The untimely death of Tim Russert reminds us that life is so fragile. Let this also remind us that right now our country and our world are just as fragile. Let us wake up from this state of apathy.

Valerie, 1) It’s their blog. 2) It’s not about them, but what coincides with most of the public’s interests. 3) The entire nation is in shock and mourning about the untimely death of one of its greatest journalists, a great father, and a great human being. 4) There is no ball and chain attached from you to any of the threads. If you aren’t interested, don’t read. 5) The comments here are by posters, not the Founders. 6) Joan Juliet Buck is a fantastically interesting, talented and accomplished journalist who most of us admire for being the editor-in-chief of French Vogue, an editor for British Vogue, and also for The Observer, and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since for two decades. That is an outstanding, quality career by anyone’s standards. Perhaps delve into why you are so resentful of women of excellence instead of being more interested in learning from them.

I have never posted anything on this site before, however, your comment prompted me to do so. The founders who knew Tim Russert certainly have every right to express their sympathy, as do I. While I didn’t know him personally, he was a guest in my home every Sunday. Mr. Russert’s death didn’t happen to the founders or to me, but to everyone who admired and respected him. The bottom line is we all lost one of the “good guys” way too soon.

VN - we’re guests in their Glamorous Virtual Salon, and I feel privileged to be here. If they don’t make a profit in the short run, and if we’re as obnoxious as quite a few of us have appeared to be at times (and I’m right up there on the doofus list, as you may know), we might find ourselves without wowowow, or a wowowow owned by Rupert Murdoch. Tell us about yourself. Now, here’s something I’d like to have your reaction to Val, and I’m hoping to hear from several others as well. Mugsy? <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> What would Tim want us to be doing to honor his life’s work and mission? He was a graduate of my alma mater law school — Cleveland Marshall College of Law / Cleveland State University — no doubt its most famous alumnus. I think he might be pleased if the wow0wow family (dysfunctional at times, but what family isn’t?) began to have serious, substantive discussions about the kinds of issues he often covered on his network broadcasts. One topic which I’d like to have this website weigh in on is a measure that the U.S. could adopt which would instantaneously reduce its dependence on imported oil in a very big way, and which only one of our presidents was brave enough to champion. He’s still the most courageous living former president and I don’t think I have to be more specific than that. Why not immediately lower speed limits nation wide to 50 miles per hour? Trucking companies are already imposing lower limits on their drivers, and this is something that is a no-brainer as I see it. Of course it could be political suicide for either McCain or Obama to support it during the campaign, so it won’t be mentioned if our candidates can possibly avoid it. But I think it’s time to begin a conversation that would pave the way for Congress and the next president to push for it in the first 100 days of the new administration. Comments anyone? I think I know how Tim Russert would pursue this if he were still with us. Aloha O`e, ‘Big Guy’. You are, and will be missed.