"I recall hearing about an energy-efficient trolley company in Houston, Texas that ran on non-polluting electricity. That company was bought by an oil company who promptly took the non-polluting trolleys off the lines and replaced them with polluting diesel buses...so their petroleum could fuel them. Houston has since replaced L.A. as the most-polluted major city in America."

Yep. It happened in L.A. too. My grandmother used to ride the "red line" around L.A. in the 50's - an electrically powered street trolley system that was later torn out at the behest of- you guessed it- the oil companies. Why? So they could force Angelinos into driving cars and riding buses. Well we all know how crystal clear the L.A. air is now.

The sad thing is, had these systems been allowed to remain and even to thrive, the transition into green, renewable energy would be less of a shock than the one we face currently, now that peak oil is here.

And disappointment over one's choice of candidate not securing the nomination is to be expected. Both the Clinton and Obama campaigns have run hard and pulled out the stops for the nomination. A great deal of that momentum is a result of campaign supporters at the grassroots level.

Do I think this disappointment will carry over into a vote for McCain in November? I sincerely hope not. More to the point, I really don't think so. I think there will be plenty of time to create party unity before November.

most of the country is made up of "left wing haters".

Cool.

I'm liking our chances in November already.

Treat this fellowship like a job. Get up at a certain time every day, work for a set amount of time, take lunch, go back and work some more.

Think of it as being given your year's salary in advance for the work you are going to do. Once you get into your routine I'm sure your feelings of dread will diminish.

Please don't get overwhelmed to the point where you accomplish nothing. As I'm sure you know, this is a wonderful opportunity that most creative people would kill for.

She may as well be campaigning for McCain.

What a stupid move at this point. Let it go already.

is NOT waking up to this headline.

That aside, the map doesn't upset me, it actually gives me a bit of confidence.

Let's assume that the states that are majority-purple in this map go Democratic. Then we're looking at President Obama. It also puts states in play for our party that haven't been in play for many years. The hardest hit areas are in states that aren't going blue anyhow.

Regardless, the skyrocketing gas prices are are huge issue that our candidate needs to strongly address.

Ann Coulter...don't you have anything better to do with your day?

Ass.

not due to his tone, but for invading a nation that didn't threaten us in the least, and causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands, the destruction of a nation's infrastructure and the wounding and maiming of thousands more.

If film is your passion, you will find a way to engage with it, regardless. I don't live in L.A., but I imagine it is much like New York in some respects- high powered creative industries existing with a ready supply of eager young workers.

If the L.A. film world is something you want to work in and be a part of, you have to work your way into it. This often means starting out at seemingly menial positions- but the reality is, these positions give you contacts and references that are invaluable in getting your foot in the door. I imagine most film students would love to work with Spielberg right out of the chute, but often it's the work in the smaller companies that can slowly build your resume and show that you have an interest in the field.

That being said- if you have a strong urge to get away and see the world, I honestly think you should. You're still young enough to be able to afford to do that. When you're 30, it'll be harder to pick up and go on a great journey. Besides, you will discover more about yourself and your interests. Your time away from the L.A. scream scene might galvanize your passion for film. You might go back with a greater determination and focus for the entire enterprise- and your successes will be greater because you'll be ready to really get down to work.

And as for the "wonderful California guy" - he dumped someone AFTER she went through a religious conversion FOR him?!? That's a huge step, and if he can't accept that kind of commitment from someone then he sure won't accept it from you. He obviously doesn't know what he wants out of life yet. Get away from him before you change all that you are for him and get kicked to the curb. Chemistry alone isn't love.

I wish you all of the best.

Three pages in and I've already read letters that seem like they've been written by a junior high kid- the immature "gross out" descriptions of sodomy.

Then, we've got the religious fanatics pulling scripture out of context.

Were I the author, I would thank the above for proving my point.