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Directional Spotlights
Why We Love Directional Spotlights
Adjustable and directional ceiling spotlights bend over backward (literally) to direct light wherever you might need it. The directionality of these ceiling lights means that you can illuminate numerous points in a room with just one light fixture. This you can do with an individual monopoint, a configuration of multiple ceiling spotlights arranged along a monorail or pre-configured into flushmounted rails or clusters.
Apart from all these mounting options, adjustable spotlights also come in a wide range of decorative options, from stunning hand blown art glass to streamlined and speedy-looking metal.
Where Adjustable Spotlights Work Best
Spot lights can bring out the character of any room by providing accent lighting in ways you cannot achieve with a chandelier, flush ceiling light or pendant light. In the kitchen, directional lights highlight specific task areas like kitchen counters and cooking spaces, ensuring you have ample illumination for any task. Adjustable ceiling lights are also a great option in the hallway or living room, highlighting pieces of art or providing accenting light over the living room's entertainment center. You may also enjoy an adjustable spot light in the office, where focused lighting over a work desk or conference table is often necessary. And if you have a large ceiling in the bathroom, consider pairing a directional ceiling light fixture with existing wall sconces or bath bars to round out your lighting scheme.
An adjustable spotlight is the ideal choice for commercial locations too. In restaurants, hotels and retail stores, you'll find a ceiling spot light helpful in directing light and offering an unexpected decorative element that patrons of your business will love.
A Directional Ceiling Light for Every Style
Directional ceiling lights are available in a variety of styles to fit in with any type of interior design, ranging from clean and contemporary fixtures to styles that are suited to rooms with traditional decor. And you'll find spot lighting available in many finishes including brass, bronze, nickel, steel and chrome. In modern kitchens and living rooms, you will love the contemporary directional lights in the collections from Tech Lighting and Kichler. For a vibrant spot light that stands out in any room, look to the number of colorful options from Bruck Lighting Systems and to achieve energy efficiency in your home, check out the selection of LED spot lights. Both long-lasting and eco-friendly, LED directional lights provide bright accenting light to any room of your home.
Choosing the Best Directional Spotlights
This assortment of adjustable light fixtures are offered in sizes to accommodate multiple spaces, giving you plenty of options to choose from. Here you will find single spot lights, 2-light, 3-light, 4-light, 5-light and even 6-light configurations. Depending on where you plan to install directional ceiling lighting, you will need to choose a size that best fits in with your existing lighting and decor. Be sure to properly measure your ceiling and review the dimensions of a fixture to thoroughly understand its height, width, weight and mounting options. If you have any questions about the sizes and configurations of adjustable ceiling lights featured here, please call our lighting experts at 877.445.4486.
Other Considerations
Many of the ceiling mounted spotlights featured here can also be mounted to the wall. Wall spotlights provide adjustable and directional display and task lighting in rooms where a ceiling fixture may not be an option. And if you love the ability to adjust your overhead lighting from these directional heads, you may like putting multiple spotlights together with track lighting. Finally, as an alternative to focused lighting from a ceiling spotlight or track light system, consider using recessed lighting.


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Discover the 5 coolest (and less touristy) spots in Rotterdam by public transport! In this blog, you'll find the best tips to make your visit to Rotterdam unforgettable.
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Tom Cruise showed up for Jerry Bruckheimer's Walk Of Fame star ceremony today. He had his arm around a "mystery blonde". So the photographers just didn't have an identity and didn't feel like waiting to find out before sending out these images. Ok.
Is this a new romance?
Perhaps...but she looks familiar to me. Like a publicist. Total publicist type, non?
But God his body language is awkward with women. Look at him. The sweater is riding up. He has no idea what to do with his arm. He has no idea how to walk. Awkward. Always so awkward. How did the cool guy in the aviators and a bomber jacket flying fighter planes get so f-cking awkward?


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Please note that the shop is currently closed due to the virus. We are open for pre-booked collections only.
Simply place your order on the website or by phone. Obviously we are still posting parcels to anywhere.
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Humbrol acrylic range of popular rail colours has been developed to suit the many variations on the UK rail network. These paints are also ideally suited for weathering, dry brushing and re-touching, helping to take your model railways hobby to a new level. A water-based, fast-dry paint developed for use on plastic model kits but which can also be used on other substrates. Matt, Satin, Gloss, Metallic and Clear finishes are available (finish varies by colour)
A wide range of surfaces including most plastics, wood, glass, ceramics, metal, cardboard, sealed plaster, sealed hardboard and more (always try on a small test area to check suitability)
14ml tin covers approx. 0.3m² depending on thickness of application
Brush straight from the tin or airbrush with a suitable thinner such as water. Two thin coats are preferable to one thick coat. The usual thinning ratio is 2 parts paint to 1 part water.
1-2 hours 'hard dry', allow longer for Gloss and Metallic finishes.
Brushes: water when wet, cellulose when dry. Permanent once dry.


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There are a lot of questions and answers spread out around different threads in different forums. With a handful of active forum members having taken delivery of their cameras, it'll be good to get them all in one spot.
It is extremely important to remember how early the firmware we're talking about is. The discussion here isn't about camera capabilities, bugs or limitations... it's just a glimpse at what is here today. People should be very careful not to read something here as "the way it is".
Fire at will. :)


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Last spring Pope Benedict XVI dedicated a special jubilee year to the Apostle Paul, from June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009, to mark the second millennium of his birth. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople joined the pope in Rome for the opening liturgies, and both of them invited Christians to celebrate this jubilee, which includes the making of pilgrimages. Having made Pauline pilgrimages in Turkey on a number of occasions, I will describe some destinations that fall a bit off the popular tourist routes but provide ample opportunity for learning and spiritual experience.
Anatolia, Cappadocia, Tarsus…
Let us begin in southeastern Anatolia. If your group flies into Ankara (Ancyra), you will want to visit the Temple of Augustus and of Rome and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, with the world's best display of Hittite materials. Most tourists also visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey. An international team of Jesuit priests staffs a small Catholic community with Masses in English at the Meryem Ana Church on the ground of the Apostolic Nunciature (Vatikan Büyük Elçiligi) in çankaya.
After a few hours on a bus you arrive in Cappadocia, which is a World Heritage site and has in recent years become a major tourist destination in Turkey. (Alternately, your air carrier may take you directly to Cappadocia or to Adana.) Some of the most surreal and amazing landscapes in all of Asia Minor await the visitor here. You may visit remains of ancient cities, vineyards and wineries, and stunning rock-cut churches from the sixth through the 11th centuries. These small chapels, carved in tufa rock, contain original iconic representations of biblical scenes and saints of the Eastern Church. Cappadocia provides a rich entree to the church life of the patristic era.
Traveling south you pass through the famous Cilician Gates in the Taurus Mountain range, and as you near the Mediterranean coast you arrive at Tarsus, birthplace of St. Paul. This town has grown recently because of tourism related to St. Paul and a population shift in Turkey from the country to cities. Dating back to Hellenistic times, Tarsus was an important site; in Roman times Cicero was governor there, and Antony and Cleopatra met there. Pilgrims can visit St. Paul's Well and a Roman street section, recently excavated, that gives an excellent idea of a city scene in the time of St. Paul. The church building has been tastefully renovated and now operates as a museum; pilgrim groups may receive permission to worship there. Two sisters, members of an Italian congregation, live next door and staff a center; they offer kind hospitality to pilgrims and people of the town.
Visitors to this part of Turkey generally stay in the provincial capital, Adana, a bustling city with a growing population and one of the largest new mosques in Turkey. The Catholic parish here is served from the diocesan headquarters in Iskenderun.
A 100-mile journey south leads to Antakya (Antioch on the Orontes), "where the disciples were first called Christians." Because of its remote location, this city receives fewer visitors than most other cities in western Asia Minor. Originally built as a Hellenistic city after the death of Alexander the Great, it was the seat of the Antiochus Epiphanes IV, archenemy of the Jews in the Maccabean era. In Paul's day it was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. Later, Antioch was home to St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. John Chrysostom.
The ancient city is situated between the Orontes River on the west and Mount Stauris. On its western slope one finds St. Peter's Grotto, originally a cave possibly used as a meeting place by the early Christian community that included Barnabas, Paul and Peter. Capuchin Franciscans administer this sanctuary and celebrate Mass occasionally, especially for pilgrims.
Visitors to the area today should not miss the Hatay Museum in the city center; it contains one of the world's largest collections of Roman mosaics (from the second to the sixth centuries A.D.) from Antioch, Daphne and nearby Seleucia, the port from which Paul and Barnabas embarked. Pilgrims will want to visit the historical center in the Jewish quarter, where a Jewish synagogue, an Orthodox church and a Catholic church are found today. A Capuchin priest, Domenico Bertogli, and his parishioners welcome pilgrims; and he happily describes the warm relations between Catholics and Orthodox in this city, built on mutual respect and the ability of Catholics there to follow the Orthodox Church calendar. Located in a cluster of houses and a courtyard, this church offers a unique model of an early Christian "house church."
Theaters, Museums, Shrines
Several other areas on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey beckon Pauline pilgrims. Antalya (Attalia) offers a pleasant site for visiting, with a lovely harbor, some remains of first-century Roman walls and Hadrian's gate (second century). Nearby you find the impressive remains of Perge (Perga), a typical Hellenistic city, through which Paul passed when traveling to Pamphylia from Cyprus; he also visited at the end of this journey before sailing back to Antioch. One can imagine Paul walking through the imposing Hellenistic city gate that one sees today, as he and Barnabas headed north to Antioch in Pisidia. Visitors should take a short trip east to Aspendos (and also to Side) to see impressive Roman theaters; the theater in Aspendos still hosts a summer opera season. The Antalya Museum contains a rich collection of Hellenistic and Roman sculpture and art, as well as a small collection of early Christian remains and some relics of St. Nicholas, who lived in the nearby region of Lycia.
On the southern shore I recommend a particularly scenic drive east into Lycia to visit Demre (ancient Myra, where Nicholas was bishop) and Kalkan (for the archeological park of ancient Patara, birthplace of Nicholas). You could be the only visitors at Patara, located near a popular Mediterranean beach park, but here you can breathe in the feel of an ancient city as you sit in its amphitheater, which provides an excellent place for group prayer. Further east in Demre you will find large groups of pilgrims from Russia and Ukraine coming to visit the church of St. Nicholas; he was buried here before Italian merchants took his remains to Bari. You can find shops and cafes named after Santa Claus (Baba Noel in Turkish), as well as Orthodox icons and texts in Cyrillic characters. Midway between Patara and Demre lies the beautiful Turkish coastal town of Kas, a good place for an overnight stay.
Traveling north from Antalya past Lake Egirdir, set amid mountains, you come to a cluster of cities visited by Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). First is the Anatolian highland town of Yalvac (Antioch in Pisidia), where one can visit spectacular excavations of the Roman colonial town, with remains of a Byzantine-era Basilica of St. Paul. You can view a Roman aqueduct in the distance nestled at the foot of snow-capped mountains. Next on the route comes Konya (Iconium), where little of the former Roman city remains visible; but one should visit the mausoleum shrine of the Sufi Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi, "founder" of the Whirling Dervishes. In Konya seek out the Catholic Chapel of Sts. Paul and Thecla, administered by two sisters from Italy; there again expect great hospitality. Catholic priests visit Konya only four or five times a year, so these sisters welcome visiting pilgrim groups, especially for prayer or Mass. From Konya some travelers go southeast to Hatunsaray (Lystra) or to Kirbasan (the mound of ancient Derbe), identified but not yet excavated. You would need to ask directions to find these sites.
Farther north, I recommend a visit to the Lycus Valley; the regional center is Denizli. Here all tours go to the charming site of Pammukale (ancient Hierapolis), with its chalklike cliffs and warm mineral springs. Behind the site lies a Roman city and an extensive cemetery; a martyrion of St. Philip the deacon greets those enthusiastic enough to trek up the mountainside. From this site you can look west across the valley at the remains of ancient Laodicea, one of the seven cities of the Book of Revelation ("neither hot nor cold"); just recently archaeologists have begun to work there. Looking southwest one can almost see the site of Colossae, which has not been extensively excavated and is not easy to reach. Yet one may imagine the people whom Paul addressed in his Letter to the Colossians and in his Letter to Philemon, who lived in Colossae.
All tours and pilgrimages will move west to Selcuk (ancient Ephesus) and its wonders: a beautifully excavated site of streets and temples, the library of Celsus, an ancient theater and a Christian basilica that may have been the site of the Council of Ephesus (431), which named Mary "Mother of God" (Theotokos). Nearby you can visit the famed Temple of Diana (Artemis) and the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist. Pilgrims should conclude this visit with a drive up to the House of the Virgin Mary, considered by some to be her home and the place where she died. A serene, beautiful site for a stop, for prayer or for celebration of Mass, it also offers a lovely surprise: both Christians and Muslims venerate this site as a holy place, affording a unique interreligious experience. Here again one finds Franciscan friars and sisters welcoming pilgrims.
A final stop should take you to Miletus, about an hour south of Ephesus. Here St. Paul stopped on his final journey to Jerusalem and invited all the elders and leaders of the church in Ephesus to come for his touching farewell to them. Since it is situated in a very rural area, you might experience some quiet here as you walk around extensive ruins and another beautifully preserved Roman theater. A group might find the theater a good setting for prayer, recalling the mutual affection of Paul and his friends from Ephesus now memorialized in this place.
Choosing a Tour
St. Paul's journeys were many and the distances covered vast. A complete itinerary would require travel to Israel (Jerusalem), Syria (Damascus), Cyprus, Rhodes, Turkey (Asia Minor), Greece, Malta and Italy (especially Rome). Most of these destinations appeal to tourists, but a comprehensive itinerary lies beyond the reach of most pilgrims.
You will need to consider the differences between pilgrimage, study tour and sightseeing tours. Many tours focused on sightseeing visit some sites associated with St. Paul (e.g. Ephesus, some Greek Islands, Athens and Corinth, Delphi) but do not treat them as religious sites. Study tours include in-formed talks on the life and mission of St. Paul and the spread of the early church. They usually add the seven churches of the Book of Revelation to places already mentioned, and give a good sense of religious history as well as cultural and historical introductions.
Pilgrims may follow a similar itinerary but devote more attention to daily prayer and worship, and to some encounters with contemporary church people who live in these sites. Often these visits provide longer-lasting memories than any others and remind us what we share with those Christians who still live in these areas. Views, vistas and visits will leave a lasting impression of the world of Paul and the early church; afterward you will never hear or read the Acts of the Apostles or the Pauline Epistles the same way again.
View a slideshow of Pauline pilgrimage sites.


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Here are the latest technical updates at Wikia. Keep in mind that our system updates happen every Wednesday, so we're posting this on a Tuesday to give you advance notice. Also note that we change hundreds of tiny details every week, so these are just the highlights.
New Features
- Wikis using the new expanded navigation will now have a "Share" button next to "Contribute". Clicking the Share button opens a list of options for sharing that page, including via Facebook, Twitter, or Email. This list is hidden by default until the button is clicked.
Major Bugs Fixed
- We resolved some issues with the search field logic. Now, if you search for a pagename that includes the namespace, it should take you to that page; if you search for a pagename without a namespace, it will try to take you to a page in the main or category namespaces, and if no page is available, it will take you to a list of related search results.
- The toolbar was moving around the bottom of the page instead of anchoring where it usually does.
- Top Lists weren't accepting pages with a "/" in them.
- The "View Full Site" link wasn't working consistently on mobile devices.
Other Notable Changes
- We're updating the editor and the Admin Dashboard so that they match your wiki's theme.
Select Known Issues
- Restoring deleted blog comments is currently buggy -- it's subject to a caching delay, and it restores the comment in the wrong order.
- Deleting layouts in Layout Builder results in error messages.
- The search field overlaps page titles on diff and history pages.
Questions? Comments? Feel free to leave them below. And if you have additional bugs to report, please send them to us via Special:Contact.
Want to be notified about technical updates when they are posted? Then click here to follow this blog.
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08 February, 2013 | (01 hr)
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Financial regulation in the U.S. and Europe is having an effect on how banks, insurance companies, and publicly traded companies are managing risks while demonstrating solvency to stakeholders. This webcast addresses how multi-national financial firms are learning to manage changes in capital risk and solvency policy and how their actions will impact non-financial institutions' capital market decisions, their pension plans, and their strategic planning.
Audience: CROs and CFOs from financial and non-financial companies and key members of their staff
Peter Skjoedt
Peter Skjødt holds a masters degree in macroeconomics from the university of Copenhagen. Worked for 3 years as a macro economist at the Danish Manufacturer's Association after graduation and then joined Carlsberg International for a couple of years. Came to the Danish Insurance Association...Full Bio
Jae A. Junkunc
Since joining MassMutual in 2006 as a member of the Executive Development Program,
Lieve Lowet
Chris Skroupa
Chris Skroupa has extensive background in developing conferences for institutional investors. Prior to his most recent role as Director of Marketing for Kaplan Fox LLP, he was the Deputy Managing Director of Information Management Network (IMN), an independent conference developer. Du...Full Bio


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Malcom Randall VAMC, NF/SGVHS
1601 S.W. Archer Road
Gainesville, FL 32608-1197
Phone: 352-376-1611 Or 800-324-8387
Map Driving Directions
View the NF/SGVHS Web Site
The North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System consists of two medical centers, three large multi-specialty outpatient clinics and eight small community-based primary care outpatient clinics. The Malcom Randall VA Medical Center in Gainesville is a tertiary care facility that is also an active teaching hospital, with an extensive array of specialty services. The Malcom Randall VA Medical Center combines a full range of patient care services with state-of-the-art technology that is enhanced and supported through education and research.
The North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System has a strong and meaningful affiliation with the University of Florida College of Medicine. The Malcom Randall VA Medical Center is connected both physically and functionally to the University. Over 180 University of Florida medical school residents, interns, and students are trained at the Gainesville and Lake City VA Medical Center each year. Programs are also in place with the University of Florida for dentistry, nursing, physical therapy, health services administration, and pharmacy. Other affiliations are in place with Florida State University, Valdosta State University, Santa Fe Community College, and Lake City Community College for programs in nursing, social work, physical therapy, medical technology, and health care administration. Through sharing agreements, there is collaboration in the areas of radiation therapy, professional radiology services, sleep lab, electron microscopy, and cardiac catheterization.
Authorized Beds
255 Authorized/240 Operating HOSPITAL
34 Authorized/34 Operating NHCU
Type of Facility
Tertiary care general medicine and surgical hospital and Nursing Home Care Unit.
The North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System Research and Development Program has been an active and productive service throughout its history. The goal of this program is to facilitate funded research that will significantly advance our understanding of the mechanisms of disease and will contribute to improved clinical practice and delivery of care to our Veterans. With more than 300 active projects, our Research Program includes all of the major branches of VA research: Biomedical Laboratory Research and Development (BLR&D), Clinical Science Research and Development (CSR&D), Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D), and Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D).
The North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System is the home to four VA research centers: the Brain Rehabilitation Research Center of Excellence (BRRC) which seeks to improve current treatments or discover new forms of treatment to improve neurorehabilitation for impairments caused by stroke, incomplete spinal cord injury and other neurological problems; the Center of Innovation on Disability and Rehabilitation Research which conducts interdisciplinary research to improve the health, function and community reintegration of post-deployed veterans and veterans with neurological impairment; the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) which finds ways to improve health care and enhance quality of life for older veterans and their caregivers; and the National Center for Occupational Health and Infection Control (COHIC) which seeks to solve important problems that arise at the intersection of occupational health, infection control, industrial hygiene and bio-safety.
For a complete list of available services, please visit the Services page of our web site.


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We are…
California businesses are joining together in historic numbers to support this vision. Join the Alliance and get involved today!
The Alliance is reaching out to businesses across the state to build support for a clean energy future in California.
Good news about how California businesses are growing, expanding, and investing, and why our state is the 8th largest economy in the world.
"Small business owners like me can count on the CBA for a Clean Economy to represent their interests when it comes to supporting the state's clean energy policies."
"The CBA for a Clean Economy provides a critical voice for businesses who support a clean energy future that will save money and create jobs."
"As a fourth generation family-owned and operated organic creamery and dairy in California, I enjoy being a member of the CBA for a Clean Economy. Consumers that tour our operations expect energy conservation, water conservation, and local energy production to be part of the product that they enjoy and consume. The CBA shares our vision and is critical to our clean energy future."
"KYOCERA Solar is proud to be doing business in California and to be a member of the CBA for a Clean Economy."
"Small businesses throughout California have depended on the CBA for a Clean Economy to be a champion for smart energy policies."
"Seventeen years ago, I started our California company with just 2 employees and now we employ over 50. Those jobs and the $8million in annual revenue my company generates wouldn't exist without a regulatory climate that prioritizes energy efficiency."
© California Business Alliance for a Clean Economy
Web site design and website development by Christopher Green Design


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Rental Subscriptions
While looking into film/game rental methods it seems they're operating using the same schemes as the telecommunication and energy companies - offer variable plans that differ in slightly non-comparable ways. As such if you know exactly what you want they're great, on the other hand if you just want to be able to rent films or games it's head-scratching time. Oh and of course digging out the small print is a must.
The majority seem to operate on the standard monthly subscription basis. This could be simple - pay this much and be able to rent this many items in a month; pay more, get more. Ha yeah as if. Now add on that you can only have a certain number of physical items at a time and separate out films from games.
Take Lovefilm which seems to offer the most number of differing plans. I can go for a £9.99/month subscription which gives me unlimited rentals during that period. Except it doesn't because I'm only allowed one disc at a time. Receive disc on Day 1, watch the same day, post it back on Day 2, Lovefilm receive it on Day 3 and post the next one out which I receive on day 4. Taking into account no post on a Sunday this September would give me a maximum of 9 films per month. Oh and that's with no games. Upgrade for 2 discs at a time and I'll get a maximum of 18 films per month. That's just physical though; those packages come with online viewing too. So in theory while I'm waiting for my discs in the post I can download movies and get a full 30 films a month.
If I want games I can pick exactly the same packages, but with a small extra charge on top. Except games take longer to finish than films. In this instance I can use my 1 disc limit for the game and use my unlimited online viewing for films. If I don't really care about films this works well; or does it? Let's say it takes a week to finish a game I can get 4 games a month; if it takes two weeks I can get 2 games a month.
Let's say it takes a fortnight per game and I'm not bothered about films at all. Suddenly the PAYG schemes look promising. The one tucked at the end of the list gives me 1 disc at a time, but only two rentals. That matches up with what I'm likely to be using and it's half the price. Except how does the PAYG system work? I mean in theory I can pay my £5.99 get my one game and then just not return it - woo hoo cheap games? Time to check the small print.
The PAYG schemes issue credits, but the credits have an expiry period which in this case is three months. That means if I'm holding a disc when all my credits expire I need to buy more or be charged an extra recovery fee. What that really means is I get 2 rentals per quarter, but have the option to top-up if I require more. That's a pretty good deal which is probably why if you looked at Lovefilm's PAYG page it doesn't feature there.
That seems the best bet, until once again you check the slightly confusing small print of section 6.4
Your Pay As You Go account will be automatically topped up with a new batch of credits equal to the batch you last purchased when you have run out or when your credits expire, whichever is sooner (see clause 6.3 (Expiry of credits)). This will automatically occur when we dispatch the first disc from your new batch of credits.We appear to have a contradiction. New credits will automatically be topped up once the previous set has been either used up or expired, but will only be bought once the first disc to use those credits is despatched. The key is in "topped up". It appears they'll assign new credits, but won't charge until they're first used. If they don't point out that these are new credits that'd be kind of sneaky. A user may think they have credits left from their original payment when in fact they don't and will suddenly get a new charge added to their bill once they try to take advantage of them.
Still doesn't seem bad; provided you're on the ball and record your usage if it doesn't do it for you.


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Anyway thank you to everyone who helped keep this alive.
Our AWESOME contributors who I now call my friends - you guys are so talented and such lovely people, I've thoroughly enjoyed your company.
Our fabulous sponsors, thank you thank you thank you for your support.
And of course our participants - you guys have wowed us with your amazing entries every dare. You certainly made it hard for us to pick winners sometimes.
The blog will still be here for anyone who wants to check back anytime for some inspiration and ideas. There's almost 3 years of work here to inspire you.
Bye for now


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View / Edityour basket
Size: 185cm Long x 135cm Wide x 12.5cm Thick (Please note that these sizes are +/- 2cm) Whether your old futon mattress is starting to show signs of wear or you would just like a change of colour, our replacement mats are just the thing. Please note that our replacement mattresses are the appropriate thickness to allow for correct folding.
Futon mattresses incorporate more layers as they move up in price, more layers produce increased overall thickness and enhanced comfort. All our futon mattresses are made from thermally bonded wool / cotton and fibre mix and include 2 fire retardant layers in addition to the fire retardant treatment which is applied to the outer fabric cover.
• Mattresses conform to fire safety BS 5852 Part 1 (match test) • • Suitable for domestic use •
Please Select The Fabric Colour You Require. Grade 1 - Blue Grade 1 - Chocolate Brown Grade 1 - Natural
Please Select The Fabric Colour You Require. Grade 1-S - Victoria Chocolate Grade 1-S - Victoria Mink Grade 1-S - Victoria Plum Grade 1-S - Victoria Steel Grade 1-S - Victoria Stone Grade 1-S - Victoria Teal


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Since I haven't updated this blog is such a long time, I felt this weekend would be a great opportunity to do a little catching up. I haven't posted all summer but that is to be expected as I try to get the beach as much as possible.
Right now I have a few projects that I'm working on. First off a wedding album that my brother asked me to make for a friend that got married in Central Park in June. I'm also working on an insane paperbag book that I found off of Youtube by Kathy of Paper Phenonomen. It's albsolutely insane. I will be posting pictures when I'm done. I've also been playing with favor ideas for my daughter's bridal shower. I'm not sure what directions I'm going in with that.
So, stay tuned for pictures of things I'm going to be creating on Sunday. I'm not scared of any ole hurricane.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Hurricane Weekend
Posted by Tink at 8/26/2011 01:51:00 PM 0 comments
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Magnificent Single Colour Natural Cowhide Rug.
- Large selection of cowhide rugs available in all different designs and styles and updated regularly with new designs.
- All our cowhide rugs are hand selected and inspected for quality assurance.
- We source all our hides from top South American tanneries - predominately Brazil and Colombia, providing you the best cowhides.
- Each and every cowhide rug is individually photographed ensuring the hide you choose online is the exact hide you will receive.
- All our cowhides are chromium-tanned, generally seen as the best tanning process, ensuring your cowhide rug will last for many years.
- If you are not happy with your cowhide rug we offer a easy no fuss return policy.


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La Planification Familiale dans les Pays en Developpement: Une Reussite a Parachever
Jan 1, 1999
|File Size
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Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience.
Note: Many electronic documents posted prior to 2003 are available as chapter PDFs or HTML files linked from the Contents.
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|$36.00 20% Web Discount
This volume is an outgrowth of a June 5–6, 1995 conference at which a group of Russian demographers presented the results of their pioneering research on Russia's demographic "crisis" to American colleagues from RAND, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, and the International Programs Center of the U.S. Bureau of the Census.
Preface HTML
Introduction HTML
Chapter 1
Family, Fertility, and Demographic Dynamics in Russia: Analysis and Forecast HTML
Chapter 2
Fertility Decline and Recent Changes in Russia: On the Threshold of the Second Demographic Transition HTML
Chapter 3
Family Planning and Induced Abortion in Post-Soviet Russia of the Early 1990s: Unmet Needs in Information Supply HTML
Chapter 4
The Russian Epidemiological Crisis as Mirrored by Mortality Trends HTML
Chapter 5
The Crisis of Russian Health Care and Attempts at Reform HTML
Chapter 6
The Determinants and Implications of an Aging Population In Russia HTML
Appendix A
Conference Agenda HTML
Appendix B
Conference Participants HTML
This report is part of the RAND Corporation conference proceeding series. RAND conference proceedings present a collection of papers delivered at a conference or a summary of the conference.
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The TFT 7 Professional Kit 1 for STM32F4 offers a complete solution for creating graphical user interfaces on a TFT display using an ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller programmed in BASIC.
This kit bundles the mikromedia 7 for STM32F4, a license of the Visual TFT design software, and the mikroBASIC compiler & IDE for ARM (with USB license dongle).
A color user manual is included, and code examples are free to download. The board has a built-in mikroProg programmer/debugger with USB interface, so you won't have to spend a penny more on external programmers. If you do want to, 2×5-pin pads are available for using an external mikroProg for STM32 or ST-LINK/V2 (with adapter).
All unused microcontroller pins are available via pads along the sides of the board. The board measures 179 × 111 mm (7 × 4.37 inches). It ships with an Ethernet cable, a USB cable, a 2GB microSD card, a stylus, spacers, and pin headers that you can solder to the expansion ports.
The system is powered by your PC via USB. Simply plug in the USB cable and the TFT display will turn on automatically. It also can be powered by a battery or an external supply via its barrel jack.
Each compiler license includes free upgrades and tech support for the lifetime of the product. The software features a Live Update service so you can get new features and improvements instantly.
This compiler is designed to be smart and efficient, so you can rely on it to do the hard work. It has optimizations that can reduce your code size up to 40 percent.


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Wouldn't It Be Good (Nik Kershaw) - Bass Part
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|Nik Kershaw
|F (original)
|Arrangement Specifics
This is a direct transcription of the bass part from the official music video.
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Nagasaki Shunsuke (長崎 峻侑) is a trampolinist who is one of the most promising of recent competitors. This skilled trampolinist, who is called "Prince of the Trampoline", has won several medals in the Trampoline World Cups and Doha Asian Games.
Competition History
Shunsuke first appeared in SASUKE 14 at age 17 when he was only a high school sophomore. In that competition, he made it to the Second Stage, where after struggling on the Spider Walk he timed out on the Wall Lifting.
In SASUKE 15, he joined Kawashima Takayuki as having the distinction of being the youngest competitor to reach the Third Stage, which they did at age 18. He made it to the Third Stage's Cliffhanger in both the 15th and 16th tournaments and failed there. After SASUKE 16, he built a Cliffhanger replica in his garage to train.
In the 17th competition, he came out strong by finishing the First Stage with the fastest time, clearing with 17.7 seconds left. He then cleared the Second Stage with 10.8 seconds left. In the Third Stage, he finally got by the Cliffhanger and completed the Third Stage, along with eventual champion Nagano Makoto. Although he timed out on the Final Stage, it was this competition that people really took notice of Nagasaki as a serious contender.
In SASUKE 18, he and his brother, Nagasaki Takamasa, made it through the new First Stage. Then in the Second Stage, Nagasaki breezed through the new obstacles (including the new Salmon Ladder) and made it to the Third Stage. In the redesigned Third Stage, he made it to the fourth obstacle, the Shin-Cliffhanger. Unlike Nagano Makoto and many future competitors, Nagasaki tried to reach for the third ledge without jumping. However, due to the large gap, he failed the obstacle.
In the 19th competition, he was eliminated in the First Stage by the Flying Chute; this was his first time failing the First Stage. Until then, only he and Kane Kosugi had a First Stage record of five consecutive clears in their first five tournaments, only beaten by Yamada Katsumi with his record of six consecutive clears in their first six tournaments.
Much confusion arose when announcer Hatsuta Keisuke said during his intro, "Will Nagasaki be the first All-Star to finish Stage One?" While Nagasaki has his own theme song, he is not considered one of the SASUKE All-Stars by TBS.
Shunsuke did not compete in SASUKE 20 due to his training for the 2008 Olympics (though he was seen training G4's American Ninja Challengers on the trampoline a couple of days before the competition). Before SASUKE 22, Nagasaki wrote on his blog that he wanted to compete (and even showed a picture of him practicing the Shin-Cliffhanger). However, he was not invited for unknown reasons.
Return to SASUKE
After a 9 tournament hiatus, it was announced that Nagasaki would eventually compete in SASUKE 29. Upon his comeback, although digested, he did well, clearing the First Stage with 11.8 seconds left. However, like many competitors that day, the Second Stage proved disastrous for Nagasaki. He was slowed down by the Unstable Bridge and the hardened Backstream, leaving him little time to clear the final obstacle, the Passing Wall, and he eventually timed out there.
He returned back again in SASUKE 30. His run was digested in the First Stage, but it was shown that he cleared once more. In the Second Stage, his run was digested again, and while it was shown that he struggled with the Wall Lifting, he eventually passed with just 2.7 seconds left on the clock. In the Third Stage, he made it past the first 3 obstacles easily, including the new Drum Hopper, however, fell on the Crazy Cliffhanger, failing the jump to the 4th ledge.
He returned in SASUKE 31. He took too much time on the Soritatsu Kabe and eventually timed out on the Lumberjack Climb. His run was all cut.
He competed in SASUKE 32, much stronger than before. He cleared the First Stage with little trouble, clearing the Soritatsu Kabe on his second attempt, and having to rush slightly to clear with 2.44 seconds remaining. His Second Stage run was digested but it was shown that he cleared with 5.19 seconds remaining. He cleared the Drum Hopper Kai with ease in the Third Stage, however, was one of 4 competitors that day to fail the Flying Bar, misplacing the bar on the second transition.
With a second Third Stage appearance in three tournaments under his belt, Nagasaki was given his highest ever number for SASUKE 33, of 98. He successfully completed the First Stage before achieving the same feat in the Second Stage, as he cleared with 2.40 seconds left. In the Third Stage, he made his way through the Drum Hopper Kai, but was unable to go any further, as he was eliminated by the Flying Bar for the second tournament in a row.
In SASUKE 34, his run was digested, but it was known that he cleared the First Stage with 13.08 seconds remaining. But on the Second Stage, he was the first competitor to fail the fourth version of the Spider Walk and the first to fail it since SASUKE 17, slipping immediately after starting to prop himself between the walls.
SASUKE 35 saw Nagasaki's First Stage run broadcast in full for the first time since his return to the show. The trampolinist cleared with 7.46 seconds remaining, before taking on the Second Stage. Unfortunately for Nagasaki, he failed to make much progress from SASUKE 34, as he failed the Spider Drop. This meant that Nagasaki was eliminated at the Second Stage in consecutive tournaments for the first time.
As of 2018, Nagasaki has completed the First Stage 11 times (5 consecutively), the Second Stage 7 times (4 consecutively), and the Third Stage once.
|Failed Wall Lifting (Second Stage)
|Time Out. 1st Wall.
|Failed Cliffhanger (Third Stage)
|Failed Cliffhanger (Third Stage)
|Failed Tsuna Nobori (Final Stage)
|Time Out. About 18.3 meters up.
|Failed Shin-Cliffhanger (Third Stage)
|Tried using his long arms to clear the gap without jumping.
|Failed Flying Chute (First Stage)
|First time failing the First Stage.
|Failed Passing Wall (Second Stage)
|Time Out. 2nd Wall.
|Failed Crazy Cliffhanger (Third Stage)
|Failed Jump. (4th Ledge)
|Failed Lumberjack Climb (First Stage)
|All Cut. Time Out. Run shown in his SASUKE 32 introduction.
|Failed Flying Bar (Third Stage)
|Second jump.
|Failed Flying Bar (Third Stage)
|Second jump. Highest number to date.
|Failed Spider Walk (Second Stage)
|Failed Spider Drop (Second Stage)


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The trade deadline (non-waiver) for major league baseball is this Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. Predictably, things are picking up. Francisco Liriano was traded last night to the White Sox. Zack Greinke was traded to the Angels on Friday. Rumors also abound this time of year, with various columnists speculating on who's available and at what cost.
The Tigers, also pulled off a deal recently that has some discussing the merits of the deal and wondering, to paraphrase living legend Yogi Berra, whether history was repeating itself.
With apologies to the late Yogi Berra, it might be "deja vu all over again."
The Detroit Tigers have rolled the dice and traded a top pitching prospect for immediate help in this season's pennant race.
Just remember, it ain't over til it's over, guys.
h/t @PARecSpecs
Tigers' roll of the dice reminiscent of '87 trade [Mining Journal]


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DTC U.S. Imports/Exports Flash
November 5, 2019
As soon as the U.S. government posts trade figures for any given month, DTC extracts the data, crunches the numbers, and sends detailed analysis of U.S. coal exports and imports to our clients, often before most realize the information has been posted. Our analysis is broken out by coal type and by region, providing a level of detail found nowhere else.


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Guests: Eugene Robinson, Chris Cillizza, Michelle Bernard, Richard Wolffe, Barney Frank, Charles Schumer, Thomas Hiter
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: He took a sad song and made it better.
Let's play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I'm Chris Matthews down in Washington. Leading off tonight: Lame brain. Turns out there was more smarts in this lame duck than most people expected. This victory lap we're hearing about may be at least partially something that's well justified. Let's tote up what President Obama has done since his shellacking on election day. He oversaw the repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell." He got the country behind him on the new START treaty. He prevented the Republican cavalry, if you will, from riding in next January and taking credit for that tax cut. And there's a reality (ph) to the president's comeback, and maybe it's time for his progressive supporters to give him a soupcon of credit.
Another bill that appears headed for passage with President Obama's help is the money for 9/11 first responders. Seriously, what are Republican opponents thinking? When both Jon Stewart and Fox News anchor Shepard Smith say Republicans should be ashamed for passing tax cuts for billionaires while opposing money for 9/11 first responders and clean-up people, you know you're on the wrong side of history.
Plus, whatever happened to John McCain? Now, there is a great question. Whatever happened to John McCain? The one-time maverick is now the leading voice against repealing "Don't ask, don't tell," against the new START Treaty, against the kind of common sense approach he was once so admired for, in fact, adored for. Is the man standing up now the real John McCain? If so, what is the name for this man's pain?
And in case you can't make it, tonight, get ready, folks. People in South Carolina are dressing up in period costume to celebrate the 150th anniversary of that state's secession from the union. Let's see. Secession led to the deaths of 600,000 Americans. And come on, tell me that slavery wasn't actually at the heart of it. So what precisely are people toasting tonight?
"Let Me Finish" tonight with what President Obama still needs to do if he's going to have a successful presidency.
We start with President Obama's less than lame performance in this post-election session of congress. U.S. Congressman's Barney Frank's a Democrat from Massachusetts. Congressman, you're a veteran member of the Congress. You know what a good year is and a bad year is, what a good lame duck is, what a bad one is. How's this square up?
REP. BARNEY FRANK (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Oh, it's been a great year from the standpoint public policy. Let's not forget, this is the year in which, obviously, I had a personal stake, financial reform. We did more for consumers—the bill that was signed into law by the president in July does more to empower consumers to ensure that they get fair treatment as investors, as borrowers, than anything that's been done previously. I think the health care bill was very important. People may disagree with it, but it was a significant accomplishment.
Getting rid of "Don't ask, don't tell," in addition to having done a hate crimes bill earlier this year, is a very important step. Getting rid of "Don't ask, don't tell" basically gets rid of one of the major discriminatory laws on the books. And it has broader implications because what it says is to America is, You know what? Gays and lesbians can serve in the military. And if you can do that, you can do anything because of the skills and the courage that that takes. So I think it's been a very good year.
Now, there have been some problems. The budget situation has been negative, and what we've seen in the lame duck is the Republicans getting into a kind of reflexive opposition. You correctly pointed out the surprising nature of their initial objection to rewarding—not rewarding, but paying medical bills for police and firefighters, people whom they would have considered their constituents.
Can I just add, Chris, on this whole lame duck thing—the notion that it's somehow illegitimate to do anything important in a lame duck—if you believe that, you must think impeaching the president United States is unimportant because the Republicans not only did that in the lame duck session of 1998, one of the three counts that they adopted against President Clinton would not have passed if the people elected the previous November had been the voters. So on the whole, if you look at the accomplishments, it's been a very significant year.
MATTHEWS: I love history. Thank you for that. I had forgotten that that was done in a lame duck session back in '98 by people who were held over, who had been beaten in some cases.
Let me ask you about this...
MATTHEWS: ... what you said about DADT because I've always been trying to figure out, growing up as you and I did in the years since World War II, how certain ethnic groups were able to get through. Catholics and Jews, to a large extent, became much more assimilated because of their service in World War II, which was so gown (ph) and so integrated, if you will, in the main battles. And now, if you have gay men and women who are involved in defending the country, that creates another new revolution of assimilation where people are recognized for having done what they've been allowed to do.
FRANK: No, it's absolutely right. By the way, I've always wondered what would have been the situation if I or another gay or lesbian official had said, We have this important idea. Let's exempt gay and lesbian people from having to defend the country. You talk about people complaining about special rights.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
FRANK: (INAUDIBLE) they had conferred on us over our objection the special right of all time, whether there was a draft or not. But yes, I was reading the comments, one of the—a young Marine, an 18-year-old, who said, Well, I'm against this because, you know, we're macho. We're Marines, and gay men are girly.
Now, I will confess that I left my purse at home.
FRANK: And I'm sorry I didn't live up to his prediction. But...
MATTHEWS: There's the quote of the night!
MATTHEWS: OK, go ahead, Barney. I'm sorry.
FRANK: But having—giving gay and lesbian people a chance to show, in the most important and challenging thing you can do in America, that we really are like everybody else, except for our choices about what we do in intimate moments...
MATTHEWS: Yes.
FRANK: ... that's a very important breakthrough. This will do more to help us destroy the myth. And you know, look, reality is the enemy of prejudice, and this is one more step in enabling us to present a reality that will help diminish prejudice across the board.
MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about this—about the presidency. I know you've studied it, and you're a legislator, and you're a senior legislator, but when you look down the avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue, iconically, at that White House, is there something missing in terms of executive oomph? Are there too many flacks there, to be blunt about it, too many people like Axelrod and Gibbs, who are pretty god at their jobs, but then the only people you see are the flacks? is there enough executive structure down there? The Republicans seem to be so much better at bringing in really heavyweight chiefs of staffs, like Baker, than the Democrats.
FRANK: No, I...
MATTHEWS: Do you think they should make a change in that direction, the Democrats?
FRANK: Two things. Let's, when we judge President Obama's successes, not forget, Chris—you've been there—when you were here—this notion that everything takes 60 votes is really an extraordinary de facto wrenching of the American Constitution.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
FRANK: This is—people shouldn't take this for granted. This is fairly recent. The notion that everything takes 60 votes—that's really extraordinary, and it puts great stress on the whole system.
Secondly, and let me come to the defense—I hope, you know, people in your business won't be offended, but we don't choose who's on in the media. The media chooses. There are very substantive people—I work very closely with Shaun Donovan, the secretary of HUD. One of my regrets is that I haven't had a chance to do as much in the affordable rental housing area. We've done too much home ownership and not enough rental house. But Shaun Donovan is a superb, effective public official, but there's nothing scandalous (ph) about what he does.
I think Tim Geithner—here's an example of someone who was kind of caricatured early on who will be seen as a great successful secretary of the treasury in what's been done in terms of these things. So yes, there are a lot of substantive people there. They just don't get as much attention as I wish they would, not for their lack of trying, but because that's the way things play out.
MATTHEWS: Touche. Thank you, Congressman Barney Frank. Happy holidays to you, sir. Thanks for that update on everything—in fact, a great capsulization of what happened this year. Thank you for joining us tonight.
FRANK: Thank you, Chris.
MATTHEWS: Chris Cillizza's managing editor of Postpolitics.com down at the White House and an MSNBC political analyst. Thank you, sir, for joining us...
CHRIS CILLIZZA, WASHINGTONPOST.COM, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Hey, Chris.
MATTHEWS: ... from "The Post." You just heard Congressman Frank.
You know, he sort of did a pretty good summation of the year. He threw in
of course, he did a lot of work on it. He was the lead guy, the point guy on finreg, and of course, the health care bill, he was very active on that, and energy on that point he played on that committee. And then you get what's happened since the election.
But you know, that was a hell of a point. It was the Republicans who basically trashed Clinton after they got beaten, basically, in the 2000 -- or rather 1998 election.
CILLIZZA: Well, first of all, it's always hard to follow Barney Frank on anything because he's damn good on television. I'll leave it at that. But what I would say is—here's what's different, Chris. Health care, financial regulatory reform, economic stimulus, all pre-lame duck, obviously, all not sold that well by the president. The policy (ph) disagree on. Plenty of people do. The messaging clearly not good. Republicans won the messaging war.
Fast forward. After the lame duck, the president takes credit and gets credit for the economic—the tax proposal here, which includes as big piece of it the extension of the Bush tax cuts.
MATTHEWS: Well, how come his PR was better in overtime?
CILLIZZA: Well, Chris, you and I both know this. Elections have a tremendous clarifying quality to them. And I think that's in some ways what happened with this president. Look, I think people were saying the message is screwed up, the message is screwed up, the message is screwed up. And he said, Let's wait and see.
CILLIZZA: Well, when you lose 63 seats in the House, six Senate seats, you lose governorships, you lose broadly at the state legislative level, you know, I think he gets the message and says, Wait a minute. I'm the best communicator...
CILLIZZA: ... that I have for me. I'm going to go out here and sell it more. And that's what I think the difference has been...
CILLIZZA: ... him selling it better to the public.
MATTHEWS: And the other end is the proof people are listening. Here it is, a new CNN poll shows President Obama's approval rating among moderates rose 5 points. Since last month, it dropped 8 points. Fair enough. It looks like the liberals were watching and the moderates were watching. They both got the message. He moved to the center.
CILLIZZA: And Chris, I would say the best think that happened to President Obama from a purely political perspective during this lame duck, House liberal Democrats expressing their displeasure with the tax cut compromise. He looked big. He looked kind of like the level-headed voice, the guy who was looking at the big picture—Let's do what's good for America. I don't know if they did it on purpose. My guess is they probably didn't. But that worked to—that accrued to the president's benefit.
Again, the bigger a president can look—and I mean, sort of bigger magnanimous, like you're doing the right thing for the country and not partisan, the better for your poll numbers. Look, Ronald Reagan was great at that. He always looked big. He always kind of looked above things. Bill Clinton's worst moments were when he was too in the weeds, getting in fights over smaller things. His great moments were when he was big.
Barack Obama during the campaign was almost always big. He was almost always grand speeches, big visions. This election's about something big. During his presidency, at times, he got bogged down talking about cloture and Senate arcana, debating little things. He looked big in this lame duck, and I think that's why you're starting to see the numbers tick up a little bit.
MATTHEWS: Well, there he is. We're watching him shake hands with Mitch McConnell. Does that augur anything for the future? There she is—there he is next to Allison Schwartz (ph), probably somebody he's never met before, the woman for the—the suburban Philadelphia congresswoman, a liberal. What do you make of this guy?
CILLIZZA: Well...
MATTHEWS: The president of the United States and Mitch McConnell!
Are they going to ever meet again during the next two years?
CILLIZZA: Both pragmatists, Chris. Both pragmatists, I would say. You know, I think Barack Obama got elected, everyone thought he was a liberal ideologue. I actually think he's more of a pragmatist, if you go and look back at his career. I would say the same thing about McConnell. They both cut this deal because they thought it was good for them in the long run politically. It's like when you make a trade in the NBA. Both teams think they're helping themselves. If one team's got the other one over a barrel...
MATTHEWS: Yes. Right.
CILLIZZA: ... almost never happens. So you know...
CILLIZZA: ... both sides think that they have the political gain here. You know, time will tell who was right.
MATTHEWS: You're so reasonable. Thank you, Chris Cillizza.
CILLIZZA: Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Happy holidays. Merry Christmas to you, buddy.
CILLIZZA: You, too.
MATTHEWS: Coming up: John McCain has emerged as the cheerleader of the opposition on all things. He opposes all things now. What's the story? Whatever happened to the guy who was looking for solutions down the middle, the deal maker? He's the deal breaker, or tries to be.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC. What happened to this guy?
MATTHEWS: Wow. Here's some more good news for President Obama. In this new CNN poll, 55 percent of the public now says they think the president's policies will move the country in the right direction. Wow. Where were they on election day? That's 11 points higher than the 44 percent who say the policies of congressional Republicans will move the country in the right direction. There's an advantage for you. Makes you wonder why the mid-term elections turned out the way they did.
HARDBALL back after this.
MATTHEWS: Wow, we could have had this any time in the last couple months maybe, but it's time to do it. It's time to do the question, What happened to John McCain? The one-time maverick senator is leading the charge against—well, just about everything. And this week, the START treaty. He voted against the Dream Act after being one of the bill's original sponsors. He went down fighting against the repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell" after saying for years ago he'd consider altering the military's policy if the Pentagon brass requested the change, which they did.
In fact, take a look at what he said on the HARDBALL "College Tour" back in 2006, and then what he said on the Senate floor this Saturday—
180 reversal. Let's watch. Let's listen.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN ®, ARIZONA: And I understand the opposition to it, and I've had these debates and discussions. But the day that this—the leadership of the military comes to me and says, Senator, we ought to change the policy, then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it because those leaders in the military are the ones we give the responsibility to.
I hope that when we pass this legislation that we will understand that we are doing great damage and we could possibly and probably, as the commandant of the Marine Corps said, and I've been told by literally thousands of members of the military, harm the battle effectiveness which is so vital to the support, to the survival of our young men and women in the military.
MATTHEWS: Michelle Bernard and Richard Wolffe are MSNBC political
analysts. I've heard from thousands—thousands of individuals have come -
well, that seems like a hyperbole to begin with. But the animus there, the gut that we heard from John McCain there, was real. I don't doubt his belief. I don't doubt that in his mind, he's very much against this policy. But there's an anger there, too.
MICHELLE BERNARD, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, there's an anger there, but all of this is very confusing because when you talk about, you know, gays in the military and a lot of the things that McCain has come out against, I keep thinking to myself, Is this the same man that we saw speak just two years ago before the National Urban League, where he tried to explain his policies on affirmative action. And he apologized and said, I was wrong when I initially, you know, voted against making Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday.
This is a complete 180. It's a completely different human being. I actually question whether or not he means this. I know he's a former military man, but I don't know how you go from one position to another so quickly just in a two-year turnaround time and actually say—I don't know how you define John McCain any longer.
MATTHEWS: Richard Wolffe, you've followed these policies. You're very good at the psychobabble. Let's hear it.
MATTHEWS: No, you are. You do try to—I think psychobabble's important sometimes. What is going on with him?
RICHARD WOLFFE, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: I remember a stemwinder of a speech he gave in 2000 in Michigan, where he came out portraying himself as Luke Skywalker coming out of the Death Star, and all the people he was fighting against, the Darth Vaders, were Mitch McConnell, all the senators, all the congressmen. That's who we thought he was. Maybe his problem is with authority in general, but it's more personal than we ever thought it was, more than the principle involved here. Here's a guy who taunted candidate Obama saying, You've never bucked your party. You've never stood up to your own party. What's he doing now? He's the party line guy.
BERNARD: Absolutely. Well, he's actually—he has gone so far right. I mean, it's really—if you look at him, he has become his former vice presidential nominee. He has become the male version of Sarah Palin. He has gone so far right. Maybe this is what he feels he needs to do to survive in Arizona. They've got that new Arizona immigration law. That entire state is completely anti-immigrant right now.
MATTHEWS: Well, here he is now. Let's—here he is railing against the Democrats for pushing through repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell" and other legislative priorities of the Democrats. Let's listen. It's tough.
MCCAIN: About six weeks after an election that repudiated the agenda of the other side, we are jamming or trying to jam major issues through the Senate of the United States because they know they can't get it done beginning next January 5th. You somehow think that beginning next January 5th, we will all love one another and kumbaya? I don't think so!
The American people have spoken in what the president of the United States described as a shellacking. And everything we're doing is completely ignoring that message. Maybe it will require another election.
MATTHEWS: Now, there's tough. He's angry. Guys, he's angry.
BERNARD: Well, it's personal.
MATTHEWS: He's mad at us.
MATTHEWS: Let me give me a reason why he might be mad at us, the media, OK? And I try to see these through the other guy's eyes.
In the race against George W., a lot of us in the media saw McCain as the reasonable center. And a lot of rooted for him, thinking, here's the reasonable center. Bush is unprepared to be president. This guy has got the resume to kill, served the country in battle, been a war hero, suffered for his country. He was the guy a lot of Americans said was Mr. America, traditional American. And we rooted like hell for him.
And then he goes up against Barack Obama, who a lot of us saw as the new kind of American, the new breed of American, the guy who represented another part of the American dream, which is opportunity for minorities, and sort of a new breed.
But we also like the traditional. And a lot of Americans like both. But this guy was coming, and McCain had missed his chance. He wasn't as good in 2008 as he was in 2000. Eight years later, he was not the guy he was in 2000.
Like, the damn—the darn Republicans, they always run the guys last.
They run them late. They run them eight years—Bob Dole, 20 years later. It's just the—Nixon, they just kept running the guy. That's their problem. But I can understand why he's mad at the media, because he was the charmed candidate with the media in 2000.
WOLFFE: And he gave us all the access we wanted, and we loved it. But there were a couple of wrong assumptions people made, one, that he was socially in the middle, when he wasn't. He was always conservative on abortion. And maybe this is coming through now. Maybe he was pandering...
MATTHEWS: We have him on tape there saying he was for getting rid of don't ask, don't tell if the military came through.
WOLFFE: But I think he was always socially more conservative than we thought and maybe he portrayed himself.
MATTHEWS: But he's an Arizona Republican.
WOLFFE: Here's the thing. If you are going to go out there as the man of principle, I'm the guy who sticks to my guns, I'm the maverick, and I don't care what the party says, if you're going to say I'm going to follow the military leadership, never mind—we can argue about don't ask, don't tell, but what about military leadership on the START treaty?
What do you think the military says, the whole national security apparatus says? Pass this treaty. And he's saying no to it.
MATTHEWS: So, what's his problem?
WOLFFE: I think it's personal.
MATTHEWS: What is the personal? Get to...
WOLFFE: He lost. He lost the election.
MATTHEWS: So, he's just mad at everybody?
WOLFFE: It messes with your head. It just does. And John Kerry is still struggling to deal with 2004.
MATTHEWS: Here's Joe Klein. Let him do the dirty work. Here's Joe Klein, who does a lot of this psychological study.
Here he in "TIME" magazine over the weekend—quote—he's talking
about McCain—"His public fall has been spectacular, a consequence of
politics and personal pique. He's a bitter man now, who can barely
tolerate the fact that he lost to Barack Obama. But he lost for an obvious
reason: His campaign proved him to be puerile and feckless, a candidate" -
"a politician," rather, "who panicked when the heat was on during the financial crisis, a trigger-happy gambler who chose an incompetent for his vice president. He has made quite a show ever since demonstrating his petulance and lack of grace."
So, what he's talking about there is when John McCain, candidate for president, called for a meeting in Washington, a time-out from the campaign, came to a meeting with the president with the other candidate, Barack Obama, and when the president, at that time, George W. Bush, turned to John McCain, who called the meeting, and said, what do you think, he said nothing.
WOLFFE: More than that, he took a swipe at Obama because he said, I understand seniority.
When Obama was speaking out of turn in terms of seniority, he tries to pull the Senate on him. So this is the middle of this financial meltdown. Everyone's looking to him for some kind of leadership, and he starts playing Senate politics with...
BERNARD: And then the whole wanting to pause the campaign, it did not instill any kind of sense of confidence.
MATTHEWS: To make your point—I'm sorry—I just—it will come up in a minute, but I have got it here on the sheet. To make your great point, he wants to be in an avuncular relationship with Barack Obama, a big brother. He doesn't want to be an equal with him.
Here he is: "I have said all along I would be glad to work with the president, glad to sit down and work with the president on a broad variety of issues, but the president has never sought my advice or counsel."
BERNARD: Waa, waa, waa.
BERNARD: That's John McCain sucking his thumb. The president doesn't have to come to him and seek his advice. And he can offer his advice.
MATTHEWS: But he wants to be the senior emeritus.
BERNARD: He does. He does. But then he has to stick by principle.
Here's my question, though. Is it possible that he has swung this far right because of the rise of the Tea Party, and maybe he's going to run again in 2012?
MATTHEWS: Self-protection?
BERNARD: Is he looking to run for president again?
MATTHEWS: Is he just like Orrin Hatch and all the other guys who are scared of the crazies on the far right who are going to knock—here's a tense and telling moment. You can tell when I'm reading prompter.
MATTHEWS: A tense and telling moment between President Obama and Senator McCain during the health care summit back in February. Let's listen.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN ®, ARIZONA: I hope that that would be an argument for us to go through this 2,400-page document, remove all the special deals for the special interests and favored few, and treat all Americans the same under provisions of the law, so that they will know that geography does not dictate what kind of health care they would receive.
I thank you, Mr. President.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me just make this point, John, because we're not campaigning anymore. The election's over.
MCCAIN: I'm reminded of that every day.
MCCAIN: Could I just say, Mr. President, the American people care about what we did and how we did it. And I think it's a subject that I think we should discuss.
And I thank you.
OBAMA: They absolutely do care about it, John.
And I think that the way you characterized it obviously would get some strong objections from the other side. We can have a debate about process or we can have a debate about how we're actually going help the American people at this point.
MATTHEWS: Well, there, the president was clearly putting him down.
BERNARD: Thank you.
MATTHEWS: This "John" stuff. It wasn't the "honorable senator" stuff. It was, John, back in your box.
BERNARD: And it was Obama at his best, yes.
MATTHEWS: It was pretty condescending. It was condescending.
MATTHEWS: OK. They ran against each other for president. He's treating him like the pupil that was the slow kid in the class.
BERNARD: Yes.
BERNARD: And McCain is probably treating him like, I was the senior senator.
MATTHEWS: Oh, yes. Well, remember that "Games People Play," teaching
people how to relate to each other? You never get along if you're trying -
if you're trying to relate as equals, the other guy thinks he's superior, it ain't going to work.
BERNARD: Yes.
MATTHEWS: It's like kids want to talk to their parents like equals.
BERNARD: Yes, and it doesn't work.
MATTHEWS: It doesn't work. Well, it shouldn't work, anyway, until you get really old. Anyway, thanks. Interesting subject.
MATTHEWS: I love talking about somebody else's personality. Wouldn't you like to do about it you some time?
MATTHEWS: Anyway, thank you, Richard.
And thank you, Michelle.
Up next with Sarah Palin taking swipe at first lady Michelle—I think she was. Here's, I think, what you might call a cheap shot coming here, which we put in the "Sideshow," where it belongs.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Back to HARDBALL. Now to the "Sideshow."
First up: mama grizzly unleashed.
Sarah Palin last night took a thinly veiled swipe at first lady Michelle Obama and her campaign against childhood obesity. Here's Sarah Palin in her reality show.
SARAH PALIN ®, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: Where are the s'mores ingredients? This is in honor of Michelle Obama, who said the other day we should not have dessert.
MATTHEWS: Kill dessert.
Well, the first lady of course is not trying to ban dessert. Her campaign looks to ensure that children have healthy food options available. Isn't that something, Governor Palin, we can all get behind?
Next: Joe Manchin missing in action. On Saturday, the U.S. Senate took up two of the most symbolic votes of the year, the repeal of don't ask, don't tell and the DREAM act. The newest Democratic senator, however, didn't cast a vote. In fact, Manchin didn't even show up on the Senate floor.
Where was he? At a holiday party, which he called a family obligation he just could not break. Well, another factor might have been that he saw only negatives in voting either way on don't ask, don't tell. Had he voted for it, he would have been viewed in West Virginia as a liberal. Had he voted against it, he would be the only Senate Democrat in the country to vote against open service.
That is not the kind of brand name you want to carry the rest of your Senate career. Being a senator, having to go one way or the other comes with the job. That's if you show up for it.
Now to tonight's "Big Number." In a new Gallup poll, 40 percent of Americans say they believe in strict creationism, that humans were created by God within the last 10,000 years, as in the Bible. Well, how do you explain all those dinosaur bones, I ask? How do you explain your oldest living relative, our oldest living relative? Don't you love Lucy?
No surprise, that number is higher among Republicans, by the way. How high? Fifty-two percent, a majority of Republicans, more than half the Republicans reject the science behind evolution -- 52 percent, tonight's "Big Number." Think about that one during the primaries.
Up next: Democrats in the Senate may have another big victory within
reach, a scaled-down version of the health bill to help those 9/11
responders and cleanup people. It looks like it has the votes it needs to
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, one of the key sponsors, joins us next.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
AMANDA DRURY, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I'm Amanda Drury with your CNBC "Market Wrap."
Stocks trading in a narrow range heading into the shortened holiday week. The Dow Jones industrials falling 13 points, the S&P adding three, the Nasdaq climbing six-and-a-half. Light volume today on a lack of any big economic news.
And despite huge crowds in the stores this weekend, gains for retailers were few and far between, despite predictions of a potentially record breaking holiday sales season. But analysts say holiday optimism is already priced into those shares, while deep discounts and growing online sales could be a drag for the brick-and-mortar set.
Well, energy shares are higher as oil closed above $88 a barrel and word that Carl Icahn has been building a solid stake in natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy. American Express meantime skidding more than 3 percent on new caps for certain fees they can charge merchants. And Boeing slipping as well on reports its new Dreamliner could be delayed an additional six months.
That is it from CNBC. And we are first in business worldwide. It is now back to HARDBALL.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
There's new optimism today for that 9/11 health care bill. That's the bill that provides extra medical benefits to those who responded to and cleaned up after the World Trade Center attack. This weekend, New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer announced they had modified the bill, reducing its overall price tag and changing the way it is paid for.
But some Republicans are still unhappy about it.
With us now is New York Senator Chuck Schumer.
Senator Schumer, after the horror of 9/11, it seemed like we were united as a country, Republicans and Democrats both, led at that point by a Republican president who would do just about anything to help the people at 9/11. Has there been a sea change? Why are the Republicans opposing this measure of yours?
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: Well, I don't know if there's been a sea change, but we're almost 10 years from 9/11, and I guess people tend to forget.
Those of us who were there at the towers can never forget the brave firefighters, construction workers who just rushed in. And, remember, in the first few days, we thought there might still be people that would be alive in the rubble.
And, so, people are forgetting. People come up with excuses. Some say this is the New York bill. This is not. First, there are victims in every state. And, second, we don't ask where our veterans come from. Are they from Texas? Are they from Iowa? We say, you served America and we're going to remember that, at a time of war, you risked your life for us. We're going to be there to help you.
We should be doing the same for these people.
MATTHEWS: Well, tell the country now, if you have a minute or two, what about the unique health hazards that arose from those who went in, those 100,000 people, if you count them all, who had gotten involved one way or another in trying to deal with that horror?
SCHUMER: Well, the—they are coming down with cancers that are rare types of cancers. This is not typical. Some people said, well, someone who smokes will say they got lung cancer. These cancers are different.
They are unique. They come about when you get glass and other particulates in your lungs and your gastrointestinal tract. The average age of the person who has died here is 46. And they don't occur for any other reason.
So the idea that there are all kinds of illnesses that might not have been related to rushing to the tower and the horrible stuff that was in the air then is just wrong. Secondly, we have been very careful.
We know who was there at the towers. There was strict security the days after. Nobody is going to be able to dupe the system. And, in fact, there's been a year-to-year system of health care. It's not been as comprehensive or as thorough. There's been virtually no fraud.
So, anyone who thinks the money is being wasted is wrong. They haven't looked at the facts.
MATTHEWS: Let's take a look at Chris Wallace talking here, interviewing, rather, Jon Kyl, the number-two Republican leader, as he opposes your measure yesterday. Let's listen.
CHRIS WALLACE, HOST, "FOX NEWS SUNDAY": Will you vote this week for the 9/11 bill that would guarantee health care for the first responders who went to Ground Zero?
SEN. JON KYL (R-AZ), MINORITY WHIP: I don't know if that bill is going to come before us, but Dick tells me just a moment ago that he thinks that it will. First question is, is it amendable, or is it a take it or leave it proposition? The bill hasn't been through committee. There are problems with it.
And I think the first thing Republicans will ask is do we have a chance to fix any problems that may exist with it. And it's a lot of money, and so I—my early response is that I am skeptical about that bill.
SCHUMER: Let me answer a couple of things.
MATTHEWS: Sure. Go ahead.
SCHUMER: It will come for a vote. Leader Reid has promised us that.
Second, we have worked with Republicans. That's why the bill is modified. There will be an amendment on the floor, because we went to many of the Republicans. We had every Democrat supporting the original bill that the House sent us. But some Republicans said they didn't like the way it was paid for. We gave them six or seven options. They chose the ones they like. And that's what's here.
I believe that we have 60 votes for the bill so we can block cloture and our plea to Senator Kyl, we can't ask him to vote for it if he thinks it's the right thing to do, although I think if he read the bill thoroughly and studied it, he would come to the same conclusions we did, but not to filibuster needlessly.
This is now a bipartisan bill. It passed for votes in the House and we should not—Christmas Eve in particular—turn our backs on these people who served us in a time of war, are no different than veterans. America has always honored veterans who risked their lives in a time of war voluntarily. We said, if you get injured on the battlefield, we're going to take care of you. It is not different with these firemen, cops, construction workers who did the same thing.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Take a minute for the advantage of the people who are skeptical to tell me the fundraising or rather the financing plan for offsetting the cost of this measure.
SCHUMER: The financing plans don't—first, the bill does not cost any money. In fact, the pay-fors exceed the cost of the bill by $57 million. So, it actual reduces the deficit.
Who do we—what are—who pays for it? First, there are companies from a group of countries that bid on United States products and they don't allow the U.S. companies to bid on products from their government and contracts from their government. We put a 2 percent surcharge on those. It's not the major countries of the world. They have treaties with us where our companies can bid for their government's contracts and vice versa.
Second, there are certain companies that abuse the H-1B process by taking foreign workers and bringing them here and training them and sending them home. We increase the surcharge on those companies. They are foreign almost exclusively; 50 percent of their workers have to be H-1B.
And third, there was a noncontroversial increase on visas for foreigners that for several years paid for travel promotion. We increased that by a couple of years.
Every one of these is noncontroversial. None of them affect American citizens and the health, of course, goes to American citizens who helped us in a time of need.
MATTHEWS: OK. It's great to have you one. Chuck—
SCHUMER: Anyone who says—Chris, anyone who says they're opposed to this bill, they're not looking at the bill, they're not looking at the facts and they ought to look at it again because the only way this bill will fail is if it's filibustered, otherwise, we have the votes.
MATTHEWS: OK. Happy holidays to you, Senator. Chuck Schumer of New York, the senior—thank you, sir.
SCHUMER: Thank you. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.
MATTHEWS: Tonight in South Carolina, there's a gala event marking 150 years since that state legislature down there voted to secede from the Union, triggering, of course, the Civil War. The events planners say they're celebrating history, not slavery. But the NAACP will be protesting. Let's get to that one next.
This is HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Well, here's a name you won't offer hear among potential 2012 challengers, John Bolton, the arch-conservative former ambassador to the United Nations tells "Politico" he's seriously considering running for president in 2012. It may not be so farfetched. After all, Bolton has a platform. He's got a regular gig on FOX News and he's on the cover of the forthcoming issue of "The National Review."
But it would probably take a big foreign crisis for Bolton to break out the Republican pack and win the nomination—something like Armageddon.
HARDBALL will be right back.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
Well, in South Carolina tonight, a secession ball will mark the 150th anniversary of that passage of that state's ordnance of succession which, of course, helped set this country on the road to civil war.
Is the start of this country's deadliest war an event to be celebrated with a ball? That will include a play, a dinner and dancing?
Thomas Hiter is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. And Eugene Robinson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for "The Washington Post" and MSNBC analyst.
Let me go to Mr. Hiter.
Sir, tell me why you would celebrate at a ball, the passage of the ordnance by the South Carolina legislature?
THOMAS HITER, SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS: Well, obviously, Chris, first of all, I'm not celebrating the ball. I'm not at the ball. I'm in front of a TV camera in Nashville, Tennessee.
But the SCV certainly supports the right of the people of South Carolina to celebrate the secession. As our ancestors supported their right to secede.
Why would I support it? For the very simple reason that we have freedom to peaceably assemble in this country. I believe we still have that.
MATTHEWS: Well, the Web site for this secession gala tonight advertised a 45-minute theatrical play re-enacting the signing of the original ordnance and says that the ticket cost also includes dinner and dancing.
And you say that—well, make your judgment, sir. You're on the show here to talk about it. Do you think it's an appropriate event?
HITER: I don't think it's an inappropriate event if that's your real question. I don't—I assume it's appropriate. I assume it's properly planned. I assume it's well-done. Had I been invited, I might well have attended.
I see no reason not to celebrate things that our ancestors did 150 years ago. But by the same token, obviously, not everyone agrees with that. And we wouldn't be having this discussion.
MATTHEWS: Yes. I know.
Well, let me get to Gene Robinson.
I guess the question is: was it a good thing that South Carolina led the movement towards succession in the Confederacy?
EUGENE ROBINSON, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, of course not.
MATTHEWS: Was that a good thing?
ROBINSON: No, it wasn't a good thing. And it was—it was an illegal act and the illegality of that act was, in fact, litigated by the Civil War. You know, this was—this was not something to celebrate. It would be like celebrating some big terrorist attack or something like that, which in fact there was 150 years ago. There was a terrorist attack against Fort Sumter that began the civil war.
I mean—so, no. It's not a good idea to celebrate secession. It is a celebration of slavery because that's what the civil war is about. And, by the way, I'm a, you know, proud native of South Carolina. Somehow, my invitation to the succession ball must have gotten lost in the mail.
But—but do they have the right to do it? Of course they have the right to do it. We do have freedom of assembly of this country. But it's not a—
MATTHEWS: You know, some people would say—my son Thomas' an actor but we went out to one of these reenactments out in the country, on the battlefields. I think they're great to do. I think it's fine.
I mean, as a Northerner, I think it's fine that people plays the South and someone plays the North and they reenact the courage of those soldiers, the actual courage of the actual soldiers. I can understand, celebrating the courage, wherever it is, in most places, not in some places.
But why would you celebrate a decision, a political decision to break up the Union of the United States?
HITER: In the first place, Chris, if I may, that was an act of immense political courage. To leave the Union was an act oft rebellion, as it often been called. It was an effort to leave and they tried to leave peacefully. Mr. Lincoln did not allow that and that later caused the war.
I disagree completely with Mr. Robinson's comparison of it to an act of terrorism. It was not. It was simply an act of political courage and political will to try to separate themselves from a Union government that was going in completely the wrong direction, as they understood it at the time.
I would agree with him that the civil war settled the matter. And so, no one tries to secede anymore. But, by the same token, the litigation was never conducted. Never was it taken to court, especially to the Supreme Court, never debated carefully in legislative venues. It was fought and cold steel and hot lid settled the question.
The question settled. Make no mistake. The northwest—
MATTHEWS: What was—was Mr. Robinson correct—I just want to interrupt you a little bit—was he right in saying that the war was over slavery?
HITER: I don't believe so. But by the same token, I understand that many people do believe so. Our commander in chief, Mr. Michael Givens, recently appealed to Mr. Al Sharpton, who said some extremely disrespectful things about the Confederacy on a recent TV program that we're really—we should be beyond the point of having these name-calling contests as just we're past the point of shooting at one another. We ought to be able to sit down and respectfully disagree and explore the positions of one another.
MATTHEWS: OK. Gene?
ROBINSON: Well, that's—with all respect, that's ridiculous. I mean, that's utterly ridiculous. If there was not from slavery, there would not have been the Civil War. There were—there were 50 years of fights and battles and tensions over slavery that led up to secession and the Civil War. That was the issue.
And state's rights was the wrapping and the bow that was—you know, in which the package of slavery was presented. But in fact, that was the issue. It's just very clear. I mean, there's no other reading in history, and—
MATTHEWS: Well, the immediate result of Civil War is the passage of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery. I mean, I don't know how you can—
Mr. Hiter—
MATTHEWS: -- why do you deny—ask you one question last question of the night, why do you deny the Civil War was over slavery? Are you offended by that charge, or what? Do you think that's not a reasonable assumption?
HITER: I do. Abraham Lincoln was quite clear in his first inaugural draws that he fully supported slavery. He signed the original 13th Amendment which guaranteed slavery. The original Confederacy was formed by seven states. Lincoln's invasion of the South took six more out of the Union. No, it didn't start over slavery.
Before it was over, was slavery an issue? Absolutely. Was, in fact, slavery an issue from the beginning? In part, sure.
John Brown came from Kansas and tried to start a slave insurrection in Virginia, before the war.
So, was slavery an issue? Absolutely. Slavery was the great moral issue of that century, and it was a great moral—
MATTHEWS: What side would you have been—what side would you had been on that fight to free the slaves? On the side of the slaveholders or the slaves? Who's side—
HITER: Well, it's not a fight to free the slaves. That's the fundamental misassumption you're making. The war didn't even involve slavery until 1863.
MATTHEWS: No. I'm talking about John Brown. Was John Brown a good or a bad guy?
HITER: John Brown was a bad guy.
MATTHEWS: Why?
HITER: John Brown was a terrorist.
MATTHEWS: OK, thank you.
HITER: And had I found myself alive in those days, I think, I hope to pray to God I would have fought the way that my ancestors did for the South.
MATTHEWS: OK. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mr. Hiter, for joining us and being so forthright.
HITER: Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Thank you, Gene Robinson, for being on the right side.
When we return, "Let Me Finish" with what President Obama needs to make sure to make sure that he has a good presidency.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: "Let Me Finish" tonight with some advice for President Obama.
The "Politico" today advanced the argument that President Obama should focus on his executive powers, things that he can do without getting something through the Congress next year. Quote, "He needs to be CEO of America," as former Clinton chief of staff John Podesta is quoted of saying.
Well, let me add my now-familiar belief that this particular president needs to dramatically bolster his executive command structure. He thinks a chief of staff that will serve as chief operating officer. President Obama should stop staffing the White House as if he were still a senator.
He doesn't need a staff operation. He needs an executive operation. He needs a chief of staff that could stand as the first among equals with the cabinet. That way we would see a chain of command operating across the board like we do in defense and foreign affairs.
The one solid area this administration, when it comes to having a clear chain of command structure, is the Pentagon and State. We can Robert Gates and Hillary Clinton firmly in charge, working firmly together.
The great executive weaknesses of this presidency have been the dull response to the BP catastrophe and the failure to make job creation real.
A strong executive structure would allow Americans to see their government taking action—that's an area where Obama needs work. He must use these precious weeks to do the rebuilding.
That's HARDBALL for now. Thanks for being with us.
Right now, it's time for "THE ED SHOW" with Ed Schultz.
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text:
This classic game had been yet another quality release for the ZX Spectrum, C64 and Amstrad CPC (published by Hewson Consultants).
Unfortunately the version we got for the good old Amiga was, well, a huge pile of steaming dung dropped by the quick-and-lazy 16-bit port over creature.
On the 8-bit platforms Exolon had been an arcade game with a difference. Here it was just a completely awful, tedious and unrewarding gaming experience.
I will now persevere with playing and reviewing Exolon...
|Trying to duck out of the way of quick and lazy ports...
The aim of the game was to fight your way (from left to right in classic arcade fashion) through four levels of 25 screens, making a grand total of 100 screens to conquer.
The alien world you were placed in was infested with rotund attackers released from 'birthing pods', homing missiles, exploding mines, accelerating space lice and crushing hydraulic plungers.
For protection your character carried a blaster to destroy the lesser thin-skinned aliens and weaker obstructions.
|Note the washed out colours
You were also armed with homing grenades that were able to destroy stronger creatures, machinery and any obstructing pieces of landscape such as rocky outcroppings.
It should have been classic arcade game weaponry, but the grenade launcher seemed about as powerful as wet fart on a wet Wednesday.
Blaster ammunition and grenades were replenished on the loss of a life, but extra ammunition could be collected from supplies that were lying around the landscape.
For additional safety and kill-a-bility, walking through a dressing unit 'clothed' you in an armoured exoskeleton, giving you have extra blasting power and protection against ground mines and even some aliens. Again this part of the game had been implemented perfectly on 8-bit machines but here it was (for want of a better word), crap.
If you were wearing this suit on the completion of a level your bravery bonus was decreased. But by this point you just didn't care anyway.
|Unimaginative graphics are the order of the day in Exolon...
I suppose I should also mention that Teleport pods were also dotted around the screens allowing you to 'move' to higher or lower ledges on the screen and collect various items.
This also made for more than one route through some of the screens - it was up to you to find out which way was the easiest. To be honest the game was so unplayable that there were no easy routes to take.
With 100 screens to fight your way through, this title was a tough nut to crack... I never ever cracked it and never will.
With really poor graphics, unimaginative sound effects and negative playability this game screams 'amateur' at every turn. Not even the musical talents of J Dave Rogers can raise this game above mediocrity. Turgid.
We recommend getting hold of the real Amiga hardware - but if not then download an Amiga emulator and download anything but Exolon! Alternatively you could try and play it online.
Please see our other Amiga retro game reviews - all links are listed in alphabetical order. Cheers guys.
GENRE: Arcade Game
RELEASED BY: Hewson
DEVELOPER(S): Martin J Bysh, Gary Felix, Guido Henkel, J Dave Rogers
Classic Games, Arcade Games and Amiga Games