History is always in the making. If I were GWB, I'd feel rather disgraced by my dismal approval ratings. And in the poll stats below, I certainly join the 79% who won't miss him.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28163452/

"A negative view of Bush

While Obama seems to be enjoying a honeymoon with the public, it’s finalizing its divorce with President George W. Bush. Americans have a much more negative impression of him than they did of his father, George H.W. Bush, or Clinton before they left office.

According to the poll, 79 percent say they’re not going to miss him. That’s compared with 55 percent who said that of Clinton in the December 2000 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. In addition, 48 percent believe that Bush will go down as one of the country’s worst presidents. Only 18 percent said that of Clinton, and just 6 percent said that of George H.W. Bush."

I've long thought that "ducking" is W's modus operandi. From this event we learn that he's as good at ducking shoes as he is at ducking responsibility, accountability, a conscience, common decency, fair criticism, the economic needs of U.S. citizens below his uber-rich constituency, the needs of our soldiers and their families, scientific facts, intellectual discourse...oh, it's too long of a list. He does, however, give new meaning to the term "lame duck."

Ick. He's bound to annoy ME. However, I think we're in no danger of Aretha sounding like Ashcroft ;)

Says Ann: "Perhaps Palin’s year is 2012, but I would recommend that she take a little more time to become older and wiser."

Ann, you've gotten older...yet no wiser. As for "annoying," kudos to you! You miraculously get moreso with every passing day. I anticipate the same of your beloved Sarah.

Clementine cuties. Sweet. Skip mandarins in heavy syrup.

Already the lame donkey am I...bluntly: sprained my foot. Black-and-Blue, not Red-and-Blue. Purplesque.

Dare I disturb the universe with a whole offering? No. Constraint. Simply a hard-to-choose-which-one stanza from #15 out of 100...about a little Christmas tree...

look the spangles

that sleep all the year in a dark box

dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,

the balls, the chains read and gold the fluffy threads,

You bolstered my holiday bebop-o-GC. Merci mucho.

While I admit to try to wean myself off blog obsession this year... My New Year Resolution. But,...

Surely you jest. Shirley objects.

pick another resolution...

one possible and important,

aspiring to ostensible revolution.

corn-cob pipes, hello to brilliant day and night,

birds and bees and plants and trees,

a voice we need

to thack threw the weeds...

Ok, you're too smart not to get my heart re: the spelling of my "handle." Think--GEH (that's for give 'em hell) and then "goes on" (as in keeping alive a legacy of my dad, moving forward).

I've been on a holiday binge of GC! (aka good celery) mingled with arguably few if any nutrients pimento cheese spread. Comfort traditional fare. Substitute for Ativan.

I've seen worse left behind in motels and hotels. Seriously wonder sometimes whether we should ever sleep, eat, walk around on ancient spotted stained carpets where unknown dwellers preceded us. Imagine buying a used mattress from a hotel/motel. I lost a good pair of pants and a wonderful shirt at a dry cleaner's. Still haven't gotten over that. Maybe my resolution: get over it. Shrunk a favorite shirt myself. Bummer. Relative to real issues and problems abounding...not so much.

A soothing balm, an elixir, a tonic, are your words to me.

Poetry galore have I written...decades. I don't think I suspect it or respect it enough.

Thank you truly.

Thanks so much for your welcoming back post!

I, too, have been into mostly reading and not posting as of the last few weeks. And I could not agree with you more as to the readerx2 Palin fetish. I go by the motto of "JUST DON'T DO IT" re: response to R2. Him and MOd, et al. I don't always win my battle but I try. Swipes are allowed when baser instincts loft over better instincts.

I am not anti-Hillary, but she did lose esteem (for me) in how her campaign was conducted. Yes, she "ponied up" when the writing was on the wall (bad mixed metaphors...ugh). Another factor I was fully aware of is how many people really really really don't like Hillary, husband aside, and logic aside. If asked, I would honestly say I don't think Hillary had a chance of becoming Prez-Elect. Uh-oh, I defected. I became an Obama supporter very early on, and I don't regret that decision, and I don't have any Kool-Aid in my fridge nor pantry.

I'm with you--I have high hopes, but not pie-in-the-sky hopes. Obama faces very tough issues.

You wrote: "Obama seems to me a decent and intelligent person without much of an axe to grind. For now, for me, that's a good place to start."

I'm willing that a GREAT place to start.

Well, it's a damn shame what happened here today. I frequently use my scroll button on GG's threads, primarily for trolls, often enough for legitimate yet excessive or contentuous posters, but rarely for B & K. Anyway, scrolling works for me. Happy New Year to all...

A fictional character, but still. Just sayin'.

Joan, elsewhere on your site, poets are getting deleted yet trolls and trash-talkers are free to roam. Perhaps a PC & Mac primer on the SCROLL function would be useful...?

I get scared trying to "geh" on GG threads. Like the Cowardly Lion. Yes, my father loved me very much. So, I try. It will not be a happy new year if you don't post anymore. Sigh. Sad.

All on the same page, harmoniously. Is all right with the site again? Well, not quite. Someone's missing.