More Obamamania

Students: Change Boulder High name to Barack Obama High

Excerpt:

A Boulder High student group is pushing to rename the school after a hot new historic figure: Barack Obama.

"We initiate this campaign in order to honor the momentous achievement of his election as an African-American, inspire the community with his ideals of unity and hope, and reflect the progressive spirit that is shared by both Barack Obama and our school environment," the Student Worker Club said in a press release today.

Previous Obamamania: Mount Obama, Barack Obama Day, & Obamamania

Comment: The Student Worker Club should get on the bandwagon and wear brown shirts! A little too much premature adulation!

Mount Obama, Barack Obama Day, & Obamamania

Bush Hatred and Obama Euphoria Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

Excerpt:

... though Bush hatred may weaken as the 43rd president minds his business back home in Texas, and while Obama euphoria may fade as the 44th president is compelled to immerse himself in the daunting ambiguities of power, our universities will continue to educate students to believe that hatred and euphoria reflect political wisdom. Urgent though the problem is, not even the efficient and responsible spending of a $1 trillion stimulus package would begin to address it.

Examples of irrational Obamamania exuberance

New York School Renames Itself For Obama

Excerpt:

A school on Long Island has been renamed Barack Obama Elementary School in honor of his historic rise to the presidency.

The move at the largely black and Hispanic school in Hempstead is among the first in what will likely be a wave of name changes around the world now that Mr. Obama has been elected president, from schools and streets to parks and mountaintops.

The prime minister of the Caribbean nation of Antigua has said he's taking measures to have the island's highest mountain peak renamed Mount Obama. In Portland, Ore., students want to rename Clark K-8 At Binnsmead school. Elsewhere on Long Island, the Clear Stream Avenue School in Valley Stream will consider a renaming resolution in December. And parents already have been naming newborns Barack.

"When I'm older I'm going to look back and say I went to Barack Obama Elementary School," said fifth-grader Teonte Jackson, who played Mr. Obama in a mock presidential debate before the election. "He had the guts to run for president and believe in himself."

Renamed schools, streets mark early tributes to Obama

Excerpts:

• Opa-Locka, Fla., renamed one of its main city streets in December. Hollywood, Fla., is considering doing the same.
  
• St. Louis made an honorary name change to a busy road that used to divide white and black neighborhoods. The postal address is still Delmar Boulevard, but the city will post signs that also designate the street Barack Obama Boulevard.
  
• The Associated Press reports that Antigua is renaming 1,300-foot Boggy Peak, its highest spot, Mount Obama (Click for official announcement).
  
• In Perry County, Ala., where the 1965 killing of a black man by a white state trooper in Marion led to the Selma-to-Montgomery marches, commissioners paid tribute to the president by designating the second Monday in November a legal holiday: Barack Obama Day.
  

Obama signs temporarily replace Bush signs

Excerpt:

When Barack Obama was sworn in Tuesday morning as the nation’s first black president, his vision of change for the country was culminated in dramatic fashion.

That message rang particularly clear in San Francisco in more ways than one, starting with a literal change on The City’s streets made by a vandal.

Signs marking Bush Street, which happens to be the surname of the country’s former president, was temporarily marked over with the last name of the president that would soon succeed him, Obama.

The freshly minted Obama signs, which covered both sides of the structures featured the same font and print as the pre-existing Bush Street signs.

Cars passing through the intersection didn’t seem to have any problem navigating through the altered signage, and a few curious passers-by elected to snap up photos of the new moniker.

“I think it’s great,” said Oakland resident Laura Page. “I just think it’s in the spirit of the day. There is a lot of excitement and I think people are looking forward to a new era.”

Despite Page’s enthusiasm for the impromptu changes, city officials were called on to rectify the new street signs.

Comment: A wrong emphasis on man!

Obamamania "Viviane"

Carnival queen will have Obama painted on her body

Excerpt:

The Carnival beauty famed for proving it's possible to get too naked for Brazil's samba parades is looking for the spotlight again—by painting her body with an image of President Barack Obama.

Viviane Castro last year made headlines by appearing as a samba school drum queen while wearing nothing but a tape 3 centimeters (1.6 inches) wide—managing to violate a little-enforced nudity rule and drawing a penalty for her group.

Castro, 26, said she will wear slightly more on Friday—but will still have plenty of room to have Obama's image placed somewhere on her body for all to see.

The exact location won't be revealed until Sao Paulo samba school X-9 Paulistana parades Friday night, said spokeswoman Ana Neiva.

"This year I will come back with minimal clothing again but honoring the great political figure Barack Obama," Castro told the G1 Web site in comments confirmed by Neiva. "Everyone, in a certain way, is looking at him to create a good government and take the world out of the crisis."

Comment: Unfortunately ... no photo! Full Obamamania here.

Obamamania "angel" float!

Yahoo news: Obama float

Excerpt:

A carnival float depicting a flying U.S. President Obama with Europe being dragged along is seen during the traditional carnival parade in Duesseldorf, Germany, on Monday, Feb. 23, 2009. Rose-Monday-Parades in the carnival strongholds of Duesseldorf, Mainz and Cologne are watched by hundreds of thousands of revelers and mark the highlights of Germany's carnival season.

Comment: GAG! Obamamania archive!

Updated w video:

Obamamania license plates

Illinois to offer temporary Barack Obama license plates

Excerpt:

The cult of personality (and associated merchandising onslaught) surrounding the 44th President of the United States now extends to Illinois residents' automobiles. For a mere $50, motorists can acquire special-edition temporary license plates that further pledge their allegiance to President Barack Obama (beyond the usual assortment of Hope/Change/Etc. bumper stickers).

Comment: My collection of Obamamania. Someday they may have his face on 100 Billion Dollar bills.

Archbishop critiques President Obama

Denver archbishop warns against ‘spirit of adulation’ surrounding Obama

Excerpts:

Archbishop Charles Chaput [spoke] about how Catholics should live out their faith in the public square. He warned that in the U.S., Catholics need to act on their faith and be on guard against "a spirit of adulation bordering on servility" that exists towards the Obama administration.

...

The Denver prelate then provided his critique of President Obama.

"President Obama is a man of intelligence and some remarkable gifts. He has a great ability to inspire, as we saw from his very popular visit to Canada just this past week. But whatever his strengths, there’s no way to reinvent his record on abortion and related issues with rosy marketing about unity, hope and change. Of course, that can change. Some things really do change when a person reaches the White House. Power ennobles some men. It diminishes others. Bad policy ideas can be improved. Good policy ideas can find a way to flourish. But as Catholics, we at least need to be honest with ourselves and each other about the political facts we start with."

Comment: I think the Archbishop is dead on right! A reaction to Obamamania.

Chicken McObama?

Tender, Juicy Obama Fingers Hit the Shelves

Excerpt:

A German frozen food company hopes to raise sales with a new product: Obama fingers. The tender, fried chicken bits come with a tasty curry sauce. The company says it was unaware of the possible racist overtones of the product.

Selling products has, of course, become a bit more difficult than usual these days. No wonder then that companies everywhere are turning to optimistic marketing messages in an effort to counteract the steady drum beat of negativity coming from front page headlines around the globe.

Many sales executives have drawn the same conclusion: What better poster child for hope than US President Barack Obama? There are Obama dolls, Obama T-shirts, Obama soap-on-a-rope. There is even Obama thong underwear on offer.

Not wanting to miss the boat, a German food company has now gotten into the act. Sprehe, a company that has all manner of frozen delicacies on offer, has come up with a new product it calls "Obama Fingers." Far from being real digits, though, the "fingers" in question are "tender, juicy pieces of chicken breast, coated and fried," as the product packaging claims.

Comment: Obamamania archive.

Obamamania Messiah

100 days in office, coronated Messiah - Arms outstretched, he wears crown of thorns on his brow

Excerpt:

On his 100th day in office, President Obama will be "crowned" in messianic imagery at New York City's Union Square.

Artist Michael D'Antuono's painting "The Truth" – featuring Obama with his arms outstretched and wearing a crown of thorns upon his head – will be unveiled on April 29 at the Square's South Plaza.

According to a statement released about the portrait, "The 30" x 54" acrylic painting on canvas depicts President Obama appearing much like Jesus Christ on the Cross: atop his head, a crown of thorns; behind him, the dark veil being lifted (or lowered) on the Presidential Seal. But is he revealing or concealing, and is he being crucified or glorified?"

Even the title of the piece, "The Truth," suggests a play on biblical themes, as Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Event Canceled: 'The Truth': D'Antuono Cancels Unveiling of Obama Painting Due to Public Outrage

Excerpt:

Painter Michael D'Antuono has cancelled the planned public unveiling of his latest work "The Truth" at NYC's Union Square Park on President Obama's 100th day in office due to overwhelming public outrage. The artist's decision was based in part on thousands of emails and phone calls; online blogs and other public commentary received in the first 48 hours following its release.

The painting which was first made public on Friday depicts President Obama appearing much like Jesus Christ on the Cross; atop his head, a crown of thorns. Behind him, the dark veil being lifted (or lowered) on the Presidential Seal. The photo was the most emailed picture on the web.

The artist insists that the work was intended purely as a political piece. "The religious reference was used metaphorically and not to insult anyone's religious beliefs. If that is the effect that my art has had on anyone, I am truly sorry," says D'Antuono.

Comment: Weird times!