Looking Back on 2013 (and Ahead to 2014!)
This past year was a good one for 
potus_geeks and for me personally as one of the geekiest. Here's a recap of some of the things that this community was up to in 2013.
January: With the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, January's journal entries focused on inaugurations past. We also recognized that this was the year of the Richard Nixon Centennial and noted the passing of long time White House correspondent Helen Thomas.
Books read and reviewed in January: Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy and the Feud that Defined a Decade by Jeff Shesol (reviewed here.)
February: In February, this community took a look at the First Ladies. It was fascinating. Who knew that each of these women were so accomplished in their own right and not merely adornments for their famous husbands. The movie Lincoln was nominated for 12 Academy Awards including Best Picture. (It won for Best Production Design and Best Actor, for Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of Abraham Lincoln.)
Books read and reviewed in February: Franklin Pierce - Martyr for the Union by Peter Wallner (reviewed here.)
March: One month wasn't enough to look at all of the First Ladies, so in March we continued our look at these amazing women, including some who never lived to see their spouse in the White House. For much of the month other historic events were remembered and quotes from presidential biographies were excerpted on those topics.
direcorrector reported to this community about her experience of attending a Sunday school class taught by Jimmy Carter (here is her account of that day) and this community marked its third birthday on March 26th.
Books read and reviewed in March: Coolidge by Amity Schlaes (reviewed here.)
April: In April,potus_geeks went to the movies, looking at a number of motion pictures and made for television films about Presidents from Washington to Bush 43. President Obama spoke out about the tragic Boston Marathon bombings. April also marked the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, Texas, and we looked at what was shaping up to be an excellent year for new books about presidents. We also looked at the fight to keep the James K. Polk birthplace open and off the list of federal government cuts and at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.
Books read and reviewed in April: Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage by Jeffrey Frank (reviewed here.)
May: In May we looked at the "also-rans", those who ran for president but never managed to grab the brass ring, everyone from Aaron Burr to Mitt Romney. It was an interesting project about so many who could have made excellent Presidents. We also remembered Memorial Day.
Books read and reviewed in May: The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr by Ken Gormley (reviewed here.)
June: In June, members of this community were asked to weigh in with their journal posts. Thanks toseaivy, sparklediamant, sdu754, bbovenguy, commander30, polkweed and oxymoron67 for answering the call of duty. It was also a month in which we looked at some photographs drawn from presidential antiquity and in honor of Queen Elizabeth's 60th anniversary on the throne, we looked at past Royal visits with Presidents. We also remembered the anniversary of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and even had a surprise quiz (which can be found here.)
Books read and reviewed in June: Impeached: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Fight For Lincoln's Legacy by David O. Steward (reviewed here) and The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies by Jonathan Alter (reviewed here).
July: July's theme was Presidential Places. As many planned summer holidays, we suggested interesting tourist destinations forpotus_geeks, everything from Mount Vernon to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and even the memorial to Warren Harding at Stanley Park in Vancouver (which I had to trespass to see). We also marked Canada Day with a look at the relationship between Presidents and Prime Ministers. The 4th of July was also remembered because of its own significance, but also because it was a day on which one president was born and three passed away.
Books read and reviewed in July: The Forgotten Conservative - Rediscovering Grover Cleveland by John Pafford (reviewed here) and The Forgotten Presidents: Their Untold Constitutional Legacy by Michael J. Gerhardt (reviewed here).
August: August didn't really have a theme, but it was a month in which I was able to visit two new Presidential places. While on a visit to Cincinnati to watch the Reds, I visited the William Howard Taft National Historic Site and the William Henry Harrison Monument where the president with the shortest time in office is laid to rest. It was also a month in which President George W. Bush had a heart procedure and the 50th anniversary of the march on Washington was remembered.
Books read and reviewed in August: The Presidents and Prime Ministers: Washington and Ottawa Face to Face, the Myth of Bilateral Bliss 1867-1982 by Lawrence Martin (reviewed here); Benjamin Harrison by Elisabeth Myers (reviwed here), and Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America by Dan Balz (reviewed here.)
September: September was Veeps month atpotus_geeks, a month in which we looked at the men who were a heartbeat away from the presidency. Some were amazing, some were characters and flakes, but all were interesting and multi-dimensional. We also marked the 12th anniversary of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, and profiled an upcoming Kickstarter project entitled The Last Campaign: The Politics of Presidential Libraries by Anthony Clark.
Books read and reviewed in September: Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest by K. Jack Bauer (reviewed here.)
October: October was full of birthdays and I also showcased some of the old books I found at a used bookstore on the big island of Hawaii. The failure of the health care website was in the news, and I did a series on the history of healthcare reform from Franklin Pierce to Barack Obama. It was also the month of the government shutdown, something that frustrated my planned visit to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum when I was in southern California that month. At the end of the month, I began a series of posts retracing the last month in the life of President John F. Kennedy. I also looked at the history of Presidents and their canine companions here.
Books read and reviewed in October: Wilson, by A. Scott Berg (reviewed here.)
November: November continued our series on the last days in the life of John F. Kennedy, leading up to the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's assassination. Daily excerpts from Thurston Clarke's book on Kennedy's last 100 days were used to remember this daily happenings in John F. Kennedy's final month in office. We also looked at the Presidents and Thanksgiving.
Books read and reviewed in November: JFK's Last Hundred Days: The Transformation of a Man and the Emergence of a Great President by Thurston Clarke (reviewed here.)
December: In December we looked at Christmas in the White House, past and present. A number of entries remembered George Washington and some his Christmases. We also marked the passing of Nelson Mandela with a remembrance of his relationships with several presidents, we remembered Pearl Harbor Day, we reviewed the best books forpotus_geeks in 2013 (it was a very good year in that department) and we asked you to give President Obama his report card for 2013. December capped off a very good year for this community.
Books read and reviewed in December: Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House by Peter Baker (reviewed here.)
Looking Ahead to 2014: I'm not sure what 2014 will bring or what themes will find themselves in this community. 2014 will be a year of midterm elections, which should make for some interesting politics. I'm sure that in 2014, some of the front-runners for President in 2016 will start to jockey for position. We should be hearing from Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Chris Christie and Jeb Bush. Could 2014 be a preview of another Bush vs. Clinton election? Stay tuned. I'm in the middle of Doris Kearns Goodwin's latest book The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism and will be sure to review it when I'm finished. (It's a long slow read for me, but very interesting!) I've also ordered the next two sets in the series of Presidents Pez Dispensers and I'll certainly post about it when they arrive.
I don't mean to monopolize this community. Posts by other members are always welcome and encouraged. Also, please feel welcome to suggest themes or to write about your most favorite or least favorite president or anything at all that might be of interest topotus_geeks. If you don't already, please follow us on Twitter @potus_geeks .
I hope 2014 is a wonderful year for all of you, full of joy, happiness and a year when you give in to your inner geek!
Happy New Year everyone frompotus_geeks!
potus_geeks and for me personally as one of the geekiest. Here's a recap of some of the things that this community was up to in 2013.January: With the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, January's journal entries focused on inaugurations past. We also recognized that this was the year of the Richard Nixon Centennial and noted the passing of long time White House correspondent Helen Thomas.
Books read and reviewed in January: Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy and the Feud that Defined a Decade by Jeff Shesol (reviewed here.)
February: In February, this community took a look at the First Ladies. It was fascinating. Who knew that each of these women were so accomplished in their own right and not merely adornments for their famous husbands. The movie Lincoln was nominated for 12 Academy Awards including Best Picture. (It won for Best Production Design and Best Actor, for Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of Abraham Lincoln.)
Books read and reviewed in February: Franklin Pierce - Martyr for the Union by Peter Wallner (reviewed here.)
March: One month wasn't enough to look at all of the First Ladies, so in March we continued our look at these amazing women, including some who never lived to see their spouse in the White House. For much of the month other historic events were remembered and quotes from presidential biographies were excerpted on those topics.
direcorrector reported to this community about her experience of attending a Sunday school class taught by Jimmy Carter (here is her account of that day) and this community marked its third birthday on March 26th. Books read and reviewed in March: Coolidge by Amity Schlaes (reviewed here.)
April: In April,
potus_geeks went to the movies, looking at a number of motion pictures and made for television films about Presidents from Washington to Bush 43. President Obama spoke out about the tragic Boston Marathon bombings. April also marked the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, Texas, and we looked at what was shaping up to be an excellent year for new books about presidents. We also looked at the fight to keep the James K. Polk birthplace open and off the list of federal government cuts and at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner.Books read and reviewed in April: Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage by Jeffrey Frank (reviewed here.)
May: In May we looked at the "also-rans", those who ran for president but never managed to grab the brass ring, everyone from Aaron Burr to Mitt Romney. It was an interesting project about so many who could have made excellent Presidents. We also remembered Memorial Day.
Books read and reviewed in May: The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr by Ken Gormley (reviewed here.)
June: In June, members of this community were asked to weigh in with their journal posts. Thanks to
seaivy, sparklediamant, sdu754, bbovenguy, commander30, polkweed and oxymoron67 for answering the call of duty. It was also a month in which we looked at some photographs drawn from presidential antiquity and in honor of Queen Elizabeth's 60th anniversary on the throne, we looked at past Royal visits with Presidents. We also remembered the anniversary of the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and even had a surprise quiz (which can be found here.)Books read and reviewed in June: Impeached: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Fight For Lincoln's Legacy by David O. Steward (reviewed here) and The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies by Jonathan Alter (reviewed here).
July: July's theme was Presidential Places. As many planned summer holidays, we suggested interesting tourist destinations for
potus_geeks, everything from Mount Vernon to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and even the memorial to Warren Harding at Stanley Park in Vancouver (which I had to trespass to see). We also marked Canada Day with a look at the relationship between Presidents and Prime Ministers. The 4th of July was also remembered because of its own significance, but also because it was a day on which one president was born and three passed away.Books read and reviewed in July: The Forgotten Conservative - Rediscovering Grover Cleveland by John Pafford (reviewed here) and The Forgotten Presidents: Their Untold Constitutional Legacy by Michael J. Gerhardt (reviewed here).
August: August didn't really have a theme, but it was a month in which I was able to visit two new Presidential places. While on a visit to Cincinnati to watch the Reds, I visited the William Howard Taft National Historic Site and the William Henry Harrison Monument where the president with the shortest time in office is laid to rest. It was also a month in which President George W. Bush had a heart procedure and the 50th anniversary of the march on Washington was remembered.
Books read and reviewed in August: The Presidents and Prime Ministers: Washington and Ottawa Face to Face, the Myth of Bilateral Bliss 1867-1982 by Lawrence Martin (reviewed here); Benjamin Harrison by Elisabeth Myers (reviwed here), and Collision 2012: Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America by Dan Balz (reviewed here.)
September: September was Veeps month at
potus_geeks, a month in which we looked at the men who were a heartbeat away from the presidency. Some were amazing, some were characters and flakes, but all were interesting and multi-dimensional. We also marked the 12th anniversary of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, and profiled an upcoming Kickstarter project entitled The Last Campaign: The Politics of Presidential Libraries by Anthony Clark.Books read and reviewed in September: Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest by K. Jack Bauer (reviewed here.)
October: October was full of birthdays and I also showcased some of the old books I found at a used bookstore on the big island of Hawaii. The failure of the health care website was in the news, and I did a series on the history of healthcare reform from Franklin Pierce to Barack Obama. It was also the month of the government shutdown, something that frustrated my planned visit to the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum when I was in southern California that month. At the end of the month, I began a series of posts retracing the last month in the life of President John F. Kennedy. I also looked at the history of Presidents and their canine companions here.
Books read and reviewed in October: Wilson, by A. Scott Berg (reviewed here.)
November: November continued our series on the last days in the life of John F. Kennedy, leading up to the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's assassination. Daily excerpts from Thurston Clarke's book on Kennedy's last 100 days were used to remember this daily happenings in John F. Kennedy's final month in office. We also looked at the Presidents and Thanksgiving.
Books read and reviewed in November: JFK's Last Hundred Days: The Transformation of a Man and the Emergence of a Great President by Thurston Clarke (reviewed here.)
December: In December we looked at Christmas in the White House, past and present. A number of entries remembered George Washington and some his Christmases. We also marked the passing of Nelson Mandela with a remembrance of his relationships with several presidents, we remembered Pearl Harbor Day, we reviewed the best books for
potus_geeks in 2013 (it was a very good year in that department) and we asked you to give President Obama his report card for 2013. December capped off a very good year for this community.Books read and reviewed in December: Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House by Peter Baker (reviewed here.)
Looking Ahead to 2014: I'm not sure what 2014 will bring or what themes will find themselves in this community. 2014 will be a year of midterm elections, which should make for some interesting politics. I'm sure that in 2014, some of the front-runners for President in 2016 will start to jockey for position. We should be hearing from Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Chris Christie and Jeb Bush. Could 2014 be a preview of another Bush vs. Clinton election? Stay tuned. I'm in the middle of Doris Kearns Goodwin's latest book The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft and the Golden Age of Journalism and will be sure to review it when I'm finished. (It's a long slow read for me, but very interesting!) I've also ordered the next two sets in the series of Presidents Pez Dispensers and I'll certainly post about it when they arrive.
I don't mean to monopolize this community. Posts by other members are always welcome and encouraged. Also, please feel welcome to suggest themes or to write about your most favorite or least favorite president or anything at all that might be of interest to
potus_geeks. If you don't already, please follow us on Twitter @potus_geeks .I hope 2014 is a wonderful year for all of you, full of joy, happiness and a year when you give in to your inner geek!
Happy New Year everyone from
potus_geeks!