May 25, 2004

The Bad, the Ugly, and the Good

Four times today I heard or read Big Media say something along the lines of "President Bush failed to draw any connection between Iraq and 9/11." This is so tiresome. We did not depose Saddam Hussein and liberate Iraq because Saddam or Iraq had anything to do with 9/11. We deposed Saddam Hussein and liberated Iraq because on 9/12 we decided we didn't want any more 9/11s. It's really simple, isn't it? Can we retire this tired old canard now? If not for the sake of the truth, how about because it is so damned offensive in that it implies strongly that we may not do anything except in retaliation or revenge after we have been attacked.

I am thoroughly disgusted with these Big Media people who are supposed to be so much smarter than I am about these things. After all, they get paid to be knowledgeable about this stuff while I try and learn what I can in the spare minutes and hours I have around my job that does not pay me to read, study or pontificate about such matters. Is it so much to ask that they at least grasp the few solid facts there are and draw the simplest of conclusions from them?

And it hailed here today. A lot.

Anyway, I picked up a few things this week:

Peace Kills by P.J. O'Rourke (my favorite right wing humorist)
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (Burrrrrrrr)
The Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking (an amazing fellow)
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco (hardback this time for long term note taking -- you know, if you read this you will probably know more about the Kaballah than Madonna; then again, you probably know more about the Kaballah than Madonna even if you don't read it)
Frank's Wild Years by Tom Waits (The bats are in the belfry, the dew is on the moor...)
The Return of the King DVD (now and again later, of course)
Master and Commander DVD (for the sound as much as anything)

And I'm probably going to see The Life of Brian in the theater tomorrow. If posting is light, now you'll know why. Oh, and for those that care, the job is going great.

Posted by Charles Austin at May 25, 2004 10:25 PM
Comments

Good on the job. Great on the Eco. And I thought I was your favorite right wing humorist.

Posted by: Jeff G at 01:41 AM

Probably?

Posted by: Tanya at 09:46 AM

Tanya -- well, are we still on or not?

Jeff -- I've always thought of you as a mild-mannered centrist, in the same way that 54% of the media think they are moderates. It's true that I've spent more time at Protein Wisdom than reading P.J. lately, so I may have to reconsider my rankings. Incidentally, sorry about that long post.

Posted by: charles austin at 06:17 PM

Rock the Casbah, my man. Don't cost nothin'...

Posted by: Jeff G at 07:24 PM

Chuck, don't be thoroughly disgusted. Remember, always look on the bright side of life [whistle, whistle].

Dittos the DVDs. Although, I will only be purchasing the extended version of ROTK to go with my extended version of FOTR & TTT. Can you say all day LOTR marathon this December? I'll have to drink alot of beer just so I don't become permanently attached to my easy chair. :)

Cheers,

Posted by: Jon at 11:02 AM