Chris James

No, not Libera, the boys in this film are from New Jersey: https://youtu.be/lMWl6-mlDD4

Satire often fails to hit the mark, but I understand what these people at the Onion are trying to do...I just don't like it. http://www.theonion.com/articles/gay-conversion-therapists-claim-most-patients-full,38406/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=LinkPreview:1:Default Ever since the international organizations of psychiatric doctors have removed homosexuality as a listed medical condition I often wonder how these reparative therapy people manage to gain acceptability. Certainly all forms of medical insurance will not pay for this and they should not.

All in fun, I got a great chuckle out of this little article from The Daily Beast: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/03/next-we-muslims-bring-sharia-to-indiana.html

The only thing missing in this video was the student who used his iPad to text the question to Google for a correct answer. I am afraid that real knowledge is lost on college students, but Texas Tech has a good football team. Need I say more?

To some degree I think the gay community is ignorant in their response to all this religious freedom nonsense...but I can understand why...it does seem like an attack. In this time before the SCOTUS ruling on gay marriage emotions are running high and the fanatical Christian side of the argument is in a panic...what if gay marriage becomes the law of the land? Here's a reasonable article with historical perspective on the subject because...yes...we have been there before. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/g-roger-denson/same-sex-marriage-christian-history_b_6990864.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592 Religion does not own marriage, never has, never will. Sure the Catholic Church made it a sacrament and part of their dogma. But since they didn't create it they co-opted it much like they did Christmas, re-tasking that good old pagan festival of winter. Just saying this is ours is absurd because, according to the article, unions between same sex couples was once theirs as well. Oops, did I just see the Pope blush?

I first saw You are Not Alone in Danish on VHS, not a subtitle in sight. Finally the film is out on DVD with subtitles and although the dialogue is terrible (I hope it's the translation) the images more than make up for that deficit. The closing moments are well worth the purchase price.

Isn't it great to poke fun at the high and mighty? In one short go Nigel has done just that. Knowing the facts about our creator...well, we don't actually know anything and that is why this story works. The Bible is rife with little tidbits that just beg for some good poking at the almighty, even if you don't believe in him. Well done, Nigel....and a great ending image.

Without a doubt the youth oriented films in Denmark present an artistic level of thought we won't see here in the New World. Here is something without words that speaks loudly about love between boys: https://youtu.be/SfLJjCqpv9Y The soundtrack is by Passenger and lends a good deal of emotion to the video. Read through the expanded notes about the film which is a tragedy involving a boy's family. Neils Oplev directed this 2014 film but he his best known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Much of the commentary I have found on this film screams about depictions of underage sex although there are no explicit sex scenes in the film.

Just a few headlines today from your local internet news sources. It's all about the gay from every angle. Somehow we all knew that the gay marriage debate would lead to something like this. It rolls on in Indiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas…and we know who is behind it, don't we? Cowardly Christian business owner proudly denies service to gay people in Indiana One Restaurant Already Celebrated ‘Religious Liberty’ By Turning Away Gays Cardinal Raymond Burke: Gays, Remarried Catholics Are Just As Sinful As Murderers Religious Liberty vs. LGBT Rights: How the Church Is Missing the Point, Ignoring the Gospel, and Losing a Generation An Opportunity for Christian Witness in Indiana's Anti-Gay Law Gay Money Is No Good in Indiana GOP’s “religious freedom” riot: How a bigoted Indiana law could roil GOP primary Radio Stations Pull Country Band's Hit Song Because Of 'Gay Agenda' Indiana Now Protects Religious Liberty. Why That’s Good Policy. Businesses fear costly backlash from Indiana's religious freedom law Indiana Law Denounced as Invitation to Discriminate Against Gays Angie's List halts expansion over Indiana law seen targeting gays

It's no mystery that you turned out to be the bright and intelligent creature that you are. Despite the ego shattering experiences of youth your adult self has proved to be a boon to the human spirit and given you the elderly status of a sage. All's well that ends well...? No, it isn't over yet and I think there are still many chapters to be written.

Thank you, Bruin, a wonderful glimpse of the past. I am always amazed at the stories and anecdotes that seep out of the past and give us a real glimpse of unvarnished historical moments. So much of what we read from government sources have been cleaned up or rewritten to present a political point of view. In the Americas we have only our own Revolutionary War and the Civil War to bring us images of soldiers fighting on native soil. The UK has a more colorful, and even tragic, history of conflict over the centuries. The wealth of stories like the one Bruin presented are slowly fading from the conscious thought of society although I am sure they remain in the hands of family. The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., has for many years done their best to chronicle the lives of American soldiers from past wars beginning with WW1. Not just the heroes but the ordinary experiences of men before, during and after their service to country. It can be seen and heard here: http://www.loc.gov/vets/ For a writer, any catalog of events in the words of the participants is pure gold for research and development of stories. From my own POV the wars of the 20th and 21st Centuries are just too recent to attract my attention. I chose the Civil War for some of my stories because it was the object of much reading in my formative years at a time when there was a large wealth of information available to the reader in libraries. I remember something about heroes being ordinary people who are at the right place at the wrong time and react without thinking. I hope that paraphrases the line from someone in my reading past. It sure seems to fit the image I have of Tommy Robartes. His dash to save a fellow soldier ended in tragedy but then he was concerned about his friend and gave his life in the attempt to save him. That is the mark of a true hero.

How wonderful, a look at gay families through the eyes of the children involved. From the trailer alone, since it seems we have no release date on this project yet, the film seems to show the internal struggles of family life with the added pressures of outside forces who dislike same sex marriage. I am glad this film was made in Australia because an American version would be so much more chaotic. The image of children in the later adolescent period approaching puberty is enough to understand that emotions must run high in these families. Without religious and legal persecution I believe gay families would become just another drop of water in the ocean of society but there are those who will not allow this. How sad that kids with loving parents cannot avoid the bullying and hatred as they reach an age of important development to their ego and psyche. Putting children of gay parents on the defensive breeds aggression, and it seems that many of these children are in a constant state of self analysis because their parents are part of a hated group. When will the world grow up?

California may now be the flavor of the month in the wacko department with this ballot initiative. It seems the foreign press is now touting this McLaughlin fellow as just another American fanatic. Don't you love being laughed at? But CA is far behind when it comes to crazy politicians...and the prize goes to...Texas. There we have the most dangerous voice in America today: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/factchecking-ted-cruz/ar-BBiDKHa?ocid=LENDHP His speech at Bob Jones University where he stated that he was a candidate for President was filled with little bombs. Among them was his statement that as President he would make sure the "sacrament of marriage" would be preserved. Don't know about you but I don't want Jesus in the White House unless he is a visiting foreign dignitary. Cruz would have us transformed into a theocracy, or so he claims, within months of his taking office. Like many I don't give his chances of being elected undue concern, but his voice is out there rallying the conservative Christian movement to hate gays even more. Texas seems to export more hatred and foolishness these days than ever before and it seems as if they are just getting started. 2016 will be a very interesting year.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jen-cohen/open-letter-to-my-sons-coach_b_6913460.html?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000592 Some parents never give up on their children while others do. Yeah, FU, Coach.

This absurd suggestion of a law will never come to pass, or perhaps even reach the ballot level. As an attorney, McLaughlin should know (if his law degree came from anywhere other than a Cracker Jack box) that publishing something like this constitutes a hate crime against a class of people. At some point a court will become involved and we can sit back and enjoy the fun. The initiative system in California has not served them well over the years and this document on file is just an embarrassment. A filing fee of $200 will hardly cover the cost of state employee time analyzing if this suggestion is even legal. We all know it is not but there will have to be paperwork to back that up and this becomes nothing more than something to generate money for legal fees. As for McLaughlin, he needs to face a jury of his peers, both for his law license and the commitment to a mental institution he well deserves. If his ballot suggestion results in the death of one gay person from some other lunatic then he needs to face murder charges as an accessory. I'd gladly pay for the bullet to his head.

And here I am weighing in weeks later...I just finished the story. Words like delightful for a complex story with some great characters occur to me. Cole never fails to please I just wish I had more time to devote to reading his stories all the way through in one sitting.

Leif was a definite party boy and that included the gay scene. The corruption of Hollywood has rendered a lot of young men with their pants down. I would have paid to see that.

Okay, I admit it...I had the hots for Tab Hunter from day one. He had that star quality, a poster boy for beautiful men in the movies, and he was unreachable. Sigh. If I had only known he was gay in those early years of my life then perhaps my own struggles would have been easier. I don't imagine he enjoyed keeping his secret for so long. https://www.yahoo.com/movies/q-a-tab-hunter-opens-up-about-life-and-career-as-113603625717.html?soc_src=mail&soc_trk=ma

Well yes they did and with amazing results. Too bad John Holmes is dead, he would be a prime donor. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/s-african-doctors-perform-worlds-first-penis-transplant/ar-AA9JlGc?ocid=LENDHP

Sequels are not an author's best friend. Imagine having to reference back to the early relationships of the characters in the first story just to keep the readers on track. I hate seeing that when I read some of the prolific mystery writers of our time. But then there are those who choose to ignore a character's past and that often makes for a murky future. My Standing Up story was a sequel to Falling Down, and I even have a third story with these characters that remains unfinished. That was a case of good characters begging for a sequel and I bowed to the readers demands for more. The Exit Stage Left and Exit Hollywood stories were just part of a huge story that I broke in half and I don't think of them as a true sequel. In my opinion if the readers beg for more of something then an author has achieved his objective. Characters don't have an expiration date so an author like Frederic is free to do what he pleases, but I think Sketchbook accomplished what he wanted. I don't think Frederic lacks for story ideas, but like the rest of us he probably just lacks the time to bring them to fruition. There will be more from this wonderful craftsman, I am sure of it...I am counting on it.

And yet....there are some young men who would find it easy to lick their own balls and any other part they might care to ...well you get the picture. Check this out: http://youtu.be/Zduh7E12g_4

Years ago I had a conversation with two women who assured me that size matters, at least from their perspective. It reminded me of the porn video I saw of John Holmes having sex with a young lady. The man's penis was legendary in length and many thought to envy him. But if they had seen the video they would understand that he could use just over half of that whopper during the filmed sexual encounter. I suppose this holds true for men and women, there is only so much depth to be plumbed and then anatomy gets in the way. So if the average is around six inches then having twelve inches gains a man nothing because he can't use it all. At this point it becomes the skill of the user and how the length they have is applied. But I understand the science, men lie about the size, but they don't have too.

Jude and Connor, the two teen characters on the television program The Fosters....kissed. I won't post the video here in case some of you find it offensive. It's all over the internet, especially YouTube, but here is the link: http://youtu.be/uVflpLWFCtA The characters are presented at age thirteen, I don't know how old the actors are, a bit more than that I judge. But whereas images like this are not uncommon in Europe this is an American first...and since it was just aired on Monday I am waiting for the reactions. The kissing situation in the story line for this episode was not sexual but came at the end of an argument between the boys...and that is good. I don't watch television so this came as a surprise to me. Perhaps some of you out there have further knowledge on the subject. Edit to add: Here is an interview with one of the boys: http://www.justjaredjr.com/2015/03/03/the-fosters-gavin-macintosh-opens-up-about-making-tv-history-with-just-one-kiss/

I am almost struck dumb by this news item, is this real? http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/christian_activist_files_ballot_measure_to_execute_all_gay_people_by_bullets_to_the_head I occasionally rant about the Christian Right but I would think even they would be embarrassed and ashamed by this man. I could laugh it off and say "Oh well, this is California," but then the man was actually able to file this ballot request. It must be something in the water out there.

Sweet, Luggie...there is something about Euro bands that seems to be missing in American music. The imagery and sound with this group is almost retro, looking back a decade or two. I am still a sucker for new sounding music but I have to look far afield for something interesting. I watch the Eurovision competitions, look at the Euro talent shows and wonder where American music has gone wrong. This reminds me of Creed with a female singer.