President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama stand with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe during an official arrival ceremony at the South Lawn of the White House
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President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office
First Lady Michelle Obama and Mrs. Akie Abe during a Japanese immersion class at Great Falls Elementary School in Great Falls, Virginia. The Japanese immersion is part of Virginia’s Fairfax County Public School’s World Languages Immersion Program, where elementary students learn math, science, and health through a foreign language
President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe participate in a joint press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House
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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcome Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe after they arrived at the north portico of the White House for a State Dinner
First Lady Michelle Obama is in a Tadashi Shoji dress
President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe participate in a toast with sake during a state dinner
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The Obama Diary 
First?
Yes! ⭐ Sabreen60
Congrats Sabreen!! 🙂
NW – STUPENDOUS POST!!! Thank you for all the lovely photos!!!
Thanks so much, Bob!
You are a TREASURE, NW!
🙂
I’m sorry.until the so-called good cops speak out against the brutality of their fellow police officers, they do not get a pass. I suppose the blk men were defending the police against who? And for what?
TY, NW!
Hope you’ve had an opportunity to enjoy that glass of red wine, MP 🙂
As I said, I ‘wish’ I had a glass, but no, no wine in the house tonight, and I just couldn’t rally to go out for some. So, I am still wishing!! You and Meta enjoy a sip for me! 🙂
Well do, MP, though I hope by tomorrow evening you’ll be able to have a sip of some delicious red wine, as well 🙂
🙂 You are kind, Bobfr.
So much goodness, these photographs are an epic tale. So lovely. ❤
🙂
Lovely!
There’s nothing like a small cup of warm saki…….Yum!
President Obama’s focus on the fact that we should LOVE EVERY CHILD and protect them is the path to a genuine American (global) civilization.
Love is indeed the answer and every child deserves nothing less from EVERY ONE OF US.
#TrustBarack
#TrustJoe
bbl …
Thanks for the cherry blossomiest post ever, NW! State Dinners never interested me before the Obamas.
🙂
Judith Fardig, alot of things never interested me before, after 2017 they won’t interested me again.
Not sure what’s happening with WP but it appears one of my comments + tweets is in spam …
bbl ….
Mine disappears completely. Regularly too.
NCLB
No Child, you’re using a different name almost every time you comment, that’s the problem!
You’re free now, Sir Bob. 🙂
Thank you, Dear NW!!!
Thanks NW for these pics. I didn’t get a chance to see what lovely dress/coat ensemble FLOTUS during the day today.
🙂
No seat belts? Seat belts are compulsory in my world. Have been since the 1970s.
How beautiful! And welcoming!
Love the background of bright pink blossoms for the toast, too!
Wow! Can’t believe I missed it, my first time through the photos, but it is lovely!
Wow, I show am proud of our President and First Lady.
Lovely couple.
A big protest march is going on now on the Southside of Chicago near the University of Chicago.
Of course i may have missed the public responses i am highlighting below – deep apologies if that’s the case. I must confess that i have been struck by the lack of vocal defense by women’s organizations of attacks levelled at FLOTUS, The First Daughters, Dr. Susan Rice, AG Lynch etc. However, i was surprised by the very muted celebration of Ms. Lynch becoming AG that i wished to see from my fellow feminists and the women’s organizations. As for the ‘Declared Democratic Candidate’, the silence about Baltimore is defening
Deafening
You are so right globalcitizenlinda. But let someone say something about Hillary. Oh how you will hear the uproar.
Not surprised by no comments from so called feminists re: Loretta Lynch, racism trumps everything in the good ole USA, the struggles of black folks for justice, equality, just for dignity is never ending.
WordPress is being it’s usual “awesome” self and put a lot of TOD regulars in spam ::rolls eyes::
You are all free now. 🙂
If it happens, please leave a comment, so I can rescue you.
Thanks.
Thank you NW!!!!
🙂
Nepal Update:
@W7VOA is embedded with Japan Rescue Team. They were scheduled to arrive yesterday, but had to turn back (rescuers to Kolkata India, others to Bangladesh), but they arrived today.
So did the 57 members of the LA County Fire Department search and rescue team:
Loretta Lynch has hit the ground running:
“Earlier today, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett hosted a conference call with over 50 local leaders from across the country including Mayors Michael Nutter (Philadelphia, PA), Tom Barrett (Milwaukee, WI), Karen Freeman-Wilson (Gary, IN), and Chairman John Eaves (Fulton County, GA).”
good night TOD
http://mic.com/articles/116680/11-stunning-images-highlight-the-double-standard-of-reactions-to-riots-like-baltimore
Dear Nerdy – at the end of my not very happy day – this post has revived me beyond belief – a wonderful collection – second to none – it is so easy to see in the faces what wonderful hosts are the President and his Lady. They make everyone feel welcome. They look beyond perfect.
thank you thank you thank you
Thanks, 99ts. Glad the post revived you. 🙂
As always, I am here late. My daughter is asleep so I can snick into her (actually my) computer to see how TOD members are responding to the news of the day. Like many people here, I am so thankful that we have Nerdy Wonka, along with Chips, to keep us informed. Thanks so much, NW, for the wonderful tweets on the previous thread. The events of the past days in Baltimore,MD, on top of what happened in Ferguson, MO, Ohio, NY, and on and on, have been so heartbreaking. It’s as if when Blacks folks take one step forward there are forces in our society that are determined to make sure that they take two steps backwards. In less than 6 months I will be seventy years. Even in these dark days of the seemingly non-stop killing of Black folks by police, I am still thankful of the progress we have made in my lifetime. I never imagined that I would live long enough to see the end of “Apartheid” in South Africa, or the election of a smart and caring Black person, with a lovely family, as President of the United States. I urge everyone who may be in despair about the current horrific situation, to pick-up the late Vincent Harding’s book, “Hope and History.” Professor Harding clearly shows that despite setbacks, people who have not lost hope have the capacity to fundamentally transform history. Again, I am always thankful to see young people, Like Nerdy Wonka, carrying the torch of freedom and self respect for all humanity. People who disrespect and denigrate their fellow human beings deserve, at the minimum, to be publicly shamed.
🙂 You rock, Nath!
Good morning TOD.. some info on our first night under “curfew”. Prior to curfew- lots of sirens, racing police/fire and armored trucks passed our way (s.Baltimore) – 3 helicopters flying overhead. Apparently there were “youths throwing rocks/bricks and according to our neighbor’s sister who drove over in a panic- these “teens” were beating people up. Now just prior to that my son had heard 2 guys in the alley behind our house yelling that someone needed to call police as a man had just beaten the younger one and busted his head open. Rescue & police arrived very quickly for that incident. Our roads were blocked off for a while all the way down about a mile or so. Later on at the 11pm update, the police Commissioner mentioned the incident with teens, but it didn’t sound like there were any arrests.
Then sometime after curfew- 10:30 or so.. we heard a few vehicles drive by.. then the helicopter again w/ loudspeaker telling folks to stay inside, a few minutes later, since our curtains were still open- I could see what looked like people’s legs thru the fence outside.. my son’s were in the room w/ me.. I went and opened my front door and said what the heck is going on and there were 4-5 police standing and running in front of my house with flashlights, the copter is shining their spotlight. One cop yells “close your door and stay in the house”. My son’s and I watched through the windows (they with video running) while over a dozen cops- both city and state, some w/ civilian vehicles- ran around our houses- they ran through the neighbor’s yard across the street, breaking both their gates.. anyhow they were apparently chasing one person- my youngest son saw him briefly.. later we heard this was over the throwing of a rock at a store window down the street. We did not see them catch him.. as quick as they arrived at our house/street- they disappeared just as quickly, jumping back into their vehicles and looking further down the streets for their “suspect”. It was surreal, all of it.
It felt like a police state last night and imo was very troubling. There is a big part of me that wishes the entire city would break curfew tonight- all 600+ thousand of us.
Just wanted to update for anyone interested. I wish all of you a good day.. and please send out positive thoughts for all our young people, like my son, going back to school today.. I am very concerned for them w/ the presence of so much firepower everywhere by cops/soldiers.
What a traumatic experience, Sherijr. This kind of terror should not happen in residential neighborhoods. I hope there’s someone you can talk to in the city government about respecting people’s rights and property. If the city doesn’t have a hotline, I hope they put one up soon.
Jackie, I don’t really think any authority cares much about what we might think.. they’re too busy quelling imaginary riots. seriously, there is a whole lot of overkill here. We weren’t traumatized by last night- my biggest fear was that they’d catch whoever they were chasing.. and what would happen to that person in the hands of all these armed police. Several of them were laughing and seemed quite gleeful in their pursuit. However, let me just add- that everyone I’ve spoken to in my neighborhood- black and white- all seem quite okay with this police presence- that does scare me.
Thank you for the update, sherijr. Hopefully, this will be a calmer day and the focus can go back to what the protest was intended to be about, rather than providing fodder for the media’s for the drama of violence.
I am keeping positive thoughts for the safety of you, your family, and your community.
Thanks sw, yes, I called my son while he was on light rail.. asking about police presence at the light rail stations, he said there wasn’t much.. except downtown at the Cultural Center.. that was good to hear. The schools put out robo calls letting us know that they’ll have counseling etc at the schools to assist all our kids in need- so that’s something.
thanks sw, me too, positive thoughts for the whole city.
When college student or sports fan wreck havoc, loot, burn cars, there is no declaration on martial law, there are no tanks, the communitu
Is not on lock down, under seize, this happens to us, because America tolerates
exactly- we tolerate, we comply. I was saying to my son’s last night- what are the laws on this- that a mayor/ city, what have you, can willy nilly force us to be in our homes? I’ve yet to hear what the ‘sentence’ is for those folks arrested for breaking curfew.
I know it’s not cool to say Natzi- but I thought back to that time when a nation complied with the forces of their country. If the whole damn city chose not to comply- what would they do, what could they do?
Good morning, sheri. Your extended posting on this issue is first-rate reporting. And very, very, troubling.
It is easy for me to understand why the exagerated Police response makes you question why the citizenry is complying.
The parallel for me is to the Boston Marathon bombing aftermath when US Military tanks rolled through the suburbs of Boston. Many people did speak up and say that this was a bad precedent, but many others were welcoming or indifferent.
Then Ferguson. A suburb of 22,000 residents was filled with MRAPS and all manner of heavy Military equipment and the National Guard.
It is hard Not to conclude that we are being slowly accustomed to a Military Occupation of our communities. Bit by bit.
thanks for that info, and very well stated Vicki, glad you see my concerns.
A very belated HUUUUUUUUGE thank you for the post Nerdy, I went to bed earlier last night than I’ve done since I was about three months old 😕
Moooooorning everyone:
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/04/29/early-bird-rise-and-shine-31/
Hahahahahahaha. So, I guess, you’re looking 21 again today. 🙂
Thanks, Chips.
Excuse me, I look 18 today!1!1!1! 🙂 Thanks a million again Nerdyaroo!
thank you TOD for this fabulous diary of The First Couple’s Day
🙂
Love this post, NW.
Thank you.