Interesting discussion of kinaesthenia (the association of words, colors, numbers, etc. with unusual sensory stimuli) without ever mentioning the term. Musicians, in particular, are often known to mentally compose in colors, rather than notes.

But the important question: does this mean that "moisturizer," apparently the second-best selling woman's product, is a dead commodity?

As for approved terminology, Victorianism and Feminism were going hand in hand long before it was PC to come out. Check "The Language Police" by Diane Ravitch.

Hold the Iowa Caucus on the 14th, if not later, and New Hampshire on the 21st, with the rest in February.

The 14th will be bad enough for Obama; only two Iowa universities are in session then, Iowa State and (the huge) Luther College. None are in session on the 3rd or 5th, which will be taken up with TV football and high school basketball. Anything earlier than the 21st will likely be a guaranteed win for Hillary, leaving an open door for the Republican candidate.

We already know this is the plan of the Republican-controlled Florida legislature. Why are we letting them define us?

One more victory for the WTO/CFR Bilderburger cabal.

Iowa is the archetypal purple state, tending more to mauve or cerise or something. Kerry lost it to Bush in '04 because his people (read Shrum and the DLC) told him not to bother campaigning in Steve King's Fifth District, a crucial error that is now part of Iowa political textbooks. Just because the bigots are loud doesn't mean there aren't a lot of good people there, and they would have come out for Kerry if asked.

In '06, Democrats captured the governorship and control of both houses of the legislature and, thanks to Howard Dean's 50 state policy, the Congressional delegation went from 80% Republican to 60% Democratic. Local Dems are afraid that a Clinton victory will have a reverse coattail effect, though, here and in similar states like Minnesota, Kansas, Indiana, etc., and a strengthened DLC will bypass Dean and write him out of future campaigns. Then we'll be back to red.

Actually, the 2004 Iowa Caucus was pretty close. Kerry won a plurality, not a majority, by targeting and turning out Vietnam veterans (ironic, in light of what happened later). Kerry, Edwards and Dean each received over 30 per cent of the vote.

And, with no smile at all (or a gentle one), let me say that Iowa Democrats love Richardson, and think pretty highly of Dodd and Biden, too. They may not win, but they're well respected, and in any normal year would be strong candidates.

I always though he was Irish. Richardson. He's not? Are you sure?

Hope he has his immigration papers with him. I'll bet Steve King will have something to say about this.

Doesn't matter. I'm voting for Tom Tancredo anyway. He's the only one with guts enough to know what matters to a real Iowan. I'm hoping Steve will be his vice. God made them to be together.

Eric :)

Coon Rapids, Iowa

"...pre-packaged, convenience toxic waste soybean by-product drek."

Now we're talking tofu!

a funny, discriminating article, about a series that parodies all the Idiot's and Dummy's guides to everything in the world (my favorite: The Idiot's Guide To Pregnancy) and brings back memories of the better old days of Salon when it had some intelligence in its cultural writing. More, please.

You can tell it's good because it's bringing out the rightwing snarkhounds. We've already had Tomreedtoon telling us that the only good cheese comes wrapped in plastic slices (everyone knows its the only real American cheese!) even managing to drag in Barbra Streisand. Now we need Realname coming out for Red Lobster and ~guy on the merits of his Uncle Dick's greasy spoon, which features only dishes made from things in cans.

"... the nearly Aspergerian pop-cultural patter that passes for dialogue in film snob hero/ex-video store clerk Quentin Tarantino's films. "

What makes you think he's not? It would certainly explain a lot.

You must have been living in a cocoon not to notice that Clinton has been anointed the inevitable candidate by the national press due to her substantial lead in the polls -- everywhere, that is, but Iowa. Is it a coincidence that the one place where the top three contenders are statistically even is the state where they've spent the most time?

Most national media is owned by Republicans, but that doesn't they're solely responsible for anti-Clinton feelings. Talked to any Democrats lately? Outside the bounds of her Northeast bounce, she's met with considerably more skepticisim. The uneven record of the Clinton administration and her status as the candidate of the DLC, which lost us three of the last four elections, have intelligent voters asking her harder questions than she's prepared to answer. See today's story on her snapping when a guy from Hampton, Iowa asked her about her vote on Bush's bill authorizing the invasion of Iran. Instead of anwering, she shouted "Who gave you that question?" Nobody -- just a guy from Iowa.

As for Clinton critics being drunks and heroin users, there are more than a few Kool-Aid sippers scattered around the country, too.

Leave it to the gay community to come up with a dandy poison pill issue right before an election.