Being 49 myself, I can relate more to Peggy's Irish working class family than to the execs in Draper's world. I did have an alcoholic uncle though who was in advertising, very urbane, very soft-spoken, would just drink all day, almost never raise his voice but if you listened to him speak he was saying some crazy stuff. "Well whadya say Harv we go down and beat the shit out of that kid at the go-cart rink?" And people seemed to drink a lot so they could let go and just get nuts. Like you'd know people by day and the women would come over for coffee with curlers in their hair and the men would wear suits to work all week, and have dinner with the family at 5:00 and then on weekends you'd see these same people just laughing and being goofy, just having a blast and getting drunk or sometimes not being drunk, just being silly. I think they are a little too buttoned-up on Madmen, except at work.

I'm familiar with the father losing his temper at home but there's also that uncharacteristic chuminess and expansiveness the dad can exhibit when he's had a good day at work and comes home loaded, that alarms the kiddies and irritates the wife. I'd like to see Don Draper do that.

About why Don is such an asshole because he absolutely can be and there are few if any consequences. His secretary got fired because she couldn't cover for him well enough. His wife is supposed to feel lucky he pays for her riding lessons. Also, according to Don, Betty is always coming up short, not managing well enough for his taste, and she is always trying harder when he is really a VERY BAD HUSBAND. It's so crazy because it's true.

do you know what "literally" means because I believe the word you are looking for is "figuratively." Because if Obama had literally thrown Hillary Clinton under a bus we might have heard about it from sources other than yourself. So it will be impossible for me to explain to you that your list is long and dumb, and that it was McCain who just voted AGAINST the last veteran's benefit bill, and that under Bill Clinton we had a balanced budget, and that under George W we have billions of dollars unaccounted debt that has gone to good buddies of his who have gotten super rich while regular working stiffs like you have been paying 4.00 a gallon for gas? Do YOU even know what you are talking about? The policies of the last 8 years have not made us safer! Do you fly? Do you see the steps the airlines are taking to make us safer? It's ridiculous. Come on, wake up. It's not just incompetence that's effing up, it's people getting paid A LOT OF MONEY not to do their jobs in this current republican administration. It's just so frustrating.

And to the lady in Georgia, about your daughter, I am so sorry, and to the other lady, the teacher, who wrote so eloquently about why people are so afraid of the black man in a suit, so succinctly put and so sad.

He offers problems? Obama does not offer problems, he addresses problems that need to be addressed that he did not create. Now if you have a mother or a father and you cut yourself and are in danger of bleeding to death and you go to your father and say I may be bleeding to death and your--let's say father--says to you: "You look so handsome today, how could you possibly be bleeding? That's your life's blood, the same blood that's flowing through my veins." Then he goes back to clipping his toenails. Do you feel flattered and satisfied or does your self preservation kick in and you go to your mother who sees and comprehends the situation, addresses it honestly and drives you off to the ER to get you patched up? It's a clumsy analogy but in Obama is your mother and McCain is your detached placating "everything's all right" father. Obama might tell you things are hell but he is more likely to do somethign about it

is no joan crawford, and Meg Ryan no Norma Shearer. Why do all women these days regardless of their ages look like not quite girls but--? At least the girsl in Sex and the City seem to take their lives seriously. I saw the trailer for this at Mama Mia which was silly but fun, this looks silly but not a whole lot of fun. I liked the old one, again silly and fun. Especially where that girl can't spend any of her own money because her husband is insecure so she leaves him only to find out she's pregnant and head back to him, weirdly funny.

The better movie part, how bout a cross between Frankie and Johnny and Goodfellas? I was dreading the worst about this movie so thanks for being kind, not sure about that black hole of macho, but I'll take my chances. It wasn't that long ago that AP did The Insider. He's not just a badass y'know. This I will see.

It's good to hear about people like your uncle and I am sorry I used terms like "pounding it into their heads" or made it sound like all the people in Florida are stupid. I didn't mean that. I just think it's true what you're saying. There are people who will overcome their own prejudices, take the issues into account and vote for Obama and why aren't they being heard? And JohnD2008, if there are black people out there voting for Obama just because he's black, that's absolutely fabulous with me. If that's racism then I adore it. I personally refuse to vote for McCain because he's a grinning rotten potato head with silver mold on top who is not a leader.