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I’ve known that today, Dec. 12, was supposed to be the day that Occupy protesters across the Pacific Coast (and apparently the Gulf Coast as well) would be shutting down ports, the better to impose a hiccup in the country’s supply chain from overseas. (New York is also involved, because it seems like New York is always involved.) I have had other fish to fry in recent days, though, so I haven’t paid much attention to the details. Today, I learned that Occupy OC protesters had headed to the Port of Long Beach to take part in the confrontation that has been avoided in Irvine. It seems like it was quite a scene.
It has also been instructional in showing how the … the — sorry, I’m just used to calling it the “Establishment,” a word I think we still need — has learned to react to the threat of confrontation with Occupy protesters. (Clever little buggers.) If you want to get a sense of how things played out nationally regarding Long Beach and other ports, here’s the best recounting of events that I’ve found.
The most disturbing things you’ll find there are these:
(1) They are targeting “informal” media, i.e. “livestreamers”
For example, see these updates from the above story, reporting from NYC:
7:52 AM PT: They have arrested THREE cameramen already!
Lorenzo, GlobalRev Livestreamer
Jeff Smith, @dontbeaputz, OWS Press Team
One independent journalist whose name we don’t know. Pictures incoming.
7:59 AM PT: Here’s the third cameraman in NYC being arrested. His twitter handle is #Johnknefel
8:05 AM PT: Tweeted by the OWS Media team:
@OWS_Live #OccupyWallStreet Police took livestreaming equipment. We are asking for it back on livestream and being refused. (livestream.com/owsnyc) #OWS #Dec12 #D12
(2) They are threatening people in Long Beach with police dogs
8:27 AM PT: UPDATE: LONG BEACH
Police HAVE ANNOUNCED that they will disperse crowd by force. I’m hearing that they have dogs. I cannot confirm.
8:30 AM PT: POLICE ARE ANNOUNCING THAT THEY WILL USE DOGS ON THE PROTESTERS IN LONG BEACH.
They specifically warned that they may be bitten by a police dog. WATCH TIM POOLS STREAM.
What we can see there, for those who cannot watch the video, is a sea of riot police in black, many of them holding day glo orange shotguns. They’re making an order to disperse, announcing that this is an unlawful assembly.
The people who do not disperse “may be subject” to “chemical agents, impact weapons, or bites from a police dog.”
That’s a direct quote from the Long Beach Police.
8:36 AM PT: Tim Pool (an Occupy protester and livestreamer) flashed his press pass, and was told by the police that since he was not “verified press” if he did not leave, he would be arrested.
“Verified press!” Nicely done, comrade!
(3) At least some port closures have occurred
10:15 AM PT: We’re getting a report that longshoremen have been sent home for the day. Waiting for official verification.
10:16 AM PT: Local media is confirming: Longshoremen have been sent home. The port of Oakland is shut down.
(4) “The Establishment” is making impressive use of disinformation
The talking points were out early in the morning: “Schism between Occupy and Labor! Labor opposes Port closure!”
Well, maybe it’s not quite that simple:
We got bombed with a stack of stories from the corporate media in the early morning with one message “Unions oppose this action.” That information is wrong.
At the time of writing, I am getting conflicting reports. Some say that the Unions DO support this shut down, or at least factions within them.
LABOUR GROUPS WITHIN THE PORTS SUPPORT THE SHUTDOWN
A collective organization formed by truckdrivers has OFFICIALLY STATED that they support the port shutdown, and claim that the teamsters “have our back.” This organization is a proto-union, as it is currently illegal for them to form a union.
All day, truckers have been honking their support for the protesters.
10:36 AM PT: Truck Drivers From the Ports have officially THANKED the protesters for shutting down the ports.
10:36 AM PT: Link: http://cleanandsafeports.org/…
11:04 AM PT: I have a story up on those drivers:
What the Hayek is going on here? Two commenters explain:
We are hearing from ILWU rank and file that they have recieved a text message from the President of ILWU Local 10, telling them not to cross the picket line on Monday.
This indicates that the ILWU international leadership’s strategy of trying to divide workers from occupy and discredit the shut down is FAILING. Prominent members of the ILWU have already stated that the rank and file will not be crossing the picket line or crossing with police protection.
Not crossing community picket lines has been standard practice since 1937 when longshoremen refused to load iron ore onto ships headed for Japan.
This is not a rumor, this is fact, confirmed by ILWU members at the Occupy Oakland shutdown meeting last evening.
To which another commenter says:
As a union steward, I suggest that the ILWU is telling their people to NOT cross picket lines because they have a legal basis to refuse to cross a picket line, but are not legally allowed to take part in a strike that is not related to workplace grievances brought by the Union itself.
In other words, if they want to support the strike, legally the only action they can take to support the shutdown is to tell members “DON’T CROSS THE PICKET LINE” and say it loud enough and often enough that the strikers get the hint to [do so]
SET UP PICKET LINES so We Union People don’t get fired for being part of a wildcat strike. HINT HINT WINK WINK NUDGE NUDGE
I would bet that most if not all of we Union people are thrilled that this is going on, and looking for an opportunity to help.
SPECIAL BONUS:
Some people grouse: what does any of this have to do with Wall Street?
Well, first of all, the relation of cheap imported goods to the entire situation should be kinda obvious. One commenter notes:
Big Business owns the merchandise that runs through these ports. They won’t be making as much money today, and since money is the only thing in the world they care about, Occupy exercises the power to stop them from making it. This World wide movement demonstrates that with enough people, we can shut down the 1%.
Goldman Sachs owns the company that is crapping on the taxpaying truck drivers that bailed them out. Koch products almost certainly go through these ports. But not today. Even if the products of the particular people who hurt us are not stopped, those whose money is being lost will certainly bring it to the attention of their Wall Street cronies the next time they play golf.
As for OccupyWallmart I think it is already being done, if not, it will be. Until the workers there make a decent wage, no one should buy their toxic crap.
Wait, what was that about Goldman Sachs? Turns out they are deep into ownership of the ports — and labor suppression. This is from Occupy Oakland, which apparently has been doing some homework:
SUPPORT GROWS FOR OCCUPY MOVEMENT’S COORDINATED WEST COAST SHUT DOWN ON DECEMBER 12TH
As of November 27, 2011, the Occupy movement in every major West Coast port city: Occupy LA, Occupy San Diego, Occupy Portland, Occupy Tacoma, Occupy Seattle have joined Occupy Oakland in calling for and organizing a coordinated West Coast Port Blockade and Shutdown on December 12, 2011. Other West Coast Occupies, including Occupy Anchorage and Vancouver, Canada are planning to join the economic blockade and disruption of the 1% on that date, according to organizers.
We’re shutting down these ports because of the union busting and attacks on the working class by the 1%: the firing of Port truckers organizing at SSA terminals in LA; the attempt to rupture ILWU union jurisdiction in Longview, WA by EGT. EGT includes Bunge LTD, a company which reported 2.5 billion dollars in profit last year and has economically devastated poor people in Argentina and Brazil. SSA is responsible for inhumane working conditions and gross exploitation of port truckers and is owned by Goldman Sachs. EGT and Goldman Sachs is Wallstreet on the Waterfront” stated Barucha Peller of the West Coast Port Blockade Assembly of Occupy Oakland.
“We are also striking back against the nationally’ coordinated attack on the Occupy movement. In response to the police violence and camp evictions against the Occupy movement- This is our coordinated response against the 1%. On December 12th we will show are collective power through pinpointed economic blockade of the 1%.”
Each Occupy is organizing plans for a mass mobilization and community pickets to shut down their local Port. The mobilization of over 60,000 people that shut down the Port of Oakland during the general strike on November 2, 2011 is the model for the West Coast efforts. Organizers state that a police attempt to disrupt the port blockade or police violence against any city participating will extend duration of the blockade on the entire coast.
“These Ports are public. People have a right to come to the Port and protest. The ILWU has historically honored picket lines at the Port.” stated Clarence Thomas, a member of ILWU Local 10.
ILWU longshore workers are involved as individuals in the planning of the Shutdown. “I am a longshoreman and I support the December 12th Blockade against EGT. EGT is a threat to the survival of the ILWU,” stated Anthony Leviege, a member of Local 10. Dan Coffman, the president of Local 21 in Longview, has publicly thanked the Occupy movement and Occupy Oakland for its actions on November 2nd.
I don’t know what your favorite news source is covering today, but if it ain’t covering this enough so that you can understand it, what it’s doing ain’t actual journalism. Remember the old Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times?” Well, like it or not, we do.
This kind of ridiculous and illegal behavior shows the stupidity and hypocrisy of the movement. Who is the most vocal opponenet of today’s actions? The local dock workers union! Power to the Idiots!
It was A TRAP, Willis! http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/12/1044571/-Truck-drivers-speak-out-on-port-working-conditions-and-Occupy-protests
Here’s part of the statement of the Clean and Safe Ports campaign:
A TRAP!!!
Could you give us an opinion on the apparent violation of the First Amendment here.
I think that it’s kind of important since it was the FIRST one.
And stop misrepresenting facts with your own desires. Everybody knows that labor is divided on the validity of the Occupy tactics.
I think that it’s an apparent violation of the First Amendment. And worse.
Do you know what really cheeses me off, though? I forget if it’s in what I posted, but I believe that it’s in the linked story. It’s when officers cover their names and badge numbers with duct tape. Anyone out there want to explain to me why they should be allowed to do that — or, rather, why they shouldn’t be fired for it?
Actually I was asking for Geoffie’s opinion on the 1st Amendment violation. I count on your perspective to support the press here.
I guess Willis stepped out for a smoke.
You mean the First Amendment that allows for reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions for safety and other issues that counterbalance the right to free speech? For instance, the Occupiers can rant and rave all they want, just not in the road or on the docks of the ports where they are illegally trying to shut down commerce?
Newbie…you seem like a law and order kind of guy, so what is your complaint. The Occupiers broke the law and got arrested. They knew they were breaking the law, and getting arrested was part of their statement. Fair, right?
Now the police were arresting members of the press and taking their cameras. That is a violation of the First Amendment right to a free press.
So where is your outrage that the law is being broken, and no one is enforcing it.
You’re picking and choosing what part of the First Amendment should be enforced.
How un-American.
demacrap when you interupt commerce with your stupid ocupoo whos rights are violating now .. stopping people from making $$$$$ what about their rights . and these stupid clowns.. here is a hint if a cop tells you to please move out or you will be gassed , tasor , bit by dogs . the ball is now in your court ITS UP TO YOU TO MAKE A CHOICE .. but by seeing these guys i dont think they understand . until a dog bites THEM IN THE ASS ..
One good thing that could come out of a port shut-down is that it would encourage manufacturing in the USA – rather than importing goods which are manufactured in China under slave labor conditions.
Go occu-poo!
You’re catching on, ding dong.
I have always supported “Made in the USA” – ding-dong.
I think that the US should set up a commission to investigate the working and environmental conditions in China. This commission should have no more authority than to publish what those conditions are – so that people can decide for themselves if they want to purchase goods made under conditions which violate our own laws.
But we don’t have the balls to stand up to China like that.
“Occupoo” DOES have the balls. We are needed here. And going nowhere.
skallywag,
You do realize that when they shut down the port, that means that exports (the Made in the USA stuff you support) also cannot be sent out to other countries, don’t you?
You are right about that newbie – but that is the price we may have to pay to highlight the deplorable conditions in China. Besides, the balance of trade is way in China’s favor – they would be taking their ships back empty so they buy raw materials from us – we lose out on the manufacturing – that is where the jobs are.
Fuck the Chi-com slave masters!
skallywag,
Why blame the Chinese? Doesn’t the REAL blame lie at the feet of corporations? Nobody forced them to chase the cheapest labor and lax environmental policies, why not boycott anti-american corporations?
For some one who despises government and looooves the “free market” it’s pretty ironic for you to want the “US” to set up a “commission” to investigate the Chinese.
A better idea; a FAIR TRADE POLICY, one that punishes corporations who off-shore jobs and helps protect our industries and manufacturing base.
It’s called GOOD GOVERNMENT and it begins with REGULATION.
“Why blame the Chinese?”
Because they are the bastards that treat their people like shit.
“Doesn’t the REAL blame lie at the feet of corporations? Nobody forced them to chase the cheapest labor and lax environmental policies, why not boycott anti-american corporations?”
That is stupid – boycott unfair Chinese labor and environmental policies – that is the root of the problem.
For some one who despises government and looooves the “free market” it’s pretty ironic for you to want the “US” to set up a “commission” to investigate the Chinese.
Agreed – ironic – but necessary under the circumstances.
“A better idea; a FAIR TRADE POLICY, one that punishes corporations who off-shore jobs ..”
That is the wrong way to do it – that will never happen.
“It’s called GOOD GOVERNMENT and it begins with REGULATION.”
No – we need to get the American people involved in this fight – not government – and it begins with making the American people aware of the true cost in human and environmental terms of that cheap flat screen TV.
skallywag,
Really, I expected more than this moronic drivel from you.
1) There will always be a country offering cheap labor and no enviromental or labor regulations, China today, Somalia tomorrow. It is up to each country to PROTECT their manufacturing base and industries with SMART TRADE POLICY.
2) Our current trade policy didn’t happen by accident, GW Bush’s crappy trade policies were designed to destroy good US union jobs;
“When a good or service is produced at lower cost in another country, it makes sense to import it rather than to produce it domestically.” —Economic Report of the President, p. 25, February 2004
• Since President Bush took office, the U.S. trade deficit nearly doubled from $379 billion (2000) to $700 billion (2007).
• The trade deficit with China alone tripled from $83 billion in 2000 to $256 billion in 2007.
• As a share of the economy, the overall trade deficit rose from 3.9% of GDP in 2000 to a peak of 5.7% in 2006, before moderating slightly to 5.1% of GDP in 2007.
• In President Bush’s first term, the United States lost 1.9 million jobs to trade deficits.
• In 2007, the bilateral trade deficit with China represented 1.85% of the entire economy. Growth in this deficit since 2001 has displaced 2.3 million net jobs.
• Between 2000 and June 2008, the United States lost 3.4 million manufacturing jobs. Recent estimates have predicted that next year China will overtake the United States as the world’s largest producer of manufactured goods.
“Outsourcing is just a new way of doing international trade. More things are tradable than were tradable in the past. And that’s a good thing.”
—N. Gregory Mankiw, Chairman of President Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors, Feb. 9, 2004
3) If you think that TRADE POLICY doesn’t matter, I encourage you to read the following excerpts;
The outsourcing of U.S. jobs “is part of trade… and there can’t be any doubt about the fact that trade makes the economy stronger.” —U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow, March 29, 2004
Subsidizing Job Destruction with Taxpayer Dollars
George W. Bush actively supports tax breaks that reward companies more for shipping jobs overseas than for creating them here in the United States, and he strongly opposes efforts to reform these tax rules. These tax breaks cost the U.S. Treasury $7 billion each year and make it significantly cheaper for American companies to operate overseas than in this country.
The tax code subsidizes job destruction and puts domestic producers and workers at a profound disadvantage. The Bush administration refused to support efforts to eliminate these tax giveaways, and, in its 2004 and 2005 budgets, proposed creat- ing even more tax incentives for U.S. companies to ship work overseas rather than keep good jobs in America.
The Bush administration has mounted a relentless campaign against Buy American laws, which ensure federal tax dollars are invested in creating U.S. jobs and maintaining a strong indus- trial base. The Bush administration routinely waives Buy American laws and has sought changes to weaken them. Last year, the Bush administration even threatened to veto the Defense Authorization bill unless provisions to strengthen Buy American laws were removed. Bush’s opposition to Buy American laws is so strong he has even confronted members of his own party, led by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), on the issue.
Pushing More Bad Trade Deals
The Bush administration pressed Congress to grant it Fast Track trade negotiating authority and strongly opposed amendments to strengthen provisions on workers’ rights and the protection of domestic trade laws in the bill.
The administration launched or concluded bilateral free trade agreements with more than a dozen countries, including Australia, Bahrain, Botswana, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Lesotho, Morocco, Namibia, Nicaragua, Panama, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland and Thailand. These agreements move backwards from previous accords on workers’ rights and contain many of the same flawed rules that have worsened our trade deficit under NAFTA.
Instead of creating new jobs and championing the interests of America’s workers, the Bush administration has chosen to actively support policies that worsen our massive trade deficit, subject workers to unfair trade practices and reward companies for moving jobs overseas. President Bush stood by as countries violated our rights under international trade rules; he refused to enforce our domestic trade laws; he negotiated new trade deals that threaten to weaken our trade laws and fail to protect workers’ rights; he subsidized job destruction.
http://www.aflcio.org/issues/jobseconomy/jobs/upload/bushrecord_jobsoverseas.pdf
dont worry scally anoster is ONE OF THOSE = BLAME AMERICA =
Hey Grating Juan, are you saying that we should just keep offshoring jobs and continue the current trade imbalance with the Chinese?
anon,
See my reply to Anonster above for the answer to your question.
no we should do something about that . but have you ever listen to anoster rants its always blaming america ..
Always blaming America? That’s just patently false. What I find Anonster to criticize, mostly, is policy. Criticizing policy is not the same as “blaming America.” In fact, I would suggest to you that criticizing something like the off shoring of jobs and the trade imbalance with China to be one of the most patriotic acts an American can perform. Turning that into “blaming America” is nothing more than a talk radio sound bite that you choose to mindlessly repeat.
well anon i will give you this and its kind of a two headed sword .. in a busnisess in this form of gov . you should be able to do without breaking the law feel free to run your busniness the way you feel should be handled .. now if it means getting it cheaper from overseas to make a profit . that is capitalism . now it does have its faults because it would be nice if the jobs are done here . but we have so much regulations , unions, thats why they are over there . unions where at one time a good thing . NOW THEY A GIANT ANCHOR dragging america to the brink of bk .. maybe a heavy tax on companies that send their jobs overseas . i can agree with that . and as far as talk radio . yes the kind of stuff that lib stations will never broadcast because they dont want the public to hear about it .
“.. maybe a heavy tax on companies that send their jobs overseas.”
Unworkable – never will happen – pipe dream.
Yeah, why not? Corporations too powerful? You may be right. But it doesn’t help for you not to be with the rest of us, pushing for reforms like that.
skallywag,
They’re called TARIFFS and they do work.
If for instance, you want to protect your steel industry, you slap a heavy fee on imported steel thus making imported steel as much or more than domestically made steel. This prevents countries with cheap or slave labor and lax environmental regulations from decimating important job providing industries.
On products that are not important to the domestic economy (i.e. things you don’t produce) you have a low tariff.
Countries all over the world do this, China does it (they have a 22% tariff to import a US car to China, we on the other hand have a 2.5% tariff on imported cars) and it PROTECTS JOBS, entire industries and their economies overall.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-tariff-20111216,0,244807.story
In the US, not only do we have low tariffs, but we have been rewarding companies that move jobs overseas with tax breaks (see above article). THIS IS MADNESS!
The Great Depression was worse and lasted longer because of protectionist measures required by the Smoot-Hawley Act. The Act raised tariffs on over 20,000 imported items coming into the United States. What did other countries do? They raised tariffs on U.S. exports, throwing people out of work. Nice trick, raise prices on the things people have to buy and make them unemployed.
Is that the same as the Hoot Smalley Act as referenced by one Rep, Michele Bachmann, the pride of Anoka High School and product of the Anoka-Hennepin (MN) School District?
if its for taxing companies that push their job overseas . i can see MAYBE JOINING YOU ON THIS .. but i would like to hear their side too ..
“if its for taxing companies that push their job overseas ..”
You guys are driving me NUTS!
It can’t be done!
Who is going to decide who gets nailed with taxes?
The same government that gave us Fannie & Freddie – Solyndra – MF Global – Fast & Furious ???
Stop it !!!!!!!!!!!
If an alliance of us Occupy types and you Tea Party types insisted that our government do that, it would freaking happen. It’s a damn democracy, dude! Why do you hate this country? Or distrust our Constitution?
Fannie & Freddie – Solyndra – MF Global – Fast & Furious – bailouts – savings and loan debacle – failed stimulus – and on and on and on. This country is going to take a sharp right turn – so hang on for the ride Vern – it is our turn. Hopefully we won’t fuck it up.
skallywag,
You’re NUTS!!!
Are you so stupid as to pretend that a country’s trade policies don’t matter?
The Chinese are eating our lunch because they look out for themselves by creating trade policy that is favorable to their economy, the US on the other hand has a government that is bought and paid for by corporate interests and thus our trade policy favors corporations over the interests of the American people and our economy as a whole.
“Are you so stupid as to pretend that a country’s trade policies don’t matter?”
Of course trade policies matter – but you need to get Americans to understand & feel it in their gut that that “cheap” flat screen TV comes with a high cost. If you don’t get that then you have nothing.
skallywag,
Try buying American, we don’t make anything anymore. Thirty years of union bashing and an anti-labor, anti-American, pro-corporation trade policies have decimated American manufacturing.
Poor people CAN’T be picky, of course they’re going to buy the cheapest goods.
Relying on the American people to fix our trade policy is akin to putting a band-aid on someone who’s had all their limbs chopped off, it ain’t gonna do the job.
“Poor people CAN’T be picky, of course they’re going to buy the cheapest goods.”
So, … you are pro Walmart then …..
NO, smart aleck. She didn’t say that at all. Walmart and such needs to have their behavior modified by regulations and trade policy. I think what anonster said was pretty clear.
anonster said: “skallywag, You’re NUTS!!!”
You’re the second person to say that to me this week – so it must be true.
SKALLY i dont trust this gov so iam with you on that but i am open for any suggestions that maybe can keep those jobs here .
Whoever wins we need Donald Trump appointed to the Office of the United States Trade Representative – the United States government agency responsible for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the president of the United States, conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinating trade policy within the government.
He will kick China’s ass! The guy in that position now (Kirk) is too soft on China.
Maybe we could ship some of the occu-poos to China while they are at the ports – they can see how they like living under the Chi-coms.
Something to think about.
You tax the crap out something and it will go away, US businesses and jobs.
Give a tax pass and you get a lot more of it, duty free imports and tax free status to foreign businesses and jobs.
Must stay completive in a world economy? I call bullsh*t on that.
The americans should be asking our politicians to get their heads out of foreign butts and start taxing the world for our world police services and supplying a market for there cheap junk.
Vern said: “Walmart and such needs to have their behavior modified by regulations and trade policy.”
Which equals higher prices for poor people. I never realized that you had it in for the poor Vern.
The poor people in America shouldn’t be as poor as they are. We have ideas to make that happen as well.
Are your ideas along the lines of LBJ’s Great Society?
The social welfare entitlement programs that damaged the fabric of our society. Of all those who fell victim to the welfare mentality, none suffered more than the black communities.
Compare the present state of the black community after 40 years of Liberal Socialism. Our prisons are disproportionably black, unwed mothers and single parent families are the rule.
60 percent of black children grow up in fatherless homes.
800,000 black men are in jail or prison.
70 percent of black babies are born to unwed mothers.
Over 300,000 black babies are aborted annually.
50 percent of new AIDS cases are in the black community.
Almost half of young black men in America’s cities are neither working nor in school.
So what are your great ideas Vern to “help” the poor?
40 years of “Liberal Socialism”? Someone explain Ronald Reagan to skally. Make drug laws rational and you fix a lot of the “in jail” problem. As for aborted black babies — that means 300,000 got to choose whether to add another mouth to feed, right?
It’s like you poured sugar into a car’s gas tank and concluded that cars don’t run.
Not really like the Great Society, Skally.
Basically, get the economy working again, which can be done but all Republicans are against as long as Obama’s President,
and have the rich and corporations pay their share of taxes, which Republicans are also against.
That should be enough. (Well, single-payer and no more stoopid wars would help too.)
“Someone explain Ronald Reagan to skally.”
What the heck does that mean – RR did not control the purse strings – that was dem controled. RR was busy winning a Cold War – he had to give the dems the social programs that they wanted.
Never mind. Hopeless.
Greg, didn’t you know that RR won the Cold War (that was already over) by telling Gorbachev to “tear down this wall” which the East and West Germans did two years later?
Greg,
How about if you do a post giving the liberal/progressive spin (attempt at history re-write) on the Ronald Reagan cold war, economic & social/domestic program legacy – this could be in “honor” of RR’s 100th birthday anniversary which is being celebrated this year (& part of next year). That should be good for at least 100 comments.
I’ll add that assignment to my festering pile.