Matthew

I'm a left handed second child, and now I'm working at Starbucks. I'm becoming a stereotype. Now that I think about it, I do know more left handed than right handed gay people. That's kind of weird, since left handed people are only supposed to be about 10% (I think) of the population. I do agree with you Graeme, that numbers often get tossed around or inflated. Or just made up like when one author claimed that eating disorders claim the lives of 100,000 Americans each year, which is utterly absurd.

Let's see. In no particular order: Trick True Love The Trip But I'm a Cheerleader Latter Days I think that's all of the ones I really liked.

Really? I was never a big fan of , but sometimes found to be ok. But I got the subbed version of so I could get the whole series. You can't getthe real plot in the US, since it has the crossdressing lovers, who are called cousins in the dubbed version. To my knowledge, they never could gloss over the cross dressing stars in the last season.

It's hard to split up between the two so: All time best show ever: Buffy (Which is weird since I never watched it when it was on, but my friend made me watch it and now I own and am on my 6th run through the series) (Embarrassed) South Park Family Guy Will & Grace

Some guy tried to rip me off on eBay once, and eBay wouldn't do anything. This is why I love credit cards. I called my company, they reversed the charge and all interest, and said they wouldn't put the charge back on unless eBay could provide my signature verifying receipt, and I never got it, so they couldn't. There are statutory protections that credit card companies must provide, but this wasn't one of them. The thing that a lot of people don't know is that your credit card company often voluntarily protects your purchases from theft or with an extended warranty coverage, and sometime they'll help you just because they want you to stay as a customer. 99% of my purchases are by credit card for this reason.

Interracial and S&M contribute to not being a virgin? So someone would have to have to have interracial bondage sex to completely be non-virginal? Interesting system. For the record, that means I'm 85% virgin.

I had a good (or terrible, depending on one's perspective) example of how looks can be very relevant, but felt it would fit better in Mark's other thread here. Aside from that, I really agree with Kevin's view that men are much more superfician in this area in general than women and that it's more pronounced in gay men. I didn't know there was a popular belief.

It's interesting that my comments closely tie into Mark's "good looks" thread as well. In the case of military members committing crimes off of military properties, the Judge Advocates General (the District Attorneys of the military) share concurrent jurisdiction with the county in which the crime occurred, essentially this means that the military and the county can both prosecute the person, but they generally won't both do it, so they have to work out between them who will prosecute the person. While I was interning with a Judge Advocate General (JAG) office, we had an instance where a woman was forcefully raped by her boyfriend. The county had done all the initial evidence gathering, so we agreed that they would prosecute the case. Weeks later, however, the District Attorney informed us that he would not prosecute the case because he believed that the woman was unattractive and her boyfriend was attractive, and he didn't think that a jury would believe that he would rape someone so unattractive. We took the case on, but basically he would've gotten completely away with it if not for the fact that he was in the military. One thing that has shocked me in my interactions with criminal law is the sheer depravity and volume of rapists and child molesters. In addition to this, I've been shocked by how certain cases were handled. Whether they should or not, looks do matter. A rape was ignored because the guy was way more attractive (at least in traditional views) than the person he raped. And I'll probably always be alone because I am unattractive and have no fashion sense. Such is life.

Some studies have shown that money can increase happiness only to a certain income level. In the US, the magic figure seems to be $60,000 annual income. Once someone has attained that level, additional money is not correlated to happiness or contentment. Before that level, it can help, mainly because one may be struggling to survive or fighting with their partner over finances much more than if they were over this level.

I've got less than two weeks until test day, and I'm terrified.

I spent my weekend preparing to and then flying from Florida to Arizona, where I'm spending my summer. I hate this desert. Besides that, all my free time, as it has for months, was spent studying for the LSATs.

Thanks for the fond wishes everyone. I did have an awesome birthday. My brother-in-law took me to the casino where I made over $200. So it was a really good night. Disclaimer: I have probably lost more gambling than I have won in my life. I do it for the entertainment, not to make money. It is very unlikely that one will make money gambling.

The theory as I understand it, as presented in the program, is that the mother sees male hormones as a foreign substance, and creates more and more antibodies with each boy that attack the hormones. This is an explanation for why they have found that males with older brothers are more likely to be gay. They say say that the odds of a male being gay increase by 1/3 for every older brother he has, but there is no such correlation for women or left handed men. A theory based on nurture posits that the younger brother feels overshadowed and uses femininity to distinguish themselves from their older sibling(s). I know, based on what I've read from you, that my coming out was entirely different than yours, but I feel similar in this respect. One reason I didn't want to come out in college was that my roommate was gay, and everyone despised him, mainly because he made being gay the one and only component of his personality. This made it hard for me to distinguish between people disliking him for how he acted and not for being gay. I eventually met people who you couldn't tell were gay from 5 blocks away, and they really helped me see that gays are not at all uniform in mannerisms or personality.

It's a lot of interesting theories, but the research is still very much in its infancy and pervaded by vested interests and deeply held beliefs. I was going to be able to blame my brother for my being gay, but then the left handed thing came up. Apparently as a left-handed person I'm immune to the older brother effect and have only myself (or hormones, or God, or genes, or whatever) to blame. Oh well.

Uhhh...What?

There you have it, the winners that you, the members, chose as the best GA had to offer in 2006. Thank you everyone for writing, nominating, and voting. A big hand for all our nominees and winners.

Non-GA Stories: Best Non-GA Story of the Year: New Brother Graeme http://graeme.awesomedude.com/new_brother/new_brother_title.htm Best Protagonist/Main Character from a Non-GA Story: Kayden Kayden and Zac Ryan Keith http://www.themailcrew.com/kayden.html Best Supporting Character from a Non-GA Story: Adam New Brother Graeme http://graeme.awesomedude.com/new_brother/new_brother_title.htm Poetry: Best Poem on GA: I, Alone Luc Most Moving Poem on GA: Stone Birdsofafeather Poem with the Best Imagery on GA: Tell No Secrects Lugh

Miscellaneous Categories: Favorite Family Member From a GA Story: Grandma Alice Desert Dropping Dom Luka Best Boyfriend in a GA Story: Seth Fisher Desert Dropping Dom Luka Most Romantic Scene in a GA Story: "I wrote my number in your dirt." Desert Dropping Dom Luka Funniest Moment in a GA Story: "Connor Meeting Tatyana" Someday Out of the Blue Little Buddha TW Most Anticipated Couple in a GA Story: Nelson Larmont/Milo Trust With Trust Dom Luka Best Short Story on GA: Valentine's Day Goes to the Dog Dom Luka Best Cast Ensemble in a GA Story: Desert Dropping Dom Luka

Anthology Entry Categories: Best Anthology Entry of the Year: Days of Silence Viv Best Protagonist/Main Character from an Anthology Entry: Jess Once Upon a Blizzard Ieshwar Best Supporting Character from an Anthology Entry: Lucas This Time Will Be Different Bardeara Best Antagonist/Villain from an Anthology Entry: The Muse The Muse C James Best Spring 2006 Anthology Entry: Days of Silence Viv Best Summer 2006 Anthology Entry: No Shirt? No Problem! C James Best Fall 2006 Anthology Entry: Trick or Treat? Graeme Best Winter 2006 Anthology Entry: Right Up Until the Very End Bardeara

e-Fiction Story Categories: Best e-Fiction Story of the Year: For the Love C James Best Protagonist/Main Character From an e-Fiction Story: Steve For the Love C James Best Supporting Character from an e-Fiction Story: Nicky Indefensible AFriendlyFace Best Antagonist/Villain from an e-Fiction Story: Eric For the Love C James

The winners of the 2006 Member's Choice Awards are finally here! First, I'd like to give a big thank you to Myr for setting up the poll and voting. Also a huge thank you to Pingyboy and company for all their work on the graphics. Now, without further ado... Hosted Story Categories: Best Hosted Story of the Year: Desert Dropping Dom Luka Best Protagonist/Main Character From a Hosted Story: Rory Norick Desert Dropping Dom Luka Best Supporting Character From a Hosted Story: Luke Desert Dropping Dom Luka Best Antagonist/Villain From a Hosted Story: Aaron Desert Dropping Dom Luka Shared Hosted Categories: Best Shared Hosted Story of the Year: Loving You, Loving Me Formosa Best Protagonist/Main Character From a Shared Hosted Story: Dave Loving You, Loving Me Formosa Best Supporting Character From a Shared Hosted Story: Storm Jumping Over My Mountain Tiffani Chin Best Antagonist/Villain From a Shared Hosted Story: Martin Bad Seed Empathy

A private sector organization, perhaps, but it's not needed. Publically run schools are fine if the parents can send the tax a dollars paying for their childs education to a private school if that school is better. It's ok, I understand how certain bigoted comments can be frustrating. I hate tenure (which makes them almost unfirable) as well and am glad my school has nothing like that. Certain teachers unions have become so powerful that they have created something much worse. For instance, in New York City, it is so difficult to fire teachers that they don't fire teachers who actually do things like harass students (it was found in one instance that a teacher sent sexually explicit emails to an underage student and the teacher admitted it) because it's not worth it for the school to fire them because of the lengthy and expensive process involved. They have dozens of teachers like this that they can't allow around students but can't afford to fire, and so they just sit in rooms together day after day.

The corporation would have no more or less ability to do this than the government does now. I don't really understand your first question. Could you state it another way? Again, the fact that you see examples where the trend isn't true doesn't negate the trend itself. Even if they are better parents but it causes the child to be ostricized (as a specific example, I'm not saying this is always or even usually the case) for being different, then it still may be worse for the child. I'm not a "self hating gay", but I may have used to be. Either way, it's not germane to this topic and would in no way invalidate my points.

Many people have to get extra jobs. If you get a summer off (and I'm not saying all teachers do) then you should have to get a second job. The problem with people saying they "have to" is that when many people responded to a survey saying that they both "have" to work to get by, but when you look at the living situation, they have 2 drivers i nthe household and three cars. In many cases people trade off extra time for additional income which is a choice they make. Why not, pray tell? There are studies that show that a family with a male and female as parents are the best thing for the children. This doesn't mean that gay parents are horrible or that a heterosexual couple is better for a child in every case. This could be the case simply because societal norms dictate this and deviations cause children to be singled out, but just because you don't like the results doesn't make them any less true.

There are probably some areas. Which is why I said "on average" which most studies back up. I'm sorry that you feel that way about studies, but that hardly means these studies are wrong and that we should rely purely on anecdotal evidence. Of course teachers will feel they're under paid. I'm sure if you asked most people they'd say that they're underpaid. But when you look at per hour compensation and then benefits, it just doesn't pan out.