The Simtropolis Closet Thread - deux!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Actually, the boiling hormones of puberty just complicate things when youth needs to make staggering decisions about what vocations and avocations they are to pursue in life. This can be an overwhelming decision. First, college or not? If not, then what? A trade? A career in the arts? etc.

If college, then what kind of education do you want? Liberal arts? With what goal? Engineering (Applied Science)? Pure science? Philosophy leading to ?. Law? Medicine? What do you want to do for the next forty or fifty years? Should a decision be made at all?

Remember the good old days when kids who could took a year or so off after high-school to travel and try to find a direction? Why shouldn't this be a general privilege? Some kind of subsidized sabbatical to see what the world is all about.

Why do we want our kids to grow up so suddenly? Why do we want them to declare anything about themselves with no experience to fall back on?

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

Why do we want our kids to grow up so suddenly? Why do we want them to declare anything about themselves with no experience to fall back on?

The concept of the UK style 'Gap Year' between finishing secondary (high) school and starting university (college) has merit. I was actually 23 when I finally decided on my career (nursing) and started my formal level of tertiray education. What I noticed was a big difference in maturity between the older students in the class, and those that had come straight from high school.

What did I do between high school and nursing school? I sold paint, wallpaper and hardware! As for the learning sabbatical... well the best way to subsidize that is to get a job... doesn't really matter what... it can be anything... but regardless of what the job is, there are important life lessons to be learned during those first few years in the 'adult' world. Perhaps better to make some mistakes, in an 'unqualified' job... than make those same mistakes in your chosen career after graduating from university.

Different path for different people with different personalities.

What does this have to do with sexuality?

Some young people are very focused and know exactly what they want to do, and have their career path all worked out from a young age, (or it is worked out for them by other people.. parents, family obligations, societal pressures) ...others take time to work that out and may well chose a career path that goes against what others want or expect. Time in the 'real world' can help those kinds of decisions.

It may well be that working out such big life issues as sexuality can be a similar process. For some they will have it all done, dusted and clear cut... for others it takes time. Also just like working out your career path... working out your sexuality is something that has to be done for yourself... no one else can do that or decide it for you.

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

So guess what once confused then settled then unsettled now settled again teenager is coming out to ST as straight?

Give up?

Me

Sorry for the lateness, but don't worry about it Chptrk. I'm sure nearly everybody goes through a stage of 'what if?' A few years ago, I wondered if I was bi, but ultimately decided against it, and I've found my feet and consider myself to be simply straight.

But who knows? Perhaps my mind could change again.

[Shadow Assassin 336]

Well congrats Chptrk for coming out as straight.

One thing though, that comes to mind, is well... society's eagerness to pigeon-hole you based on your sexuality, and more. Has anyone ever experienced that sort of thing?

[FreewayofFlight 41]

I happened to catch a sports channel talking about the suspension of a baseball(?) player for using a gay expletive. In the report, they were acknowledging the damage of bullying and hate speech. I thought it was a good moment, the Jock culture is starting to grasp the consequences of their actions. I hope this is mirrored in the school system.

[EyeofMobius 27]

One thing though, that comes to mind, is well... society's eagerness to pigeon-hole you based on your sexuality, and more. Has anyone ever experienced that sort of thing?

(raises hand)

I get pigeon holed all the time for numerous different reasons. As far as sexuality goes I am bi so often straght people label me as gay and gay people label me as straight or just hiding in the closet. The good news is that when most of my friends tell their friends about me they simply tell them that to understand me you have to know me in person.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I happened to catch a sports channel talking about the suspension of a baseball(?) player for using a gay expletive. In the report, they were acknowledging the damage of bullying and hate speech. I thought it was a good moment, the Jock culture is starting to grasp the consequences of their actions. I hope this is mirrored in the school system.

Sports figures are the most quoted role-models, so it may take some time for the word to filter down, but its a start.

Bullying has become more wide spread thanks to the idiots who take what they see on the Internet to heart. Internet bullying should be treated the same as child porn. Some new laws on slander and libel are needed and needed to be enforced, especially on the young. Something like "What you say on the Internet will follow you all the days of your life."

These slanderers need a very good scare.

[FreewayofFlight 41]

I happened to catch a sports channel talking about the suspension of a baseball(?) player for using a gay expletive. In the report, they were acknowledging the damage of bullying and hate speech. I thought it was a good moment, the Jock culture is starting to grasp the consequences of their actions. I hope this is mirrored in the school system.

Sports figures are the most quoted role-models, so it may take some time for the word to filter down, but its a start.

Bullying has become more wide spread thanks to the idiots who take what they see on the Internet to heart. Internet bullying should be treated the same as child porn. Some new laws on slander and libel are needed and needed to be enforced, especially on the young. Something like "What you say on the Internet will follow you all the days of your life."

These slanderers need a very good scare.

Agreed, we hear too many stories about kids who commit suicide because of rampant Internet bullying. I think one problem is anonymity. Another is simply the immaturity of the children who have access to the Internet. My dad had parental controls set (much to my displeasure) and restricted where I could go. The Parents need to be more active in where their children are going and what they're saying on the Web.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I happened to catch a sports channel talking about the suspension of a baseball(?) player for using a gay expletive. In the report, they were acknowledging the damage of bullying and hate speech. I thought it was a good moment, the Jock culture is starting to grasp the consequences of their actions. I hope this is mirrored in the school system.

Sports figures are the most quoted role-models, so it may take some time for the word to filter down, but its a start.

Bullying has become more wide spread thanks to the idiots who take what they see on the Internet to heart. Internet bullying should be treated the same as child porn. Some new laws on slander and libel are needed and needed to be enforced, especially on the young. Something like "What you say on the Internet will follow you all the days of your life."

These slanderers need a very good scare.

Agreed, we hear too many stories about kids who commit suicide because of rampant Internet bullying. I think one problem is anonymity. Another is simply the immaturity of the children who have access to the Internet. My dad had parental controls set (much to my displeasure) and restricted where I could go. The Parents need to be more active in where their children are going and what they're saying on the Web.

The tools are there. It is a matter of parental education, is it not?

There is also the idea that kids should not have general capability cell phones and other such equipment that is not monitored as well.

A good example can be found in the marine radio regulations in Canada. You cannot have a VHF marine radio license unless you pass the examination for it, which involves a couple of nights of training. My son got one at age 11, but he did pass the exam, and was an exemplary operator.

Restricted Marine Operator's Certificates in Canada are for life, with no additional fees.

While I hate to expose a possible tax grab, how about a license to have and use a cell phone? I know you have to pay a network 'license' fee, but clamps could be put on who gets this.

  Edited May 5, 2011 by A Nonny Moose  

[FreewayofFlight 41]

I happened to catch a sports channel talking about the suspension of a baseball(?) player for using a gay expletive. In the report, they were acknowledging the damage of bullying and hate speech. I thought it was a good moment, the Jock culture is starting to grasp the consequences of their actions. I hope this is mirrored in the school system.

Sports figures are the most quoted role-models, so it may take some time for the word to filter down, but its a start.

Bullying has become more wide spread thanks to the idiots who take what they see on the Internet to heart. Internet bullying should be treated the same as child porn. Some new laws on slander and libel are needed and needed to be enforced, especially on the young. Something like "What you say on the Internet will follow you all the days of your life."

These slanderers need a very good scare.

Agreed, we hear too many stories about kids who commit suicide because of rampant Internet bullying. I think one problem is anonymity. Another is simply the immaturity of the children who have access to the Internet. My dad had parental controls set (much to my displeasure) and restricted where I could go. The Parents need to be more active in where their children are going and what they're saying on the Web.

The tools are there. It is a matter of parental education, is it not?

There is also the idea that kids should not have general capability cell phones and other such equipment that is not monitored as well.

A good example can be found in the marine radio regulations in Canada. You cannot have a VHF marine radio license unless you pass the examination for it, which involves a couple of nights of training. My son got one at age 11, but he did pass the exam, and was an exemplary operator.

Restricted Marine Operator's Certificates in Canada are for life, with no additional fees.

While I hate to expose a possible tax grab, how about a license to have and use a cell phone? I know you have to pay a network 'license' fee, but clamps could be put on who gets this.

Yes, parental involvment is something that the government cannot compensate for. If a child is obese, why are only school lunches made to be healthier? If you are upset about a video game that they are playing, why is it the government's responsiblity to ban them?

On the question of restricting cell phones, such a law would likely be challenged in the courts. Even if such a measure passed, enforcement would be difficult.

While Anti-bullying laws are a good moral action on this problem, jail time should be reserved for extreme cases. I think schools should be able to issue community service punishments for incidents that happen at the school. If the offender works with public service groups like civil rights, homeless, domestic violence victims, etc. it could be used as a teaching moment for them.

[Shadow Assassin 336]

Yes, parental involvment is something that the government cannot compensate for. If a child is obese, why are only school lunches made to be healthier? If you are upset about a video game that they are playing, why is it the government's responsiblity to ban them?

It seems that there's an expectation by some parents that the government be their personal nanny to look after their children, always available at their beck and call. This sort of issue is something that needs to be stopped, right now, before our current generation (who are about to become parents themselves) get the wrong idea and keep this delusion going. Of course, this can only be done by educating people, and it's something that governments, ironically, don't particularly want to do. But that's another story, and perhaps is best not discussed lest we degrade into a heated political discussion, where everyone gets hurt and gets all sad and stuff and we have to make up.

I have seen so many cases where (this probably has been said before actually) the mother goes to the store and buys "Blood and Guts V" (or whichever game you care to substitute, GTA is a prime example) for her 10-year-old son and 24 hours later she comes back, angry and distressed that this game was available on the shelves, never mind that it has a MA15+ rating, then goes to the appropriate lobby (who, of course, have vested interests) and complains about it, and the game gets taken off the shelves, etc... which is quite honestly an unacceptable course of action, and once again, I seem to have gone off the tracks.

The tools are there. It is a matter of parental education, is it not?

It literally is that simple -- educating someone about things. But it won't happen, people are lazy

[FreewayofFlight 41]

Yes, the people who openly say our nation has become a nation of wusses and whiners are speaking the truth. Everyone wants the easy way out. If you've spent too much time at the fast food joints, you can get a Handicap decal so you can haul the 400 pounds strapped to your body into the grocery to the nearest motorized shopping cart.

Doing what is right is never easy, but taking the easy way out makes it harder in the long run.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

{Start sermon}

"Evil" is always easy. That's why it is called the "primrose path of dalliance" to quote the Bard.

Our present consumer oriented society is based on this. You may wonder about the shrinkage that is taking place in organized religion, but I can tell you that a weekly dose of ethics is undesirable in a consumer oriented society.

What do advertisers do? Then tempt people to yield and purchase something that they otherwise would not want.

Religion is the pap of the poor masses. We have fewer poor masses than ever in this continent, so don't be surprised that your church building is being shipped down river to become a winery.

Why bother with hope when you can have it now? Cheap credit and abundant junk is the downfall of all of us, and we have only ourselves and our cupidity to blame.

If there is an afterlife, how will you account for your avarice? your gluttony? Is there any danger that you will be tossed into the inferno? No, in fact, if you are Christian, Jesus has redeemed every one of your sorry lot. All the church bells chime 'No hell', 'No hell'. Burning hell is an outmoded idea. The best theological minds these days say that hell is the permanent absence of God, and that you know it. Since all Christians are supposed to strive to be with God, this is a pretty terrible punishment. Burning or freezing only applies to the corporeal being of which the soul is not one.

So we no longer have the Faustian image of being dragged off by the devil, who does not exist except in the minds of a few demented writers of old. We are our own devils, and our hedonistic attitudes will accomplish our punishment if one is due.

So think about what you are doing the next time you are tempted to purchase something you really don't need to have, especially if you are purchasing it on the never, never. Only the financial mammons will benefit.

{end sermon}

[Duke87 1,070]

There is also the idea that kids should not have general capability cell phones and other such equipment that is not monitored as well.

I call that invasion of privacy. There is way too much a culture of parental hovering these days. There comes a point where you have to let your kids grow up and do things without you constantly looking over their shoulder. And even if your teen has given you reason to distrust them, sticking a homing beacon in their cellphone is not necessary (parents did, after all, manage to keep track of their kids just fine before this technology existed). The ridiculous part is that some parents do this even to kids that haven't given them reason to distrust them! Talk about paranoid.

As for denying the teen the privilege of having a cellphone outright, that is a very unwise decision. Modern social culture among youth demands that everyone have a cellphone. A teen in this day and age will have a very difficult time making and keeping friends if they do not have one. Ergo, denying them one is doing them a lot of harm and little good.

Especially when you consider that the infrastructure has shifted with the technology. I did curiously note that this wasn't the case in Toronto when I was there a month ago, but you can't find a functioning pay phone in New York anymore. Half of them have simply been removed, the other half have been vandalized and nobody's bothered to fix them because, after all, they're obsolete now that everyone has a cellphone. It's also worth pointing out that there are more people in the US who do not have a land line than people who do not have a cellphone. Among young people in or recently out of college it's absolutely unheard of to bother installing a land line in your dorm or apartment. After all, what purpose does it serve when you've got your cell? The writing's on the wall, non-portable phones are headed the way of the dodo.

While I hate to expose a possible tax grab, how about a license to have and use a cell phone?

What purpose would that serve? There aren't really any qualifications on how to operate a cell phone other than the ability to talk and listen and the ability to push buttons. What do you do for the license exam, ask that people demonstrate they can call home? It's not like you can do anything particularly harmful with a cellphone, either. About the worst thing you can do is make prank calls, and you can do that with a land line just as easily, so taking away the cellphone achieves nothing.

Besides, teens and phones are nothing new. Before they had cellphones, they had private lines in their bedrooms.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

You are right of course. It is far to late to try to regulate anything having to do with communications now. However, it would be wise to inculcate the users with the idea that big brother is listening, because he is. The NSA monitors the Internet, and it wouldn't surprise me if they had a way to monitor wireless communications systems period. Of course they are only looking for stuff that is a threat to the country, but maybe they could have a small flagging systems that picked off serious bullying as well. A heads up to the local law people could avert some things perhaps. The whole thing is done with a big computer system that simply trolls for keywords.

[FreewayofFlight 41]

If a national computer system were set up to monitor bullying, then there would be so many false positives it would be rendered useless.

The best way defend against bullying is to stand up to it. If you're watching a kid getting shoved into a locker, you are faced with a choice: A.) You can stand there and watch a classmate getting harassed and tortured and not do anything. B.) You can step in and offer support to the victim. C.) You can search for a person of authority (teacher, Student Resource Officer, etc.) to break up the situation.

If you choose Option A, you have no right to act all shocked and shaken when you find out that the victim has commited suicide, because there was plenty of time to intervene and make a difference for someone who may not have anyone to turn to.

[EyeofMobius 27]

Why do kids these days need cellular phones for their social lives? They are not allowed to hang out anywhere in public for fears of becoming a gang; They all live so far apart that it is nearly impossible just go visit their freinds from school because schools are being built in centralized locations with larger capacities and bussing the kids in from all across the city.

As far as the "gang" concept goes, around here at one time there was a movement gaining a bit of steam to resrict the size groups of minors could be unless supervised by their parents to four people. This movement was also trying to get a curfew for minors put in place that meant that each minor would have to be in the care of their own legal guardian by 10 pm each night (no more sleepovers at freinds houses). This was a number of years ago now and has faded from public attention thankfully. The important thing to note is that youth deserve the same respect and attention as any adult.

Bullying is awful and presses on throughout life beyond the schoolyard. It is very hard to combat these days because our consumption feeds the idea of improving status and deserved respect through image and possesion. I am nearly thirty and most people are only concerned with discussing my career, marriage and real estate prospects; they love to give me life advice as they think my lifestyle is a childish and irresponsible avoidance of growing up. "I'M JUST LIVING HERE."

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

The number one problem with bullying among teens is that they hide it. Kids these days have some kind of unwritten rule of keeping their (obsolete) parents in the dark as far as their activities go. They will always tell you everything is OK, even when they are selecting a rope for the final act.

They are afraid they will be embarrassed if anyone in any kind of authority intervenes. This eventually leads to loneliness and a feeling of being deserted by society, with depression, and then the "only way out". It is so sad, and so useless.

Maybe we should look on the bright side. If the kids can't compete as children, maybe removing themselves from the gene pool is a good thing. Too bad the real miscreants will get to transmit their genes for meanness and stupidity. You wonder what's happening in society? Circumspice!

[Meg 368]

I am nearly thirty and most people are only concerned with discussing my career, marriage and real estate prospects; they love to give me life advice as they think my lifestyle is a childish and irresponsible avoidance of growing up. "I'M JUST LIVING HERE."

umm . . . what?

On another note, I'm not sure what consumerism and cell phones have to do with the Closet. Not bad discussions, just wandering quite a ways from the topic of the thread.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Actually, I think the sub-topic is bullying and teen suicide. Also, somewhat irrelevant, but teen sexual identity confusion can lead to these issues.

Anyone who can should support Kids Help Phone.

Perhaps this has been a thread about sexual identity in general, but when you start discussing this topic, things tend to go astray. I suppose I am as easily carried away as anyone.

The idea of 'coming out of the closet' is getting kind of dated these days, eh?

[Shadow Assassin 336]

Actually, I think the sub-topic is bullying and teen suicide. Also, somewhat irrelevant, but teen sexual identity confusion can lead to these issues.

Anyone who can should support Kids Help Phone.

A few months ago, quite a few staff members (myself included) supported 'It Gets Better', which was a help thing that aimed to prevent exactly what you're talking about - teen bullying and eventual suicide by the victims because they were bullied for being gay.

Perhaps this has been a thread about sexual identity in general, but when you start discussing this topic, things tend to go astray. I suppose I am as easily carried away as anyone.

The idea of 'coming out of the closet' is getting kind of dated these days, eh?

Actually, that gives me a thought: just why is it called the "Closet"? Does anyone know how the term "coming out of the closet" originated?

I mean, Narnia was accessed via a closet, but that's a whole other story

[FreewayofFlight 41]

Maybe it's because we constantly buy the most fashonable clothes and spend hours locked inside trying to find what makes us look the most stylish so we can send the masses into shock at how fabulous we are! *Gasps for air*

[EyeofMobius 27]

Perhaps being in the closet comes from playing Spin the Bottle where eventually people were shoved in the closet and one of those "what happens in the closet stays in the closet" agreements were made.

I still see the shore from which we have drifted away in this thread, but yes we are wandering. I'll make a clear point to put a line closer to the topic though. I feel that bullying & pigeonholing never really stops when we enter into adult lives. I stay in the closet to most people about being bi because so many people are less understanding of that than if I was completely one way or the other. Adult bullying can be meaner, within the scope of law and have irreparable consequences. Despite charters of rights and freedoms for those that have it they don't always stop discriminatory action even when pursued through a court of law. People lose careers, clients, opportunities and even children when they come out of the closet.

[Duke87 1,070]

Perhaps being in the closet comes from playing Spin the Bottle where eventually people were shoved in the closet and one of those "what happens in the closet stays in the closet" agreements were made.

The game you are thinking of is Seven Minutes of Heaven. Spin the Bottle does not involve a closet, or any other means of privacy.

As for the origin of the term, it would seemingly be more general. "Hiding things in your closet" is an old idiom used to describe keeping something personal secret because you don't want people to know for fear it might negatively impact how they think of you (similar to "skeletons in your closet", which more specifically describes keeping secret something bad you've done in the past). Sexuality certainly fits this description and, perhaps thanks to heightened awareness of the LGBT community, is nowadays what most people associate the term with - but it can describe anything that there might be a stigma attached to.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Perhaps being in the closet comes from playing Spin the Bottle where eventually people were shoved in the closet and one of those "what happens in the closet stays in the closet" agreements were made.

The game you are thinking of is Seven Minutes of Heaven. Spin the Bottle does not involve a closet, or any other means of privacy.

As for the origin of the term, it would seemingly be more general. "Hiding things in your closet" is an old idiom used to describe keeping something personal secret because you don't want people to know for fear it might negatively impact how they think of you (similar to "skeletons in your closet", which more specifically describes keeping secret something bad you've done in the past). Sexuality certainly fits this description and, perhaps thanks to heightened awareness of the LGBT community, is nowadays what most people associate the term with - but it can describe anything that there might be a stigma attached to.

On those "make-out" games: from what I can tell from media/entertainment, spin-the-bottle has no privacy and forces people to make out, 7 minutes in heaven is so private that nothing can happen and people can lie, and that there might be combo game that relies on chance and privacy.

Skeletons in the closet might not be widely used anymore (I don't know, I observe it is used quite a bit and I always understood the term), and "closet" can be attached to other terms (Naruto had "closet pervert") like "closet nerd" or whatever (which usually means you hide something embarrassing about yourself).

On the subject of sexuality, I have spent most of my life as very awkward but I was attracted to girls (puppy love) when I was a kid and not at all to boys, then I became curious (but still a virgin) as a teenager, then I thought I was completely homosexual from the time I turned 18 until recently when I discovered that I can still be attracted to girls, all while still being a virgin. I have kissed girls before but never made out with anyone so not sure if a kiss on the lips with a girl I like counts as first base or not... I am more easily turned on by images of women than men and there is a greater variety and leeway with "attractiveness" of images of women than images of men but for almost 2 years, I only looked at images of men so I thought I was completely homosexual. When I was 17, I imagined/visualized some women I talked to but that stopped completely sometime when I was 18 so that furthered my belief that I was not attracted to women. Little did I realize that I just got better at filtering my thoughts, I just thought (at the time) that I was incapable of those thoughts about women. I guess it does not matter since I have not been on a date for years so I have no romance in my life. Now that I know that I did not go from 100% heterosexual to 100% homosexual, I am trying to find out what percentage my sexuality is.

Sorry if I posted anything inappropriate, this is my first time posting in this thread.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

On those "make-out" games: from what I can tell from media/entertainment, spin-the-bottle has no privacy and forces people to make out, 7 minutes in heaven is so private that nothing can happen and people can lie, and that there might be combo game that relies on chance and privacy.

Skeletons in the closet might not be widely used anymore (I don't know, I observe it is used quite a bit and I always understood the term), and "closet" can be attached to other terms (Naruto had "closet pervert") like "closet nerd" or whatever (which usually means you hide something embarrassing about yourself).

On the subject of sexuality, I have spent most of my life as very awkward but I was attracted to girls (puppy love) when I was a kid and not at all to boys, then I became curious (but still a virgin) as a teenager, then I thought I was completely homosexual from the time I turned 18 until recently when I discovered that I can still be attracted to girls, all while still being a virgin. I have kissed girls before but never made out with anyone so not sure if a kiss on the lips with a girl I like counts as first base or not... I am more easily turned on by images of women than men and there is a greater variety and leeway with "attractiveness" of images of women than images of men but for almost 2 years, I only looked at images of men so I thought I was completely homosexual. When I was 17, I imagined/visualized some women I talked to but that stopped completely sometime when I was 18 so that furthered my belief that I was not attracted to women. Little did I realize that I just got better at filtering my thoughts, I just thought (at the time) that I was incapable of those thoughts about women. I guess it does not matter since I have not been on a date for years so I have no romance in my life. Now that I know that I did not go from 100% heterosexual to 100% homosexual, I am trying to find out what percentage my sexuality is.

Sorry if I posted anything inappropriate, this is my first time posting in this thread.

Welcome to the list. You are quite appropriate in your post.

So you are a mixed up kid, so what else is new? Even at adult age many people remain mixed up. It is up to you as to whether you seek experience that is either AC or DC. You might turn out to be bi, but I think you are going to be a girls guy, and you are just confused by all the gay hype, and the current state of gay liberation. If you find it distasteful, you don't even need to experiment. Just keep your own counsel and keep everyone guessing. Don't get turned off by baseball analogies.

When I was quite young, the general route was homosexual experimentation before the age of 18 in a lot of cases, then heterosexual behavior thereafter. I think the "closet" days caused a lot of curiosity among teen-age males in the days of the late 1940s and early 1950s, but social pressures forced a "rectification". I can think of only once case where a school mate became a committed homosexual after high school. Young boys have a lot of fantasies, and talk a great deal among themselves, but nothing much happens, and they usually married by age 25 in those days. Of course, I can't speak for the girls. When I was in school, there were separate entrances for the sexes.

  Edited May 24, 2011 by A Nonny Moose  

[EyeofMobius 27]

Hey welcome here.

You may feel your way along throughout life and swing one way more one day and the next day swing more the other way. You may even feel completely unnattracted to anyone at times. Best thing to do I feel is to not get worked up over finding a spot to stand in, just keep on living.

[Shadow Assassin 336]

*snickers*

I just noticed that because I'm subscribed to this topic, it's got a little radio tower icon thingy. I shall call it the "gaydar".

Welcome to the closet, by the way.

[FreewayofFlight 41]

Welcome, stay as long as you like! And try on some pumps while you're here!

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I almost made a very lengthy and serious post trying to figure out the meaning of the two previous posts before realizing they were jokes. I have a very literal mind and poor social skills so once I figured out that those posts were jokes, I closed that tab and thought of something else to say.

1. Gaydar cannot exist without mind-reading but I find it funny that everyone thinks they have it, though I heard of instances were things should be completely obvious to a flirty girl and the flamboyant object of her affection used "Sorry, I'm Gay", actually there were quite a few funny tales Here. Though I probably would not turn down any offers since I don't even remember what a date feels like.

2. There are 4 types of pumps I can think of and I think (and very much hope, though I doubt it would not, since this is not an "adult" site) your joke refers to the shoes. Ha ha, very funny, though I don't like uncomfortable clothes (especially shoes with my obesity and joint problems) so if I were to dress more feminine or flamboyant, I would not change my shoes (I like Nike and to a lesser extent New Balance and others because they are very comfortable). I actually cosplayed at Sakura-Con last month and my first priority was comfort of the costume, second priority was humiliation factor when taking the bus from my quiet neighborhood to downtown (or walking downtown between the bus stop, the convention, and food) in a costume.