Ann Dunham, Anthropologist - Barack Obama’s Mother
At our Christmas get-together I asked my brother and my sister-in-law: “So, what do you know about Obama’s mother?” – “His father was Black and came from Kenya, and she was white and died of cancer,” was their answer, more or less. “Why do you ask?”
“Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro, was an anthropologist and wrote an 800-page long dissertation. Moreover, she was one of the earliest campaigners for micro-credits for women.” They hadn’t heard any of this before I told them, only again and again the sad story of her fight against American medical insurance providers before her…
The little bear maiden
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Last Sunday, our grandkids returned from their vacation in Maine. They brought back two new dolls: a bear princess and a bear mermaid—or “bear maid”—which I suppose translates to “little bear maiden”.
The day before, in my column on the bikini area, I had rambled on about strange American customs, such as dressing babies in bras. What could be a better fit for that than the little bear maiden with her equally totally unnecessary bra?
Aeryn and Elizabeth love the dolls very much, so I remained as serious as possible in the face of this curious sight and admired them to the best…
Who's making all that noise?
Yesterday and the day before, we were on “granny duty”: Our lively 6-year-old twin grandkids were visiting so their stressed-out parents could get a little break from them.
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Around noon, there was a violent thunderstorm, and while Aeryn continued reading her book on the sofa, completely unfazed, Elizabeth fled to us in the kitchen. She wanted to know if we had a lightning rod. “No, there are so many taller buildings on the street and even taller old trees—they’ll get struck first,” we assured her.
That didn’t reassure her much, so she tried a joke: “I heard that when it rains…
Hillary and the Wise Women of New Hampshire
A little less than a year ago I wrote my first column on Hillary and Barack and the false alternatives “Change” (Barack) vs. “Experience” (Hillary). Hillary most definitely represents both; I am less certain about Obama.
Obama is celebrated—especially among whites—as one whose own family background, as well as his views, can transcend the racial divide: his mother is a Caucasian American, his father an African from Kenya.
But how is Hillary supposed to transcend the gender-divide? She does try, insofar as she mentions it as little as possible, thereby disappointing many women. But in no…
