...is why pedestrian things such as getting undressed and having breasts are still considered "accomplishments" for women. Are our standards for ourselves really so low that exposing our breasts is the most impressive thing a woman can do? Even women who have accomplished actual things in life (such as prowess on the athletic field) for some reason feel the need to expose their bodies in Playboy, as if that is the ultimate validation. Why the need to prove to the world that yes, you indeed have boobs and pubes? "Look everyone, here they are! See?" Yeah. Big accomplishment. You have body parts. So do I. And they're pretty darn nice-looking, too. I just don't happen to think *everyone* has earned the right to gaze upon my intimate areas. I'm worth more than that. If you're not my partner or my doctor... dream on, baby. You wish.

It's not so much "porn" per se, it's more that a woman can be highly successful at whatever it is that she does, but the pinnacle of female achievement is not considered to have been reached until she takes her clothes off in public; she's not a "real woman" until every Tom, Dick and Harry has seen her business. I find that extremely disheartening. It's almost as if women are secretly ashamed of being strong, intelligent and accomplished... so they have to revert back to presenting themselves as sex objects, lest anyone think they're not "still women" despite being good at other things besides having breasts... like we need to reassure men that we do, in fact, know our place. "Don't worry, guys... we won't get TOO uppity. See? Here's my boobies! Feel less threatened now? WHEW!"

I don't know. It just seems really sad to me. It's like all this time and all this work, and still we're programmed to feel as if exposing our private parts is the be-all and end-all of being admired as a woman. And any woman who has no desire to let it all hang out is automatically assumed to be too unattractive to be asked to. As if *wanting* to expose our vajayjay to strangers is a woman's default setting... and if our vajayjay or boobies were worth looking at, we'd flash 'em in a heartbeat... "who wouldn't?" We must be HIDEOUS! Nope. We just value ourselves differently, I guess.

If a woman chooses to do it, fine. Some women, that really IS all they've got. I just don't like the way women are socially browbeaten into thinking they're hideous, undesirable losers UNLESS they do it... like their professional achievements mean nothing if they're not asked to undress for Playboy, because THAT'S the true measure of female success. It shouldn't be. Does that make sense?

I still love you. Especially if you're man enough to appreciate gay porn. heh

But she is crazy-talented. And probably crazy-crazy. Either way, she wouldn't be the first incredibly talented person to screw up their life and career with this crap. Thankfully, Robert Downey Jr. lived to tell (and sing) the tale. Will she? I'd say the odds aren't in her favor. Shame.

I devoured every one of them in '04. But these... ugh. Frankly I'm tired of seeing the candidates snipe at and insult each other, especially as I know they'll invariably turn on a dime and start fawning all over/complimenting the eventual nominee and insisting they can think of no one better to run the country than him or her... after basically calling him/her the devil for a year and a half.

There has to be a better way than this monotonous, repetitive and ultimately pointless exercise in ugliness and hypocrisy.

but I can't tell you how many overweight white women I've worked with who have made considerably more money than me. Oddly enough, most of them were older, more experienced and/or in higher positions than me. Hmm...

I've worked for over 25 years on two continents, and have never seen any correlation between weight and salary. Most of my female co-workers have been larger than me, but if they were in a higher position, they made a higher salary. My svelte and saucy little bod has never garnered me a higher wage... only an increase in experience, job performance and responsibility has ever done that. And if a larger lady had more of that than me, she made more money than me.

Let's get a grip, ladies. They don't pay by the pound, unless you're in a profession where looks figure into the job. And even then, I'd venture to say that Roseanne has a heck of a lot more in her bank account than little ole size 2 me. More power to her.

The oldest trick in the get-out-of-jail-free book. Hey, I'm all for releasing people who have truly rehabilitated themselves. But there has to be more evidence of such than just spouting religious platitudes. Any moron knows to do that. It's in the manual.

One of the most disturbing aspects of the last seven miserable years is the tendency to elevate anyone who mentions the words "God" or "Jesus" to untouchable, infallible status, and excuse their every transgression on that basis alone. It's like the buzzword that can't be argued with, and which automatically renders its utterer a "good person." The key to the kingdom, as it were. With this key, you unhook the velvet rope and bypass the standards that lesser mortals are held to. All because you said the magic word. Said. Not "demonstrated true adherence to." Just SAID.

And no, I'm not a "godless liberal." Liberal, yes. Godless, no. I happen to be a Christian. I just don't buy the BS line that everyone who claims to be a Christian is above their fellow humans... especially as so many of them talk, behave and live in a manner completely at odds with the true teachings of Christ.