“A Washington tourist has been thrust into a national spotlight after video showing her reluctant but powerful impromptu performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Lincoln Memorial swept social media. Star Swain, a 34-year-old assistant principal from Tallahassee, visited the memorial recently with friends and relatives who started goading her to sing the national anthem. “What started out as a dare turned into all of this,” Benny Bolden, a friend and elder at her church, told The Washington Post. The video shows Swain saying, “I’m scared,” seconds before she took several deep breaths, closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Tourists chatted and walked around the memorial as Swain started to sing. But midway through her rendition, the crowd fell silent. Spectators started to gather around Swain and listen. Then, at her high note, they started to cheer and applaud. “People just started saying: ‘That was awesome. Thank you,’ ” Swain told the Tallahassee Democrat. “One lady had tears in her eyes. “I was kind of glad it was over. It was like a sigh of relief.”
Bolden, an elder at Family Worship and Praise Center in Tallahassee, said Marcus Henderson, the music minister, shot the video. Swain told the Democrat that the video was posted on YouTube later that day but it wasn’t until the next week that it caught fire, explaining: “Someone put it up on their Facebook page and the rest is history.” Swain, who said she is assistant principal at Jefferson County Middle-High School in Monticello, Fla., is listed as Genleah Swain on the school district’s website. Pastor Quincy Griffin Sr., from Family Worship and Praise Center, said he has known Swain for years — back when she was a trombonist and vocalist in the marching band at Florida A&M University. Now, he said, she leads the worship and arts department at his church. “It’s awesome now to let the world experience her voice beyond the four walls of the church,” Griffin told The Washington Post, adding: “She’s a very humble person but she has a very powerful voice.” The pastor said he wasn’t surprised by the social media response. “I think what I’ve always thought: She has a phenomenal voice, but she also has a gift that the world needs to experience,” Griffin said. “She has a voice of healing that they need to hear…continued”
Hi Nerdy and thanks for highlighting that fantastic letter from Natalie McGarry. I would imagine she would be a delightful person to share a cup of tea with to hear what she ‘really’ thinks of the orange one.
I don’t know if you ever got an answer on Superdelegates last week (I’ve been busy so haven’t even been able to lurk) but here is the full explainer from none other than Tad Devine, Bernie’s chief campaign operative.
“This is also an instance of history repeating itself. But first, an explanation: The primary process is a race for delegates and – on the Democratic side – superdelegates. Of the 2,382 delegates needed to win the nomination, most are obtained in the primary voting or caucus process. But 712 of the delegates are superdelegates, and they are from the party establishment. They consist of governors, senators, members of the House, members of the Democratic National Committee and former presidents. They can choose whichever candidate they like”
If he seriously wants to be an owner…he won’t want to be like Jay-Z and Brooklyn (owned .05%) Nelly has a 2-3% stake in the Charlotte Hornets, and Usher probably has the largest minority stake as part of the ownership group of the Cleveland Cavs. To put things in perspective…Jay-Z’s stake cost $3 million at the time. I think President Obama will spend the next year+ raising money for his library, $$$ in on the speaking circuit…setting up his daughters for life and make enough to invest in some sort of venture like an NBA team and then will settle into his NGO MBK type work full-time after that. My two cents 😕
Yes!!! These are the kind of PA cities that the Trump people think they can win big and turn the state red. With Joe Biden in Scranton that’s not going to be so easy.
HUH??? His “campaign” is over and the Senate is on recess, I thought. Good grief…this guy needs to go nap somewhere. I’m more than over him and his antics.
I know. Honestly, who would have ever imagined that there were so many people in need of mental health help running around…or rather running for public office. Wonder if he even realizes that the rest of the entire world has moved on…like MONTHS ago!
He has consistently said that he’s been “too busy” to do even the basic responsibilities. PBO (and HRC as SoS) handled more during the average coffee break than BS has tackled in 30 years in Congress.
True. They will fill the bill with untenable items that will cause Dems to not vote for it. Then they will say: see we brought it to the floor and they voted it down. If we are aware of this, I know that the Dem. legislators do as well. I hope they have long, multi-pronged plans to get the kind of laws that most of us want and the country sorely needs. The republicans cannot be trusted.
Bet he sees little green men, too.. maybe he’ll get to see the men in the white coats. That’s who he NEEDS to see. He is scary and dangerous. I can’t listen to 5 more months of this bs.
As we know, MSM can only pay attention to the meme-of-the-moment, are not inclined to think for themselves what end-run the Obama Administration might take between now and the end of his term ( 😦 ) .
In preparation for UN General Assembly in September (see @presssec and @schultz44 for more tweets):
The WH is recruiting big companies like Google and Goldman to help resettle refugees ahead of a push at the UN https://t.co/iUVhFKz9I2
After Corey Lewandowski was spotted at Donald Trump’s New Hampshire event this afternoon, questions were raised about CNN’s relationship to the Trump campaign.
Since Lewandowski won’t reveal what is in his Non-Disclosure Agreement but other Trump employees have said it includes a non-disparagement clause, the political world was shocked by CNN’s decision to hire the recently “let go” Trump campaign manager.
So journalists began wondering if CNN’s President Jeff Zucker was covering part of Trump’s payroll:
That was just beautiful Nena! Thank you for bringing her poem here!
“…….blackness is not where whiteness
wanders off to die: but that it is
like the dark matter
between stars and galaxies in
the Universe
that ultimately
holds it all
together.”
What a gorgeous metaphor! (especially for a cosmology geek like me 🙂 )
This is how I feel about the “blackness” part of my ancestry. My blackness isn’t obvious to the naked eye. But I feel it is so integral a part of my ancestry, and, like Ms. Walker wrote so beautifully, what “holds it all together” within me. My depth, my old-soulness, my soulfulness, my spiciness, my ability to weather and withstand and keep on going, that undefinable thing I know that I have always radiated: these qualities hold the many facets of my being together, physically and spiritually, and I know they come from that part of my DNA.
Obama White House.gov
The Obama Diary 
“A Washington tourist has been thrust into a national spotlight after video showing her reluctant but powerful impromptu performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Lincoln Memorial swept social media. Star Swain, a 34-year-old assistant principal from Tallahassee, visited the memorial recently with friends and relatives who started goading her to sing the national anthem. “What started out as a dare turned into all of this,” Benny Bolden, a friend and elder at her church, told The Washington Post. The video shows Swain saying, “I’m scared,” seconds before she took several deep breaths, closed her eyes and opened her mouth. Tourists chatted and walked around the memorial as Swain started to sing. But midway through her rendition, the crowd fell silent. Spectators started to gather around Swain and listen. Then, at her high note, they started to cheer and applaud. “People just started saying: ‘That was awesome. Thank you,’ ” Swain told the Tallahassee Democrat. “One lady had tears in her eyes. “I was kind of glad it was over. It was like a sigh of relief.”
Bolden, an elder at Family Worship and Praise Center in Tallahassee, said Marcus Henderson, the music minister, shot the video. Swain told the Democrat that the video was posted on YouTube later that day but it wasn’t until the next week that it caught fire, explaining: “Someone put it up on their Facebook page and the rest is history.” Swain, who said she is assistant principal at Jefferson County Middle-High School in Monticello, Fla., is listed as Genleah Swain on the school district’s website. Pastor Quincy Griffin Sr., from Family Worship and Praise Center, said he has known Swain for years — back when she was a trombonist and vocalist in the marching band at Florida A&M University. Now, he said, she leads the worship and arts department at his church. “It’s awesome now to let the world experience her voice beyond the four walls of the church,” Griffin told The Washington Post, adding: “She’s a very humble person but she has a very powerful voice.” The pastor said he wasn’t surprised by the social media response. “I think what I’ve always thought: She has a phenomenal voice, but she also has a gift that the world needs to experience,” Griffin said. “She has a voice of healing that they need to hear…continued”
Superb! Thanks for sharing this, LP:) My eyes leaked a little….
My pleasure, DF! ….all on a dare too 😎
🙂 Glad she took the dare
Incredible.
What a rich, beautiful, powerful, and moving voice!
That was WONDERFUL! What a rich, powerful voice she has! Just beautiful!
I was misty with joy at just her voice….. then when I saw she was AT the Lincoln Memorial, my ducts exploded.
Congrats, LP, and many thanks for sharing Ms. Swain’s rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. Wowee!
Hi Nerdy and thanks for highlighting that fantastic letter from Natalie McGarry. I would imagine she would be a delightful person to share a cup of tea with to hear what she ‘really’ thinks of the orange one.
Stock market is happy again today. ThanksObama:)
Blue Horseshoe Loves Anacott Steel!
Meanwhile Meat Loaf is set to appear with Trump at a campaign event and bbq.
Really? I can never tell with that guy.
No, I’m just pointing to the absurdity of Trump and his campaign.
Meatloaf. What happen to Scott Biao?
GA, Meta! Fun look at the possibility of President Obama becoming an NBA owner:
I don’t know if you ever got an answer on Superdelegates last week (I’ve been busy so haven’t even been able to lurk) but here is the full explainer from none other than Tad Devine, Bernie’s chief campaign operative.
“This is also an instance of history repeating itself. But first, an explanation: The primary process is a race for delegates and – on the Democratic side – superdelegates. Of the 2,382 delegates needed to win the nomination, most are obtained in the primary voting or caucus process. But 712 of the delegates are superdelegates, and they are from the party establishment. They consist of governors, senators, members of the House, members of the Democratic National Committee and former presidents. They can choose whichever candidate they like”
Hey, LP! Thanks. I wonder when PBO will ever have time to be an NBA owner? I know, he’ll MAKE time!
If he seriously wants to be an owner…he won’t want to be like Jay-Z and Brooklyn (owned .05%) Nelly has a 2-3% stake in the Charlotte Hornets, and Usher probably has the largest minority stake as part of the ownership group of the Cleveland Cavs. To put things in perspective…Jay-Z’s stake cost $3 million at the time. I think President Obama will spend the next year+ raising money for his library, $$$ in on the speaking circuit…setting up his daughters for life and make enough to invest in some sort of venture like an NBA team and then will settle into his NGO MBK type work full-time after that. My two cents 😕
And don’t forget writing his memoirs.
That is a given! He’ll get a 15 million signing bonus for a 2-book deal off the top.
CA-CHING!! I hope he makes a TON of money along with FLOTUS.
Yes!!! These are the kind of PA cities that the Trump people think they can win big and turn the state red. With Joe Biden in Scranton that’s not going to be so easy.
This is what you call chutzpah alright, an ongoing scam.
HUH??? His “campaign” is over and the Senate is on recess, I thought. Good grief…this guy needs to go nap somewhere. I’m more than over him and his antics.
He’s CUCKOO. Still running, still delaying his tax returns, still grifting. Someone needs to check his mental health.
Is BS still getting donations?
Well, if he’s still claiming to be a candidate, I’m assuming he’s still soliciting money.
UGH! Give it up, Bernie! I really hope the Democrats aren’t stupid enough to disrespect all the work President Obama put into the TPP.
I know. Honestly, who would have ever imagined that there were so many people in need of mental health help running around…or rather running for public office. Wonder if he even realizes that the rest of the entire world has moved on…like MONTHS ago!
DF, you made me laugh too loud. I am at work and should behave.
Che Sanderista is in need of another revolution because this one aborted.
He has consistently said that he’s been “too busy” to do even the basic responsibilities. PBO (and HRC as SoS) handled more during the average coffee break than BS has tackled in 30 years in Congress.
Ha!
GA DF.
😉
Was he even doing his office holder duties?? I guess as president he would have had to tackle one issue a month.
That’s the rub, for sure. What has he been doing?
Hi Everybody! Have you heard? We’ve got an architect!
Oops – Double posted it – but isn’t it grand?
No prob, dear! It IS grand! 😄
Good afternoon! Just checking in … has this been shared yet?
REPUBLICANS NEED TO OWN THIS
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/06/more-us-babies-with-zika-related-birth-defects-reported-by-health-agency/
This is so incredibly heartbreaking, to begin with – then add some Republican cruelty on top of it. The own it, alright.
So heartbreaking and unnecessary. They own this.
We have to make sure they own it because every last little evil one of them will try to blame it on PBO.
Yes, they will. And I agree we must fight back.
But if you don’t cut ACA & Planned Parenthood (and the millions who receive health care because of them), then no Zika funds!
Sociopaths. Every last one of them.
Won’t get an argument from me. I used to dislike them all intensely. Now, I think I actually hate them all.
NOW: Vice President Biden Speaks at Langston Hughes Community Health and Education Center in Cleveland – http://abcnews.go.com/Live?stream=4
Hello TODable TOD Village.
Thank you, NW for all you do.
Congrats to all the Gold ⭐ winners since last Night
BEWARE of the poison pill
True. They will fill the bill with untenable items that will cause Dems to not vote for it. Then they will say: see we brought it to the floor and they voted it down. If we are aware of this, I know that the Dem. legislators do as well. I hope they have long, multi-pronged plans to get the kind of laws that most of us want and the country sorely needs. The republicans cannot be trusted.
Bet he sees little green men, too.. maybe he’ll get to see the men in the white coats. That’s who he NEEDS to see. He is scary and dangerous. I can’t listen to 5 more months of this bs.
GA TODville.
As we know, MSM can only pay attention to the meme-of-the-moment, are not inclined to think for themselves what end-run the Obama Administration might take between now and the end of his term ( 😦 ) .
In preparation for UN General Assembly in September (see @presssec and @schultz44 for more tweets):
And from our neighbors to the north (via Meta’s twitter timeline):
In other news:
Thank you, President Obama.
http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2016/06/30/in-a-victory-for-open-government-president-obama-signs-foia-reform-into-law/
Crying!! 🙂
LOL! 😂
Gallows humor..
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/06/30/corey-lewandowskis-appearance-trump-event-raises-questions.html
After Corey Lewandowski was spotted at Donald Trump’s New Hampshire event this afternoon, questions were raised about CNN’s relationship to the Trump campaign.
Since Lewandowski won’t reveal what is in his Non-Disclosure Agreement but other Trump employees have said it includes a non-disparagement clause, the political world was shocked by CNN’s decision to hire the recently “let go” Trump campaign manager.
So journalists began wondering if CNN’s President Jeff Zucker was covering part of Trump’s payroll:
That was just beautiful Nena! Thank you for bringing her poem here!
“…….blackness is not where whiteness
wanders off to die: but that it is
like the dark matter
between stars and galaxies in
the Universe
that ultimately
holds it all
together.”
What a gorgeous metaphor! (especially for a cosmology geek like me 🙂 )
This is how I feel about the “blackness” part of my ancestry. My blackness isn’t obvious to the naked eye. But I feel it is so integral a part of my ancestry, and, like Ms. Walker wrote so beautifully, what “holds it all together” within me. My depth, my old-soulness, my soulfulness, my spiciness, my ability to weather and withstand and keep on going, that undefinable thing I know that I have always radiated: these qualities hold the many facets of my being together, physically and spiritually, and I know they come from that part of my DNA.
http://www.ebony.com/entertainment-culture/jesse-williams-alice-walker#ixzz4D6ZJbBQS
Holy flying figs. This must be the sister of the McCain Muslim questioner. smdh
http://www.politicususa.com/2016/06/30/trump-full-racist-admits-firing-non-white-tsa-agents.html
GA/GE TODville.
Could not love Joe Biden more if he were my brother/uncle. 🙂
LOL or what?
Time for #Berniestans to #StandDown.
ON MY FB………………<3
6-30-16
WH Presser Earlier Today by Josh “The Voice” Earnest.
Good evening, TOD! Dashing off to see Nneena Freelon at South. Read you later! BTW, just ❤ PBO!
Awesome! Enjoy!
Girl it was! My Mom, niece, and I had a fabulous time. Will post a video as soon as “life 101” slows down…
Kewl! 😀
Wow! Apple is not Playing.
Jay-Z is about to Earn Huge $$
I just laughed out loud at this one – lots of wife counting if Gingrich gets the nod.
Gingrich or Christie. Lord Help Us.
MY GUYS XOXOXOXO
Where’s Bo?
Sorry this Tweet is too Big.
Dag, I’ll be in Pittsburgh on the 8th…
Holy Smokes!
That young lady is A.MAZING! Can’t wait to see her bring home Olympic gold!
The Indisputable Demographic Facts!
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2016/06/30/the-presidents-day-in-washington-and-the-first-ladys-day-in-madrid/
Fantastic!