Todd boyer and the rest of the Kansas City Public Library staff for inviting me here and setting up this wonderful venue. Appropriates very its an appropriate time and place to talk about George Kennan and his diaries. First of all, George Kennan was a midwesterner, very proud of being a midwesterner. He grew up in milwaukee and was conscious of the fact milwaukee was not california. Its also appropriate, this place is appropriate to talk about kennan because kennans most productive years in the government was as a member of the truman administration, and of course, harry truman grew up about 40 miles from here in independence, missouri. Missouri to try to win over the audience here. [laughter] place,ngs in terms of its appropriate for me to talk about kennan because adam starr who is the sponsor of this event has himself written and published a piece on George Kennan, and i had lunch with adam today and learned quite a bit. That is very much appropriate. In terms of place, i think its