Champion of the Semicolon

Another deviation from genuine news. Rather than emphasizing WHAT Howard Dean said in a recent Iowa caucus thang, the press chose to highlight HOW he said it. "Dean loses much-talked about temper" runs the headline (or something like that). And this is Reuters, for chrissakes! I'd expect this crap from FOX, but... "George Bush has done more to harm this county right here with unfunded mandates, standing up for corporations who take over the farmers' land, making it impossible for middle class people to make a real living, sending our kids to Iraq without telling us the truth first about why they went," Dean said.

"It's not the time to put up any of this 'love thy neighbour' stuff ... I love my neighbour, but I'll tell you I want THAT neighbour back in Crawford, Texas where he belongs."

After Ungerer [Dean's heckler] left the room trailed by reporters, Dean lambasted Bush for trying to cut overtime pay, calling it another reason he had "differed with the gentleman over here so vociferously."

"This is the president of the United States," he said. "I don't think that's being a good neighbour to ordinary working people."

His correct usage of the word "vociferously" is almost enough for my endorsement. Unlike Mr. "You have black people in Brazil, too?" President.

In Anchorage news, there is still no way to take a flattering photograph of Gov. Frank Murkowski. The man's chin is simply too flubbery. It seems that some legislators are finally waking up to the fact that a state that whose largest tax base (Anchorage) pays NO state taxes is in trouble. Gee whiz, guys.

Hopefully ending my little rant session, is the story on Paul O'Neill. Opting to show the White House what the word "candor" means, O'Neill said that when he sat on the National Security Council, he saw NO EVIDENCE of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. I know I'm a little late on this story, but I think that it's interesting how the NZ Herald (obviously my favorite rag) phrased their lead-in, with the Bush administration "happily pouncing" on O'Neill. Pleasing to note that I'm not the only one who thinks the Bushies are a bunch of ravenous warhawks.

Right. Rant session complete. Commence other topics.

I started The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley yesterday. I'm already about a quarter of the way through it and I cannot put it down. This man did more with sixteen years of his life (at this point, he's younger than I am and already he amazes me) than I could ever hope to accomplish. So far, this book gets three thumbs up. It's just so compelling. Kyle and I also embarked on the movie "Gandhi" last night. We're about halfway through it, and it's also really good. Ben Kingsley is the greatest Gandhi ever, except for, you know, the real one.