#I just really don’t know whether it’s appropriate to do it in Hispanic countries?

[lieutenant-amuel]

I’m editing the old chapters of WBTL again. The fourth chapter, and oh my goodness Ángel is so insensitive, it’s insane.

[magiaordinaria]

In Defense of Frida Kahlo

◊please see my note on these images at the end of the post, because yes, this is a form of imitation for the sake of expressing desire to belong.

Frida Kahlo has become a difficult subject, some would argue an easy target- which to me is tragic because she was a person with a life and with struggles and today she can no longer defend herself.  I personally think she doesn’t have to. I understand her as a historical figure that shaped Mexican history and the Mexican image. Lately I found myself understanding her on a different, more personal level when in October 2020 I came across an episode of the Nerdy Latinas Podcast, who were responding to a Tweet by an Indigenous Mexican woman accusing Frida of cultural appropriation.  My interest was piqued.  

“Frida was Mexican. How is it appropriation?” I thought.  

In the episode, Chismeando About Frida Kahlo, the hosts explore Frida’s background and a bit of her social context. I listened and I recommend you do too.  I gave a few comments to one of the hosts and was later invited to share my thoughts on the episode.*  Below is bit of background and my response to the episode follows after that.     

Prologue

When I initially listened to the episode my gut reaction was to become defensive, protective of Frida, despite not having had a single artifact of hers (my stance on purchasing her work or her image is a different story).  I began to explore those feelings, and once I talked myself through this gut reaction, I realized this is actually very much worth exploring.  It’s important to take into account the complexity of the social, personal, and historical context that Frida was experiencing and a part of.  

One of the things the Nerdy Latinas brought up was the fact that Mexican schools during Frida’s childhood emphasized that the indigenous cultures of Mexico were the true cultures of Mexico.  Frida, it is well-known, is half german and half Mexican. This conflict in identity was something that I deeply related to as a Mexican woman born in the US.  

They pointed out that there were indigenous women who spoke out about Frida’s use of their clothing at the time, but were ignored. In the same episode, they talk about how indigenous women who make these clothes live off the sale of their indigenous clothing- Which makes me think,  who is allowed to buy or not buy these clothes?  It reassured me that there is more to cultural appropriation than simply wearing or using things “not intended for you”.  Does intent matter? How are we verifying a person’s, in this case Frida Kahlo’s, intent? Short answer is, we can’t really.

 Later in the episode, they ask the question, why aren’t other dark-skinned Mexican women artists spoken about?  There are many indigenous artists that were overshadowed by Frida.  An important example they bring up is Maria Izquierdo (ees-kee-ehr-doh). She was a contemporary of Frida’s and a student of Diego Rivera.  She was doing well in her time and “showing promise” according to Diego himself. But when she spoke out against Frida’s feminist group Izquierdo lost a prestigious art commission to Diego Rivera and his male artist friends.  I consider this claim of overshadowing pretty unfair, because it’s not entirely up to Frida who gets seen or not. And if we’re being perfectly honest, Diego and his friends probably jumped at the opportunity to take it for themselves.

She is still, after the paint dries, a woman in a white man’s world.  

In my response, I come from a personal perspective with a lifetime of identity crises to fuel it.  I focus in on the question of whether Frida can be accused of appropriation as well the concept of appropriation itself.  

Is it fair to say that Frida had all the cards in her hands?

Is it productive to be upset over her perceived appropriation when there is so much today that is so blatantly grossly appropriated and mocked from my culture? 

My Response:

“I definitely think it’s worth exploring Frida’s Use of clothing. I think, understandably, it brought up a lot of personal feelings because it’s something that I personally grapple with; this idea that my appearance could constitute  grounds for appropriation.

...I think when Hispanic*** Americans learn about negative criticisms of Frida Kahlo they take the criticisms personally because that’s what they and myself included..., understood it looked like to be Mexican. 

And if she’s wrong about her use fo clothing, it can’t easily be understood as an homage or as uplifting or as an act of rebellion against the whitewashing of the Mexican culture, which i think is something that is important when you live outside of Mexico.  I think hispanic people--we just want to take care that our culture and our identity doesn’t get erased. so without the clothing that Frida wore the rest of us have only what we are calling the colonizer’s version of how to present ourselves as Mexicans. 

Additionally, I didn’t really find her mixed ethnicity all that significant because since Mexico’s inception as a hispanic country most if not all non indigenous Mexicans are mixed.  

our DNA is a map of people having been invaded, transcontinental travel in Europe, and slavery, 

so i never really understood Frida as a white woman, even though her father was german. I’m 48% indigenous, the rest is North African, European--and on top of that I’m born in the US. That’s all to say that Mexican is a complex ethnicity but it’s Mexican all the same.  I do see Frida as separate from indigenous and I’m also understanding that the way a person lives the culture is important.  Personally, I feel sometimes I can’t consider myself Mexican if I’m not living the cultural practices. I find it hard to justify, for example, celebrating Day of the Dead. In contrast, I feel a responsibility to connect with those aspects of my culture in order to feel like I belong somewhere, or I know who I am, what my point of view is, and what I could do in order to impart a positive view of my culture to the Americans watching me now.  

My thoughts are maybe Frida [thought so] too.  In a way, maybe that was her intention. This episode brings up the idea of a crisis of identity for Frida and I think because she was born in a time when Europeanism** was being criticized heavily her schooling was perhaps in reaction to that.  To give you a very popular example, the poem La Calavera Garbancera° most commonly known as La Calavera Catrina was written by Jose Guadalupe Posada around when Frida was born.  That icon we have today (La Catrina) was actually a symbol of derision for Mexicans adopting European values.  And I think when you’re taught certain ideals in the wider space in which you’re meant to integrate, it’s going to create a conflict between the way you’re raised and how you would like to see yourself in order to fell like you belong.  So a personal example would be me growing up in the US.  Saying the word Mexican was like saying a dirty word. For a very long time I was convinced that I should be ashamed of saying that.  I tried more and more to become what was considered American- which was synonymous with being “correct” and for that I have been called a coconut or whitewashed by the same people who would deride me for being so Hispanic. 

Today I want to undo all of that, 

and i find myself [thinking] if I buy from indigenous craftswomen a handwoven dress to wear and to show to my wider audience that “this is Mexico, this is what indigenous women can do and it’s beautiful,” I fear I’ll face the same criticisms as Frida when I genuinely find [the dresses/clothing] lovely to wear and I only want to support the craftswomen of Mexico.  So I don’t think appropriation happens when you buy indigenous crafts directly from indigenous men and women.  As an artist myself, I would think they’d want to sell as much as they could, sharing their pride in their work.  I think appropriation is buying from American corporations that are making money off of a diluted form of culture from oppressed people, stealing those complex designs expertly executed by thousands of years of knowledge and skill.  To buy these goods from white companies, from huge manufacturers is to really whitewash culture.  And on the flip side, I think it would be way worse for me to say, 

oh no I’m not buying from indigenous people because I’m not indigenous.  

But then turn around and buy something cheap from a huge manufacturer instead.  

I think there’s room in this conversation to believe that Frida felt some kind of genuine desire and made a genuine attempt to connect to the Mexican identity she was taught in school. 

 I think she made a choice to embody what she felt was fundamentally Mexican but to what end, I honestly can’t say.  Was it to bring awareness? was it to feel like she belonged? was it a statement? And that’s the thing we just can’t be sure.  

All of this is not to say she didn’t offend people, and in the process took the light away from indigenous women.  Or that this topic isn’t worth confronting.  I was confronted with the question, though, of how much of that is or was  her fault or her intention and how much of that is the time she lived in and her society’s discrimination.  I’m glad you guys brought up her social milieu because 

it matters a lot who were and are the voices speaking of her and approving her for public consumption. 

 I think Frida’s international travels and being on the cover of Paris’s vogue at the time, and the mystique she built around herself coupled with the fact that her skin color was internationally acceptable made her the icon that she is today around the world.  That much is true, but can it also be true she made an honest attempt to honor Mexican heritage in defiance of those popular racist attitudes? I think there’s room for that. 

 I don’t think it’s entirely fair to say Frida is guilty of appropriation not really today, especially because we have much more blatant and grossly offensive forms of appropriation happening in our time.  I’m sure I don’t need to go into that if you do a simple google search of “Mexican Costume” you can actually find white people dressing up as caricatured versions of Mexicans.  

So I think a more productive conversation regarding appropriation in our world and in our culture today would be how to teach our diaspora across the globe to value handmade crafts. sure it can be more expensive, but you’re not buying a single object, you’re buying hundreds of years of knowledge and tradition.  I would even argue that homemade is preferable to buying cheap, ready made stuff from corporations that have no regard for tradition or quality and who are actually drawing attention away from indigenous communities and diluting our cultures.”

Further Musings/Conclusion

I think that we are learning a valuable lesson in what is done is done, but what do we do now?  My main concern is that there is outrage over the women that Frida Kahlo “overshadowed”,

 but the simplest solution is to stop talking about these indigenous artists within the context–in the shadow– of Frida Kahlo.  

They should be spoken about in their own right.  If the dialogue about these women doesn’t revolve around or rely on Frida and her history, it would do these women justice.  They are out there and they can exist.  The problem is, how to talk about them without drawing comparisons to Frida? Should we avoid placing them in the same context? Questions for which I personally lack the answers right now.  

What I do know is that I think we should avoid turning this into a situation where we tear down one woman- 

who in the grand scheme of things accomplished a lot- in order to raise another.  No, no mijita, as my mom would say.  Eso no se hace, that’s not something we should do.  

This feels too much like a situation in which someone like Frida becomes the target of appropriation because it’s easier than confronting really tough situations like white companies selling “ceremonial grade” chocolate.  

Let’s tackle that sometime.

Personally, as you may have been able to tell,  I understand Frida from the perspective of a person caught in the middle of two worlds.  I don’t exactly feel like I belong in my American homeland nor in my familial, ancestral home of Mexico.  I am part of a community that feels a sense of disconnection from our roots and therefore, lack meaning; we lack a true sense of self.  But the more I interact with others like me, the more I create a community for myself, the more I understand that my place is where I want to be seen.  I think it’s possible that that’s what Frida chose.  

notes

◊This set of pictures is a type of homage centered around a very conscious  imitation.  I created these images back in September 2020 about a month before I learned of the Frida Kahlo tweet or the podcast episode.  They were created in an attempt to portray a desire to belong to the culture I come from.  Everything worn is a symbolic imitation in search of identity.  In contrast to the last set of images where I wear the braid headband again.  Here it is inspired by, rather than imitation; a carrying forward of traditions (like those seen here) into a more understandable form for myself.  The evolution of the outfit is taking me one step closer to figuring out what my place is and what my voice is within the greater scope of my Mexican heritage. 

*I recorded a few thoughts in audio format, sent it off to Short Latina and that was that.  To what extent my comments were included, I’m not sure, I haven’t had the chance to listen to their follow up episode.  Perhaps I was proven completely wrong! 

**Europeanism- I know it’s not a real word, but It felt right :P

***I imagine Frida is important to a lot of Latinx, but for the purposes of this argument, I specifically mean Mexicans and Mexican-Americans because of the specific ties to cultural attire.

°It’s actually called: Remate De Calaveras Alegres y Sandungueras; Las que hoy son empolvadas Garbanceras pararan en deforme calaveras

[ehliena]

FilAms referring to the Philippines as the acronym PI while they are calling homelanders for the use of Filipinx and Pinxy is peak irony. That is without adding these two facts: the letter F is a loaned letter in Tagalog from the oppressors (and its corresponding phoneme too) and that the demonym is an appellation to Felipe II of Spain. And for someone like me who reads and writes in Baybayin since age 15, to write a Baybayin X seems like a dark humor scene in a Taika Waititi comedy. (Yes, I do Baybayin shiz for fun, but not as serious as Kristian Kabuay and NordenX.)

I first encountered PI among FilAms during Christmas vacation 2002 in LA; and Pilipinx when I joined the theatrical production of a FilAm musical at CalState East Bay in 2016. I understand that it is their culture and I respect it, and I assimilate. I easily assimilate with what I call my Nickelodeon voice, which I have acquired from when jailbroken cable services became a thing in Mega Manila and through my theatre background. But when in Rome, we live the Roman way, so as the Santa Mesa-born foreigner, I have to hide that dark laughter every single time someone uses PI.

But of course, 2020 had to make us see PI-using FilAms pressuring homelander to use Filipinx, citing political correctness and gender neutrality (while white American Pemberton, the killer of Filipino transwoman Jennifer Laude, was given an absolute pardon by Duterte).

So, let us start my TEDtalk.

P.I. is a colloquial acronym for Putanginamo (the equivalent of Fuck You) used by conservative Filipinos who probably are only retelling a story.

Tsismosa 1: “Minura ni Aling Biring si Ka Boying.” (Aling Biring cursed Ka Boying)

Tsismosa 2: “Oh? Ano ika?” (Really? What did she say?)

Tsismosa 1: “Malutong at umaatikabong PI.” (A hard and surging PI.)

Then I imagine PI as the curse when FilAms say some sentences:

“Are you flying back to Putangina?”

“I miss Putangina. We went to Boracay.”

“Duterte is President of Putangina.”

But it’s fine with me. I understand they mean well and I know that Americans, as first world as they are, have poor grasp of history. It’s a little sad though that FilAms have not always been reminded of this special footnote in the history of the United States:

P.I. stands for Philippine Islands. That’s the colonial name of the Philippines as a commonwealth republic under the United States, which the republic stopped using when the 1935 Constitution was enacted in 1946. Yes, in case people are forgetting, the Philippines has long been a state with full sovereignty recognized by the United Nations (of which we are a founding member of and wherein Carlos Romulo served as President) and recognized by Shaider Pulis Pangkalawakan.

Also, RP is used to refer to the Republic of the Philippines before the use of the standard two-letter country code PH.

I’m not saying FilAms should stop using PI to refer to the Philippines but I’m saying that the roots of that practice is from American oppression that homelanders have already cancelledttt.

Our oldest bank in the Philippines is BPI. It stands for Bank of the Philippine Islands, originally named El Banco Español Filipino de Isabel II because it was founded during Queen Isabella II’s reign. It was a public bank by then; perhaps comparable to the Federal Reserve. Upon its privatization during the American occupation, the bank started using BPI for the sake of branding because it was the Americans who christened us with P.I. (I have a theory that Manila was a character in Money Heist because the Royal Mint of Spain used to have a branch in the Philippines and operated very closely with BPI. And my other supernatural theory is that our translation of peso which is ‘piso’ affects our economy. ‘Piso’ means ‘floor’ or ‘flat’ in Spanish.)

Now, going back. To me, P.I. is more appropriate an acronym for the ethnic group of Pacific Islanders. I don't think I need to explain further why. These would be the natives of Hawai’i, Guam, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and other islands in the Oceania continent, and maybe even New Zealand. If a curious FilAm raises a question of whether Filipinos are Pacific Islanders or Asians or Hispanics, the answer is long but easy to understand.

The Filipinos live in a group of islands within the Pacific Plate. The Philippines is an Asian country, following conventions of geopolitical continental borders from the other. We are Hispanics by virtue of being under Spain for three fucking centuries. And Teresita Marquez is Reina Hispanoamericana because why not? (We could’ve been a part of America still if not for the efforts of Quezon.) So, the quick answer is that the Filipino is all of it.

Yes, the Filipinos have an affinity with the Pacific through nature and geography. Think of the earthquakes, volcanoes, flora and fauna, and the coconuts. And they even look like us. The earlier inhabitants of the archipelago were Pacific Islanders who were introduced to Hinduism and Buddhism as being closer to the cradles of civilization India and China. Then, the Islamic faith has grown along with the rise of the kingdoms and polities in Southeast Asia. The Spaniards arrived in the archipelago, to an already civilized Islamic polity - too civilized that they understood how diplomacy is necessary in war. We knew that it resulted to the defeat and death of Magellan who was fighting for Rajah ‘Don Carlos’ Humabon. Then came the 333 years of being under Spain AND (sic) the Catholic Church which made us more Hispanic. Our Austronesian/Malayo-Polynesian languages (Tagalog, Bisaya, Kapampangan, Ilocano, Bikol, Waray, Cuyonon, etc.) have kept our Asian identity intact - unlike Latin American countries where the official language of each is one of the Romance languages; thus "Latin".

(It is only towards the end of that 333-year Spanish rule that the 'Filipino' emerged to be something the oppressed could claim, and for that we thank the poet in Jose Rizal. I see a parallel in how Christians claimed the cross, the former symbol of criminals in Jewish tradition, to become the symbol of God’s love and salvation through Jesus. Wow. That’s so UST of me. Lol.)

You add into the mix that our diaspora is so large and identifiable, the data gatherers decided to mark the tables with “Filipino” - too Asian to be Hispanic and Pacific, too Pacific to be Hispanic and Asian, and too Hispanic to be Asian and Pacific.

What many FilAms do not realize everyday is that unlike the words Blacks, Latinx, Asians, or Pacific Islanders, or Hispanics, the word Filipino is not just a word denoting an ethnic group. At its highest technical form, the word Filipino is a word for the citizenship of a sovereign nation, enshrined in the constitution of a free people whose history hinges on the first constitutional republic in Asia.

By state, we mean a sovereign nation and not a federal state. (Well, even with Chinese intervention, at the very least we try.)

By state, we mean we are a people with a national territory, a government, and a legal system inspired by the traditions of our ancestors and oppressors. It may be ugly, but it is ours, and we have the power to change it.

This one may be as confusing as Greek-Grecian-Greco-Hellenic-Hellene, but let’s examine the word 'Filipino' further when placed side by side with related words.

*Pilipinas is the country; official name: Republika ng Pilipinas. It is translated into English as “Philippines”; official name: Republic of the Philippines. Spanish translates it into “Filipinas”, the Germans “Philippinen”, the French “Les Philippines”, the Italians “Filippine”.

*Pilipino refers to the people. It is translated into English as Filipino. The plural forms are ‘mga Pilipino’ and ‘Filipinos’.

*Philippine is an English adjective relating to the Philippines, commonly used for official functions. It may be used as an alternative to the other western adjective ‘Filipino’ but the interchangeability is very, very nuanced. Filipino people not Philippine people. Filipino government and Philippine government. Philippine Embassy, Filipino embassy, not Filipino Embassy. Tricky, eh?

*Filipino also refers to the official language of the state (which is basically Tagalog).

*Filipiniana refers to Philippine-related books and non-book materials (cultural items, games, fashion, etc.) which could be produced by Filipinos or non-Filipinos, inside or outside the Philippines.

*Pinoy is a colloquial gender-neutral demonym; comparable to how New Zealanders use the word Kiwi.

The demonym Filipino has evolved from that of referring only to Spaniards in the Philippines into becoming the term for the native people who choose to embrace the identity of a national.

It started from when Jose Rizal wrote his poem “A la juventud filipina” and he emerged as an inspiration to the Philippine Revolution through Andres Bonifacio’s leadership. (But take note of ‘filipina’ because ‘juventud’ is a feminine word in Spanish.)

Today, no less than the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which was neither written by Hamilton nor a group of straight white men but by people of different faiths, genders, disabilities, and skin colors, in its first five words in both Filipino and English versions read: "Kami, ang nakapangyayaring sambayanang Pilipino", translated as "We, the sovereign Filipino people” validates the legitimacy of the word as gender-neutral, alive, aware and awake with our history of struggles.

Article 14 Section 7 of the current Constitution says Filipino is the national language. And while I agree that it is not really a real language but an alias for Tagalog, it is a conscientious codification of a social norm during the time of Manuel Quezon as he is aiming for the world to recognize the unified Filipinos as a sovereign people. People. Not men. Not heterosexual men. People.

It is a non-issue for the homeland Filipino that the word Filipino refers to the people and the language. But FilAms are concerned of political correctness due to an understandable cultural insecurity also felt by other non-whites in the US. And there is added confusion when FilAms pattern the word Filipino after the patriarchal Spanish language, without learning that the core of the grammars of Philippine languages are gender-neutral. The Tagalog pronoun "siya" has no gender. "Aba Ginoong Maria" is proof that the Tagalog word 'ginoo' originally has no gender. Our language is so high-context that we have a fundamental preposition: “sa”.

It is difficult to be a person of color in the United States especially in these times of the white supremacy’s galling resurgence. Well, it’s not like they have been gone, but this time, with Trump, especially, it’s like the movement took steroids and was given an advertising budget. But for FilAms to force Filipinx into the Philippines, among homeland Filipinos, is a rather uneducated move, insensitive of the legacies of our national heroes and magnificent leaders.

The FilAm culture and the Filipino homeland culture are super different, nuanced. It’s a different dynamic for a Latinx who speak Spanish or Portuguese or whatever their native language is - it reminds entitled white English-speaking America of their place in the continent. It should remind a racist white man whose roots hail from Denmark that his house in Los Angeles stands on what used to be the Mexican Empire.

Let’s use a specific cultural experience by a Black person for example: the black person not only has Smith or Johnson for their last name, but there is no single easy way for them to retrieve their family tree denoting which African country they were from, unless the Slave Trade has data as meticulous as the SALN forms. Let’s use a specific cultural experience by a Mexican-American with Native American heritage: the person is discriminated by a white US Border Patrol officer in the border of Texas. Texas used to be part of Mexico. Filipinos have a traceable lineage and a homeland.

Filipinos and FilAms may be enjoying the same food recipes, dancing the same cultural dance for purposes of presentations every once in a while, but the living conditions, the geography, the languages, social experiences, the human conditions are different, making the psychology, the politics, the social implications more disparate than Latinxs like Mexicans and Mexican Americans.

I don’t know if it is too much advertising from state instruments or from whatever but FilAms don’t realize how insensitive they have become in trying to shove a cultural tone down the throats of the citizens of the republic or of those who have closer affinity to it. And some Filipino homelanders who are very used to accommodating new global social trends without much sifting fall into the trap of misplaced passions.

To each his own, I guess. But FilAms should read Jose Rizal’s two novels, Carlos Romulo’s “I am a Filipino”, materials by Miriam Defensor Santiago (not just the humor books), speeches of Claro Recto, books by historians Gregorio Zaide, Teodoro Agoncillo, Renato Constantino, Nick Joaquin, Regalado Trota Jose, Fidel Villaroel, Zeus Salazar, Xiao Chua, and Ambeth Ocampo, and really immerse themselves in the struggle of the Filipino for an unidentifiable identity which the FilAms confuse for the FilAm culture. That’s a little weird because unlike Blacks and the Latinx movement, the Philippines is a real sovereign state which FilAms could hinge their history from.

I have to be honest. The homelanders don’t really care much about FilAm civil rights heroes Philip Vera Cruz and Larry Itliong, or even Alice Peña Bulos, because it was a different fight. But the media can play a role sharing it, shaping consensus and inadvertently setting standards. (But it’s slightly different for Peña Bulos, as people are realizing she was already a somebody in the Philippines before becoming a who’s who in the US, which is somehow similar to the case of Lea Salonga who was not only from the illustrious Salonga clan, but was also already a child star.) How much do Filipino millennials know about Marcoses, Aquinos? Maybe too serious? Lol. Then, let’s try using my favorite examples as a couch potato of newer cultural materials accessible to FilAms - cultural materials on television and internet.

FilAms who only watched TFC wondered who Regine Velasquez was when ABSCBN welcomed her like a beauty queen. Those with the GMA Pinoy TV have a little idea. But they did not initially get why the most successful Filipino artist in the US, Lea Salonga, does not get that level of adulation at home that Velasquez enjoys. Was it just Regine’s voice? No. Well, kinda, maybe, because there is no question that she is a damn good singer with God knows how many octaves, but it is the culture she represents as a probinsyana who made it that far and chose to go back home and stay - and that’s already a cultural nuance Filipinos understand and resonate with, without having to verbalize because the Philippines is a high-context culture in general, versus the US which is low-context culture in general. I mean, how many Filipinos know the difference of West End and Broadway, and a Tony and an Olivier? What does a Famas or a Palanca mean to a FilAm, to a Filipino scholar, and to an ordinary Filipino? Parallel those ideas with "Bulacan", "Asia", "Birit", "Songbird".

You think Coach Apl.de.Ap is that big in the Philippines? He was there for the global branding of the franchise because he is an American figure but really, Francis Magalona (+) and Gloc9 hold more influence. And speaking of influence, do FilAms know Macoy Dubs, Lloyd Cadena (+) and the cultures they represent? Do FilAms know Aling Marie and how a sari-sari store operates within a community? Do FilAms see the symbolic functions of a makeshift basketball (half)courts where fights happen regularly? How much premium do FilAms put on queer icons Boy Abunda, Vice Ganda? Do FilAms realize that Kris Aquino's role in Crazy Rich Asians was not just to have a Filipino in the cast (given that Nico Santos is already there) but was also Kris Aquino's version of a PR stunt to showcase that Filipinos are of equal footing with Asian counterparts if only in the game of 'pabonggahan'? Will the FilAms get it if someone says ‘kamukha ni Arn-arn’? Do FilAms see the humor in a Jaclyn Jose impersonation? Do FilAms even give premiums to the gems Ricky Lee, Peque Gallaga, Joel Lamangan, Joyce Bernal, Cathy Garcia Molina, and Jose Javier Reyes wrote and directed? (And these are not even National Artists.) How about AlDub or the experience of cringing to edgy and sometimes downright disgusting remarks of Joey De Leon while also admiring his creative genius? Do FilAms understand the process of how Vic Sotto became ‘Bossing’ and how Michael V could transform into Armi Millare? Do FilAms get that Sexbomb doesn’t remind people of Tom Jones but of Rochelle? Do FilAms get that dark humor when Jay Sonza’s name is placed beside Mel Tiangco’s? What do FilAms associate with the names ‘Tulfo’, ‘Isko’, ‘Erap’, ‘Charo’, ‘Matet’, ‘Janice’, ‘Miriam’, ‘Aga’, ‘Imelda’ and ‘Papin’? Do FilAms get that majority of Filipinos cannot jive into Rex Navarette’s and Jo Koy’s humor but find the comic antics of JoWaPao, Eugene Domingo, Mr Fu, Ryan Rems, and Donna Cariaga very easy to click with? Do FilAms know Jimmy Alapag, Jayjay Helterbrand, Josh Urbiztondo? Oh wait, these guys are FilAms. Lol. Both cultures find bridge in NBA, but have these FilAms been to a UAAP, NCAA, or a PBA basketball game where the longstanding rival groups face each other? Do FilAms know the legacy of Ely Buendia and the Eraserheads? Do FilAms know about Brenan Espartinez wearing this green costume on Sineskwela? Do FilAms know how Kiko Matsing, Ate Sienna, Kuya Bodjie helped shape a generation of a neoliberal workforce?

That list goes on and on, when it comes to this type of Filipiniana materials on pop culture, and I am sure as Shirley Puruntong that while the homeland Filipino culture is not as widespread, it has depth in its humble and high-context character.

Now, look at the practical traffic experiences of the homelanders. People riding the jeepneys, the tricycles, the MRT/LRT, the buses, and the kolorum - the daily Via Crucis of Mega Manila only Filipinos understand the gravity of, even without yet considering the germs passed as the payments pass through five million other passengers before reaching the front. Add the probinsyas, people from periphery islands who cross the sea to get good internet connections or do a checkup in the closest first-class town or component city. Do FilAms realize that the largest indoor arena in the world is built and owned by Iglesia ni Cristo, a homegrown Christian church with a headquarters that could equal the Disney castle?

Do FilAms know the experience as a tourist's experience or as an experience a homelander want to get away from or at least improved?

Do FilAms understand how much an SM, a Puregold, or a Jollibee, Greenwich, Chowking branch superbly change a town and its psychology and how it affects the Pamilihang Bayan? Do FilAms realize that while they find amusement over the use of tabo, the homelanders are not amused with something so routinary? Do FilAms realize how Filipinos shriek at the thought that regular US households do not wash their butts with soap and water after defecating?

Do FilAms understand the whole concept of "ayuda" or SAP Form in the context of pandemic and politics? The US has food banks, EDDs, and stubs - but the ayuda is nowhere near the first world entitlements Filipinos in the homeland could consider luxury. But, that in itself is part of the cultural nuance.

Do FilAms know that Oxford recognizes Philippine English as a diction of the English language? While we’ve slowly grown out of the fondness for pridyider and kolgeyt, do FilAms know how xerox is still used in the local parlance? Do FilAms know how excruciating it is to read Panitikan school books Ibong Adarna, Florante at Laura under the curriculum, and how light it is to read Bob Ong? Do FilAms realize that Jessica Zafra, with all her genius, is not the ordinary homelander’s cup-of-tea?

Do FilAms know that Filipinos do not sound as bad in English as stereotypes made them believe? Do FilAms really think that Philippines will be a call center capital if our accents sound like the idiolects of Rodrigo Duterte’s or Ninoy Aquino’s Philippine English accent? Do FilAms realize how Ninoy and Cory speak English with different accents? Lea Salonga's accent is a thespian's accent so she could do a long range like that of Meryl Streep if she wants to so she wouldn't be a good example. Pacquiao's accent shows the idiolect unique to his region in southern Philippines. But for purposes of showing an ethnolinguistic detail, I am using President Cory Aquino’s accent when she delivered her historic speech in the US Congress as a more current model of the Philippine English accent.

Do FilAms bother themselves with the monsoons, the humidity, and the viscosity of sweat the same way they get bothered with snowstorms, and heat waves measured in Fahrenheit?

Do FilAms know that not only heterosexual men are accepted in the Katipunan? Do FilAms even know what the Katipunan is? Do FilAms realize that the Philippines had two female presidents and a transwoman lawmaker? Do FilAms take “mamatay nang dahil sa’yo” the same way Filipinos do? Do FilAms know the ground and the grassroots? Do FilAms know the Filipino culture of the homeland?

These are cultural nuances FilAms will never understand without exposure of Philippine society reflected from barrio to lalawigan, from Tondo to Forbes Park. It goes the same way with Filipinos not understanding the cultural weight of Robert Lopez and the EGOT, or Seafood City, or Lucky Chances Casino, or what Jollibee symbolizes in New York, unless they are exposed.

The thing though is that while it is harder for FilAms to immerse to the homeland culture, it is easier for homeland culture to immerse into the FilAm’s because America’s excess extends to the propagation of its own subcultures, of which the FilAm’s is one.

We’re the same yet we’re different. But it should not be an issue if we are serious with embracing diversity. There should not be an issue with difference when we could find a common ground in a sense of history and shared destiny. But it is the burden of the Filipinos with and in power to understand the situation of those who have not.

Nuances. Nuances. Nuances.

And while I believe that changing a vowel into X to promote gender-neutrality has a noble intention, there is no need to fix things that are not broken. Do not be like politicians whose acts of service is to destroy streets and roads and then call for its renovation instead of fixing broken bridges or creating roads where there are none.

The word ‘Filipino’ is not broken. Since Rizal’s use of the term to refer to his Malayan folks, the formal process of repair started. And it is not merely codified, but validated by our prevailing Constitution, which I don’t think a FilAm would care to read, and I cannot blame them. What's in it for a regular FilAm? They wouldn’t read the US Constitution and the Federalist Papers; what more the 1987 Saligang Batas?

The bottomline of my thoughts on this particular X issue is that FilAms cannot impose a standard for Filipinos without going through a deeper, well-thought-out, more arduous process, most especially when the card of gender neutrality and political correctness are raised with no prior and deeper understanding of what it is to be a commoner in the homeland, of what it is to be an ordinary citizen in a barangay, from Bayan ng Itbayat, Lalawigan ng Batanes to Bayan ng Sitangkai, Lalawigan ng Sulu. It is very dangerous because FilAms yield more influence and power through their better access to resources, and yet these do not equate to cultural awareness.

Before Rizal’s political philosophy of Filipino, the ‘Filipino’ refers to a full-blooded Spaniard born in the Philippines, and since Spain follows jus sanguinis principle of citizenship, back then, ‘Filipino’ is as Spaniard as a ‘Madrileño’ (people in Madrid). The case in point is Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero - the Filipino Prime Minister of Spain.

But the word ‘Filipino’ was claimed by Rizal and the ilustrados to refer to whom the Spaniards call ‘indio’. The term was then applied retroactively to those who helped in the struggle. It was only later that Lapu-Lapu, Francisco Dagohoy, Gabriela and Diego Silang, Sultan Kudarat, Lorenzo Ruiz, and GOMBURZA were called Filipinos.

The word 'Filipino' was long fixed by the tears and sweat of martyrs through years of bloody history in the hands of traitors within and oppressors not just of the white race. The word Filipino is now used by men, women, and those who do not choose to be referred to as such who still bears a passport or any state document from the Republic of the Philippines. Whether a homelader is a Kapuso, Kapamilya, Kapatid, DDS, Dilawan, Noranian, Vilmanian, Sharonian, Team Magnolia, Barangay Ginebra, Catholic, Muslim, Aglipayan, Iglesia, Victory, Mormon, IP, OP, SJ, RVM, SVD, OSB, OSA, LGBTQQIP2SAA, etc., the word 'Filipino' is a constant variable in the formula of national consciousness.

Merriam-Webster defines Filipina as a Filipino girl or woman. Still a Filipino. Remember, dictionaries do not dictate rules. Dictionaries provide us with the meaning. To me, the word Filipina solidified as a subtle emphasis to the Philippines as a matriarchal country faking a macho look. But that’s not saying the word Filipino in the language is macho with six-pack.

The word Filipino is not resting its official status on the letter O but in its quiddity as a word and as an idea of a sovereign nation. The words Pilipino, Filipino, and Pinoy are not broken. What is broken is the notion that a Filipino subculture dictates the standard for political correctness without reaching the depth of our own history.

If the Filipinx-Pinxy-Pilipinx movement truly suits the Filipino-American struggle, my heart goes out for it. But my republic, the Philippines, home of the Filipino people, cradle of noble heroes, has no need for it (not just yet, maybe) - not because we don't want change, but because it will turn an already resolved theme utterly problematic. The Filipinos have no need for it, not because we cannot afford to consider political correctness when people are hungry, abused, and robbed off taxes. We could afford to legalize a formal way of Filipino greeting for purposes of national identity. But as far as the Filipinx, it should not be the homeland’s priority.

We may be poor, but we have culture.

From Julius Payàwal Fernandez's post

[parentsnevertoldus]

Hispanic Heritage Month: Talking to My Catholic Parents About Abortion

By  Raquel Ortega via Rewire.News

When my parents came to visit me for the first time in Washington, D.C., it coincidentally was a big day for reproductive health: The EACH Woman Act was being introduced. I decided to use that as an opportunity to finally have a talk about my abortion advocacy work.

Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on September 15 and ends on October 15, is a time to reflect on where I come from, which for me, is a reminder that I owe a lot to my mother, a first-generation American whose family is from Mexico.

In addition to teaching me how to make her famous salsa recipe, how to dance, and that the toilet paper roll is supposed to hang over not under, she also taught me about love of community and being kind to others. As Catholics we always operated under the golden rule, ���treat others the way you’d like to be treated.” She is the one who instilled in me that being part of a community is about caring for and supporting one another, whether it’s a family member, a friend, or neighbor.

I don’t often talk about my job with my mamá. Like many other Chicana feminists I know, we often operate under an unofficial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. She knows that I organize and speak out around access to abortion, but she doesn’t ever ask me about it. It’s not that my mamá is against abortion. In fact, I know she feels how a lot of Latin@s feel about abortion in this country; she doesn’t fall into a typical “pro-life” or pro-choice label and instead holds complex feelings based on a variety of factors. Personally, she has reservations about abortion when it comes to herself, but at the same time she believes it is not her place to judge or condemn others. If anyone in her life wanted to seek an abortion, she would do whatever she could to support them.

I was very religious when I was younger, but my devotion began to break down in high school when I started to feel like I was being taught unfair and conflicting lessons about sex, sexuality, and abortion by faith leaders in my church. I had been led to believe that sex was sinful and that women who had sex before marriage were immoral—sluts. Things changed for me when, in tenth grade, my good friend told me she was raped at a party. My religious teachings about virtue and purity seemed to make so much sense until, suddenly, it was also so clear to me that what happened was not her fault. Shortly after that happened, I was chastised by my youth minister for having a conversation with another teenage girl about what “birth control” was (our school, and entire state really, had abstinence-only sex education, so it wasn’t really surprising that most young people our age were clueless about the ins and outs of sex). My real-life experiences were showing me that life is not lived in black and white, yet I was told sternly that speaking about birth control and sexual health wasn’t “appropriate” and these types of conversations should be left between a child and their parent—something that in actuality, at least in my community, rarely happened.

I felt a similar discomfort about abortion. But slowly over time, the lessons I was being taught by my mother, such as treating others the way you want to be treated, started to make me reassess that. I did not want to be judged for the thoughtful decisions I made about my own body. I did not want to be stigmatized or shamed for my sexuality. And I did not want to judge, stigmatize, or shame others either.

I have a tendency to push people beyond their comfort zones. Knowing my mother’s complex feelings about abortion, when my parents came to visit me for the first time in Washington, D.C., which coincidentally was a big day for reproductive health, I decided to use that as an opportunity to finally have a talk about my abortion advocacy work.

The visit was the day that All* Above All, a coalition dedicated to lifting bans on abortion coverage, announced with members of Congress the introduction of the EACH Woman Act. The EACH Woman Act is a proactive bill to end the Hyde Amendment and similar restrictions on federal funding for abortion. Due to the Hyde Amendment, which turned 39 this year, people who have insurance coverage through a publicly funded health program, like Medicaid, can’t use their insurance to cover the cost of abortion. I think that a person should have access to safe and affordable abortion care regardless of their income or the type of insurance they have, so for me the introduction of this bill—the first of its kind—was a pretty big deal.

So there we were, my parents and I, eating some chili together at Ben’s Chili Bowl, when I told my mom that I was excited about this new bill because it would make a difference for so many people seeking abortion care. We talked about her religious upbringing and the things she heard about abortion in Catholic school. We discussed the concerns she had about why people choose abortion, and she admitted that she was unsure about the idea of Medicaid coverage. She also asked a lot of great questions like, “So if a woman doesn’t have the money to buy contraception and gets pregnant, and then doesn’t have the money to pay for an abortion…what is she supposed to do? Magically find money to raise a child?” (While my father was present, he did not contribute to our conversation.)

My mother may not feel comfortable with why someone might choose abortion, but to her it doesn’t make sense to deny access to health care just because of how much money someone makes or the type of insurance they have. And on this last point, we can agree.

My mother and I may not see eye-to-eye on everything, but I’m glad that she has taught me her values of support and kindness. These are the values that drive me and fuel the passion for my work. I am glad that she has shown me that I shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they are uncomfortable ones, and that I should always operate from a place of love.

She has taught me that we can respect a person’s ability to make their own life decisions without imposing our values and views on them. That we should each appreciate and respect everyone’s beliefs, especially when it comes to people we love. That all people should have the economic, social, and political power to live happy lives, and that all people should have access to information and resources to make healthy decisions about their bodies.

Back at dinner, I finally asked the question I’ve always wanted to ask my mamá but never before this moment had the right words.

“I know it’s easy to say that you wouldn’t judge when it’s talking about someone else getting an abortion… but what if it were me?”

Without hesitating my mamá said, “Raquelita, no matter what, it’s my job to always support and love you, and that has and will never change.”

[nunaya-business]

Let’s Talk About Steven Universe

*WARNING* This … “essay” has my opinions only. I am not speaking for the community, I am speaking for me because I like to express myself and there are people like @susanaaatc​ out there who like these kinds of discussions. So if you want, I’d like for others to give me their whole opinions on the show as well. Hell make a whole post about it like I did and tag me in it so that I can see your opinion. With all that stated, let’s get down to Bismuth.

So Steven Universe came out in 2013 and I was 11 years old at the time. I liked Regular Show and Adventure Time, not to mention I was obsessed with Rise of the Guardians and Monster High, so I was a bit preoccupied to watch the show. Eventually though, my best friend at the time talked about it constantly and she brought up the concept of fusion. She showed me the art book of the show that she bought and it showed how two completely different gems could fuse into one gem to become stronger. This is where my interest started, and it was the same concept that started pushing me away from SU later in it’s show run. 

So fusion in Steven Universe is mostly treated as a relationship, and it’s not always just romantic. It can be between two friends, it can be seen as a more sexual relationship between two gems, a romantic relationship, or a parent-child relationship like with Steg (Steven and Greg’s fusion). This is an amazing concept and I love it so much but… I’m not here to talk about what I like, I’m here to talk about what I dislike. 

One of the best characters in the show is Garnet. Garnet was revealed in season 2 (I think) to be a fusion between the two tiny gems Ruby and Sapphire, and Garnet is the manifestation of their love. She’s an amazing example of not only a healthy, respecting, and loving relationship between two people, but also is an amazing example of a healthy same-sex relationship. You see, Steven Universe uses “code” to represent something like race, gender, and age… But we’ll get to that later. My problem isn’t really with Garnet herself, but what Rebecca and the Crewniverse has made her in to. Many have said it before, and I agree. After her reveal as a fusion, Garnet was no longer the cool, collected, fun-in-her-own-way “mom” we knew before, she turned into a fusion, and a symbol for fusion, and a representation… of a fusion. After the reveal, all the crewniverse seemed to view Garnet as… was a fucking fusion! She lost a lot of personality in the 3rd and 4th seasons in my opinion and was really only used in the plot when it had something to do with fusion. To me it’s like having a friend group with only one Asian friend and the rest a different race, and then only inviting the Asian friend to hang out when you’re going to watch Anime, or a Kdrama. It’s a bit racist is it not? Just because you can relate a character to something in the plot does not mean that character has to be there. Maybe instead of putting Garnet in every fusion episode (with the exception of “Earthlings”) just mention her. She doesn’t have to be in every damn episode that has to do with the subject. 

A lot of people have an issue with Bismuth… and I can understand that. Let me explain why. “Coding” is what a creator of any media does to give the consumer an idea of a character’s personality, race, age, gender, etc, without it being too obvious. Off the top of my head I’ll state what I view the “coded” characters as.

 Garnet, Sapphire, Sugilite, and Bismuth are coded Black.

Amethyst to my knowledge is coded Hispanic or Latina or something like that.

Pearl, the Diamonds, Opal, and Rose Quartz are coded White.

Rainbow Quartz and Aqua Marine are coded White and British.

And I’m not sure about Peridot, Lapis and Jasper are supposed to be coded as.

So the race thing has brought up some issues. In the official artbook that I mentioned earlier there was a concept design for Concrete and the design was a little… oof. People weren’t very happy… lemme just show you.

So obviously people weren’t happy that good ol’ Concrete here looks like a blackface character from the early 20th century animations. And I agree it’s pretty bad, but I don’t think it was intentional. 

Some controversial things that come from the show (other than countries like Kenya being assholes and trying to act like LGBTQ doesn’t exist) are the portrayals of two specific characters, who also happen to be fusions, and I agree with most things people don’t like about them.

Let’s start with Stevonnie. Stevonnie is the nonbinary (but let’s be honest she’s a girl) fusion of Steven Universe and his love interest Connie Maheswaran (I had to look up how to spell her last name smh). They’re supposed to represent Steven and Connie’s closeness as best friends and their growing crushes on each other. Rebecca Sugar has also stated that they’re a representation of puberty…. Excuse me? Puberty must have went swell for you Sugar. There’s someone who made a video about why they hate SU, that person being the ever controversial Lily Orchard, and she covered why Stevonnie is just… honestly she’s waifu bait. I agree with probably everything Lily says about this character because… it’s true. Puberty seriously ain’t pretty, and it sure as hell ain’t sexy until after it’s done… sometimes. Also, Sugar is contradicting herself saying that the Crewniverse isn’t sexualizing two very under age kids because Stevonnie is Steven and Connie’s ages added up… which would make the fusion 26 years old… that’s a bit old for puberty Rebecca. It feels to me like they wanted to make a sensual character, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but they didn’t really want to add a new character so they just put the two love interests together. But that’s so fucking wrong. I’m sorry, but sexualizing Stevonnie, which they are doing btw, I will make a post if you question it, is like people shipping siblings or an underage person with someone way older than them and saying “it’s totally fine because they’re just characters” (*cough cough* Ereri *cough cough* Hitachiin shippers *cough*). If you’re going to use that excuse, but then get angry at people who don’t take the character seriously because they are just a cartoon, then you’re a hypocritical asshole. Sorry to tell you. Stevonnie is a very good character overall though. I’m just uncomfortable when they appear because they’re two kids in a trench-coat with curves like an anime schoolgirl and moves like someone who just successfully seduced a poor guy into giving them the secret to the Crabby Patty formula.

Now let’s move on to Steg, the fusion between father Greg Universe, and son Steven. There’s nothing wrong with them fusing because fusion in SU symbolizes a relationship, no matter what kind. However… why do two chubby men make a sex symbol rock idol??? That’s… that’s gross. Why the fuck is Steg so “hot”? Why on earth would you create a fusion out of a father and son and think it’s appropriate to sexualize them and make them gyrate their genitals like they’re an Elvis Presley impersonator? Just… WHY? Do I even have to explain why this is so wrong? Really? Honestly??? You can fuse Steven and Greg and not make it so sexual, but nah let’s give them rock hard abs, a humongous bulge a sharp jawline that neither of the two have, and a tight ass. What the actual fuck?? 

That’s not my biggest issue though. My biggest issue is giving the Nazi bitches a redemption ark smaller than my nonexistent cock. Endeavor from My Hero Academia is an absolute prick right? He abused his children, notably his youngest, and his wife, and is an absolute asshole to everyone, but he gets a redemption arch. Do you know why it makes sense though? First off because as far as we know Endeavor never committed genocide, and second because he’s not a Nazi, he’s an abuser. Abusers, whether we like to admit it or not, can eventually see the error of their ways and understand that what they’re doing is both wrong and that it doesn’t work. Endeavor is getting a redemption arch because he obviously loves his kids, he just doesn’t know how to show it because of some circumstances we may not know. 90% of the time an abuser was abused themselves growing up, so they grow up with that resentment and they go one of two ways. They see how wrong it is and knows that it won’t get them anywhere in life if they bully others to stay on top, or they think that since they went through it and came out alive, then others should go through it too. I should know, because my dad was from an abusive family, and he turned out fine(ish… long story) while his brother and sister are pieces of shit that can’t hold a job or a home because they’re too involved in criminal activity to do so. 

What does Endeavor from MHA have to do with the Space Nazi Diamonds in SU? Well people were sending Horikoshi Kohei death threats because he had the gull to redeem an asshole, and SU fans are pissed because Rebecca Sugar had the lady balls to “redeem” space Nazis. The difference being, you can be redeemed if you were an abusive cock, but not if you’re a genocidal bitch. There’s a huge difference. 

Rebecca and the Crewniverse giving the Diamonds a 4 episode redemption arch is absolutely abominable. Peridot’s redemption? Fucking amazing, beautiful, couldn’t have done it better myself. Jasper’s? It’s currently going amazing and they’re doing a great job keeping her in character while also making her likable and even a bit charming. Lapis? Oh… let’s talk about her shall we?

Lapis Lazuli’s character is an absolute disaster. She’s a cunt, she’s a horrible friend, and my god is she abusive! Lapis was supposed to be a sympathetic character, and for a while she was. You could feel bad for her because her gem was damaged and she was trapped in a mirror for thousands of years and when she’s finally released, you understand her want to go back home and why she took the Earth’s ocean to try and reach it. It was understandable when she didn’t want to break out of the prison ship because she was anxious and scared of being locked away for another thousand years. It was easier in her mind to just behave and wait. When Jasper convinced her to fuse with her Lapis didn’t really want to, but saw an opening for the freedom of the humans and mostly for Steven, the one person who saved her from hell. But then everything went south.

Lapis and Jasper were fused as Malachite for months, obviously in a very stressful “relationship”, and apparently a very abusive one as well. When they were finally able to unfuse, Lapis was played off by the Crewniverse as a victim of abuse. This may be half true. After all we don’t know exactly what happened with them at the bottom of the ocean. What we do know however is that Lapis admitted to being abusive. This makes her an abuser. She described how it made her feel happy to abuse Jasper, or “taking my anger out” on her. She admitted to abuse and the Crewniverse still painted her as a victim. They’re both victims of abuse, and they’re both abusers. But that’s not what makes Lapis a horrible person… gem…

Lapis is a cunt… again. It’s okay to be antisocial, it’s okay to be cautious and stand-offish because you’ve been trapped, imprisoned and used so many times. What’s not okay is being a bitch to people trying to comfort or make friends with you, or try to cheer you up. Poor Peri, she was just trying to make amends and comfort Lapis after her whole ordeal with Jasper. Peri offered the cunt the thing that helped her organize her thoughts, the thing that calmed her in situations that made her anxious, the thing that comforted her and the first gift given to her by her first friend and the first person that listened to her thoughts, and the cunt destroyed it. She destroyed Peri’s recorder right in front of her, calling it garbage. Oh and the abuse doesn’t stop there, it only really began, because when shit started to hit the fan, instead of helping each other through it, Lapis abandoned Peridot and took the home they shared. Without a single thought she just took it and abandoned her, and it devastated Peri. I don’t remember her apologizing, and if she did it doesn’t matter because if I don’t remember then it must not have been very sincere. 

I’m sick of spitting negative shit so I’m gonna end this here. Personally I’ve been liking the last few episodes, but I’m not too confident that the finale is gonna be satisfying. Those are my thoughts, do with it as you will, but for God’s sake be fucking adults about it. If you don’t got the guts to curse without saying “h3ll” or “pu$$y” or something like that then you’re not mature enough to respond to this. I’m not gonna argue with 9-year-olds. I’ll only have a conversation with mature people.

[clairebeauchampfan]

Is Jess unconsciously  a racist or  Islamophobe, or maybe just a bigot and a snob? If you were an Irish ‘Traveller’, a subsistence farmer or fisherman in a remote Irish village where half the people share the same surname, or a Muslim immigrant, and  married to your cousin, even your third cousin once removed, should you be offended by her prejudiced words about cousins marrying? Or is it still okay to claim that  White, Christian, middle-class  majority social mores are  the only ‘normal’, and  therefore the only ones acceptable?

Life’s confusing  these days, isn’t it? You never know what you can and cannot say without offending one minority or another. Social Media  is a minefield, a trap for the unwary. If a well known blogger (12.5 million views! ) uses her blog as a platform for parading her disgust at the idea of marriage between cousins, should she be condemned or applauded? Outlander fandom is full of do’s and don’t, and is a mirror to society’s confusion as to what is or is not acceptable, politically or otherwise, to say. Not all these examples are taken from Outlanderdom, and by no means all arise from Jess’s blog, or the posts she forwards from others.

Apparently it’s okay to be ageist: “No one wants to see these two frumpy grandparents with dead animals on their heads getting it on. They were so hot in S1 😩😩😩😩”

It’s not okay to dress up in a warbonnet or a sombrero for a fancy dress, because to do so your are guilty of cultural appropriation 

It’s okay to call a 28 year old woman who happens to be dating a man ten years older than she,  ‘Lolita’ 

It’s not okay to tell teenage girls not to risk sex, or dress in skimpy and provocative  outfits.

It’s okay to say :’most men are trash’  . No one in this fandom will call you out for being sexist.

It’s not okay to wonder, as leading feminst Germaine Greer did, as to whether cutting a man’s genitals off and filling him with hormones actually renders him a valid  woman (she’s been “no platformed”, as a result.) Transphobic!

It’s okay to criticise a temporarily unemployed actress for being a sponger and a free-loader, but it’s not okay to criticise someone for living at home off the bank of mum and dad.

It’s obviously  not okay to savagely criticise two or more (imho superb) fanfic writers for the content of their work  (we really ought to ban ALL anons from this fandom) , but it’s perfectly okay to savagely  criticise a best selling author for the content of hers. Too much reliance on rape as a plot device, in fact, too much plot altogether. Why can’t it just be about Jamie and Claire?  Why all these extraneous characters and meandering storylines? What do you think you’re doing, Gabs? Copying frigging Tolstoy? 

It’s okay to insinuate that Tony is gay, but not Sam (hopefully thechemistrytest killed that idea once and for all, by the way. Talk about love at first sight!)

It’s okay to call out a 66 year old conservative-voting part-Hispanic Catholic female writer for not planning to include in her historical novels a lesbian affair, and then call her Trash (’pass it on’) for her effrontery

I could go on, with other examples. I’m not going anywhere NEAR the debate about the repeal of article 8 (you think I’m crazy?)

So I’ll finish with some thoughts on conscious or unconscious racism, Islamophobia, and social snobbery, in relation to the consanguinous marriages Jess and other fans  so deplore.

40% of Irish travelling folk or Romanies are married to their cousins. Irish Travellers, now recognised as a separate ethnic group in the Republic of Ireland, endure conditions analogous to Native Americans, in terms of poverty, social injustice and prejudice, particularly because of the Travellers  propensity to marry within the extended family.  In some countries or parts of countries , especially in the Muslim World, over 50% of married couples are in some form of consanguinous relationship.

I attach some newspaper and magazine articles on the degree of  prejudice involved.  Ireland has been described as having some of the worst race relations in Europe. You think England is bad? It is, but....

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/editorial/warning-signs-on-racism-1.3448199?mode=amp

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11845-015-1370-x

 Criticising arranged marriages, especially between cousins, is often used as a coded attack on immigrants, the poor, the other. Even if it’s dressed up as ‘concern’ for the health of their offspring. 

In America,  consanguinous marriages are regarded with contempt and suspicion by most ‘right thinking ‘ Americans. Inevitably the more liberal, the more prejudiced. 

 “ As one man in such a relationship recently discussed, some members of the couple's immediate family no longer speak to them and have never met the couple's children. On top of that, he stated,

We don't typically tell folks. We told our daughters, "It's not something to be ashamed of, but [don't] tell your friends . . . people are fickle, and preteens and teens can be downright cruel."

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/gizmodo.com/the-science-of-marrying-your-cousin-1522745684/amp

#reader, I married one #I’m half Irish, before you ask

[classyfoxdestiny]

'The Five' on Jan. 6 riot, CDC's new mask guidance

'The Five' on Jan. 6 riot, CDC's new mask guidance

This is a rush transcript from “The Five,” July 27, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS HOST: Hello, everyone, I’m Dana Perino along with Dagen McDowell, Geraldo Rivera, Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld. He’s got a sign. It’s 5:00 in New York City and this is THE FIVE.

So, the CDC pulling an about-face on masks, reversing their indoor policies they set just two months ago to help prevent the spread of the delta variant. Fully vaccinated people apparently should now begin wearing masks indoors but only in places with high COVID transmission rates. Here is the agency’s director.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

ROCHELLE WALENSKY, CDC DIRECTOR (via telephone): In a rare occasion, some vaccinated people infected with the delta variant after vaccination may be contagious and spread the virus to others. In areas with substantial and high transmission, the CDC recommends fully vaccinated people wear masks in public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of the delta variant and protect others. This includes schools.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO: That includes schools. SO the White House responding to the new guidance saying it’s “another step on our journey to defeating this virus. I hope all Americans who live in the areas covered by the CDC guidance will follow it. I certainly will when I travel to these areas.”

Now that comes as the debate over vaccine mandates is heating up, the Veterans Administration is becoming the first federal agency to require its employees to be vaccinated and California says state employees and health care workers must show proof of vaccination or get tested regularly.

And Jesse, right before we came out, apparently the vice president’s plain, the aide went back to the press that’s on the plane and handed out some masks and said D.C. apparently is one of these areas and so you guys are back in it.

JESSE WATTERS, FOX NEWS HOST: Why didn’t she say this all on camera? I can’t follow that on a phone call.

PERINO: That’s a great point. It’s a great point.

WATTERS: From a communications perspective, Dana, that was a disaster.

PERINO: Disaster.

WATTERS: You have to be able to see the woman explaining.

GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: That is irrelevant (inaudible).

WATTERS: This is a major update, Geraldo.

PERINO: Yes, it’s true.

WATTERS: You can’t have it done on audio. It just doesn’t break through. The American people are either scared, confused, or annoyed now. They’ve lost the American people. We’ve had it, Joe Biden has blown this, this was his big mandate, tackling the pandemic and now no one knows what’s going on.

It’s just too confusing for the American people, and this is the thing he had the highest approval rating on. And that’s not going to continue if he keeps this up. If you have deaths that are not rising, actually deaths continue to fall, they are under 300 daily deaths per day for the last month and a half, and if cases are going up a little bit, if you are vaccinated that’s not your problem.

But to slap a mask on your face because other people are not vaccinated? That doesn’t make any medical sense. And to now mandate vaccines for federal employees when two-thirds of blacks and Hispanics have not been vaccinated, it sounds like they are just now punishing people for not being vaccinated instead of saving lives.

Now, you cannot open the southern border to migrants from Mexico and Central America where they are seeing a big rise in cases and expect the delta not to spread. And the delta is spreading in Texas, Arizona, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, all of these southeastern states where, coincidentally, Joe Biden is buzzing them into.

So if you’re really serious about stopping delta, close the southern border. But what did he do? He closed the northern border to Canada. What sense does that make? It makes no sense.

PERINO: Greg, I wanted you to listen to one of your favorites —

GREG GUTFELD, FOX NEWS HOST: Oh, yes.

PERINO: — over at CNN and Gavin Newsom. And this is how they are talking about people who haven’t received the vaccine yet. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Don’t get the vaccine? You can’t go to the supermarket. You don’t have the vaccine? You can’t go to the ball game. You don’t have the vaccine? You can’t go to work. You don’t have the vaccine? You can’t come here. No shirt, no shoes, no service.

GAVIN NEWSOM, GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA: Just like drunk drivers, you don’t have the right to go out and drink and drive and put everybody else at risk including your own life at risk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PERINO: Thoughts on that or anything else?

GUTFELD: It’s getting harder to say that vaccine is voluntary when you hear that, right? If you don’t do it, your life is over, we will restrict your rights. So it’s no longer — let’s not kid ourselves, it’s not a voluntary thing anymore.

The media in particular, they love any kind of class warfare, right, because it gives them two camps to pit against each other and they’ve been doing this forever. They will exploit class. They will exploit race. Now they got a new system.

WATTERS: The unvaccinated.

GUTFELD: The unvaxxed versus the vaxxed, right. And the unvaxxed is just a continuation of the people that they’ve always hated, whether they were, you know, red state Americans, flyover country, Republicans and Trumpers.

And Don Lemon is all on this, and it explains your confusion over the border. It’s why they embrace shaming Americans but don’t care about the thousands of unvaxxed non-Americans because it’s not about health. They don’t care whether these people live or they die. What they are interested in is conflict theater.

Conflict theater is going to help at least prop up CNN for maybe another year. They have the lowest ratings in I think six years. And that’s why they are giddy because they have a new group to target. And as the national hall monitor network, they can exercise their false sense of moral superiority over people.

I also find it weird that they love condemning Americans but you better not say anything about China. None of these Americans had anything to do with the spread of COVID or the origins of COVID, but you are so free to demonize them but god forbid you say anything about the experts who knew about, what’s the name of the shit? Sorry.

PERINO: Yes, I’m not the only one.

GUTFELD: Yes. Yes. What’s the name of — gain of function. God forbid you talk about the experts who ushered in gain of function. God forbid you talk about the origins of the virus. Let’s go after some people that have decided that they think that the — experimental vaccine is voluntary and you think that’s evil. I apologize for swearing but it felt good.

PERINO: Yes, and also now I’m not the only one. You guys done it so I’m in good company.

GUTFELD: Yes, you’ll do it again.

PERINO: And it’s also highly populated urban areas that are having this, too. Like, it’s not just in rural America where a lot of white people live where there is vaccine hesitancy. That is quite apparent if you look at the data.

Geraldo, on the Fourth of July, President Biden had this big event at the White House, had declared basically our independence from the pandemic, perhaps premature?

RIVERA: Perhaps premature, but I think the vaccine is absolutely bulletproof against this damn disease. We had a lightning storm in Cleveland last night, it was as likely to get hit by one of those lightning bolts as to get this terrible disease if you are vaccinated.

This is a disease of the unvaccinated. I am appalled, however, by these gentlemen to my left, ironically, who blame the border for the spread of this disease without any evidence, where is your proof that the —

WATTERS: It’s called common sense, Geraldo.

RIVERA: Well, common sense is not proof, Jesse. I got news for you.

WATTERS: Geraldo, so you don’t think it’s a coincidence that all of these variants are popping up in the very places on the border that Biden has opened? You don’t think that’s a coincidence.

RIVERA: You bend over backwards to demonize that population.

WATTERS: I’m demonizing Joe Biden. All right. Not the immigrants who have haven’t been vaccinated. I’m demonizing Joe.

RIVERA: You have no — when you — when you — even an anecdotal story of a bus pulling into a town that later had an outbreak. You have nothing like that. In terms of the mandatory vaccines, Jeff — Greg — Jeff, I don’t know any Jeff’s.

Greg, to say that demonization of the unvaccinated, it’s not appropriate, you have to understand that if you are unvaccinated then you should at least get tested every week on your own or be — understand why you are banned from the VA, why you’re banned from restaurants, why you are banned from other businesses and colleges increasingly and they should be because it’s selfish.

If you are unvaccinated and you are going around without being tested, you are an arrogant, selfish SOB.

GUTFELD: Do you have proof of that? Do have proof? You are asking for proof from Jesse. What’s your proof that people are wandering around willy- nilly spreading the disease? You sound like you don’t have any evidence.

RIVERA: No evidence that unvaccinated people? I have a — you want evidence? Ninety-nine percent of the people sick in the hospitals in Los Angeles County of COVID were unvaccinated. How is that for proof?

GUTFELD: No. You know what else is proof? What if people are immunocompromised and can’t get the vaccine? Have you thought about that?

RIVERA: They are and I copped to that, a tiny fraction of 1 percent.

GUTFELD: More than that.

PERINO: All right. Dagen, what about the people who got through that are business owners? They got through the situation and reopened their bars and restaurants and now hear something like this from the CDC that fully vaccinated people coming into a bar would have to be masked?

DAGEN MCDOWELL, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I’m going to be being vaccinated and having antibodies, I’m going to stick that mask where the sun doesn’t shine, and maybe it’s on my body and maybe it’s somewhere else.

RIVERA: I hope it’s not mine.

MCDOWELL: I will point to what the CDC actually said in the announcement. In them laying out this masked suggestion or mandate, they give a very strong case as to why vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mask.

You read part of it. “In rare occasions some vaccinated people can get the delta variant. Even so, vaccinated individuals represent a very small amount of transmission occurring around the country.” But instead, they are telling the American people that in two-thirds or almost two-thirds of counties in this country, if you look at the map, I did and added it up, that you’re going to need to mask up.

It is purely political. It’s in most red areas. It’s throughout the south and into the southwest and guess why? Because those states are doing better in terms of unemployment, in terms of the economy than the blue states are.

And by the way, in terms of messengers for people to get vaccinated, can you think of two worse people than Don Lemon and Gavin Newsom? Nobody is going to listen to those nonsensical, moronical sass bags (ph). If they told me I had food in my teeth I wouldn’t listen to them.

PERINO: But if you did I would tell you because I’m your friend.

GUTFELD: No, I’m just saying as a feminist, I’m surprised at Geraldo. What happened to my body, my choice, Geraldo?

RIVERA: I do not believe my body my choice when it comes to the damn vaccine.

GUTFELD: So, it changes.

RIVERA: I want you to be vaccinated and if you are not vaccinated you have to have a reason like immunocompromised.

MCDOWELL: So you are in the camp of the panic peddler, the former head of Planned Parenthood who was on CNN?

RIVERA: I am absolutely in the camp of no shirt, no shoes, no vaccine, no service.

PERINO: All right, we got a lot more coming up.

MCDOWELL: But that’s private industry.

PERINO: Up next, a powerful moment from a police superintendent responding to Chicago’s crime wave. What he said is to blame.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GUTFELD: Last weekend’s violent crime wave in Chicago left 12 people dead and 70 shot. The city’s top cop is calling out the justice system and blaming the courts for a skyrocketing crime rate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID BROWN, CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT: We are arresting violent offenders, the courts are releasing these people back into the community that over 90 people charged with murder have been released. That should be a headline in this city and it’s not. So be adversarial to the courts. Ask what the courts can do different rather than release violent people back to these communities to create an environment of lawlessness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: It’s sad that common sense is seen as refreshing. Meanwhile, a former Democratic senator from California becoming the latest victim of the nationwide spike in violent crime. Barbara Boxer revealing she was attacked in broad daylight.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BARBARA BOXER, FORMER SENATOR: I tried to cross the street and get away and he slammed me on the back and reached across me. He was behind me and grabbed my cell phone out of my hand. And I just said, how can you do this to a grandmother? I want to call my grandkids. Why are you doing this? He could care less and got in the car and they sped away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: That’s what (inaudible) liberal is. A conservative is a liberal mugged by reality, something like that. Geraldo, in Chicago alone, 90 accused killers have been let go by the courts. Is it possible to do, like, a class action suit of victims’ families against the city? Because it seems like politicians are only scared of lawyers.

RIVERA: Well, I think it’s an excellent idea. I think that it’s impractical. First of all, Superintendent Brown is a great guy, but he is transferring all the responsibility to the courts and the prosecutors and the police department’s which is woefully undermanned I think really has to step up.

What you have there is the blood flowing in the streets. I mean, it’s just this 12 dead this weekend, there were 12 last weekend, 17 the weekend before that, you know, it’s so much bigger than the 90 murderers who are released although that is certainly part of the problem.

You have a situation here where we are losing an entire generation of young black man and nobody cares about it unless there’s a white cop involved. It is horrific what’s happening. This is the civil rights issue of our time. There is a ghetto civil war going on.

Everybody has got guns. They are dealing the drugs. They are fighting over turf. And they are firing into crowds, willy-nilly, as if that was a sign of macho, you shoot up a barbecue and you kill a 6-year-old. I think that the fact that this is not the front page story coast to coast, really to me, it fills you with dismay.

GUTFELD: I agree. I mean, we say that gun violence is a national problem but policing is local. You can’t have it both ways. To Geraldo’s point, Dagen, its’ a different kind of crime going on. So you see Barbara Boxer, she’s 80. Not that there’s honor among muggers and thieves and junkies, but generally they don’t really go — beat the crap out of old ladies. Now that’s every day.

MCDOWELL: It is every day and if you read the story after story, just whether it’s in New York or San Francisco, that these perps have long rap sheets and it’s very clear, if you just read the newspaper that they should have been thrown in jail years ago and stayed there.

But because of this revolving door, whether it’s from bail reform, whether it is left wing liberal prosecutors, they are not kept in jail. If anybody is picked up here in New York just for simple assault, they are right back out on the street immediately. And this is a unique kind of evil and cowardice, attacking elderly people.

But just really quickly I want to point out one, just — I have mentioned this on the show before, but there were two elderly Asian women who were stabbed in San Francisco by a man named Patrick Thompson. And the knife was as long as the arm of one of these elderly Asian women. And the handle broke off and the serrated knife was stuck inside of her.

Where did he come from? He had a background including assault with a deadly weapon and he actually was supposed to be in jail for life and he was released on a mental health diversion.

GUTFELD: There you go.

MCDOWELL: And now he is being prosecuted but these people are everywhere and nobody — nobody cares about the victims. They just don’t give a damn.

GUTFELD: But thank God we got that guy in the Viking hat.

MCDOWELL: Right.

GUTFELD: You know, Jesse, do you think CNN and the Democrats would pay more attention if we pointed out that the criminals are probably not vaccinated?

WATTERS: Speaking of not vaccinated, Geraldo, I just had to fact-check you on that last segment, 900 percent increase in COVID cases in the Rio Grande Valley sector and in terms of testing, 8 percent positivity rate in the detainment facilities.

Now, New York City closed down at 3 percent. This is 8 percent. So, you were wrong, I’ll expect an apology in the commercial break. Kim Foxx is the villain in Chicago. She is the D.A. She has 700 lawyers under her tutelage, and she ran on this anti-cop, de-incarcerate platform, and now it’s working out.

She doesn’t sentence people. Pre-trial sentencing doesn’t happen, no bail. Everybody gets out. Soros funded, Gutfeld, $2 million to her super PAC, from George Soros. So people you ask why? Well, they voted for her. They voted for her so at a certain point, you had to say, Chicago, I feel sorry for you, but you’re putting people in office that are raising body counts.

Police departments and district attorneys are supposed to work together but if Soros keeps funding these radical D.A.’s that won’t work with police departments to keep people behind bars, you’re going to see more Chicago’s.

GUTFELD: Yes. It’s funny, if you think about it, if the mayor of Chicago was an old white dude, wouldn’t you be kind of suspect of whether or not he really cares about black people. That’s what they would think given the amount of casualties. These are black and brown bodies.

PERINO: So this issue on the prosecutors doesn’t get as much attention as the police as you bet it should because now — okay, they won’t listen to us —

GUTFELD: Right, of course.

PERINO: They will not listen to us, but will they listen to the police chief? Because it’s not just the one in Chicago, it’s the one in D.C. as well.

GUTFELD: Right.

PERINO: And in St. Louis and in Los Angeles. So, you have all of that. The 1994 Republican wave was partly about crime and many other things as well, but the crime. That wasn’t just in Congress. That was all across the country. So, for local governments and state governments. So to your point, if you are electing these types of people, that’s the kind of results you are going to get, but there could be an even bigger wave happening in 2022.

GUTFELD: Right. Ahead —

RIVERA: (Inaudible) from the Title 42, people who are infected with the coronavirus are turned back at the border.

WATTERS: They got rid of Title 42, Geraldo.

PERINO: No, not yet.

WATTERS: They got rid of it.

RIVERA: Not yet.

PERINO: Not yet.

WATTERS: They’re not even testing.

RIVERA: Not yet. Not yet.

WATTERS: Get out of here.

GUTFELD: All right.

WATTERS: That’s what they tell you. It’s on the books. They are not enforcing it, just like the laws in Chicago.

GUTFELD: All right. Ahead, the Pelosi selected committee holding their first January 6th hearing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MCDOWELL: A Democrat-led House Committee holding its first hearing on the January 6 capital riot. Police officers on duty that day giving dramatic testimony on what they witnessed. And Speaker Nancy Pelosi is under fire for blocking two Republican nominees to the panel.

The Democrats aren’t happy with their Republican colleagues either, Adam Schiff saying this about Leader McCarthy before the hearing even started.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): That Republican Party that was willing to do that in 2001 and 2002 is not Donald Trump’s Republican Party. Had Kevin McCarthy been the leader then, there would’ve been no 9/11 commission, there would’ve been, you know, an effort to persuade the country that what, it didn’t happen or it’s overblown or who knows what the explanation would have been.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCDOWELL: And Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy blasting Pelosi and calling the hearings a sham.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): Unfortunately, Speaker Pelosi will only pick on people onto the committee that will ask the question she wants asked. That becomes a failed committee and a failed report, a sham that no one can believe. If you want the true answers, do not be afraid of the questions that will get asked.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCDOWELL: Greg, have at it.

GUTFELD: Well, I’m going to preface like what we’ve always said on the show right off the bat, we condemn equally the riots of last year, the billions in damages and January 6 because we, as conservatives or libertarians or Republicans, we are the gate that prevents the barbarians from storming.

And on January 6, we became the barbarians. We don’t like that. Having said that, it would be fun to do a hearing on the crime wave and interview the police from Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, New York City just to provide real context about actual threats to democracy.

We’re being lectured by phony politicians about threats to our country while they ignored a mounting pile of dead and it’s all for politics. I also reject the idea that having politicians jobs disrupted for two hours is somehow worse than billions of dollars of destruction and dozens of deaths including police officers.

That’s why I would like to see a hearing about that, because I’m not — I’m not getting — I can’t stomach the crying. I can’t stomach the crying. I saw some really bad stuff all last year, and none of those people lifted a damn finger. What a backwards world we live in where the media didn’t give two F’s about police officers getting killed, about businesses torched, but they lionized a response in which an unarmed female protester was shot dead point-blank.

Imagine if she was BLM. Imagine that. How would this turn out differently if it was a BLM protest? Just think about that. That’s why this is a circus. That’s a clown show. And I don’t buy the fake tears.

MCDOWELL: Fugazi tears, Dana. And they keep comparing this to 9/11. I’d like them to call just a few of the thousands of children who lost a mother or a father on 9/11. This is hideousness.

PERINO: Look, that type of comparison is not necessary. And there are 14 investigations that are underway. I think that there’s 12 in Congress and then one at DOJ and one at FBI. I mean, there are some questions that should be answered. And I do think that the Democrats have overplayed their hand on the politics of this. And they’re overestimating the amount of victory that they’re getting in terms of politics. But the Republicans might be underestimating as well.

So, I would love to get some answers to some of these questions. In particular, the one thing that is interesting, and the comparison of 9/11 that might work, which is why wasn’t the information shared with the people who needed to know in order to do something about it to prevent it in the first place.

MCDOWELL: Right. And the Democrats, Geraldo, didn’t want to —

RIVERA: I’m a Republican.

MCDOWELL: I said, the Democrats didn’t want to have a hearing about the origins of COVID which has killed 611,000 Americans.

RIVERA: I am absolutely — you know, I treasure that the audience of Fox News has tolerated me for 20 years knowing that I’m at a step with the majority of the people who are watching right now. I hate when I agree with Adam Schiff who gives me the creeps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are my favorite Republicans.

GUTFELD: Oh, you’re terrible.

RIVERA: They are — this is — this is Kevin McCarthy —

GUTFELD: What a phony.

RIVERA: — on January 13, 2021. The President bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding. That’s Kevin McCarthy, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, the same sanctimonious lecturer who’s telling us there’s nothing happened here. It’s like blaming the person who gets shot in the chest for not wearing a bulletproof vest. I think it’s preposterous.

GUTFELD: Like Ashli.

RIVERA: This — they attack the capital. And how dare you, Greg, say that this a two hours of disruption. This wasn’t two hours of disruption.

GUTFELD: Who was shot in the chest?

RIVERA: This was the worst attack —

GUTFELD: Who was shot in the chest? Ashli Babbitt/

RIVERA: This is the worst attack on the Capitol in centuries.

GUTFELD: Not a good analogy, Geraldo.

MCDOWELL: And Schiff is the worst spokesman for this, Jesse. These jerks were as the Coronavirus was beginning to spread around the nation, were busy impeaching President Trump for a second time,

WATTERS: I was watching the hearing on my phone and Jesse Jr. peeks out of his crib this morning and he says dad, is this all Pelosi has in the midterm elections? Is that all she’s going to run on? Because I think there’s what, six agencies investigating this thing. This is just a show trial to put Republicans on the defensive.

Sure, there’s bad hombres out there, Geraldo, and they’re going to be held accountable. But we know what this is. They rigged this committee. Republicans don’t even have a voice. And then they fundraised off it and everybody cries. We know the game here.

What happened was a lot of rioters went in and broke into people’s businesses last summer and no one cared. And then they broke into the Democrats’ place of work and they want to what, throw the book at them one last summer? They bailed out the rioters.

RIVERA: It’s the United States Capitol.

GUTFELD: That’s not as important as the businesses.

WATTERS: They bailed out the rioters last summer.

RIVERA: Jesse Jr. will lecture you. It’s the — it’s the Capitol of the United States of America.

GUTFELD: I care about the small businessmen.

RIVERA: It’s the pillar of the American Republic.

WATTERS: Jesse Jr. is not a fan of yours, Geraldo.

GUTFELD: Small businesses is just as important, Geraldo. They’re just as important. You know that.

WATTERS: You’re not better than everybody on the street.

GUTFELD: You just said it was — you said the crime was a civil rights battle of the generation. All of those businesses that’s torched deserve equal, equal —

RIVERA: You are — you are deflecting.

GUTFELD: No I’m not. I’m speaking of the truth.

RIVERA: You are absolutely deflecting.

GUTFELD: I’m speaking the truth.

RIVERA: You’re trying to get the eyes off the Capitol that was raped by 500 people charged with felony already.

GUTFELD: I condemned that.

RIVERA: 500 charged already.

(CROSSTALK)

GUTFELD: (INAUDIBLE)

RIVERA: History will judge you.

GUTFELD: I think you’ve been judged a lot.

MCDOWELL: I will repeat what Greg said. Be careful about using the word rape, Geraldo. And by the way, the Democrats tune in up when the lawlessness fits their political agenda, please. Coming up, an Olympic stunner. Gymnastic superstar Simone Biles abruptly pulling out of the team competition.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

RIVERA: Heartbreaking upset coming out of the Tokyo Olympics. You all heard about it from the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. Four-time Olympic champ and one of the most famous athletes in the world, the greatest of all time, Simone Biles withdrawing in the middle of the finals, crushed by concerns about her own mental health and well-being.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMONE BILES, U.S. WOMEN’S GYMNAST: I took a step back, because I didn’t want to do something silly out there and get injured.

It’s been really stressful this Olympic game.

I say, put mental health first, because if you don’t, then you’re not going to enjoy your sport, and you’re not going to succeed as much as you want to. So, it’s OK sometimes to even set out the big competitions to focus on yourself because it shows how strong of a competitor and person that you really are, rather than just battle through it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERA: You know, Dana, the pressure on these kids — she’s not a kid, she’s 24, but it is crushing. And there’s so much. She said, the weight of the world is on my shoulders. And remember, she’s like a survivor of that sexual abuse ring, that awful Larry Nasser. Do you feel overwhelming sympathy for her? Do you — do you — are you disappointed as an American?

PERINO: Yes, I mean, I’m a big fan of hers. And I think also like, what she’s been able to accomplish physically and technically in the world of gymnastics, I don’t know if we’ll actually see people be — anyone in our lifetime be able to do that. I mean, it was just absolutely — almost defied the law of physics.

But I also think that her teammates, a lot of disappointment. I mean, there was a big build-up out of this Olympics. The person most recognized would be I guess, Simone Biles, maybe Katie Ledecky, who also, you know — she barely lost, you know, last night. But that young 17-year-old girl from Alaska, she surprised everybody and got the gold.

So, I wish Simone the best. I hope that the rest of the team can go on and will, you know, if she decides to talk more about it, great. But I also want to mention one other thing, which is, the United States ended up with a silver by the Russian Olympic Committee got the gold. And you know, the Russians were kicked out of the Olympics for the doping scandal, but their Olympic Committee gets to compete. And I think that that is wrong.

So, we can be disappointed for Simone and then be mad at the Olympic Committee for allowing that because that seems unfair.

RIVERA: She said we hope America still loves us, Jesse. Do you still love her?

WATTERS: She is beloved, Geraldo. We all know that. And yes, she’s a, what is it, most decorated female gymnast of all time. This is her third Olympics. And she had a breakdown, and she pulled the car over the side of the road and said I’ve had enough. I get it. And she had a good run but I will say this. We still — we still —

PERINO: Do you me to hold —

GUTFELD: Hold his hands.

WATTERS: No, I’m not going to say — I’m not going to say anything about it. We still medaled. So, we got the silver. Right now, we’re ahead of China in the total metal count by about four medals. So, it wasn’t as painful as it could have been if we hadn’t medaled. But at a certain point, I think to myself, I can barely touch my toes, Geraldo. I can’t sit here and criticize her. It’s very difficult.

RIVERA: Do you think — do you — you heard the conversation during the commercial break where Jesse was —

PERINO: Don’t reveal that commercial break.

WATTERS: She was what, Geraldo.

RIVERA: Saucier in his —

PERINO: Oh, my gosh. Oh, no.

WATTERS: No, I wasn’t.

MCDOWELL: No, he wasn’t. I talked to a friend of mine who was an elite gymnast and is a gymnastics coach.

GUTFELD: I thought that was a private conversation.

MCDOWELL: No, I’m not —

GUTFELD: Anyway, go ahead. Go ahead.

MCDOWELL: As I was doing splits. On Dana’s point about Russia, the team — the gymnastics team was very upset by the preliminaries because they got the scores and deductions were way off and favored Russia. That was part one. It’s — Simone Biles is competing at such a high level. You can’t water it down and dial it back. There is just no such thing.

And as she was running for that volt, she’s running about 50 miles per hour or more. You will be catastrophically injured if you’re in your own head and not competing — not competing as you normally would. And in terms of the Larry Nassar scandal, this is her first game — Olympic Games, since that scandal broke. It broke right after the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. So, it’s not — it’s not unfathomable to think that there is some post- traumatic stress going on here. And she’s not allowed to have the support system in Japan as she would because of COVID.

But again, this is an incredible woman. The all-around is Thursday. Let’s hope she’s competing in that. I mean, we’re all rooting for you, Simone Biles.

RIVERA: I’ve got five kids, three girls. And they compete in little tiny things over their lives. And each one is so, you know, your stomach- churning. You know, do you cut slack to someone who has that kind of pressure?

GUTFELD: Well, as you know, Geraldo, this is why I didn’t participate in the Olympics because I just find it demoralizing and it’s very — it’s very hard on your spirit. Look, this is a national global disgrace.

RIVERA: What is?

GUTFELD: What is I’m kidding. She could do whatever she wants. You know, I wasn’t watching the Olympics. I’m not watching it now. Her decisions have no effect on my life. This has been a rough period for everybody. I’m not surprised if these athletes are having a hard time. This is the weirdest Olympics ever, perhaps the worst Olympics ever.

So, you know what, whatever she wanted to do, she probably did the best thing. I can’t pretend to care. I could be like Adam Kinzinger and start crying but I won’t.

RIVERA: Unlike Greg, we care, Simone. So, we send you love from THE FIVE. “THE FASTEST” is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WATTERS: Welcome back, everybody. Time for “THE FASTEST.” First up, it’s been a few years since that 70 show ended, but its stars are still apparently living like hippies. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis sharing some of their unique parenting techniques.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MILA KUNIS, ACTRESS: When I had children, I also didn’t wash them every day. Like, I wasn’t the parent that bathed my newborns ever.

ASHTON KUTCHER, ACTOR: If you can see the dirt on them, clean them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

KUTCHER: Otherwise, there’s no point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATTERS: Dagen, what’s that about?

MCDOWELL: Maybe they love pigpen. You know what, their kids have no problems. Even if they’re covered in mud, they’re gorgeous and they got no problems in life.

WATTERS: That is —

MCDOWELL: Because all you got — you know what, you just — you look like dirt animal and you just say, Ashton and Mila are my parents.

WATTERS: Geraldo?

RIVERA: I would be pigpen except my wife makes a shower every day and have to brush my teeth. She smells it across the room. So, I’m not my own man.

WATTERS: Wait, you wife makes you brush your teeth?

RIVERA: And shower.

WATTERS: How older you, Geraldo? Not a rhetorical question, how old are you?

RIVERA: 78.

WATTERS: All right. You look great.

RIVERA: Thank you.

PERINO: I think they are great parents and their kids are probably going to be super healthy and have amazing immune system.

WATTERS: Immunity, Greg.

GUTFELD: There’s nothing worse though than a dirty kid. I can’t — I hate kids, but dirty kids are the worst. They get all their dirt all over the place. The food is on the doorknob, there’s crap under the sofa cushions. I’m a proponent of the garden hose. So, if you — if I ever have kids, you just take them outside, you spray him down like Rambo in First Blood or Chuck Heston in Planet of the Apes, you remember that?

RIVERA: We’re not —

GUTFELD: By the way, that’s garden hose. People might be taking that out of context.

RIVERA: A carwash.

GUTFELD: Yes. A car washes is a better idea.

WATTERS: I’m going to have you babysit Jesse Jr. one day. I think that’s going to go really well. What do you charge?

GUTFELD: I pay you.

WATTERS: OK. Next up, one of America’s most hotly debated topics has seemingly been settled just in time for barbecue season. A new survey reveals that more than 43 percent of Americans believe a hot dog is in fact a sandwich. Greg, I feel like you might agree with that.

GUTFELD: I don’t know. I mean, a hot dog is a sandwich or not is a question when poses if your life is great. You know what I mean? If your life is awesome, you can have this debate. But I would guess it’s a sandwich. You got two pieces of bread and a meat, a piece of meat.

WATTERS: Yes, but it’s not the traditional bread, right?

PERINO: I don’t know. Like —

GUTFELD: White privilege.

PERINO: — if a hotdog was a sandwich, it wouldn’t have a separate category at the diner.

WATTERS: Exactly. And like, if you have a hoagie, that’s on a roll right, Geraldo?

RIVERA: If it’s not native or a Hebrew kosher hot dog, then it’s not a real hotdog.

WATTERS: Dagen?

MCDOWELL: It’s wiener pastry.

WATTERS: It’s a wiener pastry. I never heard that one before, Dagen.

MCDOWELL: I just made it up.

WATTERS: “ONE MORE THING” is up next.

GUTFELD: Wiener pastry.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PERINO: It’s time for “ONE MORE THING.” Greg?

GUTFELD: Let’s do this, Dana. Greg’s crime corner with Greg Gutfeld. So, if you’re an eagle-eyed viewer, you are realizing that this is not my normal cup of water because this, this is what I came to work to this afternoon in our green room. And then what’s next to it? What’s next to it? Read this little thing. Please forgive me, Greg. It was an accident. I swear.

Who do you think did this?

WATTERS: That’s your handwriting.

GUTFELD: I am not Jussie Smollett. I’m not — this is not a fake — a fake hate crime.

RIVERA: Who could it be?

MCDOWELL: I know who did it.

GUTFELD: Who did it?

MCDOWELL: Janice Dean.

GUTFELD: All right, who do you think, Janice Dean?

PERINO: Yes.

GUTFELD: All right. Well, you know what, we got a —

WATTERS: I think it was Evil Shannon Bream.

GUTFELD: It might have been. A lot of people don’t like me here, Jesse. All right — and I don’t blame them.

WATTERS: They’re at this table.

GUTFELD: I don’t like me. All right, let’s roll the confession.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANICE DEAN, FOX NEWS CHANNEL SENIOR METEOROLOGIST: I’m really, really sorry. It was up here. Someone washed it. And then I opened this up and then —

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it fell?

DEAN: And I’m really sorry. I guess this is one of a kind. Sorry, Greg. What can I do to help make up to it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: I want — I want a great summer of weather. By the way, she just threw some poor maintenance worker under the bus. I don’t worry. I fired her. Everything is good.

PERINO: Everything is good. All right, no problem. Janice. We have more, we think. All right, Jessica.

WATTERS: So, last night, I was at the Nixon library in Yorba Linda, California. I love saying Yorba Linda. But it was a great event.

GUTFELD: I thought it was my Belinda.

WATTERS: And you did — you did make an appearance, Greg. And I was selling How I Save the World. We did some signings and we were interviewed by Jennifer Horn of LA’s The Morning Answer, and had a great time at a great event with an amazing crowd. And it’s an incredible library, just fascinating what they’ve put together there.

And Greg obviously had to make it all about himself by dialing in. And there he is on the screen with a glass of wine in his hand acting goofy. I totally ignored him. But go buy the book. It’s back in stock on Amazon. And we love everybody out in Yorba Linda.

RIVERA: Congratulations.

WATTERS: Thank you, Geraldo.

RIVERA: Number one. Number one.

WATTERS: Thank you.

PERINO: So, you know, the Olympics are on. We talked about that. There’s so many different categories now like, surfing. But did you know that dumpster diving is one of them too? Here’s –

WATTERS: No.

PERINO: Yes, here it is. Here’s a couple of — what do you call these birds?

GUTFELD: Parrots.

PERINO: Cockatoos? Yes. So, like, a little bit of figuring out. Like, OK, let me help — let me figure out what I’m going to find in here. They’re — animals are great, Greg.

GUTFELD: Yes, they are great.

PERINO: Animals are great. Teamwork is really important in this, you know, helping other birds get their — what they need. What do you think of that?

GUTFELD: Look at that. That’s strong neck muscles.

MCDOWELL: (INAUDIBLE) had a cockatoo.

PERINO: All right, Geraldo.

RIVERA: I was — I finally got HBO Max. And what did I find? Bonfire of the Vanities, that movie that starred Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith and me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIVERA: I mean, the story is legit, right?

BRUCE WILLIS, ACTOR: Of course he is.

RIVERA: I mean, it’s Henry Lamb. He’s s a nice kid. The neighbor seem to like him, no record, honors students.

WILLIS: No question about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUTFELD: Nice hair on Willis.

WATTERS: Wow.

RIVERA: I’m a terrible one.

PERINO: I didn’t know that. I didn’t know you were in there. Dagen, we owe you one.

MCDOWELL: Next time.

PERINO: We owe you one. Tomorrow will be great. All right, that’s it for us. “SPECIAL REPORT” is up next. Hey, Bret.

Content and Programming Copyright 2021 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2021 VIQ Media Transcription, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of VIQ Media Transcription, Inc. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.

Source link

[forsetti]

On Racism: Racists Are As Racists Do

When Donald Trump referred to countries like Haiti, El Salvador and those in Africa as “shitholes,” in a meeting at the White House, he did it in front of an almost exclusively older white audience.  His description wasn't a “slip of the tongue.”  It wasn't a “misrepresentation” of how he really feels.  It wasn't an “unfortunate” use of the term.  It was exactly what it was-a racist description by a racist man.  

Trump being a racist is nothing new and it isn't surprising (no matter how many in the media act like it is.)  He has a lifetime of racist behavior and words.  He was heavily fined for housing discrimination against blacks in the 70s.  He demanded the execution of five young black and Latino men who were falsely accused of attacking and raping a white woman in New York.  He has referred to Mexicans as “rapists.” He mocked Nigerians as “living in huts.”  He has pushed for a ban against Muslims.  He was the loudest proponent of the birther movement against the first black president.  He has surrounded himself with self-proclaimed white supremacists like Steve Bannon and Stephen Miller.  Referring to some mostly black or Hispanic countries as “shitholes” is just another brick in the Great Wall of Racism that is Donald Trump.

The real problem isn't Trump being the racist he is.  The problem is a media that gives him cover by refusing to label what he and many of his supporters do or say as “racist.”  It is the media's pandering and profiling his supporters and excusing their beliefs and attitudes with endless puff pieces.  The problem is Republican leadership who ignores, denies, justifies...anything other than taking a stand against him.  The problem is the Republican base who either agree with him, rationalize what he says or are willing to look the other way.  The problem is racism has always been and continues to be a topic that is as avoided as it is ignored.  The problem is America was built on racism and we've never, ever come to terms with it, as a country.

One criticism I hear when I point this out from both progressives and conservatives is, “Calling people racists is a bad political strategy.”  I don't give a fuck about offending racists.  I don't need or want their votes.  In fact, I have serious problems with any progressive who thinks differently.  Racism is the direct opposite of progressivism.  The ONLY way you can get a racist to vote for you is if you are willing to cater to their racist ideas.  What progressive ideas/policies are you willing to give up to earn a racist's vote?  Which part of your base are you willing to throw under the bus in order to get Johnny Reb’s vote?  What civil rights are you willing to ignore in order to win an election?  Progressives have the demographic advantage.  They don't need a single conservative vote in order to win national elections and in many swing states.  What progressives need and what is a better strategy is getting progressives to get out and vote and vote smartly.  I'd rather make racists politically irrelevant than cater to them and try to make them part of our coalition.

Of course, the number one complaint I hear from both the left and the right about discussing the racism coming from Republicans is, “You can't label everyone on the right as a racist.  All Republicans are not racists.”  I've never said all Republicans are racists.  I know reading comprehension is difficult at times but if you take the time to actually read, you will see I always say, “The problem is the Republican base WHO...”  Republicans who don't agree with Trump's racist statements, don't rationalize/justify them, don't look the other way...aren't going to be labeled as racists (at least not in this context.)  However, many Republicans have made it nearly impossible to tell who is and who isn't a racist because of their actions.

Think about the Confederate statue protest in Charlottesville.  It is easy to look at the center of activity, the khaki-wearing, tiki torch-wielding white men chanting, “Blood and soil!” and accurately label them as racists.  What about the non-torch-wielding protesters who marched with them for the same cause?  What about the ones at home, watching, approving of their actions?  What about the ones who voted for politicians who supported the march?  Aren't they all varying degrees of racists?  Isn’t everyone on this list a racist on some level? All I've heard the past couple of months since the Me Too Movement took off is how all sexual assault isn't the same (a claim no one has ever made) and how important it is to make distinctions between a rapist and someone who makes inappropriate advances.  Fine. Let's do that.  No matter how nuanced you want to get, no matter how many different degrees of sexual assault you arrive at, on a fundamental level they are all sexual assault.  There are varying degrees of murder-second degree and first degree. They both are a form a murder..  At no time is there a debate about whether a murder happened, just what kind of murder.  Someone who lynches a black man is a racist.  So too, is someone who won't rent to minorities.  So too, is someone who uses racial epithets.  They are all racists.  Calling someone who refers to blacks using the n-word a racist doesn't mean they are a racist in the same way as the Grand Wizard of the KKK but make no mistake they are a racist. Trying to claim differently or arguing they aren't is as wrong as it is fucked up.

There is another similarity between the Me Too Movement backlash and defending/denying racism-intentionally grouping all acts together in order to excuse the lesser ones.  Men who inappropriately touch women, abuse their positions of power via sexual acts/words get excused because they aren't rapists because rapists are the REAL sexual assaulters.  NO!  They are sexual assaulters too!  Just not bad as the rapists.  The “Don't label everyone as a racist” crowd is doing the same thing by using the worst racist behaviors to be the standard by which someone is allowed to be labeled a racist. “Grandma Milly isn't a racist because she isn't a member of the Klan.”  Does she believe blacks are naturally inferior to whites? Would she disown one of her children or grandchildren if they married someone black?  Does she use racial slurs?  “Yes.”  Then she's a fucking racist.  It doesn't matter how much she loves you or how good her cookies are or how sweet she is towards the neighbor's cat when assessing whether or not she is a racist.  If you want to have a discussion about what kind of racist Granma Milly is, fine. But, let’s stop pretending she isn’t one.  Let’s stop making excuses for her behavior.

Trump is a racist.  A very adamant one at that.  When he pushes racist policies, makes racist statements, and his base says nothing, makes excuses for him, or cheers him, calling them “racists” is completely appropriate.  The burden of proof isn't on the ones calling them “racist.”  The burden is on those who say it isn't. So far, those saying it isn't racist are failing miserably.  There is a good reason why.  THEY ARE FUCKING RACISTS! My “favorite” excuse for Trump calling certain countries “shitholes” is, “That's kitchen table talk.” It reminds me of how his “pussy grabbing” comment was deemed “locker room talk.” It's like Deplorable Clue-The Racist, in the Kitchen with the Noose; The Misogynist, in the Gym, with the Rohypnol.  If you are a member of a gym that is predominately misogynists or have a lot of racists hanging out around your kitchen table, then these might be true.  This says more about you than it does excusing Trump's comments.  It says, “The people who you workout with and have in your home are not very good people.”  What it doesn't say is, “Trump isn't a racist.” Of course, it doesn't help to have a media willing to excuse and give him cover. Peter Baker at the New York Times wrote this, “The United States, which continues to struggle with its legacy of slavery, is now led by a president who, intentionally or not, has fanned the fires that divide white, black and brown.”  It walks up to the calling Trump a racist but gives him the out with the notion of intentionality.  “Grandma Milly isn't intentionally bigoted...” So..the..fuck...what?  Intentionality is a dodge.  “I drove home drunk and got into an accident.  I didn't intend for someone to get killed.”  Okay, but they are still dead and you are still a killer, intentions be damned.   You are who you support, who you stand with, what you stand for, what you say, what you do.  If you support a racist, it isn't unreasonable to question whether or not you are one as well.  If you stand with people like David Duke, Richard Spencer, Milo...why shouldn't you be considered a racist?  If you are okay with the Muslim ban, building a wall on the border of Mexico, gutting assistance that heavily impacts minority groups...why shouldn't you be labeled a racist?  If it marches like a racist, talks like a racist, votes like a racist...it is probably a racist.

Until the media starts calling out racism when it rears its ugly head, nothing is going to change.  Until Republicans start standing up and calling out those in their party for their racism, nothing is going to change.  Until progressives stop giving racists a “Get Out of Racist Jail Free Card,” nothing is going to change.  Words have power.  They help frame how we think and believe about things.  If you don't believe or want others to believe you are a racist, then perhaps you should spend more time doing some serious self-reflection on what you believe, how you behave, who you support, who you stand with...  This applies to many progressives, as well. America's demographics are rapidly changing in favor of people of color.  No amount of tiki torches are going to change this.  No amount of deportations or immigration policies are going to change this.  No amount of hatred or violence or number of white supremacy groups are going to change this.  The train of progress is coming and people can either get on board or get run over.  Those who choose to stand on the tracks either spouting racist garbage or giving cover for those who do as the train bears down on them don’t deserve sympathy, empathy, pity, compassion...  They deserve to be run over by progress because far too many people have suffered needlessly for far too long in order to protect the feelings and belief systems of racists.  

[multipleservicelisting]

Keys to an Equitable Recovery: Better Data and ‘Trusted Messengers’

“It is a structural problem that people don’t have access to high-quality health care.”

— Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, associate professor of internal medicine, public health and management at Yale University, and chair of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s Covid-19 Health Equity task force

In early December, a Black doctor, Dr. Susan Moore — then hospitalized with Covid-19 — posted a video online complaining of inadequate care by her white doctor. After her video was shared widely, the problem was corrected, but just weeks later, Dr. Moore died of complications from the disease.

The news lit up the group chats of Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, whose friends pointed out just how painfully familiar Dr. Moore’s experience was.

“There were so many text threads with my friends saying, ‘Yes, this happens,’” explained Dr. Nunez-Smith, a practicing internist, an associate professor at Yale University and the founding director of Yale’s Equity Research and Innovation Center. After the inauguration, she will also chair President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s Covid-19 Health Equity task force.

“So often, even I have to declare I’m a physician, almost out of this desperation to say, ‘Hey, pay attention to me, listen to me,’” she said in a recent phone interview.

“If it’s this hard for me, then what is it like for our patients who aren’t part of this system, who have a million other competing priorities, who don’t speak the language of health care?”

Dr. Nunez-Smith has noted that even when she’s functioning as a physician, some of her patients don’t take her seriously, handing her their meal trays or assuming that she has come to empty the trash.

This kind of inside-out, top-to-bottom racism in the health care system and the social and economic inequities that lead to poor health outcomes have been the focus of much of Dr. Nunez-Smith’s research. In her newest role, she has been tasked with drawing up a pandemic recovery plan that is both efficient and equitable.

In Her Words caught up with Dr. Nunez-Smith over the phone to discuss the vast racial health disparities of the pandemic and what the next few months will look like.

What frustrates you most about the conversations around gender and racial disparities in the health outcomes of Covid-19? Have there been moments where you’ve just buried your head in your hands?

Yes, I do have those moments! We have to counter the personal blame narrative. Things like, “These people haven’t taken care of themselves well enough, that’s why they have comorbidities” and other such notions that really are blind to the underlying reality.

It is a structural problem that people don’t have access to high-quality health care or to even think about early diagnosis and appropriate treatment for chronic conditions. What about the environments where people live? Is it really possible to get out there and do physical activity? Is it safe? Are there environmental toxins? Are we talking at all about who has the privilege of staying home? These things are not accidental. They are the results of policies that have been driven by a legacy of racism in our country and all the other -isms.

We know that certain groups, Black and Hispanic communities for example, have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. What are some of your policy priorities moving forward to address these inequities?

One of the things we have to commit to is the disruption of that predictability. We have to have conversations around access to high-quality health care pathways but also conversations about educational and economic opportunities.

In the short term, though, as we think about Covid-19 and recovery, we have to ask what it looks like to have equitable access to testing, tracing, supportive quarantining and isolation, treatments and access to vaccination.

What does it look like?

First, we need better data. This is a huge thing that I spend a lot of time on: We have incomplete data right now, across the country, and we need better data to inform and drive policy.

Covid-19 Vaccines ›

Answers to Your Vaccine Questions

If I live in the U.S., when can I get the vaccine?

While the exact order of vaccine recipients may vary by state, most will likely put medical workers and residents of long-term care facilities first. If you want to understand how this decision is getting made, this article will help.

When can I return to normal life after being vaccinated?

Life will return to normal only when society as a whole gains enough protection against the coronavirus. Once countries authorize a vaccine, they’ll only be able to vaccinate a few percent of their citizens at most in the first couple months. The unvaccinated majority will still remain vulnerable to getting infected. A growing number of coronavirus vaccines are showing robust protection against becoming sick. But it’s also possible for people to spread the virus without even knowing they’re infected because they experience only mild symptoms or none at all. Scientists don’t yet know if the vaccines also block the transmission of the coronavirus. So for the time being, even vaccinated people will need to wear masks, avoid indoor crowds, and so on. Once enough people get vaccinated, it will become very difficult for the coronavirus to find vulnerable people to infect. Depending on how quickly we as a society achieve that goal, life might start approaching something like normal by the fall 2021.

If I’ve been vaccinated, do I still need to wear a mask?

Yes, but not forever. The two vaccines that will potentially get authorized this month clearly protect people from getting sick with Covid-19. But the clinical trials that delivered these results were not designed to determine whether vaccinated people could still spread the coronavirus without developing symptoms. That remains a possibility. We know that people who are naturally infected by the coronavirus can spread it while they’re not experiencing any cough or other symptoms. Researchers will be intensely studying this question as the vaccines roll out. In the meantime, even vaccinated people will need to think of themselves as possible spreaders.

Will it hurt? What are the side effects?

The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine is delivered as a shot in the arm, like other typical vaccines. The injection won’t be any different from ones you’ve gotten before. Tens of thousands of people have already received the vaccines, and none of them have reported any serious health problems. But some of them have felt short-lived discomfort, including aches and flu-like symptoms that typically last a day. It’s possible that people may need to plan to take a day off work or school after the second shot. While these experiences aren’t pleasant, they are a good sign: they are the result of your own immune system encountering the vaccine and mounting a potent response that will provide long-lasting immunity.

Will mRNA vaccines change my genes?

No. The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer use a genetic molecule to prime the immune system. That molecule, known as mRNA, is eventually destroyed by the body. The mRNA is packaged in an oily bubble that can fuse to a cell, allowing the molecule to slip in. The cell uses the mRNA to make proteins from the coronavirus, which can stimulate the immune system. At any moment, each of our cells may contain hundreds of thousands of mRNA molecules, which they produce in order to make proteins of their own. Once those proteins are made, our cells then shred the mRNA with special enzymes. The mRNA molecules our cells make can only survive a matter of minutes. The mRNA in vaccines is engineered to withstand the cell’s enzymes a bit longer, so that the cells can make extra virus proteins and prompt a stronger immune response. But the mRNA can only last for a few days at most before they are destroyed.

Then it becomes an exercise in operations and logistics, but it’s also about understanding the lived experiences and realities of people.

So think about something like testing. So much of the testing in our country is drive-up testing, so obviously you need a car. And what are the hours of those facilities? Or, think about vaccinations that require special handling and cold chain storage. Where are we setting up those kinds of facilities and how far are they from the hardest hit? We also have to make sure there is no cost for the vaccine.

But really, the road map begins with data; it’s foundational.

Are there systems in place to make good data available? Is it just a matter of someone at the top — like you — asking for it?

I’m trying to get that understanding myself. I’m sure you’ve seen that our conversations and communications in terms of the transition are a bit … well, they are what they are … so we don’t have full visibility of everything that exists. But do I think it is possible for us to collect the data we need? Yes.

We need to collect data along the lines of sex, gender, race, ethnicity and geography. And kudos to all of the jurisdictions that are figuring out how to collect this data in a really robust way. But for the places where that might be hard, I think the federal government has a role to play in terms of technical assistance and guidance.

There are so many studies that show that men and women have different reactions to vaccines, but when I was looking through the data of the two vaccines that have been greenlit by the F.D.A., I found little information on the sex differences in adverse events (side effects) and immunogenicity (immune system reaction). Does that concern you?

You’re right, sex is a biological variable, and I think it’s really important for there to be transparency. But keep in mind where we are — we’re in emergency use authorization, we’re not in approval — and more of this information will come; I do expect to see more subgroup analyses.

The communities we’ve been talking about — racial minorities, women and LGBTQ folks, for example — have little trust in the health care system already because of how they’ve been treated in the past. What kind of messaging will help rebuild that trust when it comes to the vaccine?

It is completely rational for the groups that you listed to have a healthy degree of skepticism. We have to start the conversation there and acknowledge that there are groups in our country that have not really received the respect and the fair treatment that they deserve. It is very frustrating when people are like, “Oh these folks aren’t educated.” We need to understand why people have this apprehension.

We need to find out what questions people have and try to answer them. Let us be honest and transparent, and when we don’t know the answer, we won’t make it up. We’ll say, “We don’t know yet.”

Then we need to ask, well, who do you want to hear that answer from? That matters a lot. We know that information moves through different groups and populations differently. Maybe it’s their doctor or maybe it’s their neighbor who is a nurse. People text me all the time, not as a person involved with the advisory board, but simply as a doctor they know. So we have to make sure that the trusted messengers have answers and consistent messaging.

So far, the vaccine rollout has been slow, and we’ve been seeing stories of haphazard and even unfair rollouts in different states and institutions. What are your plans to ramp up the speed of the vaccine campaign in an equitable way?

We’re already seeing some places where there are concerns that there aren’t enough vaccinations for their health care workers. And in other places, they’ve moved on to other groups that haven’t been prioritized by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

I feel very confident there hasn’t been political interference in the work that the A.C.I.P. is doing, advising the C.D.C. and the F.D.A., and that these guidelines are considering equity. I’m very reassured when it comes to that.

But what the C.D.C. provides to states is guidance, and states do have discretion to adjust. So what has emerged is this patchwork of lots of different things bubbling up. There is a lot more that can be done in terms of federal coordination.

Write to us at inherwords@nytimes.com.

In Her Words is written by Alisha Haridasani Gupta and edited by Francesca Donner. Our art director is Catherine Gilmore-Barnes, and our photo editor is Sandra Stevenson.

Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here to get future installments. Write to us at inherwords@nytimes.com. Follow us on Instagram at @nytgender.

    Multiple Service Listing for Business Owners | Tools to Grow Your Local Business

www.MultipleServiceListing.com 

from Multiple Service Listing https://ift.tt/3oRKR4g

[felicitousfaceclaims]

Hey just letting you know, please don’t tag white Latines as POC, like Ana de Armas (she’s a white Cuban), thinking Latinos = POC or brown is a misconception, there’s white Latines and she’s one (“Latino” is not a race itself, Latines can be from any racial background, Latin American countries are diverse as well, not just the US). It’s important to say this because when white Latines are read “as brown” or POC, it takes up space for representation of POC Latines, like when in the movie New Mutants two originally black Latines in the comics were whitewashed by casting in their place white Brazilians (which was a huge lost opportunity for very underrepresented groups, very neglected in their countries of origin).

Hey, I have been wracking my brain trying to figure out how to approach this issue. I understand completely where you are coming from, I am by no means qualified to know the ins and outs of every ethnicity and run this blog as a mostly a place to organize my likes for roleplays. Though from an outsider’s input and all of the articles I have read about this ask, it seems kind of subjective to me. More based on their skin color than their ethnicity (please keep in mind I use Latinx as just a way to organize Hispanic/Spanish/Latin American people as I have seen other faceclaim directories do this) and on my directory, I do tag Latinx with POC because they are not Caucasian/White. I try not to think of the skin color because I do not want to categorize people like that, though I know that these communities have further ways of categorizing each other. But since I am not apart of these communities I do not want accidentally offend someone because their skin tone is lighter than others.

I really hope this doesn’t sound really insensitive, but I cannot figure out a way to actually approach this without getting more comments about who and what I should tag. I am grateful for the explanation, please do not think this is a compliant thing, just me trying to explain how my brain is taking in this information. The way my brain is interpreting this issue is like when some people “white-wash” kpop idols, but we are all still aware that they are East Asian. I am not trying to discredit what you pointed out, but I do not feel comfortable removing the POC tag when it would be based on me judging by someone’s skin whether they are or not.

It is not the most logical approach I understand, but looking at my directory, there are maybe five out of the almost 1,000 faceclaims that fit what you have pointed out, but I do not think it is appropriate for me to judge whether they are a POC or not based on their skin. I really hope this post does not come off as disrespectful or anything because I basically said that I was not going to change the tags, but at the end of the day. This is just a side-blog for fun and I am not the end all, know all. I will make mistakes and I am always willing to fix them. But if the issue is calling me to judge someone by their skin color when I am not qualified to do that, I am not going to do it. Thinking that way can cause more harm than good and I really hope you guys can understand.

Thanks!

[davidfostercomedyblog]

I’m With Kap: Why I Support Kneeling for the Anthem

I love Mike Francesa, though said love is mostly compartmentalized to his views and subsequent expressions on sports and athletes. I’ll never forget the experience of falling in love with his show as it became quickly apparent that he was in my brain, better yet, the better version of my brain, poignantly elaborating on everything I’d thought and wished I could express in a way that made every other sports talk guy sound second rate. Nevertheless, my brother and I would joke that we’d never before observed a greater disparity within one person’s IQ between one subject matter and every other in the world.

Have you ever heard Francesa discuss movies or TV shows or political climate? Before your eyes (ears) he suddenly transforms from all-knowing guru into this generic, old, white, Long Island dad, who isn’t necessarily racist but says some things that racists say, thinks Frank Caliendo is funny, and… voted for Trump.

I was once listening as one of his callers, typically cut from the same cloth pontificated on the Colin Kaepernick saga by making the point: “Football is entertainment, Mike. It’s entertainment, am I right? (red flag any time someone poses this rhetorical) We don’t need to turn on the TV at 1:00 for our favorite pastime on Sundays and have it ruined by these guys kneeling during the national anthem. It’s supposed to be entertainment.”

I held my breath in prayer that Mike would come through for me.

“That’s a great point,” Mike said, “ a really great point,” and he broke my heart.

First of all, do they even televise the national anthem before every game? I’m honestly not even sure because like most fans, I don’t tune in for the national anthem, and I’d venture a guess that up until now this caller didn’t either. I think we can all agree that the entertainment is in the actual football, so until players start wearing NAACP stickers on their helmets or perform end zone celebrations that include raising one fist as they hang a Nazi dummy from the end zone post, I’d say the entertainment compartment remains unblemished.

Mike continued in accord: “People work hard all week long, and they just want to relax on Sundays and watch football – not your political protest. And you’ll see, you keep doing it and people will stop watching, and you’ll have to get a regular job paying not nearly as much as you’re getting paid now to play a kids’ game.”

Okay…

1.     Umm, no they won’t (stop watching). Do you have any idea how popular football is? I know you do. The NFL could air Black Panther rallies over the national anthem and KKK cross burnings at the Super Bowl halftime show and it would still do better numbers than any NBA finals or World Series game. If you think the mindless drones of the Midwest who worship football second only to the Lord in heaven, Jesus Christ, and Donald Trump, are going to stop watching football you are out of your Diet Coke-infested mind.

2.     Can we agree that the only thing more reprehensible than getting paid loads of money for playing a kids’ game is getting paid loads of money for simply talking about said kids’ game?

3.     If a five second clip of five or ten guys silently kneeling while the surrounding 75,000 others are standing in reverence compromises your ability to relax on Sundays then you should seek immediate mental health.

Obviously one is free to disagree whether there is in fact social injustice, but isn’t this part of what makes our country great, the very first amendment: Freedom of Speech? Aren’t you that much less “American” when you protest peoples’ right to protest, ironically shitting on the Bill of Rights whenever it happens to not appease your views? When Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul used their platform to speak out against violence in urban communities it didn’t seem to bother anyone. Mohammed Ali and Arthur Ashe were activists whose legacies are both celebrated, and Bruce Springsteen often interrupts his actual entertainment to do the same. Why didn’t any half-wit, Jersey douche bags call in about these?  

When Kaepernick first made the decision to kneel I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I knew it didn’t offend me as an American. I just wondered what a lot of others did, whether it was the right context for the action, in terms of potential efficacy towards intention. For years it was one of the biggest stories in sports, which might indicate actualization of the first stage of efficacy.

He made it clear that his choice had nothing to do with disrespecting the troops or their families – that there are many components of a nation, and his message was in regards to just one of those components. One could equally choose to kneel in protest of the drug companies, health insurance or legalization of Monsanto poisoning our food. Or we could stand in support of the troops, our democratic freedom and land of occupational opportunity. I found this point to be thoughtful, indisputable, also personally relatable.

I grew up a huge hip hop head and was often judged and criticized, mostly by fellow whites as being inauthentic, the inverse of an Uncle Tom; but also occasionally by black people, for not having the right to culturally appropriate “their thing,” because I didn’t have to worry about getting shot by cops when I walk down the street.

I always thought this was an unfair card to pull, since as abhorrent as police brutality is, it still makes up a very small percentage of the black experience in America. I’ve lived in New York my entire life and have spent a huge chunk of time in black communities. If the people I see on the streets are in this alleged perpetual state of worry about getting shot then I’d hate to see what they look like when they’re relaxed. I think it’s horrible how authorities have often dealt with the black community, but it would be as impossible for blacks to be relegated to a perpetual state of worry or fear as it was for New Yorkers to be of terrorism after 9/11.  

This is classic cherry picking, highlighting only the most tragic examples of a particular reality in order to make an accused transgressor seem as such. My hip hop appropriations being labeled as disrespectful to social inequality was as inaccurate as Kaepernick’s kneeling is to the troops or their families.

As we grow into adulthood we become abundantly aware that we are flawed, then we come to terms with accepting that the partner we fall in love with is as well. I remember how enlightening it was for me in adolescence when I first heard (white) friends criticize “white people” in broad strokes that were only somewhat tongue and cheek. This was huge for me, and so logical. Of course! We live in the diverse melting pot of New York. We should surely specify when we’re talking about white people, as there are other people in the world. Secondly, “white people” as a group have resounding flaws, as well as strengths, and it’s OK to acknowledge either or both. The same goes for black people, Hispanics, Asians and Arabs, as well as men, women, and groups of every religion. I think one of the primary red flags for stupidity is a failure to recognize the shortcomings of the group which one is inherently a part of. Much more disturbing to me than the 15 or 20 black players I see kneeling for the national anthem is how long it took to see even one white player join them.

As individuals we are microcosms of our group and/or our nation, which means if we are flawed so must be our macrocosm, which means we should take every opportunity to correct said flaws. We’re quick to honor and celebrate those of us who make great efforts to address their individual shortcomings, but equally quick to attack those who attempt the same for the group they are a part of. Colin Kaepernick is part of the black “group,” but he is also a part of America, a successful, upstanding part I might add. For this it pains me to see teams run from signing him, as fast as he’s run for so many end zones, in fear of backlash from their fan base who might oppose his peaceful protests. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Michael Vick after he was released from prison for the violent crime of torturing and killing fighting dogs. Kaepernick, conversely, is legally protesting violence with the intention of raising social awareness, and he can’t get back into the league. It should be no surprise that our society is in the state that it is. Also, fuck the Eagles.

[cake-faceshawty]

If you remember my first travel post (Bienvenido a Cuba!), I shared my promise to myself to visit at least one new country each year. And being the birthday diva I am, what better way to kick off twenty-nine twenty-fine than with a girls trip to somewhere new. And thus,

#DESTINATIONTWENTYFINE

was born.

Upon my return from Havana last July, I instinctively started searching for my next vacation spot, and was drawn to the beautiful beaches, exciting adventures and delicious food DR had to offer. I therefore had no doubt that #DESTINATIONTWENTYFINE would be in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

I know what you’re thinking – what is this chick’s obsession with Spanish-speaking countries? Honestly, I’m not sure either 😂 (aside from my love of Hispanic food), but keep in mind that my birthday is in the dead of winter, so travel options are limited due to the weather.

Being the lunatic that I am, by the end of July I had presented my closest girlfriends with a full on PDF document that had everythangggggg (I do my homework, okay!). I had decided on travel dates, given airline options from each person’s point of origin, accommodation options, a full on itinerary and a budget for the entire trip.

However, similar to my Cuba planning, I found limited information online. Even harder, was finding out anything beyond the confinements of all-inclusive resorts. Perhaps it’s because I’m from a popular tourist destination (so I know how it goes), but the thought of staying in a hotel and ONLY experiencing what they present to you at the resort does not excite me. I want to explore the cuisine that hasn’t been watered down to satisfy the palates of tourists; I want to interact with locals and explore beyond the resort walls. And while Punta Cana is known for being a resort town, I knew there was more to be seen than the hotel disco and food buffet.

Within three months, three girlfriends and I had booked flights (catch flights, not feelings okurrrrr), secured a beautiful bungalow via Airbnb and committed to a fully packed birthday getaway to D.R.!

We spent 6 days exploring Punta Cana, eating way too much rice, consuming wayyy too much alcohol and collecting memories to last a lifetime.

Of course I couldn’t limit you guys to just glam shots on Instagram! So, here are all my tips for planning a vacation to Punta Cana.

My follow-up post will have more on where to go, what to eat, what I wore (you know I love a slaycation) and things to do. I hope these posts will answer all your questions!

About Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a part of the second biggest Caribbean island, Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. From a tourist’s perspective, the island would seem to be simply beaches and palm trees; however, they also have mountains, deserts and a rich history.

The official language of DR is Spanish, and while some might assume based on the popularity that Punta Cana is the capital of DR, it is actually Santo Domingo.

Their currency is the Dominican Peso, however, USD, CAD, Euros and GBP are accepted in most places in Punta Cana.

Punta Cana

Punta Cana is one of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean and therefore has tons of resorts and villa options. It encompasses Cap Cana, Macao, Bavaro, El Cortecito, Cabeza de Toro, Uvero Alto and Arena Gorda. From the picturesque beaches to the epic nightlife, Punta Cana has become a prime vacation spot if you’re looking for a luxury vacation, some kind of turn up or just want to slay relax on the beach all day – and of course learn a little about the country’s culture!

The beaches and surrounding area reminded me of Jamaica’s north coast – beautiful white sand, lush grass, palm and coconut trees, and warm locals willing to accommodate you despite the language barrier.

What you should know before traveling to Punta Cana

While US passport holders do not need a visa to enter DR, there are visa restrictions for some countries. Jamaicans can enter DR without any visa requirements, however, if you are travelling through the US, you will of course need a US visa. Multiple blog posts had warned of a $10 visitor fee that must be paid before going through immigration, however, we were not required to pay any additional fees. Perhaps that fee is now outdated or included in the ticket fee, but no cash payment was required at the airport from any of us – and we traveled from different locations on different airlines.

Arrange your transportation beforehand: whether you plan to rent a car or need a driver to take you to your accommodation, make these plans before you travel to avoid unnecessary airport stress and get the best prices possible.

About 90% of the resorts are all-inclusive: if you want that resort life and prefer to pre-pay for accommodation, food, alcohol and entertainment, one of these resorts may be your best bet.

Most places in Punta Cana accept USD, Euros, GBP and CAD, so there’s no reason to change your money to pesos. Major credit cards were accepted most places, however, I recommend you bring cash (mostly small bills) for some excursions, tips, and other small purchases.

You can book a lot your excursions in advance online, so you don’t have to worry about them getting sold out. We tried to book as much as we could beforehand in order to efficiently plan our itinerary.

The weather app isn’t always right. The day before we traveled, I was getting a bit nervous because all I saw were rain clouds and possible thunder storms on the Weather App. However, since this is a tropical place, occasional rain clouds appear for short periods. It drizzled maybe twice during our stay and none of our plans were affected by these rain drops.

As a mostly Catholic country, nudity is illegal! So save your topless tanning for elsewhere. If you really want to avoid tan lines, spend some extra dinero on a room with a private pool.

SIM cards with unlimited data for a week are available for $10 USD through Claro, so save on roaming charges and just purchase one at BlueMall (literally less than 10 minutes from the airport) to stay in the loop. Most public places also have Wi-Fi, so you’ll be able to instagram all your amazing pictures in real-time.

What to pack…

As previously stated in my Cuba post, I am not a light packer – I embrace the slaycation lifestyle completely and commit to the slayage – which you cannot do from simply a carry-on. I simply must check a bag when I travel! I’ll try to stick to the basics because  I will have a follow-up post on how to pack for a slaycation, so stay tuned!

Passport. Duh, for any international flight this is necessary – but it always has to top the packing list. I can’t imagine driving all the way to the airport only to realise I left my passport on the bed.

Money. Get your coins ready – and whatever cards you’ll be carrying.

Bags. 1 carry-on, 1 checked bag, a backpack/tote, appropriate bags for outfits.

Toiletries. I’m a naturalista, so of course I have to pack shampoo, conditioner, styling products and a spray bottle. But, you’ll also need toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, first aid kit, any necessary medication, deodorant, sunblock, tanning oil, lotion, tampons/pads, makeup, razor, bug spray and makeup. The good thing about this destination is that Supermercado Nacional in Punta Cana has most things you could possibly want: from Advil to Andrews to Herbal Essences. So if you forget any toiletries there’s no need to fret – you can get most of your necessities at the supermarket.

Electronics. Cell phone, iPad/tablet, camera, portable charger, charger cables for all devices, earphones, blue tooth speaker. I opted to leave my laptop at home to resist any temptation to work while on vacation.

Clothing. Underwear (my standard is 2/day plus extras), shorts, cool clothing (it is a tropical destination), swimsuits, a sweater/jacket, sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, heels/dress shoes, “fancy” clothes, sleep clothes and a hat. Once again, Punta Cana is a modernized island so if you need anything, you can probably pick it up at a mall. BlueMall has a huge Zara, Nike, Aldo, Levi’s, Under Armour, just to name a few. So if you forget anything or want to change an outfit, you can always go shopping 💁🏾.

Travel

We booked our tickets online through our preferred airlines. I use an app called Hopper where you can put in your destination and dates to see flight price predictions on various airlines. You can also watch the flight to know when the right time to book is in order to get the most affordable ticket. If you prefer to stay at an all-inclusive resort, you can find flight + hotel options on aa.com, Expedia, Travelocity, etc.

Traveling from Kingston, Jamaica, Justine-Renee and I booked on American Airlines (my preferred airline). The flight was from KIN (Norman Manley International Airport) to MIA (Miami International Airport), then to PUJ (Punta Cana International Airport). The flight from MIA to PUJ was about 2 hours and the entire travel time was about 7 hours. We left Kingston at 7:49 AM and landed in Punta Cana at 3:15 (DR is 1 hour ahead). The cost for my ticket was $715 USD, which is kinda pricey considering I booked it from October, but I digress…

Please note that the flight prices were probably higher than usual since it is a tropical destination and February is right in the middle of peak season.

My friend Tamara traveled on Jet Blue for less, but her travel time was longer as it went from KIN to FLL to SJU (Puerto Rico) to PUJ. Her return flight, however, only had a layover in FLL.

Christine traveled from North Carolina on Southwest Airlines; her travel time was a bit longer than ours and went from RDU to ATL to PUJ. Her return flight stopped at FLL instead of ATL.

Estimate the ticket price to be anywhere between $500 to $800 depending on your city of origin and when you book the ticket.

Accommodation

As previously stated, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of staying at an all-inclusive resort, plus based on the size of my group, it was more economical to stay at a villa/bungalow. However, there are a wide range of resorts to choose from, especially in Bávaro.

Cap Cana, which is less than 20 minutes from the airport, is a gated resort area containing luxury condos, resorts, beaches and entertainment options.

We rented a villa that was absolutely amazing! It was safe (you need a pass to get through the Cap Cana entrance and to enter Green Village where we stayed), spacious, beautifully decorated, and just perfect for our girls’ trip. It had an outdoor shower and bath tub, and our own private pool and barbecue patio with an expansive backyard (not to mention a beautiful view!). We were also close to the shopping mall, supermarket, restaurants and Scape Park so the location was perfect. Our host, Carlos, was very welcoming and checked on us often; he gave us wonderful recommendations for activities, beaches and restaurants, and replied quickly if we had any questions.

For 5 nights, our villa was about $1400 USD total, which wasn’t too bad when split 4 ways.

Check out our home in paradise (thank you Carlos) here:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/plus/23742780?guests=1&adults=1

How to get around

One thing that had us anxious when planning this vacation was transportation. While Punta Cana does have public transportation (taxis) and tour buses, we felt it would be easier on our schedule (and pockets) to rent a car. I can honestly say we found the least helpful information as it related to car rental.

First of all, you must know this: the people of Punta Cana drive like taxi men in Montego Bay, so if you can handle that, you can handle Punta Cana. As for people used to “safer” driving conditions, I can understand your reservation – you may want to stick to taxis or private tour operators. I’m pretty sure we only passed two stoplights around downtown Punta Cana; otherwise, it was just a bunch of roundabouts (they really love roundabouts) and wildness a bit of a free-for-all.

I highly recommend you reserve your car prior to your arrival. We reserved our Alamo rental a week before (no deposit required) through Expedia. While I did pay for the collision insurance through Expedia ($11/day that you pay upfront), I think you can pass on that. The insurance company offers a good insurance package and we opted to get all the recommended insurance since we were driving in unfamiliar territory.

Originally, in trying to keep within the budget, I had reserved a midsize sedan. However, we reached an agreement that the four of us AND our luggage would not be comfortable in a Tiida (A TIIDAAAA!?!) so we decided to upgrade to an SUV upon arrival. Fortunately, they were out of the immediate upgrade option, and for the same price as a Suzuki Vitara, we were able to rent a full-size SUV. For 6 days and the full insurance package, we paid $418 with no hidden fees or surprises. The only request was that we  bring the car back with a full tank of gas.

The full tank the car came with was sufficient for 6 days of driving all over the place! We didn’t have to get gas until we filled it right before the return time. The cost to fill the tank was about $75USD.

One thing to note is that in order to rent a car, the person renting must have a valid driver’s license and credit card with the same name. You don’t pay for the car when you first rent it: instead, the company will put a hold on the credit card for $500USD and upon return of the car (provided no damages or accidents), they will subtract the cost of the rental from the $500 hold and return the balance to your credit card. This was a relief for us as we were under the impression that they would be charging the rental fee AND putting the hold for $500 all at once.

Overall the rental experience was hassle-free with no hidden charges, and driving in Punta Cana wasn’t a bad experience. Plus, whether you are roaming or purchase a SIM card, you can use WAZE or Google Maps to get around easily.

  The cost

It’s safe to say that Punta Cana is a pricey vacation spot. I mean let’s face it: it is an area developed for tourism. However, plane ticket and accommodation aside, it wasn’t too bad on the pocket. Grocery shopping is so affordable, we were actually in shock! During our first supermarket run, we bought food items, more alcohol, toiletries, and just so much stuff for the four of us, and somehow the bill was only $120!!! If you live in Jamaica, you can understand how cheap that is for a full cart of things for four people.

There are many affordable options for dining out. Depending on your budget, you can spend anywhere between $10-60 on a meal (sometimes including cocktails). Just do your research beforehand and explore your dining options. We were also happy to have a place to cook in so we could budget our meals efficiently.

I had initially placed our total budget (airfare, accommodation, car rental, food, excursions, “braffing”) at $1700-$2000 USD per person. And while we did upgrade the car rental, we stayed within that budget range.

  My tips + thoughts

Get a Spanish dictionary app. Know the basics! I’m not going to lie, I felt like I experienced more of a language barrier in DR than I did in Cuba. Some do know English, but we did experience several service persons who did not speak a lick of English. Just because it’s a tourist destination, do not expect everyone to know Enlglish!!! You are in a Spanish-speaking country!!!!

Purchase the SIM card. I don’t care how much of a shella you are, once your phone is unlocked, purchase the $10 SIM card from Claro. $10 is so affordable and it’s unlimited data for a week. Like… where [else] dey do dat at????

Buy your alcohol in Duty Free when you land. If you plan on getting lit like we did, get your alcohol (especially champagne, Hennessy, tequila) in the duty-free store because it’s so much cheaper! They had some great deals (like 2 bottles of Moet for $120USD) and they had these delicious fruit-infused spirits. You can sample them literally as you step out of immigration. We bought the Papaya-infused Tequila and the Mango-infused Rum. The only downside is we did have to mix some Appleton in the cocktails because those spirits are only 20% alcohol and in Jamaica we’re used to 40% Appleton and 63% White Rum so you know how that goes…. 😁.

Drink bottled water. While the water is relatively clean, depending on where you’re from, you can still get traveler’s diarrhoea or some kind of stomach reaction. I prefer to keep it safe – especially after getting sick in Cuba 🤦🏾‍♀️.

Do not wait until the last-minute to buy souvenirs! We waited until the morning we were leaving and headed to Bavaro to find some souvenir shops. A lot of those places don’t open until midday, so we couldn’t wait and ended up with the limited (and overpriced – $9 for a shot glass 😒) airport finds. Try to actually visit some local stores outside of the airport.

Be open to new experiences – especially food! While you will find American chains such as Wendy’s and Pizza Hut, do not travel to a new country to only eat French fries and pizza! Try some local cuisine – explore the food options!

While it is disappointing, there is a chance you could experience some racism or prejudice while in DR. I don’t want to bash the entire island for 2 instances we experienced, but I do think it is 2 too many. However, if you’re familiar with how some Dominicans think about black people and people of Hispanic descent who don’t speak Spanish, you’ll understand why we weren’t exactly surprised; we were more taken aback that this could happen in a tourist area like Punta Cana, when so many tourists from all over the world come to visit year-round. Anyway, please don’t let those two incidents discourage from seeing all that Punta Cana has to offer. We had a wonderful time otherwise and were met with warmth and hospitality from the other locals.

  Tips for planning a group trip

Plan your trip at least six months in advance. This gives people enough time to bail on plans to commit to everything.

Be cautious of who you invite on a group trip: personalities clash and nothing is worse than spending a ton of money to go see a new country only for a spoil-sport to rain on everyone’s parade. Take into consideration personality traits and rooming arrangements (don’t invite a neat freak and a messy Betty and have them room together – that’s an argument waiting to happen).

Plan your budget from the jump and set a reasonable timeline for that budget. A good thing to do is to mark up all costs, so there’s some wiggle room in case things come up or prices go up (or if you live in Jamaica, you can work with the fluctuation of the dollar). It’s better to come back with some extra funds than to have an insufficient amount while overseas.

Pay for things as you go along to avoid having to fork out a lump sum. Since the budget for this trip was kinda steep, I made sure we paid for things over the six month period, so that by the time the trip came around, any money spent would be on going out and other trip expenses. We started by paying for the Airbnb from September (you can pay 50% upfront and the balance 2 weeks before your trip), booked the flights in October, shopped for outfits between November and December, paid for excursions in January and by the end of January we paid the balance on the villa. By the middle of February our only costs were things paid for in DR. This was so much easier than forking out $2000USD one time! After all, my friends and I don’t have sugar daddies are not big ballers (YET!).

Try to make an itinerary beforehand: this way, you can have an idea of what each day will be like (what will the wake up call be? will the lunch spot be close to the activity we’ll do in the morning?), and you can efficiently plan your outfit options based on what you’ll be doing. I’m a foodie, so I also like to check restaurant reviews and menus before I go so I don’t waste money on bad tasting food. Not to mention, this will help you stay within your budget so you don’t end up going to restaurants with four dollar signs and have no money left in the budget for activities. But keep your options open: certain places may not pan out, so it’s important to have back-ups. I’ll be sharing my psychopathic  PDF with you guys at the end of this post.

  This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Have you ever been to Punta Cana? Are you planning a trip there? Comment below and let me know. Feel free to ask any questions also ❤️

Be sure to follow me on my other social media platforms:

@tiffanysamantha_ (blog)

@beatsbytiff_ (makeup artistry)

@cakefaceshawty (Twitter)

@tiffsamlaw (Snapchat)

¡DESTINACIÓN PUNTA CANA! If you remember my first travel post (Bienvenido a Cuba!), I shared my promise to myself to visit at least one new country each year. 3,648 more words

[tooobster]

Sorry, this isn’t really blog appropriate but I really think this needs to be said.

Honestly, I’m disappointed at anyone who thinks cutting ties with someone because they have a different political, religious, racial, or overall opinion is a good idea. I’ve seen it everywhere. It hasn’t happened to me yet, because I tend to keep my opinions to myself, but it’s getting ridiculous. 

I started seeing it in the beginning of the election. Saw someone on my Facebook post along the lines of “If you support Donald Trump, we can’t be friends.” And let me tell you, no matter what you said to this girl, no matter how much I tried telling her how ridiculous it was to drop a friendship with someone for a political opinion, she wasn’t having any of it and was practically inviting me to fuck off too if I didn’t agree with her. I did in the end, because I’d rather not associate with people who believe that that’s a good idea, but that wasn’t the point. In the end, your political opinion is a personal matter and, unless you want to talk about it, you shouldn’t feel obligated to. Nor should anyone feel obligated to demand to know your political stance, or claim that every Trump Supporter no longer deserves to be your friend because of it. This person was completely fine with dropping best friends, even, because of this. It was absolutely insane. A political opinion. Someone’s opinion of one man, who’s only going to be in the white house for four years, was apparently worth more than the memories they’ve shared throughout their entire lifetime. It was honestly sad to see. 

And now, this whole stupid PewDiePie war going on. It’s another case of people going back on others and dropping friendships because of an opinion about a dude on YouTube. A fucking YouTuber. I’m not going to get into details or say my piece about what I think because I haven’t watched Felix’s videos since- in my opinion- his content went down the shitter, so I’m not too passionate about him. I guess just like politics. 

But, to any of you who think this is okay at all... you’re cutting ties with people you’ve probably known and loved for years, made so many precious memories with these people, and had the potential to make more, because of a person. A person who will probably never even directly come into contact with either of you. And I know that you’re going to say something along the lines of these people having a negative direct effect on the world, and these people are racist/sexist/homophobic/anti-semitist because they’re either defending or supporting said person. But see, you’re looking at people in black and white. You’re putting them in a box between good or bad. You’re deciding for them whether or not they’re the good guy or the bad guy. In reality, there is no real good guy or bad guy. There’re just people trying to do what they think is right in the ways they know how. These people supporting Trump, rather than looking at the questionable statements, are looking more at what Trump can do for this country. How he can pull us out of our economic slump. The people defending Felix, rather than taking what he did seriously, are looking at the bigger picture and making sense of his statements being purely satirical and outlandish. Not everyone supporting Felix right now hates Jews. Not everyone supporting Trump hates gays and muslims and “mexicans.” The people who are (or I guess were in this case) your friends don’t hate you or any of these people. There are just some people trying to not point fingers and place unnecessary labels on others.

Please, people. Don’t let one person undo so many years, or months, or even days, of laughs and great memories. I’m not saying be friends with everyone, because if they are being manipulative and toxic towards you than it’s definitely a good idea to escape that friendship. But the opinion about a person on the internet isn’t “toxic.” It’s an opinion that differs from your own. And it doesn’t need to be brought up around if you don’t want it to be; that’s the great thing about open communication.

This rant thing is longer than it needs to be, but before I go, just something to keep in mind. I’m hispanic (well, very much mixed, but I was raised with heavy puerto rican influences) as well as a lesbian, and my brother is a Trump supporter and very “red-pill” as he likes to call it. The only time things get heated is when I get salty at him about not washing his own damn plate. Aside from that, we live under the same roof and we don’t try to strangle each other. It’s possible to co-exist with and even get along with people whom have extremely different world views.

... I’ve really been going on too long. Anyways, ending this now. I know I can’t change the world but hopefully, I can save a few friendships.

[gizedcom]

Coronavirus Live Updates: Virus Resurgence Threatens U.S. Economy

After attacks by Trump aides, Fauci says focus should be on the virus rather than ‘games people are playing.’

As Trump administration officials have increasingly sought to undermine him in recent days, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and one of the most trusted federal officials working on the pandemic, made his most pointed remarks yet on Wednesday addressing tensions with the White House.

“I cannot figure out in my wildest dreams why they would want to do that,” Dr. Fauci said in an interview with The Atlantic on Wednesday. “I think they realize now that that was not a prudent thing to do, because it’s only reflecting negatively on them.”

He spoke as Trump administration officials have sought to undermine his credibility — first anonymously, over the weekend, and then out in the open. A short op-ed by Peter Navarro, the president’s top trade adviser, published in USA Today on Tuesday evening was headlined “Anthony Fauci has been wrong about everything I have interacted with him on.” Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff for communications, posted a cartoon Sunday evening mocking Dr. Fauci.

In the interview Wednesday, Dr. Fauci called the partisan environment around the virus disturbing.

“It distracts from what I hope would be the common effort of getting this thing under control, rather than this back-and-forth distraction, which just doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

Asked to review the government’s response to the pandemic, he said: “We’ve got to almost reset this and say, OK, let’s stop this nonsense and figure out how can we get our control over this now, and looking forward, how can we make sure that next month, we don’t have another example of California, Texas, Florida and Arizona, because those are the hot zones now, and I’m looking at the map, saying we got to make sure it doesn’t happen in other states.”

“So rather than these games people are playing,” he said, “let’s focus on that.”

Mr. Trump distanced himself from the USA Today op-ed piece. “That’s Peter Navarro,” Mr. Trump said of his top trade adviser to reporters on Wednesday, “but I have a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci.”

But he did not go as far as other administration officials, who earlier in the day had tried to explicitly distance the White House from the piece.

“The Peter Navarro op-ed didn’t go through normal White House clearance processes and is the opinion of Peter alone,” Alyssa Farah, the White House director for strategic communications, wrote on Twitter. “@realdonaldtrump values the expertise of the medical professionals advising his Administration.”

July is starting to feel more like March. Businesses are closing. Hospitals are filling. Test results are taking days to process. And as the virus makes inroads into wider swaths of the nation, officials are warning that the worst may still lie ahead.

Cases have been increasing in 41 states over the past two weeks, and hard-hit cities and counties across the Sun Belt are beginning to put refrigerated trucks on standby over fears that their morgues could soon run out of room. Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, said it would require all customers to wear masks, beginning Monday.

Alabama broke the record Wednesday for the most deaths it has reported in a single day, 47, and intensive care units in the state began to near capacity. Gov. Kay Ivey issued an order requiring people to wear masks in public.

“I always prefer personal responsibility over government mandate,” Ms. Ivey, a Republican, said. “And yet I also know with all my heart that the numbers and the data of the last few weeks are definitely trending in the wrong direction.”

The outlook is bleak, and compared to March, when the Northeast was the center of the outbreak, surges have spread across much more of the country. Oklahoma’s governor, a Republican, announced on Wednesday that he had tested positive, becoming the first governor in the United States to become infected with it.

The mayor of Wichita, Kan., warned that hospitals could overflow within weeks. Missouri added more than 1,000 cases in a day for the first time. In Kentucky, where cases are rising and masks are now required, the governor said residents’ actions in the coming days would determine whether “we go the route of Arizona,” which has reported the country’s highest per capita growth over the last two weeks.

California and Texas each set daily records on Tuesday with more than 10,000 new cases, and with backlogs causing delays in getting test results, California is once again prioritizing people with symptoms for tests. More than 130 people died in Florida and in Texas, the worst day yet each state has reported; the nation recorded more than 900 deaths on Tuesday. More than 65,000 U.S. cases were also announced that day, the nation’s second-highest daily total. On Wednesday, Florida became the third state — after New York and California — to surpass 300,000 cases.

Walmart will require all customers to wear masks.

Walmart will begin requiring that all of its customers wear masks in its stores, starting on Monday.

The new rule from the nation’s latest retailer, which has more than 5,000 stores nationwide, is a strong statement about wearing masks in public space at a time when the issue has become politicized.

In a statement, Walmart said that 65 percent of its stores, which include Walmarts and Sam’s Clubs, are in areas where there is already some form of government mandate to wear masks.

The company said it was creating a new job called a “health ambassador.” That person will be stationed next to the front door and will remind customers of the new rule.

Walmart joins a growing list of companies that are requiring customers to wear masks, including Starbucks and Best Buy.

The Houston Independent School District, the seventh-largest in the nation, announced plans to start the school year virtually on Sept. 8. Students will have at least six weeks of online classes, with a tentative plan to start in person classed on Oct. 19.

The announcement on Wednesday makes Houston the latest major district to shift to online for at least part of the 2021 school year, as the Trump administration has put pressure on schools to resume in-person instruction despite rising caseloads in many states.

Los Angeles and San Diego, the two largest public school districts in California, announced this week that they would be online-only in the fall. New York City, the largest in the nation, is planning a mix on in-person and remote learning, with students expected to return to classrooms between one and three days a week.

The shift to continuing online instruction could make it harder for many parents to return to work, and raises concerns that children will continue to fall behind during the pandemic. Low-income, Black and Hispanic students are suffering most, research has shown. But it falls in line with standards by public health experts which suggest that communities with positive test rates above 5 percent are not ready for reopening.

Only two of the top 10 largest school districts are in communities that have met that public health threshold, according to a New York Times analysis. The greater Houston area has a positive test rate of 14 percent. In other education news:

In the San Francisco Unified School District, the upcoming school year will start with distance learning with plans to “gradually phase in a staggered return” when appropriate, officials there announced on Wednesday. In a statement to local parents, the superintendent, Dr. Vincent Matthews, wrote Wednesday, “We hope to provide a gradual hybrid approach (a combination of in-person and distance learning) for some students when science and data suggest it is safe to do so.”

In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly announced that she would delay the opening of schools by several weeks, until after Labor Day, saying that schools need time to get masks, thermometers, hand sanitizer and other supplies. “I can’t in good conscience open schools when Kansas has numerous hot spots where cases are at an all-time high & continuing to rapidly rise,” she wrote on Twitter.

A group of scientists and educators has recommended that younger children and those with special needs attend schools in person, if possible, offering another element to the contentious debate about how to educate the nation’s children this fall. The prestigious National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine released a report on Wednesday with nine recommendations about reopening schools, among them to prioritize certain students.

All students in Prince George’s County, Md., will be distance-learning through February, when officials hope children can return to classrooms.

Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma announced on Wednesday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the first governor in the United States known to become infected during the pandemic.

Mr. Stitt told reporters in a video news conference that he was feeling fine and that he did not know where, when or how he had become infected.

Mr. Stitt has attended many public events and has often been photographed in public while not wearing a mask, including at an indoor rally for President Trump that was held in Tulsa on June 20. A surge in cases in and around Tulsa was most likely tied to the rally, the city’s top health official said last week.

Mr. Stitt, a Republican, said after learning that he was positive, he was not second-guessing his response to the virus. He has resisted issuing a statewide mask order for Oklahoma, and continued to do so on Wednesday.

Oklahoma has averaged more than 640 new cases a day over the last week, the most of any point in the pandemic. The state set a single-day record on Wednesday with 1,075 cases.

“It just kind of feels achy, like maybe the start of a little cold, is what it feels like right now, but really, I feel fine,” Mr. Stitt said in the video interview while sitting at home.

Mr. Stitt’s wife and children have tested negative. Here’s what else is going on in the U.S.

In California, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association announced Wednesday that it had canceled the 2021 Rose Parade, set to be held on New Year’s Day, over concerns about the virus.

In New Jersey, officials said Wednesday that indoor visits will be allowed for parents and legal guardians of children in pediatric hospitals or children with disabilities who are staying in long-term care facilities. Visitors must schedule appointments and the facilities must not have had any new cases reported in a 28-day period.

Responding to a recent spike in new cases in Japan’s capital, Tokyo, the city government on Wednesday raised its pandemic alert level to “red,” its highest, although the caution appeared to change little in terms of behavior.

Tokyo recorded two consecutive daily records last week, with a peak of 243 cases Friday. So far, the metropolis of 14 million has reported a total of just under 8,200 cases and 325 deaths since February.

Officials had debated whether to raise Tokyo’s alert level, given that a large proportion of the new cases were among younger people who had only mild symptoms, Dr. Norio Ohmagari, director of infectious diseases at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, told reporters.

In April, when Tokyo was put under a state of emergency, more older people were infected and a higher proportion suffered serious illness and required hospitalization and ventilators.

“This time is quite different from the last wave,” Dr. Ohmagari said. He said that while 40 percent of the new cases were among people in their 20s, some infections were now being detected among people in their 60s and 70s, as well as in children under 10.

Dr. Ohmagari said that it appeared many people were becoming infected after visiting nightlife venues, but that infections were also being detected in offices, restaurants, nursing homes, day care centers and kindergartens, as well as in multiple wards around Tokyo.

Tokyo’s move came as the authorities in Okinawa reported an additional 36 infections at a United States Marine base on the southern island, bringing the number of cases at U.S. bases on the island to 136 since March.

The C.D.C. director defends the shift of virus data collection away from his agency.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Robert H. Redfield, defended the Trump administration’s decision to strip the C.D.C. of control of some of the nation’s key coronavirus data, saying on Wednesday that the move was necessary to modernize data collection.

On a conference call with reporters, Dr. Redfield said the C.D.C. was looking for ways to make its coronavirus data more “externally facing,” so that Americans could examine “the current extent of the pandemic in different counties and in different Zip codes.”

The administration’s new directive instructs hospitals to report coronavirus information directly to a new central database at the Department of Human Health and Services in Washington, rather than to the C.D.C. in Atlanta, which has been collecting the information since the start of the pandemic and which prides itself on scientific independence. The directive to bypass the C.D.C. has provoked an uproar among public health experts.

Researchers, state health officials and academics rely on the C.D.C.’s data, and expressed concern about whether Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the C.D.C., would be as transparent as the C.D.C. has been.

The new database, called H.H.S. Protect, is not public. Experts including Representative Donna E. Shalala, Democrat of Florida and a former health secretary, accused the administration of trying to politicize the data by taking control of it away from the C.D.C.

Jose Arrietta, the chief information officer for Health and Human Services, said on Wednesday that the new database would feed information to the C.D.C., which would continue to issue reports on the pandemic. Mr. Arrieta said the health agency is considering giving members of Congress access to the new database, and is “exploring the best way” to make information from it available to news organizations, academic researchers and the general public.

The failure to contain the virus in the U.S. is clouding hopes for a rapid economic rebound.

The U.S. economy is headed for a tumultuous autumn, with the threat of closed schools, renewed government lockdowns, empty stadiums and an uncertain amount of federal support for businesses and unemployed workers all clouding hopes for a rapid rebound from recession.

For months, the prevailing wisdom among investors, Trump administration officials and many economic forecasters was that, after plunging into recession this spring, the country’s economy would accelerate in late summer and take off in the fall as the virus receded.

But failure to suppress a resurgence of confirmed infections is threatening to choke the recovery and push the country back into a recessionary spiral — one that could inflict long-term damage on workers and businesses, unless Congress reconsiders the scale of federal aid that may be required in the months to come.

The looming economic pain was evident on Tuesday as big companies forecast gloomy months ahead. Delta Air Lines said it was cutting back plans to add flights in August and beyond, citing flagging consumer demand. The nation’s biggest banks warned that they were setting aside billions of dollars to cover anticipated losses as customers fail to pay their mortgages and other loans in the months to come.

Some companies that used small-business loans to retain or rehire workers are now beginning to lay off employees as those funds run out while business activity remains depressed. Expanded benefits for unemployed workers, which research shows have been propping up consumer spending throughout the spring and early summer, are scheduled to expire at the end of July, while more than 18 million Americans continue to claim unemployment.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago warned on Wednesday that she is ready and willing to tighten restrictions in her city if cases continue to grow, citing bars that have broken capacity rules recently and new infections among young people.

“I won’t just turn the car around,” she said. “I’m going to shut it off, I’m going to kick you out and I’m going to make you walk home.”

Chicago is “on the precipice” of dangerous growth in cases, Ms. Lightfoot said. On Wednesday, the city reported 192 cases, the mayor said, though if the daily rate rose above 200, she would take steps to impose more restrictions.

Beaches along Lake Michigan, normally a huge draw during the summer, have been closed and will remain closed indefinitely.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois echoed Ms. Lightfoot’s note of caution on Wednesday. At a news conference, he said he was troubled by continuing outbreaks across the state, including those tied to parties, churches and youth sports.

When officials see an outbreak that is especially concerning, Mr. Pritzker said, “we need to start tightening mitigations in that region before it’s too late.”

As of Tuesday, Illinois had reported an average of 992 cases over seven days, and an average positive test rate of 3 percent over two weeks, according to data compiled by The Times and the Covid Tracking Project.

Banksy reveals virus-themed art on a London train.

The graffiti artist Banksy unveiled some virus-themed art when he appeared to spray-paint images of rats on the inside of a London Underground train. “If you don’t mask — you don’t get,” said the caption of a post by his Instagram account this week that featured video footage of the spray painting. The BBC reported that art was removed by cleaners.

Declining childhood vaccination rates could pose a threat ‘greater than Covid-19 itself,’ the W.H.O. warns.

Childhood vaccination rates continue to plunge in the wake of the pandemic, and the World Health Organization warned that the fallout from missed vaccinations could end up being worse than Covid-19.

“The avoidable suffering and death caused by children missing out on routine immunizations could be far greater than Covid-19 itself,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the W.H.O.’s director general, said in a statement,

Three quarters of the countries that responded to a new survey by the World Health Organization reported disruptions in immunization programs through May.

The report, the second to show a drop in vaccinations because of the pandemic, said that at least 30 measles vaccination campaigns were or are at risk of being canceled. It added that other vaccine programs that require three doses, for diseases like diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, reported a substantial drop in the number of children who received vaccinations.

“Vaccines are one of the most powerful tools in the history of public health, and more children are now being immunized than ever before,” Dr. Tedros said in the statement. “But the pandemic has put those gains at risk.”

He added that vaccines can still be administered during the pandemic.

The study, conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said there are a variety of reasons more parents are not getting their children vaccinated. Some are reluctant to leave home, some face restrictions on movement, interruptions to transportation, economic hardships and the fear of exposure to the coronavirus. It also noted that many health workers have been redeployed to work on the pandemic, as well as a lack of protective equipment.

As record temperatures sear the South and Southwest, the outbreak makes it harder to open cooling centers.

Temperatures have been soaring across the South and the Southwest, reaching record highs in areas grappling with some of the worst virus outbreaks in the nation — making it more difficult to protect people who are at risk from extreme heat.

San Antonio hit 106 degrees on Monday, tying the July record. Monitors at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor airport hit a blazing 114, matching the old record. Austin hit a high of 108 degrees — three degrees above the old record.

Such heat can disproportionally affect the vulnerable: people without the means to buy an air-conditioner or crank it up to full blast. Cities typically open cooling centers, in places like community recreation centers, where people can escape the heat. But the virus has introduced complications in a moment when people are being discouraged from congregating indoors.

Austin’s cooling centers now require visitors to maintain social distancing and to wear masks, said Matthew Lara, a spokesman for the city’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “You don’t want to cram 30 people into a room and call it a cooling center,” he said.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service said that the most punishing heat would begin to abate across the South, but, like a hot bubble under the nation’s wallpaper, “will be on the increase for the eastern U.S. and for the northern High Plains.”

Scientists find no virus risk based on blood type.

A pair of recent studies found that people with Type A blood are no more at risk of getting the virus or falling dangerously ill than others, contradicting preliminary evidence based on a relatively small sample of people.

Over the past few months, after looking at thousands of additional patients with Covid-19, scientists are reporting a much weaker link to blood type.

Two studies — one at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the other at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York — did not find that Type A blood increases the odds that people will be infected.

The new reports do find evidence that people with Type O blood may be slightly less likely to be infected. But the effect is so small that people shouldn’t count on it. “No one should think they’re protected,” said Nicholas Tatonetti, a data scientist at Columbia University.

Even if blood types don’t matter much for treating people with Covid-19, they could reveal something important about the basic nature of the disease.

That’s because blood type influences how your immune system fights against infections. People with Type A blood do not make the same kind of antibodies as people with Type B blood, for example. It is conceivable that these molecular differences in the immune system explain the purported link between blood type and coronavirus infections.

The government in the Philippines has empowered the police to fan out home-to-home in search of infected people. The move has triggered an uproar among human rights groups, which accused President Rodrigo Duterte’s government on Wednesday of employing repressive tactics.

As the number of infected nears 60,000 nationwide, with the death toll now surpassing 1,600, health authorities are under tremendous pressure from a public increasingly wary of Mr. Duterte’s brutal anti-drugs tactics that have left thousands dead.

The plan, termed “Care Strategy,” lets police officers accompany health workers in search of people who may be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.

The government said anyone who could not satisfy the requirements for home quarantine — one room, having their own bathroom, and not living with elderly or pregnant people — are to be taken to a private facility.

“This move reveals the Duterte government’s continuing reliance on police and militaristic approaches to solve a public health emergency,” said Ephraim Cortez, the secretary general of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, a group that provides counsel to the poor.

Well-known Filipino human rights lawyer, Chel Diokno, said the government strategy would further sow terror.

Mr. Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque on Tuesday compared the private facilities for patients to a “paid for vacation.”

U.S. national parks could be the next battleground in reopening.

Pressure is mounting to close Grand Canyon and other national parks in states across the South and the West that are seeing rising cases.

When the pandemic took hold in the United States this spring, many local public health officials demanded that national parks close, arguing that the millions of tourists they attract endangered vulnerable people in adjacent towns and tribal lands, often-remote places with hospitals miles away. After shutting down on April 1, Grand Canyon partially reopened in time for summer tourist season.

In some ways, the parks provide a refuge from the pandemic. Experts say the risk of catching the virus is much lower outdoors. Camping offers a cheap, socially distanced vacation for families, and some parks are in sparsely populated areas with fewer cases. But as the virus infiltrates growing sections of the country, some lawmakers are questioning the decision to keep parks open even partially.

Reporting was contributed by Julia Calderone, Ben Casselman, Michael Cooper, Maria Cramer, Manny Fernandez, Dana Goldstein, J. David Goodman, Jason Gutierrez, Maggie Haberman, Makiko Inoue, Isabella Kwai, Apoorva Mandavilli, Patricia Mazzei, Sarah Mervosh, David Montgomery, Claire Moses, Sean Plambeck, Motoko Rich, Katie Rogers, John Schwartz, Eliza Shapiro, Mitch Smith, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Eileen Sullivan, Jim Tankersley, Lucy Tompkins, Hisako Ueno, David Waldstein, Elizabeth Williamson and Carl Zimmer.

Credit: Source link

The post Coronavirus Live Updates: Virus Resurgence Threatens U.S. Economy appeared first on GIZED - Breaking News Worldwide.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/3h3Bn1s via IFTTT

[talucca-blog]

Capitalism vs Religion

A lot of times we see the phrase, “work hard and you will get to where you want to be in life”. And a lot of times that phrase holds true, whether it is within business, school, or athletics. It is important to work hard at things throughout one's life, it is rewarding in many different aspects. It can also lead to a lot of personality changes, some being good and some being bad. I think it is important to grow through any process that you go through in life. Whether you are physically growing or mentally, it is vastly important to understand what you are doing and why. The willingness to learn is one of the most important attributes someone can have and that goes for just about any occupation or situation someone is in. At times, we see individuals get so caught up in what they are trying to accomplish that they lose sight of what really is important to them. We see individuals get caught up in their work life that they lose their families, friends, and the most important thing in my opinion, their faith. We as a society, have an issue with focusing on capitalism, rather than what truly is important, our spirit and faithfulness. I know not everyone promotes religion in their life and what they hold true to their heart can be a capitalism foundation or something of another that is similar; where money and power is where their happiness and desire truly lie. In today's world, we actually are beginning to see a large spike in this type of belief and from a Christian standpoint, it is disheartening. But I am not going to say that they are in the absolute wrong or that because of this they are going to Hell. Because that is absolutely not true and hypocritical. It is not up to me to decide that, all my hope is that all people are able to have exposure to it and have a true understanding of the foundation it can have in one's life. 

Being a Christian can be difficult, it is hard work, takes discipline, and makes you continuously learn throughout your entire life. And that is a turn off for a lot of people because they say to themselves, “why would I associate myself with someone that I am not getting immediate results from or from something I can physically see”. I think the general consensus of individuals who do not have religion in their lives is that money and work will get them to where they want to be, not a God. While to the normal eye that may appear to be truthful, in reality as Christians we are able to see immediate results of our faith and spirits. Knowing that God has a purpose for all of our lives, we are able to have that safety blanket around us knowing that what we are doing or going through is exactly what God intended for us. The journey in which we take to get to where we want to go is half the battle. There is no question, there is sadness, heartbreak, and pain that we all go through on a regular basis but as those difficult times arise, Christians are able to relay their burdens unto God and see him handle things the way they were intended to. The reason I am bringing up pain and sorrow is because as a society we are in a deep area of this currently. With the pandemic that we are going through, I know most people have felt it at some point: the pain, uncertainty, and anxiety has weighed heavily on us. There are people who are struggling to make payments, struggling to afford food, wondering if their jobs are going to be there for them after all of this calms down. Having to isolate yourself and have your daily social aspects drastically affected can be difficult to adjust. Which is why, “regular practice of religion is good for personal physical health: It increases longevity, improves one's chances of recovery from illness”. (Fagan, P. 1996) Just from a mental standpoint, religion allows individuals to have some reliance on someone other than themselves and there are so many resources for praising with others even virtually during these odd times. 

Unfortunately, there has been a decline in individuals who associate themselves as Christians and there has been a bigger increase in people who regularly practice Christianity. In Pew Research Center telephone surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019, “65% of American adults describe themselves as Christians when asked about their religion, down 12 percentage points over the past decade. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated share of the population, consisting of people who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” now stands at 26%, up from 17% in 2009.” (Smith, G 2019) There has been a correlation how society has molded and how it has affected religion as a whole. People have expanded their beliefs, rather than sticking strictly to the core beliefs within denominations (forms of religion). We have seen different variations of this and most commonly we see it through Mega-churches who preach to multiple denominations and it's more of an overview of religion more than anything. Then there is the more and more common theme of individuals believing in a God but not associating themselves with religion. 

It is not often to hear when you ask someone what drives them, they respond with my faith. More commonly we hear things like, money, success, and respect. Which are all good things to strive for. Since our country started there has always been a separation of state and religion. Meaning that the two don’t associate themselves with the other. But yet in the pledge of allegiance the phrase, “one Nation under God”. How does that fit? I think over time we have seen the evolution of how our society views religion. And it absolutely has something to do with your respective cultures and how you were raised. But there is an argument to be made that this trend spread far greater than just one group or demographic, “American religious landscapes are broad-based. The Christian share of the population is down and religious “nones'' have grown across multiple demographic groups: white people, black people and Hispanics; men and women; in all regions of the country; and among college graduates and those with lower levels of educational attainment. Religious “nones'' are growing faster among Democrats than Republicans, though their ranks are swelling in both partisan coalitions. And although the religiously unaffiliated are on the rise among young people and most groups of older adults, their growth is most pronounced among young adults.” (Smith, G 2019) It really is just becoming the new normal in our society and cultures. There are a lot of obstacles that religion has had to overcome in recent years because of multiple instances. One being, within the catholic church there has been a massive scandal involving priest and child molestation. That alone is a horrible publicity obstacle to overcome but there were also the monetary issues that churches were facing and are still facing. People have accused churches of money laundering and fraud. While that has been an issue for some, there are so many others out there that do so much good in the world through their communities and others across the globe.

There is no question that religion has had to recreate itself in some sense for our generation and the way society has moved away from it. The importance it has in some communities and families is undeniable. But there are evolving cultures that are not taking religion along with them. Karl Marx wrote, “The religious world is but the reflex of the real world” (Cline, A. 2019) While Marx is very insightful and has reason to be heard on the matter of religion, it is not appropriate to accept Marx’s ideas uncritically. He cannot be accepted as the last word on the subject. While we do see individuals seek out God in times of need and in times of good standing, we at times lack to stop and thank him for our blessings. I truly believe and is only my opinion that all humans seek out God in times of need at some point in their lives. But when they do not see immediate results, that is a turn off for them. Now with the trajectory we are headed with capitalism and the impact it has on religion, there is no question that the obstacles religion will have will continue to grow. But by having faith and trusting God's plan, I believe that the social norm of prioritizing capitalistic views over religious views will in time be reversed.

Sources:

Fagan, P. (n.d.). Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability. Retrieved from https://www.heritage.org/civil-society/report/why-religion-matters-the-impact-religious-practice-social-stability

Smith, G (2019, December 31) In U.SDecline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace. Retrieved from https://www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/

Cline, A. (2019, April 27). Religion as Opium of the People. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/religion-as-opium-of-the-people-250555

[topicprinter]

I’m not making this post to try and play the victim card. I just want everyone to be inspired and believe in themselves. Even through the rough patches along the way to financial freedom. Here’s my story of how I went from the worst moments in my life, to making a living doing something that I’m great at. I’ve got to warn you, it gets a little dark. This isn’t going to be a perfect Christmas story, but I think it’s an appropriate time to relate with others.I want to tell you the circumstances that drove me to start my own business, and drop the wage slave lifestyle. It might sound silly, it might sound crazy, but it’s the honest truth as much as I can recall what played out. If you don’t like it, then I don’t know what else to tell you buddy. I want you to know that if you’re going through something like I did, then you are not alone. I used to think I was all by myself, but I know now that there are many like-minded people just like me who really understand what it’s like to think big and dream big.2016 was the worst year I’ve ever had in my life. At the beginning of the year I got laid off, and then my car broke down. And, those were the happiest days I had that year. I spent my savings on a new car, and I used the rest of my savings to pay the bills. I went searching for work, and in the process, some guy ran a red light and hit me head-on. Yes, my car broke down, my job was gone, then my new ride got destroyed, all within two weeks time. Hold on to your horses, cause those aren’t the worst parts. I managed to snag a modest position locally for a job I was overqualified to do. I pulled the frame of my car straight with a friend’s pickup truck. I slapped some temporary off road lights on the hood to make it to my new night-job. I got stopped by the police frequently, but they showed me a lot of sympathy, because they could see that I’d recently been in a bad wreck, and that I was driving the wrecked car. I worked really hard to be the best at my new job, and I spent my first couple of paychecks on an old beat up Ram van to get to work. I moved in with family to save on living expenses while I searched for a better job. My savings ran out within a few months, and a few cars.Here’s the worst part: Right when I was turning things around, my father was diagnosed with cancer. I was taking my first day off to relax in months. A buddy from work invited me to go to the lake, and that’s where I was when I got the news. I tried to put everything on the back-burner, and I spent time with him at the hospital, then the nursing home, then by his bed side. He passed away within two months. The last conversation we had went like this:“Don’t blame yourself. Don’t have any regrets over this. I want you to be the best you can be, no matter what anyone else thinks, and no matter what you think. Don’t hold yourself down, be the best you can be.”I didn’t understand what he meant by “Don’t blame yourself” but, I definitely know why he said that now. For months I was totally devastated. Horrible family members rushed in to steal everything, and they wanted me gone. I was out the door the next morning, with nothing but a van, and less than two grand in my pocket. I kept to myself, became completely focused on my work, and I was ready for a big promotion. I’d gotten my own place again, and everything was awesome. Those words my Papa told me kept playing over and over again in my head.In 2017, my successful new career was finished and over with. I don’t know why the guy had to tell me his grand scheme against everyone, but I hope you can understand my position. Here’s the short story without giving out any personal details. We needed a new supervisor because one of them was let go due to almost killing someone on the job out of negligence. The old supervisor literally came within an inch of chopping a guy’s head off in front of everyone. I was asked if I wanted to fill the position, but a coworker of mine had just had a baby. I knew he could use the money to raise that kid, and I was single. I had all the money I could want already, and it wasn’t really a pay increase for me anyways. I got him the job, he was excited, and took me out for an authentic dinner from his home country. We got back in his new Mustang that he bought with the pay raise, and he told me this:“Terry, I can’t stand black people. They’re lazy and they don’t want to work. I’m going to fire them all and replace them with white and Hispanic workers.”I couldn’t believe my ears. It blew my mind. I’m sure my jaw almost detached from my face. He wanted to fire the two best workers in the entire company and threw their names out during this horrible rant. I reported it immediately to the owners and demanded his resignation, and he made my life a living hell. Just to clarify, he had never said or acted like this at all, and he was not Caucasian. He wasn’t fired, but a few weeks later, I lost my position I had worked so hard to achieve. He pulled strings, filed false complaints, and pegged me as a liar. When I was called into the meeting and told I was fired, I said to them that I was never afraid to put my reputation and my job on the line for my friends, coworkers, and my fellowman. I’ve never regretted that.Late 2017: I was back to square one. I lost everything for a second time, and I was completely fed up with the whole world at this point. I didn’t forget what my Papa told me on the last day he spent on this earth. I stopped to think, and I really took a deep look at my life. I asked some important questions, and those questions set me out on a very interesting path.What do Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have that I don’t?If the wealthiest people in the world lost all of their money today, how long would it be until they earned it back again?Do successful people have more hours in a day than I do?Is there anything someone could say, that I couldn’t say?What is the most important part of being successful in life?I came to the conclusion that everything comes down to what you know, who knows you, and how you present yourself. The big revelation to me was that I had the same amount of time in a day, I could say the same words, I could make the right connections, and I could learn all of the knowledge I needed.But what was it that separated me from people who were successful?I narrowed it down to one simple concept:Saying the right words, to the right people, at the right time.If I could find out how to say the perfect words to build a strong connection, then I’d be miles ahead of everyone else.Perfect words do exist in every situation, and I was out to find them.Naturally, I applied for the biggest jobs in my area. Positions that no one would hire me for, and I wrote a speech. Yes that’s right, I wrote a speech, and studied common interview questions to build my speech into the interview process. I figured that if I could stand out immediately and appeal to businesses on an emotional level, then my credentials wouldn’t matter.I was right. I went to my first job interview.We got to the third question: Why should we hire you?I gave my little speech.“After all my years in sales, there’s one golden rule that I’ve learned. Everyone is selling something. Whether its a product, a service, or hope for tomorrow. Everyone is selling something. And I’m going to sell myself to you today. My father and his father before him worked their fingers to the bone every day of their lives. They lived paycheck to paycheck, and they never knew if we were going to make it to next week, but they kept moving on towards a better future. They taught me to believe in myself, and treat others right, no matter what struggles you face. We’re all moving down that same road in life with problems along the way, and I want something I can really sink my teeth into. Most people don’t know what’s waiting at the end of that road. I do. Now, I’m not claiming to be a psychic or to be able to tell the future, but I know exactly what’s waiting there for me:[I paused as the extremely rich guy across from me opened his eyes wide]“Alright, tell me what’s there.”Success. That’s what’s waiting for me. I see it clear as day, and I know where I’m going. I’d like you to consider me for this position, but I can’t make you hire me. There’s only one thing in this room that I have complete control over.“What do you control in this room?”That door behind me.There won’t be another person who walks through that door more determined and hungry than me.-He stood up, shook my hand, and hired me on the spot. They’d already chosen their candidate out of the room full of people who applied. I was the least qualified person in the entire building, but I got the job. I made them hire two people that day instead of one. I invested all of my money in education and special licensing for the position I’d gotten. I excelled in the office, made everyone jealous, and pissed off a multimillionaire regional manager in a couple of months (not on purpose, of course). It was incredible, but I had the same problems there that I had with every job. It was full of terrible, unreasonable, naysaying, negative people.I started working remotely for my job because I was firmly against some of the practices of my coworkers, and it was allowed in my contract. I got stabbed in the back by a coworker while I was working in seclusion. The cards were stacked against me by that same, precious idiot. You’ll know you’re doing something right when the “crabs in the bucket” start pulling on you. My new car broke down. My resignation paperwork was turned in without my knowledge or consent, after the fact. At least 3 people conspired to get me out. Probably because I wasn’t Ivy league, and I wasn’t born to an upper-middle class family. People were stealing my ideas, and even quoting my work as if it were their own. It was surreal. I was just a simple street-smart guy. I had no idea that this actually happened outside of the movies. There was no difference in the type of people I found in the corporate world, and the type of people I grew up with in the worst part of town. Even Sun Tzu and Robert Greene couldn’t have prepared me for those two-faced sociopaths. Let me know if you can relate. I lost it all again.I was as nice as I could be to everyone around me. I didn’t let people walk on me, and I stuck to the moral route no matter how tough my road became. I was thrown under the bus for defending my friends against a racist nutcase. I was blackballed by the office for outshining their masters, and avoiding the endless drama (and gossip) coming out the office.Copy writing had become my passion since my Papa passed away. Trading goods was his hobby. We ran a greenhouse when I was growing up, and we traded at all the flea markets in town while I was growing up. He taught me to talk to people from a young age, and It was always a big part of my life. I was inspired by great people like Frank Kern and John Reese. Guys who went through the same hardships that I faced. I’ve probably watched the John Reese interview with tony Robbins over a hundred or two hundred times by now. I had it saved on my laptop, and I watched it almost every single day. That guy went through some really tough days, and he made it out on top. If he could make it, then I could make it. I focused on coming up with those perfect words that would lead me further and further to success. I wrote the best sales script in town. I honed my skills to be the best sales agent in my league. I saw possibilities to do great things, and I knew it. I just needed the right words.Early 2017- My childhood friend was stationed in Hawaii working for the Navy as a radio engineer. He spent a grand on a really crappy online course to learn how to make some kind of drop shipping site, or retail arbitrage business. He hated it, and told me to see if I could get anything out of it. I logged in, and learned how to make an awesome WordPress website from scratch. I wrote articles for my little website, and people loved it. Another friend joined in, and we made a few posts here and there. Just for kicks.I think we made $10 on that little blog through Amazon affiliates. It was nothing, but It showed me what was possible. I shared my knowledge on sales, and communicating with others. It inspired a handful of people to reach out, and thank me for the great advice. I loved writing speeches and sales scripts in my spare time. I read every copy writing book I could get my hands on out of pure curiosity.Then it hit me. I could write for other people, and I could help them find their perfect words.I started freelance writing for every business I came across. I got on reddit, and social media, and I made connections. My living wasn’t dependent on some paycheck that could be taken away without a moment’s notice. I didn’t have to worry about sociopaths nutcases trying to steal my destiny from me. Idea-stealing coworkers weren’t peaking around my desk or rummaging through my bookshelf. I could be just like John Reese. He was 117k in debt, and basically sold a winning lottery ticket for a thousand bucks. He had bought a domain name in the 90’s and transferred it for one grand. That guy sold the domain the same day for a million bucks. It’s completely destroyed him, and he spent three days locked in his room in the dark. He’d lost it all, just like me. I remember spending a few nights in the back of that old beat up van, with hobos knocking on my doors in a Walmart parking lot. The person I loved most in the whole world just got wheeled off in a hearse right in front of me. My relative stole everything from the family home and convinced the landlord that I was no good. I wouldn’t let them have my parents’ ashes, and it was all done out of spite. All I could do was look up at the dark ceiling in the back of that horrible van, listening to the homeless people scratching around at my doors. But I knew I’d get out of that dark room, just like john Reese got out of his. I could start my own business, cut out my own path against all odds, and work with people that are worth working with.That’s where I am today. You could say I’m a writer, but it’s so much more to me than that. I get to help like-minded entrepreneurs reach the right people through their words. I spend my time looking for interesting clients to create value for. I focus on ad copy, blogs/articles, landing pages/websites, and product descriptions.To this day, every corner I turn around there’s someone negative. Every time I make a post like this, there’s those few hateful people who want to keep us all down. it’s the same in the office, the factory, the warehouse, the plant, and even at the bus stop.I think Richard Montanez (Multimillionaire CEO and creator of Flaming Hot Cheetos) explained it best:-No matter what room you are in, there’s always somebody there that will try to steal your destiny.I’m not a victim. I don’t feel ashamed that I was from a poor family. I don’t regret standing up for what’s right, and I’m not going to let anyone steal my destiny. No matter how tough things get, or how great things become. These few experiences helped shape me into the person I am today. I hope this can inspire you the same way John Reese inspired me. Get up out of that dark room. You might not make a million dollar deal, but you can make a thousand dollar deal. You can make a hundred dollar deal. It might take a little longer to get there, but if you dream big, and think big, then your bound to make a difference in the world.I want to leave you on this one single thought that my Papa left me with:What separates you from being the best that you can be?Find an answer to that, and you’ll accomplish great things. I believe in you!Merry Christmas!P.S. If you feel inclined to do something positive, then go tell Frank Kern that him and his friend John inspired me to make it through the hardest points of my life. That’d be worth more than any other Christmas present in the whole world to me. God Bless!