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Guests: Julia Boorstin, Maria Teresa Kumar, Michael Scherer, David Corn, Joe Sestak, Jonathan Martin, Chris Cillizza, Alfonso Aguilar
CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Damage control.
Let's play HARDBALL.
Good evening. I'm Chris Matthews, back down in Washington. Leading off tonight: Democrats fighting back. Here's the story. Based on the latest estimates, Democrats are facing a wipeout this fall. They're headed to lose the House and maybe the Senate. It's beginning to look really bad, let's be honest. But the good news is that the Democrats are beginning to fight back. Here's California's Barbara Boxer playing offense, which is what Democrats obviously need to do against her Senate opponent, Carly Fiorina, last night.
SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: People are going to decide if they want to have me back, or if they want to elect someone who made her name as a CEO at Hewlett-Packard laying thousands and thousands of workers off.
MATTHEWS: It's the record that counts. Remember, some Republicans are talking about another government shutdown. Do you really want that to go through—go through that again? We'll look at where things stand as we head into the Labor Day weekend.
In my home state of Pennsylvania, the Democrat fighting (ph) against the hard right is Joe Sestak. He'll join us soon tonight to talk about his come-from-behind fight against Pat Toomey.
Plus, should President Obama have done anything differently to avert a potential November disaster? Would he have been better off, would we have been better off had there been no stimulus spending, no health care reform bill, no Wall Street reform? We'll debate that point.
And a new poll shows that illegal immigration has actually dropped off. Is it still going to be a killer issue for the Republicans?
Finally, wait until you see Arizona governor Jan Brewer's excruciating 13 seconds of brain freeze in last night's debate. That's in the "Sideshow."
Let's start with whether President Obama could have done anything differently to avoid a mid-term election disaster. Politicsdaily's David Corn is Washington bureau chief for "Mother Jones" and Michael Scherer writes for "Time" magazine.
Michael, I'm going right to you on this—right to you!
MATTHEWS: I'm going to quote you. "In 2008, trust in the federal government was at an historic low, dropping to about 25 percent. Yet Obama has offered government as the primary solution to most of the nation's woes, calling for big new investments in health care, education, infrastructure and energy. Some voters bought the incongruity, repeatedly telling pollsters that even programs that clearly helped the economy, like the $787 billion stimulus, did no such thing."
Michael, if he'd been a nothing, a numbnut, done nothing, been a Jerry Ford, just carried on, done nothing, are you saying he would have been better off than being the activist progressive he's been?
MICHAEL SCHERER, "TIME": I would distinguish between the stimulus, which even Republicans supported in some form back in—
MATTHEWS: But that's their biggest complaint!
SCHERER: That's one of their—the biggest thing that's hurting him in the polls, though, is things like health care. He gets—he gets hurt in places like Indiana, which is where I went for my story, for the optional things he went for, not for the crucial things he had to go for in some form—
MATTHEWS: So back to your point.
SCHERER: Yes.
MATTHEWS: If he'd been a Good Time Charlie, a no-rock-the-boat Obama, done nothing really big, just done stimulus, you're arguing, you're reporting he would have been better off politically.
SCHERER: I think among independent voters, if he had come in and made jobs and the economy the only issue, the immediate problem, the only issue for 2009, I think arguably, he'd—
MATTHEWS: But he still would have been a progressive, big-government guy because he would have pushed almost a trillion dollars in stimulus spending.
SCHERER: He would—well, a lot of that was tax cuts. It wasn't a trillion dollars in spending, it was a lot—a big chunk of that was tax cuts—
MATTHEWS: But you're saying he would have got—he wouldn't be hated now by the center and the right.
SCHERER: Look, this is not about either/or. Clearly, the economy is killing him. Clearly, people are angry at Washington. It's, you know, trying to figure out where the line is. If you talk to the White House, though, they sort of follow the line you're approaching here, which is, There's nothing we could have done here—
MATTHEWS: No, I'm—
MATTHEWS: -- I'm challenging you because I don't know whether there was an easy safe haven or not. Let me ask you, Corn—
DAVID CORN, "MOTHER JONES": Yes?
MATTHEWS: -- if he'd come in and done sort of the middle of the road, blah, blah, blah, a little stimulus but hands-off, don't try anything aggressive or progressive, would he be more popular today?
CORN: Well, if the stimulus was any less than it was, we'd have probably higher unemployment. And right then and there, he'd be in deeper water than he is now. If the stimulus was bigger, we might have less unemployment and he might be in a better position.
I don't think it's what he did, I think it's also how he did it. You know, the long slog on health care reform, at the end of the day, made it seem like a—like a small victory, an ugly victory.
MATTHEWS: Yes, I know.
CORN: He was overly deferential—
MATTHEWS: He didn't have much choice, though, did he.
CORN: Well, he did have a choice. He—
MATTHEWS: How could he have gotten it done faster?
CORN: How long did he spend trying to court Republicans—
MATTHEWS: What was his alternative?
CORN: But they didn't end up voting for it to begin with!
MATTHEWS: What was his alternative?
CORN: And you—you had Democrats in the—
MATTHEWS: OK, I'm getting nowhere. What was his alternative?
CORN: No, no, no! His alternative to was sort of forget about
Olympia Snowe and come up with the solution they had at the end of the day
MATTHEWS: Which was?
CORN: They passed it without her vote!
MATTHEWS: No, they ended up getting it because they got 60 votes, right.
CORN: Well, but without her.
MATTHEWS: OK, look, all right, I draw the line at reasonable—
CORN: No, no, no!
MATTHEWS: Here's the point. Why are the voters now in these polls—now, some of the polls are robocall polls. They're not the most reliable polls. But I'm seeing enough evidence to think there's something going on. When people say—independent voters say they'd rather have Bush back—
SCHERER: That's right.
MATTHEWS: -- after Iraq and taking this economy—doubling the national debt, bringing the deficit out of nowhere, when Clinton left it with a big, fat surplus, why would you want that back?
SCHERER: Take—
MATTHEWS: What's your reporting tell you?
SCHERER: What a lot of these voters are voting for—these are independent voters. You know, the miracle of Obama in 2008 wasn't that he got elected, it was that he got elected in a lot of states like Indiana and North Carolina that didn't go Democrat very often. He did that by grabbing independent voters who were sick of President Bush, who thought the country was going in the wrong direction, and he offered a broad promise of hope and change that hasn't been delivered. That's what he's suffering for.
And I think in a place like Ohio, where you're talking about that poll, what people are saying is, Look, you know, we weren't being treated well with the last guy. We're not treated being well with this guy. We'll take whatever we can get.
CORN: There has been a message problem out of the White House. When you have polls showing that people don't believe the stimulus has created jobs or saved jobs and you have Republicans echoing and—and reemphasizing that particular lie, and it sets in, well, that's something that actually, I think, is within the realm of control for the White House.
MATTHEWS: There are two choices when you vote, D or R. If the people push R, does your reporting tell that they know they're voting for more lackadaisical administration, like Katrina, more hawkishness and neo-conservative fighting of wars that are wars of choice, not necessity? Do they know they're voting for that kind of thing? And they're voting for a guy who was so sloppy on fiscal policy, refused to veto a single spending bill, that we doubled the national debt? Do they know that that's what R means when they vote R this November?
SCHERER: When I was in Indiana—I was in South Bend, Elkhart, Joe Donnelly, very tough reelecting, won with 67 percent—
MATTHEWS: Yes.
SCHERER: -- of the vote—
MATTHEWS: I liked that part.
SCHERER: -- a couple years ago—he is dealing with voters who were telling me Barack Obama's not the guy I voted for. I thought he was going to turn the economy around. He didn't turn the economy around. I didn't know he was going to do this health care thing. I thought he was going to change Washington (INAUDIBLE) Washington change. That's what they were voting for. It has nothing to do with the wars, the other—
MATTHEWS: Well, that's the election talk, right.
SCHERER: No, but these are independent voters. These are people—you know, they're not high-information voters—
MATTHEWS: When Obama was running for reelection or running for election, the economy wasn't in the tank. It went in the tank during the transition. Doesn't anybody remember that? It was the last quarter of the Bush administration that everything went to hell.
SCHERER: Obama went to Elkhart, Indiana, in February of 2009, couple weeks after he gets in office, he says, I'm going to pass the stimulus. It's going to help you. I'm going to keep my promise—
MATTHEWS: Right.
SCHERER: -- to Elkhart. Elkhart's unemployment now is over 13 percent and it's been rising again this summer.
MATTHEWS: Because it was rising when he came in.
SCHERER: It was rising—
CORN: -- probably would be higher now if Obama hadn't—
CORN: And you know, this is—this is the administration's
obligation, and Democrats on the Hill are livid because they don't think
the White House is living up to this obligation of making a stronger case -
MATTHEWS: There's so much—
CORN: -- making the case that you just made!
MATTHEWS: Let's make the points through the numbers. Unemployment when Bush came in was 4.2 percent. When he left office, it was up to 7.6 percent, way up from where he came in. When Bush came into office, we had a $281 billion Clinton-led surplus. When he left, we had a $1.2 trillion deficit. And he doubled the national debt. Those are the facts on the table.
Let's go back to the politics again. The voter out there, he can only choose between what he had and what he has. You're saying he's going to choose what he had in Elkhart, Indiana.
SCHERER: They're not voting for Bush in Elkhart. They're voting—they're voting because they're—
MATTHEWS: Their memory of what?
SCHERER: No, they're disappointed with what they have.
MATTHEWS: I see.
SCHERER: It's not about—this isn't an election between Bush and Obama. There's, you know, polls in Ohio that say there's different things. But I'll give you an example. There's a poll the Bennison (ph) Strategy Group did—
MATTHEWS: But—excuse me. But you know more than the average voter because you know what it means. The people waiting over at the American Enterprise Institute right now could come rushing back into this government the second the Republicans (INAUDIBLE) will be pushing the buttons for more wars, whether it's Iran or it's Syria, or whoever else they have on their list they want to go fight next.
CORN: But the—
MATTHEWS: They will be pushing for an easier time on Wall Street, less regulation of the oil industry, more tax cuts for the big business crowd. All that stuff is just waiting to get back into power.
SCHERER: I was—
MATTHEWS: Doesn't the public think like that?
SCHERER: I was at a house party for the Republican candidate in Indiana 2, Jackie Walorski.
MATTHEWS: Right.
SCHERER: I was talking to voters who previously had voted for Donnelly, had voted for Obama, who are now furious at both. They're going to pull the lever for Walorski. They're employed. One of the things they said to me is, I thought Obama was going to get us out of this war. He got us into another one.
MATTHEWS: He got us into Afghanistan?
SCHERER: Afghanistan. So they were actually using the war argument as an argument against Obama.
MATTHEWS: Because he surged in Afghanistan.
SCHERER: -- thought we were going to be out of these wars—
CORN: The war's unpopular. The economy's unpopular. If Obama wants to make a case—
MATTHEWS: By the way, I might be with them on that one!
CORN: If Obama wants to make the case that things will get worse under the Republicans, he's not making it strong enough. Look at the last few speeches he's given when he talks about Iraq and says, It's time to turn the page. Let's tell you how great things are going in Afghanistan—
MATTHEWS: You're getting to my soft (ph) area.
CORN: That is—
MATTHEWS: -- he gave a neocon speech the other night.
CORN: Right!
MATTHEWS: And I don't know why—
MATTHEWS: Everybody knows he's a dove. He should have talked like a dove. And you're right, (INAUDIBLE) surge in Afghanistan. You guys are smart. Good reporting in "Time." I may disagree only about the fact that I don't like what I'm reading, although it may be true.
MATTHEWS: David Corn and Michael Scherer, thank you, guys. It's always great, Corn.
Up next: John—Joe Sestak from my home state of Pennsylvania—he's fighting hard, the good fight against Pat Toomey, the Club for Growther of the far right.
And later, I'm going to tell you exactly what I think about President Obama and what he needs to do to answer these questions and avoid being a one-term president.
You're watching HARDBALL—HARDBALL! -- on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Beam him up, Scotty! Jim Traficant's on the ballot in Ohio's 17th congressional district. The ex-con former congressman got 11 more petition signatures than he needed to get his name back on that ballot, and he will run for his old job, this time as an independent. Traficant held that seat 17 years before his convictions on racketeering, bribery and tax evasion in 2002.
HARDBALL will be back in a moment.
MATTHEWS: Welcome back to HARDBALL. Congressman Joe Sestak pulled off a big upset back in May when he beat Arlen Specter, who'd been senator forever in Pennsylvania, in that primary. Sestak might need another upset, another surprise, come November. He faces a tough political climate up there. Pat Toomey, the Club for Growther of the far right, is averaging a 6-point gain on him right now in the latest Pollsters (ph) Average poll.
Congressman Sestak joins us right now. You know, Pennsylvania, as you know—I mean, I'm talking to an expert. It's a purple state. It's somewhere in the middle. It's a John Wayne state. It's not a far-right or far-left state. How come Toomey's doing well when he's on the far right? What is going on? Isn't he a Santorum type?
REP. JOE SESTAK (D-PA), SENATE CANDIDATE: Well, you know, there's been—I just came from the Grange fair parade, 35,000 Pennsylvanians sitting dead center in the heartland of Pennsylvania, shook every hand in the parade. Let me tell you, even after Congressman Toomey's special interest groups, Karl Rove's special interest groups, Club for Growth, which Congressman Toomey headed, founded by Wall Street when he was a lobbyist—after they poured $5.5 million into negative ads, I'm sitting pretty darn well.
You know, I tell everybody I'm just a Navy guy. We're not liberals, we're not conservatives in the military. We don't breed them. We breed problem solvers. And I'm going to stand up to even my own party every time it's wrong. And you know, you're seeing us a couple points behind. Got it. Now, this is Pennsylvania, Chris. You know it well, pretty commonsensical people. They're not going to have a sheep in wolf's clothing (SIC) all of a sudden deceive them again that, Let's give zero taxes, zero taxes to corporations, let's take private Social Security and privatize—
SESTAK: -- and let Wall Street gambling with it. No, they want someone fighting for them, not a (INAUDIBLE)
MATTHEWS: OK, Admiral and Congressman, let me ask you this one. It's close to my heart. When I grew up in north Philly and later northeast Philly, there were real jobs for guys and women, real jobs at big factories that built big things like train cars and subway cars with steel. They had real jobs to go to. They didn't have to go make hamburgers or go join the drug trade. They had real proud jobs to come home with. They could provide for a family with one person working. How do you bring back that Pennsylvania? Give me the common sense solution to that one.
SESTAK: Absolutely. I just did an event down there. You're talking the Lehigh, Germantown corridor (ph). That's exactly where you're talking about. I just came out of there last week. It's all about small businesses, nanotechnology, the tool and die shop. If we were given a 15 percent tax credit for every new payroll job, we would create five million jobs in just two, two-and-a-half years.
And then second, it is getting community banks to start lending again. They're not lending, Chris. We should be guaranteeing their loans up to 98 percent. And then it's getting, as I said, zero capital gains for any company, any person that invests in a small company because small companies create 80 percent of all jobs. And that Philadelphia—
SESTAK: -- that you're talking about, they have had a negative 4 percent growth in small businesses in the last 30 years. That's why 100,000 jobs have disappeared. It's focused on small businesses, and that's why I'm vice chairman of small business, and that's what I'm going to focus on from the Senate.
MATTHEWS: You know what you should do, is call the chief engineer in every town in Pennsylvania, every county, and ask them how many bridges are below safety code and fix them. Get them fixed. This country says they can't do jobs—
SESTAK: Without question.
MATTHEWS: I think (INAUDIBLE) get a job. Let me ask you about the support from the establishment up there. You beat the heck out of those people. You took the money people and big—in Philly, you took the machine, such as it was, on that day—could be more interested (ph), I think, on general election day—and you beat the heck out of them. You pulled the biggest upset. Are those guys still mad at you for being the underdog, for beating their guy, Specter?
SESTAK: I'm told they're all going to be there. And a lot of them are gone for pre-Labor Day, and they're going to be there right after Labor Day. But look, I'm not going to depend upon that. You know, we raised close to $2 million in just about four weeks right after the election. We're out there working every day. But more than that, I am going to help leverage those Centers of Excellence, but I'm also—I have over 25 offices open, 25,000 phone calls a day since 1 January.
MATTHEWS: Right.
SESTAK: We're going to build a warfare coalition, just like those 30 ships I had when I was a Navy admiral doing the retaliatory strikes off Afghanistan, working together. But I want you to know this, Chris. I'm also focused on moderate Republicans and independents. I think when they find how extreme Congressman Toomey is—I mean, you like Rick Santorum, you're going to love Pat Toomey.
MATTHEWS: Give me some examples. I know I asked about the steel industry a while ago, and he said, basically he's, a free marketer. Let it rot. Don't do anything. The government has no responsibility to save industries that are in trouble. What's your view? And what's wrong with his?
SESTAK: Well, let me tell you, in his book, he calls it "creative destruction." It's OK that we have China subsidizing their exports because it'll have creative destruction in America, where people will be unemployed, but they'll find a job somewhere else. You know, zero, zero taxes for corporations where you don't have to pay for (INAUDIBLE) Look, when he was in Hong Kong working for a Hong Kong billionaire, he actually worked on those currency swaps that helped China keep down over the years those—the value of the yuan.
And so we have someone who believes, benefit big business, benefit Wall Street, and wealth might trickle down. Look, he actually believed—and when he was on the Small Business Committee, he slashed in half the small business budget. He voted against studies for women to find out why they're only getting about 2 percent of all federal contracts supposed to go to small businesses. He just voted against that.
Time after time, whether it's education—here's Philadelphia—you talk about a challenge in Philadelphia? Only 28 percent of African-American males are graduating from high school there. And Chris—
MATTHEWS: Yes.
SESTAK: -- it's only 33 percent of whites. And so I'm on the
Education Committee. Look, this is about the common good, and he helped
slash the education budget by $3 billion and voted against Pell grants. He
what he did when he was president—and this is the worst, I think.
When he was president of Club for Growth—and I like Pat, I've had a beer with him. But when he was president of Club for Growth, which John McCain called a grab bag for the ultra-rich—when he was president, he actually had as his principal mission purging the Republican Party of moderates and went after Senator Lincoln Chafee and others.
MATTHEWS: I know.
SESTAK: To my mind, we don't need an ideology.
MATTHEWS: Is he a right-winger? Is he a right-winger?
SESTAK: We need someone who is willing to work.
MATTHEWS: Is he a right-winger?
SESTAK: He's farther on the right—yes. He's much—he's extreme.
MATTHEWS: Let me ask you. Let's talk—let's talk turkey, Admiral, Congressman. I mean, you deserve both titles. You have earned them.
Let me ask you this. Are you going to get Bill Clinton in there? It seems to me that, if you look at southwestern Pennsylvania, you look at anywhere in that state among the African-American community, which has been hammered with unemployment—they—if they had the jobs that the Irish guys had in the neighborhoods I grew up in today, they would unbelievably middle class. They would such in great shape. Those jobs are gone, those steel jobs.
Let me ask you, are you going to bring Bill Clinton in there? Because it seems to me, he would be even better than the president to help you in Pennsylvania.
SESTAK: Yes. He's already come in for Scranton. Great rally. Unfortunately, I was down in Washington for the good business of voting for that FMAP bill that Congressman Toomey opposed, and would have had 12,000 Pennsylvanians been laid off if we hadn't passed it.
MATTHEWS: Well, you going to bring him back?
SESTAK: Absolutely. Actually, I was talking with him the other day.
And they just want to know what days. They tell me I'm their top priority. And I'm going to keep working on that. So, I hope to see him out there a lot.
MATTHEWS: Well, I hope your party—hope your party gets organized up there, because the Democratic Party, Ed Rendell, and you, and all those other guys up there, ought to get together with Brady and win this thing.
Anyway, thank you, Congressman Joe Sestak, running for Pennsylvania senator.
Up next: This is worth waiting for. You have got to see this coming scene. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has been in office for a while now. But she had what we call in our business, anybody who has to be on television, a brain freeze. Now, I sympathize with this, but it is something to watch. That's in the "Sideshow." You cannot miss this coming up. Hang in there. Don't go away. Wait for this one. It's the interesting moment of the night.
You're watching it, HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Back to HARDBALL. And now for the "Sideshow."
OK, remember when you had to get up and speak in school and you got a cold brush of stage fright? Remember? Anyone who has been through it or chickened out because they were afraid of it can feel for Arizona Governor Jan Brewer during last night governor's debate.
Here's her attempt at a concise opening statement of what she's accomplished in two years in office.
GOV. JAN BREWER ®, ARIZONA: Arizona has been brought back from its abyss. We have cut the budget. We have balanced the budget. And we are moving forward. We have done everything that we could possibly do.
BREWER: We have—did what was right for Arizona.
MATTHEWS: Well, the—will that brain freeze cost her the governorship? Probably not. Polling shows she's ahead of her Democratic challenger by double digits.
Now, brace yourself for this next story. Could John Bolton—that was the super hawk, a former ambassador to the U.N. under Bush—could he actually run for president? Let's—well, he didn't rule it out. Let's listen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you running for president in 2012?
Well, you know, it's a great honor when people ask me that question. And I have been asked the question. I—I don't think anybody involved in politics should worry about that until after the elections this fall.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, you're not saying no?
BOLTON: I'm not saying no. That's right.
MATTHEWS: Well, I hope he runs. He will remind everyone of what the country voted against in 2006 and 2008, of the ideology that led us into attacking a country that never attacked us, an ideology that wants us to make some sort of permanent garrison in the Middle East. This guy is the super hawk of all time.
Finally, Sarah Palin whacks at the media. Old story, right? Well, she debuted a new line of attack yesterday on Sean Hannity's radio show. Remember, this is the same day that a scathing profile of her ran in "Vanity Fair."
Here she is going after the author.
SARAH PALIN ®, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: I hear there's some pretty ugly stuff right now coming out. And those who are impotent and limp and gutless, and then they go on—they are anonymous. They are sources that are anonymous. And impotent, limp and gutless reporters take anonymous sources and cite them as being factual references.
MATTHEWS: Let me get this straight. Impotent. Limp. I guess you don't go messing with mama grizzly.
As for the reporter of that offending article, the guy she was so tenderly describing, well, he said he had actually kept some of the worst stuff out of the article.
Now to the "Big Number." Think Jan Brewer is the only governor who will sign tough anti-immigration laws? Think again. A whole crowd of gubernatorial candidates this year are hawking bills similar to the one in Arizona. In how many states? At least 20. That's out of 37 states with races for governor this year. Twenty states, they are pushing that, everywhere from Massachusetts, to Georgia, to Alabama, candidates pushing the anti-illegal immigration line. Twenty states, they are doing it—tonight's "Big Number."
Coming up: We're exactly two months away from the midterm elections, and the Democrats have finally started fighting back to avoid big losses.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
JULIA BOORSTIN, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I'm Julia Boorstin with your CNBC "Market Wrap."
Modest gains for stocks today, ahead of tomorrow's August jobs report
the Dow Jones industrials climbing 50 points, the S&P 500 higher by nine, and the Nasdaq adding 23.
Investors reacting cautiously to some slightly-better-than-expected retails sales reports, but mostly just buckling up ahead of Friday's crucial unemployment numbers.
Department store chains did particularly well, sending Nordstrom shares soaring 8 percent. Saks shares are up as well, but they have been all over the place this week on rumors of a possible takeover bid by an investment consortium.
Teen retailers faring not quite as well on somewhat bleaker results, Abercrombie & Fitch and Aeropostal both moving lower today.
Dell shares up just a bit after bowing out of that bidding war for 3Par.
And Burger King shares having a whopper of a session, after confirming it's being sold to 3G Capital for more than $3.25 billion.
That's it from CNBC, first on business worldwide—now back to
MATTHEWS: Back to HARDBALL.
Democrats long hoped that the economy would bounce back this summer, ahead of the midterm elections. But there is some good news out there. Here's what the Associated Press put out today. New applications for unemployment benefits declined for a second straight week, after rising in the previous three weeks. Retailers reported surprisingly strong sales in August. And more people signed contracts to buy a home. Well, that's surprisingly good news.
But it might be too late. Here's what the UVA's, University of Virginia's Larry Sabato wrote today: "Given what we see at this moment, Republicans have a good chance to win the House by picking up as many as 47 seats."
Jonathan Martin is Politico's senior political writer. And "The Washington Post"'s Chris Cillizza is managing editor of TheWashingtonPost.com.
Gentlemen, let's take a look at something that might be the beginning of the opening shot of a strong Democratic counterattack led by a very strong, certainly a veteran, smart politician, who always seems to win, even in tough races.
Here's Barbara Boxer, who knows how to fight, in a debate last night ribbing the scab off Carly Fiorina and her jobs record.
CARLY FIORINA ®, CALIFORNIA SENATORIAL CANDIDATE: If you look at Senator Boxer's long track record of 28 years in Washington, D.C., you will see this. She is for more taxes. She is for more spending. She is for more regulation. And she is also for big government and elite, extreme environmental groups.
SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: People are going to decide if they want to have me back, or if they want to elect someone who made her name as a CEO in Hewlett-Packard laying thousands and thousands of workers off, shipping their jobs overseas, making no sacrifice while she was doing it, taking $100 million. I don't think we need those Wall Street values right now.
MATTHEWS: You know, Chris, that gets to the heart of it. After all the B.S. or talk or rhetoric or ideology, it comes down to what you have done in your life.
Back in the old days, remember, Mitt Romney got hit hard on this, not having health insurance for his employees. People look to your actual track record. This woman had a messy departure from H.P. And now you find out that she laid off tons of people. That's a hard thing to get past to people who have to vote for you.
CHRIS CILLIZZA, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Well, Chris, two things.
One, the situation is slightly unique in California, in that Carly Fiorina resume is not exactly the resume that you want to be running on in this election. And Barbara Boxer did a very good job of making clear what that is, removed as H.P. executive, took a big golden parachute, et cetera, et cetera.
Number two, though, what you saw in those clips, I think, is fascinating. The first clip, Carly Fiorina, basically, referendum. This is a referendum on Barbara Boxer. She's been a politician too long. She's been in Washington too long.
Barbara Boxer comes back and says, look, this is a choice. This is a choice between what I have done and what Carly Fiorina has done. That, broadly, is the two arguments that the parties are making, Democrats trying to make it into a choice, Republicans trying to make it into a referendum.
JONATHAN MARTIN, SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER, POLITICO.COM: Well, here's the choice. In this environment, which is worse, a career politician or a longtime CEO? I think both figures right now are not held—
MATTHEWS: Who fires people.
MARTIN: -- are not held in very high esteem by the American public.
MARTIN: But keep in mind, though, Boxer in the past has been helped by the top of the ticket. Three times she's run, she had Bill Clinton, Gray Davis, and John Kerry winning California by big margins every time. That's not happened this time around.
MATTHEWS: Yes, but she's also been very good at having opponents that are vulnerable.
MARTIN: And weak.
MATTHEWS: She went after Bruce Herschensohn, Michael Woo (ph).
She also finds something that turns it around at the end. Here she is going against Fiorina, who is pro-life in a state that hasn't elect a pro-life person in, what, 20 or 30 years, since Deukmejian.
MATTHEWS: Here she is hitting the weak spot, if you will, politically, out there of Fiorina. Let's listen.
FIORINA: I am pro-life because of my personal experiences. My husband's mother was told to abort him. She did not. Her health was threatened as a result. She lived a ripe old age to 98. And the—my husband obviously is the rock of my life.
BOXER: I respect everybody's personal view. And everybody has a story as to why they come to a certain opinion. I respect it. That's why I'm pro-choice. I let people decide.
But what the people of California have to understand is that if my opponent's views prevailed, women and doctors would be criminals. They would go to jail. And women would die like they did before Roe v. Wade.
So, this isn't about my opponent's personal view or my personal view.
It's about the women and the families of our state and of our country.
MATTHEWS: You know, whatever your view is about abortion rights and whether it should be outlawed, whether people should be punished for it, et cetera, et cetera, Chris—and that's always going to be something of a debate in our country—I think a lot of younger voters have forgotten what the old laws were like.
And she is sort of reminding, especially young women, don't think this thing is locked in, this right you have here under the law. It's always going to be a debate in this country, how we treat this very sensitive moral question.
Your thoughts, Chris?
CILLIZZA: Given where the economy is both nationally, and specifically in California, Chris, Barbara Boxer wants to fight on the social ground.
Carly Fiorina is—she has the personal story, which she told and which she will continue to tell. But the simple fact is that the vast majority of Californians are pro-choice. Barbara Boxer is in safe territory here. She knows it.
And she knows painting Carly Fiorina as an extremist on social issues helps her, because an economic fight in this economic climate, with Democrats in control of the White House, in control of Congress, even in a Democratic state like California, may not be a winning argument for Barbara Boxer.
So, she is smart strategically to focus on those social issues.
MATTHEWS: And she did say in there—we didn't show it—she did say, if I had the opportunity to outlaw abortion, she would do it, or take away Roe v. Wade, rather, just get rid of that right.
MARTIN: She says she would—right—she would overturn Roe v.
MATTHEWS: Get rid of the right, yes.
MARTIN: Which is really striking.
But Chris mentions a very good point. With the economy as it is, can Boxer drive the cultural issues sort of into the fore of the campaign? And I think it's going to be very tough for her to do.
MATTHEWS: Well, women voters tend to—not all women voters—obviously, this is a hot issue. But it seems to me California has been so consistent on this.
MARTIN: Right, for decades.
MATTHEWS: Pete Wilson, all the Republicans who have ever won out there have been pro-choice.
MARTIN: Well, Schwarzenegger, obviously, too.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
MARTIN: But here's the question, though. Not just with the economy being what it is, but also is Roe under threat right now? Is Roe vs. Wade under threat? If it's not—and a lot of folks think that it's not—can Boxer drive that issue?
MATTHEWS: OK. Let me ask you this. What I liked about last night's debate, without taking sides on the particular points she raised, I like the fact that she didn't play defense.
Let me go into this, Chris. We're talking basic politics. When you're fighting for your political life, as the Democrats are now, with big stakes, whether we fight wars or don't fight them, whether the government takes an active role in solving unemployment problems in the country or it doesn't, or what to do with Wall Street or doesn't, these are—whether it's with health care or the oil industry, these are hot stakes.
And the question is, are the Democrats going to get out there and say, do you want us or do you want them? Don't just complain or bitch, if you will—
CILLIZZA: Yes. Yes.
MATTHEWS: -- and say, I'm voting no. You can't get away with just going into the voting booth and say, I don't like the way things are going. I'm voting no. You have to choose.
MATTHEWS: The Democrats, if they're going to win this election or cut their losses, have to force people to choose in the voting booth between what they got now, which they may not like, and something they can describe as worse.
CILLIZZA: And, Chris, to be honest, that's their best—you know, people always say, oh, I hate negative ads.
I would say, in this electoral environment, if you're a Democrat,
negative ads are what you should do. You need to say to people, OK, you
may not like President Obama, you may not like the Democratic congressman -
MATTHEWS: Yes. OK.
CILLIZZA: -- but this alternative is worse and here's why it's worse and here's what if this person was in charge, if they were running things, here's what they would do. That's the only way that Democrats win in an environment like this.
MATTHEWS: You know—
CILLIZZA: You can't just—you can't let Republicans be an empty vessel.
MATTHEWS: You know who they could learn from? The right. Here's a montage of some Senate ads that the group called American Crossroads, a conservative fundraising group led by Karl Rove is running in key states. If the Democrats want to learn how to play hardball, watch Rove and let's listen.
MARTIN: Or the show.
MALE NARRATOR: Obamacare is the wrong way for Kentucky. And Jack Conway is going the wrong way, too.
FEMALE NARRATOR: Coloradans are in debt to Washington, deeply in debt. Big spenders like Michael Bennet are spending an average $2.5 billion per day.
FEMALE NARRATOR: Missourians want to make their own health care decisions. But Robin Carnahan disagrees. She supports the Obamacare law.
MALE NARRATOR: With spending already out of control, Harry Reid spearheaded the stimulus spending bill.
MATTHEWS: You know, they always make the guy look terrible or the woman look terrible.
MATTHEWS: You have to find the worst shots, grainy, darker. And Karl Rove, the architect of the Republican's loss to the House, the Senate, and the presidency. Here he is again.
MARTIN: Well, exactly. I mean, this group is sort of filling the void for the RNC. What the RNC cannot do financially, this group is stepping in and doing. And also, they are crafting ads that have a very good message in places like Kentucky and Nevada, where the campaigns there, with these insurgents, you know, may not be running such top quality ads sort given, at least, previously the state of their campaign.
MATTHEWS: OK. Thank you.
MATTHEWS: Yes. Go ahead, Chris. Last word.
CILLIZZA: The one thing that you see in all those ads, that montage you just played, the word Washington, which people hate.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
CILLIZZA: You know, being connected to Washington is an absolute no starter in an election. Whether you're a Republican, Democrat, independent, green, Constitution—if you are connected to Washington, you will not win.
MATTHEWS: Yes. And if the voters go in there, just vote no, I don't feel well, the Democrats get killed. The Democrats force the voters to think a little bit before they vote, they might just pull this one out.
Thank you, Jonathan Martin.
Thank you, Chris Cillizza.
CILLIZZA: Thanks, Chris.
MATTHEWS: Up next: Republicans across the country are using illegal immigration, which is a very hot issue, as a campaign issue, to get elected this fall. New numbers show a drop in illegal immigration over the last five years, believe it or not. How will that play in November? Will it lessen the heat?
This is HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: More trouble for Colorado Republican gubernatorial hopeful, Dan Maes. Maes told supporters that he worked undercover in Kansas for state investigators gathering information on local book making ring. But the Kansas Bureau of Investigation denies Maes ever worked for them. Wow.
And now, former United States Senator Hank Brown is withdrawing his support for Maes, saying it's because of concerns about his credibility. I love when they get caught.
HARDBALL will be right back.
NATHAN DEAL ®, GEORGE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Liberals won't like it when I empower local law enforcement to help deport illegal aliens. But it must be done. Because the federal government has failed to secure our borders and illegal aliens are costing Georgia taxpayers over $1 billion every year. I'm not worried about the liberals, my concern is you.
MATTHEWS: Wow. Welcome back to HARDBALL.
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal is not alone in making immigration a hot campaign issue. "Politico" reports candidates in 20 states are endorsing anti-illegal immigration laws. But the numbers tell a different story. A new Pew report shows illegal immigration actually has dropped sharply over the past decade from an average of almost 1 million, well, 850,000, almost 1 million a year, at the start of the decade, to just 300,000 at this time right now. And the estimated number of illegal immigrations overall living in the U.S. is down now from a peak of 12 million to 11.1 million in 2009.
So, why are politics on the right ratcheting up the fear factor?
Maria Teresa Kumar is an MSNBC contributor and executive director of Voto Latino. And Alfonso Aguilar is executive director of Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles.
Maria Teresa, where does this stand as a political issue right now? We're going to show you some tough stuff here from Jan Brewer. But we'll start with this so we know and maybe you jump off for this.
Here's Jan Brewer. We showed her on our brain freeze a moment ago.
Here she is on (AUDIO BREAK) in June.
GOV. JAN BREWER ®, ARIZONA: It's a good bill. And it's another tool for us to be able to use in order to get our borders under control. We cannot afford all this illegal immigration and everything that comes with it, everything from the crime and the drugs and the kidnappings and the extortions and the beheadings. And, in fact, people can't feel safe in their communities. It's wrong.
MATTHEWS: Well, beheadings may have grabbed you that word. Medical examiners and coroners in border counties said they hadn't seen immigration-related beheadings. So, reporters challenged Governor Brewer after last night's debate to see what is she talking about?
Let's listen to her non-response.
REPORTER: Governor, why wouldn't you recant the comment you made earlier about the beheadings in the desert?
REPORTER: That's a serious question, Governor.
BREWER: Well, this was an interesting evening tonight.
REPORTER: Please answer the question about the beheadings. Why won't you recant that? Would you still believe that? Come on, Governor.
BREWER: OK. Thank you, all.
REPORTERS: Oh!
MATTHEWS: Maria Teresa, fill me in on beheadings. Is that an issue? I mean, it's a serious issue, I'm not going to play it down. I want illegal immigration stopped. I want a legal system—a liberal system, but I want it enforced.
So, I may not be with a lot of liberals on this, but I think we ought to have a system of guest workers, a system of liberal immigration. But I want it on paper.
MARIA TERESA KUMAR, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Right.
MATTHEWS: I want the game to end. I want the cheap exploitation of labor to end. I don't want anybody getting hired in this country under the table anymore. I want everybody getting Social Security, everybody paying taxes and getting the benefits of residence, legal residence, when they're working here.
I don't want any more game-playing by the Democrats or the businesspeople or anybody else, even the civil liberties people. Everybody is playing a game on this issue. That's my setup to our conversation.
So, let's have a serious conversation. There are no good guys in the suit. Everybody is playing a game. Tell me seriously where this is going to play politically this November. How is this issue going to cut, this illegal immigration issue?
KUMAR: I mean, I think, first of all, the Republicans are actually feeling leadership backing when it comes to immigration, sadly enough. And they're using it by creating racial profiling. And that's one of the reasons that Brewer bill was gutted by the federal court.
What needs to happen, and this is a prime opportunity for the Democrats really to space it is instead of cowering to the Republicans, they have to come up with a comprehensive (ph) solution.
And in fact, the comprehensive immigration reform bill that was recently offered, that does exactly what you're saying, Chris. It's incredibly tough on undocumented individuals. They have to pay taxes. They have to get to the back of the line. They have to secure the border, more than anything. And more importantly, there's E-verify.
So, that means every single person in the United States—
MATTHEWS: I'm with you on that.
KUMAR: Right.
MATTHEWS: What's your view? You have a different view.
think we're oversimplifying.
MATTHEWS: But just to respond her. She says let's do something on verification, no more illegal hiring. Let's have some kind of border control. Let's let people become Americans if they're willing to pay the price and do it right.
What's your alternative?
AGUILAR: I think you made the point. We need to strengthen border security, but at the same time, we need a guest worker program. The root of the problem here—
MATTHEWS: Who's against that?
AGUILAR: The Democrats are.
MATTHEWS: What?
AGUILAR: Because they're controlled by the unions. The president of the AFL-CIO is going around the country saying that comprehensive—that you cannot have comprehensive immigration reform with a guest worker program. They're against it.
Obama, so far, has only mentioned employer sanctions and legalization. That's not comprehensive—without a guest worker program to facilitate the legal flow workers that our economy needs, we're not going to solve this problem.
And guess what? Only Republicans are mentioning a guest worker program. Carly Fiorina (INAUDIBLE) --
MATTHEWS: OK. That's part of the issue. Is—let me get back to you so you can respond—Maria.
KUMAR: I think, I mean, fundamentally, what the Republican Party, the only thing that you found with the 20 states that you mentioned that are introducing this tough on undocumented individuals is basically, you know, promoting racial profiling. Those are not solutions.
MATTHEWS: Why do—respond to what he said, though. Respond to what he said. Part of the solution is, to me, clean up the system, no more games. No more under illegality, no more under the table, no more cheap hiring and exploitation of labor. No more ethnic game-playing by the Democrats.
Let me ask you this: Are you for guest worker program as part of the solution or not? He said you're not?
KUMAR: No. I think, I mean, we have to have smart solutions. That's part of the legislation.
MATTHEWS: No, but you're not answering the question.
KUMAR: No, no, but I am, Chris. That's part of—that's actually one of the—that's part of the project—excuse me, part of the legislation that Schumer introduced was a guest worker program. Now, it's also talking about making sure that you're talking about E-verify.
KUMAR: No. Pardon?
AGUILAR: It's a commission.
MATTHEWS: It's a commission that does what?
AGUILAR: What they would create is a commission, another bureaucracy.
MATTHEWS: To do what?
AGUILAR: To determine how many people come in each year. In the Obama administration, he would appoint people with ties to the labor unions. Let the market determine how many people come in.
MATTHEWS: Who's going to help this election, Maria Teresa?
KUMAR: Right now, it's going to help the Republicans because the Latino vote right now doesn't see any leadership from either the Republicans or the Democrats.
MATTHEWS: OK. Thank you very much, Maria Teresa Kumar, as always.
Alfonso Aguilar, nice to meet you.
AGUILAR: Thank you.
MATTHEWS: When we return, I'm going to have some thoughts about the dire political future facing Democrats two months from today.
You're watching HARDBALL, only on MSNBC.
MATTHEWS: Let me finish tonight with a dire political future facing the Democrats two months from now. Here it is straight from the shoulder. No bedside manner, strictly HARDBALL.
It looks like the Republicans are going to win control of the U.S. government next January. If they win the House of Representatives, that's enough. They'll control tax policy, spending policy, overall fiscal policy, trade policy and they'll control the power of subpoena. They can push tax cuts up to the hilt and launch endless investigations of this administration.
Mr. Obama will still be president but the opposition will be controlling the headlines and what gets done. Except for foreign policy, where he'll keep control of things like the Mideast and the Afghanistan war, this transformative presidency will be pretty much stymied.
As I said, I'm giving it to you strictly HARDBALL—this is the way it looks. Even if the Republicans don't win the Senate with some smart people like the University of Virginia's Larry Sabato who think they could do.
Right now, the biggest danger the president's party faces is low or even bad morale. People who voted for him are disappointed by the bad economy, disillusioned with this surprisingly distant guy in the White House. They felt closer to him two years ago when they cheered and voted for him than they do now.
He's got two months to do something about it to salvage a rough result, from what clearly threatens to be a catastrophe—to save the Senate seats of progressives, Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray and Russ Feingold, to give candidates like Joe Sestak and Jack Conway and Alexei Giannoulias in his home state of Illinois a better chance, and maybe help bring in Harry Reid, as well.
Every one of these candidates could lose, bringing about a total Democratic calamity in the night of November 2nd. On the other hand, every one of these Senate candidates has a solid chance of winning.
The key is for the president to campaign to be the person he was from 2004 through 2008, the inspiring, hard-working, focused Democratic hero that he was. He needs to sell his connection as he did through all that time with the prospect of change. He's been working on change, creating jobs, doing health care, cleaning up Wall Street, working for a peaceful U.S. role abroad.
He's got to sell it—sell the fact that he, Barack Obama, not only gives a damn but has put together a tough effort to eventually turn our problems around. He's got to make the case that losing this November begins the job of killing everything he's began. He needs to use the presidency starting Labor Day to cut his losses and to set the terms for the next two years of political combat.
The Republicans—it's clear already—will use the coming two years to win back the White House. Their opposition, if it continues on course, will be mainly destructive.
That means the president needs to challenge the voters, his voters with some lethal questions: do you want wars on demand which will be the case if the hawks get back in power? An untamed gluttonous Wall Street, which will be the case if the happy deregulators get back in? A rising gap between the top and the middle which is certainly be the case if the Republicans get their tax policies securely in place.
And he better start now making that sound as terrible as it is. He better start cheerleading, he better start warning, he better start reminding—because the other side is counting on the opposite, the Democrats despairing, the right-wing voting, and independent voter forgetting.
That's HARDBALL for now. Thanks for being with us.
Right now, it's time for "THE ED SHOW" with Ed Schultz.
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text:
'When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me.' Galatians 1:15–16
Suggested Further Reading: 2 Timothy 2:23–26
Dr Gifford once went to see a woman in prison who had been a very gross offender. She was such a hardened reprobate, that the doctor began by discoursing with her about the judgments of God, and the punishments of hell, but she only laughed him to scorn, and called him opprobrious names. The doctor burst into tears, and said, 'And yet, poor soul, there is mercy for you, even for such as you are, though you have laughed in the face of him who would do you good. Christ is able to forgive you, bad though you are; and I hope that he will yet take you to dwell with him at his right hand.' In a moment the woman stopped her laughing, sat down quietly, burst into tears, and said, 'Don't talk to me in that way: I have always been told that I should be damned, and I made up my mind to be; I knew there was no chance, and so I have gone on from one sin to another: but if there is a hope of mercy for me, that is another thing: if there is a possibility of my being forgiven, that is another thing.' The doctor at once opened his Bible, and began to read to her these words, 'The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' The greatest brokenness of heart followed. In subsequent visits the doctor was gratified to find that she was brought to Christ; and though she had to undergo a sentence of transportation for many years at that time, yet in after days the godly man saw her walking honestly and uprightly as a believer in Jesus Christ. Sinner, I wish that thought would bring you to Christ!
For meditation: Those who win souls are wise (Proverbs 11:30) and must speak wisely to win souls. A soft answer is more likely to have the desired effect than harsh words (Proverbs 15:1). Jesus said 'Come unto me … and I will give you rest …; I am meek and lowly in heart' (Matthew 11:28–29). He died to enable sinners to come to God through him. Can you still harden your heart against him?
Sermon no. 656
21 August (Undated Sermon)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
First, let's back track a bit. The object recently discussed in A Planet of a Planet, 2009 YE7, evidently underwent great scrutiny as its orbital parameters, particularly absolute magnitude, now stands revised. As Mike Brown suggested based upon his observations of brightness, this body, while in the top fifty of size in the Kuiper Belt, no longer ranks in the top ten. While remaining notable by size and singular by origin – being one of the offspring of Haumea, this object may or may not claim dwarf planet status. That seems to depend upon who calls the defining shot. In my book, this is going to be an object to include. Though I've found no official confirmation of Mike Brown's speculation about this body's origin, recent changes seem to the data seem to suggest his theory is correct.
So, if you're thinking we dodged another dwarf planet bullet, you're incorrect. While I carefully watched daily posting for 2009 YE7, another dwarf planet slipped by my radar.
The Kuiper Body formerly known as 2007 UK126 received orbital refinement and an official small solar system body number: 229762. This highly inclined, moderately eccentric object stands out as a Scattered Disk Object. It ranges out to 108.5 Astronomical Units in space when most separated from the Sun, more than twice as far as Pluto's most-distant retreat from the Sun. It possesses an orbital period of 630.47 years, now passing by the 27th degree of Taurus.
Evidently people have been missing the messages of Sedna's north node in Leo and perihelion in Cancer. So we find this body reiterating those themes, and like Sedna, now travels through Taurus. While in different heliocentric degrees of those signs, 229762's node is 11 Leo 04 (heliocentric) and the perihelion is 27 Cancer 16 (again heliocentric). The urgency of self preservation and acquisition of primal life needs precedes a necessary unfoldment of the self that extricates itself from ego as to support soulful development.
Yesterday a client mentioned that it's too much "all about me" out there. From the material bonus demands of bank executives who think quite highly of the skill they applied to damn near crash the world economy to the "look at me, be my friend" pleas of users of social networking sites, my client's observation seems to be true.
The consciousness behind naming bodies more distant than Pluto encourages selecting a name that implies resurrection, recreation or creation. These bodies suggest what one can pursue as a lodestone cause and act as a lighthouse of consciousness development as they urge human evolution toward enlightenment. Does this mean that people can miss the message of these planets? Sure. Any person at any time can choose to explore less than ideal manifestations of a body. Still, the guideposts are there, offering support for those who chose to engage them.
Hmm. Here's a question: Is life more convoluted and difficult to untangle for those choosing to ignore the new planetary discoveries? Obviously that rhetorical shall require a few years to define as fact or fiction. No matter. I want to cast my vote in the never to be posted opinion poll that is exactly what happens.
Planets are pesky only when ignored or applied in a non-evolving manner. Sure all transits provide their surprise package of challenges. But if one works with the ongoing and expanding awareness of the solar system's contents, later when the impact of these bodies becomes accepted by status quo delineation, one may avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed by the shower of goodies from the great planetary piñata in the sky.


text:
Friday, March 5, 2010
The M.S. Conspiracy
A HoseMaster of Wine Pulp Fiction Classic
Chapter 13 After Dark, My Sweet
When you're a dick your head's the most sensitive part, and mine had been taking a beating ever since I'd started working on this case. I'd developed a ringing in my ears and it seemed like I'd developed double vision. Turned out it was just Veronica. She was standing at my office door just oozing sex. Great. Bad enough I had blood stains on my carpet. I hadn't seen cleavage like that since Robert Parker had been my plumber, a job he was good at. He'd snaked my toilet and replaced my old scale with a hundred point one. I'd seen more crack than a Nick Nolte Oscar party. I wonder whatever happened to that old sink jockey.
I had to shake the cobwebs from my head before I could talk to Veronica. I really needed to dust my office once in a while. I'd just hung up the phone with Avril Cadavril, who wanted me to return to the morgue. She could wait. Veronica was my client, and, aside from that, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was breathtaking, like sticking your head into a fermenting tank of sauvignon blanc. I so badly wanted to be the sugar to her yeast. But I'd already been converted to alcohol.
Veronica was staring down at the blood stain that Larry Anosmia, M.S. had left on my carpet. "What's this? Is that blood? Or did you dump Turley Zin on your carpet?"
"No, that's blood. But I did use the Turley to stain my Haynes." My head trauma was worse than I thought. "What is all this about Veronica? You hired me to just get you into the M.S. exam. Now two girls are dead, I'm a suspect in one of the cases, I've had my prostate examined without my consent, and somebody just got shot in my office. It's like I'm attending the Wine Bloggers Conference. Only they've all passed their prostate exams and become Certified Assholes. What's going on, Veronica? It's time you started telling me the truth."
"It's pretty complicated, HoseMaster, and the more I tell you the more dangerous it gets for you. This is much bigger than this cheap little jug-wine town of yours."
"Yeah, I know, take me to your liter."
"What my friends and I are on to is a threat to the very existence of the wine business, the kind of conspiracy that may end wine as we know it. But we've been unable to infiltrate the inner sanctum of the conspiracy, the very chambers where this horrible plot was hatched. But, believe me, HoseMaster, if you can't get me into that M.S. interview, if I can't get in front of those bastards and wave my bodacious Titratable Acidity-Titratable Acidities to pass their idiotic exams, the evil that is the M.S. program will fatally infect the wine business like the H1N1 Virus in a room full of asthmatics. These are evil people, HoseMaster, and they'll stop at nothing to accomplish their ultimate goal."
Veronica's chest was heaving with her excitement and anger. Her green eyes were ablaze; her passion had given her entire body a glow. I'd never seen a more beautiful woman, or a more dangerous one. And I'd met Karen MacNeil in a dark alley with a bottle of Fife.
"Veronica, my Gorgeous Girl, I'm not afraid of anybody with an M.S. It's just an imaginary title, like Certified Wine Educator, or Ph.D's that call themselves 'Doctor,' or Biggest Loser, which encompasses both. And it's going to be easier if you tell me what you know, if you trust me so that I can help you. I feel like I'm completely in the dark, uninformed, clueless, like I'm a wine judge at the California State Fair. And I'm a little tired of getting hit in the head every time I see a midget. Tell me what you know, Doll, or I'm done with this whole affair."
Tears were forming in Veronica's eyes, like she'd been pulling her own nose hairs. Sure, I was being rough on her, a woman who'd just recently seen two of her sisters murdered, but that's how I swing. I'd been thrown suddenly into a sinister conspiracy that had nothing to do with me any longer. I'd quit the wine business, used my old tastevin for an ashtray, sick of the hypocrites and sleazebags that append letters to the ends of their names like they're penile enhancements, and now Veronica had suckered me back into it. I didn't feel any obligation to help her, though I wouldn't mind riding my Sterling tram all the way up to her wine cave. But I wasn't about to risk my worthless life to help foil a conspiracy I wasn't even sure existed.
"OK, HoseMaster, I guess I have to trust you. What I'm going to tell you will sound crazy, unbelievable, but I swear it's all true."
And then the lights went out and we were pitched into total blackness.
13 comments:
- Samantha Dugan said...
Dude! How can you leave us hanging like that?! What evil are they conspiring? Are Veronica and HoseMaster gonna hook up? What does Avril want?!
- March 5, 2010 at 8:49 AM
- Marcia Macomber said...
My favorite lines: "I so badly wanted to be the sugar to her yeast. But I'd already been converted to alcohol." And "…I wouldn't mind riding my Sterling tram all the way up to her wine cave."
Such stunning prose! Such plot twists! What next???
- March 5, 2010 at 11:08 AM
Dude! How can you leave us hanging like that?! What evil are they conspiring? Are Veronica and HoseMaster gonna hook up? What does Avril want?!
Yes, those are my questions, and I am glad I asked them before someone else did.
- March 5, 2010 at 1:29 PM
Am I now required to address Mister Hosemaster as Dude?
HoseDude, how can you leave the literati (all four of us) hanging like that?
- March 5, 2010 at 3:45 PM
- Thomas said...
C'mon people. Hanging by a cliff is part of the genre.
Plus, the writer needs that time to figure what the hell he wanted to say next...
There are about three or four really great phrases and/or lines in this chapter.
- March 6, 2010 at 6:04 AM
<< There are about three or four really great phrases and/or lines in this chapter. >>
That's all? Pity the poor HMW. Slaving away for days in his dungeon and all he gets from Tom is "three or four good phrases".
Ron, he is wrong.
There were at least five.
- March 6, 2010 at 8:21 AM
- Ron Washam, HMW said...
Man, this is a tough crowd. Though I actually thought there was only one good line--the one when I was finished.
- March 6, 2010 at 8:26 AM
- Samantha Dugan said...
Tough but devoted, and I'm not just talking about that Pastis Puffer guy....
I might just be a sucker for private dicks but I dug the whole damn thing.
- March 6, 2010 at 8:38 AM
It may be a tough crowd, but it seems we all fit in one elevator again.
- March 6, 2010 at 8:49 AM
- Thomas said...
"a sucker for private dicks," great line--more than double the entendres.
- March 6, 2010 at 10:23 AM
Thomas...Sam sure has a mouth on her, don't she?
My darling Sam, I adore you. In fact, I also Amador you.
- March 6, 2010 at 1:39 PM
- Ron Washam, HMW said...
OK, no faux Washams, one of me is too many.
Yup, it's much quieter around here. Didn't take long. I'm a one-night blog stand.
- March 6, 2010 at 4:21 PM
- Thomas said...
Can you tell me which night, so I don't waste my time looking around?
- March 6, 2010 at 5:30 PM


text: I've been a programmer for 5 years but I stopped working and change my line of work. I haven't been programming for the last 10 years so I need to update my skills. I want to go back in programming but some people are discouraging me because they said its too late and its very competitive. I am 36 years old and wants to go back to school to learn java. Any comments? How is the java market for 2013? Can anybody recommend a good book in java?


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Cruise control: Secrets of a TV news anchor
On the NBC 29 news, Kristina Cruise appears unflappable. But newscasters aren't born knowing how to look natural in front of the camera, and Cruise has mastered some TV tricks of the trade.
For instance, where to point while reporting the weather in front of a blank green screen. (There are smaller screens to the side with the map– but she can't appear to be looking toward them.)
Or what to do if she has to "float a story–" TV lingo for when the story next on her script is dropped and she not only has to find another one further down but also find the right camera, all while she's on the air. (Pause, look down, take a breather, she suggests.)
Or the appropriate expression for delivering serious news without looking too stern– or too happy. ("You don't want to look grim," she advises.)
The motivation for mastering all these skills is very basic. "It's amazing what you'll do to not look stupid," she says.
Cruise came to Charlottesville from a tiny Tennessee station where she did it all: produced, reported, did weather, and anchored an hour-long local news show every day. And after working full time at the station, she'd work four more hours on a local shopping show to earn extra money.
NBC 29 hired her to do weekend weather in 2003. "I think a lot of reporters don't do weather," she says. "They're intimidated by the green screen."
Cruise took the noon and 5pm anchor job in September. Despite experience in radio, she didn't always have that "coming-up-on-news-at-6" anchor voice. "When I came here, [former news director] Dave Cupp told me I didn't have a good voice," she recalls– so she took voice lessons.
She debunks the popular belief that the camera adds 10 pounds. "I think it adds 20 pounds," declares Cruise, a size 4 with a tiny waist. A less-than-tactful viewer once told her she looked heavy doing the weather.
Cruise is pale– so pale she wears make-up about five shades darker than it should be, and she has lowlights put in her blonde hair so it isn't blinding on the air. "It's my Polish background," she says.
Her career path was set in the 8th grade when she visited a technology high school in her hometown in St. Petersburg, Florida, and the school had a news show. "That's when I thought 'That's what I want to do.'"
She auditioned for the anchor spot but didn't get it. "A friend said, 'Oh, sweetie, that's not for you,'" Cruise recalls. "I spent the next 12 years proving her wrong."
Cruise clears up one common misperception viewers have about people on TV: "They think we really care how we look," she says. "We don't. It's just part of our job. You see me in the grocery, you're not going to like what you see."
Requirements to look mah-velous aside, Cruise is serious about reporting good-news stories, and she won a Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Award last year for one of her features.
"I'm the luckiest person in the world," she proclaims. "I wake up and can't believe dreams can come true."
Age: What's your guess?
Why here? I read a book in college called How to be a TV Reporter. It named NBC 29 one of the best small-market stations in the country.
What's worst about living here? No beaches nearby (Lake Monticello doesn't count).
Favorite hangout? Vivace
Most overrated virtue? Courage
People would be surprised to know: If it were up to me, my hair would still be two feet long and perfectly straight.
What would you change about yourself? I would love to be a morning person and to feel great after five or six hours of sleep.
Proudest accomplishment? Being an anchor for NBC 29 News
People find most annoying about you: I am way too gullible.
Whom do you admire? Oprah Winfrey. She's an incredible woman and an unprecedented journalist.
Favorite book? The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, by Dr. Joseph Murphy
Subject that causes you to rant? How wasteful we have become as a society. How unappreciative we are of all that we have.
Biggest 21st-century thrill? Cheap plane tickets
Biggest 21st-century creep out? The way computers can be used to invade our privacy
What do you drive? Jeep Cherokee. Anybody want to trade for a hybrid?
In your car CD player right now: Etta James
Next journey? I would love to be a foreign correspondent and tell important human interest stories from faraway lands. The world is so much bigger than the United States.
Most trouble you've ever gotten in? The day I learned, "The mic is always hot!"
Regret: Worrying too much about little things that never matter in the end
Favorite comfort food: Fettuccine Alfredo
Always in your refrigerator: Condiments– every imaginable condiment
Must-see TV: The Daily Show
Favorite cartoon: Toss-up between Garfield and The Flintstones
Describe a perfect day. Sand, sun, and a margarita
Walter Mitty fantasy: To be a wildly famous soap opera star
Who'd play you in the movie? Nicole Kidman
Most embarrassing moment? Giggling in the middle of reading a funeral announcement on the air in Tennessee. The man's nickname was "Toot," and my co-anchor slipped it in the news copy at the last minute without telling me. He started laughing first, and it was all downhill from there. It was more than just embarrassing– it was publicly humiliating.
Best advice you ever got? If you can believe it, you can achieve it. Or my version of it: "Fake it till you make it."
Favorite bumper sticker? "Women are great leaders, and you are following one right now."
Kristina Cruise


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Weekly Pro Black Italic Font
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- Weekly Pro Black Italic Font
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- WeeklyWeekly
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- 502
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- Copyright (c) 2017 by Jorge Cisterna. All rights reserved.
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- Weekly: a slab serif that wants to be a sans. The font was created under the premise that it can be used as a sans: a fresh design without that retro feel typical of slab fonts. As a result, we developed an Egyptienne font—more simple compared to others of its kind, a feature that gives it its unique personality. Weekly was based on fonts with humanist proportions, such as 'Oficina' and 'Caecilia', both created in the '90s. Typefaces like these give designers the possibility to use them in books or magazines, in contrast to geometric slab fonts or early 20th century fat faces, which are mainly used for advertising or display text. Another feature that reminds us of humanist sans fonts is the small difference between x-height and cap-height. Some characters in Weekly like 'a' or 'g' lack serifs and some like 'c' or 's' have short serifs, giving it a semi-serif air. Weekly comes in both light and heavy weights. The heavier ones bear resemblance to Egyptienne slab serif typefaces with strong personality. These variants are ideal for use in posters and big, powerful headings.
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text: Publication "Lebensader. Die Felbertauernstraße damals und heute" Cover "Lebensader" On the 50th anniversary of the opening of the main road Felbertauern, a new book is edited on behalf of the Felbertauernstraße Inc. The book illustrates the long, but finally successful, struggle for this essential north-south connection in the alps. The route Mittersill-Matrei in East Tyrol, opened for the traffic on 25 June 1967, can truly be called as the 'vital line' for the district Lienz and Pinzgau in Salzburg. In addition to that, also the nearest districts Kitzbühel and Kufstein in North Tyrol as well as 'Spittal an der Drau' in Carinthia have been made accessible for tourists and others. Therefore, at this time – the motorways of Brenner and Tauern have not yet existed - the new road was said to have a 'European' dimension. read more Photos by Topics Economy Tradition Religion Politics Technology and Transportation History Culture Nature and Environment Work and Social Issues Contemporary History Leisure Sports Photo Stock Photos ofASSOCIATIONS Photos ofCOMPANIES PHOTOGRAPHERS Photos ofINSTITUTIONS Photos ofPRIVATE PERSONS PHOTO ART


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Simple question from an intrepid reader: "Who is Gisela Dulko and why have I never heard of her before? And by heard of, I mean seen — she just beat Sharapova in an almost happy tissue inducing match." I-Team, unite!
First, we'll start by answering reader Bill's question with another question: Where do you go when you want to do a cursory search of someone else's biography? Wikipedia, of course. And the first line of Dulkos' entry in itself is a gold mine. It's where we unearth Dulko's nickname: The Incredible Dulk. Couldn't have done it better myself.
We also learn that Dulko prefers doubles — she won three of the Grand Slams as a junior — and while she has struggled in professional singles, her three-set win over Sharapova in the second round at Wimbledon could be her coming out party.
Like Sharapova, The Incredible Dulk is the subject of gossip fodder — especially in Australia, even though she's from Argentina. The two press clips worth reading about the reason you won't see Maria Sharapova in all whites for another year:
Sunday Age, Melbourne, Australia
Whatever damage Lleyton Hewitt and Juan Ignacio Chela did to Australian- Argentine relations, the splendiferously lithe Gisela Dulko repaired with one smile at the Hopman Cup. Even the Fanatics were prepared to forgive and forget as Dulko laughed her way through the mixed doubles with Chela, and the crowd clapped heartily. Her boyfriend is Chilean Fernando Gonzalez - last year's popular Australian Open runner-up. The couple are popular in South America, too - at Christmas, Gonzalez and Dulka visited "Las Rosas", a community of 2500 elderly people in Santiago. "The elder people congratulated Fernando for the girlfriend he has," explains a Gonzalez fan website. "They gave him presents, poems and songs to congratulate him."
The Age, Melbourne, Australia
Dulko's appeal is raw; her name is the focus of more internet searches than her ranking of 51 might deserve, some finishing with links to her boyfriend, men's world No.15 Fernando Gonzalez, others to generic websites showing "pictures of the sexy women of sports".
Next up for Dulko in the ladies' draw is Nadia Petrova.
UPDATE: Turns out, the photo we originally used isn't Dulko. The new one is.


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April 2016
Our press releases focus on specific areas of interest to earth resource professionals and clients. Each is available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. If you don't already have Adobe's PDF reader, you can download it free.
Some issues may still be available in print. If you are interested please email a request for the specific issue(s) you are interested in.


text: VISITVisitor InformationDirectionsThronson CaféMuseum StorePublic ToursGroup ToursSchool VisitsNearby AttractionsEXHIBITIONSCurrent ExhibitionsUpcoming ExhibitionsPast ExhibitionsOutlooks Exhibition SeriesArt Is EverywhereCOLLECTIONSBritish Pre-RaphaelitesHoward PyleAmerican IllustrationJohn SloanAmerican Art, 19th Century – PresentCopeland Sculpture GardenThe Helen Farr Sloan Library and ArchivesNew AcquisitionsCurator CornerSearch The CollectionPROGRAMS & EVENTSCalendarAdult ProgramsTalks & ToursFamily and YouthArt CampConcerts on KentmereCalls for ArtisansConnected SeriesHoliday House TourEDUCATIONStudio Art ClassesSchool & Teacher ProgramsOutreach: Art ExcursionsHomeschool ProgramsDocentsKids' CornerRed Apple FundMEMBERSHIPWhy Membership MattersMembership LevelsDirectors CircleRossetti CircleArt Is CardReciprocal MuseumsSUPPORTAnnual GivingLegacy Giving1912 Loyalty SocietyDonor PortraitsCorporate SupportFinancial Documents2014 Annual ReportABOUTCentennial HistoryBuilding DesignGoing GreenDelArt BlogE-NewsMuseum RentalPress RoomOpportunitiesVolunteerContact UsStaff ListBoard Of TrusteesMuseum CouncilFirstPrevious12..678910111213NextLast © Estate of Joe Moss Orifice IIDate: 1983Artist: Joe Moss, American sculptor, 1933–2018Medium: Painted steelDimensions: 112 × 129 3/4 × 27 in. (284.5 × 329.6 × 68.6 cm)Credit Line: Purchased with funds provided by a grant from the Longwood and Crystal Foundations, 1983Object Number: 1983-30About: A professor of art at the University of Delaware for close to thirty years, Joe Moss is internationally known for his sound sculpture. Moss references the simple, industrial, geometric forms of minimalist sculpture of the 1960s and incorporates the element of sound through the engineering of sound-reflecting arcs and angles. The results, such as Orifice II, are large scale, interactive, outdoor sculptures that invite visual and acoustic participation.Permalink to this object: http://emuseum.delart.org:8080/emuseum/view/objects/asitem/items$0040:5673


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Alpine PhotoTile for Tumblr
Proposed Features
Below are a number of features that have been suggested and will be implemented as soon as I find the time to do so.
- Add titles and captions
- Thumbnail pagination
The Alpine PhotoTile for Tumblr is capable of retrieving photos from a particular Tumblr user, custom Tumblr URL, or tag. The photos can be linked to the your Tumblr page, a specific URL, or to a Lightbox slideshow. Also, the Shortcode Generator makes it easy to insert the widget into posts without learning any of the code. This lightweight but powerful widget takes advantage of WordPress's built in JQuery scripts to create a sleek presentation that I hope you will like.
- Display Tumblr images in a sidebar, post, or page
- Multiple styles to allow for customization
- Lighbox feature for interactive slideshow (Fancybox, prettyBox, or ColorBox)
- Simple instructions
- Widget & shortcode options
- Feed caching/storage for improved page loading
Style and Demos
Below is an example of the plugin in action using the Cascade style and the Fancybox option (click an image and the Fancybox slideshow will appear).
[alpine-phototile-for-tumblr src="user" uid="kylinuntitled" dl="1″ dltext="Kylin Untitled" imgl="fancybox" size="240″ style="cascade" col="3″ num="9″ shadow="1″ border="1″ highlight="1″ curve="1″ align="center" max="60″]
The PhotoTile plugin includes 8 display styles: Vertical, Windows, Bookshelf, Rift, Floor, Wall, Cascade, and Gallery. (Click the links to preview the styles)
Quick Start Guide
- After installing the plugin on your WordPress site, make sure it is activated by logging into your admin area and going to Plugins in the left menu.
- To add the plugin to a sidebar, go to Appearance->Widgets in the left menu.
- Find the rectangle labeled Alpine PhotoTile for Tumblr. Click and drag the rectangle to one of the sidebar containers on the right.
- Once you drop the rectangle in a sidebar area, it should open to reveal a menu of options. The only required information for the plugin to work is a Tumblr ID. Enter this ID and click save in the right bottom corner of the menu.
- Open another page/window in your web browser and navigate to your WordPress site to see how the sidebar looks with the Alpine PhotoTile for Tumblr included.
- Play around with the various styles and options to find what works best for your site.
Additional Features
Since version 1.0.1, the PhotoTile plugin has included a simple caching function that will store the results of a Tumblr feed for 3 hours. This function offers a significant performance boost as only one visitor will experience the short load delay caused by fetching and parsing a Tumblr feed.
The cache time can be edited by going to the plugin's settings page, located at Settings->AlpineTile: Tumblr->Plugin Settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm getting the message "Tumblr feed was successfully retrieved, but no photos found". What does that mean?
This message simply means that while no distinguishable errors occurred, the plugin found your feed to be empty.
I'm getting the message "Tumblr feed not found. Please recheck your ID". What does that mean?
This message can mean two things. First, it can indicate that the username or custom url were input incorrectly, causing the feed to fail. In this case, you should try to correct and re-save your IDs.
Second, this message can also mean that the server your WordPress site is being hosted on has prevented the feed from being retrieved. While it is rare, we have encountered web-hosts that disable the feed fetching functions used in the PhotoTile plugin. If this is the case, there is nothing we can do to override or work around the settings on your host server.
Can I insert the plugin in posts or pages? Is there a shortcode function?
Yes, you can display photos in posts or pages using what is called a shortcode. Rather than explaining how to setup the shortcode, I have created a method of generating the shortcode. Check out the Shortcode Generator on the plugin's settings page (Settings->AlpineTile: Tumblr->Shortcode Generator).
Can I insert the plugin anywhere on a page using PHP code?
Yes, using a shortcode and the WordPress function do_shortcode(), you can place the plugin anywhere on your WordPress website. The code should look something like this:
Why doesn't the widget show my most recent photos?
The plugin caches or stores the Tumblr feed for three hours (see Caching above). If the new photos have still not appeared after this time, it is possible that Tumblr is responsible for the delay.
How many photos can I show?
As of version 1.2.0, up to 100 photos can be retrieved and displayed.
Why does it take so long for the plugin to load?
The Apline PhotoTile plugin actually takes less than a second to load. The reason you may see the loading icon for several seconds is because the plugin is programmed to wait until all the images and the rest of the webpage are done loading before displaying anything. The intent is for the plugin to avoid slowing down your website by waiting patiently for everything else to finish loading. If you are still looking to speed up your website's loading time, selecting smaller photo sizes should always help.
Can I put captions below the photos?
No, I have not yet found a good way to add captions to the images, but I am working on it.
The plugin works in display mode but when I put the shortcode in my page, nothing happens and there is no error message. What's wrong?
A number of users have reported this problem and unfortunately I am not sure exactly what is going wrong. However, one simple fix has been to go to the plugin's settings page (Settings->AlpineTile: Tumblr->Plugin Settings) and put a check next to the option "Always Load Styles and Scripts in Header".


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Further Information
UWA Central Phone Number
+61 8 6488 6000
Call Prefixes
International (+61 8)
Interstate (08)
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway
Perth WA 6009
Staff Updates / Corrections
MBDP Updates / Corrections
Log on to ESS and update under Employment details
Student Updates / Corrections
Obtaining information from this Directory must be for the legitimate purposes of doing business with and within The University of Western Australia, and must not be used for unsolicited bulk emailing (spamming) or similar purposes.
The directory entry you attempted to view does not exist. It may have been deleted or moved recently. You may wish to visit the directory search page


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Army 2nd Lt. K. Brooke Baxter graduated from the Army Medical Officer Basic Leadership Course at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas earlier this year.
The course is designed to train Medical Corps officers to be competent in and knowledgeable of the Army Care System, Army doctrine, and basic officer-soldier leadership skills; have an understanding of Army organizations, operations, and procedures; possess an ability to apply the concepts of health protection for soldiers and their families; have the ability to communicate, interact and coordinate as a staff member; and orientation in military survival skills for the contemporary operating environment.
After graduating from the course, the active-duty, National Guard or Reserve medical officers report to their current member units or new duty assignments, or return to their graduate medical studies.
She is the daughter of retired U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Harry T. and Jeanne M. Baxter of Estrellita Drive, Fort Myers Beach.
Baxter received a bachelor's degree in the year 2000 from the University of Florida, Gainesville, and earned a master's degree in 2002 from Tulane University, New Orleans, La.


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Benzoyl Peroxide or Salicylic Acid: Which Is Better For Acne
Benzoyl Peroxide vs. Salicylic Acid: Which One Is Better For You?
Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are both excellent acne fighters, and definitely the most affordable treatments on the market. Almost any drugstore acne treatment is going to have one or the other. But it's impossible to tell from the bottle which product is going to help clear up your specific acne. If you end up with the wrong one, it can actually make things worse. To help you determine which product you actually need, I've put together a quick comparison. Ready to know which one you need once and for all? Then just keep reading.
Benzoyl peroxide
When you use benzoyl peroxide, what you're actually getting is benzoic acid and oxygen, because the product breaks down on contact with your skin. The oxygen helps kill P. acnes, the bacteria that contributes to acne. Benzoic acid causes skin to peel and dry, exfoliating out the plugs of dead skin and sebum that inflame follicles, causing bumps. Benzoyl is sold in concentrations up to 10 percent, but studies show that concentrations of 2.5 percent are just as effective and much less irritating than stronger ones, so that's what I'd recommend you use.
Benzoyl is a powerful product that can penetrate pores deeply, but it can also be very drying. If the spots you're seeing are deep under the skin, red, and/or pus-filled, benzoyl is probably a safe bet because you need both bacteria killing and deep-down exfoliation. Neutrogena On-the-Spot ($7) is one of the most popular benzoyl treatments, and the Proactiv system is also benzoyl-based. If you've got sensitive skin and light acne, though, think twice before you pick this one up because you can actually exacerbate the problems you're having if you over-apply.
Salicylic acid
For the sensitive type and people plagued by blackheads, salicylic can be a life saver. Salicylic acid, like benzoic acid, is a good peeling agent, though it's gentler and lacks the oxygen to help kill acne bacteria.
If you have lots of blackheads and spots but no deep, closed comedones, salicylic is the best choice for you. Clean & Clear's treatment ($8) is mostly salicylic acid-based, as are the Oxy pads ($7) you see everywhere. Salicylic won't be as sensitizing and is less likely to dry you out. Again, don't overuse it — doing too much actually makes things much worse.


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Elizabeth Smart testified in federal court today in Salt Lake City against her troubled abuser Brian David Mitchell, who she alleges raped her daily during nine months of captivity in 2002.
Smart, now 21, delivered a "courageous" testimony against Mitchell, describing how he manipulated religion as an excuse to rape her and threatened to kill her if she tried to escape. The shocking revelations came during a competency hearing for Mitchell who has twice been found to be incompetent for trial in state court.
Smart testified that when she resisted, Mitchell would tell her, "The Lord says you have to do this, you have to experience the lowest form of humanity to experience the highest," the Los Angeles Times reported.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Mitchell, a self-proclaimed religious prophet, refused to stop singing Mormon hymns during the trial and was removed from court. In testimony, Smart said Mitchell could turn off his religious rants if he could get what he wanted. She also described him as "evil, wicked, manipulative, sneaky, slimy, selfish, greedy," according to the Los Angeles Times.
Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee allegedly abducted Smart when she was 14 from her bedroom and chained her leg to a tree. The couple held Smart prisoner at a campsite in a remote canyon in the mountains behind her parents home, prosecutors alleged.
According to the Associated Press, Smart said Mitchell fed her alcohol and drugs to reduce her resistence to his unwanted advances.
"He said that he would kill anybody that would come into the camp, or kill me if I ever tried to escape or yell out," Smart testified.
Deputy federal public defender Bob Stelle told the Los Angeles Times that he was impressed by Smart's testimony. "She was courageous and very generous," he said. "You can't hear that kind of thing without being appalled."
Mitchell and Barzee were arrested in 2003 after being spotted with Smart on a Salt Lake City street.


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He cooks for me often. Check out these recent meals:
Shrimp and spaghetti with a white wine, garlic and butter sauce and garden-fresh corn on the cob
Chicken with herbs and a lemon sauce, Spanish rice and garden-fresh squash with cinnamon
Chicken, rice, beans and spinach with salt and pepper
Categories: Cooking, delicious, Food, Good news Tags: angel hair, beans, chicken, cooks, corn, fiance, shrimp, Spanish rice, spinach, squash Comments: Be the first to comment
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Current Issue: No Memory Boost with Hormone Therapy
Researchers found that using estrogen after menopause did not improve memory. It did not matter when women took the estrogen or for how long.
Back Issues
Many Fertility Apps and Sites Not Accurate
If you're trying to get pregnant, that app on your phone might not be the best for showing your most fertile days.
Anxiety and Heart Disease: Women Take Note
Women with an anxiety disorder may have symptoms that mask heart disease.
Potatoes and Pregnancy: Risk for Diabetes?
Eating potatoes before getting pregnant may make it more likely for you to develop gestational diabetes. This form of diabetes occurs during pregnancy.
Antibiotics Not Needed for UTIs?
If you have a UTI, it's important to see your doctor. He or she can best decide if you need to take antibiotics.
High Heels: Fashion Footwear or Safety Hazard?
High-heeled shoes are a fashion staple for many women. But they may not be the safest footwear to step out in, according to a recent study.
Is It Safe to Buy Breast Milk Online?
Breast milk is best for babies. But not all mothers may make enough milk or be able to breastfeed their child. These women may turn to the internet to buy breast milk. A recent study found that may not be the safest option.
More Women Are Using Hormone Therapy
A woman's body goes through many changes during menopause. Changing hormone levels can cause problems such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and night sweats. A recent study suggests more women may be trying bioidentical hormones to ease these symptoms. But they may not know exactly what they are taking.
Should You Have a Hysterectomy?
Maybe you have constant pelvic pain. Or you suffer from heavy bleeding from the uterus. For these symptoms and others, a hysterectomy may help. But this major surgery isn't without risks. What's more, many women who have a hysterectomy may not need one, suggests a recent finding.
You Don't Have to Live with a Leaky Bladder
It might happen when you sneeze—or maybe when you exercise. It might happen so fast you aren't able to make it to the bathroom. Living with a leaky bladder—or urinary incontinence—can be frustrating at the very least. The American College of Physicians (ACP) recently looked at some of the best ways—other than surgery—to help women with this condition.
Protect You and Your Baby This Flu Season
The flu can be a serious illness. That's especially true for mothers-to-be. Pregnant women are more likely to end up in the hospital because of the flu. It can cause problems for both mother and baby. As a result, health experts urge all pregnant women to get a flu shot.
Aspirin and Ovarian Cancer: A Possible Pill for Prevention?
Aspirin can help with a number of health problems. It can relieve pain. It can lower a fever. It can even prevent a heart attack or stroke. More recently, scientists have found another possible benefit. It may help stop ovarian cancer.