Cutely Romantic: Barack Obama

He may not get the Democratic nomination for president and become the next president because despite all of our greatness and advancement America still has not matured in certain areas, but I have the optimism that if the world stand we might get there. Nevertheless, Barack Obama is the first serious, mainstream, and classy African American candidate we have had in a long, long time. In a post tomorrow I will mention the other long forgotten serious black candidate.

Because presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is using her husband as her own personal attack dog and the mud is really flying now from the direction of the Clinton camp, Barack Obama has told his African American supporters to not get angry and bitter and view the Clintons as racists because this is politics, not something that should be perceived as personal. I agree with him, because Barack Obama knows our people must stop being stifled and stopped by words or even something as hideous and sick as an empty noose. We must start back progressing the way we did in the days of Dr. King. There can be no retreat for us; we must keep our eyes on the prize.

What Barack Obama is doing is symbolic and will open the doors for more progressive blacks in the future if we hold on. I am very proud of him. He is a symbol of hope at a time which often seems bleak, trivial, hopeless, and unRomantic. The other week a news clip showed him speaking in that deep mellow voice of his, and when someone in the audience fell behind him he forgot about himself and what he was saying, but turned around and asked, “Is everybody OK?” What a sweetie and a Romantic and cute to boot and so is his wife Michelle and his kids.
My mother thinks that Hillary has a secret crush on Barack Obama, and all this picking and mudslinging has a Romantic element. We both think Hillary has never fully forgiven Bill for his Don Juan escapades but ambition makes her hold on to him. Now that Bill is not cute anymore, she really has a crush on Obama. Mom jokes that Hillary says she is only using Bill to get what she wants, and once she gets in the White House, Bill can move to Harlem if he wants. I very seriously doubt that she will get in the White House again. Bill knows this, but is playing the game with her being the devoted husband. Once she is defeated and destroyed by the Republicans, Bill knows she will need him and Chelsea more than ever. He might even have to put Hillary in mental health treatment for awhile, but he cares for her and will always be there for her even though she rides a VERY high horse.

The Cardinal: A Bird of Romance

The northern cardinal or redbird is in my opinion one of the Romantics of wildlife. Here is why. Cardinals like a number of other birds mate for life, but watching them is to notice how Romantic their nature truly is.

If you live in the eastern half of the US, you will probably see cardinals in your backyard, if you have a backyard. Put out some sunflower seeds or cracked corn in the winter. They will come to it. Once the cardinals come you may notice sometimes that they will come in pairs. One will be bright red and the other may be a sort of tan color with some red on the crown of it's head and plumage. The bright red is the male, and its' faded counterpart is the female. Sometimes the male gather seeds in his mouth and feeds them to the female. I have actually seen a male feed two females at a time. Sometimes during the feeding a pair will touch beaks briefly as if they are kissing. This is all a part of the courtship ritual which I when I first saw it seemed like a highly Romantic gesture.

The cardinal is thought to have been given its' name because the male's feathers are a brilliant red like the robes and caps of the cardinals of the Catholic church. During the 1800s a popular trade in cardinals as cage birds began. The cardinals were prized for the their beautiful color and song, so they were trapped and sold in the northern US and in Europe. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 halted in the trade in these loveable birds. Today the cardinal is the most popular choice for state birds than any other bird.

During courtship the male and female cardinal will sing a duet. Cardinals build their nests which are round and bowl shaped in thick foliage. The female usually lays from 3 to 5 eggs, and since male cardinals are fiercely territorial they will chase alway any birds who who come near the nest. Male cardinals are so suspicious of other males that if one sees his own reflection, he will try to fight it off for hours! Mated cardinals often travel together. Once baby cardinals are hatched, the father does all the hunting for food while the mother stays with the babies.

At Christmas time in the US, cardinals are often the subject of Christmas artwork. They are seen on greeting cards, plates, and in ornaments like wreaths.

In this era when it is difficult for so many human couples to bond peacefully and joyfully, it is so nice to know there are species of animals like the dainty little cardinal who remain devoted unselfishly to one another for life. Cardinals, a Romantic little creature.