Voters there are very independent and have played the game a long time. Many would have voted for Obama did not assuming based on the polling he would win and instead went for McCain out of sentimentality and to put an end to Mitt the man with the magic underwear and Barack Obama racks up some endorsements set him up nicely in Nevada and nationally and his "concession speech" was beautiful and briliant. 2008 will mirror 1968 in many ways.Young people will show up to participate and vote not just for the fun stuff and that is the Obama victory, the have not the taint of Viet Nam and are not so cynical as to not believe we can move on.

Good piece Heather and a reminder to me to be grateful for how oblivious I am to so much of what is termed "popular culture", for what seems like years I thought Paris Hilton was a building in France. Maybe it is highly developed spam filters deftly deleting any item not worthy my attention. I choose what it is I will give attention. Maybe it is having had my own some several meltdowns, blow ups,distressing public moments,other people's don't interest me or bring on bad memories. I have been aware of an excess of interest paid these "stories" and find that unfortunate. Alec Baldwin is an interesting actor, his family problems not so much. We are blessed with many striving to master some art or craft or make a difference, I doubt few do so with hopes of some day being the object of vapid gossip. I like those stories and seek them out to give my attention. Thank you

wonder Alex what the odds a Sciencetologigisst or Moonie whatever could ever be elected president, most likely greater than those for a out of the closet atheist sort as Chile elected.Sinclair Lewis nailed it: when facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.

I had a 'relationship' with a Mormon woman, that "magic underwear" can be purdy seductive.

Yes, funny even in the worst of taste can have a power to heal. Maybe it was cause I was the youngest, the stupidist, the Zen visitor, at the service oriented monastery, I was stuck with the Rape liason gig. It was Denver, rape capital of the world and one of the first to have a rape crisis support team. How often did a woman come to the doors of the abbey? how often did I rise to contact the "team" to meet us at the emergency room? Give a ride to some battered and beaten woman, learn the worst sort of horror is not an attack by a stranger but betrayal by one thought a friend, trusted. It is an outrage and violation strikes at all we are, or hope to be. Is there some funny in it I want to see it from those have survived the suffering