Dreadful. This infantilising of women's bodies strikes this man as another sympton of men's reducing women to dolls or (worse) children. In part, I also blame the porn industry for convincing men that this is what women should look like, i.e. porn star styles must be carried over into real life. I'm glad I grew up in an era of natural women and men who loved them that way. Women of the world, resist this tyranny and embrace your natural bodies!

A point I would make is that the glorious *chatte femme* (leave it to the French to call a bush a bush), among European women in particular, left in its natural God/Goddess-given state, is a unique identifier for a woman -- the thrill of discovery for men is great, or at least, it is for me. Long or short, lush or delicate, black, brown, blonde, ginger? Fantastic! Shaving such a bounty is not only a slap to Mother Nature, it nullifies a vital, visible/tactile part of a woman and robs her of some of her sexual individuality. Of course, in this Borg-like age, many of us want to give up our individuality anyway. Compulsively getting rid of body hair is just another manifestation of a collective neurosis -- this desire to look the same. I'm surprised the Army isn't shaving bodies at boot camp as well as heads.

Looking over the wreckage of the W administration and the cautionary tale it spins for dynasts, I wonder why on earth the Founding Fathers, in their wisdom, failed to provide in the Constitution a ban against blood relatives or spouses serving as presidents. Didn't they foresee how inherited or married wealth and influence would eventually lead to the sad situation we have today, viz. the House of Bush and the House of Clinton?

To quote The Simpsons, well before the events of Election 2000 proved the truth of the statement: "Florida? That's America's wang!"

One reason the US may have pushed its puppet in Baghdad to take out the Sadrists now is to clear out any potential threat to vulnerable US military supply lines in the south of Iraq. Sadr has threatened to engage US forces in the event of an attack on Iran, and his men could certainly cut the long supply trail from Basra to the north if left in place. Unfortunately for the neo-cons, as in Lebanon a few summers ago, their proxy forces weren't up to the job.

This move might have also helped purge the Iraqi army of disloyal elements -- see

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2008/03/iraqi_troops_switch_sides_fight_with_madhi_army/

Now the Sadrists will have to re-infiltrate the regulars, their own agents have already turned coats. This may have eliminated the fifth column in the Iraqi army in part, for a while, amking them more reliable in the short term for an operation like this in the fall, supporting an attack on Iran.

That's one strategic view, anyway. Even if not the main impetus, possible valuable fringe benefits.

I have been told that fire ants, ordinarily such a nuisance in Texas in so many ways, actually do us a favor by eating termites. So I'm more tolerant of fire ant beds that are not directly in my yard. I hope they keep the termites away, cause I can't afford to throw money at pest companies who don't even offer any guarantees. Seems like you're expected to pay for regular treatments that may or may not do any good. Might as well save your money and take your chances.

I am so glad to know that Pelosi and Reid, two stout-hearted Democrats, are more determined and tough-minded about stopping the Democrat Party nomination process than stopping the illegal and immoral war in Iraq. Here are priorities on display.

When you find out, post the info here please!

Rap. Hip-hop. ZZzzzzzzzZZZZZZZzzzzzz......

I recommend that David in Toronto (and Signora Paglia, per favore) give further consideration to powerful American bands like the Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, to chose three contemporaries of the admittedly great Doors, when weighing the scales between the British Invasion and the American Counterattack. All three of these groups could stake their claim to the title of "Greatest" (for what that's worth).

I would also seriously nominate the Monkees, who were much misunderstood then and since, as a unit that became a great band despite all. Really. Talk about transcending your origins -- I submit their masterpiece movie, "HEAD", as the most mind-blowing psychedelic Sixties masterpiece of all. Of course, your mileage may vary, as they say.

Leslie Caron and Mel Ferrar's 's magical musical fantasy from 1953 will break hearts of young and old alike. And mere puppets were never more believable characters than here. Warning: your kids will be singing "Hi lili hi lili hi-lo" for the rest of their lives.

I have never been to the Spuyten Duyvil alehouse, but having read about it, it's on my A-list for whenever I'm in NYC:

http://www.spuytenduyvilnyc.com/main.htm

This sounds like a beer-lover's paradise, especially those of us enraptured with those fantastic Belgian ales.

Also-- what's up with Pennsylvania and Oklahoma, you guys? (And other states in their league.) I can't believe these antiquidated laws about alcohol sales are STILL in effect. Do you still have Blue Laws about what's sold on Sundays, too? Even Texas got rid of those a few decades ago. Come on, people, demand a change!

Mmmm, "Eagle", one of the great lost psychedelic pop gems!

Kudos also extended to "When All is Said and Done", "Why Did It Have to Be Me", and "Cassandra". I never cared for "Dancing Queen", but love many of the lesser-known ABBA songs.