36 Comments
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Chris Perez's avatar

You're a role model with a sense of humor at a time when there's nothing funny to speak of. But this Trump thing must be set aside. Enjoy time with family and be glad for the blessings of good physical and mental health. So, as a member of this writing community, I wish you and the entire Substack family a happy holiday season. For me, it will be a Thanksgiving dinner and football to occupy my mind.

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

good advice my friend. In the right frame of mind, its all funny.

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Madeline Taylor, PhD's avatar

You are adorable, Sabrina! You're not an imposter and I don't thank any of those people for any goddamn thing. What I take from your story is that the belief that we are imposters occurred in a particular context when we were children and it made sense to us at the time. But the environment that allowed us to believe that was 100% wrong. They were just wrong. They couldn't see you, couldn't value you, and of course you couldn't value yourself because of that.

I am grateful to Thom Hartmann for having you on so I could enjoy your wit, your intelligence, and your very sweet humanity. May you have many hours of blissful tranquility observing the miraculous herons from your window. 😊🍂🌻

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

awww, how sweet. yes, I got lucky w Thom Hartmann, he's had me on his show numerous times. I truly am grateful for him, but that wouldn't have fit into the satire...

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Eric's avatar

I'm thankful that I decided to subscribe to your newsletter a few months ago.

Regardless of the person or Party in charge, the hubris leads them to over-reach, to go further than the public supports. Like the recoil of an over-stretched bungee cord, public support bounces back towards the center before continuing to the other extreme. There will be a time when the public no longer supports the regime they elected. This will most likely occur when low-information voters begin to personally and negatively experience the results of implement policies. They've been sold, and they have purchased, a steaming pile of manure, but because they are too preoccupied by mindless programming on broadcast and cable networks, and the propaganda on Faux News, they no longer have the capability or desire to research things on their own. The question is whether or not a salvageable America will be around when they are faced with the consequences of their actions.

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Mary A. Wilkowski, Esq.'s avatar

Thank you, Sabrina. Treat yourself this holiday season, and experience Wicked. And, no, I don't mean Rump and his cabinet.

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

ha!

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Greeley Miklashek, MD's avatar

Great satire, Sabrina! I am an abuse survivor (sexual--uncle, physical--HS football I have no memory but won awards, emotional--father never spoke to me, spiritual abuse), so I get it, too. I've psychoanalyzed Our Mad King (wannabe) Donald and his too numerous ilk, who, ironically, may be understood as fellow abuse survivors, ALL of whom blame ourselves and have buried anger we may project out onto the "other". I am particularly thankful for your fine writing and analyses. You are one of a small handful of investigative journalists writing on substack who I follow and am so very grateful for. I guess I should include myself? Have a blessed day and thanks for the bird sightings. I saw Sandhill Cranes on many occasions in Wisconsin, including two procreating, which is an amazing feat. It's a wonder they haven't gone extinct! Keep smilin' and writin'. You are not alone, and neither am I.

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

that's very kind. but I'm not a journalist. I'm a writer with a federal trial background, and 99% of all federal civil cases are resolved on written argument (ie, summary judgment). so I've been writing legal arguments for almost 30 years. I've never seen cranes procreate... thanks for the visual! and happy thanksgiving!

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deadmanwalkingwmd's avatar

Sabrina - Your words are a salve for wounded souls. I am 73 now but my alcoholic family was filled with abuse, physical and emotional, and a Magat view of the world. I don't drink or do drugs. But I know that the effects of that upbringing still scar me. I have been working on these issues since I was 12 but I didn't get into regular therapy until I was 25. I had so much to learn and unlearn. For me, like the Grateful Dead, "What a long strange trip it has been! " I believe a love of learning is what saved me and that is what continues to allow myself to move forward. Thanks for your words.

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

I hear you. my friends call me the sperm that got away. but we never really get away, do we? I'm glad you're better now, even if it took 61 years. happy T day!

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Eric Chaffee's avatar

A mentor once told me that "gratitude IS understanding". You've learned something about the Big Lie, Sabrina. That's good. But let's not over-correct. There was this professor from Germany at grad school who had been a 12-year old boy in Dresden when the allies fire-bombed the city in retaliation for nazis sending buzz-bombs to London. His view was that the allies had descended to the same level of moral evil as the nazis. Let's not go there. (Lying is not an answer.) INSTEAD, have a look at a new book, chapter four of FLUKE: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters, by Brian Klaas. (Start by reading the free Kindle sample, online.) ~eric. MeridaGOround.com

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

I didn’t mean it literally, it was meant as satire

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Hank Napkin's avatar

For Sir a single purpose remains. A purpose that is not of Sir's choosing, but that of the choice History has made for him. And that is to consolidate and finally purge the vile, the ignorant, the faithful, the misogynist, the racist, the cruel, the xenophobe, the deluded from this nation. It may happen via the coming Bird Flu Pandemic. It may happen via environmental collapse, hyper-inflation, crop failure, or war. It may happen in any number and any combination of Sir's policy / casino outcomes. And it will happen in the same way we are told that a Just and Loving God brings Massive Hurricanes, Droughts, Floods, Wild Fires and Earthquakes to smite but one unrepentant gay person.

Sir will create and witness his own enantiodromia, and the subsequent rebirth of freedom.

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Joanna Rapoza's avatar

I had a similar thought yesterday regarding imposter syndrome. If these bozos can fill the highest ranks of our government, then I must be a secret queen. I am grateful for your communiqués. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

and you!

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West Coast Milblogger's avatar

Just found out my Grandpa's Uncle was one of the first people to play the organ at the old Chicago Stadium. Happy Thanksgiving.

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Riordan Coffey's avatar

HUGS!!! I love you! ❤️

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Hal Brown's avatar

There is a salubrious benefit to thinking (and writing) like this. I write my blog at 5:00 AM before my partner gets up. It is still dark here in Oregon so I write in a small dark room too. I have a sense of what it is like expressing my fears and venting anger by crafting what passes for my own dark humor plus very grim reflections on what Trump is about to turn our country into. Today for Thanksgiving my blog isn't nearly as clever as your post. I managed to find something good to write about about Trump winning though: "The only upside I can see of a President Trump is that he scares the sh*t out of some of our enemies." https://www.halbrown.org/2024/11/the-only-upside-i-can-see-of-president.html

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

good blog, except I can’t stand to see all those memes with Trump sporting muscles. He’s a flaccid asshole.

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Hal Brown's avatar

Thanks Sabrina. Just for you I added an addendum/update to the blog.

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

fatass golfer trump! yassss!

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Hal Brown's avatar

Just for fun go to the free photo AI generator https://perchance.org/ai-photo-generator and type in fat Trump playing golf. Look at the cinematic, casual, and professional versions. Of course we don't need AI since we have so many real photos of His Royal Corpulence playing with his little putter.

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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

"We are whatever we claim to be."

Stake a new claim as often as necessary.

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

ha! tomorrow an astronaut. January a spy! February a yoga instructor... this will be so much fun. happy T day Malcolm!

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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

Life would be strange without turkeys. Eat well. Be well.

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Jon Notabot's avatar

I'm thankful for you, Sabrina - specifically your candor. And a dash of Kurt Vonnegutness always lessens the harshness of gravity's indifference.

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

lean into the indifference. it's freeing.

I appreciate you too Jon. I'm on my third week of reduced news consumption (hence the more personal/ less researched columns) and it feels great. I don't know how or why I spent 5 hours a day reading the news before, there's so many better and truer things to see. Happy T day!

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Susan McMann's avatar

Thank you, as always, Sabrina, for not only putting a smile on my face, but for expressing what I feel with words that I can quote to myself throughout the day. I hope you do get a break from all that is ugly and can focus on your beautiful self and know that you have a very grateful community of readers and friends. ❤️

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Sabrina Haake's avatar

thank you- there really is more good than bad/ more beautiful than ugly. trump just happens to have an extra portion of ugly. I'm not afraid of him, he's too stupid to get anything done.

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gk wallace's avatar

Thanks! Needed that. Happy Holidays!

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