Please, Salon, let me be the umpteenth person here to say it was better in the "old days" -- NOT the old days when Salon was better for men (huh?), nor when the quality of the writing was better (haven't there always been writers that readers thought were better or worse than other Salon writers?) nor when the subjects were "significant." No,I'd like to go back to those old days before this instant response technology promoted the substitution of invective for comment.

As it happens, I really enjoy Ann Bauer's writing. I can't, however, imagine writing this kind of nastiness -- even for writing I despise (and yes, you do publish some of it). I make the assumption that if I ALWAYS like EVERYTHING in a publication, I'm not getting much out of it. If I like a significant portion and am occasionally offended, bored or irritated by the rest, then I'm not totally locked into one narrow channel. It's BECAUSE Salon publishes so many things I find interesting, funny, or valuable that I read things I would otherwise not bother with. Sometimes that bores or irritates me, but more often it give me things for my brain to digest. I kind of thought that was the point.

When I want Salon to publish only what I already like, I'll just sit in front of a mirror and read favorites on my "approved" authors list. Please, PLEASE go back to a well-edited Letters-to-the Editor format.

Please tell me I'm not the only person creeped out by the repeated use of the word "cover" -- by dad, in reference to his daughter's virgnity? Quick -- it's time for the Gospel According To Sigmund! As for "High Priests" upholding the virginity of young females, since when is THAT a Christian concept? Sounds more like a Roman temple. What this DOES sound like, of course, is scene one of a porn flick. Nice.

"And -- Bremolanotide being a patently terrible name -- what do you think the company should call it?"

How 'bout: Feral Moan ?

of ink and paper to write a whole book about Emmanuel. I guess it's useful to know just how obnoxious he is, but a WHOLE BOOK?

I'm perfectly willing to believe that Emmanuel has some skills that are useful to the party in some areas, but like the vast majority of other writers here, I'm anxious that his smear campaign against Dean not be allowed to become another lazy media meme. Of course Dean didn't "win the election" all by his little self. On the other hand, he knew that no one person COULD do that, which was why he was trying to build the party nationwide. (And although I'm happy to say I don't think he has Emmanuel's ruthlessness, believe me, he was a pragmatic and sometimes unpleasant politician here in Vermont. He wasn't particularly liberal, either. He's one of the few people I've ever seen become a better person after running a nationwide campaign -- he was never a party builder in Vermont, but he sure saw the light after touring the country!)

And please, Salon -- could you ask your writers to get fact checked? As several writers here have pointed out, many of Emmanuel's handpicked, Democrats-in-name-only candidates LOST.

Do we really want to tout -- as the savior of the Democrats -- a man who seems to have learned his epithets and bullying in the Karl Rove School of Vicious Pragmatism?

...because I had the impression Colbert was NOT expecting it, and it was fun to see the tables turned for once. His completely zany interviewing style often ties people in knots, and Jane COMPLETELY flummoxed him.

Nor do I understand other comments about Jane's age in relationship to this -- excuse me? Flirting is NOT about whether you meet someone else's standards for youth or attractiveness and, in any case, she wasn't "flirting." She was, in effect, invading and conquering.

I think, Joan, that you WERE picking up on Colbert's discomfort, but given the nature of the show and how much he dishes it out, I doubt it will kill him if once in a while he has to take it. I like watching him do it because he's not mean-spirited, and I LOVED watching Fonda do it because she wasn't mean-spirited (and because women almost never do get to do this), though she WAS ferocious. If I thought for one moment that Fonda were "serious," I would have been squicked out.

But next time they should add Eleanor Holmes Norton and make it a 3-way. *grin*

Hasn't anyone here read or seen any Shakespeare? Consult "King Lear," please.

In addition to the excellent recommendations to get in touch -- immediately! -- with local or state Elder Abuse units, I would suggest a talk with the landlord, who is apparently a friend of the family. Most standard leases (and often landlord-tenant law) will allow a landlord to evict residents other than the leaseholder. In other words, he should be able to force out anyone other than LW's mom. He may also be able to get a No Trespass order against the scary relatives. This gets mom free of these people without it being her "fault."

I think it should be pointed out to any possible intervener that the mom has never sought this kind of relationship with her sister in the past, and that the children feel it's likely that she's being threatened and is too afraid to say so.Extra scrutiny of good ol' Goneril would probably reveal that she's eligible for assistance as a person with a disability.

Nightmare situation!