Menzoberranzen

That's him, but he's just plain pretty. No '-ish.' Oh, and Kevin love, are you sure you never seen either of those shows?

I meant scrubs as in the actual article of clothing. I'm also a Grey's fan, but T.R. will ever pale in comparison to Jesse Spencer (Dr. Chase from House, M.d.) Menzo

He's cuter in scrubs It's nice to see that he's accepted the fact that he is now out to the world and has chosen to use that in a positive way. Menzo

Happy Birthday Dom!!!

True, I agree, I just thought I'd point out a condition on which I'd probably stop loving anybody.

You and I have identical tastes concerning red wine Although, when it comes to white wine, it had better be dry as dust or I won't touch it. *back on topic* Menzo

Unconditional love is an interesting concept. I think my live for a child would only stretch so far if s/he turned out to be a sadistic murderer.' Even if you would love the child the same either way, you can still have a preference. The common example is the gender; many people want a girl/boy, but those who get the other still love the child the same. Menzo

My life isn't like that...I wake up, go to class, work on my dissertation, go to work, fall into bed. The best moment of my day is knowing that I have more than one consecutive hour during which I can relax. My morning cup of coffee is also a good time, as I can start functioning at a decent level. A nice bottle of Australian Shiraz following a night at a good restaurant is also pleasant (I don't like white wine, sorry!) when I have the time. Out of the options you listed, I would pick number four. My life is too busy at the moment, in case you hadn't noticed. Menzo

Like so many others, I don't particularly care however, if given the choice to determine my child's sexuality, I would choose gay. It's hard for straight parent's to identify with their gay child, and I imagine the reverse is true as well. It would be easier for me to help a kid through the issues of being gay than the issues of being straight. Menzo PS I'd rather not have children at all, though

Happy 17th!! Think, only one more year 'till your an adult (assuming India has the same age of majority) Best wishes for the day and the year, Menzo

What is with the French and their saints' days? Happy St. Francis/Francois day!

Why deign to respond to someone so obviously delusional. It would be like telling Osama Bin Laden that all Americans aren't infidels. Snicker quietly into your drink, and go on with your day, confident in your moral superiority. Things like this merit nothing but disdain and contempt. Menzo

Gaydar is not an innate property, but rather a talent that gets perfected over time. Like Kevin said, the more you become aware of things and the more exposure you have to other gay people, the more ease you have identifying other gay people on sight. Menzo

I agree with Kevin. Here is a quote I love, from Ayn Rand, that I posted once before here. "The evil in this world is made possible by only the sanction you give it." Menzo

Not the Doctor ~ Alanis Morissette I dont want to be the filler if the void is solely yours I dont want to be your glass of single malt whiskey Hidden in the bottom drawer I dont want to be the bandage if the wound is not mine Lend me some fresh air I dont want to be adored for what I merely represent to you I dont want to be to be your babysitter Youre a very big boy now I dont want to be you mother I didnt carry you in my womb for nine months Show me the back door (chorus) Visiting hours are 9 to 5 and if I show up at half past six Well I already know that youd find some way to sneak me in and oh Mind the empty bottle with the holes along the bottom You see its too much to ask for and Im not the doctor I dont want to be the sweeper of the eggshells that you walk upon I dont want to be your other half I believe that 1 and 1 make 2 I dont want to be your food or the light from the fridge On your face at midnight Hey what are you hungry for I dont want to be the glue that holds your pieces together I dont want to be your idol See this pedestal is high and Im afraid of heights I dont want to be lived through A vicarious occasion Please open the window (repeat chorus) I dont want to live on someday when my motto is last week I dont want to be responsible for your fractured heart And its wounded beat I dont want to be a substitute for the smoke youve been inhaling What do you thank me What do you thank me for (repeat chorus)

Very few things set me off to the point where I will make an on-the-spot scene, but this is one of those issues. I'm not one of those wingnuts who advocates the right to wear/say whatever I goddamn please wherever I goddamn please, but that shirt was in no way offensive, provocative or 'disruptive.' And if it is, than so are enviornmentally-friendly shirts, SPCA shirts and AIDS ribbons. Good for her for not taking off the shirt. Menzo

Like Graeme said, it's croquet, but what's wrong with it?? I really enjoy it. It's not the most exciting game in the world, but nothing beats a day at the cottage sipping G&Ts and playing croquet. Menzo

"He who lives on hope will die fasting." ~Benjamin Franklin I guess my point is not that we shouldn't give young people some hope, but that that hope should be tempered by the unfortunate reality. It is a parallel to the whole 'you can do anything you put your mind to.' Well, um, no, you can't. I will never be an artist, no matter how hard I try, and some people will never be doctors. Giving people an unrealistic sense of hope or possibility only leads to disappointment. I'm not advocating expecting the worst. My point exactly, Shadowgod, but they are often portrayed as some heroic, cosmic struggle and with that association, comes glamor. Menzo

There have been a lot of articles posted recently about different facets of being gay. They all have one thing in common; they present a glamorous, popularized and loving aspect. There is nothing glamorous about the troubles gay people go through. Yeah, some of these stories are heartwarming, and feel-good, but to the thousands of gay teenagers around the world who face terrible consequences for their sexuality, these are just cruel mockeries of an ideal they will never see. The media is making gay children in heroes that they are not. There is nothing heroic about cutting to escape the pain. There is nothing poetic about waking up day after day after day knowing people who you call friends would beat the shit out of you as soon as look at you if they knew you were gay. We are the last minority in the western world that it is still ok to openly hate, and I won't even discuss what gay people in Islamic countries face. I have expressed frustration at articles that try an justify homosexuality, but these stories that present a false view of what most gay people (especially teenagers) go through anger me. I don't see anything other than cold, harsh reality where people do what they have to do to survive; there is no glamour, no poetic heroism in that. I understand that not everyone has a hard time of being gay and coming out, and I understand that we should strive to make these stories a common occurence, but the reality is that they're not. For every parent who "...[is] proud of their courage in refusing to lie," there are a doezen more who think their kids are sinners and abominations. For every parent "...[is] outraged at the discrimination and physical violence" there are a dozen more perpetrating said violence. "Our gay children have decided - in defiance of a massive social tide of misinformation and hostility - that accepting their God-given natures is part of their quest" Tell that to the kids I see everyday who turn to drugs, cutting, and casual sex because they can't decide that. I'm done ranting now, but I wanted to express the side of things that is never presented in these articles. We don't live in a very nice world, sadly. Menzo

Oh my Kevin, you need to get your mind out of the gutter

Not only has Israel itself had to fight for survival, Jewish people have endured more persecution, arguably, than any other minority on the planet.

Not really. I still disagree with the statement. About the article, it is more a list of virtues that apply to any relationship without a 'dominant' partner. Any relationship involving a feminist or liberal-thinking man could have exactly the same benefits as the ones listed in the article. His introductory paragraph is a load of BS anyway; a relationship is not, in and of itself, morally 'beneficial' to anybody. It may be psychologically/socially beneficial, but is a street that is occupied by homosexual couples somehow more moral than one occupied by heterosexual ones? Then he goes off on some tangent about pleasure and celibacy that are not in anyway unique to gay people. I also don't like how he finishes the article with some grandiose wording about egalitarianism. Umm, being gay doesn't 'force you to think for yourself.' If that were the case, then we wouldn't have teenagers slitting their wrists because they think they are sinners. Menzo

'Most' seems a bit extreme to me.

Very well said. I belive that individual freedom is paramount, and though I might find it distasteful when parents smoke around their children, so long as it does not descend into the realm of abuse or neglect, it is the parent's choice to smoke or not. Menzo

He died yesterday