The Treatment of Bush Has Been a Disgrace

So says this wsj reporter.

Al Franken will not be Senator of Minnesota

Apparently, not even President-Elect Obama's massive momentum could save Al Franken, though indeed he apparently came within inches.

McCain's Concession Speech

Very classy concession speech. I liked the point that the victory must be a very special pride felt for African-American. Very sensitive and intuitive, and I can only imagine what it must feel like for so many Black men and women today. One day, social scientists might indeed be able to look back to this and determine whether this victory even pushed some young Black men at the margin of quitting school and going into crime to reconsider and keep pushing. Role models probably matter more than we understand. Congratulations to President-Elect Obama who ran a phenomenal and brilliant campaign.

College President Arrested for Drunk Driving

No wonder they were pushing so hard to have drinking laws changed. Seriously, though. University professors make $300-500,000/yr. We need to push the probability of being arrested up a lot higher, methinks, so it becomes really stupid to drink and drive.

Goodbye Bush

From an article about Bush's closest friends and colleagues:

Even for a declared optimist, Bush has appeared remarkably sanguine in this season of discontent. The economy is melting down, his own party has shunned him, and Tuesday's election is shaping up as a searing rebuke to his eight years in office.

Yet according to allies inside and outside the White House, Bush's mood remains buoyant and his attention is focused on the global financial collapse. In private meetings with business leaders, Bush has made a point of saying that he is happy the crisis happened on his watch so the next president and a new economic team do not have to grapple with it.

"His high energy level and spirit sets the tone for the rest of us," said Kevin Sullivan, Bush's communications director. "There's been no time to worry about any of this other stuff. . . . He believes the American people expect us to finish strong and to leave things in the best possible position for his successor."

I only voted once and that was in 2004 for Bush. I'll go to my grave a loyalist to Bush. I think, in the end, he put the country first and made hard decisions in the midst of gross uncertainty. His attitude, at least as it bubbles out into the airwaves and to my desk, seems to have consistently been that he'll try to take on as much as he can, bear all the costs on himself personally, and not leave the worst for someone else. You can debate that all day, and I won't get into that argument with you on this point, but I think his intent was that. I am grateful for the 8 years we had with him.

The Tick is on Hulu

Crikey. Looks like Hulu hit the jackpot, in the Pomeroy Kinsey sense of that term. The Tick season 1 (also the only season) is on hulu.

Q-Tip The Renaissance

I picked up Q-Tip's new album, The Renaissance today. It's playing on the turntable as I clean up the kitchen. It's getting decent, above-average reviews from what I saw, so I thought it was worth giving it a lissie-listen. Here's a review that I suspect I might end up agreeing with.

Overall, Renaissance is not a masterpiece. It’s not Low End Theory; It’s not the second coming of Tribe. And despite a the marketing campaign built around the election day “day of change” release date, the album is not political nor a radical change of direction for Q-Tip. It is however, as good as Amplified.

The only question is if 2008 is too late for another Amplified. Time will tell, but either way, it’s nice to finally see Q-Tip back in action.

Low End Theory is a masterpiece. I'd put it in the top ten albums for the 1990s.