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the most beautiful day in history..
For many years I hosted a radio show every weekday afternoon. Once in a while we would have a day when the weather was so perfect that I would say on the air that this is the most beautiful day in history.
That was my way of savoring a special moment. That was my way of marking a memory. We have to try to remember the really good days so that we can try to forget the really bad ones.
That’s why I have to say that today is the most beautiful day in history….
I hope you enjoy it as much as I am..
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment | Categories: confessions of a galley slave
Comments
By vick
November 7, 2008 10:24 PM | Link to this
Thanks, LMJ. I found it bizarre that Letterman supposedly wrote that…By lmj
November 7, 2008 9:33 PM | Link to this
Patty, if you will check on www.snopes.com, you find that the letter attributed to David Letterman is not his at all. Originally it was passed around through e-mail which attributed it to Jay Leno. That wasn’t truei either - except the final paragraph. Someone else entirely, wrote the bulk of the letter and tacked on a comment that Leno made one night.By vick
November 7, 2008 3:12 PM | Link to this
Well Patty, It’s nice that David Letterman can have it both ways. He knows all about media spin because he is one of the biggest media spinners around. Just ask John McCain. After spending the past 8 years mocking President Bush perhaps Dave is feeling a little guilty? Unlikely. Letterman knows how to play to various audiences and he does it very well. That’s why he is a rich, and highly successful media celebrity.By Patty
November 7, 2008 2:26 PM | Link to this
David Letterman wrote this; it’s the David we don’t often see…. ‘As most of you know I am not a President Bush fan, nor have I ever been, but this is not about Bush, it is about us, as Americans, and it seems to hit the mark.’ ‘The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some Poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President.. In essence 2/3 of the citizenry just ain’t happy and want a change. So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ‘What are we so unhappy about?’ A. Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week? B. Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? C. Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job? D. Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year? E. Maybe it is the ability to drive our cars and trucks from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state. F. Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? G. I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough either. H. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital. I. Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. J. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family, and your belongings. K. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. L. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers. M. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy. Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don’t have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here. I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn’t take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it……are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the ‘Media’ told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn’t have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ”general” discharge, an ‘other than honorable” discharge or, worst case scenario, a ”dishonorable’ discharge after a few days in the brig. So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by ‘justifying’ them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn’t kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way……Insane! Turn off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.’ ‘With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, ‘Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?’ -David LettermanBy Dave
November 6, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
Vick, it MIGHT be that people are just glad to have this election over with. I freely admit, I will NOT miss the repetitive political ads round-the-clock.By vick
November 6, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this
Something feels very different now. There is a charge in the atmosphere. People are smiling more. It is almost like some heavy burden has been lifted? There is a palpable excitement like I have never seen before…By time
November 5, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this
The romance has started with a new American Camelot, Vick. You couldn’t make this stuff up. Now if we can just keep the kingdom whole, we should have a chance. Remember Dorothy, you don’t need to click your heels; you don’t need to go back! We read romances to remember the way it could be.By vick
November 5, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Thanks, Mary. My Webster’s Collegiate defines Pollyanna as “an exceptionally optimistic person.” While it is true that I do tend to be an optimist, Mary, that doesn’t seem to influence my reading choices. I review fiction and non-fiction in equal portions for the DDN. I read a lot of different types of books. In 2006 I kept a log of what I read. I broke down my list by fiction and non-fiction because I was curious to determine how much of each general type of book I was reading. In 2006 I read 367 books. 185 were non-fiction. 181 were fiction. You’ll notice that 181+185=366. The book that was not included on either list was James Frey’s “memoir” that was exposed as being partly fictional so I excluded it and put it in a category of it’s own. Regular readers of this blog will note that fiction and non-fiction get equal billing. As I noted in my post today I’m reading the new biography of Michelle Obama. It’s non-fiction yet it is an optimistic sort of book. Wouldn’t you agree? I don’t read much romance, Mary. Years ago I interviewed Nora Roberts. I’ll never forget what she asked me after our radio interview had ended. She asked me why I was bothering to read romances? Nora Roberts is a charming and brutally honest person. Is that being optimistic? Probably not.By Mary
November 5, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this
Mike, my point is I could see some cashing in this calendar year to avoid a higher capital gains tax maybe next year. I am not faulting or agreeing with the rates Obama has put forth. I did not vote for either major party candidate. lmj, I did not say Vick reads too much of anything. I just suggested he might want to balance out his rosy, Pollyanna views with some non-fiction and realism to maintain some objectivity in his journalistic duties with this blog.By Mike
November 5, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this
Mary, the capital gains tax proposal made by Obama during the campaign was a return to the level of taxation that was in place up to and through the Clinton administration. And as I recall, that was a pretty good time for most all investors. And I don’t seem to recall a mass fire sale of stocks and a mad exodus from the country of the financial elite during the 1990’s. So to paint a change in the capital gains tax as some never-before-seen level of taxation is just plain wrong.By lmj
November 5, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
So, some (and granted, not I) are disappointed with the outcome. Why is that a reason to find fault with the thought process of one who doesn’t come to the same conclusion (and I understand that I am tittering on that edge myself). I am puzzled by the disappointment in a system we all believe in - the election process - which was established more than 200 years ago and has served for 44 peaceful transitions of power. I am even more baffled by the lashing out - “Vick reads too much romance and fantasy.” I wasn’t thrilled either time George W. Bush was elected, (and I had voted for his father). I would NEVER think of faulting someone else’s reasoning. We need to join together, respect the process and the office and realize that no matter who got it elected, we still have a tough road ahead of us. Don’t just whinge. Do something about it - get involved, contact your elected officials so that person can make informed choices on your behalf.By prose
November 5, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this
Mary, wasn’t it McCain who suspended his campaign to return to Washington and broker the biggest “socialist” bailout in history?By Mary
November 5, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
Vick, you strike me as the kind of guy who is a romantic and savors fiction and romance novels. You need to balance out your repertoire and learn to appreciate non-fiction and realism for the next 4 to 8 years. The real work now begins. Maybe Obama will need to continue to fund raise to bail us all out of our big spending ways. I am waiting for all the rich people to dump their stocks and assets to save on capital gains and exit the country since it may be their last chance.By AuthorAuthor
November 5, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this
The only thing that can be said now is, “Welcome to The United Socialist States of America.” May God have mercy on us all.By vick
November 5, 2008 2:06 AM | Link to this
Yes indeed, that was the most beautiful in history. Here’s hoping for many more…By terry
November 5, 2008 12:32 AM | Link to this
Well it is a sad day in the United States!! An anti-american has been put in charge!!! When “it” takes your jobs,rights and money away. Don’t start Bitching about it. Remember you caused it by being totally stupid and voting for “it”By prose
November 4, 2008 11:47 PM | Link to this
America officially grew up today. Truly, a beautiful day for this country.By vick
November 4, 2008 10:53 PM | Link to this
Obama wins Ohio. WoW!By vick
November 4, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this
A magnificent day seems to be slipping into a fantastic evening….By Blowfly
November 4, 2008 5:30 PM | Link to this
I spent about 45 minutes in line this morning, and I’ve never waited to vote in my life. I gathered that this was unusual (first time I’ve voted in this district). Polls close in Indiana in about 35 minutes. I will be glued to the TV. For a political junkie it does not get any better than this (good vibes set aside). I’m sure at first it will be like watching paint dry, but before too long things will be happening so fast I wont be able to keep track.By Mark from St Paul
November 4, 2008 4:28 PM | Link to this
Minnesota hit 74° yesterday, a new record for early November. Warm this morning and I walked the two blocks to my polling place wearing short sleeves. Rain coming now but it’s too late — most Minnesotans have already voted.By lmj
November 4, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this
At what percentage of voter turnout should we break out the bubbly? 50%? 75%? more? I will be THRILLED for our country to be more than 50%.