Should David Letterman be fired for having affairs with members of his staff?

Unless you were on a very long vacation to an amazingly unplugged island or taking a terrific nap, you've heard that David Letterman has admitted to having affairs with women on his staff. The revelations were made public this week after Letterman testified before a grand jury that he was blackmailed by the former boyfriend of one of his lovers. That man, Robert Joel Halderman, was arrested for extortion. He once dated former "Late Show" staffer and Letterman assistant Stephanie Birkitt.

As the news broke last night, articles were written all over the Web, including here at the Times, where reader reaction was mixed. Some felt Letterman did the right thing by admitting his wrongdoing, others felt he should be fired immediately.

Bunny wrote: "Usually not a good idea to have sex with your employees. It is a far worse thing to try to extort someone for $2 million."

bil bornstein added: "Misogynist creep...."

daryl responded to Letterman's claims that he felt "menaced" by the alleged extortion thusly: "Like we care about how embarrassed or threatened you feel, you ethical midget. Think how those women felt, having to put up with your creepy advances to keep their jobs."

Jack went even further: "After firing Dan Rather, it would be hypocritical for CBS not to fire Dave Letterman. Letterman's indiscretions were grossly irresponsible. compromising not only himself, but also CBS and most of all the women who were involved. For a comedian who made a living out of lampooning other public figures who engaged in sexual escapades, he is now crippled, living in a glass house. He doesn't dare joke anymore about Bill Clinton, Mark Foley, Gov. Sanford, etc. or any of their kind without being hypocritical. I will miss him but he has got to go."

More reactions after the jump...

Share your thoughts and memories about John Hughes and his films

The sad news of John Hughes' death has just broken. The talented writer and director is responsible for a cadre of teen films which were the cornerstone of the 1980s.

Hughes' impressive streak of writing and directing credits from 1982-1990 included such classics as "Sixteen Candles,"  "The Breakfast Club,"  "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Vacation,"  "Planes, Trains & Automobiles," "Weird Science," "Uncle Buck," "Home Alone" and "Christmas Vacation."

Clearly there are many in Generation X who like me took a date to "Sixteen Candles" while in high school and then rushed out to "The Breakfast Club" the day it hit the screens. Hughes made stars out of unknowns like Anthony Michael Hall, Macaulay Culkin and Molly Ringwald with believable, wonderful, and far-fetched scripts.

Meanwhile the bands that he used to score his soundtracks also benefited immensely. Modern English's "Melt With You" is eternally tied to "Sixteen Candles," as is "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds off "The Breakfast Club" soundtrack. And although Yello's uber-1980s hit "Oh Yeah" was perfectly placed in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," it was Hughes who allegedly spiked the soundtrack because he felt the music was too obscure (Big Audio Dynamite, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, General Public) to appeal to the mainstream.

So what are your memories of his films? Here's your chance to share.

Correction: Although "Melt With You" was featured in "Sixteen Candles", a commentor below is correct, that tune is better associated with another '80s film, "Valley Girl".

-- Tony Pierce

Related: Patrick Goldstein's feature on John Hughes from March of 2008

Top photo: Molly Ringwald and Michael Schoeffling in "Sixteen Candles." Credit: Universal Pictures. Bottom photo of John Hughes. Credit: Los Angeles Times

How will In-N-Out change -- or should it?

My life as a fast-food consumer pretty much ended the moment my kids became old enough to drive themselves to the nearest hamburger stand.

But even back then I knew that all such chains could be divided into two categories: There was In-N-Out, and there was everybody else.

The In-N-Out cult -- is there any other word for it? -- is rooted in its patrons’ appreciation for its simple menu and its sedulous devotion to fresh, high-quality ingredients.

To be sure, there are other fascinations. These include the mystique created by its management’s traditional refusal to ever speak to the press (including for this column).

Then there are the biblical citations imprinted on the edges and seams of its burger wrappers and disposable cups, a practice started by the late Richard Snyder, the born-again younger son and onetime heir apparent to In-N-Out’s founders, Harry and Esther Snyder.

Finally, there are the intertwined issues of In-N-Out’s colorful past and its unsettled future, which are touched on in a new book about the company, entitled simply "In-N-Out Burger," by BusinessWeek writer Stacy Perman.

As the chain moves into ownership by the third generation of the Snyder family -- Lynsi Martinez, 27, is the granddaughter of the founders and a rather mysterious figure -- what lies ahead? What changes would you like to see -- if any -- in this California institution?

Read the complete column: In-N-Out: Can perfection survive?

-- Michael Hiltzik

Caitlin Pogue prepares burgers for lunch customers at In-N-Out in San Marcos on February 06, 2009. Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

Have you been affected by the downturn in the job market?

The nation's unemployment rate soared to its highest level in 16 years last month, reaching an eye-popping 7.2% as businesses slashed their payrolls by 524,000 jobs in December, the government reported today.

Have you or someone in your family been affected by the downturn in the job market? Please share your story.

Read Maura Reynolds' report, "U.S. unemployment hits 16-year high: 7.2%."

Photo: People wait to talk with potential employers during a job fair Wednesday at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. Credit: Mel Evans / Associated Press