He loves to read Urdu Poetry

Says John Stewart: "Ur do?!"

Sample of Urdu poetry (translated):

Utter a word of truth

That goes against the king,

And behead yourself with

The sword of your own tongue.

And John Stewart says, complimenting Obama on his command of a plethora of arcane subjects:

"That's great. Now Fix the Economy!"

P.S. I do not know what the picture says. I think it might be from an urdu dating site.

He's Got Game

Good speech on Gitmo today.

Wouldn't you know that NIMBY would prevail with the gutless creeps in congress?

Thanks for sticking to your principles, Mr. President.

Smarty Pants

From Dylan Loew on Huffington Post:

Over the weekend, President Obama named Utah Governor Jon Huntsman as the next Ambassador to China, a masterstroke of political strategy.

Huntsman may be the most important person you've never heard of. He's a moderate Republican governor in one of the most conservative Republican states, where, until the time of his appointment, he enjoyed approval ratings above 80%. A few weeks back, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe unintentionally elevated Huntsman on the national stage by suggesting that he was one of the few Republican politicians that appeared formidable in 2012.

Huntsman is young, exceptionally smart, quick on his feet, amiable and incredibly articulate; when he speaks, he exudes reasonableness, a quality almost entirely void in the modern Republican party. He has the potential to be for the Republican Party what Obama was for the Democrats - a man capable of simultaneously exciting his base while appealing to an ever-more critical group of Independent voters. To hear him speak is to know he's a guy an Independent would love.

In the wake of Plouffe's comments, and a few high profile trips to critical presidential states, Jon Huntsman made his way onto just about every Washington insider's list of possible 2012 Republican contenders. That is, until he joined the Obama administration.

Auwe, Barack!

What is wrong with you? How could you not step in on this one? God bless Dan Choi, and God Save America...

Barack Shows His Funny Side

At the Annual Correspondent's dinner in Washington.

There are a million different views on youtube. Here's one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww0EPKAZy-c&feature=related

Among his comments: Democratic party bringing in young people like Arlen Specter.

Barack Going After Credit Card Companies:

PRICELESS!!!!

WASHINGTON (AP) — Putting himself on the side of fuming consumers, President Obama is pushing Congress to send him legislation by Memorial Day that would put a tighter rein on the credit card industry.
"Americans know that they have a responsibility to live within their means and pay what they owe," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address released Saturday. "But they also have a right to not get ripped off by the sudden rate hikes, unfair penalties and hidden fees that have become all-too common."

Barack and Michelle After a Date Night Out

Picked up from USA Today. They must hate having no privacy, but they sure are cute.

Can't Wait to See Your Supreme Court Pick

Just read a great article in the NYTimes about how the President will approach his pick:

Many American presidents have been lawyers, but almost none have come to office with Barack Obama’s knowledge of the Supreme Court. Before he was 30, he was editing articles by eminent legal scholars on the court’s decisions. Later, as a law professor, he led students through landmark cases from Plessy v. Ferguson to Bush v. Gore. (He sometimes shared his own copies, marked with emphatic underlines and notes in bold, all-caps script.)

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii

In the President's home state we celebrate May Day as lei day -- giving lei of beautiful flowers to friends and family ... and even perfect strangers.

Happy May Day President Obama.

Good Grades Barry!

CNN's lunatic grade everything festival on the anniversary of 100 days of the Obama administration. All of this voting on everything by people who have nothing else to do, are doing it while driving, or like me are doing it while working is nuts! Our founding fathers were prescient: they invented the electoral college for precisely this reason!

Fortunately the Big Boss got great grades. Since I was a permanent substitute in his fifth grade class, I thought I would say, Good Job, Barry -- Hana Hou Barack. Alternately,

Dear Mrs. Dunham

We wanted to report that your grandson, Barry, who now goes by his given name Barack, is doing an incredible job as president of the United States.

As you know, he now has critics instead of teachers, but he still managed, in his characteristic way, to get great grades and have people raving about his abilities. He's a natural star, but he was lucky to have you all that time.

Aloha, Gloria Garvey

Congratulations on 100 Days

This is a picture of my brother and his family. His son, Gregory wrote me that they couldn't wait to "brag all over the republicans." when he won the White House. Two budding Democrats --- their parents, and me ---

We couldn't be happier that Barack Hussein Obama is our President.

God Bless Barack Obama, his family and everyone on the planet.

First Dog Has Arrived

Who knows when the 6 month old portuguese water puppy arrived? The secret was leaked early, although word is it was supposed to be an exclusive for the Washington Post,to be released on Tuesday (because they didn't get the scoop on the garden).

The dog was named "Bo" by the girls -- and was a gift from Teddy Kennedy.

We'd send Poi Dog shampoo, but it would never get to the kids, I bet. Anyway, how cool for them to have a dog. Imua, Malia and Sasha!

WE love you Back

Under gray skies, the motorcade rolled past troops standing at attention. "It was wonderful to see the troops out there," Obama said. "I'm so grateful, they put their heart and souls into it."
Inside a marble palace, he was interrupted repeatedly with cheers from the troops.

"I love you," someone in the crowd shouted out. I love you back," the commander in chief replied. Scores of troops held digital cameras above their heads, snapping pictures and recording video of a day they would long remember.

Imua!

Brains & Values (Plus he's cute)

Differences are a fact of life. We need to get over ourselves.

Barack today in Turkey: "The U.S. is not and never will be at war with Islam."

Remember everyone, Gandhi said: "God has no religion."

Imua, Barack!

I am so proud of our President and First Lady

I was glad that Clinton was elected, thought it was a joke when George Bush was elected the first time, then couldn't believe that he was elected a second time (anger,frustration).

I remember crying when Hubert Humphrey lost the race to Nixon. I was at college and the war was raging; Julie Nixon was at Smith too and David Eisenhower was at Amherst across the way. I came from what I believed to be a very apolitical family, which turned out to be very Republican.

At Smith, I became a democrat forever. As a child, Hubert Humphrey's niece was one of my best friends, and so I had watched his career very carefully. Also, I was guilty about having thought Nixon to be the right choice when Kennedy won. And I really believed he would end the war.

All of this just to say, I am so proud of our President and First Lady, and I hope all of us can step up to the plate and act as civil and as intelligently. I watch him, I watch her, I listen to them, I see who they are and I am proud. I find myself always smiling, and feeling content that America no longer looks stupid and mean to the rest of the world. Because we aren't.

Imua Barack!

Success in Europe

Hana Hou!

Aloha e from Hawaii to Barack and the G-20! Even though Dali Lama wasn't there, I hope his lifetime work for peace among people may have energized this group.

Onipa'a

Our Aloha to President Obama,

In this time of crisis (and offensive, loudmouthed, pigheaded opposition):

Take your stand and be steadfast in doing what is right no matter what others say.

(This was the motto of Queen Liliuokalani who was overthrown by the Americans in 1893. Since 1993, the centennial commemoration of that event, Onipa'a has become a rallying cry for Hawaiians seeking redress and Hawaiian sovereignty).

-- translation by Mary Kawena Pukui in Olelo No'eau

How Tired Would You Be?

One of my more conservative friends sent me a piece on how tired Barack is getting, pointing out the sub-empire greeting given to British Prime Minister Brown.

While I do agree that a pack of DVDs is not a thoughtful gift and certainly not as thoughtful as
Prime Minister Brown's, there is some irony in that because we are such a celebrity driven culture. (when you forgot about the omiyage, grab a dvd).

My friend highlighted the passages of his biggest boo-boos during the visit and the article commented heavily on how tired he is.

I now find myself wanting to protect my former fifth grade student, and to say as my father used to: "We don't need freedom OF the press, we need freedom FROM the press." Get some rest, Barack. And God Bless You.

Peace Out

As my son used to say. Just had to share this picture.

Two outsiders who have and are taking a lot of c--- to do their best on behalf of this broken world.

Peter Orszag Beats Back John King

Just watched an interview with John King and Peter Orszag. Orszag's metaphor that the administration was a relief pitcher coming into this game in the 9th inning was apt, but in fact, he should have compared it to the eight hour 25 inning game between Chicago and Milwaukee that ended in Chicago's favor 7-6 in 1984.

OBAMA USES ALL THE TOOLS: OLD AND NEW.

The "old" media all over the country reported on the President's new stimulus logo. What can we make of this? You've got to tell and sell your story -- and that applies to everyone.

Given that opponents of the stimulus package aren't going to help, it's all the more important that the President and his supporters control the message so we get the essence of this "brand."

We said it a long time ago: "The brand IS the thing." "The government is taking major steps to make the stimulus package as transparent as possible with the new recovery.gov website, but it also appears to be branching out in another area: branding."( Wall Street Journal )"Graphic design is supposed to communicate meaning through symbols, and the new logo does a workmanlike job of that. It suggests patriotism with its flag-shaped stars, infrastructure with its gears, health care with its red cross and green technology with its plant. The only words are "recovery.gov," the Web site where Americans can track the progress of stimulus projects." (Chicago Tribune)

Name the new dog Government

A suggestion from SLATE. The possibilities are endless:

"Whose turn is it to feed Government?"

"Aww, you're getting so big!"

"Government, you're not supposed to be in there!"

"Someone go chase Government, he's run off again!"

"Who is going to pick up Government's sh--?"

"Government is marking his territory."

and so on

Thank You, Mr. President

And we're not talking about Helen Thomas here. Our new president is engaging friends and enemies at every level.

What can they do but thank him?

I think it's great.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Barack Gives Canada Its Due

My wonderful husband, Mark Hanington, arrived from Canada 22 years ago.

In 2007 he became a citizen so he could vote for Barack Obama.

He also participated in the Gallup Panel just so he could say that GWB was doing a poor job.

Now, he participates so he can say that BHO is doing a great job.

But as a Canadian, he has always been annoyed that we Americans forget that Canada is our biggest trading partner -- now, we are both grateful to BHO for his recognition of that fact.

Mahalo Nui, Mr. President.

At Least He Didn't Throw It At Him

When The President arrived in Phoenix , he was greeted by an autographed size 23 shoe from

none other than Shaq O'Neal.

What is this thing with Presidents and shoes?

We screened the restaurant for him.

On Friday night, six of us went to Table 52 to check it out, in case Barack and Michele wanted
a good place to have a Valentine's dinner. Mary Goodbody, content provider for Cookstr.com (Hi Katie), had edited two of Art Smith's cookbooks and so we got some special treatment.

We figured they'd do the same for the President so we told him: "Barack, you're good to go."
Here they are going into the restaurant. We know they had a great dinner, because we did, too.

Hope they had a wonderful weekend before going home to Witchingtown.

He Followed Us to Chicago

My childhood and still best friends and I came to celebrate our Earth Ox birthdays in Chicago,
the town of my birth, and the current home of one of our children. We came from Hawaii, North Carolina and Connecticut. I get the farthest away prize.

This morning on NPR the grownup child in question heard that our Metal Ox President and his family flew in today to enjoy some family time, play some basketball, and have some meetings.

I doubt we'll see him, but it certainly seems like a "coincidence." to me.

Why Am I Doing This?

Because I am super proud that Barack is from Hawaii and I believe that he is civil, kind, brilliant, thoughtful, and as cute as he was when I was his substitute teacher when he was in fifth grade.

I know that Imua! is the province of Kamehameha Schools, not Punahou, but somehow go
buffnblu or Oahuan didn't seem appropriate for a man who is worthy of the best of what we have to offer here in Hawaii.

From the KS website:

In the Hawaiian language, the word I Mua means "to move forward" or "to move ahead" toward a goal. I Mua is also used to signify loyalty to all things Kamehameha or to express a deep commitment to support a feeling, an idea, a person or a cause.


So to our new President and his efforts to bring sense to this crazy world: A he malu hoi ma ka honua he aloha no i kanaka.

(peace on earth, good will to men.)