Most of what can be said about Dan Rather's departure has been said already. Now, I've actually never watched the TV news, but this one line, courtesy of the MRC, struck me. Apparently, Rather was "approaching tears" right after Bill Clinton was elected in 1992, and signed out with this:

I'd like to leave you with the words of that popular, secular, patriotic hymn:
"Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light."

Now, right when I saw this, something struck me as odd. Like, Rather is such a liberal that he specifically had to choose a "secular" hymn, and point that fact out to us. What makes it even funnier, of course, is how that very same stanza runs:

Our fathers' God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!

It is, in fact, the most religious stanza in the song.

So, Dan, once again you got the facts wrong in your pursuit of your liberal fantasies. But do not fear! Courage, Dan, courage!

Speaking of PC-cliches, you've gotta love how the cliche at the end of the letter here is what drove the victim of some campus political correctness to retaliate. Go, brother!

And, as long as we're on the Times, there's an article about Wil Wheaton (and his "Web log, or blog," as Times usage still goes). The article gave me more of a sad vibe than anything else. Read it and see if you feel the same way. But a couple of points: First, Wil, if you don't want to be seen as a "jerk," it would help not to be quoted insulting River Phoenix in the very next paragraph. Also, check out the last photo. It's worth a thousand words in summing up the nature of Wesley Crusher, the first season of TNG, "Gene's vision," what a "Mary Sue" is, and much, much more. Bleah.

Speaking of jerks, I could have used one of these on the subway this morning. I don't have to hear your music, idiot. On the other hand, I will get one of these.

In shul today, a woman bentched gomel, and for the first time, I realized that no siddur prints the feminine response. Can anyone better at dikduk than I formulate one?

Speaking of Jews, I wonder how hard it would be to pull a Slifkin on Cross-Currents. Just wondering.

Finally, on the way back from a delighful lunch, we passed a huge pro-Tibet march. Well, anything to get the Commies' goat (yak?). Free Tibet!