OK, some Republican bloviator makes a claim that mischaracterizes reality. And then, here in the choir room, you point out how it is incorrect.

What is worse, it relates to the mistaken idea that popular sentiment should drive military decisions. And you act like there is some sudden shift that makes this version of popular sentiment an appropriate one to drive our military decisions, when the popular sentiment of four years ago help drive us into this disastrous venture.

I want the war to end. I want to end the squandering of American blood and treasure in this quagmire. But deciding how best to do this need to be left to the professionals.

The average voter on the streets still lacks the knowledge and expertise necessary to judge what is the best way to prosecute this military venture. It is disingenuous at best to pretend that "what the American people want" is a basis upon which to make military decisions, when "what the American people want" cheered us right into this mess.

Yes, I understand that this is a response to a mischaracterization. But it accomplishes nothing, other than to increase the level of acrimony surrounding this issue.

"Look how wrong they are!!" Yeah, that helps.

No RBI on a double play has been the rule for as long as I have been watching baseball (almost 40 years). I agree with it. I also think that double plays should have a more adverse effect on a player's batting statistics. Just my opinion.

And the reason wild pitches and passed balls are not counted as errors, is that they don't have to be. They are counted already as wild pitches and passed balls. They have the same effect on earned runs as errors, i.e. they can make runs unearned. Counting them as errors would mean counting them twice.

So, Maher uses a shrill talentless hack as a foil. That's setting the bar for himself quite low, no?

I am glad to watch Hometown Baghdad. I want to keep watching it. But I don't want that to be the only thing that Video Dog is about. Which, unfortunately, has been the case since the very first episode.

Oh, wait, it's just Maher. The guy who gives a platform to Ann Coulter. Yeah, he is worth my time.

Thanks Video Dog!!

Hmm, Video Dog went into the toilet not too long after Camille Paglia returned. Could there be a connection?

A couple of people have offered dictionary definitions of treason in response to DeLay's accusation. The definition that matters is the definition in the Constitution. The one that talks about "aid and comfort" to enemies.

By the defintion of "aid and comfort" that DeLay appears to be using, the only acceptable reaction to the Iraq folly is mindless cheerleading. It seems that reality has no merit.

You have to believe that the Bush administration would choose the "There were no WMD" lie over the "There were WMD, but the evil liberals caused them to be stolen by Syria" lie.

After all, the story requires an administration lie. Can anyone believe they would choose a lie that leaves them responsible for an unjustifiable war over a lie that justifies their actions?

If students are fearful of having their mental competency judged by their writing, they will stifle themselves. If teachers fail to make such judgments it may result in another massacre.

There is no good answer.

Based on my studies of the other writings of the men who wrote the US Constitution, the intent behind the 2nd Amendment's right to keep and bear arms was to allow citizens to protect themselves from government tyrrany. The hidden corollary to this is the fact that hand guns are all but worthless for this.

Yes, it is true that there have been multiple shooting incidents using rifles and shotguns. But it would have been very difficult for the perpetrator to have created this tragedy with weapons he couldn't conceal.

To quote a song from the 70s, Hand guns are made for killin'. Ain't no good for nothin' else. It is possible to maintain the spirit of the 2nd Amendment without promoting attitudes and behaviors that lead to these kinds of massive tragedies.

Is it OK to criticize the president again?

No, it isn't. We have to wait until he starts another unjust and unjustifiable war first.

Look out Iran!

I have read the trilogy at least 30 times. I have read The Silmarillion three times. I got up and walked out on the first movie, at the point where Gandalf was made out to be a complete and utter fool, unlike Tolkien's portrayal. I have only seen a few cringe-worthy scenes from the second movie.

(Yes, I understand that many LotR fans love the movies. But I am a Tolkien fan, and the movies were not, in my not-so-humble opinion, faithful to Tolkien's vision.)

Yes, I am quite the Tolkien geek.

This book seems very cool, and I will be on the lookout for it.

I think kids don't get inspired by figures like that...

Too right King. I teach high school to African-American children, and even for those who wear the throwback Negro League baseball jerseys, Jackie Robinson is just a name from history. He is anything but an inspriration.

Ruben Bolling continually nails Bush like no one else. The ill-conceived Iraq War wrapped up with a ribbon.

Why do those other kids keep doing what Li'l George says?

The only way Imus will ever stop the verbal abuse is to boycott his sponsors. And people in the US are far too lazy to do that. Especially if it were somewhere they could get something cheap.

So, it's all about the money, and the money won't be threatened.

There you go.