Joan,

By and large I agree that it was a very solid performance by all three candidates. I couldn't help thinking that--finally!--the grown-ups were in charge. Not just that the three contenders were respectful and serious, but that NBC's moderators ALLOWED them to be respectful and serious. A breath of fresh air for sure. And, I thought at the time, a fine, fine omen for future coverage.

Silly, silly me! Joan, you may have logic and integrity on your side, but you--even when you're live with him--don't speak NEARLY AS LOUDLY AS CHRIS MATTHEWS!

How many Americans actually watched this two hour policy discussion? How many will know how serious and thoughtful ALL 3 Dems were? Matthews has his bully-pulpit and his unimpeachable opinion that Hillary was already standing at the podium in Denver--and anyone else who disagrees be damned! He's a modern-day John McLoughlin, and he's held up as an ANCHOR for chrissakes!

I adore Olberman, but I can't sit through Matthews' tripe just to hear a scant, few seconds of reason. I anxiously await my morning paper (if my west coast rag even has coverage by then) and the networks and NPR's approach to the topic. Sadly, I fear that even though the debate was anything but more of the same, the story the MSM will tell in the morning will be exactly more of the same.

And I also fear that the voters most in need of a sincere look at the candidates are those least likely to seek out alternative sources. I hope I'm wrong.

I actually used an airfone on a flight in 1991; I was flying home from college to surprise my mom on Thanksgiving. Denver was badly backed up and we weren't allowed to land for some time, resulting in me missing my connecting flight.

I had to let my buddy know that I wouldn't be arriving as scheduled as he would very likely be leaving within the hour to pick me up at my destination in Spokane.

Saved a lot of hassle, to be sure. Plus, it was 1991, and I was so much younger then--I was thrilled to have an excuse. Crazy, but it was just like talking on the phone!

without question, one of your best stips EVER! thank you, berkeley.

happy new year everyone!

In this week of steroids news I was so proud to see the promise of a drug free line-up of picks; I felt safe as I clicked the link to page two.

And then—BAM! So shocked and saddened was I to read that you’d been drinking all morning (or perhaps all day and night? Don’t think I missed that this column posted last night!). King, you must know that alcohol is a drug just like any other. And while you may feel like it’s helping your writing, it’s really just hurting it (but, man was this column great!)

I mean, really: booze has never played an important role in the lives of any successful writers. Put the glass down King. Tequila and Bailey’s have no business with one another.

Now TAB—that’s a different story.

I do the vast majority of cooking in our house. My wife doesn't hate it or suck at it; she just doesn't love it; I do.

We don't often have Thanksgiving at our home, but when we do I do pretty much all of the cooking. And with considerable less vehemence I totally get what TrinSF is saying about control and creating a whole food experience. Totally.

This year I finally managed to cook several dishes ahead of time (rather than just the pies), so that come Thanksgiving day all I had to do was stuff the bird, put it in the oven and chill for a few hours before mashing the pre-boiled potatoes and making the gravy.

But what made this year exceptional from a stereotypically male point of view was the DVR. Not only did I get to start the game at noon when my die-hard Packer fan, best friend arrived with a full-night's sleep under our belts(we're in the PST zone)--I never missed a play, and I never missed kitchen duty.

All the prep and the digital cable left my wife free to invent new cocktails for herself and our friends (although true to chromosomes, me and my buddy drank beer). Everyone wins!

BTW, I sure hope to hell that Anonymous "wymyn" writer's post is supposed to be satire. Oh, God/Goddess, PLEASE let it be tongue in cheek! Because if not...come ON... They haven't perfected cloning yet, and as such you owe 50% of your existence to a--you might want to sit down right about now--to a MAN! Hard to believe, I know, since you so fully embody both the feminine and the masculine (NOT); but the truth hurts. Chill.

Jazztao is laughing aloud and greatly appreciates this blog-post! Thanks, Farhad.

Elbuzzard has it right, King. The name of the team is the Washington REDSKINS. Your protest is understandable, but your choice of means makes for clumsy writing--VERY unlike you. At the very least you could refer to the nearest Washington PLAYER, rather than the "nearest Washington". You could refer to Dallas as Dallas throughout to give your labels some balance (besides, the cowboy mystique isn't all sunshine and roses; I'm quite certain it wouldn't even be a team moniker if it weren't for the Wyatt Earps and Doc Holidays of the old west).

Better yet you could parenthetically insert some snide comment about your refusal to utter the name. Although, I don't recall you referring to the baseball Indians simply as "Cleveland" all year long. Why the double standard? (yes I know you said Cleveland should drop it, but you nonetheless referred to the team by its name)