As far as woeld leaders go, Kim Jong Il ranks as public enemy nut case number 1 or 2. Kim ignores ignoring the U.N. on developing nuclear weapons, and he supplies arms to Islamic radicals around the world. There can be little doubt that his “in your face” record calls for a tough reaction on our part. Our boy president Obama reacted to that challenge in his usual style. Barack sent Kim a personal letter. I’m not kidding. Barack sent Kim him a personal pen letter.
By now Kim must have a collection of “Obama talk” displayed on his office wall. You can hear Kim telling his visitors with amusement, “If I don’t begin to behave myself, Barack is going to get really mad at me. I’ll probably get yet another letter, or maybe an invitation to enter into discussions with Hillary.” At this point, I assume the visitors and Kim roll over with laughter at Obama’s scary display of raw, unbridled American power.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Obama's Nobel Speech
Surprise! Surprise! In his Oslo Nobel speech Barack skipped his usual apology for American past sins. In fact, he ventured way out on a limb (for him) by pointing what the rest of us already knew. He told the audience that America has played a key role in providing world security for the past six decades. He even added cowboy-like Bush words by noting there were evil forces in the world that could not be persuaded by talk. Oh my! For Obama that is a major concession. Of course, we have learned that Barack’s words don’t carry forward any real meaning. They just resonate between him and his teleprompter for the moment.
Since he skipped lunch with the King of Norway, Barack missed an opportunity to bow before yet another foreign dignitary. So, all in all, the Oslo trip proved a welcome departure from the usual Obama theater of rhetoric.
Since he skipped lunch with the King of Norway, Barack missed an opportunity to bow before yet another foreign dignitary. So, all in all, the Oslo trip proved a welcome departure from the usual Obama theater of rhetoric.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Hapless S.F. Chronicle
It occurred to me in the checkout line at the grocery store that I hadn’t read the S.F. Chronicle in several months. My curiosity got the best of me, and I picked up a copy of the Chron to see what I had been missing. My expectations gong in were very low, but they were not low enough. The offerings were even worse than I remembered.
For starters, the lead front page story was written by anti-war cheerleader Joe Garofoli. When you see Joe’s name on the byline you know not to expect a journalistic gem. To see his article prominently displayed on the front page is a real measure of just how much trouble this newspaper is in.
Besides, you can tell from Joe’s article that things aren’t as exciting as they were in the past. Nowadays, there are no anti-war street protests for Joe to promote. Instead, he is forced to scrap together a boring story about the disenchantment of the anti-war types with Obama’s continuation of the Afghan war. The Obama comments were in the “how could he” category. After all, what are they going to-do, vote for a Republican. Let’s face it, Joe and his liberal buddies only reach high adrenalin levels when they have a target like Bush to blame and protest against.
In the same Chron issue, writer David Baker continues to report on new “green” energy projects. Californians already pay 35-50 cents more for a gallon of gasoline than the rest of the country. Our power rates are 50% higher than the national average. David never bothers to ask why. Instead he dutifully describes the details of the next alternative energy project that will only drive those cost differentials even higher. Pursuing such issues would require journalistic curiosity beyond David’s reach.
What got the editors attention on this day? The editorials were about customer problems with PG&E’s new smart meters with a second editorial about Dubai’s debt problem. The state of California is in desperate financial troubles as is the city of San Francisco and many of the surrounding cities. There is record unemployment in the state. The pretty boy mayor and the comical Supervisors concentrate on a veggie garden at City Hall, bans on plastic shopping bags, and the promotion of steel water bottles. Out of that horror of events, the editors focus on smart meter problems.
The Chron readership numbers are plummeting. Looking over this issue, it is a wonder there are any readers at all. It is hard not to feel sympathy for the Chron staff. Surely, they are embarrassed by the poverty of coverage they offer. Even Joe Garofoli should feel a tinge of that despite his recent front page notoriety.
For starters, the lead front page story was written by anti-war cheerleader Joe Garofoli. When you see Joe’s name on the byline you know not to expect a journalistic gem. To see his article prominently displayed on the front page is a real measure of just how much trouble this newspaper is in.
Besides, you can tell from Joe’s article that things aren’t as exciting as they were in the past. Nowadays, there are no anti-war street protests for Joe to promote. Instead, he is forced to scrap together a boring story about the disenchantment of the anti-war types with Obama’s continuation of the Afghan war. The Obama comments were in the “how could he” category. After all, what are they going to-do, vote for a Republican. Let’s face it, Joe and his liberal buddies only reach high adrenalin levels when they have a target like Bush to blame and protest against.
In the same Chron issue, writer David Baker continues to report on new “green” energy projects. Californians already pay 35-50 cents more for a gallon of gasoline than the rest of the country. Our power rates are 50% higher than the national average. David never bothers to ask why. Instead he dutifully describes the details of the next alternative energy project that will only drive those cost differentials even higher. Pursuing such issues would require journalistic curiosity beyond David’s reach.
What got the editors attention on this day? The editorials were about customer problems with PG&E’s new smart meters with a second editorial about Dubai’s debt problem. The state of California is in desperate financial troubles as is the city of San Francisco and many of the surrounding cities. There is record unemployment in the state. The pretty boy mayor and the comical Supervisors concentrate on a veggie garden at City Hall, bans on plastic shopping bags, and the promotion of steel water bottles. Out of that horror of events, the editors focus on smart meter problems.
The Chron readership numbers are plummeting. Looking over this issue, it is a wonder there are any readers at all. It is hard not to feel sympathy for the Chron staff. Surely, they are embarrassed by the poverty of coverage they offer. Even Joe Garofoli should feel a tinge of that despite his recent front page notoriety.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Ft. Hood tragedy launches a labeling frenzy
When Major Hasan opened fire on his fellow soldiers at Ft. Hood he also launched a desperate media search for his motivation. Muslim? Terrorist? Jihadist? Islam? Those are a few of the keywords spat out by media word processors in a search for a perspective. This media muddle got off to a roaring start when our Supreme Apologizer, Barack Obama, cautioned that we not jump to conclusions. It’s as if he hoped the incident could be explained as anything except another Muslim extremist who feels closer to his God by killing innocent people. General Casey, of all people, said his greatest fear was that the shootings would diminish the Army’s diversity.
With those openings, the far left joined the chase for reasons to place the blame on some facet of American society. Major Hasan was painted as a confused individual who simply lost touch with society’s realities. Sure, they argued, he is “guilty”, but as Whoopi Goldberg might parse he is not “guilty, guilty.”
We can start with a few known facts. Major Hasan is a Muslim. And, he often expressed extremist jihadist views toward the United States and its military. In that respect, his sentiments and actions are exactly the same as our al Qaeda enemy. Furthermore, jihadists rationalize that the killing of innocent people is seen as a logical and honorable extension of their beliefs. Such acts bring them closer to their God and enhance their rewards in a later life. It is also the same thinking that provokes an even broader Muslim belief that the United States is not at war with al Qaeda, but at war with Islam. To the vast majority of American non-Muslims, that entire realm of thinking is nothing short of sick, sick, sick.
Conventional liberal wisdom cautions that all Muslims do not have beliefs similar to jihadists. At the same time, one has to acknowledge that we get little, or no, help from the larger Muslim group in helping us distinguish “good Muslims” from radical jihadist Muslims. Not only that, but there is no significant condemnation by “good Muslims” of the murderous acts perpetrated by “bad Muslims.”
Our President cautions against a Muslim backlash. Nonetheless, it seems totally in order to acknowledge certain factual conclusions. Yes, Major Hassan is a Muslim. Yes, he engaged in the act of murdering innocent people. Yes, that is the same game plan as al Qaeda. Yes, he shot the innocents in the name of his Muslim God. Yes, he saw it as a good and justifiable act. Yes, anyone who thinks thusly is an enemy of America to be battled relentlessly until destroyed.
Our President readily applies Chicago style “no holds barred” tactics when it comes to degrading Republicans, Fox News, and tea party attendees. He approaches everything else with extreme caution.. Hesitation is the byword for Obama’s style with a heavy reliance on his rhetorical skills The jihadist threat, internal and external, cannot be dismissed with more Obama talk or apologies for American transgressions.
With those openings, the far left joined the chase for reasons to place the blame on some facet of American society. Major Hasan was painted as a confused individual who simply lost touch with society’s realities. Sure, they argued, he is “guilty”, but as Whoopi Goldberg might parse he is not “guilty, guilty.”
We can start with a few known facts. Major Hasan is a Muslim. And, he often expressed extremist jihadist views toward the United States and its military. In that respect, his sentiments and actions are exactly the same as our al Qaeda enemy. Furthermore, jihadists rationalize that the killing of innocent people is seen as a logical and honorable extension of their beliefs. Such acts bring them closer to their God and enhance their rewards in a later life. It is also the same thinking that provokes an even broader Muslim belief that the United States is not at war with al Qaeda, but at war with Islam. To the vast majority of American non-Muslims, that entire realm of thinking is nothing short of sick, sick, sick.
Conventional liberal wisdom cautions that all Muslims do not have beliefs similar to jihadists. At the same time, one has to acknowledge that we get little, or no, help from the larger Muslim group in helping us distinguish “good Muslims” from radical jihadist Muslims. Not only that, but there is no significant condemnation by “good Muslims” of the murderous acts perpetrated by “bad Muslims.”
Our President cautions against a Muslim backlash. Nonetheless, it seems totally in order to acknowledge certain factual conclusions. Yes, Major Hassan is a Muslim. Yes, he engaged in the act of murdering innocent people. Yes, that is the same game plan as al Qaeda. Yes, he shot the innocents in the name of his Muslim God. Yes, he saw it as a good and justifiable act. Yes, anyone who thinks thusly is an enemy of America to be battled relentlessly until destroyed.
Our President readily applies Chicago style “no holds barred” tactics when it comes to degrading Republicans, Fox News, and tea party attendees. He approaches everything else with extreme caution.. Hesitation is the byword for Obama’s style with a heavy reliance on his rhetorical skills The jihadist threat, internal and external, cannot be dismissed with more Obama talk or apologies for American transgressions.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Whew! Relief from an unexpected source
Prior to this year, I was proud to be an American. I believed our country stood out among the rest as a “beacon of good” for the world and its inhabitants. Sure, America made mistakes. But, I thought on the whole our country tried to act in the best interests of all, both for America and for other countries.
Over the year, 2009, I developed a sense of embarrassment at being an American. The feeling emerged as our President continually apologized to the world for past poor American behavior. It seems our President agrees with Chavez and Ahmanjihad: America is the Great Satan. We are driven by capitalistic greed. Our overseas actions have been colonialist in motivation while reaping profit from other countries. We acted as the world’s bully and invaded other countries. American arrogance forces us to meddle in the affairs of other countries. Americans don’t show the proper respect for Islam. Etc., etc.
Michelle added to my “down” mentality with her statement that she had never felt proud of America until her husband was elected president. And, of course there is Barack’s pastor, Reverend Wright. We have heard replays of his sermons berating America. Our President sat there attentively for twenty years.
It all got to me. I developed a mood of depression as the litany of evil American doings played on and on.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, came an unexpected breath of relief from continual condemnation of America. In an address to our Congress, Angela Merkel thanked America for the unselfish acts of the Berlin airlift and for our prime role in hastening the fall of the Berlin wall. What a lift it was to hear her words. She spoke of the America I have been proud of all these 80 years, “doing the right thing”, even if it was for others.
Thank you, Angela! Is it possible for you to come back every year and remind us of our proud heritage? You see, we aren’t likely to hear much about it from our President. His focus is on apologizing for, and correcting, what he sees as our “dark side.”
Over the year, 2009, I developed a sense of embarrassment at being an American. The feeling emerged as our President continually apologized to the world for past poor American behavior. It seems our President agrees with Chavez and Ahmanjihad: America is the Great Satan. We are driven by capitalistic greed. Our overseas actions have been colonialist in motivation while reaping profit from other countries. We acted as the world’s bully and invaded other countries. American arrogance forces us to meddle in the affairs of other countries. Americans don’t show the proper respect for Islam. Etc., etc.
Michelle added to my “down” mentality with her statement that she had never felt proud of America until her husband was elected president. And, of course there is Barack’s pastor, Reverend Wright. We have heard replays of his sermons berating America. Our President sat there attentively for twenty years.
It all got to me. I developed a mood of depression as the litany of evil American doings played on and on.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, came an unexpected breath of relief from continual condemnation of America. In an address to our Congress, Angela Merkel thanked America for the unselfish acts of the Berlin airlift and for our prime role in hastening the fall of the Berlin wall. What a lift it was to hear her words. She spoke of the America I have been proud of all these 80 years, “doing the right thing”, even if it was for others.
Thank you, Angela! Is it possible for you to come back every year and remind us of our proud heritage? You see, we aren’t likely to hear much about it from our President. His focus is on apologizing for, and correcting, what he sees as our “dark side.”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
On-the-Job Training For Barack Obama
Barack Obama launched his political career with a spell of community organizing in the rough and tumble arena of Chicago politics. This entailed training consisting of two phases. First, you learn techniques for swelling the voter base by getting as many supporters as possible on the public payroll. Second, comes instruction in smash-mouth tactics for attacking opponents who resist the adopted agenda. This latter phase is vintage mafia style stuff, stopping just short of the use of “tommy guns.” Barack sprung from that training ground to get elected to Congress. His political philosophy was then, as it is now, highly liberal, to put it mildly.
Barack leapfrogged from there into the Democrat Party presidential primaries where he defeated the favored Hillary Clinton. Hillary enjoyed extremely high name recognition, but was burdened by a personality that scared large number of voters to death. With Hillary conquered, Barack had little problem beating up on a weak GOP candidate, John Mc Cain. Presto! From virtually nowhere Barack Obama became the President of the United States. Has anyone in your memory sprung from such relative obscurity to become the most powerful person in the world?
Even before his inauguration, Barack displayed the management style he would use to get the job done. He boasted to Harry Reid that he has “a gift,” apparently in reference to his eloquent manner of speechmaking. It is obvious that Barack believes he can talk any mortal (even Vladimir Putin) into anything he wishes. If we resist, he simply talks more and more until we yield. The result is an endless (and boring) palaver directed to absolutely anyone in any forum reachable by Air Force One. For nine months, an endless flow of words has been the defining quality of Obama’s management style. Can you hope to govern solely with “words?” Obama apparently thinks so.
It’s too late to do anything about it, but it becomes obvious that our presidential election process did not allow for adequate venting of Obama’s abilities to deal with such a demanding job. In fact, his ability to wordsmith was the primary reason for his success in overcoming his election opponents. Unfortunately, that dominant factor acted to obscure an examination of any other qualifications.
The bottom line? The performance results from the first nine months are not at all reassuring. Our man seems to be engaged in on-the-job training for the most important job in the world. This may be a very long four years.
Barack leapfrogged from there into the Democrat Party presidential primaries where he defeated the favored Hillary Clinton. Hillary enjoyed extremely high name recognition, but was burdened by a personality that scared large number of voters to death. With Hillary conquered, Barack had little problem beating up on a weak GOP candidate, John Mc Cain. Presto! From virtually nowhere Barack Obama became the President of the United States. Has anyone in your memory sprung from such relative obscurity to become the most powerful person in the world?
Even before his inauguration, Barack displayed the management style he would use to get the job done. He boasted to Harry Reid that he has “a gift,” apparently in reference to his eloquent manner of speechmaking. It is obvious that Barack believes he can talk any mortal (even Vladimir Putin) into anything he wishes. If we resist, he simply talks more and more until we yield. The result is an endless (and boring) palaver directed to absolutely anyone in any forum reachable by Air Force One. For nine months, an endless flow of words has been the defining quality of Obama’s management style. Can you hope to govern solely with “words?” Obama apparently thinks so.
It’s too late to do anything about it, but it becomes obvious that our presidential election process did not allow for adequate venting of Obama’s abilities to deal with such a demanding job. In fact, his ability to wordsmith was the primary reason for his success in overcoming his election opponents. Unfortunately, that dominant factor acted to obscure an examination of any other qualifications.
The bottom line? The performance results from the first nine months are not at all reassuring. Our man seems to be engaged in on-the-job training for the most important job in the world. This may be a very long four years.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
“Goobers” Carter, our bad penny
...that just won’t go away. Somehow, I can’t get this Carter guy off my mind.
It seems to be virtually unanimous that Jimmy Carter was the worst modern-day U.S. president. That judgment is so universally strong you would expect Goobers to disappear as soon as his term expired. Amazingly, Carter took the opposite approach. He set up his Carter Center “to advance peace, fight disease, and provide hope.” Now, that’s quite a load for a person of such meager talent. Nonetheless, Jimmy used the Center as a platform to make frequent utterances that he hoped would pass for profound wisdom. He muddled around the world sticking his nose in every issue he could find. Most of his efforts were fairly harmless. Taken as a whole, it was one of the most outlandish misreading of one’s ability ”to contribute.“
It was obvious that Carter took himself seriously despite evidence he was incapable of thinking his way through any issue. In an amazing case of self delusion, he and Rosalyn visualized the aging Goobers as a world class statesman.
Recently, "Goobers" proclaimed that racism was behind the current wave of anti-Obama sentiment. If ever there was any doubt about his “bad thinking” habit this was proof positive. Perhaps there was a fringe element who spoke from a racist motivation, but the vast majority was expressing gross unhappiness over the president’s record of governing. Skin coloration had absolutely nothing to do with it. Nothing!
Poor Jimmy is more to be pitied than ridiculed. I would gladly do so if he would just shut up and go away. I’m embarrassed for him.
It seems to be virtually unanimous that Jimmy Carter was the worst modern-day U.S. president. That judgment is so universally strong you would expect Goobers to disappear as soon as his term expired. Amazingly, Carter took the opposite approach. He set up his Carter Center “to advance peace, fight disease, and provide hope.” Now, that’s quite a load for a person of such meager talent. Nonetheless, Jimmy used the Center as a platform to make frequent utterances that he hoped would pass for profound wisdom. He muddled around the world sticking his nose in every issue he could find. Most of his efforts were fairly harmless. Taken as a whole, it was one of the most outlandish misreading of one’s ability ”to contribute.“
It was obvious that Carter took himself seriously despite evidence he was incapable of thinking his way through any issue. In an amazing case of self delusion, he and Rosalyn visualized the aging Goobers as a world class statesman.
Recently, "Goobers" proclaimed that racism was behind the current wave of anti-Obama sentiment. If ever there was any doubt about his “bad thinking” habit this was proof positive. Perhaps there was a fringe element who spoke from a racist motivation, but the vast majority was expressing gross unhappiness over the president’s record of governing. Skin coloration had absolutely nothing to do with it. Nothing!
Poor Jimmy is more to be pitied than ridiculed. I would gladly do so if he would just shut up and go away. I’m embarrassed for him.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Obama Is Having Sleepless Nights
It’s easy to visualize that Barack has been having sleepless nights with lots of tossing and turning. Here he is having given speech after speech after speech, even a town hall meeting. Yet, things are not going according to plan. His policies are not selling. His popularity has plummeted. Resistance to his policies has spread into his own party. Members of Congress have been subjected to raucous town hall meetings. Barack must be wondering how all this can be happening in the short span from the heady days of January 20th?
Besides, this is a totally new experience for the” King of Talk.” Never before has his ability to talk people into doing what he wants failed him. After all, he talked his way to victory over the vaunted Clinton machine. As he proudly told Harry Reid, “I have a gift.”
After his middle of the night thoughts, what solution does Barack come up with? You guessed it – yet more talk. He and Rahm conclude the problem is obvious. Barack has not talked enough. It seems they know no other formula. Searching for a group that hasn’t been “talked to” they realize Barack hasn’t talked to a group of school kids, so they schedules such a session. Of course, these kids can’t vote but what the heck. On a bigger scale, Barack will address a joint session of Congress in prime time with TV coverage. Surely this time the people will be mesmerized by my eloquence, he reasons.
It still hasn’t dawned on our “Boy Wonder” that his endless words are no substitute for policies favored by the everyday common people of America. Nor has he realized that the people will tolerate salesmanship on policies they don’t like up to a point, but after that they erupt. It has become obvious that he is still trying to sell policies that have crossed over that boiling point with the populace.
In his arrogance, he turns over the details of the health care initiative to Nancy Pelosi, the world’s most unpopular public servant since Idi Amin. Apparently he doesn’t realize that the Queen of Nasty promotes huge amounts of natural resistance just by her attitude, approach, and phony Botox smile.
I would guess that the same citizens who are loudly protesting at the Town Hall meetings also do not appreciate Barack’s continual rubbishing of America. These people have been relatively tolerant up to now of this trashing of their country, but this may be another factor in the crystallization of a strong opposition to all of Obama policies.
The Obama approach, bred of arrogance, seems to be coming totally unglued. In the process, he has managed to give birth to a big and loud swell of opposition. That could have far reaching consequences for the practitioners of liberal thought.
Besides, this is a totally new experience for the” King of Talk.” Never before has his ability to talk people into doing what he wants failed him. After all, he talked his way to victory over the vaunted Clinton machine. As he proudly told Harry Reid, “I have a gift.”
After his middle of the night thoughts, what solution does Barack come up with? You guessed it – yet more talk. He and Rahm conclude the problem is obvious. Barack has not talked enough. It seems they know no other formula. Searching for a group that hasn’t been “talked to” they realize Barack hasn’t talked to a group of school kids, so they schedules such a session. Of course, these kids can’t vote but what the heck. On a bigger scale, Barack will address a joint session of Congress in prime time with TV coverage. Surely this time the people will be mesmerized by my eloquence, he reasons.
It still hasn’t dawned on our “Boy Wonder” that his endless words are no substitute for policies favored by the everyday common people of America. Nor has he realized that the people will tolerate salesmanship on policies they don’t like up to a point, but after that they erupt. It has become obvious that he is still trying to sell policies that have crossed over that boiling point with the populace.
In his arrogance, he turns over the details of the health care initiative to Nancy Pelosi, the world’s most unpopular public servant since Idi Amin. Apparently he doesn’t realize that the Queen of Nasty promotes huge amounts of natural resistance just by her attitude, approach, and phony Botox smile.
I would guess that the same citizens who are loudly protesting at the Town Hall meetings also do not appreciate Barack’s continual rubbishing of America. These people have been relatively tolerant up to now of this trashing of their country, but this may be another factor in the crystallization of a strong opposition to all of Obama policies.
The Obama approach, bred of arrogance, seems to be coming totally unglued. In the process, he has managed to give birth to a big and loud swell of opposition. That could have far reaching consequences for the practitioners of liberal thought.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Am I Angry? You Bet!
Yes, ordinary Americans like me are angry and frustrated. We feel disenfranchised. Neither political party represents our point of view. No politician commands even minimal respect. Where we are headed as a country makes no sense at all. I feel trapped in a desperate situation over which I have no control or influence. It’s like living a continual nightmare.
It seems so obvious to those of us who did not go to Harvard. The economy is our overwhelming problem. The Depression of the '30s stared us straight in the face. Working off the excesses of the past decades may take years of economic pain. The administration’s solution is to spend more and more and more money on projects that seem highly questionable. Huge, huge budget deficits are the result. Yet, before our brains can begin to digest the wisdom of going down that road, our Supreme Leader advises us that we must immediately pass health care legislation and carbon caps. It is obvious that both of those initiatives will greatly balloon the record deficit with the promise of higher taxes. My head spins. Are we nuts? For sure, the politicians think we are?
The condition of the economy screams for fiscal responsibility from our leaders. Yet, taxpayer paid vacation trips are the order of the day. Pelosi and crowd spend a week in Rome. Michelle, Mom and the girls stay over in Paris and London in their own 737 sightseeing and shopping after Dad goes home. A congressional tour group decides to go to the South Pole to observe global warming first hand. On the way, they stop in and snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Of course, the wives go along. Fearful that this perk cannot be fully exploited, Congress wants to order more luxury jets for their vacation trips. Are you angry yet?
High level Washington types neglect to pay their income taxes and offer the most bizarre excuses. Members of Congress get favorable mortgage terms on their personal loans and pass it off as though they didn’t know. Those same members of Congress add their favorite earmarks to legislation no matter how ridiculous the cause.
The frustration builds. Want to hear more? If the Republicans are supposed to be the opposition party they are the most inept organization in political history. There is no real scientific evidence for the global warming hype, only a political consensus among certain scientists. Yet, the UN Secretary General tells us we have only four more months to save the planet. Continual apologies for America’s past behavior further stoke my anger. The environmentalists are so in control of our lives that Walmart is forced to study the environmental impact of their products.
Anyway, you get the idea. The system is broke and it is swirling totally out of control. Both political parties are implicit in creating and sustaining the mess. The stakes are high. They involve protecting our country from self-induced disaster.
Not knowing what else to do, getting really angry seems like the logical first step.
Disclaimer: I am an ordinary, plain vanilla American. Family oriented. Buy my clothes at Costco, not Brooks Brothers. I own guns, but have never used them in a criminal activity. I know nothing about militias. I have always paid my taxes and obeyed the law best I could. I love my country and all it stands for without apology.
It seems so obvious to those of us who did not go to Harvard. The economy is our overwhelming problem. The Depression of the '30s stared us straight in the face. Working off the excesses of the past decades may take years of economic pain. The administration’s solution is to spend more and more and more money on projects that seem highly questionable. Huge, huge budget deficits are the result. Yet, before our brains can begin to digest the wisdom of going down that road, our Supreme Leader advises us that we must immediately pass health care legislation and carbon caps. It is obvious that both of those initiatives will greatly balloon the record deficit with the promise of higher taxes. My head spins. Are we nuts? For sure, the politicians think we are?
The condition of the economy screams for fiscal responsibility from our leaders. Yet, taxpayer paid vacation trips are the order of the day. Pelosi and crowd spend a week in Rome. Michelle, Mom and the girls stay over in Paris and London in their own 737 sightseeing and shopping after Dad goes home. A congressional tour group decides to go to the South Pole to observe global warming first hand. On the way, they stop in and snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Of course, the wives go along. Fearful that this perk cannot be fully exploited, Congress wants to order more luxury jets for their vacation trips. Are you angry yet?
High level Washington types neglect to pay their income taxes and offer the most bizarre excuses. Members of Congress get favorable mortgage terms on their personal loans and pass it off as though they didn’t know. Those same members of Congress add their favorite earmarks to legislation no matter how ridiculous the cause.
The frustration builds. Want to hear more? If the Republicans are supposed to be the opposition party they are the most inept organization in political history. There is no real scientific evidence for the global warming hype, only a political consensus among certain scientists. Yet, the UN Secretary General tells us we have only four more months to save the planet. Continual apologies for America’s past behavior further stoke my anger. The environmentalists are so in control of our lives that Walmart is forced to study the environmental impact of their products.
Anyway, you get the idea. The system is broke and it is swirling totally out of control. Both political parties are implicit in creating and sustaining the mess. The stakes are high. They involve protecting our country from self-induced disaster.
Not knowing what else to do, getting really angry seems like the logical first step.
Disclaimer: I am an ordinary, plain vanilla American. Family oriented. Buy my clothes at Costco, not Brooks Brothers. I own guns, but have never used them in a criminal activity. I know nothing about militias. I have always paid my taxes and obeyed the law best I could. I love my country and all it stands for without apology.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Here Come the Clintons!
Oh my! After only six months the bloom is off the Obama rose. His policies are under pressure at every turn. The deficit is exploding and he tells us it is Bush’s fault. That line is getting tiresome to say the least. He promises health care reform that expands coverage to 45 million more people and has no identifiable savings features. The result will be an increase in his already exploding budget. His “talk to Iran and North Korea” approach is a joke. In summary, his non-stop smooth talk just isn’t selling anymore. Americans are finally realizing that “talk” is no substitute for sound policy. A suave delivery does not overcome double talk. As a result, Barack’s ratings are plunging.
Those sinking ratings have inadvertently created a huge new problem. The Clintons see this as the opportunity they have been waiting for. They can finally emerge from the cocoon Barack placed them in. First, Barack defanged Hillary in the election. Then, he delegated her to “out of sight” depths in foreign policy influence. Bill had to be satisfied with his speaking gigs, also largely “out of sight.” For the Clintons, “out of sight” is a totally unacceptable situation.
Suddenly, Obama does not seem so politically powerful. Always the opportunist, Hillary dramatically launches herself on a high level foreign policy world tour. In the process, she talked almost as much as Barack, and got lots of press in the process. By now, Obama must have realized that Hillary’s new campaign for president has started.
While Barack stewed over Hillary’s escape from Purgatory, hubby Bill pluges headlong into the forefront of media coverage. If there ever was a person who cannot stand not being in the spotlight, it is the ex-Prez. Out of the blue, he takes off on his own to North Korea to free the two arrested American journalists from a sentence of hard labor. This experience must have been orgasmic for Bill. Here he is doing what one as talented as he should be doing. All the while Bill makes it clear it is all at Bill’s personal initiative. Modesty is not a Clinton personality trait. And then, he leaves it to Barack to clean up the damage it does to American foreign policy.
In summary, as Barack’s star faded the Clintons adeptly moved into the spotlight. They burst forth onto the center stage of foreign policy, totally eclipsing a struggling Barack. The result is that the Clintons bask in a media glow while Barack struggles to plug the holes in his sinking policy ship.
And, Barack thought he had the Clintons corralled. This is hilarious political drama.
Those sinking ratings have inadvertently created a huge new problem. The Clintons see this as the opportunity they have been waiting for. They can finally emerge from the cocoon Barack placed them in. First, Barack defanged Hillary in the election. Then, he delegated her to “out of sight” depths in foreign policy influence. Bill had to be satisfied with his speaking gigs, also largely “out of sight.” For the Clintons, “out of sight” is a totally unacceptable situation.
Suddenly, Obama does not seem so politically powerful. Always the opportunist, Hillary dramatically launches herself on a high level foreign policy world tour. In the process, she talked almost as much as Barack, and got lots of press in the process. By now, Obama must have realized that Hillary’s new campaign for president has started.
While Barack stewed over Hillary’s escape from Purgatory, hubby Bill pluges headlong into the forefront of media coverage. If there ever was a person who cannot stand not being in the spotlight, it is the ex-Prez. Out of the blue, he takes off on his own to North Korea to free the two arrested American journalists from a sentence of hard labor. This experience must have been orgasmic for Bill. Here he is doing what one as talented as he should be doing. All the while Bill makes it clear it is all at Bill’s personal initiative. Modesty is not a Clinton personality trait. And then, he leaves it to Barack to clean up the damage it does to American foreign policy.
In summary, as Barack’s star faded the Clintons adeptly moved into the spotlight. They burst forth onto the center stage of foreign policy, totally eclipsing a struggling Barack. The result is that the Clintons bask in a media glow while Barack struggles to plug the holes in his sinking policy ship.
And, Barack thought he had the Clintons corralled. This is hilarious political drama.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Obama's Aides Crowd Into His Act
For these first six months, it has strictly been a one man show in the White House. Barack is on stage continually. His act consists solely of non-stop talking, every day, all day. Obama’s enormous ego causes him to believe he can talk us into anything. If he senses resistance, he simply escalates by talking still more.
Lately, a couple of other performers have crowded in on Obama’s act. Hillary suddenly burst out of the quiet isolation to which she had been assigned. With great fanfare she toured around the world pretending she had a lead role in the Obama show. As luck would have it, Hillary barely emerged from the depths of the State Department when she managed to step “in it.” Hillary offered our missile shield technology to the Israelis in the event Iran developed a nuclear weapon.” The Israelis interpreted that as an acceptance by the U.S. that we would allow Iran to proceed with the development of their nuclear bomb. It signaled a major change in U.S. policy to the world.
Hillary went on from there by comparing North Korea to a spoiled child that fired off all those missiles and continued to work on their nuclear bomb simply to get attention. That was really a brilliant and comforting diplomatic move, Hillary. Considering that the leaders are certified nutcases that kind of talk is sure to get the desired reaction. Yeah, sure.
But, didn’t Barack promise us he would “talk to” the Iranians and the North Koreans and convince them to do our bidding? I guess they are still laughing in both countries at that display of naivety. It certainly hasn’t impacted their behavior one whit.
The third prong of the expanding White House act came from yet another “mouth” seeking fame, that of VP Joe Biden. First, he comes up with the “reset button” bit for the Russians. They too must be still laughing at the hilarity of this administration’s sophomoric perspective on diplomacy. But, after recent talks with the Russians on many heavy topics, Joe then tells the press that we really don’t have to worry about the Russians. Joe says the Russian economy is so bad they will ultimately collapse. Therefore, we only have to wait for the inevitable. More brilliant diplomacy, Joe.
If this all wasn’t so serious it would be hilarious. You wonder if the focus of this administration is on entertaining the public rather than governing it. Barack’s act has gotten terribly tiresome and boring for all but his most loyal supporters. Nancy, Harry, Barney, Waxman, Dodd, Rangel, and a host of similar comedians try unsuccessfully to liven things up. Hillary and Joe simply highlight the obvious weakness of the team.
Most professional performers strive to be entertaining and even humorous. Obama’s group is simply mouthy and depressing, but unfortunately very dangerous.
Lately, a couple of other performers have crowded in on Obama’s act. Hillary suddenly burst out of the quiet isolation to which she had been assigned. With great fanfare she toured around the world pretending she had a lead role in the Obama show. As luck would have it, Hillary barely emerged from the depths of the State Department when she managed to step “in it.” Hillary offered our missile shield technology to the Israelis in the event Iran developed a nuclear weapon.” The Israelis interpreted that as an acceptance by the U.S. that we would allow Iran to proceed with the development of their nuclear bomb. It signaled a major change in U.S. policy to the world.
Hillary went on from there by comparing North Korea to a spoiled child that fired off all those missiles and continued to work on their nuclear bomb simply to get attention. That was really a brilliant and comforting diplomatic move, Hillary. Considering that the leaders are certified nutcases that kind of talk is sure to get the desired reaction. Yeah, sure.
But, didn’t Barack promise us he would “talk to” the Iranians and the North Koreans and convince them to do our bidding? I guess they are still laughing in both countries at that display of naivety. It certainly hasn’t impacted their behavior one whit.
The third prong of the expanding White House act came from yet another “mouth” seeking fame, that of VP Joe Biden. First, he comes up with the “reset button” bit for the Russians. They too must be still laughing at the hilarity of this administration’s sophomoric perspective on diplomacy. But, after recent talks with the Russians on many heavy topics, Joe then tells the press that we really don’t have to worry about the Russians. Joe says the Russian economy is so bad they will ultimately collapse. Therefore, we only have to wait for the inevitable. More brilliant diplomacy, Joe.
If this all wasn’t so serious it would be hilarious. You wonder if the focus of this administration is on entertaining the public rather than governing it. Barack’s act has gotten terribly tiresome and boring for all but his most loyal supporters. Nancy, Harry, Barney, Waxman, Dodd, Rangel, and a host of similar comedians try unsuccessfully to liven things up. Hillary and Joe simply highlight the obvious weakness of the team.
Most professional performers strive to be entertaining and even humorous. Obama’s group is simply mouthy and depressing, but unfortunately very dangerous.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Obama "Outraces" Al Sharpton
You have to feel sorry for the Reverend Al Sharpton. He carefully built a national career by hopping on every incident that had even the slightest racial overtone and turning it into a media circus. Since Obama’s election, the demand for his services as Chief Race Baiter has been severely diminished. Now, Obama comes out and totally takes over his gig by declaring that the Cambridge police “acted stupidly” in arresting Professor Gates, a friend of Barack’s. This is too much.
We have become accustomed to Reverend Sharpton appearing on camera screaming about racial injustices imposed on a black man by a white policeman. Everybody should know this is Reverend Sharpton territory. Yet, the President of the United States one-ups the Reverend on the Gates incident.
As it turned out, Reverend Al must be glad that he was preempted by His Arrogance. The incident blew up in Barack’s face when the facts unfolded indicating that the arrest was anything but “stupid.” Everyone but Barack is asking how on earth the President of the United States got himself embroiled in this local controversy. What with all the problems facing the Oval Office, it has to be put down as a result of Barack’s petty arrogance. This is the best our President can do, we ask?
What is really significant is that Barack came off as the racist in the incident. It is he who in knee-jerk fashion screamed that a black man was mistreated by a white man, just like the Reverend Wright preached to him for those twenty years. Now, Barack wants to have a beer with the arresting officer and Professor Gates to discuss the issue. That’s a great idea. They could add a trained facilitator to the discussion with the topic , “why did Barack react like a racist before the facts were known.” It is Barack who is out in left field on this one, not Sgt. Crowley or even the Professor. Perhaps the discussion can help Barack with his obvious race problem.
You were lucky Barack hogged this one, Reverend Sharpton.
An observation: A beer with two Cambridge, Mass. types? This is not Milwaukee, Barack.
We have become accustomed to Reverend Sharpton appearing on camera screaming about racial injustices imposed on a black man by a white policeman. Everybody should know this is Reverend Sharpton territory. Yet, the President of the United States one-ups the Reverend on the Gates incident.
As it turned out, Reverend Al must be glad that he was preempted by His Arrogance. The incident blew up in Barack’s face when the facts unfolded indicating that the arrest was anything but “stupid.” Everyone but Barack is asking how on earth the President of the United States got himself embroiled in this local controversy. What with all the problems facing the Oval Office, it has to be put down as a result of Barack’s petty arrogance. This is the best our President can do, we ask?
What is really significant is that Barack came off as the racist in the incident. It is he who in knee-jerk fashion screamed that a black man was mistreated by a white man, just like the Reverend Wright preached to him for those twenty years. Now, Barack wants to have a beer with the arresting officer and Professor Gates to discuss the issue. That’s a great idea. They could add a trained facilitator to the discussion with the topic , “why did Barack react like a racist before the facts were known.” It is Barack who is out in left field on this one, not Sgt. Crowley or even the Professor. Perhaps the discussion can help Barack with his obvious race problem.
You were lucky Barack hogged this one, Reverend Sharpton.
An observation: A beer with two Cambridge, Mass. types? This is not Milwaukee, Barack.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Hillary Fights for Space
One advantage of the Obama administration is that he has shuffled Hillary so far into the background that she is almost invisible. Even more amazing, he has rendered her quiet as a mouse. However, nobody can silence Hillary, not even Barack. Now Hillary has made her move to emerge from political Siberia. She thrust herself onto center stage in a speech in Mumbai. Hillary picked up on the Barach “apologize for America” theme. It wasn’t easy to find a subject that Barack hadn’t already apologized for, but she found it. She apologized for America’s contribution to climate change:
“We acknowledge now with President Obama that we have made mistakes in the United States, and we along with other developed countries have contributed most significantly to the problem that we face with climate change," she said. "We are hoping a great country like India will not make the same mistakes."
That is absolutely hilarious. In the first place, Hillary doesn’t have it in her bones to be sorry about anything. Her actions are totally determined by “what’s good for Hillary.” In fact, apologies are totally un-Hillary. She is fighting to get her broad backside back in front of the public. This seemed like a good theme since it played to Barack’s ego.
Nonetheless, I’m developing a complex about all these things Barack and his crowd are apologizing for. Until recently, I was proud to be American. I never realized being an American was so bad. It’s no wonder that the only thing America has done that Michelle is proud of is to elect Barack president. Obviously listening to the Reverend Wright for 20 years takes its toll on one’s thinking.
“We acknowledge now with President Obama that we have made mistakes in the United States, and we along with other developed countries have contributed most significantly to the problem that we face with climate change," she said. "We are hoping a great country like India will not make the same mistakes."
That is absolutely hilarious. In the first place, Hillary doesn’t have it in her bones to be sorry about anything. Her actions are totally determined by “what’s good for Hillary.” In fact, apologies are totally un-Hillary. She is fighting to get her broad backside back in front of the public. This seemed like a good theme since it played to Barack’s ego.
Nonetheless, I’m developing a complex about all these things Barack and his crowd are apologizing for. Until recently, I was proud to be American. I never realized being an American was so bad. It’s no wonder that the only thing America has done that Michelle is proud of is to elect Barack president. Obviously listening to the Reverend Wright for 20 years takes its toll on one’s thinking.
Monday, June 29, 2009
South Carolina Governor Sanford
I can’t understand how this Sanford affair is playing out. We have gotten used to our politicians indulging freely in extra-marital affairs. They seem to assume that’s a perk that goes along with the office.
I think the point in this particular case is about intelligence, not sex. This Sanford guy is not smart enough to be the governor of a state. There is no rational alternative explanation. Sanford is not playing with a full deck, as they say. What was he thinking, or was he? Bizarre!
Except for staying with him all these years, his wife sounds cool.
I think the point in this particular case is about intelligence, not sex. This Sanford guy is not smart enough to be the governor of a state. There is no rational alternative explanation. Sanford is not playing with a full deck, as they say. What was he thinking, or was he? Bizarre!
Except for staying with him all these years, his wife sounds cool.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
The Endless Obama Show
Even before the inauguration I knew I would disagree with virtually every program Barack would push. There are two things that do surprise me, however. I must admit I did not realize the dedication and fervor he would bring to the task. I have become even more surprised at his willingness to ignore the economic impact of his programs. The huge porky stimulus package and his UAW slanted GM bailout were only the start. On top of that Barack piles up scary budget deficits in pursuit of health care and the phony global warming scare. Apparently he is blinded to possible disastrous consequences by his extreme liberal passion. Amazing!
Until recently, I wondered how he planned to sell all of his liberal hocus-pocus. I have finally figured it out . Normally, we expect politicians to bombard us with the logic behind their programs. Not Obama. He is taking a much simpler approach. He intends to talk us into submission. What is it with this guy? There is this endless stream of words that vary depending on today’s version of the teleprompter script. He is on my TV more often than Law & Order. At least that TV show carries a disclaimer stating that the content is fictional. Obama’s Show doesn’t have the disclaimer. I find myself thinking, “Please, give me a break. Just shut up and be the president every once in awhile?”
Unfortunately, Barack mixes illogical reasoning with his stream of words. Take his health care plan, for instance. He plans to give insurance to 45 million uninsured. Don’t worry about the cost. According to Barack, the government will reform health care so that is actually saves money. How will they do that, you ask? He replies we must reform it. We have no choice. Any more questions?
He rubbished Bush unmercifully for not talking to the Iranians and the North Koreans. Then, he goes to Cairo to praise Islam along with his obligatory slamming of America. As a result, Obama must be the biggest joke going in these two countries. I mean, how naïve can one be with his approach to thugs? You can just hear the mullahs saying, “He is going to talk to us?” Laughter. “The president of the United States is going to talk to us.” Louder laughter!
And, the North Korean version goes like this. “Fire off another missile and put out a release on our nuclear program. Then, we will see what he wants to talk about. It sure is easy to jerk around this jerk of a president.”
Now we learn that Michelle feels she does not have enough influence. Apparently she is not satisfied with the impact her victory garden had on world affairs. She vows to be more outspoken. That’s all we need!
But, let’s face reality. Barack’s admirers still swoon at the mention of his name. The media pores over his words and find no wrong. His approval ratings have dipped a bit. But, we still have a long way to go to get even a touch of sanity in “the doings” at the White House.
Let us hope and pray that God is still inclined to look after our America with empathy. We need him to do so like never before.
Until recently, I wondered how he planned to sell all of his liberal hocus-pocus. I have finally figured it out . Normally, we expect politicians to bombard us with the logic behind their programs. Not Obama. He is taking a much simpler approach. He intends to talk us into submission. What is it with this guy? There is this endless stream of words that vary depending on today’s version of the teleprompter script. He is on my TV more often than Law & Order. At least that TV show carries a disclaimer stating that the content is fictional. Obama’s Show doesn’t have the disclaimer. I find myself thinking, “Please, give me a break. Just shut up and be the president every once in awhile?”
Unfortunately, Barack mixes illogical reasoning with his stream of words. Take his health care plan, for instance. He plans to give insurance to 45 million uninsured. Don’t worry about the cost. According to Barack, the government will reform health care so that is actually saves money. How will they do that, you ask? He replies we must reform it. We have no choice. Any more questions?
He rubbished Bush unmercifully for not talking to the Iranians and the North Koreans. Then, he goes to Cairo to praise Islam along with his obligatory slamming of America. As a result, Obama must be the biggest joke going in these two countries. I mean, how naïve can one be with his approach to thugs? You can just hear the mullahs saying, “He is going to talk to us?” Laughter. “The president of the United States is going to talk to us.” Louder laughter!
And, the North Korean version goes like this. “Fire off another missile and put out a release on our nuclear program. Then, we will see what he wants to talk about. It sure is easy to jerk around this jerk of a president.”
Now we learn that Michelle feels she does not have enough influence. Apparently she is not satisfied with the impact her victory garden had on world affairs. She vows to be more outspoken. That’s all we need!
But, let’s face reality. Barack’s admirers still swoon at the mention of his name. The media pores over his words and find no wrong. His approval ratings have dipped a bit. But, we still have a long way to go to get even a touch of sanity in “the doings” at the White House.
Let us hope and pray that God is still inclined to look after our America with empathy. We need him to do so like never before.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Obama, the talking machine
For sure, there are two things we now know about Obama. First and foremost, he dearly loves to talk. Oh man, does he ever love the sound of his own voice. Secondly, he gets areal buzz out of flying around on Air Force One. Clearly, he can't get enough of either of these favorites.
Recently he combined his search to fulfill these fantasies by flying all the way to talk to Egypt "to talk the Muslim world." Barack rattled on for an hour. His admirers swooned. The media was enraptured. The Arab world love his conciliatory tone.
I'm sorry but for me the speech was just 6000 empty words produced by our word-machine president. In the first place, I have no problem with Islam, the religion. Those guys can bang their foreheads on their carpets all day long as far as I am concerned. No big deal. They are just practicing their religion. Have at it, guys.
What does bother me is that some sizable segment of the Muslim group work hard at trying to kill those of us who do not follow their thought pattern. They behead Daniel Pearl and proudly place it on video. They recruit and train suicide bombers to go forth to explode their wares to kill innocent people. They fly airplane full of passengers into buildings full of people. I ask you, does any other religious group even contemplate such dastardly acts?
Yet, Obama shows no outrage at this group. He even refuses to call them terrorists. His main worry is that they receive good treatment when captured. On top of that he proudly refers to that concern as "displaying American values." He says in his speech, "I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against any criticism of Muslim negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear." Amazing!
On top of that he threw in his condemnation of American behavior which has become standard fare for his speeches. Did he note and loudly condemn the countries that supply funding and weapons to the radical group most of us call terrorists? No, that could be conceived as rude.
There is one positive from all of the Obama exposure. I now know where the remote button is on my remote. Why listen to the continual flood of meaningless words?
Recently he combined his search to fulfill these fantasies by flying all the way to talk to Egypt "to talk the Muslim world." Barack rattled on for an hour. His admirers swooned. The media was enraptured. The Arab world love his conciliatory tone.
I'm sorry but for me the speech was just 6000 empty words produced by our word-machine president. In the first place, I have no problem with Islam, the religion. Those guys can bang their foreheads on their carpets all day long as far as I am concerned. No big deal. They are just practicing their religion. Have at it, guys.
What does bother me is that some sizable segment of the Muslim group work hard at trying to kill those of us who do not follow their thought pattern. They behead Daniel Pearl and proudly place it on video. They recruit and train suicide bombers to go forth to explode their wares to kill innocent people. They fly airplane full of passengers into buildings full of people. I ask you, does any other religious group even contemplate such dastardly acts?
Yet, Obama shows no outrage at this group. He even refuses to call them terrorists. His main worry is that they receive good treatment when captured. On top of that he proudly refers to that concern as "displaying American values." He says in his speech, "I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against any criticism of Muslim negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear." Amazing!
On top of that he threw in his condemnation of American behavior which has become standard fare for his speeches. Did he note and loudly condemn the countries that supply funding and weapons to the radical group most of us call terrorists? No, that could be conceived as rude.
There is one positive from all of the Obama exposure. I now know where the remote button is on my remote. Why listen to the continual flood of meaningless words?
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Our new home
Well, for the second time in 8 years, we've had some troubles with malicious hacking of our site. The first time was personal and targeted directly at our original home, www.chronwatch.com -- but this time appears to have been a more widespread issue effecting thousands of websites.
Either way, the end result was a decision to just move our commentary over to Google's Blogger service, and (hopefully) not have to worry so much about the technical issues related to commenting on issues.
So, over the next few days or weeks, we'll be slowly moving all operations and contributing authors over to the new Blogger site. Stay tuned, and we'll keep you posted. And Thank you Google!
Jim Sparkman
ChronWatch Founder
Either way, the end result was a decision to just move our commentary over to Google's Blogger service, and (hopefully) not have to worry so much about the technical issues related to commenting on issues.
So, over the next few days or weeks, we'll be slowly moving all operations and contributing authors over to the new Blogger site. Stay tuned, and we'll keep you posted. And Thank you Google!
Jim Sparkman
ChronWatch Founder
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