Wednesday, July 12, 2000, 1 p.m. EDT

Vic Sussman By Reginald Pearman, Jr./ washingtonpost.com

What works?

What doesn't?

What stinks?

What zings?

Welcome to Love It, Hate It, Rate It! An hour or more of reader-generated rooting, ranting and raving about things, events and people--good, bad and indifferent. Whether you're a cynic or Little Mary Sunshine incarnate, this is your chance to ask questions, make rash statements, believe three impossible things before breakfast and tickle your keyboard as you pick at the social fabric.

Tell the world, such as it is, who's great or merely grating. Pin a label on it: Heaven or Hype? What's in, what's out, what's phat or just goes splat?

Your host is Live Online's Executive Producer, Vic Sussman, who emits an unearthly blue light from his forehead when annoyed.

Sussman has a long background in broadcasting and print journalism. The author of three nonfiction books, he was previously the Personal Tech columnist for The Washington Post Magazine, Book World's audio book reviewer, and a senior editor specializing in cyberspace at U.S.News & World Report. Sussman's interests veer wildly from the vagaries of computer-mediated communication to the skeptical subculture, weight lifting, and magic as a performance art. He is not a minion of Satan, but negotiations continue.

You may read past sessions of LIHIRI in Vic's archives.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. Note also, that washingtonpost.com has placed cookies in your computer that provide detailed information about your sexual appetites, your financial dealings and your relationship with small animals. This information will not be sold but we will consider sharing it with your family and co-workers.

Vic Sussman:

Oh no!

OOOoooooo! That sounded like sarcasm! Could it be?

Well, yes. I have been accused of being rude, insensitive, callous and indifferent to the feelings of others. My staff says this all the time, but I don't pay attention to them. As for readers of LIHIRI, I've accused them of the same intolerance. Lord knows they zap me every chance they get. I would be hurt by this, but obviously, I'll subject myself to anything for page views. Tell your friends.

The point is, if you're new here, bubla, is that LIHIRI is a Web show for a relatively tough-minded audience. The regulars here, a misbegotten crew if ever there was one, see this show as a blood sport. They diss and dish and deprecate at will. If this bothers you, you have several options:

1. Write to our Executive Editor, complaining bitterly that we've been mean to you. Tell him you want your pixels refunded. Enclose a self-addressed-stamped envelope because he won't front the postage.

2. Write to Ms. Manners. On white paper in blue ink. She is too polite to tell you to go to hell, but you'll be better for the experience.

3. Become as quirky as the rest of the crowd here; get into the spirit of LIHIRI and let your inner child act like a twit.

4. Click your mouse to visit any of the billion other Web pages out there. Don't let the cybernetic door hit you on the bum on the way out.

OOOooooooo!

We are testy today, probably because we (the Royal We) are expecting a lot of nattering posts today about the Monday appearance of Vice President Gore. Wait. Did we only send him marshmallow questions? Did we give him a soapbox to spout his views? Did we go out to dinner with the veep and get to ride in his car and look into his sock drawer?

And who knows? This could all be just too deep for you assorted Muggles, Mugwumps, Mudbloods, Morlocks (the Eloi tubing in Rock Creek) and Miscreants on a Wednesday afternoon. Whatever. It's your turn, as is your wont every week at this time (I get paid to be here; what's your excuse?) to rant, root and rave about....whatever.

LIHIRI is here until The Washington Post Company decides it would rather use its precious bits and bytes for grander things. Like selling you stuff or putting a correspondent on the mean streets of some war-torn city. Then we're outta here, babe, sucked back into the Silly Putty that passes for eternity. But until then or whenever my producer gets hungry for lunch or has to go potty, LIHIRI is all yours. Almost.

And now, as always on Wednesday afternoons,

Let the games begin!

Boston: Hi Vic,

Just a question for whoever can answer it:

I've heard Derek Jeter referred to more than once as Derek Sanderson Jeter. Ok, so the first time I thought it was just an odd coincidence, but now I'm really wondering. Is Jeter named after Derek Sanderson? Ok, so if you don't know who Sanderson is, he used to play with Bobby Orr & is one of the few B's alumni with a Stanley Cup ring.

Just curious.

Vic Sussman:
Damn! This is one of those questions that keeps me awake night after night. Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat, the sheets wrapped around me in a strangle-hold. My mind reels on nights like this. Derek! Jeter! Sanderson! The names tumble through my mind in a horrible Burroughsesque collage. Sometimes I wake up and think I'm a cockroach named Derek! Or Jeter!

The horror! The horror!

What was the question?

Bethesda, MD: Love It - That there's a new Harry Potter book out, even if it's hard to lay hands on a copy.

Hate It - That Scholastic decided to Americanize the book for spelling, word usage, and English objects that aren't known here (e.g., substituting English muffins for crumpets). Also sickened by the reports that Hollywood is still trying to Americanize the movie in the hopes that it will sell better. Didn't American kids buy millions of copies of the books despite their resolute Englishness? I'm also having nightmares of Harry Potter Happy Meals and other assorted merchandization. It was nice to see footage of the Harry Potter parties for the book premiere where not a single child wore a plastic Harry Potter mask. Instead, they had to rely on their imagination and creative skills.

Rate It - A 10 to J.K.Rowling for continuing to turn out a great product for kids (and adults).

Vic Sussman:
There are plenty of Harry Potter IV books around. Check Toys R Us and Costo (Note to Ever Vigilant Executive Editor: This is not a product placement nor an endorsement but a public service message, though I admit to having a crush on J.K. Rowling). As for the impending Harry Potter movie, expect trouble. As any child will tell you, reading the Potter saga has created the real Harry in every child's mind. Doesn't matter who Hollywood casts to the play the role of Harry. Doesn't matter how the boy sounds or looks or whether he's a wonderful actor. Every child already has locked in their respective minds' eye a clear picture of the redoubtable Harry. So do I, for that matter.

Of course, as an adult (play along with me), I'm used to seeing books dramatized and bowlderized by Hollywood. But children are pickier and closer to reality. My own eight-year-old son, now one-quarter of the way through the third Harry Potter book, has already expressed disdain for whatever the movie producers come up with as the film version of Harry Potter. My kid is dying to see the special effects bring the magic to life, but he already knows he's going to be disappointed by the movie.

Let's rejoice about this. It means that millions of children hooked on Harry Potter and the love of reading, understand that imagination is more powerful than anything grown-ups can throw up on a television or movie screen.

Say what you will about the Harry Potter phenomenon, J.K. Rowling (now the third wealthiest woman in England) has performed the world's greatest magic trick by getting kids ecstatic about reading.

trauma nurse: Submitted early to be at the pool again all day...

LI: Our neighbors invited our five year old to a week of evening vacation bible school. Five days of freedom in the evening! No babysitter! Dinner out with my husband! Two hours browsing in Barnes and Noble! It's the little things that give so much pleasure.
Have a spiffy week, Vic!

Vic Sussman: Hello Trauma Nurse! Let me dig this: The kid is in "vacation Bible school" while you're off browsing the stacks at B&N, having lavish dinners with hubby and doing Other Things that adults do when they're kid-free? There's a moral lesson here somewhere, but it escapes me at the moment. And you're probably underwater at this point, so you couldn't care less. Life in the fast lane.

SciFiGirl: Okay, I have a complete rant today. Why why why why does Hollywood take beloved children's books and turn them into dross? I can trace my hatred of the Disney corporation exactly. When I was in fourth grade they made a film of one of my favorite books, "The Rescuers." The book was dark and adventurous, complete with a daring prison escape worth of Dumas. The movie, however, was a horrid piece of crap that retained only the names of the main characters and nothing else. It was at that moment I became cynical and suspicious of all that came from Hollywood, especially Disney (otherwise known as the Agents of Satan). And now they (not Disney, but Hollywood) are taking Harry Potter, a charming, quirky and deeply loved series of books and they are going to RUIN it! I weep for the kids who look forward to this movie with great anticipation who will have their images of these characters shattered by a movie that will butcher the plot and spirit of these wonderful books. The movie will be plagued with script problems, JK Rowling will lose any say she had over anything, and the marketing machine will grind into overdrive and the corporate suits will smugly line their pockets with the dollars of kids who have to have all the latest gadgets.

Grr. (And don't start on me about how they hyped the books since that's a different topic -- and at least it was the book and not an apocryphal crappy movie made by Chris "Kids can never be too cute" Columbus.)

Vic Sussman: Well, as I said above, SciFiGirl, I'm with you on this one. But I think a lot of modern kids are right with us too, not fooled by the Hollywood machine. I have this memory of my two older children who finally got to see the movie version of "The Wizard of Oz" after reading, with me, all of the 15 Oz books.

The movie rolled and the first thing out of my then six or seven year old daughter's mouth was a shocked and very indignant, "That's NOT Dororthy!" Judy Garland not Dorothy? Of course not. My children had all the characters locked in their heads. And neither of them finished watching the movie or cared one way or the other.

So there is hope, SciFiGirl. For some kids, anyway.

Disgruntled Mugwump: So where is your quote of the day from?

Vic Sussman: The quote of the day, for Macophiles and others is "Scientists are peeping toms at the keyhole of eternity." The source is Arthur Koestler.

Pax River, MD: HIHIHI: TV news. Could they be any less stupid and still be able to breath? In case you didn't hear, down here on the Navy base we had a plane crash and two of the Navy's best pilots were killed. So naturally the TV media send their satellite trucks down to harass the base. The base doesn't give out the pilots' names until their families are notified. So the TV morons start calling random numbers on the base looking for a comment. Have a little respect out there. Thanks for letting me rant Vic.

Vic Sussman: Whoa. I am truly one with you on this issue. TV journalists (an oxymoron at best) are incredibly callous in these situations, much more so, in my experience, than print reporters. TV types are infamous for shoving microphones into the tear-stained faces of relatives and asking questions like, "So tell us how you feel about the axe murder of your child?"

Kill your television.

dc: Love the Editor's note.

Vic Sussman: I have no idea how that got in there. We are going to remove it as soon as we figure out how HTML works.

Princeton, NJ: LI: Rats are taking over NY

Vic Sussman: Two-legged or four-legged?

DC: Love the font changes, etc. and am totally envious, BUT the very small gray font is difficult for me to read. Any chance (okay, any reasonable chance) that it could get larger or more black?

washingtonpost.com: Hit reload, folks.

Vic Sussman: See? That's what you get when you have a world-class staff. Underpaid, but world-class.

Heaven: Hi, It's me, Clara Peller, the "Where's the Beef" lady.
I'm still dead in case anyone's looking for me.

Vic Sussman: Clara, please leave your phone number with our receptionist. We'll get back to you if we have a job opening.

Hartford, CT: I was glad to see Gore answered some substantive questions in the politics discussion this week. Maybe your live online staff can still learn a few things. Like how to be a journalist, not an infotainment flak.

Vic Sussman: The first of the Gore rants. As for Bush, believe me, he has been asked to be a Live Online guest. Getting pols to come online to answer questions isn't the easiest thing in the world. You may not have noticed, but politicians aren't keen about answering the public's direct questions, even in a relatively safe environment like this one.

Lexington Park, MD: LI: Vic finally found someone to talk music and it was a very entertaining discussion! Go Vic!

HI: Well, there's this girl I like and I asked her out and she said my chances were one in a million...So you're telling me there's a chance!?!

RI: Al Gore's discussion 6/10 Seemed to answer a few harder questions.

1/10 The Editor's warning at the beginning of all discussions now. It could have been much more sarcastic and cynical.

Vic Sussman: We hope David Segal had a good time and will return as a regular. We'll be talking to him later this week.

Princeton, NJ: The four legged rats, silly. In the current topic of Hollywood, I can see it now- "Norweigan Rats of the Upper West Side"- they live in a spacious rent controlled apartment and frequent a java cafe to rant about their daily lives.

Vic Sussman: Soon to be a major motion picture.

Annapolis, MD: I just have to say Vic, you are a precious gem. I absolutely adore your twisted sense of humor and your incredible talent for deflating pompous gasbags. Your new disclaimer is absolutely adorable and reminds me of the disclaimer at the beginning of the movie Dogma. I just saw it last night and it was (if you'll pardon the pun) divine.

But Anyway, just wanted to thank you for being you. You make my Wednesday brighter.

washingtonpost.com: Feel the love.

Vic Sussman: Can anybody see you blushing in cyberspace?

Thank you for the nice words. Even for saying my sense of humor was "twisted." I've always seen myself as your basic socially conservative, tightly-wrapped guy, proud to be an American, Gods-fearing (not God-fearing, but fearing the entire pantheon)and just an all-round sweet, passive soul with a big gun collection and a fast car.

Twisted? Moi?

Alex: LI: reading! I am a 30 y.oi woman and I am now reading, simultaneously, Harry Potter and a collection of Stephen J. Gould essyas! I love books!

HI: rude people of all shapes and sizes, gratuitously jerky people, including opposing counsel in a case I am involved in--hey pal, you do not need to be a jerk to me to win or to be a good lawyer. In fact, it makes you a bad one.

RI: polite people and those who practice (sorry for the trite phrase) random acts of kindness: +1000

RI: Super Vic S: +10000 thanks for doing this show.

Vic Sussman: Tell me how you read books simultaneously. One eye on one book, the other eye on the other book? Don't you get headaches? Woo-woo.

Arlington, VA: HI: The fact that Catholics in Northern Ireland have to either get out of the country or stay in doors for most of July and much of August--and particularly today, July 12, because the Orangemen want to march with giant drums and dummy fluters (not enough people know how to play the flute, so they have a bunch of men/boys marching along pretending to play the flute!) through Catholic neighborhoods and intimidate them, and the British are two wimpy and narrow-minded to resolve this thing once and for all.

LI: That I live in America where, with all of it's problems, truly is the land of the free, and that my husband no longer has to feel oppressed simply because he is a Catholic.

RI: Life in Northern Ireland when you can forget about all of that crap and enjoy the province's many positive attributes: 10/10.

Vic Sussman: The breadth of this strange little Web show never fails to amaze me...but there it is.

riverside: Hi. sorry for the early post, but wasn't sure if I would be around for your wonderful on line discussion. This is something, though I felt needed to be told. It seems some Washington Republicans are quietly trying to pass a resolution dissolving the governments of the tribes. If the tribes don't go along with it, they want to send in the military. I read the article in the Sunday edition of our local paper, but haven't seen anything about it since. This is important, and figured the best way to put the word out about this abomination is through a wonderful format such as yours. I had to read the article 3 times before I could actually believe that they would do this in this day and age! comments? questions?

Vic Sussman: First of all, never apologize for an early post. I'm flattered that you took the time to jump in early. Second, I'm going to ask my crack readers to comment on this. There's always somebody here who actually knows more than I do. Hard to believe, but there it is. What's the story on this story, folks?

Ichinseki, Japan (with roots in Texas): Konnichi-wa Vic-san, one of your international (up til now) lurkers here. I have a LIHIRI and a question for you:

LI That Japan feels safe enough even for a lone woman to go on ten-day cycling tours without feeling like I'm asking for something horrible to happen;

HI that all those CDs that everyone has been talking about for the last couple weeks cost TWICE as much here as in the US;

RI summer cycling trips in the Hokkaido "wilderness" 10/10 AND you don't have to pack your own food, because this being Japan, there is a convenience store conveniently situated every 30km or so.

Question: The time difference being what it is, it's a day later for me than y'all when you do your ch--er--discussions. Since I have internet access at work, this means I can't get to the Friday discussions, and last week not only Carolyn's, but also Marty Gallagher's were on Friday! Oh no! And Mighty Marty's archives are THREE months behind! WAHHHH! Can you tell me how to access those discussions? Or would it possible for y'all to keep the archives UP TO DATE?!

Arigatou!

Vic Sussman: Wow. Crack LOL producers please take note: You are now being dissed from Japan for your archival sins! Actually, in their defense, Texas-san, I have to say that keeping the archives up to date is a major issue with us. But it's sort of like dancing as fast as you can on a moving floor. The more LOL shows we do, the more archiving we face. There's an elegance to this, but I hate to dissect it.

We'll try to get Marty's archives up to date. Actually, I have to or he'll purposely let me get caught under a bench press the next time we work out. You ain't experienced a twisted sense of humor until you've dealt with Marty.

re: Riverside: I'm skeptical of internet postings about governmental legislation? Do you have a bill number? Sponsoring Congressman?

You could post on the internet that the Democrats were proposing the suspension of the election on-line and someone would believe it.

Please provide specifics before you post anything.

Vic Sussman: The ball is the other court...

Alex: No, silly. I take breaks from the SJ Gould to refresh my brain with doses of Harry! No headaches involved!

(and you ARE a precious gem. if you had to pick one, Vic, which gem would you be?)

Vic Sussman: Moonstone.

No contest.

washingtonpost.com: Actually, Marty's archives are up to date now. You can view them at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/fitness/gallagher.htm.

EraserheadGuy, DC: RI: On my CD player, Jethro Tull's "Benefit": 7. Getting psyched for Tull's appearance at Wolf Trap at the end of the month. Could be the last time to see Ian Anderson playing his flute and wearing his codpiece. I HOPE he still wears his codpiece. This looks like a question for...David Segal!

LI: Codpieces. I think they should be the next big fashion craze. The world would be a much better place if everyone wore codpieces all the time. And fezzes, too. A fez and a codpiece for every man, woman and child.

HI: According to a story in the Post's Food section, someone is going to try to market pre-wrapped slices of peanut butter for people who just can't be bothered with spreading it from a jar. Someday when aliens are sifting through the rubble of planet Earth, trying to decipher how its inhabitants destroyed themselves, they will come across an important clue: the wrapper from a package of pre-wrapped peanut butter slices.

Vic Sussman: A codpiece and a fez. EraserheadGuy, you are a man of the moment. (When we figure out exactly which moment that is, we'll have Clara Peller get back to you.)

Philly, PA: yaay! start a war with the tribal councils.. we can all do with native american warriors running around and scalping Republicans in Congress!!

LI: wacko posts like these.

HI: people who actually believe everything they read...

RI: scalping: 10/10.. boosts the fortunes of Sy Sperling and the hair club for men overnight!

Vic Sussman: Just change the name from "Redskins" to something else non-racist and let us get on with our lives.

WDC: What is your take on the Hockey Rage incident up in Massachusetts? Is society getting more violent or is this an isolated incident of machismo/testosterone/saving face gone bad? Will the man be charged with manslaughter or murder? How can we as a society bring back civility?

Vic Sussman: The "is society getting more violent" question comes up every time something like this happens. My response is: Oh please. Let's read a bit about, say, the Middle Ages or even 19th century life in New York. The good old days were profoundly violent and brutal. No child labor laws, no due process, no public health measures. I think life is considerably less violent than even 50 years ago. But, as Dennis Miller says, that's just me.

As for this hockey incident, it demonstrates that some people take watching games a teensy bit too seriously.

CD's: Ok, today's selection:

Rushmore soundtrack - for once a Who song that ISN'T off Who's Next.

Vulgar Boatmen - You and Your Sister. Greatest pop-rock band ever to come out of the US, bar none.

Best of Sly and the Family Stone

Count Basie - Complete Decca Singles.

Sorry these cost so much overseas...have you considered stealing the music on Napster?

Vic Sussman: I'm sitting here listening to "Jazz for When You're Alone," a compilation from 32 Jazz. Eleven tracks, almost 75 minutes of mellow, classic jazz. Red Garland, Donald Burd, Sonny Stitt, Phil Woods.

Right. I'm not alone. You're all out there. I can hear you breathing.

Arlington, VA: <nitpick>
Actually, Dennis Miller says "but that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
</nitpick>

Vic Sussman: I have his book of rants. He says what you said he says, but he also says, on occasion, "That's just me." Trust me. I'm a professional journalist and would never lie to you. Unless I got a raise.

Arl: So if the Tribal leaders wear codpieces, what will the rats have in their CD players?

Vic Sussman: Spoken like a true LIHIRI reader.

riverside: I have to agree with Pax River. I have to deal with the press in my job, and they can be PUSHY (and I am being nice). Being a receptionist, I am usually the first person they call, and can't get past. I have been threatened, bribed and cajoled. I am ten times more stubborn than any reporter!

Vic Sussman: Being a reporter means one has to be assertive and certainly, on occasion, aggressive enough to get the story and beat the competition. But I've never liked the idea of being so devoted a reporter that I had to sacrifice good taste and balance in pursuit of a story. Or that I had to run over the feelings of people in pain, the relatives of murder victims, for example. Ambulance chasing never appealed to me. And I wouldn't want to be a TV newshound for any amount of money. Talk about shoveling useless info to the public!

Wheaton, MD: Hey Vic,
Up here in Wheaton (also known as Chevy Chase Adjacent) we don't need no stinkin' codpieces. So there! And we don't like the fez idea, either. But we would request that everyone in the area frequent our wonderful ethnic restaurants. Free parking and short waits... who needs Bethesda?

Vic Sussman: I don't remember your name, but the fez is familiar.

out there: re: mellow jazz. That's spelled Donald Byrd, not Burd. I know you're typing as fast as you can, but I can't bear to have you flip Byrd the Burd.

Vic Sussman: GAck! You're right. But if you saw the tiny little print on the CD box next to my keyboard, you'd understand the typo. And the ink is blue against a photo. Give me a break...

TV!!!!: Kill your television, people!

The only way CBS will stop infesting the airwaves with pre-fab, degrading Survivor crap is to NOT WATCH!!!

Vic Sussman: I have been living without a TV since about March. Aside from missing the chance to watch a movie on DVD from time to time, life without the tube has been quite pleasant. I don't miss it.

Okay, so now I'm going to get posts from people telling me that I've cut myself off from popular culture, news and the rest of the world. Sorry. I have the Web. Who needs the Idiot's Lantern?

riverside: I think philly has some racial issues. I wouldn't have posted this problem if I didn't think it wasn't true. also, eraserhead guy, any idea when jethro tull is coming to Los Angeles? I have seen all the biggies -- Clapton, Stones, Young, The Animals, Rory Gallagher, and can die happy if I can see Tull

Vic Sussman: What the hell is this, a message service? Now I have LIHIRI cronies using me as a go-between. Is this what happens when you become a Web star?

Capitol Hill: Hate it!! I think my longtime companion,"Bud", has fallen in love with the guy that I've got the hots for. I'd have sent this to Carolyn Hax, but she tends to shy away from issues involving homosexuals.
What's an old queen to do?!?!?
"Reva"

Vic Sussman: Some day your prince will come.

blast from the past: I'm responding to your first poster's question about Derek Jeter.

While I don't know where Jeter got his name, the mention of Derek Sanderson got me thinking about names from when I grew up in the early 1970's: Orr, Espo, Bucyk, Marcotte, Cheevers, etc. Ah, for the glory days of Boston sports!

Vic Sussman: Thank God. I'll sleep tonight.

Arlington, VA: HI: Companies that collect information on your kids but participate in online privacy protection programs and swear they won't sell it to 3rd parties, then turn around and auction their databases to the highest bidder.

Self-regulation. Gotta love it.

But government regulation will hamper e-commerce. In the meantime, see if I buy anything from a TRUSTe member company ever again. No doubt that'll help e-commerce.

(ref. yesterday's WashPost business section, among other sources)

Vic Sussman: Hey, no kidding: If you have a specific complaint you can document, please alert the FTC. They are trying, at least, to deal with issues of fraud. But I agree with you about having the gov't keep its heavy hands off the Web. Finding that balance of regulation that performs a public service without impeding progress is devilishly difficult. I'm totally libertarian on these issues until it's my money that's been stolen.

Kill Yer TV: As John Waters once said, it is an ugly piece of furniture and give off a hideous light.

Vic Sussman: Love it.

Silver Spring, MD: LI: The Williams sisters winning at Wimbledon.
HI:When some sportscasters refuse to acknowledge the mental strengths of black athletes when they win and only refer to their physical strength.

Vic Sussman: Yes, and they are a credit to their race, they are very articulate, have a great sense of rhythm and are natural athletes.

Did I miss any?

Hey Riverside: so, your post about Republican legislation was based on your BELIEF that it was true?

So, you can accuse legislators of proposing racist and militaristic legislation even if really have no idea whether it's true or not.

Nothing better than letting your own innate political prejudices cloud your judgement.

Who cares if something is true, as long as you can display your sensitivity...

Vic Sussman: Take THAT, Riverside!

Arlington, VA: HI: Saw "The Patriot" last weekend and saw a preview for...."Charlie's Angels: The Movie".

I hate people who talk during movies, but I have to admit that at that point, I turned to my companion and said, very loudly, "kill me now." I do apologize to those seated next to me, but I was clearly provoked. Really, the only other possible reaction was "there is no god."

Vic Sussman: I don't think talking during a preview is a capital offense. I have gagged during some previews, so I feel your pain. And your popcorn.

FC, VA: LIHI
"Big Brother" It is kind of interesting to watch but very predictable. Also, they cut out all the good stuff so you have to read it online.

Vic Sussman: "They cut out the good stuff."

You just described most commercial TV.

another quote: Otto from Repo Man: "This is intense"

Harry Dean Stanton: "Ordinary people, I hate them"

Vic Sussman: Now, now. The Harry Dean Stanton quote, which I have alluded to here many times, has another word in there that you either edited, so as not to offend our family audience and our Executive Editor, or you forget the actual line. The missing word is the most used word by my staff, a consequence of low pay and high stress. May God forgive them all.

tv-less: Vic,
I'll go you one better, I've sans the idiot box for three+ years. Don't miss it a bit. The internet provides the immediate information and the newspaper (yes, people do still read the dead-tree version) provides the in-depth, focused information. My advice, dump the thing in the nearest rubbish bin.

LI: Life without TV; fireflies
HI: Cheesy popular culture perpetuated by the tube
RI: Today, lovely

Vic Sussman: Okay, the non-TV folks are starting to weigh in. Who has gone the longest with no television? (What is this? A new party game or the world's worst pick-up line?)

chapel hill, NC: is it true that Marty Gallagher went to Northwestern Sr. High in Hyattsville?

I missed him at the reunion.

Vic Sussman: I don't think so. But I doubt that Marty would show up at a reunion because stuff like that, seeing all the former high school big shots now reduced to tubs of lard, makes Gallagher laugh too hard. Trust me on this.

Annandale Bob: HI: My pet gerbil (and a very talented rodent is he!) escaped, smelled the cookie you left in my computer, and is now munching away! What should I do? And am I banned from LIHIRI from now on?

Truly perplexed....

Vic Sussman: I don't want to hear any gerbil stories. The last one got me into a lot of trouble.

Ashburn, VA: Is anyone else upset at automated credit card receipts that print your name, the entire credit card number, as well as the expiration date, ??

Prior to some Y2K updates, most receipts would only display the last 4 digits of the number, with the previous numbers X'd out, now the full number is displayed.

While I'm not that paranoid, this does open some avenues for credit card fraud. Armed with this information, someone can look up your address in the phone book, then using the phone or the Web, order what he or she likes !!

Frankly, I'm surprised more people aren't up in arms about it !!

Vic Sussman: Oh, face it: Your life is up for sale, he said, ever so cynically.

Harry Dean Stanton: I know the full quote...just edited it before the Post people could.

I blame society.

Vic Sussman: To the uninitiated: Rent "Repo Man" to get the full quote. ("Repo Man" is the equivalent of a patron saint for LIHIRI. The movie stands for all we believe in.)

DC - still not a state: So, what's up with the new disclaimer? Is there a good story behind its origin? Is it here to stay?

Vic Sussman: The new disclaimer (sans my addition) is indeed new for LOL. It's an attempt to forestall any confusion about how these discussions work. Guests get to choose the questions they answer. "Meet the Press" we're not and don't pretend to be. We bring guests and a Web audience together. If a given guest choose to answer only squishy questions, so be it. You, dear reader, won't be fooled. You'll see the evidence of waffling right on your screen. But the disclaimer at least says right up front that the software works a certain way and that what you're seeing is a moderated discussion, not a free-for-all.

Fairfax VA: Speaking of big gun collections, I spent a week back home in the Midwest and an old pal of mine let me cut loose with his war trophy German M42 machine gun. Wahoo! Totally illegal, of course, since he never bothered to inform our beloved gubbermint what was in that foot locker he had shipped back from Europe in 1946. Also got to rip off a few hundred rounds with his MP-40 machine pistol and Sturmgewehr 44 (the first ASSAULT RIFLE). Rate it: 20 out of 10!

Vic Sussman: Happiness is a warm gun.

Lexington Park, MD: Vic, I thought "Dumb and Dumber" was the official LIHIRI movie. It seems to fit....

Vic Sussman: OOooooo. You're so mean. I'm going to sulk.

Jazz: If you had an all time fave, who would it be?

Vic Sussman: Gene Ammons. No, wait. Lionel Hampton. No, maybe Sonny Rollins. Um, wait a second.... I'll get back to you.

MangoWoman: Love it: The Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong CD I bought because of the chat last week. It's WONDERFUL! Yay! Thank you!!!!!!

This is turning out to be the day where we all hold a mutual admiration party, and all clap Vic and his producers (not infotainment flaks, but new media pioneers) on the back for a job well done.

washingtonpost.com: Go ahead, but please be gentle.

Vic Sussman: Yeah, but this has a downside for me. I went out to find another copy of Eddie Daniels' CD "The Five Seasons" and couldn't find it anywhere. I recommended last week. Tower told me they had just sold the last copy. Could I have that much clout in the marketplace? I'm impressed or deluded, not sure which.

Arlington, VA: Ashburn, repeat after me: "I am not liable for unauthorized charges on my credit card as long as I report them within 60 days." If they want to be stupid and open themselves up to fraud, that's their problem. I don't lose sleep over it.

Vic Sussman: Thank you for the consumer advisory.

Arlington, Va.: It's been a long time since T.R. Reid was available for reader questions about London.

How about putting him on the schedule? Thanks.

Vic Sussman: We haven't forgotten him. Thanks for the reminder, though. T.R. is fast and funny online, as in print.

tv-less-lesser-lessest: TV-Less. 1976, newlyweds, the picture tube blew out. My husband and I appointed each other to call the repairman, neither of us did. After 3 days, we no longer noticed the TV didn't work, went w/out TV for the next year. Have used TV on-and-off since, currently have been w/out for a year. So I claim TV-Less as early as 1976. (I was in 6th-7th grade when I noticed I could just listen to tv w/out actually having to be in the same room with it; does that count?!)

Vic Sussman: I once had a very hip photographer friend who kept his TV on 24 hours a day--with the sound off. He claimed it was an art object. Of course, he was stoned most of the time, so that could have had something to do with it.

herndon, va: Also Jazz: Duke, Louis, Dizzy, Miles - let me get back to you!!!

Vic Sussman: Right. You can't stop after naming just one. Did I mention Monk?

you suck: yaaawn

Vic Sussman: Thanks for dropping by. Give my regards to your momma.

Washington DC: LI-commuting to work by bike and metro....look at the herd on I-66

HI-Moronic tourists who attempt to jump the doors on metro, leave the kid behind, stop the train in the tunnel -9:05 am and cause the train to be downed, all of us to be off loaded and me to be 1/2 hr late.

RI 3/10 the rest of the passengers on the car 3 points for being nice and reacting (not NYC) when the lady started screaming like a stuck pig, lost the other 7 points for not pushing her out of the train so we could all get to work.

2nd RI 1/10 for Emily Matewell's Love Life articles, only one a month? What happened to the old discussion lists?

Vic Sussman: Leaving the kid behind on the Metro! You gotta love this city...

Salinas, Monterey County, CA: Hi! It's me, formerly of Alexandria...

LI: Office clothing = nice shirt, slacks, no hose if I'm wearing a skirt...

HI: Nada.

RI: The weather today? 70ish, ZERO humidity!

Vic Sussman: You're in Monterey and I'm not and you have to rub it in. Now who's twisted?

Alexandria, VA: HI: The hot dog vendors (the offerings, not the people) in DC. After traveling to Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver, these cities have hot dog vendors with grills, and assortment of sausages, brat's, etc. They also have 10+ condiments (neatly chopped and arranged) varieties allowing the customers to add what they want. DC vendors have the same hot dogs or half smokes boiled, no condiments- just boring. What would it take for whatever monopoly that controls the weiner industry to get an ounce of imagination?

Vic Sussman: Weiner rage. You read it here first.

Raleigh, NC: LI: According to Time magazine, Berkeley, California, police will reward drivers they catch being courteous (no road rage) with coupons for latte, excellent use of psychology and positive reinforcement.

Vic Sussman: So they are going to turn on their sirens and flashing lights and pull people over for random acts of courtesy? Do I laugh at this or just retch?

Jazz: Don't forget Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, Bud Powell, and Charlie Mingus.

Vic Sussman: I mentioned Stephane Grappelli last week, right?

Arlington, VA: Re: Annandale and the credit card info...
No, Other Arlington, the store isn't opening ITSELF up to fraud, it's leaving YOUR account open for use by others. You're right that you're not liable for unauthorized charges, but what if some jerk goes out and runs your card up to the credit limit? Then you can't use the thing until the whole mess is resolved. And it usually DOESN'T get resolved quickly.

Solution: the stupid stores should stop printing our info on the receipts.

Vic Sussman: Yes, complain, complain and complain some more. The stores will change their policies if enough consumers raise hell.

now is it me...: Or does Burger King's sponsorship of Chicken Run seem a little inappropriate?

Vic Sussman: Appropriately ironic. I love this country.

Automatic for the People: In the CD Player:

REM: Green
REM: Life's Rich Pageant
REM: Document
Jimmies Chicken Shack: Bring Your Own Stereo
Run Lola Run Soundtrack

Vic Sussman: I just added a new Moby CD to my changer, but forgot the title. Weird kind of gospel-like selections on that. Not what I expected.

Cubicle Gal: LI: The new DC bill concerning insurance companies covering contraceptives. Come on people, you can cover Viagra but you can't cover the pill?

HI: My firm is based out of state as is this insurance meaning I still have to pay full price for my medically necessary pill.

Such is life in the big city.

Vic Sussman: Yeah, I don't get this. They cover a pill that helps guys get, um, active, but they won't help women protect themselves against such, ah, activity. Is it possible, and stay with me here, just possible, that some stupid middleaged guy wrote this policy? A guy with his head where the sun don't shine? Or am I just being cynical again?

Georgia: I am sending in my question WAAYYY early. I just wanted to make sure that Al Gore won't be the only presidential candidate to be on Live Online. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed his program. I just want to make sure Dubya has a chance to Live Online, too.

Thanks

Vic Sussman: The invitation to the Bush camp has been extended many times. Maybe now that the veep has been our guest, Bush will follow.

Los Angeles: Vic, Just tuned in to David Segal's music talk and loved him. Keep him, keep him! Will he be a regular? Finally a fun discussion about all things music and with trivia! I'm easy to please...

Vic Sussman: I'll be talking to David later this week and will extend the invitation. Glad you enjoyed yourself, which is the point of all we attempt to do, right?

chapel hill, NC: Well, their putting Marvelous Marty up on the wall of fame at Northwestern. Someone better tell him.

Vic Sussman: So maybe he did go there. I lift weights with the guy and don't delve into his nefarious past. I'll e-mail him with the news of his elevation. He will be thrilled. Yeah. Right.

Alexandria, VA: What's the deal with Tom Shales? Today's review of Young Americans (a tv show I would never have considered seeing anyway) starts off calling it the nastiest floater in the bowl of the WB, moves on to how the cast is "attractive enough," then decides how maybe it's ok, and finally it's "a whole float of dreamboats." By the time he gets to "girls and boys running toward each other and stripping their clothes off as they do," I'd swear he was typing with one hand. Very disturbing.

Vic Sussman: Um.
Quoted without comment.

Washington, D.C.: Thanks for letting Marc Fisher have a regular spot on Live On-Line.

I am really enjoying both his written columns and his on-line discussions.

Vic Sussman: We're happy to have Marc online. He's very comfortable in this medium, not something we say about every writer.

Salinas, CA: TV LESS: 1975-1996; Now from June 2000 - ?

Vic Sussman: Are you bragging or complaining?

Arlington, VA: This is a new one, I bet. Contraception Rant. The Catholic church trying put a "conscience clause" in the D.C. contraception bill. Denying women access to insurance for birth control coverage. The Catholic churches use their non profit status to take over smaller hospitals and refuse birth control, family planning sterilization and euthanasia among other things. The church refused to endorse the use of condoms in the 80's at look how much good THAT has done for the AIDS crisis.

LI: Going to see Roger Waters this weekend.

RI: Santa Fe wrap from Giant for lunch 0/10. Disgusting.

Vic Sussman: Contraception rant is one of those issues sure to draw a few responses. Like, blow out our servers, folks. We're ready for you.

Philly, PA: Quick question re: washingtonpost.com: Sometimes I log on at 7am from work and I notice they're still putting up articles, etc.. When do the tech gurus usually finish putting up all the articles/links/etc?

LI: Great weather.. nary a 90 degree day in sight..
HI: Getting my butt whupped yesterday in a fierce game of racquetball.. but LI: got a good workout nontheless...
RI: This chat 10/10: good for at least 5.6 chuckles each wednesday.

Vic Sussman: The Web team here is 24/7, like the news. It just doesn't stop.

Capitol Hill: LI: That MISS Ross is sulking somewhere with her tail between her legs.
HI: that I was unable to see Mary Wilson's face when the news of the cancelled "Reunion" tour broke.
Sorry for the folks who Did buy tickets, but elated that that Diva Cow got what she deserved. Ha Ha Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, Miss Ross!! Reach out and touch THIS !!!

Vic Sussman: Nice to see that on some occasions, greed is indeed punished.

somewhere in cubicle hell, dc: The Moby CD is called Play. It's in my changer, too. Outstanding work--and I am not a big fan of techno.

Vic Sussman: Yeah, it's a bit like listening to gospel, a bit like delving into New Age. Not as hard-driving as I like (PropellerHeads, for example, great music to lift weights by), but still worth the price.

MangoWoman: That's so great that you've got Moby in your car. I actually bought a ton of his stuff from Amazon last week (at the same time as I bought Fitzgerald/Armstrong). Since all my new tunes arrived, I've shed a tear every morning when my commute is over. Also in my car is the new Steely Dan, Tom Petty's Wildflowers and his first solo album (sorry my brain just froze), and some early Depeche Mode. I got your eclectic right here, babe...

Vic Sussman: Yes, I go from Moby to that Eddie Daniels jazz riff on Vivaldi to the tracks from "Run Lola Run." Life can be worth living. One track at a time.

herndon, va: Mr. S: Some meanderings on "urban pressure" - returning to the DC area, from a great vacation, I am struck, again, by the number of aggressive, frenzied, and just plain lousy drivers I see every day. I wonder if there's some exponential factor - for x percent more drivers on the road, there's an xx percent increase in bad driving. While in Bend, Oregon, a vacationeer's Mecca, population 50,000, I saw a letter in the local paper complaining about how much worse traffic - and drivers' attitudes - had become. Portland, which is fairly bucolic compared to here, has increasing traffic problems. As for this area - maybe if you're from Boston or New York, this isn't bad. The solution, other than summary executions of the worst drivers, escapes me. I need another vacation!

Vic Sussman: Well, see--let's get the cops to pull over both the courteous and the discourteous drivers. Then we'll pull the half-blind, the too-old-to-walk-much-less-drive-or-see-over-the-damned-wheel crowd and the drunks off the road. That leaves you and me. And I'm worried about you.

Helena, MT: LI: Where can I apply to be Bob Levey's successor? He's got the best job at the Post! Half the year his column's about raising funds for summer camp and the other half it's about doing the same for Children's hospital. I can do both from here.

Vic Sussman: Well, since "Bob Levey" is, as I constantly point out, not a real person but a committee of writers appointed by the Washington Post, there can be no successor. I suppose the actor from Central Casting, that big guy with the impossible head of steel-grey hair, will eventually retire, so maybe that job will open.

You don't believe me, right? Well, send e-mail to leveyb@washpost.com and ask for the True Story about Bob Levey. The Post has been covering this up for years.

Falls Church, VA: Hi Vic,
hi OK, I have to put in my two cents worth about tourists and metro. After a long 8 or 10 hour day, I drag my poor, tired self to the metro for the hour plus ride home. All I want is to sit back, relax, maybe doze a little or read my paper. Then, you hit Smithsonian and all hell breaks loose. I admit that total silence would be great but not realistic but, do they have to talk (yell) at each other about what they saw, what they bought, and what they had for lunch in voices so loud it would wake the dead? Do they talk this way at home? And, isn't it common courtesy that you allow someone to get off before you try and get on, not stand there shoulder to shoulder looking at you with those big tourist eyes wondering why you don't get out of the way? Am I being just another cranky commuter?

Vic Sussman: They ain't got subways where they come from.

(Now I'm going to hear about my classist stance and my supposed anti-rural bad attitude. Sigh.)

Princeton, NJ: I have the nasty feeling that the male-majority of legislators think that women who use contraception are upper middle class and can afford it and those women who need it and can't afford it don't want to use it. And they have Depo-Vera injections covered already, so they're not going to give the Pill much priority because they think it's not necessary to have a choice in contraception. It's take it or leave it legislation.

Vic Sussman: It's a Guy Thing. You wouldn't understand.

I never thought I'd get to use this, DC: For the wiener rage person, the DC Health regulations tightly control what one is able to sell off of the carts in DC and don't allow for grill and other such stuff. There is a burrito cart on K st and 15th that somehow gets around it. Perhaps after being the subject of a Wall Street Journal article on the city trying to shut it down it got K St. lobbyists.
LI: living in DC
HI: working in Vienna, VA no place to go during lunch just to walk around without using a car
RI: 2/10 for highbrows that try demeaning the Harry Potter thing because they don't see it as great literature (see WSJ editorial yesterday) I've never read the books but if it gets kids excited about reading, its alright by me.

Vic Sussman: When weiners are outlawed, only outlaws will have weiners. Or something like that. Hold the mustard.

WDC(ish): In re insurance covering contraceptives....If I read the fine print of my insurance policy carefully (and find that they don't cover eye exams, which I need after reading all the fine print) I find that in terms of out-of-pocket costs, it costs about 5 dollars to be pregnant and have a baby on the insurance plan, but about 300 dollars a year to prevent that self-same occurrence.
I'll save my opinion (of the #%-$&%- HMO bastards) for another day.

Vic Sussman: As Dick Gregory once said of life insurance, "They are betting you're going to live and you're betting them that you're going to die."

Bethesda, MD: Hi! I have been a loyal reader of the Washington Post for most of my life. With the creation of the website, it made it easier for me to incorporate my daily reading with my coffee, bagel and getting ready for work. All that said, I've been dismayed lately by the timeliness of the comics site. In the past, you could expect the site to be updated around 8:00 am every morning--definitely a part of my daily dose. Then, it started to slip. Some days weren't updated until the afternoon. In fact, the past two weeks have been especially bad: you really can't expect the page to updated until noon. (Today is no exception) I know that the site is maintained by outside vendor (UClick, if I'm correct) and thus, it's not something that actively you can control onsite. But I do know that they, UClick, have some responsibilities as a customer to the Washington Post and should be held accountable to some standards. Am I suffering from Comics Rage? Is it unreasonable to expect my daily dose of comics to be ready during my everything bagel and Cafe Americano in the morning? What would Zonker say to all this?

Vic Sussman: Posted and noted (by the responsible parties, I hope).

Washington DC: LI: No Al Gore complaints yet, ... or maybe they have been edited for content?

Vic Sussman: No. Really. Do you think I actually edit this stuff? BwaHahaha! We're just not getting the Gore rants I expected. Gee, maybe people just don't care that much...?

deecee kewb: HI-- that some folks think that a church-owned hospital should be forced to pay for something it deems immoral. First Amendment applies in all directions, kiddies.
Disclaimer -- I am Catholic, but I disagree with the church's stand on BC. I do think, however, that it has the right to take --and abide by -- its stand.

Vic Sussman: But let's see, at the risk of sounding anti-Catholic, which I'm not, that same church is free of paying taxes. Is this a non-sequiter? Mine or the government's?

CoolGuy: Moby Rules!! (And I've liked him for 6 years now, wayyyy before this current craze) For more Moby, try his early stuff, under the name Voodoo Child!

Vic Sussman: I have another Moby CD, the name of which escapes me. I also like Fat Boy Slim, the earlier CDs more than his latest.

Norfolk, VA: Okay, Hollywood movie problems today make me think of a rant - Why can't Walt Disney re-release the Song of the South - an amazing movie from my youth - late 60's, early 70's? They claim it's been pulled because of racial claims - there's a character named Uncle Tom...

Vic Sussman: Check out Disney's original "Dumbo." The opening, if not the whole depiction of the black crows, is so racist it boggles the mind. I let my kid watch this, but then lectured him on the stereotypes. Rent it and you'll see what I mean. (Now really, can a Web show that suggests seeing "Repo Man" and "Dumbo" be all bad? Never mind...)

15th and K: the burrito stand on the corner of 15th and K is run by a guy who used to be an attorney, God bless him. Mebbe that's why he's avoided getting shut down. Plus his burritos ROCK!

Vic Sussman: Too bad more lawyers aren't out there selling burritos.

washingtonpost.com: To continue discussing the Catholic Church's view on contraception, women in the priesthood, etc., please tune in tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. EDT to hear the views of Pulitzer Prize winner Garry Wills, author of "Papal Sin".

Arlington, VA: I don't get this whole "middle aged male insurance company guys think Viagra should be covered but birth control shouldn't be, because it doesn't matter to men" attitude. Um, sure, maybe if all those middle aged insurance company guys were single, but I'm not betting heavily on the odds of that. Generally, the pill is only necessary when you have a person of each gender involved and, by the time you're the age where you're writing insurance company policies, such involvement usually involves joint bank accounts and community property.

If I were looking for conspiracy theories, I'd probably follow the money and suggest that only a few people require Viagra, whereas a vast majority of the population uses birth control and providing it to them all will be enormously expensive.

Vic Sussman: Thanks for the opposing view. Whatever. The idea of not covering the pill strikes me as stupid. If helping women avoid getting pregnant isn't a major health issue, then explain to me what is.

arlington, VA: I highly favor offering contraception to insurance plans (for free). I have used "the pill" for almost 10 years --- very effectively might I add (no children). I am also catholic and disagree with the church's stance on contraception . . . . HOWEVER

They (catholics and their church) have a constitutional right to their beliefs and by forcing them to provide something that goes against their religious beliefs violates their religious freedom and forces man's perception and laws on them. The same way those folks in TX felt that prayers on the speaker were forcing others beliefs on them. . .

We allow people to sacrifice chickens in the name of religion, we accommodate days off for religious observance . . . but won't allow the catholic church to keep their "no birth control" policy (no matter how poorly though out it is). If you want a plan that offers coverage (full or partial)--change plans or jobs.

Vic Sussman: Can I get a tax break for sacrificing chickens? Man, the tax code is SO difficult to understand!

Arlington, VA: I wasn't going to bother, but since people are complaining that there aren't any Gore complaints:

He took the hard questions? OK, maybe one or two. But he still gave everything sound byte answers. I might as well have been reading campaign literature.

I am a Democrat. I will vote for Gore. But, reading that chat, I wanted to take the guy by the shoulders, shake him and say, "Show some actual independent thought, man! A spark of life, some kind of sign you're not just reading a script! Don't you get it? THIS is why your campaign is tanking!"

Vic Sussman: The last independent-thinking politician was [fill in da blank].

WDC: I think Dubya is too scared to come on LOL - his handlers have checked us out and know that all we'd ask is how much blow he did and how he was able to ditch his military duties. Oh, yeah and what is it like to have your dad buy you a baseball team. Sheesh! My dad wouldn't even buy us a pony.

Vic Sussman: You have a point. He doesn't have to take those questions on LOL, but they surely will be asked.

Arlington, VA: Your non-sequitur, Vic. The Catholic church, like all (supposedly) non-profits in the U.S., doesn't have to pay tax on its income. And you CERTAINLY see those other nonprofits--NRA, AARP, etc., etc., etc.--lobbying long and hard for what they want.

I'm not defending the church--after all, I stopped going more than 10 years ago.

Vic Sussman: I'm a lapsed mystic myself.

Al Gore Ranter, TN: I thought Gore did an abysmal job answering questions; however, to give him credit, at least he showed up. Oh wait...is that how we're judging our nations' leaders now? Simply respiration and pulse required? This election is a downer. Let's change the system!

Vic Sussman: Great. You people wait until I've been online for over an hour, and NOW you're posting Gore rants.

I'm getting hungry and I gotta go potty. I warned you...

Baltimore MD: Moby- You probably have his newest CD "Play". If you had a TV you would have heard it already. Virtually every track has been licensed to a TV ad. I used to like techno/electronic music before Madison Avenue discovered it.

Vic Sussman: One more reason not watch TV. Thanks.

DC: Wondering if you have seen the esteemed Yale Professor, Harold Bloom's Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal on the Potter phenomenon "Can 35 Million Book Buyers Be Wrong? Yes." Where he derides Potter of being strewn with cliches and not worth reading at all (attacking those that say it is good that finally children are reading). I have heard him say that this is further proof of the debasement of our culture and illiterate society. I know you may say, well phooey, it is good for kids to read something, anything, he even admits that he hopes his discontent is not "merely a highbrow snobbery, or a nostalgia for a more literate fantasy to beguile (shall we say) intelligent children of all ages." What do you think?

Vic Sussman: I'm part way through reading Harry Potter 3 with my eight-year-old son. We laugh a lot while I read. I explain stuff to him. We discuss the characters, the plot, Rowling's imagination, the wonder of imagination. And this is bad? A cultural mishap?

Professor Bloom sounds like a stuffed shirt.

DC: In defense of riverside, the story about the Washington state Republican Party resolution re/tribes aired on NPR recently. The Associated Press also reported on the state party's resolution to abolish tribal governments. The resolution's author, John Fleming of Skagit County, apparently called for military action if tribes don't take peacefully to dissolution of their governments. Although you can't trust everything you see or hear on the web, riverside did cite the source (a local paper) which presumably has some journalistic standards of accuracy.

Vic Sussman: More on the tribes. I knew this audience would come through for us.

Walks and Reads: Just a note to note that I noted your use of color, bold and large fonts. You show off you!

Vic Sussman: If you have, flaunt it!

Gburg MD: My c-section of my daughter cost a total of about $15K. That buys a lot of birth control pills. Then you add in the cost of the disability payments while I was out on maternity leave, and that buys even more. The whole issue has never made much sense to me.

Vic Sussman: This is one of several posts on the birth control issue. More follow...

WDC: My personal favorite is the insurance companies that won't cover birth control, but will cover abortion. So, umm, what kind of incentive structure is that? Read the fine print, folks. Then call the insurance company. A lot of the time, the brochures you get from them don't actually tell you what is/is not covered.

Vic Sussman: And on to the next one...

VA: The Catholic church does not have the right to tell me what is moral and what is not. Don't be a "cafeteria" Catholic and pick and chose which doctrines you think are okay and which you don't believe in. The church needs to get with the program especially with the world crisis of AIDs. Do you know that 5,500 people die each day in Africa of AIDS. That's over 2 million a year

Vic Sussman: A variation in theme...

Wheaton, MD: Vic,
A Jewish school is taking over a closed public school, and will refuse use of the building to the area residents, which is against county regulations. They are also tax exempt - is this a non-sequitur?
If this is a lease of a publicly owned facility, don't I have a right to use the grounds for walking, like I have been for the past 10 years?

Vic Sussman: Now we're getting into analogies...

Boston, Mass: LI: Keeping up the tradition, think of the fun you could have combining Harry Potter and 80's cult movie Repo Man!

HI: Those who view culture as a zero sum game. Just because billions of people read Harry Potter doesn't mean that Gabriel Garcia Marquez's royalties are being affected.

Rate It: 0 out of 10, anything associated with the World Wrestling Federation.

Vic Sussman: Please send e-mail to Professor Bloom, who just doesn't get it.

Fiendship Heights: LI- Humidity has dropped below saturation level.

HI-DC has stiffened the penalty for marijuana distribution. More prison over crowding with nonviolent offenders, or more prisons. Isn't this the same city that voted for medical marijuana usage?

RI-This chat 10 of 10!

washingtonpost.com: OK, I know Vic has said this a million times, but I have to pitch in. It's not a "chat." We don't "chat." We "discuss." (ahem) Thank you. Now back to my role as silent, invisible producer.

Vic Sussman: Stiffer penalties for smoking pot. Wow. Let's get those dangerous heads off the street and into D.C. Jail where they belong. We'll all sleep better tonight....

Another comment on Gore: HI - That I submitted an intelligent question about the feasibility of Gore's Pharmaceutical program and he didn't answer it.

LI - That I now know how much of a weenie he is!

Vic Sussman: Well, to be fair (I do this sometimes just for fun), the Vice President got a ton of questions. He may not have seen yours. Then again...who knows?

herndon, va: Hey guys, great news!! I just clicked on "In Store: Haute for Men" on the Post's website, to find out shiny gun-metal grey men's cotton suits are going for only $900!! Better run to "Haute," Vic, while there's still some suits left. (There are also a few jeans for under $100).

Vic Sussman: Well, just to end on a truly dada note, we finish with this post about menswear. From birth control and the Catholic church and hockey murders and...whew.

Thanks for the ride, LIHIRI folks. It's been the usual weird gumbo. I couldn't do it without you. Remember, it all means something even if you can't figure it out. And I can't even figure out what THAT means.

Y'all coming back next week? Really? Your lives are that shallow and meaningless?

Love you madly...