The political scandals in Chicago have as little to do with Barack Obama as I’m sure any crime or scandal in your home town have to do with you. The fact that Obama is a politician from Illinois does not mean he’s tainted by the crimes or corruption of other politicians from Illinois.

I certainly agree with you that being black does not make a president. I’m a white male, and my decision to vote for Obama had nothing to do with race. Obama gives me hope because of his message, his vision for America, and his ability to inspire. It is to be seen whether his inspiration and leadership will affect Congress, which has had many, many years of poor to mediocre sessions.

I speak as a new immigrant, who has put a lot of hopes into this country. When we came here 9 years ago with hopes for a better life, we were just in time to see the end of the golden years, and the beginning of a total decline in whatever I believed the United States stood for. Yes, the bar really tipped and we went to record deficits, to unnecessary wars, to total ignorance and denial of changing climactic conditions, to the US losing credibility and respect with the rest of the world.. the list is endless.

And now, at last after 8 long years, at last there is real hope in my heart that change WILL be brought about. And yet, I fear that the damage may be irreversible…

I DL’d it for free, full version, here:

http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/chameleon-clock/

but it is free *today only* at GiveAway of the Day, which is a great site with a free software every day (”absolutely free. That means - not a trial, not a limited version - but a registered and legal version of the software will be free for our visitors”.)
You just have to download AND install on that one day, because they change it each day. No spyware or anything either.
A lot of the time it is more technical programs that I as a casual user don’t need, but often there is fun stuff like the above.

I feel wretched for Steve Bartman. Had that ball been two rows down, it would have been a different Cubs fan who reached for the ball. Two rows up and it would have been out of Alou’s reach. Bad luck.

Thereby hangs a tale.

Some years ago I was reading a book, possibly by Jane Austin(?), originally written about 1810 wherein the protagonist was walking in some woods along an ough.

I stopped reading and dashed to the library where I found the stream definition in an entry marked also with “obs.”

Since then my niece has married and moved up into northern Michigan
where she has a beautiful piece of property with a spring rising out of it forming a small stream. When visiting her one time I said she’s GOT to put up a sign stating its name is “Clough Ough”. (Need I say the correct pronunciation would be “Cluff Uff?)

I blithely said I’d send her the sign authenticated by a photocopy of a dictionary page and illustration of usage.

Meantime all the dictionaries in all the libraries here in Michigan and possibly the world have proudly been modernized and erased that definition from their lexicon. Because of some sort of conspiracy the old copies appear to have been burned. Also I can no longer find the reference in any book by Jane Austin; all the new ones proudly state they’re an updated version.

Raise a glass and mourn with me with me the steady loss of our cherished heritage.

Tom Clough