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Monday: The President will host a meeting at the White House with business leaders to discuss the importance of common-sense immigration reform, including the Congressional Budget Office analysis that concludes that immigration reform would promote economic growth and reduce the deficit.
Tuesday: President Obama will speak at Georgetown University on the growing threat of climate change
Wednesday morning: The President and the First Family will depart for their trip to Africa. The trip will continue through the weekend, and the President and the First Lady will return July 2nd.
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Help keep up the momentum for comprehensive #ImmigrationReform. Add your name today: http://t.co/szxFABU7A9
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 21, 2013
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USA Today: Members of Congress will be in recess in August, but President Obama wants to make sure they hear from his supporters.
A pro-Obama organization said Friday that Obama will address an “Action August” summit designed “to plan for and discuss the action we will be taking during the August congressional recess in order to ensure that the voice of the people is heard and that Members of Congress are held accountable by those they represent.”
Organizing for Action said Obama will speak July 22 at “a working dinner with grass-roots leaders, volunteers, OFA founding members, campaign alumni and OFA staff to thank them for everything they are doing, but also to reaffirm that there is still so much left to do.”
Among the issues that OFA and Obama are pushing: an immigration bill, gun-control legislation and a new budget deal with higher taxes on the wealthy.
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Washington Post: Vice President Joe Biden is not letting the gun-control issue rest. At a speech in Las Vegas Friday at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual meeting, Biden said that “at least five senators” who initially opposed background checks have sought him out for an opportunity to change their votes.
“We’re in an effort to see how we can provide another opportunity for the people who voted no” on universal background checks, which failed in the Senate in April. “That’s the hardest thing for a politician and we need to provide them a rationale. We will get to this eventually.”
More here
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The NSA story has exposed a real divide between the absolutist ideological fantasyland left and the real-world pragmatic left.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) June 22, 2013
Still waiting for someone to document one single actual case of illegal wrongdoing revealed by Snowden and Greenwald. Just one.
— Charles Johnson (@Green_Footballs) June 22, 2013
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Bob Cesca: The NSA absolutely can not intentionally target U.S. citizens without an individual warrant. Even if you’re the most vocal Edward Snowden supporter in the universe, you have no choice but to acknowledge the truth and accuracy of this statement.
How can I say such a thing? On Thursday, Glenn Greenwald wrote it deep within his latest “bombshell” article for the Guardian: “To intentionally target either of those groups requires an individual warrant.” The “groups” Greenwald referred to here are U.S. persons or residents.
And there you go.
This is easily the biggest news to come out of Thursday’s dispatch …. not only does it totally decimate CNet’s journalistic blunder from last weekend …. it it also represents a striking clarification in Greenwald’s reporting, not to mention Snowden’s claims of being able to target any American including the president at his own discretion and without a warrant. The “requires an individual warrant” line isn’t the centerpiece of the article by any stretch. It’s tossed into the mix almost as a throwaway ….
More here
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The worse for Snowden, the better for Greenwald. RT @Green_Footballs Greenwald will come out of this just fine. Snowden, not so much.
— Tom Hilton (@TVHilton) June 22, 2013
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Charles Johnson: Glenn Greenwald’s Latest Self-Debunking Non-Bombshell – Libertarian hyperventilation continues
Here we go again. Glenn Greenwald’s latest overheated, over-long, deliberately confusing piece claims to reveal: The Top Secret Rules That Allow NSA to Use US Data Without a Warrant.
….. keep digging through the turgid prose. Keep digging. Because eventually you get to this:
FAA warrants are issued by the Fisa court for up to 12 months at a time, and authorise the collection of bulk information – some of which can include communications of US citizens, or people inside the US. To intentionally target either of those groups requires an individual warrant.
Wait a minute — did Glenn Greenwald just debunk his own exaggerated claims? Why yes, he did…..
More here
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Right thinks Obama is a tyrant/dictator; some on left want him to be one. I want him to keep on Presidenting. I think he does it pretty well
— john miller (@deaconmill) June 21, 2013
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TPM: Yahoo! News issued a correction Friday evening after a reporter mistakenly referred to Kenya as President Barack Obama’s birthplace.
A piece on Obama’s upcoming trip to Africa by Rachel Rose Hartman included a lede that echoed sentiments heard among the “birther” movement.
“President Barack Obama makes the first extended trip to Africa of his presidency next week — but he won’t be stopping in the country of his birth,” Hartman originally wrote.
More here
Hi there @YahooNews, instead of sneaking in corrections, how about firing your birther’s ass? H/T @rchakras pic.twitter.com/Qh89tWLLa6
— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) June 21, 2013
@rachelrhartman ‘s birther post was a copy error like Deen’s use of N word was slip of tongue. At least Deen not supposed to be a journalist
— john miller (@deaconmill) June 22, 2013
The birther who said Obama was born in Kenya is the one who counted how many times Carney told the lazy WHPC which agency to go ask.
— allanbrauer (@allanbrauer) June 22, 2013
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NYT: Paula Deen, the self-proclaimed queen of Southern cooking and a sugary mainstay of the Food Network, was dropped by the network on Friday, after a bewildering day in which she failed to show up for an interview on the “Today” show and then in two online videos begged her family and audience to forgive her for using racist language.
More here
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ThinkProgress: …. what was striking both about some of the accusations she faced, and her sworn testimony in the deposition, was that Deen seemed more afraid of getting caught out being racist or being accused of having caused offense than of the idea that she might have caused someone else pain…..
Deen’s desperate to be forgiven, which in this context means not facing a boycott or loss of business …. there’s no reason anyone should gratify her until she demonstrates that she’s making real efforts to become a different person and to establish a different environment in her businesses. Paula Deen isn’t entitled to our goodwill just because she wants it…..
More here
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CNN: @jaketapper: “Paula Deen’s PR disaster.” Yeah, that’s the problem. PR.
— Harold Itzkowitz (@HaroldItz) June 21, 2013
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ThinkProgress: Representatives Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Mark Pocan (D-WI) will sponsor a bill to correct the records of gay and lesbian service members who received less-than-honorable discharges purely on the basis of their sexual orientation.
….. some gay and lesbian former service members are blocked from voting, unemployment benefits, participating in the GI Bill and receiving veteran benefits such as health care, VA disability, and ceremonial burial rights at military cemeteries, as a result of their unfavorable discharge status.
More here
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Pres Obama meets w Privacy & Civil Liberties Oversight Board in the Sit Room this afternoon pic.twitter.com/f6AQQTyBJq
— petesouza (@petesouza) June 21, 2013
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HERE WE GO! SUNDAY. Capitol at 4pm, Legislative Conf Room E2.002! WE WILL BE HEARD. #HB60 #HB16 #SB5 #txlege https://t.co/R5ZowFo3T3
— Jessica W. Luther (@scATX) June 22, 2013
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Political Carnival: Great news! Put down your Merriam-Webster, Cambridge, Oxford or Funk & Wagnalls dictionary. Now there’s a new kid on the block. It’s called the Republican Talk Dictionary (RTD). It’s also available in app form for those on the go.
Have you ever watched the news and were left scratching your head by some term or phrase the reporter was using? …. Well, those days are now gone thanks to the RTD. Here are some examples via the new app:
….. Women’s rights – protections for women from their erratic, often dangerous decision making, especially when it comes to personal responsibilities, their opinions and their bodies. Safeguards so women don’t get the opportunity to be decision-makers or complicate or interfere with the superior male mind. A bulwark against those monthly moments when they’re totally insane and impossible to be around. Synonyms: Housewife, the old lady, the bitch, the ball and chain, the other half, golden beer retriever.
More here
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Emotional moment today for FBI Director as Pres Obama thanks him for his years of service pic.twitter.com/y561WsgD4I
— petesouza (@petesouza) June 21, 2013
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When I saw this toon I reckoned it needed just one word change to be perfect:
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Lovely post by Smartypants, ‘Wishes Come True’ see here
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On this day:
June 22, 2012: A young boy salutes President Barack Obama as he greets audience members following his remarks at the NALEO Conference in Orlando, Fla. (Pete Souza)
June 22, 2010: President Obama talks with Vice President Biden in the Red Room of the White House (Pete Souza)
June 22, 2011: First Lady Michelle Obama receives a hug while meeting with Young African Women Leaders Forum members at the Rosa Parks Library in Soweto, South Africa (Samantha Appleton)
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MooooOOOOoooorning – happy weekend!
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PS Thanks a million again to LP for the latest in his excellent ‘Profiles of the Team’ series, see below if you missed it
The Obama Diary 
morning folks!
Chips! How’s every little thing in your world? Mine is great! Big storms a-blowin’ through the Northland but the chickens and the rest of us critters are just fine.
Moooooooorning Alice, mooooooorning everyone!
Moooooooorning Alice, mooooooorning everyone!
loved the R&S. the caveman cartoon – “dragging women by the hair” feels strangely appropriate considering the bill that the GOP passed. What a bunch of troglodytes.
hi
GM ALL!
Good morning again. Past week has been fun and full. Thanks everyone.
JFTR, Chips, if I’m expected to rise and shine so many different times in one morning I’m liable to get tired more quickly or easily.
Too funny VC!
Morning, Layla! Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping in since you aren’t working this weekend? 😉
I did sleep in..felt great! As of midnight tonight I’m on call 24×7 for 7 days..A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!
Nice round up Chiparoo. The tweets on Greenwald and cartoon on Paula Deen are spot on.
Yahoo News? Stay douchey, douchebags.
Thanks for shining a spotlight again on our efforts in Texas. Will update you as we move forward.
Morning UT! Would love to get updates from you on Texas, this is such a critical battle and the people fighting it are just inspirational.
Is it me, or haven’t I already risen and shizen? It must have been so nice, Chips is asking me to do it twice, so here it is again:
” Up and at ‘em all you O’s!!!! It’s another great getting up day down by the old TOD stream. What great profiles, especially of those I wasn’t too familiar with. Talk about having PBO’s back. There couldn’t be a better team in place for anyone. Not to mention his supporters in the trenches. It’s good to see PBO staying the course, busy with all things presidential, nose to the grind, plowing along, just like he said he would. He seems to be the least bit interested in all the MSM manufactured bs. I like that in him.
Now off I go to purchase and install the small detail accessory type stuff to complete the almost 8 month kitchen/bath rehabs. Lawd, to cook on an oven again, to wash dishes in a sink/dishwasher instead of the upstairs tub, and to have a place to eat on a table without the
coffee pot/microwave/toaster/can opener in the way. #lightattheendofthetunnel”
Pres. Obama’s America! Wooooot.
obviously not good enough, and some LGBT “activist” better start picketing malia and sasha’s school until the secretary of defense is a womyn!! obama is selling us out again!!
still lmao @ that boner’s toon.
Toe stepping has become TOD tradition now. Congrats, chips.
Ha, I’ve stepped on more than most, so guilty m’lud!!!
Look at a compilation of all the polls, they’re all over the place-
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_obama_job_approval-1044.html
Look, when Gallup is +2 and Rasmussen is -11 something is going on, that’s not just noise!
It’s GOP-ordained manipulation…
Where are the corresponding polls of John Boehner?
and this is just 1 reason why he needs to go
How hell did you photoshop a toon ?
/smh
🙂 I don’t think I’ll win the Photoshopper of the Year award!
Oh, you will. It’s pretty good. I was a bit taken back to see japa there.
“I was a bit taken back to see japa there.”
😆 😆
All that overtime + birthday celebrations, no wonder the fella’s sleepy.
https://twitter.com/AmericaCanadian/status/348437707543945217
He looks like Rupert Murdoch! Or is it a mask?!
rupie is creepy, not this old guy.
excellent re-cap toon!
love that one! works for the entire mainstream media, not just fox spews.
I have a question regarding the cartoon in abortion. Can someone tell me what the law is like on abortions in the US right now? I so far thought that there was a discussion going on about outright no and yes, but I think I might be confusing things.
Abortion is legal in all 50 states but what the GOP is trying to do is limit access to abortion by passing anti-women bills or limiting funding of women’s clinics. They are cutting funding for Planned Parenthood in the states even though PP doesn’t use federal funds for abortions. They are holding Medicaid hostage in Iowa so that for women who use Medicaid as their insurance, they can’t have access to sometimes medically needed abortions without the Governor’s say so. They are trying to shut down over 37 women’s clinics in Texas that provide healthcare and abortion of women and cut off funding. The U.S. House of Reps wants to ban abortion after 20 weeks using bogus “science” that says fetuses feel pain and male fetuses masturbate. In North Dakota, the Governor signed a bill banning abortions after 6 weeks. Texas instituted an ultrasound bill forcing women to undergo non needed ultrasounds for an abortion or even when they are suffering a miscarriage. Many states want to ban late-term abortion even though the mother’s life may be in danger. Wisconsin is on the verge of signing an ultrasound before abortion bill into law. Ohio GOP is trying to limit women’s control of their bodies with an anti-abortion bill.
There are a lot more anti-women bills that have failed but a lot of them have become laws. Even though abortion is legal and a lot of these laws are unconstitutional but what the GOP wants is to force law suits so that the conservative wing of the Supreme Court limits Roe v. Wade just as they might do with Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.
Well stated and informative UT. This is exactly why I was more upset about SCOTUS’ ruling on DNA/blood sample gathering without consent, than anything NSA could possibly do. That is the height of invasion of privacy, which is the entire basis of the Roe vs Wade ruling.
I am quite upset about many of the things you mentioned there utaustinliberal. And also quite surprised that this is such a big thing for discussion even in the US
Here in Germany the law is that abortion per se I think is not legal BUT it´s like a law with a broad range of exceptions. Abortions are legal until week 14 I think. After that they are legal if there is a danger to the mothers life or grave health danger I think. Access to clinics and counselling are covered in health care programmes as far as I am informed.
I have to admit that I think the way we do it over here is reasonable. Late term abortion should be possible if it otherwise becomes a health threat for the mother, that much goes without saying for me. On the other hand I find a limit such as 14 weeks very reasonable. But I think the fact that we have councelling and clinics here that are in no danger of being shut down makes the problem of facing the question of late term abortions a lot less urgent.
So I´d say I agree with everything you guys stand for here with the exception of late term abortion, I hope nobody has a problem with that. 🙂
The Republicans that want to shut down and cut funding don´t seem to understand one thing however: pregnancies that end in abortions are often because the mother fears she will not be able to support a child… and the problems behind that THAT´s what needs to be tackled instead of demonising the woman.
Very risen, very shiny in Seattle this fine summer morning!
Good morning MP! My ex and I almost moved to your lovely state in 1991 but(hold on) he decided on FL and GA…It was not a very good experience for me there, being French was not an asset! Left there in 2004 to move back home! Still hoping to visit your state one day!
I hope you do get to come here one day, Layla. It is a very special place (IMHO) and the photos you may see don’t offer the soothing green provided to the eyes by all our lovely flora, or the clean scent of the air, washed by rain and maintained by the two mountain ranges and the deep, cold water in our lakes and in the Sound. Also, for the most part, the people here are environmentally aware, are approachable and friendly. For the most part.! 🙂
yes, MP, we are so blessed to live out this way!
Afternoon, MP! How did the car run – the emission test was fine, I hope?
Morning everyone! Two R/S this morning:) Anyway, I stumbled upon this in my readings. So what do you think happens more often? THIS?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamtanner/2013/06/19/theres-a-billion-reasons-not-to-give-stores-your-zip-code-ever/
This intrusion of your privacy, or being “spied” on by the govt? Seriously…
ha!
Thank you for the retweet, a4alice. I am a newcomer to Dr. Who.
GM Chip, TOD…..so ummm…… I <—–(Pea brain) forgot to re-schedule my post from earlier in the week*%#*#* sorry for the confusion!!! Nevertheless, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend……
I don’t think Greenwald is coming out of this unscarred. He is a lawyer, an officer of the court. He actively planned and conspired with Snowden long before Snowden was hired by the security contractor to break the law and conduct a systematic espionage program against the Nat. Sec. Agency.
Let’s hope you are right Bill R.
You mean to tell me that the hero Edward Snowden don’t want to come back and face his justice. If he believes what he did was so right, if he think most of the people are on his side, then come back.
AG and the American Bar Association are surely right on top of that Bill.
yet those who loudly and adamantly supporting these actions are determined to ignore facts such as those you mention here – perplexing reactions
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2013/06/21/f-alberta-floods.html Just learning about this, incredible! Prayers for everyone in the region, I lived there for many years, still it’s hard to fathom.
And look what’s happening just south of Alberta… Colorado and New Mexico wildfires.
The scariest fires seem to be in the southeast Asia/ south Pacific area, though.
I asked this last night, but no response… Doesn’t that area get a good deal of rain? Is this year’s weather patterns typical for the region?
Awwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!
JOHANNESBURG, June 22 (Reuters) – Former South African president Nelson Mandela remains in a “serious but stable” condition in hospital, the government said on Saturday.
Consistent with previous updates from the presidency, the statement shows that the 94-year-old anti-apartheid hero’s health is little changed since his admission to a Pretoria hospital two weeks ago.
Mandela, who became South Africa’s first black president in 1994, was rushed to a Pretoria hospital early on June 8 with a recurring respiratory infection.
The presidency also confirmed that the intensive care ambulance carrying former South African president Nelson Mandela to hospital two weeks ago broke down. Media reports said he was stranded for 40 minutes.
Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said the former president was transferred to another military ambulance for the remainder of the almost 50 minute journey between Johannesburg and the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria.
“All care was taken to ensure that former president Mandela’s medical condition was not compromised by the unforeseen incident,” Maharaj said. He would not say how long Mandela’s journey to hospital had been delayed by the breakdown.
Doctors attending to Madiba, the clan name by which Mandela is popularly known, were satisfied that he suffered no harm during this period, he said.
Does anyone know what the viewership is re PBO’s weekly addresses
at least C-SPAN always carries all of the content of the Weekly Address.
I always try to watch it at least once
C-SPAN carries it. MSNBC shows snippets of it. White House tweets it out, posts it on Facebook, and other social media sites, emails it to millions (if you are signed up to receive alerts from the white house), and puts in on Youtube.
whew. I need a break from Twitter. been fighting the “BLACK CONSERVATIVES” who appeared on Hannity’s Show last night. I asked 2 which GOP policies do they support to help poor black people. Each one responded with nastiness and snark. LOL follow me @avd911
Oh, black conservatives. Bless their hearts. They hate poor black folks more than white conservatives do, because they think the poor make them look bad at the country club.
So on point!
GM TODer in CT zone and GA TODers in ET zone.
Hello TODers everywhere.
Three Peat…..Congrats to all.
LL, it is all about Money, Political Advancement, Money, TV/Cable appearances, Money, Speaker Fees, Money, Money, Money.
So, Snowblower is still blowing his toot to China about our alleged hacking of their universities etc. 🙄 idiot. Apparently he dropped some more info this morning. Probably trying to get Hong Kong to not comply with extradition. Little creep.
http://editors.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2013/06/snowden_spills_more_beans.php?ref=fpblg
I told my friends that Snowjob is lucky PBO is president. Someone else might just pretend to start the whole extradition process but use the CIA to nab Snowflake and dump him in an unauthorized jail that operates outside of the law in a non-extradition country….. Maybe Jordan? Little creep. I hope Hong Kong hands him over with alacrity. I want that imbecile contained.
lisa, This doesn’t sound like someone who did all this because he was concern about Americans civil liberties.
Same thought, anniebella! You and I are on the same page.
Someone is trying to convince China they have value.
Okay?! He’s such an idiot.
From yesterday (no details).
Love Joe, he says what’s on his mind.
MSM may believe that gun safety is dead, but that message isn’t what is really happening in DC.
Wooooooooot!
Love VP Biden…..but, but, but, he had 12 TBGOPers who were with his team on Closing GITMO, ACA, Recovery Act, Debt Ceiling, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, FinReg, etc.
VP Biden speaks the truth. But when it comes for these TBGOPers to deliver, they run, run, run away. Time after time. I say, VP Biden, Name names……shame them and force them to accept or deny their promises.
GM, MightyPamela and TOD family. Prayers go forth for all touched by these floods. We can all too often these days, constantly see where someplace in this world, a sudden sharp turn can turn a way of life around in a matter of seconds. Our spaces are never totally secured, but our hearts will beacon us to turn a little light on the spots in the spaces of all of our humanity, so it too can have a little light of ‘human goodness.’
Life is very vulnerable. Always a tipping point there. I pray that my energies , and I know that our TOD family here energies will always be centered to accommodate these tipping points for those whose turns have been shaken. It could happen to any of us and at any minute of the day. That is one reason why I love our President and VP; they have ‘core fibers’ within their being that will remind us of our values as a people who care and will help in good and decent ways to share the burden of others daily. We are our brothers and sisters keepers.
I pray this day, that I will try very hard not to harden my ‘core fibers’ so that I might be insensitive to the tipping points that may come to the path of my fellow neighbors. None of us are safe from exposure. So, I will hold fast to the commitment to help POB and his team (and we have and have had faces all along this journey) to keeping moving FORWARD with as little grumbling as humanly possible to make all of our spaces a little more bearable incase our personal world is tipped over as well.
Let us all go out there and take up our reasons to participate in the front of the line with POB. And in doing so, we will be actively involved in helping him lift the banners of these processes to help bear and lift our nation up in a good way. We nourish and are being sustained daily by each others strengths and weaknesses; so that gives us hope because we know that we are not alone, and are not fighting in vain.
As Bobfr often reminds us, and Chips daily give us the beautiful seeds to sprinkle lovingly and gracefully over all of our paths through this journey with such a brilliant President. We Will Surely “Rise and Shine” and FORWARD with POB. Chips encourages us each day to do just that very important call with all of the brilliant and gifted contributions of this great family.
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((( Be fruitful today wherever your journey takes you))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Love you all,HZ
Thank you HZ, just love you!
THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS….!!!
Love you HZ!
Dudette, (((((((((((((((((( I love you more))))))))))))))))))) . TY, my dear and capable ‘Musician-In-Chief.’ HZ
Layla, I love you back. It is such a joy to be in your company. Thanks for all that you bring each day into this beautiful space. HZ
{{{{HZ}}}}
TY, MightyPamela. My dear and faithful ‘Candle Sweet Spirit.’ HZ
Thank you, HZ. I always look forward to reading your comments. I hope you are feeling well, today. You always lift up my spirits.
I agreed to hold a Phone Bank on Tuesday night at my house on CIR. We are going to call people to make sure that our new senator, that Gov. Christie replaced Sen. Lautenberg with, votes for immigration reform.
TY, sjterrid. You and all of our TOD family lift my spirits daily. I am going to walk in faith and actions of working hard to tone down some of the pain, but I am so grateful to be able to move and be hopefully help to others as well. My beautiful brother, two nieces , and great-nieces keep me in a sweet space with their thoughts, prayers and hope in life. I am so proud of all of them.
So I have much to be grateful for, and even the tears when the pain comes to by to visit my gut. I shut the door many times right in it face since I know that pain is a sign of something lurking within to put me on notice. I have read the notice along with my doctors and we all have made the best decisions to take care of this beautiful and grateful gift, I call, my body and all of its family members inside and outside.
I hope you are doing fine, sjterrid. Please take good care of yourself as well. Lots of love to you. HZ
I will, also, keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
An idiot called the airport for flight information. “How long is your flight from Los Angeles to Denver?” he asked. “Just a minute,” the pleasant agent replied. “Thank You” he said and hung up.
LOL!
was he a R congressunman?
Good Morning Family! Happy First Summer Saturday!
It’s so beautiful outside, it makes me wanna go up on the roof and sing! 😀 😀 😀
ROFLMAO!
that was awesome 😀
Can’t imagine why this would surprise anyone. But as I’ve said before, considering that people put the most private details on the likes of Facebook makes it laughable to me that they now scream about privacy.
These are the people that came out of the birth canal screaming and just kept on screaming!
🙂
Their concern is not about privacy. Their concern is really about Barack Obama and Eric Holder. Replace these two with white Republican men and watch all these “concerns” evaporate into thin air.
Uh-huh.
Waaaaayyyy O/T….just wondered how people leaned on this type of situation:
Bad Choice of Gift or Inappropriate Response?
========
“Wedding Gift Sparks Epic Text Battle: Is Marriage Etiquette Dead?”
http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/wedding-gift-basket-sparks-epic-text-war–the-battle-over-cheap-presents–183304420.html
Kathy Mason and her boyfriend (who chose to remain anonymous) attended the wedding of two Canadian women, and things went afoul from there. Mason’s boyfriend, who sent his story, along with a hostile text exchange with the brides, to the Spectator wrote the following: “As a gift, my Girlfriend and I gave them a wicker box with a hinged lid, filled with food items, most of them PC Black Label, including: tri-color pasta, salsas, Balsamic vinegar and Olive oil, Gourmet croutons, Panko Breading, Pesto, some baking ingredients, Biscuits from Godiva and a few ‘Fun’ items like Marshmallow Fluff, Sour Patch Kids and Butterscotch sauce…On the card we wrote ‘Life is delicious….Enjoy.'”
The following day, he received, via text, what might be the least genuine thank-you note in history…One of the two brides wrote: “Heyyy I just wanna say thanks for the gift but unfortunately I can’t eat any of it lol I’m gluten intolerant. Do u maybe have a receipt[?]”
That was the first message, from one of the brides. The second, from the other bride, firmed up any question as to whether they felt the basket of candy and other goods made a suitable wedding gift.
“I’m not sure if it’s the first wedding you have been to, but for your next wedding, people give envelopes,” the bride/co-worker texted to the gift-givers. “I lost out on $200 covering you and your dates plate, and got fluffy whip and sour patch kids in return. Just a heads up for the future :)”
The gift givers claim, “To ask for a receipt is unfathomable, disrespectful, inconsiderate, immature, greedy,” among other things. “Not only is it wrong to have an expectation of any sort of gift, it is the ultimate insult to your family and friends to mention a gift of monetary value at all.”
The brides stand by their position, even allowing the Spectator to photograph the gift with the “fluffy whip” they call out via text, placed front and center. In her response, one of the brides claims the basket cost $30— a paltry amount, in her opinion, for two people, considering the $97-per-plate fee they spent on each guest for the reception. “Weddings are to make money for your future. Not to pay for peoples meals. Do more research. People haven’t [given] gifts since like 50 years ago!”
Entire Text Correspondence: http://www.thespec.com/news-story/3845206-have-your-say-about-the-firestorm-over-a-wedding-gift/
====
Personally, I depend on the registry (if one is available) when choosing a gift. How much I put into a gift depends on how well I know the bride and/or groom.
I think that is amazingly rude! Weddings are to make money for your future???? If you want money for your future, skip the expensive dresses, flowers, limosines, cakes, receptions and honeymoons! I thought weddings were about formalizing and celebrating a defining moment in your life with your friends and family. Silly me. I had an interesting discussion the other day with my grown daughter about people expecting a gift to ‘cover’ the expense of the plate at the reception. Something she had read about on-line-her friends that married out of college understood that their friends couldn’t afford gifts and made it clear that gifts were not necessary. These two brides seem to me to be entitled brats. Just my opinion.
Hard for me to imagine any one I know having that attitude. Or if they do, they’d be polite enough not to express it.
Exactly!
Good for him.
Good for him. Thanks for the info Mr. Knoller.
My, Progressive King Cenk sure has come a long way since he wrote this as a student…… (or has he?):
….. Affirmative action seems to be really fighting the injustice to black students at Penn. But what about white Christian students? They are even more under-represented here than blacks. Who is helping them? Where is their affirmative action? It turns out affirmative action is only for minorities because, according to the theory, white Christians who hold all the power cannot suffer racism…..
Affirmative action is supposed to balance the playing field by counteracting the racism and the power of the white majority. I have trouble understanding why the powerful white majority would choose to have more minorities at one of the best universities in the country than their own. Hhmmm. So maybe the Christian white majority does not really have all the control people say they do. Maybe they too should be helped in getting their fair representation at this school. Maybe there should be a concerted effort to get the percentage of Christian whites at this institution more in line with national percentages. That sounds equitable…..
Wait! I just had a crazy thought. What if in order to clear this whole problem up, we didn’t even consider a person’s race when evaluating their qualifications? What if we assumed everyone was equal? What if we just accepted the best students independent of their ethnicity? I think it just might work…
…. just maybe we can now begin to imagine a school where the best students come to learn and be judged on their merits rather than their physical characteristics. Hhmmm.
http://www.thedp.com/article/1991/10/column_where_are_the_white_christians
And the former anti-choice Cenk:
….. After a couple of pro-choice speakers I was asked to share my views. I did not have an eloquent speech on the virtues of the pro-life movement. I just had a little story to tell about my grandmother.
It was in 1937. She was pregnant again and awfully sick ….. but apparently they believed that they had created a life and had an obligation to give it a chance. The result was my father.
The reaction to my story surprised me. Certain feminists in the room apparently did not appreciate it and began to badger me about how insensitive I was to women’s rights. I was surprised not only at the intensity with which they attacked me, but the range of personal charges they leveled at me as a supporter of the pro-life movement. This was my abrupt introduction to radical feminism. Since then I have not stopped hearing the ludicrous claims of feminists throughout the years.
…. A recent example of this type of feminism-gone-overboard is the blind support given to Anita Hill in the recent Congressional hearings. Throughout the hearings feminists appeared on talk shows claiming that what happened to Anita Hill was a classic example of sexual harrasment and this case represented the plight of all women in the work force….
…. feminists were not looking for the truth of the matter. They were looking for the heroic woman who would stop the confirmation of the judge that would cast the deciding conservative vote against Roe vs. Wade. The thinking is that Roe vs. Wade has to be preserved at all costs because it is the one decision that protects the rights of women to control their own bodies. After all, it’s not like the anti-choice men really care about the life of the fetus, they just use that as a guise for taking away women’s rights. Wrong again. People who argue to stop abortions do not really have a secret agenda to take away the rights of women. They truly believe that the life process starts at conception rather than a vague and continually changing definition of viability outside the womb that the court has arbitrarily set. They truly believe the fetus is alive, and that removing it would be the equivalent of killing a living person. That is a heart-felt view on what they see as a life-and-death situation. It is not something to be derided as an attempt to subjugate women.
…. Feminists do not have the right to speak for all women on any issue, especially not the critical issues of abortion and the Anita Hill controversy. Nor do they have the right to intimidate women who disagree with them as they try to do when it comes to the issue of abortion. These women do not have a hold on the absolute truth when it comes to women’s rights, and they should be challenged.
http://www.thedp.com/article/1991/11/column_for_feminists_womens
Excellent finds, Chips! And oh dear….these Cenk-gems or Cenk-Bombs are very revealing….Off to tweet!!!
OMG!!! Thank god I have my helmemet on!!!
Oh Ms. Chips, I have such disdain for Cenk. I DVR Stephanie Miller and there are so many commercials pushing his show and I fast forward through each one. There seems to be more and more so his ratings are probably down.
Hiya Sabreen, I can’t even look at the guy’s face, he makes me feel ill!!
Yes, his facial expression is a revolting combination of smugness, anger, hatred…
Cenk U can hide, but he can’t run.
Money is his driving force. But people like him are like Paula Deen. They conceal their beliefs, but their Brains would eventually convince their Mouths to scream, shout, and oh yes, when least expected, Slip the Whole Truth.
Human Brains are not like Computers this way.
Oh boy…this one is a doozy…Dear Cenk empathizing with the plight of these poor, disadvantaged, God-forsaken white Christian students….Chips – you should tweet this FAR & WIDE!!!
The thing is Hopefruit – and I’ve gone on and on and on about this before – lots of people completely change their political views as they grow older, often dramatically so, and that’s excellent (well, so long as they go from being RWers to liberals). I just don’t believe he ever changed his core beliefs, as his reaction, for example, to the Lilly Ledbetter Act proved. He’s just an opportunist who saw an opening to be a ‘prog’ media star. Crikey, this guy didn’t vote for a Democratic Presidential candidate until Al Gore, when he was 30 – he even voted for flippin’ Dole. He’s a Grade A fraud, I’m convinced.
Indeed Chips, and most people become *slightly* more conservative as they age. It’s rare that someone goes from being a hard-core rightwinger, (convicted enough in their ideology to write columns about it) to a flaming liberal in 2 decades. It just doesn’t happen that way.
And his current attitudes towards the real progressive policies like the Lilly Ledbetter Act, reinforce our points about his true leanings.
Like you said, this dude is a grade-A fraud!
I always knew he was a racist little neo-con. I’m so glad the truth of these folks lying and calling themselves “Liberals” is coming out. I’m a liberal and I hate these faker repubs/libertarians with a passion.
“Early Retirement”
To all staff
Early Retirement
Due to the current financial situation, management has decided to give all workers over 30 yrs an early retirement. This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged Personnel Early).
Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to Management to be eligible for the SHAFT scheme (Special Help After Retirement). Persons who have been RAPED & SHAFTED will be reviewed under the SCREW scheme (Scheme For Retired Early Workers). A person may be RAPED only once, SHAFTED twice and SCREWED as many times as management deems appropriate.
Persons who have been RAPED can apply to get AIDS (Additional Income for Dependant or Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for Retired Early Personnel Scheme). Obviously persons who have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further by management.
Persons staying on will receive as much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible. Management has always prided itself for the amount of SHIT it gives it’s staff. Should you feel that you do not receive enough SHIT, please bring it to the attention of your manager. He has been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle.
Signed
The Management
HI- larious!!! Loved it! 😆 😆
He will tie that up in there courts, because he will say it’s political.
So, Hong Kong Jail for a while, maybe up to a year…
I haven’t been able to keep up here lately, so I apologize if this has already been posted, but in case it hasn’t I think you will enjoy this beautiful music and beautiful couple.
Afternoon, TOD! Chips, thanks for the little boy salute photo, the JFK Ireland video, and for showing us in that one image how great President Obama and Vice President Biden look in red.
Oh, and, all the other goodies!
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/06/22/an-inspiration-to-us-all/
Test
Bob!! Your avatar is normal again!!!