Miscellarikneous

A few good things I've read lately:

Brian G on The Fourth Estate Collapses

"In a democracy, the rationale for a private media is its performance of public oversight of our national leadership as a check on the excesses of power. Is it still a democracy when the "mainstream" media - not just the crackpot cable news networks and AM radio - place themselves at the disposal of the radicals who have captured the two of the three branches of government and one of the major parties?"

I'm an Expert., and I Say They're Not Forged

"Even I think I am spending way too much time on the Killian memo issue, but I'm visiting it again because, dammit, I'm an expert. And I don't think they are forgeries."

TANG Typewriter Follies

"There are more interesting things coming out of this than merely the full and certain knowledge that conservatives can't perform either logical analysis or basic Google searches. We also have been given a prime example of how the mainstream media obtains its information, and where they get it from."

W is for Wuss

"We certainly know that Bush wants us to believe he's a real man - in fact, there are few things he works harder at."

I came across a feel-good article about Kristin Armstrong. No, the other one. Uh, no, wait, not the other one.

I'm putting it here instead of on my cycling blog so some people will actually see it besides Naomi & Brian.

Labor Day w/e was a bsy weekend of riding, with a race, a ride with Naomi, and then another ride with a crash.

The knee (hockey injury) doesn't bother me when I ride, but it's still sore otherwise and I'm hoping it will be OK for the start of the Lynx season. The road rash is mostly healed in 3 days. I guess it wasn't that bad after all. Maybe I was going slower than in seemed? Or maybe my (now ruined) $80 shorts really protected me. Actually, I have sore muscles from the fall that are bothering me more than the little bit of road rash.

We also had a very fun BBQ on Monday. Tracy again tried to off us with her famous margaritas, but we survived and we are better people for it. Bridget saved me from burning down our backyard by taking charge of the grill. Chris met the squirrels and cooked some great pasta for us. J&S brought over 38 lbs of tomatoes, and we are trying to eat our way out from under them. Karen brought Mad, and both gamely survived harassment by the regulars.

Thanks all for a good time!

As has been well-publicized, earlier in the week, when Bush was asked about whether we can win the war on terror, he said “I don’t think you can win it. But I think you can create conditions so that those who use terror as a tool are less acceptable in parts of the world. Let’s put it that way.”

This is probably one of the deepest and most complicated thoughts the man has ever expressed. I think it's simply wonderful that the ONE time he makes a valid semantical distinction, he gets crucified for it. There is so much irony in the air this week, it's a wonder we haven't rusted out.

It's pure amusement, or it would be, if it weren't so scary. Here are three priceless moments in about 30 minutes of convention coverage I heard on Tuesday.

First... George P. Bush, (aka "P"... uh, ok) Shrubya's nephew speaks at the convention. And he starts out his speech quoting the plaque on the Statue of Liberty-- you know, "give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses." Oh, cause that's right, they're the pro-immigrant party who loves foreigners. Seriously, I hear their thinking of appending it so it reads "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.... the prison at Guantanamo has some vacancies."

Second... They were interviewing some people on the convention floor about "P", becaus apparently he's an up-and-coming hottie in the Republican Party. They asked the first one why they liked him: "Because he's really smart and articulate." Tell me again, who are you backing in this election?

Finally, Sam Brownback was going on and on about how every life is sacred, protected, regardless of wealth, social status, color of skin, etc. Which is a splendid and worthwhile position. What I want to know is, where does "collateral damage" fit into this equation? If this is true, which it obviously isn't, we would hear every day their sorrow at the number of innocent Iraqi's that are killed. Or their outrage at the number of innocent Palestinians that Sharon kills. Or for that matter, their sympathy for the families of fallen soldiers of the Iraqi army.

I realize it's all propaganda. I just didn't realize how transparent it would all be.

Last night we were at Blockbuster. There was a couple with two kids at the checkout line, asking about new movies:

Dude: What else do you have?
Sales Clerk: Do you want The Passion of the Christ ?
Dude: What'ssat about?
Sales Clerk: It's... The Passion. Of. The Christ.

And to think, they're reproducing!