President Barack Obama meets with King Salman at Erga Palace upon his arrival for a summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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President Barack Obama shakes hands with Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdelaziz al-Saud, Governor of Riyadh, as he arrives at King Khalid International Airport
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President Barack Obama and King Salman walk together following their meeting
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First Lady Michelle Obama takes questions from children for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. The children of Executive Office employees and young people from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, SchoolTalk and the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency asked questions about her pets, her favorite food (pizza), what she plans to do after leaving the White House and why she chose President Obama as her husband
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The Obama Diary 
1st!
Congrats, Don!
Don,
Loved your comment on revolution two threads back!
Did you see my comment for you Sunday night about the fact that you are a “scarpettaro”?
LOL, yes, thanks.
Hey. Me? I’m in ved and ready to zzzzzzzz. Don’t feel good!
Love them both, unconditionally. The journey isn’t over only just beginning. The most powerful person in United States is private citizen.
Lovely!
Thanks for the post, Nerdy – and especially the lovely photos of the First Lady.
Can anyone tell me if the President has left Saudi Arabia yet?
GE JO’B.
Disclaimer – Time zones confuse the heck out of me, so the times may be incorrect, but I think this is PBO’s ballpark schedule for next couple of days.
Don’t what time things are happening, but if Gulf nations talks begin at 9am Riyadh time that is 2 1/2 hours from now (1am CDT):
Which would mean PBO will depart Saudi Arabia around 5am CDT and arrive in London around noon CDT tomorrow (6pm GMT).
Looks like #QueenAt90 lunch will probably happen around 2am PDT (4am CDT) on Friday morning (which I can pretty much guarantee will not be awake for). 😦
Will be awake for dinner at Kensington Palace though.
(second paragraph should say “Don’t *know* what…”
Oh, thank you so much for going to all that trouble, to answer my question. (I’ll feel better when the President is in London!) Hope I, too, am awake for some of it!
I am excited beyond words for PBO’s trip to the UK.
Despite their unbelievably hectic schedules, the stars are aligned for PBO and FLOTUS to embrace #QueenAt90 only one day after this historic event. Queen Elizabeth has been Queen for my entire lifetime, and her life has encompassed so much stunning change — from Downton Abbey Edwardian Era to the Obama Era — just incredible.
I was overjoyed this week to learn that FLOTUS will join #QueenAt90 festivities — really thought she wouldn’t be able to because of her commencement speech on Saturday (shocking to me that commencement ceremonies happen in April).
IMO, the EU will reel if the UK leaves, and PBO is well aware of that fact and will give (another) history-making speech at the Royal Horticultural Hall (swoon, for plant-lover me).
Love it! And goodnight to you!
Thanks, Ms. J’OB.
Sec Lew is a great guy:
God bless our beautiful FLOTUS!
How long does it take to get to England? I think FLOTUS will be leaving tomorrow and she will have to leave Friday night to come back home because she suppose to speak at Jackson St.. graduation Saturday
About seven hours nonstop on a commercial airiner.
Thank you maryI1.
London is 5 hours ahead of Eastern US timewise – so it will only be 2 hours after she leaves when she arrives home bella – so plenty of time to get back.
In 1976, when my son was seven years old, Cher had her second son, named Elijah. My son said to me one night when he saw it on TV, “How did Cher get that baby?” (he’d never asked before, that I recall now). Well, being a young mother who thought ahead, I got out my little book on How Babies Are Made, which I’d gotten in preparation, knowing this day would come. (Ed. Note: Many in the generation before me had none of these chats with their young kids – Ha! – so I planned to be different, being a child of the ’60s and all.) He sat next to me on the sofa, and I read the book and showed the innocent photos which told the story. I kept my voice soft, and almost read the book reverentially, so he’d get the idea it was a nice and normal topic. I looked down at him, and it appeared to me that his cheeks were a little pink, although he didn’t seem to be squirming about any of it. When we finished the book, I said, “Do you have any questions?” I kind of prepped myself for what was next.
And he said, “Can I go outside and play, now?”
Mothers today might not resort to books, but if they did, I’m guessing they would also answer the question, “How did Chastity become Chaz?” (Not that Cher’s at the root of everything, I don’t mean that. 🙂 )
Our FLOTUS is just so delightful, open and real with children, it’s a joy to watch her. I know we have to move on and the Obamas have already given so much of themselves to this country, but, damn, I will miss them so much. There will never be anyone else like them.
jackiegrumbacher, she is just wonderful. There will never be anyone else like our Obamas.
Jackie,
Not only is PBO one of the greatest Presidents of all time (the greatest of MY lifetime anyway) Michelle Obama is an amazing FLOTUS.
I am still enjoying every single moment of this year with them and PBO continues to surprise us with his chess moves, moving this country forward.
You know, I was disappointed at first with the idea of HRC running to succeed PBO. Aside from the resentment about 2008 that she had to atone for and that I had to move beyond, I wanted someone new and fresh. I knew we wouldn’t get another PBO but HRC seemed so same-old, same-old and I wanted to move Forward. Now that she has shown how she has grown and improved as a candidate and person and now that I have taken the time to listen to and observe her, I am beginning to think she is exactly what we need to succeed PBO.
More than anything else I want to protect and further (even if it’s incrementally) his legacy of change and inclusion. She is more highly qualified to be President than anyone else running and more than most who might have run. Someone “new and exciting” might not steer the ship as steadily. I see her as the “solidifier”. And, she may even make some much needed changes and innovations herself.
I don’t and won’t feel about HRC the way I do about PBO. But the thought that we may be able to follow 8 years of President Obama with 8 years of HRC is actually pretty cool. Their two administrations will represent 16 (knock on wood) years of liberal change, not only in the policies of these leaders but in the color and gender of the leaders themselves. Imagine: kids born in the early part of this century will have witnessed only a black man and a woman as president. The endless list of white males before them will be just stories in the history books.
(apologies to any basic white guys lurking – I don’t mean to say you are history, but your monopoly on the image of a potential President is, and that is a good thing for the USA and the world).
GE Madame Soph.
The most important thing for country is for our next President to build on the foundation so painstakingly built by PBO and his dedicated staff.
Of course there is ONLY one person who will so do, so #ImWithHer.
HRC will be blessed with having all the options and consequences of action/inaction for everything on PBO’s plate now (which includes everything domestic and just about everything else in the world).
Some food for thought:
More…
My response to @FoxNews…
Oh, just noticed the typo… deleting and replacing with this:
LOL
HARRIET TUBMAN ON THE $20 JUST MIGHT BE THE MOST ELABORATE TROLL FOR WHITE TEARS EVER
Damon Young, 4/20/16
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A man will enter some type of establishment. A bar maybe. A bank perhaps. Maybe even a bookstore. In my scenario this man is in his mid-forties. And possesses a slight stubble. He’s wearing chinos, a blue shirt, and brown shoes. He’s not a particularly handsome man, but not particularly unhandsome either. Think Nicholas Cage. Not that he looks like Nicholas Cage. But he’s on the Nicholas Cage handsome level. Anyway, a transaction will occur. Perhaps he will buy something. A latte. A bagel. A garden hose. Mints. Or maybe he will ask for change.
And then it will happen. He will be handed a 20. And this will be the first 20 he’s physically held with Harriet Tubman’s face on it. He knew this was going to happen. He remembers being dismayed by the news about it in 2016, and he also watched a couple recent news stories reminding people the Tubman twenties would be in circulation soon. But he just..forgot. He just didn’t realize it would be so soon. So sudden. So present. And when that 20 touches his hand for the first time, he recoils in horror. And makes a face like he was handed a bag of wet cat poop. But it’s a surreal horror, because although that 20 dollar bill has her damn fucking face on it, it’s still $20. And $20 is still $20. So he grudgingly and painfully puts it in his wallet. Making sure to separate it from the other bills. Because his wallet will stay segregated. It’s the least he can do. The only tiny victory he can muster. And, as he walks out — day ruined — he angrily gulps his latte. But he forgets the latte is hot and burns his throat. And he leaves the store yelping “Damn you, Harriet! Damn you to the Hell you came from!”
………………………………………………..
The thought of this happening — and yes, this is totally going to happen one day — tickles the fuck out of me.
On queue, enter the Trumpetts:
Loved this from last night’s show opening 🙂
ICYMI – the last episode. It’s really good!
https://twitter.com/M4v3r1ckX
Whoa, I have no idea what that is or where it came from. LOLz. Meant to post this:
The Science President! ❤ him sooooo much! 🙂
Many thanks, once again, to John McCain for giving us the likes of Sarah Palin and Meghan McCain. All three should just go home and spend the money they’ve bilked off the populace or their rich mothers, whichever applies.
Interesting biographical timeline for Luther
http://www.luthervandross.com/timeline/
A terrific Luther Vandross playlist
A truly gorgeous duet of Luther’s with the fabulous Martha Wash (Two Tons of Fun, “It’s Raining Men” fame)
Perfect last song to play before going to sleep.
Peeping in to tell you that if you need a good laugh, visit the http://electionconfessions.com/ website.
Hilarious. A lot of things going on out there.
Good Night TODVille!
Percy Sledge, may he rest in peace.
Last Thursday, the 14th, was the 1st anniversary of his death.
Morning!
https://theobamadiary.com/2016/04/21/early-bird-chat-725/