Yahoo! News Headline: "Bush aiming to establish positive legacy"

Perhaps that Bush-Cheney murder-suicide pact is not out of the realm after all!

Here's a letter I would love to get my hands on

Apparently, Republicans in the House of Representatives have shopper's fatigue. It seems they sent their counterparts a letter urging them to "join a bipartisan effort to overhaul earmarks."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/28/sotu.main/index.html

What could this letter have possibly said?

"Dear Democratic Fools: Now that we've spent the last six years spending our money, your money, our citizens' money, China's money, Saudi Arabia's money, and everybody else on this planet's money in an effort to please the constituency whose votes we more-or-less leased the last twelve years, we believe that the time is right to explore more responsible ways of spending other people's money - and, conveniently, blame you for the fraternity house-like condition the United States Congress currently finds itself. Seeing as you've capitulated on every other ridiculous, un-American and self-defeating piece of legislation we've proposed the last seven years, we feel you would be making a humongous mistake by not joining us in our new effort to restrict government spending while blaming the reckless financial behavior of the past seven years on yourselves. Really, it's a win-win situation: we win the 2008 elections by blaming you guys for every irresponsible thing we've done, and then we win again by enslaving you and the American people to do our bidding for at least another two years! Isn't this a great idea? Get back to us as soon as your spine finishes completely disappearing. Sincerely, The Republican Party ps - see you at the telecom retroactive immunity party next week!!!"

But, seriously, people - check out that article at cnn.com. Not once does CNN point out the irony of these efforts by House Republicans and President Bush to initiate spending restrictions in an election year after having spent five years in control of both houses of congress and driving the national debt to record highs in the process. And for President Bush - the most most free-spending, intoxicated sailor ever to hold office - to call for "unprecedented changes" to the way money is directed to legislators' districts and campaign donors is enough to leave even Al Sharpton speechless. The hypocritical irony of demanding such change from somebody who owes his entire freaking life to the charity of his family, friends and donors is so enormous one must wonder whether or not this irony could get lost even on the feeble wit that is George W. Bush.

If you've ever wanted to see a man out-run a sonic boom -

then it looks like Rambo is the movie for you! In addition to Sly Stallone's fleet-footed achievement, the movie also includes the same reaction shot about seven times in a span of five minutes, which might be a new cinema record. Needless to say, I highly recommend this film.

Prompted by a birthday gift -

Duke Ellington's Blues in Orbit - I began to wonder: is there ever a bad time for the music of Duke Ellington? At work or on vacation, elated or despondent, exhausted or just getting started - is there ever a time or place the man's music is not appropriate?