This is just fucking hysterical. Great job.

Who the hell is that? King has lost it, or the proofreader is a moron. Boney Maroney, Lawrence.

I have thought for years that the attention on GWB as the main problem is misplaced. First, of course, he is surrounded by enablers who make him think he is right. Or perhaps he has enabled the ideas that these people hold to be put into action. Either way, these people who surround him will still have massive influence. More importantly, the ideologies that have driven Bush's actions will persevere.

And these are ideologies that are embraced by many Democrats as well. The aftermath of Katrina was more a result of free market ideologies where private enterprise will fix the problems of the world. The govt. response was limited because this ideology believes that centralized government action is stifling. This should have been an important example to everyone that there is still a place and a need for benevolent government intervention.

But these people truly believe that the only place for government is to protect (and effectually stimulate) private enterprise. Mercenaries in Iraq, contracts to you campaign contributors, let the poor figure out for them selves how they are going to solve their problems. There are some Democrats who visibly go against this ideology, but far more who speak to the progressive left while keeping aloft the same unfair system.

So until the Democrats get some balls, bot the women and the men, Joan, the same sad crisis will face this country. More explicitly, we need to raise taxes. We need to unabashedly tax the shit out of the rich, and probably drop in the income tax for people (like me!) who make less than $30,000 a year. Progressive taxing they call it. And why not? The future of this country relies on us helping one another out, the ones with more picking up some of the tab so those with less can cover the base expenses. "Health care", "education", "security" are all words that sound great on the lips of politicians, but until we come to terms with how to fund these necessities for all of us, we are going nowhere.

Man, this article is a killer. I mean, it killed me to read it. It is all so sad and terrible, but this violence is so disconnected from most peoples lives it doesn't have a sobering enough effect. Not only do we need sobriety as a cultural, if not always as people, but we need a smack in the face, something that will piss us off enough to react, and not just sit back shaking our heads.

There is one thing I would note with the article, this line: "The morning paper brings us dozens of deaths, each of which ends a miraculous human life, each of which diminishes us all. And we feel nothing. There are simply too many of them."

The thing is that these crazy murders do matter to many people. Really we grieve and feel horror feel these people, not the dead. The dead are dead, there is nothing that can be done for them now. The people we really feel for are the ones left behind, drowning in the wake of tragedy. Most of us are not these people but there are many of them in the US, and many, many more in Iraq...everywhere. As observers we can do nothing for the dead but ask honest questions, form an understanding of the reasons for violence, and procede from there.

Are handguns good for anything other than murdering humans? Not really. Is violence a deep wound in our culture, history, and society? Yes. Why?

Oh damn, why does Cary just put it down so well? Up top on this response Carey, as I sit at my shithole job, watching my boss NOT do his job. Ah, life, and naivity.

Perhaps the writer would like for the women in his office to wear habits or hijabs so as not to interfere with his productive misogyny.

It will. I already have at least 2 friends that are reevaluating their commitment to XBOX 360. Wii is childs play. PS3 will be the enduring system after a decidedly slow start. Patience is a virtue. Plus at least I didn't buy an iPhone, Farhad. Pshhh to Apple

Man, I have found two typos in Salon articles in the last two days. One is in this Digby post, towards, the bottom, "and that may a first." Then there was one in the Kamiya article from yesterday, the book review. Salon, would you like to hire me? Give me a hollar.

I am madly in love with Heather H! I am looking forward to all the great content. Another thing: awesome short piece this morning on Bonds. Its nice to hear someone who knows how they feel about this. I have made things easier on myself by simply not discussing. All I know is that I don't know nothing.

First, Anon. Duh. Its been this way for a while. I don't mind it, why do you?

Second, sweet post. I remember that Natl. Geographic article, piece, whatever it was, about young Americans and their geography. They even had a "Take your own" quiz on the Middle East, and boy was I sweating that. But I did pretty well, only missed a few. UAE maybe. The thing is I didn't really know the countries exactly, but if you reckon that big peninsula is Saudi Arabia, and Iran borders Afghanistan, and Jordan is on the Med. Sea (because I surely can't spell that off the top of my head)....

Oh wait, Jordan doesn't border the Med. Sea. I must have missed that one too...