Bizarre Farewells

As 2006 dissapated Gerald Ford has been accepted into the annuals of American history as a noble president. Nowhere were hints of Chevy Chase satire that symbolized the Ford presidency that I remember in the 1970s. Instead were patriotic clips of a President claiming he was not a Lincoln, dammit, but a Ford! Saddam Hussien hung in definance - both admired and feared as he succumbed to death. As I recall, history was also kind to Richard Nixon - gushing over his love for Pat his wife while glossing over that little embarassing gaffe called Watergate. And didn't Nobel Prize panel see fit to bestow Yassir Arafat, head of the PLO, with the Nobel Peace Prize? While Bono only made nominee last year.

Meanwhile the Animal Planet featured a 2 hour tribute to fallen animal activist - Steve Irwin. Holy cow what a gusher! Excerpts from Justin Timberlake, Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman were peppered by tributes from staff at the Australia Zoo, from Steve's dad and best mate and from Bindi Irwin, his young fiesty daughter who seems to have inherited her father's zeal for animal-kind, not to mention a squinty-eyed charisma that translates splendidly on the camera. In between it all were shots of of widow Terri, cuddling baby Bob and trying to look brave behind large dark glasses.

What a strange beginning to the year.