A 3-week old video finally opens to the public

Michelle Obama was in Raleigh at NCState on April 8th, and Chris took a video with his digital camera. It was a stirring speech relating the uphill climb versus the "establishment" concerning Barack's legitimacy as a candidate. Alas, it was too large of a file to download directly into the blog.

Then 3 weeks later it finally hit...YouTube! Download it onto YouTube and then embed it in the blog! Brilliant!

Enjoy The House of Gordon premier on YouTube:

And enjoy the couple of bitter "Come on" statements that our fearless blogger utters under his breath to the folks two rows down. Apparently the microphone was close...

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Greensboro: 1808 - 2008

2008 marks the bicentennial year of Greensboro incorporated as a city. Named after Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, the town began as an entity way back in the year 1808. Guilford County's seat had been previously located at Guilford Courthouse, site of the Revolutionary War battle from which General Greene made his indelible mark in our nation's history. Later surveying of the county moved the seat to the precise center: today's Greensboro.

As part of the 200th year celebration, a new statue depicting our town's namesake has been unveiled. It stands in the middle of a roundabout downtown close to Natty Greene's Brewing Co., suffice to say the Gordons pass it often.

In addition to the mammoth horseback statue of General Greene located at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park,

We now have the good General standing proud in a roundabout downtown:


And of course, a brisk one block walk from the new Nathanael Greene statue could not be more satiated then with a fresh cold pint of the "official beer of the Greensboro bicentennial celebration", Natty Greene's Patriot Extra Pale Ale. Mmm mmm good.


And of course, driving to and fro would not be complete without a proper license plate on the Cherokee:

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"Ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they work together."

Barack Obama had a Town Hall meeting today in Winston-Salem, NC. Tickets became available this past weekend at the Forsyth County Board of Elections, and as our friends the Gallers live closer, they happily volunteered to nab tickets.

It began as a rather chilly morning lining up at the Joel Coliseum (or "Coliseu" as the photo suggests) Annex at 7:30am for the 9:30am door opening. Easily the BEST starting spot in line for our Obama sightings.


Our seats were pretty good on the floor in the 7th rows to the left of the podium:

The 7th row seats lended themselves to some good photos of the senator as he entered the auditorium:

It was yet another vigorous and inspiring speech (preaching to the choir with us, we know). The major soundbites were Obama's poo-pooing of the so-called "gas tax holiday" this summer and deflection of any Rev. Wright comments until a press conference scheduled immediately after the Town Hall meeting.

Yet another inspiring speech and moment to see live and in-person the (hopefully) next president of the United States.

This campaign is not about John McCain, Hillary Clinton, or even myself Barack Obama. This campaign and election is about YOU, the American people. Consequently, I cannot do this without you. So I will need your help in these next 8 days, these next 8 months, and these next 8 years to bring this country together.

Wow.

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Wine tasting fundraiser

Last night the Gordons had a date over at Revolution Mill Studios in Greensboro for a wine tasting benefit entitled Corks for Kids Path sponsored by Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro.

Revolution Mill is an enormous complex of offices, studios, and event spaces that have filled the vast interior of an old textile mill. Huge. Tall, tall ceilings; rough wood supports; wide windows; an open airy environment. The studio where the event was held was absolutely gorgeous:

Kids Path is a hospice-type program where children with terminal diseases or have witnessed the suffering of a sibling with terminal disease can receive care and grief counseling.

There was a silent auction with all sorts of items, from the frou-frou to the elegant to the gawdy. Hors d'ouerves were served via tux and silver tray. The event was from 7p-10p, but we had made it through all 12 wine tables plus the 1 Natty Greene's beer bar by 9:00. So then we headed out to Liberty Oak for an appetizer, more wine, plus dessert for a nightcap. It was a lot of fun and for a good cause.

We mainly went towards the red wine angle, with winners on our palate including:
L'Angevin 2006 Sonoma Stage Pinot Noir
Woodenhead 2006 Humboldt County Pinot Noir
Cotes du Roussillon 2003 Saturne (great with pizza they say!)
Markowitsch 2006 Carnuntum Cuvee

Tasty wares, and a donation to a good cause.

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The Gordons have press passes.

To the Newseum in Washington, DC:
Kimberly was in DC for the AANA Midyear Convention last week in her element with nursing and politics melded together. Sadly, the bloggishness from the week in question is diminishing with each passing day as Kimberly doesn't blog as much as Chris does. Suffice to say, she got us yearly passes for the way cool Newseum, so visits will occur in earnest whenever we make it up to DC.

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Safe money is on "Gordons plummeting to their deaths."

Stumbled across this one the interwebs. Insane.
Take dramamine, press play.

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John Adams 7-part HBO miniseries

Well, thanks to the magic of TiVo and our DVR, all 7 episodes of the HBO minsieries have been viewed. The opening theme always made Chris blare the speakers:


Chris didn't agree with the "piling on" of Paul Giamatti in his lead role. Adams was a cantankerous man at times driven by what he felt his place in history should be. He often mumbled; his voice barely carried; he was concerned with himself; and Giamatti in this humbler blogger's opinion pulled it off.


Granted there was quite a bit of dramatic license with the miniseries. I'm sure there are blogs out there purposefully exposing such "mistakes", but here are what Chris observed:

1) the line of militia filing past the Adams home at Braintree surely would have known that they fought on Breed's Hill and not Bunker Hill.

2) General Henry Knox and his artillery relocation from captured Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York to Boston would NOT have bypassed Boston to wheel past the Adams home 7 miles south.

3) George Washington sitting in on the 2nd Continental Congress (not the first as the miniseries suggests) would not wear his Continental Army uniform, but rather his Virginia militia uniform he wore during the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War).

4) Adams did not swing the tiebreaking vote on the Jay Treaty, as 2/3 majority is required to ratify any treaties.

5) Adams and Jefferson rekindled their relationship before Abigail passed away, not afterward.



Five little tidbits to nitpick, but all in all it was an entertaining miniseries for history dorks like Chris. Non-history fans (and how in the world could you be one of THOSE?) would probably have enjoyed it also, albeit without the edge-of-your-seat wide eyes that Chris had. In fact, if you want, all 7 episodes are saved on our DVR for viewing at any time. You're always welcome. Colonial tri-cornered hat not provided.



Kimberly, eyes closed; Braintree, MA; June 2005:

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Happy Earth Day tree-huggers!

We wish there was a way to embed the following video into our blog, but there isn't; so you'll just have to click on this link from NPR on a story from May 2007 to see fascinating photographs of the Earth.

Sky Visions: Michael Collier's Aerial Photography

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Meet the House of Gordon for brandy and robustos in the drawing room.

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Foothills wins more hardware!

Jamie at Foothills Brewing has brought home some more brewing awards! Announced just yesterday, Foothills won medals at the 2008 World Beer Cup in San Diego, CA. Foothills won a GOLD medal (out of 49 entries) in the "Robust Porter" category for their People's Porter, and a SILVER medal (out of 20 entries) in the "American Style Stout" category for their Total Eclipse Stout. Both have filled Chris's mug repeatedly in the past and he concurs with the winnings.

The full list:
http://www.beertown.org/events/wbc/PDF/2008_winners_list.pdf

They brew really quality beers there. So much so that Foothills will be the only North Carolina brewer present at the Savor event in Washington, DC that the House of Gordon is going to next month.

Foothills Mug Club member #17 hailing from Greensboro sure is proud! Congrats (again) Jamie!

*****

In other news, Great Lakes Brewing in Cleveland took a BRONZE medal (out of 16 entries) in the "British-Style Imperial Stout" category for their yummy Blackout Stout. Congrats to them.

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The Onion, the man on the street, and barley

I curse you Hans Weinburger.

The Onion makes us laugh yet again.

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Guilford County Democratic Convention

Sadly, no brimmed straw hats were involved, but in any event, the 2008 Guilford County Democratic Convention (as did conventions in all 100 North Carolina counties) occurred Saturday morning. The main lecture hall on Guilford Tech's campus was the site for Guilford County's: 3 & 1/2 hours of candidates, resolutions, and voting.

All sorts of elected (and hoping-to-be) officials made an appearance at our convention. This took up a good portion of our time. Everyone from Congress to Governor to State Senator to County Commissioner to Auditors to Judges made their case and/or plea for support. 40+ people were given one minute to speak, but as politicans go they generally do not understand the meaning of speaking for only one minute. The Parliamentarian basically threw up his hands and allowed 3 minutes each.

The House of Gordon's Congressman Mel Watt made an appearance from Washington, as did another Greensboro congressional representative Brad Miller.

Our current Lt. Governor running for Governor, Bev Perdue, stopped by. This in itself was a feat in that again, all 100 counties had their conventions today, so an actual appearance by the candidate and not a surrogate was an honored touch.

Chris's "girlfriend" from way back from his Pop the Cap grassroots law-changing campaigning sadly could not appear, but her surrogate read a touching letter in her stead. Kay Hagan is not running for a NC Senate re-election this year so that she can run against the ever-so-worthless Elizabeth Dole (R) for the U.S. Senate seat. Kay all the way!

Resolutions were then read and voted on, ranging from the party's approval of two school bonds on our upcoming ballot, to the children of undocumented immigrants receiving in-state college tuition breaks, all the way up to the Michigan/Florida primary mess.

All in all, it was an interesting view into the inner-workings of politics and moving one step closer to the National Convention in Denver.

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Bill Maher's final New Rule tonight on HBO

Classic. In its entirety:

And finally, New Rule: referring to voters who America has left behind economically as "bitter" isn't an insult; in fact, it's a compliment, acknowledging that they're smart enough to understand what's happening to them. The hopeful, now those are some idiots.

So let's separate the bitter (my people) from the idiots.
- If you think the Democrats are going to take away your bible, you're an idiot.
- If you think they're going to take away your gun, you're an armed idiot.
- And if you think they're going to take away your gun and give it to a Mexican to kill your god, you're Bill O'Reilly.

Now, at the end of last week when Barack Obama ignited the "Bittergate" scandal, you would have thought that he had scaled Mount Rushmore, dick-slapped Jefferson in the face, and spray-painted "God damn America" over Lincoln. But he wasn't lying. The truth is that religion and guns and hating gays and immigrants ARE crutches that people lean on; so are fast food, crystal meth, and child beauty pageants, but we don't have time to tackle all of America's addictions in one night.

So let's focus on the big thing: that the people who claim to be the non-elitists are the ones who constantly shift tax burdens from the people who fire you, to you. John McCain voted to repeal the estate tax; voted against raising the minimum wage; has no healthcare plan; and is fine with keeping the working class in Iraq for one hundred years. But he's a "real man of the people". And the president went to Harvard and Yale and inherited your country from his dad, but he's not an elitist because he can neither read nor write.

What does it take to label someone "elitist" these days anyway, they wear shoes? They don't buy their groceries at the gas station? Their dog has a name and their truck doesn't? You know who's bitter in America? I am. Because shit-kickers voted twice for a retarded guy they want to have a beer with and everybody else had to suffer the consequences!

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9,860

Kimberly has been a huge proponent of registering new voters in Guilford County. She has set up tables on Saturdays around town via the Greensboro Obama office and has a pack of registration forms in her car at all times. The deadline to register in order to vote in North Carolina's May 6 primary was this past April 11. Today, the Greensboro Fish-Wrap had a story concerning the new registrants.

Adding to the rolls of the approximately 310,000 registered voters in Guilford County were an astounding 9,860 newly registered voters.

9,860!

Wow.

Now we're not saying that Kimberly registered all 9,860 of them, but she did have a marked effect on the lives of many a citizen within our fair city. So much so that "Bernard" from a particularly downtrodden neighborhood remembered her as he visited Obama HQ downtown: "That redhead girl with the spikey hair?"

9,860. There is an electricity in the air.

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Pandora

Chris's fraternity brother "Duke" emailed tonight with an entertaining link for streaming internet radio: http://www.pandora.com/

You log on, and select a musical group or song that you particularly enjoy. Then, Pandora creates a "radio station" that plays that artist and also others along that same vein that you may enjoy. It's a hit!

We've added a sidebar to the left on this very blog with our "stations". The electronic and distorted Nine Inch Nails, to independent and poppy R.E.M., to the cello of Yo-Yo Ma and friends, to the wispy and enchanting Cocteau Twins; all sorts of genres and moods are categorized for the playing.

Between the Bose Sound Dock for our iPods, and XM Lucy on the dish, and now Pandora...The House of Gordon will echo with fine music for hours on end.

Thanks for the tip, Duke!

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Baracky

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50 greatest comedy sketches of all time

I'm Rick James, bitch!
I'm pinching your face.
This is an ex-parrot.
I need more cowbell.
Wookin' pa nub in awe da wong pwaces.

nerve.com and IFC compiled their Top 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches of All Time. Surely this will spur some heated (or not so heated) debate. Some true gems from the past are included. We're glad (or at least Chris is) to see Monty Python well-represented. It's a joy to see the Men's Synchronized Swimming SNL sketch from forever ago (Martin Short: "I don't swim.") And Michael Ian Black (from The State) always brings a smile to our faces.

Enjoy:

http://www.nerve.com/dispatches/nerveeditors/50GreatestComedySketches/01/

50. "More Cowbell," Saturday Night Live
49. "Ass Pennies," Upright Citizens Brigade
48. "Gerald Ford Dead at 83," Saturday Night Live
47. "$240 Worth of Pudding," The State
46. "Celebrity Jeopardy!," Saturday Night Live
45. "The Ginger Refuge," The Catherine Tate Show
44. "Monkey Torture," The State
43. "The Pre-Taped Call-in Show," Mr. Show
42. "Modern Mother & Daughter," French & Saunders
41. "Chicken Lady at the Strip Show," Kids in the Hall
40. "Citizen Kane" - The Kids in the Hall
39. "Porcupine Racetrack" - The State
38. "White, White Baby" - In Living Color
37. "Saying Goodbye" - Smack the Pony
36. "Mind Match" - The State
35. "I Know Black People" - Chappelle's Show
34. "Wycked Sceptre Party Tape" - Mr. Show
33. "The Spanish Inquisition" - Monty Python
32. "Four Yorkshiremen" - At Last the 1948 Show
31. "Four Candles" - The Two Ronnies
30. "Whatever Happened to Baby Dawn?" French & Saunders
29. "Argument to Beethoven's Fifth," Caesar's Hour
28. "Wayne's World Crime Re-Enactment," Saturday Night Live
27. "Head Crusher vs. Face Pincher," Kids in the Hall
26. "Great White North," SCTV
25. "The Clock," Your Show of Shows
24. "Sweeps Week/The Days of the Week," SCTV
23. "Lord and Lady Douchebag", Saturday Night Live
22. "Went With the Wind," The Carol Burnett Show
21. "The French Chef," Saturday Night Live
20. "Marijuana" - Fridays
19. "The Olympia Restaurant" - Saturday Night Live
18. "He's Rick James" - Chappelle's Show
17. "Scenes from an Idiot's Marriage" - SCTV
16. "Buckwheat Sings" - Saturday Night Live
15. "Word Association" - Saturday Night Live
14. "Ministry of Silly Walks" - Monty Python
13. "Bass-O-Matic" - Saturday Night Live
12. "The Racial Draft" - Chappelle's Show
11. "Jaws II (Land Shark)" - Saturday Night Live
10. "Synchronized Swimming," Saturday Night Live
9. "Not for Ladies Only," Saturday Night Live
8. "Consumer Probe," Saturday Night Live
7. "Nairobi Trio," The Ernie Kovacs Show
6. "The Idiot in Rural Society," Monty Python
5. "The Coneheads at Home," Saturday Night Live
4. "Samurai Hotel," Saturday Night Live
3. "Argument Clinic," Monty Python
2. "Who's On First?" Abbott and Costello
1. "Dead Parrot," Monty Python

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2008: The Year of the Brown

A 10-6 season with a high-scoring offense in 2007 has resulted in the NFL rewarding our beloved Brownies with 5 prime time appearances in 2008.

Five.

Unheard of. The previous high for primetime games for the Browns was three. Granted, in the glory days of the late 1980s there was only Monday Night Football whereas now we have Thursday, Sunday, AND Monday night telecasts to contend with. But still, 5 games in primetime means that the NFL brass (and not just The House of Gordon) expects big things from this team.

Dare we say they are the team to beat in the AFC North?

Sports Illustrated article.
Browns beat writer Tony Grossi article.

The schedule:

Preseason
Thur., Aug. 7 New York Jets 7:30 p.m. (WKYC TV-3)
Mon., Aug. 18 at New York Giants 8:00 p.m. (ESPN)
Sat., Aug. 23 at Detroit Lions 4:00 p.m. (WKYC TV-3)
Thur., Aug. 28 Chicago Bears 7:30 p.m. (WKYC TV-3)

Regular Season
Sun., Sept. 7 Dallas Cowboys 4:15 p.m. (FOX)
Sun., Sept. 14 Pittsburgh Steelers 8:15 p.m. (NBC)
Sun., Sept. 21 at Baltimore Ravens 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Sun., Sept. 28 at Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Sun., Oct. 5 Bye Week
Mon., Oct. 13 New York Giants 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sun., Oct. 19 at Washington Redskins 4:15 p.m. (CBS)
Sun., Oct. 26 at Jacksonville Jaguars 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
Sun., Nov. 2 Baltimore Ravens 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Thur., Nov. 6 Denver Broncos 8:15 p.m. (NFL Network)
Mon., Nov. 17 at Buffalo Bills 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sun., Nov. 23 Houston Texans 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Sun., Nov. 30 Indianapolis Colts 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Sun., Dec. 7 at Tennessee Titans 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Mon., Dec. 15 at Philadelphia Eagles 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Sun., Dec. 21 Cincinnati Bengals 1:00 p.m. (CBS)
Sun., Dec. 28 at Pittsburgh Steelers 1:00 p.m. (CBS)

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The missus is away.

Kimberly is away in Washington, DC this week for a nurse anesthesia legislative conference. What to do tonight with the pooches to pass the time without her?
Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout + a slightly illicit Cuban Cohiba + Miles Davis Kind of Blue + the beloved Cleveland Indians + the joyous voice of broadcaster Tom Hamilton + WTAM 1100 AM on the interwebs.

The dogs are just wondering:
a) where their mommy is, and
b) why their daddy is camped out in the garage like this.

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Speaking of Guilford College lectures...

The 2008-2009 series was announced (and we've already paid up) and it looks to be a good one! Even if there are no Ohio Northern graduates but rather a substandard John Carroll graduate involved. Tee hee hee. ;-) That is the one to get seats for! Tim Russert, a favorite House of Gordon talking head? A mere two weeks after Election Day? Too too cool.

Khaled Hosseini - Oct. 14, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, where his father was a diplomat with the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother taught high school. In 1976, the Afghan Foreign Ministry relocated the family to Paris. In 1980, they were ready to return to Kabul, but Afghanistan had witnessed a bloody communist coup and the invasion of the Soviet army. The Hosseinis sought and were granted political asylum in the United States. He earned a medical degree from the University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine, completed his residency at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, and was a practicing internist between 1996 and 2004. In 2001, Hosseini began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner. Published in 2003, it has become an international best-seller. His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was published in May 2007. In 2006, Hosseini was named a goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency.

Tim Russert - Nov. 18, 2008, 7:30 p.m.

Russert is the managing editor and moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press since 1991, as well as political analyst for NBC Nightly News and Today. Russert serves as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief of NBC News. He anchors The Tim Russert Show, a weekly interview program on MSNBC. His two books—Big Russ and Me in 2004 and Wisdom of Our Fathers in 2006—were New York Times No. 1 best-sellers. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., he is a graduate of John Carroll University and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University. He was admitted to the bar in New York and the District of Columbia. Before joining NBC News, he served as counselor in Gov. Mario Cuomo’s office and was chief of staff to Democratic Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan. He has lectured at the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Reagan Presidential Libraries.

Sir Salman Rushdie - Feb. 10, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Rushdie is author of the international best-sellers Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses. The former was recipient of the Man Booker Prize and the latter was deemed sacrilegious by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, who issued a fatwa against him in 1989. Despite that proclamation and the international controversy that followed, Rushdie went on to produce some of his most compelling work, including The Moor’s Last Sigh and The Ground Beneath Her Feet while living under the constant threat of death. His most recent novel, Shalimar the Clown, was an international best-seller and a nominee for both the Man Booker Prize and the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize. Rushdie, a native of Bombay, India, is also a prolific essayist. Step Across This Line: Collected Non-Fiction, 1992-2002, contains many of his most provocative articles, some of which explore his own reaction to the fatwa, as well as reactions of the media and various governments.

Anna Quindlen - April 14, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Quindlen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author, writes Newsweek’s popular column “The Last Word.” During the past 30 years, her work has appeared in America’s most influential newspapers and magazines and on fiction and nonfiction best-seller lists.
Her best-selling novels include Rise and Shine, Object Lessons, One True Thing and Black and Blue. While a columnist for The New York Times, Quindlen became only the third woman in the paper’s history to write a regular column for its influential Op-Ed page when she began the nationally syndicated “Public and Private.” A collection of those columns, Thinking Out Loud, was a national best-seller. In Loud & Clear, a collection of her Newsweek and New York Times columns, she combines commentary on American society and the world at large. In 1992 Quindlen was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for commentary. She is a native of Philadelphia, Pa.

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"Democracies die in darkness."

Award-winning journalist Bob Woodward was in Greensboro this afternoon for the fourth and final lecture in our Guilford College lecture series tickets. It was only about 70 minutes or so, but packed with wisdom and insight.

He began with a neutral third-party observation on the three remaining presidential candidates. Each has their positives: McCain has a willingness to accept and admit faults, Clinton was the de facto Chief of Staff during her husband's administration and was the organizational engine of his brain, and Obama is the fresh politician with a positive vision of the future.

He then discussed his superior at the Washington Post who gave him frank advice in 1973. When asked if he would ever be able to get to the bottom of the Watergate investigation, Woodward told her "he never would." She then retorted: "I never want to hear 'never'." He took that advice to heart from there on out.

President Ford's decision to pardon Nixon was next, discussing the initial shock and disbelief of the action. During later years, as Woodward interviewed living presidents for his book Shadow, Ford's decision was largely understood and accepted, resulting in Ford receiving a Kennedy Library Profile in Courage award in 2001.

President George W. Bush and the Iraq war were next on the docket. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld commenting on the "ignorance and incompetence" of the intelligence (Rumsfeld's words) was an eye-opener. Sources stated Iraqi WMD evidence was "shaky at best", but the sources believed themselves that WMD's in fact existed. Woodward's great regret was his lack of pushing those sources more and to print the empirical lack of evidence rather than the hunches of insiders.

Book Four in his Woodward's Iraq war history is on the way, with vigorous work to be done in the upcoming three months to finish it. (That will make it Bush at War, Plan of Attack, State of Denial, and the yet-unnamed Book Four.)

Next topic, the public has a right to know what is going on, good news or bad. Transparency heals all ills. This disturbing notion recently of "secret government" does no one any good. "Democracies die in darkness." Nixon's rage and hate toward his enemies ultimately destroyed him, and the Bush administration delicately walks that fine line. Those who hate the political enemies who hate you will end up ruined in the process. Those presently or recently employed towards the top of our "secret government" are teetering on this ruination.

Woodward wrapped it up with tying the three candidates back into the fold. None of the three in Woodward's opinion are "haters" with respect to possible self-ruination. So there may be hope for our government in the near future after all.

(Of course if you ask us, there's only one candidate who adequately expresses hope, but you already know who that is...)

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Rapid Eye Movement

R.E.M. is coming in concert to Raleigh this June, and the House of Gordon will be in attendance. We last saw them 13 years ago (!) in Cleveland on June 11, 1995 at Gund Arena for their "Monster" tour. At that time, Kimberly wasn't as "in" to R.E.M. as Chris was, but after that particularly stellar show she became a convert. We recently received an email stating that R.E.M. was coming to Raleigh and Pearl Jam was coming to Columbia, SC. Hmmm, decisions. Chris had asked Kimberly if she was game for either one, and she replied that whatever was OK with Chris was OK with her.

June 10, 2008; Raleigh, NC; R.E.M; we're there. Sa-weet!

We don't think they'll play this one though:



But maybe they'll play this one so Chris can croon to Kimberly publicly. This is a gorgeous song. I love you Kimberly.

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"People don't mind reaching for a high bar, they just want it to stay still."

Michelle Obama campaigned through North Carolina today, with stops in Charlotte this morning, Winston-Salem at 2:30pm, and Raleigh at 7:30pm. Unfortunately, Kimberly had to work 7a-7p and miss the fun; but our friends the Gallers were one of 2,000 or so at Winston-Salem State University's gym to see her in the afternoon, and Chris was one of 6,000 or so to see her at NC State over in Raleigh.

Chris worked 7:30am-3:30pm today, then high-tailed it across I-40 to Raleigh fighting Research Triangle rush hour traffic. Ugh. The doors were to open at 6:30pm, with the event starting at 7:30pm. Chris arrived around 5:30pm and was pretty deep in line. In this photo, the line snakes around the garden to the final destination: Reynolds Coliseum on campus where the red flags wave. Probably 1,000 people ahead, the worst originating line entrance in Chris's three Obama events.



As the minutes passed, the line behind Chris becomes much more circuitous as 5,000 people have worse spots then he:


Finally, entrance to the coliseum, the old place where NC State played basketball before moving into spacious RBC Center where they and the NHL's Hurricanes play:

Seats weren't too bad after 1,000 folks entered. To the right of the podium and slightly behind:
Michelle took the stage to thunderous applause, then spoke on the ever-changing bar that her husband strives for. Whether it be money, states, votes, delegates, the bar that he must reach to be "legitimate" is always changed once he reaches and/or surpasses it. This same bar is true for most Americans: where people work hard, do the right things, then go to reap the benefit of "playing right" by reaching that bar. and the bar is moved, it's raised, and people cannot fairly attain their prize. People don't mind a high bar, just keep it still so they can grab it.

You'll find Chris as the large blurry cranium in the gray "Hope" sweatshirt immediately above Michelle Obama's head. At the 1-minute mark when the camera zooms in, his enormous dome is quite evident. Enjoy:

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