Friday, March 6, 2009

Abraham Lincoln's First Sitting in Washington DC


Abraham Lincoln, originally uploaded by Smithsonian Institution.

With President Obama' s emphasis on former President Abraham Lincoln, I thought it would be fitting to post an archival picture of Lincoln's first photo sitting in Washington DC. There are probably a lot of young folks out there who really don't even know what this famous President looks like, unless they are viewing him from some stone or concrete monument.

I think it is a paramount reflection upon President Barack Obama that he studied and admired President Abraham Lincoln so much. There are many synchronicities between the lives of these two famous and most fascinating "legends' in history.

Yes, I called the current President Barack Obama a legend. Whether you love him or hate him, you feel strong passionate emotion about President Obama. His persona is so magnetic, he does not leave you standing in the middle of the road. You either step to the far left or the far right. It will take an act of epoch proportions to help us all find the middle ground here to make compromises. Hopefully, this journey will be one that courses from our hearts.

Lincoln and Obama are strikingly similar while standing at opposite ends of the time and race spectrum. That is what makes their connection so noteworthy.

History recorded the image of a man who evoked equally as much passion either on one side of the road, (issues) or the other side. The passion towards Lincoln was so intense that it divided nations, freed slaves and ultimately cost him his life. President Abraham Lincoln is infamous and he will remain etched in the hearts and souls of a nation that came face to face with its own dark and light side.

President Obama shares that same distinct notability. The lines are being drawn in the sand. People are stepping to either one side or the other. As for me, I am standing back just to observe for a while and I am not choosing any sides. I prefer to remain solid on my moral convictions and not allow political passions to push me too far to the light or too far to the dark.

History and destiny will be the judge and time will bring us to the end of this historical political battle. Pray that the passion of people's hearts does not take the life of another infamous man. History has claimed too many lives already over the people's inability to live together in compassionate harmony.

Notable Distinctions

"Lincoln was the first president after photography truly came of age. He embraced the new technology, sitting frequently, and he was interested in both technological issues and composition. Perhaps because of his early struggle to make himself into somebody of substance- to make himself visible - Lincoln was acutely aware of the power of image- making. Although Lincoln knew, and joked about, the fact that he was a difficult subject, he was not camera-shy, producing a continuous portrait record of his time in office. Attuned to public opinion, Lincoln used portraits to keep himself in the eye of his fellow citizens. When he arrived in Washington, Lincoln quickly arranged to have himself photographed at Alexander Gardner’s studio. These photographs were the first widely disseminated pictures of the president with his newly grown beard."

These memoirs sound like a parody in President Barack Hussein Obama's portfolio. One would wonder, are these men really two different souls?

Cheryl Lynn Gardner

a/k/a The Midnight Writer

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OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ON UNEMPLOYMENT ▼

President Barack Obama’s Remarks on June Unemployment Report

Friday, July 8, 2011
With only 18000 jobs added in the last month, the official unemployment rate increased to 9.2%. Bad news for most of us, and especially those who are still looking for jobs, and also for business that looking forward to invest in the private sector. President Obama addressed the issue today at the White House:

"The economic challenges that we face weren’t created overnight, and they’re not going to be solved overnight. But the American people expect us to act on every single good idea that’s out there. I read letter after letter from folks hit hard by this economy. None of them ask for much. Some of them pour their guts out in these letters. And they want me to know that what they’re looking for is that we have done everything we can to make sure that they are rewarded when they’re living up to their responsibilities, when they’re doing right by their communities, when they’re playing by the rules. That’s what they’re looking for, and they feel like the rules have changed. They feel that leaders on Wall Street and in Washington –- and believe me, no party is exempt –- have let them down. And they wonder if their efforts will ever be reciprocated by their leaders."

American Unemployment At New Low - 8.8% With 230 000 Private Sector Jobs in March

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Figures released by the U.S. Labor Department, this morning, show that unemployment has fallen to 8.8%. Speaking earlier today, President Obama said:

Nearly two years after one of the worst recessions we’ve ever seen, our economy is showing signs of real strength. Today we learned that we added 230,000 private sector jobs last month. That makes 1.8 million private sector jobs created in the last thirteen months. And the unemployment rate has now fallen a full point in the last four months. The last time that happened was the recovery of 1984.

Now, despite this good news, we still have plenty of work to do. There are still millions of Americans looking for a job that pays the bills. I know there’s a lot going on in the world, and the news is filled with images of the Middle East and Japan, but you should know that keeping the economy growing and making sure jobs are available is the first thing I think about when I wake up every morning. It’s the last thing I think about when I go to bed each night. And I will not be satisfied until every American who wants a good job can find one; until every family gets a shot at the American Dream. That’s our North Star. That’s what we’re fighting for.

OBAMA and Economy