| in praise of kindly old men. |
[09 Nov 2009|10:45am] |
> From: Garry Messick <xxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > Subject: This is beautiful > To: "grant b, sun reporter" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > Date: Monday, November 9, 2009, 10:33 AM > > I came across this on Jonathan Carroll's blog: > > "Near the end of his life, living in Berlin with his > lover, Franz Kafka went for a walk in the park and saw a > little girl crying. > He asked her what the matter was, and she told him that > she had lost her doll. > Without missing a beat, Kafka assured the little girl that > the doll wasn't lost, only traveling; Kafka knew this for a > fact, he said, because the doll had written him a letter > describing her journeys, which he promised to bring the girl > the next day. > Every day for three weeks, he brought the girl a new letter > that he had spent much of the previous night composing, > until she could no longer remember why she had been sad in > the first place." > > Jeff Turrentine
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| harper's, I pwn you. |
[24 Sep 2009|06:22pm] |
> From: Balfour, Grant <xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx> > Subject: Regarding http://harpers.org/archive/2008/03/hbc-90002719 > To: harpers@harpers.org > Date: Thursday, September 24, 2009, 6:19 PM > > > > Hi. > > > I hate to be the one to point this out to you, but there's a really > funny mistake in Scott Horton's otherwise solid translation of Pablo > Neruda's "Song of Despair." > > > > > The Spanish word "muelles," as in "Abandonado como los muelles en el alba," > means "docks" or "wharves." It doesn't mean "dwarves." > > > > > (That image is a bit like Tolkien, or maybe Tom Waits.) > > > > > You've got the line right when it repeats at the end of the poem, but not when > it first occurs. Since your page is one of the first returns when one searches > the internet for "Song of Despair," I thought it was worth mentioning. > > > > > > Thanks, > > > Grant Balfour.
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| one of our most awkward letters.... |
[17 Sep 2009|11:23am] |
> > From: Rxxxxx Txxxxxx <xxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx> > > Subject: Good Doc > > To: "Grant B" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Date: Thursday, September 17, 2009, 10:23 AM > > > > Pg. 50 story attached; clip on fax. > > > > > From: grant b, sun reporter <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx> > Subject: Re: Good Doc > To: Rxxxxx Txxxxxx <xxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx> > Date: Thursday, September 17, 2009, 11:20 AM > Rxxxxx, > > This isn't a publishing crisis or a criticism in any way, > but you need to know that this is nearly the same story you > submitted for the 4th page Good Doc last week - the same > source material but rewritten from scratch, as far as I can > tell. On our end, there's no problem - we're just > dearchiving a story from 2004 to fill the hole. > > On your end, I think you really should consider a visit to > a real good doctor (as opposed to the one you play before a > national readership) to make sure that head injury isn't > playing games with your memory. > > We're all very concerned that you may have suffered a > concussion or even have had a stroke due to the fall. > We worry, Rxxxxx. Your well-being comes first. > Go see someone. > > Sincerely, > > gb > >
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| a work email intercept from psychic nikki |
[22 Jul 2009|10:39am] |
> From: xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx.xxx <xxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx.xxx> > Subject: Correction > To: grantimatter@xxxxx.xxx > Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2009, 2:29 AM > > A meteorite hits the southwestern > united states. Thanks nikki > > Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless > Network
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| moving forward on the "liveaboard" concept |
[11 Jun 2009|12:02pm] |
> --- On Thu, 6/11/09, jeannie <xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote: > > > From: jeannie <xxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Subject: boat owner > > To: "Grant Balfour" <xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Date: Thursday, June 11, 2009, 11:36 AM > > > > I would suggest you start paying visits to docks and get > > the low down. Take one of the kids for some daddy time and > > check out the scene. > > > > > > From: grant b, sun reporter <xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > Subject: Re: boat owner > To: "jeannie" <xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > Date: Thursday, June 11, 2009, 12:00 PM > > I absolutely love that my wife is > telling me to make some "daddy time" by taking the kids > "down to the docks." > > Oh, God. > > I can teach Sophia how to throw craps and make > boilermakers! >
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| hell of a world for new baby to be born into. |
[10 Jun 2009|03:05pm] |
> From: grant b, sun reporter <xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Subject: Holocaust Museum shooter. > > To: "ilona balfour" <xxxxxx@xxx.xxx>, "Toni work Balfour" <xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx> > Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2009, 2:52 PM > > He left a manifesto on his website: > > http://xrl.us/bewa7n > > And more stuff in the Google cache: > > http://xrl.us/bewa79 > > Keep his buddies the hell away from my niece. >
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| the zine is a dictionary of JOY. Check it out. |
[03 Jun 2009|10:15am] |
--- On Wed, 6/3/09, Guy Lochhead <xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
> From: Guy Lochhead <xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx> > Subject: Re: possible interview? > To: "Grant" <grantimatter@yahoo.com> > Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 6:51 AM > Hello again Grant! > The zine is complete! And I think it's pretty good.. You > can download > a PDF of it from our awful MySpace: > http://www.myspace.com/aballfortheeyes (in the first blog) > Or I can send you a paper copy? It's a lot nicer as a real > thing I > think because it's quite thick (60 pages) and we used a > great printers > called Footprint (http://footprinters.co.uk)... Just let me know > where to send it, if you'd like one.. > Also, if you're interested, I just finished making a little > CD. It's > called 'At Home With Skate Rock' (Skate Rock being my very > serious artist name), and it's free to download from here: > http://www.bestnewfun.co.uk > Or you can buy a CD copy from me or Alien Kiosk > (http://myspace.com/neilakiosk) for £2.. > I'm really pleased with how the zine turned out, and I > think you're > enthusiasm and support really made a difference in keeping > Poppy and I > excited about the idea. I'm really grateful for your > willingness to be > interviewed, and I hope you enjoy the finished thing. > Thank you again, > Guy >
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| i told him to look at stereo sanctity, too. |
[04 May 2009|01:51pm] |
> > From: Guy Lochhead <xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx> > > Subject: possible interview? > > To: guildmaster@guildofscientifictroubadours.com > > Date: Monday, May 4, 2009, 12:27 PM > > > > Hello Grant > > > > I am writing to ask if I could interview you for a small > > (tiny) > > magazine I'm trying to put together. > > > > My name is Guy Lochhead and I live in England. I'm trying > > to start a > > little 'zine'-type thing called Eye Ball with my girlfriend > > Poppy. I > > hope that it will be available for free online, and also to > > buy in > > physical form for as cheap as possible at various little > > festivals and > > things. > > > > I hope to fill the magazine with independent musicians and > > artists > > from all over the world - from... contemporary hardcore > > groups to > > Indian pirate radio station owners to.. you know, > > whatever.. Poppy's > > submissions have a sort of amateur scientific interest. I > > can't really > > be more specific than that because I don't really know.. > > She's spoken > > about writing articles about fasha, white lions, > > extinction, and a few > > things on mythology and shamanism. > > > > We feel like your Guild of Scientific Troubadours ties > > these two > > approaches together, as well as being a totally fantastic, > > admirable > > collection of songs, and think it would be wonderful to > > include some > > words from you on the formation and progress of the > > project. > > > > If you are willing to be interviewed, perhaps we could set > > up a Google > > Chat, or I could just e-mail you some questions? Whatever's > > best for > > you. > > > > I hope to hear from you soon. It's an especially exciting > > idea for me > > because I first came across your www.grantimatter.com site > > a few years > > ago, when I was about fourteen/fifteen. Yours was one of > > the first > > musicians/bands that I discovered on my own, and it kind of > > set me off > > on the cycle of devouring that I'm going to turn into my > > part of this > > magazine.. > > > > Thank you very much, > > Guy > >
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| if only they could all be so kind. |
[03 May 2009|05:00pm] |
> > From: > > "grant b, sun reporter" > > <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > To: Richard Jankovich (Burnside > > Project Pocket) <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Sent: Friday, > > April 17, 2009 8:02:04 AM > > Subject: > > Sampo > > > > > > So I've done something else... something unspeakable... > > to "Sampo." It's not 100% done yet, but should > > have a submittable by this weekend. > > > > I thought you should have an early warning. > > > > Oh, and here are the lyrics, as translated by Kalin > Wilson, > > who lives in Japan. > > > > ------------- > > --- On Fri, 4/17/09, Richard Jankovich <burnsideproject@yahoo.com> > wrote: > > > "Richard Jankovich" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Subject: Re: Sampo > > "grant b, sun reporter" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Date: Friday, April 17, 2009, 5:03 PM > > > > Wow - ( you are scaring me.... )
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| sorry, wrong number. *sigh* |
[10 Dec 2008|10:22pm] |
> > > From: Facebook <confirm+osf9y4tc@facebookmail.com> > > > Subject: Jenny Chadwick added you as a friend on Facebook... > > > To: "Grant Balfour" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx> > > > Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 1:42 PM > > > > > > Jenny added you as a friend on Facebook. We need to > > > confirm that you know Jenny in order for you to be > > > friends on Facebook. > > > > > > Jenny says, "Not sure if this is the real > > > Grant.....but if it is....thankyou for that cup of > > > coffee you handed me over the wall at one of your games. > > > > Best cup ever. lol. Jenny.". > > > > > > To confirm this friend request, follow the link below: > > > > > http://www.facebook.com/n/?reqs.php > > > > > > Thanks, > > > The Facebook Team > > > > --- On Wed, 12/10/08, grant b, sun reporter > <grantimatter@yahoo.com> wrote: > > > From: grant b, sun reporter <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xx> > > Subject: Fw: Jenny Chadwick added you as a friend on Facebook... > > To: "Jeannie Balfour" <xxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 3:51 PM > > > > She's a Hooter's manager in Clearwater, and > > she's single. > > > > Dude. > > > > ------------- > From: J. Balfour <xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > Subject: Re: Fw: Jenny Chadwick added you as a friend on Facebook... > To: xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx > Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2008, 4:05 PM > > Such a gentleman. > >
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| passing the beetle |
[04 Dec 2008|11:39am] |
> From: Facebook <notification+osf9y4tc@facebookmail.com> > Subject: Van Choojitarom sent you a message on Facebook... > To: "Grant Balfour" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 9:46 PM > Van sent you a message. > > -------------------- > Subject: It snowed, and the snow screamed > > My Dear Mr. Balfour, > > I've been meaning to send you a profound note of thanks > for passing "The Beetle"; I really could not put > it down, that is, until I put it down to serve as a > อุบาสก at a Buddhist monastery in Plant City. > > I'm actually headed back there in January and then onto > Thailand where I will eventually ordain. > > I mention this because, even thought I am still very much > at the "wax on, wax off" stage in terms of my > tutelage under my master; however, the more time I spend > meditating and the more I practice mindfulness, the more I > find myself experiencing what I think of as > "Grant-like" states -though they are difficult to > maintain. > > > As for our saison en enfer, I assure you it was in the > winter; Remember the ice skating? Only tourists go in the > summer, the same ones that run up to the ice cream wagon and > expect ice cream. > -------------------- > > To reply to this message, follow the link below: > http://www.facebook.com/n/?inbox/readmessage.php
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| at least the stabbing has stopped. |
[05 Nov 2008|11:18am] |
> > From: Nicholas Meihuizen > <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxx> > > Subject: Congratulations on your new president > > To: "sun reporter grant b" > <grantimatter@xxxxx.xxx> > > Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 2:02 AM > > > > Dear Grant > > Amazing. > > Uncle Nick > > > > Nicholas Meihuizen > > xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxx > > > > > From: grant b, sun reporter <grantimatter@xxxxx.xxx> > Subject: Re: Congratulations on your new president > To: "Nicholas Meihuizen" <xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xx.xxx> > Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 11:16 AM > > I think this observation from a British friend sums it up > best: > >
> >>the poor bastard's got one hell of a job to > do > > Better that he try rather than the Reps. The contrast > between GWB and Obama should be startling (hopefully) like > bandaging an injured patient instead of repeatedly stabbing > them with a rusty knife. Yes, the patient is in a bad way > and it's going to be difficult to stop the bleeding, but > at least the stabbing has stopped. You've got to look > on the bright side, eh. > <<
> > (From here: http://www.barbelith.com/topic/28652#post782669 ) > > At least the stabbing has stopped! > > In Obama, Japan, they did hula dances last night. > > I wonder... if I was elected president, what would they do > in Balfour, South Africa? > > -------------
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| the extinction metaphor |
[29 Oct 2008|08:16am] |
> > --- On Mon, 10/27/08, amyxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx > > <amyxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> wrote: > > > > From: amyxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx > <amyxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Subject: Thought of you both... > > To: "Pamela Mxxxxxx" > > <pxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx>, > > <grantimatter@xxxxx.xxx> > > Date: Monday, October 27, 2008, 4:44 PM > > > > > > > > > http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y138/tizzzodd/holy_shit_this_is_awesome.jpg > > > > > > > > Visit me at my blog: > > http://amyloula.typepad.com/ > > > > > From: Pamela Mxxxxxx <pxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Subject: Re: Thought of you both... > > To: "Grant " > <grantimatter@xxxxx.xxx>, > amyxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx > > Date: Monday, October 27, 2008, 4:53 PM > > > > > > What? Why?!!! Are we the only nerds you know? ;-) > > > > > > ------------- > > From: grant b, sun reporter <grantimatter@xxxxx.xxx> > Subject: Re: Thought of you both... > To: amyxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx, Pxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx > Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 3:23 PM > > I actually had to give up the dinosaur. > > Couldn't afford the meat. This economy is killing us. > > > > ------------- > > > > > From: Pamela Mxxxxxx <pxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > > Subject: Re: Thought of you both... > To: amyxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx, grantimatter@xxxxx.xxx > Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 10:09 PM > > You at least had one. I couldn't get financing. P
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| news from galveston: gone to goat island |
[22 Oct 2008|09:46pm] |
> From: xxxxxx@xxxx.xxx > Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 5:02 PM > > On another, completely different note: yet another > body's been found > on a small piece of land just behind the Bolivar peninsula. > For some > reason its name always seemed ominous to me before, and > it's doubly > so now: > > Goat Island. Resting place for at least four corpses... > maybe a lot > more. Apparently the dogs have found multiple "hot > spots" in the > debris piles there > > At lunch my friend Mxxx Hxxxxx referred to some item lost > from her > flooded house as having "gone to Goat Island." > > She and her husband have decided that's what > they're going to say > whenever their kids want to know where a toy is - > "It's gone to Goat > Island." > > Freaky. > >
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| At the Collider: Art from Science |
[23 Sep 2008|12:26pm] |
> From: grant b, sun reporter <xxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > Subject: At the Collider: Art from Science. > To: press.office@cern.ch > Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 12:24 PM > > Hello, CERN. > > I'm grant. > > I... well, I made a song. It's about the Large Hadron > Collider. It's meant as a sort of scientific anthem. > > You can find it here, along with a brief description: > http://guildofscientifictroubadours.com/?p=614 > > I felt, having completed recording this draft late, late > last night, that those of you who inspired the song should > know it exists. (Especially the last minute and a half). > > May inspiration smile on all your efforts. >
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| On recovery, and carrying the torch |
[25 Jun 2008|11:03am] |
> From: Jenny Bowen <xxxxx@halfthesky.org> > Subject: The Big Top, The Torch, and Monopoly > To: "Grant Balfour" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx> > Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 7:48 PM ... > > One smiling boy bears the most obvious scar of that day—a > gash that took > fourteen stitches to close. It runs alongside his eye down > to his mouth. > Like all of the children who survived, he is mindful of > friends who did > not: “At first I felt guilty that I survived. Now because > I am volunteering I feel more comfortable.” > > The students from Juyuan also provide an example of what > was perhaps > NCSTB’s Dr. Marleen Wong’s most surprising message to > the caregivers she > trained in Sichuan. In the midst of the all-too-obvious > devastation and > pain wrought by the earthquake, Wong introduced new > research about a > phenomenon called “post-traumatic growth.” A small > percentage of children, > says Wong, will make positive life changes that are a > direct result of a > trauma or a disaster. These are the children, says Wong who > become “wise > beyond their years, more mature, have a deeper appreciation > of life,” in > the wake of a tragedy. “They have new values and life > priorities.” > > One Juyuan student explains that not only has he resolved > to volunteer in > the wake of the earthquake, he has also resolved to change > his life: > “Before the earthquake I was not into studying. Now I > think it is the most > important thing I can do so I can help my country. I can > bring hope to the people in Sichuan.” > > The day after BigTop #1 opened, I had the great honor of > carrying the > Olympic Torch on behalf of China’s orphaned children, > especially those > newly orphaned in Sichuan and Chongqing. Fifty > preschoolers from our Half > the Sky programs in Chengdu and Chongqing joined me on a > rainy Sunday in > Wanzhou, Chongqing. It was an exhilarating and wacky time. > And we did > manage to tell the children’s story – at least to the > Chinese media (in > the end, no foreign media was allowed.) We were on the > front page of the > China Daily and featured on national TV news. We didn’t > quite go global, > but it has been wonderful to hear from so many Chinese > citizens who want > to help orphaned children. Children in their own > communities that they didn’t even know existed. >
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| one month after |
[13 Jun 2008|11:36am] |
> From: Jenny Bowen <xxxxx@halfthesky.org> > Subject: The Earthquake – a month later…and news on the Torch > To: "Grant Balfour" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx> > Date: Friday, June 13, 2008, 10:28 AM > Hello Friends, > > We got a call today telling us that, for security reasons, > our Torch leg > is now scheduled a day earlier. I will be running in > Wanzhou, Chongqing, > on Sunday, June 15 - Father's Day. I will still run > for the children, > especially those of Sichuan. Somehow, we will manage to > bring the children > there. I hope it doesn’t change again! > > I just arrived in Chongqing from Sichuan. Yesterday was > the one month > anniversary of the earthquake. We traveled several hours > to a hard-hit > mountain town in Beichuan, Hongbaizhen, and worked with > children and > volunteer teachers. I have added many photos to our > website: > http://www.halfthesky.org/work/earthquake08-healing.php#part2 > > A couple of weeks earlier, we braved the rock-strewn roads > and broken > bridges of Hongbaizhen to deliver relief goods to the > children. The whole > town was in shock. As painful as yesterday’s visit was, > we began to see > signs that the town will slowly begin to come back to life. > > Our communications director, Patricia King gave me this > moving report: > > An 8-year-old boy stands in front of the pile of rubble > that had once been > his school and explains that he was the last student to > have been pulled > out alive. When the earth shook, he was one of the obedient > children > sitting with arms crossed at their desks—( some naughty boys were still outside, safe on the playground.... )
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| Half the Sky: Olympic torch, Building schools. |
[10 Jun 2008|10:35am] |
> From: Jenny Bowen <jenny@halfthesky.org> > Subject: Half the Sky Earthquake Update - June 10 > To: "Grant Balfour" <xxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx> > Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 6:21 AM > Dear Friends, > > Last October – what seems like a lifetime ago – many of > you voted online > and made it possible for me to win the Lenovo/China Daily > competition to > become one of eight foreigners living in China to carry the > Olympic Torch. > My goal was to run with children from our HTS programs on > behalf of all of > China’s orphaned children. As fate or happenstance would > have it, my bit > of Torch history is now scheduled to take place in Wanzhou, > Chongqing on > June 16 – just next door to earthquake-battered Sichuan. > > After the quake, I informed the Beijing Olympic Committee > (BOCOG) that I > would dedicate my run to the orphaned children of Sichuan. > For security > reasons, BOCOG will not let me run WITH the children, but > they will > certainly let me run FOR them. And BOCOG will let the > children urge me > along from the sidelines. So, if all goes well, ( 50
> preschoolers from the
> Chengdu and Chongqing orphanages will be with me in
> Wanzhou. )
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| reddit.com on Obama's running mate. |
[04 Jun 2008|10:10am] |
jordanlund 251 points 14 hours ago[-]
Obama needs a VP who:
1) Is successful at business interests to attract Republicans. They love the whole "run government like it's a business" thing.
2) Ideally female, to counter the shrill Clintonistas who say that he's misogynist.
3) Someone who makes him assassin-proof to all the red-necks.
There is only one person who meets this criteria... Ladies and gentlemen... Introducing...
Vice President Oprah.
* permalink * parent * reply
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JohnStanier 42 points 14 hours ago[-]
Well played sir.
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AnteChronos 27 points 12 hours ago* [-]
"Now if all you congressmen/women would look under you seats, you'll find a set of keys . . . . to your new electric car! And be sure to be here for next week's judicial appropriations oversight committee meeting / vice presidential book club!"
* permalink * parent * reply
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keenfob 3 points 10 hours ago[-]
and you get a car, and you get a car, and you too!!
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