Thursday, December 08, 2016

The crazy train has left the building.

Image result for admiral pearl harbor kneeling imagesThese are crazy times.

A Navy Admiral rips an American football player for  exercising his Fist Amendment right at a Pearl Harbor event, and he is given a standing ovation. (The president-elect, by the way, says that this same football player can leave the country if he doesn't like the national anthem.)

 The president- elect chooses a person who is opposed to raising the federal minimum wage as his labor secretary, and a climate change denier  (a man who sued the EPA) to run...wait for it....the EPA. Oh, and did I mention that his pick to run the education department is opposed to public schools?

At this point I kind of expect him to try and get Bernie Madoff on the supreme court.

And what's with all the former generals in his inner circle? I don't know about y'all, but I smell a takeover.

Anywhoo, speaking of crazy, did you hear about the player for the G Man who says that his home was vandalized with racist graffiti and images?

 "The worst thing to happen to Giants fullback Nikita Whitlock wasn’t a season-ending foot injury or being hit with a 10-game PED suspension.

Whitlock’s New Jersey home was broken into Tuesday night, and the burglars left behind some frightening reminders — including a graffiti swastika, the letters KKK and the message “Go back to Africa.”

“It just re-establishes that no matter where you are, no matter who you are, this can happen to you,” Whitlock told WCBS. “It’s about to be 2017. Oppression, violence, racism, hatred, violence, there’s no need for that.”

Whitlock said some jewelry and video game systems were stolen, but the messages left behind were as frightening as the loss of security that comes with knowing someone has invaded your home. It’s the second time they’ve been broken into, and they were already planning to move before the first incident, which happened over Thanksgiving weekend." [Source]

Some people are already saying that this story might be a hoax because of the burglary angle. But hey, all I know is that in New York alone hate crimes have gone up at least thirty five percent  since trump was elected president.

There was a fake hate crime story reported, recently, but I don't think that my alt-right friends will lie how this one turned out.

 "A New York firefighter was arrested after allegedly setting fire to his own home in an apparent attempt to smear anti-police brutality activists.

Jason Stokes pleaded not guilty Tuesday to arson in connection with the August fire at his house in Endicott, reported WBNG-TV.


A
A family member said at the time that they believed their home was targeted because of the “Blue Lives Matter” flag flying out front.

Investigators found the message, “lie with pigs, fry like bacon,” written on some siding outside the burned home.

The slogan apparently referenced an incident from August 2015, when some demonstrators chanted, “pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon,” during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Minnesota State Fair that was widely reported by conservative media.

Pro-police websites blamed the fire at Stokes’ home on “terrorists” associated with the civil rights group.
Prosecutors now believe the 41-year-old Stokes wrote the message to help cover up his crime, although they’re not sure why.

“We don’t need to show a motive, we need to show intent,” said Steve Cornwell, Broome County district attorney.

Investigators also found multiple gas cans placed throughout the home, which they said appeared to be booby-trapped, but Stokes’ family escaped unharmed and no other injuries were reported." [Source]


Blaming the black guy used to be the way to go when you want to get away with a crime. Lately, though, not so much. 

Crazy times indeed.

*Pic from cnn.com


72 comments:

Josh said...

Anyone with an iota of business savvy should be opposed to raising the minimum wage.

What sort of jobs pay minimum wage? Jobs which require no experience, jobs with incredibly high turnover rates, and jobs where young people will typically work to build work experience.

Sorry, but these aren't the individuals in society who command a high wage.

Artificially driving up wages is the only reason kids have a hard time getting grocery store and Walmart jobs now, because it's more profitable for companies to have self-checkout robots than to hire cashiers and baggers.

But, hey, don't let actual economic principles slow the roll of utopian dreamers. Pay EVERYONE a "living wage"!

Lilacpr said...

It happened here on the island, by raising the minimum wage the employer is forced to let go employees and the ones left are saddled with all the work. Lose lose, especially for small businesses.

Yīshēng said...

WOW PR, you haven't just drank the kook aid, you've got a kool aid stand on the side of the road, lol!!

Yīshēng said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Yīshēng said...

Team SF AND Kepernick!!

The Ministry of Truth said...

Alright, this one isn't yet an official entry to the Trump Legion of Doom Cabinet, so it's not yet time to panic. But the latest rumor is that Trump is going to name a venture capitalist, Jim O’Neill, as head of the FDA. And this guy has some insane views about pharmaceuticals. Here is a representative quote:

“We should reform FDA so there is approving drugs after their sponsors have demonstrated safety — and let people start using them, at their own risk, but not much risk of safety,” O’Neill said in a speech at an August 2014 conference called Rejuvenation Biotechnology. “Let’s prove efficacy after they’ve been legalized.”

So this joker thinks the FDA should determine if drugs are safe, but not demand that they be proven to, you know, WORK. He's totally fine with corporations selling fake treatments to gullible people with serious illnesses. Let the public decide! They all went to medical school, right?

Let the free market be free! Stop oppressing the market, you big meanies!

*facepalm*

Josh said...

So, Ministry of Truth, you're opposed to people having the right to seek alternative medical treatments? As a skeptic, I know full well that mythical, magical crystals don't work. But why the fuck should someone be banned from selling them?

I'm constantly taken aback by the sheer number of people in America who demand government monopolies.

Manifest Density said...

"The president-elect, by the way, says that this same football player can leave the country if he doesn't like the national anthem."

Typical privileged neuropeon nonsense and another example of something a domestic abuser would say. (I feel your pain Ivana)

"The president- elect chooses a person who is opposed to raising the federal minimum wage as his labor secretary, and a climate change denier (a man who sued the EPA) to run...wait for it....the EPA."

He gives these pale males a nod for a job. He doesn't tell them to leave. But, he does tell the brother to leave. Is this really the "land of the free and the home of the brave?" Or is it more like Francis Scott Keyes brother in law said, that blacks "had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit."

James Deplorable said...

"An Navy Admiral"

That's "A Navy Admiral", you illiterate buffoon.

"rips an American football player for exercising his Fist Amendment right at a Pearl Harbor event, and he is given a standing ovation."

You only have First Amendment rights when you're on your own time.  When you're on the job, your employer can tell you what you can and cannot say.  Your option if you don't like it is to get a different job.

People have been Noticing that the NFL forbade the Dallas Cowboys from supporting Blue Lives after the assassinations there, but allow Colon Cappernig's "protest"... and they're turning off the network.  Many are cutting the cord completely, eliminating the revenues to ESPN.  If ESPN goes down, the NFL's revenue craters and it will contract vicously, maybe die completely.  Since the NFL has been turned into a vehicle for promoting Negro Worship, don't expect it to last much longer.


"At this point I kind of expect him to try and get Bernie Madoff on the supreme court."

If you had a clue about what the various departments do, you would have said the SEC.

"is it more like Francis Scott Keyes brother in law said, that blacks "had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit.""

You've been useless as labor since John Rust's cotton spindle, if not before.  Nobody wants you for anything, save Hillary's little kiddie-trafficing ring supplying the Haitian raw material for spirit cooking.  And we can do without the cooking and HIllary both.

dinthebeast said...

Actually, raising the minimum wage does not, in fact, reduce employment. Study after study has shown this to be the case, and now Seattle, where the, uh, ideologues on the right were certain the $15 minimum wage would tank the restaurant business, has more restaurant employment than before, a 3.4% unemployment rate,and as a sector, restaurants are growing there, not contracting.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-12-07/seattle-s-higher-minimum-wage-hasn-t-hurt-jobs-or-business

-Doug in Oakland

field negro said...

Yes James, we see u. I am pretty sure that was corrected before your gotcha rant.

Carry on.

field negro said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
field negro said...

MOT, he has to pick Mittens as SOS now doesn't he?

I mean this cabinet is shaping up to be the worst in history.

Manifest Density said...

"You've been useless... since... if not before."

Which one is it? Are you sure?
I don't believe you. You sound conflicted.

Nobody wants you for anything..."

Nobody? Nobody in the whole wide world? Nobody anywhere?
Again. I don't believe you.

It's okay to be stupid, but not silly.




anotherbozo said...

Ed over at Gin and Tacos just made a shout out to "Wain" Bennett (?? I'm assuming Asad Malik spelled it right) and this blog, recommending that his mostly white readership get a little diversity in their reading habits.

I'd been thinking maybe I was some sort of masochistic creep, or some librul with a bad conscience, reading what wasn't intended for me here. Ed bails me out--we gotta get out of our white echo chambers once in a while.

I like Chauncy de Vega's blog http://www.chaunceydevega.com/ which used to be called "We Are Respectable Negroes," which I thought was hilarious, but is now called "Indomitable." Ed also recommends Damon Young and his http://verysmartbrothas.com/ I tried http://bitchesgottaeat.blogspot.com/ and Samantha Irby is very funny.

Anyway most of you probably know these blogs but just in case.

Yisheng is a genius said...

I read VSB but I didn't know Irby had a blog too. She IS funny!

Lilacpr said...

It's Yīshēng, Stalking B*cthes said...

WOW PR, you haven't just drank the kook aid, you've got a kool aid stand on the side of the road, lol!!

10:55 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Well, I only speak from what I've seen and experienced. So not quite "Kool Aid" :)

I've seen it happen where people were let go and the work burden then fell on the remaining. Jobs are scarce here so some stayed, but others were burnt out and left. So as far as I saw it's not a good situation. But,of course I'm not an economic expert and I speak from observation only of real life situations and may be missing the 'big picture long term effects'.



Anonymous said...

A proud purveyor of fake news...

James Deplorable said...

"Nobody? Nobody in the whole wide world? Nobody anywhere?
Again. I don't believe you."

Nobody's trying to get INTO African countries or American ghettoes.  Everyone is trying to get OUT.  Even African-Africans dislike American Blacks.  NOBODY WANTS YOU.

"It's okay to be stupid, but not silly."

You succeed in being both.

Yisheng is a genius said...

I've seen things happen the way you describe it too.

But as long as businesses are allowed to exploit people with few job options i.e. NOT pay them a fair wage, they WILL!!

Profts for most businesses are at record levels for many business sectors, you don't think ANY of them can afford to pay more without working people to death?

Yisheng is a genius said...

I've seen things happen the way you describe it too.

But as long as businesses are allowed to exploit people with few job options i.e. NOT pay them a fair wage, they WILL!!

Profts for most businesses are at record levels for many business sectors, you don't think ANY of them can afford to pay more without working people to death?

Yisheng is a genius said...

Actually Field, I don't "see" it at all, ROTFL!!��

Whooteemoo bullshit long since ceased to be my cup of Earl Grey tea!

Anonymous said...

Yisheng isn't worth minimum wage.

Without slavery, she has no useful role in America.

Lilacpr said...

It's Yīshēng, Stalking B*cthes said...

Wally World has unbeatable prices on household items and their Christmas decorative options rival Michael's.

9:31 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


And they can offer these unbeatable prices precisely because they pay low salaries! :D

(This is a comment you wrote on Wednesday's 'Captain America' post.)

Yisheng = nigger said...

Colin Kaepernick will be regarded as a hero in the next few decades. Remember even Muhammad Ali was vilified in his time.

Puerto Rican food sucks ass said...

I truly do not believe Trump will serve more than one term. He is basically a gimmick in the White House. The Democrats will wake up in 2018 and take back Washington in 2020.

Eric Jacobus said...

Hey Yisheng, shouldn't you be sipping on some grape soda instead of Earl Grey?

Eric Jackassobus said...

Hey Yisheng, shouldn't you be sipping on some grape soda instead of Earl Grey?
--------------
We all know what you suck on there Eric.

James Deplussy said...

Nobody's trying to get INTO African countries or American ghettoes. Everyone is trying to get OUT. Even African-Africans dislike American Blacks. NOBODY WANTS YOU.
------------------

Except the white girls who keep bugging us for BBC. Don't they have cable where they live? I mean I know Fox and CNN are bad but what do they keep asking for a British news outlet? Do you have any clue James? I think I saw your mom recently asking.

James smells like cat ass said...

What you're afraid of is that when your baybeez perpetrated gang assaults on White girls minding their own business you'd face overwhelming deadly force against the whole coonmunity to make sure you NEVER DID IT AGAIN. The only thing that prevents this from happening every time there's a Steve Utash or Anne Pressly or Jonathon Foster is the police. Take the police away, and you're dead.
-----------------------

Nobody is afraid of any of you fucking keyboard warriors. There's always a reason why you won't start your "race war". Blah blah blah, it was too hot that day, we only fight on Wednesdays. You're starting to sound like an even bigger pussy than you already are James.
150 IQ bwahahaahahahaahahaahaaahhahaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Yīshēng said...

Lilacpr said...
And they can offer these unbeatable prices precisely because they pay low salaries! :D
>>>>>

You don't think they're able to do it because they cut into their own CEO salaries/bonuses, do you?

Yīshēng said...

Anonymous Eric Jackassobus said...
We all know what you suck on there Eric.
>>>

I don't think even a prisoner in isolation for 100 years would want a thing like him with HSV type 1 on the lips and HSV type 2 on the tongue/gums.

No one could be THAT desperate!

Bwahahaahahahaahahaahaaahhahaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Anonymous said...

White boys have tiny brains AND tiny dicks! Hahahahahahahaha!!!

Lilacpr said...

It's Yīshēng, Stalking B*cthes said...

You don't think they're able to do it because they cut into their own CEO salaries/bonuses, do you?

1:37 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know,do you?

Yīshēng said...

CEO salaries are at the highest levels EVER. Yets they can't pay $15.hr? BS!!!

The Ministry of Truth said...

Lilac is so much smarter and more honest than Yisheng.

Just sayin'

Datz Wayciss said...

When 95% of Black Americans voted for Obama in 2008 - AMAZING!

When 58% of White Americans voted for Trump in 2016 - EVIL WHITE RACISM!

Lilacpr said...

It's Yīshēng, Stalking B*cthes said...

CEO salaries are at the highest levels EVER. Yets they can't pay $15.hr? BS!!!

1:55 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But Yisheng they're the CEO's!

As a doctor would you pay your receptionist, nurse, office help, the same salary as you would get?

Factor in the cost of renting or buying office space,plus utilities,several types of insurance, equipment,accountants, paying off student loans you may have incurred,staff?

Yīshēng said...

Lilacpr said...
As a doctor would you pay your receptionist, nurse, office help, the same salary as you would get?
>>>>

Now you're conflating issues. Paying people a FARE wage is NOT the same as paying people the SAME wage. In fact SAMENESS is an entirely different and irrelevant issue to the point I'm making.

But I suppose that there are some people who think the President of the US should make the same salary at as janitor. I don't happen to feel that way.




Idiocracy said...

A "doctor" who can't spell "fair".

SMDH

dinthebeast said...

Since the Wal-Mart heirs control more wealth than the bottom 40% of the population, yes, I think they can afford to pay their employees enough so that they don't need government assistance to eat.

-Doug in Oakland

Lilacpr said...

It's Yīshēng, Stalking B*cthes2:37 PM

But I suppose that there are some people who think the President of the US should make the same salary at as janitor. I don't happen to feel that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh I agree the office of the POTUS is special! Especially now that President Trump will be making America Great Again! Bringing back the jobs so sorely needed by the people. Many people who are out of work now will be very happy when the start earning wages again!

Lilacpr said...

dinthebeast said...

Since the Wal-Mart heirs control more wealth than the bottom 40% of the population, yes, I think they can afford to pay their employees enough so that they don't need government assistance to eat.

-Doug in Oakland

3:14 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do you have against government assistance? Aren't you living off disability? and is not that "government assistance"?

At least they have jobs, many don't, because they've all been outsourced!!! But I suppose that's okay with you right?

Yīshēng said...

Lilacpr said...
Oh I agree the office of the POTUS is special! Especially now that President Trump will be making America Great Again! Bringing back the jobs so sorely needed by the people. Many people who are out of work now will be very happy when the start earning wages again!
>>>>

If Trump were truly trying to MAGA, he would donate his salary since its peanuts to him anyway!!

I actually remember when Walmart used to pay a decent wage in the early 90's. Then their profits started soaring and like so many other greedy muthaf**kers in business, they decided that 99.9% of htier employees didn't deserve a decent salary.

Yīshēng said...

PR, is that really you at 3:26? Because if it is, there are very few people who if they live long enough or get sick enough, won't need/qualify for government assistance at some point in their lives.

And I would think that anyone that's dealt with a life threatening illness would understand this FAR better than most people.

MAGA said...

If Trump were truly trying to MAGA, he would donate his salary since its peanuts to him anyway!!


He already did:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2016/11/14/trump-says-no-to-presidential-salary-could-you-do-the-same-cut-your-tax-bill/#2c9681a23401

Dan Rather said...

Those who are most loudly denouncing Fake News are those most aggressively disseminating it.

Josh said...

"Yets [sic] they can't pay $15.hr"

Who are these CEOs who aren't paying these high wages? Again, back to the first comment on this post: The jobs that are paying minimum wage are jobs whose requisite skills aren't commanding %15/hour salaries, you poor liberal stooges!

Electricians, plumbers, carpenters, utility workers, maintenance, etc, etc -- ALL these jobs pay well above the minimum wage and are considered the lower-tier menial labor jobs of the world. The jobs that you dolts want to demand pay more are primarily--like 20:1--fast-fucking-food jobs.

How many of you can even do some basic middle-school math on the issue?

Okay, so you have a Wendy's franchise in the middle of FieldNegroville. This spot is modestly successful, in direct competition with McD's, BK, Carl's JR, In and Out, 5 Guys, Spelunkers, pizza places, Chinese places, etc, etc. So, on a great day, you clear around $3,000, and you average about $2,000. $14,000/week. Now, food costs, having to order from a franchise menu, are 40% of that. That's $5,600 every single week for the items you're selling. Now, take another 40% off the top to pay rent, utilities, insurance, franchise fees, etc, etc.

That leaves 20% to dole out to everyone else. That's $2,800 in profit every week that's able to be paid to employees. At $15/hour, that's $600/week, meaning that you could have FOUR EMPLOYEES working at that fast food restaurant, with the owner of the franchise making $400/week.

Now, you need to hire more employees. They have to START at $15/hour. What do you do? You can't fucking fire anyone. You only have four people able to work there. You must up your food prices. You can do that, though, because you're a franchise. Shit; it's against the franchise charter. So, what do you do?

You go out of fucking business and buy a Dunkin Donuts, and now nobody's got a job, because all you supposedly smart, enlightened liberals can't bring yourselves to use a fucking calculator.

The jobs being FORCED to pay artificial wages aren't the Wall Street companies. If you're smart and driven enough to work there, you're making a fucking "living wage," you unbelievably inept chadrools. The jobs you're trying to FORCE to pay artificial wages are franchises and businesses owned by small businesspeople who aren't fucking rich and yacht racing in the Hamptons.

You people with your drive for artificial economies decry capitalism why promoting corporatism!

Geniuses.

Lilacpr said...

Umhum!

Juan Valdez said...

When a candidate says we need need to close our borders for the good of the country, and 70% of recent migrants vote against him, that proves his point, no?

The Ministry of Truth said...

"MOT, he has to pick Mittens as SOS now doesn't he?

I mean this cabinet is shaping up to be the worst in history.


This Cabinet is truly a disaster waiting to happen. Trump's White House is going to be characterized by the constant fighting of fires set by his own people.

Romney wouldn't be the worst choice for SOS, though (not sure if that's what you meant). The shortlist Trump is considering for that job includes far nastier individuals -- like John Bolton (who wants to eliminate the UN) and Rudy Giuliani.

Lilacpr said...

It's Yīshēng, Stalking B*cthes said...

PR, is that really you at 3:26? Because if it is, there are very few people who if they live long enough or get sick enough, won't need/qualify for government assistance at some point in their lives.

3:58 PM
~~~~~~~~~~


I agree! My point to Din was that there's nothing wrong with getting assistance when you need it.

teh stupid said...

When 95% of Black Americans voted for Obama in 2008 - AMAZING!

When 58% of White Americans voted for Trump in 2016 - EVIL WHITE RACISM!
----------------------

The stooopid is strong in this one.

Ceasar Chavez said...

Oh I agree the office of the POTUS is special! Especially now that President Trump will be making America Great Again! Bringing back the jobs so sorely needed by the people. Many people who are out of work now will be very happy when the start earning wages again!
------------------

Sorry but Trump is in no way interested in workers. He is stocking his staff with pro-business individuals which in recent history does not equate to pro-worker. He appointed a Labor Secretary who wants to reduce wages and is opposed to unions. Just watch how this plays out, the Labor department instead of investigating unfair labor practices and wage theft will be investigating and trying to dismantle unions. And gee who is that good for?

Lilacpr said...

For people that want to work! He knows what he's doing. Businessmen run businesses. Businesses hire!

The Ministry of Truth said...

"He appointed a Labor Secretary who wants to reduce wages and is opposed to unions."

Also a labor secretary who beats his wife. So he probably won't be vigorously enforcing sexual harassment or gender discrimination laws. What would you expect, though, from a President Pussygrabber appointee?

James Deplorable said...

"Nobody is afraid of any of you fucking keyboard warriors. There's always a reason why you won't start your "race war"."

This from the idiots who are deathly afraid that Trump will bring back lynching and even slavery.  Well, which is it?

Un-fucking-believeable.

Jim Brown said...

"Also a labor secretary who beats his wife."

I'm sure she deserved it.

Puerto Rican food sucks ass said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Goad said...

Hillary Clinton's campaign cost a record $1.2 billion.

Proof that money doesn't buy elections and being a charisma-free lying bitch will make you lose.

The Ministry of Truth said...

I want to go too Paris France just to kiss a girl on top of the eyeful thrower.

Dolo said...

Hillary went from the cusp of ultimate power to living in the hollow trunk of a dead tree and I will never stop loving it.

Puerto Rican food sucks ass said...

I predict Colin Kaepernick will end up somewhere other than San Francisco next year and have a career renaissance.

Jackov Smirnoff said...

In Soviet America, victim persecutes you!

Retired Barack said...

Entitled kids these days want to be able to eat without spending several years of their lives in the desert killing people for israel.

Yīshēng said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fake News said...

Nothing says “Trump voter” like breaking into a black guy’s suburban apartment to steal overpriced garish jewelry.

What’s the over/under on how long before Whitlock is arrested for filing a false police report/insurance claim?

NFL player on his way out of the league stages ridiculous “burglary” complete with fake “raycess Trump” graffiti in hopes the insurance company pays up and quick in order to avoid being called racist themselves. Whitlock has been at the end of his each of teams’ bench. This is probably the end of his football career and he’s on his way to something that pays much less for the rest of his life.

Whitless said...

Police are on the lookout for the suspect, a white, er, European-American male wearing a Make America Great Again trucker cap and numerous heavy gold rope necklaces.

dinthebeast said...

Nope, it's not the government assistance part I don't like, it's the "control more wealth than the bottom 40% of the population and still won't pay employees enough to fail to qualify for it" part I don't like. Believe it or not, SSD recipients aren't all in on cheating the system.

So now it seems that the Republicans are thinking of shutting down the government again if they don't get to fuck over coal miners. That's some serious MAGA white working class advocacy for you.

-Doug in Oakland

James Dedumbass said...

This from the idiots who are deathly afraid that Trump will bring back lynching and even slavery. Well, which is it?

Un-fucking-believeable.
---------------------------------

Uh, where did you see that? Or did you pull it out of your 150 IQ having ass like the "fact" that African-Africans don't like Black Americans? You are such a joke.
150 IQ bwahahahahahaahahahahahahaahahaahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahaha!

Anonymous said...

Slabery.

James Deplorable said...

"Uh, where did you see that?"

None other than Tavis Smiley publicly aired that bit of paranoia less than 2 months ago.  What short memories you have... or do you just lie whenever someone reminds you of an inconvenient truth?

"Or did you pull it out of your 150 IQ having ass like the "fact" that African-Africans don't like Black Americans?"

Been hearing about African-Africans' disenchantment with African-Americans for years.  Here's an authentic African's take on it.

Now that you've been proven wrong, you owe me an apology.  I won't hold my breath.