Boxing was really a sport of the 1920's and 1930's. After the Great Depression and World War II, it really became apparent to many people that watching young men from poor families beat each others' brains out was not much a sport.

Muhammad Ali was all about marketing, back in the days when consumers were more easily fooled, but the fact that even a boxer as pretty as he once was is now a pathetic wreck just rubs home the truth about boxing.

There will always be some kind of a market for boxing, mainly because an infinite number of cable and satellite TV channels are always looking for something to show that can pull in a few advertising dollars, but the days when boxing champions were heroes to young boys are long past.

Actually I thought that Bush's quip:

"She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child."

was pretty good for an on-the-fly jest in the 400th anniversary year of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia a reminder that the reason the US speaks English is because the original colonies grew up as the offspring of Great Britain--Jamestown being, of course, named after one of the Queen's ancestors and Virginia after another.

I stand corrected on the issue of Queen Elizabeth II not being a direct descendant of Queen Elizabeth I or James I. Actually I knew this, but wanted to keep my letter simple and thought that GW Bush might not know all the ins and outs of the succession to the throne of England.

But I still find it hard to believe that even GWB, of whom I am no fan, would want to deliberately insult the head of state of the US's best (almost only) ally, with whose prime minister he is said to have a good relationship. There would be no point whatsoever in further alienating UK public opinion by making pointed remarks on an occasion that is aimed at cementing the ties of friendship between two nations.

I still prefer to believe that Bush, who is of British descent, was referring to the fact that the Queen is perceived all over the world as the matriarchal symbol of the English-speaking peoples, and a tacit acknowledgement that this is a language that GWB is still striving in schoolboyish fashion to master.

OK, LW, here it is. Whether you are an alcoholic right now is a moot point, but the important question is where you are headed, and it certainly looks like long term you are en route to liver damage and alcohol addiction.

So stop now. Yes, right now, while you still have a liver and a functioning brain.

If you can't stop now, then you have answered the original question.

The most telling line in the original letter is about staying up late watching TV shows that hubby does not like. Seems to me more that the TV shows must be likable precisely because hubby is not around. And if there is one thing that rots your brain worse than alcohol, it is TV.

Get into an exercise program. Swim laps daily in a pool, or do whatever is available where you live. Read some books. Public libraries are free. Find religion if you are that way inclined.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened her toast by saying:

'When I was here in 1776...'"

The guests, including Mr Bush, erupted in laughter.

In his own speech, the president responded: "Your Majesty, I can't top that one."

[From The Guardian]

Of course people who have children with Down Syndrome love their children and want the best quality of life for them, but although some, maybe many, children born with Down Sydrome are lovable and well adjusted, a good number have additional handicaps other than mental subnormality, such as epilepsy, and heart problems,not to mention behavioral problems and mental illness which make the life of their parents a nightmare--so it is not a one sided argument.

The idea that people should not terminate Down Syndrome pregnancies because they may be depriving other children who are about to be born with Down Syndrome of playmates is really, really absurd.

I don't really disagree with Cary's advice for this poor child, though it might be better for her to simply be adopted by other parents, or her grandparents.

How can this woman marry a man who is supposedly a woman trapped in a man's body (yeah, right) and NOT ACTUALLY NOTICE this prior to marrying him and producing a child (or was it vice-versa)?

And how can this man who is the father of a child decide to go ahead and pretend to be a woman when he has a child to raise? He should give up his selfish whims and play the part of a male father for this child he has brought into the world, at least until she is old enough to leave home. Then he can do what the hell he likes.

I don't know why other Salon readers pander to this nonsense.

Sick, sick, sick.

At the core of the scandal is the continuing mystery of who was responsible for the purge of the U.S. attorneys -- many of whom had prosecuted corruption cases against Republicans or had balked at pursuing legally shaky cases against Democrats.

Can we stop pussyfooting around this and just say that the order to try to use the US Attorneys to skew elections in favor of Republicans in marginal constituencies came from the President of the United States?