President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama leaving Germany, June 19
****
Today:
President Obama has no public events scheduled
9:45 AM: VP Biden delivers remarks at Esperanza’s 2013 National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast
4:15 PM: VP Biden travels to Las Vegas to deliver remarks to the League of United Latin American Citizens Youth and Young Adults Awards Banquet
****
Home
****
“Mr Sunshine” 😎
****
Bild is kind of the German equivalent of The (British) Sun, but you can’t but smile at some of their front pages. I mean, ‘Kiss me Angie”? is their take from yesterday? 😆
****
I assumed “Eine Bombige Rede” meant ‘get out the naughty mats’, but no, it’s less important than that, something to do with nuclear disarmament
****
****
****
****
****
NYT: President Obama is preparing a major policy push on climate change, including, for the first time, limits on greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing power plants, as well as expanded renewable energy development on public lands and an accelerated effort on energy efficiency in buildings and equipment, senior officials said Wednesday.
Heather Zichal, the White House coordinator for energy and climate change, said the president would announce the new policy initiatives in the coming weeks. Another official said a presidential address outlining the new policy could come as early as next week.
More here
****
****
oh look, Obama’s approval rating up since March in Pew poll. boy, that’s really making Beltway headlines today….; http://t.co/4MZN5urV2i
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) June 20, 2013
****
LA Times: Despite several weeks of troubles, including controversy over IRS targeting of conservative groups and National Security Agency surveillance of pretty much everybody, President Obama’s job approval has remained at almost exactly the same level it has been for most of the year, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
The finding continues a well-established pattern: In the highly polarized political environment, both Obama’s supporters and opponents have dug-in positions that have proved extremely resistant to change. Obama’s job approval, at 49% in the current survey, sits well within the narrow band in which it has fluctuated this year. The percentage saying they disapprove, 43%, also has changed very little.
More here
****
****
Jonathan Cohn: Can the NBA Sell Obamacare to the American People?
….. LeBron James came through for the Miami Heat. Can he also come through for Obamacare? As Politico’s Kyle Cheney is reporting, the Administration has approached the National Basketball Association about helping to make the public aware of the new health insurance options that Obamacare will make available next year. It’s not clear exactly what the NBA or its stars would be doing, according to Cheney, or even if the league has agreed to participate. (League officials wouldn’t comment.) But if the NBA signs on, a model for the project might be a campaign that the Boston Red Sox undertook in 2007, when Massachusetts was rolling out the health reforms that became a model for Obamacare….
More here
****
Kind of fun watching a real expert on Nat’l Security @kurteichenwald make a fool out of Glenn Greenwald on Twitter.
— ExtremeLiberal (Jim) (@ExtremeLiberal) June 18, 2013
****
NSA surveillance starting to feel like bailouts and stimulus, huge success everyone hates. Still beats the alternative.
— Michael Grunwald (@MikeGrunwald) June 18, 2013
****
****
****
Steve Benen: The immigration price tag the right didn’t want to see
When the Heritage Foundation launched an offensive against comprehensive immigration reform in early May, it focused its attention almost exclusively on one area: the legislation’s price tag…. Heritage, relying on numbers that no one could take seriously, said immigration reform would cost taxpayers over $6 trillion. Yesterday, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office – the official score-keepers for federal lawmakers – published a very different figure.
….. The report estimates that in the first decade after the immigration bill is carried out, the net effect of adding millions of additional taxpayers would decrease the federal budget deficit by $197 billion. Over the next decade, the report found, the deficit reduction would be even greater – an estimated $700 billion, from 2024 to 2033.
More here
****
****
****
****
****
VP Biden speaks at a ceremony dedicating a statue of Frederick Douglass at the US Capitol
****
In Vol. 9 of #BeingBiden, VP & @DrBiden talk about meeting with kids & mentors at @TAPS4America camp: https://t.co/wB6lmdLtWN
— Office of VP Biden (@VP) June 19, 2013
****
ThinkProgress: Personhood Ohio, a far-right group attempting to outlaw all abortions by defining life as beginning at conception, is still attempting to get a “personhood” amendment on the state ballot after falling short last year. And the leader of the group, Patrick Johnston, is trying out a few creative fundraising efforts to raise money for Personhood Ohio’s outreach efforts.
In a recent email blast, Johnston asked his fellow Ohioans to help support his personhood cause by buying some assault weapons from his personal collection. “I’m selling some of my favorite things — some powerful rifles and ammo,” the Personhood Ohio director wrote.
More here
****
Oh boy……
TPM: Last month, Food Network chef Paula Deen gave a videotaped deposition as part of a discrimination suit she’s facing in which she discussed her desire to have a “very southern style wedding” for her brother modeled after a restaurant where the “whole entire wait staff was middle-aged black men” clad in white jackets and black bow ties, according to a transcript of the deposition filed in federal court in Georgia. Deen also admitted to having used the N word and discussed the ways the word could be “not said in a mean way.”
More here
****
50% of the current value of the US stock market was created between March, 1817 and January, 2009. Other 50% was created under Barack Obama
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) June 20, 2013
****
Charles Pierce: Not long ago, Bill Clinton gave the president a not-entirely-gentle nudge in the direction of intervening in Syria for humanitarian reasons. Clinton used as a cautionary tale his own inaction during his administration when a one-sided slaughter broke out in Rwanda, something he has repeatedly said haunts him to this day….
As haunted as he may be by it now, Bill Clinton made a considered political decision not to intervene in Rwanda because the domestic politics of the time made it impossible for him to do so. It was a cold bit of triangulated calculation, and it was far from his first or last. He understands better than most the dilemma that Syria presents to the current president…..
He really should have done this president the favor of not taking his own regrets out for such a public walk. It was then that I was struck with the thought that Barack Obama has spent five years in office undoing the legacy of a previous president, but just not the legacy of the president everybody supposed that he would have to unravel.
More here
****
****
Pew Research: In Germany, they still love Obama
…. according to new Pew Research Center data, 88% of Germans say they have confidence in Obama to do the right thing in world affairs. In stark contrast, just 14% had confidence in Bush during his last year in office. Across Europe, Obama has received more favorable reviews than Bush, but the gap between the two American leaders has been especially wide among Germans….
More here
****
Say cheese! pic.twitter.com/CBz1rvK7tQ
— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) June 19, 2013
****
My attempt at FLOTUS’s new meme. @TheObamaDiary @rkref #flotus #ofa #p2 pic.twitter.com/ZFEDjc2EPy
— ExtremeLiberal (Jim) (@ExtremeLiberal) June 19, 2013
****
The simple things. pic.twitter.com/xvfaPGvuSr
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 20, 2013
****
MooooOOOOOoooooorning!!! Huuuuuge thanks to LovelyPlains for last night’s post, which I didn’t see til this morning because I was busy snoring. And huuuuuge thanks again to UT for all of yesterday’s blissful posts.
Rising and shining!
MoooooOOOOOOooooorning LDS!! Moooorning everyone (when you wake up).
Good morning. I have not slept all week. Thought I would miss something…..you and everyone really were on top of everything.
The WHPC should all quit, resign, just leave. They are completely worthless.
Thank you so much for all you do.
A complete pleasure LDS, the reporting on the President’s trips abroad really is shameful – when things go great, there’s hardly any coverage at all, they’re too busy looking for petty ‘controversies’. Worthless is the word alright.
Good morning!
MoooooOOOOOoooorning VL!!
Good morning Chips and TOD ohana.
MooooOOOOoooorning CEB!
Good morning, Ms. Chips! Love ya…
Going back to read all this good stuff, green tea in hand.
Thank you for a most wonderful week of traveling without our First Family.
You are the best!
Thank you so much LDS – and a gazillion more thanks to the very awesome blog tyrants!
Yes. I totally agree.
Who needs the WHPC when we have you all here?
They should pay you all for doing their jobs.
Have a great day everyone!
Off to COSCO(my favorite place)
PEACE.
Good morning all! A very full rise and shine wow!
My Mom also texted me, she taped Alex wag the tail ner and Joy Reed was on. She said Joy Reed took in the 2 republican journos about whether the President was involved in the IRS thingy.
Only Bill button came to her defense and the President.
This Ron Fournier and Maggie Haberman acted like they have some skin in the game, so to speak!
Maggie worked for Rupert Murdoch before her RW a– landed at Political
Politico, I meant
Good Morning Chipsticks, TODers…Everyone!!!
Just to reiterate some of my comments from the last post…
Thanks to Chipsticks and the blog tyrants for the thorough, round-the-clock coverage of the Obama Family’s trip to Ireland and Germany; coverage that is woefully lacking in the mainstream media. Your dedication in maintaining this forum allowed those of us at TOD to travel with the First Family…from the time that they left DC to the time they returned. We were able to share their experiences while they were in Ireland and Germany. We could feel the anticipation and excitement from the people there as they showed their love to the Obamas.
The appreciation for your diligence extends to keeping us abreast of what’s happening here in the U.S. Our awareness is heightened because we are not dependent on the information that comes from the MSM. The GOP and MSM’s combined endeavor to discourage Obama supporters are thwarted daily because of The Obama Diary Community and our allies.
Everyone have a fantastic day!!!
Oh swbluega, what an absolutely beautiful comment, on behalf of the blog tyrants: thank you soooooooooo much!!!
Chips, on last night’s late thread, Bob talked about this president taking the unprecedented step of inviting the American people to a dialectic on issues. He went on to talk about all of our roles in extending that dialectic. Well, Americans can’t do that when they get no information about what’s really happening in the world or in our own country. If WE–all of us here– are going to help get the dialogue going, we need to know what’s really happening and that’s why you and your uber talented helpers are doing such an important service. We are all simply better informed and therefore better messengers and dialogue starters. I’m sure I’m not doing justice to Bob’s statement, but I thought it basically nailed all that the president is trying to do. People in this country have been trained to react without thinking. The president asks us to think first. You arm us with the tools to think. So..once again..thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Oh Jackie, thank you enormously! I fell asleep early last night, possibly the earliest since I was, oh, six months old, so missed the chat and Bob’s comment – will check it out. Thanks again Jackie.
Bill Clinton was mad that this President was anti war in the primary against his wife.
So, he takes a shot at this President along side John McCain, about going to War in Syria.
They’re all Children and hold grudges for a long time.
Bill Clinton could have picked up the phone and had a private conversation with the president. Instead he chose to align himself publicly with McCain in criticism of PBO. That is something that will be hard to forget or forgive, no matter what his motives. He, more than anyone, should know what betrayal feels like.
I don’t see this as a big deal one way or the other. Clinton has been doing this from day 1 unfortunately. I don’t particularly care for it but it’s just a blip on the radar.
Thanks JackieG for this comment. For me, the issue is not that Bill Clinton disagrees with the President on policy. The issue is, as you so ably pointed out, that he chose to publicly criticize the President when he could have privately done the same. What infuriates me even more is that in the 8 years Bush was President, I never heard Bill Clinton criticizing his policies in public.
How come all the effing polls are focusing only on the president ? How about juxtaposing his numbers with that of senate and congress, the other branch of gobinment ?
“How about juxtaposing his numbers with that of senate and congress?”
That would banjax their narrative, Amk! Morning sir.
Morning Miss.
May be we should do that juxtaposing and tweet it to the corrupt msm?
Good idea, once I wake up fully I’ll join the truth crusade!
Thank you amk. I haven’t seen a single poll focusing on John Boehner as speaker of the House. This is a very important position yet the only attention given to Boehner in the MSM is when it’s time to advance his drunken talking points.
The media (both left and right) are so hell bent on trying to tarnish this President in his 2nd term – trying to make him radioactive for the 2014 midterms, and trying to weaken the Dem party (as they did in 2000) to pave the way for a Republican President.
Yes, DF, and weren’t we treated to an endless barrage of criticism about Nancy Pelosi when she led the most productive Congress in history and was a master leader. If Boehner were a Democratic speaker, his weakness would be the subject of ENDLESS talk shows, editorials and late night comedies. The media is now openly revealing its anti-Democratic hand. There’s no hiding it anymore.
They Sopranos guy that died reminds me of Christie !
😆 Morning Jovie!
Hey there!
Except the Soprano guy was extremely talented and Christie is not.
Good morning! And thanks for an excellent Rise & Shine, Ms Chips! The Germans in our area (and everywhere in the country) are also still euphoric about PBO’s speech yesterday, and thrilled and honored that he and his family stopped by for a visit!
Moooooorning Andogriff, Germany did itself proud, what a beautifully hosted visit, wunderbar!!!!!
I guess it’s why I like living here…. they hated Bush, and they LOVE President Obama!
WUNDERBAR, indeed!!! : )))
People with exquisitely fine taste, Andogriff!
: )))))))
thank you Germany for a great welcome of PBO
Good morning.
Go jovie. KISS questions.
Harwood is also the Chief Washington Correspondent for CNBC. He has the rwnj credentials.
Given that I think for the most part he’s been fair. I still like when he said if people don’t want the President telling kids to study hard and stay in school they’re stupid. Classic.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/06/19/i-am-spartacus/
Comprehensive immigration reform. What is the GOP afraid of? In 1986, the godfather of the GOP — Ronald Reagan — signed the Simpson-Mazzoli Act which legalized 3 million undocumented residents. When he did, our country didn’t crumble. There weren’t riots in the streets. The foreboding destruction of our society didn’t result. Just the contrary.
Crime went down. National productivity rose. There were increased tax revenues. New skilled workers were able to step out of the shadows and fill some of the great demand we had for their labors. Less skilled workers openly and agreeably took the jobs that native born Americans shunned as being below their station.
Health issues dropped because undocumented residents were able to openly seek medical care — and they paid for it themselves. It wasn’t a public handout. And for each person who sought medical attention, it meant they weren’t passing along any illness that they may have contracted by being forced into hiding/squalor. Now with Obamacare, the pool of healthy contributors (which is most of the undocumented residents) will grow even more, and that can only lead to lower costs.
Once again the GOP are masters at fear mongering, lies and innuendos. They can’t be allowed to stand in the way of what’s best for America. Open arms, not closed minds, is what’s called for.
Karzai is naming his Country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Kerry called him and said we don’t recognize that name.
I think we are leaving behind a mess there .
But at least we got Bin Laden!
Oh well, not our mess anymore.
A complete mess, such a beautiful country ripped apart time and again through history by internal nutters and outside interference, a real tragedy.
Chips. great post!! as always…His speech will say: Ha people. we fucked with you when we told you in 2010 that it was all about jobs, jobs, jobs!
Will MSNBC, CNN, etc. have their panel of critics ready as they normally do for every speech that PBO makes? Will they bring on Democrats and others who are known critics of Boehner to pan his speech (as they do to PBO)? Will they cut off half the speech in order to begin their punditing panel?
Or will they simply show the entire speech, and simply parrot what Boehner said without any of their usual punditry and “analysis?” Furthermore, will they use his speech to attack the President, praising this drunk ass’ empty rhetoric at our President’s expense?
—–> “…… will they simply show the entire speech, and simply parrot what Boehner said without any of their usual punditry and “analysis?” Furthermore, will they use his speech to attack the President, praising this drunk ass’ empty rhetoric at our President’s expense?”
100% spot on, DF.
Heh…indeed. 🙂
P.S. Who you calling DF? 🙂 🙂 I am the one and only hopefruit2, and thus I am HF, and not DF!
😳 I actually thought I was 95% awake, but I clearly have a longer way to go – sorry HP!!!!! 😆
HP?!?!? Okay then…go back to calling me DF!
I’ll try again.
DF?
HP?
DP?
PF?
PD?
HF?
Hahaha! All of the above but NOT the second one (HP).
LOL!
{{{Chipsticks}}}. This can be a symptom of oversleeping, even when oversleeping is justified due to prolonged and excessive fatigue… It will pass. (poor dear, you will be forgiven, but not until some virtual fun has been had!) 😆
😆 Thank you for being forgiving MightyHopePamelaFlower!!!!
Oh no HF,,,not again! Glad it was not me this time! lol
🙂 🙂 And she made it worse by calling me HP…knowing that there’s nothing I detest more….
Weirdest slogan EVER!!!!
Ha! Wonder what’s in it!!
I don’t want to know, Layla!!
Very manly things!
WT…?!?!
I know! 😆
Hey! You don’t have to be so testy:) Df..Hf….let’s call the whole thing off:)
Well, I’d much rather be called DF than HP for sure!!! 🙂 🙂
Morning Hopeflower, morning Desertfruit! 😆
Well, now, HF2, what with your screen name being somewhat ‘mis-managed’ (albeit unintentionally, I’m sure) lately, (happened yesterday too) methinks the time is right to be giving your name a lasting upgrade, just as you did so graciously with mine all those months ago….. Shall we? Dare we? 😉 What say you?
Here’s an advanced transcript that was just sent to me:
……………….. the President’s fault………..ACA must be repealed in order to create jobs……….tax cut…..happy hour…..happy hour…..it’s the President’s fault it’s not happy hour every hour.
😆 😆 Derbingle, you just made me HOWL!!!!
The speech is at 1:15. Chances are he will have a couple of drinks under his belt. This will be fun!
A couple?
I think you Twitter people should bombard him,,, https://twitter.com/johnboehner Look at the lies her already has on his Twitter. Incompetent Twerp
HE has…time to go work with the saw outside:) Pray for me….
Now that’s funny.
I guess we may hear about lower taxes and lower wages – seems to be the GOP process for job creation.
I guess since this isn’t labeled a press conference, he won’t have to answer any questions….not that the WHPC would ask him any questions of substance nor challenge him on his ineptness as SOH.
morning Chips! morning everyone.
I am 100% sure that Mr. Charles Pierce was not present at the wake last night where I (one of the very few sober participants) spent a significant part of the time pointing out (to the not-sober O-supporters) the same thing made in this article. I am amazed that we focused on this PBO vs WJC contrast
The point I was making last night was that apart from cleaning up 43’s mess, PBO has spent much of his time cleaning up Bill Clinton’s mess and that this was a fact ignore by many beltway types. This partly explains why WJC often lashes out at PBO because he aware that over time many people will recognize this role.
Hiya Linda, really enjoyed that Charles Pierce article, when he listed out so much Bill Clinton ‘work’ that President Obama has had to undo or repair, it was so striking. And Pierce has been hugely critical of PBO on lots of issues, not least the NSA stuff, but yet again he shows himself to be a great reporter/columnist: a rare thing, balanced.
Hey everyone 🙂
On those headlines and frontpages:
Yes, Bild is the German equivalent of the Sun, they are…very yellow press. Also, they cover every bit that they find relevant. They had a picture of PBO in the car yesterday and wrote a lengthy article on whether that facial expression meant he was tired or having a row with Michelle
–> http://www.bild.de/politik/inland/barack-obama/was-war-da-los-in-obamas-biest-30899930.bild.html (headline: “What was going on there in Obama´s car?”)
The one a little below that one, the one reading “ziemlich beste Freunde” translates roughly as “quite best friends”…what strikes me more though is that this the german title of the movie Intouchables –> http://rollingplanet.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/19834927.jpg I find that choice of a headline rather lame. So there is a black guy and a white guy and that is all you can come up with, really?…
“Eine bombige Rede” can not really be translated. there is the german word for “bomb” –> “Bombe”, but the adjective to that is “bombig” meaning “great, awesome”…i dunno where linguistics too that turn… However, that means it´s a word play as in “an awesome speech” but the sublimal message meaning “a message about bombs that´s aweesome”
Thank for that niliathiel, what bizarre reporting from Bild, I notice they left out this photo from their sequence:
Bizarrely Fox-like.
I didn’t even check, did they have the video? Saw it at the time, and they were laughing and joking while waiting for the car to leave.
Nah, not really fox-like. They are just after exciting schmexiting stuff, usually the rest of their coverage was very cuddly on them.
Just very odd that they would deliberately leave out the smiling photo to create a fake story.
*shrugs* that´s what people in the comments said too, they were all poking fun on how much of a non story that was.
But just to give you a perspective to sort in how “serious” you can take Bild, here are some actual headlines from the newspaper over the years for your amusement:
“Scientists discover gay killer mushroom”
“Incredible – man castrated by his mother in law´s dachshund”
“Did Genscher get himself a new pair of ears?”
“Woman believed to be dead crying in morgue: ´I´m not dead, I´m freezing´”
“My child must never get to know how it was concieved with the help of Boris Becker” (yeah..making it a story will help)
“Germany more socialist than China”
“Canibal wants a sausage for Christmas”
“Students want to build escalator to space”
“Hooker hater blows up prostitute”
“UFO sect wants to clone Hitler”
“Earth shifted for 3 cm – end of the world is coming”
“Contact to aliens established – world erupts in chaos”
“Schoible gets things rolling” (he´s a German politician in a wheelchair..)
It’s the SUN !!!
😀 😀 Is it? I wouldn´t know, i never read the sun.
Do they have 3rd page boobie pic ? If yes, then Sun.
Back page usually-:P
To quote the lyrics of a german band
“Just let people talk and smile mildly, you know most have their ´knowledge´ from Bild. And as we all know that merely consists of fear, hate, tits and the weatherforecast.”
🙂 Sun’s soul mate,
Niliathiel, I live in Cologne, and know exactly what you mean! : )) Bild is sort of like a poor man’s National Enquirer!
GOOD MORNING! I see you lot in the East are fine and furry this am.
MoooooOOOOOOoooooorning Shipmate!!!
Ahoy Admiral Cheesie Puffs. The sun is at mid-horizon and the C-in-C is safe in the Command Cwnter.
😆 Ahoy Shipmate! We are safe and secure – I think!!!
If you’re sitting in water and your naughty bits are dry, then you’re safe. 😀
I always love morning colors. Thanks Yardarm. Reminds us of who we are and who fights for our rights of free speech.
My, my. You are late for the rodeo, eh.
Well yes. . .
Good morning, TOD and thank you for the wonderful coverage.
Mooooooorning Rikyrah, thank you!!!
Gm E1 – thank you for the rise & shine. I have been so busy the last few days, only reading TOD after the event most of the time. Today I think there are more supreme court decisions – there are brief reviews on outstanding opinions on the blog this morning
http://www.scotusblog.com/
Not a concern for rwnj’s!
😆 😆 😆
My fav commercial.
GM all. I am so tired. These freaking OT games in the Stanley Cup Final are running my beauty sleep. By the time the end, I am so wired it takes me a few more hours to settle down. Anyway, Go Hawks. PBO wants to see you in the Rose Garden again.
Ah, poor Japa, you’re stressed out from all this sporty business. Of course, when you support a sporty institution like United, it’s a stress-free existence 😕
Yeah, I can tell from some of your posts when they are playing teams like, oh say Chelsea. No nerves on your part. Won’t go further because I don’t want to antagonize you know who.
I don’t know who. Who?
You betcha two-one. That was a helluva game!
Don’t have to worry about my hair going gray. I am tearing it all out. The Mad House will be rocking Saturday.
Rocking? That sucker is gonna take off like a rocket and leave a giant hole on Madison St.
Dear chips,
Good morning. I woke up with a serious thought this morning. I hope your site is copyrighted, patented, etc. Whatever the legal mumble jumble they use for these things. Because I seriously believe that because MSM refuses to record history as it unfolds about this president, as they insist covering only the negative, it is places like yours that people will seek to write the truth about president Obama. When these folks wake up with eggs on their faces, they will try to steal your material. They are that small.
Maybe I am naïve, but I believe MSM is in the toilet and have no credibility anymore. With that I hope every one has a blessed day. Thanks again to you and UT for giving us a bird’s eye view into PBO excellent performance on the world stage this week. Without you all, we would have been treated to bunk by the main stream media.
Off to work to work and I look forward to coming home and feasting my eyes on more awesomeness here.
Have a good day all.
Morning Africa! Couldn’t agree more with you about the MSM, they are beyond disgusting, their sole mission in life seems to be to distort everything and repeatedly attempt to damage this President with their dishonesty. They are contemptible.
G’day africa. Excellent points about TOD. I think PBO will also have historians working on his behalf, and with an excellent, detailed photographer like Pete Souza, the MSM will NOT be able to rewrite history in their own biased way.
Speaking of the lack of coverage POTUS trip received here in the U.S, I watch afew morning program this morning and I’m not even sure they mention that POTUS and his family was back home.
That’s a weird gif.
LOL! That was a good one.
Seems a violation of 4th Amendment, don’t you think?
Now that PBO has returned, the SCOTUS might have some decisions which he can comment on.
New post:
http://theobamadiary.com/2013/06/20/the-wall/
I used a translator and Eine bombige Rede = A great one talks
And that’s definitely our PBO. 🙂