Keira's refusal adds several points to her rating in my book. I admire "well-turned" bodily features as much as anyone, but I appreciate acting ability much more. There are too many busty or hunky models pretending to be actors these days (take a look at any CSI TV series for example). We make a mistake in thinking that "sexiness" depends entirely on bodily contours. Keira's eyes can suggest so much more.

With regard to Aynatt: Your distinction is generally ok, but doesn't investing for the long haul involve "betting" that the entire economy will not tank any time soon?

As for the SEC, CDOs and the like how about everyone's GREED? No acronym intended.

I did not watch the "debate" so I do not know its "tone". My fear was that it would involve far more "theater" than I care for. The current market driven confusion between news and entertainment is something that troubles me. My guess is that the involvement of YouTube is not a move in the right direction in that regard. I started to read your article about the debate in order to find out what had transpired, but gave up fairly quickly as it seemed more intent upon comedy and ridicule than on analysis. Perhaps there was nothing worth analyzing. We desperately need a treatment of the candidates and issues that is rational and intellectually "sharp". It may be that the media has determined that the public can't hack that. In any event your article did not appear to me to be a step in the right direction.

The current situation is intolerable so you must do something. Your cat was abandoned by its mother very shortly after its birth. Why did she abandon it? Did she in some "cat way" detect a profound neurophysiological deficit in its kitten? In any event you intervened. Let's give you points for compassion. Compassion, however, doesn't always come with knowing the right thing to do (apologies to my Buddhist friends). You did your best, but I suspect that there was no way you could have made up for the condition in which you found your cat. Abandoned by its mom sounds like a recipe for a "schizophrenic" cat, i.e., a cat living with a profound sense of terror. You have been given some good advice. By all means get professional help before anything else. There may be behavioral approaches that could help even with a cat as developmentally damaged as yours must be. Yes, the cat should be altered if it has not already been. Medication may provide a solution. As your last resort I would not under any circumstances put this cat out to fend for itself. Euthanasia is by far the more humane choice. You will grieve. We all do under such circumstances. Here is your mantra: "Not my fault, I did my best."

The primary impact of the impeachment of Bill Clinton was to tie up congress and keep it from its primary job of legislating. We do not need to shut down congress again even though Bush truly deserves to be impeached. We desperately need health care legislation, an overhaul of the FDA's drug approval procedures, more support for education (not just posturing and kick-backs), a reigning in of Big Pharma and their ilk, a cleaner environment, etc., etc. Oh yes, it would also be nice to bring the troops home from Iraq sooner than later. Bush will be out of office soon enough. Then we can let history be his judge.

I'm not so sure about a double-standard in which men only need to be skilled rather than merely "hot". If you see enough movies and watch enough TV it seems clear(to me at least)that there are plenty of male "hotties" around who can't act their way out of a paper bag.

I thought the mind-body problem had been resolved, but it seems to be alive and well. Reading these posts reveals that for many the physical and the mental are still regarded as separate domains. I suggest there is single process that may be viewed and conceptulaized in different ways. These days psychiatry tends to over-emphasize the physical-bio-chemical view. There are still counselors and clinical psychologists who think largely of "the mental". Garry Owen's account makes it clear that in "reality" it may be impossible to defend this splitting of mind and body. Real bad stuff hits everywhere. It is indeed foolishness to expect a physical trauma not to have psychological consequences and vice versa. We are all-of-piece. The key thing is to understand the practical consequences of applying one view as opposed to another. We ask: what works? We must also ask what is meant by "works". I suspect the defense deparment might have one view, an old time behaviorist another view, a humanistic therapist yet another, etc. Ya-el makes a good point in that whatever technique of therapy is applied there needs to be a safe and holding environment. In our techno-happy world this may hard to grasp, but human values and needs are basic and cannot be ignored. Whatever the technique the human relationship is all important. I find myself wondering; what has happened to group therapy with vets. The comradeship and sharing of experiences are also basic human elements. Exposure therapy may have its applications along with many other "tricks" of the trade, but what "works" for one may not work for another. Long live individual differences! But then, when did individuals ever count for much in the military?