Does Bush Rock?

My friend Anne has this thing for George W. Bush. I can't figure out why, but she does. She recently posted this list of his accomplishments on her blog in response to my being a bit critical of the President.

The question is, are these really accomplishments? If you were President, would you aim to achieve as much, more than or less than President Bush?

Edwards, Clinton, Obama, Biden, Richardson

I've gotten some feedback regarding my Obama post from the other day AND I watched the entire CNN - YouTube debate last night.

A couple of people took me to task saying that I mis-represnted Obama's position and that Obama thinks it's better for UN forces to deal with genocide than US forces and that he would not stand by twiddling his thumbs.

OK. Maybe I got a little carried away in my language as it applies to Obama. I still think he's wrong. When genocide happens, the United States shouldn't wait for someone else to act. The United States should lead and lead by example.

And that leads me to my next point, I thought Joe Biden was great at last night's debate. He was forceful and acted like a leader -- a bit of a goofy leader -- but a leader. Joe said we need boots on the ground in Darfur. The other candidates largely passed the buck to the UN or others, although Clinton deserves some credit for outlining how she would use US forces in the region.

I thought Biden and Richardson won the debate. Clinton and Edwards tied for second with Obama coming in next.

I thought the most remarkable moment of the debate happened when John Edwards was asked about gay marriage. You really could see him struggle with the question. He says he's against it but I think he's mostly confused and conflicted. It was almost painful to watch.

The best question of the night came from these two guys.




Finally, beacause Anne asked, I'm supporting Edwards. My second choice is Clinton and then it is either Obama or Richardson, I'm not sure which.

Books

My friend Anne writes a blog all about books and my other friend Anne recently posted some thoughts as to what she reads.

USA Today, meanwhile, gave us a list of the "25 most memorable books of the last 25 years.

I haven't read a single one. I've seen a couple of the movies and I did leaf through my wife's copy of "What to expect when you're expecting." But I didn't read a single book on that list.

Should I?

Here's the list.


1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
By J.K. Rowling (1998)

2 The Deep End of the Ocean
By Jacquelyn Mitchard (1996)

3 The Da Vinci Code
By Dan Brown (2003)

4 The 911 Commission Report
By The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks (2004)

5 Chicken Soup for the Soul
By Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield (1993)

6 Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
By John Gray (1992)

7 Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution
By Robert C. Atkins (1992)

8 And the Band Played On
By Randy Shilts (1987)

9 Beloved
By Toni Morrison (1987)

10 The Greatest Generation
By Tom Brokaw (1998)

11 Bridget Jones's Diary
By Helen Fielding (1998)

12 Left Behind
By Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (1995)

13 The Purpose Driven Life
By Rick Warren (2003)

14 Fast Food Nation
By Eric Schlosser (2001)

15 The Satanic Verses
By Salman Rushdie (1989)

16 The Closing of the American Mind
By Allan Bloom (1987)

17 The Bonfire of the Vanities
By Tom Wolfe (1987)

18 The Joy Luck Club
By Amy Tan (1989)

19 What To Expect When You're Expecting
By Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway (1984)

20 A Brief History of Time
By Stephen Hawking (1988)

21 Iacocca
By Lee Iacocca (1984)

22 Waiting to Exhale
By Terry McMillan (1992)

23 Cold Mountain
By Charles Frazier (1997)

24 Backlash
By Susan Faludi (1991)

25 Final Exit
By Derek Humphry (1991)

By the way, if you are going to buy any of these books, please buy them at my favorite bookstore which is right here.

Do you rush by the world?

My friend, Anne, over at Black & White & Read has an excellent post regarding our ability to rush by the world.

Anne writes,

A few weeks ago, violin virtuoso Joshua Bell was asked by the Washington Post to take time out of his concert schedule and help them with a social experiment. He took his $3.5 million Stradavarius violin to a nearby Washington subway station. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, looking like a typical street musician, he began to play.

It was a rare moment of beauty -- one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written, on one of the most valuable violins ever made.

Guess what happened? The results on Anne's blog.