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This is why California joined 16 other states in suing to halt Trump's plan to roll back Vehicle Emission Standards.
Yeah, I'll save having to pay around $50.00 every two years to get a SMOG Check and maybe, even more, to ensure proper maintenance is performed annually, but how am I going to have fun driving when the road is so hot from Global Warming that it burns away the rubber on my tires or the strain on my A/C causes the engine to overheat, etc., etc?
Maybe folks just don't understand how Global Warming works. So here's a cartoon animation just in case.
Congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explains how democratic socialism can help America and doubles down on her commitment to refuse corporate political donations.
My kids are adults with kids of their own, but when they need financial assistance, I'll sacrifice and eat chicken and hamburger instead of steak and lobster to assist them. Because I'm a Parent. I made sure BEFORE getting a female pregnant or taking on their child as my own that I could afford to take care of my RESPONSIBILITIES.
It doesn't always work out that way for everyone and shit happens I know so I'm happy that I've been blessed to have stuck to my "Plan For Life" and now I'm reaping the benefits and so are they.
Purpose - the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.
So many humans are walking around still wondering what is their purpose in life.
When your mind becomes Enlightened, you'll finally realize that you "CHOOSE" what your purpose in life is.
When was the last time someone gave you something and you didn't know what to do with it?
When One Thinks Of "Life" As A Present:
Some give it back................................... Suicide
Some give it to others............................. Voluntary Servitude
Some place it on a shelf just to admire it... Existing
Some find a purpose for it....................... Living Life
It's YOUR life.....Do with it whatever the fuck you want to.
'CHOOSE YOUR PURPOSE, THEN LIVE IT FOR FUCKS SAKE'
So two different views on the Israeli (Jews) and Palestinian (Arabs) Issue.
(Video May Be Slow To Load)
(Video May Be Slow To Load)
So, what I gather is Palestinians were a Majority in Palestine and occupied most of Palestine.
Then the United Nations gave the majority of Palestine to Israelis.
The Palestinian hated this and even after numerous attempts to be given their own State, Palestinian Leaders continued to reject ALL offers to a solution and continued to rage War on Israel even with the help of 5 other Arab Countries and Israel defeated them all and kicked the majority of Palestinian Arabs out of Palestine now known as Israel.
When many Palestinians tried to return to the land Israel now owned, Israel was like, "Nope" and the Gaza Strip once owned by Egypt and the West Bank once owned by Jordan were both designated places where the displaced Palestinians were allowed to settle. However, Israel would occupy these areas and then leave and then re-occupy the areas and take more and more land in what seems to be an effort to make all of Palestine land owned by Israel ONLY!
If I've gotten any of this incorrect, please share and include the link to your source.
Let's just take a look at the Republicans new website that lists "HOW" and "WHY" Americans are better off due to The President and a Republican Lead Congress and fact check only one of their claims.
https://www.betteroffnow.gop/#results
CLAIM
"Republicans are bringing our armed forces out of the self-induced readiness crisis"
After eight years of our military forces languishing under reduced spending and cuts, Republican efforts are bringing our armed forces out of this self-induced readiness crisis and restoring America’s military might.
Wait......WTF?
So let me get this correct 'Republicans'. You're claiming that the US Military created its own Readiness Crisis?
Really Republicans? Did they Really?
Ummmm.....Do you remember a thing you guys caused called 'Sequestration'? The military didn't vote and pass that. You guys did.
So Congress (Mostly Republicans) and President Obama aren't to blame huh?
"Part of the whole reason (lawmakers) thought that the sequester would work was it was so stupid and awful," said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense."
"What we’re witnessing now is a game of brinksmanship: Obama has proposed a plan to avert the cuts that combines 'Closing Tax Loopholes' with "Cutting Federal Spending"; Republicans have offered their version with ONLY 'Spending Cuts'."
"A sizable number of members of Congress want a sequester; the overwhelming majority of them are House Republicans who believe that this is the best way to get a down payment on spending cuts, and don't believe (or care) that national security might be at risk. They also are convinced that these cuts won't affect any real services, in part because they really believe that most government is wrongheaded, irrelevant or just waste and fraud. Very few Democrats want a sequester; a few think it will backfire on Republicans, and so are secretly happy. But most would much prefer a deal to avoid it." ~ Norman Ornstein, a scholar at the Conservative American Enterprise Institute."
PolitiFact's guide to Sequestration
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2013/feb/22/politifact-guide-sequestration/
I hope PolitiFact Fact Checks every claim on that site.
Just embarrassing. The sad part is, some ignorant people will actually believe this BS!
So as usual, "Don't Blame Us, It's Your/Their Fault". "Don't Look Over Here, Look Over There".
Are Conservatives Being Hated On By Liberal Snowflakes?
Snowflakes - A term used to describe 'Extremist Liberals' that get offended by every statement and/or belief that doesn't exactly match their own.
Let's Find Out.
Oh look, it's Tomi Lahren. She's very entertaining. She says, "Truth has become the new hate speech".
Really Tomi? Really?
Who is she?
__________________
From Wikipedia:
"Tomi Lahren (/ˈtɒmi ˈlærən/; born August 11, 1992) is an American conservative political commentator and former television host. She garnered international attention as the host of Tomi on TheBlaze (TheBlaze is an American conservative news and entertainment network available on television, radio, and the Internet that was founded by talk radio personality Glenn Beck, based in Irving, Texas. TheBlaze has studios and offices based in the Las Colinas urban district in Irving and Los Angeles.), particularly for her short video segments called "final thoughts", in which she frequently criticized liberal politics.
Many of her videos went viral, with The New York Times describing her as a "rising media star".
Lahren was suspended from TheBlaze in March 2017 after saying in an interview on The View (The View is an American talk show that was conceived by broadcast journalist Barbara Walters and television producer Bill Geddie. It has aired on ABC as part of the network's daytime programming block since August 11, 1997. The show broadcasts live from the ABC Broadcast Center in New York City, featuring a multi-generational panel of women as co-hosts, who discuss the day's "Hot Topics" ranging from sociopolitical to entertainment news. While the show primarily spotlights conversations between its panelists, it also regularly features interview segments with prominent figures, such as celebrities and politicians.) that she believed women should have legal access to abortion.
Shortly thereafter, she began working for Great America Alliance, an advocacy organization that supports Donald Trump, and, in August 2017, she joined Fox News as a contributor.
Lahren's commentaries have frequently been described by critics as racist, which she disputes."
- The President is leading from a position of Strength.
Ummmm....You mean being Commander-In-Chief of the mightiest Military Force on the planet? Ok, I'll give you that one.
- Says the outraged people who were outraged at The President attempting to establish diplomatic relations with Russia are now outraged that The President was too mean to Iranian Leaders.
- That The President is being "tough" on World Leaders. That it Works!
- Proof that being "tough" on World Leaders works as follows:
-- North Korea
Ummmm....What about North Korea Tomi? You didn't explain.
- This President was elected to 'Get Things Done' and "He Has".
Ummmm....What has he Got Done Tomi? You didn't explain.
- The President has a 'Strategy' and maybe Liberals will understand this and get onboard.
Ummmm....So The President's 'Strategy' is 'The Tough Talk' Strategy. Well, I'm not a Liberal and I understand the 'Tough Talk' Strategy, but nope...Still not onboard.
- Says the Iranian Deal the last Administration made with Iran wasn't much of a 'Deal' it was more of a 'Concession List' -a contractual right to carry on a certain kind of business or activity in an area) and that President Trump won't do that again.
Ummmm....What was conceded to in the Deal Tomi? You didn't explain.
- This Administration comes to the table from a position of strength unlike the last Administration that coward in the corner.
Ummm....Wait, What?! LMAO!!! Tell that to Osama bin Laden. Oh wait, you can't. He's dead!
- Coming from a position of strength is how we get "results" and we see it time and time again and I think it really actually drives the Liberals crazy how effective this President is because he's "Unconventional" (not based on or conforming to what is generally done or believed)
Ummmm...Really Tomi? Really? That's what is actually driving Liberals crazy about this President and his Administration?
- He uses 'Twitter Diplomacy' and guess what? It Works! It's bringing 'Peace About In The World'.
Ummmm...Really Tomi? Is 'Twitter Diplomacy' really working and bringing peace about in the world?
When those who agreed with the President's Tariffs feel the repercussions.
"Tariffs are the greatest!" ~ President Trump
President Trump announced tariffs on imported washing machines JAN 2018.
"This is, without any doubt, a positive catalyst for Whirlpool." ~ CEO Marc Bitzer
Annnnndddddd Then This Happened:
- "Steel prices in the United States are 60% higher than the rest of the world"
- "That has raised costs for Whirlpool by $350 million and squeezed its profit margins"
- "Whirlpool's (WHR) stock tanked 12% on Tuesday after it missed Wall Street's expectations"
- "The global steel costs have risen substantially, and in particular, in the US, they have reached unexplainable levels"
- "Uncertainty" around additional tariffs and global trade had disrupted Whirlpool's supply chain"
- "Whirlpool and rivals, such as LG and Samsung, have increased prices on washing machines since the tariffs went into effect. That led some people to pass up a new purchase. Washing machine prices in June were up close to 20% from a year prior, according to the Labor Department."
- "Whirlpool's sales in the United States fell 2.2% last quarter from "very slow market demand." In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the company's second biggest market, sales tumbled 12%. Whirlpool hinted that it planned to continue raising prices to offset raw material inflation, which means that consumers holding out for a cheaper washing machine might have to wait a while."
You ever look at the "ACTIONS" of some people and just wonder just how awful their parents had to have been to produce then raise or abandon something like this ultimately resulting in it being unleashed into the world at some point or just how fucked up someone's life had to have been to become the type of person they are today? *smh*
If you follow my Journal Posts, you'd know I'm an 'Independent' Voter with 'Moderate' Political Views that tend to lend more on the Liberal side due to their more 'Compassionate' ideology and platforms more so than Republicans and Conservatives that tend to express more negative ideology when it comes to helping fellow Human Beings.
"Moderates, according to the poll, aren't tuned-out or ill-informed, but they tend to see both sides of complex issues—for example, they want the government to do more to help the economy, but they worry that it may be ineffective or counterproductive. They see both parties as overly ideological and wish politicians would compromise more." ~ Molly Ball
"Moderates wrestle with, and often reject, what they see as the false "either/or" ideological choices that define modern politics," "They recognize that both sides have a piece of the truth and see flaws in the standard "liberal and conservative" perspectives." ~Michelle Diggles and Lanae Erickson Hatalsky
So due to the fact that I see the "Federal Government" failing at its Responsibilities when it comes to the topic of Immigration and nothing else seems to hold them more accountable, I thought about what would make the Federal Government take Immigration MORE serious? I know, why not allow Illegal Immigrants the right to "Vote"? LOL!
Now that would really motivate the "Federal Government" to do better. Why? Because of "FEAR".
You see, they are using "FEAR" tactics to divert blame away from themselves for failing at their job and placing it on people doing the exact same thing all of us would do if it came down to 'Survival'. So why not use "FEAR" against them? Let them get Angry and Hate it and Suffer Political Losses. Each Party Fears losing Political Power.
So yesterday, I took a Quiz on https://www.isidewith.com/ and chose the below choice.
Ok Chris from Dallas in Fox news report about SF laws. Feeling my Californian identity attacked My reply was Texans gun laws may go well with Californians liberilism for any number of reasons. :)
Liberals are open to "new behavior" or "new opinions" and willing to "discard traditional values".
Texas holds to "Traditional Values" that Gun Ownership should be able to be own by most citizens and it should be easier and not harder to acquire them. "Texas allows Law-Abiding Citizens who obtain permits to openly carry handguns. The open carrying of shotguns and rifles has long been legal in Texas, except in places where carrying is expressly forbidden. School properties in Texas are gun-free zones, under state and federal laws. But the laws also allow for some exceptions."
So I'm just having difficulty in connecting that with California Liberalism....
I believe a liberal is free to embrace any idea even if it fits with conservative and traditional views. So I think they would fit might take finnessing implementing without a major catastrophe. But that is my liberal opinion.
Putin is a smart Cat. I am not sure what kind of person he is but he is made to be a leader. I know that might upset some people but oh well. I haven't watched the news in so long but wow can see I didn't miss much on that front. Lol
When I scrolled past this the first time, the videos hadn't loaded. I scanned what SweetLittleLies said too quickly, so I thought at first you had acquired a cat named Putin for a second, Mogy. Then I read more carefully, and laughed at myself. Haha!
18:55 Jul 19 2018 Times Read: 1,898
Well, nope....I still can't view a member's Broadcast. I only see still pictures with no video or sound.
It seems like this is a never ending battle when it comes to how the site is supposed to work. amongst other things like the site hanging up at levels and other items that just seem to not get fixed.
18:46 Jul 19 2018 Times Read: 1,902
Awesome, UndeadBruce confirmed my Broadcast can now be seen.
So now I'm seeking clarification as to whether I can Solo Sesh on the VR Cam or not.
Me, but I I need a better laptop for it. Paycheck Monday, ;)
16:45 Jul 19 2018 Times Read: 1,930
There are so many ways to come across VR Profiles, but just too many to ever visit them all. Especially when they come and go frequently.
So feel free to message me if you've Friended my profile, Rated my profile or portfolio, or Favored my Journal and I haven't returned the kindness.
So many Profiles. For an individual to go as far as to make a profile that is completely based on Fantasy, Fiction or a Combination of both takes skills.
What really impresses me are males making profiles claiming to be females and vice versa and then you have those profiles who don't even claim a gender and let's not forget they could be old enough to be collecting Social Security, but place on the profile the age of a minor or vice versa.
Now to carry on that type of pretense is wild!!!
And then when they get their profiles to pretend to fight each other and cause drama....Now that...That right there is some next level shit. Worthy of a Screen Writer's Award.
You can't tell me some Author or Social Scientist isn't using VR for their benefit.
VR is full of potential beyond its stated reasons for exists.
Unless I've seen you on a webcam or met you in person I questioned EVERYTHING about your social media presence.....Your Words and Pictures.
Ive been here for 12 years. Visited a lot of said profiles. With each new year, your activity, journal entries and replies have become more and more thought out and entertaining. It's pretty impressive!!
Often time we are made known of something and immediately make our opinion known from a source of Fear, Anger, Hate and Suffering.
When I entered the military in 1987, the Marine Corps had a DUI Problem.
When I retired from the military in 2011, the Marine Corps had a DUI Problem.
When it came to Marines wanting to escape their reality and go to a better one to the point of consuming something that will assist them in doing just that, well we could never go 365 Days DUI Free. Sometimes not even 7 Days. I've seen it as short as 1 Day after a huge Safety Formation was conducted specifically covering DUIs and what will happen if a Marine gets one.
So in one meeting, the Commanding Officer asked a number of Officers what will it take to stop Marines from getting DUIs? When he got around to me, I said the following:
Sir, DUIs have been an issue since I Enlisted and it remains an issue even now. Education on the Law alone doesn't work....Deterrence alone doesn't work...Heavy penalties alone doesn't work, Incarceration alone doesn't work....Seeing the aftermath of accidents alone doesn't work...Arrive Alive Program where Taxi Companys takes the Marine home for FREE and charge the Command and the Command has the Marine simply reimburse the Command without any negative repercussions alone doesn't work....Having someone you know die due to being intoxicated and getting behind the wheel alone doesn't work...Hiring Experts to come up with great ideas and catchy slogans alone doesn't work.
But if all of these efforts together prevent one death, then keep pouring it on. I don't feel the Marine Corps or society as a whole will ever not have a DUI as long as (1) It's against the law and (2) Humans remain imperfect.
My recommendation is to also focus on the REASONS why they are choosing to do that which they had to have done to get a DUI and Attack that.
"Lead With Wisdom, Sternness and Fairness, But Also Lead With Compassion" ~ Lord MOGY
I think this is a common problem across all branches. When you put someone 18-25 in a vise at some point something will give. Most soldiers deal with things the regular population can never understand. I am not saying it is right but it is what it is. -
True, but at the same time the military is a reflection of society since it's members are from society. Therefore, many of the same social challenges we see in the civilian sector we also see in the military. However, due to the uniqueness of a military lifestyle, the military tends to do better at how it manages and addresses those challenges in my opinion.
I agree....Adversity breeds a respect you just don't find on the street. Hardest part about going back into regular society was the lack of support (watching each others back) that was the norm while serving.
Five Times the United States Officially Apologized
- Shielding a Nazi Officer Wanted for War Crimes
- The Internment of Japanese Citizens During World War II
- The Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii
- The Tuskegee 'Syphilis Given To African-American Men' Experiment
- An Apology for Slavery and the Jim Crow laws
My honest opinion is we need a grass roots kind of person in office. Someone who actually lived the everyday life. No attorneys, rich businessmen or anything like we have had recently. We are basically a 2 party system and I feel we need more options as there is just too much finger pointing and nobody is looking out for us the "people".
In my opinion, I feel the person should be qualified for the job. With the understanding that they will be dealing with the Judicial and Legislative Branches and State Officials as well as regular citizens, I feel there should be a natural progression in one's professional career that better equips one to hold that office. Start out as a Community Organizer, then get on the City Council, then Board of Supervisors for the County, then Mayor, then Congress or Governor then run for President and the person does not have to belong to any Party nor have to have a certain amount of money or access to it.
19:22 Jul 17 2018 Times Read: 2,020
Who is this video for?
This video is for those who travel a lot by air....LOL!
So I've been asked to share what I can of my military background on another site and figured, why not blog it here too.
I joined the Corps right after graduating High School Enlisting into the Marines signing an initial 6-Year First Term Contract vice a standard 4-Year Contract back in 1987. A 6-Year Contract guaranteed me the rank of PFC (E-2) upon graduating Boot Camp as well as guaranteeing me the rank of Cpl (E-4) in 18 months. Ahead of my peers. My Military Occupational Speciality (MOS) was 6672, Aviation Supply Clerk since I wanted to work with computers. However, my career path didn't expose me to much of the Ground Side training I thought I would receive and I wasn't too happy seeing how some Officers treated Enlisted members so I decided to become a Chief Warrant Officer upon achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6) and after having taken advantage of some Traditional Higher Education. However, I later decided that Non-Traditional Higher Education focusing only on those subjects that would assist in advancing my career was a better option for me and it paid off even though it did not result in any Degrees, but it did result in more Knowlege, Certificates of Completions and College Credits.
Upon my appointment to Warrant Officer (W-1), that for sure exposed me to much of the Ground Side training I had anticipated receiving. By then, more Enlisted Marines, no matter their MOS, started receiving more Ground Side training right after graduating Boot Camp which only focused on the basics so I felt that was a very positive thing.
As a Marine Officer, I was able to see that side of the military culture and community, take advantage of even more Higher Non-Traditional Education, I was able to take better care of Enlisted Marines and mentoring and teaching both Enlisted as well as Officers. I feel I made more of an impact by contributing my new 6604 MOS, Aviation Supply/Operations Officer skills in order to help shape the future of the Corps when it came to Aviation Logistics, Aviation Combat Logistical Support Operations, Aviation Logistical Support Training as well as in other areas of the Corps.
All of my training was finally put to the test when I served in Iraq during Combat Operations in a billet beyond my rank, but I've always met and exceeded not only my own expectations but those of others. However, serving in Iraq resulted in my being exposed to toxins that negatively and permanently impacted my health and although I advanced up the ranks to achieve the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CWO4), I could no longer maintain the physical standards required to advance to the top of my community by obtaining CWO5.
So I Fully Retired in 2011 and thanks to my Military Pension and VA Compensation and Health Care Providers, I've been able to live the type of lifestyle that I'm content with.
I am glad you shared this here. Thank you for your service my friend. It just saddens my heart the health issues you and tons of other service men have to live with on a daily basis. I am just glad you are able to live the lifestyle you are content with. Mogy, you are a good person. I am grateful you are my friend. You have taught me so much about life in just the few years I have known you. When life seems to confuse me I can always go to you and talk. You have a way of making me see what is important to focus on. I hope I am as good a friend to you as you are to me.
So you went to A school in Meridian, MS then :) I went there for my first MOS, Aviation Maintenance Administration- and I have a million friends who were Aviation Supply and ADP.
@ Dakotah...Thank you, Brother. I consider both you and Lily very good friends and kind and caring people. I look forward to the day we can all meet in person.
@ imagesinwords...Yes! I too have and made many friends on the Maintenance side.
As I matured in my career, I came to see Maintenace more of as a Partner, Team Member and valued Customer instead of Competitors and those guys who are trying to make my life harder by always trying to cheat the logistical system. LOL! ^_^
I ended up making a lateral move to IMRL (Support Equipment Asset Manager) when it became an MOS in 1995. But I was able to do part-time radio DJing at the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network in Iwakuni, Japan for 2 years. I got out after 8 years, but I would have gone the Warrant Officer route had I stayed in. There aren't a lot of women even today in the Marine Corps- so if you've stayed in long enough it's easier for a woman to become a Warrant Officer than a man... from what I've heard. My boss was pushing me toward that, but I couldn't stay in due to physical problems I was already having. I did finish my second enlistment though.
I had heard that there was a push to overcome systemic biases so the chances of a person of color and/or a female would have a good chance of being selected if they applied.
However, I didn't see any favoritism going through The Basic Course ((TBS)) a.k.a. Grondside Officer Training School) nor while in the Fleet. In fact, it seemed there was a requirement to work three times as hard to continue to prove oneself both of being an Officer and to the majority.
My boss at the time could very well have been telling me that because he had a stick up his ass over people getting things. You know that's a rampant train of thought.
I would have went for it though- because if I didn't go that route there was too high of a chance I would have gotten orders to the drill field as there just aren't enough women who stay longer than their first enlistment to do it. Could have tried to hurry and put in for Career Planner- that would have been the easiest of the B billets I'd assume. Being a recruiter sure wouldn't have been my cup of tea.
IKR?! I also had no desire to be a DI, Recruiter, CarPlan or Security Guard so being appointed was a win in that aspect, but being an Officer came with its own challenges. All worth it though. I continued to tell my Marines that the difference between being an Officer and an Enlisted isn't that one is "Better" than the other, it's simply one 'Sets Policy' and the other 'Adhere To and Enforce Set Policy'. That's what I came to learn.
If everything goes well with my son, I know he will have a great sense of respect for enlisted members since both his parents were enlisted. He also had amazing Marine Instructors at his military school. So he'd go from wearing the Marine Corps uniform in JROTC military school to the Army uniform. His uniform will look better than anyone else's LOL He'll be going in with some damn high standards.
True! Some very high standards indeed. I do wish him all the best both in his military career as well as civilian. By the way, what will be his civilian career while not training?
It's truly a crime how ex-military folks get treated sometimes. Sure we're a fucked up country but at least we still have freedoms unlike any other place in the world. People so often fail to forget that freedom certainly is not free, it's paid for by the lives of our dear friends and family who continue to stand up and fight for the principles we've somehow lost sight of amidst all of the bullshit politics and government corruption...oops, excuse me didn't mean to rant *steps off soap-box*
Congrats on navigating through all of the madness and fashioning such an awesome life for yourself - Mucho respeto!
I had to watch this twice to believe it. All over a black woman and a coupon. Lately it seems instead of race issues getting better they seem to be getting worse. What gets me too is that these employees are not fired right away-- pending a review. When you have it on tape like this what needs to be reviewed? All employees involved in the police being called on this women should of been fired on the spot.
I don't know why we can't remember anything prior to being born.
I don't know why we don't know what it's really like after death.
So I'm Granted Serenity To Accept The Things I Can't Change.
Never compare your Life to Someone's else.
By Cosmic Design, it was never meant to be YOUR LIFE.
By Cosmic Design, You are Living the Life meant for You and as a Result of ALL of YOUR Life ChOICES.
Be it Karma from Prior Lives Lived or just plain Destiny and Fate.
It's YOUR Life. Only YOU can live it.
So BOOM!!! You find yourself on Earth, twirling through space orbiting a Sun while a Moon orbits your Planet-Ship and the Sun.
Now what?
SURVIVE or TRANSITION EARLY. Duh!!!
Do you have all the RESOURCES required to sustain yourself until you Transition?
The specific Age in which you will Transition is Unknown. How you will Transition is also Unknown.
Seek Serenity.
Our species have monitored trends and can give us an 'Estimated Age of Transitioning' based on the Average Age of Transitioning due to our Gender's Recorded Range of Ages of Natural Expiration, which the actual Age is probably hidden somewhere in our DNA Code. I believe our DNA Code also contains an Expiration of Species Date.
But, I digress.
Do you even KNOW all the RESOURCES that will be required to Sustain yourself and How to OBTAIN them?
If those that came before you have not taught you or you have not learned from other sources, well guess what, if you can read this, you can GOOGLE SEARCH it!
US Navy now allows women to wear ponytails, lock hairstyles
The Marines approved natural hairstyles in 2015, according to the Marine Times, and the Army, approved its own measure in 2017, per the Army Times.
Well, talk about writing to a targeted audience....
U.S. Navy Now allows Black Women to Wear Their Natural Hair
https://www.ebony.com/news-views/u-s-navy-now-allows-black-women-to-wear-their-natural-hair?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=7_13_18&utm_content=article_5&jwsource=cl
Go through your computer history and locate a point you would have been in your SENT file.
Click on That.
It will open your SENT Folder.
Then Simply click on your IN Box File.
Go down to the bottom and delete all of your In Box messages.
It will delete all the messages that "JudsaKiss" has been flooding your Message Center with.....and that profile may also belong to "MistressKora". Those are the two profiles that were hidden from my Blocklist when JudsaKiss sent me that garbage message.
So you actually found the point in your Computer History using those three little dots and locating a time period in which you were in your VR Sent portion of your VR Message Center?
17:14 Jul 14 2018 Times Read: 2,189
Now, this is some next level funny and petty shit. So someone introduced some sort of a virus into the Message Center.
Umm, yeah, like that actually stops people from communicating on VR.
I wonder where 2 out of 3 RECENTLY BLOCKED Profiles went from my Blocklist? It says I have 3 profiles Blocked, but only 1 name is being reflected. It makes you think huh....LMAO!!!
A question just out of curiosity, if you had the choice to be fully retired living off your Pension and other Benefits all earned by your long career...
Would you remain Fully Retired
OR
Choose to have your Pension and other Benefits terminated so that you can return to the working force working 5 days a week including having to work overtime from time to time and all the stressors that come with it for $5,000.00 more "Annually" than what you were making while Fully Retired?
Hey, look at this LZAPERVERT, Fox News reporting on something of interest to me....LOL!
Burn pits near US military bases in Iraq keep smoldering, as health debate rages
"Thousands of veterans and former contractors have developed cancer, respiratory problems and blood disorders from their exposure to toxins from the flaming pits at U.S. military bases across Iraq and Afghanistan, and many have died. More than 140,000 active service members and retirees have put their names on a Burn Pit Registry created by the Veterans Administration."
I'm not sure why someone would even try to, but why take over a Profile known to be toxic to VR claiming to be a new owner and trying to undo whatever negative actions that have already been done?
And she has a child with her????? What puts so much hate into someone heart that they would pick up a brick and kill a 92 year old? I do not understand. And tnhat poor child to have to witness his mothers's behavior.
Few years ago when I was in US at Walmart my brother was with me and he was talking to me in Cree. I think the dude who herd us thought my brother was talking Spanish and that we were Mexican and made the comment that he bet we were illegal aliens and do not belong in the USA. He told us go back to Mexico. My brother spoke up to the guy and said. 'Sir I belong here; I am Cree Native and my ansesors where here way before yours was." People around us began to clap.
there is so much racism now and seems to be getting worse, sorry if you disagree but I see much of this stemming from the big mouth comments of trump since his campaign and into presidency..when your country is led by someone who can make all the racist comments he wants and its ok ,what kinda example is that setting for our people ,our kids, etc..
It's just stupid shit like this that contributes to the real Fear some have of someone taking their frustration out on them just because they happen to be born within the ethnic group that continues to be exposed doing ignorant shit.
18:07 Jul 10 2018 Times Read: 2,290
Well Duhhh...
As I posted before....
REPUBLICANS
- Make Government Smaller
- Serve the needs of Big Business
DEMOCRATS
- Make some Investments in our People and the Economy then work to Steady and Stabilize The Status Quo
- Strengthening and Expanding America’s broad Middle Class
I remember back years ago I finally 'Gave A Fuck" to be displayed to those that cared because it was my last one and I really didn't want to 'Give A Fuck', but it was too rare of a thing to just keep to myself. I suppose it was just too valuable to someone because it's gone!
Someone must have been too mad that I didn't 'Give A Fuck!!!' so they stole it for themselves.
However, I'm not that heartless. I mean I have people searching for it, but no luck yet.
Pundit - an "expert" in a particular subject or field who is frequently called on to give opinions about it to the public.
When some people hear or read news topics of interest to them, they begin to automatically formulate an opinion. Their opinions are formulated either by (1) Placing themselves in the situation asking themselves the question, 'what if that was me?' or (2) Drawing on their own social programming, stereotypes and biases which they seek to "validate" and "strengthen" their own developing opinion by actively watching and listening to the opinion of Pundits.
Personally, I'm the former. I automatically place myself in the shoes of others in the attempt to more relate to their reality and better understand their concerns. I mean seriously, 'What if that was me'?
So I'm curious to see how this works. For whatever reason, if I find myself needing $500.00 just to rise to the level where I would be considered "Poor", then fuck yeah I'll accept financial assistance from wherever and whoever is willing to give it.
But leave it to some Pundits' Opinions and they will have you thinking EVERYBODY living below the Poverty Line is there because they ENJOY it and for whatever reasons that they ENJOY it, giving them Money they did not Earn will only give them one more additional reason to ENJOY living below the Poverty Line and motivate them, even more, to remain living below the Poverty Line.
WTF?! I often wonder what twisted reality these people exist in or have been exposed to in order to believe some Bullshit like that?
The United States Social Classes:
Upper Class.
Middle Class.
Working Poor Class.
Below Poverty Class.
___________
California's 'foreclosure capital' to give away $500 a month to residents in experimental welfare program
Stockton, California
Article Highlights:
"1-in-4 residents living "below the poverty line" and the median household income at nearly $8,000 lower than the national median.
The city also racked up millions in debt from expensive development projects that led to the city’s bankruptcy in 2012.
“We’ve overspent on things like arenas and marinas and things of that sort to try to lure in tourism and dollars that way,” said Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs.
Luckily, the experimental program won’t deplete the city’s coffers as it benefits from financial backing by wealthy Silicon Valley moguls. One of those backers is Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, whose the Economic Security Project contributed $1 million to the project.
“It is such a fundamental idea behind America that if you work hard, you can get ahead, and you certainly don't live in poverty. But that isn't true today, and it hasn't been true in the country for decades,” Hughes told CNN.
“I believe that unless we make significant changes today, the income inequality in our country will continue to grow and call into question the very nature of our social contract.”
In the U.S., the idea remains fairly new but it’s gaining traction in politically liberal areas in the nation such as Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay area.
In Oakland, California, Y Combinator, a startup incubator, is giving out $1,500 a month to randomly selected residents. It’s expected the money will soon be distributed to 100 recipients with a prospect of expanding the program to 1,000 people who will receive $1,000 monthly."
hmm I find the statement "1-in-4 residents living "below the poverty line" and the median household income at nearly $8,000 lower than the national median.
kinda odd..Idk if this is just Cali...but here in Michigan I think poverty level is considered 13,000 a year or under. The National median wage is around 59,000 now...Ive never made half that in any year in my life..Median wage is really screwed up you have 1 millionaire and 99 people at poverty level the average wage of those 100 people is jumped up about 9000 more than 99% of them actually make..
14:59 Jul 10 2018 Times Read: 2,299
"Be alarmed when a leader tries to make you think of humans as vermin." ~ Robert M. Sapolsky
Ok, I only posted the first paragraph of each News Outlet's Writer's News Article.
CNN
"President Donald Trump has nominated Brett Kavanaugh to join the US Supreme Court, setting the stage for a dramatic confirmation battle over a stalwart conservative who could shape the direction of the court for decades to come."
https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/09/politics/trump-supreme-court-pick/index.html
CBS
"President Trump announced Monday evening that he is nominating Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court seat being vacated by retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. He said of Kavanaugh that he has "impeccable credentials and unsurpassed qualifications, and a proven commitment to equal justice under the law" and referred to him as a "judge's judge.""
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brett-kavanaugh-is-trumps-supreme-court-nominee/
ABC
"President Donald Trump has announced U.S. Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh as his second U.S. Supreme Court justice pick less than two years into his presidency."
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-narrows-supreme-court-nominee-names-ahead-todays/story?id=56448653
NBC
"President Donald Trump on Monday nominated Brett Kavanaugh, a federal appeals court judge in Washington, to succeed Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court."
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/trump-taps-federal-appeals-court-judge-brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-n889921
FOX
"President Trump nominated appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court Monday night to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, ending a days-long guessing game that began the moment Kennedy announced his retirement and setting the stage for a major confirmation fight."
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/09/trump-nominates-brett-kavanaugh-to-supreme-court.html
These are my thoughts about each:
- CNN: Prepares its audience for a "dramatic confirmation battle" due to the nominee being a "Stalwart Conservative".
- CBS: Included the President's following comments about Kavanaugh:
* Kavanaugh has "impeccable credentials".
* Kavanaugh has "unsurpassed qualifications".
* Kavanaugh has "a proven commitment to equal justice under the law".
Of which I'm sure PolitiFact or some other Fact Checking Organization will Fact Check those claims.
- ABC: For some reason, ABC wanted to make the point that this is the President's "second U.S. Supreme Court justice pick less than two years into his presidency".
- NBC: Just states the Fact that the President nominated Kavanaugh today.
- FOX: Much like CNN, Fox prepares its audience for "a major confirmation fight", but the writer doesn't include why in the first paragraph.
So yeah.......Interesting perspectives from all 5 and the point(s) each wanted to make in the first paragraph of their article.
On LZAPERVERT statement that she was told, heard or read that the US Military was lowing its Standards for the purpose of allowing Transgender individuals to serve on the front line in combat, I have found NO Truth in the statement so far.
However, I will share the following FACTS:
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
MCBUL 1121
09 NOV 2016
(2) Concept of Operations
1. (c) Transgender Marines shall be subject to the same
uniform and grooming; height/weight; Physical/Combat Fitness
Test; Military Personnel Drug Abuse Testing Program
participation; and other military standards as any other Marines
of the same gender.
(d) Marines whose ability to serve is adversely
affected by a medical condition or medical treatment related to
their gender identity shall be treated, for purposes of
separation or retention, in a manner consistent with a Marine
whose ability to serve is similarly affected by medical
condition(s) unrelated to gender identity or gender transition.
Navy: No Exceptions to Fitness Standards for Transgender Sailors
"There are no separate or distinct standards for transgender Service members," the Navy administrative message containing the new guidances reads. "Service members and [military medical providers] must carefully consider the time required to adjust to new PRT standards as part of the medical treatment and transition planning process."
I didn't bother to check the other Branches of the US Armed Forces. So if you find the Air Force, Army, or National Coast Guard are lowering their standards, please provide the link.
If someone posts something on a Social Site that's NOT TRUE and is called on their Shit by another member on the site, is that considered 'STARTING DRAMA'?
No! It's called 'Fact Finding'.
However, it BECOMES DRAMA when the Originator of the Error, False Statement, Lie, Deception, etc, etc, attempts to defend what CLEARLY was not TRUE in order to save face and pride.
Posting FACTS is NOT Drama.
Defending what has found to clearly be NOT TRUE is DRAMA.
Why should people care about keeping what's on the internet FACTUAL?!
Your facts are all from Democratic liberal agenda sites. Bring me something from a outside source and I will look into it closer. But seriously politifacts has already been ousted as propaganda a long time ago. Rebel Media and others have spoken about them on youtube.
@LZAPERVERT, if my facts are all from Democratic Liberal Agenda Sites, that must mean they are speaking facts on an issue I support and agree with. Usually dealing with Compassion for fellow humans and not something coming from a place of Fear, Anger, and Hate.
Feel free to share with us a link to a statement that PolitiFact posted and was found to be not a Fact and I would love to read it.
I'm beholding to NO Political Party....Just Facts!
I'm still waiting on your proof that the military has reduced requirements soley for the purpose of sending Transgenders to the front lines.
Well, that article was on a different issue so I'll keep waiting.
14:51 Jul 09 2018 Times Read: 2,389
It's 2018. The Goddamn 21st Century. There is this amazing creation called the World Wide Web also known as The Internet where anyone with the ability to afford the service can find just about anything ever created digitally.
So why, why, would someone attempt to Deceive people who if they have access to the internet, can find shit out?
One thing the creation of the internet has clearly done to people is to increase their 'Suspicious Nature'.
So go ahead, make a claim online. When you do. It will trigger suspicion and Online Detectives will search for the TRUTH and some are better at finding it than others and some don't make it too difficult to find.
Accusation - a charge or claim that someone has done something illegal or wrong.
Allegation - a claim or assertion that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically one made "without" proof.
Lie - A lie is a statement used intentionally for the purpose of deception. The practice of communicating lies is called lying, and a person who communicates a lie may be termed a Liar. Lies may be employed to serve a variety of instrumental, interpersonal, or psychological functions for the individuals who use them. Generally, the term "lie" carries a negative connotation and depending on the context a person who communicates a lie may be subject to social, legal, religious, or criminal sanctions.
@UndeadBruce....There is truth in your words. However, in the 21 Century with the availability of the World Wide Web, ignorance is a choice. Even the higher-ups can't long withhold Knowlege and Truth! Technology is both their Friend and Foe as is ours. Cell phone recordings, Blogs, Vlogs, and all sorts of websites are at our disposal. One needs to only learn how to distinguish the TRUTH from a LIE.
That is true.... the new generations who have access to google will be less fearful. Heck, if I was born in an era where there was no computer, I'd probably be paranoid too.
No youtube?
No netflix?
No porn?????
Oh nah. Must consult with the monks asap!!!
15:39 Jul 08 2018 Times Read: 2,451
Up early watching the sunrise.....So I can hurry back into my house before it does completely. Haha
And someone is not happy that he's awake this early....LOL!
I hear thunder....If it rains, I'm still jumping in the pool. No Fear of Lightening, but I respect it enough not to Stay in the pool once I jump in. LOL!
There are so many FEARFUL people in this country of anyone that looks different than themselves or anyone they associate with or grew up with.
Wake up call......You're not the only ones on the fucking planet. Go Do Some Traveling and actually Talk To People.
_____________
Police Called on Black Family That Were Eating at Subway Because They Looked “Suspicious”
Newnan, GA — The Dobsons, an African American family, who stoppped to eat at a local Subway in Newnan, Georgia were unpleasantly surprised when police showed up and told them that someone made a complaint about them. Apparently, an employee of the fast food restaurant called 911 because she thought the family looked “suspicious” even though they didn’t do anything wrong.
Felicia and Othniel Dobson were traveling home from South Georgia to North Carolina with their children — ages 8, 12, 13, and 19 — and the children’s aunt. That was when they decided to grab some dinner at a Subway on Newnan Crossing Boulevard.
During the 911 call, the employee reportedly said, “I need somebody to come through here please, ASAP. Now. There’s about eight people in a van, and they’ve been in the store for about an hour. They keep going back and forth to the bathrooms by my back door.” Her concern about the family of 7 was also that they were putting water in soda cups.
The Dobsons felt really offended. They said they weren’t doing anything wrong and thought it was a blatant case of racism.
“I have a 24-year old sister who’s a recent graduate of North Carolina A&T (State University). My daughter’s 19. She’s entering sophomore year at Wake Forest University,” Felicia Dobson said.
When the police arrived and investigated the situation, one of the officers apologized to the family. He added that the employee got suspicious because they had been robbed before and she suspected the family would also rob her.
“I don’t think she ever felt threatened,” Dobson said. “We can’t change our skin color. I have great kids. I have a great family.”
Meanwhile, Subway franchise owner Rosh Patel sent Channel 2 Action News a statement saying, “I take this very seriously, and I am fully investigating. I have also used this opportunity to reiterate to my staff the importance of making everyone feel welcome.”
The owner apologized to the Dobsons and told them that the employee who called 911 is already on administrative leave.
@XbluesandX, maybe because there was both a Father and Mother in the picture with happy kids.
Fox news and others say that's not the norm so they must be breaking some type of law....smh
16:22 Jul 06 2018 Times Read: 2,521
Scott Pruitt Resigns As Head Of Environmental Protection Agency.....Sweet!
Pruitt has dealt with multiple scandals since taking over as head of the EPA. Many criticised his free-spending ways, which included a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office and first-class flights which cost taxpayers $90,000. He was also investigated for his living arrangements in which he paid just $50 per night to stay at a Washington D.C. apartment owned by the wife of an energy lobbyist.
It’s become a weekly routine: New allegations of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s ethical lapses emerge. The media parses the details, like why the EPA spent an unprecedented $4.6 million on security for Pruitt, including $1,500 on “tactical pants.” Democrats call for Pruitt to resign. Republicans stroke their chins with “concern.” Pruitt blames the media and unwinds more EPA regulations. President Trump reaffirms his support for Pruitt, and the controversy gets shoved into the background. Repeat.
Let's keep this simple about California. According to Wikipedia, except for the period from 1995 to 1996, the Assembly has been in Democratic hands since the 1970 election (even while the governor's office has gone back and forth between Republicans and Democrats). The Senate has been in Democratic hands continuously since 1970.
With that being said and understanding the history of Mexico and California, I'm sure voters keep California Democratic because why wouldn't you, as a U.S. Citizen, who pays taxes to the California State Government as well as to the Federal Government, NOT want a Party in power that is going to turn around and use your tax dollars to help your relative that made it through harsh conditions, running away to literally survive and found you, to help create, expand, and sustain Social Programs that is helping to support that relative?
Knowing that it's really not a High Priority of the Federal Government to actually prevent in the first place, and now locate and then deport that relative. I mean, seriously? You seriously think the Federal Government is going to Fund to CORRECT something they FAILED at and is failing at while also continuing to spend tax dollars "defending the border"?
I bet you if someone came up with a financial amount that it would take to Identify, Locate and Depart all those here illegally and then better secure our borders by means of more personnel, better technology and helping improve the problem that is causing folks to risk their lives getting here in the first place, the Federal Government could re-allocate those funds from the DOD funding (the depart that gets the biggest chunk of our taxes) and then allow the world to see it bring in the Armed Forces and other resources going neighborhood to neighborhood throughout the Border States, making arrest, probably killing some and then flying, bussing, and shipping thousands of humans back to their own countries.
I mean, all sorts of business would become very wealthy. I mean the sheer resources it would take to undergo such a feat. Transportation, Medical, Food Services, Security, Fuel, Water, etc, etc.
So why don't they do it? We even have REPUBLICANS controlling ALL 3 BRANCHES OF U.S. GOVERNMENT. You know, the party that is trying to sell you on a Wall. LMFAO!!!
Only Those With Wealth or Access to It Can Run for Office in the USA. So don't think the Poor speaks for the Poor.
What I find the most humorous is the cry from the Wealthy to gut a Social Program that is clearly needed by those that need it most and then how they are able to convince some Middle and Working Class folks to vote to gut or remove some of these programs due to needing money for other reasons that Citizens don't truly benefit from or due to Fraud found in running the Programs even when it's many times the Wealthy themselves that commit the Fraud.
Social Programs are NOT the Problem. Those overseeing them is.
Wikipedia:
Social programs in the United States are welfare subsidies designed to meet needs of the American population. Federal and state welfare programs include cash assistance, healthcare and medical provisions, food assistance, housing subsidies, energy and utilities subsidies, education and childcare assistance, and subsidies and assistance for other basic services. Private provisions from employers, either mandated by policy or voluntary, also provide similar social welfare benefits.
The programs vary in eligibility requirements and are provided by various organizations on a federal, state, local and private level. They help to provide food, shelter, education, healthcare and money to U.S. citizens through primary and secondary education, subsidies of college education, unemployment disability insurance, subsidies for eligible low-wage workers, subsidies for housing, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, pensions for eligible persons and health insurance programs that cover public employees. The Social Security system is sometimes considered to be a social aid program and has some characteristics of such programs, but unlike these programs, social security was designed as a self-funded security blanket—so that as the payee pays in (during working years), they are pre-paying for the payments they'll receive back out of the system when they are no longer working. Medicare is another prominent program, among other healthcare provisions such as Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
The United States Social Classes:
Upper Class.
Middle Class.
Working Poor Class.
Below Poverty Class.
How Government Spends Our Tax Dollars is explained here:
This may surprise you: The U.S. already has programs in place that are dramatically reducing the number of immigrants crossing our southern border illegally. But few politicians promote these efforts. And funding for them soon could be cut.
First, let's get real about what doesn't work.
For 40 years, our leaders on the left and right have pushed three solutions to the problem of migrants who are here illegally: border enforcement, guest worker programs and legalization.
Border enforcement cost a staggering $19.4 billion in 2016, and even as we've ramped it up in recent years, studies show 97 percent of border-crossers who try repeatedly do get in. Current estimates are that taxpayers — you and me — will shell out $12 billion to $66.9 billion if President Trump's barrier is built at the U.S.-Mexico border. To be clear: Walls don't work. Ask the Chinese. They built the mother of all walls, and it didn't keep out the Mongols.
Guest worker programs admit migrants legally and supposedly require them to go home by a certain date. But more than half of the Bracero Program guest workers who came to the U.S. from the 1940s to the 1960s never left, creating a foundation for the wave of Mexicans that followed. In 2014, the most recent year of available data, it was estimated that 66 percent of those added to the rolls of immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S. arrived here legally, often with temporary work visas, and overstayed. They didn't wade across the Rio Grande.
As for legalization, in 1986, we granted amnesty to millions who then illegally sent for friends and family. We went from 3 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally in 1986 to 11 million today.
It sounds radical, but this is what works: Instead of adding firepower, fencing and drones at the border, we must deal directly with powerful forces pushing people out of their home countries and toward the U.S. The majority of the border-crossers in the Southwest come from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala — all three among the most dangerous nations on Earth.
In 2002, I wrote a series titled "Enrique's Journey" for the Los Angeles Times. Enrique's mother had left him in Honduras when he was 5 to work in the U.S. At 16, he set off, by himself, to find her. I spent three months following Enrique's route — making my way through Mexico, riding on top of seven freight trains, seeing firsthand what migrants faced: gangsters, bandits, corrupt cops. Children were robbed, raped, beaten and killed; they lost arms and legs train-hopping.
Now, the journey north is even harder. The U.S. shamefully pays tens of millions of dollars to Mexico to keep migrants from reaching our border. Kidnapping is rampant. Each year, thousands are held for ransom, enslaved or prostituted. Recently, 20 mass graves were discovered in the Mexican state of Veracruz. Buried along with hundreds of corpses were Honduran and Guatemalan coins and identity cards.
Despite the mounting obstacles, the data show a tenfold increase in immigrant children coming to the U.S. alone since Enrique's journey. In 2002, 6,800 minors were detained alone at the border by U.S. agents. In 2014, the count was 68,000, and last year, even with Mexico deporting more Central Americans than the U.S., it was 60,000.
The reason is simple, as one expert who tracks child migration told me: "When your house is on fire, you find a way to get out." Enrique wanted to find his mother; today's migrants are running for their lives.
The U.S. has helped fuel some of the mayhem that pushes migrants north. Since the mid-1990s, we have deported more than 300,000 criminals, mostly gangsters, to Central America. In the past decade, we spent billions to stop the flow of drugs from Colombia to the U.S. The narcos simply rerouted their drug flights from the Caribbean to landing fields in Honduras.
Gangsters and narcos have fought to control turf there, and everyone else gets caught in the crossfire.
Don't build a wall. Do this instead.
Last year, I went to Rivera Hernandez, the most violent neighborhood in San Pedro Sula, Honduras — the world's murder capital for four years running. Bodies dotted the streets in the morning; six gangs brazenly exerted control. One day, according to local police, gangsters were casually playing soccer with the decapitated head of someone they had executed.
And yet, Rivera Hernandez shows clearly how positive change is possible. In 2014, the U.S. implemented pilot violence-prevention programs there, based on efforts in Los Angeles and Boston, organizing courageous residents to counter gangs and bring about change.
Outreach centers were set up where kids could find mentors, vocational training and help getting jobs, effectively cutting off the lifeblood of gangs: new recruits. Another program, modeled on LA's Gang Reduction and Youth Development program, known as GYRD, used nine risk factors to identify children likely to join gangs. After a year of family counseling, they were 77 percent less likely than their peers to commit crimes or abuse alcohol or drugs.
The U.S. also went after killers. In 96 percent of Honduran homicide cases, no one is ever convicted. Witnesses know that if they testify, they're dead. The U.S. helped fund the Association for a More Just Society, which investigates killings in Rivera Hernandez and six other violent neighborhoods. They coax witnesses to testify anonymously, cloaked in a black burqa. Now prosecutors are getting guilty verdicts in more than half of the homicides in these neighborhoods. In two years, killings in Rivera Hernandez plummeted 62 percent.
These efforts are riddled with problems, and Rivera Hernandez is still crazy violent. But the data are compelling: In 2014, before these pilot violence-prevention programs took hold, 18,000 Honduran kids showed up at our border. In 2016, that number was almost cut in half.
Meanwhile, the flow of immigrants from El Salvador and Guatemala — which have implemented violence-prevention programs much less aggressively — keeps increasing.
The United States has every reason and every right to protect its borders, but building a wall and militarizing it is a foolish waste of money. We must do something better. We must offer compassion for vulnerable children running from harm and we must work to reduce unlawful migration to keep more children and families safe in their home countries. Honduran violence-prevention programs cost the U.S. about $100 million a year. That's pocket change compared with the cost of the wall or with the billions we spend dealing with migrants and refugees when they arrive at our doorstep.
Don't let Trump target these programs as unnecessary foreign aid. Insist instead that the State Department expand them. Instead of "Build the wall!" try a different chant: "Do violence-prevention programs!"
Fuck their Words. Their Arguments. Their Opinions. Their Promises.
Watch Their ACTIONS. Their Votes. The Results of Their Actions as they unfold. Then, watch who they Blame when things go Negative and who they Credit when things go Positive.
Learn which Branch of Government is RESPONSIBLE for doing WHAT and then ask yourself, HOW WELL are they doing IT and IF they are doing it AT ALL.
States, Countries, etc. are made up of its CITIZENS. Citizens that need to be Govern.
But, what really does that mean? What should a Governing Body that demands we pay them a portion of our Earnings by way of Taxes actually DO for its CITIZENS?
REPUBLICANS
- Make Government Smaller
- Serve the needs of Big Business
DEMOCRATS
- Make some Investments in our People and the Economy then work to Steady and Stabilize The Status Quo
- Strengthening and Expanding America’s broad Middle Class
THE BLOG 02/28/2013 11:25 am ET Updated Dec 06, 2017
The Mission of Government
headshot
By Mike Lux
130
49
Right wing forces in this country are obsessed with the size of government, but the fundamental debate we should be having is not the size of government but what the goal of government should be: What should government’s central mission be?
There are four major views on this question in modern American politics, two in each political party.
The first Republican view is very simply boiled down to the central organizing principle that government should be as small as possible. That’s it. Size (the small variety) not only matters, but is the only thing that matters. Any mission or goal that government has is over-ridden and overwhelmed by the urgent desire to make it smaller. Whether cuts in the size of government are rationally planned doesn’t matter, as their rhetoric on the sequester makes clear. Whether cuts in the size of government hurt people or hurt the economy as a whole doesn’t matter either, not a whit. I have heard heart-breaking stories, for example, of parents with disabled kids lobbying against the cuts that will devastate the programs that help their children, with Republican Congressmen telling them it doesn’t matter, we just have to cut the size of government. Grover Norquist famously said that he wants to make government so small that he can drown it in a bathtub, and his Tea Party comrades are clearly trying to do exactly that at the cost of everything else.
While all Republicans talk about wanting to make government smaller, the other Republican view on what the mission of government should be is less focused on size, and more focused on this central thing: serving the needs of big business. This idea was most famously (or infamously) articulated by the former Republican chair of the House Committee on Financial Services in 2011 when he said “In Washington, the view is that the banks are to be regulated, and my view is that Washington and the regulators are there to serve the banks.” However this philosophy has long been the establishment Republicans’ central organizing principle when it comes to what government should be doing. George Bush and Karl Rove, for example, were happy to add a drug benefit to Medicare as long as it was structured around maximizing big drug companies’ profits. And for decades now, all the Republican talk about local control tends to magically disappear when big business comes to lobby for the feds preempting pesky state and local regulations. The fact is that the size of government exploded under Bush’s watch because drug companies and Wall Street and other industries wanted sweetheart deals, subsidies of all kinds, and bailouts, and Rove and Bush never blinked when those industries came asking for government largesse.
The first of the modern Democratic Party theories about the mission of government is the most complicated of the 4. This theory says the mission of government should be that it should make some investments in our people and the economy, that there should be a safety net for the poor, but that (most importantly) government should work to steady and stabilize the status quo. I became intimately familiar with this philosophy in the Clinton White House by working with Bob Rubin and his acolytes. Bob, to his credit, believed very much in putting money into programs for the poor, even opposing the welfare reform Bill Clinton ended up signing; he was always for making investments in schools and infrastructure and R&D; but his central focus was on preserving the status quo, or even strengthening the position of, the business community. He was consistently opposed to doing anything that would upset major businesses too much, and if big banks made bad loans or investments or speculative bets in foreign currencies, he was always for bailing them out. This generation’s Rubin has been one of his protégés, Tim Geithner, who was passionately focused on one big thing throughout the financial crisis and the years since: preservation of the financial status quo. When given a choice of restructuring or simply reviving the financial system, Geithner in each and every instance chose simply reviving it.
The final philosophy about the central mission is that of the progressive populists, who argue that government’s central mission should be strengthening and expanding America’s broad middle class. There is clearly some overlap between this mission and the other Democratic philosophy, as both of them argue for helping the poor and making investments in education, infrastructure, and other things that help create middle class jobs in the long-term. But progressive populists believe that government should be pushing for higher wages and better benefits, and for workers to have the ability to unionize and have more rights at work. Just as importantly, progressive populists believe that big businesses who impact negatively on the middle class by concentrating industry power, manipulating markets, crushing their smaller competitors, damaging our environment, and driving down wages and benefits should be strongly regulated and stopped from harming the poor and middle class. If that means being disruptive of and challenging to the establishment status quo, as it frequently does, progressive populists are happy to be disruptive.
Many Democrats, including President Obama and my old boss Bill Clinton, have always had one foot in one camp and one in the other of these 2 Democratic philosophies. The rhetoric, especially lately, has moved more toward the latter philosophy, but the policy specifics and appointments have too often stayed with the former. But you can tell the energy is rising in the Democratic Party in the latter camp, as demonstrated by the strong following Elizabeth Warren has built when she hammers away on the establishment.
And in a widely viewed clip of her very first hearing as a member of the Banking Committee, she got tough on Obama administration appointees for settling for status quo (and not very effective) banking regulation:
When politicians like Warren take on the establishment in order to fight for the middle class, Democratic activists get very stirred up, and the rest of the party needs to take note.
Neither Republican philosophy about the mission of government will ever become a majority in American politics — the Republicans have to pretend those aren’t their views to have a chance at getting elected. But for both policy and political reasons, the Democrats need to firmly pick the side of middle class and low income Americans, and not worry so much about preserving and protecting the establishment.
Well, I survived my Road Trip with Bandit to visit Family.
I don't celebrate the 4th, but I do love visiting my Family, eating good Food and watching Fireworks.
My Family members are the ones that gave me Bandit. They are the Parents to "Honey", Bandit's Jack Russell Mom.
Bandit gets along with his Mom although they act like strangers to each other, but my Niece brought her Puppy-Pitbull that Bandit felt he really had to go after. He ended up nipping the Pit's snout, but after I temporarily placed a muzzle on Bandit and allowed him to safely sniff the other dog whose name is Rascal, then they became semi-friends and the muzzle came off. LOL!
Good Food and Company and the drive there and back wasn't bad at all. In fact, the entire way returning home, all I saw were fireworks going off in the Night Sky.
My trip ended with my Sis sending back home with about two days worth of food. So fuck grocery shopping for another 2 days. LOL!
Oh, I also tried out my first Blunt. It's ok, but I'm not a fan of nicotine which it contains so that won't be among my list of meds.
So then I returned home, set out under the stars for a little while with Bandit and then medicated and went to sleep.
Slavery.....So I grew up just never celebrating it.
To me, it's like two Fathers who wrongly went to prison and the other guy's Father was released, but mine remained and died in prison, but many continue to celebrate not recognizing that hey, not everyone has a reason to celebrate.
Sure it happened many years ago, but it really takes the celebration out of the moment when you've learned your History and grew up just not celebrating it.
Your views are right. I’m sorry. I just always think of the 4th as celebrating America today (more of a patriotic holiday), but technically the 4th is celebrating our independence from England.
I'm going to be around enough people on tomorrow for a BBQ. Therefore, I need to Increase, Store and Conserve my Energy because being around Mundanes drain me....
So I will reschedule my attempt at Grocery Shopping for Friday.... LMAO!!!!
When I was young between the ages of 4-6, I developed a stutter. It was so bad that I would try to push the words out resulting in me bowing at the waist and jerking my head back and forth.
So according to an internet search sturring is developed due to the following:
- Brain injuries from a stroke can cause neurogenic stuttering.
- Severe emotional trauma can cause psychogenic stuttering.
- Stuttering may run in families because of an inherited abnormality in the part of the brain that governs language. If you or your parents stuttered, your children may also stutter.
Well, I'll put my money on some type of severe emotional trauma causing me to stutter. I mean, growing up was a Shit Show.
I'm not even sure how long it lasted, but I don't recall it being noticeable in the 3rd Grade. I had to have been 8 or 9 then.
My mother is 70 years old now and says she doesn't remember me ever stuttering.
Well, I'll never forget it. She told me back then that I would grow out of it as I learned to control it. Which I did.
But, I've always had to speak slowly and allow my brain to first think of the words prior to saying them. However, at times, I speak quite quickly without any issues. Well, maybe poor grammar every now and then.
I've always found it difficult to spell some words that have silent letters or those that sound the same, but spelled differently or those with double letters.
I tried so hard in Reading and English and Grammar while in grade school. In the 6th Grade, they found me too slow for a regular English class size, but too fast for the "mentally or emotionally challenged" classes. So they placed me back with my regular teacher, but during a period when the class size was much smaller enabling the teacher to provide extra instructions when required. In my 6th Grade Reading class, my only issue was Spelling. The only other time I found myself struggling was in 9th Grade Grammar. Fuck! I barely passed it. How I ended up in English Honor Classes making 'A's and B's is beyond me. LMAO!!!
I do know that if during a rare occurrence I find myself emotional, I began to lightly stutter or I'll pronounce words incorrectly. As soon as I notice it, I stop myself, bring my emotions under control and then my speech is just fine afterward.
We have something else in common. I have a slight stutter. It was worse when I was younger. I would say I outgrew it but it comes back when I’m excited or nervous. And when I talk in public I try to talk slow.
@TheArtistRose....Like working out? Well, you can want to be fit, and I'm pretty sure most people are ready to be fit as well. However, there is a long list of reasons why people are not fit. Not being ready for it and not being capable or motivated are different things.
I saw this meme as maybe referring to something Personal such as being in a Committed Relationship or a Personal Goal such as living on one's own or maybe something Professional such as wanting that promotion to Manager, but lacking managerial skills.
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