I love the novels by Jane Austen and look forward to the new PBS versions of some of them.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet but these novels written by others using Austen's characters are known as "fan fiction." The difference from the norm, which is online fan fiction, is that these people are actually getting published. The novels that create a new herione, and particularly the ones who travel back in time, to interact with Darcy are sometimes referred to as "Mary Sue fan fiction" and that's not a complimentary phrase.

An excellent response from Cary about life. Thank you!

Like so many contemporary action pictures, it's mostly a series of situations strung together, manufactured occasions for car chases, butt kickings, and florid explosions. (That's not something you could say of the first "Die Hard," a picture with a beaten, bloodied, bitterly funny soul, which may be part of the reason the picture is beloved even by people who claim not to care much for action movies.)

Thanks, Stephanie. That's all I needed to know about this movie. I always hope that the next Die Hard movie will be as good as the first but they never are.

And last night (Wednesday) on Hardball, Chris spent the entire hour on the aftermath of his hour with Coutler. More bang for his buck, I guess. This morning (Thursday) all the 24 hours personality shows were harping about it, but the right wing noise machine had clearly put out their talking points. It was all about how Edwards had used this as a fundraising tool. The "Morning Joe" (Scarbourgh. And what's the deal with him, has he abandonded his night show into Abrams hands?) was ventilating about why aren't the people who complain about being offended by Coulter don't also complain about Maher and Frankin (as if they're of the same ilk). And then he had her on via phone! It was sickening.

Of course, the other big news story was the King interview with the Hilton girl.

It's all crap now. There is no news on TV. The only source of worthwhile information is the internet.

Is English his first language?

That's just plain embarrassing.

Speaking of opinionators, this AM on the Morning Joe show on MSNBC they had Chris Matthews on the phone & at one point he said "Real conservatives never liked this war." Hogwash, we know.

Later, the woman news person tried to start her news brief, which she does (or wants to do) straight, without Joe Scarboroughs' background interference. Her first story was Joe Wilson's reaction to the news...clearly in the background we heard Joe say "liar...scumbag" in reference to Wilson, not the President. I had to turn it off then.

BTW, it goes without saying too often, so I'll say it: Thank you, Glenn, for all all you do to shine the light.

Snow: "He spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to maintain the faith in the jury system, and he did that by keeping intact the conviction and some of the punishments. And at the same time he thought it was important to put together what he thought was a just punishment in this case, which is what he did."

Did any reporter ask the next obvious questions? Will the President be reviewing the sentences of all convicted felons in the US to determine whether their sentences are adequate by his standards? What was it about Scooter Libby that warranted special consideration by the President? Did he review Martha Stewart's sentencing? Paris Hilton? John Doe down at the Federal prison?

The fact that they can say it wasn't political with a straight face doesn't surprise me but neither does it fool anyone who isn't already part of the 28%. Any hopefully it doesn't fool all of them.

Anyway, Cary needs to get help for those mother issues! That was just silly.

I read that paragraph from Cary as complete tongue-in-cheek. It was his sense of humor coming through. I don't know anything about his family background so it may have been humor born of life experience, but it was very funny either way and I suspect that was how he meant it.

Is he dead this time or was he dead that time, or anytime at all?

I think Cary's in a save the world, one kid at a time mode this week.

To the LW, put the girl down and back away slowly. And tell your husband not to discuss his sex life at work. Boundaries are important in life.

Someone wrote: "Notice she didn't actually make any argument for gay marriage."

It all seemed so obvious to me, as maybe it does to her also. Why should one have to make an arguement FOR gay marriage. There is no downside to gay marriage that isn't also a downside to hetero marriage. I can think of a lot of reasons not to get married but none of them have anything to do with the sexual orientation of the parties involved.