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Rock Slides At Yosemite Prompt Closure Of Over 200 Cabins At Curry Village

The photo to the left illustrates the danger that officials have been warning Yosemite management about for years; rock slides.  This photo (courtesy AP) was taken after a large slide on October 8, that resulted in large boulders smashing into several cabins in popular Curry Village.  Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in this recent slide, but since 1857, rock slides have killed 14 people and injured 62.  NPS officials will now close down over 200 cabins permanently.  Scientists say the rock slides off the granite face above the park are just part of the geologic process which has shaped Yosemite Valley.

Yes On 8 Lawyers Will Ask CA Supreme Court To Invalidate Same Sex Marriages That Have Already Taken Place

On Wednesday, the California Supreme Court agreed to hear three lawsuits filed on behalf of same sex marriage supporters who want Proposition 8 overturned.  One big question mark is what happens to the thousands of gay couples who had marriages performed from mid-June through November 3rd.  Lawyers from Yes on 8 campaign are petitioning the court to invalidate those marriages but so far those marriages have been honored.  The courts have also said no more weddings can be performed until they issue a decision.

Spare The Air Violators Escape Being Caught

There is someone from Mill Valley, Woodacre and possibly Novato, San Rafael and Kentfield who ignored the ban on fireplace smoke yesterday.  Those were the cities that air quality officials received complaints about wood being burned.  There were about 70 inspectors out and about Wednesday in the Bay Area to try and track down the violators, including Marin.  But no one in Marin was actually cited.

It was the first day that Bay Area Air Quality Management District enacted the Winter Smoke Ban. 

There were some complaints though, from people who worried that residents who didn't watch TV or go on computers would not be aware of the ban.   Officials responded by providing a phone number that anyone can call before they decide to burn that nice log in the fireplace. 

Spare The Air info at 1-800-430-1515.

Marin Home Prices Continue To Plummet

The median home price dropped from $857,000 a year ago to $599,750 last month- a plunge of 30%  but those figures include condominium sales with an average sale price of $315,000.  If the figures took only single family homes into account, the median price would be $850,000, down 13% from a year ago when the median price for a single family dwelling stood at $978,000.

The numbers of home sales jumped in the condo department as investors and bargain hunters snapped up 74 properties.  Sales of condos spiked 72% from the previous year.

Get Set For Congestion Pricing On...Parking Meters???

First we saw congestion pricing proposed for traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge, but San Francisco city officials have just come up with a new twist; congestion parking meter pricing.  The idea is to charge according to demand, the higher the demand for parking, the higher the cost to park.  In the event of concerts or special events, parking meters could charge up to $18 per hour!  But don't worry about having to fish around in your purse or pocket for all that change, parking officials are planning to retrofit the meters to accept credit cards.

California Fish Swimming To Extinction

KGO's Wayne Freedman filed this report on the serious situation with California's native salmon and trout, and the efforts of environmental officials to try and stem what they say is a path to extinction.  According to one expert, ninety-five of California streams that once had the Coho salmon, don't have it anymore.  Global warming and man's impact have combined to decimate fish populations and a U.C. Davis study predicts extinction by the end of the century, if not sooner.  Marin has a success story with Lagunitas Creek according to this internet video report filed by Freedman.

Inmates Take On The Ivies In Chess

Can you imagine this taking place at San Quentin with students from UC Berkeley???     

Light That Log And Risk A Fine

The first ever Winter Spare The Air day popped up yesterday around the Bay Area; it's still in effect until Noon today.  The new law which was enacted over the summer, makes it illegal to light the fireplace when a Spare The Air day is announced.  And enforcers from the the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAQMD) are out making sure residents obey, or risk fines that can be as costly as $2,000.  The wood-burn ban was enacted in order to alleviate air pollution on certain bad air quality days.  The fireplace industry isn't too happy about the bans, which air quality officials predict are likely to be put in place approximately 20 times this winter season. 

The BAQMD will determine today if the Spare The Air ban will be lifted or extended another day.

Flying Objects Over Novato

Several residents in Novato called 911 on Tuesday evening to report seeing "flying space debris" streaking across the night sky.  Firefighters who responded couldn't find a thing, but MoreMarin thinks they probably spotted the Leonids Meteor shower which occurs annually this time of year.

CA Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Legal Challenges To Prop 8

The CA Supreme Court agreed to consider three lawsuits that ask for Proposition 8 to be nullified. Oral arguments could begin as early as March.  The court said that same sex marriages could not resume until it makes a ruling either way. 

Remembering Jonestown 30 Years Later

Even though it was 30 years ago, a lot of us can recall the vivid details that emerged after the mass suicide of over 900 members of the People's Temple Agricultural Project in Guyana.  Tuesday, people who survived the cult gathered at Oakland's Evergreen Cemetery to commemorate.  The remains of unidentified Temple members, including many children, are buried there.

    

Never Mind Health Insurance, You Might Even Have Trouble Finding A Doctor

Think you're frustrated with health care paperwork, HMO red tape and escalating insurance premiums?  Well, the doctors share your pain. 

Woolsey Pitches New Deal To Put America Back On Track

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey has called for the creation of a New Deal-like proposal that would spend billions of dollars and hire millions of workers to fix America's decaying infrastructure.  Woolsey, speaking Tuesday at a forum hosted by the Institute for America's Future, said-

"What America needs, and needs as quickly as we can deliver it, is a commitment to funding our domestic priorities with a bold infusion of resources.  The most obvious domestic need is our crumbling infrastructure."

She also noted that investments could also be used to further develop the eco/green industry movement, which would also produce jobs.

According to the Institute for America's Future, spending on infrastructure has been halved in recent years and the resultant massive problems will require the staggering sum of $1.6 trillion over the next several years to fix.

Don't Be A Turkey- Donate Some Food This Holiday Season

We know times may be a little bit lean this Holiday season, even here in swanky Marin.   But for some people it only means things are much worse than usual.

The giant turkey shown here in the Corte Madera Town Center, is a collection point for canned food and toiletries for the neediest of families here in the County.  The food will be collected by the Marin Community Food Bank and then distributed in holiday baskets.  This is the Town Center Turkey's 15th annual year gathering the goodies and it'll be there till the New Year. 

Massage for Mares

Rebecca Thomas describes her occupation as "Equine Body Work," but that's just a fancy name for horse massage.   She's a horse body worker who uses massage as a way to relieve the stress of horses who are kept in captivity, and she's got clients from Oakland to Glen Ellen.  Doesn't Thomas sound like she belongs in Marin?  Here's the internet video-

    

Getting Too Few Zzzzzzzzzzzzs Increases Cancer Risk

A new study from the National Cancer Institute involving nearly 6,000 women found that even if females reduced their cancer risk by regular exercise, those benefits were likely to be canceled if she got too little sleep.  Among physically active women, those who slept less than seven hours nightly had a 47% higher risk of cancer than those who slept longer.   Health officials who led the study, weren't sure how the sleep loss contributed to the higher risk of cancer, but chronic sleep loss has been associated with a myriad of other health problems including heart disease and diabetes.  Turns out Mom was right...turn out the light!

SoCal Wildfires Reminiscent Of Oakland-Berkeley Fire

Nine hundred and eighty of them, everything from mobile homes to mansions, went up in flames this past weekend, in the raging wildfires in Southern California.  We had our own terrible wildfires at the beginning of the 'fire season', but we seem to have escaped the usual autumn scorchers. We put the 'fire season' in quotes because the season in California seems to be year round these days. 

The speed and spread of the fires of this past weekend, is eerily reminiscent of the horrible 1991 Oakland Hills conflagration that consumed nearly 3,000 homes and apartments and remains one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history.   Aside from numbers of structures lost, the main difference is in human life.  25 people died in the 1991 fire, but so far, no fatalities have been reported in the Tea, the Sayre and the Freeway Complex fires in Southern California.  (Photo courtesy of HuffPost)

Feature!- Anger And Hope At Anti Prop 8 Rally In San Rafael

"We will win!"

That was the rallying cry, and overall theme by Marin residents today at a gay marriage rights rally, on San Rafael City Hall steps.  It was part of a nationwide effort, Join The Impact, which called on gay rights advocates and supporters to rally against the passage of Proposition 8 in last week's election.

Click here to see the photo album and click below to see the rest of the story.

Marin Firefighters Join Montecito Fire Battle

The "Tea" fire in Montecito has burned its way to Santa Barbara and consumed over 100 homes.  With flames reaching over 150 feet, the massive wildfire has prompted Governor Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency in Santa Barbara County.  By Friday evening, there were 1,141 fire personnel battling the blaze, including 15 fire engines and nearly 50 firefighters from Marin.

The fire began on Thursday evening at a closed and historic cafe, called the Tea House, giving the fire its name. Hot, dry wind gusts of up to 90 mph whipped the fire into a conflagration that has as of now, burned 1,800 acres.  Officials say the cause is still under investigation.  Here's an internet video report from AP-

    

Get Ready For Some Hot, Hot, Hot

Get ready for very warm weekend.  That's the word from forecasters who say temps will be about 10 to 20 degrees above normal for this time of year.  We may even hit the mid-80s here in Marin, and temps won't expect to be back to more appropriate fall weather until next Tuesday!  With temps going up,  MoreMarin wonders what will happen to these...

If The Birds Bother You Than Just Shoot 'Em!

That's apparently what some East Bay residents want to do. 

Seems a bunch of acorn woodpeckers are opting to bury their nuts in the sides of homes rather than in the trunks of trees, and that has the residents at the Rossmoor retirement community peeved.  They've tried all manner of tricks to get rid of the birds, including noisemakers, but to no avail, so they're threatening to actually shoot as many as 50 of the birds, within a week! 

Normally it would be illegal to shoot woodpeckers, but these geriatric gunslingers were able to obtain a yearlong permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Shake, Rattle & Rolling In Southern California

Students dove under desks, paramedics rescued the injured and people everywhere experienced the Big One.  Well, it was the 'pretend Big One' as Southern California schoolchildren, office workers, city officials and emergency and medical personnel all participated in a gigantic practice quake drill dubbed the Big Shakeout.  One building simulator actually shook as if a quake of 7.8 magnitude had just hit.  Here in Marin, we've got GetReadyMarin.org to help us get ready for impending disaster.  Check out the action in this AP video report-

    

Carpool Lane Opens On 101...At Least In One Direction

Commuters going South Bound this morning got some long overdue relief in the morning rush. Caltrans opened a mile-long carpool lane stretching from Central San Rafael to the 101/580 interchange.  As this ABCVideo shows, traffic was moving smoothly, although it was probably really early.  We're sure commuters are looking forward to January when both South Bound and North Bound continuous carpool lanes will be up and running.

He Surfs, He Skateboards, He Paints- Here's Another Look At Ian Ross

Earlier this year MoreMarin profiled artist Ian Ross during Marin Open Studios.  His 'live painting' performances are all over YouTube, but VIMBY (Video In My BackYard) has an incredible new internet video that really captures Ian's art.  Take a look-

VIMBY - Ian Ross

Feeling Flu-ish? Google Could've Predicted That

These days everyone uses the internet to seek information on everything from news to shopping to health.  And if you're feeling sick, you're probably likely to enter your symptoms into the mighty search engine Google in order to get that information, right?

New York Times Front Page Trumpets End Of Iraq War And Bush Indictment

Well, it was a joke but this was the New York Times front page a lot of New Yorkers woke up to on Wednesday morning.  It was a remarkably realistic looking knock-off with headlines like "Iraq War Ends- Troops To Return Immediately", "All Public Universities To Be Free", and "Labor Dept. Launches Job Creation Program."  Were that it were true...

FBI Probe Of Company Linked To Fernwood Cemetery

The FBI is conducting a probe of National Prearranged Services (NPS), a preneed funeral company that had promised burial services totaling in the hundreds of millions of dollars in several states, before becoming insolvent. 

NPS is owned by a family that also owns the Fernwood Cemetery, here in Marin County.  MoreMarin was the first in the Bay Area to bring you the story of Fernwood and its link to NPS back in July.

Find The Cheapest Gas In Marin Here

The price of gas is dropping like a stone and the race is on to find the cheapest gas in Marin.  This database shows the Circle K on E. Francisco in San Rafael with the lowest, $2.27 a gallon as of this writing.  But it's likely to change daily.  Our perennial favorite, the Arco on Redwood Hwy in Mill Valley, is second cheapest.  According to this IJ article, gas prices have plunged nearly a a dollar in only one month's time! 

Yikes, This Map Is Scary

Here's a map showing percentages of homeowners whose homes are worth less than what they owe on them.  It shows all Bay Area counties and every one, except San Francisco, has double-digit percentages of the so-called 'underwater homes.' 

Prop 8 Fight Far From Over- Activists Hope To Place Same-Sex Marriage Back On The Ballot In Two Years

The battle over Prop 8 is far from over.  Several lawsuits have already been lodged against the Proposition in the California State Supreme Court and a decision is expected soon, maybe even as early as this week.  If the courts don't overturn the Proposition, then activists vow to place an anti-Prop 8 measure on the ballot in just two years.

Meanwhile protests have been carried out almost daily, in front of churches around the nation, especially Mormon temples.  Mormons were one of Prop 8's biggest financial supporters.  Leaders, politicians and even television hosts have spoken out about the passage of Prop 8, including this emotional plea from MSNBC's Keith Olbermann.  Gay activists have also done some heavy soul-searching about taking California support for same-sex unions, for granted.  They accuse the No on 8 leaders of being 'too soft' in their battle against the Yes on 8 supporters. 

Still, thousands of same-sex weddings were performed in California from mid-June to the election and most people feel those unions will remain legal.  As of now, only Connecticut and Massachusetts allow gay marriage. 

Update- Marin location confirmed- San Rafael City Hall, 1400- 5th Avenue

Activists are calling for a national day of protest this coming Saturday.  They are asking anyone against Prop 8 to show up at their City Hall steps for a peaceful protest beginning at 10:30am PT. 

Poor Ugly Gus

Gus, winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair this past summer, has died of cancer.  The three-legged, one-eyed Chinese Crested from Florida was awarded the dubious honor after being rescued from an abusive household.  The tiny pup lost his eye after a cat fight and his leg after a skin tumor.  Now he's lost the final battle.

(photo courtesy of Press Democrat)

Rodent Control Using Owls

In the category of very cool, is the Hungry Owl Project.  Based in San Rafael, the organization builds and installs owl boxes in wineries, farms and backyards to control the rat population.  Apparently a family of owls can eat up to 20 rats in a single night making them tops in natural pest control.  Students at San Rafael High School helped build the wooden boxes in shop class.  Owls don't build nests, opting to hang out in barns, dead trees and abandoned nests so the owl boxes come in handy when there are no shelter structures already in place.  The Marin IJ has the complete feature story...  (photo courtesy of Hungry Owl Project website)

Why An iPod Might Not Be Such A Great Gift For Grandpa

One out of every four people with pacemakers, experienced some kind of interference when they wore their iPod earbud type earphones.  In one case, a pacemaker reset itself.  A cardiologist in Boston conducted the study which showed a correlation between earphones, especially the smaller earbud variety and disruption of pacemakers and implanted defibrillators.   The tiny headphones contain powerful magnets, and thats whats causing the interference.  iPods themselves, and other MP3 players, pose no threat according to the health officials.  But it's kinda hard to hear an iPod without the headphones...

Feature!- Intuitive Animal Training In Marin

By Margaret Petrie-

Many of us have chuckled at the Gary Larson cartoon of a man wordily reprimanding his dog and the dog only hearing "Blah, Blah, Blah."  But there are millions of people who would beg to differ.

(Cartoon courtesy of Gary Larson, click it to enlarge)

Feature!- Measuring For Money At Art By The Inch Fundraiser!

Pick a frame size, choose your portion of the painting, then cut it out! 

That's how it worked this weekend, at the annual Marin Museum of Contemporary Art fundraiser, Art by the Inch.  Check it out the festivities in MoreCulture!

Home Square Footage Prices Decline In 90% Of Bay Area

Bay Area home prices have plunged in almost every zip code during the past year, except for a very few.  In some cases, the decline has been in the double digits.  The analysis was computed using the price paid per square foot, rather than median home price which can be skewed by homes sold at the extreme high and low ends of the market. 

There were some surprises in Marin,though.  We checked the 'home price per square foot database' and found that in some cases, home price increased over the same time last year.  In fact three communities in Marin experienced double digit increases in price per square foot.  Check out the database to see how your town fared. 

Feature- The Next Key Is The Next Step In Fighting Homelessness

Any one of us could be just one paycheck away from losing our home, one hardship away from losing everything, one step away from homelessness.

Doyle Drive Replacement Deal Hammered Out

Doyle Drive, the infamous mile-and-a-half long approach to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, is in dire need of replacement.  The crumbling structure, built in 1936, has a Federal Structural Integrity rating of just 2 out of a possible 100.  It is not earthquake-proof and has no road shoulders or median divide.  Although state and federal funds will make up the vast majority of the cost, the Bay Area is on the hook to come up with its portion of the $1 billion dollar total reconstruction cost.

Now there appears to be a plan.

Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) officials say they have come up with a finance structure that they believe will work.  $80 million dollars will come from the MTC through toll revenues from seven Bay Area bridges and another $80 million from the Golden Gate Bridge District (GGBD).  At this point, GGBD officials aren't sure how they will fund their portion but they have several options available, including higher tolls on the GGBridge.

If the plan is approved, construction would begin in 2010. 

Another Reason It's Good To Live In Marin

We just stumbled upon this AP Video...remember folks, it's not even Thanksgiving yet-

    

Guv Calls For Cuts And Taxes To Fix The Budget Shortfall

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has just called a special legislative session to try and tackle the yawning budget shortfall of $11 billion dollars, and he wants to do it by cutting services and..gasp...by raising taxes!

Citing the Wall Street meltdown, Schwarzenegger says the cuts and taxes are necessary to "stop the bleeding."  Most of the spending cuts would be from education; both primary and secondary schools.  He is also asking that state employees take one unpaid day off each month, eliminate two state holidays and premium pay for working on a holiday.

He's also proposing raising the sales tax by 1 1/2 cents for three years, imposing an oil severance tax on each barrel of oil produced in California and increasing alcohol excise taxes.  And in order to increase employment, he'd like to accelerate infrastructure building and permit processes, including eliminating some environmental regulations in order to speed it up. 

The current legislative session ends at the end of November and the Governor is hoping there is action taken before then.

Here's An Opportunity To Purchase Affordable Original Art- All For A Good Cause, Too!

Ever wanted to own an original painting but couldn't afford it?   Well, now is your chance. 

This Saturday, the Artists of MarinMOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) are hosting their annual Art By The Inch fund raiser.  The interactive art event consists of a group of artists who have painted a 100+ foot-long canvas, which the public will then frame portions of, to buy for their own.  The price is $1 a square inch which allows everyone to own whatever they can afford!

A $25 donation (tax deductible) will be charged to get into the event which will feature food and wine, music and a raffle ticket to win a painting by Marin artists, Chester Arnold or Inez Storer.  The Small Treasures Exhibition will feature other paintings and items for sale.  Proceeds from the event go to benefit MarinMOCA, a non-profit organization.

Details-
    **Saturday, November 8th
    **4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
    **City of Novato Arts Center at Hamilton Field
    **500 Palm Drive, Novato
    **415 506-0137

Marin African-Americans Thrilled About Obama

Marin's African-American residents mirrored the joy felt by other blacks nationwide in Tuesday's historic election.  We ran into several first time voters (some of whom are pictured above) at the polling place in Marin City.  They were there to support the historic candidacy of Barack Obama. 

The Marin IJ visited the Martin Luther King, Jr Academy school on Wednesday and filed this very nice feature story.

Gay Rights Advocates Promise A Court Fight

Several same-sex couples along with San Francisco, Los Angeles and Santa Clara County filed three lawsuits Wednesday, in California Supreme Court seeking to strike Proposition 8.

On Tuesday, California voters passed Proposition 8, an initiative that would amend the State Constitution to ban gays from marrying in California.  The initiative would overturn a May ruling by the State Supreme Court that says same sex couples have a right to marry under California law.

The three lawsuits ask for an immediate stay to suspend the ruling with later plans on striking it down.  The suits contend that Prop 8 would 'subvert the fundamental principle of equal treatment' and is a Constitutional revision, rather than an amendment, and would require a two-thirds vote from each house in the Legislature before being submitted to a vote by Californians.

Suits were filed by the ACLU, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Lambda Legal and Education Defense Fund. 

Attorney General Jerry Brown is placed in a curious position.  As AG, his job is to defend California law and he must work to defend the Proposition, but he will also defend same-sex marriages that took place before Tuesday.

Gay rights advocates are not going to go down without a fight.  We at MoreMarin support them in fighting this mean-spirited and frankly, un-American proposition.

Proposition 8 Looks To Go Down To The Wire

Call it the $70 million dollar Proposition.  That's what the Pro 8 and Anti 8 forces have spent either trying to cull support or garner defeat for the controversial Proposition.  And the amount of money spent is more than double the total spent in 24 other states where same-sex marriage appeared on the ballot.  Recent polling shows voters are about split down the middle on Prop 8. 

MoreMarin posted an editorial a few weeks back calling for a NO vote on 8.   As you go to the polls, we urge you to please vote NO on this unfair and mean-spirited Proposition that would deny rights to people.  It's downright un-American.  (photo courtesy of LA Times)

Election Night Events In Marin

Get ready, get set...and prepare to VOTE!  (That is if you aren't one of the thousands of early voters who have already done so!)  Don't forget to check out MoreMarin's Election 2008 before you go to the polls.  It's our handy guide to the Measures and Propositions. 

Tuesday night, if you're in the mood to party a bit and don't want to settle down in front of the TV by yourself for hours upon hours of election night returns, then get yourself down to one of several events happening here in the County-

"Soak The Vote"- 5:00pm until the Election is called.  A performance art piece inspired by the quote from George H.W. Bush when he described convicted Taliban foot soldier, John Walker Lindh as "some misguided Marin County hot-tubber."   The artist, Lizabeth Eva Rossof, will invite participants to wear hot-tub attire and bring their peacock feathers to Illimigarden in Mill Valley.  The event will be documented for a later film.  35 Corte Madera Avenue, Mill Valley.  Cocktails, wine and cheese will be served. 

GOP Party - 6:00pm until ??- Unless there is a major shift in voting trends in the next 24 hours, the Republican Election Night Party locale is likely to be on the 'subdued' side come Tuesday night.  Nevertheless, they are holding a 'night of celebration' at the Harbor Point Tennis and Swim Club at 475 E. Strawberry Drive, Mill Valley.  No host bar and free appetizers. 

Dem Party - 8:00pm until the Election is called. Marin Democratic Headquarters in downtown San Rafael is certain to the place to party come Tuesday.   Streaming videos on a big screen TV, and light refreshments served.  Marin Democratic Headquarters, 1344 - 4th St, San Rafael.

MarinMaven website has a few other election night to-do's...check it out!

The Battle Of The Redwood High School Newspapers

The Bark, the student newspaper of Redwood High School in Larkspur, has just been selected as a finalist in the prestigious National Scholastic Press Association's Pacemaker Award.  It's the second year The Bark has been picked as a finalist for the award which honors excellence in coverage, content, quality of writing and leadership.  This award has been called the "Pulitzer Prize" of student journalism.  Staff members will attend the awards conference in St. Louis next week.

Another paper, this one not sanctioned by the school, has popped up on a school computer and has resulted in its creator being suspended from the high school for a week.  Deadwood Barf, a parody of The Bark which skewers gays, women, environmentalists and Marin residents in general, was posted on a school computer which is against school policy.  Redwood senior, Cyrus Massoumi says he knew he would it was against school policy, but he did it anyway.  Now he is seeking the help of the ACLU claiming his first amendment rights have been violated.  However, the ACLU is unlikely to become involved in his case stating their involvement would only occur if he was suspended for his views expressed, not for suspension due to school policy.  This is not the first time Massoumi has been suspended; he's been suspended twice before, once for making an anti-homosexual remark to a fellow student and also for a racial slur against another student as a joke.

It's Almost Over

Quoted from anonymous Republican with close ties to White House officials-

"You have a combination of no legacy stuff, a horrible economic mess and the likelihood that Obama is going to win.  There is a real sadness there."

Welcome to the final days of the Bush White House.  It's been called a 'pity party' in some publications.  Tragic is more like it. Never has a President been so thoroughly disliked by Americans since approval rating polling began in the 1930s.

Iraq, Katrina, his dismissal of the impending global environmental crisis and finally the recent economic meltdown have all contributed to his dismal approval ratings, and will likely point the way to his legacy as one of the all-time worst Presidents in American history.

Bush was nearly absent from the campaign trail, unheard of for a sitting incumbent President during an election year.  But with a 25% approval rating, John McCain wanted to distance himself as much as he could from the 43rd President and Bush obliged.

On Tuesday, we will elect a new President.  On January 20, 2008 that President will be inaugurated.

It's almost over.     (Photo courtesy Getty Images)