Surrounded by Girls: July 2006

New arrival

No, not THAT new arrival. But this will shepherd us to and from now. So say farewell to the Geo Prism, and hello to the Honda Odyssey.

You may notice that it doesn't quite fit in the driveway. That's not good. But it drives and turns like a car, and it has all the bell and whistles you could ask for. 17 cup holders! 17! What are we going to do with 17 cup holders?

Grrrr, bark, woof

USATODAY.com - Bush's 'regular guy' mode can backfire

Wayne Fields, director of American culture studies at Washington University in St. Louis, said these moments help Bush relate to average Americans.

"The problem," he added, "is that in times of real crisis, people begin to think maybe you need somebody who is extraordinary."

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, said the nature of the presidency precludes the idea that any occupant can be an average Joe.

"The office transforms you into a rarefied creature," she said.

This isn't a political statement, honest. I just wonder how often siblings' college professors are quoted back-to-back like this. Eh, Tracy?