Laura Novak
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Dr. Romer on the Truman Balcony

1/14/2012

 
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I was very fortunate to be invited by friends to hear
Dr. Christina Romer speak on the economy and assorted economic topics the other night.

I've met her several times, at church, at the grocery store, and at a school our sons once attended. Mrs. Romer is a delightful woman, always smiling, very friendly and approachable.

The other night at her son's school, she was disarming and charming as usual. And while she addressed heady subjects with a brilliance that only someone with a CV like THIS can do, Dr. Romer did it with great warmth and to lots of laughter. (In fact, when the moderator of the evening introduced her, and outlined Dr. Romer's education and accomplishments, I turned to my friend and said, "I should just smack myself."  What losers most of us in the audience were by comparison!)

At any rate, to my regret, I did not take notes. It was too cramped and I could not even move my arms. But I have a few take aways from the two-hour talk and discussion with one of her colleagues at UC Berkeley. The best is about the vote on heath care reform. At 11 o'clock that night, President Obama invited everyone involved with the legislation back to the White House to celebrate on the Truman Balcony. 

That included even the researchers who worked for Dr. Romer. FLOTUS and the girls were away, and at 1am, POTUS said he was tired and was going to retire for the night. But he invited everyone to stay and even "look around."

Well, of course the Truman Balcony is on the second floor, in the private residence. So many took the President up on his offer, and wandered around, even sitting on the bed in the Lincoln Bedroom. A few might have even bounced up and down on it. Great fun was had by all.

There were more anecdotes that painted a president who was humane, human, very smart and capable of absorbing immense amounts of information. When she brought him unemployment numbers one month that were staggeringly low, he misunderstood her, thinking she said 110,000 instead of 11,000. When he took in Dr. Romer's correction, the president then hugged her four times and gave her one kiss on the cheek.

President Obama is a man interested in facts and analysis, not politicking among his staff or vying for his attention. He wanted the data brought to him and he wanted to hear recommendations and assessment of a situation. Who was right and who was in power did not matter. He then made up his mind based on facts.

Dr. Romer one day asked Rahm Emanuel why she was appointed to head up the Council on Economic Advisors. And he pointed out that she was a leading expert on the great American Depression. They figured they might need her again because were this close to seeing history repeating itself. How close? "Terrifyingly close."

TARP was the right thing to do and the money has been paid back. But the banks are still not lending sufficiently, and bankruptcy laws prevent them from restructuring primary mortgages in bankruptcy filings. She'd like to see that changed.

Administration lawyers are confident that health care reform will stand up to legal challenges. And it is our children who will stand to benefit the most from the specific reforms in the legislation.

I wish I could give you more detail on her comments about the economy. But I don't want to make this post any more vague than it already is. And I had to pass/fail economics in college. Though my professor was incredibly handsome.

I'll leave off with the assessment that Europe is screwed, absolutely screwed, unless they take more direct action and advice. And if they go down, yes, it will affect us.

A final question on Bain Capital was handled with great poise and dexterity. Suffice to say that there are arguments for and against capitalism (my words more or less - hers were far more eloquent.)

All in all, I'll say this: I recall waking our son and watching the inauguration in 2009. And I recall clearly seeing Dr. Romer and her husband, David Romer, enter the balcony at the Capital where they would sit with other cabinet members and distinguished guests. They were both beaming, from ear to ear, and 3,000 miles away I felt what must have been the "shock and awe" of being part of something great. 

Now that Mrs. Romer is home and back at Cal, I still see her beaming. Even if it's in the produce aisle at our local market. Now, go look at her CV and tell me if you want to smack yourself upside the head with me. What a loser. I need to go work on the second novel!

This Close

10/8/2011

 
That's right. Last Sunday I was this close to this man: 
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Yes, that's right again. Quarterback for THEE New England Patriots, Tom Brady. 
Can't quite make out that photo, here, try this one:
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I know. I know. How so? Well, we were the guests of the NE Patriots in their game against the Oakland Raiders. And we were invited on to the field before the game to meet some of the higher ups.

It was blazing hot, which is the only reason I swooned when Tom Brady ran by while warming up:
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God, what a specimen. Just look at that ass. And I say that as someone who adores Eli Manning because he looks so much like my son. (And of course that Drew Brees is simply adorable.)

And yes, I was there rootin' for the home team. Go Raider Nation, and all that! But when Jason Campbell tossed that pig skin into the end zone into the waiting hands of the Pats defense, well, I knew it was time to give up and admit that Tom really is one hell of a human specimen. And that it's really not about the game at all. 
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And the funny thing is that I only realized it was the legend himself who had walked onto the field alone, when a few fans, already in the stands, started booing loudly. Brady took no notice, and instead did what he had to do:
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After about 15 minutes, Brady then walked off quietly, and alone. This time, fans crowded around the lower seats and reached out for him. I saw him pause in the distance to talk with them. 

God, what a specimen. Have I said that already? If so, forgive. 

Well, my final thought on this is that I am very sorry that the Raider Nation booed so long and so loudly when the Patriots took to the field. Guess the joke was on them, though, huh? Even the nuts seated in the "Black Hole" couldn't make enough noise to drown out the plays that gave New England the game.

As for me, I think those thighs will forever be imprinted in my brain. 

How about you? Any brush with greatness lately? Or at all? Let's lighten the mood and share. Or talk sports. Lotsa games goin' on and lots of muscles, excuse me, men, to talk about.

Go for it.

    Laura Novak

    Reporter, Author, Blogger, and Mother...

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