A 'Farewell Kiss' For W.

By now, you've surely heard or read about an Iraqi journalist throwing a shoe at President Bush during a press conference. Of course, seeing the shoe-chucking in action makes the whole thing a little more real.



So there was a little more significance to throwing a shoe at Bush than just wanting to hurl an object at him. In Iraqi culture, the gesture is considered the worst possible insult, a sign of extreme contempt and disrespect. The journalist yelled "Dog! Dog!" as he was tackled to the ground by security officers.

Speaking of security officers, did it not seem like it took a while for them to get to the guy once it was clear he had malicious intent? Obviously, the Secret Service would make sure there were no weapons of any sort in the room, and the overall space seemed small enough to close in quickly if something had occurred. Still, that's the President of the United States having to duck from an attack, and regardless of what you or I might think about him, that's a little bit disturbing.