It is a false dichotomy to say that that a population must either grow or wither away and die. Personally, I'd prefer we learn this now rather than wait until we're forced to do so by resource exhaustion, and while "my share" of the earth is 1/6.5B not 1/12B. -- Alexis T.

Japan's population is now of the verge of declining. The birth rate there is 1.3 (the U.S. is 2.03 and Europe about 1.7). They've been wringing their hands about this for about 20 years now. The society is rapidly aging, and with productivity falling and a rapidly decreasing work force, everyone predicts a social welfare crisis as the tax base declines - who is going to support national health and welfare with fewer workers?

Japan is about a xenophobic a country as exists (then again, that's pretty much the case throughout East Asia). So, the debate rages about admitting more foreigners - they are in the same situation that much of Western Europe was during the 1970s with not enough people to perform factory, industrial, and construction labor. Some immigration has been tolerated to fill these jobs, but you're more likely to see Chinese and Filipino bar girls get VISAs than male laborers.

I would like to see Japan sweat it out and see if they can't simply learn to live with a lot fewer people. It's primary populations centers (Tokyo-Yokohama-Chiba and Osaka-Kobe) are still grossly over-populated. The countryside has been emptying since the end of WWII. Yet, there are still too many farmers with too low a rate of productivity. Part of this is geography, but most of it is simply too many small farms (India has the same problem). Given Japanese ingenuity, I think that they have as good a chance as any nation lacking resources to weather a population decline without massive immigration.

I'm just not convinced that the multi-culturalism that results from large scale immigration is all it's cracked up to be. It's never "worked" in the ME or Africa (meaning tribalism), and it's created multi-level societies throughout much of Western Europe since the middle of the 20th century.

. . . the orgasm so large an imperative that we can no longer consider ourselves complete without one -- which has naturally resulted in making us less likely to achieve one.

One of the dumbest articles in Salon, ever. And that's saying a lot.

As a member of the religious left... I am dismayed that sex has become so politicized. It seems to me that both the "religious right" and the "secular left" are off their collective rockers. -- pastorhorace

Because an article in Salon quoting an article somewhere else says so? And just how many hundreds of millions of people, religious and non-, conservative and liberal world-wide, actually read Salon? Sex may be politicized for you. Me (and probably the vast majority of people), I have more pressing matters of real political import to attend to.

Hollywood does not now nor will ever understand that quirkiness of British humor. While Monty Python, Mr. Bean, Absolutely Fabulous and Gervais' The Office all have their fans, Hollywood "comedy" movies will probably suck the soul out of him.

The same it pretty much true for British drama - too subtle and "realistic." "Why do all those actors look so normal?"

. . . and the bad habits engendered by the low editing standards in British publishing.

. . . and the bad habits engendered by the low editing standards in British publishing.

. . . LeVine, who is both a professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of California, Irvine, and a profession (sic) rock musician, . . .

I believe in the argot of the street, this is one of the those "Go fuck yourself" moments.

Half of my route to work is along a stretch of limited access highway. As soon as I get to this section, I engage the cruise control. Same is true whenever I am traveling on an interstate with moderate to light traffic. It amazes me the number of people who seem to have forgotten that they have this - we all encounter them, following you at 58MPH one minute and tail gating you then next at 63MPH.

It just was. It was in the Seattle PI this morning and has been on the web site since last night. Furthermore, David Horsey won a Pulitzer, primarily for work lampooning the Bush administration. Before this cover, I'd never heard of the artist who drew the New Yorker cover.

Um. The difference is (t)hat the Obama cartoon was an actual cover of the New Yorker, and cover as envisioned by the political cartoonist will never ever be published. -- Greg Hanigan

...McCain has a long history of standing up to far right Republicans, including Bush and Cheney. -- jebldmm

That's why McCain caved to Shrub and the Dark Lord over using torture. Yep! He's got some back bone that McCain.

Fucking weasel will say or do anything to be elected president.

I don't like the politics of either, Obama because I think he's a phony and race-baiting . . .-- jebldmm

"Race-baiting." What a joke you are.

. . . is of great concern to its rank and file employees (ownership made out, as always, like bandits with the sale), and I know there is concern in St. Louis as to whether the new owners will be the same corporate citizens, but otherwise who cares? Bud is shitty beer and is probably something of a metaphor for America - poor products that relied on advertising to maintain market share. The sale is, unfortunately, unlikely to affect this.

. . . still a hot item.

She should have called them idiots.

. . . think global warming is overblown.

Some scientist think oil is an abiotic product of the Earth that is constantly produced and renewed. -- ChillyDogg

Ethanol is a joke, regardless of what is used to make it. Furthermore, sugar cane does more to deplete soil of nutrients than possibly any other crop.