Oooh, nuance!

2007 was a very tough year for many people - most recently and tragically, for Benazir Bhutto and her family. Still, I hope we can all learn something from our trials and tribulations. Here are some things I learned:

Political Lesson of 2007: Republics Really Are Bent On Destroying America.

It's true. Since the Democrats took over and Congress suddenly began to take its oversight power back, we've confirmed that the Republic Party is nothing but a criminal enterprise dedicated to its own enrichment and continuance. They're willing to wiretap every American; allow terrorist attacks to go unpunished; put cronies in charge of every regulatory agency; ignore the basic needs of our soldiers in the field and deny them proper care when they return from battle; lie repeatedly under oath to Congress; torture, render and kill hundreds of thousands; allow nuclear-armed foreign nations to degenerate into chaos while attacking weak nations for their resources; claim "no one could have predicted" the horrible effects of Hurricane Katrina; permit our food, medicine and consumer goods to become contaminated with toxins; refuse to take any action to prevent global warming from becoming irreversible; and hollow out the very structure of our government and our Constitution by pursuing the theory of the "unitary executive."

Why do they do it? In order to make a few bucks. THAT'S IT. Truly, these are the most venal, disgusting and repulsive criminals on the planet, and they must be driven out of power as soon as possible.

Personal Lesson of 2007: Appreciate What You Have, Even If You Can't Take Credit for It.

When we are born into this life, certain gifts come along with us. Whether the Giant Green Lizard or genetics have given us that je ne sais quoi, we all have something that makes us special. Yet it's all too easy for some of us (cough me cough) to discount our unique qualities because we didn't earn them, or to bemoan them because they are not what society prizes. Well, enough of that! This year, I vow to enjoy the things that make me madamab, and I hope you will too.

A very, very happy 2008 to all, and may it be a vast improvement over 2007.

Musharraf finally got her.

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan - Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated Thursday in a suicide attack that also killed at least 20 others at the end of a campaign rally, aides said.

"The surgeons confirmed that she has been martyred," Bhutto's lawyer Babar Awan said.

So much for the only leader who could challenge Musharraf's power in Pakistan.

It seems the United States is always willing to support the most extreme, the most brutal dictators in the Middle East, as long as they are willing to at least give the appearance of being in accord with our interests. I thought that Musharraf had clearly stepped over the line when he agreed to shelter Osama bin Laden; then he declared a state of emergency and went after the press and other influential dissenters, but we still kept giving him billions of dollars to support our "war on terror." What does Musharraf have to do to fall out of favor with the Bush Administration?

Perhaps the outright assassination of his rival will at least keep us from subsidizing him further, but I highly doubt it. We're too afraid of the Islamofascists who might replace him, you know. A secular dictator is always better than a religious one, right?

Except when it's Saddam Hussein, apparently.