First, the "Woohoo!!": I found Emma's passport. That's a neat savings of approximately $130, which was instantaneously turned into theatre tickets in my mind . . . I said to Emma this evening, "When you're done with finals and ready to think about the trip, think about theatre." She replied, "I was taking that as a given." So then I had to vacillate between wondering whether [a] she's incredibly spoiled or [b] she knows me too well. I guess those options aren't mutually exclusive.

And the funny part. My friend Randy did a tribute to Johnny Carson, and included this monologue, which he got from Chuck Taggart's blog. Randy notes that it was delivered in the "the late 1980's [and] given as a tribute to the burgeoning democracies of Eastern Europe." I think it's equally timely now that the Bozo in the Oval Office has dedicated himself and my tax dollars (into perpetuity) to spreading "freedom" everywhere.

To me, democracy means placing trust in the little guy, giving the fruits of nationhood to those who built the nation. Democracy means anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn't grow up can be vice president.

Democracy is people of all races, colors, and creeds united by a single dream: to get rich and move to the suburbs away from people of all races, colors, and creeds. Democracy is having time set aside to worship -- 18 years if you're Jim Bakker.

Democracy is buying a big house you can't afford with money you don't have to impress people you wish were dead. And, unlike communism, democracy does not mean having just one ineffective political party; it means having two ineffective political parties.

Democracy means freedom of sexual choice between any two consenting adults; Utopia means freedom of choice between three or more consenting adults. But I digress. Democracy is welcoming people from other lands, and giving them something to hold onto -- usually a mop or a leaf blower. It means that with proper timing and scrupulous bookkeeping, anyone can die owing the government a huge amount of money.

Democracy means a thriving heartland with rolling fields of Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Spanky, and Wheezer. Democracy means our elected officials bow to the will of the people, but more often they bow to the big butts of campaign contributors.

Yes, democracy means fighting every day for what you deserve, and fighting even harder to keep other weaker people from getting what they deserve. Democracy means never having the Secret Police show up at your door. Of course, it also means never having the cable guy show up at your door. It's a tradeoff. Democracy means free television -- not good television, but free.

Democracy is being able to pick up the phone and, within a minute, be talking to anyone in the country, and, within two minutes, be interrupted by call waiting.

Democracy means no taxation without representation, and god knows, we've just about had the hell represented out of us. It means the freedom to bear arms, so you can blow the "o" out of any rural stop sign you want.

And finally, democracy is the eagle on the back of a dollar bill, with 13 arrows in one claw, 13 leaves on a branch, 13 tail feathers, and 13 stars over its head--this signifies that when the white man came to this country, it was bad luck for the Indians, bad luck for the trees, bad luck for the wildlife, and lights out for the American eagle.

I thank you.

Ok, off to do some online Spanish. Marlio keeps poking his head in my office, asking how things are going. Sheesh. I thought the virtue of an online class was, you have no social embarrassment . . .