I don’t worry about his age, but my 70-year-old mother and my 74-year-old father both do!! Oddly, I worry that Senator Obama is exactly my own age, and I think, how could people my age be ready to run the country? (time for me to have a reality check, maybe?) But when it comes down to it, I’m one of those rare voters these days who decides on the issues, and it’s on that basis that I won’t vote for McCain—my respect and admiration for him aside.

Frannie Pleas reread my comment; I said this site IS one of civility, which is why I was disappointed to see Ann Coulter’s writing featured. I believe that suggests the whole reason I come here is for the civility that’s lacking in other places. She didn’t just comment like others, it was placed boldly on the “front page,” which seems to suggest the site was lending support to the tone she uses and has often boldly declared to be purposefully uncivil. I don’t know what you read in my comment that you considered uncivil about her; I made no comments about her, simply said her tone is not appropriate for what my understanding is of the goals of this site. I think you may have misread in a moment of pique.

I don’t believe anyone is suggesting taking away her right to say what she wants, how she wants. But prominently featuring her reply goes against what I thought this site stood for: a civil, thoughtful exchange of ideas. And as far as I can tell, from TV and bookstores, Ms. Coulter’s rights are intact! I’m unhappy to see her and her hateful tone appearing in a featured spot in a place I thought was designed to rise above that.

Amen to taking off the shoes!! I once had a neighbor, much like Mr. Heckles on Friends, who lived in the apartment below me and complained that I “clomped around in [my] big ol’ shoes.” How wrong she was! Perhaps my bare feet are capable of clomping as well… But it was nice to be able to just open the door a little wider and show her my shoeless feet and the empty pairs by the door.

I find that I’ve become even better at ignoring intrusions than I used to be! Can’t decide if that’s good or bad. Should I feel guilty for turning off the phone when I’m reading and later realizing a friend was truly in need and had to settle for leaving a frantic message? What we shouldn’t forget—we do still get to make choices (though it does troulbe me to consider how hard marketing folks, et. al., are trying to make their “wares” so ubiquitous and integrated that we become less and less able—or less and less aware of the need—to choose)