Rex Murphy

Journalism and "news" have never been my thing. I read newspapers and magazines more because they're lying around than for any real desire to be reminded about the latest public outrage. If I see the letters "HST" (I apologize, dear reader), I flip the page. The same goes for Gordon Campbell. Letters to the Editor are vaguely interesting, and indicate slightly more intelligence on the part of the writers than say, Youtube comments, but in general, they aren't really worth reading either. There is always that danger of being sucked into the general idiocy yourself. After all, you could be reading Rex Murphy instead.

I don't really know who he is. Well, yes I do. According to the book, he's Canadian. On the downside, he's not a Christian, and he looks like the human incarnation of all the collective grumpiness of the world's old people:

In one sense, Mr. Murphy does the same thing as the papers by getting involved in public outrage at all. His best redeeming quality is more than that we can identify with him (because, secretly, we can't help getting emotionally involved in most arguments). He can write. When I picked up his book Points of View, it was in the same way I tend to pick up the local paper: disinterestedly. I flipped to a random section and started on what turned out to be the most caustic, witheringly sarcastic article I'd ever read. It was called "Air Rage? Nope, Just Another Fool." After a few more articles, I found that Murphy doesn't mince words. He rhetorically annihilates. I quote:

"Let us not prissify the world and life. Let us not confect dainty and trendy terms to 'explain' what does not need explanation. The loudmouth two rows in front of you berating the stewardess (please, not 'cabin attendant' - this is a plane, not a fishing lodge) hasn't got a 'condition.' And the lunatic who nearly side-swiped you is not suffering from 'road rage.' He's a little coward who's convinced that his car and anonymity morphs him into Clint Eastwood on wheels." (page 72)

Right (and often wrong), Murphy is at least clever and entertaining. And his stubborn resistance to political correctness (see section "The Politics of Language" for some great articles) is almost endearing.
I suggest picking up the book and beginning with "Cellphones" and "Is There a Gender Doctor in the House?" "The Blue Box of Paradise" is also worth your time.