And, the rest of us? I think Julie was the one with the most courage. Sounds like the rest were either living in denial, running away (because of feeling powerless? hm...) or not able to handle the emotions that hearing our Pres speak evokes _____ Was on an eighty-block walk up Fifth Avenue during the speech and only learned about it after I got home and checked my E-mail. Didn't even realize the State of the Onion was being performed that night. In my opinion, ignoring the government can go either way--as denial or as a healthy reaction to times of mass philistinism and corruption. Depends on the particulars. Caring too much about the louse in the house is also a way to be controlled. Ahab is in cahoots with the White Whale to create a destructive obsession. In denial, Not-self ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html