"Changing the arab world" -- well, I suppose there are a goodly number of places and people adhering to 'traditional values'across the middle east... as there are in sectors, the world over, where education systems can be questionable or underfunded.

Nevertheless, who needs republicans when you can have TCF slandering the entirety of the 'Arab world.' This is pure unmitigated stereotyping, and it does seem that Ms Clark-Flory has little to know experience with these flavour of minority. Was this a mistake?: Turks are NOT Arabs, and many Muslims are not (Persians for example). Did you mean 'Islamic/Muslim world'? But most importantly, millions and millions of Muslims live in perfectly 'modern' marriages and attend University.

It makes me want to, to use Broadsheetism: 'Tear my hair out'/'Throw up a little in my mouth'. I'm not sure that 'creepy' applies though.

Why do Salon peeps have such guff with second life. I'll agree, it's not infinitely entertaining (or at all.... for me at least) and is a glorifies chat room unless you really want to do graphic design or write questionalble code, but you guys can't go one week without sticking it to the ol' SL. Some sort of furry-hatred... anti-furrites?

Manufactured outrage is getting pretty old.

Maybe the success of facebook is due to this stuff. I personally find 'what are you doing now' annoying, bit at least I do it when all else fails. The socalled 'applications' f-king suck. Occasionally I will, in fact, deign to start one but quit quickly, as they are like those 'you have won a computer' popups... and I have no interest in figuring out whether Mike or Sharmine are 'nicer'... they are both c--ts. The picture functionality is fantastic though with the most successful (ealiest?) tagging mechanism.

"couldn't we get beyond our own lurid prudishness (a uniquely American characteristic, I admit)"

Ahem.... BS, same old self-hating American bullshit, is what you admit to harbouring. People everywhere are as stupid, ignorant, prudish or slutty, or downright horrible as yankees

By any standard, most South American countries, South East asian countries and certainsly those of the Middle east and Iran, both by stereotype and content of public discourse could be considered FAR more 'prudish'. If anything, American discourse is overwhelming flooded with sexuality and sexual images as compared to most other regions of the world.

Next you will be bringing up the old canard about Mitterand's widow and mistress sitting nearby at his funeral... and everyone was cool with it!... or so the people who always bring that up say.

"I hope to make is some day to Ireland. I am doing ancester research on my Irish side of the family, who left during the Great Famine."

Ah, 'twas an awesome famine indeed!

UNBELIEVABLE! I can't believe how many intolerant tw*ts are lingering around here. Freedom from basic annoyance is not a civil right, and our public sphere should not be dictated by the most intolerant of curmudgeons. I may have mentioned before, but, truly, modern america has achieved what has been termed 'Absolute Narcissim' -- characterised by an inability to live in close contact with other humans. I have never understood the mentality of people who feel their every whim must be catered to by the enforcement of their silly, childish opinions. Shall we ban talking to your neighbor on planes too?

This IS disgusting, but who REALLY needs the smackdown are anime geeks evil brethren, those twisted furries. They have been jamming (entirely consensual) women into fur-like outfits for years now. Granted, not MANY women, if the populace of AnthroCon is any way to discern a percentage (almost zero). I have a friend who went to AnthroCon (thankfully as a way to mock them and undermine the Anthro-Patriarchy) and was disgusted. They were dressed up as animals... foxes, wolves... other shit... oh, and a woman was dressed up as a DRAGON! What the hell is that? SOme sort of leather-clad dominatrix clap trap? THEN they had these people looking at stuff on the 'internet' and reading 'comic books' (some sort of porn in which small anthropomorphic fox-women are objectified, no doubt). When will the madness end?

No doubt, the morons in the state department have again botched another foreign policy set piece. Further himiliation for the USA. I am beginning to wonder if they don't themselves, in fact, hate the US, since the result of their actions has been nothing but humiliation and the degrading of US clout worldwide. Alot of these neo-cons arfe ex-communists... one wonders whether they aren't STILL anti-capitalist communists who, some years ago, made a pact to infiltrate the US government. It certainly would explain alot.

But when it comes down to it, Ossetia is a recognized part of Georgia, at least according to the UN. Nevertheless, it seems Putin has a point, albeit disingenuously: that if Kososvo has a right to independence, so should S. Ossetia. Russia, nonetheless, is in the absolute wrong: they have invaded a sovereign nation regarding an internal dispute. While the US may have supported Kosovo diplomatically, we did not invade when things looked a tad bleak for our purposes. Of course... uhhh, there are those OTHER invasions....

Ooops, looks like a ceasefire anyway.... perhaps Russia will go home and let Georgia rebuild. Far more effective, really, than occupation. They have made clear their willingness to stormtrooper any in the region who take them on.

Is it possible a gay man sees homosexuality where there is none? So when gay guys grow out of thinking every boy they have a crush on is closeted, they move on to old, bad tv shows? Who knew??