Apparently even Hurricane Katrina could not wash away the violence of the Big Easy.

This weekend, six people were shot to death in 24 hours.

This latest spate of murder is only the cusp of a rising tide.

There have been 78 homicides here this year, down from the 134 in the first six months of last year when Hurricane Katrina forced thousands of residents to move out. But the number is growing steadily. There were 17 in the first three months of the year and 21 in July alone.

In June, five teenagers were gunned down while sitting in a sport utility vehicle, sparking the return of state police and National Guard troops to help keep the peace in the city.

Where is Cindy Sheehan calling for the removal of troops from “Occupied New Orleans?”

Police and City Council members expressed frustration at their inability to stop the bloodshed.

This is clearly what happens when morality, intact families, education, and religion are chased from society and replaced with the vagaries of man. If there is no moral authority then there is no right and wrong and man simply takes what he wants from another. A heavy hand is then needed from government to maintain order, until we are but exhibits in a zoo, the strong preying on the weak under the unflinching eye of our keepers.

A few words of advice from a wise man:

“You boys could use a little churchin’ up.”

Harris County Hospital District has finally wised up. Now, when you go to LBJ or Ben Taub with a cold or any other non-emergency condition, you will be directed to a number of area clinics. If you persist in wanting to be treated there, you will be charged a deposit of either $150 if you want to be seen at the ER or $80 if you are to be seen at the urgent care area to be put towards your treatment.

Ci-vil-ian: n.

1. A person following the persuits of civilian life, especially one who is not an active member of the military or police.

2. A specialist in Roman or civil law.

Now, the news media have constantly been using the word “Civilian” to describe the women and children that were killed or injured in Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah positions. This makes me mad as hell. These people were there voluntarily, they were there because they support Hezbollah. They are de-facto members of Hezbollah, if not actual members. The kids were there because the parents PUT THEM THERE.
In point of fact there are no civilian casualties in Lebanon because there are no civilians still in the war zone. Everyone still there are in fact hezbollah members either by word or by deed.

From LST to KSEV to MSM outlets around the nation (mostly due to the Associated Press picking it up), for the historical record, here are the two original Perry ASS ‘06 check stories (I and II).

This Dallas Morning News article by Christy Hoppe works in some pretty nice puns, and gives all “props” that are due:

This is A Short Story about what Acronyms Shouldn’t Say.

It began when a conservative anti-business-tax group began a lighthearted protest by sending 2-cent checks to Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign, with the promise more would be sent if the property tax savings he’s touted ever materialize.

But when some of those checks started clearing the bank, the donors noticed that the Perry campaign had written something on them: ASS 06.

While some took offense, others were willing, well, to turn the other cheek.

“Kiss my Perry-iere!” one blogger wrote to the Lone Star Times, a conservative Web site on which a robust discussion of the acronym occurred Friday. [snip]

Edd Hendee, executive director of Citizens Lowering Our Unfair Taxes – or CLOUT – knows a little something about acronyms.

“Even if it were innocent, I could take any number of good words that put together could form an acronym that would get my mouth washed out,” Mr. Hendee said. “I’m thinking their choice of acronym was not prudent.”

That said, there’s a new bottom line: “Now everyone wants to be a member of the ASS club. It’s too much fun,” Mr. Hendee said.

And with that, the chances that Edd Hendee will ever seek the Presidency have been effectively killed. Any future campaign would involve traveling across Iowa explaining what he really meant back in 2006 when he was quoted in the paper saying that “Everyone wants to be a member of the ASS club. It’s too much fun.”

And by the way, it did not escape our notice that the Gary Scharrer story that appears first in the San Antonio Express-News seems to have had some important bits of information wiped away by the time it is republished in the Houston Chronicle.

See if you can spot the hole in the Chron’s piece.

San Antonio Express-News:

Because the unsolicited protest checks were not tied to any specific event, “they were coded as ‘A Small Supporter,’” Perry campaign spokesman Robert Black said Friday.

“In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best choice for an abbreviation,” Black said. “They’ll probably be changed to something like ‘SML’ for ‘Small’ going forward.”

Some of the protest-check writers discussed the special coding appearing on their canceled checks Friday morning with Houston talk show host Edd Hendee. A few posted copies of their check on the www.lonestartimes.com Web site, affiliated with radio station KSEV.

Lisa Stapp of Spring, who protested Perry’s business tax plan with a 3-cent campaign check, shrugged off the special coding for the small-change contributions.

“I am willing to believe that there is a code that says ‘a small supporter.’ I also believe that it is probably a disparaging remark,” Stapp said. “But if I have the right to protest, he has the right to call me ‘a small supporter.’”

And now, the Houston Chronicle:

Because the unsolicited protest checks were not tied to any specific event, “they were coded as ‘A Small Supporter,’ ” Perry campaign spokesman Robert Black said Friday.

“In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best choice for an abbreviation,” Black said.

“They’ll probably be changed to something like ‘SML’ for ‘Small Going Forward,’ ” he said.

Lisa Stapp of Spring, who protested Perry’s business tax plan with a 3-cent campaign check, shrugged off the coding.

“I am willing to believe that there is a code that says ‘a small supporter.’ I also believe that it is probably a disparaging remark,” she said. “But if I have the right to protest, he has the right to call me ‘a small supporter.’”

Priceless. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

[All emphasis’ in bold added by LST]

Whoa now! Cindy Sheehan has been on a hunger strike for nearly a month now, and she’s not exactly wasting away:

Market update: pink futures soar on high demand.

For some background, watch Michelle Malkin’s hilarious Hot Air episode about the fast. For those of you who want to join the hunger strike, Cindy and the CodePink gals have some helpful tips:

If you are worried about a particular health issue, you can modify the fast by periodically eating slices of avocado and banana, or doing what is feasible for you.

That’s like modifying sobriety by periodically drinking.

Nidfok otchah inshallah:

Israeli warplanes struck suspected guerrilla positions in eastern Lebanon near the border with Syria early Monday, security officials said.

Israeli jets carried out two raids at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time near the village of Yanta, the officials said because they were not authorized to give statements to the media. The village lies about 3 miles from the border with Syria and 34 miles southeast of the capital, Beirut.

Israel announced a 48-hour halt in aerial attacks Sunday around midnight local time that was believed to be effective immediately. But early Monday an Israeli army spokesman said the pause in overflights began at 2 a.m. local time.

“Was believed” is reporter-speak for “I am a lazy reporter.”

Partner, how long has it been since you’ve had a big steaming bowl of Israeli anti-terrorist music video?

Well that’s too long.

[Hat-tip: Sharon at Tributaries]

You can either go here or here to find out exactly what this East Texas blob is.  Or, even better, provide your own interpretation.  The possibilities are endless, but please keep it clean.

Would you buy a used car from this man?

This comment was left by “Aliyah” regarding the shooting spree in Seattle:

This is an atrocity. I am a Muslim, and that man is a terrorist. He does not represent Islam, but only the worst of humanity. I do not justify his actions, I cannot possibly find any reason why any sane person would do such a horriffic thing. My heart goes out to all of the victims and their families, and the entire synagogue and congregation. Myself and every Muslim I know and interact with mourns with you for the innocent. Peace and Shalom.

Thanks, Aliyah. I hope your attitude spreads among your coreligionists. By the way, here’s an update on the shooter:

Sources told KING 5 the suspect is a 31-year-old Pakistani man with a criminal background. He is from the Pasco and it a U.S. citizen, but it was not immediatly known how long he has lived in the United States. Also unknown is what sort of criminal record he has. Officials are on the way to the Pasco to interview his family.

The Religion of Peace strikes again:

At least five people were shot - one fatally - this afternoon at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle by a man a witness said was upset about “what was going on in Israel.”

Police spokesman Rich Pruitt said there was one shooter, who was apprehended without incident outside the Jewish Federation Building located on the corner of Third Avenue and Virginia Street. Pruitt said there were at least two victims on the third floor of the building.

One witness, who declined to give her name, said a man walked into the Jewish Federation building with a gun, said he was upset about what was going on in Israel, then opened fire. After the shootings, the man said to call 911, the witness said. The witness said the man identified himself as an American Muslim.

This was an act of Islamic terrorism, and nobody wants to say that.

Hollywood is full of the vain, the superficial, and the self-obsessed. Tales of bizarre behavior, exorbitant demands, and petulant fits by big-name “pretty people” are standard fare for the entertainment business. One starlet has just discovered, however, that even Hollywood has a limit. Something to do with money or some such thing.

Lindsay Lohan has received a letter from Mr. James Robinson, the head of Morgan Creek Productions, which is in charge of Lohan’s current film, Georgia Rule. Mr. Robinson is not happy with the twenty-year-old’s behavior.

Since the commencement of principal photography of Georgia Rule, you have frequently failed to arrive on time to the set. Today, you did not show for work (all day).

Miss Lohan and her representatives have apparently passed along various excuses for her recurring lack of attendance, including the actress not feeling well and even suffering from “heat exhaustion.” Unfortunately for Lindsay, this boss ain’t buyin’.

We are well aware that your ongoing all night heavy partying is the real reason for your so called “exhaustion.” We refuse to accept bogus excuses for your behavior.

Let us skip the idle chit-chat and get right on to the threats.

If you do not honor your production commitments…we will hold you personally accountable. This means that in addition to pursuing full monetary damages, we will take such other action as we deem necessary to preserve the integrity of the Georgia Rule Production as well as Morgan Creek’s financial interests.

The life of a celebrity is so difficult. Odious scoundrels running movie studios force them to actually show up for work, even after all-night benders. How can they be so cruel?

Hello, boss? I can’t come in today, I’m suffering from…uh…heat exhaustion, yeah, that’s it. Just go ahead and deposit my millions anyway, ‘kay?

This is absolutely must-see video.

Don’t watch while holding any hot drinks.

You bet your ass– we’ve found another one:

(click to enlarge)

Also, we’ve heard from a mainstream media reporter who has spoken with the Perry campaign and was told that “ASS 06″ really does stand for “A Small Supporter 2006.” They are claiming this is part of their internal donor tracking system.

My, what an unfortunate coincidence if that is the case.

The Chronicle printed an AP story today about an experimental nicotine vaccine. This vaccine so far has proven safe and effective in testing, but the testing is not over. It appears to still be in Phase II trials. This vaccine has been granted fast-track status by the FDA and the current trial includes 300 patients.

To quote from their site:

Tobacco use is the single leading preventable cause of death in the United States and is responsible for more than 440,000 deaths each year.(1) According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 49 million adults and 6 million teenagers in the U.S. smoke, triggering an estimated $75.5 billion in excess medical costs and another $81.9 billion in mortality-related productivity losses each year.(1) Despite widespread knowledge of tobacco’s dangerous health effects, smoking continues to pose a serious public health threat as the number of teenage smokers increases and others are unable to quit due, in large part, to tobacco’s addictive properties. According to the CDC, an estimated 70 percent (32.2 million) of smokers want to quit, but only 2.5 percent (1.2 million) per year succeed in quitting permanently.(2)

NicVAX is being developed to help the millions of patients in the U.S. and potentially billions worldwide who are addicted to tobacco products, or are at risk of becoming addicted.

1. MMWR - Annual Smoking - Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost and Economic Costs - United States 1995-1999, April 12,2002/Vol.51/No.14

2. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS). Management of Nicotine addiction Fact Sheet.

Now that is not the whole story here. A little over half a million kids (545,000) a year start smoking and a third of them will die from it from one cause or another. This is a MASSIVE public health crisis. This vaccine might be the answer. What if all kids under the age of 12 were vaccinated against Nicotine? Suppose it was 80% effective, that means that the number of new smokers per year would drop to around over 109,000. THAT is a massive impact on the cost of healthcare. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Full disclosure: After reading and writing about this, I researched the company and decided a stock purchase was in order. This is in no way a recommendation to do the same. You should come to your own conclusions. As the purchase did not occur until after reading and writing about this, there was no ownership bias coloring my writing.

(Cross-posted from Red Ink: Texas)

This just keeps getting funnier.

LST readers will no doubt recall that a number of grassroots conservative activists have recently begun to spontaneously* engage in a little civil disobedience** by sending .02-cent checks to the Texans for Rick Perry campaign. Their goal has been to voice displeasure with the Governor over the lack of appraisal caps, new business tax, zero actual reduction in government expenditures, blowing of the state constitutional spending limits, bogus $2,000 property tax reduction, etc.

And remember as well my post from earlier this week, highlighting the “micro-targeting” strategies being employed by the Perry campaign to identify and motivate likely supporters by tracking not just their voting but their consumer and intellectual habits as well.

So we get forwarded a copy of a .02-cent check sent by reader/listener/member Mike McGuire. Like any good and pissed-off taxpayer, he’s included a special note on the “Memo” line of the check:

“TAKE IT TO THE BANK!”

But look a little closer at the handwritten note someone in Perry’s campaign headquarters appears to have written on the check (surrounded by a red box in the image below).

(click to enlarge)

You read it right– “ASS 06.”

Which can mean only one of two things:

1. Either his micro-targeting consumer database has reason to believe that the Victoria’s Secret catalogue isn’t the only bit of interesting literature arriving through the mail at the McGuire household [just kidding, Mike], OR…
2. The Rick Perry campaign has started ”flagging” every .02-cent contributor to his 2006 campaign as an “ASS.”

I’m betting on the latter.

Hey, Dubya had his “Rangers”– for less than half a dollar (.02 check plus 37-cent stamp) you too can become a “Perry Ass.”

Texans for Rick Perry
PMB 217, P.O. Box 2013
Austin, TX 78768

———————

* OK, “spontaneous” in the sense that someone came up with the idea and Edd Hendee was soon fanning the flames.

** That is, what passes for “civil disobedience” in the Republican dominated suburbs of Sugarland, The Woodlands, etc.

Have you contacted Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office yet to remind him that he has a constitutional duty to work for you, and not only elected office-holders? [He can do both at the same time, btw.]

We repeat the general thoughts at the forefront of our mind:

1. First– does Attorney General Abbott believe that his primary duty is to serve the legal “interests” of politicians, or to protect and defend the Texas Constitution? When push comes to shove, where does his loyalty lie? When a conflict arises over whether or not elected officials are obeying the law, why is his office automatically taking one side over the other? Does he actually agree with the argument that mere citizens don’t have the right to force their government to obey the law?
2. And if he is only “doing his duty” (since part of the AG’s job is to represent the State in legal disputes), should he not give equal time and effort to defending the State’s interest in making certain that its constitution is obeyed? What we have here is an honest (and eventually to be resolved by a court) dispute about the law, yet Abbott is already taking one side. If his office needs to advance the arguments of elected officials, fine. But why is no one on his staff also advocating the arguments being put forward by the citizens of Texas on behalf of their constitution? Or are taxpayers obligated to pay for the services of an Attorney General who doesn’t consider it part of his job to represent them?

If you are wondering any of the same thing, here’s what you do:

1. First, call Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office. The toll-free phone number is 800-252-8011. Do not express an opinion to the first person you speak with. You need to ask to please speak with a “public information officer.” Try to express your opinion with anyone other than a Public Information Officer and you will hit a dead-end. Trust us. Once you get a PIO on the line, go ahead and tell them what you think, and urge AG Abbott to reconsider his actions and do the right thing.
2. Secondly, while you are waiting on hold to talk to a PIO, write Abbott an email at greg.abbott@oag.state.tx.us . Again, make your case. It will be hard, but try to avoid SCREAMING IN ALL CAPS. Insist on a response that is specific and addresses your concerns, not some boiler-plate “thank you for sharing your opinion” nonsense. If you get any particularly noteworthy responses, please forward them to our attention at lsteditors-at-gmail.com for possible posting.
3. Finally, contact at least 10 of your coworkers, relatives, friends, neighbors, etc. and encourage them to repeat the process. Multiply your voice by informing other and encouraging them to act!

The time to do so is now.

As Matt posted earlier, Cinday Sheehan finally decided to become a landowner.

There are some new details: In order to buy the land, she used some the of the insurance money she received from her son Casey’s death in Iraq.

The best part of all of this? In order to buy this land she used a Katrina evacuee to act as “an agent” on her behalf. The owners that sold the land had no idea they were ultimately selling to Sheehan.  

Last year, I traveled to Crawford with my family to take part in the counter protest in support of the troops and against Cindy. I can tell you that there were a bunch of signs on property all over the place saying they support the President and the Troops. (I’ll try and see if I can find some of the pictures I took and post them.)Cindy is not going to have very many “friendly” neighbors.

While I don’t think this is too cool, President Bush being the classy guy he is with a good sense of humor, is probably laughing about it.

——————–

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Thanks to LST reader James, who put together a little scale model to illustrate the size of Israel (including the West Bank and Gaza) in terms we can all understand:

Remember that every time you hear some Hamas apologist talk about Israel’s “occupation” of huge swaths of Arab territory. If the United States loses a war, we go home and suffer a foreign policy defeat.

If Israel ever loses a war, there’s no more Israel.

This sounds like the greatest float trip in the history of civilization:

In the midst of attempts to crack down on raunchy and rowdy behavior during traditional summertime tubing river trips through this city, a San Antonio topless club is planning a tubing excursion featuring strippers.

City Councilman Ken Valentine isn’t so sure.

“I’m really disappointed that this is going to occur on Sunday when people should be in church,” he said. “I hope they behave themselves and keep their clothes on, but I’m not sure they will because strippers are trained to take off their clothes.”

That they are, Ken.

You see, this trip is a response to city officials’ hamhanded attempts to turn a nice, fun river into a hellish stalag:

The New Braunfels City Council has been cracking down on rowdy behavior on the Comal and Guadalupe rivers in recent months, banning volume drinking devices better known as beer bongs, increasing the maximum fine for noise ordinance violations, and prohibiting sound amplification on the river between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.

A new ordinance banning containers with a liquid volume of 5 ounces or less — an attempt to ban Jell-O shots and the associated litter — will take effect after the next city council meeting.

You can have my beer bong when you pry it from my cold, dead stripper.

Yesterday, we reported on a discrepancy between two police sketches and the Chron’s reporting about a suspected serial killer. Basically, there were two sketches and various Chronicle stories floating around, and they contained various (sometimes contradictory) descriptions of the suspect.

I pointed this out to James T. Campbell, the Chron’s reader representative, who promised to investigate. Well, he did, and here’s the skinny:

It was a funny, but serious inquiry that I posed to the Chronicle police beat reporter Mike Glenn.

There’s a plausible explanation to what happened, according to Mike: Initially, HPD’s sketch artist Lois Gibson, who has been around since I covered the police beat, released a composite drawing of the suspect that was circulated to the news media. As the case evolved, HPD investigators refined the suspect’s description. Thus, the suspect’s height went from from 5′5″ to 5′8″ to 6-feet tall. He’s (suspect) still a brother (black man), possibly bald with a stocky build.

Makes sense to me. Composite sketches get better as you get more and more witnesses, and that’s what happened here. Thanks, James! Bonus points to Campbell for referring to Lone Star Times as “venerable.”

Via DefenseLink:

The Department of Defense announced today additional major units scheduled to deploy as part of the next Operation Iraqi Freedom rotation. This announcement involves four Army brigades and two Marine Regimental Combat Teams consisting of approximately 25,000 service members.

The scheduled rotation for the forces identified in this announcement will begin in late-2006.

For Operation Iraqi Freedom, the major units announced today include:

• 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
• 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas
• Regimental Combat Team 2, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
• Regimental Combat Team 6, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

As some of you know, my younger brother Tommy, who just got married this month, is in 1st Brigade. He and his 1-7 Cav boys will be heading out in the fall. Say a prayer for ‘em.

Wow:

A wheelchair-bound man with no arms wheeled into the executive offices of the University of Houston today to serve officials with a lawsuit accusing them of failing to provide him with federally required classroom assistance.

Bradford — who was born without arms, his hands attatched to his shoulders, and suffers from rickets — said he is a vocalist and wanted to complete about 20 hours of course work needed for a bachelor’s in music.

Professors in all classes but one allowed a teaching assistant to take notes for Bradford, he said. Shirley Yu, who taught a social sciences writing intensive course that was required for graduation, refused to give him her notes or a copy of a slide presentation during a lecture, according to the lawsuit.

The four teaching assistants assigned to the class refused to take notes for Bradford, the lawsuit says.

It’s also nice to see that the guy is simply seeking to have the ADA enforced, rather than demanding monetary damages.

Oh boy:

War protester Cindy Sheehan has purchased a 5-acre plot in Crawford with some of the insurance money she received after her son was killed in Iraq.

The group she helps lead, Gold Star Families for Peace, says on its Web site that it will return next month to the small town near Waco where President Bush has a ranch. Like last year, Sheehan will again demand to meet with the president.

“We decided to buy property in Crawford to use until George’s resignation or impeachment, which we all hope is soon for the sake of the world,” Sheehan, whose oldest son Casey was killed in Iraq in 2004, said in a newsletter set to be sent to supporters Thursday. “I can’t think of a better way to use Casey’s insurance money than for peace, and I am sure that Casey approves.”

This ought to be interesting.

[Hat-tip: Navymom]

The repercussions from Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn’s endorsement of CLOUT’s legal arguments and “realignment” with the plaintiffs as they seek to enforce the spending limits required by the state constitution continue to reverberate.

Specifically, as an elected office-holder, Strayhorn’s move threatens to obliterate the contention by defendants that CLOUT’s executive director Edd Hendee and other plaintiffs don’t have “standing” to bring such a lawsuit.

In other words, Dewhurst, Craddick and the Legislative Budget Board have been planning to argue that mere “citizens” don’t have the right to demand that their government obey the law.

With Strayhorn as a plaintiff, the question is suddenly moot. So their strategy? Kill the lawsuit immediately, before Strayhorn has a chance to officially and legally realign.

And the incredible part is, Attorney General Greg Abbott appears to willingly be helping them do this, as his office has just filed papers to this effect with the Travis County district court.

UPDATED– here’s a copy of Abbott’s response; we’ll be adding a detailed written explanation by CLOUT’s lawyers in the near future to help you understand why the arguments advanced in Abbott’s filing are outrageous and bogus. (Bogus being Blogosphere-ese for “moot.”)

But for the moment, two general thoughts are at the forefront of our mind:

1. First– does Attorney General Abbott believe that his primary duty is to serve the legal “interests” of politicians, or to protect and defend the Texas Constitution? When push comes to shove, where does his loyalty lie? When a conflict arises over whether or not elected officials are obeying the law, why is his office automatically taking one side over the other? Does he actually agree with the argument that mere citizens don’t have the right to force their government to obey the law?
2. And if he is only “doing his duty” (since part of the AG’s job is to represent the State in legal disputes), should he not give equal time and effort to defending the State’s interest in making certain that its constitution is obeyed? What we have here is an honest (and eventually to be resolved by a court) dispute about the law, yet Abbott is already taking one side. If his office needs to advance the arguments of elected officials, fine. But why is no one on his staff also advocating the arguments being put forward by the citizens of Texas on behalf of their constitution? Or are taxpayers obligated to pay for the services of an Attorney General who doesn’t consider it part of his job to represent them?

Enquiring minds want to know. And here is where you come it.

CLOUT is asking for clarification of these questions, and Edd Hendee is asking you to contact the AG’s office today to get some answers and let your feelings be known.

As always, be polite but insistent. The folks answering the phones don’t make these decisions, they just answer phones. And the people that do make these decisions need to be persuaded, not threatened.

But unmistakable reminders can have a clarifying effect. If you think the Attorney General ought to be more concerned with enforcing the constitution than protecting politicians, and if you are offended by the suggestion that you, as a mere “citizen” don’t have the right to insist that your government obey the law, the time to make your opinion known is NOW.

Simply take the following three steps:

1. First, call Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office. The toll-free phone number is 800-252-8011. Do not express an opinion to the first person you speak with. You need to ask to please speak with a “public information officer.” Try to express your opinion with anyone other than a Public Information Officer and you will hit a dead-end. Trust us. Once you get a PIO on the line, go ahead and tell them what you think, and urge AG Abbott to reconsider his actions and do the right thing.
2. Secondly, while you are waiting on hold to talk to a PIO, write Abbott an email at greg.abbott@oag.state.tx.us . Again, make your case. It will be hard, but try t