Obama’s Marxist Mentors

Is Obama a Socialist? A Marxist? A Communist? What?
Obama Marxist or Communist

By Kyle Smith

You may be forgiven if you missed it during last week’s tsunami of scandals, but President Obama finally let slip that he is a socialist.

Buried in the 17th paragraph of one of those mewling New York Times pieces on the woes of Obama — can we start calling him Woe-bama yet? — appeared these two words: “going Bulworth.”
Obama himself, the Times explained, has been “longingly” telling his inner circle that what he’d really like to do is what Sen. Jay Bulworth, played by Warren Beatty in his 1998 movie “Bulworth,” did: to go public as an unabashed, angry and admitted socialist.
It’s as if Ronald Reagan had been caught saying he wanted to “Go Strangelove.”
In confessing his dreams of “going Bulworth,” Obama confirmed that what he thinks and what he says out loud are two different things. He let slip the mask of a center-left moderate — a “pragmatist” who only cares about “what works.” The press and even right-of-center columnists like Ross Douthat and David Brooks have always insisted that this completely unconvincing masquerade is genuine.

“Bulworth” is set during the campaign season of 1996, when progressives’ frustration with Bill Clinton was reaching a boil (just before the Lewinsky scandal turned them into his defenders again). The title character is a cautious, Clintonian Democratic senator who breaks down in despair at his own moderate campaign, in which he questions race preferences, welfare and bloated government.
Recognizing that he is a sellout makes him despondent to the point of suicide (I trust this is not the part of Bulworth with which Obama identifies). So, he first takes out a life insurance policy, then hires a hit man to assassinate him.
With nothing left to lose, Bulworth speaks his mind and becomes a sensation and unexpected contender for the presidency by giving far-left campaign speeches in rap form. In the movie’s centerpiece moment, Bulworth does a rap about health care and cries, “Socialism!” to a stunned crowd. (The lyrics run, “Yeah, yeah / You can call it single-payer or Canadian way / Only socialized medicine will ever save the day! Come on now, lemme hear that dirty word: Socialism!”)

This is Obama’s id; the little man he wishes he could let out to party.
But at least Bulworth is more upfront about the catch-all term for his program. President Obama and many others (including the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary) seem to confuse socialism with communism — common ownership of the economy.
Top 7 Marxist Communist Policies Being Implemented By Obama Today – HubPages]But most people understand socialism as shorthand for a European-style economy that allows private property but is government-directed for the (alleged) common good.
A country whose economy is more public than private is socialist — such as France, where 57% of GDP is government spending. Few would deny that Obama’s goal is to put a beret on the US economy. Saying so, though, would require Bulworthian frankness.
Yet the flip side of Obama’s fantasy is what’s getting him into trouble: His administration may not be able to say what it fervently believes, but it can muzzle others who want to speak their minds.
The Benghazi e-mails show that his administration sought to shut up the CIA and conceal the damaging truth that it always knew al Qaeda terrorists (not demonstrators) attacked us last Sept. 11 in Libya. The AP scandal shows his Justice Department clamping down on what reporters say. The IRS scandal reveals his tax minions trying to silence the Tea Party.

This is an administration that wishes only one man ever got a chance to speak up, loud and proud, in unapologetically socialist terms — while everybody else gets a strip of duct tape slapped over their mouths.
It was interesting to be involved in a discussion with a person on a social network who claims to be a “mainline Christian” and a “Leftist.”  It became clear immediately because all her posts were centered on helping people understand that Obama is NOT a Socialist…or a Marxist…or a Communist.  He is – she said – a Capitalist.
According to her, that was the most important part of the conversation.  I find that is often true about those on the Left.  They like to get mired in minutiae because they think it’s educational. 

Meanwhile, they cannot see the forest for the trees.
In truth, if we are going to hold to a very specific definition of socialism, Marxism, or communism, then a case could be made that Obama is none of these things…as a person.  However, it is also important to recognize that policies that Obama is attempting to create and push are leaning toward socialism, Marxism, or communism.
My biggest concern is that too many in Congress and in politics in general today, fail to understand that America is a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy.  I’ve been over that numerous times and while I’d like to explain it again, you might get bored.  Suffice it to say that if our elected officials truly understood that America is a Constitutional Republic (and NOT a Democracy), then they would also understand the proper role of the government in general and the Federal government specifically.  In short, under our Constitutional Republic, the power of the government is limited.  Because there are so many elected officials like Obama who fail to grasp this, they then believe it is their responsibility to force the government to become bigger, extending control over greater areas of people’s lives.

This, to me, is learning towards socialism.  
I do understand the exact definition of it and I also understand that when government policies begin to lean toward socialism, it appears as greater governmental control and influence.  We could go into economics and semantics, but that bores most people.  While Obama is not a dictionary-defined socialist (there, I said it), that matters little if his policies are moving America toward that goal.
The problem here is that the dictionary definition of ‘socialist’ sets an almost impossibly high bar for any leader. Even Vladimir Lenin himself couldn’t meet that standard.” [1] 

So, on one hand, the exact dictionary definition itself is very difficult to meet, on the other hand, there are plenty of politicians who believe that socialism has merits and therefore, what they do attempts to mimic socialism by moving this country more toward that target.
Besides mimicking some of Lenin’s policy strategies, Obama also has adopted Karl Marx’s strategies for gradually socializing an economy.” [2]

Does this mean that Obama is a Marxist?  Not necessarily. 
I believe that Obama is a capitalist…for himself.  What he envisions for the average person in America is something completely different, in my view.
Besides adopting the Leninist strategy of seeking greater control over the commanding heights of the economy, if one reviews Marx’s 10-point platform for how to socialize a country’s economy in stages (“The Communist Manifesto,” chapter two), one finds that Team Obama and his congressional progressive allies have taken actions to further the goals laid out in all 10 of the planks in the Marx platform.” [3] 

The author then goes on to list a number of points in which it is very clear that Obama has been and continues to do what he can to move this country toward socialism.
Paul Roderick Gregory responds to the question of whether Obama is a socialist by noting, “By ‘socialist,’ I do not mean a Lenin, Castro, or Mao, but whether Obama falls within the mainstream of contemporary socialism as represented, for example, by Germany’s Social Democrats, French Socialists, or Spain’s socialist-workers party?
“By this criterion, yes, Obama is a socialist.” [4] 

Gregory then goes on to explain why Obama is a socialist, in his opinion.  Well worth reading, especially by those on the Left who refuse to admit that – due to the high bar of the dictionary-defined “socialism” – Obama could be a socialist.
Peter Ferrara comes to a different conclusion regarding Obama’s ideologies. 
The answer is that to President Obama this is still not fair because he is a Marxist. 
To a Marxist, the fact that the top 1% earn more income than the bottom 99% is not fair, no matter how they earn it, fairly or not.  So it is not fair unless more is taken from the top 1% until they are left only with what they “need,” as in any true communist system.  Paying anything less is not their “fair” share.  That is the only logical explanation of President Obama’s rhetoric, and it is 100% consistent with his own published background.” [5]

I wish that those on the Left who are so adamant that Obama is neither a socialist or Marxist, would be just as adamant in recognizing AND admitting that America is a Constitutional Republic and not a Democracy.  The main differences between these two systems are stark.  Yet, the Left won’t go there because it not only does not interest them, but does not win an argument for them.  If they admit that America is a Constitutional Republic, then they have to begin admitting other things.  They don’t want to do that so they avoid the entire issue of whether or not America is a Constitutional Republic or not.
This issue is far more important than whether or not Obama (or any politician) is a socialist, Marxist, or communist. 
However, I find it very interesting and telling that more communist AND socialist groups (along with a few foreign dictators) came out in complete support of Obama and his policies.  That tells me a great deal frankly and I don’t need people on the Left to attempt their misdirect by getting me to argue over definitions, when they themselves are not interested in discussing the true nature of this country.
But regarding whether or not Obama is a capitalist or something else altogether, it is clear to me that Obama is either unaware of, or completely ignores the fact that America is a Constitutional Republic.  Once an elected official is willing to agree with this fact about America, it changes the game.  They can no longer, in good faith, attempt to change a system that is not meant to be changed.

The Left likes to argue anomalies and minutiae. 
 They believe if they focus strongly enough on the minor things, then the major things will be either ignored or overlooked.  This is why they harp on definitions of things because they purposely derail actual dialogue and discussion.  They want to distract so that Obama and his progressives can get on with changing this country until nothing resembles the original America.
When the Left aren’t getting us mired in the smallest of details, they are coming out with their racist jokes like Bill Maher’s quip about Herman Cain wanting “white” girls on FOX as the reason Cain agreed to be hired by FOX.  This type of asinine comment is excused by those on the Left because, let’s face it, they own most of the media.  So, they can make racially insensitive jokes using Herman Cain, or they can have a panel discussion about “whitey” week on another show.  Ha, ha.  Chuckle, chuckle. 
If that gets boring, they can always create another skit in which Jesus is lampooned and Christians are offended.
The Left really has nothing to offer.  Whether they’re talking about socialism, the 2nd Amendment, or something else entirely, the reality is that the Left is the one that “shucks and jives,” (as used disparagingly by Obama himself toward those on the Right.)  They do what they can to misdirect, obfuscate, and when that doesn’t work, shout down and throw things like Piers Morgan.
But let’s face it, those on the Left have quite a bit on their plates.  They have to agree that they voted for a man who – at every turn – pushes for the rights of women to have abortions regardless of the time during the pregnancy.  They voted for someone who was never properly vetted.  They support and even glorify a person who stands for everything this country is against. [6]

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Obama sought out Marxist professors.


The most unfortunate thing is that many of these individuals call themselves “mainline Christians.”  It’s absurd. 
I asked the person mentioned at the beginning of this article what does it mean to be a Christian.  Since specific definitions are obviously so important to her, I wanted to know.  She never responded to that question.  When I pointed out the problem with voting for a person who supports abortion the way Obama does, she told me that I really did not understand the issue of abortion.
The real problem is that this woman – who I’m sure considers herself to be intelligent – is so mired in detail that she really cannot see the big picture.  Not only can she not see where our current administration is taking this country, but she cannot see the problem with voting for a person who agrees that killing roughly 4,000 unborn babies per day is fine.  After all, women have the right to do whatever they want to their own bodies.  No one’s disputing that.  What we dispute is whether or not women have the right to wantonly kill a completely separate human life that is growing within them.  

The answer is obvious.
So, whether Obama is a socialist, a Marxist, a communist, or capitalist is really not the issue at all, though the Left likes to ruminate on that one.  The real problem is what Obama’s policies (or lack thereof) are doing to this once great country.

You don’t fix a problem by throwing money at it. When it comes to health care you attack the root cause which is the cost to the providers. Good Samaritan Hospital closed its doors on the West Side of Dayton because of Obamacare. Those patients that weren’t paying bills. All that Obamacare did was increase insurance premiums. Doctors today pay $350,000 for their education and that’s not right. What needs to be done is strike a balance in health care through enrollment fees. Where everybody pays and I mean everybody a percentage of their income. That money then should subsidize health care for their expenses and not go into a politician’s pocket. That’s true Universal Health Care Coverage!!!
Keyword on Microsoft Bing — Biden increased the Cost of Insulin. Biden froze Trump’s order so he can now take credit for a $35 cap. Also, If Bill Gates had listened to scientists our weather patterns today. Would not be so extreme. Bing: Bill Gates didn’t Listen to Scientists about ChemtrailsChemtrail Conspiracy and The chemicals listed in those trails and the impact they have on our environment. Biden is pretending to be God, he wants to fix our climate which is a hoax. Many politicians own mansions on the coast. Bing: Does Al Gore own ocean front property?  
Al Gore got all that started with his documentary: An Inconvenient Truth in 2006 and one nation under God can’t fix a climate if all other countries are unwilling. The United States is a small percentage of the big picture. As far as your statement about water safety in the United States  Most life-threatening waterborne diseases caused by microbes (such as typhoid fever or cholera) are rare in the United States (chlorine in water is a more alarming safety factor to the pineal gland than poor water quality.)

The German New Deal Was A Flop.
The Energiewende movement is now headed to Hydrogen cell vehicles in Germany because they found that Electric Vehicles had many negatives working against them. 
A friend I met on social media who is from Munich stated one major concern.
Was that once your EV had over 60000 miles on them. It’s almost impossible to trade the vehicle off because nobody wants to deal with a used battery. And Puff… your windmill just blew out to sea with that Hurricane!!! 
I would also like to state that some who know me, ask about my health care part in my last letter to the editor.
Striking a balance in health care means paying an enrollment fee to help support health professional expenses.
Means striking a balance (a reduced premium cost so that it’s not so astronomically hateful to those that have insurance.) 

A Footnote About the Southern Border: Republican Governor Abbott in Texas stated, 
The Biden administration has said it anticipates 500,000 people entering the U.S. illegally per month from over 150 countries beginning May 24. I love Abbott’s response to this problem, ship those migrants coming in. To the Capitol Steps via Charter Bus in D.C. and show them what a true insurrection that Biden is causing in this country. 
 
One Last Thing Mr. Miller: In the Arabic World you always see this phrase plastered on banners  الموت لأمريكا من الداخل  which when you Google translate it. 
Means: Death to America from Within and the Democrats live by that credo.
To further educate Mr. Miller This country has never been a democracy.
Bing: Constitutional Republic governed by the Constitution of the United States.

On January 6th: 700 patriots were arrested out of the 10s of 1000s which were there. 
A big percentage for holding a camera and taking pictures. Your comment about the Proud Boys, the Oaths Keepers, the 3 percenters doesn’t concern me. As much as Antifa which is an Obama and his Brother Hooded funded organization.

BLM is a Marxist group. Bing: Obama is a Marxist and a member of the Muslim brotherhood.
In 2020, Kamala Harris was bailing rioters burning our cities out of jail the next day after being arrested. 
One last Tidbit: Biden can’t be helping poverty rates with gas prices and inflation rates spinning out of control.  Bing: Bidens tax Increase for the Middle to Working Class. (he’s lying about that as well.)  
And Bing: Maria Piacesi was only eight when she met Joe Biden in 2015, while she was with her uncle — Senator Steve Daines and his wife, in a highly publicized video, 
Explain That one?  Lastly Bing: Clinton Foundation is a Hedge Fund, The Biden Crime Family and also The Pelosi Crime Family which stems from the Baltimore Mafia.

GOD Bless America…

[1] http://www.forbes.com/sites/markhendrickson/2012/07/26/president-obamas-marxist-leninist-economics-fact-and-fiction/
[2] http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulroderickgregory/2012/01/22/is-president-obama-truly-a-socialist/
[3] http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterferrara/2012/12/20/is-president-obama-really-a-socialist-lets-analyze-obamanomics/
[4] Obama: His Marxist / Communist Past Exposed & How It Continues – Freedom Outpost (investortimes.com)
[5] Barack Obama: A Traitor for the Ages – American Thinker
[6] Sacred Communist Ground? Baby Barack Obama Lived At The Gateway To Seattle’s CHAZ With Mother Stanley Ann Dunham On Avenue Now Patrolled By Armed Marxist Revolutionary Guards – The American Report
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This Super Messed Up World

Volunteer Zank Bennett, of the United States, wears a Ukrainian flag in his hat as he helps Ukrainians.
 
Arriving Monday, April 4, 2022, in Tijuana, Mexico, as they look for a way to apply for asylum in the United States. A loose volunteer coalition, largely from Slavic churches in the western United States, is guiding hundreds of refugees daily from the airport in the Mexican border city of Tijuana to hotels, churches and shelters, where they wait two to four days for U.S officials to admit them on humanitarian parole. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

US speeds entry for Ukrainians as more reach Mexico border.
By ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press

TIJUANA, Mexico — The United States has sharply increased the number of Ukrainians admitted to the country at the Mexican border as even more refugees fleeing the Russian invasion follow the same circuitous route. A government recreation center in the Mexican border city of Tijuana grew to about 1,000 refugees Thursday, according to city officials.
A canopy under which children played soccer only two days earlier was packed with people in rows of chairs and lined with bunk beds.

Tijuana has suddenly become a final stop for Ukrainians seeking refuge in the United States, where they are drawn by friends and families ready to host them and are convinced the U.S. will be a more suitable haven than Europe. Word has spread rapidly on social media that a loose volunteer coalition, largely from Slavic churches in the western United States, is guiding hundreds of refugees daily from the Tijuana airport to temporary shelters, where they wait two to four days for U.S officials to admit them on humanitarian parole. 
In less than two weeks, volunteers worked with U.S. and Mexican officials to build a remarkably efficient and expanding network to provide food, security, transportation
and shelter.     
U.S. officials began funneling Ukrainians Wednesday to a pedestrian crossing in San Diego that is temporarily closed to the public, hoping to process 578 people a day there with 24 officers, said Enrique Lucero, the city of Tijuana’s director of migrant affairs.

Vlad Fedoryshyn, a volunteer with access to a waiting list, said Thursday that the U.S. processed 620 Ukrainians over 24 hours, while about 800 others are arriving daily in Tijuana. Volunteers say the U.S. was previously admitting a few hundred Ukrainians daily. CBP didn’t provide numbers in response to questions about operations and plans over the last two days, saying only that it has expanded facilities in San Diego to deal with humanitarian cases.
On Thursday, Ukrainians steadily arrived and left the bustling recreation center, wheeling large suitcases. Some wore winter coats in unseasonably warm weather. A Tijuana camp that had held hundreds of Ukrainians near the busiest border crossing with the U.S. was dismantled. Refugees dispersed to the recreation center, churches and hotels to wait.
The volunteers, who wear blue and yellow badges to represent the Ukrainian flag but have no group name or leader, started a waiting list on notepads and later switched to a mobile app normally used to track church attendance. 
Ukrainians are told to report to a U.S. border crossing as their numbers approach,
system organizers liken to waiting for a restaurant table. “We feel so lucky, so blessed,” said Tatiana Bondarenko, who traveled through Moldova, Romania, Austria and Mexico before arriving in San Diego with her husband and children, ages 8, 12, and 15.
Her final destination was Sacramento, California, to live with her mother, who she hadn’t seen in 15 years.

Another Ukrainian family posed nearby for photos under a U.S. Customs and Border Protection sign at San Diego’s San Ysidro port of entry, the busiest crossing between the U.S. and Mexico. Volunteers under a blue canopy offered snacks while refugees waited for family to pick them up or for buses to take them to a nearby church. At the Tijuana airport, weary travelers who enter Mexico as tourists in Mexico City or Cancun are directed to a makeshift lounge in the terminal with a sign in black marker that reads,
“Only for Ukrainian Refugees.”
 It is the only place to register to enter the U.S.
The waiting list stood at 973 families or single adults Tuesday.
“We realized we had a problem that the government wasn’t going to solve,
so, we solved it,” said Phil Metzger, pastor of Calvary Church in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista, where about 75 members host Ukrainian families and another 100 refugees sleep on air mattresses and pews. Metzger, whose pastoral work has taken him to Ukraine and Hungary, calls the operation “duct tape and glue,” but refugees prefer it to overwhelmed European countries, where millions of Ukrainians have settled.

The Biden administration has said it will accept up to 100,000 Ukrainians, but Mexico
is the only route producing big numbers. Appointments at U.S. consulates in Europe are scarce, and refugee resettlement takes time. The administration set a refugee resettlement cap of 125,000 in the 12-month period that ends Sept. 30 but accepted only 8,758 by March 31, including 704 Ukrainians. In the previous year, it capped refugee resettlement at 62,500 but took only 11,411, including 803 Ukrainians.
The administration paroled more than 76,000 Afghans through U.S. airports in response to the departure of American troops last year, but nothing similar is afoot for Ukrainians. Parole, which grants temporary protection from deportation, is generally given for two years for Afghans and one year for Ukrainians. Oksana Dugnyk, 36, hesitated to leave her home in Bucha but acquiesced to her husband’s wishes before Russian troops invaded the town and left behind streets strewn with corpses. 
The couple worried about violence in Mexico with three young children, but the robust volunteer presence in Tijuana reassured them, and a friend in Ohio agreed to host them. “We have food. We have a place to stay,” Dugnyk said a day after arriving at the Tijuana recreation center, where hundreds slept on a basketball court.
“We hope everything will be fine.” Alerted by text message or social media, Ukrainians are summoned to the border crossing as their numbers nearby.
The arrival of Ukrainians comes as the Biden administration prepares for much larger numbers when pandemic-related asylum limits for all nationalities end May 23.
Since March 2020, the U.S. has used Title 42 authority, named for a 1944 public health law, to suspend rights to seek asylum under U.S. law and international treaty. Metzger, the Chula Vista pastor, said his church cannot long continue its 24-hour-a-day pace helping refugees, and he suspects U.S. authorities will not adopt what volunteers have done.

“If you make something go smoothly, then everybody’s going to come,” he said.

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17-year-old Ukrainian girl remains in U.S. custody after border separation – CBS News
BY CAMILO MONTOYA-GALVEZ

On Wednesday evening, Yelyzaveta, 17, who was training to be a missionary in Mexico, traveled to the San Ysidro U.S. border crossing in Southern California alongside Alina Dolinenko, 21, a fellow missionary trainee from Ukraine. Unable to return to war-torn Ukraine, Yelyzaveta and Dolinenko hoped to enter the U.S. to live with a Maryland resident who sponsored their missionary program in Mexico.
U.S. border officials have been allowing hundreds of Ukrainians to enter the country
per day through the San Ysidro crossing after being instructed in early March to consider exempting those with Ukrainian passports from pandemic-era restrictions currently blocking other migrants from seeking asylum.
But when they were processed at the San Ysidro port of entry, Dolinenko said U.S. border officials told them that Yelyzaveta could not be immediately allowed to enter the country because she was a minor and was not traveling with her parents or legal guardians. U.S. border officials told them that they would take Yelyzaveta “away for an indefinite period
of time, because she has no right to cross without her parents,” said Dolinenko, who was allowed into the U.S. “She cried a lot.”

A 2008 law requires U.S. border officials to temporarily hold undocumented children
who are processed without their parents or legal guardians until they can transfer them
to shelters overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The law generally requires this transfer to occur within 72 hours.
The law was designed to protect migrant children from violence and trafficking, and has mainly been applied to minors from Central America, who make up the vast majority of unaccompanied youth in HHS care.
However, the unprecedented number of Ukrainians flying to Mexico to try to escape the Russian invasion and gain quick entry into the U.S. has led to that anti-trafficking law affecting a small number of Ukrainian children.
As of Friday, HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement was housing at least four Ukrainian children recently transferred from U.S. border custody, a U.S. government official told CBS News, requesting anonymity to discuss internal data.
CBS News is using only Yelyzaveta’s first name because she is a minor.
Her exact whereabouts were unknown on Saturday. Sharon Fletcher, the Maryland resident who was hoping to provide housing to Yelyzaveta and Dolinenko, said Yelyzaveta told her during a two-minute call on Thursday that she remained in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody.

“She just burst into tears, saying, ‘I don’t want to be here,'” Fletcher told CBS News.
“She doesn’t want to be in that place. She wants to be free.”
Representatives for CBP and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to questions about Yelyzaveta’s processing and whereabouts. HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A U.S. official said that Yelyzaveta was not in an HHS shelter as of Friday evening.
Fletcher runs a non-profit organization called Forgotten Places, which she said sponsors a program called Youth With A Mission that trains young Christian missionaries across the world, including in Mexico. Yelyzaveta arrived in Mexico in January to join Youth With A Mission, Fletcher said.
After the war in Ukraine started, Fletcher said she told Yelyzaveta and Dolinenko that she would host them in her Maryland home, noting that Yelyzaveta does not have family in the U.S. 
Fletcher said Yelyzaveta has not been able to contact her parents for months and that her brother remains in Ukraine helping to transport civilians displaced by the war. The family used to live in Vorzel, a town in the outskirts of Kyiv that was occupied by Russian forces last month.
If Yelyzaveta is transferred to an HHS shelter or foster home, she would remain in government custody until she turns 18 in June unless she’s released to a sponsor in the U.S. According to a Ukrainian passport reviewed by CBS News, Yelyzaveta was born on June 6, 2004.

However, HHS typically only releases unaccompanied children to family members,
such as parents, older siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts. The agency can place unaccompanied children with sponsors who are not family members but the process is lengthier because of heightened vetting, unless the child’s parents consent to the release.
Fletcher urged the government to release Yelyzaveta as soon as possible to ensure she’s not further traumatized by her time in U.S. custody. Fletcher said she’s ready to sponsor and host Yelyzaveta.
“To let somebody sit in a cell, or in this facility, knowing that her parents are stranded, she’s not even sure whether they are alive or not, there’s a war going on in Ukraine,
I mean all this trauma, no human being should go through that — that’s what bothers me,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher said she has reached out to several congressional offices about Yelyzaveta’s situation, including Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, whose staff told her
they are looking into the matter.
Ukrainian single adults and families traveling with children are being processed at U.S. ports of entry along the southern border under exemptions to a pandemic-era restriction known as Title 42, which is being used to quickly expel other migrants to Mexico or their home countries.

Facing limited legal pathways to reach the U.S. directly, thousands of Ukrainians have traveled to Tijuana in recent weeks hoping to benefit from the Title 42 exemptions.
After their numbers come up on an ad hoc list set up by volunteers,
Ukrainians show up to the San Ysidro crossing to ask for permission to enter the U.S.
Last week alone, nearly 3,000 Ukrainians were processed by U.S. border officials, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CBS News Wednesday. In February, U.S. authorities along the Mexican border reported encountering fewer than 300 Ukrainians, CBP data show.
Dolinenko, the young missionary trainee who traveled with Yelyzaveta, said she’s
currently in San Diego waiting to see if U.S. border officials will release Yelyzaveta. 
“I’m very worried,” she said over a WhatsApp message.

Ed O’Keefe contributed reporting.

Zelenskyy hopes for peace despite Russian attacks on civilians;Boris Johnson visits Kyiv: Live updates (msn.com)

Refugee tally hits 4.5M, as Ukraine gets show of support from European leaders: Live updates (msn.com)

Commercial border crossings in El Paso slow to snail’s pace after Texas steps up security

Border experts predict how bad migrant surge can get after Title 42 is lifted

Texas Begins Transporting Illegal Immigrants from Border to D.C.

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Just in Time for Midterms

President Joe Biden looks to former President Barack Obama after
signing an executive order! Biden lied to get elected: Jeanine Pirro.

Pelosi Test Positive for Covid.
During an event about the Affordable Care Act, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, April 5, 2022. Also seen are Vice President Kamala Harris, Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif. Pelosi has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic, her spokesman Drew Hammill said in a tweet Thursday, April 7.

Dr. Fauci Warns This Plan for Ending COVID Is Now “Unattainable”
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a primary topic of conversation for over 2 years now. The entire world has faced the repercussions of the virus, but with the introduction of vaccines and booster shots, we’ve made significant progress toward finally returning to normal. At the same time, some of our hopes for what the world could one day look like have become more and more unlikely. Now, one plan for ending the pandemic is being called “unattainable.” Read on to learn what virus experts say will now never happen.

RELATED: Dr. Fauci Warns Vaccinated People
It’s “Absolutely Critical” to Do This Now.

Dr. Fauci said herd immunity is no longer a solution for COVID.
Throughout the pandemic, the concept of “herd immunity” was discussed as
a possible way to protect the population by lowering community circulation levels.
Herd immunity is achieved when a certain percentage of the population becomes immune following vaccination or natural infection—leaving the virus with nowhere to go. The term was a source of controversy at the height of the pandemic, with some health officials and experts encouraging the idea of herd immunity as a way to return to normal,
MarketWatch reported.

Anthony Fauci, MD, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden and director of
the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), has penned an article alongside two other NIAID officials, which states that “classical” herd immunity for COVID “almost certainly is an unattainable goal.” In the article, published March 31 in the Oxford Academic Journal of Infectious Diseases, Fauci and his coauthors suggest rather than reaching this threshold, we will adjust to living with the presence of COVID. This will involve “optimizing population protection without prohibitive restrictions on our daily lives,” the article states.

New COVID variants and their ability to “escape immunity” make achieving herd immunity very difficult. The threshold for herd immunity has been met for both polio
and measles in the U.S., but these viruses have phenotypic stability, meaning they stay
the same, as opposed to COVID.
Herd immunity for the new virus could be “elusive,” the virus experts write, as COVID continually mutates into new variants. These variants are then able to evade immunity that people have otherwise developed thanks to previous infection or vaccination.

If strains continue to mutate and immunity from prior infections and vaccines is only temporary, the viral transmission of COVID could continue indefinitely. According to
the NIAID article, this may be on a “low endemic level,” much like we see with seasonal
flu outbreaks—which actually began with the 1918 pandemic influenza virus.
Like the flu virus, immunity to COVID and other respiratory viruses “is a fluid concept,” these experts say. People can either have durable immunity that fully protects them or immunity that prevents serious disease, but not prevention or transmission to others.

The FDA is also considering updating existing vaccines.
Fauci and his coauthors note the potential of new vaccines to provide immunity against multiple variants. This coincides with a meeting scheduled for April 6, where the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will evaluate the effectiveness of existing COVID vaccines.

According to a briefing from the FDA, they may need to
be updated to protect against new and emerging strains.
“Although a complete understanding of how emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants impact
the effectiveness of current COVID-19 vaccines is lacking, the accumulating data suggest that the composition of vaccines may need to be updated at some point to ensure the high level of efficacy demonstrated in the early vaccine clinical trials,” the briefing reads.
In addition to this, the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will discuss how frequently vaccines need to be evaluated, how to implement a formal process for vaccine strain selection, and the ideal timing for booster doses.

Dr. Fauci Just Warned All Americans “Need to Be Prepared” for This.
WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and President Joe Biden’s sister became the latest Washington figures to test positive for COVID-19, announcements that came Thursday after two cabinet officials and others tested positive the day before.
Pelosi, who is asymptomatic, tested positive on Thursday. She will quarantine, her spokesman announced. “The speaker is fully vaccinated and boosted and is thankful
for the robust protection the vaccine has provided,” said spokesman Drew Hammill. 
Pelosi attended crowded events at the White House Tuesday and Wednesday at which Biden spoke. The White House said Biden’s interactions with Pelosi do not meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of being in close contact. 

Collins tests positive after Supreme Court vote
Collins, one of three Republicans who broke from her party to vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, tested positive late Thursday afternoon. 
Her office said the senator is experiencing mild symptoms and will isolate and work remotely following the diagnosis. 
Collins’ positive test came just hours after she voted for Jackson’s historic nomination. Last week, Senate Judiciary Chair Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., warned reporters that the confirmation wasn’t a done deal until after the vote, because something like a senator testing positive for COVID and being unable to vote could disrupt the process. 
The senator attended the annual Gridiron Dinner on Saturday, as did two cabinet members who have since tested positive. 

Biden tests negative.
Biden was last tested Wednesday, as part of his regular testing regime of a couple times a week, and tested negative, according to the White House. His doctor does not believe it’s necessary for Biden to test daily, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday.  “COVID will continue to be with us,” she said.
“We will see cases rise and fall.” Pelosi is the eighth member of Congress to test positive this week. All of the members were fully vaccinated and boosted. Following Pelosi’s diagnosis, a planned trip by lawmakers to Asia that the speaker was to lead has been postponed. 

Biden’s sister also tests COVID positive.
Valerie Biden Owens tested positive on Wednesday after experiencing mild symptoms,
her publisher said in a statement. Owens had not been in close contact with the president
or first lady, the publisher said. Owens’ memoir, “Growing up Biden,” comes out Tuesday.

The Biden family: A look at who’s who in Joe Biden’s close-knit family tree
`Growing up Biden’: Valerie Biden Owens, Joe’s sister who ran his campaigns,
written memoir

On Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said they had tested positive, as did Vice President Kamala Harris’ communications director Jamal Simmons.
All three had attended the annual Gridiron Dinner Saturday night, which attracts a wide swath of government officials and journalists. Some lawmakers and reporters who were at the dinner have also tested positive.

Pelosi was not at the dinner but her spokesman, Hammill, was. 
Biden did not attend the dinner but spoke Wednesday at an event in a hotel ballroom packed with more than 2,000 union leaders and members,
most of whom were not wearing masks.
He also held a crowded health care event at the White House on Tuesday and hosted lawmakers and others for a bill signing Wednesday. Biden, 79, has been vaccinated,
and he received his first booster shot in September and a second at the end of March.
In addition, the White House had gone beyond CDC’s recommended protocols to protect Biden from the virus. Anyone who meets with the president or is traveling with him is tested first. When possible, Biden is also kept socially distanced from others, according
to Psaki. “We are living with COVID-19,” Psaki said. “We are continuing to fight it.”

More: AG Garland, Commerce Sec Gina Raimondo latest attendees of Washington dinner to test positive for COVID
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Speaker Pelosi, Sen. Collins test positive for COVID-19 as outbreak spreads among officials in DC

Pelosi’s Infection Brings Covid-19 Closer Than Ever to Biden (msn.com)

Which states drink the most beer? Here’s how all 50 states (plus D.C.) rank.

30 Best New Beers Made in America (msn.com)

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Lost Souls

In a world that values logic and rational thinking above all else,
it is little wonder that Liberal mindsets are a lost soul.

A lost soul has become out of touch with their intuition and inner guidance. 
In a world where anything that cannot be measured or tested is dismissed as fake or delusional, this is hardly surprising. We have lost faith in our own abilities to know what we need.
With this disregard of our inner selves, we become too focused on the ego’s desires. We look to the material world to fulfill our needs and solve our problems. But the answers to life’s big question do not lie outside in the world – they lie within.

There are several ways you can tell if you are a lost soul. More importantly, there are
also many ways to get back in touch with your intuition — receive guidance from your 
higher self or soul, and find a way to live your life more joyously.

1. Low mood
Low mood can be a sign of many things from health problems to grief and loss.
However, experiencing a persistent low mood for no apparent reason can be a sign that you are a lost soul. When we are not living our lives in a way that is meaningful to us, we lose energy and enthusiasm.
Our senses become dull and deadened and we feel like there is a heavy cloud above our heads. Serious depression will need professional help, but we can lift our mood with a change of perspective.
When our days feel dark and heavy, a good place to start is just by thinking about the things that bring us joy or used to bring us joy. When we can shift our attention to something light and joyful, even something very small, our perspective is often transformed. We can then build on these light-giving sources.
At first, it might be very hard to focus on what brings us joy, but with practice, it gets easier. The important thing with this exercise is to choose something that genuinely brings you joy and lights you up. Doing something that you feel ‘should’ make you feel happy will not work.
Many people find that picking up a half-forgotten hobby works, others find reading something inspirational does the trick. For some people taking care of a houseplant
or pet lifts their mood.
Starting a gratitude or joy journal and writing down three things each day that bring you joy can also be wonderfully effective. This is a very personal exercise though so experiment to find out what genuinely lifts your mood.

2. Anxiety
Fear is a clear sign that we are not in alignment with our higher selves and are functioning from the ego
The ego is full of fears – fear of not being good enough and fear of not having enough being two that stifle our every move. The ego does not like change; it likes things to stay the same. The ego likes to be in control. The ego wants everything to be exactly as it has decided it should be or it goes into a meltdown. This is what causes much of our anxiety.
When we are upset by circumstances or other people’s behavior, this is the ego trying to control everything. The ego has decided that this ‘shouldn’t’ happen to me, or that a person ‘shouldn’t behave that way.
Our anxiety comes because we cannot control outside circumstances and predict everything that will happen. We do not trust that we can cope with the things that might happen to us and this makes us afraid.

Anxiety is not easy to deal with and as with low mood, it will sometimes require professional help. However, understanding that we can cope with the things that happen to us is a key factor. Our ego is afraid of the world, but our soul is not.
Our higher self understands that nothing out there in the world can really touch our soul or do it any harm. Using techniques to develop our connection with our intuition or higher self can strengthen our feeling of safety in the world. Yoga, meditation, prayer, journaling or painting helps many people.
For others, walking in nature or gardening seems right. Again, you might need to experiment with the ways that help you to rebuild the connection with your soul. 
Avoiding negative people, situations, and news stories as much as possible
can also help to calm our fears and anxieties.

3. Defensiveness
When we live our lives from the place or ego rather than the soul, we find it very hard to take criticism. Any criticism, even the most minor, feels like an attack on the ego. The ego will defend itself against this kind of attack. Our soul does not get defensive. It does not feel the need to defend itself because it is secure in knowing that it is all that it should be.
The higher self or soul knows that we are not separate entities on earth fighting to get a fair share of the pie. The soul knows that we are all part of creation, both the creator and the created. Therefore, seeing another person as an enemy is just a form of self-hate.
If you find yourself very sensitive to criticism or defending yourself often, ask yourself what it is you are defending. Is it your need to be right? Could there be a different way of looking at the situation? Can you see it from the other person’s point of view?
This doesn’t mean that we have to put up with others behaving badly towards us.
But we can deal with any problems that arise without letting the ego get defensive.
Instead, we can ask for what we need from a place of love rather than fear.

4. Closed-mindedness
If we are stuck in one way of thinking and are not open to any other possibility, this can be a sign of being a lost soul. Again, the ego is often responsible for this kind of narrow mindedness. The ego hates to be wrong and hates having to change its mind. It will, therefore, put a lot of energy into proving its opinions are right and will not even consider alternatives.
Unfortunately, much of what the ego believes is not conducive to living a joyful, soulful life. Our education or upbringing may mean we believe in a clockwork universe, or a vengeful God, neither of which will help us be happy.
Learning to be more open-minded can allow all kinds of possibilities in our lives. There are many ways to practice being more open-minded. Choosing different types of books and articles to read or different kinds of people to talk to can begin to help us be more open.
We don’t necessarily have to change our minds, but we need to open them a crack and look around at other possible ways of being and of viewing the world.

5. Feeling stuck
Sometimes, when we are stuck in following the desires of the ego, it can feel like we are running in circles and not getting anywhere. It can feel like no matter how hard we try, we can’t seem to make progress in our lives.
It can also seem like we keep making the same mistakes over and over again. For example, we might try repeatedly to start an exercise regime but never manage to keep it going. Or we may find we embark on the same sort of relationships time and time again, only for them to fail for the same reasons.
When we feel stuck, it can be because of our fear, anxiety, depression, or inability to open our minds, so addressing these issues might naturally lead us to become unstuck.
Some people change their whole lives overnight and that can work, but most of us need to start slowly, making tiny changes and building our confidence. Learning to listen to our intuition and acting on it can help us find the right path to help us become unstuck.

6. You Are a Bastard 
You justify your selfish moods. Anger, depression, anxiety, coldness, over-excitement:
‘It’s your fault,’ you say, ‘or God’s fault,’ or ‘my parent’s fault,’ or ‘the fault of my ‘mental illness’. First rate, top shelf bastardy. You are quite the genius for excuses. You blame everyone and everything but yourself but your cleverest trick of all is to blame yourself; nothing quite gets you off the hook like agreeing. Does being a “bastard” work for success?
My Answer:  Yes, Usually in Corporate America 🙁

Closing thoughts.
Being a lost soul can be terrifying. Many of us have known deep down that something is wrong for years. However, we bury it because we can’t face the changes it indicates we need to make in our lives.
But realizing that we are not living soulful lives is the first step towards creating soulful lives and it’s a journey well worth undertaking. There are many resources to help guide a lost soul back home.
And there are many ways to achieve this, from prayer to shamanism, from yoga, to meditation. And we never have to be alone on our journey. There are others that have trodden the path before us and can guide our way.

Here are 3 signs you may be a lost soul:

1. You feel disconnected from others.
Lost souls feel like it’s them against the world, and feel very threatened by other people. They don’t have much desire to connect with anyone else, and put their walls up anytime someone tries to get too close. They live through their ego, so they cannot offer themselves unconditional love, and therefore, can’t give it to others either. You feel you walk this world alone, and have little to no faith that anyone will understand you. Lost souls take longer to find their true selves than others, so if you feel this way a majority of the time, don’t become discouraged.
Simply go within more, and all the answers will come to you in due time.

2. You fall back into bad habits repeatedly.
Since lost souls feel they have no purpose here on this planet, they use their time to engage in bad habits in order to take their mind off of reality for a while. You might find yourself running back to drugs, alcohol, bad foods, or other harmful substances in an attempt to mask the pain of isolation and confusion you feel, but this will only put a Band-aid over the real problem. Lost souls don’t feel like they even belong on this planet, so they do everything they can to forget about their existence here. However, you need to use all that energy into something more productive and helpful to you, such as creative outlets like drawing or writing. Using toxic substances will only block your energy further, and backfire in the end.

3. You feel you have nowhere left to turn.
Lost souls have searched themselves and this planet far and wide for answers, but still feel stuck in life. They don’t have the motivation to continue looking, and feel any further attempts are futile. Lost souls can easily get sucked back into negative thinking patterns, and would rather stay put in this state of misery than work on creating more positive habits. Lost souls hold onto their pain dearly, because they fear what would happen if they let it go. They feel they would be nothing without their past, and so they cannot venture into the future.

However, a lost soul must understand that in order to thrive on this planet, they must reopen their wounds and truly let them heal this time. Masking the pain will only perpetuate feelings of emptiness and hopelessness, so you must put on a brave face and look your ego in the eye. Tell it that it no longer can hold the reigns, because it doesn’t serve your best interest. The ego thrives on weakness, so if you stand up to it, it knows that you’re the boss. Lost souls give into their egos far too easily, but by doing so, you block out true love. You literally put up a wall that says “Love isn’t welcome here.” And without love, not much can be accomplished, including allowing your highest self to run free at last.

Final Thoughts on Recognizing You Might Be a Lost Soul
While the journey into one’s soul isn’t the easiest or most comfortable thing in the world, you must take the ride to unearth your real self-that’s been hiding behind the mask. Lost souls simply need to be reminded that the persona they’ve shown the world isn’t really them; it’s just their hurt ego putting on a show.

The Main Symptoms of a Lost Soul.
The lost soul is a state in which a person is confused about the way they feel, what
they think, and what they want. It’s a loss in which sadness and anxiety gain strength. 
 A lost soul is one of the concepts most people can sort of understand when they hear about it. Still, it isn’t easy to define it in words, as it’s a bit ambiguous.
Firstly, because the very idea of a” soul” is somewhat vague. In religion, it’s equivalent to an immaterial substance that inhabits the body

However, in colloquial terms, it refers to one’s inner world.
Note that the idea of a lost soul is present in many myths and legends. Generally, it refers to a disembodied spirit, condemned to wander eternally as a result of loss or due to the guilt of an unpaid debt. That’s the equivalent in psychological terms, in one way or another.
Likewise, the concept of a lost soul appears in dissimilar fields, such as psychiatry or shamanism, in addition to psychology. It has similar meanings in all these areas, although, obviously, there are also differences. Continue reading to find out more about it! 
 
“You’re an artist of the spirit. Find yourself and express yourself in your own way. Express your love openly. Life is nothing but a dream.” -Don Miguel Ruiz-

A seemingly upset woman.
The lost soul in psychology.

Even though a lost soul doesn’t have a specific category within psychology (it’s not even a syndrome), it’s still one of those concepts many psychologists use for working with models. People whose soul is lost aren’t exactly depressed or anxious, strictly speaking. However, they have traits that indicate a lack of connection with themselves.

The four basic characteristics of a lost soul are:
They act defensively. In general, these people have deep fears. This makes them put up barriers that keep them from even noticing them. The problem is they don’t know themselves either because said fears permeate everything.
They’re narrow-minded. Lost souls often have unshakable beliefs and ideas. In reality, their values and belief systems are part of their defensive shield, which is why they refuse to revalue them.

They make the same mistakes over and over. 
These types of people find themselves in the same adverse situations time and again.
This is partly the factor that makes them defensive. They feel uprooted.
It’s as if they’re strangers in their own homes. They’re not part of groups of friends nor do they develop an enormous passion for their work or the hobbies they occupy their time in.

The concept of a lost soul in shamanism.
This philosophy doesn’t really subscribe to the concept of lost souls but of the loss of the soul. Yes, it’s sort of a similar concept, though not identical. The latter is more a part of social anxiety disease. It’s often a cultural syndrome.
What characterizes the loss of the soul is the feeling of not being yourself or feeling that parts of you are either dormant or completely lost. As a consequence of this, you also lose your energy and vitality. Likewise, you may experience a strong feeling of emptiness and anxiety that’s almost always accompanied by depression and fatigue. 
 Social anxiety disorder is present in Mexican shamanism.

Some of the symptoms of this condition are:
Feeling blocked.
A feeling of being confused or incomplete.
A disappointment with your life.
Perceiving yourself as a stranger.
Having addictions.
A feeling of darkness.
Withdrawal from others and fear of coming into contact with them.
Constant tiredness.
A thirst for change but their inability to do so.

A concerned man.
Nobody becomes a lost soul or loses their soul for no good reason.

It so happens that, in order to recognize yourself, you initially need someone to recognize you. Someone who can tell you that you’re still there. This is what mothers and other caregivers are supposed to do under normal child development conditions. 
 Unfortunately, it doesn’t always happen. Often, mothers just aren’t there or simply refuse to recognize you because they can’t. It also happens that you experience confusing and painful situations during your childhood and, then, the circumstances are so invasive that they don’t leave room for this self-recognition.
There are many reasons why a person may put a wall between themselves and the rest of the world. However, it’s mainly to avoid being who they are. Under such conditions, the feeling of strangeness arises together with the feeling of not having anywhere to go or wanting to go somewhere sooner or later. They haven’t lost their soul but are mainly keeping it under wraps as a self-imposed defense mechanism.

Starting the path back to yourself is an arduous task, and it’s very common for such a desire to not even be there
In any case, you must know you can undertake such a journey and learn to be who you are. You might need help but it’s definitely doable. Jimmy Kimmel has applauded President Joe Biden for “yukking it up” with a joke at the expense of his White House predecessor, Donald Trump.
During his appearance at North America’s Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, Biden took a swipe at Trump while promoting the White House’s infrastructure plans.
“I mean it’s just so outrageous,” said Biden while standing at the podium,
“That $2 trillion tax cut the last guy.
What was his name? Anyway, the last guy. I forgot.
He never showed up to the inauguration.”
Playing the clip-on ABC‘s Jimmy Kimmel Live hours later, Kimmel linked Biden’s quip, which drew laughs from attendees to former President Barack Obama‘s Tuesday visit to the White House. “Yesterday, Joe welcomed his old boss to the White House and that seems to have lightened his mood,”

Kimmel said, before playing a clip of Biden’s swipe at Trump.
The host went on: “Obama comes back for one day and all of a sudden Biden turns
into Billy Crystal. He’s yukking it up! ‘Please don’t leave, Barack, I hate it here!'”
Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president for two terms from 2009, welcomed the former president into the White House on Tuesday to announce new changes to the Affordable Care Act, also known as ACA or “Obamacare.”
“Feels like the good old days,” Biden said in remarks delivered in
the East Room of the White House. “Brings back so many good memories.”
Obama joked about his reunion with Biden, initially addressing the president as
“Vice President Biden.” The event marked Obama’s first time back at the White House since he left office in 2017. The ACA, Obama’s signature legislation to expand private and public health insurance, had its 12th anniversary last month.

On Tuesday, Biden announced a proposal to expand ACA coverage.
The rule change would allow families to receive financial assistance if the cost of their coverage exceeds more than 10 percent of their incomes.
Fixing the so-called “family glitch” will result in 200,000 uninsured people gaining coverage, a senior Biden administration official told reporters, and increase affordability for roughly one million people.

The “family glitch” exists under current regulations which, according to the White House, define coverage provided by an employer as “affordable” based on the cost of covering the employee only and not their family members.
“Once today’s proposed rule is finalized, starting next year working families in America will get the help they need to afford full family coverage,” Biden said. 
“As a result, families will be saving hundreds of dollars a month.”
Biden also signed an executive order directing agencies to “do everything in their power”
to continue strengthening access to affordable, high-quality health care for illegals. 🙁

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GOD Bless Texas

BREAKING: Texas Governor Greg Abbott Announces He Will
Use Charter Buses to Send Illegal Immigrants to Washington D.C.
By Jim Hoft Published April 6, 2022, at 4:02pm

Texas Governor Greg Abbott will begin to use charter buses to ship illegal immigrants to Washington, D.C., as part of his strategy for the overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants.
Governor Abbott held a press conference today concerning Texas’ border security efforts in response to the Biden admin’s decision to drop Title 42 at the border on May 23.
Joe Biden announced that he plans to drop a Trump-era order blocking asylum seekers
at the U.S. border on May 23. Title 42 was used by President Trump in 2020 to expel migrants seeking asylum during the Covid pandemic.

TRENDING: “Joe Biden Is Now the Most Unpopular Person in Virtually
Any Room He Enters” – Tucker Carlson on Joe Biden’s Basement Level Popularity
According to Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin, Texas Governor Greg Abbott will begin using up to 900 charter buses to ship illegal immigrants to Washington D.C.
“To help local officials whose communities are being overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the Biden administration, Texas is providing charter buses to send these illegal immigrants who have been dropped off by the Biden administration to Washington, DC,” Governor Abbott announced in his press conference.
“We are sending them to the United States Capitol, where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border,” Gov. Abbott continued.
Gov. Abbott also announced to inspect vehicles as they cross the international points of entry into Texas effective immediately as part of his strategy to curtail the flow of drug cartel smuggling, immigrants, and drugs.

“Those two strategies are in addition to announcing the following actions to further
deter illegal immigrants, including deploying boat blockades at appropriate regions in
the Rio Grande River, deploying razor wire at low water crossings in high traffic areas, creating container blockades to drive people away from low water crossings,” Abbott added. “
Additionally, the National Guard will begin its first phase of mass migration rehearsals tomorrow to begin the preparation for what we are anticipating being a potential mass influx of people coming across the border. All troopers and specially trained National Guard will be equipped with riot gear in case of potential caravan violence, like what we have all seen occur in Mexico as the caravans were making their way toward the United States,” Abbott continued. Watch the press briefing below: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
holds a press conference on the state’s border security efforts

I LOVE THIS GOVERNOR!!!
He has more concern for his Texas constituents and the American citizens than
the inept Biden president, and his administration, and democrats in Washington DC.
Sending the illegal crossers to DC. is correct and necessary.
God Bless Governor Abbott and the men and women of “LAW ENFORCEMENT”.

God bless our governor and members of his leadership task force.
I live in Del Rio Texas, and travel on 277 N. to local ranches overseeing property for owners who Do not live here For them. I’m alone and always concerned out in the middle of nowhere of what could possibly happen if I let my guard down. As an American citizen and veteran of the United States Air Force I’m absolutely sick and tired of what this current administration Is doing to our great country and nation.
They took an oath to protect and serve This nation and the American citizen,
they took an oath to uphold the laws and the Constitution of the United States.
Every one of these Democratic Cabinet members in this current administration has failed on every level and broached upon treasonous behavior towards our nation and its citizenry. Instead of sending US troops to Europe they need to be sending them to the border – the main job of the US government is to protect our borders and the people of America.

– CLOSE THE BORDER!!!!!!!

Here are Gov. Greg Abbott’s plans for the Texas border once Title 42 is lifted
by President Biden and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is stepping up his criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies and promises tougher state action to control unauthorized immigration.
Texas will begin putting migrants apprehended at the state’s southern border on charter buses bound for Washington, D.C., once the Biden administration ends the Trump-era policy of expelling asylum seekers next month, Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday.
At a news conference in the border city of Weslaco, Abbott also promised increased military activity among National Guard troops deployed to South Texas that will include putting razor wire in low-water areas of the Rio Grande.
“We are sending them to the United States’ capital, where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border,” Abbott said. Abbott didn’t provide details on how the busing would work or how much it would cost — the nearly 1,800-mile trip from the Rio Grande Valley to Washington takes 26 hours without stopping — but Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said more than 900 buses would be available for the effort.

Neil Young with Willie Nelson – Four Strong Winds.

In a news release sent two hours after the news conference, the governor’s media relations team said the bus trips would be voluntary for “migrants who have been processed and released from federal custody. “Asked about the latest initiatives’ costs, Abbott said they would require “no additional funding.”
But he defended his border expenditures overall. “Securing the board does not come cheap,” he said. A day earlier, the commander of Texas military forces said Abbott’s border security initiative known as Operation Lone Star was running low on money and that an additional $531 million is needed to maintain operations through August. Abbott said the pace of unauthorized migration is likely to accelerate when the policy known as Title 42 is lifted.

“The federal government is planning for up to 18,000 illegal immigrants crossing per day,” Abbott said. “That’s more than a half a million illegal immigrants crossing the border every single month from more than 150 different countries.
“Flanked by Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, National Guard Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer and Chief Kidd, Abbott also said troopers will carry out stepped-up inspections of commercial vehicles crossing into Texas from Mexico. Abbott said further initiatives at the border will be announced next week.
Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Abbott’s Democratic opponent in the November election, dismissed the governor’s latest move as election-year gimmickry. “If Abbott focused on solutions instead of stunts, then Texas could have made some real progress on this issue over the last seven years,” O’Rourke said in an email.
Laredo lawyer Carlos E. Flores, who is part of the No Border Wall Coalition, also criticize Abbott’s latest initiatives.
“Do the communities along the border need resources and assistance to help with the influx of migrants coming in from Latin America? No question about that,” Flores said. “But the governor’s knee-jerk reaction is to take the strongest-sounding, harshest measure that he can come up with.

“What is Title 42?
The name refers to Title 42 of the U.S. Government Code established July 1, 1944, to give federal authorities the power to deny entry of both people and products into the country to limit the spread of a communicable disease. Then-President Donald Trump invoked Title 42 shortly after the coronavirus outbreak to give the government the power to expel asylum seekers before they were given the opportunity to make a case for staying in the country legally. Before the announcement that the policy would end, President Joe Biden had resisted calls from immigrants’ rights groups to reverse Trump’s move and allow asylum seekers to pursue their claims.
More: Biden administration will rescind Trump-era immigration policy expelling migrants at the border. According to the Department of Homeland Security, more than 1 million individuals have been expelled using Title 42. A political wedge. The two-year-old policy has acted as a wedge between immigration hardliner Republicans like Trump and many, but not all, Democrats.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, called the policy “wrongheaded” and said it was “without basis in public health. “Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat who has criticized the policy since it was initiated, said the decision to end it should be coupled with an overhaul of the nation’s approach to immigration.
“Addressing immigration exclusively at our nation’s borders represents a failure of vision and policy,” Escobar said. “Outdated policies and processes harm migrants and asylum-seekers, waste millions of dollars annually, misuse law enforcement personnel, and do not make us more ‘secure.’ Now is the time to reform an outdated and inhumane system.
“Two South Texas congressional Democrats, Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen, last week joined several members of the state’s GOP delegation in Congress in signing a letter urging Biden to leave Title 42 in place. 
More: Texas’ top general says Operation Lone Star needs another $531 million to keep going. Shortly after the Biden administration announced last week it was ending the policy on May 23, Abbott described the move as “recklessness.

“”President Biden has chosen to jeopardize the safety and security of those very Americans he swore to protect and defend by ending Title 42 expulsions,” the governor said in a news release.

Expecting ‘an influx’ in immigration.
As the administration in late March prepared for the lifting of Title 42, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield told reporters “There will be an influx of people to the border” and that officials were “doing a lot of work to plan for that contingency.”

Still, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the shift in policy
will not be an open invitation for baseless asylum claims. “We know that smugglers will spread misinformation to take advantage of vulnerable migrants,” Mayorkas said in the statement. “Let me be clear: Those unable to establish a legal basis to remain in the
United States will be removed.”

John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo.
God Bless Texas (with lyrics) 🙌  

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Democrats look ahead to midterm elections

When former President Barack Obama walks into the White House on Today.

It will be his first time in the building since he welcomed then-President-elect Donald Trump for coffee on the morning of Trump’s inauguration. That friendly greeting at the North Portico — including the awkward handoff of a blue Tiffany’s box the Trumps had brought as a gift — couldn’t foretell the acrimony that would lie ahead, as Trump shattered the relative amity that had once existed between former and current presidents.
Obama’s return to the White House won’t include any of that ugliness.
Instead, he’ll be celebrating one of his signature achievements, the Affordable Care Act, alongside the man who served with him in the building for eight years. President Joe Biden and Obama will announce steps the White House says will make health care
more affordable, including closing a loophole that prevents millions of Americans from qualifying for subsidies.

Still, that it took more than a year for Biden to welcome his former boss to the White House reflects his desire to stake out a presidency of his own, even as the timing of the visit makes clear he is not opposed to seeking help as Democrats brace for a bruising midterm election season.

After two terms working in Obama’s shadow, Biden has strived at moments to differentiate himself from his predecessor, most noticeably on foreign policy. 
Obama has been cognizant of allowing Biden room to govern as his own man.

Right!!

While Obama has occasionally spoken to Biden over the last year, their telephone conversations have been infrequent, according to people close to both men, and they have seen each other only a few times over the last 15 months — despite Obama residing only 10 minutes away from the White House in Washington.
In public, each likes to play up a warm friendship that developed over Obama’s presidency. Biden often slips a reference to “Barack” in his remarks, harkening back to a piece of advice or an inside joke they shared. Sometimes the results are somewhat painful: On “Best Friends Day” in 2019, Biden shared an image of friendship bracelets with “Joe” and “Barack” written in beads.

When Obama visited the White House Today, he joined Biden for lunch in addition to attending the health care event in the Rose Garden. Obama and Biden had lunch together every week when they served in the White House.
“They are real friends, not just Washington friends,” press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. “I’m sure they will talk about events in the world as well as their families and personal lives.”
She said it was “exactly the right time” for Obama to return to the White House after more than five years away.
Still, there have been limits to their friendship. Biden revealed last year that he had been invited into Obama’s private residence only once over their eight years together in the White House. They have vastly different personalities and working styles. And their relationship has been colored by various slights, real or perceived, that still linger.

Obama declined to endorse Biden over other Democrats in the 2020 primary, a step both men insisted was necessary to allow a true contest within the party. Four years earlier, Obama had viewed Hillary Clinton as his Democratic successor instead of Biden, who decided not to run as he grappled with his son’s death.
All that makes Tuesday’s event a significant moment for each man. For Obama, it also marks the beginning of a string of public events, including a keynote speech on disinformation that he’ll deliver at Stanford later this month.

A popular surrogate emerges.

His return to the White House is the first sign of what many Democrats hope will be his increased involvement in the 2022 midterm elections. The former President and former first lady Michelle Obama are two of the most sought-after party leaders — expected to
be in high demand by Senate and House candidates this year.
That could potentially stand in contrast to Biden, whose approval ratings remain near historic lows heading into campaign season. Biden is eager to campaign for Democrats in the coming year, but has also made known he is open to any role his party sees as helpful.
Obama is no stranger to uphill midterm battles; he endured losses in both 2010 and 2014. Yet he left office with an approval rating among the highest for any departing president, and remains popular among Democrats.
The Obamas have not yet determined how visible they intend to be in the fall campaign, but aides say they will both devote time to Democratic efforts to maintain control of the House and Senate.

The decision to have Obama appear alongside Biden at the White House this week was designed to shine a brighter light on one of the often-overlooked achievements of the Biden administration: strengthening the Affordable Care Act.
It’s reminiscent of former President Bill Clinton coming to the White House to help explain the economic efforts employed by Obama during the fiscal crisis in the early years of his tenure. That appearance, in 2010, was remembered principally for Clinton holding court from the briefing room podium for half an hour — long after Obama had exited the room.
The health care law remains one of the lasting legacies of the Obama administration. When it passed, Biden made one of his most infamous asides when he whispered to Obama that it was a “big f**king deal.”
It’s no small irony that the messy health care fight — one of the central reasons Democrats lost control of Congress on Obama’s watch more than a decade ago — ended in a law now seen as broadly popular with Americans. Republicans have all but dropped their efforts to repeal and replace it after failing to do so for years.

Obama has remained engaged on the law since leaving office, taping videos encouraging Americans to enroll and breaking a near-silence on political issues to criticize Republicans for attempting to undermine it. He and Biden appeared in a video together last August encouraging Americans to sign up, one of their only joint appearances since Biden took office.
“We’re going to get even more people covered in the years to come under your guidance,” Obama told Biden in the video. “Love you, man.” Signing off, as Obama told Biden he was proud of him, the sitting President said to expect him to stay in touch. “I’m still going to call you for advice,” Biden said.

Obama’s visit to the White House Today will not be his last.
Plans have been underway for months for the formal unveiling of his portrait — a presidential rite of passage that was disrupted during the Trump administration and delayed during the first year of the Biden administration, when the Covid-19 pandemic limited such events at the White House.

Watch Live: Obama returns to White House for health care event with Biden – CBS News
Washington — Former President Barack Obama is returning to the White House for the first time since leaving office for an event marking the 12th anniversary of his signature healthcare law as the Biden administration takes steps aimed at lowering costs for families seeking coverage.
Obama will appear with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday and deliver remarks about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which he signed into law in 2010. The law, also known as Obamacare, expanded access to health insurance for millions of Americans. The event coincides with new actions the Biden administration announced to fix what’s become known as the “family glitch” in the ACA. 
Under current law, families are only eligible for health insurance through the ACA’s marketplace if they would be forced to spend more than about 10% of their income on coverage through their employer or other programs. But if an employee’s cost exceeds 10% when family members are added to an insurance plan, the family is still viewed as having affordable coverage and ineligible for subsidized coverage under the ACA.

A new rule proposed by the Treasury Department would enable family members who must pay more than 10% of their income for health care coverage to get financial help, according to a senior Biden administration official. 
“As a result, 200,000 uninsured people are expected to gain coverage and nearly a million more are expected to see lower premiums every day,” the official told reporters on a background call.
The rule wouldn’t go into effect until January 2023, and the official couldn’t say how much it will cost the government to fix the so-called “family glitch” or how the government would pay for it. According to the official, Mr. Biden will sign an executive order directing agencies to do everything within their power to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. 
Enrollment in ACA-subsidized plans spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a record 14.5 million Americans signing up for coverage in 2021. But more generous financial aid for coverage that was included in COVID-19 relief bills is set to expire by the end of this year, and Mr. Biden’s efforts to boost coverage through his social spending legislation have stalled in Congress.

OBAMACARE EXPANSION THROUGH “COVID RELIEF”

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Democrats’ partisan $2 trillion “COVID emergency” law included significant expansions of the Affordable Care Act.
It raises subsidies for people who are currently eligible and adds payoffs for higher-income people Obamacare originally deemed too wealthy. Democrats are likely to try to make these temporary policy changes permanent, moving them a step closer to their goal of a single, government-run health care system for all Americans. 

The so-called American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law on March 11, included a sweeping expansion of the Affordable Care Act. President Biden campaigned on his plan to expand the Affordable Care Act and Democrats used the pandemic as an opportunity to include several provisions to get more people into the government-run system. The changes are temporary – lasting two years – and the Democrats are likely to try to make them permanent.

COST OF PREMIUM TAX CREDIT INCREASE.
ACA Provisions
Democrats’ partisan, $2 trillion plan extends ACA subsidies.

In the form of premium tax credits, to higher-income people who did not previously qualify for them; it increases subsidies for people who already qualified; and it waives
the requirement that people who miscalculated their income in 2020 repay premium subsidies they got improperly.

LAVISH NEW SUBSIDIES
The law substantially increases government aid for people who are already eligible for subsidies, reducing the amount of their income people must pay toward their premiums. Previously, people with an income between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level were required to spend as much as 4.14% of their income on their Obamacare premiums for a silver level plan, with the federal government paying anything above that number. Under Democrats’ new law, these people pay nothing for a silver level plan – their entire premium is paid by taxpayers.
Through the end of 2022, the law also subsidizes health insurance for people at any income level, not just those with lower incomes. Under the previous rules, people earning more than 400% of the poverty level were not eligible for a subsidy at all. Under the new structure, those people would never have to pay more than 8.5% of their income for premiums for a silver plan, no matter how much they earn. Contrary to Democrats’ marketing of their law as COVID relief, the more generous subsidies also have no requirement that a recipient’s income was affected at all by the pandemic shutdowns.

EXPANDED SUBSIDIES TO HIGHER INCOME EARNERS.

PTC Increase
The Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation.

Estimate expanding premium assistance for just these two years will increase federal deficits by $34.2 billion between now and 2030. Today there are 9 million people eligible for the premium tax credits. CBO predicts it will increase the insured by only 800,000 people in 2021, and 1.3 million people in 2022, when the provision will be in effect for the full calendar year.
According to one analysis, on an annualized basis this equals about $17,000 per newly insured person. About 40% of them will have incomes above 400% of the poverty level. These higher earners will receive the greatest benefit from the law’s changes.
For example, a typical family of four making $106,265 – 401% of the poverty level –
could now get $9,763 in premium tax credits, whereas before they got $0.
A single 60-year-old man earning $70,840 would not have gotten a subsidy before, but now he can collect a premium tax credit of more than $5,000. Because Obamacare plans can be so expensive, the study found “a 64-year-old couple in Kay County, Oklahoma, earning $500,000 per year, which faces a benchmark premium of $49,897 a year, would qualify for a PTC of $5,946.” 

NO REQUIREMENT TO PAY BACK SUBSIDIES.
Under the ACA, people get premium tax credit subsidies based on what they estimate their income will be for the year. These credits are paid monthly, in advance. The idea was that recipients would later reconcile their predicted income with what they actually earned and report on their taxes the next year. If people estimated wrong and got a subsidy to which they were not entitled, they were required to pay some or all of the excess back to the IRS. Democrats have now removed this requirement for the 2020 tax year. CBO’s analysis of the ACA components of the Democrats’ bill estimates this provision will cost $6.3 billion. More oversight and accountability of funds is needed, not less; and Democrats have given no indication these policies are intended to remain temporary.

See the source image
Obama Touts Health Care Law, Calls It ‘High Point’ of Tenure.
Addresses Biden as My President 🙁

Biden and Obama are marking the 12th anniversary of the law that back in
2010 the then-vice president had memorably called a “big (expletive) deal”.
By Zeke Miller and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar • Published April 5, 2022

President Barack Obama returned to the White House on Tuesday to savor the 12th anniversary of his signature Affordable Care Act, which is now part of the fabric of the American health care system and whose reach President Joe Biden is looking to extend.
Sign-ups under the health law have increased under Biden’s stewardship, and more generous taxpayer subsidies have cut costs for enrollees, albeit temporarily.
Obama’s last time in the mansion was Jan. 20, 2017, when he left to escort his successor,
a president-elect bent on overturning “Obamacare,” to the Capitol to be inauguration.

“It’s good to be back in the White House.
It’s been a while,” Obama said in the East Room after he was introduced by Vice President Kamala Harris. He opened by referring to Biden as “vice president” before acknowledging the joke and embracing his former No. 2.
Obama said he and Biden accomplished “a lot” in their eight years as stewards of the country, but “nothing made me prouder than providing better health care and more protections to millions of people across this country.”
“The ACA was an example of why you run for office in the first place,” Obama said,
calling it the “high point of my time here.”
Biden and Obama marked the 12th anniversary of the law, which back in 2010 the then-vice president had memorably called a “big (expletive) deal.” Its staying power has been enhanced by three Supreme Court victories and an emphatic thumbs-down vote by the
late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., which took the wind out of President Donald Trump’s
efforts to repeal and replace it. 
The law was such a bugaboo in 2010 that Democrats rarely invoked it as they went into
a midterm election that turned out to be, in Obama’s own words, a “shellacking.”
Now, Democrats are hoping the political equation will work to their advantage, and that a focus on shoring up the tween-age health law can help them avoid a debacle at the polls this November.

In addition to talking about health care at the White House, Biden and Obama met over lunch, recalling their weekly ritual when Biden served as Obama’s vice president. “They are real friends, not just Washington friends,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Affordable Care Act, also commonly known as Obamacare. This is the third time law has survived a conservative challenge heard by the Supreme Court.
Vice President Kamala Harris called on Congress to allow Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and to make permanent subsidies for the Affordable Care Act that were included in Biden’s pandemic relief bill. Harris also called out 12 states that have not expanded eligibility for Medicaid.
Obama likes to refer to his health care law as a “starter home” that Americans can build upon, gradually reducing the 9% share of the population that remains uninsured. The rate was nearly 15% in 2013, before the coverage provisions of the law took effect. Between the health law’s Medicaid expansion and its health insurance markets, more than 30 million people are now estimated to be getting coverage.

Shortly after taking office, Biden opened up the health insurance markets to anyone seeking coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, and his coronavirus relief bill provided a significant, though temporary, increase in financial assistance. The result was a record 14.5 million people signed up for subsidized private coverage.
When it comes to how to keep that trend going, Obama and Biden have no shortage of options to discuss.

Biden administration has been working on a fix to what’s known as the family glitch,
A quirk estimated to be keeping about 5 million people from getting coverage under the law. The White House announced the new policy proposal Tuesday. People tripped up by the family glitch are dependents of workers who have an offer of employer coverage that the government interprets as being affordable. As a rule, people with affordable employer coverage are not eligible for taxpayer-subsidized ACA plans.

But the issue with the current interpretation is that affordability is determined
by the cost for employee-only coverage, and not more expensive family policies.
Workers able to afford their own share may not be able to cover premiums for the
entire family. So, the family is cut out of ACA coverage.
A Biden administration regulation addressing the issue recently cleared White House review. The intent of the original policy was to prevent people with employer coverage from going into the health law’s subsidized markets, but advocates say it has proven too restrictive. The White House estimates that the fix would help 200,000 people get insurance and bring costs down for nearly 1 million more.

There are more fundamental issues for the two presidents to consider as well, both policy-wise and politically.
Unless Democrats in Congress finally coalesce around a version of Biden’s social legislation, his enhanced financial assistance for millions purchasing ACA plans will expire at the end of this year. A return to higher premiums would likely trigger an increase in the number of uninsured people, a political embarrassment for Democrats committed to expanding coverage.
The Biden legislation, which passed the House but sputtered in the Senate, also includes a mechanism for providing coverage to as many as 4 million uninsured low-income adults in states that have refused the health law’s Medicaid expansion. It would deliver on Biden’s campaign promise to build on existing government programs to move the U.S. closer to coverage for all. 
 
OBAMACARE EXPANSION THROUGH “COVID RELIEF”KEY TAKEAWAYS
Democrats’ partisan $2 trillion “COVID emergency” law included significant expansions
of the Affordable Care Act. What Happens if You Overestimate Your ACA Subsidy?
– HealthCare.com (healthcareinsider.com)

It raises subsidies for people who are currently eligible and adds payoffs for higher-
income people Obamacare originally deemed too wealthy. Democrats are likely to
try to make these temporary policy changes permanent, moving them a step closer
to their goal of a single, government-run health care system for all Americans.

See the source image
You don’t fix a problem by throwing money at it. 
My Response to Mr. Robert Miller.

The Big Lie: Biden’s new budget includes massive tax hike on workers (msn.com)
When it comes to health care you attack the root cause which is the cost to the providers. Good Samaritan Hospital closed its doors on the West Side of Dayton because of Obamacare. Those patients that weren’t paying bills. All that Obamacare did was increase insurance premiums. Doctors today pay $350,000 for their education and that’s bullshit. What needs to be done is strike a balance in health care through enrollment fees. Where everybody pays and I mean everybody a percentage of their income. That money then should subsidize health care for their expenses and not go into a politician’s pocket. That’s true Universal Health Care Coverage!!!

Keyword on Microsoft Bing — Biden increased the Cost of Insulin. Biden froze Trump’s order so he can now take credit for a $35 cap. Also, If Bill Gates had listened to scientists our weather patterns today. Would not be so extreme. Bing: Bill Gates didn’t Listen to Scientists about ChemtrailsChemtrail Conspiracy and The chemicals listed in those trails and the impact they have on our environment. Biden is pretending to be God, he wants to fix our climate which is a hoax. Many politicians own mansions on the coast. 

Bing: Does Al Gore own ocean front property?  
Al Gore got all that Bullshit started with his documentary: An Inconvenient Truth in 2006 and one nation under God can’t fix a climate if all other countries are unwilling. The United States is a small percentage of the big picture. As far as your statement about water safety in the United States  Most life-threatening waterborne diseases caused by microbes (such as typhoid fever or cholera) are rare in the United States (chlorine in water is a more alarming safety factor to the pineal gland than poor water quality.)
On January 6th: 700 patriots were arrested out of the 10s of 1000s which were there. 
A big percentage for holding a camera and taking pictures. Your comment about the Proud Boys, the Oaths Keepers, the 3 percenters doesn’t concern me. As much as Antifa which is an Obama and his Brother Hooded funded organization. BLM is a marxist group. Bing: Obama is a Marxist and a member of the Muslim brotherhood. In 2020, Kamala Harris was bailing rioters burning our cities out of jail the next day after being arrested. 

One last Tidbit: Biden can’t be helping poverty rates with gas prices and inflation rates spinning out of control. Bing: Bidens tax Increase for the Middle to Working Class. 
(he’s lying about that as well.)
And Bing: Maria Piacesi was only eight when she met Joe Biden in 2015, while she was with her Uncle — Senator Steve Daines and his wife, in a highly publicized video,  
Explain That One? 
Lastly Bing: Clinton Foundation is a Hedge Fund, The Biden Crime Family and also 
The Pelosi Crime Family which stems from the Baltimore Mafia. GOD Bless America…
Watch Live: Obama returns to White House for health care event with Biden.
Why Do I Owe Back Subsidies After Getting a Job? (obamacarefacts.com)


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Cannabis Science

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

How Long Does Marijuana Stay In Your System? 

When we smoke or ingest cannabis, those unique plant compounds interact with
our bodies. This interaction is the sole reason humans have turned to cannabis over
the centuries for religious purposes, relaxation, pain relief, and recreation.
This interaction also explains why cannabinoids and their byproducts remain
detectable in the body and in many cases remain well after the buzz wears off. 

In order to address the question, “How long does marijuana stay in your system?”

We must first focus our attention on THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol,
the intoxicating cannabinoid known for creating euphoric, stoned effects.
Other compounds stick around, too. But because THC remains federally illegal in
the US, cannabis drug tests often exclusively screen for THC and THC metabolites,
or byproducts that are produced when THC is broken down in the body. 
After smoking weed, cannabinoids and their byproducts remain detectable in the body, and in many cases remain well after the buzz wears off. 

How does cannabis travel through the body?
To fully understand how long weed could stay in your system, it’s important to establish how THC travels through and interacts with the human body. When cannabis is smoked or vaporized, THC enters the bloodstream through the lungs. From there, it is carried in the bloodstream directly to the heart and pumped throughout the body where it binds to the CB1 receptors located in the brain, certain organs, and central nervous system, as well as the CB2 receptors in the spleen and immune system. These receptors are part of the endocannabinoid system.
As blood circulates throughout the body, THC is continuously passed through the liver and broken down into metabolites. To detect the presence of cannabis in the body, most drug screening methods look for one metabolite called 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC, or THC-COOH. 

This inactive metabolite of THC, which is stored in body fat and gradually eliminated through urine and feces, remains in the body for far longer than active THC.
That’s why so many marijuana detox drinks and kits claim to eliminate or mask the presence of THC metabolites. 
The process is slightly different when cannabis is consumed in the form of an edible or capsule. When taken orally, THC enters the bloodstream through the walls of the stomach and intestines, traveling directly to the liver where a large amount is eliminated or metabolized. The remaining THC and THC metabolites are then circulated by the heart and sent to the brain.  Marijuana Can Cause This Scary Side Effect, Study Suggests.

How long does marijuana stay in your system?
 How long does marijuana stay in your system?  
© Provided by Benzinga

One study claims that THC is detectable in blood for about five hours, but the THC metabolite THC-COOH has a detection time of up to 25 days. Key factors that influence how long weed stays in your system. There are a variety of factors that might affect the amount of time that THC will stay in your system. 

Dosage
The larger the amount of THC consumed, the longer it will take the body to break down and work through it and its corresponding metabolites. 

Frequency of marijuana use
The overall duration and frequency of use have a substantial influence on the length of time that weed will stay in your system. Most research on cannabinoid detection demonstrates that THC stays in the system of chronic users far longer than one-time or even occasional users. Long-term, high-frequency cannabis use is also a notable risk factor in developing cannabis withdrawal symptoms.  

Genetics
Genetics also affect the length of time that THC remains in the system.
For instance, people inherit different variants of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes, which modify THC levels in the body, resulting in its elimination through the urine.  

Fat
The amount of fat in the body is also a significant factor. The metabolite THC-COOH is fat-soluble and binds to fat molecules, where it can be stored for a lengthy period of time. In the same vein, exercise can also impact the levels of detectable THC metabolites. When fat is burned, dormant THC from fat can be released into the blood and excreted from the body in urine or feces. 

Metabolism  
A body with higher metabolic functions can break down cannabinoids at a faster rate, shortening the length of time that THC and its metabolites will remain detectable in the body. 

How Long Does Marijuana Stay In Your System?
A body with higher metabolic functions can break down cannabinoids at a faster rate. 

How long does weed stay in your system?
There’s no universal standard for how long weed stays in anyone’s system because it depends on too many variables. THC and its metabolites can be detected in blood, urine, saliva, and hair. But existing research allows us to gain a better understanding and make well-educated estimates for various systems.
 
How long does weed stay in your blood?
Upon inhalation, active THC can be found in the bloodstream within a matter of
seconds and can be detected in plasma for several hours, depending on the frequency of use and dosage. According to a 2004 review published in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, the plasma concentration of THC peaks just three to eight minutes after inhalation and then decreases quickly with a half-life of about 30 minutes. The study claims that THC
is detectable in blood for about five hours, but the THC metabolite THC-COOH has a detection time of up to 25 days. 

In a 2009 study published in the journal Addiction, 
researchers monitored cannabinoid concentrations in the blood of 25 frequent cannabis users. During seven days of abstinence from cannabis use, nine subjects, or 36%, had no measurable THC in their system, while the other 16 still had at least one positive THC test over the same timeframe.
After the weeklong period ended, six of the subjects still had detectable THC concentrations and all subjects had measurable levels of the metabolite THC-COOH. 
So, while the active form of THC doesn’t remain in your bloodstream for an extended period of time, THC metabolites can still be found in the body several weeks after use.

How long does weed stay in your urine?
Recognized as the preferred method for cannabis drug testing, urine screenings
are often used as a benchmark to detect for cannabis use.
Most urine tests utilize a specific sensitivity for the cutoff concentration of THC-COOH. The most common cutoff concentration point is 50 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), as suggested by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
A 2005 review published by the National Drug Court Institute states that THC detection times rarely exceeded 30 days. The study aims to provide “practical cannabinoid detection guidance,” despite the many factors that influence how long weed stays in the system.

Using the recommended cutoff concentration point of 50 ng/mL, the study suggests that a chronic cannabis user is unlikely to have detectable THC metabolites in their urine longer than 10 days after the most recent smoking session. At the lower, more sensitive 20 ng/mL cutoff concentration point, however, the metabolites in chronic cannabis users could be detected for up to 21 days after consumption, and possibly longer in some rare instances. For one-time users, however, the same study found that even with the more stringent 20 ng/mL cutoff concentration point, it would be unlikely for a drug screening to detect THC metabolites in urine after seven days.
According to a May 2017 review published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, weed can be detected in urine for up to three days in occasional users, five to seven days in moderate users, 10 to 15 days in daily users, and more than 30 days for chronic users who consume multiple times a day.  

How long does weed stay in your saliva?
THC and its metabolites can also be detected in the saliva of occasional and chronic
users. A 2014 study published in Drug Testing and Analysis looked at cannabinoids in oral fluid and found that THC metabolites were detectable in the saliva of occasional users for one to three days and chronic users for up to 29 days. 

How long does weed stay in your hair?
There is mounting evidence that hair follicle drug testing methods are not able to accurately detect marijuana, as research published in Scientific Reports suggests
that the presence of THC and THC metabolites can be transferred to the hair follicles 
of non-users through contact with hands, sweat, or exhaled smoke. 

For example, if someone smokes a joint and exhales near someone who doesn’t
consume cannabis, THC can be transferred to the non-smoker’s head or body hair.
The same Scientific Reports study found that, after giving participants 50 milligrams
of THCA every day for one month, no THC was found in the hair specimen samples,
but THC-COOH was still detected. As for the detection period, the hair follicle drug
test timeline is much broader than with urine and blood tests, sometimes detecting
the presence of THC up to 90 days after use.

On the other hand, a 2017 study published in Drug and Alcohol Review analyzed hair samples collected from 136 subjects and found detectable levels of THC in 77% of chronic users, 39% of light users, and in zero non-users, showing that the chance of having THC found in hair samples grows significantly with increased frequency of use. While the authors of the study stated that hair analysis is a viable method for detecting cannabis consumption, they acknowledged that it’s unreliable for detecting light cannabis use.

READ MoreSearch Results for Cannabis Oil | Cancer Quick Facts (solitarius.org)
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15,355 days

Mickie (left) and Mike ride off postgame on a golf cart. 
© Provided by Sports Illustrated

With a Torch Passed and Destiny Denied, 
Mike Krzyzewski Rides into the Sunset Pat Forde- Brynn Anderson/AP
His arrival at this moment, this opportunity has been an exercise in patience and perseverance because, in this day and age of the NCAA Transfer Portal
offering the fastest path to a fresh start, Coach K has stayed the course.

Duke basketball: Why is Coach K limping?

When was Mike Krzyzewski’s first game as Duke coach?
March 18, 1980 — Mike Krzyzewski is introduced as Duke’s head basketball coach.
Nov. 29, 1980 — Krzyzewski wins his first game as Duke’s coach, 67-49 over Stetson.
Jan. 21, 1981 — A 56-47 win at N.C. State gives Krzyzewski his first victory against
ACC competition. There were 15,356 days between March 18, 1980, to April 2, 2022.

Michael William Krzyzewski (/ʃɪˈʒɛfski/ shih-ZHEF-skee;[1] nicknamed “Coach K“; born February 13, 1947) is an American former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at Duke University from 1980 to 2022, during which he led the Blue Devils to five national titles, 13 Final Fours, 15 ACC tournament championships, and 13 ACC regular season titles. Among men’s college basketball coaches, only UCLA‘s John Wooden has won more NCAA championships, with a total of ten. Krzyzewski is widely regarded as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time.[2][3][4]
Krzyzewski has also coached the United States national team, which he has led to three gold medals at the 20082012, and 2016 Olympics. He was the head coach of the U.S. team that won gold medals at the 2010 and the 2014 FIBA World Cup, and an assistant coach for the “Dream Team” at the 1992 Olympics.

Krzyzewski was a point guard at Army from 1966 to 1969 under coach Bob Knight.
From 1975 to 1980, he was the head coach for his alma mater.[5] He is a two-time
inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in 2001 for his individual coaching career and in 2010 as part of the collective induction of the “Dream Team.”[6] 
He was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009 (with the “Dream Team”).[6]
On November 15, 2011, Krzyzewski led Duke to a 74–69 victory over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden to become the coach with the most wins in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history. Krzyzewski’s 903rd victory set a new record,
breaking that held by his former coach, Bob Knight.
On January 25, 2015, Duke defeated St. John’s, 77–68, at Madison Square Garden,
as Krzyzewski also became the first Division I men’s coach to reach 1,000 wins.[7]
On June 2, 2021, Krzyzewski announced that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2021–22 season.[8] He reached the NCAA Final Four in his final game, losing a semifinal to the University of North Carolina 81-77.

Head coaching record
Overall
1,202–368 (.766)
Tournaments
101–30 (NCAA Division I)
2–2 (NIT

Championships
NCAA Tournament (19911992200120102015)
13 NCAA Regional – Final Four (1986, 1988–1992, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015, 2022)
15 ACC Tournament (1986, 1988, 1992, 1999–2003, 2005, 2006, 2009–2011, 2017, 2019)
13 ACC regular season (1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997–2001, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2022)
Awards
3× Naismith College Coach of the Year (1989, 1992, 1999)
5× ACC Coach of the Year (1984, 1986, 1997, 1999, 2000)
NABC Coach of the Year (1991)
Clair Bee Coach of the Year (2004)
UPI Coach of the Year (1986)

Coach K’s last game: Mike Krzyzewski’s we’ll never see another like him again – CBSSports.com

NEW ORLEANS — There was no Hollywood ending for Krzyzewski, whose career clock ran out to give rise to a new king of Tobacco Road.   The last Duke shot had caromed off the rim, the rebound cradled by North Carolina. It was, suddenly and swiftly, over. As the Tar Heels launched into celebratory orbit, bounding all over the Caesars Superdome court, Mike Krzyzewski folded his arms across his chest and waited for the final horn to signal the end of his life’s work.

The 75-year-old legend stood and made his way toward triumphant Carolina coach Hubert Davis. They shook hands, and Krzyzewski offered the congratulations he’d received from losing coaches 1,129 times—more than any men’s basketball coach in NCAA Division I history. Davis is exactly 1,100 career victories behind Coach K, but in that postgame handshake the torch was passed. There’s a new king of Tobacco Road now.
As the Heels rejoiced, the Blue Devils left the court in emotional shambles. They had participated in a brilliant contest, one of the best in Final Four history, but there was no consolation in that after an 81–77 defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals. Center Mark Williams, who had played just 16 minutes due to foul trouble and missed two huge free throws in the final minute, tugged his white jersey up over his eyes. Guard Trevor Keels, who scored 19 points, walked just out of public viewing in the tunnel to the locker room and doubled over sobbing.
The players walked past Mickie Krzyzewski, Mike’s wife, as she stood still as a statue, facing the court, a stricken look on her face. Mike did a short interview with CBS’s Tracy Wolfson, then walked off and met Mickie. This had been the familiar scene as Duke reeled off four NCAA tournament victories, walking off together as Coach K’s career kept being extended, round by round. The last walk was somber, her left hand in his right, as they followed the players to the locker room.

Coach Krzyzewski had seen a lot of playing and coaching careers end in this glorious but ruthless tournament throughout 47 years as a college basketball head coach, 42 of them at Duke. Now it was his turn.
Then the Heels exited the court through the same tunnel, their locker room across the hall from Duke’s, the emotions diametrically opposed. Boisterous, exuberant, they almost floated. Guard RJ Davis and forward Brady Manek came up the ramp with their arms wrapped around each other, faces beaming. Davis was less outwardly giddy, but he did smile and point at someone as he walked by.
This game will be remembered forever on Tobacco Road, and in any other locale where college basketball matters. “I think it reached a level that you would expect,” Krzyzewski said. “Those kids from both teams played their hearts out. I mean, the crowd was standing most of the game, I think. It was a heck of a game.”
Indeed, it was an instant classic, 40 minutes of either held breath or dropped jaws depending on the moment. The hype for this first-ever Duke-Carolina matchup in the tournament had been immense, and then the actual play exceeded it.

Neither team ever led by more than seven points. Every mini-run was answered by another mini-run. Davis was wildly animated coaching his team, while Krzyzewski was more reserved while directing his team from a stool on the elevated court.
There were soaring dunks and spectacular streaks of shot-making, including a late spate
of three three-pointers in a span of 46 seconds—with the lead changing hands on each of them. Then Carolina gunner Caleb Love closed the thing down with a three at the 28-second mark, giving his team enough points to win.
The final score was a near-identical callback to the other all-time classic Final Four semifinal Krzyzewski coached, but that time his team was on the winning side: Duke 79, UNLV 77, in 1991. He would go on to win his first of five national championships two days later, over Kansas. The perfect ending to his extraordinary career would have been title No. 6, of course, but sports defies scripting. Carolina wasn’t here to cooperate with a feel-good plotline, just as it failed to submit in Krzyzewski’s final home game four weeks ago.

Caleb Love acrobatically scores two of his 28 points on Saturday. Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports
Caleb Love acrobatically scores two of his 28 points on Saturday.
© Provided by Sports Illustrated

Krzyzewski wasn’t overly emotional postgame. There were no public tears from him. 
He was focused on gratitude to his players, and was appreciative of the nobility of great athletic competition.
“I’ll be fine,” K said. “I’ve been blessed to be in the arena. And when you’re in the arena, you’re either going to come out feeling great or you’re going to feel agony, but you always will feel great about being in the arena. “And I’m sure that that’s the thing when I’ll look back that I’ll miss. I won’t be in the arena anymore. But, damn, I was in the arena for a long time. And these kids made my last time in the arena an amazing one.”

This Duke team had played some exalted basketball in the NCAA tournament, rebounding impressively from the loss to Carolina in Cameron and an upset in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament final against Virginia Tech. After rolling past Cal State–Fullerton in the opening round, the Devils rallied from a late, five-point deficit to defeat Michigan State. Then they put together a dazzling late offensive stretch in the Sweet 16 to defeat Texas Tech and its No. 1 ranked defense. K’s last win was over Arkansas,
sending him to a record 13th Final Four.

“How these guys turned it around after we didn’t play well … was really one of the best things that’s happened for me as a coach in the last five, six years,” Krzyzewski said.
Leaving San Francisco after defeating Arkansas and headed to New Orleans, the stars seemed to have aligned for the Hollywood ending. Krzyzewski’s retirement, announced last June, had been a dominant storyline all season that took on increasing magnitude come March. The tension of a single-elimination tourney meant that every time Duke played, it could be K’s last game. And then his team kept on winning, extending his career, pumping oxygen into the hope that he would go out a champion.

“Smells like destiny,” former Duke great Grant Hill had said the day the Devils won the West Region.
But now the Tobacco Road team of destiny wears powder blue, not royal blue. A dozen games removed from an embarrassing home loss to Pittsburgh that threatened to knock the Heels out of NCAA tournament consideration, Carolina now is the first No. 8 seed to make the championship game in eight years.
The postgame pace of movement in the Superdome hallways was a study in contrast.
The Heels were in a hurry, happy to get to the interview room and talk about their biggest win ever over Duke, then briskly preparing to leave the building. There is one more game to rest up for, Monday night against Kansas, as Carolina tries to win its most improbable national title yet. For Duke, there was no urgency. It’s the offseason now.
After North Carolina’s press conference ended, Davis boarded a golf cart headed back to the locker room. Krzyzewski was on one headed the other way, toward the interview room. Two carts passing in the night, carrying a coach on the ascent in his career and one who had reached the end.

Davis (right) has been on the winning side twice out of his three games against Duke. David J. Phillip/AP
Davis (right) has been on the winning side twice out of his three games against Duke.
© David J. Phillip/AP

After the Duke press conference ended, Blue Devils Paolo Banchero, Keels and Wendell Moore Jr. got back on a cart for the ride to the locker room. Keels and Moore hung their heads. Banchero put his left hand on his forehead, the embodiment of tourney heartbreak.
Their coach came out a few minutes later and again climbed onto the back of the cart next to Mickie. Looking up, he saw a phalanx of media members taking pictures of the scene. Always possessing a quick wit, K said to the assemblage of reporters and photographers, “Maybe you can superimpose a sunset.”
The cart whisked Krzyzewski’s back to the locker room, where preparations were underway to head back to the team hotel. Golf carts kept rolling from the locker room to the loading dock, where tired Superdome employees were making their way out after a long day. The area smelled like stale beer and bus exhaust.
At 11:40 p.m., Krzyzewski and Mickie left on the 10th golf cart making trips from the locker room to the bus.
At 11:43, he climbed aboard the bus and sat next to his wife in the second row. He rubbed his face with his left hand, folded his arms across his chest, then stood up and went back a few rows to address his players one more time.
Outside the bus, a security guard signaled to the police motorcycle escort to start their engines and turn on their flashing lights. They took the lead and the Duke bus followed, driving off into the warm and breezy Louisiana night. Their time in this tournament was done. Mike Krzyzewski had left the building. Left the sport.
Left the sport at Duke and beyond better than he found it.

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Jon Scheyer is set to take over head coaching duties next season.

Photos: Meet the Wife Of Duke Coach Jon Scheyer
Caleb Love Hits The Dagger For UNC – Search (bing.com)
North Carolina defeats Duke in Final Four – Search (bing.com)
Mike Krzyzewski Is Proud of His Duke Team – Search (bing.com)
Video: Controversial Foul Called In Duke vs. UNC Tonight (msn.com)
Duke’s Scheyer ready for program’s ‘pivotal’ coaching change (msn.com)
Krzyzewski K-O’d: North Carolina takes out coach, Duke 81-77 (msn.com)
PHOTO GALLERY: Tar Heels take down Duke to advance to title game (msn.com)
UNC coach Hubert Davis greets Coach K’s wife in viral moment – Sports Illustrated
Coach K threw Mark Williams under the bus after missing critical free throws (msn.com)
March Sadness: The agony of defeat in the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament.
Mike Krzyzewski got emotional as his family and players paid tribute in incredible video (msn.com)
Watch: Coach K walks off court one last time, delivers final press conference as Duke coach (msn.com)
Mike Krzyzewski’s final game as Duke coach: North Carolina defeats Blue Devils in Final Four (msn.com)
Listen to thrilling North Carolina radio call of Caleb Love’s clutch 3 that eventually took down Duke (msn.com)
Several people injured during celebrations in Chapel Hill following UNC’s Final Four win over Duke (msn.com)
WATCH: North Carolina fans storm court at Dean Smith Center after 2022 Final Four win over Duke (msn.com)
Caleb Love’s Dagger Three Helps UNC Down Duke in Instant Classic, Send Coach K Into Retirement (msn.com)
UNC sends Coach K packing, wins Final Four game and owns rivalry bragging rights forever | Opinion (msn.com)
March Madness 2022: Men’s NCAA Tournament schedule and results on the road to the national title (msn.com)
Final Four: Will UNC have another legendary performance against Kansas in the title game? – Search (bing.com)
Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski ends illustrious career with loss to UNC: ‘This team has been a joy for me to coach’ (msn.com)
After a Heartbreaking Loss In His Final Game, Coach Krzyzewski Only Needed 9 Words to Remind Everyone Why He’ll Always Be the Greatest (msn.com)
Final Four winners and losers: UNC and first-year coach Hubert Davis riding high; Duke and Coach K face cruel exit (msn.com)
Coach K’s Farewell Tour: The top 42 Duke players in Mike Krzyzewski’s 42 years as coach of the Blue Devils – CBSSports.com
Final Four 2022: UNC proves spoiling Coach K’s home finale was no fluke by ousting Duke from NCAA Tournament (msn.com)
Peyton Manning Says Tiger Woods In “Good Spirits” Before The Masters: Fans React.
Coach K dropped a truth bomb on the NCAA even Duke haters will respect (msn.com)
Coach K’s gift to his players after Duke’s Final Four loss: Easing their pain (msn.com)
This Coach K tribute video featuring Duke legends should win an Oscar.
Paolo Banchero: Mike Krzyzewski ‘Lived Up to Everything’ He Promised (msn.com)
College Basketball World Reacts To Postgame Handshake Controversy (msn.com)
North Carolina’s dream is Duke’s nightmare in epic Final Four game (msn.com)
Coach K’s FINAL postgame interview: ‘Both teams played their hearts out’.
Tiger Woods Announces Masters Plan: Golf World Reacts (msn.com)
Coach K Had A Message For Duke’s Students On Sunday (msn.com)
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Expert Predictions & Analysis – New Arena
Duke-UNC TV Ratings Are Out: Sports World Reacts (msn.com)
Duke-UNC handshake line garners strong reactions (msn.com)
Thanks, Coach K | JJ Redick – YouTube

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Jaymes Young – Stone (1 Hour Version) – YouTube
Jaymes Young – Stone [Official Audio] – YouTube

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“The Warrior.”

In every sense of the word, the man was “The Warrior.” 

CUE THE MUSIC!!!
Patty Smyth – “The Warrior” (Official Live Video) – YouTube
This is over ten years too late, but fantastic that it’s finally happening.
Paul O’Neill wasn’t just a New York Yankees star, but he truly lived up to his nickname. Think of ’90s pro wrestler Mick Foley. He put his body on the line so many times, jumping onto everyone on top of literally anything. Paul O’Neill was no different, chasing and diving after every ball even as he reached his late 30s. 
Four World Series rings in the Bronx. The 1994 AL batting title.
Unquestionable grit and leadership that hasn’t been matched since, except maybe
Derek Jeter. This is well-deserved, so expect the Yankees faithful to pack Yankee Stadium on August 21. Paul O’Neill always commanded that type of audience, and now he will one last time. To this day, his farewell chant in Game 5 of the 2001 World Series gives people chills.

How does Paul O’Neill’s career stack up to other Yankees retired number hopefuls?
Paul Andrew O’Neill is a former right fielder and Major League Baseball player who
won five World Series while playing for the Cincinnati Reds (1985–1992) and New York Yankees (1993–2001). In a 17-year career, O’Neill compiled 281 home runs, 1,269 runs batted in, 2,107 hits, and a lifetime batting average of .288. O’Neill won the American League batting title in 1994 with a .359 average, and was also a five-time All-Star,
playing in 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998.

O’Neill is the only player to have played on the winning team in three perfect games.
He was on the field for the Cincinnati Reds for Tom Browning’s. He caught the final
out (a fly ball) in David Wells’ perfect game and he made a diving catch in right field
and doubled to help the Yankees win during David Cone’s perfect game in. 

Early life

A Columbus, Ohio, native and Brookhaven High School graduate, O’Neill and his family were fans of the Reds. On a visit to the Reds’ Crosley Field shortly before it closed, six-year-old Paul had his picture taken wearing a Reds batting helmet and holding a toy bat. Over his shoulder could be seen Roberto Clemente of the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates.
Like Clemente, O’Neill would become a right fielder and wear uniform number 21.
His older sister is Molly O’Neill, a noted chef and cookbook author who was a food writer for the New York Times in the year 2000.

Paul O’Neill Born February 25, 1963, in Columbus, Ohio, he was a Major League Baseball player who won five World Series while playing for the Cincinnati Reds (1985–1992) and New York Yankees (1993–2001). During his 17-year career, O’Neill racked up 281 home runs, 1,269 runs batted in, 2,107 hits and a lifetime batting average of .288.
O’Neill won the American League batting title in 1994 with a .359 average and was also
a five-time All-Star (1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998).

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Bleeding Yankee Blue: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: PAUL O’NEILL

Paul O’Neill’s No. 21 journey started with Clemente and ended in Monument Park
On a visit to the Reds’ Crosley Field shortly before it closed, six-year-old Paul had his picture taken wearing a Reds’ batting helmet and holding a toy bat. Over his shoulder, Roberto Clemente (of the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates) could be seen in the background. After retiring from his Major League Baseball playing career, he authored a book entitled  Me and My Dad: A Baseball Memoir. The book goes into a subject that O’Neill has rarely discussed: his relationship with his father who instilled in him a love for the game of baseball.

Like Clemente, O’Neill would become a right fielder and wear uniform number 21. O’Neill is fondly remembered by Yankee fans as the “heart and soul” of the team in the 1990s and Yankee owner George Steinbrenner labeled him as a “Warrior” due to his passion for the game. Since his retirement after the 2001 World Series, his number 21 was worn only once when relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins briefly wore the number to start the 2008 season.
On April 16, 2008, Hawkins switched to number 22 in response to the disapproval of many Yankee fans.

Baseball Career

O’Neill was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 4th round of the 1981 Major League Baseball Draft. O’Neill made his major-league debut on September 3, 1985, and singled in his first at-bat. He also played in Puerto Rico’s winter league with the San Juan Metros and the Mayaguez Indians from 1985 to 1986.

Paul O’Neill on kicking ball blooper from 1989 (mlb.com)
In a 1989 game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium, O’Neill fielded a base hit, couldn’t hold onto it, and kicked it, left-footed, back to the infield, to prevent baserunner Steve Jeltz from scoring. Jeltz scored on a passed ball anyway, however,
the incident is remembered as one of the all-time baseballs “bloopers.”
A broadcaster quipped: “The Cincinnati Bengals are on the phone!”


>The Reds’ last World Series winning manager, Lou Piniella.
From ESPN.com:

Aug. 21, 1990. Riverfront Stadium. Dutch Rennert called Barry Larkin out at first
at the end of the fifth inning. Reds manager Lou Piniella comes out to argue the call.
He throws his hat down. Rennert ejects him on the spot.
But wait, there’s more. Piniella pulls up first base and throws it, and, dissatisfied with his first toss, picks it up and hurls it again, sending it flying and rolling all the way into short right.

“I just saw it (the base) laying next to my feet,” Piniella said after the game.
“That just happened. You come in here and say to yourself, ‘What the hell is a 47-year-old man doing that for?’ I don’t know. It’s frustrating. The bag was lying there, and I grabbed it. Dutch Rennert is a fine umpire, and I didn’t want to show him up.
I’ll talk to him tomorrow before the game.”

REDS` PINIELLA VOWS NO REST FOR THE BEST – Chicago Tribune

Lou Piniella, who wanted O’Neill to change his swing to hit more home runs.

Cincinnati Reds History | thesportsnotebook.com

Wire to Wire Reds – Bing video

The Reds would go on to win the 1990 World Series defeating the heavily-favored A’s in four games – all in Piniella’s first season with the Reds. Incredibly, Sweet Lou and the Reds would part ways just two years later after the 1992 season. Piniella would go on to have successful runs with the Mariners, Devil Rays, and Cubs. Piniella retired today to be with his ailing mother – and you can watch his tearful press conference here
Lou – thanks for throwing the base, smashing the bubble game machine, kicking the dirt, fighting with Dibble, and a Wire-to-Wire World Championship. O’Neill also clashed with Reds manager Lou Piniella, who wanted O’Neill to change his swing to hit more home runs.

Should Sweet Lou Piniella be in the Hall of Fame? – Cooperstown Cred

Paul O’Neill and the trade that changed everything – Pinstripe Alley

Hitting or Raging, O’Neill Is a Dandy Yankee – Los Angeles Times.

November 3, 1992:
Eighteen days after being named General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds, 
Jim Bowden trades right fielder Paul O’Neill and minor league first baseman
 Joe DeBerry to the New York Yankees for outfielder Roberto Kelly.
Bowden later laments this as the worst trade he ever made.
O’Neill went on to win four World Championships with the Yankees (in addition to the 1990 championship with the Reds) and become known as “The Warrior” for the Yankees. In eight seasons with the Reds, O’Neill batted .259 with 96 home runs. In nine seasons with the Yankees, O’Neill batted .303 with 185 home runs and he won the American League batting title with a .359 mark in 1994. 
With the 1990 Reds World Championship team, O’Neill had batted .270 with 16 homers. He hit .471 in the 1990 National League Championship Series. In Bowden’s defense, O’Neill had a poor 1992, with his power production dropping by almost half from 1991
(36 doubles and 28 homers became 19 doubles and 14 homers) and he had turned 29 years old, the approximate age when many players begin their decline phase.

Meanwhile, Kelly wasn’t long for Cincinnati. After batting .280 in six seasons with the Yankees, Kelly batted .313 for the Reds in 125 games 1993-94, but couldn’t stay healthy and was dealt to the Atlanta Braves for center fielder Deion Sanders during the 1994 season. Kelly played for seven teams over the next six seasons, concluding a 14 year
career with a .290 batting average and 124 home runs. During his time with the Reds,
he preferred to go by “Bobby” Kelly rather than Roberto.
On November 3, 1992, the Reds traded O’Neill to the Yankees for Roberto Kelly. O’Neill beat himself up after being traded by the Reds to The Yankees because he felt he somehow let his Hometown Team Down. However, In 1994, with O’Neill winning the batting title, the Yankees led the East division by six and a half games when the players’ lockout ended the season. The next season, the Yankees made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years and did so in every season for the remainder of O’Neill’s career.

Yankees: Revisiting Paul O’Neill’s breakout 1994 season (yanksgoyard.com)

Paul O’Neill On Seinfeld.

In 1995, while still a player for the Yankees, O’Neill was featured in a cameo role on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. In the episode entitled “The Wink,” O’Neill is approached by Cosmo Kramer in the Yankees’ locker room and is told by Kramer that he must hit two home runs in the same game so that Kramer can retrieve a birthday card signed by all the Yankees from a little boy who wasn’t supposed to get it in the first place. O’Neill replies that this is very difficult and that he is not usually a home run hitter; he then asks Kramer,
“How’d you get in here anyways?” 
In the ensuing game, O’Neill hits a home run and later appears to have hit a second; the apparent inside-the-park home run is scored a triple due to the other team’s error, so the little boy Kramer is trying to appease is not totally satisfied. Kramer manages to get the Yankee-signed birthday card back from the boy, but he has now promised the boy that O’Neill will catch a fly ball in his hat during the next game. (Interestingly, such an act would be illegal under Major League Baseball rules). 

He was an integral member of the New York Yankees’ last dynasty, helping them to win the World Series in , , , and . He ended Game 5 of the 1996 World Series by robbing former Yankee teammate Luis Polonia of the Atlanta Braves of an extra-base hit, preserving a victory for the Yankees. O’Neill played Game 4 of the 1999 World Series just hours after his father died. The Yankees won the game and swept the Braves to win their 25th World Series Championship. O’Neill famously was his own worst critic, seemingly never satisfied with his own performance and known for his emotion on the field; when disappointed with his performance or angry with an umpire’s decision he would attack water coolers or toss bats on the field.
His tirades were both praised and criticized by the media and fans. O’Neill was involved in a brawl with Seattle catcher John Marzano. O’Neill had complained to the umpire that the previous pitch was high and inside. Marzano then hit the much bigger Paul O’Neill with a haymaker. The two grappled, and the benches cleared. On April 30, 1996, O’Neill was notable for hitting a long home run to Eutaw Street off Arthur Rhodes while playing at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. O’Neill is fondly remembered by Yankee fans as the “heart and soul” of the team’s dynasty in the 1990s. Yankee owner George Steinbrenner also labeled him as a “The Warrior.” He was given this nickname due to his passion and love for the game.

2001 World Series Game 5: Arizona Diamondbacks @ New York Yankees
In Game 5 of the 2001 World Series, O’Neill received a sendoff from New York fans. While standing in right field in the 9th inning with the Yankees down 2-0, the entire stadium chanted his name. When the inning ended, O’Neill was still being cheered. With tears in his eyes, he tipped his cap, and another roar went up from the crowd at Yankee Stadium. 

The Yankees won the game 3-2, but lost the series 4 games to 3. Since his retirement
after the 2001 World Series, his number 21 has only been worn once, when relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins briefly wore the number to start the 2008 season but, on April 16, 2008, Hawkins switched to number 22 in response to the criticism he received by many Yankee fans, all the more suggesting that number 21 may one day be retired for O’Neill.

Paul O’Neill Hated to Lose: A Look Back at the 1997 Playoffs

It occurred between World Championships, which might be the reason it is not mentioned when discussing the last Yankees‘ dynasty. But it was a performance that defined what the Yankees used to be. It ranks with the heroics of Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Bucky Dent and Chris Chambliss—except the Yankees lost.

Paul O’Neill’s Great Playoff Series

Paul O’Neill batted .421 in the first round of the 1997 playoffs against the Indians.
He hit a home run in Game One, he hit a game-winning grand slam in Game Three, and he refused to be the final out of the series in Game Five. It is only 25 years ago, but it might as well be 125 years ago, because the game and the attitudes towards not accepting defeat have changed so radically.

Paul O’Neill wanted to win, but he hated to lose so much, he would do anything to win.
As a character in The Wire once said, “You like to win. I don’t like to lose.
It’s not the same thing.”

The Yankees’ Last Gasp

The Yankees were trailing the Indians, 4-3 in the top of the ninth inning in Game Five.
The bases were empty, two were out, and Paul O’Neill was facing Jose Mesa.
O’Neill hit a deep drive to right center field that missed tying the game by about five feet.
As O’Neill rounded first, he had already decided that he had to get to second to put himself into scoring position.
It appeared that he would be thrown out at second, but despite being beaten by the throw, O’Neill slid away from Omar Vizquel’s tag, banging up his chin—but getting into second safely.

When Paul got up, his face was full of blood, yet all that mattered was that he had
given the Yankees a chance. When manager Joe Torre sent Scott Pose in to run for him, Paul objected passionately, but it did no good. Bernie Williams, the next batter, went after the first pitch, hit a fly ball to left, and the Yankees’ season was over.

Paul’s Passion

The 1997 playoff series against the Indians explained why Paul O’Neill threw his helmet, castigated himself, and lowered his head after striking out. Every game was the seventh game of the World Series, and every at bat was the fifth game of the 1997 playoffs. He might fail, but he never failed to try.

Mel Allen, the only Voice of the Yankees, used to tell fans that the Indians’ and White Sox‘ great pitcher, Early Wynn, would throw at his mother if she got too close to the plate.
It has been said that Paul O’Neill looks like he wouldn’t want to lose to his kids in a game of wiffle ball.

We Lost

George Steinbrenner said “He showed you do not give up. Ever. Ever.
A heart of a lion—that’s what you think of when you think of Paul O’Neill.
I wish I had 25 like him.” When Mr. Steinbrenner shook hands with O’Neill and congratulated him in the clubhouse for his great playoff-series performance, Paul’s response summed up what Paul O’Neill was all about. “It doesn’t matter. We lost.”

Intensity and the pursuit of excellence cannot be separated. Some individuals demonstrate their intensity, overtly, while others possess it just as deeply but hide it within themselves.
Whitey Ford, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera were or are no less intense than Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, or Whitey Ford, but in the attempts to make society increasingly “politically correct,” demonstrating intense feelings and emotions is frowned upon, which is too bad. Baseball needs more players like Paul O’Neill. There is nothing wrong in wanting to win at any cost.

References:

By BUSTER OLNEY. (1998, March 1). The Moment That Defines O’Neill: His Ninth-Inning Double Against the Indians Made Him a Yankee Hero BASEBALL Last-Gasp Double Defines O’Neill. New York Times (1857-Current file), p. SP1. Retrieved May 19, 2009, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 – 2005) database. (Document ID: 116581613). Paul O’Neill at Baseball Library

Voices of the Game, Paul O’Neill
Starting after his retirement from baseball in 2001, O’Neill now serves as an analyst on the New York Yankees Pregame Show and the New York Yankees Post-Game Show, as well as a color commentator for the YES Network. O’Neill returned to Ohio to live with his family.
As a broadcaster, Paul O’ Neill’s greatest strength is his in-depth hitting analysis.
Listening to him as he offers insight into each at-bat in the Yankees lineup is a great way to learn about the art of hitting. Here’s some of what he has had to say about several Yankees who’ve had a slow start at the plate in 2021, as well as other observations he has shared with YES Network audiences this season.

“Contact makes things happen.”
O’Neill, a contact hitter himself, should know. While he doesn’t devalue home runs, O’Neill notices when a Yankee is trying too hard and pressing at the plate. He made his comment regarding contact during yesterday’s game against the Nationals, when Gleyber Torres was up with two strikes and the bases loaded in the 11th inning. Before the next pitch, Torres choked up on his bat and executed a swinging bunt grounder to win the game.
During Gleyber’s struggles in April, O’Neill pointed out that Gleyber’s weight was falling away from the plate during his swing, and how that weight shift was making it very difficult for him to drive the ball away. In trying to pull the ball, O’Neill explained, Gleyber’s swing “had gotten longer and longer,” and his first move [before swinging]
was opening up his stance and throwing off his mechanics. As O’Neill said,
“That’s not how you get out of slumps.” He has commended Torres’ hitting ability, too.
The way Torres is able to hit the ball to all parts of the field continues to impress O’Neill.
He has also praised Gleyber’s ability to make adjustments on counts with two strikes.

Clint needs to learn what pitches to expect
More than once this year, O’Neill has suggested that Clint Frazier’s reticence to swing stems from pitchers surprising him with a pitch he hadn’t expected to see. “He just saw a pitch on the inner half of the plate,” O’Neill told YES viewers on April 22. “The rest of the count will be soft stuff away and he should be anticipating it. As a hitter, you don’t mind seeing that.”
He went on to explain that he believes Clint is pressing mentally, which, in Paulie’s experience, leads a hitter to “fly open on everything.” In other words, Clint had a good pitch to hit, yet he ended up striking out. According to O’Neill, when a guy in the lineup is struggling, it’s often because he’s missing good pitches.

Odd and ends
O’Neill seems to identify with DJ LeMahieu’s approach at the plate and DJ, it seems, is a hitter after Paulie’s heart. O’Neill often comments on how LeMahieu is so good at staying inside, which allows him to drive the ball to left-center field. He’s good at covering the entire plate, and for him, that makes more pitches hittable.
O’Neill is often criticized for being too goofy on air, but when it comes to breaking down hitting, he provides incredible insight and is able to break down at-bats in impeccable detail.
On July 7, 2009, Paul O’Neill was inducted into the Irish American Baseball Hall of Fame (18 W. 33rd St. inside Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant) in New York City along with longtime Los Angeles Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley, broadcaster Vin Scully, former player Steve Garvey, umpire Jim Joyce, and blind sports reporter Ed Lucas.

Paul O’Neill: Still a Jerk | The Good, the Bad, and the Barmes (wordpress.com)

Top Moments of Paul O’Neill’s Yankee career – Search (bing.com)

Paul O’Neill on Seinfeld – Search (bing.com)

Paul O’Neill on Seinfeld – Bing video

What Happened to Paul O’Neill? (Complete Story) (thecoldwire.com) 
Add another plaque to the crowded wall of retired numbers at Yankee Stadium.
On Tuesday, the Yankees announced that they will retire Paul O’Neill’s No. 21 this season.
With his pregame ceremony on Aug. 21, O’Neill will become the 23rd player or manager to have their number retired. The outfielder-turned-broadcaster who won four World Series titles with the Yankees already had a plaque in Monument Park honoring his contributions to the team, but now he receives the franchise’s highest honor. 

The Yankees have not retired a number since they hung Derek Jeter’s No. 2 in 2017.
With 21 now off the table, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19 and 22 are the only numbers under 28
that are neither retired nor worn by a current player or coach.
O’Neill played the final nine seasons of his career with the Yankees, helping them break their playoff drought in 1995 and later their World Series drought. He’d appear in five
total World Series with the Bombers in addition to his one with Cincinnati in 1990.
Over his nine years in the Bronx, the tenacious veteran hit .303 with a .377 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage. His .359 batting average during the strike-shortened 1994 season also won him a batting title. From 1993 to 2001, the entirety of his Yankee career, O’Neill was worth 26.7 Wins Above Replacement, making him the eighth-most valuable American League outfielder during that stretch. 

 In 304 postseason plate appearances with the Yankees, O’Neill hit .281 and socked 10 home runs, 14 doubles and drove in 34 runs in 76 games. At 37 years old, he had a strong case for MVP of the 2000 World Series, ultimately losing to Jeter. In that five-game triumph over the Mets, O’Neill slashed .474/.545/.789 with four of his nine hits going for extra bases, including two triples.
Early in his Yankee tenure, he also made a sterling defensive play to help seal the first World Series win of the dynastic run. In Game 5 of the 1996 series in Atlanta, O’Neill ranged deep into the gap to make a stabbing catch for the game’s final out, preserving
a 1-0 win. 

Other memorable O’Neill postseason moments include his ten-pitch walk against Armando Benitez in Game 1 of the Subway Series (a game which the Yankees were losing until O’Neill sparked a rally) and winning the 1999 championship after his father passed away during the World Series.
While two short-lived Yankees (LaTroy Hawkins and Morgan Ensberg in 2008)
have worn 21 since O’Neill retired, the number has basically been on ice for years.
In 2017 when New Jersey native Todd Frazier was traded to the Yankees, he asked to wear the number specifically as a tribute to O’Neill. Instead, Frazier was given No. 29 after the equipment staff explained the potential controversy it could drum up, as both Hawkins and Ensberg were booed for having the audacity to wear an unretired number, even though Ensberg switched away from it during spring training.

Paul O'Neill's No. 21 is going on a long list of retired Yankee numbers.
Paul O’Neill’s No. 21 is going on a long list of retired Yankee numbers. (MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images)

Rather than address the situation, O’Neill did not comment, turning a very minor story into a major headline. Now, with the number retirement becoming official, we can finally put the “Should anyone wear No. 21?” discussion to bed in favor of “Should No. 21 be retired at all?” 
For what it’s worth, O’Neill does not rank in the franchise’s top ten in career batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, WAR, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI
or wRC+. All guests in attendance for the Aug. 21 game against the Blue Jays will not only get to witness the retirement ceremony, but they’ll also receive a commemorative “Paul O’Neill Day” ticket. Looking ahead, CC Sabathia’s No. 52 seems like the next in line for retirement, as the team has already kept that out of circulation since his final game in 2019. 

Hartnett: ‘Warrior’ Paul O’Neill Injected Pride Back Into The Yankees (cbsnews.com)

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Bleeding Yankee Blue: WHY PAUL O’NEILL BACKED THE YANKEE FAMILY
Ex-Yankee Paul O’Neill Gets Plaque At Monument Park! | SportsBata.com
In celebration of Paul O’Neill Day, 21 Yankees GIFs to remember #21.
The Yankees’ 25 Smartest Moves of the Past 25 Years
The 25 Best Yankees Games of the Past 25 Years
Top moments from O’Neill’s time as a Yankee
Paul O’Neill Stats | Baseball-Reference.com
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The Worst Types Of Lies

The Worst Lies Are the One You Tell About Yourself – Search (bing.com)

“The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves.
We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we’re afraid.
We fear we will not find love, and when we find it we fear we’ll lose it.
We fear that if we don’t have love, we will be unhappy.” ― Richard Bach


The Worst Types Of Lies – 8 Harmful Lies You Tell Yourself
 
Want to know the worst types of lies? There are the 8 harmful lies you tell yourself. 

Do you tell any of these to yourself? If so, beware these lies!
 
 Frances Vidakovic
Frances Vidakovic
With a degree in psychology, Frances Vidakovic is a certified life coach for goal getters, author of 20+ books, host of the Dream Big My Friend podcast and course creator.
Her superpower: transforming moms from dreamers into doers. Frances has been featured on various platforms, including Scary Mommy, Thrive Global, Medium
and SBS Radio.

Hey my friend,
Lying to others is bad enough but lying to yourself is the worst of all lies.
Do you know why?
Because you can lie to anyone else in the world but you can’t ever lie to yourself.
Not really.

Deep down you know the truth.
 The lies you tell yourself usually have an insidious purpose.
You’re either trying to absolve yourself of responsibility or justifying inaction.

Be warned: the damage you do by lying to yourself is tremendous.
A lie may care about the present but it seriously has no future.
 The truth may not cost anything right now but a lie
over time could cost you everything.
Tell a lie once and all your truths become questionable. 
She was so used to lies, that the truth confused her. ―  Jeff Hood
Lies may leave you at peace with others but you will always be at war with yourself. ―  Marinela Reka 
Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own life comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him or around him and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love. ―  Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Here are 8 harmful lies you should avoid so you can finally take back control of your life:

 TYPES OF LIES
# 1 – There will be time in the future to do it.
 Do you want to do it or not?
Often, we enjoy the idea of doing something, but lack the interest or
determination to put it in time, work, or sacrifice to make it happen.
Playing the guitar might sound like fun to you, but the idea of putting
in hours of work to play at a mediocre level isn’t appealing. 
But here’s the truth: time waits for no one. If you really want to do it, you’ll find a way.
If you don’t, you’ll find 1,000 reasons to put it off and procrastinate.
Realize that you choose how you spend your time.  
The trouble is, you think you have time.  ―  Jack Kornfield
Lost time is never found again.  ―  Benjamin Franklin
Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it,
but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.  ―  Harvey Mackay
It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important. – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.  ―  Mason Cooley
A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.  ―  Charles Darwin 
Either you run the day, or the day runs you.  ―  Jim Rohn

 TYPES OF LIES
# 2 – I can change another person.
 Think about how difficult it is to change yourself.
Any change is extremely challenging, even when you’re highly motivated.
Odds are that the person you want to change is less than enthusiastic.
You have a losing battle on your hands. 
If it’s vital that the other person change,
you’d be better off finding another person to fulfill the role. 
You cannot always control what goes on outside.
But you can always control what goes on inside. ―  Wayne Dyer 
When you let go of control and commit yourself to happiness, it is so easy to offer compassion and forgiveness. This propels you from the past, into the present.
People that are negative, spend so much time trying to control situations and blame others for their problems. Committing yourself to staying positive is a daily mantra that states, “I have control over how I plan to react, feel, think and believe in the present. No one guides the tone of my life, except me! ―  Shannon L. Alder
 I don’t have any control over what actually happens except for that I have full control over my will for myself, my intention, and why I’m here. That’s all that matters. ―  Sza

TYPES OF LIES
# 3 – I’m not like anyone else / there’s something wrong with me.
 Everyone believes they’re different from others.
You are certainly unique, but you’re remarkably similar to the average person.
You’re not deficient or flawed.
You are perfectly perfect and there is absolutely nothing wrong with you!
 
This type of thinking serves as an excuse to play the victim
and remain small.

 TYPES OF LIES
# 4 – It will get better or go away if I just ignore it.
Things tend to get worse if ignored.

Because guess what?  
Challenges will never, ever, ever, ever go away! 
Unless you have a magical fairy taking care of business for you,
you’ll have to deal with the challenges of life directly.
Otherwise, you’ll find your challenges grow and multiply.
 It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station,
that great characters are formed. 
The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties.  ―  Adams 
The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. 
The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. 
Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. 
They’re there to stop the other people.  ―  Randy Pausch 
Life’s Challenges Are Not Supposed To Paralyze You, 
They’re Supposed To Help You Discover Who You Are.  ―  Bernice Johnson Reagon 
I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. 
Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your foot. ―  Nadia Comaneci 
Success Is Due To Our Stretching To The Challenges Of Life.
Failure Comes When We Shrink From Them.  ―  John C. Maxwell 
Being Challenged In Life Is Inevitable, Being Defeated Is Optional.  ―  Roger Crawford 
It’s Lack Of Faith That Makes People Afraid Of Meeting Challenges, And I Believed In Myself.  ―  Muhammad Ali 
When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, 
there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. 
The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.  ―  Paulo Coelho

 TYPES OF LIES
# 5 – I’m too young / I’m too old.
 Sure, it’s true that you won’t be a CEO at 3-years of age or start medical school at 106.
However, age is much less limiting than you believe.
History has proven it time and time again.
The young and old have accomplished incredible things.
You can too.
You are not too old and it’s not too late. 
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ―  C.S. Lewis 
It is not too late. You are not too old. You are right on time – and you are better
than you know. ―  Marianne Williamson
 
TYPES OF LIES
# 6 – I don’t have any other choice.
 You have more choices than you could possibly realize.
Here’s the thing: everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you have made.
If you want a different result, make a different choice.
If your habitual actions and thoughts are limiting,
you really need to open your mind to all the possibilities.  

There are always other choices. 
 
Brainstorm with a creative friend and investigate your other options.
Remember however that you are free to make whatever choice
you want but you are not free from the consequences of the choice.
Life is about choices. Some we regret; some we’re proud of. Some will haunt us forever. The message: we are what we choose to be. ―  Graham Brown 
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. ―  Nelson Mandela 
It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are. ―  Roy Disney

 TYPES OF LIES
# 7 – I don’t want to make a fool out of myself.
Like most of us, you’re probably far too inhibited.

You’re not a teenager anymore.
It’s time to let go of the fear of others’ opinions.
 An exciting life is boldly lived.
You need to live boldly.

When you’re bold, you’re going to receive some negative feedback.
When you’re timid though, you’ll still receive negative comments.
You’ll be criticized no matter what you do, so do what’s best for you.

Remember that 99% of the time, no one really cares. 
Everyone is too absorbed with their own issues. 
Act boldly and unseen forces will come to your aid. ―  Dorothea Brande 
The doors will be opened to those who are bold enough to knock. ―  Tony Gaskins
We need to be visionary; we have to be bold. ―  Angela Hunt 
Good Fortune favors the bold. ―  James Swartz
Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. 
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. ―  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

TYPES OF LIES
# 8 – It’s too late.
 This is similar to “I’m too old.”
Starting a business might have been more convenient before
you got married and had children, but it’s still a possibility.

 Honestly it is NEVER too late to chase a dream!
The idea that it’s too late is just another excuse to justify staying where you are, comfortable in your own misery.
All in all, by lying, you take the responsibility off of your shoulders and redistribute it.
You lie to yourself in order to protect yourself from possible failure.  
And you really need to know the truth.

 It’s never too late to start over.
It’s never too late for a new beginning in your life.

If you weren’t happy with yesterday, try something different today.
Don’t stay stuck.
Do better.
The time to make changes is now. 
It is never too late to be what you might have been. ―  George Eliot 
The time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something. ―  Antoine de Saint-Exupery 
Never too old, never too bad, never too late, never too sick to start from scratch once again. ―  Bikram Choudhury
 But lying to yourself ensures that you’ll stay stuck.

 Start being honest with yourself and face life head-on.
You’ll be glad you did!
 The most dangerous lies are the lies you tell yourself.
So stop lying to yourself.

You can lie to anyone else in the world but you can’t lie to yourself. 
Our lives improve only when we take chances and the first and most
difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves. 

Before you go… A Leap of Faith is the Act of Believing or
Accepting Something Outside the Realm of Reason.

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