Today's Word—Holiday Special

This marks the end of the 2007 half of the WORD's 2007-08 season.

The WORD itself is nibbling holly and contemplating even more sloth than usual as the padded van arrives to take him off to St. Mumbles for the holidays.

The fall semester is more or less in the books, and as Emile de la Bedollierre reminds us, all that's left to do is let our charges go and hope for the best....

On Optimism:

“We have launched our Student in the world; we have seen him shake off the dust of the schools; and now nothing remains but to wish him a successful career, and a throng of clients, so that he may not be obliged, after long and bootless efforts, to scribble for a newspaper....”
—Emile de la Bedollierre (1812-1883), French author, in his essay, “The Law Student,” 1840 (Thanks to alert WORDster Bruce Adomeit)

Amen.

We also are left with a hopeful thought (?) from our Glorious Leader, who observes,

“And so during these holiday seasons, we thank our blessings....” —President George W. Bush, 2004
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/12/20041210-7.html) (Thanks to alert holiday WORDster Trina Patterson)

(For a German perspective on why President Bush says what he says, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhqKoqqS0XI&feature=related with thanks to our alert foreign correspondent Matthias Petry)

With these modest gifts, that's a wrap for us. The warmest holiday wishes to the extended WORD family, from Iraq to Japan to Oxford to Downeast Maine. May your days be merry and bright, and here's to a safe, saner and happy new year. See you again then.

"God bless us, every one!"—Tiny Tim

Ted