The name game.

So when, precisely did Sea Bass become Branzino? When exactly did the culinary curators decide that the two words, that to me (someone who has actually fished the Cornish Coast) decide the Sea Bass was an inadequate title?

Cut to my dinner just the other night at Cafe Cluny with Rachael. The snow was drizzling on the city, making New York look like the city it’s supposed to be (you know, films and pictures and all that jazz) the Village Mugger hadn’t attacked my dining guest, and my seat at the bar – as always – was stolen by a gaggle of gays… when, I ask you, did Sea Bass become Branzino? Because that’s what it said on the menu. And when I asked, I was told ‘it’s sea bass’. Hardly like revealing a certain jus was made from unicorn tears.

It’s much like living in Hell’s Kitchen. Somehow, some moron thought calling it Clinton (you know, dynasty in Whitehouse, much press on possible curruption, Hillary in democratic denial) would make the area ‘up and coming’.

It came up on it’s on. Much as the branzino did from Cafe Cluny.

Is the tide turning?

The very fact that North Carolina is now seemingly hanging in the balance is incredibly refreshing to me. As it the fact that Obama has really had a couple of bad weeks press-wise. It feels like the political playing field might just be looking a bit more level now.

It’s not that I loathe Obama (I don’t, I just don’t think he plays the game well enough to be president) but I wanted the press to turn a bit. The media have put him on such a pedestal that he to take a tumble and tumble he has.

He may still win, but now we see a bit more of the real issues coming through with Barack and the main one is beyond big speeches and rallies – he doesn’t cope well in debate. Although we say this through the lens of CNN – isn’t debate a critical asset of democracy? Should the American president be at the top if his or her game in this crucial category? And if he’s about hope and a new beginning, why wait so long to condemn the people and influences on his life that he has refused to do so for so many months?

And Guam, dear God I never thought I’d right about Guam, gave Obama a win by 7 votes. Hardly the touted landslides and ‘movement based politics’ of last year. And Guam aside, Pennsylvania was a good win for Mrs. Clinton.

Hillary – on the other hand – seems to fail a bit at public speaking, she seems distant, or exhausted or just aloof. I think she’s got to watch that. However, I think her relationship with real Americans seems to be more ‘real’ and ‘earned’ than the highly managed, single stump speech based Obama. That’s not to say that she’s down with the kids – her tax returns certainly show us how privileged her life is – but maybe because Americans trumpet success, living the “American Dream” as it were – they applaud her for her wealth.

I’d rather have someone in the White House who could work the internal machinations of America government than someone who can fill a stadium; I’d rather vote (remember, I can’t so these views are already irrelevant) for a candidate who’s been there and mostly done that.

You know, I’ve worked in radio, news and PR most of my career – there was such a momentum behind Obama at the beginning that it looked like a one horse race and yes, I was excited – Democrats are gifted with such brilliant candidates. But things change, the media has changed and it seems that those in the know might be starting to put experience and empathy above hope and haughtiness.

And those in the know seem to be real Americans.

A point of clarity.

Obama aint perfect; and in fact as an Englishman who cannot vote here, I think he’s sinister. I know you’re going to tell me I’m prejudging him, or not ‘getting’ it. But it’s my gut feel. I just don’t think being able to rally 100’s of 1000’s of people is the same as getting collaboration and consensus from politicians.

Like the Product:RED campaign, I think you need to be a part of the problem to help bring about a solution. People just weren’t coughing up enough money for AIDS globally; RED took away that need to ‘do’ something by building the solution into the sin of consumerism. You won, they won.

So I guess what I’m saying is this — Clinton screwed up, royally. But still, when the chips (or is that fries) are down, I want a President who knows the system from the inside – whether that’s as a First Lady or otherwise – and who believes in change that doesn’t just make a stadium audience hypnotically cheer – but change that really helps the lives of millions of Americans.

And basically I think we need more women leaders.

What is this misspeak you speak of?

Looks like Hillary’s in trouble again. She’s been accused of ‘misspeaking’ about her trip to Bosnia. She ‘misspoke’ that when they landed in Basra they were under sniper fire. Whereas pictures of the landing show her handing a young girl a flower in an official welcoming party. Hardly a scene from Apocalypse Now is it?

But what is this misspeak we speak of?

Why in 2008 are we still scared to say we lied? Or someone else lied. Words like misspeak (and if we were to be gender balanced mrspeak) are the ultimate spin; moreso they are clear admissions of fear… the fear to call something as it is.

Misspeak itself is a lie.

Here’s the NYTimes definition of ‘misspeak’ —-

Updated, my bad. It wasn’t Basra, it was Tusla. I misspoke.

If this rhymed it would truly be poetic justice.