Aran

No problem. Wasn't certain to whom you were responding. The quote button is a marvelous thing.

Originally posted by: justanothersim86 ...those buried feelings...quote> Eh? Who?

I'd have to go with this one, though it's not fully implemented yet. The red/black one and the most recent grey one had backgrounds that used to drive me *^#%ing nuts.

Originally posted by: zelgadis ...Aran, your words are inspiring, but your avatar is downright depressing.quote> I'm usually a depressing sort of fellow, so it's quite suitable.

Originally posted by: Boggy1 Actually, I didnt have THAT much trouble today, thankfully.quote> Glad to hear it. Sorry if I sounded a bit preachy at the top of this page, but I've done volunteer work with gay kids (both boys and girls...seems like no one is safe) who encounter similar problems and have found that they cope a little better when they get that particular speech or something close to it. Hope it gave you something to think about. But hey - why be gloomy? It's a nice evening and everyone seems to be happy, or at least content. I say we bust out the root beers and through Boggy a coming-out party. First round's on me!

Originally posted by: Boggy1 ...im being bullyed loads and i cant handle it anymore...quote> Please don't think like that. I personally can't do anything about the bullies, though I wish I could. Yes, I understand (somewhat keenly, in fact) that this is difficult to deal with. Yes, there are an awful lot of narrow-minded people in this world who enjoy other people's pain. Yes, it's going to be a tough road to follow for a while. You may find that some of your friends will no longer consider themselves such simply because you're gay. If they can't accept you for who you are, were they really your friends in the first place? Consider also that some of them might need a little time to adjust their thinking but will end up supporting and being there for you - in spite of acting distant at this particular moment. Don't be afraid to reach out and find new people to be with. No matter where you are, there's always someone around who might be interested in knowing you. Make finding that person or people a goal and make new friends if necessary. This is a tough time in your life, sure. But you're young and, without knowing you aside from your posts here, seem to be strong enough to make the very hard decision of coming out to your mother; with that in mind, I feel confident that you'll probably adjust to the new situation fairly rapidly and overcome this obstacle. Please, please, please: remember that there are people who support you and who like/love you for who you really are inside, not for who they thought you seemed to be. You've made a good decision - don't let yourself be bullied into thinking otherwise. In the long run you'll be much happier for having been true to yourself rather than hiding behind a facade. Be strong. You will be the better for it. And don't hesitate to turn to us here when you need to talk to someone. Sometimes it helps just to have someone listen to your problems. Cheers. (And cheer up, please. You're certainly not alone.) Aran

Originally posted by: Boggy1 It actually went fine...quote> Glad to hear it. See? It wasn't painful after all, now, was it? Nothing to worry about!

Well, at least you're in hanging about a family-friendly web site and not one of those evil chat rooms with 50-year-old men masquerading as 14-year-old girls. If you're going to have nothing to do, it's better to not do it here. Judging by your post count, I'd guess that you have less to do than a lot of other people.

@sloppet: Quite. @vid: I don't even know how to respond to that other than to change the topic and hope for the best. What are you doing up this late, anyway? Doesn't anyone around here have a normal sleep cycle?

Thanks, but I don't need proof. I'm not interested in hamster porn. ...I must admit, though, that I am curious as to how they get them to wear those little thongs.

Pfft. You guys are both nuts.

Just a note...the title bar text on the "Latest Topics" page reads "Simtropolis Forums - Registration Agreement." Oops?

I was wondering the same thing, zelgadis. Care to share, boggy1?

Dirk et al: Thanks for finally jettisoning the grey pinstriped background. New site looks really good. Question, though: what happened to subscriptions? I can't seem to find a way to check my subscribed topics from the last BBS and (sadly) I can't remember every one of them to find and resubscribe to them.

Date: 2/24/2006 1:17:30 PM Author: vidioman You can pray for muscles!!quote> But he really should try working out. Better chance of getting results. I'm not entirely sure that JG is going to save the film. Heath Ledger is...ugh. The only movie in which I enjoyed his performance was The Patriot, but only because his character gets stabbed to death.

Date: 2/23/2006 5:59:06 PM Author: justanothersim86 Anyways. I'm getting the feeling that my grade 9 art teacher is either bisexual or a metrosexual... Art Class = strangequote> Could be worse. My first time through university was for music education. Better than half the professors in the college of music were flamboyantly gay. I always had the sneaking suspicion we were being groomed for careers on Broadway or something. Wish I'd had a gay male teacher in high school, though. Would have been easier to talk to than the school shrink. (The only out teacher on campus was the gym coach, who bore an uncanny resemblance to G.I. Jane...if Demi More had been twenty years older and a hundred pounds more muscular in the film. Frightening.) Not to get off topic (like we have one around here, anyway) but does anyone have an opinion on Brokeback Mountain? I've been putting off seeing it because it stars Heath Ledger, but all the positive buzz is making me curious.

Date: 2/23/2006 6:23:54 AM Author: Valiko87 So, if anyone thinks there's anything in the north worth BATing, I'm willing to take a crack at it.quote> I've been playing with the idea of tackling the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, but haven't been able to come up with any decent pics of it...or any time in which to do it. If you need an idea for a northern Michigan icon to BAT, that's the one I'd recommend. I'd love to see the old girl reproduced in SC4.

Date: 2/18/2006 12:46:51 PM Author: ILL Tonkso Heres my progress anyway... quote> Wow. Nice detail! Looks like a historic government building or perhaps a library/museum. Any idea what it'll turn out to be?

Date: 2/17/2006 3:20:46 PM Author: Boggy1 Well, so anyway, the plot thickens.. ... I'm really thinking of telling her....quote> What's stopping you at this point? It sounds as though your mother is not only giving you the opportunity to save yourself a lot of angst (for lack of a better term) but also letting you know that she's not going to bite your head off when you do get around to actually telling her. Fact is, you're going to have to let her know sooner or later. I can tell you from experience that sooner is generally less of a hassle in the long run. If nothing else, you'll be able to avoid a ton of stress by getting this out into the open. Consider yourself lucky that your mother is even willing to try to talk about this sort of thing openly. I'm sure I'm not the only person here who'd be better adjusted had he been able to talk to his parents when he was your age. Anyway, keep us posted and remember that no matter what might happen, we're always here to listen. Or read. Or something.

Date: 1/30/2006 6:20:17 PM Author: Fallon144 interesting, most ppl do not like to be 'hit on' as in, they do not like ppl comming up to them with the same cheesy openers like 'hey baby, whats your name' but i think most of them would prefer to being talked to in a normal way and taking things from there (if all goes well)quote> I don't mind being hit upon, really. What drives me nuts, however, is when I go out to eat with a group of straight friends and the waitress spends the entire time flirting with me. It's a bit unsettling...and I never hear the end of it from my friends, who think it's a riot. Aaagh! If any waitresses from 99 or Tony & Penny's out there are reading this: you're barking up the wrong tree. Sorry!

Date: 1/13/2006 8:30:55 PM Author: Shadow_Assassin It would've been logical...quote> I've noticed that logic and city planning are mutually exclusive for the most part. Thames is looking as beautiful as ever, frogface. Wish my cities came out as realistically as yours do. Two thumbs up!

Date: 1/8/2006 7:41:57 AM Author: vidioman NEVAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!quote> Could you at least nail George Michael back into his coffin? That guy gives me the creeps.

Date: 1/8/2006 3:37:08 AM Author: vidioman He wanted it's sex.quote> Aaaaagh! Vid, the eighties called. They want their lyrical allusions back.

Date: 1/7/2006 3:17:00 AM Author: vidioman Us homos and bis are a good influence!quote> When did this happen? I thought we were supposed to be harbingers of the impending breakdown of civilized society. Did I miss the memo?