On This Day - Pete Souza: “I thought this was an interesting juxtaposition between his role as a father, and his role as Commander in Chief. On vacation in Hawaii, here he is hugging his daughter Malia while NSC chief of staff Denis McDonough waits to connect him on the latest conference call following the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack.” 2009
I answered the Sailor’s email. :) We are 1000 miles north of the fires and a similar distance south of the train which was/is full of sulphuric acid when it derailed. Rather amazing to discover how much toxic stuff is shipped around the country!
We have actually had a very mild - weather wise - Christmas - the energy & enthusiasm of grandbabe was unabated by some rain.
I have been stunned over the past months by the US news - both in relation to politics and the never ending gun violence from so many different sources. I have been lurking because I feel the TODers know so much more about any of it - than I ever could - I feel unqualified to make any statement. I so appreciate getting the news from TOD being so difficult to find the truth elsewhere. My thoughts are so with all the families who are losing their loved ones because - the cops are afeared.
Also still shell shocked with all this moving.
And then ended up at the emergency room today with Mr 99 - $1300 and 3 hours later we had a positive outcome - some single payer health systems still involve $$$ upfront. We get some back from the government but still have to pay first.
I also sound like a misery - another reason to stick with lurking - but I couldn’t resist the “leave a comment” :)
Definitely a difficult choice - I’m tending towards the cat. :)
Compared to the issues facing so many of you - my problems are really minor - must admit I was most relieved after we were home from the Doc - puts things in perspective.
Whichever you choose, please don’t let Chipsticks know MP has done some considerable lurking, as most of her ‘news’ is of the grey variety, and not so joyous to share. I am with you on the hard pressed to find the right words, there is so much injustice in play over here. I often feel like a stranger in my own land. I think we each do the best we can to anchor the Light, in our own small ways, being kind, treating others with compassion. It may not seem like much, or nearly enough, but I believe it makes a difference. <3:bear:<3
Thanks 57 - I’ve been reading about your issues - with the boss & the little ‘uns - glad all is going well.
We ended up in the ER because Mr 99s specialist was away on vacation - his phone message gave that as the only option. We have a mixed private/public health care system so because of “Christmas in the ER” we went to a private hospital emergency - where it costs $$$ but you get seen relatively quickly. Eventually got sent to another specialist - 2 floors below the regular guy. He was really nice (got the short straw being on call for the holidays) - now thinking about swapping to him permanently!
One thing that does annoy - cost us $50 for parking - do you have to pay to park at hospitals in the US?
99ts, one of our prestigious hospitals has public parking for their medical offices and if you park in one for a hospital visit, they will validate your ticket. Some other hospitals have pay to park, but the cost is minimal.
Congrats on #1, and glad you and yardarm are able to connect outside of TODville.
Guess we’ll all have to be doing that around this time next year. :(
Love the perspective you provide from outside the US, which is now basically “Easy Rider” politics (substitute anyone who doesn’t look like the gun-toters in the South with the long-hairs in the film), which I cannot believe I’m typing nearly 50 years after that film debuted. :(
So glad that Mr99 is healing, sorry that getting treatment was made more difficult (and expensive) because of vacation and holidays. :(
$50 for parking?!?! The Chicago hospital where we go validates the parking stuff, so it costs about $4.00. Good knows what it costs in downtown Chicago. I have a new doctor whose hospital is a little further away but easy to get to. I think parking is free there. You certainly didn’t need this nightmare on Christmas.
My. 57 ended up in the ER on Christmas the year before medicare, and after paying outrageous insurance premiums for 25 years, they denied the claim! They barely covered anything anyway, I cancelled the policy, and could not get insurance until ACA.
I think it’s outrageous that you had to pay up front. What good is health care if you have to have the funds first anyway?
The alternative is to go to the general ER and wait for hours - and the time taken to see a specialist can be many weeks - yet when my folks were ill - they were instantly admitted to hospital & got very good care. It seems to depend on the type of illness and availability of doctors in our single payer system. Sometimes I think the private/public mix is not such a great idea.
It saddens me to see evidence that the once brilliant health care system I knew in Australia, has become so manipulated and degraded. I didn’t use it a lot while I lived there, but it sure was a comfort to know I had coverage..
Morning, Chips…I thought it was fires. I could be wrong. Regardless, people here were concerned about making sure that 99ts was alright:) Danny and his lady friend are adorable:)
I thought it was a train wreck that produced a sulphur gas explosion. It shows that we would all be terrible witnesses since we have three different versions of what Yardarm said.
Hi jackie - this was the most recent event that Yardarm mentioned - so many man made/natural issues across the world - there are some thoughts that flooding may have caused the train derailment - the extremes of climate are across Australia - as they seem to be across the US.
Fires were in the Southern states df - we are further north - pleased to read you have been enjoying your vacation - thing about retirement - I do miss the excitement of time off work - every day is vacation.
Thank you! I really am enjoying my vacation…came just in the nick of time! You stay on the threadmill, just running and running, and you don’t realize how exhausted you’ve been until you stop:)
Morning all. I wonder if President Obama has even one second of privacy in his day. Seems to me there are always people about no matter where he is and even in his sleep, he’s subject to being wakened at any time. Of all the things about being a president, I think that never having a truly private moment would be the worst. Of course, there are some personalities that thrive on constant people interaction, but I do think that PBO is a thoughtful, contemplative person who probably misses just being about to muse in peace.
If you have access to BBC 1 and love Dickens, there’s a great new show called “Dickensian” that takes a mix of Dickens characters and puts them together in a new story. It begins on the day that Jacob Marley dies-violently.
Good morning, TOD! Still celebrating with family — grandson and D-i-L have extended stay until tomorrow so I still have a full house. Dashing out the door for my med treatment, then off to some fun.
Belated Merry Christmas to all of you! Will catch up with you on Thursday!
7 Lessons I’ve Learned from Traveling to 14 Countries in 2015
Awesomely Luvvie — December 28, 2025
This year has been unlike any for me for so many reasons but one of those is that I traveled like I never have before. I didn’t start the year imagining that I’d visit 14 countries, but that’s was one of the beautiful surprises of 2015.
For me, travel is important for many reasons, and I’m passionate about it because of the lessons that come from it. Seeing the world is more than about collecting passport stamps. For me, it is about stepping out of my bubble and my comfort zone. It humbles me to get reminded about how little I know, and it expands my mind because I soak up so much while on my jaunts. I pay more attention, and come back home appreciating my space.
In 2015, I set foot in: Dominican Republic, Kenya, British Virgin Islands, Morocco, Turkey, Spain, England, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Qatar, Mexico, Egypt, Barbados, Haiti.
Here’s some of the lessons I am walking away with:
What a wonderful article, Rikyrah! If more Americans traveled outside the US, we would be a more enlightened, more liberal and less paranoid society. We would also be cured of the xenophobia that causes people to believe that the US is better than anywhere else. Two oceans helped protect the US from invasions over the years, but they also separated us from all the positive influences that come with greater exposure to different cultures.
There truly is no justice in the world when those heartless, murderous police ‘officers’ receive no punishment for this act of violence and cruelty. I cannot imagine how haunted Tamir’s sister will be for the rest of her life.
G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone, and congrats 99ts on #1! Happy to see you back and good spirits after your harrowing experience with Mr. 99 at the ER, and the recent events in Australia. Hope your New Year starts off on a more positive note :)
GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS TOD FAMILY…IT HAS BEEN SNOWING HERE OFF AND ON…HAVE TO RUN AN ERRAND TO THE NEW APT. OFFICE TODAY AND FINISH SOME OTHER THINGS…TIME IS FLYING BY…HAPPY TO SEE THE ENERGIZER BEING ENERGIZED!….HOPING FOR A LITTLE SUNSHINE TODAY MYSELF..LIVING IN THE WRONG STATE FOR THAT RARITY…ADIOS!
GOP candidates deliver a subtle threat to N.H. Republicans
12/28/15 10:40 AM—UPDATED 12/28/15 11:23 AM
By Steve Benen
Polls in New Hampshire have been fairly steady for quite a while. Donald Trump has held a consistent lead among Granite State Republicans for months, but his backing has struggled to reach the 30% threshold – suggesting he could be vulnerable to one of the more establishment-friendly candidates, if this faction of the GOP weren’t already being split five ways.
The New York Times reported the other day that Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, both of whom are betting much of their candidacies on the first primary, have started pushing a new line on the campaign trail in the nation’s first primary.
On Monday night, speaking at the Christmas-bedecked American Legion hall in Alton, Mr. Bush picked up where Mr. Christie left off.
White House.gov
gm TOD
Good evening 99ts! Is everything okay? Yardarm was worried about you last night because you had some crazy weather??
I answered the Sailor’s email. :) We are 1000 miles north of the fires and a similar distance south of the train which was/is full of sulphuric acid when it derailed. Rather amazing to discover how much toxic stuff is shipped around the country!
We have actually had a very mild - weather wise - Christmas - the energy & enthusiasm of grandbabe was unabated by some rain.
I have been stunned over the past months by the US news - both in relation to politics and the never ending gun violence from so many different sources. I have been lurking because I feel the TODers know so much more about any of it - than I ever could - I feel unqualified to make any statement. I so appreciate getting the news from TOD being so difficult to find the truth elsewhere. My thoughts are so with all the families who are losing their loved ones because - the cops are afeared.
Also still shell shocked with all this moving.
And then ended up at the emergency room today with Mr 99 - $1300 and 3 hours later we had a positive outcome - some single payer health systems still involve $$$ upfront. We get some back from the government but still have to pay first.
I also sound like a misery - another reason to stick with lurking - but I couldn’t resist the “leave a comment” :)
Don’t you even think about lurking, if you do I will send you a live Newt in his mankini.
So sorry Mr 99 had that ordeal to endure, but thrilled there was a positive outcome. Crikey, what a holiday season you’re having.
In my next life I am going to be an orthopedic surgeon or my cousin’s ginger cat - tough decision.
:lol: That is one heck of a choice!!!!
99ts, I echo Chips’ remarks! Hope the year starts off a bit better for you!
Definitely a difficult choice - I’m tending towards the cat. :)
Compared to the issues facing so many of you - my problems are really minor - must admit I was most relieved after we were home from the Doc - puts things in perspective.
Thanks 99ts for delurking. We worry about our own. Happy to hear a positive outcome for Mr 99
ty GGail - also - we seem to be winning at Cricket - sure you don’t want to learn all about it :)
For fear of being a jinx, I’ll stay out of this sport 😊
Whichever you choose, please don’t let Chipsticks know MP has done some considerable lurking, as most of her ‘news’ is of the grey variety, and not so joyous to share. I am with you on the hard pressed to find the right words, there is so much injustice in play over here. I often feel like a stranger in my own land. I think we each do the best we can to anchor the Light, in our own small ways, being kind, treating others with compassion. It may not seem like much, or nearly enough, but I believe it makes a difference. <3 :bear: <3
Nothing worse than Christmas in the ER. So glad there was a decent outcome. And glad that you are all safe.
Thanks 57 - I’ve been reading about your issues - with the boss & the little ‘uns - glad all is going well.
We ended up in the ER because Mr 99s specialist was away on vacation - his phone message gave that as the only option. We have a mixed private/public health care system so because of “Christmas in the ER” we went to a private hospital emergency - where it costs $$$ but you get seen relatively quickly. Eventually got sent to another specialist - 2 floors below the regular guy. He was really nice (got the short straw being on call for the holidays) - now thinking about swapping to him permanently!
One thing that does annoy - cost us $50 for parking - do you have to pay to park at hospitals in the US?
99ts, one of our prestigious hospitals has public parking for their medical offices and if you park in one for a hospital visit, they will validate your ticket. Some other hospitals have pay to park, but the cost is minimal.
GE 99ts.
Congrats on #1, and glad you and yardarm are able to connect outside of TODville.
Guess we’ll all have to be doing that around this time next year. :(
Love the perspective you provide from outside the US, which is now basically “Easy Rider” politics (substitute anyone who doesn’t look like the gun-toters in the South with the long-hairs in the film), which I cannot believe I’m typing nearly 50 years after that film debuted. :(
So glad that Mr99 is healing, sorry that getting treatment was made more difficult (and expensive) because of vacation and holidays. :(
“Guess we’ll all have to be doing that around this time next year”
Noooooooo - not an option - has to be an alternative
Aha - 3rd term :) - if only
$50 for parking?!?! The Chicago hospital where we go validates the parking stuff, so it costs about $4.00. Good knows what it costs in downtown Chicago. I have a new doctor whose hospital is a little further away but easy to get to. I think parking is free there. You certainly didn’t need this nightmare on Christmas.
My. 57 ended up in the ER on Christmas the year before medicare, and after paying outrageous insurance premiums for 25 years, they denied the claim! They barely covered anything anyway, I cancelled the policy, and could not get insurance until ACA.
I think it’s outrageous that you had to pay up front. What good is health care if you have to have the funds first anyway?
The alternative is to go to the general ER and wait for hours - and the time taken to see a specialist can be many weeks - yet when my folks were ill - they were instantly admitted to hospital & got very good care. It seems to depend on the type of illness and availability of doctors in our single payer system. Sometimes I think the private/public mix is not such a great idea.
It saddens me to see evidence that the once brilliant health care system I knew in Australia, has become so manipulated and degraded. I didn’t use it a lot while I lived there, but it sure was a comfort to know I had coverage..
<3 <3 <3 {{{{{ 99 & Mr99ts }}}}}
Morning everyone…congrats, 99ts:) Some here mentioned that there were fires in Queensland…wondered if you were alright:)
Morning DF! Ah, yes, fires - I thought it was bad weather around 99ts’ way.
Morning, Chips…I thought it was fires. I could be wrong. Regardless, people here were concerned about making sure that 99ts was alright:) Danny and his lady friend are adorable:)
I thought it was a train wreck that produced a sulphur gas explosion. It shows that we would all be terrible witnesses since we have three different versions of what Yardarm said.
Hi jackie - this was the most recent event that Yardarm mentioned - so many man made/natural issues across the world - there are some thoughts that flooding may have caused the train derailment - the extremes of climate are across Australia - as they seem to be across the US.
:) :) True! Looks like it was “all of the above” ^^^ Geeze…don’t play the telephone game with me!
Fires were in the Southern states df - we are further north - pleased to read you have been enjoying your vacation - thing about retirement - I do miss the excitement of time off work - every day is vacation.
Thank you! I really am enjoying my vacation…came just in the nick of time! You stay on the threadmill, just running and running, and you don’t realize how exhausted you’ve been until you stop:)
fires, acid train wreck, disgraced ministers. you aussies are making waves.
Best day in politics since the demise of Abbott
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-29/mal-brough-and-jamie-briggs-stand-down-from-frontbench/7058266
good morning 99ts, wishing the best possible for all today.
Mooooooooooooorning sherijr!!!!
Have I mentioned that I really love this photo? TY, Chips…for posting this. It has a special vibe that feels balanced and right
Morning all. I wonder if President Obama has even one second of privacy in his day. Seems to me there are always people about no matter where he is and even in his sleep, he’s subject to being wakened at any time. Of all the things about being a president, I think that never having a truly private moment would be the worst. Of course, there are some personalities that thrive on constant people interaction, but I do think that PBO is a thoughtful, contemplative person who probably misses just being about to muse in peace.
If you have access to BBC 1 and love Dickens, there’s a great new show called “Dickensian” that takes a mix of Dickens characters and puts them together in a new story. It begins on the day that Jacob Marley dies-violently.
That sounds cool!
Good Morning, Everyone :)
Good morning, TOD! Still celebrating with family — grandson and D-i-L have extended stay until tomorrow so I still have a full house. Dashing out the door for my med treatment, then off to some fun.
Belated Merry Christmas to all of you! Will catch up with you on Thursday!
Oh, I must tweet that.
These toons are devastating, AMK. Loved the one with “mistaken for a real gun” and “mistaken for a real prosecutor.”
7 Lessons I’ve Learned from Traveling to 14 Countries in 2015
Awesomely Luvvie — December 28, 2025
This year has been unlike any for me for so many reasons but one of those is that I traveled like I never have before. I didn’t start the year imagining that I’d visit 14 countries, but that’s was one of the beautiful surprises of 2015.
For me, travel is important for many reasons, and I’m passionate about it because of the lessons that come from it. Seeing the world is more than about collecting passport stamps. For me, it is about stepping out of my bubble and my comfort zone. It humbles me to get reminded about how little I know, and it expands my mind because I soak up so much while on my jaunts. I pay more attention, and come back home appreciating my space.
In 2015, I set foot in: Dominican Republic, Kenya, British Virgin Islands, Morocco, Turkey, Spain, England, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Qatar, Mexico, Egypt, Barbados, Haiti.
Here’s some of the lessons I am walking away with:
What a wonderful article, Rikyrah! If more Americans traveled outside the US, we would be a more enlightened, more liberal and less paranoid society. We would also be cured of the xenophobia that causes people to believe that the US is better than anywhere else. Two oceans helped protect the US from invasions over the years, but they also separated us from all the positive influences that come with greater exposure to different cultures.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/obamas-job-killing-agenda-continues-impress
This will be my only TOD post for the day ….
Some updates on other matters will appear in the sidebar ….
#TamirRice
There truly is no justice in the world when those heartless, murderous police ‘officers’ receive no punishment for this act of violence and cruelty. I cannot imagine how haunted Tamir’s sister will be for the rest of her life.
Bob, you should be encouraging and empowering us with ideas and suggestions on how we can wield our Power of our Vote.
Good West Coast morning Chipsticks & TOD family.
Pete takes some of the best photos
Morning, ggail!
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/12/obamas-economic-performance-even-better-it-looks
Great graph here showing the size comparison of govt spending…guess who has smaller govt:) ?
GM TODville.
My new year’s resolution is to SAVOR every moment of President Barack Obama’s last year in office.
(cannot stand this “journalist” but here’s his tweet this morning):
And from yesterday, we will look forward to State Dinner for Canada in March. :)
I don’t understand why these aren’t outlawed.
G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers, everyone, and congrats 99ts on #1! Happy to see you back and good spirits after your harrowing experience with Mr. 99 at the ER, and the recent events in Australia. Hope your New Year starts off on a more positive note :)
TY Hopefruit - New Year wishes to you and yours
I’ve been saying this for awhile…..as to why we need to be hardcore about our support for Marilyn Mosby.
Look at the rest of them.
THEY NEVER INTENDED TO GET AN INDICTMENT.
THEY DID NOT SEEK IT.
THEY DID NOT WANT IT.
THEY MURDERED A 12 YEAR OLD CHILD, AND PROCEEDED TO DEFAME A 12 YEAR OLD CHILD.
Amennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
This “teen” could easily pass for a 25-30 year old man, ….you catch my drift….
No, No, Now HF2 that description is only for 12 year old AA males playing in a park with a toy gun.
This is for the kids who die,
Black and white,
For kids will die certainly.
The old and rich will live on awhile,
As always,
Eating blood and gold,
Letting kids die.
Kids will die in the swamps of Mississippi
Organizing sharecroppers
Kids will die in the streets of Chicago
Organizing workers
Kids will die in the orange groves of California
Telling others to get together
Whites and Filipinos,
Negroes and Mexicans,
All kinds of kids will die
Who don’t believe in lies, and bribes, and contentment
And a lousy peace.
Of course, the wise and the learned
Who pen editorials in the papers,
And the gentlemen with Dr. in front of their names
White and black,
Who make surveys and write books
Will live on weaving words to smother the kids who die,
And the sleazy courts,
And the bribe-reaching police,
And the blood-loving generals,
And the money-loving preachers
Will all raise their hands against the kids who die,
Beating them with laws and clubs and bayonets and bullets
To frighten the people—
For the kids who die are like iron in the blood of the people—
And the old and rich don’t want the people
To taste the iron of the kids who die,
Don’t want the people to get wise to their own power,
To believe an Angelo Herndon, or even get together
Listen, kids who die—
Maybe, now, there will be no monument for you
Except in our hearts
Maybe your bodies’ll be lost in a swamp
Or a prison grave, or the potter’s field,
Or the rivers where you’re drowned like Leibknecht
But the day will come—
You are sure yourselves that it is coming—
When the marching feet of the masses
Will raise for you a living monument of love,
And joy, and laughter,
And black hands and white hands clasped as one,
And a song that reaches the sky—
The song of the life triumphant
Through the kids who die.
——————- LANGSTON HUGHES
GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS TOD FAMILY…IT HAS BEEN SNOWING HERE OFF AND ON…HAVE TO RUN AN ERRAND TO THE NEW APT. OFFICE TODAY AND FINISH SOME OTHER THINGS…TIME IS FLYING BY…HAPPY TO SEE THE ENERGIZER BEING ENERGIZED!….HOPING FOR A LITTLE SUNSHINE TODAY MYSELF..LIVING IN THE WRONG STATE FOR THAT RARITY…ADIOS!
GOP candidates deliver a subtle threat to N.H. Republicans
12/28/15 10:40 AM—UPDATED 12/28/15 11:23 AM
By Steve Benen
Polls in New Hampshire have been fairly steady for quite a while. Donald Trump has held a consistent lead among Granite State Republicans for months, but his backing has struggled to reach the 30% threshold – suggesting he could be vulnerable to one of the more establishment-friendly candidates, if this faction of the GOP weren’t already being split five ways.
The New York Times reported the other day that Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, both of whom are betting much of their candidacies on the first primary, have started pushing a new line on the campaign trail in the nation’s first primary.
On Monday night, speaking at the Christmas-bedecked American Legion hall in Alton, Mr. Bush picked up where Mr. Christie left off.
Yep, keep playing golf and taking out the terrorist Mr. President.
Did Hillary say anything about the Tamir Rice MURDER non-indictment?
Just askin.
Paris-linked IS leader ‘died in strike’
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35195219
Following up to meta’s post above…
Thank you, hf!
Good Morning TOD Family.
Thank you all so much for all you thoughts and prayers. I’m feeling a bit better each day, but still needing some tests. Will keep you posted.
BTW: Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. LL! We must see those rings!
jebby is now talkin’ about how to do selfies. so stupid at so many levels.
Good Morning Chips and TOD.
LIVE NOW: “Affluenza Teen” Ethan Couch Briefng - Tarrant County, TX - http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml