She began to tell me these "strange" things when she was in her late teens in the late 70's. She is a bit unusual (extremely bright, marches to her own drummer, etc.) anyhow so I just chalked it up to her specialness. Then I discovered synesthesia and sent her a book about it as a young adult. She is adopted so she didn't know anyone in her biological family yet. Her tastes have shapes, she hears music when she sees some colors and some art, her letters have colors and I'm sure many things I don't even know because they are so normal to her she doesn't discuss them. I do know this has enriched her life and I envy her experiences. By the way, I don't know if she has discovered anyone in her immediate biological family with it since she has known them for the last 10 years. I'll have to ask her bio Mom and/or her.

Both Senators Obama and Edwards closely held my attention tonight. I was ready to sign up for changing America to the country we knew it could and should be. I think actually that Edwards and Obama would make a nice ticket. They each have special gifts to add.

I do hope that some black and some white people will loose their knee jerk racism over this as hopefully, Obama continues his successful quest. If whites are happy to stand at the voting machine and put our trust in a black man to guide a country we hold dear, then I think it is time for black people to let go of some of their hatred and mistrust of us. I know some of us suck but then some black folks are nothing to write home about either. Let this be the beginning of the end of racism too! Wouldn't that be amazing!

My spouse and I saw this after a nerve jangling 5 weeks in Brazil. Exquisite visit to meet our first grandchild and newly married son and DIL and her amazingly charming family. Then my sick but difficult old Mother died on my birthday in the middle of a party there for me and my DIL. It was expected sometime but....

Moving on, what we needed was a sweet movie, a martini and some rare steak. We got all three. Had no need to pick it apart as I suppose we could have. Respite from the crazy world was at the top of our list. No violence, no meanness, no craziness, little urge to cry, some good laughs and a sense of hope. It was just what the doc ordered for us. I suspect there will be many others like us who enter with jangled nerves and leave, heading for a drink and a steak ( or a no meat dinner and fizzy water) with quiet smiles on their faces.

The religious right and the upper middle class men and women have influenced each other to stay home with the kids because it was "best" for the kids and the family also. I believe this was coincidental with 9-11 because it had already begun before that fateful day, not the main cause.

Feminism has certainly been altered since the 60's when we so bravely and stupidly thought we could have it all with no sacrifice. Ha! Many of us did go out and do that but there was plenty of sacrifice to go around for us and our families, since the workplace wasn't ready or adapted to Mothers trying to build careers.

I'm glad it has been easier in some ways for the next generations of women to have meaningful careers and sometimes puzzled to see young women opting out. Then I remember that they might have been raised by women like me who struggled to raise kids and work with little support from spouse, the workplace and the culture and didn't want to do that to their kids. Nothing is simple.

Hey, Rebecca, I can't remember when I have had more wonderful Mondays than this past July and August. Strong, middle aged amazing women with flaws have had kick-ass roles backed by interesting males with flaws as well. The writing has been mostly great! You do have to pay attention or you miss something hysterically funny or profound!

The stuff you are talking about for fall doesn't interest me one iota! I want strong female and male charactors who are real and facing life's real problems from the top or from the bottom. I don't need fantasy, I crave real drama and studies of reality. I want to see the old, middle aged and young drag themselves through life and try to get it right this time or the next time.

I want some maturity, people mostly dressed, less mindless sex and violence and more relationships. I am sick to death of superficiality. I think my new venue for entertainment will be mostly cable. I seldom watch network anyhow. May have to wait until next July since summer is their time to blossom.

I also want fewer commercials that interrupt the flow, even if the remaining commercials have to be longer and more actors of a certain age starring in quality vehicles on cable dramas. Men seem to show up but women are but in the freezer when a wrinkle appears. PLEASE put these women to work. They are a blessing!!!

I have heard of this same problem in the Dallas are where returning soldiers who need assistance get no one to answer the 800 numbers given for them to call for help.

A government that won't take excellent care of its returning and injured servicemen and women is morally bankrupt. We ask them to sacrifice everything including, life, limb, family, mental health, income etc and we are not willing to step up to the plate to care for them. That's right up there with not being truthful about the need for invading Iraq in the first place!