Ruminations

For Sale. While reading the dead tree version of today's New York Times, you couldn't go too far without an advertisement for the New York Times Store. They even had an insert. Looks like the company has to get its hands dirty with the grubby business of selling stuff to keep it afloat.

Rescue Who? Seems one can't go far in New York City without seeing an ad (on a bus or a bus stop, for example) for the upcoming season of Rescue Me. Fair enough. Last time, I saw so much advertising was the for that spy show that NBC had this past fall. I've already forgotten the name of the star and of the show itself.

There's a Reason. I figured out why the New York Daily News is 75 cents on a Saturday (it's 50 cents for Monday - Friday) -- no Mike Lupica columns.

Overseas Contingency Operation. Just for the record, the Navy's actions today off the coast of Somalia were not a skirmish in a "long war" or a "global war on terrorism;" it was simply an overseas contingency operation. Fortunately for all "pirate" seems to be sufficiently neutral that we don't have to call the captured pirate, well, a terrorist (or a sea-based militant).

Third Place for a Reason. On Friday, I caught a bit of Countdown with David Shuster. (He reminds you of your best friend's annoying brother. He's harmless but you wish he was somewhere else.) Anyway, he helpfully -- along with some jaded Newsweek suit -- told me that the tea parties were run by Fox News. Geez, if so, it will be really scary when Roger Ailes & Co. flex their muscles overtly.

Check Google Instead? Now that the pirate issue will move from the front pages, I guess that John Kerry's brave action -- plans to hold hearings -- may be cancelled for something more worthwhile. Sadly for JFK though is that his genius as the committee chair will be seen by only those lonely souls who watch C-SPAN.