1/ I must say that as an Iranian when I watched this, I was astonished by the level of accuracy in retelling the precise details of Iran after the revolution. Yes, Betty’s in-laws were super traditional and strict and even at the time not all families were like that, but
This happened to me. Although my mom is also Iranian. My parents got divorced here in the US (but hadn’t had Islamic divorce through the embassy done), my Dad picked me up from school early one day and told me we were going to visit family. It was confusing but I didn’t know any better. Legally men in Iran have custody of their children, he also made my mom “mamnoye khoorooj” which means if she came back for me to Iran, she would not be able to leave the country again. The plan was that she would come back to Iran and get stuck and then he could bring me back to the US without her. It didn’t work, she knew what was going on. I’m an only child, it was the worst 2 1/2 years for both my mom and I, but he finally brought me back after realizing he can’t sustain there and his plan hadn’t worked.
Am I the only one that remembers this movie?
The true story of Betty Mahmoody, whose husband tricked her into visiting his homeland of Iran and refused to let her and her daughter leave.
It was released in 1991. I don’t understand these white liberal ladies who think that somehow the US is more oppressive than Iran.
It takes a unique level of narcissism to believe you’re entitled to a specific gift from others simply because you or your child hit some life milestone.
Two days after my father's funeral, it was my mother's birthday. With all the grandkids there, we wanted to take a group picture of them with Grandma.
An incident made my sister-in-law very angry; she locked herself and her kids in a back room, refusing to come out.
We didn't want any drama to reach grandma, so I was tasked with getting her kids to come out for the family picture.
I knocked on the door and was greeted with "Go away." I cracked open the door, and she continued to yell at me about what was going on, how they were leaving, and that her kids would not be in the picture.
In that moment, whether she was justified or not in her anger was inconsequential. The goal was to get her two children to join the others for the family photo. I immediately thought, "What does @fbinegotiator say to do?"
I deployed tactical empathy. I'm telling you- tactical empathy and labeling is freaking MAGIC. She came out, and her kids joined Grandma in the photo. The drama never got to Grandma.
I have a wonderful but particularly challenging 17-year-old daughter. Chris Voss has helped more than any therapist or psychiatrist. His book Never Split the Difference has transformed our family. I will forever be indebted to Voss.
His sales and negotiations book, based on his experience negotiating with terrorists, is THE BEST parenting book. Because there are no bigger terrorists than teenagers, except for maybe your in-laws.
Heading to vote, and I will remain the only Democrat that refuses to shut our government down.
Pay TSA agents.
Reopen DHS.
This is weird.
I hope it doesn’t impact the $46 a month I’m earning on X
Guy who killed a seagull will spend more time in jail than any of Epstein’s clients.
While everyone's once again on the whole "USAA is garbage" warpath (they are), it's time once again for me to share a little story from 2013:
As some of you know, I do computer security stuff. Not just professionally, but for fun.
One day in December 2013, I got some spam email. It was a phish. Purporting to be from USAA. Since I was taking 2 years off from working (voluntarily; I'd just gotten married and wanted to focus on me for a while), I had ample time on my hands.
So, I started digging.
Long story short: I located the threat actor -- full name, address, photo, front door, and all his infrastructure. I infiltrated that, and obtained full details of every USAA customer he's successfully tricked into handing over everything: PII, credentials, account details, credit/debit card info, the works. Along with his other campaigns running, pretending to be other banks.
I packaged this all up professionally and approached the appropriate people in USAA about it. Explained who I was, that I'd done this professionally for decades, that I'd been a long-standing customer of USAA, etc.
I was told, in no uncertain terms -- in fact, in these exact words -- "It's our policy not to pursue fraud".
I was a bit taken aback. I had to have them repeat, and then explain that. I couldn't've possibly heard that right.
Here I was, a security professional, handing them a fairly large threat actor on a silver platter, along with a decent-sized list of USAA customers that either had been victims of fraud, or were about to be.
And they not only said they weren't interested, but that they intended to do quite literally nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Earlier that year they'd stopped underwriting motorcycle policies, so I had already pulled my auto and bike insurance from them.
So, I spent Christmas Eve night that year (because I wasn't about to wait) sitting in the office of a local bank opening new accounts, transferring everything out of USAA.
The following week we took it to the State Police. They were interested, but had no idea what to do with the information, even after I politely suggested various avenues to pursue. And I was talking with the officer who was in charge of "all the computer stuff".
The report remains on file.
The threat actor remains at large.
His victims remain screwed.
USAA doesn't give two shits about you, and hasn't for quite some time.
R to @txsalth2o: all y'all can live off of your insider trading profits until you get your damn job done
There is something that EVERY AMERICAN AGREES ON.
Not a single member of the Senate or the House should be getting a paycheck right now.
If TSA doesn't get paid, you don't get paid.
How hard is it to write a bill that says "PAY TSA"?
It would be like two paragraphs max.
186 Democrats just voted AGAINST deporting illegals who commit welfare fraud and steal our tax dollars
Democrats hate you.
Didn’t know Rand Paul had to have part of his lung removed after he was assaulted.
Makes this exchange with Markwayne Mullin all the more disturbing. How difficult is it to say someone shouldn’t be assaulted, nor should we be encouraging violence of others?
It's a good time to remember that the Empire State Building was built in 390 days using machinery and technological processes from nearly a 100 years ago.
.@USAA abuse of US workers and using H-1B workers is a kick in the teeth to US military members. Many of the laid off US employees were spouses and veterans.
Markwayne Mullin is unqualified to be DHS secretary, he is a moderate RINO who recently voted against ending refugee welfare funding, and his boorish behavior is simply embarrassing.
By country, non-citizen households with the highest welfare rates are:
Afghanistan - 87%
Dominican Rep. - 78%
Guatemala - 77%
El Salvador - 75%
Honduras - 75%
Ecuador - 70%
Mexico - 67%
Haiti - 65%
Cuba - 61%
Vietnam - 57%
Colombia - 55%
Venezuela - 51% https://x.com/CIS_org/status/2034265364914200814
Covid's Cutest Couple has broken up.
And oh my, is there A LOT of tea.
Why are foreigners allowed to buy property in the United States?
Tens and hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals are buying American homes out from under U.S. buyers, ALL CASH, while millions of Americans struggle to scratch together a 20% down payment?
We will end this!
Questions to ask yourself before buying a farm:
How much money can you light on fire and burn without it impacting your way of living?
Why do you want a farm?
Does your spouse and or partner share the same why?
Do you want to make money from this farm, or is it a hobby?
If you want to make money, how long can you live on the funds you currently have without making money?
Do you want to live on the farm?
How much money can you afford to invest in the farm without a return?
Do you plan on having livestock?
What livestock?
Do you like to go on vacation?
Who will care for the livestock and or crops while on vacation?
What skills do you currently have that could be used in farming?
What skills do you think you need to gain in order to farm?
Where could you find those skills?
What are the geographical requirements for the farm? (2 hours from a major airport, near family, within 45 minutes of an existing home etc)
How much money can you lose on the farm annually?
What grows in that area?
How much money are you ready to lose on this farm?
What items in life are more important than the farm?
Will any of those items conflict with farm ownership?
How many hours a week can you dedicate to your farm?
Let’s go back to that money - seriously, how much money can you lose?
🚨🚨🚨 Ilhan Omar has allegedly been funneling millions of dollars to a health clinic run by her sister, according to a recent report
Rep. Omar is now being accused of directing taxpayer dollars to a Minneapolis health clinic that was run by her sister, Sahra Noor.
Noor served as CEO of the People's Center Clinics & Services (PCCS), a nonprofit health center, from July 2014 to April 2018 - the height of the Somali migrant fraud in the state.
During that time, the clinic racked up large amounts of public funding - which is now in the spotlight as many are pointing to Omar's role in creating, pushing and signing off on legislation influencing the allocations to the clinic.
Funding for PCCS includes:
💲About $33 million in grants from HHS since 2002
💲$2.2 million from Minnesota's 2017 state capital budget, approved right after Omar started her term in the Minnesota House of Representatives
💲$1 million in federal funding secured by Omar in 2022
💲An additional $1 million in federal funding secured by Omar in April 2024.
Omar denies any wrongdoing
However, these new allegations come as Omar is being investigated for her sudden jump in wealth as detailed on her 2024 congressional disclosure forms showing a worth of upwards of $30 million.
In her 2023 report, she reported a worth of 🔺️between $40,000 & $250,000.
🔺️She claims the wealth comes from her husband's winery but the winery appears to be non-functional, with no sales, no onsite operations and multiple lawsuits filed for defrauding investors.
🔺️Omar has also been implicated in the massive $9 billion Somali migrant fraud in Minnesota.
Details on Omar's ties:
➡️She was close with some of the convicted fraudsters,
➡️She introduced and pushed the bill to remove safeguards for certain welfare programs including school nutrition (which is how the fraud was able to take place)
➡️She hosted her 2018 congressional victory party at Safari Restaurant, owned by convicted fraudster Salim Ahmed Said, who stole over $12 million by fabricating meal claims then spent the money on personal luxuries.
➡️In May 2020, Omar was featured in a promotional video at Safari praising the program's community impact, though she later condemned the fraud as "reprehensible."
➡️A former campaign staffer, Guhaad Hashi Said, pleaded guilty to stealing $3.2 million
➡️Another aide, Ali Isse, defended Feeding Our Future at a 2021 event, criticizing state scrutiny as racially motivated.
➡️Omar's campaign received $7,400 in donations from three indicted fraudsters
➡️Omar said she didn't know about the fraud, but said she would have still pushed to remove safeguards from nutrition programs - then later saying the fraud took place because there weren't enough safeguards.
4 years ago, I, along with my filmmaking partner @AndrewJamesFilm, started making a documentary film about the devastating toll on children from inhumane lockdown policies. The real human face of it.
The result is Generation-Covid. Read about it here.
Flying back from Naples on @SouthwestAir with twins and a toddler. We booked well in advance and chose our seats. SWA has—without notice—changed our seats. As a result, we are now separated on this flight. We already have to sit in separate rows with the twins, but we need to be in consecutive rows because we have ONE diaper bag with bottles, etc.
I preferred open seating, but if SWA wants to force assigned seats, it can’t just move us around.
No foreign influence in Congress.
No foreign aid.
America ONLY.
Military Tribunals for Crimes Against Humanity.
Lindsey Graham should be tried for treason, awaiting sentencing in federal prison.
Not in the U.S. Senate.
7 years ago, my mother used her inheritance to take her children and grandchildren on a Disney Cruise.
It was the first time all 5 adult kids were willing to get together, because it was a free Disney Cruise, so they set aside their issues with each other and went.
On the flight home, my dad noticed his ankles were swelling. Three weeks later, he was diagnosed with Double Hit Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He passed this last February.
His parting words to the kids were, "Don't wait. Take the trip. Go on the vacation."
My mom had been considering using her money to renovate the kitchen instead. She is so grateful she has those wonderful memories and pictures with her late husband, children, and grandchildren instead.
A friend of mine owns a chain of pediatric dental surgery centers whose clientele is medicaid patients. His business has taken off, and he is immensely successful.
I didn't realize that he was profiting off of sh*tty parenting.
What other random services or goods are or will be in demand thanks to "Gentle Parenting"?
There are lies, damned lies and statistics.
Then there is whatever you’d call the claim that California has lower taxes than Florida.
Even people who like California governance acknowledge CA is a very high tax state: highest sales, income and gas taxes in the nation.
Are TSA workers allowed to accept tips?
The Right Wing Podcasters bickering reminds me of when the Band Kids in High School would have drama.
Hey @SouthwestAir - Flight WN2991 Tucson > Vegas tonight has abt 50 passengers. Please explain why I’m required to stay in a window seat in a full row when there are completely empty rows behind me? Please tell me why a flight attendant called me rude for asking? #RapidRewards
R to @txsalth2o: Found this post on FB the following day… people are pissed.
R to @txsalth2o: It’s like being told not to fly the American Flag because you might get shot.
Junior ROTC Cadets are no longer allowed to wear uniforms because those uniforms make them targets for Islamic terrorists.
Text from my daughter this morning.
We let these people in, we feed them, we house them, they then kill us and destroy our culture. Enough.
There have now been four jihadist attacks on the US homeland in the last two weeks and one at the school I took my kids to see Disney on Ice at.
Don’t try and gaslight me Muslim extemism isn’t a full blown crisis in this country.
“We have given the federal government authority to override local zoning laws and stick section 8 housing full of illegal immigrants wherever they want. Please clap”
-You are only considered an “investor” if you own over 350 homes
-Corporate entities can simply create a new subsidiary to bypass the 350 limit
Friendly reminder that the government thinks you’re stupid
Dagger…Southwest is the new Spirit Airlines!
R to @txsalth2o: Side note: I have no expectation that anyone will read this entire post outside of those employed by @SouthwestAir
I will, however, make shorter sh*t posts about SWA that will gain engagement in the future. Just giving Southwest a heads up that I'm about to put them on blast.