rustle

I have a comeback for you the next time you see him. Gather him up in your arms and give him a hug.

There went my breakfast.

I wouldn't touch him with YOUR hand.

I didn't mean to imply he should get a slap on the wrist, and hope you didn't take it that way. He's placed others in jeopardy, and needs some type of lesson (punishment), here. No fine is going to have a meaningful effect, and he'd probably violate probation in a heartbeat. I'd like to see him sentenced to 2 months in jail, suspended license, and community service picking up litter, but he can afford more justice than that.

I actually feel for the kid. He was brought up in an unwholesome environment without the opportunity to develop a moral compass or a sense of responsibility. Like lots of child entertainers. And like lots of child entertainers, he was fawned over, so instead of developing more as a performer and a human being, he knows no boundaries, and he's peaked.

To me, the definition of trolling involves deliberately provoking a response, usually heated. Syn.: to goad

Strong personal opinion should have a forum somewhere, based on its subject matter. At this site, perhaps it's best if that's confined to writing. Differentiating between strong opinion and baiting online is virtually impossible. Even if it were simple, would your reaction change if you knew the difference? Truth on the internet. hmmm... It's so foolishly simple to misrepresent oneself on the net, personal safety should always be a consideration. I choose to take everything at face value until I know otherwise, but I'll never put myself in a vulnerable position based on what I read online. Whether responding to personal opinion or baiting, if I find myself too emotionally invested, I choose to disengage. Most websites have user filters, if I feel the need.

Welcome, Chris. Always room for one more.

An awful lot of stuff I used to love embarrasses me now, and it's impossible to choose from what's left, depending on my mood. I truly love a lot of new music, but the context of its time is part of what makes it great. Who really thinks anybody's gonna care about Justin Beiber in 10 years? Still, something that comes to mind right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWGAZPPqZhg

Hey, even the bible ain't gospel in my book.

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Beautifully and simply expressed.

I don't visit this thread nearly often enough. welcome all and sundry. saturday too.

Tumblr's my latest timesuck. I have an account, but I mostly follow other blogs. I come here for words, and go there for pics. I follow some nice architecture and design blogs. And some other stuff. Like a lot of things, it helps keep me from ossifying.

I'd heard a warning connected to statins, but didn't realize so many others might be a problem. Always assumed the grapefruit inhibited the drugs' absorption, not the other way around. Thanks for sharing this.

I don't know what you're talking about.

OK, let's demonstrate difference in personal taste. None of those firemen do anything for me. They're all too bulky. But the ink is pretty cool. A killer body with some ink is fine. An average body with some ink is ok. Well-toned with a full body suit is acceptable to me. The more ink, the more the tats should relate to each other. I don't usually like it on the face, the throat, or the hands, but some folks can rock that, too. But if you're gonna get inked, get it done well, and get something that works for YOU and the way YOU look and carry yourself. If you don't love it, nobody will.

Is it just me, or does it seem a couple of those firefighters are perving on the man in the middle?

Happ' Burfday, Matt! I'd give you a birthday spanking, but you'd either like it or kick my ass, and I'm not sure which.

This is why I never bother to look at a power point when giving a presentation. You MUST not rely on tech w/o a plan B. Theatre training taught me to remain in character and soldier on.

I miss The Soapbox. Matt, you're right. Changing people's perceptions is best done by just living your life in the open. Marriage equality isn't about changing perceptions, but changing laws that penalize a certain group of people. It has only become possible since attitudes have begun to change. And attitudes have only begun to change because LGBT folks are living in the open, being normal and well-integrated into society. ENDA is a great idea and ideal, but it's gonna be as tough to enforce as any anti-discrimination law. Any progress made on any front in the struggle for equal rights is an improvement. New attitudes have enabled new laws. New laws enable more open lives, without fear. More open lives enable evolved attitudes. I think we've all got the same destination in sight.

Gee, and all I take is a 90# Woobie Bear.

I second the toast, and thank you for this entry. "If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present." -- Lao Tsu

The more normal LGBT folks are seen to be, the less others fear them. I believe the expansion of equal marriage rights was a necessary step to full equality under the law; otherwise, ENDA would have been DRT (dead right there). As you say, it's flashy, and it appeals to peoples' hearts. Aside from the riots of Stonewall, it seems every stride in equal rights has come about through working to overcome the demonization of LGBT. With every person of substance who has come out of the closet, every gay character written into a TV show, every piece of romantic same-sex fiction, we all realize more just how much we are all the same, and yet, how much diversity there is in being human. I never had much of an opinion on LDS until Prop 8.Now, like you, I hope their anti-gay fervor creates the backlash to obtain the Supreme Court decision even Justice Scalia knows is inevitable. Irony can be a beautiful thing.