Ugh, that song came on at work the other day and I kept singing different lyrics to it. Something along the lines of "that is categorically incorrect! You need food and shelter!" etc. It was to the lyrics.

Oh, that is the best picture choice ever to accompany the words "zombie child actor".

Erin Gloria Ryan once described Ron Paul supporters as 'insufferable cockholes' and described Ron Paul as 'having the air of an unsuccessful gold prospector driven mad by solitude'. I am now going to add 'conference of assholes' to my list of descriptors for Libertarians. Succinct, accurate, and hilarious.

Oh, Dark 'n Stromy. I see what you did there. Well-played.

My goodness, this is one of the most beautiful things I've seen in a long time. I'm 25 (a number that I was rather terrified of, I'll admit) and have looked forward to certain aspects of aging for most of my life. I love the idea of knowing myself and what's important; of having done what I could do with my time.

I flippin' love her. She was the best part about Contagion (which I really liked, contrary to a lot of other people).

Thank you! It's my favorite movie. I named my car Hans Delbruck (he just happens to be a Smart Car, too).

Exactly! I'm a New Englander and you can't go anywhere in the region without encountering four hundred years of European settlement.

I don't disagree with you if were talking about the Tudors or the Norman Conquest, but Fellowes specializes in late 19th/early 20th century period pieces, when the US was well-established with a culture (heavily borrowed from the UK, of course) and history all our own.

Ugh, Julian Fellowes, just stop. Your whole 'period' pieces take place 100 years ago—when the US was a country, too. We had our own silly dresses and ridiculous hats. In fact, they came from the UK. Have you seen the Buccaneers? The Age of Innocence? Anything with Jennifer Ehle? Delicious.

Right. On.

I used to work in customer service (in the States) and good god are some people dickbags. I've always tried to be as polite as I can be since then, no matter my level of frustration. I remember talking to a guy (from India, I think) for Apple. I had been on hold for 20 minutes and was starting to lose my mind, but…

I was very disappointed in the second series. I loved the first one with all my heart, but the second series was so soap-opera in a bad way and far too long. I took forever to watch it, and even the Christmas special didn't warm the cold recesses of my heart as much as I had expected it to, sadly.

I think so, although we're veering well outside of my area of expertise. I took one class on the Roman Republic when I was in college, but that was years ago. The Etruscans were way the hell north anyway, but I remember reading about their culture, in particular their tombs.

They were in the Tuscany area, although there is no doubt that they influenced the creation of the Roman Empire.

Oh, I know it's mythology, but the Latins were still the precursors to a 'Latin' state. Their control of the lands around Rome makes them the most logical precursors to the Romans, Etruscans aside.

I work in a university History Department—the professor of Ancient History would be so proud of me.

That was my first thought! I, too, am disappointed.

I would reverse that—Latins are (one of) the original Italians.

He sounds wonderful! I hope you find him soon!