Status Updates From When You Ride Alone You Rid...

Before 9/11, it was funny that George Bush didn't know where foreign countries were and who ran them, but it's not so funny now. His pre-9/11 policy on the Middle East-basically, Go ahead, kill each other, I'll be on the ranch-seems a little out of step with the times now. Bill Clinton may have been an evil man who likes the ladies, but he sure got it that ignorant disengagement was not an option in the 21st century.

'We've created a culture that makes caring about anything other than yourself seem like losing.'

'Immediately following 9/11 it was reported that inquiries to military recruitment offices had skyrocketed. The enlistments did not. "Before 9 A.M. you say? Listen, I'm getting beeped on the other line."'

'If you're an American born in the second half of the twentieth century, you're lucky. You've won the world power ball lottery. But have some humility about being born on third base. It might help keep the heat off the rest of us.'

'I will never believe that what happened on 9/11 was justified, or that those people deserved to die, but I sure do understand how carrying on like Americans lives hold more value than lives from anywhere else is annoying...Certainly the media presents it that way...'A cyclone in Bangladesh killed 80,000...TWO were Americans!''

'A true leader now would tell Americans the unpopular truth: that we use too much energy, that we are spoiled children whose appetite for oil is making us weak and vulnerable.'

*Keep in mind this book was written in 2002, SEVENTEEN years ago, and we somehow care even LESS about this now than we did then!

'But the corporate mindset in America isn't really that different from the mayor in JAWS. Yes, there's a shark out there, but don't tell people! Then the worst possible thing will happen, and we'll lose business!'

On the highly trained airport security in Israel vs. American TSA workers: 'These aren't part-time, desultory, GED-hopefuls juggling offers between life and death security work and Arby's--they're educated, astute, professionals, many of whom are ex-army intelligence officers.'

*It's the reason Ben Gurion, Israel's Int. Airport is the safest in the world. El Ar, their carrier? Also the safest in the world.

...why do people act shocked whenever NASCAR drivers get into an accident or die--what?! No! Wow, one minute he's flying around an oil-slicked track at 200 mph, bobbing and weaving between cars, and the next minute: gone! He was standing right next to me an hour ago, and then he got and the car and...fate, huh?

It's a funny thing about Americans, we love to bitch about paying too much for things we really need and are really a bargain, like gas and postage stamps, but we willingly shell out outrageous amounts for unnecessary crap like gourmet coffee and soap to make your crotch smell good. Two dollars a gallon to go ten miles is too much, but five to the parking lot valet to go ten feet is okay.

When asked why people in the Middle East hate us, the correct answer, according John Powers (LA Weekly) as shared by Maher is: 'They hate us because we don't even KNOW why they hate us.'

Indeed.

I hate stupidity, but what I hate even more is when people actually brag about it.