You can keep fighting your 1996 battles against those pesky liberals, us progressives will do whatever we can to help wrest this country from the rictus grip of Reagan's legacy.

It's dough.

As for the other issue – Ever hook a sonogram up to an oven just to see what the water, eggs, flour & yeast are up to in there? It's pretty awesome.

Despite the posturing, public education doesn't want teachers with multiple degrees and expectations of moving up. Public education wants fresh college graduates who are full of zeal and energy, will work 18 hours a day for nothing, and will go into debt buying their own classroom supplies. You know who loves heavily credentialed educators? Private schools.

Wow. I didn't expect to get on that particular soapbox.

Regarding the other issue. . . water, eggs, flour and yeast isn't a bun until it comes out of the oven.

As for a real life example – 1986 – My father, who has FOUR masters degrees, including one in special education, and a slew of certifications, lost out on a supervisor's position in a special ed program to a far less qualified black woman. When he went to file a reverse discrimination suit, he was essentially told that it didn't have a snowballs chance in hell because because of who/what he was, and not to bother. He retired because of it, and that was fundamental in my decision not to pursue a career in education.

Progress, forward movement – 'correcting' a social injustice, seemingly the right thing to do, cost the NYC an awesome educator, and I'd like to think what would've been another great one.

… And she was relieved little over a year later.

You're dead on the money about gay marriage and Religion/Science in schools, but as for abortion, you left out the one person who is affected most by the decision. The Child. Don't those who cannot speak for themselves deserve an advocate on their behalf?

And I'm not a 'professional' Pro-Lifer- I've never been to a protest rally or stood outside a clinic anywhere. It's a personal belief. I understand the other side, and do try to respect it.

For the record, my beliefs are based on science, not religion. I don't believe in organized religion.

And I'm not a 'professional' Pro-Lifer- I've never been to a protest rally or stood outside a clinic anywhere. It's a personal belief. I understand

And having gone with 2 friends to get abortions when their boyfriends couldn't/wouldn't be involved (and without my trying to talk them out of it, I might add) I know it's anything *but* a party

I think you're way off base with your previous assertion that millions of women have been made to feel guilty simply because they're housewives/mothers/hetero, etc. We're far more likely to be made to feel guilty because we choose to work or choose not to have children. NOW supports issues such as paid leave for new parents and has championed the idea that "every mother is a working mother" for decades. Get past your mid-nineties Rush view and take a look at reality.

Progress is forward movement. Forward movement is good. When has forward movement been bad?

If America is going to survive, and still *be* America, a balance must be struck. Which is what our elections really are all about. This over-correcting jerk to the left (No, I'm not saying liberals are jerks – thinking it maybe, but not saying it! ) will see a lurch back to the right (probably as early as 2010, enjoy you congressional majority quickly, gang)

America has always been about forward social progress (Slavery>No Slavery>Right to Vote>Civil Rights>President of the US, for example). Never again should we ignore those who would rather hold this country back.

Getting furious at idiots is like getting mad at birds for singing, or rivers for hogging all the water.

But you *did* win, you know. Even if it was a sure thing you didn’t see coming, you should live it up a bit and not worry about the other side, at least for a little bit. I mean, I’m still buzzing about being on the winning side of the Civil War (“USA! USA! USA!”) even if I feel a bit guilty and unworthy now and again.

Anyway, changing directions only slightly: I think – I don’t know, but I suspect – that part of Palin’s surprising appeal and even-more-surprising longevity is that she’s actually made a class of women feel enfranchised who didn’t before. There’s millions of women out there who have been made to feel guilty simply because they’re housewives/mothers/heterosexual etc. I suspect that a lot of these don’t feel particularly well represented by the NOW and other such groups. I think Palen makes them feel better about themselves.

Hoo-boy… I need a vacation from my vacation.