BuzzFlash Mailbag for November 10, 2008

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Subject: Obama to use executive orders

I hope he releases GHW Bush's White House records with the first one. Dubya sealed them with one of his first executive orders.

Karen Webb
Moore, Ok.

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Subject: Naomi Klein

I am presently reading The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. My gawd, it is so good and she explains 'things' so well. Please, if you have not read it, please do now.

I still believe that bush, cheney and his so-called administration should be held accountable for all they have done to bring down this country. They seem to be for the corporations, plus, that are were and are now a part of the military / industrial complex. Please, please read this book. Thanks.

Dolores M Dryden
Harrison, Ohio

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Subject: From a son to a father

Buzz,

papa i salute you my earliest memory of us was when you taught me how to play hockey you accidentally hit me and you held me close hugged me to your chest i remember the embrace and we grew older my first day at school i took the wrong bus mom and you freaked out and then you brought me home 4'th grade 79/80 the math test mama was unimpressed 7'th grade my low math score i remember how you were disappointed i remember those eyes and we grew older you taught me how to swim mom and you waltzed in the living room you bought me that globe and every book i ever wanted 8'th grade you moved because of your job you shook my hand and told me i was the man of the house then anuj died i remember when you came home and cried and we grew older high school you came back and i was told about your stature you hid it well for 16 years you also introduced me to a path that led me to become an atheist college i did not make the cut you wanted me to but you smiled years flashed by a blur you shared my sorrow and reveled in my triumphs yet something was wrong the son had come of age he did not need you the mistakes i have made moments lost and we grew older grad school kansas now and then louisiana your postings the son who was in many ways unlike others unshaven torn jeans unwilling to be the surrogate yet you smiled you called me the prodigal son and we grew older 4 hours papa that's the amount of time you and mom talk which makes me smile 32 years you're in love like a freshman everything i know you taught me and i learned on my own too you told me once be as comfortable in the back of a bus as you are in a limo i've seen you do it dad as a son i cannot ask for more i never expressed my gratitude while you toiled i did not care you taught me how to walk you held me when i was a child you cried when i was hurt you told me if i ever killed a man you would hide me never ever did you not support me or mom or sis you were always there

papa my sole regret is that i am too detached too removed from all else to tell you that i love you with all my heart

Happy 60'th Dad.

Akhil Bhardwaj
Newport, NJ

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Subject: It's OK For Obama To Stick To The Middle Of The Road & To Disavow Labels

"With the middle being?"

"Where ending the Iraq War meets putting Main Street before Wall Street."

"Anything else?"

"Where there's health care for all."

"Based on?"

"The ten billion monthly that'll be freed up from our having ended the Iraq War."

"With no labels attached?"

"No labels."

"What instead?"

"Yes we can."

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Oprah

Stop beating up on her. She isn't one of my favorites, but she didn't snub Palin. She had Obama and Biden on, but not during this year of the campaign.

I think Palin will do it because she loves herself and seeing herself.

Say it Ain't So Oprah! We Don't Need More Drama from Wasilla. "Oprah to Palin: Stop by any time" 11/10

Karen Webb
Moore, Ok.

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Subject: Bush and Terrorist Attacks

we were stunned ... we were flipping around the tv channels and on fox at 6:54 pm sat. evening some guy on a fox panel of people was saying AT LEAST IF WE GET HIT BY ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW GEORGE BUSH KEPT US SAFE.

helloooooo! we all started laughing and ask...AND WHOSE WATCH WERE WE UNDER WHEN THIS COUNTRY WAS HIT BY THE MOST DEVASTATING ATTACK ON OUR SOIL IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY? WHY THAT WOULD BE THE GEORGE (PDB TITLED OSAMA DETERMINED TO ATTACK THE UNITED STATES) BUSH! OR HOW ABOUT THE GEORGE (LET'S KEEP READING MY PET GOAT WHILE WE ARE BEING ATTACKED) BUSH?

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: right wing pundits

As Keith Olbermann said -- "... it doesn't matter what Rush and Sean and Bill and William the Bloody say anymore -- they are irrelevant." Of course they're going to go after everything Obama, from his cabinet selections to Michelle's decor of the White House to the children and the choice of schools. We "Big Dog Democrats" must overwhelm the right wing with our brains and initiative. Just remember that the filth they spew is no different than what they spewed before and we still prevailed in 2006 and 2008. I have a lot of faith in our President Elect and his crew. I know he will need all of our support to bring his visions to fruition.

Kris Nurmi
Cook, MN

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Subject: From the Center My Rear

Does nobody remember that after Bush won (sic) the 2000 election, and started down a right-wing agenda, he was reminded that he had barely won the election? His response to that was, So what?"

Tom S.

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Subject: The only two good things Bush did for America

There are only two good things Bush did for America:

1. He got rid of voter apathy. 2. He was responsible for Barack Obama being elected.

Thanks, George [and] good riddance!!!

Randall Uhrich
Baldwin City, KS

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Subject: Ignorance amuck

Dear BuzzFlash:

I agree with the Fifth Columnist about the Republican Party being a party of the ignorant, by the ignorant for the ignorant, but let's not misjudge the leadership because I've learned never to underestimate intelligence, if and where it exists. We must remember, the big wigs know what they're doing. They aren't ignorant because they ruined the economy and caused an illegal two-front war. They are callous and greedy.

Rove, Rumsfeld, Cheney and W. know what they're doing, and being soulless ghouls, they simply don't give a damn who goes down as collateral damage, either as a soldier, a worker, or anybody else. We have to always keep our guard up, because once things rebound at all, they and their ilk will be right at it again.

As for the followers, well, ignorance barely covers it. Let's add xenophobia, homophobia, racism and willful stupidity to the mix. We are all ignorant in some way - for example, I know nothing about nuclear physics. Ignorance is simply unknowing of a particular subject. Stupidity is willful and deliberate refusal to educate oneself, explore, research or inquire in order to better oneself and better understand his or her surroundings.

I therefore have no sympathy for stupid people - I don't include obviously those with learning disabilities - I mean those with the mental capacity available that they refuse to employ. The trouble is, when that stupidity pours over to national issues, we all suffer.

When a top Republican like Karl Rove can come right out and say in public that the party relies on the low education and stupidity of its voters, and then nobody protests, how much more validation do you need? Zombies would starve if they only had Republicans to feed upon.

Scott
Fayetteville, Ar.

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Subject: Pardons

I would like to get the conversation going. Who is Bush going to pardon? How long will the list be? How far down into the lower reaches of his administration will it go and which corporate executives will it include? Just asking.

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: UK Telegraph: Sarah Palin Blamed by U.S. Secret Service

I read the article. The Secret Service did not BLAME Palin for the Obama death threats. They observed only that the death threats correlated with her rhetoric. The headline flagrantly misrepresents the position of the Secret Service on this matter.

You should not have propagated this -- at best careless, and at worst propagandistic -- headline.

Daniel Fleisher

[BuzzFlash Note: The Telegraph wrote the "Blame" headline, and said: "The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks. ... Details of the spike in threats to Mr Obama come as a report last week by security and intelligence analysts Stratfor, warned that he is a high risk target for racist gunmen. It concluded: 'Two plots to assassinate Obama were broken up during the campaign season, and several more remain under investigation. We would expect federal authorities to uncover many more plots to attack the president that have been hatched by white supremacist ideologues.' Irate John McCain aides, who blame Mrs Palin for losing the election, claim Mrs Palin took it upon herself to question Mr Obama's patriotism, before the line of attack had been cleared by Mr McCain."]

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Subject: A Rational Approach to Energy Problems

It is time for us to take a rational approach to our energy problems. While "drill baby drill" may sound sexy it is not a rational policy.

If we just look at the facts, our choices are very clear. The choices we have today are not inclusive, that is we have to put our resources either into hard energy or soft energy solutions. In other words, non renewable, polluting, non sustainable and life threatening policies versus renewable, non-polluting, sustainable and life enhancing methods. This is not a question of right or left liberal or conservative, it is a question of what is in our own best interests.

To do this we have to first examine how we have gotten to where we are at, what are the myths and realities and who are its proponents? Who has been making our energy choices, spreading misinformation and reaping great wealth from their actions? Let us look at oil for example.

The oil companies would tell us that we all reap oil's benefits, but is this true? In some ways yes and in most ways no. Most of us are not making billions of dollars from the production of crude. Those who are, obviously are more concerned with their profits than with humanitarian and environmental concerns. While oil helps with our transportation needs there are better alternatives. Unless of course you are invested in the oil industry. We can make the transition now merely by conserving what we have.

Much maligned environmentalists on the other hand are concerned with the earth and the well being of the populace who inhabit it, of which they are a part. The rich and powerful have been making our energy decisions. Chosen for us has been irreplaceable fossil fool burning planet polluting vehicles instead of developing other fuels and public transportation. Drilling proponents want us to believe that we have to drill, yet by their own admission it will take us 10 years at least to produce one drop of oil and it will have a negligible effect on prices. Drilling is one of the problems not the solution.

Unless you are a billionaire you are working against your own self interest to support this old as the dinosaurs and rapidly making us extinct technology. Instead of "drill, baby drill" we need to conserve, recycle and use renewable resources baby, which, will help reap incredible benefits perceptibly in the present (look how gas prices have dropped recently due to less demand) and immensely in the future.

Just like the dinosaurs, the age of oil is dying. Will we cling to it and die also or open our eyes to a richer, healthier and more sustainable future?

Jaffrey Harp

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Subject: Joe the UnPlumber and His Family Were on Welfare! (We Kid You Not.) You Know, All These GOP Hypocrites like the UnPlumber, Palin and McCain (Who Cashes His Social Security Checks) Should be Given Provisional U.S. Citizenship, Pending Lie Detector and U.S. Citizenship Tests. (Palin Would and Joe Would Fail the Latter for Sure.)

No, they, and the other 43 million "Americans" who voted for McCain-Palin, should be drafted and assigned--unarmed--to Iraq forthwith! And Joe, the "Plumber", specifically with the Michele Bachmann Brigade.

Will Wyche
Palm Springs, CA

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Subject: Time For Progressives To AccentuateThe Positive, Eliminate The Negative & Act Like The Winners That We Are

"How?"

"By backing off on the 'What's the use, things never change, the Democrats are in the pocket of the corporations and Obama's sure to sell out.'"

"Back off for how long?"

"Until at least the first 100 days of the next Congress are over."

"Anything else?"

"We don't have to talk about the Republican losers."

"What do we do instead?"

"See to it that Barack Obama delivers on his campaign promises."

"Based on?"

"Yes we can."

"And then what sort of world?"

"It'll be up to us."

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: God Blessing America

After hearing Pres Elect Obama end his acceptance speech by God Blessing The USA I got to thinking it may be time to start asking God to Bless the rest of the world. It falls in line with Powell's recent comment that Obama's being a Christian is fine but it's not bad being a Muslim. The world is more interconnected than ever and it's only going to become more so. So I think just maybe we ought to begin thinking about how we can all cooperate on this small blue planet.

Joe Salzman

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Subject: Auto Industry Bail-Out

The auto companies are gearing up to get a piece of the bail-out billions. They are going bankrupt because of decades of bad and worse business leadership. They had the opportunity to develop high gas-mileage cars with a private-public partnership during the Clinton administration. Vice President Gore prodded them to enter the 21st Century but they dragged their feet.

As soon as Bush came to power the auto companies quickly dropped all research and returned to convincing Americans that the only viable vehicles were gas guzzling behemoths. You know, the SUV’s that brought in $7,000 profit per vehicle. Some of that profit went directly to K Street lobbyists to make sure CAFÉ gas-mileage standards would never be raised

How bad is the auto industry CEOs' business acumen? A story from BusinessWeek,, “The 65 mpg Ford the U.S. Can't Have”, tells it best. (businessweek.com)

“If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor (F), known widely for lumbering gas hogs.

Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: Despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor (HMC) in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe”.

Ford says the car is too expensive to import from its European factory because of labor costs. But Ford is currently starting up a Fiesta factory in Mexico (what a surprise). Well we should be able to get the Mexican version in the near future, right? Fraid not. The diesel will not be produced in North America. What!! Why would they not want to build a car that gets 65 mpg?

The marketing geniuses at Ford don’t think the American public is ready for diesel cars even if they get 65 mpg. Amazingly Ford seems alone in this conception. Mercedes-Benz by next year will market three small diesels cars in America. VW, Audi, BMW, Nissan and Honda plan to introduce them in the U.S. before 2011.

Let us recap this again. Ford has successfully, for years, persuaded Americans to buy huge, expensive, gas-guzzling, station wagons on steroids, called Ford Explorers with a barrage of idiotic macho-centric advertising. But they now feel incapable of convincing Americans that they need a car that gets 65 mpg? It should be no surprise that Ford is going bankrupt with this type of “logic”.

Any bail-out money should be used solely to improve the country. For the auto industry this means erecting factories here in the U.S. that produce efficient vehicles that are made by a well paid unionized labor force. The American taxpayers should acquire partial ownership for their investment so we can all share in any profit. Management should be replaced due to their incompetence.

Secretary of the Treasury Paulson has deemed that any controls on executive compensation, let alone dismissal, in these bail-outs may limit participation. He therefore has been somewhat reluctant in enforcing any executive compensation limits.

A simple solution is to make the CEOs personally responsible for their decisions. If they fail to accept a rescue package due to personal greed they are endangering the corporation. Laws should be enacted that give stockholders the right to be compensated for any losses due to executive inaction. That compensation would be taken from the personal assets of the senior executives of the corporation. Think Republicans will back that kind of personal responsibility? Oh, I forgot, personal responsibility is just for the poor and middle-class.

Vern Stevens
Kellogg, Idaho

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Subject: Prop 8

Depending on the language of the certain-to-follow court opinion, it might clear the way for putting a measure on the ballot prohibiting Mormons form holding office in California. It would certainly hilight the folly of Prop 8, and it might pass in today's climate.

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Obama celebration in Turkey

Upon hearing the election results, in the eastern town Van of Turkey, spontaneous celebration erupted. Townfolk sacrificed 44 sheep to honor this 44th president with banners "he is one of us."

http://galeri.internethaber.com/...

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Reader Comments

Dear BuzzFlash,

The following is not a joke. This is a reader comment posted in my local paper, "The Henry Herald" (http://www.henryherald.com), located in Henry County, Georgia, approximately 32 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta. The comment was in reply to a previous comment posted by a reader who was making the case that Obama is a socialist and will turn the U.S. into a socialist society.

In this county, "W" is a demi-god, McCain is a savior and Palin is the wisest and fairest woman in the land.

Reader Comments

Posted: Sunday, November 02, 2008 Article comment by: John Warren

Our beautiful soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is the best future leader for this nation, not Senator Barak Obama. Our beautiful soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is also would be better at leading our nation in the future after a McCain Presidency than Senator Barak Obama would be in leading our nation in the future starting in January 2009. There are great reasons our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin would be a better future leader than Senator Barak Obama. The greatest reason for our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin's is ideology. Our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is conservative in that she is pro life, marriage, guns, low taxes, low government spending, small government, unintrosive government, traditional and judeo Christian values, Bible reading and prayer in our public schools, and military spending.She is also pro free and private enterprize. Senator Barak Obama is a liberal who is anti every thing that I have described that our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is pro about or for. A second reason that our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is superior is because of experience. As a governor she has two years of executive administrative governing experience that Senator Barak Obama does not have. A final reason that our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin is superior is because of political accomplishments. When our soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin came to office she accomplished 3 major things which are as follows: she showed great leadership in the 3 following areas: government reform, the state budget and the economy, and wise use of natural resources. She reformed government by standing up to the big oil companies by breaking up the monopoly on power and resources. She insisted on competition and basic fairness which ended the control that the oil companies had on the state, and thereby returning control of the state back to the people. She also stood up to the special interest and lobbyist, and produced major ethics reform. She lead well in the state budget by generating a surplus which came about by vetoing a half billion dollars of wasteful spending, ending the abuses of earmark spending by congress, and by getting rid of the private jet, the chef, and the chuffer. Economically under her leadership she brought about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. She also suspended the state fuel tax, and when oil and gas prices went up dramatically, and filled up the state treasury, she sent a large share of that revenue back where it belonged - directly to the people of Alaska . On natural resources she has shown great leadership by beginning a nearly forty billion dollar natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence. When the last section of the pipeline is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart. Senator Barak Obama has done nothing, so please vote John McCain for President and give to our beautiful soon to be Vice President Sarah Palin the opportunity that she deserves leading the nation into the future after a John McCain presidency. When our soon to be Vice President does lead the nation as President after a John McCain presidency,she will be the greatest President that we have ever had. Finally she is smarter than Senator Barak Obama Thank You John Warren

This is not a joke. This is an actual reader comment submission to the reader's opinion I sent you from my local paper.

Pray for me.

Sincerely,

Chris Kennerly
Stockbridge, GA

[BuzzFlash Note: For the record, that "comment" was posted far and wide.]

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Subject: The new President

So where is the discussion on the site about the new President's comments about Iran, and the prospect of a policy as hawkish as the Neo-cons on that front? What about some discussion of the massive expansion of War in Afghanistan? Militarism is still militarism, and empire-building is still empire building - no matter what political party is doing it???

I'm an Australian, not an American - so I can be objective about this. Uncritical acceptance of Imperialistic attitudes by the left is not going to help Obama moderate his stance in the face of the many hawks who will be surrounding him. His only hope is if his own grass roots supporters demand a different set of behaviours from him than foreign policy as usual. Then he can stand up to the Hawks, the petro-chemical elites, the military-industrialists, and say - no - our priorities as Americans are now elsewhere - ie - getting our own house in order.

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Our new President

There is so much to say...and no way am I gonna say it right...but...

To Neil Ferstand ...Yes, he is Jed Bartlet like, isn't he? To Karen Moore, Okla ... you can always tell us something we know is right ... two high school kids fighting over the election of a president ... how silly is that??

Just the outpouring of the entire world with our good luck, after so much bad luck...is enough to give us hope. Coming back from a visit to the doctor today, early...the news on the radio was nothing but bad. Consumerism worse than in 39 years...the job loss the same...250 thousand jobs lost just in October, and likely another 200 thousand before the warlock is gone...how bad.

Anyway...after being to the doctor, it was early, we stopped at one of the stable (we thought) breakfast places to eat. SURPRISE!!!!! the doors were padlocked, usually, meaning vendors have taken over. A woman getting out of her car told us that during the last stock market crash...he lost five franchises...that is about 100 persons at least out of every restaurant...shame! I have a person I know in Pinellas County Fla, beautiful place...St. Pete...Tampa...Bradenton ... such a lovely spot...but, no way was Barack okay for this job...you all have heard it...the scary stuff...Muslim, Islam, etc. etc. ...nothing but bad (not to me...but, to her) Funny...my state of Missouri went perfectly dem. for governor...etc. ...except president ...then it was so red...it was shameful. I heard that in Lincoln County, which is just above St. Louis county...the "N" word was used a lot...how shameful is that?

Anyway...Pinellas County, Fla...bright blue ... strange ain't it? How hard that must be for her.

And the last thing...my sister who is more dem than I am...had a husband who had the beginnings of Parkinsons disease...just seemed to get worse and worse...watched the election Tuesday night ... and almost a miracle happened (he was once an alderman ) ... he perked up...and has been improving so much...it is like Thanksgiving for them... You know...to some of us...promise means more than the color of a man's skin...even when it is mixed with ours!!! Thanks to all the people with stories of our new president...he is special!!! Good day... Buzz....

Shirley........St. Louis

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Subject: The recent election

I just wanted to repeat something that a conservative posted on another website that I believe we should consider ...

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan: to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations. -- Abraham Lincoln

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Close Gitmo

Guantanamo, with all its innocents who were caught up at the wrong place at the wrong time, including children, needs to be closed. I hope that is done soon.

A BuzzFlash Reader

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Subject: Fade

Quietly the night descends the sand becomes cold a nippy breeze

he sits alone fingers wrapped around an instrument of death the blade glistens

the moon casts her silvery web absolute silence he can hear his soft breath

reminded of another night when he grasped her hands gave her a ring and kissed her softly

a single shot blood gushes he slumps over eyes unseeing

another mindless kill for a lie a war that was being fought

in the head of a clueless pseudo dictator trying to prove to the world how he was a better man

than his father for his ego men have died families uprooted

billions spent hatred preached childhoods lost tears wept

the history of man is bloody indeed the portrait of history when painted

is predominantly red the sun rises in the desert the sand warms

begins another day when men and women will die the horizon is yet hazy

circles within circles within circles a nonsensical image

silver is the bullet lead is the element red is the street painted with blood

noble is he who lays his life down for an idea i cannot say

a kind word for he who demands of others what he himself

was unwilling to do

Akhil Bhardwaj
Jersey City, NJ

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