Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Lights Out for Bush in Jerusalem

In a move that Al Gore would approve of for its energy-saving environmental impact, Jerusalem has agreed to turn off the lights in the Old City before dawn this week so visiting President George W. Bush can enjoy a better view of sunrise from his King David Hotel suite, reported AFP.

Bush arrived in Jerusalem today giving most Jerusalemites a tough time getting to and from work because of his entourage's security needs. Turning the lights out on the Old City is in response to a request Bush made to watch the sun rise without the destraction of natural lights on the limestone walls of the ancient city.

Personally, I had to suffer through the unfortunate glare of lights when I tried to take in the Jerusalem sunrise from the balcony of my King Solomon Hotel suite this summer. It never occured to me that I could have requested an alternate ambience for my viewing pleasure. Ah, the perks of being the leader of the free world.

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