Turns out it’s a brand of lip balm. Gack.

I used to listen to Henry Boggan evenings on WBT-AM in Charlotte while I was in high school – often after Hornets games. Even called in once. (I have a tape of the call somewhere, but it’s too embarrassing to listen to now.) Such a warm and friendly voice – he’ll be missed.

[update 8/26/07: link rot]

Decent McCain discussion on the Straight Dope

Looking back at my previous post, I took a moment to sit and wonder if I was too harsh on Senator McCain. After all, this is politics we’re talking about. Sometimes you have to change your spots to get votes. (Scary though that Republicans calculate that to get elected, they have to snuggle up to the lunatic fringe…)

I happened to download (from iTunes) a recent episode of The Daily Show (I think it was from April 6th) where he was interviewed by Jon Stewart. Now McCain has been on the show a lot, he’s a favorite guest there. Jon acted very disappointed in the senator’s recent actions – especially his preparing to give a speech at Falwell’s university. McCain, for his part, looked somewhat unconfortable responding to those questions, as if they weren’t the answers he really wanted to give. Not that what he gave were “answers” per se.

Similarly, it turns out he’s been rather vague with regards to creationism in schools.

Would he really change his spots back after getting elected? Would he become the ‘straight talker’ he once claimed to be? I dunno. Does he want a second term?

Whatever. If he ever had my vote, it’s lost now.

My previous respect for Sen. McCain is pretty much gone after hearing him on Meet The Press the other day. There’s no doubt about it; he’s running for president, and the obligatory pandering to the extreme Christian right has officially begun. Whereas he once referred to Jerry Falwell as an “agent of intolerance”, apparently they’re all buddy-buddy now. Yuck.

He’s still a quick wit, though. His last comment to Tim Russert in the interview: “I haven’t had this much fun since my last interrogation.”

Meanwhile, it becomes increasingly clear to me that Thomas Friedman is a very, very smart person. Well worth a close listen, IMHO.