I have written occasional fanfiction - usually a story or two in a genre, then I move on, until this last April when I rediscoverd The Big Valley on DVD.

In the past six months, I have written over a dozen stories amounting to over 500 pages, and it's been a terrific experience. I love this world where anyone can be forgiven or redeemed, where family sticks together (mine certainly doesn't) and not only does the writing and reading of some of the wonderful fanfic that is out there give me pleasure, I really think it has made me a better person - more forgiving and caring myself.

Does it take up a lot of time? You betcha. Is it time well spent? Well, I certainly think so.

I agree with Cary - if the LW has such a need for HP, it's because something is missing in her own life and she needs to figure out just what that is. I'm sure in time her HP 'obsession' will die down - here's hoping she finds fulfilment before it does. In the meantime, I think she should really jump in, and not just read it, but write it.

She should stop hiding it from her family though, that's her real problem.

Grab the good stuff while it's still good.

Yeah, steto, you can rewrite anything anyway you want to, but that doesn't make it equivalent. The LW is NOT addicted to something inherently destructive, but passionate about something inherently creative. That You fail to see the difference is really sad.

Cary is right, not all 'addictions' are created equal. Everyone has the need for some relief from 'real life' - especially the materialistic, soul-killing 'real life' imposed on us here in America - but it does matter what outlet you choose. Reading, writing, world-building, knitting, crafting, cooking, auto mechanics, anything that creates something is soul-fulfilling. Anything that kills the emotions or the motivations, i.e., alcohol or drugs, is just another layer of soul-killing.

So there is a difference in how you spend your free time, your soul time, your just-for-me time.

Sounds like the LW just has a real need for some FUN and magic in her life. If she finds it in Harry Potter, that's nothing to be ashamed of.

But it grows really FAST in a pot of cheap potting soil from Walmart. You can practically watch it growing.

Hm, $2.50 for a 10-quart bag of dirt, or $150 for a fancy pot with a light on in it?

Anyone can do that math.

I'd like to think that Playgirl's lack of success was because all those feminists who railed against the sexual objectification of women were equally opposed to the sexual objectification of men. . .

But probably not.

In a perfect world, maybe, but not this one.

know how to capitalize. Very Smart Blondes know when to stop.

It wasn't that hard to figure out.

1. DRM DRM DRM: this is a biggie, and not just for 'hardcore' gamers. SPORE is a great example: can only be used by one player account (ever! no resales, no giveaways), limited installs. Even if the game were great, the DRM would make it nearly useless.

2. Poor game design: Again SPORE - this was hyped as being the ultimate SIM game experience, but it's merely a series of lame minigames. Even without the DRM, the game is pretty dreadful. With the combination, the game really stinks.

3. Corporate culture: As noted above, EA is a terrible place to work. Not only that, but the move to 'microtransactions' and stripping games of content only to sell that content later in expansion packs really dampens a player's enthusiasm. You can't play the game properly for $50, it may take 4 or 5 $30 expansion packs to make a decent game. Why bother?

You're not a critic, you're a snark machine, like some fourteen-year-old to whom "Everything sucks."

LOST had its best season ever. What were you watching? Pushing Daisies, far from being repititious, was one of the freshest and most original shows on TV. Too quirky for its own (ratings) good, perhaps, but far from the dismal quagmire you seem to think it is.

Go learn what 'critical' really means.

As this administration leaves office and can no longer be impeached, I wonder, what can I do, sitting here, to bring these detestable criminals to justice?

Writing my legislators won't help, they'll soon be beyond their reach (if they had the guts to do anything about it, which they don't). The Obama campaign certainly showed the power of grassroots organizing - is there someone out there with the passion and the know-how to do the same thing for justice that Obama did for his campaign?

Any ideas, anyone?

Nice essay, Garrison, capturing the rapture of the moment.

But the music was not Copland, it was an arrangement by John Williams of the Shaker Hymn "Simple Gifts." Copland used the same theme in his 'Rodeo' which is where you probably heard it before, but it is not written by Copland.

Thanks for the non-substantive, fact-free post. That's just what we need to have a useful discussion around here.