Christina Engela

Same time as every day, Fyl..." she fussed, the rest of the bridge crew seeming to hold their breaths. "TWELVE THIRTY!" came the chorus. The next hour dragged by, in about the same way as the hour before that. At twelve twenty-five, Commander Ortez found himself stepping out of an elevator into an equally mundane grey steel corridor on his way to the mess hall. Turning a corner, he met with a stream of crewmen milling around between shifts. Some off-duty personnel were lounging around in civvies, which consisted mostly of re-revamped 60's hippy fashions. Of all the places on the ship, the mess was the most spacious, (i.e.: it was a big mess.) The command officer__ balcony overhung the rest of the crew dining area. Ortez sat at his usual place, wincing as he remembered to get someone to fix the springs in his chair. An ensign, 3rd class dressed in chef__ white, served him with a plate of what either ended up feeding the chefs latest pet - or strangling it. Marnetti, Barnum and the sciences officer Commander Jaris Skotchdopole filed in, not necessarily in that order, and found seats. After a few bites, Marnetti -- who was the first officer and navigator, put up a hand and signalled a waiter. The lad approached fearfully, appreciating the highlight of his day.

Nobody seems to know which came first; egg or chicken _ except of course for agents of the Time Saving Agency _ who can find out anything about, well _ anything. The only trouble is, they aren__ talking _ however, you can take it from me _ they know. The answer to these and other puzzles are kept safe and secure behind fire-walls and thick security doors secured with, er _ time-locks, where one could possibly find answers to many other troubling questions, and not all of them necessarily relating to chickens.

Human rights is a numbers game. Who is going to care if only 20 people pitch for a protest?

Aside from all that, she was carrying about a million tons of titanium ore to the heavy industries on Gorda. All told, that would take care of their traveling arrangements for the next year or so, pretty much.

Some kids are both or neitherAnd don't want to have to choose, either.

But not all kids are exactly the same,Even when they share the same name.

Some mommies and daddies find it hard to acceptKids who are different to the normal set.

Some kids also think it makes them coolWhen they pick on other kids, being cruel.

It is interesting how - depending on the person in power - our LGBT issues are either right at the top of the list - or right at the very bottom. And almost always for exactly the wrong reasons.

Ironically people will thank a deity for "letting" them win a race, but blame a "witch" if they stumble, look for the nearest suspect, and kill them. Why not blame the deity? Why not accept the setback as easily as they accept the victory/ Time people grew up some, I think - and stopped looking for theoretical "somebodies" to blame for their own misfortunes.

Advanced weaponry, victories in battle and space travel do not an advanced species or civilization make.

The house was safe again, although a little bit more untidy, but at least Vluffy didn__ have to worry about big nasty two headed roaches chasing him down the hall anymore.

Don't be a bully, don't be meanBe a hero, don't be afraid to be seen.

When you think of the amount of turnover and profit made by most companies in this country - and especially the big chains, it's a shame that they pay their employees minimum wage and no more than that. What that really says is: 'We're paying you minimum wage, because we're not allowed to pay you any less.

If I want religion, I know where to look for it - and if for example I don't want it, then why should it be forced on me in media and public spaces?

Corrigan crept up to the bar, cautiously moving around it. It looked like he was copying all the moves he__ seen in old cop movies and westerns, and doing it rather badly. He lowered the pistol. There was no one behind the bar. There was however, an open trapdoor. And that would mean the bounty hunter was - .__on__ move!_ Came Beck__ distant, slightly muffled, barked order. __y turn, I think!

If God made gay people, then did God not intend them to be gay? Did the Potter's hand slip?

Is the drive to refuse gay blood a fear of contracting HIV/AIDS, or is it an embodiment of the irrational fear that receiving blood from gay people will somehow make them gay?