New York and its inhabitants are beautifully accepting of everyone. I wish you were, too. Were you there and did you see the towers burning? I was, and the outpouring of love and support from people on the streets was something I've never seen before or since. I cannot understand this stupid diatribe, it's just so ignorant and unlike anything I ever would have thought you would have written about any town, anywhere. I feel sorry for you.

New York and its inhabitants are beautifully accepting of everyone. I wish you were, too. Were you there and did you see the towers burning? I was, and the outpouring of love and support from people on the streets was something I've never seen before or since. I cannot understand this stupid diatribe, it's just so ignorant and unlike anything I ever would have thought you would have written about any town, anywhere. I feel sorry for you.

I completely see my 20-something else reflected in you, even with some affection. But hopefully at some point, and I mean this kindly, you'll grow out of it. What I've realized is that some of the most banal seeming people are the most original if you take a few minutes to listen and ask questions, and that some of the most "original," based on appearance and small-talk, are the most banal.

It was such a relief to realize this, and my "like-minded" circle has expanded to the point where I'm now complimented on my wide array of friends.

I’m not sure there’s ever a good time for an idiot-savant Christ figure to stage a dissociative fringe theater monologue on a weekly T.V. show, but Heather sure as hell didn’t have patience for it this week!

“If there were enough big, beautiful moments, or even little, poignant or sweet moments to nourish us, then fine.” Absolutely! And so far I’ve gotten plenty of those moments. Another sustaining factor is humor, which I haven’t heard many people mention but I think this show is fucking hilarious, and in a smart, absurd, and self-deprecating way. I love the peanut gallery at the hotel.. “A young Henry Kissenger.” Are you kidding? That’s fucking GOLD!

John From Cincinnati is merely the continuation of Deadwood by other means. Same heart, same moments of sweet humanity in the midst of confusion and cruelty. Hell, it’s got half the same cast now! I’m glad to see other seemingly rational and intelligent people are getting something from the show instead of bewailing their precious dramas of yore, all tied up in a sack and throwed in the river by them cruel and myopic HBO execs. Relax, watch it without trying to put all the pieces together or expecting a nice, neat, boring payoff each week (or ever, maybe! oh no!) and you might just get something out of it.

An occasional cigarette or drink = a collapse back into alcoholism and "certain health damage?" Why do these issues trigger such a freaking black and white response in this country? What happened to the concept of moderation as a reasonable (and less anal) value?

Sure, not everyone can handle "an occasional drink" and those who smoke should respect the rights of non-smokers to take it outside in public areas (or even in the same household) but indulging in a few drinks or cigarettes once in a while is not the automatic path to personal Armegeddon that some here are so quick to preach as inevitable. The sanctimonious hand-wringing and finger-pointing are really tiresome.