Chris James

Yaaaay, everyone should come to Iran because we have a nuclear accord...is that a good excuse to visit one of the most repressive states in the world? They think so. https://www.yahoo.com/travel/book-your-trip-iran-expecting-tourism-boom-after-124494317997.html Let us not forget Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni...names we should not forget but probably have. Ten years ago these two Iranian teenagers were hung in public for the horrible act of being homosexual and loving one another. On that occasion I almost wished the Iranian state had announced the development of a nuke so that we could bomb them out of existence. No one in their right mind should visit that country, except North Koreans or perhaps a delegation of Ebola infected people from Africa.

All of Mihangel's stories cater to my taste for history, and this one is a winner. Filled with details about the lives of these Scouts in London during the ravages of WW2, there are moments of heartbreak and pure joy, a good mix when writing about those troubled times. His characters come alive on the page and give us a different perspective on a story we all thought we knew. Excellent, Mihangel...you have my thanks.

I think you will discover that several of the authors here on AD started out posting to Nifty and I was one of them. One of the attractions was the large number of readers who visit that site and the exposure a new author might get with little effort. Style and content there was hardly what I would consider a worthy effort on my part since it all seemed the same. Call it my experiment in writing stories that would attract reader feedback because that time for me was all about catering to the one-handed readers as many of us called them. Not only did I post a vast number of stories in my brief stay, I also corresponded with a dozen authors about what we were doing. As larkin mentioned there were some good writers on the site but a reader had to wade through a morass of badly written pieces just to find them. To succeed as an author one must evolve and I used my prolific status on Nifty to experiment with the readers and watch their reactions. I was getting 30-40 bits of feedback from each story, everything from the drooling masses to the honest and well noted critics. This continued even as I backed away from the blatant sexual depiction into a more serious and likeable character study within the stories. That taught me something....the entertainment value was not just the sex...and so I quit posting on Nifty. I like to think of what I write these days as romance/adventure, and what little bits of sexual activity with the characters is more innuendo than fact. I enjoy bringing history to the page and giving the characters a broad range of activity within the bounds of real events from the past. Delivering vast stories of sexual depiction is a waste of time for an author with so many more things to say. Nifty is still out there, and delivering more poorly written material all the time. But they cater to an audience I no longer wish to reach. I could write a story on the backs of a deck of playing cards and shuffle it weekly to come up with a Nifty story to post. It all seems the same to me now and I am glad to be away from there.

I don't see this law as inconsistent with common sense that all men should use condoms instead of having unprotected sex. I think it is unfortunate that AIDS and other STD's don't seem to have the same fear factor as they did in the 80's. But since adult films are here to stay it seems a positive educational image of men wearing condoms is the best option. Now if they could only do something about that phony soundtrack of moans and groans we get with every film.

Okay Cole, how long have you been holding on to that one? I see a bit of humor there, and of course it calls into play the intelligence or lack thereof in those who hunt. I suppose we can call it an obtuse joke. And speaking of obtuse, this isn't really funny, just absurd. You would think that once a man reaches the age of 35 he would drop all pretense at stupid adolescent activity. He didn't, and fortunately he now has 30 years to think about it...wonder if it will mean anything to him after all that time. http://news.yahoo.com/oklahoma-man-gets-30-years-prison-fatal-atomic-170147799--sector.html

Thanks for the video, Luggie. I first became aware of hoop dancing while researching one of the Native American stories some years ago and was surprised to note that the tradition crosses all tribal barriers...everyone was involved. Although most of the dancers are young men and boys, there are some great female hoop dancers as well. Still waiting to see one of these dancers on America's Got Talent, they deserve to be there and win.

I am not so quick to condemn the publishing of this book, and here is why. To Kill a Mockingbird evolved from this Watchman story and so as an author I will be curious to make comparison between the two. As we have all seen in the media, the reaction by those who have read Watchman seems to be one of shock that the well loved character Atticus Finch might be a racist. For those of you who care to see how that plays out I give you this review from NPR. But you need a spoiler alert here as the review reveals a good deal: http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/07/16/423257877/go-set-a-watchman-is-a-revelation-on-race-not-a-disappointment It seems Harper Lee, and perhaps the editors at the time Watchman was written, saw great risk in the telling of that story. It is to her credit that she evolved Mockingbird from that earlier draft and published what has become a much beloved book in American literature. I think it holds true that an author owns the words in a story but the characters belong to everyone. But even if Watchman portrays Atticus Finch as a raving racist it is interesting how Ms. Lee pulled the character back from the brink of destruction. I agree with the reviewer that perhaps Atticus' defense of a black man in Mockingbird was not completely as principled as we are led to believe, and maybe Watchman will give me a clue in that direction. I intend to read the book and make up my own mind on all of the issues presented. And finally, a look at why Watchman was published. At 89 years of age, Ms. Lee was the subject of much speculation after she had a stroke in 2007. Her loss of hearing and deteriorating sight is a tragedy but it seems she did want to have the book published in it's unedited form. http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/13/living/feat-harper-lee-mockingbird-watchman-third-novel/ A caution to authors out there, don't leave your drafts lying around in safety deposit boxes if you become famous. Now we will face even more speculation on the chances of a third novel. When is enough...enough?

Of course I was a teenager long before the inception of the internet...and I am happy about that. My mother was of the nosey variety and I usually managed to notice her intrusions into my room when I wasn't there. But although I did my own laundry and kept the room clean I knew she was pawing through my drawers in search of whatever paranoid crap she thought teenagers were up to...so I gave her something to think about. I bought a box of condoms and began folding my socks into them. I waited for her to discover my new method of sock protection and she never said a word...but my father did. "Clever boy," he told me with a wink and I knew exactly what he was talking about. I was so happy to move out when I turned 18...but I took all the socks and left the condoms behind. I still wonder what she did with them.

I have discovered that the easiest way to find my mistakes is to have the story posted on this site and then they jump off the page at me. Just kidding. But I do have reader and we both tend to miss the small things. A lapse of time does work if you edit your own work...that's how I see it.

Thanks for bringing this up again, larkin, it is a discussion we have had from time to time...and quite honestly, it never gets resolved one way or another. It all comes down to a matter of style. I suppose that show, don't tell works for some authors. I have never been one who adores adjectives unless they are dropped into a line of dialogue. For the writer I think that speech between characters is the breaking point where anything goes if it allows the concepts to flow. Brown ugly torn couches aside, I groan when I read an author's long winded physical description of a character. Or our favorite, a view in the mirror. I can write a whole page about a character without describing hair color, eyes, mouth, etc. But when one character is trying to communicate to another what this guy looks like it seems unavoidable, unless that becomes the focus of a whole chapter. In Groms I have the image of a character looking at himself in the mirror while brushing his teeth only to make a joke about him looking like a rabid dog. I think funny is always the exception to any rule. I run a whole page of dialogue between characters in an upcoming story as they describe someone they are trying to find. It had to be done as it sets up a major plot point. I love not describing a character and dropping hints throughout a story until the readers get the image I am trying to project in their minds. Who says an author can't have fun at the reader's expense? In many ways it is through action that we learn a great deal about the characters in a story. The physical nature of a man or woman does project an image to the reader and they are the ones we have to satisfy. I don't think of the show, don't tell adage as I write because as I see it good writing is a mixture of both. It's all in the presentation.

So sweet...brings tears to your eyes.

...but the war is still on. Just because marriage equality has swept the nation, the LGBT community is still under fire. There will be many battles ahead and I am happy to say that we now have a larger engine of war. While marriage was still a state by state battle all these other issues of discrimination were going on. It's hard to imagine how long this fight will last. http://www.vox.com/2015/7/6/8900589/gay-discrimination-oregon-teacher

Gay kids are under a lot of pressure when what they need is love and direction. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33401031/hillary-clintons-kind-words-for-boy-afraid-of-being-gay Childhood is filled with anxiety over things like that Monday morning test in English, sporting events, and how long will that pimple be on my chin. Being afraid of who you are is based upon outside pressure. I commend those who have reached out to this boy with kind support in the public forum. It reminds me of a time when I was sitting on the front porch of a gay guesthouse in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I was thirty that year and looking forward to a week of vacation among the gay family of men. A young man, perhaps sixteen, passed by the house several times and then on his third pass stopped on the sidewalk. "Is this a gay house?" he asked. The three of us on the porch exchanged glances...and then the other two got up and went in the house. I went down the steps and told the young man we needed to take a walk. "Why did they leave?" he asked. How could I explain that what he saw was fear, but then I had to tell him something. I mentioned that he had walked by the house several times until he had worked up enough courage to ask his first question so he must understand that being gay is not always easy. In our society an older gay man talking to a young, and underage kid, is viewed with fear. It wasn't fair and it built a wall between the generations that hurts both sides. I did not have the same fears because we were in a public place and there were no laws against walking with someone. I would say his story was typical. Sixteen, living in a small rural town, and only at the beach for a few days. He was not out to anyone but he understood his feelings and was scared. This was in the time before the internet otherwise he could have found some support there. I suggested that he still had a few years to go in his period of isolation, but that once he turned eighteen there was a world of information he would find available to explain his feelings. High school is a tough time for any kid, but a gay kid must really feel the pressure. I shook his hand before we parted and told him it would get better. I hope I was right.

For years some of us have ridden the news wave on the internet looking for gay subjects. I have shared many of them here with you. But although I have a long list of sites I visit weekly there will now be one less. http://www.bilerico.com/2015/06/turning_the_page_bilerico_project_is_ending.php?utm_source=front_page&utm_medium=top_story&utm_campaign=Top_Story Bil has been a consistent and dedicated researcher on LGBT subjects, passing along what he discovers in his blog. It has been his service that kept us informed in the past decade about the important issues affecting the gay community. The marriage issue is still on the table no matter what SCOTUS has decided, there is still opposition which will take time to resolve. Perhaps now the community will move on to other issues that need solutions among gay youth: the homeless situation, bullying at school and workplace discrimination. Bilerico will be missed.

And in the ignorance is bliss department, some people who think they should be President haven't a clue just how the laws of the nation are applied. Bobby Jindal, who doesn't want to be known as Indian-American anymore and has pissed off most of his family in India, says a lower court must rule before the current SCOTUS ruling will stand in his state. This guy isn't as bright as Forest Gump. http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/bobby_jindal_administration_sa_1.html Lawsuits to follow and have already been filed.

The dissent within the SCOTUS over this decision may echo in the halls of justice for some time to come. You have only to look at the dissenting opinions to see that. This what Anton Scalia had to say: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/scalia-gay-marriage-decision-shows-court-is-americas-ruler/ar-AAcaHNF?ocid=LENDHP This is a man whose religious beliefs make him a bad judge of anything that comes before the Supremes. Personally, if he is so upset then he ought to resign and do us all a favor, but his ego won't allow that. He seems to buy into the extreme Christian belief that marriage is something created by God only for men who marry women. I bet if I went over to his house and turned on the television it would be tuned to Fox News. Among the many articles I have read in recent weeks, judges like Sam Alito and Clarence Thomas seem to broadcast their dislike for the gay community. Both opined that this decision would hurt true religious believers, mimicking the sentiments of all the GOP presidential contenders...what gall. Don't they know there is nothing at all about marriage in the Constitution. So for the four dissenters in the case they have no recourse to the Constitution to support their objections, this is all new ground and I think these people are afraid of decisions that challenge the current religious bias. Some on the right are screaming that this violates the most important part of the First Amendment which they see as religious rights. I see freedom of speech as far more important. Governor Abbott in Texas is so concerned that Christian churches will be forced to hold gay weddings that he is issuing executive orders to prevent it ...what an ass. All these so called Christian concerns are devoid of truth. Would anyone in the gay community want to get married by a bigot? I think not. I feel very sorry for gay Christians because churches and politicians are standing between them and their beliefs.

Gay marriage has been approved in all 50 states...can't you hear the howl of defeat from the right wing conservatives? Some politicians have promised to ignore the ruling and so the drama is not over. I will enjoy reading the hate mail heaped on the Supremes this weekend.

You don't need to understand the language of Finland, just the brave people who understand what this man is going through. There is a sign in English to make things clear. Such an emotional few minutes. It brings back my faith in humanity. https://youtu.be/KBylQxZMEjE

The gay one looked very straight while the straight one looked pretty gay, perhaps it was the colors they chose to wear...maybe it was planned.

Pedro certainly enjoyed standing politicos on their heads. Given the facts we don't know about the current leaders mentioned in the story what he had to say could very well be true. The humor is evident far beyond the English pomp and the Russian ego mania. We shall never know what goes on behind the scenes but this could very well be it. Loved it, Pedro.

J. Edgar Hoover and the U.S. Government...old news but well worth watching. http://news.yahoo.com/uniquely-nasty--the-u-s--governments-war-on-gays-191808993.html

A new papal installment, it seems Francis is on a roll this summer: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-says-weapons-manufacturers-cant-call-themselves-christian-184139430.html

I would like to add to this thread but I only have a few minutes because I am busy persecuting Christians and it takes all my effort. No, seriously, I am a gay person and it seems that's all we have time for these days...I heard that on Fox News. I am falling way behind in my cross building program and there are more Christians lining up at the door to be crucified than I can handle. Of course it seems I did take some time off this past week to slip over to Charleston and kill nine innocent black people...heard that on Fox News as well. We are responsible for that sociopathic racist kid gunning down Christians. All this responsibility keeps me busy. I didn't know being gay was going to be such difficult lifestyle, but then apparently I chose to be one and I must take that seriously. Floods, famine, wars, abortion, crop failure, ISIS, and Hillary...Fox News pundits says we are responsible for all that and more. Well, after all they are a major network and doesn't that give them some credibility? They wouldn't lie, would they? Sorry but I have to go, there's a knock at the door. Must be that load of lions I ordered. So many Christians...so little time.

A symptom of the insanity our politicians would just as soon ignore. Think about this the next time you have a glass of water: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/the-world-is-quickly-running-out-of-water-new-nasa-study-says/ar-AAbPnCB?ocid=LENDHP

And we all thought that American gay rights advocates were outrageous, this is over the top: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/06/18/peter-tatchell-we-cant-rule-out-possibility-that-jesus-was-gay/ Easy to speculate where there are no facts to mitigate a statement like Tatchell's claim. Oh yes, we all know the old nonsense about running around in dresses with twelve men, but that was just a bad joke Catholic boys told after forced religion classes on Tuesday nights. At issue: does it matter? If he was homosexual Jesus would have been persecuted for that in his time. Jewish society was rather strict on the subject among other things. I have always favored that the man who was catapulted into the role of a divine was just a poor Jewish radical, one of the original hippies, who decried the excesses of his society. The savior and son of god role was cast on him after his death and a group of people used his image to make a few bucks, start a religion, and make even more money. Jesus, the man, would have been ashamed of what they have made of him.