Did you know that my uncle, Stephen, the historian, got a medal from the Clinton's? His was a National Humanities Medal.  My parents got to meet Bill and Hillary in the WH. We were all very excited.

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Please don't hire Nick Ayers to replace John Kelly. I don't care how charming he is. He's just a kid and you don't need more kids running the show in the WH.

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I had fun watching, Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King, on Netflix last night. He was raised in Davis. The show was filmed at the Mondavi Center at UCD. He discusses the challenges he faced as a POC in a place where White privilege is taken for granted. You should take a look.

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What did you think about the demonstration of the Femen at the Arc de Triomphe? Apparently, one topless protester approached your limo with FAKE PEACEMAKERS written across her torso. It sounds like the kind of thing my daughter might do.

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It's too bad that the rain prevented you from going to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery yesterday. Some folks think you should have suffered the 2-hour long drive as a demonstration of the kind of endurance that the WWI soldiers had to have. I understand it's probably quite complicated.

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I am intrigued with your visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetary today. I hope you will seek out the graves of some of the Black soldiers who are buried there. Apparently the 369th Infantry fought in that part of the country and the French called them the "Men of Bronze."

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We've got the weird light that comes when there's a fire somewhere. It gives an orange hue to everything which would be beautiful if it didn't signify destruction. It also means we are breathing particles that will damage our lungs. It has become all too familiar this year so we don't talk about it. I find it ironic that this fire has consumed a town called, Paradise.

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I'm so sorry that you let your demons out at your press conference yesterday. Various news outlets called it, "an ugly display", "a media circus" and "tumultuous." I have counseled you previously that calling people names is for the playground. You can do better and I hope you'll keep trying.

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Actually, I am excited about the new face of the House. We've got Muslim women, Native American women, Black women from states like CT & MA, Latinas from Texas. We have Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes, youngest Representative ever!

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The big day is here. Too bad it's raining on the East Coast. Some folks don't get to the polls when it rains. You are probably happy about that because rain advantages the Republicans who tend to have cars and other means of transport to easily get to the polls.

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The closest I came to raucous yesterday was singing "Magic Penny" with the kids at First Day School while we counted our UNICEF donations. By the way, we were thrilled that we collected over $200, enough to buy two bikes to deliver medicines in rural Africa. Here in Davis, CA, we like bikes so we are psyched!

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Isn't Stacey Abrahms impressive? I know you're going to say she's inexperienced at your rally today but I beg to differ. Stacey is a tax attorney so she's good with laws and $$. She's also a romance novelist so she's got a narrative that appeals to women.

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Where did you spend the night in Indiana last night? Did you go down to MIke Pence's hometown and spend the night in Columbus? My friend, Martha and I visited there a few weeks ago to see the cool modern architecture around town. You should take the time to tour the churches designed by Eliele and Eero Saarinen. Apparently, Cummins Inc. has taken a big hit with the China tariffs so you might not be welcome there.

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You will recall that my great grandpa, Harry M. Trippe, was the Huntington District Commander in the Army Corps of Engineers, responsible for the locks and dams on the Ohio River. You should go take a look at the great work they're doing keeping the Ohio River navigable. Some of the dams need attention. Please make sure they get the $$ they need to fix them.

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In any case, Elaine Lancaster is a brave soul. She hit a rough patch this spring when she had quadruple bypass surgery. Her health insurance didn't cover her bills so she had to beg for money in a Go Fund Me campaign. Have you figured out how to remedy situations like that?

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