Yes, our children will end up fighting terrorism, but not for the reasons Joe thinks. Our kids' generation will be forced to deal with the inevitable fallout of the Bush administration's ineptitude. So far, all that the Iraq war has done is run our army into the ground, alienate our allies, embolden our enemies, enrich war profiteers, and give the Bush administration an excuse to seize power and act outside the law.

And it is the Republicans' policies that lost the war, not the Democrats. Particularly their desire to fight the war with light forces and on the cheap, not to mention their utter and complete bungling of Iraq's occupation and reconstruction. Democrats had almost no influence on how the war was conducted. All that Democrats have done is point out the foolishness of this plan (or lack thereof). But rather than face reality and acknowledge that they screwed up, Republicans would rather shoot the messenger.

We can go on and on about how religious edicts for covering one's body oppress women, but the fact remains that many women believe this stuff. If they couldn't get their hands on body-covering swim suits, they wouldn't feel comfortable going to the beach or the pool. In the burkini, they have found a solution that respects their beliefs while allowing them to do something they enjoy. So what's wrong with that?

As for the body-covering feature of the burkini, has anyone checked out what elite competitive swimmers have been wearing lately? Many use body-covering suits, made from advanced fabrics that are suppposed to reduce water turbulence and make swimming more efficient. While the burkini would be a drag in competition (literally), it seems suitable for other kinds of swimming and water sports. It doesn't look all that different from the long-sleeved UV suits that a lot of little kids are wearing these days, either.

At a water park this summer, I ran into an Orthodox Jewish woman who was wearing a swimsuit similar to the burkini. Instead of sitting passively on the side of the pool, she was having a wonderful time playing in the water with her kids. This is what the burkini is all about. I would not choose to wear one myself, but if it gets more women in the water I am all for it.

With the good ship Rachel weeping for her captain's lost child.

And so will it be for us.

Many women have conflicted feelings about mammograms and other screening tests. They know they have to get them done, but scheduling them is a pain. Sometimes they just keep putting them off because they're busy and distracted, or they think they're not necessary because they lack certain risk factors, or they dread hearing bad news. Yes, it's not logical. But it's human nature to put off unpleasant things as long as possible even though everyone knows it's better to deal with them sooner rather than later.

When Carol Lloyd admits her own ambivalence about having a mammogram, she's sending a wakeup call to other women with this attidue. Sometimes we need a little bit of extra prodding to take care of our own health needs.

Islamic terrorists hate our freedoms, so let's give them up.

Keep the big house in the 'burbs for the sake of your teenaged daughter, who loves the place and wants to stay there. She's gone through a lot of transitions and needs a period of stability to digest them all.

Sell the house after she goes to college and move into the bungalow. As long as the proceeds of the sale go towards your children -- i.e., you use it to put your daughter through school, pay off any student loans your sons took out, etc. -- I can't see why anyone could object.

Don't forget to create a space for your daughter in your cozy little bungalow so she can stay with you during breaks and summers, and more importantly, so she doesn't feel frozen out of your new life.

As a Pittsburgher, I've often marveled at the strength of my city's love for the Steelers. Why does professional sports inspire so much devotion? Perhaps Ehrenreich has put her finger on it with her communal rituals of joy. It makes so much sense to view sports fandom as a ritual expression of our collective happiness. (Or, for Pittsburghers this year, collective mourning over a season of missed opportunities!) What else can explain the singing of ritual chants ("Here we go Steelers, here we go!"), the dancing in the streets after big victories, the carnival atmosphere of games (complete with costumes), the festive football parties with their overconsumption of food and alcoholic drinks? What else but our collective joy could have gotten hundreds of thousands of people to pour into the streets to greet their team on its triumphant return after its Superbowl victory last year?

We can complain about boneheaded sports fanatics 'till we're blue in the face, but sports fandom serves a purpose. It gives fans a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves (Steeler Nation). It provides a series of community rites in which we can all participate (even if we can't get tickets, we can still watch the game on TV). It even gives us a way to connect with others in our community ("How 'bout them Stillers?" is the ritual football season greeting in Western Pennsylvania). All of these things are in short supply.

Our need for ritual expressions of joy also explains why so much money is spent on professional sports facilities, why teams can coax sweetheart deals out of cities and taxpayes, why athletes can get away with such horrible behavior, and more, but that's a topic for another post.