100 dagar med Obama!

Idag firade president Obama sina första 100 dagar som president. Eller rättare sagt medierna vill göra det. Obamas presschef försökte säga att den 100-dagen är inte annorlunda än den 99:e eller den 101:a men det funkade inte. Så de spelade med istället och höll direktsänd presskonferens i nationell TV på bästa sändingstid, dvs kl 8 pm Eastern time. Som vanligt - utbra gjort. Otroligt påläst och kan svara lugnt och sakligt på de flesta frågorna eller undviker skickligt att svara på frågor som är känsliga, t ex abortfrågan, tortyranvänding och Pakistans arsenaler av kärnvapen.


CNN granskar makten!

CNN tog tillfället i akt och gjorde en helkväll av jubileet från klockan sju till midnatt och samlade som vanligt största samlingen av välkända politiska analytiker. På CNN:s sajt fick man hela tiden rösta i olika frågor om hur politikerna har skött sig, såväl Obama som minstrar, kongressledamöter och senatorer. Som sedan görs om till visuell statistik... På en jättelik interaktiv karta hade de också satt upp en förteckning av vad som Obama gjort varje dag sedan tillträdet i form av ex förslag och lagändringar inom olika områden, budgeten, viktiga möten, tv-framträdanden samt börsens utveckling, presidentfruns aktiviteter och annat. Någon har gjort en massa researcharbete... Otroligt välgjort och ett utmärkt exempel på när medierna verkligen gör det de ska - granska makten! Tänk om medier i fler länder gjorde det på samma sätt var 100:e dag, det skulle nog resultera i lite mer reell aktivitet både här och där...

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/44.president/first.100.days/

American Idol i slutfasen

Årets American Idol är i slutskedet. It's huge over here. Kvällens 47 miljoner röster (!!!) gjorde att Matt Gerard åkte ut och bara fyra artister återstår. Storfavoriten Adam Lambert är verkligen bra, men fick ikväll till slut att känna på hur det är att not-be-safe. Min favorit, Lil Rounds, fick lämna förra veckan tydligen (fick inte se pga av play-offs i NHL hela kvällen) men hon är jätteduktig. Men att vinna en tävling i ett land bestående av typ 280 miljoner är inte lätt. Svenska Idol-tävlingen måste vara rena barnleken i jämförelse.

Domarna är i år fyra stycken, vilket gör bedömningen lite väl långrandig. Paula Abdul (ni minns väl hennes sånger på 90-talet? Eller var det 80-talet?) har känslorna på utsidan och lindar in kritiken. Simon Russel, klassisk britt, är raka motsatsen och säger precis vad han tycker, ofta hård kritik och alla håller andan när han ska börja med sitt omdöme. Randy Jackson, en Grammy Award-winning producent, bidrar bland annat med det coola "dude"-snacket (som mina grabbar gillar att härma). Nykomlingen för i år, Kara DioGuardi, har skrivit en fantastisk massa kända sånger på mer än 100 miljoner skivor men blir mest en blek kopia av Paula.

Vill ni kolla in mer om American Idol? Varsågod - http://www.americanidol.com/

Hot, hot, hot!

The heat has already come to Washington. For a couple of days there have been over 35 degrees Celcius (96-100F). For being a Swede this is much, especially in April. Since the swimming pools don't open until Memorial Day in end the of May we headed of to Target today to buy a plastic “Easy Set Pool” to be able to chill down in some way. Tonight we gave up the open window strategy since is doesn't cool down at night either - the air conditioning is now on!

Very funny!

The Daily Show is making fun of the fear of socialism in America - will America be like - Sweden??? You must check this!



Part one: The Stockholm Syndrome The Daily Show Comedy Central
Part two: The Stockholm Syndrome Pt. 2 The Daily Show Comedy Central

Källa: www.thedailyshow.com

Bethesda, home of the smart

Bethesda residents can pride themselves as being the most edjucated in the country, and probably also in the world. The community outside Washington - where we live - was named as the "most-edjucated small town" in the United States by Forbes.com. Bethesda, with a population of 56 842, have the highest percentage of residents with a advanced degreees in the country. 51.5% of the residents over 25 years earning master or doctorate degrees.

In December Bethesda and nearby areas were ranked top of Self Magazine's 2009 list of America's Best Places for Women.

Why so high level of education here? In Bethesda there are plenty of huge national and international research centras, such as the NIH (National Institute of Health). Many of the international people coming to work at international institutions like the IMF and World Bank also prefers to live in Bethesda. So do we.

Our new pet - a raccoon

Our kids have met a ver y cute brown labrador puppy in the park nearby and are now gagging about having a dog. Unfortunately, it will not happen. But we have just realised that we actually have a new pet in our garden - a raccoon! Since before we now that there is a fox living across the street and we use to see it sometimes in our garden at night. But, for some evenings we have now seen a new creature sneaking around in the darkness, and tonight I saw it just outside our glass doors. Similar to a cat, but bigger, with a striped tail and a mask around its' eyes. I checked on Wikipedia and confirmed what I thought. Learn more on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon.


Some happy girls have got a puppy now anyhow. After many months of speculation in national media about "the first dog" it seems like the Obama family now have got their dog. Accordning to Washington Post the identity of the first puppy -- the one that the Washington press corps has been yelping about for months, the one President Obama has seemed to delight in dropping hints about -- leaked out yesterday. This despite White House efforts to delay the news until the big debut planned for Tuesday afternoon. Read more in Washington Post >>

Former President Bush's new life

In today's Washington Post there is an intresting article about George W. Bush's new life. I haven't seen much in the news regaring this until now. It seems like he has change his life going from a bubble into another bubble, the one of old friends and conservative people who think he did a great work as a president.

Bush has said that he expects to live at least 20 more years, and that he does not want to spend all his time dwelling on an eight-year presidency. He has placed the hopes for his future in plans for a 207,000-square-foot presidential center, which will feature a library for his archives, a museum and a policy institute. Bush is also writing a book about his eight years in the White House.

According to the Washington Post Bush rarely talks about his successor and he vows to support him. At his luncheon speech in Calgary, the former president said: "I'm not going to spend my time criticizing [Obama]. There are plenty of critics in the arena. He deserves my silence."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/10/AR2009041002714.html?hpid=topnews

The roof is temporarely fixed

Yesterday we had some more rain during th morning resulting a very wet inside again. But, professional roof guys were here during the afternoon and managed to take care of the leaks. What caused them? You wont believe... Our former constructor had put them upside down, so the part that was supposed to meet the water coming from the sloping roof was instead at the bottom end pointing down the roof. I am so upset over Devon's work that make us having trouble for months and months! But now I don't need to be afraid every time is starts rain. But it is stille all wet in the insulation in the roof so more work is necessary. It just a question of when, hopefully in the summer when we are not here...

I've got e-mail... from President Obama!

I have signed up on Organizing for America to follow the communication between President Barack Obama and the network of grass roots he engaged during his presidental campaign. They have been trying, the last couple of weeks, to reach out and get people to support the budget and pledge others as well to do the same. Today I had an e-mail - from the President himself! Not bad...


Therese --

Thanks in no small part to your incredible work and dedication, we have taken another step towards creating jobs and rebuilding our struggling economy.

Last week, the budget I submitted to Congress passed both the House and the Senate and it embraces our most fundamental priorities: an energy plan that will end our dependence on foreign oil and spur a new clean energy economy; an education system that will give our children the tools to compete in the economy of the 21st century; and health care reform that finally confronts the back-breaking costs plaguing families, businesses and government alike.

Thousands of you signed pledges of support, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and talked to your friends and neighbors about this budget and the investments it makes in our long-term prosperity. You showed Washington that ordinary citizens are demanding change and are willing to work for it.

Our work on the budget isn't finished -- Congress still has to agree on a final version. But your efforts have sent a message that Washington can't ignore.

I'll be counting on you even more in the coming weeks and months. The budget Congress passes will be a critical blueprint for the changes we'll bring about. But that's when the real work begins -- the work that will bring health care to every American, transform our economy to run on clean energy, provide our children with the best education in the world, and bring about a new era of prosperity.

Thank you for everything you've done,

President Barack Obama

The warmest birthday by far

Having a birthday in beginning of April use to be associated with an early spring day and the first tiny spring flowers, blåsippor, in a vase. This year was different. It was a warm lovely day here in Washington, 20 degrees Celsius and sunshine. Wa had a walk under the blooming cherry trees and then lunch with friends at the restaurant Chadwick in Friendship Heights (suitable name for the occation). We sat outside and enjoyed the day. After dinner in our house we had a Swedish Strawberry Cake. Thanks to Karin & Ola for a great day!

Time for soccer games again!

Today we had a hectic but fun day. The boys had their firsts soccer games and basketball games. Unfortunately both Jonathan's and Eric's teams lost their games with one point, but they both did a great contribution to their teams. Jonathan scored one goal and Erik three! (Picture shows Erik in action.)

In the afternoon we also had the great pleasure to welcome our friends Karin, Ola & Ella Loré-Nilsson from Sweden, that will stay in DC for two weeks.

Oh yes, it is leaking again

Yesterday night heavy rains came over us and before going to bed I put out a tray beneth the spot in the ceeling that use to be leaking. And this morning - oh yes it did leak. Not only from one spot but from three. And my tray had been filled so it was water all over the table. I was happy I had put the kids home works away, otherwise they would have been all wet.

Now our landlord is here with a new contractor who will rebuild the whole sun room in the summer. For antoher $40 000 in addition to the $30 000 he already has paid Devon for a lousy job... Our poor landlord, is also trying to put some plastic over the worst spot on the roof wearing a suit (on his way to work) and the rain is pouring down. I guess he needs to pass by his home before going back to the office at the World Bank.

Intensiv helg i DC

I helgen hade vi besök av gamla vänner från tiden i Cleveland och hade ett glatt återseende efter sju år. Det blev den vanliga turen ned till The National Mall för att besöka olika memorials men nu i sällskap av Cherry Blossom's vitrosa blommor överallt.
Tusentals turister och locals stömmar nu ned till stan för att vandra runt The Tidal Basin där merparten av körsbärsträden finns. Den här veckan är höjdpunkten av blomningen och hela veckan pågår The Cherry Blossom Festival med samlingspunkt vid Jefferson Memorial.









På väg runt den lilla sjön passerar man Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, vilket Erik tyckte var extra spännande eftersom han har gjort en redovisning om honom nyligen på skolan. FDR's memorial skiljer sig från de andra pampiga marmorpalatsen. Minnesplasen är indelad i fyra "rum", ett för vart och ett av FDR's fyra-årsperioder som president (vilket är rekord). Den sista perioden blev bara cirka 80 dagar lång eftersom han dog av sin sjukdom 1945 och efterträddes av Harry Truman.

Även magnoliaträden blommar för fullt med fantastiska rosa eller vita blommor. Här syns hela familjen i parken vid E-street utanför Interior Departement.

The Capitol Hill är otroligt stort och tronar vid ena änden av The National Mall. Vi måste ta en tur dit någon dag. Även utanför Federal Reserve blommor körsbären.

Här får vi en guidning vid Vietnam War Memorial. En svart marmorvägg med namnen på alla femtiotusen ameriakner som stupade under kriget. Klart sevärt och tankeväckande. Lilla Ella hade brutit benet (10 veckor sen!) men kämpade tappert på ändå hoppandes framåt eller i Ellinors vagn.

Även magnoliaträden blommar för fullt med stora rosa blommor, t ex här på E-street utanför Världsbanken.