Trump Says Kamala Is "Totally against the Jewish People," Forgetting Her Husband is Jewish 😂

*PS added about JD Vance's cat-lady comments.

So we're all feeling excited and revitalized, after Biden's decision and Kamala now running, after previously worrying about Biden's health and partially resigning ourselves to Trump being president again, right?

That's is GREAT!

But don't forget, with this come the falsehoods that we particularly see with candidates of color, demanding birth certificates and claiming anti-semitism.

 

Same BS we heard with Obama, coming back to haunt us like a bad case of heartburn, after we've eaten a cheap, greasy cheeseburger again from a local dive that miraculously managed to barely pass their latest health inspection for the last 10 years 😂

Or an even better analogy might be, after finding out one of the 3 polyps that I had removed on colonoscopy in May was precancerous, having to go back again, in 5 years, to have precancerous polyps removed again, before malignancy takes root.

Either way, this racist BS coming up again causes me great amounts of gastrointestinal distress 😂

So Trump said this:

   

“Even if you’re against Israel or you’re against the Jewish people, show up and listen to the concept. But she’s totally against the Jewish people.”

Yeah.  That's why she's married Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish 😂 

He added "It amazes me how Jewish people will vote for the Democrats, when they're being treated so disrepectfully and badly."

At this point, I admit, I said out loud: "Oh, shut up, Trump, ya Tangerine Twat  - The America Nazi Party and the KKK endorsed  YOU for a reason.  I'd venture to guess about a quarter of your party is antisemitic. Name one thing that we're doing that's disrespectful to the Jewish people and treating them badly?  *crickets*"

Not only is she married to a Jewish man,  but she said this on June 7, 2023 (link is directly from whitehouse.gov).

"At the core of the U.S.-Israel relationship is America’s ironclad commitment to the security of Israel. This commitment — (applause) — this commitment endures not only because it is in America’s strategic interest, but because it is the right thing to do. (Applause.)  

And this is why I was proud to vote for unprecedented security assistance to Israel, almost $4 billion per year, every year that I served in the United States Senate. And this is why our administration continues to provide this assistance and added another $1 billion in the wake of the 2021 conflict with Hamas.  

And know this: Whether replenishing Iron Dome, working together to develop a new laser defense system, or countering Iran and its proxies, the commitment of the United States and its commitment to Israel’s security will remain unwavering. (Applause.) 

Our administration believes that in order to promote the security of Israel, the region, and the United States, we must continue to create a more integrated and interconnected Middle East. That is why we will continue to build on Israel’s peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, and on Israel’s historic agreements with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco. Also, understanding this — (applause) — all is to support Israel’s normalization with countries in the region and beyond."

Now - you will note that in the latter portion, she mentions that in order for Israel to remain secure, part of the strategy is is to also  work towards integrating the people of the Middle East and work on peace treaties, and she has criticized certain actions Israel has taken as a response.

I wholeheartedly agree.

The Israel-Palestinian battle has been going on for a long time, and though all of us condemned what Hamas did, some actions taken by the Israeli government under Netanyahu have gone too far.

There's a point at which it stops being about self-defense and avenging and starts becoming about regional and racial/faith-based dominance. 

And just because you criticize actions the Israeli government itself has taken, doesn't mean you don't support their people or their country overall, and this does NOT make you "antisemitic" - that's a child's way of thinking.

She didn't attend Netanyahu's speech because she had a prior engagement, which granted, she could've canceled, but she had already arranged to meet with him privately.

Personally, I don't like Netanyahu myself, but I love Jewish people. 

I don't like Trump, but I love the American people.

Just because you don't like a particularly country's current leader doesn't mean you don't love the country and its people overall.

Again, saying otherwise is a child's logic. 

Also, in this same speech in Charlotte, he said that Kamala endorses the execution of babies after live birth.

What the ???

Not only has she never said this, but literally no one endorses that.

But on a good note, what we can take away from this is how desperate he is, resorting to even more outrageous lies/gaslighting, which we didn't even think was possible 😂

_________

PS

And don't forget, besides her race, we apparently also have to endure again her being called a whore, a Jezebel, a lesbian, same stuff we heard about Hillary, plus tack on JD Vance calling her a "cat lady" who has no children of her own. 

Apparently, this means: 

"A bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too. It's just a basic fact. You look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC, the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children." And how does it make any sense that we've turned our country over to people who don't really have a direct stake in it."

Listen, you insensitive prick - you don't know that her childlessness was by choice.  

However, no one is surprised you said this, considering you blamed  the people of Eastern Kentucky's poverty on themselves, rather than lack of jobs and their leadership being Republican and coal-company lackeys,  for the last 60 years.

And AOC is still super young and still has time - do you have a crystal ball or something about her family planning that the rest of us don't have??

Frankly, women's family planning is none of your business!

Also, it's 2024 - it's high time we stop making a women's worth solely about their ability to have children and assuming that's what we women only value about ourselves, too. 

Lastly, I have a family member who adores and wanted children, but is unable to have them, and they are NOT miserable, she is one of the most caring people I know and also the funniest, loving to make people laugh to break the tension/lighten the mood. 

More importantly, Jesus didn't have children?

So again, stop projecting - YOU'RE miserable, despite having children - only miserable people say blanket-generalized mean things like this

Okay, rant over, I'm done - *HOP* off my soapbox. 😂

Padawan Princess Kamala and Joebi-Wan-Kenobi 😂

I would credit Stephen Colbert as the inspiration for this post, but it was actually Mark Hamill that first coined the phrase when visiting the White House.

Regardless, two days ago, during Kamala's speech to the Democratic Headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, President Biden phoned in to support her, exchanging "I love yous," with Biden adding "I'm watching you, kid."  🥰

Of course, he could not attend in person, having contracted COVID-19 again, but as Stephen Colbert stated, hearing his disembodied voice, blessing her with love and stating he was watching over her, reminded us all of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Princess Lea, still watching over her and saying "May the Force Be With You, Young Padawan, as you battle the dark side!" 😂

When is the last time you heard a Trump-Republican politician, or any Trump-Republican, say that they loved each other -  or anyone at all, for that matter - besides Trump? 

Kamala Harris, Hillary, Myself, and Other "Jezebel Spirits" 😂

 

As mentioned two posts below, having nothing to do with Kamala Harris, I mentioned that I have been told I had a "Jezebel spirit" once, because I questioned my youth pastor about what he was demanding we do, versus what scripture actually said.

When I wrote that, this morning, I hadn't yet seen this article - among others I just read - that some pastors and pundits - including in this clip from Lance Wallnau - a right-wing Christian nationalist - saying Kamala has a "Jezebel spirit!"  😂😂😂

Oh, what complete and utter nonsense!

Again, though there IS a Jezebel in the bible, there is NO SUCH THING as anyone having a "Jezebel spirit," mentioned anywhere in the bible!

Thus, it's a completely made up concept, created by predominantly white evangelical men, about women who speak up, to shut them up, shame them, demand/order things of them and otherwise control them (and sometimes other women).

Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab, who co-ruled with him. Maybe she really was a power-hungry, conniving bitch - OR - maybe they blamed both of their poor ruling decisions on her, as particularly the Old Testament likes to do when it comes to women, who can say?

Regardless, the men who made up this concept (and use it) clearly fear women will take control/power away from them, thereby projecting their own need for power/control onto women - see how that works?

Hilarious, that I had just written about that, not even related to Kamala!  😂

Also, high-ranking Republicans have asked their voters to refrain from racist or misogynistic language about Kamala and keep it about the issues. 

Ya know, exactly how full of racists, bigots, and misogynists IS your party, that you feel you need to issue a public request for them to stop the racist and misogynistic vitriol towards Kamala?

Y'all realize that doing so is basically an admission of racism and misogyny being rampant in your party, or at least your awareness of it, right?  😂

Oh, how proud you must be of your people!

However, as we know, Trump-Republicans, hear the opposite - particularly because Trump encourages them to do and say whatever they want, whatever it takes to win, dirty and dishonest is the way they work. 

In fact, if there was such a thing as having a Jezebel spirit, then methinks the smellers are the fellers, because most Trumpers have it!  😂

They don't want to listen to a dang thing anyone even politely asks of them, even for public health reasons, and even with sugar on top.

They want the right by law to be rude, insulting, belligerent, racist, bigoted, false-accusing, cheating, criminals, B'God (and sometimes falsely in God's name)!

(And don't you dare say a word about it, ya bunch of Jezebel spirits! 😂)

Speaking of basically the Republican Party's admission/awareness of all the racists and misogynists being in their party - despite all their rhetoric about how all the nuts are us, the Dems, as well as "guns don't kill people, people kill people" - look at how scared rabbits they all are, over the nut who tried to assassinate the president, who apparently voted for and donated to Trump?

Trump isn't going to give public outdoor rallies anymore and they're openly rethinking gun control at the indoor ones.

Oh, okay ... so ....

"It's okay that a bunch of innocent children are getting killed, even by other children, in our schools ... and it's okay to advocate  for hanging, executing and/or bombing Mike Pence, Biden, Obama or the Clintons ...  but don't you dare shoot our God ... erm ... I mean, our King ... erm, I mean our former President?"

Dohkay.  Typical Trump-Republican thinking.  They don't care about anything horrible happening to other people, even by their own hands, until it happens to them/their family. 

Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear, on the Radar for VP?

 

Much speculation about this, but I didn't mention him before because he has said previously that he's about Kentucky and fixing issues in the state only, so I'm not sure he's interested or how that will translate to a national stage.

However, I did also say, in THIS post, that if the national Democrats wanted a formula to win, despite being in a red state, to use Andy's playbook.  

He has brought new business to the state, never mentions Trump, and when there is a disaster, he shows up the day of, giving immediate assistance including housing, food, money (and hugs) for state disasters (Western KY tornado just before Christmas in 2021, the 2022 Eastern KY floods).  

In fact, the four counties effected by the 2022 floods either turned blue or a lighter shade of red after he did so. 

People respond more to what you will do for them directly and immediately, rather than pie-in-the-sky promises and what you say from hundreds of miles away ;)

Even Trumpers support Andy, because of bringing new business to the state and what he's done for them during tragedies (2021 tornados, 2022 floods).

I personally adore the man!

FYI, he also mentions his church life and his lessons learned there with decision-making (because, of course, Republicans do not own Christianity)  - and you won't find any dirt on him!

(Well, at least nothing has come up in last 5 years since elected, with the exception of people not being happy with the COVID restrictions, especially churches, though they affected his own church attendance, too.)

PS - The Scriptures Upon Which Sonya Massey Based Her "Rebuke" Prayer

I added them to the post below, but I wanted to add them here, as well as a little blurb about why I left the fundamentalism/charismatic evangelical church years ago. 

So again, right before the deputy shoots her - for holding a pot of boiling water, to put it in the sink - Sonya says: 

"I rebuke you, in the name of Jesus."

For those who didn't grow up in/aren't familiar with the charismatic evangelical denomination - this is NOT rebuking a person - this is rebuking a spirit in the situation, usually the "spirit of fear."

This utterance is a sort of prayer, and it's based on assumptions that have been made about:

1 Timothy 1:7: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind" - the assumption being made that the "spirit" of fear then comes from Satan ...

...  as well as Mark 16:17-18  17] And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  [18] They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

Thus, sometimes it's a rebuke Satan himself, using fear - but considering the deputy had just mentioned fear of the water, and she herself was clearly afraid, she was likely rebuking the spirit of fear in the situation. 

Either way, it is meant as a prayer of protection over everyone in the situation.

Regardless, clearly, the "prayer" did not work ...😢

Thus, part of why I'm not charismatic evangelical anymore, since 1988  (though my mother still is).

After going agnostic/atheist for a while, I'm now Episcopalian since 2007.

I had to change what I expected God to do in my life versus how I had been raised. 

And unfortunately, I have found prayers like this do not work -  not just for me, or Sonya, but anyone, really.

Sometimes the situation changes, for which charismatic evangelicals credit their rebuke/God, but it may have nothing to do with either, and it's not often that it works.

Why is that? 

Well, we've either: 

A) Mistranslated Mark 16 from the original Koine Greek - for example, the Catholic church has translated this to mean only apostles and saints; thus, only ordained priests or saints can heal the sick, cast out Satan/evil, etc.

B) Misunderstood Mark 16 and/or made assumptions. 

C) Misapplied it.  Negative prayer against things almost never works, but positive prayer for things might work.

 

Because we don't always see the full story, the bigger picture, the background of who and what we're dealing with. 

They could be evil, or even temporarily being influenced by negative spiritual energy - OR - they might be dealing with great amounts of psychosocial emotional stressors or even mental illness. 

D) Took too much personal control over things we can't control. Because despite attributing power to God, we're actually giving ourselves the false illusion of power and control over situations beyond our control.

E) Underestimated the power of free-will choice - which God gave us and he will not take back - despite negative spiritual energy/Satan being in a situation.

F) None of this is real/true, it's a fairly tale and impossible.

At this point in my life, I'm going with options A, B, C, D, and E - heavily on E especially - because we know what we're supposed to do, but we still choose against it, we sometimes step right over those cues within the situation telling us we shouldn't, in favor of ourselves and our own agenda, whether those cues are truly spiritual or not, just our conscience, basic morality.

For example, the deputy chose to ignore his training and ignore those cues, spiritual or not, and do what he wanted to do anyway.

And sometimes I still do wonder about F, I'll be honest - most intelligent people do - and if God exists, he/she/they can handle that and expect that. 

Also, I do think there's something to be said about "negative" prayer against things versus positive prayer for things - because negative does draw negative, as we know, but this is just a theological, philosophical idea, so weak points for letter C.

Stronger points for A, because I do know that we've mistranslated or omitted important context through the bible, while we were chopping up the bible at the Councils of Nicene and Trent, which we've done with many things, and which is also what leaves people guessing.

Thus, I don't know if the acts in Mark 16 necessarily have to be done by an ordained priest, but it's worth a shot if you're in trouble? 😂

But it also might depend on the priest or the person.

Because scripture also says there a different spiritual gifts for different people I Corinthians 12:7-14

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.[b] 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 

12 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Though Paul said it, rather than Christ himself, he seems to clarify Christ's words in Mark 16 a bit more, that the spirit of tongues may be a gift to one, healing to another,  prophesy to another, spiritual discernment to another, etc.  

NOT that we should listen to everything Paul said, because sometimes he directly contradicted Christ - but in this case, he's not contradicting Christ, he's breaking down into specifics those gifts as individual gifts according to each person.

Nevertheless, it would appear that he believes these gifts can be given to anyone within the body of the church, just like there are parts of the body contributing to the whole, not just the ordained?

Which is another reason I left the charismatic evangelical faith.

I could write a whole list here of why, but basically, I didn't believe that everyone who thought God spoke to them personally, really was, nor did I think everyone in the church should be speaking tongues or prophesying, based on I Corinthians.  

In fact, I got in an argument with my youth minister about it, after I asked a question about this scripture during a bible study, after he insisted everyone who was truly filled with the spirit would speak in tongues. 

I told him that I thought my gift was spiritual discernment instead, based on I Corinthians 12.

Also, I could not - nor could I hear God actually speak to me - and asked him about it.

I asked this very politely, but he clenched his jaw, his face got red, and he ordered me out in the hallway. 

He pulled me out in the hallway and said "How dare I question him , and the bible, in front of everyone like that, especially as a woman,"  and "If you cannot speak in tongues or hear from God, then you're not spirit-filled, and worse, you have the spirit of Jezebel! Leave the church and do not come back until I admitted this."

So I left ... and never went back.

BTW, the "Spirit of Jezebel" isn't found anywhere in scripture - it's something charismatic evangelical men made up completely, in order to control/shame women when they speak up for themselves or won't do whatever men tell us to do 😉

I later became an atheist for a while, but returned to the faith after studying comparative religion in college, plus a talk with a Jewish rabbi who said it wasn't God that needed to change, it was my expectations of God, and gave myself an attitude adjustment.

At this point in my life, because of other spiritual things that have happened in my life that I can see now in hindsight, I have adjusted my faith.

For instance, I don't believe God rescues us and don't expect him to rescue us - but his presence near us can still be seen, if you look in the right places. 

I do waver, based on some life experiences - but other ones are so timely,  so overly coincidental, that I'm like "Is that you, winking at me?" 😂

Guess we'll find out ....

The Sonya Massey Shooting ...

 *Edited to add the scripture verses upon which Sonya's utterance is based. 

This is one of the worst racially-motivated shootings by cops I've  ever seen, it really shook me up. As Mark puts it, it's a soul-crusher.

I warn you, it is graphic. 

I understand why it would be hard to watch, but I feel like watching it is the least we can do, as white people, considering we don't have to actually live it - live in fear of cops, everyday, just due to our skin color. 

 

Some things to highlight, here ...

The background is, Sonya called 911 due to a suspected prowler in her backyard. 

(You can hear neighborhood fireworks going off, as it's July 6th, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility.)

The Sangamon County Sheriff Office's deputies arrived first. 

After checking her yard, she meets them on her porch, tells them "I love you" and "thank you," thinking they are done.

Deputy #1 asked if she was okay mentally (?) and then asked to check inside her house.

(Do they ask white people who report possible prowlers in their backyards if they're mentally okay? I don't think so.)

He is being polite, but also a bit condescending.

She said she wanted to show them some papers, but it is unclear what she wanted to show them. 

As she is pulling them out, the Springfield PD call her back on her cell phone and she told them the Sheriff's office was there.  

The deputies told her to hang up the phone and give them her ID. 

She hung up the phone.  

She is clearly getting nervous, now, frantically trying to find her ID.

Deputy #1, closest to her, asks about the boiling pot on the stove, saying "We don't need a fire, now, go ahead and turn that off."

She walks over to the pot, turns it off, and begins to put the pot in the sink. 

She asks if the boiling water is scaring him, with a polite giggle.

He replies that it does. 

Then she says "I rebuke you, in the name of Jesus."

For those who didn't grow up in/aren't familiar with the charismatic evangelical denomination - this is NOT rebuking a person - this is rebuking a spirit in the situation, usually the spirit of fear.

This is based assumptions made about both 1 Timothy 1:7: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind" - the assumption being made that the "spirit" of fear then comes from Satan - as well as Mark 16:17-18  17] And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  [18] They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

Thus, sometimes it's a rebuke Satan himself, using fear - but considering the deputy had just mentioned fear of the water, and she herself was clearly afraid, she was likely rebuking the spirit of fear in the situation. Either way, it is meant as a prayer of protection over everyone in the situation.

Regardless, clearly, the "prayer" did not work ...

Because Deputy #2, furthest from her, instead took this as a personal threat and ordered her to put the pot down, he didn't want any boiling water in the face and drew his gun.

She froze when she saw the gun, obviously frozen with fear, but still holding the pot. 

Deputy #2 shot her 3 times, once in the head, from across the room.

Deputy #2 asks #1 if he should get his kit.

Deputy #1 deputy says not to, "She's done"  ... and then later, "Just let her ... "  (stopping just short of likely saying "bleed out.")

That was the part that made me the sickest, actually.

The officers ask each other if they're good, several times - but neither even attempt to check on Sonya.

Then they curse repeatedly, obviously in anger (likely over the trouble they're in), but there is no remorse for Sonya or regret exhibited at all.

I just watched this and I'm shaking, sick at my stomach.

As President Biden said yesterday, people of color have to fear things the rest of us don't have to.

This has GOT to stop!  😢😭

Kamala Harris Facts

*Edited

I can see the lies about her are already out in full force, starting with questioning her citizenship, as well as memes of things she never said - except one, which granted, was kinda dumb (the "now-in-context-of-what-came-before" one - but name a president who hasn't said something dumb at one point or another?

In my lifetime - despite some being highly intelligent -  I've heard all of our presidents say "dumb" things at one point or another.

In fact, I can think of one very recently that says dumb stuff  on a regular basis, nearly every day, that's way worse  - remember the speech where he postulated that injecting bleach, or even just "light" in the body, could kill COVID? 😂

But the truth is, we all say dumb things, now and then, even highly intelligent people.

So I thought I'd share some video excerpts of things she DID say below.

Not sure why some Trumpers are focused on her ethnicity and citizenship - same thing we saw with Obama - and it's racist. 

It's racist is because they only do this with presidential candidates of color. 

As hated as Hillary was by Trumpers, nobody ever questioned if  SHE was a natural-born citizen or requested to see HER birth certificate, now did they?  😉

Kamala may be energetic, smiley, goofy, and "cackley" during event interactions, but when she's actually on the job, she doesn't play - she is calm, articulate, pointed and succinct, and tough when she needs to be.  

Also, unlike other members of congress, she does not spend her time with rhetoric just to hear the sound of her own voice, and she also does not back down or allow herself to get distracted.  She holds on and will not let go until they answer the question, she's like a pit bull, that way (or more like a fox terrier)  - and I love it! 

This is how she began to stand out from the crowd in the Senate and why she is where she is now - and  it's also is why Trumpers so afraid of her (in addition to her being a woman of color! 😂

This is Kamala Harris in action, grilling people during congressional hearings during her time as a senator ...

Kamala Harris VS. former Attorney General Barr on whether then-President Trump ever asked or suggested that he (Barr) open investigations on anyone (political opponents) ... 

😂😂😂😂

Some other times she effectively grilled people during Senate hearings included leaving Jeff Sessions, Brett Kavanaugh, Gina Haspel (former Director of the CIA) bumbling, regarding whether or not they had direct contact with Russian officials and/or (inappropriate) contact with Robert Mueller's investigation team that had not be previously disclosed.

Here are the facts: 

She was born in Oakland, California - that makes her a natural-born US citizen.

Her parents were legal immigrants from India and Jamaica, both on scholarships to UC - Berkley.

I am not sure about her parents' citizenship status, either at the time of her birth or now (her mother is deceased)  but it does not matter - Kamala is a natural-born citizen, which according to the US constitution, makes Kamala eligible for presidency.

(Our founding fathers, of course, had no clause for parental immigration status because many of their own parents were immigrants, at that time.)

Of course, she will produce a birth certificate as proof, with the California state seal, and still, they'll say it's forged - which again, they only do with candidates of color.😂

Her mother was a breast-cancer researcher, helping to identify the hormone receptors that I wrote about in this post.

Her father is an economics professor at Stanford. 

Her parents divorced when she was 7. 

She moved to Canada at age 12 because her mother accepted a research position in Montreal, and she lived there for 7 years, after which she returned to the U.S. to attend Howard University, while her mother returned to UC-Berkley for another research position.

That does NOT make her "raised in Canada."  It means she moved with her mother for a job  as a minor, for 7 years, then returned back to America to attend Howard University and then UCSF law school.

Oh, are we penalizing people for even partial education elsewhere, now?

Because  that's not in our constitution - many of our founding fathers were educated elsewhere. 

If we are, then perhaps we should start by ruling out anyone who ever studied in Europe, even for a semester, which includes some current members of Congress. 

As for Kamala, she was a minor child and just went to junior high/high school there, but went to elementary school, college, and law school here in America.

One of the reasons she became a lawyer was after a friend in high school was molested by her stepfather and witnessing first-hand the legal snafus in place when women and children try to seek justice, and protecting them became her priority, as well as violent crime.

She became the DA of San Francisco, and was, at times, an overly tough prosecutor, by her own admission - that is the only thing true about her being said. 

She later became Attorney General and then a Senator.

She met entertainment lawyer, Doug Emhoff, on a blind date in 2013 and they married a year later.  

He had been previously married, but had divorced in 2008 (so no, he was NOT married when they met, he'd been divorced for 5 years - as IF Trumpers care about extramarital affairs anymore, anyway.)

Hilarious, how desperate Trumpers are - they got nothing, so they make it up! 😂

She's further left than Biden on abortion rights, and she's also for  more equity in Israeli/Palestinian rights, so get ready.

You should be careful what you wish for, with Biden gone, Trumpers - he was considered moderate. Kamal isn't far left, but she's solidly left.

As for her pick for running mate, I was initially curious as to whether they would "flip it" - she would be the presidential candidate and Biden would be VP - but his health likely would prevent it now.

I don't care much for Gavin Newsome - he's said some dumb stuff about homelessness in LA, among other things.  He's also too slick, almost smarmy.  He's funny, but smarmy.  There's just something about him I don't trust. 

Plus he was previously married to screeching Kimberly Guilfoyle, now girlfriend of Donald Jr, a hard-right Trumper and fruit loop - WTF? 

I know they're divorced but still, of all people, what was the common ground there?

Sometimes he can sound a bit elitist/out of touch with everyday Americans, so perhaps that was it?

I'd love it if it were Gretchen Whitmer - and I'd especially love to see "Big Gretch" take on Trump or JD Vance in a debate -  but two women likely wouldn't win.

Cory Booker might work?

Also wondering about Adam Schiff? 

I'd also like to see Jamie Raskin, but not sure how he's doing after cancer treatment.

We shall see. 

PS - Biden Endorsed Kamala, and Let Me Get This Straight, Trumpers ...

 

You have spent the last 4 years saying Biden stole the election (and politicizing the criminal justice system against Trump) - but NOW you want him to stay in the race?!?! 😂😂😂😂😂

And why is that, hmm? 

Now, you'd think Trumpers would be cheering, or at least saying to themselves, "Wait, what? Now, we want Biden to stay?  What the ???" 

But alas, no - sadly, Trumpers aren't very good at keeping track of their own rhetoric, their own party platforms and/or thinking for themselves, unfortunately. 

All kinda crazy conspiracy theories, now - like Dems' master plan was to use Biden because he was demented, but that failed.

Now, now, Trumpers - pretty sure that hoping to politically benefit from Biden's declining health was your "master" plan, not ours - putting Trump against a weakened Biden and win, was it? 

(Likely why Trump finally agreed to debate Biden and why you want Biden to stay in the race 😉).

What other reason could you possibly have for wanting Biden to stay in the race, after saying he stole the election for the past 4 years and that was "politicizing the criminal justice system against Trump??!?

Again  - if y'all could please stop projecting your own motivations and behavior all over us Dems, we'd really appreciate it -  thank you!

Now, look - sorry you now have to change strategy last-minute -  but we really do think it's what's best for his declining health and for the country, so just deal with it.

Sometimes a cigar really is just a cigar.

Maybe instead of projecting your own motivations of using Biden's declining health to your political advantage, you could instead follow our lead with Biden, when it comes to Trump, instead of pretending the emperor is wearing clothes and flawless?

I ... won't hold my breath. 

So ... somebody must be really afraid of Kamala Harris, huh?  😂

___________________________

PS to my PS 😂

And the other GOP songs I'm hearing are:

1) "He should resign, now that he won't campaign."

Um ... why?  

Why shouldn't he finish his term?

Okay, that's fine.  Then Kamala would be president until January 2025, and I'm good with that 😀

2) The timing was calculated to be at the last minute (and that this inexplicably somehow undermines democracy?)

Undermines democracy? In what way?

People can still vote.

But let's say they did that, calculated the late timing the ensure a better outcome. 

AND? 

So what?!?

That's not illegal. 

I mean, it's not like he refused to accept election results and orchestrated and encouraged an insurrection government takeover at the Capitol or anything!  😂

But first of all, it's not like it was a secret -  we all knew there was some kind of big announcement coming today for a week, one way or the other, he'd let us know his decision today.

Secondly, it hasn't even been a full month since the debate, which is when we all saw how much Biden's health had declined and began to freak out  - a debate which we didn't set up, mind you, Trump did and Biden accepted (after Trump previously refused to debate him or anyone else).

So how planned and calculated could it be in one month?

What, they wanted him to risk performing badly and lose to Trump?

I ... don't think so. 

Again -  sorry y'all were planning on a slam dunk with a weakened Biden, and now you have to restrategize. 

Oohhhh, a hyperintelligent, tough-but-calm, mixed-race woman is running now .... scary! (*sarcasm*)  😂

Oh, stop whining, man up, and deal with it, Trumpers. 

Biden Just Dropped Out! (Updates Added)

 

He did not name a replacement.  

I think it's for the best, for his health and the country.  He can still advise.

Thank you, President Biden - for making the difficult choices, including this one, as well as for the COVID vaccines being free for everyone, and for student-loan debt forgiveness, among other things.

I didn't always agree with you (Israel/Palestinian conflict), but you followed your own convictions, only conceding when respected, well-meaning  others said you should -  not due to political gain -  but out of concern for your own health, as well as what's best for the country's leadership.

~ Blessings

__________________

PS - Go Kamala, I say!

I thought it was interesting that Trump suddenly wanted to debate Biden, when he previously repeatedly refused.

Let's see if Trump agrees to debate Kamala - hehehe. 

What JD Vance Isn't Telling You About Eastern Kentucky ...

** Edited, PS added.

I haven't read or watched "Hillbilly Elegy," because knowing that JD Vance is a Republican, I already knew that he would be prone to blaming people for their own poverty and addiction, despite the fact that these are chronically economically deprived communities, we're talking about, with little to no jobs (with their leadership making no attempts to attract more business, I'll get to that below) and were targeted by certain pharma companies for the opioid crisis.

I have read excerpts, however, and I think he's oversimplifying solutions to complex problems (like Republicans often do), as well as not telling you everything you need to know about these areas. 

For example, communities that are chronically economically deprived are also drug-addled, violent (gun and otherwise) and full of crime, whether it's inner-city or Appalachia.

(Republicans like to ignore that Appalachian America is just as gun-violent and drug-addled as inner cities, because it doesn't support their narrative that only Democrat-led "chocolate" cities are drug-addled and violent. They like to use Detroit as an example,  completely ignoring that car companies began shutting down plants and outsourcing their jobs overseas since the 1980s.)

You will also see violence, drugs, and crime -  and tack on homelessness -  in pockets of large cities that although may be economically thriving overall, have a greater disparity between rich and poor, to the degree that the cost of living/housing exceeds even middle class ability to obtain it - LA, NYC, Chicago, etc. 

However, for this post, we are focused on Appalachian Eastern Kentucky, that has been chronically economically deprived with few jobs but coal mining for well over a century.

And despite JD Vance insinuating the culture is chosen and creates the economy, IMO - with some statistics to back it up - it's actually the other way around - the economy creates the culture. 

When there are few jobs and few resources, especially for decades, people will resort to fighting each other over them and do whatever they need to do to survive, as if there's an apocalypse - and it's not pretty.

But to step back a minute,  the first and most important thing you need to know that JD fails to mention is that these Eastern Kentucky counties have exclusively had Republican leadership for the last 60+ years, as their populations are 80% or more Republican.

Ironically, yes - many of them are on food stamps public assistance,  and still vote Republican - but when there are no jobs, what else have they?

The only part of that makes me scratch my head is how they can still vote Republican though on public assistance, but I have a good idea why - keep reading.

And considering public assistance is the bare minimum to survive, yes - many do sell opioids for extra cash, guns, prostitution, whatever they can do to make extra cash. 

Like I said, with few jobs and few resources -  people will do whatever they need to do to survive.

You see, my Dad was born and raised in nearby Harlan County, also in Eastern Kentucky (about 1 hour from Vance's Breathitt County), which is actually worse, economically and otherwise.  Yes, THAT Harlan County, AKA as "Bloody Harlan, dramatized in the popular FX TV show "Justified."

Harlan County, Kentucky, is one of the most drug-addled, violent communities in America.

Harlan County is also 94.4% white of European heritage, 85% Republican.

And though the official religious census data gives Christian faith a 51% in Harlan County in 2020, it only tracked church membership/regular attendance.   

However, since only 1 person in the total population of 23K in Harlan identified as "other" (Baha'i faith) - with no Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, agnostic/atheists at all being reported - it is likely the true Christian demographic in Harlan County is just shy of 100%

JD Vance's nearby Breathitt County has almost identical demographics, but with a slightly larger Democrat population.

Thus, the second thing JD Vance isn't telling you is that these Eastern Kentucky, drug-addled, gun-violent communities are almost exclusively white, Christian Republicans.

Well, at least he mentions them, he just conveniently ignores the demographics - because as I said, it doesn't fit the Republican false-narrative that only Democratic-led, black, inner cities are addled with drugs and violence!

One thing JD does get right, from what I understand, is that the culture begets itself - but is that their own fault?

Some may carry some choice responsibility, but then again, they don't have many choices - and there is just as much argument that their leadership's choices carries some responsibility.

People fear change, and the people in charge in these regions know that and want to keep it that way, because it benefits them, using their their fear of change and outsiders to glean votes for themselves.

My grandfather was once a deputy sheriff in Harlan, leaving Harlan as "a crooked puzzle that will never be solved" for Louisville.

He said it's not the fault of the everyday, poor Harlan person - it's the fault of the leadership and people that DO have money, benefitting from (and exploiting) them for their own gain - and again, the leadership in all of those counties is Republican and has been for over 60 years. 

(My grandfather was also Republican, but considered the Republicans in Harlan as corrupt lackeys for the coal companies who were out to line their own pockets rather than caring about the people.)

Because just like the coal companies that came in years earlier who exploited them, causing the "Harlan County Wars," to the degree that federal government came in to stop the violence and rescue them for exploitation - TWICE - the Republican leadership does the bidding of these corporations and exploits them, too, for their own gain.

Republicans like to spout their belief in "trickle down" theory - which although may create jobs locally (not in Eastern Kentucky), it has never worked once at a national level for anyone from the middle-class down, especially at a national/multinational corporate level.  People are too greedy!

And yet coal miners and other labor unions in American continue to support Republican economic policies, despite it being the same political side as the coal corporations and executives, cutting their own throats financially and benefitting those that already have money.

Why?

Because their fear/distrust of outsiders "invading them" is greater.

Fear of people of color, immigrants, Northerners, newcomers in town, non-Christians, and nowadays, non-Republicans stealing their stuff or taking control of them is what motivates them to vote more than economic policies - and don't Republican politicians know it!

Another facet of this then is a matter of "the devil you know is better than the one you don't" and fear of change  - and just about everyone they know is Republican, for better or worse. At least they know what to expect, they know what type of exploitation they're going to receive and can adjust versus someone unknown.

Thus, their fear is based on the unknown, and it would border on irrational, if it wasn't helped by the coal companies being based in the Northeast, and what they did do them  - pushed them off their land using law enforcement, when they wouldn't sell for pennies, or burning their houses down, even killing family members.

I guess it never dawns on them that the same people that did that to them were also white Republicans - or that it was the federal government and it was liberals were also from the Northeast  that came in and rescued them?

To them, however, the main problem was that they didn't know the people that did those things to them, they came from somewhere else. 

Actually, this distrust for outsiders/new people is somewhat pervasive throughout Kentucky in general, but nowhere is this mentality more prevalent than than Eastern Kentucky/Appalachia.

It's amazing to me that this borderline-irrational rural fear, particularly with how violent and drug-addled Eastern Kentucky tends to be, has essentially taken control of America.

As for what Kentuckians think of JD Vance, Breathitt County is one of the few Eastern Kentucky counties that has a larger Democratic population than other Eastern Kentucky counties, but still a strong Republican, Trump-supporting votership - and the LHL reported today that many consider him a "sellout."  

Also, someone who shall remain nameless that we know from Breathitt County  - who has a master's degree himself - said this today (paraphrasing):

 "We're real proud of him for getting out of that and what he's made of himself and all, but he's part of the problem.  My family from Breathitt wanted to strangle him for making them all look like lazy hillbillies who enjoy living that way, in his book."

"He acts like he's got it all figured out, it's so easy, that he's just smarter, harder working and better than everybody else in Breathitt, but there aren't enough jobs there, which is why his grandparents left - which, by the way, most people can't even afford to do, even if they have family.  They don't have two cents to rub together between them to be able to afford to move away." 

"He also acts like he's the only person to ever get out, when the rest of us got GI bills, just like him, or got scholarships or put ourselves in debt for years with student loans."

"Also, he was previously a "Never Trumper," calling Trump the "cultural heroin" of the nation and possibly the "American Hitler" - but now he's all about Trump?!?" 

"That's why people are calling him a sellout, Democrats and Republicans alike, because he never explained that 180, so it just looks like he's about himself and whatever it takes to get power. " 

That's true, about not being the only person to get out, and not because he worked harder than everybody else - coal miners are some of the hardest working people in America, doing the jobs no one else wants to do, for little pay.

After both shoveling coal for at least some time, both my father and my grandfather were able to get out of Harlan alive, too, despite that song ("You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive") - to Louisville and Cincinnati respectively, but not by working harder than anybody else, and they didn't do it alone.

My father got a public-university rural scholarship to EKU and earned a double-degree in physics and chemistry, and my grandfather used his GI bill, just like JD Vance, to buy a house in Louisville.

At the same time, my grandfather pulled favors with state politicians that he had met during his time as a deputy, after passing the civil service exam for engineering (with the highest score ever in Kentucky, at that time), requesting a job from them, which they granted him. 

Sure, they were smarter than the average bear - but that in and of itself doesn't get you there, either.

No one is truly self-made, whether it's private or public assistance, or somebody simply took a chance on you enough to give you a job.

Thus, instead of crediting yourself for your hard work and being "self-made," you should be thanking these people for helping you or giving you a chance!

And here's something interesting...

It depends on the individual and their values.

For example, except for sharing the same politics, my straight-arrow grandfather otherwise rejected the violent, criminal culture of Harlan completely, in favor of a straight-laced, non-violent, non-dramatic life, non-criminal life, free of drugs or alcohol. He was by no means wealthy, in the end, but lived a comfortable, peaceful life.

In my Dad's case, he instead admired the flashy, gaudy lifestyle that his dishonest insurance salesman father-in-law had instead, gleaned from cheating his neighbors to get wealthy, as did violence, to get what he wanted.

(In fact, my great grandmother's first husband, my great-grandfather's predecessor, was shot and killed in a shoe store over a pair of shoes - not by him, but just to show you how limited resources are there and how prevalent gun violence is.)

Thus, that double-degree in physics and chemistry didn't even matter, in the end, because even though he started out working for Fisher Scientific in Cincinnati, due to his "get rick quick" mentality from his youth and admiration for his father-in-law's methods, my father ended up becoming a violent criminal, in the end.

Now, in a way, you can understand that "get rich quick" mentality after being so poor, but what you have to do to get that comes at a cost.

So in some cases, you can take the boy out of Harlan, but you can't take Harlan out of the boy - in other cases you can - it depends on each personality and what they value.

Yes, the culture does perpetuate itself - but the Republican leadership  isn't helping, doing nothing for the people but line their own pockets by exploiting them and doing the bidding for the coal companies, getting their votes through fearmongering. 

So I'd call JD Vance worse than a "sellout" - he's a political prostitute of the highest order.

Because he's exploiting these people for money with his book,  then fearmongering them for their votes, while at the same time, blaming them for their own poverty, despite his party being in charge where they live and knowing there aren't any jobs and no efforts to attract any to these regions.

_______________________

PS 

Hehehe - I just looked at a British Trump-supporting conservative's blog, who often likes to "mirror" what I say politically, just to be an ass, and he didn't disappoint.  

He hadn't mentioned Trump's VP pick of JD Vance before, except that he was picked (and I checked before I wrote this post, as a sort of experiment), but since I wrote this post, last night, he has - especially laughable because it's being presented by a person who doesn't even live in this country 😂

I didn't comment, haven't in literally years, because that's what he wants, is to provoke, so I'll say this here, since I know he's reading: 

Dude, I gotta tell you - though America in general does not care what you think, Eastern Kentucky especially does not care what you think.

They don't even care that you're a white-male conservative who supports Trump.

All they care about is that they don't know you, you're not from there, you have no family ties there, and you have a funny accent - and that you haven't done a thing for them.

If you actually showed up at somebody's house in Harlan, with that British accent, the shotguns would likely come out, same as anybody else, just because you're an outsider, but especially because you're not American - and waving your Trump flag around would not save you. 😂

In fact, the only thing that saves my husband with his Detroit accent, when we visit Eastern Kentucky, isn't even his time as an Army ranger - it's his marriage to me, who has family in that area.

He knows that if anyone ever gives him shit, the first thing out of his mouth is "My wife's people are from Harlan County the X and Y families of Harlan County" and then just start rattling off family names from there, starting with my dad, my grandfather, uncles, aunts, cousins. 😂  Not because we were so prominent there, but because you have to prove kin there.

Harlan is especially that way, they don't like strangers, as I said, due to the coal wars years ago.  But if you have family ties to the region, they'll welcome you in with hugs, like they know you. They just have to "know your daddy."

Your daddy could be a serial killer, for all they care😂, they just have to know your people and that they lived their same struggle, at one time.

Point being, you have no idea what it's like to live in America, you've never even stepped foot here, and you know even less about what Eastern Kentucky is like, even most Americans don't.

You haven't done shit for Americans but criticize our culture and our politics, you can't even vote here, and nobody even knows who you are - so why would any American care what you have to say again?

In fact, you haven't even done anything to truly help anyone in your own country!

You just sit around, writing multiple posts all day,  apparently having nothing better to do than write about  what's wrong with everybody else -  from the world in general to your neighbors to other bloggers (which is why we all left). 

All comfy, from behind your computer, you post the latest nothing-burger "news," which is actually something someone you don't even know said on X/Twitter, accepting it as gospel truth, though it could be a Russian chat bot, for all you know (or care)! 

You don't actually care about people's experiences, you just  want to use them so you can be right, validate yourself, and have things your way -  and hopefully get a book deal out of it (never gonna happen, largely because you've never once been right about any of your prognostications). 

Worse, your conspiracy theories never make any sense, and contradict what the last one you just wrote 5 minutes ago 😂 One minute, the Jews are behind everything evil and running the world, the next minute they're victims, based on your regurgitation of right-wing talking points you clearly haven't thought through.

But my absolute favorite is calling normal jet exhaust lines in the sky the "Bill Gates chemtrails,"  spreading COVID and political mind control! 😂  You do realize that's totally wackadoo and you believe that based on no proof whatsoever, right?

Welp, if that's true, then you may want to write your hero and his GOP buddies about relaxing all the EPA rules lately!

Regardless, if you want to keep criticizing American culture and politics anyway, as if you're an expert, without ever having even stepped foot in this country, it's your folly - but do realize that's all it is - your own ignorance and folly.

Shannen Doherty and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

*Editing in progress 

So as I mentioned yesterday, while I was writing my post, the news alert came in that Shannen Doherty of Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed had passed from breast cancer.  

This was very sad news, not just because she was a famous actress, but because she had been so brave and public, fighting her cancer, for over a decade, including being put on the latest and newest protocols, as well as often the harshest on the body,  for her particular type of difficult-to-treat breast cancer.  

So often, we hear of celebrity cancer deaths due to not doing the proper screening, waiting too long, but not so with Shannen - she did everything right and was right on the mark, being treated by the best, but unfortunately, she had the most difficult-to-treat breast cancer diagnosis that exists. 

So essentially, whatever else her flaws/prior feuds with other actresses were, what Shannen did was bravely sign up to be a very public guinea pig for any new treatment that came down the pike for the type of breast cancer with the poorest prognosis, with the harshest, most grueling treatments  - triple-negative breast cancer. 

Because at present - even with the new immunologics -  much like pancreatic cancer, if it recurs - and it likely will - if triple-negative breast cancer doesn't get you the first time, it will the second or third time. 

She had hoped to be the face of surviving it, with all of the new advances in cancer treatments, and though doing so did prolong her life by a few years, eventually she, too, succumbed to it.😢

So what is triple-negative breast cancer?

I get to that below, but before that ... 

So for Contract 1, I type the test-marketing interviews between pharma, insurance companies, and expert clinicians for new drugs before launch, often for cancer, and for Contract 2, I type predominantly for a respected cancer clinic.

So nearly every day, with one contract or the other, I hear encouraging stories about cancer survival, which I wouldn't have heard 15 years ago, before the new immunologics knows as "mabs" or "monoclonal antibodies" were launched.

Immunologics aren't typically used as a first-line treatment for cancer at present, because they were originally designed and studied in later-stage cancers.

In other words, they were designed such that if chemo, surgery, and radiation don't work, and your cancer progresses, then immunologics are tried - the rationale being to save the "big guns" for last as a sort of "Plan B."

The result was that they have had life-saving effects with certain types of later-stage cancers that were previously a death sentence,  including melanoma, breast cancer, lung cancer, multiple myeloma,  prostate cancer and many others, including even certain non-solid tumor cancers of the lymph and blood. 

Now, they either have been or are currently being studied in earlier stages, in either a first-line "neoadjuvant" or "just before"/presurgical setting or as first-line "adjuvant" or "along with" surgery setting, with some success, depending on the type of cancer, so that they can be used first-line with more aggressive types of cancers or cancers that have some response, but not enough response, in later stages.

Immunologics work differently than chemo, in that they target only cancer cells, as opposed to chemo, which is cytotoxic to all biological cells. 

They do come with side effects, but we've learned how to manage them, and they are often less grueling than those with regular chemo (but not always), and sometimes they are given in conjunction with chemo.

Thus, oversimplified, unlike chemo, which is cytotoxic and kills all biological cells, immunologics instead work with the body's immune system to target and recognize only the cancer cells and help attack them, like the body should, rather than bypass cancer as being a natural part of the body.

That is because up until the immunologics, our immune systems could not fully recognize cancer as a foreign body that should be attacked, because often cancer shares some of the DNA of whatever organ it grows from (except in blood cancer).

In breast cancer (and also prostate cancer), this process is helped along by hormone treatments, if the cancer is found to have hormone receptors present.

(As an aside, this is why the birth control you use or the hormone-replacement therapy after menopause is so important.  While these things can protect you from other reproductive types of cancer, with breast cancer, you can have too much of a good thing with hormones, if not in the right balance, and thus you have agreater risk of overreception or even overexpression of one hormone and not enough of the other  - which is what puts you at a 2% higher risk for breast cancer.  Some suspect an even a greater risk, but point being, there is a slight risk to keep in mind in selecting hormones to use and lab tests to check your hormone levels can help. )

Those hormone receptors are ER (estrogen receptors), PR (progesterone receptors), and the third measures gene expression of HER2/neu, a growth factor hormone-related protein related to tissue growth, found to be present in excess in certain types of breast, prostate, ovarian, esophageal, and pancreatic cancers, among others.

Thus, when your cancer is described as "triple-negative," don't let the word "negative" fool you - it means your type of cancer has tested negative for all 3 markers we currently have that are known to respond well to current treatments. 

In Shannen's case, she tested negative for all three or "Triple Negative" - meaning her cancer would not respond to hormone-mediated and/or genetic-expression treatments and only minimally to surgery, regular chemo and radiation.

Additionally, even the immunologics would not be able save her, just extend her life by a few years.

Also, it is important to note that men are also tested for these same genetic markers, as well hormone receptivity for their types of reproductive cancers.

Men produce smaller amounts of estrogen and progesterone, just as women produce smaller amounts of testosterone, but they are particularly tested for HER2/neu overexpression in prostate and testicular cancer, because again, HER2/neu is a tissue growth factor hormone protein.

Now, how the staging is determined ...

As most know, cancer is given initial basic overall staging from I through IV, which is based on the size of the tumor, the degree to which it has invaded the surrounding tissue, the degree to which it has invaded into the surrounding lymph nodes, and the degree to which it has already metastacized, or already been carried by the lymph and blood past the margins and into other parts of the body, typically the liver, lungs, brain and bone..

Then after overall staging based on imaging, a tissue sample is obtained, either through biopsy or surgery, and the substaging happens for greater specificity. 

This way, we can then further characterize the invasiveness into  a "T N M" format - with the "T" meaning tumor size, "N" meaning the degree to which it's invaded into the surrounding lymph nodes, and "M" meaning whether or not it has metastacized past the margins and been carried by the lymph/blood, into other parts of the body, with lots of subclass numbers regarding the degree of each of those.

We also now do genetic testing on the tissue to determine initial genetic components, as well as any mutations that have or are occurring, so we can know which protocol pathway will result in the best outcome - surgery or not,  radiation, chemo or not, immunologics or not, and whether the latter should be given neoadjuvant (before surgery or radiation) or adjuvant (along with surgery or radiation) and whether chemo/immunologics should be given concurrently or in a specific order. 

You've likely heard of BRCA carriers, which are the basics, but also whether or not your cancer is PD-L1 positive can make a difference in treatment, as well as genetic mutation testing for BRAF, KRAS, EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 mutations and many others, which can also make a difference in your treatment, what your cancer will respond to and what it won't.

As a result, although late stage breast, prostate, and lung cancers used to be an automatic death sentence, the immunologics and genetic testing has altered that, so not necessarily anymore (but mutations still happen).

HOWEVER - with all of the advances we've made with genetic testing and immunologics and hormone therapies, they all appear to still have little to no effect on certain specific types of cancer - specifically pancreatic, ovarian, certain types of breast, prostate, and renal cancers, certain brain cancers and other more uncommon forms of cancer. 

In Shannen's case, based solely on what I've read in the press, she had recurrent, Stage IV, metastatic "triple-negative" breast cancer.

This means she beat it the first time, but it came back aggressively, quickly metastacized to the brain, and her cancer did not contain the 3 known hormone receptors and growth factors that we can typically can use to treat breast cancer  - so negative for ER, negative for PR, and negative for HER2/neu.

Again, this means her cancer would not respond to hormone treatments, or much of any treatment, for that matter, and although  monoclonal antibodies/immunologics such as Kysqali can extend your life by a few years, it cannot cure you.  

Chemo is still the most effective with triple-negative breast cancer, but again, it kills all cells, not just cancer cells, and it's not a course or two, it's constant chemo, so it's rough.  

Radiation is used to control the size of the metastases to the brain, lungs, and bone for comfort, but it can't stop it, either.

(Just as an FYI, HER2/neu-positive-only cancer isn't the type of breast cancer you'd want, either, as it's also in this same boat regarding regular hormones and difficult to treat, but there is an immunologic specifically for them called "Enhertu," which has some effect for some patients, but not effective enough, and it's also dependent on the genetic mutations you might have.)

Shannen was the face of all of the new treatments for triple-negative breast cancer and tried all the new treatments, and was able to successfully live years longer than expected, but ultimately succumbed to her cancer.  😢

Super sad, but her willingness to be a very public guinea pig for any new trials and protocols was admirable, and hopefully as a result, one day we will be able to cure this type of breast cancer, too.