Garrison Keillor likes to say nothing bad ever happens to a writer, its all just material. Even if you write little more than emails, if you can get to the point where you can chuckle at this, its a hell of a story. And yes, you do need to consider the extent to which this reflects on your friendship recognizing skills. I think most people have unrealistic expectations about how many friends they are "supposed to" have. I have three friends. Three. Sure I also have family, "family friends" and friendly acquaintences--including people from work, groups I attend, my kid's friends families, people who are more friends of my significant other than myself, and even shopkeepers in places I've frequented for years. Moreover, of my three friends (of which my significant other is one), two live out of town. And yes I trend strongly toward introverted.

On the upside, my three friends are the best, most faithful, most understanding, fun, interesting, loving people in the whole wide world. Introvert that I am, I remember expressing to one of my friends, back when we were in college, my expectation that we would not stay in touch after we graduated. Silly me. That was 21 years ago and we still talk almost every week. Every week we lament not living closer and how together we make a full functioning person. But mostly we just swap kid stories, listen to each other's woes and then laugh.

The whole better to have loved and lost, need not apply only to romantic love. Just learn without becoming bitter, which means learning to laugh. Very best wishes.

Granted, Limbaugh is a hard case. The aunt and uncle I disagree with are nothing like the persona Limbaugh has created for himself. And yet their views are probably closer to his than mine. Nonetheless, in many ways they are quite sensible. So much idiocy comes in the abstract. If I had to serve on a committee with them and solve some problem, I suspect we could agree on enough to reach a resolution. There is something about real responsibility and real facts that bring out the best in people. Thus, most juries.

As for judging people. It's okay to judge people on the basis of what they do--even if you have not met them personally. Take, uh, well I dunno, how about Hitler? In fact, letting people off the hook for what they say publically, just because they can be personally charming strikes me as a bad idea.

Use amount to refer to a quantity. Use number to refer to people or things that can be counted.

and why are we dutifully reading him and leaving outraged comments about fiscal responsibility that no one is paying us to leave? Hey Salon: ditch Lanham.

The truth is that there is no "fuck it" phenominon. Just a residual of people who have long been making poor decisions that haven't gotten the memo that fiscal responsibility is in. And no, they won't really enjoy these vacations, but they probably won't realize it because they haven't enjoyed anything in so long they've forgotten what it feels like to spend money you actually have and can afford to use.

I have not been away on vacation for a couple of years. However, fiscal stability looks like it may be on the horizon, and with money in the bank, Italy is sounding rather pleasant. Forgive me for hoping the dollar will strengthen.

If there are no investigations and prosecutions, then torture was just a policy decision with which the present administration disagrees, that could easily be reinstated. As for those who defend it with the argument that others are worse: when the hell is that ever a good argument? If criminals could get off with that sort of argument there would only ever be one person in prison at a time--the worst one.

First and foremost, we must abide by the agreements we have made with other countries--as the Geneva conventions. Secondly, if we don't want others doing something to our soldiers, we shouldn't do it to their combatants--or whatever we choose to call them that day.

According to Bush, McCain was not tortured. See: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/was-mccain-tort.html

(1) To reiterate a point already made, if America is so weak that it can't enforce its own laws, we're already dead. Hold the Henny Penny act. Juries are still remarkably good at following directions--regardless of the issue. And if a jury wants to let the wingnuts off, let 'em.

(2) If Bybee had any decency he wouldn't have written the memo in the first place. Enough with the impotent calls for resignation. Can you imagine Obama doing something like that? Impotent calls for resignation should be a part of our nerdy past. There is no place for them in Obama's Democratic party. Impeach or STFU.

You know, none of it matters anymore. It happened the way it did. Period. If she's matured more than you have she'd be completely creeped out by a 50 year old man explaining his conduct 30 years ago, or whatever it was.

This has avoidance written all over it. Something in your life is bothering you and rather than deal with the real deal you're obsessing on this. It's just more exciting. Man up. What's the real problem? The solution is almost certainly living in the here and now.

I know a lot of Pa. Dems like him; and I don't know what sort of committments Reid got from him, but his continued opposition to an Obama appointment is not a good start.