when I suppose I can be glad not to be able to confront myself of thirty-some years ago.

As the son of two dyed in the wool New Deal Democrats and a Nixon hater from my college days, I find with amazement that the older I become, the more forgiving I become of the man. The first indication of this was happening upon a photo spread of Tricky Dick with his grandkids. The mutual love between him and the kids was just palpable.

The next was a press photo of him at the funeral of his wife. Spread across papers was a photo of a man in the throes of grief. I was personally offended that his private pain was so displayed.

Finally, earlier this year when President Ford died, I let go of my solid belief that the pardon was a mistake.

I still cannot forgive Watergate, Cambodia and a lot of things, but I've become a bit less judgmental.

I'm three years older than you, chronologically, but I suspect much more in terms of maturity.

Now that's the rub, the realization and the ability to learn as the years go by. Do I abhor Nixon's Watergate crap, his disastrous Cambodian excursions and the like? Sure I do. However, do I, now thirty plus years allow it to dominate my political thinking, do I let myself fall into the trap of eternal, personal hatred, stuck in some repetitive loop of masturbatory political self-satisfaction? No.

In short, let it go, dude. Save your rage for the present.

Jeez, are you that overly sensitive?

Sad, really...

I read the whole series of articles in TIME on Kennedy earlier today.

However, first, let me put a preface to my remarks. I am a 58 year old son of dyed in the wool New Deal Democratic parents. I count my political awareness as starting with the 1960 Presidential election. JFK's assassination, occurring in the midst of my 9th grade study hall was the searing historical moment of my then young life, much as Pearl Harbor was to my parents and 9/11 was to my kids.

With that out of the way, let me state that I found most of the Kennedy articles in this issue of TIME had me nodding with agreement, while shaking my head over what might have been.

Except for Talbot's all too easy surrender to the dark side of conspiracy nonsense. Over the years, I have come to believe that there is some insidious American tendency to almost automatically ascribe to complicated and convoluted conspiracy theories that border on Byzantine complexity for any bad thing that happens. It probably dates back to the Lincoln assassination. While Lincoln's death really was the focus of a nasty conspiracy, it does not always follow that every American political killing is.

Too many just cannot grasp that, every now and then, some nutjob gets through all plans and security protocols and scores. So many just cannot wrap their minds around the fact that a "GREAT MAN" can be brought down by a loser, a zero. In short, folks, shit happens. Just because the high and mighty are brought down does not necessarily mean that such requires and equally powerful adverse force. Oft times, it is just plain damn chance, bad luck or happenstance.

Did we lose a lot with the death of JFK? You bet. Should we fixate on it? Hell no.

Despite being 6'4" and 280 lbs., so quite likely to big to fit into any fighter jet, past or present, I would flat out jump at the chance to do this. That is even with an annoying history of labrynthitis and being 58 years old. I would soooo do this.

As a skinny, tall eight year old, I managed to piss off an Air Force pilot while on a Cub Scout field trip to to an AF base near Chicago when I climbed into the seat of his F-100 but found his helmet too small. Taking a quick spin in an F-4 would more than make up for that shit. One in and F-16B would be even better.

Patrick, you are one lucky dude.

Just remember, you can't spell Florida without the "duh."

Now, I say that as one who grew up in Florida, but has lived and voted in Iowa for 30+ years.

In short, for all the "WTF?" of Iowa politics and voting quirks, it pales in comparison to the just flat out surreal that is Florida.

I am an Iowa voter, since 1976.

No, I am not going to be voting for Hillary, come caucus time.

For starters, even with all her smarts and talents, she is flat out unelectable in a nationwide election.

Next, her campaign here in Iowa is really starting to piss me off. While I know that political campaigns and non-profits are exempt, it really irritates me when I get a call on my phone and the caller ID does not display a number nor name. Lately, my 83 year old mother has opted out of regular long distance to go with a phone card, one that also displays no number or name. So, not to miss a potentially important call from her, (remember, she is 83, so all sorts of things could happen)I pretty much have to pick up, only to get some canned, taped screed from Hillary or a live exhortation from some impossibly chipper local campaign kid.

I have a feeling that I am going to be going to my precinct's caucus in a very, very foul mood.

Now that is off my chest, I need to say that I found "Mad Men" to be an extremely honest trip back to the late Fifties/early Sixties of my youth.

Yeah, kids, it really was like that back then, even into the Seventies.

is going to be no picnic, no matter who is the next president.

All one has to do is sit down and seriously read Xenophon's Anabasis and the following review:

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/2007/2007-07-41.html