narcimund

If you're going to point out that Vancouver's weather is mild compared to the rest of Canada, then I'm going to point out that the crime is mild compared to all of the US. I live in the worst neighborhood in Vancouver (often called the worst neighborhood in Canada!) yet it's really not that bad. I often forget to lock my door and have absolutely no worries about walking around in the middle of the night. It's harmless! On the other hand I do admit it's a little scrungy. There are bums and junkies doing their thing on the sidewalk two blocks from my apartment, but that's nothing more than a visual nuisance. They keep to themselves and so do I. And by living here in bum-land, I get a 2000 sq ft apartment with 18 foot ceilings, four parking spaces, two fireplaces, and tons of privacy. You're not going to find that anywhere else in Vancouver for less than $2million! First Class Citizen Twice Over

This weekend's already booked up but next weekend is good! First Class Citizen Twice Over

One doesn't "poke themselves in the eye." One carefully positions the contact lens near the eye and lets the edge touch the surface. Then the surface tension draws the contact lens onto the eye. If you poke (i.e., actually press the finger onto the eyeball) the lens won't transfer. First Class Citizen Twice Over

In the core of the city, for CA$250k dollars (which is about US$220k) you can buy a 600 sq. ft. apartment outfitted in Home Depot's finest. In other words, fragile walls, laminate cabinets, beige paint, no particular view, and oddly, walls everywhere! The apartments here are built with way too many walls so they can claim that 600 sq ft apartment is 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a den. Of course that means each room is 6 ft square. Hope you have small beds! For $500,000 you can get 1000 sq ft or for $750,000 you can get a view. A million Canadian dollars buys you a view AND a fairly roomy apartment, although nothing fancy. Two million starts to get fancy. First Class Citizen Twice Over

My gosh! So forceful. So ... so ... MANLY! Except, um, you don't need all that punctuation. You've ended your sentence with a comma, a period, AND an exclamation point. That's redundant and even somewhat contradictory. So which is it? And while we're at it, do you know something we don't know? Our fertility hasn't been tested but so far as either of us know, we can make babies just as well as you can. The only difference is we'll certainly wait until we WANT children and straight people keep making them accidently. Ooopsie! First Class Citizen Twice Over

I'd take that stand if I was committed to preventing the outcome of one issue from prevailing in the other. But nonetheless, they are comparable. First Class Citizen Twice Over

That's really sweet. Raist and I both had a happy smile over what you said. At this point we're convinced we're not ready to parent. Unlike oh so many het couples who just get pregnant, we're in an excellent position to wait until we both make a firm, considered decision to have kids. And that's just one way that kids from gay couples have a MAJOR advantage over the typical het parents. We don't make kids until we make a conscious decision to do so. Imagine how the world would be better if every child arrived that way. First Class Citizen Twice Over

I sincerely don't believe you have the capacity to follow the rational parts of this conversation and until I learn otherwise, I don't think I'll spend much effort engaging you. First Class Citizen Twice Over

And thus we see how the anti-homosexuals think: "Don't bother me with facts acquired through observation. I have beliefs and that makes information unnecessary." Of course the "Homosexuality in animals" psuedo-argument is particularly stupid. It follows the classic pattern of the Fallacy of the Non-Disprovable: -- Homophobe: "Fags are disgusting. Even animals don't do that! That makes it unnatural." Reasonable person: "Actually sir, that's not true. Here's plenty of evidence..." Homophobe: "See? Animals do it. That makes it animalistic. Humans should be above animals." First Class Citizen Twice Over

Christians never read the entire bible. They read the bits the church leadership tells them to. This is why they eat shrimp but condemn homos. First Class Citizen Twice Over

There are lots of gay rights organizations and -- surprise! -- they're not all the same. However, I don't personally know of any that distract their attention from their goal by actively supporting polygamy. Nor do I know of any that distract themselves by supporting whale hunting, global warming, or athlete's foot campaigns. You however seem hell-bent on distracting yourself and everyone else. Perhaps if you joined a gay rights organization you could distract them. Good luck. First Class Citizen Twice Over

And people say the dark ages are over... First Class Citizen Twice Over

Watch out, here comes an "S"! (With thanks to Krisanne.) First Class Citizen Twice Over

Ooo. That's great. Since I'm the owner of the company I'll have to give that a try. I'll let you know how it turns out. First Class Citizen Twice Over

I'm 50% gay. "Congratulations, you've scored right in the middle and are a happy and well adjusted homo guy!" First Class Citizen Twice Over

That was long winded, but I think that's a backhanded way of admitting you can't come up with any "Special Rights" and you were either lying or just being biased and lazy all along. I think you are admitting you pulled a typical homophobic soundbite out of your ass. You did muddle this apology with a lot with bluster, hyperbole, random nonsense, and misdirection so it's hard to tell. You must be very embarassed indeed. First Class Citizen Twice Over

I would have suggested something that would support gay rights, but MC208B tells us gay people already have TONS of special rights. Hopefully if everyone asks nicely he'll tell me what they are so I can start using them. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Are you still refusing to enumerate the supposed gay-only rights you keep going on about? First Class Citizen Twice Over

Are you really coming back in here three days after several people asked you to give examples of gay-only rights and STILL not responding? First Class Citizen Twice Over

These people aren't interested in your anecdotal evidence. They're only interested in their own anecdotal evidence. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Hell, I don't have a tv in my HOUSE. First Class Citizen Twice Over

I rest my case. And you know, even if I were anti-gay-rights, I'd be embarrassed to have this guy on my side. First Class Citizen Twice Over

Unfortunately this wonderful editorial starts out talking about Brokeback Mountain but eventually get to this subject. If you don't want to read the whole thing, here's the punchline: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/10/opinion/10savage.html February 10, 2006 Op-Ed Contributor Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Ex-Gay Cowboys By DAN SAVAGE Seattle FIRST, a little of that full disclosure stuff: I have not actually seen "Brokeback Mountain" or "End of the Spear," both of which I'm going to discuss here. But since when did not seeing a film prevent anyone from sharing his or her strong opinions about it? Before the posters for "Brokeback Mountain" were even printed, everyone from the blogger Mickey Kaus to the Concerned Women for America to gay men all over the country had already said a lot about the film. (Their opinions were, respectively, con, con and pro.) So, let's get to it: Remember when straight actors who played gay were the ones taking a professional risk? Those days are over. Shortly after Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, both straight, received Oscar nominations for playing gay cowboys in "Brokeback Mountain," conservative Christians were upset when they learned that a gay actor, Chad Allen, was playing a straight missionary in "End of the Spear." "End of the Spear" tells what happened after five American missionaries were murdered in 1956 by a tribe in Ecuador. Instead of seeking retribution, the missionaries' families reached out to the tribe, forgave the killers and eventually converted them to Christianity. An evangelical film company, Every Tribe Entertainment, brought the story to the screen. In a glowing review, Marcus Yoars, a film critic for Focus on the Family, noted that the "martyrdom" of the slain missionaries has "inspired thousands if not millions of Christians." But after conservatives took a closer look at the cast list, the protests began. Many felt Chad Allen's presence in the film negated any positive message. The pastors claim they're worried about what will happen when their children rush home from the movies, Google Chad Allen's name, and discover that he's a "gay activist." ("Gay activist" is a term evangelicals apply to any homosexual who isn't a gay doormat.) They needn't be too concerned. Straight boys who have unsupervised access to the Internet aren't Googling the names of middle-aged male actors gay or straight — not when Paris Hilton's sex tapes are still out there. Frankly, I can't help but be perplexed by the criticisms of Mr. Allen from the Christian right. After all, isn't playing straight what evangelicals have been urging gay men to do? That's precisely what Jack and Ennis attempt to do in "Brokeback Mountain" — at least, according to people I know who have actually seen the film. These gay cowboys try, as best they can, to quit one another. They marry women, start families. But their wives are crushed when they realize their husbands don't, and can't, ever really love them. "Brokeback Mountain" makes clear that it would have been better for all concerned if Jack and Ennis had lived in a world where they could simply be together. That world didn't exist when Jack and Ennis were pitching tents together, but it does now — even in the American West. Today, the tiny and stable percentage of men who are gay are free to live openly, and those who want to settle down and start families can do so without having to deceive some poor, unsuspecting woman. Straight audiences are watching and loving "Brokeback Mountain" — that's troubling to evangelical Christians who have invested a decade and millions of dollars promoting the notion that gay men can be converted to heterosexuality, or become "ex-gay." It is, they insist, an ex-gay movement, although I've never met a gay man who was moved to join it. This "movement" demands more from gay men than simply playing straight. Once a man can really pass as ex-gay — once he's got some Dockers, an expired gym membership and a bad haircut — he's supposed to become, in effect, an ex-gay missionary, reaching out to the hostile gay tribes in such inhospitable places as Chelsea and West Hollywood. What should really trouble evangelicals, however, is this: even if every gay man became ex-gay tomorrow, there still wouldn't be an ex-lesbian tomboy out there for every ex-gay cowboy. Instead, millions of straight women would wake up one morning to discover that they had married a Jack or an Ennis. Restaurant hostesses and receptionists at hair salons would be especially vulnerable. Sometimes I wonder if evangelicals really believe that gay men can go straight. If they don't think Chad Allen can play straight convincingly for 108 minutes, do they honestly imagine that gay men who aren't actors can play straight for a lifetime? And if anyone reading this believes that gay men can actually become ex-gay men, I have just one question for you: Would you want your daughter to marry one? Evangelical Christians seem sincere in their desire to help build healthy, lasting marriages. Well, if that's their goal, encouraging gay men to enter into straight marriages is a peculiar strategy. Every straight marriage that includes a gay husband is one Web-browser-history check away from an ugly divorce. If anything, supporters of traditional marriage should want gay men out of the heterosexual marriage market entirely. And the best way to do that is to see that we're safely married off — to each other, not to your daughters. Let gay actors like Chad Allen only play it straight in the movies. Dan Savage is the editor of The Stranger, a Seattle newsweekly. First Class Citizen Twice Over

That list doesn't exist. Poor mc208b backed himself into a corner with an off-the-cuff claim that he figured wouldn't be challenged. Unfortunately for him several people called out "bullshit". Edited to add: This is exactly what I meant in the third post in this thread by "Category 4: Confusion". First Class Citizen Twice Over

Anyone want to take bets on 2008? First Class Citizen Twice Over