****
January
(1) Golfing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe
(4) President Obama waits with Sergeants at Arms and Members of Congress before entering the House Chamber to deliver the State of the Union address. Standing with the President are, from left: Paul Irving, House Sergeant at Arms; House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.; Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.; and Terrance Gainer, Senate Sergeant at Arms (Photo by Pete Souza)
(5) @petesouza: POTUS at Costco in Lanham, Md.
(9) @petesouza: Pres Obama and CoS Denis McDonough walk along the Colonnade
****
February
(1) First Lady greets Boston students after they performed for Gov. Assoc. spouses (Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
(2) President Obama returns the salute from Tommie Okabayashi, one of the members of the group of Japanese American WWII veterans, during a meeting in the Oval Office to congratulate them on their Congressional Gold Medal (Photo by Pete Souza)
(5) President Barack Obama poses for a selfie with Bill Nye, left, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson in the Blue Room prior to the White House Student Film Festival (Photo by Pete Souza)
(8) A local resident waves as President Obama travels by motorcade en route to Buck Lodge Middle School in Adelphi, Md. (Photo by Pete Souza)
(9) President Obama participates in an interview with Zach Galifianakis for “Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis” in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House (Photo by Pete Souza)
(10) President Obama signs the guest book following a tour of Monticello with President François Hollande of France in Charlottesville, Va. (Photo by Pete Souza)
****
Chips: Thanks a gazillion to VC for this outstandingly excellent idea, and for all her work compiling the photos. We’ve added a few more options for every month – there’ll be 10 choices for each – so between now and the end of the year you can choose your favorite in each monthly poll, and then you’ll be confronted with the nightmarish decision of picking your favorite from the final twelve.
As soon as the new batch of photos is posted – every day or two – the voting ends in the previous one, so get mooooooving!
The Obama Diary 
It’s so haaaaarrrrd!
😆 It’s UNpossible!!!!!
Thanks sooooooooooo much to VC for the idea and for all her work, this is awesome!!
I tried marking them all. I love all of them. What am I going to do January 21st 2017?
Congrats df 🙂
Agree!!!
Thank you VC!!!!
Congrats on #1, DF. All praises to VC for the time spent in selecting all these lovely photos. It was indeed so hard to chose. I wish VC had included a choice for all of them.
Oh, I think this is really IMPOSSIBLE. Too much goodness in each and every one!!
It is hard to choose.
I want the top 2. January 4 & 5. February 9 & 5. But I will take any of them!!!!!!!
My head hurts Marilyn, I can’t decide, it’s ALL VC’s fault!
I agree, Choices, choices, choices. I choose them all.
I feel your pain Chips. I wanted to vote for all of them.
I’m on my 36th headache tablet, nathkatun7!
But wait til you see the next two posts …… nightmare!!
I am so sorry Chipsticks! You don’t deserve the headaches VC is causing you with all these hard choices. Personally, I am perfectly o.k. with any of the fabulous pics she selected. I am also o.k. with her picking the best 10 pics for each month.
🙂 In time I will forgive VC, nathkatun7!
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608036128204917539
Dear innocent Nathk, you need to be aware that I am CC, and CC is VC in this instance. Saying you are okay with me, VC, picking the best 10 pics for each month is tantamount to say CC can pick the 10 best pics.
Given her – CC’s – history.. Such a carte blance is truly not wise!You know VC, my daughter took over my computer so I rarely get chance to read all the posts these days. That’s why I am sometimes in the dark about what’s going on. In any case, you and CC did a marvelous job picking the pics. My indecisiveness in picking one out ten is, IMHO, a testament for the excellent job you did in picking the 10 pics for January and February.
Oh no, VC has been given access to the executive bathroom. Katie bar the door! All right, let me look at these pics.
😆 😆 TOD will NEVER be the same!!
😯 Lib_l!!
Is that any way to welcome me aboard? Fine, be that way, I’ll continue to use the regular TODvillage bathroom. See if I care!
Oh, VC, I only tease those I adore.
I should hope so! 😉 But to be on the ‘safe’ side, I’m staying over the side of the non-executive b/room. Wouldn’t want to encounter a misplaced spider or slug where neither is expected. (CC knows how I feel about slugs.)
Seriously, I’ll probably soon be singing in your ear for quiet assistance. Right now I can’t imagine ever filling this role adequately, and given the high bar you others have set, I’m quite unexpectedly nervous. For now, I’ve decided not to move in until after both holidays.
Chips – what is it with you and the number 10?
VC, I thought when I chose the pictures the other day – that I was done! Decisions like this causes confusion and then I lose track of what Year I’m in 😯
It’s 2012, GGail. You’ll be fine. 🙂
‘this causes confusion and then I lose track of what Year I’m in’
We love you, Gx2. See, we created this confusion of choices to give you a path out of the 2012 jam you created for yourself.
VC, I think you did an excellent job picking the best 10 pics of each month. Two questions: why must we chose only one for each month? Why not Chose all of your 10 pics of each month?
Thanks Nat, but I didn’t choose all of those. Chips Chica, my senior editor, is being kind. 🙂
Why must we choose = we are trying to narrow things down to a ….ta-da! ….”2014 Picture of the Year” TOD-style. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if TOD ends up with 12 ‘PicturE of the Year’!!!! 😀
All of the ones in February are so touching, I’m about to cry because I can’t make up my mind!
Dammit!!!!
😆 February you say? No, no, I’ll behave 😆
I. Hate. You. 😀 😀 😀
Go. AWAY!
😆
I’m looking for the emo codes so I can fight back…
:open_mouth:
I can’t find the list you provided for us 😦
The January pick was easy because the most powerful image was PBO as the Master of Universe standing tall in a sea of smallness and pettiness (IMAGE #4) – very very powerful image. February was much harder because I loved the way PBO smiled at FLOTUS in her magnificient blue gown or PBO helping FLOTUS down from the stage like the consummate gentleman that he is. I chose the former – it was the smile.
I also love the one where he is helping her off the stage. This is the gentleman, who loves his woman!!!
I love that one, too, MT, because our great, loving couple were the center of the the universe in that moment–all eyes on them.
agreed. same one I chose.
A poll of cable news hosts found that Andrea Mitchell, not Rachel Maddow, was voted the best host on MSNBC.
Mediaite polled dozens of cable news hosts on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News and asked them who the best and worst hosts were on the three cable networks. In a surprise, MSNBC’s noon host Andrea Mitchell was the runaway winner of the best host voting.
http://www.politicususa.com/2014/12/23/andrea-mitchell-rachel-maddow-named-host-msnbc.html
I can’t stop laughing…..
Linda I am ROTFL about this one. Sounds more like a “pity” vote to me. Mitchell is horrible.
Allison,
Forgive me, but who is Alan Gross again?
Prisoner just released from Cuban custody.
Thank you. I know that I heard the name before but couldn’t pin point where and who. Glad that he is getting something for his pain.
Agree, NCLB!!
FDA TO GAYS: YOU CAN DONATE (blood) — IF YOU’RE CELIBATE
Huh ?
It appears that Jan #4 and Feb #7 are receiving the most votes…so far
Great photos! Can’t beat the President and the First Lady together.
Paging the vote stealer karl rove – I need to know how to “steal” the votes here;
problem is that I love all the photos but I had to make the hard call and choose (after going back and forth a number of times) – life is really “hard”;
Good Evening TODVille!
Did I understand correctly that the Pope has just gone rogue on his Cardinals, calling them names and stating that some have gotten compassion Alzheimer??? Wow. I can’t stop laughing.
Congrats DesertFlower on your evening gold, that is after the close of Wall Street break through. ⭐
OMG! compassion alzheimer’s – ROTFLOL – The Pope is on a roll
Here’s a summary of the Curia’s 15 ailments, as reported by the Vatican news service.
http://www.inc.com/graham-winfrey/pope-francis-15-workplace-problems-plaguing-the-vatican.html
This is one of the most stunning workplace Christmas speeches I’ve ever seen. The cardinals must have been turning green hearing themselves called out like this, but it reminded me of every workplace I’ve ever been in and brought the US Congress to mind.
I am not surprised! Very few Black men escape the pernicious reality of racial profiling.
pondering how forward-looking people can continue helping PBO’s agenda become the continuous headline and obscure the gop as they are force to react to it over the next two years ;
about now, many in the gop are “jumping” from one PBO-generated headline to another and they look unsteady – how can we help PBO to keep it this way?
How difficult to make a choice! I did love them all…..each for a different reason. In January I chose the one of Michelle and Jill….I love those two women together and what they’ve done for veterans and service families. I chose PBO helping his lovely wife down the step in February…..and President Hollande looking on…..can I say, longingly? That picture just epitomized the elegance and class of these two wonderful people.
Regarding January picture #4, which I also really liked, it reminded me that we never have to see Eric Cantor’s picture again! Something to rejoice about.
VC—-I love this posting!!! And not to be argumentative with others I found my choices Jumped out at me. Not hard to decide at all.
Thank you, vc and I will be looking forward to each and every entry.
the 3rd rate corrupt media thugs aided and abetted this criminal.
Indeed, AMK. Darrell Issa, is a criminal.
All right everyone, check out this awesome website: http://librarianwardrobe.com/
Your friendly TOD librarian might send in a picture. Because I dress awesome.
I voted, LL.
you totally need to send in your picture LL
I shall be buying more french cuff shirts. I love cufflinks.
Wouldja look at that.
The quiet one is now a BT, who has given TODville an impossible assignment.
Congrats on your BT status, vc.
Thanks so much for your kind words about my 2014 memorable moments. Running behind, as usual, haven’t had a chance to offer my thanks to everyone’s gracious comments this morning. Much appreciated. 🙂
Great that you’ve given us the online survey — compilation should be much easier for you, though choosing won’t be easy for any of us.
Thank you Arapaho for your 2014 ‘memorable moments’!! Very much enjoyed it.
Thanks Dr. Bob, tireless warrior for truth, justice and the American Way!
🙂
Arapaho, thank you for sharing your favorite 2014 memories. You highlighted for me one of the great things I love about President Obama, his interaction with youth leaders all around the world. I really like all the photos from when he went to North Dakota.
Thanks, sjterrid.
The ND photos had it all.
PBO beaming, secret service guys looking serious, adorable children in their tribal finest, chubby babies and FLOTUS looking splendid in emerald green . Couldn’t ask for anything more.
Arapaho, your list of memorable moments set the gold standard that everyone will have to aspire to. How wonderful of you to take the time to think it all through and put it all together so beautifully.
‘Arapaho, your list of memorable moments set the gold standard’
Exactly, JackieG! I did the smart thing (for me) after enjoying it and added ‘x2’ to the comments. 😉 😉
Aw shucks, thanks JackieG and vc.
I owe it all to Chips and the many wonderful posts here at TOD — that’s where most of the tweets came from.
I saw that @MTV tweet/video after the Tribal Nations Conference in December and hoped that Obots here at TOD would want to see it as much as I enjoyed watching it — I think @MTV made a mistake by not posting on YouTube so that it could be embedded in a tweet — hard for the video to become viral.
Chips is the one who pulled found and posted all the photographs — I just sent her links to the TOD posts on President Obama’s April trip to Asia and his trip to Standing Rock in June. She really made my notes to her in an e-mail come to life!
Thanks again, Chips!!!
This is great — so many terrific photos! OK, I will do my best to choose in the absence of an “all of the above” selection. 🙂
‘in an absence of an “all of the above’ selection’
That made me laugh, Kat! I could actually see the majority of folks here clicking ‘all of the above’ for almost every month!
Yes indeed, Kat4Obama! I also would have liked to see a choice of “all the above.”
You indecisive souls! 🙂 🙂 Then each month we’d end up with ‘all of the above’ as the top pick.
I plead guilty about being “indecisive” and unable to chose. I actually did vote (#6 for January and #7 for February). At the same time, I don’t see what’s wrong with having 10 pics for each month that capture different moments in the President’s life? In any case, I commend you for all your time and energy in selecting these fabulous pics. You are really such a caring and sweet soul.
‘You are really such a caring and sweet soul.’
{{Nathk}} You’ll never know how much I needed just that comment tonight! Thank you.
You are welcome, VC! I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas!
TYVM!
To you and yours too – Season’s Greetings!
MSM/Comcast/Kochs did their jobs, propelling the abhorrent greed known as the GOP into office last month:
You know what, “F” those Americans because they should have voted 11-4-14. Well the ones who voted I hope you know I’m not talking about you. I’m talking about that 64% who didn’t vote..
ALWAYS it is a left leaning government that can build an economy by allowing EVERYONE to share in the success. Always the media and the GOP lie about the benefits of a right wing economy.
My country is in the process of heading down the tubes (which we did not do in 2007/8) because of the stupid of voting for a right wing government – ONE TERM ONLY
I like your picture choices VC!
Here’s something that passed me by on Timeline
I chose the one of the woman waving to him from her front yard, because it signifies to me the people who love him and for whom he fights every day.
I almost chose that one, but decided on another. You are right – what a meaningful moment!
MSNBC *seems* to be taking a break from Obama bashing (at least the past couple of days)…going as far as pointing out how wrong the Republican/ conservative pundit predictions have been about the economy, Obamacare, etc. Wonder about this about face.
I was flipping channels and landed on Tweeties show and before I could change the channel they were talking about 016′ candidates. Tweety said “she had nobmore information about WMD than the rest of us but she voted yes and we voted no”. I could not believe my ears when he and all the media was for the war and how he said war wax sexy. These people have no shame.
Any picture of POTUS ,FLOTUS,Malia and Sasha gets my vote.
🙂 🙂
VC, I pick all.
Excellent compilation!
what only up to Feb? #lazy
120 pics in one post woulda broked the internetz!
esscuses, esscuses.
2 months almost broke my intertubes – slowwwwwww to load
Great choices vc. While I think cute and good looking is important I think brains are really sexy. Give me one of those three guys on a date any day.
Jan is a no brainer. PBO in the midst of fools. He looks like a giant of a man.
Chips and bt’s are awesome!
We agreed on both choices vetivera – great minds and all that
Yeah, I am an airsign. I’m all about what you say and PBO says it so well!
He says it and does it! I love the science guys too – teaching truth to young ones will save our world
They are the future. He is an incredible role model for all kids They see his goodness is fir real cuz you cant fool a child.
Appreciate your support.
I am on the road to see daughter unit 350 klicks away and am on pay as you use ripoff from the cell phone company.
You owe me $0.69 so far.
🙄
Keep the change.
going to be on the road for another 2 hours at least. #notenoughyoumiser
Oh gaaaaaaaaaaawd, they are creepy!1!1!
If only you had paid what you owed me ….
are those hairless dog peeps?
best of the breed, I beliebe.
The pictures are wonderful.
VC, so glad you are now a bt. Thanks again for doing this. It was hard enough doing this a few days ago, and now I have even more photos to choose from! I picked the SOTU picture from January, and the President helping Michelle off the stage at the State Dinner for the French President.
I just paid $1.89/gal for gas tonight…it took me about $16.00 to FILL MY CAR! Thanks, President Obama!!!!
And I just paid $1 for a fracking liter.
Unbelievable.
Since my inclination is to move as quickly as possible off of fossil fuels, higher gas prices made sense intellectually, but reality was painful when gas was edging close to $5/gallon here in SoCal.
I’ve mentioned before that when I was in high school (before the 1973 oil crisis), gas was about $1/gallon — adjusted for inflation, that would be $6/gallon now. Would never have believed back then that gas would be cheaper 40 years later.
I just luv the photo of PBO waiting to deliver the state of the union address – the next one should be fabulous
VC this is a delight
If only the thugs had cooperated with the kenyan 10%, I wonder how the economy would be now. Still can’t get over the fact the traitorous bastids were rewarded by the idjit voters.
It really does hurt ….
“Still can’t get over the fact the traitorous bastids were rewarded by the idjit voters.”
I can’t either, AMK! And I don’t want to hear any excuses from all the Democrats who didn’t bother to vote. Now we have the “the traitorous bastids” claiming a mandate when only 36% of eligible voters voted in the 2014 mid-term elections.
I’m hanging with the men on this. But, we must remain strong and believe there is a higher purpose amidst the madness.
Well, it should be obvious to everyone which one I voted for in January. February was really tough. Finally voted for number 2, not just because of the respect shown the CiC, but also for the respect the CiC shows to current and ex-members of the military.
Of course neither is going to win, but I can’t help it if so few people have the total awareness of what is most important as I do.
🙂
🙂 I’m similarly peeved Japa, I chose 8 for February – now busy reading up on how to rig a poll.
Now if your choice wins, we’ll all know what happened. What was your choice for January again? I like to collect evidence.
🙂 4, the one that’s winning! So one outta two ain’t bad!
BTW, why are you peeking at the results so often? Shouldn’t you, as moderator, just wait till it’s over and bring the ‘ sealed envelope’ to the fore for a grand opening? /muttering under breath -#idontreallytrustcc #wellnotinthesesurveyscenarios/ Also too, when will we know the result – a minute before midnight?
But I have to keep checking so I know how many WordPress accounts I need to set up to make my pics win.
incorrigible is the only word
Thanks 99ts 🙂
smh – and no shame, just straightforward acceptance of incorrigibility!
If we ever needed a living example, right? 😀
😀 Really nice and subtle try to influence the vote.
‘I can’t help it if so few people have the total awareness of what is most important as I do.’
We’ll see if it works.
Moi??? Try to influence the vote? Mais non mon amie.
*You* are at least subtle about it. Did you notice unowho1 trying to blackmail to get her desired result? smh – some people never change….not for any lasting period of time, anyway.
Simply beautiful, both photographically and symbolically
. https://twitter.com/arabthomness/status/547513033661374464
Oh wow, that is so beautiful Japa.
Thanks for saying so. For some reason it isn’t showing up on my computer and I was worried it wasn’t showing up for anybody.
There have been some amazingly beautiful photographs from Ukraine since Euromaidan.
This ranks up there with the best, doesn’t look real:
Well! Well! This is where I needed to be this entire afternoon. I had an absolutely unexpected and awful afternoon! Signing in as soon as I could and running my eye down the thread has already done wonders for my morale.
Thanks so much Chips for adding a heap, a heap o’ pizazz, plus zip and zap (are they the same thing?), to TOD’s newest soon-to-be annual feature! You are a really good model and master picture finder – when you’re not being a rabblerouser. Thanks for this!
{{Chips Chica}}
{{{{{{VC}}}}}} Thank you for all your hard work, and for the WONDERFUL idea!!!
To be honest, Chica, it wasn’t my idea; I only promised to manage the vote [which I have successfully ‘managed’ to hand over to you. 😉 😉 /proudly – God, I’m good at managing./ ] I don’t remember whose suggestion it was, but it is definitely a winner! And a keeper!
Managing Ms Chips is surely worth 10 votes vc – you are a winner!!
😀 😀
Some musical beauty to celebrate Christmas, Bach’s Magnificat in D Major, A chorale with orchestra based on the Canticle of Mary, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” It’s about 28 minutes. Beautiful voices and instrumentation.
John Lewis is our treasure…he is our connection to the Civil Rights movement
John Lewis is our connection to compassionate humanity and justice.
All of this…he is an American treasure and an icon. We need to understand this history, his truths, so as not to repeat the horror anymore than we have already.
Indeed, DF!
I remember this picture and all the pictures of young SNCC and CORE members arrested during the “Freedom Rides.” For all of us who are sometimes tempted to think that not much has changed, the life of Congressman John Lewis should remind us that through constant and sustained struggle, and sacrifices, societies can be changed.
Bite me, Mitt. You’re making a boatload of cash right now…because of what PBO has done to guide this economy. Freaking hilarious
The person who didn’t complain – and supported the President – and bought the stocks when all were selling was Warren Buffet – he earns his success – supports companies that make things – doesn’t trade against the countries interests and doesn’t buy to “strip and sell”
Romney makes money by causing grief and sadness.
aloha chips and tod ohana!
our president is apparently having a great time being private and not being photographed… at least i haven’t found any pictures yet!
meanwhile, i saw this and thought i must share it with liberal librarian:
http://laughingsquid.com/new-york-public-librarys-newly-discovered-collection-of-quirky-vintage-reference-questions/
a hui hou!
For those that celebrate Christmas and want to track Santa’s whereabouts…this is the link tomorrow:)
http://www.noradsanta.org/
Games and fun for the kids….
Some of my grandkids and great grandkids have been tracking Santa with NORAD for years! It’s fun.
Here’s another one my son pointed out:
LiveSantaClaus Outside Cam in front of Santa Claus Office at Arctic Circle Finland
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/santaclauslive-outside-cam
Anyone see this earlier?
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2014/12/president-obamas-to-do-list-lock-in.html
Chips and VC – This is a magnificent collection! Thanks for doing this uplifting contest!
On behalf of the boss and I, you are most welcome, JO’B! It was really, truly a pleasure and a great way to reminds ourselves of some of the positives of the past year.
No question PBO, FLOTUS, VPJoe, Dr. Jill and the O-Admin bring lots of joy by their very presence and their involvement. What happened often this past year is that the naysayers and non-workers gobbled up a lot of the air. These are like air freshener, IMO.
These are like French perfume!
😀 You do have a way with words, dear resident bard.
More Christmas spirit from Nat King Cole. He was my mom’s favorite for Christmas Carols:
My very most favorite Christmas song. Love Nat King Cole. 🙂
Tweeted by Pourmecoffee 8 m ago, with this added comment:
The worst of 2014, in one comment.
Has he been heard of since October? If only he’d go the way of the US Ebola hype, and hopefully the way ISIS is currently headed.
LMAO!!!
I hacked into the polls & voted for all.
Beware, I can just take it away. Yours too.
Did ya not, you know, cancel yourself out?
why? I am an equal opportunity employer.
Why would you want to take it away
.
.
you grinch?
messing with the polls, ain’t that a murkan tradition?
#whendidubcomeamerican
#whenthekenyanbecameone
/baffled/ #yeturan
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/12/23/2014-99ts-most-memorable-moments/
What an amazing day – other than vc’s wonderful thread – my cleaning lady came – on Christmas Eve!! – to sparkle my house up for Christmas – I haven’t been able to convince her to come back for the cleanup – but guess there needs to be some give and take in this relationship.
All that is left to do is send Mr 99 to the shop for what I forgot yesterday and make the dessert. Some days, life is good.
It’s Christmas Eve here tomorrow, and I didn’t get much done today because of an unexpected turn of events – do you think your cleaning lady will come tomorrow to give me a hand? It would be much appreciated.
She has stayed for over 8 years! – no way am I letting her outside of the country – sorry vc 🙂
Thanks /snark/ friend! After 8 years she could be allowed a brief, very brief trip to help a friend. Just remembered the saying ‘If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, you’ll know it’s meant to be’, or something like that. 😀
Aw VC thank you for doing this for us. Well January was an easy pick for me, #4 is such a standout photo in my opinion- POTUS all commanding and in charge. February.. is hard, I like them all… lemme go look again ~
Glad you like them, Sherij. Trust all’s well in your corner…. and in the newest grandson’s.
g’morning vc & Merry Christmas Eve… have not seen my wee grandson- will spend Christmas Day with him and my son’s in-laws 🙂 However, my darling 7 yr old granddaughter Rylie spent the night with us.. she beat me at ‘go fish’ ate me out of house and home and already made my Christmas perfect 🙂 🙂 Hoping all is well with you too~