Latest activity

iluvatar5150 · 2025-11-18T09:57:21-0600

rjs330 said:
Right because its so expensive.

Health insurance of any sort has been expensive since long before the ACA. It was expensive before we got RomneyCare in MA. Do you guys not remember that? I knew self-employed people paying $2-3k/mo for family plans in the early 2000's.

iluvatar5150 · 2025-11-18T09:55:47-0600

GoldenBoy89 said:
Just taking one example from your list. There are over 300 Target stores in CA, more than 30 of them around LA alone. By contrast, that’s more than double the number of Targets in your entire state of Oklahoma.

I don't know how the Targets in CA are run, but the ones around here (in the suburbs, not the middle of the city) are awful. About 10 years ago, they were great, but maybe a year before covid, they started cutting staff and it's just been a disaster. The stores are messy, shelves are often empty, and lines routinely get 15-20 deep. It's bad enough that the WalMarts nearby are notably better.

FAITH-IN-HIM · 2025-11-18T09:54:00-0600

rjs330 said:
Yes I am. And I am fully and completely an American. We came to America to become Americans and not to make America into where we came from.

I am glad that you were able to come to America and made something of yourself and became an America. I do not know you, but I assume you have left your land to pursue a better life, may be for financial opportunity or escape persecution, but whatever the reason it may be, you were able to escape your old life and come to America for a better future.

Your experience is possible because, since its founding, the United States has identified itself as a nation valuing freedom and bravery, welcoming immigrants from around the world. This has been part of the country's history from the outset. A statue at the nation's entrance embodies this tradition with its inscription.

“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Throughout American history, minority groups have opposed various waves of immigrants, from the Irish, Germans, and Scandinavians in the early 19th century to Italians, Poles, Russians, Chinese, Jews, and Cubans in later years. Despite this opposition, most Americans have welcomed immigrants, believing that embracing newcomers is central to America's identity and uniqueness. Your story is possible because of this tradition of acceptance.

Consider the potential outcomes had the minority group opposing both legal and illegal immigration to America been successful at the time of your arrival. How might this have affected you or your family?

You assert that you have become American; however, I respectfully question this claim. Embracing immigrants and diversity is a longstanding tradition in the United States, as reflected in the welcoming spirit described by "the huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Your perspective, which appears to support restricting immigration, does not align with these core American values. Such views resemble those found in countries less open to foreigners.

Akita Suggagaki · 2025-11-18T09:52:59-0600

JimR-OCDS said:
The opposite of my former parish which embraces WOKE ideology and
promotes it in the parish.

Following diocese and bishop?

Belk · 2025-11-18T09:50:55-0600

essentialsaltes said:
Just a joke... or is it?

View attachment 373325

Next he will mandate teaching them they need Dihydrogen Monoxide to survive!

Aryeh Jay · 2025-11-18T09:48:29-0600

essentialsaltes said:
Just a joke... or is it?

View attachment 373325

The Islamification of America has begun.

Robban · 2025-11-18T09:48:09-0600

bob121 said:
Thank you, Robban, for your comment—much appreciated.
I hear you—obey can feel like threat, yet Jesus frames it as promise:
“If you love Me, you will keep My commands” (John 14:15).
Same Word, different posture: instruction for when all fails, command because He’s worthy, promise because He supplies the will and the power.

You have surely heard at times, "I was only following orders"

JimR-OCDS · 2025-11-18T09:47:15-0600

Mar-a-Lago is a luxury resort, and many wealthy people spent Thanksgiving with Trump
there along with many others present. There is no bombshell revelation here for thinking people
who aren't suffering from Trump-Derangement-Syndrome.

essentialsaltes · 2025-11-18T09:42:31-0600

Just a joke... or is it?

JimR-OCDS · 2025-11-18T09:42:26-0600

It's believed that the Gospel of Matthew may have been created in 35AD by Matthew himself.

Five pieces of the gospel were found in the Library at Magdalen College at Oxford, according
to the authors of the book, "Eyewitness to Jesus," by Matthew d'Ancona and Carston Thiede
and are believed to be the actual gospel according to St Matthew.

Belk · 2025-11-18T09:42:23-0600

rjs330 said:
Right because its so expensive.

Most of us would of preferred single payer which would of reduced the cost, but it was not tenable to Republicans.

essentialsaltes · 2025-11-18T09:40:54-0600

essentialsaltes said:
Charlotte, North Carolina reels as 81 people arrested in immigration raids

On to Raleigh

Federal agents to begin immigration operations in Raleigh, mayor says

"As the capital city, it is important to us that everyone who lives, works, plays, and learns in Raleigh feels safe," [Mayor] Cowell said. "We have been made aware that Customs and Border Protection are coming to Raleigh. While [the Raleigh Police Department] is not involved in immigration enforcement, we are committed to protecting our residents and to following the law."

"Above all, Raleigh is a safe city, with crime down year-over-year," Cowell continued. "Public safety is a priority for me and this City Council."

NxNW · 2025-11-18T09:40:31-0600

Oompa Loompa said:
How many business do you own? He has definitely owned more than the majority of people in congress and most of the former presidents.

With a history of losing money.

Jerry N. · 2025-11-18T09:38:52-0600

BNR32FAN said:
You do understand that you can’t take a flat object and make it into a sphere without distorting it right? You have to stretch, bend, fold, or cut a flat object in order to make it into a sphere. So that would mean that if the earth is in fact flat, it would be 100% absolutely impossible to make a spherical map of it that is actually accurate to scale. It can’t be done if the earth is actually flat. The only way that a globe can be accurately scaled to where you can measure between any two points on it and accurately calculate the actual distance is if the earth is actually a sphere. If the earth was flat then the distances between points on a globe would be severely distorted. That’s why flat earthers can’t produce a flat map of the earth that is actually to scale where you can measure between any two points and accurately calculate the actual distance between those two places that’s why their maps either drastically distort continent sizes to where the southern continents like Australia and South America are 4 times larger than Asia or North America or they dramatically distort the size of the oceans to where you’d be flying 20,000+ miles between Perth and Madagascar if you actually flew traveling straight west according to a flat earth map. If you actually take the shortest route on a flat earth map you’d be flying over Indonesia, India, the Middle East, and East Africa to get there but those flights are directly over the ocean the whole time, not over land. And in reality Madagascar is pretty much straight west of Perth. So if the earth is in fact flat, a globe should be dramatically distorted, but it’s not, it’s actually very precise unlike the flat earth map.

I have no problem with the concept. Of course you are correct. I was just having a little trouble with the sentence structure. It is not your fault. I should have read it a couple more times.

NxNW · 2025-11-18T09:37:54-0600

boughtwithaprice said:
So your argument is that looks should not cause one to be arrested. The converse is also true, looks should not exempt one from arrest.

Fact is people are breaking the law. The argument that they were not committing a crime at the time of arrest is spurious. Their mere presence in the country without permission is a crime in itself.

A civil offense, not criminal.

boughtwithaprice said:
If I look like people that are breaking the law,

What do "people that are breaking the law" look like?

boughtwithaprice said:
I would be expecting to be detained and questioned. But for the fact that illegal immigration is a rampant problem in this country,

No it's not.

boughtwithaprice said:
due to previous lax enforcement,

How did they get over Trump's wall?

boughtwithaprice said:
Latinos would not be subject to questioning.

Being Latino is not cause for suspicion, unless you're racist.

boughtwithaprice said:
Crying citizenship and rights violations does not make crime go away. It condones and encourages it.

Civil rights encourages crime?

boughtwithaprice said:
I live in San Antonio, TX. It is the most Latino city in the USA and we voted for Donald Trump because we are sick and tired of citizenship becoming a joke and illegals held up as martyrs

We love Mexican culture in Texas

I'm sure some of your best friends are Mexican!

boughtwithaprice said:
Come to San Antonio and see how many Mexican Americans are crying about ICE. We are not. It’s all left wing propaganda. Citizenship is a privilege.

Illegal immigration is right wing propaganda.

Landon Caeli · 2025-11-18T09:37:47-0600

...Driver facing cameras inside company vehicles are a control violation, because the modern ones detect how many times you yawn, and they check your eye movements... This technology forces drivers to behave a certain way while driving, which is not assisting the driver, but rather controlling the drivers behavior. So it fails the test.

essentialsaltes · 2025-11-18T09:37:37-0600

'10 minutes of murder': Why one family is speaking out about the online extremist network 764

Victims and lawmakers are pleading with platforms to do more to keep kids safe

For more than three years, Colby and Leslie Taylor have quietly waited for the day that justice would be delivered for their 13-year-old son, Jay, who in early 2022 was allegedly pushed into killing himself -- and streaming it live on social media -- by an online tormentor associated with the extremist network known as "764."

But five weeks ago, authorities nearly 5,000 miles away in Germany, where the alleged online tormentor lives, filed murder charges against him, alleging that the 20-year-old medical student abused more than 30 kids online, and left one American, Jay Taylor, dead.

Were it not for a teenage girl in Australia, more than 7,000 miles away, Jay's parents would have never known what really happened to their child.

In the hours after Jay's death, the teen in Australia ended up in another online chat with "White Tiger" and others, who she said were sharing recordings of the suicide and joking about it.

"I couldn't just do nothing about it," she told ABC News, requesting that her name not be used out of fear of reprisal. [She found Jay's dad online, sent him the video, and then dad went to the police, and then on to the FBI.]

"They're seeking the end of the world," corrupting future generations and desensitizing them to violence and gore, explained Pat McMonigle, who until he retired from the FBI last year was one of the agents investigating Jay Taylor's case.

Apple Sky · 2025-11-18T09:37:00-0600

BNR32FAN said:
If you actually take the shortest route on a flat earth map you’d be flying over Indonesia, India, the Middle East, and East Africa to get there but those flights are directly over the ocean the whole time, not over land. And in reality Madagascar is pretty much straight west of Perth. So if the earth is in fact flat, a globe should be dramatically distorted, but it’s not, it’s actually very precise unlike the flat earth map.

I don't quite understand flight routes but I do know that on a the flat earth map they should take the shortest rout but they don't, or do they ?

They know thw shape of the earth as proven with government documents.

Login to view embedded media

JimR-OCDS · 2025-11-18T09:34:31-0600

Trump ran a series of hotel business so of course Epstein would've stayed at some of them and
had email conversations with Trump, until Trump threw him out.

As Epstein's former attorney, Allan Dershowitz has said, he had access to all of
Epstein's emails and documents and none of the current sitting politicians, including
Trump, were involved.

JimR-OCDS · 2025-11-18T09:28:16-0600

Pope Leo XIV hosted a lunch Sunday for about 1,300 people whom the Vatican called “the poor, displaced, and forgotten.”

Leo’s predecessor Pope Francis, who died in April of 2025, established the "World Day of the Poor."

MSN

It was a luncheon held with 1300 people in attendance and a group of transgender people.
It was not specifically a special embrace for transgender people by the Pope as the article suggest.

Pope Francis was also raked over the coals for this.

GoldenBoy89 · 2025-11-18T09:26:14-0600

Always in His Presence said:
It has been happening for years:
As Walmart shuts down four stores in crime-ridden Dem-led Chicago, DailyMail.com lists all the big box shops - from Macy's to Target - which have closed due to millions in losses from rampant theft

Major retailers in the US have been forced to shut down stores due to millions of dollars in losses as rampant theft plagues big box stores across the country.

This week, Walmart announced it will shut down four of its stores in Chicago just weeks after America's biggest employer shuttered its only stores in Portland.

It comes as shoplifting reaches alarming levels and other large retailers, including Target, Macy's and Best Buy, are now making good on threats to shutter outlets if petty crime was not lowered.

Grok does a great job

City Stores Affected Year Details
San Francisco, CA Whole Foods (Haight-Ashbury), Target (multiple Bay Area), Nordstrom, Walgreens (multiple) 2023–2025 Whole Foods closed in 2023 due to rampant theft and an overdose death in the store; Target shuttered four locations in 2023 amid organized crime and violence; Nordstrom and Walgreens cited burglaries and safety risks, with 12 Walgreens closures by 2024.
Portland, OR Target (three stores), Walmart 2023 Target closed three stores in 2023, blaming theft and violence that threatened staff safety; Walmart reduced operations due to spiraling crime, including murders at all-time highs in 2022.
Seattle, WA Target (two stores), Nordstrom 2023–2024 Target closed two stores in 2023 over organized retail crime; Nordstrom shuttered its flagship in 2024 citing theft and aggression, following 2020 looting damage.
New York, NY Target (East Harlem), Macy's 2023 Target closed its Harlem store in 2023 due to theft and violence; Macy's faced $10,000+ loots in 2022–2023, contributing to urban pullbacks amid rising shoplifting complaints.
Chicago, IL Walmart (four stores), Target, Whole Foods (Englewood) 2023 Walmart closed four stores in 2023 after tens of millions in theft losses; Whole Foods shut in 2023 due to lack of demand tied to crime; Target and others cited 25% theft rise.
Philadelphia, PA Target, Macy's, Wawa 2022–2023 Multiple lootings in 2022–2023, including Macy's security guard stabbing; Target closed stores in 2023 amid waves of smash-and-grabs; Wawa looted repeatedly.
Los Angeles, CA Target, Walmart, Nordstrom 2023–2025 Target and Walmart closed amid 2023 theft surges; Nordstrom cited crime in 2024; 2025 protests escalated to looting, accelerating exits in high-crime areas.
Oakland, CA Target, REI 2023 Target closed in 2023 after 76% burglary rise; REI shuttered due to theft and violence; nearby stores saw 440+ incidents despite closures.
Baltimore, MD Target 2023 Closed in 2023 after 10 years, citing theft in poverty-stricken areas; part of broader urban exodus.
Atlanta, GA Walmart, Target 2023 Walmart closed a store in 2023 due to theft; Target followed suit amid organized crime.

These closures impacted urban "food deserts," exacerbating access issues, with over 150 Target stores affected nationwide by crime in 2023 alone. Retailers like Walmart warned of further shutdowns if prosecution remains lenient. By 2025, trends continued with Walgreens planning 500 closures, though not all tied directly to violence. No widespread new looting events were reported in late 2025, but organized theft persists.

Just taking one example from your list. There are over 300 Target stores in CA, more than 30 of them around LA alone. By contrast, that’s more than double the number of Targets in your entire state of Oklahoma.

Landon Caeli · 2025-11-18T09:25:57-0600

...To monitor employee behavior, activity, and/or production in any workplace. Such technology may be useful for management, but it fails the test, because it pushes real humans to behave a certain way - thus "controlling" us.

Landon Caeli · 2025-11-18T09:23:22-0600

IMO, any kind of AI use that *controls* human behavior is an abomination. AI should never be used that way, it should only be used to assist humans. Exclusively. So I create this thread for people to share every possible way we can think of that AI should NOT be used.

I am openly stating here, that I think there should be laws restricting the use of AI that controls, or attempts to control any human being.

Hawkins · 2025-11-18T09:20:59-0600

If a god doesn't have a message for all mankind, then he can be ignored as he has nothing important to humans. In order to reach out to all mankind, the spreading to His message must be human-facing. Here's the analogy;
If the US government has a crucial message for all its citizens, what should it do? The only viable way for this message to spread efficiently is through a mass media which is US-facing. If the US government only broadcast it in one state, say Texas then this government is an irresponsible and incompetent government. It should broadcast the message in all states of America instead of just Texas. By the same token, if God has a crucial message, then the gospel shall be preached to all nations instead of a single nation such as India.

Moreover, an even more efficient way for God to send a message is to show up publicly facing all mankind directly. There must be a good reason if a God chooses to hide behind. In Christianity, God hides behind because there's a Covenant between God and men that men need faith to be saved. That is to say, if God shows up publicly, then no man is savable. However if God doesn't show up at all, no man knows who God is and what His Covenant is. So the only viable way for a message to convey is that God shows up to the selected eyewitnesses and for for His message to be written down and subsequently for the rest of humankind to believe with Faith to be saved.

To summarize;
God must have a message for humankind, or his godship is irrelevant
If God does have a crucial message for humankind, the message must be conveyed in the most efficient way. That is, He must show up publicly unless He has a good reason to hide behind
If God does has a good reason to hide behind, the next most efficient way must be chosen to convey His crucial message (i.e., the US government way)

If God already spreads His message in a legit and efficient way, it must be result-oriented. He must have a mass of humans as His followers (message receivers)

Akita Suggagaki · 2025-11-18T09:20:34-0600

1Tonne said:
Hi everyone,

I recently had a disagreement with someone who only watches CNN and MSNBC (Channels that seem to be biased against Trump). Throughout the conversation, they repeatedly insisted that Trump is a “bad person.” As we talked, it became clear that their view was largely shaped by the news sources they rely on—sources that often present only one side of the story. Interviews and coverage usually feature voices that already oppose Trump, and little effort is made to offer a fair or balanced view. This kind of repeated, one-sided storytelling can deeply influence how we think about someone.

As Christians, I believe we need to be very careful here. Scripture warns us not to bear false witness (Exodus 20:16), to avoid gossip and slander (Proverbs 10:18, James 4:11), and to speak truthfully. If there’s no real, clear evidence that a leader is doing wrong, I think we should either remain silent or even offer our support, because to speak against someone based on filtered or biased impressions could cause us to unintentionally spread slander.

That said, we also need to be careful on the other side. It's easy to say that if media builds up a leader, at least it's not gossip. And that’s true—praise isn't slander. But even then, we can't leave our discernment at the door. Just because a leader is being praised by the media station that we prefer doesn't mean they're righteous. History reminds us of this painfully.
The German people, for example, were also swept up by positive portrayals of Hitler. They listened to state-controlled media that praised him as a national saviour. Many supported him enthusiastically without asking deeper questions. Over time, that blind endorsement helped enable one of the greatest evils in history. So we need to recognise that the danger cuts both ways—biased negativity can lead to slander, and biased praise can lead to complicity.

So here’s the heart of the matter for me:
1. When does it become our responsibility to discern truth for ourselves and stop blindly trusting what we’re told,- whether that message is for or against a leader?
2. And if the media we're listening to is constantly negative about a leader, at what point do we become responsible for spreading lies, slander or gossip?

We live in a world full of information and opinions. As followers of Christ, we are called to seek truth, walk in humility, and avoid careless speech. That includes what we say about political leaders. I'd love to hear your thoughts on where this responsibility begins and how we can guard our hearts and words in this area.

Grace and peace,
Nathan

It takes some work to seek out both sides from reasonably reliable sources. Often both sides agree on “what happened “ but have vastly different interpretations or spins. But sometimes even the “what happened” is not agreed upon. Then we need to listen to more sources and decide for ourselves.

Taking action we need to remember to stay on the issues and be as objective as possible. Personality and character are important also but more subjective. And we need to be self watchful about our own bias showing. We read and interpret without much awareness of how our own existing opinions and beliefs and feelings shape our perception and interpretation.

We take action by voting and expressing our thoughts and feelings. It is a powerful opportunity to witness our faith in the way we talk and listen. As we seek justice in our society we extend our spirituality beyond our personal self and into the world. I believe we are called by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to do this.

City	Stores Affected	Year	Details
San Francisco, CA	Whole Foods (Haight-Ashbury), Target (multiple Bay Area), Nordstrom, Walgreens (multiple)	2023–2025	Whole Foods closed in 2023 due to rampant theft and an overdose death in the store; Target shuttered four locations in 2023 amid organized crime and violence; Nordstrom and Walgreens cited burglaries and safety risks, with 12 Walgreens closures by 2024.
Portland, OR	Target (three stores), Walmart	2023	Target closed three stores in 2023, blaming theft and violence that threatened staff safety; Walmart reduced operations due to spiraling crime, including murders at all-time highs in 2022.
Seattle, WA	Target (two stores), Nordstrom	2023–2024	Target closed two stores in 2023 over organized retail crime; Nordstrom shuttered its flagship in 2024 citing theft and aggression, following 2020 looting damage.
New York, NY	Target (East Harlem), Macy's	2023	Target closed its Harlem store in 2023 due to theft and violence; Macy's faced $10,000+ loots in 2022–2023, contributing to urban pullbacks amid rising shoplifting complaints.
Chicago, IL	Walmart (four stores), Target, Whole Foods (Englewood)	2023	Walmart closed four stores in 2023 after tens of millions in theft losses; Whole Foods shut in 2023 due to lack of demand tied to crime; Target and others cited 25% theft rise.
Philadelphia, PA	Target, Macy's, Wawa	2022–2023	Multiple lootings in 2022–2023, including Macy's security guard stabbing; Target closed stores in 2023 amid waves of smash-and-grabs; Wawa looted repeatedly.
Los Angeles, CA	Target, Walmart, Nordstrom	2023–2025	Target and Walmart closed amid 2023 theft surges; Nordstrom cited crime in 2024; 2025 protests escalated to looting, accelerating exits in high-crime areas.
Oakland, CA	Target, REI	2023	Target closed in 2023 after 76% burglary rise; REI shuttered due to theft and violence; nearby stores saw 440+ incidents despite closures.
Baltimore, MD	Target	2023	Closed in 2023 after 10 years, citing theft in poverty-stricken areas; part of broader urban exodus.
Atlanta, GA	Walmart, Target	2023	Walmart closed a store in 2023 due to theft; Target followed suit amid organized crime.

Latest activity

Latest activity

Charlotte, North Carolina reels as 81 people arrested in immigration raids​

Federal agents to begin immigration operations in Raleigh, mayor says​

'10 minutes of murder': Why one family is speaking out about the online extremist network 764​

It has been happening for years:​

As Walmart shuts down four stores in crime-ridden Dem-led Chicago, DailyMail.com lists all the big box shops - from Macy's to Target - which have closed due to millions in losses from rampant theft​

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Charlotte, North Carolina reels as 81 people arrested in immigration raids

Federal agents to begin immigration operations in Raleigh, mayor says

'10 minutes of murder': Why one family is speaking out about the online extremist network 764

It has been happening for years:

As Walmart shuts down four stores in crime-ridden Dem-led Chicago, DailyMail.com lists all the big box shops - from Macy's to Target - which have closed due to millions in losses from rampant theft