beatrice's posterous

After weeks of keeping his thoughts about Donald Trump largely to himself, President Obama on Saturday night ridiculed the real estate magnate in front of a live televised audience at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C.

As Trump and wife Melania sat among the guests gathered at the Washington Hilton, Obama poked fun at Trump's reality show, said Trump lacked the "credentials" to be president, and mocked the businessman's recent crusade to get http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110427/ts_yblog_theticket/white-hou...">Obama to release his long-form birth certificate.

"I know that he's taken some flack lately," Obama said of Trump. "But no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than The Donald."

But then the president quickly changed gears. "And that's because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like--did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are  Biggie and Tupac?" Obama said, referencing rap icons Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur.

You can watch Obama's 19-minute speech in its entirety below:

But Obama didn't stop at making light of the mutual infatuation of Trump and the birther movement.

 The president next mocked Trump's background, saying, "All kidding aside. Obviously we all know about your credentials and breadth of experience," a dig at Trump's political background that evoked laughter from the audience of journalists, politicians and celebrities.

Obama then chose to reference a recent episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" that featured Trump, the star of the program, firing actor Gary Busey instead of singer Meatloaf and rapper Lil Jon in an Omaha Steak challenge. "And these are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night," Obama said as the audience roared with laughter and applause. "Well handled, sir. Well handled."

It's typical for the speeches at the annual dinner to play out as a roast, poking fun at the self-importance of the national political scene. But Obama's lampooning of Trump and the birther crusade held special significance, since the Correspondents Dinner festivities marked the first time the president and Trump were in the same room since Trump began his highly publicized campaign to get Obama to release his birth certificate.

The president made fun of the controversy, saying that he was prepared to "go a step further."

"Tonight, for the first time, I am releasing my official birth video," he told the audience. But then he played a clip of lion Simba's birth in Disney's cartoon movie The Lion King.

"I want to make clear to the Fox News table--that was a joke," the president said of the Disney clip.

Obama also made some jokes at his own expense, noting how his "honeymoon" as president was over and referencing the perception that he's too professorial and arrogant. At the star-studded gala, he also paused to note that he's even losing support from Hollywood—a mainstay of fundraising for the president's 2008 campaign. (Though he dinged actor Matt Damon for http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110303/pl_yblog_theticket/matt-damo...">the celebrity's recent criticism, saying "Matt, I just saw 'The Adjustment Bureau,' so right back at you, buddy.")

Obama also joked about starting conspiracy theories about his potential 2012 opponents: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) was born in Canada; Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has the middle name "Hosni"; Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman is Chinese; and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney passed universal health care. (The last allegation, of course, falls into the "funny because it's true" category, since Romney had presided over the passage of a state-level version of the same individual-mandate plan that Obama signed into law in 2010.)

The light-hearted evening was interspersed with more serious matters. The Correspondents Association issued awards students and journalists for their achievements, while also honoring journalists abroad who have lost their lives or faced grave physical hazards in the course of their work.

But that didn't mean journalists were spared any ridicule Saturday night.

The evening's celebrity host Seth Meyers, "Saturday Night Live" writer and star, mocked some of the industry's best-known faces.

"Katie [Couric] was known best for asking those tough questions like, 'name a newspaper," Meyers said, referencing http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5670343-503544.html">Couric's 2008 interview with Sarah Palin. "Years of hard-hitting questions, and she's going to be remembered for the one that could have doubled as a category on 'The Family Feud.' "

On Juan Williams, http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110307/ts_yblog_thecutline/npr-chi...">the NPR journalist fired after saying he gets nervous on a plane when he sees people dressed in "Muslim garb," Meyers said, "so Juan is black and afraid of Muslims, making him the least likely man to get a cab in New York City."

But some of Meyers most biting remarks were reserved for 2012 hopefuls and the president himself.

Meyers suggested Romney's book "No Apologies" actually indicated Romney made many mistakes. "If I come home from a trip to Vegas and the first thing I say to my girlfriend is 'no apologies,' we're gonna have a follow up conversation," Meyers quipped.

Meyers made fun of Trump's hair, likening it to a fox that would be happy to finish the leftovers at his table, said Pawlenty makes Al Gore look like drag queen RuPaul, and joked that Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and son Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have something in common with Meyers and his own father: "we're also not going to get elected president."

Meyers also took a few digs at Obama.

"Who knows if they can beat you in 2012?" Meyers said of the potential GOP field. "But I'll tell you who can definitely beat you, Mr. President--2008 Barack Obama," he said, standing feet from the commander-in-chief as the audience roared with laughter. "You would have loved him--so charismatic, so charming. Was he a little too idealistic? Maybe. But you would have loved him."

And Meyers also took note of http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20110121/pl_yblog_theticket/is-obama-...">the toll the presidency has apparently taken on the president's appearance. Meyers said the First Lady looked even more beautiful at Saturday's dinner than she did on Inauguration Day 2009. "But you, Mr. President have aged a little," Meyers said. "What happened to you? When you were sworn in you looked like the guy from the Old Spice commercials. Now you look like Louis Gossett Sr.," he said, referencing 74-year-old actor Louis Gossett Jr.

"Maybe you should start smoking again," Meyers said. "If your hair gets any whiter, the tea party is going to endorse it."

(Photo of Obama: Martin H. Simon-Pool/Getty Images)

My goodness, what a relief! I get up this morning only to read: Teens are drinking less alcohol and smoking more WEED!

That's just not acceptable people, have you lost your minds or what! Has society gotten to the point that anything is okay now?

The most evil people in the world claim to be be Christians who have "never done anything wrong to anybody", Government is so twisted, greedy, and controlling, and now people

boast about what teens are not doing! Give me a break.  I am starting to believe being anti-social may be a plus! LOL

Count your blessings” is simple to the point of stupid—and powerful to the point of life-altering. Gratitude, that very specific feeling of thankfulness in your heart, allows you to see and absorb all you have, forgetting for a moment all you may lack. It connects your brain with your heart, and gives you the ground to be more giving, effective, loving human. Being grateful allows generosity to flow. And many believe it also makes us more receptive—as in, the more you love what you have, the more you get what you want. So herewith, a list to remind you of fundamental things to be grateful for every day—from apples to clouds to ice cream to getting enough nightly Zzz’s.
That moment of biting into a crisp, juicy apple? Yum. And as a bonus—vitamins, fiber, and a feeling of doing something ever so slightly forbidden.
They swaddle babies, comfort the elderly, and cuddle everyone like a long, soft, warm hug.
Cumulus, stratus, whateverus, clouds wake up our imaginations when we’re lucky enough to lie underneath them—offering up dragons and pirates and rabbits, all done up in stuff that’s real, but ever-changing and unholdable. They also give us rain, humidity, and something pretty to watch from plane windows. And ever smell a cloud when you’re high in the mountains? Bliss.
Activist and playwright Eve Ensler is opening a healing center in the Congo for survivors of sexual abuse called “The City of Joy.” Dancing will be central there: “Dance has a transformative effect on bodily trauma,” she recently told the New York Times. “…[It’s] a surefire way to release it.” It’s also a surefire way to awaken joy and connect us with rhythm—our own, musicians', and the great cosmic energy that pulses through every living thing.
Among the most sentient, dignified, beautiful beings on the planet. As Edward Topsell wrote in “The Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes,”: "There is no creature among all the Beasts of the world which hath so great and ample demonstration of the power and wisdom of almighty God as the Elephant."
We can’t choose the people we share blood with, but we can share blood with the people we choose. Or something like that. Friends are the families we make and the best ones remind us of who we are, where we’re going, and what we need and deserve. With our dearest soulfriends we speak, listen, weep, laugh till we pee, and stick around for the darkest and lightest hours. It’s a micro connection that plugs us into the macro of humanity, love, learning, and life.
Those moments when one more step feels impossible, when the world seems its absolute evil-worst, grace comes. In the form of surprise blessings, help you don’t ask for, a sudden wash of gratitude, strength, or peace. Grace makes it all doable. It keeps us breathing when life gets airless. Soft when all feels hard. Gentle in harshness. Faith renewed, we can be channels of grace ourselves, giving, serving, and offering where it’s most needed.
It doesn’t rhyme, but health is balance. It’s equilibrium made manifest in our hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits. And fortunately, it can even be found in the midst of physcial illness and mental impbalance, because it’s the essence of who we are; we don’t need to be “well” to feel healthy. And when we do feel well--well, that’s about the greatest blessing of all.
Whether you’re a vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Chubby Hubby, dulce de leche, or butter pecan fan, you belong to a mass of people who find immense comfort in its creamy, rich, milky goodness. Granted, it’s not the stuff of daily healthy indulgence, but makes it all the sweeter. Pass the pint, please.
There’s this moment in a Bill Moyers documentary on the Sufi poet Rumi where translator Coleman Barks talks about being a very young boy. To paraphrase, he said: “I was rolling on the kitchen floor, and I just said ‘Mama, mama—I feel soooo good.’ And she said, ‘Yes, baby, I know you do.” When we’re little our joy channel seems most open, yet as adults joy visits us again and again. Those moments expand our heart-wings--and just might be the reason we’re here at all.
Green vegetables may be a punchline in some anti-veggie corners of the earth, but in my world, they are manna. I aim to eat something green every day—not just for the minerals, chlororphyll, and antioxidants, though those are some great things, but also because it’s like an infusion of life-force. Of earth-essence. The actress Mary Louise-Parker once said in an interview “Carrots are magic.” Then she laughed at herself and said she was “so California,” but I’m with her. Vegetables are delicious manifestations of the great, crunchy, divine mystery.
Titters. Giggles. Guffaws. Snorts, sniggers, and bellyachers. Chuckles, hoots, hollers, knee-slappers, and tear-inducers. Ha ha ha. Hee. Ho. LOL. ROTFL. Har. Hoo. Heh. Hah! Tee-hee. And all so damn good for every cell in your being.
It helps Alzheimer’s patients and those with Autism speak, connect, and feel. It creates new connections in our brains, and is the other universal language. It soothes or jangles or rocks or rolls or grooves or is staccato. It flows and funks. It elevates and gets us down and dirty. It uplifts and catharts. Or annoys. Or drowns out. Or heals. It mirrors our heartbeat, our pulse, our internal beat, and connects us to the larger cosmic groove.
You’re an animal. And so are dolphins, puppies, kittehs, rhinocerii, starfish, grouper, and deer. That’s why sitting by a stream, trekking up a mountain or sitting on a scraggy patch of park grass can lower our heartrates, soothe our nervous systems, and make us feel connected to every part of creation. Nature also reminds us of our wildness--our inherent, wordless, primal state of being in which we are exactly who we are: maskless, real, open, free.
An amazingly intelligent, yummy part of evolutionary design.
One of my high school English teachers said, “Every one word in a poem should be essential, each one a vital M&M packed with punch and flavor.” That might be the reason poetry can resonate so deeply—it expresses essence. It often gets to the heart of feelings I've been unable to discern, much less articulate—unlocking hidden, unknown, unexpressed parts that can suddenly become conscious, connected, and free. As Robert Frost said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.”
Silence is a place where our many voices and chattering selves can unfold, loosen, expand, allowing us to become centered in the essential self. And from there we can find healing, listen to our deepest intuition and hear the wise whispers of the divine. Shh.
Maybe it’s because of Kermit in “The Muppet Movie.” Maybe it’s because they're like arcs from God—gorgeous, soul-altering, representing an entire spectrum of color and beauty, while still being unkeepable, uncontrollable. It’s beauty that comes after gray, lighting us up, and disappearing. Kinda like life.
All clothing is something to be grateful for, but sweaters are the sartorial embodiment of coziness, warmth, safety, comfort. Knitted hugs.
Why trees rock:

1. They give us oxygen

2. They clean the air

3. They let us climb them

4. Paper and wood

5. Leaves, bark, blooms, and fruit of so many zillions of varieties—many of them nourishing and healing to us and other critters

6. They hold nests, provide shade and shelter

7. Shadows when the sun hits

8. They smell really, really good

Portable trees! Without the leafy goodness, but shelter from storms that we can raise and close and move with.
Supposedly one of the top aphrodisiacal scents, vanilla reminds us of warmth, home, love—and most importantly freshly baked deliciousness.
Oh water, let me count the ways: you flow, cleanse, pitter, patter, cascade, gush, flush, rinse, flood, refresh, envelop, and allow. So many forms, what with the lakes and rivers and oceans and seas and streams and salty and green and turquoise and brackish and cool and hot and free. Thanks.
Have you noticed your breath today? It may be involuntary, but when used consciously it can calm or awaken. It’s actual life flowing through us—when we remember to mindfully pay attention to it we can ride storms with deep grace.
Conversation—the good, deep, soul-enriching, brain-activating, heart-opening kind especially—is how we connect, exchange ideas, expand ourselves and our sense of compassion. Want to learn one skill in life? Become an expert in conversation—learn to ask questions and listen. Really listen. And then speak your truth and accept the gift of listening in return, which I’m pretty sure is the best gift we can give each other.
Sleep. Sweet sleep. We don’t get enough of it and yet it’s essential to having a strong, supple brain, engaged emotions, and doing effective work. It also usually feels really, really good. ‘Night!
Sleep. Sweet sleep. We don’t get enough of it and yet it’s essential to having a strong, supple brain, engaged emotions, and doing effective work. It also usually feels really, really good. ‘Night!

Stupidity has no bounds.

Does it ever feel like you have to spend hours and hours at the gym, change your diet dramatically or jump way out of your comfort zone to reap any rewards in the health department? Think again. Our experts say that these small changes can have significant health payoffs. 1. Floss more often. According to Robert Emami, DDS, chief of staff at Dental Specialties, a multispecialty practice in Randolph, Massachusetts, a simple piece of nylon string can have dramatic effects on a woman's overall health. “Flossing is one of the easiest, quickest ways to remove bad bacteria from your body,” he says. “Plaque and bacteria are constantly building up in areas of the teeth that brushing does not get to. If plaque accumulates, it eats away the bone that holds the teeth in place.” Oral bacteria, he adds, can enter the bloodstream; studies have shown that such harmful bugs could exacerbate diabetes and hypertension, and even lead to premature births. 2. Eat every 2 to 3 hours during the day. Think you’re a saint for going on a long hunger strike at work? If you’re imagining thinner thighs as a result, don’t. You’re likely making your metabolism crazy, says Dallas-based fitness trainer Scott Colby, and possibly setting yourself up to eat more later in the day. Colby encourages women to eat when they’re hungry, which often translates to three meals and at least two snacks per day. “This will help keep you full and satisfied and will reduce the likelihood of binge eating at the end of the day,” he says. “This is one of the best principles you can follow to blast fat and build sexy, lean muscle.” MORE FROM WOMAN’S DAY •Everything You Need to Know About Vitamins •4 Proven Health Benefits of Marriage 3. Make your coffee at home. If a trip to Starbucks is as much of a morning ritual as showering and blow-drying your hair, you might find this advice crazy, but health experts like Gregory J.E. Ladas, author of the book The Couch Potato Diet, say it will not only save you money but possibly hundreds of calories. When you brew your java at home, you “avoid the unhealthy temptations at coffee shops like doughnuts,” he says. And who hasn’t fallen for a sprinkle donut or a piece of fat- and calorie-laden pumpkin loaf? 4. Wear a pedometer. Boston-based personal trainer Helena Collins calls the affordable little pedometer “the most effective fitness tool known to man”—or woman. “Becoming aware of how much you move is such motivation to move more,” she says. “Not only for you, but for your whole family. Kids love pedometers—it becomes a family challenge about movement, not exercise.” It also may be fun to track how active (or inactive) you are each day. For starters, 2,000 steps is the equivalent of one mile. To boost your physical and mental health, wear a pedometer and challenge yourself to increase your steps every day. 5. Sleep in your exercise clothes (comfortable ones). Do you always intend to get up and go for a jog or log an hour at the gym before work but…don’t? Motivation may be your problem, and if so, Nicole Glor, an AFAA-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor at Crunch in New York City, says that she gives her clients some unusual advice that works. “Sleep in your gym clothes and put your sneaks and sports bra by the bed,” she says. “Many of us waste too much time saying we need to work out but dread the process. Trick yourself by just getting dressed for it and not really thinking about the next step.” 6. Do your Kegels. Experts say that as many as 1 in 4 women over the age of 18 experience episodes of involuntary leaking urine, called urinary incontinence. It’s embarrassing and frightening, but there is something you can do about it, say experts: Keep your pelvic floor muscles strong. According to a review of studies by The Cochrane Library, the pelvic-floor strengthening exercises known as Kegels were found to be an effective way to minimize urinary incontinence issues. Proof: Women who did their Kegels were between 2.5 and 7 times more likely to experience improvement than those who did not do the exercises. Need a quick refresher course on how to do Kegels? First, to figure out which muscles need flexing, some experts suggest women insert a tampon or a clean finger into their vagina and then try to close their vaginal muscles around it. Contract these pelvic muscles and hold for about 3 seconds; repeat 10 times. Do these as often as you like, and anywhere you like—no one will know. 7. Give yourself a compliment. The key to feeling happy, confident and proud of your body—flaws and all? According to Stacey Rosenfeld, PhD, a New York-based psychologist who specializes in issues of anxiety, depression, eating disorders and body image, the best thing you can do for yourself is to learn how to marvel at your body’s many abilities. “Focus on what your body can do, rather than on how it looks,” she says. “Too often, we pay attention to how our bodies appear, rather than what they allow us to do. Can your body dance or swim? Can you build sand castles at the beach with your kids? Does your body allow you to enjoy a hot bath or intimacy with a partner? Does your body transport you down the block or up a mountain?” Try this exercise: “Identify what you like about your body,” she says. “See if you can find 10 things you like about how you look, like the sparkle in your eyes, the strength of your calves or your hair.” 8. Get your vitamin D levels checked. Next time you’re at the doctor’s office, request a simple blood test to evaluate your vitamin D blood levels, suggests Doreen Orion, MD, a physician in private practice in Boulder, Colorado, and the author of the memoir Queen of the Road. “We're finding that many, many women have a low level of this essential vitamin,” she says. “Low levels are correlated with all sorts of things from cancers to low energy to Alzheimer's. I've had patients who are outside all day, who still have very low levels. The fix is simple and just involves taking vitamin D for several months, then rechecking the level.” 9. Switch from instant to steel-cut oats. If you eat oatmeal in the morning, give yourself some bonus points. The breakfast of champions, oatmeal fills you up and helps you feel satisfied longer than most breakfasts. But, to get the maximum health payoff, consider switching to steel-cut oats, says Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and the author of The Veggie Queen. “Steel-cut oats are less processed, contain more fiber and are more satisfying,” she says. “Make them in the slow cooker overnight or quickly in the pressure cooker in 5 minutes in the morning.” 10. Turn on some classical music at dinner. “We tend to mimic the pace of the music we’re listening to,” explains David Niven, PhD, author of The 100 Simple Secrets of Healthy People. “To keep yourself from eating too fast—and too much—put on some slow music.” He cites a research study that found people who listened to fast music with meals ate, on average, five bites per minute. Those who didn’t listen to music ate four bites per minute. And the kicker: Those who listened to slow music ate just three bites per minute.

 Click on the link below and please enter your birthday for me. It will take less than one minute.

 http://www.birthdayalarm.com/bd2/85446364a760703773b1474893847c271184318d905

 Thank You,
Beatrice