Journal of Post-Ralphaelite Thought

About 10:25 last night, my friend Lee called with some stunning news: President Barack Obama was about to address the nation to inform us that US forces had killed Osama bin Laden. I ran and turned on the TV to confirm. NBC had broken into normal programming with a special report and was awaiting the president's arrival. I went into the bedroom and told my wife, "They've killed bin Laden." My voice cracked as I said it. We watched Obama in silence. There was video of celebration in New York and in Washington, DC. "USA! USA!" chanted the crowds. It felt a little odd - like cheering a football victory instead of the death of a mass murderer. But I'm not going to judge anyone's reaction -- least of all people living in the epicenter of those horrific attacks almost 10 years ago. My own response was less of joy, and more of satisfaction that at least a small measure of justice had been meted out. The death of this one evil monster can never outweigh th...

On the eve of the 2010 elections, I find myself puzzled by the choices of some of my Libertarian friends. They are lining up in droves behind Tea Party candidates: a mixed bag of wannabees characterized by angry anti-Washington rhetoric, mostly around the government spending and taxes (TEA = Taxed Enough Already). I'll ignore for now the obvious question of where these hot-heads were during the Bush years. The Libertarians have always prided themselves on being fiscal conservatives and social progressives. Indeed, the banner from the Libertarian Party website says "Minimum Government, Maximum Freedom." Hey, sounds good to me. Their 2010 platform preamble goes on to say: We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized. Consequently, we defend each person's right to...

Sarah Palin has reportedly signed a multi-year contract with Fox News as a "contributor," according to Politico and other sources. Her wacky high-jinks, malaprops and (dog-gone it) weird takes on reality ought to provide hours of entertainment to viewers. The self-proclaimed hockey mom displayed her tongue-in-cheek sense of humor by quipping, "It's wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news." Fox went on to say the Divine Sarah will offer up her plan-speakin' commentary and analysis for Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FoxNews.com and other Fox owned outlets. This ought be funny as hell. Read more at: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31364.html

Just saw a Reuters report that journalist Walter Cronkite , often called "the most trusted man in America," has died at the age of 92. Born in Missouri on November 4, 1916, he moved to Houston, Texas when he was ten. His broadcast career began when he was 20 and became a radio announcer in Oklahoma. During WWII he covered North Africa and Europe, and was selected to fly on bombing raids over Germany. After the war he covered the Nuremberg Trials. Edward R Murrow recruited him for the new CBS television division in 1950. He became the anchorman of the CBS Evening News on April 16, 1962. Hearing his voice crack when announcing the official confirmation of John Kennedy's death was a defining moment for a generation. My generation. He was a passionate supporter of the U.S. space program and covered most of the launches for CBS. After a Cronkite editorial that called the Viet Nam war unwinnable, Lyndon Johnson reportedly said, "If I've lost Walter Cronkite, I'...