What bugs me is that it really doesn't matter if Al-Qaida, the Taliban, the Muslim Brotherhood or any of these guys http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Islamist_groups are 'viable' or organized. The fatwas are pre-issued and like-minded killers can easily find each other and work together. When they do the death toll will be the same. Sure, attack the organizations - but even if you convince yourself that Al-Whichever is defunct, your job protecting the US isn't over. Which means that our government should be extra cautious on 9/11. Only an utter idiot would be surprised to find the US under attack by Islamists on that date.

Absolutely right.

Accidentally flagged you. I apologize.

Justice Wiggins - as far as I can tell from this column - said exactly nothing about paternity. He DID say that refusing to put a lesbian 'spouse' on a birth certificate amounted to prejudice. Perhaps. Gay marriage is legal in Iowa. Just a sneaking suspicion here but probably a lot of states end up making birth certificates with no father named. Sometimes women don't know who the father is, sometimes they don't want him involved with the baby. Frankly, a baby probably has a more secure future with two female parents than a single mother. I'm really not seeing a downside to putting a lesbian partner/spouse/whatever on the birth certificate (assuming the father isn't available) as it is a legal document defining who is responsible for the kid. Again, this isn't to say that gay marriage is equal to regular marriage with regard to raising children. But it's gotta be better than NO marriage.

I think you're missing the point; the ambassadors represent America, a country, not Obama, a president.

Sad, as the 3/5ths thing was to their advantage since that number was added to their owner's representation and thus their clout to keep slavery legal.

Funny thing about shame; it comes from inside - that is to say that when we don't feel shame for something shameful it is because we hide from it. We distract ourselves. Teens are free to not feel shame when they see the posters. Assuming it's nothing to be ashamed of. But if it is something to be ashamed of that has nothing to do with Bloomberg or the posters. You also can't blame a mirror for calling you fat.

I think what Michael is saying is that they are trying to move as a congregation and a recognized church - to either belong to another organization or to be recognized as their own organization. In a sense they are a part of the Presbyterian™ chain of churches and want to either find another chain to affiliate with or turn themselves into a franchise.

I think the pictures that run with the columns come from some kind of web service that uses a computer program to match pictures to column content. Or maybe it's a person. Either way, the determination seems to be that one priest pic is the same as any other.

Legacy. Presidents crave a great legacy - some more than others (some MUCH, MUCH more). I reckon Carter figured he was the smartest man in the room, a strong Democrat trait though it is not unknown among Republicans, and thought he'd fix something. Add to that the There's Two Sides to Every Story Doctrine of Equivalency and you end up with the idea that rabid dogs can be 'peace partners'. Carter STILL thinks he's the smartest man in the room.