On Monday, the Arab online community was in an inspired mood - waxing poetically, penning commentaries with great flourishes of the pen, and even zealously signing up for a novel fan club on Facebook.
What was the impetus for all this sudden surge of ecstatic upbeat activity on the Internet?
A pair of shoes flung from the hands of an Iraqi journalist - Muntather Zaidi - targeted for President George W. Bush.
Mr. Bush was on a tour of Baghdad in a public area of the city when the 29-year-old Satellite TV correspondent chose to express his angst against the U.S. President in the surest quickest method possible.
Bush was quick on the uptake, though - and with one swift duck - managed to avoid the offending missiles.
Even though Zaidi missed the subject of his disdain, the frustrated writer is still being hailed by some as a hero overseas!
After all, hurling shoes at a world leader, is the worst possible insult in Iraq.
No doubt, additional kudos are chalked up if the individual on the intended receiving end, just happens to be a cowboy Texan about to get the boot on U.S. shores, too.
In fact, comments on Internet chat sites appear to support that point of view.
The famous shoes should be exhibited in a museum as they resembled a rocket that talks on behalf of all the people of Iraq, one blogger quipped.
Elsewhere, on Arab TV stations, the images of Zaidi engaged in the act of the dastardly crime, continued to repeat non-stop for hours after the incident.
Disc Jockeys at radio stations also got into the act.
Without a visual to refer to, they encouraged their audiences to "listen" to the sound of the shoe hitting the wall and missing the outgoing President of the U.S.
Smack!
A joyous sound to Iraqi ears, no doubt!
One critic worried that the outburst would have a negative impact on journalists in the future.
"We may be asked to take off our shoes when we are invited to press conferences," one disgruntled media person whined.
Well, toss your writing utensils, then.
After all - you know what they say - the pen is mightier than the sword!
In a bold-faced effort to avoid the stigma of the ultimate Iraqi insult, Bush was inclined to assert to the press later that the act was carried out by a demented man merely seeking attention.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State - Condoleezza Rice - seized the moment to meet her own political agenda.
"It's a sign of the freedom people feel in Iraq."
Next, Ms. Rice will be pulling rabbits out of hats, I expect.
Disc Jockeys at radio stations also got into the act.
Without a visual to refer to, they encouraged their audiences to "listen" to the sound of the shoe hitting the wall and missing the outgoing President of the U.S.
Smack!
A joyous sound to Iraqi ears, no doubt!
One critic worried that the outburst would have a negative impact on journalists in the future.
"We may be asked to take off our shoes when we are invited to press conferences," one disgruntled media person whined.
Well, toss your writing utensils, then.
After all - you know what they say - the pen is mightier than the sword!
In a bold-faced effort to avoid the stigma of the ultimate Iraqi insult, Bush was inclined to assert to the press later that the act was carried out by a demented man merely seeking attention.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State - Condoleezza Rice - seized the moment to meet her own political agenda."It's a sign of the freedom people feel in Iraq."
Next, Ms. Rice will be pulling rabbits out of hats, I expect.
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