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The last company that I worked for employed many immigrants, mostly from Asia (China, India, Japan) but also from Europe (England, France, Germany, Scandinavia). During T-R-U-M-P 1.0 when DJT imposed his first travel ban (against primarily majority-Muslim countries), there was widespread consternation among coworkers in the USA on an H-1B visa -- even though most of them were not from travel-banned countries. During a business meeting, I felt compelled to apologize to my immigrant colleagues. I genuinely felt embarrassed by and ashamed of the lunatic president. One coworker, from China, expressed that he migrated to America because it was "The Land of Opportunity." He had particularly been impressed with and inspired by Barack Obama's "We are the change we seek" speech (Remember those good ol' days? Remember that dignity . . . that sanity?). After living in America, he was shocked and surprised by the degree of hostility and anger in America -- that many Americans were so unhappy and "so mad."

the current corrupt, criminal administration was built on lies about immigration, and too many Democrats bought into it as a kind of ethical compromise to win voters. The truth is, if me and my family felt trapped in a neighboring country, i might cross that imaginary line in the sand too (and so would you. except for Mac, of course (-;) here's the rest of the truth https://www.facebook.com/reel/1224380696326661

like Billie Eilish said, https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17tLwaHnhm/

the lyin' king's new Federal Reserve pick is in the Epstein files that's how it works, and he learned it from Putin surround yourself with people who HAVE TO be loyal to you

I have little doubt of that. The corporate media were a big help to him in the last election cycle, and they wanted the Epstein files to remain buried, as far as exposing the guilty men. At the same time, the corporate media loves covering the uproar about the files, and the ratings it drives for them. The corporate media doesn't care at all about justice or helping justice be achieved, only about the public battles regarding justice.. As Lily Tomlin would say, you can never be cynical enough, when it comes to the corporate media or those with great power or money. Trust them only by their actions, not on their words..

new angle the Lyin King was not elected because he said he would expose the Epstein files he was elected precisely because he wouldn't by the rich, powerful, and guilty who put one of their own in power

i don't like the name game, but don't you think President Grump would have been fitting and effective messaging?

Maybe more the latter than the former, but in the end, does it really matter? The bottom line is, I am part of a very small cultural minority in my state, even tho I'm a straight, white cis male. So in the end, I feel just as outnumbered and alienated, as I would if I were black or queer. BTW, Iowa is 97% white, racially, to give you an idea of how much of a minority I am, culturally rather than racially.. and that's without even getting into politics, where I am a socialist in a solid red state... In case you're wondering why I've stayed here my whole life, it's because it's where all my friends are and have been my whole adult life, and I'm not interested in moving somewhere else where I don't know a soul. It's not easy to make a whole new set of friends, even after you're retired, in a new state... and the cost of living is low.. I'm a music and cultural snob, and proud of it!

BD, Are you really an outcast in Iowa? Or are you a . . .

I'm writing from Minnesota, where everything feels under threat right now. I'm getting used to questioning every shared piece of information (worrying how it might later be used against me). Even writing this; there is worry. But my community is strong and getting stronger! We challenge ourselves to dream a sweet dream even though we are currently living in a nightmare. So the words shared above--ideals of a virtual space--are touching my heart. I hope and dream for these things too: may justice, equality, balance, and right relationship to all things prevail!

did we think this criminal, lyin' regime was going to go quietly into election 2026 knowing how awful they're perceived and what a democratic House and Senate would mean? this 2020 Georgia election heist of ballots it's about manufacturing a case that our election system cannot be trusted and should be cancelled!

I agree. Maybe that's why the Matrix trilogy of movies were so popular, because they resonated with people on how the vast majority of us live in the Matrix, the first level, without even knowing it..

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/188b11h8qw/

BD, All I know about Art Garfunkel's association with Jimmy Webb is -- coincidentally -- his recording of Webb's song, All I Know, which appears on Garfunkel's first solo album Angel Clare. I had that album and also Garfunkel's second solo effort Breakaway. The cover on that album was a photo of Garfunkel sandwiched between actresses Helena Kallianiotes and Laurie Bird. Kallianiotes was also a belly dancer; she is immortalized in the famous diner scene in Five Easy Pieces. Bird was romantically involved with Garfunkel. In 1979 she committed suicide in his apartment. My favorite track on Angel Clare is Traveling Boy, penned by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols who also composed my favorite Three Dog Night song, Out in the Country. I don't know what Garfunkel's voice sounds like these days. I'll take your word for it that it has deteriorated. As did Marianne Faithfull's. One recording artist who probably doesn't suffer that problem is Tom Waits.

Sorry, Cap'n, but semantics are important - to me, anyway and obviously. Don't look now, but . . . It's vs ItsIt's is a contraction of it is, e.g., it's [it is] merely semantics. Its is a possessive adjective and means belonging to or relating to something that has already been mentioned, e.g., Its [the brain's] battery needs to be plugged into source. Meanwhlie Back at Die FrontRe veering off topic, henceforth I shall try to refrain from the committing the offense . . . or, at least, more delicately weave my tangential outbursts into the topic proper. Speakin' o' which . . . I understand the point that you're trying to make with the image of armed MAGA protesters. But my reaction to your point differs from your P.O.V. (and, I suspect, the P.O.V. of many nBP citizens). Because I am a gun-phobe and don't have a hard-on for the 2nd Amendment, concealed carry weapon (CCW) laws are repellent to me. IMO, they make communities less safe and more dangerous. So I actually agree with your photo caption. If you're going to put yourself in a volatile, potentially violent melee attended by an armed Gestapo, maybe in that case . . . Don't carry a gun.

I agree with recharging your brain and the need for it. And I do practice the solitude and quiet thing, as a way to calm down and recharge. But I've never really gotten into meditation, since it bores me and makes me sleepy. So instead, I just read and listen to music while I do it, as that seems to do the trick for me, same as meditation does for most folks. Whatever works for the individual, is all that matters... As for the Nov. 11th exchange between you and mac, I concur that he's a cool guy, even tho he would probably never admit to it or accept the compliment, lol... He's a loveable curmudgeon, same as me, I suppose... I can just hear him retorting back, " I don't have to take that from you!...."....

he's not paying. We are paying the "worst of the worst"

whether the N@zi word is used or not, America has failed in standing up to the Gestapo measures the current government has applied to fellow human beings. The murders by ICE agents in Minnesota are the inevitable result of our failure as citizens of the world to stand up against blatant discrimination and tyranny. WE HAVE BEEN COMPLICIT IN THE RISE OF AN AMERICAN FUHRER all of the signs were there. the n@zi salutes, his take of having "good genes" and using other phrases and concepts from Hitler's greatest hits. His ex-wife even claimed in during their divorce proceedings that he kept a book of Adolf's speeches in the bedroom. but here's where those on the left and in the media were most complicit... we CAVED on the immigration issue! it was an issue that continued to be unresolved AND SHOULD HAVE STAYED UNRESOLVED until the core issue of income inequality was properly addressed people are risking their lives to cross a line in the sand with their family because of the hardships on the other side of the line we CAVED believing if we let them employ their Gestapo measures on hispanic families perhaps we could win the next election with the Democrats, it's always about scoring points NEXT election more-so than doing what's right now and properly selling what's right to the public specifically 1. we could have applied pressure on businesses that hire illegals, rather than human beings 2. we could have spoken up loudly and forcefully every time a racist discriminatory word was spoken. How many times have we heard, "they're thugs, criminals, murderer's, rapists, gang members, drug dealers, and MENTALLY ILL? -- and said nothing. the stats show the opposite. They're less likely to commit crimes. The "mentally ill" part is the clincher in a pervasive presentation that amounts to Hitler's Greatest Hit of all -- THEY'RE INFERIOR now, that's happened. In Minnesota. White citizens are being beaten and killed by highly paid (by us), barely trained, masked, armed agents of the Fourth Reich!