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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I started becoming aware of popular music in the late 70s and was a big disco and Village People fan. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Well, I’m turning off the news now, mostly, but I did hear that the Village People were performing at the inauguration. That pretty much says it all: Trump managed to adopt a famous gay anthem and get the artists to perform it for America’s racists and homophobes. I suppose most of their earnings went up their nose, and now they need something to retire on.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>From: </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Friam <friam-bounces@redfish.com> on behalf of Pieter Steenekamp <pieters@randcontrols.co.za><br><b>Date: </b>Monday, January 20, 2025 at 10:05 PM<br><b>To: </b>The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <friam@redfish.com><br><b>Subject: </b>[FRIAM] May you live in interesting times<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>To my American friends,<br><br>As your friendly South African observer, I've been watching the American political scene with great interest (and a bit of amusement). I couldn't help but notice how some describe Trump. Here in South Africa, we've had our share of colorful political figures, but I must say, America's latest "dictator" seems to be quite the character!<br><br>It seems as though the ancient Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times," has indeed come to fruition in your part of the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>