"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
In the news
I was hoping for more drama, weren’t you? Some telling blows? Some embarrassing mistakes? But no . . . I don’t think tonight’s debate changed any minds. What was the deal with the moderator asking Bush to comment on Kerry’s character but not asking Kerry to comment on Bush’s? I didn’t get that part. Now […]
Will my vote make a difference? And if not, why bother? I live in Arizona, a state that traditionally votes Republican in presidential elections. In 2000, 51% of Arizona’s popular vote went to Bush, 45% to Gore, and 3% to Nader. Arizona’s electoral votes – the votes that count – went to Bush. Thanks to […]
Too exhausted to blog, is what it is. My contract’s tied to the US government’s fiscal year, which runs from October 1st to September 30th. It’s crunch time. I hope to be back on a reasonable blogging schedule by mid-October. Until then, I’ll offer the following observation: almost everyone I work with plans to vote […]
A lot of people were disturbed by Zell Miller’ speech at the Republican National Convention last night. Of course, a lot of other people were delighted with it . . . probably the same people who think defending our nation requires us to sodomize Iraqi prisoners with broomsticks, but that’s another rant. Here’s the part […]
When I lived in Glasgow, Montana, there were two towns on the road to Great Falls, Havre and Chauteau. Pronouncing them correctly marked you as an outsider, pitiful and beneath contempt. Havre was “Haver” and Chauteau “Shotto.” Watching the Olympics, I can’t help thinking of Melpomene Road in Tucson, locally pronounced “Mel-po-mean.” Of course it’s […]
The answer: you’ll never be told . . . Read this: Despite 2 Terror Tapes, No Alert Issued on Vegas, Memos Show. Remember the mayor in Jaws? The one who didn’t want tourists to hear about nasty old sharks? The unfortunate thing about stereotypes is that they’re so often true. The United States is just […]
Is your bias showing? Kevin Connors at Sgt. Stryker’s weblog doesn’t approve of John Kerry’s sense of humor. One day last week, while Kerry and Bush were making campaign speeches in Davenport, Iowa, a robber hit three local banks. John Kerry allegedly responded to the news by remarking that both he and the president had […]
From the Washington Monthly: THE BAND PLAYS ON….Among the 5,000 reservists called up for duty last week are two trumpeters, one trombonist, four clarinetists, three saxophone players, an electric bass player and a euphonium player: “Is there not a way to do without the euphonium player?” [Representative Vic] Snyder asked Gen. Richard A. Cody, the […]