Mick O'Bama

[PeterW]

This has nothing at all to do with cameras, but months ago when I first heard of Barack Obama as a Democratic Senator running for Democratic candidate for the presidency I first mis-heard it as Mick O'Bama. I'd heard of the O'Maras, O'Flynns, O'Learys and plenty of other O'XXXX Irish families and assumed in my innocence (ignorance?) that O'Bama was another Irish name.

Then I learned that Barack Obama was of Kenyan/American descent, and one of his Kenyan ancestors served with the British Army in WW2. So that was my ignorance exposed.

Now, however, I read that geneologists in Dublin claim to have proved Obama's 17th century ancestors were Irish! Maybe my first ignorant mistake wasn't so wide of the mark after all

So want is he? Irish - American - Kenyan or, in the jolly old melting pot of the United States, just American? I prefer just American or, better still, just a person. That makes understanding people a little easier and pushes racism and segregation a little further away.

Sorry for verging on the edges of being political and anti-racist but, fascinating though ancestry and family trees can be, the world's about people not separate races or doctrines. And what is a mixed marriage? In my book it's a mix of male and female people.

peterW

[vintageslrs]

Hi PeterW

That is a funny story ;D.

We strive hard here to keep all politics out of our forum. And it is the correct thing to do.
So, in keeping that spirit.......I just wanted to ask you ......
if our good friends across the pond had heard that in Mr. Obama's genealogy they also found a common link between him and our former VP Dick Chaney? That is true as far as I know.
And perhaps that just proves what you said, Peter, people are just people and maybe we should all just look at it that way.

all the best
Bob

[PeterW]

I'm not surprised, Bob. I long ago learned to take what geneologists, particularly self-syled geneologists, say with a large pinch of salt, and treat it as an assumption until proven from primary sources.

In my, and my cousin's, efforts to trace our family history we have come across so many people who assume things on the flimsiest of evidence.

Neither of us will accept anything that comes from a secondary source. We look for primary sources - marriage and birth certificates, death certificates, census records, parish church records, military records - that sort of thing, not something that someone half remembers what her auntie Doris said to her cousin Amy 40 years ago.

The internet is well-sprinkled with half-truths and downright untruths stemming from people repeating secondary sources on their websites.

As an example related to camera collecting, one big howler is the repeated statement that Kodak designed the disposable daylight loading 35mm film cartridge, or cassette. They didn't. It was patented by Dr. August Nagel in Stuttgart, Germany, several months before Kodak bought his business. Possibly - and I say POSSIBLY - he designed and patented it with the idea in his mind of a future 35mm camera - the Retina?

I'm probably just an old cynic, but I'm coming to regard the internet as an international highway of misinformation.

peterW

[vintageslrs]

PeterW ......"but I'm coming to regard the internet as an international highway of misinformation. "

Are you being polite and did you really wish to say "international highway of bullsh*t."?

;D
Bob

[olroy2044]

Well said , indeed, Peter. This is not the correct forum to express an opinion about his policies, but I have to say that I am extremely proud of the fact that my country has been able to put years of predjudice and hate aside, and elect a man of color to the Presidency of the United States. Roy

[Randy]

Peter....me and Freda are laughing so hard we have tears in our eyes. LOLOLOL!!!!!
In the morning I'll have my usual Raisin Bran Cereal and "English Muffin", listen to U2, and I'll be thinking about our new President Mick O'Bama.

[nikonbob]

Well, they say everyone is Irish on St. Paddys Day.

Bob

[PeterW]

Bob,

Are you being polite and did you really wish to say "international highway of bullsh*t."?

Yes!

peterW

[casualcollector]

As the presidential primary races came to a close it was apparent to me that whoever won, McCain or O'Bama, our next President would be Irish!

[renaldo]

Irish, Canirish, Fanirish...! I could care less what religious beliefs a person has or what nationality they are! IT IS THE PERSON...period!!!!

All these years since the first human being on earth, and the closeting of race, etc. has made hardly any progress IMHO. And I speak first hand as physically challenged and mixed race couple.

And photographers are just that the world over...photographers!!!!! With the exceptance of 1 negative incident to me via messaging over the years I have not overtly noticed any racial ignorances exhibited from members here. And even had correspondence from one member who also is in a mixed race relationship. I am sure some members have discrimination as they are only human, but have the intelligence and courtesy to keep such to themself!

We are 'brothers and sisters' in the realm of our hobby, avocation or vocation...photography!!!!!!!

[vintageslrs]

renaldo wrote:
"We are 'brothers and sisters' in the realm of our hobby, avocation or vocation...photography!!!!!!!"

Amen Renaldo!
That is why this is such a nice place to spend time!


Bob

[herron]

Jan 25, 2009 20:48:43 GMT -5 vintageslrs said:

renaldo wrote:
"We are 'brothers and sisters' in the realm of our hobby, avocation or vocation...photography!!!!!!!"

Amen Renaldo!
That is why this is such a nice place to spend time!


Bob

And a double Amen to you, Bob!

[Deleted]

Stephen:

I have never understood people coming here and wanting to be referred to a hyphenated Americans either. Some of my ancestors were German or English or Irish or Swiss but the records indicate as soon as they hit this shore the focused on being "Americans" and were very proud to be called such.

There are some who will still argue this point but although FDR set the New Deal in motion to put people to work on government jobs, the program was pretty much a failure as far as ending the Depression. World War II was what put people to work in real jobs and got the economy rolling again. I read somewhere where the amount our government wants to go into debt to "fix" things is TWO TRILLION DOLLARS. That is more debt that the government has had from the founding of the country until today--including borrowing for World Wars I and II!!

Sara and I are pretty lucky because our house and vehicles are paid off and even of the stock decline lays waste to my retirement investments I should be able to retire next year and not starve. But I look at the mess where in and wonder if our kids and grandkids will ever have as good a quality of life. Of course, I guess every older generation thinks that way.

[PeterW]

Peter and co, surely you're not suggesting that there's a load of ill-informed nonsense on the internet? The next thing we know, someone will post a claim that there are rip-off merchants and crooks on eBay...

Certainly not, Stephen. They are all entrepreneurs ... people who go through revolving doors on other people's pushes.

As a refinement to that, a self-made and very successful Hungarian publisher in the UK described a Hungarian entrepreneur to me as someone who goes into a revolving door behind an Englishman ... and comes out in front of him.

peterW

[olroy2044]

Stephan wrote:

Surely an American citizen is AMERICAN, period, be he white, black, brown or whatever.

Hear, Hear! I doubt that there are very many people who are not of mixed heritage. I am a mixture of Dutch, English, Scottish, Irish, and Apache Indian--how much more of a mongrel could I be? But I am a proud American citizen of the United States! Roy