Michelle Obama Goes For Green
Posted by Michelle Moquin on March 18th, 2009
Oh, please forgive me to all of you Irish peeps out there. Did I blow it or what? I have been in a fog these past two days with a minor cold…no big deal but it has left me a bit fuzzy headed and I lost track of the days. So when I woke up yesterday morning, I had no clue that it was St. Patrick’s Day. Will you forgive me? I must’ve remembered this day some where in the back of my mind ’cause I did wear my green plaid sneakers. I was quite delighted that I did because I so hate being in the dark and out of it. Although getting pinched can be quite fun :)
So speaking of shoes…did you catch Michelle Obama’s fashion statement? She not only wore teal green boots to a St. Patty’s meeting with YouthBuild – a youth and community development program, but for this special day, she had the fountains on the north and south lawns of the White House dyed green. The idea was Mrs. O’s very own, borrowing a tradition from the city of Chicago, where the river is dyed green every St. Patrick’s Day. How cool is that? A first for the White House.
So…did you catch the similarity between her St. Patty’s outfit today and the one she wore on inaugural day? Michelle wore the same Nina Ricci lemongrass mohair sweater under her jacket and her pumps were also teal green. Is this starting to be a fashion trend for her? Or just a fave color combo? Doesn’t matter…she looks great. I always love a quirky kick of color.
So…It seems Michelle Obama and I not only share the same name, but the love of the color green too!
Oh, I can’t tell you how good it feels to write about fashion. It has been ions since I’ve perused the fashion pages for inspiration. Michelle Makes it so easy to get back into it again. Hmm…Maybe I need to send her a pair of my pj’s. Think she’d like that?
~~~~~~~~
Helena: Hi. I have been told that it crashes when too many people try to get on my blog. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Hello Peter: Your article on Guam stating the high rate of smokers, largest in the nation, is shocking.
Zen Lill: An all day fashion show? How wonderful. Is this for work or just frivolous fun?! No matter - Enjoy yourself!
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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March 18th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Hi Mischa, I dig her style and color combos. Some MM pj’s like my pink ones would be awesome for her, maybe in teal blue or green though : ) my fave colors are olive green/maroon and most variations of green/red, no wonder I love Christmastime so much.
The all day fashion show was work but a boatload of fun also, sold tons of clothes. All exec women who work for a bank, won’t say which one but they are all well paid and probably won’t be laid-off anytime soon. Based on sales there I say: Hmmm – what recession?!
Watched ‘Milk’ last night, great movie and Sean Penn was his most brilliant in that role, amazing…
Hi ho hi ho – off to work I go…
Luv, Zen Lill
March 19th, 2009 at 4:56 am
It is comical that the repugs are now claiming the populist mantle. They have spent their entire existence fighting against regulations on any business while piling regulations on our personal lives. They are truly unconscionable.
Fortunately, for the time being the people are still aware of what happened and when. Of course, soon enough all that has gone wrong will be Obama’s fault. Just like 9-11 happened while Bill Clinton was President.
March 19th, 2009 at 4:59 am
And in spite of that you still hear low information voters (read: rushbo the great listeners…) claiming that they vote Republican to “get the government out of our lives”!!!!
March 19th, 2009 at 5:42 am
The republican party is well on it’s way to extinction as far too many people will no longer be voting for a party for the rich by the rich. I think voting America got the good firm butt kicking it needed from the bush/republican tyranny over the last 8 years.
The current crisis the republicans put us in is horrible, but there are 2 large positives that will come from it over time (hopefully sooner than later):
1) Major reforms and regulations from more modern day government policies that will put much needed muzzles on the corporate/ruling class. It is brutally clear to us all that these people have no regard for the well being of our country and need to be lawfully muzzled. This muzzling will prevent them from eating us all alive in the future.
2) A more “by the people, for the people” democratic government which will start serving the interests of the many, and not the interest of the few.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:44 am
Could hot cocoa be the next “wonder drug” ?for high blood pressure?
HARVARD RESEARCHERS PRAISE STUNNINGLY SIMPLE DISCOVERY!
?According to recent estimates, nearly 1-in-3 American adults has high blood pressure. But for the Kuna Indians living on a group of islands off the Caribbean coast of Panama, hypertension doesn’t even exist. In fact, after age 60, the average blood pressure for Kuna Indian islanders is a perfect 110/70.
Is it because they eat less salt? No. Kuna Indians eat as much, if not more salt, than people in the U.S.
Is it due to their genes? No. Kuna Indians who move away from the islands are just as likely to suffer from high blood pressure as anyone else!
So what makes these folks practically “immune” to hypertension — and lets them enjoy much lower death rates from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and cancer?
Harvard researchers were stunned to discover it’s because they drink about 5 cups of cocoa each day. That’s right, cocoa!
Studies show the flavonols in cocoa stimulate your body’s production of nitric oxide — boosting blood flow to your heart, brain, and other organs. In fact, one study found cocoa thins your blood just as well as low-dose aspirin!
But that’s not all. A Harvard Medical School professor claims cocoa can also treat blocked arteries, congestive heart failure, stroke, dementia, even impotence!
March 19th, 2009 at 5:47 am
AND there was another party that could have done what the republicans are doing on a daily basis..obstruct.
Did they?
NO, they didn’t filibuster, they didn’t have press conferences threatening the republicans, they did nothing but complain about being able to do nothing.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. Democrats are in charge and the Republicans are doing everything they can to make sure they have a voice.
WHY didn’t the democrats do what the republicans are doing now?
March 19th, 2009 at 5:49 am
Reading these comments, I see repeated the argument that BOTH parties are at fault for what’s happened to the economy. I disagree. I think this mantra exists to make Republicans feel better when they survey astonishing wreckage left behind after Bush and his cronies left office. There was only one party in POWER since the 2000 election; only one party in CHARGE ; only one party that bore the *real* responsible for the state of the country. And it was not the Democrats. If you cannot govern effectively, then your administration is a failed one. If things are reduced to rubble on your watch, then its your fault – not the fault of others. Its a bitch, but you can’t take all the credit and none of the responsibilty when your supposed to be in charge.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:53 am
That nigger is going to destroy this country for good white men. Frankly I am tired of white women looking to this nigger for salvation.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:56 am
While you are blaming the Dems for what clearly has been the Rethug mantra from Saint Ronnie days, who are the DEREGULATORS?
Who are the FREE MARKET advocates, i.e., laizze faire capitalism?
Who has passed most all of the legislation that has removed the rules and regulations from these giant finance and banking corporations?
Who is at the Treasury now but Rethug sympathizers? (Obama’s big mistake so far).
Follow the money and we plainly see it is predominantly in the pockets of Rethug congressman, Senators and the Reagan-Bush presidential administrations. Is is very politically convenient now for the Rethugs to disavow their hand in this economic collapse b/c they are out of power, out of ideas and out of responsibilty for their previous actions and I do hope beyond all hope out of luck in returning to power.
March 19th, 2009 at 5:58 am
To Anon6
Why didn’t the Democrats obstruct??? It’s simple. They actually wanted to see the business of running America happen, rather than worrying ONLY about how to win the next set of elections. I’m not saying that they weren’t trying to win the elections, but it wasn’t the ONLY thing on their minds!
March 19th, 2009 at 6:03 am
The Democrats seem to have amnesia also. The have forgotten that they won the the Congress and the White House because people did not trust the Bush administration with the conduct of financial matters.
Under the Democrats, the crooks from the financial industry have installed their representatives at Treasury and at the Economic Council. So Geithner gets his marching orders from Goldman Sachs – just as Paulson did. These crooks come to your committees, not under subpeonas, and make false statements and they leave. And you thank them.
Do we still have a Justice Department? Has Michael Mukasey come back and is now in charge of looking into financial misdeeds? Have you referred any cases to DOJ for prosecution? The RICO act was applied to pro-choice groups. Is it being applied to the racketeers who run AIG?
When Carl Icahn buys stock in a company, he demands a commensurate number of directors on the Board. The US owns 80% of AIG. How many board members are appointed by the US government?
March 19th, 2009 at 6:04 am
Anon10
You seem to be agreeing with me. You’re effectively saying that it was all the Republicans’ fault because the Democrats did nothing. Ok.
As for your other point, its difficult to see the Republicans’ current behaviour as virtuous. They have become obstructionists, yes, but obstructionists hell bent on being as destructive out of office as when they were in.
Their objections are so pointless, so confected, so illogical and so utterly self-destructive that it is difficult to see what their purpose is at all – except to see Obama fail.
March 19th, 2009 at 6:13 am
Seems I’m being shut out. when I attempt to comment I get “Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!”
Robert
March 19th, 2009 at 6:17 am
I am feeling a bit this morning as if the sky is falling. I hope I am wrong. The world economy is in the hole, and the US had a huge hand in it. It happened over a lot of years, but the important years were the Bush years.
Is it a problem that AIG is giving bonuses after they received TARP money. Yes. But, even more important is what AIG became because of lack of regulation. It was a huge company and the base of the house of cards. It wasn’t just one of many, it was the big one. They have to deal with AIG to stabilize the banking industry and the economy.
All of our anger is directed at the bonuses, but why not at the climate that allowed the company to get so large on worthless assests that it’s collapse will set off a series of collapses none of us can imagine.
I feel like we are screwed and don’t know it yet. But, instead of trying to figure it out we will focus on the outrage of the day (the bonuses are outrageous, but the part I find more offensive is that a company could get so large we couldnt’ let it fail). The cat is out of the bag and we are years late trying to get it back in.
March 19th, 2009 at 6:18 am
I’m very concerned with the lack of transparency involving this bailout, and I’m no longer giving out the benefit of the doubt. The Dems must earn it, and so far with AIG, they are losing it. Take control in Congress and help the administration save itself before they get tarnished with 12 years of busted Republican ideology, and the bailout of the very people who led the march over the cliff. Remember, they STILL have all the gold. This should not stand.
March 19th, 2009 at 6:19 am
I will never quit listening entirely to the GOP or to the organs that speak for them; one never knows when they might say something worth listening to. But the awful truth is that most of what we are hearing from the GOP today is not worth listening to. It appears that the one great purpose of the neo-con controlled Republican party is to obtain power by whatever means possible, and then to use that power for the benefit of their corporate and right-wing supporters.
I know that it is necessary to discuss all of the lies coming out of the GOP, for the sake of everyone who has not already made up their mind about what the GOP stands for, but that does not mean that I personally have to take the GOP’s press releases seriously.
March 19th, 2009 at 6:22 am
I feel like we know little of the truth about this whole economic issue. We are blaming people who are trying to help figure a way to claw out of this mess while those whose policies created it stand on the sides and throw dirt in their face.
The MSM is useless in reporting the news. They have changed nothing they do over the years despite being complicit in the run up to the Iraq War. We see that same mentality now as we are duped into believing the most important issue is these bonuses.
They are just the top off for years of greed. Yet, this will give the GOP and conservative dems reason to fight as Obama tries to further the agenda we voted on.
Healthcare reform is going to be more difficult. Getting the economy back on track is going to be more difficult because the party of NO is shouting loud and clear and they have everyone’s ear.
I am depressed today and I am feeling defeated. You can’t even kick their butts in an election and bring about any change with them. The believe in their ideology as if it is their god. Yet, it is their ideology that has brought the country to its knees. Are they sorry. No. They feel justified and the people follow their lead as if we are all sheep.
March 19th, 2009 at 7:49 am
New Ways to Restore and Protect Your Precious Photographs
Jeff Wignall
New possessions mean as much to us as our family photos. Whenever we see news coverage of a disaster on TV where people have lost their homes, their furniture and their mementos, the things that they say they regret losing most are their photographs.
Natural disasters aren’t the only things that can destroy a photo collection. The passage of time, poor storage conditions, mishandling and neglect take their toll. For many of our photos, especially older shots, the negatives don’t exist, so each photo is very precious.
Good news: Personal computers, affordable flatbed scanners and digital-imaging technology — as well as archival storage technology — have made preserving and restoring photos easier than ever. With a small investment of time and money, you can halt the deterioration of old photos, reverse the damage and resurrect even the mostly badly injured pictures.
CAUSES OF PHOTO DAMAGE
Photographs deteriorate over time due to heat, humidity (high humidity encourages mold growth) and inherent long-term chemical reactions.
What you may not know: Those inkjet prints that many of us have been making at home look good right now, but they will fade, too — maybe faster than traditional photo prints did.
What to do: Use pigmented inks if your printer accepts them (as opposed to dye-based inks) because they fade at a significantly slower rate. To find what inks are compatible with your printer, contact the manufacturer. It’s also best to use the photo-quality paper recommended by your printer’s manufacturer.
Photos are also damaged due to storage in non-archival albums or boxes, because acids in the storage materials react chemically with the photos to speed fading and color shifting. There’s also plain old physical damage — pictures get torn and prints get wet.
STOP THE DAMAGE
To protect photos…
Keep framed photographs out of direct sunlight and away from bright windows. Reduce light damage by moving framed photos to darker parts of rooms. Better: Keep heirloom originals in drawers and bring them out only for family gatherings.
Frame prints with UV-filtering glass. Ultraviolet light is the real culprit with light fading, so have important photos framed with UV-absorbing glass. Most good-quality frames come with this kind of glass — check the packaging.
Smart trick: Duplicate heirloom photos and frame them while storing the originals away from light.
Store photos in acid-free archival albums. Cardboard boxes and cheaper photo albums release harmful chemicals. You can buy archival-quality storage products at camera shops. Be sure to specify “archival” or “acid-free.” On-line sources of quality archival storage products include Light Impressions ?(www.lightimpressionsdirect.com) and University Products (www.archivalsuppliers.com).
Avoid dampness. Store photos in cool, dark and dry locations. The National Archives recommends optimum storage temperatures around 65°F to 70°F with a relative humidity of 35% to 50%. In a typical home, these conditions are most likely to be found in an interior closet on the main floor. The National Archives (www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives) site offers lots more preservation advice.
RESTORING MEMORIES
Quality photo restoration (actually, a clear new print — your old photo is not altered) used to be time-consuming and expensive. Today, even severe damage can be whisked away and missing bits replaced in a matter of minutes — and you may be able to do some of this restoration yourself.
What you’ll need: A home computer, flatbed scanner and an image-editing software program. The restoration process consists of three basic steps…
1. Scanning the original on a flatbed scanner to create a digital file of the image.
2. Correcting faded or damaged photos using image-editing software.
3. Printing the final images to whatever sizes you specify, and resaving/recopying the restored digital version for storage.
Adobe Photoshop Elements (www.adobe.com, about $80 to $100 at many stores) is the consumer version of the software program used by most pros, and can make nearly all of the same types of corrections to photos that labs can make. To learn how to use it: Check adult-education programs in your area for introductory classes in Photoshop Elements.
Professional restoration: Most local camera shops and minilabs provide reliable restoration services, and you’ll find many similar mail-order services on-line. Portrait studios often offer this service, too, and skills there are generally higher than at the minilabs — as are fees. Discount and chain drugstores often offer restoration services (they farm the work out to a central lab), but I wouldn’t hand off a family heirloom to a teenager behind the counter at my local drugstore.
Always ask for the restored images to be burned onto a compact disc (typically $5 to $10 extra). This gives you a digital backup that you can store in a safe-deposit box or at a family member’s home. Having an entire album copied? Ask about having a slide show created on a DVD disc. Many labs offer custom slide-show services that include a music track and visual effects, such as fades, wipes and dissolves similar to those used in TV documentaries.
Cost of professional restoration depends largely on the condition of your original photo and is often based on an hourly rate…
Basic restoration. Minor dust and scratch removal, fixing minor photo blemishes on the subjects’ faces (requires more skill than retouching other areas, such as clothing) and fixing minor mold spotting, $10 to $25.
Medium restoration. More extensive dust removal and facial blemishes, as well as large faded areas and larger areas of mold or discoloring restored/re-created, $30 to $50.
Extensive restoration. Large areas of face or body missing, significant areas of background missing or damaged, severe staining or major mold or water damage, $40 to $100 and up.
Restoring images puts you in touch with your family history — and copies make great gifts for all generations in your family.
Retirement interviewed Jeff Wignall, a professional photographer and writer based in Stratford, Connecticut, and author of The Joy of Digital Photography (Lark Books). His newest book, Exposure Photo Workshop (Wiley) is due out in March 2008. Mr. Wignall’s photos appear regularly in books, magazines and ads, as well as on CD album covers.
March 19th, 2009 at 7:54 am
President Obama is worth giving up a lot for. He’s giving up a lot himself. He puts his life on the line everyday as there are so many nutjobs out there ready to take him out.
I love our Prez
Mary
August 30th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
How long have you been blogging…your good at it.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Hey good stuff…keep up the good work! I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks,)
A definite great read…:)
-Bill-Bartmann