Mollie, this has nothing to do with the piece, but I wanted to tell you that I am a convert to LCMS, and that the lovely and gracious Mrs.  L, who converted me, grew up in Immanuel.   ( A piece of yours on another site mentioned your connection.)  We were married there of course, but have been back only for the funerals of her parents.

I'm humbled and gratified by the responses.    Thanks to all.     Indaba, thanks, but I don't need money.    I'm happily retired and spending my children's inheritances.

Paules and Butters nailed it.  Lotteries prey on the poor, uneducated among us.    What is most objectionable to me is that their advertising suggests that success in life is mostly a matter of chance.    You really don't have to work, postpone consumption, and make other sensible choices.

James, James, James!!    You just don't get it.   Motives and intent are what matter, not results.    Surely future potential bombers after marinating in the juices of a low-carbon, low-reckless economy will come to see the light.    Besides, doing all of these good things will make me feel better about myself, which is, after all, the most important thing.

I appreciate the comments.   I could have been clearer in saying that once people saw *their* taxes go  up a huge amount, they would pay more attention to how tax money is spent.    I really don't think Reps, or anyone else, will try this, however it might work.

BTW,  another ploy might be to hand everyone a bill for his/her share of the national debt on reaching 18 years of age.   Give them 10 years to pay it off.

The GOP is the stupid party.   The idea, folks, is to increase the number of your voters, not decrease it.   Too many Republicans want ideological purity on every issue.    RR's dictum that someone who is with me 85% of the time is an ally, not an enemy, needs to be resurrected.

I was three years behind James DePriest at Penn.   He was very well-regarded as a musician and student back then.   I hadn't heard much of him since.

Mollie, love your stuff, and find your  innocence and trust charming.   You said that Awlaki would have been easily convicted.   Why, then, are Major Hassan and KSM still alive?    Hassan killed 13 (?) soldiers/dependents in plain view of how many witnesses?    And we're now to the point where we're fighting about whether he can keep his beard?

Our journey is not complete until we don't have to listen to crap like this.

Bingo!!   The past couple of days have shown us the same problem, passing $50 B, largely in pork,  for relief to Sandy victims, some as far away as Alaska.   Republicans are pathetic.  Sandy relief wipes out a year of Obama's increased revenue from tax increases.

Have a nice day.

Raise the price, I'd be happy to pay more.    Make the increase more valuable by putting more stuff, especially podcasts, behind the wall.     I'll be in trouble if you fold.   I listen to your podcasts (and a few others) when I take my walks, which, according to one of my many doctors, is the only reason I'm still mobile.

Am I the only member who has to enter his email and PW to get podcasts?   And if not, am I the only member who wonders why one must go through this every time?

To Robert Mitchell, on "that there . . . "    You might be right, but it would be "them there . . .  ."   

Prayers on the way.

I applaud the decision to limit the podcast to members.   I don't object to the opening plea from Rob Long, either.    I don't think I've ever heard Peter Robinson laugh as heartily as he did in this episode, and he is certainly a hearty laugher.   

I have always taken Professor Yoo's advice, not least because I grew up in Upper Darby.    But on the latest podcast he gushed over the Zen mysteries.   I spent 34 hours one Sunday evening watching a single episode of this dreadful mess, hoping against hope that something sensible would happen.   I will continue to follow his work so long as he stays away from entertainment.