Graeme

Happy Birthday, Dan!

(Preamble: I'm drunk, so please take everything I say with a grain of salt ) I don't download or copy copyrighted items to the best or my knowledge. However, I admit that I've had pirated computer games in the past. I was influenced by a friend of mine while we were going through University, who commented that computer games were so expensive that it was cost-prohibitive to buy a game that you found that you didn't like. He would 'acquire' a cracked version of the game, and then, if he liked it, he would buy a legal copy. So, if I like a game, I buy it. I would also like to point out that pirating stories and passing them off as your own are two completely different situations. One is acquiring a copy illegally (ie. not paying the license fee associated with the story) and the other is fraud (passing off something as your own when it isn't). I would object strenuously if someone tried to pass of a story that I wrote as their own. Since I post my stories for free, I certainly have no objection to them acquiring a copy for their own use Part of what we are looking at is the market economy in action. The market is saying that the prices being asked for are too high. For those who believe that a free market will determine an accurate price, then the free market is saying that they would prefer a free price to paying the current prices. That, in turn, is telling the producers (the artists) that their goods are not valued at the current price -- and the vast majority of artists can not live on their artistic income. This is where I have to vary from the free market economy. I believe artistic endeavours are important, even if they are not financially viable (in general). I just don't know what the solution is.... PS: I haven't voted yet. I'll do that when I'm sober....

Happy 20th Birthday, Jakob! I hope your husband spoils you rotten

Can I be ever so mean and point out that you've got "sexually fluid" as a label in the poll? If it's not a label, then that means it hasn't got a definition, and hence is meaningless from the point of view of voting. I have no doubt that you understand what you mean by "sexually fluid", but I also have no doubt that other people have a different understanding. And that's where we have a fundamental difference of opinion. My view is that sexuality is largely biologically based -- something that is supported by some research on the matter. The matter is not settled, but I certainly feel that it is not unreasonable to believe that sexuality (as distinct from preferences) is based in biology. An example of what I mean is the research that tests the reactions of the brain to certain stimuli. Gay men reacted differently to straight men. The experiments were such that it was not a conscious reaction -- it was a biological reaction. Are you trying to imply there's something wrong with "rot gut"? Some people like it. A minority, I will admit, but some do.... My turn to find your analogy flawed The example you've given is more a choice within a kind, rather than a choice between kinds. It's more like saying you prefer redheads to brunettes, or short guys to tall guys. As a non-discerning wine drinker, I drink most red varieties, and I honestly can't detect a lot of difference between them. So, using the Kinsey scale, they know that they are predominantly gay (or straight), but they're not 100%, and they accept that about themselves. I understand that, but I wouldn't use the term "sexually fluid" for them. I would use "predominantly gay/straight", rather than "100% gay/straight". The ones in the middle of the spectrum are "bi-sexual". As has been said by others, I believe most people fit in the spectrum between the two extremes.

Hi, Zephyrus! Welcome to GA You're asked a tough question, because there are so many different tastes here. Honestly, I don't know what I can suggest. I personally like relationship stories, but a good science fiction tale also has me enthralled. Seriously, I wouldn't try to tailor a story to suit the readers. I would pick out a target audience (eg. the romantics, the horror fans, the SF geeks, etc) and write to that audience. Some target audiences are smaller than others, so you won't get as much feedback, but if you do a good job, you'll still attract fans, no matter the genre. Good luck! Graeme :-) PS: If you plan on becoming an author, check out the FAQ link at the top of the page on how to get Author status You'll need to be able to post in some of the Writer forums here.

In TL's defense, he didn't agree to make THE SAME admission. He would make "such an admission" So a statement like: I hereby admit that C James uses EEEvil Cliffhangers! is such an admission (ie. a statement about the cliffhanger use by another author) and would meet the requirements of what he agreed to do.

So, you're putting it forward as a 'weaker' form of bisexuality? If you treat sexuality as being a scale from homosexuality to heterosexuality, you're saying "sexually fluid" means he's not quite 100% heterosexual? In my opinion, very few people are 100% homo- or heterosexual. Tastes and preferences don't equate to sexuality. Tastes and preferences evolve over time -- I have no doubt on that. But that doesn't mean their sexuality evolves. I like to think of sexuality as being a continuum from gay to straight, but even that's too simplistic. Since it is currently impossible to judge where a person lies on that continuum, I can't say if a person 'moves' around on it when they become attracted to a person of one or the other sex, or if that is just the different parts in the mix coming to the fore. My view is that it largely the later, though I think it's probably possible to 'train' yourself to make some parts of your sexuality mix more dominant than others -- but only to a degree. I think he's fairly unlikely to consider having casual sex with another guy, but I think he's highly unlikely to go through with it. The circumstances would have to be special for it to happen, because I think he'll always choose a girl if there is a suitable one available. I can see him considering it, but not going through with it. It's like he'd consider drinking rot gut, but if there's a bottle of Tequila next to it, we all know which one he'll drink from.... Not at all. That would be denying who the other person was. LOL -- I'm not surprised. Other people have said the same thing. I'm an example. I love my wife very much, but I also know I'm gay. I have absolutely no sexual interest in any other women. I love her -- not women in general or in specifics. Just her. (And I'm talking about a sexual love here). If, heaven forbid, something happened to our relationship, I'd be looking for a boyfriend. I have no intention of looking for another woman to form a relationship with. No. It's a lot deeper than curiosity. I've had some people ask me why I don't consider myself to be bisexual, and the answer lies in who I find sexually attractive. With the exception of my wife, it's only guys. That doesn't sound particularly bi-sexual to me, which is why I consider myself gay (with a one woman exception). Getting back to the original discussion for a moment... I don't like the term "sexually fluid" because it appears to imply his sexuality can change, which I don't believe. It is otherwise a very poorly defined term. The ability to love men and women would be bi-sexual. Just women would (for Eric) be heterosexual and just men would be homosexual. Where does "sexually fluid" fit in? You've made it sound like it's a closeted or unwitting bi-sexual, in which case why should you be voting for bi-sexual?

As a coincidence, I noticed the word "partner" being used in a couple of news reports I read on the internet today. To me, "partner" is one step beyond boyfriend/girlfriend. It depicts a defacto relationship -- they aren't dating any more, but are an unmarried couple.

I don't like the "sexually fluid" option, simply because it has connotations that I don't think are appropriate. My view is that Eric is highly unlikely to have casual sex with another guy. It is possible that he may come to love another gay, but that would be a case of loving the person, not the gender. I haven't voted, but I feel "Straight" is the closest to defining his sexuality, though I think it's not quite precise.

I don't do the former, only the later. I don't ask them where they've been, or insist on knowing what's happened. I just worry.... It goes both ways. I remember one flight back from Brisbane which was delayed due to a fault on the scheduled plane. They had to fly a replacement plane up from Melbourne, which meant I was home HOURS late (three or four, from memory -- well after midnight). I hadn't rung to say I was going to be late because I knew she would have already gone to bed. She told me she would prefer it if I rang in future. She'd woken up in the middle of the night and noticed that I still wasn't home....

I have a chronic one -- that one or more of my wife and two sons are killed.... If they're late getting home, I start to worry.

LOL -- nice try. I seem to recall seeing Kevin mention what the other question was, but I can't remember where or what it was. I'm pretty sure that's not it, though

Welcome, Laurie If you've got any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask.

Happy Birthday, Jack! <insert witty comment of your choice>

Happy 20th Birthday! Another loss to the world of teenagers. But a huge gain for non-teeangers everywhere!

I voted for 6000 (and I prefer to call say it'll put him in the sext-millennium club, rather than hexa-millennium), because the vote was for his NEXT milestone. He'll get a congratulatory thread in the Lounge for that one, but I think we should have a special thread for his 6666th post here in his own forum. It makes it that much more special

Unfortunately, part of understanding someone includes taking into account the context in which they live. That includes understanding the social environment they exist in (eg. their peer group). I understand why you've said that and I agree that a lot of people do make snap judgements, but a persons age IS something that helps you to understand them. I stand by my original statement -- you're still young (says the guy who turns 45 this year). Which brings me back to my original point. Your age IS relevant because it shows you've had the opportunity for life experiences that give you a well rounded maturity and appreciation of life. If there is ONE stereotype that can be generally applied to teenagers, it is that they don't generally have the breadth of life experiences that older people have. There are exceptions to that, of course, but overall the older a person, the more experiences they have that can be brought to bear on an issue. That doesn't make them any wiser that a teenager, though It just gives them a broader base on which to try to make decisions. They're still perfectly capable of being idiots and making wrong decisions I know -- I've done enough of both in my time.....

I didn't think Tristan's reply was "scary". While I may disagree with some of his opinions, I also recognise that it's his life and he is not going in blindly. He has his views on what he considers to be important in a relationship and I respect that. I also don't think he has a "party hard, die young" attitude. He certainly appears to want live life to its fullest while he's young, but that's a common attitude from what I've seen. The "die young" part is, I think, putting words into Tristan's mouth. He's never said that. Having a lower level of self-preservation at a young age doesn't mean they want to die young -- it means that they have a lower sense of what is risky behaviour. That's not unusual and typically changes as they get older.

I agree. The original question was on the subject of whether blessings were important, not if they were needed. I know of one ardent feminist who got married and changed her name. Why, if she was such a feminist, did she do that? Because she didn't like her father and didn't want his name. She was perfectly happy to take her husband's name instead. She didn't need, nor wanted, her father's blessing on their relationship. She couldn't care less what he thought -- he was out of her life and she didn't want him back in it. In the more general case, however, a significant other is being added to an existing group of relationships (either family or friends) and life is simpler if the existing members of that group accept the new person. "Blessing" may be too strong a word to use in some cases -- simply accepting the new person in the group is enough, though welcoming them is better. However, even if that doesn't happen, there is also a new group being created -- initially of two people, though others may be added to it in the future (my group is up to four though it'll be years before it expands further). The new group exists in its own right and while the other groups may influence it, it is hopefully strong enough to stand on its own. This is why I believe getting the acceptance (blessing) of family and friends is important, but not critical.

Happy Birthday, Christopher!

Thanks, everyone! Er... I probably should put something intelligent and witty here, but my mind has gone blank. I think I've used up all my good lines.... I concur

My view of Eric is that he's someone who's comfortable with himself. If he found himself falling for a guy, he wouldn't scream and run away. However, I don't see that as being likely. He's appears to be a strong heterosexual who isn't going to the close the door on other possibilities, even if they are unlikely to happen. More than anything else, though, he's someone who is protective of friends -- someone who likes helping people be happy. He's the self-sacrificing type -- if he has to drink a bottle of Tequila to make people happy, then that's what he'll do My one concern on this subject is the early scene in the story where he and Jon were discussing what gays are like, and were concerned that Brandon was going to hurt their younger brother. Eric appears to have thrown away that attitude because he's seen it's not true, but does he still feel the same generically (as distinct to the specifics of Chase/Brandon and Steve/Wilde)?

I agree -- beautifully said, Steve Thank you.

As Tristan said, it's important, but it's not critical. The key thing is the relationship between the two people. Receiving the blessing of parents and friends can help that along, while not receiving the blessing can made the relationship tougher. So, yes, they're important, but it's not the end of the world if you don't get them. Also, as Tristan indicated, if the other person doesn't have a close relationship with their parents, then the opinion of said parents is less important.

G'day, P Jailing! Another member from Quebec! Welcome