A Bed of Lilies

Hot dang. Obama sure knows how to warm the cockles of this little feminist's heart. Today he signed his first official piece of legislation, making the Lily Ledbetter Bill a law. (I'm just a bill, only a bill, and I'm sitting here on Capital Hill. You know the words, sing along with me . . .)

While the bill doesn't go so far as to guarantee women be paid the same wage for the same job as a man (a pause as I wipe away a tear for the much maligned Equal Rights Amendment, what an amendment to the Constitution should be, something that GIVES people rights, rather than taking them away), it does give women and others who are discriminated against in their pay longer to take legal action.

Workers now have six months after receiving ANY discriminatory paycheck to bring a lawsuit against an employer. Prior to Ledbetter you only had six months from receiving your FIRST discriminatory paycheck.

Speak Right

January 28

ashfault/asphalt

"Ashfault" is a common misspelling of "asphalt."

from Common Errors in English Usage

REALLY??? WTF????

And in other Common Errors, the correct phrase is "all of A sudden," not "all of THE sudden."

Now you know. Anyone missing my Bush Countdown Desk Calendar yet?

Critter Corner

Yep, folks time to once again put on your Ranger Rick hat. We need to help the wolves. The Bushies did away with protection of wolves in Yellowstone and the Rockies. According to savethewolves.org, Obama has suspended Bush's suspension and now we just have to encourage the government to create a more responsible plan to allow our furry friends to live in harmony with us bipeds.

Strange Days

Damn skippy the world is a strange, strange place. I had a craptastic evening like I expected and woke up to drizzle and a continuing foul mood, like a bad hangover that no amount of tylenol and greasy food will shake. I went off on a rant about the unsafe conditions at our local mall and how people just needed to be civilized. The spouse told me I was angry. Like his mother angry.

While I love me some good righteous indignation, I do not want to be bitter, old woman angry. I long for crotchitiness in my old age ala "I'm an old southern woman, we are supposed to grow things and wear funny hats," but not "I watch Cavutto at 4pm and rail against anyone that Bill O'Reilly casts his beady eye against."

So I vowed as I left the house to suck it up and be happy, even if I wasn't. To smile at people and force myself to be in a good mood. And then I read my horoscope at work a moment ago:

If you wake up in a blue mood, remember that you can turn things around just by willing them to be different. You can make yourself start feeling good as soon as you start thinking good thoughts! Toss out your worries, your fears, and your preoccupation with unconstructive things. It's important to feel your feelings and give yourself time to process them, but there comes a point when you just have to say 'no' to negative thinking. To help switch your emotional gears, watch a sitcom or visit with a funny friend.

Yes gentle readers, the world is a strange place, but methinks this is a slap in the face from the gods for me to straighten up and fly right. Now if I could just remember which closet I locked that damn pollyanna in . . .

It's the End of the World As We Know It . . .

And I feel like shit. There I said it. Pollyanna is on vacay today and my mood is sour, sour, sour. It is raining. I am hungry. And I have a heinous meeting tonight that I have been dreading for weeks. Perhaps tomorrow I will hoist up my bra straps and get back on my happy horse, but not today folks.

Let's start with yesterday's layoffs. Anytime someone, anyone gets laid off it sucks. No matter what your back up plan, no matter how prepared you are, even if you know it is nothing personal or at all related to your job performance it sucks. It sucks financially, it sucks for your self-esteem, and it certainly doesn't make our economy any better. (Maybe I should have titled this post "It Sucks"—that seems to be my true theme here.)

How many got the axe yesterday when Microsoft, Caterpillar, Home Depot, Sprint and the merging Wyeth and Pfizer, among others, lowered the boom? According to AP about 40,000. Lovely. And in that 40,000 were three of my friends. They were three of 10 who got laid off at one of my previous employers. I have had friends laid off before, and while I know that three or 10 seems like chump change in comparison to 40,000, I knew most of these people and that makes it all different. Everything is relative gentle readers.

And what is best served with a delicious main course of "It Sucks?" Why a healthy spoonful of "We Know It Sucks," as consumer confidence declined again in January (wonder how much lower the numbers would be if the stats had come out after people knew about all the layoffs?) Did I mention I was hungry?

Meanwhile, the GOP bone heads in Congress are trying to rally support to block Obama's economic stimulus plan. Dang. I sure do hope John Boehner (or as I like to call him Boner) have some money socked away in their mattress's for a rainy day. I wonder how many of his (and the other Republicans) constituents have been hit by yesterday's layoffs and are desperately looking for something, anything to give them some hope or a way to keep their families feed and sheltered? I wonder if they will like that the GOP is trying to block the new administration's efforts to help? I wonder if they wouldn't like an explanation from the previous Congress and administration on where exactly that previous bailout money went? It isn't like the banks are giving loans to average folks like me these days. Hell no. They are too busy giving back door bonuses to their high dollar employees like Merrill Lynch did before their buyout by Bank of America went through. Classy, real classy folks.

Forgive my ranting, but it makes me angry and I don't know what to do with my anger. (If you can id the movie I stole that line from, I might just smile a little today. Maybe.)

Rush's Rant

I do not and will never understand the appeal of Rush Limbaugh. To me, the man is vile and endemic of what is so wrong with conservatives. Rush had this to say the other day:

My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds. We've got to give him a chance.' Why? They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated, the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I'm not talking about search-and-destroy, but I've been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don't want them to succeed.

On one hand I am forced to agree with Rush. I did hope that Bush would fail. No let me rephrase that, I KNEW Bush would fail. His policies were not about looking out for the best interests of the majority, they were exclusionary and meant to divide rather than unite us as Americans. So Rush's basic premise is accurate, but there is a bit more going on here, obviously.

First, Obama and Bush are not only different men from different parties with different belief systems and different goals, but Obama is president during a time that is dramatically different than the one in which Bush became our commander in chief.  Bush inherited from the Clinton Administration a country in really pretty good shape, both in terms of our economy and our perception in the world. Obama has not been gifted with either of these luxuries. America's reputation around the world is in shreds and our economy continues to spiral down. (Is it just me or does it remind you of those nightmares where you are falling and there is no bottom?)

What this means is Bush failing and Obama failing as president become two entirely different matters. Of course, Bush's failures have led us to this situation that somehow, someway, Obama must resolve. But if Obama fails, what does that mean for America and Americans?

And the bigger question here, in relation to Mr. Limbaugh, is how DARE he be so cavalier with the future of our country? I am sure I am not alone with any of you gentle readers in personally being affected by this seemingly, over night breakdown of our economy. I have my own woes, which are slight in comparison to the woe's of my friends who have been left without jobs, health care, etc. as a result of the greed of bankers, brokers and their ilk.

I am quite comfortable in apologizing for my part in creating this mess by wishing Bush would fail. But I can not abide the thought that someone would wish for Obama to fail, guaranteeing a further decline for our country. That is truly unamerican and Rush should be ashamed.

Sound Bytes

A selection of my favorite comments, quotes, meanderings from yesterday's festivities:

"The challenges we face are real," he said. "They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America—they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord."

President Obama

"A farmer considers the changing sky/ A teacher says, 'Take out your pencils, begin.'"

Elizabeth Alexander, Inaugural Poet

"Later I asked Hughley why we're all so invested in the Obamas' relationship, our focus on their "first dance" like that at a wedding. "I know why I am – because I've seen that in my own life, and on the Cosby Show, but I've never seen it represented that way in public life." Confession: I am paraphrasing that, because he was actually interviewing me, and I didn't have a notebook. But that was his point, and I know he's right."

Joan Walsh, Salon Editor in Chief

"People watched the big screen and when Mrs. Obama appeared, there was a roar, and when the Current Occupant and Mr. Cheney came out of the Capitol, a low and heartfelt rumble of booing. Dignified booing. Old black ladies around me tried to shush them -- "Don't do that!" they hissed -- but it's a democracy, and how will those men know how we feel if we don't tell them?"

Garrison Keillor, writer

"Obama arrived in the Oval Office at 8:35 a.m., according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. The president spent 10 minutes alone, reading a note left for him in the desk by outgoing President George W. Bush. The note had been placed in an envelope with a note saying: 'To: # 44, From: # 43.'"

CNN

So it begins.

Parting Shot

From the last page of my George W. Bush Out of Office Countdown desk calendar:

"I hope you leave here and walk out and say, 'What did he say?'"

—Beaverton, Oregon, 2004

Righteous Anger

I have been trolling through some of the pre-Inauguration coverage and I have two vastly different points of view that I want to highlight for the moment.

First, over the weekend I happened to catch a snippet of FoxNews talking about the upcoming event and the anticipated crowd, and with that the possible security problems. I can't remember which Fox talking head said this, but this white male commented that during the Million Man March there was a large crowd and there were security issues. OHMYGOD—really? This jack-off had to go back 13 years to find a large event that had security problems in DC and it just happened to be an event with a majority of black people?

(An aside, CSPAN this morning was asking callers if MLK's dream/legacy had been fulfilled. Obviously for those at FoxNews the answer is a resounding no.)

The second thing that sparked my interest was something I read on Joan Walsh's blog at Salon: "When the openly gay [Eugene] Robinson called on God to "bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people," I knew we're not in Dick Cheney's America any more." Amen to that sister.

I agree that we should be angry that there is discrimination in our own country and around the world. All HUMANS are equal and my hope is that tomorrow takes us on the first step of a long overdue journey to realize that fact. For everyone.

Speak Right

From January 12—

Degree Titles

When you are writing phrases like "bachelor's degree," "masters of arts degree," and "doctor of philosophy degree" use all lower-case spelling. Less formally, these are often abbreviated to "bachelor's," "master's," and "doctorate." The only time to capitalize the spelled-out forms of degree names is when you are specifying a particular degree's name: "Master of English Composition." However, abbreviations BA, MA, and PhD are all capitalized. In modern usage periods are not usually added.

From January 13–

Female vs. Woman

It may be inconsistent, but the pattern of referring to females as women performers, professionals, etc. is very traditional, dating back at least to the 14th century. People who do this cannot be accused of committing an error.

Hear That?

It is the sound of my heart breaking . . .

Early this week, as part of Delurking Day, I implored you my gentle readers to let me know who you were. According to my blog numbers, there has been about 120 visitors this week and only two of you bothered to give me a shout out (and thank you for that, but I knew both CK and Sweet T were followers).

It's not to late to restore my faith in humanity. If you read and have never made yourself known before, just say hi. I would be ever so grateful.

No Vacancy

This lovely locale is Blair House. It is across the street from the White House and is used as the guest house for the President and the White House. Traditionally the president-elect and his family stay in the house prior to the inauguration. The Obama's asked to start their stay several days earlier than usual to accommodate his daughter's and their new school schedule.

Alas, the house was already slated to be used by the former prime minister of Australia, as well as for several receptions. So the Obamas stayed at the Hays-Adams Hotel until Blair House became available for them today.

Obama's team said it was fine, yada yada, but I think this is a rather tacky snub on the part of the White House and the Republicans. Would it have been so bad to ask the FORMER prime minister to stay somewhere else?

Final Farewell

For 2, 915 days I have been awaiting the time when I could bid George W. Bush a final adieu. With only five days in his presidency remaining, I have started waking up in a cold sweat, filled with fear that he will refuse to leave or something equally dastardly. (Ok, I am not really waking up in a cold sweat, but I put nothing past this man, or more specifically his puppet master, Cheney, but more on Lord Vader in a moment.)

Tonight, Bush will address the nation, part of this week's veritable pantheon of farewell addresses. For my own sanity, I may have to skip this one. I have long ago given up watching his State of the Union addresses and the like, simply because my weak and aged heart can not stand the driving, thrust of my increased blood pressure.

So I must confess I didn't see the entire final press conference that Bush gave on Monday, but the delightful snippets I have caught on the news and other venues have been enough to create a mild ventricular arrhythmia. Bush was at times defiant (to be expected and his favorite way of addressing the media), petulant (my personal fave in his emotional arsenal), and simply insane. Some highlights (per Yahoo News):

• DEFIANT—He particularly became indignant when asked about America's bruised image overseas."I disagree with this assessment that, you know, that people view America in a dim light," he said. "It may be damaged amongst some of the elite. But people still understand America stands for freedom."
• PETULANT—He went on to mock the way some describe the job."I believe the phrase 'burdens of the office' is overstated," he said. "You know, it's kind of like, `Why me? Oh, the burdens, you know. Why did the financial collapse have to happen on my watch?' It's just pathetic, isn't it, self-pity? And I don't believe that President-elect Obama will be full of self-pity."
• INSANE—He also cited the abuses found to have been committed by members of the U.S. military at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq as "a huge disappointment.""I don't know if you want to call those mistakes or not, but they were — things didn't go according to plan, let's put it that way," Bush said.

Disappointment or disappointing seemed to be Bush's watchword for the entire affair. For analysis of that, I must bow to Jon Stewart's greater skill (this is about an 8 minute clip and the best part starts around 3.30 minutes in)

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Six Days Seven Nights

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

I think that Jon Stewart is right, Bush needs to redefine the word "disappointment." But then Bush has never understood nuance. 

And now for a bit on Cheney. He too has been pounding the media pavement of late, tossing bon mots about the way he usually throws around buck shot and pace makers.  The transcript from last night's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and some fun bits:

• ON MISTAKES MADE—That is, we thought that the Iraqis would be able to bounce back fairly quickly, once Saddam was gone and their new government established, and step up to take major responsibilities for governing Iraq, building a military and so forth. And that took longer than I expected.
• ON THE IRAQ WAR—(Question)But Mr. Vice President, getting from there to here, 4,500 Americans have died, at least 100,000 Iraqis have died. Has it been worth that?  (Cheney) "I think so."

How many hours in five days  . . .

Quote of the Day

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Edmund Burke—author, orator, reformer—born in Dublin today in 1729.

Delurk Already

Show yourselves already, ye of the 10,000 visitors. If you are brave enough that is . . . Just say hi, or tell me why you stopped by, what you would like to read about, why you think I am wrong, crazy, insane or idiotic (try to be polite please). Whatever, just say something.

Pretty please???? If I tell you my birthday is this week, does that give you any incentive? Consider it a present to me.

Cheap Equals Bad

This will come as no surprise to regular readers, I am not ecstatic that gas and oil prices are dropping (see previous post here). But today I read something that only backed up my feelings of dread on this subject. Here are a few snippets from Michael Klare's article that appeared on Salon explaining the problems with cheap oil:

1. The Price of Oil Will Remain Low Until It Begins to Rise Again. I know, I know: This sounds totally inane. It's just that there's no other way to put it. The price of oil has essentially dropped through the floor because, in the past four months, demand collapsed due to the onset of a staggering global recession. It is not likely to approach the record levels of spring and summer 2008 again until demand picks up and/or the global oil supply is curbed dramatically. At this point, unfortunately, no crystal ball can predict just when either of those events will occur.
   
2. When Prices Do Rise Again, They Will Rise Sharply. At present, the world enjoys the (relatively) unfamiliar prospect of a global oil-production surplus, but there's a problematic aspect to this. As long as prices remain low, oil companies have no incentive to invest in costly new production ventures, which means no new capacity is being added to global inventories, while available capacity continues to be drained. Simply put, what this means is that, when demand begins to surge again, global output is likely to prove inadequate. As Ed Crooks of the Financial Times has suggested, "The plunging oil price is like a dangerously addictive painkiller: short-term relief is being provided at a cost of serious long-term harm."
   
3. Low Oil Prices Like High Ones Will Have Significant Worldwide Political Implications. The steady run-up in oil prices between 2003 and 2008 was the result of a sharp increase in global demand as well as a perception that the international energy industry was having difficulty bringing sufficient new sources of supply online. Many analysts spoke of the imminent arrival of "peak oil," the moment at which global output would commence an irreversible decline. All this fueled fierce efforts by major consuming nations to secure control over as many foreign sources of petroleum as they could, including frenzied attempts by U.S., European, and Chinese firms to gobble up oil concessions in Africa and the Caspian Sea basin.
   

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

I am almost mute with shock and fury over the stupidity (or ignorance—I mean you have to wonder, is it because people aren't intelligent or they just don't know any better) displayed in these two news stories I just read:

6-year-old brings loaded handgun to Calif.school

La. sitter charged with baby's death in dryer

In both I have to wonder, what the hell? For the former, this just further solidifies why I think that having guns in your home is a tragic, senseless, irresponsible decision—especially hand guns and anything loaded. If you have to have a gun or rifle or shotgun, keep it unloaded for pity's sake and the bullets far, far away from any little fingers. I have no objection to people having a rifle or shotgun for hunting, although I do not personally like it (disclaimer, the spouse does have a rifle for hunting and I grew up around this, so I am not a crazy, never seen a gun, yet despise them nut, I have seen them, touched them, shot them and still hate them). Having a loaded gun in your car or home is only asking for trouble.

The latter story just makes me weep. Dear lord, how stupid and clueless was this babysitter to think that was an okay thing? I want to ask if she was raised right or if she just isn't bright. That is simply unconsciousable behavior and if the claim is true, simply appalling. I feel for the family that lost the child and for the babysitter when she finally realizes the horror of what she has done, if she ever does.

Speak Right

Yesterday's Common Error calendar page was one that I have in fact struggled with in the past—wile away/while away.

The traditional phrase is "While away the time." Some dictionaries accept the illogical "wile away," but it is distinctly less standard.

While I am all for being less standard in daily life, when it comes to language, I try (though often fail) to rise above the huddled masses. So go forth gentle readers and while away your Friday . . .

The Purpose Driven Lie

With the holidays and all I sort of missed making much of a fuss over the whole Rick Warren-as-invocation-speaker-for-Obama's-inauguration thing. Part of this was laziness and part of it was not being entirely sure where I stand. My heart said that this was a dumbass move, one that not only showed disrespect to the gays and feminists who had supported Obama, but one that also disproportionately kowtowed to the religious right. But then my head (with a loud supporting chorus from the spouse) suggested laying off, it was only the invocation speaker, really not that big a deal and was merely representative of Obama's trying to reach across the so-called aisle, as politicians simply LOVE to say and occasionally actually do.

Then last night I read this week's Newsweek and its religious column by Jonathan Darman espousing the belief that Rick Warren is no Billy Graham (duh, a thousand times duh, not that Graham is totally without issues, either in my book) and that this was what made the decision ok. Or at least that is my takeaway. But then Darman said this:

With the Inaugural invitation, and the subsequent controversy, Obama has assured conservatives that he respects their point of view.

Which pretty much set me off again, down the road my heart had initially wanted me to take. Why, oh why, should anyone show respect to the views of uber conservatives? It isn't like they respect liberals' views on abortion or equal pay or gay marriage. Believe in any of those three and you are surely doomed to hell in their eyes. As I see it, aside from the pay equity thing, these issues really have no affect on conservatives. Abortions matter to the people getting abortions, gay marriage matters to the gays or lesbians entering into those unions, neither one affects my family, my lifestyle or my marriage. Then you have equal pay, something that could actually raise the standard of living for many Americans, both liberal and conservative, although it could admittedly cost companies and businesses more.

I know this opinion isn't very open minded of me, but I just have a hard time reconciling the idea of a man of God being so unforgiving as Warren is on the idea of gays. So many of the views that modern evangelicals take seem to be the antithesis of what Jesus himself taught—loving your neighbor, caring for those less fortunate than you, refusing to judge. God knows I am far from a Biblical scholar, but aren't these some of the basic tenets of Christianity??

Salon reported back in December about some changes to Warren's Saddleback Church's Web site. (Can we just take a moment gentle readers and discuss the ludicrousness of that name? All I can think about is Brokeback Mountain of which I am certain they do not want people to think of, or the cowboy-ish feel of the name and the fact that their is nothing about Orange County, California where the church is located that strikes me as particularly John Wayne-esque.) 

The removed language? "Someone unwilling to repent of their homosexual lifestyle would not be accepted at [sic] a member of Saddleback." The site also described homosexuality as "an enormous sin." Lovely showing of tolerance there folks, is that what Jesus would do?

Regardless, Warren will speak, feathers will get ruffled and most likely a day later it will all be forgotten, as our country and Obama gets down to the serious business of fixing what Bush has broken. And for that, Obama will most certainly need Jesus, God and the whole chorus of heavenly host, because the U.S. is in the most unholiest of messes—something my heart and head are in total agreement on.

And Baby Makes You Miss Prom

Teen pregnancy seems to be getting quite the PR boost these days with former Republican VP candidate Palin's daughter giving birth to Root or Trapper Keeper or whatever she called her redneck-to-be spawn, as well as the birth last year of the next generation of Spears' ala Britney's little sister.

And today, the CDC has released the latest breakdown on the numbers for teen pregnancy. You may or may not remember that for the first time in 15 years teen pregnancy rates went up last year. Yeah abstinence only education! The latest info gives a state by state breakdown, showing that in 26 of our nation's 50 states, teen pregnancy rates were on the increase. Which youngin's are going at it hardest, and apparently without wearing their raincoat, you may ask? Yep, the South and Southwest. See we always told you the South would rise again, if through no other means than sheer numbers.

I don't give two hoots what your religious beliefs are, all kids, at some point, get curious about the horizontal mambo. Please, that is just human nature. What keeps them from potentially destroying their lives by this curiosity is twofold in my opinion: a family that is there for them and honest about the birds and bees; and real information, advice and instruction from their educational system.

God knows we load our teachers up with too many responsibilities in terms of parenting our children, but I don't think we need to start lightening that load by asking them to cut out sex ed. For some kids, those videos of Captain Condom and the horrifying demonstrations with a banana may be the only honest talk they here about sex and its ramifications. I just hope that our government and our educators start to see the light on this subject, before they are bemoaning a higher drop out rate as well, as these young people leave school for the "real world" of parenting and all the responsibilities that come with that.

UPDATE: Salon (via Amy Benfer) has remarked on this and the spate of news coverage saying teen pregnancy has been glamorized by the likes of Jamie Lynn Spears, the movie Juno, etc. That wasn't my point at all. I don't think the media has anything to do with this. I highly doubt some 15 year old in Oxford, Mississippi is saying to herself "Gosh if it is good enough for Jamie Lynn Spears, its good enough for me!" and going out and finding a willing boy to procreate with.

All Creatures Great and Small

Today's news wire showed an interesting tidbit, apparently Bush managed to do ONE good thing for the environment during his eight-year tenure—protecting more ocean area than any other president.

Which dove tails nicely with the Writer's Almanac email I received for today that mentioned the following:

British zoologist and writer Gerald Durrell worked for a while collecting animals for zoos, but his methods clashed with the zoology ideas of the day — he wanted to get rare animals and increase their populations, not just get the showy animals that people would pay a lot of money to see.

Gerald Durrell wrote a letter to seal in a time capsule, and he said: "The world is to us what the Garden of Eden was supposed to be to Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were banished, but we are banishing ourselves from our Eden. The difference is that Adam and Eve had somewhere else to go. We have nowhere else to go. We hope that by the time you read this you will have at least partially curtailed our reckless greed and stupidity. If we have not, at least some of us have tried. … All we can say is learn from what we have achieved, but above all learn from our mistakes, do not go on endlessly like a squirrel in a wheel committing the same errors hour by hour day by day year after year century after century as we have done up to now. We hope that there will be fireflies and glow-worms at night to guide you and butterflies in hedges and forests to greet you. We hope that there will still be the extraordinary varieties of creatures sharing the land of the planet with you to enchant you."

Obviously, Durrell was a wee bit optimistic in his hopes that his fellow humans would learn from their environmental mistakes. Heck, we can't seem to learn when it hits our pocketbooks, like it did last fall with gas (prices are rising and expected to go higher again and OPEC is threatening production cuts). So it is highly unlikely we have learned much about being kind to the lesser creatures on our planet.

Reign of Error

Robin Williams has a point, Bush has been a boon to comedians, but I think they will survive.

15 Days and Still Counting

While I technically have a new desk calendar (Common Errors in English Usage—yes it is time for Broad to spiff up the 'ole grammar credentials) there are still sheets left in the much loved George W. Bush Out of Office Countdown desk calendar.

And here is a doozy from Christmas Day to honor former Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove on his 58th birthday:

As people do better, they start voting like Republicans—unless they have too much education and vote Democratic . . .

So here's hoping people actually do better and for more people with too much education in the New Year.

The Long Cold Wait

I know that the posts of late have not been what you would call substantial, but that gentle readers is about to end.

Often, when on vacation, cut off from the "real world" I find myself thinking 'This is good. I could do this forever. No news, no current events, no gossip, no scandals, no tragedies.' And then in one night I have dreams that Ben Franklin is a pedophile and that I am trapped in the FOXNews headquarters (just as possible examples, mind you) and I realize that while my conscious thinks it can quit the real world, my subconscious knows better. So here is hoping that today's post brings a dreamless night of repose.

Which brings me to Bill Richardson's withdrawal as incoming Secretary of Commerce. Now I might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but something smells fishy to me and it ain't exactly week old sushi. I liked Richardson for the most part, not for president mind you, but he seemed like a decent politician, as those sorts go, and the beard, frankly endeared him to me even more (yes I have a thing for facial hair, I blame Grizzly Adams). So what am I missing that he thinks this investigation, for which he claims to have done nothing wrong, would hamper his confirmation in a Congress that is, for all extents and purposes, ruled by fellow Dems? I mean I applaud selflessness, but I didn't think it was a quality most politicians had in abundance.

Something tells me we will be hearing more dirt about all of this before it is all over.