Tidbits From Elsewhere - 9/12/06

I think I'm going to make this a regular thing, where I can make short comments on some of the other blogs that I read on a daily basis as well as some interesting news articles.

In celebrity news, celebs are passing up swag (stuff we all get) bags. I always thought it was unreal how, once you get to a certain point where you can afford to pay for these things, they are given to you. A few celebrities have made similar comments, although it seems the main reason why they are passing up the free stuff is because they don't want to have to haul bigger items and because they don't want to have to pay taxes on these gifts.

The BBC is covering Bush's speech from last night. He started out alright, but then he started on Iraq again. While he and Cheney have acknowledged that Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks on 9/11, they keep talking about them at the same time, and polls show that Americans actually do associate the two. Almost half of Americans now believe that Iraq had something to do with the attacks. They didn't, but continuously talking about both during speeches has that affect, and I don't believe that it is a mistake that those in the administration keep doing it. I've developed a new drinking game. Every time Bush or an administration member mentions Iraq and 9/11 together, you have to take a shot. If you don't have to go to the hospital for alcohol poisoning by the end of the speech or press conference or interview, you win!

I still haven't watched all of the 9/11 movie on ABC because my DVR was acting up, but what little bit I saw, I liked. Hopefully, I'll be able to download the online version. I still don't approve of handing it out to schools so that they can teach it as fact. What they should be handing out is copies of is the graphic adaptation of the report, which makes the drier original a little easier to take. By the way, the original version is available for free online at this link. I highly recommend reading either version of the report.

It looks like Birmingham's traffic situation may get worse. That can't be good.

According to CNN, more Americans blame Bush for 9/11. I am by no means a Bush fan, but I think that the blame should lie with Al Qaeda. Now, our government needs to get on with the program and get back to tracking down Osama, as we were promised. Right now, we're distracted by Iraq, and I fully believe that Osama is loving every minute of it. Our attention belongs with Pakistan, who is apparently hiding our enemy, and I remember a certain speech by a certain president in which he talked about those who harbored terrorists. Enough is enough.

Back to the blogs. Dan at Between the Links has given his take on the GOP's intimidation of Todd Greeson and Greeson's reaction. Doc is covering this as well.

Doc has posted a collection of fairly odd stories. A medical clinic in Wal-Mart?!

Thad and Dan have both offered an account of their experiences on 9/11.