This was a weak and superficial article, but the topic itself is of interest -- how did such a brilliantly successful and innovative company manage to sabotage itself? There is a metaphor in the Ebay story for the rise and fall of many other empires and enterprises.....smart first generation, and increasingly stupid and clueless successors.

I speak as a successful seller, at least by Ebay standards (I have powerseller status).

The Ebay of today is run by people who do not understand, and are not interested in, the kind-of-magic place it was a few years ago.

It's kind of like the European monetary planners who replaced francs, deutchmarks, and lire with euros a few years ago. The new euro coins are all the same color, in distressingly similar sizes, and infuriatingly hard to tell apart. It is clear that they were designed by technocrats who do not do their own shopping -- those guys send out the maid to buy groceries. They do not themselves fumble in their pockets for change.

Similarly, Ebay execs clearly do not use the site like the average ebay consumer/seller does, or did back in the good days. The lack of concern for hands-on customers and their legitimate needs has made things infinitely more painful. Just about every change until a few months ago tightened the screws on the seller, or upset his business model. When I saw how stupid management was getting I sold my stock, then watched the price go into the toilet. No surprise there, alas.

Ebay was a place for small and medium sellers to link with individual buyers. It harnessed internet technology to that end, and made something generally new and wonderful come into being. Having abandoned that model, the company is left to its inevitable decline. Too bad for the thousands of users who had been temporarily empowered in their lives. I feel sorry for them, but not for the company.

Marriage is about the long haul. And about raising kids. Romance is about romance.

No surprise then that many, many people seek sex and adventure outside of marriage. They always have, and they always will.

Are we finally getting real? More tolerance of and awareness of human nature can lead to more stable marriages, and a more stable society, and happier youngsters. The lower divorce rate may mean that we Americans are more adult, less childish about the idea of marriage than in the past. This is a positive development in my view.

Mr Greenwald, most of the time I am on this same page as you, but on this one I differ. While the committee's action is clearly audacious and unconventional, it does send the right kind of message, and is meant to shore up Obama's ability to do the right kinds of things. I like the edginess of the gesture, and perceive it as a good thing given all the domestic opposition O. is running into from our domestic extremists of the right.

I will continue to read you with great interest and, mainly, approbation.

I am guessing, on the issue of motivation, that he really believed his campaign rhetoric. This belief allowed him to say his lines forcefully

But also that, once he was in power, he allowed himself to be taken over by hawks and conservatives. There is just something in his character.....

Remember, his whole career was built on being the outsider the establishment didn't mind inviting in. He is not a boat rocker. Alas.

Unless, eventually, he grows into a leadership role.