Appreciate your perspective even when I don't share it, which in all honesty is about 20% of the time, though I'm never sure in just what's up or down those figures.

The fear based on ignorance which drives so much of our lives, whether in voting booths or on talk radio, is not going to be resolved much if we continue to see things as right versus left. That illusion, I think, is due to our neglecting to look around for ourselves and see that reality isn't the silhoutte on the screen. It's a wild and 3 dimensional world out here.

Good point Obama's position on civil unions versus gay marriage. He's in general alignment with the Dalai Lama on this...good thing neither of them are running for Miss California.

I hide my head in shame, just a little, at agreeing with you on the quality of iCarly and some of the other after school sitcoms. Thanks to my 10 y/o niece and her ability to sweet-talk her way into domination of the TV, I'v noticed there's a batch of talent being curried in that teen-set, if it manages to negotiate the career paths of artistic quality and pubic perceptions.

Is Koffee Annan saying that if there were not drought exacerbated by global climate change those people would not have died due to the incredible corruption, lack of medical care and a few pennies for mosquito nets and some money spent on civil engineering of their sanitation, and all around bad governance that their countries, often proped up by our trade and foreign aid? That is an imaginative interpretation. Did he also figure in the people of the north who due to longer growing seasons and fewer killing frosts didn't die of starvation or exposure?

Really...this will appeal to those who already believe but those who can see that what kills the poor is the burden bad government and lack of genuine concern for them in the here and now by the international community. The weather could be perfect all over the world and the poor and ignorant would still be dying young and in greater proportion. Crippling industial output by taxing the poorest through the carbon tax, cap and trade and other forms of financial schemeing and meddling will surely make it worse...when there's an economic downturn where do the poor go? To their villages to cut down the last of the trees,and take the last of the fish, and sell the last of their legacy before they disappear in the next wave of overpopulation and poverty, while their senior statesmen condemn the west for not making the politicians of these poor countries wealthy as princes.

Interesting point of view, as always, and very persuasive, though from my perspective getting the tone just right when adressing the Islamic world will never be possible until a secular form has the strenght to stand on its own. That day is more likely to come when we arent' actively pushing against it.

You mention the dearth of talent in the GOP but point to Romney..good grief, I can't understand how you can be simultaneously so perceptive and fail to see him for the vacuous product of political dynasty and his delusional thoughts on history. His self-implied comparisons to JFK end at the priviledged upbringing and haircut.

Huge thanks for the continued coverage of of Miss Mercury. I'm just about ready to pull up stakes and move to Brazil.

Thanks Wingnut. Thanks for that perspective. I'm coming to the realization that these columns are some of the most interesting articles that I see in Salon, and I find a lot of them pretty interesting, so you're "right up there" on my list and hope Salon keeps this window opens. I don't necessarily agree with 'em, but to be honest I don't always agree with much of any particular point of view exclusively.

As for Sotomayor, I can hope that her personal perspective will lend some balance, which is needed in interpreting the constitution.

I do hope that you might one day cover the notion of the politcal compass from the conservative perspective since I think our adherence (on both sides of the aisle) to the right versus left model is a big part of the problem. Political parties are for winning election and not something I'm comfortable adhering to in lock-step so differentiating between the two might one day put us back on the path where there actually were both liberals and conservatives in either party. Cheers.

PS..you outta market those hats.