A recent diary regarding New York Governor Eliot Spitzer's fall from grace by patronizing an escort/prostitute raised some questions regarding which I have mixed feelings. Oh, yes, I am a heteromale -- although I like to think of myself as a 'sensitive New Age kinda guy,'I do have a Y chromosome, which may make a difference in my considerations.

Beyond pretty much any other issue, I think that the issue of sexuality is one of the most divisive that there is. One that is, I suspect, insolvable at the core. The social and emotional components of our expectations seem to have little to do with the biological drives, and appear to be just a rough cultural overlay as to how the biological exchange occurs. Those might synch up with some recent (possibly biological) evolutionary tendencies toward "altruistic" or cooperative behaviours, but although these ethics are highly emotionally charged, I see little historical evidence that they have mastered our biological imperatives.

...and then there were two...

A lot of people here have been disgusted by the low tenor of the Partisan Dairies throughout the primaries. Some have gone GBCW; some have done their best to ignore those diaries - difficult to do, like ignoring a burst sewer; others have appealed for civility and unity. We are down to the last two candidates standing, yet the firefight rages on. Accusations and counter-accusations. Contradictory (and often poorly-sourced) spin on records, and out-of-context statements. Not behaving much like a reality-based community.

Passion can be a wonderful, energizing force, inspiring us to work harder for our cause, carrying us through bleak events toward more hopeful futures. But emotion, beyond a delicate and fluid point, is a mind-killer.

Although my constitution is not nearly hearty enough to browse the Free Republic, LGF, or RedState blogs, I do read conservative columnists, because it's important to know the enemy, even if their perspective sometimes makes you feel like you're flashing back to the  Brown Acid.

My local paper rotates Jonah Goldberg, Cal Thomas, and Kathleen Parker as their conservative selections. Ms. Parker actually often comes off as a human being, and on some topics appears to be a social libertarian. But as often, she’s just a lame apologist and shill for Americon business as usual.

Today's column was titled  On Bush Time following an interview she did with Dubya, and Parker tries to paint him as sincere and visionary. But what most infuriated me was the following:

I live in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley, and there is a three-way race going for the District Attorney's office here in Ulster County. While this is nowhere near an issue of such import as Iraq, the Environment, the Economy, or all of those other Capital issues, an article on the front page of our local paper irritated me. Apparently, the Democratic candidate Jonathan Sennett does not treat marijuana with the horror it deserves!!

So, of course, I wrote a Letter to the Editor.

Maybe you got the email forwarded to you by your very-traditional cousin Sue or your co-worker who loves what Bushco has done for his stock portfolio. Maybe you don't recognize exactly whom it is forwarding it, but you live dangerously and opened it anyway. So you are treated to a steaming tirade of conservative bigotry and self-righteous sound bytes, couched in fine, patriotic jingo.

I hope you all know that in many cases you can do more than just hit "Delete!"

Politicians often have a bad reputation for being advantageous and using any passionate issues to advance their own agendas or to block those of their opponents. Unfortunately, there has frequently been sufficient justification for the public's perception, particularly in the pretzel logic that Republicans employ. This tactic is now being used in a confrontation between the Executive and Legislative branches over recognizing the civil rights of gay New Yorkers.

Language is a subtle symbolic construct that can change perception and play with emotion. That is why words and statements are defined by different societies as "good" and "bad," and certain statements are considered truth, taboo, or treasonous. Consider the threat that Galileo's observations posed to the Church, and, by extension, the State. Consider the evil, but masterful, propaganda of the Third Reich, how "Arbeit macht Frei" supported Holocaust

.

George Carlin, heir to Lenny Bruce, highlighted shocking words and mocking oxymorons that are now routinely used as commentary and punctuation at this site and throughout our society at large. One of our honoured Elder Statesmen famously explained smoking without inhaling and parsed the definition of what "is" is, to our consternation and embarassment.

"Capturing the Flag: the Symbols That Unite"

On the cusp of our nation's 230th anniversary of Independence this wonderful online community has penned numerous homages and challenges, cautions and admonitions, proclaiming the unfinished business of Libery on monitors world-wide. The seed of my own offering came a month before the 2004 elections. I sent an email to my friends suggesting that we all fly the flag on Election Day to declare voting to be a supremely patriotic act. I got one reply that basically said 'Hell, no. I don't want everyone to think that I'm supporting Bush!'

We know that frame, don't we? Patriotism had become the province of Little King George's empire. Support Our Troops! Support the President!

(This is my first diary - pardon any clumsiness)

Dear Abby,

As a liberal and resident of New York State, I find myself filled with doubt about pulling the lever for Hillary in 2006. I fully supported her in 2K despite opponent's cries of "Carpetbagger!" Clumsily bureaucratic as it was, she tried to address health care during Bill's administration; she seemed to have the professional acumen to be a good representative; and, if there are no obvious fatal flaws, I am inclined to vote more women into political offices in order to change the nature of the good old boy's clubs.

Unfortunately, she seems to fit Michael Moore's definition of "Republican Lite," is unwilling to support any real reforms of the system, and I believe that her most recent distancing herself from Representative Murtha's call for a withdrawal from Iraq evinces her true position. HOWEVER...