rustle

Uh, you "explained" their behavior to Kyle? Joann, if you can really understand it, would you please explain it to me sometime? 'Cause I'll never get it otherwise.

Bi? It defies our very human desire to categorize things and people. It requires us to either think or accept without definition or limitation. As I learned from some transgendered folks, just 'cause I can't experience it doesn't mean I can't get it. Now, if a biological female says he's a guy, he's a guy. I don't care about the plumbing. There are two times it matters - when you're in the throes of passion, and technique is dictated by geometry; and when you're planning a family. It doesn't matter to me. That doesn't always mean somebody's apathetic; sometimes, it means they're enlightened.

oxymoron alert BTW, Zombie, is that a new cap? Stylin'.

Well, since everybody I polled rides bareback (We're monogamous and committed, so don't preach.), they've obviously left out at least a small sampling in Texas. And I dare say we can skew the curve. Besides, do you believe everything you read?

muscle control

I'm amazed. Zombie's right - this should be fought, tooth and nail. But how hard do we have to fight just to have a modicum of control over our lives, and on how many fronts? And, for pity's sake, Ritz crackers? Healthy? KC, keep fighting the good fight, and telling us about them. I, for one, can use the laugh.

oops, late to another party Happy Birthday, Mikie!

Somebody actually cared enough about the ad to be offended? And took the time to comment on it? That's as absurd as somebody taking the time to comment on somebody taking the time to comment on their outrage. Oh...wait...

All the best, sir. Happy Birthday.

Hey, cuz! Glad to see ya. I was just thinking about you yesterday. Good to hear about the biz. You made the right decision. “Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.” ― Doris Lessing Sorry to hear about your mom, but it sounds as if you're dealing with it as well as can be expected. As for your health, well, there's always gonna be something. Keep your spirits up, and do the best you can with the cards you're dealt. rusty

If you've been a reader for any length of time, you've probably stumbled across one or more of her books.

If the prof has been at the University for a very long time, he may have tenure. What this means is that he cannot be fired except for the most egregious abuses. If the prof has tenure, no action students take will result in any change. At best, he may be denied pay raises or further advancement in his career; however, those may automatically take effect, anyway, as cost of living increases voted for by legislature, if it's a publicly-funded institution. So, if action against the prof is futile, and you still have to take his course, can you take the course, apply yourself as never before, seek the prof's assistance, and in all ways be a paragon? Some difficult instructors are undisputed giants in their fields, bearing an incredible storehouse of knowledge and insight. Others are just embittered old farts. Which one is this guy? You gotta take his class. That means the material is germaine to your field of endeavor. Nothing you can do can change those facts. GPA's not the most important thing in life.

There's nothing to forgive, Wayne. Best wishes for your father, and for you. I hope you get some relief soon.

What do we not know here? Is the prosecutor's reasoning sound? What sort of aggressive behavior has the boy exhibited? Did he torture and kill small animals, then turn on his infant sister next? What kind of help did he refuse? Was it a snake handler trying to pray the devil out of him, or a trained professional? If the boy is normal, the adoptive parents have a lot to answer for. If he's a freak of nature, and unsafe to be around, aren't there other alternatives available, like turning him in to state custody? Either way, maybe the kid is better off being separated from the parents, although I feel for him, growing up with a feeling of abandonment. We can ask about the vetting process of the parents, but people change. In 9 years, maybe the parents bought into some cult, or went through life-changing trauma. The article points out well the need for post-adoption assistance, and I wonder if adoption should require follow-up by the parents. Parenting assistance should be available for ALL parents until kids reach adulthood. And beyond. It's so easy to become a parent, yet so difficult to be a good one. Not every parent makes that choice for good reasons. A kid is not a possession, or a marker in a "successful" life, a way of keeping score. You shouldn't have a kid with the intent of getting something out of the experience, but in order to give something to him. And you don't just give 'em back.

Crisco

Sorry, not today. We just had a cold snap, and shrinkage wouldn't do my rep any good. Maybe next time.

Hey Lady! Happy Birthday!

Lucky you. Mine is ever more jagged.

It's fun in church, too. That's why they call them pews.

True enough, o green one, but Warhol employed mass production technologies not available to the Old Masters. For the Old Masters, the physical labor required to produce the work and the development of the students' virtuosity had a symbiotic effect, bolstering a community of art. A grunt pulling silk screens or developing photographic prints who's never met the artist (designer) is on another level to my mind. But philosophically, I have trouble even conceiving of photography as art, because there's so much technology between the artist and his work. Even more so now with digital technology. Everything is duplicable to a degree of detail not possible before. The same goes for music now. I still hold that the greatest art is that produced by an individual or group of individuals who are hands-on, involved from get to go, expressing not just novelty, but mastery, and making something truly unique. For musicians, the ultimate is a live performance, never to be equaled. At the risk of contradicting myself earlier, maybe that does make this boy's deflowering a work of art. For me, for the most part, yes. The only difference for me would be whether or not the "artist" sought some sort of decadent undertone by going homo. But today? There's much less shock value in a couple of guys buggering each other. I would be more surprised if this were a young woman, though. Not offended or anything, surprised, but I'm old, too.

To our resident man of mystery - What's his real name? No one knows, but his favorite guess so far was Keep Cumming. (Or was it Kentucky Charmer?) How old is he now? He's not saying, but I think it's something like 74, going on 15. Well, I'm blowing the lid off it, right now. Told him I'd never share the truth, but... "His" real name is Mildred Clumb. She's a retired ballroom dance instructor, 68 years old. She's so wrinkled, her face could hold a 7-day rain. Her favorite dance is the cha-cha, and she's never had sex, which is why she's so obsessed with ... Seriously, KC, I wish you all the best on this, your birthday. I hope it's long, and memorable, and full of all your favorite things and people, and that you're surrounded by love.

Nice. Good atmospheric sounds, and a strong beat.

What a jumble. I guess, on one level, he's already succeeded in provoking thought and discussion, at least here. First off, he's externalizing his own internal turmoil, laying it off on society as their problem. Ideally, I believe the first time should be a loving progression to an intimate act, and it's a sad fact that it isn't always. I'm sure lots of folks pop their cherries just to get it over with. If virginity becomes this stumbling block, inhibiting personal growth, "crashing through the barrier" can be a normalizing experience. I'm not sure doing it as performance art in front of 100 art critics (porn patrons) could ever be normalizing, and could be a scarring experience. Hyping this up beforehand is a way of forcing himself to follow through with the act, and I'm not sure he'd have the stones to do it otherwise. Then again, it guarantees an audience for his art. Art is no longer the scion of artifice, but of novelty. Does anyone thing Warhol was really a great artist, or just inventive? He did more to commoditize imagery than anyone else I can think of. This may the beginning of a great career in art for the young man and his prop boyfriend. Is it art? The audience would have to answer that one. For me, no. My only interest would honestly be lurid. So, I question the boy's motives. I question the artistic merit of the act. I question the outcome, and its effect on his emotional well-being, which is already questionable. It's not truly all that innovative, but a natural progression of what we call art. Remember gratuitous nudity in theater? The musical "Hair" was more a culmination than the forefront, over 40 years ago. So is this. Seven virgins and a mule on Bourbon Street did it earlier. On a visceral level, I'm with Magpie. I'd chip in some bucks if his boyfriend wouldn't use lube. I'd chip in some more for a dose of Viagra for the guy, hoping for a priapism. Let's make it a truly moving experience for the artist. He IS a douche. On a more human level, I pity this boy, that his life is as it is, and he feels this need. He's not telling his parents? Why ever not?

It's nearly as cheap now to buy a dvd as it is to rent something. And I like having a library of movies at the house. It's like having books. Being able to enjoy something you like on demand without going online. The nets are fun, but sometimes I gotta take a break.

He was working on an art project. The other artist sold ad space in his paintings. He wrote a personal ad for the piece, and to give it "legitimacy," ran the ad in the local rag. I was intrigued, and responded. Can't agree on when the first date was, but the second was the day after my birthday. We were at a deli before going to see a Kurosawa film, and he asked when my birthday was. Sheepishly, I answered "yesterday." He was shocked I hadn't tried to wrangle a gift out of him. Now I can't get rid of him if I try. Going strong since 10/10/90. Just posted a pic from '91.