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Who is to Blame for the Troubled US Economy?

  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.
  • Both Parties

    268 
    votes
    44.7%
  • Neither Party

    57 
    votes
    9.5%
  • Democrats

    133 
    votes
    22.2%
  • Republicans

    141 
    votes
    23.5%
  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.

Impact
8,557
Here you can spout your USA political views.

Rules:
1. Keep it clean
2. No fighting
3. Respect the views of others.
4. US Political views, No Religious views
5. Have fun :)

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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Anyone who has ever published on Youtube knows copyright. How can a president be so dumb? O_o

I guess it's just par for T's course...borrowing artistic property without author's permission. Other pissed off artitsts include:

Pissed-off victim No. 1: Neil Young

Young officially filed a copyright infringement case in August, which stems from the Trump campaign using “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk” on several occasions during 2020 political rallies and stops. The lawsuit states that the campaign “does not now have, and did not have” a license or Young’s permission to play the two songs, and is thus seeking “statutory damages in the maximum amount allowed for willful copyright infringement.”

Pissed-off victim No. 2: R.E.M.

R.E.M. wrote in a statement that confirmed their legal action, which is nice and all, but Stipe’s Twitter musings had a bit more chutzpah, addressing the Republican institution as a whole: “Go fuck yourselves, the lot of you — you sad, attention grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.” The band later released an anti-Trump song titled “World Leader Pretend.”

Pissed-off victim No. 3: Twisted Sister

Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider originally allowed Trump to use the band’s iconic jam “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as his closing song on the campaign trail in 2015, owing to the two being friends. (Snider had a stint on Celebrity Apprentice a few years prior.) At the time, Snider believed Trump was going to “raise holy hell” by “shaking things up” in the American political system, even saying Trump had a great sense of self-deprecating humor because he frequently joked about “being too orange.” A few months later, though, the honeymoon period ended.

Realizing the full extent of Trump’s political ideology, Snider ended up giving him a call to say, well, he’s not gonna take it anymore. “It’s very upsetting to me, ’cause I strongly don’t agree with his extremist positions,” Snider explained in late 2015. “I have to call Donald. I have to speak to him, as a friend. He was respectful enough to call me and say, ‘How do you feel about me using this?’ And I’ve gotta be — as a friend — respectful enough to call him and say, ‘Listen, man, this has gotten wildly out of control, and I really have a problem with it.’ It’s really gotten ugly.” Fellow band member Jay Jay French also voiced his annoyance at the song being used, explaining how the band, despite their “personal political leanings always [being] all over the map,” couldn’t in good faith allow Trump to keep using the song.

Pissed-off victim No. 4: Adele

Deviating from his jukebox classic-rock standards, Trump showed a particular fondness for Adele throughout the 2015 and 2016 campaign by employing a medley of the songstress’s hits, including “Rolling in the Deep” and “Skyfall,” the theme she crooned for the James Bond film. “Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning.”

Pissed-off victim No. 5: Elton John

It’s well-documented that Trump is fascinated with Elton John, a feeling that, as most recently detailed in John Bolton’s memoir, isn’t reciprocated. In February 2016, John publicly denounced his songs being used in the Trumpian orbit, which came to light when Trump would frequently use “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer” as warm-up music for his campaign rallies — although John noted they had nothing but pleasant interactions in the past. “I’m British. I’ve met Donald Trump, he was very nice to me, it’s nothing personal, his political views are his own, mine are very different, I’m not a Republican in a million years,” John said, before laying down an exquisite burn. “Why not ask Ted fucking Nugent? Or one of those fucking country stars? They’ll do it for you.” John would later go on to quickly deny Trump’s request to perform at his inauguration.

Pissed-off victim No. 6: The Rolling Stones

Satisfaction for the Rolling Stones was unattainable after Trump began to frequently lean on the band’s tunes to pump up the crowds at his campaign rallies in 2015 and 2016 — “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” was, oddly, a favorite — which culminated with Trump blasting “Start Me Up” during his celebration speech upon clinching the Republican presidential nomination. The Stones had to release statements not once, but twice, in 2016 demanding that Trump immediately “cease all use” of their songs, clarifying that they “do not endorse” the nominee, after he kept using their songs “without the band’s permission.” Mick Jagger eventually conceded that there was no effective way to get Trump to stop using their music, equating the usage to something a theater or restaurant does as background noise: “They can play what they want … you can’t stop them.”

However, in June 2020, the Stones reversed course and threatened to pursue legal action against Trump for his continued use of their music at political rallies in the lead-up to the election. The band’s legal team at BMI, the prominent music rights organization, have issued numerous cease and desist letters to Trump’s campaign. “This could be the last time President Donald Trump uses Stones songs,” a statement read. “BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement. If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists, then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.”

Pissed-off victim No. 7: Queen

In June 2016, Queen condemned the repeated usage of their beloved jam “We Are the Champions” during Trump’s stage appearance at the Republican National Convention. “I can confirm that permission to use the track was neither sought nor given,” Brian May, one of the band’s three surviving members, explained. “Regardless of our views on Mr. Trump’s platform, it has always been against our policy to allow Queen music to be used as a political campaigning tool.” The whole band later reiterated that the “unauthorized use” of the song might spur legal action on their part, should they be so inclined, as Trump continued to use “We Are the Champions” in the months leading up to the 2016 election. “We are frustrated by the repeated unauthorized use of the song after a previous request to desist,” they collectively said, “which has obviously been ignored by Mr. Trump and his campaign.”

Pissed-off victim No. 8: George Harrison’s estate

The 2016 Republican National Convention seemed to be the ground zero of musicians being pissed off at Trump, as the estate of George Harrison immediately denounced the “unauthorized” use of the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” — which was written by Harrison for Abbey Road — as walk-on music for both Trump and his daughter Ivanka. “It’s offensive and against the wishes of the George Harrison estate,” Harrison’s official Twitter wrote. “If it had been ‘Beware of Darkness,’ then we may have approved it!”

Pissed-off victim No. 9: Luciano Pavarotti’s estate

In a similar scenario, the estate of prolific opera singer Luciano Pavarotti was quick to defend the late tenor’s honor when Trump heavily featured his aria “Nessun Dorma” as a soundtrack to many of his rallies in 2016. The singer’s widow, Nicoletta Mantovani Pavarotti, along with his immediate family, proclaimed that the “values of brotherhood and solidarity” Pavarotti expressed “throughout the course of his artistic career are entirely incompatible with the world view” embodied by Trump. Interestingly, about a year and a half after becoming president, Trump asserted during a press conference with Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni that Pavarotti, who died in 2007 of pancreatic cancer, was a “great friend” of his. It seems the duo, perhaps at best, shared a complicated boss-underling relationship.

Pissed-off victim No. 10: Steven Tyler

Twice in 2015, Steven Tyler’s reps presented Trump with a cease and desist letter for his frequent use of “Dream On” at rallies and campaign stops, a song that often prompted Trump to try to air-drum during the instrumentals. (We really encourage you to watch this video.) Following a few months of back-and-forth, Trump relented and stopped using the power ballad, confirming his decision in one of his signature Twitter musings: “Even though I have the legal right to use Steven Tyler’s song, he asked me not to. Have better one to take its place!” We should note that fellow Aerosmith members Joe Perry and Joey Kramer are vocal Republicans, with Kramer, in particular, being a major Trump supporter.

History repeated itself in April 2018, when another cease and desist letter was dusted off by Tyler and mailed to Trump, as the president enjoyed using “Livin’ on the Edge” throughout his midterm rallies. “What makes this violation even more egregious is that Mr. Trump’s use of our client’s music was previously shut down, not once, but two times, during his campaign for presidency in 2015,” the letter from his attorney read, in part. “Mr. Tyler’s voice is easily recognizable and central to his identity, and any use thereof wrongfully misappropriates his rights of publicity.” Tyler’s attorney also asserted that the original cease and desist letters were ignored by Trump.

Pissed-off Victim No. 11: Prince’s estate

Following suits with the estates of Harrison and Pavarotti, Prince’s estate issued a statement in October 2018, warning both Trump and the White House to never to use “Purple Rain” again after the president played it at one of his midterm election rallies. “The Prince Estate has never given permission to President Trump or The White House to use Prince’s songs and have requested that they cease all use immediately,” Prince’s half-brother and of one his heirs, Omarr Baker, wrote.

Pissed-off Victim No. 12: Pharrell Williams

In October 2018, Trump played Williams’s feel-good jam “Happy” at his Future Farmers of America rally in Indiana just hours after 11 people were murdered at a Pittsburgh synagogue in an anti-Semitic mass shooting. Williams responded by having his lawyer send Trump an impassioned cease and desist letter ordering the president to stop playing “Happy” at political rallies and shaming him for playing it after a tremendous hate crime was committed. “On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged ‘nationalist,’ you played his song ‘Happy’ to a crowd at a political event in Indiana,” a statement read. “There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose. Pharrell has not, and will not, grant you permission to publicly perform or otherwise broadcast or disseminate any of his music.” The order states that any future use of the song will commit copyright and trademark infringement.

Pissed-off Victim No. 13: Rihanna

Just hours after she endorsed Florida Democrat Andrew Gillum for governor in November 2018, Rihanna learned via Twitter that her music was being used for the Republican agenda. The Washington Post’s Philip Rucker tweeted that Trump had played “Please Don’t Stop the Music” at a Chattanooga rally for U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn (whom Taylor Swift publicly opposed) and Rih swiftly responded, threateningly, to please definitely stop that. “Not for much longer … me nor my people would ever be at or around one of those tragic rallies, so thanks for the heads up philip!” she replied. Yes, good lookin’ out, Philip!

Pissed-off Victim No. 14: Guns N’ Roses

On the same day as Rihanna, Axl Rose also lashed out at Trump for favoring Guns N’ Roses music at rallies. Rose tweeted that he and the band formally denied Trump’s permission to use their music after finding out that he played “Sweet Child O’ Mine” at a rally in West Virginia. “Unfortunately the Trump campaign is using loopholes in the various venues’ blanket performance licenses which were not intended for such craven political purposes, without the songwriters’ consent,” he explained. “Can you say ‘shitbags?!’ [poop emoji].” Rose added that he liked the irony of “Trump supporters listening to a bunch of anti-Trump music at his rallies.”

Pissed-off Victim No. 15: Ozzy Osbourne

After a brief cooling period following 2018’s midterm elections, Ozzy Osbourne reignited the Trump music debate in June 2019 after the president tweeted a Democrat-mocking video set to his famed solo track “Crazy Train.” Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, jointly condemned the song’s use. “Ozzy’s music cannot be used for any means without approvals,” they wrote, adding as a twist, “perhaps he should reach out to some of his musician friends. Maybe Kayne West (‘Gold Digger’), Kid Rock (‘I Am the Bullgod’) or Ted Nugent (‘Stranglehold’) will allow use of their music.”

Pissed-off Victim No. 16: Tom Petty’s estate

As the first high-profile music dispute against Trump in 2020, Petty’s estate issued a cease and desist to his campaign for using “I Won’t Back Down” at a June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “Tom wrote this song for the underdog, for the common man and for everyone,” Petty’s family members stated. “We want to make it clear that we believe everyone is free to vote as they like, think as they like, but the Petty family doesn’t stand for this. We believe in America and we believe in democracy. But Donald Trump is not representing the noble ideals of either.”

Pissed-off Victim No. 17: Brendon Urie

Also in June 2020, Brendon Urie tweeted at the Trump campaign to stop using the Panic! at the Disco song “High Hopes” as walk-on music during campaign events. “Fuck you. You’re not invited. Stop playing my song,” Urie wrote, signing his and the band’s name. “Donald Trump represents nothing we stand for. The highest hope we have is voting this monster out in November.” Urie and the band never pushed back against Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg for using the song in coordinated dance videos.

Pissed-off Victim No. 18: Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen’s estate issued a scathing statement in August 2020, claiming that they “specifically declined” the use of “Hallelujah” at the Republican National Convention when approached by the party. The song was still used at the RNC despite the lack of clearance, and the estate is now “exploring our legal options” on how to proceed. (A cover of the song, by Tori Kelly, was played after Trump’s acceptance speech.) “We are surprised and dismayed that the RNC would proceed knowing that the Cohen Estate had specifically declined the RNC’s use request,” a statement read, “and their rather brazen attempt to politicize and exploit in such an egregious manner ‘Hallelujah,’ one of the most important songs in the Cohen song catalogue.”

Pissed-off Victim No. 19: Phil Collins

After Trump played the greatest drum-break song of all time, “In the Air Tonight,” at a rally in Iowa on October 14, 2020, Phil Collins’s legal team issued a cease-and-desist order to the president. The letter, which can be viewed here, writes that Collins expresses an “unequivocal statement that he wants no affiliation whatsoever” with Trump. Collins’s team also notes that the song choice was “particularly inappropriate since it was apparently intended as a satirical reference to COVID-19,” and, by using it, the Genesis front man’s “reputation and popularity with the public” was “damaged.”

Pissed-off Victim No. 20: John Fogerty

Nearly a month after the former Creedence Clearwater Revival front man publicly expressed irritation that Trump used “Fortunate Son” numerous times on the campaign trail, John Fogerty released a statement on October 16, 2020 to confirm he issued the president a cease and desist order. “He is using my words and my voice to portray a message that I do not endorse,” Fogerty, a Vietnam War veteran, wrote on social media. “I wrote this song because I was disgusted that some people were allowed to be excluded from serving our country because they had access to political and financial privilege. I also wrote about wealthy people not paying their fair share of taxes. Mr. Trump is a prime example of both of these issues. The fact that Mr. Trump also fans the flames of hatred, racism, and fear while rewriting recent history, is even more reason to be troubled by his use of my song.”
https://www.vulture.com/article/the-history-of-musicians-rejecting-donald-trump.html

Anyone else see a pattern emerging? :xf.confused:
 
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Ted Cruz, Garland Clash Over School Board Memo: 'Now You Don't Care?'
At today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) confronted AG Merrick Garland about a controversial memo on school board safety.
Questioning over the conflict of interest starts after the 7 minute mark.

Earlier this month,
Parents Group Sounds Alarm over AG Garland’s Ties to Pro-CRT, Zuckerberg-Backed Consultancy [National Review]

Critics question Garland's school board crackdown after son-in-law revealed as social justice education kingpin [Washington Examiner]
Attorney General Merrick Garland, who earlier this week injected the FBI into the nationwide debate over far-left local school curriculums, has a son-in-law whose company has gotten rich peddling K-12 educational materials obsessed with “systemic racism,” "intersectionality," and white supremacy.

Alexander “Xan” Tanner, who married Garland's daughter Rebecca in 2018, is the co-founder and president of Panorama Education, a major player in the teacher training and curriculum industry. Panorama pushes race-focused surveys and conducts trainings on systemic oppression, white supremacy, unconscious bias, and intersectionality — all under the rubric of "Social-Emotional Learning."
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Panorama's revenues are not public, but the company boasts it "supports 13 million students in 21,000 schools." Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s Startup: Education co-led a $4 million round of seed funding for the fledgling Panorama in 2013, and last month, Panorama announced a $60 million investment round with investors including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
 
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Anyone who has ever published on Youtube knows copyright. How can a president be so dumb? O_o

Well, copyright law is am interesting subject, well due for an overhaul. As it is, it now discourages creativity, punishes the little people and rewards the wealthy - far from its intended purpose.

But in the scope of things, this just seems to be a continuing obsession with all things Trump. The president's name is Joe Biden, and without minders he likely to wander into traffic and get hurt. This is the current president.

It's astounding the giant mind-f*ck that media had played on people. They have planted Trump on the mind so effectively that people can think of nothing else. This frees the state to take away freedoms, imprison critics and eventually kill millions. All without repercussion, because people will be worried about Trump's misuse of copyright, his tax returns from 30 years ago or his role in the imaginary coup de'tat. All while the current batch in Washington do everything to destroy democracy that they claimed Trump would have done had he been reelected.

And I was just reminded the other day about how Obama assassinated a 16-year-old American boy (who I guess didn't look like he could have been his son). The administration's comment on that was that "his father should have raised him better." Not a peep from the press. If it were Trump, imagine the uproar.

The Democrats, along with big tech and corporate media, have created the world's most successful death cult.
 
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China tests new space capability with hypersonic missile

China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before speeding towards its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught US intelligence by surprise.

Five people familiar with the test said the Chinese military launched a rocket that carried a hypersonic glide vehicle which flew through low-orbit space before cruising down towards its target.

The missile missed its target by about 39km, according to three people briefed on the intelligence. But two said the test showed that China had made astounding progress on hypersonic weapons and was far more advanced than US officials realised.

The test has raised new questions about why the US often underestimated China’s military modernisation.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/wor...-capability-with-hypersonic-missile-1.4702931

Hypersonics, Counter-Hypersonics Are a Top Priority

The NSWCDD Strategic Plan for 2021-2025 thrusts hypersonic weapons advancement into the forefront with a goal to establish Dahlgren as the Surface Navy Lead for offensive and defensive hypersonic weapon systems integration.

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/N...sonic-weapons-advancement-into-the-forefront/

Booster rocket failure stops U.S. hypersonic weapon test

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hypersonic-missile-test-booster-rocket-failure/?ftag=MSF0951a18
 
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The test has raised new questions about why the US often underestimated China’s military modernisation.

That's better:xf.smile:

The US, like the British Empire before them, still haven't realized they are in decline and that the days of the sun never setting on their empire are coming to a close. I remember the UK in the late 70s and early 80s. Few jobs, mostly depressing, chronic warfare in Ireland and constant boasting among the younger generation about England's great achievements coupled with bitterness toward the US. That would be the fate of the US if it was still a relatively sane nation.

I am trying to imagine how the UK would have looked in 1980 if they had spent the several decades previous dividing their populace into warring tribes and allowing unbridled immigration. Even with unity and patriotism, the place mostly sucked. But at least it was still a nation.
 
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If you vote for democrats, you vote for child rape in school bathrooms.

Listen to this talking head, tsk, tsk, Ted Cruz then say parents angry over racist and anti-human indoctrination in schools are breaking the law.


Screenshot from 2021-10-28 07-18-51.png
 
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What would happen if Donald Trump showed up a football / baseball game? Thunderous applause.

248873669_1697498937121551_87577541435229391_n.jpg
 
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Signed drawing by Picasso, $400,000

Signed canvas with paint spilled on it by Hunter Biden, $500,000

Billion $$ government contract, Priceless.
 
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Not only is this professor a rabid racist, she is historically illiterate. Ironically (? ) describing herself while condemning others. I shudder at the thought of this person teaching anything.

 
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Not only is this professor a rabid racist, she is historically illiterate. Ironically (? ) describing herself while condemning others. I shudder at the thought of this person teaching anything.

She should go to Liberia, Africa, a country specifically created for black Americans that wanted to return to their roots. Apparently only two hand fulls of blacks took the offer... I know why, but I'm not telling!
 
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Oil companies face 'big tobacco moment' in Congress over their climate policies

The House Oversight Committee will hear from chief executives of four global oil companies on Thursday as part of its investigation into what Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., called the industry's decades-long "climate disinformation" efforts about the impact of fossil fuels on global warming.

Maloney indicated that there would be more hearings on the issue, and that she hoped the companies would "work with us and come clean."

https://www.npr.org/2021/10/28/1049...oment-in-congress-over-their-climate-policies
 
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She should go to Liberia, Africa, a country specifically created for black Americans that wanted to return to their roots. Apparently only two hand fulls of blacks took the offer... I know why, but I'm not telling!

She lives a life of privileged ignorance provided for by liberal guilt.
 
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Everyone in that train just stood there and did nothing.... must be mostly Liberals! He hits a women knowing that no one will do anything these days for fear of being called racist or being sued.
 
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It's like they want to destroy the country, isn't it?
Indeed... it's like paying damages to a burglar that broke into your house!
Almost half a million $... no wonder they are flooding the border in massive numbers!
 
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Almost half a million $... no wonder they are flooding the border in massive numbers!

I may just hide my passport and take a trip across the Rio Grande, collect my half million and come back to Japan, where I can convert it to a currency that is not on the edge of collapse.
 
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So now we are going to pay for the stress caused to criminals for the after effects of committing a crime? (illegal entry)

White House considering payments of $450K — per person — to immigrant families separated at border

The Biden administration is discussing paying out hundreds of millions of dollars to illegal immigrant families who were separated at the US-Mexico border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy in 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

According to the Journal, the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are considering the payments in order to settle lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and others on behalf of families who crossed into the US from Mexico illegally to seek asylum.

The paper reports that the average demand in each lawsuit adds up to approximately $3.4 million per family, while the settlement offer being mooted by the Biden administration amounts to around $450,000 per person and close to $1 million per family.

https://nypost.com/2021/10/28/white-house-in-talks-to-pay-millions-to-families-separated-at-border/
 
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It's like they want to destroy the country, isn't it?

they are.. or pretty much already have .. there is no return at this point IMO
 
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I may just hide my passport and take a trip across the Rio Grande, collect my half million and come back to Japan, where I can convert it to a currency that is not on the edge of collapse.

my last name just became Gonzalez .. I am in ..
 
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I may just hide my passport and take a trip across the Rio Grande, collect my half million and come back to Japan, where I can convert it to a currency that is not on the edge of collapse.
LOL... exactly what I was thinking... no need to change my name, but first I'd pay a visit to @.X. and the rest of the Conservative Gang in this thread before heading back home, with a stopover in Japan!
 
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