Lets end the year on a be nice to George W. Bush post.
Bryon York

The people who have worked with George W. Bush in the White House for many of these past eight years have seen a different man from the one reflected in so much negative press coverage. And as they prepare to leave on January 20, their feelings for him are, if anything, stronger than when they arrived.

Go read it. I will be lucky enough to meet him next week. And shake his hand and let him know that of all my blog posts, it’s the “I Love George W. Bush Day” one that has gotten the most comments of all.

Happy New Year!

And Still I persist links to a story of two heroes from back in April. God bless their families.

Go ahead Australia, go ahead and ban topless sunbathing strictly for women in order not to offend Muslims and Asians. But then you’d better ban topless sunbathing of men to not offend feminists and while we’re at it, ban the bathing suit entirely because that offends Muslims. And ban skirts, and makeup, and beards, and hats, and piercings and ugly people and beautiful people and dogs and kids and and and and and.

Conservative MP Fred Nile says he wants topless bathing banned in NSW to protect Sydney’s Muslim and Asian communities.

what a dumb shit

I just want to recommend a few things here.

1. Bloodthirstyliberal is a great source for all things Israel. Today Aunt Aggie notes that the Czech Republic (soon to be taking over the presidency of the EU) is backing Israel. Their President is also a global warming skeptic. This is a year of hope and change!

2. Instapundit links to a moral discussion on this war.

3. Darleen at Protein Wisdom notes that Israel is already seeing results.

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah guerrilla — widely seen as the Arab world’s most effective force against Israel — has vowed to support Palestinian ally Hamas under the barrage of Israeli warplanes but has for now held its fire, constrained by its own political goals and fears of mass retaliation.

4. ArabNews excerpts from the Independent a piece that appears to blame both sides. Hmmm.

5. A piece in the Jordan Times blaming the US nevertheless starts out this way:

Israel will never heed the international calls to end its onslaught on Gaza Strip as long as the US maintains that the Jewish state is right in defending itself.

?? Who would say that any state doesn’t have a right to defend itself??

6. Other news stories of the day headline that ISRAEL REFUSES A TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE!! before noting that the ceasefire suggested is completed one sided, while Hamas bombs a kindergarten!

1. Scott has the top 10 news stories of 2008. I agree.

2. This column needs attacking, but I don’t have the time.

Somehow EJ Dionne thinks that the big century bookend we actually lived with really didn’t mean anything and it’s only now that we arrive at the 21st century. You know…with all the hope and change and

rediscover[ing] the imperative of acting in concert with others to build global institutions that strengthen our security and foster our values.

Because Islamic terrorism is not really a threat. Not like a “front line” or the cold war. And our international institutions surely share our values. coughcoughgaggag.

By Dave Barry

Today Thomas Friedman channels Charles Krauthammer.

Friedman in today’s NYTimes:

The public is ready to be mobilized. Obama is coming in with enormous popularity. This is his best window of opportunity to impose a gas tax. And he could make it painless: offset the gas tax by lowering payroll taxes, or phase it in over two years at 10 cents a month.

Krauthammer in a June Washington Post:

Do one thing: Hike the cost of gas until you find the price point.

Unfortunately, instead of hiking the price ourselves by means of a gasoline tax that could be instantly refunded to the American people in the form of lower payroll taxes, we let the Saudis, Venezuelans, Russians and Iranians do the taxing for us — and pocket the money that the tax would have recycled back to the American worker.

Scott at Environment Republican recommended this article on Detroit. Now I do too.

Wow.

(ht BTL

So it’s Saturday after Christmas.
There are a million things to get done.
There is news up the wazoo that you have opinions/thoughts on, but sheesh, you have to get going….

I mean seriously.
Middle East
Israel finally gives Hamas the war they want. The headlines count Palestinian dead without mentioning how Hamas conducted the “peace” until later in the story.

Scores in Gaza Strip Killed in Wave of Israeli Airstrikes
Israeli Defense Minister Says Operations Targeting Hamas Will Be Expanded as Needed

and
Massive Air raids on Gaza

I’m taking bets that our President Elect will call for restraint for Israel.

………………………..
Economy and retail sales
Then you have Mark Steyn writing on how the American people do as Obama requested only to be the cause of the end of the world as we all know it.
Good thing? Bad thing? We’ll wait to hear from Mr. Obama.
……………………..
Self Help
Or an article on women dissing their husbands which only leads to more dissing. Good to know, but no shit sherlock. And men do it too. And it’s pretty much been shown that expressing emotions like rage can steamroll into more of the same, so what is the surprise here?
The news bears bad news. That’s what people read. Conversations bear complaints. That’s what people talk about. You don’t gather together with your buddies at the bar to share how your wife just complemented your lawn mowing. Nor do you gather with the gals at lunch to share how your husband just told you the meal was terrific.
Be nice to people you want to live with and learn how to get back to where you were before the time when you weren’t nice, because it’s going to happen.
(“Yes, I can help your marriage and I can raise your children too”, Terri states with the full confidence of singleness/childlessness!)
………………..
Better living through medication
How about this article on drug enhancement for your brains. I’m not sure how the author can suggest that without mentioning that people did LSD for the same reasons. Just a different part of the brain was enhanced. Which was better?

………………
Heaven
Or this one where apparently the author believes that Christians should believe that belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior is the only way to heaven while not mentioning that God’s grace is just that. Grace. Given at will and not because we do x or believe y.
……………….
For Fun
Or should I just share this painting my mom did for me as a gift this year of my dog Merlin who passed on last April.

…………..
Or maybe I should just put on my shoes and start this day already!
Have a good one.