Xanthro: Suffering is a uniquely human feeling. Animals do not worry about whether other animals are suffering.

It's fairly shocking to read these kind of clearly anthropocentric statements from someone who is otherwise a fairly intelligent person. They seem to derive from a person who may never actually have spent any time at all with other animals, or in fact may never have actually seen one, even on TV. Darwin once remarked that the suffering of the lower animals was almost more than he could bear.

How is it that Xantrho knows, and knows rather emphatically, what animals may or may not "worry" about? The arrogrance of human beings seems inexhaustabile.

I haven't laughed that hard in months! Thanks!

Not as funny as the original and the suicide stuff kind of ruined the humor.

Judging from the responses to Goldberg's article, you either laugh or cry (perhaps more accurately, chuckle or scream) at the continuing rise to power of Christian nationalism in the U.S. Both impulses seem appropriate for different reasons. On the one hand, their theology, their worldview is so clearly wrongheaded to the point of silliness, childish even, that one can have a field day making fun of it. However, it's surprising that not a few letter writers seem unaware (unconcerned?) of the extent to which this absurd, silly and dangerous worldview has already overtaken our public discourse, a rather sizable chunk of our political energies and also infiltrated in ways both subtle and pronouned, our public institutions. They may not have elected a candidate with the political tag "Christian National Party" after their name, but then that would be too obvious. They don't need to create a new political party to accomplish their aims. Although these folks have been around for a long time, they've become very media and market savvy over the past thirty years. They aren't running around handling snakes and talking in tongues any longer, nor are they wearing white hoods as they did when I was a child. Their ideas may be nuttier than fruitcake, but their tactics have become increasingly subtle and refined. Unless you've not been paying attention, there are quite a number of politicians these days in all levels of government who are true believers or who are carrying water for these pickle-headed beliefs. They don't all have "Republican" after their name. A Democrat, running for office in Ohio, is calling for the death penalty for homosexuality. Will he win? I suspect not, but without the rise to power of the religious right, would this candidacy have even been entertained 15 years ago? We've removed or changed public institutional processes, objectives, mission statements and public messages to accommodate those who believe a lot of this nonsense. The Department of Education, the National Park Service, the CDC, and others, have in some instances altered their language in official documents or displays, or restated their mission statements to accommodate some of this radical worldview or outright attacked progressive points of view. Science, education, recreation, cultural history, even the judiciary, have all been affected by the power of this political constituency. They are responsible for 11 states imposing a Constitutional ban on gay marriage, and while some of that has been undone, not all of it has and the resistance to what ought to be a no-brainer in this country continues to exert itself in legislatures across the country. We're about to be treated to another round of gay-bashing in the U.S. Congress, orcheastrated for maximum political effect, over the Federal Marriage Amendment brought to you by the politicians who tow the Christian nationalist swill. The debate over a woman's RIGHT to have an abortion continues ad naseum with South Dakota careening off the deep end. The governor of Kentucky (now under indictment) recently removed sexual orientation as a protected status in state government hiring and promotion on Diversity Day! Domestic partner benefits are under attack in some states. The President of the United States, whether he actual believes these ideas, says he does, and all of his actions indicates we should believe him. It's very easy, and somewhat of a luxury, if you're coastal (where it's always been easy to laugh at the country hicks and rednecks) to believe that this will all go away someday soon. Keep in mind, however, as you're laughing your ass off at these religious zealots, that these hicks and rednecks elected the President and the majorities of both houses of Congress.

Why doesn't Pelosi just keep her mouth shut? Why is it that she's got to respond to the Republican talking point AT ALL? Why is it that the Democrats are always seeming to shoot themselves in the foot? It proves both that essentially under indictment, Rove still controls the debate, AND that the D.C. Democratic Leadership in reality is in agreement with the Republican agenda.

It's full of women chastising and yelling at men, at full throttle self-rigteiousness, for either screwing up or screwing around.

It will come and go before the United States ever grows up about sex.