Friday, November 07, 2008

yes, i know, i know. time for something of substance.

while i've been going on orgiastically and self-indulgently about fabulous dictionaries and the like, and buying myself new season peonies at the market, and getting pissed off at the amount of bread we go through each week (4 loaves plus. doesn't include fancy-pant d.chirico loaf or two on the weekend), i am aware, dear readers, of the momentous unfolding happening over the seas, in the usa.

like most other people being vocal about it, i am thrilled that obama has won. new era, fresh start, first black president, victory for minorities; it's all fantastic. i'm guessing the kkk and other bovver-booted, shorn head nazi-typepeople are gathering in dark corners, plotting something. i do fear for barack.

and today in the paper, a small article caught my attention.

i am going to be watching this man closely:





it's rahm emanuel. first pick for chief of staff. a lot better looking than leo mc garry, and with a shit-eating grin that promises some good times. with clinton experience, that can only mean good in the oval office, and good on the hustlings. apparently he also swears alot, and can use his favourite expletive as a verb, adjective or subject, depending on the context. and this is his only flaw? i think not.

so, is it goodbye to "diva, whack-job" sarah palin? the george negus nightline show the other night had a commentator who suggested 2012 will be hillary vs sarah. quite serious he was.*




will mccain get a head reduction? i did like his gracious acceptance of defeat and his good wishes to the obamas, though. there was no evidence of the snark we get in australian politics, the bad loserish sour grapes crap.



i do feel they've got it quite in hand, we can all relax. what a handsome pair.



and back here, with mr rudd, i have to say i'm sick of seeing him with his arms around people, looking all matey matey. it gives me flashbacks to howard; small man, glasses, trying to be popular and "down-to-earth." while i'm ok with rudd thus far, and i think his handling of all things recessionistic/financial etc is pretty good [insert technical jargon here] i don't like the way he's picked up on howard's way of responding to issues using the expression "i think i can speak for the majority of australians when i say..."

i also didn't like the way he reacted in such a strong and personal way to the henson thing, and more recently didn't get what keating was on about re gallipoli. i got it - why couldn't our prime minister? am i smarter than him?

also, i heard george negus refer to barack as "the boy" during the program. not quite as bad as the bert newton slip way back when, but still, i cringed and i'm sure negus did too. and all the producers. and the panel sitting there. he would have been referring to obama's age, but it sounded bad.

9 comments:

I'm not Craig said...

I had never heard of Rahm Emanuel until today,but from reading the papers I now know:
1. He was a junior aide in the previous democratic administration

2. In terms of policies, he's a centrist democrat

3. Some people are nervous about his appointment because of his aggressively partisan style and his tendency to get a litle worked up from time to time

4. He once boxed up a dead fish and sent it to a a political foe.

In other words, the dude that Matthew Santos was based on just beat the dude that Arnold Vinnick was based on and appointed the dude Josh Lyman was based on as his new chief of staff.

Aaron Sorkin is a political prophet sans peur et sans reproche

Melba said...

hey INC. I knew points 1 through 3 but the dead fish I hadn't read about. Where did you read it??

And related to West Wing (and I'm inspired to pick up the old lasso, strap on that holster and sally forth again, we stalled in Season
3, ooops I just told Clokes that Martin Sheen dies, he is devo and said he won't watch any more, then I said "you love Martin Sheen, nyah nyah"), we had a little ritual that we did:

During the opening credits, I had to shout DULĂ© when that actor was shown (Charlie) and then Clokes would go "Shnorkin" and when I mentioned this to my sis and bro-in-law, he said his friend shouts out Schiffy! and Sorkin!) so it's not just us. Who are mental.

KittyMeow said...

Hmm - my only problem with (K)Rudd so far is that he hasn't completely laughed in the face of Conroy on hearing the suggestion of "clean feed" ISP filtering. Booo. Morons.

Sorry for the rant! Go Obama!

Melba said...

Oh and ps INC, I like that you speak French. Without fear, without favour? My translation's a little rusty.

Hey, Kitty - probably he didn't overreact to the internet thingy because secretly he agrees? But it won't happen, don't worry.

I'm not Craig said...

I don't really speak french. I found that phrase in a novel I was reading about the War of the Roses and I've been looking for a chance to use it for a while now.

I had to google it to find out what it meant.

The first entry I found said "Pierre du Terrail, Chevalier de Bayard, was called Le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche. (1476-1524.)"

The source cited was, you'll be pleased to know, Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer

After searching a few more entries, I found an actual definition.

Which was "without fear and without reproach"

Also:
The dead fish was in The Age on Friday. You can probably still find it online, in the US Election section

Martin Sheen doesn't die

I love your West Wing ritual and I would adopt it at home (we're just getting started on season 5,second time around) but I fear that were I to start doing that I may be looked at askance

Melba said...

Ok, re Martin Sheen

[wink]

Message received and I've passed it on.

Oh that old Brewer, what a guy.

Also, re the ritual, once I'd shouted "DU'LE!" a few times, I had to keep going, then for a while, it was a very quiet "du'le" almost like a breath. If we started watching again, I'm sure I would go back to the full-throated "DU'LE!!!" again.

Have to get the disks back from my bro-in-law.

Melba said...

forgot the other one:

"SCHLAMME!"

don't ask why, but we'd have to make it schnorkin, schlamme and schiffey! to match.

er.

Book_Moth said...

Negus' comment was SO BAD. Not sure what his intentions were, but he should bloody well know better. I fired off a self-righteous email to SBS but didn't send it because I realised whichever lowly admin person would read it would think I was a sad, sad person with nothing better to do on the most exciting day since whenever. So I went out and got drunk celebrating instead.

p.s. Have you read Obama's books? They are beautifully written, especially his memoir, Dreams From My Father.

Melba said...

Re: Negus' comment, I'd thought I'd imagined it, until my mother confirmed it, also saying how bad it was.

And I haven't read any Obama writings - will look up. Thanks.