Oh, thank you for this piece. It reminds me of, well something or other I can almost remember. I think it begins maybe with an 's' or maybe an 'e.'

I spent I kid you not 45 minutes today trying to recall the name "Rudolph Valentino." You know, the sheik of Araby in 20s films and all that. (People that immediately know who Rudolph Valentino is but could never come up with his name if asked, as opposed to people who need references to identify him, are by definition probably over 45.)

If you are wired you can google your way out of this kind of conundrum if you can think of enough connotations and possible linkages, which you almost certainly can if you are old enough, but in the meantime, you still have the ability to casually throw off words like "accretion" and "eschatology" without thinking about them while posting on-line, and everyone thinks you are weird.

Kids these days, I tell ya.

Someday, my young padawans, understand you will. And end all your sentences with verbs you will. It is a great dodge while you for the word you want search, at a minimum.

Fret not, Garrison. It took me ten minutes to come up with "wry." Thanks for the smile. Thanks for all the smiles, while I'm at it.

just said a mouthful. Thank you very much. This struck a chord with me because my son, who has never walked (unless you call walking while braced up to his armpits walking) a day in his 18-year life, having been born with spina bifida, is only this year eligible for SSI. I do not make a lot of money. Very funny about Rush Limbaugh. He's a dope. (It did not take me too long to come up with that.)

Concerning short memory loss and disability, please leave that alone, or we will paying the last President for every word he failed to come up with when the moment demanded clear and inspiring words, for a demanding publicn.

Now one could say, and several have, that we ought to file a class action lawsuit against George Bush, for his failure to speak or think in a coherent manner, those being requirements of the job. So you see you might be on the wrong side of this argument, legally, and find yourself named a defendant, accused of failing to deliver on the obligation your profession demands.

So please, if you need anything call me, we'll keep it between ourselves. I have a Thesaurus.

I read an article somewhere in which the former vice-lizard, Dickie -Boy Cheny, made the astonishing statement that GWB was a "great reader who had easily read hundreds of books during his tenure in the white House." I laughed so hard my ribs hurt for days! The man couldn't use a simple declarative sentence at gunpoint, can't say the word nuclear, and is clearly dumber than a box of rocks, is now a "great reader"? Please! Don't make me holler!

Don't forget a number of people who probably do deserve disability benefits and aren't getting them. The system is set up to dissuade people with minimal resources from jumping through the necessary hoops. But I digress. The only thing I miss about delivering pizza is Prarie Home Companion on Saturday nights. Well there was a really good Sunday night music show on the local radio station, but for some reason I preferred working Saturday nights to Sundays. I think because it was busier and I made more money. But I'm off-track again. Just wanted to say I appreciate your way with words. You could be saying things that I found reprehensible and I would still appreciate the sounds and/or the writing. Don't stop now, I hear they plan to cut disability benefits soon anyways.

one of your best. As an instructor of horticulture (which some can be lead to, but won't think, said Dorothy), and a garden writer, I find English slipping away but I suspect the botanical Latin will be with me always, as I grow more crispate and rugose. Hoping these age-related afflictions can get me one of those disability thingies, too.

You knocked it out of the park this time, big guy! Lovely concinnity.

Sir I do enjoy your columns.

I was sorry to hear you lost a brother. I lost one some years ago so I can relate very much. Time really does heal the pain. It turns out the old folks were right about that, too.

Now about Slow, I mean Rush, I think it is a shame when people place mentally challenged people at the forefront of their arguements,It is abuse of the less abled for the Republicans to use him like that. The Republicans should be ashamed of themselves. Even a first year med-student can see Rush is crazy. The first line of defense for all crazy people is that "everybody else is crazy-not me". Rush is obviously still using. One of the first things taught in treatment programs is "tolerance" for the opinions of others. If he didn't get that I doubt if he got anything else.

Reading Keillor’s snide remarks about disability benefits for Montgomery County police, I couldn’t help but think about my own husband’s disability benefits from the Veteran’s Administration.

My spouse had always dreamed of making the military his career so when, after fourteen years of service, he was forced into involuntary medical retirement because of a chronic illness, it was heartbreaking for him. He believed he still had a lot to give to the military — a lot to give to his country. The Navy felt otherwise and he was retired with 50% level disability benefits. The theory is that, even though he may have been able to find other work that would pay well (and he was), he’d never again be fit for military duty. The disability benefits are intended to compensate him for that loss — the loss of his future military career. They’re also compensation for the career sacrifices he made by having chosen the military over a more lucrative position in the private sector.

I suppose some people think our military people and police officers don’t deserve these very good disability benefits. Are they forgetting the sacrifices those people make? They put themselves in harm’s way to keep the rest of us safe and, considering what they have to deal with on a daily basis, they don’t get paid anything near what their work is worth. Providing generous disability benefits is the least we can do for them.

I usually like Garrison Keillor’s point of view, but he’s pissed me off this time.

When Garrison Keillor has a bad day at work, it might mean he can’t think of a clever phrase or that one of his essays has been harshly criticized by someone whose opinion he values.

When a cop or a military person has a bad day at work, it might mean they’ve taken a bullet to the gut.

You tell me who deserves the better disability benefits.