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Oh the hypocrisy.

Ever since Arizona passed its controversial law allowing police to check a suspect’s immigration status, the federal government had been intimating that it would file suit to stop the measure. 

Which it finally did.  (Although, in a moment of utter embarrassment, Attorney General Eric Holder testified of his intention to file suit despite his admission that he’d NEVER READ the ten page Arizona law!) 

And the results of the lawsuit?  Wholly predictable.

The Right is furious, the Left satiated, and, as always, common sense people are still out in the cold.

Fact is, the Arizona law, signed by a Republican Governor and a red-meat issue to the GOP base, is 100% meaningless.  Beyond providing fiery agenda-driven rhetoric — for both sides —, it’s just the latest futile attempt to solve America’s out-of-control illegal invader problem.

Why the hypocrisy? Because instead of focusing on the real issues, like building a border wall and cracking down on employers who hire illegals, the Administration is trying to score political points by hoping the Republican position alienates Latino voters.

If Obama and the Congress were really concerned about reigning in a state for doing its own thing — against the wishes of the federal government —perhaps a better lawsuit would be one against those who are in flagrant violation of federation immigration law. After all, these states are the biggest obstacle to sound immigration policy.

New Mexico would be a good start.

*****

After we get through the white noise of Arizona’s law being one that harasses the good illegals who have broken America’s laws to get here, or conversely, that such a measure is mandatory to protect our citizens from the invaders, it would be nice to stop and actually ask the most basic question:

How, exactly, are the police supposed to check the immigration status of people they suspect are in the country illegally? What document proving citizenship will they be seeking?

There is no national ID card, and probably about six people nationwide even know where their Social Security card is, so, for the most part, that leaves the driver’s license.

Granted, not everyone drives, but it would be a good starting place. 

Well, except for one small thing.

Several states still issue drivers licenses to illegal invaders.  States like….New Mexico, which just so happens to border Arizona.

(This practice does not comply with Federal Real ID Act requirements.  The Act mandates that, in order for a license to be recognized by the U.S. Government, states may issue licenses only after determining “proof of identity and lawful status of an applicant” and “verification of the source documents provided by an applicant.”)

So when Juan Valdez is pulled over for a traffic stop, on suspicion that he is an illegal, he will be required to prove his status as a citizen or legal immigrant.

As he whips out his license from New Mexico, Utah or Washington, or any of the eight other states that until recently issued licenses to known illegals, along with car insurance (because you can’t get car insurance without a license), a sly smile will creep across his face. There will be no deportation this night.  God Bless America!

Of course, it doesn’t stop with licenses….

Read more at Philly Mag’s Philly Post and post a comment:

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/07/27/arizonas-immigration-law-well-intentioned-but-meaningless/

About Chris Freind:

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter who operates his own news bureau, www.FreindlyFireZone.com

Readers of his column, “Freindly Fire,” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris’ recent bestseller “Catastrophe.”

Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on the Philadelphia-area talk radio show, Political Talk (WCHE 1520), and makes numerous other television and radio appearances.  He can be reached at CF@FreindlyFireZone.com

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Supposedly Sestak spoke at a CAIR fundraiser in 2007.

CAIR (Council for American-Islamic Relations) hasn’t ever been institutionally linked to terrorism (to my knowledge), but some people in and around CAIR have been. Generally speaking, CAIR leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Oh my.

(Thanks to Angela Lash)

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Obama And More Offshore Drilling: The Opportunity Of A Lifetime

They say timing is everything.      

And they are right.

If not for perfect timing, and a near impossible confluence of events, Barack Obama would most certainly not be President.

But he is, and once again, timing has played a huge role in his life.

The question now is whether he possesses true leadership — the internal fire that pushes a man to do great things against almost impossible odds — to turn the largest environmental disaster in American history into one of the greatest opportunities ever to come before a President.

Will Obama have the strength and will to seize this opportunity? If so, he will, more than any other President, free this nation of its dependency on foreign oil, bolster the economy and substantially increase our national security.

*****

The BP oil spill has had tragic consequences, but none greater than the calls to stop drilling, and instead concentrate on “alternative” energy sources.

That would be a huge mistake.

As Freindly Fire noted in a 2008 column:

“Investing in alternative energy is important, to be sure…wind, hydro and solar power initiatives are key, as are battery and electric powered vehicles and machinery. But many of these technologies will require trillions of both public and private funding, and realistically, all are many years away from making a substantial difference. They are all longer-term solutions, and, to be honest, are unproven in how effective their widespread use will be….”

Fact is, we live in something called The Real World, where a tremendous amount of oil is used, with more and more consumed every year. That won’t change, period.

So while “green” solutions are nice, black gold still rules the day.

The quicker we recognize that and focus our primary energies on domestic oil production, the better off we’ll be.

*****

Which national leader innately understands this? 

Would it be the oilman George W. Bush or his Halliburton-affiliated sidekick Dick Cheyney?  Or is it the patriarch of the Bush family, George Herbert Walker Bush?

None of the above.

Ironically, it is Barack Obama.

*****

The elder Bush signed the moratorium on offshore drilling.  His son left it in place for SEVEN years, despite having sizable majorities in both Houses of Congress.  Only after fuel costs skyrocketed to over $4.50/gallon did W. call for the lifting of the moratorium.

Too little, too late. And it never happened.

What could have prevented those crippling spikes at the pump?

Offshore drilling — both off the continental shelves and in ANWR (the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) — and the construction of new refineries, given that the last one was built in 1976.

And what better time to have pushed it through than right after the September 11 attacks.

In addition to having a Republican congress and nearly 100% of the nation behind him, Bush had the world’s goodwill in his corner. 

Instead, this nation’s reliance on foreign oil — which is a kind way of saying we are pumping petro dollars into the coffers of some who are hellbent on destroying us — has only increased.

*****

Earlier this year, before the BP spill, Obama proposed that we expand our offshore drilling ventures, and freed up millions of acres of coastal water for exploration and development.  In addition, he called for an increase in nuclear power plants across America.

Since Obama is the leader of the Democratic Party, that move took guts.

Most Democrats oppose both initiatives, and some of the Party’s most powerful constituencies, such as the environmental lobby, are stridently supporting their position with millions of dollars and votes.

Nonetheless, Obama pressed on, fighting for issues generally associated with Republicans.

The response from the GOP?   They attacked him.

And why? …..

Read more at http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/06/22/barack-obamas-opportunity-of-a-lifetime/

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Sestak and Veterans Groups Wrong To Criticize Specter Ad

 “We’re all here because we’re enraged at the fact that someone, anyone in the United States today, would question someone with 31 years of (military) service.”

So said a retired lieutenant general about Arlen Specter’s television ad which stated that Joe Sestak, his opponent in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary, was relieved of duty in the Navy for creating a “poor command climate.”

Other veterans have chimed in with similar criticism of Specter, labeling the Senator and his commercial as “disrespectful” and “unpatriotic,” and adding that it should be off the table to question, let alone criticize, a veteran.

And making the sin mortal, we are told, is that it’s one veteran attacking another.

That line of thinking is not only wrong, but dangerous.

Why should anyone’s record be off limits to scrutiny —veteran or not — especially when that someone is seeking to become a United States Senator?

*****

First of all, allowing anyone’s record to go unchecked is closer to having a dictatorship than a democracy. It goes without saying that our freedom to ask tough questions of our leaders — without fear of retribution — is the cornerstone of a free society.

No one should get a free pass.  No one.

If that ever changes, you might as well pack it in.

Secondly, beyond the tenuous code these veterans like to invoke, it becomes clear that they don’t understand, or don’t want to acknowledge, that two plus two always has to equal four.

Translation: they may not like their candidate being attacked, especially by a fellow vet, but the facts in Specter’s ad are just that—facts.

The issue isn’t whether the commercial is “disrespectful,” but whether it’s true.

And in this case, the facts speak for themselves.

Sestak was a three-star admiral who, in 2005, was fired from his post as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations by then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Mullen. (Mullen now serves as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff).

Of significant interest is that Admiral Mullen fired Sestak on the very first day Mullen started in his new post.

According to the Navy Times — a reputable source — the reason cited for Sestak’s dismissal was that he created a “poor command climate.”  The publication went on to state, “Sestak was then shuffled into lower-profile desk jobs before he retired in January 2006 as a two-star admiral.”

In fact, many press reports quote another admiral familiar with Sestak as calling his leadership style “tyrannical,” and one in which he commanded “…by intimidation and fear.”

So let’s recap:

1)    Sestak was a three star admiral.

2)    Sestak was fired from his position as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations.

3)    Sestak ended up working at lower profile jobs.

4)    Sestak retired as a two star admiral — a lesser rank than he held previously held.

It is a reasonable assumption that Mullen was so disturbed by what he saw of Sestak’s command climate that he had no problem demoting Sestak.

So when we read a veteran’s quote stating, “he wasn’t demoted,” it becomes obvious that the issue is more about politics than defending a fellow veteran’s record. 

By definition, when an admiral is relieved of command, that’s a demotion. 

And by the way, according to news reports, Sestak has never demanded….

Read the rest at Philly Post…comments are encouraged:

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2010/05/04/sestak-and-veterans-groups-wrong-to-criticize-specter-ad/

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Talking Points Memo

Today, a two-count complaint and warrant was filed charging Norman Leboon with threatening to kill United States Congressman Eric Cantor and his family, and threatening to kill Congressman Eric Cantor, who is an official of the United States, announced United States Attorney Michael L. Levy and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jan Fedarcyk. As set forth in the affidavit to the complaint and warrant, in or about late March, 2010, Leboon created and then transmitted a YouTube video to Google over the internet, in which he threatened to kill Congressman Cantor and his family. No harm came to the Congressman or his family as a result of Leboon’s threats.

Leboon also happens to be a Barack Obama donor.

(tip to JammieWearingFool)

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Isn’t this why he stabbed Conservatives in the back??

Holder: Bin Laden Never To Be Caught Alive

Usama bin Laden will never be captured alive, Attorney General Eric Holder told lawmakers on Tuesday.

“The possibility of capturing him alive is infinitesimal,” Holder said. “He will be killed by us, or he will be killed by his own people so that he is not captured by us. We know that. … The possibility simply does not exist.”

That assessment, which Holder said was based on “all the intelligence I have had to review,” came during an often-heated hearing of a House Appropriations subcommittee.

Republicans pressed Holder over recent decisions to prosecute terrorism suspects in civilian courts, and they suggested he intends to treat terrorism suspects as “common criminals.”

Holder said such suggestions tend to “get my blood boiling,” calling them “anything but the truth.”

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Jihad Jane Shows The Need For MORE Profiling!

The arrest of “Jihad Jane,” a white American woman accused of plotting with known terrorists, is both good and bad.

Good, of course, because those associating with terrorists should be brought to justice. (Colleen LaRose, Jane’s real name, showed her genius by publicly posting her intention to kill Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, who had drawn Mohammed in a way she found offensive).

So yes, she’s a freak, and was a threat. Enough said.

But bad, because of all the politically correct morons who have once again come out of the woodwork, ranting that “profiling” is racist and doesn’t work. After all, they tell us, LaRose was one of us, and didn’t fit a terrorist profile, so therefore all profiling should cease.

It’s truly incredible how seemingly intelligent people can be so obtuse.

Take Richard Clarke, the former Counterterrorism Czar to two Presidents.

For our purposes, we’ll just call him “Dick.”

On a news program discussing the Jihad Jane case, Dick stated that, “profiling…has no value.”

Sure, Dick. You bet it doesn’t.

And along that line of thinking, I have only one more thing to add: your proctologist called, Dick.

He found your head.

Read the rest of Freindly Fire’s Jihad Jane column below and please post a comment!

http://www.freindlyfirezone.com/index.php/national-news/item/25-jihad-jane-shows-the-need-for-more-profiling

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Well.. Hmm.

The former boyfriend of a Montgomery County woman charged in a foreign terrorism plot says she never showed any Muslim or other religious leanings.

Kurt Gorman tells Eyewitness News he was shocked to learn of Colleen LaRose’s arrest.

“Total shock and still can’t believe it,” said Gorman.

Gorman met LaRose while working in Texas. They spent the next five years together. During that time, Gorman said LaRose spent most of her days inside their Pennsburg, Pennsylvania apartment.

Gorman said she helped care for his ailing father and then disappeared after his death last summer. It is alleged LaRose took off for Europe where she is accused of recruiting terrorists for a deadly mission.

“I came home and she was gone,” Gorman said.

When do the liberal terrorist enablers start crawling out of the woodwork demanding to know why she’s been locked up since October and no one knew.

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The “Jack Murtha” Philadelphia Navy Shipyard? Just Say NO!

BY CHRIS FREIND
“FREINDLY FIRE”

Reports have surfaced that Pennsylvania Democrats are in favor of naming the iconic Philadelphia Navy Shipyard after the recently-deceased Congressman Jack Murtha.

I have just one question for those who favor of such a preposterous idea— such as Congressman Bob Brady—:

“Hi. I’m Earth. Have we met?”

On what planet are these people living?

Yes, naming the veritable shipyard —one that played a decisive role in the Allies’ victory in World War II — after a man who flagrantly disregarded that old document called The Constitution for his own political benefit seems like a swell idea.

*********
A Vietnam veteran, Murtha knew firsthand how difficult fighting could be on both the battlefield and homefront. One would think a war as controversial as Vietnam, in which soldiers became targets of venomous slurs and unfair accusations by the public and elected officials, would have taught Big Jack the lessons of patience, humility and honor.
One would be wrong.

Read more at The Artorius News Bureau’s FreindlyFireZone.com, and please feel free to post a comment:

http://www.freindlyfirezone.com/index.php/local-news/item/20-the-“jack-murtha”-philadelphia-navy-shipyard?-just-say-no

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and investigative reporter who operates his own new site, The Artorius News Bureau. Readers of his column “Freindly Fire” hail from six continents, thirty countries and all fifty states. His work has been referenced in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, foreign newspapers, and in Dick Morris’ recent bestseller “Catastrophe.”
Freind also serves as a weekly guest commentator on a Philadelphia-area talk radio show, WCHE, and makes numerous other television and radio appearances. He can be reached at CF@FreindlyFireZone.com

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But Mr Governor, shouldn’t it have been closed a few weeks ago?

Bill Lawrence Online

Gov. Ed Rendell, on Fred Thompson’s radio show today said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed should be tried before a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay.

“Let him plead guilty before a military tribunal in Gitmo,” Rendell said.

There had been talk about holding the trial in Western Pennsylvania after New York politicians started rebelling against the plan to have it in The Big Apple.

The show-trial of these guys will be a colossal embarrassment to the President and to this country.

The outcome is not in doubt. But the procedure of it definitely is. To our detriment.

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Not cool at all, you union protected idiot.

What happened to her lasted only 20 seconds, but she says they were the longest 20 seconds of her life.

After pulling her laptop out of her carry-on bag, sliding the items through the scanning machines, and walking through a detector, she went to collect her things.

A TSA worker was staring at her. He motioned her toward him.

Then he pulled a small, clear plastic bag from her carry-on – the sort of baggie that a pair of earrings might come in. Inside the bag was fine, white powder.

She remembers his words: “Where did you get it?”

Two thoughts came to her in a jumble: A terrorist was using her to sneak bomb-detonating materials on the plane. Or a drug dealer had made her an unwitting mule, planting coke or some other trouble in her bag while she wasn’t looking.

She’d left her carry-on by her feet as she handed her license and boarding pass to a security agent at the beginning of the line.

Answer truthfully, the TSA worker informed her, and everything will be OK.

Solomon, 5-foot-3 and traveling alone, looked up at the man in the black shirt and fought back tears.

Put yourself in her place and count out 20 seconds. Her heart pounded. She started to sweat. She panicked at having to explain something she couldn’t.

Now picture her expression as the TSA employee started to smile.

Just kidding, he said. He waved the baggie. It was his.

The TSA white-shirt is no longer employed by the TSA. Citing privacy laws, the TSA cannot reveal a) his name or b) why he’s no longer employed.

Nice.

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In recent days, the public has received a clearer picture of what was known, and when, about the attempted Christmas Day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, and his plot to destroy an American-bound airliner in its descent to Detroit. From the National Security Agency to the Central Intelligence Agency to the National Counterterrorism Center, pertinent information was scattered across the national security spectrum. While the Obama Administration has insisted there was no “smoking gun” prior to the attempted attack, the government report detailing the systematic breakdown highlighted the inability of the intelligence community to connect the dots on the suspect’s background and deadly intentions.

In fact, the report often cites the shortcomings of the government and the deficiencies of particular agencies, communities, or organizations in protecting the homeland. Yet, what the report does not remind its audience, and what is absent in the furor over the White House’s response to the terrorist plot, is that these institutions, no matter their power, are made up of error-prone individuals. Human systems, despite technological advances and computer intelligence, are inherently flawed and, thus, could be compromised. For all that has been done to establish a centralized federal government capable of intercepting, decoding, and making sense of valuable intelligence in the name of security, an all-knowing and efficient entity is not within reach. David Brooks of The New York Times put it this way in his column, “The God That Fails”:

Bureaucracies are always blind because they convert the rich flow of personalities and events into crude notations that can be filed and collated. Human institutions are always going to miss crucial clues because the information in the universe is infinite and events do not conform to algorithmic regularity.

This is not to suggest that we give up or stop trying. For all the money expended on security measures, the public rightfully demands results (and they get them in the vast majority of cases). We should never cease in our efforts to improve our methods at the same time we remain aware of unavoidable holes in the net. Sadly, regardless of our preparations or the amount of money we dole out, perfection will never be achieved. As the old cliché goes, we must be forever vigilant and bat 1.000 when dire situations do arise. Those who wish to do us harm, however, need only succeed one to win.

Criticism is warranted, of course, when failures occur. The buck, as Obama channeled Harry Truman, stops with him. But the chattering classes’ incessant finger-pointing for the sake of finger-pointing is not synonymous with the useful tasks of delegating responsibility and placing blame. No one denies that public officials like Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Deputy National Security Adviser for Counterterrorism John Brennan now have to redouble their efforts to secure our interests and counter threats to the United States. Nevertheless, insisting that someone, anyone, be fired or forced to resign after the system is exposed for its weakness does not guarantee change. Substituting one official for another is nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Whether it is an argument over the appropriate leadership and direction from Washington or airport regulations across the country, a reasoned and rational approach is not possible unless people understand who is running the Great Bureaucracy: Us, we, you and me—simple, imperfect human beings.

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So we negotiate.

The U.S. Government is offering the suspect charged with attempting to bomb an aircraft on Christmas Day, Omar Abdulmutallab, some kind of incentives to share what he knows about Al Qaeda, White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said Sunday.

Asked why Abdulmutallab should cooperate given his right, as criminal defendant, to remain silent, Brennan replied: “He doesn’t have to but he knows there are certain things that are on the table… if he wants to engage with us in a productive manner, there are ways he can do that.”

Awesome.

Instead of strapping this guy to a board and pouring water down his throat till he talks, we get this.

(tip to Ace)

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CBS3.com

Philadelphia Police are investigating the discovery of a Molotov cocktail along with anti-Israeli books inside a Center City parking garage.

The discovery was made at about 2:00 p.m. Wednesday inside a garage located at Callowhill and N. 16th Streets. The garage is in close proximity to the office of the Department of Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices.

Those two things are often found together.

We can only blame radical Episcopalians.

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She’s quite inept, and it’s bordering on criminally ignorant.

Time for her to go.

Napolitano has a habit of arguing that DHS is a first responder outfit. Its mission is to deal with “man-caused-disasters” afer they occur. It appears she really believes it. If the White House wants to assure people that it takes the war on terror seriously (a term Robert Gibbs used this morning by the way), they could start by firing this patenly unqualified hack.

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Lisa, I’m surprised that Napolitano didn’t claim that it was her plan all along to put Dutch badasses on planes so that they could subdue any potential terrorists who might try something.

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Funny, just the other day Congressman Jack Murtha said Al-Qaida wasn’t much of a threat.

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Possible campaign ad for Corbett (or perhaps Specter) here:

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Chris doesn’t seem to think it should be a crime for Nidal Hasan to contact Al Qaeda:

He makes a phone call or whatever, according to Reuters right now. Apparently he tried to contact al-Qaida. Is that the point at which you say, ‘This guy is dangerous?’ That’s not a crime to call up al-Qaida, is it? Is it? I mean, where do you stop the guy?”

(via NewsBusters, h/t Amanda Carpenter)

I find Jim Treacher’s response appropriate:

His alimentary canal runs backwards.

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Friends,

I am pleased to inform you that Philadelphia has been selected to host a monthly Center-Right Coalition meeting, following the hugely-successful model of Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). We will be one of the few non-state capital cities to have such a gathering.

The kick-off meeting, which I will be hosting, will be Thursday, November 12 at the Union League in Philadelphia, with Mr. Norquist in attendance. Light refreshments will be served at 7:00 AM, with the program going from 7:30 to 9:00. The Union League is located at 140 S. Broad Street, just two blocks south of City Hall.

In Grover’s words, the objective is “to get everybody who is center-right to tell each other what they are doing, to share technology and tactics, and to tell stories” regarding issues facing Pennsylvania and the nation.

One key function, according to ATR, is to facilitate collaborative activities of coalition members, many of whom may have not previously known one another, and foster the potential for mutual cooperation.

The rules are simple: Anyone who so desires may speak for three minutes on current initiatives, answer questions, and pass the microphone to the next speaker.

The only prohibition is whining. It is a positive meeting, one that will unify southeastern Pennsylvania.

Attendees will typically include influential political, business, policy and grassroots leaders.

If anyone who would like several minutes on the agenda, please let me know.

You are encouraged to bring any literature for distribution.

I hope to see you next Thursday.

For future reference, the monthly meetings will be held on the FIRST THURSDAY of each month at the Union League, with the same time format as above.

Feel free to invite colleagues and associates. All meetings are off the record.

Steadfast,

Christopher Freind
“Freindly Fire”
Audaces fortuna iuvat
610-659-0098
christopherfreind@hotmail.com (E before I in Freind)
CF@FreindlyFireZone.com

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