>"In contrast, in 2000 I had high hopes for President Bush. I thought he could be a very good president."

Right there, his credibility is shot. Does he explain on what basis, other than possibly the "I'd like to have a beer with him" phenomenon, he formed this opinion?<

It's the "Well, we're all rational (white) gentlemen here and those factors we have in common trump everything else. Even if you advocate shooting black people if they just look 'wrong,' you treat me good, so you must basically be a good person. As well, truly civilized people have manners enough not to make a public fuss over things, so those people who make a fuss over being treated like crap obviously are not as enlightened or intelligent as we elite." Over on his NYT blog, Dick Cavett recently defended Imus returning to the airwaves with nearly that exact same logic. "Well, what he said about the Rutgersr team really wasn't so bad--and I know he's irreverent towards everybody anyway." People like him and Sunstein are the kind of accomodationists who give scum like Rove and Bush endless slack. They don't have to deal with the fallout from these guys' horrible policies. As well, they feel down deep that the common masses need to be held in check. They may not like everyone who has that power, but they are sure going to side with them. Better dictatorship than "anarchy" in their eyes.

1) ...who don't buy a new computer every year--or upgrade to a new software version every time one comes out.

2) ...who find various uses for their old ones instead of dismissing them as obsolete...

3)...who noted that a Mac is not cost-efficient when you take in account having to replace/find software comparable to what one uses on one's PC...

4)...who don't have tons of discretionary income or time laying around to waste trying to get a "resale-value" Apple.

Honest to God, I was beginning to feel like the tech equivalent of the poor money-using folks in Visa commercials--the only person who refuses/can't afford to do shiny-happy-expensive upgrades every year...or change computers just for the hell of it without taking neccessary functions I need in account. Whew--I _am_ a worthy citizen after all!! :)

...or being cost-efficient by coming up with crap like the Apple mini, which is not only unworkable in terms of current memory demands, but un-upgradable, to boot. If that company is so derned innovative, why isn't it trying to make a cutting-edge computer everyone can afford?

...then most of those that are up for resale must have had something wrong with them in the first place. So, how is investing in a Mac saving me cash again?

...because the lack of such bennies are one of the major reasons people don't want to go into blue-collar work. Sure, you may make a nice living, but the toll on your body can easily wipe out any savings you make. My grandfather made a nice living as a coal cutter back in the day, but the job took a serious (and expensive) bite out of his health. He suffered from black lung and heart problems up until the end of his life. If it hadn't been for the United Mine Workers and a good health program, his illnesses would have eaten up all his savings.

Maybe it hasn't occurred to you that one of the reasons this country is tanking is because of workers like you who think they don't need no stinkin' unions to protect their jobs and pensions. Result--a disappearing middle class and economic ladder. The folks in Hollywood have their failings, but being dumb enough to think they can go up against producers/studios without being united and demanding their fair share is _not_ one of them. I know your satirical "shallow mean girl" schtick is part of your critical voice, but you might want to make girlfriend better-informed every now and then--even if it means you have to blow some jokes once in a while...

>I'd like to ask Jonah and certainly his friend Michael why, if they were so in favor of the war, why they aren't in Iraq right now, helping the cause?<

He addressed this back when people really started calling scum like him out for what they are. He noted he was 1) in his 40s --too old to serve; 2) he had a wife and kids. Seriously. His reply was such a perfect encapsulation of the selfishness, and "anybody but meeeeee," and the "fuck you--I got mine, Jack" of chickenhawk-think that I've never forgotten it.

>Goldberg is actually only in his 30's. Born in 1969.<

Ah. He made it sound as if he were only three walker-steps from the grave...:)

...which part of "hang together--or hang separately" do you not get? What a self-centered way to look at this strike: "Ooooh, they are inconveniencing me and mine from holiday shopping." You want _real_ inconvenience--see what happens if this strike gets broken and the writers get shafted out of rightful earnings. Do you really think corporations and bosses won't be coming after your union next?

>In his world, the NYT is in direct league with Al Qaeda to weaken American resolve and impose sharia upon New Jersey.<

Have modest goals, do they? ;)

>Hippies changed fashion from the bottom up.<

Thank _God_. People may blather on about how "classy" folks dressed back in the day. But they forget just how much time and trouble it took to maintain that look--or the kind of grief one got if one didn't/couldn't conform to it. For anyone who didn't live through that period, five minutes of MAD MEN should be enough to clue you in on what a PITA it was to wear those restrictive suits and ghastly girdles and time-consuming hairstyles.

>Hippies changed everything and are never given enough credit for what they did.<

No, they aren't, and they should be.