Phil Ochs and Joan Baez.

Good question, Sheila, what should the Smiths do with the remaining zygotes? They can afford to raise at least one more child, and Mrs. Smith sounds human enough to be a good mother. She’d better do it soon, though, while she still has the energy and flexibility. The rest of the zygotes would certainly be welcomed by couples who want children and can’t conceive. I guess the adoptive parents wouldn’t know it officially, but their children come to them from a background of enough money for good health of their natural parents. Mrs. Smith might be queasy about that resolution for the rest of her life. That’s okay.

The primary season worked out well for women, if not specifically for Hillary. Her persistence “for the women” paid off. The wrong female candidate did pave the way for the right one, whoever she turns out to be.

Does my opinion of Bill affect my opinion of Hillary? Of course not. And you gotta be kidding, asking us this as though you actually expect us to judge a woman by her husband’s behavior. The problem is, some women do judge themselves by their own husbands’ behavior, and then blame their husbands for it, and expect that of other women. Whatever mistakes Hillary has made, she didn’t make that one, or at least not in public. I resent Mugsy’s finger-wagging lecture about how the rest of us ought to express ourselves here. Bill and Hillary voluntarily entered the court of public opinion, and aren’t likely to read this little bit of it anyway.

How much wine do I drink daily? None. Strange question. I drink alcohol very rarely. Hmm, now that I rarely go out, make that never. Don’t like the taste of any alcohol. Don’t understand the benefit of being less alert to my surroundings, but it must be pretty powerful. It’s probably a good assist to seduction, right?

Do I still think about the ‘one that got away’? Oh my God yes. We were a couple in our teens, fifty years ago. I googled him six years ago, and now we email. We live across the country, with the results of our different life choices. He said it more elegantly than I could have: “Maybe, we could imagine, if we’d had the chance we could have been lifelong sweethearts. Now that is a fantasy.” We both know it’s a fantasy. Neither of us would be willing to change our lives enough to be together, and if we were together, we’d drive each other batty within days. But he’s the smartest man I’ve ever known… ever… and I love his mind. And over time, we’ve gotten to feel comfortable and safe with each other, and I love his spirit. He has neurological challenges - can’t always be mentally present with me, and from what he says, can’t always be physically present with people who live around him. Loving him from a distance is difficult; I don’t know whether I’d be strong enough to love him face to face. This way is pretty close to perfect for me, except that every day he continues, mostly unintentionally, to get away.

Candice nailed it. She always does. Also: Your outfit has to match, you can’t just pick any old blouse and skirt. Don’t say damn at school. Your clothing has to look new. Don’t contradict men in public. Don’t have sex before you get married. Don’t make waves. Hide your feet, they’re ugly.

Thank you, Sheila. I’m sorry you had to live through that, and you described it beautifully. I felt your pain. If it helps, I’ve had better weekends too. Someone drove his white king cab pickup truck onto my front yard and across two big cactus patches. Then he sat in his truck and laughed for a while. Didn’t seem sure of his name or phone number. I have several kinds of cactus scattered all over my front yard. It’s heavy, and it’s prickly, and it’s Phoenix summer out there, and I have heart failure. So I’ve been clearing away cactus bit by tiny bit. The weather is gorgeous, if hot, and it’s good exercise. And yesterday was my birthday. And the beat goes on.

Monday is my birthday; I’ll be 63. That, and the rest of the weekend, will be ordinary/pleasant. Prod my compost piles with a pitchfork, pull weeds or hoe them or spray them. Write email to friends and relatives from teens through nineties. Enjoy the unusually cool weather. Star, I’m getting tired of Phoenix too, and I miss NYC. But I’m so dug in here!

We know by now what the frequent posters are going to say, regardless of the specific topic. We know who’s conservative and who’s liberal, who’s “for” whom, who insults and who praises, who hopes for flattery or respect or sympathy. It’s gotten shrill here, with the multitude of topics providing fewer insights than rehashes of personality. It’s run by opportunistic founders, distant contributors and queen bee posters. None of which is necessarily a bad thing, and some posts make some others worthwhile. I’m sure this’ll shake down into organized, moderated topic boards eventually, so it feels less scattered. I hope Ted Kennedy has as long and robust a life as he wants. He’s done a lot of good. I don’t think he murdered Mary Jo.

Thank you, Emcye! What a beautiful list, and long needed. We, in the USA, of our generation, have been acculturated not to trust women with power. Looking around a lot closer to home, Candice, I wish you wanted a second career in politics!

No, of course it isn’t rude to google someone. Google exists to (make money and) provide information. As Pamela said, the Internet is public space. There’s some stuff up there with my name and my handles that I’d prefer weren’t there, and that’s true for all of us, and this is the real world. I google for old friends, and find some, and occasionally I google new acquaintances. This rush, in the last few pages, of people here googling each other just because they found out they can, strikes me less as rude than as evidence that some people have too much time on their hands. :)

Oh, thank you, Allegra! I just added “World’s Greatest Marches” to my list for my next music binge.

Thank you, Liz. I’ve been crying - sobbing - for Ted Kennedy all day. I had no idea my reaction for him would be so intense. Well, I’m listening to opera and letting go of someone in my own life, but still.

For about four years, I wasn’t able to read print on paper. Before that, it was always a few books at once, and voraciously. Now, I’ve somewhat lost the habit. I usually have a book going, and a between-books book. I’m reading “Musicophilia” by Oliver Sacks, and between it and the next heavy nonfiction, I’ll read a bit more of “Ozark Trilogy” by Suzette Haden Elgin.