Whoever or whatever the law says. If the law says that because certain criteria have been met, a person or institution "owns" the land, then so be it. If the law further says that the person or institution which owns the land must also pay taxes on that land, then so be it. We're a nation of laws.

When you get down to it, how can anyone "own" part of the planet Earth? It was there before we came, and it will be there after we leave. Ergo, "ownership" is an artificial concept based upon the laws of a particular human society. You live in that society, you accept its laws or change them according to whatever process for change is in place at the time; in the USA, that would be the democratic process via our representative government.

Where would any of us be, for that matter, but let's talk about Romney and his fellow plutucrats:

Who works all day in filthy slaughterhouses and kills and guts the animals whom Romney dines on at fancy steakhouses?

Who spends all day breaking their backs under the hot sun to pick the potatoes and asparagus that Romney dines on as sides to his steak?

Who cleans the toilets and changes the sheets in the fancy hotels that Romney sleeps in?

Who mows the lawn and trims the hedges at the exclusive clubs Romney cuts deals in?

Who works for slave wages for the big businesses that give Romney bribes -- er, campaign contributions?

Illegal immigrants, that's who.

I do not support illegal immigration, since I believe that aspiring immigrants ought to obey our nation's laws, but the fact is that this country would collapse without the cheap labor provided by illegal immigrants. Until Romney and his fellow plutocrats own up to that fact, they ought to find another issue to demagogue on.

"Without the helmets, his childhood fans may be the last generation of kids to understand the full depth of the relationship between choice and consequence."

I agree that children are overly-protected from life these days, but I'm all for helmets. The fact is, the kids from the days when we were kids (bike helmets? what were they) who actually wiped out and sustained brain injuries probably cannot understand the full depth of anything, assuming they're still alive.

The first time I was thrown to the mat and landed on the back of my head, I fully appreciated the depth of the benefits of my headgear. Machismo is often a synonym for stupidity.

There's something about doing pro bono work for the abused and neglected children of people too young or poor to raise them properly, while simultaneously holding off on having kids of your own until your duel-income finances are in order, to make one very, very cynical about people having kids even when they're not ready.

Seeing couples with young kids break apart from financial strains, or just weak marriages, also adds to the cynicism.

FWIW it's worth, by the time my wife and I felt capable of properly raising children, we'd reached the happy decision that we didn't want 'em anyway.

Note to kitchengirl and other women looking for men: join a martial arts class. Men outnumber women at least 5 to 1, and if you pick the right class you won't have just the no-neck boneheads. There's nothing like rasslin with a person of the opposite sex during groundfighting to bring two people together (is that a cup you're wearing or are you just happy to see me?). Besides, if he gets fresh, you have permission to break his ribs.

Let's see. Jimmy Carter, faithful to his wife, served in the Navy.

Simon Bar-Sinister, a.k.a. Rudy Guiliani: told his second wife he was divorcing her during a televised press conference. Avoided military service during Vietnam.

A philiander and a chickehawk. Yep, Guiliani's a Republican all right!

Right on, but I would add: adopt, if you can.

Of course, I'm talking about adopting homeless cats or dogs, but adopting kids is a good idea, too.

How dare Mitt Romney attack the Constitutional separation of chuch and state? How dare he declare that freedom is not possible without God? How dare he demonize secularism? Is Romney running for President or Preacher?

Rachel Maddow played JFK's famous speech (regarding his Catholicism) tonight. The difference between that speech and Romney's is stark. JKF rejected religious litmus tests for public office. He adamantly defended separation of church and state. He declared religion a private affair.

These Republican contenders are an appaling bunch. Religious extremists (or pretenders, anyway). Pro-torture goons. Warmongers. Xenophobes. What a repulsive, un-American bunch they are. After 8 years of the worst Presidency in our nation's history, it is depressing to see an even worse bunch of men lining up to, amazingly, soil that office even more. They must not ever get the chance to do so. This nation must elect a Democrat in 2008, no matter what.