Dear Dean Magazine: April 2025

DEAR DEAN APR 22, 2025

MAGAZINE

(The movie, not the White House)

The Goods

Welcome

03 Welcome From Myron J. Clifton

06

14

21

22

Emotional Satisfaction or Results

by Andres Boland

The Dangers of Mass Movements

by Andres Boland

That Time I Saw The Future

By Myron J. Clifton

A Democratic tea Party

By Andres Boland

28 Mavericks, MAGA, & Pentagon

Partisanship

By Brian Burke

Audiobooks!

34

Myron's HIT or MISS List

37

Myron’s Hot Take!

39

41

43

My Favorite Things

Streaming Right Now

Movie Review: SINNERS

Special Series Review:

Black Mirror Season 7

D E A R D E A N M A G A Z I N E , W E B S I T E ,

B L O G S & B O O K S A R E D E S I G N E D B Y

K A T Y A J U L I E T L E R N E R

Dear Dean Magazine | Apr. 22, 2025 | Page 2

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

April 2025

April Showers, Spring, and Tariffs!

So much has happened since last month! We hope your Spring is lovely and that you are

weathering the ups and down of the trade war the US launched against the world. We also

hope you are not snatched off the streets and deported to a prison in El Salvador or detained

at the airport and have your phone confiscated as agents search it for what they deem as anti-

Trump content.

Yes, we are living in a fascist state – congratulations, republican voters, you got what you voted

for! Unfortunately, the rest of us who voted intelligently for VP Harris have to suffer along with

you fools.

Take a break and enjoy this issue and the content written and curated for your reading

pleasure.

Don’t forget to check out your favorites, including Hit/Miss, Hot Takes, and What’s Streaming.

And as always, please see our advertising sections which have the hottest and latest books –

including my best-selling new books that are now available on audiobook!

Let us advertise for you! Podcasts, Streaming Services, Apps, Blogs, and Websites – advertised

for FREE!

If you have something to advertise, please message us to reserve your space.

We publish thought-provoking articles on pop culture, government, gender, race, and politics,

while also providing space for movie and television reviews, poetry, short stories, food, pets,

fun, and a welcoming platform for independent authors and writers.

So don’t be shy – submit your article!

Myron

Is he

dead yet?


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

About Me

Website | Bookshop | Twitter

Myron J. Clifton is an author of novels Jamaal’s Incredible Adventures in the Black Church;

Jamaal’s Incredible Adventure at the National Convention, Floy Dean: Moments with Her, They

Did It!, Monuments: A Deadly Day at Jefferson Park; BLM-PD: Revenge was Inevitable; Her

Legend Lives in You: The Untold Story Honoring the Goddess & Our Daughters; and short story

collection, We Couldn’t Be Heroes, and Other Stories. Also check out his weekly podcast, Voice

Memos, his FREE digital magazine, Dear Dean Magazine, and his weekly blog at both Medium

and DearDean.com. Myron lives in Sacramento, California with his wife and daughter, and is

an avid Bay Area sports fan. He likes comic books, telling stories about his late mom to his

beloved daughter Leah, and talking to his friends. BOOKS ON AMAZON

Loving Myron J. Clifton's Content?

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DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Feature

EMOTIONAL

SATISFACTION

OR RESULTS

by Andres Boland

I have a question for you all and the even broader

group of alleged Democratic voters (I am talking

about largely White voters who go gaga over the

latest Sanders rally, not Black or Jewish voters).

Do you want Democratic elected officials to

emotionally gratify you in a mass therapy session

or do you want elected Democrats to do what can

be done to resist the Trump administration’s

depredations?

This does not mean that I have a positive view of

the Democratic Party as of today.

I also understand why many Black voters

(especially Black women) are keeping their

heads down as much as possible. They did

everything they were supposed to do, and yet

Trump still won.

For starters, I think the Democratic Party has been

far too accommodating to people who

fundamentally want either to do a hostile

takeover or outright destroy the party.

I think the way Democratic Party leaders and

especially Islamist and Bernie voters have treated

Black and Jewish voters, the two most loyal voting

blocs inside the Democratic coalition, is

inexcusable.

I understand why many Jewish voters feel

betrayed right now, especially after how many

Democrats are still trying to win over Islamist

voters despite how Dearborn, Michigan, and so

many other Islamist communities voted for

Trump.


I have some reservations about the arrest and

attempted deportation of the terrorist supporter

Mahmoud Khalil on strictly legal or

constitutional grounds. However, if everything is

done with respect to precedent (something the

current Trump administration has shown no

respect for), I support his deportation. I would

like an immigration lawyer’s take on the subject

regarding precedence and the law.

But most importantly, I am still quite angry over

how Democrats treated President Biden despite

him dragging this country out of the ditch (at

great personal cost) he found it in at the

beginning of 2021, not to mention how they

treated Vice President Harris.

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Andres Boland

All that being said, none of this is relevant to the

current dilemma.

Many people who got us into this mess want a

bailout from Democrats without referencing the

fact that A) for those who voted third party,

chose not to vote at all, or, even worse, voted for

Trump, this mess is in large part your direct

doing; and B) there is not really a whole lot that

Democrats can do at the federal level to strop

Trump right now.

To be clear, I assess that Minority Leader Chuck

Schumer handled the situation regarding the CR

quite badly, no matter how you think the CR

vote should have gone. He failed to

communicate a clear strategy with his House

colleagues and even his own caucus. Even

worse, his actions left the House Democrats and

Democrats more broadly an open target for

many Democratic voters who are demanding

war with Republicans.

But again, my assessment of how Senator

Schumer has performed as leader of the Senate

Democrats is not relevant to one thing.

Many Democratic voters want emotional

gratification instead of effective resistance.

In practice, this means preferring rallies where

the current administration is rhetorically torn

apart over lawsuits by Democratic attorneys

general who bog down the current

administration as much as possible. It means

favoring elected officials who make appearances

on TV over those who do actual work.

Don’t tell me that you are mad at Senator

Schumer for doing a book tour while Senator

Sanders and his allies do useless rallies where

virtually no Black Americans are present or book

tours of their own. Which leads me to the main

question again.

Do you want results or emotional gratification?

Approval Ratings

In a recent CNN poll, the Democratic Party’s

approval rating was 29 percent. A CNBC poll had

approval for the Democratic Party at 27 percent.

Neither Trump during his first term nor Biden

ever reached levels that low. Anyone looking at

that poll knows that it is driven not solely by

Independents and Republicans but most

significantly by unhappy Democrats. Democrats

that are unhappy for contradictory reasons.

Some are unhappy because they see the party as

too extremely left wing or tied to identity politics.

Some are upset because they see Democrats as

too tied to big monied interests and

neoliberalism. A few are very displeased that

Democrats regard pogroms as evil. Many feel

betrayed at the lukewarm-at-best support for

Israel and how many people describing

themselves as Democrats hate Jews.

Most are quite annoyed with Senator Schumer

for how he handled the CR.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Andres Boland

I made my own reasons quite clear. For many of

you, they are probably close to mine.

So how to fix the Democratic Party is a question

of which factions you want to throw out. At this

point, a fix in one direction is going to upset

someone to the point where they want to resign

or burn everything down.

I will still vote Democratic because it is closest to

my policy and principles, but I am angry about

how Democratic Party members treated Black

and Jewish voters recently in favor of Islamist

and Bernie voters, how accommodating to

terrorists and arsonists they are, and worst of

all, how they treated President Biden and Vice

President Harris.

Maybe the polling is catching people with my

sentiments, who knows?

But I can say for sure that I am more pleased

with Democratic attorneys general hindering the

Trump administration as much as possible than

I am with rallies.

It is not as emotionally gratifying, but it is more

effective than rallies and mass therapy sessions.

So, what do you want?

Results or emotional gratification?


New Audiobooks!

Coming

Soon!

Click to Follow!


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

NEW BOOK BY

MYRON J. CLIFTON

The sequel to Jamaal’s Incredible

Adventures in the Black Church!

I ASKED AI TO WRITE A

REVIEW OF AUTHOR

MYRON J. CLIFTON...

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

BLM-PD

BLM-PD

BLM-PD

BLM-PD. BLM-PD. BLM-PD. BLM-PD

BLM-PD

In the not too distant future, the US has been taken over by white nationalists, and the

institutionalized racism that has underscored the country’s entire history has once

again been codified. California has seceded from the US, and a band of strong women

plan to start the next civil war following the death of their friend at the hands of the

police. This is BLM-PD.

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Feature

THE DANGERS OF

MASS MOVEMENTS

by Andres Boland

I have seen multiple requests for a mass

movement against Trumpism, this call by Bulwark

author JVL being just the latest.

Truly, American institutions are proving not up to

snuff regarding opposition to the second Trump

administration.

Especially much of corporate America and the

media.

At this point, the Republican Party is just a

personality cult of Donald Trump. There will never

be any opposition from the Republicans.

It is true that at present the Democratic Party is

not in good shape.

Nevertheless, I am quite skeptical about a mass

oppositional movement.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Mass

Movements

We have a mass movement in recent memory to

work with as a case study.

The uprisings and protests after George Floyd’s

murder.

According to some estimates, as many as 15

million people nationwide marched in some kind

of protest in response to the murder of George

Floyd. These protests were great at bringing a

badly needed issue into public attention, and

protesting made enough noise that no one could

ignore the problem.

However, the movement also suffered from

several serious problems that caused it to fail in

the long run.

Many of the mass movement members could not

obey orders to save their lives.

Literally.

Many people, oftentimes young white anarchists

or other types of political extremists, saw this

tragedy as an opportunity to live action role-play

as revolutionaries. With the help of the

Minneapolis Police Department and other police

officers who were on a power trip around the

country, these wannabe revolutionaries caused

massive amounts of damage.

Including in my hometown of Saint Paul.

Moreover, it was ridiculously easy for law

enforcement and other hostile forces to infiltrate

these protests.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

by Andres Boland

As a result, besides getting some bad cops off the

street and behind bars (an important

accomplishment, don’t get me wrong), this movement

did not get any of its goals accomplished.

knee in the mistaken belief that Trump can be

reasoned with or appeased. Some have been

useless when they are not actual active liabilities.

But the solution is to strengthen and fix the

Democratic Party, not rely on mass movements.

If the Democratic Party is truly beyond repair or

requires a people’s movement, then the country

as we know it is already lost.

For how often people look at the Civil Rights

Movement for inspiration, they neglect the

fundamentals that enabled that movement to

accomplish many of its goals.

Long-term focus, leaders with clear objectives, and,

most importantly for this point, an organizational

body that knew how to follow orders.

Quite difficult orders, I might add.

Much more so than “Don’t do stupid shit.” Unless this

mass movement in question can exercise military-like

control over its members, it will not succeed at all

against the Trump administration.

Records

Let’s remember the record of the Women’s March

and mass movements identified as such during the

first Trump administration.

None of them accomplished a damn thing. What

dealt blows against the last Trump administration

were Democratic AGs who either got Trump’s

decisions blocked or at least slowed down his worst

decisions. Not to mention other elected Democrats

who were able to slow down Trump’s decisions.

Especially after the blue wave of 2018.

So far, the best assets are Democratic AGs. Not mass

movements.

ut these lawsuits are heavily reliant on Democratic

AGs prepared to take these cases to court. In turn,

these AGs are heavily reliant on resources allocated

to them by state governments, most often blue states

like Washington and New York. That is not to say the

performance of the Democratic Party has been

flawless. Many Democratic leaders have bent the

I cannot trust groups and people that I know

have betrayed me and others grievously, before

and during the first Trump administration and

during the Biden administration. Too much

damage has been done, and I will never forget or

forgive.

Instead, I will help individual Democrats and, if I

feel quite confident, Democratic-aligned

organizations to help protect as many people

and institutions as possible. I have made clear

what needs to happen going forward.

Allow Trump to inflict manageable amounts of

pain. Enough that people come begging for help

from Democrats on their hands and knees.

If the approval ratings of the Democratic Party

are even close to accurate according to a CNN

and CNBC poll, then that is the only way that

people will come to support the Democratic Party

again. People, for a variety of reasons, don’t want

to hear from the Democratic Party.

Voters touched the hot stove, and they need to

feel the burn for a while to learn their lesson.

The other thing that Democrats should focus on

is slowing down and limiting the impact of

Trump’s decisions as much as possible. Focus on

getting their states and cities ready to withstand a

hostile and erratic federal government if they

have not already. Make sure that their AGs are

ready for and are waging war.

If mass movements failed before, I don’t see why

they should succeed now.


CLICK TO MEET

THE HOSTS!

MYRON

JENN

Two longtime friends have informative, yet

brief discussions about multitudinous topics.

NEW EPISODES ON FRIDAYS!


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

MYRON J. CLIFTON & JENNIFER VANLAANEN'S PODCAST

VOICE MEMOS REVIEWS

Listen Now!

Stay

Shallow!

Like listening to your BFFs June 2, 2022

kjlerner

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

ON SALE

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Sometimes, when you’re at a crossroads, a door will open and what enters will inspire you.

Other times, what enters will make you gag. These stories by a ride-share short-timer might

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people he might meet (and the money he might make) decides to drive ride-share while

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Don’t want to drive drunk? Well, then, by all means, plug in your location and get your

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The behavior and stories of folks who call on ride-share turned into a unique

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him, he also became the innocent target of people who couldn’t hold their liquor, others

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Little did they know they were in the Prius of a writer, who would be able to look in the rear

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This collection of anecdotes is non-judgmental, full of irony and dry humor, and may help

someone else decide: Is driving ride-share for you?

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

We Couldn't Be Heroes

Short Story Collection: We Couldn't Be Heroes And Other Stories What if a Black man

could control the weather, God called 911, or aliens took our souls? Would we notice?

Would we care?... Enjoy the entire collection, seven stories in all, on earth and in space

and in any order.

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Feature

THAT TIME I

saw the future

by Myron J. Clifton

I wrote this in 2024-2015 as an opening world building to my novel BLM-PD: Revenge Was Inevitable.

It was written before Trump was running and elected. It was set “in the near future.” These 2 pages

accurately foretold the Trump we are now seeing. Check it out.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Feature

A DEMOCRATIC

TEA PARTY

by Andres Boland

Recently, New York Senator Chuck Schumer and

ten other democratic senators voted along with

Senate Republicans to vote on the Continuing

Resolution budget.

Disagreement runs deep over whether this was

the right thing to do because of how bad both

options were.

I try to avoid asking my elected officials for

emotional gratification.

But much more was at stake with this CR vote.

Enough was in jeopardy that voting the wrong

way warrants replacement, especially if the

elected officials in question are replaceable.

Personally, I think Schumer made multiple

critical mistakes by throwing House Democrats

under the bus when he decided to whip for this

CR without at minimum consulting Democratic

Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democratic

House leaders.

On the issue itself of a possible government

shutdown, what they were hoping to avoid with

the shutdown will happen anyway,

now with the perceived approval of

Democrats when Republicans typically take

the fall for those because they force the

shutdowns.

House Democrats represent all branches and

wings of the Democratic Party, from Blue Dogs

like Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez

of the Washington 3rd Congressional District

and Vicente Gonzalez of the Texas 34th

Congressional District, to New Democrats like

Representative Angie Craig of the Minnesota

2nd Congressional District (who just happens

to represent my mother) and Progressives like

Representative Jasmine Crockett of the Texas

30th Congressional District.

All these Democrats have had very sharp and

on occasion nasty disagreements about policy

and political strategy. But all of them—save

for one—voted no on the CR budget.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

by Andres Boland

From what I can tell, House Democrats are angry

with what Schumer and his ten did. Especially

Leader Jeffries.

To be clear, I am wholly for a clean-out of the

Democrats who gave Trump this substantive

win.

But I want to be smart about it.

Unlike most, if not all, of the DSA,

Representative Torres knows what genuine

poverty and fear are like. The representative

knows what real pain is because of his

childhood asthma through horrific conditions

in his apartment (mainly mold) and struggle

with depression, at one point contemplating

suicide. He has not only lived through it, but

he also has fought to combat it throughout

his legislative career, both on the New York

City Council and as a representative in the

House.

The Direction

Broadly speaking, Democrats have two

directions they can go if they want to have a Tea

Party phenomenon.

Allow me to chart the tale of two representatives,

both from the State of New York: Representative

Ritchie Torres of the New York 15th

Congressional District and Representative

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of the New York 14th

Congressional District.

Both represent parts of the Bronx (in the case of

the 15th, it is located entirely within the Bronx).

Both districts are largely Latino and working

class. The 15th is considered one of the poorest

congressional districts in the country. I make

slightly more than the median household

income in the 15th Congressional District at my

current job before taxes, and I am not rich by

any means.

If Democrats want to follow anyone as a model, I

think it should be Representative Torres.

Not only does he win his races by higher margins

than a lot of other New York Democrats, but by

far-left standards, he also is someone with a lot

of lived experience as a gay man of color born

into poverty.

I don’t like his position on cryptocurrency. But

I won’t disregard his good work and expertise

in general on this flawed understanding

alone.

By contrast, Representative Cortez grew up in

a middle-class lifestyle in a suburb of New

York City. Yorktown Heights to be exact. Not

exactly rich but also not sick from mold in an

apartment as a child either. Her first brush

with fear was when her father passed away

and her family’s home went into foreclosure.

That was why she picked up a job as a

bartender, to help her mother cover the bills.

Between the two of them, Representative

Torres has more experience doing legislative

work and a better record of passing

legislation in the House. His voting record with

President Biden is 100 percent. Better than

Representative Cortez, at any rate.

He is an expert and experienced operator who

understands what needs to change and

happen. In fact, I think he is the one to lead

New York Democrats out of the ditch they find

themselves in. Rumor is he is going to run for

governor of New York.

Personally, I hope he runs to replace Senator

Schumer in 2028.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

by Andres Boland

This does not mean I think Representative Torres is

perfect, just that I think he represents the best path

for a Democratic Tea Party when compared with

Representative Cortez.

For those of you wondering what the point is, a purge

of Democratic leadership, if it is truly called for, must

be done wisely.

I will never accept a populist Democratic Party. As if

the horrors of the twentieth century were not enough

to show where populism typically leads, we have

Hungary and Turkey as examples, not to mention

modern-day Russia. In this hemisphere, we have

Venezuela and much of Latin America, in fact,

showing us where populism often leads.

Moreover, American populism is America at its worst.

Without populism, reconstruction has a much better

chance of success than it did historically. If you want

a picture of what populism is in America, picture a

lynch mob anywhere in the United States.

No matter the type, populism has only one endpoint.

Chains and mass graves.

What I Want as a Democrat

Instead, what I want from my elected leaders is good

governance and the numbers moving in the right

direction.

Not particularly charismatic but very good at

the administrative and policy aspects of the job.

In fact, I would look to Washington State at the

state level for effective governance.

I want leaders like Saint Paul Mayor Melvin

Carter III, someone who understands how to

keep a city running and out of the papers and

someone who I know has Saint Paul’s interests

in mind.

I am also looking for leaders like Vice President

Harris, someone who not only has in-depth

policy knowledge but has spent actual time

doing the wet work tackling deep systemic

problems.

I want representatives like Representative

Lauren Underwood of the Illinois 14th

Congressional District—people who work on

legislation and are not always on camera—

along with most of the Congressional Black

Caucus, for that matter.

Representative Jake Auchincloss of the

Massachusetts 4th Congressional District is

another solid example.

This should give a good idea of what I want a

Democratic Party Tea Party to look like.

Technocratic, results driven, and effective.

If you want an idea of what type of elected officials, I

want to make up the Democratic Party, look to the

Canadian Prime Minister who succeeded Justin

Trudeau, Mark Carney. He is a trained economist

with experience guiding Canada’s central bank

through the 2008 economic crisis.

To give a better idea of what I am looking for, I, for

one, want the Democratic Party to be led by elected

officials like former Washington Governor Jay Inslee.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

THEY DID IT!

HOW PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT

KAMALA HARRIS DELIVERED FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

by Myron J. Clifton

Get your keepsake that captures the best of the Biden/Harris

administration and the events that shaped it and them, and the

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DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Now

Available

as an

Audiobook!

Jamaal's Incredible Adventures in the

Black Church by Myron J. Clifton

Before Jamaal's seventeenth birthday, he’s appointed as his preacher uncle’s designated

driver and unwilling personal confidant. Behind the fine outfits and hats, behind the

delicious cooking, Jamaal is exposed to crazy aunties, sexy church sisters, corrupt

pastors, and predator deacons. A good kid who just wants time to finish his homework

and kiss a girl his own age, Jamaal is dragged through the strange world of the Black

church. You best pray for him.

Dear Dean Magazine | Mar. 22, 2025 | Page 22

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Monuments to the US War between the States romanticized the notion of the

Confederacy. While these monuments came down in the twenty-first century, it did not

signal the end to the romantic ideas people held about the war, nor the existence of

white supremacy. In the near future, Civil War reenactment events are still held, and,

other than fist fights and drunken brawls, have been mostly violence-free.Until

now.When Jenn’s employer is granted a contract at the country’s largest Civil War

reenactment, she and the other managers, Paul, Jack, Mari, and Clarence, have to make

some tough calls. Across the country, the event’s promoter and his main sponsor, a

popular evangelical preacher, make plans for an event no one will soon forget. Thrown

together, along with unlikely girlfriends, a doting congregant, and an unstable redneck,

the characters are in for a deadly day of monumental terror.

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Contributor

MAVERICKS, MAGA,

& PENTAGON PARTISANSHIP

by Brian Burke

Part 3 in 3 part series

This is the last installment of my three-part

series about "military mavericks". The first

segment covered newly anointed "Sec Def Vet

Bro" Hegseth and my prediction that he would

go off the rails in a "boring" admin

environment. Low and behold, it wasn't fifty

days until he shared classified info over Signal,

a third-party app, while playing "warfighter" in

an unnecessary and self-indulgent move and is

currently under investigation by the Pentagon.

Part two was about a maverick, Kent, I'd served

with who later turned out to be MAGA. I

assume, after the DOGE firing of thousands of

vets, the Trump tariff debacle, and the stock

market dive, there are many vets like my old

friend who are reconsidering their support. I

hope so, at least.

This is the third and final episode.

After meeting up with Kent, in early 2016, I also

contacted our commander from that tour of

duty, "Captain G", as I'll call him. He was "by

the book" and really stood up for the soldiers

of our unit. One time I didn't get paid so Cpt G

drove me to finance HQ where he dressed

down a cranky clerical non-commissioned

officer -- we left with a check.

A unit commander like Cpt G is like a business

manager of 100 to 300 employees. As a private

in the Army, it's someone you salute but rarely

have communications with unless you're getting

an award, or in the worst case, disciplinary

punishment.

I wouldn't say Cpt G was a "maverick" per se,

but he had dealt with plenty of them in his time.

He believed in our unit and the mission, a rather

diplomatic leader who wasn't harsh or

emotional. He once told me that the greatest

challenge in his career was dealing with soldier's

disciplinary issues. The captain had an

agonizing look on his face while saying that.

Cpt G had a permanent change of station (PCS)

just months before I shipped out to Germany

from GA. He was headed to Fort Belvoir, VA, the

last time we spoke in 1986.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Brian Burke

With some internet sleuthing I found out where

he was working. A CNN article by Pentagon

Correspondent Barbara Starr quoted Cpt G as

giving "no comment" as a response to an

intelligence question and I thought, "Yeah, that's

him." Eventually we were emailing, he was

working as a civilian for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

He said he was headed to his brothers in Florida

for Independence Day celebrations in a few

weeks -- I-95 goes right by me, so we made plans

to meet up at a Starbucks near the highway.

Added sidebar from back in the day -- my squad

got word that Cpt G's driver was leaving, and we

had to give up someone for duty. I was lowest

ranking, and everyone looked at me, so I was

like, "okay", as if I had a choice.

One assignment was evaluating a National

Guard unit on field exercises for two weeks. We

left garrison and drove to the field from noon

until past midnight, daily.

During this, Cpt G taught me how to use the

radio properly, to drive using night vision

goggles and the blackout light -- essential skills,

but the real deal was being on the "inside" -- a

first-hand look, and listen, about how things

worked at higher levels in the field. Cpt G was

the consummate professional in any situation.

I would drive him to field locations, and he'd

evaluate their operations. He told me that he

walked into a tent, saw a cooler, opened it, and

it was full of beer -- that's unheard of in "active

duty" Army. I sat for long hours while he

evaluated so I would monitor the radio, and this

unit was passing unencrypted coordinates -- an

entire list of their unit locations -- over the air so

I wrote all of them down and passed it to Cpt G.

The next morning, I ate in that unit's chow line

with everyone politely addressing me as "Private

Burke" -- apparently, they had been informed that

I was with Cpt G and had reported the unsecured

communications. It was embarrassing yet a career

highlight.

Fast forward thirty years and I was excited to be

meeting my former commander in person again.

Once texted, I headed out and pulled into the

parking lot, intent on saluting, which I did, and

Cpt G insisted I didn't but finally returned the

salute.

Reuniting, we ordered coffees and sat at a table

off to the side of the hustle and bustle of this

Starbucks, discussing old times and recalling

those who served with us. I showed him an image

of Kent, who I had met up with just months

earlier, and reminded Cpt G of how he let him off

with an honorable discharge after a failed

urinalysis, and how he was now successful with

his own HVAC business.

Cpt G smiled and dove deeper into his trials about

disciplining troops -- his first gig was as a

Lieutenant in Germany dealing with a lot of postwar

Vietnam soldiers. Drugs and violence were

rampant.

He explained that after his assignment at Fort

Belvoir, VA, he took a job as a civilian, and what it

was like to experience the plane hitting the

Pentagon on 9/11.

Many other topics were discussed, it was a great

exchange, and then his question--

"Why did you look me up?".

Kent had asked me the same thing. I was in semiretirement

and thinking about those who helped

me out, who backed me, gave me a break or

overlooked a shortcoming, and I wondered if I

could find them again, let alone thank them or

meet in person.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Yes.

Brian Burke

As I drove out of the lot I could see him in his

SUV, typing on a phone, smiling. It was a post on

Facebook, saying I was one of his soldiers from

30 years ago and included our pic.

My mission was complete. Until one quiet, dark

night, weeks before the 2016 election.

A Facebook message came in from Cpt. G's

account, but I was sure it had been hacked -- it

was a video of a few young ladies singing a song

about electing Trump. Minutes later it was a

video meme of a child crying that their father

had called them a Democrat.

This seemed highly unusual of Cpt G's character

so I instantly messaged and asked questions

only he would know the answer to -- our unit

identifier, when we last met, etc.

He answered all 100% correctly and then went

beyond that with info -- it was him.

I really couldn't believe it. The man I learned so

much from and looked up to, who had an

undying fair and balanced take on all soldiers,

my mentor, supported Trump?

In typical fashion, true to myself, I stated that I

would never vote for Trump and didn't feel he

respected the military. Cpt G gave the typical

MAGA talking points, it was clear he was

drinking the Kool Aid.

But this, from a leader I had spent so many

hours with, who stood for every soldier, never

once exhibited a racial or gender bias, who was

always about the rule of law and if anything,

would bend it to favor the long-term outcome of

a soldier's career, like Kent's?

It was our last communication. Eventually it was

the same with Kent, as well as a best friend who

I haven't mentioned in the series, "Dave", an Air

Force vet who I had as a student in one of my

art seminars in 2001. We mailed daily for over

15 years, opened art studios together, visited as

friends. But he fed into the propaganda as well,

so I cut him off permanently with no reply.

Same with Cpt G, there's no "flipping" these

people, my best decision was to cut them off

without reply.

But Trump is a "great disruptor" as they pitched

to us in 2016 -- yeah, a "real" maverick who

doesn't follow rules.

I'll end this series by encouraging others to write

and submit articles to this awesome free

publication that Myron Clifton provides us with.

As he says, "If you can write a thread, you can

write a story". Working with Myron over the past

months has been awesome -- incredible

formatting and design team, and I've felt very

free in the way I can present my articles.

The "Bulwark" might be the "go-to" digital

publication for a lot of Dems. It's also run by a

bunch of white "former" Republicans, which are

probably still right-leaning ops. Stand up, speak

out, tell your story. If we build it, they will come.

Thanks for reading, please subscribe to

Dear Dean, share, and send your

comments and questions to

@myronclifton or @brushmastery2


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DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Her Legend Lives In You:

The Untold Creation Story Honoring The

Goddess And Our Daughters.

by Myron J. Clifton

Available on

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

FLOY DEAN

M o m e n t s w i t h H e r

by Myron J. Clifton

Available Now!

MYRON'S

HIT OR MISSlist

HIT

Senator Cory Booker setting the record for longest filibuster – 25

hours, as he deftly outlined the dangers of fascism/Trumpism,

the dangers they pose to democracy, the nation’s history of

racism, and the shameful racist displays by the current

administration. Notably, the record he broke was that from

noted racist Strom Thurmond who filibustered 24 hours against

the 1965 Civil Rights legislation.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

MISS

Telsa which missed its quarterly sales targets as

domestic and international boycotts show no sign

of slowing as people in favor of democracy turn to

other EV makers.

HIT

Florida (men) and Connecticut (women) won the

NCAA March Madness college basketball

championships.

MISS

The nation and much of the world misses the

calm, boring, and effective leadership of the

Biden/Harris administration.

MISS

Candace Owens pretending to turn her back on

Trump and maga as she seeks relevancy and

money. Don’t believe that self-hating liar.

Continue to ignore her.

HIT

Republicans passing a bill that is basically a poll tax for

women. If your current name doesn’t match the name

on your birth certificate, you will not be able to vote. This

Bill targets married women who took on their husband’s

name. They will need to get a REALID, copy of their birth

certificate, or a Passport to re-register and vote.

MISS

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer debasing herself

to Trump while trying, like Gavin Newsome playing

footsie with white supremacists, position herself for a

presidential run in 2028. Of course, Trump punked her,

made her look weak and like a fool, and gave the world

a Michael Dukakis-level humiliating photo that’ll haunt

the rest of her political career.

MISS

In response to Trump’s trade war, China is selling off

$790B worth of U.S. Bonds which harms the dollar

and American’s purchasing power.

MISS

Trump and Elon forcing all Social Security users to

exclusively us Twitter for communication is designed to

prevent seniors from accessing their benefits since most

do not have or will ever have access to the dumb app.

MISS

Chinese propaganda is focused on encouraging

Americans to buy direct from the factories in China

instead of paying top prices from American

companies. They are doing it with humor, facts,

and instructions. Trump/Maga propaganda is the

same old racism, misogyny, and hate.

HIT

Vice President Kamala Harris. “Kamala Harris” is

living her best life. I miss Vice President Kamala

Harris who was electric, dynamic, respected by

global leaders, and who could communicate with

people from all over the world. She would never

refer to Chinese citizens as “Peasants” as JD Vance

recently did.

MISS

David Hogg, newly elected vice chair of the DNC (1 of 3

Vice chairs) continues to make a mockery of the process

that saw an inexperienced, privileged, democratichating

young man elevated beyond his skills and

experience. First he’s been accused of using raised funds

for personal gain. Now it was released and he has

confirmed he will use funds to attack incumbent

democrats instead of attacking republicans. Black

voters warned the DNC that Hogg hates democrats and

that he should not be elevated but the DNC is bent on

leaving Black voters in the dust and instead focusing on

write male voters and they feel Hogg gives them a

chance. Despite him being raised republican and

despite his online history is anti Democratic Party. And

now he’s proven Black voters right.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Myron's

HOT TAKE

#2

The contrast between how China is using its

propaganda vs how Trump & Maga are using

their propaganda cannot be more different.

China is taking a positive approach that

focuses on education, humor, and some

snark. Trump and maga are using the same

bullying, racist, and xenophobia approach.

#3

China specifically highlighting its electric vehicles

and comparing the to their American and

Japanese car counterpart is peak trolling.

Specifically, they are targeting Telsa, showing

how Chinese cars are more advanced, have

better technology, get more miles per charge

and per gallon, and cost significantly less.

#1

China is winning the trade war. They are

trolling, reminding, and educating Americans on

the simple fact that most of the things we buy –

clothes, textiles, electronics, rare earth minerals

and more, are made, manufactured, and/or

assembled in China.

#4

Trump celebrating in

the white house with

fellow millionaires and

billionaires how much

money they made as

Trump manipulated

the markets with his

tariff yo-yoing.

#5

China suspending all exports of rare earth

minerals that are needed for electronics,

semiconductors, and the military – they are the

owners of the largest supply of rare earth

minerals in the world.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

MY FAVORITE THINGS

streaming right

now...

DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

S T R E A M I N G N O W

Netflix: Pantheon Seasons 1 & 2. One of the best

animated science fiction stories from the creators of

the 3 Body Problem (also on Netflix), explores nations

competing to harness the full power of uploaded

consciousness and AI, the actions they’ll take to

dominate each other and the world, and what happens

when the two come in conflict. The series starts in one

place, and you will not guess where it goes.

HBO: The Last of Us Season 2. Things aren’t better,

lies are being exposed, and the dangers are coming

from inside and outside.

Netflix: Adolescence. A gripping look at how a

young white boy who commits a murder. The brief

series tells you he did it, and it follows the police,

his family, his school friends and teachers, and

other community members as they come to grips

with why and how it happened. It is filmed in one

shot which makes the show seem more intense,

and it focuses on the radicalization and

institutionalism of hatred against girls and women.

HBO: The Pitt. All the rage and one of the best most

intense and satisfying medical procedurals on

television. The stellar cast, strong storylines, and wellpaced

action, humor, death, illness, and relationships.

Disney/Hulu: Daredevil: Born Again. Blind

attorney street level superhero is back and he’s

fighting through the events that caused him to

abandon the vigilantism. Growing crime that might

be instigated by his longtime nemesis, the Kingpin,

has Matt rethinking his early retirement.

HBO: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

A Lord of The Rings animated story that happens

hundreds of years before the Ring trilogy, tells of how

the horse masters who would save Helm’s Deep, came

together to form the nation that would be so pivotal to

the future.


MOVIE

REVIEWS

Review: SINNERS

by Myron J. Clifton

Directed by Ryan Coogler- Black Panther, Creed, Fruitvale

Station, and starring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld,

Wunmi Mosaku, and Delroy Lindo, Sinners is a

wonderful movie that upends several movie genres in

delightfully unexpected ways giving its audience chills,

laughs, jump scares, and history interwoven with

complex relationships.

Set in the 1930’s in Mississippi where two brothers, both

veterans of World War 1, return home after an extended

and most likely violent but profitable time “up north” in

Chicago. The reasons they went to Chicago are hinted at,

but the reasons they return mirror the stories of those

who went back to the south after failing to realize the

“safety and riches” of the north Black Americans

experienced after the post emancipation Great Migration.

Returning home with their reputations still in tact- they

were feared and respected- the brothers aim to use the

probably ill-gotten gains to open a music, eating,

dancing, and socializing establishment-they’d provide the

venue and liquor from up north - Italian wine, Irish beer-

hot commodities to poor people whose alcohol is

mostly corn liquor. Reestablishing relationships that

ended abruptly and some not fully ended, the twins

realize their dream and the party, music, and good

times start.

Coogler weaves in blues and it’s origins in west Africa,

the same way he weaves in west African medicine,

spiritual practices, and other historical traditions from

China and Ireland- the way he does it is unique to

movies and beautifully done in ways I’ve never seen. It

is a masterclass in filmmaking and that mid-movie

scene will be studied for years to come.

The movie is rated R and is classified as Horror

/Thriller. I’d argue it’s more thriller than horror and the

part that is horror is obvious but unique in how it’s told

and shown. Taking a known and popular genre and

doing something new with it is truly amazing. Coogler

did it.


MOVIE

REVIEWS

Coogler isn’t afraid of race- most Black filmmakers

aren’t, but he’s extra comfortable showing the nuance of

race as WE see it and he’s superb at centering dark

skinned characters as love interests and people to be

desired and longed for and missed, deserving of

tenderness.

Michael B. Jordan is at his absolute best and Coogler

gets the best out of him in multiple complex ways that

showed his comedic timing and his ability to show

tenderness and vulnerability while bringing that subtle

but deadly rage we saw in Black Panther.

Hailee Steinfeld starts slow then grows into her role with

confidence as a character who longs for the community

of her mixed father despite her looks demanding she

find community elsewhere- again, Coogler handles her

arc with the same skill Black people have always

weaved in a place for our mixed families. And while she’s

obviously gorgeous her role isn’t centered on her

beauty- it’s about her wanting to belong to a people who

accept her knowing the danger of that acceptance. But

she’s “family” for good or worse.

Audiences expecting Hailee to be the love center don’t

know Coogler. That role was rightly given to Wunmi and

she gives a complex stellar performance serving as the

beauty standard, the muse, the problem solver, and the

carrier of ancestral knowledge and power.

She’s the brains and it’s wonderful to witness an

actress -little known to many- given the platform to

show her skill. A case can be made she is the center and

the hero, her arc is so powerful and necessary.

Who are the antagonists then? The obvious strangers

who want to “kill them all” or the ancient villain who

wants to take more than lives?

Or is it hope? Is hoping for change, opportunity, and

love the protagonist?

Yes to all. They each have to be defeated in their own

ways if we are to live, thrive, explore, and unburden

ourselves from our traumatic past that was forced on

us, stolen from us, and used against us.

From the opening scene where white people are

warned by indigenous folk- a warning they ignore- to

the final scenes where violence is the final act before

paradise, and death is nearby -always tailing usaudiences

will feel the range of emotions.

Everything felt was honestly earned because Coogler,

Jordan, Seinfeld, Lindo, and Mosaku wrapped us in

their story and brought along on a delightful, terrifying,

and spectacular journey.


DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

Feature

BLACK MIRROR SEASON 7

EPISODES REVIEW

by Myron J. Clifton

Episode 1: Common People. Choosing life-extending technology has its

ups and downs in the age of capitalism, materialism, and advertising.

Episode 2: Bête Noire: What if you could reset your life, would you? And

what if you could reset every day or even every minute? What would you

do with that power?

Episode 3: Hotel Reverie. An actress longs for serious roles that show her

range is given the chance why using new technology in combination with

an old black and white movie.

Episode 4: Plaything: Too much online time can either be bad for one’s

health or bad for… everything else.

Episode 5: Eulogy: An exploration of real memories vs. reality and the

impact on should one have access to the real memory be.

Episode 6: USS Callister: Into Infinity. Revisiting a story from season 6

with the digital crew inside a video game and everything they hoped for.

did not come to pass.


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I created the sayeYO app with music artists in mind. I

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I also added a business directory so that sayeYO app

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the music industry. Some of the categories include DJ’s,

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The sayeYO app is truly one of a kind. It is not your

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song files sitting on various storage drives around the

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I know from personal experience with my music that it

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I want music artists to think differently about music and

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DEAR DEAN MAGAZINE

NEW!

ON SALE

NOW

A cup of coffee or tea paired with interesting company is an unbeatable combination. We

learn and share so much through this simple social ritual. Nuanced origin stories. Browraising

secrets. Good news. Bad news. Hopes and dreams, insecurities and fears. Sip by sip, we

do business, catch up, plan our lives, and discover common ground.

To gain a better understanding of his friends, Myron went on a mission to try their favorite

drinks. He was struck by the complex flavors and simple pleasures that characterized their

personalities. Sweet. Spicy. Bold. Bewitching. Optimistic. Ostentatious. Practical. Perfectionist.

In Coffee, Grounded, Myron reviews these drinks and brews up a perfect blend of culture and

caffeine. He examines the history of various ingredients and coffee-growing regions, painting a

vivid picture of faraway lands and hometown haunts.

Pour yourself a cup and curl up with this tasty collection of stories steeped in friendship and

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Order & Indulge!

5 Children’s Books

by Katya Juliet Lerner

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STREAMING PLATFORM

LAUNCHES SOON!

The Joyful Warrior

Podcast Network

Music App

Mark Lerner Astrology

Katya Juliet's Jewel Box

Great Start Initiative

Dear Dean Magazine: April 2025

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