...it would be Ms. Havrilesky, the "chicken counter."

This whole piece ignores the fact that CBS is trying to compete with two other broadcast networks and three major cable news organizations for the eyes of viewers. It's obvious that to compete in that environment, something has to be done differently than the other channels.

Couric's breasts seem to be part of the equasion, but that won't be the deciding factor - as I recall, there's something called "naked news" available in hotel rooms and pay per view - and it isn't setting the world on fire.

Short headlines and opinions are more interesting. It's assumed that news junkies will be turned to MSGOP, Faux News or CNN if they want obscession about a story or massive details. Something else for human beings who have lives outside of news would like something more concise.

The news junkie networks also have long opinionated rants, primarily conservative. Short, concise statements of opinion (that aren't edited to fit the network's political slant) are rare. If CBS wants to give Rush Limbaugh two minutes to talk (has he ever said anything in such little time?) it should be entertaining.

The question to ask is, will CBS be fairly diverse in picking the op-ed contributors? Will they stick with celebrities from other networks and from entertainment? Will they emphasize one side of the political spectrum? Will they occasionally allow some unknown, average people who can speak without stuttering or yelling "Howard Stern's Penis! Baba Booey!" to offer an opinion? If they're just going to allow existing celebrities to speak, then yes, this can be declared to be a stunt that will fail.

It's easy for Havrilesky to second-guess CBS or Couric. I did notice that CBS didn't ask her how they could rework their newscasts to become competitive. I also noticed that she had no ideas about what should be on the news, although I think she would insist her fabulous life and her cappucino chef should be the center of any coverage.

I've seen the "molded breasts" stormtrooper armor for at least the last three years at conventions like Dragon*Con in Atlanta. What took you so long to catch up? You don't have any real geeks on your staff to make you aware? For shame.

In fact, you might rationally question the desire young women would have in joining the 501st Imperial Legion, the nationwide organization of people who "cosplay" as Star Wars stormtroopers. Remember, they're the Nazis of the Star Wars universe. They're also the losers. They can't shoot straight, and in battles they're killed with one lucky shot from the Rebel Alliance.

Interestingly, there are women who wear the regular male stormtrooper armor. Fan films often show females in the regular armor, indistinguishable from the males until you hear their crackling voices come over the comlink in the film soundtrack.

I will give you this; considering these people often make their own armor, and that it's more durable and flexible than the stuff Lucas made for his films, and they go to great expense and sweat to march in formation in this stuff, the men and women of the 501st are among the most dedicated geeks on Earth.

Seriously, if I was in the airline business...which, given the number of bankruptcies and mergers, wouldn't be likely at this point...I wouldn't give a damn what the public wants.

The cost of flying is pretty much cost-controlled by the government and the competition. To have the hope of a profit, the amenities and service on flights has been cut to the bone and beyond. Now terrorism and the fearmongering of the government and the passengers has made everything worse.

If I ran the airlines, I'd raise the price of a flight from New York to LA to $1500, one way, and make the passengers tie themselves to wooden benches placed two feet apart in the cabin. (Yes, I'm referencing "The Grace L. Ferguson Airline.") I'd say "Like it or lump it, suckers!" And I'd be called a hero and visionary by the airline industry.

Don't forget, "the public be damned" was a phrase first spoken by William H. Vanderbilt, president of the New York Central Railroad. It is the watchword for all mass transportation.

There are many Democratic/liberal/progressive bloggers that are anxious to see Republicans pay for the carnage of the Bush administration. But by not fighting as fiercely as the Republicans did, by keeping their "moral purity" in not responding to being attacked, Democratic candidates in effect aided and abetted that carnage.

By refusing to challenge the very questionable balloting in 2004, John Kerry essentially gave Bush and Company a green light for whatever they wanted to do. Gore did the same in 2000, with the ugly vote-count-stopping in Florida (with protestors straight from the Republican party apparatus) running roughshod over the voting process.

At least Gore has redeemed himself, somewhat, by devoting himself to ecological causes. If he actually shows interest in the 2008 election, though, he'll have to face up to many questions. Perhaps he could explain to Michael Moore exactly what he was doing, where he appeared to be disenfranchising all the black Congresspeople as seen in the start of "Fahrenheit 9/11."

For Kerry, it's too late. There's blood on his hands from slaughtered Americans in the Iraq War, from the abandoned victims of Katrina, from people denied health care and education, from many places. He didn't cause the blood to be spilled, but he didn't step out of the way of the spurting arteries. Because that would have been an active step, and he only takes active steps when he starts writing fundraising e-mails proclaiming his "passion" about issues. He shares those same accomplice-bloodstains with many other Democratic Congresspeople who offered only token resistance to the Bush agenda.