“Surprise!” [No, Not Really...]

You know what I miss?  Being surprised… but, see I gave it away with the title… and that’s actually what I’m talking about.  In our gotta-be-first-to-break-the-story world there are an army of folks who make it their business to guarantee you won’t ever be surprised.  Think of the last time you were truly surprised by some development in the news, and not just hard news; the same is true in sports and entertainment. 

Hey Sarah, Thanks!

I’ve been on the road so time has been at a premium but it looks like my favorite chillbilly family has provided all the material I need [again!].  I know what you’re thinking but no, not the picture of adorable little Piper telling some little boy that he’s number 1 [I thought her specialty was redneck hair products a.k.a. spit].  No, it was mom’s time to step up to the plate [again!] and reassure the America people that she is the most fit and qualified member of the GOP to support this nation from the number 2 position.   

Semantics [Or Something Else]

At the risk of turning Darkest Berry into a strictly political blog, I drag my keyboard through the muck and mire of Presidential politics again [I gotta get out of the house more so I'll have something else to talk about.] 

I was struck by John McCalin getting all frothy about how “angry” voters are about everything from “the mess on Wall Street… to “the failure of leadership.”  Now I fancy myself a bit of a wordsmith but I guess someone needs to explain the difference between “angry” and “bitter”.  Six months ago Obama used the word “bitter” to describe how some voters felt about economic disparities and the press and the public reacted like he said the folks in PA were ”cracka ass redneck crackas.”  McCain dropped “angry” at least three times and not so much as a ripple.  Funny things is they are both right… one was demonized, one was ignored.   

When The Student Becomes Teacher

Last night Barack Obama turned a corner.  He started to kick as they head into the final leg of this race.  That debate was the first time I thought he truly distinguished himself from McCain.  It wasn’t just the rhetoric, he was composed, statesman-like, in command of the stage.  McCain looked feeble [literally and figuratively] and desperate and awkward [what's more stiff than "wooden"?].  Barack looked like the President of the United States, McCain looked like the cranky, slightly crazy old man down the street who won’t give you the ball back when it rolls into his yard.  

Playing With House Money

Preface: I could give less than a damn about O. J. Simpson.  His recent trial was a non-event for me… couldn’t have cared less.  Didn’t watch live… caught the occasional headline with an indifferent ear.  But, what has put this bullsh*t on my radar is the reaction from the so-called journalists on my TV.  I thought the first rule of journalism is impartiality.  After the guilty verdict, these mofos were all but high-fivin’ each other on air.  No attempt to mask their glee, no attempt to appear… professional.