The secret meaning of IMBRA...

[chris&o 0]

I might have cracked the code so to speak, behind this enigmatic and empirial decree that has been titled, "IMBRA".

When broken down, the acronym is actually seen to be a phrase, with the government as the speaker of if, and we the people are the listeners:

" I m (am) b - ra (ting)" or "I am berating..." where the -ting is silent.

the phase is incomplete, which is a clue that the government is itself the speaker.

Berating - this means to scold or condemn vehemently and at length (ref. Webster's Dictionary)

I conclude that this is the government or the individual who scripted the law, attempting to scold us, the fiance(e)s and spouses of foriegn nationals, for having recklessly fallen in love with other than another US citizen. Apparently, we should all be ashamed of ourselves and we will all be made to suffer for it by being cast into this pit of dispare until such time as it pleases them to release us or put us out of our misery.

It's ironic and almost funny that our immigrating spouses' and fiance(e)s' first official contact with the so called "Greatest Democracy on Earth" is actually with the biggest oligarchy in the western hemisphere, the USCIS. I hear echos of, "absolute power corrupts absolutely..." Does anyone else see the irony here?

So I would further like to congratulate and thank the authors and approvers of this superb law for straightening us all out. They once again have saved us simple minded commonfolk from ourselves. I'm suprised we can find our ways home after work every day without the government's help. Oh, the horror! Why, we might have gone ahead and got visas and started living together with our wives and husbands by now if it weren't for this gem of legislative joy. I hope those senetors and judges and whoever (they know who they are), I hope they're sleeping nice and tight tonight with their wives and husbands (and in many cases, I'll bet mistresses as well). Sure is great to be with the one you love, yeah? Thanks, guys. Keep up the good work. Give yourselves a raise. -Oh, wait! You already did! Good job senetors. I think I'll run for office next time around, just so I can edge one of you sloths out of the House and actually get some work done.

I consider myself a patriot and I love this country dearly. I am in the armed services and I would lay my life down for this land and it's people if called upon in need. But I find the treatment that we are given by this nation's so-called immigration service goes beyond insulting, it goes against the very fabric upon which this nation was founded. It makes me irate that the swollen beaurocratic carcasses of those in power can torment and destroy the lives of so many innocent people with such little effort. It is amazing that this can happen in America, the land of the free. In spite of this, I still say God bless America. And God bless all her weary souls, and God bless all those who knowing all the problems with it, still want to make her their home.

End of rant.

Other sercret meanings recently uncovered:

USCIS - Unable to Start 'Cause IMBRA Sucks

or - Uncommonly Slow Citizenship Information Service

or - Ultimately, Suck-it-up, Cry-to-your-mother, Ingest-much-alcohol, and Sleep-it-off

and finally - UnSatisfactory Conditions Imposed on your Spouse

aloha!

[Jersey Girl 2]

Oh chris&o, you've fallen victim to the common complaint of having to wait too long and letting your mind play tricks. IMBRA does not stand for "berate" because the government doesn't use big words unless they want to obfuscate, such as on their forms.

In Fact, IMBRA is an acronym for a simpler code. It means, "I am a bra." Restrictive, sweaty, and designed to set off alarms in airports.

Take a deep breath and use the Web to look up the patron saint of immigrants. (Yes, there is one.)

[zed2283 1]

IMBRA is simply one more stupid thing you can thank the feminists for.

[NorthernGirl 0]

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the patron saint of immigrants. Well, look at that. Who would have thunk it - a saint, just for us.

[chris&o 0]

Oh chris&o, you've fallen victim to the common complaint of having to wait too long and letting your mind play tricks. IMBRA does not stand for "berate" because the government doesn't use big words unless they want to obfuscate, such as on their forms.

In Fact, IMBRA is an acronym for a simpler code. It means, "I am a bra." Restrictive, sweaty, and designed to set off alarms in airports.

Take a deep breath and use the Web to look up the patron saint of immigrants. (Yes, there is one.)

HA! THat was funny Jersey Girl. I think your research to the code's meaning might be more accurate...

[Jersey Girl 2]

And the prize goes to (drumroll) NorthernGirl!

Yes, there's a patron saint of immigrants, complete with stories about her going into the taverns of Newark, New Jersey. She'd pull people out and remind them about their responsibilities to support their families. She must have caused quite a stir, as guys dove under tables, spilling their beer and yelling, "Here comes Mother Cabrini!"

Does she answer prayers? Ya never know...

[MrsWhizz 0]

IMBRA is simply one more stupid thing you can thank the feminists for.

LOL! Do you even know what feminist means? I doubt it. I think you meant government. Feminism is about equality not female superiority. The last time I looked under my hairy armpits, I found out that there are a lot of women (as well as men) inconvienced by IMBRA.

I hope your wife meets a few "feminists" when she gets here. Or do you plan to just knock her up and chain her to the stove like all good southern boys?

...."all good southern boys" was an example of your gross generalizations. Not the way I really feel. Offensive, eh?

Edited June 21, 2006 by MrsWhizz

[NorthernGirl 0]

LOL! Do you even know what feminist means? I doubt it. I think you meant government. Feminism is about equality not female superiority. The last time I looked under my hairy armpits, I found out that there are a lot of women (as well as men) inconvienced by IMBRA.

I hope your wife meets a few "feminists" when she gets here. Or do you plan to just knock her up and chain her to the stove like all good southern boys?

...."all good southern boys" was an example of your gross generalizations. Not the way I really feel. Offensive, eh?

Kudos to you, MrsWhizz! I thought to address Zed's ignorant comment, but instead I chose to ignore him and stick with the subject. Glad to see that someone attempted to educate him. And righto, not all men from the South have their women knocked up and tied, but I think we might have a live one here.

[zethris 0]

IMBRA is simply one more stupid thing you can thank the feminists for.

LOL! Do you even know what feminist means? I doubt it. I think you meant government. Feminism is about equality not female superiority. The last time I looked under my hairy armpits, I found out that there are a lot of women (as well as men) inconvienced by IMBRA.

I hope your wife meets a few "feminists" when she gets here. Or do you plan to just knock her up and chain her to the stove like all good southern boys?

...."all good southern boys" was an example of your gross generalizations. Not the way I really feel. Offensive, eh?

hey hey hey, what a way to ruin a good humored thread. Ok to get back on track to the zany just a quick response. Many feminists take it too far and seek out to be superior to men as some form of payback for all the years of "supression and opression". Another example is the minority movement, or the so-called ACLU always going overboard with things. Both of those are constantly trying to take more and more and more. I can't get money for school because I am white, yet my incoming fiance can get grants, scholarships, loans, you name it right off the plane. Where is the equality when it's limited to one type of person of "color" or sex? While the original intention of feminism was extremely noble, just like many other "causes" there are those who want more and more and more. That is just how it is with activists of all kinds. People actually trying to find a true equal balance are few and far between.

Now, back to the funny...

Edited June 22, 2006 by zethris

[zed2283 1]

IMBRA is simply one more stupid thing you can thank the feminists for.

LOL! Do you even know what feminist means? I doubt it. I think you meant government. Feminism is about equality not female superiority. The last time I looked under my hairy armpits, I found out that there are a lot of women (as well as men) inconvienced by IMBRA.

I hope your wife meets a few "feminists" when she gets here. Or do you plan to just knock her up and chain her to the stove like all good southern boys?

...."all good southern boys" was an example of your gross generalizations. Not the way I really feel. Offensive, eh?

No, Mrs Whizz, I don't find that offensive at all. I'm not all sensitive like the rest of the goofballs in this country. I think everyone is entitled to express their opinions and beliefs. Maybe "feminist" wasn't the right word and "liberal" was. I don't know. But look at all this ####### everyone has to go through over IMBRA just because one woman got murdered. Now I'm not saying that that's a small thing, because clearly it's a terrible thing to have happened. But to take one awful instance and translate it into what we've got now is way more than just overblowing things. Maybe you call it government, but I call it feminist/liberal foolishness.

[Imbra2005 0]

"just because one woman got murdered"??? You don't really think that's why it was passed do you? Please don't make me repost the horror stories of murders, rapes, and child molestations that Congress cited. Did you not see that in the last 10 years, over 30,000 "battered spouse waiver" self-petitions were filed by immigrant women and children who were subjected to abuse by their USC sponsor spouses?

[Nessa 23]

IMBRA is simply one more stupid thing you can thank the feminists for.

I agree IMBRA sucks, because it's delaying everybody's process. But I also agree it has one benefit: why do us foreigneirs have to show the police certificates and prove this and that while the USC don't need to? I think it's more than fair. If you need proof we are not lying about our past and we're not murderers, rapists, etc, why should the rule apply only 1 sided?

[MrsWhizz 0]

Good lord! I'm just saying that this bites for all of us. Labeling and being offensive is a cop out and ultimately, just makes things worse. It's clear that everyone has a different political view and that's what this country is all about, but why make everything worse by using narrowminded words or blaming this group or that group? If you want a scapegoat, blame your lawmakers. Personally, I don't really care. I just want my husband next to me when I wake up in the morning.

As for my previous post...it's called being cheeky. Perhaps a sense of humour would help you a bit Zed.

[mrsushi66 0]

My only problem with this whole situation is that it appears to me like the following.

Ok everyone we have this really terrible problem lets pass a law.

**** work ****

***** woork *****

wow thats great we got it done and it is passed!!!! Wooo hooo

*** tap tap tap *****

someone in the Visa agencies asks, "Um how are we supposed to do that?"

Lawmakers respond, "oh..that is not our problem we just make the laws you figure out how to make it happen!!!"

Now is that the way it really happens, I dont know but from this side of the glass that is what it looks like. Because if they had a plan for transitioning in the new law into the old process it is the best kept secret on the planet!!!!

All that putting a Law into place without the infrastucture to manage that law does is hurt the current users of the system and no one will be saved until the processes and procedures are fully in place to support the law that was passed.

Edited June 22, 2006 by mrsushi66

[hampster 0]

"Just because one woman got murdered"

One Woman/ Man..... either one murdered is one too many.

Spousal Viloence in my humble opinion as a male,

Should never happen in the first place.

Whether it's to do with IMBRA or not.

Nobody has the god given right to lay a hand on a woman/ man in a violent situation or way.

If you get angry with your spouse, or they get angry with you,

Walk away, chill out, go and calm down.

There are always ways to deal with aggressionin ( if it is present in) a relationship.

Most cases of abuse in relationships/ Marriages are caused by the usual means.

Alcohol/ drug abuse, Gambling, cheating on spouses and Money.

If you do not feel safe in your relationship/ marriage, leave.

Don't stay for the kids( if they are in the picture)

Take yourself and your kids anf get out.

If someone has hit you (spouse) once, good chance it won't be a isolated case in the future.

Protect yourself and kids first.

Report him/ her for domestic violence.

Never feel you have no choices.

You are in control.

You have the choice to stay or to go.

Choose wisely.

Having grown up in a abusive household,

I do know first hand of the consequences.

Always trust your gut feelings.

Be safe / not sorry.

IMBRA is simply one more stupid thing you can thank the feminists for.

LOL! Do you even know what feminist means? I doubt it. I think you meant government. Feminism is about equality not female superiority. The last time I looked under my hairy armpits, I found out that there are a lot of women (as well as men) inconvienced by IMBRA.

I hope your wife meets a few "feminists" when she gets here. Or do you plan to just knock her up and chain her to the stove like all good southern boys?

...."all good southern boys" was an example of your gross generalizations. Not the way I really feel. Offensive, eh?

No, Mrs Whizz, I don't find that offensive at all. I'm not all sensitive like the rest of the goofballs in this country. I think everyone is entitled to express their opinions and beliefs. Maybe "feminist" wasn't the right word and "liberal" was. I don't know. But look at all this ####### everyone has to go through over IMBRA just because one woman got murdered. Now I'm not saying that that's a small thing, because clearly it's a terrible thing to have happened. But to take one awful instance and translate it into what we've got now is way more than just overblowing things. Maybe you call it government, but I call it feminist/liberal foolishness.