Yes We Did: Obama Deploys ‘Change Is’ Slogan
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(Image Credit: Ken Borland/WH press pool)
Barack Obama campaigned for president four years ago promising “change we can believe in.”
Now, he’s running for a second term touting the ways that “change is.”
The emerging slogan for the 2012 campaign, on display during a high-profile New York City fundraiser Thursday night, thrusts Obama’s social and domestic policy achievements to the forefront of his re-election pitch.
And its appearance on new Obama-Biden campaign merchandise and apparel suggests the “change is” meme will likely be here to stay. (See a new T-shirt featuring the slogan HERE.)
The messaging – unabashedly transcending criticism and disillusionment over what Obama has not accomplished – raises the stakes of the election for Obama supporters, reminding them that issues such as the health care law, “don’t ask don’t tell” repeal, and federal student-loan aid could all be rolled back if they don’t win.
“Everything we did over the last three years is now at stake in this election,” Obama told a crowd at the Apollo Theater, a line he repeats regularly before donors on the campaign trail.
By touting a litany of the ways “change is,” Obama also complements his economic message on the campaign trail, which has focused less on a defense of his administration’s response to the recession and more on accentuating a philosophical contrast with Republican candidates.
Obama mentioned the word ‘change’ 26 times in his speech before 1,400 fawning supporters at the Apollo Theater in Harlem Thursday. He hailed seven policy accomplishments as “concrete examples” of promises from 2008 that have been fulfilled.
He also promised to affect additional “change” in the next five years if voters agree to give him a second term in November.
“If you want to end the cynicism and the game-playing and the point-scoring and the sound bites that pass for politics these days, then you’ve got to send a message this year, starting right now, that you refuse to back down; that you will not give up; that you intend to keep hoping and keep pushing and keep fighting just as hard as you did four years ago,” Obama said.
Obama’s Republican critics laugh at the notion that the president has affected change in Washington, noting an unemployment rate persistently above 8 percent since he took office, skyrocketing deficits and rising health care insurance premiums, despite promises to turn the trends around.
Obama himself has acknowledged falling short on changing the polarized partisan culture in Washington – a promise from the 2008 campaign – saying the challenge of restoring a spirit of bipartisanship has proved a greater challenge than one man and one term.
“That mindset doesn’t exist in Washington right now, and I do take some responsibility for making sure that that spirit which I think the country longs for, that we can somehow get that in the Congress as well,” Obama told ABC News’ Barbara Walters in December. “But that seems to be a longer than one-term project.”
As for whether “change is” will be the official slogan for 2012, a campaign official did not immediately respond to ABC News request for comment. The president told Walters that “we’re still working on it.”
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change presidents. thats change we can believe in
Posted by: catman | January 20, 2012, 1:11 pm 1:11 pm
change is no job and no hope.
Posted by: nugy | January 20, 2012, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
change presidents. thats change we can believe in
Posted by: catman | January 20, 2012, 1:11 pm 1:11 pm
No thanks. Not going back to the failed Republican policies from unwarranted attacks and tens of thousands of deaths in Iraq to repression of LGBT and women’s rights to trickle down economic nonsense that coddles the rich and couldn’t care less about the rest of us. Not interested.
Posted by: Jane | January 20, 2012, 1:19 pm 1:19 pm
Change Is… Jane getting a job.
Posted by: James | January 20, 2012, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
Change is: American’s can now be detained for an indefinite period of time without trial. But Obama says he won’t use it. Rolling eyes.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | January 20, 2012, 1:36 pm 1:36 pm
Not going back to the major neo-con Republican intelligence failures of 9/11 and weapons of mass destruction.
Posted by: Jane | January 20, 2012, 1:37 pm 1:37 pm
President Obama also closed Gitmo. All these lies that it’s open is a right-wing lie. Daily Kos said so.
Posted by: Jane | January 20, 2012, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm
Posted by: wheresmymoney | January 20, 2012, 1:36 pm 1:36 pm
If that legislation is so bad, why did the majority Republican house and the majority Democrat senate pass it? Why did they force the President into a situation where he either signed it (with qualifications and a dissenting signing statement) or had an unfunded military.
Posted by: Trayner | January 20, 2012, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm
Posted by: Jane | January 20, 2012, 1:37 pm 1:37 pm
“The community of nations may see more and more of the very kind of threat Iraq poses now: a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction, ready to use them or provide them to terrorists. If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow.” — Bill Clinton in 1998 (before GWB was President)
“[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.” — From a letter signed by Joe Lieberman, Dianne Feinstei n, Barbara A. Milulski, Tom Daschle, & John Kerry among others on October 9, 1998 (before GWB was President)
“Saddam’s goal … is to achieve the lifting of U.N. sanctions while retaining and enhancing Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programs. We cannot, we must not and we will not let him succeed.” — Madeline Albright, 1998 (before GWB was President)
“(Saddam) will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and some day, some way, I am certain he will use that arsenal again, as he has 10 times since 1983″ — National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, Feb 18, 1998 (before GWB was President)
Posted by: Clinton The Neo-Con | January 20, 2012, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
“If you want to end the cynicism and the game-playing and the point-scoring and the sound bites that pass for politics these days, then you’ve got to send a message this year
=================
That is hilarious.
Wasn’t it just 5 days ago that Valerie Jarrett was railing against Republicans from a church pulpit?
Posted by: MayBee | January 20, 2012, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
Posted by: Clinton The Neo-Con | January 20, 2012, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
We’ve all seen the out of context quotes on WMD’s before – and we all know those statements were made years before 9/11 and long before the U.N. weapons inspectors were allowed into Iraq.
We also know many right wingers in America still think Iraq was behind 9/11 – because they are unable to absorb facts and operate instead on preconceived nonsense and a lot of ignorance.
Posted by: Trayner | January 20, 2012, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
Change is: as reported by Bloomberg
President Barack Obama’s decision yesterday to reject a permit for TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL oil pipeline may prompt Canada to turn to China for oil exports.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper, in a telephone call yesterday, told Obama “Canada will continue to work to diversify its energy exports,” according to details provided by Harper’s office. Canadian Natural Resource Minister Joe Oliver said relying less on the U.S. would help strengthen the country’s “financial security.”
The “decision by the Obama administration underlines the importance of diversifying and expanding our markets, including the growing Asian market,” Oliver told reporters in Ottawa.
Currently, 99 percent of Canada’s crude exports go to the U.S.
The Keystone decision is the latest of several U.S. moves that have irked Canadian policy makers.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | January 20, 2012, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
Posted by: MayBee | January 20, 2012, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
“railing against Republicans”? Fox called it ‘a brief jab’ . ..
From Fox news . ..
“There was also a brief jab at Republicans.
“Teachers, and firefighters, and policemen, whose jobs are now in jeopardy because congress, well let me be specific, because the Republicans in congress …”
Before she could finish her sentence, people in the congregation were laughing, and applauding.
Posted by: Kerry | January 20, 2012, 2:04 pm 2:04 pm
The complete lie of Trayner’s out-of-context argument: on Aug 9,2004 Democrat Presidential candidate John Kerry was asked if with all he knew on that date if he would have voted differently to authorize giving President Bush the authority to invade Iraq said directly “I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR THE AUTHORITY”.
Posted by: Nephron | January 20, 2012, 2:13 pm 2:13 pm
The complete lie of Trayner’s out-of-context argument
Posted by: Nephron | January 20, 2012, 2:13 pm 2:13 pm
There was no lie whatsoever. And the point is, Bush was given the authority as only one option and ONLY to defend the national security of the United States – this is where the major Bush failure took place. He talked about the smoking gun coming in the form of a mushroom cloud to scare Americans – he was wrong. A major intelligence failure – and his second – after 9/11.
Posted by: Trayner | January 20, 2012, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
“We also know many right wingers in America still think Iraq was behind 9/11 – because they are unable to absorb facts and operate instead on preconceived nonsense and a lot of ignorance.”
Posted by: Trayner | January 20, 2012, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
It doesn’t take any cognitive skill to vote for HOPE AND CHANGE.
Posted by: Don | January 20, 2012, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
The messaging – unabashedly transcending criticism and disillusionment over what Obama has not accomplished – raises the stakes of the election for Obama supporters, reminding them that issues such as the health care law, “don’t ask don’t tell” repeal, and federal student-loan aid could all be rolled back if they don’t win.
______________________________________________________________________________
But here’s the sad part of it all. There are some Obama “supporters” who are backing him simply because he’s ‘cool’, ‘young’, ‘the first African American president’, ‘like one of us on Main Street’, etc. They don’t necessarily approve of his HealthCare debacle, or DADT, or the failed stimulus, or his inability to get the jobs market stirred again, BUT they WILL vote for him based on some of the criteria I listed before. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what he has or hasn’t accomplished, he’ll get the American Idol votes once again. That is what this country has brought itself to.
Posted by: Shoe | January 20, 2012, 2:48 pm 2:48 pm
Nooo thanks! Once was quite enough.
Since Hope and Change were elected, I’ve lost my job, had my gas prices shoot up and am experiencing some of the highest food prices I’ve ever seen. I won’t even mention the Trillions with an S that this fool spent. More like wasted. More like lined his friends pockets with.
You couldn’t pay me to vote for “more of the same” from this guy.
Posted by: Mike | January 20, 2012, 2:51 pm 2:51 pm
Trayner,please name one right winger who believes Iraq was behind 9/11.Just one.Anyone.Even George Bush never said that Iraq was behind 9/11.And to the point everyone who voted on the authorization resolution knew it was an authorization for war.The Democrats that voted for the resolution wanted it to be known that they supported a winning strategy.After Desert Storm they thought it would be a cakewalk,which is what it was.It was only after the insurgency started up and people were getting blown up that they tried to weasel out of their votes to put Americans into Iraq.
Posted by: Nephron | January 20, 2012, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
“Since Hope and Change were elected, I’ve lost my job, had my gas prices shoot up and am experiencing some of the highest food prices I’ve ever seen.”
Posted by: Mike | January 20, 2012, 2:51 pm 2:51 pm
Luckily for us, the government’s core inflation calculation doesn’t include gas and food costs, so it’s like there’s no effect our budgets at all.
Posted by: Don | January 20, 2012, 2:59 pm 2:59 pm
Posted by: Nephron | January 20, 2012, 2:52 pm 2:52 pm
A majority of Democrats voted against Bush’s mistake. A hundred thousand dead Iraqi citizens later we’re supposed to say ‘oops’, we’re sorry Mr. Bush and his neo-cons made a mistake.
Posted by: Trayner | January 20, 2012, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
Posted by: Trayner | January 20, 2012, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
Great thinkers do productive things with their lives. They don’t waste their time shilling for Obama.
Posted by: James | January 20, 2012, 3:05 pm 3:05 pm
Trayner,how many voters even knew what was in the Democratic platform? How many voters ever know what is in the party platforms?They are simply not important,like Vice Presidential nominees.People vote for the man,or more correctly their perception of the man.Obama ran as a centerist politician who could work with Republicans, not the radical partisan that anybody with an once of curiousity could have discovered he was.Obama was the Chauncey Gardner of 2008; all things to all people including “conservatives” like Brooks,Buckley, Noonan, Smercomish et. al. The fact that the “smartest man in the room” didn’t even know how to pronounce corpsman escaped the notice of people who were never told about who Obama really was.
Posted by: Nephron | January 20, 2012, 3:09 pm 3:09 pm
And don’t even get me started on house prices and what they’ve done under Obama.
Bottom line is there is no way anyone would want to continue with more of this. This isn’t the change we were sold in ’08.
Posted by: angie | January 20, 2012, 3:10 pm 3:10 pm
Since Hope and Change were elected, I’ve lost my job, had my gas prices shoot up and am experiencing some of the highest food prices I’ve ever seen. I won’t even mention the Trillions with an S that this fool spent. More like wasted. More like lined his friends pockets with.
Posted by: Mike | January 20, 2012, 2:51 pm 2:51 pm
Mike since December 2009, 2.8 million private sector jobs have been added. Far better than the 8 million jobs lost during the economic collapse on Bush’s watch.
Gas prices in 2008 hit $4.12 per gallon; they’re now at $3.37.
And over $1.25 TRILLION of the current debt ‘attributed’ to Obama resulted from interest on the debt George W. Bush left. That’s just the interest on the debt Bush left, never mind the war commitments, the destroyed revenues due to the economic collapse on his watch, the unpaid for seniors drug plan,the huge deficits from his tax cuts, and on and on.
Posted by: Trayner | January 20, 2012, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
Nephron: “you stated that many right wingers believe that Iraq was behind 9/11.Time to prove your command of facts. NAME ONE.”
Then Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ordered the military to begin working on strike plans on 9/11.
National Military Command Center notes quote Rumsfeld as saying the intel was “good enough hit S.H.” – meaning Saddam Hussein. The notes continue with more Rumsfeld comments: “Go massive. Sweep it all up.”
Posted by: Op Center | January 20, 2012, 3:39 pm 3:39 pm
Posted by: Trayner | January 20, 2012, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
I’d never thought this day would ever happen. I won’t have to worry ’bout putting gas in my car, I won’t have to worry ’bout payin’ my mortgage. You know, If I help him, he’s gonna help me.
Posted by: Peggy Joseph | January 20, 2012, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
Posted by: Peggy Joseph | January 20, 2012, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, the neo-cons and the military industrial complex were behind the intelligence failure that allowed 9/11 to happen. God bless you.
Posted by: Tim | January 20, 2012, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
Mindless slogans for mindless Obama voters.
Posted by: GulfFrit | January 20, 2012, 7:58 pm 7:58 pm
Change is….
… all that i have left
Posted by: Moe Coffee | January 20, 2012, 8:02 pm 8:02 pm
Mindless slogans for mindless Obama voters.
Posted by: GulfFrit | January 20, 2012, 7:58 pm 7:58 pm
Mindless slogan post by and for mindless right wingers.
Posted by: Dave | January 20, 2012, 8:28 pm 8:28 pm
Change is a new president, ABB — ANYBODY BUT BARACK. Obama is a charlatan.
Posted by: FranK | January 20, 2012, 11:18 pm 11:18 pm
Obama is a charlatan.
Posted by: FranK | January 20, 2012, 11:18 pm 11:18 pm
Not compared to Bush, Cheney he isn’t. Not compared to Romney or Gingrich.
Posted by: Tanya | January 21, 2012, 12:30 am 12:30 am
Change is: more dependence on govt which is what Obama has always wanted and step by step he’s getting it.
Posted by: Todd | January 21, 2012, 6:10 am 6:10 am
Change is… 289 days away.
Posted by: Jim Treacher | January 21, 2012, 6:35 am 6:35 am
“Mike since December 2009, 2.8 million private sector jobs have been added. Far better than the 8 million jobs lost during the economic collapse on Bush’s watch.”
************”
So why is the unemployment rate still higher than under President Bush, even discounting the 1 million plus workers who have dropped from the labor force?
“When I said ‘change we can believe in’ I didn‘t say ’change we can believe in tomorrow.’ Not change we can believe in next week.” – Barack Obama, August 3, 2011
Posted by: Daizie | January 21, 2012, 7:37 am 7:37 am
So why is the unemployment rate still higher than under President Bush, even discounting the 1 million plus workers who have dropped from the labor force?
Posted by: Daizie | January 21, 2012, 7:37 am 7:37 am
I’m an intellectual so I can explain this. It’s very simple. The BLS numbers are racist. If you don’t like my answer I’ll just post it several more times to let my genius sink in.
Posted by: Trayner | January 21, 2012, 9:32 am 9:32 am
Change Is… Selling your blood plasma for gas money!
Posted by: Zazu | January 21, 2012, 9:36 am 9:36 am
Obama is tearing this Country apart. Change is going to happen later this year when true Americans vote him out of office..
Posted by: Randy | January 21, 2012, 12:46 pm 12:46 pm
“If you want to end the cynicism and the game-playing and the point-scoring and the sound bites that pass for politics these days…”
Obama is the king of cynicism, game-playing, point-scoring and sound bites.
Abandon all hope, all ye who vote to reelect him.
Posted by: Bluto | January 21, 2012, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
“We also know many right wingers in America still think Iraq was behind 9/11 – because they are unable to absorb facts and operate instead on preconceived nonsense and a lot of ignorance.”
No, most rightwingers do not think that. However, the leftwing Truthers think the US government was behind 9-11. Looks like “unable to absorb facts and operate instead on preconceived nonsense and a lot of ignorance” to me.
Posted by: 5ftflirt | January 21, 2012, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
Change is: a new President who truly believes in bi-partisan policy making; a President who understands economics and unintended consequences; a President who puts the country and people ahead of his politics; and a President who understands it’s not all about him. In summary, Change is: only going to happen when we defeat Obama in November and vote the Republicans a majority in the Senate.
Posted by: HadEnoughAlready | January 21, 2012, 4:24 pm 4:24 pm
Change is….Getting rid of affirmative action that gave us this dope as a prez in the first place. Oh and another change would be dumping a media complex that got him in power and refuses to post a single negative story.
And to you idiot libs on this blog STILL blaming Bush and Cheney… Really? This is all you got Really?
Posted by: teff | January 21, 2012, 4:36 pm 4:36 pm
He can just go ahead and claim anything he wants, he will not be challenged on it by the MSM. He may as well say he has lowered unemployment to 0% and comletely eliminated the national debt, the press will eagerly report it, and the uninformed voters that he’s trying to reach will believe it.
Posted by: jar59 | January 21, 2012, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
Uh-Huh….just like Obama-Biden were touting their RECOVERY SUMMER over a year ago…..This administration is living proof why you should NEVER send an inexperienced, community organizer, who NEVER had a real job a single day, to do the work of a PRESIDENT!
Posted by: john | January 21, 2012, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
No matter how this year’s election turns out, it’s hilarious watching the President’s campaign unfold. In 2008: Vote for hope and change! I can make the waves stop and the planet heal. In 2012: Hey, don’t look at me or my record – look at those awful Republicans! How sad.
Posted by: Steve from Wisconsin | January 21, 2012, 5:48 pm 5:48 pm
Should be phrased as: “Change This”.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha haha
Posted by: JDubya | January 21, 2012, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm
This slogan just BEGS to be parodied.
For example: Change is: President Romney/Gingrich/Santorum/Paul…(take you pick)
Change is: coming January 20, 2013.
The possibilities are endless.
Posted by: Doug Piranha | January 21, 2012, 6:14 pm 6:14 pm
Change is.. all i haveleft in my pocket
Posted by: paul stripe | January 21, 2012, 6:36 pm 6:36 pm
“Change is….all I have left in my pocket”
Nobama 2012
Posted by: SNuss | January 21, 2012, 6:37 pm 6:37 pm
Change is good whan Obama leaves…along with Tanya
Posted by: LEA | January 21, 2012, 6:38 pm 6:38 pm
“Change we can believe in”………is changing presidents.
Award Barry – give him all the time in the world to enjoy his golf game.
As for you libs, when is Barry going to run ‘on his record’?
Hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: GarandFan | January 21, 2012, 6:54 pm 6:54 pm
The best change is replacing the current corrupt administration.
Posted by: 1proudamerican | January 21, 2012, 8:07 pm 8:07 pm
Why are President Obama’s critics so dumb?
Posted by: TV | January 21, 2012, 11:04 pm 11:04 pm
Nice Slogan
Change is what we need – Vote Conservative 2012
Change is good – Vote for ABO (anybody but obama)
Change is the way forward – NoBo didn’t get it done, Vote for the other guy.
Change is what we want but after 3 years it isn’t what we got.
Posted by: Noz | January 22, 2012, 12:04 am 12:04 am
“Mike since December 2009, 2.8 million private sector jobs have been added. Far better than the 8 million jobs lost during the economic collapse on Bush’s watch.”
************”
So why is the unemployment rate still higher than under President Bush
Posted by: Daizie | January 21, 2012, 7:37 am 7:37 am
It’s not that complicated.
Using January 2009 as a begin date to blame lost jobs on Obama is just plain stupid. Bush handed Obama a country in free-fall economic collapse. Close to a million jobs being lost every month by the time Obama was inaugurated. You expected him to stop this on a dime? Are you that dense, or just being dishonest? The momentum from the Bush collapse was just peaking as Obama took office and it continued for about 9 months. By that time the unemployment rate had swollen to 10%. It then started to reverse as Obama’s policies began to kick in.
Posted by: Dan | January 22, 2012, 2:54 am 2:54 am
“By that time the unemployment rate had swollen to 10%. It then started to reverse as Obama’s policies began to kick in.” – Dan
Wrong
It started to reverse after the Repubs took over the House in 2010.
NoBo’s stimulus spending only made us economically weaker.
Posted by: Noz | January 22, 2012, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm
Chairman Mao, before he died (i.e., giving up his Chairmanship), tried to convince, actually, made everyone to say that they believe in (or you die) – a phrase that Prez 0 copied 4 years ago – that The Great Cultural Revolution was the best thing in China. For all the changes he had made, Mao said, Revolution Change Is (see his Little Red Book)!
Now, our Greatest Smartest Clueless Prez copied (others call it plagiarizing) yet another slogan from Mao to boost his re-election.
Posted by: tut | January 22, 2012, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
“By that time the unemployment rate had swollen to 10%. It then started to reverse as Obama’s policies began to kick in.” – Dan
Wrong
It started to reverse after the Repubs took over the House in 2010.
Posted by: Noz | January 22, 2012, 12:19 pm 12:19 pm
Sorry, reality is not based on your ‘belief’ but rather on facts. The unemployment rate began to decline in November of 2009 – A FULL YEAR before the Republicans took over the House, it continued after they were elected and it will continue long after they’re booted out in November coming. What is it with the right wing and their inability to research simple facts?
Posted by: Dan | January 22, 2012, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
Change is rejecting Progressivism and returning to the Constitution.
“The unemployment rate began to decline in November of 2009 – A FULL YEAR before the Republicans took over the House, . . . . What is it with the right wing and their inability to research simple facts?” – Dan
(sigh)
Wrong again Dan.
November 2009 – Unemployment 9.9
November 2010 – Unemployment 9.8
Right after the landslide of 2010 the unemployment rate started to fall.
0.1 percent in a years time is negligible and you look silly posting such swill in an attempt to prop up your man Bama.
Posted by: Noz | January 23, 2012, 9:20 am 9:20 am
Posted by: Noz | January 23, 2012, 9:20 am 9:20 am
What a dishonest post.
Unemployment fell from November 2009 forward (with month to month variations). In the months leading up to November 2010, unemployment had fallen from 10% to 9.4 or 9.5%. The month of November was an aberration, and the unemployment rate went back to dropping after that brief blip.
The Unemployment rate had started dropping a full year before the Republicans took the House. Before Republicans had even got their rear ends into the House, it had dropped even further to 9.1%. The continued dropping of the unemployment rate had everything to do with the continuing effects of administration policies.
No wonder people don’t like Republicans or right wingers – you know so little about practicing integrity.
Posted by: Dan | January 23, 2012, 2:10 pm 2:10 pm
What a dishonest post.
Posted by: Dan | January 23, 2012, 2:10 pm 2:10 pm
(sigh)
Posted by: Noz | January 23, 2012, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm