Once you get past all the hype, the media frenzy, the hero worship and the brouhaha, Barack Obama is still an impressive figure; he has a commanding presence, when he talks people listen, and he is earnest. He breaks the lazy, fat American stereotype we are used to, and presents a fit, hands-on, roll-up-the-sleeves-and-get-busy personality that automatically connects him to the middle and lower class people (which make up the majority anyway). He is a man that was born to be followed, and that’s not even talking through an American perspective. Obama now lives his life under an international microscope, with people following his every move. The techies out there are keeping their eyes on his (pink? purple?) Blackberry, and wondering what encryption in uses and where he got his holster (BB not gun). The dog lovers are checking out the canine addition to the White House, the ladies are drooling over his sculpted upper body, everyone wants to know how he eats his burgers and his detractors make fun of his name (see India) amongst other more major events.
The man is amazing, but not amazing enough to warrant so much hounding. Would Obama be as loved and needed if it wasn’t for people suffering through two terms of Bush and his inane ramblings? Would there ever have been a black American President if it wasn’t for the awful caricature of an American that preceded him?
Whatever it may be, every move of Obama’s receives an article, podcast, and analysis in response. During an interview on financial regulation, a fly got in the room and kept interrupting the President. With Mr. Miyagi type reflexes, Obama nails that fly (and it was pretty impressive I tell you, the only other move that comes close was Bush dodging the shoe). It may be silly to write an article about a man killing a fly, but the guy is pretty fast and the people love him, so what the hey. But since it was the President doing the swatting, and a fly doing the killing, PETA had to condemn the act. Of killing a fly. A fly…
PETA’s work is wonderful. I believe in what they advocate, but they just keep getting sillier and sillier. I don’t kill animals and I don’t eat meat, but the only impact they are making now is getting attention for themselves, and that’s also cos of the naked women. Hell, guys only go for their protests for the boobs (and there are plenty of nice ones too). PETA is becoming a laughing stock and a gathering place for bored young women who think their breasts are going to save countless pigs, cows, dogs and flies. They are trying to stop the stop the abuse of animal flesh through the exposure of human flesh, and its getting old and absurd. (And you horndogs can go google the pictures cos I am not putting them up here. This time)
What’s important now is to focus on reconciliation and not make mistakes through being victory drunk. What we want is for a conflict like this never to happen again. Aid agencies and the press should be allowed access to affected areas and Sri Lanka should stand as a bright example on how to deal with ethnic conflict instead of the obvious cover up happening now. 
