Googles New Rules and Bisexual Buddies Picture Blog

By definition, one of the blogs at which Google is launching a direct hit is "Jack Scotts Bisexual Buddies Pictures." It is loaded with nothing but XXX pictures of hot guys.

Though the blog has been only an archive for several months due to my sickness, about 150 people a day still access the blog. Frankly, I am at a loss as what I should do about the picture blog, but something must be done before March 23, 2015. The easiest thing to do would be just to delete it. I could also let Google take it private, but I am hesitant to do that for two reasons:
     1. They might lump BisexualBuddies Blog in with the picture blog and make them both private.
     2. If the blog goes private everyone would have to ask permission to see it, and I just don't think that would work. Viewers would most likely drop to almost nothing.

If any of you have suggestions, I be glad to consider them. A private server would be great, but it would have to have sufficient bandwidth and an owner willing to lend space. I don't have such a server.

There are some really great pictures in the blog I have collected for years. I personally hate to loose them, but I see no other solution. I don't have the personal space to archive them. Even if someone else does I'm not sure they could all be downloaded to another personal archive by March 23rd. Again, if anyone knows how to bring such a personal archive about, let me know.

Again, as with the written blog, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but Google has left all of us with few good choices.

Jack Scott

New Google Rules for Blogspot

As you may know as of March 23, 2015, Blogger is no longer going to allow XXX pictures on public blogs. Any blog with such pictures will be designated private and only those invited may read the blog.

Such a "private" designation is entirely outside the bounds I want for this blog. Therefore, I will be stripping all XXX pictures from the blog before the deadline. Pictures have always been secondary to the written content of the blog.

I hope this new look for the blog is not too upsetting for you. There is nothing I can do. My hands are tied.

Jack Scott

A Texas Hero Lost - A Notorious Houstonian Dead

Texas lost a hero Friday night. We knew it was coming, but knowing it is coming doesn't lessen the shock of realizing such a man is gone forever.

He wasn't a politician, never dreamed of being one; but what a different world it would be if all politicians had his outlook on life, his simple concept of what it is to be a man, what is right and what is wrong. What would the United States of America look like today if it had such a natural born leader as this man was? In a country where true leadership is virtually unknown to a whole generation of Americans, this hero could teach many valuable lessons to our politicians if only there was someone willing to learn.

He died Friday night surrounded by family and former Oiler's tight end, Mike Barber, without accomplishing a couple of his fondest dreams; but no one who knew him would ever think of calling him a failure because he never gave up and he never quit. And those who knew him best know if he had achieved his fondest dreams he would have reacted by simply dreaming bigger dreams. He was just that type of man.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans knew his name; but he wasn't impressed with his own

President George H. W. Bush and Bum

celebrity because celebrity was never one of his goals. Instead, his basic goal was to mold young men into talented men of courage, determination and character. 

He never thought of himself as anything other than a simple man. As a simple man, he tried to be the best father, Texan, rancher and coach he could be. As a man who desired to be each of those things full time, he spent his life regretting it was not possible. He had to make difficult decisions about priorities that troubled him. But those he fathered never felt cheated because he had to spend so much time away. Texans loved him and never turned their backs on him. He died a happy man on his small, by Texas standards, 400 acre ranch. It was the place where he wanted to die and be buried. Coach? It  was something he loved and it consumed about half of his adult live. But to him, coach was not just a title attached to any ball coach. To him coaching was much more than winning games. It was about molding the character of  young men, teaching them to plow through adversity as well as teaching them to be humble in victory and resolute in defeat. Above all he was determined to teach them how to exhibit these things on the ball field as well as in their personal lives. Mike Barber was an example of Coach's success. After Leaving the NFL he became a minister. In the last few months, he visited coach several times in that capacity.

Bum, overwhelmed by 70,000 fans who showed up to show their support after the Oiler' playoff loss to the Steelers on January 6, 1980.

It has been said he was the Will Rogers of the NFL; and indeed, though it is a title he would have rejected, it fit him well to those who knew him. Like Rogers, some of his off the cuff comments have never been forgotten:

"If I could be remembered for one thing, that would be for being myself. You may not always be right, but you do what you think is right. If you're wrong, have the ability to admit it. Both are damned important."

"How do you win? By getting average players to play good and good players to play great." 

"Don Shula? Now there's a good football coach. He can take his'n and beat your'n, or he can take your'n and beat his'n." 

"There's only two types of coaches; them that's been fired and them that's gonna be fired."

 "I always thought I could coach. I just thought people were poor judges of coaches." 

of Earl Campbell, "I don't know if he's in a class by himself, but I do know that when that class gets together, it sure don't take long to call the roll."

(when asked about Oilers RB Earl Campbell's inability to finish a one-mile run in training camp) "When it's first and a mile, I won't give it to him." 

(referring to Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon) "That boy could throw a football through a car wash and not get it wet." 

"There are people, maybe two or three, that ain't gonna like you. Not everbody likes everbody. My grandpa used to say, 'Just nod and grin.' "

"You can lead me a lot further than you can drive me. …You can't win today by embarrassing your football players. If I played for a guy who shouted at me, I'd sock him. …If you gripe at everbody, you accomplish nothin. To motivate somebody, you have to explain why something needs to be done before you can ask somebody to do it. Tell me why and I'll do just about everthing."

"The Dallas Cowboys may be Americas team, but the Houston Oilers are Texas' team.

(To an official) "Hey, can I, can I tell you one thing? That's three holding penalties on one football team in a quarter and a half. (Pauses) That ain't funny."

I was privileged, a few months ago, to be in Reliant Stadium in Houston when Bum made what was to be his last visit to a Texans game. At half time he and Earl Campbell and other ex Oilers were honored for their contributions to Houston's NFL teams. There were thousands of young people in the stands who weren't even born when Bum was still coaching, but they still knew who Bum was and joined the throngs in rising to their feet and filling the stadium with extended cheers for Oail Andrew Phillips, the man who will always just be "Bum" to Texans.

I have no idea what Bum's views on homosexuality or bisexuality were. But to me, he seemed like a man who always judged others more on the quality of their character than anything else. More than likely, in his long career, Bum coached a homosexual young man, maybe two or theree. That it never became a public issue fits right in with the man we all came to know and respect.

Bum Phillips

(September 29, 1923 – October 18, 2013)

Rest In Peace, Bum

You Eared Your Place In Our Hearts

We'll miss you Bum! Thanks for your example. Thanks for the memories.

Jack Scott 

P.S.  A couple of the dreams Bum never achieved were winning a Super Bowl and opening a facility on his ranch for deaf youngsters. No one can help with the Superbowl win but everyone can help Bum achieve his goal to open the facility for deaf children.

The Phillips family invites donations to Bum's charities. Contributions can be made through:

www. bumphillipscharities.com

or  to

Bum Phillips Charities

2189 South Riverdale Lane

Goliad, TX  77963

P.P.S.

   The Most Hated Man in Houston Dies

Life often take strange twists and turns and so it did with  the death yesterday of Bud Adams. It was strange that Bum and Bud who were close friends who parted ways over business  and owner/coach issues and finally decided to let bygones be bygones years later were again separated by death and then joined in death 3 days later.

For Bum it showed what a great guy he was to let bygones be bygones and to forgive Adams for doing the unthinkable. Texans and especially Houstonians never did forgive Bud although after moving the Oilers to Tennessee he continued to live in his Houston River Oaks mansion, where he was found dead on Sunday, and conduct much of his business in Houston. As he was worth an estimated 1.3 billion dollars at his death, he contributed greatly to the Houston economy and the welfare of Houston.

In all fairness, Adams along with Lamar Hunt, another Texas billionaire, must be given credit for creating the AFL. Without the AFL coming into being, there never would have been a professional football team in Houston, at least for several more decades.

Some Texans fans and former Oilers fans don't know that. Some do and don't give a damn. They still have never forgiven Adams for taking the Oilers to Tennessee and never will. Even in death, some are not willing to forgive. He is seen by many Texans as a deserter and a man who got too greedy when he was already worth millions.

He bought the Oilers franchise for $25,000.00 in or about 1960. At the time of his death, the Titans franchise was worth in or around $1,000,000,000. 

Suffice it to say Adams, dead at 90 years of age, the same as Bum, lived a long and productive life and he shared much of that productivity with the City of Houston and its citizens. Maybe he won't ever be forgiven by Houstonians, but then too, he'll never be forgotten.

Rest in peace Bud. I can't say many Houstonians will miss you. But thanks for what you did for Houston before and after snatching the Oilers out of state in the dark of night.

Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. 

(January 3, 1923 – October 21, 2013)

Founder of the Houston Oilers - now the Tennessee Titans

Jack Scott

  

The Cat Did It!

I've encountered a bit of a technical problem. The cat knocked my modem off the shelf and broke it. The only way I can access the internet is by using the hot spot on my iPhone.

Of course, I'm limited in the use of that resource. I hope to have the modem replaced and working in the next couple of days.

Thanks.

Jack Scott

Up and Running Again

My apologies for being absent for a while. The last couple of weeks have been a perfect electronic storm for me.

All my electronic gear went to war against me at about the same time. It started when my printer suddenly decided not to print. Then, I had to buy a new modem. No sooner had I installed the new modem than my hard disk crashed.

Finally, my email account went crazy and no one at AT&T or Apple could figure it out. Finally, a supervisor at AT&T figured out one piece of the problem and I stumbled onto the second piece of it and together we got it up and running.

All in all it's been a hellish two weeks.

I hope to post a new blog piece in the next couple of days.

Jack Scott

The Tragedy of Assumptive Thinking

Enjoy Hell, Tamerlan Tsarnaev! Perhaps you set out to ba a martyr. Instead you just ended up a dead terrorist on the streets of Watertown. You ended up a disappointment and a source of shame to all who knew you. Those who you so wantonly murdered became the martyrs. If there is eternal justice, you'll end up groveling at their feet begging for forgiveness.

Why did you come to this country? Was it to escape the brutality that is so much a part of your native country? If so, why did you see fit to become an instrument of the same kind of brutality in the country that willingly offered you sanctuary? You were nothing better than a cur dog who viciously bites the hand that feeds him. In reality, to compare you to a cur dog is to denigrate the dog. The dog has no ability to reason or think. You didn't either, but you were capable of it, and you chose not to. Instead of empathetic thinking you stooped to assumptive thinking which led you to the murder of innocents.

It is a shame that you met your death so early. It would have been good to see you in chains for years to come.  I truly believe that what goes around, comes around. What's coming to you can't be painful enough.

Jack Scott

An Open Letter To the Republican Party

I almost never blog about politics, but we are living in perilous times when all that is needed for evil to threaten the liberties that we Americans take for granted to come to an end is for good people who put the good of the country and all its citizens first and foremost to continue to say and do nothing about the extremism that is shackling our Country. And as you will see if you bother to read all the way though this blog piece, I'm not just talking about one political party or the other. There is more than enough blame for all to share.

One might ask, how does that have anything to do with homosexual and bisexual people. The answer is that it has everything to do with it. America is just now beginning to take the rights of gay Americans seriously. But if America is overtaken by extremist politics and viewpoints, those citizens with little power, including racial minorities, immigrants, and those who are sexually different will be the first to be assaulted.

I have not always been a Republican. As a young man I was a supporter of LBJ, and I actually voted for Bill Clinton; not once, but twice. I don't actually regret either stance. I've come to believe that the old saying, "If you are young and not liberal, then you have no heart; but if you are old and not conservative, then you have no brain," is entirely true. As I aged, I got smarter and more realistic about the world, just as one is supposed to do.

As a moderate Republican who believes that neither the Republican Party nor any other arm of the Federal government should be making laws about what goes on in our bedrooms or insist that their religious beliefs should trump mine concerning reproductive rights, I felt Mitt Romney could and should defeat President Obama in last November's national election. I was wrong on the "could" part of that feeling. I remain convinced the country would have been better off had the "should" part of my feeling prevailed.

I'm not fearful for myself over Obama's political goals. I an old man who may well be dead before his second term ends in 2016. I am, however, very fearful for my kids and my grandkids who are going to continue to live in a country that bears almost no resemblance to the country in which I grew up in the 50's and early 60's.

The founding fathers never meant for government to be a guarantor of and provider of equality among the people of the United States. Instead,they meant  the government to see to it that everyone  has an equal chance at equality, not in absolute terms, but under the law. Because the right to happiness and its pursuit is inalienable, we as individuals must take full responsibility to work hard at achieving our own happiness. Many people don't realize that. They sit and wait for the government to deliver it wrapped up in a bow.

President Obama and the Democrat Party have perverted the wisdom of the founding fathers and are trying their best to make the Federal Government the arbiter of equality through taking full responsibility for everyone's happiness. If one group has failed to achieve for whatever reason, the Democrats are willing to help through the redistribution of income. In other words those of us who have worked hard all our lives and achieved the American Dream will be required to share our hard earned wealth; and yes, our privileges with those who have never taken advantage of any opportunity or worked hard at anything in their whole lives to achieve their own piece of the American Dream. 

I was astounded, during the Democrat National Convention last summer to hear Official

Delegates say that to a television pollster, no American Corporation should be allowed to make a profit. How did we get to the point where people who are so utterly stupid can hold an official position in a major party representing the interests of thousands, if not millions of Americans? How could anyone raised and educated in America not understand that corporate profits are the backbone of the American economy and that these profits accrue not just to big corporations but also to Americans of every race and every economic circumstance? How could we get to a place where the most powerful person in the world is consciously and purposefully turning the country over to the left wing nuts who see the American Dream as one in which America is a mediocre country filled with mediocre people saddled with mediocre lives courtesy of the Federal Government?

But it is not just the Democrat Party which has idiots and uneducated imbeciles within their ranks. The Republican Party has, over the last few years, all but turned itself over to their own right wing nut cases. In the last few years, we have seen so called Republican candidates for the highest state and national offices who lack any qualification for these offices. All too often these right wing nut jobs espouse ideas and concepts that could only be described as stupid. Many of their political ideas have their root in fundamental religious beliefs which are subscribed to by only a small minority of Americans. Jack Wu of Kansas is a case in point.

The following is from a February 2010 blog in the Huffington Post.

Jack Wu believes public education is “preparing its students to be liars, crooks, thieves, murderers, and perverts,” which is one of the reasons he's running for a chance to overhaul the system from the inside.

Wu is a Republican candidate for the Kansas Board of Education and an attendee of Fred Phelps' controversial Westboro Baptist Church, a far-right congregation best known for its anti-gay protests and picketing of military funerals. Wu writes that he moved from California to the "evil city of Topeka and this perverse state of Kansas” after "seeing the light of the Westboro Baptist Church.” He also believes evolution is "Satanic lies," which has added particular significance to his upstart candidacy.

Kansas is set to play a pivotal role in creating national education policy as one of 26 states working with the National Research Council to develop science standards for a large portion of the country. Wu's 4th District opponent, Democratic incumbent Carolyn Campbell, supports the teaching of evolution and natural selection, as does the majority of the state's board. But with five seats on the ballot this fall, Kansas' support for commonly accepted scientific principles could hang in the balance.

The Kansas City Star recently interviewed Wu, who explained a bit of his worldview:

“The truth matters more than the opinion of other men and women,” said Wu, clutching his green cloth-bound King James Bible during a recent interview on the grounds of state Capitol about a block away from the Kansas Department of Education’s offices.

“The Bible says if you’re hated by other people for taking a stance that’s not popular, it’s like a sign you’re chosen by God, almost,” added Wu, who describes himself as a reality television fan who works as a self-employed computer programmer and designer of video games.

He's also claimed that Harry Potter promotes witchcraft and likened Christmas trees to pagan idols.

Wu has said he is running for State Board of Education "to throw out the crap that teachers are feeding their students and replace it with healthy good for the soul knowledge from the holy scriptures."

But the nature of his candidacy has largely failed to draw support. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R), who makes a habit of supporting Republican candidates in the state, opted not to back Wu. According to the Lawrence World-Journal, Wu responded by claiming that he was happy not to receive Brownback's blessing.

“The poor governor needs to obey the commandments of God and stop being a vile Catholic,” Wu said, according to the World-Journal, reportedly noting the Catholic Church's problems with child abuse.

Democratic operatives and non-partisan educators say they're taking Wu's candidacy seriously, but the Star reports that he had only received $5 in contributions through July, the most recent reporting period.

***********************

Kansas has never been seen as a state where scientific fact and common sense are always revered over religious ignorance, but I am happy to report that Wu was too much for Kansas. He lost to his Democrat opponent by a wide margin.

I would like to say that it is now no secret to anyone that the Republican Party must change if it is to survive, but that cannot be said. Some of the most radical right wing nuts are still contending that the Party is suffering not from right wing idiocy, but from its failure to embrace even further the right wing agenda.

The strength of America has always been its abundant natural resources, its population which is made up largely of the best and brightest from around the world and its embrace of the political moderate middle. Now, both parties are trying to out do each other in seeing who can most quickly bring America and Americans to the furtherest extremes, both left and right. 

The fact is that an America which embraces either the right wing extremes or the left wing extremes will not long endure. All one has to do is look back at 1930's and 1940's Germany to see what happens when a moderate country comes to be dominated by extremists.

I am still convinced that the great majority of Americans are not extremists. A country of extremists would not be embracing the changes now taking place in America regarding the bringing of full civil rights and acceptance to gay men and women. Although many Americans think otherwise, the growing acceptance of gays as deserving of the equality under the law all Americans deserve is not an extremist position. It is a moderate position.

In spite of President Obama's current control of the levers of power in the Democrat Party, I am not concerned for the long term about the Democrats. Obama is the most extreme President ever to hold the office of the President of the United States. And the fact is he was elected not because of his extreme ideas, but in spite of them. Once he has served his second term and is barred from holding the office again by the U.S. Constitution, the Democrat Party will return to a much more moderate stance.

I am not so optimistic about the Republican Party. Too many of those in powerful positions in the Party seem quite content to continue or even step up their embrace of extreme positions. If that is indeed the case, the Party is doomed.

To survive and be a viable Party again, the Republican Party must embrace its moderate center. It must stop seeing itself as the spokesman for the Christian right wingers. It must embrace, as American has always ultimately embraced, its immigrants, even those who are illegal though generally law abiding people willing to work hard. It must figure out a way to educate Americans to the value of Capitalism once again and bring all Americans back to a common embrace of the power of Capitalism to benefit people of all economic conditions. It must bring people back to the view that America is a land in which a mix of hard work and education will bring enormous benefits which far outstrip those that can be bestowed upon them by a government which would rather hand them a margin of success that would make them and every one else in the country comfortably mediocre.

I believe in  American Exceptionalism, not in American Mediocrity. For those who are not politically and morally blinded, American Exceptionalism cannot be denied. American Exceptionalism does not mean that America is without faults or problems. It does not mean that we don't have the need to reform areas of our public and private character. What it does mean is that it was American Exceptionalism that allowed a band of rag tag Americans to defeat a far superior professional British army in the Revolutionary War. It was American Exceptionalism that made America the defender and savior of democracy in World War II. 

It was American Exceptionalism that allowed Americans to be not only the first; but also, the only men to ever walk on the moon thus far. And to embrace American Exceptionalism is not to deny the exceptional people that can be found in the other countries of the world. Our exceptionalism springs from our willingness to embrace and give opportunity to immigrants from around the world.

All one has to do is consider people like Steve Jobs and Apple, Inc. Steve jobs was of Syrian ancestry. Is there anyone who believes that Jobs would have changed all of mankind with the iPhone, the Mac, and the iPad had he been raised in Syria? Jobs touched the life of every American and a huge percentage of the rest of the world population because of the reality of American Exceptionalism which allowed him the freedom and the opportunity to pursue his dreams in a way no other country could or would.

I believe in the benefits of hard work and the self-striving for a better life while protected from strife and assault by a powerful central government. The Republican Party has traditionally seen the Federal government in that role - the keeper of peace and the provider of equal opportunity. Unfortunately, the Party has come to see itself more as the defender of the rich at the expense of the poor. It has come to see itself as the promoter and defender of right wing Christian values which are not the values of the majority of Americans. It has come to see itself as the defender of low tax rates which prevent the government from keeping up with the demands of inflationary forces as well as the legitimate demands of an ever increasing growth in population which depends on government's legitimate role in keeping the peace and providing and maintaining an infrastructure that supports American ingenuity. It has become the Party which is more interested in creating rules and laws to benefit the richest among us while ignoring the need for rules and laws to help the poorest among us have the chance to build their own wealth and achieve their own dreams.

I married at age 18 and started out with nothing much more than the clothes on my back and the will to make a better life for myself and my family. I was not only able to do that, but to do it to an extent I never envisioned. I'm not sure my young grandchildren are going to have that kind of chance when they become young adults.

It's high time that both Parties, and in particular the Republican Party, gets back to playing the role it has historically played in the lives of Americans. Most black Americans have no idea that it was the Republican Party which brought the Civil Rights victories in the mid and late 1960's over the most obstructive tactics of the Democrats who stood in school doors to prevent integration and used force to beat up blacks who tried to be served at lunch counters. Most black Americans have no idea that it was the Republican Party which moved heaven and earth to bring the Emancipation Proclamation into reality against Democrat resistance. Republicans have stood still and let the Democrat Party steal for themselves its most significant accomplishments. All that must change or America itself is imperiled.

I believe there are good men and women in both parties who are earnestly willing to work in bipartisan ways for the good of the country over their own self interest. The problem is that these men and women are and have been over the last decade or so, willing to let the extremists in both parties speak for them,  immobilize them and disempower them. It's time that changes.

Jack Scott

Checking In

Just taking a moment to check in and let all of you know I'm still kicking. Maybe not quite kicking as hard, but kicking.

We had a nice, but toned down Christmas. Was actually kind of nice. I'm feeling much better than I was, but I still have a few health issues that have to be resolved. I'm hoping that happens soon.

I feel bad that I have left the blog on hold for a few weeks, but then, on the other hand, ya'll seem to be carrying on quite well without me. Many of you are taking the time to read back block posts that you've not read before and that's great.

Just look on the right hand side of the home page and you'll see what the most frequently read blog posts are.

A special thanks to all of you who have taken the time to drop we a note wishing me a quick recovery and urging me not to worry too much about my blog duties. I really appreciate it.

Have a SAFE and HAPPY New Year! May it be a year in which many of your dreams come to fulfillment.

Jack Scott

My Apologies for My Absence

Over the last new weeks, I have been relatively absent from my blog. It has not been by choice. I have been experiencing some health issues which limit they time I am able to spend at the computer.

I hope to be back to normal soon, but so far my issues seem to be confounding my Doctors as well as myself. Luckily, there are more than a hundred past posts. It hope many of you will take the opportunity to read them and comment.  Comment periods are never closed for older posts. I always enjoy hearing what my readers are thinking, good or bad.

I look forward to getting back to a normal schedule soon. Thanks for your understanding.

Jack Scott

Questions Readers Ask

Please see the top section of the blog home page for the link to Page - Questions Readers Ask. This is a new feature that will help anonymous readers find the answer to questions they ask of me.

As they are anonymous, I cannot reply to them directly. This work- around will help me to get back to them; however, I would much rather every commenter acquire a free Google ID to use in blogging. This would preserve anonymity while still allowing direct replies to each commenter or questioner.

I've been doing this blog for a long time now, so I hope no one thinks I'm will attack them or purposely try to find out who they are and show up on their door step. Not my style.

Jack Scott

A Thankful Thanksgiving

Whether we are Christian, a member of the many other religious sects that are now represented in America or have no religious faith at all; Thanksgiving is a holiday that should be celebrated and venerated by all.

We live in a country facing many difficulties and hardships within a world that is dealing with chaos, war, economic breakdown, hunger and even human slavery. But this one day of the year is set aside to be thankful for the good things that are also a part of our lives.

We are fortunate here in America because no matter what our status may be, the good things always outnumber the bad things in an American's life. If one does not believe that, then he has not dispassionately counted his blessings.

On this Thanksgiving day, I urge each and everyone to concentrate on his blessings. As a Christian, I'll be giving thanks to God from whom I believe all blessing flow. But even non religious Americans should be thankful they live in a country which, in spite of its faults, provides unmeasured blessings to all its citizens.

As gay and bisexual married men, we have challenges in our lives that others do not have. We should all keep in mind that others have challenges we don't have, so it evens out in the end. If nothing else we should be thankful that we do not live in one of the countries where being gay would mean a death sentence.

Take a moment on this day to count your blessings. Name them or write them down one by one. You may be surprised how many there are.

The Holiday Season which begins today is the season of thankfulness, peace and renewal. Amidst all the commercialism that is now apart of the Holiday Season, don't forget to be thankful. Let peace in the world begin with you. Take advantage of the coming New Year to renew your hope and affirm you willingness to start anew in tackling the issues in your life that you would like to change.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Jack Scott

A Word of Appreciation

I really appreciate all of you who are helping to make this blog a success. When I decided a couple of years ago to write this blog I saw it largely as a technique to help myself to more clearly put my own thoughts in order.

I'm one of those people who think better with a pen in my hand or a keyboard at hand. I guess that is where the flow of consciousness style of my writing comes from. I know the style annoys some of you. I expected that in a "soundbite world" like the one we all live in where everything is supposed to be short and concise and cold. Frankly, what I didn't expect was that so many of  you would find my style of writing so inviting. I really appreciate those of you who have taken the time to reassure me, and I understand those of you who have told me to cut out the wordiness. I tried but it just doesn't work for me.

But which ever side you fall on, so  many of you have pushed this blog to heights I never dreamed could happen. For the last several months the blog has been attracting over 1000 readers a day. I love that. The only thing that could make it better still is if more of you would take the time to make your own thoughts known to me concerning what you think about the opinions, ideas and ideals I write about. You wouldn't believe how interested I am in your feedback good or bad. In fact blogging itself is really a plea for feedback and connection of thoughts.

In addition to writing more, I'd hope that more and more of you would choose to write to me on the record using your on line ID rather than writing anonymously. So often someone will write a great comment that I would like to explore more deeply, but can't since it was written anonymously. Step out a little and write using your ID. If not your real one create one on Yahoo, Gmail or Google.

The early Fall has been busy for me. I often wonder how I ever had time to work. Since my retirement, I seem to have less and less time. I hate to admit it, but one of the things I have sacrificed because of time is regular contributions to this blog. It's not that I'm loosing interest by any means. I have a lot of ideas rolling around in my head about things to write. Part of the problem is that I've now written about all the easy topics. The things rolling around in my head are a little more difficult. But I'll get to them sooner or later.

In the mean time there are numerous back posts for those of you who are new to the blog to read about. Unlike many other blogs, I never close the comment period for my posts. You are free to and encouraged to comment on past posts. The post "Frot and Frottage" is still the most read post I've ever written. It consistently is read by 200 - 300 people every day.

A lot of the things I write about now are from ideas that are brought to my attention by my friends. I extend an invitation to all of you to tell me about ideas you have that you might like me to address in this blog. If they are within the scope of the blog, I'd be happy to consider them. In fact if you would like to write something on your own, I'd be happy to sponsor you as a guest blogger on this blog.

One of the things I did not expect when I started this blog was hearing from wives of men struggling with their bisexuality or homosexuality. Those of you who have taken the time to write to me about your own experiences have helped to educate me and enlighten me concerning the wife's side of a mixed orientation marriage. The wife's side is every bit the struggle of the man's side if not more. I lived the man's side. Until some of you started writing to be about the wife's side I was pretty much ignorant of that side of the struggle though I knew it had to exist. Much to my surprise, I've found that even wives who wish to save their marriages struggle greatly. It is not just as simple as deciding to make that decision. But some of you have worked it out and I know some of you are still trying to work it out in spite of the emotional toll it takes on you. I'd like to hear more of your personal experience as a wife.

The Holiday Season is upon us. I wish you all peace, happiness and fulfillment, not just for the Holidays but for every day. Life is so short. Make every day of your life count! I sincerely believe that all our struggles are opportunities.

Let me hear from you please.

Jack Scott

Comment Moderation

It is with a great deal of regret that I am re-enabling "comment moderation" on the blog. The amount of spam that is being inserted into the comment section of posts to the blog is just getting completely out of hand.

The spam protector set up by Blogspot catches a lot of it but too much gets through.

Please do not let the "comment moderation" stop you from leaving a comment.  You do not have to recognize and type so distorted word or words. Just write your comment and click to post it. As soon as I determine it to be a valid comment and not spam, it will be posted.

Sorry for the inconvenience. I really enjoy your comments and look forward to reading them, so please keep them coming.

Jack Scott

A Funny Video

My apologies to all the ladies who read this blog. Please note that I don't really accept the stereotypes that this video embraces, but it is a dang funny one.

I hope all you guys find it funny.

Jack Scott

You Owe It To Your Family, Your Country And Yourself To Get It Right

This is not a political post. The goal of this post is not to promote one presidential candidate over the other. Instead it is a plea to every voter to educate himself in the next three weeks and cast  his vote dispassionately for the candidate he honestly feels will lead this country back to prosperity and pride.

For any of you who are politically astute at all, I don't really have to tell you whom I support for President of the United States of America. The fact that I am a Texan gives you a better than even chance of guessing for whom I will vote. That said, knowing that I am a Texan does not define me completely. I have in the last few years voted for candidates outside my party. In all likelihood that will happen again at some point.

Just from what those of you who are regular reader know of me, you can understand that my views on important issues in the present campaign are complex. I am a married bisexual man who writes a blog for married gay and bisexual men. That means you would be right to believe that I do not support Republican supported laws such as "The Defense of Marriage Act." You would also be right to infer that I was happy to see President Obama stop "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in the U.S. military and publicly support the right of gay people to marry.

On the other hand, I am not personally supportive of Democrat supported opposition to right to life laws. Personally I think abortion aught to be legal and extremely rare. But when it gets right down to it, I am a man. I don't have to give birth to a child. I don't feel it is my right or the right of the government to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her reproductive rights. That should be her decision.

I am anti war and pro peace. But I am rational enough to know that peace depends not just on my view but on the views of those who do not treasure peace as I do. Keeping the peace more often than not depends on one's willingness to go to war and physically push back against those who do not want peace. The Hitler's of the world, the Ahmedinajad's and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 's as well as petty tyrants all around the world must be reckoned with in terms they understand. These people mean it when they say they want to dominate the world and bring about a new order.

I am proud of the fact that America has elected its first President who identifies himself as black. I am not proud of the fact that the election of the first black president could not have occurred without reverse racial bias and misplaced emotionalism.

I am also not proud of the fact that Democrats and Republicans tend to give their man a pass on his failures and shortcomings and lie about the strengths of the other guy and make up lies about faults he doesn't have. Campaigning should be based solely on issues and ones ability to deal with the issues.

I am not proud of the fact that an increasing number of Americans of all parties now tend to vote for the candidate they believe will represent their interests best even if their interests are not those which would be best for the country as a whole. I would remind all Americans that our founding fathers put everything they had on the line for democracy. Many of them ended up paying with their lives and their fortunes for their support of this country at the time of its birth.

All one need do these days is look around the world to see that things are not good. Europe is awash in strikes and protests over the austerity measures that have been put in place. Worse, those protestors seem to have no comprehension that wealth and prosperity simply cannot be created out of thin air.

Here in America we have people voting who do not know the issues at all. We have people voting who cannot name the Vice President of the United States, who cannot name their Senator or Representative. We have people who have no idea what the Constitution and the Bill of Rights have to say about how this country must be governed.

The simple fact is that this country is a very diverse and heterogenic. It is a country in which everyone should have an equality of opportunity, but one in which no one should be guaranteed equality itself. One's actual place in society should always be earned by hard work and by contibutions to the greater good. Too many Americans now feel entitled to the good life without their having done any thing to earn it.

Since there are issues in which I support the Democrat view and other issues in which I support the Republican view I plan to put aside those issues which are important but not existential. In this election there are simply too many issues which are existential. We all must vote on the basis of these existential issues and not in our own self interests. There is nothing to be gained by having the right for gay people to marry if the country itself is in ruin, in bankruptcy or is overrun by its enemies. 

As gay and bisexual men our happiness and well being often depend on making hard but reasonable decisions. So it is in deciding for whom we are going to vote. We must recognize the realities of the present era in this country and in the world. We must elect someone who can get things done, not just talk about getting it done.


In the end, a very real part of the greatness of this country is that our leaders are chosen in a peaceful process in which each of us is truly free to vote his conscience. Whether or not we vote on the loosing side or the loosing side, we accept the will of the people and we support the winner. We owe it to our families, our country and to our founding fathers to get it right.

Jack Scott

An Interesting Development

My friends and colleagues have always thought of me as the go to guy. If there was something they wanted said; but for some reason they were afraid to say it, they would bring it to me. Their theory was that I'd say anything to anyone.

That wasn't quite true, but it was true enough that it was a solid part of my reputation. While I wouldn't actually say anything, I'd say anything I believed needed to be said. And more often than not I would say it in a diplomatic way, though I was well aware that a shocking delivery sometimes had its place too.

I've said this before in other blog pieces, what really seemed strange to me was that my friends and colleagues never seemed to catch on to the fact that my willingness to say whatever I thought needed to be said never once hurt me. Did I get called on the carpet once or twice? Yep sure did, but it was always just a formality. One time what we talked about when I was in the woodshed with my superior was how much and how often he'd wanted to say just exactly what I had said.

But my friends and colleagues never caught on to the fact that being the guy who would "say anything" actually gave me more  power, authority and appreciation within the company throughout my career. It actually helped me get to where I wanted to be. There was value in being able to think clearly and also being willing to speak up about what I was thinking no matter the circumstances. No one ever had to wonder what I was thinking or what I might be saying behind their back.

The same type of appreciation has generally accrued to me from my friends. My friends know I will, more often than not, give them a true report of what I think. Most of them appreciate it. There are times, though they are rare, when my candidness costs me a new friend. Such was the case in the blog piece I wrote a few weeks ago entitled "A Tale of Two Men." I lost the friendship of a relatively new friend by talking to him candidly. But the friendship with the other man who was the subject of that blog continues to be a vary close and valued friend. In fact he paid me sort of the ultimate compliment last week. I told him I had to ask him a very rude question. His response was, "Between you and me there are no rude questions." I thought, how great is that? I realized he was right. There is nothing he could not ask me and nothing we can't discuss. He a true friend.

But here's the thing. Sometimes, actually, I'd rather not tell the truth for one reason or the other. And more than that, those of you who have been reading my writing for a while know very well I do NOT believe one should always tell the truth. The truth is,  truth can be wielded as one of the most terrible of weapons. Usually, that is the wrong thing to do. I don't have trouble not telling the truth in those situations. Usually I don't lie. I just say what I can and leave out the rest. Some would call that a lie of omission. I guess I'd call it strategic conversation. It's true, the truth can set one free. But wielding the truth as a weapon can cause severe trauma and anguish. What good is it to be free if one is traumatized into another kind of bondage?

I often debate whether or not to tell the truth in situations where I could get away with saying nothing at all, where nothing or very little is at stake; but my natural bent to say what I think. What I know as the truth is always pulling on me to speak it.

As I've told my regular readers many times, helping married homosexual or bisexual men and their wives understand each other and find a happy compromise in their lives is an avocation of mine that has become almost a full time job since I retired.  But here's the thing, even when your goal in life is to be of help to some one, free help, I might add. You have to sell it. My wife, on the other hand, charges $175.00 an hour for her time as a professional psychotherapist. And that's a deal compared to what she could charge on the east and west coasts. She doesn't have to sell her help to others. They seek her out because they know in order for her to practice she has to be educated, credentialed and regulated. They know she is backed by other professionals and resources as well. It inspires confidence in her patients that she will be able to help them.

In my case, I don't have all that supporting infrastructure. It's just me and my life experience along with my life which has turned out exceptionally well in spite of and even because of my bisexuality. And its my early experience of hating myself that I want to help others mitigate or avoid in their own lives. After all,  the years I spent hating my bisexuality accomplished little, and the process through which I came to see my bisexuality as me and to love who I am was actually pretty simple once I figured it out. It certainly wasn't complex. Anyone could do it. It's just that most people don't think of it and if they do think of it they sometimes don't have the willpower to do it.

So, the truth is, when I started this blog, I thought I needed a hook to pull people in. Who among you can guess what the hook was? If you said it was my picture blog at http://jackscottsbisexualbuddiespictures.blogspot.com give yourself a pat on the butt and advance to the head of the class. You're one smart dude. That is exactly what the hook was and is. Now, its just my opinion, but I think my picture blog is one of the best picture blogs out there. It's posted on a consistent twice a month basis and it unfailingly has red hot pictures of some of the best looking men that ever pulled down their jeans for a photographer. For those of you who like XXX pictures of men, it is no secret to you there is a lot, I mean a whole lot, of trash out there, poor photography of some of the ugliest men anyone has ever seen. Some of the pictures floating around the internet would be enough to turn a bisexual or homosexual man straight, I kid you not! Well, maybe a little (grin).

In order to find a hundred or so exceptional pictures twice each month, I go through thousands of pictures. It's a time consuming and unfortunately, mind numbing process. But I do it for two reasons: (1) men will respond to pictures and sometimes when they see the link between my picture blog and my written blog, they'll take a look at the written blog too. (2) When I started looking at pictures I liked them a lot myself although I hated all the trash I had to go through to get to the ones that turned me on. But the turn on of finding the great pictures was reward enough for the work.

However, I've got to say, I'm living proof pornography should and must be a managed part of a guys life. If you look at it all the time, it looses its ability to excite you. Pictures that would get me hard as a rock a few years ago don't phase me now. Yawn, just another guy. But even now, pictures do come around that instantly turn me on. It's like discovering gold in Alaska. It makes all the work worthwhile. So I continue the picture blog because some of those pictures personally turn me on, and I hope they attract more guys to reading this blog.

Perhaps telling the truth about that will turn some of you off. I hope not. And there is a reason I wanted to share the truth with you. When I first started this blog and the picture blog, the picture blog was pulling in almost 100 viewers for every one viewer this written blog pulled in. That huge gap has been steadily closing, and for the last few months this written blog has been bringing in almost 20% more readers than the picture blog is bringing in.

Actually, I've been shocked, but pleasantly surprised to see the trends. I know my style of writing is not for everyone. We live in an age where people want their communication to be in short text messages, tweets and soundbites. That's just not me. I don't even have a Facebook or Twitter account. My writing is long, rambling, often apparently disjointed unless one looks closely for the connection. But my thought is one can't change lives with tweets, text messages and soundbites. One can only do that if others come to know and trust the blogger.

So, I wanted to share this interesting development with all of you. Don't worry I'll continue the picture blog. I like doing it for the one picture in thousands that really stirs up my juices, and I like doing it for all of you.  I want to say thanks to all of you who read this blog regularly. It means a lot to me when I get a letter from one of  you saying, "we've never met but I feel like you're a friend I know well and can trust." It makes my day.

In fact the only thing I don't like about both the blogs is that only a very small fraction of the viewers take the time to comment, actually only about four tenths of one percent. Almost 100% of the comments I do get are positive, so I guess it could be that all those who are not commenting are the ones that hate the blog, but if that were so, I don't think the number of viewers would be increasing like it is.

I don't know if the trend I've described will continue or not. I hope it does because the pictures are nice and often a turn on, but they don't give you much to think about that really affects your life. The written blog can do just that; and from most of the comments I do get, it does do that.

So, thanks to all of you who have made the blog a success. I appreciate it more than you can know.
And, while I'm telling the truth, there is another truth you should know. It is sometimes difficult to come up with material that will be interesting to readers month after month. The easy stuff, the things that were on my mind when I began this blog have all been said. The most viewed blog piece I've written was written over a year ago. "Frot And Frottage" has had more viewers than all the other blog pieces I've written put together. Try as I have, I've not been able to top that particular blog piece. So, if your dealing with a situation or a question that you would like to see what I might have to say about it, don't hesitate to write and tell me about it. I can't promise to blog about it, but the chances are mighty good that I will. Thanks to those of you who have already shared questions or ideas for me to blog about. I really appreciate your help.

Thanks again to all of you. I appreciate you all. Thanks to all who look at the picture blog. Thanks to those of you who take precious time out of your lives to read what I write. A special thanks to those of you who drop me an email or comment on line. Feedback, positive or negative is always helpful and always greatly appreciated.

Jack Scott

Where Does Hate Begin - Where Does It End? II

With my Sunday blog piece still fresh in my mind, I found this cartoon published in the Tuesday August 7, 2012 Houston Chronicle quite funny.

It's probably also true if I know anything at all about Harry.

Poor Harry. Bless his heart!  He don't know no better.

Jack Scott