Good point, has_te. I'd like to believe that the way out of this trap is through good worldwide public education. Unfortunately slashing and ruining education seems to be pretty much the norm here in the USA.

I sometimes wonder if that was intentional - if the government has deliberately destroyed education (particularly for the poor and middle class, thanks to our ridiculous system of funding) because they know that an uneducated population is much easier to control.

But that would be too cynical, wouldn't it?

As far as holding Exxon-Mobile and the other petroleum giants accountable, why stop there? Shouldn't the politicians who sold us out ALSO be held accountable? I see no reason why they and their descendents should be allowed to keep their ill-gotten gains. The same goes for the personal fortunes of the corporate executives who pushed these destructive policies, the lawyers, scientists, and other stooges who enabled them...it's a long list.

The problem is that many of these people will probably die of natural causes before environmental collapse becomes so obvious that the public erupts in anger, and you can't collect damages from a corpse - nor can you punish it.

Sorry, I have no answers.

Colbert's a genius - and that episode was golden, apart from the interview with the Republican jackass who wrote the "manliness" book (note for idiots: never try to out-funny Colbert). The "Formidable Opponent" segment from that show featured El Colberto Reporto, which my four-year-old is STILL quoting.

"Stern"? Have you ever actually been to New England?

The sad thing is that some anti-Asian-defamation group actually took that seriously when Colbert originally broadcast it, and sent letters of complaint.

Someone must have accidentally deleted the final sentence:

"Unless, of course, the voting machines are rigged."

Actually, a LOT of people hated Craig Kilborne - apparently he treated most of the people who worked with him like crap.

And he simply wasn't very funny. Witness the incredible success of The Daily Show AFTER he left it.

Seriously, who here is better off now than they were in 2000? I certainly am not. Back then I had some disposable income; I could take a vacation with my family or spend a few bucks on a movie, book, or DVD once in a while.

But now? All our money goes to essentials and bills. I don't even buy a cup of coffee in the morning. I wonder how that affects the economy? Probably not much, but it has certainly affected my opinions about the economy and the Bush administration.

I wish those officials could experience what it's like to live as an average citizen in their "wonderful" economy.

"I had Jello today. I like Jello."

Seriously, is there a SINGLE Democrat left (apart from Al Sharpton) who understands the basic principles of oratory? Short, "gutty" words and short, declarative sentences work. Polysyllabic agglutinates that run on for paragraphs without reaching a period don't. Senate-speak equals death, as John Kerry so ably proved in 2004.

Like it or not, when the majority of Americans hear a word above the third-grade level, it's instantly translated in their minds into the voice of Charlie Brown's teacher:

"Mwaaa whaaa, whaaa whaa-whaa, mwaaaa."

I have to wonder, have the Republicans been running a long-term stealth campaign to secretly recruit all Democratic speechwriters? Or is it simply blind arrogance? Perhaps it's actually classism, a refusal to speak "beneath" themselves. Or is it a feeling of inadequacy, a fear that if they don't "talk smart", people will think they're stupid?

I don't know. But as long as they keep this crap up, they're never going to be able to connect with the American people.

...will she be taking Moxie and Spunk with her? Or do they stay with the surgeon who implanted them?

That weird Florida smarminess, that particularly kooky and loud version of Florida Baptist fundamentalism, the excessive makeup, the cartoon-like breasts...Katherine Harris is actually Anita Bryant!