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Obama gives Kumbaya Speech in Berlin

Leftist platitudes dressed up as destiny

By: Kevin Holtsberry (Diary)  |  July 24th, 2008 at 01:58 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

In a way that is so typical of Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee’s much hyped speech in Berlin today sounded grand and important, but contained nothing but platitudes and leftist, and multicultural, rah-rah. What it really came down to, after a long history lesson on the Berlin Airlift, was Obama the messiah giving the world a giant pep talk.

Can we solve all the world’s problems and bring utopia on earth?
Yes, we can!

Think I am joking about utopia? Sadly, I am not. Read on.

Here is some of what Obama called the world to do:

  • End racism, antisemitism, religious bigotry, class envy, and nationalism:

The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.

  • Defeat terrorism.

  • Build a world without nuclear weapons:

This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love. With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom. It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.

  • Bring a “new dawn” to the Middle East (Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict).

  • Save the planet from global warming and thus stop flooding, storms and famines:

This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands.

The only thing offensive about any of this stuff is the messianic language and the hyperbolic attempt to rally the world when you are a unaccomplished US Senator who was given the platform because you are running for president and the object of world wide media obsession.

This was not a serious speech by a serious person, but another attempt by Obama to seem important by giving a big speech on a grand stage. There is nothing in that speech that is meaningful, insightful, or useful. It is a an amalgamation of liberal idealism and arrogant do-goodism. It is an attempt to paint the world as in some kind of universal crisis so that Obama can claim the leadership role and the mantle of change not just in a presidential election cycle but worldwide.

I am sure speech will play well in Europe, whose devotion to idealistic Utopian schemes is well known, and among the liberal media, who faint every time Obama rises to speak. But I fail to see how it wins him any votes in the battleground state of the Midwest. And perhaps that is the silver lining.

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  • muxedo76

    Okay, so tides and rising sea levels are technically two different things, but seriously, are they really that different? I mean, if rising sea levels are bad, isn’t high tide bad too? Shouldn’t we try to stop that? Think of the additional beach property that would be created.

  • Cheetah772

    NT

  • Skanderbeg

    Unfortunately for Sen. Obama, his Berlin shindig was upstaged by this more important breaking news out of Ukraine:

    Lytvyn personally milked a cow in the Vinnytsia Oblast

    Hey, at least that gent has his priorities straight….

    (For what it’s worth, I got back last night from a short jaunt to Hungary and Romania. The messiah’s visit to Europe was receiving zero coverage there….)

  • Crowe

    Some fisking, if I may…

    The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand.

    What walls? Disagreements, sure. But walls? What walls? We still work closely with even the French and the socialist-controlled Spanish…

    The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand.

    Tell that to the despots who murder, starve, rape, and otherwise subjugate their people and keep the aid from the nations with the most out of those in their own countries who have the least.

    Also, through free-trade policies we’re trying to knock down those walls… no thanks to you and your anti-prosperity colleagues.

    The walls between races and tribes; natives and immigrants; Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.

    If you mean xenophobia, racism, and the like, you’re addressing the right crowd when you talk to Europeans — far more likely to be xenophobic than Americans. And if you mean we need to *continue *battling against racism here at home, then great.

    But I must say, “knocking down the walls” between religions in anything except an “end the violence” sort of way, then you seem to be advocating a “one religion is as good as the next” attitude. And neither Islam (which we know you’re not), nor Christianity (which you insist you are), nor Judaism (which no one suspects you of), allows for that sort of relativism.

    This is the moment when we must renew the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. The two superpowers that faced each other across the wall of this city came too close too often to destroying all we have built and all that we love.

    Is it just me, or does that sound like he is setting himself and the rest of “we” apart from both of those superpowers, while seeking to be the next President of one of them. And I wonder what the devil he claims as what “he” built as part of “we built”?

    With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom.

    Um, no… thanks. Hey, while you’re on this theme, why don’t you schedule a meeting of your European subcommittee to address Russian nukes… or pay attention to how the world has already been addressing the threat of a nuclear Iran and stop undermining that process with your idiotic notions of unilateral unfettered talks.

    It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. This is the moment to begin the work of seeking the peace of a world without nuclear weapons.

    Right. check. Started that one nearly 20 years ago when “this wall” did come a-tumblin’ down. Get with the times, Barry.

    This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands.

    Gee whiz. I was really looking forward to starving my kids nearly to death and then drowning them at the last moment… Ah well.

    But then, my personal favorite:

    Bring a “new dawn” to the Middle East (Iraq, Lebanon, Iran, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict).

    Barry is already planning his end-of-term, last-ditch “legacy building” efforts… Because what’s a lame-duck Presidency without a push for peace in Israel and Palestine? It’s almost a rite of passage anymore.

    I’d offer more commentary, but Obama is so vapid as to deserve only:

    Yawn… To quote the inestimable Bugs Bunny, “What a maroon.”

    • Crowe

      Could the lack of coverage be connected to the lack of substance? Since his success is so connected to his rhetorical flourishes and cadences and other non-verbals, I wonder if something significant is getting lost in translation… When his words are translated out of English and are read — quite different than watching him deliver them in his grandiose style — I’m sure they lose that certain, er… je ne sais pas, that has so many Americans getting all tingly.

      When the non-English speakers read the translated text, they scratch their head and wonder what they hype is about and how this man has gotten himself this close to the Presidency…

      • pilgrim

        that Woody Harrelson made in the movie KingPin. In case you never saw this movie here is the script of the scene I reference.

        Morning! l hope you don’t mind.
        l got up a little early…

        so l took the liberty
        of milking your cow.

        lt took a little while to get her
        warmed up. She sure is a stubborn one.

        We don’t have a cow.

        We have a bull.

        l’ll brush my teeth.

  • PosterNutbag

    …why you all are against setting a high bar for success? is it not better to aim high than aim low? should we not set aspirational goals?

    you all sound mighty defeatist to me.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    One would posit Obama would have supported the surge if he wanted a new dawn? Here is a good articulation of Obama?s ?new dawn?;

    Now that Obama has become a leading Presidential candidate, he has assembled a body of foreign policy advisers who signal that a President Obama would likely have an approach towards Israel radically at odds with those of previous Presidents (both Republican and Democrat). A group of experts collected by the Israeli liberal newspaper Haaretz deemed him to be the candidate likely to be least supportive of Israel. He is the candidate most favored by the Arab-American community.
    Ed Lasky, The American Thinker

    • Crowe

      …mighty lightweight to me.

      Goals are essential. But they have to be a) practical; b) concrete; c) accompanied by some measure of an idea of how to accomplish them.

      Obama’s “goals” are not articulated as goals, but as destinies. He has yet to offer a policy proposal that would bring us closer to any of these destinies; has offered no credible means of accomplishing any of these destinies; and he has yet to discuss details on anything to a degree that shows he has a bloomin’ clue what he’s talking about in real-world, policy-setting terms.

      Destinies are all well and good, if they have intermediate goals and plans of attack attached to them.

      If they’re simply shiny platitudes that are already being pursued (control nukes, end sectarianism, be responsible stewards of the earth) or are completely impractical (universal healthcare) then what good does a speech chock-full of them do?

  • CSUFBomb

    …I come in peace.

    That about sums up the transcript. As usual, there’s no “there” there.

  • John_Louisiana

    McCain is gaining in every state according to the Quinnipiac polls. This trip is hurting Obama. McCain is closing in on Obama in all the key states.

    http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x4141.xml?ReleaseID=1195

    He’s over there, and McCain is over here addressing the issues.

    I love seeing the Repubs shut the Dems down by telling the Dems to go shove it on Anwar.

    If we fight the Dems on the issues, we will win. That’s what our base wants.

    People are starting to find Obama unlikable. The like McCain more – he’s humble, dogged, and principled.

    • aaronbg

      …we just tend to like to know how we will get there…I understand you prefer blind faith but I reserve that for my religious beliefs not my political ones.

  • el_polacko

    .. i thought barack said just the other day that we all have to learn another language so we can go to europe and be able to say more than ‘merci beaucoup ‘ … so why was his entire speech delivered in ENGLISH ?!? could anyone understand him ? he could have at least thrown in an “ich bin ein beginner” for the locals.

    • Crowe

      Exactly. So many times when I’m exposed to one of his big speeches I’m reminded of Kang from The Simpsons when he impersonated Bill Clinton and gave the speech:

      “But tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward; and always [begins spinning around] twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!”

      [the people cheer]

      It begins at minute 17 of this video.

  • mcrill

    “With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom.”

    Since when is an atom dangerous? Contextually I suppose it’s a warning against nuclear weapons, but really, he needs some better speech writers.

    • CSUFBomb

      …and it’s uncanny.

      Barack could have won some points with the kiddies if he started his speech with, “Good Morning, Starshine! The Earth Says Hello!”

      • Achance

        We can work with that!

        • CSUFBomb

          …in reference to Adam “Pacman” Jones. Probably just a transcript typo.

          • CSUFBomb

            …check out his July 15 cartoon.

          • mzforrest

            intentionally noted as blank

          • streetwise

            and it took 38 years to get it down.

          • streetwise
  • bobojake

    every time I hear this man talk I want to puke. He is worst then the two faced john kerryless. lie lie lie your moment obabyh

  • Jason_Wolf

    that McCain is regretting having challenged Obama to go to Iraq. His campaign really needs to stop the whining about the media and do something a bit more interesting than visiting the “Fudge Haus” (although his gaffes from the past week certainly earn him a seat at the heads of the Fudge Table)

  • exileoc

    … I think those Europeans are just happy that they won’t have to hang with Bush anymore, and will take either candidate. =P

    • Wilmington

      is completly regretting this. I mean really… egging Obama on and not thinking he would go, now McCain is the one with egg on his face. Worse move ever. On top of McCains completely wacked out week… I think we saw our next president in Berlin today.

      • Vegas_Rick

        n/t

        • bobojake

          when you get free beer and kraut and a concert, you do get alot of Germans that came for the entertainment. go give them a test and see if they know anything he said. I thnk the Gremans know our fore fathers gave many lifes for their freedom and obamas feeling do not represent the views of the majority of the Americans. We are darm proud and there is nothing wrong with it. If obama don’t like it, he should go to where he thinks there is more freedom. Drill now.

          • streetwise
          • WOSG

            With that wall gone, we need not stand idly by and watch the further spread of the deadly atom.

            Is Obama made out of anti-matter? Can he tell which atoms are deadly and which are not? Are there terrorist atoms living among us?

            I mean, I am made of peaceful atoms, I think, but maybe there are deadly killer atoms out to attack my peace-loving atoms.

            The mind boggles at the malformed metaphor. It is in the end, a perfect encapsulation of the difference between a liberal-left world view and conservative-right one. We know that PEOPLE are good or bad. We know the adage “Guns dont kill people, people kill people.”
            Liberals err in their failure to comprehend individual, personal, moral responsibility, and their fetish at looking at the tools of violence not the users of them. So instead of going after the dangerous leaders of Iran, or the crazed despot of North Korea, he rails against ‘the deadly atom’. It’s an elocution as insane as when Clinton’s Surgeon General called for “safer guns and safer bullets”. Hey gang members, please shoot safely!

            Obama adds:

            *It is time to secure all loose nuclear materials; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to reduce the arsenals from another era. *

            Wasn’t it time to do that 20 years ago? Wasn’t that what we did in post-USSR in agreements? Wasn’t that what was attempted with RPNK in 1994? Isn’t Obama engaging in his usual “now is the time” rhetorical flourish that manages to insult all previous efforts of humankind.

            SO WHY NO MENTION OF THE ACTUAL, REAL VISIBLE THREAT TODAY OF THE SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS? AND WHY NO MENTION OF THE ACTUAL DIFFICULT CHOICES AND TASKS THE CIVILIZED WORLD HAS TO MAKE TO STOP PROLIFERATION? For example, developing proliferation-resistant peaceful nuclear power, so that 3rd world countries can have the benefit of nuclear power without the latent threat of spreading nuclear weapons technology. It’s possible and an important activity for USA and allies to engage in, but perhaps too down-to-earth for this unicorns-in-the-sky speech.

            In 1987, Reagan said:

            Mr Gorbachev, tear down that wall.

            Again, that conservative elocution of going to the real moral actors in our lives – Human Beings, in particular other leaders.

            What Obama failed to say is more important than the vague cotton-candy pap he did say. On Iran, the closest he got to a real clarion call for action was:

            My country must stand with yours and with Europe in sending a direct message to Iran that it must abandon its nuclear ambitions.
            Note the UN-ified elocution. We must “send a message” (which Iran will promptly roundfile), oh no, a ‘direct message’. Yikes, let me guess, it will ‘serious’ and talk of “consequences”! How very League-of-Nation-1935-ish. He failed to address the one serious international issue of the day at the level of seriousness that it deserves. Not the above weak pap but, what Reagan would have have said:
            “As our nations and all civilized people work towards a peaceful future without nuclear weapons, we need to challenge all leaders in the world to take part. And in that spirit I call on Prime Minister Ahmenajad of Iran today to make a commitment to the world to a nuclear-weapons-free Iran.”

            And if it weren’t such a Kumbaya-crowd, I’d even add …

            And if he cannot make that commitment in the near-term future, we will make that commitment for him.

            (but I wont press the point, after all he’s not President yet … we think.)

            But he didnt go there. He said: “we need not stand idly by and watch” … but if you go by his words, that is EXACTLY what he will do. Obama will do nothing to stop the spread of the ‘deadly atom’ into the hands of the Iranian Govt. Nothing.

            The speech is Obama in his telePrompter element, but once again we see the left-liberal BHO shining through the sheen.

          • bobojake

            I would of loved to see obabamas moment when the telepromtper came on and it was written in German. obamaama would of had 10,000 a aa aaa. every time the Germans clapped all I could hear the Germans yelling was More Beer, More Beer, More Beer

  • Xraxnd_Caracarn

    Doesn?t duel citizenship disqualify him from being president? I thought you could only be a natural born citizen of the US hmmmmmm.

  • bk

    is obviously deranged and unfit to be commander in chief.

    And if any of his handlers want to say that’s just a goal I say that’s crap. Should the Miss America candidate who gives the best Kumbaya answer be President too? Tell us what you’re really going to do for a change instead of spouting a bunch of content-free pap.

  • Kate_Shanahan

    Out of touch with reality. Read the comment on #44

    Der Spiegel’s take

    Sheesh.

    • Marcus_Traianus

      Never in the history of Berlin has such a sophmoric, platitude laced speech been made, save when Honecker was still around. Pick up a history and read the text of any great speeches; this doesn’t even rate next to a remarkable donut shop opine.

      The headline screams that Obama says we should defeat terrorism together. We tried that and ended up with the check in Iraq (read the UN Resolutions). So instead, while the Europeans were trading food for oil, we were paying with our blood to keep Iraq from becoming another world threat. Meanwhile, they were inviting terrorists into their country, appeasing them, screaming about fallacious rendition while the women wove their armpit hair.

      Now Obama wants to, depending on the day, either take credit or say we need to do better; once again demeaning America and her patriots on behalf of world socialism. I say, perhaps their is an opening in Saxony he can run for.

      • Marcus_Traianus

        Never in the history of Berlin has such a sophmoric, platitude laced speech been made, save when Honecker was still around. Pick up a history and read the text of any great speeches; this doesn’t even rate next to a remarkable donut shop opine.

        The headline screams that Obama says we should defeat terrorism together. We tried that and ended up with the check in Iraq (read the UN Resolutions). So instead, while the Europeans were trading food for oil, we were paying with our blood to keep Iraq from becoming another world threat. Meanwhile, they were inviting terrorists into their country, appeasing them, screaming about fallacious rendition while the women wove their armpit hair.

        Now Obama wants to, depending on the day, either take credit or say we need to do better; once again demeaning America and her patriots on behalf of world socialism. I say, perhaps their is an opening in Saxony he can run for.

        • Marcus_Traianus

          Never in the history of Berlin has such a sophmoric, platitude laced speech been made, save when Honecker was still around. Pick up a history and read the text of any great speeches; this doesn’t even rate next to a remarkable donut shop opine.

          The headline screams that Obama says we should defeat terrorism together. We tried that and ended up with the check in Iraq (read the UN Resolutions). So instead, while the Europeans were trading food for oil, we were paying with our blood to keep Iraq from becoming another world threat. Meanwhile, they were inviting terrorists into their country, appeasing them, screaming about fallacious rendition while the women wove their armpit hair.

          Now Obama wants to, depending on the day, either take credit or say we need to do better; once again demeaning America and her patriots on behalf of world socialism. I say, perhaps their is an opening in Saxony he can run for.

          • Marcus_Traianus

            Never in the history of Berlin has such a sophmoric, platitude laced speech been made, save when Honecker was still around. Pick up a history and read the text of any great speeches; this doesn’t even rate next to a remarkable donut shop opine.

            The headline screams that Obama says we should defeat terrorism together. We tried that and ended up with the check in Iraq (read the UN Resolutions). So instead, while the Europeans were trading food for oil, we were paying with our blood to keep Iraq from becoming another world threat. Meanwhile, they were inviting terrorists into their country, appeasing them, screaming about fallacious rendition while the women wove their armpit hair.

            Now Obama wants to, depending on the day, either take credit or say we need to do better; once again demeaning America and her patriots on behalf of world socialism. I say, perhaps their is an opening in Saxony he can run for.

          • Marcus_Traianus

            Never in the history of Berlin has such a sophmoric, platitude laced speech been made, save when Honecker was still around. Pick up a history and read the text of any great speeches; this doesn’t even rate next to a remarkable donut shop opine.

            The headline screams that Obama says we should defeat terrorism together. We tried that and ended up with the check in Iraq (read the UN Resolutions). So instead, while the Europeans were trading food for oil, we were paying with our blood to keep Iraq from becoming another world threat. Meanwhile, they were inviting terrorists into their country, appeasing them, screaming about fallacious rendition while the women wove their armpit hair.

            Now Obama wants to, depending on the day, either take credit or say we need to do better; once again demeaning America and her patriots on behalf of world socialism. I say, perhaps their is an opening in Saxony he can run for.

          • Marcus_Traianus

            Never in the history of Berlin has such a sophmoric, platitude laced speech been made, save when Honecker was still around. Pick up a history and read the text of any great speeches; this doesn’t even rate next to a remarkable donut shop opine.

            The headline screams that Obama says we should defeat terrorism together. We tried that and ended up with the check in Iraq (read the UN Resolutions). So instead, while the Europeans were trading food for oil, we were paying with our blood to keep Iraq from becoming another world threat. Meanwhile, they were inviting terrorists into their country, appeasing them, screaming about fallacious rendition while the women wove their armpit hair.

            Now Obama wants to, depending on the day, either take credit or say we need to do better; once again demeaning America and her patriots on behalf of world socialism. I say, perhaps their is an opening in Saxony he can run for.

          • Marcus_Traianus

            Never in the history of Berlin has such a sophmoric, platitude laced speech been made, save when Honecker was still around. Pick up a history and read the text of any great speeches; this doesn’t even rate next to a remarkable donut shop opine.

            The headline screams that Obama says we should defeat terrorism together. We tried that and ended up with the check in Iraq (read the UN Resolutions). So instead, while the Europeans were trading food for oil, we were paying with our blood to keep Iraq from becoming another world threat. Meanwhile, they were inviting terrorists into their country, appeasing them, screaming about fallacious rendition while the women wove their armpit hair.

            Now Obama wants to, depending on the day, either take credit or say we need to do better; once again demeaning America and her patriots on behalf of world socialism. I say, perhaps their is an opening in Saxony he can run for.

  • GregInFla

    The Germans got the guy with the Spiderman credit card. The AmEx Gold card guy is back here in the States, taking care of business.

  • stephenhalsey

    ….an awful lot like he was running for supreme ruler of planet earth. That passage about eliminating walls between nations who have and nations who don’t, eliminating walls between religions, etc…. sounded awfully anti-christ like where all the people of the world live under one leader. Absolutely frightening stuff…..

    And I also like how it was implied that if he’s not elected then the oceans will rise, our children will starve and storms will ravage the earth. His narcissim is endless. Are we the only ones who really get who this guy is?? Is the rest of our great country really this stupid that they would vote for this Marxist??

  • GregInFla

    but we all heard the speech in our own native tongue.

    • Neil_Stevens
      • The Deadly Atom
      • Dihydrogen Monoxide pollution of the air and oceans
      • Fluorescent lighting sold to schools, for children, designed purposefully to emit electromagnetic radiation between the infrared and ultraviolet ranges

      Obama: the pro-Science candidate

      • joebloe

        What would your comment have been if he had made a speech like the one you think he should have given? I imagine a comment on how Obama is not president yet and shouldn’t be giving speeches like that. He has been the model of class in this election whereas McCain’s only campaign proclamations involve attacking Obama instead of offering his own way of dealing with the issues. Myself, I am voting for a person who is actually offering solutions, not saying only what is wrong with the other candidates.

        • simpson316

          McCain is offering solutions. You just aren’t listening.

  • 29Victor

    Will we acknowledge that there is no more powerful example than the one each of our nations projects to the world? Will we reject torture and stand for the rule of law? Will we welcome immigrants from different lands, and shun discrimination against those who don’t look like us or worship like we do, and keep the promise of equality and opportunity for all of our people?

    People of Berlin — people of the world — this is our moment. This is our time.

    I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality *for all of our people. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when *our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

    Reject torture? Hmmmm who is being accused of torture and breaking international law? He’s talking about America. And who is not welcoming immigrants and not shunning discrimination? Well, that must be America too.

    And in the last paragraph here he begins in present tense and then switches to past. So which is it? Have we “not perfected ourselves” because of things we have done in the past, or are we not perfect because we’re “struggling to keep the promise of liberty…” right now?

    He was stating the complaints of European America-haters and distancing himself from them. He was validating the accusation of torture against our president and our military and validating the accusation of discrimination and xenophoby against Americans and promising the Germans that “we’ll do better.”

    And he was doing this all on foreign soil.

  • joebloe

    Here is a question for anyone who still supports McCain!

    What does he specifically bring to our country on any of the issues? I am getting frightened by his daily missteps, misspeaks, and utter lack of knowledge on so many things. Doesn’t he have people who can advise him any better than they are now? It frightens me mainly because if he can’t run an organized campaign, how in the heck is he going to run this country?

    I wonder how he has remained in the
    Senate so long. Have the people of Arizona just neglected to see what he does, or more specifically, doesn’t do for his state? Or do they enjoy having a Senator who has one of the worst attendance record? He seems to have coasted through life and now that he actually has to be his own man, his astounding lack of knowledge has become abundantly clear.

    For the future of our great nation I submit that McCain would be one of worst things that could happen to the USA.

  • Crowe

    If you take McCain’s name out of that first paragraph you wrote and substitute in “Obama,” I would submit you would have an even shorter — much shorter — list of answers.

  • Moe_Lane

    Do we need anything more?

    That’s a rhetorical question, by the way: I don’t actually care what your reaction to that is. Now start behaving: your posts come perilously close to boring me.