JamesSavik

Don't do anything I wouldn't do...in my pants.

If he's a new bf, something personal might be cool. Burn him a compilation CD of music that you both enjoy.

No man knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men in bed.

You all know this one: Take a phrase and add in bed.

It'll be a hot time in the old town tonight... in my pants.

I don't like the manned vs robot debate. I think that they both have valid place but both should be applied with praticality in mind. At the present time, Mars is in reach but only if we mortgage the future. The moon is easily in reach but it too is not worth the expense. In my humble opinion, I think that we should make better use of the space station, transition to the next generation "shuttle" and continue to use robotic probes as pathfinders. With a space station, why is it necessary to launch a stand alone space telescope? Why not add it as a module to the existing space station? If something goes wrong, it doesn't take a manned mission to go fix it. The guy minding the store can get his tool belt out and go fix it and it doesn't take a billion dollar space shot. George Bush, I know you follow my blog. Hire me, put me in charge of NASA and I'll fix the problems. We won't make Mars until 2030 but we aren't going too anyway.

I have to say all of the above. Stories are all different: different genres, tones, lengths, paces, mood, plot, scene, flavor, setting... Any one of these elements can add to (or detract from) the chemistry of a story. Many stories are memorable because of the characters. If I must vote, my vote is for appealing characters that learn, persevere or survive a trial. A solid character concept will carry a story with a weak plot. If you don't believe that, how does network TV survive? Other stories are fast paced action thrillers with lots of sexy gunfire and car chases. However, without sound characters with depth, action stories are like Chinese food: they are good going down but you are hungry again in an hour. Some stories are all about atmosphere and setting. Gone with the Wind just wouldn't work anywhere but in the South during the latter days of the Civil War.

Well said Matthew. I second that. Of course being a beast myself, I see sweet Kitties and Mathematical Goats as kindred spirits.

Arecibo is one of several radio telescopes that SETI currently leases time on. SETI's funding comes from private foundations; most of which take contributions from the general public. SETI is in the process of building a facility of their own which is optimized for their uses. They plan to use digital signal processing with an array of small dishes to monitor millions of channels at once. SETI- primary website Allen Telescope Array SETI is controversial. It enjoys quite a bit of popular support but mainstream scientists are skeptical about its science, methods and value. Paradoxically, SETI enjoys solid funding which it uses to assist other programs like upgrades to existing radio telescopes and the search for planets beyond our solar system. While many scientists roll their eyes at the mention of SETI, they are always glad to see SETI arrive because they bring money which makes them the most welcome of guests.

World-class radio telescopes face closure November 4, 2006 Jeff Hecht for NewScientist.com news service Source Link Two of the world's best-known radio observatories

Come on, come on, come on and touch me baby... in my pants from Touch Me by the Doors

Haggard is a public figure. The standard of privacy for a public figure is quite different from a private person. Public figures- like celeberities or people elected or appointed to public office- routinely get criticism for their past actions and/or their personal lives. Any religious leader that has taken a high profile stance against gay rights and then uses a gay prostitute can't hide behind thier privacy. Haggard is fair game and speaking as a gay person, whose rights this twitchy little b@st@rd is on record as attempting to restrict, I say release the hounds. What hasn't been addressed in Haggard's behavior is his use of crystal meth. That a serious felony matter that carries a mandatory minimum sentence.

Riemann's zeta function is most useful in my pants. from Riemann's Zeta Function by H.M. Edwards

I'll bet that you've got enough furr left over to knit anothr litter of kittens.

I'm sure that Betty Bowers is mortified. I agree Jack. Lately the press has been like a bunch of 7th graders at PE that has found out one of their classmates is gay. It's always fun to see a hypocrite take it on the chin, I just have to wonder how much blow-back this is going to cause and to whom.

Oh he's cured.

Hubble mission will be devilishly complex Kelly Young for NewScientist.com news service 01 November 2006 Source Link The space shuttle's final flight to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope will be one of its most complex yet, featuring five spacewalks and some quick bolt changes usually reserved for the pit stops of car races. On Tuesday, NASA announced to great fanfare that it would send a shuttle to service Hubble as early as May 2008. If the mission were successful, Hubble would have six working instruments for the first time since 1993 and would be able to do science until at least 2013, adding about five years to its professional lifetime. "Looking back on the last four years, without reservation, today is my happiest day to be at the office," said Preston Burch, Hubble's mission manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, US. The mission had been cancelled in 2004 because of safety risks to the shuttle crew

We really should take over. A gay led world would be much neater and cleaner place; aestetically pleasing without the tendency of sending young men off to slaughter each other. We would have more creative uses for them.

Witchcraft, it's witchcraft I tells ya. Sweatpants for a chilly night: it's in the sixties here in Mississippi. Brrr. The person below me has already raided their Halloween candy.

Myr- GA is an outstanding achievement. The only place I can think of where there *might* be more stories by/for/about GLBT people is Nifty. Nifty does NOT have the consistent quality of GA nor does it have the community. GA also has the added bonus in that we don't have to wade through tons of stories about various fetishes involving gerbils, whips or law enforcement. :wacko: What you have created transcends sexuality, literary accomplishment or social networking. Here GLBT young people, that may well have no other exposure to our community and issues, can see for themselves that we are individuals and not the petty stereotypes that our detractors would have you believe. I think that they will grow up happier and healthier people for the experience. For this you have my genuine admiration, gratitude and respect. James Savik

Another interpertation of the Swan image.

I would hire JSmith as a web administrator in a heartbeat. I have seen a lot of people with half his skill working in the business. We are very fortunate to have him.

Update: Pictures of "the Swan" by amateur astronomers. The Swan in all its glory by Paolo Candy. Another view of the Swan by Rheman.

A friend and fellow author that I have a great deal of respect and admiration for is having a crisis of confidence. I will not name him but I too have suffered from this type of criticism. Some people can not tell a plot element from an endorsement. When a murder occurs in a story, is the author endorsing murder? When drug use happens in a story, is the author glorifying it? Silly questions? As authors, I believe that the interesting stories are told on the edge. Somewhere on the border of normalcy and madness there is a place where drama comes from. That place can be mundane or high brow. It can be common or rare. It is about people in conflict facing adversity and without it our stories are just so much soggy granola. I have read stories that glorify drug use. I know what they are when I see 'em. Yawn. I have read stories that are nothing more than a common masturbation fantasy typed with one hand. Snore. You know what they have in common? They are simply not interesting. Touchy subjects can be addressed if the author handles it right. If you start reading a story and stop four chapters in because a character smokes a joint, then you don't know what happens in the other umpteen chapters. You miss the character suffering negative consequences like failed relationships and hanging out with a lower class of people. You miss him getting busted and asking himself what's wrong with me. You miss out on that characters chance at redemption or his fall into jails, institutions or death. So you see something about a story that makes you uncomfortable. GET OVER IT. Here's YOUR chance to look at situations that you would never chose to face without getting your hands dirty. Here's your chance to experience things vicariously that would cost you body, soul or life to experience and maybe... avoid, identify with or recover from or perhaps have empathy for people who have actually been there. An author is NOT his work. At his best an author is a catalyst to help the reader see and understand with different eyes. At his worst he is a propagandist or a pornographer. It is up to the reader to make this determination for himself. If there is truth in his work and an author has applied his craft with heart, then the work will stand or fall on its own merit. As an author all that I ask is that you think for yourself. -JS

I found GA when I was searching for Comicality's Shack out Back. After stuffing myself at Comicality's buffet ( :wacko: <urp ), I wandered around the corner and discovered a whole lot more.