East is East & West is to the Left

Check out this line from the New York Times

“The president was at the farthest western extremity of Indonesia, in Papua, when the tsunami struck. The president flew directly from there to the disaster scene on the second day.”

Huh? The “western extremity”? I’ve got a news flash for the foreign desk @ the NYT, when you look at a typical map with north at the top, East is to your right! This is the second slipup in two days. They also described the Abraham Lincoln as being east of Banda Aceh in the Indian Ocean! Once again, look at a map. The Indian Ocean is to the left.

Could it be that the New York Times does not recognize its leftward bias because it cannot tell left from right?

Update 1/3/05 10:02 AM - Oh my God! I just realized I'm channeling Bob Hope!

East is east and west is west. And the wrong one I have chose

Let's go where I'll keep on wearin' Those frills and flowers and buttons and bows...

"Buttons and Bows" from The Paleface

Update 1/4/05 9:23 AM - How come Leonardo didn't include a copy of this poster of
Jane Russell as Calamity Jane in The Aviator. And where was Bob Hope in his movie?