President Barack Obama places the ball on the green before putting while golfing at Farm Neck Golf Club, in Oak Bluffs, Mass., on the island of Martha’s Vineyard
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President Barack Obama with Cyrus Walker, cousin of White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, and Robert Wolf
Comedian Larry David watches as President Barack Obama putts
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Hello TODers!
congrats sabreen on #1 :)
Congrats sabreen :)
Thank you NW for these fun photos of PBO having a fun day on the course!!
:)
Congrats Sabreen🔆
Evening Good evening TOD folks!
Lovely to see PBO at test and play.
Close 2nd vetivera :)
Thanks Bob. Close is good.
That’s my President!
And PBO is driving :)
The president is looking good…
i wonder what FLOTUS and the girls are doing…..
I’m sure FLOTUS and the girls are just relaxing, enjoying themselves, not being in the spotlight. There is a pool, tennis court, and if the ladies just wanted to go out to the pool and just lie back and read a book, they can, maybe take a swim. I don’t know if it’s true, but I read that Malia arrived at the vacation home afew days earlier.
yeahh..i can see that too…i am glad they can relax a bit
Cool that Larry David was there! Loved “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.
Me, too. Loved it!!!!!
Congrats to Sabreen and Vetivera on double gold. President Obama looks relaxed and happy. I get that even if I don’t understand the appeal of golf.
If they won’t take the time to read the deal, attend briefings by P5+1 Ambassadors, listen to countless nuclear experts, maybe they’ll spend pondering a few paragraphs that will explain how futile it would be for them to, once again, think they can outsmart or outmaneuver President Obama ….
#TrustBarack …. to kick your butt if you interfere with his efforts to create a more just and sensible America ….
This is a must read article, Bob. I feel certain that members of Congress have no idea how effectively they are boxed in by the provisions of this deal. Few of them have probably read it or understood it. They’re acting on the old paradigm that what they do makes a big difference in the world, when in fact, the world has moved beyond them. Those who oppose the deal for political reasons think they’re delivering a blow to the President, when the real blow has already been delivered and it was aimed at them.
As amk would say, Jackie, egg.zack.leeee!!
h/t rikyrah
Worth ever second it takes to read it …
“All you need to do is look at the comments sections on any major conservative blog or forum. That’s who the GOP base really is, and Trump is their man.”
YUP. And, none of the current crop of candidates have the juice to change that fact.
‘And Trump is their man.’
GOP base and Donald T = two of a kind
YUP!!
Oh, and VC, regarding BLM confrontations with Senator Sanders - I share your concern, but the one running for President of the USA is Bernie, not BLM. It’s his responsibility to be presidential in how he engages with BLM, rather than condescending & obviously unprepared.
Yes, yes, I agree with you re Sanders not being presidential! I just don’t want BLM to steer any extra (sympathy) votes Sanders’ way, and they will if they don’t come at him from different angles. I want them to let him speak, *then* pin him down on the lack of substance in what he is (not)saying. I think it would be more effective if they showed his unpreparedness and lack of professionalism by the content and tone of his answers, as opposed to not letting him (and the other candidates too) be heard. I watched a snippet of the Netroots tape last time and couldn’t watch in its entirety, (and I’m one who would be on BLM’s side). It’s not effective if even those who are likely to share their views are turned off by their tactics. At least, I don’t think it is.
Right, VC! I think the BLM group loses any sympathy they might get by too aggressive actions, especially by shutting down an event.
This is what I’ve been trying to say all evening, OG. It’s one thing to say *we* don’t care if *they* find our actions too aggressive or not because *we* are the ones being killed, and we’ve had enough. However, we know from history that we cannot effect change on our own and if we change the dialogue so that it becomes centred on our yelling and disruption I believe we become less effective in getting others to stand with us.
nope, one of a kind. both of them.
Point taken
Look what I just found! 1c -wheee!!1
I know unowho2 is in Kenya right now, but we could set things up to call him one after the other when he returns home (like the duct cleaning people — who coincidentally may very well be from India - do to me nightly)! Who’s in - this could be fun! :D :D
You’re so bad:) I get him to agree to fly all of us to India to party…and you want to crank call him 24/7….:)
Wha-aat, Desertf? He’s going to fly us there for a party? I missed that!
Yo! NerdyW or any Bt in house? Would you please, pretty please, erase that tweet I ..er…ah… mistakenly shared above? Could you do it before unowho2 comes back please? I don’t want to be left off the TOD trip to Indie-land with you guys.
:) That was this morning or yesterday morning…I lose track of my days….yeah, he did:) First he thought it was only Me…but then I informed him that I meant the entire TOD family….party at amk’s house!!!!
Oh, hi, Amk! How are you? So nice to see you!
Just so you know, my passport is up to date, so you can check me off on the list.
oh, yer so checked OFF the list, alright.
You forgot the ‘on’.
I am actually in the new swanky bertcertland airport bidness lounge. The kenyans have done a wonderful job after the airport fire two years back.
Great! How did everything go?? Did you dazzle yourself a new client?? :) Forgive VC…she was having a “moment”…
vc - yer out. crank calling? / smh
Don’t know the outcome yet. It will take a few weeks.
She can’t be out! Look at it this way…she gave us all a great way to call you and chat for a penny/ minute! How nice is that!! We can ALL reach out and touch you…and we won’t break the bank doing it. You should be thanking her right now. Just do it.
You understood me, Desertf! You are such a good friend. :)
Of course I did!! :)
Who’s talking about crank calling? I found this great way for us all to keep in touch with you and you think it is a crank? My feelings are so hurt!
we could set things up to call him one after the other when he returns home IS CRANK CALLING.
Is not! smh - Would you want us all to call you at the same time so that you would miss the pleasure of having a private convo with each of us? Or all call at the same time so that your system crashes? Think man!
crank calling it is.
We’d be calling you - so yo are a ‘crank’? Oh..okay.
Totally irrelevant, but do you have a picture of the old airport to contrast with the new one you’re taking even as I speak? [They can be part of your picture show when we are your guests.]
unfortunately, I am not shutterbug (except when it comes to jtp’s). But the new one is way better than the old one and they did it all in just a coupla years. Kudos to them.
That’s the same airport that PBO used recently, right? They had incentive to move speedily. :D
…./smh
here ya go. now, spot my laptop.
:??:
UH HUH
UH HUH
Forget Iran Bibi Just Wants to Humiliate Obama on His Own Turf
Since the world won’t be bound by what Congress decides on the Iran deal, someone in the PM’s cabinet should wake up and ask whether he isn’t dragging Israel into a dangerous place with his off-the-rails conduct.
Yossi Verter Aug 07, 2025 11:40 PM
The part of his speech this week at American University in which U.S. President Barack Obama mocked or imitated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intonation in demanding a “better deal�? with Iran, will undoubtedly go viral, if it hasn’t already. It was not only humorous in a bitter way, but well timed and full of scorn for its subject.
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In any event, the prolonged confrontation between Obama and Netanyahu over the Iran agreement took a quantum leap this week. Only God knows how Israel could possibly emerge well from this battle, regardless of whether the accord is approved by Congress. Netanyahu was asked about what comes next, after Congress either supports the deal, or votes against it with a majority large enough to supersede a presidential veto. The prime minister did not provide a satisfactory answer. The questioner came away with the impression that he is waging a battle for its own sake, for the satisfaction of humiliating the president. He longs to defeat Obama on the latter’s home turf.
read more: http://www.haaretz.com/beta/1.669946
“The questioner came away with the impression that he is waging a battle for its own sake, for the satisfaction of humiliating the president. He longs to defeat Obama on the latter’s home turf.”
I’ve thought this for a long time. From their first meeting in 2009 when PBO refused to kiss his ass the way the Rs do, Bibi has been enraged. It would not matter what was in the agreement because it is not about the agreement, it is about his effort to humiliate PBO. He WILL lose, and so will Israel.
BTW, I think he is insanely jealous of PBO’s worldwide popularity.
He is also racist to the core. Witness his racist exhortations to white Israelis to vote in the last campaign and the treatment of Ethiopians in Israel.
I think that when President Obama mocked his critics who were demanding “a better deal”, Bibi was not the single target. And I had the feeling his scorn was more aimed at members of Congress. Because his more urgent battle is with Congress.
Moreover, in his speech, President Obama had the generosity to say that he empathizes with Bibi, and Israel, about their fear of Iran. The President gave elements, details, about why Israel, and the world, have legitimate concerns about Iran’s behavior.
It never ceases to amaze me how people cherry pick one aspect of a speech and don’t take into consideration the whole of what the President says.
The president always offers nuances. Oh… he defends his positions vigorously , pushes back hard against unreasonable criticism, criticism not based on facts. HOWEVER, he always does it in a way to minimize conflict if it’s possible.
While a lot of observers just analyze his speech and make it sound as if the President does his best to exacerbate conflict. It’s distorted, and unfair.
this was fabulous. bravo to this mother.
……………..
Mother-Daughter Duo’s Photo Project Features 5-Year-Old as Iconic Black Women
Monday, March 09, 2025
When Florida mom Chauncia Boyd Rogers noticed her daughter’s elementary school had no events planned to commemorate Black History Month, she took matters into her own hands.
“I was thinking her school would do something because they have events for various other cultural celebration days on the calendar, even obscure holidays,�? Chauncia said. Her daughter, Ava Noelle Rogers, 5, attends a diverse school just blocks from Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Her classmates include many Afro-Caribbean, Latino, and European students, but few African-American children. “Maybe it didn’t occur to them to think about it,�? Chauncia said. “So I just thought it’s time for me to teach her this myself.�?
The result was a remarkable photo essay worthy of any month of the year.
Dressed in red lipstick, jewels, and a red cape with her hair pulled back, Ava poses as billionaire Oprah Winfrey, based on an internet photo her mom found. In another picture, she’s a youthful Michelle Obama, with pouty lips and serious, focused eyes that mimic a side-by-side photo of the first lady.
Chauncia Rogers combined her love of photography with her training as a photojournalist to recreate the portraits. And she used the mother-daughter photo shoots as teachable moments, discussing the each woman’s historical significance with Ava. “She recognized Oprah from movies, but I told her that Oprah is also a humanitarian, a talk show host and a billionaire. That doesn’t mean a lot to her right now,�? Chauncia said.
Together, the mother-daughter team have created a “who’s who�? list of influential black women in history. In one picture, Ava’s white bonnet, black necklace, and blue shirt transform her into famous enslaved writer Phillis Wheatley. She rocks Angela Davis’ blown-out Afro in another photo, and her facial expression is spot on with Davis’ contemplative glare. In a self-portrait of Josephine Baker, Ava’s shiny black top hat and tux are a dead ringer for the African-American dancer, singer, and activist.
Read more: http://theculture.forharriet.com/2015/03/mother-daughter-duos-photo-project.html#ixzz3iHRVhQQK
Follow us: @ForHarriet on Twitter | forharriet on Facebook
I hope the American Jewish Community dismantles AIPAC, piece by piece ….
bbl … time to prep sup :)
They’re nothing but a damn hate group….(AIPAC)
Thanks for the Congrats family and thank you Nerdy for all the great photos of POTUS.
:)
Ain’t that the truth, start to completion.
Bernie Sanders is out of his league…He so wants to out do the historic campaigns of then Senator Obama 08—and President Obama 2012,,it just won’t happen…his crowds are not very diverse at all…why is that??? I feel he is way too old school…he’s from a time past…he has good intentions for the country I’m sure…I won’t take that from him…But for me he doesn’t have a grasp of complex issues,doesn’t really feel the SOUL of the country and its people …he’s just ranting on and on and appears angry most of the time…ain’t feeling him at all…And I in no way mean that to be disrespectful.
I’m just going to laugh and laugh and laugh.
THIS +50 kajillion. Nobody breaks things down like a fraction better than Al Giordano.
Thank you for pointing out this article, NW ! I went to read the whole thing. Wow, he just says it straight. If I’m not mistaken, the “progressives” respect Al; it will leave a mark.
AND KARMA WILL VISIT BENJAMIN NATANYAHU BEFORE LONG…HIS COVER WILL FALL FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE!!!!
AS RACHEL MADDOW SAYS “WATCH THIS SPACE”
has sanders told his fanboys to chill yet?
The way he worded that tweet means nothing to me. I really have no clue as to how he’d answer this:
He really doesn’t get it. What a bloody idiot.
I realize lots of people think he’s great. I don’t get the fascination with him at all. Never have, long before campaign season.
I wouldn’t say lots of people… when I ask in my circle about Bernie the response is almost always ….who???
I’m not surprised!
For me, he’s all hot air.
99.9% of what I hear from his, when I become POTUS, this will be free, that will be free, this will be free….blah….blah…
Oh, with what congressional coalition? How are you going to pay for it?
He tried that BS at the National Urban League conference and the silence from the crowd showed exactly what they think of him.
Even his “statement” and the tweet that surrounded it belie, in part, what he keeps saying about never running negative ads against others. When you say “On criminal justice reform and the need to fight racism there is no other candidate who will fight harder,” you’re saying something negative about the others. Does he even have any communications people working for him? Even I would know not to couch it that way. Say “I’ll fight with everything in me” or “as hard as anybody” but not “harder than all the others” (how would he know that?) - because, standing alone, that was a negative put down of “the others.”
And if he mentions one more time the gazillions at his rallies - and now he seems to see only “two people” who aren’t buying his message, well, duh, duh, and duh.
Bernie doesn’t have the leadership skills to build a diverse coalition. He’s probably maxed out his numbers right now. He really can’t seriously challenge Hillary. At this juncture only Joe Biden has the skills and the base following to enter the race on an equal footing.
Totally agree.
There you have Sanders’ problem in a nutshell. In a tweet, where he has all the time to think about what he’ll say, the tone is accusatory and defensive. Not a hint of “I feel your pain”. He could have worded this so differently. “I know you’re mad and you’re hurt; but I’m with you; let’s work together”. Or something to that effect.
Bernier Sanders should take lessons from the President.
Mr. Sanders is an honest man and I agree with him on many issues. However, it seems to me he has lived all his political life in a comfortable bubble. He has a lot to learn.
I meant “in a statement”, not “in a tweet”, obviously.
I meant that it’s the whole statement which makes me realize how much he has to learn…
Wow. Well said. You might want to run that one by Mr. Sanders, since he obviously needs counsel!
I missed all this, but thanks for taking ’em down. I’ll go find the “full story” for myself, but why am I not surprised.
All four of these stereotypical tweets are appalling to me, a 20th century “girl” in the 21st century. The age of these candidates has nothing to do with their being “jewels” or not, seen or unseen. If a candidate can’t stand on his or her own merits, in whatever fucking century it happens to be, onlookers like Giordano don’t get to “save” or “dismiss” them based on age. Not in my book. Now, sit up straight, Giordano, or I’ll take your twitter privileges away from you.
Unfortunately he chose to express this as a result of their age which is insulting, but I do think his point that they are 20th C thinkers in this 21st C is pertinent. We’ve said as much here in the village though not with the same words. When we lament the fact that the Dems do not work with Potus, cannot see where he’s headed and repeatedly stand in his way, we are IMO saying they are behind the times in their strategy and actions.
I agree.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/world/29-us-scientists-praise-iran-nuclear-deal-in-letter-to-obama.html?_r=0
29 top scientists praised that Iran Nuclear deal. Of course to the republican they can’t really tell the difference between a scientist and a witch so this is irrelevant to them.
don’t forget the gop’s famous response : “I am not a scientist” even when common sense is at times all one needs to appreciate a scientist’s reasoning
It’s after midnight so I can drop this cringe-worthy FOX vid-clip here.
Lord Lord Lord
They do/did talk about ‘taking their country back’, don’t/didn’t they? Wayyy backWARDS! Sometimes when I see certain video segments from FOX, I wonder if they actually mean for viewers to take the particular ‘episode’ seriously or if they are doing a comedy routine.
That guy must be a troll. And he’s obviously stupid and ugly and racist. I just responded to this tweet of his:
With one of my own:
among the many qualities of PBO’s that many ordinary people and leaders across the world admire is his ability to take time to focus and listen very intently to what others have to say;
if I was advising all Dem candidates about how to approach the BLM, I would tell these candidates to call the key leaders, invite them to your campaign headquarters or somewhere you prefer (all expenses paid by the candidate) and listen to what the activists are saying;
during this session, take extensive notes and ask for what solutions the activists want you to include in your platform.
then each candidate should go into session with his/her advisors and work out a plan to implement these solution;
from this point forward, the candidate should them include them as a regular part of his/her stump speech;
most importantly, each campaign should reach out to the local activists in each area and organize events WITHIN the racial minority communities regularly and often and learn who the grassroots leaders are an coordinate with them
“I would tell these candidates to call the key leaders, invite them to your campaign headquarters or somewhere you prefer (all expenses paid by the candidate) and listen to what the activists are saying; ”
not needed globalcitizenlinda — it’s not as if they can’t see its open season on minorities almost daily. They can see folks getting shot, abused, killed in broad daylight. All they have to do is google… enough talking. Everyone knows what the problem is and the question is what do they intend to do about it.
preach!
https://www.tsu.co/AlGiordano/75250428
“And you absolutely don’t get to do it when just months ago you cheered the LGBT heckler at Obama’s White House event, when you cheered every time the white ladies of Code Pink did it, when you whined and complained about Obama for six years not giving you your “hope and change” cookies as you define them.
You know why you don’t get that cookie? Because nonwhite Americans saw your dreadful behavior toward Obama all these years. That’s a big reason why. Now you need their support, you gotta court it just like Obama once courted you.
Instead too many of you are on Twitter right now whitesplaining and lecturing and talking down to black folks and people of all hues who happen to see this through the lens of the same team. Oh, yeah, that’s a real bright idea for winning this campaign. Let’s go on Twitter and troll the black people about how they don’t understand Bernie.”
And this is what the campaign folks have NOT come up with - an alternative to the current rejection of the protesters. They whinge and complain about BLM but this is the best post I have seen online that actually suggested a path to follow.
PBO is going to be so missed - especially on the world scene.
this is similar to what the President did by creating a task force to deal with community policing….he included the Ferguson activists …he also had over an hour meeting with just the activists at the WH….
EXACTLY.
G’Night/Morning! I’m signing off
I’ve been having a small smile about the issues with Trump, Redstate and Fox being discussed ad infinitum on the tubes when I remembered it was someone from Fox that invited Trump to the WH correspondents dinner - where he was deservedly wiped from the floor in the President’s speech.
Seems he may have remembered this and is now giving a little payback to Fox. If it wasn’t the US Presidency being used for such ridiculous purposes, would be pure entertainment.
just a little clarification needed here:
some reports say: BLM activists “shut down Bernie’s events”
other reports say: BLM activists took the stage and interrupted Bernie before he could speak. He then turned and walked away;
which is it?
one would imply that the activists’ demand was that he would not proceed without addressing their priorities;
another would imply that the candidate couldn’t handle being shouted at and he therefore chose to leave the event;
Seriously, Bernie doesn’t have the capacity or willingness to meet with the #BlackLivesMatter folks and make room for them in his campaign appearances, give them a forum to address the people. That’s what leadership is, giving everyone a place at the table, instead of being so rigid that he collapses when his shtick is interrupted.
Tired of Bernie Sanders and his supporters…displaying their White privilege for all to see….
tired of folks telling BLM if you would just behave in a certain way…maybe they will listen to you…
the issue of police terror is not just a BLM issue…it is am American issue…a longstanding issue at that…
yum,,,wish i had a few of these to begin my day with a lil sweetness
Many have said that the BLM have no plans or goals or strategies….this article belies that POV
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The work in protest for the past year largely focused on exposing and convincing – in peeling back the layers of police and state violence and helping people understand. In that sense, the movement did well. As we move forward, there is an acknowledgment that strategies and tactics will change – that the strategies and tactics we used to expose and convince may not be those used to solve the problem.
As much as this fight is about systems and structures, it is also a fight about hearts and minds. We will work hard to teach people that the safety of communities is not predicated on the presence of police – that safety is a more expansive notion than policing. Safety is strong schools, access to jobs, workforce development and access to healthcare, among many other things.
The solution-work will likely fall into two separate but critically related areas: removing barriers, and building and rebuilding.
More from the article:…
In this moment, as we reflect on where we are, how we got here and where we are going, I am reminded of the difference between accountability and justice – and of our commitment to both. Accountability is the consent decree between the US justice department and the Ferguson and Cleveland police departments, and the reparations for the victims of the torture of the Chicago police department. Accountability is important, but accountability is not our ultimate goal. Accountability is not justice.
Thanks for sharing this, PF.
you are welcome…Food For Thought
Rise and Shine, TOD
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/08/09/rise-and-shine-1076/