Braised Lambchop
a nurse trying to work while suffering with chronic pain - she rambles a bit

I remember Truman's funeral, and Johnson's funeral, and I have a vague memory of Eisenhower's funeral, because when those events occurred they were the only thing showing on the three channels of television we ancient people used to have. (I was almost five when the moon landing happened, and I remember it - I can see it in my mind now - and I was about the same age when Eisenhower died.)

When Nixon died, there was some mourning, but since he had resigned there wasn't much national handwringing, at least not that I remember. I suppose Reagan will be different somehow, and I bet this makes Bush's poll numbers go up, especially if he starts making speeches evoking Reagan's memory.

My memory of the Reagan years is unemployment, recession, and that no one in my college class was able to even get interviews upon graduation, much less jobs. It was not a happy, warm fuzzy time. It was hard, and Reagan's lack of memory of the details of the Iran-Contra deals was infuriating. (I still can't figure out how Oliver North became a hero out of that. But then I can't figure out how Gordon Libby became a respected source, either. I guess I'm just an idiot.) I couldn't decide if Reagan's memory loss was real, but during his second term I finally did figure out that the guy was old and just couldn't remember enough to be an effective president much longer.

Reagan certainly did do ceremony and consolation well. He was like Eisenhower in that regard - a grandfather-like figure, which I suppose reminded people of better, simpler, June Cleaver times. I think that if he had been aware of Bush, he would have been privately disappointed but would not have said anything publicly, since his first commandment was, of course, "Thou shalt never speak ill of another Republican."

I'm sorry Reagan is gone, I guess. I'm not sorry that he's not president anymore.

Anyone who watches that show should understand that O'Reilly is a liar. And when someone calls him on his lies, as this article and others from Media Matters do, he acts like one of those 'hear no evil' monkeys and covers his ears.

What makes me angriest, though, is that millions of American idiots rely on this super-idiot for their news and opinion. Rush is bad, but his reputation is starting to suffer because of his drug abuse and media attention to his lies. When Rush says "I'm not making this up, folks," you can be 99% certain he's invented it or stretched the truth.

O'Reilly is worse, because he just won't listen to anyone but himself and he works for a network that openly pushes the GOP agenda while wrapping itself in a cloak of 'fairness' and 'balanced reporting.' It's crap.

My son took a 'Current Events' class last year. Guess what his main source of news was? Fox News Channel. Up here in Republicanland, they start indoctrination pretty early.

If it weren't tragic, it would be hilarious.