Oops, my passive aggressive facade slipped a little. However, I have a feeling that we would get along just fine if we ever met. OK, we love Idaho even though we live in a state that used to have Nazis (They were driven out years ago). We live 90 miles from both Yellowstone and Grand Teton Parks. There is actually a lot of culture around here, but it is home made. My wife gets her classical music fix every summer when the Teton Music Festival is on.

But this thread is about role models. All these Miss this and that contests always emphasize beauty and good looks; talent is always secondary. It is obvious that good looks in women are important in our society whether we like it or not. We also love redemption from sin. The Donald sure knows how to play us.

The BMI is not a very good test of health, so don't let it go to your head. A person can have an 18 BMI and still have 30% body fat, just a total lack of muscle. A slender and muscular woman is a far better role model than most of the contest participants. A woman (or man) who is devoted to physical fitness (not the steroid kind) would not be into drugs and alcohol, so Miss Nevada and her ilk are not good role models even if they appear redeemed.

One of my daughters was asked to participate in the local Miss America pageant. She was horrified as were we. Even at 17 she knew that it was nothing but a disgusting spectacle, although for an intelligent and beautiful woman it could be the stepping stone to an interesting career. If she played her cards right.

But, I am sorry (proud?) to admit that I am entranced by super smart women who are also beautiful and fit. If they can kick my butt at some athletic endeavor, all the better. My wife is a far better golfer than I am, but it eats at her that I ran marathons, and she only did a half.

Executing Saddam solved a huge problem for the US, and others, including Turkey. The trial should have been held at the Hague, where evidence linking the US, Turkey, and probably the Saudis, to Saddams crimes would have come out. Of course then Cheney, Rumsfeld, and lots of other US apparatchiks would have been indicted for crimes against humanity. The American empire cruises on enriching the few and screwing the many.

I should have added that the execution sends a clear message to other American puppets (like what happened to Noriega) that independence will not be tolerated. After the Gulf War Saddam flirted with the Russians and French. That was the kiss of death for him. Big Oil and their Saudi investors would not tolerate that.

I just read your letter to my wife, who was standing behind me. We are about to leave for Boise where we will meet our poor daughters. She enjoyed your comments immensely. I will get the letters up on our daughters computer so they can enjoy them too.

Al's Role Models:

Smart and well educated.

Slender and good looking.

Athletic, can carry backpack long distances, and run 10K in less than 50 minutes.

Able to bear babies and raise them well.

Can go to nude beach without embarrassment.

Enjoys men for what they are, not what some feminazi thinks they should be.

Etc, etc....

Most of the world, except for the Americas, has millions of people who have no idea who their fathers are. Mostly they are in their late middle age, since their mothers were raped by marauding soldiers. Those in Russia and China are a little older than the ones in Western Europe and Japan. In the long run it's good for the local gene pools, horrifying as it is for the victims. So since these people probably are surviving OK, do what you want, ladies.

The purpose of a Hummer is to show off. When you live in a "Republican" enclave you have to show you have the same values. Those values include spending large amounts of money on non-essentials. We have plenty of relatives and friends who are trapped in that ethos. Every society in history ends up with lots of people in that condition. Since most of the excess money to finance these displays of superiority is borrowed from other countries it will inevitably come to an end. Bush has been able to direct a lot of borrowed cash to these idiots, who are led to believe that their inherent skill and superiority is the source of their high incomes. The next few years will be fun to watch.

And the oil. (And the Saudi Royal Family, too, of course.) Lots of campaign money comes from Texas Oilmen and from the Saudis through the Texans. If McCain wants to run for Pres he needs the money. If we lose Iraq the Texans are on their way out as Masters of the Universe, and the Saudi Royals with them. Osama will be the next ruler of Arabia, as well he should be. We don't really need the Mid-East as a country, but the Texans need it to maintain their power and prestige. Nuclear, wind, oil shale and tar sands, and coal will see us through, with lots of good jobs for Americans who don't mind getting their hands dirty. How many Salon readers are willing to do a real days work, as opposed to whatever it is they do now?