I read and reviewed Explorers of the New Century on Amazon.com and agree with the author of the article about the reviewer that gives the plot away prematurely, which is against the site's review guidelines. In any case, this book is a clever handling of a pervasive dilemma and society's attempt to legislate differences. The denouement took me by surprise, left me thinking long after I was finished. It was great to see this book noted on Salon; it deserves a wide audience. The furthest point from civilization may truly be the the furthest point from the human capacity for inclusion and acceptance. Luansos/ 3/29/6

Since Rove and Bush are smiling these days, in spite of the recent polls, I wonder if maybe they know something we don't about those elusive voting machines. Comparing the states that may have problems with the close statistical races, I am concerned with the potential for abuse via machine. I see articles on everyhting but this possible connection. And Rove keeps smiling...

When I first heard the story reported, I wasn't exactly sure what Kerry was saying, but after watching a few more times, the context was obvious. Nevertheless, all day long, the heads were spewing. Finally, Chris Matthews (!!!) read the entire context over and over for his Republican guest, and even Mr Hardball said Kerry's intent was obvious. Even more interesting were the massive amounts of press releases flooding all the news stations... from Snow, the Republican bloggers, the RNC, hundreds and hundreds of them, proving once again the desperation of the White House in covering the great stink. But it is what it is.

The base may be blindly following the leader, but I can't believe thinking people aren't sick of this childish, mean-spirited "mine's bigger-than-yours" routine. And McCain knows better. Once a respectable senator, his political ambition is clearly turning him into a panderer. The fact remains, as has been stated ad infinitum, soldiers are dying every day to cover the flagrant blunders of these fools who put their inflated egos before the well-being of their counrty, old men of a dying generation who need to shut up and step off. It's time for new ideas and another perspective before this country is completely destroyed by those who were elected to care for it.

Secret vices aside, BB8 and Flipping Out have one thing in common... glamorizing bullies. "Evol" humiliates and intimidates; even though his victims are equally obnoxious and often deserve it, I find his tactics offensive. Likewise Flipping Out... an hour of watching a the real estate entepreneur use his "condition" to abuse everone around him (I'd swear he has collagen in his lips.) All the participants agreed to dance with the devil by appearing on these shows, but the level of verbal intimidation is excessive, deserved or not.

Although I can no longer justify my guilty pleasure, reduced to home improvement shows until HBO and Showtime resurface, the fact that "America's Player" is skewered week after week by the audience may be a signal that reality TV has jumped the shark, gleefully eating its young.

Secret vices aside, BB8 and Flipping Out have one thing in common... glamorizing bullies. "Evol" humiliates and intimidates; even though his victims are equally obnoxious and often deserve it, I find his tactics offensive. Likewise Flipping Out... an hour of watching the real estate entrepreneur use his "condition" to abuse everyone around him (I'd swear he has collagen in his lips.) All the participants agreed to dance with the devil by appearing on these shows, but the level of verbal intimidation is excessive, deserved or not.

Although I can no longer justify my guilty pleasure, reduced to home improvement shows until HBO and Showtime resurface, the fact that "America's Player" is skewered week after week by the audience may be a signal that reality TV has jumped the shark, gleefully eating its young.

Want to see how much time the MSM spends on this issue, instead of focusing on the Sept. report on Iraq? Could be a strategy to (figuratively) throw straw men under the bus... anything to kill time until Bush is out of office.

This latest round of Clinton-Obama bickering indicates an all-too-willing divisiveness that we can no longer afford. Long a fan of Bill Clinton (and therefore appropriately cynical), the tenor of the campaign is disturbing; I am tired of his carping while his wife smiles, laughs or cries, as the moment demands. I don't blame her- she is a surperb politician. That's the problem.

Listening to an Obama speech does stir me in a way that Clinton fails to. I am a child of the sixties; I think the time has passed, the ideas are stale and the deluge of recriminations a sign that we have not matured beyond what is necessary to move this country back to a hopeful future, or at least one where people have a sense of engagement not felt since the late sixties.

All my Democratic friends say they want to win. But I look at HC and see the past, not the future. Come on, we all know how set in our ways we become by our 60s and how difficult it is to change years of habit. The Clintons are who they are- they have lived their moment and no amount of wishful thinking will remove the stains of Clinton politics. Our memories of those turbulent times are intact- now we can reap the promise of what we have believed. Change or die- the dynasty must end for the good of the country.