Best Of The Fray

Anti-Paxil Would Be Even Better

Subject: And Another Reason Not To Take It …
Re:
Paxil: Extroverted Like Me
From:
Stevie D.
Date:
Wed Jan 3  8:00 a.m. PT

  The more shy people, the better. Drivel abounds at every meeting, party and water cooler I’m around. America, take your poor, your tired, your huddled (and stupid) masses and lock them in the basement, out of earshot. I vote for anti-Paxil and less incoherent slobbering.

[Find this post—and additional extra-value political comment— here.]

Subject: The Only Fray Post You’ll Ever Need

Re:
Assessment: President William Jefferson Clinton

From:
History Guy

Date:
 Fri Jan 5  10:05 a.m. PT

Yet again, Kinsley’s minions at Slate show they are totally biased, far to the left/right of America. Why can’t you just report the news, like they do on NPR/FoxNews.

Everyone knows that the strong economy is (proof that Clinton is the best world leader since Hamurabbi) (entirely the accomplishment of Reagan and the House Republicans).

Also, now that W. has won/stolen the election, we should move on to other things.

[Find the full version of this post click here. It’s essential to read the articleto get the point.]

Subject: Best Chance Yet To Come

Re:International Papers: That Was the Year That Was

From: Tom Blair

Date: Thu Dec 28  3:56 p.m. PT

I challenge the widely quoted shibboleth that the waning days of the Clinton administration constitute the best chance of Middle East peace for the Palestinians. The Clinton administration has been far more pro-Israel than any Republican administration could ever be. Far more Jews hold positions of power in the Clinton cabinet than will in a Republican cabinet. Republicans care more about defending America’s borders than they do in interfering in global affairs. The best reason to vote for Bush was his assertion that it’s time America stopped being the world’s policeman.

[Find this post here.]

Subject: Trust God and Weapons

Re:
History Lesson: When Republicans Last Ruled the Earth

From:
Illoe

Date:
Wed Jan 3  9:29 p.m. PT

Not only did Ike fail to oppose Senator McCarthy in his witch hunt, he was also responsible for adding the words “under God” to our pledge of allegiance and putting “In God We Trust” on our currency, even though the elegant “E Pluribus Unum” was yet perfectly serviceable. Recall as well that when the Cold War really got going and we realized we had better trust a bit less in god and a bit more in science, the GOP dropped their passion for proclaiming the Christian character of our nation and started funding weapons research.

[Find this post—and follow a good thread— here.]

Fray Notes

Most Arresting Line in a Fray Post: “As an old farmer who has smelled my share of animal smells, manure, open body cavities at butchering, the smell of decaying animals and a lot more, I am more than just a little amused at all the to-do about antiperspirants.” Bud was writing about “{{No Sweat#95549}},” the article on testing deodorants.

Bud’s description of a hot, sweaty date in the same post reminded us how we love to read details of Fray Readers’ Lives, like Julus Moore’s fascinating description  of being a Marine officer aboard ship, preparing to land in Cuba during the Missile Crisis—posted after the ” Life and Art”  feature on the film Thirteen Days.

Most Interesting Implication About a President: Well, it has nothing to do with anyone who is still alive, but what was that claim about George Washington and his expenses? David Robinson, commenting on the ” Explainer” on presidential salaries, tells all here.

Best Short Post came from Thought Police (great Frayname) who, commenting on the ” Foreigners” item on the International Crime Court , objected to “the utter vagueness and subjectivity of charges such as ‘aggression.’ Puritans had ‘witchcraft’ better defined.”

UnexpectedFray Focus of the Week: the metaphor “comparing oranges and apples” in this “Frame Game.” See notes at the end.

Fray of the Week was the discussion following from Chatterbox’s ” Is Productivity Oversold?—as Mark Sun said, probably because everyone was reading it at work. And we’re still not giving out the name of the poster who said, “A person can consume hundreds of times as much porn today as they could in 1990.” Much better to consume Slate at work.