Mark Whicker, writing for The Orange County Register, calls talk shows “a crack in the mirror of America. The reason that mudslinging works on the radio is simple: On the radio, Limbaugh is speaking to the dittoheads, the disciples who swallow everything. On TV, Limbaugh has to address the population as a whole.” [MercuryNews.com]
SanDisk Cruzer Mini
I’ve been wanting one of these little doo-dads for a while and finally broke down. “The SanDisk Cruzer Mini is the fastest and easiest way to move your data. Cruzer Mini is Hi-speed USB 2.0 certified for fast data transfer (also compatible with USB 1.1). Store all your data, pictures, music and more on this pocket-sized device and then easily transfer files between your laptop and desktop.”
Scary week.
Our oldest pup got really sick on Monday of last week. Took her to the the local vet and by Wednesday it looked like we might lose her. Thursday morning Barb suggested we take her to the MU vet school where they found a nasty thing on her liver and did emergency surgery. Still not out of the woods but looking better every day. When I get really sick, this is where I want to be taken. This is great facility with really smart, caring people.
Death by Hollywood
As a long-time fan of NYPD Blue, I had to give Steven Bochco’s first novel a read. The publisher had to do the usual margin and leading tricks to get this up to hard-back page count (what would have been wrong with a 150 page novel?). But Death by Hollywood is a tasty little snack.
By and large, we’re nothing more than well-paid pimps who represent our poched-out clients as if they’re beautiful young virgins, offereing them up to a bunch of jaded johns who know better, but these are the only whores in town. As the saying goes, denial is not a river in Egypt. It’s a river in Hollywood, and it runs deep, and brown.
On deck: Deception Point by Dan Brown; and Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson. Volume one of three. Each in the 1,000 page range.
Acquaintance or friend
“The dividing line is communication, I think. A friend is someone to whom you can say any jackass thing that enters your mind. With acquaintances, you are forever aware of their slightly unreal image of you, and to keep them content, you edit yourself to fit. Many marriages are between acquaintances. You can be with a person for three hours of your life and have a friend. Another one will remain an acquaintance for thirty years.”
— Bright Orange for the Shroud, John D. MacDonald (page 15)