old bob

Homophobia is an irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals Recently, I had the opportunity to remember how people around me behaved with gays, since from 40 years ago till now, and I came to the conclusion that I was happy to live in a society which was and still is much less

"Libert

I began about 25 years ago with Wordperfect and Lotus !!! Today Microsoft Office 2007. I tried also others, but came soon back to Microsoft. I'm used to it, and too old to change

you are 45, that means you were about 20 in 1984. Shouldn't I suppose you have some memories about the first years of AIDS ? I haven't read till now "Man in Motion" but I will. "How green was my valley".... No AIDS but Peace and Love till 1984 ! No fear, no condom, no bad memories during the first 50 years of my life ! Later, with 2 bis and 1 gay in my family, and with a gay son active since 1984 in fighting for the gay rights, with me backing him, my experiences about AIDS in Switzerland and around cannt be compared with what your characters had to endure in the States in the same years. We were aware of the necessity to protect ourselves, we helped and sustained seropositive friends, and fortunately AZT and other medicaments came soon on the market. I was myself well introduced in medical circles (as a former manager of a clinic) and was well informed of the new means to cure AIDS. My son was a leading member of one of the first gay organisation in Switzerland to support gay AIDS-patients. So, apparently, we knew how to behave and nothing could happen. Unfortunately, my daughter, travelling a lot, in different countries and with different partners, didnt care enough and got AIDS somewhere between Spain and Argentina. So AIDS becam a part of our family. She was well cured, lived with us her fight against the plague during 19 years, but gave away at the end and died 2003. So my experiences went up and down. I could summarize them with an advice, to you and your characters : protect yourself, choose well your partners, check regularly, and if it happens, use all the means as quickly as possible to control your health. And another important point : never fear, life is still wonderful.

Favorite household chore ? None of them I voted "other" because the only work I appreciate is cleaning the dust on my bookshelves and my books and least favorit chore : cleaning dishes, but I have just to put them in the washing machine and come back when its finished.

Congrat Tim, you had the right reaction ! I have a lot experiences with such tricks, sometimes very well prepared, coming from Eastern Europ, Africa, all around the world. Among them, the best one was an Email announcing that I was the winner of 650'000 BP from a British Lottery, with fake documents very well forged, and a real site, confirming the "winnings". Curious was just the fact that I never bought a ticket! They explained that my name was just the result of a random research on the net and I had just to give them my bank-account number, send them 1'000 BP to cover the transfer expenses and I would get the money. There was a phone number in their adress. I called and got even a confirmation from a transport company in England. It was too nice to be true ! I didn't pay and was happy.

Your problem is "why". I can only answer your question from my own experiences. Trying to "force" him to love you is impossible . You have to choice between two ways : Either tell him openly that you love him and see what will happen. If he answer with the same open-mindedness, you will have a chance and at least remain his best friend. iIf he gets angry, let it go. The only thing is then to "wait and see". The other choice is to keep quiet, expect him to take the initiative, just hoping that, time passing, you will better understand his position and yours. As I said, my own experiences brought me either to keep silence and "suffer" until everything was clear (I forgot him and met somebody else) , either to talk to him, with the same result because he couldnt clear his mind!. To sum it up, I'm not very optimist, but you are so young and your chances to meet the "real one"in the future are before you. Good luck Old Bob (soon 80 !)

Feelings for both ? I dont remember, perhaps about 12. First experiences with boys : 14, with girls 17. My children : Eldest son born 1952, straight. First experiences with girls 17, married the first time with the same girl 19. divorced and married 4 times ! Second son born 1956, straight, nothing (that I know !) till he met a girl when he was 28, lived with her 4 years and married her at 32. Daughter born 1958, living with a guy at the age of 16, changing guy each 6 months, probably bi, was married 3 times, got Aids (see my blogs) remained with her last husband till her death. Youngest son born 1964, first experiences with girls when he was 14, had several girlfriends during 4 years, wanted marry the last one, left her when she returned to Sydney (she was an Aussie), fell in love with a friend at 19, stayed with him 10 years, became an activist in GBLT circles, changed partner (one died) 3 times in the last 8 years, living happily with the last one since then. When I compare these experiences with the feelings of the new generations (my grandchildren, 3 boys and 3 girls aged from 12 to 32) , I dont see any change. Need to test, need of romance, need of sex, need of real love, everything is the same as we had 50 years ago. The only difference : young people today are more mature about the physical aspect of sex, but their feelings are as strong as we had. Just one point about the timing : sex comes first, love only later, if sex is good .

"So, it seems that people want to minimize my bad experience" dont be angry about them. Go from the point they cann't understand what you endured and it doesnt matter what they think. Why did you put in your profile "Misunderstood Poster" Any reason for that ? We have in french a proverb : "Les chiens aboient et la caravane passe" (the dogs bark and the caravan goes on !). Take it easy and enjoy your new job.

congrat Mark

congrat ! go on and enjoy it

Thats why State controlled insurances are often better than private ones !

I like most eggs boiled only 3 minutes, I choosed technique Nr. 1 , but only the first part. Once the top is away, I dig inside with a spoon. for hard boiled eggs, I use same technique as Dion. BTW, what is the real meaning of this poll ?

My thoughts go also out to those involved. I hope all our aussie members will stay safe. Graeme, just a question : Here (Switzerland), in some places (states or towns) every owner as every tenant of a flat or an house has to subscribe a fire insurance either for the entire house or, for the tenant, for his furnitures and belongings. You can choose between a private insurance company of the state insurance. If you dont subscribe yourself, the state does it for you and you have to pay a penalty .Insurance primes are cheap. for instance, I pay yearly 0.175 % of the value of my furnitures. For an house, its even cheaper. Do you have such state supported insurances in Australia ? If not, you should ! Old bob

Just a few adds to what Mike says, from my own experience : Excessive youthful masturbation, higher sex drive.... thats me .As a result : prostate cancer 12 years ago, (age 67). I got first a successful surgical removal of the prostate, went on with my sex life during 8 years. 4 years ago, cancer "came back" and I was cured again through radiation. Yes, I belong to these 80 % Since at age of 50, I had (and still have) annual PSA test. IMO, its one of the several reasons why I'm still alive and sexually active. I dont agree ! You never knows in advance how prostate cancer usually progresses. In spite of my age (80 next June !) I would not hesitate to beginn a new cycle of radiation if my PSA would increase again ! The best way to stay alive and fit, still active (business and private ) at 80 : make a yearly check up with a doc you trust, thats my advise .

I voted "No". Its just my opinion. There are so many "original" films to be seen in the different languages, countries and cultures, that I'm not interested in remakes. I even prefer to see again and again old films, from the the early years before "All Johnson" till the beginning of technicolor. I have home more that 350 old films on DVD and VHS. Thats my pleasure ! BTW, what I dont like mostly are BW "colorised" films. Thats awful . Just 2 exemples of american films I like (humor, fun, romance...) : "Roman Holiday", 1953, directed by William Wyler, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, "Some like it hot", 1959, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and...Marilyn Monroe. Old (really old) Bob

welcome silesia to a special group of GA members, these above 60 . I pretend we are wiser than any others not because we are more intelligent, but because the years and the experiences we lived are a treasure we should share with the youngers. Enjoy the forums and the blogs, as I do since I came here soon 3 years ago . Old Bob BTW, has your name any connexion with the historical region of Central Europe ?

Dion is right . Express your support not by talking, but just being there form him. Be ready to listen if he wants to talk. What's grieving people needs the most is presence, and silence..... For believers, praying together could sometimes help.

Wonderfull ! Now I know what I'm expecting in a few years BTW so late as possible Old Bob (soon 80 !)

Christmas time is the best occasion to celebrate with the remaining of our family, two sons, their wife and partner, 6 grandchildren and 3 greatgrandchildren, enjoying being together and remembering all the nice christmas we lived in the past when our lost son and daughter were still with us. On New Year's Eve, we stay as usual the two of us (my wife ans myself) alone, celebrating at home the fact that we are both still alive and in good state after 57 years of living together, drinking a toast of Champagne and wishing ourselves one more year to go on, as we did till now. Cheers to all of you, Lechaim to those who understand ivrit

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PEACE ON EARTH FOR ALL I wish everybody to follow a Midnight Mass in the french Provence, as I did a few years ago. (see image under http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pastrage.jpg )

Through my age (I'm almost 80), I suppose I have the most past experiences and lovelives here from all GA members ! I could tell a very long comment about them (I was 14 when I had my first gay expereinces), but short is the best . My advices to you : Try to understand who you are and accept it. Be faithful to yourself and trust yourself (even to make mistakes is an advantage, you will learn how to correct them). choose well your friends and be careful with them. Enjoy each day as if it would be the last one. And a last advice, the most difficult to follow (believe me !) : Each evening, before you go to sleep, think of what to have done with your day, list the good and the bad moments, think of the next morning and prepare you for a better day. Good luck my friend Old Bob

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B ! Dont be shy, 55 is just the age of a new youth You have at least 25 years of happy life in front on you Enjoy it (like I did) that's what an old guy soon 80 wish you !

About "real" bi's, I have just to say that I'm one of them , and an happy one ! And the sex scenes in GA stories are just an occasion to refresh the good old memories from my last 65 years (I had my first experiences when I was 14) .

Congrats for your success . You are not the only one who brought GA to such an "terrific" result, but without your will, your skill to animate and your coordination talent, GA couldn't in no way reach the "border" of 6'000th members. I will be 80 in 6 months and I suppose to be the eldest (or at least one of them) member. I'm "on the web" since the beginning in 1993, and I never found in the last 15 years such an interesting, friendly and kind site. You succeeded to anime so many competent people, to bring so many people to participate with their stories and comments, to extend the goals of GA far from to be a stories-site only, and to give me the daily pleasure to enjoy the forums and the work of so many writers (GA is my "resting-place" in the vicissitudes of my life). My deepest thanks go to you and to all the helpers who work with you. Through you, I met GBLT all around the world and it gave me the opportunity to share my experiences with younger people and contribute to a better world for us all. I wish you and your site more success, hoping that in the next 5 years we will reach the goal of above 10'000 members, hoping also that I will then still be reading and commenting in GA . Old Bob