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Free American Accent Quiz and Tutorial
If you are interested in developing a standard American English accent, you have come to the right place. This tutorial provides free training that will allow you to learn the accurate pronunciation of each sound in American English. An accent is comprised of three basic components: pronunciation, intonation, and connection. Variations in pronunciation, intonation and connection cause one to speak with a specific accent. The purpose of this tutorial is to teach you how to first hear the sound correctly, then produce the sound in isolation, and finally produce the sound at the word level.
Below is a list of phonetic symbols that can be associated with sounds utilized in American English. Even though you may not recognize these phonetic symbols, they correlate with the sounds found in the practice tutorial. The sounds listed are those that most individuals speaking your native language as their first language will most likely need to address when attempting to speak English with an American accent. We have indicated which position the errors are typically found based on where the sound is located within a word. The three options are initial (first sound of the word), medial (middle sound of the word), and final (last sound of the word). After reviewing the list of sounds, please find the directions for using the Free American Accent Tutorial below.
/b/ initial and final
/t/ final
/d/ final
/k/ final
/g/ final
/f/ final
/v/ initial and final
/θ/ initial and final; (Voiceless th sound)
/ð/ initial and final; (Voiced th sound)
/z/ initial and final
/ʃ/ initial; (sh sound)
/t ʃ/ initial and final; (ch sound)
/d ʒ/ initial and final; (j as in John sound)
/m/ final
/n/ final
/ŋ/ final; (ng as in going sound)
/l/ final
/r/ initial and final
/j/ initial
/pr/ initial
/br/ initial
/tr/ initial
/dr/ initial
/kr/ initial
/gr/ initial
/fr/ initial
/θr/ initial; (Voiceless th sound)
/bl/ initial
/sp/ initial
/st/ initial
/sk/ initial
/sm/ initial
/sn/ initial
/sl/ initial
/spr/ initial
/str/ initial
/spl/ initial
/ɪ/ initial, medial, and final
/e/ initial, medial, and final
/ɛ/ initial, medial, and final
/æ/ initial, medial, and final
/ʌ/ initial, medial, and final
/ɝ/ initial, medial, and final
/ʊ/ initial, medial, and final
/o/ initial, medial, and final
/a/ initial, medial, and final
/oɚ/ initial, medial, and final
We recommend that you review this entire document and print the contents before leaving our site to access the tutorial. This link "Free American Accent Tutorial" will allow you to start the free accent reduction exercises. Once you have selected the link, you will need to select either consonants or vowels. When beginning, you may want to start with consonants as most individuals find the work with vowels a bit more difficult.
We recommend starting by selecting the voice icon. This selection divides all of the consonants into two groups. This group contains the voiced consonants, which are produced when the vocal folds inside your larynx (voice box) vibrate. The other choice includes the voiceless consonants, which are produced without the vocal folds vibrating. When you begin, we recommend focusing your efforts on the voiceless consonants first. After you select voiceless you will see the list of all voiceless consonants spoken in American English.
Step One:
To pronounce the sounds correctly, first you must be able to hear the sound accurately. One of the reasons you have an accent while speaking American English is because you are probably only speaking and hearing the sounds you learned to produce in your native language when you were younger. After years of speaking a different language other than American English, your brain and ears may be misperceiving or omitting some of the American English sounds that are not used in your native language. Training yourself to hear the sounds that you have been subconsciously "ignoring" is a very important first step toward your goal of decreasing your accent when speaking American English.
American English has sounds that you may have never pronounced. If you are not hearing the sound correctly, you must first train your ears before training your mouth. Ask a friend or relative to play the sounds in isolation (sound only) using this tutorial. Of course, this is a quiz, so do not look at the computer screen when they select the sound. While they play the sound, you should write the letter or letters of the sound you hear. This will help you determine which sounds you know well and which sounds you should address. Once you can name the sound correctly with at least 50% accuracy, you may begin training your mouth to say the sound.
Step Two:
First practice the sound by itself (in isolation) repeatedly by playing the sound and then repeating the same sound out loud exactly like the model.
Step Three:
After you have mastered the sound by itself, use the other free tutorial examples to practice the sound at the beginning of a word, in the middle of a word, and at the end of a word as needed.
You are on your way to reducing your accent! Just train yourself to pronounce all of the voiceless consonants, then the voiced consonants, and finally the vowels. If you are able to change your pronunciation for the sounds you were using incorrectly when speaking English, you will be able to reduce your accent by at least 50%!
Sounds of Speech* ™ by University of Iowa Research Foundation
*English Only


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Reviewed By Scott W (MEADVILLE, PA) Reviewed for a 1998 Jeep Cherokee —11/15/2015 8:45 PM
We have two Pontiac G8's. I bought this and a CarCapsule. The materials in the Maxpider are good, but not as good as the CarCapsule. They set up the same, taking the same time to set up and inflate. Both work as advertised. The price is close to the same. If I bought another car storage system, it would be the CarCapsule.


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Monday, November 2, 2009
Is This as Good as It Gets From Obama?
It's still to early to lose hope in a guy as smart and talented as Barack Obama. But I would counsel him to remember: If you're going undercover to infiltrate how Washington works, so you become one of them for a while, to gain their confidence, well, it can be just like all those movies where a cop goes deep, deep, DEEP undercover with drug people and -- fuck, he's a drug addict, too!
Logic tells me that really smart guys like Obama and Rahm Emanuel know better what they're doing than I do. They certainly know things I don't know. I think we have the same general goals and beliefs. And this is what they do for a living -- I wouldn't even try it. But I will never stop having this doubt: that maybe if they had really charged in there riding the forceful energy of the historic election, and acted like it was an emergency moment -- which it was -- they could have gotten some big victories right up front, and there really could have been an historic "first hundred days" for this administration and the country. Instead of what happened, which is the Obamas got a dog. It could have worked -- the country had given its endorsement to "...and now for something completely different." There might have been a way to knock the Republicans back on their heels right away, with the argument that "The American people demanded we make these changes, and you are unpatriotic to stand in their way."
We'll never know. Because that moment passed, and now it could follow the pattern of World War I and devolve into boring, static trench warfare where nothing really game changing happens while both sides slowly bleed to death.
That said, I do not forget that if the election had gone the other way, we'd right now have a barter economy and be at war with Honduras.
82 comments:
- Closet Socialist said...
Holy Shit, 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists are obsessed with you, Bill.
- November 2, 2009 at 7:56 PM
- Mrs. Blue said...
I love you. ALways! For making me laugh.. No matter what!
- November 2, 2009 at 8:01 PM
- Will said...
I think we've become too accustomed as a society to have everything right now and we've forgotten the importance of patience. We often forget that real change takes time. We can ill afford to hurriedly jump into things in an attempt to satisfy the naysayers that proclaim that everything is happening too slowly. The best course of action is to allow change to come as it should, over time, where it will have the biggest and most lasting impact.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:05 PM
- Anonymous said...
Here is some appropriate paste from ACLU. You dopey immaherture zombies might not like the taste:
this week, a federal appeals court announced that it will hear the government's appeal of an earlier ruling that allowed the ACLU's lawsuit against Boeing subsidiary, Jeppesen DataPlan Inc., to go forward.
In 2007, the ACLU sued Jeppesen for its role in the Bush administration's unlawful "extraordinary rendition" program. Our lawsuit was filed on behalf of five men who were forcibly disappeared and then tortured in U.S.-run secret overseas prisons or by foreign intelligence agents.
Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the Bush administration intervened, asserting the "state secrets" privilege and asking the judge to have the case thrown out without considering any evidence in support of the men's case.
Although the lower court upheld the government's claims, in April, a three-judge panel reversed the lower court's dismissal of the lawsuit. The panel held—contrary to the assertions of Obama administration lawyers, and as the ACLU had argued—the "state secrets" privilege can only be invoked with respect to specific evidence and not to dismiss the entire suit.
In June, the Obama administration appealed the decision, and asked an "en banc" panel of 11 judges to rehear the case which the court announced this week that it will hear.
"We are disappointed by the court's decision to re-hear this case, but we hope and expect that the court's historic decision to allow the lawsuit to go forward will stand," said Ben Wizner, staff attorney with the ACLU's National Security Project and counsel in the case. "The CIA's rendition and torture program simply is not a 'state secret.' In fact, since the court's decision in April, the government's sweeping secrecy claims have only gotten weaker, with the declassification of additional documents describing the CIA's detention and interrogation practices. The Obama administration's embrace of overbroad secrecy claims has denied torture victims their day in court and shielded perpetrators from liability or accountability.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:09 PM
- Spaniard said...
Conspiracy theorists like sharing their ideas, that way they can reach that lovely spot where enough people believe them... and then they can pretend all they say is actually true.
Clearly, it is far more reassuring to think one lived under an evil government that would immolate three thousand people in order to further a political agenda, instead of realizing that one lived under a government that was too inept to take the necessary steps to protect the American people, thus killing three thousand people through inaction.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:10 PM
- Allister Reynolds said...
I am with Bill on this one. "The Majority" rules..... and if Obama was voted in by the majority, then why is the change not happening?
(Change for the better)
- November 2, 2009 at 8:10 PM
- Anonymous said...
So, is this the change we voted for, Obama transforming into W? I don't think so.
Bill, 'they' are as transparent as you suspect.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:13 PM
- Anonymous said...
Thats right, it was a Jeppesen DataPlan learjet that was used for illegal torture that crashed in Mexico with 4 tons of pure blow on board.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:16 PM
- Anonymous said...
I am concerned that the healthcare and Afghanistan decisions are being held up until their press will sideline the midterm elections. If the midterm elections don't get adequate press they will disproportionally favor the conservatives, as their are the only vindictive fucks that spend all their time trying to screw up other people.
Them and Jeffy Daimler. and Usama. and Michelle. and Rupert. and Rush. and that other Michelle. and jughead Beckyball.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:25 PM
- Anonymous said...
and Senator Looterman. He's just neurotic that he isn't the veep.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:29 PM
- Anonymous said...
Maybe we were all a little naive with our hopes of President Obama swooping in like Zorro and routing out the bad guys. The Old Guard is firmly entrenched, and they've been there a long time. Perhaps we've watched too much sit-com TV where the world gets fixed in 22 minutes...? As you said, it's too early to lose hope in a President as smart and talented as Barack Obama. Things seem to be generally moving in the right direction. Economy stabilizing, health care reform IS getting worked on. Slowly but surely, (perhaps he's learned a thing or two about "insidiousness"?) things are turning around. Maybe the strategy IS to bring about change, without bringing about a counter-revolution? Perhaps he's not so much trying to win them over as he is trying to lull them into acceptance. If he gives a little this time, then he can take a little next time. Maybe? Hopefully?
- November 2, 2009 at 8:30 PM
- Anonymous said...
As someone who is a political independent, this post SPEAKS THE TRUTH!!!
The Obama administration has been pussy-footing for too long now by being "moderate" and "bipartisanly stable"
And in the end, he has FAILED to 'please Conservatards', (an oxy-moron) and has disappointed Democrats and Liberals alike.
What he SHOULD have done (and can STILL do!) is stop being moderate, and go all-out radical left wing!
* Seize the reigns and take control!
* INTENTIONALLY piss off republicans and conservatives.
* Show them the SAME type of hostilities that they inflicted upon Democrats with this entire time!
What people fail to understand is that "moderation" and "equilibrium" don't bring about change:
Radical actions and provocative ideologies DO!!!
(circa: ALL of history)
I'm not saying Obama should pull off a 'hitler-esque' type move. But I am saying that he should use his power to PUSH FORTH the liberal agenda more vigorously!
Because if he doesn't, then money hungry & power mongering conservatives alike will do WHATEVER it takes to obtain that type of power.
Anyways, right on Bill Maher! Keep on fighting the good fight!!!
And for all you out there who disagree with Bill, well:
Fuck you all to hell and back!!!
- November 2, 2009 at 8:35 PM
- Anonymous said...
In "The God Delusion" pp. 202-7 Richard Dawkins describes recent psycho-sociologic bridge events that apply well to recent tactics as well as bigger scope ones. Just the kind of propaganda W and other scumbags would try to play, and screw up just as badly as W.
Far reaching implications.
Its a damn good book, better if you read it fast. You must; he continues to write.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:39 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
Depressing. Totally like one of those relationships where you hit it off really well and three years later it's still booty calls. Like you were kind of hoping for all this good shit, and now you'd just settle for some not-bad shit, and even those are high hopes.
I'm 30- I don't know anyone who's hopeful because none of us saw anything (economy, prospects, peace, prosperity) hopeful in our adult lives. I know the economy is fucked, but things like gay rights he could totally move on. And like you've said on your show, Bill, I'm totally pissed the party in power isn't saying, "it's our turn, sit the fuck down and shut up," like the last eight years. WTF?
- November 2, 2009 at 8:43 PM
- Anonymous said...
Depressing. Totally like one of those relationships where you hit it off really well and three years later it's still booty calls. Like you were kind of hoping for all this good shit, and now you'd just settle for some not-bad shit, and even those are high hopes.
I'm 30- I don't know anyone who's hopeful because none of us saw anything (economy, prospects, peace, prosperity) hopeful in our adult lives. I know the economy is fucked, but things like gay rights he could totally move on. And like you've said on your show, Bill, I'm totally pissed the party in power isn't saying, "it's our turn, sit the fuck down and shut up," like the last eight years. WTF?
- November 2, 2009 at 8:43 PM
- Unknown said...
I feel similarly, but I'm more optimistic about the changes to come. Pres Obama's behind-the-scenes action to shape and push forward healthcare reform has been brilliant and will undoubtedly pass with sweeping reform short of single-payer transformation. The bill is in its 'too late to turn back'(or 'too big to fail' in a good way) phase with Obama's biggest pushes towards a public option and the dismantling of insurance monopolies just weeks away. This is it.
There was no sense in canon-balling his way into the White House with the potential to lose/anger this, afterall, conservative country and sacrifice 6 out of a potential 8 years of Obama + a democratic congress and possibly even cloture (!). Other reform are underway and will be coolly laid down, one-by-one, with the same clandestine tact that he is currently using. The changes will be slow and steady and grand.
PS. second paragraph correction: "It's still *too* early.." Are your interns too busy wishing you would pull a Letterman to edit this? Someone needs to be fired ;)
- November 2, 2009 at 8:53 PM
- Nick said...
Why are you still trying to convince yourself that Obama is "one of us"? Maybe he is "deep undercover," as you say, or maybe -- here's an idea -- he's full of shit. Why give him the benefit of the doubt? Until his actions catch up with his words, he's no better than Bush.
- November 2, 2009 at 8:57 PM
- Jessy K. Daniel said...
I get your gist BUT brother Bill-but just as you said "Barack Obama is not your boyfriend and he is not single,or has the luxury to sleep to noon or smoke a fat spliff when he is stressed. Obama is not your super hero, he is a hardworking, REAL family man trying to clean up one of the worlds biggest fucking messes and at the same time trying to be a thoughtful family man who has consideration for his wife and children-Aside from the Mayan calender-Children are our future and although a new puppy for the girls can be considered "hokey or trivial" while meanwhile in Afghanistan..I agree we should be out of there now! but CUT HIM A LITTLE SLACK-I love you and you ARE ON IT like no other but holy shit Barack Obama is just a man of flesh and bone and I don't think he has a holy staff or burning bush guiding him in every right direction but don't slander him he need's your spiritual support as well if you believe in that!-Maher For Pres- November 2012-Uh-oh- Let's see if you can take the prophecies on? it might be harder then WallStreet and you may need your Holy staff!-PEACE OUT!
- November 2, 2009 at 9:02 PM
- Unknown said...
"That said, I do not forget that if the election had gone the other way, we'd right now have a barter economy and be at war with Honduras."
...And how the fuck do you know that? We could possibly have been back to an economy in full swing and been kickin' ass. Sadly we'll never know, cos unlike you, I tend to believe this all you'll get from Obama, until January 2011 when the Republicans take over and force change down his throat!
- November 2, 2009 at 9:04 PM
- Crystal Ainardi said...
Oh Bill. He hasn't done anything? please look http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/ ....and if you feel Obama is falling off course buy the book "Change we can believe in-Barack Obamas Plan to renew Americas Promise" Flip through and underline what he has already accomplished. I'm only into page 93 and my highlighter has been put to great use. Have you ever thought the media just likes to focus on the negative? And forgets to mention anything positive. Don't buy into the naysayers Bill!
- November 2, 2009 at 9:16 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- November 2, 2009 at 9:36 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- November 2, 2009 at 9:42 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- November 2, 2009 at 9:44 PM
- Anonymous said...
Lets review the campaign promises.
1, Close Guantanamo = everything it stands for.
2. Stop paving Afghanistan with American blood and gold
3. Stop paving Iran with Bush excrement
4. Restore the US constitutional law - American liberty
5. Restore diplomatic relations with the rest of the world
and as the professor said,
Zero for 6, kids. I like him better than Herr Cheney and co. but he hasn't done shit. Against him the adversaries of liberty have done much: Israel is brutalizing Palestinians like its 1967, Sarah is running as the Manchurian Candidate, the Republicans are civilly assaulting America by their hostile political acts and the natives are gathering pitchforks.
Did you see? A chinese programmer in possession of a 4rth generation iPhone was alleged to have comitted suicide for losing it, by jumping from his highrise apartment. Security video showed him being thrown out of his apartment by goons.
Fuck your phone is not cheap. Hello Android.
Get a reality check. Take the side you believe in and hold the fuck on. Advertise, fly your colors. There is strength in numbers. Do good deeds, win over as many people as you can - they will save you if it comes down to it.
Whatever you do, openly obey the law. Otherwise you lose your credibility with the people you might sway to support you.
Thats what they do, follow their lead. Do not believe for a minute that they outnumber you, they are stupid and lie badly.
- November 2, 2009 at 9:48 PM
- Unknown said...
Hey bill, I'm a fan From Honduras and I really like your show. I finally hear you mention Honduras though it's on your blog, or forgive me if you ever did mention it on Real Time and I never saw it. But let me just say that the situation in Honduras is somewhat alike to the environment of disinformation that the media has bombarded on the American people. The constitutionally elect president of Honduras Manuel Zelaya is accused of being a socialist, leftist, even communist by the far right in Honduras , which is worse in this country when the Rich own 95% of the media and have indoctrinated people to believe this socialist propaganda. the truth is that people all around have been fooled into believing that the very thought of socialism is pure evil, why even uttering the word should have you hanged, like "capitalism" has done us good so far. what's sad is that this is a very poor country and poor people have been fooled to believe this crap and to defend it even though they don't even know what socialism means and that the very system which they defend is the one that inevitably has turned against them. We need need a better economic model to rule, and I'm not saying it should be socialism but it sure as hell should not be CAPITALISM. I hope my country's ilegit government decides to mend this political crisis and reinstate President Zelaya, but I might be sounding a bit naive when we all know that personal agendas are a priority over what the people request and what needs to be done.
- November 2, 2009 at 10:25 PM
- zumbi said...
Obushama has and is changing nothing. The Secretary of the Treasury is a Goldman Sachs alum just like his predecessor. Gates is still Secretary of Defense. Either Obama is in way over his head or he is acquiescing in a continuation of what was going on under Bush. Continued torture, eavesdropping, and other constitutional violations. When will we call him on it?
- November 2, 2009 at 10:41 PM
- Anonymous said...
Bill nothing ever gets done anymore because the people in charge don't have to do anything to get re-elected, all they have to do is make promises and stir up the emotions of the American public either by evoking hope or the cheaper one, creating an aura of fear. We'd be better off with a smart, sensible dictator than a fat, bloated, gassy, over-stretched, under-achieving democratic republic (love how the birthers and 9/12ers love to make sure everyone knows WE ARE A DAMN REPUBLIC) who's sole business now is to employee people. In certain sectors and regions of the US the government is the largest employers of its citizens, that is fucking sad. We raise taxes just to make jobs up for people that add little or no value to our economy. I mean in NY we still pay tolls for a Thruway basically to keep the people who collect tolls employed. It's fucking insane.
- November 3, 2009 at 12:31 AM
- Unknown said...
Undoing the damage that has been done to our way of life is no small undertaking, and there are plenty of people on the opposition that will behave far more radically to prevent any change from taking place....so, the task at hand is not an easy one. It may very well be that we have done too little too late. I don't envy Obama's position, and as Bill said...I wouldn't even try.
I no longer blindly follow either party as it has proven to be an illusion in both cases. Yes, I was also a Republican once. *ducks* The way I see it we have a few things standing in the way...one of which I will make an example of. The Roman Empire kept it's population satisfied with "bread and circus's".
"To quote Wikipedia "Bread and circuses" (or bread and games) (from Latin: panem et circenses) is a metaphor for handouts and petty amusements that politicians use to gain popular support, instead of gaining it through sound policy. The phrase is invoked not only to criticize politicians, but also to criticize their supporters for giving up their civic duty.In modern usage, the phrase has become an adjective to deride an infantalized populace so defined by entertainment, instant self gratification, and personal pleasures that they no longer value civic virtues and the public life (not necessarily accomplished through deliberate pacification by politicians but through the popular culture itself). To many social conservatives, it connotes the wanton decadence and hedonism that defined Rome prior to its decline and that may similarly contribute to the decline of modern society."
We are beyond obsessed with materialism. So much so that it dominates every aspect of our lives. In fact, I think perhaps even the Roman's would have been embarrassed by our excesses. The current levels of consumerism are NOT sustainable forever...so when that shoe does finally drop, things will get very interesting, very quickly. Congrats if you made it through this rant without falling asleep...perhaps you have a brain with which to think:)
- November 3, 2009 at 6:27 AM
- Unknown said...
He did tell the DEA boys to lay off the medical marijauna suppliers and growers. "Let the locals handle it" I think he said. If he does nothing else, that one decree makes my vote last fall worth the bytes that never did but were supposed to record it.
Peace out and thanks for the entertainment.
- November 3, 2009 at 7:39 AM
- Lisa said...
Well said Will. I think in our "fast food nation" and "instant everything" we assume government can run at the speed of lightening. Just as it took years to get us into this mess (just pick any one), I don't think it's fair to expect overnight miracles. Very few long term projects were an overnight success and when you're dealing with a moronic congress it slows the pace. I thought we all voted for an end to "cowboy politics" and isn't that what we're demanding "ram it down their (Repub) throats in the name of change". Politics is like raising your kids, it takes time, you make mistakes, some days are bad and some are worse but in the end, years down the road you can look back and say "ok, it was all worth it" but anyone who has kids knows that change is not an overnight thing, it is a long slow, often very tedious and boring process. Bill you don't have kids so let's go with an analogy you can relate to. Say you want to grow some pot, you want it right now but truth is it takes a while to grow. You have to find someone to get you a starter, you need the right lights, you need the right amount of water, then you have to dry it and roll it and whatever else but it's NOT an overnight process if in fact you want to be in charge of producing your own. Now Bill, substitute "grow my own pot" to "change the government and it's people" and you'll see that it's not an overnight thing regardless of how many times we belittle our pot plant and tell it we'd like it to change - FAST. Patience and constructive support will get you the government AND the pot you want!
- November 3, 2009 at 8:19 AM
- Toad734 said...
He just needs to get over this bipartisan/including the other side shit. The other side thinks the Earth is 10k years old and that and insurance company who is out to make a profit has your best interest at heart. Did the Republican of the last 8 years wait to see if the Democrats were going to be on board with what they were doing?? Hell no.
- November 3, 2009 at 8:28 AM
- Anonymous said...
If Hamid Karzai had aimed a little higher he could have been president of Iraq.
- November 3, 2009 at 8:30 AM
- Jen said...
Obama rose like a rocket through Illinois state politics. Anyone recognize the names "George Ryan" and "Rod Blagojevich"? Corrupt. Pay to play.
Obama is extremely likeable and got noticed by the DNC for his charisma and ability to motivate through very well crafted speeches. He is inspiring to listen to, but ultimately he has not had much experience in any executive role bringing about the change he dreams of.
He has a vision; just not yet the ability to see it through. Maybe his resume is not what it could have been. For now, he will do a lot of learning on the job. I pray to God that the right people are his mentors and NO, being from Illinois that does not include Rahm Emmanuel for me.
Wait a while. He has the potential to do enormous good and still has time to do it.
- November 3, 2009 at 8:52 AM
- S. Maxx Mahaffey said...
Bill Maher and Ariana Huffington are cut from the same cloth…two progressives with too much self-importance. Progressives must have felt so marginalized during the Bush Administration that with their newfound freedom to speak their minds without fear of being labeled unpatriotic by Fox News, they can't shut the fuck up. They don't know when to stop debating. They don't know when they're winning.
Maher is always saying he wants Obama to be more like George Bush, tougher, more aggressive. Maybe Maher should be more like Republican constituents, toe the line and don't bash your guy in public. But, he can't be no more like a Republican than Obama can be like Bush.
Maher, a comedian, wants to remain revelant by writing this asinine blog casting himself as having some great knowledge. He is no more of an expert than I am nor does his opinion matters more. His blog is just read by more people because of his celebrity status. Get over yourself Maher! Go smoke a blunt.
Maher like Ariana is not an economist, not an expert on how to rage a war or bring an economy from the brink of disaster or create legislature for health care. But, if you listen to this not very funny comedian, you would think he is speaking from a position of authority rather than just expressing his viewpoint. Is it passion for the issue or narcissism? I think narcissism.
Maher told his viewers that they were stupid to take the H1N1 vaccine to protect them against the virus. When Kathleen Sebelius was asked what she thought about Maher's comment, she replied, "I prefer to get my advice from doctors and scientists."
I say ditto!
- November 3, 2009 at 8:58 AM
- Little Voices said...
You might think you are smart getting your advice from doctors and scientists, but just take a look at an article posted on NaturalNews.com describing how clinical trials and the FDA approved drugs are a joke:
"Clinical trials are a joke
That's because in modern medicine today, clinical trials are a joke. When a researcher sets out to create a study or clinical trial with a pre-ordained conclusion rather than an open mind, he can accomplish that in a variety of ways: By excluding study participants that don't fit his conclusion, by eliminating data sets from meta-analysis studies, by controlling the timeline of the study to end it before side effects start to appear, and so on.
That's why "proving" that a flu shot can improve erections, or function as a pharmaceutical face lift, or eliminate snoring is also a simple matter. Anything can be made to look statistically significant by a clever enough researcher.
Interestingly, a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine sought to review whether published papers describing pharmaceutical clinical trials even bothered to mention the negative side effects observed during the trials. They found:
• 11% of the published studies mentioned no negative side effects whatsoever.
• 56% of the published studies distorted the reporting of negative side effects to minimize their impact.
• 47% of the studies gave zero data on the withdrawal of subjects from the study (this is how study participants get "kicked out" of the clinical trials when they threaten the desired outcome of the study).
What this analysis reveals is that clinical trials are often just mathematical window dressing for medical quackery. The way such trials are conducted today is merely a kind of numerical theater that's staged to invoke the illusion of science where none exists.
And keep in mind: The entire pharmaceutical industry is based on this! Clinical trials are the so-called "scientific evidence" the FDA looks at to approve drugs. Remember: The FDA conducts no clinical trials itself. It merely accepts the clinical trials conducted (and paid for) by the drug companies, and then it accepts that research to be honest and trustworthy!
This is how Vioxx got approved by the FDA. It's how Rezulin got approved. It's the reason Alli was approved as an over-the-counter weight loss drug even though it may be linked to liver damage. Big Pharma has used quack clinical trials to win FDA approval for some really dangerous drugs, and the practice continues today.
That's why it's so hilarious when pharma pushers question natural remedies, claiming "Natural remedies have no clinical trials to back them up!"
Why bother? Clinical trials, it turns out, prove absolutely nothing. They are simply the vehicle of quackery through which chemical pushers grasp for an illusionary foothold in the realm of fuzzy statistics. Having a clinical trial that "proves" a drug works doesn't mean the drug works at all; it merely means your company has a big enough budget to hire a sufficiently creative research team that can wrangle together the conclusions you wish to support.
To call any of this "science" is entirely laughable.
And oh, by the way, did you know that taking a flu shot improves your eyesight and gives you a tight bum, too? It's been proven in a clinical trial..."
- November 3, 2009 at 10:00 AM
- Unknown said...
Thank you for giving a voice to ideas that are actually not that uncommen .... what is the main stream , really? We too have a responsibility to compromise, but not too much... in order to get things done. Americans are lazy because our lives are still pretty comfortable. Do we have to wait til there's more pain to protest?
- November 3, 2009 at 10:10 AM
- We The Peeps 1 said...
Oh, come on, Billy me boy. Cut'em a little slack. Afterall, they are politicians,first / do-gooders, second. They did get handed the proverbial "Bucket-O-S__t", and you know better than we the peeps that this stuff takes time.
Please play nice with the other kids, now!
- November 3, 2009 at 10:39 AM
- Jorge R. Serrano said...
Right on Bill. To those of us that have been fighting in the trenches against the neocon tangent our nation has been on for so many years now this feels like the last nail in our coffin. We busted our behind to bring what we thought was change and got bamboozled. At this point we need the people to raise up and yet what used to be the engine of change in our country: the youth, are missing in action. The next step for progressive is to point the finger at the apathetic public. I for one are doing what I can including getting arrested in sit-in fighting our amoral health care system. How long before the only one that are doing anything give up and jump ship? Norway, France even Cuba sounds pretty good these days.
- November 3, 2009 at 10:50 AM
- Craig Geil said...
Obama at least stopped the downward trend this country was on. The trend has leveled out after a year, things haven't gotten worse like when W was president. Do you remember that it seemed like we had a series of f*ckups or bad news every 30-60 days with W? Obama has kept stopped this finally. Although this latest Fox news hunt he started was pretty stupid in my mind. I also am disappointed because we are at a point where we need more than stopping the leak in the wall, we do need more Change to fix the leaky wall. I'm glad that some members of Congress have woken up and are trying to push proper healthcare reform without Obama's leadership.
- November 3, 2009 at 11:12 AM
- lobster party / parti homard said...
Who says Obama can't work miracles?
He saved turkey for EVERYBODY didn't He!
- November 30, 2009 at 1:11 PM
- Anonymous said...
As you are going to be in our rather boring area (UC/NY) in the near future, how about meeting with an author / activist / entertainer - and checking out a book you might be (You are even given credit in it!) interested in? I couldn't find a regular publisher that would touch a book of this nature (rather controversial, one might say...) - so the book (actually I published three of them, but one stands out) was self-published... I was misled by my publisher... And I haven't had the money (or honestly, until now, the courage...) to (except for rather meekly and sporadically) self-promote it.
I think you would like this book (at least in part) --- oh yes indeed --- a whole lot!
You can check out my blog at http://www.flingingtowardsthesun.blogspot.com to learn more about me...
And/or you can email me at email@example.com
Think about it? Every nobody is a somebody, right?
I Love your show! I Love to Laugh! And I also know a lot about crying...
Peace, Love, Truth, Equality and Humane Justice,
- December 1, 2009 at 7:02 AM
- Unknown said...
Oh man, someone please answer this, even your staff or another reader, anyone!!
What watch are you wearing in your The Decider stand up HBO special? My husband has been wanting this watch since he saw it and I've literally looked everywhere on the 'net and cannot find it. Help someone!!!
- December 5, 2009 at 6:11 AM
- Anonymous said...
u rock my christiandominated-right-wing-conservative-shit-eating world. i love u.
- December 10, 2009 at 9:57 AM
- Anonymous said...
Bill - You didn't expect miracles from a con artist did you? If you were a believer maybe God would have given you the gift of discernment and your disappointment would have been foreseen.
- December 11, 2009 at 7:17 PM
- Dave said...
A way to affect change is to be the change you want. You are choosing the wrong battle if you have to convince those in control to change. There is power in movements at the grass roots level where we are creating from a different angle. We actually want to be well. Raising nutritional awareness and making healthy food choices affordable is the beginning. Natural products companies are now opting for the direct marketing approach, a structure which challenges the middleman CEO economy that has enslaved us for the last 100yrs. Scientists are developing wellness technologies that could move to the mainstream rapidly if properly supported. The problem is that the CEO economists will not step aside. Big food and big drug will stay until the bitter end, it's goal, mutual annihilation through subtle retaliatory acts (like putting sacks of caramel next to the apples, and making the shit they call food pretty). It is sad that we could not create a world with free food. As a child, I imagined the people who ran things in this country had our best interest at heart. I wondered why there were not more fruit trees everywhere. I know, people become lazy if they don't have to struggle to survive. We are more productive if we suffer. The soldiers cannot receive hothands because the comfort they bring will make the them less effective.
Remember who is the creator in your life. You. Create in the spirit of love, gratitude and forgiveness as if no one is separate from you.
Recognize A Miracle
- December 13, 2009 at 9:26 AM
- ZenGrouch said...
I can't fuckin' believe how fast those cocksucking demoskanks bent over and grabbed their ankles thanks to Joe Libercunt!
What god damn good is a medical care reform bill if the insurance companies still hold all the cards?
Without a public option or the Medicare buy in at 55 NOTHING HAS CHANGED!
Oh sure, they slapped a fresh coat of paint on a termite infested house, with the termite motherfuckers being the insurance companies.
Wonderful, they're pushing for a plan that prevents the insurance companies from denying coverage due to preexisting conditions!
Know what? They got that here in California. Found out about it the hard way. Sure, they'll insure me but they want $5K a month in premiums.
If I had that kind of cash I wouldn't need insurance.
And my preexisting conditions were because one doctor wants to cut my feet open because he needs new Mercedes. This fucker was scheduling an operating time, and I'm telling him, my foot really doesn't hurt that bad.
Oh, this was when I still had insurance, btw...
Had a doc with the attitude of, *Who cares if you need the test, the insurance company is paying!*
OK, then when I had an x-ray, the doc examining the thing diagnosed me as having osteoporosis, and I needed further testing on one expensive machine.
Guess what, that motherfucker OWNED the machine, which btw gave me a clean bill of health.
But guess again, when I tried to change from one Blue Cross plan to a cheaper one, I signed away my rights and they sent a guy into all of my various doctor's offices I've ever seen in California over the past two decades, armed with a portable computer and a scanner, copying all of my records.
Funny thing, they zeroed in on me having osteoporosis, but have no record of me being cleared and found to NOT have it.
They'll be glad to put everything in writing! I never got it. Sure, they claimed to have sent me everything in writing 3 fucking times, lost in the mail, they suspect, but they did send it. THAT'S THE FUCKING LAW!
So I said fuck it I'll live without insurance. Then I went blind and lost my driver's license, due to an eye doctor misdiagnosing a rapidly growing pair of cataracts.
But fuck it, that's my problem.
So anyway, one of the things they were suppose to put in writing was that they now wanted $5,000 a month in premiums for a lesser policy that I had, but was now gone.
So anyway, NOW we can wet our pants because no nuts Obama will make this California plan available to all good U.S. Citizens?!
This while illegals are using E.R.s all across this great land as their first care providers when their kids get the sniffles? AND THEY CAN'T BE TURNED AWAY?!
This my friends is the beginning of the end of a once great country. We are at the event horizon of one motherfucking vortex.
Fuck you Joe Liberman, I hope you come down with several painful cancers all at the same time, you father fucking shit eater. I think you're lower than G.W.!
At least with that fucking idiot G.W. we knew where he was coming from. ...well, after he was elected anyway. ...well, not elected but placed in office by the Supreme Court and the Great State of Florida.
Anyway, Liberman, you are lower than that other piece of shit.
- December 16, 2009 at 2:30 PM
- Anonymous said...
Hey Bill, would realy like to see you get to the real root of this issue, but have never heard you even mention it. The Bilderburg Group and their control of the world.
- December 18, 2009 at 5:24 AM
- Anonymous said...
Bill Maher doesn't have the balls to invite Andrew Wilkow on his show.
- December 21, 2009 at 11:36 AM
- Aleksandar Šarović said...
Dear Bill, until the system changes cosmetics will work only. Here is the bright future of humankind in only 3 pages: http://www.sarovic.com/google_project.htm
Aleksandar Sarovic
- December 21, 2009 at 6:44 PM
- Jim from GTA said...
Saw your show "Religious". You seem to have a strong problem with cognitive dissonance. You seem to be overcritical of normal evidence that is presented to you because it does not "fit" your view of the world. Recommend you read "Case for Christ" by Lee Sorbel, if you are serious about exploring evidence. As an agnotistic he went into extensive detail on Jesus
Good luck with your journey to see the truth.
- December 25, 2009 at 5:27 AM
- Aleksandar Šarović said...
I was agnostic as well and got close to Christianity when asked "Am I Jesus Christ?" here http://www.sarovic.com/am_i_jesus_christ.htm . I had serious evidence as well but nobody recognised me so that I am agnostic again.
Aleksandar Sarovic
- December 27, 2009 at 8:25 AM
- ZenGrouch said...
Maybe this is off topic, but I was just wondering...
Say, you're sitting on Rush Limbaugh's face, taking a shit in his mouth, OK, then the fat son of a bitch tries to stick his tongue in your asshole, between turds, because you told him that's where you keep your Oxycontin...
...would you find that off-putting?
- January 5, 2010 at 4:09 PM
- ZenGrouch said...
Is it a drama queen overreaction, or justified, when you're tea bagging a tea bagger, then they spit your balls out of their mouth just cuz you blow a fart in their face and there's a bit of liquid involved?
- January 9, 2010 at 11:22 PM
- iwanttobefree said...
You really are an idiot if you believe Obama and Rahm are intelligent. No more big government, that is only for people that can't think and do for themselves
- January 10, 2010 at 8:40 AM
- MrsPain said...
I think it's hilarious that people read your blog in order to get fake offended and attack you for questioning a medical system which is so obviously incredibly fucked. Goddamn liberals always attacking the health of our children...
- January 11, 2010 at 2:07 AM
- ZenGrouch said...
Speaking of "fake offended" I simply LOVE the way Harry Reid lit that fuse under the right wing phonies!
- January 12, 2010 at 1:04 PM
- Anonymous said...
I just read this article and felt like sharing it with your team if haven't seen it already.
Come to think of it, this guy as such a valid and smart point. We should have thought about it years ago. Or, Mr. Maher and Mr. Stewart should have pushed for this idea :-)
Time For Washington To Use Comedy In Our Foreign Diplomacy Arsenal
- January 13, 2010 at 8:35 AM
- Delmer_2 said...
You're just a redneck racist.
- January 15, 2010 at 1:43 AM
- Anonymous said...
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- January 15, 2010 at 2:53 AM
- zumbi said...
I thought people were becoming more aware of what is really going on, but obviously government education has been successful at dumbing down the public.
- January 15, 2010 at 9:11 AM
- Travel Bugs said...
Human beings are hard to please. Our expectations are too high, even when we know that they are unrealistic. The U.S. has been on a downward spiral of ruin during the Bush administration and we expect Pres. Obama to fix EVERYTHING in one year??? Common - could anyone else really do better? At least he's trying and not just sitting on his hands - give him some credit. He deserves the country's support for trying his best. He's NOT Superman!
- January 22, 2010 at 9:52 PM
- Tyler Armstrong said...
What about this rotten government spending freeze Bill?
- January 26, 2010 at 11:48 AM
- Sumsanity said...
Bill, Bill, Bill. Just because someone knows things that you don't does not mean they are smarter than you. It's what they do with this knowledge that counts as wisdom. What has Obama done? First he attempts to close a prison full of psychotic murderers and fails. Then he cries 'the sky is falling' and passes the Porkulus bill after rightly criticizing George W for spending too much. George hit rock bottom, handed Barrack the shovel and Obama starts digging. Then he wastes the next 10 months trying to shove and ill-conceived and thinly disguised Health Care reform bill while the economy bleeds jobs and bankers pocket billions of taxpayer money. This guy is just a well-educated snake oil salesman. Stop expecting his elixir of BS too cure all. He IS just another smarmy, lying politician. Face up to it. You were punked.
- February 6, 2010 at 10:14 AM
- Unknown said...
from ourhumandebate.com (world's most important spam)... Please toss this up to Bill...
I am considered a radical democrat by my peers, but all I am doing in this life to be labeled a 'radical' is the right thing itself. I do not fear the nature of human beings. Republicans are fearful that the average man would ruin the human race if placed in power, but in reality the largest contributing factor to their desire to separate the rich from the poor is their shortsightedness due to greed primarily, but also some vanity and lust.
As for President Obama... I think the reason why he hasn't exploded onto the scene is that he is constantly dealing with an economy that he is letting down slowly rather than allowing the only other option which was to allow the bubble to burst. I mean really, did we as a nation believe that this plan of massive credit card companies trying to put everyone in debt, major banks investing in bogus mortgages, AIG's, Automakers that can't put out a competitive product, and millions of enterprises out there mostly pumping out useless luxury crap into a bubble economy and thus causing inflation... ...would work? Let's toss in a bogus war that has gone unfunded to this point.
Frankly, I think President Obama and all Democrats may have been set up by some Republican 'play' to take full control of the nation. Bush Sr. was the CIA Director before being Vice-President and President. Eight years later and the next Bush generation is all over the political map including the Presidency again. Something's up.
You should read my e-book and comment in the forums. I split our political argument into Republicans being afraid of the nature of man and Democrats wanting the advancement of the nature of man (mostly advancing education and healthcare). I link this conflict to a simple flaw in mankind's development.
Please check it out and let me know if there is any way we can help each other. Thanks for the RSS Feed.
- February 17, 2010 at 9:54 PM
- Anonymous said...
Hey Bill,
You must believe a draygonfly is a dragaon and a panda is a bear if you believe a killer whale is a whale.
The killer whale belongs to the family of dolphins and is the biggest dolphin. Look at the dorsal fin.
Killer whales are to dolphns like Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is to people.
Love your work except for the stuff you think you should cut but don't.
Gary from Edmonton.
- February 28, 2010 at 10:19 PM
- LAPhil said...
Bill, when are you going to quit using the term "tea-baggers", you fuck!
- March 4, 2010 at 4:42 PM
- Unknown said...
New rule: If your comment is longer than the blog post, get your own blog.
- March 8, 2010 at 4:36 PM
- Unknown said...
I love Real Time With Bill. But every time Amy Holmes in on, I have to stop watching because of her insistence on talking over everyone else and her pretentious know-it-all attitude. I don't know what planet she's from but I wish she'd go back so I could watch long enough to see "New Rules".
- March 12, 2010 at 9:07 PM
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text:
Why bring your group to the Peabody Museum?
- See this year's program brochure
- All Peabody Museum programs are hands-on, curriculum-based, and conducted in the galleries. One is available as a Skype virtual field trip. See a complete list of classes in the sub-menu.
- We have the largest collection of cultural materials in the United States.
- Museum professionals offer innovative approaches to teaching in a quality learning environment.
- Museum programs align with Massachusetts social sciences frameworks.
- Students are encouraged to use observation and inquiry skills. They see, touch, and compare artifacts to form new perspectives on cultures.
- We encourage bilingualism: Several programs are offered in Spanish or English. Look for the "Bilingual" icon.
- All classes are 60 minutes unless noted otherwise.
"You excite the kids and
—Teacher, Grade 4, Winchester
Program Descriptions
Arctic Days (Grades 3–5)
Delve deeper into one region of North America to explore cultures managing the challenging Arctic climate.
Amazing Aztecs (Grades 4–7)
Explore the Mexica and Aztec civilization through artifacts and primary documents in the museum galleries.
Day of the Dead (Grades 2–12)
An exploration of the traditional Mexican holiday featuring the museum's colorful Day of the Dead ofrenda (altar).
Globetrotters (Grades K–2)
Young anthropologists travel the world, comparing artifacts from Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, Australia and right here in North America. (pictured)
Foragers to Farmers (Grades 6-8)
Students tour exhibits and work in an activity lab with stone tools, animal bones, mortars and other early technologies to compare hunting and gathering societies to farming peoples. The class is 70 minutes long.
Igloos to Adobe (Grades 3–5)
Explore cultural diversity and history among Native peoples in the Northeast, Southwest, and Arctic, surrounded by the displays in the Hall of the North American Indian gallery.
King for a Day (Grades 5-8)
A live, interactive webcast uses Skype to highlights the monuments, buildings, and symbols associated with royal power in Maya and Aztec civilizations.
Magnificent Maya (Grades 4–7)
Investigate Classic Period Maya culture and people through the clues left behind in their tools, buildings, and writing, among dramatic Maya monumental sculptures.
NEW! Read with Raven (Grades K–2) The class is 50 minutes.
Magical trickster Raven is your guide during this literacy program. Students explore the elements of a folktale through objects and art of Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest.
How to Book
Reservations are required. Reservations for the 2019–2020 school year are available. For fee and booking information, call 617-495-3216 or click on the
Schedule a Visit page.
Resource Materials
Please click on the menu links for information on Teacher and Student Resources, as well as Multimedia offerings.


text:
For Kolleen Raitz of Lorton, twelve-and-a-half-year-old springer spaniel Lanny acts as more than just a lifelong friend, but as the reason she decided to pursue a career as a dog trainer. "She's special for so many reasons, but mostly because of the profound effect she has had on my life and the lessons she has taught me over the years. She is, without a doubt, the single most important thing that has ever happened to me. She has taught me everything, from patience and forgiveness to self-control and being able to believe in myself. She taught me that the ribbons, titles, and awards matter little in comparison to the journey itself. But by far, the most important lesson she has taught me is that of love.
She has loved me, unconditionally, through many of my worst moments. She suffered through a lifetime of mistakes while I was figuring out how to be a dog trainer. And somehow, even after doing so many things wrong and making so many mistakes, she remains hopelessly devoted to me. I have often wondered how I could possibly be deserving of such love. No dog will ever compare to her … no matter how many dogs come after her, she will always be my first and greatest love. A lot of dog owners talk about that "once in a lifetime dog"—the one dog who is unlike any other, the one who you will never be able to replace, and the bond that you share which can never be replicated ... Lanny is that dog for me."
When the Harmon family originally decided it was time to add a new member to their home in Lorton, they expected to be picking up a male shepherd puppy mix from the local pound in Brandon, Fla. "You can imagine how surprised we were when we picked Heidi up and he was a she," said Linda Harmon. With no apparent shepherd traits, Heidi is six-and-a-half and companionable as ever. "She's really a big sweetheart," said Harmon. "She's very mellow and loves to be where the people are." When things get hectic in the Harmon household, Heidi is able to balance out the chaos with her mellow and friendly disposition. In return for her services she enjoys lamb treats and lots of attention.
At age 7, Fritz is a Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix. After being picked up as a rescue dog at a Petsmart in Oklahoma, Anne Wood drove 700 miles to bring Fritz back home to Burke with her. "She stayed on my lap the entire time and did not move a muscle," said Wood. "I think on some level she realizes that we saved her." Wood had lived in the Burke area for a year at the time, and Fritz quickly adapted to the "homebody" lifestyle. "Although she can get a little hyper, she's very well-mannered," said Wood. "She enjoys moving my shoes around the house." Unlike most dogs, Fritz prefers to reorganize her owner's closet as opposed to chewing down on Wood's leather. "It's so funny because she won't chew on the shoes at all," said Wood. "She just has a habit of cleaning up after me!"
A rare addition to the Lorton Community, Kim Leavenworth's dog is a golden-doodle. Half golden retriever and half poodle, Brody towers over the Leavenworth household. "He loves to play with other dogs," said Leavenworth. "But I'm not sure he realizes quite how big he is." At a whopping 85 pounds, Brody is an extremely sweet and friendly dog. "He loves everyone," said Leavenworth. "He's also incredibly intelligent. He can understand simple words like 'dinner' and 'walk' and has begun to learn the family members names." Still recovering from the loss of one of their former pets, the Leavenworth household was a little hesitant to get another dog. "My daughters found a woman in West Virginia who was selling him," said Leavenworth. "We picked him up on Dec. 26, 2011, and he turned out to be one of the best Christmas presents we could have ever asked for."


text:
Help me, Mama...
Detective Inspector Paolo Storey is determined to shut down the syndicate flooding Bradchester's streets with young prostitutes.
When a child is murdered, Paolo becomes aware of a sinister network of abusers spread across Europe, and spanning all levels of society. But Joey, the shadowy leader of the gang, always seems to be one step ahead in the chase.
Has Paolo come up against a criminal he cannot defeat?
Someday Never Comes is the second in the gritty crime series featuring Detective Inspector Paolo Storey.
My review...
I thoroughly enjoyed Frances di Plino's first dark psychological thriller, Bad Moon Rising, and was equally impressed with this second in the D. I. Paolo Storey series: Someday Never Comes.
D. I. Paolo Storey is a flawed and empathetic character. Above all, he is a human, dealing with human problems and a man with whom we can readily identify. The villains too, are brilliantly-evoked and satisfyingly frightening.
This masterfully-plotted and engaging crime story, with numerous plot twists, page-turning levels of suspense, action and intrigue, gripped me from the start. Clues and red herrings are also expertly woven into the story, and kept me guessing right to the end.
Frances Di Plino is a powerful writer. Her prose seems to grab and mesmerize the reader, and I would highly recommend Someday Never Comes for lovers of dark crime fiction.
I don't want to leave any spoilers here, but the last line is a knockout! So, for those readers who can't help reading the last page first, please, try and resist!
Interview with Frances Di Plino...
My first, and probably most obvious, question is about Frances di Plino, your pen name. Can you tell us who is the woman behind Frances, and why she decided to use a pseudonym?
My real name is Lorraine Mace, but I needed a pen name to separate my children's novels and other writing-related activities from my crime series. My great-grandfather was Italian. He arrived in the UK in the late 1890s without a word of English and a definite whiff of crime in his past, so I simply used the feminine form of his name.
The crime investigated in your novel is a very sensitive one: child sexual abuse. Did you find that disturbing to write about, and how did you cope with this sensitive subject?
I found it an extremely difficult topic, but child abuse is something that needs to be brought into the open. In preparation for writing Someday Never Comes, I did quite a lot of research into people smuggling, modern day slavery and the exploitation of women and girls for sexual abuse. The thing that kept me going while I was writing was the thought that I had no right to throw up my hands and say, oh this is too difficult, when there were people living through what I only had to endure writing about.
Did you receive any complaints about this subject from readers?
I haven't so far! Most readers have commented on the subject matter being disturbing, but feel I have handled it well. It is a difficult subject, but it is something that is happening every day in towns and cities around the world. If we close our eyes and pretend it doesn't exist, that obviously makes us feel better, but that doesn't mean the crimes stop. Quite the opposite. Edmund Burke's quote sums up how I feel about tackling such difficult subject matter. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
What are some of the difficulties in writing a series featuring the same main character?
I don't know, because I haven't encountered any yet. With each book I find that I know my characters better. I know how they will react in any given situation, who they will like and who they will detest, how they will dress, think, walk, talk and interact with others. I know I shouldn't say this, but I am more than half in love with my central character, Paolo Storey, but don't tell my husband.
You have numerous different writing jobs: tutor for The Writers Bureau, columnist for Writing Magazine, competition judge and provider of short story critiques for Writers' Forum, writing agony aunt for Words with Jam Magazine, your writers' critique service, as well as running three writing competitions (flash fiction, humour verse and novel opening) on this site. How do you juggle all these things?
I have the most amazing husband who sits down with me at the end of each month and asks what I have to do for the month ahead and what my deadlines are for the various jobs. I dump all the information in his lap and he comes back a couple of hours later with a complete day by day plan. Every day is separated into morning and afternoon sections, each containing notes on whatever it is I have to achieve. Without that sheet showing me what has to be done and when, I would simply collapse at the computer and sob.
I believe the third book in the D.I. Paolo Storey series is coming out soon. Can you give us a few hints please?
And lastly, are you working on any other novels besides book no. 3 in this series?
I have a literary novel I've been working on for so long now that I think I'll be drawing my pension before it is finished. I only ever intended to write one Paolo Storey novel, but the success of the first led to the second, which has led to the third and so on. I have another couple of crime novels at the planning stage and my American publisher has asked for the next in my children's series, so that literary novel might never see the light of day.
Thanks very much for answering my questions, Frances, and best of luck with your D.I Paolo Storey series!
About Frances ...
Frances di Plino is the pseudonym of columnist, editor, non-fiction author, short story writer, poet and writing tutor, Lorraine Mace. Writing as Frances di Plino gives her the opportunity to allow the dark side of her personality to surface and take control. Someday Never Comes, the second in the Detective Inspector Paolo Storey series, which follows on from highly acclaimed Bad Moon Rising, was released by Crooked Cat Publishing on 16 August. The third in the series, Call It Pretending, is due out on 18 December.
Contact Details ...
Lorraine Mace: www.lorrainemace.com
Blog: http://thewritersabcchecklist.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lomace
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.mace.52
Frances di Plino: http://francesdiplino.lorrainemace.com/
Blog: http://francesdiplinoreviews.blogspot.com
Twitter : https://twitter.com/FrancesdiPlino
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frances.diplino.3
Books Available at ...
Amazon Frances di Plino: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frances-Di-Plino/e/B007IEDS4Q/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Crooked Cat Books: http://www.crookedcatbooks.com/index.php?route=product/manufacturer/product&manufacturer_id=9
Amazon Lorraine Mace: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lorraine-Mace/e/B002VK4UV2/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1383015949&sr=1-2-ent Accent Press : http://www.accentpress.co.uk/Book/1259/2984/The-Writers-ABC-Checklist.html


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Fun With Dirt: Exploring the Outdoors With Your Kids
Are your kids' hands way too clean?
Want them to spend more time outside and less in front of a screen?
Encourage them to play in the dirt! Once they start digging and building, they'll be hooked on the great outdoors.
To learn more about getting your hands dirty with your kids, I interview Jennifer Ward for this episode of the Parenting Adventures podcast.
More About This Show
The Parenting Adventures podcast is a show from My Kids' Adventures.
It's for parents (and grandparents) who are looking for creative things to do with their kids.
The show format is on-demand talk radio (also known as podcasting).
In this episode, I interview Jennifer Ward, a prolific author of children's fiction books (such as There Was an Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Fish). Her parenting books include I Love Dirt: 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature and It's a Jungle Out There! 52 Nature Adventures for City Kids.
Jennifer shares why it's important to get your kids out in nature.
You'll discover ways to have fun outside in the dirt with your kids.
Share your feedback, read the show notes and get the links mentioned in this episode below!
Listen Now
[powerpress]You can also subscribe via iTunes or Stitcher.


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ActiveOxygen is a natural substance consisting of oxygen molecules which is produced inside the machine. ActiveOxygen option can be added to most washing programmes. When the wash cycle starts, a cold ActiveOxygen fog pretreats your laundry without any chemicals. At the end of the wash cycle, a second cold ActiveOxygen fog removes remaining germs from your load. In total, both treatments last 30 minutes in order to reliably remove up to 99.99%* of bacteria and germs from your laundry.
The new generation of washing machines.
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With ActiveOxygen, washing separately is not necessary anymore: it washes clothes hygienically clean and effectively removes germs and bacteria from all your textiles. Therefore germs will not be transmitted between the different clothes in your washing machine.
Delicate clothes should be washed at low temperatures. Even at 20°C, ActiveOxygen removes up to 99.99%* of all bacteria and germs from your clothes. The function can be added to almost all washing programmes. For the first time, hygienic results are provided at low temperatures without any chemicals. So you don't have to wash by hand anymore.
ActiveOxygen is a natural substance which is produced inside the machine. It consists of oxygen molecules that are completely dissolved during the wash process. Therefore, ActiveOxygen is an environmentally friendly alternative that hygienically cleans your clothes.
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Our team will help you throughout the lifetime of your appliance. From an expert repair service to helpful advice, always giving you the level of service you expect from Bosch.
*Up to 99.99% reduction of E. coli, C. albicans, S. enterica, A. brasiliensis, S. aureus, bacteriophage MS2 in the washing programme "Mix cold" with liquid laundry detergent at recommended dosage and a load size of 4 kg – investigation MB 7623/15 dated July 29th, 2015 conducted by wfk-Institut für Angewandte Forschung GmbH commissioned by BSH Hausgeräte GmbH.


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CLEVELAND -- It might be a bit premature to bury that Bronx Bombers nickname after all.
A Yankees lineup that most thought would go through a seasonlong power outage erupted for a third straight game Tuesday night. Pounding out 18 hits, including five home runs, and getting another strong outing from Andy Pettitte, the Yankees hammered the Indians, 14-1, at Progressive Field.
"It's been fun to watch the last few days, that's for sure,'' said Pettitte, who allowed one run and five hits in seven innings.
Ichiro Suzuki, Robinson Cano, Kevin Youkilis, Lyle Overbay and Brennan Boesch homered as the Yankees (4-4) won their third straight game, a streak in which they have totaled 32 runs and 44 hits. Their 15 homers lead the American League.
"Tonight was a good night for everybody,'' said Brett Gardner, who went 4-for-5 after going 2-for-18 the first four games of this trip. "We're definitely feeding off of each other.''
Cano followed Monday's standout performance (3-for-4, two homers) by going 4-for-6 with five RBIs, including a two-run homer, two-run double and run-scoring double.
Six games into the season, Cano hardly resembled the player who was the MVP of the World Baseball Classic after hitting .469 with two homers and six RBIs. Entering this series, he was hitting .130 without an RBI.
"He's easily the best hitter on this team in my mind,'' Youkilis said. "I think a lot of people thought he wasn't ever going to hit, but we knew that wasn't the case.''
Cano's two-run shot in the fourth made it 7-0 and led to the ejection of Carlos Carrasco, who hit the next batter, Youkilis. Carrasco left his first appearance since 2011 without protest, perhaps pleased that plate umpire Jordan Baker kept his final line (seven runs, seven hits in 32/3 innings) from getting worse.
Youkilis wouldn't bite when asked if he thought Carrasco hit him intentionally -- "I'm not an umpire, I'm not the judge,'' he said -- but Joe Girardi did.
Girardi was asked if he was surprised to see Carrasco tossed. "No, I'm not,'' he said. "I mean, that was right in the middle of his back after a home run.''
Youkilis would get his revenge, in a manner of speaking, in the sixth, slugging a two-run homer to make it 9-0. He connected off Brett Myers, who had been Wednesday night's scheduled starter but instead replaced Carrasco.
Pettitte (2-0, 1.20 ERA), who helped the Yankees to their first victory of the season Thursday against the Red Sox, was sharp again. The 40-year-old lefthander mostly toyed with the Indians, shutting them out for five innings before Asdrubal Cabrera led off the sixth with a homer.
Pettitte said, "It's tough sometimes to pitch with too big of a lead,'' but he enjoyed what the Yankees' offense has produced the last three games.
"We're going to have bad weeks, we're going to lose some games,'' Pettitte said. "But if we stay healthy and our pitching stays healthy, we're going to score some runs. It's good to get on a little stretch right here and win some ballgames.''
Youkilis said the offense's early struggle wasn't representative of what the Yankees can do.
"I think we all had confidence within ourselves,'' Youkilis said. "That's probably been the biggest talk, that nobody's had confidence in us. So we stick together and keep having good at-bats and go out every day and try to do that.''


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This is a request that topics in this forum be constructive and directly related to Jamiroquai.
News about Jamiroquai, upcoming television/radio appearances, newspaper/magazine articles etc. are all great things to discuss and post here.
Topics that stray too far from this may get moved to a more appropriate area of the site.


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I'm surprised there hasn't been any talk on here of this show yet. Seems right up the ally of fans here.
This new HBO series starts in a few weeks. It is an adaptation of George R R Martins AMAZING books. I'm SO excited!!
I'm surprised there hasn't been any talk on here of this show yet. Seems right up the ally of fans here.
This new HBO series starts in a few weeks. It is an adaptation of George R R Martins AMAZING books. I'm SO excited!!
Both this and Camelot look good to me, but since they are on HBO & Starz, most likely they will be full of pointless nude & sex scenes, just because they can do it.
Last edited by Mr. Shokoti; April 1, 2011 at 09:48am. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
I agree about the gratuitous nature of the sex and violence, but this looks pretty awesome--particularly the costumes. I don't know the books, are these historical fiction or is it fantasy? It's kind of hard to tell so I'll have to look them up.
This looks pretty interesting, but since I don't have HBO it means I'll have to wait another year for it to come out on Bluray...
Oooh ok, I never read the books, but if that stuff is there, it's kinda diffrent. I guess I sound like a prude lol, but like Mr. Shokoti said, it takes me out of the story.otally get what you are saying and most times would agree. In this instance though the source material is full of that kinda stuff and the show likely will cut a lot out. One article i read recently said it was like a modern lotr accept people get horny. Lol
Haha, lotr, accept people get horny, gotta love that quote! Cool seeing Sean Bean kinda decked out like Borimir again.
I'm so excited for this show that I'm going to order HBO, rather than wait to Netflix the DVD's. What's more, the 5th book finally has an official release date.
As far as the nudey stuff goes, the book does have it's fair share of sex and nudity, so the show will likely depict all of that.
BTW, there is a really cool iPad app out there - Ice and Fire. It's basically a weather app, but it displays weather using footage from the show where such weather occurs. Pretty cool, kinda like Weather HD only with Game of Thrones theme
So yesterday here in NYC (well all week long actually but i went yesterday) they had a promotional food truck where all the food served was from the Song of Ice and Fire books/hbo show. I went and had HEAD CHEESE! Which I never thought i'd have in my life... its pigs brain. It was really good, prepared by a famous chef and free?! Best promo ever!
Here are pictures from the event.. .including the brains i ate. mmm nom nom nom
Dang! I refuse to eat tomatoes & green beans. I can't even imagine brains. I'd make an awful zombie.
I was going to start a thread on this soon, really looking forward to it.
MOTUC Most Wanted: Kayo, Vizar, Hoove, Lizorr
UK MOTU Fan Club Members - Add You Member Name to this Thread
Trade my Red Stone He-Ro Staff for a Green one
There's an almost 15-minute preview available on HBO website and also on iTunes. Its in the form of a podcast, just search for "Game of Thrones". If you can't wait, this will help you a bit (or maybe just make it worse )
I watched the preview and it gave me high hopes for the show. It's obviously not going to be an exact adaptation, but it looks like it will be very faithful. One question though: where was Theon?
I had figured with the obsession that this series of books seems to bring out, the series must have started in the late 70's or early 80's. I was surprised to find out last night that it is only 15 years old.
Okay, so the show made it clear they like beheadings in those first 15 minutes!
I wonder if that prominent guy really died off screen in the beginning or if he'll show up again later in the series. Can't wait to see the rest of it on DVD in a year for $120.00.
MOTUC Most Wanted: Kayo, Vizar, Hoove, Lizorr
UK MOTU Fan Club Members - Add You Member Name to this Thread
Trade my Red Stone He-Ro Staff for a Green one
Minor spoilers ahead for those who didn't watch the preview...
Yeah, they predictably decided to ditch focusing on the POV character and bounced around a little more instead, and the things that were different made sense, because there's no narrator and there isn't time to explain everything through dialogue, so things were changed to give us visual cues instead, such as a brief scene where Septa Mordane is praising Sansa's stitches while Arya looks forlorn, and then cut to Bran failing at archery and then Arya nails a bulls-eye. In only a minute or so, we learn a lot about Arya's character by showing her do something that didn't happen in the book (nailing the bulls-eye).
The part that was missing Theon was when Ned lops off the deserter's head, it didn't show Theon kick it like in the book. IDK what that's about, but I guess we'll find out. Theon has been cast though, he's being played by a dude named Alfie Allen.
OK SO THE PREMIERE IS TONIGHT!! SOO excited!! So who is all watching! I'm going to a premiere party here in nyc with a bunch of other nerds. Free jello shots every time someone dies!
I waited until the last minute to order HBO, and unfortunately wasn't able to order it in time, so I missed the premier.It's OK though, I ordered it today and will be able to catch one of the many repeats, so I'll be watching it tonight!
Not a bad premier. I'm hooked. I thought Sean Bean was great.
A journey that began long ago in a place neither near nor far
A story of heroes, passed down through the ages
Until now.
This is our story. These are our heroes


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Backyard Tire Fire, the little trio that could from Bloomington, Ill., is smoking its way across the musical landscape of America, blazing a trail and firing up good solid music the entire way. Highlights for the group in the last year include opening dates for Cracker and receiving a most-favored listening status from Cracker guitarist Johnny Hickman, playing some of the top Midwest music festivals and getting selected as Band of the Week for Paste magazine, opening for Gov't Mule and getting invited to Warren Haynes Christmas holiday benefit jam, just to name a few. Toss in an appearance on the Mountain Stage radio program and a tour with Rev. Horton Heat, plus good club dates all over the place and you get the idea the band is on fire after a few years of smoldering, if you want to fan the flame analogy.
"It's taken years as a 12-year obsession to get to this point," said Ed Anderson, chief songwriter, singer, keyboardist and guitar player for BTF. "We have a nice national buzz and we're feeling creative. Now if we can just keep the van running."
When BTF opened for Los Lobos at a Bloomington show in Oct. of 2008, our heroes ended up catching the ear of the Grammy-award-winning band's saxophonist and producer, Steve Berlin. Much to the surprise of Anderson and his bandmates, brother Matt Anderson (bass, vocals) and Tim Kramp (drums, percussion, vocals), Berlin contacted BTF's management company and offered to produce a record for the group. During March of 2009 the guys flew to Berlin's hometown of Portland, Ore., and did the deed.
"We put the record in his hands. We had about 20 demos and he picked 11," said Anderson. "It came out really radio friendly. We can't wait for folks to hear it."
He tells the complete story in amusing detail at the From the Road blog on the official band Web site at www.backyardtirefire.com. It's a nice read, giving precious insight into the workings of making a record and the beneficial qualities of Rainier beer. Though the whole demeanor of the band is modest and low key, expect some big things to happen when the record hits the streets.
"We're filling more rooms and radio play continues doing well in more and more markets," explains Anderson. "That's following the model and the way things are supposed to happen."
It's nice to know though, that just selling CD units and drawing a crowd is not the only goal of these hard-working Midwestern rockers. From supporting the hometown by actually claiming to be from Bloomington wherever they go, to hosting an annual Holiday Jamboree to benefit local charities (last year's concert raised over $4,000 for a YMCA program), these fellers give more than they take.
"We're trying to win the right kind of music fans so 20 years from now we'll still have people coming to see us," he said. "We like to have fun with each gig, be creative and make legitimate music fans."
By the look and sound of things the plan seems to be working for Backyard Tire Fire. With the new record coming out soon, another jamboree scheduled for this holiday season and plenty of tour work in between, the band seems poised for bigger things and ready for whatever comes.
"You can't spend your life waiting for something to happen and I see no division between job and life," Anderson said. "I like to get up in the morning and think all day about the next tune and the next record. It needs to be that way if you want success."
Contact Tom Irwin at email@example.com.


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Everything you need to know about Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt™ technology, created by Intel®, steps up USB port technology by supporting both high‐speed data and video. Harnessing Thunderbolt technology through a USB-C port created in partnership with USB-IF, Thunderbolt 3 is the fastest port available. It connects Thunderbolt devices, all HD and 4K displays, and billions of USB devices using 1 compact, reversible plug—transferring 4x the data and 2x the video bandwidth of any other cable.1
- 1995
- USB 1.0 consolidates and simplifies low‐speed data ports.
- 2000
- USB 2.0 increases data speed (480 Mbps).
- 2008
- USB 3.0 increases data speed (5 Gbps).
- 2010–11
- Thunderbolt consolidates and simplifies high-speed data and video ports (10 Gbps). Notebooks featuring Mini DisplayPort are announced.
- 2013
- Thunderbolt 2 increases data and video speed (20 Gbps). USB 3.1 increases data speed (10 Gbps). More devices featuring Mini DisplayPort are announced.
- 2014
- Type-C (USB-C) connector introduces a new small, reversible connector.
- 2015
- Thunderbolt 3 brings Thunderbolt and USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) to USB-C (40 Gbps).
The increasing mobility of the workforce coupled with the decreasing size of devices created a challenge within the tech sphere: How to support desktop speeds and applications—on mobile devices. Thunderbolt was developed as a solution to this challenge. Up to 8x faster than USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3 technology supports the fastest data and most video bandwidth on a single cable.
1. Ethernet 2. Firewire 3. Thunderbolt 2
Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, PCI Express, and USB
Up to 40 Gbps file transfer rate
Supports dual 4K displays
Up to 100W power delivery
Streamline your workspace with Thunderbolt, technology designed to enable desktop-level performance on a mobile computer. Need to simplify your workspace with Thunderbolt™ 2 (Mini DisplayPort)? The Thunderbolt 2 Express Dock HD connects to 8 separate devices, supports dual displays and 4K resolution, and transfers files at up to 20 Gbps. Want more power for your MacBook using Thunderbolt™ 3 (USB-C)? The Thunderbolt 3 Express dock has 2x the speed of Thunderbolt 2 and 85W of power, giving you the power of a desktop—in your laptop.
USB-C port with Thunderbolt 3 technology
40 Gbps data transfer rate
Dual 4K video output
Connects 8 devices through a single cable
Up to 85W of power to your computer
Single-cable docking solution
Works with:
- MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2016)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
Learn more
Mini DisplayPort with Thunderbolt 2 technology
20 Gbps data transfer rate
Supports dual displays and 4K cinema resolution2
Connects 8 devices through a single cable
Works with:
- MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015)
- iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
- Mac mini (Late 2014)
- MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013) and later
- MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013) and later
- Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Learn more
Take full advantage of Thunderbolt technology with attach products from Belkin.
Thunderbolt™ 3 Express Dock HD
Attach Products
- Ethernet
- Audio
- USB-A 3.0 (standard USB)
- Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C)
- DisplayPort
Cheat Sheet
Gbps (stands for gigabits per second)
A unit of data transfer rate measuring bandwidth speed by the billions of bits transferred per second.
Standard USB (stands for Standard Universal Serial Bus)
The most common universal connector on the "other end" of most current USB cables, Standard USB is often suitable for use with computers, car chargers, wall chargers, and many other devices.
USB port (stands for Universal Serial Bus port)
A port designed for use with an industry standard connector to communicate data and supply electric power between devices.
USB 3.1 is the updated, Gen 2 version of USB 3.0. Gen 2 successfully doubled the transfer speed rate of Gen 1(USB 3.0), taking USB from 5 Gbps to 10 Gbps.
USB-C (also known as Type-C)
A new type of USB connector, hailed as the new standard. Smaller, faster, and more user-friendly than previous USB types, USB-C has widespread support from industry leaders, meaning USB-C will come to replace all other USB types.
USB-IF (stands for USB Implementers Forum)
A non-profit organization founded by the companies that developed the Universal Serial Bus (USB) specification. The USB-IF's mission is to support and advance USB technology.
4K (short for 4,096 pixels of resolution)
Quickly becoming the new standard for high-quality digital video, 4K refers to a horizontal resolution of 4,096 pixels, or "4K" pixels.
Mini DisplayPort
A miniaturized version of the DisplayPort interface, Apple developed audio-visual digital interface Mini DisplayPort in 2008.


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One of the joys of membership at Sovereign Grace Church is participation in a small group with about 15 to 20 other church members. We call these groups "Care Groups," because their primary purpose is to help each other walk with God in the situations we face in our daily lives.
Contact the church office for details and locations.