On Monday afternoon, there were explosions in Boston’s Copley Square near the finish line at the Boston Marathon. The NBC News affiliate WHDH-TV captured video of one explosion.
|
|
|
Bush Welcomes Grandchild and Prepares to Dedicate Presidential Library
DALLAS - For a former president, it does not get much better than this. Over the weekend, George W. Bush welcomed his first grandchild into the world. And next week he will welcome the arrival of his other baby, a 226,565-square-foot presidential center.
Mr. Bush, who has remained largely removed from the spotlight in the four years since leaving the White House, returned to television screens on Monday in a series of hospital snapshots with his new granddaughter, Mila, who was born to Jenna and Henry Hager on Saturday night. Next week, he will host President Obama and other dignitaries to dedicate the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
The happenstance of timing served to underscore the dominant themes of Mr. Bush’s postpresidential life here in Texas. Once a wartime commander in chief, he is now a doting grandfather as well as an amateur painter. With his eight years in power behind him, he is trying to frame what they added up to and still promoting causes important to him while staying out of what he calls “the swamp†of national politics.
“One of the real challenges of life is that when you complete a chapter, you don’t atrophy, that you continue to find ways to contribute,†Mr. Bush told The Dallas Morning News in an interview published over the weekend.
Even before completing his presidential library, Mr. Bush has been working on issues like encouraging economic growth, promoting democracy abroad and fighting disease in Africa through his public policy institute. He spends a lot of time with war veterans, hosting long “wounded warrior†bicycle rides across Texas.
Along the way, he raised more than $500 million for his presidential center, which will occupy 23 acres on the campus of Southern Methodist University here and will host the institute, library and museum. After an April 25 dedication ceremony, the library and museum will open to the public on May 1.
In the interview, Mr. Bush expressed no regrets and said his record would stand the test of time. While “nobody likes to be criticized all the time,†he dismissed the attacks that continue to this day. “I’m comfortable with what I did,†he said. “I’m comfortable with who I am.†He added, “Much of my presidency was defined by things that you didn’t necessarily want to have happen.â€
The library debut will follow shortly the debut of the next generation of his family. Margaret Laura Hager, named after her two grandmothers and called Mila, arrived at 6 pounds 15 ounces. The “Today†show on NBC, where Jenna Hager works as a correspondent, aired family pictures on Monday morning showing George and Laura Bush with the new baby and her parents.
In one of the pictures, Mr. Bush, in a blue sweater over a light blue shirt, cradles Mila swathed in a baby blanket and wearing a baby cap as Mrs. Bush leans over with her arm around him.
“We are elated,†the former president said in a statement over the weekend.
Tip of the Week: Magnifying Smartly on the Mac
The Preview app included with Mac OS X does more than just open images and PDF files. While the program can zoom in and out of open PDF files (and even display the document in a full-screen view), the Smart Magnify feature in Preview for OS X 10.7 (and later) enlarges a specific area of the document quickly.
To use the Smart Magnify feature, open a PDF file with Preview and press the tilde (~) key on the keyboard. When the magnification window appears, you can slide it up or down by using the keyboard’s arrow keys or by moving the mouse. Tap the tilde key again to close the Smart Magnify window. Apple’s site has instructions for using all of Preview’s many features, including scanning, cropping and rotating images.
Check Out What’s Under the Hoodie
A varsity jacket from HoodieBuddie.Seeking to expand its concept of combining fashion and technology, the apparel maker HoodieBuddie recently announced its fall 2013 collection.
HoodieBuddie, founded in 2010 and based in Los Angeles, is known for making garments that incorporate in-ear headphones, and its new collection, HBSuper, continues that trend with new lightweight hoodies, varsity jackets, flannels, raincoats and other styles.
Each garment includes a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack hidden inside a zippered pocket. The jack is connected through embedded cables to in-ear headphones built discreetly into the garment’s drawstrings. Just plug in any MP3 player or smartphone, and you’re good to go. It certainly saves time searching for headphones. And unlike earbud cables, the drawstrings are mercifully tangle free.
The HoodieBuddie garments, which are available on the company’s Web site and at stores worldwide, have been updated to include a microphone and remote button in the drawstring with controls for playing music or taking a phone call. And the garments are machine washable; just don’t forget to remove your music player from the pocket first.
I tried a $54 forest-green fleece hoodie, which was cozy and soft. The headphones fit comfortably in my ears, although the sound seemed a little muffled. The remote responded well, but I wish it had volume control.
I got a lot of odd looks wearing the jacket around the office with the ends of the drawstrings nestled in my ears. My co-workers seemed puzzled by the concept. But as soon as I stepped outside, younger people were asking me where they could get a HoodieBuddie.
The Early Word: Symbolic
In Today’s Times
- Sixty-eight senators, under pressure by the families of those killed in gun violence, came together last week to vote in favor of debating new gun measures, but that gesture is not translating into many “yes†votes on legislation to extend background checks for gun buyers, Jennifer Steinhauer and Jonathan Weisman report.
- Senator Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican who was once a counterweight to the optimism others expressed about an overhaul to the immigration system, did a one-man media blitz on Sunday to offer an extraordinary endorsement of the legislation that is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday, Ashley Parker writes.
Happenings in Washington
- Football players from the University of Alabama will swing by the White House on Monday as President Obama continues the tradition of recognizing championship sports teams for their work on and off the field. This is the university’s 15th national championship in football.
- Later, Mr. Obama will participate in an ambassador credentialing ceremony in the Oval Office with newly appointed representatives from Argentina, China, Tunisia, Georgia and El Salvador.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)