Obama’s sentiment about sediment on 60 minutes…

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Chalk this post up to my interest in how the English language is used (and misused). I thought college linguistics was fascinating. I guess my fascination with presidential speech patterns is somewhat understandable.

Bear in mind that the last president particularly drove me to distraction with his misusing or mispronouncing about every thirteenth word that he uttered. I suppose I’m used to being hyper sensitive to listening to the chronic mistakes GW made.


I’m guessing most folk probably didn’t even notice this and if they did wouldn’t care but the other night (Sunday to be exact) on 60 minutes President Obama interchanged two words. He was talking about Guantanamo, Cheney and the creation of more anti American “sediment.” He clearly had meant to say “sentiment.” Many people mix those two words without realizing it, just take a look at the internet.
For the record: sediment is the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid, while sentiment is a feeling, emotion, attitude or opinion towards something.

However, that wasn’t the interesting thing… everybody makes mistakes and the rest of the interview was pretty coherent. Afterwards I listened to what the different station’s pundits had to say about the 60 Minutes segment and they varied from “it was awful he laughed inappropriately at the economic crisis” to “he was informative, sincere and spoke directly to the issues.” Of course no one mentioned the mistake because it’s not a very important one in the scope of a speech.

I had to laugh though because when I got to Rachel Maddow afterwards they had shown the clip where Obama misstated as part of a story on Cheney. When Rachel spoke about it she very clearly enunciated the word “sentiment” with a smile. I’m pretty sure she noticed the switch. So is that the jaws of the liberal/socialist/left leaning media monster that we keep hearing about being too gentle on Obama? So she’s mean to that nice, sweet hearted old Dick Cheney while she’s indulgent towards that contemptible, nasty Barack Obama. Mildly amusing. And not to be soft on Rachel but she was a Rhodes Scholar and has a doctorate in political science. I think she can take it.

If it had been Bush it would have just been simply another day, another speech, another mangled word, because after all George W was certainly our most “misunderestimated” president.
Wait what’d he say?

G’night,

Laura

Obama laughs too much: quick get Rahm to pass that pissy look down.

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I watched President Obama on 60 Minutes last night and thought it went okay.
He seems to understand the issues and is willing to talk to the press and public about what’s going on.
This is something we haven’t seen in a president in a very long time.
And after eight years of a president that couldn’t seem to answer a question without confusing whatever it was he was trying to say (and sometimes we never quite knew what he was going for) it’s nice to have a president that can complete a thought without a teleprompter.

However when I got up all I heard about was how Obama laughed too much, it’s inappropriate, he’s not serious enough, and spending too much time talking to the public.
It seems absolutely impossible to please anyone these days.

There are so many things going on in the world and all that you could find were various clips of Obama laughing that were showing up everywhere all day and into the night. Discouraging.
I guess he needs to practice looking serious and pissy in the mirror more. Surely Rahm could help with that.




Far more interesting is the underwater volcano near Tonga in the Pacific. Amazing photos.



Also now Alaska’s Mount Redoubt, 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, erupted.
I bet Bobby Jindal wishes he hadn’t criticized money going towards volcano monitoring in his republican rebuttal speech now.

Some of AIG’s folk gave their bonus money back, but not all of them.

Bernie Madoff’s accountant David Friehling was charged with securities fraud… now how about that bookkeeping wife of his?

My thought of the day: Perhaps Dick Cheney would shut up and stop fear-mongering to deliberately undermine the President of the USA if he was being prosecuted on the criminal charges warranted for torture as he should be under our laws. Why after the Clinton debacle do we turn our eyes from true crimes?

On the lighter side: two marriages:
Bruce Willis (54) married a thirty-two year old model what a surprise… Hmm.
The interesting one is David Letterman. He finally married his long term mate Regina Lasko. They began dating in 1986 and have a five year old son.
Congrats and good luck!
And speaking of marriage: Politico reported that Senator Chuck Schumer of NY has changed his mind on same sex marriage. This might mark a broader change in thought towards equality and human rights. We shall see.

G’night,

Laura

Snow day and endless news loops of Democrats and Republicans bitching...

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Snow, snow everywhere!
No school tomorrow finally a snow day.
It's supposed to snow tomorrow too. Maybe I'll get a nice walk in the snow before it turns into sleet or rain.

The first two segments on 60 minutes were really worth watching.
The first was on Bernie Madoff and Harry Markopolos who was the man that tried to blow the whistle on Madoff to the SEC in 2000 and numerous times thereafter.
Neither the democrats or the republicans are effective. Government should have done something about this scheme and it didn't. Seems regulation and deregulation have the same effect with our piss poor system.
::sigh::
Watch the 60 minute segment on Madoff here it was interesting (and frustrating at the same time).


The second segment was on the Mexican drug cartel and it's effect on Mexico and the United States.
I agree that serious drug use is bad (as is cancer from cigarettes and "legal" alcoholism) but the War on Drugs isn't a battle that can be "won." Illegal drugs coming in from all over (and from within) create the black market high risk high gain dangerous situations and Mexico is having significant trouble handling it.
You can see that segment at the same place as above.

I normally don't watch 60 minutes but I caught it tonight.
The economic stimulus package has me reeling a bit. Gives me a headache if I listen to too much debate about it.

And as far as the health insurance issue, we HAVE to do something to get ins to every American.

Everyone talks about the predatory banks and lying or unqualified borrowers as if they are the only reason for the housing crisis but they don't talk much about how many people have gotten sick or been injured and lost their home because of the bills they couldn't afford without health ins... It's an embarrassment to the country.
It's happening a lot and it's very sad in a country that considers itself the "best country that there is."

G'night,

Yet, another week to cycle through begins with snow in NY.

Laura
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