Oh Carolina!

Remember this song? It was a catchy crossover reggae tune that like so many of the old ones, reminds me of a particular time in the past and a particular friend.
I'll bet Barrack Obama has been belting it out or at least some version of it, since his 55 percent win in South Carolina. And no doubt the pundits are going to be waxing again about what this says about African-Americans and the role of race in these elections.
I listened to a radio programme the other day, where one South Carolina resident said, she didn't think America was ready for a black president. She expressed concerns for the safety of Obama and his family if he did get to the White House. Ready or not, Barrack is doing very well, but I do have some sympathy for her views.
I am suspicious of the perception these days that race no longer matters. That the racist is a street-yob spewing venomous insults that decent people would balk at. And equal access to pay, success, whatever, are the result of hard work, period. I am suspicious, because if all of that were true, then there would be non of this worldwide hooha about the role of race in the American elections.
I know almost nothing of Barrack's abilities as a leader, but I love the title of his book, The Audacity of Hope. I think it says it all on the question of race, and must bless anyone of any race who ever wanted to achieve something that seemed a little out of reach. I know that the content of the book includes the view that it is possible for ordinary people to take their power to make a change but it is the title that keeps coming back at me. The Audacity of Hope, is an infectious notion that resonates with me as I strive to create the life I want. I'll bet it's infected the people of South Carolina too.

Oi!

Okay, so it's six days into the New Year and I'm not happy. There's chaos all around.
If it's not the violence in Pakistan after Benazir Bhutto's assassination, then its the 'tribal' machete hacking in Kenya...There's talk of crunch, crash, meltdown, slowdown. Not to mention the seasonal nightmare of babies mauled by their relatives' Rottweilers; house fires; celebrity misadventure; Friendly Fire; pandemics and price hikes; health experts finding new ways to make us even more paranoid: like telling us that energy saving bulbs could exacerbate eczema. I hear Botox has become a favoured cosmetic therapy. Don't these people realise that the rest of us can tell that they've had the needle? I thought beauty treatments were supposed to be subtle? Like the (ahem) weave??
But I digress. Honestly people, an Out-Of-Spacian would be throwing its (gender unbiased) hands up in the air at this dismal start. We must do better. I'm still feeling optimistic. Maybe Obama will shake things up.
What I do know is that some great books are coming out this year. Check out Mothernight by Sarah Stovell , Unrequited by James W Bennet , A Dangerous Man by Anne Brooke for the first few. I'll be listing a lot more on this blog. And who knows? I may have something to announce too.

Happy New Year folks!