13 years ago tonight: in a cold freight elevator en route to an Inaugural ball. pic.twitter.com/3edVPKW3iF
— Pete Souza (@PeteSouza) January 20, 2022
I know you Left-Coasters tend to get stuck with the nasty bits, so here’s a nice memory, as a treat.
Mr. Souza has one hell of a fine eye for just the right moment…
Asparagus Aspersions
I spent the last 24 hours fuming about my useless senator, Sinema, who reminds me of every kid in high school that didn’t get the lead part in the annual school play. Except they just sulked dramatically, instead of gleefully breaking democracy. So thank you for the lovely memory, AL!
jnfr
Thank you so much for that reminder. That’s so good.
West of the Rockies
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo…”
Danielx
The better angels of our nature…
Redshift
Nice photo! I was there – in the building, at least. About that time, I was watching the Grateful Dead perform in tuxedos. Some time afterward, as they made the circuit if the various balls, the Obamas came and had a dance at ours. Quite a memory.
Baud
Lovely.
lgerard
Gets me every time
Chetan Murthy
@lgerard: Yeah. Something just expands a little in the chest area when Denzel starts to announce. Another prince of a man.
I rememer once reading the meet-cute of the Obamas: Michelle Robinson was an associate at the law firm where Barack Obama interviewed for his first law firm job. She interviewed him. Love it.
oldster
That guy just cannot stop being charming. But I’m not sure that Michelle is totally buying it this evening — she has a look that many wives in old couples will recognize.
I still love them both, even if her patience is not infinite. In part because her patience is not infinite.
?BillinGlendaleCA
So I’m looking at sectional charts to familiarize myself with them and noticed these bright orange circles on the LA sectional around LAX, Redlands and San Bernardino. Says it’s a TFR(Temporary Flight Restriction), click on it for the NOTAM(Notice to Airmen), says VIP. Looks like MVP is going to be in town.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Looking at the DC sectional, VIP TFR over Camp David, guess the President’s going to be there this weekend.
Geminid
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Gonna be cold at Camp David. Hope the grandkids make it and play in the snow.
Geminid
The FBI’s search of Henry Cuellar’s Texas home got a lot of coverage in national and local media. Agents also visited his local office in Laredo. Reporting is that the investigation centers on several businessmen with a conection to the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan. Cuellar is co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. A Caucasus Caucus, so to speak.
Steeplejack (phone)
Meat Loaf dead at 74.
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
@Steeplejack (phone):
Everything Dump touches dies
geg6
@David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:
Damn, that was my first thought when I saw it on the local news just now. That bastard really does taint everything and everyone he touches.
WereBear
@David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: And we are seeing it in real time.
Gin & Tonic
@Geminid: Nothing personal, just wondering how long the “former Soviet” adjective will be used. The USSR ended over 30 years ago. One could just write “Azerbaijan” and have it clearly understood, I would think.
Baud
@David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch:
What’s the connection between meatloaf and Trump?
Geminid
@Gin & Tonic: I would not have done this with a better known country. I thought of writing Azerbaijan straight, but I thought it was not a well known country so I figured people could better identify it with the appellation of “former Soviet state.” I certainly did not mean to diminish it in any way.
Gin & Tonic
@Baud: Ketchup?
Geminid
@Baud: Meatloaf appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice, and had a little bit of a friendship going with Trump. When a reporter asked Mr. Loaf whether he thought Trump would make a good President, he replied, actually Trump would make a good economic advisor because he’s good at finance. Trump blew up at Meatloaf, thought he’d been insulted. This was not that long before Trump announced.
Steeplejack
@Baud:
Meat Loaf was on The Celebrity Apprentice 10 years ago and was friends with Trump for a while. Somewhat dusty story here.
Baud
@Geminid:
Thanks.
Baud
@Steeplejack: Thanks.
SFAW
@Gin & Tonic:
Although it’s hard for me to picture what overdone meatloaf is like. An extra large charcoal briquet?
Gin & Tonic
@Geminid: Like I said, nothing personal, I just try to nudge people in that direction when I get a chance.
Quinerly
@Steeplejack (phone): l am at the point in my packing that l have debated with myself about packing my old vinyl. Just packed Bat out Hell yesterday.
Side note, can’t pitch old albums. Just can’t.
Brantl
@SFAW: I’ve had it, overdone, more than once, and that is an excellent summary, just add crunchy.
Quinerly
@Steeplejack: did not know any of this. Maybe l knew he had been on the show. I never watched nor followed it.
Cause of death has not been announced.
Geminid
@Gin & Tonic: I’ll remember that. “Country bordering Turkey” would have served as well, probably better.
Gin & Tonic
@Geminid: My son has, um, “interesting” stories of visiting the then-Armenian-held exclave of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Geminid
@Gin & Tonic: And now I see that Azerbaijan is not a “country bordering Turkey.” It borders Iran. What did your son think? Did the Armenians and Azerbaijani’s have much to fight about?
Gin & Tonic
@Geminid: There is always something to fight *about* in the Caucasus. There usually isn’t much to fight *over.*.
Geminid
@Gin & Tonic: It seems to give Russia an opportunity to play referee.
WaterGirl
@Gin & Tonic: It finally worked with (the) Ukriaine, so there is definitely hope.