Benjamin Nicholas is a GIGANTIC FRAUD

[Guest SouthernMan]

>But BN has been pretty conclusively identified as a thief. I

>don't think that I'd sleep well were I sharing an engagement

>with him that lasted over night.

Miss Scarlett, MISS SCARLETT!!!! Get the smelling salts! Boston Girl is having yet another of his histrionic attacks and might faint at any minute!

The above is, IMO, one of the absolutely most illogical statements ever uttered on these boards. So BN is guilty of plagiarism, so that means that since he "stole" someone else's words without acknowledgement that he is now a "thief" that will steal a client's property? SURE HE WILL! :-( He's done it so many times in the past, right???? :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

Oh well, I return the stump to you. As you've proven over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over ad nauseum thru the years, YOU DO LIKE TO MORALIZE AND PREACH to others.

[Guest epigonos]

Hot damn SouthernMan I do like your most recent comment. In fact I like it so much that I just might repeat it without giving you credit.

[Guest BostonGuy]

Your use of quotes around "thief" and "stole" is clearly an attempt to diminish BN's actions in the minds of others, most likely in an effort to lead one away from the conclusion that BN is a thief. That's certainly one way to view blatant, repeated plagiarism. And, I suppose, you find nothing particularly disturbing, either, in BN's compounding his acts with repeated lies to his readers, evidently pretty much since he started his blog.

That's not surprising, perhaps. Those who are willing to overlook theft are usually willing to overlook lying, too.

Unfortunately for BN, many others take a different stance, more in line with society's centuries-long condemnation of plagiarism as intellectual theft of the highest order. Did you know that the word "plagiarize" stems from the Latin word that meant an abductor of a child or slave? No, I guess not.

Plagiarism is not a legal term (in the US). But copyright infringement surely is and repeated plagiarism of the type that BN has committed is just one way to infringe upon the legal property of others. I'm quite certain that the attorneys for Dave Barry, his syndicators and others would have little trouble making such a case here should they choose to do so.

There's an old saying: once a thief, always a thief. BN has stolen the works of others, over and over again, and lied to his audience when he modified those works to pass them off as his own.

Each person is free to judge BN's actions, but one is forced to wonder why you choose not to condemn repeated theft and lies.

BG

[Guest beemerboy]

Personal attack removed. TY

[Guest comment]

I make my living off the evening news

Just give me something-something I can use

People love it when you lose,

They love dirty laundry

Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here

I just have to look good, I dont have to be clear

Come and whisper in my ear

Give us dirty laundry

Kick em when theyre up

Kick em when theyre down

Kick em when theyre up

Kick em when theyre down

Kick em when theyre up

Kick em when theyre down

Kick em when theyre up

Kick em all around

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who

Comes on at five

She can tell you bout the plane crash with a gleam

In her eye

Its interesting when people die-

Give us dirty laundry

Can we film the operation?

Is the head dead yet?

You know, the boys in the newsroom got a

Running bet

Get the widow on the set!

We need dirty laundry

You dont really need to find out whats going on

You dont really want to know just how far its gone

Just leave well enough alone

Eat your dirty laundry

Kick em when theyre up

Kick em when theyre down

Kick em when theyre up

Kick em when theyre down

Kick em when theyre up

Kick em when theyre down

Kick em when theyre stiff

Kick em all around

Dirty little secrets

Dirty little lies

We got our dirty little fingers in everybodys pie

We love to cut you down to size

We love dirty laundry

We can do the innuendo

We can dance and sing

When its said and done we havent told you a thing

We all know that crap is king

Give us dirty laundry!

[KYTOP]

Here is BN"s apology/explanation that he posted on his blog:

Dear readers,

An apology has to be one of the toughest sentiments to express in written word. It does not come with vocal inflection, or the ability to look someone in the eye with remorse, or convey the level of emotion that comes with strong feelings of regret.

Whether you know it or not, I did something incredibly wrong. Out of sheer stupidity and laziness, I took portions of other writer's work without proper attribution, using their words here on 15 Minutes and presented them as my own. There is no excuse for such behavior. As a professional, I am filled with shame and remorse and, personally, I know I will have to live with my mistakes for a long time to come.

My greatest regret is that I hurt writers I truly admire. Dave Barry and Andy Borowitz are two of the best humorists out there and my respect and adulation for their work is sincere. I am amazed and envious of their ability to continually come up with fresh and funny ideas. That's not an easy task when you're still growing and you set a personal deadline. That was my mistake: I put an incredible amount of pressure onmyself to make weekly entries to my blog and it ended up suffering from my inability to meet my goals. I plan on making some changes and I promise to never make the same mistakes again.

I am human and far from perfect. This was, hopefully,one of the last large mistakes I hope to endure in my adult life. I take full responsibility for my actions and only ask that you give me another chance.

I'm not a monster and I never wanted to be a thief. I have morals and beliefs which support and guide my life. My mindset is clear and I enjoy being grounded, even if my actions in this instance suggested otherwise.

I am sincerely sorry and I ask for your forgiveness.

Benjamin

# posted by Benjamin Nicholas @ 12:00 AM

[TotallyOz]

I think Ben's words are very admirable. I am happy he admitted his mistakes and took full responsibility for them. Very few actually do that these days. I have to respect him for that. I also remember what it was to be his age. I made many mistakes as we all did. I am sure this experience has given him a real kick in the ass to wake up. Ben is talented and I have seen some of his original writing. Perhaps he will be able to show us more of that in the future.

I speak for no one other than myself. I know this mess was Ben's own creation and it is now in his hands to clean it up. I hope he is able to that. It will not be easy. It will not be short. It will be a challenge. I wish him good luck in being able to get his blog and his life back in order.

[Guest PWIT]

I think you captured my thoughts and sentiment exactly Oz.

[AdamSmith]

I don't particularly love being a Mean Girl but I have to twist the old saying to ask: Can a leper change his spots?

Anne Rice had one of her vampire characters make a telling observation, namely that as we get older, we seldom change, we just become more and more who we already are. This latest admission of Benjamin's is, for me, sadly not out of line with previous actions that revealed character attributes.

People who report he is a great escort have my respect. This discussion, for me at least, is not about what kind of escort he is, but what kind of person. If I, who am pathologically prone to mixing these two categories in my own escort encounters, can keep them distinct, I think anyone can.

[TotallyOz]

>Can a leper change his spots?

This I do know. The answer is yes. But, it is not easy to do.

>This

>discussion, for me at least, is not about what kind of escort

>he is, but what kind of person.

I agree with you. Frankly, I would not hire someone because of their writing abilities but because I found them hot and wanted more them to write me a love letter.

I met Ben under different circumstances. I was in Las Vegas for a convention and he was there with his boyfriend and with Hooboy. Hoo and I were good friends and had planned to meet up in Vegas. Ben and Hoo were good friends and Ben and his boyfriend were there. We were all introduced. I spent some time with Ben and found out he was charming and sweet and very enjoyable to be around. He did not see me as a potential client and had no agenda with me.

A bit later, I met him in Rio at Carnival and he was with a client. I was very impressed with his focus on this client and will say that that weekend really did show me why Ben gets the great comments he does from his clients. He is good at what he does.

I have not hired him and only know him from outside the escort client experience.

I don't know if he has it in him to make this situation right. Only he knows that. I know many on the boards despise him and the mention of his name brings forth great emotions on both ends of the spectrum. I am not really sure why that is. I just know that for me, I accept his apology, as it is for at least he gave it. I know many who would not have taken that step and would have just avoided the situation totally. Ben at least stepped up to the plate. I am not sure how he will do at bat but I am willing to give him the chance to see.

[Guest twinklover]

BN has done the damage control he could do. So we know this: he's still alive and he's not crazy. I give him much more credit than he has given his fellow escorts and his clients. I'm referring to escorts he says are alive but are really dead, and escorts and clients whose confidentiality he has violated over and over again in the most unauthorized and self-aggrandizing ways. BN has a history, a very long history. His remorse appears so empty and hollow to me.

I respect the differences of opinion and willingness to forgive of Oz and others. But I just can't overlook his deceit. Adam Smith, I'm a "mean girl" and I have no shame about it. A mean girl can be an honest girl. I thought the other mean girls were on sabbatical. Now they're popping up all over the internet and exposing their enemies and also, it seems, exposing the truth. Bostonguy, an old friend who is NO mean girl, recently reminded us all of another truth: CHARACTER DOES MATTER, even hiring an escort.

[marcanthony]

Bostonguy, an old friend who is

>NO mean girl, recently reminded us all of another truth:

>CHARACTER DOES MATTER, even hiring an escort.

>

I haven't commented on this thread because I am still having a grand onld time in Montreal....

But I had to add my support to this statement.

TL... esp for guys like you and me who hire for extended appointments.... there's no doubt that it matters. Just about more than anything else (well almost anything else...lol)

[Guest Riptide]

I've been away on a mission for the Sisters of Perpetual Integrity. Did I miss anything? }(

[Guest RR]

This is a tread that is one I will just briefly get involved in as I am not certain of all the history with BN. From my interaction with him he has always been true to his word and followed through. However, this has just been emails and conversation about casual meetings when in the same cities. As for the blog, we all read blogs and post a wealth of information on them. Perhaps it was poor judgment to post another’s work, however it does happen everyday and many blogs are just a compilation of work. Has he done anything so wrong that others have not done in the past?

Why must we attack the good escorts? Hate IMO and attacks are spawned from jealousy.

RussianRob

[Guest SouthernMan]

>I don't particularly love being a Mean Girl but I have to

>twist the old saying to ask: Can a leper change his spots?

Now that was some funny shit! Of course you LOVE being mean! The leper comment was hilarious.

:7

[Guest Riptide]

>I don't particularly love being a Mean Girl but I have to

>twist the old saying to ask: Can a leper change his spots?

I’m going to confess (like we haven’t had enough of that around here lately) that I have for some time now, been intrigued and stimulated by AdamSmith. He’s been around here, and over there, for awhile now, although probably not for as long as his moniker might suggest (thanks, I got the check). He’s witty, charming, humorous (dry like vermouth) likeable, historically connected and stated, subtly expressive, but poignantly stimulating in his responses, when required, to arrogant prima donnas who pollute the NYC senior citizen gay theatre scene with pompous stories of wealth and connection, and, all around received good guy.

So I was surprised to read (above quote) that he, AdamSmith, doesn’t “particularly love being a mean girl.” I, quite frankly, never knew or realized that he was one, and if he is, was, or still wants to be; I’d just like to point out that calling shit for what it is, and, stepping outside of the comfort zone of common popularity, to reveal what is repulsive, dishonest and abhorrent to the majority of human beings, who are trying to live within a certain code of moral ethics; is nothing to be ashamed of, feel bad about, or, anything else delusional and self serving as many might suggest.

When all is said and done, in this cyberspace style of life of which we visit, and spend so much time and energy in; I hope that it will be said by those, with conscience and true conviction, for honesty and integrity, that those “mean girls” made a difference, and their sacrifices of censor and continuous rebuke, by many, didn’t go without reward for all..

For me, being just one of the “many mean girls”, I take pride for whom and what we are, and will continue to be a voice of reason to those who choose honesty and integrity over self interests and delusion. And in the end, hopefully, someone will realize that… “It wasn’t just for what they all stood for, but for what they all stood against as well, which made them the pioneers of justice and honesty which most could not see or accept.

My God, I’ve digressed horribly. Welcome AdamSmith, if indeed a welcome is merited.

[Guest Funseeker22]

My God, I’ve digressed horribly. Welcome AdamSmith, if indeed

a welcome is merited.

OK. Time to get a room. ;-)

Calling Four Seasons -Calling Motel 6. Who`s paying ?. Who`s got points ?. ;-)

[Guest GMD1]

I'm begining to wonder how many people herewrite for the National Enquirer. When I read the threads its hard to tell the difference.:-)

[AdamSmith]

>My God, I’ve digressed horribly. Welcome AdamSmith, if

>indeed

>a welcome is merited.

>

>OK. Time to get a room. ;-)

>Calling Four Seasons -Calling Motel 6. Who`s paying ?. Who`s

>got points ?. ;-)

What -- and cheat on Lucky?!

Well, let me just ask him... :+

[Guest VoxPennae]

Whoa! I leave town for a while and come back to these boards to find that the Mother of all Escort Scandals breaks. It will be a long time before some other escort is stupid enough to pull something on an equal level.

I have never been interested in hiring Ben mainly becasue all my character alarms would go off every time I read one of his posts. As for his "blog" never paid much attention to it nor cared about anything there at all. Even the eyecandy.

Now it's clear that much of the work on BN's "blog" was not his own even though he went to great lengths to make it appear as such. As noted on Daddy's site by Greg from Seattle even Ben's apology is plagerized. See this referece and check the second paragraph. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20009696,00.html

Ben's attempt to play victim here just does not wash. His victims are those from whom he stole their hard earned creativity. Namely, Dave Barry and Andy Borowitz and many others I am sure. This is rounded out by his readers who were led to believe by Ben that the work presented was his original creative efforts.

Further, Ben is a coward. He has yet to address the situation on this or any other site. Posting on his "blog" a half-hearted and plagerized apology is insufficient IMHO. Likely he's pretty busy right now removing the references from his "blog" not to hide his tracks but to comply with any letters from attorney's for Mr. Barry and Mr. Borowitz. If they have not threatend legal action then they are fools. Professional writers need to protect their copyritghts aggressively.

One thing that I wonder about is what would Ben do to any escort caught in a similar situation. Based on Ben's past history of postings, and his recent attempt to use someone's death to his advantage, I can only surmise that he would without hesitation seek to make a big deal out of the theft of another's work. He's even made veiled threats to do so for his own "work" on his "blog" in the past.

Does any one seriously doubt that Ben would not take every effort to pile on someone else in similar situation? If not then they must not have been paying attention to his postings and his "blog" for the last several years. As noted Ben is a "lying sack of shit" he may be a great escort for some of "his guys" but his past history related to this matter (and others like outing clients) is inexcuseable.

[Guest Riptide]

>As noted on Daddy's site by Greg from

>Seattle even Ben's apology is plagerized. See this referece

>and check the second paragraph.

>http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20009696,00.html

VoxPeanne, your stated facts are incorrect. The reference you offer, indicating that it represents Ben's plagiarised apology, is actually a portion of his blog from 02-27-07 which was published prior to his crimes being discovered and relates in no way to his written apology.

just trying to keep things real. :-)

[AdamSmith]

Speaking of points (Starwood, that is) -- sorry, where are my wits? See you all at the Hotel Cala di Volpe, of course!

[Guest VoxPennae]

>>As noted on Daddy's site by Greg from

>>Seattle even Ben's apology is plagerized. See this

>referece

>>and check the second paragraph.

>>http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20009696,00.html

>

>VoxPeanne, your stated facts are incorrect. The reference you

>offer, indicating that it represents Ben's plagiarised

>apology, is actually a portion of his blog from 02-27-07 which

>was published prior to his crimes being discovered and relates

>in no way to his written apology.

>

>just trying to keep things real. :-)

I stand corrected. I may have misinterpreted the context of the orginal sourcing. Thanks for keeping it real. :-)

[Guest eastburbguy]

< Perhaps it was poor judgment to post another’s work, however it does happen everyday and many blogs are just a compilation of work.

FWIW, I am a daily reader of several political blogs, and while it is indeed common to "cross post" from other blogs, it is also common for bloggers to give attribution to original posters/bloggers.

Now, is that always the case with political blogs? Unfortunately, it is not, just as it is not always the case with blogs in general. However, serious bloggers understand that there needs to be honor in the blogosphere if the arena is to be taken seriously.

Serious bloggers are the 21st Century journalists who commonly and sometimes almost effortlessly unmask the "Mainstream Media" for what it all too often is: lazy if not incompetent stooges at best, and entertainers masquerading as journalists at worst (Faux News, anyone?). Serious bloggers do the serious reporting that the dying "old media" formerly justifiably won Pulitzer Prizes for in its work.

As yet, there are no such comparable "awards" for bloggers, but honor is what builds their reputations. Honor means giving attribution where it is appropriate and due. Honor does not include failure to attribute, or worse, plagiarism.

[Guest Riptide]

> Thanks for keeping it real. :-)

Well, thanks for wanting it to be kept real. Most people around here hate me for that very reason...But I will continue to have their back, for they do not know...............nevermind, completion of that statement will only inflame the haters. :+