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Guests: Michael Isikoff, Kayla Tausche, Michael Steele, Alex Wagner, Wayne Slater, Willie Brown, Michael Feldman, Steve McMahon, Todd Harris
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Texas hold `em.
Let`s play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I`m Chris Matthews down in Washington.
Leading off tonight: Pay to play in Texas. Rick Perry`s awkward
debate comment that he couldn`t be bought for only $5,000 may be the least
of his problems. NBC`s Michael Isikoff reports that not only did Perry get
far more than that from the pharmaceutical company Merck, but that Perry
has been accused of a long history of running Texas as a "pay to play"
state. He accepts big campaign contributions from deep-pocketed supporters
in exchange for favors that help make them rich. It could be the strategy
to take down Perry either before or after he`s nominated.
Bob Dylan said it, by the way, in 1965, and it applies today. You
don`t need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. And right
now, the wind is blowing hard into the face of Democrats in general, and
President Obama in particular. How does the president turn it around?
It`s been done before.
Plus, here`s Senator Jim DeMint`s candid and cold calculation. If
Republicans support President Obama`s jobs plan, well, they`ll bear
responsibility for the success or not of those programs and for the
economy. However, if they oppose the president`s plan, the worst the
president can do is blame them for voting against his legislation. Is that
true? The HARDBALL strategists break down the GOP choice of strategies
about helping the economy or helping themselves.
And not since the know-nothing party briefly emerged about 160 years
ago as a party, either party championed ignorance. But in today`s
Republican Party, it seems the lack of educational credentials has become
its most important bragging point.
And "Let Me Finish" tonight with the consequences of voting before you
think in 2012.
We start with "pay to play" in Texas. Michael Isikoff is NBC News
national investigative correspondent and Wayne Slater is, of course, senior
political reporter for "The Dallas Morning News."
I want to start with Michael, who`s been working this whole story.
Let`s go straight to some alleged "pay to play" examples from Governor
Perry`s time in office. He`s been in the office a long time, in the office
of governor of Texas. Texas home builder Bob Perry gave $2.5 million to
Perry`s gubernatorial campaigns. What did he get? The entire state agency
was created down there, the Texas Residential Construction Commission, to
restrict -- that`s the purpose of this agency -- lawsuits against builders
over defective homes, which happen to be Bob Perry`s personal crusade.
Hmm. You get what you pay for.
Dallas billionaire Harold Simmons gave Perry $1.1 million. What did
he get? A license for a controversial nuclear waste dump in west Texas
owned by Simmons`s company. Texas accountant George "Brint" Ryan gave
Perry over $972,000. What`d he get? Well, nearly $1 million in tax
rebates for his company through an Economic Development Board grant.
Well, there you have it. It looks to me like there`s a pattern.
We`ve seen this in cities in this country. A lot of big cities play this
game. You give money to the politicians, you get what you want.
Developers do it. They do it. It`s crooked as hell. But when you`re
running for president, can you defend it? And is this going to be a part
of this guy`s problems.
MICHAEL ISIKOFF, NBC NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, one
of the things that happened during the debate that was interesting is when
Michele Bachmann -- and actually, maybe it was her interview on the "Today"
show the next morning -- referred to "crony capitalism." She introduced an
issue that -- into the political -- mainstream political dialogue that has
plagued Perry and swirled around Perry during each of his most recent
gubernatorial campaigns.
This is a charge that Democrats have brought against him time and time
again. They`ve tried to get traction on it. But you know, there is, to
some extent, in Texas and in many Southern states, this whole "pay to play"
culture. And so it`s not a completely new allegation.
The question with Perry is, how far did he take it? Does it go beyond
the norm? Does it --
MATTHEWS: Well, why is the norm OK? Why is it OK to bring a guy into
the White House who makes a habit, has grown up in a political culture,
where if you want to even meet the governor, you got to go to the fund-
ISIKOFF: Right.
MATTHEWS: Unless you go to the fund-raiser and kick in some money,
you don`t get to meet him. And if you want to get action, you`ve got to
give big money.
ISIKOFF: Right.
MATTHEWS: Why would the American voter, Republican or Democrat --
yes, that`s pretty cool? Why would they say OK to that?
ISIKOFF: Well, you know --
ISIKOFF: I mean, look, it`s certainly an issue that, you know, taps
into public revulsion with the way government does business and --
MATTHEWS: How can you run against government when you`ve been selling
ISIKOFF: Right. Look, that`s -- that`s -- you know, you`re writing
ads for the Democratic National Committee if Perry becomes the nominee,
right there with lines like that.
MATTHEWS: The only thing they like about government is it`s a great
way to make money.
ISIKOFF: But look -- but these -- you know, there are some pretty
eye-popping examples. And we picked out three, but there`s, like, dozens
of more. And I`m sure Wayne can talk to them because they`ve been amply
reported in the Texas press. You have no limits on contributions in Texas.
You have these huge donations from people like Bob Perry, and then you get
MATTHEWS: You`re an investigative reporter --
ISIKOFF: -- government response --
MATTHEWS: -- but you know the political context of this. You`ve
already mentioned it. Are the people around President Obama, the smart
guys out in Chicago and in Washington -- are they looking at this?
ISIKOFF: Absolutely, as is every major news media organization right
now. And it`s something we`re going to be hearing time and time again
throughout the campaign --
MATTHEWS: Yes, I think we`re trying --
ISIKOFF: -- as Perry goes forward.
MATTHEWS: -- to figure out who this guy is because he does look
attractive on certain levels. Let`s go to Wayne Slater. You know the
appeal of this guy. He`s got that cocksure attitude. He seems to know
(INAUDIBLE) plan, cut taxes, cut regulations, cut government, the economy`s
going to go crazy.
Wayne, talk about this guy`s behavior as an elected official. Is he a
guy who deals with insiders who pay to play?
WAYNE SLATER, "DALLAS MORNING NEWS": Yes. The quick answer is
absolutely. That has been his history. That is the rap against him.
We`ve written an awful lot about these various deals. And the ones -- as
Mike said, the ones you mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg. There
are a whole range of these. A lot of people have done very well.
But here`s what`s different right now. If I go to Chicago in the old
Daley years, nobody`s shocked, shocked that somebody gets a contract if
they support the local ward boss. But Perry, riding a Tea Party wave,
which Sarah Palin reiterated yesterday, said this crony capitalism is a bad
thing. We aren`t part of giving public money, taxpayer money, to our
friends. That`s the wrong thing.
This is the wrong year for Perry to be shown -- and it`s going to be
an extensive record before this is all over -- to be shown as a guy who has
done everything he can, really, for the political folks who have given him
not just hundreds of thousands but millions of dollars --
MATTHEWS: OK, great point.
SLATER: -- over the years.
MATTHEWS: Were you surprised that he was so wrong-footed, as the
Brits say, to come out and say, You think you can buy me for 5K? I`m more
expensive than that.
SLATER: Yes. That`s the -- like, again, the punch line of a joke.
Well, we know what you are now, now we`re quibbling over price.
MATTHEWS: Yes, it was the old line about a hooker or somebody. Yes,
I get it. I know the gross old line, yes. But it reminds everybody, men
and women who work with me -- so they remembered the old gross joke, too,
when they heard it. It`s like saying, I got a price, but it`s higher than
5K, therefore I`m clean. What?
SLATER: All right, here`s the -- here`s the back story on this --
MATTHEWS: Well, let`s take a look at this because people that weren`t
watching that night --
MATTHEWS: Let`s watch him in -- here he is Monday in the latest
debate. These debates are fascinating, by the way. The president ought to
watch with these debates, even if he says he doesn`t. Here he is
deflecting criticism about his financial ties to this company, Merck, that
manufactures this vaccine he had the young -- well, the girls in these
public schools had to be immunized with. He was criticized for mandating
those girls having to take the shots, and here`s his defense.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The governor`s
former chief of staff was the chief lobbyist for this drug company. The
drug company gave thousands of dollars in political donations to the
governor. And this is just flat-out wrong.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The company was
Merck, and it was a $5,000 contribution that I had received from them. I
raise about $30 million, and if you`re saying that I can be bought for
$5,000, I`m offended.
MATTHEWS: (INAUDIBLE) wasn`t bought for $5,000. How much money did
Merck give him?
ISIKOFF: Exactly. All right. Merck gave $28,500 to his
gubernatorial campaigns, but then on top of that, they gave another
$377,000 to the Republican Governors Association during the time Perry was
chairman and finance chair.
MATTHEWS: OK, you got him. You got him.
ISIKOFF: So there was a lot more money --
ISIKOFF: -- than that $5,000.
MATTHEWS: So I can`t be bought for 5, but they gave me 28.5, and they
gave me 377 when I was head of the Republican --
ISIKOFF: Right.
MATTHEWS: Wayne, why would he be so maladroit as to deny he couldn`t
be bought for 5, and then it --
MATTHEWS: -- when it turns out he was given 28.5 on top -- above --
above that amount, and 377 when he was head of the Republican governors,
from the same company?
SLATER: In the preparation for that second debate, they went over
this. What they expected was that Romney wasn`t going to come at him --
Romney`s going to come at him on Social Security. Bachmann and maybe
Santorum will come at him first on immigration. Then with respect to this
Merck deal, they thought that what Bachmann was going to do was talk as
this Christian conservative, saying it`s a bad thing because it`s about sex
and it violates these parental rights, this parental responsibility, and so
They did not expect Bachmann to do what she did, which was quite
artful, and that was to extend the debate not simply about the mandate and
parental rights, but to crony capitalism.
And I want to say one other thing about the connections here. The
lobbyist, as Michael has written -- the lobbyist in this case, Mike Toomey,
and as you mentioned, is not just simply a lobbyist. He is someone who is
a close associate and adviser to Rick Perry, was chief of staff at one
Years ago, in one of the land deals, Toomey represented the -- Rick
Perry as part of the effort which helped make Rick Perry a millionaire.
MATTHEWS: Oh!
SLATER: Moreover, Toomey and Dave Carney, who is Rick Perry`s
political guru, co-own an island together in Lake Winnipesaukee in New
MATTHEWS: -- Mitt Romney --
ISIKOFF: Mike Toomey is now running the Super PAC, Make Us Great
Again, that is backing Perry`s candidacy --
MATTHEWS: I`m not going to use words like "bag man" --
MATTHEWS: -- know more about this. But it begins to look like an old-
time situation here. Quickly, help the viewer now who is just learning
this as we`re presenting this news right now about his pay-to-play methods
down there, if you will.
What came first? Did this company Merck go out -- and these other
enterprises go out and hire his chief of staff first? Did he get the
campaign money from them first? Did he do the deed for them first in terms
of creating this agency and all this other stuff, (INAUDIBLE) giving the
women -- young girls these shots? What was the sequence of events, Wayne?
SLATER: Well, sequence of events depending on which we`re talking
about here -- you`re talking about Bob Perry and the housing agency --
MATTHEWS: The shots. Let`s talk about Merck and the shots.
SLATER: The shots? All right. The shots -- basically, what happened
here was that Merck decided in about 2006 they were going to do a national
campaign at several state legislatures to get people to do this. And they
went to Austin, came to Austin and said, Who`s the best guy? Who`s the
best connected guy? They said, It`s Mike Toomey. He`s close to the
governor. They hired him. That`s when it happened.
MATTHEWS: And then they got the shots deal.
SLATER: And can I --
MATTHEWS: They got the executive order.
ISIKOFF: What was really extraordinary about it, though, is that this
is something that offended Perry`s natural base, social conservative base.
They were blindsided by this. He hadn`t consulted with them. He hadn`t
consulted with the state legislature. And what`s even more unusual about
it is it would have made Texas the very first state in the country to
mandate this vaccine, not something you would expect from --
MATTHEWS: OK, my --
MATTHEWS: I had uncle growing up named Uncle Bill, and when he heard
about this kind of corruption, Wayne, up in Philly, and he heard about deal
making between big shots and people who want to influence the big shots, he
had a standard line -- Herb (ph), it`s like everything else.
What the public in this country doesn`t like to hear too often is that
it`s like everything else because after a while, when the public keeps
hearing about corruption like this from the so-called clean guys, they
really lose heart in our democracy. This is not a joke. This is -- and if
people think that`s the way it always is, it isn`t always that way. There
are a lot of clean politicians out there. And if pay-to-play is the way
you like your government, vote for this guy.
Anyway, thank you, Mike Isikoff, great investigative reporting. In
fact, the best. Anyway -- you and Bob Woodward. Anyway, Wayne Slater,
thank you, sir, from the local point of view out there with "The Dallas
Morning News." Thank you very much.
Things are looking grim, by the way, for the Obama administration on
the other side of the chart here, but is it time to panic for them or a
time for a shake-up? You got to hear what James Carville, the "ragin`
Cajun," has been saying. Should he really start firing people, indicting
people? Carville has a very tough prescription for Obama -- that man we`re
looking at right now -- to get out of the weeds right now.
You`re watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Well, in his jobs speech to Congress last week, President
Obama said construction companies all across America are just waiting to
get to work and give people jobs. And he mentioned one particular bridge
that could use some help. Well, today the White House announced that the
president will visit the Brent Spence Bridge that connects, by the way,
Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky. (INAUDIBLE) site trip is set for next
Thursday, and Obama will give another speech telling us to sell his plan.
That`s his idea. The bridge is Speaker Boehner`s back yard, not quite in
his congressional district, but close to home.
And we`ll be right back.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL. Well, it`s no secret out there.
Anybody watching this show knows that these are tough times for President
Obama. And just this week, a new Field poll, that`s the great poll out in
California, a must-win state as we all know for Barack Obama and any
Democrat running for president, has his approval rating -- catch this --
below 50 percent. That is bad news, California below 50 percent.
The news is bad or worse in other states, of course. Well, the
president`s poll numbers nationwide, coupled with a bleak economy that
stays bleak, places him in a perilous position as he gears up for 2012.
Everybody knows what I`m saying.
So just how does he turn things around? That`s what we don`t know.
And for the Democrats who are going to be running with him next year, they
want to win, too.
So let`s ask two experts, Willie Brown, a great man, served as mayor
of San Francisco and also led the assembly out there as speaker for so many
years, and Mike Feldman, a guy from Philadelphia, a good place to be from.
He was an adviser to the Clinton/Gore White House.
Mayor --
WILLIE BROWN (D), FMR. SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR: Yes.
MATTHEWS: -- your Honor, I want to quote you some stuff from the
"ragin` Cajun," Carville, who`s one of the smartest guys in politics, if
not the smartest these days. Long-time strategist James Carville wrote a
column which we all read today. It grabbed all of our attentions. What
should the White House do?
He says, "Panic. As I watched the Republican debates, I realized that
we are on the brink of a crazy person running our nation." I guess he`s
talking about Perry. "I sit in the front of the TV and shudder at the
thought of one of these creationism-loving, global-warming-denying,
immigration-bashing, Social Security-cutting, clean air-hating, mortality-
fascinated, Wall Street-protecting Republicans running my country. The
course we are on is not working. The hour is late and the need is great.
Fire, indict, fight."
Now, he`s got some amazing proposals out there -- fire somebody,
indict some people, make a case like a Democrat and hold fast to your
explanations. What do you make of this, Mayor? Because I want your
thoughts. How ferocious does Obama have to be to turn this 180?
BROWN: I think he has to demonstrate that he is very, very tough.
Seldom, if ever, have you had a president who has waited so long to show
truly his nature in terms of a fight. From the time he did not allow the
Bush measures to go by the wayside on the tax breaks that he should have
last December until the present day, he hasn`t taken one step to
demonstrate how tough he really can be and how principled he can be, and
how, at all costs, in terms of his base support, he`s willing to take
steps. He hasn`t done that, and I think that`s what Jimmy is talking
MATTHEWS: And that`s what he`s running on. Basically, he`s basically
forced because he hasn`t dumped the Bush economic policies -- they`re the
policies he has to defend. Isn`t that weird, Michael? I mean, I always
say to people who are Republicans, OK, fair enough, but we`re operating
under your tax policy. This guy hasn`t changed it. It`s what Bush gave to
him, all the tax cuts for the rich, all those breaks. Obama hasn`t busted
them. He`s living under their regime.
MICHAEL FELDMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, but (ph) don`t play by
their rules and call them out on that. These are the policies that got us
into this mess. And I think you seem him last week, with his speech next
week, as you pointed out, going to Cincinnati, going to John Boehner`s
district, take the argument out --
MATTHEWS: Is this tough enough at this point?
FELDMAN: I think it is.
MATTHEWS: It`s what I think he should have done.
FELDMAN: I agree, but he`s doing it now. And the fact is -- and I
applaud James Carville. I worked for him. He gave me my first job in
Democratic politics. But panic is not something I would do as a commander-
in-chief, as the president of the United States.
MATTHEWS: Well, let`s look at some other thoughts here. Here`s
former White House spokesman Bill Burton, who is on the team, of course,
who now runs the group Priorities USA. He warned his fellow Democrats,
quote, "Democrats should be very nervous. They need to put on their war
paint" -- you know, an old cowboy movies phrase here -- "and get ready for
what is going to be a very difficult battle. Unless activists really
engage and organize or recognize the stakes of this fight, it`s going to be
impossible for the president to win."
Mayor, again, this is the first time I have heard it. And I will tell
you, my concern about this election is that people say it`s next November,
it`s November 2012. This is the time of year we all know people begin to
make up their minds about next year. It isn`t all done in that booth. We
saw it happen to Jimmy Carter in `79. They made up their mind and in `79
he had to go.
BROWN: Well, let me tell you, you`re correct. They did make up their
mind in `79, but I don`t think people have made up their minds about Barack
There`s still great optimism that he can, in fact, cease his
relationships with the Republicans and trying to placate them and go back
to do things for his base, go back to address the issues that young people
care about. Go back to address the issues that independents are concerned
And as somebody said to me on the day, if you want me to vote for your
guy, get me a job. He`s got to do that.
MATTHEWS: Well, can he run against the government? Because it`s not
his government anymore. He can`t get 60 votes in the Senate anymore. He
can`t get 218 in the House. He doesn`t have the government under control.
He seems to run defending the government right now. Why doesn`t --
well, you`re applying it, Mayor. Should he run against the government,
which is the speaker of the House, Boehner? The Republicans control the
Congress, in effect. It isn`t his Congress. Why doesn`t he run against it
and say, I want to be president of the country, and the only way I get that
is get control of Congress?
BROWN: That`s exactly what I would do. I would be running as if I
wasn`t even in Washington were I Barack Obama. And I think he`s attempting
to do that.
He just hasn`t shown the spark and the willingness to fight that
people are looking for. I`m telling you, with the Republicans in the
absence of the quantity of candidates on the other side -- Carville (ph)
correctly describes them -- they are people that can`t garner a majority
under any circumstances. All Barack Obama has to do is make people believe
he is it.
MATTHEWS: Well, you know, Mr. Mayor, I believe in Machiavelli.
You`re not supposed to say so.
I will go to Mike Feldman on this, young fellow. I will tell you
this, it`s better to be feared than to be loved, Machiavelli taught. And
my argument is, if you`re not feared, you`re not loved very long. Because
leaders are supposed to be feared. And if they`re not feeder by their
enemies, people who like them stop loving them.
FELDMAN: I agree. But he`s making an argument now. He has put a
jobs plan out there, which is, by the way, popular with the American
MATTHEWS: Is Eric Cantor afraid of him? Is Larry McCarthy afraid of
him? Is Boehner afraid of him?
FELDMAN: Well, we will see.
MATTHEWS: I don`t think they`re afraid of him.
FELDMAN: Next week, President Obama will be in John Boehner`s
district. He will be campaigning on his plan. He said to the Republicans
and the leadership in Congress, do you want an issue to run on or do you
actually want to actually create some jobs?
MATTHEWS: Well, here`s the real bad news for the president that tends
to trickle down of course to the rest of the ballot right now.
A longtime Senate Democratic spokesman, Jim Manley, who used to work
for Ted Kennedy, who is a very good source for many of us, and Harry Reid,
he said this about the reelection prospects for Democrats on ABC`s
JIM MANLEY, DEMOCRATIC SPOKESMAN: I`m sure glad I`m not working for a
member that`s up for reelection next year, because it`s an ugly, ugly mood
out there.
MATTHEWS: And on "The Hill" newspaper -- "The Hill" newspaper earlier
this week, an unnamed Democratic strategist said -- quote -- "I`m warning
my clients don`t run in 2012. I don`t want to see good candidates lose by
12 to 15 points because of the president." That`s Really fierce stuff.
Is this helping at all, Mayor, right now to have people under the
covers sticking their heads out and saying, we`re screwed? Is that helpful
to wake up the president and his people?
BROWN: No, not at all. As a matter of fact, we ought to be talking
about how we reverse the perception that there is something wrong with the
Democratic delivery system.
Let me tell you, Chris, this is September 2011. When we talk in the
same way we`re doing today in 2012, March, April, May, or June, I think
there will be a totally different perspective, because Barack Obama will
have been in John Boehner`s face. He will have been all over this country,
directing the activities that gets people jobs.
MATTHEWS: All politics is local, sir, as we know from Tip O`Neill.
Thank you very much, Willie Brown, and, thank you, Michael Feldman.
Mr. Mayor, thank you. It`s always great to have you on.
BROWN: Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Up next, how does Steve Colbert, Stephen Colbert, handle
the latest criticism of President Obama`s American Jobs Act? That`s next
in the "Sideshow." I love Colbert. You`re watching HARDBALL, only on
MATTHEWS: Back to HARDBALL. Now to the "Sideshow."
Talk about judging a book by its cover. It`s not like criticism was
unexpected when President Obama`s American Jobs Act was introduced last
week, but here`s a new one. The president`s taking heat not for the
contents of the bill, but for the way the pages are held together. What?
Let`s hear how Stephen Colbert took on this one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Obama`s jobs bill hot off the presses at
Kinko`s? Hundreds of billions in tax hikes and new spending bound together
with a chintzy clip. Look at that thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, this is your jobs bill. That deserves a
large, shiny binder. And instead, it`s with a little clip.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need the good one from Kinko`s, right?
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE COLBERT REPORT": Yes. Why so chintzy?
COLBERT: If he really believed in this bill, he should have presented
it in a leather-bound volume with gold filigree and illuminated initials,
so the Republicans had something presentable to dismiss before they ever
look at it.
MATTHEWS: Really, there`s a problem with a paper clip? Give me a
break, Republicans. And finally -- or FOX, whatever you call yourselves.
And, finally, come on, game on. GOP candidate Michele Bachmann
attracted ridicule this week for suggesting that the HPV vaccine could
cause -- quote -- "mental retardation."
Well, it wasn`t just the politicos who raised their eyebrows at that
one. Now bioethicist Art Caplan has issued to Bachmann what he called the
HPV challenge. What`s at stake? A hefty, well, $10,000 -- quote -- "If
she can produce a case in one week, starting today, verified by three
medical experts that she and I pick of a woman who became retarded, her
words, due to a HPV vaccine, I will donate that to a charity of her choice.
She must donate $10,000 to a charity I pick if she fails to do so."
Well, I think that`s a little chintzy, isn`t it, three doctors,
$10,000? You would think he would have a little more confidence in his
Up next, when did ignorance become bliss in the Republican Party? Did
you hear that? When did ignorance become bliss? Is it now the know-
nothing party?
You`re watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: Welcome back. I`m Kayla Tausche
here with your CNBC "Market Wrap."
It was a big day for the bulls, the Dow Jones industrials soaring 186
points, the S&P 500 jumping 20, and the Nasdaq picking up a cool 34.
Stocks started higher and stayed higher throughout the session on news
banks around the world will be allowed to lend U.S. dollars to European
banks. That took some pressure off financials, but there have been
concerns about difficulties those banks could face by the end of the year,
providing short-term loans to each other.
Elsewhere, Netflix plunged after reporting a steep decline in
subscribers, mostly from those DVD-only customers.
And a federal jury awarded chemical giant DuPont $920 million in
damages from a South Korean company accused of stealing trade secrets.
And banking giant UBS slumped in trading after police in London
charged a rogue trader with losing the company about $2 billion in
unauthorized deals.
That`s it from CNBC, first in business worldwide. Now let`s send it
back to HARDBALL and Chris Matthews.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
This is going to rip the scab off of all the conservatives watching.
Is there room in the modern Republican Party any longer for someone who`s
even slightly an intellectual? Or has the GOP become a party that
celebrates ignorance?
Look at how the presidential candidates in the field proudly oppose
mainstream scientific thought like, well, global warming, evolution. Look
at how they grow defensive when they get facts thrown about history.
Jennifer Rubin, a conservative blogger for "The Washington Post" --
I`m not sure she`s that conservative -- summed it up when she wrote today
yesterday -- actually, today -- that some of the Republican Party seems to
think ignorance is virtue and intelligence is a vice.
She wrote: "Republicans have sometimes mistaken anti-elitism with
anti-smarts. It`s one thing to heap scorn on liberal elites who parrot
unsupportable leftist dogma or show contempt for ordinary Americans`
values. It`s quite another to celebrate ignorance. Has Governor Perry
shown himself to be knowledgeable and mature in these debates? Nope. He`s
just reveling in the scorn, because he has mistaken mainstream and some
conservative media criticism for confirmation that he really is doing
something right."
What is going on here.
Michael Steele is a former chairman of the Republican National
Committee and now an MSNBC analyst. And Alex Wagner -- I think she`s up in
New York -- is also an MSNBC analyst.
I am struck by this. Here is Michele Bachmann talking about the
implications of getting these shots done in Texas that Governor Perry
administered by executive order. It was earlier in the week on "The Today
Show" making some very controversial and sharp, unsubstantiated comments
about the HPV vaccine. Let`s watch.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I had a mother
last night come up to me here in Tampa, Florida, after the debate. She
told me that her little daughter took that -- took that vaccine, that
injection, and she suffered from mental retardation thereafter.
MATTHEWS: And here`s how she defended those comments later on Sean
Hannity`s radio show. Let`s listen.
BACHMANN: I am not a doctor. I`m not a scientist. I`m not a
physician. All I was doing is reporting what this woman told me last night
at the debate.
MATTHEWS: Reporting? What the hell does that mean?. Parroting.
Reporting, as if I`m engaging in some sort of study, some sort of study
Somebody comes up to me and says there`s a truther, some nutcase comes
up to me about building seven and I ignore them. She comes on television:
It`s just been reported to me that this was a conspiracy, that President
George W. Bush blew up the World Trade Center. It`s been reported to me.
MICHAEL STEELE, FORMER CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: It
wasn`t like that.
MATTHEWS: It isn`t?
STEELE: No, I don`t think so.
I think what she was doing was trying to convey and relay to the
audience more broadly speaking, not just to you, Chris, the connection
between the event that we`re talking about and --
MATTHEWS: But there is no connection.
STEELE: Well --
MATTHEWS: There`s no scientific connection.
STEELE: This mother comes up to her.
MATTHEWS: There`s never been a reported case of mental retardation --
STEELE: But she doesn`t know that.
MATTHEWS: She doesn`t -- that`s right. She doesn`t know that.
ALEX WAGNER, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: I think that that`s a stretch,
saying that she`s trying to communicate some constituent`s belief.
I think that that`s fear-mongering about big government harming
ordinary Americans and intruding into their lives to the detriment of
health. And I think, you know, there`s a very big difference, Chris,
between being a populist and being intellectually irresponsible. And I
think what Michele Bachmann did that night was intellectually
STEELE: I mean, you can argue whether or not she should have gone
immediately without some level of verification or appreciation of what she
was told.
But you also have to understand the politics of the moment. After
coming off the stage or before going on stage tomorrow having this
conversation with a parent, who was probably upset about the situation, and
telling her, her personal story. You don`t know that.
Now, what will verify all this is if the mother and the child come
forward. But the fact of the matter is, you -- I know you have been on
campaign trails and certainly I have been. People tell you a lot of
things. The judgment call is, what do you then go speak about more
MATTHEWS: So if I yell that this building is on fire right now, and I
will just say --
STEELE: Well, Chris, that`s a --
STEELE: -- different thing.
MATTHEWS: It`s exactly the same thing. She`s on national television.
STEELE: Chris, if you come up to me as a constituent and you say to
me that I lost my job because this company fired me for this reason --
MATTHEWS: That`s not the same as a scientific argument. OK.
STEELE: No, the point is, whether it`s a scientific argument or not,
it`s just a personal --
MATTHEWS: OK. Let`s take a look at more of this. There`s a very
strong pattern here, and it never ends.
It`s Governor Perry sitting with that little 8-year-old saying, you`re
smart enough to know the difference between evolutionism and creationism.
You decide.
Give me a break.
Here`s Perry speaking at Liberty University, a real seat of
intellectualism, in Virginia yesterday. That`s the college founded by
Jerry Falwell. And here are some self-deprecating comments he made to make
the point we`re trying to make unsuccessfully to Michael. The theme is,
I`m no intellectual. It`s like, you know he`s a redneck if. Let`s listen.
GOV. RICK PERRY (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So I got my Webster`s
out, and I just looked up the word convocation, so I would make sure I kind
of understood what I was walking into here.
I actually went to college to be a veterinarian. And the dean of the
veterinary school advised me that I actually wanted to be an animal science
major. He said: "Son, I`m looking at your transcript. You want to be an
animal science major."
PERRY: So, you know, the fact of the matter is, four semesters of
organic chemistry made a pilot out of me.
PERRY: I`m very proud to stand before you today and tell you I
graduated in the top 10 in my graduating class of 13.
MATTHEWS: Well, there are qualifications for president of the United
STEELE: He`s having fun, for goodness` sakes. And you`re showing
your intellectual hubris by -- by talking --
MATTHEWS: Why? I have never come off as an intellectual.
STEELE: Yes.
STEELE: You`re talking about the university -- you`re talking about
this university, well, there`s a place of intellectualism. You don`t know
what those students are learning at that school. Go there and meet the
kids. Set that that aside for a moment.
The governor is making the point that a lot of Republicans have to
deal with all the time from the intellectual left, that we`re somehow dumb,
stupid, or inarticulate on these issues and he`s having fun with it.
MATTHEWS: He`s running for the president of the United States,
claiming that ignorance is bliss.
STEELE: Well, you know, Barack Obama said there were 57 states.
MATTHEWS: That`s not the same thing.
STEELE: Oh, of course not. Of course it`s not the same
WAGNER: I`ve got to disagree here, Michael. I`ve got to disagree
with you on this one.
MATTHEWS: OK. Go ahead.
WAGNER: I think that Rick Perry has an incredible personal story. I
think that nobody should denigrate how far he`s come. But I think that
there`s a real difference between that and pointing to doing badly in
school at a time when American students are ranked 25th out of 34 in the
world on science and math and we are trying to move this country forward.
And we are looking for someone to lead us there.
And here is a guy making fun of doing bad in school and placing no
emphasis on education and being aware of the world around you.
STEELE: Well, we don`t know what the rest of the speech was about to
the room full of students. Maybe he did talk about education. And I know
I`ve talked about my own story at Johns Hopkins when I got expelled from
the university, but got back into the university, and the rest of the story
MATTHEWS: Is it a qualification -- is it a qualification that you can
claim this lack of knowledge to some strength -- Bachmann does it, he does
it, they all do it. It`s a clamoring attempt to identify with regular
people by acting like you`re stupider than they are.
STEELE: It is not a clamoring attempt --
MATTHEWS: It is. It started with George W. Bush`s father.
STEELE: You`re showing intellectual arrogance here by going to do
this --
MATTHEWS: How come a guy who goes to the --
STEELE: Why are you taking that lead?
MATTHEWS: -- driven to school by a chauffeur, George Herbert Walker
Bush, he`s part of this game, saying "bidness" instead of business. Why do
you mispronounce words?
STEELE: They`re not doing that.
MATTHEWS: I`ll tell you right now, in the world we`re trying to
compete with the Chinese, the Indians, they`re busting their butt to beat
us in science and technology. They realize, are the American people going
to elect a guy who`s proud of the fact he doesn`t know anything. Are we
going to get a couple of generations --
STEELE: Chris, you`re taking this way out of proportion.
MATTHEWS: It`s on every issue.
STEELE: It is not. It is nowhere near --
MATTHEWS: Michael, you`re a charming fellow and you`re defending the
STEELE: I`m not trying to defend, I`m trying to explain. That`s what
I do to folks --
MATTHEWS: You did get to be lieutenant governor by being -- I`ve got
to move on.
Up next, the HARDBALL strategists, they`re coming on to duke it out on
the issues of importance to us that do matter intellectually.
This is HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: What a story of courage. Dakota Meyer saved 36 lives from
an ambush in Afghanistan. Today at the White House, the Marine veteran
received the nation`s highest military honor. President Obama awarded the
Medal of Honor to Meyer who lost some of his best friends that morning of
September 8th, 2009.
Meyer charged to heavy insurgent gunfire to save 13 Marine and Army
soldiers and another 23 Afghan troops pinned down by enemy fire. All that
despite taking a shrapnel wound to one arm. We salute him.
And we`ll be right back.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need to build an
economy that lasts. And that starts now --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you, Barack!
OBAMA: I love you back! That starts --
OBAMA: If you love me, you`ve got to help me pass this bill. If you
love me, you`ve got to help me pass this bill. It starts with your help.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
That`s the president out there, connecting, I think, feeling the love
and taking his jobs plan to the people. But Republicans have their battle
plan ready.
We`re going to get to it with the HARDBALL strategist right now.
Tonight, point one, are Republicans smart to just say no to everything
he proposes? And part two, Rollins, Ed Rollins, dumps on his own
candidate, Bachmann. It happened here on HARDBALL last night.
Tonight, we`re getting the strategist`s reaction to both those issues.
We`ll start with Steve McCain -- Steve McMahon is a Democratic strategist,
Todd Harris, a Republican strategist.
Gentlemen, thank you. Let`s take a look at this first question.
Todd, is your party smart to just say no? People out there are saying
quote after quote, they`re out there just dumping on this saying, they
think they can win by just screwing the guy.
TODD HARRIS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: It`s not just -- the Republican
Party saying no is actually not the president`s biggest problem right now.
MATTHEWS: OK. Can you answer my question? Is it a smart policy --
here`s Senator Jim DeMint laying out --
MATTHEWS: Let`s look what he says. Here`s DeMint. Let`s listen to
what he says, because I want to know if you agree with him.
SEN. JIM DEMINT (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: If we vote for this plan, we`ll
own the economy with the president. And he desperately needs someone else
to blame it on. If we vote against it, he`s going to try to say Congress
blocked his ability to create jobs.
MATTHEWS: So, are you better off saying no and screwing the
president, or joining him and getting blamed?
HARRIS: They`re going to vote no and the president`s going to try to
blame it on him, and it`s not going to matter, because this thing is dead
on arrival. The president --
MATTHEWS: You`re smiling. So it`s a smart move?
HARRIS: The president was in North Carolina and gave this huge rally,
lots of cheering. Kay Hagan, the Democratic senator for North Carolina, a
state with almost 11 percent unemployment, she`s opposed to this bill. His
biggest problem right now are his own people.
MATTHEWS: OK. So you`re smart to say -- they`re smart. Are they
smart to say no to everything? Just let the roads rot, let the bridges
fall down, let the president complain about them voting no?
STEVE MCMAHON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, you can look at their
approval ratings and you can see how smart the strategy has been. People
still like the president more than they like Republicans and Congress, and
they trust the president more with economic problems than they trust
Republicans in Congress.
This is exactly why politicians shouldn`t be political consultants
because you could roll that tape again and again and again. They would
rather win an election than do something for the people in this country,
than give tax cuts to small business, tax cuts to veterans, tax cuts to
folks who have been chronically unemployed. And I don`t think that`s going
to play very well --
MATTHEWS: OK. Here`s a problem for the Democrats and why Republicans
are probably doing what you recommend them do. Here`s some Democrats`
comments about the Obama jobs bill that just came out.
Here`s Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, a strong Obamanite, "I think the
American people are very skeptical of big pieces of legislation."
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said, "I have serious questions
about the level of spending that President Obama is proposing here."
And North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan, you mentioned, said, "We`ve got
to have legislation that is supported by Democrats and Republicans. I`m
going to have to look at it."
So, you`re sticking with your guns here?
HARRIS: Yes. Here`s the problem, nothing ever happens in politics in
a vacuum. And there are voters who are looking at this new stimulus bill
and now, I`m not talking about the hard core base --
MATTHEWS: He`s not calling it a stimulus bill.
MCMAHON: Todd is, though.
HARRIS: I`m not talking about the base of the Republican Party which
always hated the first stimulus bill. I`m talking about voters in the
middle and they`re saying wait a minute you passed a bill twice this big
just two years ago. You said it was going to create all kinds of jobs and
where are those jobs? If passing a bill twice as big didn`t create jobs,
why is this one going to?
So, that`s the first thing. The second thing --
MATTHEWS: By the way, your candidate proposal is Hoover, do nothing
HARRIS: No, no. It`s the same absurd argument that was made when the
stimulus passed. The question is not do this or do absolutely nothing --
MATTHEWS: Well, what is the Republican -- it`s always cutting taxes.
HARRIS: John Boehner --
MCMAHON: By the way, that`s what this bill does. It cuts taxes. It
extends the payroll tax for workers. It gives a tax break to employers who
hire people. It gives tax incentive to employers for hiring veterans and
it gives a tax incentive for hiring people who are long-term unemployed.
These are exactly the things that Republicans have been for forever
and now all of a sudden it`s the president so --
MATTHEWS: I don`t know if it`s all for real. But let`s take a look
Ed Rollins here. Ed Rollins, Bachmann campaign manager, just a few days
ago couldn`t say whether he`d like to see Bachmann as president. Let`s
He was running her campaign. And I asked him should she be president?
Here`s -- let`s listen.
ED ROLLINS, BACHMANN CAMPAIGN MANAGER: I still want Michele Bachmann
to win the nomination.
MATTHEWS: You`d like to see her president.
ROLLINS: You know, I think she`s a great candidate. I think she has
evolved. I think she will evolve. She`s got an uphill battle. She`s got
to get back --
MATTHEWS: Would you like to see her president of the United States?
ROLLINS: I would not be --
MATTHEWS: Controlling the bomb?
ROLLINS: First of all, the bomb is -- I want someone to control the
MATTHEWS: But you would make her commander-in-chief?
ROLLINS: Whoever is president gets to be commander-in-chief. The one
that`s in there today didn`t have much --
MATTHEWS: You`re hedging. Would you like to see her commander-in-
chief of the United States -- Michele Bachmann?
ROLLINS: If she`s elected president, she`ll be commander-in-chief.
MATTHEWS: Would you like her to be commander-in-chief?
ROLLINS: I have no question she would be a very tough commander-in-
MATTHEWS: You are so slippery, Ed. You`re not answering my question,
but I know you`re not giving me an answer.
MATTHEWS: How can you -- you first -- how can you defend the
candidate for months as her campaign manager to run for president of the
United States all the time being unwilling to say she ought to be president
of United States?
MCMAHON: Kind of reminds me of Todd when we used to ask whether he
supported Palin and whether he thought she should be president.
Look, I think you learn a lot from Ed Rollins` reaction right there.
I don`t know if he discovered after he got inside that she was utterly
unprepared to be president or if he knew it on his way in. I suspect it
was the former. I hope it was the latter.
MATTHEWS: What is going on there? Sometimes, people take over
campaigns. They have no faith in the candidate winning. They just like
the game?
HARRIS: I think, with all due respect to Ed Rollins, some political
consultants need to learn it`s not about them. If you`re going to run a
campaign and then quit midstream, shut up. You owe an obligation to that
person who`s been paying you by the way.
MATTHEWS: OK. So what should he say when I asked should she be
HARRIS: He shouldn`t come on this show, he shouldn`t be putting
himself in places if he is not prepared to say, absolutely, she should be
president of the United States, commander-in-chief. If she is not going to
do that, then don`t put yourself in places to get asked. It`s not fair to
the person that`s been paying you.
MCMAHON: Todd`s right about that.
MATTHEWS: Ha!
MCMAHON: I mean, he is absolutely right. I don`t often agree with
him on --
MATTHEWS: So, when does the problem begin? When he takes the job,
when he realizes she`s not up to the job, or when?
HARRIS: Look, if -
MATTHEWS: What do you think of Rollins? You said he took the job
knowing she wasn`t up to it.
MCMAHON: I said I suspect that he knew that she wasn`t up for it.
MATTHEWS: You think that?
MCMAHON: But once he takes the money, he has an obligation to her
because it`s like a lawyer. You sign up a client. If you quit the client
you don`t give up -- if you don`t take their opposition research book and
give it to their opponent as one --
MATTHEWS: How did I know he wasn`t going to defend her? How did I
HARRIS: You`re a smart guy. You want to wait until they drop out.
You can trash them all you want after that.
MATTHEWS: Look, it`s a little comic relief but it`s scary to people
who believe in the candidates, anyway -- because they believe in the
Thank you, Steve McMahon. Thank you, Todd Harris.
When we return, "Let Me Finish" with why now and not next November is
the critical time when voters are beginning to make their big decisions to
whoever is our president. By the way, people are really beginning now to
You`re watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Let me finish tonight with this:
The people of this country have begun to make a decision about who
they want to lead us and also how and where they want us to be led. It`s a
serious mistake I think for a voter, as well as politician or journalist,
to assume that the election of 2012 will be held on the first Tuesday after
the first Monday come next November. People begin making their decisions.
Many make it for good long before they walk ballot in hand into the polling
This is the time right now I sense people are beginning to make their
decision on the presidency. I have a simple warning for all of you.
Recall that Yogi Berra once said about the driver who yelled out we`re lost
but making good time. And also remember Ernest Hemingway said to actress
Ava Gardner something about not confusing action with motion.
We should decide now where we want to be led before we decide who we
want as our leader. I said this because we have made mistakes in the past.
George W. Bush was president for a number of reasons, none of them having
to do with what he ended up doing. He teased us with a promise to exercise
humility in foreign, in our American role in the world. He teased us with
being the guy who seemed more informal, less taken with the trappings of
power with the ivory tower.
You recall what we got from W. once he took office?
Instead of humility, we got a neoconservative agenda fighting wars on
foreign lands against a country, Iraq, with absolutely nothing to do with
9/11, nothing to do with attacking us. We got an ideology in the White
House of intellectuals bent on pushing a hard right philosophy that cost us
the lives of thousands of Americans, tens of thousands of others and took
us deeper into the quick sand of Mideast politics and tribal hatreds. W.
did that, a guy who promised humility in foreign policy, who promised to be
the very antithesis of a president who would buy into some hare-brained
intellectual scheme that had our troops ranging around Mesopotamia rooting
out Baathists in some ideological cleansing operation that we Americans
have no more confidence to carry out than we have a national interest in
being involved in.
So, as we begin choosing our president this time around, it`s good to
remember the lessons of before, before you go reject the one alternative
for the other consider what your new favorite is really all about. Does he
believe what you do about the role of government in American life? Does he
believe what you do about the role of America in the world? Because while
you can ignore this pair of mighty questions now, you won`t be able to
ignore them once we have a new president.
That`s HARDBALL for now. Thanks for being with us.
"POLITICS NATION" with Al Sharpton starts right now.
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text:
Last summer's The Avengers represents the largest box office haul for a comic book film, the third most successful theatrical release of any film ever, and more importantly, it holds the record for the largest weekend opening of all-time. Building of that success came this summer's opening release in Iron Man 3, which saw similar success in its opening weekend and worldwide gross, joining The Avengers in the top 5 box office earnings of all-time.
Up next, and against high expectations, is Alan Taylor's sequel to Thor. How will Thor: The Dark World fair againsts the last two franchise releases and its predecessor?
According to the tracking numbers (via THR), Thor: The Dark World is targeting a$75 million domestic opening weekend, a bump of $10 million over Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor, the first two 3D post-converted films by Marvel Studios, which hit the $65 million mark in their summer 2011 slots.
Thor: The Dark World however, represents the first fall season release for the studio, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier marks their first spring release next April, lending credence to the idea that Marvel Studios may one day expand its operations to support more than two theatrical releases per year. However, Ant-Man which was slated for release in November 2015, was recently pushed forward to a July 2015 date, to better take advantage of the buzz surrounding The Avengers: Age of Ultron two months prior.
Thor, Marvel's second most viable character franchise so far, made nearly $450 million worldwide after a $65.7 million domestic opening weekend and with the boost in brand appeal from The Avengers, The Dark World will easily surpass the half-billion mark but likely won't come close to Iron Man 3's $1.2 billion haul, emphasizing the importance and bankability of Robert Downey Jr. to the franchise.
As always, these numbers just cement the fact that Marvel Studios is only just beginning the second chapter of their growing franchises. Not unlike the films of "Phase One," each Marvel movie going forward will feature an after-credits scene (referred to as a "button"). Iron Man 3 had a fun cameo by Mark Ruffalo at the end, which received mixed reactions as it didn't tease any of the upcoming films, characters or stories.
[gallery columns="2" link="file" ids="379939,379947,379952,379957,379958,379961"]
For Thor: The Dark World however, Marvel Studios may have listened to the feedback and are going The Avengers route with not one, but two after-credits scenes. According to a commenter on JoBlo who claims to watched the film early, there's a mid-credits scene that teases the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, followed by a post-credits tag that's there for a few laughs, likely based on an in-joke from the film like the Shawarma scene at the very end of The Avengers. We won't spoil it.
Whether the post-credits scene could tease the next Phase Two film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, or help set the stage for the cosmic-based Guardians of the Galaxy, we'll have to wait and see.
Alan Taylor directs Thor 2 off of Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely's screenplay. The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins.
Thor: The Dark World on November 8, 2013, Captain America: The Winter Soldier on April 4, 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy on August 1, 2014, The Avengers: Age of Ultron on May 1, 2015, Ant-Man on July 31, 2015, and unannounced films for May 6 2016, July 8 2016 and May 5 2017.
Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_keyes for your Marvel movie news!
Sources: JoBlo (Hat tip Chris), THR, TLCMG

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Main Image
Reel set Nr. 21 of Finnish 'Piirretyt kuvat' (=cartoons).
Story Translation:
This Story uses art from "The King of Castle Grayskull" 1982 Wave 1 issue 4 Masters of the Universe Vintage Minicomic.
Story: As He-Man rides home from a battle, he is watched by the arch-fiend, Skeletor. "He-Man has defeated me again. I must have the Power Sword to conquer him and rule Castle Grayskull." First, Skeletor conjures up the warrior goddess, Teela, and orderrs her to Castle Grayskull to await the king. Next the wily schemer finds one half of the Power Sword in the mountain-top realm of Stratos. The second half of the Power Sword is under the rock where He-man has built his home. Without his power harnes, the mightiest of The Masters of the Univerese is defeated by Skeletor and his cohorts, Beast-Man and Mer-Man. Skeletor advances triumphantly to the castle! Quickly he imprisons Teela. Later, revived, He-Man rushes to the castle to save her- and to avenge himself on Skeletor. Wham! A blast of magic energy knocks He-Man into Teela's cell. Regaining consciousness, the strongest of heroes escapes and races to battle Skeletor. Soon He-Man and Teela encounter a ghostly army of skeletons and empty armor- lifeless but controlled by Skeletor. Teela at last knocks the Power Sword from Skeletor's hand. The lifeless army crashes to the floor and cowardly Skeletor flees to the parapets of the castle! There He-Man attacks and both warriors fall to the castleyard below. Skeletor then runs in terror- leaving Castle Grayskull to await its true king, He-Man.
Cast(Good): He-Man, Teela, Stratos, Battle Cat, Castle Grayskull, & Battle Ram Sky Sled(box cover)
Cast(Evil):Skeletor, Beast-Man, & Mer-Man


text:
Helen Kalvak
Canadian, c. 1901–1984
Fishermen Attacked by Birds, 1970
felt pen on paper
53.5 x 69 cm
Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Acquired with funds from The Winnipeg Art Gallery Foundation Inc., the Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Naylor, funds administered through The Winnipeg Foundation, and the Volunteer Committee to the Winnipeg Art Gallery
Helen Kalvak was one of the founding members of the Holman Eskimo Co-operative in 1961, and she continued to draw until 1978. From 1965 to 1985, 170 prints were created from her drawings, and a further six of her prints were featured in the memorial portfolio Kalvak/Emerak published in 1987. Kalvak was honoured with her induction into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 1975 and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1978. Kalvak's father was a respected angakkuq (shaman) who taught his daughter much about the angakkuq's special knowledge and powers. Known as a talented healer in her own right, the artist was particularly interested in the angakkuq's relationship with animals, which could become spirit helpers, and her drawings are filled with such references.
Gallery Hours
- Tuesday 11am-5pm
- Wednesday 11am-5pm
- Thursday 11am-5pm
- Friday 11am-9pm
- Saturday 11am-5pm
- Sunday 11am-5pm
- Closed Monday


text:
Oct. 10, 2007
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The MIT women's tennis team capped off its fall home slate with a 6-3 win over local foe Brandeis University on Tuesday afternoon. With the victory, the Engineers improved to 7-1 on the year while the Judges fell to 3-2.
MIT kicked off the match with its fourth consecutive doubles sweep. The Engineers finished in 1-2-3 order with the pairs of Leslie Hansen and Mariah Hoover and Anisa McCree and Liz Denys each posting an 8-2 score. Karina Pikhart and Melissa Diskin outlasted their No. 3 opponents, 9-7.
Denys quickly extended MIT's lead to 4-0 following a 6-0, 6-2 victory in the No. 2 spot. Brandeis ended the potential shutout with back-to-back wins in the No. 6 and No. 5 positions. Ana Katz defeated McCree, 6-1, 6-1, while Diskin fell to Mackenzie Gallegos, 6-1, 6-2. Hansen clinched the team victory with a 6-0, 7-5 decision in the top spot. Hoover edged out Gabrielle Helfgott, 6-3, 7-6 (5), as Wang lost to Ariana Sanai, 6-4, 7-6 (6).
The Engineers continued their doubles domination in exhibition play with an 8-3 victory by Katie Smyth and Emily Onufer. Jen Rees dropped only one game in her singles match (6-1, 6-0) while Jenny Dohlman defeated Ria Chadha (8-3). Chadha then fell to Kerry Weinberg by an 8-5 margin.
Brandeis University vs. MIT
Final Team Score: MIT 6, Brandeis 3
1. Leslie Hansen/Mariah Hoover (M) def. Colleen Donnelly/Rachel Rosman (B), 8-2
2. Anisa McCree/Liz Denys (M) def. Gabrielle Helfgott/Ana Katz (B), 8-2
3. Karina Pikhart/Melissa Diskin (M) def. Mackenzie Gallegos/Ariana Sanai (B), 9-7
4. Katie Smyth/Emily Onufer (M) def. Emily Weisberger/Ria Chadha (B), 8-3
1. Leslie Hansen (M) def. Rachel Rosman (B), 6-0, 7-5
2. Liz Denys (M) def. Colleen Donnelly (B), 6-0, 6-2
3. Mariah Hoover (M) def. Gabrielle Helfgott (B), 6-3, 7-6(5)
4. Ariana Sanai (B) def. Yi Wang (M), 6-4, 7-6(6)
5. Mackenzie Gallegos (B) def. Melissa Diskin (M), 6-1, 6-2
6. Ana Katz (B) def. Anisa McCree (M), 6-1, 6-1
7. Jen Rees (M) def. Emily Weisberger (B), 6-1, 6-0
8. Jenny Dohlman (M) def. Ria Chadha (B), 8-3
9. Kerry Weinberg (M) def. Ria Chadha (B), 8-5


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What is the meaning of Emtiazuddin?
This is an official answer by QuranicNames.com Staff
Emtiazuddin is another spelling of the boy name Imtiazuddin which means Supporter of Islam. They are the same name and have the same meaning and pronunciation. Both spellings are acceptable. For more details on this name and its pronunciation see: Imtiazuddin


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Sony making a sports version of 'Jeopardy!'
NEW YORK (AP) "Jeopardy!" is starting a sports version of the popular game show, with Dan Patrick taking the Alex Trebek role as host.
Sony Pictures said Tuesday that "Sports Jeopardy!" will begin this fall on Crackle, a Sony-owned digital service available on mobile devices and services such as PlayStation, Xbox, Apple TV and Roku. Crackle general manager Eric Berger says the sports-themed game show will diversify programming on the service, best known for the Jerry Seinfeld comedy shorts series "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee."
Crackle also will offer an app through which people can play along with the game on a second screen.
Article continues below ...


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jeansimb on Family Tree Circles
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looking for John wallace married to Mary Ann Duguid (Sim)
Believe they emigrated from West ham London to Australia early 20th century. Mary Ann was born in Aberdeenshire and had a family (Sim) before remarrying. Anyone any information ?
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Igloolik, Nunavut Territory, Canada
"Creating a carving from a piece of soapstone is very, very interesting to me. I take a look at a piece of rock that I've just found; start working on it; and, after a while, it finishes. I like to do several figures in one piece — that's very interesting to me and it's quite hard to do the inside. … I don't use power tools, except to do a hand that is going to hold something. Then I drill. I like to make [a carving] by hand; if I use power tools it's more somebody else's than mine."
Spirit Wrestler Gallery
101-1669 West 3rd Ave.
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6J 1K1
Toll Free: 1-888-669-8813
Phone: 604-669-8813
one block West of the Granville Island gates
Between Pine St. and Fir St.
Tuesday to Saturday, open 10-5
Sunday and Holidays, open 12-5
© 2019 Spirit Wrestler Gallery. All Rights Reserved.


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Subscribe To Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal Or Jeff Bridges Could Replace Jude Law In Jane Got A Gun Updates
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This has been an absolutely terrible week for the production of the upcoming Natalie Portman-starring western Jane Got A Gun. The drama began on Tuesday when director Lynn Ramsay failed to show up on the first day of shooting, leaving her entire cast and crew shrugging their shoulders. While Warrior director Gavin O'Connor has stepped in to take over the film, the project received another devastating blow when Jude Law, who only joined the cast last week, decided to drop out. As can be expected, the production is scrambling a bit now to find an actor to replace the two-time Oscar nominee, and apparently there are three names that they are looking for in particular.
In a write-up about all of the drama currently going on behind the scenes of Jane Got A Gun, The Los Angeles Times has revealed the shortlist of actors being considered to replace Law in the western...and the names may surprise you due to their variety. The newspaper's sources say that they are currently looking at Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges as possible options. The studio is specifically looking for an actor who is both "an international brand who also happen to look good in a hat."
Based on a 2011 Black List screenplay written by Brian Duffield, the new film is about a woman (Portman) whose outlaw husband (Joel Edgerton)has run into trouble with a local gang. Realizing that their lives are in danger, the woman is forced to reach out to a former lover for help. Gyllenhaal, Maguire and Bridges, who all have western experience having made movies like Brokeback Mountain, Ride With The Devil and True Grit, are being considered for the former lover part.
It's interesting to note that both Gyllenhaal and Maguire starred with Portman in the 2009 drama Brothers, but Bridges seems to be a bit of a wild card in this situation. Isn't he just a tad old to be playing a former lover of a 31 year old? Perhaps they have re-writes in mind.


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Explore Our Hotel
Located on the east side of Tulsa in the Catoosa, OK area, we are conveniently located just off of I-44 across the highway from the Hard Rock Casino, and just minutes from the Tulsa International Airport.
We are located outside of the current construction projects on the I-244 corridor that leads into downtown Tulsa. We are just minutes from various businesses, Port of Catoosa, Mid America and attractions including the Blue Whale, Expo Square, Route 66, BOK Event Center, ONEOK Field, Tulsa Zoo, the University of Tulsa, Tulsa Raceway Park and Will Rogers Museum.
Whether it is business or pleasure that brings you to Tulsa and Catoosa, our hotel is designed to meet your needs. We are a 100% non smoking hotel...Visitors can connect to the free high-speed Internet access, swim a few laps in our outdoor seasonal pool and stay in shape in our Fitness Center that is open to our guest 24 hours. We invite you to wake up to our complimentary Express Start breakfast with yummy hot and cold breakfast items to fit your taste buds. Enjoy your stay with us!
- Black-out Shades
- Crib Available
- Iron/Ironing Board
- Separate Hanging Closet
- In-Room Heating and A/C Controls
- Extra Bedding Available
Bathroom/Personal Care
- Private Bathroom
- Bathroom Amenities Available
- Hair Dryer
- Bathtub
- Separate/Walk-in Shower
In-Room Features
- Mini Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Coffee Maker
- Flat-screen TV
- Work Desk with Lamp
- Desk-level Electrical Outlet
- Cable/Satellite
- Premium Channels
- Stereo/Radio
- Direct-dial Phone
- Two-line Phone
- Phone with Voicemail
- Electrical Adapters Available
- Complimentary Morning Newspaper
Added Value
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Complimentary Coffee/Tea Supplies
- Full Breakfast Included
- Breakfast Buffet Included
- Continental Breakfast Included
- Complimentary Coffee in Lobby
- Kids Eat Free
Business Services
- 1 Meeting Room(s) Available
- On-Site Business Center
- Printer
- Copier
Internet Access
- Free High-Speed Internet in all Rooms
- Wireless Internet service is free for all IHG® Rewards Club members
Entertainment & Recreation
- Outdoor Pool
- Outdoor Pool Hours of Operation: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Pool Open from: 17-June-2015 to 26-August-2015
Health & Fitness
Complimentary Fitness Center
Our exercise facility has treadmills and stationary bikes. That way you do not miss a beat when you are away from home! It is for guest only and your key card will allow you access seven days a week. Outdoor seasonal pool for fun and exercise!
Hours of Operation: 12:00 AM to 12:00 AM
Fitness Center Type: LIMITED
Fitness Center Equipment:
- Treadmill
- Stationary Bicycle
Housekeeping & Laundry
- Daily Housekeeping
- On-site Guest Self-Laundry Facilities
- Hours of Operation: 12:00 PM - 12:00 PM
Added Value
- Language Interpretation
- Wake Up Calls
- Ice Machine
Hotel Details
18725 East Admiral Place
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74015
United States
Check In: 3:00 PM
Check Out: 11:00 AM
Check-in Age: 21
Parking + -
- Complimentary Self Parking Available
Accessibility + -
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
- Registration Desk
- Exercise Facility
- Business Center
- Pool
- Number of Accessible Meeting Rooms: 1
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Registration Area
- Accessible Guest Rooms
- Business Center
- Meeting Room
- Exercise Facility
- Pool
Hotel Areas with Accessible Routes from Accessible Public Entrance
- Accessible Self Parking
- Van Accessible Self Parking
- Portable Bathtub Seats
- Closed Caption TVs
- Telephone with TDD
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
- Communication Kits with Visual Alarms
Provided by Hotel
Pet Policy + -
- Pets Allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- Pet Walking Area On-site
- Pet Deposit per Stay: 35 USD
- We allow one Pet per room with a weight of no more than 20 pounds. A non refundable pet fee and signed pet agreement at check in is required. No fee for documented service animals
Facility + -
- Number of Floors: 3
- Total Number of Rooms: 80
- Number of Suites: 22
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 73
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 5
- Connecting Rooms Available
Languages + -
Languages Spoken by Staff
- English
- Spanish
Credit Cards + -
- American Express
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Partridge, who hails originally from Weston, Massachusetts and currently resides with her husband, two kids and a greyhound in South Orange, New Jersey, was voted 'GMA BREAKOUT ARTIST' by ABC's Good Morning America last summer. And now, she has a hot new CD, entitled You Are There: Songs for my Father," on Nagel Heyer Records.
Sarah is a relative late-comer to the music business, as film was her first love. As a college grad, she played an unforgettable role opposite TOM CRUISE as the babysitter in the classic film Risky Business. Cruise and Sarah are still friends.
For 100 years, the Algonquin Hotel has been greeting and lodging the country's most prominent writers and literary personalities, as well as the leading figures of the American stage. Partridge's music fits in perfectly with that history. Her song list includes music from the Great American Songbook such as Yesterdays," Detour Ahead," Beyond the Sea," Back in Your Own Back Yard," April in Paris" and Gypsy in My Soul," among other classics.
Featured in Sarah Partridge's stellar band will be Allen Farnham on piano, Tim Horner on drums and Bill Moring on bass.
Sarah Partridge's June 12 - 23 shows at the Algonquin will be held Tuesday through Thursday at 9 pm and Friday and Saturday at 9 and 11:30 pm. There is a $60 cover charge per person and a $25 minimum. A $65 prix fixe dinner is optional for most shows; required at the early shows Friday and Saturday. For reservations, call 212-419-9331 or write to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Since the Sarah Partridge engagement is also a part of this year's JVC Jazz Festival-New York, jazz festival-goers can get a terrific two-for-one deal on tickets to the late shows Friday and Saturday, June 22 and 23. The 2-for-1 deal allows festival ticket holders from a JVC Jazz Festival-New York main event (Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Danny Kaye Playhouse, Town Hall, etc.) to bring their ticket stubs to the late show at the Oak Room to be eligible to buy one ticket and get one free, as available. At the Oak Room for Sarah's shows, one person would pay $60 plus a $25 minimum and the other person would pay just the $25 minimum.
Singing along to a karaoke machine on a dare" is not the way most aspiring singers begin their career. However, this is how jazz singer Sarah Partridge got her start. While enjoying a successful and busy career as an actress, Partridge went to the Improv in Los Angeles with friends, to enjoy a night out. A karaoke contest began and her chums urged her to participate, just for fun. Partridge, a jazz enthusiast, reluctantly agreed and eventually found an elevators only" version of Summertime." Her beautiful, rich voice captivated an L.A. booker, who assumed that she was a professional jazz singer. Before she could say help," she found herself billed as the featured vocalist in a live jazz salute. This was not an easy accomplishment considering that she knew only 10 songs all the way through. Yet, she was a smashing success and hasn't taken a step backward, from that evening on.
Spending most of her early childhood in Boston and attending high school in Alabama, Sarah claims that her father is responsible for her love of jazz. From the time she was born, the only music Sarah heard around the house was Ella Fitzgerald, Chris Connor, Dakota Staton, Irene Kral and, of course, Sarah Vaughan. While other kids were singing nursery rhymes, Sarah was humming Lush Life." She couldn't have avoided this music if she'd tried!
Partridge also developed a keen interest in acting at a young age. She decided to enroll at the prestigious Northwestern University, where she majored in theater. After receiving her degree, Partridge stayed in Chicago and landed her first feature film role -- opposite Tom Cruise in that smash hit, Risky Business. She then headed west to L.A., where she acted in several more films and became actively involved in doing commercials and voice-overs. She was often heard portraying super heroes on cartoon shows! Throughout the late eighties and early nineties, Partridge could be seen guest-starring in numerous TV series, sitcoms and soap operas . . . then came that fateful night at the Improv -- when an old dream reawakened and she soon shifted the focus of her life back to music.
Currently leading a bi-coastal life, Sarah has been spotted entertaining audiences at many notable east-coast haunts such as, New York's Firebird Cafe, The Hideaway, Delmonico's, The Jazz Standard and many others. L.A. jazz spots include, Catalina's Bar & Grill, Spazio, and the Hollywood landmark, the Cinegrill. She is consistently pegged as pick of the week" in newspapers on both coasts.
Until his death in early June of 1997, Sarah could often be found practicing her own brand of meditation -- that of sharing the bandstand with her pal, legendary jazz giant, Doc Cheatham. She was a fixture at his Sunday afternoon jazz brunches at New York's Sweet Basil Restaurant. They also teamed at other local clubs such as Metropolis and New Jersey's, Trumpets. He affectionately referred to her as a woman of high voltage!"
Sarah's debut CD, I'll Be Easy to Find continues to get considerable airplay, nationwide. It received excellent reviews, including in the industry's barometer, Billboard Magazine. Her second CD, Blame It on My Youth, was released in 2004.
This story appears courtesy of Carolyn McClair Public Relations.
Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.


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Archive for the 'Angle' tag
A Teacher's POV: Using the Gyro Sensor
Programming your robot to make precise turns can be a source of frustration for some students as they begin to learn ROBOTC. Oftentimes, when students are just learning programming, all of the movements of their robots are based on timing. When programming a robot to move forward or backwards, a small error or a small amount of inconsistency can usually be overcome. With turning, however, inconsistencies and small errors can lead to larger errors and the frustration I mentioned earlier.
At this point, students learn that sensors can be used to improve the movement of their robots. With the VEX IQ, a Gyro Sensor is provided that eliminates any guesswork when it comes to programming your robot to turn.
The Gyro Sensor measures the rotational angle of the robot. If you look at the Gyro Sensor, you will see an arrow that points in a counter-clockwise direction. That is the default positive direction. Therefore, as long as the sensor is mounted flat on the robot it picks up the parallel angle to the ground. The sensor then registers the current position as a zero point. If the robot turns counter-clockwise, it registers as a positive value. If it turns clockwise, the sensor registers a negative value. We can see this applied with the following illustration:
We can program the Gyro Sensor using Natural Language or full ROBOTC. To use Natural Language, you just need to make sure that the Gyro Sensor is plugged into port 4. Let's take a look at some ways to program the Gyro Sensor with Natural Language.
With this program, getGyroDegrees returns the current rotational value of the sensor in units of degrees. When making gyro-based turns, it is best to reset the gyro sensor before each turn, so the resetGyro command is utilized. With the example, we want the robot to turn until the getGyroDegrees command returns a value (from the Gyro Sensor) of 90 degrees. Therefore, we use the repeatUntil command. When we run this program, our robot should make a 90 degree left turn. Note that the robot may turn more than 90 degrees due to drift, which is caused by momentum. If this occurs, just slow down the speed of the motors. That should eliminate the drift.
We can apply the same commands to program our robot to make a right turn.
What I did when first showing the students the Gyro Sensor was to have them see the sensor work with the debugger screen. I used a sample program utilizing full ROBOTC with this activity. The sample program we used was in the Gyro Sensor Folder, and it is called Gyro Display Values. The students compiled and downloaded the program. They kept the USB cables plugged into their robots so they could see the values of the Gyro Sensor on the debugger screen. To access the debugger windows, go to the Robot menu, click on Debugger Windows, and then select Sensors.
The students can now run their program, physically move their robot, and see how the values of the Gyro Sensor change via the debugger screen.
The VEX IQ Gyro Sensor is extremely useful and easy to program, and the students have a lot of fun using this sensor.
– Jason McKenna


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Jewelry is special to me. Well, for the most part. There are some pieces that I pick up just to fill in the spaces on the blank canvas of an outfit with a splash of color. But for the most part, my jewelry tells a story, even my brand new snake charm bracelet. I put on each piece with love and thought, and cherish when someone asks me about them. A compliment can turn into a 3-minute story or a 10 minute conversation... depending on the look in someone's eye and if they are a complete stranger or a close friend. My wedding ring is not really my wedding ring, but made from jewelry given to me when Chloe was born and when I turned 25. The turquoise ring was my grandmother's. The jade ring was my mother's. That ring of Chloe's? It was given to her grandmother on her 16th birthday, me on mine, and Chloe on hers. Yep, I'm making sure the tradition continues. But of course, there are jewels that sit waiting for a story to happen, and their day will come. But for now, I seem to pull out those to wear that already have a story... and the others wait patiently for their story to happen. And still other pieces of jewelry are "just for fun."
When Wren & Glory offered to send us bracelets, we had a hard time deciding what to pick because they have so many amazing pieces. When I selected my snake charm bracelet, I wasn't thinking about my jewelry telling stories. But when it arrived, I realized that I had chosen a snake bracelet and it will be a story that will be significant for me. 1) I love snakes. Fake ones, natch. Jeweled snakes, especially. 2) I made my New Year's resolution to be less judgmental of myself and others - wait for it, that matters. 3) 2013 is the year of the snake. When you add those 3 together, there will be a story and it will be about the year of 2013 when I made a resolution to be a better person and this little charm that I serendipitously chose, actually chose me. My snake bracelet was a reminder, is a reminder, and will be a reminder of 2013... and how I kept my resolution to be better. And when I'm tempted to stray from my resolution, my snake charm winds itself around my memory to be a constant reminder of my intent. That it can be worn as a charm on so many other bands or necklaces is pure bonus, but I love the silk band since it's stretchy and comfortable and I barely feel that it's there... and it's definitely a statement piece.
Chloe chose a gold circle from Wren & Glory. It happens to match her watch perfectly! She says she chose it because she loved the clean simple lines, and the way the smooth texture contrasts agains the rough brown suede she selected. She also absolutely, completely, and madly loves polka dots. And the design reminds her of a polka dot interpreted by some amazingly talented sisters from Brooklyn who are doing what they love and creating jewelry for people who love what they are doing. So nice to meet you, Wren & Glory!
Disclosure: We received the products mentioned above for free, but that does not influence us. Those mentioned on our website are the only ones we would recommend to you and that we use personally.


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By Ben Pittman
Commissioned by Rising Tide Theatre
He was known as Newfoundland's favourite son, a shy fellow who became a musical hero to the thousands of Newfoundlander's who migrated to Ontario in the 60's and 70's looking for work. A replanted Bell Islander who had left his hometown at 17 to provide for his family Harry was truly one of them. With his button accordion and a great band, Harry brought the audiences to their feet dancing and singing along to the old tunes that reminded them of home. Newfoundland clubs were a feature of Ontario then and Harry filled them. His popularity soared, he hosted a TV show from the Caribou Club, he sold gold records and he brought joy to thousands. Along the way there were great highs and sad lows but always there was that smile, that wink, that celebrity who was just one of the folks. Harry died before his last tour to Newfoundland. With this show his times and his music live again. A fabulous cast led by Michael Power as Harry, with a band led by Bryan Hennessey.


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How big a televangelist scandal?
How big a televangelist scandal?
When Rick Jones, an ordained minister and former cop, heard his boss talking about another minister's homosexual activity with an employee, he "got up and walked away," the Los Angeles Times reported on its front page yesterday. "I didn't want to hear gossip."
But his boss was televangelist Benny Hinn, a staple on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. And Hinn was talking about TBN founder and president Paul Crouch. And Los Angeles Times reports that it's no longer just gossip—it's a tale of attempted extortion, litigation, and tragedy.
For all the details, you'll have to read William Lobdell's extensively reported, 1,900-word article. But here are a few observations.
First, extortion seems like the only word to describe what Enoch Lonnie Ford, the former TBN employee who says he and Crouch had extramarital sex in 1996, attempted. Crouch paid him a $425,000 settlement in 1998 after Ford accused the global network of wrongful termination. Key to the settlement, of course, was a secrecy agreement. Last April, however, Ford handed Crouch an autobiographical manuscript detailing his claims of a sexual encounter. The Times reports:
Ford's lawyer later told ministry officials that they could keep the work out of public view by buying the rights. After some discussion, he suggested that $10 million might be a reasonable price. … Ford's attorney, Eugene Zech, said [TBN attorney Dennis G. Brewer Sr.] called him the next business day [after Ford gave Crouch the manuscript]. In court papers, Zech said that Brewer asked "if Ford might be willing to accept $1 million in exchange for the manuscript." Zech ...1
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- From the MagazineIs Your Trip Tourism or Missions?After years of debate, the line is blurrier than ever.
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I've been quite nostalgic lately. Having many thoughts on life being too short and savouring the really happy times. I've been taking more pictures in an effort to capture those moments and cataloging them for future memory requiring moments.
I have all those pictures, perfectly filed and foldered for easy access. What I'm missing is the stories.
The blogs I love most are the blogs that tell stories. Will the pictures alone tell me all the stories? I think I need to write more.
I've drafted and re-drafted hundreds of stories about the past year, the past decade (oof!), and all the way back to the early days of no bathroom but a toilet in the middle of the kitchen (true story). They all just seem to carry on. I think I need to break them up. I think I need to focus. Or maybe I need to ditch the detail and describe instead the feelings. Or maybe I just need to hit publish.
Let's start slow and easy and let's hit publish.
This week marks five years of Boomer. He turns six this week and it's also the same week I picked him up, five years ago.
I'd been out of school for a few months. Newly graduated, newly living alone. I've always been a dog person, grown up with dogs and I knew it was only a matter of time before I found one of my own. I worked at home, lived across from a park, and had time to kill.
I didn't have the money for a purebred puppy so I went for the next best thing - the Humane Society. I didn't care what breed, just that it was small enough for me to lift on my own. And so one week after my first drop in I was the proud owner of one year old, 30 pound, then-Beacon-now-Boomer, breed unknown.
The next six months were brutal. Vomit in my car, poop in the house, destroyed cables, angry neighbours, and too many tears.
I remember sitting up one night, trying to get Boomer to settle into his crate for the night - something he'd been resisting. I'd think he was asleep so I'd start to inch away to my own bed only to have him bolt up and start whining. I have no idea where he'd been in the first year of his life but I'd wager there was some serious abandonment and a lack of any kind of structure. I shed many tears sitting in the doorway trying to read a book to keep my mind off of how miserable I was feeling and what a big mistake I thought I'd made.
I made a joke once that having Boomer was like having a baby only to be told it was no where near the same. This could only mean that having a baby was the worst terror of my life. How much worse could it be than sitting up all night hoping for him to sleep, never leaving the house because he'd freak out, and walking in circles in the park in hopes that it would tire him out. Also - cleaning up poop and puke. I was facing a harsh reality that real life is no cake walk like university life can sometimes suggest.
Six months in I met Rob. Eight months after that we moved into a house! with a yard! and a fence! and two people to walk him! and a quiet neighbourhood where you didn't have to worry about your dog stepping on broken glass or being woken up by the drunk university students walking down the street at 3:00am. Boomer belongs in the suburbs. It took him two days and he chilled out more than I had ever experienced.
I feel good about having rescued a dog but damn it was a lot of work. He's basically adapted at this point but he's still got a lot of stress and we enforce a lot of rules and boundaries to keep his structure. Someday he won't be here and we'll have a new dog. Maybe we'll get a puppy and train it from the start and maybe it'll be easier and maybe it won't be.
I don't care what all those people with babies told me and I don't care how trivial or trite it sounds - Boomer was my first baby.
Boomer was there when I was treated like crap by stupid guys and slept in my bed without judgement. Boomer always wants my attention and never rejects my affection. He doesn't get sick of me and nor do I of him. Boomer's life is about half over and there's no guarantee that the next half will be any better. Who cares? I love this freaking dog. Happy birthday, Boom-doggle!


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QUESTION OF THE WEEK- What do you know about James Madison?
Max Gross: "He was a Virginian, and he lived nearby here. He was the fourth President of the United States, following Jefferson, and he was Jefferson's Secretary of State, as I recall."
Kate Berman: "He was one of the writers of The Federalist Papers."
Nicolas Mann: "I generally don't know much. I know he lived over yonder, and that he was the fourth president."


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Quirky: Ivy farmhouse full of surprises
SIZE: 2,380 fin. sq. ft., 595 unfin.
NEIGHBORHOOD: Ivy
CURB APPEAL: 9 of 10
LISTED BY: Alice Nye Fitch, Montague Miller 951-7133
The "village of Ivy" must have been quite a place back in the day. Not to say it's not still quite charming, reminiscent of a little English hamlet... but with the zippy addition of Duner's! Houses in the area are equally eccentric.
For example, whoever built the "Ivy Depot" (which we toured a few months ago) created a rambling, eclectic place with an enormous studio/gym, a kitchen with a two-story-high ceiling, and a giant open bathroom at the top of the stairs.
The Ivyites who built this old farmhouse on Three Chop't or Tree Chopped (now Dick Woods) Road must have had similar proclivities. Among the house's many virtues, the most appealing is the charm of surprise.
From the road, the first impression is tidiness. The gardens, lovingly planned by the current owner, are abloom even in the waning days of summer. Rambler roses dot the split-rail fence in front, Japanese maples hover around an old fish pond, and a 120-year old lightning-struck oak stump surrounded by lavender, daylilies, and other perennials has become a leprechaun's dais.
Inside, the surprises multiply. The front door (moved from the side when the road configuration changed about 50 years ago) opens from the wide, columned front porch to a large entrance hall. But here the stairs, instead of rising at the right or left (or even center), face the door from the back of the hall. A small coat closet hides an unusual red and green stained-glass window, a twin of one upstairs. In the bay-windowed living room to the left, a coal-burning fireplace is surrounded by new bright red tiles, striking in their modernity.
The dining room between the kitchen and living room also has a fireplace, and woodwork on bookshelves on the opposite wall was detailed by a careful carpenter to match the mantel supports. The kitchen beyond opens to a new deck built around a huge maple tree, more evidence of the owner's devotion to her garden. Also on this level is a fully tiled new bathroom with impressionistic blue/green stained glass windows that must make taking a shower there seem like deep-sea diving.
Up the odd forward-facing stairs are three bedrooms and a sleeping porch, which could be another bedroom but for the absence of a closet. The full bath here is just a bath, not as witty as the one downstairs, but perfectly serviceable. Two of the bedrooms are joined by a door, a boon for a young family with a baby. Or a new owner might want to keep the current arrangement, using the back bedroom, with its ample storage, as a study/office. This floor (but not the first) has central air.
An understated recent efficiency addition in the back of the house, sloping down the hill toward Route 250 (the lot goes all the way to the road), could be a rental unit or quarters for a nanny for the above-mentioned new baby. Its metal roof matches the house roof, and its Hardiplank siding blends better than one might expect with the solid stucco of the house. There's a garage next to it, under the deck.
Well, you say, where's the quirky? Wait 'til you get to the basement! Down here is the furnace, kerosene-fired from a big tank just outside the door, which provides baseboard hot-water heat upstairs. Beside it is the water tank (many Ivy dwellers depend on wells) with a purifying system involving salt blocks. Beside the entry door is a long cement trough, puzzling– until the owner explains its use as a convenient cooler for summer watermelons. Where else are you going to find one of those?
The best thing about this house, however, is the current owners, who know its every nook and cranny, and who have made it uniquely their own, from the under-sea bathroom decor to the lush gardens. Alas, the owners do not convey. The buyer will have the heavy responsibility of filling their shoes and continuing the area's tradition of slightly off-beat charm.
Maybe the effort will help Ivy remain its quaint self for a little while longer, protected by its flower market and railroad trestle from the depredations of the monotonous subdivisions creeping up on every side.


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Millions go begging in dormant bank accounts
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission says there is more than $6.5 million dollars of unclaimed money owned by Territorians.
The ASIC database of unclaimed money has risen to a record $677 million across Australia.
ASIC's Robert Drake says more than 13,000 Northern Territory individuals and businesses own parcels of money they are unaware of.
"This is money that comes from dormant bank accounts, old life insurance policies or where shares have been sold," he said.
"Often it's where the institution has lost contact with the owner because they've moved and not left a forwarding address or in some cases died."
A dormant Nhulunbuy bank account containing $55,000, while another in Pine Creek holds $46,000.
"If the person's moved and the address is wrong or if people are in the habit of throwing bank envelopes in the bin without reading them, it is easy to miss something like that," Mr Drake said.
"So that's why we really encourage everybody to go and have a look, see if there's some in there from you or a family member, great aunt or a granny owed some money."
Topics: banking, pine-creek-0847, nhulunbuy-0880, darwin-0800, alice-springs-0870
First posted


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Why do you think IRONMAN New Zealand was voted 'The World's Best IRONMAN'?
I completely understand why athletes throughout the world voted IRONMAN New Zealand as the #1 IRONMAN globally. It is an epic event in a community that embraces the athletes and the IRONMAN spirit. I have told the IRONMAN community for the last 15 years you must put IRONMAN New Zealand on your list of events to do as it is the most beautiful and you'll be treated like a king or queen! You will not want to leave Taupo, every time I have to leave one of the most majestic places on earth it just pains me, but I smile knowing I get to come back the next year!
What are you looking forward most in 2018?
What I look forward the most is being able to see all the Kiwi athletes and IRONMAN community in Taupo. It is a very close knit bunch and each year it's going home to see family! It is like walking into the front door of a home with your family and best friends waiting for you, nothing could be better!
What would you say to someone who was thinking about entering IRONMAN New Zealand for the first time?
So many athletes have said to me they have IRONMAN New Zealand on their bucket list of events to do. I say make the plans today, don't hesitate and get there. You will be so happy you did once you experience the aura of such a magical land and event!
Describe for us your greatest IRONMAN New Zealand day
It is always tough to pinpoint one IRONMAN moment or day in my journey after so many years. A very special moment for me at IRONMAN New Zealand was 2011 as it was my 100th IRONMAN event on the microphone. Jane Patterson and Jennette Blyth surprised me up at the welcome dinner as I expected nothing, they set up a ceremony telling everyone it was my 100th. To be honest I was a bit embarrassed as the welcome dinner is all about the athletes, making sure they are entertained and inspired for race day. To have part of the ceremony be about me was a little disconcerting. The wonderful part of it was my wife Rose (who knew about the 100th ceremony but kept a good secret) and our best friends Alan & Dena Rea were there. To have them there at this special moment was the icing on the cake. The award given to me was a traditional Maori Wood Carved knife sitting in a beautiful wood base. I have it proudly displayed in my home and every time I look at it I smile at the great memory. Race day wasn't so pleasant as it rained all day so that also made my 100th memorable. The amazing part if you like numbers and how they seem to have premonition attached to them. This past March at the event I celebrated my 150th IRONMAN announced. Guess if I make it to #200 it'll have to be in Taupo!
My final thoughts. The first IRONMAN New Zealand I worked was March 1, 2003 and the first time I called someone an IRONMAN at the finish line there I knew I was home. The crowd just absolutely roared with enthusiasm, it at first set me back for a second as I was thinking we have a lot of athletes to go. But then I realized they had only heard that phrase on TV probably from the Hawaii broadcast or just heard about it from friends. Here it was live for the first time, to honor their own Country mates, family and champions to the finishing line. That is why I never have or will ever take those four words for granted. Each time I have the honour to say "You Are an IRONMAN!" it is like the very first time. IRONMAN New Zealand thank you for the help in teaching me that!