Salute To Veterans Day

Right-wing, Conservative ‘BS’!!

MR. OBAMA: RESIGN NOW

Editorial cartoonist and writer Ted Rall received first prize in the 1995 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards for Cartoons. In 1996, he was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.

By Ted Rall Ted Rall – Thu Oct 29, 3:50 pm ET

With Democrats Like Him, Who Needs Dictators?

MIAMI–We expected broken promises. But the gap between the soaring expectations that accompanied Barack Obama’s inauguration and his wretched performance is the broadest such chasm in recent historical memory. This guy makes Bill Clinton look like a paragon of integrity and follow-through.

From healthcare to torture to the economy to war, Obama has reneged on pledges real and implied. So timid and so owned is he that he trembles in fear of offending, of all things, the government of Turkey. Obama has officially reneged on his campaign promise to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. When a president doesn’t have the ‘nads to annoy the Turks, why does he bother to show up for work in the morning?

Obama is useless. Worse than that, he’s dangerous. Which is why, if he has any patriotism left after the thousands of meetings he has sat through with corporate contributors, blood-sucking lobbyists and corrupt politicians, he ought to step down now–before he drags us further into the abyss.

I refer here to Obama’s plan for “preventive detentions.” If a cop or other government official thinks you might want to commit a crime someday, you could be held in “prolonged detention.” Reports in U.S. state-controlled media imply that Obama’s shocking new policy would only apply to Islamic terrorists (or, in this case, wannabe Islamic terrorists, and also kinda-sorta-maybe-thinking-about-terrorism dudes). As if that made it OK.

In practice, Obama wants to let government goons snatch you, me and anyone else they deem annoying off the street.

Preventive detention is the classic defining characteristic of a military dictatorship. Because dictatorial regimes rely on fear rather than consensus, their priority is self-preservation rather than improving their people’s lives. They worry obsessively over the one thing they can’t control, what Orwell called “thoughtcrime”–contempt for rulers that might someday translate to direct action.

Locking up people who haven’t done anything wrong is worse than un-American and a violent attack on the most basic principles of Western jurisprudence. It is contrary to the most essential notion of human decency. That anyone has ever been subjected to “preventive detention” is an outrage. That the President of the United States, a man who won an election because he promised to elevate our moral and political discourse, would even entertain such a revolting idea offends the idea of civilization itself.

Obama is cute. He is charming. But there is something rotten inside him. Unlike the Republicans who backed Bush, I won’t follow a terrible leader just because I voted for him. Obama has revealed himself. He is a monster, and he should remove himself from power.

“Prolonged detention,” reported The New York Times, would be inflicted upon “terrorism suspects who cannot be tried.”

“Cannot be tried.” Interesting choice of words.

Any “terrorism suspect” (can you be a suspect if you haven’t been charged with a crime?) can be tried. Anyone can be tried for anything. At this writing, a Somali child is sitting in a prison in New York, charged with piracy in the Indian Ocean, where the U.S. has no jurisdiction. Anyone can be tried.
What they mean, of course, is that the hundreds of men and boys languishing at Guantánamo and the thousands of “detainees” the Obama Administration anticipates kidnapping in the future cannot be convicted. As in the old Soviet Union, putting enemies of the state on trial isn’t enough. The game has to be fixed. Conviction has to be a foregone conclusion.

Why is it, exactly, that some prisoners “cannot be tried”?

The Old Grey Lady explains why Obama wants this “entirely new chapter in American law” in a boring little sentence buried a couple past the jump and a couple of hundred words down page A16: “Yet another question is what to do with the most problematic group of Guantánamo detainees: those who pose a national security threat but cannot be prosecuted, either for lack of evidence or because evidence is tainted.”

In democracies with functioning legal systems, it is assumed that people against whom there is a “lack of evidence” are innocent. They walk free. In countries where the rule of law prevails, in places blessedly free of fearful leaders whose only concern is staying in power, “tainted evidence” is no evidence at all. If you can’t prove that a defendant committed a crime–an actual crime, not a thoughtcrime–in a fair trial, you release him and apologize to the judge and jury for wasting their time.

It is amazing and incredible, after eight years of Bush’s lawless behavior, to have to still have to explain these things. For that reason alone, Obama should resign.

******************************

For those of you ‘out there’ that READ ‘My Stuff’ and say to yourself, “Oh, there goes Scorpio again. Bashing those that criticize Obama as being Racists, Stupid, Ignorant, or just plain ‘Skin Heads’!” …. please allow me to AGAIN emphasize (by example) as to why I KNOW that generally my claims are right on the mark.

If you haven’t already, go back and READ the above Article (Opinion Piece) authored by a  Mr. Rall ~ so-called ‘Good American, so-called Opinion Maker, so-called Editorial Cartoonist, so-called White Man <g> .

READ his ‘reasoned’ and sober assessment (???) of President Barack Obama. Go ahead, I’ll wait!   : )

Finished? Good.

It’s stuff like the above Article that TO ME separates the ‘Concerned Citizen’ from the sloth known as Conservatives or Racists or so-called ‘Good Americans’ that HIDE behind the covering of labels such as Patriot, Flag Lover, and Freedom Fighter (you know: the Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity clones). And why do I say that: because can somebody show me where President Obama either Advanced, Supported, or Pimped such a thing as “Preventive Detentions”, hum! Yet this abomination to our Basic Civil Liberties and Rights ~ according to this Rall kat ~ is given the ‘Light of Day’ and some form of legit expression by “Yahoo News” no less! Hell, this filth is better fitted to be seen by Folk that BELIEVE and wallow in such filth … such as the people who flock to the John Birch Society or the local KKK haunt!

I could run these WACKO and LIES foisted upon Obama every day if I wished, but I don’t because I don’t enjoy INSULTING my READERS intelligence, okay!

I could print LIES, half-truths, and smears authored from the RIGHT each and every day, but I don’t because I KNOW the catalyst that spawns such filth to be simply Racism!! Simple as that! Like ‘Death Panels” that the NUT, Sarah Palin, peddled around the country; or out right LIES on how Health Care Legislation is contrary to ‘Freedom of Choice’ and Capitalism (Heaven help us); or how Obama is forming some type of “Obama Youth Organizations” to spy on parents similar to the ‘Hitler Youth’ of Hitler’s Germany; or how Obama is ’soft’ on Terrorism and in fact ENCOURAGES al Qaeda to wipe out Israel, Europe and the United States.

See. My #1 complaint about the Media and Democrats as a whole has long been their coddling of these LOONY and RACISTS ‘Right Wing’ factions to rise to the levels of legitimacy. Why, oh why, has the Media (in general) and Democrats (in particular) worried or even concerned themselves with these non-thinking, racist, narrow-minded, and HATEFUL so-called Americans … when they (drone-clone Radical  Republicans) LOST the damn Presidency, LOST BOTH frickin’ Houses of Congress, and damn near LOST their frickin’ Minds (many have already done so). Because as we’ve all seen now, by legitimizing the Rush Fatballs, Heil Hannitys, and Glenn ‘Disturbed’ Becks of the world …. America continues to be haunted and stuck by the ‘Bad Old Days’ of Intolerance, Greed, and fatal factional Racism!

Hell: the Election of 2008 was supposed to ‘Turn The Page’ on all this filth, wasn’t it?

Looky here: I’m not saying that ALL Democrats are ‘Good’! In fact, there are far too many so-called “Blue Dogs” I’d LOVE to send back to their former Southern Plantations & ‘Good Ol’ Boys’ Clubs, baby. I’d LOVE to kick Joe Liberman all the way back to his Oppressive Israel. Yep, Democrats have their flaws. But who in their right mind would choose a Republican over a Democrat after 8 YEARS of George Bush and Republican incompetence ~ especially when it comes to the Economy (I’ve closely followed Wall Street since January 20, 2009); or when it comes to America’s prestige and Influence around the World vastly improved under Obama; and not after FINALLY the ‘Common Man’s” simple desire for affordable Health Care and Human decency are at least seriously considered!

I have felt a HUGE BURDEN lifted from me since Obama became President of these United States ~ and not because a Black Man is sitting in the Oval Office either. I feel rejuvenated under Obama because he’s Eloquent, Brilliant, a Leader, and his Name isn’t George W. Bush, McCain or Sarah Palin.

Hell! One would think that right there should cost for something …. even if you’re a stark raving MAD Racist!!

Mental Illness

Three aspects of my LIFE have always intrigued and mystified me: Religion, the Ageing Process, and so-called Mental Illness. Throughout my many years of Posting and Blogging I’ve commented on all three, and as of TODAY these areas remain of great interest to me. Let me delve into Mental Illness in this Entry.

We’ve all read about the shocking attack at Fort Hood the other day. Obviously the horrible and indiscriminate murders were perpetrated by a very Mentally Ill person. What I find, however,  so INSANE is the reckless and irresponsible ‘Call’ to blame ‘ALL’  Muslims and/or Arab Americans for this wanton ‘Act’ by an obviously  sick and disturbed individual! I’m no Muslim, but I have read the Quran; yet daily I hear these so-called ‘Good Americans’ pontificate how the Quran speaks of ‘Death to the Infidels’ or how the Quran directs Muslims to convert by the point of a sword all non-Muslims to the religion: none of which BTW you’ll ever find in the Holy Quran itself. Yet daily this verbiage is spilled out over the airwaves as if it were true! Who then is truly “mentally ill”:

the lone gunman who just happened to be Muslim or,say, a Glenn Beck?

We have Clinical Definitions for ‘Mental Illness’, but as to Society and as far as I’m concerned… an Act of ‘Mental Illness’ by an Individual when it is harmful to  said individual or others, is no worse or harmful than when so-called sane and ‘Good Americans’ call for the abolishment of Muslims (or any Group) from the Military, or that Muslims (or any Group) be forced to LEAVE the country, or that American Muslims be relegated to Second Class Citizens status.

As I was driving to my ‘Favorite Latte Shop’ this morning, I stopped at a red light and just closely WATCHED people go about their business. I was struck by the myriad of clothes, hair styles, and expressions on the faces that I saw and came to the Conclusion:

 

“We’re ALL a tad ‘Mentally Ill’ from a ‘Outside Perspective’ …. yet totally comfortable from within our own world!”

Ask an Individual is he/she ‘Mentally Ill’ and they’ll generally say “Absolutely NOT!” Why: because within the depths of our own Mind we’re quite sane and rational. It’s OTHERS who are a few french fries short of a ‘Happy Meal’, huh!  : )

If you have money your Mental Illness is often referred to as an ‘Eccentric’ or Artsy mode of living. Middle Class your condition may be referred to as ‘Stressed’ or ‘Phobia’ of some sort. Poor, well you’re referred to as just plain ‘NUTS’. But regardless of how ‘OTHERS’ may view your Condition …. TO YOURSELF you’re ‘Mentally Healthy’ or even ABOVE the mental state of ‘others’.

Mental Illness.

Even highly instinctive animals have trouble distinguishing the Mentally Healthy from the Ill.

As I sat at the red light this morning I noticed a dog barking viciously at this elderly little Black Woman at a bus stop. To my surprise ~ as well the dog and its owner <g> ~ this little Black woman began barking back at the startled dog! In fact, not only did she bark at the dog, but she charged at it several times to the surprise of the dog’s owner and myself!

 

: )

Now then: was the little Black woman “Mentally Ill”?

 

Not in her Mind.   : )

 

Each One, Teach One

Let’s Call a ‘Spade’ … a Spade

As a Black Man for all of my LIFE , I’ve seen ~ and experienced ~ Racism in its many disguises, giles, rationalizations, Laws, hiring, housing arrangements, etc. . Oh, I’ve LEARNED a LOT about how Whites have carried this disease named “Racism” around with them for ions, and how they (Whites) think (?) of a myriad of ploys to ‘cover-up’ their illness:

but to those who have been the recipients of this generational ‘White Malady’ and sickness … all this masking of ‘White Racism’ is sad to both see and endure.

Folks. We’re in the Twenty-first Century!!

Now then. This blog Entry is not directed toward Racists (AKA Conservatives, Republicans, Skin Heads and their ilk) because these People were born IGNORANT AND THEY’LL GO TO THEIR STINKING GRAVES THE SAME WAY. Instead, this Entry is merely an Observation from a Black man that still views LIFE positively and with Hope! Hope for this Country and Human Beings en total ~ “YES”, even the sick MFers within our midst.

Last night as I watched CNN report on the Elections in Virginia, New York and New Jersey … one would think that President Obama’s Name was on the Ballot! Forgetting now that HISTORICALLY immediately following a Party’s sweep into Power that the  Party Opposite ( ‘out of Power’) often WINS  in these ‘off year Elections’; yet there was CNN last night sounding alarmed and ‘freaked out’ ~ “What has happened to Obama’s influence, and what do these Republican Victories means to the ‘Obama Agenda’?” Or “Let’s explore the Promises made by then Senator Obama to the REALITY of now President Obama!” or best yet:

“Are tonight’s Republican victories a harbinger to the crucial 2010 Congressional Elections?”

Now here is where I find the analysis (??) of last night’s elections so ….. Racists and nothing but cheap perfume designed to LEGITIMIZE the stench coming from these  Racists pigs called Conservatives:

“Exit polls show that Voters in Virginia and New Jersey were deeply concerned about JOBS and the growth of Government.”

 

??????

 

Decoded: “We, White Racists, have HATED that Nigga Obama since  the Primaries and General Election.And we’ll be damned if we want to see a BLACK MAN succeed as President of the United States. After all, if Obama succeeds …. who will be the next Black to run for the Presidency: Michelle!”

Obama’s skin color is what fuels all this HATRED from the Neanderthal Right! Why else would all these LOONYS embarrass themselves with goofy ‘Tea Parties’! Why else would all these ‘Knuckle Draggers’ forget that Obama inherited an Economy and Wars from that idiot George W. Bush if not for good ol’ Racism blinding the hell out of’em!

Why, oh why, would mostly White IGNORANT farmers and/or White High School Grads and/or deeply White Superiority idiots … pretend tha they FAVOR the greedy Health Insurance Industry over their own ‘Best Interests’ to afford reasonable Health Care if not for being blind bytheir own sickness of  Racism!

Hell. I haven’t listened to Heil Fatbaugh, Heil Hannity, or any other of these  Swastika wearing ,so-called Conservative Thinkers (??)  since late February of this year  and why: Because these so-called Human Beings bring out the WORST of Human Nature. And when they peddle their Filth and Hatred to a population that already is prone to mass IGNORANCE & PREJUDICE to begin with, well, there comes a point where STUPIDITY is legitimized and made sane.

But like I stated previously, “I’m a firm Believer in the POSITIVE.” Eventually all these ‘a-holes’ that STILL believe that ‘White is Right, and if you’re Black stand back” will die out and pass from the scene. I KNOW this! But in the meantime, the United States of America will continue to be crippled and retarded in Her attempts to deal honestly with the Twenty-first Century. Which to me is the greater tragedy.

‘God Bless’ President Obama. May he continue to govern with the Courage, Grace, and Conviction THIS TIME demands from a Chief Executive. In fact, as Obama said last night when asked would he be following the Elections in Virginia and New Jersey, Obama replied:

 

“No. I’m going to watch the NBA tonight.”

 

 

: )

 

Let’s stop pussy-footing around with these damn near TRAITORS to the Republic ~ you know, the so-called Conservatives, Right-wingers and Republicans ~ and call’em what they truly are:

 

 

VIRILE RACISTS!!

A Season of Change

The ‘change of season’ is when the earth undergoes a transformation, doesn’t it. Even here in Northern California the air has ‘that feel’ about it ~ that chill. Too, even the trees (save the Evergreens) take on that ‘color change’ from rich green to orange … to eventually losing all its foliage. God, I love it. I do love it so!

Don’t you just ‘feel’ this CHANGE of Season? Notice how your body is undergoing CHANGE; be it to cope now with the cooler temps (blood thickens, the need to pack on more calories) or the lessening of daylight hours (a certain ‘nesting’ attitude takes place, as well a perceived ‘need’  to cuddle more with a Loved One).

We’re in a period of ‘Great NATURAL Change’!

Most of my Life ~ and during all of my so-called Mature Life <g> ~ I’ve always just looked to Nature to reinforce my Belief in a God. In fact, I look mostly to Nature as a Guide to the Principles I live by during most forms of Human Behavior. As an example, I’ve long ago Understood that as a Male I’m a ‘Hunter’ ~ just as the vast majority of the Males in every species. Therefore, I don’t struggle to suppress but UNDERSTAND certain ‘urges’ that arise in me be it for women (sex), status, jobs, games etc. . It’s in my Male DNA!!

Think about it. Why is there so much pedophilia within the Ranks of Priests: Suppression!

Why are so many Kats that pontificate ‘Family Values’ or Homophobic phobias THE biggest freaks and perverts around: Suppression! And it is this denial and feelings of GUILT toward ‘Basic Human Sexuality’ that lies at the core of many of these phobias and psychosis.

Look at nature, where the Females are Basically ‘Nesters’, Birthers and such to Today’s so-called devoted ‘Career Woman’: the Super Woman. Note how the devoted Career Woman is plagued with Fibroid Issues in the womb much more so than her previous generations of Sisters. Or look at the “Devoted to my job” woman who OUTWARDLY appears to be stable, highly successful and happy … while behind closed doors pops a vast amount of pills, hard drugs, alcohol ~  and has the sex life of an out of control mink!

These are NOT Judgments, Folks. Just simple Observations.

See. This is why I often look to Nature for Guidance in MOST activities. Why: because Nature simply mirrors the dictates of God.

Say It Ain’t So, Blue Angels!!

Can you Folks recall the numbing feeling you had whenever a Hero or some strongly held Belief you cherished proved to be otherwise? As a ‘for instance’: the day it dawned on you that Santa Clause was REALLY your parents. Or …. the day you realized the ‘Tooth Fairy’ REALLY was ol’ Mom. Or …. the day you first learned and experienced that one of your sweethearts REALLY liked somebody else. Or …. the day it sunk in that the Indians were not always the ‘Bad Guys’.   : )

Soul Stunning epiphany, baby!   : )

And as you get older, these earth shattering realizations don’t stop but just keep on coming as well! Many athletes and celebrity types, say, often have feet of clay, don’t they. Most politicians that we once held in High Esteem eventually prove unworthy of both our Trust & Money. Even our own government proves untrustworthy far too often, and in the end all of these forms of disillusionments (and far more not mentioned) leaves one simply stunned and deeply shaken.

Why do I say all this? Well, because TODAY ‘My Blue Angels’ thoroughly DISAPPOINTED me when they cancelled their Air Show immediately following their half-ass Flyover to open their Show. They just STOPPED Flying, baby!

The frickin’ Blue Angels!!

MY “Blue Angels”!   : )

They said the weather was a factor: but Bullshix!   : )

I damn near got a tan today <g>, there was so much blue sky and sunshine at the beginning of their Show!!

Look. I’m a VERY perceptive Kat. Go back and read my Entry entitled “Flashback” (the second ‘Flashback’ Entry yesterday), whereby in it I commented on how the Blue Angels were what: “out of sync”. How the Blue Angels were not performing up to their Standards.

Didn’t I!!   : )

In fact to be truthful, I had not really planned to attend today’s Fleet Week Air Show because 1) there was a big Ohio State football game on TV that I wanted to see <g>; 2) this being Fleet Week, I really wasn’t in the mood to fight the crowds of tourists, sailor MoMs and Dads ~ and Sweethearts that flock to the ships to see ‘their Loved Ones; and 3) today neither was I really in the mood to wade through the crowds of Hookers that normally accompany naval ships when they pull into port!  : )

But hey! Yesterday the Performance of the “Blue Angels” was so BAD and damn near reckless … that TODAY I just HAD TO take my black ass back over to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco to wipe away that sour taste that still lingered in my mouth, okay.

So there I sat today on the lush grass of Aquatic Park (the Air Show’s Center Point). The air is somewhat chilly (like yesterday), but hell “This is the Blue Angels I’m about to watch!” Yep. Me and about 5,000 of us <g>, all sharing a small plot of grass … most eating some food (I ate fries and prawns <g>) …. most watching kids running wild and/or  dogs licking legs and sniffing your food <g> … as well as getting our jollys watching a small boat turn-over when its drunk passengers decided to all crowd to one side!  : )

Now look here. I’ve been to enough Air Shows to no longer get a thrill whenever little ‘prop planes’ do their little suicidal stunts in the air, okay! I’ve passed that point long ago <g>. And neither do I ‘get off’ in watching other jets do their loops, barrel rolls, high speed passes and vertical climbs either: I’m simply THERE to watch my Beloved “Blue Angels”, okay!

So TODAY for Three full HOURS I sat patiently awaiting MY “Blue Angels” to erase from my memory that horrid Performance I witnessed on Friday. And that was it!

So alas after 3 hours of WAITING … suddenly “Fat Albert” flies overhead. “Fat Albert” is the Blue Angels cargo plane which begins each Performance, and as always the crowd was electrified at seeing “Fat Albert” fly overhead because we all knew ~ and by ‘ALL’  I mean damn near the MILLIONS who had lined the wharf area, parks, rooftops, private yachts and boats ~ we all KNEW that with “Fat Albert” flying overhead, that our “Baby Blues” were soon to follow.

Now here is where that sour taste in my mouth of yesterday, suddenly turns to a shocking revulsion.

The “Blue Angels” glide over a nearby Island on the Bay and make their beautiful ‘peel-off’ whereby the Diamond Formation (jets #1 #2#3#4) peel right in a slow climb, while the two Solo jets (#5 and #6) streak straight toward the crowd. I’m counting, baby: “Jets #1,2,3,4,5,6 are all present and accounted for” because yesterday during their ‘Practice Show’ they mostly flew with only 5 planes! (one Solo Plane rather than the customary two)

So here we go. The ‘Diamond Formation’ makes a Slow Pass in front of us, while shortly thereafter ONLY ONE Solo Plane crosses Center Line and NOT the usual two!

“Oh, Oh ..”   : )

“Hell, not AGAIN! I gave up watching Ohio State!!”   : )

Now I’m getting bad vibes because I notice that a longer than usual time interval passes without spotting either the Diamond Formation (jets #1#2#3#4) or Solo Jets (#5#6). Oh, I forgot to mention that during all this I’m listening to the radio (my little Walkman) because the Blue Angel  ‘Show Narrator’ is telling folks via the radio what the ‘Blue Angels” are doing in the sky during their various maneuvers , okay. So anyway I finally see the “Blue Angels” again, in a tight Diamond Formation, do what seems to me to be performing their “EXIT” routine!

??????????????????????

So as I’m watching this I’m thinking to myself, “Oh, no. Not like yesterday. Not on Fleet Week for cripes sake!”

: )

And to give the “Blue Angels” their due, it wasn’t like yesterday; because shortly as the “Blue Angels” do their EXIT ~ Stage Left manuever <g> ~ the Navy Narrator Announces over the radio:

“The Blue Angels have cancelled their Show due to poor weather.”

???????

That was the Official version, okay. But take it from me ~ Scorpio <g> ~ the kat that fly’s jet #1, the Commanding Officer of the ‘Blue Angels’ … will NOT be back next year, because either he was incompetent or else a member of his Flight Team was so. In either case, this Team of “Blue Angels” were no doubt the WORST Team I had ever seen since following them for going on  damn near 20 YEARS now.

And trust me: it HURTS to have witnessed what I’ve seen these past several days. It truly does.

Flashback

Here’s a video I did last summer (2008) during the heighth of the Obama Presidential Campaign. I show it because in light of the recent Nobel Peace Prize going to PRESIDENT Barack Obama …. damn if I wasn’t ‘on the mark’ about FUTURE Events.

So here I am back during the summer of  ‘08:

Flashback

Today the Fleet sails under the Golden Gate Bridge … as well the airshow featuring my “Blue Angels”.

Yesterday I watch ‘My Blues’ perform their practise show, and I must admit: Yesterday the ‘Blues’ were out of  step, out of sync, flew with one plane OBVIOUSLY having mechanical problems. In short, yesterday the ‘Blue Angels’ flew well below their Standards (and I’ve seen a LOT of their Performances). Hell, the guys have been at this since winter training in El Centro, California! But it just goes to prove that even the ‘BEST of the BEST’ have their ‘bad days’, huh!   : )

Hopefully TODAY the ‘Blue Angels’ will fly the way they know they can.

Anyhow.   : )

Here’s a video I did previously this year. In it I discuss …. hell, I can’t remember <g> ….what happened to be on my mind at that time.   : )

For my New Visitors, the video will give you a ‘look’ at me ~ Scorpio ~, as well you’ll hear what a sexy voice I have.   : )

It’s THAT TIME of Year!!

It’s THAT TIME of year when “My Blue Angels” do their thang over the San Francisco Bay, baby!

Enjoy what I’m getting ready to enjoy <g> in about 3 hours!!   : )