“The One” who’s “the First”.

He may have become America’s first black President based on his looks, charisma, community organizing, impressive senate record, and the subconscious guilt of middle class caucasians, but after nearly four years as our Chief Executive President Barack Hussein Obama has amassed an impressive number of “Firsts”: A list that will no doubt come in handy as Americans decide if he deserves re-election this November.

Caveat: The following list, in various forms, has been appearing in emails and on websites since at least June, 2011 – I’ve simply added to it and included sources which may or may not match those found in other lists.


Barack Hussein Obama’s List of “Firsts” as President


Yep… 53 items, but I’m sure they’ll be additions as the election unfolds – either send me a comment and I’ll update the list, or copy this page, update it yourself, and “post it forward” ;-)

Thanks for reading!

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Red Sox Scheduling FAIL?

I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this:

What I received in my email:

  • Red Sox General Manager Ben Cherington will “…be available at 12 p.m. (noon) ET today [05/02/12] to field your questions and talk about the season thus far…”

…and, when I received it:

From: “redsox.com”
Date: May 2, 2012 12:16:53 PM
Subject: Red Sox Insider – Your chance to ask Ben Cherington a question
To: [my email address]

Based on the Red Sox performance to date, I’m guessing they staggered the emails to prevent thousands of (upset?) Red Sox fans from overloading their website.

No worries, Ben – plenty of fans are already talking about you over here.

Thanks for reading!

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Naming the State(s) of our Economy

While reading that the US National Debt now exceeds it’s entire Gross Domestic Product (translation: We owe more than our hard work and manufactured products are worth), and wondering if the European Union will ever afford to buy stuff from us again, I’m reminded of an unusual United States map I saw awhile back on the website Big Think:

US States named by GDP

"United States of Renamerica"

Fortunately, it only considers a state’s GDP (or, “GSP”, for “Gross State Product”), and not a particular state’s ratio of total debt to it’s GDP – available here if you’re curious.

Connecticut renamed “Greece“? Kentucky renamed “Portugal“? California renamed “France“? Oh my! (On the bright side, Democrats have finally balanced the budget: Debt now equals GDP ;-) )

Obviously, labeling a state with the name of a foreign-country does not automatically endow it with that country’s economic problems: States are more than capable of creating their own economic problems.

However, the map’s thought-provoking: Do you believe economic conditions have improved in your state during the last four years? How about during just the last year? If not, how will you change it?

Thanks for reading!

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FYI: THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING!

No, I’m not talking about the delightful 1966 Cold War comedy set in “Gloucester Island”, MA (but filmed in Mendocino, California) about a bumbling Soviet submarine crew who runs their sub aground, causing a sleepy New England seaside town to panic in the face of an “egermancy”: I’m talking about the Russian military (Airborne Paratroopers, to be more precise) taking and holding “…the Central Intelligence Agencies (CIA) main facility, the National Security Agencies (NSA) main facility and the Denver International Airport (DIA).”

Of course, it’s a joint anti-terrorism exercise with the United States Military, but it involves a lot of aspects conspiracy theorists, survivalists, and Right-Wing Militia Groups absolutely enjoy (or fear) reading: Invasions, Russians, drone aircraft, secret underground facilities, and of course, the CIA. Everything it seems, except for black helicopters and aliens.

Surprised? Me too! Read it for yourself here: “US Department of Defense Confirms Russian Troops to Train on US Soil“. (Aluminum foil head covering optional)

Hold on a second… Russians landing at mid-Western airports and security facilities? Using US weapons and training at a US Army base?? Our government (courtesy of “Fast and Furious”) sending Mexico scores of untraceable weapons to arm their most militant citizens??? People that could invade America from the south as illegal aliens to reclaim Southwestern states they once called “Aztlan“?!?!?

OMG! It’s the 1984 movie “Red Dawn” come to life!

Sorry about that… got a little wrapped up in the hype; I’m OK now, really. Although, I think I’ll stay indoors as much as possible during the last week of May.

Thanks for reading!

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A Patriotically Cool Candidate

As a die-hard Red Sox fan, I wasn’t going to let the Red Sox’ worst regular season start since 1933 stop me from attending Red Sox Opening Day weekend – a  four game, “wrap-around” series with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on April 13-16, 2012.

During the second inning of the last game in the series – on Patriot’s Day (named to commemorate the Revolutionary War Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts; not to be confused with “Patriot Day“, a nationwide commemoration of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks), I noticed a large number of fans standing up and pointing their cameras and cellphones towards the field. On closed inspection, I spied Governor Mitt Romney sitting with popular Boston clothing designer Joseph Abboud.

Gov. Romney at Fenway Park, 04/16/12
(He's "cool" on the inside.)

Now, the (very) few times I’ve seen Governor Romney in attendance at Fenway it’s always the same: No heraldic entrance, no “throwing out the first pitch” , no phalanx of press photographers, and no swooning throngs of supporters. Not surprising for a Republican politician in a state where Democrats have had a virtual stranglehold on Boston politics since before Democrat John F. “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald threw out Fenway Park’s Inaugural First Pitch in April, 1912.

The only difference from past games was the brace of Red Sox security personnel in their official uniforms positioned in the vicinity of Republican Presidential Candidate Romney and his son: Even his Secret Service detail appeared dressed for a baseball game (although, they were rather conspicuous by their standing up and surveying the crowds whenever Mitt stood up – after all, it’s part of their job).

Between innings Romney talked with fans, shook their hands, and posed for photos. While it all could simply be the politician in him, it all appeared completely genuine to me: No basking in adoration, no overbearing smugness. And, it didn’t cost anyone a penny more than the cost of their baseball ticket.

A father and his son enjoying a baseball game at Fenway Park on Patriot’s Day with some friends… just like a multitude of other fathers and sons throughout Fenway Park (and, all the other MLB parks that day).

In my book, that exemplifies “Cool”.

Thanks for reading!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Abboud
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How Libertarians re-elect Obama

On April 28, 2012 the website Red Mass Group, “founded to revitalize the right-wing community in Massachusetts”, proclaimed in Craig Ferguson style:

“A Great Day for the Massachusetts Republican Party”

Why? Because Libertarian activists won the majority of Massachusetts delegates to the Republican National Convention during the first round of voting:

“As it stands now… [the libertarians] won 17 of the 27 delegates selected at the nine [Massachusetts Republican] caucuses today. By party rules 11 more delegates will be selected by the Republican State Committee. Many of these delegates are long standing liberty minded activists, some are new to this process.”

Not mainstream Republicans… not “Tea Partiers”… not even conservative-leaning Independents… LIBERTARIANS!

Man, I can see this train wreck coming plainer than a Red Line derailment on the Boston subway:

  1. Paul supporters field candidates touting the “Tea Party” line
  2. Candidates get on the state party’s delegates ballot
  3. Paul supporters (who suddenly pop out of the woodwork like ants) turn out in droves to vote for delegates
  4. Paul-supporting delegates get elected (as they have in Mass), and claim they will support Romney during the first round of voting at the Republican National Convention
  5. Repeat Steps 1 thru 4 forty-nine times
  6. Behind closed doors, and prior to the Republican National Convention, these delegates will threaten a brokered convention unless promise Romney their votes if Romney publicly promises to select Rand Paul, the Junior Senator from Kentucky and Ron Paul’s son, as his VP.
  7. Romney selects Rand Paul as his Vice President
  8. During the election, press paints the duo as a ruthless Capitalist (Romney) paired with a government-slashing Libertarian (Paul) – the worst of all possible worlds for the young, poor, unions, government workers, single mothers, disadvantaged, non-Christians, etc. In short, everyone but the military-industrial complex and large corporations.
  9. Obama wins reelection.
  10. Libertarians start preparing for the 2016 Presidential Election by working to expand their base from within the Republican party – but, after four more years of Obama, their efforts will be moot: Neither the Libertarians nor Republican parties will be strong enough to unseat the Democrats, and they’ll watch as the Democrats gut the Constitution, stack the Supreme Court, and expand the Welfare State.

Conservatives are worried, and rightly so, that President Obama’s disastrous first term represents the second coming of Jimmy Carter. I’m terrified that Ron Paul acting with his small but relentless group of supporters to spoil the election, could be the second coming of H. Ross Perot.

Savvy Massachusetts Republicans remember how wealthy businessman Christy Mihos, running as an independent, probably spoiled Republican Kerry Healey’s chances to become Governor, paving the way for Democrat Deval Patrick‘s victory in 2006. Others may be feeling “buyer’s remorse” by supporting Scott Brown for Senate in 2010.

I hope Massachusetts Republicans don’t face another regret after the RNC in August. And, I hope I’m completely wrong about this post.

Update: Looks like Ed Morrissey over at Hot Air is also concerned.

Thanks for reading!

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