Obama Commencement Thread
What are we supposed to post in this thread?
I think Obama's appearance is a sure sign that Harvard is joining the Big Ten.
WAS CLEARLY OUT OF BOUNDS. WTF?! facepalm
Put Biden in.
Not after the wise crack in West Virginia. I'm bummed Obama didn't have a make-up line for that.
Most normal people have no idea that was ever said. Any kind of response would have elicited a lot of confused looks.
it was a "put in the backup" joke
Like:
- Drink once if Obama says how much better it is to talk at Michigan than at Notre Dame last year.
- Drink twice if he disses MSU or OSU and gets a loud cheer.
- Finish your drink if the grads are in maize caps and gowns and rawk music is playing.
MINOR RAGE!!!!
This isn't the Obama commencement... It's the PEOPLE'S commencement!
(Drives off in truck.)
Obama is already getting a bad case of the "Presidential Gray Hair"
The Prez isn't that great at ad libbing when there's no prepared speech scrolling in front of him. It will be interesting to hear what he has to say. I am guessing he'll throw in a reference to JFK. Or if you grads are lucky, he'll promise you some of that left over TARP money!
And what ever you do, do not ask Obama who his favorite UM player is or for that matter who his fav White Sox or Oakland A's player is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX0PSoCTFas&feature=player_embedded
scathing analysis! you should make sure to call in a radio talk show and get the word out there!
...your comment is about as on target as this:
Your sig reminds me of the RCMB.
I am not aware of the Radio Control Modelers of Baltimore. They sound fascinating. Are you a member?
I know we're treading way, way, way too close to the boundaries of MGoBlog no-no land, but since you brought it up, I'm genuinely curious: where did the "OMG OBAMA LOL TELEPROMPTER" meme come from? I mean, I can think of lots of things to criticize this President about, but not being able to speak extemporaneously is not one of them. Did anyone see the debates with McCain?
And, again, without impugning the character of past Presidents and therefore diving headlong into political no-no territory, wasn't there, within fairly recent memory, a President who, while likely having many fine qualities, was absolutely awful at speaking without a teleprompter?
I guess politics just isn't the rational, well-reasoned, honorable playing field that I thought it was...
86=1! NEW MATH!
Bien fait, mon bonhomme!
George Bush was horrible reading a teleprompter but was much better addressing off the cuff. Obama is much better reading a prepared and focused speech than talking off the cuff. These observations have nothing to do with their politics but their ability to speak. Why certain people are getting their panties in a bunch over this is understandable but really, get some thicker skin.
It's like some coaches can recruit well but can't coach while some can't recruit well but can coach.
I mean really!?! You think that Bush was GOOD at speaking off the cuff?
I'm done talking about this subject else I'll get neg-banged for talking politics but Bush pretty much was terrible at everything.
Also:
SPARTY NO!
You are wrong. I'm not going to even begin addressing the multitude of reasons as to why.
here is a younger george bush. Alcohol and cocaine are not good for the brain.
i was just hoping that, given the high level of intellect that i assume many poster here have, that, if a post were going to come close to crossing a political line, it would be more interesting and informed than something hannity mouth-breathes a hundred times a day or is written on every other tea party sign.
step up your game if you are gonna get redacted anyhow, right?!
something non political you could have said might have been "sure hope he knows michigan is a non smoking state now" because as of today it is and the president is a smoker. these are two facts and one of them does not shine brightly on the president, if that is your desired affect.
I actually completely agree with you. I know a lot of people are apt to slap up You Tube videos of George Bush's famous flubs, but having actually seen him give an address in person (and no, this isn't who I was referring to in my post further down in this thread), he actually gives a really good address without notes and without a teleprompter. I'm kind of curious as to whether the people who have responded to you with such negative reactions (or the people who have negged you) have actually seen him give an address in person.
So, you were able to take a break from hanging with Sidney Crosby long enough to attend a few presidential addresses? I, on the other hand, never actually saw George Bush speak in person, so I'm obviously not entitled to an opinion about his speaking skills. Now that you mention it, I'll bet all those YouTube videos are fakes -- if I wasn't there to see it in person, it never happened.
Wow man, you need to let it go. If you want to disagree with something I say, go ahead and do it on the merits of the point I am making, but following me from thread to thread and continually writting stuff like this is getting pretty pathetic on your part. Just let it go and move on with your life.
I did disagree with you on the merits. As with so many of your posts, you played the same card -- "I've got superior access, inside knowledge, seen more, etc., so my opinion obviously is worth more than yours." In fact, you have no idea how much experience or expertise other posters might have on any given subject -- most of us don't attach our resumes to our comments. On the particular subject at hand -- a guy who was president for eight years -- I think a fair number of folks have seen enough of his public speaking engagements to form an opinion about his public speaking skills. To denigrate the opinions of those who didn't see the guy "in person" is foolish. Is that clear enough for you?
Actually, if you go back and read the post that I was responding to and then read my post, you would see that the precise point that I was referring to was in person versus broadcast perception. It wasn't at all about "superior access" or anything of the sort. It was about the difference in perceiving something in person versus on television or through segmented video clips, which isn't a particularly controversial subject. In fact, I don't really know too many people who would actually disagree that there is a difference between in person and broadcast perception. I seriously have no idea what you could possibly find offensive or controversial about what I've written here. There is nothing there about "access", or anything of the sort. I'm not sure if you realize it or not, but it doesn't take any special "access" to see a President speak in person, especially during a campgain. My comment was a really simple comment about perceiving something in its entirety in person versus perceiving it on television or through segmented video clips. Nothing more, nothing less.
And yes, you're right. I have no idea how much expertise or experience other posts have (aside from several posters about whom I do know how much expertise or experience they have) about any given subject. Just like you don't know that information about me. I don't pretend that I do know that information. I just comment about what I personally know about a subject; not what I think others do and do not know. Consistent with this correct observation on your part, it should come to no suprise to you then that there are people who actually do know an awful lot about certain subjects because of the experiences they have had in life. It is really odd that you would critize someone for commenting from the perspective of that experience.
My criticism of Obama's public speaking is actually the reverse. He's okay at speaking extemporaneously (he's made a slip-up here and there, but that happens to everybody), but his prepared speeches have lost their freshness. He needs to vary his use of rhetorical devices more. He loves to employ the straw man (e.g., "There are those who believe we should [simplistic opposing argument]...") but that only works so often before it starts to sound tired. I feel like we get the same basic speech from him over and over, just with different specifics filled in.
made fun of this until she was caught looking at her hand repeatedly during a speech and when the camera zoomed in she had written crib notes in her palm.
Part of MSC's arguement to get Obama was the fact that Kennedy announced the Peace Corps at Michigan and that Michigan sends more students to the Peace Corps and Teach For America than any other school in the country
commencement exercises have already begun?! or are people showing up that early for seating. spoiler alert to the undergrads: if they still do it like they used to, the LATER you show up the CLOSER you are to the field. found that out after showing up 5 mins before ceremonies were supposed to start after a heavy night 'out' before.
First off CongraDulations (Yes I went there)! This should be one of the happiest days of your life. This is the culmination of all of your hard work throughout the years! Good luck in whatever you do decide to do after graduation whether it be: going into the workplace, attempting to find a job in a not so great economy for graduates (it could be worse you could have an MSU degree) or furthering your education more with post grad work.
I just wanted to let everyone know that you can honestly do whatever it is that you want. I remember when I first graduated I did two different jobs because well... they were the only job offers that I got. So I eventually quit the first one and went on to the second one (I quit the first without having a second lined up), and then quit the second (again not having another lined up) because I hated both of the jobs and thought that they were against my morals (in one case) and just didn't want to deal with the hours and never being able to have a social life with the other. The moral of this story is that I never stopped looking for the "perfect" job for me and you shouldn't either!
A lot of people will bitch about their jobs after graduation but few people will follow their dreams, goals, aspirations and actually do something about it. When I quit my second job I was talking with some alums (in their 40s) during a game of poker. They asked me why I quit my good paying job (that paid 60k a year w/o bonuses). I said because I felt unsafe doing it (we had to be exposed to radiation, exposives, let alone all of the other hazards that go along with being in the oil field business) along with having virtually no free time and a 24/7 job, not to mention that I hated it. The alums laughed at me and said "You'll never have a job that you love, that's a fantasy, the reality is that you have to have your job to make money and you're never going to have that job all that you can shoot for is a good paying job." Finally when i told them the whole reasons why I quit (at first I just said that I hated it) they agreed that my health should not be compromised for a job and asked me what I wanted to do. I told them my dream job and the one aum that I was closest with told me "That would be a bad ass job you should definitely try your hardest to do that".
Now what I'm not saying is to be like me in some ways: DO NOT (especially in this economy) quit your job without having another one lined up! (I really cannot stress this enough) But if you are unhappy in your job or current financial situation (or pretty much any situation in your life) it does absolutely nothing to bitch and moan about it. So many people in all 3 of my jobs bitch and moan and complain but none of them do anything about it to make their situations any better.
Anyways what I'm trying to say is that after 2 years of being graduated I finally got the job that I wanted doing exactly what I wanted when someone finally gave me a chance 2 years ago to do what i wanted to do when I first was graduating from undergrad. I studied a lot and I made myself a much better candidate than when I first applied to the industry and got hired in by the same firm that shot me down 2 years prior.
So as Obama would say: If you want change in your life and if you want to better your situation you can get "CHANGE" and "Yes we can!". Don't sell yourself short you went to the best all around University in the nation and you can do whatever you want to do!
Good luck. Don't forget to wear your maize and blue proud and to Go Blue!... ALWAYS!
Bouje
You had me at radiation and explosives
I was basically just trying to say that you can do whatever you want to do if you put your mind too it. Probably put in way too many details. Me bad.. Me bad...
For those that thought: TL DR.
Summary: Congrats, you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. But don't quit a job before you have another one. Also never give up on your goals, don't bitch and moan about a job and do nothing about it too many people do that.
I said because I felt unsafe doing it (we had to be exposed to radiation, exposives, let alone all of the other hazards that go along with being in the oil field business)
That explains a lot.
They just showed a live shot from the Big House and it was packed.
...to go to Zingerman's to avoid the long line and wait time to get your food!
Your sig is annyong. This isn't the RCMB.
...yet
I was thinking similar.
...President Obama is a Zingerman's fan. +1 to the Prez.
Obama's #UMich intelligence apparently good: #Zingerman's delivered 20 sammies to Air Force 1.
david carr
TACOPANTS!
FA, have you been hitting the sauce a little bit early today?
WOOO!!!!
Seriously I was about to ask the same question. After the first post I was like "eh that's not too weird" after a few more I thought "Uh.. I don't get it I'm CONFUSED!"
It's an open thread at the Big House, isn't it? Honestly, I tried to inject them more at spots where political talk could pop up in attempt to distract people from replying with thought out (or not thought out) political banter. This thread has eventual deletion written all over it.