The Twilight Report

this american life

2008-12-28T16:22:00

If, like me, you listen and enjoy This American Life via the free podcast, please consider making a small donation to them so they can keep it going. TAL is one of the best things on radio, but they don't have it on air here down under, and I know for some of you who are lucky enough to listen to it on the radio it's more convenient to get the podcast.

thislife.org

suck

2007-10-10T02:28:00

I was driving in the car, and listening to the radio today when I was reminded of just how suck radio is in America. Because this radio was actually entertaining. Because I am in Australia. Which is not America. They were talking funny shit about Rudd and Howard. I wish they would just call the election already. It’s too bad they don’t have Halloween in Australia, we could estimate the winner based on sales of Halloween masks of Rudd and Howard like you can with US Presidential candidates.

Early Vowell on TAL

2005-06-09T16:55:00

He's a boy, I'm a girl.
I know better.

Sarah Vowell on This American Life in 1996

Misattributed

2005-04-15T20:32:00

I thought this misattributed quote was appropriate for today:

The only two certainties in life are death and taxes

Benjamin Disraeli (often incorrectly attributed to Mark Twain, who was himself quoting it)

I got into the subject of the misattributed when I was reading the Wikipedia article on Andrew Jackson which says that he never actually said "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it!" The gist of the quote (as I understand it) more or less does express Jackson's actual position. The supreme court sided with the Caerokee and against the state of Georgia, but with deliberate non-intervention by the federal government the Cherokees were eventually removed in the embarrassment which is the Trail of Tears.

I first heard the quote in an episode of This American Life in which Sarah Vowell retraces the Trail of Tears with her sister. It's just disappointing when I find out that a historian that I respect is recycling inaccuracies. In her defense, it is only Wikipedia, so who knows? It might be an accurate quote after all. It's hard to say for sure. "He who controls the present, controls the past." I looked that one up on-line just now. I am sure that isn't quoted correctly either.

Other things misattributed:

"Al Gore said he 'invented the Internet'."

"George Washington said 'I cannot tell a lie. It was I who chopped down the cherry tree.'"

"George Bush said 'The problem with the French is that they don't have a word for entrepreneur.'"