and not only because I saw "Finding Nemo" on TV last night.  [On the short list of my favorite lines from that movie: Ellen DeGeneres' fish character, Dory, is sleeping/dreaming, and mumbles "Yes, I'm a natural blue."  I can make myself giggle all day with that one.]

She is the best thing in that movie, IMHO.  I love when she speaks Whale.

Andrew: This time I shall do as you suggest, and shall write to this Bush person.  But really, it seems so clear that the Bushies do not care at all for the opinions of people like me.  Just the other day, at school, a student was going around asking everyone to call the White House and urging Bush to do something about the genocide in Darfur.  I told him I am in touch with my congressmen on the subject, but I deeply mistrust the White House.  As it turned out, from what we might surmise from Bush's speech yesterday at the UN on the subject of Darfur, he has been listening to somebody.  And that is good.  Well, at least it is a beginning.  But surely no NYC Democrats were among the ones who persuaded him.

Still, you are right, the Bushies might be showing signs of opening up regarding conservation, so perhaps a letter will be worth while.

Chickens are our cousins! So are other sensitive animals! Enough is enough! No more factory farms!

   Here is why it always helps, no matter who you are (or even if you wish upon a star!).

   Very few people bother to hand write letters that are not just copies of other people's thoughts.  So, they carry more weight.

   If they get a bunch of letters from liberals, they add them in to the ones from moderates and the occassional renegade conservative, and go, "hmmm" seems like lots of people really care about this.

   If the merely get emails, numbers in on-line polls, or form letters, they go into a lighter pile (they all weigh less), and this lets them disregard the liberals (as well as anyone else who signs).

   Polite hand written letters expressing your real thoughts on a subject, written as if to your favorite uncle, whom you just know will listen...

   They are always worthwhile.

patrick