Miscellaneous Meanderings

I’ve mentioned (in passing and otherwise) that I think the current Apple ad campaign (PC vs. Mac) is clever. Well, now…it turns out that the ads aren’t quite as original as I thought; they’re just a variation on an 11-year-old theme. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose!

If you check out the link…that’s me on the left back in 1996, for all intent and purposes. Except I’m better looking.

So…is it just me, or is anyone else revolted by all the Anna Nicloe krep? Fox News is the absolute worst when it comes to this story. I quit watching Greta van Susteren along about the time she took up residence in Aruba (not that I ever watched her a whole lot to begin with), but now I see she’s hurried on down to Florida, the better to get “on the scene” coverage of the flap over the disposition of Anna Nicole Smith’s body, fer God’s Sake. And the ANS flap was the lead story on “Hannity and Colmes” last evening.

WHO THE HELL CARES? I mean, really… Sometimes it seems we have no dignity left as a culture. Sheesh.

Immediately after muttering a few epithets in the general direction of the telly last evening, I flipped the channel to C-SPAN to see what was going on and struck pay dirt. Tony Snow was moderating a roundtable discussion featuring White House correspondents, and it was pretty good. Interestingly, Snow was seated right next to David Gregory. You may have heard there’s a bit of friction between these two guys. But, Hey! Let’s let bygones be bygones…

Not surprisingly, Snow's first question went to David Gregory, who has earned a reputation as an outspoken showman in the Bush White House. Snow asked Gregory how often he wishes he could have a do-over at the end of the day. Gregory replied that he never wants his reporting to be personal and added that tempers tend to flare unintentionally in the heat of the moment. Gregory's diplomatic response set the tone for the evening—it would be a friendly, not contentious, discussion.

And so it was (friendly, not contentious), and quite entertaining, too. Snow and Gregory managed to laugh at each others’ jokes and generally seemed to get along rather well. For two guys who hate each other, that is.

One little gem: “Crawford is the best-kept secret in Washington.” That’s according to Sheryl Stolberg of The New York Times. That lil bit was revealed when she was talking about how “everyone” always feels sorry for her when she mentions she’s going to Crawford during Dubya’s annual vacation. The rejoinder, from an off-camera participant: “Yeah, except for the fact it’s always 400 degrees down there…” Well, Hell. It’s Texas! In August! What do you expect?

Ed Morrisey, on Tony Blair’s announcement about Brit troop withdrawals from Iraq:

While Blair will allow the British forces to reduce through the end of fresh rotations into Basra, the US has started to send three times as many troops into Baghdad than what the Brits have in the entire country now. The progress in Basra will get overshadowed by the surge and the battle where the sectarian insurgencies meet in the Iraqi capital.

This is the natural denouement of the Iraqi campaign, however. As the Iraqis can take over security responsibilities for their provinces, the Western powers will pull back and pull out, although the British forces will remain in smaller numbers to provide assistance to the Iraqis. The US will do the same when Baghdad and Anbar come under better control. The Brits have succeed (sic) in their mission, and they now can shift their forces accordingly. (emphasis mine)

What he said. Basra is not Baghdad nor Anbar. Blair is only doing what he can (and should) do, and what we will do, once we’re able. We’ve never said anything else.

New target for the netroots nutroots: California Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher. Right off the bat, let me say I don’t particularly care for Ms. Tauscher…simply because she voted “yes” on the non-binding resolution condemning the surge. Which, if you think about it, is reasonably “progressive,” nu? But not enough for the nutroots. Here’s a sample of the reaction to the WaPo article from one of the blogs conspiring to overthrow Tauscher, aka the reality-based community….you know, the diversity crowd:

This morning Juliet Eilperin and Michael Grunwald delievered a Valentine's box of confections in a nice Washington Post wrapper to Ellen Tauscher and, nevermind the date; it was very timely. A number of Bay Area-based activists and bloggers are determined to challenge one of the Democratic Party's most egregious corporate whores and Bush enablers in 2008 this side of Joe Lieberman.

[…]

Starting on October 10, 2002 with Roll Call 454 on H.J. Res. 114, the final resolution authorizing Bush to use force against Iraq, Tauscher didn't vote with Nancy Pelosi and other progressive Democrats– and the majority of Democrats in the House; she voted with Tom DeLay and Roy Blunt and the worst reactionary, warmongering scum in the Congress to give Bush the authority to do what he's done in Iraq.

“Corporate whore.” “War-mongering scum.” Keep it up, guys. I just love it when you talk dirty. So does the rest of America. Not. (Don’t believe me? Connecticut. 2006. Who’s your Daddy?)

And so it goes…