Hmmm. You might be right. And maybe not. Have you ever been conversing with someone and as you talked, your conversational wings felt more and more clipped?

Conversely, have you ever had someone say, "I can tell you things I've never told anyone?"

Listeners empower speakers. We are only allowed to say what a group or person permits us to say. That Duke texter was permitted by his group to fantasize/joke about skinning a woman and ejaculating in his pants. That text speaks to the group's character. Or do you believe that such messages had never been shared and that that particular message was an absolute aberration, a one-of-a-kind-for-all-time, and utterly unindicative of that group's dynamic?

P.S. - I like your posts too and am not flaming you, but wanting to wonder with you. Likewise, to stay on topic, BOR is permitted to say what he does by his listeners. He wouldn't have a voice if millions of Americans don't believe that the kidnapped boy was having, in the parlance of Bedrock, "a gay old time," and thus undeserving of compassion. I suggest that homobigotry is what emboldens O'Reilly.

in a hundred years, the lovely Dana Runs and her lovely lover will be molding or just dust. And long before that, they'll be mottled and saggy. Beauty has a short, short shelf life. And it often joins one to a mirror, which is no place at all to live.

It's achievement that doesn't gather age spots, but rather grows finer, like wine. Beauty is overrated. Culture doesn't forgive rock stars and beautiful women as they age.

You have a beautiful pair of lobes, Hun, and that's sexier than any pair of gams or breasts.

"I've actually met both Dana and her partner, and am insanely jealous of both their looks and their having 2 "X" chromosomes each to my one. What can I say, I was born like it."

But ZoeBrain, you have THE Zoe Brain, with all its moxie, precision, and savoir faire. You could gather all the pretty, standard-issue, giggling blonds in the world, give each one a keyboard and a decade, and they still couldn't compose a paragraph equal to any of yours. So, chromosomes, shmomosomes. Your imperfection isn't that pesky Y.

It's, "Y, oh, y, must you be a neocon?"

Somewhere, in the Heartland, a Capote weeps.

But always, in the Heartland, a Capote admires your mind.

...and post anonymously. I wonder how many do this.

I once wrote a column that perturbed many, many people and was dismayed to see so many anonies. Now, I expect that they were regular readers who lacked the backbone to stand behind their words.

Yours,

Anonymous (Oooh, even kidding, it feels like cowardice.)

You go, Darlin'!

ZoeBrain and you are wicked cool writers and women. I enjoy Ms. Stryker's razor wit too.

'member this, Anonymouse 7:22?:

"tomorrow night, after tonights show, ive decided to have some strippers over to edens 2c. all are welcome.. however there will be no nudity. i plan on killing the bitches as soon as the walk in and proceeding to cut their skin off while cumming in my duke issue spandex.. all in besides arch and tack please respond"

Such pretty, pretty victims.

I just tried to find it on YouTube and I couldn't, but BOR comes out of his house without the exoskeleton of his suit and his studio. It's not just that you can see his spidery legs and his beachbally middle, but you can see that he's gooey without the exoskeleton. When I was a kid and I stepped on a spider, I was always shocked that the yellow goo that flowed out could power such a creepy beastie. So, now whenever I hear about BOR, I remember that video and his spidery legs and his beachbally middle and how soft he was, out in the open, out in the natural light.

Thanks for clarifying. I was stupid to assume anything less than the best from you.

This made me squirm: "(Yes, as Tucker Carlson has described, homosexuals of either gender can violate tat sense of safety, but ...)"

Whatever straight folks might assert, straight folks imperil gay folks and I read your sentence as if the contrary were true.

We never read this headline, "Gay guys attack, rape, and maim a straight man."

Brightstar, wag away!

"Why are so many feminists such whiny losers?"

Say, P.J., just how do you woo womenfolks with your 'tude?

For one thing, I'm green. Not green as in peach-fuzzy fresh, but literally green. And I have some terminals jutting out of my neck, a Jim Carryish/Dumb and Dumber 'do, strangely stiff joints, and an odd fear of fire. Yeah, I'm a real monster.

Honestly, I'm too old for you. And too busy to satisfy any fella. The more success I enjoy, the less living I enjoy. Alas, I'm a pathetic lass.

But it's fun to joust with you at Salon!

I just reread your essay and liked it even more the second time.

As a fellow writer, I kept thinking, as I was reading, "Damn, I wish I'd thought of that."

I'm glad, Pumpkin. Really. I actually get paid to make people laugh. That's my main job. Hey, Salon should pay me, since I'm a pro and you're laughing! Pay up, Salon!!!

Ms. Harris.

"Are we all going to have to grow our hair to our ankles and wear pink frilly dresses and dangly earrings in order to not get in trouble with the gender police?"

Since men now wear dangly earrings too, our earrings must drag on the ground. And since Prince wore ruffles and men wore ruffles for centuries, our dresses must have so many ruffles that even getting into a bathroom requires a good running start.