@ Grandma420: I assume you mean "public" and not "pubic" but it was funny to read "the pubic has grown." Sorry. Yes I am physically an adult but can never quite seem to quiet my inner 13-year-old.

Speaking of inner 13-year-olds: Traumatic, how does it feel to be the only person in the WORLD never to make a godamn mistake in your life? I bet that must feel pretty darn good. The rest of us wouldn't know. Seriously, did you get beat up a lot in junior high? I bet you did.

And, damnit, I meant "overstate" in that first line of my original post. Fail.

I haven't heard anyone contrast the Detroit of what -- $13 billion-- with the $152 billion we gave bankers on Wall Street. And what are they doing with that corporate welfare money? If you're AIG you're making "retention payments" or as people who like to eliminate the bullshit from their dialogue might call "bonuses".

Oh ... that's right though. Their collars are pearly white. Silly me.

It's fairly difficult to underestimate the amount of fear and panic taking place here. Our economy has been very depressed for well over two decades now, but the dissolution of the American Auto Industry would fairly decimate us because a large bulk of the 3 million jobs that would be lost are located here.

This evening on the local news a woman was interviewed who just lost her job at a Chrysler plant -- she has five kids, one of whom is disabled. I find it impossible to imagine the fear this woman is experiencing as she tries think of ways to provide for her family, and during the holidays, as if things weren't tough enough. It's not like she can just go out and find another job: there quite simply are no jobs. Businesses are simply not investing in this state, and what little investment we have will leave if and when the Big Three collapse.

Seriously, it makes me so angry when I read some of the spiteful, ignorant and uncaring statements being thrown around by people who have NO IDEA what is at stake for everyday, hard working people who are just trying to take care of their families. And this is what makes me sick about the Southern squad of Good 'Ol Boys. Someone called them "Confederates" and I thought this was so appropriate. These are men that are out for nothing more than their own state interests -- not the interest of the nation -- and even more so, they are out to stroke the interests of their own political careers and their anti-union political ideologies, which the American people clearly revolted against with the result of this past election.

Pick up a history book and think about it: Do we really want to return to pre-union working conditions? Granted, unions are not without their faults, but without their efforts we would all be working 14 hour days, without breaks, and in unsafe working conditions. There would be no vacations, and no benefits. So many people take these things for granted that it's easy for them to act smart and run their mouths, but I'd like to see how they would survive a day here.

These corrupted Confederate turncoats aim to do nothing more than advance their own political success on the broken back of American workers.

"I went to one of these scrapbooking retreats, and it's all these women in their pajamas with snacks -- Hostess Twinkies everywhere! There's something about junk food being part of this. It's like, no husbands, I'm going to let myself go and look at pictures of my family and eat Twinkies. It's not really about design, so it's out of my league in terms of a critique, but it fascinates me sociologically."

"A number of sociologists have done studies about what this is about. One of them was called "Making Me Time," about the creative crisis of the stay-at-home mom who needs to feel she's doing something with her day. The physicality of putting pen to paper and grease pencil to word fetti is making them feel they're doing something."

If you don't see the condescension, perhaps you should locate a dictionary. There's nothing wrong with wanting to critique and analyze this particular past-time, which some people feel is legitimate artistic expression (I challenge you to find any art form that hasn't had its legitimacy questioned at some point). I think what is upsetting people is the tone Helfand strikes in this and other interviews.

Furthermore, I don't think women scrapbook to be seen as "smart" as was suggested above. Not everyone has something to prove -- some people just do things because they enjoy it. Your anger puzzles me.

I don't scrapbook, but my mother does and she's quite talented at what she does. It brings me joy to see her do something that makes her happy. She's also a big history buff, so I thought Helfand's book would be a perfect Christmas gift.

Then I read her article.

She won't be getting any of my money. I don't pay people to condescend.

damnit I meant secession. you get the picture.

If the south insists on stubbornly clinging to its racist confederate notions, perhaps the north should just consider succession.