Stephen Colbert is a man of many talents, including skateboarding. He showed off his hidden skill during one of his "Better Know a District" interviews with Congresswoman Jackie Speier of the California 12th (the Fighting 12th). They talked about a number of issues, including gay marriage (which Representative Speier supports) and why 14 year olds should be allowed to vote. Then they decided to make a YouTube video, because YouTube is located in the 12th district.
Stephen convinced Ms. Speier, Representatives Jim McGovern and Patrick Kennedy that a little skateboarding was just what they needed to liven up their day. Then Stephen attempted a stair trick, which he aborted. Luckily -- and quite surprisingly -- no one was injured. The skateboarding segment begins at around the 5:15 mark and it's awesome. Take a look:
In her new book Sarah Palin says that she would love to sit down and have coffee with Hillary Clinton. She says that she knows they would disagree on most issues, but that she really admires all of Hilary's hard work during the presidential campaign. Naturally David Gregory had to surprise Secretary Clinton with a question about Sarah's book. But Hillary is pretty tough to surprise and gave a very gracious answer. She said that absolutely she'd like to have coffee with Sarah Palin, and that she was sure it would be very interesting. Take a look:
Oprah Winfrey took to Youtube right after the Sarah Palin interview, which will air Monday. Oprah said that they talked about everything. "We talked about inside the campaign, about what it felt like when she was first asked to be Vice-President, the candidate....We talked about Bristol, the pregnancy. We talked about Trig, her baby. We talked about Levi Johnston. We talked about her marriage. We talked about everything. There's nothing that we didn't talk about." Take a look:
Sarah Palin posted on her Facebook page that she enjoyed the interview, saying "Willow, Piper, and I are in Chicago and just wanted to let you know that I had a great conversation with Oprah today. We taped the show for Monday, November 16th, and enjoyed it so much that we went way over on time. The rest will air on Oprah.com. Oprah was very hospitable and gracious, and her audience was full of warm, energized and (no doubt) curious viewers."
So the question on our minds now is this: Will Levi be joining Sarah and the rest of the Palin family for Thanksgiving dinner? And, if so, can there please be a camera crew there?
Here are some brief clips from the Sarah Palin/Oprah Winfrey interview which will air on Monday. Oprah asks Sarah if Levi Johnston is invited to Thanksgiving dinner and also inquires about the infamous Katie Couric interview. After Sarah gives a diplomatic answer about Levi that goes on and on, Oprah says "So, is he invited or not?" It's pretty funny and it looks like a good interview.Take a look:
White House pastry chef Bill Yosses provides a tour of the White House pastry kitchen and shows examples of some of the decoration they make. Bill Yosses says they get to know the President and First Lady's favorites after nine months. Bill Yosses says President Obama likes banana cream pie and really enjoys the crust. Take a look:
President Obama, Michelle Obama and the first grandmother Marian Robinson handed out candy to the children of military families at the White House for Halloween. Barack did not go in costume, but Michelle looked fabulous in black pants, a leopard print twin set, cat ears and some awesome cat eye makeup. She accessorized with bangle bracelets.
The first couple greeted guests and passed out goody bags filled with
a large butter cookie made by White House pastry chef Bill Yosses and a National Park Foundation Ranger activity book. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs came as Darth Vader. Michelle told Jay Leno that it required security clearance to find out what Sasha and Malia were doing for Halloween and what their costumes were. We're guessing they went trick or treating with school mates to try to have a more normal evening.
Take a look:
Michelle Obama poses with seven White House East Wing interns in the December issue of Glamour. You can see a larger image of the photograph here.
The feature is part of Glamour's Women of the Year issue. Mrs. Obama was photographed by Matthias Vriens-McGrath for one of five celebratory Women of the Year covers. This issue includes a sit-down interview with the First Lady by new Glamour monthly columnist Katie Couric. In her interview with Couric, Mrs. Obama answered questions from Glamour readers and shared advice for women on everything from finding mentors to dating.
On mentoring: "I think that mentoring is such a critical part of the role I can play in this position. I see how little bits of exposure and big bits of exposure really change my girls significantly, and I want that for more girls around the country and the world."
On her role models growing up: "They were the people in my life. My mom, for sure. My dad. The teachers. For me, role modeling was immediate, it was touchable.... Children connect with who is in their lives, present and accounted for.... That's why we're trying to encourage moms, teachers, fathers, to be that presence in their children's lives, in their communities, because it really makes a difference."
On finding career mentors: "I was blessed throughout my entire career. I had people rooting for me. It started with my parents, but it extended to almost every teacher that I had. When I was a young lawyer, there were other women and men in the firm who took me under their wing. Look for those mentors, because sometimes mentors don't find you -- sometimes you seek them out. Oftentimes, they're flattered and glad to lend a hand."
On how she keeps her sanity: "I have always tried to put my kids first, and then...put myself a really close second, as opposed to fifth or seventh. One thing that I've learned from male role models is that they don't hesitate to invest in themselves."
On how she deals with public scrutiny of her appearance: "People are always going to have opinions, and people have a right to their opinions, particularly when you're the First Lady; you're representing the nation. So I can't be surprised that people are interested. But I've tried to be at peace with the choices that I make first, and then be open to everyone else's reflection."
On her dating advice for women: "Cute's good. But cute only lasts for so long, and then it's, Who are you as a person? Don't look at the bankbook or the title. Look at the heart. Look at the soul.. When you're dating a man, you should always feel good... You shouldn't be in a relationship with somebody who doesn't make you completely happy and make you feel whole."
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, sit for a family portrait in the Green Room of the White House. The photograph was taken by Annie Leibovitz on September 1st, 2009.
Photo by Annie Leibovitz/Released by White House Photo Office
Hula hoops are making a comeback and First Lady Michelle Obama is on top of the trend. The AP says Michelle Obama managed 142 swivels of the hula hoop before she lost control. She also tried some jump rope. Take a look:
Sarah Palin will appear on The Oprah Winfrey show to promote her new book, reports Politico.
It was announced Tuesday that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin will be a guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Nov. 16. Palin will promote her forthcoming book, "Going Rogue," and Winfrey will be eager to score such a popular interview during the valuable November ratings period.
Also, expect some awkwardness: Oprah campaigned for Palin's opponent, Barack Obama, during the 2008 campaign.
Now that's going to be an interesting interview. We can't imagine what approach Oprah will use. Will she lob softballs? Talk about politics? Or will she go straight for the tough issues like abortion? Maybe she'll ask about Levi Johnston's upcoming naked spread for Playgirl. Or perhaps Sarah will show Oprah how to make moose stew. It's anyone's guess.
The house next to President Obama's home in Chicago is up for sale. The Obamas spend most of their time at the White House these days so people moving in next door to the First Family's Chicago home may not see much of them. However, the pitch President Obama's neighbor is making that the house is is the "safest place in the city" is a pretty good one. It will be safe, but the heightened security could get annoying when the Obamas are in town. The real estate agent says they are anticipating an "Obama premium" on the sale of the home, but they don't know how much that will be yet. Take a look:
Japan's new first lady Miyuki Hatoyama, wife of the prime minister Yukio Hatoyama, is a kick. A former actress, she has written cookbooks, been an interior designer and styles all of her husband's public appearance. She's discussed a dream she had being a passenger on a UFO, adores fashion and considers Michelle Obama to be her fashion icon. She and Michelle finally met when the Hatoyamas came to Washington, D.C. in September. In the photo above the prime minister and his wife pose with Michelle and Barack Obama at a reception at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
Japan's first lady was just awarded the "Best Jeanist Award" at Tokyo Fashion Week. The honor was bestowed by the Japan Jeans Association. She is trying to give a high profile to the Japanese fashion industry and was happy to be photographed in jeans -- something we have never seen a high profile Japanese political wife do. She told the audience that she was wearing jeans when she met her husband at Stanford University in 1975, and was thrilled to receive the award. Take a look:
Michelle Obama has agreed to serve as the Honorary National President of the Girl Scouts of America.
"It is my great pleasure to serve as Honorary National President of Girl Scouts," said Michelle Obama. "With their innovative new programming, ground-breaking research, and emphasis on service and leadership, Girl Scouts is preparing the women of tomorrow to be a positive force for change – in their own lives, their communities, and across the globe."
This is a tradition that goes back to 1917, when First Lady Edith B. Wilson became the first Honorary National President of the Girl Scout movement. Every successive First Lady has served in the honorary position. The Girl Scouts plan to work with Michelle Obama on focus areas such as public service, leadershipa and healthy living.
"From bullying to obesity to concern over the economy, our nation's girls are facing significant challenges," said Kathy Cloninger, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of the USA. "Girl Scouts is excited to work with the First Lady's office to ensure that all girls can overcome the challenges they face, and that they have the skills, resources and opportunities they need to become strong, independent young leaders."
Does this mean that Malia and Sasha will be Girl Scouts? We loved being Girl Scouts. Camp outs, merit badges, parties, new friends....good times. You can see an interesting slide show of how the Girl Scout uniforms have changed over time here. The retro ones really were much cuter. But not as practical, of course.
First Dog Bo recently celebrated his 1st birthday at the White House but the only photograph White House photographers managed to take was a photograph of Bo's brother Cappy. That's Cappy sneaking a treat from a table in the Rose Garden of the White House. It's still a cute photograph and it is nice to know that Bo still sees members of his family.
Members of the Maldives' cabinet wearing wet suits and scuba gear held an underwater meeting today. The Maldives' officials communicated with hand signals during the meeting. The meeting was held underwater to raise awareness about the threat of global warming to the Maldives, which is Earth's lowest-lying nation. The Maldives has an average ground level of just 1.5 meters above sea level. Take a look:
