Full of wild accusations with no links or anything else backing them up. So I did a quick search on some of them and found the first one comes from the Swift Boat Vets book - hardly a reliable source of unbiased information.
Did he lie to the congressional committee? I have read the testimony and this would be hard to prove since he basically was speaking for a group and not as an individual.
Did he but in line at Reagan's funeral? I couldn't find anything. I suppose I could look harder but why should I since I am not making the claim?
At the Naval hospital of St. Albans in 1969, Tedd Peck, the former commander of PCF 94 was recovering from his wounds when into his room walks John Kerry in Navy dress whites. Kerry was the officer who replaced Peck as commander of PCF 94. Peck suffered terrible wounds and was still recovering 5 months later. Peck was shocked to find that Kerry was back after only 120 days. BUT HERE'S THE KICKER, In his navy dress whites with all his ribbons on and his attache cord and while on offical duty as an admiral's aide, KERRY ASKS PECK TO JOIN THE VVAW (Vietnam Vets against the war). This act alone shows Kerry's lack of judgement. An unbelievable lack of judgement and he disgraced the uniform he was wearing. Peck would have thrown him out of his room if he could have gotten out of bed but all he could do was ask Kerry "John, how can you do this? All of our guys are still over there, in Vietnam." Kerry had no answer.
Kerry did join VVAW and attended rallies where people were waving the Viet Cong flag. BAD JUDEMENT Mr. Kerry.
He told lies about war crimes in front of a congressional committee. BAD JUDGEMENT Mr. Kerry.
He threw military ribbons away. First they were his, then they weren't, then they were, then they weren't. BAD JUDGEMENT Mr. Kerry.
He partyed w/Jane Fonda who is a traitor. BAD JUDGEMENT Mr. Kerry.
He predicted that only 3000 people would have to be evacuated from South Vietnam to protect their lives. Whow, was he wrong on that one. 1/2 to 1 million people were executed/murdered by the North in South Vietnam and around 3 million poeple were executed/murdered in Cambodia by Pol Pot. BAD JUDGEMENT Mr. Kerry.
John Kerry was against Ronald Reagan every step of the way. Reagan beat the USSR and created 20 million new jobs in USA. BAD JUDGEMENT Mr. Kerry.
Kerry was against the first gulf war. BAD JUDGEMENT Mr. Kerry.
As a Senator, he has a reputation for being an absolute ass. He butts in line at supermarkets and would say " I'm Senator Kerry, I don't have time to wait in line." Guess what, Mr. Kerry, there were CEO's MD's and others who you butted in front of AND THEY ARE THE ONES CALLING YOU AN ASS.
At the review of Reagan's body in Calif., Kerry just butted in line there. Arnold S. w/Maria waited in line and so did lots of other famous people. But not John Kerry, he thinks he's to important.
Kerry double talks on every issue. He has bad judgement do to a bad character. Kerry is much lower than a maggot. Maggots are not evil- John Kerry is.
Kerry dishonored the entire military and especially the officer corps with his traitorous disgraceful conduct with the VVAW.
How can you believe anything Kerry says?
-- Modified on 9/18/2004 4:51:35 PM
The (former) Soviet Union was a disaster waiting to happen; Reagan didn't beat anyone.....First, their economy was a stagnant system that was not able to provide for its people....Second, the ruling body of the former USSR was nothing more than a tyrannical & corrupt group which cared more for its own security and well-being than of those it was supposed to serve. The Soviet system was not able to meet the needs of its people, thereby destroying the foundation upon which an industrialized country could be built.
This may be difficult for a republician to do but if you want to give someone credit for beating the USSR, how about JFK...After all, he only helped avert a nuclear war in Oct. 1962...
Back to Kerry...This is a brave man, who fought in Vietnam unlike that coward, creep, jackass Bush....Kerry had a privileged background as well, could have easily avoided combat, but didn't...It's a disgrace that Bush is Commander in Chief!.....
Bush is the elitist, not Kerry...Remember that speech where Bush goes "This is a group of the haves & have mores: some call you elites, I call you my base"....Well at least one knows who Bush represents w/that statement.....
Kerry/Edwards 04....
-- Modified on 9/18/2004 7:19:19 PM
For 70 years, Russia was a disaster waiting to happen, but wasn't...until Reagan outspent them in the "who dies with the most" contest. Reagan played them like foolish children and the media was crucifying him nearly the whole time for dragging us to the edge of Armegeddon in the nuclear arms race. His "Star Wars" initiative was brilliant and had them beside themselves. As for Bush's statement, it was taken completely out of context regarding "you are my base" as was much else in fatass's F9/11. Notice how no one is talking about that "record-breaking" film anymore? Moose, I can sense that your head hurts and those pains seem to be getting more difficult to bear, so take some aspirin, call a lady and learn to accept what you cannot change.
Right is Right and left is wrong! Bush '04
Uh, wasn't Clinton Commander in Chief? Didn't he fail to serve in the military?
Yellow Belly, a disgraceful, draft-dodging, coke-snorting, mean-spirited, spoiled brat of an ignoramus who never won an election without his dad or his dad's friends on the Supreme Court. A guy who spun religion from moral bankruptcy, yet you pretend this guy is your honorable commander and chief over somebody like Kerry.
Kerry, who twice in his life took strong moral stands: once against the war in Vietnam, for which he put his life on the line, and again against the VVAW itself. Yet, after two stands that are normally suicidal, he recovered.
I don't think you're competent to judge a bad judgment.
Bush/Chenney in '04
Failed State by '08.
There's still time to limit the damage. Kerry/Edwards in '04.
We might even be more than pleasantly surprised.
/Zin
-- Modified on 9/18/2004 9:54:11 PM
Yo yo yo Bullwinkle. You ever heard of the Bay of Pigs? I didn't think so so let me tell you Bullwinkle. The Bay of Pigs is were some expatriate Cubans smattered w/a few dozen U.S. Marines went in to retake Cuba. Everything was going fine until your snot nose hero, John F. Kennedy, got chicken and withheld air-support WHICH HE AND THE CIA HAD PROMISED. Why did JFK do that? Well, the UN was raising a real stink and that rattled JFK and wunder kinder, Ramsey Clark. Long story short, a victory for the good guys was turned into a victory for BAD old Fidel Castro. And less than a year later, CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. At least Kennedy had the balls to stand up that time.(SIDE NOTE: I HAVE TO GIVE KENNEDY CREDIT FOR HAVING THE CAPACITY TO GROW INTO THE PRESIDENCY) And, a little postscript; Cuba has been in a time warp since 1959. No new cars, buildings, schools, roads. NOTHING NEW AT ALL Bullwinkle. ABOUT HALF THE CUBANS DON'T HAVE TOILET PAPER OR TOOTH PASTE AND A TOOTH BRUSH. And, about 15,000 cubans have been executed per Castro's orders.
Regarding the USSR. John Kenneth Galbraith and other Keynsian economics were saying how strong and wonderful the communist USSR was. And a majority of Democrats were in that camp AND SO WAS JOHN KERRY. They believed that there was no way you could beat the USSR or communism. They were preaching peaceful co-existance. Kerry was preaching that with the VVAW SCUMBAGS. When Reagan challenged them and B*tch slapped Gorbey in Iceland, the press vis-a-vis Dan Rather was in shock. They called Reagan stupid and dangerous. They really have been scrambling to re-write history after the USSR FELL UNDER GORGEY'S WATCH, BUT DUMBASS academics and DEMOCRATS AREN'T GONNA GETTA WAY WITH IT. NO RE-WRITING HISTORY. REAGAN WON THE COLD WAR. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR? Now, I want you to give me ten push-ups Bullwinkle. NOW.
Now, TO ANSWER you Zin Monster, OPEN YOUR EYES AND PLEASE USE YOUR BRAIN.
John Kerry is a spoiled snot nosed east coast blue blood. He went to Nam for one reason only- to get medeled up PERIOD
Kerry does not care about you, he does not care about minorities, he does not care about anyone but himself.
You cannot trust Kerry. He is a liar. John Kerry is a scumbag that even maggots dislike. Ok Zin Monster. give me ten.
Reagan's response was to get out which might have led Osama to believe that if you hit the US hard enough they would leave the Middle East entirely. The bombing was probably carried out by Hezbollah which was supported by Iran. How did Reagan punish Iran? Why by trading arms with them of course!
Mr.Reagan taught him how to hide money from scrutinizing eyes. Now Osama finances his operations using the techniques that we taught him and some refinements of his own. Mr. Reagan also backed out of Beirut after the marine barracks bombing and did not bring a single perpetrator to justice.
Mr. G.H.W. Bush mostly got it right, but did not properly read the impact of stationing troops in Saudi Arabia without the full support of the leaders of that country. Bin Laden offered to fight the invading Iraqi army after that army invaded Kuwait and was threatening the Saudis. It would have been great for Bin Laden and his army to take on the iraqis and get killed doing it.
Mr.Clinton failed to declare a surgical war against Afganistan after the bombings of two embassies in central Africa. His administration treated the acts as criminal acts and eventhough his admistration brought to justice a higher percentage of bombing perpetrators than Mr. Reagan's administration, Mr.Clinton failed to attack and kill Bin Laden in his base, when given some provocation.
One can blame all of those Presidents and be only partially right. From where each of them stood, neither could imagine a tradegy of the scope that happened on 9/11/2001. For that matter, neither did the current Bush administration imagine such a murderous event until it happened.
I guess it's not too effective without physical abuse.
So, Kerry was just acting brave in Vietnam? Because he had a plan? Are you saying you resent him because he probably had a plan, a direction, unlike Driftwood Bush? I'll tell you, if he could crop bravery and win five medals, the man has got more talent in his nasal hair than the entire Bush family. Put him in charge.
Probably not more than Goebbels Rove, unfortunately.
/Zin
Full of wild accusations with no links or anything else backing them up. So I did a quick search on some of them and found the first one comes from the Swift Boat Vets book - hardly a reliable source of unbiased information.
Did he lie to the congressional committee? I have read the testimony and this would be hard to prove since he basically was speaking for a group and not as an individual.
Did he but in line at Reagan's funeral? I couldn't find anything. I suppose I could look harder but why should I since I am not making the claim?
Reagan was really pissed about 250 plus marines dieing at the barracks. He had to pick an choose. The congress forced him out. He wanted to stay and finish the job but no funding was allowed. He had to cut bait and he told the congress it was a big mistake not finishing the job.
Kerry's Vietnam service is all Kerry will talk about so it is an issue. He does not have one scar from any of the wounds he received purple hearts for. HE DID NOT EVEN GET ONE STITCH. HE DID NOT HAVE ONE MEDICAL SICK DAY/NON-ACTIVE DUTY DAY THE ENTIRE 120 DAYS HE WAS IN VIETNAM.
What he did when he got back was very bad as far as judgement goes. Kerry will not sign his 180 form. There are some hidden demons that are in his records.
Terry McAuliffe and James Carville are 10 times worse that Rove. Goebbels committed suicide and killed all his kids because he was a nut-case and fanatic that worshiped Hitler. McAuliffe and Carville-I don't even think they believe what they say. They're just weasels; just like that fat head Ted Kennedy and that snake Tom Daschle and Dan Rather.
Oh, and google some more regarding his royal horse face John Kerry. People really do not like the man. Even people in his own party dislike him. He is well know for butting in/going to the head of lines in his DC neighborhood. His DC neighbors hate him.
No scars or stitches??!! Give me a break.
http://www.detnews.com/2004/politics/0404/27/politics-132427.htm
Someone please explain to me why righties make such a big deal about Kerry not signing a form 180 when Bush apparently has not signed one either. In fact the two campaigns have almost identical positions.
From the Washington Times:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20040818-121345-3874r
Kerry's campaign on 180 form:
Mr. Meehan, adviser for communications to the campaign, acknowledging that Mr. Kerry has not signed Standard Form 180, said the records have all been laid out nonetheless.
"Has he signed the form?" he asked. "No. What he's signed is his release of privacy to the United States Navy to turn over his entire military record and he's posted it up on his Web site, so the whole world can see his entire military record."
White House on 180 form for Bush:
At the White House, press secretary Scott McClellan said he couldn't say specifically whether Mr. Bush signed Standard Form 180, but the president did request and release his own military records in February.
"I don't believe he signed any form, but he did authorize making his military records available publicly," Mr. McClellan said. "We have released all the records, and reporters were allowed to look at his medical records as well."
Recitations from his personal physician? LMAO
Give me a break, I'm not surprised that you would take the word of his "personal physician" who admitted "...he could not characterize the severity of the wounds since he didn’t see them,..." and continued on with such horse shit as "but he noted that Kerry was in danger of serious injury several times." , over the physicians who actually treated Kerry in Vietnam, you know the ones who extracted rice from his ass!
Kerry is a legend in his own mind just like his buddy Dan Rather who for years boasted of being a United State Marine! But on further review was kicked loose after only 44 days, not being capable of making it through Marine Basic Training (in other words he cried for his mama!)! Every Marine knows that you are not a Marine until you graduate from Basic Training, before that moment you are a grunt, a recruit. Rather knew this, but like Kerry attempted to bullshit people into thinking he was what he is not! And for what purpose? To garner a modicum of respect for his sorry ass!
Two peas in a pot! And I might add, will suffer the same fate!
By October 15th the Swifties should have around 50 million in cash, enough for National Primetime Ads. Just wait until the rest of America learns about the true John Kerry!
Your and your parties attempts to flame the Swifties will fall on deaf ears, you see Vietnam Vets are used to it! Ultimately you and your candidate have absolutely no defense to the Swifties charges, simply because they are based on facts. The only way Kerry can defend himself is to sign the Form 180 and release his records to the press which will crucify him!
Everyone knows a slimy self promoting coward in their lives, they work with them or for them, they went to school with them, they may have them in their families, possibly a neighbor, but one thing is sure, everybody hates them! Kerry's toast, and he brought it all on himself!
Whose vital records, of even that cushy service, are missing? Coincidentally, with a lot of family records? Which should we choose?
You've never once defended Bush's service. You can't defend a vacuum. You just say, "Well, he never made it an issue." Because he couldn't. His life, his presidency, is as vacuous as his service.
And what do you accuse Kerry of? Why, of gaining medals because he had a plan! That's your whole criticism. While Yellow Belly was pure driftwood, till the day he decided to be President. Then he was given that by his family connections the only way he went through life on maintenance. Kerry, meanwhile, had a plan. Therefore he is vile.
Now you think Yellow Belly is more capable of having a plan for the war on terror? Get real. He's drifting the way he's done with everything else in his life, and he's setting us all adrift.
/Zin
-- Modified on 9/19/2004 8:49:08 PM
and have hundreds of medals! The Swifties!
Ultimately, your continued harping on Bush's National Guard record is just destroying your candidate! What's it been, three years now? And still no legs with the exception of the ABB crowd. And the ABB mentality gave you Kerry as a candidate, brilliant!
Now that we know the bogus documents were given to the DNC by way of Max Cleland, its only a matter of days before it attaches itself to Kerry. What did he know and when did he know it? No need for the Form 180, Kerry will crucify himself!
Kerry is toast, nobody really cares about Bush's National Guard duty. You continue to ask Bush to prove a negative because your in depth research cannot turn up your supposed smoking gun and the great majority of American's think it is a bullshit character assassination.
On the other hand, you guys have a candidate who lied before congress about war atrocities in Vietnam (to promote himself), you prop him up with "he was reporting what he heard from other vets at the Winter Soldier meeting" bullshit, even though the majority of those who attended that meeting have been proven to have never set foot in Vietnam and many were not even veterans. And your candidate still maintains those lies and refuses to apologize for his slander of the Vietnam Vet and in effect aided and abetted our enemy, which is treason!
John Kerry is a man of the lowest character, of the same mold as Dan Rather, a man the American people distrust and millions hate.
Oh, and I note your reluctance to identify John Kerry's plan for the war on terrorism! Or anything else for that matter.
P.S. How is your research going on Kerry's "stellar" senate career, time is short? However, I know that what you have found goes against the grain of the American people, as does Kerry, which is why he is so silent about it!
Your statement: "a man the American people distrust and millions hate."
That sure sounds like George Bush....
-- Modified on 9/20/2004 4:18:44 PM
-- Modified on 9/20/2004 5:09:05 PM
Get over yourself, your candidate is a loser and a slimeball!
50 Million dollars by October 15th, then the National Primetime Swifties Campaign will commence!
Lets see who the American people believe! Not that it matters, Kerry's going down over the CBS documents anyway.
Life is good.
Try to offer something more than empty claims.
RLTW
Could you please tell this to GOPGeezer? Maybe he'll listen to you.
-- Modified on 9/20/2004 7:51:06 PM
Sarcasm? Here is a link to the story of Bob Anderson. One of the 250 names that appeared on the Swift Boat Vets for Truth roster, WITHOUT his permission.
"It's kind of like stealing my identity," said Anderson, who spent a year on a swift boat as an engine man and gunner.
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/09/01/build/state/25-swift-boat.inc
Good grief Pappy. Did you bother to read the follow up story?
"Swift Boat Veterans for Truth say two swift boat veterans who claim they did not sign a letter used against Sen. John Kerry did, in fact, include their names on the list of supporters. And they've got the e-mail to prove it, according to Sean McCabe, spokesperson for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
McCabe said he did not know if the two sailors - Bob Anderson of Columbus and Bob Wedge of Mesquite, Nev. - did not read the letter properly, “but that's not our fault that they responded ‘yes.' ”
“We can only use the information they presented us,” he said.
The original e-mail requesting “signatures” of support for a letter that was to be sent to Kerry went out to swift boat veterans on April 27. The letter of request is not signed, but information from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth says the original letter was written by Navy Rear Adm. Roy Hoffmann.
The letter instructs veterans to reply with a “yes” if they wanted their names listed on the letter that would be sent to Kerry.
Two e-mails, faxed to The Gazette, show both men replied with a “yes.”
The response from Wedge, also dated April 27, states his name, ranking, boat number and concludes with “YES to Letter.” An e-mail from Anderson, dated May 6, states “Yes. I was on swifts July 1, 1969, to June 23, 1970. I served on 3 boat operating off sea float and above Ha Tuien along the Cambodian frontier at the same period of time that young Zumwalt and Kerry was doing the same. bob anderson EN2.” " -end article
And you claim Bush supporters are the ignorant ones. Sheesh, try a little harder next time.
RLTW
I wouldn't trust a printed email from those guys.
/Zin
As I said before, the proof has been laid before you yet you do not know how to interpret it.
Examine all of those medals of all of those guys, just like they did for Kerry. And meanwhile, do an inquest to find out who might have done a brave deed while having a career planned.
And surprised, a few of those frauds never served with Kerry, much less had contact with him daily.
I think with their $50 million dollars, the Republican Guard are going to slink off to retirement, having done their work to undercut Kerry and the entire military in the process.
Again, Bribite, you never answered my question, whose going to want to fight in the US military after this? Medals mean shit. A soldiers honor carried into civilian life means nothing if he doesn't tow the "proper" political
Prediction: If Bush is elected in November, he will pull troops out of Iraq or face a rebellion in the military, while the voluntary force disintegrates.
What I have found out so far, Kerry sponsered 53 bills that passed the Senate. Knowing that your a practical conservative, I know that you scoff at the need for clean air. The Clean Air act is one of Kerry's accomplishments. No, people wouldn't be getting rich while poisoning the air for the rest of us! What kind of world would that be?
/Zin
And I, myself, don't believe their medals have anything to do with their sincerity now. So, your argument is nothing but bog gas. And it loses substance from it's opening.
The question of the Guard is important to ask because the question is: what was he like then, and how has Bush changed? Do I see any sign that Bush has obtained balls, discipline, good judgment, and patriotism from his Guard days? The answer is no. When, where and how would he have gotten these?
Contrast it to Kerry: five commendations in 120 days was quite an accomplishment-- even if he was a charleton. Period.
And at least Kerry was in Vietnam, and has gone back. He could have easily pulled the duty Bush did. Conservatives don't think that it's an issue that Bush was always a derelict miscreant, and has **never** ever changed. When he's contrasted with Kerry, you conservatives could only pretend that since Bush never made it a question, it shouldn't be a question. Didn't you guys always say "Character matters?" I don't think Clinton as a president ever ran on his promiscuity. That didn't seem to phase you guys one bit.
Now, about whether the Kerry campaign was involved in the forgery, it seems that the Kerry campaign and Max Cleland wouldn't touch those documents with a 10-foot pole. (See link)
It's a saying on this board: don't count your orgasms till you've had them.
As for aiding and abetting the enemy: as you know, Bribite, that requires a war. War requires an act of Congress. Congress never declared war on Vietnam. Bringing somebody up on treason charges would have called the entire legality of that war under our constitution into question, for charges that would have never stuck.
That's not to say that Vietnam didn't pass the "walk like a duck, quack like a duck" test. But I hate to say, like our "war" in Iraq, for which the mission has been "accomplished," a real war would have required a strategy. Maybe we should be strict conservative constructionists? Meaning: don't act like we're at war unless Congress says we are?
As for Kerry's strategy, here it is: make, don't break alliances, and keep your enemies divided. That's it. For that I'd say he's head and shoulders above Yellow Belly, and he always has been.
/Zin
The Republicans have a right to bring that up as Rather so vehemently attacked Bush in such a low-class partisan way. Savage, Limbaugh, Prager, Medved, Hewitt, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingram and even Imus all have a rigaht to bring that up.
Officially he was given a Medical Discharge, listing he was physically unable to continue Marine training, he washed out of boot camp in 44 days, it took the Marine Corps 120 days to rid themselves of his sorry ass!
I would add that boot camp is tough, not everyone does make it through, but Rather is the first person I have ever heard of that called himself a Marine after washing out! Honorable men have too much respect for the Corps.
I personally don't consider those who wash out in a negative way. It's not for everybody, Marines are called "Leathernecks" for a reson. However, that reputation is exactly what Rather was attempting to steal. He is a man without honor, not worthy of licking latrines in a Marine camp!
When I went through Ranger School in the mid-80's, my class had an attrition rate of over 30%. Most who did drop wanted to recycle into the next class and try again. But none of the soldiers who dropped would have the dishonor to claim to be a Ranger without earning the Tab. There's nothing sorrier than a wannabe, except maybe a French Officer. ;-P
RLTW
Nimrod- Marines are called leather necks because a piece of leather was part of one of their earlier uniforms.
BTW- I have met a lot of Marines who are total assholes. A lot of them are good guys. They are just LI on boats, not gods of war. Well equipped tho'. On a par with LE, RMC, Bersaglieri, PPLI, etc.
THey were blowing up a barrel of rice and Kerry wasn't to fast and he was whacked by rice. No shrapnel and no shrapnel from the supposed ambush at Cua Lon when his boat supposedly took a hit from a rocket.
Wow, If only to know the accusations, you guys should borrow someones Unfit to Command. If what they say is true, Kerry truly is a coward and served dishonorably while in Vietnam. Some of what they say is just unbelievable---- but I believe it.
Kerry should sue if they are slandering him.
Also, I heard that Goerge Bush DID SIGN THE 180 FORM.
-- Modified on 9/20/2004 6:58:27 PM
better to hallucinate then write all type of shit here. I think that attempts to present factual information is wasted on him and about 4 (from the Left and the Right) other posters that use this board.
He just assumes no one would actually look at them since he never bothers to check out sites posted by others and just bases his opinions on what Rush and FOX say.
research. And yes I do go to posted links. I'm really not taking this as serious -- not even 1/3 as serious as when I first discovered this about 6 or 9 months ago. I really don't pretend that I'm doing a doctorial dissertation or arguing a case before the supreme court. And I figured out that I'm not gonna change to many peoples views. I realize I have slipped into personal attacks on fellow hobbyists every so often- so sorry- try not to do it in the future.
I love history and my goal is to have some fun. That's why I'm here. Try to remember this when you're reading my posts in the future. And last, I was a Democrat. I worked for Hubert H. and Jimmie C. I've only been a Republican since 1979 and an ardent Republican since 1982. My goals are still the same as they were 35 years ago: end poverty, racism, corruption and pollution.
1. To make sure there is evidence supporting the claim
2. It gives the readers confidence (or not) in the posters future claims depending on the evidence put forward
3. It is just common courtesy to do at least some of the "legwork" for the reader.
Did your SO find out about your hobbying and nail you up side the head with a heavy pan? Your post was actually well written and made sense, and did not end with YEEEAAAHHHHHHHH!
I think you love the History you make up- the real stuff always seems out of your ken...
Obviously, you've been amputated below both knees.
WHERE'S DUMBYA'S ILLUSTRIOUSLY BRILLIANT PRESIDENTIAL RECORD? EVERYONE IS STILL WAITING!!!