Tucson, AZ

Hanging out in Tucson with friends, Eric and Brian. We went to the Sonoran Desert Museum's gem show yesterday and spent about two and a half hours browsing, gawking and buying. Now every countertop in their home is laden with boxes of specimens. Fun, fun, fun.

We're enjoying Seven Cups Tea House, the museum and I'm up each day to read by the pool and to listen to the golfers swear on the court nearby.

Goodbye, George

But all in all, it's been a fabulous year for Laura and me."

Quote from December 2001, just three months after 3,000 people lost their lives in the World Trade Center.

What a wonderfully sensitive and in-touch president he's been.

Whew. It's over.

"Then you wake up at the high school level and find out that the illiteracy level of our children are appalling."

"You know when I campaigned here in 2000, I said, I want to be a war president. No president wants to be a war president, but I am one."

"More Muslims have died at the hands of killers than--I say more Muslims--a lot of Muslims have died--I don't know the exact count--at Istanbul. Look at these different places around the world where there's been tremendous death and destruction because killers kill."

-George Bush

"Dick Cheney and I do not want this nation to be in a recession. We want anybody who can find work to be able to find work."

Bushisms

Although his days are numbered, President Bush's quotations will surely continue to amuse for generations. As you know, I've been including Quotes of the Day in the righthand column. But, as election day draws near, I'm posting some on this side of the page.

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

Films

Must See: "Au Revoir Les Enfants", by Louis Malle (see "What I'm Watching" in column to the right.)

Also, "Madame Tutli-Putli". Those Canadians know how to do animation!

Kindle: Amazon's Revolutionary Wireless Reading Device

Okay, they're kidding, right? Wouldn't that be called a "book"?

More Info

While I'm posting about Bush and world consumption, I thought I'd add an educational history comparison of Sarah Palin with Barack Obama. I know. That's a silly comparison, but someone the other day told me that they believed these two politicians were pretty much intellectually and experiencially equal.

Sarah Palin, education:

• Hawaii Pacific University, freshman year (1982)
• North Idaho College, majoring in general studies for two semesters (spring/fall 1983)
• University of Idaho, majoring in journalism and broadcast news for one year (fall 1984/spring 1985)
• Matanuska-Susitna College, for one semsester (fall 1985)
• University of Idaho, to graduate with journalism degree (spring/fall 1986, spring 1987)

(source: One, Two.)

Barack Obama, education:

• Occidental College Columbia University, B.A. (1983)
• Harvard Law School (1991, magna cum laude and president of the Harvard Law Review)

(source: One, Two.)


Sarah Palin, experience:

• Mayor of Wasilla (pop. 5, 469 in 2000) from 1996-2002
• Governor of Alaska from 2006-2008

(source: One, Two.)

Barack Obama, experienc:

• University of Chicago Law School, professor of law (1992-2004)
• Illinois State Senator (1997-2004)
• United States Senator (2005-2008, serving on these committees: Foreign Relations, Environment and Public Works, Veterans' Affairs, Health Education Labor and Pensions, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs)

(source: One.)

Bush on the Iraq War:

There were no weapons of mass destruction.

Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11.

(See presidential broadcast.)

By Contrast...

Here's a remarkable achievement by our current president:

Huge Oceanic Preservation

Hooray!

Start the Year with Some Perspective

The United States of America constitutes 5% of the world's population. We use:

• 25% of the world's oil (China is next highest at 8.3%)


• 159 gallons of water per person per day (world average is 25 gallons)


• 31% of all nuclear energy (France is next highest at 16.5%)


• 23.3% of the world's coal (China is higher at 28.7%, India follows the U.S.A. at 7.4%)


• 123 kg of meat per person per year (Germany is next highest at 86 kg)

Happy New Year!