Razor

I personally have seen a somewhat disturbing rise in unsafe sex practices... people want to do things that aren't safe, and it's not a good idea. Not just in the gay community, but especially the age range in question, 18-24. I don't play unless there's a condom involved, basically because I'm scared senseless as far as HIV is concerned. I have seen an increase in guys who don't use condoms, which I see as a bit scary. Also, anybody know a realistic figure on how long it takes for the HIV virus to become detectable? From what I've figured out by reading and talking to people, at the absolute most it could take up to six months, with 99% of people developing antibodies within three months. Tis kinda nifty how much better they've gotten about it, since back in the day it could easily go undetected for months, if not years, especially in cases of people who didn't ever develop symptoms.

That second one is really interesting to me. I think that what I most focus on in a relationship is if I could actually work with this person long enough to adopt and raise kids. Yeah, given the anatomy I can't exactly make my own, but I really, really, really wanna have kids someday. I'm just the type of person that I want to have children, and I want those children to be well taken care of and to end up better off than I am. I think maybe I got that from my mom, but yeah. I think a lot of gay relationships kinda do worse because they don't have this focus... yeah, I'm getting pretty out there with this, but it's an anchor in a relationship, a common focus and goal. I think it's definitely worth thinking about a little, anyway. Just compare the mechanics of relationships back in the day to relationships nowadays. You find slightly different values, and it seems like we're at a turning point. The focus has sort of shifted from seeking to find a relationship for the sake of creating a family to finding a relationship for the sake of focusing on the partner. ~shrugs~

Happy birthday! I hope it's a great one, do that thing you always wanted to do today. You rock, go eat cake!

Oooo, I should rent this. I just recently got around to finishing Kill Bill Vol. 2 (I'd watched it halfway through ages ago, then watched it halfway through again just recently, and finally watched the entire thing just the other day). I'ma go wiki/imdb it!

So there's a poll attached to this, and I gave a few major choices that I know of as far as moral systems go. Most people will fit into one or the other, even if with a few modifications, so choose "other" sparingly and be prepared to explain. Divine Command=it's right because God said so Pros: Really clear, stated plainly Cons: Differs by religion, makes all moral decisions arbitrary because there's no reason other than God said so Deontology=it's right because the agent acted according to two principles (I'm going with the Kantian version, even though he's a gigantic dufus in my opinion): first, the person acted according to a maxim which they could will as being a universal law, and second, the person acted on the basis of respecting a person as a rational agent, and not just a means to an end. Pros: Pretty easy to figure out, yields good results in lots of cases Cons: Does not allow for the CONSEQUENCES of an action to be taken into account, only the INTENTION (example: can't never lie cause that's bad according to both of those principles, but lying to save someone's life is obviously a good thing, so.... wtf?) Utilitarianism=it's right 'cause it makes people happy more than it makes them sad Pros: Pretty flexible, makes sense, allows consequences to be taken into account Cons: Doesn't allow for intentions to be taken into account, at least not directly (example: went to mom's house cause I need money, turns out it's her b-day but I forgot about it so I didn't come home on purpose, but it makes her happy and I get my money so I'm happy; did I do something good or bad?), and happiness cannot be measured quantitatively Relativism (individual or cultural)= it's right or wrong because a culture or person believes it's right or wrong Pros: Flexible, kinda makes some sense Cons: What if I come from a culture where it's okay to "steal" because they don't have a concept of ownership? Bet ya wouldn't like that. Moral Nihilism= there are no morals because there are no moral truths A subset of this would be non-cognitivism, which asserts that the cognitivist claim is false, and that moral truths cannot be known and therefore have no truth value, and thus moral knowledge is basically an oxymoron. Yeah, that's a REALLY rough definition but it's something that I'd need to give many examples for. Basically think of saying that murder is wrong as saying that peas taste good, kinda like it's personal taste (though that's not exactly right either). Pros: Not many, lol, but I guess it's kinda sensible to look at the conflicts between all systems and think that possibly the issue is an epistemological one, not an ethical one. Cons: No room for an objective, concrete moral value system Leonardo DiCaprioism=it's right because Leonardo DiCaprio is involved, my own personal moral system created to fill the need for a good one Pros: ALL! Leo is hawt! Cons: NONE! Leo is hawt! Yeah that last one was a joke but you gotta admit it'd be pretty kickass. The reason for this thread is that it seems that a lot of people are picking things that do not work in practice, or do not uphold a principle of law, or do not allow for a protection of personal freedom. I've seen a great migration of people toward moral nihilism, or even worse, relativism. Personally, I'm a mix of utilitarianism and deontology. Kant's a dorkwad, so I reject him because his moral theory is incomplete and impractical. Happiness is the ultimate human goal, the psychological currency we trade, so utilizing utilitarianism with a dash of deontology seems to be most practical. Zach (the boyfriend) is a non-cognitivist. Don't worry, I'll fix him, but it's amazing to me how someone so intelligent can pick something like that, so I was thinking that intelligence can't be the only factor. I'm thinking that people are losing out on developing empathy. Something is wrong because it does someone else harm, right? Evidently philosophers beg to differ. Well, I'm curious. Now, pick and explain, cause I wanna know what you guys think.

Ooo, Graeme, that's an awesome idea. Now I gotta figure out where the nearest park is, haha. There's a really pretty rose garden on campus, too, but it's all roseless since it's been so cold this winter. Um, well, I'll keep thinking, but thanks very much for the suggestions thusfar guys!!

Hey, I need some ideas cause I'm just not creative or fun enough to make my brain come up with anything good. I need something interesting to do, something date-like, something boyfriend appropriate which will stimulate conversation and just be fun in general. Now, here's where it gets interesting... I'm absolutely BROKE. I mean I have absolutely no cash, lol, not a dime. So, I need suggestions which require absolutely no monies. I would also prefer suggestions which don't make it obvious that I'm broke. Quick guys, bail me out. Think of something good. No movies, those don't provoke enough conversation/funishness. Usually I can think of something random and off the wall enough to be fun, but this time I'm drawing a blank for some reason.

Oh jeez, mine's getting good. I'm loving this newfound ability to find the boys who like boys. Oh, and I really like this newfound ability to look cute enough to make one wanna kiss me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go be a fire hazard. ~hops up, clicks heels, and dances away~

I'm not in France... and thus la bise is not really a common thing... maybe extremely close family members, like my mom. Other than that, nuh uh. Kisses are reserved for those people who I especially like in a likey like way. However, HUGS FOR EVERYONE!

ATTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will hold his arms for you whilst you molestify him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And possibly record it and sell it on ebay to assist in paying off my student loans!! HE TOTALLY WANTS YOUR HOT SEXY BODY MAN!!!!!!!!! :D You have to keep us updated! Omg tackle him and make him your man! He wants youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! ~giggles~ Oh that makes me happy. ~hugs tight~ Yay!

I just realized something kinda cool. It seems like with most disabilities, it's only the disabled who have to adjust to regular people. Like they have to learn how to do something new, or figure out a new method for something, but regular people don't have to reciprocate. I like the way sign language confuses the hell out of the hearing. It just seems like it would be kind of empowering to know that, even though they can hear, you can do/understand something totally out of most hearing people's reach. Maybe I'm just weird, but that struck me as a tad funny and delightful.

Drewbie makes an excellent point. Every day is straight people day, and it'll be that way till the world gets nice and accustomed to gays holding hands, hugging, kissing, and generally acting like normal couples in public. I tend to not give a damn about people who stare nowadays. And as for this holiday, lol.... Like I really need an excuse to hug anyone! I hug people constantly! I intend to maintain my habit of giving as many hugs as possible. It's the one thing that costs nothing and makes everyone feel good. Hugs rock, period. ~nods~

Strangely enough, it seems as if my gaydar has evolved somehow. Lately I've had an uncanny ability to pick the gay guys out of the crowd, and read people like a book in other ways too. Like today, I was talking to a guy in HIS 102. He sits beside me, and the first day I saw him I thought "Hmmm... nah.... probably not", and then today we actually talked a little. As soon as I got one sentence from him, alarm bells started clanging like mad and I just knew he had to be gay. Sure enough, tonight I looked him up on facebook and added him, and he is indeed gay. Oh, and he's really cute, too, lol. He's got a boyfriend, I believe. He seems quite nifty so far; intelligent without being arrogant, funny, and polite. Having a pair of the prettiest eyes I've ever seen doesn't hurt, either. This is kinda cool. Maybe it's just a lucky streak. I'd really rather believe that my gaydar has actually improved a good bit.

I delight in having a somewhat impressive mastery of English, and I can speak enough French that I could survive for a while if dumped into the midst of a francophone country. Other than that, my French isn't really all that good. It's broken, somewhat overly proper, and mispronounced so badly that I doubt any native speakers could understand me easily. Let's not even start on Spanish. Yo quiero Taco Bell (spelling?) is about as much as I know, lol. For some reason, I just detest the Spanish language. I must say though that I really do like learning about different languages, and if I could do something entirely useless with my time I would learn the random languages that interest me. Also, what's not to love about French? It's the most awesome language, hehe. I mean, what other language has so many beautiful ways to say things? In French, a word does not "mean" anything. It "wants to say" something. Things like that give the words so much more personality and possibility for interpretation.

I connect to it from time to time... gotta say I love that little sound it makes when it connects.

So today some really huge issues came up and I am really at a loss as to further course of action. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that I have to take serious action regarding these issues, because I know I can't just let them lie. If I do, I may end up with regrets that I'm just not willing to live with. One of these involves a sorta.... well.... let's say that it's within the realm of those few and far between things I just can't talk about on my blog due to possible legal repercussions, as well as privacy issues which are not my own. I don't really give a damn as to my own privacy, but the privacy of other people should probably be protected in certain instances. Well, first let's talk about what happened to me earlier tonight. My little cousin is sitting over playing on his laptop, fixing his website or some such something. He's one HELL of a kid. He is f**king incredibly awesome, and insanely smart, not to mention he'll be breaking hearts left and right when he gets a bit older. He's twelve, by the way. His name is Mitch, and he's my dad's sister's kid. He lives pretty close to Hattiesburg, so I go see my lil cousins, aunt, uncle, and grandma a lot. And let me tell you, oh jeez, that kid is sharp as a diamond tipped tack. He picks up on EVERYTHING. He is SO smart it's kinda scary. I mean, I just went outside a while ago to have a cigarette and he was like "...what smells like cigarettes?". I was like "...howdahell do you know what cigarettes smell like?!". Then I was just like "um, don't worry bout it...". Yeah I'm a terrible influence. Okay, well, here's the big issue. His mother is my aunt Brenda, and she's a really sweet lady. I mean she's got a big heart, and she loves her children dearly and is a good person. She also happens to be a fundamentalist Christian who, even if only because she's been misled, has been feeding her children a crock of shit which is just not f**king healthy. I've learned that I can't really pass judgment on people's religions, though, because I have that delightful vendetta against all religion so I'm biased. I'm just afraid of something happening that I'll greatly regret not stopping later in life. I'm really afraid of him growing up and becoming yet another wasteland of southern overzealous Christian tutelage gone terribly, terribly wrong. He is SUCH a bright kid, and SO nice, and just awesome. I don't want him to grow up thinking certain things... like that any little sin will end up sending people to hell if they don't repent, or that sex is evil and disgusting, or that gays are evil and disgusting, or... well....... I want him to always be my little cousin, Mitch, the kid with the crazy platinum blond poofy hair and kickass green eyes and funny front teeth and insanely smart and I want him to still look up to me when he finds out things about me that I'm not willing to hide from my family all my life. I want him to know that one day I'm going to fall in love with a boy and stay with that one and hopefully have children somehow and I want him to know that he's their almost-uncle-Mitch. I want him to know that I'll ALWAYS be there for him when he can't tell his mom or he can't face his dad or his grandma would freak or his sister would tattle or his pastor would judge him or his friends would abandon him. I want him to still love me when he finds out I'm gay. I don't think I could stand it if he just... stopped looking up to me the way he does now, because I'm really trying so hard now to be a good role model for my little cousins and my little siblings. I want to be a constant figure in their life of just plain normality, the cousin who's weird enough but close enough so they can tell him anything and trust him to keep his goddamn mouth shut. Hell, I might want to get him good and sloshed when he's old enough, or assist with his crazy adventures as he grows up. Someone has to be there for kids in the way that parents aren't always able. Someone has to believe in them and tell them they can do anything they want to and that no one can stop them from achieving and being what they want. Not God, not their parents, not their friends, not anyone. And I just can't help thinking... if I don't step in and pick up the slack, and take care of my family, what good am I? If I don't provide that outlet, that help, that friendship, what kind of a person can I claim to be? And besides that, I really love him, he's such a good kid. His sister is the same way, she's absolutely brilliant, beautiful, and adorable. Both of them are f**king perfect in every way (and woe be unto the dick who messes with either of 'em). Well, anyway... point is I just want to keep anything bad from happening to them, and I think that the whole religion thing is not good. Mitch started talking to me about something to do with some sort of scientific something. He wanted to know how something worked or y'know, some thing like that. Well eventually we got around to other things, and he made the mistake of telling me that "evolution is stupid". So I told him the truth when he gave me a funny look. I'm not going to lie to him; otherwise how can I ever ask him to tell me the truth? I told him that regardless of what he believes as far as religion goes, evolution is an absolute concrete undeniable scientific fact based in logical observation and proof. I told him that if he believes in God as strongly as he seems to, he has to learn to reconcile his personal religious beliefs with the things that he learns to be absolutely true. I explained that the only thing about evolution that isn't absolute fact is the mechanism by which evolution occurs, which is only theory, which would be natural selection. I explained how genetics works (briefly), and some other serious facts. One big one is that the world is far older than 10,000 years or so. Given what we have observed and learned, there is no way that the world is not older than that, and the universe far, far, far older than that. I think the issue he took with me is that he has been raised as a fundamentalist Christian and he is only 12 years old. I still can't really lie well, and I don't think he SHOULD be told any lies. So, well, finally he wheeled the conversation around to asking me if I believe in God and Jesus and the whole shebang. Well, I told him that it doesn't matter what I believe, it matters what he believes. The boy looked like he was about to cry, and when he started to look like that, I nearly freaked the f**K out. I didn't know what the hell was going on, like what had caused him so much frustration or trouble all of a sudden like that. So y'know I asked, and he made me nearly start crying just from how.... incredibly sweet, but incredibly sad the situation was. "But do you believe in God and that Jesus is real and he's your savior?", he asked me. It's a classic Southern Baptist religious package he's pushing. "It doesn't matter what I believe, it matters what you believe. If you believe in God and that Jesus is real and that he is your savior, you can believe that and I will support you all the way, and I think it's great. All I'm telling you is that you can't go through the world totally blind to what's around you, and you have to make what you believe consistent with the things you can't deny are true," I told him. "But, I mean, Jesus is how you get into Heaven and if you don't believe in Jesus and accept him then you can't get into Heaven, and you're really cool and I think you're an awesome guy and...." he started getting all teary eyed. He didn't cry, but it looked like he was so close, I just kinda felt like holding him tight... and punching someone for letting him think that kind of thing. Well, eventually we got it kind of worked out. He's an amazing kid, and he cares soooo much about other people. I'm gonna have to have a good long talk with his mother, though. There are some things she needs to know, and she needs to know them really soon. There are certain things I won't be hiding forever, and if she can't accept that and reconcile it with her faith and teach her children acceptance and love, then I'll just have to wait until they're old enough to make their own decisions. Anyway, there are other things that really annoy me now. I have the one gigantic f**king issue that isn't going to resolve itself but I can't resolve it, and my mother is just as stumped on it as I am. I finally called her today and told her everything because she's probably the only person in the world who I know beyond any doubt I can completely and utterly trust. She basically said that she doesn't think there's anything I can really do about it, but to remember that people aren't automatically any less of good people because of something they think. Some things, so long as they remain within the realm of the mind, are okay I guess. This is just one of those things that I take such HUGE issue to that if I weren't absolutely beyond any shadow of any doubt sure that it would never become a real life situation under any circumstance, I would be doing something about it personally. I don't usually meddle, but that would be one time when I would make an exception. And no, I can't talk about it here. That's why I called my mother, because I can't talk about it to anyone who I don't trust with my life. So, anyway, now I'm back in the room... came home, and now Drew's over there playing Guitar Hero which is f**king retarded by the way. It's slightly fun, and a good way to waste some time in a mindless fashion, but the amount of effort you'd have to put in to beat the higher difficulty levels is just f**king stupid. There's no reason to waste that much of your life playing a game which will never actually help you in life. If you want to enjoy something, learn to play a real guitar. Pick up a saxophone, sit down at a piano, make music, real music, and you'll be glad you spent the time doing it later. I still miss playing my sax so much, I wish I could figure out how to work in concert or symphonic band into my life again. I wouldn't want to do marching band anymore, not my cup of tea, but god I'd like to make real music again. So now I'm going to do some fun mindless activity myself to calm down and keep from dwelling on the things I've been thinking about. There comes a point at which I can't do anything more just by thinking, and I should calm down and put that thought away. I love my cousins very much. They are both so wonderfully amazing that it blows my mind constantly. I intend to be there for them no matter what. I intend to be there for my family no matter what, and I'm on my way to being the provider of the type of support and safety I wish to be able to give. So no worries now. I think I have things under control, just needed to talk about it all. Take care, love you guys.

One other really important thing I forgot to mention... diflucan is usually prescribed for vaginal yeast infections; other types of infections require different treatment. So yeah, unless the yeast infection is vaginal (which I assume it isn't cause it says you're a boy), that dose of diflucan isn't gonna do the trick probably.

If you have a yeast infection in your mouth, aka thrush, it is likely that it was caused by some sort of medication. I know that Advair causes it (which is why you're supposed to rinse your mouth every time you take it), but I can't recall any more offhand. Either way, you should go see a doctor. Unless you're absolutely certain that it's a result of medication, then it could be an indicator of other problems which could potentially be very serious. Um, I know certain antibiotics tend to cause yeast infections in females, but I dunno about males... but I've been told that taking acidophilus (common dietary supplement) in conjunction with the medication will prevent it.

Indeed you are correct. I'm just hazarding a guess since they, to my knowledge, haven't said if there was any other drug(s) in his system. I would think that if it was on accident, then he probably did drink (or something else) with the medication and the combination of central nervous system depressants ended up putting him in respiratory arrest in his sleep. I'm hoping it wasn't that at all... but when you see valium or xanax involved in a death like that, it's usually resultant of drug abuse, overdose, or harmful drug synergy.

Those pills weren't OTC. Those were benzodiazepines, highly addictive drugs sometimes used in the treatment of anxiety. As for the way the media has reported it, yes, they usually are a little in your face about these things. However, one does have to admit that given the presence of xanax and valium, this is an overdose and it was likely on purpose since it takes a good bit of those pills to kill you unless you mix them with other things.

ENFP Extraverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving 11% 62% 50% 33% ....... okay so it's kind of accurate.... damn it. I don't have to be the center of attention!!!! I AM NOT AN ATTENTION WHORE!!!!!!!! So, d'you guys think I'm an attention whore? I mean, I'm not, am I? And I don't really have to have other people's constant approval and recognition to make me feel like a good person... do I? Hahaha, yay. Yes, I procrastinate like crazy. I also get bored EXTREMELY quickly. That's something I've been working on for years now. I get bored with everything... classes, projects, interests, even people. I don't like getting bored with people, it makes me feel bad for not being as interested in them as I once was. Thankfully I've sort of balanced that one out with my wonderfully empathetic and caring side (DON'T YOU DARE LAUGH!). And oh jeebus, they are so right on this one. I LOATHE bureaucracy so much there aren't words for it. YAY I HAVE A "SILLY SWITCH"!!! You know, I never would've noticed if they hadn't told me.... ~rolls eyes~ Well, this was a nice test and it mainly describes me quite accurately. I think it kind of understated the one thing about me that throws all of this a bit wonky; a nice dash of spontaneity means that none of those characteristics are absolutely, without any doubt, concretely solid in all situations. I change my mind lots, so things that normally would apply sometimes don't.

Staph spreads like wildfire because people do not wash their hands. After you go and touch ANYTHING that ANYONE touches on a regular basis, wash your hands. If you go into a grocery store, touch a shopping cart, then scratch your face... BAM. You just did something really, really stupid and you may very well end up with a nice staph infection as a result. Staph is extremely common, and the best way to protect yourself is changing your behavior. Wash your hands frequently. Avoid touching/scratching exposed skin throughout the day. By the way, not having sex with people who have sores on their body from staph would be a good idea, too. Vancomycin is badass, I will agree. It is usually the drug of last resort for infections like staph, because it's damned bad for you. Toxicity and patient reaction must be closely monitored, thus the hesitance to use it. Lately it seems like they've been pulling out the newer antibiotics more and more often. Things like clindamycin are becoming more common. Back in the day, methicillin, bactrim, or doxycycline would do the trick with no problem. Once again, the singular best protection is washing your hands frequently with antibacterial soap. If you have never had a staph infection, you will definitely want to continue that. They are painful, ugly, and sometimes very dangerous. They also spread like crazy if you are unfortunate enough to get one that is resistant to the antibiotics your doctor prescribes, and at that point you may be in for an expensive and time consuming hospital stay.

.......you know, I was going to go and see about finding batteries to put in my lil sis's digicam so I could attempt to come up with a halfway decent picture that's not six months or more old... but now I'm just going to go put a bag over my head and ogle you guys. By the way, would any of you happen to believe me if I said I lost my puppy and need your help looking for it? Or that I have lots of toys and candy at my house, and you can have as much as you want?

... I don't believe you. There's no way he's actually that stupid, there had to be some sort of misunderstanding or communication error there. He just CAN'T be that dumb and still be able to breathe and walk at the same time. One more thing; why the f**K would you date someone that incredibly stupid if he really is that stupid? That boy must have the sweetest face, the cutest ass, and a mouth a hoover can't hold a candle to.

This one has an appearance in one of my stories, lol. Kind of nostalgic to see someone else discover it. I wonder what it says about me now... hmm... ~takes quiz~ Okay, um, I'm not in a position of authority. Lol, I rarely am. I guess I am somewhat authoritative, but I'm not very optimistic in sight of difficulties. Usually I have a very "It will be done my way because my way is the right way, and unless you have proof that your way is better, then shut up and do what I tell you" approach. Yes, most of my stress does stem from wishing to be independent, and to be able to do exactly what I want, achieve what I want, and be able to go on without waiting on other people to cooperate. "Willing to become emotionally involved and able to achieve satisfaction through sexual activity. Clings to his belief that his hopes and ideas are realistic, but needs encouragement and reassurance. Applies very exacting standards to his choice of a partner and wants guarantees against loss or disappointment." Hehehe... maybe just a little bit... but I'm not promiscuous! Okay, well, maybe that's because I have kind of high standards on who I get naked with... well that's not exactly it, it's more of that I want certain things in place for sex so that it's good... blah! And as to exacting standards on my choice of a partner, that is true in a way, but only for certain aspects. I won't date a person of inferior intelligence (that's for a complicated reason and not the one you think it is), and I don't date people who have certain personality traits (which is yet again a weird thing considering as how I'm now seeking to date the one person who embodies every personality trait I hate, but also seems to come up with a lot of good ones at the same time). And I do need MASSIVE encouragement and reassurance in every facet of life constantly or I lose motivation. I do long for a sympathetic bond, and idealized harmony, and I am pretty susceptible to anything beautiful. I don't think that's much of a revelation, though. That's kind of a common thing, lol. "Seeks to avoid criticism and to prevent restriction of his freedom to act, and to decide for himself by the exercise of great personal charm in his dealings with others." Heh, spot on, baby. Though sometimes I do wonder if I'm half as charming as I hope I am. Ah... it was fairly accurate. And it's changed a good bit. It had a lot less to say about insecurity.