Obama’s birthday party
It was big, and probably mostly maskless.
In the scheme of things, though, I find I don’t care. That Obama is a narcissistic hypocrite who likes to hobnob with adoring celebrities certainly isn’t what I’d call news. We absorbed that fact a long long time ago.
What actually does amaze me – although I shouldn’t be amazed – is that Obama’s sixty years old. Now, that is surprising. It seems like only yesterday he was a young guy, and although sixty is young to me (boy, is it weird typing that), I’m well aware that it’s not young in any objective sense.
But at my back I always hear. Time’s wingèd chariot hurrying near…
It is a bit surprising that Obama, being known as a young President, is now 60. W is 75.
The point of Obama’s party, it is simply another example of how CDC guidelines are for the masses and not the elites. The people attending the party are not just ignoring guidance for limited gatherings and wearing masks despite vaccinations (photos show many are not wearing), but they are travelling from various points of the US and world. This is how variants move to new zones, see Texas Democrats for an example. The party smacks at Glenn Reynolds exclamation about climate change and now works for COVID too; “I’ll believe it is a serious problem when those that tell me it is act like it”.
That said, my wife took care of 7 COVID patients in her hospital ED yesterday. There are 118 patients in total in just that one hospital, and that number has steadily grown over the last 2 weeks. To the extent the growth rate is starting to slow; that could be just as much for the lack of bed space (hospital is over 100% nominal operating capacity as single rooms become double rooms) as it is a potential peak in cases. I strongly endorse reasonable caution be taken, but I’m also not saying that and then hosting a fly-in kegger.
There’s no reason to worry about Obama’s party. We have been informed that the participants are sophisticated, so nothing bad will happen. Sturgis, on the other hand…
As Rufus noted
“Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a bananna”
Obama draws flies like a …. artist?
No-one seems quite certain whether Biden simply chose not to go or whether perhaps he was not even invited, although the latter is more likely, as there exists much evidence that Obama has never really been fond of Biden. What renders the situation even more curious is that it is very possible that Biden’s disastrous (and impeachable) mismanagement of everything in seven months may well have been fully orchestrated by Obama through Susan Rice.
What’s stupefying is that he and Mooch are making a to-do over his birthday even though he’s 60 bloody years old and that he invited 600 people. Who does that?
While we’re at it, he’s not a gregarious man at all. He’s like Richard Nixon: he’s got four friends. (And that’s fine). You got four friends, have them over (unless, as my brother will ruefully tell you, your best friend and your next-to-best-friend dislike each other). Instead, he invites gobs of celebrities – people he might have met twice at fundraisers and what not.
Now I remember who does that. In 1989, Malcolm Forbes invited 800 people to a resort in Morocco to celebrate his birthday. Around the same time, a New York socialite named Gayfrydd Steinberg invited 250 people to celebrate her husband’s birthday out at their place on Long Island (her husband was some sort of insurance magnate then worth billions). The matter was of sufficient social concern that Ted Koppell devoted a Nightline episode to it.
It was past Biden’s bedtime, obvs.
Note that along with covid hypocrisy/delusion (has any of these fools read The Masque of the Red Death?) was the evergreen climate hypocrisy/delusion. All those people flying in on private jets and driving over from the airport to the island! They CARE about the environment so very deeply!!
I can’t believe that these people, including the former president, are “celebrities.” I feel like “celebrity” is now more a thing that is endowed than it was when I was younger. Celebrity status is inherited or anointed now and quality has plummeted.
Topo Gigia said: There’s no reason to worry about Obama’s party. We have been informed that the participants are sophisticated, so nothing bad will happen. Sturgis, on the other hand…
We all know that sophisticated people are immune from the virus. The virus is simply stopped dead in its tracts by such brilliant, incandescent luminaries as Bradly Cooper and Beyonce.
the cloud of smug superiority
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bush-takes-60th-birthday-in-stride/
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=2148438&page=2
Neo,
Democratic operative who masks as a “journalist” Chuck Todd on NBC got St. Anthony of Fauci to denounce the Sturgis, South Dakota motorbike gathering this past weekend as being irresponsible, of course he asked no questions of St. Anthony about Obama’s super spreader Birthday Party. Btw I noticed that “mean girl” Chrissy Teigen and her husband John Legend (“Legend” is not his birth family name, it is Stephens, why anyone would pick “Legend” is something a shrink can diagnose) were at the party too. The Drooling Idiot in the White House was not invited probably because he would show up in Chicago looking for the Obama Mansion there.
Barack knows that wearing masks to stop Covid is worthless. He also knows that CAGW is a scam. People should put 2 and 2 together.
I don’t care if Obama has a birthday party, and I don’t know who most of the invited “celebrities” are anyhow.
Just don’t tell me that I can’t have a gathering in my neighborhood. I’ll make my own decisions about risk, thanks.
Art Deco raises an interesting point. I’ve noticed that how one feels about one’s birthday and how one prefers to celebrate seems inconsistent with personal characteristics that would presumably correlate.
I’ve none some rather shy people who don’t typically hobnob in large groups who are very celebratory, social and loud regarding their birthdays.
I know some very social, gregarious folks who won’t reveal their age, let alone their birthdate.
I know people who love to have huge parties thrown on their birthdays.
I know others who love to throw huge parties for other peoples’ birthdays, but do not like to celebrate their own…
I’ve witnessed close, personal friends who I know very well who are asked their age in public and refuse to answer, completely surprising me. On several occasions I initially assumed the person was joking, because it seemed so out of behavior for them. I’ve noticed my wife growing more reluctant to share her age now that our ages begin with the number 5. She hasn’t specifically said anything to me, but I’ve picked up that she doesn’t want it broadcast to the world, so I do not answer for her when it comes up. Although my wife loves to have a big deal made of her birthday, so I always make sure to plan something she will like. 15 years ago, or so, I pieced together that my own mother had stopped stating her age.
One’s attitude about one’s own birthday seems to be a peculiar, seemingly random thing.
Funny, there were pictures of Hunter Bidens ex wife and daughter all over Marthas Vineyard. “A maskless Kathleen and Finnegan Biden, Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and his 21-year-old daughter, were seen strolling around in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard flanked by secret service agents hours before Obama’s birthday party began.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/critics-slam-obama-celeb-filled-scaled-back-martha-s-vineyard-party/ar-AAN3toh
Art Deco raises an interesting point.
No, you’ve raised some interesting points. Those hadn’t occurred to me.
I think Obama making a to-do about his 60th birthday is silly, and making use of his pelf to host 600 people with whom he’s likely only tangentially acquainted is gross and self-aggrandizing. (The old-age birthday to celebrate is your 90th, and then only if your children are willing to organize it for you).
Nonapod,
Regarding “sophisticated people,” I recommend this podcast from James Lindsay, “Bourgeois Overproduction and the Problem of the Fake Elite.”
https://newdiscourses.com/2021/05/bourgeois-overproduction-problem-fake-elite/
Mr. Lindsay puts forth a very credible theory on how and why there has been such a rise in class warfare promulgated by the academically credentialed in America.
Andrew Klavan made a similar point on his Daily Wire podcast from last week. There is a tangible difference between manufacturing work and information work, and far fewer Americans work or have worked in industry than any time in our history. When I, a city kid, went to University at a state school I initially had a prejudice towards the rural kids I met from downstate. They had “hick” accents, didn’t dress very fashionably, were not aware of what music was popular (this was back in the days of radio)… As I got to know some of them I grew to realize they were not only as academically capable as me (or more so), they had much more “common sense” and had much more practical world views. This confused me until I thought more about it. They grew up isolated and I grew up immersed in culture; access to libraries, dozens of radio stations, 6! television stations, multiple movie houses… But they grew up literally leaving in a small (sometimes large) businesses that involved, crucial, daily lessons on how “The Gods of the Copybook Headings” function.
The same for my grandfathers who didn’t even finish 8 years of elementary school yet were both skilled mechanics and craftsmen. I’d rather be stranded on an island with them than 10 Finance majors!
A maskless Kathleen and Finnegan Biden, Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and his 21-year-old daughter, were seen strolling around in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard flanked by secret service agents
At some sort of forum covered by C-SPAN, Steve Ford recalled that on 20 January 1977, he was playing chess with his Secret Service detail. At precisely noon, they took their leave of him and left all at once. Bye bye. He’s not a bad storyteller and he brought out the humor in the scene.
They’re putting details on the President’s quondam daughter-in-law and adult grandchildren. I tend to doubt Doro Bush’s estranged husband had agents trailing him around Maine 30 years ago. #parkinsonslaw
and far fewer Americans work or have worked in industry than any time in our history.
Disagree. In the early 19th century, most were in agriculture with a modest urban corps of merchants, artisans, professionals, and officialdom. Not much industry larger than master-journeyman-apprentice enterprise.
NEO:
Well, it HAS been 12 years since he became PotUS… that adds a lot.
The Far Side said it best.
You never see it coming
https://ifunny.co/meme/you-never-see-it-coming-by-gary-larson-by-gary-WjommTRB2
There is a tangible difference between manufacturing work and information work, and far fewer Americans work or have worked in industry than any time in our history.
Rufus T. Firefly:
Tagging on — today I read an excellent article by Michael Malone who has made a career chronicling Silicon Valley. He asks a question and provides several answers. I’ve excerpted one.
_____________________________________________
So, what turned that Valley into the one we know — and increasingly fear — today? How did Silicon Valley shift from wanting to change the world to wanting to run it? …
Blue-collar kids to the children of privilege — The first generations of Valley leaders were the sons (and a few daughters) of tough, mostly Midwestern, working men. Gordon Moore’s father was a cop, Steve Jobs dad was a car salesmen, Bob Noyce’s an itinerant preacher. These Valley pioneers had often risen from tough beginnings, and those beginnings had never really left them. Arrogant as they might be, they knew where they came from and that gave them a humanity and an empathy for other people.
Today’s Valley giants typically come from families of the professional class. Mark Zuckerberg’s parents are a psychologist and a dentist, Larry Page’s dad is a computer science professor. Instagram’s Kevin Systrom is the son of two corporate executives. They were born into comfort and have little understanding of how the other half lives. Would anyone characterize them as having “the human touch”?
_____________________________________________
He also discusses the differences between electrical engineering and computer programming, which I think are spot-on — although I’m from the latter class.
Malone considers breaking up Big Tech to restore competition is essential.
Art Deco,
Whether you raised the points or spurred me to think of them, one thing’s for sure; I need to proofread my comments before hitting the “Post Comment” button. My goodness there is some horrendous grammar in the comments I recently posted! Looks like my commenting muscles have atrophied from lack of use.
}}} the cloud of smug superiority
Is believed by many to be protection against all manner of life’s ills.
This makes the schadenfreude all that much better when Mother Nature introduces them to her “special” friend and cousin, Bubba Nature.
Needless to say, Bubba is not AC, nor is he gentle.
Art Deco @ 5:02pm,
I chose “Industry” in an attempt at a catch all to avoid a few more sentences (and I don’t think that’s how Klavan put it), but the theory really involves hands on vs. information (and agriculture is very hands on).
Klavan stated that information workers sell (mostly) non-tangible things, in the literal interpretation of “tangible.” What matters to the New York Times’ bottom line is whether people will click on the ads on their pages. The truthfulness of the article or ad is not the critical factor. Things like “engagement” and “emotional connection” are. So, more and more, information workers are motivated to psychologically manipulate people to action.
A worker at Ford’s Rouge Plant in 1950 was concerned with reducing material and labor, testing quality of components, increasing productivity… all things measured frequently and very tangibly. An idea for a new process had to be tested and proved quantifiably better than the old process to be accepted.
A hybrid seed has to yield more crops, more pest or drought resistant crops; or both.
Used to be a new educational theory had to produce better test scores. Now we discard the test.
}}} He also discusses the differences between electrical engineering and computer programming, which I think are spot-on — although I’m from the latter class.
To be truly great at programming — and no, many of these people are not, even if they did make their fortunes in software (that’s often marketing and/or precisely right timing as much as anything else) — requires a great deal of empathy.
To emulate/simulate a system well means you have to totally grok that system. Which means understanding it backwards and forwards, left and right, up and down. You can get lost in that, and lose humanity, but when it’s a system directly tied to people? You have to get into the people part of it, too.
This is actually why so many things designed by engineers are bad to mediocre. They DON’T get the human element of it, and screw that part up, often horrifically.
Just look at Windows. The damned thing wastes more man years in a single year, through its inept coding, than a dozen pandemics.
huxley,
I read that same article and thought it was a valid hypothesis. It’s not only the nature of what one’s parents did for a living. I also think our disposable culture has a lot to do with it. Mark Steyn wrote some great stuff on this about a decade ago.
When I walked down the alleys of Chicago on a weekend in the 1970s every other garage door was open and a man was working on a car. When my friends turned 16 some of them bought very used cars and we went to the library and checked out a Chilton’s manual and figured out how to repair them. I saw my grandfathers often and I don’t recall ever visiting them during the day when they weren’t working on something; a radio, a lawnmower, a toaster… My mother hung wallpaper, soldered jewelry, painted, sewed, ironed… and taught me all those things also. The women were just as busy as the men (actually more so).
Now most things are sealed and you can’t even buy repair parts if you wanted to fix them yourself. And, even if you can find a part it’s often more money than the cost of replacing the whole item. I learned an immense wealth of practical knowledge before I was 18 working on my toys, bikes, radios, friends’ cars…
Rufus: ”
I’ve noticed my wife growing more reluctant to share her age now that our ages begin with the number 5.”
Never thought I’d brag about my age, but now that it starts with an 8 I notice I’m willing to share it rather proudly.
When I passed my 79th birthday my doctor congratulated me on reaching my life expectancy. So every year is now a gift. Recently, a doctor asked me if I was married. When I said I had been married to the same woman for 65 years, he replied, “You ought to write a book.” 🙂 Don’t knock those birthdays. If you have enough of them, you’ll be bragging about your age.
Obama’ is arrogant and looking to stay relevant. A big, splashy party in the midst of a pandemic is bound to get noticed. He keeps trying to raise money for his planned “library” and this may help him do it. His legacy is important to him.
J.J.
That’s beautiful!
I imagine every year for all of us since year 0 is a gift, but I struggle to remember that. It would be a far better world if we all shared your attitude.
Even though I was raised in Chicago and like Hyde Park, where Obama’s library will be; I was disappointed he did not choose his native Hawaii. How many chances is Hawaii likely to have for a Presidential library! 😉 Maybe President Tulsi…
Why would anyone expect anything else from a narcissist like Obama?
As for the great majority being maskless, I did read that a precondition for attendence was being fully vaccinated. Not that all were likely to be but it does provide a bit of cover from criticism.
It’s especially delicious that being fully vaccinated is not protection from being reinfected, so it will be interesting to see how many come down with Covid. Reportedly, the celebratory couple mingled with the crowd, which of course increases their chances of infection.
This may be of interest: “Indiana doctor drops Vaccine truth bombs on school board…” https://youtu.be/auSox6ybZD8
I haven’t yet seen pictures of the waitstaff from the party- I still think it quite likely they were forced to mask up, vaccine or no vaccine.
Perhaps your Boyar Ball.
Second Time as Farce.
huxley,
You might try to watch the documentary “Something Ventured” (2011) about the venture capital biz in Silicon Valley. Arthur Rock talks about the first venture cap. investment that created Intel, plus commentary from Tom Perkins and the creation of Genentech (IIRC).
The most memorable quote, to my mind, was Tom Perkins answering the question, “How should a startup write a business proposal when pitching themselves to you?” He replied, “I can’t tell you how to write one, but I can tell you how I read a good one. I flip to the end and look for a large share of a very big market and how many billions in revenue and profit they intend to make.”
That explains a great deal. Even though I’m not opposed smart people making billions by providing things that a huge number of people want; if that is your only mindset, bad things are likely to follow.
Neo,
I started reading you in the last year or two of “The Neo Neocon” before the “The New Neo.” For at least a year I thought, “What’s up with the lady and the apple?” I get the point of the apple, but who’s the lady? That lady is way too young to be Neo even if the photo was taken a decade ago (from then). The new photo still looks way too young.
huxley, I live in Silicon Valley and worked there from 1984 until my recent retirement and I’ve had similar thoughts. The original Silicon Valley companies – the semiconductor outfits like Intel, Fairchild and National and the computer companies like HP and Sun were manufacturing companies and had a manufacturing culture. Not totally dissimilar to the Midwest though with a California overlay. The new companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter are really media/advertising companies with all that implies, little of it good.
I don’t particularly care about Obama and his birthday party either (except to the extent that he, and many others, hypocritically do what they forbid The Rest Of Us to do).
I don’t think there’s any mystery as to why he did it. Barack Obama needs to be loved, and loves being loved. He’s not in the news much these days… so he surrounded himself with people to tell him how great he is. And they didn’t wear masks, because he didn’t want to and didn’t think it was necessary.
(Again, if only he would allow others the privileges he allows himself.)
It makes me want to throw a block party… with everyone handed an Obama Mask on the way in.
And yes, Glenn Reynolds said it best. I’ll believe it’s a crisis when those who keep telling me it’s a crisis start acting like it’s a crisis.
https://www.rbth.com/multimedia/pictures/2016/03/02/romanov-last-ball_572295
Daniel Schwartz,
“It makes me want to throw a block party… with everyone handed an Obama Mask on the way in.”
My goodness that’s a wonderful idea! I hope somebody does it!
@ Zaphod – Romanov’s Last Ball
Outstanding photos! Thanks for the link.
Obama’s guests didn’t look that good.
Not quite so elite either, despite their high opinion of themselves.
https://nypost.com/2021/08/08/dj-posts-pics-of-obamas-birthday-party-before-being-forced-to-delete-them/
There is one fuzzy snapshot of the Master of the Ball in action.
https://redstate.com/setonmotley/2021/08/09/partier-in-chief-barack-obama-is-the-poster-child-for-dc-crony-corruption-n423424?utm_source=piano&utm_medium=onsite&utm_campaign=719
He only meant “at some point YOU’VE made enough money” – not him.
You can play a lot of party games with that kind of bank account.
https://babylonbee.com/news/obama-birthday-party-guests-play-light-hearted-game-of-pin-the-drone-on-the-middle-eastern-country
A few more pictures and some thoughts. Well, lots of written words, but there were thoughts first.
https://notthebee.com/article/watch-obamas-guests-dance-maskless-at-his-fancy-b-day-party-and-let-allie-stuckey-explain-why-our-elites-really-dont-care-about-you
Didn’t Hunter Biden have some salacious stories associated with his laptop that involved one of Obama’s daughters? It might explain the missing invites for Joe and Dr Jill if it were true.
As for the guest list, it is pretty tragic if your 600 friends include John Kerry, Oprah Winfrey and the likes. More of a curse really.
@AesopFan:
It definitely wasn’t their last Ball… It seems to have been their last OTT all stops out no-expenses spared bang up Ball at the Winter Palace.
By this time they were mostly living at Tsarskoye Selo due to the assassination risk.
And then came the Russo-Japanese War and the 1905 Revolution.
Turns out there was another Ball in 1913 at the Winter Palace — I believe this is the one portrayed in the final scene of Russian Ark.
http://www.thepassionofmarieromanov.com/blog/romanov-balls-imperial-ball
Pretty sure read recently while researching a bit about the Russian Ark film that the last ball at the Winter Palace was in 1913. Oh… and turns out that’s exactly what link above says now that I’ve gone and read it to the end.
Because of course he would have, if he’d only thought of it in time.
https://babylonbee.com/news/obamas-massive-birthday-party-concludes-with-fireworks-reading-stay-home-stay-safe
But I like this one too.
https://babylonbee.com/news/obama-party-ruined-as-mansion-sinks-into-sea-thanks-to-climate-change
h/t Daniel Schwartz – Glenn Reynolds said it best. I’ll believe it’s a crisis when those who keep telling me it’s a crisis start acting like it’s a crisis.