I hate admitting I voted for the a$$hat twice. He lost me on 1/6. I no longer recognize the Republican Party, they are nothing like the party of the past. I will forever be independent and the people who get my vote will be those I see as standing on the principles of democracy. Principle over party.
A few months ago I was very concerned that a potato was the better choice over your uncle or Biden. Thankfully Kamala is there now and while I do not line up with many of her policies and views, I believe our democracy will be safe with her. And in an effort to help her get something done I will vote right down the line. The party of DJT will hopefully lose every single race they are running in 11/5. Then maybe they will wake up and realize the truth that Donald has destroyed them and over haul the party.
Thank you, Marti, for opening your mind to see the corruption and danger of DJT and responding accordingly. Not many seem to be wiling to do so and continue to support him. It’s tough for any of us to admit when we’ve made a mistake. To do so is very brave of you!
One must stop drinking the koolaid and step back from biased media. I started following SharonSaysSo on instagram in late 2020 and learned so much about government and the constitution. She is unbiased and thinks political parties are dumb. One thing she says a lot that helped me see truth is “facts do not require your approval”. She will give it straight to her followers and dang did it home. 1/6 was just too much for me. I couldn’t ever support a man that clearly tried to cheat while accusing the other party of cheating.
I stopped following mainstream news and get my news from Mosheh (Mo News) also on instagram and 1440 in my email. I realized how easily people are swayed, like DJT repeats lies over and over knowing after folks hear it enough they will believe it.
Now I just point folks to Sharon and Mosheh and try to have conversations to see why they think they way they do and point out their sources against truth.
Also take a look at the Letter from an American by Professor Heather Cox Richardson. She’s on substack as well as FB. You can also get her nearly daily letter via email. She’s an American history professor who not only distills what is happening in the news each day, she also ties it to history. Very unbiased and informative. I voted R until the 2004 election — I didn’t like how Bush was handed the election in 2000 even though I had voted for him. I also didn’t agree with the Iraq invasion although I was proud to serve in Baghdad working with the Iraqi military headquarters.
Praying 🙏 for the USA 🇺🇸. If tRump loses this election there will be hell to pay, if he wins you won’t recognize your country. Please be prepared for either EVERY VOTE MATTERS my US 🇺🇸 friends. STOP tRump. From your Canadian 🇨🇦 friends.
Who the heck "lines up" with 1000% of any candidates policies? That always gets me. That's the way my husband used to vote, a one issue voter who voted for "gun rights" because he was lied to by the NRA and his R family. He voted for him once, god knows who the 2nd time, though he did change his party affiliation to IND (couldn't go "there" with D). He loathes T and most of the R party now. In 2022 he voted a straight D ticket, shock. He'll be voting that way here in deep R Idaho too.
I'm an old crone and have been voting since 1972. It baffles me that people expect a canidate to align with their every whim or desire. A president isn't Santa and we the people need to stop acting like a political canidate grants wishes. They forget politics is a machine with many parts. We can't let our nation fall, to those who would destroy it.
Despite Biden having passed the Infrastructure Act, the Chips and Science Act, getting us out of the COVID mess that Trump left, getting the economy back on track with the best recovery from COVID of any developed nation?
His first act as president was a proclamation that claimed (essentially) that men are women if they say they are. I don't know if he (only)succumbed to the money and power behind the trans industry or if he so badly failed high school biology that he believes this shit. If I didn't live in a state that would no way no how go to tRump I would have voted for Biden but it would have been hard for me to stomach.
That's what you focused on? Methinks your hangups go a bit deeper than disparaging Biden for trying to alleviate some of the ignorance and prejudices held by too many unaware people that think humans only have male or female genitalia. Caved to the yadayadayada industry? Really?
Our country is in a violent quagmire due to past and present actions by Donald Trump and misinformation that legitimize him every day on Fox News and even the more acceptable traditional news channels and yet you finger point and hold onto a personal judgment fixated in subjective misinformation. "Biden's first act as President" if this is accurate, was to send a message out asking for tolerance and compassion. How many people out there think or choose to believe these dehumanizing lies?
I see trolls and bots on Twitter rabidly attack our gentler, more open minded ,tolerant and empathetic people in such horrific ways,it scares me. It's with repetitive toxic dehumanizing slogans which only exposes them as the ignorant bullies. They cry Free Speech when confronted and little is done to address and defuse the rage and fear from the brain washing, programs mainly centered in the ultra right -wing 'Christian' communities. Our GOP is an echo chamber of hatred towards anyone Not like them.
While you don't appear to come across as hateful within this particular forum,because it would not be tolerated, the importance and reasoning behind your negative opinion leads me to consider you have no issue with categorization
My point of rebuttal in response to targeting anyone outside your reality with prejudice, is that humanity is complex.
Our Shared world is a vast place,filled with diverse and mysterious beauty. It's was never created in black and white. It's a magnificent Rainbow of seen and unseen colors.
How dull and suffocating it would become if everyone was forced to fit into just 2 identities.
I commend and adore President Biden as a Great leader of All people, no matter how they identify themselves. He has endeavored to be a visionary peacemaker. I hope that gender stigma can be let go of ,and I hope you can give him your respect for all the Good he has brought to our nation.
Karen, I hope you were not serious when you stated, 'How dull and suffocating it would become if everyone was forced to fit into just 2 identities.' You know, I once had some sorta off the wall ideas and thoughts many years ago. But then, thankfully, the Creator got my attention and straightened me out, about a lot of things. I have now been heralding His word for some 44 + years, and, dear Karen, I can tell you for a fact that He only created two of us sexes: Man (with the protrusion), and the Woman (with the inner sleeve). And, within each of those two, He created the mechanism for the male to sire, and the female to receive said sperm and, after her ovulated egg was fertilized by the male's sperm, those two fluids would intermingle and an embryo would get it's start (an ovum), and He would then create another human being within that mother's womb (see Psalm 139:13-17). From that, at that very moment, an unformed mass, just two puddles of liquid, one from each of those two 'parents-to-be,' an amazing, and unbelievable process begins taking place..... and Karen, read in those verses how He fashions and fearfully, wonderfully makes, and skillfully wrought's (weaves, puts together, embroideries, fabricates) a wonderful and precious gift to its parents, yes, a real, live, marvelous baby that certifies and His love and gift He extends out to us. So, no, Karen, please tell me that you didn't really mean that statement; that it was a sarcastic or something that just came out wrong. Please. I just recently heard about this forum, SubStack, so I have just signed up.... and, yes, I subscribed to your subStack. I will have mine up shortly. Please look for it; it will be titled, 'Musings from Sid's Pen.' I would love to find out more about you and hear more of your writings; and you can learn about mine. But, you will learn that I am not one of these people out here in society that is deceived by the enemy of God, Satan and his minions who are spouting off damning, destructive heresies (i.e., opinions of humans that lead to destruction of their souls), as the Spirit of God had the apostle Peter inform us of in his prophecy he forewarned us of in 2 Peter 2:1-2. But, please, do remember: there is ONLY two sexes. And, no, even though Satan is alluding to the possibility, mankind CANNOT pretend that we can play God with our body, and change it from the sex that we were born with to the opposite one. It is an impossibility. God Bless.
Maybe you are or maybe you not aware:” n the vast majority of cases (99.95%), sex is assigned unambiguously at birth. However, in about 1 in 2000 births, the baby's genitalia may not clearly indicate male or female, necessitating additional diagnostic steps, and deferring sex assignment.[4][5]” Wikipedia’Sex Assignment’
Voted for him in 2016. Never again. 4 years of him was enough. Literally messed with my mental health. Every tweet he put out just triggered me. Not the way to run government. I was shocked, he was allowed to have a "non-secure" cell phone and said whatever he wanted to tweet. I hate him. I did buy the latest book.
They don’t want to get it! That was an insurrection, not a riot or a protest or whatever pretty paper they want to wrap it in. People have let their political party become their identity. It’s so sad
So you’re ok and were ok with the omnipresent GOP bigotry and cruelty contained in their policy prescriptions towards immigrants ,women,and others.. Bigotry in public policy is ok….,
Canvassing every day in deep red OH; seeing more signs/bumper stickers every day. For the first time in years we are on message: EVERY GOOD THING this country enjoys was brought to you by progressive action, from the weekend to the end of child labor, clear water and air, Medicare, Social Security, FMLA, ACA, ARA, the list goes on and on. WE GOT THIS!
Thank you for doing something to move the needle. We all must get out from behind the keyboard. The stakes are too high. We can celebrate when Ms Harris is sworn in. Till then, we do the hard work.
Over this past week/the weekend before, I filled out 200 Vote Forward letters to voters in swing states. Filling these letters out is fast! My handwritten message: "I want to be part of a movement for change."
I'm holding off now because I've got RSS (repetitive stress syndrome) in my writing hand.
"We’ve shown that Vote Forward letters can boost voter turnout by as much as 3.4 percentage points. This is big! Our handwritten letters are among the most effective ways you can help get out the vote."
I have 105 Vote Forward letters waiting to be sent on September 30. I always include a personal letter begging the registered voter to vote. I extoll democracy and our duty to participate and defend it against all threats. That's "non-partisan" enough to follow the guidelines. Oh, I live in Japan and I'm hoping getting a letter from Japan will get their attention! Air Mail is only $1 here. so it's not much more than regular postage in the USA. The outside of the envelope also gets funny stickers and colorful masking tape around the borders. I'm giving money to Kamala/Tim, Hakeem Jeffries, the NAACP, Field Team 6, and several US Senate candidates. We have to win this, and we have to win this big as Mary says. No letting up!
Because I do mine under the umbrella of UU the Vote, they have to be nonpartisan so I chose: I vote for candidates who share my values; thanks for your hard work!
For Vote Forward, sign up with them at https://votefwd.org, pick a campaign, and be prepared to download and print letters, get some blank envelopes and first-class U.S. postage stamps, then fill out the letters (this goes fast, actually), and hold on to the addressed, stamped letters until a planned date in October.
I'm lucky because I live in NY's Capital District (Albany area), and local volunteers have already done the work of downloading and printing letters. Other volunteers (like me) pick them up off the front porches, take 'em home, fill 'em out, stamp them, and hold on to the prepared letters for a pre-planned SEND date in October.
Search for "Vote Forward." Their website will tell you everything you need to know. Yes!! Do this! You get to pick the state you want to write to. Swing states with abortion on the ballot? Your own state? Florida or Texas which might turn blue? Pick and start writing!!
I am; in the past Dems have just shrugged their shoulders and said: no point in taking our message to rural areas. This year Kamala is all in on taking her message everywhere!
My biggest fear is kamala will win and the supreme court steals it for Trump anyways. I expect the country will descend into civil war if that happens, so lets hope it doesn't.
Harris will absolutely win. He will run his standard, tired Bullshit. But this time we all know, and can-enmasse-resist. It was shock to the system J6 v.1, but now we know what to expect.
If the circumstances were egregious enough I would hope President Biden would step in -- now that the Supreme Court has given Presidents immunity from what they do as official acts -- and force some Justices to recuse themselves or add some new Justices by executive action. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
It would be good if Harris wins big, but on the day all she needs to do is win the the electoral colleges. And if there are ECs not able or willing to confirm, one way or another, and there's some sort of deadlock which sends it to the House and/or the SCOTUS, and if either overturns what looks very much like a Harris win, then yes, I predict there's going to be civil unrest, and likely on a scale that makes the assault on the Capitol look like a gentle stroll in the park.
As a Brit looking across the channel, I'll be keeping a very close watch and keeping my fingers crossed that the current polls are way off, and that in reality there's a very large majority against the felon & his misogynistic running mate.
It's quite astonishing, sickening even, that yet again, we're being put through this awful spectacle, pitting such an incompetent man who's now sadly in early stages of senile dementia against someone who is clearly both highly competent and human, and who rightly places country before party or herself.
Both are a possibility. . . If he wins there will be a mass exodus of Dem. citizens. . . I don't think that will be good for our country, either. He just must not win this election. So far, I believe, we would have the military on our side to stop this war of his followers, who would do whatever he would command of them. They are a cult, he is angry, and an angry, out of balance narcisistic leader is not going to be behaving in any sort of rational manner. He will do whatever it takes this time. If that doesn't work, he will flee the country.
I hope you are right. It will all depend on the electoral college, something I wish we could get rid of, because it does not reflect the way the people vote.
I think that no matter if it's close or not, we have to worry. The debate wasn't even close, yet his supporters said that it was rigged. Heck, even old Donny said it was rigged and yet, other times he would say that he won decisively. He can't make up his mind what message (if there is a coherent one in his head) to say.
So, yes, I do some worrying, but I also pick up a blank letter and fill it out. 1. Maybe 3. When I get to 10, I put stamps on them. Every one of them is a letter to someone who is likely to vote Democrat.
I agree that existential angst does no good. Action is important. Perhaps a better way to phrase how I feel is that I am very concerned about potential violence, no matter the outcome of the election. I am trusting that the current administration is well aware of this and will have (if not already has) a well thought out plan for how to handle post-election violence.
Democrats need to put more emphasis to electing a down ballot straight Democratic ticket!! Kamala MUST HAVE a Democratic Senate and House in order to move forward on her policies!
YES!!!! It is very important to vote ALL Democrat this time. We need a Democrat Senate and Congress, including Judges. We have to be vigilant this year.
Yes, Yes, Yes. We all need to be doing all we can @ the top of the ticket to help everyone who is running. Some hard work ahead. Let's support everyone running for sanity.
Sadly, it is now the Trumplican Party. But I have been here since Truman and the Republicans (in cahoots with big business, the military, and the rich) have been working to seize power over America permanently since I was born in 1951. They have all been criminals, whether on purpose or by association. On my 73rd birthday November 5th, I hope to see the Democrats take a clean sweep of Congress in addition to the White House. Then the work of ridding America of MAGA can begin, by prosecuting all involved starting with Donald and working down.
I don't want my children to suffer like I have because of MAGA.
yes, Truman was a Dem and a good president. He was an avid reader. He kept the tax rate up on the rich for 8 years. Eisenhour won in 1952. The rich came to him to convince him to lower tax rate but Ike refused to lower rate. Last good Rep. President we have had.
I am 86 and remember all the crap put on us by Republicans. Vote Dem---------this Nov 5th.
Big military and big business were in cahoots with the Republicans to use the Korean conflict to damage Truman because he would not continue WWII against Russia. I liked Ike but his VP Dick Nixon and other Republicans did terrible things. It has steadily snowballed from there. Harry Truman was a Democrat from Missouri. He was a good man, in the mold of FDR, Carter, Obama, and Biden. Clinton was born near where I live but he had some moral failings where these others didn't.
I hope we can all celebrate Harris/Walz AND your birthday! I’m 76 and always vote and have never voted for a Republican over a better Democrat. But while Republicans were never for the poor or middle class, they were never fascists and/or traitors — until Trump, with Reagan ushering them in. I cried when George W “won,” but I wasn’t terrified. Now I am.
I just paid for my copy of your book today. I am looking forward to reading it, but my heart breaks for you. I truly hope you are feeling better after getting covid at the DNC. I have had it 3 times and hope to never get it again. Be well, Mary. We are all supporting you and this country.
P.S. We could create a book club for Mary's book. I'm sure there could be much discussion about the toxicity in families (especially hers!), and healing amongst the group from discussing our own experiences. Just a thought,
There's another book it might be really helpful to read in order to understand what's been going on in the US for decades: Women's Ways of Knowing by Mary Belenky et al. Which describes how MAGA KoolAid authoritarian followers happen and how to "cure" them. There's also a version for men by William Perry.
Could you elaborate? Fascinating. I've heard his followers have something called, "Authoritarian Submission," or similar. They have extremely hierarchical brains, and think that, by default, white cis-gender males are automagically 'superior." I mean. look at some Diane Arbus photos. Jeez.
They write of 7 stages some women go thru, from intimidated Silence to listening to others, then to your inner voice, to eventual critical thinking. There is also another book by Bob Altemeyer from one of my old alma maters, called Authoritarianism (the one that was promoted by John Dean of Watergate fame). Same thing: why and how people don't seem to grow up and think for themselves but instead follow a lot of people they shouldn't. And the classic True Believers book. by Eric Hoffer. Tons more, inspired by observing the last several years.
There is a link where you can hear from a psychologist who is letting us know how to converse with people who are in a cult. He, Dr. Steven Hassan, cult expert, was once a member of the Moonies and got out. https://youtu.be/uMlLTtL80pl?si=eF9mTlizgJoH5pKO
Thanks for this. Will look it up. Collecting this stuff because I'm working on a kids' book (gotta get them early) explaining/describing this phenomenon. (Which isn't new by thousands of years.)
I am mostly concerned about the electoral college and swing states. Trying to keep breathing and focusing. I’m working every day with our local Dem party, organizing volunteers, doing postcard projects and phone outreach, meetings, events, voter registration, everything we can do to reach people and get them involved, informed, psyched, and registered and ready to vote.
I generally have a difficult time distinguishing between intuition and fear (or desire, for that matter) but want to share an overwhelming sense that Harris wins this election. And that she wins BECAUSE all of us --and women in particular - are getting involved in practical, concrete ways like never before. A blue wave will wash us clean.
Good Day. If there was any Law Left In America, Donald would already have been punished to the fullest extent of the Law. He’s already been convicted of many felonies, but not jailed for any of them, as ANY other criminal would have been. He has orchestrated an Insurrection against America and IS A Traitor. This is completely put aside by his party, his supporters, the media and Even The Supreme Court, which he now controls. This is the most Bastardized Electron Campaign by Republicans and Their Candidate that I have ever witnessed in my 72 year lifetime. What has happened to America and Americans is beyond any rational and legal occurrence in Our History.
This does appear to be true. . . I keep praying that everyone now gets that this election is the most important one to continue on with this 200+ year attempt to form a union that works for the majority of its citizens. It is a continual job to get better and represent more and more Americans as was the intent. It is an imperfect union, but it is always in process of getting more open and accepting. WE MUST NOT GO BACK!
How can we get INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OVERSIGHT ⁉️We need it now more than ever and have participated for other countries. Thank you for keeping us sane !!!
All of us up here in Canada are holding our breath and can hardly wait until the era of Trump is over!! I hope everyone gets out and votes!! Time to move forward.
Trump North....the maggot wanna be Poillieve is studying the Trump Cult dictionary of racial slurs and using it. Canadians better wake up and get out their "Fuck Poillievre" flags fast.
Amazing specimen of humanity: "cheating as a way of life" does seem to be apt. He even cheats on the very topic of cheating by throwing the accusation right back at his opponents! (It's as if it means absolutely nothing to him; except that if he's able to level it at someone else twice as "hard," he "wins"!)
He sees cheating as a positive thing on his end, and negative only if someone else is doing it. Actually, from what i've seen the Dems do not cheat - he only accuses them of it to fool people into thinking they do and he doesn't.
Right, you are! (But I'm not even sure he can actually tell the difference —being a sociopath who never experiences guilt or shame, and simplistically thinks the "easiest" path is always the "smartest"!)
You are persuading me to rethink my comment. He does think it's awful if others cheat, but it's about not liking what others do (whether or not it's really cheating). I'm sure he does think the path he chooses (always the easiest, as in not bearing any responsibility for what he does) is always the best.
I'm not sure about this, but I think it's likely that sociopaths/psychopaths are bound to have a screwed-up idea of the normal idea of wrongdoing. I think they think all normal expressions and phenomena of conscience are unbearably phony, are some sort of a hoax. They know they'd never get "bogged down" by such (as they see it) stupidity and nonsense. I think their incapacity to grasp otherwise may lead to terrible resentment.
It is actually a known fact that such people don't have a normal idea of wrong-doing. It's about what works for them. I will never forget a program I saw many years ago, where a young man grabbed the purse of an old lady as she exited her home. When asked why he did it, he said "she had MY purse". I have a sister like that, who has no conscience, and she has been described by professional therapists as a sociopath.
We sometimes specify money, or greed or some such thing to be "the root of all evil" in the world. Personally, I'd say if anything is, it is human beings devoid of conscience!
I grew up in Arizona as the lone D in a family full of Goldwater and Bircher extremists. In my world, the have-nots were cheaters and suspect due to their skin color. Last night as I flipped through channels, there he was, reading some fairy tale about a snake that bit a woman (!). I'm working to get the word out that at the bottom of all this foolishness with Trump is, as Lincoln said, the same old serpent. Thank you, Mary, for doing so much to expose your uncle as the weak, slithering fraud he is. ~Linda S. Clare at the Substack The Deep End
The last time I heard him start up,the snake fable at a rally is when thousands of people got out and there was but a handful left, mind you there were only about 3000 there to start. About a month ago there were more in the parking lot than the venue, the only traffic jam was those leaving!
Douglas, I don't follow his rallies--my stomach is too delicate. :-) Can you tell me what that snake fable has to do with his campaign? Anything at all? Thanks in advance, Linda
I misread the title as"Chanting As A Way of Life" and I thought how fascinating it would be if Donald Trump was introduced to chanting, particularly those Buddhist Tara mantras sending healing out throughout Earth. And then, of course, I wondered what it would be like if I surrounded him with healing mantras. I decided he would either find himself open to catharsis, or, go totally and completely bonkers, either of which would be universally helpful.
I am certain I will get around to reading the article... after I sit and complete a few mudras....
Corporate media neglected to tell the American people what he said at his crumbling golf course in Palos Verdes... Gov. Newsom quote:Every voter should be made aware of this. @realDonaldTrump just admitted he will block emergency disaster funds to settle political vendettas,” Newsom wrote. “Today it’s California’s wildfires. Tomorrow it could be hurricane funding for North Carolina or flooding assistance for homeowners in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump doesn’t care about America — he only cares about himself.”
This is called "blackmail "! So where's the press? Where's the DOJ? Arrest him now.
I don't believe there is a more disgusting individual than Trump. Also, he's desperate. He knows he is losing and will do anything and everything to win.
Equally or slightly more disgusting to me are Stephen Miller, JD Vance (who’d be president once Donny gets entirely demented or dies), Laura Loomer, MTG, Elon Musk….
You’re right—I hadn’t heard that and it sickens me that corporate media let that pass. He already did that in the first 8 months of Covid, because the majority of deaths were in blue states (picking fights with governors, delaying supplies). And his tirade about prosecuting people from the opposing party after the election reads like Putin’s standard playbook.
I hate admitting I voted for the a$$hat twice. He lost me on 1/6. I no longer recognize the Republican Party, they are nothing like the party of the past. I will forever be independent and the people who get my vote will be those I see as standing on the principles of democracy. Principle over party.
A few months ago I was very concerned that a potato was the better choice over your uncle or Biden. Thankfully Kamala is there now and while I do not line up with many of her policies and views, I believe our democracy will be safe with her. And in an effort to help her get something done I will vote right down the line. The party of DJT will hopefully lose every single race they are running in 11/5. Then maybe they will wake up and realize the truth that Donald has destroyed them and over haul the party.
Thank you, Marti, for opening your mind to see the corruption and danger of DJT and responding accordingly. Not many seem to be wiling to do so and continue to support him. It’s tough for any of us to admit when we’ve made a mistake. To do so is very brave of you!
One must stop drinking the koolaid and step back from biased media. I started following SharonSaysSo on instagram in late 2020 and learned so much about government and the constitution. She is unbiased and thinks political parties are dumb. One thing she says a lot that helped me see truth is “facts do not require your approval”. She will give it straight to her followers and dang did it home. 1/6 was just too much for me. I couldn’t ever support a man that clearly tried to cheat while accusing the other party of cheating.
I stopped following mainstream news and get my news from Mosheh (Mo News) also on instagram and 1440 in my email. I realized how easily people are swayed, like DJT repeats lies over and over knowing after folks hear it enough they will believe it.
Now I just point folks to Sharon and Mosheh and try to have conversations to see why they think they way they do and point out their sources against truth.
Also take a look at the Letter from an American by Professor Heather Cox Richardson. She’s on substack as well as FB. You can also get her nearly daily letter via email. She’s an American history professor who not only distills what is happening in the news each day, she also ties it to history. Very unbiased and informative. I voted R until the 2004 election — I didn’t like how Bush was handed the election in 2000 even though I had voted for him. I also didn’t agree with the Iraq invasion although I was proud to serve in Baghdad working with the Iraqi military headquarters.
Heather Cox Richardson is a national treasure!
1440 👍🏼Fact based and solidly center/unbiased.
Yes! I love them. Quick catch up on news that doesn’t lean just reports the facts.
Praying 🙏 for the USA 🇺🇸. If tRump loses this election there will be hell to pay, if he wins you won’t recognize your country. Please be prepared for either EVERY VOTE MATTERS my US 🇺🇸 friends. STOP tRump. From your Canadian 🇨🇦 friends.
Who the heck "lines up" with 1000% of any candidates policies? That always gets me. That's the way my husband used to vote, a one issue voter who voted for "gun rights" because he was lied to by the NRA and his R family. He voted for him once, god knows who the 2nd time, though he did change his party affiliation to IND (couldn't go "there" with D). He loathes T and most of the R party now. In 2022 he voted a straight D ticket, shock. He'll be voting that way here in deep R Idaho too.
I'm an old crone and have been voting since 1972. It baffles me that people expect a canidate to align with their every whim or desire. A president isn't Santa and we the people need to stop acting like a political canidate grants wishes. They forget politics is a machine with many parts. We can't let our nation fall, to those who would destroy it.
Diane so well said
I agree - and I’m cronier than you! My first vote was for Lyndon Johnson in 1964, when the voting age was still 21.
Glad your voting for her
yeah - I would have voted for the potato
Despite Biden having passed the Infrastructure Act, the Chips and Science Act, getting us out of the COVID mess that Trump left, getting the economy back on track with the best recovery from COVID of any developed nation?
How does Biden’s great track record not resonate with these undecided voters especially young women and good men?
His first act as president was a proclamation that claimed (essentially) that men are women if they say they are. I don't know if he (only)succumbed to the money and power behind the trans industry or if he so badly failed high school biology that he believes this shit. If I didn't live in a state that would no way no how go to tRump I would have voted for Biden but it would have been hard for me to stomach.
That's what you focused on? Methinks your hangups go a bit deeper than disparaging Biden for trying to alleviate some of the ignorance and prejudices held by too many unaware people that think humans only have male or female genitalia. Caved to the yadayadayada industry? Really?
Our country is in a violent quagmire due to past and present actions by Donald Trump and misinformation that legitimize him every day on Fox News and even the more acceptable traditional news channels and yet you finger point and hold onto a personal judgment fixated in subjective misinformation. "Biden's first act as President" if this is accurate, was to send a message out asking for tolerance and compassion. How many people out there think or choose to believe these dehumanizing lies?
I see trolls and bots on Twitter rabidly attack our gentler, more open minded ,tolerant and empathetic people in such horrific ways,it scares me. It's with repetitive toxic dehumanizing slogans which only exposes them as the ignorant bullies. They cry Free Speech when confronted and little is done to address and defuse the rage and fear from the brain washing, programs mainly centered in the ultra right -wing 'Christian' communities. Our GOP is an echo chamber of hatred towards anyone Not like them.
While you don't appear to come across as hateful within this particular forum,because it would not be tolerated, the importance and reasoning behind your negative opinion leads me to consider you have no issue with categorization
My point of rebuttal in response to targeting anyone outside your reality with prejudice, is that humanity is complex.
Our Shared world is a vast place,filled with diverse and mysterious beauty. It's was never created in black and white. It's a magnificent Rainbow of seen and unseen colors.
How dull and suffocating it would become if everyone was forced to fit into just 2 identities.
I commend and adore President Biden as a Great leader of All people, no matter how they identify themselves. He has endeavored to be a visionary peacemaker. I hope that gender stigma can be let go of ,and I hope you can give him your respect for all the Good he has brought to our nation.
Karen, I hope you were not serious when you stated, 'How dull and suffocating it would become if everyone was forced to fit into just 2 identities.' You know, I once had some sorta off the wall ideas and thoughts many years ago. But then, thankfully, the Creator got my attention and straightened me out, about a lot of things. I have now been heralding His word for some 44 + years, and, dear Karen, I can tell you for a fact that He only created two of us sexes: Man (with the protrusion), and the Woman (with the inner sleeve). And, within each of those two, He created the mechanism for the male to sire, and the female to receive said sperm and, after her ovulated egg was fertilized by the male's sperm, those two fluids would intermingle and an embryo would get it's start (an ovum), and He would then create another human being within that mother's womb (see Psalm 139:13-17). From that, at that very moment, an unformed mass, just two puddles of liquid, one from each of those two 'parents-to-be,' an amazing, and unbelievable process begins taking place..... and Karen, read in those verses how He fashions and fearfully, wonderfully makes, and skillfully wrought's (weaves, puts together, embroideries, fabricates) a wonderful and precious gift to its parents, yes, a real, live, marvelous baby that certifies and His love and gift He extends out to us. So, no, Karen, please tell me that you didn't really mean that statement; that it was a sarcastic or something that just came out wrong. Please. I just recently heard about this forum, SubStack, so I have just signed up.... and, yes, I subscribed to your subStack. I will have mine up shortly. Please look for it; it will be titled, 'Musings from Sid's Pen.' I would love to find out more about you and hear more of your writings; and you can learn about mine. But, you will learn that I am not one of these people out here in society that is deceived by the enemy of God, Satan and his minions who are spouting off damning, destructive heresies (i.e., opinions of humans that lead to destruction of their souls), as the Spirit of God had the apostle Peter inform us of in his prophecy he forewarned us of in 2 Peter 2:1-2. But, please, do remember: there is ONLY two sexes. And, no, even though Satan is alluding to the possibility, mankind CANNOT pretend that we can play God with our body, and change it from the sex that we were born with to the opposite one. It is an impossibility. God Bless.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Wow…you can spell…. Now VOTE
Maybe you are or maybe you not aware:” n the vast majority of cases (99.95%), sex is assigned unambiguously at birth. However, in about 1 in 2000 births, the baby's genitalia may not clearly indicate male or female, necessitating additional diagnostic steps, and deferring sex assignment.[4][5]” Wikipedia’Sex Assignment’
And because with 1 in 2000 births sex is ambiguous humans born with motile gametes can become humans with non-motile gametes just because they say so?
My hat's off to you, Marti. Changing your mind takes guts!
Voted for him in 2016. Never again. 4 years of him was enough. Literally messed with my mental health. Every tweet he put out just triggered me. Not the way to run government. I was shocked, he was allowed to have a "non-secure" cell phone and said whatever he wanted to tweet. I hate him. I did buy the latest book.
Thank u🙏💖
What did you see on 1/6 that others don’t seem to get ?
They don’t want to get it! That was an insurrection, not a riot or a protest or whatever pretty paper they want to wrap it in. People have let their political party become their identity. It’s so sad
Don't forget Buchanan and all the rest.
Thank you for choosing the Democratic Party.
A little late but welcome back to reality.
So you’re ok and were ok with the omnipresent GOP bigotry and cruelty contained in their policy prescriptions towards immigrants ,women,and others.. Bigotry in public policy is ok….,
but smashed window panes …no way !!!
Who said I was okay with it?
🙏🏼
Canvassing every day in deep red OH; seeing more signs/bumper stickers every day. For the first time in years we are on message: EVERY GOOD THING this country enjoys was brought to you by progressive action, from the weekend to the end of child labor, clear water and air, Medicare, Social Security, FMLA, ACA, ARA, the list goes on and on. WE GOT THIS!
Thank you for doing something to move the needle. We all must get out from behind the keyboard. The stakes are too high. We can celebrate when Ms Harris is sworn in. Till then, we do the hard work.
Over this past week/the weekend before, I filled out 200 Vote Forward letters to voters in swing states. Filling these letters out is fast! My handwritten message: "I want to be part of a movement for change."
I'm holding off now because I've got RSS (repetitive stress syndrome) in my writing hand.
I'll do more letters, later.
From https://votefwd.org:
"We’ve shown that Vote Forward letters can boost voter turnout by as much as 3.4 percentage points. This is big! Our handwritten letters are among the most effective ways you can help get out the vote."
I have 105 Vote Forward letters waiting to be sent on September 30. I always include a personal letter begging the registered voter to vote. I extoll democracy and our duty to participate and defend it against all threats. That's "non-partisan" enough to follow the guidelines. Oh, I live in Japan and I'm hoping getting a letter from Japan will get their attention! Air Mail is only $1 here. so it's not much more than regular postage in the USA. The outside of the envelope also gets funny stickers and colorful masking tape around the borders. I'm giving money to Kamala/Tim, Hakeem Jeffries, the NAACP, Field Team 6, and several US Senate candidates. We have to win this, and we have to win this big as Mary says. No letting up!
Because I do mine under the umbrella of UU the Vote, they have to be nonpartisan so I chose: I vote for candidates who share my values; thanks for your hard work!
Tell me more: How can I do this also?
Online: vote forward
Yes, yes, yes!
I did postcards this year. My message was Your Vote is Your Voice: Speak Up
I did 20 letters with vote forward last week and I brought a friend who did the same!!
Many hands make light work.
Tell me more: How can I do this also?
For Vote Forward, sign up with them at https://votefwd.org, pick a campaign, and be prepared to download and print letters, get some blank envelopes and first-class U.S. postage stamps, then fill out the letters (this goes fast, actually), and hold on to the addressed, stamped letters until a planned date in October.
I'm lucky because I live in NY's Capital District (Albany area), and local volunteers have already done the work of downloading and printing letters. Other volunteers (like me) pick them up off the front porches, take 'em home, fill 'em out, stamp them, and hold on to the prepared letters for a pre-planned SEND date in October.
Two Indivisible orgs are involved:
Bethlehem Indivisible:
https://swingleft.org/group/bethlehem-ny-indivisible
Bethlehem Morning Voice Huddle has a great writeup on the letters campaign:
https://www.bmvhuddle.org/write-letters
Search for "Vote Forward." Their website will tell you everything you need to know. Yes!! Do this! You get to pick the state you want to write to. Swing states with abortion on the ballot? Your own state? Florida or Texas which might turn blue? Pick and start writing!!
I too am writing Vote Forward letters! I am going to sign up to write more.
Yes! I love it!
My postcards arrive Tuesday! Looking forward to doing my part!
Please be right!🙏🙌
I am; in the past Dems have just shrugged their shoulders and said: no point in taking our message to rural areas. This year Kamala is all in on taking her message everywhere!
You are right
Great point, thanks!
My biggest fear is kamala will win and the supreme court steals it for Trump anyways. I expect the country will descend into civil war if that happens, so lets hope it doesn't.
Totally agree. We need to win big and do the hard work to make it happen.
She needs to over perform, and she will, but he can only replicate. They can not idiate. See end of The Hunger Games.
I as well am terrified
& Am Afraid for Kamala’s safety as well!!!🙏
And Tim Walz, esp Gus.
She has the A-Team, he has Womp-Womp cold clown sad wanna be leftovers. She will be fine. Believe.
Harris will absolutely win. He will run his standard, tired Bullshit. But this time we all know, and can-enmasse-resist. It was shock to the system J6 v.1, but now we know what to expect.
If the circumstances were egregious enough I would hope President Biden would step in -- now that the Supreme Court has given Presidents immunity from what they do as official acts -- and force some Justices to recuse themselves or add some new Justices by executive action. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
I think that's a bad idea. It's "extralegal," and would give the next right-wing President "permission" to do terrible things.
We should not follow bad ideas to their logical conclusions.
It would be good if Harris wins big, but on the day all she needs to do is win the the electoral colleges. And if there are ECs not able or willing to confirm, one way or another, and there's some sort of deadlock which sends it to the House and/or the SCOTUS, and if either overturns what looks very much like a Harris win, then yes, I predict there's going to be civil unrest, and likely on a scale that makes the assault on the Capitol look like a gentle stroll in the park.
As a Brit looking across the channel, I'll be keeping a very close watch and keeping my fingers crossed that the current polls are way off, and that in reality there's a very large majority against the felon & his misogynistic running mate.
It's quite astonishing, sickening even, that yet again, we're being put through this awful spectacle, pitting such an incompetent man who's now sadly in early stages of senile dementia against someone who is clearly both highly competent and human, and who rightly places country before party or herself.
I'm scared that the country will descend into civil war no matter who wins. If we win, Trumpians will revolt. If Trump wins, our side revolts.
Both are a possibility. . . If he wins there will be a mass exodus of Dem. citizens. . . I don't think that will be good for our country, either. He just must not win this election. So far, I believe, we would have the military on our side to stop this war of his followers, who would do whatever he would command of them. They are a cult, he is angry, and an angry, out of balance narcisistic leader is not going to be behaving in any sort of rational manner. He will do whatever it takes this time. If that doesn't work, he will flee the country.
I hope you are right. It will all depend on the electoral college, something I wish we could get rid of, because it does not reflect the way the people vote.
I think that no matter if it's close or not, we have to worry. The debate wasn't even close, yet his supporters said that it was rigged. Heck, even old Donny said it was rigged and yet, other times he would say that he won decisively. He can't make up his mind what message (if there is a coherent one in his head) to say.
So, yes, I do some worrying, but I also pick up a blank letter and fill it out. 1. Maybe 3. When I get to 10, I put stamps on them. Every one of them is a letter to someone who is likely to vote Democrat.
I agree that existential angst does no good. Action is important. Perhaps a better way to phrase how I feel is that I am very concerned about potential violence, no matter the outcome of the election. I am trusting that the current administration is well aware of this and will have (if not already has) a well thought out plan for how to handle post-election violence.
There has to be a plan. We cannot assume there is one, however. Can someone find out if there is a plan?!?
Democrats need to put more emphasis to electing a down ballot straight Democratic ticket!! Kamala MUST HAVE a Democratic Senate and House in order to move forward on her policies!
YES!!!! It is very important to vote ALL Democrat this time. We need a Democrat Senate and Congress, including Judges. We have to be vigilant this year.
Yes, Yes, Yes. We all need to be doing all we can @ the top of the ticket to help everyone who is running. Some hard work ahead. Let's support everyone running for sanity.
He’s toast. Into the trash on Nov 5 and then to prison.
Yes. The more the merrier
Yep. Flush twice!
FYLTGE
TY.
Sadly, it is now the Trumplican Party. But I have been here since Truman and the Republicans (in cahoots with big business, the military, and the rich) have been working to seize power over America permanently since I was born in 1951. They have all been criminals, whether on purpose or by association. On my 73rd birthday November 5th, I hope to see the Democrats take a clean sweep of Congress in addition to the White House. Then the work of ridding America of MAGA can begin, by prosecuting all involved starting with Donald and working down.
I don't want my children to suffer like I have because of MAGA.
Hope with all my heart this nation joins together on 5 November to.give you the Happiest Birthday ever!
Vote Blue up/down the ballot.!
Trump...You're Fired !!
Trump....Your guilty.........All the court cases will make 2025 a very enjoyable media viewing year.
A Harris victory would be an indescribably fantastic birthday present, and a loss would be the most unimaginably worst birthday present ever!
I feel like I've been in a non-consensual GOP-lead dystopia my entire adult life.
Pres. Harry Truman was a Democrat!
yes, Truman was a Dem and a good president. He was an avid reader. He kept the tax rate up on the rich for 8 years. Eisenhour won in 1952. The rich came to him to convince him to lower tax rate but Ike refused to lower rate. Last good Rep. President we have had.
I am 86 and remember all the crap put on us by Republicans. Vote Dem---------this Nov 5th.
Big military and big business were in cahoots with the Republicans to use the Korean conflict to damage Truman because he would not continue WWII against Russia. I liked Ike but his VP Dick Nixon and other Republicans did terrible things. It has steadily snowballed from there. Harry Truman was a Democrat from Missouri. He was a good man, in the mold of FDR, Carter, Obama, and Biden. Clinton was born near where I live but he had some moral failings where these others didn't.
Remember???? " The Buck Stops Here", Darrell??🤗
Yes, he is famous for saying that.
I will be 70 on the 5th - I'm so excited to vote for Kamala and Tim (and every other Democrat here in NH) as a celebration of my birthday!!
I hope we can all celebrate Harris/Walz AND your birthday! I’m 76 and always vote and have never voted for a Republican over a better Democrat. But while Republicans were never for the poor or middle class, they were never fascists and/or traitors — until Trump, with Reagan ushering them in. I cried when George W “won,” but I wasn’t terrified. Now I am.
I’m doing my best. Plan to canvas in PA.
I finished your book this afternoon. Gosh, it was good and sad and horrifying.
I just paid for my copy of your book today. I am looking forward to reading it, but my heart breaks for you. I truly hope you are feeling better after getting covid at the DNC. I have had it 3 times and hope to never get it again. Be well, Mary. We are all supporting you and this country.
I'm supposed to be shipped the book Sunday or Monday! Will discuss it after I've read it.
P.S. We could create a book club for Mary's book. I'm sure there could be much discussion about the toxicity in families (especially hers!), and healing amongst the group from discussing our own experiences. Just a thought,
There's another book it might be really helpful to read in order to understand what's been going on in the US for decades: Women's Ways of Knowing by Mary Belenky et al. Which describes how MAGA KoolAid authoritarian followers happen and how to "cure" them. There's also a version for men by William Perry.
Could you elaborate? Fascinating. I've heard his followers have something called, "Authoritarian Submission," or similar. They have extremely hierarchical brains, and think that, by default, white cis-gender males are automagically 'superior." I mean. look at some Diane Arbus photos. Jeez.
They write of 7 stages some women go thru, from intimidated Silence to listening to others, then to your inner voice, to eventual critical thinking. There is also another book by Bob Altemeyer from one of my old alma maters, called Authoritarianism (the one that was promoted by John Dean of Watergate fame). Same thing: why and how people don't seem to grow up and think for themselves but instead follow a lot of people they shouldn't. And the classic True Believers book. by Eric Hoffer. Tons more, inspired by observing the last several years.
Although it was a while ago, thanks, Norah, for all your references in this thread about great books to read. Will check several of them out.
There is a link where you can hear from a psychologist who is letting us know how to converse with people who are in a cult. He, Dr. Steven Hassan, cult expert, was once a member of the Moonies and got out. https://youtu.be/uMlLTtL80pl?si=eF9mTlizgJoH5pKO
I see it isn't connecting to this video anymore. Sorry. It was on #davidpakmanshow. Dr. Hassan wrote "The Cult of Trump".
Thanks for this. Will look it up. Collecting this stuff because I'm working on a kids' book (gotta get them early) explaining/describing this phenomenon. (Which isn't new by thousands of years.)
LOVE. Yes.
Just started reading it…
I am mostly concerned about the electoral college and swing states. Trying to keep breathing and focusing. I’m working every day with our local Dem party, organizing volunteers, doing postcard projects and phone outreach, meetings, events, voter registration, everything we can do to reach people and get them involved, informed, psyched, and registered and ready to vote.
Thank you for all you're doing!! Let's Go Kamala and every Dem on the ballot!
I generally have a difficult time distinguishing between intuition and fear (or desire, for that matter) but want to share an overwhelming sense that Harris wins this election. And that she wins BECAUSE all of us --and women in particular - are getting involved in practical, concrete ways like never before. A blue wave will wash us clean.
Let's FINISH STRONG!
Good Day. If there was any Law Left In America, Donald would already have been punished to the fullest extent of the Law. He’s already been convicted of many felonies, but not jailed for any of them, as ANY other criminal would have been. He has orchestrated an Insurrection against America and IS A Traitor. This is completely put aside by his party, his supporters, the media and Even The Supreme Court, which he now controls. This is the most Bastardized Electron Campaign by Republicans and Their Candidate that I have ever witnessed in my 72 year lifetime. What has happened to America and Americans is beyond any rational and legal occurrence in Our History.
Yes. Agreed. Correct. Thank You.
Amen.
This does appear to be true. . . I keep praying that everyone now gets that this election is the most important one to continue on with this 200+ year attempt to form a union that works for the majority of its citizens. It is a continual job to get better and represent more and more Americans as was the intent. It is an imperfect union, but it is always in process of getting more open and accepting. WE MUST NOT GO BACK!
As I have posted more than once:
Benjamin Franklin was asked what form of government the founding fathers came up with. His answer resonates now more than ever:
A republic, if you can keep it.
How can we get INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OVERSIGHT ⁉️We need it now more than ever and have participated for other countries. Thank you for keeping us sane !!!
Russia is no doubt watching closely.
Doing more than watching perhaps
Yeah. Russia is up to those shenanigans DonOLD mentioned.
I agree. And don’t count out Iran
...as we watch Them !!
All of us up here in Canada are holding our breath and can hardly wait until the era of Trump is over!! I hope everyone gets out and votes!! Time to move forward.
Trump North....the maggot wanna be Poillieve is studying the Trump Cult dictionary of racial slurs and using it. Canadians better wake up and get out their "Fuck Poillievre" flags fast.
Amazing specimen of humanity: "cheating as a way of life" does seem to be apt. He even cheats on the very topic of cheating by throwing the accusation right back at his opponents! (It's as if it means absolutely nothing to him; except that if he's able to level it at someone else twice as "hard," he "wins"!)
His motto is “admit nothing, deny everything, begin counter accusations “
And keep people off balance and turn them against each other
Admit nothing. Deny Everything. Demand Proof. Probably Roy Cohn.
A la his own personal Jeezus Roy Cohn.
He sees cheating as a positive thing on his end, and negative only if someone else is doing it. Actually, from what i've seen the Dems do not cheat - he only accuses them of it to fool people into thinking they do and he doesn't.
Right, you are! (But I'm not even sure he can actually tell the difference —being a sociopath who never experiences guilt or shame, and simplistically thinks the "easiest" path is always the "smartest"!)
You are persuading me to rethink my comment. He does think it's awful if others cheat, but it's about not liking what others do (whether or not it's really cheating). I'm sure he does think the path he chooses (always the easiest, as in not bearing any responsibility for what he does) is always the best.
I'm not sure about this, but I think it's likely that sociopaths/psychopaths are bound to have a screwed-up idea of the normal idea of wrongdoing. I think they think all normal expressions and phenomena of conscience are unbearably phony, are some sort of a hoax. They know they'd never get "bogged down" by such (as they see it) stupidity and nonsense. I think their incapacity to grasp otherwise may lead to terrible resentment.
It is actually a known fact that such people don't have a normal idea of wrong-doing. It's about what works for them. I will never forget a program I saw many years ago, where a young man grabbed the purse of an old lady as she exited her home. When asked why he did it, he said "she had MY purse". I have a sister like that, who has no conscience, and she has been described by professional therapists as a sociopath.
Astute observation, Dashk....and so beautifully worded!
We sometimes specify money, or greed or some such thing to be "the root of all evil" in the world. Personally, I'd say if anything is, it is human beings devoid of conscience!
Well, . . . greed is pretty bad, too.
Well, he is a sociopath, so none of this should surprise anyone. Textbook behavior for sure. Only he thinks he’s special.
I can't help myself; I get a little carried away —I'm familiar with in my own life, and so disgusted by people like him.
I grew up in Arizona as the lone D in a family full of Goldwater and Bircher extremists. In my world, the have-nots were cheaters and suspect due to their skin color. Last night as I flipped through channels, there he was, reading some fairy tale about a snake that bit a woman (!). I'm working to get the word out that at the bottom of all this foolishness with Trump is, as Lincoln said, the same old serpent. Thank you, Mary, for doing so much to expose your uncle as the weak, slithering fraud he is. ~Linda S. Clare at the Substack The Deep End
The last time I heard him start up,the snake fable at a rally is when thousands of people got out and there was but a handful left, mind you there were only about 3000 there to start. About a month ago there were more in the parking lot than the venue, the only traffic jam was those leaving!
Douglas, I don't follow his rallies--my stomach is too delicate. :-) Can you tell me what that snake fable has to do with his campaign? Anything at all? Thanks in advance, Linda
Donald *is* the snake.
I misread the title as"Chanting As A Way of Life" and I thought how fascinating it would be if Donald Trump was introduced to chanting, particularly those Buddhist Tara mantras sending healing out throughout Earth. And then, of course, I wondered what it would be like if I surrounded him with healing mantras. I decided he would either find himself open to catharsis, or, go totally and completely bonkers, either of which would be universally helpful.
I am certain I will get around to reading the article... after I sit and complete a few mudras....
Corporate media neglected to tell the American people what he said at his crumbling golf course in Palos Verdes... Gov. Newsom quote:Every voter should be made aware of this. @realDonaldTrump just admitted he will block emergency disaster funds to settle political vendettas,” Newsom wrote. “Today it’s California’s wildfires. Tomorrow it could be hurricane funding for North Carolina or flooding assistance for homeowners in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump doesn’t care about America — he only cares about himself.”
This is called "blackmail "! So where's the press? Where's the DOJ? Arrest him now.
I don't believe there is a more disgusting individual than Trump. Also, he's desperate. He knows he is losing and will do anything and everything to win.
Equally or slightly more disgusting to me are Stephen Miller, JD Vance (who’d be president once Donny gets entirely demented or dies), Laura Loomer, MTG, Elon Musk….
You’re right—I hadn’t heard that and it sickens me that corporate media let that pass. He already did that in the first 8 months of Covid, because the majority of deaths were in blue states (picking fights with governors, delaying supplies). And his tirade about prosecuting people from the opposing party after the election reads like Putin’s standard playbook.
They stole supplies and made money on the theft. Literally the “it fell offa tha truck, ay” stereotype of mafioso.