Triscribe

Today’s New York Times Quotation of the Day got a reaction out of me:

“I’m like a fish out of water. They’ve never run across anything like me. I mean, a guy like me running for the presidency? I’ve never run for anything.”
– GEN. WESLEY K. CLARK, on campaigning, so far.

Hmm. So, how are we supposed to interpret a guy admitting that he never ran for anything before? There are good and bad things about it. For instance, he has no experience in public office; that’s bad – how can he deal with things? But, by not having prior experience in public office, maybe he has fresh eyes and views toward old problems – that’s good. And, the “guy like me” is also an interesting line. A general/Rhodes scholar/West Point valedictorian isn’t devoid of a good resume; in the 19th century, he’d be a shoe-in for presidency (putting aside that there was no such thing as Rhodes scholar in the 19th century). Indeed, in modern era of the last 50 years, we had Eisenhower; so sure, if Joe Schmoe or MAD magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman said, “a guy like me running for the presidency?”, then I’d agree and say, “Yeah, you’re kidding, right?” But, the turn of the 21st century’s environment is where we would give pause and say to a general, “Yeah, you’re kidding, right?” Just my thought to reflect on the nuance of language and society; no conclusions can be made at this time.

Slate.com had an interesting assessment of Teresa Heinz (aka Teresa Heinz Kerry), wife of the other Democratic candidate John Kerry. Like Clark, Heinz is known for saying off-the-cuff remarks. As a modern woman, what she does and says also becomes nuanced by the turn of the 21st century’s environment. The media would go into a feeding frenzy about what controversial thing she says or gossip how she’s one politician’s widow/another politician’s 2nd wife and an heiress. But, Heinz isn’t a rookie at political campaigning and appears to be able to do public outreach, since she can speak the languages of various communities. Heinz’s outspokenness can be an negative (there’s the stereotype of the scary politician’s wife, re: Lady Macbeth), but can be an asset – why not go out there and show what one individual can do and say, quite honestly? (this is the post-feminist age, isn’t it?).

Such a confusing and an interesting time that we live in.

I may never fully understand the problems of campaign finance reform, but the NY Times had the quote of the day:

“We are under no illusion. Money, like water, will always find an outlet. What problems will arise, and how Congress will respond, are concerns for another day.”
– JUSTICES JOHN PAUL STEVENS and SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR, upholding new campaign finance rules.

Hmm. Money like water… Such a needed resource, and yet we can never get enough of it… I like the analogy. Then again, how willing am I to plow through a many-page-Supreme Court decision to find more of the analogies that the nine justices are so good at making?

Law.com directed me to this article about how California bar exam takers should take heart; failing the nation’s toughest bar exam isn’t so bad because lots of people fail it and it’s the toughest bar exam. Then, California gets to pat itself on the back for filtering out incompetents from practicing and yet, what’s so good about being the toughest when it means telling lots of people to either find another state to practice law or else be very realistic before applying to take that state’s bar exam or enter non-certified California law school. It once again highlights how the process can be such a mind game. Plus, there is something very disturbing about the points the article made – for instance, does it really make anyone feel better about not being able to practice law in California because it has the toughest bar exam? What does it say about the profession of law; that California is that progressive or that insightful and that protective of the consumers/clients?

Just a rant; it may not mean very much and I should really find other things in the news to peruse…

Check out the latest “Explainer” on Slate.com on a humorous look about to whom Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean is NOT related.

The latest “Build-A-Bear” commercial, where this blonde kid’s singing an odd song before she goes to “Build-A-Bear” for a custom-made bear that has a microchip that replays a recording of said child’s own song: the kid’s singing voice reminded me of someone who thinks too well of her voice before Simon of “American Idol” cuts her down to the size of a teddy bear. It’s not something that’ll convince me to go to the store for the product (then again, I’m too old for it). Or to endorse the child’s continuing singing career. (pardon the harshness; I just saw the commercial, and it didn’t make me feel good anyway).