NickolasJames8

I suppose that's a very dour view on the whole thing, but I really think the problems are too complicated to pinpoint any one major cause beyond general exploitation from first world nations, which has taken place since colonial times and continues to this day. I also don't think there's any simple or expedient solution. I studied this issue extensively in multiple sociology classes and unfortunately the entire global economy is set up to facilitate first world nations exploiting third world nations, which essentially boils down to the Western world exploiting Africa. It's completely inexcusable, but it's majorly entrenched and complicated, we'd just as soon tackle peace in the Middle East. To offer some explanation for why it began happening in the first place and why it continues I'll offer up the concept of diffusion of guilt. Basically, yeah Americans, Canadians, Western Europeans, and people in some Eastern Asian countries are largely to blame in a multitude of ways for a multitude of Africa's problems, but you do have several countries that are to blame, and you have several governments, and BILLIONS of people who are very very indirectly to blame. The average American (or Frenchman or Japanese person or...) doesn't feel a whole lot of personal guilt for what's going on in Africa because he/she number 1) probably doesn't even think about it at all, and number 2) could legitimately share the blame equally with everyone he/she knows. As a result most people don't feel much personal responsibility to do anything about it. Admittedly, I at least don't think there is a lot an individual person could do about it. It's beyond the scope of even the politicians of individual nations. In my opinion a serious effort would requite a major synergy of several of the world's most powerful countries, and even there they would still run into major obstacles regarding international diplomacy and international business. They were also run into a lot of internal obstacles related to the upheaval and instability of the various African nations, plus disease and generally poorly established infrastructures. Of course such a major effort is unlikely to happen in the first place because it would require several powerful nations working together in a concerted effort, and I just can't see getting the various governments of these nations behind it. Personally I think the best individuals can do is let their government know that they should be something about the problems (which will bring about a very slow and gradual change, which is still better than nothing) and basically focus on humanitarian efforts. We can do simple good works that will help to some extent, but until the major underlying problems are addressed that's just putting a band-aid on the wound...but that too is probably better than nothing. It's just a very bleak situation. Personally I don't think it's directly related to racism to a great extent today. In the early colonial times, which is what set the groundwork for all of this, it definitely was in that the Europeans felt themselves superior to the Africans and felt they had the right to exploit them. Today I think it's mostly just an entrenched system that was never broken out of and I'm inclined to think it would continue to perpetuate regardless of the people's skin colour. Also, I think the big thing is that, as I said, most people in the first world nations don't think about this at all or realize their government/country's implicit role in it (and on the country level the role is implicit and not explicit). OR if they think about Africa's problems at all (which really most people don't on a regular basis) they're inclined to pin the blame on something else. To be completely honest I think blaming it on "environmentalists" is a form of that. As I said that's probably one piece of the picture, but this is WAY bigger than just that. Even if any and every environmental issue were removed major inequities would still exist, and most people don't even get to the point of thinking it has anything to do with their own country, they instead conclude it has to do with internal conflict, disease, or simply a different culture...all of which is also very true. Anyway, it's a very heartbreaking thing and it's worth discussing, but my honest opinion is that the problems are just too complicated, pervasive, and bleak to be solved by any one major thing (or heck any FIVE major things). This is going to take some time. On the other hand it's certainly time to do something about it, we've been doing nothing about it for over 500 years now and that's obviously not helping. -Kevin Thanks for the thoughtful insightful post, Kevin. The thing that gets me the most is Darfur. We know what's happening over there, and yet nothng's being done. Some people say it's gotten better, but how do you measure what better is when people are still being slaughtered. Is it time to turn our attention somewhere else now because not as many people are being butchered? And what about Malaria? How is it that we live in the 21st century and yet, people over there are dying of Malaria? It's insane to me, and yet, when most people talk about Africa, all we here about is saving the rainforests. Well screw the damn rainforests, there's lives that have to be saved.

Thank you laurie How have you been lately? We haven't emailed in a couple of weeks.

Warning: Rant Ahead I know I probably could have started this discussion in the Soapbox, but my feelings are too strong to take what I'm about to say there. I feel a real anger when I think about the people of Africa, and what they're subjected to on a daily basis. Not just by outsiders, but their own people. If you've been following the Global Warming thread in the Soapbox, you can see where I addressed the issue, but I really held back. I don't understand how someone can be against global warming and cutting down the rain forests to the extent that they would advocate the suffering of almost an entire continent of people. Now, I'm not saying that anyone on GA feels that way. Unless someone says they'd rather see people die than to cut down the rain forests or indutrialize Africa, I refuse to believe that anyone here would feel that way. But the fact is, there are people who feel that way. Most of them are global warming extremists, who don't mind if the people in Africa suffer un-necessarily for someone else's cause. I keep trying to work out in my head how these people can live in their homes or apartments or whatever they have, use energy, drive cars and SUV's, take plane trips, eat meat, shop at malls, use their air conditioners and heaters, talk on their cell phones and spend money while, at the same time, expecting the people of Africa to live like it's the year 1800. http://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_08_1_nelson.pdf The only reason I can come up with in my head is that they see themselves as a little, or a lot, better than Africans. And that view of themselves is probably born of racism. Basically, in their minds, the Western world is mostly white, and Africa is almost exclusively black. So it doesn't matter as much, right? Wrong. It's time for these idiots to get over themselves and their racism. Sell their cars, move out of their homes, live in the elements and see how they like it. In fact, they should give up whatever wealth they have and move to Africa so they can live the way they want others to live. Maybe then they'll change their minds.

I just finished this story, and all I can say is wow! That was an amazing story full of depth, emotion, tragedy and triumph. Colten Barton lived a nightmare for 6 years, and even though he still lives with the residual effects of what happened, he's found both the vehicle and the path to recovery, if it's possible at all. Great job, Tiff. Thanks for crafting this amazing story and sharing it with us.

Happy birthday Bard

We had lamb for dinner the other night...actually, we have it at least once a week. I just ate the left over lamb that was in the fridge for breakfast. It's good with feta cheese and roasted potatoes :king: :pickaxe: :ranger:

I come into contact with a vegetarian on a daily basis because I live with one...my stepmom. She's very strict about her diet, and won't even use ketchup because it has some sort of byproduct in it that comes from animal fat. I actually tried for a while to be a vegetarian, but I was miserable. I refuse to eat pork anymore, but I love beef and I love chicken, especially fried chicken and especially the thigh. I can't really say if there are more gay vegetarians than straight ones, but I'd say it's probably about the same.

I'm sure that the corpse wasn't bothered by having its skull turned into a bong, but I bet the family of the corpse is mortified. Personally, though, my new preference is not to be buried when I die, but to have my skull and my heart fused together, fitted with a bowl, filled with water and used for recreational pot smoking....but only with the finest green bud available. No seeds, no stems, please

You're right, I don't think he'll do any of them at all.....but if he wants to get elected, he should lie and say he will. Either way, we're screwed. It's Obama or a mummy.

So it's pretty obvious that Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. Unless there's some underhanded deal in a back alley abortion clinic somewhere that gives Hillary the nomination, that is. So, now it's Obama vs. McCain, and the attacks will no doubt start flying his way from the repukes. So what's an extreme leftist piece of crap like Obama to do? Give the Iraqi's a real date to have control over the violence in their own country Offer incentives to American companies to research and develop new, innovative sources of energy Don't pick Hillary as his VP Do pick a govenor from the South as his VP Highlight the HUGE age difference between John McCain and himself in a respectful way Stop threatening to take profits away from oil companies, or any company Get domestic spending under control Don't raise taxes Do lower taxes on everyone, especially businesses that create jobs in the US Set a goal that the entire nation can work towards, like being entirely energy independent by 2020

Well, I finally pounded out a new chapter of If By Chance. Hopefully, if I get it back soon enough, I can send it in and have it posted by this weekend. I really apologize to my readers for the delay, but I

I've found that over the last couple of years, my view on the war in Iraq has evolved. Most of it has to do with my growing knowledge about the constitution, the most important and the most at risk document in our nation. I understand that times have changed since the framers signed their names to the constitution, but I truly believe that if we did as the they had intended instead of what the politicians in Washington, we'd be in a much stronger position as a nation. Before I go any further, let me say that I support the troops. My heart goes out to the families of every soldier we've lost in Iraq and Afganistan. I also understand that leaving the middle east would be a disasterous move for this nation, as well as the nations we're fighting in. Al Qeida would be waiting with their salivary glands overflowing for us to leave, then they'd proceed with a campaign of terror that history would never forget. Believe it or not, Hillary Clinton and Barrak Obama know that, too. They talk about leaving Iraq, but they have to know that what they're saying isn't the truth. John McCain wants to be there for the next hundred years. I think he has it wrong, too. We only have an obligation to stay until Al Qeida is defeated and the nations are stabalized. Then, we have an obligation to get out. The thing is, we should have never gone in the first place. We can sit here and talk about George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell and everyone else that led us into Iraq, but the Bush administration is almost over. That makes it a blame game, and now's not the time for that. Instead, we need to look at the three major candidates for president that are remaining, and examine their part in this situation. According to the constitution, it's up to congress to declare war. What congress did in 2002 was vote to give President Bush, one man, the authority to take us into Iraq. Obama wasn't in the senate at the time, but he was very vocal about his opposition to the war, and to giving the president that much power. Hillary Clinton and John McCain, on the other hand, violated the constitution by voting in favor of letting Bush take us to Iraq. John McCain openly spits on the constitution all the time, and he says that he'd vote the same way if he could do it again. Hillary Clinton says she was mislead, but what part of the constitution did she think allowed her to vote yes? She's a law school graduate. She should have known that she was making a decision to usurp the founding document of this nation, regardless of the intellegence she was presented with. Other senators at the time voted for the constitution. They voted not to give George Bush the power to take us to war on his own. Barrak Obama was speaking out against this vote when it was incredibly unpopular to do so. Hillary Clinton and John McCain, on the other hand, went along with what seemed popular at the time, mainly to set themselves up for 2008. So, as disgusting as I think Obama's policies are, I have to hope that those who can cast a vote will cast their votes for him.

I love the song I Go Crazy, but until I watched the vid on Youtube, I had no idea that a biker dude sang it. I could totally see someone like Jaheem doing a cover for this song and it being huge.

Is your new story a chapter story or a short? If it's a a short story, I have a little trick I use. I look for something small in the story, just a tiny detail, and I summarize it. Otherwise, I take a single line or quote from the story and make that the title (Sorry, We're Togther/Obligation To Myself). With a chapter story, it can be anything. My first story got it's title because I was listening to a song by Dr. Dre while I was writing the first chapter. The same thing happened to me with a another chapter story, Time In A Bottle. I was watching a Jim Croce vid on You Tube, and I was like, "Yeah, that's a good title." Joe Budden was my inspiration for the title to My Jump Off.

I kinda wonder if anyone truly knows themselves, or if life is a constant journey where we rediscover ourselves several times over and over again. There are times when I think I have things figured out...what I want, where I want to be in my life, what I think about certain situations in the world, and my position as a relevant person. Then, I wake up one day and realize that my perspective was blurred or even a little flawed, and I'm forced to re-examine myself and my outlook on life.

Wow, maybe you should update the next chapter of Kevin's Big Moment, because it's pretty clear which way it might go if I add it

Yeah, but they were the only ones that would consider being with you because you had 9 STD's, so it was now or never???

So what if it had been like 3 years since you've seen a guy, and all of the sudden, two were standing right before your eyes. Unfortunately, one was in really great shape and cute, but he had a carpet on his torso and back. The other was almost completely hairless except for his head and his dingaling, but he weighed 281 lbs and was only 5'9??

I don't mind body hair, except for the hair on my body. I have a wicked amount of hair on my legs that goes all the way up my thighs and around the back of my legs, which totally flips me out. As soon as I can, I'm getting laser hair removal there and on my stomach, around my belly button, which is where I have I have a grip of hair that connects to...where, I'm sure you can guess where it connects to I just don't want hair on my back, in my ears or in my nose. I don't mind the hair on my arms because for some odd reason, it seems natural.

I know this sounds really random, but I love my grandma. She's pretty much someone I can talk to about anything, although there are some things I won't talk to her about.... We had to brave traffic this afternoon from the South Side to the peninsula, which meant waiting in a 7 mile backup at the tunnel. I have a certain set of CD's I play when she's riding in my car, and to be honest, I kinda like listening to them. Groups like the Bee Gees and Culture Club aren't that bad, and as long as I don't have to listen to anything by Elton John or Madonna, it's all good. I drove her to my cousin James's apartment in Newport News, so we could clean for him. When we got there, I thought for sure I was going to throw up. The f**king place smells like a dead, rotting dog or something. Bascially it's because he doesn't throw anything away. When I say that, I mean ANYTHING. There were bags from Hardys and Mc Donalds and Wendys and Arbys and Burger King and Taco Bell behind his entertainment center, under his desk, in between his couch and his coffee table and even overflowing on each side of the toilet in his bathroom. Usually my stepmom cleans up for him, but ever since my dad went into business for himself, she hasn't had the time to do anything for him. So I guess my dad went over there and almost fainted, and I can see why. James never finishes his food, so all of the bags had left over fries, half eaten tacos or burgers, and other crap in them. There were cups that had been sitting so long with soda in them that there was mold on top of the soda, and when we left, it was still gross. I thought I could smell spit or something, but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. So after we cleaned and vaccumed his place, my grandma poured bleach down all of his drains and closed all of the windows at his place. As soon as she closed the windows, i felt like gagging all over again. So it looks like we're going to have to rent a carpet shampooer and go back. Since my cousin is basically inept, we have to do it for him, or he'll live in filth. Of course, we're talking about the guy who's too lazy to buy 5 quarts of oil and a fliter so I can change his oil for him. Instead, he'd rather go to the dealership and get it done. Well anyway, the good thing is that my grandma and I got to spend some time alone. We haven't done it in a while, and I miss it. We had a really good talk about my trouble at home with my dad about Kate, and she told me that she supports me no matter what and her and my grandpa are going to help me do whatever I want to do with my life when I turn 18. Sometimes I forget how I blessed my life really is, but she has this funny way of reminding me just by being who she is.

I used to tell everyone I love you, but in the last couple years, I've had a really hard time with it. I can barely say it to my dad anymore, and we used to always say it. Funny thing, though, I always say it to my stepmom. When I first get up and go downstairs for a cold redbull, she's usually cooking breakfast for me and I say it out of habit. I tell my gf I love her like 55 times a day, too, but I think it's different with her than it is with family and friends.

This is something I'd definitely read....is it online?? I think the idea that all stories posted on a gay fiction site have to be romantic is what's stale. Also, in my opinion, the high school genre went stale, too. Of course, I say that as someone who's written two high school sex romp stories that might be my most popular works, but they're easily my least favorite of anything I've written. So I've been trying to branch out and try something different. Time In a Bottle was definitely the most un-gay romance story I've ever written, and I followed it up with the Summer 07 anthology story, another non-gay romance story. If By Chance deals with romance, but their are also more grown up themes that I'm trying to go with, but it's hard, and based on the feedback I'm getting, it's obvious to my readers that I'm struggling. Does that mean the genre is stale? No. I think certain parts of it are growing stale for some of us, but we get new readers all the time, people who are just discovering gay fiction. I had never heard of a gay online story until 2004, so at that point, I was new and all of it was fresh in my mind. As an author, my tastes have changed, and my stories are going to change too. Luckily, there are a lot of other authors, some new and some not so new, who will keep the genre fresh for the newer readers.

Congratulations Beastie

I wanted to bring this to my blog, because what I'm about to say isn't going to be allowed in the forums. Remember, before proceeding, that this is my blog, and I am not obligated to respect your position or opinion on any manner. There's a good chance that I probably will, though. I want to take this opportunity to respond to a certain number of posts in the Soap Box without starting a flame war or taking the thread off topic. You see, when the conversation starts to veer away from the original topic at hand, moderators come around and are justified in closing them. That's why there are headings for each topic. Let's proceed. This is a forum where people who are gay, lesbien, transgendered, bisexual, straight, black, white, hispanic, asian, middle eastern and anyone else comes. We don't come here to be labeled as "the enemy" because of our faith. There are certain radical elements of every religion, and they tend to cause the most trouble in the world. Christians have Fred Phelps and Pat Robinson. Muslims have Osama Bin Laden. it happens. When you label someone for their beliefs, regardless of what those beliefs are, you belittle yourself. You see, the reason I don't want this posted in a thread in the soapbox is because when I read such posts, my opinion for the people who say such things is lowered. This has nothing to do with the fact that they believe in something different than I believe in, or that they might not believe in anything at all. It has to do with the fact that they are painting with a broad brush, and each and every stroke of that brush hits me and everyone else in this community that holds a belief in their heart. If you don't understand those beliefs, read a book. Or better yet, reach out to someone and ask some questions. Because, as intellegent as you try to sound in your critism of those of us who practice with "snake oil, smoke and mirrors", you really come off as an intolerant bigot, and there's nothing intellegent or enlightened about being a bigot. If my faith is a part of a "con" then that's my cross to bear, not yours. I understand that some people on this board have been victimized in the name of religion. I think that's awful, and my heart goes out to you. I can also understand that some people are turned off by the fact that most, if not all, of the worlds major conflicts have been driven by religion. The war we're in right now is against a group of fanatics who want to force others to be what they are, or to murder them for not conforming. I also understand that there are those who claim to be men or women of faith, but who abuse their position in the church. Catholic priests, baptist ministers and muslim clerics are all guilty of such a breach of trust. I'm not going to get into a long debate here on how the actions of a few can have a profound effect on an entire religion. We can all figure it out for ourselves. What I am going to do, though, is tell anyone who wants to belittle muslims, christians, hindus, jews, catholics, protestants, atheists, agnostics, gays, lebians, bisexuals, heterosexuals, blondes, men, women, transgendered people, satan worshipers or anyone else who might be different from you to get a grip. You're not better than anyone else here on GA, or in the world. This community is supposed to be friendly to people who are different, so don't point your finger and put labels on people who are just being themselves.

So I'm thinking about getting one of those bean bag thingy's to hold my Garmin in place on top of my dashboard. I was actually determined to buy one last night, but I left my check card on my dresser and didn't have enough cash on me to do that and be able to buy gas so I could drive to Smithfield and back, so I had to wait. Then I thought about how important it is that I have one. Actually, it's really important, because right now, using my Garmin is a pain in the ass. I place it in my cup holder, with the cord wrapped around the base of the plastic piece that's supposed to mount to my windshield, and that kinda holds it in place. But if I mess up with the clutch and the car jerks, which happens more often then I want to admit it does, then the friggin thing flops over and either lands on the floorboard of the passenger side, or even worse, on my side. Sometimes I get the feeling that my Garmin is catching an attitude with me, too. If I don't drive the highlighted path, it tells me that it's recalculating, but in a rather impatient tone. If it had a face, I bet it would be rolling its eyes at me while it tells me its recalculating. Oh well, I guess the point of this is that I don't want to part with the forty snaps for the bean bag base, but at the same time, me and Kate are getting out of town for the rest of the week and the weekend, and I don't want the stupid thing to keep falling over. Also, since I'll be driving back and forth from Smithfeild everyday, I don't want to have to hassle with it all the time.