Look, I'm not going to get into how McCain looked as if he didn't have the strength to even begin the debate, let alone finish. And if Fred Thompson doesn’t look like a talking block of wood nobody does, OK? Also, I won’t spend much time on the rebel that is Ron Paul and his diatribe about Monetary Economics that made him sound like a kindler-gentler Lyndon LaRouche. (By the way, Tancredo, deserves his own post. He's the only one who mentioned taxes were important to basic services...Perhaps that would involve a Gov't sized net to catch "illegals"?)

That debate was a joke. A sad and pathetic failure of a party that has long ago spun out of control. It began with asking for responses to the fact that 66%, 66%!, of Americans believe we are in, or are heading, toward recession. Solutions ranged from cutting taxes, who knew right?, and acknowledging at the same time that middle class families might need help. Yea, Republicans acknowledging finally that inequality is a bad thing came off as bad, really bad, karaoke.

Of course, in the end entitlement spending still got all the blame for this economy that for some reason has not enough income to go around even though unemployment is at historic lows. Detroit's 1/29 rate of home foreclosures isn’t an indication of anything central, by the way. While per Rudy, Hedge-Fund success is the essential beauty of capitalism and talent. In the end, per these idiots!, basically the economy is doing just fine.

"Who cut taxes more than me?" Rudy asks.

"You didn't cut taxes more than me?" Mitt responds.

And on and on and on it went...what a fucking joke.

What a bunch of losers for grown men!

What a bunch of apes! What a bunch of fools! And trust me on this one, woe are we if that clueless sociopath Hillary is the answer!

Woe the fuck are we!!!

Excuse me, please check the archaeological records. Neanderthals are the first species to practice the ritual of burial. Their world view was abstract in other words and made room for compassion.

Current Republicans?

Not so much!

Look, I haven't read but 1/10 of a Potter novel, and only that in an attempt to teach myself Spanish. Nonetheless, I'm drawn to this series. It has a vibe both positive and encompassing that from what I can tell uses youth to deliver fantasy. From there you break into the core of things with innocence, energy. Children the world over are drawn to Potter for that reason, I think, and I'm hoping like hell they use Rowling's work as a way to see the world.

Heaven knows we've got to get the planet people that comprehend perspectives that bind for the better.

If Rowling has struck such a chord let her follow it to its end. Let her preach, even. Definitely let her work with the relationships she's established.

She's not an author anymore. She's a literary figure. A real life conjurer whose main work may just be beginning. An either/or framework shouldn't even be a concern since that's the case. I hope when she's seen walking down streets letters of the alphabet are seen falling out of her purse. I hope we find out she's got greater than average skills with a Ouija board. I hope those things almost as much as having it turn out that children familiar with her work breath a language of spiritual dynamics as adults that respect life's challenges.

I believe Rowling will end up bringing a richer set of experiences yet if that's the case.

But this was a great story, though. Even though I disagree with its premise I was glad its topic made these pages, for sure.

Thanks!