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Wednesday January 1st – Open Thread

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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A New Year Awaits

2024 has been one heck of a ride.  I mean, wow.

This is the year when so many assumptions collapsed because we did not pretend. I will have other thoughts on the year later, even some predictions that might seem a little “out there”.  Then again, I’m not exactly known for following the herd safety formula.

However, as the eve winds down, and as we are given to considering everything that has taken place, a revisit to the spiritual core of our association is appropriate.

For me, this year provided many memorable gifts; almost all were driven by a purposeful God reminding me to keep poking my head into the human mechanics of common presumptions.  Nothing is more empowering than listening to His message, being completely lost yet jumping on faith, and then finding out the wow; why it was necessary to put prayer in front of fear.

Yup, we are about to walk into entirely new challenges.  Perhaps we are not prepared, perhaps we will all test our faith, perhaps we will discover new limits to our exhaustion, perhaps we will discover we are much stronger than we realize.  One of the reasons for my optimism is that I think the latter is assured.

I believe we are stronger than we give ourselves credit for.  I believe YOU are stronger, more purposeful, smarter, more strategic, more influential, more necessary and far more loved than you can ever imagine.

Yes, I am optimistic, much more so today on the last day of 2024 than I was on the first day.  The knowledge we possess is powerful – far more powerful than the pretenses we fight against.  Our ranks have grown, and we won a historic election.

Regardless of how we exit this year, excited or slightly nervous, we admit it can be challenging to retain a joyful ‘best life’ while everything around us is so unpredictable and a little unnerving.

However, if we accept that a loving God is the source of the purest truth, we can create something stronger within ourselves just by making a choice.   Do that, choose that, follow that and we will have accomplished a great deal.

Regardless of what tomorrow brings, we always have choices.  A new year’s perspective:

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December 31st – 2024 Presidential Politics – Resistance Day 1443

“This was no small thing, to restore a republic after it had fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may have been that our task was impossible. Yet, if we did not try then how would we know it could not be done? And if we did not try, it most certainly would not be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, would have been lost.”

“But I tell you this: We did not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we made with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from this day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

~ Mike Vanderboegh (adapted)

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Tuesday December 31st – Open Thread

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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Susie Wiles Reminds Trump Nominees Not to Post on Social Media – Does Not Apply to Musk, Ramaswamy, Sacks

It’s strange; it’s just strange.  According to the Washington Post (Bezos) and New York Post (Murdoch), President Trump’s incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles is reminding all of the Trump nominees not to post anything on social media.

Why?

No, seriously; why the reminder?

According to information relayed by a ‘source’ inside the transition team, this warning is not connected to the recent blowup controversy over immigration and H1B visas.  So why the reminder?

As reported, the warning from Wiles does not apply to the DOGE team, Ramaswamy and/or Elon Musk, or to any of the Czars (David Sacks) and appointees who do not need Senate confirmation.  The warning only applies to those who are going through the confirmation process.  But again, the timing… why?

The nominees Wiles notes in her admonishment, have not been posting on social media. So, what triggered the reminder that says, “no member of the incoming administration or Transition speaks for the United States or the President-elect himself.” It’s odd. The only issue that has erupted where that concern would be applicable are the issues around immigration and H1B visas. Yet the source on the transition team says Wiles was not speaking about that issue.

I consider myself a person with attune Spidey senses. Pretending just doesn’t work for me. When the principal officer says, “no member of the incoming administration or transition speaks for POTUS”, and then an anonymous transition person quickly says Wiles is not talking about team DOGE, my suspicions are that Wiles’s reminder was triggered specifically because of the dangerous controversy, and the anonymous transition team member is obfuscating the reason behind the warning.

In essence, I suspect the warning really is about what the Occam’s Razor indicates it would be about. As always, I could be wrong; but I’d be willing to wager on this one.

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December 30th – 2024 Presidential Politics – Resistance Day 1442

“This was no small thing, to restore a republic after it had fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may have been that our task was impossible. Yet, if we did not try then how would we know it could not be done? And if we did not try, it most certainly would not be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, would have been lost.”

“But I tell you this: We did not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we made with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from this day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

~ Mike Vanderboegh (adapted)

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Monday December 30th – Open Thread

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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Despite New York Post Phone Call, Question and Answer, Donald Trump Companies Do Not Use H1B Visas

When I read the New York Post article proclaiming that President Trump supports the fraudulent system known as H1B visa hiring, I knew something was amiss because we previously looked at Trump’s various business hires and use of the visa process.

Apparently, the NY Post called President Trump to get him to weigh in on the controversial subject that has been triggered by Elon Musk saying he would “go to war on this issue” to maintain the H1B visa system -and subsequent foreign employment for tech skilled workers- his various companies depend upon.

Here’s the topline takeaway from the article that has triggered many:

(NY POST) President-elect Trump told The Post Saturday he supports immigration visas for highly skilled workers, appearing to side with Elon Musk in the roiling intra-MAGA debate on the issue.

“I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them,” Trump said by phone, referring to the H-1B program, which permits companies to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations.  

“I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” added Trump, who restricted access to foreign worker visas in his first administration and has been critical of the program in the past. (more)

However, if you go to the Dept of Labor website, search or download the database of H1B employment, specifically filtering to Trump’s various companies, what you will discover is that Trump Inc doesn’t use the H1B visa system at all. [Check for Yourself Here]

How does this reconcile? Well, having previously looked at the visa use by President Trump in his various companies {SEE HERE}, I can confidently assert (Occam’s Razor) that within the interview President Trump conflated H2B temporary worker visas, which he does use in his service industry, with H1B visas which he does not use.

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December 29th – 2024 Presidential Politics – Resistance Day 1441

“This was no small thing, to restore a republic after it had fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may have been that our task was impossible. Yet, if we did not try then how would we know it could not be done? And if we did not try, it most certainly would not be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, would have been lost.”

“But I tell you this: We did not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we made with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from this day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

~ Mike Vanderboegh (adapted)

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)

Sunday December 29th – Open Thread

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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