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On this week's Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss some (mostly) nonpolitical conundrums that stump them in everyday life. Here's the list:
1) When can you say that you have been to a state?
2) Should you make a consciencious effort to limit your swearing? Is a filthy mouth really all that bad? Does profanity serve a purpose? Do you maintain a different set of standards for your kids?
3) In a nation that is increasingly polarized, is it more effective to align yourself with the side you believe is right, and work for its victory, or more effective to attempt to be a bridge between the two opposing sides?
4) Can you be an atheist if your life is not going well? David has abandoned belief in God but feels no sense of despair. Is this because he is a lucky person, and he and his loved ones are healthy and prosperous? Would he need solace in the divine if they weren't? Or can you live a life—even a life of sorrow and pain—without the solace of greater meaning or divinity?
For this week's cocktail chatter, David, Emily, and John shared their favorite moments from 2010:
David's moment was a trip he took with his son to a Korean spa in Virginia.
Emily's moment was the decision from California Judge Vaughn Walker that struck down Proposition 8. Seriously, she's that much of a legal nerd.
John's favorite moment was watching his son hit a grand slam during his Little League game.
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Posted on Dec. 31 by John Griffith at 7:05 a.m.