Inside the pockets of a President:

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[h=1]Inside the pockets of a President: Obama reveals why he carries around an astonishing assortment of trinkets from rosary beads to a metal poker chip[/h]

• President Obama carries an array of keepsakes in his pockets, he revealed
• In a YouTube interview, he showed off some of tiny trinkets he's collected
• They include rosary beads from Pope Francis and a Coptic cross
• He also has a statuette of a Hindu monkey god and a metal poker chip
• Obama said the items remind him of the people who gave them to him
• President uses them during low points as a reminder to 'get back to work'

Rosary beads, a metal poker chip and a statuette of a Hindu monkey god.
They may sound like a random collection of items, but they can all be found in President Barack Obama's pockets.
Obama revealed in his annual YouTube interview that he carries an array of trinkets around with him to remind himself of people he has met during his presidency.



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[superbeets]

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President Barack Obama revealed in his annual YouTube interview that he carries an array of trinkets around with him to remind himself of people he has met

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The first of four items he showed in the 35-minute long interview with three YouTube users was rosary beads given to him by Pope Francis

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Obama showed Ingrid Nilsen a statuette of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman (pictured), which he keeps in his pocket from time to time



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[superbeets]

The President said he keeps a bowl full of them in the White House and likes to take a few around with him.
Speaking to YouTuber Ingrid Nilsen, also known as Missglamorazzi, he said they gave him inspiration if he is ever feeling 'tired or discouraged'.
The first of four items he showed in the 35-minute long interview with three users of the video sharing website was rosary beads given to him by Pope Francis.


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Obama said they meant a lot to him because of his admiration for the Pontiff, but also because it makes him think about 'peace and promoting understanding and ethical behavior'.
He also showed a small statue of the Buddha that he was given by a Buddhist, and a lucky poker chip handed to him by a handlebar mustachioed biker during his first campaign.
'This is a lucky poker chip that's metal that this biker gave me,' he said. 'He was like bald and had a handlebar mustache and a bunch of tats. This is when I was in Iowa in 2007. He said, "this is my lucky poker chip. You can have it."'


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The President occasionally carries a Coptic cross with him that he was given while he was in Ethiopia

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A biker with a handlebar mustache gave the President this metal poker chip as he campaigned in Iowa in 2007



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e also showed Ms Nilsen a statuette of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman and a Coptic cross he was given in Ethiopia.
'The reason I thought it was useful to show these was because I carry them around all the time,' Obama said.
'I'm not that superstitious, it's not like I think necessarily I have to have them on me at all times, but it does remind me of all the other different people I've met along the way and how much they've invested in me.
'If I feel tired or I feel discouraged sometimes then I can reach into my pocket and say "that's something I can overcome because somebody gave me this privilege to work on these issues that affect them. I better get back to work."'
Earlier in the interview, the President faced questions on which Star Wars movie is the best and how dogs should wear pants.
Obama revealed he has not seen the newest Star Wars movie yet, even though a screening was held at the White House last month as it hit theaters.
He told YouTube user sWoozie, whose real name is Adande Thorne ,that he if he had to be a main character in the movie series, he would pick Hans Solo.
'I gotta go with Hans Solo, he's a little bit of a rebel,' he said.
Obama also said that he thought Kendrick Lamar would beat Drake in a rap battle.
'I think Drake is an outstanding entertainer, but Kendrick, his lyrics... his last album was outstanding - best album I think last year,' he said.


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music, Horseshoe Bay, United States, 6 hours ago
A Coptic cross, & it came in real handy when he blamed the Coptic Christian's video for the Benghazi upset.





Nabban, New Orleans, United States, 5 hours ago
Total BS. Where is his prayer rug and Kufi? His actions tell his allegiance.


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Flat stanley, Noneyour, United States, 5 hours ago
Is there a watch in there counting down until he's outta office??


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[mplastered]

Not sure where you were going with this one SB

 

[The Guesser]

POTUS always ready for a game of Poker.

 

[superbeets]

Not sure where you were going with this one SB

Easing into Sunday with a difference

 

[superbeets]

Time machine back to the story PUBLISHED: 20:24, 2 January 2015 | UPDATED: 22:06, 2 January 2015

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[h=1]FIVE MILLION people in 2014 watched a White House YouTube video of President Obama ... just ... walking ... around[/h]

• Bizarre 3-minute clip of the president strolling through Washington and meeting tourists was the White House's most-watched video of 2014
• Dramatic speeches about immigration reform and the ISIS terror army pulled in just one-tenth as many viewers
• 'Putting an end to sexual assault' video featuring Daniel Craig, Benicio Del Toro, Dulé Hill, Seth Meyers and Steve Carell came in a distant second
• 'The Bear Is Loose!' became a slogan in the spring and summer as Obama detoured from his schedule and tried to recapture his campaign magic

The White House's most-watched YouTube video of 2014 wasn't the State of the Union address, Barack Obama's angry denunciation of the ISIS terror army or his ground-shattering declaration of new rights for illegal immigrants.
Those moments pulled in about one-tenth as many viewers as a 3-minute clip showing the president just walking around and meeting tourists in Washington, D.C.
That casual ordinary-guy stunt was viewed more than 5 million times since he took the unannounced stroll on May 21 with White House counselor John Podesta in tow.
'Can't be regular. Can't be routine,' Obama is heard telling him, jacket flung over his shoulder on a warm spring day. 'It's good to be out. The bear is loose!'


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NO AVERAGE STROLL: President Barack Obama walked with White House counselor John Podesta (3rd left) through the Ellipse in Washington on May 21, an event so extraordinary that 5 million people saw it on YouTube

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WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION: These kids and their parents got the shock of their lives when Obama turned up to say hello

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THE BEAR IS LOOSE: For a few weeks' time in the spring of 2014, the president strayed from his schedule to shake hands and stage stunts like beers and billiards with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (right)

Tourists near the White House were shocked.
One told the Associated Press that she though he was a presidential impersonator.
Obama took a handful of unexpected outings in the span of a few weeks, including a Starbucks run and a lunch ad the Shake Shack burger joint.
The president's campaign aides playfully tweaked him in 2008 by muttering 'The bear is loose' whenever he would go off script or take an unscheduled detour to press the flesh.
A Twitter hashtag, fed by West Wing staffers, pushed the message when he downed beers and shot pool with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and shook hands with a fan wearing a horse-head mask.
But by mid-2014 White House insiders tried to leverage the phrase to describe an Obama trying to bend another bear – Russian President Vladimir Putin – to his will.




n July as the Russia-Ukraine border threatened to disintegrate in a full-fledged Putin annexation, the media jabs came fast and furious.
Putin was the bear, pundits declared. And Obama was the cub.
The U.S. president's fundraising tour continued while his Russian counterpart's armies menaced to the west and solidified their control over the Crimea.
White House staffers told DailyMail.com at the time that Obama was 'restless' and 'tired of his bubble.'
Six years into his presidency, it seemed, he had some walking around to do. That included a May 16 stop at a Chipotle restaurant and that jaunt to Shake Shake, where he sat on the lunch counter to take a photo with workers.
Americans seem to relish those moments, reminded of the charismatic Illinois senator who campaigned in 2008 on Hope and Change – long before his approval rating nose-dived amid Obamacare website woes and more serious scandals.
On May 21 he handed out White House-branded M&M's to a seven-year-old girl and her four-year-old brother, who told the leader of the free world that he was actually 'four and three-quarters.'

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ELECTRIC SLIDE: With Vice President Joe Biden (right) looking on, Obama tried a maneuver in May that would get most Shake Shack customers booted from the restaurant

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WHY HELLO, WILBUR! Obama cracked jokes on July 8 with a man wearing a horse-head mask as he detoured from his schedule to shake hands in Denver

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STARBUCKS, ANYONE? On June 9 the president created his own news cycle by walking across Pennsylvania Avenue in the middle of the day for a caffeine fix

That populist moment captured Americans' imagination far more readily than a 'putting an end to sexual assault' video featuring Daniel Craig, Benicio Del Toro, Dulé Hill, Seth Meyers and Steve Carell.
That PSA came in second with just over 1.5 million views, slightly ahead of first lady Michelle Obama's Mother's Day chat about a mass-kidnapping by the Nigerian terror group Boko Haram.
The 2014 State of the Union address and presidential speeches on Internet 'net neutrality,' immigration and ISIS made the top ten for last year.
But added together, they couldn't compete with the audience for a president, with Secret Service a few strides away, just out for a walk.


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[superbeets]

Happy Sunday.

 

[superbeets]

Time machine back to the story PUBLISHED: 06:25, 16 January 2015 | UPDATED: 15:16, 16 January 2015


[h=1]Nicki Minaj parodies, the Cinnamon Challenge... and an interview with the President? Meet the YouTube celebrity granted an interview with Obama as he tries to reach out to her 21 million viewers[/h]

• GloZell Green is one of three YouTube stars granted interview with Obama
• He will sit down with each vlogger after his State Of The Union address
• GloZell's work typically features challenges, such as eating hot peppers
• She also performs musical skits, including a six-part Nicki Minaj parody
• The interview will likely include the question of what he puts on toast

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Her first major hit was The Cinnamon Challenge.
With more than 10 million views, GloZell Green rocketed to YouTube fame by swallowing a ladle-full of ground cinnamon then gagging, retching, spitting and coughing for two and a half minutes.
It is a far cry from her next gig: interviewing President Barack Obama.


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Change of scene: GloZell rocketed to YouTube fame by choking on a ladelful of cinnamon, with 10m views

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News! This is the moment the LA-based vlogged told her 21 million fans that she will interview Obama

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Many expressed surprise at Obama's three planned YouTube interviews after the State of the Union address

After his State Of The Union address on Tuesday, the POTUS has confirmed, he will sit down for interviews with three YouTube stars - including GloZell.
The Los Angeles-based vlogger, who characteristically wears green lipstick, starts each video with 'Hello this is GloZell! Is you ok? Is you? Good, 'cause I wanted to know!'
Most clips, which last around two to seven minutes on average, usually proceed to feature a musical parody or a food-related challenge.
GloZell's 'cereal challenge' sees her fill a bath with milk and cereal before eating the lot.
The 'hot pepper challenge' does what it says on the tin.
And the 'change your eye color with honey challenge' was ultimately unsuccessful.


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The Cereal Challenge: For seven minutes, GloZell sat in a bath of milk and cereal while eating it all

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Musical parodies: This is a still from her six-part music-less rendition of Nicki Minaj's hit song Anaconda

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Hot Pepper Challenge: Millions watched GloZell eat a hot pepper and attempt to overcome the effects on video

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The Onion Challenge: Here she attempts not to blink or cry while holding a freshly-cut onion to her face

A monumentally successful performance was a six-part music-less reenactment of Nicki Minaj's hit song Anaconda.
Each skit, dating back to January 2008 has drawn in millions of viewers.
Preparing for her latest role, GloZell implored her viewers for advice.
'I'm so happy I watched all those episodes of Veep!' she screamed at the camera, as she told fans to put their best questions in the comment section.
On that she is keen to ask is what Obama likes on his toast.


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Change Your Eye Color With Honey Challenge: This venture was ultimately unsuccessful but reined in viewers

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Special edition: Three YouTube stars have been invited to interview the President on their own channels

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Number two: Bethany Mota has already achieved mainstream fame with a stint on Dancing With The Stars

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'Don't forget to be awesome!': Hank Green and his brother also have a huge following online



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A keen Obama supporter, GloZell has been posting supportive videos about the President since he was elected in 2008.
One video was a Marilyn Monroe-esque song titled Happy Inauguration.
Another, told viewers she voted for Obama in support of his healthcare plans.
But while that might be on the agenda, she first wants to know if he's a fan of green lipstick.
The second interviewer will be Bethany Mota, the teenage YouTube star who graced Dancing With The Stars after her 'hauls' (shopping sprees) became a viral sensation.
Finally, the President will sit down with Hank Green - one half of the YouTube duo The Vlog Brothers, who operate under the tag line 'Don't Forget To Be Awesome'.


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