I didn't read this Globe op-ed on "linguistic paranoia" until yesterday evening. But when I did, my sympathy for the author's goal was pretty much negated by her deeply questionable reasoning.

Nataly Kelly--"a senior analyst with Common Sense Advisory, a market research firm specializing in business globalization"--thinks Americans should learn more languages.

...Tonight at 8 pm on New England Cable News. We'll be discussing coverage of 1. John Edwards' affair and 2. "Clark Rockefeller."

Right now, I plan to say that the press as a whole was too slow to cover Edwards' dalliance. This isn't a private matter: for example, if Edwards' infidelity had become a major story at the beginning of the Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton could be the nominee now rather than Barack Obama.

...Tonight at 8 pm on New England Cable News. We'll be discussing coverage of 1. John Edwards' affair and 2. "Clark Rockefeller."

Right now, I plan to say that the press as a whole was too slow to cover Edwards' dalliance. This isn't a private matter: for example, if Edwards' infidelity had become a major story at the beginning of the Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton could be the nominee now rather than Barack Obama.

I've just now seen this clip of David Gergen referring to the racial subtext of the GOP's Obama-as-narcissist shtick, and all I can say is: kudos to Gergen for bluntly pointing out the racial subtext of these attacks.

If any conservatives read my piece in this week's Phoenix, in which I make much the same argument, they may have dismissed this point as the carping of a liberal partisan.

A strong case can be made for today's effort. First, there's the "Crockefeller" headline, which is just perfect. Then there's the main image. At first, it seems attention-grabbing but somewhat random. Then, though, you read the caption and understand: here's an actual photo of "Clark Rockefeller" acting--which he's been doing his entire life.

It looks that way. Last year, when Barack Obama proposed attacking Al Qaeda targets in Pakistan without Pakistani permission, the president cited that suggestion as proof of Obama's poor judgement. So did John McCain.

Fast forward one year. On Monday, a U.S. missile strike in South Waziristan--which apparently killed a prominent Al Qaeda target--seems to have been executed without Pakistan's approval.

No word yet on whether McCain's changed his mind as well.

It looks that way. Last year, when Barack Obama proposed attacking Al Qaeda targets in Pakistan without Pakistani permission, the president cited that suggestion as proof of Obama's poor judgement. So did John McCain.

Fast foreward one year. On Monday, a U.S. missile strike in South Waziristan--which apparently killed a prominent Al Qaeda target--seems to have been executed without Pakistan's approval.

No word yet on whether McCain's changed his mind as well.

No, this doesn't mean that John Tomase is leaving the Herald. But according to Herald sports editor Hank Hryniewicz, Tomase probably is leaving the Patriots beat.

"That posting is for Rob Bradford's spot," Hryniewicz tells the Phoenix. "I reserve the right to change my mind, of course, but the best guy I see out there to replace Rob on the Red Sox beat is John Tomase.

First off--and by way of a disclaimer--let me say that I'm usually a big Boston.com fan. I think the site's well-presented, and getting more so; I'm a frequent reader; and the Big Picture blog, about which I'll be writing later this week, is just outstanding.

All that said, this Boston.com feature--"Where in the world are the sexiest people?"--is a total hoot.

And the winner is...Republican congressional candidate Nathan Bech, for comedically misrepresenting the comments of his opponent, Democrat John Olver, in a press release titled "Olver to Citizens Facing Cold Winter: Stop Whining."

Check out the first two paragraphs, and you'll see what I mean:

Remember AP reporter Glen Johnson's showdown with Mitt Romney?

At the time, I assumed that Johnson went off on Romney because he was 1) tired and/or in a bad mood and 2) fed up with Romney's shtick. But after reading this fascinating Politico piece on the AP's ongoing re-invention, and the role Washington Bureau chief Ron Fournier is playing therein, I'm not so sure.