What Sins Has Our Country Committed to Deserve A President Obama?


I fully believe that if we elect Barack Obama to the Presidency that our electorate will deserve exactly what they get. To let someone who has no business in the oval office B.S. his way this close to that world influencing postition is a travesty and a testimony to how the Democrat machine/Liberal media cabal can work together and trick gullible, scared, and uninformed sheeple to throw the baby out with the bathwater. How a struggling economy plays to Obama's strengths is beyond me. Because he says he cares, people think that rhetoric alone will solve our troubles? That is what got Bill Clinton to the presidency in 1992. Only a Republican congressional win in 1994 that checked the liberal surge and the dot com boom gave our economy the turbo-boost it needed and got in the mid and late 90's. Bill Clinton's claim to fame. But we have been going steadily downward in our National sense of purpose in this world. Becoming self serving and more dependent on the Government all the time. And now the media have convinced the people Obama is only what he says he is and there is nothing to look into on all the allegations that he may not be fully truthful about his past associations with shady characters. And his voting record or lack thereof is in no way indicative of the character of this 'great' man. There is nothing to worry about this guy who has come out of nowhere to take the lead of our country in these most perilous times?

We don't even have to wonder what would happen to our country with Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Barack Obama running our ship. That kind of triumvirate contolling US I believe will put our country in mortal danger. But if we elect Obama and an override proof House and Senate we will undoubtedly be sowing the seeds of our own destruction. At the very least we will be on a liberal/socialistic path that will take US right where Europe is now. If the Republicans had not blown it in every conceivable way when they had power in the mid 2000's I would be more disappointed. But a good conservative friend of mine just told me, "maybe its time to let the other side have a crack at it". I would agree if there were not other signs that all of western civilization is in trouble and about ready to buckle from within. Our excesses and liberalism together have caused US to walk away from God and good conservative values. We will reap what we have sown, and drink our cup to the dregs. We really are ripe for the plucking.

Which promise will Barack Have to Scuttle First?


Do you think its the tax breaks for those who pay little or none? Defending Israel? Or how about Univesal Health care? I am certain there will be another need for a peace dividend, but Iraq will obviously need to be nurtured. Afgahanistan I believe is better contained than wading into a bloodbath, likewise Pakistan. How about some of his promises to his own constituents, like reaching across the aisle and becoming a bi-partisan healer of political stagnation. Or being the one to address the racial divide or come to terms with political corruption on both sides of the spectrum. How about our national defense, and weapons systems? Will Obama be able to push his protectionist agenda when it becomes clear we need NAFTA now more than ever? No doubt he will still feel Columbia will be worth supporting in the creeping Communism of South America, oh wait, he would rather find out what hugo Chavez would like to do.

I am nearly certain if even Joe Biden won't give up his guns to Barack, that that will be an easy one to abandon. Obama - like all liberals, has to fake to the center to get elected, and if he talks the centrist talk all his leftist pals will get disappointed. Unless Barack is a liar. And that is where I am leaning. He is just another politician who will say anything to get elected and then do what he would like to do for 2 years and then start working on his re-election. This is a pattern we have seen time and time again, and now that we are at a crossroads all Americans must weigh their hopes and dreams against hard cold reality.

There is Something Eerily Disconcerting about all of This


The Bible predicts a unified world monetary system at the time when Jesus' return is imminent. If the signs on where everything is going are not enough to waken up all who believe and look for His return, maybe nothing ever will. Things could not be more perfectly in line with what is foretold in the Bible and that alone is enough to convince me that it is indeed the word of God. I know that a lot more has to happen before we can be sure, but these things keep happening and I see no way to deny it is not clearly spelled out for the whole world.

A lot of other predictions seem as if they could begin to have a possibility of fulfillment in the recent future. Right here in the US we are ready to elect a man no one knows much about, to the Presidency. A man with no visible record and suspect associations, a carefully crafted image that will not stand up to scrutiny and yet gets none. Barack Obama probably isn't the one who the Bible says will unify the world into a consolidated Government, but he shows me that people can be easily manipulated to support a candidate fully, when they have no idea who he really is. Once somebody masquerades as President of the United States and the rest of the world is on board, look out!

Russia's resurgence and Israels continued battle to stay alive surrounded by foes are right there in the revelation. I have been paying attention for years, but it always seems like the more that is fulfilled, the more that I become aware of that is close to fulfillment. And there are a lot of big things also, that must be coming. What a time to be alive, I am excited and fearful all at the same time. I hope to live life to the fullest and enjoy some simple pleasures. I pray that the Lord's will be done and may he have mercy on US all.

Standing at the Precipice?


Are we really, as the news media and politicians are telling US, at the edge of a cliff and looking down? Because if they know something we don't know and that could really happen, why are there stories about Steve Fossets remains and The pork in the bailout bill as if it's business as usual and we can just point and counterpoint our way to a legislative utopia? Old stories that have a conclusion that is irrelevant, and going toward stories that are in the heart of the matter but taking a partisan or adversarial tack won't help educate the public about what the real position we are in actually is. I don't really care who is in Major league baseball playoffs, and The pirates off Somalia should probably just get blown out of the water. Either we are really getting ready for financial armegeddon or the politicians and their media mouthpieces are managing the populace with yet another crisis called wolf.

I believe if there really is that much of an impending train wreck in our economy how could our elected representatives take a day off for Rosh Hahsana. I would work through new year to save the country, wouldn't you? And they werent even all observing the Holy day, just taking what they were allotted. It is all these little things that turn my stomach on the politicians. They are always out to serve themselves first even in a crisis. When they are debating they take potshots at others instead of telling US how they themselves view the issues and would govern. I have a hard time believing there really is a crisis out there, and if there is, we should all take the politicians out to the grave they have dug US and make them look in. They will certainly see that they will be there, too. And the media can tell the rest of the world what happened.

Have I Got News For You


America is at the crossroads and what I think most on the wings of the left and the right fail to recognize is that we are already a socialist country. The only people who are truly free in this country are the rich and they are getting decimated by market forces right now. Soon only the ultra rich will be rich and the rest of US will be fighting for the crumbs. The lower and middle classes will will morph into a commonality of delusion and exclusion.

Our representatives play politics with every single issue and our country coming up better is not part of any equation. This is no game, there are people who worked hard all their life and their retirement years are on the line. Some don't have the time to wait for things to come back.

I believe we are already socialist because of the layers upon layers of regulations and insurances we must navigate just to be legitimate businesses. And the loopholes are exploited by many, aided by connections and insiders. Just to have a motor vehicle requires such a chunk of the poor people and lower middle class peoples time to keep on the road that they are in servitude just to attempt to access the American Dream. So I don't really see the hard liners on the right reasoning that the line in the sand is here, now. If the Government needs to inject liquidity to save our financial system then we can't wait till this 11th hour to say that we are fighting socialism, when we are already socialistic in just about every other facet of our national experience. Lets all just break everything down and start all over?? It's not really fair at all.

The Liberals are trying to destroy capitalism because they believe that there in a world of a Government controlled economy they will have the ultimate control over all of US and the power they covet will be wielded by like minded micromanagers who tell all citizens what to do and where they can do it. Sometimes I wonder why we conservatives fight this fight because we battle for everything we get here in America, but the lamebrains who don't even try get free health care and benefits that are inaccessible to anyone who wants just a little more out of life than barely getting by. Or having to break the law to get ahead. It is obvious to me that the Liberal Democrat party will only gain the white house if there is economic trouble out there. Now economic crisis or meltdown may not benefit a neophyte like Barack Obama, when more Americans will be attentive and seeking an experienced hand to guide US through these troubled waters. These are perilous times and i know the Bible predicts that such things as this are all foretold as signs that we are in the times near the end. As selfish as thisd may sound I pray to God to hold off and let my children grow up and let me realize some of lifes dreams like love and charity and enjoying a little bit of this life.

Forgive me for being so selfish.

Hope We Can Change


Pay as you go, that is the way to live, work from ahead, something I have always wanted to try. One of these days our country will figure things out and we too will make those goals a priority as a group. Because I do believe when the people of the country see the Government acting so irresponsibly they cannot help but get drawn in to similar behaviour. We can pass this test and we will, because if we fail...

The Audacity of Change

We Hired These Guys To Do Their Job


We hire the politicians to do a job, not to spend their time trying to get another job. This Financial crisis needs to be dealt with as quickly and as forcefully as possible. It's difficult to imagine these politicians being able to put aside their quest for retaining their seats of power in order to preserve so many peoples futures, livelihoods, and life's savings. This is a time to lead, this is a time for someone to step up and and reaffirm their constituents faith in why we cast our vote for them to be there in Washington. I will pray that all of these Politicians think about the landscape they are creating and how they would try to support their families in the climate they are creating.

Action is required and not more politicking.

The Left's Rage Exposed


The Liberals and Leftists who hate George W. Bush have refocused their enmity upon Sarah Palin now. With enough invective to stir a pot the size of Lake Ponchartrain these defenders of privacy and due process are smearing anything in the way of their grab for power. I am certain one of these demented demagogues pet peeves is habeas corpus and the 'illegal' wiretapping of terrorist communications. Yet they turn right around and go ten steps worse than anything they could have dreamed that the Bush regime would do.
Go figure.

I know this is more than likely a fringe wacko and nowhere near the Obama campaign, but I think it would serve all well if Obama acknowleded these loonies are on his side and in the spirit of a new kind of politics or the change he is promising, he denounced these things as contemptible. I know there are many Liberals who also shudder at this kind of hysterical mania that is creeping closer to the heart of the Democrat Party. It's unworthy of anything we would look to as helpful to bring about the reform that is sorely needed from the campaign to the inauguration.

How Hope can Change

The economic trouble that our Country is now experiencing can be tracked back into the 1990's and really, even before that. Two balls set in motion years back have been rolling toward the pins and are now making strikes. The first was Ronald Reagans amnesty program (1986) that made a mockery of our immigration laws and opened the door for the future waves of illegal immigrants and those who wished to use them as a foundation building block for our economy. The second was Bill Clintons banking deregulation that set the stage for the concurrent waves of speculation and greed. This was not just a Clinton Administration effort but a bi-partisan accord that was definitely at the core of the sub prime mortgage meltdown. It just took a few more years and some more de-regulation to achieve the final results.

Update: After some diligent research it has become clear that regulation not de-regulation has been the cause of all these woes. The Federal policies of people not qualified to buy homes that were encouraged to step into sub prime loans to access the American Dream have instigated the credit freeze and financial institution capitalization crisis. It is social engineering and political manipulation that created the unequal playing fields that fueled the instability we have now.Let US never forget that an offshoot of liberalism is at the heart of the housing bubble. The Government forced the lending institutions to lend to people (low income/ minority) who could not afford to pay the terms back, meaning well but forgetting about the basic weaknesses of human nature. And the real possibility of an economic downturn. Greed set in and everybody thought their assets were worth more than in reality they really were. When the bubble popped everything it had obscured became exposed.

And now Barack Obama will take this as a last chance to appeal to our hope for change. The only way Obama can win is if our economy is in so much trouble that the people will turn to the snake oil salesman in utter desperation. And Obama would rather win and Govern through a depression than lose and graciously say the right things to calm Americans fears about where our economy is heading. There is no doubt that if you continually talk something down it will become ingrained where it is heard. For years we have been hearing the lament on the sour economy, but if those stories had been tempered with a plea for personal responsibility from the borrowers and lenders maybe we could have avoided some small portion of this mess. I believe the Bush administration was naive to think that an ownership society could ever take place where so many are simply willing to walk away or run away from their bad decisions. And how companies are allowed to offer deals that border on Loansharking. The lender should take some responsibility in what they are doing to their fellow man, and the borrowers need to be honest and make every attempt to pay back their debts. But people should not be ruined by things that are out of their control. And conversely we need to walk away from the instant gratification mentality that is poisoning the well. There will be a reckoning and it would be wise for all of US to remember from where we came.

In the end we all must take the responsibility of what our actions have caused to come into being. We buy things at the dollar store or Walmart that are made in China, or anywhere else that have no human ethical standards. We should buy American first whenever possible to keep our money in our own country. We should invest in our own energy first for the same reasons. And if all of our own people would be willing to work, and work hard we would not have to look to other countries for our labor 'shortages'. Now we have a job market that is tight and millions of illegal aliens pushing the wages even lower. That is the lesson I have pulled from all these spirals, It never goes up high enough and fast enough to offset the speed at which things deteriorate and and fall apart again.

And these are not Liberal or Conservatives exclusive problems, they are not Republican or Democrat, they are human problems and the solutions are not so simplistic.

Theres a Certain Fascination


Scientists who don't believe still would like to mess around and try to find out more about God. They believe they are so smart that anything in their mind can be tried and if they can't disprove the existence of God, then back to the drawing board. I know in my heart that one day it will be someone like that, who is a little restless, arrogant and maybe even slightly suicidal, who will unleash something in the world that starts a chain reaction or an outbreak of some deadly disease, that impacts most everybody on the planet. I suppose then they will get a chance to see and believe.

They Will Put the Grit Back in Integrity


Sarah Palin seems like a great choice of a Running mate with John McCain. She will undoubtedly stand by her convictions and vote her conscience. I was one conservative voter who originally was not overly impressed with John McCain as the best conservative candidate the Republican Party could have put forth this election year. But as a hard working and tenacious campaigner and speaker/debater, McCain has shown me something. And this choice of Sarah Palin I believe is a good one. She has a toughness like John that our country needs right now. And she has a reformers track record. If they both stand up and do what they say I think our country will benefit greatly, it remains to be seen how they woeld fare with Democrats controlling both houses of congress. But at least these two have shown they can work across the aisle to get things accomplished, so I am holding out hope all our elected representatives can grow up and realize our country needs co-operation , not never ending political gamesmanship.

It seems that energy independence will be right at the top of the Republicans agenda and I think right now that is probably our most important issue since it is the energy source that drives our economy. I did hear Sarah mention natural gas too, contrary to what T. Bone Pickens asserted. But I do agree with his theory that we must maintain our own supply of petroleum until we complete our transition to renewable energies. I think Palin can trump Obama on this issue and the experience angle becomes moot. But don't forget Obama is running for the Presidency, Palin will just be the V.P. , a very big difference there. Can't wait for the debates, I know both the Republican candidates will do much better than people think, as they will pound on the issues that matter more to our everyday needs. The war is won, we need our own energy now, and we won't grow our economy by raising taxes.

Big troubles are looming on our horizon and Obama seems as if he will get caught up in little issues and let US get swept away by the big things. I think if the media plays this thing fair America will be able to decide and then we must live with our choice. I pray everyone can be honest and then I will accept the chips wherever they lay. God Bless our great Country.

'If my Daughter makes a Mistake I dont want her Punished with a Baby'


Compare that quote from the pro-abortion candidate for President, Barack Obama, to the statement by the Palin's that the left wingers are trying to spin into golden hypocrisy. 'As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support'. The truth is the conservative Christian position for life cannot be condensed into a soundbite or any individuals statements or situation. We believe all life is sacred and therefore falls under the bill of rights protection of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those who seek to tear down the Republicans will smear anyone who gets in their way. If they have an issue with Governor Palin that would be one thing, but they are stepping in quicksand with the families and life issues they are attempting to raise. There is no scandal in this 17 year old ending up pregnant, it is unfortunate that she is so young but maybe this baby was meant to be born now. We can never know all of God's providences, but I am sure many left wingers and liberals have dealt with this very same challenge. If we all waited until we were perfectly ready to have children there would be very few children born at all. After all, its a liberal mindset that encourages youngsters who are not married to have sex and then planned parenthood has the solution. Is that the liberal scandal here, no abortion? Governor Palin's family is actually living out their pro life beliefs, so more power to them. And more power to the left wing kooks who are trying to influence people by digging up dirt on the children of their political opponents. This tactic will surely backfire in the end. As one of the independent voters out there I certainly have decided, and on this one issue alone I choose life, and the candidte supporting life. With real hypocrisy swirling around their candidate it seems funny that they have to invent something to try and besmirch their opponent.

Talk is Cheap


Barack O)bama is promising US the world, what will he really be able to deliver?

Political Winds of Change

Nancy Pelosi has decided to allow a vote on offshore drilling because she can see the polling has turned in favor of this direction. The Democrats have continually been a day late on their issues and yet have somehow persuaded the American people to cut them slack when their footdragging has cost our economy billions. Now San Fran Nan will step in and claim credit for the groundbreaking deal. Although I am almost certain that there will be so many regulations and governmental red tape the whole deal will just be another election year show.

I don't know any conservatives who are in favor of pollution or unchecked greed. All we want is for our economy to stay strong enough that as many as possible can experience the American dream. As many legal naturalized Americans, that is. If we need more citizens all Americans should be in favor of doing it orderly, and with legal protection, especially for all of US who are already citizens. Congress' approval rating is standing at 9%, that cannot be only the Republicans. That has to be all congress. And that is a worse rating than George Bush who is the Leftists and the Medias favorite scapegoat.

John McCain will apologize for just about anything that is said near his campaign in regards to Barack Obama. I personally like the phrase Obama Nation. I think that is right about where we could be if we elect a man with this little experience to run our country. I am sure a lot would be delegated out to subordinates, but who would these subordinates be?? Obama has proven to be pretty naive with his assocaitions in the distant and recent past. He can distance himself from any and all contacts but he still has to lead US with a vision and a direction of his own. He cannot figure that one out because every time someone is vetted they are exposed as another hypocrite who hates and blames America first. All these Democrat positions always seem to have to be redefined and explained because once examined people see they're senseless and misguided and generally seeking to obscure facts more than to clarify positions. Obama to me is really more of a puppet of the Democrat machine and I can see him getting in his office and being told what to do. I wonder if when that happened he would rebel and become his own man or honor all those who have put him into this office. A pinnacle he could not have acheived all by himself with his flimsy resume'. I know every President has to adhere to a party hierarchy and platform of positions that are not entirely their own but we elect a person we feel we can trust, and I am not sure even the staunchest supporters of Barack Obama could say they know his positions and feel they can trust him.

Barack Obama can try to tie McCain to Bush all he wants, but we could then turn around and tie Obama to the pacifists and leftists who are thrilled at the prospect of an Obama Presidency. McCain has held many positions longer than Bush has been president, like being against abortion and for having a vigorous national defense. But on some issues McCain has come to the party a day late too, like our Borders and getting our own supply of oil and natural gas here as opposed to enabling dictators and thugs to dominate the market. But all in all I will take a guy who eventually comes around to where I think as opposed to a guy who will try to trick me into believing he is on my side along with every one else. In the end it will all boil down to who can we trust? Obama has his work cut out just to find a position he can sell and McCain must find the people that he wants to hear his pitch. The newsmedia would do our country a great service if they just put it out there and slanted it right down the middle, so we could make up our own minds on who we can trust. And on one thing I am sure is that we cannot trust the media.

Who's saying Obama's Osama's Guy?

The messiah is in, now He is out. He will raise taxes without a doubt.
He is committed to green and will not get our own oil.
Prefers tough love on energy,and bankrolling dictators thoughtlessly.
His radical Liberal friends cause me to recoil
We cant pin this guy down on even a mundane issue
Can we elect this 1st term Senator who doesn't have a clue?

~ O*M*G* ~ Obama Mania Gaga

This whole Barack Obama thing is becoming scary again, because, even when He goofs he still gets credit for being something he really is not. Everybody is putting all their hopes and dreams upon him and he is still just a human being, fallible and vulnerable. I guess everybody thinks he will give them something, whether its a Govt. job, health care, welfare, a new climate, or just plain hope, its seems scary to me that he is allowed to tell everybody what they want to hear and is not really being analyzed and scrutinized as a typical politician, saying whatever they need to say to get elected. I worry about a whole world ripe for the plucking, it can happen. Yes it can.

Blowing Bubbles


First we had the dot com bubble and then there was a real estate bubble, now we have an oil speculation bubble? Some economists tie them all together. Some people like to say it is a conspiracy, the likes of which we have seen by the powers that be. I know that those with money can always figure out a way to keep it over those who do not have any themselves. I guess we should all be asking, why isnt any investment being made in refining, especially by those who are getting so wealthy from this situation. Well, I suppose it's easier to make your money from the top end when you don't have to do as much, where the very existence of your product creates higher demand for more. When all these producers and oligarchs have to do is go out and create some drama to get more income is it any wonder there is not even more drama?

All these bubbles follow the same pattern, spiralling upward to dizzying heights and then when they can no longer be supported, succumb to the darts and pinpricks levvied by the masses. This oil/gasoline situation will follow the same procession, but I wonder who will be left standing when this plays itself out. In an ever more and more interconnected global economy I think these bubbles will be just an outward manifestation of instant pressure being concentrated in any given area for even just a short time. The evidence is in that a herd the size of the race of man can stampede one direction then turn around and stampede the other way, without even thinking.

Where Hope Comes From Doesn't Change





Life and circumstances change with the climate. Hopes and dreams can become reality in any season and at any time. The secret is to stay available for the opportunity to knock, and then answer. Its too bad my anxiety twists me up and robs me of my ability to live in the moment and enjoy life even as I am battling through the trials. In my life it seems like good things come here a little there a little and my trouble comes in troughs and piles on top of me. I pray for an even keel and rarely do I seem to get any smooth sailing. I guess its my destiny that when, even when the glass is half full I will wonder why its not all full? I know I am blessed in so many ways and the blessings keep coming in, I just wonder why my luck never holds out. I must just take for granted when things are going good and not notice that it is good. I wish I could snap out of these doldrums and live free.
Sooner or later I must, because being happy depends on it, and I intend to be happy.

Happy 4th of July





Another birthday for America, and we keep moving onward, just not upward anymore. Unfortunately my own patriotism and love for this country may have peaked. I would hate to think that I was a fair weather friend or a good time charly here because I am not. Times supposedly had been good and I made some lifestyle gains, but by no means did I get a big slice of American pie in the last little boom years around here.

Yeah, I worked every day and had my business get exposure and experience, so that was great. But all around me I saw my industry get destroyed by a wave of illegal aliens that our government thought were more important to our economy than home grown, grass roots, American workers moving up and starting their own businesses. I feel that the Government wanted to go gangbusters and generate capital for the War (which I feel did need to be fought and won) and created an uneven playing field benefitting the players who were willing to cheat and lie. The Construction Industry has been completely destroyed and now entry level kids without college degrees cannot raise a family on the wages available to less skilled workers. Home building used to be a craft where skill and dedication and pride in a job well done were all rewarded with a decent living. Now we have mud spreaders, nail pounders, dirt rakers and ditch diggers, instead of true craftsmen. There was a housing boom that got fed by outpacing the demand with more product, and the very workers that were flooding our area became part of the need for even more housing. The house of cards got stacked so high and the greed of those making all the money so great that before anyone could say whoa! it all crashed down. Will all the illegal aliens go back south? Or back to the agriculture industry where the need was not even being met? When they all moved into the more lucrative field of construction, and lower skilled services. Now that the labor markets are tightening up and American kids are having to step off their high horse of easy work and easy pay, will the pressure be to keep all these illegal aliens where they are, or move them up the food chain and create an incentive for even more entry level workers/immigrants with disposable backs?

I think I know which way our new President will go on this one, and neither Barack Obama or John McCain will protect me and my little business from the sharks out there. And their desire to pander to this 'new' voting block that will eventually outbreed US right into a 3rd world country like the ones they(migrant workers) are all trying to escape. I can even agree with Barack and Michelle Obama on the part about the bar getting raised when a person achieves a certain level. Because I worked hard and earned a contractors license and then the government did nothing to protect our borders and now my license is worthless because I am unwilling to hire illegal workers in order to compete with all the contractors out there who do just that. No longer can I keep up and do work for half the rate that it takes to run a business above board and pay all the taxes, fees and insurances necessary to avoid being put out of business anyway. Now I must go back and become someones employee and punch a clock? Or cheat and Lie? I hope our politicians see what they have done. I know it would be different to the politicians and the news reporters and the talk show hosts if their livelihoods were being destroyed the way that mine has.
I guess it is just time to move on?

On top of all that our elected "rulers" can do nothing about the energy issues that will cripple this country and drive even more people into poverty. We have enough resources to affect world markets and at the very least retain some wealth within our own country. But politicians beholden to special interests, like environmentalists with a socialist agenda they both covet, will try to manipulate the people into whichever industry is paying them off. I hope the American people think it all over when they vote in November about who is really trying to move US forward and who is trying to move US where they want US to go.

Well, I still love this country, but I feel there are forces out there that will eventually strip US of all that we once held to be why we really did love our country. The rule of Law and Order is arbitrary, when making a buck is more important than doing the right thing, we will reap what we have sown, and pay a higher price than anyone could ever imagine. I am so thoroughly disappointed in where our Country is headed I would think of leaving, but we are still the last best hope of true freedom in the world.

So where does that leave US? And where does that leave me?