I called my Representative a couple weeks ago, Jim Cooper (D-TN), and was informed by his assistant that Rep. Cooper was concerned about the budget (He's a Blue Dog, of course), and on and on she went until I said, "Yes, I know all of that, but let me be more clear. If the Health Care Reform legislation being drawn up by Congress does not include a viable, meaningful public option it will be a total failure."

She was polite and thanked me for my comments. I have faint hope that Mr. Cooper will do the right thing. He's from a district (5th) in TN that includes Nashville, home of the private hospital movement. Frist is from here. Go figure what he's going to vote for. The Democrats, at least most of them, didn't oppose Bush because they didn't have the votes to oppose him. They didn't oppose him because they agreed with him. Obviously.

Sarte, I believe, pointed out that hell is other people.

Odd that GK's post should appear at almost the same time as the article about the hell of marriages. I was just recommending less togetherness as the cure. Separate houses.

Here's the answer. Men congregate to live in their house and women congregate to live in their house. They still get married and hang out and stuff and have sex and kids and blah, blah, blah...but at the end of the day and most of the time the guys are with the guys and the gals are with the gals doing their respective guy and gal things. That way, when they do come together, they have something to talk about, something to tell. Something has happened to them, uniquely, that they can share with their partner, or not. It keeps things interesting and ensures that each gender has its own domain. The end of romance is too much freakin' togetherness! Way too many romance and marriage guides cooked up by armchair psychologists and so-called "relationship experts." No wonder everyone is bored to death and annoyed with each other. No one person can be all things to another. It is not possible.

Preliterate, indigenous societies had that part right. Divorce was rare.

Religion is the root of all evil and the Jews are the worst.

I thought the love of money was the root of all evil. I didn't hear RW say religion is the root of all evil. I heard him say that human beings are the root of all evil.

And the Jews are the worst at what, exactly? I've always thought of them as smart, capable people. Most of the Jews I know are kind, thoughtful, generous people. Worst at what, exactly?

God isn't 'moody' once you understand that, any more than your parent is moody because they occasionally punished you because you were bad.

I don't know about your parents, but whenever my parents disciplined me it always seemed they were in a pretty foul mood. Like Pavlov's dog, after a while, all they had to do was get in a bad mood to make us behave.

Thanks for the links to Curtis's work. I'm just becoming aware of it. This is why I keep coming back to GG's blog. Mixed in among the general kavetching about the politics, government and media, are some of the most intelligent, insightful, informative commentary by the general citizenry to be found anywhere on the Internet. Then there's GG's most excellent reporting and arguments.

Lord man, take your meds and lie down before you pop a blood vessel.

Geidner, you're a tool. Such nonsense you write.

The level of screaming, hysterical, name calling, bigoted, ignorant tripe that has been posted here in response to Aravosis's article is alarming. Out of 125 posts, only three or four exhibit any clear understanding of Aravosis's points. I thought Salon readers were supposed to be friendly to the gay community? Is it that you just can't abide criticism of your hero, or is it that you're all closet queens?

Human beings are full of fear and ignorance, especially those who vehemently insist that they are not...therefore religion, and relationship. The pain and joy, the mystery and banality of consciousness is a difficult thing to manage. It is always being formed and always cumbling to ashes.

As the interview made clear, Herrera's argument is that the ballot measure is a revision and not an amendment to the CA Constitution. Therefore, it should be voided for not having been correctly, according to law, put on the ballot for the people to vote on. Herrera doesn't say that the Mormons and other religious groups, along with the non-religious ignorant and frightened, can't then turn around and FOLLOW THE CORRECT PROCEDURE for revising the state constitution by convincing 3/4 of the state legislature that a measure limiting the civil rights of some of the state's citizens is a good thing for everyone and that the people should be allowed to vote on it. A classic process of republican democracy.

We assume you won't be among those who lobby your legislator for such a law as you've declared that you have no personal animus toward gay marriage.