Still Thankful

I'm a bit late--Turkey Day was more hectic than I expected--but I hope y'all had a nice Thanksgiving.

What kind of pie did *you* have? I went with the traditional pumpkin after the meal, and splurged on the apple a la mode about an hour ago.

I need to go to bed now, so I can get up at the crack of insanity and do my mom's shopping in the morning. Luckily, I don't have any stores on the list opening before 5 a.m. Why must I do my mom's shopping? Because she is a medical professional and works nights and doesn't get off work until 7...and everything will be SOLD OUT by then!!! Gah!

Twice as Nice

Frequent commenter, former guest Lyrical Pursuitist, and all-around great guy, Blogless Pete and his lovely wife should at this moment be gazing upon the faces of their (surely) beautiful baby boys. Plural.

Many wishes for an uncomplicated delivery and that they may sleep through the night as soon as possible.

History Question

Via Best of the Web

What is "the noblest profession in America"? It may not surprise you to learn that lawyer Gerry Spence thinks it is the law. He argued his case in a rather overwrought manner at a conference of the Consumer Attorneys of California, reports LegalNewsline.com:

"We have to redefine who we are: We are the most important people in America," Spence said. "There is no other profession in America that fights for freedom, that fights for what America is about, that fights for justice for ordinary people."

Reading this three days after Veterans Day, our first thought was: What about the military? But Spence had a different comparison in mind:

To make his point, Spence--founder of the Trial Lawyers College, which trains lawyers to be more effective in the courtroom--said to imagine that all of the doctors and healers somehow vanished.

"I want to ask you which would be more important: If all of the doctors in the country somehow disappeared or all the trial lawyers in America somehow disappeared?" he asked. "We can live without medical care, but we cannot live without justice."

My question is how many countries have been liberated by lawyers? A bonus question would be which you choose? A world without Trial lawyers or a world without Doctors?

Another 11-11

And another Thank You to all veterans and servicemen and women.

Sincerely.

Thank you all.

*Get a Grip

If you didn't see last night's South Park because you're some kind of grownup or something, and you read this article, you might believe that Trey and Matt (whom I seriously considered as my write-in candidates, btw, but in reverse order) spent all their time making fun of Obama's dead grandmother.

Not even close.

The episode was funny...a spoof of Ocean's Eleven, with Obama and McCain and company as jewel thieves who only ran for president to be able to steal the Hope diamond. The dead grandma bit was part of the intrigue...she faked her death to help out. By Trey and Matt standards, pretty low on the controversy totem pole.

I loved the episode. The reactions from Obama supporters, thinking the whole world would change the next day (it didn't)...and the reactions of the McCain supporters, thinking the whole world would end the next day (it didn't)...spot on. It was the strongest SP episode of the current run, and all the more impressive for having Obama and McCain speech reenactments less than 24 hours after they occurred.

The Day After

Here are some historians' thoughts on the significance of the election.

History

President Obama. Holy crap, I guess we're not as racist as the rest of the world would have you believe.

McCain's concession speech was extremely classy. I hope my fellow Democrats can be as gracious in victory as Senator McCain is in defeat.

The enormity of the moment brought tears to my eyes...a black President of the United States. Amazing.

Confused

Iowa polls closed at 9pm local time...Fox News called Iowa for Obama before the polls closed, and before they reported any vote data.

I'm flipping between CNN and Fox News, and Fox is quicker on the projections than CNN. Defeatism? Reliance on exit polls? What's the dilly?

Election Day 2008

I voted. No problems whatsoever. Offered coffee and doughnuts. Declined coffee and doughnuts.

Now we wait.

Insert Better Post Here

I have tried to get inspired by the presidential election to write a decent history post, but I just can't do it. I am too bummed out by the selection.

I am registered. I know who I will choose. But I definitely have some qualms about it. The only reason I will vote for one over the other is because I know my conscience will be clearer with one's mistakes than the other's.