America...now put your hands up or I will shoot you.

And you thought that all the Saturday morning cartoons were just silly mindless entertainment for kids...not in this case: http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/boy-learns-heimlich-maneuver-from-spongebob-saves-classmate-from-choking/ar-CC2OH8?li=BBgzzfc&ocid=LENDHP In this day of stupid school rules about touching another student I read the article with trepidation, waiting for the punch line where the boy was suspended for breaking the rules. I mean, he hugged a girl! But I imagine the school authorities would have a hard time disregarding the benefit of what the boy managed to do. Yaaay SpongeBob.

There are times when I think humans are the dumbest creatures on the planet, at least we are the most cruel. For decades the United States has allied itself with other nations who are less than civilized because they have something we need. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-sainato/saudi-arabia-crucifixion_b_8455868.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592 Well since they started Islam and embraced the absurdity of the world's most active death cult religion none of these kinds of executions should surprise us.

An interesting topic...and Hello to Joe. Welcome aboard and I hope you get around to writing something soon, even a short story to give us a glimpse of the things that interest you. I am interested in all things historical although most of them are part of U.S history. The Revolution, the Civil War, and the following military actions in Mexico, the Philippines are all fascinating. I guess I stopped looking at military actions when Vietnam came around because I lost friends over there. I now find it better to view societal changes over the centuries since the nation was founded. In my short time living in Japan I was shocked by the way the government and people treated their WW2 veterans. They had no programs for social or medical care and today we would consider that shameful. But the Army had lied to the Japanese people for years about the progress of the war and the depravations had destroyed any sense of unity. I would love to read a great sea story if Joe has it in him...(hint, hint) but anything at all will do.

I am so tired of reading about the Christian condemnation of Halloween as the devil's day. The mythical Satan has nothing to do with Halloween, and yet it has become a favorite target of Christians who seem to need something to hate. Enter these clowns, who have tried to use Halloween as a tool for recruitment. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/welcome-to-a-texas-hell-house-where-wayward-christians-are-scared-straight/ar-BBmEJE0?li=AA54ur&ocid=LENDHP

This is several years old, but just a wonderful few moments of outstanding music. https://youtu.be/kbJcQYVtZMo

Oh my...whoa! A sensational love story, a great ending...thank you, Bruin. Well worth seeing...um, reading.

Many believe that the reason we don't have more rigorous gun control is because of the National Rifle Association. Here is a group comprised of some 4 million members (they keep the total membership a secret) with a considerable amount of political power. The US has 320 million people and there are more gay people in the country than in the NRA. There are many in the current political system who support the NRA, probably because of contributions that get them elected. Until the politics change we are stuck in this rut.

Hello Mr. Pi (Drew), welcome to the forum. I suppose my thoughts on this ending are based upon the way we seem to think here on AD. Our objective seems to be the encouragement of gay youth to see life as a series of possibilities. I would like to think Troye feels the same way. That would mean nothing in life is worth killing yourself even if it causes pain. Optimistically: there is always a tomorrow and things change. Relationships of every kind are hard, and those born during adolescence seem to be the most difficult. This is why we write positive and affirming stories about gay relationships. Any other approach is counterproductive in a world where the bonds between people should mean more than the negative. As a gay man I see so much negative coming from those who ought to know better. I will not make this a religious rant. It is not just the Christian Right, it is all the negative religious ideals in our society. I give you with this line from the Quran: "If God should punish men according to what they deserve...he would not leave so much as a beast on the back of the Earth." I am convinced that the God ideal is the most destructive force on the planet. If God would have us all destroyed then who will be around to kiss his ass? (snark)

I am not in favor of the suicide leap off the cliff since I don't think that would be the kind of message Troye would send to his viewers. Of course I have nothing specific to base that on. Perhaps he will enlighten us at some point. Matthew Eriksson is the boyfriend, and what a wonderful acting job he does, they both do. I am in favor of non-verbal images in the telling of this story. The raves Troye is getting online include pleas for a Part 4 since many of the viewers are like us and unsure how to take the ending. Quite the artistic endeavor, I look forward to the future films Troye makes.

Thank you, Bruin...I still haven't figured out what I am doing wrong and even Mike has given me options.

Years ago I became enamored of the cable television show "Weeds." The drug humor was spot on and the acting was genuine. Among the cast members was a teenage Hunter Parish, a handsome young man who developed his role quite well. The show is history but it seems Mr. Parish has gone on to develop his acting, singing and dancing talents. I saw this last year and thought to post it here for your enjoyment. https://youtu.be/EXezjFLTl-c

Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." The framers of the Constitution saw this as the solution to foreign armies invading the country in the early years of the nation. Within several decades of establishing this law the country had a standing army which pretty much relegated the militia to a secondary role. State by state, the militia was used to ward off attacks by the displaced Native Americans until after the Civil War when a larger Federal military was available to secure the borders. But by then the militia concept was well ingrained in American society. At the time the constitution was written the "Arms" in widespread use were single shot muzzle loading black powder muskets and pistols. Nowhere in the wildest dreams of our forefathers did anyone conceive of the modern arms we have today. The first multi-shot weapons were developed for military use. Although there were some early singularly made revolving pistols available in Europe, the widespread manufacture of self-contained bullets and revolver style arms were military issue during the Civil War. In current terms, there is little difference between military and civilian arms as gun manufacturers churned out millions of weapons for the wars of the last century and this one. Surplus military weapons immediately found their way into the civilian market with very few limitations. I seriously doubt that Madison and Jefferson, both involved in writing this Amendment, had any idea that future development of "Arms" would create such chaos due to their simple little law. Neither could conceive of an AK-47 or an AR-15, perhaps they would have been appalled, or at least changed the wording of the law. I do ponder the current Supreme Court, and those past, where the justices claim to be strict in their interpretation of the Constitution. Laws are meant to evolve to reflect the changes in society and so not adapting the Amendments to reflect new, and perhaps dangerous, trends is an absurdity. The Second Amendment is a dinosaur as it stands and so perhaps is our sense of democracy.

And so it goes, now we have Wikileaks disseminating stolen information once again, only this time it is a personal attack against a high government official. I would not be averse to blowing Wikileaks off the internet. Those who claim to be doing the world a favor rarely are, just ask the Taliban. So now they have messed with the CIA: those guys with black helicopters and modern day ninjas. A real life James Bond film in the making. http://news.yahoo.com/wikileaks-publishes-cia-director-john-brennans-emails-132604082.html

This young man has some really amazing talent and I look forward to watching him develop in the coming years. But like many great pieces of art this final part of his trilogy is filled with emotion and yet leaves me dumbfounded. I just don't get the image he left us holding...what happened?

I am sure you are all aware by now of the hacker that broke into the CIA Director's email accounts, but just in case here are the facts: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/itinsider/teen-who-hacked-cia-director%e2%80%99s-email-tells-how-he-did-it/ar-AAfFmTh?li=AAa0dzB&ocid=LENDHP I suppose at this point everyone realizes how openly the information that might allow this intrusion is shared and that no account is to be considered secure. One thing missing from the article is what has happened to the hacker. Is he in chains yet or has the CIA assassination squad been alerted? The intention of people who do these things is never in question, they do it because they can and it scores pleasure points in their brains. Perhaps they need to masturbate more frequently. No matter who they violate I would advocate severe penalties...perhaps asking the Saudi's to lop off their hands. Ten years imprisonment for each instance of hacking doesn't seem too much to ask. When will that start?

I had to smile at the title of this topic: Rick Beck's Redemption...I was unaware he needed redeeming. The Redemption is a fine story and in line with much of his major storytelling. I will always read whatever he posts and learn from it...isn't that what we are supposed to do? As a writer I am no ordinary reader because I look for the values behind the mask each author wears. Over the years Rick has provided us with some wonderful reads and I look forward to the next one. (Hint Hint)

I watched this and started laughing as the premise is so absurd. I remember back in the day when the Catholic Church did its best to convince young impressionable minds that masturbation is a terrible sin. Imagine how many young boys suffered with guilt when they couldn't avoid that most natural of human activities. And now we have this continuing blather about masturbation for Christian adults. Fortunately Mr. Dawkins has a few timely words for these people and their attempt at brainwashing: https://youtu.be/bYr48dvZ5As As an atheist I really think this man has done more to expose the hypocrisy of religion because he only seeks the truth. My favorite line in the video: religious people lie.