WELCOME TO OPINIONS BASED ON FACTS (OBOF)
&
THINGS YOU
MAY HAVE MISSED (TYMHM)
YEAR THREE
Name
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Published
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OVERVIEW
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 14
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Dec 18, 2012
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 15
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Jan. 02, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 16
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Jan. 08, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 16
EXTRA
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Jan. 11, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 17
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Jan. 15, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 18
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Jan. 22, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 19
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Jan. 29, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 20
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Feb. 05, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 21
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Feb. 14, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 22
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Feb. 20, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 23
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Feb. 27, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 23 SPECIAL
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Mar. 06, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 24
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Mar. 07, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 25
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Mar. 12, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 25-EXTRA
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Mar. 14, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 26
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Mar. 19, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 27
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Mar. 26, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 28
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Apr. 02, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 29
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Apr. 08, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 30
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Apr. 17, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 31
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Apr. 23, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 32
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Apr. 30, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 33
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May 07, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 34
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May 18, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 35
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May 21, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 36
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May 30, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 37
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June
05, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 38
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June
11, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 39
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June
18, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 40
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June
25, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 41
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July
02, 2013
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OBOF & TYMHM PART 42
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July
09, 2013
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Bolivian Pres. plane denied air space.
2. Missing LA dog found in Florida 3 yrs later.
3. Groups & leader NM are appalled. USDA approved
application for horse slaughtering
plant.
4. May trade $45 billion, what it means and what
to
do about it.
BOLIVIAN
PRESIDENT'S PLANE
DENIED AIR
SPACE
By Floyd Bowman.
Publisher "Opinions Based On
Facts."
Tuesday, July 09,2013.
This is with regard to
the, so called, kidnapping of the Bolivian President, as he was returning to Bolivia from Russia . After leaving Russia
in his government plane and in the air, he was denied fly over air space of France , Italy ,
Spain , & Portugal . This denial came without knowing how much
fuel was on board or knowing where, at the time, they could go. This is unprecedented, as heads of Government
are always permitted to fly over any air space.
It turns out that
these denials were a result of some report from somewhere, no one seems to
know, that Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower, was on the Bolivia
plane. The plane was finally permitted
to land for fuel in Austria . While there, the Austrian Government reported
that Snowden was not on the plane, even though the Bolivian President denied
access to his plane.
At any rate, soon
after that France
reversed their denial and apologized to the Bolivian Government. Shortly after that, Italy and Spain
reversed their denial, but Portugal
had not for some time, but finally did.
You think that is the end of it?
Not hardly. Bolivia is
really "up in arms" about this and has called for a conference of the
South American Countries for discussion of this unjustified act, which they
refer to as putting the life of their President in jeopardy.
Up to this point, I
have given you the facts as I have learned about them. Now my opinion based on those facts. There is no doubt in my mind that the United States
was behind this entire fiasco. Folks, we
have a group of leaders in our country, that are either doing some things they
shouldn't be doing, or are just paranoid, particularly in the NSA (National
Security Agency). I can understand why
they want to apprehend Mr. Snowden, but there has to be a limit. Is it worth setting
in motion a world wide upheaval that appears may leave the US coming out on the
short end of the stick? We don't need
that.
One other
thought. I failed to get the name of who
said this, but it was someone in our government. With regard to the military coup in Egypt ,
this person said, "We have to consider the will of the people." Frankly, I think that is a hell of a statement
when our government doesn't even listen to the will of the people in our own
country. If our government doesn't start
listening to the will of our people, what we are seeing happening in Egypt,
right now, may well happen right here in the next 10 to 20 years or sooner.
Our people must wake
up now and start to get this situation turned around, beginning in 2014. We have to start campaigning right now and
hard too. Think
about trying to chip in a few dollars once in a while. It doesn't have to be much. Even $5 or more will really help. Just think about it. If 1,000 people donate $5, what do you have? Sure $5,000.
If you can try to think about $25 each month, that would be a tremendous
help, but anything you can give, as often as you can give, will really
help. Of course, I am talking about
donations to Democratic candidates. WE SIMPLY HAVE TO GET THAT CONGRESS OUT OF
THE HANDS OF THE REPUBLICANS AND PARTICULARLY THE TEA PARTY REPUBLICANS.
~~~
Missing
LA Dog Turns Up in Florida —
3
Years Later.
By Matt Cantor,
Newser Staff
Posted
Jul 5, 2013
Microchip, pet detective reunite
Bayou with owner
Newser) – Three years ago, a Los Angeles man lost his
pit bull; he thinks an ex-roommate took the dog after she was informed she had
to move out. Now, Bayou the dog has
reemerged—all the way across the country. What happened in the meantime remains a
mystery, but Bayou and Eric Hough are about to reunite, the Los Angeles
Times reports. Believed
to be a stray, the dog was given to a Brevard
County , Florida , shelter last month; fortunately,
he'd been implanted with a microchip.
The chip
gave his owner's name as Eric Hough, but the attached phone numbers didn't
work, says a shelter staffer. Given the
vast distance between dog and owner, the shelter struggled to send the dog
home. That's when a "pet
detective" entered the picture. "I love these impossible cases, so I spent
a lot of time, a lot of emails, a lot of phone calls, trying to track down this
person," says Ryan Gamache. Indeed,
he tried to get in touch with every Eric Hough in California , he says. Finally, he found the right one on Facebook,
and Bayou began a days-long trip home June 27. He's due to arrive on Sunday. "I can't lose him again," says
Hough.
~~~
Groups,
New Mexico Leaders Appalled by USDA’s Decision to Process Application for Horse
Slaughter Plant
Animal Welfare Institute / News Report
Published: Saturday 29 June 2013
NOTE FROM FLOYD:
If you have any concern at all for animals, the
following article certainly is one you
need to read in it's entirety. I have
been reading a number of articles relating to the treatment of animals and most
have been about the good work of ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals). However, this article
is the opposite. After you read this
you will want to do something about it, that is if you care at all about animal
treatment. Well you sure can do
something. Get on the horn and let you
Senators and Representative know, you don't want any horse slaughtering in the United States . Tell them you want them to vote for S-541 and
HR 1094.
Above all, read this entire article. It really brings to light the terrible
treatment that is taking place with these beautiful and intelligent
animals.
~~
This surprising
move to reopen a horse slaughter plant defies common sense, given Congress’s
recent votes to eliminate funding for such inspections and the scandal in the
European Union, where horsemeat was found to be mislabeled as beef in prepared
food products.
The Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), The ASPCA® (The
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), and Animal
Protection of New Mexico are dismayed over the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
recent decision to approve an application for a horse slaughter facility at
Valley Meat Company LLC in Roswell, N.M.
Their serious concern is based on the grounds that killing horses for
human consumption is inhumane and creates a serious health risk to consumers. Similar applications are pending for Rains
Natural Meats in Gallatin , Mo. ,
and Responsible Transportation LLC in Sigourney ,
Iowa . They could be approved as early as Monday.
Valley Meat is slated to be the first facility in the U.S.
to be green-lighted to slaughter horses for human consumption since 2007, when
the few remaining plants closed after Congress voted to eliminate funding for
horsemeat inspections. This surprising
move to reopen a horse slaughter plant defies common sense, given Congress’s
recent votes to eliminate funding for such inspections and the scandal in the
European Union, where horse meat was found to be mislabeled as beef in prepared
food products. On June 13, the House Appropriations Committee voted to include
language prohibiting the use of tax dollars for horse slaughter inspections in
its Agriculture Appropriations bill, and on June 20, the Senate Appropriations
Committee voted in favor of including the same language in its version of the
Appropriations bill. These bills are
both expected to move for floor action in July, signaling revocation of the
USDA’s inspection abilities in a matter of months.
“The writing is on the wall – Americans don’t want our
horses slaughtered, here or in any other country. Moving ahead with a government program to fund
horse slaughter inspections is a cruel, reckless and fiscally irresponsible
move,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations.
“Recent polling shows that 70 percent of New Mexicans, along with the
overwhelming majority of Americans, are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for
human consumption. Given the recent
firestorm of concern and outrage over horsemeat entering the food supply in Europe , this decision is shocking. The USDA is knowingly
diverting tax dollars from programs that protect American consumers to programs
that jeopardize them. It is time for Congress to take action to prevent
American horses from suffering this terrible fate and stop horse slaughter in
the U.S.
once and for all.”
Horse slaughter is inherently cruel and often
erroneously compared to humane euthanasia. The methods used to slaughter horses
do not always result in quick, painless deaths, as horses are difficult to stun
and may remain conscious during their butchering and dismemberment. Whether slaughter occurs in the U.S. or
abroad, these equines typically suffer abuse even before they arrive at the
slaughterhouse, often transported for more than 24 hours at a time without
food, water or rest, and in dangerously overcrowded trailers where the animals
may be seriously injured or even killed in transit. The majority of horses killed for human consumption are
young, healthy animals that could go on to lead productive lives with loving
owners. Last year, more than 160,000
American horses were sent to a cruel death by a grisly foreign industry that
produces unsafe food for consumers.
“I am baffled and greatly disappointed that the USDA has
chosen to approve this application despite strong opposition from the state of
New Mexico, the U.S. Congress and the American public,” said Chris Heyde,
deputy director of government and legal affairs for AWI. “Given an earlier statement from USDA Secretary Vilsack opposing horse
slaughter and calling for alternatives and recent votes in Congress against
this practice we had hoped no plant would be allowed to open. It just means we will have to redouble our
efforts to pass the SAFE Act which will ban slaughter and ensure our horses are
safe from this cruel and predatory industry.”
“New Mexicans reject the idea of a horse slaughter plant
in our state,” said Lisa Jennings , executive
director of Animal Protection of New
Mexico . “Horses
are a valuable part of our heritage, and we have worked hard to develop a
robust safety net for them, not condemn them to slaughter.”
“Despite the federal government’s decision to legalize
horse slaughter for human consumption, I believe creating a horse slaughtering
industry in New Mexico
is wrong and I am strongly opposed,” said New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. “Like the overwhelming majority of Americans
across the country, New Mexicans opposed the slaughter of horses for human
consumption. Not only is there not a
domestic demand for horsemeat, the act of slaughter itself is considered inhumane
by experts, given that a horse’s biology makes them difficult to stun, leaving
them conscious during the slaughter process.”
“Granting an inspection of the proposed horse
slaughtering facility does not resolve the issues of potential violation of New Mexico State
requirements,” said New Mexico ’s
Attorney General, Gary K. King. “Our
office has expressed concern that under current practices it is unlikely that
the plant can show that it meets the requirements of the New Mexico Food Act in their manufacture and
delivery of horse meat for human consumption. The plant will also likely be required to meet
State environmental standards for their discharges.”
“As a veterinarian, natural resource manager, and someone
who has had the great good fortune to grow up with and around horses, I am very
concerned about their health and safety. If a horse is hurt, terminally ill, or has no
chance to find a loving home, then humane euthanasia is an important option,”
said New Mexico State Land
Commissioner Ray Powell, D.V.M. “I am
told the USDA is considering the proposal to open a horse slaughtering facility
in our state. Since we do not have
enough unwanted horses in New Mexico
to make this economically viable, it means that horses would be trucked in from
across the nation. We do not have the safeguards and oversight in
place to ensure their humane handling, transport, and euthanasia. New Mexico can do much better by these intelligent
and gentle animals, and I strongly oppose this ill-conceived proposal.”
The decision to allow facilities to slaughter horses adds
further to the burden on U.S. taxpayers at a time when spending cuts associated
with the sequester could curtail food safety inspections for U.S. meat
products. Additionally, with the opening
of a horse slaughter plant in the U.S. ,
it will be more difficult to prevent the kind of comingling between horsemeat
and beef products that has occurred in Europe .
In March, U.S.
Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Reps. Patrick
Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., introduced the Safeguard American Foods Export (SAFE) Act (S. 541/ H.R. 1094), bipartisan legislation. This legislation will prevent the introduction of horse slaughter operations in the U.S. ,
end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the
public from consuming toxic horsemeat.
The AWI, APNM and the ASPCA all, urge Congress to swiftly pass the SAFE
Act to protect horses and consumers.
~~~
May
Trade Deficit Drained $45 Billion
From
Our Economy and Democracy
Dave Johnson
Campaign for America’s Future / Op-Ed
Published: Friday 5 July 2013
In democracies
where people have a say, people say, they want good wages, worker safety,
environmental protections and taxes that provide good schools and roads etc.
NOTE FROM FLOYD:
I want to call your attention back to
Posting #40 and how it ties in with what this article is saying about
trade. The biggest trade deal of all
time is being negotiated and nobody’s paying attention. That is the
lead into the present secret trade negotiations
that are entitled "Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)," and "Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)." Both of these secret trade agreements are
detailed in posting 40. After you read
this article it will really make added sense for you to take a look again at
Posting 40.
~~
The trade deficit is a measure of how much money and how
many jobs we are transferring in or out of the country. The May trade deficit was just reported, and
it jumped sharply. Other countries see
themselves as countries and compete with us as a country while we refuse to
respond as a country, so we are losing that competition. As a result, we are losing trillions of
dollars, millions of jobs, entire industries and our future.
May
Trade Deficit
In May imports rose while exports dropped, a
double-whammy that caused our trade deficit to jump more than 12%, from 40.1
billion in April to $45.0 billion. Imports went up 1.9 percent to $232.1
billion. Exports dropped 0.3 percent to
$187.1 billion.
Reuters notes ,that “imports of services,
autos and auto parts, and food, feeds and beverages also hit record highs, as
did total non-petroleum imports.”
The reason exports dropped was economic slowdown in other
countries combined with one-way trade deals that allow countries to get away
with selling more to us than they buy from us. This benefits the 1% here by forcing wages
down and rearranging the economy so more goes to … the 1%. But it eats the rest
of the country alive and “hollows out” the middle class.
Trade Deals That Make Democracy
A Competitive Disadvantage
The reason imports
increased is because, the one-way trade deals make democracy a competitive
disadvantage. They turn democracy into a
“cost.”
In democracies where people have a say, people say, they want good wages, worker safety,
environmental protections and taxes that provide good schools and roads etc.
In countries where people don’t have a say they are told
they can’t have those things, which means “costs” are lower.
We should not allow American companies to move jobs and
factories to countries with lower wages and lower levels of protection of human
rights, worker safety and the environment. That just undermines our own wages,
rights and protections. We should not
allow goods that are made without this level of wage, rights and environmental
protections to be sold here for lower prices that undermine our companies.
When we do not protect
ourselves and our democracy from those lower costs in non-democracies, this
massive trade deficit and hollowing-out of our middle class is inevitably the
result. This undermining of our democracy by the wealthy who benefit from this
undermining is the inevitable result as well.
We should impose tariffs on goods from low-wage,
low-protection countries so their goods do not undermine our standard of
living. Then use the proceeds to
increase the international competitiveness of goods made here, including free
education, government-funded research, even subsidies on exports as needed to
ensure a balance of trade. We can
withdraw these tariffs and subsidies as other countries increase their own
level of wages, rights, and protections.
It’s always important to look at the trade relationship
with China ,
because that is the biggest hole in our trade budget.
Imports from China jumped 10.7 percent to $36.6
billion. The monthly U.S. goods deficit with China climbed
to $27.9 billion in May, up from $24.1 billion in April.
The Alliance for American Manufacturing released this chart illustrating how our trade deficit finances China’s military expansion:
How
Do We Fix This?
1) First our country’s leadership has to recognize the
seriousness of the trade deficit problem and what it does to our own wages,
rights and protections. Imagine what we
could do with the hundreds of billions – trillions over time – that have left
our economy as we borrow to purchase from others instead of trading with
balance.
Well-funded Wall Street campaigns have succeeded in
giving the impression that the budget deficit is a problem, while ignoring the
real problem, which is this trade deficit. The budget deficit is largely money we owe
ourselves, which has been used to make our lives and economy better. But the
trade deficit just drains money, jobs and our future.
2) Trade agreements that are not “trade” agreements
should be renegotiated. These one-sided,
one-way deals have drained our economy because they encourage other countries
to sell to use without buying from us, while not improving their own wages,
rights and protections. Yes, these “trade” agreements enrich the 1% everywhere
but this is at the expense of the rest of us, our economy and our ability to
make a living in the future. We need
leadership that cares about the way these trade deals make democracy into a
competitive disadvantage, destroying the middle class — but greatly enriching
the 1%.
3) Following #1, the country’s leadership must recognize
that other countries compete with us as
a country. Whether America ’s
political and business leadership think it is out-of-date to see the United States
as a country or not, other countries
do see themselves as countries and us as a competing country, and compete with
us that way. We are in an economic struggle as a country and we are losing that struggle because we
cling to an ideology (that conveniently benefits the funders of that ideology)
that refuses to develop a unified national economic and manufacturing
strategy as a country.
~~~
If the good Lord is willing and the creek don't rise, I'll talk with you
again next Tuesday, July 16, 2013.
God Bless You All
&
God Bless the United States of America
Floyd
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