As I recall, the New York Times article suggested the area of the men's brains associated with pleasure lit up when watching the bad guys get punished. But was this because men derive pleasure from vengeance, or from observing the inflicting of physical pain? I've heard men experience something close to sexual arousal when they watch extreme violence, which doesn't make me feel real good about all those Christian guys watching The Passion.

On the other hand, I've known too many divorced men to believe that women don't derive pleasure from vengeance. But women get even by spending the child support check on payments for a new sports car or not letting him see the kids.

Focus on the Family has a similar Web site at pluggedinonline.com, which also reviews spiritual content. I noticed some of their reviews mention not only instances of sex/nudity, but what position it's in. If I wanted to know that, I'd watch the movie, for crying out loud.

Nude Man: "Well, don't you see, that's exactly the kind of explicit sexual reference I'm objecting to."

--Monty Python's Flying Circus

Personally, I don't recommend therapy. Although I'm not certain of the gender of the writer, it's been my experience that therapy is just as male-centric as the fundamentalist Christianity I was exposed to as a young woman. If you're a man, your feelings are legitimate, if you're a woman, they're pathological.

Instead, I recommend journaling and prayer (to the God of your choice), which allows you to express feelings without the necessity of having those feelings judged. I especially recommend keeping a dream journal, since we don't repress our dreams like we do our waking thoughts.

Don't let anyone blame you for feeling unhappy. Learn to trust your feelings. They are valid. If you're feeling empty and lonely, could it be that something in your present situation is leaving you feeling less than satisfied? Consider not only your partner, but also career, hobbies (or lack thereof) and other relationships.

On my refrigerator, along with the one about Uncle Sam offering Jesus a faith based program to help with his ministry. Then I'll invite my fundamentalist friends over for a Bible study.

Here's hoping Delay's truthiness will set him free.

Several years ago, I stumbled onto a Web site that perported to carry the videotape of the execution of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. The commentary on the site suggested it was my duty to watch this horrendous event, simply because there'd been an effort to censor it. After giving it some thought, I considered the possibility that Pearl's murderers might have videotaped his execution with the explicit intent of publicly humiliating him. While I could understand the desire of Pearl's family, friends and colleagues wanting to know what he suffered, for me, a stranger, to view those images seemed voyeuristic. I felt in a sense I'd be taking part in his public humiliation. I chose not to view the videotape.

By contrast, when Al Jazeera posted photographs of the horrific results of our invasion of Iraq, I did choose to look at those. Maybe because, as an American, I felt I was responsible and should understand what had been done in my name. Then too, as an empathetic soul, it's easier for me to look upon a dead body--no matter how gruesome--than a suffering live one. To this day, an image of a young Iraqi boy, about the age of my own son, sticks in my mind. His brains had been blown out by an American bomb. His hair hung like loose carpet over the top of his head.

Of course, 911 calls weren't made with the intent of public humiliation. I guess I wouldn't have a problem with them being made public, although, out of respect, perhaps they could be made anonymous. But it occurs to me that reality may influence people differently depending on who they are. Garrison Keillor may listen to voices from 9/11 and see it as a failure of the New York and American governments. A conservative might listen to those same tapes and see it as a justification for invading Iran. After all, those people are all the same, aren't they?

If Benjamin Franklin said we should "Fart Proudly" perhaps this is the president's power. W has always struck me as the sort of guy that, if you farted at the dinner table, would simply laugh and perhaps crack a joke at your expense.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I come from a part of the country (Colorado) where people dislike elitism. Though I personally think conservatives are every bit as elitist as liberals (it's the heighth of arrogance to claim God is on your side), there's a tendency for "humble" people to respond positively to someone who seems as human as they are.

Back when I was a fundy, we used to call these people fire insurance Christians. People who recite a prayer, and maybe even know the right words to say to be accepted by their fellow Christians, but who otherwise live a life pretty much centered on their own selfish ambitions. Led Zeppelin had people like Harris pegged a long time ago.

"When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed..."