Monthly Archives: November 2016

Castro and My Cold War Childhood — Envisioning The American Dream

Though a half a century apart, November now marks the death of two Cold War icons. Just four days after the anniversary of the assassination of President John Kennedy, his nemesis Cuba’s Communist leader Fidel Castro has died at age 90. Both loomed large in my cold war childhood. It is hard to imagine today […]

via Castro and My Cold War Childhood — Envisioning The American Dream

Native American Heritage Day 2016 — Pro President Obama Blog

Explore American Indian Culture during Native American Heritage Month: https://t.co/BTLqnJedMW pic.twitter.com/AnahoPANHV — USA.gov (@USAgov) November 22, 2016 Native American Heritage Day is a civil holiday observed on the day after Thanksgiving in the United States. The Native American Heritage Day Bill encourages Americans of all backgrounds to observe Friday, November 28, 2008, as Native American Heritage Day, through appropriate […]

via Native American Heritage Day 2016 — Pro President Obama Blog

How Democritus and Heraclites Might Have Reacted to the Trump Election — You Do Hoodoo?

This evening after a series of minor vexations – son sick, Gamecocks clobbered, eye invaded by wayward particle – I got to thinking about Horace Walpole’s observation that “[l]ife is a tragedy for those who feel, and a comedy for those who think.” I quote Walpole when I’m teaching tragedy and ask students to […]

via How Democritus and Heraclites Might Have Reacted to the Trump Election — You Do Hoodoo?

The President Checks In On The Troops — The Obama Diary — This is why Donald Trump REALLY doesn’t need to be President. Being President requires years and years of HARD work no one will ever hear about, you’ll never get credit for, and no one will even know about if all goes well. If it doesn’t go well, headlines will be on the front page, above the crease, right below the masthead, and the criticism you’ll take will feel make the day he was sent to military school feel like a walk in the park. I’m sure this was a call President Obama was more than happy and thankful to make, but the picture gives a scope of the loneliness of the office that requires someone like Barack Obama whose 60 academic awards, first African American President of the Law Review in Harvard, as well as graduating Magna Cum Laude from the law school referred to the H-bomb. He also signed up as a research assistant for a professor named Laurence Tribe who rarely hired first year students, but was struck by his intelligence, curiosity, and maturity. He taught 4,000 students before him, and has taught 4,000 after him but no one impressed him more. He wound up being hired as a research assistant and didn’t let him down. Barack Obama researched a complex article Tribe wrote that made connections between Physics and constitutional law. Trump has some big shoes to fill and judging by the size of his hands, he probably wears a size 9 despite appearing fairly tall man… whereas Obama at 6’3″ wears a size 13. I’m 5’8 and wear 9’s, but I don’t get offended over things like that the way The Donald does. In fact, I look up to the Wu-Tang member that took PCP and cut off his 11″ penis. He believes we live in what he called a “Sexiety” as opposed as a Society and is proud what he did while he was wasted since it magnified the problem we have in America. Seeing how he has a platform by which he can magnify this message, it hopefully did some good for the U.S.

Pete Souza: President Obama makes Thanksgiving Day calls to US troops around the world ****

via The President Checks In On The Troops — The Obama Diary

Harlan County, Here I Come

You Do Hoodoo

It’s been a week since the surreal realization came to me that Donald Trump would become the 45th President of the United States, an outcome that seemed about as likely as Harlan County, Kentucky, being named by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the top resort destinations in the world.

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By the way, I don’t personally believe in the 5 stages of grief.  Although Trump’s victory surprised me, there was no denying it (step 1).  Not only did the headlines scream it, but the faces of my colleagues at work wore a degree of despondency I hadn’t seen since I walked the streets of Leningrad in ’89.

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Nope, there was no denying it, nor, for that matter, any relief in getting pissed off (step 2).  I’ve read To Kill a Mockingbird.  I can “crawl” into Trump supporters’ skin and see things from their perspective (fear of the Big…

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Well this helped me a little. My efforts toward the environment have always felt futile until legislation was actually passed. Hopefully there can be more after Flunked-out-of-high-school to president elect, Trump. Early Bird Chat — The Obama Diary

**** All Times Eastern 12:30PM: President Obama has lunch with Vice President Biden 3:15PM: President Obama holds a press conference 6:05PM: President Obama departs the White House for Athens, Greece **** **** Jazziz2 Woke up this morning with this on my heart: Y’all Surrendered to the Confederacy 42 years ago, TODAY, I stood in a […]

via Early Bird Chat — The Obama Diary