I don't know if I can wait until 2016 for my Richard Nixon coin.
Seriously.

Happy Trails, Curly

Jack Palance, one of the best character actors cinema has ever known, died this weekend. He was 87. He was a man, and by "man" I mean MAN.

He had a tremendously smoky voice that just oozed that Western American version of machismo. How much of a man was he? When he won his one and only Oscar in 1992, he accepted his award, put in down the stage, dropped to the floor himself and amazed the audience with 20 one-armed pushups. HE WAS 73!

Oddly my first and most vivid memory of Jack was in a commercial for Skin Bracer aftershave. Actually, I remember it more becuase it was the first time I'd ever heard the word "sexy." And no, there's nothing gay about making that association.

"Confidence is very sexy... don't you think?" (go about 3/4 down to "skin bracer").

Yes, Jack. I do.

I'd like to know who decided "Continental" meant a four-day-old bagel and a luke-warm glass of orange juice.

I'm a Republican, so it goes without saying the past three days have not been a high point in my life. That said, there's still no reason to let this ruin my life. Although I admire the snark (and fashion sense) of the cynic, I'm an optimist at heart and I can't help but look at the bright side of my party's political defeat.

Although Republicans lost the House and the Senate, I can at least take some solace in the fact that, as a party, we have been very cordial losers. To my knowledge, there has been no kicking, screaming, demands for recounts or the like.

If Democrats had lost by the same degrees the Republicans did earlier this week, there would be shouts of voter fraud, "This ballot is too confusing!" and "BUSH STOLE THE ELECTION! BUSH IS SATAN! WAH-WAH-WAH!"

What was Bush's response? "Well, I've got to admit I'm a little surprised and dissapointed." Liberals make thinks he's an idiot, but at least he is a good sport when he's beaten fair and square.