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  Gay Movies You've Seen/Own
Posted by: CellarDweller - 05-30-2020, 11:36 PM - Forum: Gay-Movies - Replies (5)

So, what gay movies have you seen, or do you own either electronically or on DVD/Blu Ray?

Here's what I have in my collection:


8: The Mormon Proposition :  (2010)  Director Reed Cowan, who is a former Mormon missionary, "planned on making a film about gay teen homelessness and suicide in Utah, but switched his focus to Mormon ideology because of how it contributes to the homophobia that causes these problems".  The film focuses on the wealth and power of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and how the Church uses the National Organization for Marriage to advocate for denial of rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans. It states that LDS Church leader Thomas S. Monson asked to ensure the passage of the controversial California Proposition 8. It also claims that many homeless people in Utah are LGBT teens who were abandoned by their Mormon parents.

BearCity:  Tyler, an aspiring actor in his early twenties, has just moved to New York City in an attempt to jump-start his career. Young and slender, he fits in the "twink" category, but finds himself attracted to "bears", hairy and larger-bodied men. Tyler realizes his expectations of sexual escapades are falling far short of what he would have liked, while simultaneously falling for Roger, the muscle-bear friend of his roommates Fred and Brent. Meanwhile, Roger fears judgment for being with someone from outside the community, and hesitates to introduce Tyler to his friends.

Big Eden: is a 2000 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. Arye Gross stars as Henry Hart, a successful gay artist from New York City who returns to his rural hometown in Montana to care for his ailing grandfather. Henry is welcomed back by the townsfolk, all of whom are aware of his sexuality and are highly accepting and even supportive towards him (the film's plot and dialogue is notably devoid of homophobic content). However, during the months he stays in the town, Henry is forced to confront his unresolved feelings for his high school friend Dean Stewart, while simultaneously being oblivious to the feelings of Pike Dexter (Eric Schweig), the shy Native American owner of the town's general store.

The Boys in the Band:  is a 1970 American drama film directed by William Friedkin. The screenplay by Mart Crowley is based on his Off-Broadway play The Boys in the Band. It is among the first major American motion pictures to revolve around gay characters and is often cited as a milestone in the history of queer cinema, and is also thought to be the first mainstream American film to use the swear word cunt.

Michael, a Roman Catholic a recovering alcoholic and sporadically-employed writer, is preparing to host a birthday party for one of his friends, Harold. Another friend, Donald, a self-described underachiever who has moved from the city, arrives and helps Michael prepare. Alan, Michael's (presumably straight) former college roommate from Georgetown University, calls with an urgent need to see Michael. Michael reluctantly agrees and invites him to come over.

One by one, the guests arrive. Emory is a stereotypical flamboyant interior designer. Hank, a soon-to-be-divorced schoolteacher, and Larry, a fashion photographer, are a couple but struggling with monogamy. Bernard is an amiable black bookstore clerk. Alan calls again to inform Michael that he will not be coming after all, and the party continues in a festive manner. Unexpectedly, Alan arrives, throwing the gathering into turmoil.

"Cowboy," a hustler and Emory's "gift" to Harold, arrives. As tensions mount, Alan assaults Emory, and in the ensuing chaos, Harold finally makes his grand appearance. In the middle of the scuffle, Michael impulsively begins drinking again. As the guests become more and more intoxicated, hidden resentments begin to surface, and the party moves indoors from the patio because of a sudden downpour.


Brokeback Mountain is a 2005 American romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written by Ossana and Larry McMurtry. The film stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, and Michelle Williams and depicts the complex emotional and sexual relationship between Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist in the American West from 1963 to 1983.

Handsome Harry: (2009) is the story of Harry Sweeney's journey to find forgiveness from an old Navy friend. One day Harry gets a call from an old Navy buddy, Kelley, who is on his deathbed. At first, Harry wants nothing to do with Kelley, but soon memories and guilt overcome him and he goes on a journey to confront his old friends.

First he goes to meet Kelley in a Philadelphia hospital. Kelley asks Harry to seek forgiveness from David on his behalf. Kelley dies in the hospital the next day. Harry then goes on to meet more of his Navy buddies to find the truth about what actually happened the night they assaulted David together. Somebody dropped a generator on David's hand that night, but Harry could not recollect who it was.

In time it is revealed that Harry and David were having an affair back in the Navy. Kelley found Harry and David in a sexually compromising position in the shower. In fear of repercussion, Harry turned on David. Kelley and rest of the gang including Harry got drunk and assaulted David. It was in the end revealed that Harry was the one who dropped the generator on David, maiming him for life.


The Laramie Project:  is a 2002 drama film written and directed by Moisés Kaufman and starring Nestor Carbonell, Christina Ricci, Dylan Baker, Terry Kinney, and Lou Ann Wright. Based on the play of the same name, the film tells the story of the aftermath of the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming. It premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and was first broadcast on HBO in March 2002.

Latter Days:  (2003) Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), a young Mormon, arrives in Los Angeles with three fellow missionaries to evangelize. The group's promiscuous gay neighbor, Christian (Wes Ramsey), makes a bet he can seduce and sleep with one of them, and his flirtatious ways help Aaron realize he is actually gay. Returning home to small-town Idaho in shame, Aaron is sent to a faith-based center to be cured of his homosexuality -- while Christian, who's fallen in love with him, desperately tries to find him.

Longtime Companion:  (1990)  During the 1980s, a group of gay men and their straight female friend confront the spread of AIDS. Personal trainer Willy (Campbell Scott) watches the epidemic grow, advocating for awareness. Willy's friend John (Dermot Mulroney) is the first to be infected, but soon it becomes clear that a pandemic is underway in the gay community. Willy, boyfriend Fuzzy (Stephen Caffrey) and his adopted sister, Lisa (Mary-Louise Parker), look on as their friends and loved ones succumb to the disease.

Milk:  (2008)  In 1972, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his then-lover Scott Smith leave New York for San Francisco, with Milk determined to accomplish something meaningful in his life. Settling in the Castro District, he opens a camera shop and helps transform the area into a mecca for gays and lesbians. In 1977 he becomes the nation's first openly gay man elected to a notable public office when he wins a seat on the Board of Supervisors. The following year, Dan White (Josh Brolin) kills Milk in cold blood.

Out  of The Past:  (1998)  In 1995, Kelli Peterson started a gay and straight club at her Salt Lake City high school. The story of her ensuing battle with school authorities in interspersed with looks back at the diary of Michael Wigglesworth, a 17th-century Puritan cleric, at the 30-year love affair of Sarah Orne Jewett and Annie Adams Fields, at Henry Gerber's attempt after World War I to establish a gay-rights organization, at Bayard Rustin's role in the civil rights movement, and at Barbara Gittings' taking on of the American Psychiatric Association's position that homosexuality is illness. One person comments, "To create a place for ourselves in the present, we have to find ourselves in the past."

Out In The Dark:  (2012)  The film is set in Israel, and State of Palestine where State of Palestine student Nimer Mashrawi (Nicholas Jacob) is heading to Tel Aviv to meet his friend Mustafa N'amnais (Loai Nofi) at a gay bar. While at the bar, he meets a local Israeli lawyer named Roy Scheffer (Michael Aloni). The couple fall in love, though Nimer struggles with the reality of their relationship. Later in the story, Palestinian society rejects Nimer because of his sexual orientation, whereas initially Israeli society rejects him due to his nationality. The situation is made worse for Nimer when he realises his brother Nabil Mashrawi (Jamil Khoury) is hiding a weapon stockpile for his militant friends.

Prom Queen:  (2004)  In Inniston, Marc Hall (Aaron Ashmore) is popular and his sexuality relatively well-accepted by his classmates and later his parents. But when he decides to take his boyfriend to the prom as his date, he finds he has stepped over the line straight into the fight of his young life and sends ripples though Canada's media. From just an ordinary teenager, he becomes an icon for LGBT rights across the nation when he discovers he is battling discrimination to date whoever he wants within the spotlight of the nation's media cast center on his struggle.

Shelter:  (2007)  Living in the oceanfront working-class community of San Pedro, Zach (Trevor Wright) is a young man in his early twenties who has been forced into the role of emotional anchor for his dysfunctional family; his mother his dead, his father is too ill to work, his sister Jeannie is too busy partying to look after her five-year-old son Cody, and Zach is the only one with the wherewithal to hold down a job and keep the rent paid. He's sacrificed his dream of attending CalArts in order to help Jeannie raise Cody. Between cooking at a diner and looking after Cody, Zach has little in the way of spare time, but as often as he can he heads to the beach to indulge his passion for surfing. While hanging out with his surfing buddy Gabe, Zach meets Gabe's brother, the struggling homosexual writer Shaun (Brad Rowe), who has taken a break from Tinseltown while rebounding from a dysfunctional relationship. Shaun goes surfing with Zach one day, and the two discover they're powerfully attracted to one another, and a flirtation turns into a love affair.

Small Town Gay Bar:  (2006)  The lives of gays in the Deep South are explored in this documentary, which looks at two bars in rural Mississippi that cater to a homosexual clientele. "Rumors" is in all other ways a modest neighborhood hangout; "Crossroads" is an anything-goes establishment. Interviews with regular patrons portray both bars as islands of acceptance in an ocean of prejudice, exemplified by the derision of customers at nearby straight bars and the cutting homophobia of anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps.

Sordid Lives:  (2000)  The bizarre death of Peggy Ingraham, the matriarch of a working-class Texas family, sets off fireworks within her dysfunctional family. Her determinedly proper daughter Latrelle is in denial over the fact that her son Ty, an actor trying to make it in Hollywood, is gay, and is relieved that her only brother, a gay drag queen and dedicated Tammy Wynette impersonator, has been confined to a mental institution for 23 years simply because he is gay. Latrelle's brassy sister LaVonda, however, thinks her brother should be released from the institution and has a perfect right to attend their mother's funeral. Meanwhile, Ty, who has strived hard to accept his homosexuality, realizes that there is no way he can return home for his grandmother's funeral without coming out to his mother.

Stonewall Uprising:  (2010)  Stonewall Uprising begins with a general overview of societal attitudes toward homosexuality in 1960s America.  Archival footage from locally produced television programs, public service films warning of the "dangers" of homosexuality and "CBS Reports: The Homosexuals", and interviews with Stonewall participants and observers present both a national perspective and a personal one.    The film then shifts to the days immediately preceding the riot and the specific conditions in New York City, including a raid on the Stonewall Inn that had happened days before the raid that triggered the riot, to explain why conditions were ripe for some action to happen. Archive film from the riots, dramatic re-enactments and eyewitness testimony are presented, along with animation of the streets surrounding the Stonewall Inn showing how rioters were able to evade and outflank responding police.   It concludes with an examination of the aftermath of the rioting, including the energizing of the gay community as a political force and the establishment of Christopher Street Liberation Day, the genesis of gay pride parades in the United States.

TransAmerica:  (2005)  One week before her vaginoplasty, a trans woman named Sabrina "Bree" Osbourne (Felicity Huffman) receives an unexpected phone call from a young man named Toby Wilkins (Kevin Zegers), a 17-year-old jailed in New York City. He asks for Stanley Schupak (Bree's deadname), claiming to be Stanley's son.  Bree was previously unaware she had a son; she now wants to break with her past and renounce him. However, Bree's therapist (Elizabeth Peña) refuses permission for her operation if she does not face up to her past ties before facing her new future.  Bree flies from Los Angeles to New York City to bail Toby out of jail. Toby is a foul-mouthed runaway plus small-time drug user and male "hustler". His mother committed suicide when he was a child after which he was raised by his stepfather, whom he says he does not want to see.

Were The World Mine:  (2008)  Timothy (Tanner Cohen) is an openly gay student at a private boys' school. Although now in his senior year, he is still persecuted by the aggressive rugby team, on whose captain, Jonathon (Nathaniel David Becker), he has a crush. Timothy lives with his mother, Donna (Judy McLane), who is struggling with her son's sexuality and with getting a job, and his father who is not a part of his life.   Timothy is cast as Puck in the senior production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. While reviewing his lines, he discovers the recipe for creating the flower love-in-idleness. Timothy uses the flower to have the homophobic town take a "walk in his shoes". The entire town is thrown into chaos as previously heterosexual community members fall in love with their same-sex friends, bosses, and co-workers: whomever they first saw after being sprayed by the flower. The school drama teacher, Ms. Tebbit (Wendy Robie), guides Timothy towards the question of whether his actions have caused more harm than good.

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  Love, Victor
Posted by: andy - 05-29-2020, 12:09 PM - Forum: Streaming-TV-Series - No Replies

The trailer for the 'Love, Simon' spin-off series 'Love, Victor' has been released.

The series continues in the setting of Creekwood High (Simon's old school) where new pupil Victor discovers the troubles of high school life and battles with his own sexuality. He starts to write letters to Simon for advice with details of what he is going through and views about coming out of the closet.

The video also gives you a sneak peak of some of the other characters - Victor's friends Benji, Felix, Mia; his mum and dad - Armando and Isabel who have their own releationship problems; Bram - Simon's bf who also offers advice.



The show arrives on Hulu on June 19th.

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  "La Bohème" for the age of COVID-19
Posted by: LONDONER - 05-12-2020, 01:04 PM - Forum: COVID-19 - Replies (1)

English Opera are hoping to make some productions available on line, but as one commentator remarked, since the performers have to "socially distance" just how will Rodolfo know that Mimi's tiny hand is frozen???

Well, since we are in 2020, he would obviously use a thermal imaging camera.

Thinking about this, maybe between us we could write a whole new "La Boheme" for the COVID-19 era so that Mimi would be working in a garment factory in Bangladesh and Rodolfo working for an NGO writing reports on the factory conditions.

Any other suggestions welcome.

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  What Do You Collect?
Posted by: CellarDweller - 05-04-2020, 07:36 PM - Forum: Everyday-Stories - Replies (6)

Ok,  does anyone have any collections they like to show off?

Memorabilia from a favorite TV show or movie?

Prints of any kind?

Magnets from travels?

Books from a specific author?

Figurines of animals?


Show off what you have!


When I was a kid, my favorite cartoon was The Super Friends.  There wasn't a lot of memorabilia out at the time for this show, which aired from 1973 through 1986.  However, over the years, on anniversaries of the debut of the cartoon, items were released.  

Of course, by then I had a disposable income, so I began collecting!

For those who don't know, The Super Friends  was a "kid friendly" version of the Justice League of America.  Each week, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin & Aquaman battled wrong-doers with as little violence as possible.  (after all, it was 1973, cartoons were supposed to be safe).

Over the years the name of the cartoon changed, but the 5 main heroes remained, with a slew of others joining in the action.

The Super Friends,  The All New Super Friends, Challenge of the Super Friends, The World's Greatest Super Friends,  Super Friends,  Super Friends - Legendary Super Powers Show, and finally, Super Powers Team - Galactic Guardians.


This was the line-up that started it all, the 5 main heroes with their kid sidekicks, Wendy, Marvin & their pet Wonder Dog.  They were like Scooby-Doo rip-offs, with no powers, who somehow were able to hang out with the Super Friends.


[Image: 49855352623_b70fb2c6f8_c.jpg]

That poster above hangs on my bedroom wall.   I only have one bedroom in my apartment.  My hope is to one day have a townhouse, and I will use a spare room in that house as a "memorabilia room" for all my stuff.

Anyway, on to the next pic.

These are a collection of Super Friends pictures or model cels that were used in the making of the cartoon.

[Image: 49856195397_57c1b5af17_b.jpg]

Starting from the top down:   Superman, the center pic is a framed pillowcase, and then Wonder Woman.  The next row down is Batman & Robin.  Below them is Aquaman & the Wonder Twins (Zan & Jayna - they are shape shifters).  Below them is Hawkwoman and Hawkman (they can fly, and are strong hand to hand combatants), below them is Flash (super speed), Atom (can shrink to microscopic size), Rima the Jungle Girl (expert tracking, can communicate with animals), Green Lantern (power ring that responds to his will power) and the bottom row is Black Vulcan (electrical powers), Samurai (wind powers, fire powers, invisibility), Apache Chief (can grow to 50 ft. tall) and El Dorado (teleportation and hologram projection)


Side note on that last row.   The majority of the main heroes were white, so other characters were introduced to make the cartoon more diverse.  The Wonder Twins were aliens from a planet called Exor, but they were given a darker complexion.  Rima is from South America.  The last row of heroes were invented for the cartoon, and they did make the cartoon more diverse.  However, rather than name them after their powers, they were named after their ethnicity, so it was a bit of a fail.

Super Friends mini lunchbox,  Wonder Twins action figures, and a Justice League glass that changes colors when filed with liquid.

Beneath them are four statues, Robin, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.  I left space on the shelf for the last one, Aquaman.

[Image: 49855891346_50dd325899_c.jpg]

along the back of the shelf are 5 books. Three of them are TPBs that collect a number of comic book stories on The Super Friends. The other two are "companion" books that discuss the history of the cartoons, the comic books, and various trivia about the Super Friends in general.

On the bottom of the shelf are a box of post cards, playing cards, cigarette case and lighter (these are not licensed, official items, they were made by a fan), a journal, and a greeting card set.

[Image: 49855352563_9e8c6bfdf2_h.jpg]

Two Super Friends card games,  miniature Wonder Twins figures, Wonder Twins Funko Pops, and a stationary set.

[Image: 49855891261_f25a9785bb_b.jpg]

Super Friends action figures.

[Image: 49855352583_78985d0fab_b.jpg]


Super Friends dolls.




[Image: 49856195292_537c8d4e06_h.jpg]



The enemies of the Super Friends, the Legion of Doom dolls.




[Image: 49856195357_a27e517a81_h.jpg]




A carrying case for the above dolls.



[Image: 49855891246_cd7dbe5d91_b.jpg]

My Super Friends DVDs


[Image: 94100742_10158021167837348_5940499035239...e=5ED557FD]

Bedsheet set


[Image: 94688223_10158021173897348_2033590177691...e=5ED7B957]

and finally, a bed cover and a sleeping bag.



[Image: 94478418_10158021178382348_1969355398431...e=5ED5B238]



[Image: 95107254_10158021183797348_1511741102787...e=5ED5E5F1]




Whew! That took longer than I thought!

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  Shortage of toilet paper
Posted by: LONDONER - 05-04-2020, 07:15 PM - Forum: COVID-19 - Replies (23)

At the outbreak of the pandemic there was panic buying of, of all things, toilet paper.  At one point I really thought we'd be reduced to this:
   


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  Madonna tests positive for COVID antibodies!
Posted by: andy - 05-04-2020, 10:58 AM - Forum: World-News-Forum - Replies (4)

[Image: madonna-covid-670x377.jpg]

She mentions that she intends to "breathe COVID-19 air" after receiving a positive test result for antibodies in the strange video posted on her Insta below...

From her Instagram post on May 1st she announced she took the test last week and it came back positive.  This means she's probably already had the coronavirus and didn't realise she had it!  She says she now plans to go outside and "breathe in the COVID-19 air."

“Here’s the good news. Tomorrow’s another day and I’m going to wake up and I’m going to feel differently.”

She then urged people to #staysafe and #staysane.



Scientists still aren't sure about whether having antibodies means you have immunity to COVID-19 or if you have - how long it will last for.

In April, Madonna was scorned for posting another video of herself in a milk bath complaining about how awful but also how great COVID-19 was and labelling it the "great equaliser" as it doesn't descriminate how rich or famous you are.  The video has since been zapped from her Insta page but reuploaded to YT...



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  Watch An Asteroid Pass By Earth
Posted by: InbetweenDreams - 04-29-2020, 06:48 PM - Forum: World-News-Forum - No Replies

This year's largest asteroid that will pass by Earth will be streamed on YouTube.

The stream starts at 2:30 PM (EDT/ GMT -4) ...in about 50 minutes.



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  Queer As Folk USA reunion (COVID-19) on morning of May 1st 2020
Posted by: andy - 04-29-2020, 10:25 AM - Forum: Gay-News - Replies (1)

Will be a YouTube livestreaming event for COVID-19 fundraising.

To be streamed live between 11am and 2pm and will be hosted by Scott Lowell (Ted).

Taking part will be Robert Gant (Ben), Randy Harrison (Justin), Peter Paige (Emmett), Hal Sparks (Michael) and Michelle Clunie (Melanie).

The show's writers, producers and guest actors will also be taking part. Scott's Instagram post mentions Rosie O'Donell.

There will be question and answer sessions as well as an auction of memorabilia from the show.

[Image: 1.jpg]

Update: here it is for those that missed it! Smile


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  Reflections on 2020
Posted by: Alvin - 04-24-2020, 02:39 PM - Forum: Everyday-Stories - Replies (2)

Whenever I think of what happened in 2020, it flashes back to the day when I was sitting in McDonald's with my friend Sindy. It was the first day after the reporting that the novel coronavirus(Covid-19) could be transmitted through person to person. We were both wearing a mask, planning the next meetup. Little did we know that the outbreak should turn into a pandemic, and we didn't meet again till early April.
 
During self-isolation in Shanghai, the key words of media coverage have been "Covid-19". It's even more so on WeChat, where you get shocking video clips, angry posts, and disheartening photos from other members of the chat group. In retrospect, I had to admit that those unchecked information(sometimes misleading) caused more mental strain than the outbreak itself, and that was the moment when I decided to stop reading too much news and shifted my attention to other things such as reading books and playing games. It worked for a while, but still the curiosity brought me back again to the headlines. Luckily, communication is the savior. The interpersonal connections have never been more crucial than now. I know I am loved when friends send me messages, asking how I'm keeping. 
 
Job-wise, working from home is by no means a term I have never heard of. That said, it is still challenging as technological glitches can happen when you least expect it. Take it for me, teaching online requires more talking from my side since students generally don't want to speak on their microphones, which inevitably turns out to be a monologue. A class without face-to-face interaction is somewhat underwhelming. Disappointing as it sounds, the idea of distant education gradually grows on me, for it saves the time for commuting. With an iPad and proper teaching materials, I'm ready to go.
 
March marked the turning point, especially in Shanghai. Lockdown measures had been lifted step by step. While walking along the Bund, I did feel like this IS the light of the tunnel as they say. In contrast, however, Italy became the new epicenter for the virus outbreak.
 
Though I have never been to Italy, I find myself connected to it in every way. I made my first Italian friend while studying in Germany, then met my partner(an Italian Irish), and reconnected with my Italian godmother(another story). Because of them, I kept a close eye on what was going on in Italy. For others, the situation in Italy may serve as no more than a piece of news, but for me, it means the life and death of people I care about. 
 
The word "reciprocal" underlines my experience during the escalation from the outbreak in China to the pandemic worldwide. The receiving end switched to the giving end. Now it's my turn to ask about my friends how they're keeping in Europe. The stress and boredom I had during the lockdown mirrors their experience. Ironically, thanks to the self-quarantine, we have more spare time to share everyday life--sometimes my German buddy sent me videos of BTS to show me which one is her favorite and why, other times I practice Italian with my godmother. All these are nothing substantial compared to the sacrifices from the front-line medical workers, but it is the best I can do. Zooming out on a broader sense, everyone can help everyone. 
 
Amid the pandemic, I start to rethink what matters in life. To me, it's health, love, and money. The topic of health goes hand in hand with the issue of death. My godmother lost her auntie, who died of Covid-19. Most people feel dread when they contemplate their or others' mortality. As death has been hidden away in hospitals and nursing homes, it has become less familiar and harder to talk about. Politicians are scared to bring up this topic in case of controversy. But honest and open conversations with the fact that our beloved ones could pass away should be as much a part of modern medicine as prescribing drugs or fixing broken bones because at the end of the day, everyone loses everyone. 
 
Likewise, the connections with beloved ones shape who we are today. I am grateful that I have my family around. It can be depressing when you have to perform social distancing even though you can talk on the phone. The togetherness of living under the same roof, despite occasional disputes, eases the anxiety and loneliness. To say that my father is my mentor seems to be an understatement. He has been always supportive for me.
 
Some culture tends to denounce materialism, as it is deemed as the origin of  corruption. Yet I've never been "corrupted" by money as long as I earn it. On the contrary, I find "money" all the more useful. Money, if it does not bring us happiness, will at least help us be miserable in comfort. If not, think about the celebrities who have got tested. The unavoidable economic recession following the pandemic puts another harsh reality on the table--financial security. Without it, we won't be able to pay the bills and even enjoy just a cup of coffee at the café. 
 
Most schools in Shanghai will reopen on May 18th. While it has been only 3 months since the declaration of national emergency, it feels like forever. Covid-19 has fundamentally changed the way I live. I have a spare mask in my backpack just in case. I am more alert to coughs and sneezes. I wash my hands religiously. Will we ever be able to get back to where we were before? Hardly. The new normal is coming. But as long as those who I love are safe, I am grand.


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  Protesting an Non-Essential Acivity?
Posted by: InbetweenDreams - 04-19-2020, 07:54 PM - Forum: World-News-Forum - Replies (5)

I'm not quite sure how I feel about everything going on. I don't think enough people will take the stay at home order issued in North Carolina or in other states. Too many people think the virus is fake, some sort of conspiracy or just not serious. 

I also understand why people are protesting. Many many people have lost their jobs and unlike other countries are not getting any relief, other than the one time $1,200 check. Unemployment works very slow and a lot of red tape in this country and every state operates differently, so understandably people are unhappy. I don't think people in the country take the virus serious because it hasn't hit them personally.

I also understand the perspective those who are concerned about the government breaching constitutional rights, particularly the 1st amendment, right to free speech, right to assemble and so on. That is something many Americans take very seriously. 

I also understand the implications that rescinding the shutdowns will likely have. It means that in a month or two people will know someone personally who has it or even worse died from it. Truth is we don't really know what will happen. There's a lot of "noise" if you will about the testing and how many people are asymptomatic. 

People need to be able to keep a roof over their head, food on the table and be able to pay their bills just as someone who owns a business should not have to go bankrupt. Other countries seem to be doing more to keep things afloat. I mean am I wrong? Would it seem that people in other countries are more complaint with the orders because their governments are doing the right things to make it successful?

Anyway, I'm not sure what the full story is, but it sounds like this might have been a bit overreaching.

https://thefederalist.com/2020/04/15/ral...-activity/

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