State of the Union

You Have Seven Days Left

Every Christmas I watch the (now rarely seen) Muppets classic, A Muppet Family Christmas.  This is by far the best work Henson ever did with his Muppets in my opinion, and it features both the classic Muppets as well as the various creatures and characters of Sesame Street, the Fraggles, and the Muppet babies.  And Fozzie's mom.  And a Jim Henson cameo.  

So now you have seven days to seek out the original uncut 1987 version* and watch this christmas special.  

Here's a taste to get you movin':

*because American record companies own the rights to several of the songs in the original broadcast, only the European and Canadian versions of the film still carry the complete show)

Bah Humbug!

Reason #10,456 why American's should loathe the US Senate:

"It is impossible to do all of the things that the majority leader laid out, frankly, without disrespecting the institution and without disrespecting one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians and the families of all of the Senate, not just the senators themselves but all of the staff."

That's Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona (How did Arizona get SO lucky to have such FANTASTIC politicians!?) on how absolutely uncool it is for Harry Reid to schedule votes between Christmas and New Years.  Cause, you know, that's the Holy Time.  

I'd like to help the Senator out, since I'll be at my desk that week, but, frankly, I don't think my office has the authority to ratify the new START treaty.  

Oh, and here's Reason #10,457 for those keeping count.

Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right

The only thing sadder than how quickly a Republican will roll over and play dead if you toss him a tax break for the super-rich is how easily a Democrat will turn into a snarling ball of stupid if you hurt his fragile fee-fees.  

We may live in an enlightened age of high technology and fast information, but lately it seems all our intellect was left back in the 18th century:

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." --Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 1789

Tradition Is Something You Do Twice