I don't think anyone claimed that forgetting one's cell phone is the same as forgetting one's child in the car. I think the point was that the mental processes involved could be similar, and that anyone who is a human being is subject to them.

I think you should go lecture the parents from the Washington Post article. I'm sure they'd really appreciate it.

Right. Obama wants universal health care because it will result in the deaths of millions of citizens, thereby guaranteeing him total power.

Do you have any idea how ridiculous that is? I've read some stupid shit around here, but that really takes the cake.

Maybe you should get another bottle out of the barrel, my friend.

Please learn how to spell and punctuate. I don't know if that will help you to not be a complete tool, but it might make your rantings look better on paper.

I don't think it should be too hard to find the people who were profiled in the Washington Post article. So, really, why don't you go and find them and tell them just what you've told us here? Or at least write to them? I think you owe it to them to point out just how worthless and terrible they are. Surely your actions will help to save the lives of countless other children.

I think we should be directing our anger toward those thousdands of parents who deliberately abuse their children, not the handful who have suffered this tragedy.

Is it character assassination if it's true? Or maybe it was a conspiracy, and they closed the gate on purpose.

I remember getting BCPs for free when I was in college. I was a young, rather naive woman (but at least I had enough sense to hustle over to the campus clinic when I became sexually active).

The Planned Parenthood clinic on my campus prevented abortions - there is no doubt in my mind. How anyone could not be in favor of this I will never understand.

I also hope that people aren't going to be too harsh on Bristol Palin. I would guess that a lot of families (mine as well) include out-of-wedlock children. They are family, though, and we love them, as I'm sure the Palin family loves Tripp.

As others have noted, I think the anger is better (and mostly) directed at Sarah Palin herself, for shoving Bristol and her boyfriend into the national spotlight, and for most likely lying about the upcoming wedding for political purposes.

I don't know what is going on in this country any more. Between this and listening to Bill Maher's diatribe against the teachers' union on Friday night, I'm wondering just what it is that is so bad about a contract that enforces fairness in the workplace for regular people, but sacred about a contract that lets incompetent idiots walk away with millions.

I fear that unions will be absolutely broken at the end of all this, and I'm sure that's part of the plan.

Newsflash: People are normally capable of thinking about more than one thing at a time or, at least, of thinking about multiple things in rapid succession.

Taking a few minutes to talk about a public figure who died too young in an accident isn't going to affect anything one way or another.

leointl, I'm sorry for your loss. That must have been very difficult.

...and then move on.

She said it best.

If you've never said anything dumb, then you win! Who wants to claim their prize?

Which is a change from the usual feminine hygiene commercial, where they use some kind of blue fluid to illustrate how absorbent the product is.

You should read what an actual Socialist has to say about Obama.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/03202009/watch2.html

And then you should take Obama's advice and wait until you know what you're talking about before you spout off.

I guess I must have missed those letters.

But, I'll go on record as saying that it's probably not a good idea for any President to announce a visit to a place where there's still lots of bombing and shooting going on.

(At least Obama wasn't the one who started the bombing and shooting, though. I will give him that.)

It may be true for you, but that doesn't make it true for everybody. OK?

That's what I hate about these discussions. It seems to devolve into, "This is what I do and it's right for me. So, that makes it right."

Have you ever seen the film "The Bicycle Thief"?

It takes place shortly after WWII, and recounts the story of a very poor man who lands a job putting up posters. He needs to get his bicycle out of the pawn shop in order to work, so he trades his wife's good sheets to get it. After one day on the job, his bicycle is stolen. He and his young son set out to find it.

At one point, discouraged and hungry, the father spends what is probably close to the last of his money to buy dinner for himself and his son in a somewhat fancy restaurant. It's quite a touching scene, and I think it illustrates very well that sense of, "What the hell. Life is really hard - let's enjoy the moment."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmWQZg6271A

There are people who live in the reality-based sphere, and there are people who live in the paranoid delusional sphere. I'll bet you can't guess which sphere the teabaggers inhabit, can you?

(As an aside, I wonder how many of these people who are going around spouting off about John Galt and such realize that Ayn Rand was an atheist and an unrepentant adulterer.)

We can discount it if it makes no sense.

Please be specific and tell me what these people are protesting. Why are they protesting now?

Even a semi-coherent answer would be appreciated.