Insomniac quick hits II

George W. Obama: Jim Geraghty identifies what would be an Obama Bushism, if such things were being observed and tallied:

“You know, it’s always a bad practice to say ‘always’ or ‘never.'” — Obama, speaking in Amman

I know another:

“Only a Sith speaks in absolutes.”

But I never could stay awake through that movie. Hot Air finds another.

The verbal gaffes must be because Obama is tired. I can accept that; traveling knocks the crap out of me, and Obama really is “only human”. But I can’t help noticing that Bush, of course, was never tired when he misspoke, or human. He was and is – always – just stoopit, right?

A Premature Inaugurator: That would be Obama, again, with James Lewis thinking about Berlin, which some think will make or break Obama’s world tour. I predict the press will make it glorious for him.

Has Obama an Air of Inevitability?: Hillary used to have one of those, too. He’s not president yet.

I can’t help all the Obama stuff; when it seems like he is 70% of all the news coverage out there, it’s what you get, sorry.

For all that coverage: you’d think he’d be doing better in the polls, especially when one measly reporter showed up for McCain in New Hampsire. But July polls don’t say much, anyway.

More Important: Is Turkey in the throes of an Islamic revolution? Something to keep watch of.

Good read: The Complex Success of the Surge.

Good Discussion: Althouse and her commenters look at another battle regarding the dispensing of birth control and whether faith – and the freedom to practice and express it under the Bill of Rights – should be considered. The conversation is always good over there.

Bad headline: I don’t like it, anyway it sounds too much like old FOX network programming.

“Bad Robot”: That’s actually not fair, because I’ve always thought Lanny Davis to be a straight-shooter and not-at-all robotic, but I like the kids voice saying “bad robot” at the end of “Lost”, and since it follows the “Bad Headline” and it’s about Davis’ daring to break with narrative orthodoxy to consider that Bush may have done some good in Iraq, it sort of works. Okay, it’s a bad headline, too. But those kids are cute. And Davis is provocative and moving in his piece.

“Bad Anchoress”: My second radio interview…the first one I’ve heard. I sound like Minnie Mouse on helium. I did an interview with Ed Driscoll at PJM, for their XM radio thingie, POTUS ’08. There is NOTHING more hideous than hearing your own voice for the very first time. I do not have Julie’s dulcet tones. Sadly, I say “you know” more than Hillary, and I need to slow down…I sound like SUCH a New Yorker! Also, I kept saying “NY Times” instead of “New Yorker.” Argh. Also, probably, I shouldn’t drink coffee while I do those things. I think I need a better sounding phone, too. So…if you’re interested…I shriek and stumble through the last 15 minutes.

“Bad Tax-Players”: Only the little people like you and me have to pay those gasoline taxes.

“Bad Couric”: She’s causing grumblings by some on the left and chortles by some on the right for not fawning over the Barack. I suspect she’s a little peeved that he beat Hillary and that played into her interview. Kind of odd, though, to look at this rich man (he’s only a little rich; worth just a few million) being put through the paces by this much richer woman (15 million a year, I think?).

I don’t have any conclusions to draw on it; it just struck me that these past few years have felt like the playing out of rather sick sort of soap opera/psychodrama, where all the players – from Bush, to Clinton, to McCain to Obama, to Huffington to Limbaugh, to Cronkite and Couric to Nancy Pelosi – are super-wealthy and privileged breathers of the rarefied air; they’re all spinning in their little orbits plotting revenge, positioning for power, trying to trip each other up and serving themselves before they even think of serving us.

Sometimes I wonder…how can they possibly know what’s “good” for us? They’ve never had the muffler fall out of their car while driving with two little kids squabbling in the back seat. They haven’t planted their own gardens with a little one “helping” and then weeded it, and watered it and shared the harvest with neighbors. Have any of them ever rolled coin to get a haircut? Do any of them know the price of a gallon of milk? How can they possibly relate to those of us who are dreading winter because the heating oil prices will be through the roof?

The rest of us sit around watching them, reacting to them, allowing them to hold sway over our lives and our imaginations…electing them and re-electing them, so they never go away. We give them too much. Of everything. The return is unequal and unsatisfying.

Thoughts like those are why I’m really glad I’m going to host this online retreat next month. It will be good to turn them off – turn all of it off – for a few days.

In the end, life is not about accumulation. It is much more than success. To be truly alive is to be transformed from within, open to the energy of God’s love. In accepting the power of the Holy Spirit you too can transform your families, communities and nations. Set free the gifts! Let wisdom, courage, awe and reverence be the marks of greatness! –Benedict XVI – Homily for Vigil of Closing Mass – World Youth Day 2008 (H/T)

Be open and be free