Former Member

Tommy was at a disadvantage because of his cancer treatments, but the drum battle was something that had to be done for both of them and for Messiah. It was a trial by fire for Oli and a demonstration that Oli’s not there just because he’s Teddy’s brother or Ryder’s future brother-in-law. Tommy and Oli earned respect for each other through the competition. ;-)

To make it worse, not only do I buy some bulk groceries on Amazon, but I also refuse to use the self-checkout lines at the local grocery store (I’m trying to prevent them from cutting more jobs)!

It sounds like the school made an excellent choice in Robert! I get the impression they were glad to have gotten the request since most employers would have wanted more experience. Condescension is very annoying – I’ve had to deal with that due to being slightly shorter than average and for not having a college education beyond a few community college classes. ;-)

Your eighty+ year old parents browse the internet for gay stuff? ;-)

I think Andy’s finally using some sense. Hooking up Eric with volunteers whose task is to teach newcomers how to use computers saves him from needing to do something he doesn’t like while also expanding the number of people Eric comes in contact with! Also, those volunteers have probably heard it all before and have devised strategies to deal with all sorts of questions! ;-) Andy didn’t put the pieces together, but the library is a good example of what happens when people don’t go local. He was aware that the ghettoization of those categories made it less likely that anyone would borrow those books. This produced a feedback loop or self-fulfilling prophesy that further reduced the likelihood of them being borrowed. This is exactly what happens when larger and larger numbers shop online. This exaggerates the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Just like tax cuts paid for by social service cuts. ;-)

I just want them all to meet at the same time to see what happens! Will they suddenly disappear in a huge explosion? Will there be a series of big pops with one Eric and one Daniel left standing there? Will they all be staring at each other like they’re in a maze filled with mirrors? Will there be demonic cackling coming from above (or below)? Will they all faint from the sight of so many seeming identical selves? Will they plot to trade stories to confuse the writer and his readers? ;-)

How many different stories are you working on simultaneously? Too many ideas with not enough time, Joh? Are you trying to be the next James Patterson? ;-)

Will they go to an Eric Richards concert too? ;-)

Mitch is mean to tease both Alik and David with a secret he won’t reveal until he returns home – which he told them will also be delayed by their detour to Boston and New York! ;-)

Annoying error corrected by author.

Well, if there are any GA readers who understand Korean, they’ll let you know how accurate you were. ;-) It was nice to see Ian again! ;-)

Awesome. I just posted this on the Mojo thread as well; it has bearing on something that happened in the most recent chapter. Love the poetry of the quote. https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/43912-mojo/?do=findComment&comment=843718

Ooo! Maybe Principal Andrews is related to or volunteers with Walter! ;-) I was going to say maybe they’re a couple, but my impression is that there’s a large age gap between the two (not that that absolutely prevents them from being a couple, just makes it less likely). ;-)

What 21-year-old genius sounds like: the Mainzer String Quartet performs Hans Rott's quartet in c-minor.

It’s good to see that some fathers can be just as loving and supportive as some mothers. Parents have all sorts of experiences that they bring to the family. The Gay Rights movement began long enough ago that several generations have grown up since it began. Parents and even grandparents could have met proudly Out LGBTQ people. Best friends, coworkers, relatives and neighbors could and always did include LGBTQ people, but more and more of us have had the courage to tell others who we are. Even those who live in places where it isn’t safe to be Out cannot deny that we exist because we appear on mainstream TV and movies every day in all sorts of contexts. ;-) The deplorable gas & electric utility that serves Northern California, PG&E, has run ads that feature a Lesbian Lineman who appears with her wife and kids without specifically calling out the LGBTQ aspect. The odious major bank that opened unauthorized accounts for its customers has an ad featuring two women learning sign language and we find out that they’re going to be the new mommies for a hearing impaired little girl (the ad’s tag line, ‘for when two becomes three’ ironically could also refer to their own illegal activity if you’re cynical like me!). It’s gotten to the point where advertisers use LGBTQs in their ads to help repair their images! ;-)

An alternative reason why the Principal was aware of Robbie & Nathan’s relationship is that he’s Gay or bisexual, or has a close relative who is, and has experience noticing the signs. ;-)

I think I’m better at translating Cell Phone than I am at Toddler because I was able to figure this one out! ;-)

It’s as if they decided they had to invite a Nazi to a discussion about Anti-Semitic violence to provide ‘balance’ to the story. It’s like when religious homophobes are invited to discussions about legal protections for LGBTQ renters, employees, and even bakery patrons! The inability of some news producers to understand that Civil Rights are Constitutionally mandated. An inability to understand that religious rights do not trump Civil Rights. Most news producers do not have contacts that allow them to invite Transpeople to participate in these sorts of discussions. Every news producer is very familiar with the professional homophobes who jump on the chance to express their hatred on TV. Most news producers rely on a relatively small group of talking heads that they call on. And most of those talking heads are white men who pontificate on many issues that they really don’t understand. (There is an ignorant Silicon Valley-based tech ‘expert’ who is often interviewed on TV to explain things he clearly knows nothing about. This problem is not restricted to LGBTQ issues.) I’ve read that most of the national LGBTQ organizations often fail to understand the nuances of Trans issues themselves.

I don’t like his political views, but I was imagining Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear saying: ;-)

Obviously I live in the older (statehood: 1850 vs federation: 1867) and more populous (39.5 million vs 35.15 million) CA (USPS state abbreviation vs internet country code)!

We usually hear about new Prime Ministers and trade disputes. Right now the latest story is about undocumented workers escaping the US from snow-covered dead-end streets. Their welcome stands in stark contrast with the US reaction along our southern border! ;-)

No mini-Mike? ;-)

“Special interest”? Did Robbie’s mother lie to him about his biological father having died? Did she take one more secret to her grave? ;-)

Must have been one of those stories about Canada that never made it to the US news! ;-)

How in the Closet could you be when he sent you roses at work all the time? ;-)