Idle Conversation

When I was a novice for a year in a Greek monastery, in 1975, the term "idle conversation" was used to denote people sitting about chatting simply to pass the time.

I have today and tomorrow to stay home and rest from my kidney stone surgery.

I was watching some news program, and a reporter from the NY Times was saying that Obama failed at some meeting designed to show him as a regular guy who does goofy human things like get a $400 hair cut, or bowl a game of 60. The reporter when on to day "does Obama even GET what the average small town American is about?" I found the remarks fatuous. I DO NOT want someone who is JUST LIKE ME running the country. I am basically a LOSER in many ways. A lot of people are losers in various ways, either economically or academically.

I want someone who gifted in some way, who can found and lead vast corporations, for example, or who stays up to 3am studying foreign policy. Any gifted outstanding leader is likely to be somewhat different from the rest of us, and perhaps even seem a bit eccentric compared to the average person in the streets. I don't think they are going to be great bowlers who slurp beer, and giggle over fart jokes. Hey, that is very American. Go into any number of bars and eavesdrop for a while and tell me what you hear for the most part.

If you want to know what this country is about, you will find out on the PBS educational channels, and not on the sit-coms and reality shows, American Idol or Dancing With The Stars.