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People are cautious about speaking up. On the bright side, people have an anonymous forum here for speaking up.
For a long time, I was reluctant as well; what was actually most worrisome was that if I had to apply for a job that my views might disqualify me.
In thinking about it, though, I've decided that if those views will disqualify me then I probably don't want to work in that environment anyway. However it might be subject just to the whims of an individual, so for self-preservation I just would not try to be too identifiable. I'm older now and don't care as much, and the stakes are too high to keep my mouth shut.
Hi Peggy! 
Hi Tab!
I was from the REAL Manhattan, not the one in Kansas.
Bush's bartender. 
)))
Ivana PourMeADrink!
The S'Klallam tribe are probably the most awesome tribe in the country IMHO.
The are called The Strong People. This came about when the Salish tribes (including BC tribes) held a celebration with competitions. For one, the strongest men in the tribe were to lift a log and place it on the longhouse. All failed to lift it until it was the S'Klallam's turn. The S'Klallam men rolled the log into the water until it was shoulder high to them, then carried it out on their shoulders to the longhouse. From then on they were called The Strong People but I think they should be called The Smart People.
Anyway - a story to tell your travel companions as you pass through.
of Republicans from California?
Such a gorgeous place up there...
This country used to be a Democratic stronghold - and then - it changed. 
Drives me absolutely insane! BTW, I am a native New Yorker who lives in Boston (again)!
I hate it when people talk about "Hey, this is going on here" or "The weather is like this here" and don't give any clue as to their location. It's infuriating!!! 
On the West side, Quartz Hill area near the Palmdale City boundary. Here in the Antelope Valley, they call the San Fernando Valley where I grew up "down below."
my first thought is always Georgia the state, even if I should know better from the rest of the headline
I figure that since I hail from the most hated place on the face of the planet as far as DU is concerned, that I should also give people a head's up so they can determine whether I am worthy of their words/notice
If my OCD kicks in while polishing my words it can take me hours to write a simple letter-to-the-editor.
I've got basically three writing modes:
Quick and blunt, "professional" (requiring no parental advisories for "explicit" language), and polite-and-publish.
I think my polite and publish mode writing is ugly until it's been tweaked buy an editor I trust.
My writing could be rated like video games:
https://www.esrb.org/ratings/ratings_guide.aspx
My political discussions with strangers often require I start at the Early Childhood rating level, otherwise I hurt peoples' feelings.
I'm not so bad as my grandma, however, who could say things so vile as to render a sailor in a whorehouse impotent for the rest of his shore leave.
Oops - I've already said too much.
I can't really summarize in a sentence or two, but if you're a foreigner getting paid in just about any foreign currency, you're likely not doing too bad. If you're a local getting paid in the local currency, you're getting screwed. And if you're a pensioner, it's even worse. Two years ago, the typical pension would cover about 48% of your food costs, leaving you 52% for other things. Now, that same pension would cover food needs for only 27-28 days a month, with nothing left over for utilities, medicine, healthcare, etc. My wife's father would like to remain out on his own, but may likely end up with us, especially if the winter gets brutal, since he won't have the means to maintain a separate household. My wife and I both predicted this would end up this way, but who would listen? The prediction is that things will get better next year, but the government has been guilty from the beginning of overestimating and under delivering, and there's no sign that will change any time soon. 
Seems obvious to me.
