War protesters don't wear masks. Anarchists have been using the war protests as cover for their little mind games for way too long. If the organizers had any sense, they would have had their own people "protecting" the Vietnam Memorial, with videos and cell phones. The problem is that right-wingers aren't the only ones who believe that the people who are burning flags and soldiers in effigy are really war protesters. Regular people see this kind of stuff and it hurts our cause. If these people had any courage whatsoever, they wouldn't wear masks. Heck - it wouldn't surprise me if some of them were right wingers trying to make the left look bad. Hmmmmmm... sounds positively Rovian.

"And now gay marriage will produce a whole new string of hyphenated relatives... and I suppose we'll get used to it."

People need to learn to read. This article might be a bit anti-divorce, but it's hardly anti gay-marriage. Mr. Keillor is quite clear that he is talking about "stereotypical" homosexual men, not real ones. Look up the word "stereotype" and try to tell me that he misuses it. This is typical low-key Keillor, saying that the world was once different, and now it's changing, and that's okay.

I can't believe you linked to the Dickerson article in reference to a "scuffle" between Obama and Sharpton. As many people have pointed out, there is nothing cited in that article linking Obama to the criticism of Sharpton except accusations by the writer. This is circular logic at it's best: Salon publishes an article claming without support that Obama attacked Sharpton, then links to that article as evidence that there is a conflict between Obama and Sharpton. As far as I'm concerned, that article should be pulled, not promoted, unless the writer can provide some evidence for her belief that Obama attacked Sharpton using the NY Post.

With witnesses. Whether this is attempted rape or not (and I can't see a lot of other reasons to do this besides rape), this is a shameful case of judicial leniency. What possible justification did the judge have for suspending half of the sentence? That no crime actually occurred? Well, it would have if the waitress hadn't been observant. It's not often that men get caught pulling stunts like this, and it's damned hard to prove. It seems like this would have been a great opportunity to make an example of him. Instead, the judicial system pretty much said that it's only a minor crime to try to drug someone against their will. People have had harsher sentences for shoplifting.

I depend on blogs for accurate facts. I expect links to accurately reflect what the blogger claims they reflect. I recognize that blogs are opinion, but I expect that opinion to be based on facts in evidence, or at the very least, well-supported rumors. I don't hold blogs to the same standards as new articles, because news articles aren't supposed to use rumor or opinions. But if a blog cites an article that makes claims that are not supported, then I think the blogger should be called on it. That's part of the beauty of interactive blogging.

...but it's a bit hard to read, since the text on Snow's comments is the same style as your comments. I like seeing the transcript, but I can't be sure what is Snow and what is your words.

If I had an incurable disease, I would only hope that I could help my husband realize his dreams (and mine) before I died. I would want my children, if I had any, to be cared for. I would want my death to mean something. I would NOT want my husband to sit by my bedside watching me die with nothing else to do.

I hope that she beats the odds, but if she doesn't, then the best possible tribute would be her husband in the White House fighting for women's causes everywhere. But damn I hope she makes it... she's a good woman, and we need her, too.

She doesn't have the ability to win people over that other candidates have. She doesn't have the vision that other candidates have. She just doesn't fit the image I have of "President", and it's not her breasts that spoil the image. I believe that a day will come when a woman steps forward and takes on the mantle of President of the United States. I just don't see Hilary Clinton in that position. All she really has going for her is name recogniation. There are, at this very moment, women who are more qualified than she is. But none of them are taken seriously as politicians, so they aren't running. Which is a damn shame.

It's quite interesting to hear the saga from the perspective of someone who was on the outside but in the cockpit. I wonder what kind of idiot would ship a dog during a snowstorm. As far as I'm concerned, it should be illegal to ship animals when there is a possibility of flight delays due to blizzards.

Other than that - I have to agree that you probably suffered less than the passengers, but no amount of knowledge could make this anything less than a miserable experience. Thank you for your insight and for providing us with this fascinating story about what can go wrong in moder air travel.