Karen Hughes to leave State Department

Long-time Bush confidante Karen Hughes (below)



will be leaving the State Department soon to return to Texas. I think we can all agree she has done a bang-up job of improving our image in the Arab world.

It's the new math

In an AP article about Pat Leahy saying he'd vote against the confirmation of Michael Mukasey for AG (causing the pre-adolescent we've got in the Oval Office to threaten to take his government and go home):

Leahy became the firth of the panel's 10 Democrats so far to say they will not support him.

The Firth of Forth?

I'm not sure how to interpret this

CNN.com has an article about inflation, and how it affects investments. In the article, they have a little graphic comparing the cost of things in 1972 to the cost today and what the cost would be today, adjusted for inflation. If today's cost is less than the inflation-adjusted cost, it's a good value, if it's more, it's a bad value. One of the comparisons they make is Presidential salaries:

Richard Nixon's salary in 1972: $200,000
George W. Bush's salary in 2007: $400,000
Nixon's salary, adjusted for inflation: $996,645.94

So W is a good value relative to Nixon? Is that a good thing? I'm confused.

Sing-a-long Thursday

From USAToday

Some things in life are bad,
They can really make you mad.
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle,
Don't grumble, give a wistle!
And this'll help things turn out for the best...
And...

...always look on the bright side of life!
(whistle)

Always look on the bright side of life...
If life seems jolly rotten,
There's something you've forgotten!
And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing,

When you're feeling in the dumps,
Don't be silly chumps,
Just purse your lips and whistle -- that's the thing!
And... always look on the bright side of life...

(whistle)
Come on!

(other start to join in)
Always look on the bright side of life...
(whistle)

For life is quite absurd,
And death's the final word.
You must always face the curtain with a bow!
Forget about your sin -- give the audience a grin,
Enjoy it -- it's the last chance anyhow!

So always look on the bright side of death!
Just before you draw your terminal breath.
Life's a piece of shit,
When you look at it.

Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true,
You'll see it's all a show,
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you!

And always look on the bright side of life
(whistle)
Always look on the bright side of life
(whistle)

There are places I remember...

My home town here...

and where I went to college here.

Now you know why I'm the way I am.