Michelle Moquin's "A day in the life of…"

Good morning.

Raven: I liked your answer to Eric. Excellent examples. I will just add, because of course Eric and I’m sure other men will agree with him and say there is no such thing as “rape” culture,” don’t ever have to worry about walking the streets in the evening and fear getting raped. Hell, it’s not even about just the evening anymore because nowadays, rape happens in broad daylight.

Society accepts rape. We know this because the punishment for rape is not even close to what it should be for how horrific the act of rape actually is. Not only is the woman blamed (Reread Raven’s points again if you didn’t get it the first time) over and over again, many men get off easily because men don’t think rape is so bad. Remember what the father of the Stanford rapist said? - “That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20-plus years of life.” This is “rape culture.” And we’re living in it.

Eric, if you think a society doesn’t encourage rape think again. Men encourage men to “take it” all the time. How many stories have we read where men encourage each other to “take a piece of that meat?” How the many times it has been voiced here in the comments section. That is “rape culture” plain and simple. What part of that don’t you get, Eric?

From WAVAW:

Emilie Buchwald, author of Transforming a Rape Culture, describes that when society normalizes sexualized violence, it accepts and creates rape culture. In her book she defines rape culture as a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women.

It is a society where violence is seen as sexy and sexuality as violent. In a rape culture, women perceive a continuum of threatened violence that ranges from sexual remarks to sexual touching to rape itself. A rape culture condones physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm . . . In a rape culture both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable . . . However . . . much of what we accept as inevitable is in fact the expression of values and attitudes that can change. 

The website Force: Upsetting the Rape Culture explains how rape culture is the images, language, laws and other everyday phenomena that we see and hear everyday that validate and perpetuate rape.

Rape culture includes jokes, TV, music, advertising, legal jargon, laws, words and imagery, that make violence against women and sexual coercion seem so normal that people believe that rape is inevitable. Rather than viewing the culture of rape as a problem to change, people in a rape culture think about the persistence of rape as “just the way things are.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Until women’s health, and her body, including rights of her body, is respected, until rape is not considered “normal,” until the woman stops being blamed for the sick actions of men, and until the punishment for rape remains lenient, we will live in a “rape culture.”

We’re just lucky that the men in our country haven’t gone as far as other CULTures where men not only blame women for being too seductive, or too sexy, or too pretty, or too _______(You fill in the blank), they mutilate her genitals causing her to suffer incredibly, physically and emotionally, and for many the result is death. Why? Because men can’t handle their sexual desires.

So instead of taking responsibility of their lack of control (Hey, how about putting your dick under the knife), they mutilate the women. Yeah, men can still get their thrills, but not the ladies – they have to reduce their sexual desires because the men are “sexually weak.” Truly sick stuff.

Here’s the write from the Wash Po. It shows the reason why Islam is a dangerous cult to women. When a god is used to justify something that couldn’t be legally, or logically, or ethically.

Female genital mutilation needed because Egyptian men are ‘sexually weak,’ lawmaker says

CAIRO — It was an outrageous argument, by any measure: Women should “reduce their sexual desires” because Egyptian men are “sexually weak.”

This is what an Egyptian lawmaker, Elhamy Agina, claimed over the weekend in making an argument in favor of female genital mutilation or FGM.

“We are a population whose men suffer from sexual weakness, which is evident because Egypt is among the biggest consumers of sexual stimulants that only the weak will consume,” Agina said, according to a translation in Egyptian Streets, an English-language local news website. “If we stop FGM, we will need strong men and we don’t have men of that sort.”

So it is better for women, he continued, to undergo the brutal practice to “reduce a woman’s sexual appetite.” And by doing so, he added, women would “stand by their men” and life would proceed smoothly.

Of course, this led to a maelstrom on Twitter and other online sites.

The centuries-old practice involves the partial or full removal of the external sex organs, usually with a knife or razor blade, in a belief that doing so reduces sexual desires. The cutting can lead to urinary infections, menstrual problems, infertility and death, in addition to psychological trauma.

The practice was banned in Egypt in 2008. Since then, circumcising girls has been punishable by a prison sentence of between three months and three years as well as a hefty fine. Still, FGM remains a widespread practice here, as it is in many other African nations and parts of the Middle East.

According to the World Health Organization, Egypt has some of the highest rates of FGM, in company with Somalia, Djibouti and Sierra Leone. A UNICEF study in 2013 found that as many as 27.2 million women in Egypt have been circumcised.

The Egyptian cabinet recently approved a draft law that would impose stiffer penalties for those who force girls and women into FGM. Jail terms would range between five and seven years, and harsher sentences would be imposed if the procedure leads to death or deformity. In May, an Egyptian teenager died of complications after undergoing FGM, propelling the United Nations to urge Egypt to enact stricter punishments. The new legislation is awaiting ratification by the parliament before it can become law.

By this week, Agina was backtracking on his comments. In one local newspaper, Al Masry Al Youm, or the Egyptian Today, he clarified that his rejection of the toughening of penalties for FGM was based on how ”it is hard to apply in Egypt.”

And in a phone interview with TV host Eman Ezzuldine on Mehwar Channel that his comments were to be considered only a “jest.”

“I don’t get afraid, and I meant no offense to Egyptian men,” Agina continued. “Egyptian men are true men, and I am a true man.”

*****

Readers: The logic of Agina escapes me. Really there is no logic. And then after all he states, he says it was only said in “jest?” Really? Like mutilating women is a joking matter. What did I post above about “jokes?”

This too is “rape culture.”

Thoughts? Blog me. 

Peace & Love – where is the love?

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning!

From the Huff Po:

Judge Evokes Mississippi ‘Of Slavery, Lynchings, Pain And White Supremacy’ In Confederate Flag Ruling

Though he said the symbol is constitutional, he warned that his home state is dangerously out of step with the rest of the nation.

The Mississippi state flag, which incorporates the Confederate battle flag, hangs with other state flags in the subway system under the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 23, 2015.

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves is no fan of the Confederate flag, and judging by his ruling on Thursday, he’s also pretty critical of the entire state of Mississippi.

Reeves, a black man and native Mississippian, ultimately dismissed the lawsuit that would have declared the Confederate battle emblem in his home state’s flag to be unconstitutional, saying there’s no part of the Constitution “which guarantees a legal right to be free from anxiety at State displays of historical racism.”

But Reeves used the ruling to make his distaste for the flag (which he called “repulsive”) ― and Mississippi’s continued use of it ― abundantly clear.

“Since the Civil War, this nation has evolved and breathed new life into ‘We the People’ and ‘all men are created equal,’” Reeves wrote in his conclusion. “Mississippi is known for its resistance to that evolution.”

Since the Civil War, this nation has evolved and breathed new life into ‘We the People’ and ‘all men are created equal.’ Mississippi is known for its resistance to that evolution.

U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves

“Part of that resistance stems from electing demagogues and those with empty rhetoric and false courage,” he continued. “The result is a State increasingly isolated from the rest of the nation.”

Mississippi Today reporter Adam Ganucheau highlighted a larger portion of the text, which is worth reading in its entirety:

“At times there is something noble in standing alone. This is not one of those times,” Reeves wrote. “The Confederate battle emblem has no place in shaping a New Mississippi, and is better left retired to history.”

*****

Readers: Although this article speaks for itself, it is worth noting that if the tables were reversed and it was a white judge deciding if an insult to the dignity of whites were at stake, we all know that the white judge would have found that flag unconstitutional.

The concept of “freedom of speech” is still predicated on whether that “freedom,” offends what white America holds dear. Witness the uproar over Kapernick’s sitting for the national anthem. An anthem that white America doesn’t find offensive to black Americans because they like the song. It’s just a song, albeit one chosen (by whites) to be the national anthem.

I suppose if it is too much to ask the state of Mississippi to remove a symbol that signifies the enslavement of millions of blacks and 250 years of torture, rape, and murder of their ancestors, then surely, it is a waste of time to expect the nation of whites to change a good tune they like because it advocates the murder of their black citizens. 

HYPOCRISY, stands out every time you cite the Constitution – So, white America, what part of that don’t you get? How long will you continue to pretend that in that document constructed by men with slaves the “We the people,” meant ONLY white men, NOT white women or any OTW? How long will you continue to deny that the “all men are created equal,” clause meant ONLY white men, NOT white women or any OTW?

HYPOCRISY is staring you in the face every time you look in the mirror, but you only see pride. Sickening.

Thoughts? Blog me.

Peace & Love

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good morning! How is everyone? Happy to see all of you here. 😘

Did you know that Obama’s approval rating is over 50%? As it should be because he continues to  move forward and get stuff done – this is no lame duck president. If he can get this rule approved, I would love to add that feather in our beloved president Obama’s hat, thank you.

From Daily Kos:

President Obama moves to permanently protect Planned Parenthood funding

Planned Parenthood has been winning in the courts in 2016, as state after Republican-led state has tried to cripple the organization by defunding clinics. Now the Obama administration is stepping in to attempt to short-circuit those lawsuits with a proposed rule reinforcing existing law, preventing states from defunding Planned Parenthood or any other family planning provider for political reasons.

The proposed rule says that states cannot withhold Title X federal family planning funds from providers for any reason other than their “ability to deliver services to program beneficiaries in an effective manner.” This would essentially make the same laws that apply to Medicaid—states can’t pick and choose providers the federal funds go to in the absence of fraud—apply specifically to Title X funding. Bottom line: if the rule is approved, states could no longer bar Planned Parenthood funding because some of its clinics provide abortions.

“This will make a real difference in so many people’s lives,” said Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards:

“The Obama Administration is protecting access to health care for millions of people. Women in nearly half the states in this country have faced political attacks on cancer screenings, birth control, and other basic care. This rule makes it clear that politicians cannot ignore the law as they pursue their agenda to stop women from getting the care they need.

Title X is a key program in providing necessary basic preventive care as well as birth control coverage to about 4 million low-income Americans, with about one-third of those patients getting care from Planned Parenthood. It uses that Title X funding, along with the Medicaid funds it receives, to provide subsidized birth control, and screening for and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and infections.

Speaking of sexually transmitted diseases and Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood: Zika.

In Little Haiti, Liberty City, and a number of other neighborhoods in Miami, canvassers are now walking door to door to spread the word about the risks of Zika, one household at a time — hoping to reach 25, 000 people the next six weeks. In some neighborhoods, these workers aren’t sponsored by federal or state health agencies, but by Planned Parenthood.

Lillian Tamayo, the CEO of Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida, told NPR that Miami-Dade County has the state’s largest population of people without health coverage, which leaves these residents particularly vulnerable to Zika. “More than one-third of Florida does not have an OB-GYN,” she said. “It also is among the worst states in the country for women’s health and women’s well-being. And it has staggering infection rates for sexually transmitted diseases. And now we have Zika.”

The proposed rule, which will become permanent after a 30-day comment period, wouldn’t stop a terrible Republican Congress from trying to keep public health funds away from Planned Parenthood—nor would it stop horror shows like the current House Republican “investigation” that’s endangering Planned Parenthood staff and fetal tissue researchers, but it would stop governors like Florida’s Rick Scott from doing it. So we need to take care of the Republican congressional horror show.

*****

Readers: Thank you, president Obama for all you do for women. Women’s health has always been a priority for Obama. It’s always been a priority for Hillary too. Let’s keep the momentum going.

Speaking of health, with respect to Clinton’s bout of pneumonia, most every politician gets sick on the campaign trail. With their constant running schedules from city to city and shaking hands, kissing, and contracting who know what, it’s surprising they don’t get sick more often, not to mention dehydrated and exhausted.

The difference between Clinton and Trump is that pneumonia is a treatable sickness and will pass, unlike Trump’s sicknesses of serial lying, misogynist comments, racist meme tweets…need I go on?…Cause I can very easily.

It’s your turn to do the talking. Something to say?

Blog me. 

Peace & Love: “Live it, Give it.”

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Hellooo…and good morning!

I found this on Las Vegas Now:

5,300 Wells Fargo employees fired over 2 million phony accounts

Accounts earned bank unwarranted fees

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Everyone hates paying bank fees. But imagine paying fees on a ghost account you didn’t even sign up for.

That’s exactly what happened to Wells Fargo customers nationwide.

On Thursday, federal regulators said Wells Fargo employees secretly created millions of unauthorized bank and credit card accounts — without their customers knowing it — since 2011.

The phony accounts earned the bank unwarranted fees and allowed Wells Fargo employees to boost their sales figures and make more money.

“Wells Fargo employees secretly opened unauthorized accounts to hit sales targets and receive bonuses,” Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, said in a statement.

Wells Fargo confirmed to CNNMoney that it had fired 5,300 employees over the last few years related to the shady behavior. Employees went so far as to create phony PIN numbers and fake email addresses to enroll customers in online banking services, the CFPB said.

The scope of the scandal is shocking. An analysis conducted by a consulting firm hired by Wells Fargo concluded that bank employees opened over 1.5 million deposit accounts that may not have been authorized.

The way it worked was that employees moved funds from customers’ existing accounts into newly-created ones without their knowledge or consent, regulators say. The CFPB described this practice as “widespread.” Customers were being charged for insufficient funds or overdraft fees — because there wasn’t enough money in their original accounts.

Additionally, Wells Fargo employees also submitted applications for 565,443 credit card accounts without their customers’ knowledge or consent. Roughly 14,000 of those accounts incurred over $400,000 in fees, including annual fees, interest charges and overdraft-protection fees.

The CFPB said Wells Fargo will pay “full restitutions to all victims.”

Wells Fargo is being slapped with the largest penalty since the CFPB was founded in 2011. The bank agreed to pay $185 million in fines, along with $5 million to refund customers.

“We regret and take responsibility for any instances where customers may have received a product that they did not request,” Wells Fargo said in a statement.

Wells Fargo has the highest market valuation among any bank in America, worth just north of $250 billion. Berkshire Hathaway, the investment firm run legendary investor Warren Buffett, is the company’s biggest shareholder.

Of the total fines, $100 million will go toward the CFPB’s Civil Penalty Fund, $35 million will go to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and another $50 million will be paid to the City and County of Los Angeles.

“One wonders whether (the CFPB) penalty of $100 million is enough,” said David Vladeck, a Georgetown University law professor and former director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “It sounds like a big number, but for a bank the size of Wells Fargo, it isn’t really.”

Wells Fargo confirmed to CNNMoney that the 5,300 firings took place over several years. The bank listed 265,000 employees as of the end of 2015.

“At Wells Fargo, when we make mistakes, we are open about it, we take responsibility, and we take action,” the bank said in a memo to employees on Thursday.

The CFPB declined to comment on when the investigation began and what sparked it, citing agency policy. “We don’t comment on how we uncover these matters,” a spokesman said.

As part of the settlement, Wells Fargo needs to make changes to its sales practices and internal oversight.

Customers are fuming. Brian Kennedy, a Maryland retiree, told CNNMoney he detected an unauthorized Wells Fargo account had been created in his name about a year ago. He asked Wells Fargo about it and the bank closed it, he said.

“I didn’t sign up for any bloody checking account,” Kennedy, who is 57 years old, told CNNMoney. “They lost me as a banking customer and I have warned family and friends.”

“Consumers must be able to trust their banks,” said Mike Feuer, the Los Angeles City Attorney who joined the settlement.

Feuer’s office sued Wells Fargo in May 2015 over allegations of unauthorized accounts. After filing the suit, his office received more than 1,000 calls and emails from customers as well as current and former Wells Fargo employees about the allegations.

Wells Fargo declined to say when it hired a consulting firm to investigate the allegations. However, a person familiar with the matter told CNNMoney the bank launched the review after the L.A. lawsuit was filed.

Even though the Wells Fargo scandal took place nationally, the settlement with L.A. requires the bank to specifically alert all its California customers to review their accounts and shut down ones they don’t recognize or want.

“How does a bank that is supposed to have robust internal controls permit the creation of over a half-million dummy accounts?” asked Vladeck. “If I were a Wells Fargo customer, and fortunately I am not, I’d think seriously about finding a new bank.”

–To reach the author of this article email Matt.Egan@cnn.com

$$$$$

Readers: I’ve had a bad taste in my mouth for years from the predatory lending practices and dealings of Wells Fargo Bank, the bailout and beyond. Actually I feel that way with most of the BIG banks. Why anyone would still be with a big bank if they could switch is beyond my reasoning. The takers keep taking  - Who knows what else will be exposed.

I’m headed home today. I look forward to catching up.  Happy Monday!

Thoughts? Blog me.

Peace out.

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

If you love my blog and my writes, please make a donation via PayPal, credit card, or e-check, please click the “Donate” button below. (Please only donations from those readers within the United States. – International readers please see my “Donate” page)

Or if you would like to send a check via snail mail, please make checks payable to “Michelle Moquin”, and send to:

Michelle Moquin PO Box 29235 San Francisco, Ca. 94129

Thank you for your loyal support!

All content on this site are property of Michelle Moquin © copyright 2008-2016

“Though she be but little, she be fierce.” – William Shakespeare Midsummer Night’s Dream 

" Politics, god, Life, News, Music, Family, Personal, Travel, Random, Photography, Religion, Aliens, Art, Entertainment, Food, Books, Thoughts, Media, Culture, Love, Sex, Poetry, Prose, Friends, Technology, Humor, Health, Writing, Events, Movies, Sports, Video, Christianity, Atheist, Blogging, History, Work, Education, Business, Fashion, Barack Obama, People, Internet, Relationships, Faith, Photos, Videos, Hillary Clinton, School, Reviews, God, TV, Philosophy, Fun, Science, Environment, Design, The Page, Rants, Pictures, Church, Blog, Nature, Marketing, Television, Democrats, Parenting, Miscellaneous, Current Events, Film, Spirituality, Obama, Musings, Home, Human Rights, Society, Comedy, Me, Random Thoughts, Research, Government, Election 2008, Baseball, Opinion, Recipes, Children, Iraq, Funny, Women, Economics, America, Misc, Commentary, John McCain, Reflections, All, Celebrities, Inspiration, Lifestyle, Theology, Linux, Kids, Games, World, India, Literature, China, Ramblings, Fitness, Money, Review, War, Articles, Economy, Journal, Quotes, NBA, Crime, Anime, Islam, 2008, Stories, Prayer, Diary, Jesus, Buddha, Muslim, Israel, Europe, Links, Marriage, Fiction, American Idol, Software, Leadership, Pop culture, Rants, Video Games, Republicans, Updates, Political, Football, Healing, Blogs, Shopping, USA, Class, Matrix, Course, Work, Web 2.0, My Life, Psychology, Gay, Happiness, Advertising, Field Hockey, Hip-hop, sex, fucking, ass, Soccer, sox"

Good Sunday Morning!

Lol!! So delighted you all got a kick out of yesterday’s post. I had so much fun with it. Thanks for all the awesome support, encouragement, and kind words (Well mostly. I can see somebody can’t take it.)

Now…onto today’s write…

It’s Sunday…We had some fun, now it’s time to do some lovin’. What better way to begin the week than to post something precious about our president and his beloved. Yes…I’m talking about the movie about the Obamas. Here’s an account from a real couple, also featured in the movie, who ran into our POTUS and FLOTUS on their first date. Sweet.

From the Huff Po:

The Real Story Of The Obamas’ First Date: We Were There

“Southside With You” is a charming, witty, and heartwarming movie of the Obamas’ first date. My wife Jo and I saw them that night, and the movie has two characters based on us, a couple who run into Barack and Michelle at a movie. This is what really happened.

In more than 35 years of teaching and serving now as dean at Harvard Law School, our daughter Martha Minow called me only once to recommend that our law firm recruit one of her students as a summer intern. “I know you don’t normally bring on first year students for your summer program at Sidley Austin,” she said, “but this one is truly exceptional, and he wants to work in Chicago this summer.” I asked, “What’s his name?” “Barack Obama,” she answered. I replied “Wait a minute, I need to write that down, and you’ll have to spell it for me.”

I called John Levi, the head of our firm’s recruiting, who also oversaw the summer program for law students, and discovered that Barack Obama had already been hired. Levi had interviewed him and offered him a place in our 1988 summer associate program.

“I know you don’t normally bring on first year students for your summer program at Sidley Austin,” she said, “but this one is truly exceptional…”

We assign lawyers in the firm to supervise the summer associates, and Levi selected one of our most promising young lawyers, Michelle Robinson, to supervise Barack.

I wanted to welcome him to Sidley, and I was curious to see what impressed Martha, so I invited Barack to stop by my office and have lunch. And we worked together on a client’s case.

I could soon see Martha was right. Her student was truly exceptional.

Later that summer, my wife Jo and I went to the theater at Water Tower Place in Chicago to see the Spike Lee movie, “Do the Right Thing.” We walked into the theater and saw Barack and Michelle buying popcorn at the concession stand. It was their first date.

They were startled and embarrassed, because she did not want anyone in the office to know they were seeing each other outside of work. They thought a supervisor should not be dating a summer associate. Jo and I reassured them that there was no problem, and we went in together to watch the film.

At the end of the film (spoiler alert!) they share their first kiss at the Hyde Park Baskin-Robbins. My wife, Jo, loves that part of the story because her maiden-name is Baskin and she is very proud of her cousin who co-founded the chain.

Barack was everything my daughter said, and we were eager to have him join the firm. But it was clear his ambitions were in a different direction.

They were startled and embarrassed, because she did not want anyone in the office to know they were seeing each other outside of work.

So I was disappointed but not surprised when Barack came to see me to tell me he would not be accepting our firm’s offer of a job after he graduated from law school. We were both standing in my office. Then he said, “You’d better sit down for the next part.” I looked at him warily and we both sat down. “I’m taking Michelle with me.”

“What! You can’t do that! We want her here!” I said.

“We’re getting married,” he told me. I wished them great happiness and we stayed good friends, with concerts at Ravinia and many lunches over the years.

A few years later, I was asked to recommend Barack for a national award. I wrote, “I cannot tell you what this young man will do, but I can assure you he will one day achieve national leadership.”

In 2006, I wrote an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune urging him to run for president. I said he combined a first-class temperament with a first-class intellect. Later that year, he asked to meet with me and with my lifelong friend, the late Abner Mikva, because he was deciding whether he was ready — and he country was ready — for him to run. His most important question was whether Ab and I, each the father of three spectacular daughters, thought he could be a good father if he campaigned and was elected president. We told him he would see more of his daughters as [resident than he did as a senator, and I thought of that conversation many times as I read about the Obamas’ nightly family dinners in the White House.

“Southside With You” is a lovely film, touching and romantic. For Jo and me, it was a pleasure to see it on a whole different level as it brought back memories of Barack and Michelle when they were young and so full of promise. Seeing the graciousness, elegance and integrity they brought to the White House has more than realized that promise, and we will miss having them there.

Michelle and I were both born on January 17. This year, I turned 90 and Barack called to wish me a happy birthday. I thanked him, and asked him to give Michelle my birthday greetings, too. I told him how proud Jo and I are of them both. They have set an exceptional example for the nation of high standards, a loving marriage, devoted parenting and strong family life. And if they ever decide to return to the practice of law, we would be happy to welcome them back.

Thanks to my daughter, Nell Minow, for suggesting I share these memories.

❤️❤️❤️

Readers: My kind of weekend…a great deal of fun and lots of love. I hope it’s been that way for you too.

So…Wha’at’s up?

Blog me. 

xox

Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.

Gratefully your blog host,

michelle

Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)

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