Mainstream Media

So Bob Woodward sat on the Valerie Plame name info and never disclosed this to his bosses at the Washington Post--great, now even the guy who brought down a president 30 years ago is part of the whole crooked charade. My father is right--they're all sleeping in the same bed. It's quite an incestuous little world, that DC. The government doesn't reveal the whole truth to its citizens, and the media covering the government won't expose too much because they golf together on Sundays. So how are we, the working stiffs who rely on the government and media to tell us the truth, supposed to figure out what's going on?!

Woodward spends most of the last year or so discrediting Pat Fitgerald's investigation knowing full well that in fact Plame's name was revealed as retaliation for her husband's criticism of the Iraq invasion. It's no different than the politics of seventh grade, is it? How depressing. George is the bully who got his buddies to tattle, and now that the prinicpal found out he's afraid he's going to call him down to the office. Pathetic.

The Tender Bar

I just finished reading The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer. Every once in a while we come across a book that we can't wait to go home and read--they're like our friends that we want to talk to--or listen to--that's his memoir--even when I got to the last couple of chapters I didn't want it to end because I knew my time with him would be over. I loved how he referenced The Great Gatsby so much--he grew up in Manhasset--wrote about Fitzgerald's Long Island--the whole Irish writers thing. To say nothing of the American Dream connection too--how many times have we seen this? Class in America, the enduring, ever-fascinating theme.

Moehringer was a very lucky man growing up--he had a great support network with his uncle and his friends at the bar, his mother, even his grandfather. Anyone who loves words as much as his grandfather did can't be half bad. Words--like Uncle Charlie said--"Do you mind if I say loquacious?" Sweet.