Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
An Interesting Exchange
Almond and Rice, Rice and Almond. The major players in this story both have something to do with food. You could make a real cute title out of that, and I chose not to. You’re welcome.
Hat tip to Neal Boortz for this one. Steve Almond is the name of that Boston College professor who resigned his post in protest when Condoleeza Rice came to speak at commencement. He appeared on Hannity & Colmes, and Hannity cracked him like a — well, sorry. Read the transcript for yourself.
PROF. STEVE ALMOND, RESIGNED TO PROTEST RICE: I think actually morality plays a role. I just feel public officials shouldn’t lie to us, especially about matters that are as important as war.
HANNITY: I got that. But did you � but you are politically a Democrat. You’re politically lefty. You voted for John Kerry, right?
ALMOND: I believe that politicians shouldn’t lie to the American people.
HANNITY: I didn’t ask you that. Did you vote for John Kerry, sir?
ALMOND: And I’m telling you that I don’t believe that our public officials should lie, Democrat, Republican, or…
HANNITY: I got that. You’re a broken record. Now this is a simply question: Did you vote for John Kerry?
ALMOND: I don’t see what it has to do with Condoleezza Rice…
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: I’ll tell you what it has to do with it.
ALMOND: … lies to the American public. What does it have to do with it?
HANNITY: I’ll explain it to you. If you would give me an honest answer, I can explain why. Did you vote for John Kerry?
ALMOND: What is it that you want to say to me? Are you going to try to establish that I’m a lefty or Democrat? I believe that public officials shouldn’t lie, and Condoleezza Rice has lied repeatedly.
HANNITY: I already know you voted for John Kerry, but you won’t admit it. But you don’t have to. I’ll tell you why: Because John Kerry, in the lead-up to this very war, in your letter, where you say, “In an effort to build the case for war, then-National Security Adviser Rice repeatedly asserted that Iraq was pursuing a nuclear program.”
Well, I’ll quote John Kerry, the guy that I suspect you voted for. He says, “If you don’t believe Saddam is a threat with nuclear weapons or WMDs, you shouldn’t vote for me.” Is the guy that you voted for a liar?
ALMOND: The secretary of state, who has also been a part of prosecuting this war…
HANNITY: All right, you can’t even answer a question.
ALMOND: … incredibly ineptly is…
HANNITY: Is John Kerry a liar?
Now, I part company with Boortz here. You’ve seen one Hannity exchange, and for the most part you’ve seen ’em all, and because Professor Almond refused to confess who he voted for the point wasn’t really made — nothing was proven — Hannity has done much better.
But he did take his pound of flesh. Almond ended up one step forward, and four steps back give-or-take. His only defense can be an assertion that Hannity’s thesis had some measure of meaninglessness to it, and instead the professor chose to stand on keeping the facts behind the thesis shrouded in doubt.
Ironically, because of this, Hannity’s premise seems to be correct — I have no logical reason to believe it isn’t. Even if the Professor did indeed vote for Kerry, he would have been in a much stronger position to say “yeah, I voted for him, what about it?” and pursue an argument about whether the Senator’s quote means much of anything. Of course, that would require some thinking-on-the-ol’-feet. An impressive amount. Honestly, I’m not sure I got it in me, so I can’t blame the Prof. for thinking he doesn’t have it in him, even though I assume he was doing that for a living.
So the situation ends up thusly: Hannity did not prove his point. But boy, he sure raised a lot of questions, and the Professor looks like an ivy-league snob who wants to tell everybody else what they’re supposed to be thinking. Condi is a liar, although I cannot say why, and you are not to wonder about who I voted for, and I won’t explain why not. Most damning of all, Condi’s lying is worth resigning my position so I can protest, and you won’t get a peep out of me about Kerry saying exactly the same thing.
Advantage: Hannity.
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