WSSN Stories

By John H. Peterson

Jesus through God said, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all they mind.” This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it; “Thou shall love they neighbor as thyself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and prophesies.

To me, this capsulizes much of what is expected of those who profess to be Christians. Some of the superfluous tangents we sometimes pursue are unbelievably unproductive. When the idolatries of such things as putting (1) money, (2) reputation and world renown, (3) selfishness and ease, (4) jealousy and envy, instead of taking responsibility for others (as we can ) and for oneself and our actions; we are not following God and His first two commandments. And always remember, vengeance is only God and the Lord’s domain. Dignity and respect are words only, but they need to be followed by positive actions and words of all concerned. In my 76 ½ years of living I have truly found it is more blessed to give and more rewarding than to receive.

The carnal world of ego, vanity, false pride and foolishness, is far from the spiritual world. Righteousness (not self-righteousness) is the goal in dealings with others. Truth is the one thing that is a sure way to complete justice. If all of us could put others needs ahead of our own selfish and ulterior purposes, this world would be a better place to live in.

I can’t help but think when God gave us His ten commandments through Moses; He was directing them to all earthly beings – not just a chosen few.  Certainly Jesus talked in His Sermon on the Mount about, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” He was talking to the whole world. Far too many people in this world do not practice any of these sage teachings from the Almighty. Some secular – learning human beings would say what I just said is just religious dogma. But to me it is just common sense before the harbinger come true.

For some it is hard to envision a God we cannot meet or see. Complete faith is hard at times; however, in my opinion, the secular world and the United States of America, in particular, could use some religious common sense.

John H. Peterson is a life-long advocate of racial and cultural harmony. He is from San Bernardino.

By The Institute for College Access & Success

“The White House plan announced today elevates the universal need for some post-secondary education in today’s economy and the need to make college affordability a national priority.  The White House plan differs significantly from Tennessee’s and other “free community college” plans and addresses many, but not all, of those plans’ limitations.

“In particular, low-income students could benefit from the White House proposal because it is not a “last-dollar” scholarship like the Tennessee Promise, which only helps students who don’t already get enough aid to cover tuition. This is a critically important distinction because, given the relatively low income of community college students and the relatively low tuition charges at community colleges, last-dollar scholarships rarely benefit community college students with the greatest need and rather benefit those with the least need.  Instead, the White House plan provides greatly needed additional federal funding to states that make key reforms, including not charging tuition or fees at community colleges. The proposal is aimed squarely at stopping state divestment from public colleges, which is crucial to making college more affordable.

“Still, making community college tuition free for all students regardless of their income neither  focuses resources on the students who need aid the most, nor addresses the bulk of the costs of attending community college since tuition charges comprise only one-fifth of the cost of attendance. Consider California community colleges, which have the lowest tuition in the nation plus waivers for low-income students; application rates for federal aid are notoriously low, part-time enrollment rates are sky high, and too many students still can’t afford to stay in school and graduate.

“This Administration has rightly made college affordability a top priority, from increasing need-based Pell Grants to making student loan payments more manageable, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and Congress to increase college access and success for students who need help the most.”

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Via Highland Desert Inland Valley News

Crouch, sometimes called “the father of modern gospel music,” led the choirs that sang on such hits as Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror and Madonna’s Like a Prayer. As a songwriter, he wrote several gospel favorites, most notably The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, My Tribute (To God Be the Glory) and Soon and Very Soon, a song sung at Jackson’s public memorial service.

A San Francisco native who grew up in the Church of God in Christ, Crouch wrote his first gospel tune at age 14. By 1960, he had formed the Church of God in Christ Singers, a group that featured Billy Preston on keyboards.

He started another group, Andraé Crouch & the Disciples, in 1965, eventually signing to a contemporary Christian label, Light Records. Crouch brought a contemporary pop and R&B melodic sensibility to gospel, making him uniquely suited to appeal to both black and white audiences during the early days of the countercultural “Jesus movement” and also bringing him attention beyond the church.

Elvis Presley recorded Crouch’s I’ve Got Confidence for his 1972 gospel album He Touched Me, and Paul Simon recorded his Jesus Is the Answer on 1974’s Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin’. Crouch also became the go-to vocal arranger for Los Angeles recording sessions that needed a gospel sound, working not only with Jackson and Madonna but also Elton John, Quincy Jones, The Commodores, Diana Ross and Ringo Starr.

Crouch’s gospel albums often featured guests from the R&B and jazz worlds, including Stevie Wonder, El DeBarge, Wilton Felder and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey. Chaka Khan, Sheila E. and vocal group Take 6 appeared on his most recent album, 2011’s The Journey.

His recordings brought him seven Grammys, and Crouch also received an Academy Award nomination for his arranging work on the 1985 film The Color Purple.

Throughout his life, Crouch struggled with dyslexia, sometimes memorizing words by the shapes of their combination of letters. He often drew simple pictures to help him comprehend words and write songs.

Crouch’s sister, Sandra Crouch, served as his spokeswoman, and the siblings were pastors at the New Christ Memorial Church in San Fernando, Calif., carrying on a work begun by their parents.

Crouch survived multiple bouts with cancer and also suffered from diabetes. In early December, Crouch was hospitalized with pneumonia and congestive heart failure, forcing the cancelation of his Let the Church Say Amen Celebration tour, which had been scheduled to begin Dec. 6 in Philadelphia. He was re-admitted to the hospital Saturday with what his sister characterized in a statement as “serious health complications.”

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results.” Tony Robbins said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got!”  It is insane to do the same thing over and over again knowing it has never worked out well before, but thinking maybe this time will be different…  Like I said, “Nothing for Nothing Leaves… Nothing!” Jesus said, “If new wine is put into old wineskins, then the new wine will burst the wineskin, and both will be lost.” Follow me I’m going somewhere with this.  The reason the old bag could not contain the new wine was that it had already held wine, and had already been stretched as far as it was going to be stretched. It had become dry and cracked and inflexible. It simply could not withstand going through that expansion and fermentation all over again! Jesus said that instead, anyone making wine would see to it that it was poured into a new, fresh wineskin… In other words, “…forget the former things… God is always doing something NEW! His works of grace are always NEW and FRESH!

You know it is so easy as a Christian to get into a rut; to always sing the same songs, always read the same Bible verses, always associate with the same people, and always do the same things – never being challenged by Christ to venture out into the unknown to experience the untold blessings God has reserved for us. We hear about the riches in glory in Christ Jesus but we never really experience them because we are afraid to take a step in a direction we’ve never been before. But to change the results you have to change the path. Different results require different action. If you are going to receive the answer God has for you, you are going to have to do what he says, when he says it and where he says to do it.  You see, in your relationship with God success follows obedience, even when what God is asking you do to seem ridiculous to you. Let me remind you that you are not smarter than God. You can’t keep doing the same things and expect different results. You can’t rebel against God, go against what he is telling you, and expect success. You can’t do all the wrong things and expect good things to happen. It doesn’t happen that way. Success comes as you are willing to listen to Jesus and do what he says. This involves humility. The disciples were professional fishermen. They knew all about fishing, so they had to be humble enough to do what Jesus said rather than trusting what they had personally learned about fishing. If you are going to fish, you have to put down your net where the fish are. I told you I was going somewhere with this.

If we seek first God’s Kingdom, his rule and his values, then our current crises fall into perspective. Whenever you want to see a different result, a positive change, you have to do something different from whatever you are currently doing. God’s indwelling grace is active. It leads you and influences you. It brings change to you and within you. When I experience difficulties in my life and in the world around me and the questions I ask leave me empty handed, I find there is always one question that jolts me back to reality similar to the one Jesus ask Peter in Matthew 16:13-20: Who do you say that I am? And Peter responds: You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.” Bottom line: Jesus is God. God is at work. God has not abandoned his people. God has done what God had promised. God is with us! What we have to remember is that God has the blueprint for our whole life already… All we have to do is just fit in with His plans for our lives. There are only two choices in life. Having God to order our steps in His will, or ordering our own steps by our own will.  And we all know what Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25 tells us, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death….. “Nothing for Nothing Leaves… Nothing!”

Now the Bible talks about divine direction in the Scriptures. And the declaration of Scripture is that God cares about each of us and wants to direct our lives. Our responsibility by God’s own direction is to entrust our way to Him for His direction and leading. Only the eternal God who is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, has the infinite wisdom and power, love and mercy needed to direct the affairs of man’s life. We need to understand that God’s leading is always right. And when you allow the Lord to lead you and guide you there will be peace. There will be power. There will be victory. There will be joy. When you allow the Lord to order your steps, lead you and guide you, you will have something to shout about, because when the Lord order your steps, you will be blessed going in and blessed coming out. You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the field. When you allow the Lord to order yours steps, you will be the head and not the tail, you will be above and not beneath. Why would we want it any other way? I tell you, “Nothing from Nothing Leaves… Nothing!”

WHAT IT DO I.E.! Well it’s a NEW YEAR and ya girl is back! I hope you missed me. Being a female in the entertainment game; I am always about girl power. I would like to introduce an upcoming entertainment entity called “DIVA’S BASEMENT”, an internet show catering to urban Culture. DIVA’S BASEMENT was formed in 2012 by sisters Nicole Juniel, known as Nikki, and Nina Martinez, known as Nina B. The team also includes two other women,  Danielle Person known as  Queen D and Mychelen Skinner known as My My.

Divas Basement is a metaphor which means “motivated and driven women working hard to help build platforms that urban upcoming artists could use to build their careers from the bottom up.” Their main focus is to talk about issues women are thinking about, but are afraid to say, as well as showcase and interview up and coming talent throughout California. This group of beauties will be bringing you the scoop on all the happenings. I’ve seen these ladies in action, and let me tell you they WORK!!!!  I’m extremely excited for them and wish them SUCCESS.

Filming for their first show starts soon, so if you or someone you know wants to be on their show please email them at DivasBasement@gmail.com. They are looking for musicians, R&B artists, rappers, poets, dancers, models, fashion designers, hair and makeup artists, athletes, cooks, and  more. Please go like their Facebook page at The Diva’s Basement. Well I’m outta here, until next time. L’s UP!

Mixed Reviews On How to Solve Some Of The States Most Persistent Problems

By Simeon Gant, California Black Media 

Assembly Members Jim Cooper and Kevin McCarty on the Assembly Floor after Governor Jerry Browns unprecedented fourth inaugural address.
Assemblyman Jim Cooper said California needs to address drug addiction and did not support proposition 47, the ballot measure that releases low-level offenders into the community
Cooper Assembly District 9 is from Elk Grove, McCarty 7th District is from Sacramento.

For the first time in the state’s history California elected one person to the Governor’s office four times. The Honorable Edmund “Jerry” Brown was sworn in today in front of both houses of the legislature, California’s judges and a bevy of state officials. Brown combined the State of the State address with his inaugural speech to include his previous accomplishments and a wish list of upcoming issues addressing California.

Brown quickly spoke to the usual concerns of most Californians – education, crime and public safety, health, human services and overall fiscal stability. The most unique aspect of his speech however, was how little has changed.

Brown recalled his first time in the Assembly Chambers. It was1959 during his father, Governor Pat Brown’s inauguration, “That was 56 years ago, yet the issues that my father raised bear eerie resemblance to those we still grapple with today: discrimination, the quality of education and the challenge of recruiting and training teachers, the menace of air pollution, and its danger to our health; a realistic water program; economic development; consumer protection and overcrowded prisons.”

Members of the Legislative Black Caucus responded to the Governor’s speech with hope and optimism for concerns of education equity and a reduction in health disparities throughout the state.

“The Governor is a visionary and very committed to California,” said Assembly Member Shirley Weber, Ph.D., chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. Focusing on how education equity may play out this year, the San Diego representative lawmaker said, “Local Control Funding Formula is still a work in progress. What they do with the resources they get for those special populations is going to be a challenge because we have already run into some roadblocks in terms of accountability and transparency. I want to see outcomes.”

Governor Brown touted the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) as “a much fairer system of school funding.” He informed the audience LCFF’s shift toward giving local school districts more control, giving the state less power and delivering more money to schools “based on the number of students from foster care, low-income families and non-English –speaking parents.”

Freshman Assembly Member Tony Thurmond, a Democrat from Richmond was also pleased to hear the Governor include an increase in health insurance coverage under the Medi-Cal Program.

As chair of the budget subcommittee on health and human services, Assembly Member Thurmond relates to the relatively silent healthcare crises of hospital and clinic closures, “In my district we have a hospital that could close because of the low reimbursement rate in Medi-cal.” He continued, “We know that people of color and low income people are disproportionally impacted around healthcare disparities and we are going to need to make some expansions around Medi-Cal.”

Governor Brown’s speech covered many of the state’s social and economic bases, confidently including the passage of water projects, environmental protection, a $2.8 billion Rainy Day Fund, driver’s licenses for undocumented citizens, $59 billion investment in roads, highways and bridges, the elderly, pensions and criminal justice.

Freshmen Members of the Assembly Tony Thurmond, left and Jim Cooper right share a moment responding the Governor Jerry Brown’s record fourth inaugural address. Thurmond wants to see an expansion of Medi-Cal. Cooper wants to see an emphasis on drug rehabilitation and criminal sentencing. Thurmond is from Richmond, W. Contra Costa, Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda

Referring back to his father’s 1959 inaugural speech Brown reiterated, “He talked about identifying “’those prisoners who should never be released to prey again on an innocent public,’” but he also said, “’we should also determine whether some prisoners are now kept confined after punishment has served its purpose.’”

Newly minted Assemblyman Jim Cooper served most of his career working in law enforcement in Sacramento. He feels realignment—sending many low-level offenders from state prisons to the local jail systems — “is a good start.” However he proclaims the key is to reduce the number of people hooked on drugs and coming out of prison without a plan to get unhooked.  “One of the big issues is substance abuse,” Cooper said.

Since the recent passage of Proposition 47which released from prison low-level drug offenders throughout the state, Cooper says drug courts now don’t have the same teeth in the law to “hold over their head.”  He says prior to this new law the judges could “make them get clean” but no longer have that option.

Governor Brown doesn’t exactly agree with Cooper’s assessment about Proposition 47. His primary concern is overcrowding of prisons. “In the 1970’s we had12 prisons holding fewer than 30,000 prisoners…our system then grew to a peak of 34 prisons, with an inmate population of 173,000, eating up more than 10 percent of our budget dollars. He said the state dramatically lengthened sentences and added a host of new crimes and penalty enhancements to include more than 5,000 separate criminal provisions and over 400 penalty enhancements.

While it is common knowledge California’s prisons are disproportionally populated by men of color – a large number of African American and Latino heritage – the unemployment lines also see this struggling population as an ongoing challenge to California.

Governor Brown’s speech referred to a shrinking unemployment rate, currently sitting at approximately 7.2 percent in California, it’s still lower than the whopping 13.6 percent nationally for African Americans as reported by the US Department of Labor. None of these numbers include Blacks that have simply quit looking for jobs out of fatigue and futility. Governor Brown’s speech didn’t address a solution to the unemployment issue, but strategically included “California has seen more than 1.3 million new jobs created in just four years.”

Many of the new jobs on the horizon may very well come in what he deems three ambitious goals to be accomplished within the next 15 years.

He reminded the audience of the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and carbon pollution to 431 million tons by 2020. Looking forward to 2030 he said the state should, “Increase from one-third to 50 percent our electricity derived from renewable sources; Reduce today’s petroleum use in cars and trucks by up to 50 percent; and Double the efficiency of existing buildings and make heating fuels cleaner.”

These new efforts require a new and improved workforce, trained in the development of wind, water, solar and waste conversion into energy, specialist in alternative fuel vehicles and a renewed process of redeveloping California’s infrastructure.

The culmination of his speech addressed the potential for jobs by protecting our environment. He said, “We must build on rock, not sand, so that when the storms come, our house stands.”

By Carmel Ferrer

Higher education and upward mobility are often touted as a ticket to better health. Yet a new study suggests that the positive health effects of a good education are felt less by blacks than by whites.

Consider this scenario: Four adults are sitting in a doctor’s office. Two are black and two are white. One black adult and one white adult have high school diplomas; the other two have college degrees.

You might reasonably expect that the two college graduates would be healthier than the ones who finished only high school, owing to the improved access to health insurance, fresh foods, and safe housing that higher education often brings. But the study shows that the health benefits of educational attainment for African Americans may in fact be offset by racial discrimination and other associated stresses.

Conducted over the course of 15 years, the data set—part of an ongoing longitudinal study—assessed subjects at age 30, and then again at age 45, for levels of inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation has been shown to contribute to a greater incidence of diabetes and heart disease.

One of the study’s authors, Thomas Fuller-Rowell, PhD, puts it this way: “Among whites, the more educated you are, the better off you are in terms of inflammation across adulthood. Among African Americans, we found no health benefit to being more educated.”

Fuller-Rowell is a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholar whose research examines how differences in race and social class affect health. “In order to solve the larger health disparities issue, we need to understand what it is about educational attainment that is more stressful for African Americans,” he explains.

As the study points out, stress is a prime suspect when it comes to poor immune function, slow healing, and infections. Long-term stress can cause chronic inflammation, which in turn contributes to a greater incidence of diabetes and heart disease.

“Upward mobility and education are put forward as the best way to improve health disparities, but these findings suggest that eliminating educational disparities will not be enough,” says Fuller-Rowell. “We have to address the differential stresses of getting a higher education along with issues relating to white-dominated workplaces.”

One of the study’s recommendations is to increase programs that not only encourage upward mobility among underrepresented groups, but also “acknowledge and seek to mitigate the challenges of navigating educational and workplace contexts that are often racially and culturally insensitive. “

According to Fuller-Rowell, “We need institutional and governmental programs that are designed to remedy group disparities so that we can address the legacy of racial inequity in the United States.” The study, he notes, defines rather than explains the problem.

“We’re now working on research that gets to the explanation,” he says.

Jacob Whitesides

The Internet has helped make stories available of young girls who are struggling with thoughts of suicide and depression. One local Los Angeles teen has set out to spread awareness and hope to those in need. Delila Brown, 14, an eighth-grader at Flintridge Preparatory School, has organized a concert featuring singer/songwriter Jacob Whitesides to benefit Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, which provides quality mental health care and substance use disorder services in communities where stigma or poverty limit access. The event takes place on January 10^that the school auditorium from 3p.m.-8p.m. There will be a “meet and greet” with Jacob for 200 people who purchase $100 VIP tickets. Location: Flintridge Preparatory School, 4345 Crown Avenue, La Canada Flintridge.

As to how Delila came to host the event and chose Didi Hirsh, she said, “I was thinking about what I should do for my 8^th grade community service project. I didn’t want to just put out a collection box like a lot of other people I know. So I came up with the idea of having a benefit concert. My teacher helped me find some good charities. She knew about Didi Hirsch and what they do with suicide prevention. That sounded good to me. So we did some research to make sure it was a good organization. Then we had to find someone to do the concert. My dad builds stages and has a friend who is a concert promoter. He told me I should find someone who is not too famous, but up and coming, otherwise it would be hard to get the person to come. I found Jacob Whitesides on YouTube a few years ago and have been following him ever since. My dad’s friend helped me reach out to him through his manager (who happens to be his mom). He wanted to make sure it was a legitimate event and did his own research on Didi Hirsch before he told his manager he wanted to do it. He says he knows a lot of his fans have gone through depression and have been suicidal and he wants to help them.”

Jacob is a 17-year old Internet phenomenon who has six million+ views on YouTube and over one million followers on Twitter.

For more information about Delila, click here.

ABOUT DIDI HIRSCH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services provides mental health, substance use disorder and wellness services to more than 74,000 children and adults in 11 locations throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties each year. Our Suicide Prevention Center’s Crisis Line has English- and Spanish-speaking counselors available 24/7, is one of five centers nationwide to operate the Disaster Distress Helpline, and offers online emotional support, community training and bereavement support groups for those who have lost loved ones to suicide. Learn more atwww.didihirsch.org.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Ding… Ding….The battle is raging and there are no deferments, there is no going AWOL if you are a Christian. No, you are in the battle, automatically, and it is a fight to the finish, a life-or-death conflict. Heed the cry, “Prepare for Battle!” Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” For that’s the only way you will be able to stand in the day of battle, and at the end of the day stand victorious… Get Ready to R-u-m-b-l-e… This is the most crucial, most intense battle you will ever face in your life; it is a battle that will last your whole life long.  No matter how young or old you are, no matter how long you have been a Christian, man or woman, boy or girl, pastor or layperson—you are in a battle. It is a spiritual battle. Paul describes it like this: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly place.”  The fight is raging on the line between faith and unbelief, between reliance on God and pride in self, between hope for the future and despair of God’s mercy. Your enemy Satan will try to defeat you, destroy you, and get you to fall away from the faith. He will try to distract you or render you ineffective in the service of the Lord. He will tempt you; allure you, seducing you into great shame and vice. And if that doesn’t work, he may try to lull you into spiritual sleepiness and security, getting you to let down your guard.  Your adversary will attack your mind, attack your emotions, attack your body, attack your relationship, and attack your soul. In all of these attacks, his purpose is to get your eyes off of Jesus.

Needless to say, this is a battle not to stay alive but to stay strong against your spiritual enemies who are a trinity of evil; the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is about who shall have the supremacy, Christ or Satan. It is a struggle for the souls of men. It is a battle to keep people out of Hell. It is a struggle to get people saved. It is warfare, a conflict until the final finish. And every one of us is engaged in it. We are in warfare. That ought to keep us from folding our hands and taking it easy. That ought to make us sit up and take notice. “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1). Your enemy supreme desire is to destroy your joy, your witness, your effectiveness for Christ, and your relationship with your Father. This is not WrestleMania either, this one is for real!  Your fight is not just to exist as a Christian, but to have a winning walk in all areas of your life. The victory assures you that you will live a life of spiritual depth and meaning. Jesus said, “I am come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10).

I want you to know that the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground. I want you to know that just because you are a church member and you attend church does not mean that you are going to win in life’s fight. I want you to know that you are not going to win just because your church happens to be a Word-preaching, tongue-talking, devil-stomping, deliverance church either. You have got to pay attention and apply yourself to spiritual truths. When you grasp the fact that you win in life’s fights ONLY when you fight the fight of faith, you will be on your way to enjoying victory that God meant for you to have.

The good news is that God has equipped you for the battle. He has given you a complete set of armor, especially suited for this conflict. Paul even lists the pieces of armor you’ve been issued: He says, “… stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for God’s people.” {Ephesians 6:10-18} God is guaranteeing that if you use His weapons, you will win. They are “mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” Use them, and things will fall before you, is what He is saying. Therefore, arm yourself with the Word of God and face your enemy with full assurance of God’s protection and love. No doubt this will be the most unusual wrestling match in your life.  Prepare for Battle! Put on the whole armor of God, and you will not only live to fight another day; but at the end of the day and on the Last Day, you will stand victorious…. Get Ready to R-U-M-B-L-E!”