Checking In, or In Passing

I haven't really had time recently to put up a decent post, but I have had some topics in mind:

Tim Russert's passing -- I admired his approach to his business and to politics. He was a calming, rather than exacerbating presence on the air, and he did not hesitate to back up his assertions with clips. Moreover, he was a family man and a Catholic. Television news is much poorer for the loss.

George Carlin's passing -- I have to admit I admired the man's work, exploring the absurdities of the English language and of American culture. However, his career took some odd twists. He went from button-down to long-hair, from playing "Mr. Conductor" on the children's show Shining Time Station to being a generally misanthropic curmudgeon. His avowed atheism (despite his Catholic upbringing), especially at the end of his life made him painful, rather than enjoyable.

Anti-patriotism on the 4th of July -- Especially since I was out of the country and in no position to celebrate last year, the protestations of those too good to be loyal to their country have given me a particular pain. I saw Matthew Rothschild's "Why I Am Not Patriotic," in the local paper on the 4th, and it spoiled my mood for the morning. The article deserves a good fisking. I'll leave it to others to decide what the author deserves.