...and here it is: truthiness.
It had to happen. Stephen Colbert ("The Colbert Report" - Comedy Central) coined the word early in the year.
I don't think I'm letting out any secrets here. "The Colbert Report" is the most hilarious send-up of the self-important, self-serving, self-aggrandizing buffoons that make up the right-wing media farm. Morons like Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, Rivera, to name a few.
"Truthiness" is presented in the context of George W. Bush's mangling of the English language.
As I understand it, "Truthiness" has just enough elements of factuality (my own personal choice for word of the year for 2007; I'll formally introduce the word in my post of 1 January, 2007 to insure it's legal inclusion for word of the year considerations.) to look legitimate. That, of course has been the entire premise for the Bush '43' administration. It's everywhere throughout the administration's public statements. There's just enough appearance of legality to serve administration pronouncements to quiet critics any time they are challenged. You have only to watch Tony Snow's verbal contortions any time someone in the press corps asks a question that gives lie to the official line du jour.
Flash back to "Alice In Wonderland" as she asks questions of the Queen. The imperious Queen states, "..a word means exactly what I want it to mean..." and you have the same contorted reasoning we see in all the press briefings since this administration began. Words mean just what Dubya wants them to mean.
And that's why truthiness is the word of the year 2006. I wonder what word can describe what we are seeing in Iraq.
Today is December 9; 771 days left until the end of the Bush Administration
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Thursday, December 7, 2006
FWIW - Why Barack Obama will be a great President
It occurred to me later (after I had completed yesterday's post), that I might have come off as having a bit of a negative attitude. Maybe even a bit curmudgeonly. Fair enough. Chalk it up to a lack of sleep, a cold that has been hanging on for a week now, which my doctor says has become bronchitis.
It was a bit of a rant, though, I must confess.
So, why today's title; after all, we just got through with one election, didn't we? So, why pitch Barack Obama, presumably for 2008? Isn't that a bit premature? Probably so. Yet, there are those out there in blogland (or the blogosphere, or whatever they want to call it) who are already talking about the next election cycle. Of course, the handicapping is already in full swing. Speculation is rampant. "Will Hillary (Clinton) run?" "How does Rudy Giuliani look?" "Will they nominate John Kerry again; wasn't one loss enough?" "What do you think of Sam Brownback? Who?"
Naturally, talk comes around to Barack Obama for the Democrats. "He's too young","Not enough experience", "Is America ready for an African-American president?" "But, he's from the Midwest, for god's sake!" Yada Yada Yada.
In point of fact, The Republicans don't have all that many viable candidates. Oh, sure, there's John McCain; his jowls become more pronounced as his stands on issues become less pronounced from the right-winger's talking points book. Sorry, John, you're a has-been. Only tricky Dicky Nixon could resurrect from the political cemetery after a humiliating defeat like 1962. Giuliani? You think that Republicans are going to vote for a pro-choice divorcee from New York? I don't care how well he handled himself during 9/11. What's he done lately?
Democrats don't come off much better. Hillary? "She's got enough money to burn a wet mule," someone said. And her negatives are almost as high as her positives. John Edwards? Too nice, way too nice. Wes Clark? If the Dems weren't smart enough to run him in '04, why would you expect them to smarten up for '08?
Right now, Barack Obama is hot. His book, "The Audacity of Hope" is a best-seller and positions him as a forward-looking progressive with a positive message. The year 2007 is bound to be a downer as this country attempts to disengage from Viet Nam Redux with as little loss of life as can be hoped. People will be ready, no, eager for a message that says, 'better times are ahead if we'll all pull together for a change!"
If Barack Obama is smart (be assured, he is), he'll spend the next year as he has the past two, learning the inside game of the Legislative Branch. He'll continue cultivating relationships with those who can help him when he becomes Chief Executive. There are those who will claim that he is untested in international waters. Being recognized as a respected leader of this nation will imbue him with enough credibility to complement his charisma on the world stage. Think of a taller, darker JFK who can converse as easily with some South African Foreign Minister as a European Prime Minister.
Finally, what I call the 'E' factor. As in empathatic. Obama continues to hone that essential trait; the one that links him invisibly, almost imperceptively to all those around him. He senses the 'mood' of a room almost as soon as he enters; like the sailor who detects the slightest variation of the wind and changes rudder and sail to maintain or alter course and heading. Without pretense or bombast Obama will distinguish himself with grace and humility.
Today is December 7, 2006; only 773 days left until the end of the Bush Presidency
It was a bit of a rant, though, I must confess.
So, why today's title; after all, we just got through with one election, didn't we? So, why pitch Barack Obama, presumably for 2008? Isn't that a bit premature? Probably so. Yet, there are those out there in blogland (or the blogosphere, or whatever they want to call it) who are already talking about the next election cycle. Of course, the handicapping is already in full swing. Speculation is rampant. "Will Hillary (Clinton) run?" "How does Rudy Giuliani look?" "Will they nominate John Kerry again; wasn't one loss enough?" "What do you think of Sam Brownback? Who?"
Naturally, talk comes around to Barack Obama for the Democrats. "He's too young","Not enough experience", "Is America ready for an African-American president?" "But, he's from the Midwest, for god's sake!" Yada Yada Yada.
In point of fact, The Republicans don't have all that many viable candidates. Oh, sure, there's John McCain; his jowls become more pronounced as his stands on issues become less pronounced from the right-winger's talking points book. Sorry, John, you're a has-been. Only tricky Dicky Nixon could resurrect from the political cemetery after a humiliating defeat like 1962. Giuliani? You think that Republicans are going to vote for a pro-choice divorcee from New York? I don't care how well he handled himself during 9/11. What's he done lately?
Democrats don't come off much better. Hillary? "She's got enough money to burn a wet mule," someone said. And her negatives are almost as high as her positives. John Edwards? Too nice, way too nice. Wes Clark? If the Dems weren't smart enough to run him in '04, why would you expect them to smarten up for '08?
Right now, Barack Obama is hot. His book, "The Audacity of Hope" is a best-seller and positions him as a forward-looking progressive with a positive message. The year 2007 is bound to be a downer as this country attempts to disengage from Viet Nam Redux with as little loss of life as can be hoped. People will be ready, no, eager for a message that says, 'better times are ahead if we'll all pull together for a change!"
If Barack Obama is smart (be assured, he is), he'll spend the next year as he has the past two, learning the inside game of the Legislative Branch. He'll continue cultivating relationships with those who can help him when he becomes Chief Executive. There are those who will claim that he is untested in international waters. Being recognized as a respected leader of this nation will imbue him with enough credibility to complement his charisma on the world stage. Think of a taller, darker JFK who can converse as easily with some South African Foreign Minister as a European Prime Minister.
Finally, what I call the 'E' factor. As in empathatic. Obama continues to hone that essential trait; the one that links him invisibly, almost imperceptively to all those around him. He senses the 'mood' of a room almost as soon as he enters; like the sailor who detects the slightest variation of the wind and changes rudder and sail to maintain or alter course and heading. Without pretense or bombast Obama will distinguish himself with grace and humility.
Today is December 7, 2006; only 773 days left until the end of the Bush Presidency
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Commentary on Contemporary Life In The USA
...So, For What It's Worth, here's the way I see things today.
Here in the good 'ol U. S. of A., we've come through another ferocious election cycle and what have we to show for it?
For late night show comedians, a wealth of material to get laughs. For the self-important punditocracy (read: George Will, David Broder and their ilk), fodder to file so they can look back a year from now and pronounce themselves as gifted oracles.
For news and politics junkies, like myself, time to catch up on sleep (for a week or two, anyway). For the bloggers, more of the same-old, same-old; which is to say that never-ending pursuit of some post somewhere that has a hint of validity, albeit fleeting, to glom onto.
For the predominant political parties, Republicans and Democrats, each claiming either a) a great cosmic victory or b) avoidance of a great national calamity. Really, it's neither, since almost 40% of the voting populace chose to abstain. To me, that indicates signifigant apathy or major distrust of our two-party political system to address the needs of we everyday mortals who must wrestle to put food on the table, gas in our six-year old car, make this month's mortgage payment, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
It's no coincidence that one of today's most popular comedians, Lewis Black portrays the angst of Joe Everyman, attempting to deal with the maelstrom of frustration, stupidity, callousness, deception, corruption and amorality that swirls around us incessantly.
America used to be known as 'The Melting Pot', now it's the 'Pressure Cooker'.
Why did I name this humble little blog as, "For What It's Worth"?
Because, back in the 1960's there was a folk/protest song by the same name, done by a group known as "Buffalo Springfield". In about two minutes and 45 seconds the group seemed to capture the essence of a time when white was black and black was white, up was down, and down, up and "1984" was still a long way into the future. Or was it?
Here in the good 'ol U. S. of A., we've come through another ferocious election cycle and what have we to show for it?
For late night show comedians, a wealth of material to get laughs. For the self-important punditocracy (read: George Will, David Broder and their ilk), fodder to file so they can look back a year from now and pronounce themselves as gifted oracles.
For news and politics junkies, like myself, time to catch up on sleep (for a week or two, anyway). For the bloggers, more of the same-old, same-old; which is to say that never-ending pursuit of some post somewhere that has a hint of validity, albeit fleeting, to glom onto.
For the predominant political parties, Republicans and Democrats, each claiming either a) a great cosmic victory or b) avoidance of a great national calamity. Really, it's neither, since almost 40% of the voting populace chose to abstain. To me, that indicates signifigant apathy or major distrust of our two-party political system to address the needs of we everyday mortals who must wrestle to put food on the table, gas in our six-year old car, make this month's mortgage payment, ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
It's no coincidence that one of today's most popular comedians, Lewis Black portrays the angst of Joe Everyman, attempting to deal with the maelstrom of frustration, stupidity, callousness, deception, corruption and amorality that swirls around us incessantly.
America used to be known as 'The Melting Pot', now it's the 'Pressure Cooker'.
Why did I name this humble little blog as, "For What It's Worth"?
Because, back in the 1960's there was a folk/protest song by the same name, done by a group known as "Buffalo Springfield". In about two minutes and 45 seconds the group seemed to capture the essence of a time when white was black and black was white, up was down, and down, up and "1984" was still a long way into the future. Or was it?
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