AdamSmith

To be sure, that article goes off into rather untethered blather. My point was only the factual hook of Francis giving Burke the boot.

Sorry, repeat post.

What else? It is a for-profit enterprise. Why is it ever and again a surprise when entertainers get in trouble with their employers for mouthing off in ways that stir up negative PR?

Putting aside that words have been spiritual leaders' primary vehicle of influence through history, Francis' actions so far include sacking the head of the Vatican Bank, publishing the bank's first annual report, sacking the Bishop of Bling, forming his Group of 8 advisors from far outside the Curia machine, forming the committee of Cardinal O'Malley and others to ride herd on child sex abuse, now this. More have done much less in just 9 months. More Change in the Vatican: Pope Francis Fires Critic of Abortion, Gay Marriage posted by Salvatore Aversa December 17, 2013 Occupy Democrats Just coming off of being named Time Magazines Person of the Year, Pope Francis has made yet another change to the church that should have many cheering and the carnival barkers shaking. A series of announcements by Pope Francis changed some positions inside of the Church, and in continuing with reforming the Christian religion, ousted a popular Right-wing Cardinal out of St. Louis. Cardinal Raymond Burke, the former archbishop of St. Louis, was relieved of his duties on Tuesday by the Pope Francis himself. Burke had been a very outspoken critic of abortion and same-sex marriage over the years. He gained national attention in 2004 when he stated he would not give Communion to then-Presidential candidate John Kerry, because he was a Roman Catholic who supported abortion rights. Cardinal Burke recently doubled-down on that sentiment during an interview EWTN, Burke stated: Ironically, Burke says nothing about denying Communion to President Bush, who put the United States in to two unnecessary wars that resulting in the lives on hundreds of thousands, ordered the torture of innocent people from information gathered on unreliable information, cut billions from government assistance programs, and goes on from there. He also presided over numerous executions while Governor of Texas. All of those things are okay, however, because he still did not support abortion or same-sex marriageeven though Bush and fellow Republicans did nothing to outlaw such actions. Ive thought about it because Ive received very severe criticism, both at the time that I was insisting on applying the discipline and also in my writing and other situations. But I have to say that, I think about it again, the discipline itself, and its a consistent discipline from the time of St. Paul, from the very first years of the Church, and it makes perfect sense. Cardinal Burke had also been highly critical of the changes under Pope Francis. It is because of the changes inside of the Church that Burke, and others like him, will no longer have a place in the public eye. Instead, Burke will retain his position as the head of the Vatican high court, called the Apostolic Signatura. Pope Francis finally has had enough of the hypocrisy spewing from leaders in the Christian community, and is doing his best to transform its image. Christians supposedly follow the word of Christ, yet often get caught up in parts of the bible that Christ flat-out opposed. Jesus never spoke about same-sex marriage or abortion, but did speak of loving everybody, forgiveness, healing the sick and caring for the poor. The same people that will point to Leviticus to excuse their hate, often forget the other laws set out in the same passage. According to Leviticus, along with banning homosexuality, it also bans wearing mixed fabrics, cutting your hair (facial or otherwise), eating shell fish, eating pork, and not to tattoo or scar the body. Perhaps it is time for some of these buffet-Christians, those who pick the parts they like and disregard the ones they dislike, to reevaluate their position. What Pope Francis is doing is clearing the trash. People like Cardinal Burke are a dying breed who have no place being a representative of the Christian religion. Many of us have become so used to Christians telling us how evil we all are for being sinners, that we forgot what it was really about. The ousting of Cardinal Burke puts the religion one step closer to getting back to its true values. When Pope Francis was ordained, the fellow Cardinals stated he was chosen to change the publics perception of the Church. Francis is not perfect, he has made some controversial comments in the past regarding the gay community, but he seems to have grown wiser with the papal. Whether the Cardinals understood what they were getting when they chose him is unclear, but what he has done in less than a year is nothing short of incredible. Francis is neither Liberal or Conservative, in the political sense. He is simply practicing what he is preaching, and willing to defend exactly what he believes. Moves like the ousting of Cardinal Burke and responding to criticisms by pundits of, not him, but the religion he represents puts the Church in a much needed positive light. Naturally, his views are going to come off as more Liberal, because that is what the teachings of Christ promoted. It may be a slap in the face to the likes of Sara Palin, but hopefully will be a wake up call to others. He has our attention, and that is half the battle. http://www.occupydemocrats.com/more-change-in-the-vatican-pope-francis-fires-critic-of-abortion-gay-marriage/

A bunch more. Though not really porn, except maybe aesthetically speaking. http://weburbanist.com/2008/12/19/strange-bizarre-geek-christmas-tree-ornaments/

No -- "that approach" meaning the approach taken by those plants!

One thing we know hito has never been.

This study is worth almost as much as a study of hito that depended on hito's self-reporting.

Now why did my taking that approach to NYC twinks somehow fail to confer perpetual youth?

So I went to look it up, and got this. 1. dumbass Someone who looks up the word "dumbass" in a dictionary. If you don't know what a dumbass is you're really a fucking dumbass. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dumbass

Porn Pioneer Al Goldstein Dead At 77 The Brooklyn native, and unapologetic porn pioneer behind Screw magazine, Al Goldstein, died in New York this morning at the age of 77. He had been in a New York hospital this week, and his lawyer, Charles C. DeStefano, said the cause may have been renal failure. Goldstein was no stranger to health problems (suffering a stroke and a seizure in the past ten years). The Awl described the almost indescribable Goldstein as "an incredibly intelligent and hilarious man crippled by self-hatred, an inside-out Woody Allen, a lecherous troll from out of the Qumran caves." There was some confusion earlier this week when Goldstein's friend, Penn Jillette from Penn & Teller (who paid for Goldstein's old Staten Island apartment), Tweeted that he was visiting him "as he dies in the hospital": Penn Jillette ✔ @pennjillette Follow I'm in NYC. Today I visited my hero and friend Al Goldstein as he dies in the hospital, and tomorrow night I celebrate Lou Reed's Life. NYC 8:59 PM - 15 Dec 2013 He later explained that Goldstein had not yet passed, but was not doing well: Penn Jillette ✔ @pennjillette Follow My buddy and hero, Al Goldstein is NOT dead. He is unresponsive and not doing well, but he is alive. Try to stop the rumors. Thanks. 11:55 AM - 16 Dec 2013 When his magazine debuted in 1968, the manifesto was unyielding—it read, in part: “We promise never to ink out a pubic hair or chalk out an organ. We will apologize for nothing. We will uncover the entire world of sex. We will be the Consumer Reports of sex.” But Goldstein had quite a life even before his dirty mag days: "Before founding Screw, Goldstein was a radio car driver for Walter Winchell, a photographer for the Fair Play for Cuba Committee (he was once jailed in Havana), a press photographer for Pakistan International Airlines (he accompanied Jackie Kennedy on her goodwill tour of Pakistan in 1962), and an industrial spy for a large corporation." He also turned up on New York's public access channels, later in life: His life was filled with many ups and downs and twisted turns, enough for a book, and at different points he found himself living on a floor in Queens, a VA hospital, Rikers, a townhouse on East 61st Street, Florida (where a lawn statue was in the shape of a middle finger), the aforementioned Staten Island apartment, and a nursing home in Cobble Hill. For more on his life, there's this 2011 Observer profile, and a lengthy obit from the NY Times. http://gothamist.com/2013/12/19/porn_pioneer_al_goldstein_dead_at_7.php

Al Goldstein, Creator of Screw Magazines, Dies at 77 Published:10:52 am EST, December 19, 2013| Updated:11:01 am EST, December 19, 2013| Comment | 49 By Danny Vega | heavy.com The New York Times reports that Al Goldstein, a pornographer and magazine publisher, passed today at the age of 77 due to renal failure. Here's 5 Fast Facts. 1. Al Goldstein Published Screw Magazine The debut issue of screw. Image Credit: Dbr.nu Screw magazine was started in 1968 in a world where pornography was sold under the guise of being classy or refined. Screw, however, brought edgy grit and realism to the industry. In its debut issue, Al wrote: "We promise never to ink out a pubic hair or chalk out an organ. We will apologize for nothing. We will uncover the entire world of sex. We will be the Consumer Reports of sex.” The magazine led Al to be charged with obscenity multiple times, including a $5 million slander lawsuit due to the magazine reporting that Alabama governor, George Wallace, had learned sex acts from the publication. Al and George ended up settling for $12,500. According to the New York Times, Screw magazine went under in 2003, but the NYPress says that the magazine has been resurrected by old employees: 2. Goldstein Notoriously Owned a Massive Middle Finger Goldstein's massive middle finger stood in his waterfront mansion's backyard, a not-so-subtle gesture to passing boaters. He reportedly parted with the estate for some $1.7 million in 2004. Apparently, however, he took the finger with him. Pompano Beach Mayor, John Rayson, said upon his sale of the estate, "I didn't like the finger. I know it's a free speech issue, but it was embarrassing. Every time I went out on my boat I'd see it." He erected the finger in 1998 after buying it from ABC show, Spin City, where it was used as a prop. 3. Goldstein's Mark on Pornography Was His Brash, Tasteless Approach “He clearly coarsened American sensibilities, Hefner did it with taste, Goldstein’s contribution is to be utterly tasteless.” said his ex-lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, in 2004. He told Playboy in a 1974 interview, ""We [at Screw magazine] lead the league in tastelessness. Our photographs are filthier and our stories are more disgusting. We make no effort to be artistic. Our photos are so explicit that the readers can see the come running from the girl's mouth. Our stock in trade is raw, flailing sex." Rotten.com reports of Al that he "once offered $10,000 to anyone who could locate an actual snuff film (snuff created for sexual purposes.) Nobody has ever claimed this reward." Screw was not without its progressive edge, publishing two men engaging in sexual intercourse in 1969. 4. Al Claims to Have Been Arrested 17 Times While many of the cases were obscenity charges, Al has gotten into recent trouble with authorities. He was reportedly taken off a plane in Fort Lauderdale after making lewd comments to a security screener. 5. Al is Survived by His Son and 5 Ex-Wives He was reportedly long estranged from his 5th wife, Christine. http://www.heavy.com/news/2013/12/al-goldstein-dead-dies-screw-magazine/

I didn't know that: "Apr 1969 Screw magazines runs a pictorial of two men engaged in sexual intercourse." Al Goldstein aka Alvin Goldstein Founder of Screw magazine. Try as you might, you will not find a speech, paragraph, or article declaring Al Goldstein a "nice guy". It's just not the way the man is wired. Every description of him makes it quite clear he is foul, profane, brutally cruel to his staff and friends, and constantly floating in what could charitably be called a cloud of noxiousness. But at least he's consistent. Once offered $10,000 to anyone who could locate an actual snuff film (snuff created for sexual purposes.) Nobody has ever claimed this reward. Got a blowjob from Linda Lovelace during an interview promoting Deep Throat, but got pissed off at her after she quit porn and released an autobiography which included unflattering stories about Goldstein. Claims to have been arrested 19 times. Curtis Sliwa on Al: "He doesn't have a humanitarian bone in his body." Timeline 10 Jan 1936 Al Goldstein born, New York City. 1952 Al Goldstein's uncle arranges for a prostitute to deflower the 16 year old Goldstein. Nov 1968 Al Goldstein launches Screw magazine, with $150 funding. Apr 1969 Screw magazines runs a pictorial of two men engaged in sexual intercourse. 1973 Publishes nudes of Jackie-O in issue #206. Sells 530,000 copies. Oct 1974 Playboy magazine runs an interview with pornographer Al Goldstein, in which he declares: "We [at Screw magazine] lead the league in tastelessness. Our photographs are filthier and our stories are more disgusting. We make no effort to be artistic. Our photos are so explicit that the readers can see the come running from the girl's mouth. Our stock in trade is raw, flailing sex." 1977 Federal obscenity trial. 1983 Al Goldstein arrested at St. Patrick's Cathedral, with his Vagina-Cross. Jun 1983 John Holmes to Al Goldstein at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: "You're gaining weight, Goldstein. You should be on the same diet I'm on, the cocaine diet." 1997 Al Goldstein tells Davka magazine he is an atheist. 1998 Al Goldstein disinvites David Letterman from Screw's 30th anniversary party, "for having blackballed me from appearing on your crummy show." Apr 1998 Al Goldstein installs a "fuck you finger" stone statue prominently in his backyard in Pompano Beach. It had been formerly used as a prop on the Spin City sitcom. 2001 On a recent legal case: "She [assistant Jennifer Lozinsky] was an elitist Jew who felt that her cunt did not smell from fish and yet as soon as she walked in my office, I heard the tune "The Shrimp Boats Are Coming." She was a typical elitist cunt who thought that her shit didn't stink. She disapproved of me and I had her assistant indicted." Jan 2003 Al Goldstein is pulled off a plane in Fort Lauderdale, Florida after security screener Kelly Nobles reports that the pornographer made lewd comments to her. Nobles claims that Goldstein asked whether she were a true blonde, and then suggested they have sex and that she keep her uniform on. Goldstein denies everything, and the officers are forced to let him go. 6 Aug 2003 In an interview, Al Goldstein confides: "We're having money problems. The men's field sucks. Sales are off 70%... After 34 years of being outrageous, we're fighting for survival... The Village Voice took away all my hooker ads." 22 Oct 2003 Al Goldstein apologizes in court for harrassing former employee Jennifer Lozinski. Begging for mercy, Goldstein tells the judge: "I'm homeless. I'm selling my house. I'm going to be in a homeless shelter... I'm nearly 68 years old. This is not right. I served nine days at Rikers and seven days in a nut house." http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/pornographers/al-goldstein/

Now I know what to get hito for Christmas... ...NOT! (Alas! )