Jack Scribe

I also admire what you are doing and support James' advice. I rummaged around Google and found this site that you could review. It has several links for gay youth support groups in the U.K. http://www.gaytimes.co.uk/gt/listings.asp?...mp;WebFormID=34 Perhaps one or more of the links will help. Jack

Hey Conner (as in 365 days a year?), A big welcome. After you're finished with DK's excellent fare, check out my most recent story, Domes and Teapots. It has a touch of intrigue. Best, Jack

It's almost a MLK moment: "Love at last! Love at last! Thank God Almighty, it's love at last!" Good job. Jack

...and Diet Cokes! Seriously, here's to a wonderful 2007. May GA continue to provide the wonderful mix of stories, poetry and good comradeship. Jack

Must have been E(mbrio)mail? Thanks for your greetings on this least auspicious of birthdays. I mean, come on...how do you follow Him? But I do every year. And when I arrived I'm told there was no place outstanding to tie a bow - some would argue that's still the case. The date means my first Christmas/birthday at GA. Jack

Me, too. A BIG ditto! Jack "Now, where did I put the sun screen?" He said to himself while rummaging around in the pool bag.

I received this and thought the 'tongue in cheek' approach said it all. Greetings, Darlin's! Holiday greetings from the Follies! ("Holiday" may include Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa. And Winter Solstice for any Pagans who might otherwise forget to light their Yule logs.) The Follies is the famous Palm Springs Follies where all the show girls are drawing social security checks. I, along with a couple of friends - Jack Smith and Greg Bowden, authors of gay tales - will be attending a performance for the first time next month. Merry Christmas. Jack

I love fast one-liners: People have asked me what is my sexual orientation. I tell them that I am Trisexual. Although I try, most of the time nothing happens. Rim shot and out. Jack

Can a vote a couple of times? This is a warm, expressive short story that warrants the 15 minutes it takes to digest it. Terrific...go for it! Jack

Hi Old Bob, Absolutely the best blog that gives the curious reader current views/news (and links) affecting the GLBT community is the following: http://towleroad.typepad.com/towleroad/. I strongly urge you to bookmark this site. Towleroad is something I check daily, along with a few others. Merry Christmas, Jack

Here's a hilarious Blog originated by Dan Savage, noted advice columnist (who is also gay), concerning the most recent problems in the Colorado Springs church and the review of church leaders' conduct. Be warned that the premise of the blog and some words fall into the area of ADULT CONTENT and should only be read by those who have reached the age of consent. Viewing of this blog may cause irreparable damage to developing, underage minds and cause permanent intellectual atrophy: http://www.thestranger.com/blog/ and scroll down to Monday, December 18. Savage's post was around 4:18 p.m. Jack

I'm not sure if you're allowing any replies to this important topic...but here goes. You're really being very forgiving. Maybe it's in the spirit of the holidays? I, for one, think that this "ring" should take a hike with your banning them from GA. That such a hard, talented worked like Kitty is resigning is most unfortunate. Although not an expert of the workings of these sites, I do find GA unique and the best in this genre. The broad range of members, representing so many locations in the world, is amazing. The forums available are used with an incredible volume and offer very diverse points of view. This site and your peace of mind is too important to allow a stage for a few demented flakes to create chaos. Jack

Yep, a real winner! You have a marvelous way of creating just enough tension to bring the reader along with you. The data stick is a terrific hook. I also am curious about the hostile attitude of the Piedmont police. Aside from possible homophobia, perhaps there is a side story about tension and bad blood between the adults from something that occured in the past? At the rate these guys are going, a prescription for the little blue bills may be necessary. Good job. Jack

Hi Hopeless and Steve, A big welcome to both of you. GA is a diverse, crazy, wonderful place to explore the world through the eyes and opinions of an enlightened group...of which you are now a part. I hope that both of you will be active in posting your thoughts in our forums and making your voice heard. If I had had a resource like this site when I was a teen, I would have been a wiser guy in my younger years and better for it. Jack

I got lost on that site. Give the readers a few hints on how to find your story. Must you be a member? Jack

One suggestion: it's really helpful for the reader (and their continued support) if you write a few chapters ahead so that you can post the chapers with weekly freqency. Look forward to more of the adventure. Jack

What exactly this preacher has done is unclear. Is it the water in Colorado? New Life director admits misconduct Rocky Mountain News December 19, 2006 Sexual misconduct has driven a senior staff member at New Life Church out the door, six weeks after scandal enveloped his former boss, evangelical leader Ted Haggard. Christopher Beard, director of a ministry for Christian leaders between ages 18 and 24, resigned Friday from the Colorado Springs mega-church after admitting to sexual misconduct with an adult, as well as other, unspecified mistakes, said associate pastor Rob Brendle. The matters came to light during a recent personnel review conducted by the church's board of overseers. It was prompted by the Haggard scandal. "It became apparent that he had made a number of bad decisions over the years of leading the program that reflected poor judgment," Brendle said. "One of those incidents was sexual misconduct with an adult." He wouldn't comment on whether the conduct was with a male or female but said it did not involve Haggard. In the wake of Haggard's downfall, the church's board of overseers launched a review of New Life staff members' past and present conduct, Brendle said. His own review took a couple of hours, he said. "They're trying to make sure I'm honorable and that I've been doing what the congregation and God expect me to do in my role, so the church knows with confidence that the staff is trustworthy." There are about 200 staff members, from music ministers to accountants, who potentially may be called in for a review. The first to undergo the process are the 50 members of the pastoral staff who have direct responsibilities with the 14,000-member congregation. _______________ Say "Hallelujah" and pass the plate. Jack

Thanks for participating - and lurking - in this posting and reading my stuff. A special bow to KnotMe for the enthusiastic review of Domes and Teapots in the December GAzette. BTW, where has he gone? As Sharon not so delicately pointed out in another forum, there is an prominence of fare based on vampires, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. The reason is that these themes are what the majority of readers at GA seem to want. This is not a complaint...just a reality. A recent poll showing that 82% of the American population couldn't tell you the name of Iraq's Prime Minister was not a surprise...and neither was the tepid reaction to this politically-themed story about guys in suits. For the readers who are more into adult tales, bookmark my story page: I continue to scribe. My Fairy Tale Retold Anthology short story has been submitted and a new novel was just started. "However, the protagonist in Life's a Grind is a teen," Jack said as he bit his tongue and grinned. Looking forward to a productive, fun and successful 2007. Happy holidays and a Merry Christmas. Jack

Ditto. I also liked the way you resolved the action of the previous evening by giving the reader information concerning the rednecks. Jack

Hi Mirage, Your first chapter is very compelling...I want to read more and find out what these powers are all about. I have a feeling that the older sister has learned not to tick off her younger sibling. I like that you're rolling out just enought details about the protagonist to keep us guessing and wanting more. One fast fix: the third paragraph, first word, needs an "E" that somehow got dropped along the way. Good luck on developing a successful story. Best, Jack

A friend forwarded to me a very thoughtful article. An openly-gay pastor analyzes the problems of two closeted fundamentalists being outed. Preachers found logic in denial Article Last Updated:12/16/2006 11:29:00 PM MST - Denver Post The Rev. Paul Barnes and the Rev. Ted Haggard have asked their legions of devout followers to pray for them. The preachers have admitted to homosexual behavior, something that for years they railed quite lucratively against by calling it a sin and an abomination. "I have struggled with homosexuality since I was a 5-year-old boy. ... I can't tell you the number of nights I have cried myself to sleep, begging God to take this away," Barnes said in a videotaped statement to the Grace Chapel congregation in Douglas County last week. "There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life," Haggard wrote in a letter to the 14,000 members of his New Life Church in Colorado Springs last month. In the wake of their reluctant public confessions, the impulse to ridicule these guys as venal hypocrites is irresistible. In fact, Haggard's massage buddy, Mike Jones, and his publisher already are taking that impulse to the bank. But as with former Rep. Mark Foley, who sponsored legislation to crack down on child predators on the Internet while he allegedly was sending salacious e-mails to Capitol Hill pages, there's more to the story of the outright duplicity of the pious ministers than just lurid material for book deals. What we have here, according to the Rev. Kevin Maly, the openly gay pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Denver, is a rare opportunity to see how some people try to cope with being gay and how they hurt so many people along the way. He calls it "a teachable moment." Homosexual ministers preaching that homosexuality is evil is not evidence of their rank opportunism or some kind of vacuous self-loathing, he said. It's a desperate attempt at self-control. "It really is a gestalt," he said. "One of the functions of human language is regulation and control. There are people - and it may not be conscious for them - who are trying to control something within themselves by speaking out against it." Ultimately, despite heterosexual marriages and preaching the message that homosexuality is wrong, they lost control. "Sexuality is irrepressible," Maly said. No amount of denial or pretending can change things. Sure, these guys were living a lie, but in their tortured psyches, becoming prominent anti-gay preachers made perfect sense. It was a way to remind themselves not to act gay. While evangelicals may differ about whether being a homosexual is a choice or a biological imperative, they generally subscribe to the belief that it's homosexual acts that are evil. So the solution is to act straight and to condemn those who don't. It's also no surprise to Maly that Haggard and Barnes chose the religious life instead of, say, law or business. Churches are safe havens for the exiled, he said, at least theoretically. "Religious traditions are at their best when they are about bringing in those who have been shoved to the edges of society," he said. All that implies that churches are inherently compassionate, welcoming places. So it seems like two beloved evangelical leaders coming out of the closet would be such a dramatic turning point that reconsideration of the whole abomination thing logically would follow. "One could only hope," Maly said. He's not optimistic. "If you look at the language used by Haggard and Barnes, they still view their same-sex attractions as evil," he said. "There's still this mistaken belief that one can change his sexuality if only one prays hard enough. I think what both of these guys are saying is, 'We were right all along, we just didn't believe hard enough."' So the teachable moment may be lost, at least on the evangelical community. Because while the two preachers have admitted to homosexual behavior, they're still dissembling as fast as they can. They still can't embrace who they are. Jack

And to save energy, allow me to add birthday greetings to all - KITTY, ROB and JAN(TalonRider) Jack

As 43 ponders our new/revised strategy for Iraq, I find it tragically and cynically amusing that the neocon brain trust - Perle, Wolfowitz, et al, were busying themselves criticizing the execution of the war effort before crawling back under their rock. How they thought we had a chance of turning over 1500 years of violent history into a Kum-Bi-Ya democracy is beyond me. But we're there and watching Ms. Pelosi being interviewed by Barbara Walters last night, saying that she was concerned that the troops still hadn't started the exit Iraq made me conclude that she is missing the point. That point is - in my opinion - is that if we don't correct this mess (and forget pointing fingers) the whole Middle East may implode with Iran and Syria (plus Russia) calling the shots. I won't even list the implications of these consequences. Somehow I think we've been ignoring a very positive piece of the puzzle: Kurd Iran: http://www.theotheriraq.com/. Perhaps we should be in the new nation-building business before our troops depart...and hopefully with an exit strategy that is more than a bandaid for the Sunni and Shiite population/government. I agree, however, that we can only prop up the Iraq Army to a point. I respectfully disagree that this is a civil war. In my opinion, it's full-blown criminal, immoral terrorism to promote exteme Islamic philosophies. On the local front, Ms. Pelosi said that one of her biggest jobs, after the new Congress convenes, will be to "drain the swamp" of corruption in Washington." I skeptically applaud this but hope it's just not another politician spouting platitudes. Her proposed appointments suggest that she doesn't get the picture. Jack P.S. Here is what my good friend and fellow author, Terry Audette, has as a solution to the war: Once again I have the solution to the world's problems. I can see that little smile...you're not surprised are you? Been just waiting for me to tell you? Okay, okay, the applause is deafening! It's this; we have the Iraqi people vote on whether we should stay or go! Brilliant...I know! Naturally they'll vote for us to not let the swinging door hit us in the ass on the way out and we'll be free to go. What if they vote for us to stay? You little Machieavelli you! Then we've got a mandate! We could do...........well...anything! Think of it! Disneyworld Southeast! Hamburger University of the Desert! Ah, ah.......The Young and the Veiled! The possibilities are truly endless!

I thought the attached was an interesting, positive interview with the cast member who is out on this popular MTV show: http://www.afterelton.com/people/2006/12/davis.html Seems to be a level-headed guy. Jack

From the morning news: Incoming House Intelligence Chief Botches Easy Intel Quiz Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tapped to head the Intelligence Committee when the Democrats take over in January, failed a quiz of basic questions about al Qaeda and Hezbollah, two of the key terrorist organizations the intelligence community has focused on since the September 11, 2001 attacks. When asked by CQ National Security Editor Jeff Stein whether al Qaeda is one or the other of the two major branches of Islam -- Sunni or Shiite -- Reyes answered "they are probably both," then ventured "Predominantly -- probably Shiite." That is wrong. Al Qaeda was founded by Osama bin Laden as a Sunni organization and views Shiites as heretics. Reyes could also not answer questions put by Stein about Hezbollah, a Shiite group on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations that is based in Southern Lebanon. Be afraid...be very afraid. Jack