Especially in regard to the enormous economic growth, balanced budget and a budget surplus.

The Bush administration is not necessarily self destructive, but it has certainly been destructive to the entire nation- our economy is completely wrecked, our infrastructure is severely weakened and our supid and arrogant mistakes abroad have reduced our credibility to being nearly nonexistant.

"I think women are plenty filled with stamina. It's just that there is an interest level that is about life, is about other things."

Which would seem to make for richer filmmaking experiences. When a director is able to engage their life and the world around them it makes for a richer experience in regard to the film. Regardless of gender, it seems that an engagement in the varieties of life make for a less superficial experience, which, less face it, is what drives the majority of mainstream cinema.

I see hopeful changes in the way media and film are evolving but there is also a long way to go. Our mass media culture naturally fetishises celebrities and tends to objectify them in regard to relationships and "desirability" - unfortunately this is still much too heavily skewed against women.

When reading this article, I got to thinking about the film "Searching For Deborah Winger" and how frustrated I felt when watching that film -that so many incredibly talented, intelligent and passionate women still have to go up against the absurd gender stereotypes and aegism.

I tend to think that the current younger generation, and the one coming up behind it will be more inclusive of different voices. We have been raised in an atmosphere where there is an increasing multiplicity of voices.

Personally, I'm looking forward to the next film Jane Campion, who is a remarkable director. "The Piano" is still one of my favorite films. Fourteen years after it's release its power remains undiminished- it's haunting, beautiful and richly complex- something filmmaking can certainly use more of.

More Sexism passed off as "I'm not being sexist, but..."

Lost in Translation was not a sweet feminine puff piece. It was a work of art. The empathy and emotional resonance in that film is something found in great art, and is not restriced to gender roles.

You might not like Frieda Kahlo, but what about Lee Krasner, or Jenny Saville or Rachel Whitread? They are outstanding women artists who are not concerned with emotional suffering or histrionics or any of the lot. They're strong, knockout artists. Period.

Women can only write romance novels? I guess you missed out on Flannery O'Connor, Sylvia Plath, Carson McCullers and any number of remarkable contemporary women writers- Barbara Kingsolver and Toni Morrison spring to mind.

While I agree that a lot of movies are formulaic crap, it's the mentality that film is not a "good field" for women that keeps women from being allowed access to expressing themselves in this medium. The poster who wrote about her film school experiences illustrated this.

You have some serious anger issues. Serious anger.

I try to engage in a dialogue based upon you posts and you start out by calling me "fruity"? Nice. Haven't had that level of retort since junior high.

As far as the visual artists I mentioned having a public forum, most of them are represented in the collections of most major American and European museums.

As far as the author part of your rant, I think you are confusing Toni Morrison with Terry McMillan.

Please take a deep breath before you fire off your next post.

I don't care if you take me seriously.

I don't know how I was projecting prejudice into your posts. I wrote as a reaction to the misogny coloring your posts.

I have nothing more to say.

Yeah, but we can't ALL work at McDonalds.

Time to come up with another "bad guy".

Before we get our blood lust up again and keep on this course toward an unnecessary conflict with Iran, it's probably best to remember that we're still stuck in a quicksand quagmire over in Iraq.

Here we go again allowing the right wing to control the argument and the debate with more of their wet-dream warmongering. Instead of getting candidates who take a strong stance against pre-emptively attacking Iran we get the pathetic contortions and mushy non-statements from our democratic candidates.

The more hawkish Hillary starts acting, the more it seems that she's trying to out-Bush Bush. The last six years under the Republican regime have been enough of a nightmare, the last thing we need is four more years under the boot of a Republican- even if she says she's a Democrat.

The alcoholic coke head who stole two national elections and wiped his ass with the Bill of Rights?

That joke's so funny it makes me weep.

A response that is intelligent, thoughtful, nuanced and specific, a response that doesn't over generalize or use knee jerk jingoistic rhetoric as a foundation...

Talk about a breath of fresh air!