Remember the bully on the playground?

Remember the bully on the playground that had his/her ‘rat-pack’ behind them, always obeying each command – mostly because they were afraid of being beaten up too – or they had simply found a similar mean soul, or souls, to align with?

Remember the cliques in Jr. and Sr. high – that if you were unfortunate enough to get on their ‘wrong side’, the vicious rumors they would create would spread like wildfire throughout the school? No matter if they were false or groundless, they stuck.

Multiply this by a trillion and we have Social Media today.

The mean guys never ‘go away’ – they just multiply like roaches as they align throughout the world. They don’t grow up, or get their hands slapped back – they don’t have to. They fit.

And the cliques that ‘Ruled the School’ and the vicious rumor mills? They’ve all shifted into the Corporate and Political world as we know it today. They’ve grown up and now rule over the bullies as well.

There was a time when the Higher echelon didn’t associate with the low-brow bullies – it didn’t look good to business nor political spheres – but here we are in 2022:

The power hungry elites are manipulating and controlling the low brow bullies (and the bullies don’t even recognize it), and when they no longer have any use, they will be tossed aside – as all cliques toss aside those that are ‘beneath’ them.  Have them at dinner or lunch at the estate? Not on your life.

And what are we left with?: The cliques. Not just your garden variety High School clique – but a very malignant force governing our country, our freedom, our liberty.

And remember that we didn’t associate ‘Political sides’ with the bullies and cliques in the day – we simply recognized the vile and corrupt entities that they were. They weren’t Voted onto their self made pedestals; they simply grabbed them and ran with it. The only purpose of their existence was/is to make others feel bad, powerless and scared…..or less than.  

They called the kids Nerds, back in the day. They’d be given this moniker for a myriad of reasons:
Through a faith affiliation, or being exceptionally smart, or poor, or non-athletic, or shy, or unattractive.
God forbid if they had an actual disability or handicap. It’s obviously not so different today – but instead of being whispered about, behind their backs – social media has offered a billboard to plaster, smear, threaten and humiliate on a grand scale…..and that doesn’t take into account the face to face encounters of everyday living. It can be hell on Earth for these kids. Most of us have encountered it, to some degree – large or small.

But it’s not Hell on Earth for the bullies and cliques. They get a pass on the damage they’ve created.  

So we have the spectrum: The youth that are bullied, the Millennials that try hard to ‘put it past them’ and build a life for their families and in business, and the older adult – who bears the scars – but is supposedly wiser for the years and told it was the past, move on. Well, since the 2016 election no one gets to move on, not without a fight. Laws have been shot down that allow for better mental health care, social security, overall school funding for elevated programs and education including the addressing of bullying, reproductive rights, religious freedom (to chose which if any we care to affiliate with or be governed by), equality, police safety, environment, gun violence and control….the list goes on and on.  This isn’t just a grocery list, folks, these are a Living breathing List of Human rights under our Constitution being slaughtered.  

• 

• 

The bullies and cliques are back and in full swing. But this time we DO have a VOTE on who remains on the self made pedestals. 

And if I’m being too subtle here let me make myself perfectly clear: The GOP, tRump, the Right-Wing members of SCOTUS and the Senate ARE the Cliques and the bullies are: the Right-Wing, White Supremacists’ and radical semi-automatic gun toting war mongers.

And THIS is not High School, folks.
This is your very freedom and democracy at stake, and there will be no ‘getting over it’ if we don’t VOTE BLUE all the way.  Mic Drop.

                                                                                      – D.F. for Defending Peace.com

SEARS: The end of the era of Brookdale Mall

I remember watching Brookdale Mall (Brooklyn Center, Minnesota) being constructed as we all eagerly peered out the school bus windows, on our way to  Northport elementary.  (It was my kindergarten year, and everything was bustling with “newness”.)

It was magical – Just imagining a mass of stores, under one cover, in a luxurious setting with restaurants attached – called:  A MALL!

So many shopping firsts and fashion firsts were acquired at Brookdale Mall: Dayton’s, Penney’s, Donaldson’s, Snyder’s and……..Sears. I worked at Sears throughout High School….. it was a grand place to work.  I can’t remember a time as a little girl when I didn’t look forward to the “Christmas Wish Book“, or going with my Dad to get a “Craftsman” tool.  And when Mom’s washer went on the blink – off we’d go to Sears for a replacement.  Sears was the store for the Everyman.   

The demolishing of Brookdale Mall a number of years back left one vestige standing: Sears. But now – it will soon be demolished as well.

I visited my flagship job/store/memory maker  –  in the last final days, and it was heartbreaking.  Below are a few pictures on the history of Sears – as I remember it and photographed  it.

Nothing stays the same.
And, at times, they simply vanish. 

        

“Ignorance and Want” What will this Holiday season bring?

Everything that is being written today is smoke and mirrors. Orchestrated to confuse what is “normal” living, or human behavior – with deviant behavior, and justifying it with the confusion. A person would have had to live in a vacuum not to have had some sexual flirtations or advances – people are sexual creatures.

But as my mom would say – “Mind your manners and respect other’s boundaries. AND if you don’t like the lifestyle – take yourself out of the given situation that causes you pain. Be responsible and accountable for your actions, Donna!””

Having lived within theater and music circles all of my life – I understand the lifestyle – it’s more familiar than a business setting. I accept (and welcome) it. But I’ve chosen those circles – nobody forced me to. Do I have boundaries and enforce them? Of course I do.  I also enforce my boundaries in business. Have we become so brain dead that we can’t decipher our own life choices? Or so robotic that we force all behavior to fit in or out of a “shaped” box which is dictated through tyranny or fascism?  This is playing conveniently into the Anti-Net Neutrality bill that the GOP is trying to force through.  Suppress and control.

In oppressed societies, historically – confusion, limited access to music or dancing or theater, what we read, how we speak and the economy – is controlled.  The entire planet fights against this…. Except the United States.

A huge fraction of social media lemmings, the GOP and those that vehemently defend their “vote” in this past Presidential election are welcoming (and orchestrating) losing our freedoms.  Those that oppose are sent to the gallows. How soon will it be that these supporters lose their personal freedoms and bellow to the heavens that they were duped?  Too late….everyone loses.

Sound familiar?  Follow your history from the ancient empires to Cuba to the ultimate terror: Nazi Germany.  It’s not new – it simply has a sleazy new coat and underneath?:  Ignorance and Want …… Ignorance and Want. 

The “Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future” are going to be very busy this holiday season….we can hope.  

The “CFPB”: Who they are and WHY we must protect this Financial Bureau!!!

Support the AG of MN Lori Swanson in protecting, yet another, much valued agency in citizen’s protection – in jeopardy of abolishment under the current administration:

“With all this greed, it is troubling that the financial industry wants to abolish the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”). The Bureau was established to be a consumer watchdog over the financial industry at the federal level. The industry says the CFPB needlessly intrudes into the free market with unnecessary consumer protections. Really? Let’s take a look:”……………………

Letter from AG Lori Swanson with Links

Please give the pdf above a moment of your time and write to your Congress and tell them we want protection from the banks and financial institutions to continue!!

Minnesota Members of Congress

U.S. Representatives	U.S. Senators
First District
Timothy J. Walz 1034 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-2472 Contact: Tim Walz contact form	Senator Al Franken United States Senate 309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-5641 Contact Senator Franken
Second District
Jason Lewis 418 Cannon House Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-2271 Contact form: Jason Lewis contact form	Senator Amy Klobuchar United States Senate 302 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-3244 Amy Klobuchar contact form
Third District
Erik Paulsen 127 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515-2303 (202) 225-2871 Fax: (202) 225-6351 Erik Paulson contact form
Fourth District
Betty McCollum 1714 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-6631 Betty McCollum contact form
Fifth District
Keith Ellison 2244 Rayburn Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-4755 (202) 225-4886 fax Contact form: Keith Ellison contact page
Sixth District
Tom Emmer 503 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-2331 Tom Emmer contact form
Seventh District
Collin C. Peterson 2109 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-2165 Collin C. Peterson contact form
Eighth District
Rick Nolan 2447 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-6211 Rick Nolan contact form

Is the Legacy Marketing Professional extinct in today’s business arena?

I recently read a job posting for a
“Digital Marketing Coordinator” position (and have seen these increasingly over the past 10 years or so) which describes the position as follows:

“You will be a part of the Marketing Communications team and will
take on the launch of their new site as well as take on responsibility
for digital marketing strategy, campaigns, platforms, etc!  The right
fit will have;

– 2+ years’ experience in the digital marketing space
– Experience working in a very technical industry
– Strong background in all things digital (email, website, social,
SEO/SEM, Google AdWords, etc!)
– Writing chops

This team is looking for someone to come in and own the digital
marketing space, drive demand, and bring ideas to the table in a
knowledgeable and collaborative way. ”

Nice position, Right??

But….Note: The company is REALLY looking at 2 very separate positions – for the price of 1.
Don’t get me wrong – most creatives have a strong technical background (or at least, many do) but the true Marketing role is intense: Analytics, marketplace knowledge, market development and strategies, copy, print knowledge and MAJOR copy writing and visual placement “chops” – not to mention KILLER networking broad base knowledge and connects.
Now…throw in “all things digital”….Website maintenance? SEO/SEM, social media (daily, hourly, minute by minute – add Hootsuite and some of that is managed) – but you still have to come up with the copy and visuals.   ANYWAY………………

The point of this lengthy review is:

SHOUT OUT TO COMPANIES:  Hire what you need – know WHAT you need – and PAY for the expertise.

Defending Peace Production Services

For the Indigenous people of Standing Rock: The Government and Big Oil has betrayed you, millions of Americans, Clean Water and Mother Earth.

After months of protests by the Peaceful Water Protectors and the Indigenous peoples of Standing Rock (rightful owners of this treaty land) – the Militarized Police squads representing #DAPL Energy Transfer Partners Big Oil have forced the Indigenous off of their own land, arrested and brutalized the #Natives and Water Protectors – forced them at gunpoint onto nearby reservations, raided those reservations and continue to push them off of each reservation that they go to.  This is not justice – this is not upholding US/Native Treaties.
This is a fascist Government protecting one BIG OIL corporation for profit.

We as Americans, and the World, are watching – watching as this Government allows terroristic attacks against the Indigenous peoples – and allows our CLEAN WATER supplies to be poisoned, all for corporate greed and immediate profits.

Now is the time to persevere – with the Letter of the LAW, fighting this in impartial courts. It is our sacred duty – to our land and to our people! Aho!

 Lakota Law Project:  http://ourchildrenaresacred.org/

If you’re a frequent traveler (by air)? You’ll want to read this report on scanners at our “safety conscious” airports….safety for whom??

………(Also – TSA agents: Think you’re safe? Think again.”)

Scanners can rip apart DNA

“Millimeter waves have been reported to produce a variety of bioeffects, many of which are quite unexpected from radiation penetrated less than 1 mm into biological tissues

.

Of particular concern is the citing of studies that show there is an irreversible water memory effect by millimeter waves operating in the 36GHz frequency, and that the millimeter wave effects on blood plasma vary greatly from one person to the next.

Does this information make you extremely uncomfortable? Well, it should. And it should also make every one of us mad as hell.”   – DR. KATHY J FROTI (CE: Collective- Evolution.com)

read on……………Scanners can rip apart DNA

I’m rethinking travel.  

 

Do we STAND with the Water Protectors at Standing Rock or bow to corporate Dakota Access [DAPL]- rotters of our Planet?

 I believe that those who are invested in, or control the enterprises of, OIL look aside for the dividends that will eventually come – but how can we continue to step back from corporate control and enterprise, and watch the rest of the planet and peoples expire through abusive greed.

The common man surely is not benefiting from investment, and certainly not the Sioux …. and we will all suffer most severely after these rotters have long gone and lived high. How can they look at their children and grandchildren and say “But WE lived large, by destroying your future?” How can any of us?

     And where WHERE is our government? What are their stances on this and the other pipelines that are being laid??

So I throw this down to you legislators:  STEP UP!!! Show your worth!!!!!