SINCERE APOLOGIES ARE REFRESHING

"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
Marcus Aurelius
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The Impossible Dream
From MAN OF LA MANCHA sung by Brian Stokes Mitchell

I've always loved this song. I guess I am an idealist and pragmatist at the same time. But it is my ideals that propel me.

“Whatever you can do or dream, you can BEGIN IT. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Goethe

So yesterday I posted my feelings about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I wrote what I feel. And I still feel what I wrote. * But have a regret that I used the word STUPID in the subtitle. Remember when Bill Clinton was running for President and James Carville became known for the phrase “It’s the ECONOMY, Stupid”? Well, that is what I used as a take off with my subtitle: IT’S CHARACTER STUPID ~ THAT’S WHY I’M FOR BARACK OBAMA. But, though it made sense to put it that way, it probably wasn’t the best choice ~ to put it quite that way.

When googling the Carville statement that caught on with the media I came up with the following:

"The economy, stupid," was a phrase in American politics widely used during Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign against George H.W. Bush. For a time, Bush was considered unbeatable because of foreign policy developments such as the end of the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War. The phrase, coined by Clinton campaign strategist James Carville, refers to the notion that Clinton was a better choice because Bush had not adequately addressed the economy, which was undergoing a recession at the time.

In order to keep the campaign on message, Carville hung a sign in Bill Clinton's Little Rock campaign headquarters with the following three points:
1. Change vs. more of the same
2. The economy, stupid
3. Don't forget health care.

Although the sign was intended for an internal audience of campaign workers, the phrase became something of a slogan for the Clinton election campaign. Clinton's campaign used the recession to successfully unseat George H.W. Bush, whose approval ratings had been in the 90% range one year prior. The phrase is repeated often in American political culture, usually preceded by the word "it's", and with commentators sometimes substituting a different word in place of "economy". e.g.,
"It's the deficit, stupid!"
"It's the corporation, stupid!"
"It's the math, stupid!"
"It's the voters, stupid!" The end of Wikipedia excerpt

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January 16, 2008 Barack Obama ~ SEIU Nevada for Obama


I Hope Nevada comes through as these people state.

Lyrics to the song:

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man . . . scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

* I have the audacity to say I'm sorry and hope you'll accept I'm just a human being. I also have the audacity to dream, have courage and hope ~ that we as humans can acknowledge and correct our mistakes. At worst, weakness is not being able to acknowledge our mistakes and imperfections.

" I am painfully conscious of my imperfections, therein lies all the strength I possess."
Mahatma Gandhi


An aside: Last night I received an invitation to exchange homes with a family in the French Alps, near Geneva, Switzerland this summer. How exciting is that! The airfares are expensive, around $1200. Ouch! But I'll keep looking.

What are dreams made of?


Rafael Nadal v. Gilles Simon tonight on ESPN2 approximately at 10:00 p.m.USA, eastern standard time, playing at the Australian Open for Round 3. Let's hope ESPN2 comes through this time. What a disappointment they didn't air Rafa Nadal in Round 2 at all. Thumbs down to ESPN2 for that choice.

Vamos, Rafa!!

Tu eres el major! You Are The Best!

Nous sommes tous avec toi Rafa. We Are All With You Rafa.