No reviewer's opinion has ever gotten me to see a film and, conversely, no reviewer's opinion has ever prevented me from seeing a film. Reviewers have biases and, generally, base their reviews on them; I base my viewing habits on my set of criteria only.

The "insider sniggling, niggling and giggling" of "Burn After Reading" by Mr. O'Hehir sheds no great light on the Coen Brothers current film and is only slightly more edifying than reading the menu at "Applebee's". In other words, another big <<yawn>>

After watching Sarah Palin's interview with ABC's Charlie Gibson, my jaw dropped at her amateurish and wholly-naive "performance". She careened between being a deer-in-the-headlights to being so totally flummoxed by questions that a PolySci 1st year student could ace.

I have moved from the "she's just new at this" to "she's completely unprepared for this". America cannot afford to embrace this lip-stick clad neophyte to the 2nd highest office.

God help the United States of America should she and McCain somehow manage to flimflam the public into electing this very odd couple.

After Bush, prepare to be f*cked...again...this time by Dan Quayle in drag!

I blame the National Rifle Association and its "any gun at anytime for anyone" mentality. Their constant lobbying for lax gun laws or non-existant gun laws make these kinds of crimes not only easier but inevitable.

The NRA's egregious ad campaigns against any candidate for office who advocates for even SENSIBLE gun ownership guidelines, the glorification of guns in violent videogames and a culture that extols killing as the first resort all combine to make these student rampagers feel emboldened to act.

I am an adult gun owner who has three firearms: a semi-auto .40 cal pistol, a semi-auto 12-ga shotgun and a .223 AR-15. I have no problem with legal gun ownership by competent adults who target-shoot, hunt or keep firearms for protection. I do question, however, why anyone would need scores of guns, up to and including a .50 cal monster.

The NRA bears the ultimate responsibility for the proliferation of thousands of guns...and, the ultimate mususe of same.

Barack Obama's speeches reek of grandiloquence, or, as the writer Thackery put it: "tall-talking." His ideas are thoughtful, his positions well-considered and his conclusions reasoned. Unfortunately, his passion is about as luminescent as a 15-watt small-appliance bulb.

OTOH, John McCain's bombast and bloviation reek with absolute misinformation, blatant mischaracterization and basic falsehoods. He does, however, speak with passion and conviction...even if his facts are suspect and his reasoning flawed. His speech is connecting with the "average voter"...unfortunately.

Subtlety and nuance are being trumped by dumbed-down simplicity and jingoistic blather...and, America is poised to lose, once again, to the Republican disinformation machine.

Never "misunderestimate" the shallowness of the average American voter; they usually get the candidates they deserve.

1) the ref was a BYU fan, or...

2) the ref had $$ riding on the outcome of the game, or...

3) the ref was one of those "undies-in-a-wad-by-the-book-everything-is-black-and-white" kind of guys who wouldn't understand natural exuberance if it bit him on his butt.

In any event, Washington was, imho, robbed. Period.

Because Barack Obama didn't pick the OBVIOUS and better choice for his VP, Hillary Clinton, then John McCain's selection of a woman has resonated better with voters and energized the dispirited Republican base.

I wonder where the race would be had Obama done the right thing and picked Hillary...a woman who won 18 million Democratic votes that Barack didn't get...as his VP?

Too bad Barack couldn't see past his former disagreement with Hillary, and with Bill, to "do the right thing", as it were. I think his pride got the best of him and he may, as well as the rest of us, pay the price for his short-sightedness.

McCain/Palin, simply by flying into the Christian Right's "Mecca", i.e. Colorado Springs, for a rally, are tacitly paying homage to the Right. No other explanation is needed. You can bet that secret, private and unscrutinized meetings between McCain and the Mullahs of Intolerence who lead the Right are held often with John/Sarah on bended knee, puckering up to buss their backsides.

John McCain held a secret, no press allowed personal meeting with Philadelphia's Catholic Cardinal Rigali last week during a private fund-raising trip to Philadelphia. Gee..I wonder how low John genuflected at the Cardinal's knee seeking the support of Catholics?

The so-called "maverick" John McCain, plus, Sarah Palin, the cultural-right's poster woman for bigotry and intolerence, are together making a concerted play for the Christian Right. John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin wasn't a choice based on her competence to actually be the Vice-President, it was a sop to the Religious Right to energize the Republican Party's base.

Using religion as a hammer to bash one's opponent is not only part and parcel of the Republican slime machine, its a major part of their strategy of divide and conquer. Be prepared for even more vitriol against Barack Obama based on a litany of short-comings as espoused by the Right Wing.

It's no wonder that Mssrs. Lieberman, Thompson, Bush, et al, are in full-throat slamming Democrats in general and Barack Obama in particular simply because they have nothing, NOTHING positive to offer America. How they can simply lie to the American public, with so much ease, tells much about the abject lack of honor they possess.

Having a legitimate debate about issues, including factual material, is a part of the political process; abject disinformation, delivered as truth, makes a mockery of the Republican Party.

Of course, the Republicans strayed long ago from the party of Lincoln to the party of Edsel.