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Obama Admits He Has One Regret Over ‘You Didn’t Build That’ Speech: The ‘Syntax’

Sep. 6, 2012 11:18am Becket Adams

During an interview with WWBT-TV, President Barack Obama said he regrets the “syntax” of his now-infamous “You Didn’t Build That” speech — but not the content.

“Obviously, I have regrets for my syntax,” said President Obama. ”But not for the point, because everyone who was there watching knows exactly what I was saying.”

Syntax, according to Dictionary.com, deals with the “formation of grammatical sentences in a language.” So in other words, Obama regrets they way he said it, but not what he said.

The president also said America is much, much better off than it was four years ago.

“We are absolutely better off than we were when I was sworn in and we were losing 800,000 jobs in a month,” he said, adding that there is “much more to do.”

NBC12.com – Richmond, VA News, Weather, Traffic

The president’s remarks on the role of government in individual success have been used as something of a “rallying cry” by the GOP and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan.

In fact, the theme of the Republican National Convention held last week in Tampa, Fla., was “We Built It.”

Perhaps because he has been attacked for his Elizabeth Warren-inspired speech by both the GOP and small business owners, the president finally decided that it was time to admit that maybe, just maybe, it didn’t sound too good.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

(H/T: FX). Front page photo source courtesy the AP. This story has been updated.

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Comments (134)

Diane TX
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 1:13pm
We all know exactly what he meant.

Obama believes that the government owns the People. The People are merely Serfs that have to give most of what earn to support our dictators.

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- Ghandi was a Republican
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 1:18pm
  The collective: A fancy name for serfdom. A structure whereby the masses are ruled by the few. An ancient and painful existence that the people will always fight to escape.. A system that cannot be maintained without the iron fist of an army against the people.
  
  Report this comment
- 13th Imam
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 6:09pm
  DEMOCRATS love to Tax. Even Syn
  
  Report this comment
- cbrown
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 6:47pm
  @Diane TX
  
  Why is Obama cutting taxes (lowest for past 30 years), spending cuts (1 Trillion), less regulation (compared to GW Bush)…
  
  Stock market is booming (highest point since 2000), ADP report (200K+ jobs added), Friday – good unemployment report, … time to cheer up and elect Obama.
- SamIamTwo
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 7:21pm
  cbrown
  
  Yeah, yeah…cut defense what’s new…and as for the market…you think he did something or was it the son of Soro’s and gang that ran it up? It’s Thursday dood, watch what happens tomorrow!
  
  Report this comment
- cbrown
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 9:53pm
  @SamIamTwo
  
  Why everything has to be a conspiracy? There is hardly any serious investor who would buy/sell in market to elect/defeat a President.
  
  Report this comment
- Shiroi Raion
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:27pm
  I don’t care what Obama says or does now. I’ve seen him lie and break promises and act like a dictator for 4 years. Since Romney and Obama are the only ones that can win. The choice is obvious. I’m voting for Romney and on that day, I’m making sure my entire family goes to the voting booth to vote out the prince of lies.
  
  Report this comment
- flying_bull
  Posted on September 8, 2012 at 5:47pm
  ▲
  ▲ ▲
  
  Oh, Obama…when will you learn?
  
  Report this comment
Detroit paperboy
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:51pm
We are so screwed if this Marxist is re elected…….

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- PorkPIG
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 2:06pm
  we are screwed not matter who gets elected ,seriously why do u think the campaigns are talking about 2ndary issues . This campaign should be about money/debt/economy/ and pointless wars , These things seem to be least talked about issues . Unfortunately none of it matters , we are in an economic collapse , the dollar is collapsing and we are the verge of a monetary reset in which the American ppl will get severaly screwed over , no matter who is charge .
  
  Report this comment
- PATTY HENRY
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 3:07pm
  SIT ON IT PORKPIG. Romney Ryan will do a marvelous job !! THIS COMMIE plant will be kicked out
  on his **** along with the WARRENS; CUTTERS, JARRETTS; AXELRODS; EMANUELS AND ALL OF THEIR NOSE-Thumbing attacks. Seriously, Historians will speak about it forever…the MISSED opportunity, the insult this entire administration has been to American’s; To Blacks’; to everyone who gives a damn. Obama’s great grandchildren will deny his name. He should be so ashamed of himself for trying to wreck this country.
  
  Report this comment
- PorkPIG
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 3:23pm
  LOL you can’t seriously believe all of what you just said !!! Do you understand the federal reserve system and debt based money ? Do u understand fractional reserve banking ? Have you looked at both parties joke of plan to cut the debt ? Even if we did both it would make zero difference . The dollar will continue to deflate more rapidly as time goes by , you wait and see . BTW anyone who supported NDAA is commie totalitarian in my book .
  
  Report this comment
- Whistleblower
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 3:26pm
  Former Rezko partner says he gave Tony $400K for Obama
  
  http://illinoispaytoplay.com/2012/02/27/former-rezko-partner-says-he-gave-tony-400k-for-obama/
  
  Report this comment
- WakingSheep
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 3:36pm
  Hate to tell you but we are screwed with either of the “electable” candidates.
  Does anybody on here realize Obama and Romney share the same economic views?
  They are keynsians!
  Romney believes in bailouts just as much as Obama!
  They are both central planners!
  Yes I understand he isn’t a Marxist…. He is progressive though!
  They are both BIG government!
  The saddest thing is this is only my second time to get to vote!
  I can’t even vote against the Marxist because the candidate/party I would be supporting frauded their way through the primary process!
  I guess Gary Johnson 2012 it is!
  
  Report this comment
- recondenny
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 4:33pm
  I’m done with all this minutia. I know all I need to know, so why just get pissed over “stuff” that doesn’t matter? I know you all will think I’m nuts, but…………………………………………………………………………..
  
  ROMNEY IN A LANDSLIDE!!!
  
  (remember my screen name on 11/7/12) : = ) )
  
  Report this comment
- US-First
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 5:16pm
  PORKPIG…. So you are going to tell us about the Federal Reserve? Its one thing to put someone on the defensive about understanding the Fed, its another to understand it yourself. I contend that NO one understands what the heck the Federal Reserve is doing, is capable of doing, or will do. You only know what you have been told. Please dispense with the generalities and questioning accusations.
  
  Point is, growth in production in all sectors and investment in in these sectors will turn around this economy. This will occur when industry and small business is unshackled form governmental regulation. We have the formula to grow the question is are we to afraid to use it. I liken it to the development of atomic energy. We knew we were building something destructive yet we had the confidence to believe we could control it and even develop beyond it. Today liberals call themselves progressives yet they would have look into the development of atomic energy and retreated. Now they see growth as destructive and have no faith that we can manage to overcome the obstacles created by continued growth in energy, food production or health care. They are in a wait and maintain mode. They are not striving to thrive. They are stagnating to maintain and equalize. Sorry but I see a clear difference between Romney and what I just described.
  
  Report this comment
- MadAsHeII
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 5:42pm
  If you guys want Mitt Romney to win, you better be aware of what is happening. Listen to this entire interview and get informed and figure out how to stop this storm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trxYTDYyHlA&feature=youtu.be
  
  It stems from this and has Tea Party voters up in arms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trxYTDYyHlA&feature=youtu.be
  
  Report this comment
Magyar
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:45pm
No surprise from a president who thinks there are 57 states– He got this wrong too– stupid a$$!

SYNTAX is the structure of a language–Liken it to the I-Beams, joists and trusses of a building.

GRAMMAR is a set of rules that governs how words are applied— Liken it to where and how the windows, doors can be placed.

Example: Yesterday I ‘goed’ to the beach. The error here is not SYNTAX, Mr. 57 States, it’s an error in grammar– the past tense of ‘go’ is ‘went’– but the SYNTAX is correct [subject > verb > predicate (in this case a prepositional phrase)].

SEMANTICS is the meaning or interpretation of words. This, I suggest, is the word Mr. “Corpse-man’ was searching for. …And he was the president of the Harvard Law Review? God help us!

Dumb people trying to use BIG words usually reveals their stupidity— No exception here.

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- Detroit paperboy
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 1:01pm
  The economy went south the minute the democrats took over congress in January 07,,,,,,,,,and the republicans are to stupid and spineless to point that out………they shoulda screamed from the rooftops…..
  
  Report this comment
- TEARS FOR AMERICA
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 1:33pm
  Magyar, thank you! I needed that!!
  
  Report this comment
- Budrow
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 3:44pm
  Here is Obama’s problem! Look into to this study, it will explain everything you want to know about Barrack Obama and his Obamaites.
  
  Obama IS The “Dunning-Kruger Effect” to-the-letter.
  
  http://www.spring.org.uk/2012/06/the-dunning-kruger-effect-why-the-incompetent-dont-know-theyre-incompetent.php
  
  Report this comment
- AlexV
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 6:51pm
  I don’t need to see Obama’s school record to know that he’s not very smart, but your explanation was spot on. This man continues to prove that he’s the least qualified person in any room he walks into to be president.
  
  Report this comment
- 4kidsandacat
  Posted on September 7, 2012 at 1:52pm
  OMG Magyar you said what I was trying to say! This fool doesn’t even know how language works. And the ego that goes along with that stupidity says that he still intended that idea when everyone knows what he meant and is pissed about what he meant and not how he arranged the sentences! The thing that really cracks me up now (or makes me cry, I can’t decide what to do) is that his supporters are NOW saying that experience matters! Where was that value four years ago?!?
  
  Report this comment
jacobstroubles
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:26pm
Syntax?…what…he speaks in computer programming errors now?..Seriously.
He said exactly what he meant to say. He thinks, he breaths, he lives it. he made no errors, other than to reveal his true feelings…

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OUTRIDER WRITER
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:24pm
He meant Sin Tax

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- Magyar
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:53pm
  LOL—perfect!
  
  Report this comment
glennpatstu
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:13pm
Honestly, anyone with half a brain understood what he was saying. Unfortunately, that would of course exclude all of you idiots. But, don’t let that stop you from being brainwashed by Beck- afterall, he IS a shock jock radio host who before figuratively ******* in your ears with his nonsense political babble, literally farted into microphones for a laugh. Litterally- the guy used to fart into a microphone.

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- TulsaYeeHaw
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:18pm
  SO.
  
  Obama said what you said and ridiculing me doesn’t change what he meant. He meant they didn’t do it, he meant they lied, cheated, exploited and stole their way to success, because that is how marxist crybabies think. Maybe if you loved individual liberty you would care, but you don’t. You enjoy pleasuring tyrants. Hope you brought a towel.
  
  Report this comment
- COFemale
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:26pm
  Obama believes you need a “collective” to succeed, thus you not making it on your own. You need government to help you determine your life goals and how well you succeed. Anyone with a brain knew exactly what he was saying; he does not believe you can do it yourself. Wise up. Now tell me who is brainwashed.
  
  Report this comment
- kaydeebeau
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 1:04pm
  So when he said in the few sentences prior something to the effect that ..I love how there are people who think they got where they are because they are so smart or they worked so hard. There are plenty of people who work hard…follwed by the now infamous line of you didn’t build that…. I am supposed to believe he doesn’t see me and everyone else along with our labor and our property as wards of the state that we are supposed to be grateful to the government? That the money used for roads and teachers and first reponders wasn’t really mine to begin with that paid for those things?
  
  You can twist it, spin it, turn it inside out all you want. Anyone with 2 functioning brain cells knows what he said and EXACTLY what he meant and it is not the American way. God help us it never will be the American way. 2 Chron 7:14
  
  Report this comment
- OLDPAINT
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 2:04pm
  You didn’t try to smell it through the speaker did you? It doesn’t work that way. I’ll bet you didn’t know that.
  
  Report this comment
- Godfather.1
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 2:44pm
  “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”
  
  He was referring to the bridges, roads, and American infrastructure that allows businesses to thrive in this country.
  
  You Blazers are absolutely incapable of objective thought. You are only able to see things through the rose colored glasses Glenn sold at his latest self-congratulation convention.
  
  By the way, explain how quoting Mitt as simply saying he likes to fire people, which is clearly out of context, is any different from what you BlazingBeckBots are doing here?
  
  Report this comment
- 68Patriot
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:01pm
  GODFATHER, You have the egg before the chicken.
  
  The roads, bridges and infrastructure could not happen without successful businesses that truly built this great country.
  
  In your warped reasoning, if the government built a road in the middle of nowhere then people would then start a business there.
  
  Towns and cities expand based on market conditions. If they prosper they expand. They don’t build raods and bridges and hope to prosper.
  
  Are you starting to get it now?
  
  Report this comment
term limits for congress
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:12pm
Corrected syntax: Y-y-y-y’all d-d-din’t b-b-build d-d-d-dat !!

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- ASTEHR
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 2:56pm
  too bad we cant force that on congress…as they would never vote that for themselves. it is time for one six year term and then get out of dodge. right now they have way too much power and they do not have a backbone to do what is right
  
  Report this comment
- Paul
  Posted on September 9, 2012 at 3:52pm
  Remember the Constitution can be amended by the states.
  
  Report this comment
NeverFalterNeverQuit
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:03pm
I don’t know what about the syntax he has to regret. He said and conveyed what he believes. I wish he regretted the context. I wish he believed individuals were responsible for their own successes and failures. I wish he believed in rugged individualism instead of a cradle to grave nanny state that robs people of their dignity by encouraging them to accept the status quo rather than improve their lot in life.

But he doesn’t.

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50Caliber
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:02pm
“Elizabeth Warren inspired comment”???…now there is a great pair, The Indian Maiden, and the Community activist, who thinks there are 57 States.

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heavyduty
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:02pm
He’s too stupid to have regrets. He has done more to harm business than to build it. He says we were loosing 800,000 jobs a month when he took office. Last night Clinton said 750,000 jobs a month, fox said that we were loosing 700,000 jobs. Can you see that no one knows how many is out of work. They are cooking the numbers as fast as they can.

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Gonzo
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:00pm
Translation from Obamaspeak: “The American people are just too ignorant to understand the brilliance of my remarks. I should have dumbed it down for them.”

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- TEXASGRANNY73
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:10pm
  I don’t agree. I think he regrets it because the Republicans found a heavy duty beauty baby to use against him.
  
  Report this comment
- Gonzo
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:38pm
  He’s incapable of regret, sociopaths always are.
  
  Report this comment
- Charisma
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 1:55pm
  Obama’s minions are just too stupid to think that he is anything but “heaven” sent. Must follow! Must follow!
  
  Report this comment
DaveCCC
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:57am
“You didn’t build that”, I guess that means the government has the rights to it. Better vote this ideologue fool out of the white house in November.

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- TEIN
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:13pm
  I just wonder what civil engineer and EPA representative built the Oregon trail for others to succeed in settling the West?? Was it done by government grants?? Union workers?? What part of the Fed Government made that possible?? Oh praise the State!!!
  
  Report this comment
buyundbuy
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:55am
“We are absolutely better off than we were when I was sworn in and we were losing 800,000 jobs in a month,”

I’ve heard the statement above repeatedly stated more than once every time the Obama administration’s failure is questioned. It’s supposed to deliver a very strong message which sticks in the mind and numb the rest of the brain to forget about the 5 trillion dollars that has been spent.

Amazing~!

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Tri-ox
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:49am
He be choomin’.

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- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:22pm
  If he believes that we are far better off than four years ago, he HAS been chooming, snorting, shooting, drinking, because he is out of his mind!
  
  Report this comment
- COFemale
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 12:31pm
  If you base “better off” totally on job loss, we are better today. We are not losing as many. However when you look at the overall picture, we are not. Obama and Democrats are only focusing on jobs not lost, not the economy as a whole.
  
  I AM NOT BETTER OFF. I AM ON THE VERGE OF BANKRUPTCY.
  
  Report this comment
- Basharr
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 7:48pm
  COFEMALE, You are not alone, and I also do not believe Obama stopped the job losses. My theory is we bottomed out. I watch this idiot on TV and I wonder how anybody ever thought he was right for the job. Further after what he has done how can they still push to give him a second term? It is mind numbing to know there are such numbers of people without expectations of success.
  
  Report this comment
chips1
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:41am
Obama—-”If you have a better idea, I’m all ears”!!!!!!

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- TxSon
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:57am
  You too?
  
  Report this comment
buyundbuy
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:41am
That message really resonated beyond his wildest imagination
Now he’s making excuses for the syntatic delivery.
The content remains the same so the substance remains unchanged.
No matter what.
The jerk in chief continues to make excuses.

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Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:35am
Syntax? Isn’t that what was typed on his teleprompter?

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:45am
  Actually, I think that 0bama strayed from his teleprompter and borrowed the “You didn’t build that” from the people who have said it in the past, Lenin, Stalin, Kruschev, Castro and others. …
  
  Report this comment
MODEL82A1
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:35am
The pull quote from that part of Obama’s speech is, “If you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there.” There is NO ambiguity of context or “syntax” with that statement and in the story above, he reiterates that it is EXACTLY what he believes.

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- Godfather.1
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 2:01pm
  Except, you are still leaving much of it out. You selectively choose only to include the parts that make it look the way you want. That is the same thing as claiming Mitt Romney simply said he loves to fire people.
  
  “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”
  
  Clearly, he was referring to roads and bridges and the infrastructure that helps your business. Stop listening to Beck and his misrepresentations and lies.
  
  Report this comment
- Kerizzo
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 5:48pm
  @Godfather.1–What you are not understanding is that even if he meant infrastructure, he is still saying that you didn’t build your business without that stuff. That it wasn’t how hard you worked or your idea that made the business successful, but simply that there was infrastructure there. Two major problems with this. 1) Govt doesn’t grow money on trees, it actually comes from SUCCESSFUL people. So, in a sense, the businesses paid for all that infrastructure anyway. 2) Lots of businesses fail. If success is based only on govt, how could that happen? All businesses along the same road should be equally successful if it was all because of govt. see, so whichever way you want to take the line from the speech, he is still 100% wrong and 100% socialist.
  
  Report this comment
- Godfather.1
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 6:05pm
  @Kerizzo
  
  He was not saying that you are can only be successful because of the government. He was saying that no one can really claim to be 100% self made. He never said that innovation and hard work don’t result in prosperity. Rather, he was saying that success does not come in a vacuum.
  
  And no, just because successful businesses does not make them the builder of the roads. Everyone pays taxes which then go to infrastructure. However, that does not mean you built that infrastructure. If it was up to you Glenntards, we wouldn’t have roads because none of you would pay taxes.
  
  Report this comment
Wildblue3
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:35am
Who ever said Obama stopped doing drugs in HS?? Seems like he is on them now.

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- chips1
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:43am
  He should spend more time with Brokaw.
  
  Report this comment
Sirfoldallot
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:35am
We all know when Obama took office we were losing 750k jobs a month, how long ? We all know since then ( 3 yrs 10 months ) we have lost over 300k jobs every month. Lets do some basic math here shall we ?

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CatB
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:29am
You mean that the TRUTH leaked out ..

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BurntHills
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:26am
that rabid narcissistic commie moron obviously thought all of America would cheer him and his psychotic anti-America rant.
only thing we here would cheer right now is if they finally hauled him off to a Ft Leavenworth cell in wrist and leg chains.

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- CatB
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:57am
  Put it on PAY FOR VIEW and help pay off the national debt. ;-)
  
  Report this comment
Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:25am
Well, you did build that, 16 trillion dollar debt!

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Skippy_John_Jones
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:24am
That boy is on crack. Hey, whiner, crack is whack!

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SamIamTwo
Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:23am
Corrupt computer code, eh? Suppose to get caught before it goes any further…

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- SamIamTwo
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:28am
  The rules and principles that govern the sentence structure of any individual language.
  
  It has nothing to do with what he said.
  
  Report this comment
- Wildblue3
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:29am
  Too bad we can’t give him a Virus since we are talking about computers.
  
  Report this comment
- SamIamTwo
  Posted on September 6, 2012 at 11:51am
  He is a virus. lol
  
  Report this comment

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