My mother had me at 20. Not ideal, and she spent the next 20 years of her life trying to get an education and a career. You have an education. Find a decent job, with benefits, that you can return to after a year or two, and just...have a baby. 23 or 24 is an okay age to have a child or two. Their's no law that says that you have to have a phd, two good crockery sets and a paid off house before you have a child. A stable relationship, good energy, some income, those seem like enough to me. Young parents don't have to be shitty parents. Stop second guessing yourself.

Don't try to argue with Parson Jim - he's a sociopathic hater, here to show up the rest of the world as the raging feminist bitches, slimy criminals, and moral degenerates that they (we) are. It's the only reason he goes on this site at all. He could never feel any empathy for a 20 year old drug mule, because he never made any mistakes in his life. He'd probably help out with the execution if he could.

Oh and Jim...see ya in hell, hypocrite!

Ms. Miller is a gifted writer (check out her book entitled The Magician's Book: a Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia) and a great reviewer. Whenever I see a new review by her, I feel a little twinge of anticipation. If only she could write a new one each week, but we can't have it all I guess. I'll be buying this book this afternoon.

Ms. Waldman did not inspire hatred only for her poor parenting. I remember her articles well - they kept me reading with a sort of horrified facination, and I don't have kids. What I found so compelling was Ms. Waldman's willingness to portray herself as a completely narcistic, shallow, vain, mean-spirited person. The personality that shone through in her essays was simply vile.

A few letter writers who've had more personal encounters with Ms. Waldman have mentioned that she actually seems like a warm likeable person, so perhaps her essays are a vent for self-loathing, in which case I can only call them courageous. However, you couldn't pay me to read a whole book by her.

And, as a non-trekkie who nonetheless saw just all of the original 70's show (only had two channels), I have to admit that it rocked my socks off!

Go see it, probably the most entertaining film I've seen in a few years.

Because columnists seem to be disappearing these days. I got worried. Please do not stop writing for Salon.

But if you then add a big dose of goofiness, the day is saved! This was hilarious. I love JT.

I absolutely love Iain M. Banks Culture series and await each new book with baited breath. I think it's the best Sci-fi series out there, and its exploration of utopian/dystopian socialism is just one ingredient, to which Banks adds thrills, spills, and a deliciously morbid sense of humour. I particularly love The Player of Games, Inversions, and Excessions. Brilliantly conceived and executed science fiction.

See above.

I'm so happy to read that people are feeling some love for Steve Zahn. He is a great actor (check out the Herzog film Rescue Dawn if you haven't yet) and has an adorable screen presence. I'll probably check this out (on video) just for his performance.

...but he is a raging misogynist. No von trier film is complete until a woman has been subjected to every kind of degradation...cuz that's what women are for! One could call it a typical madonna/whore complex, except he's just so...sadistic. After working with von trier both Nicole Kidman and Bjork stated that they planned to quit film. Kidman backed down, but apparently von trier's loathing of the distaff gender extends to how he treats his leading ladies on set. I literally felt like I needed a shower after watching Breaking the Waves. After Dancer in the Dark, I swore that I would never watch another of this creep's films. Zero interest.

Our mothers and fathers often fuck up. As one poster noted, we all hate our mother on some level. But there is this deep, enduring bond that comes of having been parented in our earliest days by this person. I think it is probably formed in utero and developed during our infancy and early childhood. This bond means that no matter how much they rankle us, we mostly tolerate (and even love) our parents.

Now let us think of a step-parent. The word itself is a misnomer. I did not pick my step-mother, and indeed, she is not my "mother" in any sense of the word. In fact, she is no kind of family to me unless I decide to make her so (and she agrees). Rather, she was chosen by my father. I was not consulted.

Some family we're born with, and we've got no choice about it. But a step-mother has no intrinsic authority over a child, such as the blood and paternal bond that the father has. They become a "mother" only with the permission of the child. Until then, any authority that a step "mother" exerts over the child, is merely borrowed from the father, the one with true authority by dint of fatherhood.

To the step-mothers out there, I urge you, imagine if a stranger entered your home, took up residence, and took the liberties of a family member, even playing disciplinarian. You'd be outraged, I suspect. Well guess what, even children know when a situation is completely, disastrously unfair.

...hardly. Check out the rottontomatometre. Zacharek is in the majority on this one.

I've gotta go with Durian Joe on this. What are the chances that 71% of Americans have even heard of that court case, much less read the decision and come up with an informed opinion? The poll you cite sounds very suspect.