Monday, first day of seminar

Today was a long day. We left the hotel at 8am and got back about 5pm. I walked around for about an hour to find a market of some sort and there was nothing. Loads of condos but no markets. Guess the natives drive to the market. Finally found a gas station that not only had gas but also food to purchase (at a reasonable price) as well as fresh fruit and hot food. Plus it looks like a local police hangout. There must have been 10 of them in there!!!

The day was interesting. Former Congressman Mickey Edwards is the Faculty director. He is also a VP of the Aspen institute and now teaches at Princeton. Mickey is fabulous speaker and leader. He has a vast store of knowledge and an interesting way of looking at things. He also has a vast store of stories to tell and can answer any question dealing with politics without hesitation. We also heard from Dr. Meena Bose from Hofstra University who is our scholar in resident. The two of them are dynamic.

I am now spending the evening listening to the speakers at the DNC convention. Nancy Pelosi was not very good. The catty part of me says it is because of all the botox in her face!!! But Jessie Jackson Jr. was excellent. He is a much better speaker than his father is. The tribute to Teddy Kennedy was wonderful and a tear jerker. This is probably going to be the last convention for him. He has been senator now for 44+ years. I am now listening to Michelle Obama and she is good. But her dress is driving me crazy as it does not fit her and her bra strap shows. But as the camera pans around the hall you see older black women wiping a way a tear or two. I can't imagine what they are feeling. Now I am watching Juan Williams and he is just about in tears talking about this speech and what it symbolizes to black America. That is something a lot of us can not understand. That is one level on another level she was talking to the rest of America and wanting to reassure them that they are not a threat. It was a soft speech and she really did not talk about her husband. But it was interesting. But will it work? I don't know. She is usually "stronger" on the stump in defense of her husband. The bit at the end was hokey but ok.
She did deliver the speech very well and looks like a natural giving a talk.