Or is it that I'm frustrated that as mutually agreeable (if bizarre) as these arrangements seem, you can't really have it the opposite way? (Men, by virtue of often being physically stronger, and in possession of a penis, can abuse and dominate their female "escorts" in a way that these women likely can't.)

Am I reading this right? Are you complaining that women can't abuse and beat up their lovers the way men can? Where the hell does that come from?

I don't know about you, but beatings and abuse are the last thing I want to engage in with a lover. I much prefer sex, thank you.

I believe that point was already explained in the article. Try reading it again.

...to the eminent Mr. Carlin, who had this to say about rape jokes:

You tell me rape isn't funny? I say, "Fuck you! I think it's hilarious!"

Don't believe me? Imagine Porky Pig raping Elmer Fudd.

I rest my case.

This doesn't make sense.

If sulfites are "a naturally occurring side product of fermentation", why are they considered synthetic? It's a by-product of the very process of wine-making, so it's not like they're adding some weird chemical preservative. I would expect them to be included under the list of things that can be added. So why are they considered verboten?

PLEASE do not make the mistake of thinking that Bill Donoghue and his ilk speak for all Catholics. He's a whiny bag of lard who can't stand the thought of anyone disagreeing with him, so he throws loud tantrums whenever he's challenged to think about anything. There's no evidence that the "Catholic League" consists of anything but him and maybe a couple of friends, and every single Catholic I know (quite a few, since I used to be one) just wish he'd disappear into a frigging cornfield already.

But as a poster above says, it's all free publicity. That's what I'll NEVER understand about these religious zealots - they simple can't seem to get that all their "protesting" only serves to get people interested in the very thing they're protesting. The Last Temptation of Christ wouldn't have been nearly so successful if all those Christian ninnies hadn't come out in droves to have their little conniptions. *eyeroll*

When are we going to pull our heads out of the sand and realize that we Americans are not going to turn into responsible adults when it comes to cars without some reason to do so? This country has turned itself into a nation of bratty teenagers who insist on having everything they want NOW and to hell with any consequences. Well, the consequences are pouring in, and it's about time, too.

This election cycle has been really deflating for me because of how rabbity and cowardly the candidates are on issues such as this. There is no question whatsoever that we must have a tax on large gas-guzzling vehicles. At the very least, a tax, but heavy restrictions would be much better. WHY in the WORLD would anyone have a need to drive an SUV in the city, for instance? It's pure egotism and showmanship, since these monstrosities waste gas, serve no useful purpose that a regular car couldn't cover (or a station wagon - what the hell happened to those?) and are UNSAFE besides. (So much for the mommies claiming they have them "for the children"!) This kind of self-indulgence has no excuse, sorry.

There's nothing in the books that says our government must kowtow to the corporations and the people they dupe into buying LUXURY GOODS. That's what oversize gas-guzzlers are - a LUXURY. So what's wrong with luxury taxes? The "will of the people" is all very well and good, but when the people act like prats, maybe it's time to do something to make it more attractive to act like actual adults, eh? (And don't get me started on the fact that the citizenry has to have things made "attractive" for them, like a toddler who won't eat his carrots unless there's ice cream afterward. FEH!!)

I've always hated those mailers. What idiot puts a damageable disc in the mail in a flimsy paper envelope? It's a stupid idea from the beginning, and as much as I enjoy the service, the design of the mailers proves that the company cares less about its customers' satisfaction than about making the service as cheap as possible to run, even if it means pissed off customers. (See the whole throttling scandal for more proof.)

And Mister Marker: those discs do not arrive scratched because of the Post Office. If the mailer's intact, then the discs haven't been touched during shipping. You can blame all those scratched, unreadable discs on asshole CUSTOMERS who refuse to take care of them. I saw the exact same thing when I worked in a video store - people tend to think DVDs are indestructible, so they toss them around, don't clean them, and generally treat them like shit. So be kind to your discs, and help pass the good karma around!