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Your May Joint Winners:
(1) President Obama greets 95-year-old Lewis Coffield, a retired U.S. Army Corporal and “buffalo soldier,” at Stewart Air National Guard Base prior to departure from Newburgh, N.Y., May 28, 2014. With them is fellow “buffalo soldier” Sanders H. Matthews, Sr., 93, a retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant (Photo by Pete Souza)
(2) First Lady Michelle Obama tours the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kan., May 16, 2014. Stephanie Kyriazis, Chief of Interpretation and Education, leads the tour (Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
(These two photos were neck and neck all the way, so I took the easy option and named them joint winners – so they’ll both be included in your final choice for 2014 Photo of the Year)
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Your June Winner:
(3) WWII veterans greet President Obama following the 70th French-American Commemoration D-Day Ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, June 6, 2014 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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July
(1) President Obama gets a hug from Special Olympics athlete Tim Harris, from Albuquerque, N.M
(2) President Obama greets the crowd outside Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque after having dinner with individuals who had written letters to him, in Kansas City, Mo. (Photo by Pete Souza)
(3) President Obama holds the baby daughter of former staff members Darienne Page Rakestraw and London Rakestraw in the Ground Floor Corridor of the White House (Photo by Pete Souza)
(4) President Obama greets audience members after he delivers remarks on the economy at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas (Photo by Pete Souza)
(5) President Obama greets patrons at Canter’s Delicatessen in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Pete Souza)
(6) First Lady Michelle Obama and Jennifer Lopez pose for a selfie before the 85th Annual League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) National Convention and Exposition in New York, N.Y. (Photo by Amanda Lucidon)
(7) President Obama talks with a little girl at the Charcoal Pit restaurant in Wilmington, Del. (Photo by Pete Souza)
(8) President Obama greets Emmitt and Pat Smith and family, and Team 22 on the Rose Garden steps of the White House (Photo by Pete Souza)
(9) President Obama talks with a young girl as he and the First Lady greeted military personnel and their families during the Fourth of July celebration on the South Lawn of the White House (Photo by Pete Souza)
(10) President Obama greets the family of departing staff member Archana Snyder, Council of Economic Advisers, in the Outer Oval Office (Photo by Pete Souza)
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August
(1) President Obama during a statement on the situation in Ferguson, Missouri and Iraq (Photo by Doug Mills)
(2) President Obama meets with Attorney General Holder to receive an update on the situation in Ferguson, MO (Photo by Doug Mills)
(3) President Obama visits with Natalie Quillian, Advisor to the Chief of Staff, and family in the Oval Office (Photo by Pete Souza)
(4) President Obama greets wounded warriors and their families in the East Room during their tour of the White House (Photo by Pete Souza)
(5) President Obama delivers a statement in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House
(6) The First Family leave the White House en route New York State to attend the wedding of Sam Kass (Photo by Pete Marovich)
(7) President Obama and daughter Malia depart the White House for Martha’s Vineyard (Photo by Doug Mills)
(8) President Obama jogs on stage for his press conference at the US-Africa Summit (Photo by Doug Mills)
(9) President Obama looks out over the water after arriving aboard Marine One at the Brenton Point landing zone in Newport, R.I. (Photo by Pete Souza)
(10) Essence magazine (Photo by Kwaku Alston)
****
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We’ll have September & October tomorrow, November and December on Monday, and then on Tuesday and Wednesday you’ll have to make the BIGGEST decision of your entire lives: choosing the TOD Photo of the Year 🙂
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You can see all the monthly choices by clicking
top of the sidebar on the right.
The Obama Diary 
Hello TOD!
GM on a Dec 27th, 2014.
Wishing all A Glorious Happy Holidays.
Hope all have had a Joyous Xmas.
BBL
Congrats and Happy Holidays!
🐻 is still in HI 😉
Hellooooooooo Nena!!
😎
Hello Lady Chipsticks 😉
Nena, wait! Here is you Au ⭐
🙂
Congrats Nena!!!
😉
I like that number 5 for August is winning ~ very symbolic of “that’s right I’m wearing my tan suit and I am so fine” although I picked number 1.. his look matches how so many of us feel on Ferguson.
Ditto to what you said. I also picked 1……..choices are so difficult.
I also picked 1 for that reason
Yea, someone who’s reasoning somewhat like me! I picked #1 because it’s symbolic to me as a means of offering balance – the presidency hasn’t been just smiles and laughter and hugs, AND in addition the pic contains the seal of office. PBO, in his office of president, is agonizing over a very significant issue – you can almost feel his emotions. IMHO the tan suit has had enough mention; I found that (media fabricated) episode so ridiculous that it pains my heart we mention it so often. It would pain me even more if that piece of media simplicity were to make it into the final 12! I would live with it, because I had no choice, but it would be seriously painful. Just saying.
VC. it wasn’t the suit that I liked about #5, it was the smile on his face, which seemed to say, “I’ve been through it all, the joys, the sorrows, the highs and the lows. You’ve counted me out, told me I’ve aged, insulted and demeaned me and yet here I am with the same heart-stopping smile I had six year ago.” I saw in that face all that we’ve always loved about our president.
Indeed, JackieG, you and others here (me included now that you point it out) may see all that, bit I’d bet what most others see first and foremost – because it was ginned up by MSM – is the tan suit.
Top o’ the mornin’ to y’all… what a way to start the day! Another chance to choose a favorite photo of POTUS. No challenges there! ❤ Is it possible it is colder in LA today than in Seattle? That is the report I'm seeing. Global warming? Not. 🐻
Been loving these photo selections…great choices
http://twitter.com/TheObamaDiary/status/548883259107852288
If protesters had signs saying “Dump Killer Cops” the police union would be up in arms that they were policizing the funeral. Classless cops indeed.
dump him how? idjits.
Knowing that lot, they probably mean shoot him. Pure scum.
Have they so readily forgotten their former mayor and all his antics? This is quite disgraceful. IMO.
They told the #BlackLivesMatter protesters to hold off on their protests after the brutal murder of Eric Garner and the cops being killed; yet they do this. Imagine if protesters had turned their backs on cops, or celebrated the death of cops, the police unions would scream hell and damnation.
Frankly, they’re all scumbags.
https://twitter.com/NerdyWonka/status/548885756559630336
https://twitter.com/NerdyWonka/status/548887437888344064
Trust and believe there will be serious repercussions for this.
IT DOESN’T APPEAR THAT ANYONE GRADUATED FROM THE ACADEMY WITH ANY LEVEL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT MATURITY HERE!…SHAME ON THEM…THEY JUST EARNED THE RIDICULOUS DEGREE!
http://twitter.com/TheObamaDiary/status/548884618351763457
https://twitter.com/UPPastryPlate/status/548887093729329152
INDEED…AND LAPD IS JUST AS BAD!
That disgusting former mayor is there standing next to VP Biden……
Bloomie or Ghoul-iani?
🙂
http://www.watoday.com.au/comment/martin-place-siege-puts-spotlight-on-another-enemy-violence-against-women-20141222-12c2q5.html
http://twitter.com/TheObamaDiary/status/548890393442791424
Indeed.
Reagan Fired Air Traffic Controllers for insubordination in the 1980s.
The NYPD Union are showing their true colors.
As the saying goes; Be careful what you wish for……….when Karma starts to pay attention……these foolish tactics demonstrated thus far by the NYPD would cause them to lose the public sympathy.
NewYorkers pay their salaries. 73% voted for the Mayor. Something has got to give……and soon.
MOST OF THE REASON DEAR….AND THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY…GOD KNOWS THE HEART…ALOT F PPEOPLE AREN’T GOIN’ WHERE THEY THINK THEY ARE GOIN’!!!!
Sue, I hope those ‘casing’ your house this morning are gone and you are free of the intrusion. Do they do this often?
THIS IS AN UGLY STATE TO LIVE IN WHEN YOU ADVOCATE FOR THINGS SUCH AS THE POOR…IMMIGRATION OR WHATEVER ISSUES PERTAINING TO CAUSES TO UPLIFT HUMANITY…I DON’T KNOW WHY THEY ARE DOING THIS …I DO HAVE A FLAG OF CHRIST IN THE FRONT YARD AND MANY KNOW I STAND STRONGLY AGAINST RACISM…WHO KNOWS…I’M TIRED TONITE THOUGH AND NEED THE SLEEP…HAVE CHURCH IN THE MORNING…I GUESS WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE…WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT CHECKING MAILBOXES,ETC.,…WE ARE ON A MAIN ST….AND…IT’S A STRANGE AND CRAZY WORLD OUT THERE!
Wonderful choices, Chips — it is a moving experience to revisit these moments.
July? Great photos of so much love between the people and a true President of, by and for all the people. I had to vote for #8. That little boy’s radiant, beautiful face. He sees the future. He *is* the future. And we will be a better nation.
August? Moved by #1, the domestic and global responsibilities of his office; thrilled by #8, the significance of the US-Africa summit; all the babies are winners; and who can forget our long national nightmare of TanSuitGhaziGateOutrageGateGate. But my choice is #2 — the first African-American President *and* Attorney General conferring on Ferguson. It suggests 2 major things: (1) how far America has come and how far America has yet to go. (2) The extraordinary people President Obama has named to his Administration point to his vision, his courage and the impact his Presidency will continue to have for many years to come as they all leave their mark in public service and the private and non-profit sectors.
Oh, and can we have a vote on best FLOTUS photos? Because she is absolutely the best and deserves something of her own.
Kat! Well said. And although I’d love to see a “best FLOTUS collection,” the woman has never taken a bad photo like some of the rest of us, so, yeah, no thanks! #SaveOurBrains
🙂 well, maybe not all the rest of us, JO’B… (teeheehee)
Maybe not! Ha. 🙂
Kaaaaaaaaaat!!! Who was it said yesterday, it’s way easier voting in an election!
Grr, I shoulda done that, had categories/themes, how on earth do you choose between these?
If I have time, I’ll include the most popular FLOTUS pic, etc, in the final round-up.
Chips and VC – Choices are getting h-a-r-d-e-r each day! But I love seeing all the photos, again! And Happy Saturday, if it’s Saturday (here in retirementland where every day is Saturday! Yeehaw!).
I’ve almost given up trying to choose, Jacqueline, it’s TOOOOOO HAAAAAAARD!1!1!1!
Here’s some headlines over the cops getting killed that explains why I distrust the media and sites like yahoo in particular: Grief, controversy mark the funeral of slain officer Rafael Ramos, killed in an UNPROVOKED attack.
Excuse me media but this killing was provoked by the series of police brutality and murders by officers who will never see a day in court for what they do much less prison. Headlines like this is what pisses me off. If you scroll further on yahoo you’ll find heart warming stories of officers giving people teddy bears to children and 100 dollar bills to others.
When a cop gets gunned down he’s automatically a family man and the media goes on and on about how he was such a good soul. When Garner or Michael Brown get killed, they are thugs are breaking the law. We never hear that much about their families besides their grief and even then it’s not covered to the same capacity as a cops. Our media is the source of the problem.
Jeff, I disagree with one thing. The attack was unprovoked. To say that it was provoked gives it justification, and there is no justification for the killing of those two officers.
I wouldn’t work in a corrupt instutitution that has a history a mile long of killing and beating people to death without much in the way of accountability.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Department_corruption_and_misconduct
Was the man justified for killing the cops? No murder is ever justified in my opinion but people can get provoked and to say that this mans actions were not based on any part due to the way the NYPD behaves I think would be untrue. He may have acted regardless of Garner and others because he after all tried to murder his girlfriend and had a clear deranged mentality.
When the cops turn their backs on the mayor and if something horrible were to happen to that same mayor would it be fair to blame the NYPD for encouraging such behavior among its officers? Yes.
“Excuse me media but this killing was provoked by the series of police brutality and murders”
I don’t think it was Jeff, the guy who did it started off by shooting his ex-girlfriend, she was the first target of his psychotic rage. If the cops had been his sole victims, I might have agreed, but I think this guy had way more issues than wanting to avenge the victims of police brutality – hatred of women being one.
I’m sure your right. The guy had some major issues and he was probably using it as a means to exact some vendetta against the cops and women.
However what I was trying to say is how it wasn’t surprising when people act violently over police brutality.
murder is wrong period. Most police officers do the right thing. Have families, Serve their communities. This killing had nothing to do with the protests.
Harder and harder. Well, August wasn’t all that difficult for me. But July…tough. I was 1 of 2 on the May-June selection, which means I have hit on 1/2 so far.
https://twitter.com/Our4thEstate/status/548903644028874752
Bobfr – I believe this group within the NYPD has been given a rope and they are entangling themselves with it. This behavior will only come back to bite them.
Certainly hope so, nospin!!!
ALL EVIL EVENTUALLY BOOMERANGS…GOD’S JUSTICE ALWAYS PREVAILS…MAYBE NOT WHEN WE WANT IT TO…BUT IN HIS TIME…HE NEVER FORGETS!
Father’s reaction to Christmas gift will move you to tears
Madison, AL — An Alabama father was moved to tears by his Christmas gift from his family. In a video posted on Vimeo, Bill Garrett can be seen opening his present in front of his wife and kids.
Much to his confusion he opens the gift to find a bowl of sugar. His wife then asks, “What is it?” Garrett responds, “Sugar.” He’s wife then asked, “Well what’s it in?”
He responds, “a bowl.” He then sees the tickets inside the box. The Alabama alum is so overwhelmed with joy that he is left speechless by the tickets to the 2015 Sugar Bowl game
Hello everyone.
Hope you are all recovering well from the Xmas festivities.
Thought this would at least make everyone chuckle:
http://www.nationalmemo.com/book-review-stranger-barack-obama-white-house/
Indeed.
I remembered how the GOPers and the Media used this in 2002 to get Norm Coleman elected.
Once again…..the Reason the Left has GOT to build their Own Media to normalize and equalize Objectivity in News Reoprting.
From what I saw , CNN is the only one that covered the funeral non-stop. They focused on everything negative, as usual.
Afternoon folks. Truly these choices are
sooooooo hard!
❤ this man.
Can't deny facts 😉
In A Civil Society…..We Shall Thrive 🙂
Sorry Nena. Thought I had inserted his tribute to Macy’s!
No worries Doc 😉
Arthur Bryant’s is so good! Last time we made the drive from our home in AZ to visit our families in OHIO and michigan, we hit Kansas City right about lunch time (how’d that happen?) both coming and going. We ate at Oklahoma Joe’s bbq on the way out and Arthur Bryant’s bbq on the way back. Next time we’ll hit Jack Stack’s bbq.
Lynch is up for re-election of the PBA and is also in negotiations with the Mayor’s office on a new contract.
That seems to be why he is acting out…..he thinks it will get him votes.
I know that Idris Elba has TOD serious fans here.
😉
Nena, thanks for bringing this to TOD. Saw it on another blog and thought “Ooooh, yum! would LOVE Idris Elba to be the new Bond!!! I think he’d be perfect – elegant, sexy and cool – and it’s about time for a different flavor of Bond 🙂 Pierce Brosnan was my former fave. I thought he was a perfect Bond (although I don’t mind Daniel Craig). I know folks are partial to Connery, but I always thought he was too rough around the edges to be believable as Bond. Roger Moore was my least favorite – waaay too bland for my tastes. No comment on Dalton or Lazenby… meh.
I vote for Idris Elba! (and look how cute he looks in this photo!)
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/12/27/2014-hopefruits-most-memorable-moments/