Grungie, I’d chalk Herself’s “careerist” comment up to an unfortunate afterthought were it not for the title she gave her comment: “Sucky working conditions and greed.”

But, yes, I otherwise agree with the comments about shoddy maternity leave in the U.S.

The buzz is that crime will become a major issue in the 2008 elections. And that this could hurt Democrats (Crime: On this issue, respondents reversed the trend, with 42 percent blaming Democrats vs. 23 percent Republicans).

The irony is that it should hurt Republicans. Democrats may have a reputation for being soft on punishing criminals, but Republicans [or at least the Bush Administration] are the reason crime is up.

Crime dropped precipitously throughout the Clinton years but has started to inch back up under Bush. And why? Criminals commit crimes when they don't see other options for themselves. * When economic growth is fattening the wallets of major corporations while Average Joe teeters on the brink. When your "aw-shucks" "cowboy" president decides to resurrect Trickle Down Theory.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Stop creating conditions where criminality grows and you’ll have to worry less about punishing criminals later.

*Or when they're just greedy Enron-type bastards who'll do whatever they think they can get away with.

Anyone have a link to the actual survey (not just summaries of it)?

Fighting AIDS with abstinence. It’s true. Everyone knows those African sluts were asking for it by sleeping around. Or that these women were having sex with their husbands and their husbands were screwing around. Whatever. The most important thing is that we wag our collective fingers in their faces.

Which is why extending this finger-wagging to sex workers is the next “logical” step.

I’d like to extend another finger.

The U.S. already does more than most (if not all) other countries to combat global HIV/AIDS. But that’s no excuse for not doing it well.

On another note, does anyone else think the acronym “PEPFAR” sounds like some sort of naïve, demented, global cheerleader?

If you want to combat prostitution, combat prostitution.

If you want to combat HIV/AIDS, combat HIV/AIDS.

You don't hamstring the battle against HIV/AIDS by tying up its funding in anti-prostitution pledges.

I have strong and informed opinions about a variety of different issues. Legalization of prostitution is not among them.

Piggy-backing on LydiaS's comment... and it isn't enough just to educate the people we're trying to help. We also need to educate ourselves about those cultures to be more effective. For example, in cultures where men clearly dominate women, women might not really have the option to "tell their man to wear a condom." Therefore, women need options where they can protect themselves even if the man is not aware she's doing so.

There was research into a microbicidal gel women could use that would kill HIV during sex, but the research didn't pan out. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6319787.stm

If Lindsay Lohan wants to be a raging alcoholic, that’s her right* (now that’s she’s 21). Lindsay Lohan doesn’t owe any of us jack sh-t.

Don’t approve of her behavior and want to punish her? Don’t buy the tabloids, don’t see her movies and don’t buy her albums. Concerned about Lohan’s effect on impressionable teens and tweens? Be a parent and actually talk to your kids. If Lohan is a bigger influence on your kid than you are, that’s not Lohan’s fault.

The only thing Lohan owes society is to follow our laws and not get behind the wheel while under the influence. Any of her violations of the law demand the same punishment given to any other perpetrator.

--

*Her right, which I hope she chooses not to exercise in the future. She’s a talented kid who’s absolutely destroying herself.

Telecom companies should be financially compensated if they have to retain these phone records, because there is a cost associated with retaining the records.

However, there is currently no law requiring companies to keep the data--legislation is pending in Congress. Telecom companies are regulated by an independent government agency, directly responsible to Congress--the FCC.

Now the FBI is trying to pay companies legally beholden to Congress and its own customers to do the FBI's dirty work. Ew.

Having taken a few acting classes, performed in amateur productions, and watching The Actor’s Studio, I have a theory.--I’m not an actor but I play one in Salon forums?

Teasing aside, Bryan Hayward make some good points. Actors* are artists. And artists are notoriously substance-abusing nutjobs. Such famous drunken nutjobs include Edgar Allan Poe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Jim Morrison, Vincent van Gogh, and on and on.

Which is not to say one causes the other, but there’s a substantial overlap.

--

*Again, actors referring to actual actors, not manufactured celebrities like Paris Hilton

We have to pay (through our tax dollars) for the telecom companies to keep our telephone records so the government can spy on us at will?

I know. It’s kind of insulting. But we’ll have to pay for it one way or another: indirectly through our tax dollars or directly through higher telecom bills. Which are actually both preferable to option number three: the telecoms don’t raise our bills but offset their costs by using our telephone records as a new revenue stream. Selling our records to, well, the devil.

It's only a matter of time...