“Whether it’s from 35,000 feet aboard Air Force One or in a motorcade through the streets of Manhattan, Reuters White House photographer Jason Reed offers a view from behind the tinted windows of Obama‘s 2012 Presidential campaign.” ~ Reuters TV
Freja shows a nipple but it is skillfully hidden by the author of this blog for obvious but not esthetic reasons
Dutch supermodel, Freja Beha Erichsen showed one nipple in a recent issue of Rollingstone Magazine, and now I am worried. You might wonder why I am concerned about this show of woman power by a supermodel since supermodels, and even regular looking women, have been showing nipples in both public and private places for centuries before and after the bra was invented, without any uproar, but with plenty appreciation. What I am apprehensive about is that the photo appeared in the same issue of Rollingstone as the magazine’s latest interview with US President Obama. If Obama was ever caught reading this excellent interview where he defends himself against the blame and hate that is now being wrongfully directed to himself and his party, the sensation-greedy people might mistakenly think he was into nipples instead of the truth.
Obama on the cover of Rollingstone Magazine, again.
Asamoah Gyan and Kevin Prince Boateng
The headlines on Yahoo last night asked who’s to blame for USA’s defeat by Ghana in the World Cup and to me that was such an easy question to answer – Ghana. The USA was beaten by a superior team with superior skill, superior attitude, and superior coach. It was not the Jabulani Ball or Barack Obama this time. I suppose it is always hard for a country rich with money, movie stars, and crude oil on their beach like USA to accept sporting defeat by a much poorer but yet much richer country like Ghana but that was always the way of the World Cup. When you look at players from Ghana play like Asamoah Gyan, Andrea Ayew, Ibrahim Ayew, John Mensa, Kevin Prince Boateng and amazing goalkeeper Richard Kingston you realize why the USA lost. Coaches are necessary scapegoats in defeat and US coach, Bob Bradley, who looks more like a stuck up war general than a football coach, is being publicly pulverized as the US looks for excuses for their failure that doesn’t include a superior team from Ghana. The US played well but sometimes big countries just have to accept the fact that being able to consistently beat Trinidad and Tobago in World Cup qualifiers is nothing to shout about. Ghana’s Serbian coach, Milovan Rajevac, who always seems unemotionally tense, might be doing something right with the right team.
Ghana Gonna Get You
The name Team USA to the rest of the World sounds like an adorable GI Joe sequel but to many non-US citizens, they just don’t have the FIFA World Cup appeal to encourage mass worldwide support and sympathy. Team Ghana aka The Black Stars, not to be confused with New Zealand’s All Whites, are still considered underdogs for winning the World Cup 2010 but those odds are rightfully declining daily and I hope they make it to the finals and win. With champs and runners up Italy and France already out, The World Cup now needs an even bigger and better shakeup to give the Planet the hope it deserves.
In a verbal statement about the death of Michael Jackson, US President Barack Obama said “I still have all his stuff on my iPod.” So, I was wondering if iPod sales shot up after the announcement or did he mean MP3 player. People use a popular household brand name to refer to a type of product because that brand has been the leader for years. For example, people in Trinidad and Tobago say Crix when they mean cracker, Coke when they mean Pepsi, Trojan when they mean condom and Manning after they are sc…
Apple and Steve Jobs did a fantastic job in making the iPod the brand that it is today and the only people who don’t have real iPods are those who are either too hungry or too oppressed. When Barack Obama said iPod I am sure he meant iPod and not Zune, Sansa, Creative or a made-in-China black box. In the US, everybody who is anybody young at heart has the iPod brand MP3 player loaded with every song they and their friends ever thought they heard. That doesn’t mean other brands of MP3 players are not good and I think many non-iPod MP3 players are worth buying. But in the real world, brand is everything and I am sure 9,999 out of 10,000 people buy the BMW brand to look important and not for its assumed superior shock absorber or girl-catching technology.
There is one item I recently added to my wish list along with Megan Fox, and that is the Cowon S9 16 GB Video/MP3 Player. Like Megan Fox, the S9 is fun to look at but unlike Megan Fox, has a touch-screen. The Cowon S9 plays MP3 and video files but its main attraction for me is that it also plays FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec). FLAC is lossless and MP3 is lossy so, to put it simply, I find FLAC sounds better than MP3 and I want my CD collection to sound as good as it should. Unfortunately, iPods do not support FLAC but the S9, which comes highly recommended by smart people, does. 
Right now, I listen to my FLAC files on my PC using the free MediaMonkey since the free version of Winamp doesn’t play FLAC. The modern world has taught me that the ability to listen to music where ever and whenever we want is a new human right and that is why I must get an S9; I don’t want to oppress myself.
Pete Souza, President Obama’s Official White House Photographer, took these brilliant shots of The President’s visit to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summit of the Americas (17th April to 19th April). I downloaded the photos from the White House website. Click on the shots for the captions and there is nothing funny this time. All the shots were taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR.
You look taller than on TV - Chavez
From the fictitious diary of President Obama:
April 18th 2009
Yesterday the landing was smooth but the pilot had to abort the first attempt for reasons I don’t want to get into now but I think he saw a crack. Fortunately, the runway seemed to have held up well but I will get my people check for cracks tomorrow morning since the Mexicans and Colombians are also here.
Oooo! I love this Soca!
The drive to Port of Spain was uneventful and on leaving the airport I saw a big Bhagwansingh’s Hardware and the famous Trincity Mall . I might have even seen a car being broken into in the mall’s car park but I am not sure since the people stopped to wave at me. There were a few cars on the road and I suppose the Government pulled everybody off to allow us Heads to make it to the Hyatt in time for pre-summit snacks. I heard people were disappointed that I didn’t come through the front entrance of the Hyatt but after Hugo caused barriers to be broken down I didn’t see any need to break them again. The Secret Service said some journalists were getting on wild and I was safer in the back. I think the Secret Service would take a bullet for me but not a journalist. I have to check.
I can see a photographer
The Hyatt looked like a hotel and with all the talk on the blogs about tall buildings I was disappointed. I mentioned this to Mr. Manning who seemed offended at first but then offered me a bowl of corn soup. I refused since I couldn’t easily identify all the floating objects and security protocol requires The President identify all food objects, especially in soup. I made up an excuse and said I ate in My Plane. PM PM seemed to go temporarily green when I mentioned My Plane and I even thought he was turning into the Hulk.
Blow hard
...and this is where Mr. Manning proposes to build the second smelter
Some of the South American leaders seemed rather strange I couldn’t help wonder if their people were poor because their leaders were strange or if their leaders were strange because of poverty. Mr. Ortega was long in his speech and I read a comment in a blog which suggested he did this to spite good looking leaders. Mr. Manning took no offense. PM PM was shaky at the start of his speech but seemed to get his stride after he offered Mr. Morales a bowl of corn soup, probably the same bowl I turned down. I am beginning to suspect he threw this summit just to serve corn soup. PM PM referred to me as “his kind” and I nearly fainted when he said it. I didn’t know if he meant black, smart, charismatic, handsome, Harvard-educated or soup-shy. Maybe he meant all. I am beginning to wonder how “his kind” ever got elected.
I hope this book is free
What is with this Hugo character? He seems like a nice guy; always smiling and chubby. He even gave me a book about how my country robbed his country but he seems not too-right-here. These South and Central American leaders appear to strive on being weird and offensive and if it wasn’t for their women and cheap labor we might have bombed them ages ago. I am joking, obviously. We can’t afford another war right now.
I have to go dress and attend a function at the Chinese Palace in St. Ann’s where Mr. Manning will be serving corn soup and dhal puri. I will only eat some soup after Morales is on his third bowl, for security reasons, naturally. I might have to dance with Mrs. Manning tonight out of courtesy and I only hope she wears a sleeveless something. Ha ha, I am homesick, but not that homesick.
Air Force One - First Attempt at Landing Aborted
Air Force One makes its approach to land at Piarco International Airport, Trinidad and Tobago. The first attempt at landing was aborted by Air Force One.
The Blimp also stared at this photographer for a few seconds but the high-tech air bag was unable to determine if the photographer was a security threat or even good looking.
If the Government of Trinidad and Tobago wants to forbid protest during the Summit of The Americas in April they should think again. The Government agreed to host The Summit not to show off the made in China Prime Minister’s Mansion, or the modern but empty Waterfront Project but to highlight the real Trinidad and Tobago; or so he said. The Government must understand that only through protests will people see the real Trinidad and Tobago and not through elected empty vessels.
Journalists are normally not stupid and are never energized by talk but by protests and unruly behavior with a cause. Video clips of the Summit proceedings will have a dead look especially when our Prime Minister speaks or is shown in his daily, haughty, clueless pose. Only Obama will be of any interest and the rest of leaders will be faces in the crowd, hopefully not picking their noses on camera. The world craves substance in the form of real emotion and not a billion-dollar-waste-of-time.
People did not know or care where the G20 Summit was being held until the protesters jumped (danced) in front the cameras. The G20 protestors were unfortunately not there to highlight the wastefulness and corruption of the Trinidad and Tobago Government, UDECOTT, the childishness of our The Minister of Works or even the stupidity of our Minister of Finance. The protesters were there to protest a cause known as greed. The Summit of the Americas can give our local protesters, along with foreign protest consultants, a world stage to highlight both international and our version of greed, incompetence, and massive ego tripping. This is something all suffering countries will identify with. Maybe The Protest in Trinidad will become popular on YouTube and blogs and shame our Government into caring. Naturally, well staged protests will make people curious about Trinidad and Tobago and soon enough people will learn the names Patrick Manning, Calder Hart, Lawrence Duprey and Golden Grove.
Barack Obama might be the Blackberry President but aka_lol will soon be the Blackberry Blogger. The Blackberry is the productivity tool which will allow aka to replace doodling during meetings with blogging. With his Blackberry, aka will not only have access to email in real-time but he will now be able to impress women even when his batteries are low. The Bold is aka’s choice since it is a sleek device that is good to look at, nice to hold, and vibrates to get attention, much like aka. But the similarity doesn’t end there as both the Blackberry and aka can be soothing and addictive.
Dear Mr. President,
I am writing to welcome you and your wife to our beautiful country and despite what you were told by certain politicians, this country belongs to all citizens and a few multinationals.
Sir, when you land at the Piarco International Airport with Air Force One I would advise you have your pilot check the runway for cracks. A new section of the tarmac is being paved by a contractor who, let’s put it this way, gets away with murder in this country. This contractor has done shoddy work on the runway before and was paid a huge sum to correct his mistakes. But I hope he gets it right this time. I also hope the Chinese contractor can finish the refurbishment of the Old Airport Terminal Building in time for the Summit. The Contractor is using Chinese labor so it should be ready. I think the same contractor is in charge of keeping dogs from straying onto the runway. Also, don’t forget to sign your customs declaration form since our customs officers can get nasty if you don’t. Customs don’t care who you are.
I know you wouldn’t be driving into Port of Spain in the traffic regular citizens have to put up with every day. This is unfortunate since you can only know people when you see how they behave in traffic. I don’t want to say any more but it is not a pretty sight. Use the Priority Bus Route but make sure you get a pass from the Minister of Works first. Try not to meet this Minister in person since he thinks he is better than the average citizen and lets everyone know it. He is not a well liked person.
I don’t want to dwell on the negative side of Trinidad and Tobago but the amount of murders for the year will be 110 by the time I type this full stop. I know it sounds high for a country as small as ours but our Government has tried every trick in the book to keep us from noticing. The crime situation is very bad and every time our Minister of National Security goes on TV and says things are going to get better two or three people are murdered. Sometimes I feel these murderers have no respect for The Minister. Also, it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t warn you about the Beetham. If you ever get stuck in traffic or get a flat tire in that area you have to be careful. The Beetham Bandits snatch cell phones and rob people at gunpoint in broad daylight. Be careful with your Blackberry.
Every country has its fair share of jokers who pose as Opposition Leaders and Trinidad and Tobago is no exception. You might meet the Opposition Leader and you would know him by the way he rolls his R’s and pretends to be honest. I can’t say too much about him other than he had a hand in the construction of the new airport terminal and owns a political party.
The recession has not hit us as bad as it did your country but we are always a little behind. Everyone is looking out for it but some feel we will start to feel the best effects after the Summit. The Summit is costing us plenty money but according to our Prime Minister we will have long term benefits such as government funding to keep citizens safe and TSTT wireless Internet. Citizens are thankful for the Summit since without the Summit the Government would have spent the money on more tall buildings and drapes.
I hope by now you had the time to visit mayarobeach.com. It is a cool website with Trinidad and Tobago photos including hundreds of Trinidad Carnival pictures. I am sure you will like what you see. Trinidad and Tobago looks very nice without local politicians.
I hope you enjoy your stay and have a rewarding Summit. We in Trinidad and Tobago look forward to all the investment opportunities the Summit will bring to our shores and hope you can buy more oil and gas from us at better prices. We don’t want to beg but if we have to we will.
Best Regards,
aka_lol
p.s. don’t forget to try the Shark and Bake and read this blog
This a fictitious interview between President Elect Barack Obama and that devilish blogger, Aka_Lol. The interview was held in the back of the mind of the blogger on the 19th January 2009, the eve of his Inauguration as President. The President Elect was gracious enough to grant the interview and he always wanted to see inside the mind of a blogger. He was disappointed.
AKA: Mr. President Elect, how does it feel to be so close to becoming the most powerful man in the world?
BO: It’s like being a teenager. First they take away your Blackberry then they don’t let you say what is on your mind. Then they watch every move you make and don’t even let you drive or go to the mall. But the good thing is that you don’t get pimples. It feels good I guess.
AKA: So what are your plans immediately after the Inauguration Ceremony?
BO: Would Beyonce be there? Just joking, just joking.
AKA: Mr. President Elect, people have been asking what would be your priorities on assuming office on Wednesday.
BO: I will be removing that portrait of George W. and conducting interviews for a dog but only after I deal with Israel and Hamas. Bastards!
AKA: I understand you are attached to your Blackberry but the Secret Service and your lawyers have advised against it for both security and legal reasons.
BO: Have no fear, I will be out there and I will choose a puzzling name like Aka_Lol, perhaps. Wouldn’t it be nice to declare war via an email or SMS for a change. Seriously, as President I must do not only what is legal but also what is right.
AKA: What are your plans for the economy?
BO: The economy is like a balloon, the more you pump into it the bigger it gets but if you pump too much into it, one pin prick, and it goes out with a bang.
AKA: Meaning?
BO: I am saying we need a tougher balloon and less pricks.
AKA: That sounds like a plan. How was your recent vacation in Hawaii?
BO: It was great to be back home and Michelle and the kids had a good rest. One night we lost electricity for a few hours but I slept through the crisis.
AKA: Not signs of things to come, I hope.
The president Elect chuckles cynically and whispers something to a nearby Secret Service Agent while pointing at Aka. Aka looks nervous.
AKA: Women say you are sexy and you are idolized by almost 80% of the US and 95% of the World. Do you think that would work in your favor?
BO: Aka, sexy can be a dangerous asset and like a shaken can of Coca Cola it must be used with caution or else it could blow up in your face.
AKA: How would being a black man affect the Presidency?
BO: I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton’s Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I’ve gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slave owners…
AKA: Mr. President Elect, sorry for cutting you short but my blog is waiting for this interview and time is of the essence.
BO: Of course. Blog is life and life is blog.
AKA: You are young, athletic, handsome, charismatic, extremely well educated and possess a six pack. Do you think you have set a new precedent for US presidents and even word leaders?
BO: I hope so, Aka. Part of the problem we face today is a that most World Leaders are so pathetically ugly they wage wars and spend needlessly to get a little attention and show their people who is boss. I am leaps and bounds ahead of the pack in that regard.
AKA: Yes, indeed Mr. President Elect. Do you think Hillary will be an asset to your administration?
BO: We need a woman to bring peace to the world. Women are peaceful by nature.
Both Aka and BO suddenly burst out laughing and in the uproar someone blurts out “What have I done.” Sanity returns to the room.
AKA: Mr. President Elect, do you still smoke?
BO: Only in bed Aka, only in bed.
AKA: Thank you Sir, for your time. Good luck and may the Change be with you and The World.
BO: Thank You.
President Obama's Official Portrait
To the left is the first Official Portrait of President Barack Obama. The photo was released on the 14th January 2009 from the Office of The President Elect. The portrait was taken by the newly appointed White House photographer Pete Souza.
According to engadget.com this Presendital Portrait is the first for a US President to be taken with a digital camera. The camera honor goes to the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The EXIF data is embeded on the photograph and it was taken on January 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm with no flash, using a 105mm lens stopped to f/10 at a 1/125 exposure, with an ISO of 100. The photograph was processed on a Mac using Adobe CS3. However, I see one error and that is the photograph is labeled in the EXIF data as being copyrighted 2008 by Peter Souza even though the photo was taken in 2009.
Yes He Can
I have been waiting to be tagged for almost a year and now that I have been tagged, I am at a loss for words. This tag came from Onedia of Onedia in the Ozarks blogging from Arkansas in the US. Here is the tag:
If you could spend an entire day with any five people who are now living
The five living people I would like to spend an entire day with are with old man Hefner in a mansion somewhere in the US, but I would like to have a more active day than Hef. With that out of the way, I would like to get down to serious business. I once heard someone say in a movie the best people are either married or dead, and I thought that was being repetitious. Anyway, my choice of five living people would be Barack Obama, Richard Dawkins, Stephen King, Bill Gates, and Sir Paul McCartney.
Barack Obama is an obvious choice because he has caused the world, and maybe even the people in the United States, to look at him closely and commercially. Obama may be just another charismatic politician but that is what I would like to find out. I would like to spend the day on the campaign trail to see first hand how he talks to people and if he swears.
Richard Dawkins is a disliked man in the religious world but I admire his courage to speak out, with scientific reasoning and logic, against some dangerous practices adopted by people. It doesn’t matter where I spend the day with Mr. Dawkins once there are no suicide bombers around.
I would like to see Stephen King work. Stephen King is a master storyteller, to use the old cliché, but to be so prolific and for so long is an amazing feat. I won’t talk ghost and accidents with the King, but I think everyday conversations would be enough for me to find out who he is. I don’t think he is a scary man and I doubt he could raise the dead in real life.
The first thing I would like to ask Bill Gates is why did it take so long to come up with a stable version of Windows and why is Vista so bloated and expensive. I would also tell Mr. Gates that I admire his success and charitable nature but I am curious to find out what he does with his money all day. Probably a day at the Office with Bill Gates would do it.
I decided on Sir Paul McCartney because he is one of the members of The Beatles who is not dead. I could go on and on about The Beatles but everything I say would have been said before and with better grammar and punctuation. Things like, they changed the face of music, they changed the world forever, they had stupid haircuts. I would like to ask Sir Paul what some of his lyrics mean such as “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.” I would also like to find out how he gets his protein and was she worth it. I would like to spend a day with Sir Paul when he is not in court in England.
This Beach Called Life - aka_lol's blog 