tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-374355962024-03-14T01:31:42.805-07:00 THE WEEKLY GREEN PLANET Or should that be
the weakly-green planet?t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-63405716858275869782021-08-08T10:10:00.000-07:002021-08-08T10:10:07.067-07:00"WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER VOTE!" 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QvGfFq5y4dU/YRANryMf9_I/AAAAAAAABFM/3gbVUOd6bgUnt8nLg82L20aPhIIZnrKfQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_0312.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="321" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QvGfFq5y4dU/YRANryMf9_I/AAAAAAAABFM/3gbVUOd6bgUnt8nLg82L20aPhIIZnrKfQCLcBGAsYHQ/w427-h321/IMG_0312.PNG" width="427" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-57731475493984712552021-08-08T09:57:00.002-07:002021-08-08T09:57:28.515-07:00Interview with Screenwriter Craig Tepper<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PrGTiGW9tPI/YRAMqJipXKI/AAAAAAAABFE/HAAiUSg2Y-YVlPLSTteYDTKs6k8V7Z9pQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/71711-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PrGTiGW9tPI/YRAMqJipXKI/AAAAAAAABFE/HAAiUSg2Y-YVlPLSTteYDTKs6k8V7Z9pQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/71711-2.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Craig Tepper Screenwriter<br /></div><br /> <p></p>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-43819454271574824822021-08-08T09:47:00.001-07:002021-08-08T09:47:30.896-07:00<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzTfVjXoUFk/YRAKISfx-nI/AAAAAAAABE0/gVa0DxaISqkctQXVmT5XLYAXKtKZ9rFIACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/WIN_20170409_10_58_17_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzTfVjXoUFk/YRAKISfx-nI/AAAAAAAABE0/gVa0DxaISqkctQXVmT5XLYAXKtKZ9rFIACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/WIN_20170409_10_58_17_Pro.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> CRAIG TEPPER <br /></div><p></p><p> </p>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-24058102195797255322017-07-07T06:05:00.001-07:002017-07-07T07:07:01.777-07:00TRUMP RETURNS ALASKA TO RUSSIA<h3>
<b>Historic "Genius Deal" solves two problems with one move, President sez:</b></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCxBxiA_Ow4/WV-F1HzWhRI/AAAAAAAAA04/63pF4eCm4PwVPImVxoR_0UbtcOcNb-EqQCLcBGAs/s1600/trumputin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="115" data-original-width="205" height="224" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QCxBxiA_Ow4/WV-F1HzWhRI/AAAAAAAAA04/63pF4eCm4PwVPImVxoR_0UbtcOcNb-EqQCLcBGAs/s400/trumputin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Russia will help us in Syria, and in future elections until 2020 and North Korea can "no longer hit the continental United States with a nuclear ballistic missile. Win-win!"<b> </b>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-49213781147483498872017-04-15T08:52:00.004-07:002017-04-15T08:52:35.536-07:00The Screaming Meemies<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="374">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Smart Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hashtag"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m beginning to wake nights with the screaming meemies.
It’s its own thing. An old onomatopoeia from the 50’s. Not just an alternative
to the heebie-jeebies as I thought of it when I was a kid. You need to get
older to realize what it is, you will need to wake some nights screaming, “Me,
me!” There’s no way around it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So give
up trying. Surrender. What’s the point if you can’t lose your mind now. The
meemies are strictly an approaching-the-end disorder. Known from here on out as
ATE. Acute fear of losing oneself, for good, for ever. It’s the half-examined
life taking a last look at itself. Saying goodbye. Remembering, no longer
wanting to forget, but approaching that encroaching wave that’s gonna sweep the
shingled sands of your mind clean, into a flat, broad beach spreading toward the
endless slate of the sea and the infinite plank of the horizon…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, I’m trying to get up for these. The day games.
Forget about the me-mes, the meemies, the memes, whatever. It’s game day once
again. Let’s get this life out in order. Watching from the outfield, thinking,
it’s always been game day. No reason to stop playing just cause yer old.
There’s memories coming to your plate. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pound yer mitt. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s coming your way. What you’ve seen is part
of everything you’ve been through, who you are, what you missed. What you
missed? I mean, what I missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is
this such an awful question, why do I read it with loathing and why is it so
universal? What did we miss? What did I miss. So much. But with age I find I’m
denied access to it. The palpable feeling that everything could change around
the next corner. The other lives I still could have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gone now. Instead, it’s as if a crew has been
slowly spreading around my town invisible and unbeknownst to me, sealing the
manhole covers on every street. Like in The Third Man. With this difference.
There are no longer any other lives for me to escape into, other selves, unlived
lives, the ghosts of wives not married, trips not taken, careers not pursued,
of loves not indulged… They are down there now, in the sewers, rotting, dying
into that primordial ooze from neglect. And not only can’t I do anything for
them, I’m kept from their company. No longer even protesting, too old, too
tired, too long ignored, they turn away from the manhole covers, go back down
the stairs to the floor of the sewer. It’s me who’s barred from opening up the
manhole and letting them out. Like I used to, taking one of them for a sunset
walk along the river’s edge, sharing the end of a perfect day in another life.
Those days are no more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead, if
you’re lucky you’ll catch a towering memory, lofted high, circling under it,
waiting for it…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-20590503089540615472017-02-05T14:28:00.000-08:002017-02-05T21:04:46.532-08:00SALESMAN by Asghar Farhadi -- A Map Of Misreadings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQIDAPSoS_4/WJeiMEtcejI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/T-rdYdGL9YERLHRtnmlTmJclEltHcLq7wCEw/s1600/salesman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQIDAPSoS_4/WJeiMEtcejI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/T-rdYdGL9YERLHRtnmlTmJclEltHcLq7wCEw/s1600/salesman.jpg" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="372">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SALESMAN By Asghar Farhadi – Reviewed February 4<sup>th</sup>, 2017 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amid the exceptional political tumult that’s
overtaken all things in the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration Mr. Farhadi’s
latest work, an Oscar Nominee from Iran for Best Foreign Film, is likely lost in
myopias. The Muslim Ban, which will keep him from attending the Oscar ceremony
this year, may have sealed its fate as an artwork likely to be preserved in the
amber of its moment. SALESMAN, which, indeed, is very much a political work
that invites cross-cultural readings, has more to say to its Iranian and American
male and female audiences than those readings provide. Obliquely, it reflects
how the art of the personal, of the human, is among the first casualties of
politicized art.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The film, much summaried, is the story of Emad, a school
teacher/actor who, with his wife, Rana, mount a production of Arthur Miller’s
Death Of A Salesman as the childless couple are uprooted from one crumbling
apartment only to suffer an unseen violent assault in their next. The wife’s traumatic unknowing about the event and her
husband’s slowly consuming search for her victimizer contains the story. But
the atmosphere is one of suffocating suppression beneath a veil of shame. Sympathetic
neighbors avoid assumptions about the nature of the attack and are hesitant to
reveal the behavior of the previous tenant, a woman with many male friends.
Rana insists Emad not go to the police, and details of the incident are withheld
from their theater colleagues. Shame at being unable to protect his wife, find them a
new, safe apartment or even locate a substitute for his film class drives Emad's search for the assailant who’s cell phone, car keys and truck were left
behind in his headlong flight from his crime. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Deep, personal humiliation boils
under a lid of complicit silence. Interaction after interaction in SALESMAN is
inflected and distorted by an oppressive fear of public humiliation. What it
shares with Miller’s Death Of A Salesman is a social milieu whose
destructiveness is culturally (rather than politically), personally self-imposed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As much as Miller’s play forms a touchstone to SALESMAN’s
themes, two lesser noted film references are Farhadi’s clear referents. Emad,
exhausted by the search for Rana’s assailant, and his duties as director and star
of Miller’s play, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>falls asleep while
screening THE COW for his class, a 1969 <i>Iranian</i> film directed by
Dariush Mehrjui. Emad’s callow students take phone pics making faces beside
him, dance and shadow-play before the screen while the climactic scene of
Mehrjui’s film unspools. It’s a scene of profound public humiliation, the
film’s hero, Hassan, mad with grief over the loss of his beloved cow (and his
status as owner of the only cow in the village) is roped like a heifer and
dragged through the village’s muddy streets. Emad wakes to his students mockery.
Furious, he grabs the phone that contains pics that could prove his downfall. And,
apparently, pornography -- that could doom the student as well. Emad, after a long,
vengeful pause, relents. What is lost on his students, and some of its American audience,
is the pivotal position THE COW occupies in Iranian film and cultural history.
Ayatollah Khomeini, after the Iranian revolution, indirectly gave his blessing
to the independent cinema movement in Iran when, after seeing THE COW, he
publicly announced his approval. “I like this film.” It permitted the growth of
a non-commercial, non-Western influenced film culture in Iran, one that has
permitted directors like Farhadi expression.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hassan’s eponymous cow is pregnant when she dies, a death
whose causes, like Rana’s victimization, occurs off-screen and under a cloak of
suspicion. Also married but childless, Hassan’s internalization of his loss slowly transforms
him into a mad consumer of hay. Alternatively, when a recovering Rana makes
pasta for a fellow actress’s child, both her and the child’s delight in the
meal is abruptly thwarted by Emad who removes their plates. Having exposed that this
meal was inadvertently purchased with cash left by her assailant, he won’t allow its
nurturance to override his sense of dishonor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other prominent film referent, tellingly, is Ingmar Bergman’s 1969
drama SKAMMEN (SHAME) starring Liv Ullman and Max Von Sydow as a childless
couple whose relationship is sundered during a military coup by her offscreen
liason with their collaborationist friend, the Mayor. Her act of betrayal, likewise
revealed by the presence of money left on furniture, leads the humiliated
husband to revenge himself on the Mayor. A poster of SKAMMEN peeks out in the
now almost empty original apartment where Emad confronts Rana’s attacker.
Summoned there, Rana pleads with Emad not to exact revenge on her attacker, an
elderly man terrified of having his actions exposed to his family. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SKAMMEN is a peculiar Bergman film, one with a mixed critical reputation, due in part to its
uncharacteristic political (and hypothetical) setting. Its production was on
the heels of a famously humiliating public rebuke. While screening Eisenstein’s
STRIKE in 1968 at the Swedish Film School, Bergman’s students walked out during
an anti-war protest, calling him an out-of-date “bourgeois” artist. Perhaps
these two parallel film stories are Farhadi’s own way of suggesting SALESMAN be taken for the
particulars of its characters’ situation more than its political parallels. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For
as much as Emad and Rana are urban intellectuals enacting Miller’s American
Death Of A Salesman in contemporary Iran, they are their own culture’s subjects
whose history and circumstances can’t be reshaped by our readings, or their
readings of stories from cultures other than their own. What does have universal resonance is Emad's decision and its destructive consequences, actions compelled by the
animal, the raw, the instinctual, the reflexive shame at our naked
humanity -- the shame-driven economy of human urges.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-67744942764090320992017-01-22T14:52:00.000-08:002017-01-23T14:20:03.187-08:00How I Got To Be Dictator-For-Life-Of-America By Donald J. Trump <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c-uZB49WOI0/WIWuiuOBryI/AAAAAAAAAz8/abeuhr3TBsQ8oVbxX31Uu6eokVrOiUeHwCLcB/s1600/tmp_4920-the-don-with-flags-908010130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c-uZB49WOI0/WIWuiuOBryI/AAAAAAAAAz8/abeuhr3TBsQ8oVbxX31Uu6eokVrOiUeHwCLcB/s320/tmp_4920-the-don-with-flags-908010130.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:DoNotOptimizeForBrowser/>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="false"
DefSemiHidden="false" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="372">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Mention"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;
color:black;}
</style>
<![endif]--><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> How I Got To Be President-For-Life Of America</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">By
Donald J. Trump</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">First of all, you have to understand one thing, people don’t
say ‘no’ to me. It doesn’t happen, it’s like magic. I either charm them to
death or I hound them. Over and over. I ask, I demand, I send letters and
lawyers until finally, I trump! It’s my name, it’s my nature. It’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>who</u></i> I am. I don’t give up until they give up, and I get my
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trans Pacific Trade agreement,
gone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>NAFTA, even now we’re working on
the final details. This is going to work out so well for Mexico I may run for
President there as well. Anyway, so, it really shouldn’t surprise any of you
that I’ve gotten us to where we are today. Thank you. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">This is a
movement, we said it right from the beginning. In only a few short years, months, we’ve
taken the White House back and made America great again. The economy’s roaring,
they’re building factories like never before in small towns; I hear great
things from Pennsylvania and Michigan; with Russia’s help we’ve crushed ISIS.
Sounds a little like something to eat, doesn't it, crushed ices? Well that’s what we did to them. They’ve
evaporated. Gone, no more. Didn't I tell you it'd be easy? President Assad helped. See what you can accomplish if you
treat Russia like a partner? We've decimated radical Islamic terrorism and now, with Russia, we have a half trillion dollar oil deal, oil we’re going to extract from Antarctica with Russia. And the credit belongs
to everybody. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secretary Tillerson,
President Putin. Both countries rich, both countries strong. Allies.. How far
we’re going to go it’s impossible to say. But together, who knows? We did it
together. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">The administration, this administration. In two years, into
a terrible headwind, caused by the press. But remember, didn’t I tell you, what happens when I put my mind to something? And the winning is
just beginning, there's no stopping us. Once I lay it on the line I go all
in. Fully, all the way. In. And I win. When I’m involved we win. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not saying I never had second thoughts. The
primaries were brutal. Name-calling, smears, people said things, I won’t use
any of their names. Okay, just one, Marco. But Marco, I forgive Marco, “little
Marco”, I’m gonna put him in charge of all relations in the Carribean. And we
have big, big plans for the Caribbean. The many projects, hotels, resorts,
yacht harbors, beautiful, beautiful projects. Every American will get two weeks
off and a paid vacation in the Caribbean. Wouldn’t that be terrific? It's going to happen. Eventually.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I’ll tell you something, some people said I ran for
President on a lark. I’d get tired. Do I look tired? But they were wrong. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrong “bigly”, only I don’t say ‘bigly’ any
more. ‘Bigly’ is in the word grave, buried next to ‘Yuge’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped saying those words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don’t like being made fun of. It’s disrespectful, and nobody is more respectful
than I am, unless you disrespect me first. Then I do many times more things to you. Does anyone like being mocked? To
put up with what I’ve had to put up with from the lying media? I’m not
surprised America is so grateful they made me “President For Life”. Isn’t that
beautiful, doesn’t that sound beautiful. “President For Life” I love that. How many
elections like the last one do we have to go through. Ugly, ugly election.
Everybody said so, Democrat, Republicans, Independents, everyone. Lies being
spewed everywhere. So much lying.. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much.
America wants change. That’s all America wanted. Why did it have to be so hard?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">And now we have change and ahead of us so much winning. And
if somehow I don’t get us all the way, all the way to the top—I’m not saying
that’s going to happen—we’re going to the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if we don’t reach the very, very top. And for this country the skies
the limit. Rockets to other planets, we’re going to build rockets to knock
everybody else’s out of the air. This is possible to do. Ask the generals. We
have plans for it, the best companies are already bidding the jobs to build it.
Work, work for the whole country. More work than we can possibly do. We may
have to grant more guest worker visas to Mexico. That’s right. We’re not going
to knock down the wall. But we’re going to be letting a lot more Mexicans
through the door. Full employment. If you’re an American there’s a minimum
wage. The Mexican they come in legally, they leave legally and they get paid
whatever the market will bear. Fair is fair. Anyway, where was I? The very top.
All the way. Who’s slogan was that--LBJ? The Great Society. Great phrase, great
idea. Only we’re the ones who created it, that great society. And now that
martial law is in place we’re going to keep everybody safe, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watch. You’ll see. No more attacks. We have
the backs of the local police. Raise a gun at a cop, boom, you’re dead, no
questions asked. Doesn’t matter, black, Asian, white, purple. Respect the law.
You’ve gotta respect the law. But it’s a long road, folks. We’ve still got a
long way to go. And if I don’t get us all the way up to the top, the very, very
top, maybe only 95% there, then maybe one of my boys will. I’m 73, strong as an
ox. I don’t plan on going anywhere soon, but just in case. Mike Pence, of
course, according to the constitution would succeed me as President. As it
should be. He will, god forbid if something were to happen during my term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re not going to amend the constitution,
too much to do. Mike’s a good man, god, Mike really is. But I think, with
Mike, the country is probably, maybe going to want another Trump to lead them. In
consultation. Am I right? You can clap. It’s not up to me, it’s up to the
people, of course. The people will decide which one of them, Eric, or Donald,
Jr. if there should be an opening.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Or Ivanka. Once she gets over grieving. What
happened to Jared. Terrible, terrible thing, accident, murder. I'll tell you what... It was the main reason we instituted martial law. I’ve asked
the intelligence agencies, they’re looking into it. Those fences are tall.
And nobody saw them, nobody saw them cross the lawn? How is that possible? This is the White House.
It was not an inside job. That much we know. But I have enemies. Sick people, sick groups. We know that-- Let me just say ,there’s evidence we’re not allowed to talk
about. But I’ll tell you this--when the FBI tracks down who leaked that the lie, LIE, that the FBI thought it was an ‘inside job’ is going to spend alotta time in prison.
There’s dissent and then there’s lies and slander. And we’re done with
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will be serious, serious
consequences. But as to the “President-For-Life” position, whatever happens
when I go, if I go, everybody has to go, folks, even me. But when the time
comes we’re not going to go through that, another election, again. Too costly. The
country, the WORLD couldn’t take it. We drove everybody crazy. China was mad at
me, Russia, and everybody else, was mad at Hillary. Nearly destroyed the
country. Nearly destroyed the country. We don’t need any more of that. You’ll decide
what to do, if Mike needs help. How? We have ways of finding out, we know what
you think. We listen to you, to the peope. We don’t spy. That’s another lie, that
this administration is doing domestic spying. Only of America’s enemies. And
then the media. What would we do without them? Those liars across the street. Does
anybody believe them, anybody? They don’t know what’s happening, how could
they, because they’re not allowed anywhere around here. So who, who, is so stupid
to believe them? Nobody, that’s right. The New York Times, the Washington Post,
fiction, rumors, fake news.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">And god bless the generals. So smart, that’s why I surround
myself with them. Can’t have enough generals. They’re doing an incredible,
incredible, amazing, amazing job. And under terrible circumstances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are good people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good, good people. You don’t know how good. Asking
me to declare martial law was the last thing they wanted to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can ask them. But they could see what was
happening, the lies, the obstruction, the insults. Daily confrontations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Believe me, they didn’t want to do this. They
argued for months. Finally, I said, is this something we should look at?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they shrugged and said maybe. What with
the lies, and the attacks, and the endless attempts to overturn the election.
There really wasn’t any other choice folks. They know what it takes, they saw
what was coming. You can’t run a country with a minority of people from tiny
little areas telling lies and trying to undermine the enormous plans for
developments that we have under way. It couldn’t be allowed. We had to do it. But
now that it’s done, we’ll see just how great America can be. Thank you, thank
you, love you, too.</span></div>
t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-22532949613073482902015-11-03T13:29:00.000-08:002015-11-03T13:45:03.729-08:00JEB FIXED IT! -- A FAMILY ALBUM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MujyQl0w-9Y/VjkqEdDdiUI/AAAAAAAAAyI/9LroAcAR1ww/s1600/scott.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MujyQl0w-9Y/VjkqEdDdiUI/AAAAAAAAAyI/9LroAcAR1ww/s320/scott.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Me, Jeb. Looking for tough, that's tough!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulhlNNwWtS4/Vjkmj-QY8fI/AAAAAAAAAxI/kzPqVNSDb80/s1600/jeb8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ulhlNNwWtS4/Vjkmj-QY8fI/AAAAAAAAAxI/kzPqVNSDb80/s1600/jeb8.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And I love fixing things.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hg_jztVJlpU/VjkmpT6wB_I/AAAAAAAAAxQ/18bNz1b4cWc/s1600/jeb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hg_jztVJlpU/VjkmpT6wB_I/AAAAAAAAAxQ/18bNz1b4cWc/s1600/jeb1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Especially Mom's car.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zwZYuTF2iOs/Vjkm4eW9d5I/AAAAAAAAAxo/-V_4RoQ92Oc/s1600/jeb3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zwZYuTF2iOs/Vjkm4eW9d5I/AAAAAAAAAxo/-V_4RoQ92Oc/s1600/jeb3.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I fiddled with the brakes, but this was the driver's fault.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uN-rqfWOEJQ/VjkmvASlZyI/AAAAAAAAAxY/FOsuj40beME/s1600/jeb4..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uN-rqfWOEJQ/VjkmvASlZyI/AAAAAAAAAxY/FOsuj40beME/s1600/jeb4..jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I fixed up this oil rig, too. Then it kind'a exploded.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Don't come for me on oil rigs. Not my department. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j8rQ7qYqW7Y/Vjkm1SoK0TI/AAAAAAAAAxg/ucrj6JgUxqM/s1600/jeb5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j8rQ7qYqW7Y/Vjkm1SoK0TI/AAAAAAAAAxg/ucrj6JgUxqM/s1600/jeb5.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Fuku-what the shima! You canNOT blame that on me.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45gH7d9cIgE/Vjkm9lw5ulI/AAAAAAAAAxw/j9bG571T0r8/s1600/jeb6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45gH7d9cIgE/Vjkm9lw5ulI/AAAAAAAAAxw/j9bG571T0r8/s1600/jeb6.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This was my brother. Not his fault.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jv6Rmfo7zY/VjknDhPHsdI/AAAAAAAAAx4/6i545Mg-BM4/s1600/jeb7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7jv6Rmfo7zY/VjknDhPHsdI/AAAAAAAAAx4/6i545Mg-BM4/s1600/jeb7.jpg" /></a></div>
Okay, this maybe was.<br />
<br />
Nice meeting you. Don't forget to vote!t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-61086825229470313072015-10-23T08:31:00.000-07:002015-10-23T08:33:57.017-07:00TREY T2 GOWDY - THE BENGHAZI INTERMINATOR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvnn8aA7fFw/VipRlUcBKDI/AAAAAAAAAw0/NLc5DIeIvWk/s1600/ter-genisys3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvnn8aA7fFw/VipRlUcBKDI/AAAAAAAAAw0/NLc5DIeIvWk/s400/ter-genisys3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mzE6-ZLfR30/VipRi5fUm0I/AAAAAAAAAws/uy10x1nkth0/s1600/trey_gowdy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mzE6-ZLfR30/VipRi5fUm0I/AAAAAAAAAws/uy10x1nkth0/s400/trey_gowdy2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dvnn8aA7fFw/VipRlUcBKDI/AAAAAAAAAww/accNkslNCp4/s1600/ter-genisys3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<h3>
"This isn't going to end until you hand me that smoking gun I know you have hidden somewhere. I don't know if it's an email, or a document, or something you did, or you did not do, or said, or did not say... But it is definitely something and this investigation isn't going to end until you produce it."</h3>
<br />t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-39644792877298595732015-09-23T08:34:00.003-07:002015-09-23T08:42:53.253-07:00THE ART OF THE MIS-SPEAK <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0kEKrrm6K4/VgLFzNsKtKI/AAAAAAAAAvg/Qk0YdPixwxw/s1600/trump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0kEKrrm6K4/VgLFzNsKtKI/AAAAAAAAAvg/Qk0YdPixwxw/s1600/trump.jpg" /></a></div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]-->Mastering the Art Of The Donald</h3>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st" style="font-size: small;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:#0400;
mso-fareast-language:#0400;
mso-bidi-language:#0400;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st" style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">"We should not have a </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">multicultural</span></em><span class="st"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>society,” </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Bush</span></em><span class="st"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>said. 9/22/15</span></span></div>
<span class="st" style="font-size: small;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st">Donald Trump says Jeb Bush should stop
speaking Spanish 9/02/15</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ben Carson does not believe a Muslim should be President
9/19/15</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(Carson fundraising spikes after… ) 9/24/15</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st">.Donald </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Trump says</span></em><span class="st"> it's not his job to correct
claims that </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;">Obama</span></em><span class="st"> is </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;">Muslim</span></em><span class="st">. 9/18/15</span></div>
</span></div>
<b><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">It's taken 3 months, but finally campaigns<i> other</i> than Donald Trump's have finally figured out how to capture their Republican primary voters attention: Make outra</span><span class="st">geous statements that appeal to the innate anger and bigotry of that constituency and then walk it back.</span><br />
</span></span></b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st" style="font-size: small;"><span class="st"><span class="st">Jeb Bush is </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">walking back</span></em><span class="st"> comments he
made on Iraq that he would have authorized the invasion even knowing what we
know now. NPR 5/12/15</span></span></span></div>
<span class="st" style="font-size: small;"><span class="st">
<h1>
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jeb Bush Walks Back Pitch for Thatcher on $10 Bill</span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st">Jeb Bush Says He '</span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;">Misspoke</span></em><span class="st">' About Spending for Women's Health Issues</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st">Rand </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;">Walks Back</span></em><span class="st">
Saying Some In DC 'Secretly Want' A Terrorist Attack</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="st">NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;">walks back</span></em><span class="st"> his </span><em><span style="font-family: Garamond; mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond;">statement</span></em><span class="st"> that President Obama doesn't
love America</span></div>
<h1>
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Christie walks back vaccine comments</span></h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 14.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Huckabee: Obama marching Israel to 'door of the
oven'</span></h1>
</span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;">Previously, candidates did not intentionally misspeak, or so it seemed:</span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span class="st"> </span></span></div>
t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-90514245075319493082015-04-01T10:36:00.000-07:002015-04-01T11:36:51.236-07:00<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">ULINE is Uihlein is The Koch Brothers</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">The cozy little family business the ULINE company owners like to
present themselves as sez:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CJtoHyJzNKM/VRwrZskwG8I/AAAAAAAAAtY/VP3nN4q4fJg/s1600/historyfamily2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CJtoHyJzNKM/VRwrZskwG8I/AAAAAAAAAtY/VP3nN4q4fJg/s1600/historyfamily2.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">"Recognizing
a local need for a shipping supply distributor, Liz and Dick Uihlein started
Uline from their basement in 1980." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">A big basement since Dick was an heir
to the Joseph Schlitz brewery fortune his grandfather co-founded and another from
his father who co-founded Northbrook-based General Binding Corp. who just might
have helped supply his company "with the H-101 carton sizer (still offered
today). The Uihleins grew the business far beyond their own expectations."</span></div>
<br />
<h2>
ULINE is YOU-LYING<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">It was only after systematically
having multiple customer reps at ULINE misrepresent clear
communications and place unrequested charges to a business account that
curiosity about the company was raised. </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">The ruthless efficiency was a symptom of far worse. This is not just a predacious company. These are not good people. </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">They are political monsters and using their products lines the pockets of far right wing America. Uline grosses $2 billion a year. They are
a law unto themselves, dominating huge areas of business supplies.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--fPZG_iXBKw/VRwsVd7lPBI/AAAAAAAAAtg/ArWT5I1mjW8/s1600/uihlein-e1415072196855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--fPZG_iXBKw/VRwsVd7lPBI/AAAAAAAAAtg/ArWT5I1mjW8/s1600/uihlein-e1415072196855.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<o:p><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;"></span></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/katiasavchuk/2014/11/04/the-little-known-ceo-spending-millions-to-elect-far-right-republicans/">http://www.forbes.com/sites/katiasavchuk/2014/11/04/the-little-known-ceo-spending-millions-to-elect-far-right-republicans/</a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond;"><span style="font-size: large;">They are, internally, a penurious monolith masquerading as a
"family" business.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Externally,
they donate huge sums to right wing causes. The company and their products should be boycotted. Find other suppliers. Check out
their links on Muckety below. Share this blog with friends, move it up the
google list whose first hits the Uihleins have plastered with encomiums to their Company and themselves.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<a href="http://www.muckety.com/Richard-E-Uihlein/29121.muckety"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Garamond; font-size: large;">http://www.muckety.com/Richard-E-Uihlein/29121.muckety</span></a>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-37726521341326443512013-03-04T17:47:00.004-08:002013-03-04T18:15:11.831-08:00Cardinals Trip To Rome Could Delay Season Openers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uWk49QGOr1s/UTVNFU5kmXI/AAAAAAAAAnY/mykcoBNPGe0/s1600/ballpark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uWk49QGOr1s/UTVNFU5kmXI/AAAAAAAAAnY/mykcoBNPGe0/s1600/ballpark.jpg" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2JVjmbjb5TA/UTVNQ6m3p8I/AAAAAAAAAns/Y-DPZnx_hWA/s1600/cards.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2JVjmbjb5TA/UTVNQ6m3p8I/AAAAAAAAAns/Y-DPZnx_hWA/s1600/cards.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a9sXnVspsu8/UTVT1y91DmI/AAAAAAAAAo8/HYSaR9JDUk8/s1600/dugoutblessing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a9sXnVspsu8/UTVT1y91DmI/AAAAAAAAAo8/HYSaR9JDUk8/s1600/dugoutblessing.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RwyY5HGyBpE/UTVSi--0ViI/AAAAAAAAAoo/nINo6ek9UJ8/s1600/smokenun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RwyY5HGyBpE/UTVSi--0ViI/AAAAAAAAAoo/nINo6ek9UJ8/s1600/smokenun.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RwyY5HGyBpE/UTVSi--0ViI/AAAAAAAAAoo/nINo6ek9UJ8/s1600/smokenun.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6QFKCHhdwU/UTVSl91v2pI/AAAAAAAAAow/Aj570Pn_AI4/s1600/popeglove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6QFKCHhdwU/UTVSl91v2pI/AAAAAAAAAow/Aj570Pn_AI4/s1600/popeglove.jpg" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yG1vyZ1F_fI/UTVNJJFxuEI/AAAAAAAAAng/UpQJS-Vg0Mw/s1600/ben16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-byerjT6jBX8/UTVM_8OkR8I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/Y-ZDfVQWqk8/s1600/autobb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-byerjT6jBX8/UTVM_8OkR8I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/Y-ZDfVQWqk8/s1600/autobb.jpg" /></a><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yG1vyZ1F_fI/UTVNJJFxuEI/AAAAAAAAAng/UpQJS-Vg0Mw/s1600/ben16.jpg" /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gmLHdhcaPU0/UTVNXmQGNTI/AAAAAAAAAn4/VmabBgeg0FY/s1600/images2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gmLHdhcaPU0/UTVNXmQGNTI/AAAAAAAAAn4/VmabBgeg0FY/s1600/images2.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jk0M-SSS3GM/UTVNU9njUeI/AAAAAAAAAnw/C8V_t8rwq1M/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jk0M-SSS3GM/UTVNU9njUeI/AAAAAAAAAnw/C8V_t8rwq1M/s1600/images.jpg" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jk0M-SSS3GM/UTVNU9njUeI/AAAAAAAAAnw/C8V_t8rwq1M/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2JVjmbjb5TA/UTVNQ6m3p8I/AAAAAAAAAns/Y-DPZnx_hWA/s1600/cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Having played his last game, the Pontiff quietly steals home....<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-VU6mH3kNg/UTVNlAHc05I/AAAAAAAAAoI/hj-tlbm411s/s1600/popegl2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1-VU6mH3kNg/UTVNlAHc05I/AAAAAAAAAoI/hj-tlbm411s/s1600/popegl2.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huuNUof8ECc/UTVNfDniKlI/AAAAAAAAAoA/qcSdhcAiWew/s1600/popecards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-huuNUof8ECc/UTVNfDniKlI/AAAAAAAAAoA/qcSdhcAiWew/s1600/popecards.jpg" /></a><span id="goog_1596836116"></span><span id="goog_1596836117"></span>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-byerjT6jBX8%2FUTVM_8OkR8I%2FAAAAAAAAAnQ%2FY-ZDfVQWqk8%2Fs1600%2Fautobb.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-byerjT6jBX8/UTVM_8OkR8I/AAAAAAAAAnQ/Y-ZDfVQWqk8/s1600/autobb.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Jk0M-SSS3GM%2FUTVNU9njUeI%2FAAAAAAAAAnw%2FC8V_t8rwq1M%2Fs1600%2Fimages.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jk0M-SSS3GM/UTVNU9njUeI/AAAAAAAAAnw/C8V_t8rwq1M/s1600/images.jpg" -->t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-69830519324375868452013-01-27T09:30:00.000-08:002013-01-27T09:30:21.029-08:00Clinton-Biden in 2016 -- "That's The Ticket!"Madame Secretary and Heatbeat-Away Joe, <br />
<br />
First Woman President and First Three-term Vice President form an unbeatable team for 2016.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lTokm_ak4Q/UQVj2yuTjEI/AAAAAAAAAnA/WtemDAPjbic/s1600/Hill+on+the+hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" oea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_lTokm_ak4Q/UQVj2yuTjEI/AAAAAAAAAnA/WtemDAPjbic/s1600/Hill+on+the+hill.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h8Eqvoy_XrY/UQVjzuqW4KI/AAAAAAAAAm4/BcoljmvwqLA/s1600/joltin'+joe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" oea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h8Eqvoy_XrY/UQVjzuqW4KI/AAAAAAAAAm4/BcoljmvwqLA/s1600/joltin'+joe.jpg" /></a></div>
t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-5350814295965117402012-08-29T14:21:00.005-07:002012-08-29T17:50:32.087-07:00We Built mITt -- Romney Robot Revealed<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-shNCcI_7s9E/UD6EkStgwpI/AAAAAAAAAlg/TNwXyJ1mTpM/s1600/We-Built-It2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HcaDgKnAyLg/UD627UXKveI/AAAAAAAAAmg/DaGIH9xjGh0/s1600/We-Built-It2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HcaDgKnAyLg/UD627UXKveI/AAAAAAAAAmg/DaGIH9xjGh0/s640/We-Built-It2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
"I come in pieces," Romney told conventioneers Thursday night in Tampa.
"Empathy unit to be installed forthwith. Vocabulary at times
'disconcerting'. Perhaps gaffe-prone. Bain, Bain, Bain. I humbly accept
your nomination. I am what I am. 'Home, Home in the Caymans...' No man
is an island, Paul Ryan is a man, therefore he is not an island. He is
the man for the job, I am the man for the jobs... Jobs, jobs, jobs.
Steve Jobs.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0QlANliCDWA/UD6P_Kah1NI/AAAAAAAAAl0/npKFQo0_Qq0/s1600/mitt+robot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0QlANliCDWA/UD6P_Kah1NI/AAAAAAAAAl0/npKFQo0_Qq0/s1600/mitt+robot.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0xNthHfEeOY/UD61a1R_qPI/AAAAAAAAAmI/tmYMfg695-w/s1600/robby+%282%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0xNthHfEeOY/UD61a1R_qPI/AAAAAAAAAmI/tmYMfg695-w/s1600/robby+%282%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a>For my Mormon mission I chose a year abroad in France. It was hard work, battling rich sauces and Catholic dogma that tended to gum up my crankcase. I don't care for Obamacare, either. Romneycare, cares very deeply. Ann cares, too. I will take America home from our date with destiny and give her a shy peck on the cheese. Colloquials 2.8 installation with Beertalk 1.1 to have near-term release date. Thank you very much, America. I will not disappoint!"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7dcmmRDQkQo/UD61eSRFawI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/mHD-YajQ6hU/s1600/romney-robot1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7dcmmRDQkQo/UD61eSRFawI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/mHD-YajQ6hU/s200/romney-robot1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0xNthHfEeOY/UD61a1R_qPI/AAAAAAAAAmI/tmYMfg695-w/s1600/robby+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0xNthHfEeOY/UD61a1R_qPI/AAAAAAAAAmI/tmYMfg695-w/s400/robby+%25282%2529.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<br />
t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-14111736647077727562012-08-10T09:16:00.015-07:002012-08-11T10:52:53.980-07:00Is The Romney Candidacy Doomed?<div align="center">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KQY_8DO7zCI/UCVAiU2tudI/AAAAAAAAAlM/AgiZTKZNp6U/s1600/rom%2Bcollage2.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="294" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775093055630457298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KQY_8DO7zCI/UCVAiU2tudI/AAAAAAAAAlM/AgiZTKZNp6U/s400/rom%2Bcollage2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="496" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<div align="center">
<div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5sU-zhSLEY/UCU1aL-5HrI/AAAAAAAAAkg/hnQpFJddSLI/s1600/santorum.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" com="" gif="" height="97" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5775080821181980338" img="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5sU-zhSLEY/UCU1aL-5HrI/AAAAAAAAAkg/hnQpFJddSLI/s200/santorum.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" width="156" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But since the "disconcerting" gaffe committed by Gov. Romney on his arrival in London for the opening of the 2012 Olympics on July 26th his numbers have seen a slow, steady decline. They are currently at their lowest point since he was declared the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party back in April.<br />
<br />
On the surface, as a <a href="http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/romney-camp-pushes-back-against-recent-polling-data">spokesman</a> for his campaign and<a href="http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/09/aug-9-national-polls-shouldnt-panic-romney"> Nate Silver</a> have explained, there's not a whole lot to support the idea there's a general collapse. No major events -- debates, conventions, vp picks, economic numbers, world crises -- have intervened to justify thinking this is more than a mild aberration in polling that has shown, up to now, remarkable, even, many have observed, an unprecedented consistency. In general, averaging polls, there's been about a one or two point spread in favor of the President, over the last several months. Until recently.<br />
<br />
But there are signs, and a rationale, that suggests these are the first predictable wobbles of a fundamentally untenable candidacy. The contradictions embodied in Romney's presidential bid, the conflicts and internal stresses created by his ideological, economic, ethical, political and geographical variance from the heart of his party, posed a monumental challenge that he barely surmounted in the primaries. He managed only to survive in a field of candidates so inept, reviled, amateurish and marginal that it may be not a single one among them will be deemed fit to speak at the convention. No doubt pressure has already been exerted to keep more than a few away from the venue entirely. Yet every man, woman and misfit among them came from single digits to at some point hold a polling lead over Mitt Romney.<br />
<br />
Were that the entirety of his troubles it would be reaching to suggest disappointed Cain, Bachmann, Santorum and Gingrich voters could prove a fatal drag on the ticket.<br />
<br />
What it underscores, however, are deep flaws, cracks in a candidacy that can't be smoothed over and that threaten to fissure every time the Romney jugger-<i>not</i> comes under scrutiny. A party with an historically-aroused insurrectionist, anti-government base is about to nominate a fabulously rich, lifelong establishment ex-governor of the most liberal state in the union. If that seems unlikely and mistimed in this first election since the 2008-09 financial catastrophe, it is only the most glaring of the jenga-like, ill-fit pieces of his campaign.<br />
<br />
<br />
'DISCONCERTING'<br />
<br />
Becoming a billionaire does not, of itself, deracinate a human being. Warren Buffett sounds more like a midwesterner to most people than a magnate. Even Donald Trump has a certain oily humanity. But if you're going to nominate a guy worth half a billion dollars in 2012 he ought to at least be able to fake the "common touch". <br />
<br />
Romney can't. His problem, beyond his stiff, more-comfortable-in-a-tie demeanor is his ear. His tone deaf rendering of "America" resonates because it is resonant of him -- of his trying too hard, of his lack of self-recognition. He continually misgauges his effect. He hasn't a clue that it is neither cute nor winning to ask an audience to endure an overlong rote rendering of a bland anthem in a painfully bad voice. It's an imposition.<br />
<br />
More to the point, he does this on the big stage and when it counts. His response to the question whether he thought London was ready to host the Olympics was iconic mis-speak. "Well, some things are disconcerting..." You bet they are; the word 'disconcerting' a case in point. It was a sphincter-spasm of a moment, a case of rapid over-think. <i>What happens if I say "yes" and there's a terror attack. God, I could lose the election. Better cover my ass.</i> No, no, no, Mitt -- this is not about you, it's about your hosts and making <i>them </i>feel comfortable. It's the empathy, stupid! You are there with our ally, our very good ally with whom we enjoy a special relationship. First chance you had to do the job you blew it. <br />
<br />
And 'disconcerting', oh, my,<i> so</i> the wrong word -- clinical, dispassionate, arrogant, a tad pedantic.<br />
<br />
Okay. One bad day. But Romney's running out of opportunities to make a first impression.<br />
<br />
This, too, would be minor were it not for the fact the playing field is so stacked against him. For example:<br />
<br />
<br />
ROMNEY'S TAX RETURNS PROBLEM<br />
<br />
Is withholding them simply a miscalculation? In an election year when tax policy, whom to tax and how much, is one of the two central issues why would a presidential nominee make the strategic decision to stonewall the release of his returns. Thinking what? That the issue can be endlessly deflected, or will vanish? That only on the verge of having fatal damage inflicted will you release your returns? That decision makes certain, "bakes in" if you will, two bad outcomes: 1) Either voters will go to the polls with a big question mark floating over the issue of your character and transparency, or 2) If and when you are finally compelled to release the returns it will be so late in the campaign anything unflattering or damaging will leave you no hope of fully recovering. At the same time you will have antagonized and betrayed your supporters by mishandling the matter. It's possible there's not much there and his team has decided to take the air out of the ball by waiting. But it, too, looks like a poor strategy. Particularly given the context--an election about tax rates.<br />
<br />
<br />
ROMNEY'S OBAMACARE PROBLEM<br />
<br />
The other central issue -- tied directly to deficit reduction and entitlement issues -- is healthcare. There's no prominent Republican in the last 20 years who could be a less credible opponent of the Affordable Care Act than Mitt Romney. Period.<br />
<br />
<br />
THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL BOX<br />
<br />
While composing this post Romney raced to put out a number of fires that began with the Olympics gaffe by announcing that Paul Ryan would be his choice for running mate. Those fires were further stoked by a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj70XqOxptU">controversial SuperPAC</a> ad that implicated Romney and Bain in the cancer death of the narrator's uninsured wife. The inflamed auto-immune responses to the ad within the GOP gave birth to this post. Their intensity exampled why this candidacy may simply not have the requisite integrity to withstand the pressure of a long, hard campaign. First there was the outrage at the ad itself by the same people who have called this President a communist, a muslim, denied his citizenship and mis-characterized almost every remark he's made the last 3 and a half years -- a dudgeon that is surely unsustainable, particularly with the Romney SuperPacs gearing up. Romney declared himself on the "high ground". But then came the sympathetic defense of Romney by his spokesperson <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi1ydH7LSlU">Andrea Saul</a>. She pointed out the eletions in the story and that under Governor Romney in Massachusetts this man's wife would have had Romneycare.<br />
<br />
Redstate.com's Erick Erickson tweeted hysterically "OMG. This just might be the moment Romney lost the election." Ann Coulter blew a casket, calling for Saul's firing and threatening a boycott of Romney by the right. Rove admonished a Fox anchor for giving the SuperPac ad oxygen, then whipped together a "morale booster" to keep the troops from stampeding "Rove: Romney Even Means Ahead" as if he hadn't seen the polls everyone else had. (<span style="color: #3d85c6;">tlieftep</span>: <span style="color: #e06666;">#Rove Finds Pony In A Pile Of #Mitt</span> Aug 9th) A <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUJdewtCtuY">circular firing squad </a>was formed. Hard on its heels a flurry of opinion pieces from right-leaning media insisting Congressman Ryan be the VP pick appeared August 8th and 9th.<br />
<br />
This was as a thorough statistical cost/benefit analysis of Vice Presidential choices appeared at <a href="http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/how-romneys-pick-of-a-running-mate-could-sway-the-outcome/">fivethirtyeight</a>.com. It pointed out Romney's dilemma. Portman offered the best chance of helping him win the election, but was tarred with the Bush brush, possibly an even duller candidate than himself and could not help deflect the anger of the right and the suspicions of Romney and his tax havens from both Republicans and Democrats. Consequently you have the speedy wheeling out of Ryan as his choice.<br />
<br />
Rather than a bold choice, his selection may be the <b>most conservative</b> move possible -- one meant to avoid an electoral disaster rather than seek an elusive victory. If the economic news continues to show slight improvement toward election day, as many forecast, this may have been the only choice that would keep donations flowing, his campaign moving forward and Romney from presiding over an ugly convention. Ryan's nomination offers the likelihood that future Romney troubles will not lead to the base deserting him en masse.<br />
<br />
But sniping and second guessing won't disappear. The vulnerability of a candidate without a
constituency being asked to defeat a personally popular president by a
diverse mob of angry ideologues poses continuing perils. <br />
<br />t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-62769436537249817632012-07-18T09:53:00.000-07:002012-07-18T09:53:11.473-07:00OCEAN WASTELAND<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0cwox2q8L0/UAbpJTyfLvI/AAAAAAAAAiw/w27c1vAUunA/s1600/ocean+waste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0cwox2q8L0/UAbpJTyfLvI/AAAAAAAAAiw/w27c1vAUunA/s320/ocean+waste.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="hasCaption">Out to Sea – The Plastic Garbage Project just opened in the Zurich Museum of Design / Switzerland.<br />
Photo: The central installation: Every 15 seconds this amount of
plastic garbage gets released into the sea…. Free entrance. Program: <a href="http://www.plasticgarbageproject.org/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank"><span>www.PlasticGarbageProject.</span><wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>org</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HsLg0vzEZ2E/UAbpwmYtbII/AAAAAAAAAi4/GjdC8e_Wf34/s1600/reduce,+reuse,.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HsLg0vzEZ2E/UAbpwmYtbII/AAAAAAAAAi4/GjdC8e_Wf34/s320/reduce,+reuse,.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-23212558854713366862012-03-07T07:13:00.019-08:002012-03-07T08:42:14.855-08:00Christians Vs Jews: Romney -- Everybody's Second Choice<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HpF_roXt8Ro/T1d7xI6qlcI/AAAAAAAAAic/JR4UDoAwOZQ/s1600/220px-Foster_Friess_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 182px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HpF_roXt8Ro/T1d7xI6qlcI/AAAAAAAAAic/JR4UDoAwOZQ/s400/220px-Foster_Friess_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717174336107484610" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LV84aLlwCRM/T1d73ch7KhI/AAAAAAAAAio/2zO1aybu3jQ/s1600/sheldadel.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 178px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LV84aLlwCRM/T1d73ch7KhI/AAAAAAAAAio/2zO1aybu3jQ/s400/sheldadel.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717174444451637778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Foster Friess ....................................... .....................Sheldon Adelson</span><br /><br />March 7th, 2012<br /><br />Well, well, well... The morning after Super-Tuesday in the GOP primaries political reality sets in. Mitt Romney would and could well lose his tenuous hold on the Republican Presidential nomination this year were it not for a religious standoff between the two humongous donors who alone are keeping financially alive the candidacies of his only real challengers.<br /><br />Had either Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich been given a clear field yesterday to unify the right-wing discontent that holds ex-Massachusetts' Governor Romney in contempt his candidacy would have ground to a halt. The possibility remains it might still. Without both candidates vying for the same voters yesterday and last week, Rick Santorum would have won Michigan, Ohio and Georgia, in addition to Tennessee, North Dakota and Oklahoma, and Mr. Romney's candidacy would be in utter shambles.<br /><br /><a href="http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheldon_Adelson">Mr. Adelson,</a> Gingrich's lone financial supporter, has quite publicly declared his fondness for Mr. Romney. The only major Santorum funder, <a href="http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foster_Friess">Mr. Friess</a> loathes Mr. Gingrich but appears quite ready to support Mr. Romney should he win the nomination. The millions they are donating to Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Santorum, respectively, both of whom have virtually no other financial support to keep their campaigns going, appear to be advanced against the possibility either Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum would find themselves as the sole 'conservative' candidate.<br /><br />Up until this moment it has seemed the height of stupidity. Why would two billionaires waste money backing utterly implausible candidates whose candidacies would implode without them? That is, until this morning. The results of the ten primaries yesterday make clear these moguls are no fools. They have been, as usual, prescient. With only one or the other of them operating their "first choice" candidate would now be the presumptive frontrunner. The GOP would be in a state of near-total collapse.<br /><br />Without them both making it impossible for either Santorum or Gingrich to walk away from their vast financial commitments, their opposite number would have unified the anti-Romney voters (simply through grassroots and small dollar donations) and yesterday overwhelmed the Romney behemoth.<br /><br />The otherwise reckless and ridiculous sums they have spent seemed sheer idiocy before now. However, today it is clear Romney could not make his way to the nomination without their countervailing donations to Santorum and Gingrich.<br /><br />The Teaparty should be furious. But that they are very dim bulbs has once again been proved, this time by the fact they have not twitched to the game even yet.<br /><br />A quick look at the very different lifestyles and political agendas of the 'gentlemen' above explains how and why they have become natural nemeses. What shouldn't be lost on observers is that they have both been proved cannily right. Absent the other Mr. Romney's candidacy would have sunk yesterday, laid low by either Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum. And Ron Paul's part in this play is morally loathsome. He has neutralized and thoroughly neutered the Libertarian vote in the service of nominating a big business, big government, big military candidate -- a man who shares absolutely none of the values of his constituency.<br /><br />True, Gingrich and Santorum are both incompetent -- one a zealous, unprincipled demagogue, the other a moral idiot. But Paul claims to be running to further ideals both of these men share. What's his idealistic motive for furthering Mitt Romney?<br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-68292195075883206252012-01-04T06:45:00.000-08:002012-01-04T07:36:34.674-08:00Iowa: What Counts -- The Romney Takeaway<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NydtjhJnR1k/TwRv9gKbRnI/AAAAAAAAAiE/3L55s4uS5ao/s1600/rom%2Bwackjob.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NydtjhJnR1k/TwRv9gKbRnI/AAAAAAAAAiE/3L55s4uS5ao/s400/rom%2Bwackjob.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693798931299518066" border="0" /></a><br />Mitt wins IOWA 2012 by 8 votes, 6 votes less than he received in 2008.<br /><br />The chattering classes have another 28 days until South Carolina to fan the dying embers of this Republican Primary season into something more than a fizz-out. Romney will win New Hampshire and come very close if not outright win in South Carolina and it will be all over but the shouting. Here's a sampling of such pointless punditry:<br /><br />http://<a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71061.html">www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71061.html</a><br /><br />http://<a href="http://www.thetakeaway.org/2012/jan/04/">www.thetakeaway.org/2012/jan/04/</a><br /><br />http://<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-big-takeaway-from-iowa-75-percent-of-republicans-dont-want-mitt-romney-2012-1">www.businessinsider.com/the-big-takeaway-from-iowa-75-percent-of-republicans-dont-want-mitt-romney-2012-1</a><br /><br />The voters who will decide this year's Presidential election are still asleep.<br /><br />What matters is <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">not</span><span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span> that Mitt Romney is clearly an underwhelming choice for President as viewed by Iowa caucus-goers and the right-wing, dogmatic, misinformed base of his own party.<br /><br />What matters is that Mitt Romney <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">will be</span><span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span> an attractive choice for the undogmatic, uninformed will-o-the-wisp independents who decide American elections.<br /><br />Iowa and the lunacy of the GOP field up until now is just so much sausage-making.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">GRASPING AT STRAW POLLS</span><br /><br />The perhaps more telling vulnerability that Mitt has shown appeared again last night in his 'victory' speech. It was in his forced, emotionally disconnected, pressurized ramble. Like his offer to bet Perry "10,000 dollars" it had the impulsive, thin-skinned hauteur he shows when he's threatened and disappointed.<br /><br />Last night in Iowa that was likely due to the fact his 'handlers' had told him he would win and allowed him to go out and publicly declare himself the likely winner -- which he did -- only to find himself in a tie with a political non-entity, the latest NOT-ROMNEY.<br /><br />Likely, most of the sturm-und-drang for Mitt the Twit is over for now. At the hands of our overly-civilized President he's likely to have a cushy ride until the end of October. But, if the economy ticks up and Romney's numbers go a bit south, the breathless, desperate Mitt and his wacky faith in his own anointment could provide the result most desired and that's best for the country.<br /><br />Romney will undoubtedly be forced to run <span style="font-weight: bold;">away </span>from the Tea Party death squads in Congress who have destroyed every positive, conciliatory initiative the Democrats have offered. With no coat-tails of his own then, even a fairly narrow defeat of Romney could portend a sizable rollback of the Congressional crazies and leave a second Obama term with a thin, but governable working majority.t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-35587165091650355612011-12-24T08:01:00.000-08:002011-12-24T08:06:29.437-08:00Well, No Newt Is Good Newt<div class="uiAttachmentTitle" ft="{"type":11}" style="word-break: break-word; word-wrap: break-word; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><strong><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/24/us-usa-campaign-virginia-idUSTRE7BN09E20111224" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; ">Gingrich out of Virginia primary election</a></strong></div><span class="caption" style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://www.reuters.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; color: rgb(59, 89, 152); text-decoration: none; ">www.reuters.com<br /></a></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; ">WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Leading Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has failed to meet the requirements to be in the primary election in his home state of Virginia, the state's Republican Party</span><img src="http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20111224&t=2&i=550720083&w=460&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&r=BTRE7BN17LE00" alt="Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich is seen during a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire December 21, 2011. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi" /><br /><br /><br /><br />Would someone please excoriate the GOP and the media for treating this unseemlyl food fight they call a nominating process as though it were a serious exercise when in fact it's transparently been 6 dwarfs on a book and self-promotion tour (ala Palin, the Queen of the new “Reality Show” politics-as-a means-of-achieving-instant-celebrity and wealth) with a petulant periennial candidate who their whole party basically can’t stand (Mitt the upperclass twit).t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-56349271961036673472011-10-05T16:01:00.001-07:002011-10-05T16:20:19.484-07:00Breaking Non-News! Palin Not Running<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qpEfu94EDGs/ToziJ19y1yI/AAAAAAAAAh8/ANHzzM-5ISA/s1600/2961513542_9017f51fc5.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qpEfu94EDGs/ToziJ19y1yI/AAAAAAAAAh8/ANHzzM-5ISA/s400/2961513542_9017f51fc5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660147490430834466" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="messageBody translationEligibleUserMessage" ft="{"type":3}"><span>J</span>ust wanna say before yall come breakin' down my door asking me to run for President,</span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt;"> just to save ya the time and energy now that that fat guy from New Jersey has said he's not gonna run either, I figure I should let you know before that groundswell of support I could feel building out there got to be a regular Tsuranami, that I, Sarah Palin, won't be running for President either.</span></span><span style="font-family:Garamond;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">.. </span></span><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 14pt;">So you don't need to bother asking.</span></span><span class="messageBody translationEligibleUserMessage" ft="{"type":3}"><br /><br /></span>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-66162441160493149042011-04-06T09:24:00.000-07:002011-05-19T08:54:48.431-07:00The Book Biz -- 1201 SE 7th Avenue Portland, OR -- What Amazon Allows<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sYGPFpjVvVQ/TZylkEf7E8I/AAAAAAAAAho/4PkqxIelpCE/s1600/amz.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sYGPFpjVvVQ/TZylkEf7E8I/AAAAAAAAAho/4PkqxIelpCE/s320/amz.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592526876388824002" border="0" /></a><br />"Dropshippers?"<br /><br />What are they?<br /><br />A 'dropshipper', for the uninitiated, is a volume buyer of books -- college texts, art books, any item at all -- who then ships them on to buyers elsewhere. At much higher prices, to places many local sellers may not want, or be able, to ship to, e.g., Eastern Europe.<br /><br />The above address -- 1201 SE 7th Avenue Portland, OR -- is one most sellers on Amazon greet with dismay when it appears as the destination of a sales order. There are a host of buyers at that address, all possessed of Eastern European surnames (their nationality being utterly irrelevant except as it connects them) whom most surmise are "dropshippers".<br /><br />At least that's been their cover. There's no law against it and no reason, therefore, Amazon should not allow them to operate with impunity.<br /><br />Except these folks generate a huge number of seller complaints. Why?<br /><br />Because they chronically harass small sellers with bogus orders, subsequent email requests for unpaid expedited shipping and refund demands for flawless items.<br /><br />It happens with such regularity buying books would hardly seem to be their sole object.<br /><br />Long threads on the <a href="http://www.amazonsellercommunity.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=185188">AMAZON SELLERS COMMUNITY</a> are filled with similar complaints. These complaints are met with lots of pushback from a handful of repeat "posters" (whose posts number in the thousands, "posters" whose names are unconnected to any seller account and who post so frequently they could hardly be managing sales operations). These "posters" appear to be professional scolds. Acting anonymously, they repeatedly attest to the reliability of these "dropshippers" and uniformly bat down, sometimes nastily, the complaints and demand sellers comply dutifully with sales requests.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It's hard to tell, consequently, how much of the "dropshippers" buying is untroubled and headed overseas, and how much is systematic harassment.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Not coincidentally, a software company at the same address sells an automatic "book pricing" product -- a product that insures a seller's price will remain lower than his competitors' by automatically lowering the price to below that of a comparable book.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />That company, too, is headed by persons of the same nationality (again relevant only as it suggests a connection to the dropshippers) and</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> a transparent connection to the dropshipping operation (whose seller name cannot be ascertained) has been suggested.<br /><br />What both organizations have in common appears to be a form of </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">price-influencing</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.<br /><br />The dropshippers "buyer harassment" buys frequently target small sellers (and items) whose prices have undercut the outrageous sums some huge Amazon sellers ask for allegedly "new" out-of-print books. These huge sellers, who almost all certainly use pricing software on their cheaper books, can ask and get extravagant prices for rare "new" books when they are able to maintain a monopoly on books listed in "new" condition.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />Both organizations at this Portland address appear to be coordinating what is essentially an 'arbitrage' operation. (They buy a 50-buck book to remove it from the market so the volume seller can sell their copies at $200 while degrading the value of the small seller's book through shipping wear and their assertion the book was never "new")</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">. This complements their predatory pricing software</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> in instances w</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">here volume sellers </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">specifically</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">don't</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">want</span> software to automatically reset prices<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>-- i.e., dropping their $200 allegedly "new" book to $49.95.<br /><br />And Amazon would appear to <span style="font-style: italic;">benefit</span> from these harassing practices. It keeps prices and Amazon commissions <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">high</span></span>!<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> So that while the pricing software sold at this address may make the price of many abundant, inexpensive book titles somewhat <span style="font-style: italic;">more </span>competitive, Amazon gains far more by allowing these buyer/seller price-fixers to use the advantage of their size and coordination to maintain monopolies on "new" condition hard-to-find titles.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">That Amazon is aware of these activities and account aliases and links (having spoken and written repeatedly to them) seems almost certain.<br /><br />But, crucially, it would be hard to prove in court without access to all Amazon emails (including internal ones).</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Why they don't stop them -- since Amazon is a power unto itself -- appears not unrelated to the fact pattern here presented.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />But the real tortious question may be how much damage they do </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">not</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> to sellers, but to <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">buyers</span>. When Amazon is faced with a class action they may move expeditiously to end these practices.</span><br /></span>t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-66163517918853451442011-03-01T09:50:00.001-08:002011-03-03T06:34:22.133-08:00Sheen For Gaddafi Switch Shakes Up TV Schedule<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CKHIbL8UOSs/TW0yAO2iffI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/qt0UX3rNZ74/s1600/qaddafi-sheen.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 273px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579170492950150642" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CKHIbL8UOSs/TW0yAO2iffI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/qt0UX3rNZ74/s400/qaddafi-sheen.jpg" /></a><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><br /><br />2 AND A HALF MEN to resume production with 'new' dictator; Libya to be ‘liberated’ by 'Carlos' Sheen.<br /><br />In a daring move that both sides hope will immediately calm roiled waters, CBS and Tripoli switched-out self-proclaimed avatar geniuses. While the result appears to simultaneously solve huge PR and logistic problems sources close to the deal acknowledge the hasty trade of drug-addled stars involves substantial risks. <br /><br />“I have told CBS that, while I am very excited for this new opportunity, I can only commit to one season,” said the former ruler from the Endeavor offices of agent Ari Emanuel. "Though I am thrilled to be working with the greatly talented Jon Cryer and Chuck Lorre, two giants of our industry.” <br /><br />Meanwhile, frosh helmer Sheen subtlely shifted the focus of his recent diatribes. “Libya, under my leadership, remains unalterably opposed to the state of Israel and its terrorist agent, Chaim Levine.” On ankling his CBS series, the sitcom wildman said, “Sure, I hate to walk away from a fight, but do you know how much rock I can buy with 30 billion dollars?”<br /><br />Sheen may at best be a temporary fix for Libya an aide to Secretary of State Clinton conceded, and execs at CBS were more than a little worried their top-rated show can survive with the Libyan strongman headlining. “Look, there’s no doubt Moamar can do comedy. But it remains to be seen whether American audiences will buy a show topped by a delusional egomaniac who isn’t a child of Hollywood royalty.”t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-75838533472379105012011-01-28T13:28:00.000-08:002011-01-28T13:29:39.061-08:00Internet Access Blocked In Egypt -- Could It Happen Here... PLEASE!!t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-53451011264694026012010-10-18T19:06:00.000-07:002010-10-19T06:24:32.884-07:00BEST CASE SCENARIO FOR 2012 ELECTION: If the 2010 midterms are a Republican Landslide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhXv56eraGI/TLz-dTYIwUI/AAAAAAAAAgg/ae5GM97aHBs/s1600/Hannah+poolside+89.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 278px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhXv56eraGI/TLz-dTYIwUI/AAAAAAAAAgg/ae5GM97aHBs/s400/Hannah+poolside+89.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529574221875298626" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">October 18th, 2010<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">The Democratic Prospects For 2012 Through Rosey Colored Glasses</span><br /><br />The over/under on the midterms for Congress is, as of today, a likely loss of 50 seats by the Democratic majority. That's 11 more than the GOP need to take control of Congress. It's a very large shift even for an off-year electon where the out-party traditionally picks up seats.<br /><br />Reliable pollsters say it's possible the Republican may even pick up as many as 70 seats. And should they merely pick up 40 seats on election day, falling far short of prognostications, the national media will nonetheless paint this as an epochal defeat for the Democrats, for this administration, for health care, liberals and progressives of all-stripes.<br /><br />In the short-term we will be asked to believe the sky is falling, or has fallen, that the Tea Party has completely altered the political landscape, and that Barack Obama is fated to be a one-term President.<br /><br />Okay. Not so fast. Rationally it simply does not add up.<br /><br />So, in coming weeks, when you feel an anxiety attack coming on, when you begin to wonder what again is wrong with this nutty nation of ours, stop and take several deep breaths.<br /><br />Then consider the actual political landscape and the inevitable swings and over-reaches that occur. Because, in fact, objectively, prospects for 2012 (even if the Republicans manage to exceed a netgain of 50 seats) will remain rather good. Maybe even better than good.<br /><br />First off, remember, out-parties almost never nominate candidates for President from their ideological base <span style="font-weight: bold;">EXCEPT </span>in years where they stand little chance of winning. (E.g., Barry Goldwater in 1964). <span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br />However, 2012 might prove the exception. Like Reagan in 1980 who was the exception to prove the rule, a candidate who had nearly ousted the incumbent President, Ford, in 1976, and bowed out relatively gracefully after, Reagan was owed the nomination. But there don't appear to be any Reagans out there right now.<br /><br />Additionally, there are a number of developments with probabilities that have to be graded as better-than-even that will make a Republican nominee's prospects difficult. (Better-than-even events listed in<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> red)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">1) An improving economy</span>. Signs are that as low as we have gone and as uneven as it has been, continued growth, though slow, decreasing unemployment numbers and slight inflation (rather than the dreaded '<span style="font-style: italic;">deflation</span>') are the most likely conditions the next 24 months. And it is all about the economy. Period. A positive directionality will favor the party in power.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">2) The Republican takeover of the House will produce vivid scenes of Republican-led legislative chaos</span> and internecine bloodletting. Boehner's leadership will see a challenge. Someone has to introduce a repeal of Heathcare. There will be other Angles, O'Donnells, Bachmanns and the '94 Contract On America Congress will probably look like a well-ordered Weimar rally by comparison. No one will be able to ride herd on these cats.<br /><br />3) Talks with the Taliban. Likely? Maybe not. But it's in the air, and how would that fact coupled with a careful, cautious, orderly draw down of troops in Afghanistan beginning in July of 2011 look?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">4) The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" with the blessings of the Joint Chiefs.</span> You think not?<br />The commission reports in December. I bet it will at worst merely be equivocal, favoring the repeal and the open service of gays and lesbians in the military.<br /><br />5) The Obama Deficit Reduction Commission also is due to report in December. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">It will lead to deficit proposals and legislation.</span><br /><br />6) How about instead of another terrorist attack on American soil, or in Europe, something slightly unexpected -- the capture or killing of Bin Ladin? Impossible?<br /><br />No matter the fine-grain outcomes, the likelihood is that January, 2012, when the first Presidential Primaries roll around chances are Obama's re-election won't appear certain, but good enough to guarantee a contentious, expensive, divisive battle between the Republican establishment (Mitt Romney probably backed by Glenn Beck) and the insurgent Tea Partiers, hopefully led by Sarah Palin. That will be a knife-fight that should make Obama-Clinton look like a love-in.<br /><br />This battle royale, even if it sucks most of the oxygen out of the media air, won't be stealing fire from a weak, crowded field of hopefuls struggling for attention. Like in '08. It will be backstopped by the sight of a confident, competent leader dealing with the day-to-day business of governing this lunatic asylum we call a country.<br /><br />Don't be too quick to bet against President Barack O'Xanax in that scenario whatever the noise is now.t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37435596.post-53272618577187764712010-09-22T10:09:00.001-07:002010-09-22T10:42:36.227-07:00Obama Aides Unanimous -- Woodward "A Dick"t. lief tepperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11074066914860190173noreply@blogger.com0