Here in our little GA world, it's easy to let our guard down and open up to each other. For me, this is a big part of what GA is all about, and I value the online friendships I've developed. As a closeted bisexual guy, I build walls around my identity for many reasons. I admire and respect our other members, especially the younger guys, who can be more open about who they are. They have fewer reasons to worry about secrecy and privacy....or so they think.Many of you read my post on Mikie's b
Using war to achieve peace.Decrying insults of others, then insulting them yourself.Stressing accountability, then dodging blame.Feigning concern about the plight of others while you sit on your ass.It is everywhere.
Ever feel that general feeling of dissatisfaction, like you can't overcome basic obstacles? I'm feeling that way...not about my own life, but about the US. I think that comes from living through the 70's...high oil prices, rotten foreign policy, hated by the world.Seems that we're getting there again. Gas prices have doubled in the last year, and will likely go higher still. We're engaged in a war that looks more and more like Vietnam every day. And now we have this hurricane that makes us
Let's set the mood for this post by saying straightaway that I had a shitty day. Actually that's not true. I had a pretty good day. Everything pretty much went right, no real issues. I'm just in a bad mood and I don't know why. Maybe it's rainy and cloudy...that can make me melancholy...I could never live in Seattle, or Juneau. So I'm sitting at home reading papers (like I do) and my phone rings...it's my mother. We chat for a bit, and then she tells me that I really seem adamant and outs
There once lived a king, King Myron, who ruled over a large land named Gafa. King Myron's conquests were formidable. He had built his realm from a small fiefdom into a large kingdom, annexing land after land. There came a time in the history of Gafa where this growth had exceded King Myron's ability to effectively administer the kingdom. Gafa contained a diverse population, and the lords of the realm were a fractious bunch. In a brief border altercation, the Flower Lords were defeated by th
I was watching my usual highbrow, intellectual television programming tonight and caught a South Park episode about dancing. "You got served" sums up the theme. Anyway, in that episode, Stan makes a comment to Butters: "You might as well go to France with all the other pussies." That comment struck me with the inherent bias Americans seem to hold against France.Bias, you say? Well, we like their luxury goods, as does most of the world. The French corner on that market was established by Lo
Michael raises an interesting question. What is the scope of the forum? Is it a broad group of friends who meet here to share views of all types, or is it a narrow group focussed solely on stories? I did a brief review of the forum and the most active postings, interestingly enough, were those dealing with members and their personal issues, whether they're job troubles, boyfriend troubles, or simply birthday greetings. It seems that the reality of the forum contradicts it's mission statement
"Surely freedom of speech does not preclude decency?" I'm quoting this from Connor's post on my last blog entry, and I think it's a point well worth considering. And no, Sharon, I'm not trying to use this as a platform to slam the Rainbow People or our private leader. So what's the answer to that question? I think that freedom of speech does preclude decency, and I base that assertion on two key factors. The first is that "decency" is a relative, subjective term. What is decent for one may
Every once in a while it is time for a healthy bit of introspection. A few of my erstwhile friends on this board have suggested that I've been too mean, nasty...bitchy....kind of like a pissed-off Rainbow person. So I thought I'd explore that concept. I think that maybe they're right. I guess my general irritation peaked when I was banned from the board and my warning lights were up to 75% for my role in the unsuccessful Censorship Rebellion (although the warning bars were a weird sort of bad
I'm really enjoying reading these blogs. I like the fact that bloggers can pretty much express their thoughts regardless of topic, and that gives us a chance to get to know them a little better. It seems to me that these have become more active than the forum. I'm wondering why that is? I've thought about it and I came up with a couple of possible reasons. One possibility is that they're new....at least for the general membership. The latest fad, the trendy option, everyone focused on the n
So whenever I go onto someone's blog, it allows me to select a rating (scale of 1-5), yet only a few of the rankings actually show up. I've rated a bunch of blogs, so I know they've gotten some feedback, but it doesn't show. Mysterious? Just wait, it gets better.So Myr has a blog, and posts this interesting article on something, only I forgot what it was, went back to look it up, and now his whole blog is gone. At the same time, Val suddenly returns after weeks of being gone. To top it all
I'm in one of those pissed off moods where I have lots of goals, and I do make a little progress on each one, but I have not completed a single one in the past month. As my frustration boils over and I share it with you, I invite you to vent as well. What's pissing you off?
I'm always amazed, being an old guy (I'm 43, which means I'm pretty old, although not as old as Connor), at how much the internet has changed not just the world (that's an old story), but our personal lives. Growing up as a bisexual guy in pre-internet days I had no way to communicate anonymously with anyone about my feelings. There was no way to share the challenges without taking someone into my confidence, a truly horrifying risk. You see, for a bi guy, if you get outed, you've pretty much
I remembered seeing an article some time ago where scientists claimed that some people of European descent showed a natural immunity from AIDS stemming from a mutated gene. The original cause of the mutation was thought to be the Plague, but now, according to the article below, it appears to be smallpox that is the cullprit/benefactor. It seems that if you want someone to bareback f**K you, you should pick a Swede. Plague Debunked As Link to AIDS Immunity Smallpox seen as likely cause of muta
