FLOTUS Michelle Obama sat down with Matt Lauer

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First Lady Michelle Obama sat down with Matt Lauer of the Today Show to discuss her husband, her family, and her role as the First Lady.  The take away message of the interview is the Obamas are regular people and the Michelle you have seen over the past few years is the real Michelle.

We hope you had Mele Kalikimaka just like the Obamas

The United States' first family, the Obamas, spent the Christmas Holidays in Oahu celebrating quietly with their extended family.  President and Mrs. Obama did not exchange gifts this year, according to White House spokesmen.  Instead, they focused the holiday on giving to the children and service to the community.  Mrs. Obama, along with her daughters Malia and Sasha, and the First Dog, Bo, delivered cookies to the Children's National Medical Center earlier this week.  The Obamas celebrated the holidays with the President's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and her family and will extend their Hawaiian trip into January.

There is nothing else like Christmas in Hawaii.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit Oahu at the holidays, jump on it.

Will Smith's daughter got Rihanna's haircut

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's daughter Willow sported a Rihanna-inspired haircut Friday at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Norway. 9-year-old Willow appeared at the concert to introduce Chines pianist Lang Lang in Mandarin. If you are wondering what the Smith's were doing at the concert, you are not alone. I am supposing the trip was their reward for being such staunch supporters of the Obamas during last year's campaign. Now, Willow and her brother Jaden have appeared in a handful of movies, usually with their father Will, but sometimes alone. What do you all think: is it wrong for them to put their children out there like that?

The Obamas held their first State Dinner last night

President and Mrs. Obama held their first State Dinner last night at the White House. The Obamas hosted the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, and his wife Mrs. Gursharan Kaur and entertained them with music sung by Oscar Award Winner Jennifer Hudson.

Mrs. Obama received many accolades for her strapless, elegant gown by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan. The floor-length gown boasted a muted gold tone and a fitted bodice. Mrs. Obama accented the classic dress with dramatic chandelier earrings, gold and diamond bangles, and a coordinating shawl.

Looking glamorous in an elegant strapless gown by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan, Michelle Obama welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Mrs. Gursharan Kaur to the White House Tuesday night and ushered in the Obama administration's first official state dinner.

This is getting to be a bit much

I'm calling double fault on Serena Williams for her nude photo shoot for Glamour magazine. (I hope I don't get a beat down for this.) She is being honored as Woman of the Year along with First Lady Michelle Obama, poet and author Maya Angelou, and Rihanna (<--how did that happen?). I vehemently defended Serena for her ESPN Magazine nude photo shoot. I thought it was very appropriate for their body issue and she was not the only nude in the issue, however I see absolutely no good reason for her to be nude in the Woman of the Year Issue. It lacks taste to be ass out next to the FLOTUS and a Pulitzer Prize nominee. She needs to take that to King Smooth Magazine. Before I catch any flack for that Rihanna quip a few lines up, think about it. Mrs. Obama is an international role model who has championed many causes in the past year in the White House. Maya Angelou has more literary awards than I can remember as well as a number of Grammys. Rihanna, while I enjoy some of her songs, has done little more this year than look fetching.

First Lady Michelle Obama graced the cover of Glamour Magazine

FABULOUS!

Iron Chef America invited to White House

The Food Network announced Wednesday that an episode of "Iron Chef America" will be taped at the White House featuring Mario Batali, Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse.

The three chefs, joined by White House chef Cristeta Comerford, will be welcomed by the first lady and allowed to use anything found in the garden to help create their meals.

Tune in for the secret ingredient: pig feets

The Orange and Black House

President and Mrs. Obama hosted a halloween party at the White House on Saturday. Michelle dressed as the cat woman (who did it better? Mrs. O or Halle Berry?) and Barack dressed as the scariest man in the world: the president who will keep the Republicans in the minority until at least 2016.

The Obamas celebrated their anniversary

Photo credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

The Obamas celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary last night by having an intimate dinner at the Blue Duck Tavern in Georgetown. The President wore a well-tailored dark suit with no tie while Mrs. Obama wore a backless, knee-length black dress and low heels. This was their first anniversary since moving into the White House as the first couple.

Can a President trump a King?

Those criticizing President Obama for taking time out to fly to Copenhagen to pitch for hosting the 2016 Olympic games in Chicago fail to mention Japan is sending its newly-elected Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Brazil is sending its president Lula da Silva, and Spain is sending, not its Prime Minister, but its KING, King Juan Carlos. (Juan Carlos is just as handsome in person as he is in pictures, by the way.) Can a President trump a King?

The "A" Team is going Denmark to vie for the Olympics

President and Mrs. Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and a host of other prominent Chicagoans are going to Copenhagen, Denmark this week to make a pitch to host the 2016 Olympics in Chicago, Illinois. They will compete against Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and Madrid for the prestigious honor. Obama's trip marks the first time a sitting U.S. president has lobbied for the Olympics in person; leaders from the other three top contenders also plan to attend.

President Obama's trip has drawn sharp criticism from the right even though he plans to spend less than four hours on the ground in Denmark before returning home. "I think at a time of war, I think at a time of recession, at a time where Americans have expressed rather significantly their concerns and frustrations over the course of the spring and summer ... this trip, while nice, is not necessary for the president," Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday. Similarly, a small group of dissenters have organized anti-Olympic protests in Obama's home city of Chicago and one has gone so far as to set up an anti-Olympic website that lobbies for Rio to win the hosting.

Personally, I think people will go to every length to oppose any and everything the President does. Hosting the Olympics is a great international honor and would go a long way towards revitializing the local and national economy. The Olympics always brings hundreds of millions of dollars to the host city in the form of tourism, new construction, law enforcement funding, infrastructure improvements, and increased government accountability to citizenry. Chicago will no doubt be vastly improved in anticipation of the international spotlight. There is no down side here.

The Obamas welcome world leaders

President and Mrs. Obama welcomed other heads of state at the World Leaders Reception in New York City as part of the United Nations Summit. They are pictured here with President Paul Biya and First Lady Tina Knowles Chantal Biya of Cameroon.

First Lady Michelle Obama made the list

First Lady Michelle Obama made People Magazine's 10 Best Dressed Women of the Year list. She was named "Best Accessible Glamour." And I thought the words "accessible" and Kim K. went hand in hand.

Mrs. Obama will also appear in the October issue of Women's Health magazine (Pres. Obama will be in the Oct. Men's Health), to discuss fitness and nutrition. She will also reveal the exercises she uses to keep away the flab and keep her arms fab.

The White House is still a family home

Peep Sasha Obama sneaking up on daddy in the Oval Office. Sometimes it is easy to forget the White House is still a family home and Pres. Obama is a father first. I respect that. The Obamas are just so real. I have lost track of the number of times I have seen those girls just out in regular clothes with fuzzy hair just as happy as can be. Sasha is such a cutie!

Don'tcha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me?

The American media seems completely obsessed with First Lady Michelle Obama's body. If they aren't dissecting her outfits and accessories, they are debating her hair and upper arms. Now those who regularly stir the pot have attempted to manufacture a scandal out of her legs. The latest brouhaha concerns Mrs. Obama's decision to wear walking shorts on a family vacation to Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Critics assert shorts do not convey the decorum required by Air Force One. Others defend Mrs. Obama saying #1 they were on vacation #2 it was HOT and #3 she has great legs so why not show them off? The latter really delves into the real reason behind all this outrage that has reduced the first lady into a quarter chicken box of breasts and thighs from KFC. Most of the people making a stink wish they could look as fabulous and carefree as she does on her public outings.

The Obama Family Visited Paris

Talk about your ultimate date night! The Obama's visited Paris this weekend. Large cheering crowds greeting the President, the first lady, the first mother-in-law, and the president's daughters everywhere they went. The Obamas visited the Louve, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Pompidou Centre.

Michelle Obama Gave A Commencement Speech

First Lady, Michelle Obama, gave the commencement address Wednesday at Washington Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter School.

Jay Mohr Insults the First Lady

"Comedian" Jay Mohr insulted the First Lady Michelle Obama a few days ago. That "comedian" part is debatable. He never was funny. Skip to 1:54 if you're impatient.

"Michelle Obama—that is a big dude. When Barack plays pick up games at the White House, you know he picks Michelle as his forward, maybe his (center) depending on who’s in Congress that day.”
“That has to be like being married to Elton Brand. She is a big dude.”

Michelle O. and Oprah at Time's Most Influential People Gala

First Lady Michelle Obama and media mogul Oprah Winfrey shared a moment at Times 100 Most Influential People Gala. Oprah is the only person to have appeared on the list every year since its inception. Time will tell if Michelle maintains her influence. She has a very classic Jackie O. look about her with the eyebrows and jawline, doesn't she? What do you think about Oprah's influence in America, good or bad?