The One At UM

A Photoblog as promised earlier.



A perfect day on Lake Osceola bridge.




The "Hurry 'Canes" Shuttle...get it? Cute.




Some t-shirt vendors exercising their Godgiven American right to make a buck, even if they're commie pinkos. The one with the close-cropped hair is actually a girl who saw The One in Boston, and didn't mind missing out today. She was nice.




$10 bucks a pop. I passed.




"BaRack The Vote". Paris Hilton thought up that one.




Some feisty crowds were already out in force, urging motorists to bleep their horns. Two did. Most, surprisingly, didn't.

I had to be quick in taking this photo, as the place was teeming with coppers.




But soon I arrived at the Convocation Centre...




...flags waving, making me proud.




Just one of dozens of coaches full of senior citizens, probably bussed in from Boca or Delray.




One was wearing a "Barack To The Future" t-shirt, and the other an "Obama Mama!".




No indoor photos allowed, but my mother took this for me.




Crowds were thick coming, but oddly everyone scampered off quickly. Show's over.




All kinds of folk volunteered for this event.




No doubt hired to get out the vote by this totally, 100%, neutral entity, I'm sure. Check out the name. Wonder if they would register a Republican to vote, ya think?




What's a blogger to do after such a rousing event but go to the Bookstore?




For one, they had these coolissimo action figures!




"Ejector Head Action!" Curiously, also seen on the Bill Clinton version.




"WARNING: Choking Hazard". There is a God.




"Call To Action Figure". A must-have for Inauguration Day.




Magnetic and a puppet.




But you know you're at an University bookstore, and not your local Borders when you see Dorothy Parker fridge magnets. Dorothy Parker, people. They're flying off the shelves.




"God and Hillary Clinton" next to "Whatever It Takes". You can't make this stuff up.




Can't I hug my guns?




Oh, please. The Founding Fathers would retch. I kept walking.




The best part of this day were the people one got to meet. Like this charming guitarrist just chillaxing by the lake.




This guy was so cute! Lose the shirt, papi.




But if you need a shirt, let it be LIGHTED. Glow in the dark. Glitter. Throw some candles and potpourri on it. Make it sparkle!




Because you need candles to say a prayer for some people. So wait, "Greenpeace" but riding around in that clunker with sky-high emissions?




No. GOODBYE.

P.S.: Oh, one more. As discomfitted as I was during the rally, I confess, the sight of this bumpersticker (my first ever), really threw me.




Talk about some scary stuff.

Of Course I Went

(Scroll above for my photoblog. "The One At UM")

Thanks to my friends and kind readers at Sundries, I followed your advice and went you know where, to see you know who.

I am exhausted, as I spent all day over there, taking photographs that may amuse you tomorrow (although not of the man himself -- the security guards were fiercely protective inside).

Here is the video of what he said.



Haven't seen this fully, but he did reference "lipstick and pigs", which made me gasp. It's one thing to hear it on television, it is another to hear it when he's only a few hundred feet away from me.

Another astounding part was there were a bunch of African-American kids who held up signs AGAINST him, and were actually escorted out of the centre. What was that all about?

He stopped his speech, watched them being marched out and snarked at them something like, "See ya", like he were the Fresh Prince of Coral Gables quipping, "Smell ya later".

Very odd and what a contrast to the commandingly elegant John McCain line during his speech, towards the Code Pinkos: "My friends, don't be diverted by the ground static and noise".

Well, I'll be back tomorrow with some cool snaps for your viewing pleasure!

ADDED: From The Miami Horrible's site, some photos to tie you over.

Should I Or Shouldn't I?

Should I attend the Barack Obama rally at the University of Miami Friday, or not?

There apparently are no tickets. It's first-come, first-served for the 11:45 AM EST event. People will be queueing up by at least 7 AM, I know it. At most, I would be able to go at 10 AM. I'm not standing around for more than 2 hours for this.

So, Sundries readers, should I go, or just watch it at home via the online TV link provided?

Barack Obama At UM

Senator Barack Obama will hold an open-to-the-public rally at the University of Miami, this Friday starting at 11:45 AM EST.

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama at BankUnited Center on Friday
Tickets No Longer Available; UMTV to broadcast event

U.S. Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic candidate for president of the United States, will make a campaign appearance on Friday, September 19 at the BankUnited Center on the University’s Coral Gables campus.

Tickets are no longer available for this rally, which is open to the general public and is scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. However, you may view the event on a live broadcast on UMTV, available throughout the Coral Gables campus on cable channel 96, and at the Bill Cosford Cinema (2nd floor Memorial Building) and at Shoma Hall (room 3053 in the School of Communication International Building). UMTV will also have a live feed of the event on their Web page at umtv.miami.edu/site/live.php.

As you read, tickets are sold out. But, Sundries readers, you can bet I will be there.

Donna Shalala's Perfect Day

University of Miami President, Donna Shalala, was honoured by President Bush with the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the highest civilian award in the country.

To put the honour into context, the President's father, GHW Bush, still hasn't received one -- President and Mrs. Carter have one each.

Here she is being personally decorated by the Presidential hands.



(You'll notice the jokey demeanour President Bush employs around women he likes. The jabs in the crook of the elbows, the nudges in the ribs, the forceful little pats on the back. His attitude towards Shalala reminded me of that awkward little shoulder rub he gave Chancellor Merkel. Shalala looks much more comfortable than Merkel was, than I would be, come to that)

Donna Shalala came to this great honour after a lifetime of service both in academia and to her country.

She's the well-liked 5th UM President, having gone on a barnstorming campaign to raise funds for that hallowed South Florida university. To date, her efforts are well over 1 billion dollars -- an impressive sum.

Prior to that, the lady who must measure a full 4'11 in Manolo pumps was President Clinton's Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was an 8-year man, despite being called by The Washington Post: "one of the most controversial Clinton Cabinet nominees".

Why? Well, apparently, she was in their judgement too liberal. Too liberal for the WaPo. I'll let that sink in.

Her liberal credentials included having a previous Presidential position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, home to my dear friend, Brother Daryl, and Professor Ann Althouse.

In that capacity, she instituted a "speech code" on campus, effectively banning hate speech on campus (or as Wikipedia puts it both in "noninstructional" and "instructional" settings. I'm guessing they meant dorms, and that's an overreach. No wonder it was struck down).

Though you won't read this on Wiki, she did something similar at the Coral Gables campus: shortly after arriving, she instructed IT engineers to firewall white supremacist websites, and the like. The problem is that other hate speech websites were either greenlit or overlooked, so it created a strange atmosphere of tolerance to intolerance based on ideological perceptions.

(Perhaps we can coax Brother Daryl from the shadows for a more pertinent opinion on the lady)

As for me, all I can say is that she's a very nice lady and a hands-on administrator. She personally teaches a class on the US Health Care system of which, of course, she has deep insight.

You can see her bounding across campus surrounded by a bevy of female assistants, and sometimes her dog, a tiny spinsterish dynamo of energy.

Her mother, who still plays tennis with her at the incredibly advanced age of over 90 (a fact revealed when President Clinton paid a visit, with yours truly in the audience), often visits her in the sprawling Coral Gables 9,000 sq. ft. estate, hers during her term as President.

She once was interviewed by the New York Times, proudly showing off her 500 songs on her iPod, marvelling at the wicked awesome life she has in the mansion.

That article, plus my own impressions about her being rather star-struck (she gushed like a teenybopper that Anderson Cooper was a "rockstar", and practically fainted when shaking hands with Al Gore) tells me she's not without her little foibles.

So, she's a little obvious.

But who isn't in Miami. It's that kind of town and frankly, we wouldn't have it any other way. Certainly it beats the hothouse, post-hippie, BoBo atmosphere of Madison.

As mentioned, here is part of a lengthy interview the Lebanese-American standout granted the NYT. My cheeky comments in brackets.

Her perfect day: Someone gives a $10 million donation before breakfast. I have lunch with graduating seniors who all just got great jobs. After lunch I recruit one of the world's best doctors for the medical school, then I go play three sets of tennis.

[Yep, that pretty much sums up my perfect day too]

Morning routine: I get up at 5:30 a.m., get dressed and take the dog for a walk around my neighborhood. Then I come home, work out for an hour, shower, read six newspapers and head to the office by 7:30 a.m.

[I read 5 newspapers on my Kindle, but if I get out of bed by 12 PM, I pat myself on the back]

Best thing about Miami: The energy.

[Definitely]

Worst thing about Miami: You have to drive. I like places where I can walk to everything.

[A woman who doesn't like to drive is not to be trusted]

What she drives: I own a Lexus hybrid S.U.V. and a red Volkswagen Beetle, which my mother drives when she's in town. I love Beetles. They are perky and whimsical.

[Good news: It's a hybrid. Bad news: Lexus SUV. Isn't that like boasting about being friends with "nunnish prostitutes"?]

Her philosophy of presidential living: I've been president of three universities and worked in the White House, so I have strong views about what a president's house should be. It should be elegant and warm. It should reflect the taste of the occupant. Most of all, it should be accessible. In this house you can put your feet up on anything.

[Elegant but down-home. Now that I have to see]

Her roommate: Sweetie is a rescue dog. She was found beaten and lying in a Dumpster. She's like a toy German Shepherd, but she'd be upset if she knew I told you that. She wouldn't want to be described as small.

[Projection...?]

Personal hero: I have always admired Amelia Earhart. She was brave and she was willing to risk everything to achieve her goals.

[Wow, Amelia Earheart. The woman you couldn't tell was female or male or what. But yes, she was quite a brave pilot. Would it be a stretch to imagine her other heroine is Babe Didrickson Zaharias? She was sporty!]

Book she has read the most times: James Hilton's "Lost Horizon." It's a novel about a group of people whose plane crashes in Tibet. It's really about morality.

[I liked the film]

How she beats the heat: All the rooms have fans. I hate air-conditioning. I don't want to pretend that we don't use air-conditioning in the summer, but I don't like it.

[What! No one uses their fans in Florida, or walks. Yes, we all have fans in every room, and a lot of us have legs, but it's just not the Floridian way]

Gadget she can't live without: My iPod. I just love it. I listen to it when I travel and when I walk the dog. I put books on it. At the moment I have the opera "Madame Butterfly" on it.

[A Puccini fan. I like her already]

Favorite design element: Political cartoons about me. My favorite one shows a little girl telling a little boy: "You be the doctor. I'll be the secretary of health and human services."

[See what I mean by being a little obvious?]

Best recent purchase: A 1790 French country cabinet from the estate of the late Washington Post columnist Meg Greenfield. I always loved it and admired it, and it reminds me of Meg and the times I spent with her.

[I'm sure]

Worst recent purchase: My 29-foot motorboat. I bought it when I came down here because I have a dock, and I thought it would be fun. But I just don't use it enough. If anyone wants it, it's for sale. It seats 12.

[Hey, Madame Prez -- the NYT isn't Craigslist, you know?]

Favorite Republican: Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. He's always been committed to women's sports. I used to play tennis with him when I was in Washington, and I just like him.

[Don't worry, this was before partnering Bob Dole in that bipartisan veterans committee. I'm sure she's added him to her list of favourite enemies]

Favorite sport: Tennis. My strengths are my backhand and drop shot. My weaknesses: I'm not as quick as I used to be, and I don't have a great serve.

[My serve is killer! I want to play with this lady at the Salvatore Park tennis courts!]

Person she would most like to meet: Bono.

[Oh God]

Talent she covets: More language skills. I speak Arabic, Farsi, English and a little French, and I read German. I'm studying Spanish, but it hasn't been easy for me, and you have to understand that my Farsi and Arabic are marginal.

[So basically, you don't speak Farsi and Arabic. Why are you counting them then?? I don't count Romanian, though I can read it. And Latin!]

Procrastination technique: Surfing the Web. I look at sports Internet sites. I especially read all the insider columns about college sports.

[I'm telling you. Babe Didrickson is number two. I can smell it]

Favorite vacation spot: The kingdom of Bhutan. I am partial to isolated places with big mountains near them. The cold air clears my head.

[Oh God, Part Deux]

Evening routine: Most evenings I have something to do. There is often a reception of some sort, or a dinner at the house. Once a week I'll entertain at home. My guests can be anyone from high school counselors to the Dalai Lama.

[*groan*]

Fictional character she identifies with: Wonder Woman.

[LOL]

Àpropos to the Lebanese connexion, do you know that the New England Americans for Lebanon --NEAL-- endorsed Senator McCain in November? Hmm.

So as you can see, she's a delight. She's great for her university. And she's rather intent on letting anyone know despite her SUV, motorboat, and gilt-trappings, she's still a lady who can reconcile all that, plus the recent janitor strike when she sided against the UNICCO union workers (mostly Haitian immigrants), and still be considered a big-time liberal by the WaPo.

Listen, I like her. She's great. And she fully deserves the recent honour she received.

Despite my irreverent tone, I'm glad she's brought the University of Miami to the pedestal of progress it now has.

Her predecessor President Tad Foote (son-in-law to Senator Fulbright of Arkansas) was a very similar man in politics, and demeanour, albeit a very tall guy. He too had lofty ambitions, which didn't exactly pan out.

So I suppose we in academia know what kind of messages they will emphasise, but not quite deliver on.

In Shalala's case, she's a Wonder Woman wannabe, and we're darn proud of her.

Al Gore at the University of Miami

The day before President Bill Clinton's scheduled appearance!

Tickets already sold out, before I even got a chance to apply for them...

But man, are the University of Miami and Dr. Shalala doing everything they can, to raise political awareness towards the Democratic side, this year, or what?

On the other hand, maybe it's a cagey move by our former Vice-President, who is said to be on the outs with both Clintons, husband and wife.

He doesn't want them to grab all the local Miami limelight, from his possible re-run for the White House.

Or maybe he just wants to get more Oscar votes.

More Info: Al Gore Talks About An Inconvenient Truth to UM

UPDATE: You know how much I love films, and I have only seen snippets of an Incontinent Truth so far, so technically, you might think I would be more interested in this presentation, than the former President's, right?

Plus, there's no pesky moral question with Al Gore such as what fellow blogger, JSU, brought up, you know?

But no. Honestly, if I had to choose, I'd choose to go see President Clinton.

That really says it all, even 7 years later.

As a commenter in the Howard Dean-Joe Trippi Blog for America (!) said back in 2004, "This guy stinks of loser".

Sorry

Clinton's off...no more tickets.

For two days, I've pulled every string I had in my sewing kit -- nothing.

Believe me, I'm more upset that any of you, since I had planned a massive Sundries post. Oh well. I think I jinxed myself...

Bill Clinton At The University of Miami

I'm going.

Thursday, March 1, 2007
4 p.m. (Doors open at 3 p.m.)
BankUnited Center
at the University of Miami
1245 Dauer Drive
Coral Gables Campus

I still haven't blogged about Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Roberts' visit to the University of Miami's Convocation Centre, which hosted his visit last year and will now host one by the ex-President of the United States, but I shall.

That was perhaps the best 1-hour interview I have ever seen conducted live.





The well-spoken, and extremely personable SCOTUS Chief was in full volume, and as a graduate of the University of Oxford, believe me, I've been privileged to hear in person, everyone from Nelson Mandela to Salman Rushdie to the Queen of Spain.

...Roberts blew them away.

But something tells me the charismatic Mr. Clinton will top that performance. We'll see.

Either way, God willing if I'm there, Sundries readers will be there too.

UPDATE: A dear British friend asks via email, if I will be taking any photographs of the event. I will try my best!

I did with Roberts. I have only ONE good photo that turned out well, since I used my cellphone at the time, and very quickly.

See, before you got to go inside, all women had to open their purses, and perhaps men were frisked as well, I'm not sure. There were these tables near the step entrance, that you see in the photo of the Convocation Centre.

So, well might you ask if that were the case, and no cellphones with cameras, let alone no cameras themselves were allowed, how did I sneak mine in?

Ah.

Don't ask.

Anyway, it didn't hurt (much).

Many Miles To Go

Suddenly, you turn the corner at the University of Miami's main campus, in Coral Gables, when you see this tombstone jutting out at you.





You don't know why someone saw fit to place a deadly tribute in the middle of this leafy, elite campus, and thus intrigued, you edge closer to see who it is.





Robert Frost?

Did he keel over at UM, perhaps of heat prostration when walking to the Ashe Building?

Bizarre.

Miami is full of such unexplained oddities, which I can say without a hint of irony in this case, are without rhyme nor reason.

P.S.: When I showed my mother these photographs, she startled me in the way parents have sometimes, of revealing something about their childhood, you had never heard before.

"Robert Frost? Did you know that in high school [she went to Salem, in Baden-Württemberg], I won the Robert Frost poem recitation prize?"

"Really?"

"Yes. First prize was a trip to the US consulate, where they gave me peanut butter sandwiches and Coke with ice. I was in heaven."

Who knew?

It is under the small, dim, summer star.
I know not who these mute folk are
Who share the unlit place with me--
Those stones out under the low-limbed tree
Doubtless bear names that the mosses mar.

-- "Ghost House"