If Debra Dickerson is supposed to be entertaining -- a disputable idea, but, ok, I'll at least allow the premise that the rare person here and there finds her downright hilarious -- then she should be writing for the Onion -- NOT Salon.

Otherwise, she's writing in a place where opinion and "op-ed" don't generally get billed as "entertainment."

If Debra Dickerson wants to be an "entertainer," then I sure wish she'd entertain somewhere else.

Because, frankly, she's not entertaining to me in the slightest. I find her to be a disturbed person with a hateful agenda, and I'm incredibly appalled that Salon has given this human trainwreck any further audience by publishing her inane viewpoints here.

But it's clear that they continue to do so because controversy -- even from someone as ridiculous as Dickerson -- sells clicks, and we all know that Salon is about the clicks these days...sadly.

I actually buy Paglia more as "entertainment," because she's a personality, even if I abhor her opinions. And there's always a "wink wink" sort of wryness about her writing. She wades in, making it pretty clear that she's hoping to stir it up.

Colbert, yes, we all know he's a liberal, playing a conservative, for laughs and entertainment -- and to score a few political points.

O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Coulter, Dickerson, ad. nauseum...they are not "entertainers." They are nutty, deluded zealots, playing at "pundit" or "journalist" or op-ed writer. Yes, they are doing it for their own self-aggrandizement and to make money, and to gin up controversy -- to make even MORE money and get even MORE attention.

But at the core, you know Colbert doesn't believe the conservative nonsense he spews.

But O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Colter, Dickerson, etc. -- what is sad -- and scary -- is that they DO believe what they say.

Which is why Debra Dickerson should be earning her nickel elsewhere.

Because she actually believes the crap she's writing here.

DD is damn lucky that someone is paying her for this drivel. And frankly, she will continue to gin up controversy, because it moves clicks and that seems to be what she's all about, and why Salon likely keeps her around, despite her being an anathema to so many.

But really, she's not a good enough writer, or insightful enough, to make it worth ANYONE'S while to pay her so she can spew her pathology all over the place.

I earn my living as a writer working from home too, but somehow, I don't have to do the writing equivalent of taking a crap regularly all over Barack Obama -- or my own children -- or anyone else for that matter -- in order to survive.

Can ya tell she ticks me off? I despise hack writers who should be in therapy instead of in print...

then you and Salon are no better than the Democrats who caved in.

With all the Obama bashing and promotion of people like Paglia and Dickerson, I suspected that you and Salon just don't get it.

With this comment, now I know for sure.

Heading over to Huffington and Alternet for a while for some common sense, because it seems to be sorely lacking around here lately...

Arvin wrote about Joan Walsh: "You, on the other hand, appear to be concerned primarily with Democratic politics."

Right on the money.

Isn't it increasingly obvious that Joan is angling for a job in a Democratic administration? I suspect she'd like Communications Director.

Which is why she's been doing her "I'm a pundit" tv thing, and remains breathlessly rapt and pandering about Hillary (she figures she's the likely winner), and herself has been trying to deep-six Obama, and has allowed other ridiculous Salon articles -- and in particular, continuing to allow the ongoing campaign of destruction against Obama of a D-list pseudo-columnist like Debra Dickerson.

Joan Walsh definitely drank a heaping helping of Inside-the-Beltway Koolaid.

Olbermann has integrity to his ideas, because he's not pandering and angling for a job on the Hill, nor is he starstruck by the same old Washington scene.

Guatemala City Airport is pretty chaotic, esp. up front. Once you're through security, it's not too bad.

Casablanca used to be bizarre, but that was 20 years ago. I'm sure it's improved.

Santiago Chile must have improved, bec. when I was last there, it was awful. Something about Carabineros toting machine guns in the baggage claim was a bit nervewracking...

But that definitely does sound like the worst airport, mainly bec. of all the harassment by people. If you could have just sat on the floor and not been bothered, it wouldn't have been quite THAT awful...

That's all.

Just disappointed that a bird can make more a political statement than our elected representatives...