Best Phrase of the Year

Former President George W. Bush

Sulphur & Iron

Upon opening my eyes this morning I realized that what I most wanted was to -

1.) Complain
2.) Mope
3.) Not get out of bed
4.) Agonize over whether I can afford to quit my job/whether I'll get into grad school/ how staggering a mountain of debt I'll incur since the family can't help me pay for it/ how people everywhere have much greater problems than these.
5.) ???
6.) Profit

But it's not my fault, because today is officially The Most Depressing Day of the Year
The British proved it, with science and (I assume) a team of professional miseriologists. If I'd known, I could have planned a party - of despair. With cake - of suffering.

But this won't matter tomorrow, when Obama beams us all up in his magical hope-powered mothership. Right? Right?

To combat fits of weeping and an excess of black bile, I'm recommending this.

"An Eye for an Eyelash"

"Israel likes to portray itself as an island of democracy in a sea of authoritarianism. Yet Israel has never in its entire history done anything to promote democracy on the Arab side and has done a great deal to undermine it. Israel has a long history of secret collaboration with reactionary Arab regimes to suppress Palestinian nationalism. Despite all the handicaps, the Palestinian people succeeded in building the only genuine democracy in the Arab world with the possible exception of Lebanon. In January 2006, free and fair elections for the Legislative Council of the Palestinian Authority brought to power a Hamas-led government. Israel, however, refused to recognise the democratically elected government, claiming that Hamas is purely and simply a terrorist organisation.

America and the EU shamelessly joined Israel in ostracising and demonising the Hamas government and in trying to bring it down by withholding tax revenues and foreign aid. A surreal situation thus developed with a significant part of the international community imposing economic sanctions not against the occupier but against the occupied, not against the oppressor but against the oppressed."

Avi Shlaim, How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, Guardian, January 7, 2008

What I Want for Christmas

Thinking about this made me a little sad, seeing as all my wishes have become undeniably adult and domestic: kitchen things, expensive sheets, liquor.

Which takes me back to simpler times:

I don't recall my brothers and I ever having the "Homeless Guy and Mustachioed-WWI Hatted Policeman" set, but I do have fond memories of the giant mass of Lego-Playmobile-Pirate-Knight-Pioneer-Doctor-Magic-Construction-Princess-Business-Land that once occupied a large chunk of an upstairs room.

So, this is my wish: That this still exists, and that someone in the world gets it for Christmas (or other winter holiday)