You know, I’ve written about 10 different introductory sentences to this post and erased them all.

I happened to tune in to my girl, Rachel Maddow, last night, just in time for this story. I’m not entirely sure why I felt I had to share it with you, but share it, I must.

And while I adore my dear friends who live and love in Texas, I can’t help but point to this as kind of a nutshell reason I don’t think I could ever bring myself to live there, myself. Emphasis on the nutshell. For real, you guys have enough problems: Bush, Rick Perry, potential secession, lizards big enough to eat small children…

I hereby dedicate this post to all my nature lovers out there, Texans, and most particularly to Miz Shoes and her hubs, the RLA. Enjoy!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWJKne4khDk&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f]

Seriously, this is not my Nature Notes post…:-)

Ya know, I would think that after eight years of the Bush Administration, there would be precious little left out there that could make my jaw drop, but I was wrong.

First, the governor of the State of Illinois plays “Let’s Make A Deal” with President-Elect Obama’s (I still love the sound of that!) now-vacant Senate seat. Delusional moron.

Now, there’s this abomination from the newly amalgamated American Coalition for Clean Coal Energy. A euphemism if I’ve ever heard one. When I first heard of this, I swear I thought it was a bad “Saturday Night Live” video. Let’s get one thing straight: There is no such thing as “clean coal”. The technology to burn coal for energy in a “clean” fashion does not exist. Yet. Maybe someday. But not today. In the meantime, the carbon monoxide emitted from burning coal as an energy source in this country equals the output of every car and truck on the road today, and is one of the chief contributors to greenhouse gases and global warming.

You’re saying to yourselves: Get to the point already. Fine. The ACCCE, on its website, has posted a cutesy series of bastardized Christmas carols sung by – are you ready? – animated (and freakishly scary-looking) lumps of coal. I kid you not. I know this sounds like an oxymoron, but even though I’m Jewish, I love Christmas music. Go figure. Anyway, they’ve taken some of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time, and turned them into pro-coal commercials. Like “Jingle Bells”. “Frosty the Snowman (Coalman)”. “O Come All Ye Faithful.” I wish I could post the videos themselves without sending you to the website, but I can’t. Currently, there are five. Yesterday, there were six. They’ve removed “Silent Night”. Probably after my girl, Rachel Maddow, popped off about it last night on her MSNBC show. (I would have Keith Olbermann’s baby and Rachel Maddow is my new girl crush.)

So curl up with a tall (spiked) eggnog and listen to some cheery “holiday” music. Go ahead. Be appalled.

So, where’s Bill O’Reilly?