Bush To Obama: "What An Awesome Night For You"

Bush To Obama: "What An Awesome Night For You".

WASHINGTON — President Bush has called Barack Obama to congratulate him on winning the presidency. The two-term Republican president told the Illinois senator upon his historic win: "What an awesome night for you, your family and your supporters." Barack Obama was elected the nation's first black president Tuesday night in dominant fashion, besting Republican John McCain. Bush promised Obama a smooth transition to the White House. Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said the president told Obama: "You are about to go on one of the great journeys of life. Congratulations and go enjoy yourself."

cite="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/05/bush-to-obama-what-an-awe_n_141243.html">

The Beautiful People

From the "It's my blog I can put up whatever I like" department, here is a handsome couple. David and Somsara say 'hi' to all of you in this brief glimpse of their interesting and awesome lives. Who are these people? They'll be famous one day. You just watch!

Edith Macefield, 1921-2008: Ballard woman held her ground as change closed in around her

Link: Edith Macefield, 1921-2008: Ballard woman held her ground as change closed in around her.

When Macefield's story first ran in the P-I, her home was swarmed by news reporters from around the country trying to get her to open her front door. Word of her death brought another crush of cameras to the street in front of her house.

Her aged blue car is still parked in front of the house, her collection of glass animals still lined up on the windowsills.

People remembering her said they were inspired by her spirit and spunk; by her choice to live simply in her small home, the way she wanted.

Others suggested that the lot where her home stands could be turned into a small memorial park, a pocket of green among the concrete.

Her life story is as intriguing and curious as the sight of the concrete parking garage rising around her home.

Some wonder at her stories, hinting at being a spy during World War II and touring with some of the most famous big bands of the day. She talked about attending teas and dances, once finding herself in conversation with Adolf Hitler.

Her friends never doubted a word.

Robert Rauschenberg, American Artist, Dies at 82

From the obituary of the great Robert Rauschenberg in today's NY Times:

'Conceived in his immense studio on the island of Captiva, off southwest Florida, these projects were of enormous size and ambition; for many years he worked on one that grew literally to exceed the length of its title, “The 1/4 Mile or 2 Furlong Piece.” They generally did not live up to his earlier achievements. Even so, he maintained an equanimity toward the results. Protean productivity went along with risk, he felt, and risk sometimes meant failure.

The process — an improvisatory, counterintuitive way of doing things — was always what mattered most to him. “Screwing things up is a virtue,” he said when he was 74. “Being correct is never the point. I have an almost fanatically correct assistant, and by the time she re-spells my words and corrects my punctuation, I can’t read what I wrote. Being right can stop all the momentum of a very interesting idea.”

This attitude also inclined him, as the painter Jack Tworkov once said, “to see beyond what others have decided should be the limits of art.”'

Mom indicted in deadly MySpace hoax - CNN.com

This story has been circulating for a few months now and it's taken an interesting turn.  Basically, if I'm understanding this correctly, a woman is being indicted (in the tragic suicide death of young Megan Meier) not for the death itself (criminally not possible apparently) but on the grounds that she and her coconspirators violated MySpace's EULA:

Link: Mom indicted in deadly MySpace hoax - CNN.com.

The charges being used are normally brought against computer hackers - according to CNN this, "the first time the federal statute on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking case."

HAPPY 60th to Paul Linke!

We want to wish Paul Linke a happy 60th birthday today. Paul is the co-writer of THE LIFE OF REILLY, as well as the director of the stage play. He's a great guy. If you haven't seen his amazing and award winning HBO special TIME FLIES WHEN YOU ARE ALIVE, then at least remember his work as Artie Grossman on CHIPS. (Sorry Paul... I couldn't resist).

You can find Paul as a guest in this YOUTUBE winner... OUR DINNER WITH CHARLES NELSON REILLY. Paul is conveniently titled when he appears...