NP: Tortoise, It's All Around You (CD)

This article, to me, illustrates the worst part of politics, and, in my mind, the reason Dubya has been a "successful" candidate and president, current polls notwithstanding.

You know the drill by now. Lie first, apologize later when no one's looking, if at all, and only if and when someone tries to call you on it.

That piece provides an interesting backdrop to Paul Krugman's op-ed piece, because it would seem that the one area the general voting public aren't being fooled on is the economy. Granted, I don't watch enough of the big networks to know whether or not Bush is trying to hype recent job growth numbers, but my suspicion is that you can fool most of the people on policies that are more removed from everyday life, but not on stuff like whether or not they've got jobs or whether their friends and relatives have jobs.

Of course, as a recently-departed member of the jobless economy, you might think my impression of Dubya as steward of the financial well-being of average Americans might improve, but if anyone is responsible for me finding gainful (i.e., non-musical) employment, it's Larry Page and Sergey Brin, not George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

Speaking of gainfuly employment, in what I can only describe as a triumph of the subconscious, I blasted through a major reporting overhaul yesterday that I had been putting off almost since I started here, despite the zombified state induced by a Fire game and a Sunday night gig at Cullen's. Which was attended by about a half-dozen guys from the team. That was satisfying, although it may blunt any criticisms I might otherwise voice of those guys in public.

Much camera love from ESPN2 during the game, from what I've heard, but I haven't fired up the brand-spankin' new TiVo to check yet. I think I can actually watch the stuff I've recorded previously while it grabs 24 and The Shield tonight, but I have to double-check before I risk missing either of those.

Last night afforded a good night's sleep for a change, so I may make it to Vaughan's tonight after all, because lord knows I wouldn't want to make a habit of it.