Totally Venal

AITOOW doesn't understand the fascination (among media elites and at least a half a dozen million of their friends) with the characters depicted on most cable and some broadcast networks? Doesn't it depress you that people like this exist? Or are you so castrated by your own lives that you envy their devil may care attitudes? And I watch Maury.

BTW - here are some more look a likes - Sandy Hook Elementary School Killer's Mom and Chloe something Moritz, Sly Stallone/David Arquette and Ryan Gosling, Seth Rogen and Blake Griffin (who kind of looks like an actual Griffin).

Loan Rangers

AITOOW wonders why they never mention the home owners who refinanced their mortgages when they discuss the sub-prime issue? Many of those people were not "duped" (if anyone was) into action. They merely wanted to free up cash to waste on things they did need and couldn't otherwise afford. Then they walked away from a home that they no longer had equity in. The funny thing is that many used the money for home improvements.

That's What She Said

AITOOW thinks most of what was the publishing industry is now is the republishing industry?

The Rule Truth

AITOOW thinks rules are just window dressing (just for show)? Everybody just follows the ones they agree with and hopes that they don't get caught violating the ones they find oppressive. Anyone who thinks that a system of rules will change behavior doesn't understand human nature. They just ascribe cause and effect to the wrong cause. The cause of rules efficaciousness is conformity with instinctual norms or ignorance by the assessor to violations of the rules. Possibly. Just Possibly. A ridiculously disproportionate penalty may influence behavior. But, the individual whom it may sway would probably not be too uncomfortable with the behavior required by the rule or disproportionately fearful of the consequences.

Buster Hyman

AITOOW wonders what is required to be a biblical virgin? If the Virgin Mary (let's wink and say she was impregnated without penetration) used a tampon-like device or diddled herself inside the lips would she still be a virgin? How about the fact that her son reversed penetrated her with his whole body when he was born? That has to break a hymen. And what if one wasn't broken? What would that say? Too bad they didn't have OBGYN CSI back then. Probably would have blamed it on the mule ride.