In which I question the assumptions.

I just listened to a piece on NPR about a new Bollywood movie. The leading lady is quite hot, apparently, but can’t act her way out of a paper bag. She’s a porn actress. She was cast entirely for the titillation.

Indian movies are heavily censored. Bollywood was only allowed to show kisses starting a decade ago; they’re nowhere near soft porn yet. But the ads are implying a steamy, sexy movie even though such a film is against the law.

One of the commentators in the piece, an Indian, made it sound more or less like the best thing that could possibly happen would be for families sitting around their TVs to see this sex worker in interviews; that it would be a way for Indians to ‘have a conversation about sex.’

Now, mind you, this is, according to critics, a terrible movie with no plot and a horrible, wooden lead. There is no sex in the movie, and even if there were, it wouldn’t exactly be any kind of redeeming sex.

Those who identify as “pro-sex” (as if there were an army of folks who loathe sex to polarize against) always seem to think it’s great for a culture to be ‘having a conversation’ about sex, but I can’t figure out why. Thirty years after this conversation starts, when the culture’s shot and women are no longer respected and protected and bitches are breeding like rabbits and going on ‘slut walks’, when there is a great deal of sexual activity and a lot of pregnancy and antibiotic-resistant venereal disease and no increase in happiness but demonstrably higher numbers of people suffering from anxiety and depression, these people still want to have a ‘conversation about sex’ and they behave as if it’s the most reasonable, healthy thing ever.
Continue reading Why is more sex better? →

In which I read and respond to some spam, because that’s totally normal and useful, right?

The following diatribe was on the server this morning. I have no idea why I even looked at it, but I did, and it sums up all of the problems I have with conservatives.

First of all, it’s wrongly attributed (which is a fundamental aspect of the majority of the right wing’s bullshit propaganda, I’ve noticed: blatant lying), and the content itself is just selfish and paranoid and wholly un-Christian and the entire thing just gives me apoplexy.

Anyway. Here’s one of the spams your science-hating “Christian” friends are sending to each other.

“I’m 83 and Tired” by Bill Cosby

I’m 83. Except for brief period in the 50’s when I was doing my National Service, I’ve worked hard since I was 17. Except for some serious health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn’t call in sick in nearly 40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn’t inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as though retirement was a bad idea, and I’m tired. Very tired.

I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth” to people who don’t have my work ethic. I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I’m tired of being told that Islam is a “Religion of Peace,” when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family “honor”; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren’t “believers”; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for “adultery”; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur’an and Shari’a law tells them to.

I’m tired of being told that out of “tolerance for other cultures” we must let Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia , New Zealand , UK, America and Canada , while no one from these countries are allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other Arab country to teach love and tolerance.

I’m tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I’m tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off?

I’m tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught.

I’m tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor. I’m really tired of people who don’t take responsibility for their lives and actions. I’m tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

I’m also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and early 20’s be-deck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making themselves un-employable and claiming money from the Government.

Yes, I’m damn tired. But I’m also glad to be 83. Because, mostly, I’m not going to have to see the world these people are making. I’m just sorry for my granddaughter and their children. Thank God I’m on the way out and not on the way in.¹

Holy fucking fuck, where to even begin?

Continue reading Responding to the Right. →