LizB, Dave Seaton posted a link to a series of videos called The Century of Self. I found a link to another series by the same commentator called The Trap. I came away with the idea that people have woven a cocoon around themselves made of the material and ideological thingys they value most. And a lot are more urban myth and legend in nature than they are based on true facts or history. And with the anonymity of the internet, one can easily lash out at anyone or thing and not feel remorse, guilt or responsibility for their actions simply because no one knows who they are nor can they do much to stop them. In short, the internet is a free-for-all fight club...only the strongest survive...so fair play is an oxymoron in the eyes of the rabble-rousers.

So the real problem today is how to blog at the middle ground where everyone on the playing field are equals, and everyone's thoughts and ideas are discussed, considered and debated civilly without degradation. That's a tall order to fill. It may require everyone to be at the same level before order and civility can be restored. Perhaps we need another slide off towards the abyss to get people to understand it's not about ideology anymore...it's about everybody, so leave your ideology at the doorstep before you enter.

Lis, this is a great line:  We all need to just remember what it's like to be amazed, and to love one another, as we work on, fighting our good fight....together.

We do indeed.  But I think it's harder and harder these days to remain calm.  Those of us who are passionate in our political beliefs are on the edge of panic,  It's as if the ground is splitting under us, we're about to be swallowed up by a Tsunami, and, if we survive that, we're facing a China Syndrome.

If we could just remember the part about fighting the good fight together we might actually get somewhere.

When the things about Billy Joel start to infuriate me, I keep thinking of Randy Newman's description of Long Island as "BillyJoeldom"  and  then listen to Ben Folds' Zak and Sara the unquestionable offspring of Billy Joel's Brenda and Eddie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAVuK5efP4Q

(And, broadly hinting as to Barth's real name, I can assure you that I did not marry anyone named Brenda, nor was the person I did marry all that much like the Brenda at the Italian restaurant.  Our daughter, though, could be Sara without an h---my grandmother was Sara with one---but we named her something else).