Months ago, I posted that I wanted Phil Gramm hung around John McCain's neck like a dead, stinking albatross. It was only a stroke of luck that McCain committed political suicide by mavericky VP decision making, so it feels kind of like the horror movie that wraps up with "The End?".

I hope enough people understand the chain of economic events that brought us to where we are now and that unregulated markets, along with privatizing every freaking thing in sight hasn't served us well.

Thank you Andrew for staying on the case and helping to inform people about that Texas polecat.

Nothing former about it. He seems like a nice enough guy to have for a neighbor, maybe, but never, ever for president. Anyone who places abortion and gay marriage issues ahead of national security should stop kidding themselves about being presidential material.

I had a neighbor who told everyone she was James Bond's daughter. She wasn't.

Jan Brewer stinks. We have to find out who intends to run against her in 2010 and start raising money.

For the most part, the state legislature is a joke and Brewer is the punch line.

Crap. I'll get started after the first of the year.

I live in Tucson and it doesn't look the same as it did even six months ago. Peggy Noonan and the WSJ are ideologically driven whereas money isn't. The truth in that paradox is our current economic disaster.

I can't say that I've been aroused by anything I've read on Nerve.com, but I do like the personal essays. I'm not a premium member so I'm missing out on a lot, but I've been visiting the site frequently enough that I'll probably break down and join soon.

Ayn Rand's embrace of laissez-faire capitalism was absolute to the point of absurdity. Her ideal man could only be heroic juxtaposed against one dimensional characters. For years I've sat silently whenever friends and acquaintances spoke effusively of Rand's books. No more. The damage is too extreme to be polite. To me she was little more than an interesting but ultimately loopy Russian who wore a dollar sign around her neck. Mac Daddy Rand has been over-celebrated and the time has come for a reexamination of her body of work.

I agree with previous poster memphis bluz that the snake oil merchants are still out there and we have a lot of work ahead of us to put the lie to this economic theory that has failed so spectacularly. Although I'm not sure we can count on driving a stake through Phil Gramm's heart since I've never seen any evidence he has one.

So, you're suggesting there is no economic equilibrium at all to be had anywhere? It's either laissez-faire capitalism or state controlled everything?

What's wrong with well-regulated markets?

Some of these letters are hilarious. They couldn't possibly be too upset over the market collapse otherwise they might have to admonish their 401(k) managers to stop making them money.

The only thing that really jumped out is that your accountant advised you to put all of your money in one place. That's irresponsible even if it appeared Madoff was consistently out performing everyone else.

I don't think you're greedy. I think, like a lot of us, you want to be responsible with your money because it ISN'T your passion in life. A lot of people with money in funds would be hard pressed to tell you a lot of detail about their funds or fund managers.

Apparently prosecutors want Madoff's bail revoked because he gave away $1M in gifts in December.

George W. Bush will go down in history as one of the worst three presidents in the history of the United States. He deserves it.

I'm looking forward to January 20, 2009 when he and his inept administration leaves Washington D.C. The last eight years have been miserable and it's clear he doesn't consider himself responsible for any of it.

Wonderful piece. I imagine a lot of couples are going through a similar scenario currently.

My grandparents from Kansas were married at the start of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl and were married for seventy years. My parents were married for thirty years until my father's death. The creativity and forbearance it takes to make it through extraordinarily rough times and not just survive but thrive as a couple seems to be one of life's richest rewards.

When you reach a point in your marriage that is truly challenging, you should be able to handle it better than you would have before.

The love Paul has for his wife is so deep and profound, he will most likely outlast her.

My grandfather broke his hip at the age of 89 and was walking without the help of a cane within the year. It was sheer force of will. My grandmother was suffering from dementia and he was going to make sure she was properly cared for. She died within hours of her 87th birthday and he followed her three years later at the age of 96.

What a voice - kudos to Salon for publishing this. Too often in today's media older people are portrayed as either maudlin or wacky. I hope this story finds it's way to a lot of younger readers. It's beautiful.

Okay, I'm seven sheets to the wind, but still, I know I'm posting apropos of nothing related to Rocket Man, but it's such a drag that Patrick McGoohan has left us.

Arrrrggggghhh. If you've never seen Danger Man (Secret Agent Man in the US), or The Prisoner, do yourself a favor and do so. The 1960's was one hot mess of a decade and McGoohan dropped a big esoteric dime on the times. I've thought a lot about Danger Man and The Prisoner over the last eight years and realized McGoohan did something timeless back then.

Be seeing you, Patrick.

Fuck you George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

I feel like the United States has been liberated.