Holy cow! I've known since the 80's that Ralph Reed is a snake, but I had no idea he'd actually used churches in one state to essentially lobby for casinos in another. One must admire Mr. Reed for his creativity and chutzpah.

Mr. Keillor takes Reed to task for his religious hypocrisy (and rightly so). However, I think that it’s important to point out that stories like this are interpreted by the agnostics and atheists of the world (like me) as proof that organized religion is something that needs careful scrutiny by the public and the government.

Perhaps the government should investigate these churches, their pastors, and their connection to Ralph Reed. Have these churches violated any tax laws, for example?

I am for the freedom of religion. However, at some point, these churches crossed the line between religion and politics. If we are not vigilant, we'll end up living in a de facto theocracy.

I grew up watching my father and men like him "work hard and play by the rules." They worked long hours. They were loyal to their companies and proud of the work that they did. The men of my childhood believed that this blue collar work was the key to a better life for their families. For many years, this was true.

However, since about the mid-70s or so, this work ethic has stopped yielding results for these men. Many of them were laid-off or "downsized" by the corporations that they’d dedicated their lives to. Unions were broken or gutted. Good jobs were sent to the 3rd world. The gap between the wealthy and poor is growing wider than it’s been since before WWII. The middle class is shrinking.

I understand the desire to return to a time when blue collar work was way of life for the middle class. However, those jobs and that life are not available to most of us today. Now, it’s "every man for himself." No one under the ago of 30 knows what the word "pension" means. The working world has changed.

An earlier posting suggested that the LW is a professor. However, I don't think that's likely. I don't see anything in the letter that suggests he is considering banging a student, buying a Ferrari, or even leaving his wife. He just sounds like a middle-aged guy with a lack of something to keep him interested in life.

I read, enjoyed, and generally agreed with the review of Click by Mr. O'Hehir. However, he seems to imply that Sandler is either incapable of handling better material or unwilling to take it on. However, as were many, I was impressed with his performance in Punch Drunk Love. Perhaps he was just used to good effect by Paul Thomas Anderson, but I don’t think so. I suspect he is actually capable of deeper, serious roles. (Maybe that's what he was trying for in Spanglish.) I guess that just makes movies like Click even more disappointing.

I really enjoyed this article. I hope Salon.com publishes more articles about the art world. However, I must take issue with the idea that the artist depicted here is any way a scientist (mad or otherwise).

A scientist is defined by the act of doing science. Being influenced or inspired by science (or technology) does not make an artist a scientist. Degrees in science or engineering (which is not science, by the way) also do not make one a scientist.

The author seems to think that boundary between art and science is breaking down. However, I think that wall is as insurmountable as it’s ever been. I also think that it’s impossible to ever really bridge the gap between the two. The two fields have vastly different goals and purposes. Science seeks to explain the world, while art interprets and comments on it.

Don't get me wrong, I think that art is an important and useful pursuit. I also think that this particular artist is probably "reshaping the ways we think about science." I look forward to seeing her art in the future and I hope it teaches me something about science and life. I also hope to read more about the art world in Salon.com!

Well, the entrance to the Monument Valley park is in Utah. Perhaps as your drive through the park, you cross into Arizona. It is true that its within the Navajo Reservation. Also, the park is managed by the Dine government, not the National Park Serice. This gets into the tricky issue of jurisdiction of reservations and states over land and location. In any case, state boundary lines within the reservation are not irrelevant.

However, I don't really think it matters. (One characteristic that seems to define the Southwest is the multiple overlapping histories and boundaries that exist everywhere.) The point of my letter wasn't really to criticize the author. The article was well written and thoughtful. I was mainly commenting on Cadillac Desert and how I thought that it will change your view of west forever. rhenley commented that the author seems to ignore the issue of water and man's influence on the desert. However, Cadillac Desert is a book that does exactly that.

The issue of native voices (also mentioned by rhenley) is obviously important. However, finding non-fiction literature that was actually written by Hopi and/or Navajo authors about their land and culture is very difficult. (Hopi, in particular, are rather secretive about the these issues.) Most of that literature was written by non-natives who have spent time living near or with these peoples. The Hillerman books, which were mentioned by the author, do address the issues of culture. Hillerman is a great friend of the Dine and as far as I know, the cultural material within his stories is generally correct.