His sci-fi was great stuff, but he's always been spouting off in other venues, notably the LDS press, where he's a big shot.

I never worked out homophobia or denying anyone their rights in law. Seems to me, though Christianity has some harsh words about homosexuality, Christ himself was known as a Friend of Sinners. Personally, my own pride and lust and gluttony and sloth preclude me from waxing hot about anyone else's sins of the flesh, and for my money, homosexuality is a bogus charge. Nobody chooses to be gay, and attempting to repress it leads to nightmarish consequences and self-hating bullshit of the Larry Craig variety.

And thus it is with poor old Orson Scott Card. I contend those who most viciously persecute homosexuals are closeted homosexuals themselves. How can any rational person deny another person rights in law?

It is the most curious of hypocrisies to read

Orson Scott Card has put homosexual characters into his own fiction, on several occasions, most notably Ships of Earth.

I write some fiction. Others around here do, too. For any fiction to work, it must contain believable characters put into believable situations. For every character who appears in my stories, I have assembled pages of back story. I have a character in some of my stories, a man who rigidly compartmentalizes his life: his homosexuality is completely disconnected from the rest of his soul. He can and does love people, but he does not love his sexual partners. I based him on one of my best friends.

Orson Scott Card reveals his true colors in The Hypocrites of Homosexuality.

There's the rub: the LDS Church demands allegiance, the conviction of blind obedience to authority, not the willing enlistment of the rational mind to a cause greater than itself.

Perhaps smarter even than Socrates? who knows. But smarter and saner than attempting to test fly Socratic questioning beyond its design limits appears indisputable at this point.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

GW Bush, leading contender for worst President ever.

If you were half as smart as you think you are you'd still be half as smart as I think I am.

We're both wrong.

To think is not enough; you must think of something -- Jules Renard

...logic. Consider that we would really have to pin down the meaning of the word "stablity" before an honest answer could be made. I don't believe you've done that. You must be assuming that Iraq can be "stable" with a US troop presence. That in an outlandish assumption to make. But most of all, I object to the condescending and wise-ass tone that you employ as a rhetorical device. Please stop that first.

But thanks for composing a title, rather than lazily letting the formatting do it for you. I hate repeating words, and that's what I'd have to read every time I encountered your name, which, by the way, usually comes up in my browser as "Brooks and B Rat...". Cheers!

Me: We! -- Ali

IF you want to use withdrawal as a way to pressure the Iraqi government into making the compromises necessary for a multi-ethnic democracy...

... and...

IF hedging on withdrawal would infuriate your political base and give comfort to your political enemies by allowing them to charge you with inconstancy...

... then why on earth would Obama want to answer your question -- either diplomatically or politically?

More Wagster!

CE) I MIGHT delay for several months, if stability needs absolutely required it, and I MIGHT continue delays longer than a year if emergency situations continued, but sooner or later, the US military is going to have to hand responsibility for the security of Iraq over to Iraqis, and that is the core of the policy.

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes. -JH

I was led to the other day.

Not quite as classy, but for me? The price is right.

Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit. - W. Somerset Maugham

He has two cute little dogs, who ride around with him constantly. He tells me of women who lean over to pet the doggies, and give him a great view of their bazooms. That being his favo-right part of the female anatomy, he finds these doggies to be great chick magnets. Of the fun and games in the bunk in the back of his truck I shall say nothing, but he tells me all. Fade to black. Prurient minds will fill in the blanks. 'nuff said.