Jimmy Carter looked old but adorably giddy to be in Barack Obama's presence yesterday, when all the living presidents and the president-elect met at the White House for a photo op.
We think Barack Obama looks indulgent of the old white guys and Dubya looks confused "Is this about me? It is, right?"
Bill Clinton seems to be wondering when the refreshments will be served and George Sr. just wants to get back the bridge game he left hanging in Kennebunkport.
Love him or...don't love him, you've only got twelve more days to laugh at the sitting president (let's face it, Obama just isn't that funny). And who doesn't need a laugh in these grim times? A Guardian columnist rounds up some of the best Bushisms of the past eight years and you can LOL while you browse them online. Warning: put the coffee down.
Speaking of grim times, the Atheists would like to cheer you up. A bus advertising campaign promoting Atheism in the UK has spread to Spain. It plans to spread across Europe with the good news that "There is probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." Of course it's never that simple, as plenty of people claim that belief in god is not a cause for worry. We have to assume that others couldn't enjoy their lives without it.
New flat-screen plasma t.v. not under your Christmas tree this year? Don't fret, the Consumer Union is petitioning Congress to postpone the Big Switch to all digital beyond the current 17 February date, claiming the public awareness campaign to help people make the switch was underfunded and badly run. For its part, the government is out of money to send people the discount coupons for the converter boxes they will need to retrofit their rabbit ears.
On the other hand, if you are all plugged in but finding the expense of funding your techie habit difficult these days, the New York Times offers a list of pointers to use your gadgets to save money and/or to save money on gadget use.
The government plans to save itself a little money in one dubious area. It has been decided that Post-traumatic Stress sufferers are not "injured" veterans of war. No Purple Hearts for them! Just a lifetime of struggling with a debilitating condition, made all the more debilitating by a lack of recognition that it is real.
