First Lady Michelle Obama visits with families working on crafts at Maryland Fisher House IV at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., April 14, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
First Lady Michelle Obama meets with six-month-old Kyleigh Garmon, and her mother Megan Garmon, from Alabama, during her visit to the Wounded Warriors being cared for at the Fisher House at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
First Lady Michelle Obama has stickers placed on her face by 20-month-old Lily Oppelt, as her parents Amy and Sgt. Lucas Oppelt, far right, from Indiana, watch during her visit with Wounded Warriors being cared for at the Fisher House at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., The First Lady is participating in a pre-Easter celebration with military families and their children. The Fisher House provides extend stay housing program for family members while their loved ones receiving specialized medical care at Walter Reed.
First Lady Michelle Obama passes out a basket of cookies made by the White House pastry chef
First Lady Michelle Obama speaks to Rachel Seal and her children Ayden, 3, Chandler, 5
First Lady Michelle Obama waves to Annaliese Jacobson as her mother Tamara watches
First Lady Michelle Obama speaks to Joshua Seal and his son Wyatt
First Lady Michelle Obama, with her dogs Bo and Sonny, arrive to meet with Wounded Warriors being cared for at the Fisher House at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
First Lady Michelle Obama wears stickers on her face that where placed on her by 20-month-old Lily Oppelt,
White House.gov
My Our FLOTUS:)
Reposted this because IT’S IMPORTANT
Take a gander at what corporate welfare looks like. Holy shit
http://www.americansfortaxfairness.org/files/Walmart-on-Tax-Day-Americans-for-Tax-Fairness-1.pdf
Reply
121desertflower
April 14, 2025 at 7:28 pm
MEET THE TAKERS!!!!
Walmart and the Walton family receive tax breaks and taxpayer subsidies estimated at
more than $7.8 billion a year – that is enough money to hire 105,000 new public school
teachers [See Table 1 for state breakdown].
The annual subsidies and tax breaks to Walmart and the Waltons include the following:
• Walmart receives an estimated $6.2 billion annually in mostly federal taxpayer
subsidies. The reason: Walmart pays its employees so little that many of them rely
on food stamps, health care and other taxpayer-funded programs. [See Table 2 for
state breakdown]
• Walmart avoids an estimated $1 billion in federal taxes each year. The reason:
Walmart uses tax breaks and loopholes, including a strategy known as accelerated
depreciation that allows it to write off capital investments considerably faster than
the assets actually wear out.
LOVE MY FLOTUS!!! I need a nap.
WTG, DF, now for that nap!
Here, right here, is a wake up America, you are being taken for all you’ve got!
Totally taken.And this is JUST ONE COMPANY! Think of the others that don’t pay a damn red cent! People need to understand who the REAL TAKERS ARE!!
Good evening TOD: Great pics NW! ……for those #GOT fans out there :cool:
When the Lannister’s hired Icelandic band Sigur Rós, as their wedding band…. what did you expect?
Everybody’s talking these G.O.T weddings! I’ve got a lot of catching up to do before I have clue, but I’m definitely game. Just finished ep7 in Season 1. The only wedding so far is the one to platinum blonde girl to New Conan tne Barbarian (who it turns out is Lisa Bonet’s husband in real life — just tad of gossip).
I might just breakdown and read the whole wikipedia episode details just so I know what people are talking about. By the way, I’m totally Team Tyrion (no surprise there). Cant’s stand the rest of his evil family and he’s no saint, but that’s my dude.
Hold your horses, Dudette!! If you have not read any of the books don’t take the easy route via spoilers. The series was picked up for season 5&6 after last Sunday’s monster ratings hit. George R.R. Martin, is still writing the 7th book, so everyone isn’t in the loop, or in the know in real time. Take your time and binge watch if you have a *sick* day :)
p.s. Put ‘True Detective’ in your “need to watch” list. It is only a one run 8 episode masterpiece!
p.p.s. The “Red Wedding” was Ep.9 last season… you may need a few *sick days* to fully catch up :cool:
Good tips! Thanks LL!
I’ll True Detective to the pile along finishing season 3 and catching up on season 4 of Downton Abbey. Just got the season 1 dvds for House of Cards. Phew! I don’t enough sick days for all of this. :-)
One more reason why I looooooooove Denzel Washington. He told Hollywood point blank, you will not look at me as a Black man and believe demeaning roles are the only parts I can play on screen. He has gone on to win two Oscars, nominated lots of times, done compelling work in movies, done fantastic work on broadway (President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama saw him last week in ‘A Raisin In The Sun’), etc. Chris Rock has also spoken about a similar experience and it is shocking to hear first hand that the famed Hollywood casting couch is just as ugly it has been portrayed.
Excellent! I’d never seen this before thank you for bringing tnis to us
I have so much respect for the pivotal choice he made early in his career. It’s a difficult one for many to make when you’re young and hungry for a
“big break.” Heeding the wise advice from the legendary Sidney Poitier, it turns out, gave us Denzel’s stellar career. So many good life lessons in this short clip about cultural and racial sensitivy, about choosing your path to the future, about seeking, giving and receiving advise. Just great!
Denzel Washington is a man of strength and integrity. Love that guy.
These pictures are just PRECIOUS!
What a wonderful First Lady we have!
Dudette start preparing your truckloads of kleenex for Jan 2017…
hopefruit2 have mines ready too. 2017 :(
I’m preparing shiploads for the both of us anniebella, don’t worry, you’ll have a year’s supply on hand…
Thank you hopefruit2.
I know. I’m gonna need at least a week just to compose myself.
Not 1st, but a respectable TOD Top Ten. Congrats df on #1! :)
Congrats hf! :-)
But, but, but an “Immigration” slacktivist on MSNBC told me that Obama was just deporting everyone in sight…
Nerdy W., thanks for your hardwork and brilliant mind to investigate and share your collective knowledge of information with your TOD family. This is one of the reasons that I love Chips, you, Desertflower, Jackie ‘O; Tally, Amk, LL, Zizi, LP, Donna; Bobfr; Vc, Judith; Bill R,, meta; nath, yardarm, GoBrooklyn; Africa, Collegekay; MightyPamela; Jack G., CarolMae; Dudette; Japa; Layla; Marilyn; tnmtgirl;, symmetry; and All of the TOD brilliant minds who share information with this family. I know that I left some one out so I will not drop names anymore because the last thing that I would want to sit in my heart is to not mentioned someone who is doing great things as well. So, I will not again, But my heart has been so tender and full these last two weeks because of knowledge of how the others are trying their very best to try and destroy the great work and record President Obama and his team are doing and will continue to do for the good of all people. I will leave it there.
TOD keeps so many of us going daily when we come here and read, listen to all of the great things that we already know are being done, but the vile people out there, and the haters will not allow the truth to spread. But because of all of the great work that Chips presents daily along with her wise choices of what comes into her space here at TOD we all are educated and are able to spread the work and word FORWARD. Remember the video FORWARD during the 2012 campaign where one by one groups just started flowing out into the streets? I think I have the song correct. Correct me someone, if I am wrong. I feel that we need to start moving again with that spirit to move us #Together We Can, as Bobfr reminds us. Nothing will break out spirit this time either.
I hope Dudette can bring that one out. It just has such a powerful message. Remember my numbers are getting up there now and the hairs on my head are getting whiter, but my heart and spirit are as one working together to get this 2014 on for our president.
I will be okay , just moving in my space with a very tender heart. But POB will be fine. I know that for a fact; but he needs us to be moving out into the streets together bringing up the line for him. Can we do that? I hope so. I know we can. We did it twice.
{{{{{{{ Love you all so much}}}}}}}} If you knew how all of you lift up my spirit daily, and I am sure so many others here, you would weep as well. We have each other. We Will Keep His Back.HZ
“We Will Keep His Back.” - Yes we will, HZ. Yes we will.
Thank you for everything, you wonderful soul.
This is a beautiful statement, HZ, and I know how all of hearts ache to see the way the media and Republicans work full time to lie and to undermine our president. We are both pretty much the same age, HZ, and I feel the aches and pains and see the gray hairs as well. But we’re not to old to keep fighting to make sure we don’t let our president down in 2014. Bless you for all the love you give to all of us everyday.
HZ, your spirit, your love, your graciousness also keeps all of us going. You are very special to all of us. Your words help our hearts. Thank you for being you and sharing you love and knowledge with us. We will keep the President’s Back and we will keep this nation going to.
Awesome post HZ
Good evening! It’s always great to see the pictures of the First Lady (and the guy who was lucky enough to marry her ;-) ) around children.
America’s future interacting with their First Lady :) All is well.
Just beautiful…like what other First Lady would let stickers be stuck on her face and have photos taken? Precious. Just precious.
I was thinking the same thing desertflower.
:) I just love her.
And notice how she reacts differently to each child, DF, as she appreciates their individuality. She just doesn’t have the usual patronizing smile that many adults affect with small children. She actually SEES them.
Wonderfully perfect observation, jackie:) Because she sees them all with a respectful heart…each is special and unique.
Nerdy Wonka thank you for the pictures of our wonderful FLOTUS.
You’re welcome.
I am happy that the admin continues to call it Obamacare,
I remember vividly the day President Obama, took the conservative pejorative Obamacare, and said “That’s right I do care!” It was on his bus trip starting in Minnesota, I believe in 2011……to lazy to look for the video right now :(
I remember when PBO said that once the ACA is working well the GOP will stop calling it “Obamacare” and possibly the GOP Heritage Foundation Health plan they FORCED PBO to take or else….
OK, I did my civic duty and found it……. this is my earliest recollection…. I may stand corrected…… 30 minute mark:
This great photo (one of my favorites of his presidency) was also during that 3 state trip
Thanks lp. I remember that moment.
You are wonderful!
Note that they make it very clear that it was Tzar Vlad requesting the call ….
And yet in a flyby earlier, I heard Jake Tapper make some snarky comment about the President and the call. Put it out of my mind so that I don’t recall details, but one snarky comment from Tapper is the same as any other. That is, they aren’t true.
Yes, because they know the MSM will try to twist it…
United States Mission to the OSCE — On Russia’s Illegal and Destabilizing Actions in Ukraine
As delivered by Ambassador Daniel B Baer to the Permanent Council
Vienna, April 14, 2025
http://osce.usmission.gov/apr_14_14_russia.html
Ambassador Baer has also tweeted his scathing remarks ….
Always good to say thank you …
Sorry folks ….
4-14-14
Jay’s at the WH Presser
Oh man, what a day at the library.
Gold for DF. Congrats.
Absolutely gorgeous photos Nerdy, thank you soooooooooooo much!
Totally agree Chips. Thanks NW. Yellow is one of my favorite colors. Nice of FLOTUS to take Bo and Sunny to visit with the kids and distribute treats.
She looks stunning every day COS, but more than ever today - simply beautiful photos!
That’s because FLOTUS wears her heart on her sleeve, and looks gorgeous at it.
Good evening, Ms. Chips!
Helllllllllooooooooo Jacqueline!!
Thank you, Chips. :)
LMAO! Hey Dotster, here’s another “Florida or Fiction?” story for ya :) :)
Now that’s what I call ‘ready to party’!
LOL!
She was in a hurry—-it happens to all of us when we’re real thirsty—we forget our pants—-who among us can say we haven’t ever run into the grocery pantless? Not me! :)
Flori-duh had topless in McDonalds and pantsless in Publix last week.
Florida for the win!
“who among us can say we haven’t ever run into the grocery pantless? Not me”
My goodness, what Mr Dotster has to put up with :-)
Why oh why does everyone say they feel sorry for mr. dotster? Can’t they see that I’m the one suffering here??? (haha)
Does Mr Dotster ever go grocery shopping pantless? See? Mr Dotster - my heart is with you.
OMG I love the First Lady even more now!
Only First Lady Michelle Obama could look even more beautiful with stickers on her face!!
Saturday marked the one year anniversary of Sally Jewell’s tenure as Secretary of Interior.
Here’s a short video from SLC Tribune:
I didn’t realize that she’s waiting for 6 nominees to be voted on by Congress.
They’re so busy with important stuff — right, they’re busy panicking about Nov 2014!
“Six nominees — not counting Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze who was confirmed last week — are still awaiting votes, including top officials for Fish and Wildlife, the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Survey and Land and Mineral Management.
‘That’s been really frustrating and not like anything you see in the private sector, where you can put your team together,’ says Jewell, who left as head of outdoor retailer REI Inc. to move to Washington.”
I can’t stand this idiot. He’s an idiot parrot. WTF is his problem?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/14/cynical-race-baiting-will-fail-to-save-the-democrats.html
If Ron Christie says it won’t help Dems, you can bet GOPers are pooping their pants.
A dream slightly deferred.
So, a day or so ago (such a fleeting memory), here in Central Illinois, it was 70 degrees or something. Today, light snow on the ground, cars, rooftops; temp. tonight will be 27-ish (read: hell-ish). Back up to 60 on Wednesday. I’m running out of cuss words to mutter to myself. But give me time, because I will definitely think of some.
Happy Spring!
{{{{{ jacquelineovoomer }}}}}
Love ya!
Love you back! :-)
In the meantime, because I’m crazed while we wait for Spring - and Summer - I’m teaching my 3-y/o great grandson this song from eons ago, which is great to play when I ride my exercise bike. His 23-y/o mother is gagging (I used to hate this song when I was in high school in the ’60s, too - Ha).
But you have no idea how cute a 3-y/o sounds singing, “’cause you don’t want my love” - at the end of the first part.
“….. you have no idea how cute a 3-y/o sounds singing, “’cause you don’t want my love”
Cutest thing I have EVER heard!!!! :lol:
And here in Oklahoma, it was 84 Saturday and Sunday, then a COLD front moved in Sunday afternoon, and tonight it will be 27, so had to cover some of my flowering shrubs so they won’t freeze! Then….tomorrow it will be in the 60s, and 70s the rest of the week. We also had about half an hour of snow this morning…….from the AC to the heat in the house!
The weather in our Mid West sounds ominous, since it’s tornado season.
But maybe these daily extremes are actually confusing the systems that create tornadoes! Let’s hope for that.
Posted this article about the Sahara dust that was causing air pollution to spike in London was actually beneficial for the Americas’ hurricane season last year.
Also, I’m honored to be on the same blog as someone who has taken classes from George Kennan. From 1991:
Oh, thank you, sweetie pie. I’m just getting back here. Had to take a “late nap,” after all that singing.
You have time to brush up on your howling at the blood mood!
Ha! Thanks - I’ll check this out!
💤
One of the many things that I love so much about our FLOTUS is how she throws herself whole-heartedly into what ever is going on at the moment. She is never too busy or to adult to play, to join in, to be so much part of what is going on. I am so glad that she is not like the very distant First Ladies of the past.
After that spanking he received from zizi, TOD, and the rest of the Obot Twitter brigade, I see that Coates wants to make nice with PBO…
Obviously, Coates hasn’t been listening, Hf. There have been countless significant and morally grounded speeches given by the president. In fact they are ALL morally grounded. This is awfully late in the game for him to start paying attention.
Because he only NOW realizes that he’s on the outside, and not even his emoprog friends will defend his BS….
In fact they are ALL morally grounded.
THAT was my first reaction, JG, so I didn’t bother to look further than those words. Like you said, it ‘is awfully late in the game for him to start paying attention.’ I’m glad for him that he’s finally awake, but if it’s taken him this long to reach this conclusion, he has precious little to say that I would want to take the time to hear.
Russian Subversion Group Communication Leak From Sloviansk, Eastern Ukraine – VIDEO with subs
“The SBU uploaded this audio on its Youtube channel.
“Documents from the Security Service of Ukraine indicate that in the Eastern part of Ukraine a large-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation is taking place, carried out by GRU reconnaissance and sabotage groups of the General Staff of the armed forces of the Russian Federation,” Ukrainska Pravda quotes SBU’s message.
According to the SBU, these groups are using heavy weapons, seize the building of law enforcement agencies, public authorities, and local governments. “The purpose of these subversive groups is to terrorize the local population, to upset the USA-EU-Russia negotiations in Ukraine, and to destroy Ukrainian law enforcement agencies,” notes in the SBU.
The ministry assured that activities to document the criminal activities of these groups are being carried out.”
http://euromaidanpr.com/2014/04/15/russian-subversion-group-communication-leak-from-sloviansk-eastern-ukraine-video-with-subs/
Who could be more down to earth. What a kovely day for FLOTUS!
just how much of the US judicial system is beholden to business & the 1%?
damage done by these profit-first members of the courts is astounding and will take many, many years to undo
Okay so apparently people are mad at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation @abcnews bcz of my earlier tweet about Laura Ingraham.
Apologies sent
Correction tweeted
Public (virtual flogging) and subsequent banishment from all social media to commence shortly.
But I can’t be the only dumb American who’s done that…can I? :roll: [Smacking myself on thr head!]
:-)
LOL! :-D
tweet cuts to the heart of the matter;
may be we can use this to remind MSM and GOP that they can fake and write non-stop about a “perceived beltway reputation” for PBO they can’t touch what millions of ordinary people around the world know about PBO’s true character;
;
I think it was DF who linked to this article yesterday, which gracious Bobfr immediately tweeted.
But take a quick look at the article.
#BundyRanch is another “dog whistle” to white Tea Party types, but has its roots in the fact that the despicable Koch Brothers want to make the western U.S. an open pit mine with toxic piles and waste left in the open in their wake.
Utah passed and the GOP governor gladly signed a law in 2012 which mandates the federal government turn over their vast land holdings in Utah so that Utah can auction off this land to the greedy polluters. The begin date is next year, 2015.
This is an unconstitutional law, but it reveals what the Koch Brothers ultimate motivation is.
Here’s one comment from the article:
“I just drove I15 through Utah today. Besides the beauty of the mountains, my wife and I were struck by the open mining being done west of the lake.
I can only approximate the size of the project from my view on the highway because I don’t know the distance across the valley, but within twenty miles of the Mormon temple you can look across the lake at a once beautiful mountain ridge that has been turned into acres and miles of mining slag.”
This is the hellish reality the f*cking Koch brothers actually envision for this country.
Nobody needs $100 billion of their own to lay waste to their portion of the planet.
My tweet attracted a RWNJ troll, so don’t click on his link — I didn’t… Here’s my response to him:
At the Koch Brothers gathering of idiots this pass week-end, Mike Huckabee were talking about when he go to get on a plane he has to show ID, but people think it is so wrong to show ID when you go vote. Well someone need to explain to that right wing idiot that comparing those two is so dam stupid What is done for anyone to get on a plane is done to keep people from being blown to pieces. What the Republicans is doing to keep certain people from voting has nothing to do with keeping anyone safe, or catching any voter fraud. It’s about trying to steal elections.
MSNBC just cannot refrain from propping up that damn Libertarian. WTF?
BOOM! Excellent push-back amk.
Rand Paul’s statement is absurd. It’s like saying, “a cat can’t be a cat.” Republicans are the party of fat cats, rich people and Wall Street. Real working people need not apply.
“2. It’s taken too long and it’s very sad, but nonetheless, special forces units are being deployed to eastern Ukraine.
I get this impression that [the officials in] Kyiv do not quite understand that the clock is ticking. But even so, the process is underway. And at the moment, they have convened rather impressive forces. The only question is who will coordinate them and how.
3. However, this question has been answered already: the order regarding the start of an ATO [anti-terrorist operation] has finally been signed. Moreover, Vasyl Krutov has been appointed the First Deputy Head of the SBU and the Head of the Antiterrorism Center at the SBU. He has already been dubbed as “a legend of the ‘Alpha’ special forces” in the media. It is also good to see that the old guard returns alongside Krutov.
The special forces are confident that this General and his guys will be able to plan and organize a relatively efficient operation. Let’s hope so – because it seems to be the last hope to save the East within Ukraine.”
http://maidantranslations.com/2014/04/14/dmitry-tymchuks-military-blog-summary-april-14-2014/
Stay up late with NASA and watch the Blood Moon… http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/watchtheskies/lunar-eclipse-2014.html
Spring is here and ready to capture the world’s attention with a total lunar eclipse. The eclipse will begin early on the morning of April 15 at approximately 2 a.m. EDT. If you have questions about the eclipse, this will be your chance!
NASA astronomer Mitzi Adams and astrophysicist Alphonse Sterling will also answer questions in a live web chat, beginning on April 15 at 1 a.m. EDT and continuing through the end of the eclipse (approximately 5 a.m. EDT). The chat module will go live on this page at approximately 12:45 a.m. EDT. Convert to your local time here.
A live Ustream view of the lunar eclipse will be streamed on this page on the night of the event, courtesy of Marshall Space Flight Center. The feed will feature a variety of lunar eclipse views from telescopes around the United States.
We at TOD LOVE SCIENCE!! :) Of course, tonight I love my sleep more….but some lucky night owls might be able to get in on this!
Thanks Df! :-)
ummm…seriously?
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/04/boehners-gop-challenger-charges-electile-dysfunction-in-video/
New post.
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/04/14/a-tweet-or-two-47/
Heads Up - Several unconfirmed reports, but all conveying the same information ….
If true, Ukraine may well be ‘fighting back’ & Putin’s War on Ukraine is meeting organized resistance.
history