As we come to the close of this year, here's a few thoughts I wanted to jot down.
In my humble opinion:
- George W. Bush has to be the worst President this nation has ever produced. Everything this nation has once stood for has been trashed by this President and his Republican Congressional enablers. We have become just another country rather than one that, until recently, has been a symbol of hope and freedom throughout the world. His administration's flagrant disregard of any statutory or constitutional limits on his power (see signing statements) and careless disregard of the rights of other human beings (see warrantless wiretaps, the Military Commissions Act and the casual outing of Valerie Plame) has seriously tarnished the ideals that my uncle, S/Sgt John E. Montgomery, died trying to preserve and advance. Warren G. Harding and Richard Nixon don't even come close.
- 2006 will be seen as the year political blogs (other than this one) became a serious force in influencing the opinions of the electorate. While original reporting is still going to be the domain of the mainstream media, I foresee the role of the talking head professional punditocracy beginning to decline.
- Youtube (and the level of broadband penetration that enables it to thrive) has been the biggest new technological advance of the year.
- The software that allows people like me to make multitrack recording in their basement keeps getting better and better. You can hear me "singing" (to use the term loosely) Will Santy Come to Shantytown with my computer generated harmony parts.
- I need to start work on my Broadway musical Wingnuts in Wingtips
