T Pol's Comments (574)

“Thank you. Finally, someone standing up for what HuffPo SHOULD be touting.”

“For all the blasting of senseless consumerism that HuffPo does, it features a website touting the top 101 sites for more of the same. Nothing jumped out that was "green" oriented..­.not even solar gadgets. No regional up and comer, mostly big box.

The more things change, the more they stay the same old same old.”

“They can take the medal, but they canNOT take away the recognition. Shirin Ebadi is an amazing woman, a true representative of her state and her religion. I pray for her safety and that of her husband.

I believe I heard her interviewed once and thought, "My G-d, what a courageous person she is. I hope she isn't killed."

Her courage is one of the things to be thankful for.

Rather than petty sniping about our own situations here, please focus on supporting good people triumphing. It is people like her that stand up for the good in the world and against the evil, destructive and oppressive. Find a way to help, whether through a donation to an international cause or supporting the Muslims like her who truly follow their religion by promoting peace and freedom.”

“Headlines used to be used to report the news quickly. This one was used to provoke a reading of the article. Unfortunately, many will not read beyond the headline.

To those trying to make something political out of this and blame Obama, may G-d forgive your twisted souls. Even as you lip-sync your patriotism of "supporting the troops," you ignore the troops' reality for your political agendas.

A large segment of our homeless population are veterans. Where I am, they held a special program to reach out to veterans because they found that many, many veterans were not aware or were not availing themselves of programs designed to help them.

The presidential policy is insensitive to the families of those who have lost loved ones to suicide in times of war. The letters can be different from those lost otherwise in combat, but can still recognize the service of those lost to suicide. Heroes have been known to kill themselves, unable to cope with having been the one to survive. Does suicide undo the valor of signing up, of serving until death?

I think not!”

“Perhaps one needs to consider the demographics of HuffPo's readership.

Sadly, most minorities are not plugged in here. Perhaps more sadly for us and HuffPo than for the minorities. Behind these screens, I'll bet most of the faces are white, with a few dots of color (certainly more than you'll find FOXing it.

We still have a long way to go, but also due to economic realities. If you are struggling to feed a family, are you going to spend a bunch of time on blogs like this? Really?”

“The one thing that is tough for us is concern over letting our kids, now 7 and 9, go back and forth to school or bus, around the neighborhood, etc., given crime in our area.

But I agree about all the other Uber-perfection parenting going on. I participated in a heck of a lot of extra-curricular school activities, and my parents supported me, but I did it is because I loved them, not because the folks pushed.

Mine are choosy about what they will and won't do -- and that's okay, too. I'll push a little if I think it's because they don't want to miss TV or computer time or if they are saying no because of an unhealthy avoidance. But we've found our balance -- their balance -- and they are happy as well as smart, well-read, social, etc.

I see the over-parenting in today's college students. Many colleges coddle them through every step of every life process -- signing an off-campus lease, writing apology notes for setting fire to the neighborhood while drunk, etc. When I was in school, it was "here's your schedule, show up, pay up or flunk out." And they were done.

Self-sufficiency is not made from an overly structured life, but from having the freedom to explore and make one's own choices.”

“I saw Gore speak when he was V.P. The first thing he told us was how to spot him among the hordes of Secret Service people surrounding him.

"I'm the stiff one."

This was wonderful. Thank you, Al, and if you have to go the crazy route, I'll help you plant those trees and tape those toy guns.”

“Hmmm, let me think about this a moment. I think some of you missed that she is a FORMER smoker.

She started at 20. Was addicted for 25 years. That means she quit at 45. She is now 61. That means she quit 16 years ago.

I don't know how old the rest of you are, but in 1968, I would have been 11. Let me tell you what the school assemblies told you back then. "It's never too late to quit. Once you quit, it takes about 10 years for your lungs to recover back to their normal healthy pink state, almost as if you had never smoked at all."

Peter Jennings died of lung cancer at 66. He quit smoking 20 years before, also still in his 40s.

Gee, I guess all that stuff we were told back then in those government underwritten assemblies was, uh, wrong.”

“And these were the people who slammed the Dems about the "cult of celebrity" with Obama. But they wanted their own, too, so they got Palin.

Okay, I'm going to cut the citizenry a break here and stay focused on Palin.

But Palin ran to the tour bus, leaving her fans in the in the rain, whereas Obama stood in the rain with them.

Hopefully, they now understand that difference. But more importantly, for all the cries about how the government can't run anything right, here is a woman who wanted to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency (or just plain in it) who can't run a book signing right.

Rest my case.”

“Good for you. See my reply to the comment above. Same wavelength.”

“That, to me, is short-term. I believe business needs a new paradigm where our economy is not measured by how successful the consumerist exploitation of a religious holiday makes or breaks us our stats and confidence. Not to mention the environmental rape of the planet the manufacture and disposal of many consumable has caused.

This is where American ingenuity, innovation and technology are needed more than ever.”

“Anyone believe Sarah Palin really said this:

"Steve, you know what I really need? Half an hour to go for a run in these beautiful cities we're visiting. Also, seeing my kids does wonders for my soul."

Yeah, me neither.”

“"After the Crisis" the chyron reads at bottom?

Oh, Please. It's not "after" for millions of Americans.

And Warren, I've always respected you, but really? Really?

You guys are so out of touch with what millions of everyday people are facing, it's sickening. And as long as the business world keeps using the same old sticks by which to measure success, we're screwed. For example, the health of our economy is based on how much consumable, worthless crap is purchased to commercialize one religious holiday? People are starting to shift their own at-home paradigms of how they use their money, and the business world better start getting in sync with that, or they are going to in a world of hurt.”

“Two comments:

1. Who cares?
2. Gross.

He looks like a jock who knocks up girls and leaves.

This is what we glorify?”

“I have to agree.”

“I understand your reluctance. I don't know if Wilson was punished at all. But for him to have changed over the years, become truly remorseful, actively sought out the person he wronged and ask forgiveness is one hell of POWERFUL message. I am glad John Lewis accepted it.

An empty show to escape punishment would be unacceptable. I think John Lewis recognized that is not what this was.

We MUST find ways to heal these wrongs. Wilson took that big step...Lew­is took that big step! There is so much anger over the past, rightfully so, but we MUST stop it being passed on to new generations, both black and white. Too many conflicts continue with generations who were never personally involved in acts of 40 to 400 to 4000 years ago.

The message needs to be that we do better to avenge the past by making peace than by making war.”

“While I don't think McCain is on a plane with Wallace, Sarah Palin sure is and McCain picked her. She reveled in the hated she sowed, mugging like Mussolini as it spewed from the crowd.

I give McCain credit for saying, "Whoa," to the hate speech that brewed at his solo meet up, but he didn't reign Sarah in because he wanted so bad to be president.

That type of sell-out is not something we need in a POTUS.”

“Yes, that was why I chose LBJ and Lady Bird. If you know nothing about the background of any of these people, that picture shows a bond, devotion, joy.”

“Johnson, I think, was also unfaithful. At the same time though, my recollection was that he adored Lady Bird. She was his best friend, his best critic. A bizarre dichotomy, I know. Her inner strength carried them both. That picture sure shows that bond.”

“Yes, contract that with Lady Bird's joyous one.”

“Actually, the most tender and joyous one was Johnson and Lady Bird. You can tell from his cheek that a smile is going with his kiss, and she looks absolutely joyous.

If you don't go for "hot" but go for "devotion," their picture does it for me. He was (drumroll, understatement) a difficult man who, I believe, adored Lady Bird as his saving grace. She was devoted to him, but still her own woman in a time when women didn't get to be their own person.

While some dismissed her Make America Beautiful campaign as an Uber Garden Club project, it spawned one of the greatest environmental contributions in this country: the planting of native wildflowers along the highway system, anti-littering efforts, respect for native plants, consciousness about waste....

And always, truly a lady with a sense of humor. I miss her.

Their daughters never got into trouble but didn't come off as sickening goody two-shoes. "Wholesome" might be a good word.

There's a mature love combined with joy in that picture where both faces, not just one, tell that story untainted by what you may or may not know about the two people.”

“If she doesn't use the account, they'll close it and it'll look bad on her credit report.
If she closes it herself, it'll look bad on her credit report.

She will be punished again for being a responsible credit user.

And thanks to Congress' STOOPID bankruptcy law change, credit cards can now use "universal" reasons for upping your rate to a usury level. Matters not if you've been perfect with them...if you are 1 day late paying another, you are BAD.

Banks cutting their own throats, Congress enabling the dumbaholics.

The death of common sense.”

“Well, Shakira, falling into the "I'm pressured to show my boobs" trap?

C'mon. Participating in one of those pressures doesn't advance anyone. Some of the comments on here about helping you reproduce were, um, predictable.

Interesting discussion on the suicide thing, though.”

“Very nice post. Good idea to notify the neighbors about trick or treating for UNICEF as well. One, so change will be handy. Two, some people are, understandably, leery about being asked for money at the door.”

“I would have said "F the legal risk," gotten the kids out, asked them to call their parents, called the cops, ask someone trusted to watch the toddler and sat in the car so she couldn't get in.

When it comes to kids, there would be something else coming out of me that would not be stopped to see that they didn't stay in that car.

I think the other adults do bear some responsibility, but ultimately, it is this woman.

The suggestion to teach kids how to recognize those signs, like saying no to drugs, cigarettes and alcohol, is a good one and may save a life, even if most kids might feel intimidated to do that with an adult. All it would have taken would have been one of them to do it, and perhaps the rest would have followed.

This is a tremendous tragedy for all involved ('though I can't muster sympathy for the drunk mother)...­but mostly for the children. Wish I could hug them all.”