"The man is Ted Baxter."

Did the interviewer ask him about sex tourism in the Dominican Republic?

Rob,

Totally off topic, but you need to know this. As you know, oil hit $144 a barrel today before receding a bit. Interestingly, that's the exact price Osama bin Laden allegedly pegged as being desirable to his goals more than 7 years ago. Here's a NYT story that quotes an expert saying that's exactly the price bin Laden wanted. I don't know what to make of it beyond that, but I thought your readers would find it interesting:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E2DC123FF937A25753C1A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

October 14, 2001
Fears, Again, of Oil Supplies at Risk

By NEELA BANERJEE

THEY are the nightmares, the worst confluence of misguided decisions and startling violence, that politicians and oil executives ponder briefly and then shoo away:
That sympathizers of Osama bin Laden sink three oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and choke off the narrow, bow-shaped channel that funnels 14 million barrels a day from the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world. That the United States attacks Iraq, and Israel launches a huge strike against the Palestinians, driving them from their camps and staking out more land -- all of which spurs the Persian Gulf states to cut off oil for the West. Or perhaps that a popular uprising, led by sympathizers of Mr. bin Laden, topples the ruling Saud family in Saudi Arabia, by far the world's largest oil producer.
''If bin Laden takes over and becomes king of Saudi Arabia, he'd turn off the tap,'' said Roger Diwan, a managing director of the Petroleum Finance Company, a consulting firm in Washington. ''He said at one point that he wants oil to be $144 a barrel'' -- about six times what it sells for now.

May you never have to deal with addiction, lest your throwaway line come back to haunt you.

I have heard alcoholics (I am one) described as egomaniacs with an inferiority complex. A goal in recovery is to get "right sized." Not too big; not too small.

Were you saying that there's something wrong with loving yourself?

I wouldn't have imagined that a failure of self-love was Rush Limbaugh's problem.

You'll recall that Limbaugh was addicted to hydrocodone, which he said he got addicted to as part of treatment for chronic back pain. This is perfectly understandable, and sad. It might well be that Limbaugh has an inferiority complex. But I find it odd that he claims now that he used painkillers to deal with his lack of self-love.

It's plausible to learn that Rush Limbaugh suffered from an inferiority complex. That is what drives many of the most successful people in the world, especially those in show business and the media.

I was impressed, too, by Limbaugh's acknowledgement that personal failure had humbled and mellowed him. While he may a professional success (see today's news about his 8-year, $400 million contract), his multiple marriages indicate that his personal life has been rocky (as is the case with many in show business and the media, like Johnny Carson, Larry King, et. al.).

We should take his statements at face value ... and move on to more important issues. Does it matter what he said about Bill O'Reilly?

Often the most openly confident are the most silently insecure. It's overcompensation, and a bit of hoping to "sum up" the courage to be what they think people expect them to be.

Been there, done that.

You might find it odd, Rod, that Limbaugh (whose program I cannot stand) used narcotics to medicate for masked feelings of inferiority. Anybody who has spent time in those smoky AA meeting rooms would not find it odd at all. I echo the previous comment hoping that you never have to deal with addiction yourself. I find it odd that you seem to be lacking a bit of compassion these days, even for the Limbaughs of the world. Remember St Ephraim the Syrian? "Be kind to all you meet, for everybody is fighting a great battle."

Wow. That is a nuclear takedown. I'll bet Limbaugh only wishes he'd thought of it first.

I am a therapist with 20 years of professional experience at the master's degree level and am an currently finishing up a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, so I gotta chime in here! Inferiority complexes frankly have little clinical relevance. I would say that persons such as Rush may experience depression when a major dissonance exists between their life as lived and their value systems. Rush's use of the word "love" in unfortunate because in therapy what we try to do is facilitate acceptance of the broken self so it can be repaired through compassion and a commitment to change one's behavior. Persons such as Rush develop a sense of self which is attached in some way to negative emotions. Addiction can be considered a form of experiential avoidance, a way to numb oneself to the painful realities of life and painful aspects of the self which the person has carefully constructed through a lifetime of self-deception. The deep irony about the human condition is that we seek to avoid, deny. repress, those very aspects of ourselves which we find so painful, yet we cling to those beliefs and attitudes responsible for our pain. However, learning to truly love and forgive ourselves allows us to become free to face our demons.

As to the Stuart Smally reference, all I can say is I wish therapy could be so trite, so easy, and so painless!!! The process of psychotherapy is analogous to undergoing a root canal or surgery without anesthetic. It is actually a very painful process and many/most people do not have the strength or courage to experience and endure it. The reason we therapists come across as so warm and fuzzy is that it is the only way we can help our clients remain invested in such a difficult process. Otherwise, they would all flee from the consulting room in terror. Give Rush a little credit.

You do know Limbaugh stole that line--his best line in the whole piece--straight from Olbermann's mouth, right?

I won't speak for the Christians, but this Jew would love it if one of my sons grew up and became the next Limbaugh. The man's got his flaws - big whoop, so do we all. That doesn't mean he isn't entitled to his opinions (some of which I agree with, some not). "Master of hate"?? Oh, please, give that a rest - you obviously weren't listening very attentively.

I cannot read this new layout and format; is it just my machine, or is it permanent????

"But I find it odd that he claims now that he used painkillers to deal with his lack of self-love."

Rod, the lack of self-love angle may be news to you and seem like a new explanation but Rush talked about this aspect of his addiction extensively on his program in the days and weeks after he got out of rehab.

Remember St Ephraim the Syrian? "Be kind to all you meet, for everybody is fighting a great battle."

Posted by: Scott Walker | July 2, 2008 9:57 PM

I have seen that quote attributed to Philo of Alexandria and to Plato. I have it on my wall at work (I need reminding) and also on my personal card.

It’s also on my website - www.oldfieldssingers.com

Hey! What did you you do to my favorite morning read? I can't read anything in the dark blue.

Man! That ruins my whole day. :(

Sorry, but I've met plenty of republicans in the rooms of AA. I think, Rod, for all your insight and knowledge, you don't really have an understanding of addiction. Rush (whom I loathe) may have started taking the pain killers for actual pain and then become addicted through a mix of physical dependency and psychological issues.

This stuff is addiction 101.

Rush is Rich.