pornography is only one of a multi-headed monster that haunts our culture. if a porn opponent like the honorable senator from kansas shoots his whole load (sorry it was just too tempting) by trying to criminalize porn, then he's just as complicit as the edward wedelstedts of the world looking to capitalize on the allure of graphically depicted sex.

sen. brownback's efforts overlook the truth that every waking minute of every day an adult physically violates a child's dignity, which opens a threshold for pornography's influence to pass through and take hold in the imagination. without the crime of child abuse, pornography would be of no interest to anyone who has received the protection and nurturing that all children deserve.

simply put, as a community and a nation we continue to fail protecting children from abuse carried out by figures who are themselves victims. (do not mistake this as an appeal for pity for sexual predators; rather it is a wake up call that all must acknowledge: that incarceration and offender registries at best only cordon off the perpetrators.)

we refuse to confront and reflect the deeply wounded inner life of each violator. we prefer the fantasy that an abuser emerges ex nihilo, out of thin air or because of some "sinful nature".

both heaven and hell have their origins on earth. so should our approach to these social and emotional crises be "down to earth". pornography is but an emblem of a deeper disturbance within our culture; and i have yet to notice anyone asking why pornography holds such a powerful appeal.

i did see the stage version of this tasteless, overcooked turkey when it ran in san francisco several years ago. what an annoying, preachy plot and tuneless set of songs.

this production reaches abysmal depths when performing the number "today 4 u", which struck me as a shameless theft of rollerskate skinny's "man under glass".

and dear gawd, yes, someone (or somebodies) with cash to piss away had to copy and paste it onto the silver screen, when freight train loads of far worthier projects remain unfinanced.

seems like the writer has trouble with a clear syntax that holds hamas accountable for organizing to destroy israel.

here's the warbler in question: "But despite Hamas' popularity, the participation in the election by the organization, which is responsible for countless terrorist attacks on civilians and whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel, is the subject of worldwide controversy."

is it "the subject of worldwide controversy" because of its popularity among palestinians? or because of its "participation in the election"?

how i wish its charter were "the subject of worldwide controversy". i hope even more that hamas will rely on the power of the ballot box rather than on the terror executed by the brainwashed bomber.

isn't for a lasting peace, but to secure israel's borders for the next full-out war with the arabs, which i predict will be initiated by the palestinians.

israel will have the opportunity of fighting a war it can win rather than suffer a protracted blood-letting of terror strikes and doing the dirty work of counter-strikes.

what a sweet and open-hearted artist. if i possessed a fraction of her vulnerability, what oceans i could move!

what up?

located directly east of los angeles, not southeast. southeast leads one to the 'orange curtain' a.k.a. the OC

did anyone brag about the tourture of detainees?

i admire the scope of karen armstrong's books, but wonder if it's possible to talk about faith traditions w/o sounding like an antrhopologist(?)

all this whining and hand wringing... for what? the child's identity had already been decided when the writer married a woman who wasn't jewish (and did not convert to judaism).

all much ado about nothing, really.

eventhough one third of european jews perished during world war ii, the greater threat to survival in our enlightened times is intermarriage: more than one half of american jews marries outside the community.

how i wish i could be more sympathetic.

well, they've certainly helped anne coulter reach her audience.

looks like the white house has reached stage three--if this process were likened to the five stages of accepting death--deal making.

tho' i shouldn't be, i'm astounded by this administration's chutzpah; that anyone with a speck of respect for public trust and accountability would cooperate with their scheme to avoid telling the truth.

'it wasn't improper' means that they actually believe that party loyalty (are they bushies?) should be a reasonable factor in evaluating a prosecutor's performance.

reminds me of the underage drinker's conviction that if he's bold enough when attempting to buy liquor, then he can convince the seller that he's actually old enough to drink.

i think the more effective question to ask would be "how has the president and his administration demonstrated accountability?"

how 'bout more libby, gonzo & dick vader items?/

am quite pleased to see mrs. edwards call ms. coulter on the carpet for the pundit's gutter talk.

she's been warned, which, i would argue, is far more concern than she merits. going forward to boycott her screeds much like democrats have passed on participating in fox network presidential debates.

at the george w bush school of int'l relations

how the heck do you expect the defense industry to make a decent dollar if there are no bases in iraq to service?!

bush could bring home a few troops and still keep the meat grinder goin', no?

that's roughly the same 30% that still approve of george w bush's peformance

get us the fuck out of this i.e.d. shit pit? are ya all ears then?

i urged that the senator block the mukasey nomination; wonder how many greenbacks it would taken to sex up my opinion?

becahz o' shohklet bahnny?

does this mean libby gets his $250 g's back? it seems only fair...

one should be so lucky; and then there's worrying about paying the mortgage, or staying ahead of collectors, or how one might provide healthcare for her children

he must be hatin' life