[JamesP]

AP Poll: Congressional Democrats Favored

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(AP) In an ominous election-year sign for Republicans, Americans are leaning sharply toward wanting Democrats to take control of Congress, an AP-Ipsos poll finds. Democrats are favored 49 percent to 36 percent.

President Bush's job approval remains low _ 40 percent in the AP-Ipsos poll. About as many approve of his handling of Iraq, where violence against Iraqis and U.S. troops has been surging.

[sweetpea]

AP Poll: Congressional Democrats Favored

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(AP) In an ominous election-year sign for Republicans, Americans are leaning sharply toward wanting Democrats to take control of Congress, an AP-Ipsos poll finds. Democrats are favored 49 percent to 36 percent.

President Bush's job approval remains low _ 40 percent in the AP-Ipsos poll. About as many approve of his handling of Iraq, where violence against Iraqis and U.S. troops has been surging.

---Republicans have pissd away opportunities with ridiculous spending and letting Tom Delay be his shady self.
However, it is waaaaaay too early to put any credence in election polling. And, the Dems. have a lot of ground to make up. They are going to piss away any good will if they continue to be hypocrites in the alito hearing and if they continue to align themselves with Michael Moore, george Soros, et. al.

Watch this Abramoff stuff. Both sides are going to have casualties. Personally, I hope Abramoff names names and anyone directly collaborating should go to jail. It may very well be that voters don't distinguish party lines and throw them all out.

[Jane of Arc]

AP Poll: Congressional Democrats Favored

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(AP) In an ominous election-year sign for Republicans, Americans are leaning sharply toward wanting Democrats to take control of Congress, an AP-Ipsos poll finds. Democrats are favored 49 percent to 36 percent.

President Bush's job approval remains low _ 40 percent in the AP-Ipsos poll. About as many approve of his handling of Iraq, where violence against Iraqis and U.S. troops has been surging.
I read this post and I want to be happy ... then I remember the elections are fixed. George W. Bush has never won a presidential election. This letter to Howard Dean from Ernest Partridge, Ph.D, Co-Editor, The Crisis Papers, sums up the bitter reality perfectly:
http://www.crisispapers.org/essays-p/dean.htm

[MAGI]

AP Poll: Congressional Democrats Favored

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(AP) In an ominous election-year sign for Republicans, Americans are leaning sharply toward wanting Democrats to take control of Congress, an AP-Ipsos poll finds. Democrats are favored 49 percent to 36 percent.

President Bush's job approval remains low _ 40 percent in the AP-Ipsos poll. About as many approve of his handling of Iraq, where violence against Iraqis and U.S. troops has been surging.

MAY ALL who have corrupted OUR government be EXPOSED!

May we return to a government "OF the PEOPLE, BY the PEOPLE, FOR the PEOPLE!"

[sweetpea]

I read this post and I want to be happy ... then I remember the elections are fixed. George W. Bush has never won a presidential election. This letter to Howard Dean from Ernest Partridge, Ph.D, Co-Editor, The Crisis Papers, sums up the bitter reality perfectly:
http://www.crisispapers.org/essays-p/dean.htm

By my count he's won 2. It's easy to sit back and ignore the outcome of elections / claim fraud / cry about spilled milk / dwell on past misinformation / believe in grand conspiracies. It does you absolutely no good.

For argument's sake, let's say the it was found out that ballotts were stuffed in Ohio by Halliburton employees and in washington by MoveOn members in Washington state, would you just go home and give up on your life? You live in a free country (I know it's hard for you to believe) you have free will and you can make your own successes. Constantly looking for conspiracies du juor do nothing but make you more cynical and bitter. Keep beleiving 'the crisis papers' and stay unhappy.

[Jane of Arc]

MAY ALL who have corrupted OUR government be EXPOSED!

May we return to a government "OF the PEOPLE, BY the PEOPLE, FOR the PEOPLE!"

Here, here MAGI!!!! It may take a revolution to get these Nazis out of our govenment. But it can be done. We did it before we can do it again!

[JamesP]

---Republicans have pissd away opportunities with ridiculous spending and letting Tom Delay be his shady self.
However, it is waaaaaay too early to put any credence in election polling. And, the Dems. have a lot of ground to make up. They are going to piss away any good will if they continue to be hypocrites in the alito hearing and if they continue to align themselves with Michael Moore, george Soros, et. al.

Watch this Abramoff stuff. Both sides are going to have casualties. Personally, I hope Abramoff names names and anyone directly collaborating should go to jail. It may very well be that voters don't distinguish party lines and throw them all out.

Finally, a reasonable, if overly hopeful, assessment by a rightie. Well done, Pea. I agree on Abramoff. Everyone involved should be accountable.

(But don't kick Soros - he's a rich man with a heart & soul & significantly less greed than typically characterizes those on the right.)

[sweetpea]

Here, here MAGI!!!! It may take a revolution to get these Nazis out of our govenment. But it can be done. We did it before we can do it again!
---Newsflash. Your absurd Nazi comment aside. It takes nothing more than our statndard process to remove office holders. It's called elections.

And by the way, for the last 25 years Republicans have won 5 of 7 holding office for 20 of 24 years. You want to change things?....then start gearing up for elections and spend less time looking for grand conspiracies and making absurd analogies.

[JamesP]

Bush Approval Ratings:

Poll Approve Disapprove
RCP Average 41.9% 53.6%
FOX News 42% 49%
Rasmussen 43% 55%
CNN/Gallup 43% 54%
ABC News 46% 52%
CBS News 41% 52%
Pew Research 38% 54%
AP-Ipsos 40% 59%

[Jane of Arc]

Bush Approval Ratings:

Poll Approve Disapprove
RCP Average 41.9% 53.6%
FOX News 42% 49%
Rasmussen 43% 55%
CNN/Gallup 43% 54%
ABC News 46% 52%
CBS News 41% 52%
Pew Research 38% 54%
AP-Ipsos 40% 59%

3/5ths of the American people don't approve of Bush.

Still makes me wonder what the remaining 2/5ths see in this turkey? Are they masochists?

[snowdog]

Ummm appears ... according to you statistics.. that GWB is climbing back
up in the polls..........he is still higher than the 7 other presidents before him!
which includes Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.

[haus]

I'd be curious to see a link to your source. I can't find a good list showing numbers 13 months into a term.

I looked at End-of-Presidency (http://uspolitics.about.com/library/bl_historical_approval.htm) numbers and noticed that every single time since Eisenhower, when EOP-approval ratings were below 59%, the other party won the presidency.

[haus]

Jonathan Singer did a nice wrap up of recent generic Congressional polls here. (http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/1/15/21583/6872#comment_top) I found this part particularly encouraging:


On the generic congressional ballot question, Zogby finds the Democrats holding a significant, yet by no means overwhelming, lead of 33 percent to 26 percent. Opinion Dynamics, however, finds the Democratic lead to be much larger at 44 percent to 33 percent, and the Associated Press poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs this month found an even larger generic Democratic lead of 49 percent to 36 percent.


No reason to bust out the champagne, but encouraging nonetheless.

[JamesP]

Time for a "Credibility Poll" on our friend Snow:

In his post below, he claims Bush's approval ratings are higher than the 7 other President's before him.

I did a quick internet search and found the following from last year:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bush's Poll Position Is Worst on Record
Second Terms are Tough, and No President Has Banked Less Political Capital for the Fights Ahead

By Terry M. Neal
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Monday, April 11, 2005; 8:29 AM

With apologies to George Tenet, the first 100 days of President Bush's second term have been no slam-dunk.

How rough has it been? Bush has the lowest approval rating of any president at this point in his second term, according to Gallup polls going back to World War II.
Bush's erosion of support among independents in particular has helped bring his overall approval rating down to 45 percent. Forty-nine percent disapprove of his performance.

Compare Bush's Gallup numbers taken in late March to poll numbers taken at the same point in the presidencies of the six previous men who served two terms:

Clinton: 59 percent approval versus 35 percent disapproval

Reagan: 56 percent versus 37 percent disapproval

Nixon: 57 percent versus 34 percent

Johnson: 69 percent versus 21 percent

Eisenhower: 65 percent versus 20 percent

Truman: 57 percent versus 24 percent

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can anyone find something more updated (I ran out of time).

Then, let's take a "credibility poll" on Snow.

I put him at about 23% credible, but this could rise if he turns out to be able to support his amazing assertion on Bush's poll numbers.

What about you?

[snowdog]

humm funny JamesP that you didn't put out the entire article.

I cannot find the thread at this time but I I ws asked by Haus or lionhart I believe
to back up the same statement. I managed to find a washington post article
that said that President Bush is still higher than the previous 7 presidents.
I highly doubt I will get much support on that or that I even pasted that
web-site, which was about 2 months ago. I also pasted some info that
clearly shows that members of the Clinton administration that were found
GUILTY not indicted for crimes but found guilty, were enourmous as
compared to GWB administration. Yea I know It doesn't agree with what
your preaching, SO obviiously I am lying , or fabricating the story. But
I did paste it here in the forum.

[JamesP]

Snow: You probably know the saying:

"We're all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts."

To slip in such a dubious statement as fact does no justice to this forum or any of it's contributors.

Your statement about Bush's poll ratings being higher than the last 7 Presidents appears to me to be absurd.
If you can back it up from a credible source, I will humbly apologize to you.
If not, you should do likewise to this entire forum.

We all enjoy an "honest" debate.

[snowdog]

Thats fair enough JamesP, As mentioned I pasted the info on here about
2 months ago I believe it was at the request of Haus or Lionhart. I have
spent an hour searching on the internet for the site again, with no luck at this
time. Perhaps other members will come forward and tell you about it.

whether you discredit me or call me a liar, Come on now JamesP.... do ya
really think your accusations make me loose sleep at nite? I don't know if
anyone will come forward here to admit that I in fact did post the article....
but should they or I find it... no apology is necessary, as I am in no way
offended by it.

[haus]

Zogby Int'l has concluded it's fourth round of polling for afterdowningstreet.org. Here are the top two items:


Among American adults, 53% agreed and 42% disagreed with the statement:
"If President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment."
Among Democrats 76% agreed, and 22% disagreed.
Oct. 29 – Nov. 2, 2005, Zogby International poll, commissioned by AfterDowningStreet.org, +/- 2.9% margin of error.

Among American adults 52% agreed and 43% disagreed with the statement:
"If President Bush wiretapped American citizens without the approval of a judge, do you agree or disagree that Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment."
Among Democrats 71% agreed, and 24% disagreed.
January 9-12, 2006, Zogby International poll, commissioned by AfterDowningStreet.org, +/- 2.9% margin of error.


Summary at http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/downloads/pollingonepage.pdf
More at http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/polling

[MAGI]

haus.........

Can you tell me what voting rights will expire in 2007?

[haus]

I can give it a shot :)

paraphrased from http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oId=15121

1. Section 4 Coverage Formula, 42 U.S.C. § 1973b
There are places that are called "covered." These places have had historical voting irregularities. These places have special programs. The programs go away in Aug 07. Here are the programs:

2. Section 5 Preclerance, 42 U.S.C. § 1973c
Places that are "covered" have to get "preclearance" with the AG or DC District Court before implementing poll rules. They have to prove that the


change does not have the purpose and would not have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color or membership in a language minority.



3. Assignment of Federal Examiners and Poll Watchers by the Attorney General, 42 U.S.C. § 1973d, f & k
The AG can assign people to watch covered places.

4. Bilingual Voting Materials Requirement, 42 U.S.C. § 1973 aa-1a
Listed states will no longer be federally required to offer bilingual (i think this should read "multilingual") ballots/instructions/etc.

So, take AZ for example. They could get new touch-screen voting machines and not provide instructions in Spanish. The Atty Gen'l wouldn't have any jurisdiction to even send poll-watchers to investigate. The way I understand it (not necessarily right) that means the whole DOJ loses jurisdiction in cases of poll abuse.

The same kind of protections that would be lost to language groups would also be lost to people abused at the polls due to their "race or color."

I double-sourced this at: http://www.aclu.org/votingrights/gen/13002res20050304.html My interpretation of the legalese isn't necessarily 100% correct...

[MAGI]

Thanks haus,
Will read info later tonight.

[snowdog]

"The political tide Turning" interesting and right above us the Canadians
after 13 years of liberal leadership, voted in a conservative. Please help
me to understand what tide is turning.

[sweetpea]

The Political Tide IS turning.

I am thinking long term, here.

Can anyone name name me the last Democrat to have Gun Control on their national platform?

Can anyone name me the last Democrat to have "let's bring back welfare prior to Clinton signing the Welfare reform bill" on a national platform?

I got more if you want them.

[JamesP]

Snow:

The Canadians responded to corruption & scandal in changing their government.

The tide turned there.

Just as it is turning here.

Shall I post more polls?

Pea: I have difficulty responding to you. You're always spinning around by yourself somewhere out in right field... throwing up things that are only relevant to you.
I don't understand what gun control and welfare reform have to do with Americans "awakening" to the enormous flaws of the Bush administration & present Republican controlled congress.

Here's an equation for you:
Some conservative ideas = good.
Some liberal ideas = good.
Bush administration = corrupt, immoral, inept, violent, fanatical, dishonest, out-of-control & out-of-touch-with-reality.

All of the above can be -and, indeed, are- true at the same time.

Now, be true to your style and respond by telling me about something bad a Democrat once did as if that makes all of the Bush administration's mistakes & misdeeds agreeable to you - and should also make them agreeable to "all of us".

A hint of intellectual honesty would boost your effectiveness in this forum.

[JamesP]

Heading Into State of Union, Bush Approval Low


(Jan. 27) -- President Bush's approval rating is stuck at a dismal 42 percent as he heads into next week's State of the Union address, according to the latest CBS News/New York Times poll.

Fifty-one percent of Americans give him a negative job approval rating. It's the first time in his presidency he'll give a State of the Union speech with a majority of the residents of the country saying they disapprove of the job he's doing.

While most Americans believe Mr. Bush displays strong leadership qualities, when it comes to helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina, just 25 percent of those polled think the Bush administration has a clear plan.

Mr. Bush vs. Other Presidents

Mr. Bush's job approval rating, which never reached 50 percent during all of 2005, is significantly lower than other modern two-term presidents. Of the past five presidents elected to a second term, only Richard Nixon received lower ratings at the same point in his administration.

Approval Ratings During Second Terms

Bush, January 2006 42 percent Clinton, January 1998 58 percent Reagan, January 1986 65 percent Nixon, January 1974 (Gallup Poll) 26 percent Eisenhower, January 1958 (Gallup Poll) 58 percent

[JamesP]

Snow: You probably know the saying:

"We're all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts."

Your statement about Bush's poll ratings being higher than the last 7 Presidents appears to me to be absurd.


Snow: please see the last paragraph in my post below....

Granted.... "fantasy-facts" are common in Bush's state of the union addresses, for example, or Colin Powell's credibility-killing address to the U.N..... and these are your heros... but here, let's try to keep it real.

[snowdog]

Snow: please see the last paragraph in my post below....

Granted.... "fantasy-facts" are common in Bush's state of the union addresses, for example, or Colin Powell's credibility-killing address to the U.N..... and these are your heros... but here, let's try to keep it real.


JamesP. GWB is not my hero, HE is MY President.. as well as YOUR president. whether you voted for him or not he IS YOUR President, must be a living hell to have to deal with that FACT huh? I just don't hate him as much as you. there fore
I am not blinded on the issues with your immense hate. THe Poll thing Has
been over for a few days there JamesP......how bout you progressing on too?
like I said I pasted the info 2 months ago. To even think that Haus or
Lionhart would admit to it..well I'm not holding my breath. but the info was
Pasted on this forum.

[JamesP]

Snow - OK, we're "movin' on" ..... as long as we stick to some semblance of reality in future. Opinions are opinions, but facts are facts.

I do "hate" what the Bush administration has done to our country.
But I'm encouraged that "the tide is turning".

And, yes, I grant you that Bush is my President for now: a fact about which I feel more shame than hate...
shame for my fellow Americans "blinded" by fear and a misplaced & twisted sense of "patriotism" that overwhelms both their reason and morality.

Our country is so much better than the Bush administration and you, my friend, seem like someone who is better than the Bush administration. You should eventually see that they're not conservative and they don't support our troops - they use and abuse our troops and have handed our military over to oil companies & corporate interests.

We can be safe and strong without sacrificing what is good.



It's not right and you should be able to see that.

[snowdog]

Yes I agree with you JamesP the tide is turning, GWB will not be a great
person the republicans can count on to bring votes for the party. at least
I don't think so on his current polls.

But......and I know "what if's" are not all that practical, but

What IF.....WMD's are found? say saddamn had them removed to Syria or
Iran. what If proof comes up in say 6 months. What IF a call is intercepted
by the NSA and they are tipped off of a sleeper cell of terrorist, and the plans
for an attacked are found out?

Osama has already mentioned a truce, with the US. Do ya think he said that
cause he feels he is "winning" and wants to be nice and give us a break?

what I am hearing on several news outlets (not just fox) is that a person in the
saddamn regime has come forward and admitted that there were WMD's that
saddamn sent to Syria. Now you could say "what if he is lying" and I would
come back with "What If " he's not?

THe Dems have spent the past 2-3 years on GWB "lying", for the Iraq war.
should WMD's be found in the Next 2 years say, What the hell is the Democratic
party gonna do? They are gonna look like complete idiots and they WILL
Loose the 08 election. I would sure hate to be Ted Kennedy, John Kerry,
Hairy Reed, Or Billiary Clinton, or dare I say Rep Murtha?

Yes, Bush is not in most americans favor right now.... including me. But alls
it will take is say, tomorrow morning I wake up turn the News on and Bamm!
Osama has Been Captured, or several arrest are made of a terrorist sleeper
cell is outed here in the US. Or Bamm, WMD's are discovered! and then Bush
simply says......."America I tried to tell you all 3 years ago that there were
WMDs I WASN't LYING !! I stood my ground and did not allow the democratic
party to dictate what I should do" What the hell are the Dems gonna do then?
It is only MY opinion but I would imagine Osama would have more crediblity for
HIS cause than the Democratic party.

[haus]

Apparently, looking like an idiot doesn't lose elections.

[sweetpea]

The Political Tide IS turning.

I am thinking long term, here.

Can anyone name name me the last Democrat to have Gun Control on their national platform?

Can anyone name me the last Democrat to have "let's bring back welfare prior to Clinton signing the Welfare reform bill" on a national platform?

I got more if you want them.
Looking forward to an answer.

[JamesP]

[QUOTE=snowdog]
But......and I know "what if's" are not all that practical, but

What IF.....WMD's are found? say saddamn had them removed to Syria or
Iran. what If proof comes up in say 6 months. What IF a call is intercepted
by the NSA and they are tipped off of a sleeper cell of terrorist, and the plans
for an attacked are found out?

what I am hearing on several news outlets (not just fox) is that a person in the
saddamn regime has come forward and admitted that there were WMD's that
saddamn sent to Syria. Now you could say "what if he is lying" and I would
come back with "What If " he's not?

Snow: It's a nice Neo-con fantasy.

I do concur with your point about the political impact of a such new revelation. It would shift, temporarily, the tide. But only temporarily.

Even if we could believe the "oh so convenient for the Bush administration" idea that Saddam would send his weapons outside of the country just when he needed them most.....

- the immorality of the war doesn't have to do with WMDs - or lack thereof
- the cost of the war doesn't change with -or without WMDs

The war was and is wrong.
It was and is unnecessary, immoral & tragic for both America & Iraq.

The presence of WMDs would not grant us the right to take the life of a single Iraqi child or tie one Iraqi man, naked to a leash.

America has WMDs too. No detached, rational person would assert that our possessing weapons justifies our being invaded and our citizens being slaughtered. I own a gun, but my neighbor who may feel threatened by that fact can not come in to my home and murder my family to disarm me. Not under American law, international law or God's law.... only under "the law of the jungle".

America's basic goodness must eventually surface - it's happening now - and we'll reject pre-emptive war, shock & awe bombing, torture, war profiteering, corporate imperialism and all the rest that the Bush administration stands for.

[snowdog]

Your logic does make sense JamesP. what I just can't seem to get a grasp
on is why NO ONE likes to talk about the thousands of innocent civilians blown
up by the insurgents, the Christian aid workers held hostage and then beheaded
by the insurgents. That doesn't seem to be very morale from where I am
sitting Saddamn Gassing (YEA MWD's) his own countrymen, women, and
children. The US asked by the UN in 91 to lead a military force to remove Iraqi
troops from Kuwait. American lives were lost! then 12 years later we learn
about all the corruptness in the UN. France, Germany, Russia, China and Yes,
a couple of American companies, making illegal deals that the UN itself. made
up the conditions!! tell me about morality........the war is immoral! the protesters are saying....at the same time, they are pushing for more "womens
rights to kill babies, at nite they sodomize each other. adultry, stealing,
hell the Gov of New Orleans can't seem to find $50,000,000.00 of the donations
for the Katrina disaster. Its very frustrating. Ted Kennedy yelling in the Senate
about Alito pushing back womans rights! He killed one and made sure his nephew had the best lawyers money could buy, when the freak raped that girl
in the kennedy compound a few years ago! Kennedy, talking about womens
rights and here he has been a member of the owl society at Harvard, that doesn't
allow women to be members of. and these people question the morals of GWB
for taking out saddam hussein? I'm sorry, while I don't agree with the current
way GWB is handling the war in Iraq. to listen to these people is nuts! All the
names they call GWB, and because Rep Murtha is told. "No, we cannot leave
immediatly". people are accused of "not being respectful" to a vietnam war
vet.

[JamesP]

Wrong is wrong, Snow.
We should hold all accountable.
You seem to want to excuse the Bush administration of any & all wrongdoing because somewhere, sometime a Democrat did something you didn't like.
Of course, terrorists are guilty of cruel, murderous, inexcusable acts. Saddam was a violent, evil man.
Must we become them!?

If each side applies the same partisan logic you display, we have a prescription for chaos, violence & complete lack of accountability (the current state of American foreign policy).
The politicians all love such partisanship equally - it grants both sides impunity. They can rest assured that their tribe will excuse whatever they do and simply point a finger at the other side.

Once, what seems like long, long ago, I thought Americans were worldy & sophisticated. How did we get to be som easily manipulated?

[snowdog]

THe difference there jamesP............the Democrate was IMPEACHED! and
finally admitted to his lying. GWB is not up on charges for anything. I suggest
you allow the president of the United States to enjoy the same. Judicial protection that you or I have.

[JamesP]

State of the Union? Not so good, most say
By Susan Page, USA TODAY

A USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken last weekend and interviews across the country this week found most Americans pessimistic about the economy, divided on the war and doubtful that Bush has the best plan to address the issues that matter most to them — among them health care and corruption.

By more than 2-to-1, those surveyed say things have gotten worse in the United States over the past five years.

[JamesP]

USA Today 3/3/06

-- Bush's job-approval rating is 38%, 1 percentage point above the lowest rating of his tenure. The proportion who strongly approve of him has fallen to 20%, the lowest ever. The proportion that strongly disapproves has risen to 44%, the highest ever.

-- The president's approval rating on terrorism is 47%, down 7 points in a month and a record low.

-- The Republican Party's advantage over Democrats on terrorism has narrowed to 45%-40%.

And Vice President Cheney, the center of controversy last month when he shot a hunting companion? Cheney's approval rating - 40% - beats his boss's.

[FDRfollower]

Hi everyone. I just got a note from a friend of mine in Texas, I thought it would cheer you to hear it.

There's primaries in Texas and she was a poll worker. She says, when you come in, "Are you a Democrat or Republican?", and the first guy started freaking out, calling Bush the worst idiot he's ever seen, how the country is going to hell, etc. in a very LOUD voice, sometimes shouting, and he was a Republican!:laughing:

Another guy, upon entering, was called over by the other poll worker, (who knew him apparently), and his reply was "Nope! I've been a Republican for 20 years and I'm NEVER going to vote Republican again!

If the Dems get their act together, Cheney is Jail-bait! and his little bush too! Wa hahahahahahahaaha!