The only way to detect is to conduct surveillance, that is, to look at all calls going to or coming from a certain geographical area or to, say, relatives and friends of suspects, or even to people who write comments to blogs or check out the wrong library book. Then when you see something interesting you continuously monitor the line. Detection begins the weeding out process and the only way to do it is to start with the population of calls or a prioiritized, non-random sampling within that population. In other words, if you have a Middle Eastern name and make a call to the Middle East, your calls are to be examined for further monitoring whether you are a US citizen and totally innocent of any wrong doing and God help you if you ever say bin Laden. Big Brother is watching.

I'll be a supporter of the Hall when the Moody Blues are inducted. And what about Clyde McPhatter?

I first listened to rock and Elvis on WAKR (Wacker the leader, WAKR) and on Saturday night I was a moondogger listening to Alan Freed on WJW from Cleveland while cruising the drive-in in somebody's convertible. I lived in Canton, OH and we saw them all come through. The world of music has gone to hell.

Someone should investigate where and when the word "micromanage" as in the Democrats in congress want to micromanage the war. A ridiculous assertion repeated ad nauseum by Republicans and there press lackeys for the last couple of months. Clearly, this was a directive from Karl the framer, so to speak.

William McKinley's wife was an invalid. Because of that, he ran his famous front porch campaign literally from his front porch in Canton, Ohio. He won. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could confine all the candidates to their respective front porches?

Your article about Imus and the rappers is right on. I stopped listening to him years ago. McGuirk is worse and is the instigator while Imus is an all too willing participant. I also abhor the the foul language and the violent threats in the comments on the internet. I have heard and seen it all, too, as a Vietnam vet(white and male, too).

Could the forensics that will help find the missing e-mails also be the forensics that will make sure no one else will ever see them?

Phil finds Tony. His tribe surrounds house and sets it on fire. Tony is killed by Phil escaping the fire. Feds show up, too late, and arrest Phil who is off to serve another long stint. Proclaims it will be worth it. Two Iraqis show up and shoot Phil a la Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald. Turns out the Iraqis were stiffed in the joint by Phil. Paulie takes over both gangs and marries Carmela. Turns out Meadow is adopted thus spoiling the fun of an incestuous relationship with AJ. Johnnie's widow, Fatso, marries AJ and smothers him to death on their wedding night. AJ is now really depressed.

Tony wakes up, discovers the last several years have all been a dream and he is really married to Marlon Brando who makes a ghostly cameo appearance.

I stopped reading the NY Times editorial when I glanced at the footnote and saw that the writer is a US Air Force JAG attorney. I recall many Army and Navy attorneys speaking out against various aspects of prisoner interrogation and the military tribunals but I can recall no Air Force attorney doing the same. From my own experience with the services, this would not surprise me. After several years of dealing with the USAF, let's just say that they are a breed apart and I have definite prejudices against them for their near uniform thinking in the manner of the author of the NYT editorial. Great pilots, not great strategic or human rights thinkers.

We may be Wimpy but we are not as crooked.

I have never been able to figure out why Nancy Pelosi took impeachment off the table. Now I understand: self-preservation.

Last night I observed on The News Hour how admiring Nancy Pelosi is of Sen Reid. It occurs to me that this is a mutual admiration duo who lament together, support each other and praise each others courage in the face of the enemy (the Democratic Party base) while doing the work of the devil.

No Tom DeLay involved in 2008. America weeps.

I believe the ad is very dishonest. And, I am disappointed, Joan, that you would think otherwise. The ad is Rush Limbaugh's style. Obama said one thing, the ad then takes that statement, twists it to say something that Obama never said, then tries to make a fool out of Obama for something he never said or would say. These ads are worse than outright lies because they are more subtle and not so blatantly obvious as the outright lie. Less sophisticated listeners are inclined to think Obama must be a fool.

I will tell you as well that I notice many women who are Hillary Clinton fans and see no wrong in anything she says or does, or, for that matter, anything Bill Clinton says or does. To an extent that is understandable: the natural, warranted desire for women to see another woman break through the marble ceiling is strong but it can color their views. I am not opposed to either a Clinton or Obama candidacy, I support Edwards, but I believe that Obama came off much more presidential than he in the South Carolina debate.

Please, Joan, give me a break. Barack does not agree with you. You haven't been to the Dominican Republic recently with Rush, have you? You're starting to argue just like him.