No more smoke-filled rooms at the Capitol

This is both a substantive and symbolic point, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. With the new year ushering in a D.C. smoking ban, House members could take refuge in puffing away in the Speaker's lobby, an ornate room next to the House chamber. Members, reporters and staffers hang out there…

Continue ReadingNo more smoke-filled rooms at the Capitol

I love the taste of pork, but I wish I didn’t

Not after reading this article about pig-farming in Rolling Stone. This is the teaser at the top of the article: America's top pork producer churns out a sea of waste that has destroyed rivers, killed millions of fish and generated one of the largest fines in EPA history. Welcome to…

Continue ReadingI love the taste of pork, but I wish I didn’t

Schiavo Rule keeps Democrat majority solid in Senate

Recent reports are that South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson is recovering from a life-threatening episode of bleeding in the brain.  That is good news, indeed.  It remains to be seen, however, how well he will function cognitively in the coming months.  Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage last Wednesday caused by…

Continue ReadingSchiavo Rule keeps Democrat majority solid in Senate

Liberal Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives

Michael Moore recently published this pledge in the Los Angeles Times.  I applaud each of these twelve points: 1) We will always respect you. We will never, ever, call you "unpatriotic" simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us. 2) We…

Continue ReadingLiberal Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives

SEX

I know, a catchy title.  A little unfair maybe, since there’s nothing particularly titillating in what follows.  Or maybe there is, depending on what–what’s the saying?–“pumps yer nads!”   But in view of Erich’s post about our newly appointed head of Family Planning, I thought this might be the time to indulge more than a little in a topic rather close to my heart (depending on where one locates said metaphorical organ).

Did you know that the last week of October is national Protection From Pornography Week?  Yes, indeed, signed into law by our illustrious president, Mr. Bush back in 2003.  I for one had no idea I needed to be protected from it.  How reassuring to know that we are being defended from dangers both real and imagined by the ever watchful gaze of our very own homegrown clerics.

We’ve spent tax dollars on this.  Here is the link to the official White House proclamation.

Seems innocuous enough, even homey.  All that stuff about the destructive effects of porn on children, who can argue?

Has it occurred to anyone throughout the last two decades (beginning, in my opinion, with Ed Meese–anyone remember him?) of the war on pornography that–like alcohol and tobacco–pornography is simply not for children?  It seems a ludicrously simple idea to me–it was never intended for them.  We manage to have reasonable laws about things not intended for children.  We don’t let them drive cars (except at amusement parks, in specially constructed rides), we don’t let …

Share

Continue ReadingSEX