I had a bad result from foot surgery 20 years ago, with consequences (chronic pain, etc.) that continue to this day. My suggestion to the person with LASIK-damaged eyes: find a way to leave the anger behind. It is a terrible burden to carry, along with your medical troubles. My problems with pain became much more manageable after I let go of some of that anger and resentment, I think because I finally could put ALL my energy into whatever recovery was possible. If legal action would help you do that, check it out. If legal action would just prolong your anger, think twice about it. Get a counselor. Check out nontraditional pain treatments (acupuncture was good for me, too.)

It happens I also am very nearsighted, and can't wear contacts. I was very interested in LASIK at one time, and asked my regular optometrist about my suitability for the surgery. He looked at my eyes for a bit, sighed, and said that if those were HIS eyes, he would leave them be-- apparently I was within the norms for the surgery, but JUST within them. I was very glad that I'd gotten a disinterested opinion before I went to see the LASIK doc.

Every time you have surgery, they give you a release form to sign that lists all sorts of improbable things that might go wrong. I used to sign those things without much reflection, sure that it could never be me in the 1% of unlucky lottery winners.

Good luck with the eyes, and with those invisible wounds.

The emperor has no clothes, and I'm sick and tired of being terrorized by my own government.

Yup, terrorized. I'm sick to death of all the stupid alerts, exaggerated threats, over-hyped bigotry, and fear mongering. The timing is always oh-so-interesting, for one thing, and later it seems we always hear (buried in the paper, never on page one) that things weren't as bad as reported at the time.

I'm particularly annoyed because the bozos in the Bush Administration don't seem to pay attention to any warnings themselves. They ignored signs of 9/11. The Bozo in Chief saw fit to campaign while New Orleans was drowning. Then they compensate by telling US to be afraid.

They don't want us to notice their incompetence, or that they've skewered the Constitution six ways from Sunday. They don't want us to notice that they are torturing people, in some cases people who may not have done anything wrong. They don't want us to notice, and stupid us, we haven't been noticing. We're too busy being afraid of hair gel and toothpaste.

Thanks, Pilot!

but when I heard the news conference in which the president pleaded for the necessity of this legislation, all I could think was that he needed it to cover the crimes already committed by his administration and the CIA.

Awwww. You stirred up a lot of memories, not the least of which was the dreadful moment in the hospital when I realized there was no warranty and no returns on this screeching first baby of mine.

The infant in question is now nearly 25 and a joy to me in ways I couldn't have anticipated back then. He was one of those colicky, sleepless babies who didn't sleep through the night until after his two years younger brother did, and life with him has been one long wild ride, but the adventure of a lifetime, too. He's launched, now, and I get to watch (sometimes through my fingers) as he makes his way in the world.

Just hang in there, hang on, and learn what you can. Pay no attention to Perfect Moms, Perfect Children, or opinionated "experts" in the grocery store aisle; they're fakes. Get yourself a Committee of people you think of as sensible Good parents and then when you don't know what to do, survey 'em.

It will be ok.

I owe you a "thank you" for pointing me to Project Runway but I cannot let your harsh words about Boston Legal pass without a protest.

Boston Legal is the high point of my TV week, the one time I know that I will laugh. I suspect, too, that you haven't been watching very much this season, because you seem to be a bit behind the times on the details (I've only heard the "Denny Crane" line once this season, for instance.)

I love the way Kelly shatters the fourth wall, the madcap quality of the comedy, the camp, and the send-up of oiliness and masculine folly. I like it so much I hadn't bothered to check out "Shark."

Again, thanks for the good watching tips -- as for your opinion of my favorite show, de gustibus non disputandum est. (Ain't no accounting for tastes.)

Campaign.

Finance.

Reform.

I agree with the gentleman who wrote about the "appearance of impropriety" and judges. Doesn't matter whose party is in power, this is a mess that should be cleaned up.

Bravo, Will Evans!

This is more than a power play; Pelosi knows that she's been painted to most of the country as a crazy liberal from (gasp) San Francisco. Her endorsement of Murtha says, loud and clear, that she takes seriously her role as Majority Leader, that she's there to serve the nation, not just her own constituents.

Moreover, she knows that the honeymoon will last all of 5 minutes, if that. This raggle-taggle majority of Democrats will have to unite to get things done. She and Murtha may agree on Iraq, but they represent opposite views on many other subjects, (abortion and guns come to mind.) By reaching out to Murtha, she's saying loud and clear that her priorities are crystal-clear: first, Iraq.

I'm proud she's from my state.