First class spin bought hook, line and sinker May 9, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : Government, Media , 2commentsI have been in awe and amazement at the blatant disrespect of viewers and dishonesty in the primary coverage this year. Some cable news networks have been nothing more than ooh and aah sessions and cheerleading for candidates of their choice. The media has driven this primary like none other I can ever remember. Just two weeks ago, while Obama was “on a losing streak”, finally the media admitted the bias in coverage . (video)
Of course, if everyone’s buying the spin and parroting the lines, why should they stop? Now, the same dynamic was going on to a lesser extent in the RNC primary, but the voters didn’t vote as instructed (for Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson or Rudy). In the RNC campaign, we did hear talk about winning the correct states , but in the DNC campaign it seems that is off limits. Perhaps that is because the RNC structures their delegate system fairly similar to the electoral college system. If Obama was the RNC candidate and won the states he did, he would not win the primary.
Ten days ago, The media was reporting a wane in the momentum of Senator Obama’s campaign, and that he just couldn’t close the deal. They talked about how last minute voters were breaking for Clinton in every primary.On Tuesday, the senators split states and now the media declares the game is all but over for Senator Clinton . I can not be the only person in America who sees the electoral college standard is one that must be considered.At this point in the race, one begins to ask when is an honest assessment of the electoral results going to be discussed? How much longer are democratic primaries going to be detached from electoral realities?
For example, if today was the general election and Senator Obama wins every state he won to date in the primary (not likely) he would have 212 electoral votes and if he took the remaining states of WV, KY, OR, SD and MT, he would have 238 electoral votes. 270 are needed to win the election, so he would lose the general election.
Senator Clinton on the other hand currently has 297 electoral votes in the states she has won to date. If you subtract Michigan’s 17 delegates she still has 280 electoral votes . Please remember Senator Obama withdrew his name from the ballot, it was “on there” and then he had it removed.
None of this is secret or new information and I simply do not understand how people can not do the simple mathmatics and realize if this was a presidential contest Clinton won already and Obama could not mathmatically win, but yet we hear this is “how we figure delegates” and the real winner of the election doesn’t have enough delegates by democrats standards? What kind of rank idiots are running the party anyway? Is this who we are to trust change to?.
Does anyone see a correlation between how the Democrats system is not based in reality and continually losing presidential elections? Does anyone else see a leadership gap in the DNC ? If the Democrats want to be taken seriously as the party of change, shouldn’t change begin in the Democratic Party ? Shouldn’t we see they can run a primary without major problems that they created themselves? Dean’s attitude toward the voters of states he needs to win the general election should be reserved for other politicians. How can Democrats be taken seriously if they plan to disenfranchisie Florida (and Michigan) voters who had nothing to do with the decision on when to vote, especially after crying for 8 years about the 2000 election? Where has Howard Dean’s leadership been? Have any of the democratic candidates called for his resignation publically? Now that would show a sign of intestinal fortitude and leadership. video
If the best the Democratic Party has to offer for leadership, or as a foretaste of what is to come, what kind of change is that? We keep hearing that we want to get beyond politics and beyond race but what do we have, politics, spin and race coming out of both campaigns. In fact, how much more old politics can you get than Howard Dean? Listen to him-not me !
The North Carolina primary showed that America has not gotten beyond race. Maybe post-racial is supposed to be defined as describing whites being post-racial ? When I hear Barack talk condescending about white voters, it certainly can not apply to him. He keeps telling white folks what our predispositions are. I have even heard Hillary lambasted for mentioning that white blue collar workers tend to support her. If we are so post-racial, why is stating a polling result biased or wrong? Why can one candidate mention attributes of a race and it be fine while another can not mention race at all? To pretend race is not an issue in Harlem, the Bronx, LA, Philadelphia, The Loop, South Side Chicago, Trinity United Church of Christ, Boise, Miami, Matha’s Vineyard or Coral Gables is to be detached from reality. Have peoples attitudes changed drastically? Sure they have.
But this pipe dream being sold is a lie. Race will always matter to many black people and white people. Reparations are still being discussed. A realistic view is that the emotinonal healing still needing to occur is among the black people. Just look at Michelle Obama, a woman who has risen to an enviable place in life is still very bitter and trying to get beyond injustices she perceives has been done to her and her people. That very language shows that we are still divided even among the leaders of the black community and those wanting to lead the country, it is still an issue.
I was glad to see this video point to the fact that his appeal is to a limited demographic, even in the primary cycle with favorable press coverage. Indiana points to the same thing. (video)
I certainly am not advocating a change of rules at this stage of primary elections, But when one considers the electoral college is the standard by which presidential elections are decided, then there is more than a compelling case for the superdelegates to nominate Hillary Clinton. It is pure electoral mathmatics and why you have a superdelegate system. The superdelegates system was put into place as a corrective.
No one is going to win the nomination without the superdelegates putting them over. The problem is fear of being called a racist if they balance this to what the electoral system is. The main problem was the system iteself, a problem Dean knew existed and did nothing about. Secondly, the next problem came when state legislatures voted to move their priomary dates up and the “party committees” wanted to show who was boss and said if you do that your votes won’t count and your delegations won’t be seated. He played chicken and the states said who do the political parites think they are to tell the states in a federal system when they can vote? But Howard Dean, is going to show the states who he is, and teach them a lesson to mess with the DNC.
Don’t people get this? These party leaders think they are gods who can order state governments around when they are just a political party. Who pays for the primary elections? Not the political parties. This whole situation just spotlights the insanity of the democratic party politics and how people don’t even question it is even worse! No wonder it is happening- people just take it.
We hear things like hope and change, but let’s see the candidates get presidential and take control of their party and have some straight talk, not politics. If this Barack Obama is about change, lets see him tell Howard Dean to take a hike for overstepping his position and disenfranchising voters. Or Hillary Clinton. If you can not take on those in your party, and clean up your own party, why should any sane person believe you can accomplish it in the country?
Huffington Post helps Mc Cain May 8, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : Government, Media , add a commentArianna Huffington is doing for Senator Mc Cain what no ad he could run may ever be able to do. She has distanced Senator Mc Cain from president Bush.
The LA Times reports:
“On her Huffington Post website Monday, the pundit said the presumptive Republican presidential nominee had confided shortly after his bitter loss nearly eight years ago that he had not voted for Bush.
McCain suffered sharp attacks from Bush supporters in the 2000 race, and his disdain for the tactics was no secret. But Huffington’s revelation, if true, would debunk the Arizona senator’s longtime stance as the loyal Republican who closed ranks behind Bush.”
Now if only his campaign would be smart enough to shut up and send her a thank you note.
Our God Reigns May 7, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : culture, Theology , add a commentWhat if we changed the title of this film to I am God and you are not? Would it bring about a humble admission that we have acted as our own gods and rebelled against his authority and his Lordship? Or, would it strike up the same resentment?
How many times when we discuss God’s attributes do we create a American God instead of the Biblical One? Do you feel it may actually be tougher to grasp the concept of God, His Sovereignity, His Divine rights of the Creator over the created, His Rule, King, Kingdom, Kingdom Authority, being a subject, the power of the King’s Word and His commands under an american style of governance?
What say you?
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The only freedom we have is in a man nailed to a tree. Check out this video
Delusional political competition supports a delusional democracy May 7, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : culture, Government , 2commentsHas America become a shadow and a type of what she once stood for? We hear in the presidential campaigns the word “democracy” and “rights” and the “constitution”, and what the government wants to do for us and wants to do to companys , if only you vote for ” ME”.
First, watch the video:
When Barack Obama started his energetic campaign this year and was talking about moving forward and hope and change, I was weighing in the balance what I have discussed with several people privately-have we passed the tipping point? When I heard him describe a post-racial society,it clicked, have we become a post-constitutional society?
Delusional political competition supports a delusional democracy based on a set of delusional checks and balances. The whole system that once worked has become a sham.
The Framers anticipated that their system could become corrupted and they inserted an exit strategy ,what might be called a legal loophole – a kind of escape clause, just in case things went terribly wrong. The public is largely ignorant of Article V’s option for a convention, when asked for by two-thirds of states, to propose amendments to the Constitution. Worse, nearly all people with political power have opposed using it.
Article V explicitly says that Congress “shall” call such a convention when a sufficient number of states have asked for one – and that is the ONLY specified constitutional requirement – for over 200 years Congress has willfully disobeyed the constitution and NOT granted a convention. In fact, Congress never had the integrity and constitutional respect to even set up a system of any kind to collect state requests for an Article V convention. Over 500 state requests have been denied/ignored by Congress to date.
Do you think we have become post-constitutional?
Fact or Farm Waste? May 2, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : Church/State, culture, Ethnicity , add a commentAs I have pointed out this week, you can’t always trust a sound bite to be entirely accurate and that there are both similarities and differences in between Rev. Dr. Wright and Manning. I read this article yesterday and will share some excerpts here. For the entire article click here
The Real Reason Why Rev Wright Dissed Obama (excerpted)
‘Newt Gingrich said on ABC’s Good Morning America that Rev.Wright “went out of his way to weaken Obama…I think Reverend Wright has a greater interest in his self-importance”. Indeed Rev Wright is deliberately damaging Barack Obama-but for a more cynical reason than ego preservation’
… Rev. Wright’s real purpose — keeping the pledge payments flowing and collection plates full. Wright’s root agenda,… has been to capitalize on the misfortunes of others, to stoke both race and class resentment, offer a platform and voice pipe for the permanently aggrieved all to fill his own coffers. Rev Wright has amassed the equivalent of a small fortune not by finding solutions but by recycling a permanent state of self-inflicted misery, despair and bitterness. His appeals to the perpetually aggrieved have been rewarded by their willingness to part with their treasure to hear their complaints, some imaginary the remainder of their own making, resonate from the pulpit and center stage at Trinity Church.
As a grievance monger, instead of problem solver, Wright never promises — and would never promise — actual solutions. Why would he? Solutions would dry up the money pipe. Why would the permanently aggrieved willingly part with their treasure to hear that their complaints have been fixed? They wouldn’t. How could the politics of indignation be sustained when one of their own became the president of the United States? It couldn’t.
Rev Jeremiah Wright’s worst nightmare would be Barack Obama as president.
Do you Agree or Disagree with Mr. Hunt’s premise?
“It is customary and appropriate in many Christian denominations, including the United Church of Christ, for local churches to offer housing provisions for retiring clergy, especially in cases where pastors have served long-term pastorates,”
according to the democratic underground:
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Wright’s church (Trinity United Church for Christ) has built ex pastor Jeremiah Wright a mansion worth $1 million dollars in the Tinsley Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
Trinity United Church of Christ is building Barack Obama’s controversial former pastor a million-dollar Tinley Park home complete with an elevator, whirlpool, butler’s pantry, circular driveway and four-car garage, building plans show.
A wikipedia search turned out the following demographics data from Tinsley Park:
As of the 2000 census<4>, there were 48,401 people, 17,478 households, and 12,793 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,236.9 people per square mile (1,250.0/km²). There were 18,037 housing units at an average density of 1,206.2/sq mi (465.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.16% White, 1.92% African American, 0.13% Native American, 2.38% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.11% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.13% of the population.
Do you appreciate this? May 2, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : Government , add a comment‘My Constituents Appreciate It’: Congressmen Drive In Style At Taxpayer Expense
You may not realize it, but members of the House of Representatives can lease a car and have it paid for by you — the taxpayer. And it’s not just the car, but gas, registration, insurance … the works and there’s no limit on how much they can spend.
Congressman Charles Rangel was recently seen getting out of his Cadillac DeVille, which he leases for $774 per month. Then there was Congressman Jose Serrano, getting out of his Buick LaCrosse, which he leases for $317 per month. And how about this one: Congressman Gregory Meeks was recently seen waiting for Congressman John Conyers to step out of Meeks’ Lexus LS460, which Meeks leases for $998 per month.
All those leases are picked up by taxpayers through a little-known program available only to members of the House of Representatives.
Members of the House who choose to lease through the program have had a great deal of leeway. Congressman Anthony Weiner of Brooklyn, for example, leases a 2008 Chevy impala for $219/month. Congressman Ed Towns of Brooklyn used to lease a Lincoln for $845 per month, but switched to a 2008 mini-SUV made by Lincoln, the MKX, which costs $715 per month.
The U.S. Senate does not permit its members to lease cars with public money.
Do you appreciate this?
Edit: Nidan commented on the group Citizens against Government Waste so I will include their Pig Book
Choose year: 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998
1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991
The Congressional Pig Book is CAGW’s annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the federal budget. The 2007 Pig Book identified 2,658 projects at a cost of $13.2 billion in the Defense and Homeland Security Appropriations Acts for fiscal 2007. Only two of the 11 appropriations bills were enacted by Congress and the remaining nine were subject to a moratorium on earmarks. A “pork” project is a line-item in an appropriations bill that designates tax dollars for a specific purpose in circumvention of established budgetary procedures. To qualify as pork, a project must meet one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Porkbusters Coalition.
Complete Pork Database: Microsoft Excel file.
Features: Historical Trends | Supplement: All About Pork | Audio | Video | Pictures | Transcript
In defense of his position May 1, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : culture, Ethnicity, Media, Theology , add a comment|
Dr. Manning defends his position distorted by soundbites. Notice a pattern? |
http://nofishleftbehind.blogspot.com/2008/05/pastor-manning-explains-his-position.html
Deception 101 and Smokescreen 201 April 30, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : culture, Government , 2commentsThe whole Jeremiah Wright , Barack Obama, and Trinity United Church of Christ story seems to have been a mixture of Deception 101 and Smokescreen 201. I was one of the first non-Obamaites to cry foul on this story and faulted the MSM for their lack of follow-up on a story they had a year ago.
On March 21st, I stated ” Dr. Jeremiah Wright told us a year ago who shaped his worldview and his theology. If any of the “news people” had bothered to simply check out who Dr. Wright named there would be no real shock at the rhetoric of Dr. Wright. Mind you, “no shock” does not equal agreement with a statement, rather it means you understand a state of an existence of a theology being taught in our seminaries and in some churches. ”.
Dr. Jeremiah Wright was upfront and honest in his interview with Fox News a year ago about who influenced his theological perspective. I do not agree with either liberation theology or black liberation theology, but that is neither here nor there. In this country we have a freedom to worship God any way we please and if he wants to imbibe a liberation or a social gospel, or New Age , or believe in Kobol, or whatever, that is his right as a citizen.
The only explanation that is really necessary is to other Christians to clarify the theology may be different than you believe, which is what I did on March 20.
Most of us heard the soundbites of Wright’s “America’s chickens are coming home to roost” sermon, but when you listen to it in context it does not portray him in the same way. Here is the Chickens Coming Home to roost soundbite, followed by the sermons context. video
Now here is the clip of Wright asking should we sing God Bless America, no no, no ..that was played over and over. It is followed by another outtake of the sermon . Most will still probably be offended by this , but you must understand the larger point here.
This is a social perspective of the plight of many people who were oppressed at a point in our history and that black liberation theology addresses. I certainly would not claim that all black churches are like Trinity, but I do not see where folks should be so “culture shocked” Here is the sound bite of God Bless America? no, no no and the sermons context it was given in. video
I have been troubled by the media willingness to dissect and play soundbites of sermons because to me it borders on the church being intruded upon and inspected by the state. I am not willing for political gain or any purpose to “go there”.
This is why you need a church that is free to be critical of the state, it’s government and society—but what we have seen lately is branding of pastors of all types , and citizens who disagree with the government as out of the main stream, dangerous, radical or conspiracy theorists. Do I agree with Wright’s take? I agree with his right to preach free of government interference and the general publics opinion. I agree that Pat Robertson, Dr. Dobson , and the entire televangelist crowd have the same rights, though I do not agree with many of them either. And I agree he has a right to criticize the government and be held responsible for that criticism to be factual by his congregation-not the government or the news media.
These clips were taken out of context, but worse were taken out of a sermon and then are holding a pastor to account in the public square for his views. Sorry, not only he, but every American has a right to be genuinely irate. Everyone yells seperation of state but the silence is deafening here. The state has no business censoring or monitoring sermons-none-nada-zilch!
I have also watched in dismay over the past months how people feel it is unpatriotic to say that our actions overseas have no consequences. The actions of the CIA from 1950 on in Iran, to the support of the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan in fighting Russia, propping up Sadaam Hussein with biological and chemical weapons to fight Iran in the 80’s all came to putting trust and empowering people who were…..terrorists working on our behalf for our conuntries benefit. These all had consequences.
Ron Paul was all but tarred and feathered for suggesting our actions had consequences and people inferred he was not a patriot. You have to see a disturbing pattern in the packaging of the news amd what we now accept as legitimate. It is as if questioning the government is bad and a conspiracy theory rather than normal and legitimate. The government must provide answers to us.
Wright throws Obama under the bus
The Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright at the National Press Club event Monday, which was organized by Reynolds.
Errol Lewis feels that the recent Jeremiah Wright Media event was done to hurt Mr. Obama ((video)
“The Rev. Jeremiah Wright couldn’t have done more damage to Barack Obama’s campaign if he had tried. And you have to wonder if that’s just what one friend of Wright wanted.
Shortly before he rose to deliver his rambling, angry, sarcastic remarks at the National Press Club Monday, Wright sat next to, and chatted with, Barbara Reynolds.
A former editorial board member at USA Today, she runs something called Reynolds News Services and teaches ministry at the Howard University School of Divinity. (She is an ordained minister).
It also turns out that Reynolds - introduced Monday as a member of the National Press Club “who organized” the event - is an enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporter.
On a blog linked to her Web site- www.reynoldsnews.com- Reynolds said in a February post: “My vote for Hillary in the Maryland primary was my way of saying thank you” to Clinton and her husband for the successes of Bill Clinton’s presidency.
The same post criticized Obama’s “Audacity of Hope” theme: “Hope by definition is not based on facts,” wrote Reynolds. It is an emotional expectation. Things hoped for may or may not come. But help based on experience trumps hope every time.”
In another blog entry, Reynolds gives an ever-sharper critique of Obama: “It is a sad testimony that to protect his credentials as a unifier above the fray, the senator is fueling the media characterization that Rev. Dr. Wright is some retiring old uncle in the church basement.”
I don’t know if Reynolds’ eagerness to help Wright stage a disastrous news conference with the national media was a way of trying to help Clinton - my queries to Reynolds by phone and e-mail weren’t returned yesterday - but it’s safe to say she didn’t see any conflict between promoting Wright and supporting Clinton.
It’s hard to exaggerate how bad the actual news conference was. Wright, steeped in an honorable, fiery tradition of Bible-based social criticism, cheapened his arguments and his movement by mugging for the cameras, rolling his eyes, heaping scorn on his critics and acting as if nobody in the room was learned enough to ask him a question.
Wright has, unquestionably, been caricatured and vilified unfairly. The feeding programs, prison outreach and other social services he has built over more than 30 years are commendable, and his reading of the Judeo-Christian tradition as an epic story of people trying to escape slavery is far more right than wrong - and not something to be caricatured or compressed into a 10-second sound bite.
But Wright should have known - and his friend and ally Reynolds, a media professional, surely knew - that bickering with the press can only harm Wright and, by extension, Obama. “
Things we should be judging Obama about:
Truthfulness. Or lack thereof:
Before you go feeling too sorry for Barack though you must realize he has had a few of his own “chickens coming home to roost”
For instance : video
And this is a new type of candidate? I don’t think so, he repeats over and over the 100 year remark, willing to play on peoples fear-something he feels is a disqualifier. And has no problem that the DNC is doing the same: video
Obama knew by February 25 these were out of context yet he and the DNC continue .
“I don’t just want to end the war. I want to end the mindset that got us into war,” Barack Obama says. “End the politics of fear. And using 9/11 to scare up votes.” It is nice to see that Obama is, after all, just another old-style politician. For a second, I was worried he was something new.
By the “politics of fear,” Barack Obama simply means “national security.” It is unnecessary to worry about such issues because, you know, it’s not like 3,000 of our friends were slaughtered a few years ago or anything. What is most ironic, however, is that the same Obama who complains about those who “scare up votes” is himself a leading contender for the politics of fear prize.
Now we see how the media has attempted to distort or pull a March surprise on us with old news and we know it is nothing but business as ususal by them-Deception 101.
But I also mentioned Smokescreen 201
There was a smokescreen put out this year that Democratic candidates would stress their faith, and go after the “evangelical vote” . The smokescreen began when at the beginning of his campaign he went out to Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church and the evangelical community was outraged
Most evangelicals and Catholics view abortion simply as state sanctioned murder. It is a matter of faith and a violation of their faith. But if you listened to Baracks campaign up until March he was being touted as a Christian and many evangelicals were takling notice; most unaware of his stand.
What are Barack’s stand on abortion?
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-NARAL voting record, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org Jan 1, 2008
-The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.147-148 Oct 30, 2007
-Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (S.403); vote number 2006-216 on July 25, 2006
-SB 1661: April 4, 2002 |
100% NARAL RatingWith the pass he had been receiving by the MSM everyone was focused on hope and change and new and not looking at what was his achilles heel among evangelicals.
Barack Obama Forms Catholic Advisory Council to Make Pro-Life Inroads
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is expected to announce the formation of a Catholic Advisory Council today that he will likely use to try to make inroads among pro-life Catholic voters..
Senator Bob Casey and former Congressman Tim Roemer will participate in the Friday afternoon conference call to announce the formation of the advisory group. (link)
That is just pure deception and a smoke screen. New type of politics? It is playing people.
Now many people can make the claim (and walk a tightrope) that they are for other peoples rights to have a abortion but against it when it comes to their own personal circumstances, or in a limited circumstance situation. But Obama is for it for reasons of birth control and irresponsible choices as well, and to try to play he is a friend of those who view abortion as murder is a lie. (video)
Caveat emptor
Soundbite campaigns April 29, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : Government , add a commentThe soundbite campaign season is in full play and appear to be mostly a season of deception.
In a age of seperation of church and state, lets keep the state and the media out of our churches.
For more, see Deception 101 and Smokescreen 201.
Dean may want to scream! April 29, 2008
Posted by reformedville in : Government, Media , add a comment |
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DNC Chairman Dean Says Clinton or Obama Must Drop Out By June | |
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Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean said Monday that either Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama must drop out of the Democratic presidential race after the June primaries in order to unify the party by the convention and win the election in November. But Dean didn’t say which candidate should drop out, only that it should happen after primary voters have been to the polls. “We want the voters to have their say. That’s over on June 3,” Dean said in an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Dean also said that while the party rules say Democratic superdelegates can wait until the party’s August 25 convention to make up their minds, that would be too late to unify the party and defeat the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain. “We really can’t have a divided convention. If we do it’s going to be very hard to heal the party afterwards,” Dean said. “So we’ll know who the nominee is and that’ll give us an extra 2 1/2 months to get our party together, heal the wounds of having a very closely divided race and take on Senator McCain.” |
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Is his attempt to have a peaceful convention going to create even more problems?
Of course this is also Howards brainchild-misinformation that Barack Obama calls the politics of the past (but uses himself):
We released our second national television ad this morning on John McCain and Iraq. Watch it here; http://video.xanga.com/uprisingyouth/a6155729488/video.html
Thoughts?