Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Globe Rejoices... and bites its nails...

Yeah, I'll admit it. I woke up at the butt crack of dawn to turn on CNN Int'l. to see the results. But I pretty much knew what they were because of the YELLING OUTSIDE MY BUILDING. Keep in mind, here, folks, that it is SIX HOURS LATER here than the East Coast of the United States, but I knew precisely when the Dems won PA, okay? Note here that I say "the Dems" and not "we." Here's my next admission (in case I haven't said it before): I don't LOVE Obama. There you go. Throw tomatoes. I'll wait until you're done...

...


I don't NOT LIKE him. I just don't agree with certain things he says he'll do or not do--granted, you can't really LISTEN to much of what a campaigning man has to say anyway because he's talking out of his ass (especially one who hasn't much experience--but I'll get to that)--but I'm biting my nails over it all.

I will stop and say that I am proud to be from a country that FINALLY looked past all of its racial baggage and looked toward what that saw as "hope" and "change" (and I don't mean them the Obama way... I have the feeling I'll never be able to use those words again the same way just as I'll never be able to say the word "nuclear" without having to stop and make sure I don't say "nukular" *eye roll*) in the form of this man.

I'm also ecstatic to see the end of the Bush Dynasty (well, until that blonde daughter decides she wants to be prez, cuz she already seems to be feeling that out and she's not even my age yet) and to see the BIG HUGE BAND-AID Obama's win seems to have put over the global cuts and scrapes we have caused.

But, I'm still creeped out. Let me give you my VERY PETTY and PRETENTIOUS observations that, though they are teensy, make me twitch a little.

1) The Malcolm X pose. From the very second he starts talking, he does this thing that reminds me of Malcolm X. He looks down at the crowd, looks up right, down, looks up left, speaking and then waiting (and rightly so) for the cheers. Malcolm X was a great great man in many ways. He has inspired millions of African-Americans all around the globe. But his symbol can also incite racial tension and that makes me very nervous.

2) The "Change" expression. Obama can go from sternly serious to beaming white smile with no transition at all. This physical mannerism scares the bejeezes out of me. It's like someone sneaking up on you and yelling "boo." It reminds me of Keanu Reaves in that Devil's Advocate movie. And I'll leave it there.

3) The Strut. For me, there's a very thin line between confident and smug. Obama straddles that line. There's the slight pursing of the lips, the satisfied curl of a knowing smile at the corners of his mouth and the "I got this" wave of his hand as he struts out or around on a stage. Somewhere along there--and I can't pinpoint where because it's so subtle--but he steps over the line. I WILL say that he teeters back over when he starts smiling and talking about his little girls and their new puppy and whatnot, but... it still all seems so contrived.

4) The Choir of Angels. This vision of him as Messaiah. Visually, you see it in still photos everywhere. I mean, I'm waiting for a picture of him picking his nose or rubbing his temples or something but so far, all I see is that iconic 3/4 close up of his face (again a little Malcolm X, no?). The background music after his victory speech in Chicago, instead of being something modern and upbeat was a sort of Hallelujah Chorus as though *aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh... HE IS HERE...aaaaaaaahhhhhh*... Gave me goose bumps and not the good kind. And, look, I know that the whole world was itching to finally get Bush and the Repubs out of the house and driver's seat, but have you guys SEEN the global WORSHIP of this man? I'll say again that I was AWAKENED by SCREAMS of the FRENCH during my OWN country's election through which I had planned to sleep peacefully until the final results. There were people dancing in the streets, crying and hugging one another... tired people all over the world on their way to work with bags under their eyes but that sheep-y smile on their face. Does Obama even KNOW what he's started with all this? I wonder. I've never envied the position of U.S. President but that goes triple for today.

5) Power. Okay, and this is not-so-petty. It's actually something about which I am truly worried. I don't mean power as in HIS power. I mean power as in ELECTRICITY. Throughout his campaign (see campaign caveat above) Obama kept talking about how he wants to close the mountain in Nevada where all our nuclear waste is stored. I sure hope to God he was kidding. Just saying that to placate a constituency. Because, if we don't have anywhere to safely store the waste, we'll be up a creek. Unless, that is, if he approves a new facility where we could RECYCLE the waste as they do in Le Havre, France...but I didn't hear any of that from him. He's going to have to realize, and soon, that the world (but especially the U.S.) is ADDICTED to electricity. And if you think that windmills, waterfalls and solar panels are going to accomodate all your needs, then you haven't done the research. And if you think that we can keep scraping the understructure of our planets surface and keep harvesting coal (and then SPEWING THE SPOILS up in to the AIR for us and all our children to breath... for the final HEATING of our planet and the melting of all of the ice in Antarctica) without consequence, you are, once again, naive and not-so-nice to your grandchildren. For now, nuclear power is the only way we'll be able to ensure a greenly electric future. Trust me, because of the technology we have today, nuclear wastes is a thousand times safer than the mining and burning of fossil fuels.

Okay, before I shut up about politics and go out for my run, I just wanna add that I'm DEEPLY ASHAMED of America for Prop 8. And I'm devastated for all the gay people in Arkansas who are now going to have to move to another state if they ever want to adopt a baby. It's another ugly spot on our shirt.

Quickly on the novel: It's AWESOME and I wish that my husband and kids would leave me alone for more than FIVE minutes so I could work on it, but I'm loving it. It's like licking honey off my fingertips.

Quickly on running: I rested yesterday, but I'm about to go put on my shoes and strap on my Garmin. I bought my plane ticket and am making hotel reservations today. I'm really going. And I'm really going to do my marathon. This Sunday might determine whether or not I'll FINISH it in time, but we'll see.

Apple butter: is lovely, lovely, lovely. I put it into jars and water bathed it like the recipe said. I have a butt load of it and I'm not even done making it yet. Do you KNOW how delectable the smell of apple butter is mixed with the smell of baking bread? *sigh* SO homey!!!

RYAN GOES BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY!!!! I have a feeling that I'm going to miss him like I did when he started school and that, again, I'm going to be sad that I didn't spend more time with him doing fun stuff and that I let my writing/running/etc. get in the way.

Okay, gotta run *hyuck, hyuck*

P.S. I mean it... I WILL put some pix up on here later today... Mark my words.

1 comment:

Erica said...

First, I feel like I've gotten hooked on some drama/comedy series that goes on weird hiatuses!

AND Obama scares me a little too. But much less than Palin. And I'm glad we broke the seal on the black pres, but the man's got quite a job in front of him.

Does this mean you're really coming to Houston for the big race???