Chris James

If you thought Fox News had any credibility perhaps this will dissuade you of that silly notion. I ask only this....why is concern for global warming and climate change a political issue? Many nations have their concerns on the subject and get that it is a real problem that only science can resolve. And lest we forget, the Vatican is a nation state, perhaps the smallest there is. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/greg-gutfeld-pope-francis_n_7616156.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592

No, I do not mean the elections but a new animated film that will be out in the summer of 2016. Mark your calendars and prepare to laugh. Pet lovers beware, don't let your animals see this trailer, it will only encourage their bad habits: https://youtu.be/i-80SGWfEjM

And here is Jeb Bush weighing in on the Pope: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/jeb-bush-pope-francis-should-steer-clear-of-climate-issue/ar-BBleFl4?ocid=LENDHP I don't see climate change as a political issue, especially not an American political issue. ( Does anyone remember the Kyoto Protocols we ignored?) How about we all agree that climate change is an issue of survival.

Pope Francis is a most unusual man, and the first Jesuit to attain the title of Pope. He is about to release a lengthy Papal study on climate change which will urge Catholics to pay attention to global warming. This is a good thing and gives the Church a new focus on the issues facing humanity. But his problems with this have just begun: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/whodunit-playing-out-as-vatican-reels-from-encyclical-leak/ar-BBldbXu?ocid=LENDHP Just this past week the GOP came out and said the Pope ought to mind his own business and stick with religion. They even had the audacity to say that climate change is their issue to study and solve. Excuse me? These are the same global warming deniers who toss off a reluctance to address the issue "because I am no scientist." Well the Pope has a Masters Degree in Chemistry and that qualifies him in the scientific field, he has every right to speak on the subject. Being the nice religious guy he is I doubt if the Pope will tell the Republicans to shove it...but we certainly can. The Vatican has been in business for several thousand years. Not always at their best but they are still around. Along come the upstart Republican politicos who barely know what they are talking about, but they can count the money. I give the Pope credit for being far sighted on the issue of containing climate change and the human reason behind it. His view might be that future generations need our attention focused on the issue now, we'll see when his study comes out. The GOP attitude is suspect. They represent big oil, rake in the campaign cash from those who would rape the planet just to fatten their bank accounts. The Pope sees the planet as a gift from God and asks us to defend it. I may be an atheist, but I see his point.

I laud San Francisco for the right attitude and the conviction that all students in their schools are equal....we it so elsewhere. Looking back at 2014 we can see that too many gay kids don't seem to have a chance in public schools. Teachers don't care, school boards don't care, and some of them are plainly homophobic. Just look at the suicide rates. When a teacher tells a gay kid that bullying is just a part of growing up that adult needs electric shock treatment. I think until all states adopt laws that suppress bullying and order school boards to follow the rules then we are going to continue damaging the gay kids. Bullies should be expelled, it needs to become a crime. As I have said, the physical assaults are criminal but the psychological assaults are just as damaging. When a child is prevented from learning by bullies or teachers we are faced with the larger crime. Segregating gay kids is an act of desperation for a situation out of control. Until the political, and yes, the religious attitude changes we will never see progress.

Where lives matter, the people who run these schools deserve a medal. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/national/gay-high-schools-offer-a-haven-from-bullies/ar-BBkUJR3?ocid=LENDHP Despite the anti-gay moves against such schools (Rubin Diaz and Westboro Baptist) the positive atmosphere give the gay students the one thing they need....an education. When a bully threatens a gay child they are creating more than physical harm, they prevent a student from learning. Every city should have schools like this, but where are they and why don't they?

I had better get this over with. No, that was not my objective as I wrote the story, but here it is eight o'clock in the morning and already four readers have sent me mail asking why the story has come to an end so soon. Most stories follow a train of thought. I don't think of myself as a writer who belabors a subject to death. I had goals, introduced characters and activities, and then tried to wrap up by resolving the crimes, the competition and what my characters needed to say. Yes, seven chapters is short and perhaps disappointing for those who became invested in the characters. No, I do not plan a sequel. Rarely have I injected such young characters in a story. Youngsters don't have much to reflect upon simply because they haven't been around that long. But Groms seem to have more excitement and energy in their lives than the average kid and so I enjoyed giving the readers a glimpse of what they think is important. You could spend hours watching surfing video and still not catch the sense of thrilling danger each of these kids has in riding a wave. Any sport that pits the individual against the surrounding environment only serves to show that some people seek that small piece of danger to define the best they can give in life. Perhaps the adult surfers handle the waves better, but then most of them have been doing it for years. That should serve to tell you that the sport is something only a surfer can define. But I had fun in the writing. It is now summer and the local kids will spend their vacation hours in the surf. It isn't the best time of year, nor the biggest waves, but they are surfing, dude...and that is all that counts. Thanks to all of you who have read and commented. I will spend the rest of the summer writing the next story.

You have to wonder what the reaction of Chinese officials will be to these marriages. These days, probably nothing. I have an old friend who lived in China for seven or eight years, working for a Chinese company, and travelling a lot to different cities. He had an apartment with a Chinese lover and discovered it easier to rent when a local was involved. The young man's parents didn't know their son was gay and it seems there is a lot of that going on. Many Chinese gay men marry to meet family or business obligations, but the marriage is a sham. Homosexuality is not exactly illegal although gay sex is and so men are cautious. There are gay bars which get raided every so often but that is just part of the cost of doing business in a country where bribes are normal. There are parks and temple grounds where gay men can meet, and until recently there was also the internet. The Chinese government has cracked down on internet activity so who knows what will become of that. Considering how overbearing their government can be I would imagine gay men are probably on a list somewhere...kinda like the FBI here a few decades ago. But you will not see demonstrations for gay rights in China, the community is too well adapted to the concept of an underground lifestyle. There are probably tens of thousands of gay men over there and I wish them luck.

Ever since Roe vs. Wade the anti-abortion fanatics have been looking for a way to undermine the law of the land. Abortion is legal, folks...except in places like Texas where they have done their utmost to do away with the abortion clinics. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-appeals-court-upholds-restrictive-texas-abortion-law/ar-BBkSLJ9?ocid=LENDHP Now they have a court on their side (probably filled with those activist judges they despise so much...unless it goes in their favor then it is wonderful.) Perhaps if the law was allowed to rule and abortions were not so religiously condemned then we could have doctors performing the operation in major hospitals across the land where it is safer. We all know doctors will do most anything for the money. But abortion is against the will of God they say...no, really? What about those who don't believe in God? Is it just too bad for them we make the rules kind of thing? None of this disruption of the rights of others seems to bother the Christians behind all this anti-abortion business. I'm a gay man, what do I care about abortion? Except I do care because a woman who wants to abort an unwanted fetus has more in common with me that either of us has with an invisible deity. I may not know her reasons but I don't have to. Personal rights should trump the religious beliefs of others.

Had your laugh today? Glen Beck is always good for a chuckle: https://youtu.be/m7_0My3Vagw Of course, we all see him as the new MLK...NOT! I suppose it doesn't matter that he is a Mormon because the Christian fanatics will follow anyone....especially one who lies. Just a few years ago Beck was touting his acceptance of gay marriage: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/12/glenn-beck-gay-marriage-n_n_679691.html Except of course he did say that marriage had nothing to do with government and that it was a religious function. Wrong. Tell that to the IRS when you file jointly without a marriage license. Hmm, wonder if anyone has asked to see Beck's license?

And the new season begins. What they have to say about how the show is developing: https://www.yahoo.com/tv/s/fosters-doing-something-really-important-watching-130502679.html

Despite all the clamoring about students being tested too much, perhaps there is good reasoning behind the test. Colleges and Universities should test incoming students, and I would suggest that if they reside in Louisiana that they be tested twice. http://www.businessinsider.com/louisianas-push-for-creationism-in-schools-2015-6 How do we raise a generation of scientists when this kind of nonsense is going on. The Bible is no more a science text than the Quran. Students need to understand that a religious text based upon faith cannot meet scientific standards. Great minds like Galileo were persecuted because the ignorant believed in what the Bible had to say...and now oops, they have apologized. The Bible is useless outside of a church, it is not an educational tool unless you want your kids to think the world is flat and the sun revolves around the Earth. Embracing the fairy tale world and then teaching it as fact in a classroom is damn near child abuse. Students from Louisiana may find themselves rejected from all but religious colleges. But that's okay, we always need more idiot preachers out there to prey upon our families and children.

I suppose it comes as no surprise that so many of these GOP candidates for President don't know a thing about the U.S. Constitution. This article just brings us the latest ramblings of a demented candidate: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/scott-walker-says-states-should-make-gay-marriage-decisions While most right wing speechifiers tend to claim that marriage is the holy grail of religious institutions here we have another approach to ramming religious beliefs down the throats of the secular. Marriage is a civil institution and requires no religious beliefs for the state to issue the license. In fact marriage is a civil right available to residents of this country and has no religious component. Passing a constitutional amendment is time consuming and expensive. What Walker fails to understand is that such an amendment will not override decisions by the Supreme Court who may very well decide it, too, is unconstitutional for a lot of reasons. Religious functionaries should just be happy that they have First Amendment rights to believe what they want but they cross a line when they try and force those beliefs on the rest of us. (Ask anyone in the South how that slavery thing ended) The SCOTUS is due with their decision on gay marriage by the end of this month. We have no real idea what they will decide but at least it will be a decision based upon solid constitutional grounds and not some vague notion of religious supremacy in all things. Maybe Scott Walker and his ilk will feel persecuted but he hasn't a chance in hell of passing his idea of a constitutional amendment.

I have avoided the topic of religion for the past six months since my views find little favor here and some are easily offended. But although the Catholic Church offers such a juicy target on a daily basis I have decided to leave them rot by the side of the road. Now on to politics... No matter your view on political parties, they are at the moment, both full of crap. Today we have Rick Perry announcing his bid for President. His horse will drop dead about twenty feet from the starting gate. Nothing from Texas will go anywhere this time around. The GOP and the Democrats do not impress me, they never have. It is interesting to note that the Republicans are the party supporting Christian fanatics, or perhaps it's the other way round. But neither party takes a hard look at the people they are supposed to represent...you and me. Instead, the GOP is the party sucking up billions from the wealthiest among us thanks to the lunacy of the Supreme Court. But now we move on to the real challenge facing Americans...what will be left when we grow old? Read this and weep: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/the-gops-anti-elderly-pro-billionaire-agenda_b_7510564.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592 I hear Christianists speak about armed revolution if gay marriage becomes the law of the land...and they miss the real danger. What is it going to take to get people alarmed at the right thing? The next revolt needs to be from the taxpayers who see their politicians taking away the money they put into Social Security. I'd pick up and gun for that cause.

So corrupt governments bribe the sports people, waste the taxpayers money on facilities that will never be used again and get away with this? The people in Brazil are furious at the half finished highways and the empty stadiums remind them of the waste. Yeah, good luck having the World Cup in the U.S. anytime in the next century. I am one of those who see sports as a waste of human effort and intelligence...kinda like television.

So just when soccer, football to those of you overseas, was beginning to prosper here in the U.S we have this scandal. According to what you can read, and perhaps who you read, the pushback against this megalithic FIFA organization has been brewing for years. http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soccer/fbi-to-investigate-russia-qatar-world-cup-bids/ar-BBkEqRt?ocid=LENDHP Just like the Olympic committee, we have allegations flying hither and yon. The FBI is investigating all because these idiots laundered money in the U.S. banking system. Should have stuck with the Cayman Islands where they don't give a damn about legality. People arrested, presidents resigning (Blatter deserved that) ...and yet I can't help wondering just how deep this corruption runs. And so now the media is digging. Those of you who followed this the past few weeks will remember old Vlad Putin backing the FIFA president and so today's article reminds us that Russia is next in line for the World Cup. Putin...naw, would he pass around bribe money? I bet he did in a heartbeat, and after that multi-million dollar flop they called the Winter Olympics which left the Russians with a city filled with expensive sports facilities no one will use. Sorta like Brazil and the last World Cup. Why does any nation in their right mind want to hold these events? Update: http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/soccer/fifa-executive-committee-member-blazer-admitted-bribes/ar-BBkEVBw?ocid=LENDHP

In the world of mega businesses we have always thought of Disney as an employee friendly company...but not any more. As an economy we suffered when so many industrial jobs were shipped overseas several decades ago. Hard to buy a pair of pants these days that aren't made in Bangladesh. Made in the USA is almost a thing of the past. Now along comes Disney with the intention of bringing Bangladesh to us. More Americans losing jobs for the sake of saving a few pennies. And we all thought they were family friendly...this crap needs to stop. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/last-task-after-layoff-at-disney-train-foreign-replacements/ar-BBkE3Ud?ocid=LENDHP

When have you ever seen Simon the Grinch give such lavish praise? The boy has something, he did very well. he should win.

but this film looks like fun...probably more fun for us old farts who would never do anything this absurd. Perhaps this is something from your bucket list. I think it was on mine once upon a time. Great casting. https://youtu.be/cOF2LIAp9bw

Gay marriage is the major issue facing Christian churches in America these days...but wait...here is something else for the religiously fearful to worry about. This just proves that fruitcakes aren't just a Christmas tradition....this guy is flaming nuts: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/masturbation-leads-to-pregnant-hands-in-afterlife-says-turkish-televangelist/article1-1351297.aspx

Any author that takes over five years to complete a story is asking for reader rejection. I am still of a mind that if you don't have a story finished why bother to post the first chapter? I will now venture to see what the whole thing is about and hope it is really done by now.

Just talking with a fellow AD author the other night about this posting. Libera did their American tour in 2014 and the live performance of this song was on their Angels Sing, Libera in America album. This video is something else entirely. Any of us who have been following Libera over the years will note that the sound of the choir has not diminished even as the small circle of star performers from a few years back have moved on. The new seeds of musical talent will grow from this current group as they age and I look forward to some major talent. As for the song, America the Beautiful has always been a favorite, far more than the Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem. How many times have we heard that song mangled during sporting events with embarrassing frequency? Granted, the anthem is a bitch to sing and no one in their right mind would expect a rap star to do it any sort of justice. But I suppose it takes an English boy's choir to remind us that there is some beautiful patriotic music we often overlook. I suggest we have another referendum to have this song replace our current national anthem.

I suppose what pisses me off the most when I see stories like this is that the authorities never seem to respond to the depravation faced by these kids. By law, all across the land, parents are responsible for their kids until they reach the age of majority. It is child abuse to prevent a kid from attending school by removing him from his home and possessions, it is child abuse not to feed them the proper nutrition and put a roof over their heads. Where the F is the law when these things happen?

Many thanks to those of you who have chosen to read this first chapter and comment so favorably. I have been living here in Florida for the past nine years and felt it was about time to address the images of the people and places surrounding me. Sebastian is featured in this story as the average small town and yet it is several hours drive from where I live, but I have been there. What got me started on this story is that the Boulevard leading to the beach in my town crosses over the Inter-coastal Waterway and just beyond the bridge is a Checkers Burger restaurant. Within walking distance of the ocean, it is the gathering place for the surfing crowd either coming or going to the water. On weekends surfboards are stacked against the fence and the tanned gods of our youthful generations are out strutting around on the patio of the restaurant. You can see the family resemblances in some of them, boys from ten to twenty years of age, the long hair, the strikingly athletic bodies. It inspired my imagination and this story...hope you enjoy the rest as it posts.

It seems the referendum has passed. One minister was quoted as saying the voter turnout was unprecedented and may have passed the referendum two to one in favor. Final tally will not be available until later today. This puts Ireland ahead of the U.S. In the gay marriage debate it seems the Catholic Church in Ireland remained fairly silent this time around. Not so here in the U.S. where major religious leaders oppose gay marriage and have done their utmost to influence government regulation. The fact that marriage is a civil right and not a religious one did nothing to prevent religious interference in the politics of gay marriage. I hope this Irish vote does some good in persuading the vast majority of Americans that gay marriage is a legal and civil right. Nothing will change the minds of the haters on the religious right.