Admittedly, my comment was awkwardly phrased. I got sidetracked on the whole 'puerility' thing! I really do not want to belittle young people's suffering (or anyone's, for that matter).

I was mainly responding to the charge of "puerility" – I do think there is a specific despair to a middle-aged, economically disadvantaged status. It is so far away from any coming-of-age template.

Schulz is an amazing, underrated cartoonist. I don't find 'Sick' puerile at all. After all, it is also about the contextof being sick, having no money and no insurance – aspects that young people often can barely fathom.

What do people think about "Where the Wild Things Are" these days? I still think that film is magical, much stranger than it has any right to be.

"For instance, I don’t personally know anyone in the military so it’s easy for me to discuss American military intervention in abstract concepts related to justice, freedom, and global politics. For those with a family member in the armed forces, however, I bet those conversations are a lot less abstract. And that…