Maggie Gyllenhaal is being ripped to shreds over her comments that the U.S. government is responsible in some way for the 9/11 attacks. Somehow this sexy, talented actress has more balls than the Hollywood beefcakes. I believe she is correct, but whether you do or don’t, you must agree with this: “[September 11 was] an occasion to be brave enough to ask some serious questions about America’s role in the world. Because it is always useful as individuals or nations to ask how we may have knowingly or unknowingly contributed to this conflict. Not to have the courage to ask these questions of ourselves is to betray the victims of 9/11.”

I’m worth $2,460,118 and my ideal woman is worth $2,227,360, so it’s only fair that she throw herself at me when I find her, right? Isn’t that the way it works?

A dear friend of mine recently shared with me some concerns he had about what I publish on this blog and elsewhere. I am a Christian, and he felt that some of what I published did not represent Christianity. In particular, he cited a poem about sexual manipulation and a post about pornography and me ‘boning’ a porn star.

My explanation for the poem is that my poem is a poem, it is not me. I will not “write [crappy romantic poems] for as long as they get me fucked” - in fact, I have never been fucked because I have chosen abstinence. Another example is that I could write a well-constructed poem supporting Nazism, but the poem would not represent me; only an idea in a poem. But I recognize that most readers will assume that my writings are me, and I regret not having clarified that.

As for the ‘porn star’ post, I felt it was clear the whole thing was a joke, but my friend was still concerned that it represented a casual attitude towards sex that is inconsistent with my own beliefs. The truth is that I am very serious about sex - as my painfully preserved virginity will attest - but I am casual about discussion of sex. I was raised in a sexually repressed Christian environment where discussions of sex, masturbation, and even lust were uncomfortable and usually unwelcome. I feel that this massive lack of open communication in most Christian circles is disastrous. Because of squelched sexual discussion, kids hit puberty and worry that they are abnormal perverts for masturbating, sexually active teens are often unaware of physical and emotional health risks associated with sex, and those Christians who wait for marriage to have sex are incapable of healthy, pleasurable sex because all they’ve ever been told about sex is that it is wrong, dirty, and ugly (instead of wonderful and beautiful as God intended). This is why I think sex should be as openly discussed as any subject - moreso, in fact, because it is more important than many subjects that often consume our daily conversations. I believe there is a place for casual/humorous sexual discussion and serious sexual discussion.

Because of the casual nature of this blog, most sexual discussion here has been of the casual/humorous nature, and that, I believe, is the cause of my friend’s concern. His concern is understandable and partially valid. Perhaps I will take this opportunity to transform this blog into a serious exploration of liberal Christianity ala badchristian. Or maybe it will remain a blog of brief links and humorous thoughts. Whatever the case, I hope all my readers are now more aware of the nature of myself and my blog.

Can you tell if a photo or real or if it has been Photoshopped? I didn’t think I’d be very good, but I scored 90% on this test. How well can you do on the first try?

So, I was browsing my library for a DVD of The Magnificent Ambersons and saw Criterion’s copy listed. I requested it and a few days ago I recieved the surprisingly massive laserdisc. Whoops, not what I wanted.