text:
January 13, 2014
Guests: Louis Greenwald, Jan Schakowsky, Brad Woodhouse, Michael Eric Dyson, Larry Cohen
ED SCHULTZ, MSNBC HOST: Good evening Americans and welcome to the Ed Show
live from Washington D.C. Let`s get to work.
JOHN WISNIEWSKI, (D) NEW JERSEY GENERAL ASSEMBLYMAN: Using the George
Washington Bridge, a public resource to exact the political vendetta, is a
REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Not one
single link to Chris Christie has been found.
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) NEW JERSEY: I was blindsided.
ELIJAH CUMMINGS, (D) MARYLAND: It`s hard for me to believe that he was
blindsided by anything.
CHRISTIE: I was blindsided in that circle of trust.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re starting our own circle of trust. And guess
what? You`re not in it.
WISNIEWSKI: Having people use their official position to have a political
gain as a crime.
CHRISTIE: All I know is, I don`t know.
WISNIEWSKI: And so if those tieback into the governor in any way it
clearly becomes an impeachable offense.
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: It turns out that there`s some
evidence that he knew about it. He`s taken the complete risk and his
political career is over.
PRIEBUS: Look, everyone is fallible. The real question is what do you do
when mistakes happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He took the bull by the horns.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t mess with the bullet, young man. You`ll get the
CHRISTIE: Guys, we don`t work that way.
PRIEBUS: We`ve got a real smart person in Chris Christie.
SCHULTZ: Good to have you with us tonight, folks. Thanks for watching.
After years of pretty good public opinion, the tables are starting to turn
on New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
A new investigation reveals he may have misused Hurricane Sandy relief
We`re going to be bringing the up to date on all of those details in just a
moment. But first, the Bridgegate scandal is still heating up with new
It looks like Chris Christie`s vengeful style of politics is coming back to
haunt him.
There`s no doubt Christie`s aides were responsible for the Fort Lee traffic
jam. The only questions remaining, was Christie responsible and did he
know what his aides were up to?
New Jersey Democrats think Christie knew what was going on. They`re not
buying his press conference last week.
Here`s what State Assemblyman John Wisniewski had to say. He`s the
Democrat leading the state level Bridgegate investigation.
WISNIEWSKI: This was in the midst of his reelection campaign.
Any governor running for reelection is going to want to know about problems
that come up. But these people got an e-mail from the executive director
of the Port Authority saying that laws were broken. His chief council
knew, his deputy chief of staff knew, his incoming chief of staff knew.
It`s a strange credibility that they didn`t look at those documents and
say, "We ought to let him know about it."
SCHULTZ: In the arena of fairness that has to be pointed out there is
currently no direct evidence linking the governor to the lane closures.
But Wisniewski went on to say, "It`s unbelievable the governor didn`t
WISNIEWSKI: Bridget Kelly who sent the e-mail, his deputy chief of staff
on August 13 to close the lanes down. She spent the rest of the day with
the governor at the fire scene at the Seaside Boardwalk.
And so, again, you know, this senior aide who was with him that day, who
sent the order never once communicated with him? It`s unbelievable.
SCHULTZ: Wisniewski also made clear that a crime had been committed by the
governor`s office.
WISNIEWSKI: When you use the George Washington Bridge for what the e-mail
show to be a political payback, that amounts to using public property for a
private purpose or for a political purpose and that`s not legal and so that
constitutes a crime.
SCHULTZ: With crimes comes punishment.
Wisniewski said, "If Christie was involved, impeachment is on the table."
WISNIEWSKI: If it becomes known that the governor was involved and he knew
about it that raises serious questions that the assembly ought to look at.
The assembly has the ability to do articles of impeachment. We`re way
ahead of that though.
SCHULTZ: Well, none of this conversation was going on on Friday. It`s
taken the Democrats and political opponents a little time to get to this
Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings also weighed in on Bridgegate on
Christie is currently facing two investigations.
On Sunday, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee said he
could be facing a third.
CUMMINGS: When I look at Christie`s style and I don`t know him. I can`t -
- it`s hard for me to believe that he was blindsided by anything because he
doesn`t come off that way.
Again, I think we need to wait and see that maybe a point where we have to
look into it, but nobody is above the law. And so we`ll look into it if it
comes to us.
SCHULTZ: The pressure is piling on the governor of New Jersey.
There is something else we need to point out tonight and I think this is a
big part of the story.
A few weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal reported not a whole lot of people
picked up on it that Christie phoned the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
According to the report, Christie asked Governor Cuomo to ask his guy
Patrick Foye to back off his investigation of Bridgegate.
Now, there is a reason Christie did this by personal phone call and off the
record as I see it. I think the governor knew that he was in trouble and
that where troubled water`s ahead. I think Governor Christie called Cuomo
to put out a fire before it got out of hand.
Now, does it make sense to watch the governor last Thursday give his press
conference and do such what people are calling such a remarkable
presentation that he didn`t know anything about it and he was blindsided by
He couldn`t have been blindsided by it because he had placed a very serious
phone call to the Governor of New York to ask his representative on the
Port Authority, "Hey, you know, can you get your guy to back off?"
Meanwhile, Christie is facing yet another investigation over possible
misuse of Hurricane Sandy relief funds.
Federal auditors are telling Congressional members that they are
investigating whether Christie improperly used $25 million in disaster
relief to fund a tourism campaign.
Governor Christie and his family are featured in the ads. It just so
happens the ad started airing as Christie was gearing up for his 2013
reelection bid. Take a look.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Jersey Shore is open.
CHRISTIE: The word is spreading because we`re stronger than the storm.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You bet we are.
SCHULTZ: It sure looks like a campaign commercial to me.
Here`s another kicker. In August, the Asbury Park Press reported, "New
Jersey paid $4.7 million to produce the commercials. This was $2 million
over what the next highest bidder have sought."
Now, I`d like to see Christie explain those numbers to the people of New
Jersey who haven`t received their relief money as of yet from Storm Sandy.
New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone prompted the Sandy funds
investigation. He thinks the funds were misused saying, "This was money
that could have been directly been used for Sandy recovery. And as you
know, many of my constituents still haven`t gotten the money that is owed
to them to rebuild their homes or raise their homes or to help."
Now, Christie has gone from Republican hero to Republican zero here. And I
say zero because the tough guy is catching up with the guy.
The governor is now facing one state level investigation and two federal
investigations. And I also find it very interesting that there are people
like Rudy Giuliani, and Karl Rove, and Reince Priebus. Not people who I
think register very high on the truth meter.
These are the people that are coming out defending Chris Christie? Where
are the other elected New Jersey Republicans? Where are the politicians
who have got some skin in the game? Why aren`t New Jersey Republicans
stepping out and saying, "That was a fantastic press conference, it was 100
percent true, we support this guy 100 percent. He didn`t know anything and
we believe him."
I don`t hear any of that from elected officials in New Jersey.
Get your cell phones out. I want to know what you think tonight`s
question, "Do you believe Chris Christie is telling the truth?" Text A for
Yes, text B for No to 67622. You can always go to our blog at
ed.msnbc.com. We`ll you the results later on in the show.
For more, let me bring in New Jersey Assemblyman Louis Greenwald. Mr.
Greenwald who serves as the Democratic Majority Leader. Mr. Greenwald,
good to have you with us tonight. I appreciate your time.
I want you to pick up on the point that I just made. And maybe I`m wrong,
maybe they`re out there supporting Governor Christie in a very vocal
manner, and I just didn`t happen to catch it. I don`t think that`s the
Where`s the Republican support? With politicians who have got skin in the
game that have to face the public. Why aren`t they standing with the
governor vocally?
LOUIS GREENWALD, (D) NEW JERSEY STATE ASSEMBLYMAN: Ed, that`s a great
question. They`ve been very silent on this issue up until this point.
I will tell you that when we had the committee hearing last week, they did
vote to hold the witnesses in contempt took the fifth amendment from the
DRPA. And we`ll -- it`ll be very telling come Thursday in New Jersey, our
legislature reorganizes that of the elections from November an entire new
legislature that just won election will be sworn in tomorrow.
On Thursday, we are having a special session to form this special committee
to continue the investigation and to continue the subpoena power under our
chairman, Chairman Wisniewski. It`ll be very interesting to see whether
Republicans are on that vote.
SCHULTZ: Do you think Governor Christie is telling the truth?
GREENWALD: You know, Ed, I`ll tell you I`ve worked for the governor for
the last four years and in his time, prior to that in the US attorney`s
office, I have to take him at his word.
But I will tell you, as I learned from the governor when I watched him as a
US attorney, we will follow this evidence wherever it goes. The governor
himself, after interviewing his senior staff thought that he himself is
going to hold his own internal investigation. As an executive, I think
that`s the right decision to make.
But he clearly has questions. We have questions. And the truth of the
matter is, the one thing that is indisputable, there is no one who seems to
believe that Bridget Kelly ordered the lane closures herself, that she
would have that authority or make that decision on her own.
SCHULTZ: What`s your response to the story that Governor Christie called
Governor Cuomo to ask to ask him in a personal phone call with no paper
trail in the culture of this whole Bridgegate? There`s a bunch of e-mails
flying back in, where there`s over 2,000 documents here that are related to
this. Yet there`s no paper trail to a communication to the governor but
there`s a personal phone call where as Governor Christie was very -- doing
I think a pretty adorable sell job in his press conference that he didn`t
have anything to do with it.
He`s just, you know, blindsided by all of this. Yet it was on his radar
screen enough to call someone from the Democratic side of the ledger and
unequal to him to ask him for help to back off and again, he`s got to back
off in an investigation. Don`t you think that that`s a rather important
piece of information?
GREENWALD: Well, Ed, it raises a red flag. What`s so distressing about
this in itself is that I`m hearing about this as I`m listening to your show
and to lead in to this interview.
But again, the governor made a statement last week that the first he had
heard of this was at 8:50 before his press conference. What I have asked
for and I think what we are asking for is members of this committee and
following through with the legislative investigation is that those e-mails
that you just referenced be turned over without the redactions.
And the governor has preached transparency. We should see those documents
at their cleanest form.
The one thing we know, Ed, is that this process is going to be a very much
methodical and systematic approach. I don`t think the answer at this point
as much as we would all like to go the last chapter and see how the story
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
GREENWALD: I think we really need to see what was the root of this? The
one thing we know certainly, there was an abuse of power, how deep did it
go, who was involved, and who knew will only come across as this
investigation takes its proper form and it`s going to take a tremendous
amount of patience on everyone`s part.
SCHULTZ: We`ll the governor said in his press conference last week that he
was given a full briefing by his staff. Now, I would take that to be
plural, more than one person in the room if it is staff. And I`d be
interested to know as far as that full briefing is concerned in
relationship to the phone call to Governor Cuomo try to cool the jets and
cool the heels on everybody working on that side of the river when it comes
to the Port authority.
On the other issue of potential misuse of disaster relief funds, do you
think Governor Christie is out of bounce being involved in these
commercials, these funds for the, you know, the stronger -- they were
supposed to be used for the storm yet they were used for a tourism
campaign. What`s your response to that?
GREENWALD: Ed, you know, I know how close you are physically to New
Jersey. And you know very well as hopefully your viewers do that the
Jersey Shore is a treasure for us and it`s a backbone of our tourism
economy. It`s a .
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
GREENWALD: . $40 billion industry for the state of New Jersey.
So these commercials were critically important. The question is whether or
not the governor needs to participate in them to show that New Jersey was
open for business or not.
Clearly in the past, Republican members have criticized Democrats being in
commercials and saying that it wasn`t appropriate, that it was a misuse of
public dollars. Again, that was a different legislature in a different
Reality is, you know, people are going to look at this. I think again,
what`s interesting here is that there was a federal inquiry into whether or
not this was appropriate long before any of us knew about Bridgegate.
That inquiry is now turned into an investigation as to whether or not those
dollars were spent wisely. What is troubling to us as elected leaders is
that we have families and businesses that even after going through the
first season of tourism and vacationing, still are not back in their homes,
businesses that are still not up. And, you know, what`s more important
than a commercial talking about how strong New Jersey is the strength of
that industry, and the strength of the rebuilding of that tourism trade .
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
GREENWALD: . to make sure that as we come in a yet another budget cycle,
we`re fiscally and financially healthy.
SCHULTZ: And there were some questions about who exactly won the bid and
how the more expensive bid was taken. Were you aware of that?
GREENWALD: You know, Ed, we had heard rumors that there was a bidder that
was less than the previous bidder. But again, this is a federal
investigation that we are not ...
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
GREENWALD: . involved in right now started long before this.
But in any bid like this, in any state bid, we`ve reformed so much of New
Jersey`s contract in bidding malls (ph).
The reality is that there -- this should be more than just a request for a
proposal of contracting fees and going to the lowest bidder. It could also
be about who is the most qualified to do the work. But it is a reasonable
and legitimate question to ask how a bid could be selected that was almost
twice as much. And it should be more than just that one bid was going to
include the governor and another bid was not.
SCHULTZ: All right. Louis Greenwald who is the Democratic Majority Leader
-- assembly leader, I appreciate your time tonight on the Ed Show, sir.
Thanks so much for joining us.
Remember to answer tonight`s question there at the bottom of the screen.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @EdShow and on Facebook. We always
want to know what you have to think.
Coming up, West Virginia left out of the dry. We`ll give you an update on
the water use ban that`s taken place in that nine county state. And also,
Conservative`s stall tactics in the extension of unemployment benefits, 1.3
million people are still counting on this but no action yet.
SCHULTZ: Time now for the Trenders. The Ed Sow`s social media nation has
decided and we are reporting.
Here are today`s top Trenders voted on by you.
SCHULTZ: The number three Trender, going for the gold.
TINA FEY, ACTRESS: We are hosting the Golden Globes for our second time
because this is Hollywood and it`s something kind of work. So just keep
doing it until everybody hates it.
SCHULTZ: Amy Poehler and Tina Fey shine at the Golden Globes.
FEY: "Gravity" is nominated for best film. It`s the story of how George
Clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more
minute with a woman his own age.
AMY POEHLER, ACTRESS: A lot of nominated shows tonight are on, actually on
Netflix this year. Enjoy it while it last, Netflix, because you`re not
going to be feeling so smug in a couple of years when Snapchat is up here
accepting best drama.
FEY: Thank you everyone. This is a beautiful night as we hope it would
be. And I got to make out with Bono.
SCHULTZ: The number two Trender, tapped out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a crisis after a big chemical leak .
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s an industrial chemical.
UNIDENTIFEID MALE: No access to clean tap water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some families are struggling to feed and bathe their
young kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m using bottled water for everything.
SCHULTZ: West Virginians continue to suffer from water woes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We see life at the end of the tunnel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Test results have come back positive. The team has
recommended that they do not use .
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: West Virginia American water will begin giving the
green light in zones.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We can hold up. We`re mountaineers all the way.
SCHULTZ: And today`s top Trender, on the line.
Three million Americans who stopped receiving their unemployment benefits
two weeks ago, the clock is ticking. The cost of living in this country,
it isn`t cheap.
$1,200 doesn`t go very far. Without these essentials, job hunting is
almost impossible.
Congress stalls on renewing unemployment insurance. John Boehner is a
major obstacle right now in the unemployment extension after 55 percent of
Americans say that they want an unemployment extension.
If Congress doesn`t act, the White House is saying that their estimates
show that 4.9 million Americans could be losing their benefits by the end
of 2014.
The Republicans are on defense. They can`t fake empathy.
SCHULTZ: And Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Chicago joins us tonight here
on the Ed Show.
Congresswoman, thanks so much.
REP. JAN SCHAKOWSKY, (D) ILLINOIS: I`m so happy to be right with you, Ed.
SCHULTZ: Well, thank you very much.
I`m here to talk about this issue with other members of Congress and also
the TPP so that`s what brings me to Washington to get the skinny on exactly
what is going on.
This does not look good. I mean, I think, looking at the possibility of
unemployment extension from 1.3 million Americans, I`d have to say, it
doesn`t look good right. Do you see it differently?
SCHAKOWSKY: First of all, it`s now more than 1.3 million. Every week,
72,000 more people join those ranks. I think it`s closer to 1.5 million
now and growing.
I don`t get it. I don`t think that it looks great but I think that we have
to be tough. You know, we`re supposed to go on recess back in the district
next week. Can you imagine just leaving those people hanging again? Well,
Congress people leave Washington again?
SCHULTZ: Well, as it looks right now, that looks pretty when challenge
it`s going to happen, I mean that the Republicans are not going to move on
this unless they get something.
And so, you`ll be left with nothing. The budget deal has been done. The
next big thing, it`s going to be the debt-ceiling. In their world, they
don`t even have it on their agenda for January to do anything about
extending unemployment benefits.
So are the Democrats collectively ready to go somewhere to get some
SCHAKOWSKY: Well, all week, first of all, we`re going to be saying we can
not leave without this, without getting this done. I mean there`s going to
be a really big push.
SCHULTZ: But are you willing to find the offsets?
SCHAKOWSKY: Well, you know what John Boehner wants. He keeps moving the
goal post. It`s not just offsets where how we`re going to pay for this
which by the way, 14 of the 17 times that unemployment insurance benefits
have been extended .
SCHULTZ: Yeah.
SCHAKOWSKY: .there`s been no pay for whatsoever. But he wants the
keystone pipeline now as the jobs program to be added on. So every time
there is some sort of an agreement, John Boehner wants more.
SCHULTZ: So are you saying that the keystone pipeline, the XL pipeline is
going to be part of the unemployment extension benefit?
SCHAKOWSKY: That`s what I`ve heard
SCHULTZ: That`s what the latest that they`re talking about now?
SCHAKOWSKY: That this -- this is a jobs program .
SCHULTZ: And that`s nonstarter for you or .
SCHAKOWSKY: . that he would want, Ed, and yes it`s a nonstarter for me.
Namely, because this is just the coolest, meanest, and stupidest thing
because you know that when unemployment benefits aren`t extended, that
causes more unemployment, as much as 250,000 jobs can be lost, because
people don`t have the money to go out and spend.
SCHULTZ: Well, if those numbers are right and I`ve heard that and a number
of economists have said that. If that`s the case, then how do we know the
Republicans aren`t trying to ditch the economy coming in before the
We`ve had 46 months in private sector job growth. Maybe that`s just too
good for them. Are they .
SCHAKOWSKY: I think the cynicism, if that were really an agenda, I think
this ideological feeling that the poor and middle class people can be
demonized if they`re not working.
I`ve never seen that before.
SCHULTZ: So w -- on Friday on this program, we put out the rent, you know,
the electrical bill, the heating bill, all the essentials to get a job.
What should the Republicans say, what are these people suppose to do now?
What are these Americans, these workers who were out of job, what are they
supposed to do?
SCHAKOWSKY: I think they think that if they really wanted a job, despite
the fact that there are three people looking for every job that they would
get off their lazy bumps and go out and find one.
I don`t know. I mean, do they not see those people lining up at food
pantries, lining up at unemployment offices, I guess, they just don`t see
those people in their own district.
SCHULTZ: Paul Ryan says the government can`t do it. The government can
only go so far. He says that this has to be solved in communities, one
person at a time. What`s your response to that?
SCHAKOWSKY: I mean that`s ridiculous. The charitable private sector looks
to the federal government to help as well. There`s no possible way or does
he think the churches are going to do, they`re doing as much as they can
right now.
SCHULTZ: So from the Senate vote last week to where we are right now,
progress has stalled because there`s a lot of horse trading going on. It
may never get to the House. And if that is the case and these numbers keep
piling up, where does that leave us a month from now?
SCHAKOWSKY: Well, you just showed the poll numbers. Most Americans see
how important it is for us to extend unemployment benefits. I think there
is risk to the Republicans to let that many people be without work in this
economy making the entire economy worst. It`s not just bad for those
I think there will be public pressure building up but I hope it`s soon.
And I mean we`re going to say, "We`re just not going to go home until we
get this ...
SCHULTZ: So the question is .
SCHAKOWSKY: . extended.
SCHULTZ: . will public pressure turn the Republicans?
In the past it hasn`t.
So the Democrats are going to have to do some kind of a deal here on
offsets or this isn`t going to happen. I mean it`s very clear to me that
the Republicans have drawn the line that they`re not -- they won`t move on
this. So did the Democrats have to make decision right now on what to do?
SCHAKOWSKY: Well, it all depends on what the offsets are. There are
plenty of ways. We could close a little loophole.
SCHULTZ: They won`t do that.
SCHAKOWSKY: I know they won`t .
SCHULTZ: Yes.
SCHAKOWSKY: . do that. But I mean there are offsets and there`s offsets
but I think that we have to make the case that this is hurting the economy
as well as hurting now a growing number more than 1.3 million individuals.
SCHULTZ: Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, thanks for coming in.
SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you, Ed.
SCHULTZ: I appreciate tonight. Thanks so much.
Coming up, the Christie cheerleaders were out in full force on the Sunday
talk shows.
Still ahead, a Conservative controversial trade deal is facing a major
hurdle with lawmakers in the House. Congressional leaders are finally
speaking up about the TPP. Stay with us.
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. We love hearing from our viewers.
Tonight in Ask Ed Live, our first question comes from Benny. He wants to
know why is the GOP using Benghazi in the Chris Christie bridge scandal?
Well, it`s all about media exposure. There are Republicans out there that
just believe that if they stay on Benghazi that something`s going to
surface that the United States leadership really, really did something
wrong and it`s all a big scandal and there`s no question that it`s
President Obama`s fault, then, by the way, Hillary Clinton. You know how
it is.
Look. They believe that too much attention is being focused on Bridgegate.
I don`t think so. But this is their cheap way of trying to turn the
conversation. How many more Congressional hearings do we have to have on
fast and furious, the IRS, or Benghazi? Never enough until the Republicans
get a scalp.
Our next question is from Jesse George. Where`s Darrell Issa on
Bridgegate? Nowhere to be found. In fact, he might have been the one out
there directing traffic. Who knows -- to make a joke out of it?
Look, Darrell Issa is agenda driven to take down this president.
Bridgegate doesn`t fall in that category. But it`s interesting how people
like Issa and other members of Congress, they`re not coming out supporting
Chris Christie. And does it warrant a federal investigation? Real close.
Real close. Issa, what`s your phone number?
Stick around. Rapid Response Panel is next. Stay with us.
MORGAN BRENNAN, CNBC ANCHOR: I`m Morgan Brennan with your CNBC Market
Wrap. The Dow flights 179 points as investors fret about the upcoming
earning season. The S and P falls 23. And the NASDAQ shed 61 points.
Speaking of earnings cheaters, shares of Lululemon lost more than 16
percent today. The seller of yoga tire cut its fourth quarter forecast due
to weak sales. Meanwhile, after the closing bell, Google said it will buy
Nest Labs for more than $3 billion in cash spending shares higher in after
hours trading.
That`s it from CNBC, first in business world wide.
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. After a busy year of manufacturing
fake scandals and orchestrating a political witch hunts, Republicans were
forced to confront their own scandal over the weekend and as soon as you
see, how they handle it. A number of big name conservatives appear to the
Sunday morning talk shows in an effort to downplay New Jersey Governor
Chris Christie`s Bridgegate. Their strategy, very simpler -- simple.
Change of subject, when in doubt, just keep bringing up and banging the
drum on Benghazi.
RUDY GIULIANI (R) FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: That`s always kind of
simplest to get to something that just happened, you know, how could it
happen, how could you not have known, you know, how did President Obama not
know about the IRS targeting right wing groups, you know, massive numbers
of right wing groups. And the reality is, things go wrong in our
administration. And frankly, you know, he was in campaign mode at that
time. During campaign mode, you miss a lot of things. You`re not paying
as much attention. We see that with Benghazi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it`s a -- it is a very big difference in how
this administrations handle lot of things that affect whether it`s IRS,
whether it`s Benghazi, whether it`s the -- you can keep your health
insurance if you want it, but, nobody`s been fired over that.
KARL ROVE: You`ll notice we haven`t been hearing a lot from the Clinton
camp about this. Well, since with the contrast with President Bill Clinton
and with Secretary Clinton is handling the Benghazi. So I think it`s going
to be hard for Democrats to turn this into initiative questions whether the
facts are going to turn this into an issue.
REINCE PRIEBUS,CHAIR, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: He stood there for a
111 minutes and then open dialog with the press. Now, only if Barack Obama
and Hillary Clinton would give us a 111 seconds of that, would be find out
some things we want to find out about Obamacare, Benghazi, the IRS.
SCHULTZ: Joining me now is our Rapid Response Panel Brad Woodhouse,
Americans United for Change. He`s the president of that organization. And
Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown University Professor and MSNBC Political
If I was in the middle of a crisis, and I was a Republican, I don`t know if
Karl Rove and Rudy Giuliani and Reince Priebus would be the best guys out
there. Wasn`t Christie and hasn`t Christie been somewhat of modeled as,
hey, this is real a big potential candidate for 2016. Let`s throw the
kitchen sink out. I`m right away to make sure that we`re behind this guy
and this is what they come up with. Brad, your thoughts on that.
BRAD WOODHOUSE, PRES. AMERICANS FOR CHANGE: Well, look, this is the
establishment. The establishment put their faith in Mitt Romney. He
squandered it. They don`t believe that people like Rubio, (inaudible) Ted
Cruz who is crazy. They don`t believe they`re going to be able to win the
next presidential elections. So they -- they`re shopping (ph) their chips
in. And I think they`ve shopped (ph) them in right off the George
Washington bridge into the Hudson River because this is really going to
have an impact on Christie getting into presidential race off the ground.
But it`s not surprising Christie establishment is coming to his aid (ph).
SCHULTZ: These three gentlemen that I just mentioned, they`re not exactly
known as truth seekers.
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Not at all.
DYSON: Look at the false equivalence that Priebus drew in his Sunday
morning appearance between Obama and Christie. And then when directly
asked by David Gregory, our colleague and to meet the press, look, you said
a culture was -- that Obama falls (ph) at a culture that made the IRS
tolerable or permissible, why not here. Oh, he`s got all kind of, you
know, this that in the third.
So, the reality is, they don`t want to confront the fact that first of all,
running New Jersey is different from running the United States of America.
There are a lot more departments and a lot more people. And then being
aware of the fact that you`re a bully, Obama is not known as a bully, you
are known as a bully. Get it done right now. I don`t care. I punish my
enemies. You`re known as the current (ph) person with bipartisan support.
If that`s the case, why didn`t go after a democratic mayor?
SCHULTZ: If they`re so confident that Christie has cleared the beach that
he had no involvement, why bring up Benghazi, why bring up anything else?
Why not just go on his word, this is what he said -- to this point, there
is no direct paper trail to the governor, but of course, he`s crafty
enough. We just don`t know.
WOODHOUSE: Classic political tactic. They want to muddy the water.
They`re not sure that he didn`t know. They`re not sure that another -- she
was not going to drop. So they want to say, well, the other side does it
which is insane. I mean, this woman that we know that directed this bridge
closure was right across the hall from Chris Christie, spent the day with
him that day touring the state of New Jersey. There`s no correlation
between this and the foe scandals that Republicans have been pushing for
the past years.
SCHULTZ: So, maybe the Republicans don`t have to defend Christie. Let him
get out there on his own and take care of his own problems and will let
people that have nothing to lose such as Karl Rove and Rudy Giuliani and
Reince Priebus suppose to do with anyway.
WOODHOUSE: Right.
SCHULTZ: You got a bunch of no (inaudible). The people out there, they
have nothing to lose by this.
DYSON: They are riding in an interesting fashion. The Christie bandwagon
into 2016, because how else do they prove their relevance? Well, we are
defenders. We are early defenders.
And as my good colleague has said here, this is the establishment. After
all, they don`t want baloney (ph) Tea Party element of the government or
their party to come out. So now, they`ve got to shore (ph) up the process
here and make certain that Mr. Christie -- Governor Christie is defended,
they must give him credit. He did come out immediately. He did fire the
person. He did hold a press conference.
So, why not let that stand on its own, either he told the truth, and
therefore, the facts will back him up or not, but to bring in Benghazi and
to bring in other things to sally the reputation of the president or to
dirty the waters for potential presidential run for Hillary Clinton is very
SCHULTZ: Brad, you`ve been down this road before a fund raising. Chris
Christie is supposed to go to Florida within the next week to help out Rick
Scott. How does he do that? Has he lost his effectiveness?
WOODHOUSE: Well.
SCHULTZ: Have he discussed stands up in front of the American people in
press conference saying, "I got a lot of things to do in New Jersey."
WOODHOUSE: And he`s running to Florida to raise money.
SCHULTZ: Yeah, that`s right.
WOODHOUSE: . for another embattled governor who`s policies down there are
not patterned (ph) at all and that I think, it stands a good chance of
losing reelection.
SCHULTZ: But why don`t take yourself out of that arena and focus on
getting the (inaudible) right.
WOODHOUSE: The way he conducted in press conference which he deserves
credit for. I mean, he took every question. And the reason that he`s
continuing to do his service to the Republican governors, is his eyes on
It`s on 2016. That`s why at Florida, there`s no accident that he`s going
to Florida. I mean, there can be an argue -- maybe he should -- and he
appear with Rick Scott and he`s so unpopular. But he`s going to Florida.
It`s a key state. It`s a key early state in the nominating process and
there`s no action that he`s going there. He`s got his asset on 2016.
DYSON: And you know what, his like in the godfather at the funeral for --
the godfather, and Michael is there and he says, "I always thought it was
going to be tested (ph). No, no, no, it`s a -- comments (inaudible) smart.
It`s a smart move.
So, in one sense, it`s a smart move, with all due respect to those who find
my comparison offensive that the reality is that this is a smart move by
Christie, keep yourself going, keep like a running back on the three-hour,
and then keep your knees moving.
WOODHOUSE: Right.
DYSON: Keep your legs moving. And he`s got to keep in motion Ed. I
answer the questions there. Let me go somewhere else now. Hoping and
praying A, that another crisis will come up, but B, that I will be involved
in so many different things that that will lessen the attention
WOODHOUSE: And remember this, he doesn`t care so much about what people in
New Jersey think about him, right? And what he cares about is showing up
support around the country, showing up support from whoever in the
Republicans theory can, the establishment, the Tea Party, fellow governors,
because his ambition is not in New Jersey any longer.
SCHULTZ: Do you think.
WOODHOUSE: He found the national thing.
SCHULTZ: . you think this investigation of Sandy funds is going to go
WOODHOUSE: Well, you know, it remains to be seen. It`s a serious, serious
charge. And look, you know, it`s a little ham handed to throw yourself in
ads funded by the government a few weeks before your real.
SCHULTZ: Of course there`s upside down (ph).
WOODHOUSE: You know.
DYSON: I will.
SCHULTZ: It`s huge outside (ph) there.
WOODHOUSE: You know, it`s the type.
SCHULTZ: He`s got federal funds that are paying for your campaign.
WOODHOUSE: Yeah, right.
SCHULTZ: . by putting mag on TV.
WOODHOUSE: But he didn`t need it. As we were discussing earlier, this is
someone who is cruising to reelection. It`s the exact thing that brings
his judgment into question.
You know, it`s one of the things that -- well, if I put myself in those ads
and help me get reelected, but you know what guys, I`m going to get
reelected anyway and it might come back to bite me.
DYSON: And he didn`t have to beat up among the governor -- I mean, the
mayor of Fort Lee. He didn`t have to do all of that because he were
already ahead of time which indicates something about his political
personality. I`m not suggesting he`s Nixonian. I`m suggesting that he`s
SCHULTZ: Brad Woodhouse and Michael Eric Dyson.
DYSON: That`s good.
SCHULTZ: . great to have both of you with us tonight.
WOODHOUSE: Thanks.
SCHULTZ: Thank you so much.
Coming up, Senator Max Baucus amplifies concerns of the TPP with his fast
track legislation. Now, lawmakers are speaking up against it. Stay with
us. We`ll be right back on that issue.
SCHULTZ: And in Pretenders tonight the W duplicate. Marco Rubio, the
senator from Florida kicked off 2014 by undermining the poor. Now, Rubio
is spinning out an attack on President Obama`s foreign policy.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R) FLORIDA: The same time that he announced the surge,
he also announced an exits, date and strategy, thereby emboldening the
Taliban to believe they could wait us out. And the result is now evident
across the globe. Our allies see us as unreliable and our enemies feel
emboldened. And I think that this does confirms our worst fears, that this
is an administration that lacks a strategic foreign policy, and in fact, is
largely driven by politics and tactics.
SCHULTZ: I tell you what, justice didn`t trash off the old talking points
there. Rubio thinks the road of the White House is built on intimidation.
Let me remind you where we`ve heard that line before.
GEORGE W. BUSH, FRMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: If we
fail in Iraq, it`s going to embolden Al Qaeda types, embolden this enemy.
A failure in Iraq would embolden Almost Qaeda, embolden the extremists,
embolden other tyrants.
It would only embolden terrorists. It would only embolden the extremists.
SCHULTZ: Don`t you think Marco Rubio does a mean George Bush? Doing good
impressions and imitations might get the senator a gig on Saturday Night
Live, but not one at the White House.
If Rubio thinks he`s being presidential, he can keep on pretending.
SCHULTZ: Welcome back to the Ed Show. This is a story for the folks who
take a shower after work. And if I can start over just a moment to tell
you that there comes a time where you have to say, "OK, this is what I
believe in and this is what I stand for."
Lawmakers are finally paying attention and taking action against the Trans-
Pacific Partnership or TPP as its known. Democratic Senator Max Baucus
who`s not running for reelection, President Obama`s new nominee for
investor to China has really anger some of his colleagues by introducing
fast track trade legislation for the deal on Thursday of last week.
Now, fast track needs that the deal with 12 other nations including China
and Vietnam would speed through Capitol Hill with no debate, no contention,
no amendments. The mass of trade agreement is being pushed by of course
big corporations and negotiated behind close doors which nobody likes in
So, that`s the unifying point there. Democrats of the House and Senate are
becoming more vocal about the secrecies surrounding the deal. House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was recently quoted saying, "We want
transparency. We want to see what`s going on there, we have a problem with
Good, that`s a great quote, because that`s where the Democrats need to be.
Many Democrats are worried the actual terms of the deal do not reflect
their priorities like the economy.
Chris Van Hollen, the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee is saying
recently expressing his concerns that, "This is a big problem now. This is
inadequate engagement on the substance of what will be in an agreement or
out of an agreement." In other words, as a Democracy, everybody has got to
have their say, that`s what he`s saying.
Senator Max Baucus introduced bad legislation with hardly any endorsements
from his fellow lawmakers who by the way might have to run for reelection.
Max Baucus says nothing to lose by leaving the Senate and heading off to
china with a trade deal in hand.
Nobody running for reelection once we get connected with this whatsoever.
This is quicksand politically and they know it with the folks back home.
The TPP which underscores -- this is just quite out a bad deal for American
workers and I can`t underscore that enough.
No one is coming out for this saying, "We have to do this for X, Y and Z.
We have to do this for A, B and C. It`s good for jobs. It`s good for
families. It`s good for security, good for retirement." None of that`s
being done. No one has explained what the upside of this is and I will not
get off the story. So now we`ve got leadership in the house talking about
it. And now, we`ve got some on the Senate who were somewhat concerned.
Larry Cohen, Communications Worker President joins us tonight. Mr. Cohen,
good to have you with us. What has changed here? I understand we got some
people in the Senate who are now talking about this.
LARRY COHEN, PRES, COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA: Yeah, we have most
of the Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee saying to Senator Baucus,
"We`re not part of this party." They`re saying, "We want to start over."
They sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Froman on Friday saying,
"We need a new start. We need to have transparency. We want to open -- we
want an open discussion of what`s really at stake here for the American
people." And they were led by Sherrod Brown and four others.
SCHULTZ: OK. What Nancy Pelosi said, House Democratic Leader, what is
that signal? This .
COHEN: Toxic, toxic for -- as you just said toxic. You`re running for
office, the American people hate these deals, 20 years of NAFTA, not just
the job (inaudible) but competing -- your wages competing. In this case,
with wages in Vietnam, that average $0.75 an hour, a minimum wage of $0.28
an hour. People across this country doesn`t matter their party. They say
no. They are angry. Where is their voice in this process?
SCHULTZ: Why is Max Baucus doing this? Why is he? And why are other
lawmakers who are going to have to go through the reelection process right
with him on this?
COHEN: Well, sadly, you have people in both parties including the
Democrats, who have bought into this export framework. And it`s true for
certain exporters. Some of them are agricultural, some of them are --
could be high tech or entertainment exporters. You can see an increase in
exporting and exports from these deals. But the increase in importing and
the effect on depressing wages.
And now, it`s the tradable service sector too including like call center
jobs and then the gutting (ph) of the environmental standards. We`re just
exporting pollution and the destruction of the climate. So, that`s what it
stakes here.
SCHULTZ: So, how do you stop fast track? And that`s -- I mean, stopping
the trade deal maybe a bridge too far, but getting amendments and getting
discussion, getting debate .
COHEN: Right.
SCHULTZ: . it will really bring forth I think public pressure. But, how
do you stop the fast track?
COHEN: The biggest coalition we`ve built today on trade, it`s growing
everyday. Labor is not going to be siloed. We`re with the Greens, we`re
with this Sierra Club, we`re with Greenpeace, we`re with the food safety
folks, we`re with consumer groups, we`re with people worried about what`s
going to happen to labeling on cigarette packaging. Biggest coalition
ever. That`s how we stop it. That`s what we`re building everyday.
SCHULTZ: OK. Strange coalition here as far as there are Republicans on
board but their issue is sovereignty, isn`t it?
COHEN: It`s sovereignty. Some of them -- I must give them credit or on
the same issues we are. People like Jones in North Carolina. For decades
he -- even his father, talking about what happened to textile industry in
North Carolina. Some of them are on jobs. Some of them are on
sovereignty. It`s a strange coalition.
SCHULTZ: So, who`s defending NAFTA? Who can stand up and tell us that
NAFTA was good for American jobs. And you say that this undoubtedly
parallels NAFTA.
COHEN: Yeah. Well, people do because they just focus on the exports or
they talk about some global economy. And then, we don`t even talk about
what happened to Mexico. I mean we don`t link. Look at what undocumented
immigration was before NAFTA, a trickle and a tore (ph) afterwards because
we destroyed the agricultural sector in Mexico. So, this has not worked
for everyday people. It has worked for multinational corporations. And
sadly, as we know, there are major voice in our economy.
SCHULTZ: There were some folks from the White House that went to Capitol
Hill late last week. What is that signal?
COHEN: It signals to me that they`re worried. And it signals to me that
there`s folks in the White House who realized this deal is not going to go.
And hopefully, we`ll start over. And the President himself who campaigned
on this issue in 2008, I think deep down knows that there`s a real problem
SCHULTZ: OK. Larry Cohen, President of Communication Workers of America,
thanks for joining us today.
COHEN: My pleasure, thank you.
SCHULTZ: And of course, we`ll be reporting on this again as I visit with
more lawmakers here on Capitol Hill in Washington.
That`s the Ed Show, I`m Ed Schultz. Politics Nation with Reverend Al
Sharpton starts right now. Good evening Rev.
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text:
Statistics is a diverse profession, with statisticians working in areas such as health care, manufacturing, defense, and national security, to name just a few. Each area may make use of different methodologies and applications. To aid our members working in these subdisciplines, the ASA created sections and interest groups, which are subject-area and/or industry-related and provide benefits specific to their members' interests.
Similar to the ASA, the broad objective of a chapter is to promote statistics and its applications and provide benefits to its members. ASA chapters exist throughout the United States and Canada and engage in many activities, including the following:
Organize meetings and networking events
Provide continuing education offerings
Engage in outreach efforts to local schools to stimulate interest in statistics as a career
Provide information about the application of statistics
Chapters are grouped by region and district to allow the ASA to effectively communicate with each on a local level.
Join a chapter!
Albany, Boston (also serves Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Western Massachusetts), Buffalo-Niagara, Connecticut, Montréal, New York Metro, Ottawa, Rochester, Southern Ontario-Toronto, Syracuse
Central Indiana, Chesapeake, Delaware, Eastern Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Mid-Tennessee, Virginia, Washington Statistical Society, Western Tennessee
Ann Arbor, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Princeton/Trenton, Mid-Michigan, New Jersey, Southwest Michigan
Central Arkansas, Central Illinois, Chicago, Colorado-Wyoming, Iowa, Kansas/Western Missouri, Mid-Missouri, Nebraska, Northeast Illinois, Oklahoma, St. Louis, Twin Cities, Wisconsin
Alabama-Mississippi, Austin, Florida, Georgia, Houston Area, Louisiana, North Carolina, North Texas, Puerto Rico, San Antonio, Southeast Texas, South Carolina, South Florida
Alaska, Albuquerque, Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Orange County-Long Beach, Oregon, Puget Sound, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, Snake River, Southern California, Utah

subset: commoncrawl


text:
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Publicists for Josh Brolin and Diane Lane told UsMagazine.com Thursday the Hollywood couple have split up and intend to divorce.
"Diane Lane and Josh Brolin have decided to end their marriage," the representatives said in a statement.
"It was a mutual decision. It is very amicable. It's not ugly, it's just over," an insider told the magazine.
No other details were immediately available.
The film stars married in 2004 and have no children.
People.com said Brolin was arrested for spousal battery four months after marrying Lane, but the actress declined to press charges.
Brolin -- who was nominated for a supporting actor Oscar for "Milk" in 2008 -- was arrested for public intoxication Dec. 31, People.com said.
The "True Grit" and "No Country for Old Men" actor is the son of actor James Brolin and stepson of singer Barbra Streisand.
Lane was a best actress nominee for "Unfaithful" in 2002. Her film credits include "The Outsiders," "Under the Tuscan Sun" and "The Perfect Storm."


text:
On Saturday 19th March me and Petey Pete got married. I still can't actually believe it. Our piccies are being blogged on Rock 'n Roll Bride today and Kat asked me if I wanted to add a few quotes... hmmmmm... I tried to keep it brief but maybe having to keep it as a surprise means that I'm now gagging to get it all out... so I have.... (you might need a cuppa... or a duvet...)
Me and Pete had been happily engaged for about 3 years...but any time we talked about getting married we ended up arguing…. we knew that we wanted something that reflected us but we'd start talking about who to invite, table plans etc and we were quickly getting fed up... the question 'Why are we doing it if it's such hard work?' usually stopped any further discussion. Also we were shooting amazing and creative weddings pretty much every week so all of our concentration was on other people's days... which was great but it meant that it was quite hard deciding on how 'we' wanted to do it... and without copying all of my couples who have flippin' fantastic weddings!
In January a good friend of ours Anthony came round and we chatted about my 30th birthday party… Anthony joked that we could get married in the afternoon and have a party on the night… we all joked about it even mentioning a 50's prom theme based on the 'Enchantment Under the Sea Dance' from Back to the Future and then when Anthony left we started to talk about it seriously and we weren't arguing! But we wanted it to be a surprise. We get asked when we're getting married a lot and people would then say how amazing it's gonna be (because of all the gorgeous weddings we luckily get to shoot) so I started to feel a bit of pressure. I also didn't want to be going on about 'our' wedding all the time... I kind of just wanted to get on with it without the fuss.... a little bit like being behind the camera I suppose...
For the day time we wanted to keep it very personal and intimate with a brief legal service, and we both loved the idea of a barge cruise with a meal (Birmingham has more canals than Venice don't you know!). We found Away2Dine a locally based floating restaurant and booked them for a wedding lunch cruise which picked us up from right outside the Registry and took us to Bournville! It also meant that we were then restricted to 24 people in all for the day. This was the hardest thing but we really wanted to have the evening as our real ceremony and wanted to be able to talk to people in the day properly without feeling under pressure to get round and talk to 60 people! The ceremony started at 1:30pm and we'd decided to have a first look beforehand and some photos in our local park. I honestly cannot recommend a first look enough. Me and Pete were able to see each other and take it all in properly. It was really emotional. And you get to talk about how you both look and how excited you are... we felt like such a little team making our way to the Registry.
This polaroid below has to be the funniest thing I've ever seen... how small are Pate's parents on the left!?! We literally laughed all Sunday at this picture. It just keeps giving...
When we arrived we were about to go in when Pete shouted 'Fuck!' and started jumping up and down... he'd forgotten the rings!! He must have completely shit himself but actually it made the ceremony really nice.. we borrowed rings from friends and through the ceremony there was lots of laughing!
When we came out the canal boat was waiting for us... we chugged along on the cruise in beautiful sunshine and enjoyed a gorgeous 3 course meal, even stopping for a photo shoot on the way! We passed by our own street at one point, to see a beautiful surprise banner that one of our neighbours had made to congratulate us! It was such a lovely surprise and most of us (well, the girls) on the boat had tears in our eyes!
Initially, when we started organising the day I wasn't going to have any bridesmaids or flowers but as we were planning we ended up saying Joanna, Beccie and my Sister Jodie were bridesmaids so then we thought we maybe should get some flowers and Pete had asked his friend Matt to be Best Man but we let everyone wear what they wanted so nothing really matched but we didn't care... we were just so excited about marrying each other. I did have a little wobble on the Thursday about name places on the boat which I'm totally keeping. I did also make a spreadsheet.
At 5pm we all disembarked and phase two of 'Surpise Wedding' began. We headed to the Rowheath Pavillion to dress the room for the 30th Birthday – 1950's Enchantment Under the Sea Dance! We had Pom Poms, Crepe Paper Streamers, locally sourced balloons, a huge banner made by Rob (one of our friends) and the most mind blowing '1950's Under the Sea' themed cake table from Vickie at Boutique Baking Company! We hired a PA system, asked a close friend to DJ, another close friend, Joe to be the minister and we were ready! A quick change into our prom (throw people off the scent) outfits and a slick of brylcreme and we were set.
At 7pm guests started to arrive and it was so lovely to see everyone had made such an effort with their outfits! We then had the most horrendous hour talking to people, waiting for the right time to do the 'announcement'… watching Pete turn a pale grey colour as we waited was quite amusing! He was petrified!
At around 8 o clock I snuck off and got changed back into my Wedding dress and waited with my dad and my bridesmaids. We could hear in the hall our friend Joe get on the microphone and ask the crowd to gather at the front of the hall and then he split them down the middle, creating an aisle. Our DJ Rob then started to play Hide n' Seek by Imogen Heap. At this point the bridesmaids made their entrance carrying their bouquet's one by one and the whole room just started to scream! Me and my Dad followed and all I could see was everyone crying…. :)
Joe then performed a short ceremony where we had a brief exchanging of our personal vows (again more tears!) some short speeches and a surreal best man speech containing liberal use of photoshop and extra large heads!
We then danced our first dance to 'Home' by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's and halfway through everyone joined us and we were swamped by hugs from everyone!…
The rest of the evening was filled with the longest Photo booth I've ever seen (I think it was some sort of release for all the photographers there!) and lots of dancing (and sweating in Pete's case) until the party finished at 11.30pm. At which point we all headed to the HMV Institute, an Indie club in town where we were given our very own party section in the Karaoke Room! A late night curry at 4am and we were done… our very own 1950's Prom with Surprise Wedding day was complete…. and it was perfect.
There's more photos and a full supplier list on Rock 'n Roll Bride today (who was there til the very end in the curry house!)... it's the weirdest thing being in the photographs instead of taking them and writing about my wedding instead of one of my couples... but it's the absolute bestest being married. I'd recommend it to everyone.... :)
Emma & Pete from cine8 on Vimeo.My only regret for the whole day is not ordering the £450 balloon octopus for the hall... for a second I was tempted... g.u.t.t.e.d.
Oh and I'm still keeping Case for my photography but will be Mrs Smyth for everything else...yey! :)
All images/polaroids by Joanna Brown Photography
Poster by Thomas Jackson


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This is a list of merit badges formerly offered by the Boy Scouts of America. In some cases, the entire subject has been dropped from the merit badge roster. In others, the merit badge's name has been changed, with or without significant revision to the badge's requirements.
In 2010, in celebration of Scouting's 100th anniversary, four historical merit badges were reintroduced for one year only—Carpentry, Pathfinding, Signaling and Tracking (formerly Stalking). Bugling merit badge was briefly discontinued in 2010 but reinstated after complaints from volunteers.


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Weekly family rail, with a book review, Family Screening Room, how to know when your child is ready to potty train and more.
Book Report "Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! A Word from Your Baby-in-Waiting," by Barbara Park, Viviana Garófoli (Illustrator), 40 pages Ages: 2 to 5 "Dear Ma," says this story's prenatal narrator, "What's a baby to do in a womb with no view?" Park proceeds to catalogue in rhyme all the things lacking in his or her current environment ("No puppies. No toys./ . . . Not a sandbox or swings . . . / Or those monkey bar things"), and throws in a last-minute to-do list ("You're set for me, right? You've got a night-light?"). Garofoli contributes lots of sweetly silly, nursery-hued illustrations, wildly exaggerating her subject's oversize head while being slightly more discreet about the mother's oversize tummy (although the crowded in-utero portraits may remind some adults of the famous stateroom scene from "A Night at the Opera"). Strategic poses obscure the baby's sex, in keeping with Park's gender-neutral writing. But while there are many individually clever lines and pictures, the list-dependent premise here precludes the development of a full-fledged story. Accordingly, this book might be a better choice for expectant parents than expectant siblings, or for kids old enough to enjoy a fetal fantasy onto which they can project themselves. – Barnes & Noble Family Screening Room Movie: "How She Move" Rated: PG-13 (for some drug content, suggestive material and language) Length: 1 hour, 38 minutes Synopsis: "How She Move" is an energetic, gritty and ultimately inspiring coming-of-age tale about a gifted young woman who defies all the rules as she step dances her heart out to achieve her dreams. Bursting with raw talent and intelligence, Raya Green, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, has always been the family's one great hope. She won the rare chance to break out of their drug and crime-infested neighborhood when she was accepted into the exclusive Seaton Academy. But when her sister dies of an overdose, the family is shattered and Raya is forced to return to the place she tried so hard to escape. It's not easy to go back - especially when one-time friends, including the tough minded Michelle, see Raya as a stuck-up traitor who left the community behind. Feeling trapped and looking for a way out, Raya learns about a step competition with a $50,000 cash prize that could change her fate. Most of the crews that win the big money are all male, forcing Raya to fight her way in as the sole female member of the Jane Street Junta, led by the reining champ of the local steppin' scene Bishop. As sparks begin to fly between Raya and Bishop, a false move by Raya leaves her without a crew, and she finds herself in a battle between her loyalty, her determination, her family's ambitions and her heart. As the big contest approaches, she realizes it's no longer just about the money or the opportunity, but also the one thing that she's been missing in her life: a sense of self. (Movieweb.com) Message: One moment can change the rest of your life. Forcing yourself to be something you are not only leads to unhappiness. (www.kids-in-mind.com) Violence/gore rating*: 2 Sexual-content rating*: 3 Profanity rating*: 3 Scary/tense-moments rating*: 2 Drugs/alcohol rating*: 4 * Ratings are judged on a five-point scale, with 5 being "bad for kids" and 1 being "fine for kids." Ratings are based on numerous parental movie reviews. Play Outside: Snowgusta Mini Golf You've never played golf like this! Set up a course in your yard where players have to work around slush, snow, ice and more. What you need: Spray bottles, green food coloring, various obstacles, scissors, felt, glue, tape, wooden dowels, plastic containers, hockey stick or broom stick, rubber ball (or regular golf ball) How to play: Stomp down an area around each hole (hard-packed snow holds color better than fluffy snow does). Mix water and green food coloring in a spray bottle, then spray the mixture on the packed snow. (Note: Unless you want green jeans, don't lie or sit on the sprayed snow.) Once the green is set, add wacky obstacles such as pool toy rings, a Hula hoop sunk halfway in the snow, a toboggan or skateboard upside down, a trash-can lid and a tunnel through the bottom of a snowman. And don't forget to make the holes: plastic containers sunk in the snow. To make a flag, cut a triangle from one color of felt and a number from another. Glue them together. Then tape or staple the flag around a dowel or ski pole. If necessary, wrap a rubber band around the dowel under the flag to keep it from slipping. -- FamilyFun.com Tip of the Week: How to Know When Your Child is Ready to Potty Train Age: Your child should be at least 20 months old and preferably 2 years old or older. Physical readiness: Your child should be able to pick up objects, lower and raise his or her pants, and walk from room to room easily. Bladder readiness: Your child should already be staying dry for several hours at a time, urinating about four to six times a day, and completely emptying his or her bladder. If your child is still wetting a small amount frequently (seven to 10 times a day), you should wait. Language readiness: Your child should understand your toileting words, words like "wet," "dry," "pants" and "bathroom." If your child does not understand what you are talking about, you should wait. Instructional readiness: Your child should be able to understand simple instructions, such as "Come here, please" and "Sit down." Just as important, your child should be following the reasonable instructions you give. If your child opposes you much of the time and has frequent temper tantrums, you will probably have problems with toilet training. Bladder and bowel awareness: Your child may indicate that he or she is aware of the need to void or eliminate. Children usually indicate this awareness not through words but through actions – making a face, assuming a special posture like squatting, or going to a certain location when they feel the urge to urinate or defecate. This may be a positive sign that your child is ready to begin toilet training. -- Parenting.org Arts&Crafts Time: Decoupage Vase What you need: Decoupage glue, glass or plastic vase or other container, tissue paper, brush, newspaper, scissors What to do: Cover the work surface with newspaper. Cut small squares -- about 1x1 -- or other shapes from the tissue paper. Cover a small area of the vase with the decoupage glue, then place the tissue paper on the glue. Coat with a layer of the decoupage glue. You can put on more than one layer of tissue paper to make it less transparent. Allow to dry overnight. When dry the outer layer should be hard and water resistant. -- www.holidaycrafts4kids.com Kids Kitchen: Bologna Quiche 12 slices chicken bologna 2 eggs 1/2 cup biscuit mix 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheese 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish 1 cup milk Place bologna slices in muffin tins to form cups. Blending remaining ingredients, pour into bologna cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned. Serves 12. -- http://kids.cdkitchen.com GateHouse News Service


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Second-half goals from Brian Ching and Chris Wondolowski gave the Houston Dynamo an impressive 2-0 victory over Mexican side Pachuca on Thursday evening in their CONCACAF Champions' Cup semifinal first leg at Robertson Stadium. The match was originally scheduled for Wednesday but had to be moved following a power outage at the University of Houston.
Ching put the Dynamo on top in the 57th minute when he headed home a cross from Craig Waibel, while substitute Wondolowski added what could prove to be a crucial second goal just moments after coming into the game as a substitute. His cool finish allows the reigning MLS Cup champions a two-goal cushion heading into the return match next week against the Copa Nissan Sudamericana champions.
The Dynamo defense looked shaky in the game's earliest moments as the Mexican side surged forward in search of an early goal that ultimately never arrived. Luis Landin was dangerous for Pachuca, as was Christian Gimenez. Each had half-chances inside the first 10 minutes, but they did not trouble Zach Wells, who started for Houston in goal.
Andres Chitiva made a run right through the heart of the Dynamo defense in the 18th minute before firing a low shot from the top of the box wide of the mark. One minute later, Dynamo had their best chance of the opening period. Brad Davis whipped in an out-swinging corner kick with his left foot, which Kelly Gray met with a powerful header that went just over the crossbar.
Wells came up with a big save on Gimenez at the half-hour mark, rushing off his line to smother the Argentinean's shot from inside the penalty area. Landin probably should have given the visitors the lead with six minutes left in the half, but he was unable to get a shot off at the near post after latching on to a dangerous cross from the left flank.
The Dynamo had the first good scoring opportunity following the intermission after Ching was fouled just outside the penalty area. Davis took the ensuing free kick but fired it over the bar. Davis fed two dangerous corner kicks into the box just minutes later, the second of which resulted in a fierce shot by Ricardo Clark from some 20 yards, but it was off the mark. Then in the 57th minute, the breakthrough finally arrived.
Ching coasted into the center of the Pachuca penalty area unmarked, using a snap header to the lower right-hand corner of the goal to beat Miguel Calero and put the hosts on top. Waibel provided the assist with a cross from the right flank.
A mistake by Wells nearly gifted Pachuca the equalizer in the 61st minute. After coming well off his line to attempt to clear a long ball over the top, Wells put his weak header right on the feet of Chitiva, whose long lob would have found the back of the net if not for an alert goal-line clearance by Waibel. The Dynamo got away with another defensive miscue in the 72nd minute after Eddie Robinson gave the ball away in his own defensive third. However, Pachuca could not take advantage, as Waibel again was in the right place at the right time, deflecting the attempted cross away from danger.
Houston coach Dominic Kinnear made a pair of substitutions late in the game, inserting Dwayne De Rosario for Paul Dalglish and Wondolowski for Ching. The move quickly paid off as the pair of newcomers combined to give Houston its crucial insurance goal.
De Rosario started the play with a well-weighted ball down the left flank for Davis, who found Wondolowski unmarked in the penalty area. A simple side-footed finish was all that was needed from Wondolowski to extend the lead and secure the victory for the hosts. Alejandro Moreno nearly made the advantage three in the waning seconds, but Calero pushed his effort wide of the post and match ended with a 2-0 scoreline.
The Dynamo will visit Pachuca on April 5 for the return match, and the match will be carried live on Fox Soccer Channel. The winner of the two-game aggregate goals series will face off with the winner of D.C. United's semifinal series against CD Guadalajara for the Champions' Cup title. The tournament's champion will then take part in December's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
Pachuca vs. Houston Dynamo
March 15, 2007 -- Robertson Stadium, Houston TX
CONCACAF Champions' Cup -- Semifinals, Game 1
Scoring Summary:
HOU -- Brian Ching 1 (Craig Waibel 1) 57
HOU -- Chris Wondolowski 1 (Brad Davis 1, Dwayne De Rosario 1) 84
Pachuca -- Miguel Calero, Paul Aguilar (Gabriel Caballero 75), Leobardo Lopez, Fernando Salazar (Damian Alvarez 62), Aquivaldo Mosquera, Fausto Pinto, Jamie Correa, Gerardo Rodriguez, Luis Landin (Juan Carlos Cacho 46), Andres Chitiva, Christian Gimenez.
Substitutes Not Used: Omar Arellano, Marvin Gabiel Cabrera, Edgar Meliton Hernandez, Marco Ivan Perez.
Houston Dynamo -- Zach Wells, Kelly Gray, Eddie Robinson, Craig Waibel, Wade Barrett, Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Alejandro Moreno, Brad Davis, Brian Ching (Chris Wondolowski 82), Paul Dalglish (Dwayne De Rosario 76).
Substitutes Not Used: Pat Onstad, Ryan Cochrane, Kevin Goldthwaite, Stuart Holden, Patrick Ianni.
Misconduct Summary:
PAC -- Fernando Salazar (caution; Reckless Foul) 45
PAC -- Aquivaldo Mosquera (caution; Pushing, Holding) 53
HOU -- Brad Davis (caution; Pushing, Holding) 68
PAC -- Christian Gimenez (caution; Dissent) 78
Referee: Neal Brizan (T&T)
Referee's Assistants: Kermit Quisenberry (USA); Corey Rockwell (USA)
4th Official: Alex Prus
Attendance: 13,007
Weather: Clear-and-80 degrees
All statistics contained in this boxscore are unofficial


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Child-porn arrests: `Shooting fish in a barrel'
When a single Florida county arrested 45 men and boys from all walks of life last June on charges of downloading child pornography, some people worried the place had become a haven for deviants.
But top law enforcement officials and child welfare experts say the only thing unusual about Polk County is that its sheriff, Grady Judd, happens to pursue child-porn enthusiasts with more fervor and resources than most.
Child porn has grown so pervasive on the Internet, they say, that police agencies all over the country, using the latest file-tracking technology, could easily spend every day finding and arresting offenders.
"Today, it's truly like shooting fish in a barrel," said Judd, who has directed four child pornography roundups since 2006, resulting in at least 176 arrests in Polk County, a patchwork of orange groves, phosphate mines, modest towns and a half-million people between Tampa and Orlando. The biggest city is Lakeland, population 90,000.
Mike Phillips, chief of the computer crimes section at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said Polk's sheer number of child pornography arrests in recent years is almost unheard of nationally for a single agency.
Judd, whose sheriff's office houses the Internet Crimes Against Children task force for central Florida, has made sure his detectives have gotten the specialized training needed to identify and catch people who download the illegal material from the Internet. He notes that much of the legwork in the latest sweep was done by just two or three detectives, though more were required when deputies raided suspects' homes.
The popular and media-friendly Judd, who when he needs guidance is as likely to reach for the Bible on his desk as he is to go flipping through the Florida criminal code, said his crusade against child porn comes from his fervent commitment to protect children. An "old vice guy," he was arresting child pornographers when they were still trading in magazines and paper photographs.
"We are absolutely committed and send a clear message that if you engage in child pornography, if you're trying to lure children online, we are going to seek you out, chase you to the ends of the earth and put you in jail," the 55-year-old sheriff said.
Child pornography has exploded as Internet use has become commonplace. Experts say the images increasingly seem to feature younger children – infants and toddlers – being molested for the cameras in more violent and egregious ways. Most are abused and photographed by a parent, relative or someone else in a position of trust.
In this era of lean budgets, many law enforcement agencies don't have the time, resources or inclination to aggressively pursue such crimes, experts say.
"Once you get the training and the resources, it's very easy to pick these guys off, but law enforcement already has such problematic crimes competing for police resources," said Keith Durkin, an Ohio Northern University sociology professor and frequent witness for the federal Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
Harold Copus, a former FBI agent who has extensively investigated child pornography cases, took a harder line on law enforcement efforts.
"It is spotty and totally inconsistent," Copus said. "And it comes down to commitment and, quite frankly, laziness. There's no pressure" from the public.
Phillips, the Florida computer crimes chief, said that because of limited resources, the June roundup was aimed at some of the worst offenders – those trading the most images or suspected of abusing children. The 45 people arrested had amassed up to 15,000 images.
Those arrested included a 50-year-old car salesman, a 62-year-old retired teacher, a 34-year-old pilot, a 43-year-old truck driver and a 22-year-old Sea World employee. Some had long criminal records. Others had none. Three were high school students.
"We have looked at the enemy, and he is us," said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Computer analysts at the center investigate about 2,000 reports a week of suspected child pornography that come in from the public and online service providers. Tips to the center rose from 3,160 in 1998 to 101,748 in 2008, mirroring the spread of everyday Internet use, and analysts there have documented millions of images online.
Child pornography arrests by the 59 federally funded Internet Crimes Against Children task forces topped 3,000 last year for the first time, nearly double the number reported just four years ago.
Authorities ultimately will have to do more than slap handcuffs on people who make and view child pornography, said Andrew Oosterbaan, chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section at the U.S. Department of Justice.
"This is not just a law enforcement issue," he said. "This is not just about people doing something illegal and therefore we have to stop it. It's making people understand why this is more of a societal issue, why this is more of a public health issue."
Judd, who has battled adult bookstores and prostitution with similar zeal, gets angry just talking about the people who trade in the horrific images of child abuse.
He tells the story of one man caught in bed with a teen daughter when deputies barged in with a search warrant. Then there is the graphic online slideshow offering fathers step-by-step instructions for molesting their children.
"It is something we must wake up to," Judd said. "And we are asleep at the wheel as a nation."


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This page is for the use of parents and teachers alike. Come visit to check for any new updates or information on upcoming events.
All elementary schools will reopen their doors on September 5th 2006 for the 2006 – 2007 school year. Here is some useful information.
Site Map
The Harrisburg School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, familial status, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability. The policy of equal opportunity and equitable treatment applies to every aspect of school district operations and activities, including admissions and employment practices. This policy shall be made known to all persons and organizations associated with the Harrisburg School District, to all Educational Placement Services, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Employment Security and all recruiting sources. Any student, parent, employee, or citizen who feels that they have been denied fair treatment or equal opportunity in any aspect of School District operations or activities because of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, familial status, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability should contact the Title IX Compliance Coordinator, Ms. Merry-Grace Majors, at the Harrisburg School District Administration Building, 1601 State Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103 or phone (717) 703-4024. The Harrisburg School District is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request.


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Could you post the URL of your topsite, please?
So I can get the line breaks to work as far as making a space. But when I insert the image it is showing up on the very top of the page when it is marked as a break after rank #5. No matter what I have tried, it says it is after #5, but shows up on the very top of my tables. HELP!!!!!
http://topspotleagues.gotop100.com/ is the URL. I took image off since it looked like crap!
Last edited by topspotleagues; 06-12-2011 at 08:41 PM.
Could you post the URL of your topsite, please?
Hello, put your URL so we can check your issue for you.


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|There's more than one way to do things
comment on
|( #3333=superdoc: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
the entire post relates to quick hacks nothing that would ever become a full fledged script.
That's kind of the point, though: some people say such a thing doesn't really exist. In their experience, "quick hacks" have a way of growing into larger, more complex programs and being maintained by larger groups of programmers. So it makes sense for them to design all their programs as if that will be the case, even if the need doesn't seem to be there at the start.
On the other hand, some of us have written plenty of quick hacks that have never needed to be expanded, or used and maintained by anyone else -- many were even used once and discarded. That being the case, any amount of time spent making them more than simply "functional" would have been a waste.
Where you fall on a range between those two extremes depends on your own programming style and your work situation -- how often is your code reused or shared with others? Based on those things, you have to make your own judgments about your own coding needs.
Aaron B.
In reply to Re^3: Perl Elitist Code vs Functional Code
by aaron_baugher


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|Clinical Research
Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) refers to a range of laboratory techniques that combine sperm and egg for fertilization. Since the birth of the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) or 'test tube' baby in 1978, the field of IVF has been transformed with several technological discoveries that have led to a remarkable expansion of the treatable conditions as well as an outstanding increase in making possible the dreams of many couples to conceive. The embryology laboratory, where embryos are produced, grown and nourished during an IVF cycle, is one of the key components of a fertility center. While patients don't necessarily know what happens behind the scenes during an IVF cycle or how their embryos are produced, having a state-of-the-art embryology laboratory is what separates an average from an excellent fertility center.
After fertilization, embryos are cultured in the embryology laboratory. This is done under very strict conditions in specialized media in an incubator. Embryos are typically transferred back into the uterus at either the cleavage stage (on day 3 after retrieval) or the blastocyst stage (on day 5 after the retrieval).
The clinical part of embryology department of RI-RB offers extensive training in routine and advanced laboratory tests in assisted reproduction techniques (IUI, IVF/ ICSI), gamete cryopreservation and PGD. Through one-on-one training in laboratory procedures, candidates develop technical expertise in all of the essential techniques, including comprehensive semen analysis, sperm preparation procedures, assisted reproduction (IVF/ICSI) techniques and cryopreservation protocols for semen, testicular and oocytes/ embryos. At the completion of the program, candidates receive a Certificate of Training recognizing their achievements.Also, in addition to patient treatment we focus on research about some aspects of preimplantation embryo. These aspects are:


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Altered Ego Fonts from Brian Sooy include Postscript fonts and TrueType fonts, Macintosh Multiple Master fonts, text, dingbat and display fonts.
Altered Ego Fonts are designed to solve visual and typographic problems for print and interactive media, and feature dingbat, condensed and narrow-width fonts.
Formerly the Sooy Type Foundry (STF), Altered Ego fonts includes fonts from the STF Collection. The STF Collection also contains fonts designed by Brian Sooy which are included in the Adobe, ITC and GarageFonts libraries.


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When not writing or producing the news you can find her bargain-shopping, in search of chocolate, or practicing yoga.
Recent Stories By Michelle Hirsch:
Home Prices Up in April for Second Year June 6, 2012
Nationwide home prices posted their second year-over-year increase since 2010 in April, according to one influential index – indicating that the housing market gained steam during the spring home...
Housing Mismatch: Boomers Sell, Millennials RentJune 4, 2012
Christopher Habig, 25, and Anne Weingarten, 58, don't know each other, but they represent two sides of a perplexing new problem that could roil the housing market in years to come. Back in the fall...
New Survey: Taxmageddon Paralyzes Business PlansMay 30, 2012
When it comes to taxes and economic growth, the most visible battle cry among businesses is to slash tax rates. Multiple business advocacy organizations and a string of Republican lawmakers say...
Consumers, Not Just Investors, Are House HuntingMay 23, 2012
Cash buyers and investors have helped keep the housing market afloat in recent years, swooping in to seize on low prices and interest rates to buy distressed properties. Investors bought 1.23 million...
Booker Was Right: Unions Bet Big on Private EquityMay 21, 2012
Democratic Newark Mayor Cory Booker has historically been a vocal Obama administration supporter. But he riled his own party and pleased Republicans Sunday when he condemned a new Obama campaign...
U.S. Educated Immigrants Return to their HomelandsMay 14, 2012
Demographers were stunned last month when new data revealed a trend reversal: immigrants are no longer flocking to the U.S., and some have made a U-turn and returned home. Data from the Internal...
Mother's Day 2012: Spending Exceeds $18 BillionMay 11, 2012
Flowers or candy? A luxe spa visit or an American Express gift card? For millions of Americans, the clock is ticking on what to get Mom for Mother's Day. One thing is clear: In today's economy,...
Managers Sue for Overtime Citing Unfair PracticesMay 9, 2012
Nearly 9 million Americans lost their jobs because of the recession, prompting companies to find ways to pick up the slack. Some of those efforts are clearly paying off for larger companies. S&P...
Highway Funding Hits Deep Potholes as Gas Usage TanksMay 3, 2012
With Congress facing a June 30 deadline on reauthorization of the highway trust fund, the Congressional Budget Office weighed in Tuesday with a report showing that repairing the nation's aging roads...
New Assault on CBO's Numbers and TransparencyMay 2, 2012
The Congressional Budget Office has long been a target of disgruntled lawmakers and politicians whenever the congressional scorekeepers' long term calculations and projections have undercut their...
Why Reagan's Tax Reform Road Map Won't Work Now May 2, 2012
As politicians and business leaders sound the battle cry to make over the loophole-ridden U.S. tax code, they often point wistfully to the Reagan as the perfect road map. The Tax Reform Act of 1986...
Four Years Later, Housing Finally Turns a CornerMay 1, 2012
The crisis-ridden housing market has "turned a corner," Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan said today. Declining foreclosures, increasing home sales and a year-over-year boost in the Federal Housing...
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Maddon reminds Rays to 'Be present' with T-shirt
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Rays are a pretty loose group in general. Informal pregame warmups often include pitchers throwing footballs in the outfield, and it's not unusual to see a soccer ball volleyed between teammates as well. The vibe in the clubhouse is one of relaxed confidence.
They are a group of players that seem to enjoy living in the moment, a key part of manager Joe Maddon's philosophy. To underscore the point, Maddon designed a T-shirt that Rays players and field staff have been wearing this weekend. The shirt features two of his favorite phrases -- "Be present" on the front and "Fuh gedda boudit" on the back.
"We were playing about a month ago, and I noticed that somebody was having a hard time at the moment and I just yelled, 'Forget about it!'" Madden recalled. "I thought, 'Well, that's what being present is all about.'"
Maddon consulted with a graphic artist who incorporated the team's sunburst logo into the design on the front. He said he didn't specify how to spell "Forget about it" on the back, but was pleased with how authentically it captured his Northeastern/Italian dialect.
As for the idea of being present, Maddon elaborated on the significance of the concept that he's been preaching to his team since Spring Training.
"I think that's the biggest problem in any professional sport, when you lose sight of what's happening right now and you start worrying about what the other teams are doing, or maybe a negative moment from the day before," he said. "You can't worry about that stuff and get to the promised land. So I've been trying to put that message out there all year, and I thought, 'What better time to do it than at the end of the season, to be present?"
The lesson seems to have sunk in, even with the Rays' younger players. Rookie Wil Myers is going through his first playoff race, but he sounded like an old pro when he talked about resisting the temptation to keep an eye on the scoreboard and the standings rather than taking care of the Twins on the field.
"I just know we need to go out and take care of business. If we go out and handle our business, we won't have to worry about anybody else," Myers said. "It's not like we're not paying attention to what else is going on. We understand what's going on in other games, but we just need to go out and focus on our business and take care of it."
Maddon acknowledged as much in his postgame comments Friday, but he did thank Boston's Jarrod Saltalamacchia for the grand slam he hit to beat the Yankees -- also seeking an AL Wild Card spot -- earlier in the day, which was shown on the Target Field scoreboard. It's impossible to ignore other developments that affect the Rays' future, but in the end, it's all about what happens when the Rays take the field.
"I did watch the scoreboard. I saw the big homer by Saltalamacchia -- nice going, in a perverse way," Maddon said with a chuckle. "So I watched all of that tonight. But even though you're watching all of that, you're really just focused on your game. If we win, we'll take care of our own business. That's all we really need to do."


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OTTAWA — After a lengthy delay, the federal government on Tuesday said it is close to making good on its two-year old promise to designate bisphenol A as toxic under Canadian law.
The Conservatives made a big splash in April 2008 when two senior cabinet ministers hosted a news conference to announce Canada would become the first country in the world to ban plastic bottles after concluding the estrogen-mimicking chemical was toxic. The first step was to place BPA on the list of toxic substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
The ban went ahead, but the toxic designation has yet to happen. Environment Canada now says it will be a done deal within eight to 10 weeks — more than a year after considering a formal notice of objection filed by the American Chemistry Council.
The group, which maintains BPA is safe, filed the objection on July 15, 2009, asking the government to set up a board of review to reconsider the toxic designation.
Newly released correspondence to the council from Environment Minister Jim Prentice, dated July 27, 2010, says Ottawa has considered the request, but rejected it on the grounds that it "does not bring forth any new scientific data or information with respect to the nature and extent of the danger posed by bisphenol A."
Environmental Defence executive director Rick Smith, who led the lobby campaign for the toxic designation, called the move "important progress. Kudos to the federal government for moving this file forward and shame on the industry for its endless stalling tactics. We look forward to seeing BPA legally designated as 'toxic' as soon as possible."
Bisphenol A can leach into food from the protective epoxy resin coatings of canned foods or beverages and from such consumer products as polycarbonate tableware, plastic food storage containers and reusable hard plastic bottles.
Reproductive toxicity — including effects on fertility and development — has been identified as a key health effect of exposure to high concentrations of BPA, a recognized endocrine disrupter.
Since Ottawa's ban on baby bottles containing BPA, several U.S. states have followed Canada's lead. The U.S. government's national toxicology program, meanwhile, concluded earlier this year that it has "some concern for effects on the brain, behaviour and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A."


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I cooked dinner last night, just the second time since the arrival of my parents! I hope to share some of my mum's cooking with you in time.
This salmon burger is easy to put together and cooks quick too. It uses fresh salmon and ground pork with potatoes and onions for extra bite. I make it with leftover grilled salmon too. My family likes these burgers including hubby who is not a fish fan. Hope you'll like them too!
Salmon Burgers
(Adapted from Harumi's Japanese Cooking)
12 oz fresh salmon, skinless and bonelesss
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 small potato, peeled
4 oz ground pork (I use chicken)
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper
1. Chop salmon finely until it is almost ground.
2. Lightly cook chopped onions in the butter, taking care to retain the onion's crisp texture. Leave to cool.
3. Boil the potato or microwave it till cooked. Mash and leave to cool (do not add any butter or milk).
4. In a large bowl, mix the chopped salmon and ground pork. Add the cooked onion, mashed potato and beaten egg, then season with salt and pepper.
5. Shape the mixture into small burgers. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Working in batches, fry the burgers for 2-3 minutes on each side till browned and the meat is cooked.
6. Serve with Ponzu sauce (or mix light soy sauce with lemon juice) or mayonnaise with coarsely ground black pepper.


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Update: Family of triple homicide suspect upset with Waukesha mental health officials
Jaren Kuester's family wanted son admitted for mental health care
The man accused of killing three people in Lafayette County last month now faces five felony charges, including three counts of intentional homicide.
Jaren Kuester, 31, faces three charges of first-degree intentional homicide, one count of burglary and one count of operating a vehicle without consent.
Kuester is accused of killing Dean, Chloe and Gary Thoreson on April 27 near the Town of Wiota.
According to the criminal complaint, Kuester was bailed out of a Waukesha jail by his employer, felt that his life was crashing and burning around him and he "just started driving."
Kuester told police that he abandoned his vehicle along a Lafayette County road and took off his clothing because he felt he was being followed.
Kuester told police that he ran through the woods to a barn, and later decided to break into the house as he did not believe anyone was home.
Police said that Dean Thoreson was checking on his brother Gary's home as the couple had been out of town.
According to the complaint, as Dean Thoreson entered the home and walked up the stairs, Kuester hit him with a fireplace poker and killed him.
Investigators said Kuester told them he killed Thoreson because he "did not want the man to leave the house and get help."
Police said Kuester drove Thoreson's pickup truck into the garage and closed the door.
After family members contacted Dean and Chloe Thoreson about the disappearance of Gary Thoreson, the two returned to their home.
According to the complaint, Kuester said he heard Chloe say that she saw blood on the stairway.
Kuester then told police he killed both Dean and Chloe Thoreson with a fireplace poker. He then parked their vehicle in the garage and closed the door.
The criminal complaint states that Kuester later took items from the home and drove one of the Thoreson vehicles to his father's house in Waukesha, where he was apprehended by police.
If convicted, Kuester faces life in prison.
Kuester was released from jail in Waukesha the day before the killings and had contact with Waukesha police and mental health workers that week, but he was allowed to pay his bail and go free.
"Since the day after this occurred, we've reviewed it every day," said Peter Schuler of Waukesha County Mental Health Services.
Waukesha County's Mental Health Services has been criticized for not detaining Kuester five days before the killings of three people in southwest Wisconsin.
Kuester's parents told the Wisconsin State Journal the triple homicide never would have happened if Kuester had been hospitalized in Waukesha County as they asked.
"Did the family ask to have him detained?" Sater asked.
"No, they asked for other things but not that," Schuler said.
Schuler said county mental health workers had contact with Kuester in the days before the killings but not enough evidence to forcibly detain him.
"The interaction of my personnel with him was not such that anyone would have had enough information or anything said that would indicate, to make a detention, which is an emergency detention," Schuler said.
"I would say it's a very small percentage of people with serious mental illness who actually act out violently," clinical psychologist Peder Piering said.
Piering is a court recognized expert on mental health commitments and said unless there's a history, there's no crystal ball for violent behavior.
"In other situations there might be just a trigger without any path behaviors. And people might just engage in violent behavior without any ability to predict it," Piering said.
Kuester is scheduled to make his first court appearance on the triple homicide charges Friday afternoon.
UPDATE: Kuester's mother, Kathleen, contacted WISN 12 News on Wednesday night. She read the statement below in response to the Waukesha Mental Health Services interview.
"Waukesha Health and Human Services is using wordplay to cover up the fact that Jaren was brought to their place, so he could get treatment.
Jaren's father called Mr. Schuler's office who was unavailable to talk, to complain about Mr. Bob Walker's lack of help who (the father) had seen earlier that day.
We feel that Waukesha Health and Human Services is trying to deflect any responsibility for not admitting Jaren into in-patient treatment.
Jaren was brought to Waukesha Health and Human Services by his father.
They were told, 'This is a crisis situation ... Jaren is paranoid and delusional and a danger to himself.' And the staff did not take the situation seriously.
Now we feel like they are trying to cover up the fact that we brought this to their attention.
-Family of Jaren Kuester


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Teen arrested in accidental fatal shooting
Authorities have arrested a Des Moines teen in the accidental shooting of a 16-year-old on Friday night.
Des Moines police responded to 1444 E. Walnut St. after a report of a person being shot. Authorities found Corey L. Hamilton Jr., 16, with a gunshot wound to his head.
Medics from the Des Moines Fire Department transported the teen to an area hospital, where he later died from the injury.
Police interviewed several witnesses and arrested 15-year-old Dontavius Sharkey. Police said the gun used in the incident was recovered with the cooperation of the suspect.
Friends of Hamilton told KCCI NewsChannel 8 that Hamilton was a junior at Des Moines Lincoln High School.
As a result of the investigation, Sharkey has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless use of a firearm.