What's that sound?

That huge WHOOSHING sound you just heard was not the USS Lake Erie firing it's Aegis missiles at the derelict US satellite hurtling towards Earth. It was the sound of the energy and enthusiasm leaving the Clinton campaign and rushing over in ever increasing numbers to the Obama campaign.

Barack Obama just pummeled Hillary Clinton in Wisconsin this evening and presumably in Hawaii whose results we'll review in the morning. What is even more key and obvioiusly more exciting for Obama supporters is that Barack won by a landslide in a state that is over 90% white and in every single key Clinton demographic with the exception of the elderly, and that is probably because Clinton is one of them.

Clinton is still projected to do well with Texas Hispanics on March 4th but I believe that is because somewhere along the line her campaign started a rumor that her maternal great grandmother was a Mexican immigrant. I hear that she is now contemplating starting a rumor that her paternal great grandfather is from Kenya. More to follow.

I just listened to Barack's 45 minute victory speech at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. and I am compelled to say that Barack is actually adding more and more "meat on the bone" in his speeches. He is outlining his intentions as President and they are sounding more centrist than ever before. While many of his ideas are clearly left-wing, he also hit some fairly conservative notes with his appeal to control our borders and provide a strong defense for America as Commander in Chief.

Even John McCain sees Obama as the presumptive Democratic nominee. It is certain the the Wisconsin voters did this evening. They overwhelmingly indicated in exit polls that he is much more electable than Hillary Clinton.

Fact: Hillary Clinton is losing relevance as a potential nominee.
Fact: Every attack she makes against Obama ultimately backfires against her.
Fact: Both Texas and Ohio were huge leads for her as little as several days ago. Now her leads in both states are dwindling by the day.

Why? She has no ability to inspire passion, creativity and hope in the American people. Those are some of the key principles our nation was founded upon. She represents politics as usual and Americans are sick of it. As I mentioned in an earlier post, people vote from emotion, passion and belief in somemone more than anything else. That is why it is so hard to change a voters mind once they have emotionally committed to a candidate. Herein lies Obama's strength...he possesses to ability to capture the Independents and undecideds. Clinton struggles with undecideds. She is working from a very limited and finite base. Obama is working from a potentially unlimited base.

This is why he will ultimately win the Democratic nomination. Hillary will not gain many more new voters. Barack will gain millions of new voters because people are buying into the hope and inspiration that he offers. And Americans want to be part of a winning team. It's becoming "hip" to vote Obama. Even in "white" states like Wisconsin.

For my two cents, all politics aside, I have always been extremely proud to be an American. Today, I have never been prouder to see so many people looking past race to vote for someone they believe in.

This...this is why America is great. We're far from perfect, but to see this immense support for a black man in this country...is breathtaking.








"Love your neighbor as yourself and your country more than yourself."

Thomas Jefferson

Now your vote is irrelevant!

I just can't help myself. As much as I'd like to comment on something or someone else, it seems like everyday the Clinton campaign does or says something so outrageous that it just requires my attention and comments.

In yet another blatantly brazen display of hubris and total disregard for the will of the voters, the Clinton campaign has stated that Sen. Clinton will win the democratic nomination regardless of the wishes of the voters.

I wish I was only kidding. If we need any more evidence of the coming planned fascist state that the Clintons want to foist upon us then we are completely numb and blind to what it happening. This is the closest thing I have ever seen to a takeover of the will of the people and the US government. I think our nation is on the verge of something sinister and dangerous. We should pay attention to this. I'm hoping to wake up any minute now and realize that this national nightmare known as the Clintons was only a very bad dream.

Hillary now says that the will of the voters is 'irrelevant'. Don't believe me? Just read this story.

This story is crystal clear proof from Clinton's senior advisor that they have absolutely no intention whatsoever of honoring the wishes of the voters. Remember my earlier post that Hillary believes she knows what's best for us? Well, if anyone thought that was just irrational ranting and raving, now I can step back and let Hillary do the dirty work for me. She thinks that the American people have no idea what is best for them and that we need her to guide us and do our thinking for us.

What is the point in voting if party insiders are going to make the decisions for the democrats? Are Barack Obama's efforts wasted because a few insiders winked at each other and gave the nod to Hillary? Will the dems disregard Barack's candidacy even though recent polling data indicate that he will defeat John McCain in the general election and Hillary won't even come close to beating McCain?

I know the democrats frequently disregard logic and reason in their thought process but this is the height of insanity for them. They are actually contemplating the permanent alienation of every voter who voted for Barack Obama, and practically every black person in the US to nominate Hillary when they know she can't beat McCain! They will pass up Obama who can win to nominate Hillary who can't. What part of that makes sense? I'm still waiting....all I hear is crickets in the background.

So, as usual this requires The Brother on the Right to get at what's underneath this crazy reasoning from the dems. And, because the root cause is so easily seen, heck, it's so easily seen a blind man can see it with both eyes closes and his hands over his face; it doesn't require a lot of analysis to identify it. What we are witnessing is what the dems have tried to hide for many, many years. Racism. And I'm not know for using the "R" word because it is too frequently used as a cop out for lack of personal responsibility but friends, this is pure racism at its worst. It's so bad that the dems aren't even trying to hide it. Harold Ickes just said that the Obama voters were "irrelevant". He said it not me. He is saying that the Civil Rights movement just stopped today so that Hillary can be nominated for President. They were ok with all of that Civil Rights stuff as long as it didn't get in the way of Hillary's nomination.

Once those uppity so and so's started voting for Obama, then someone need to put a stop to it and put them back in their place.

But be of good cheer. Since I am a "glass half full" kind of guy I have naturally seen the silver lining to this cloud of racism. When the Clintons attempt to pull this back room deal of seating the Michigan and Florida delegates, and negating the will of the voters, millions and millions of people will finally see the Clintons for what they truly are and then, then my friends I believe we will be rid of them forever. Perhaps we can get to work on real issues. These shenanigans will alienate so many people that I don't think the Clintons will ever be able to recover. They are so far removed from "real people" in their lives that they can't see the freight train that will hit them when they attempt to pull this garbage. And once again, The Brother on the Right will pull up his Barcalounger, put on my slippers, tell Rover to get my remote and enjoy a bucket of popcorn while I watch the end of their hypnotic hold on millions of good people.






"Love your neighbor as yourself and your country more than yourself."

Thomas Jefferson

Hillary gets dunked on!

Did you ever see Michael Jordan or Shaq go up for a dunk and right as they were getting ready to drill the ball through the basket all of the would-be defenders scrambled and ran to get out of the camera shot? Well that's because no one wants to be on a poster in some 12 year old's room as the guy that Jordan is dunking on. It's not nice and certainly doesn't say much for your legacy when kids remember you for being the pasty looking guy getting slammed on while MJ is wagging his tongue.

Well, that's about to happen to Hillary. With Barack's recent string of victories, he is about to reach a tipping point of momentum where the tide of Obama support will become so irresistable that Hillary will do her best to get out of the way before her legacy becomes "The Dem establishment candidate who couldn't beat the upstart from Illinois." I bet her spin team is working on the sound bytes now. They'll pledge their support to Sen. Obama, blah, blah, blah. They've even started now by planting seeds that anyone but a republican is a good thing for the White House.

You just wait. With a few more wins Obama will take a solid lead in the delegate count and then the momentum will build. The Dems are looking for someone to get excited about and Obama has not yet hit his peak. He will hit it soon and then the Clintons will stop showing up at black churches acting like they care about black folk.

The tide is turning and the dunk is coming...she's about to run out of the camera shot. It's going to be a thunderous rim-rockin' dunk too. May even break the backboard.

Here's Barack taking Hillary to the hoop! I mean MJ...sorry! Just watch the videos for fun!








"Love your neighbor as yourself and your country more than yourself."

Thomas Jefferson

Hillary Knows Best...

In the video below didn't Hillary say "I have so many opportunities for this country?" Who died and left her with the collective wisdom of a nation? Our founding fathers always believed that the wisdom of this great nation rested with "we the people". Shouldn't "we the people" identify the opportunities and then elect the person who is best qualified to deliver? This statement tells us so much about Hillary's thought process. Here's a list of things it tells us:

1. She knows what is best for us

2. The American people are like little children who can't be trusted to do their own thinking

3. She thinks she and she alone is smarter than the collective wisdom of the American people

4. If we would all just come to our senses and follow Hillary, everything would be just fine

5. It's time for us to stop misbehaving and get in line and vote for her

6. She is the only answer for America

7. "I" "I" "I" am the appointed one to lead America to enlightenment

8. It's all about her

9. Why are "we the people" being so hard headed and obstinate and voting for anyone else but her?

10.When I get into office I will impose my will upon the people

It's easy to see her agenda just from that one little statement. The word "I" in her comments tells us that she is running for her own best good and not the good of the American people. Our founding fathers were reluctantly pushed and shoved into office. They understood that it was about service for the country, not a coronation. Why is the word "service" such a novelty?

Hillary has "Queen-like" aspirations. Sadly however, too many Americans are still under the "Clinton Spell". They have been hypnotized by the Clintons and would vote for them even if they were caught on video selling secrets to the Chinese. These Clinton "subjects" will vote for anyone named Clinton under any circumstances. These poor souls will not be swayed by little things like "facts". Facts only get in the way to them. They're voting for Hillary no matter what.

What hope do we have? Know the facts and spread the news to the undecided. The people on the fence who have not been completely hypnotized can still be saved through reason, logic and facts. A passionate representation of the facts is fine but emotion plays no role in this discussion, it only pushes them away from our argument and towards "The Clinton Spell". Conservatives must keep their cool and not come unglued.

The tears she shed in New Hampshire was a stroke of genius. It reinforced her hold on her sycophants and swung some of the fence sitters in her direction. Pure genius. It was a well timed set up and she pulled it off flawlessly. But here is what's real, if Super Tuesday does not meet up to her expectations, we all can expect a meltdown. I'll be the guy on the sidelines with a big grin selling popcorn.

Be of good cheer, have heart, keep your faith strong. Values, principles, leadership, conservatism and GOD ALWAYS win in the end. Despite what it looks like today, the best of America will prevail.


Notes to watch for:
1. "It's very personal for me..." That's funny, because The Brother on the Right thought it was about America.

2. "I see what's happening..." Evidently, she is uniquely qualified to see what's happening. The rest of us dolts don't have a clue. Don't we understand that we desperately need her! Come on!

Here are the tears...watch and learn. Get your popcorn ready...and your hankerchief.










"Love your neighbor as yourself and your country more than yourself."

Thomas Jefferson

Need I say more?

I like to watch this for a few laughs. I'll let her do all the talking on this one!

Why Bash Bush?

Have you ever been to the home of a really dysfunctional family? The father can't stand the mother. The mother talks about the father like a dog. The kids all seem to have an attitude with each other and everyone else. It's a very uncomfortable feeling just being around them. Then they try to smile around you like everything's alright yet you know they're miserable.

How do we look to the rest of the world when Bush-bashing has become a national sport? What's even more hypocritical of us is the fact that Congress' approval rating is 10+ points lower than the president's. Yet the very people who elected the current congress are the same ones going out of their way to bash the president. Does any of this makes sense? It certainly makes me wonder. And has all of this anger, resentment and outrage towards the president helped anyone? Has it made things better for us or worse?

Well for one thing, it encourages our enemies. Instead of facing a resolute, unified and determined superpower, they see that they are facing a weak, wobbly kneed nation of microwave-friendly, I want it now, I'll quit if I don't get it yesterday scare-dee cats. They know that we don't have the resolve to face them down in the long run.

I don't agree with Bush on a lot of things, but one thing I know we have to do is support the chief executive when we are in middle of a war. Support does not mean blindly agree with everything he says or does; it means that we are all standing on the right side of the line when the bullets start flying. It does not mean that we make sport of the man and reduce his effectiveness and ability to lead. Frankly, our treatment of the president is embarrassing. The rest of the world is shaking their heads and laughing at our shameful criticism of him.

Of course we have 1st amendment rights and protections to speak our minds. Yes we do have the ability to say what we mean. It doesn't mean that we have to drag the man's name through the mud just because we can. Whenever we make sport of our leader and reduce him to a joke, we only hurt ourselves and minimize our prestige in the eyes of the world.

He did it again...

So, Barack did it again in South Carolina. What does it mean? Well for one thing, he smoked Hillary by an immense margin. He clearly owned the black vote and he also did well in most other demographics as well. While this is true, the results still broke out along racial lines.

What's interesting is that Barack won in Iowa which is 95% white, came in close second in mostly white New Hampshire and won the delegate count vote and the rural white vote in Nevada. This paints an interesting scenario. It suggests that the obvioius is true; blacks tend to vote for Barack which should be no surprise but Barack also enjoys popularity among white voters. Notice that he won by landslide in Iowa and S.C. Hillary won by narrow margins in N.H. and Nevada.

It will be a straight up dogfight as we head into Super Tuesday.

The contest will be dubbed "The Machine vs. The Brother" Let's get rockin' baby!

Here's the South Carolina Victory Speech...

Hillary, Hillary, Hillary...shame shame!

Now, I'm not going to spend too much time on this because my blog deserves the best. And the best means that the less time I pollute myself with thoughts of the Clintons the better. But brothers and sisters, I have got to speak on this...however briefly. You see attached here a picture of Hill-Bill. (Let's just follow through and call them "Hill-Billy" shall we? Yes, that works...) As Hill-Billy are standing there grinning thinking about the best coverup to their next scandal how could they know that this is one picture they would come to regret posing for.

Just this week Hillary scolded Barack Obama for working with Tony Rezko who is awaiting trial on federal corruption charges next month. She suggested that Obama was somehow besmirched by his alleged affiliation with Rezko. As those words were still echoing however, guess what pops up Hill? Man, you should have seen her scrambling for camera, any camera to start the patented Clinton spin on the situation. It was hilarious watching her recite her "talking points" into the camera about how she wouldn't know Rezko if he walked into the room, blah, blah, blah. How much you wanna bet that more starts to come out on this story and Hill-Billy are already working on their spin. They're real good spinners aren't they?

Watch this dogfight! Worth the price of admission!

Where has my country gone?

I heard on the radio today about a preacher who was recently dubbed "controversial" for his views that marriage is an institution between a man and a woman. Can you believe that? Since when is it "controversial" to take a position that marriage was intended for a man and a woman?

Where has my country gone? Where has our Common Sense gone? I feel like I fell asleep and was mysteriously teleported to some bizarre parallel universe only to be rudely awakened to learn that I was not in Kansas anymore!

You may say "well times change...you've got to go with the flow..." If the flow is taking this country off a cliff do I have to stand idly by and watch? No, of course not. Times do change; often for the better and I am the first to applaud positive change. What should NEVER change are the core values and fundamental principles that made this country great and help keep us strong. When you change those values, you change the DNA of our culture and the result is a weakened and undetermined nation with no real moral compass to guide us. There are lots of countries like that today: they're called Third World Nations.

Friends, we need to stop this madness, look weakness aka Political Correctness in the eye and condemn it for what it is: an attack on the moral fiber of our nation which is the one place you must attack if you want to weaken our resolve and desire to achieve and grow. Attack our moral fiber and you take our foundation away and we will cease to exist.

I still believe that the great majority of Americans believe in the fundamentals that made America great. The media however attempts to lead us to believe otherwise. Never despair, America is great. We are still the 'city shining on a hill'. We just need to remember that no one can destroy us but ourselves. We have the ability to stand up to any challenge and prevail with God on our side. Remember "In God We Trust"?

I got this poem today from a friend of mine. Read it an enjoy. Remember who we are.


My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed by. Today I read his obituary. Please join me in a moment of silence in remembrance, for Common Sense had served us all so well for so many generations.

Obituary Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial p olicie s (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a Band aid to a student, but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live when religions became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by hi s parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Author unknown

Mr

On this the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I feel it is highly appropriate to launch the inaugural posting of "The Brother on the Right". The objective of this blog is to give a voice to many black conservatives who don't feel that there are enough of us out there to stand up and be counted.

In reality, there are many of us out here it's just that we are hidden among the numbers of liberals or progressives as they've gone to calling themselves lately. Since we are black, upwardly mobile, intelligent and articulate or to put it more simply, since we are "black" it is generally assumed that we are therefore democrat and of course liberal.

Wrong! In fact, my sense is that many more blacks (notice the absense of "African-American" I address that in the video) are actually conservative than they realize. That was how I came to realize that I was conservative after all. In fact, when you take my little quiz below I think you may also realize some seeds of conservatism in yourself as well.

Don't be afraid, the quiz won't hurt you or convert you. It's there to help you realize your own God given potential and your constitutional rights as an American born in the land of the free and the home of the brave. When you take the quiz, if you answer yes to 85% or more of the questions, you just may be a budding conservative. Don't be angry, rejoice and be glad! There is much to be happy about as a conservative!

What exactly does it mean to be a conservative? Well my quiz below will give some serious insight into that question. Let me first state what it does not mean. It does not mean that you are now a part of some mean spirited right wing that has no compassion for your fellow human being. It does not mean that you blindly follow the thoughts and opinions of any republican or conservative leadership. It does not mean that you see no need whatsoever for an efficient and effective federal government. It doesn't mean that you dislike all gays or homosexuals because of their sexual orientation. It does not mean that you dislike all people who are on government assistance or support.

In fact friends, being a conservative means the exact opposite of all of those things. We believe that our best years as a nation are ahead of us. We believe in rugged individualism and the pursuit of prosperity. We believe in a strong free market economy. We believe in holding all of our leaders accountable for their actions and decisions. We believe in an efficient federal government and tax system that sets the stage for economic growth and prosperity. We believe in equal rights so that all Americans regarding of their backgrounds or orientations can flourish in this the greatest country in the history of mankind. We believe that the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King is being realized every day in this country and that much more of it is yet to be realized. We believe in less governmental programs and bloat and more individual creativity and genius. We believe that the capitalist system and only the capitalist system is the best system for bringing out the best in all of us.

We believe in a strong military that protects our interests all of the world as well as helps to protect the weak. We believe in promoting democracy as a form of government and not fascism, dictatorships, communism or socialism. We believe "In God We Trust" and that our country is at its best when we keep God included in our belief systems. We believe in lower taxes on all Americans and corporations as the best means to increase and sustain economic growth in this country.

Friends, like President Ronald Reagan, we look forward to the future with optimism and a spirit of enthusiasm. As conservative Americans we believe that we have the finest country that mankind has ever seen and it is worth defending the principles and values that made us the country that all other peoples of the world look to for answers and support.

I understand your dilemma however. As a black conservative you probably get a lot and I mean a LOT of angry looks if you even act like you support any conservative principles. I've lost a few friends because I dared to think independently for myself and not blindly subscribe to whatever radio talks show hosts or the good Reverends have to say. How dare I not agree with Jesse or Al? It's tantamount to moral blasphemy to disagree with our self appointed leaders who are supposed to do all of our thinking for us. They would have us believe that God gave them all of the collective black brain cells and that the rest of us are robots who should blindly follow their edicts from their radio shows. "What do you mean we don't need bigger government and more programs to get us out of this rut? Who do you think you are?" They'd have us believe that without them fighting for more programs us poor black folk couldn't do anything without them.

Friends, its time to think for ourselves. Realize that God gave YOU a brain and he gave it to you to use; not wait to hear what Jesse has to say. That's why Bill Cosby called us "intellectually lazy" and he was right. Dead on right.

So take the quiz. Give honest answers to the questions, and I think we may soon discover that we have a few black conservatives in the closet!

1. Do you favor lower taxes which means more $ in your pocket and less in the governments?



2. Who is more capable of making important financial decisions for your family? You or the government?
   



3. Do you favor a medical savings account that allows you to put aside money (in an interest bearing account) for unplanned medical expenses or do you need the government to solve your medical problems?
   



4. Do you favor broad tax cuts for corporations which will motivate them to invest in jobs and grow their businesses thereby strengthening the economy?
   



5. Should the USA run from terrorism or stand up to it as a strong undivided front?
   



6. Do you favor allowing the US to be pushed around by the international community?
   



7. Would you be willing to allow for oil exploration to reduce our nations dependence on foreign oil?
   



8. Do you want strong, effective border control or are you ok with anyone crossing our borders at anytime?
   



9. Should illegal aliens be allowed to put a strain on our infrastructure with no means of documenting them and taxing their income?
   



10. Are you ok with working harder and harder to make less and as the government continues rampant spending and tax hikes?
    



11. Do you like having to get up and go to work everyday to support unmotivated individuals who don’t want to get up and go to work?
    



12. Are more and bigger government programs the answer or should we allow the capitalist system to do its job?
    



13. Do you favor a socialized health care system (similar to Canada and the UK) which means you may have to wait up to 6 months to see a doctor? (that you can’t choose).
    



14. Do you favor abortion over adoption?
    



15. Should members of Congress have term limits like the President does?
    



16. Should we continue our insatiable focus on identification of ethnicities and races in America?
    



17. Should we all just be Americans or do we need to continue to sub-identify ourselves as African-Americans, Italian-Americans, etc?
    



18. Who is more capable of determining your family’s future, you or an elected official?
    



19. Do elected officials, i.e. “The Government” know what’s best for you and your family?
    



20. Is the role of government to “set the stage for individual achievement”, “create the environment for success” or make sure that there’s a “chicken in every pot.” Be careful: one scenario sets us up for unlimited success as a nation and the other sets us up for mediocrity.
    



21. If you’re a minority do you attribute your success to Affirmative Action programs or to receiving God’s Favor and making the most of your God-given potential?
    



22. Would Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. support large government programs and redistribution of wealth or creating an environment where everyone is playing on a level playing field?
    



23. Should we restrict oil exploration so that we don’t inconvenience our furry friends? In other words should we pay higher prices at the pump and remain dependent upon Arab oil in order to keep things comfy for the squirrels?
    



24. Should the United States maintain a strong and active defense or retreat behind our oceanic borders and hope no one bothers us here?
    



25. Is the United States an active force for good in this world or are we the cause of the world’s problems and should be sorry for all that we’ve done?
    



26. Are we right to remove prayer from the schools, “Christ” from Christmas, scripture readings and verses from statehouse steps, and to attempt to disassociate our nation from all that is Godly?
    



27. Do you agree with a former Vice-President who is so concerned with global warming that he is compelled to fly around the world in a private jet and arrive by stretch limousine to tell us all that we are consuming too much fuel? Do you also agree with him when after all his globe trotting he goes home to a mega-mansion (heated by pine needles, I guess) to plan his next excursion?
    



28. Do our self appointed black leaders (no names here but their initials are Jesse and Al) know what is best for the black, oops African American community? Have all the government programs they say we need actually helped anybody? I guess we should thank them that there is less gang violence, black on black crime, drug use and teenage pregnancy…oh, that’s right there isn’t less, it seems like more to me!
    



29. As a minority, have most of the bad or disappointing things that have happened to you been as a result of your own lack of preparation or diligence or something that “The Man” did to you? Have the good things happened as a result of your preparation and hard work or because a government program did it for you?
    



30. Are you capable of thinking for yourself or do you need the government or Rev. so and so to tell you what to think?

31. Do you have an optimistic outlook for our future?