Haha, I betcha if those cheerleaders were both NAKED and FORCED to do it, it'd up attendance to Football games and other sporting events by 200%. What an ingenious idea!

~Em

Couldn'y agree more on that SUV comment, Norm. Keep up the good work!

In February During A Visit To Michigan Kerry Bragged Of Owning Several SUVs, Including Chevy Suburban. "Q. What kind of vehicles does your family drive? A. We have some SUVs. We have a Jeep. We have a couple of Chrysler minivans. We have a PT Cruiser up in Boston. I have an old Dodge 600 that I keep in the Senate. ... We also have a Chevy, a big Suburban."

Does Graner's lawyer have the initials R.L.?

The excerpt and article from Annie Dillard is extracted from a longer work called "The Writing Life". It is a good piece to read if you are considering becoming a writer. It's not apologetic in the least, and gives, as much as I can say, an honest account of the life as a writer--a life that isn't glamorous!. If you are already a writer, really a writer, you'll merely sympathize with the piece.

Well shame on you John Kerry. Many with money seem to think conservation is for others.

I read Dillard's " Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" simply wonderful writing.

I read Dillard's "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek"  simply wonderful writing.

Norm--

I agree with you. When I read her writing, I am reminded of Thoreau's style, which is, for a lack of better words, robust and firm. I imagine Dillard to be a artistic incarnation of Thoreau, who himself was more of a philosopher. If Thoreau was ever to write fiction, I think Dillard's prose would come closest to it. But if you read her other minor works, like "Holy the Firm," you realize she is guilty of certain obscure Transcendental tendencies--tendencies she probably learned from Emerson's essays. But overall, she is one of the few contemporary writers that I consider to be of substantial quality.

"Bad Moves: Partial defense equals support by Julian Baggini." &c

This is a great example of what Derrida exposed in his philosophical works, such as "Grammatology". He deconstructs what he calls binaries, the setting up of an opposition between two supposedly irreconcible things, like mind/body or nature/technology. This tendency has been a trademark of most Western Thought since Descartes, and perhaps even before him.

Derrida's work is especially applicable to American politics. In America, everything is seen in black and white--everything is set up as an irreconcible binary. Thus, argument becomes futile between, say, "left" and "right", because each believes there is no place for negotiation. And if one group concedes to another's view on something, then that group is immediately believed to embrace the opposing stance unconditionally. Can one be conservative with how money is spent, yet be very progessive on social issues such as the environment? Can a Republican support pro-choice? Can a Democrat call for welfare reform? Not in this country. There is little room for moderates anymore.

"Can a Republican support Pro Choice?"

Andrew, this is a wonderful critique of the dilemma that many of us who didn't vote for a presidential candidate last election found themselves in this cycle as well as the last. Where does a pro-life, anti-gay mariage ban ammendment, pro Constitution, Christian who is against the war and is happily willing to be taxed more if it can be shown that those taxes will serve the common good (instead of being flushed down the great government toilet bowl) settle in this last election? I certainly couldn't find a place.

white buffalo,

Yes, America is like a very bad painting that has only primary colors and no shades of color in between!