On This Day: President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with Justice Sonia Sotomayor prior to a reception for the new Supreme Court Justice at the White House, on Aug. 12, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
****
Morning again everyone, I’m still on my R&S break, so chat on. We’ll have updates later in the day.
gm everyone – may everyone find some peace during your summer vacations. Grandbabe visiting tomorrow which will counter the chilly weather down under 🙂
And that even sounds like the truth – compared to the utter nonsense put forth by the police in their so called news conference – just wow – and they wonder why people may be upset.
Evening 99ts. The police account of what happened sounded so utterly ridiculous – a young black man reaching in to the car to grab a policeman’s gun, for no apparent reason? Thereby all but guaranteeing his own death? Please.
This account, which is chilling, makes so much more sense.
I am still in disbelief after hearing what the police gave as the reason for the killing. Took them a good 24 hours to dream that one up.
The account from the witness rings so very true – couple of kids wandering down the road & a policeman going into racist rant mode – it’s not only private citizens that should never have access to guns! No policeman should have that level of anger against people he is paid to protect.
Because that’s easiest excuse for some to believe – that the victim was shot because victim was reaching for the cop’s gun.
Remember, Zimmerman said that too.
The police don’t even have the pretense of fully investigating this horrific event. I hope other witnesses come forward to corroborate Johnson’s account. This needs to be busted wide open.
Even the remarks by the county police chief on MSNBC yesterday were unbelievably telling. First, the guy had no charisma to be a spokesperson for any department, much less the county police (one would think he’d have more skills to try to calm the community, while he had the chance), but he also sounded oddly bored with the whole thing. Couldn’t find the exact words he wanted to use, so his responses to questions all sounded hokey to me (I can’t answer that, we’re investigating everything, but here’s exactly what happened – that kind of malarkey). Believe it was Rev. Al who was interviewing him and the county executive sitting next to him. The county exec started his remarks with condolences to the family. The county police chief ended his remarks with an implied “oh by the way now that the county exec said it, I guess I’d better add” we send condolences to the family. Both gentlemen – the white county police chief and the black county executive – are clearly worried about liability for the area they represent, but staying off camera might have been a better decision.
Yes, this is the same account I heard this young say on another television interview the day before the “riot” broke out.
Thanks Chips for posting this.
And regarding my sad tale of no longer receiving TOD in my inbox…I’m at work now and I scrolled down the sidebar and clicked on Subscriptions. I hope this works!
I’m an Original TODer – where’s the love????@!!!!!
Good morning, everyone. Cloudy, humid, warm already, but we are meant to have a break from the unusual heat of this summer. We shall see. If this is a taste of what lies ahead, we are in real trouble. I pray as a species, we awaken soon. We need to get off fossil fuels. Fast.
Honestly, I fear it is too late. Not because I’m a natural cynic but because I see so much serious damage to our ecosystems everywhere. It’s horrifying.
WAS ASKING WHY THE WH WAS NOT HONORING NAVY SEAL CHRIS KYLE…AM TRYING TO ANSWER A WOMAN WHO IS CIRCULATING A STORY…I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS…HAVE NOT FOLLOWED IT…
I’VE BEEN READING UP ON THIS KYLE SITUATION WITH THE WH…SORRY TO SAY I DON’T CARE FOR KYLE’S EGO MYSELF…BUT REGARDLESS…HE SHOULD BE HONORED FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE…I DIVORCED A RAVENOUS KILLING MACHINE MARINE…HOWEVER…IF HE DID HIS JOB…HE DID HIS JOB….GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PENALTY BOX.
Good morning TOD.
Robin Williams, 63 years old, took his own life. The country mourns the loss of a greatly talented and loved man.
Michael Brown, 18 years old, was executed by a police officer in Ferguson Missouri. Missouri responded to that event with tanks and tear gas.
Do we know the murderers name yet?
The Galleria Mall in St. Louis,(which I visited with my daughter and granddaughter in June) was closed down because there were too many black kids there on Sunday night. That mall is 5 minutes away from where my family lives.
Missouri seems to be vying for title as state that tries out Police State Overwhelming Force tactics to address domestic issues. As you can imagine it is killing me that my daughter raised in a multicultural inclusive society is stuck in a place that is everything I fear and dislike and that is damaging her kids in ways they will not easily overcome.
Vicki, that ‘s what I keep coming back to: two deaths, both tragic, but only one person chose to die. In a healthy world, neither would have died. Glad we have TOD for support and comfort.
Eyewitness to Michael Brown shooting recounts his friend’s death
08/12/14 12:33 AM—Updated 08/12/14 09:37 AM
By Trymaine Lee
FERGUSON, Missouri — The last moments of Michael Brown’s life were filled with shock, fear and terror, says a witness who stood just feet away as a police officer shot and killed the unarmed teen.
“I saw the barrel of the gun pointed at my friend,” said Dorian Johnson, 22. “Then I saw the fire come out of the barrel.”
Johnson, in an exclusive interview with msnbc, said what began as an order by a police officer to ‘get the f— onto the sidewalk’ quickly escalated into a physical altercation and then, gunfire.
The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, 8/11/14, 10:33 PM ET
“I could see so vividly what was going on because I was so close,” said Johnson, who said he was within arm’s reach of both Brown and the officer when the first of several shots was fired at the teen. Johnson says he feared for his life as he watched the officer squeezing off shot after shot
So glad to see @Lawrence do a segment on this — will watch today.
If our media weren’t in the pockets of GOP/Koch, the outrage over the heartbreaking story of a young man visiting his *grandmother* the weekend before he starts college would be headlines, accompanied by the photos of actual events of a true police state in #Ferguson last night.
My small contribution (posted on one of last night’s threads):
PS – Where I live it’s not always that easy to pick up a print newspaper — was at the local (highend) Goodwill last month, a lady was looking for a newspaper, and clerk directed her to a supermarket 2 miles away — despite the fact the shopping center we were in has a Fresh ‘n Easy (100% self-serve supermarket) and a Starbucks.
A good reminder to those who chose journalism as a career, but Pearce’s tweet is understandable because he no doubt fears he may be out of a job if newspaper fold (unlike @chucktodd, who deserves to be out of a job he is unqualified for).
In other news, a local gazillionaire is now publisher of @latimes. Have no idea what it means for @latimes, but we’re all breathing a sigh of relief here that’s its not a Koch (for now, I guess).
I hear you, but I still think Pearce’s fears should not cause him to be cavalier about the situation. IMO serious issues demand a serious approach from a professional, in spite of his personal concerns. (Don’t mind me, Arapaho, unbeknown to me before I read his tweet, it seems I’m in a mood.) 😉
Sigh, CC. The entire scenario all seems so … so … sensitive, I guess. I don’t know, but almost everything I’ve read about *this* shooting touches a cord. I can’t get rid of the thought that no one sane would treat an animal the way this young man was treated. To my mind nothing Michael said or did can justify his end!
I don’t think you’re picky at all. He was getting blowback last night, and yours is your typical well done and well deserved! Realize these print media types are worried about their jobs because most people get their news in a different way, now, but he should be tweeting the owners of the news corp he works for to tell them to get better business models – and leave the rest of us alone about it. I, too, thought it was weird that he should be right in the middle of such a horrendous story, and to have taken the time to tweet something idiotic like that.
Appreciate your response, JO’B. My meter doesn’t always work effectively so it helps to get feedback from you guys when I wonder if I’m in danger of being too *something*. Probably hard to believe 😉 , but often when I feel I’m being too *something* I generally shut up.
There may be a reason for this. It’s likely that he’s under heavy investigation and might be charged with 1st/2nd-degree murder by the time this investigation is over. Releasing his name might subject him to death threats, harrassment (which while perfectly justified, will elicit sympathy from the other side) and other kinds of unwanted interference (e.g., RW fundraising, etc). It’s possible they were advised by the DOJ/FBI to not yet release his name until the investigation has been complete.
For my sanity, I limit my viewing of MSNBC to Rev Al, Rachel and Lawrence (for the most part). It seems as if the morning shows are particularly horrible.
I never noticed, but maybe he considers it his ‘lucky charm’? Just kidding. Maybe it might be as simple as it being the only tie he had handy. Don’t forget he keeps zipping from one place to the next (and in an effort to harass the min here on site) he doesn’t have the lady wife around to pack for him, or time to worry about small, inconsequential items like ties. 😉 😉
In times like these, it is almost too easy to focus on all the horrible things happening around us, locally, nationally and internationally. Yet, I refuse to let that dominate my approach to life. There are always moments of goodness, if we choose to acknowledge them. Doing so does not mean ignoring the bad, or resolving to do something about the bad, even when we know that nothing can be done immediately and some changes will take longer than others.
But if we do not acknowledge the good, no matter how trivial it may seem at times, we give up hope for the future. And when we give up hope, the only change that will occur is negative change.
There are people that thrive in taking away people’s hopes and dreams. Then there are those that do their best to encourage hopes and dreams. It is almost too simplistic to say that, in this country, those people fall into two camps, the GOP and the Dems, yet, although it is not a perfect match, it is generally exactly that.
There are those who demand perfection and when they see anything less than that, they want you to despair. The emoprogs fall into that group.
But for most of us, our lives are filled with ups and downs. When there is the up, I refuse to naively assume all my life will be up. But at the same time, when my life is on the down turn I refuse to submit to the feeling it will never get better. Once we as individuals or a nation fall into that type of thinking, we are doomed.
The people who refuse to vote because they see no difference between the parties, or feel it doesn’t matter if they do or not, as it will change nothing, are making the reality they are afraid of come into being.
Admidst all the doom and gloom I set myself to think positive, knowing that positive thinking by itself won’t change things, but knowing that without positive thinking nothing will change.
It is my hope that the greatest legacy to come out of the Presidency of Barack Hussein Obama is the belief as a country, that we can change, that the naysayers will not prevent progress from happening, that believing we can do something will make the actual accomplishment easier and more likely. It is that the philosophy of “Yes, we can” as a nation will replace the philosophies of “No, we can’t” and “It isn’t worth the cost”.
Very well stated, John. Hope Chips does a ‘Word from japa’ in a future thread.
BTW – I live by this:
“Admidst all the doom and gloom I set myself to think positive, knowing that positive thinking by itself won’t change things, but knowing that without positive thinking nothing will change.”
The Obama Diary 
Beautiful!
Morning DF!!!!
Morning Chips and TOD. Congrats DF
Moooooorning Jackie!!
Morning, Jackie:) First day of school today, so naturally it’s supposed to rain! School and rain do NOT go together…
gm everyone – may everyone find some peace during your summer vacations. Grandbabe visiting tomorrow which will counter the chilly weather down under 🙂
And that even sounds like the truth – compared to the utter nonsense put forth by the police in their so called news conference – just wow – and they wonder why people may be upset.
Biggest cover up ever going on with this one.
Evening 99ts. The police account of what happened sounded so utterly ridiculous – a young black man reaching in to the car to grab a policeman’s gun, for no apparent reason? Thereby all but guaranteeing his own death? Please.
This account, which is chilling, makes so much more sense.
I am still in disbelief after hearing what the police gave as the reason for the killing. Took them a good 24 hours to dream that one up.
The account from the witness rings so very true – couple of kids wandering down the road & a policeman going into racist rant mode – it’s not only private citizens that should never have access to guns! No policeman should have that level of anger against people he is paid to protect.
Because that’s easiest excuse for some to believe – that the victim was shot because victim was reaching for the cop’s gun.
Remember, Zimmerman said that too.
The police don’t even have the pretense of fully investigating this horrific event. I hope other witnesses come forward to corroborate Johnson’s account. This needs to be busted wide open.
Even the remarks by the county police chief on MSNBC yesterday were unbelievably telling. First, the guy had no charisma to be a spokesperson for any department, much less the county police (one would think he’d have more skills to try to calm the community, while he had the chance), but he also sounded oddly bored with the whole thing. Couldn’t find the exact words he wanted to use, so his responses to questions all sounded hokey to me (I can’t answer that, we’re investigating everything, but here’s exactly what happened – that kind of malarkey). Believe it was Rev. Al who was interviewing him and the county executive sitting next to him. The county exec started his remarks with condolences to the family. The county police chief ended his remarks with an implied “oh by the way now that the county exec said it, I guess I’d better add” we send condolences to the family. Both gentlemen – the white county police chief and the black county executive – are clearly worried about liability for the area they represent, but staying off camera might have been a better decision.
I think that is the event I saw but missed the beginning.
This is all so out of control now. Just unbelievable how they’re handling the communication.
And the events on the street. I’m more than disgusted. I think we’re all outraged.
Yes, this is the same account I heard this young say on another television interview the day before the “riot” broke out.
Thanks Chips for posting this.
And regarding my sad tale of no longer receiving TOD in my inbox…I’m at work now and I scrolled down the sidebar and clicked on Subscriptions. I hope this works!
I’m an Original TODer – where’s the love????@!!!!!
Good morning, everyone. Cloudy, humid, warm already, but we are meant to have a break from the unusual heat of this summer. We shall see. If this is a taste of what lies ahead, we are in real trouble. I pray as a species, we awaken soon. We need to get off fossil fuels. Fast.
Honestly, I fear it is too late. Not because I’m a natural cynic but because I see so much serious damage to our ecosystems everywhere. It’s horrifying.
WAS ASKING WHY THE WH WAS NOT HONORING NAVY SEAL CHRIS KYLE…AM TRYING TO ANSWER A WOMAN WHO IS CIRCULATING A STORY…I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS…HAVE NOT FOLLOWED IT…
All I know is that Chris Kyle is the seal that Jessie Ventura sued for defamation and won.
It had something to do with Kyle’s book.
THANKS FOR THE ANSWER BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA….
I’VE BEEN READING UP ON THIS KYLE SITUATION WITH THE WH…SORRY TO SAY I DON’T CARE FOR KYLE’S EGO MYSELF…BUT REGARDLESS…HE SHOULD BE HONORED FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE…I DIVORCED A RAVENOUS KILLING MACHINE MARINE…HOWEVER…IF HE DID HIS JOB…HE DID HIS JOB….GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PENALTY BOX.
thank god for justice sotomayor!
Thanks, 4more, for the tip about @kodacohen (StL photog).
Wonder why his avatar is an egg? Does he not know that nothing is secret on Twitter?
Good morning TOD.
Robin Williams, 63 years old, took his own life. The country mourns the loss of a greatly talented and loved man.
Michael Brown, 18 years old, was executed by a police officer in Ferguson Missouri. Missouri responded to that event with tanks and tear gas.
Do we know the murderers name yet?
The Galleria Mall in St. Louis,(which I visited with my daughter and granddaughter in June) was closed down because there were too many black kids there on Sunday night. That mall is 5 minutes away from where my family lives.
Missouri seems to be vying for title as state that tries out Police State Overwhelming Force tactics to address domestic issues. As you can imagine it is killing me that my daughter raised in a multicultural inclusive society is stuck in a place that is everything I fear and dislike and that is damaging her kids in ways they will not easily overcome.
Vicki, that ‘s what I keep coming back to: two deaths, both tragic, but only one person chose to die. In a healthy world, neither would have died. Glad we have TOD for support and comfort.
Moving right along, it seems.
Eyewitness to Michael Brown shooting recounts his friend’s death
08/12/14 12:33 AM—Updated 08/12/14 09:37 AM
By Trymaine Lee
FERGUSON, Missouri — The last moments of Michael Brown’s life were filled with shock, fear and terror, says a witness who stood just feet away as a police officer shot and killed the unarmed teen.
“I saw the barrel of the gun pointed at my friend,” said Dorian Johnson, 22. “Then I saw the fire come out of the barrel.”
Johnson, in an exclusive interview with msnbc, said what began as an order by a police officer to ‘get the f— onto the sidewalk’ quickly escalated into a physical altercation and then, gunfire.
The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, 8/11/14, 10:33 PM ET
“I could see so vividly what was going on because I was so close,” said Johnson, who said he was within arm’s reach of both Brown and the officer when the first of several shots was fired at the teen. Johnson says he feared for his life as he watched the officer squeezing off shot after shot
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/eyewitness-michael-brown-fatal-shooting-missouri
So glad to see @Lawrence do a segment on this — will watch today.
If our media weren’t in the pockets of GOP/Koch, the outrage over the heartbreaking story of a young man visiting his *grandmother* the weekend before he starts college would be headlines, accompanied by the photos of actual events of a true police state in #Ferguson last night.
My small contribution (posted on one of last night’s threads):
JO’B posted this tweet at the tailend of the overnight thread:
This morning, this appears prominently on the @latimes home page (not at the very top, but close — see scroll bar to the right in the photo):
PS – Where I live it’s not always that easy to pick up a print newspaper — was at the local (highend) Goodwill last month, a lady was looking for a newspaper, and clerk directed her to a supermarket 2 miles away — despite the fact the shopping center we were in has a Fresh ‘n Easy (100% self-serve supermarket) and a Starbucks.
Weirdo that I am, I don’t like that Matt Pearce tweet. Maybe I’m too picky.
Good pushback, vc.
A good reminder to those who chose journalism as a career, but Pearce’s tweet is understandable because he no doubt fears he may be out of a job if newspaper fold (unlike @chucktodd, who deserves to be out of a job he is unqualified for).
In other news, a local gazillionaire is now publisher of @latimes. Have no idea what it means for @latimes, but we’re all breathing a sigh of relief here that’s its not a Koch (for now, I guess).
I hear you, but I still think Pearce’s fears should not cause him to be cavalier about the situation. IMO serious issues demand a serious approach from a professional, in spite of his personal concerns. (Don’t mind me, Arapaho, unbeknown to me before I read his tweet, it seems I’m in a mood.) 😉
I’m with you VC, way too glib for this situation.
Sigh, CC. The entire scenario all seems so … so … sensitive, I guess. I don’t know, but almost everything I’ve read about *this* shooting touches a cord. I can’t get rid of the thought that no one sane would treat an animal the way this young man was treated. To my mind nothing Michael said or did can justify his end!
I don’t think you’re picky at all. He was getting blowback last night, and yours is your typical well done and well deserved! Realize these print media types are worried about their jobs because most people get their news in a different way, now, but he should be tweeting the owners of the news corp he works for to tell them to get better business models – and leave the rest of us alone about it. I, too, thought it was weird that he should be right in the middle of such a horrendous story, and to have taken the time to tweet something idiotic like that.
Appreciate your response, JO’B. My meter doesn’t always work effectively so it helps to get feedback from you guys when I wonder if I’m in danger of being too *something*. Probably hard to believe 😉 , but often when I feel I’m being too *something* I generally shut up.
No, don’t shut up! (Ha.)
😀
Thanks for posting that Arapaho!
Starbucks usually carry the L.A. Times and WSJ.
Is this as disgraceful as it seems to me? Protecting the murderer? Terming him “officer involved?”
They (Ferguson PD) all looked like they had bloodlust last night, Vicki.
Another bad decision by the Ferguson police. It will be worse when his name is leaked.
At some point, his name is gonna get out. #stupidity
There may be a reason for this. It’s likely that he’s under heavy investigation and might be charged with 1st/2nd-degree murder by the time this investigation is over. Releasing his name might subject him to death threats, harrassment (which while perfectly justified, will elicit sympathy from the other side) and other kinds of unwanted interference (e.g., RW fundraising, etc). It’s possible they were advised by the DOJ/FBI to not yet release his name until the investigation has been complete.
Excellent points Hope.
His name is gonna be leaked anyway.
Right. I understand Hopefruit’s response but I still don’t get the need for a delay.
Jovie, take care. I hope a break from the blog will make a difference. I hope you will come back soon. ❤
There must be justice for that young man and his family.
YES! And that’s why Republicans hate him so.
MSNBC is reporting on their own gossip as gossip regarding Hillary and PBO being at the same event tonight.
They are like teenagers……
For my sanity, I limit my viewing of MSNBC to Rev Al, Rachel and Lawrence (for the most part). It seems as if the morning shows are particularly horrible.
Awwww! RIP.
For @mtMarilyn:
Thank you for the picture. It is still so hard this morning. Hard to read all the stories.
Thank you President Obama.
Hey Chips, just DM’d you.
From Robin Williams daughter.
Too sad.
so, there.
‘outrage’ from corporate media.
PBO says Vineyard is nice…..
http://mvgazette.com/president-obama-visits-marthas-vineyard
OMG
Thx, 57. My computer had a big hiccup.
‘Puter all better now?
I just saw the tweet and thought it was good follow-up.
Good news and repeats of such are always welcome!
Thank goodness!
Oh dear!
Can anybody enlighten me as to why SOS Kerry is so often seen wearing the same orange tie?
I never noticed, but maybe he considers it his ‘lucky charm’? Just kidding. Maybe it might be as simple as it being the only tie he had handy. Don’t forget he keeps zipping from one place to the next (and in an effort to harass the min here on site) he doesn’t have the lady wife around to pack for him, or time to worry about small, inconsequential items like ties. 😉 😉
Talk about “power corrupts”, glad someone popped his bubble.
Iranian ‘supreme leader’ wields a very sharp, long needle 😉
Cracking up, Bobfr! 🙂 🙂
P.S. What force did he have in his mind?! Jeebus!
Shia component of the Iraqi Army ….
Aha! Significant % of total army? I gotta read up on that!
LL’s new post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/08/12/a-darkness-visible/
In times like these, it is almost too easy to focus on all the horrible things happening around us, locally, nationally and internationally. Yet, I refuse to let that dominate my approach to life. There are always moments of goodness, if we choose to acknowledge them. Doing so does not mean ignoring the bad, or resolving to do something about the bad, even when we know that nothing can be done immediately and some changes will take longer than others.
But if we do not acknowledge the good, no matter how trivial it may seem at times, we give up hope for the future. And when we give up hope, the only change that will occur is negative change.
There are people that thrive in taking away people’s hopes and dreams. Then there are those that do their best to encourage hopes and dreams. It is almost too simplistic to say that, in this country, those people fall into two camps, the GOP and the Dems, yet, although it is not a perfect match, it is generally exactly that.
There are those who demand perfection and when they see anything less than that, they want you to despair. The emoprogs fall into that group.
But for most of us, our lives are filled with ups and downs. When there is the up, I refuse to naively assume all my life will be up. But at the same time, when my life is on the down turn I refuse to submit to the feeling it will never get better. Once we as individuals or a nation fall into that type of thinking, we are doomed.
The people who refuse to vote because they see no difference between the parties, or feel it doesn’t matter if they do or not, as it will change nothing, are making the reality they are afraid of come into being.
Admidst all the doom and gloom I set myself to think positive, knowing that positive thinking by itself won’t change things, but knowing that without positive thinking nothing will change.
It is my hope that the greatest legacy to come out of the Presidency of Barack Hussein Obama is the belief as a country, that we can change, that the naysayers will not prevent progress from happening, that believing we can do something will make the actual accomplishment easier and more likely. It is that the philosophy of “Yes, we can” as a nation will replace the philosophies of “No, we can’t” and “It isn’t worth the cost”.
Very well stated, John. Hope Chips does a ‘Word from japa’ in a future thread.
BTW – I live by this:
“Admidst all the doom and gloom I set myself to think positive, knowing that positive thinking by itself won’t change things, but knowing that without positive thinking nothing will change.”
Couldn’t imagine doing otherwise.
Love those words to live by, Bobfr.
Indeed. It is what one brings to the world that makes a difference. The world will be as one makes it. LIVE we must.
The decision is Ours alone……Happy, Sad or indifference.
I see you are the creator of those words to live by, mentioned by Bob – just beautiful.