Just some excellent music.
Thelonius Monk – Just a Gigolo / Bolivar Blues
John Coltrane – My Favorite Things
Archive for August 13th, 2013
13
Aug
13
Night Owl Chat – Musical Medley
13
Aug
13
News of the Day
You might recall the genius that is Scout Tufankjian dropping in to TOD a while back to praise one of my horse poo pics from the 2009 inauguration parade? Well, she clearly was inspired – have a look at her completely and utterly majestic ‘Four More Years: Obama 2012’ here – thank you BWD!
****
Cape Cod Times: …. President Obama arrived at Nancy’s Restaurant and shook hands with a couple of dozen people waiting to place their order.
The presidential motorcade arrived at the Lake Avenue restaurant shortly after 1 p.m. and Obama hopped out of an SUV, undeterred by a steady rain. He was upbeat and made a point of chit-chatting with customers and restaurant employees as he made his way to the take-out counter.
“I’m just overwhelmed,” said Serena Creary of Natick. “I knew he was here (on the island), of course, but I never expected to see him.”
More here
****
He takes too many vacations #ObamaImpeachmentReasons pic.twitter.com/1cyV0qyd58
— Leyla (@MiamiLib) August 12, 2013
****
Brilliant news – thank you Dudette for letting us all know about this yesterday:
Daym right. RT: “@ajc: Hospital reverses decision, agrees to put 15-year-old on heart transplant list. http://t.co/Hz3f6mUH5F”
— Goldie Taylor (@goldietaylor) August 13, 2013
****
****
Milt Shook: Why Do We Allow So Many Ex-GOP to be “Authorities” on “Real Progressives”
Look, folks; I peg my progressive roots to the age of 14, when I worked for the McGovern Campaign, but my actual roots probably precede that. My father was a union steelworker, and my mom was the daughter of a union worker, as well. I was royally pissed off at the Kent State massacre. I thought Abbie Hoffman was amazing. Spiro Agnew’s and Richard Nixon’s names were said with derision in my house as early as 1968, and I cried, at the age of ten, when Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed. To this day, Bobby Kennedy is still my idol.
I am just as liberal as anyone out there who claims to speak for the progressive cause, and I have been for pretty much my entire life. So, it really pisses me off when someone comes along and insinuates or says that I’m not a “real” progressive, because I don’t think exactly the way they do. Being liberal or progressive is about being tolerant, and about understanding that not everyone sees every issue the same way. There are a lot of moderates out there who are actually progressive, but they don’t know it, in part because some of the loudest elements of the liberal media scream at the top of their lungs, telling us all what we should believe on every issue. Because they don’t believe exactly that, they figure they’re not very progressive. The problem with this is, they may hate the right wing, but they also come to hate us, even though they probably agree with us on most things.
More here
13
Aug
13
Bo…The Human?
The White House wins the day with this movie reference from Mean Girls…..and that is how social media is done!
****
Chat away – News of the Day up next
13
Aug
13
Rain Check
President Obama shakes hands before ordering lunch at Nancy’s restaurant at Oak Bluffs at Martha’s Vineyard, August 13
Chat on!
13
Aug
13
Chat…Chat…Chat
****
13
Aug
13
Rise and Shine
President Barack Obama plays basketball during a visit to the McIntosh family farm in Missouri Valley, Iowa, Aug. 13, 2012. The President toured a cornfield on the family farm to view the effect the drought is having on crops ( Photo by Pete Souza)
****
Love it when the private sector does the right thing: WebMD launches #ObamaCare info site! http://t.co/NM3bNfc1au
— Kennett Area Dems (@KennettDems) August 6, 2013
****
ThinkProgress: Dying Teen Is Being Denied A Heart Transplant Because He’s Had Trouble With The Law
Fifteen-year-old Anthony Stokes has less than six months to live unless he receives an emergency heart transplant. But his family has been told that Anthony doesn’t qualify for the transplant list because he has a “history of non-compliance” — partly due to his history of earning low grades and having some trouble with the law.
…. Regardless of Anthony’s specific past, his story fits into a larger pattern of racially-motivated skepticism about young black men. The routine criminalization of black youth — thanks in large part to the so-called “school-to-prison pipeline,” which funnels a disproportionate number of black teens into the justice system for minor infractions — ensures that teens like Anthony are often seen as threats. And once society labels those kids as criminal, suspect, or “non-compliant,” their lives are typically considered to have less value.
Full post here
****
ThinkProgress: Hardly Anyone Showed Up To Steve King’s Anti-Immigration Reform Rally
****
Worth a read: @nytimes editorial “A Clean-Car Boom” says govt support pays big dividends for economy & environment. http://t.co/Cvggika9vv
— Ernest Moniz (@ErnestMoniz) August 12, 2013
****
President Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama leave after dining at The Sweet Life Cafe in Oak Bluffs, August 11
****
****
USA Today: Chef Sam Kass Helps The Obamas, Nation’s Kids Eat Right (There’s video at the link. A delightful must watch)
White House chef Sam Kass eyed the corn ripening in the garden tucked in a corner of the South Lawn but decided to pluck a cucumber off the vine instead. “We had corn two days ago,” he explained. Vegetables and fruits are on the menu for the first family and for kids across the country who are heading back to school, a cause for Michelle Obama and Kass, the Obamas’ family chef and executive director of the first lady’s Let’s Move! initiative. In an interview Friday with USA TODAY’s Capital Download, Kass discussed the impact the campaign against childhood obesity seems to be having.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made headlines last week with the release of a study that showed obesity rates among low-income preschoolers declining for the first time in decades — down in 17 states and up in only three. On the same day, Gallup reported that the percentage of Americans who went to fast-food restaurants at least once a week had dropped by 9 percentage points since 2006.
“I think we’re right at a tipping point,” Kass said, shedding his jacket as he sat at a picnic table in the sweltering August heat. The White House garden, the first big vegetable patch on the grounds since Eleanor Roosevelt’s victory garden during World War II, produces about a thousand pounds of produce a year. “Last year, fruit and vegetable consumption was up 6%, which came as a great surprise. We’re seeing much greater awareness across the board about what we’re eating and how much we’re eating and trying to make sure we’re getting balanced meals on our kids’ plates.” President Obama insisted last week on NBC’s Tonight Show that his favorite food was broccoli. Really? “Broccoli is a go-to staple here,” Kass confirmed. “He likes his greens. I mean, he’ll eat any kind of green vegetable. There’s nothing that’s not in play.” For Obama, he typically blanches the broccoli or sautés it with a little olive oil.
More here
****
****
Once again, Happy Birthday Chiparoo!
****
On this day:
President Barack Obama talks with Senior Advisor David Axelrod on the Colonnade of the White House, Aug. 13, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas discuss the 2012 Summer Olympic Games during an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, Aug. 13, 2012 (Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)
President Barack Obama greets Military Aide Lt. Col. Dave Kalinske and his family in the Oval Office, during Kalinske’s departure ceremony, Aug. 13, 2010 (Photo by Pete Souza)
****
13
Aug
13
Thank You!
Holy smokes, what a very lovely thing the post below was to wake up to!
Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge thank yous to the incredibly awesome UT, who now even speaks Irish, the one-of-a-kind poet that is VC, and the cake-maker supreme Meta – and to you all for the completely beautiful comments that made me go all blushy.
UT is doing today’s R&S while I have a cheesy puff birthday breakfast, but I’ll be in and out all day to make sure you’re behaving. Huh.
Love ya all!!!!
PS Seriously, I can’t believe I’m 21!
13
Aug
13
Happy Birthday Chips!
It is August 13th! Breithlá Sona Duit, Chips!
****
****
****
A Beautiful Poem By VC
As the sun prepares to rise this August 13th day, TODobots all gather with words to say. Our bright mayorial light celebrates another year. Undimmed, resplendent, undaunted by fear. Faced with political lies, hate and hypocrisy Mayor Chips highlights them for all to see. As the sun rises on this very special birthday, TODobots all gather with words to say ‘Chips you are special. Chips you are dear; Not expensive, not costly, just a cherished dear. Chips you are special. Chips you are rare. Rarer than mankinis, Benghazigates and …GOP fear.’
As TODobots gather for this special day’s unfurling Some are eager to share the mem’ries they’re a-holding:- – Chips’ pictures are delightful! Remember the ‘potties’ That earned acclaim from gracious celebrities? -Charmingly, eagerly seeking a virtual mate Our Mayor cajoles in dresses first rate. -Sprinkling marriage proposals aloft like confetti She lures Japa, Bobfr,…. plus others I’ve forgotten. ‘Chips you are special. Chips you are dear. Not expensive, not costly, just a precious dear. Chips you are special. Chips you are rare. Stronger than mankinis, Benghazigates and …GOP fear.’
Mayor Chips built TODdy-town by the sweat of her brow; Razing the trolls as she patrolled the town alone … till now. Then reflecting, reassessing, Mayor Chips picked helpers, Thus teaching and taunting and nurturing great bloggers. Next the Mayor decided to cede some space; so Utal Climbed up – a scouting-pics, zapping-trolls kind of pal. Behold, the sun rises on this long-awaited birthday, And TODobots are here with words to say:- ‘Chips you are special. Chips you are rare. More loved than mankinis, Benghazigates and … GOP fear. Chips you are special. Chips you are dear. Not expensive. Not costly, … just endearingly dear!’
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ A VERY, VERY HAPPY ‘21st again’, Mayor Chips! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥♥ ♥
****
****
Hey Chiparoo, UT here. How much do I think you’re a bundle of loveliness? So much that I willingly put up a picture of Wayne Rooney for you to stare at in delight all day. You, my friend, deserve all the happiness and joy in the world. Thank you for TOD. Thank you for creating a community of pretty darn awesome people. Thank you for never closing up shop even when you were constantly hit with a barrage of crap. Thank you for your humor, thank you for your dignity, and most of all, thank you for being a Manchester United fan because our football interactions have brought many a smile to my face.
From TODers to you: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!
****
The pretty wonderful Meta made you a cake!
****
****
TODers chipped in and got you a couple of gifts. We had a feeling you might be craving some cheesy puffs. 😉
****
The Obama Diary 
You must be logged in to post a comment.