Hope for the next generation

Obama's been in the White House for 4 days and has already closed Guantanamo and re-approved stem-cell research. This picture of my friend Julia's niece, Michelle, pretty much sums up all that is good in the world.

Welcome President Obama!!

Yay!!!! It's official!! My company invited anyone interested to watch the inauguration on projector screens in the cafeteria today. It was really nice to be somewhat in the action even if we couldn't be in D.C. Everyone clapped and laughed and cheered together.

I thought his speech was necessarily somber, for sure, but hopeful and inspiring. It's hard to sum up even my feelings about it, because he addressed so much and my overall awe of the event itself overshadows everything. Bill Clinton, according to the NYTimes' live blog, also had a hard time articulating:

“I thought he had some particularly moving lines in there. It was a really good speech,” Mr. Clinton said, adding that the blend of domestic and global challenges were “encapsulized well.” He used that word -– encapsulized, which cannot be quickly located in a dictionary -– several times.

The music, especially the piece by John Williams, was beautiful. Aretha managed to rock "My Country 'Tis of Thee", not surprisingly. Elizabeth Alexander's poem was all about love. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery's Benediction was awesome, ending with his hopeful outlook towards a new time "when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead man and when white would embrace what is right." Good feelings in the air. I've been listening to NPR all day, and it sounds like President Obama is already busy at work making changes. It sounds amazing to hear "Former President Bush" but even better to hear "President Obama".

It's an historical day, the beginning of a new era. Hail to the new Chief!!

Obama's letter to his daughters

Read it and probably weep a little. Full letter here.

In less than 6 days, not just literacy, but love, hope, deserved pride, and positivity will fill the White House. It's one of those times when you can say a lot of cheesy things because they're true.

Poetry Returns to Presidential Inauguration

For the first time since Maya Angelou was commissioned by Bill Clinton to write and read a poem ("On the Pulse of Morning") at his inauguration, poetry will reappear at a presidential inauguration. Barack Obama has chosen Yale alumna and Professor Elizabeth Alexander to read a new poem at his inauguration next Tuesday.

Bringing literary back. I dig it.

A Literary President

Toni Morrison and other writers are impressed by Obama and looking forward to having a thinking, literary president. Author of THE AUDACITY OF HOPE and DREAMS FROM MY FATHER (both of which I'm about to read), Barack Obama seems to possess something no president has displayed in my lifetime: a talent not only for speaking well, but also for thinking and writing well. Morrison says that when Obama gave his acceptance speech, she "was convinced that he had written it himself, and therefore that he was saying things that he actually believed and had considered."

I couldn't put it better myself (I'm no Toni Morrison). For me, this is the most admirable thing about Obama and the singular reason I like him so much and am so confident that he will do great things. Everything he says is said so eloquently and therefore convincing. He never seems like a guy reading some speech-writer's labored speech written for mass consumption. He speaks with feeling and always seems to present his own thoughts.

Here is the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081106/ap_en_ot/writers_and_obama

A New Era/Obamakinder

The righteous wind has blown hard at our backs and we find our selves here--just past this historical precipice. Allow me to explain:

Barack Hussein Obama, an African American, has been elected President of the United States of America. But I am sure this does not come as news to you, you may have read it in the paper by now. Many have been inspired--and this is why i speak to you tonight. Because Sherri and Shaul have caught a whiff of this righteous wind and have decided to combine our forces to bring you a blog full of wonder, brilliance, and puns. If you are a fan of Obama, or you are a fan of Sherri, this is the right place for you. If you are a fan of Shaul, or you are a fan of Sherri and Shaul, then this is certainly the right place for you. If you do not like one, or any of the aforementioned modern historical figures/groups, then you might still get something out of reading a post on an occasional late night foray into the depths of the Internet where this blog is entombed.

My Obama experience of the day:

If you have not already heard, I have been operating my own in-home tutoring service for children with learning differences since July. This means that my evenings are spent in the company of some pretty fascinating and diverse children and families. One of my clients tonight, I will call him Schubert to protect his privacy, was talking wildly about the Obama win when I arrived at his house this evening. His mom and I went through the usual: historic, inspiring, choking up, I hope he doesn't disappoint... Then Schubert said to me, "there's going to be a Jewish President one day!" the boy being Jewish himself found this idea liberating. "Obama being elected gives you hope for that, huh?" I asked. "yup" he responded.

I was struck. Obama's victory did not only inspire the African Americans of this country who have been oppressed for so long, but it has opened the minds of so many people, and inspired every minority in this country to believe that they, too, have no intrinsic limitations to their dreams.

And the kids. The kids watching this--too young to vote. Those childrens' world will be far more tolerant than ours. I dream that they will grow up and be formed in a time in history that instills the ideals of hope and Obamacan justice into their fundamental understandings of existence. I may have waited in line and cast my ballot for this man whom i idolize, but somehow i felt this sixth grade boy, isolated in so many ways, had some type of deeper understanding of what happened on Tuesday than I could ever hope to be able to see.

As for the future of this blog? Watch out world, Sherri and I are collaborating on a new audio podcast for your downloading and listening pleasure. Cause what's better than reading our pretentious writing? Listening to our offensive, yet hilarious conversations. Right, Sherri?

obama mix

i almost forgot! i made this playlist to celebrate obama's victory. lots of DJs are making amazing mixes that probably top mine, but i still enjoyed putting this together and want to share. hallelujah!

http://www.zshare.net/download/50950726888aa7d6/

tracklist:

Obama2008 - FMB (Daedalus)
Electioneering - Radiohead
What's Goin On? (Pts. I & II) - Marvin Gaye
Only People - John Lennon
Can I Kick It? - A Tribe Called Quest
Funky President (People It's Bad) - James Brown
Mama Said Knock You Out (Z-Trip Remix) - LL Cool J
AerObama - Daft Punk vs. Adam Freeland
MIMS Feat Jr. Reid Barock Star 2 - thanks to penned madness
A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
Shaka - Q-Tip feat. President Obama (via pennedmadness)
Changes - David Bowie
Black President - Nas
White House Twist - The Twistin' Kings
Who Wouldn't Love a Man Like That - Mable John
Lick a Shot for Obama - Jay-Z
Thank You Lord - Bob Marley