Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom
Related:
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom
Related:
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Sentinel
Breaking Points
Glenn Greenwald
Valhalla VFT
Liberty Vault
Tennessee Brando
Sentinel
Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom
Yet Another Illegal Regime-Change War
Bill Astore – Bracing Views
Feb 28, 2026
What are the main U.S. military bases in the Middle East?
Feb 28, 2026 – Reuters
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
REAL ID
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
What keeps the terrorists with no ID of any kind from creating a disruption at the back end of the airport security screening line?
More here:
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
More here:
Cartel Boss Removed – Supported By Intelligence From Washington
Related:
Ongoing Militarization of American Culture
I had a good time in Boy Scouts in the 1970s. Not happy with all the changes since.
This is the same country that stages a big celebration of freedom and independence from a powerful central government each July 4th.
The Dept. of War will watch over and manipulate whatever this club is up to now?
“Some of the changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Defense Department in January, which included discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge and introducing a Military Service merit badge as well as waiving registration fees for the children of military personnel.”
Source:
Scouting America Will Alter Its Policies to Maintain Support From the US Military, Pentagon Says
By Ben Finley and Jamie Stengle – Associated Press
Feb 27, 2026
Less respect for both organizations now.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, the Pentagon seems to specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.
You can be sure that newspeople and the teachers who stage Veterans Day assemblies will never ask questions to make sense of how sending US troops to distant lands is related to American rights and freedoms.
More Discussion Please
Both major parties tell us The Troops are sent to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.
CNN Nov 11, 2023
Biden honors Americans who ‘stood on the front lines of freedom’ in Veterans Day remarks
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
Mr President,
Going back to the 1990 Operation Desert Shield,
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in this area:
How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
Love to see newspeople interview elected officials and let us know how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
Podcast 9 Defending The Constitution?
Strike Iran? Do The Math First – Sentinel
The Jimmy Dore Show
Sentinel
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
More here:
Cartel Boss Removed – Supported By Intelligence From Washington
Possibly of interest:
Related:
News Content
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.
Sponsored by a local Invisible Veteran chapter.
Newspeople have established a reputation for not asking questions. This trend goes back over the past 35 years or so.
US Troops were sent into life and death situations in the aftermath of 911.
For this reason it is important to ask questions and develop a feel for what is real and what is honest.
It feels like a society where honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion, but the questioning and discussion rarely takes place.
You can be sure that newspeople and the teachers who stage Veterans Day assemblies will never ask questions to make sense of how sending US troops to distant lands is related to American rights and freedoms.
They will avoid questions related to airport security theater.
Reaching for an honest understanding of how all this works seems to be completely off limits.
In The News
What death of cartel leader ‘El Mencho’ in Mexico means for flow of drugs, violence into Chicago
By Mark Rivera and Barb Markoff, Christine Tressel and Tom Jones
ABC 7 Chicago
Feb 26, 2026
“Even with the Sinaloa’s El Chapo and two of his sons in U.S. custody and El Mencho dead, the drugs are still here with more still coming in.”
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
If Kristi Noem tells us on Feb 4, 2026 that the border is secure, why are we told by ABC 7 Chicago that “…drugs are still here with more still coming in.”
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
Has the removal of any cartel boss ever created any shortage of cartel product anywhere in the US?
If Kristi Noem has sealed US borders why would suspected drug trafficking boats be a problem?
Since the Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count has kept cartel drugs out, are Seattle area drug addicts having any problem finding their cartel product of choice?
Has any US community announced that first responders are finding less need for Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or any similar product used in overdose response situations?
Is there any possibility that any DEA office or DEA budget will be downsized due to the success of all US Dept. of Homeland Security/Dept. of War efforts in recent months?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US.
More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Any questions from newspeople?
In The News
Sound Transit seeks help from prosecutors to hold copper thieves accountable
by Jeremy Harris – KOMO News
Feb26, 2026
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
Is copper theft related in any way to illegal drug culture?
If cartel drugs stop arriving in the Puget Sound area, will copper wire theft fade away?
More Discussion Please
Both major parties tell us The Troops are sent to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.
CNN Nov 11, 2023
Biden honors Americans who ‘stood on the front lines of freedom’ in Veterans Day remarks
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
Mr President,
Going back to the 1990 Operation Desert Shield,
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
Decades Past 911 – A Fake War On Terror
In recent years, the press tends to support government agencies, departments and policies rather than question them.
Below:
A total of 3 newspeople work this story on camera. Zero questions from any of them.
KOMO News
Imagine the TV newsperson, on camera, escorting the TSA official all the way to the back of the “be sure to arrive early line” and asking what keeps the bad guys from creating a disruption at that point.
Year after year, more of the same. Similar cheerful videos, TV newspeople interviewing each other.
No voices of dissent. No passengers with questions about security theater will ever make it on air.
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
What keeps the terrorists with no ID of any kind from creating a disruption at the back end of the airport security screening line?
Guaranteed: No TV newsperson anywhere will ever ask this question. Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
Related:
News Content
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
The Fantasy Newsperson Asks:
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
The Jimmy Dore Show
Please see 1:51 below.
Sentinel
Whatever Happened To Democrats & Republicans Of The Past?
JFK speaks of presidential leadership and the role of the press in a free society.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
More here:
Cartel Boss Removed – Supported By Intelligence From Washington
Related:
Made For TV Federal Awards Show
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
USA- Home of The Fantasy Newsperson
Above: Hill Road
FOX 13 Seattle
KIRO 7 News
KING 5 News
Would Any Newsperson Ever Ask
Has any WA gun control measure or public policy effort of the past 20 years slowed down the gunfire between say, Everett and Tacoma?
What works? What fails?
Newspeople remain silent.
2026 – Homeland Security Making A Difference
The post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, tracking of cell phones, best advances in REAL ID and AI technologies, etc.) appears to have played no role in preventing the crimes described above.
Possibly of interest:
Copper Wire Thefts Pay For Drugs?
Cartel Update: Newspeople – Please Let Us Know
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Switch Your Brain Off
“We’re winning so much that we really don’t know what to do about it,” Trump said. “People are asking me, ‘please, please please, Mr. President, we’re winning too much. We can’t take it anymore. We’re not used to winning in our country until you came along. We were just always losing.’”
“These first 250 years were just the beginning,” Trump said as he wrapped his speech. “The golden age of America is upon us. The revolution that began in 1776 has not ended. It still continues because the flame of liberty and Independence still burns in the heart of every American patriot.”
Source:
What Trump avoided in the State of the Union could haunt him in November
By Eli Stokols – POLITICO
Feb 25, 2026
Golden Age Of Liberty And Independence
Feeling The Energy – USA 250
Back home:
American freedoms come and go and appear to be completely unrelated to military operations/US Troops in distant lands, or the Sound of Freedom over Coupeville.
Just be honest. Skip the sales pitch that comes from both major parties.
As time goes on, the consumer choices we have are becoming more restricted by a combination of government and big business policies, not Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden or the next bad guy DOD will be going after in distant lands.
Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
No such thing the day I graduated from high school.
That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.
The USA is OK with lies about freedom
Biden honors Americans who ‘stood on the front lines of freedom’ in Veterans Day remarks
CNN Nov 11, 2023
Sorry, no newspeople available to ask:
Mr President,
Going back to the 1990 Operation Desert Shield,
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in this area:
How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
Love to see newspeople interview elected officials and let us know how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
Podcast 9 Defending The Constitution?
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
More here: Cartel Boss Removed – Supported By Intelligence From Washington
Related:
Made For TV Federal Awards Show
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Secure Border BS – Just Ask The DEA
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
The country struggles with:
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
From The Web
5 Reasons To Doubt Trump’s Boast About Bringing Down Fentanyl Smuggling
Jacob Sullum – Reason
Feb 24, 2026
“The flow of deadly fentanyl across our border is down by a record 56 percent in one year,” President Donald Trump bragged during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. That claim is puzzling for several reasons.
The Oak Bay Starfish Take/Fantasy Newspeople May Ask
Has the removal of any cartel boss ever created any shortage of cartel product anywhere in the US?
If Kristi Noem has sealed US borders why would suspected drug trafficking boats be a problem?
Since the Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count has kept cartel drugs out, are Seattle area drug addicts having any problem finding their cartel product of choice?
Has any US community announced that first responders are finding less need for Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or any similar product used in overdose response situations?
Is there any possibility that any DEA office or DEA budget will be downsized due to the success of all US Dept. of Homeland Security/Dept. of War efforts in recent months?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US.
More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Any questions from newspeople?
Just Ask The DEA About Sealed Borders
Made for TV DEA spokesperson lets us know what to think.
Newspeople play along by not asking questions:
Under Kristi Noem
Cartels move product into all 50 states.
DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas:
“…HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states…”
Welcome Home Troops. Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Welcome Home Troops
Common flashlight batteries are now locked up like diamond jewelry:

Kristi Noem is sealing off the border. Any day now, cartel drugs will no longer be available anywhere in WA.
People will no longer need cash to support a drug habit. There will be no more need to steal, and we can all go back to how things were in the last century.
Back to a time before the US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US.
More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
We’re not impressed.
Credibility squandered, enthusiasm dried up.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
More here: Cartel Boss Removed – Supported By Intelligence From Washington
Entering A New Golden Age
USS Gerald Ford Vacuum-Sewage System
The Sound of a Collapsing Empire
By Karen Kwiatkowski
Feb 25, 2026
“The Ford missed its scheduled R and R in Norfolk, and with it, the needed repairs to the sewage system, among other routine and planned maintenance.”
The toilets on the Navy’s largest aircraft carrier keep failing
Nicholas Slayton – Task & Purpose
Jan 17, 2026
JP Reacts
AwakenWithJP
Feeling The Energy – USA 250
Back home:
Related:
Cartel Update: Newspeople – Please Let Us Know
Copper Wire Thefts Pay For Drugs?
Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count Now At 145
Secure Border BS – Just Ask The DEA
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
KIRO 7 News
Any Newsperson Anywhere
Please let us know when Seattle area drug addicts have any difficulty finding their cartel product of choice.
Any questions from newspeople?
choeshow
Feb 23, 2026
Mixed Messages From KOMO News
Unrest in Mexico:
Feb 23, 2026
Also Feb 23, 2026
KOMO is your trusted travel partner.
Book your Spring Break getaway now:
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
Related:
Cartel Boss Removed – Supported By Intelligence From Washington
The Weak-Minded Culture – KOMO News
USA- Home of The Fantasy Newsperson
Also for possible travel plans:
Ocean Shores – More Shilo Inn News
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Same Day As Cartel Boss Killing
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
KOMO – Your Trusted Travel Partner
KOMO News – Spring Break Travel To Mexico:
From comments:
“Probably should have waited on this story since at the moment Americans in Mexico have been told to shelter in place…”
More Here
Three on air personalities work the report below.
Live camera crew sent from Seattle to the middle of nowhere to stand in the dark and wait for flakes to fall update:
KING 5 News
Welcome Home Troops
KING 5 News again:
Related:
Cartel Boss Removed – Supported By Intelligence From Washington
USA- Home of The Fantasy Newsperson
Also for possible travel plans:
Ocean Shores – More Shilo Inn News
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
This federal panel is not the place for questioning and discussion. It’s not a debate club.
The Young Turks
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
In The News
Killing of Mexican drug cartel boss ‘El Mencho’ triggers wave of violence
Tom Phillips and Oliver Holmes
The Guardian
Feb 23, 2026
“The 59-year-old cartel leader was killed during a shootout after the Mexican military attempted to capture him in a raid supported by intelligence from Washington.”
“The operation immediately set off a wave of violence, with gunmen blocking major roads, torching cars and buses and fighting with government forces. There were attacks in 20 of Mexico’s 31 states, according to officials.”
“Other video footage showed tourists on the beach as huge clouds of smoke rose into the skies above Puerto Vallarta, a popular resort city on the west coast known for its spectacular Pacific beaches. Most flights into the city were suspended and international airlines cancelled dozens of trips.”
“Authorities there had issued a public advisory to stay indoors, and routes to airports may be blocked, the UK Foreign Office said in a travel advisory on Monday. The US embassy in Mexico City also issued a security alert, urging citizens to “shelter in place” in affected regions.”
From 2019
Let’s Invade Mexico!
Another Entry in the Tourney of Damn Fool Ideas
FRED REED – Nov 7, 2019
“The incursion would not defeat the cartels, for several reasons that trump would do well to ponder. To begin with, America starts its wars by overestimating its own powers, underestimating the enemy, and misunderstanding the kind of war on which it is embarking. The is exactly what Trump seems to be doing.”
“He probably thinks of Mexicans as just gardeners and rapists and we have all these beautiful advanced weapons and beautiful drones and things with blinking lights. A pack of rapists armed with garden trowels couldn’t possibly be difficult to defeat by the US. I mean, get serious: Dope dealers against the Marines? A cakewalk.”
“You know, like Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. That sort of cakewalk. Let’s think what an expedition against the narcos would entail, what it would face.”
Feb 4, 2026 – Border Is Secure
Today – Valhalla VFT
Real Newspeople May Ask
Has the removal of any cartel boss ever created any shortage of cartel product anywhere in the US?
If Kristi Noem has sealed US borders why would suspected drug trafficking boats be a problem?
Since the Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count has kept cartel drugs out, are Seattle area drug addicts having any problem finding their cartel product of choice?
choeshow
Feb 23, 2026
Has any US community announced that first responders are finding less need for Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or any similar product used in overdose response situations?
Is there any possibility that any DEA office or DEA budget will be downsized due to the success of all US Dept. of Homeland Security/Dept. of War efforts in recent months?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US. More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Any questions from newspeople?
Just Ask The DEA About Sealed Borders
Made for TV DEA spokesperson lets us know what to think.
Newspeople play along by not asking questions:
Under Kristi Noem
Cartels move product into all 50 states.
DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas:
“…HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states…”
Welcome Home Troops. Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Welcome Home Troops
Common flashlight batteries are now locked up like diamond jewelry:

Kristi Noem is sealing off the border. Any day now, cartel drugs will no longer be available anywhere in WA.
People will no longer need cash to support a drug habit. There will be no more need to steal, and we can all go back to how things were in the last century.
Back to a time before the US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US.
More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
We’re not impressed.
Credibility squandered, enthusiasm dried up.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
Related:
Copper Wire Thefts Pay For Drugs?
Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count Now At 145
Secure Border BS – Just Ask The DEA
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
These guys discuss leadership:
Cleared Hot Clips
Possibly of interest:
Welcoming Visitors From Canada – USA 250
Seems Like – Past Image of Law Enforcement
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
In The News
‘Psychological’ Trump wall on WA’s border has repelled a million trips
By Danny Westneat – Seattle Times columnist
Feb. 21, 2026
“It was well documented last spring how furious Canadians were about President Donald Trump’s threats to annex their country as a “51st state.” They went “elbows up,” booing the U.S. national anthem, boycotting American booze and generally writing off the States for shopping trips or summer vacations.”
“Cars with Canadian plates coming southbound into northwest Washington dropped 39% in the first 365 days of Trump’s term, Jan. 20, 2025, through Jan. 19, 2026, as compared to the same time span a year earlier.”
“The trust has been broken,” Blaine Mayor Mary Lou Steward said…”
“Canadians look across the border and see “a population of easily distracted fools…”
No argument from Oak Bay Starfish.
Exhibit One:
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
Three on air personalities work the report below.
Live camera crew sent from Seattle to the middle of nowhere to stand in the dark and wait for flakes to fall update:
KING 5 News
Welcome Home Troops
KING 5 News again:
National parks announce ‘America-first’ fee surges for international tourists
By Yahya Salem – CNN
Nov 26, 2025
“…as of January 1, 2026, the annual pass will cost non-US residents $250 to obtain, more than triple the standard $80 which US residents will continue to pay.”
“Foreign tourists who don’t purchase the pass will pay a $100-per-person fee, in addition to the standard entrance fee, to enter 11 of the most visited national parks…”
“This announced price hike comes amid a decline in international tourism to the US, fueled by changes to tariff policies and crackdowns on immigration.”
The Interior Department’s statement also highlighted “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” for next year which includes Memorial Day, Fourth of July Independence Day weekend and June 14, “Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday.”
“resident-only patriotic fee-free days”
Good news folks-
We are rationing out free access to federal lands you paid for the same as the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.
Will big cash/aid to foreign governments for war related projects continue to flow?
People who visit from distant lands probably don’t want or need the annual pass. Ditto for some who live here too. The day pass will be good enough.
The article fails to mention that people who want the day pass will now be required to show papers to establish citizenship?
Some of us may want to travel about inside the USA as anonymous persons.
The Oak Bay Starfish Take
American popular & political culture insists on dividing people up into groups- then assigning a separate value to different groups.
Step over here and show us your papers before entering the park.
How many passengers are in the vehicle? All US citizens? Please pull over into the inspection lane for a brief interview and REAL ID check.
Trade, Travel and Friendship
Some might say trade, travel and friendship (as much as possible) are good for the economy. This approach may help to avoid misunderstandings and wars.
What we get instead:
Tariffs/tariff threats, threatening Greenland, talk of making Canada the 51st state, increased entry fees at national parks for foreign visitors, etc.
Welcoming Visitors – USA Style – 2026
Friends and family or an exchange student visiting from Canada, Japan or Europe?
You’d like to have a good visit when you travel to see them. Plan to roll out the welcome mat when they visit here next summer.
A trip to a national park might be a chance to leave the pressures of the world behind for a few hours. Now, it will be a stop and ID event? Sort of like trying to enter a military facility?
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
In The News
National parks announce ‘America-first’ fee surges for international tourists
By Yahya Salem – CNN
Nov 26, 2025
Imagine a Japanese family. They are not US citizens. They come to the US each summer to visit family, go to Disneyland, see the Grand Canyon, etc.
For USA 250, will they be forced to interact with masked and militarized ICE agents?
Feeling The Energy – USA 250
Back home:
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
Possibly of interest:
National Parks Hospitality & Goodwill Program
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Above: Approved Flag Images
Symbol of a US press that has failed to keep people informed on public policy issues over the past 35 years or so.
Symbol of a US Presidential Administration and US Dept. of Homeland Security promoting the idea that borders have been sealed.
If Kristi Noem has sealed the borders why would suspected drug trafficking boats be a problem?
Since the Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count has kept cartel drugs out, are Seattle area drug addicts having any problem finding their cartel product of choice?
Any questions from newspeople?
In The News
Here is a large Seattle Times article on copper theft that makes zero mention of how the problem may tie into illegal drug culture.
Sound Transit still can’t prevent copper wire thefts that stop service
By Mike Lindblom
Seattle Times transportation reporter
Feb. 21, 2026
Other Sources
Other sources are OK with describing how drugs fit in here.
“Property crime feeds drug crime. Drug crime fuels more property crime. And the people running the city have spent years pretending these connections don’t matter.”
“We were told not to criminalize addiction, or over-police. Activists warned us not to prosecute unless absolutely necessary.”
Source:
Rantz: This Ballard copper theft shows how soft-on-crime Seattle really is
Jan 14, 2026, 8:00 AM
By Jason Rantz – Talk Show Host and Columnist at Seattle Red
Why Do Drug Addicts Steal Copper?
“Most of these crimes are driven by the high price of copper, and many are committed by people who are looking to sell the metal to support their drug habits.”
“Because copper is usually priced much higher than other metals, it is a well-desired and profitable metal for people looking to feed their drug addiction.”
Source:
Related:
Secure Border BS – Just Ask The DEA
USA- Home of The Fantasy Newsperson
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
A symbol of US politics in recent years.
Wreck of the Peter Iredale – Oregon Coast
Turn the clock back two years. Was I happy with the US Presidential Administration at the time? No.
Happy today? No.
In recent years, both parties serve up their own dose of cringe.
Get ready for a big cheerleading speech Tuesday evening.
Whatever Happened To Democrats & Republicans Of The Past?
JFK speaks of presidential leadership and the role of the press in a free society.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
An old blog I posted:
Looking back towards the Cold War Era there were several memorable people who were elected to office as members of the Democratic Party.
Today
Liberty Vault
Old Man Blog category:
Thoughts on changes in American culture relating to those born roughly in the late 50s & early 60s.
Original Old Man Blog here: https://oldmanblogdotcom.wordpress.com
New updates here: https://oakbaystarfish.com/category/old-man-blog/
Possibly of interest:
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
News Content
USA- Home of The Fantasy Newsperson
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
Above: Port Townsend Ship Canal/South Indian Island
Tax money- which some people intend to be used to help others via public assistance programs– also goes for bombing Somalia.
Helping others by donating to churches or private charities, food banks, etc. can avoid these conflicts.
Donors are free to opt out if a charity misbehaves.
Forced Charity
The government doesn’t specialize in anything other than feeding itself.
People could keep more of their own money to donate to causes of their choosing if the federal government was not taking it to pay for wasteful programs.
Original post:
Nov 22, 2016
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
Three on air personalities work the report below.
Live camera crew sent from Seattle to the middle of nowhere to stand in the dark and wait for flakes to fall update:
KING 5 News
Welcome Home Troops
KING 5 News again:
The Fantasy Newsperson
The newsperson reports:
Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count Now At 145
By Wilko Martinez Cachero
Daily Mail
Feb 18, 2026
“The latest operation brings the reported death toll to at least 145 since the Trump administration launched its war against suspected drug trafficking boats in early September.”
The fantasy newsperson asks:
Are Seattle area drug addicts having any problem finding their cartel product of choice due to any federal drug war effort?
Has any US community announced that first responders are finding less need for Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or any similar product used in overdose response situations?
Is there any possibility that any DEA office or DEA budget will be downsized due to the success of all US Dept. of Homeland Security/Dept. of War efforts in recent months?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US. More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
Related:
News Content
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Both major parties are good with it.
Both major parties are good with a giant, wasteful and ineffective US Dept. of Homeland Security.
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US.
More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count Now At 145
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Secure Border BS – Just Ask The DEA
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Both major parties are OK with federal prohibition of alcohol and tobacco for adults age 18-20.
No such thing the day I graduated from high school.
That was before decades of military operations for your freedoms.
Both major parties are good with elected officials and high level DOD civilians who speak of the US Armed Forces as if they function as some sort of giant civil rights organization by participating in decades of undeclared/unwon wars in distant lands.
More Discussion Please
Both major parties tell us The Troops are in distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.
CNN Nov 11, 2023
Biden honors Americans who ‘stood on the front lines of freedom’ in Veterans Day remarks
Sorry, no newspeople available to ask:
Mr President,
Going back to the 1990 Operation Desert Shield,
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq?
The Young Turks
Related:
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
South Korea
Former South Korean president receives life sentence for imposing martial law in 2024
By KIM TONG-HYUNG
WSB-TV
Feb 19, 2026
“…sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in 2024…”
Canada
Many Canadians don’t view US as an ally anymore: poll
By Charlotte Hazard – The National News Desk
Feb 20, 2026
USA
Supreme Court strikes down most of Trump’s tariffs in a major blow to the president
By Lawrence Hurley – NBC News
Feb 20, 2026
United Kingdom
Former Prince Andrew arrested over suspected misconduct in public office revealed in Epstein files
By Tucker Reals, Mariia Kashchenko
CBS News
Feb 19, 2026
Britain blocking use of air bases Trump says would be needed for strikes on Iran, UK media reports
By Brad Lendon – CNN
Feb 20, 2026
“British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has blocked a request from US President Donald Trump to allow US forces to use UK air bases during any preemptive attack on Iran…”
US Reaction
Tennessee Brando
The Hill
Possibly of interest:
Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count Now At 145
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Secure Border BS – Just Ask The DEA
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Tennessee Brando
Possibly of interest:
Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count Now At 145
Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.
Sponsored by a local Invisible Veteran chapter.
The weak-minded culture expects very little from its newspeople.
Three on air personalities work the report below.
Live camera crew sent from Seattle to the middle of nowhere to stand in the dark and wait for flakes to fall update:
KING 5 News
Welcome Home Troops
KING 5 News again:
The Fantasy Newsperson
The newsperson reports:
Vietnam-Style Drug Boat Body Count Now At 145
By Wilko Martinez Cachero
Daily Mail
Feb 18, 2026
“The latest operation brings the reported death toll to at least 145 since the Trump administration launched its war against suspected drug trafficking boats in early September.”
The fantasy newsperson asks:
Are Seattle area drug addicts having any problem finding their cartel product of choice due to any federal drug war effort?
Has any US community announced that first responders are finding less need for Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or any similar product used in overdose response situations?
Is there any possibility that any DEA office or DEA budget will be downsized due to the success of all US Dept. of Homeland Security/Dept. of War efforts in recent months?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US. More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
Feeling The Energy
Back home:
National Parks Hospitality & Goodwill Program
Macho Swagger
Watch Secretary of War Pete Hegseth takes thrilling fighter jet ride with ‘Top-Gun’ pilots:
Since 1986 Top Gun:
The US Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911.
We haven’t won a war since.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, it feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars. Is it understandable that young people and their parents and grandparents would take a dim view on all this?
Department of War & Armistice Day
In the 60s & 70s I never attended a Veterans Day assembly at school.
There were none.
Probably enough veterans around to remove most of the mystique, or maybe those veterans thought it was all just an average thing and did not want to be seen as a separate part of American society, or get head of the line parking spots over at the grocery store. Maybe the concept of Armistice Day had not gone completely extinct.
Growing up in the 60s & 70s- veterans were all around- church, school, Boy Scout leaders, family, the neighborhood, etc. It was all just an average thing. These folks weren’t seen as a separate part of American society.
People weren’t stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.
These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.
Decades after the lessons of Vietnam, the Pentagon seems to specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Veterans Day
One of the very most meaningful federal holidays for some. Stolen from Armistice Day in the 1950s. At that time, the US Dept. of Defense had started a decades long tradition of not being able to stay out of or win undeclared wars in distant lands.
It’s all about the freedom folks.
Biden honors Americans who ‘stood on the front lines of freedom’ in Veterans Day remarks
CNN Nov 11, 2023
Sorry, no newspeople available to ask:
Mr President,
How would American freedoms today be any different if US troops were never sent to Iraq in the very early 1990s?
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
News Content
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Over in Island County
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
Newspeople remain silent.
Whidbey Homeland Security Grant Money- Newspeople Remain Silent
A giant flag ritual at the next ball game will make it all good.
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
From The Web
MARINE DETAINED IN MINNEAPOLIS SAYS FEDS COPIED HIS PHONE WITHOUT A WARRANT
He was observing after Alex Pretti’s killing. He says feds detained him at gunpoint, sampled his DNA, scanned his face, and cloned his phone.
Austin Campbell – The Intercept
Feb 12 2026
“Saari, a Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, went to the scene of Alex Pretti’s killing in Minneapolis less than an hour after federal agents fired the fatal shots.”
“…Saari said agents shackled his hands and feet, photographed him, scanned his face, and forced him to provide a DNA sample by depressing his tongue and swabbing the inside of his mouth. He said agents denied him access to an attorney, even though they were present elsewhere in the building and in contact with civilians and federal officials that day.”
Same country that stages a big celebration of freedom and independence from a powerful central government each July 4th.
As Tennessee Brando would say: Where is the “don’t tread on me” crowd now?
“As U.S. citizens, we have the right to keep each other informed about what our government officials are doing and how they’re doing it,” commented Mark Hodges, one of the plaintiffs.
The problem is that the Trump administration doesn’t recognize that right.”
“…it’s an intolerable attack by yet another presidential administration on free speech rights.”
Source:
The Trump Administration’s War Against ICE Critics
By conflating opposition with terrorism, federal officials go down a dangerous path.
J.D. Tuccille – Reason
Feb 18, 2926
Tennessee Brando
JFK speaks of presidential leadership and the role of the press in a free society.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
Plan To Try And Celebrate Your Freedoms – USA 250
Feeling the energy:
Related:
Take An Oath To The Constitution
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
Above: A meetup with newspeople who ask questions.
Sponsored by a local Invisible Veteran chapter.
In The News
By Wilko Martinez Cachero
Daily Mail
Feb 18, 2026
“The latest operation brings the reported death toll to at least 145 since the Trump administration launched its war against suspected drug trafficking boats in early September.”
Weak-Minded Culture
The weak-minded culture here in the US expects very little from newspeople.
Newspeople have avoided asking questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance for decades now.
Why It Matters
Americans were told that they faced a life and death situation after 911. If certain actions were not taken, terrorists could come to America to disrupt our way of life and attempt another 911.
If all this was a life and death situation that required sending the troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be important to ask a few public policy questions about what was going on?
Newspeople have a long history of not asking questions in this area.
The Fantasy Newsperson
The fantasy newsperson asks:
Are Seattle area drug addicts having any problem finding their cartel product of choice due to any federal drug war effort?
Has any US community announced that first responders are finding less need for Narcan, buprenorphine, Naloxone, fentanyl test strips, or any similar product used in overdose response situations?
Is there any possibility that any DEA office or DEA budget will be downsized due to the success of all US Dept. of Homeland Security/Dept. of War efforts in recent months?
The US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US. More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
Has any community anywhere in the US downsized or shut down any local drug task force, or narcotics enforcement team due to the success of Dept. of War strikes on narcoterrorist drug boats, ICE crackdowns and designating cartels as terrorist organizations?
Any questions from newspeople?
Just Ask The DEA About Sealed Borders
Made for TV DEA spokesperson lets us know what to think.
Newspeople play along by not asking questions:
Under Kristi Noem
Cartels move product into all 50 states.
DEA High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas:
“…HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states…”
Welcome Home Troops. Thanks for doing time/risking your ass in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to keep a post 911 USA safe & secure.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Welcome Home Troops
Common flashlight batteries are now locked up like diamond jewelry:

Kristi Noem is sealing off the border. Any day now, cartel drugs will no longer be available anywhere in WA.
People will no longer need cash to support a drug habit. There will be no more need to steal, and we can all go back to how things were in the last century.
Back to a time before the US Dept. of Homeland Security was established in 2002. This giant federal agency now has more than two decades of experience and lessons learned in working to prevent cartel product from entering the US.
More overdose deaths now, or before DHS?
We’re not impressed.
Credibility squandered, enthusiasm dried up.
Don’t lie to people and maybe they would be more patriotic.
Related:
Secure Border BS – Just Ask The DEA
Investigation Took Nearly 3 Years – Drug War Scam Update
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Some version of REAL ID has been required at border crossings and ports of entry since 2009.
More cartel drug overdose deaths now, or before REAL ID?
Any questions from newspeople?
Above: Approved Flag Images
A symbol of the propaganda that makes it all work.
Altenative media is OK with asking questions while TV newspeople still do their thing.
WatchlistTYT
More related to news content here:
Newspeople Not Asking Questions
Sound Publishing And Black Press Media
Port Angeles Homeland Security Spending Spree
Grays Harbor Fentanyl & Meth Not Stopped By Kristi Noem
Air Travel – TV Newspeople Will Never Question The War On Terror
Over in Island County
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
Newspeople remain silent.
Whidbey Homeland Security Grant Money- Newspeople Remain Silent