I appreciate some libertarian beliefs in principle--occasionally I'm bothered by excessive laws relating to property rights, for example--but I will never understand the paranoia of nuts like this. I mean, sure, have an argument about whether it's the government's place to make us all wear seatbelts or to decide which guns to regulate, but for godsakes, what's with the notion of advocating that we all carry loaded guns around? How can any sane person--even one who appreciates the history of tyrannical governments--think that a large crowd of people won't get unruly at an emotional, partisan gathering?

And why now? This guy admittedly acknowledges that the slippery slope to tyranny began long ago; one wonders if he went to meetings during the Bush years riled up about his rights. It's possible that he did, and I'd like to know that, but if he didn't, he missed a glaring opportunity to grandstand about a US President stripping him of his constitutional rights. That he (probably) didn't smacks of racism, pure and simple.

pure and simple.

what the big lie is in the Gates situation. I mean, what exactly is Kristol talking about? Is he suggesting there's no institutional racism? Or is he more specifically commenting on the particulars of this case--that some of the details that are being reported aren't true?

How can the right rail about this if the charges have been dropped. Either he was unruly or he was not. Right? If the police have decided that he was not, then it seems to me that Obama's "stupid" remark, while decidedly impolitic, is not off the mark.

If Obama's mom was so certain that her Kenyan-born son would run for President that she fabricated his place of birth, then why did she name him Barack Hussein Obama? And why did she blithely send him overseas for his schooling? You know what? Why didn't she just make fracking sure she was back in America before she had him--he wasn't a screaming premie, was he? Hey, wait a minute, why did she conceive with a black man in the first place? Unless she deliberately placed obstacles in her own diabolical scheme to birth a President. You know, just to make life a little more challenging...

This is Orwellian. I thought you were going to say he was writing a confessional of sorts, a reflective piece about what he's learned as a result of that incident in 2006, how he's been humbled, how important flexibility is in seeing yourself with new eyes, etc. But he's going to ignore his own blatant history of lack of character and just riff on it as it relates to sports? What a jerk.

Bravo. You should publish that somewhere. Speaking of which, do you blog on Open Salon? If not, why not? Your refreshing honesty would be so welcome.

Joan, this is the single best piece of work I've seen you write. Thank you for describing perfectly my own mix of feelings about Michael Jackson and for detailing the memorial service so well.

I think Harding is saying "Bad Mommy" sarcastically, suggesting that Shipman is calling her a bad mommy and that Shipman is wrong for doing so.

While I agree with Hutman that quitting piano is something smaller, obligation-wise, than quitting governing, I agree with you in spades, Kate, that Shipman's argument that reversing course by quitting a job and staying home with her kids (which we all know this is not about, so this whole discussion is academic) equals "quitting" and a bad lesson for kids. It's like the old "good money after bad" analogy; it's exactly as you say, Kate: People should not just keep doing things they hate. I have a friend who was panicked that her then-three-year-old would "get behind" if he didn't play hockey and she made that sobbing toddler get out onto the ice at 4 am a couple of times a week because she didn't want him to be a "quitter." Misguided to say the least.

Didn't you know? You're not allowed to take any time off work to raise your children, even though it's OK to raise others' children for pay.

Count me among those who think a person could not possibly give an infant enough attention if she is executive of a state and running a presidential campaign while her husband is working full time as a fisherman. Many great leaders make horrible spouses and parents, but the catch here is that she's no great leader. Why sacrifice the family?

I just heard about this site and visited it for the first time a few days ago. I had a few chuckles and moved on. My own kids are older--now 12, 16, and 19--and I couldn't help thinking that I'm glad Facebook wasn't around back then for me to embarrass myself on.

A female George W. Bush.

They're very similar but she's a bit more the idealogue, especially on religion, so she's worse. Didn't think it was possible, but there it is.