The only real reason anyone would write a book about "human uniqueness" would be to offer ammo to those who would follow along with a more overt political agenda.

Stated simply, the book is cogent, but its premise is horseshit. I don't doubt Gazzaniga's research or his methods. What I doubt are his subjective conclusions based on objective scientifically demonstrable facts.

How unique am I? How unique are you? Can you measuree uniqueness? If there are differing levels of uniqueness, what exactly does unique mean?

I'll concede that humans as a species are different from most other species in many notable ways, and that hose differences give us abilities over our environment that are unparalleled in the animal kingdom. But that's a big leap to "unique."

Many people still desperately cling to the idea that humans are not animals, all evidence to the contrary. This book just sets the stage for these who'd deny a fundamental truth of being alive and human out of pride and religious literalism, and assist them in their eternal quest to dim the one thing about us that actually is arguably unique: our ability to question and analyze, rather than meekly adapt and accept.

Are we unique? Who cares? Deep sea fish may be unique. Insects may be unique. Uniqueness is of little utility to anything but a human being trying to make a point to other human beings who spend quite a bit of time not feeling very unique at all.

..."motorcycle."

That's true freedom in a major city. I had one when I lived in SF, and I have one in DC. Amazing mileage, the ability to out-perform any car on the road, and you can park it ANYWHERE. Not just in little "scrap" spaces, but pretty much anywhere. Between cars! Legally!

Of course, the American public contends that motorcycles are less safe than a sleepover at OJ Simpson's place, and darn the evidence to the contrary!

It's the right move for Obama. But it's pretty ridiculous. We're electing a leader, not a pastor.

I sometimes try and envision a day when politics in America is completely decoupled from religion. I know it'll never happen, but I still dare to dream.

Obama expressing his faith is not pandering. It's a way of telling part of who he is. And if that IS part of who he is, what's wrong with that? If someone was a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Wiccan, that tells me something. It doesn't necessarily dictate their policy - and shouldn't. But people want to know about who you are as a person, at the deepest level, if your faith is part of that, what wrong with telling it? If its your job, what's wrong with telling it? If its your kids, why wouldn't you say that?

I see nothing wrong with it and find that mostly the people who do are agnostic or atheist. Everyone should be free to be who they are and express it. Jew, Hindu, Atheist, Wiccan Christian, Taoist, Muslim, whatever.

It most certainly is pandering. If it were not, and if this kind of pandering were not an absolute necessity, he'd simply say his faith is a private affair, and irrelevant to his ability to lead this country.

The day that a Jew, Hindu, Wiccan, Taoist, Muslim, atheist or agnostic can feel free to express his or her opinion and still be able to successfully run for office at all in this land is still far, far, far away.

Humor can also be when we recognize how absurd we are as individuals. Self-deprecating humor might be the highest form of therapy on the planet.

The way I see it, if you can laugh at yourself and your own idiocy, you're doing okay. At the very least, you're keeping your ego in check.

Wanna hear my favorite "A guy walks into a bar" joke?

A man walks into a bar and says, "Give me a beer before problems start!" The bartender sets a beer out in front of him. He chugs it, and then before the bartender can even walk off, he grabs his sleeve. "Give me a beer before the problems start!" The bartender looks confused, but draws another beer for him. This goes on for a while, and after the fifth beer the bartender is totally confused and asks the man, "When are you going to pay for these beers?" The man goes, "Ah, now the problems start!"

And does no one see the irony in all this, that the right still manages to perpetuate the myth that Obama is a Muslim?

His stances on Pakistan and Afghanistan, no matter how poorly-thought-out, should at the very least put those rumors to rest, or provide Dems with an automatic retort to that stupid idiocy.

Am I right? If you're with me, let's do a terrorist fist jab.

Well, then why didn't she say so instead of saying her babies would be there saying "hi mama," and all that crap?

And seriously, do you really think that more evengelicals have read C.S. Lewis (crazy as that nutjob was) than watch "The View?"

Oh, and while I'm at it...yes, your beliefs about meeting perfect people in heaven are absurd. Perfect according to who? How are they perfected? Are gay people not gay in heaven? Wait, they're not allowed in, right? How about fetuses with chromosal abnormalities? Do they get their genes all fixed up? How about people who grew up with those same chromosomal abnormalities? Do they get adjusted up to par on the IQ scale, or do they get an extra boost for all their time spent lower down? What about pets? Will you be surrounded by hordes of perfected goldfish, lost down countless toilet bowls?

The whole idea is for the soft-skulled who desperately need to believe something to feel better about death.