https://twitter.com/tayari/status/1031193953830428673
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One of my favorite parts of summer is deciding what to read when things slow down just a bit, whether it’s on a vacation with family or just a quiet afternoon. This summer I’ve been absorbed by new novels, revisited an old classic, and reaffirmed my faith in our ability to move forward together when we seek the truth. Here’s what I’ve been reading:
Tara Westover’s Educated is a remarkable memoir of a young woman raised in a survivalist family in Idaho who strives for education while still showing great understanding and love for the world she leaves behind.
Set after WWII, Warlight by Michael Ondaatje is a meditation on the lingering effects of war on family.
With the recent passing of V.S. Naipaul, I reread A House for Mr Biswas, the Nobel Prize winner’s first great novel about growing up in Trinidad and the challenge of post-colonial identity.
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones is a moving portrayal of the effects of a wrongful conviction on a young African-American couple.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling, an outstanding international public health expert, is a hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases.
****
The Obama Diary 
Thank you, NerdyW.
Thank you, Nerdy & Mr. President 🙂
hey vcprezo, Congrats on being first. I love President Obama’s readings list. I’m particularly interested in the one on post-colonial identity.
Thanks for sharing Mr. President
Congrats, VC. What a literate President we honor by taking his suggestions to heart.
Sheesh even he has narrow minds to deal with. smh
They’re everywhere. Ugh.
Like fly sh*t on a screen door.
Amongst the pretty much daily phone videos of American racists being racist, there was one Canadian guy doing his bit by trying to block an Indian man from leaving a store.
What next!
To what end I wonder?
A voracious reader. Can not love him more:) I miss you so much, Mr. President. I really, really do.
We enjoyed every minute of his presidency, but it seemed to go by like in 8 minutes, not 8 years. Too fast.
I concur.
Agree.
What the hell is this? Incoherent mess
I see your “incoherent mess” and raise you a “gobbledygook.”
🙂 There just aren’t enough adjectives, are there?
He’s “unhinged,” for sure.
King Blub hath blubbed.
State-wise data hard to come by as many states don’t report the costs of tax breaks and credits to industry. But on production subsidies alone: $14.7 billion in federal subsidies, $5.8 billion in state-level incentives = $20.5 billion annually in corporate welfare.
Of that total, 80 percent goes to oil and gas, 20 percent to coal. (Vox)
We can see why KOCH/Exxon/Rosneft et al. will do anything to keep fossil fuel supporters in Congress.
Thank you for doing “the homework” on this, so we didn’t have to!
US fossil fuels are subsidized by $20 Billion annually. (OCI) And this only accounts for direct production subsidies.
“Most significantly, OCI’s analysis leaves out indirect subsidies — things like the money the US military spends to protect oil shipping routes, or the unpaid costs of health and climate impacts from burning fossil fuels. These indirect subsidies reach to the hundreds of billions, dwarfing direct subsidies — the IMF says that, globally speaking, they amount to $5.3 TRILLION a year.”
Whoa.
In my mind, there is nothing better than Michigan in the summer! My grandfather had a place on one of the many lakes in southern Michigan, and I got to spend a large amount of each summer there while growing up. It was a children’s paradise.
https://thenypost.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/joe-biden-feature.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=618&h=410&crop=1
Former Vice President Joe Biden has endorsed Arizona attorney general candidate January Contreras, the former Obama administration official working to oust Republican AG Mark Brnovich this fall.
Biden called the Democrat — who, if elected, would be the first Latina to serve as the state’s top legal officer — “the real deal” in a statement provided to The Arizona Republic by the Contreras campaign. … https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/08/20/joe-biden-endorses-democrat-january-contreras-arizona-attorney-general/1032530002/
I voted for her in the primary:) She is AMAZING
But, everytime we brought up the Courts in 2016, we were told that we were so ‘naive’, and didn’t ‘ get it’.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trumps-judicial-takeover-711200/
Wise up, Rise up, America!
Wonder if the orange asscrack will say nasty things about the nuns….
Wow…Afro-Germans
How awesome is that?!!!!
Incredible….but Not surprising
Bravo Mr. Brennan! Chuckie Toad has spent the last decade twisting the truth for GOP. Good to see over 75 intelligence officials have denounced Trump’s security clearance threats. In fact 1995 Clinton executive order lays out detailed procedures for security clearances, revocation, appeal. Yes even Brennan has the right to freedom of speech and imo he’s a patriot for speaking out.
Can someone post the thread from Fixthecourt.com
It’s on Twitter… they got info on Kavanaugh from Bush days… through open records request… thr didn’t want us to see these
Can someone post the Twitter acct of FixtheCourt…. have Kavanaugh info
Thanks bunches, Sheila:)
hugs
I’ll look.
That’s fabulous!
good morning everyone.
may you have a great day and week
Yes!!!
if you have some time, please search for some news about Uganda;
…. following a loss in a parliament by-election (equivalent to the US Special Election for a Congressional district), our dictator (Museveni) has lost his damn mind.
some of the members of parliament (the opposition) who had gone to campaign in the legislative district have been badly tortured and imprisoned under false charges including planting guns on them and claiming that they were committing treason;
… some the ordinary people have been brutalized, imprisoned and killed;
… reports are that the tortured members of congress are on life support and their life prospects are very dim ;
on of the tortured opposition Members of Parliament is a musician turned politician (Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine).
he is very popular with the youth and marginalized people in many parts of the country;
based on reports that his chances of surviving the torture and being charged under courts martial (yet he is a civilian), people are protesting;
military and police have been deployed and are arresting and even killing people who are just minding their business especially in the capital city Kampala;
Uganda has gone through a number of civil wars and millions lost their lives;
no one knows the extent to which the current dictator (Museveni) will go to hold onto power;
media from other countries is covering the turmoil … but I have yet to see anything in the US media;
protests are going on in Uganda and other parts such as, Kenya, South Africa, Toronto, Boston, DC and other areas
Linda, thank you so much for keeping us informed about what’s happening in Uganda. Prayers for an end to this violence and the people being arrested, injured and killed.
Linda, I heard about this last night, but haven’t seen anything in US media. Here’s an AJ link:
https://www-aljazeera-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2018/08/ugandan-police-clash-opposition-protesters-180820135506453.html?amp_js_v=a2&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQCCAE%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2018%2F08%2Fugandan-police-clash-opposition-protesters-180820135506453.html
This will not end well. Ironically, Uganda’s national anthem begins w/: “Oh Uganda, the land of freedom …” 😢
i saw this too…here is another tweet….
heyyyyyyyyyyy VC….i hope you and your son are feeling grand
Hi, Sheila, we are both doing extremely well; thanks! I didn’t see this tweet, so am glad you caught it. Of course, you can guess whom I immediately thought of as soon as I saw it (other than Barack and Michelle 😉 😉 ).
BTW, how is the dancing going…..your dancer grand-d is now in high school, right?
yes…..she is truly amazing VC…she is still taking ballet….but her heart belongs to science…she wants to be a scientist like her mom….she call herself a science nerd who loves math….smilin big here…in fact she went to two science events this summer….
😎 I’d be smiling big too, particularly since my own math skills got stuck around 2 x 12 = 24. Way to go, grand-d; keep it up! I’m sure grandma will continue to be totally supportive of this road yo’re taking. 🙂
So love that the statues are of them holding hands. That is who they are. I still have smiles thinking of that trip. It was so exciting.
inorite! Those were the days! 🙂 🙂 ❤ ❤
GA, TODbots.
Congrats, VC on your Au ⭐ Furst 😉
What’s happening in Uganda, now?
Thanks NW.
❤ TODville Community.
I'm still listening to Aretha Franklin.
Love that so much!
Brian Kemp’s Bid for Governor Depends on Erasing the Black Vote in Georgia
It’s working.
By MARK JOSEPH STERN
We need the ACLU to sue him for NOT registering these voters. His ass needs to be sued!
Does this woman understand that we are not buying this good cop/bad cop act? Your HUSBAND is the cyber bully! As the old folks used to say, “sweep around your own front door before you try to sweep around mine.” https://t.co/kFfIZWGP04
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) August 20, 2018
This is what Paul Manafort is being tried for……how many times can he do this and claim, “my bad”.
Gee, who would have thought this?
Orange-Satan would give a security clearance to Putin if he could….
He already handed over classified info to his reps, for sure.
I’d call that #Justice
Make that partial justice!
Lets begin cutting THEIR retirement! They are getting the largess of the tax cuts so they should forgo any retirements from the federal government for those that have big war chests that they get to keep even after leaving office.
Always the petty & jealousy! Jaysus!
Birther First lady Melania Trump to travel to Africa this October. Is she looking for a birth certificate?
Heck no! Plagiarist Birther isn’t welcome. Just go away & do your pseudo cyberbully crappola in your bubble. Uggh!
🎵do you know where you’re going to …🎵 sing it Ms. Ross! 😂
😄😂😂
Hello from Iowa – where Rep. John Delaney (D-MD) has been campaigning for president for nearly a year now. Lots of TV spots – he’s going for the name recognition thing, I guess. My question is – has anyone outside of Iowa heard that he’s running for POTUS?https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/des-moines-iowa-state-fair-john-delaney-campaign-2020-president-united-states-democrat-congressman-maryland-20180819
Not me, but def going to check him out.
Well, well. This is a rough looksee: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland%27s_6th_congressional_district
True dat ….
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Am so LOL @ this! And comments in that tweet are my best cackle today! TY, DrBob! ❤
Never as long as they’re mugging judiciary, govt agencies, devolving all work that took decades to create. iQ45 is giving them cover to dismantle the Constitution, something they’ve tried to do for decades. It’s now up to us as voters to put a stop to this debacle, & up to us as voters reverse all the Crap they’ve actually done, it’s up to us voters to be vigilant forevermore.
Where can I get that shirt from?
Somebody put the website in one of the tweet responses – looks like they’re sold out already, but may get more!
https://www.raygunsite.com/products/make-america-great-again
I don’t know, J’OB, but that’s for real funny! I could fill my gas tank from now to when iQ45 & cohorts are outta here. 😂
Yes! Ha.
This is why Dems & Lefties of all stripes must start making a different argument on Representation.
House of Rep was originally 30K for one Rep. US has 321M+ people.
Dems Need to make argument for the Growth in the Population since the late 1700s & 1800s.
Why can’t States with 10 or less are limited to 2 Senators. 15M=3. 20M=4. 25M=5 and 30M-40M=6 Senators.
US has doubled her size since 1938.
it will be hard to make these kind of changes in these times…because for many in Congress for many in the State Houses..it is NOT about representation…it is NOT about Democracy…it is about POWER …
Unless we can begin to talk about Truth and Reconciliation….white folks in this country will continue to feed from the trough of racism, white supremacy and privilege…even those on the left do not want to talk about the centrality of the issue of racism….they shun this as identity politics…and relegate it to the back of the bus….
after the election the Dem Party had an opportunity to take on the notion of Truth and Reconciliation but instead they were focused on white workers…and the Sander voters….once again relegating the Obama Coalition to the back of the bus…i see that Perez is not talking aobut bringing Blk women to the table….but that is not enough….there needs to be a frank discussion about racism…
i do not know if i can ever hope for a change on this..my daughter says that blk folks are the most consistent voters in the DEM party…that is why the GOP works over time to gerrymander and suppress the votes of blk people….it is astounding that this was not addressed sooner n the DEM party…but alas…we are all affected by this racism and white supremacy…
👏 on Lawrence for showing Birther-illegal for her emptiness. She doesn’t need to go to Africa (which she probably thinks is a country), what about you get yr privileged arse to the border US states & make your platform about reuniting families? Eff off.
👏 on Lawrence for showing Birther-illegal for her emptiness. She doesn’t need to go to Africa (which she probably thinks is a country), what about you get yr privileged arse to the border US states & make your platform about reuniting families? Eff off!
Why hold back, Gazelle? Ha!
I agree with your EVERY well-chosen word!
Unfortunately, Trump is completely ignoring this letter as he does when he is opposed by people he can’t insult and berate. I hope actions like these force voters to come out in force in November and vote Republicans out of office. They are useless when it comes to holding Trump to any standards of behavior.
That is certainly my hope, as well!
New post.
https://theobamadiary.com/2018/08/21/chat-away-990/