10 pm MST
Midnight Meme Of The Day!
*by Noah Sunday Thoughts:* Interesting correlation: The more Republicans state that their boy "Trump was chosen by God," the weirder Trump gets. Or is it the weirder Trump gets, the more Republicans say he was chosen by God. The later makes sense (only to them) as a desperate rationalization on their part. Either way, it's ugly and scary as hell.
Australian Daily Wind Power Generation Data – Saturday 28th December 2019
By Anton Lang ~ This Post details the daily wind power generation data for the AEMO coverage area in Australia. For the background information, refer to the Introductory Post at this link. Each image is shown here at a smaller size to fit on the page alongside the data for that day. If you click […]
Are Cats And Dogs Climate Traitors?
By Duggan Flanakin ~ One day I will write a book, 111,111 ways our saviors have proposed to save the planet from the coming climate extinction. But here’s one you may not have considered. At my cat-loving daughter’s house the other day I ran across one of her books. The title: How to Tell If Your […]
Climate Change Protesters’ Traffic Tie-Ups Are No Way To Win Friends Or Influence People
By Peter Parisi ~ The environmental zealots who regularly take to the streets of the nation’s capital for climate change protests clearly have never read Dale Carnegie’s classic self-help bestseller “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” That’s evident from the demonstrations the global warming alarmists stage at downtown D.C. intersections during morning rush hours, […]
Russia's World War II Nightmare (Not Hitler): If Japan Decided to Invade
*Michael Peck* *Security, Eurasia* Russia vs. Germany and Japan. *Key point: *The battlefield results of a Japanese invasion of Siberia would have been relatively minor. Fighting a war on two fronts is the military equivalent of driving a car while texting. It’s just a really bad idea, as Germany can attest. One reason Germany lost two world wars is because its forces were split between East and West. America and Britain also fought World War II in Europe and Asia. In contrast, the Soviet Union could concentrate its forces against Germany, thanks to a 1941 neutrality pact with ... more »
Attack! The FN-FAL Rifle Is One of NATO's Most Powerful Weapons
*Warfare History Network* *Security, * It's imperfect but effective. *Key point:* In the 21st century, the FAL has remained in use despite its replacement as a first-line rifle in many militaries. British Corporal Steven Newland crept through the inky darkness toward an Argentine sniper who had pinned his troop of Royal Marines on the slopes of Mount Harriet on East Falkland Island. He and a fellow marine had painstakingly made their way up the boulder-strewn hillside in the hope of killing the harassing sharpshooter. Along the way Newland became separated from his companion, bu... more »
The B-2 Spirit Has Been Unstoppable For Decades (And Keeps Getting Better)
*Kris Osborn* *Security, * The Air Force plans to operate the B-2 alongside its new, now-in-development bomber called the Long Range Strike – Bomber, or LRS-B. well into the 2050s. *Key point: *The Defensive Management System is slated to be operational by the mid-2020s, Mickelson added. Air Force pilots of the 1980s-era stealthy B-2 Spirit bomber plan to arm the B-2 with new weapons and upgrade the aircraft to fly the aircraft on attack missions against enemy air defenses well into the 2050s, service officials said. In coming years, the B-2 will be armed with with next gener... more »
Open Thread
To take us to the New Year, here's a warm fire, and a new open thread. Thanks for all your comments.
Sea Ice Extent (Global Antarctic and Arctic) – Day 361 – 2019
Originally posted on sunshine hours: South / North
Tweets For Today
VIDEO: Demonstrators heed the call of trade unions and gather in Paris for a 24th day of strikes, rallying against President Macron's pension reforms pic.twitter.com/Pmt3RC8ete — AFP news agency (@AFP) December 29, 2019 North Korea's Kim holds ruling party's plenary meeting before year-end deadline https://t.co/fwHlHcooX7 pic.twitter.com/PyBPmKFugy — Reuters (@Reuters) December 29, 2019 Former Vice President Joe Biden, a leading candidate for 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, is facing criticism for saying he wouldn't comply with a Senate subpoena in President Trump's im... more »
The Real Reason Democrats Are Pushing Trump Impeachment?
In the time-honored tradition of Machiavellian statecraft, all of the charges being leveled against Donald Trump to remove him from office – namely, ‘abuse of power’ and ‘obstruction of congress’ –are essentially the same things the Democratic Party has been guilty of for nearly half a decade: abusing their powers in a non-stop attack on … Continue reading The Real Reason Democrats Are Pushing Trump Impeachment? →
What's in a name?
Talking of identity (were we?), *The Sunday Times*, covering that interview with Charles Moore's transgender nephew Felix, failed to identify Justin Webb, who actually conducted the interview: After being read the quote by Nick Robinson, the *Today *presenter, Felix Moore, an actor who has appeared in BBC Radio 3’s Olivier award-winning drama Rotterdam about gender identity, paused for a few seconds. Amusingly (is it?), that *Sunday Times *piece has a two-woman byline - "Alice Hutton and Lucy Marley" - so that's two journalists who can't tell their Justin Webb from their Nick Robi... more »
Half a ton of carbon dioxide emissions per member of the 'Today' team which flew to see Greta
photo op *The Sunday Times *tells us that Mishal Husain and a team from *Today *went to Sweden to interview Greta Thunberg. Naturally, they flew there - and not by magic carpet or low-cost reindeer. *Today *editor Sarah Sands told the paper: We did discuss that among ourselves. It felt awkward but we did not have the time for trains or boats. Greta is not actually judgmental towards individuals, accepting that other people will not all conform to her high standards and asking only for people to do what they can. Change has to be collective. *The Sunday Times *also tells us that, a... more »
The U.S. Navy Wants Biosensing Smart Clothing For Its Pilots
The U.S. Navy is looking for new fabrics for pilots' shirts that can be embedded with biosensors to monitor the pilot's physiological health during flight. They also have to be Berry Amendment compliant (at least 50% US-made). And, most important, comfy. https://t.co/zJ9oXxwIaZ pic.twitter.com/QFS5Cqftx1 — Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) December 26, 2019 *Warzone/The Drive:** The Navy Wants Special Fabrics That Can Monitor A Pilot's Health* *The "biosensing garments" could help gather information about incidents where aviators suffer hypoxia-like symptoms and about their general we... more »
December 29th – 2019 Presidential Politics – Trump Administration Day #1074
In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and … Continue reading →
Sunday December 29th – Open Thread
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those … Continue reading →
Import alerts include frog legs, pig ears, seafood
The Food and Drug Administration uses import alerts to enforce U.S. food safety regulations for food from foreign countries. The agency updates and modifies the alerts as needed. Recent modifications to FDA’s import alerts, as posted by the agency, are listed below. Click on the links to view the full alerts. Import Alert Description URL... Continue Reading
Picture Of The Day
Armando Martin, 11, of California plays a guitar to honor GYSGT George Figone Jr. in Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, December 25, 2019. REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy *WNU Editor:* The above picture came from this photo-gallery .... *Photos of the week *(Reuters).
Here's Why Insurgents And Guerrillas Love Russia's SKS Rifle
*Robert Beckhusen* *Security, * The SKS remains an adaptable, reliable and high-powered weapon. *Key point: *It’d be a stretch to say that the SKS was *ahead* of its time. The most iconic rifle of the 20th century is the AK-47. One of the most iconic rifles of World War II — granted, this is more debatable — is the Mosin-Nagant. Both were developed in Russia. The SKS, short for *Self-Loading Carbine of the Simonov System*, is the odd one out. Developed in the interim between the Mosin-Nagant and the AK-47, Sergei Simonov’s semi-automatic carbine had a mere 10-round internal box ... more »
How Did Britain Plan To Stop A Surprise Russian Invasion? Nuke Their Path
*Michael Peck* *Security, Europe* A crazy plan. *Key point: *In the event of a Soviet invasion, tunnels and bridges all over Europe would have been blown up. If Soviet tanks ever blitzed across western Europe to the shores of the English Channel, the English had a secret plan to keep them from crossing into Britain. Blow up the Channel Tunnel with a nuclear bomb. This nuclear Brexit would have kept the “barbarians from the gates of Calais,” in the words of one British official during the Cold War, according to the newspaper *the **Independent*, which found the plan buried in a... more »
Emergency warning declared for WA's Stirling Ranges as Boxing Day bushfire flares
Just In - 23 hours ago
A bushfire which has been burning since Boxing Day in a national park in southern Western Australia jumps containment lines and threatens lives and homes.
'Age of mass shootings': US mass killings hit new high in 2019
Just In - 23 hours ago
The United States has hit a new high in 2019 but it's an unwanted one with more mass killings taking place than in any other year since the 1970s, and more than 80 per cent of them came as the result of shootings.
'Elevated fire conditions' to hit SA as firefighters continue battling blazes
Just In - 23 hours ago
Extreme temperatures, damaging winds and severe thunderstorms are tipped for South Australia on Monday, prompting a "severe to extreme" fire danger rating for most of the state.
Woman and two girls killed in avalanche
Just In - 23 hours ago
Rescue workers say there was nothing the skiers cold have done to escape the 150-metre avalanche as it hurtled towards them on the slopes of the Italian Alps.
All of East Gippsland urged to evacuate as emergency bushfire flares
Just In - 23 hours ago
Thousands of holidaymakers and residents in the popular tourist destination of East Gippsland are being urged to leave immediately, with emergency services saying three significant bushfires in the region could grow and possibly cross the Princes Highway on Monday.
'Like Mean Girls': Queensland Opposition Leader accused of 'low act' after attack on Premier
Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington is under fire after an interview in which she appeared to suggest Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was less suited to lead because she is not a mother.
Chinese National Charged With Photographing Florida Naval Base
The arrest comes a year after another Chinese national was arrested taking photos at the same base. Photo: US Navy *SCMP/Tribune:* *Chinese man Liao Lyuyou charged with photographing US Navy base in Florida* * Witnesses saw him walk around fence and enter military facility from rocks along the water * Liao claimed he was snapping pictures of sunrise, but images of restricted area were found on phone The day after Christmas, a Chinese man in the United States said he rose early because he wanted to take photographs of the sunrise on the grounds of the Naval Air Station in Key West,... more »
POTUS Trump Calls For Investigation Into Obama Pay-To-Play Book Deal
From DC Whispers: As reported here earlier, Barack Obama was the recipient of a very lucrative $65 MILLION book deal from the same publishing company he earlier awarded a $350 MILLION government contract tied to Common Core educational materials. Now, thanks to many readers who helped to forward that information to friends and family, the president himself is calling for an investigation into that highly suspicious and seemingly pay-to-play deal. Via The Hill: Trump calls for probe of Obama book deal “It’s a disgrace,” he continued. “We want to find out what happened the last Democr... more »
Will Lisa Murkowki Be The One Republican With The Guts To Find Trump Guilty As Charged?
*She looks thrilled* As of November 17, the Morning Consult Trump Tracker showed that Trump had lost 14 points of favorability with Alaska voters since he was inaugurated. In November, his approval in the state was 53%, compared to 43% disapproval. In 2016, Trump beat Hillary 163,387 (51.28%) to 116,454 (36.55%). Hillary was extremely unpopular in the state and Bernie had beaten her 79.61% to 20.23%, winning every county and every city in the state. (Trump lost to Cruz that same day, although narrowly.) Alaskans like independent-minded politicians. This week, Fox News Trumpists Jas... more »
Forget Aircraft Carriers or Stealth: Here Come China's Special Forces
*Michael Peck* *Security, Asia* Special forces are becoming more heavily relied on by modern militaries. *Key point: *Special forces have become America's instrument for waging small wars on the cheap, using small numbers of elite soldiers rather than large numbers of expensive -- and politically sensitive -- regular troops. Some special force units get all the attention. America’s Delta Force, Russia's Spetnatz and Britain's SAS have glamorous reputations. When was the last time you heard about China's commandos? But Chinese special forces exist, and they have been growing in si... more »
Narrative Managers Claim White Helmets Founder Was Driven To Suicide By Syria Skeptics
Imperialist spinmeisters are trial-ballooning a new Syria narrative that is so breathtakingly stupid it needs its own article solely for the purpose of mockery. On Christmas Eve PBS aired a bizarre segment on the death of James Le Mesurier, the former military intelligence officer who […]
Forgotten History: In 1943, America Gassed Its Own Troops With Deadly Results
*Michael Peck* *Security, Europe* Within a day, medical personnel were puzzled by strange symptoms appearing among sailors, rescuers and Italian civilians. *Key point: *In the end, the mustard gas shipped to Bari proved unnecessary. What a perfect night for a weapon of mass destruction. It was December 2, 1943. And the Nazi bomber crews flying over the Italian port of Bari might have wondered whether they were actually in a war zone. Gleaming below, despite the wartime blackout, was a harbor so brightly lit that it illuminated more than than thirty ships supplying the Allied armi... more »
The Battle Of Coral Sea Turned The Tide Against Japan's Push For Pacific Domination
*Michael Peck* *Security, Asia* After Coral Sea, it was Japan that was thrown off-balance. *Key point: *Japan lost the momentum at Coral Sea. Many history books say the turning point of the Pacific War was the Battle of Midway in June 1942. But a month before Midway, in a patch of ocean 3,500 miles away near the coast of Australia, there occurred another battle that could also be termed the turning point of the Pacific. The Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4–8, 1942) has always been portrayed as the prologue to Midway—a sort of Midway-lite. Like Midway, it was a battle sparked by d... more »
U.S. Soldiers Learned Fast That World War II Was A Battle For Survival
*Warfare History Network* *History, * The fate of the world was at stake. Private Armand Lorenzi and his fellow soldiers were advancing through a snowy German forest when enemy machine guns opened fire. It was Lorenzi’s first time in combat. He started scraping a shallow foxhole until he heard German mortars and artillery exploding and rockets screaming in. Then he started digging desperately. “You learn fast,” he recalled. The Germans fired Nebelwerfers, rockets that made a high-pitched scream as they roared to target, earning them the name “Screaming Mimis.” One rocket exploded... more »
The US Navy's Newest Missile Is Ready For Action
A US Air Force crew member moves a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile for a test flight at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, February 2015. US Air Force photo *Business Insider/Task & Purpose*: *The Navy's newest ship-killer missile is ready for a fight* * The Navy this month announced that its new anti-ship missile reached early operational capability with the F/A-18 fighter in August. * The Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile can deliver a 1,000-pound penetrating warhead at a range of up to 500 nautical miles and has a unique sensor and targeting system to hone in on targets in even the most co... more »
11-Page Outline of Trump Administration Accomplishments…
A Twitter account named @RobbyStarbuck compiled a list of President Trump accomplishments that now extends to 11 pages of bullet-pointed references. SEE HERE SEE Remarkable List HERE
The Daily Brief 2019-12-27
This is a summary of 19 AMN articles on the following subjects: Idlib, Syria, Libya, Turkey, Tripoli, US, Douma, OPCW, Russia, Armenia, Iraq, Lebanon, Ansarallah, Yemen. Categories covered in this brief: Syria, North-Africa, Turkey, World-News, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen Let us know how you like this brief in the comments below. — The AMN Live Team […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
New video of Turkish-backed Syrian militants in Libya
BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:00 P.M.) – A new video has surfaced on social media today showing the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) inside of Libya. In the video, an SNA faction is seen at the gates of a camp in Tripoli after recently arriving inside Libya. A video shows members of the #Syrian_National_Army mercenaries fighting in […] Source: AMN - Al-Masdar News | المصدر نيوز - The Arab Source
The 2020 Deck of Cards Is Being Shuffled Right Now
I've been telling my readers that momentous events are coming in 2020, which is now mere days away. As one example, consider the following article, which appeared today in one of the major newspapers here in Ecuador. Read this: https://lahora.com.ec/noticia/1102295723/salario-basico-sube-6-dolares-y-solo-beneficia-al-6_-de-ecuatorianos- For those who do not read Spanish, the gist of the story is that the government has just raised the minimum wage by $6 per month, or to a total of $400 per month. Now, many readers may be thinking: "How can people live on $400? That's not very much!... more »
The US Army's New 50mm Cannon Is Ready
Reuters *National Interest: **The Army's Next-Generation 50mm Cannon Is Ready To Destroy* The blast effect, weapons developers explain, is precisely the intent for the Army’s new 50mm weapon – to bring a longer-range, more-lethal measure of firepower to medium caliber armored vehicle attack. As a small ball of fire shot out of the end of a new 50mm cannon, a cloud of smoke filled the air and, in what seemed like less than one second, an explosion of smoke and fire destroyed a mock enemy target from hundreds of yards away -- on the other side of an Arizona desert valley. The explo... more »
Paying It Forward
A Gulf Breeze, Florida man who once spent a Christmas without electricity is paying it forward, literally. He paid the power bills for 36 families with past due accounts. Mike Esmond’s kind-hearted deed is just one of the many selfless acts good people do for less fortunate others, especially at Christmas time. So, why did I single his story out ? Because this is my hometown. These are my neighbors. Mike is a person I know and have had business dealings with. And though he never asked for any special recognition, I wanted to give him a pat on the … Continue reading →
Report: Senate GOP Unites on Plan for Senate Impeachment Trial…
It looks like the beginning of a united plan for the Senate impeachment trial is in the works. According to a New York Post article the House impeachment managers would present their prosecution case; then President Trump’s designated lawyers will … Continue reading →
Boat with human remains washes up in Japan
Just In - 1 day ago
The remains of up to seven people are found on a boat, believed to be from North Korea, that turned up on the coast of Japan.
The tiny desert community that could hold the secret to how language first spread
Researchers believe a tiny desert community in northern Western Australia could tell us how language first spread around the world.
If you see a sleepy lizard road sign, you have a seven-year-old reptile lover to thank
A sleepy lizard road sign, inspired by a seven-year-old animal lover, pops up in a South Australian national park and is catching on elsewhere in the state.
Andy Murray out of Australian Open with pelvic injury
Just In - 1 day ago
Andy Murray made a successful return to tennis in 2019 after hip surgery — but now the three-time major title winner says he can't play in next month's Australian Open due to a pelvic injury.
RFS refuses to rule out cancelling Sydney Harbour NYE fireworks
The City of Sydney Council says the New Year's Eve display will go ahead as scheduled, but the Rural Fire Service says it will have the final say.
Eat Less Meat And Save A Glacier
Originally posted on NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT: By Paul Homewood h/t Tony Heller Laura Tobin is weather girl on Good Morning Britain, which apparently makes her an expert on climate change as well: https://twitter.com/Lauratobin1/status/1210594797884497920 (BTW – that photo is fraudulent – it is not a “glacier”, merely a patch of…
Two more degrees by 2100!
Originally posted on Climate Etc.: by Vaughan Pratt An alternative perspective on 3 degrees C? This post was originally intended as a short comment questioning certain aspects of the methodology in JC’s post of December 23, “3 degrees C?”. But every methodology is bound to have shortcomings, raising the possibility that Judith’s methodology might nevertheless…
No, The World Is Not Headed Into A Quantum Computing Future
*Subhash Kak* *Security, Americas* It's due to hardware. *Key point: *The mathematics that underpin quantum algorithms is well established, but there are daunting engineering challenges that remain. Google announced this fall to much fanfare that it had demonstrated “quantum supremacy” – that is, it performed a specific quantum computation far faster than the best classical computers could achieve. IBM promptly critiqued the claim, saying that its own classical supercomputer could perform the computation at nearly the same speed with far greater fidelity and, therefore, the Goog... more »
Why Did Game Of Thrones' Biggest Battle At Winterfell Go So Poorly For Humanity?
*Sebastien Roblin* *Game of Thrones, * Here are four ways they could have better prepared. *Key Point: *Why did humanity not come up with a better strategy? The Game of Thrones episode "The Long Night" features the last stand of a fantastical medieval army against an implacable horde of White Walker zombies led by the chilling undead Night King. It also showcases a series of terrible command decisions made by its protagonists, Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, squandering their forces lives in poorly thought-out gambits. These episodes of military ineptitude may be one of the TV... more »
Trump is Right: America Needs a Space Force
*William Giannetti* *Security, Americas* [image: Flickr / U.S. Air Force] Why is having a separate branch of the military focused solely on outer space a vital national interest? THERE WAS a short but solemn White House Rose Garden ceremony on a warm, late August day in 2019. In attendance was President Donald Trump; his head of the National Space Council, Vice President Mike Pence; Secretary of Defense Mark Esper; and U.S. Air Force General John Raymond. The proceedings were a “big deal,” said the president during his remarks, and a bold, “landmark moment” for America’s armed fo... more »
6th Generation Jet Fights Will Leave Russia's Su-57 And America's F-35 Far Behind
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, * The future is coming. *Key point: *Sixth-generation fighter programs remain strictly conceptual today, especially given the enormous expenses and effort devoted to working out the kinks in the Fifth-Generation. The American development and deployment of Fifth-Generation stealth aircraft like the F-35 Lightning is one of the central stories of today’s security zeitgeist. But behind the scenes, several countries are already looking ahead to the design of a Sixth-Generation jet. The relentless pace of research is arguably driven less by combat exper... more »
Strange Looking Gun: What's The Deal With The Revolver-Shotgun Craze?
*Kyle Mizokami* *Security, * Is it worth your time? *Key point: *The proliferation of revolver shotguns shows these unique firearms hold real appeal and are here to stay. One of the most interesting trends in the world of handguns is that the revolver not only uses handgun ammunition but also shotgun shells. The ability to shoot both high-powered handgun ammo above .40 caliber and small caliber shotgun shells makes these revolvers far more versatile than most. Although seemingly a new phenomenon, the development of handheld shotguns actually goes back to before the U.S. Civil Wa... more »
U.S. Contractors Sued For Paying Protection Money To The Taliban In Afghanistan
GK Sierra Security Contractors in Afghanistan. Wikipedia *CNBC:* *US contractors sued for allegedly paying ‘protection money’ to the Taliban in Afghanistan* * U.S. and international companies helped finance a “Taliban-led terrorist insurgency” in Afghanistan that killed or hurt American service members and civilians, according to a new lawsuit filed Friday. * The suit alleges that the contractors made protection payments to the Taliban because they had “lucrative businesses in post-9/11 Afghanistan, and they all paid the Taliban to refrain from attacking their business interests.” ... more »
Face recognition bans, and an ad-based Internet. Is there no end to foolishness?
There is no more important news, and they hope we won't notice:* 'In a free speech ruling that contradicts six other federal circuit courts, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals - based in Missouri... has upheld a district court ruling that says Americans do not have a first amendment right to videotape the police, or any public official, in public.' *This is of course a blatant attempt to reverse the most important year for civil liberties in this century, when courts and the Obama administration declared a universal right of citizens to record (and hold accountable) encounters with ... more »
BIDEN'S ORIGINAL SUBPOENA RESPONSE WAS WRONG -- BUT...
Yesterday, Joe Biden said he wouldn't comply with a subpoena to testify in the Senate impeachment trial: In a meeting with the editorial board of The Des Moines Register, whose endorsement in the Iowa caucuses is coveted by presidential hopefuls, Mr. Biden argued that complying with a subpoena and testifying would essentially allow Mr. Trump to succeed in shifting attention onto Mr. Biden and away from the president’s own actions. “The reason I wouldn’t is because it’s all designed to deal with Trump doing what he’s done his whole life: trying to take the focus off him,” Mr. Biden ... more »
North Korea Could Possess As Many As 100 Nuclear Warheads By Next Year
*National Interest*: *North Korea Could Have 100 Nuclear Warheads (And Soon)* *What can America do?* *Key point:* President Trump's denuclearization effort is not going well. By 2020 North Korea could possess as many as 100 nuclear warheads. That's the startling conclusion of a January 2019 report from RAND, a California think tank with close ties to the U.S. military. "North Korean provocations and threats have created an unstable environment on the Korean Peninsula," RAND's report explains. "North Korea’s ongoing development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles increases th... more »
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