"Arrows of the Queen" by Mercedes Lackey. I was eleven, the Heralds were shiny and good and loyal and true, and I never made it back out alive.
This, multiplied by 42. Perfection.
I can't read this yet because I couldn't get the episode to stream last night due to shitty internet and am BEREFT. Must avoid spoilers/speculation/squeeing until post-work.

Someone just tell me if Alaric and Damon did any making out.

You've got us, Jim. We'll read you everywhere, where you'll be.
Broken how? Comments-broken or posts-broken or broken-hearted? #crosstalk
+14.5% (Romney's tax rate)
Where are they going? Do they vanish in submission? Do they show a little "save fail" leg? Do they wander off to flirt with unbidden threads? #crosstalk
Screengrabs you send me? --Yoda [kaila at gawker dot com] #crosstalk
Very good points. I think my head's hurting from far too much of this nastiness day-in, day-out, from every side (moderating comments during the '08 election made me quasi-long for the nuclear destruction of the planet).

While I agree your Newtian analysis is spot-on, I find the same to be said (re the expedient flip-flopping), if not more so, of Romney, which is why he scares the shit out of me.

We all know that Gingrich isn't going to get the nomination, and if the angel Moroni suddenly appeared in a flash of light and carried off Romney we know that Newt wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in the general. But Romney goes in whatever direction the political wind's blowing, without even much of a background in anything to show how he'll really act under pressure. Romney's plastic Ken doll act that shows nothing of the man underneath terrifies me more than all of Newt's blowhard blathering and reprehensible hypocrisies.

Also where is your political blog? I want to read it, daily.

I was referring to Gawker, where we may be Biblical, but generally in a Sodom-and-Gomorrah kind of way.
Whoa there, attack-y. I wrote this dazzled I was writing the words "defending Newt Gingrich." People like me? I'm usually marching on shit and up on the barricades.

I was reacting to the contention that "what could be worse?" than an open marriage. I don't disagree about the mouth-punching idea. And I'm not being an apologist for anything, just saying that if we're going to have a talk about sexual norms in this country, let's talk. Let's not let it be an attack from any side anymore.

This is relevant to my interests.
It should most definitely be explored, and has been, and will continue to be. I just feel like it's a dead horse at this point that's already been beaten by left and right, especially if it does nothing more in the end than punish a politician for sexual transgression and doesn't forward the discussion of why anyone can dictate anything about anyone's bedroom anywhere.

And, honestly, I guess there's a part of me that feels like it's nearly...refreshing that we can even consider a candidate with multiple marriages and scandals who doesn't try to gloss it over with a gilded "WE ARE PERFECT" crock of shit (see the McCain "happy family" paraded around at gun point last election cycle). It sucks that that candidate's Newt Gingrich. But I'm not going to say I don't think it's an interesting deviation from the expectation that politicians must present themselves as wedded in some sort of unique perpetual bliss the rest of the world seems to constantly suck at achieving.

You're exceedingly welcome.
Again, I agree on all counts. But I long for the day when who and what you do in your bed has no bearing on running for office as long as it doesn't involve anything illegal.

Most politicians are sanctimonious pieces of shit, and by the time they're at the top they feel like they're omnipotent sanctimonious pieces of shit. I wouldn't trust the man as far as I could throw him. I just wish policy trumped sexy times in the voting decision of the average American.

100% agreed. And if this stuff was just emerging now as a long-hidden bombshell, I think it would be important to focus a spotlight on. All I'm saying is this has long been out there (save the revelation of the open-marriage request), so revisiting it now with splashy news specials and online coverage once again distracts the debate from any topic actually relevant to the health and future of the country.
Oh, certainly. His hypocrisy is astounding, and morally, he's a cretin. I just think we should focus on his long history of misguided political actions and no shortage batshit-crazy statements rather than once again letting outdated Judeo-Christian marriage contract values dictate the national dialogue.
I...can't believe I'm defending Newt Gingrich. I can't believe I'm typing the words "defending Newt Gingrich." But..."What could be worse?" Lots of stuff. The leaving-her-after diagnosis is wretchedly awful, but it seems as though the marriage had already pretty much long been over.

But open marriage as an unpardonable bomb? While technically he was committing adultery, what are we, suddenly Biblical around here? He asked for and wanted an open relationship re: their marriage. She didn't. I know lots of people who have come to similar conclusions. So do you. So the fuck what? We live in a world where Ashley Madison cheat-on-your-spouse hookup site runs commercials during the Super Bowl.

What could be worse? Cheating and telling nothing, like probably 80% of politicians. Hiring high-priced prostitutes after having cracked down on prostitution. Having a lovechild with a crazy lady while running for President and your wife is very publicly dying of cancer and being exposed by the National Enquirer. Being an outspoken critic of gay rights while soliciting dudes in airport bathrooms. Killing interns. Killing kittens.

I don't know. The guy's an ass, but I find people being sanctimonious about his personal life not the best ammo considering the political crap he's pulled. It's not like he's shied away from talking about this stuff, it's nothing new, and we sound like pearl-clutching Puritans. Let's hit him on the crazy shit he says, not this kind of bitter opportunistic hit-piece by the ex.

We Come from the Future
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