After reading through the entire comment thread on Screen Rant regarding who the last cylon might be (http://screenrant.com/archives/who-is-the-last-cylon-on-battl-1592.html), I would like to post my own theory here:

The last cylon model - the fifth - is (or was, I should say): Lee Adama’s mother.  That would make Lee a "hybrid" human/cylon.  There was an allusion to this possibility during a conversation between Lee & his father:  Lee said something along the lines of "What if Zack was a cylon?" (in reference to how they should treat Kara, as there was reason to suspect she could be a cylon.)  Although that comment was said in passing, most allusions are intentionally non-obvious at first.

If Lee’s mom was a cylon, then both Lee and his brother would be cylons.

There is supporting evidence for this.  In an earlier season, Leoben whispered to Roslin that "Adama is a cylon".  Of course, he could have been lying - they made it clear that Leoben tells both truths and lies - but if it was a truth, then he could have been referring to either Bill Adama OR Lee Adama.

Failing the above theory, then I would posit a similar one:  Starbuck’s mother - or father - was the fifth "hidden" cylon model.  Thus Starbuck would be a cylon - which would also explain some of her behavior and her comment in the last episode about feeling like she’s watching herself from outside (something like that).

Lastly, let me say that I like the theory that all of humanity could be cylon.  Or that Earth is inhabited by cylons.   But I’m somewhat doubtful they will go this route.

[Note: I wrote this back in 2004, when Israel was demolishing refugee houses on a near daily basis.  This has happened again recently (March 2008), and so I'm importing it to my new blog now.]

Haven’t we learned
…that poverty and oppression always leads to crime and violence?

Here in the United States, the Affirmative Action program was developed to help alleviate a long history of oppression and discrimination against African-Americans. And although it has always been a controversial program - and perhaps is no longer needed - it really has helped blacks to gain a more equal footing in our society.

I grew up in southern Kentucky. I was exposed to a lot of racism while growing up. But what I have learned over time is that we are all individuals, and should be judged individually.

Legally - at least in the U.S. - when someone commits a crime, only that person is punished - not that person’s entire race/culture/society. And certainly not that person’s family, either.

Why treat Palestinians differently? Why punish an entire group of people because of the actions of a relative few? Why punish family members - by tearing down houses, etc. - that were not directly involved in any crimes or violence? Granted, many Palestinians are probably anti-Semitic, but then again, the reverse is undoubtedly true of Jews. Moreover, one’s thoughts should not be a crime, only one’s actions.

In any conflict between the powerful and the oppressed, it is the powerful that must make concessions. The oppressed simply do not have anything left to give. So is the case with the Palestinians.

Imagine for a moment all the Palestinians living in refugee camps. Imagine their despair. What could they possibly have left to give? Israel wants an end to violence. But that violence is based on intangible emotions, which are rooted in the very oppression that Israel imposes.

It is a tragedy when individuals turn to extreme violence - such as suicide bombings - and kill innocent people. But it is also a tragedy when an entire group of people are punished - harshly - for the actions of those individuals. That is not justice - it is archaic and wrong.

The first step towards peace in the region is for Israel to make a large concession to the Palestinians - the creation of the state of Palestine, based on “reasonable” borders. furthermore, both Israel and the U.S. need to provide substantial aid to Palestine, to help rebuild their
infrastructure and society.

Compare the relations between blacks and whites [in the U.S.] now to that of fifty years ago. It took bold change to make a difference. And that is what we need here.