Almond keeps getting it wrong when it comes to Red Sox fans, I suspect he has not laid his grudge to rest. Or perhaps he is stuck in the past. Bostonians are not the same people, literally, that they used to be. Our turnover is huge. The new crowd is more upbeat and more interested in cheering on our team than rooting against another (unless it's the Yankees.)

If you want to see the old Boston and the new Boston compared, don't bother looking all the way back to October. On Sunday the New England Revolution lost their fourth attempt at the MLS Cup. Old Boston, as seen in the sports coverage, whinged about the loss, Painful though it was new Boston, many of us at the game, cheered our team for making another Cup and giving it their all (though their all was somewhat off.)

And yes, the Sox have a lot of money, and no its not the same. But we've had money before, now we have Theo and a farm system too.

Old Boston will not be defeated by victories. They will complain about trades, about the new seats in Fenway, about parking at Gillette, about Brady not getting enough credit. But they are a shrinking crowd, adn good riddance.

I will admit that most of us do feel a bit disoriented. Who wouldn't? From hapless underdog to top of the heap is quite a transition. We'll manage though. We've even got a new Drop Kick Murphy's album to help us out. As for winter, when the game isn't on the ski lifts are running and the ice on the pond is solid (sometimes on the slopes as well.) Only a Palo Alto wimp lets three months of snow get him down.

Mr. Almond loves to complain and one of his favorite topics is the negative Boston sports fan. I suspect he's worried one of his trusted reasons to kvetch is disappearing. There's always Boston drivers, Steve.

You overstate when you blame your mistakes on American culture. Born and raised on the east coast it never occured to me, who abhors lawn work, to move the 'burbs.

I believe you suffer a kind of dementia peculiar to those who have been forced to spend their youth in California. (the same folks who refuse to take a jacket out to dinner because "it's always warm here and then refuse to eat outside because it's "freakishly cold." For the worship of lawns and cars the mother church is California.

As for "The American Dream" being home ownership, that little piece of propaganda began in the post World War II days. Even my kids know that - OK, they just studied in school, still.

Finally, some letter writers and your friend Billy need to catch up. There is nothing innate in men that allows them to do home maintenance. The belief that there is means they refuse to look up how to do anything. That's why in my house I am in charge of the plumbing. My husband is awesome chef - he doesn't use recipes.

My favorite experience at the airport was when my three year old son was selected for "enhanced screening." He cried, of course. How does it make us safer to use absolutely no intelligence? And when was a single terror event thwarted by TSA? As for the no pitiful little knife rule, does no one remember that the hi-jackers claimed to have a bomb? That was why they weren't immediately disabled, that and the old rules of hi-jacking, i.e., the hi-jackers expected to live. Boxcutters wouldn't get you control of the plane today, never mind a butter knife.

However, TSA is NOT the reason I have cut way back on my flying. Airlines are. There is a reason Southwest and JetBlue are marketing themselves the way they are. We are all sick of being treated as though we are a nuisance to flight attendants. This started long before 9/11/01. Remember "air rage?" Guess what? The airlines caused it. It's hard not to get furious. I generally fly first or business class and that service on American airlines is so much worse than it was that I dread ever flying coach again. I won't, in fact. I'd rather stay home and use my time to lobby congress for high speed rail.

As for the people being sheep, I'm more concerned that we aren't trying our leaders for war crimes or out protesting this latest wire tapping law. The TSA inconveniences us, but the Patriot Act undermines our core principles and constitutional rights. Since we won't be traveling as much, let's all do something about it.

p.s. Isn't it dangerous to take caffeine away from a pilot? Just asking?