Last night I just happened to catch Sanjaya's performance. I had read about the Idol controversy and seen a few clips on news shows and was intrigued enough to want to vote for Sanjaya just to be subversive. But last night -- I thought he was the best! I've never cared about Idol, mostly because I think it's a notch above watching karaoke, but Sanjaya seems to really be growing as a performer. So what if his voice isn't the best? We all know that technology makes that no longer necessary for a successful recording career. Sanjaya had something last night that I saw in none of the other contestants -- star power and charisma. Go Sanjaya! I hope he wins.

"Idol" is now rolling with the Sanjaya phenomenon. Last night, he performed in the final spot. That means the producers know who is bringing in the viewers. They don't care who wins, if "the best singer" wins, or why people are voting -- only that people are watching and voting, or just voting without watching, and advertisers are paying for commercial time. "Idol" is lucky to have Sanjaya because I don't see anyone else on stage that could have generated so much attention.

Count me in as one who is SHOCKED that RS is only 40. I gave up on RS when I was 19 in 1981. Even then it was hopelessly out of touch with my generation -- the youth of that time. Spin and Alternative Press spoke much more to me.

Sounds to me like the LW is opting IN. Into the human race by wanting to make a commitment to her own kin.

I'm a mid-40s "career gal" -- not. I don't care about a career, but I've managed to get to a 6-figure salary without devoting too much time to my work. I decided when I was young that I didn't want to be pregnant and bear a child, and I'm fine with that (never heard that ticking clock, simply didn't have one). I have a great live-in boyfriend who is fine with not having kids, and a fun life, but if I had a sister or brother who had children, I'd definitely want to spend lots of my free time with them all. I'm lucky to have a big extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins and I truly value our "clan" relationships. I can't see anything wrong with this LW's plan, just as long as the parents of the kids are ok with it. Most would probably welcome some free childcare.

What on earth do they mean by "changed the world"? The world of music? The political landscape? Our culture?

"How Soon Is Now" The Smiths -- fab, soaring guitar over emo lyrics. Certainly the Smiths were responsible for bringing more gay men and women out of the closet, and this is one of their signature songs.

"Keep on the Sunny Side", The Carter Family. Their music saw millions through the Great Depression. Without them, there would be no country music, and probably no rock and roll.

The Stone Roses, "I Wanna Be Adored" or "Fools Gold" -- launched a thousand new bands in England in the late '80s/early '90s.

Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" was far more world-changing than "A Hard Rain".

If you're gonna list something by the Cure, surely "Killing an Arab" or "10:15 Saturday Night" changed music more.

Boston's "More Than a Feeling" changed by life when I was 14, but I can't say that it changed the world.

"I Shall Be Released"?

I have gotten so used to AC in the summer that I often forget that I spent most summers of my life -- from age 8 to 28 -- with no AC in Virginia and North Carolina. In 1983 I got my first apartment and it had no AC, but plenty of windows, and was on a second floor so I wasn't afraid to leave them open at night. I bought a trusty little rotating fan and used it all the time for many summers thereafter, and it STILL works great.

My home in NC had two ceiling fans that ran from late June-August. I got used to it, as I had done every year. I worked in an office that froze me to death. Sure there were nights where I longed for a truly cool breeze to pass over me, but there were also evenings spent riding my bike in the neighborhood, waving to others who, like me, looked for their cool air on the front porch rather than in a sealed room. I went to the movies a lot -- it was a great pleasure. I went to minor leage baseball games a few blocks from my home or sat on my front porch and listened for the cheering that signaled a run scored. Evening storms were welcome, even if they didn't cool things down one bit. There was a sensual quality to living with the heat in those years.

I'm older now, and heavier, and I don't take heat so well, but this article reminds me of all the pleasures and irritations of summers long ago.