BTW, did you know that the Tobacco Institute has proven that cigarettes are good for you? What? You don't believe them? They have done studies...

It continues to astonish me how willfully ignorant so many people are. I wonder what % of the anti-vaccine crowd are also anti-evolution.

Vaccines = the greatest medical advance in history.

No intelligent, informed person would dispute that. Why not participate in an effort to improve the safety and availability of vaccines instead of playing Chicken Little?

I was just wondering...

If they stopped making the thimerosal-based vaccines in 2001, how long is the shelf life of a vaccine, and what size of vaccine stockpiles are typically maintained? We would need that information in order to decide whether or not your insinuation that vaccines might still be dangerous due to thimerosal is reasonable or not.

Of course, we all hate and distrust big Pharm, but the question isn't whether we can trust them or not. It's whether we can trust the multitude of peer-reviewed, collaborating studies indicating that vaccines pose minimal risks and provide enormous benefits or a few methodologically flawed papers published by (in at least some cases) individuals with well-documented conflicts of interest.

Individuals looking for conspiracies can always find someone willing to sell them one.

A vote for a third party in the US is totally different from such a vote in most of the democratic world because of the (undemocratic?) nature of our system. Parliamentary systems often include proportional representation; this along with regional concentrations of particular groups can result in multiple minor parties which can often influence government due to a major party's need to build a sufficient coalition. Our system, however, acts to eliminate the influence of any minor parties by effectively excluding them from virtually all power. Thus, a vote for anyone other than the Democratic or Republican candidate doesn't count. The politicians absolutely do not care about your "protest vote". Hold your nose and choose the lesser of two evils.

And if you really think that the system isn't working, and you want to do something about it, start pushing for a Constitutional Convention. As Jefferson said, "A little revolution now and then is a good thing." Rewriting the Constitution to get rid of all political parties (as per George Washington et al.) and to take advantage of the participatory possibilities of modern communication technology is the way forward. (I imagine a bicameral legislature with an instantaneous constituent-subscription-based House of Representatives and a more traditional Senate.) Unfortunately, that has nothing to do with this election.

When did we acquire the right to not have our feelings hurt? Do people really think that this absolute avoidance of confrontation is healthy and good? I've always preferred people to say, "Hey, you screwed this up" rather than pat me on the head and roll their eyes. Don't you? Why would anyone then think that that is the correct way to deal with someone else just because they aren't as smart as you? Criticism and confrontation are not cruelty. They can be acts of kindness if you are sincerely constructive.

The current attitude is insulting to the cleaners. Supposedly, they are making a sincere effort to perform work of value. Why don't you give them the benefit of the doubt and treat them like they are capable of doing so?

We must all make our attempt!

LW, have you considered chemical castration? I hear it's very effective, yet completely painless.

Wait, that's not funny at all...

Sorry...must now porn-surf.

LW: I'm sorry that your life is so bad that you're not sure what to do in this situation. However, you need to quit this guy. Life will never get better with him. He does not care about you. He is insulting you and telling you that he isn't. Ditch him and work on whatever else in your life you can to improve it. Good luck.

Cary et al.: This is not complicated. Why is your advice?

And then I just realized that we've got to keep our eyes on the ball, which is winning, nothing but winning. Considering how the last two elections just came down to who seemed nicer, the Obama debate strategy seems inspired. McCain is looking more and more like he just wants to take his toys and go home.

On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice not to have a Zaphod Beeblebrox-style election? I guess the American people are just too advanced for that, though. Please prove me wrong. Please.

Breadbaker said it best.

You begin by asking the other person: Are you voting for Obama?

If they say yes, then respond "Thank you". Then talk about something else, like the SEC's dominance in football.

If they say no, then ask if they are voting for McCain. If they say yes, then tell them that you can't talk to them because they are immoral. Walk away. If they chase you down, all bets are off. Have fun. Explain to them in detail how they are destroying the nation they claim to love. Run over them like a bulldozer. Put your knowledge of Limbaugh-speak to use. Then ask them again to stop bothering you.

If they say they are still undecided, ask them for 2 minutes for you to make your best case for Obama. Have it prepared and practiced. Focus on economics and judgment. Mention Palin as an example of bad judgment. Stop after two minutes. Change the subject. If they want to keep talking, suggest some good reading (i.e. not Glenn Greenwald), then ask them who they prefer, LSU or Alabama. Is Nick Saban the Antichrist? Everyone must choose a side on this topic, too, you know.

This is best way to support Obama's strategy. We are principled and reasonable. The enemy is not.

This is, by far, the most brilliant parody letter every published in this column. Come on. Reread the whole thing. It's not just me laughing...