Tiger

Well, maybe the current admirals and all the more senior captains die.

I think it would be more plausible for Travers to be an admiral and for Granger to be a captain of one the ships in his fleet.

I chose the first six and the last one. The first one is pretty important. I know I need a good man in my life, one who will make me feel loved and protected. Of course, I want to do the same for him, because that is just as important to me. I do want a job that I enjoy more and will pay for the lifestyle I want, which does include traveling the world, something I've wanted as long as I can remember. Friendship is just as important as a loving relationship, and I want my significant other to be my best friend forever so to speak. An extended circle of friends that I can trust is important. I want to live a long and healthy life. However, in order to have that, I see the need for some lifestyle changes, and I'm willing to take those steps. The meaning of life is something that a Sagittarius naturally seeks. Who doesn't want to understand what life is all about. Why are we here? What are we supposed to do to make a good impact on the world? I often think of these questions among others. I think that I can easily accept the answer when I find it though. The other... balance. I have long been unbalanced, but I am slowly reaching this goal. I want to be at peace, to be able to truly put the past in perspective and be able to take life day by day and be able to enjoy life even when things don't always go the way I want them to go.

Maybe I'm too much of a prude to be affected.

We have to realize that Granger is in a difficult position. He still loves Travers, and he always will, but he can't be with him for the foreseeable future. Calvert is a breath of fresh air for Granger. He does not, however, see it as a relationship that's likely to last, but he loves Calvert anyway. The real trouble could start when he sees Travers again. I think given how long it will be and their current situations, it could be an awkward meeting indeed.

One thing I've never understood is the attraction of going to pickle parks and glory holes. I mean... we've all seen public restrooms. They're disgusting. I never get hard in a public restroom. Sex is the last thing I want in a filthy restroom that smells like crap. Can anyone tell me the attraction, because I certainly don't understand it.

From all I hear of Chavez, I honestly don't see drug lords as any worse. The care only about money. Chavez seems to care more about undermining the US in any way he can. And considering the destruction of the market piece in piece in Colombia, there'll soon be more of a demand for coke anyway.

Well, I happen to think the best places for cruising are bath houses, which are scattered around major cities, including the ones in Texas. Thus, if one wants a good atmosphere for cruising, it's a lot safer than pickle parks, book stores, etc. It's also completely anonymous. I haven't been to one, but I wouldn't rule out going to one.

Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people have long been victims of hate. Before the Stonewall Riots of 1969, gay people were arrested even for being in gay bars. The police intimidated gay people endlessly, and coming out of the closet could mean finding oneself being sent to an asylum. Until around 1973, the APA considered being gay as a psychological disorder, meaning that gay people were considered insane. Thus, gay people were subjected to such treatments as shock therapy and other corrected therapies. Some were quite cruel and created extremely negative reactions to images of people of the same gender. Stonewall sparked a move in the right direction, but hatred for LGBT people is still felt today, 40 years later. Even today, LGBT people are killed or imprisoned in many nations around the world, especially in Islamic strongholds like Iran, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Yet, even in these societies, there are gay people who risk everything for love. Imprisonment and capital punishment for LGBT people on the basis of sexual orientation is arguably a hate crime in itself. I even stumbled across an eye opening article where a Muslim talks about it. He says that there's a collapse in morality around the world, and that's just the beginning of his spiel. http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Soc/soc.culture.canada/2005-09/msg00250.html If this is the mainstream of Muslim teaching, it's no wonder that LGBT people feel the worst persecution in the Islamic world. Even in Iraq, there is a squad that has been killing LGBT people. The preferred method in the Islamic is stoning people to death. In their blind hatred for LGBT, they kill in the name of Allah. This hatred is not limited to The Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It has extended to Europe and North America where hate crimes, including murder, have been committed by Muslims upon LGBT people. Muslims are not the only ones who have perpetrated hate crimes against gay people. People from other religions, or lack thereof, have also committed such crimes for various reasons. One such situation occurred in Laramie, Wyoming on January, 6-7, 1998. A University of Wyoming student named Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten by two homophobic men who had offered him a ride. According to the felony complaint against Russell Arthur Henderson and Aaron James McKinney, they tied him up to a post, robbed him, and beat him repeatedly with a pistol. Source: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/shepard1.html This crime made national headlines, because of the excessive brutality of the crime itself. Many assume that it has more to do with Matthew Shepard's looks, but that, to me, is not the reason it made headlines. The crime itself was brutal. While the state contended that the intention was robbery, it is quite obvious to most that it was, in fact, a hate crime. Robbing the victim was an added bonus. A bill in honor of Matthew Shepard is still pending and will likely be signed by President Barack Obama. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard#Hate_crime_legislation A gay teen named Lawrence

Well, I think Granger deserves a chance at happiness, what happiness one can have aboard a navy ship. It's hard to say if Granger will ultimately end up with Travers. He is extremely amorous, though he has calmed down somewhat. Still, it's not like they're on the same ship or ever will be unless one becomes an admiral and chooses the other to work under him.

What about me? *Runs off crying hysterically*

Happy birthday, Carl.

I almost fell out of my chair.

Well, I had no idea my own adoptive father was a child molester until he got arrested. I know the bad feeling. I had it, though most people couldn't see it. Maybe I'm just good like that. Still, people often don't believe it until something happens, so you have to play it cool.

Some guys like being tied up though. I made a joke, but it was actually a serious issue. Rape has pretty much always been universally frowned upon. I have a feeling that Granger's decision to allow Carmody to live may come back to bite him in the ass. Predators like Carmody are masters of manipulation and are well-known for also being opportunistic. The evil cliffhanger in the chapter may very well be an indication of this. I believe strongly that this isn't the end of Carmody's exploits. It could very easily put Granger's career on the line. Only time will tell

Hate crime is defined as "any of various crimes (as assault or defacement of property) when motivated by hostility to the victim as a member of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation)." This is according to Merriam Webster. Thus, it can include cross burnings, spray painting epithets on someone's home or other property, assault, or even murder. What's more is that these crimes are actually increasing, or at least the reporting of hate crimes is on the rise according to This means that it's difficult to determine if the crimes themselves are increasing in numbers in the US. My goal is to inform everyone of this issue. As many people on GA are gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc. we are at higher risk of being victims of hate crimes. Most of us may have the false impression that gay men are the most likely victims of hate crimes. However, according to the FBI website, there are more reports of hate crimes against African Americans than all hate crimes based upon sexual orientation combined. In 2007, there were 2,658 hate crimes against African Americans compared to 772 crimes against homosexual males. Jews appear to be second with 969 crimes. Of the remaining crimes, whites are the second highest for racially motivated crimes with 749 crimes, a number very similar to the number of gay men who are victims of such crimes. Thus, in our fight to curb crimes based on hate, we cannot focus solely on crimes against sexual orientation minorities. The numbers of racially motivated hate crimes are too high to ignore. Future blogs on this topic will include: hate crimes against African Americans, hate crimes against Jews, hate crimes against GLBT people, and hate crimes against white people. I am of the belief that knowledge is power. The more we know about hate crimes, the more we can do to stop them. Through education and strong advocation, we can make a difference. If anyone knows of any specific hate crimes that they feel is necessary for one of these future blogs, please feel free to contact me via the PM system.

I've been thinking of researching hate crimes. No, not just hate crimes against gays either. Hate crimes are a serious problem. The level of violence perpetrated in some of these crimes is quite high. Worst of all, some governments turn a blind eye to these heinous crimes, and some others even participate. So the question I ask is, "Should I start a series of blog entries about hate crimes?"

Looks like a certain goat may have someone else to use to deflect evidence of his own cliffhangery.

That's a good era. Perhaps the story could stretch from late 1999 to early 2002. Is that too much of a time period?

Well Mike, stray dogs aren't always friendly, but you probably did something to provoke it. Thus, you got what you deserve. Dogs respond with touch, and their teeth sometimes touch your skin (and even break it). The dog isn't evil. It's reacting with natural instincts.

I'm glad you're getting better, Steve. Just take it one day at a time. I have no doubt you'll be walking again someday.

Normally the originals are superior, but I have found some examples of exceptions. Notable covers that actually seem better than the orginals are: Seether's rendition of Careless Whisper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTjDbTOmic8http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTjDbTOmic8 The original of course was by Wham! I like this version too, but as someone who generally prefers rock, I actually prefer the cover. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQtlrBziyzIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQtlrBziyzI On the flip side, George Michael's "Faith" is better than the cover by Limp Bizkit. This is the original. I love this song! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSvHpvHFXU0 This is Limp Bizkit's cover. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ei_FJWHXys

I love this band. Their music is so dark, and dark music is what I like most. The somber and chilling lyrics reveal great heartache. There should be more songs like this. Seether "Breakdown" The sun is gone and the flowers rot Words are spaces between us And I should've been drown in the rivers I've found of token lost And I should've been down when you made me insecure So break me down if it makes you feel right And hate me now if it keeps you alright You can break me down if it takes all your might 'cause I'm so much more than meets the eye And I'm the one you can never trust 'cause wounds are ways to reveal us And yeah I could have tried and devoted my life to both of us But what a waste of my time when the world we have is yours So break me down if it makes you feel right And hate me now if it keeps you alright You can break me down if it takes all your might 'cause I'm so much more than all your lies Hate me, break me down So break me down So break me down So break me down if it makes you feel right And hate me now if it keeps you alright You can break me down if it takes all your might 'cause I'm so much more than meets the eye

Well, I did tell him that it sucks. I mean, it really does. Children are supposed to be our future, and you're supposed to die before your child, so it really hurts parents when they lose their children. Hopefully, she'll survive, but from what he's told me, the chances aren't very good. There's not much I can do for him as he actually lives on a different continent.