Chris James

All right! There went my afternoon. My thanks to Cole, Luggie, James, Camy, J. Savik and Gee for writing such diverse stories and keeping me from my work all damn day This was great fun, beginning when I started reading Cole's first story. Damn, I didn't know he knew my relatives!

http://youtu.be/wlvQW7tI4aE

I just love this guy...the image and the music...if only he were, and I was forty years younger...sigh. The cover of this song is very good, although he needs to stick to his own music and write lots more of it. Interesting note, his brother Grayson is in this one. Otherwise Tanner's career is moving along...enjoy:

Promises, promises...there seems to be a huge disconnect on all sides this political season. Any candidate who makes promises without defining the plan behind it is a liar. Pandering to the voters is almost criminal this year. The split in the right wing seems to come from the Christian side who are more concerned about gay marriage then the welfare of their followers. The GOP bunch in Congress is wasting 1.5 million in taxpayer money on legal fees fighting about DOMA. Political fur is flying over abortion with one politician after another saying stupid things on the subject. Abortion is legal, get over it! I'm gay and don't give a S**T. With almost a billion dollars spent on political advertising that rivals the propaganda machine of the former Soviet Union I don't think any voters are unmoved, but most are just disgusted. Two weeks left, that's all I can think about...I am numb.

I will start off by saying I have known about this author's work for several years when he was posting elsewhere. One of my favorites for quite a while has been Fifteen, a long story with much to offer the reader and fortunately that is included on his home page. Frederic will insist that there are many of his own life experiences in his work, but he manages to plot a story line that often takes the reader far beyond the realm of average life. In The Donkey we are shown a normal character story situation that seems to stretch out towards conflict before we are given the justification for this author's words. Words are what Frederic does best, and in this story we get two languages. It isn't necessary to understand Spanish because the words are surrounded with clues to the meaning. I like a story that makes me think, and this certainly does just that. It's been a while since I read a story with such sexually graphic description, but by the time we get there in the plot it is all but expected. I suppose that Frederic brought in some of that from his days of posting at Nifty, but many of us have been there. Perhaps now he will feel more comfortable with focusing on character development and the twists and turns of a plot, most of us changed in that direction as well. I am just glad to see him here.

Thanks, EJ...but the truth is not funny at all: My parents voted here in Florida early this month by absentee ballot since neither of them could handle the mess at a polling place, it gets like that when you are 90+. The announcement the following week that the ballot forms were flawed didn't suprise me in the least, this is Florida after all, land of hanging chads and corrupt politics. It seems they left several headings off the absentee paper ballots which means a machine cannot read them properly. The solution seems worse than the problem and fraught with issues. They plan to copy each flawed form onto a correct form so the machine can read it. Is anyone besides me slightly curious about the idiot that came up with this solution? I would think an independent accounting firm could be hired to tabulate each form's results. I would suggest obtaining the accountants from India since they would have no stake in the outcome. The voting process is strictly math, and yet I doubt it the political process here can even count...unless it is the dollars they slide into their illegal offshore bank accounts.

A final thought: Thanks guys, and to be honest, my little post was much longer before the edit. I wanted a tribute to the late Senator for a lot of reasons, and of course the current state of affairs intruded on my thoughts. George McGovern was a family man with five kids and the middle child was named Terry, I went to high school with her. We were not exactly close friends, but then I was gay on the inside and didn't spend that much time around the girls. I suppose it would be fair to say I knew the Senator. Terry was in my carpool for school and her father took the time to learn all the names of her schoolmates. This was all back in the late sixties before his presidential bid. Imagine my suprise when 3 years after my graduation the Senator ran for president. I was in college, up to my eyeballs in academia and protests over Vietnam...my radical era, but I voted for him. Nixon's win was a disappointment, but the Senator moved on, eventually retired from government and started his work on world hunger. That is the legacy I want to keep in mind. Terry's tragic death in 1994 brought back all my feelings from that earlier time, and now he is gone. We each have our heroes, and they change as we do throughout life. George was my constant hero. A quiet, driven man who embraced the heartache of others while his own life was filled with pain.

Senator George McGovern died today, a sad loss for his family and supporters over the years. He was the man with the right message at the wrong time, and the first person I voted for after I turned eighteen. He was an idealist, a peace advocate, and yet he was shunned by a nation that should have been as tired of the Vietnam War as I was. Instead Americans gave four more years to Richard Nixon, a villainous man, a hateful man as proven later, and a crook. I’m sure the good Senator McGovern felt vindicated by Watergate, but he never would have expressed any sense of glee. That was not his nature, and I admired him for that. Instead he went on urging us to feed the world, his greatest cause. Those were my hippie radical days and I feel sad for his loss and probably my own lost youth. But many of us looked up to him since he was so unlike our parents. Finally, here was an adult who understood that war was wrong and wasn’t afraid to speak out. If you would have told me several years ago that the people of the United States would consider electing a man whose religious ideals include a belief that the Earth was formed in alien space and transported to its current position in the universe I would have said you were nuts. Well guess what, it’s happening. (Reference: The Book of Abraham, written by Joseph Smith, founder of the LDS Church) Religions embrace a set of rules we call dogma, and in many cases they are not based upon provable facts but on the notion that we should just believe. L. Ron Hubbard took a slightly different approach to developing Scientology, but then he was already firmly in the realm of believing in alien gods with his science fiction writings. Because of the strange aspects within Mormonism and Scientology I have always been surprised that the U.S. refuses to recognize Rastafarians just because they smoke a little marijuana now and again…okay, all the time, but by doing it they claim to see God. Makes you wonder what the Mormons and Scientologists were smoking in their pipes. The U.S. is facing a hard choice in November, and with the right wing Political Action Committees spreading their poisonous brand of propaganda like Nazi storm troopers in every branch of the media (thanks to the Supreme Court) it is a wonder anyone knows what to believe. In all fairness to the current president, his last four years at bat have been a disaster for the nation. But I will qualify that by saying he has been like a batter who stands at the plate and hits the ball only to have a grandstand full of idiots with shotguns treat the game ball like they were at a skeet shoot. Right from the beginning of the Obama presidency it has been the politics of divisiveness that has kept the U.S. in such dire straits. If the president said the sky is blue the right wing would argue that it is red. Facts don’t matter in politics. The truth has no place in discussion when all the conservatives pledged to sabotage this presidency (ask John Bonehead). And while we are being screwed they don’t even bother to use condoms since birth control is against their religious beliefs. Preachers and polls and pundits are yelling that the Mormon is going to win. Fifty years ago there was extreme doubt that anyone should vote for John Kennedy because he was a Catholic. I doubt if Kennedy would even recognize the Church as it stands today, mired in social engineering projects and filled with hate speech. If the Mormon should win it won’t be because of his religious belief but because he is the best president for sale that huge amounts of money can buy. I could say the same thing about the last Bush presidency since the big players and payers this time are the same people. Karl Rove and his forked tongue devils at the American Crossroads represent the new evil in America. So there are a few weeks left before the elections. Time enough for another bunch of political marketing phone calls to interrupt my dinner. I actually got a real person on the line the other day and promptly told them to F off. The only good thing is that if you are a television watcher then all the political ads are enough to make you turn it all off and pick up a book. And if the Mormon should win then I think the American people are in for a big shock. Not that there will be immediate radical changes because despite the promises, Congress doesn’t work like that. They’ll all probably be off on some political junket in the Bahamas on the taxpayer’s dime. Records show that all this politicking has spent almost a billion dollars, but the government doesn’t benefit because it is tax free. The Mormon promises to pay down the debt without raising taxes. His magic underwear must be really powerful to pull that rabbit out of the hat. I predict the next four years will change little no matter who occupies the White House. The Mormon promises a leaner, meaner machine of state, but I think all we’ll see is the mean part. When the bullies start to have their way then the lawyers get richer. Presidents don’t run the country, civil servants do, and they aren’t elected. But like the proverbial bus driver, you can’t piss them off or they will slow down the bus. If the wrong guy gets elected can we ask for a refund? That is an amendment I would vote for.

I was stunned when I read this today and it only gives further proof that truth can hit harder than any fiction pretends to do. Be prepared, this is not a story with a happy ending. I wish my attempts at tragic scenes could hit this hard. Easy to say we always want to see the bully get his, but not like this. I don't know what else to say...just read: http://www.lgbtqnati...er-to-my-bully/

I learn all kinds of good things on this forum, the latest being that the Mormon shape shifter is actually a muppet...bloody hell.

I know, I know...on the surface this all seems funny, but then when you think about it makes you want to scream. Just remember when and if you vote this year for local congressional elections in your state what these idiots are doing with your tax money...and try not to cry: http://www.forbes.co...vernment-waste/

Do you mind if someone calls you queer? Do your friends tell others that they have a queer friend? Would you like your mother to introduce you to others as her queer son? The word is fraught with meaning, and not all of it good. Within the gay community, and in some countries more than others, queer is acceptable, but usually if the word is used by a gay person to describe themselves. In years past I have been called a queer and even a faggot by those who hate, but those were rare instances. I am big enough, and perhaps ugly enough (LOL) to intimidate those who would use such hate speech in my direction. But I also have the attitude that they are but ignorant folks who probably have a greater secret to keep and so I tend to laugh it off. But some people really don't want the label of queer applied to them for assorted reasons, and thus I find this article disturbing. Life is no longer private and so I guess we had all better quickly decide how we are going to deal with being branded. I am not involved in the social networking sites. The people I know and care about have my phone number and I consider a private conversation much more to my liking. This should make you think twice: http://finance.yahoo...n-facebook.html EDIT: It seems this same story has appeared on a gay news site, but without the word queer in the script. I wonder if that is a deliberate attempt to clean up the image or if the folks at Yahoo have their own agenda? What the hell IS the name of that chorus? Is it the Queer Chorus or the LBGT Choir? I think there is a big difference. See below: http://www.lgbtqnati...uts-lgbt-users/ EDIT #2: The University of Texas does have a group named the Queer Chorus, you can Google that much. Unfortunately the website for the School of Music makes no mention of this group although it does list all the other singing groups. Perhaps the name of the chorus was just too much for those stuffed shirts in the administration to handle. Maybe they can spell discrimination, but I doubt it.

Freddie Phelps and his brainwashed minions have been at this for decades. He was better off attacking the gay agenda because with veterans I think he has met his match. I don't condone the volence we see here, and at the gay marches where I saw him protesting it seems he was more the object of pity and derision. My concern is that there are always children present, the Phelps kids and others from the congregation. As this video shows they are at risk during these events because their mindless participation with such inflamatory speech plastered on their signs makes them targets. I have no doubt that Fred Phelps is crazy, possibly certifiably so, but if a child gets hurt during these events then he will be criminally libel and that is insane. All this ranting in the name of God certainly does not bode well for the Christian faith because I never hear their criticism of his activities. Phelps is laughable and instead of punches everyone needs to throw their ridicule at him.

Just what we need, idiots like this running the country...oh wait, they do! Next thing is that my bank won't cash my checks unless I vote the way they want, or the grocery store won't sell me food...these are all businesses just like the Koch Empire. Scary, worse than a Cole Parker Halloween story. http://news.yahoo.co...--election.html Edit: I amend my commentary for a bad choice of word. "Scary, worse than a Cole Parker Halloween story." There is nothing bad about a Cole Parker story so worse is a terrible word to use...sorry. It should read: Scary, more frightening than a Cole Parker Halloween story.

Leonard is a smart man...something I have known for years. His earliest columns affected me because we always seemed to understand the same truth. I am not given to posting my thoughts in newspapers, but I had to write and tell this man he spoke for me...and he wrote back. When a busy journalist takes the time to reply it encourages the dialogue, and so I have shared my thoughts with him on many occasions....and he replies. Today's discourse runs a remarkable parallel to what I have been thinking lately so I thought to share. Leonard always says it better than I ever could: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/09/3042190/the-unemployment-rate-and-gops.html

Good to hear all these senior citizens are still rockin and rollin.

Gives you hope for the next generation, doesn't it? An engaging and brilliant child, poster boy for success in life...and with intellignce like that I think he knows what he wants for his tomorrows. Having said that, I am not one who will ever watch this television show, or most others. But I have read the critics acclaim and the derision from the far right so they must be doing something good. The true measure of a performer's ability only comes with time and so I wish Nolan a happy and successful career. With a mind like that he'll be in charge of something down the road.

I think if J.J. ever wrote a story in a straight line...I mean the direction not the sexual kind of straight...that I would quickly wonder what I was reading and why. As it stands I have always been a fan of his style. He leaps from one thought to the next without concern that a reader might get lost because he knows we have to read every word to keep up. The pacing, the vocabulary, and the comic asides feed the absurd moments in this plot. From the first whack until the last, (read the story and you'll understand what I'm talking about) J.J. manages to take an ordinary boring event in this character's life into the realm beyond fantasy. A good read, go there!

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/09/14293913-gay-scouts-come-out-rally-around-teens-eagle-scout-bid?lite This issue is not going away and the Boy Scouts must be squirming by now. This rally for Ryan just proves that there are some current and former scouts who take their duty to one another seriously. All this religious bigotry makes the organization look terrible and until they change their ways I agree with Colin, they need to lose any tax exempt status and be made to pay their way. Will that hurt scouting? Yes it will, but this is far worse.

The nice thing about YouTube is that it gives me access to the world view from my little corner. I have been viewing there for years and have my distinct favorites and I'm sure you do as well. A few years old but this video is something I keep coming back to...it won't take you long to figure out why. A talented young man and he is beauty personified. Enjoy and then share some of your favs.

I can understand someone not revealing they are gay for a lot of reasons and I respect that. On the other hand if they are closeted and speak out against LBGT people then they deserve a good ass whuppin! I assume you are not speaking about the tabloid press outing people. Those idiots have no moral compass and would say anything or anyone is gay if there was money in it. Just wishing someone was gay because they are terrible people to begin with is absurd and speaks to a level of bigotry I don't want to address here. FT, I assume the moral quandry you mention would be for the openly gay person who might reveal the gay issue in another. But those who speak out with vile words and nasty innuendo about gay people are often terribly immoral in their behavior, and those are just the straight individuals. To deflect the perception of gay from oneself by speaking ill of the entire segment of the population that is genuinely gay is more than immoral, it is sick. People like that need intervention of the mental health kind...but only after the ass whuppin.

And we know birds of a feather flock together...(no offense Camy) http://now.msn.com/jon-hubbard-calls-slavery-a-blessing-in-disguise-for-blacks/

We cannot forget, we must not forget... http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2012/10/the-memory-and-meaning-of-matthew-shepard-14-years-later/

Seven years old is too young, and not just for the boy who wants a "Likes Boys" t-shirt. His peers are too young to understand that they need to accept his freedom of expression and I am afraid he will suffer their ignorance. At least his parents know enough to set some limits until he can do so for himself. Does he know what it really means? Perhaps, but not in the same terms an adult might understand. The wiring in his young mind may tell him that he enjoys the company of boys more than girls, but that is normal for his age. Seven is not too early to have a crush on another boy, but the feelings could hardly be sexual. Other boys may seem more attractive or popular and that would be the likely attraction. The other kinds of attraction will come later. But I don't think anyone can define a point in life where same sex attraction becomes a fixed part of someone's personality. It's good to see his parents care enough to guide him well, and they should probably seek advice later on if they don't know what to do. Yes, there will be some negative reactions, but it sounds like the boy will not be the cause of them, just his shirt. So perhaps the boy is gay, but right now it's just a feeling and there is time enough for him to figure out what that means. As for the Osmond Brothers and Opie, there were a whole slew of boys on television that attracted me when I was young. I would avidly watch and inwardly sigh, but I was never quite sure why. Don't get me started on the Mickey Mouse Club and Cubby...

We all remember the tragedy of Steve Irwin's death. The famed Crocodile Hunter was Australia's goodwill ambassador to the world for his humorous look at nature. That was all six years ago and now we have the youngest Irwin in the spotlight...seeing something like this is heartwarming. What a charmer this young lad has become, his father would be so proud. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/9583482/Steve-Irwins-son-feeds-his-first-crocodile.html