lookin

Seems to be getting better understood that folks can have a pretty wide range of sexual attractions, especially if those folks are young males. Labels may be desired but not necessarily required, accurate, or constant. As far as where to go with this, my suggestion would be to let your friend decide where to go with this. He'll probably be better off exploring his sexuality in his own way, at his own pace. If you can be there for him as a resource, if he requests it, and as you have already offered, rather than as a guide, it might be more comfortable for both of you. It sounds like he has a number of people with a stake in his journey, and he is the only one who has a chance of keeping himself and his relationships in balance.

While I watched most of the Democratic convention highlights on PBS, I did tune in to CBS in time to hear Scott Pelley echo the standard refrain that the presidential election is neck and neck. One of the other commentators had asked the White House for their reaction to the close race, and their reaction was that they are paying more attention to the electoral votes than to the popular vote. That's what I've been looking at too, and the predictions there seem anything but close. In fact, Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight blog is the one I check most days and he's giving Obama better than 75% odds. He has a very good track record and missed only one state in 2008. He also correctly predicted all thirty-five Senate races. Does anyone else look at the electoral college projections? Is Silver's blog a reasonable interpretation of what's going on? I know that a lot can happen in two months but, until a lot actually does happen, I'm feeling pretty good about Obama's chances. Anyone else?

NFL Players Association president Domonique Foxworth also supported Ayanbedejo and piled on Burns. “I don’t know if I can come up with a strong enough word, but his request was asinine,” Foxworth said

It was a good speech alright but, as he went through his rebuttals to the Republican claims, I kept wondering why is everyone acting like this is news? Of course, Obama inherited a mess that won't be fixed overnight; of course, Romney doesn't have a plan to create jobs or fix the deficit; of course, Obama didn't lift $700 billion out of Medicare benefits; of course Ryan took the same $700 billion in savings that he skewered Obama for; and of course the Republicans will stick it to what's left of the middle class. But why was this all such big news so late in the game? Only the Medicaid grab was something I hadn't really copped to before. And I'm not a political animal, merely someone who knows how to read. Don't get me wrong: I'm grateful that Clinton did it, and he did it as well as it could be done. It's just that I can't figure out why the Democrats waited until last night to get the message out effectively. I don't think the Democrats are brain dead, so maybe they thought this would be the ideal timing to get a clear message out through one of the best communicators around. But I would have loved to see Biden, Reid, and Pelosi already on the bases, and let Clinton bring in four runs rather than one. Still, I'm a happy fan, and one who is really looking forward to the debates. I'll go out on a limb here and predict that Obama will trounce Romney three out of three, we should be so lucky.

For me, as long as there's someone in my circle who finds a word objectionable - as one poster did - and I have it within my power to use a less offensive synonym - as I sometimes do - it doesn't seem absurd to do so. I think it shows respect for others. Of course, the amount of respect we choose to show for the feelings of others is an individual decision, and there are many shades of gray.

I watched it on PBS (KQED, San Francisco) and noticed the same thing. Most of the camera shots were close-ups so I couldn't tell if the convention floor itself was packed with minorities or if the camera operators made it a point to focus on attendees of color. My guess is that it was some of both. (Veterans were another group that was highly visible.) It seemed the intent was to show that the white 'majority' represented a declining group in the U. S., which it is, although the pictures coming from the convention floor appeared to exaggerate the trend. Personally, I welcomed this view of our country. I didn't see it as racist as much as presenting a country made up of lots of different folks and perhaps fast-forwarding us to the mix of ethnicities we might see a few decades from now. It looked like a much more interesting place to live in than one made up primarily of white folks. I thought it provided a clear distinction between the Democratic and Republican views of the country. I flipped over to CBS a couple of times, enough to learn that they didn't show Patrick Deval's speech. He's Mitt Romney's successor as Governor of Massachusetts, and largely responsible for implementing the State's universal health care program. His speech is definitely worth a read, in my opinion. Also, not sure if CBS covered Julian Castro's twin brother Joaquin introducing him. Color me shallow, but there's a pair of cuties I could easily enjoy seeing more of.

FourAces, it never crossed my mind that you meant to be offensive and this thread confirms your good intentions. I think, though, that most any word that puts all members of an ethnic group into a single box based on a stereotype runs the risk of offending someone. To my mind, Asians are individuals and no doubt would like to be treated as such. Words that lump them all together overlook that individuality and may prove offensive. At least, that's how I've come to look at it. When I was growing up, I heard the word 'kraut' used to refer to Germans and I believe at one time it was intended to be highly offensive. Same for 'potato eaters' to mean the Irish. So I tend to avoid words like that. Besides, I'm half German and really dislike sauerkraut. Although my Irish half does indeed love me my potatoes. Reminds me of a running joke with an old friend that any sentence that begins with the phrase "You people" is not likely to have a happy ending.

Mindboggling, isn't it? I think we take a terrible risk when we vote for any party or individual that doesn't have a great deal of compassion. It's well more than half of my own voting decision. Anyone who thinks a government that doesn't actively look out for all of its citizens won't turn its back on him one day is living a pipe dream.

Get back here!

Perhaps he was admiring your sense of style.

Gratified to see the nuanced thoughtfulness in this thread. It seems so unusual these days, at least in this country. Of course the law will be black and white and I think the ethical actions of an adult toward a child, or any person with less power, are often best framed in black and white. But thought, analysis, and discussion have never been well-served by pretending that gray does not exist. When we look for the best answers and the best outcomes, I think we should use all the experience, insight and brainpower we can muster.

Doomsday hell And global fights Can now be done With bits and bytes

I'll sure miss you, Tomcal. I now wish I'd have commented on every one of your posts that I've enjoyed so much, as you'd have seen hundreds more thumbs up. Very best wishes in your continued adventures.

I'm very sorry this happened to your niece and to you and your family. You'll probably get good advice from the doctor involved and perhaps from a counsellor who is experienced in dealing with these situations. The only thing I would suggest in addition is to try to let your niece get back to being a little girl as quickly as possible. Certain things will have to be done, such as the hospital visit that you have planned. Hopefully, it will be handled with a minimum of fuss, bright lights, and drama. Perhaps your sister will think it's a good idea for your niece to see a counsellor. But I think there's sometimes a risk that your niece will be made to feel like an object with people poking and prodding her physically and emotionally. What's done is done, and she will need support, but there's no reason for that support to be invasive and intrusive. If your niece is made to feel like an oddity, and a victim, the trauma could be unnecessarily compounded. As her uncle, maybe the best thing you can do is hold your sister's hand and help keep her calm, and then take your niece out for ice cream. She's a child, and that's what she wants to be. If you can help her get back to that as soon as possible and help her start laughing and playing again, I think you'll be the best uncle ever.

I'd love to see somebody get pissed off enough to blow past Apple with even better technology. It will happen one day. Why not one day soon?

Perhaps with the flashing of the royal fundament that ship has already sailed. Good thing the lighting was subdued enough to blur out any regal dingleberries.

Tell me that's not a banana he's got in there!

You get your wish. And mine. He's staying in. The walk back I'm looking forward to is from all those Republicans who lambasted him in the past two days. Something tells me they will be tiptoeing very gingerly back to full support, rather than let the Senate seat go to a Democrat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Apparently, a bit more to this than meets the eye. According to Missouri law, if Akin exits the race by 5:00pm tomorrow, he can be replaced by another candidate. The Missouri Republican party would then have two weeks to name a replacement, and the replacement would have to file within twenty-eight days of Akin's exit. Without a special court order, if Akin doesn't bow out by tomorrow at 5:00pm, he remains the Republican candidate, complete with all his baggage. Seems that's why he's under such intense pressure to bow out at once. The head of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee called him today to say the Committee was pulling the $5 million budgeted for the Missouri race. And every Republican with a bullhorn seems to be aiming it in his direction. Akin says he's sticking with it. Interesting to see what happens next. Guess we won't have long to wait.

Hell, all the testosterone around here tonight, I bet you could plug up Joan Rivers!

And perhaps not too shabby from the get-go. Hey, Brutus! Hope you packed the sheepskin.

So, listen, Doctor, could you leave a little extra on the top and sides.

Having never won the lottery, I've spent plenty of time thinking about what I'd do if I did. First off, I'd give ninety percent of it away, some to friends and relatives, but most to charities. I'd probably turn it over to Jimmy Carter. He'd see it gets put to good use. Then I'd put the other ten percent in a fairly safe income-producing fund and draw a check every month. I'd try to spend it as fast as it came in and do stuff with my friends. Whatever there was in the kitty would get spent pretty quick. A crook would have to arrive at exactly the right moment to make off with the whole monthly stipend. And then I'd scrape by till the next month's check came in. Both in good times and not-so-good times, I've long taken to heart Thoreau's words: A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone. If I ever had so much money left over that it gave me aggravation, I'd start giving more away till it didn't.

Suckrates, you speak of a world that I would really like to see. Not that we humans won't always be interested in who's boinking whom, but I'm thinking of a world where a more varied menu of sexual partners becomes fairly common. Fr'instance, I think it would be kind of hot if Lautner dated a girl and a boy - or two. In fact, do you think we might have the makings of a new breakout film for our young star?