Saloniks of the world are like AA members

Let's see: sober, aware of themselves and the consequences of their actions in the world, believing that their little selves are not the totality of being, reaching a hand out to others, hoping to undo the wrongs that inevitably come with any action....that's not a bad rap. I'll take it.

Conservatives, on the other hand, are like drunks: intoxicated, filled with emotion, often hateful, sure that they're right, and, when given charge of something, like a car or a country, all too willing to send it careening over the cliff while shouting that they're right.

Yep, that works too.

O/T: The new format STILL sucks, Salon.

It looks like Rover is back, at least from the evidence of commercials.

The Prisoner was one of the best shows of the 60s, a decade known for "It's About Time" and "My Mother The Car." (I'd like to see a remake of the latter called "My Mother The ATM"). It tackled some pretty big and serious ideas, and had real style. (I still say, "Be seeing you" with the circle finger gesture to friends in the know).

I have no problem with the idea of a remake. In theatre, they redo Hamlet all the time. The problem, of course, is to do it well--and it sounds from the review as if it's done badly. Ah well.

And Kings was great--what other show attempts to have characters speak in iambic pentameter?

One more thing: the new Salon look stinks. Period.

Even Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) found himself unexpectedly handed a chance to avenge his heartless bosses in London

This sentence should read "handed a chance to take revenge" or "a change to avenge himself upon." Pryce is certainly not avenging his bosses in his action.

And what a great episode it was! I was particularly taken with Don's scene with Peggy in her apartment (which, for once, looked like it might actually be a NY apartment). "People buy things, like you and me," he said. Are they the people? Or the things? "And then something terrible happens, and everything changes." The assassination? Or the divorce? Or both? "And we know that." This kind of writing--deep in its ambiguity, seeming to come from the very depths of Don Draper's/Dick Whitman's soul in performance...just brilliant.

What a great series. What a great show. What resonance! Don and Betty are like Darren and Samantha...Roger Sterling is like Larry...and, finally, Pete is so reminiscent of Morse's performance in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." This morning I found myself in the shower singing "You have the cool, clear eyes of a seeker of wisdom and truth..." This really is the best thing on TV. And yes, it is literature worth talking about.

What kind of corroboration do the Holocaust deniers need?

Why, they need to see the long form, of course.

The great thing about religions is that they never change, they never evolve, and everybody in one believes the same things as everybody else.

Well, I guess it's okay to disown those parts of the Book that you want to when you want to--just like it's okay to disown those verses that might disturb the actions you want to take! All that "turn the other cheek" stuff, all that "put up your sword" stuff, all that "give everything you own to the poor stuff"--that's not really in the Bible, right?

Because we all know that when Jesus was threatened, he took up his crossbow and let the Romans and Saducees have it!

WWJD? Kill 'em all, and let Dad sort it out!

I just have to say, thank goodness that there's no violence in the Bible, no advocation of slaughter of one's enemies or destruction of their lands. Imagine what Christianity might look like if there were!

And imagine if the president were to refer to what he did in Muslim lands as a "Crusade." Or if he were to invoke his belief in God as justification for his actions! Imagine what might happen to our reputation if he said that his religious leader was his primary political philosopher!

Luckily, people around the world know that the US is good and innocent, has no desire to spread a particular religious viewpoint, and never acts out of the economic interests of a few rich people in its midst.

No wonder they love us and treat us so well!

I'm certainly ready to go profiling after the terrible mass death!

Every rail-thin, short-blond haired red-neck....we're gunning for you! And the rightwing on Salon says it's ok!

What...you weren't talking about McVeigh? Now I'm confused. Why is it okay to profile Arabs and not rednecks?