Morning all. Thanks, Nerdy, for taking us to such wonderful places this week, from the White House birthday party to the opening Olympics in Rio and around the world. You keep us soaring!
From New Jersey, Dadâs a cop., Momâs a special ed teacher, got a scholarship to Duke, coaches at her old high school and does volunteer work for a foundation in NYC that teaches the sport to inner-city kids.
Love how her mother helped her find a way to participate in sports and still honor her religion. She has such supportive parents, and they helped her to become an amazing, and inspiring, young woman.
South Africa’s governing African National Congress has been defeated by the opposition Democratic Alliance in local polls in the capital Pretoria.With counting almost over, the DA has 43% of the vote compared with the ANC’s 41% in Tshwane, the municipality that includes Pretoria.
The DA will need to form a coalition in order to secure control there.
The two major parties are also locked in a tight race to control the country’s largest city, Johannesburg.
The ANC has also lost Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area in the Eastern Cape, which includes Port Elizabeth, to the DA.
It is the ANC’s worst electoral performance since it was elected to power at the end of apartheid and the replacement of white minority rule by democracy in 1994, and the first time since then that it has lost control of the capital.
The DA has won 93 seats in Tshwane while the ANC is second with 89 seats in the 214-seat municipal council.
People Arenât Really Appreciating Just How Bad Trumpâs Campaign Has Been
âHe is a neutron bomb that has gone off in the Republican Party,â said one top aide to Romneyâs 2012 campaign.
08/05/2016 03:29 pm ET
…………………….
But to apply that aphorism to Trumpâs past week might not do the barrel justice, veterans of past campaigns argue. Stuart Stevens, a top aide to Mitt Romneyâs 2012 campaign and a frequent Trump critic, noted that other candidates have imploded before. No one, he argues, has done it quite as spectacularly and with such a large potential for damage as Trump.
âDonald Trump is Todd Akin. He is Richard Mourdock and Sharron Angle,â he said, referring to three infamous Republican Senate candidates who committed fatal verbal miscues. âBut that is really not fair to Akin, Mourdock and Angle. They werenât nuts. They had political views and others that made them unelectable. With Donald Trump, it is instability. He is an absurd candidate for president. He is a neutron bomb that has gone off in the Republican Party that is destroying anyone near him.â
ALBANY PARK â Among the hundreds of CPS teachers and staff members who received pink slips Friday was one of the district’s most vocal critics, Roosevelt High School’s Timothy Meegan.
A 12-year veteran of the school’s social studies department, a Chicago Teachers Union delegate and all-around social justice advocate, Meegan has been outspoken in his opinion that CPS is “broke on purpose.”
“I truly believe the intention of those in power in Chicago is to dismantle public education,” he told DNAinfo after the district announced that nearly 500 teachers and about the same number of support staff were being laid off. “The willful neglect of neighborhood schools is a travesty.”
GM TOD. 94 days until we make history by electing a woman as President of our country!!
My thanks to NW for keeping our community together. And my heartfelt wishes for healing and solace for Chips and Yardarm and their families. And congrats to jackiegrumbacher on first.
We need a strong two party system. It’s the essence of robust dialogue in a Democracy. And, it’s been absent in the US since Nixon began systematically destroying the GOP while enabling a very few people – plutocrats, kleptocrats – to vastly expand inequity in the US (and abroad).
Good morning, TOD. A beauty of a morning here in PA outside Scranton where we are visiting friends. All glory and honor to Superhero Wizard NerdyWonka who keeps us informed inspired and interconnected all day every day. Love and gratitude
to our Founder Visionary TruthWarrior CEO Chipsticks. You are here in our hearts and immunity every day. May we all share vacation time with our precious and incomparable First Family, a vacation from the fray, a time to replenish our spurit, a minute or an hour at a time.
Regardless of what happens, Trump is proving to be less and less electable with each passing moment, which means the Senate GOPâs obstructionist gamble is already careening towards failure. So now theyâre caught in an awkward place in which theyâre pretending to stand on the high ground of principle while also trying to avoid being dragged down the low road by their presidential nominee.
And while it is tempting to say that itâs Trump who put the Republicans in this situation, the truth is that they brought it on themselves. The move to block Merrick Garland was a blatant attempt at a power grab and an extraordinary break from political norms, and the excuses Senate Republicans tried to hide behind were transparently cynical. No one was fooled by what they were trying to pull, and the fact that the whole strategy came to rely on the political acumen of Donald Trump offers at least some proof that karmic retribution is real.
Shooting-star superfans are in for a special treat this month as the Perseid meteor shower — one of the best annual opportunities to spot bright, fast bits of space rock burning up in the night sky — is expected to be twice as nice as normal.
“Forecasters are predicting a Perseid outburst this year with double normal rates on the night of August 11-12,” Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office said in a statement. “Under perfect conditions, rates could soar to 200 meteors per hour.”
In my 20s I was a HUGE fan of celestial happenings (the parents of the boyfriend of my college roommate owned an island off the Washington state coast, and they spent one summer there — loved her stories about meteors, lunar eclipses and Northern Lights — with zero light pollution).
Watched the Perseids back then on the eastern slope of mountains east of San Diego with an unobstructed view of the desert — really a spectacular view, think you can see all the way to southern Arizona) — lying on the hood of my car with my best friend, so much fun.
Have never heard of so many shooting stars visible each hour — now that I’m (much) older, doubt if I can be awake after 1am this year. đŚ
Yesterday, when HRC was asked about immigration, she made it pretty clear that we need a majority in congress to get this done, and folks need to get out and vote. I was happy that she pointed out election results in 2010 when folks did not vote.
Although even for the tiny time he spends reading, he barely can grasp the words and makes a total a** out of himself, so that adds to his downfall. But, yes, his loose talking from the dark parts inside him works best.
He’s on record for giving similar answer as Palin on what he has read (basically nothing).
Since he refers to notes, teleprompter and tweets, he’s not illiterate, he just too lazy to read. He can “delegate” reading to his subservients/servants.
GM, TOD.
Been out and about for a family reunion. I recorded the Rio Opening ceremony and just got the chance to see it. It is the best that I have seen (and I have seen everyone from the time that I was a young girl) in its honesty, purity and message. They showed all of their historical, cultural, and present day issues; all of their shit- the good the bad and the ugly; the past, the present, and the hope for the future. The section on the slave trade hit me the most and I really appreciated the pathos of the music and the gravity of the audience as it played out. I was blown away by the section on climate change (take that stupid-ass deniers in the US); the FACTS shown clearly for the world to see. The hope that they showcased by showing what they are doing about it; replanting their country, seedling by seedling.
Epic fail for Hoda Kotb for referring to the Portuguese/European Invasion as “immigration.”
Not a follower of celebrity “news” that much, but Giselle’s long strut across the arena to “The Girl from Ipanema” (I thought she was German) was Everything.
While it sucks that PBO was not able to go to any of the Olympics while in office, I did not want him or any of his family and staff to be put at risk (and through them other family members) because of the Zika virus. I hope and pray that all of the athletes, ours and the worlds’ return home safely.
I’ve been told that there are lots of German immigrants in Brazil — dark history of Nazi escape last century, but know very little about Brazil myself, so that may just be heresay.
Just started reading and realized that I had missed the news of your loss, Yardam. You are such a wonderful person I have no doubt about your son being just the same. I cannot imagine the pain your family must endure at his loss. All blessings of comfort and love to you and may the universe rise up to meet you and yours in your hours of need.
Though summer’s nearly over for DF đŚ , can’t help but be reminded of the song “School’s Out for Summer” (may have the title wrong, not a music aficionado) — First Family off for two week family vacation:
The Obama family looks so happy. I hope they have a wonderful time and put all the pettiness of DC and Republicans aside for two weeks. These times together must be so precious.
I hope we remember Pres. Obama’s call for Bernie’s supporters to keep up the excellent efforts and use the same strategies to contact congress members about funding for Zika. We have to hold ALL congress members accountable.
Not his final vacation as President, Brandon, because the family also goes to Hawaii each December. So, to be correct, it is his final summer vacation as President.
Thanks for this photo Bobfr. I met with 5 friends yesterday to figure out what we will be doing for HRC this fall. We are in Northern California in a strong Dem county, so it is not so imperative that we work locally for her campaign. We decided we will be phone banking to other parts of the state and country, doing data entry, and traveling to Nevada several times in October to walk precincts, register people, and possibly even do poll watching. I look at the photo you posted and I can’t wait to be part of this historic team! My first training starts on Wednesday!!
Obama White House.gov
The Obama Diary 
Morning all. Thanks, Nerdy, for taking us to such wonderful places this week, from the White House birthday party to the opening Olympics in Rio and around the world. You keep us soaring!
Congrats Jackie on First!
Thank you Nerdy for wonderful TOD!
Good Morning, Everyone đ
The Sista Fencer Wearing the Hijab.
Ibtihaj Muhammad.
From New Jersey, Dadâs a cop., Momâs a special ed teacher, got a scholarship to Duke, coaches at her old high school and does volunteer work for a foundation in NYC that teaches the sport to inner-city kids.
Fabulous story!
Love how her mother helped her find a way to participate in sports and still honor her religion. She has such supportive parents, and they helped her to become an amazing, and inspiring, young woman.
gm TOD – congrats on 1st jackie – enjoy the weekend. Our Saturday was busy – being retired is no picnic đ đ
I always refer to retirement as a place where “There’s never enough time to do nothing.” đ
South Africa’s governing African National Congress has been defeated by the opposition Democratic Alliance in local polls in the capital Pretoria.With counting almost over, the DA has 43% of the vote compared with the ANC’s 41% in Tshwane, the municipality that includes Pretoria.
The DA will need to form a coalition in order to secure control there.
The two major parties are also locked in a tight race to control the country’s largest city, Johannesburg.
The ANC has also lost Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan area in the Eastern Cape, which includes Port Elizabeth, to the DA.
It is the ANC’s worst electoral performance since it was elected to power at the end of apartheid and the replacement of white minority rule by democracy in 1994, and the first time since then that it has lost control of the capital.
The DA has won 93 seats in Tshwane while the ANC is second with 89 seats in the 214-seat municipal council.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36997461
People Arenât Really Appreciating Just How Bad Trumpâs Campaign Has Been
âHe is a neutron bomb that has gone off in the Republican Party,â said one top aide to Romneyâs 2012 campaign.
08/05/2016 03:29 pm ET
…………………….
But to apply that aphorism to Trumpâs past week might not do the barrel justice, veterans of past campaigns argue. Stuart Stevens, a top aide to Mitt Romneyâs 2012 campaign and a frequent Trump critic, noted that other candidates have imploded before. No one, he argues, has done it quite as spectacularly and with such a large potential for damage as Trump.
âDonald Trump is Todd Akin. He is Richard Mourdock and Sharron Angle,â he said, referring to three infamous Republican Senate candidates who committed fatal verbal miscues. âBut that is really not fair to Akin, Mourdock and Angle. They werenât nuts. They had political views and others that made them unelectable. With Donald Trump, it is instability. He is an absurd candidate for president. He is a neutron bomb that has gone off in the Republican Party that is destroying anyone near him.â
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-campaign_us_57a4dd32e4b056bad2157ba0?mzhb9pyj9qiurqkt9
Staunch CPS Critic Let Go From Teaching Post At Roosevelt H.S.
By Patty Wetli
August 5, 2016 4:02pm
ALBANY PARK â Among the hundreds of CPS teachers and staff members who received pink slips Friday was one of the district’s most vocal critics, Roosevelt High School’s Timothy Meegan.
A 12-year veteran of the school’s social studies department, a Chicago Teachers Union delegate and all-around social justice advocate, Meegan has been outspoken in his opinion that CPS is “broke on purpose.”
“I truly believe the intention of those in power in Chicago is to dismantle public education,” he told DNAinfo after the district announced that nearly 500 teachers and about the same number of support staff were being laid off. “The willful neglect of neighborhood schools is a travesty.”
GM TOD. 94 days until we make history by electing a woman as President of our country!!
My thanks to NW for keeping our community together. And my heartfelt wishes for healing and solace for Chips and Yardarm and their families. And congrats to jackiegrumbacher on first.
BBL?
Donald Trump’s convention: filled with fear and hatred | The Briefing
Our Massive Project: How to Vote in Every State
Ladyhawke! This is wonderful! He shoots down every hipster or cynic’s argument for not voting.
The YouTube channel has a video for how to vote in every state!!! Yay!
TODers, please share this everywhere and often.
To our fearless and tireless Nerdy Wonka, this would be great for a post centerpiece.
https://m.youtube.com/c/howtovoteineverystate
The above link is to the channel. Here is the one for Military and overseas voters:
Thank you, Ladyhawke, for sharing this project. I shared it on Facebook.
Good afternoon/evening TOD!
Best advice they’ll ever get, if I do say so myself đ
We need a strong two party system. It’s the essence of robust dialogue in a Democracy. And, it’s been absent in the US since Nixon began systematically destroying the GOP while enabling a very few people – plutocrats, kleptocrats – to vastly expand inequity in the US (and abroad).
#FORWARD Together
Great tweet, Bob!
Thank you Jacqueline đ
They can not do that without #TruthAndReconcillation. It won’t happen.
G’morning Nerdy & TOD!! Congrats Jackie on #1, and Happy Saturday everyone!! đ
Good morning everyone. It’s going to be a good day.
Yardarm, holding you in my thoughts and prayers, you and your entire family.
Morning everyone! Happy Saturday! Last one until school starts:( Anyway, found this schedule for the Olympic events, thought I would share
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/08/how-to-spend-118-hours-watching-the-olympics-next-week.html?mid=full-rss-di
Good morning, TOD. A beauty of a morning here in PA outside Scranton where we are visiting friends. All glory and honor to Superhero Wizard NerdyWonka who keeps us informed inspired and interconnected all day every day. Love and gratitude
to our Founder Visionary TruthWarrior CEO Chipsticks. You are here in our hearts and immunity every day. May we all share vacation time with our precious and incomparable First Family, a vacation from the fray, a time to replenish our spurit, a minute or an hour at a time.
Immunity? Spurits? What is in my
Coffee this morning? Posting from my phone is always an adventure. “Hearts and minds…”
“Spirits…” Lol
I plan to replenish my spirits in spur(i)ts, so I got it. Mornin’!
The future Slotus.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/08/06/us/politics/anne-holton-tim-kaine.html
Good Morning TOD.
LOL đ
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/d-n-c-headquarters-mobbed-by-republican-refugees-seeking-asylum
Love Andy!
Truth!
http://www.salon.com/2016/08/05/mitch-mcconnells-trump-problem-the-nominee-undermines-scotus-obstruction-and-the-gop-majority/
Regardless of what happens, Trump is proving to be less and less electable with each passing moment, which means the Senate GOPâs obstructionist gamble is already careening towards failure. So now theyâre caught in an awkward place in which theyâre pretending to stand on the high ground of principle while also trying to avoid being dragged down the low road by their presidential nominee.
And while it is tempting to say that itâs Trump who put the Republicans in this situation, the truth is that they brought it on themselves. The move to block Merrick Garland was a blatant attempt at a power grab and an extraordinary break from political norms, and the excuses Senate Republicans tried to hide behind were transparently cynical. No one was fooled by what they were trying to pull, and the fact that the whole strategy came to rely on the political acumen of Donald Trump offers at least some proof that karmic retribution is real.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/perseid-meteor-shower-should-be-twice-as-spectacular-this-year/
Shooting-star superfans are in for a special treat this month as the Perseid meteor shower — one of the best annual opportunities to spot bright, fast bits of space rock burning up in the night sky — is expected to be twice as nice as normal.
“Forecasters are predicting a Perseid outburst this year with double normal rates on the night of August 11-12,” Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office said in a statement. “Under perfect conditions, rates could soar to 200 meteors per hour.”
Mark your calendars!
GM DF.
Whoa, what great news.
In my 20s I was a HUGE fan of celestial happenings (the parents of the boyfriend of my college roommate owned an island off the Washington state coast, and they spent one summer there — loved her stories about meteors, lunar eclipses and Northern Lights — with zero light pollution).
Watched the Perseids back then on the eastern slope of mountains east of San Diego with an unobstructed view of the desert — really a spectacular view, think you can see all the way to southern Arizona) — lying on the hood of my car with my best friend, so much fun.
Have never heard of so many shooting stars visible each hour — now that I’m (much) older, doubt if I can be awake after 1am this year. đŚ
Head’s would explode if they ever read facts like this…..
Facts will only confuse them further.
tiny hands, tiny brains
um, okay.
Yesterday, when HRC was asked about immigration, she made it pretty clear that we need a majority in congress to get this done, and folks need to get out and vote. I was happy that she pointed out election results in 2010 when folks did not vote.
and in 2012…. and in 2014.
I think that it is very possible that the Dems can take one or even both houses in November.
Agreed. We need to keep DT talking…and endorsing:) Damn kiss of death:)
Yes, talking instead of reading.
Although even for the tiny time he spends reading, he barely can grasp the words and makes a total a** out of himself, so that adds to his downfall. But, yes, his loose talking from the dark parts inside him works best.
GM OG.
Personally, don’t think DJT reads.
He’s on record for giving similar answer as Palin on what he has read (basically nothing).
Since he refers to notes, teleprompter and tweets, he’s not illiterate, he just too lazy to read. He can “delegate” reading to his subservients/servants.
GM, TOD.
Been out and about for a family reunion. I recorded the Rio Opening ceremony and just got the chance to see it. It is the best that I have seen (and I have seen everyone from the time that I was a young girl) in its honesty, purity and message. They showed all of their historical, cultural, and present day issues; all of their shit- the good the bad and the ugly; the past, the present, and the hope for the future. The section on the slave trade hit me the most and I really appreciated the pathos of the music and the gravity of the audience as it played out. I was blown away by the section on climate change (take that stupid-ass deniers in the US); the FACTS shown clearly for the world to see. The hope that they showcased by showing what they are doing about it; replanting their country, seedling by seedling.
Epic fail for Hoda Kotb for referring to the Portuguese/European Invasion as “immigration.”
Not a follower of celebrity “news” that much, but Giselle’s long strut across the arena to “The Girl from Ipanema” (I thought she was German) was Everything.
While it sucks that PBO was not able to go to any of the Olympics while in office, I did not want him or any of his family and staff to be put at risk (and through them other family members) because of the Zika virus. I hope and pray that all of the athletes, ours and the worlds’ return home safely.
Have a great weekend TOD.
GA CEB.
Posted this for you a couple of days ago, reposting ICYMI (re: your comment about Singapore PM’s WH welcome ceremony):
I’ve been told that there are lots of German immigrants in Brazil — dark history of Nazi escape last century, but know very little about Brazil myself, so that may just be heresay.
Thanks Much; I loved this moment.
Very special ….
The sheer grit it takes to rise above all that horror and crimes committed against the people of Aleppo …
back to work ….
I saw the standing ovation last night that the Refugee Olympic Team received from everyone in the stadium – did my little ol’ heart good!
What did Axelrod say now?
Just started reading and realized that I had missed the news of your loss, Yardam. You are such a wonderful person I have no doubt about your son being just the same. I cannot imagine the pain your family must endure at his loss. All blessings of comfort and love to you and may the universe rise up to meet you and yours in your hours of need.
GM/GA TODville.
Though summer’s nearly over for DF đŚ , can’t help but be reminded of the song “School’s Out for Summer” (may have the title wrong, not a music aficionado) — First Family off for two week family vacation:
lavenir.net â
Ouest-France
FLOTUS’ shoes! Have a fun vacation beloved First Family!
The Obama family looks so happy. I hope they have a wonderful time and put all the pettiness of DC and Republicans aside for two weeks. These times together must be so precious.
I agree, jg, especially with Malia heading of to Spain soon. I think this will be a bittersweet time for the First Family.
I hope we remember Pres. Obama’s call for Bernie’s supporters to keep up the excellent efforts and use the same strategies to contact congress members about funding for Zika. We have to hold ALL congress members accountable.
Not his final vacation as President, Brandon, because the family also goes to Hawaii each December. So, to be correct, it is his final summer vacation as President.
And thanks, JER, for all these glorious photos of the First Family. đ
Tim Tai â
What a beautiful, and very tall, family!
Thank you so much for this lovely picture!
Hope the Obamas enjoy their vacation.
Thanks for this photo Bobfr. I met with 5 friends yesterday to figure out what we will be doing for HRC this fall. We are in Northern California in a strong Dem county, so it is not so imperative that we work locally for her campaign. We decided we will be phone banking to other parts of the state and country, doing data entry, and traveling to Nevada several times in October to walk precincts, register people, and possibly even do poll watching. I look at the photo you posted and I can’t wait to be part of this historic team! My first training starts on Wednesday!!
“I look at the photo you posted and I canât wait to be part of this historic team! My first training starts on Wednesday!!”
So very proud of you cd4biden!!!
Thank you!!
#FORWARD Together
đ
đ
It’s going to be stunning!!!
back to work …. {{{{{Yardarm & family}}}}} ….. {{{{{Chips}}}}} …..
A bit of a preview ….
Stunningly beautiful. Mesmerizing is an understatement:) Thank you for sharing.
Just had to share this ….
now, I really need to get back to work đ
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2016/08/06/marthas-vineyard-here-we-come/