Thank You, President Bush

I'd been trying to think of how to phrase my thoughts about the eight years President Bush was in office.  I came across a post on National Review's web site that really mirrored my own thoughts.  That post is quoted below in its entirety.  You can read the original here.

Thanking President Bush
by Peter Wehner (1/20/09)

Among the things President Bush's fellow citizens should thank him for:

* Defeating Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.

* Keeping America safe in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, when virtually no one thought such a thing was possible. In achieving this, President Bush fulfilled the first duty of his office.

* Correcting earlier (and significant) mistakes in Iraq and supporting the surge when almost everyone — the American people, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the commanding general in Iraq, all Democrats, and many Republicans — opposed his efforts. This was a textbook example of leadership and wise decision-making in the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

* Leading efforts that led to a humiliating defeat for al-Qaeda in Iraq and, more broadly, to militant Islam being on the defensive throughout much of the world, including the Arab world.

* Liberating more than 50 million people from two of the most malevolent regimes in modern history.

* Standing with Israel against its enemies and having the wisdom to declare he would not deal with Yasir Arafat.

* Adding two outstanding Justices to the Supreme Court and appointing first-rate federal judges.

* Championing a culture of life and the global AIDS initiative.

* Cutting taxes several times and never, not even once, raising them.

* Putting in place the most far-reaching reforms in education in generations, which insisted on accountabilty, high standards, and produced positive results.

* Restoring dignity to the Oval Office, acting with civility and grace, loving his country, and serving her well.

Full of Hopiness & Changiness

I don't know about you, gentle reader, but like so many, many others in this country, I am just filled to overflowing with hopiness and changiness.  I'm drinking the coolaid, eating the ice cream, and it is good.  So very good.  Yessirree!

editor's note.  Below are some word definitions.

hopiness... the quality of believing concepts one wishes or hopes to be true, rather than in facts

changiness... the qualitiy of believing that change, regardless of the details or the exact nature of that change, is A GOOD THING^®

Master of the Macabre 200th Anniversary

Edgar Allan Poe was born 200 years ago today, on January 20, 1908.

What is probably his most well-known work, the poem The Raven, was the first poem I actually liked.  Perhaps due to my, at the time, fascination with Vincent Price movies.  Remember The Abominable Dr. Phibes? He was awesome! But I digress.

Poe invented detective stories as we know them, influencing that genre so heavily that the Mystery Writers of America named their awards, the Edgars, after him.  He is also believed to have strongly influenced science fiction writing.  And, of course, Gothic horror stories.

A typical feature of Poe's stories was his ability to create an emotional tone, an atmosphere, that permeated the story.  Good examples of this are The Fall of the House of Usher and The Pit and the Pendulum.

So, boys and girls, if you ever find yourself having trouble getting to sleep, be sure to reach for your Edgar Allan Poe anthology.  I recommend The Masque of the Red Death.  Hmmm... On the hand, may be you shouldn't read that just before sleeping.

Happy New Year, Muppet Style

Funny Day-After-Christmas Videos

Beaker's Ode to Joy

Beaker from the Muppets tries to play Beethoven’s Ode To Joy but predictably everything blows up around his ears.



Korean Drummer Steals The Show

Watch the drummer in the background. His crowning moment is at 3:01. Make sure you’re not drinking anything at that point or you’ll choke on it.



The Blue Danube Waltz

Back to the Muppets again. The Blue Danube Waltz as conducted by The Great Gonzo and featuring the lovely Camilla.