Policia de Catalunya

Yesterday I posted Sunday's best. And now, Monday's next.

A Test of Tolerance -- Christopher Hitchens, Slate.com.
It was Monday's article par excellence. Superb, with not one word wasted.

Labels: Christopher Hitchens, Mosque, Muslims, Test Of Tolerance

Earlier tonight, I watched the news. Of course, it's all Egypt, all the time. Never mind that the IMF is calling to replace the dollar as the world's reserve currency.

Anyway, the news anchor soberly declared that the ouster of Mubarak was epochal. Which of course it is. But it is "eh'-puh-cull, not "eh-POKE'-ull," which made his error almost epical.
My mom used to say, "If you can't say something correctly, say nothing at all." Forget nice.
Those who mispronounce are usually the same people who utter absurdities like, "I have white wine and red. Would you like the former or the latter?" Rush Limbaugh is one, I suspect. On his radio show the other day, he said someone's political skills were "con-sue'-mitt." I almost had a wreck.

And then there is a subset of consummate latterers: people who have no idea what is even meant by the phrase. Which would be perfectly fine and lovely, except when they guess. "Oh, the latter," say the wistful, would-be sophisticates.
These people typically favor padded toilet seats, and they'll offer you a "beverage" while you're standing in their kitchen. In your kitchen, they will ask you for directions to the "restroom." I point them to the bedroom at the top of the stairs.

It appears Robert Gibbs, Obama's outgoing press secretary, is part of the padded-seat, beverage set. How otherwise explain his statement that Egypt's new government "has to include a whole host of important non-secular actors"? Separation of church and state for me, but not big E?

Let's hope Gibbs simply doesn't know the difference between secular and not, or was just terribly confused. Because the difference for Egypt, indeed for the world, will be . . . well, epochal.

Labels: Beverage, Egypt, Epochal, Hamas, Israel, Mubarak, Muslim Brotherhood, Muslims, Padded Toilet Seat, Restrooms, Robert Gibbs, Rush Limbaugh

Today NPR fired Juan Williams (the only African American male on the air at NPR).
NPR fired him after the Council on American-Islamic Relations ("CAIR") issued a strongly-worded complaint about his recent "irresponsible and inflammatory" comment on Fox News.
Fasten your seat belts before you watch this "outrageous" comment:

But, NPR hastened to add, it didn't fire Mr. Williams because CAIR commanded immediate "action" against him (although it "may have been a "factor").
Nor was it because of the substance of his comment: that he has a moment of worry or nervousness when he's on an airplane and sees someone in Muslim garb, a person who has chosen to identify himself "first and foremost as Muslim."
No, NPR incredibly claims, the real reason it fired Mr. Williams is because he has turned into a . . . pundit!
Okaaaaaay. And NPR star Nina Totenberg isn't?

From NPR's internal email:
NPR News analysts have a distinctive role and set of responsibilities. This is a very different role than that of a commentator or columnist. News analysts may not take personal public positions on controversial issues; doing so undermines their credibility as analysts, and that�s what�s happened in this situation.But while we're on the subject of objectivity, what does NPR stand for, anyway? It's certainly not "Neutral Public Radio." Just watch this oh-so-clever spoof on the "Tea Party" that NPR posted on its website.
A website, I might add, that you help to fund -- to the tune of $422 million, this year alone. (This CBS link references the specific page on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's financials. But, alas, NPR's parent corporation has taken the page down.)
If Rs and Independents weren't already fired up to vote on November 2nd, they are sure juiced now.

Labels: Cair, Fox News, Islam, Juan Williams, Muslims, Npr, Taxpayer-Funded, Vivian Schiller