For some reason your writing has the same effect on me as listening to a kick-ass record. I swear. Just thought I'd say that as one of your TV-less fanboys.

Our grandkids will ask about this! She is our Woodstock!! Don't miss out.

...just cross into the music world. God, I've been reading you (without a TV) for ages, and now you're going to write about things I actually CARE ABOUT? This rocks. You have my blessing.

Half the purpose of a blog is to "regurgitate" information that we might find interesting or useful. Thanks for the tip. I went back and read the whole thread on Trent's site, and it's packed with great stuff.

Back in the 1800s, the Iranian poetess Tahirih removed her veil - in the presence of men - as a symbol of equality. (One of the men is rumored to have slit his own throat on the spot.) She had also left an oppressive marriage and house arrest by her family, studied the radical millennial writings of Shaykh Ahmad, and become the leader of a passionate group of Babí followers, who were the precursors to today's Bahá'ís (who are still threatened by the Iranian government). Her mystical poetry was circulated throughout Europe, and her martyrdom inspired wide interest in the Babí movement.

Before she was thrown down a well, her last words were: "You can kill me as soon as you like, but you will never stop the emancipation of women."

She should be better known than she is, but inside Iran her story has become legend.

(1.) Don't let them hijack your mind! Fight the power!!

(2.) I could use a big bag of those salt 'n' pepper Kettle chips right about now!

Please post in here and explain what you were thinking. That advice was beyond insane.

Did you think the letter was fake or something?

I'm the model of the fairly in-tune, monogamous, faithful married guy. In love with my wife. Sensitive to women, respectful, even thoughtful sometimes.

And yet if she said 'Honey, let's have so-and-so over tonight for a little extra spice' it would be THE FOURTH OF JULY. What's up with that? I don't have any desire to cheat, to denigrate her, to find someone better than her in any way. Why would this be such an awesome thing? And it's not about doubling my pleasure; I don't really even care if they pay any attention to me!

BECAUSE I'M A GUY. GUYS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS STUFF, EVEN IF THEY DON'T WANT TO BE.

Girls, on the other hand, due to certain biological priorities, are generally NOT. Even if the DO want to be.

I'm not being deprived of an alternative lifestyle; I'm in a marriage with an actual flesh & blood female person who wants exactly one decent committed guy. That's the truth, and even if she was a bit bi-curious, she wouldn't risk all the potential weirdness in our scene to try it.

Your problem, LW, is that thing in your trousers. Join the club.

Materialism, the ultimate elephant at the door. No one, even here, will want to admit you're right... not just because your language is very intense and earnest, which makes you an easy target, but also because the necessary change you refer to is TOO HARD to make. It all comes down to our state religion: the Church of Stuff & Status.

I'm struggling with this myself, trying to make it safe for my family in this insanity while knowing that the bottom simply HAS to drop out for humanity to go forward.

We can ALWAYS afford the luxury of scapegoating. It's the first thing to do when things get rough. See Germany, early 1930s.

We are officially burned out on the old model. We've had a zillion typical blockbuster monstrosities, and a few of them were cool but most were beyond overblown. When foreign films with a beating heart, and albums like 'Raising Sand' and 'The Joni Letters' start taking top honors on Grammy night, it's time to stand up and applaud. Whatever their motivation - trying to be hip, etc. - the academies are actually turning people onto something interesting! For the first time in...?

What happened here? Heather is hilarious!

But not as funny as the defensive responses here...

That's some funny @#$%.

Where did this dichotomy come from anyway? Obviously, religious nuts and fundamentalist materialists have taken over the world, but do we really have to choose a camp?

All my life I've had the distinct feeling that science is an expression of some kind of authentic spirituality and VICE VERSA. Is that foofy? New agey? I think it's fascinating that people are actually attempting to re-frame this topic in a way that differs from this "A" or "B" choice that we've been given.

Why is everybody foaming at the mouth?

I'll take a combo meal please: 'hard' science with a healthy dose of wonderment, and an intuitive relationship with what you all would call The Supernatural. I agree with the concept that reductionism, while helping us get this far, is the fossil fuel that will soon give way to some kind of 'solar' or other alternative. (And may help us survive on one rock.)

I apologize for any misdirected foofy-ness.

...but you spoke for me Gary. I don't remember the last time I read an article and cursed like I was watching my fighter deliver a knockout. This piece was like a great rock & roll song. Thank you!

The language of a financial 5-year-old. Who's pushing 40.

Oh well.

Jeez, if it inspires someone to do something good, isn't that the time to bitch about it??

They were dircted by Irving Kershner. Lucas was on another continent, developing the effects. It worked out better that way, didn't it?