Beat The Trojans; UCLA vs. USC 2015

UCLA vs. USC 11/28/2015; let the cross-town rivalry begin. Let’s make it four years in a row Bruins!

If you are a South Bay Bruin, I’ll see you at the watch party at Rock-N-Brews in Redondo Beach, CA which starts at 12:30 PM.

Bruin Alma Mater

Hail to the hills of Westwood,
To the mighty sea below;
Hail to our Alma Mater,
She will conquer every foe.

For we’re loyal to the Southland,
Her honor we’ll uphold;
We’ll gladly give our hearts to thee,
To the Blue and to the Gold.

* Written by Jeane Emerson, Class of 1929

Thanksgiving In America 2015

My Drive To Breakfast On Thanksgiving Morning

Today I spent the American Thanksgiving holiday in an unconventional manner. It was an amazingly beautiful day, as you can see from the picture I’ve posted above, but it was neither a remarkable nor unremarkable day. You see I recently lost my father on 10/9/2015 and the pain is indescribable. My family fights over anything, everything and nothing. It is tragic when the people who are supposed to be the closest to you are the most distant at such a difficult time.  I am very spiritual though and I believe that God gives us pain to see what we will do with it. I accept my pain and know that it is my moral responsibility to help others who are also in pain.  The holidays are supposed to be enjoyable but ironically the holidays are a time when many people feel the most sad and empty. Not everyone has a loving family to be with or sometimes those we love just cannot be with us. And the emptiness caused by the death of someone we love is overwhelming, hard to understand and magnified during the holidays.

Two years ago I wrote a beautiful posting on Thanksgiving Day. Here is an excerpt from that posting “I realized at that moment how blessed I truly am.  I have food to eat and water to drink.  I have a home to live in, a warm bed to sleep in and a car to drive.  I have money to spend and a way to earn money.  I can walk.  I can see.  And I have a healthy functioning brain.  I am disease free.  And both of my parents are alive.  My list of blessings is long.  I realize that there are people who have no home, no food, no water, little or no money and no opportunity to make money.  Some people have cancer or other serious diseases.  Some are suffering in the hospital.  Some are addicted to drugs.  There are people who are mentally disabled.  And people who are experiencing deep physical or emotional pain.” Little did I know when writing that posting two years ago that one of my parents would not be alive on Thanksgiving Day 2015.  My father had a severe ischemic stroke that changed the course of his life causing him to suffer in the hospital and to die too soon. It is mind blowing when I read my own words about my blessing of having food and water to drink, having a healthy functioning brain and being able to walk. I did not know while writing those words that two years later my father would not have a healthy functioning brain, would not be able to eat or drink, would not be able to walk, would have suffered in the hospital and that I would be the one in deep emotional pain. My father pleaded for water at the end of his life. He could not have any water because he could not swallow properly. It was gut wrenching. I will never be the same and I think of my father's agonizing condition literally every time I eat food and drink water.  

So my message to you today is to please understand that at any moment your circumstances can change and every day is a day to be thankful for your blessings. And if you are feeling pain, you are not alone. Give your pain a purpose. Use the experience that has caused you pain to help others in despair. God bless you. 

Paris, France 11/13/2015

Terrorists attacked Paris, France on 11/13/2015 in an orchestrated, collaborative act of pure evil. Over 100 innocent people were massacred and countless others injured for reasons which are just incomprehensible. These horrible events, which are getting more and more commonplace, remind us of how fragile life is and how vulnerable we all are as human beings. Have you ever encountered evil and hatred up close? I have but I fear no evil for I walk in the shadow of the Almighty One.

Please bow your head in a moment of silence and pray for Paris, France. Be fearless and strong and carry-on. And remember that good conquers evil. God bless.  

Déclaration à la suite des attaques à Paris by elysee

In Honor of America's Veterans

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 

A PROCLAMATION 

The United States military is the strongest, most capable fighting force the world has ever known.  The brave men and women of our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard demonstrate a resolute spirit and unmatched selflessness, and their service reminds us there are few things more American than giving of ourselves to make a difference in the lives of others.  On Veterans Day, we reflect on the immeasurable burdens borne by so few in the name of so many, and we rededicate ourselves to supporting those who have worn America's uniform and the families who stand alongside them. 

Our true strength as a Nation is measured by how we take care of our veterans when they return home, and my Administration is committed to ensuring our heroes and their loved ones have every chance to share in the promise they risked their lives to defend.  We have made it easier for veterans to convert their military skills to the civilian workforce, enabled more veterans and their family members to attain Federal education benefits, and expanded access to timely, quality health care for all veterans.  Just as every veteran deserves the support and benefits they have earned, those who have given everything to defend our homeland deserve a place of their own to call home.  To uphold this ideal, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative has forged partnerships with local leaders across America to uphold the dignity of every veteran and work to end veterans' homelessness.  No one who fights for our country should have to fight for the care they deserve.  Earlier this year, I was proud to sign the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which fills critical gaps in mental health care by raising awareness and taking steps to improve access to care for those suffering from the invisible wounds of war.

Our veterans left everything they knew and loved and served with exemplary dedication and courage so we could all know a safer America and a more just world.  They have been tested in ways the rest of us may never fully understand, and it is our duty to fulfill our sacred obligation to our veterans and their families.  On Veterans Day, and every day, let us show them the extraordinary gratitude they so rightly deserve, and let us recommit to pledging our full support for them in all they do.

With respect for, and in recognition of, the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2015, as Veterans Day.  I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and private prayers.  I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities.  I call on all Americans, including civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, and communities to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fortieth.  

BARACK OBAMA

* Source of official information in this blog posting is The White House, Office of the Press Secretary.