I've done some dancing on recent graves in my time -- Jesse Helms comes to mind. But, really, some of you need to lose the chip and gain some sense of perspective. Hughes was a talented writer and filmmaker who made a string of personal films that touched a lot of people. He's not some Faustian minion of Satan, as one poster tried to put it, and he's not responsible for Ronald Reagan and/or yuppies. Grow up.

In any case, I'd recommend reading this post, by his old pen pal, to get a better sense of the man -- http://wellknowwhenwegetthere.blogspot.com/2009/08/sincerely-john-hughes.html -- Hellspawn, he isn't.

"Nor would stepping outside have changed Gates's rights. Had he wanted to cuff the professor for B & E, Sgt. Crowley could have done so anywhere in Cambridge."

On the other hand, since it's clear you can't really be charged for breaking and entering into your own home, it's my understanding, be it due to MA's castle law or whatever, that Gates stepping outside greatly facilitated his being charged with "disturbing the peace."

"Finally, dropping charges doesn't mean Crowley was wrong. People get taken into custody all the time without being prosecuted. Sometimes, they just need a 'time out.'"

Uh, citizens are arrested when they committed a crime. Not when it is deemed by a member of law-enforcement, cranky or otherwise, that they "need a time-out." Arguing as such is, frankly, just bizarre, and gets us into the "preemptive detention" discussion over in Mr. Greenwald's corner of the site.

"A final political point: As Joan Walsh points out, making every issue a racial issue only helps the Republican right."

If the shoe fits. Hard to see how this isn't a racial issue...unless Cambridge cops have been arresting a lot of white professors in their own homes lately. These episodes don't operate in a vacuum, Gene -- History, both American and Cantabridgian, comes into play.

Gene, this piece is embarrassing.

After the long primary of 2008, Joan Walsh has zero credibility on matters of race. This article is as tone-deaf as all the discussion of Clinton's race-baiting and the mad Ferraro last year. She just can't seem to envision a scenario where Gate should have been rightfully hopping mad for being treated like a criminal on his own property.

Martin Gore wrote the lyrics to "Never Let Me Down Again," not Dave Gahan. And the song predates Gahan's heroin and suicidal phases anyway.

I'll defer to the rest of the peanut gallery on the other fallacies in evidence here.

...and the laws of physics were apparently devised by an "anti-fat nazi."

What's the difference between fat people and tall people? Forget all the (legitimate) comfort concerns of one's fellow travelers: EXTRA WEIGHT CAUSES MORE DRAG ON THE PLANE.

So, having morbidly obese people pay for an extra seat makes obvious sense, since they're probably using up 2-3x the resources of their fellow travelers.

To be honest, if airlines wanted to do weight pricing, I think that'd be fair also.

Uh..the movies didn't create the social dynamic of young women preferring much older men. That's just the way it is, since time immemorial. Like the drinking age, it's a sociological fact that troubled me in my youth...but now, as I'm approaching 35, I begin to see its upside.

At any rate, this is slightly off-topic, but the conversation reminded me of it. Jeff Daniels (41) played Anna Paquin (14)'s dad in FLY AWAY HOME. Nine years later, in THE SQUID AND THE WHALE, they were (purposefully age-inappropriate) lovers. When asked about the sex scene between the two, Daniels said: "We tried not to think about geese."

Fans of the Doctor Who boot are ahead of the curve on this one. Mulligan played intrepid Nancy Drew-type Sally Sparrow in Stephen Moffat's episode "Blink," and Whovians have been clamoring for her return ever since. Easy on the eyes, that one.

Might as well write* -- Sorry, it's been an exhausting first day.

I'm here in Denver, and I witnessed the parade of PUMAs march on the MSNBC set behind Union Station...there couldn't be more than two dozen of them.

Might as well right about the socialists -- They had a bigger presence on 16th St. here today.

That came out of nowhere. Who woulda thunk it?

Sen. Clinton lost her chance to make the ticket when she turned her obvious primary loss (after Wisconsin) into a protracted gutter-war.

Besides, she'd immediately spike Obama's message of change in Washington. Bringing back the Clintons for another 8-year stint, in any form, is hardly the change America's been waiting for.

I'm surprised to hear Roger is back and, apparently, working at Sterling Cooper again. If Duck's still around as well, it must be crowded at the top (unless Cooper has retired...?)

No nods for the women of Mad Men is only the tip of the iceberg. How 'bout The Wire being overlooked for the fifth and final time? No Mary McDonnell for (the flawed but resonant) Galactica? 2 and a Half Men over Flight of the Conchords for Best Comedy?

I'm glad to see John Adams and Mad Men draw some kudos. But, as usual, the Emmy nominations seems to have been chosen by people who have no sense of quality television whatsoever.

That being said, only Peggy and Betty have probably had enough screen time to garner nods anyway. Joan, Rachel, Midge, and the rest of the secretary pool haven't had a lot to do.

Given that I disagreed completely with Zacharek on Batman Begins, I think I should be in good shape tomorrow night.

We now have 3 first posters writing vaguely similar things in the past ten posts. Looks like the GOP "ratfuckers" are out in earnest.

Ah well, this site deserves 'em. Good riddance. And try to find a way to relish Sen. Obama's victory in November. Trust me -- it's better than the alternative.

Troll much?