If you wanna play at coaching a team, you probably should wear the uniform

[bravenak]

If you are so great at something that you wanna tell everyone else how to play and what to do and what they are doing wrong, then you should probably join the team if you want to be heard.

You cannot coach the Lakers while wearing a Celtics uniform; you cannot decide what Democrats should do unless you put some skin in the game and put the damn uniform on.

I am no longer interested in hearing criticism from and watching independents lob bombs from the sidelines, while I have to just smile and nod. If you care about democratic principles at the hell all, then be a DEMOCRAT. No pissing in the tent from outside, come inside and piss out onto Republicans.

It would be wonderful if those who swear they care about the people being oppressed by Republicans would actually FIGHT THE REPUBLICANS, instead of lobbing bombs at Democrats.

[brush]

1. And that includes Sanders.

[bravenak]

3. It does.

[NastyRiffraff]

52. ESPECIALLY Sanders

He was the one flapping his mouth and pointing a virtual finger telling Tom Perez what he'd better do.

[stonecutter357]

101. +1000

[leftofcool]

2. I agree but I don't expect it to happen.

I think you can count on Democrats being bashed for the next two years which is why we won't win in the mid terms. Don't count on Tom actually being allowed to do his job. Now you know why Howard Dean finally said he didn't want any part of it any more.

[bravenak]

5. That enrages me, because I agree with you

It's easier to blame Democrats and for us to fight on two fronts simultaneously. But this is a dangerous game they play and they might not fare as well as they expect under this dictator.

[guillaumeb]

6. What explains the seeming lack of enthusiasm among non-voters

in 2010 and 2014?

A lack of enthusiasm that lead to the GOP consolidating power at the state and national levels.

[leftofcool]

15. I don't really care.

All I know is that a bunch of idiots voted for a goddamn gorilla and an anti-vaxer named Stein instead of for the Democrat and now those same idiots want to whine about minimum wage, having to pay their student loans back and the high price of health care. You won't me doling out sympathy.

[guillaumeb]

121. But we will all suffer for that lack of enthusiasm.

So we should all care.

[George II]

50. That "lack of enthusiasm" is an urban legend. Its simply not true.

[guillaumeb]

122. Turnout in 2010 and 2014 was far lower than in 2008 and 2012. eom

[George II]

124. Historically turnout always is lower for mid-term elections, has been that way for decades.

Turnout in 2016 was higher than in 2012 and 2016 would have been the highest in history had it not been for the historic candidacy of Barack Obama and national weariness of bush/republican policies.

"Lack of enthusiasm" is an urban legend.

[Demsrule86]

24. I think because Trump is still Trump that we can win...

And those who criticize need to be confronted.

[Me.]

34. Don't Count Tom Out

He's smart, wily and I would bet dollars to doughnuts some also very smart people are going to be helping him, behind the scenes, succeed ever so quietly.

[guillaumeb]

4. So if a Democratic Senator votes for some Trump Cabinet nominees,

is that Senator pissing into the Democratic tent?

[bravenak]

7. No. That Senator is probably in a red state

I would take fucking Manchin over my senators in a fucking heartbeat.

[guillaumeb]

8. Can I assume that you are in a red state? eom

[bravenak]

9. You damn straight.

If we had forty more Manchins and forty fewer McConnells the Manchins would be free to join us 95 percent rather than 75 percent. We need more blue dogs and fewer tea partiers.

[guillaumeb]

10. I would say 52 fewer McConnells.

A recipe for real change.

[bravenak]

12. If we had that Manchin could be as liberal as he pleased

He has no cover.

[guillaumeb]

14. Agreed.

As others have noted, Manchin is one component of the 50 state strategy.

[tonedevil]

174. Why do you think...

he isn't being just as liberal as he wants to be already?

[bravenak]

176. Because he lives in WV

My former Senator Mark Begich was one who was more liberal than he was allowed to be. He is a Dem for good reason.

[tonedevil]

177. It's possible...

I would have to see it to believe it. He is certainly hiding it well at this point.

[Me.]

40. I Seldom Find Myself Disagreeing with you

But I've had my fill of Blue Dogs. Less of both would make me happier and the key to that is to turn lots more cities and states blue.

[bravenak]

41. We had Sarah Palin

Our repubs make blue dogs look like marxists

[Me.]

42. The Manchin/Heitkamp Vote For Pruitt

Was the final straw for me.

[bravenak]

43. I know. Shit sucks

[Lotusflower70]

81. That sucks

I am so sorry. I cannot imagine being blue in a red state.

[bravenak]

82. It's horrible

[Demsrule86]

21. If the cabinet members will get in anyway...and the Senator is from a red

state like Manchin...there are others too...then yes... they can vote for the nominee...in days gone by those sort of Dems were allowed by leadership to vote with the other side on matters that helped them in their state when their vote would not change the outcome.

[Blanks]

131. You're right, they need to put their constituents ahead of the party...

There's no reason to lose future elections AND the cabinet members get confirmed. It makes more sense to let a few red state dems let their constituents believe that they are fighting for them.

The all or nothing thinking damages the party in the long run.

[George II]

55. If a democratic (not Democratic) senator doesn't show up to support a Democratic senator...

...who is being censored and censured by the republicans, THAT is pissing INTO the Democratic tent.

[WinkyDink]

137. It depends upon the nominee, and it depends on the Democratic Party stance. DeVos, e.g.? BAD.

[sarah FAILIN]

11. Agree

Complaining about how it's all so unfair that you can't take over the dem party does not do a damn thing toward getting rid of Trump.

[bravenak]

13. It pisses me off that they see us as worse than Trump for some reason

Always willing to criticize us, but willing to work with him.

[sarah FAILIN]

16. I use to go on a Bernie fb page

I BEGGED them to do the right thing and got slapped in the face. They had to make their protest vote no matter what then blamed Clinton for losing.

[bravenak]

17. I had that experience. I was a supporter of his at first

I still like his ideas....

[Jakes Progress]

66. He sold those ideas,

(which I liked too) for the same ego rush that powers trump.

He claims to be a socialist (which is why I liked him in the first place) but he has no idea of how or why unions work. Solidarity is a foreign concept to him.

[bravenak]

76. Yep. I'm to his left which is why I knew Trump was the real threat

[Demsrule86]

18. I agree completely...join us or button the lip.

[bravenak]

28. Please

[aikoaiko]

19. How about the independents invited on to the Democratic Leadership Team?

https://democrats.senate.gov/leadership/#.WLJC-pI8KhA

Think of Bernie as a consultant telling us what we need to hear even if we don't like it.

[bravenak]

20. What about them? They don't get to tell me what to do or control my party

Notice that all the actual leadership positions in the party are filled by party members? Consultants consult, they have no power.

[aikoaiko]

25. That's their job - to tell people what to do.

Bernie kept me in the Democratic Party. His placement on the leadership team and his continued honest critique of the party is what kept me in the party.

[bravenak]

26. They are there to Consult. Not control.

[aikoaiko]

63. Sometimes they are when they are invited by leadership to do so

[bravenak]

67. They would lose me and many others if they let

indys control Our party.

[JustAnotherGen]

69. +1

[aikoaiko]

95. Its hard to believe you would leave if people like Bernie had more control.

But I'll have to take your word on it.

[boston bean]

29. Bernie is all that kept you in the party??? Wow!

[progressoid]

99. Not only that, but Bernie also brought a lot of new, energized people into the party.

[boston bean]

100. Are you aikoaiko?

[progressoid]

102. I don't think so.

Just engaging in a group discussion.

[WinkyDink]

139. He lost.

[progressoid]

149. And?

So did Hillary.

Your point?

[bravenak]

159. So we should leave the focus off of them and find a way to come together.

[progressoid]

178. And you think this thread takes the focus off of them and brings us together?

[bravenak]

179. Absolutely. It's gret advice and much kinder than his criticisms.

[leftofcool]

33. No it is not.

No one and certainly no political party tells me what to do or how to think. The constant bashing of the Democratic Party is the reason we are considering leaving it. One can't stay in a Party and try to make it better if you have certain people constantly bashing said Party.

[Demsrule86]

22. Sorry...I would not have put any independent in leadership.

[aikoaiko]

30. No doubt, but it was a brilliant move that kept people like me in the party.

I still believe we will find a leader who can synthesize the two wings of the party

[stevenleser]

54. The jury is still out on whether it was a smart or dumb move.

If Sanders supporters can become about coalition building and compromise, it will have been a smart move.

If instead they decide to throw tantrums every time they don't get their way, and persist on being holier than thou and tearing or threatening to tear the party apart every five minutes, then it will have been a dumb move.

So it's really up to Sanders supporters to decide what kind of move it was.

[aikoaiko]

59. Right, because the status quo Democrats have no part in working things out

It's going to take some effort from all of us.

We can't do anything divided.

[stevenleser]

62. We don't, it's not up to the rest of us whatever label you use. We're not the tantrum throwers. nt

[aikoaiko]

64. Maybe not, but we lost in our fractured state

And unless someone brings us together, we'll lose some more.

I think that will take some work on your part and mine.

[stevenleser]

105. I don't agree that we lost. We won on two fronts.

#1 - And most obvious, we won the popular vote

#2 - We won because with Republicans and Trump controlling all the branches of government, now people will get to see the deep ugly underbelly of conservatism in all its unfiltered wretched horror. They will contrast that with what life was like under Obama and it will produce massive electoral victories for us for a number of years.

[aikoaiko]

106. Ok sure

1. The popular vote is very meaningful except constitutionally.

2. I'm surprised to see you adopt the Susan Sarandon position on what constitutes winning.

But I generally agree that these are two things that bode well for us in future elections.

[Kentonio]

118. Jesus christ..

Open your eyes for goodness sake! The house - red, the senate - red, the white house - red and led by Donald fucking Trump!

If thats what 'not losing' looks like to you, then what the hell would losing be?!

[stevenleser]

123. My view of the world and history is much longer than most people's. I warned many of my

friends in Conservative media in the July-October time-frame that if they managed to elect Trump, it would end up much worse for them in the long run than a loss regardless of the opponent. Many grudgingly agreed.

My mind has never changed from that. This will benefit the political left in the US, assuming we all survive.

So, no, open YOUR eyes. The worst outcome in an election isn't your candidate losing. It's your candidate winning and in governing being so destructive to your brand that it makes it harder or impossible to get your candidates elected for years or decades.

[Kentonio]

125. No, you're not a special cupcake who sees the big picture no-one else does.

The long term benefit scenario you're suggesting a) can be wildly altered by unexpected events or circumstances (another war or major terrorist attack springs to mind) and b) completely ignores the incredible damage that can be done in the meantime, 'if we survive' aside.

There are countless ways that the GOP could work this to their benefit, they already hold a wildly unbalanced amount of power, and if they kick Trump to the curb and replace him with Pence, then the very radical nature of Trumps behavior will mean people see Pence's evil as far more normalized.

If the party unify now and get to work on the mid-terms AND if the GOP continue to self-destruct then yes it could mean strong gains for us later, however none of those things are guarantees and it smacks of incredible hubris to describe the brutal kicking we took in November as any form of victory. The American people chose Donald J Trump as preferable to our candidate. That is not a victory however you choose to spin it.

[stevenleser]

126. Compared to you, yes I am. Although admittedly that bar is low. nt

[Kentonio]

127. Ah, theres the deep level of intellectual argument we've come to know and love..

[bravenak]

132. Agreed.

[delisen]

61. Co-optation.Shumer's attempt to keep Bernie from bashing Democrats.

Cult of Personality is not democratic.

[BainsBane]

70. The result has been deeper divisions

Reignited unnecessarily, as in the case of the DNC chairmanship. Ellison's candidacy did not need to be turned into a power struggle, and doing so did him a disservice.

The thing is, Democrats would likely agree on most issues. This division is not about policy or ideology but personality--loyalty to Bernie. Its sad that so much division revolves around so little.

Here for example, we see endless threads about Bernie personally and none about any of the issues people imagine divides the party. It doesn't seem like the issues matter compared to dislike or reverence for one man.

[aikoaiko]

112. How did the contest for DNC chair do Ellison a disservice?

Of course regular people active in politics have their heros. Are you blind to all the personality and hero worship of some Democrats?

There are differences between Perez and Ellison that made this chairshipmelection meaningful and all elections are power struggles to some degree.

You just happen to be on the side with more power within the party so it may not be obvious to you.

[BainsBane]

116. We're back to my being "the establishment"

because I had a different view of the primary?

The disservice to Ellison was that the vitriol surrounding his nomination undercut his candidacy. It made it harder for people to support him.

What are the differences that make the contest so meaningful, other than the fact Bernie endorsed Ellison because Ellison had endorsed him in the primary? You still don't mention a single issue. In several exchanges we've had about the party, you have yet to mention a single issue. The only issue I've ever seen you discuss is guns.

I have phone banked and done door knocking for Ellison for years now. I am guessing that is more than you can say. But working for candidates is just part of what the "establishment" does.

[aikoaiko]

128. My support for Ellison really comes down to him him winning elections in the Midwest.

I have more confidence in him helping the party winning the mid-west than Perez. I think the party understands how to win the west coast and MidAtlantic up to New England, but we sometimes screw up in the Midwest.

As a person of color and a Muslim I also thought he would be an effective bridge between the social and economic warrior factions.

Tom Perez is also a good Democrat. I must admit I'm a little worried about a DNC chair who might be too beholding (or perceived) to Martin OMalley given the DWS-HRC fiasco.

[BainsBane]

136. You don't think that might not have been an issue

with Ellison and Sanders?

Ellison is great at getting the vote out in Minneapolis, but I don't know that gives him insight into the Midwest overall. This is a deep-blue district and the issue is turning out infrequent voters, not convincing swing voters.

[BainsBane]

145. Actually O'Malley endorsed Buttigeig.

So you don have to worry.

[aikoaiko]

147. Of course I was referring to MOM giving him his politics start in MD

[Demsrule86]

108. I think we already have...yesterday with perez's election as DNC chair.

[aikoaiko]

110. I'll give him a chance.

He was elected., but can he synthesize a vision or plan that brings us together? I dunno.

[sheshe2]

35. I have no issue with talking with them/discussing ideas.

I do however have an issue here...

"Think of Bernie as a consultant telling us what we need to hear even if we don't like it."

I do not like your wording...Bernie will TELL us what we NEED TO HEAR. You bring us back to the beginning. No, he does not TELL us Dems anything. If he wants to be part of the discussion then HE needs to listen. He is not in charge.

[brer cat]

53. Amen!

Well said, sheshe. It is Bernie telling us what he think we need to hear that sets my teeth on edge.

[sheshe2]

65. Thank You brer!

We do not need to be TOLD anything. We are ALL part of the DISCUSSION. No one's voice is more important than our collective voices. No one. It is not about HE or SHE it is about WE!

[aikoaiko]

111. I'm happy with it. And I'm a Democrat, too.

No one said he was in charge. I welcome his point of view and I think it is needed.

[Kentonio]

119. Please..

The only reason he has gained such popularity is because he's vocalizing an opinion that huge numbers on the left hold. Opinions that for a long time have been ignored or opposed by those on the right of the party. In case it slipped your attention, support for the party has dropped dramatically with ever increasing numbers moving from D to I.

If all you take from this is 'he should listen' then you've learned nothing in the last year. Considering how many here seem to think like you do, that really makes me lose fair that we could be able to turn a corner and unite again.

[otohara]

142. We've Heard It All Before - Memorized

was he consulting President Obama when he called him weak, a huge disappointment and someone should primary him...wink, wink

[aikoaiko]

146. Yes.

Bernie was trying to help Obama remember why some people voted him in 2008.

[otohara]

150. The Effect Was

lower turnout in 2010 & 2012 - and the grande grande finale was Trump
He loves to insult - reminds me of the current occupant.

I have some advice for Bernie - form your own god damn party

[aikoaiko]

151. If that's true then Obama should have listened to Bernie more

But I don't think you can blame 2010, 2014, and 2016 on Bernie.

At least not without making Obama and HRC look pathetic.

[otohara]

175. He Had Lots of Alt-Left Help

from his anti-government/Obama/Clinton hating surrogates and the anti-government/Obama/Clinton hating alt-left sites, airwaves and TV who spew the same words, phrases he uses over and over. When primary time rolled around the alt-left went into action to demonize Hillary.

I used to listen and read them all ( Brunch w/ Bernard & his former staffer David Sirota radio show) until they got personal and real nasty directly aimed at President Obama. If he wanted an audience why didn't he visit with the president vs calling him names week after week.

I wish he'd go after the Republican's but he's not trying to take over the GOP is he?

[Progressive dog]

23. I agree

The outside criticism against Democrats serves only to help the Republicans. That may be the intent.

[bravenak]

27. I think it helps republicans way too much

[leftofcool]

36. Yes, it was.

[left-of-center2012]

31. Oh gawd are we still bashing Bernie?

How's that going to help us against Trump?
2016 is over!
Move on.

[bravenak]

32. Us bashing Bernie? Naw, we are the RECIEVERS of such bashings.

[nolabear]

37. He started it! 😄

True though. He needs to learn to stop lobbing and work with us.

[bravenak]

38. I would seriouslu stfu if he did and get to work

This lobbing of bombs distracts us from Trump and his crimes

[George II]

57. Sorry, it's the other way around. Did you see his statement about Perez today after the vote?

[radical noodle]

87. Yes, did you read the entire thing?

It was thick with condescension.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028709828

[brer cat]

58. Bernie is bashing democrats.

How is that going to help us against Trump?

[Cha]

92. Exactly..

Why isn't that never discussed?

Mahalo, brer!

[TransitJohn]

86. They'll be doing it to the grave. It's how some deal with the loss.

I don't get the scapegoating, but it's probably easier for some.

[Cha]

91. No one is "bashing".. just responding to his tweet lecturing the Winner

Tom Perez..

[Kentonio]

120. Did you capitalize 'winner' for a reason?

Are we supposed to hold up the person who a majority support as some hero who is forever more unable to be questioned? The party is deeply split and although those on the left have lost again, it is not 'lecturing' to remind those who won that they still have a lot of work to do to reunite us.

You might want to just put the left in a box and seal it back up, but it's not happening.

[WinkyDink]

140. Look, you backed a non-Democrat. There was zero way a non-Democrat was getting our nomination.

[Kentonio]

143. The guy voted Dem 95% of the time. He's more of a Dem than most of the people claiming that title.

[mcar]

39. K & f'ing R!

[Cha]

44. Awesome Analogy, brave! Actually the one

lecturing from the sidelines could use a few lectures.. and I think you just did that.

[bravenak]

45. He sure could use a few of my awesome lectures!

[NurseJackie]

46. Bette says ...

[bravenak]

47. I love your gifs!

[George II]

48. My analogy for the last few months is that the Commissioner of the NFL....

....doesn't dictate MLB rules. Simple.

[bravenak]

49. Perfect!!!

[MelissaB]

51. Back to the primaries?

[QC]

68. Never left. n/t

[bravenak]

75. It would be nice to fight Republicans instead of fending off bombs from the left

[MelissaB]

94. It certainly would!

[Cha]

84. That would be a good question for BS

[Cryptoad]

56. We need a new party rule

u can't run for any office as a Democrat unless u are a member of the Party.

[lostnfound]

72. Let's be purists all the way. You can't vote for a Democrat unless you ARE one. Nt

[brer cat]

60. K&R

[Aristus]

71. Damn right. I'm so goddamned sick and tired of Bernie-bots pissing on Hillary.

Bernie told you to vote for her! Why do you still have a problem with her?

[bravenak]

77. Me too

[lillypaddle]

73. Couldn't agree more

BIG kick & rec.

[Gore1FL]

74. FFS.

If people understood how american politics worked rather than kvetching about it, things would be so much better.

[Phoenix61]

78. +1

[Lucinda]

79. + eleventy billion

[SunSeeker]

80. Thank you!

[doxyluv13]

83. Republicans will rule us forever if we listen to Bravenak.

Democrats are only 29% of the electorate. Adding Democratic-leaning independents gives us 36%.

[bravenak]

85. Wrong! Thanks for playing, though.

[JHan]

93. lol ...+++

[Gore1FL]

88. Right...

We've seen the effects in 2016.

[uponit7771]

169. We don't do that by trying to be right lite socially and promise bullshit economically

[Larkspur]

89. You are advocating conformity not unity

Unity requires trust between the sides or groups forming the union, and in a democracy, it should never be a blind trust.

I'm a Democrat and Town Party Chair and I proudly voted for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Dem Primary because his words and policies more closely resembled the core Democratic values that I believe in, and he was willing to fight for them.

In the GE, I held my nose and voted for HRC. I live in CT, so she carried my state. It's too bad that after raising a billion dollars, she could not spend more in MI than in Omaha, NE, and find the time to pay WI a visit or more.

[bravenak]

90. We are a big tent and can deal with many types. From INSIDE the tent

If his wing gets complete control, count me out and millions more like me. There is a reason we usually only allow dems to run.

[uponit7771]

96. Better than anarchy... Anyone's rules goes all the time isnt organized

[Fast Walker 52]

98. No, he's not dictating uniformity... Bernie's no longer a Dem and barely ever was one

was his point.

[ismnotwasm]

97. K&R

[Gothmog]

103. K&R

[BlancheSplanchnik]

104. So well said...

"It would be wonderful if those who swear they care about the people being oppressed by Republicans would actually FIGHT THE REPUBLICANS, instead of lobbing bombs at Democrats."

[csziggy]

107. Wish I had known you were going to start this thread

I would have posted my rant in this thread rather than the other one:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028711694#post89

I've been holding that back for months but will not any more.

[bravenak]

109. That is a really good post, better than my op

[csziggy]

113. Thank you - that means a lot to me

Because I value your opinion a lot.

[bravenak]

114. Well, thank you. I cannot wait until this primary ends and we can move on to the GE!

[csziggy]

115. LOL!

The continued fighting over the primary is one factor that has made me lose respect for Bernie Sanders and his adherents.

If Bernie were truly a leader, he would tell his followers to STFU and encourage them to get with the program to support the Democratic Party.

Instead he gives the idea lip service but never castigates his worshippers for their role in putting Trump into power. If he REALLY cares about this country and pushing forward the good ideas he claimed to support during the primaries he would join the Democratic Party then tell his followers to do the same - especially in their local parties - or tell the ones who don't want to join to stop claiming him as their leader.

Instead he accepts their adoration but is not using it to push them to a more influential role in reclaiming the country for liberals.

[bravenak]

117. That's for me too

Honestly, I expected him to try to keep things peaceful, but I saw that they were merely following his lead the whole time. All that talk of the system being rigged pissed me off. Like women are just always given the advantage. That was too much.

[Fla Dem]

129. And I'm wondering how much of ths is sowing fractious dissent

in the party to keep us from accomplishing anything. Two possible reasons for this;
1.) they are really outside agitators bent on destroying the Democratic Party. I would not put this past the Russians, ALEC, the Koch brothers, or any other of the rich billionaires who want to run the government with their own people in positions of power.
2.) Far left activists who want the party to bow to their demands

I agree. Work within the Party. Put on the jersey of the team you want to play for. If you don't like that team, then find another team.

[bravenak]

130. Exactly.

I never scream at the Celtics to play better, because I never want them to win, ever. It feels like that thing where they just like us losing. They think if we lose we will be forced to completely change everything, rather than fix what is actually wrong. I am not interested in being bossed by non dems on how to be a better dem.

[StubbornThings]

133. 90 recs for this garbage.

WTH!

[bravenak]

134. It's great!

[StubbornThings]

135. I'm sure it is. nt

[zz-la]

141. And yet you don't elaborate to what you did not like about it

I thought it was well written and very apropos to the current climate the country faces. Do you support Bernie? Do you think that he should take a greater leadership role in the Democratic party? Lots of people would like to see politicians like Sanders take a stand and put their recent rise in popularity to good use.

[WinkyDink]

138. I'm not sure why Independents are posting here. If "I" means "Sometimes 'R'," WTH? If not, then why

not "D"?

[bravenak]

148. Makes no sense to me either

[butdiduvote]

144. Amen

I am bored and exhausted with this aversion to common sense. Attacking the party that stands in opposition to the Republicans and then bitching about them being less effective at defeating the Republicans makes as much sense as trying to lose weight on a diet of ice cream and cookies and then calling the doctor who tells you to stop eating that way "cynical" and accusing her of trying to suppress your right to eat the foods you want.

I really thought the left was smarter than this. Overall, we are, but it only takes a few privileged assholes to take us down with them.

[bravenak]

154. You go that right, lol!

[Rex]

152. If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band.

That lead guitar is hot, but not for a Louisiana man.

[bravenak]

153. IS that a song?!

[Rex]

155. Yes!

Your post makes me think Bernie needs to get a fiddling!

If You're Gonna Play in Texas
Alabama
If you're gonna play in Texas,
You gotta have a fiddle in the band.
That lead guitar is hot,
But not for "Louisiana man".
So rosin up that bow for "faded love"
And let's all dance.
If you're gonna play in Texas,
You gotta have a fiddle in the band.
I remember down in Houston
We were puttin' on a show
When a cowboy in the back stood up and yelled,
"Cotton-Eyed Joe"!
He said, "we love what you're doin'.
Boys don't get us wrong,
There's just somethin' missin' in your song.
If you're gonna play in Texas,
You gotta have a fiddle in the band.
That lead guitar is hot,
But not for "Louisiana man".
So rosin up that bow for "faded love"
And let's all dance.
If you're gonna play in Texas,
You gotta have a fiddle in the band."

I hear it played at least once a day here, funny it is by a group called Alabama.

[bravenak]

156. I'm gonna look it up. I love fucking Americana type shit

[Rex]

157. That is it spot on.

Should just make that our official language - Americana.

[bravenak]

158. We should, lol, then we could understand each other. Maybe... Ok, probably not. :)

[Rex]

160. Americana - slang - a lot of different langugages formed into the

American language over many centuries.

[bravenak]

162. That's why we are exceptional.

So many cultures in one place. I did my ancestry dna and found out some shit. Like, i'm way way more white than I ever thought,lol. Like, of course I knew about my Iberian ancestry, but that Nordic stuff was surprising. And the German. And the Italian and Brittish. Hell, I'm just about half white and had no clue, I feel so 'black power' that it was kinda shocking. Sad too. But I think about it and it makes sense. We are all pretty much related here.
It was funny seeing the photos of my redneck Kentucky cousins and my proper Brittish fourth cousins. So weird.
I think if we all did dna tests we would stop fighting so much. Hard to hate family as much as strangers.

[Rex]

164. Agree 100%.

Things are so played on (by the mass media and others) how we should fear diversity itself, that it is supposed to engulf the world in a wave and end all space and time.

People that think that way can stay strangers to me. They are a dying breed. Even they know it. I know there are at least 65,000,000 people that agree with me in this country. The finer details me differ, but we can either stand together arms interlocked and be that wall of change or die individually on our knees out back behind the barn.

Our diversity and our acceptance of it makes us stronger and those that fear it fear the future. I think that is why they fear us. We are the future and they know it.

[bravenak]

166. Absolutely, Brother!

They fear us and we will still accept them if they change. If not? They can fuck off and be scared alone.

[Rex]

167. Can't be empathetic to someone that shuts down and hides away behind locked doors. Throws away the

key. Scared of their own shadow - could be the tax man or one of those minorities moving in next door! Staying scared and confused.

Have a great one bravenak! Learning about your ancestry is so enriching.

[bravenak]

168. LOL!! No, not the tax man and us darkies, Lord!! You have a great one too!

[betsuni]

161. Glad to rec this to 100. (nt)

[bravenak]

163. Thank you!! Hey!!!

Nice to see you!

[betsuni]

170. Thanks!

Have been in culture shock all week. The mother-in-law died, which was long expected -- spent three nights in same house with dead body on ice, lots of Shinto ceremonies. After the ceremonies at the funeral hall, when everyone's crying, they immediately herd you into a dining hall and make you eat. Cry, eat. On the last day they had fed us after a morning ceremony, then we went to the cremation place and looked at the bones and stuff of the mother-in-law. Like, all the bones are explained and we had to lean in and take a good look (also was urged to touch dead body before it went in furnace but there are limits). Then pieces of the bones are picked up with chopsticks by all the relatives and put in the urn. I really regretted every single one of the tea sandwiches (tuna salad, ham and cheese, egg salad) I had eaten that morning, because I felt a little queasy. Then we had to go back to the hall and eat more. After final ceremony, another large meal, but at least then there was beer too. Am now conditioned to connect food with death.

[bravenak]

171. Damn!!

That is a deeply involved ritual that I have to say I am glad to never experience. I thought it was bad when my daughter died that they let me hold the body for so long, but at least I didn't have her body in my house for theee days.
Culture shock is a mf. You are strong as hell, I could not do it.

[betsuni]

172. I could not do it if it was someone I really loved, like the husband.

Would go out of my mind.

[bravenak]

173. Me too. I'd ship his body back home and bury it or cremate it like 'normal'

[Gothmog]

165. K&R