Barack Obama acceptance speech

The New York Times has a great interactive site dedicated to Senator Obama’s brilliant, content-rich and highly motivating speech, with the video and the text side by side. Oh, man: Politics has never been more exciting.

Obama commits a faux pas

Senator Barack Obama accepted the democratic nomination “with great humility” … on a stage with a rather grandiose ancient Greek colonnade.

She moved through the fair

“She moved through the fair“, a traditional song from the Westcoast of Ireland that may well date back to medieval times, was first published in 1909. Here is a spine-tingling rendition by Lorenna McKennett in the Alhambra, where she resurrects the Eastern influences in Celtic tradition. The Simple Minds in 1989 recorded a song called […]

Hillary: No way, no how, no McCain

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke to unite the Democrats at the DNC. She referred to the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution that gave women the right to vote in 1920 and quoted Harriet Tubman, the anti-slavery activist who began the Underground Railroad and told the fugitives,  “Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you want a […]

Ted Kennedy

Senator Edward Kennedy is suffering from a malignant brain tumor. Nevertheless, he came to the Democratic National Convention in Denver to unite the divided party, speaking out for health care as a basic right, and not a privilege. He’s an inspiring old lion of a senator who has spent his political career redeeming the great […]

Michelle rocks Denver

On the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama did an impressive job of coming across as soft-spoken, middle class, blue collar and very patriotic indeed, to appeal to the average American (whoever that elusive character may be). She has an amazing physical presence, a marvelous voice, and a good story to tell. […]

Being old

At the moment I’m spending time with my mother. It’s a rare occasion for me because Germany and the USA are still an ocean apart, and taking time off to take the trip is not always easy.