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Johnny Oduya and Marcus Kruger scored in the third period, Corey Crawford made 20 saves and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 in the opener of their second-round playoff series Wednesday night.
Chicago dominated the final two periods in its first game in the Western Conference semifinals since it won the Stanley Cup in 2010. Marian Hossa scored the opening goal, and Patrick Sharp had an empty-netter and two assists to give him nine points in the playoffs.
"I thought it was our best game of the playoffs, no question," Sharp said.
Jimmy Howard finished with 38 stops in a terrific performance, but Detroit still lost to rival Chicago for the eighth straight time dating to last season.
The series resumes Saturday afternoon at the United Center (1 p.m., CBC, NBC).
The 75th all-time playoff game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings was tied at 1 after two periods, and Howard made a great stop on a breakaway by Dave Bolland 4 1/2 minutes into the third.
Chicago kept working and went in front to stay on a heady play by Oduya. He drifted in from the point and sent Sharp's pass past Howard on the glove side with 12 minutes left.
"He sneaks in there, and it was a great play by Johnny," Sharp said. "I saw him pinching in, I felt like he was wide open, and he called for the puck."
Kruger then jumped on a loose puck and sent a backhander into the upper right corner to make it 3-1.
That was more than enough for Crawford, who caught a break when Damien Brunner's rebound attempt went off the crossbar and straight down before Brent Seabrook swept it away with about three minutes left.
"Sometimes you got to get some breaks," Crawford said. "Seabs came in there and he made a great play to clear it out."
The opener of the 16th playoff series between the Original Six teams was the first game for Chicago since it eliminated Minnesota last Thursday. Detroit closed out Anaheim with a 3-2 win in Game 7 on Sunday night, taking the final two games of the series against the second-seeded Ducks.
Despite the long break, there was no sign of rust for the Blackhawks. And the Red Wings skated right with Chicago despite all that travel in the first round and the thrilling conclusion to the series against Anaheim.
This one was fast and frenetic from the start. Two similar teams more than familiar with the other's style, energized by their first playoff meeting since Detroit beat Chicago in five games in the 2009 Western Conference final.
The Blackhawks struck first, taking advantage of the first power-play opportunity of the game. With Gustav Nyquist in the box for hooking, Sharp forced a turnover along the boards and Jonathan Toews sent the puck to Hossa, who one-timed it past Howard at 9:03.
Detroit needed less than two minutes to respond, tying it when Brunner poked in a rebound for his third career playoff goal. The rookie centre also contributed three assists in the first round against the Ducks.
The Blackhawks killed off two power plays created by penalties on Andrew Shaw. They killed off another one when Nick Leddy was sent off for delay of game in the second period, making them a perfect 20 for 20 on the penalty kill in the post-season and sinking Detroit to 1 for 18 on power plays against Chicago, including the regular season.
After Leddy's penalty, the Blackhawks controlled most of the action for a while. They had a 17-5 advantage in shots in the period. They just couldn't solve Howard, who made a great glove stop on a wide-open Hossa with 6:39 remaining. Detroit also killed off two Chicago power plays to keep it tied headed to the third.
NOTES: It was the 800th game between the teams. … Detroit F Justin Abdelkader was shaken up after he collided with Blackhawks D Michal Rozsival in the first period. He was helped to the bench after a few moments down on the ice, but eventually returned to the game. … Blackhawks F Viktor Stalberg was a healthy scratch. Coach Joel Quenneville said it was a "coach's decision" and Stalberg could get back on the ice at any point. He said he talked to Stalberg about the decision to bench him for the opener. … Toews and Pavel Datsyuk of the Red Wings joined Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins as finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward. Datsyuk, a three-time winner, tied with Toews for the league lead in takeaways with 56. … Chicago has won eight of the previous 15 playoff series against Detroit.


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Volunteer with Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement is a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to inspire young people to succeed in a global economy. Since its founding in 1919, JA has contributed to the business and economics education of young people throughout the world.
Becoming a JA Volunteer
You know that they have the potential to make their dreams come true. The question is, will they? As a Junior Achievement volunteer, you can help empower young people to own their economic success by sharing your experience and JA's proven and engaging lessons.
A want versus a need. How to balance a checkbook. Don't you wish that someone had taught you those things as you were growing up? Now there is someone. YOU. All we need is your enthusiasm, life experience, and a willingness to teach children about how you took chances and shot for the stars. Junior Achievement provides the training, curriculum, and a classroom ready to meet you.


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Azana salon reopens after mass shooting
Estranged husband of employee kills 3 women, himself
The Azana salon and spa opened its doors for the first time Saturday since a mass shooting on Oct. 21.
Members of the Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce arrived early to offer support and bring breakfast to the workers. The salon welcomed its first clients at 8 a.m.
Six weeks ago, the estranged husband of an employee opened fire, killing three women and himself.
Owner Tami Gemmell said Saturday was a positive day.
"My employees and the customers, like I said, they're very happy to be reunited together," Gemmell said. "It's one more step in the healing process. We've come a long way in the last six weeks."
The salon now contains permanent tributes to the three women who were killed. There's a memorial plaque that contains the names of Zina Daniel, Maelyn Lind and Cary Robuck. A table also contains three flowers and candle at the front door.


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LAS VEGAS -- Ryan Moore matched the course record and his career best with a 10-under 61 on Thursday in the first round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
The former UNLV player had nine birdies, an eagle -- on the 341-yard, par-4 15th -- and a bogey in perfect conditions at TPC Summerlin to take a one-stroke lead in the Fall Series opener.
"Just one of those nice days," Moore said. "Got off to a great start. Kind of 7 under on the front nine and just kind of cruised the next nine. Made bogey there on my 17th hole, No. 8, which I wasn't too happy about. It was great to bounce back with a birdie on the ninth hole.
"No wind and perfect temperature, greens are reasonably soft and rolling nice on top of that. So it's one of those days that you just keep putting it in play. You know you're going to have a bunch of pitching wedges, 9-irons, 8-irons into these greens, and a few shorter irons, too."
Brendon de Jonge had a 62, and Tim Herron and John Huh each shot 63. Justin Leonard, Chris Kirk and Jonas Blixt were three strokes back at 64. Kirk eagled the 15th and par-5 16th.
Moore also shot a 61 this season in the Humana Challenge on PGA West's Nicklaus Course. The Las Vegas resident has seven top-10 finishes and is 36th on the money list. The final top 30 will receive spots in the Masters.
Moore tied the TPC Summerlin record set by Davis Love III in 2001 and matched by Tag Ridings in 2004 and Hunter Haas in 2011. Chip Beck holds the overall tournament record, shooting a 59 in 1991 at Sunrise Golf Club.
"I had no idea that was the course record, so that's nice," Moore said. "I've just been playing good, solid golf lately. Just kind of keep hitting the ball solid and giving myself opportunities. On a golf course like this, I'm probably more comfortable. I've played it more this year than any other coming into it."
He won the 2009 Wyndham Championship for his lone PGA Tour title.
De Jonge saved par on the 15th hole after driving onto the front right bunker, then lining his next shot into the back left bunker. But he hit his third from 70 feet within 2 feet of the hole.
"It wasn't a very good lie," de Jonge said about his 70-foot shot. "I was trying to get under it, and to be honest, I half shanked it. I was kind of lucky that it caught the lip on the way out."
Herron was just glad to be back in action after having the last six weeks off.
"I didn't hit it terrible, but I didn't feel like I was quite really on my game," Herron said. "Maybe that's just taking six weeks off. Hopefully, I can get some confidence and hit some of the shots when I really need to hit some shots."
Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton had a 66, and defending champion Kevin Na opened with a 68. Casey Martin shot a 71. The Oregon coach, playing on a sponsor's exemption, is allowed to use a cart in competition because of a rare circulatory disorder in his right leg.


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The following article doesn't mention and new info about G.I. Joe specifically, but it does speak to the end of the Hasbro Cinematic Universe. With ROM and MASK movies unlikely, it appears as though Hasbro may have come to their senses! The article mentions that the writers room came away with 11 films, yet they've heard nothing about moving forward. It seem like the 2 properties they were having the hardest time incorporating were MASK and ROM; and they are out.
That said, the article continues to speculate that the connected universe might also have been canned, based on the DCEU and Dark Universe's failures. This would seem to be consistent with Hasbro and Paramount's phobia of box office failure, as evidenced with the cancellations/delay of projects after Battleship.
If this turns out to be true, I think it's definitely great news for G.I. Joe 3!


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Wearing cushioned, snugly fitting shoes restricts the essential sensory feedback from feet to brain, which restricts kids movement, especially whilst at school.
Running a Marathon Pulling a 1.4 Tonne Car Covering 1,000 Miles With a 50kkg Marine Backpack Completing an Olympic-Distance Triathlon Carrying a 100-lbs Tree Last year I developed a strange sporting skillset. I became quite good at carrying very heavy...
Galahad Clark shares his experiences of taking part in the swimrun event in the Isles of Scilly.
Vivobarefoot introduce their newest concept store design in the Prague location
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Year by year, Halkidiki is visited by numerous tourists from all over the world, wishing to enjoy its beautiful nature, pristine beaches and tucked away bays with hills and mountains as a backdrop, cultural events and rich nightlife. By coming to Halkidiki you can't miss the crystal clear sea, beautiful environment and diverse architecture, which is why you should rent a vehicle to perceive as much of its uniqueness as possible. If you are looking for a night entertainment, Kassandra is your best choice. If activities in magnificent nature are your favorite, Sithonia is irreplaceable. Athos, known as the Monastic Communtiy, features various interesting monasteries in an engaging environment. While traversing Halkidiki, don't overlook picturesque villages and settlements, each featuring appealing architecture and history. To witness one of the oldest human findings in Europe, visit Petralona Cave on West Halkidiki.
The quality tourist infrastructure of Halkidiki constantly improves, and you can find here a wide range of facilities catering to all travelers. Whether you need a peaceful or exciting vacation, hidden beaches (mostly on Sithonia and East Halkidiki regions), crowded beaches with bars (Kassandra and west coast of Halkidiki) or something else, there are options for everyone. You can choose to stay either in a luxurious hotel, rental villas, elegant studios and apartments, or camping. The fact is that wherever you choose to stay, you'll never be far away from the beautiful sea that shamelessly penetrates the coast, exceptional natural beauties and an excellent time. You can also plan an excursion to the nearby city of Thessaloniki, the second largest Greek city with a nice seaside promenade and rich history, displayed in its museums, fortress and acropolis.
The road network of Halkidiki is extensive, taking you not only along the coastline, but inland, too. Use them to pay a visit to surprising points of interest and elevated grounds, which offer terrific panoramic views encompassing a distant sea and beautiful environment.
Halkidiki abounds with beautiful beaches that deserve your unconditional attention. Some of them appeal to the water sports enthusiasts, while others are perfect for the night owls that don't mind welcoming sunrise in a beach bar (Kassandra). If you would rather be alone in a hidden cove, the best chance to find such a spot is on Sithonia. Besides beautiful beaches, Halkidiki also boasts rich archaeological findings and historical monuments. So don't waste your chance to enrich your vacation with these exceptional sites.
Picturesque villages have picturesque history, too, spanning primeval, ancient, Byzantine and Middle Ages periods to the present day. If you are limited with time and need to leave something behind, make sure not to exclude Parthenonas (Sithonia), Afitos (Kassandra) and Arnea (North Halkidiki) villages.
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Sailing Cruises in Halkidiki
Scuba Diving Kassandra – Sithonia
Outdoor Activities
Visiting Mount Athos
Mount Athos is accessible by boat from Ouranoupoli or Ierissos in Halkidiki. From Thessaloniki, one may reach Ouranoupoli by private automobile or public transportation. There are daily departures to Ouranoupoli and Ierissos. The journey is approximately two hours long.
From Ouranoupolis there are daily freight and passenger boat trips at 9:45 to Daphne, the sea port of Mount Athos and to the monasteries of Zographou, Docheiariou, Xenofontos and Saint Panteleimon. Visitors to the monasteries of Simonos Petra, Gregoriou, Dionysiou, Saint Paul and the skete of Saint Anne change boats at Daphne. Finally, for the monasteries of Esphigmenou and Vatopedi in particular, the visitor may depart from Ierissos.


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Meet Honey, rescued from dogfighting. Honey's life changed when her hero, Chris Schindler of our Animal Rescue Team, freed her from her heavy chains and from a brutal life in the fighting pit. You can be a hero for animals in need, too, just by giving what you can today.
We need your help to give more animals like Honey a better future! Please make an end of year donation today, or you can make a monthly gift to help animals all year-round.
As the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization, The Humane Society of the United States has been a leading voice for animals for more than 50 years. We believe in a truly humane society, and work to reduce suffering and create meaningful social change for animals.
can't continue our lifesaving work for animals without the support of generous heroes
like you. Please make a tax-deductible donation to save animals in need today.
Would you like to know more?
Is The HSUS a reputable charity?
Founded in 1954, The HSUS is the nation's largest and most effective animal protection organization, backed by 11 million Americans, or one in every 28. Recently, we were chosen as one of Worth magazine's top 10 Most Fiscally Responsible Charities, and our accomplishments for animals range from local needs to national legislation. For more information, you can read our annual reports and financial statements, as well as check out our latest accomplishments for animals.
What can I do to help animals besides making a donation?
What is The HSUS' mission?
The HSUS' mission statement is "Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty." We strive to create a humane and sustainable world for all animals – a world that will also benefit people. We seek to forge a lasting and comprehensive change in human consciousness of and behavior toward all animals in order to prevent animal cruelty, exploitation, and neglect, and to protect wild habitats and the entire community of life.
How does The HSUS accomplish its goals?
We seek to achieve our goals through education, advocacy, public policy reform, and the empowerment of our supporters and partners. We do not engage in or support actions that are illegal or violent or that run counter to the basic principles of compassion and respect for others.
We work for animals every day by caring for the thousands of animals at our direct care centers across the country, educating the public about animal issues, working in the halls of Congress to create laws to protect animals, and rescuing animals from disaster and cruelty situations. We also work to protect animals through our major campaigns that target large-scale cruelties such as animal fighting, puppy mills, factory farms, unsporting hunting practices, and the fur trade.
How is The HSUS affiliated with my local humane society?
Local humane societies and SPCAs are independent entities and are not run by The HSUS or any other national entity. The HSUS works with local humane societies and supports their work through training, evaluations, publications, and other professional services. Additionally, The HSUS operates its own network of animal sanctuaries and rescue operations, providing emergency care and homes to more animals than any other organization in the United States. Find out how The HSUS serves local animal shelters and provides direct animal care coast to coast.
How can I donate to The HSUS?
Making a donation to The HSUS is easy and simple. Many donors prefer to make a small monthly donation that is charged to your credit card. This provides HSUS with a steady, reliable financial foundation to reach our goals. You can also opt to make a one-time donation to support our animal protection efforts. If you have any questions about donating to us online, please send us an email or call us toll-free at 1-866-720-2676.
If you would prefer to donate by mail, please send your gift to The Humane Society of the United States, Dept HACDQ100904001, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037.
What do I receive with my donation?
When you donate, you join the HSUS family of staff and friends fighting to confront cruelty and celebrate animals. As a way of saying thank you for your generosity, you'll receive a subscription of our award-winning All Animals magazine that is filled with useful pet tips, animal stories, and news from the front lines of our fight to protect animals, when you sign up as a monthly donor or make a single gift of $25 or more. Plus, we'll send you updates and action alerts so you can take quick, simple actions for animals each week.
How is my donation used?
The HSUS is the world's leading animal advocacy organization, working to protect all animals across the nation and worldwide. Your donation will help The HSUS in its mission to celebrate animals and confront cruelty -- including our wide range of animal protection initiatives such as:
Can I stop my monthly donations?
Yes, quickly and easily. You can cancel your monthly donation — or adjust your monthly gift amount — by following the link on any email we send you. Or, you can call our Membership & Customer Loyalty department toll-free at 1-866-720-2676 and a representative will process your request.
The Humane Society of the United States: Celebrating Animals, Confronting Cruelty


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Stevie Wonder galvanized Bonnaroo with a sweaty, irresistible nighttime performance, an act that headliner Jay-Z followed with torrid, flawless bombast.
Jay-Z and Wonder were perhaps the two biggest acts to perform back-to-back at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which closes Sunday night with the Dave Matthews Band. The two took the Bonnaroo main stage in succession on Saturday, pumping the festival crowd — some 75,000 in total — full of energy.
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Each performance was a remarkable individual showcase. Jay-Z, often solo with his band behind in the shadows, roamed the stage relentlessly, moving briskly from hit to hit, including "Empire State of Mind," ''Big Pimpin'," ''Hard Knock Life" and "99 Problems."
Well into the set, after songs almost uniformly about himself, Jay-Z made one of the more redundant introductions.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: CMT Awards 2010: Country's Hottest Stars!
"Some people may know me, some people may not," said the rapper. "My name is Jay-Z."
Bonnaroo may have begun as a jam band event, but it years ago expanded into all genres, including hip-hop. And Jay-Z has recently been making rock festivals a frequent destination. He famously drew ire from some traditionalists in the U.K. when he performed at the 2008 Glastonbury Festival. He also played California's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in May.
Dressed in a black T-shirt and black shorts, Jay-Z never removed his "sunnies." He singled out a girl in the audience because it was her birthday and sang "Happy Birthday" to her on stage.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: KROQ Weenie Roast 2010
It was a surprisingly sweet moment for such a swaggering concert. But the performance started on a similar note.
"Wait 'til I tell my mom Stevie Wonder stayed for my set," Jay-Z said, smiling broadly.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Generations Collide At LA 'Karate Kid' Premiere!
Wonder played a career-spanning concert that was roundly viewed as a festival highlight. The R&B legend frequently led the crowd in sing-alongs, informing the audience that they were now "a Stevie Wonder group of voices."
"I'm going to be your teacher," he said, before cautioning, "Don't mess up my words."
Wonder didn't skimp on the hits, performing warm, lively renditions of "Higher Ground," ''Superstition," ''Sir Duke," ''My Cherie Amour," ''Do I Do" and many others.
He began the set offstage, playing a funky opening jam on a keytar of "Did I Hear You Say You Love Me?" He was guided as he walked to his gleaming grand piano, as his large backing band filed in behind.
He was a consummate bandleader, shouting to his group to change keys as he jammed on a talkbox during a cover of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine."
The entire performance had a warm, inclusive glow. In the intro to "Livin' For the City," Wonder criticized dishonest politics.
"If you want to be a supremacist, then be the supreme of getting people together," he said. He finished the song with his arms raised and a bar of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance."
Other acts Saturday included Weezer, Jack White's the Dead Weather, Norah Jones and a middle-of-the-night set by the jam band Disco Biscuits.
Excessive heat in the high 90s has been a constant at this year's ninth annual Bonnaroo. Reprieve came late in the afternoon when a passing shower cooled things off. The rain arrived as Jack White's the Dead Weather were performing on the main stage, and White told the crowd to remember who was playing when the rain came.
Conan O'Brien introduced the Dead Weather, with whom he has a close connection. He and White are friends, and on Thursday in Nashville, O'Brien performed a set of rockabilly at White's Nashville label, Third Man Records.
"Don't think of it as rain," O'Brien told the crowd. "Think of it as us having a shower together."
O'Brien has been emceeing the Bonnaroo main stage and twice performed his "Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television" comedy show. After crisscrossing the country, O'Brien — whose voice was hoarse Saturday — is nearing the finish of his tour, which ends Monday in Atlanta.
World Cup fever also came to Bonnaroo, where the U.S.-England match, which finished with a 1-1 draw, was broadcast on a big screen.
No one was a bigger soccer fan than Rivers Cuomo, the lead singer of Weezer. On Friday, the band released a Cup anthem for the U.S. team, "Represent," available for free on iTunes.
Before taking the stage, Cuomo could be seen backstage juggling a soccer ball. Wearing a U.S. jersey, he was clearly in a good mood, bouncing around the stage and climbing scaffolding. The band began with "Hash Pipe," as Cuomo sang, fittingly, "Come on and kick me."
Copyright 2010 by Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: 2010 Grammy Awards: Backstage With Jay-Z
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More from Access: [ Jay-Z Music Jack White ]


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The harmonica virtuoso and rotund frontman for jam band favorites Blues Traveler, singer/harpist John Popper was born in Cleveland, OH, on March 29, 1967. While attending high school in Princeton, NJ, he befriended drummer Brendan Hill; together, the two — in combination with guitarist Chan Kinchla and bassist Bobby Sheehan — would go on to form Blues Traveler, earning a fervent grassroots following during the early '90s on the basis of their relentless touring schedule and a sprawling blues-rock sound that aligned them alongside other neo-hippie outfits including Phish, Widespread Panic, and the Spin Doctors. All of the aforementioned joined Blues Traveler in 1992 on the inaugural H.O.R.D.E. (Horizons of Rock Developing Everywhere) tour, which was originally conceived by Popper and band manager Dave Frey and went on to become one of the most successful annual tour packages of the decade.
The group's momentum was derailed in the fall of 1992, however, when Popper was severely injured in a motorcycle accident; returning to the road, he played a number of dates while confined to a wheelchair. Released in 1994, Four was Blues Traveler's mainstream breakthrough, launching a major hit with the single "Run-Around." After completing his 1999 debut solo effort, Zygote, Popper — who'd been experiencing chest pains for months — was forced to undergo an angioplasty; the record's eventual release that September was further overshadowed when Blues Traveler bassist Sheehan was found dead in his New Orleans home on August 20. But following his record's release, Popper took his backing band out on the road for the first time through that winter. Still struggling with health problems (and obese for quite a while), Popper underwent gastric bypass surgery the next year, which led to a significant weight loss.
The sixth Blues Traveler album, Bridge, then appeared in May 2001; Truth Be Told followed two years later. When BT decided to take a break at the end of the year (to accommodate Chan Kinchla's growing family), Popper wasn't ready to sit around and so hooked up with bassist Rob Wasserman (of RatDog fame), playing a random show together in San Francisco. Turntablist DJ Logic happened to drop by for that set, and next thing anyone knew, Popper and Logic had formed the John Popper Project together in early 2004. The group, which also includes Blues Traveler bassist Tad Kinchla and Mosaic drummer Marcus Bleeker, went on to tour sporadically in between BT's schedule, eventually releasing their first album together in October 2006.
BT reunited for the 2008 recording North Hollywood Shootout on Verve's Forecast imprint and once more toured heavily in support of it. The last two years of the 21st century's first decade found Popper in demand as a session player, contributing to albums such as John Oates' 1000 Miles of Life, ZO2's Casino Logic, and Lisa Bouchelle's Blue Room with a Red Vase. In 2010 Popper assembled another band called John Popper & the Duskray Troubadours. He described it as "a scrappy roots rock alter ego to Blues Traveler," though they sound directly influenced by the music of the Band. Besides Popper, the group consists of guitarist/producer/keyboardist Jono Manson, bassist Steve Lindsay, drummer Mark Clark, and guitarists Kevin Trainor and Aaron Beavers. They issued their self-titled debut album on 429 Records in early 2011. ~ Jason Ankeny
Background Vocal
Composer, Lyricist
Composer, Lyricist
Composer, Lyricist, Harmonica, Singer


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In a pre-emptive strike, GK Films has come on board to acquire the feature film rights to TOMB RAIDER and will reboot the successful action-adventure franchise aiming for a 2013 release for the first film.
Produced by Graham King and Tim Headington, the films will create daring new adventures for the young and dynamic Lara Croft.
GK Films acquired the film rights from interactive entertainment company Square Enix Ltd. In Dec 2010, Square Enix subsidiary, Crystal Dynamics, revealed a new game for TOMB RAIDER based around the origins of the Lara Croft story.
"We are very excited to be rebooting what is already a hugely successful film franchise and continuing the TOMB RAIDER phenomenon," said King.
The original game was published in 1996 by the London based video game company Eidos and became one of the most successful video games of the time. Today Eidos (including Crystal Dynamics), is part of an international interactive entertainment group, Square Enix and the stage is set for this new chapter in TOMB RAIDER history.
A pop culture phenomenon, the original TOMB RAIDER games have sold over 35million game units worldwide and Lara Croft, along with Mario Brothers is the most recognized name in gaming history.
Starring Angelina Jolie, Paramount Pictures made two movies based on the daredevil archaeologist on a series of global missions in 2001 and 2003. They grossed a total of $432m at the worldwide box office.
Senior Vice President, Grey Rembert will oversee the project for GK Films.
GK Films
Graham King launched GK Films in May 2007 with business partner Tim Headington. The company's feature "The Town," written and directed by Ben Affleck, was recently released by Warner Bros. on September 17. GK Films also produced "The Tourist," directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, which was released by Columbia Pictures on December 10 and has garnered $250m at the worldwide box office to date. Most recently, GK Films produced the animated tale "Rango," directed by Gore Verbinski and produced with his Blind Wink Productions for Paramount Pictures, which was released on March 4. The company is currently in post-production on the 3-D family film "Hugo Cabret," directed by Martin Scorsese set for release through Paramount Pictures on November 23rd 2011, and an untitled love story, written and directed by Angelina Jolie.
GK Films recently announced several new projects including the screen adaptation of "Jersey Boys" and the untitled Freddie Mercury story starring Sacha Baron Cohen and written by Peter Morgan. Upcoming releases produced by GK Films include the crime drama London Boulevard, starring Colin Farrell and Keira Knightley and written and directed by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter William Monahan.
Recent GK Films releases include "Edge of Darkness," and the three-time Academy Award® nominated "The Young Victoria."
In 2010, Graham King and Tim Headington launched a new division, GK-TV. Run by President Craig Cegielski, GK-TV is dedicated to the development, production and worldwide distribution of television programming. GK-TV's miniseries "Camelot," set to premiere on Starz on April1, 2011, stars Joseph Fiennes and Eva Green.
GK Films, in partnership with Peter Schlessel, recently formed FilmDistrict, a multi-faceted studio that encompasses acquisitions, distribution, production and financing on wide release commercial pictures. The company will theatrically distribute several films per year.
GK Films can be found on the World Wide Web at http://gk-films.com.
About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd., a part of the Square Enix Europe business unit, develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix Group. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix Group boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 97 million units worldwide, DRAGON QUEST® which has sold over 54 million units worldwide and TOMB RAIDER® which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/eu/en/.
TOMB RAIDER, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, FINAL FANTASY, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo and TAITO are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix Group. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


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Zebra ZT200 Series ZT230 - Label printer - thermal transfer - Roll (4.5 in) - 300 dpi - up to 359.1 inch/min - USB, LAN, serial
Item#: YYI2-PJ8510 | Model#: ZT23043-T01200FZ
Shipping: In Stock, usually ships within 24 hours (Details)
Zebra ZT200 Series ZT230 - label printer Product Details
Whether you are adopting barcode technology for the first time or upgrading existing printer models, the ZT200 series is the right choice for a variety of labeling applications. This innovative printer provides many user benefits
The ZT200 series offers a streamlined design and smaller footprint. ZT200 series printers require minimal operator training and benefit from tool-less standard component maintenance and a durable design to minimize service. Your IT staff will appreciate the backwards compatibility, since it allows for these printers to be up and running with minimal time and effort.
The ZT200 series has been designed for ease of use, versatility and outstanding value.
Printer Type: Label printer - thermal transfer - monochrome
Localization: United States
Print Speed: Up to 359.1 inch/min - B/W - 300 dpi - Roll (4.5 in)
Built-in Devices: Status LCD
Connectivity Technology: Wired
Interface: USB 2.0, LAN, serial
Max Resolution (B&W): 300 dpi
Language Simulation: ZPL, ZPL II, Extensible Mark-up Language (XML)
Fonts Included: 1 x scalable ¦ 7 x bitmapped
Barcodes: Code 93, Industrial 2 of 5, Code 39, Code 49, CODABLOCK, ISBT 128, QR code, MaxiCode, Aztec code, LOGMARS, EAN/JAN-8, EAN/JAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E, MicroPDF417, Codabar, Code 11, Interleaved 2 of 5, Postnet, PDF417, Data Matrix, PLANET, TLC39, Plessey, Code 128B, Code 128C, Code 128A, Standard 2 of 5
Printer Features: Zebra Programming Language (ZPL) support, XML-enabled printing, Multi-level Element Energy Equalizer (E3)
Processor: 400 MHz
RAM Installed (Max): 128 MB
Technology / Form Factor: SDRAM
Flash Memory
Flash Memory: 128 MB
Media Handling
Media Type: Labels, die cut labels, continuous paper
Max Media Size: Roll (4.5 in)
Min Media Size (Custom): 0.763 in
Max Media Size (Custom): 4.5 in x 39 in
Media Sizes: Roll (0.763 in - 4.5 in)
Max Printing Width: 4.09 in
Max Printing Length: 73 in
Media Thickness Range: 0.003 in - 0.01 in
Roll Maximum Outer Diameter: 8 in
Roll Core Diameter: 3 in, 1 in
Media Feeders: 1 x manual - 1 roll - Roll (4.5 in)
Networking: Print server
Network Controller Name: ZebraNet 10/100 Print Server
Data Link Protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
Expansion / Connectivity
Connections: 1 x RS-232 - 9 pin D-Sub (DB-9) ¦ 1 x USB 2.0 ¦ 1 x LAN
Compatible with Windows 7: "Compatible with Windows 7" software and devices carry Microsofts assurance that these products have passed tests for compatibility and reliability with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7.
Compliant Standards: VCCI, C-Tick, BSMI, EN 61000-3-2, ICES-003, NOM, IEC 60950, EN 61000-3-3, EN55024, EN55022 Class B, FCC Part 15 B, CCC, KCC, GOST-R, S Mark, cTUVus, UkrSEPRO
Power Device: Power supply - internal
Voltage Required: AC 120/230 V
Frequency Required: 50/60 Hz
Environmental Standards
ENERGY STAR: Yes
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support: Limited warranty - 1 year
Environmental Parameters
Min Operating Temperature: 41 °F
Max Operating Temperature: 104 °F
Humidity Range Operating: 20 - 85% (non-condensing)
Dimensions & Weight
Width: 9.5 in
Depth: 17 in
Height: 10.9 in
Weight: 20.06 lbs
Dimensions & Weight (Shipping)
Weight (Shipping): 25.13 lbs
Additional Resources: Product Manuals
- Technology Guide: Choosing The Right Printer
- Technology Guide: Print Media & Paper
- Technology Guide: Printer Cartridge Yields
- Technology Guide: Printer Safety
- Technology Ideas: How To Print CD/DVD Labels
- Technology Ideas: Personal Printing Projects
- Technology Introduction: Wireless Printers for the Home and Small Office
Printers Additional Specs
|Scanner Type
|Label Printer
|Thermal Transfer
|Zebra Technologies
|Device Type
|Print Server
|Product Color
|B/W or Color
|17 in
|20.06 lbs
|9.5 in
|10.9 in
Warranty and Returns
Manufacturer Warranty
Support URL: www.zebra.com/
Support Phone Number: +1 866 230 9494
Return PolicyClick for return policy details.
Manufactured by: Zebra Technologies
Warranty provided by: Zebra Technologies
UPC No:
Mfg Part No: ZT23043-T01200FZ
Box Size:
( Length:0, Width:0, Depth:0)
Shipping Weight: 24.6400 pound(s)
Click here for full warranty and support information
- Zebra Technologies logos are registered trademarks of Zebra Technologies. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


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Close encounters of another kind?
The latest discovery of a large asteroid moving through our Solar System puts a spotlight on the studies of these and other wandering celestial objects by the European Space Agency.
ESA's Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) satellite showed that there might be as many as two million asteroids larger than one kilometre in the region of space known as the 'asteroid belt'. Gravitational nudges from the planets can push them out of position, causing them to fall towards the Sun, which means that they may cross Earth's orbit and potentially collide with our world.
The planets of the Solar System were born in a violent storm of asteroid-like objects that began 4.6 thousand million years ago and lasted for roughly 500 million years. The planets failed to consume all of the asteroids and the planetary leftovers are still orbiting the Sun today. Most of them are confined to the 'main belt' of asteroids, in between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Ironically, this process, which is thought to have initially assisted in life's origin by seeding the Earth with precious organic compounds, now threatens it.
There are several impact craters visible on the Earth's surface, one of them is the Haughton crater in Canada, formed 23 million years ago, but many terrestrial craters are now covered by water or forests, or have been eroded away over thousands of years. There is now compelling evidence that the death of the dinosaurs was accelerated by the impact of an asteroid that struck the Earth in the Yucatán peninsula, off the coast of Mexico.
The Earth is in danger not only from asteroid strikes but also from their icy equivalents, comets. They could wreak havoc if they were to collide with our world. These objects usually live far away beyond even Pluto but can be jolted from their usual orbits by passing stars or gigantic gas clouds.
Comets are considered to be the primitive building blocks of the Solar System, and ESA's Rosetta comet-chasing mission could help us to understand if life on Earth began with the help of 'comet seeding'.
The chances of a comet hitting the Earth are also very small, but the possibility does exist, as shown when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in 1994. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, as well as Earth-based telescopes around the world, obtained spectacular imagery of this first-ever observed collision between two objects in our Solar System.
Hundreds of small comets are spotted every year, but most are drawn towards the Sun by its large gravitational attraction. They are called 'sungrazer' comets and they burn up completely in the Sun's hot atmosphere.
The ESA/NASA sun-watching spacecraft SOHO has become the most prolific discoverer of comets in the history of astronomy. With its LASCO coronagraph instrument, originally designed for seeing outbursts from the Sun, SOHO can monitor a large volume of surrounding space, and it is now a vital tool for ESA in the study of comets.


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This is a class that you can't miss in your developer toolbox. These days almost every website or application uses API's to get or store data, and that's were this class is created for. It helps you to communicate with all types of API's. Even if you don't have CURL on your server the class will fallback to an implementation that uses "fopen" without loosing any functionality. You will still be able to choose headers, request methods, timeouts and other settings.
To show you the power of this class I've created some example scripts that talk to some of the most popular API's. Below you find a list of examples that are included:
- Direct Admin
- Envato
- Freshbooks
- PivotalTracker
- WordPress
- YouTube
Besides these examples I've also included some other examples to show you how to do a put request, use cookies, do a SSL request, upload files and use of basic authentication.
To get a better understanding of how to use this class you can take a look at the full documentation here.
Facebook Graph API example
For the people that want to use the Facebook Graph API . Here an example how to use it with my API Client class: http://storage.sitebase.be/fbexample.phps
The example does two things:
- Get first name, last name and birthday of the user
- Get a list of likes
API Framework
If you not only want to use an API but you want to build your own then I advice you to take a look at my API Framework script. This script will help you to build your own API for your website/application or mobile app in no time.


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Award Pictures is apparently in the process of having their asses sued by Mr. Sam Raimi over their plans to make an "Evil Dead 4" film without his involvement or permission. While there's little chance we'll ever actually see "Evil Dead 4: Consequences" I think this is a perfect opportunity for someone to swoop in and make "Evil Dead 5" before anyone has a chance to notice. I'm already working on part 7.
Sharlto Copley, the little alien that couldn't from "District 9", is in talks to play opposite Angelina Jolie in "Maleficent", a new film that plans to tell the back story behind Sleeping Beauty. If he joins the cast Copley will play King Stefan, the napping sweetheart's father. Alien kings! What'll they think of next?
Mick Garris looks like he could be Michael Bay's crazy Uncle but he isn't, I looked it up on the internet to confirm. He is directing a new UFO conspiracy film titled "Invasion" though so it's kind of like they're direction relatives. Ya know, cause they both direct movies. They hang out at the same bars and crap I assume. The Directors Chair I bet it's called. And they have a drink called The Black List with Whiskey and chalk shavings in it. What a couple of jerks.
Sofia Vergara has joined the cast of "Machete Kills". I assume this move is because Jessica Alba is an asshole on the sets of movies and Robert Rodriguez can't cut her out of the film so he did the next best thing. Found a woman that makes her look like a dog faced monster. Well played, señor.


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I've been dealing with low OP and trying experiments on changing springs, packing, etc. Everyone I talked to who did this job said its hours of work and one of the most miserable jobs with the engine in the car. After having a special tool made and trial and error I got it down to ~ 20 minutes and pretty painless. I once took the car to a mechanic who spent almost 2 hours trying to get it in using a lift.
Here's the recipe:
1. Get some kind of spreader. I bought a tool that was used to remove C clips and had a couple parts welded on. Photos attached.
2. Known tip: Play with the cap nut to find where it starts to thread in and mark that place.
3. Although the tool I made was meant to be used just with the cap nut directly the problem arose when trying to turn the nut due to very limited space. So using a tip from Peter Burgess, I cut down a 1" socket. You cannot get the socket wrench in there until the nut is pretty far down. So I put put a lock tie on the socket with the nub positioned to where I could get to it with the socket positioned where the threads start on the cap nut/block. (see above) and mark the socket to correspond.
4. With everything in place (also a bolt at the bottom of the socket so it can be held by the spreader) you just begin to use the spreader worm screw until it mates up with the threaded hole. Not difficult but may take a couple practice runs to make sure its straight in
5. Use whatever you can to then spin the socket/cap screw using the nub from the lock tie. One full half turn does it.
6. Unscrew the spreader and turn the socket by hand until its pretty close to the block
7. Take you socket wrench and finish the job.
Really easy. If you require more photo's let me know. BTW, make sure to use a copper washer or copper crush washer. The fiber washer that many parts houses sell leaks.


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Guest Host: Michael Smerconish
Guests: Joy-Ann Reid, Brian Sullivan, Ed Rendell,
Michelle Bernard, Alan Gottlieb, Michelle Goldberg, Mark Geragos, Sam Stein, Van
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, GUEST HOST: Gun rights and wrongs.
Let`s play some HARDBALL.
Good evening. I`m Michael Smerconish in New York, in for Chris
Matthews, who`s in Cartagena, Colombia, where he`ll moderate a panel with
President Obama come tomorrow.
Leading off tonight: lawyers, guns and money. The NRA is winning the
battle over guns in this country. When was the last time you even heard a
debate over gun control? The arguments today are over how far and how fast
to expand gun owner rights. And Mitt Romney toed the line today at the
NRA, calling gun control an assault on freedom.
Of course, expanded gun rights may have emboldened George Zimmerman to
leave his car and pursue Trayvon Martin. Now, with weeks of massive,
coast-to-coast publicity, ask yourself this. Is it possible for George
Zimmerman to even get a fair trial?
Plus, the Hilary Rosen gaffe reminded us that Democrats have a habit
of unintentionally insulting stay-at-home moms in election years. But it
also distracted us for a day from Mitt Romney`s very real gender problem,
and that`s not something that will go away simply by trying to make the
case that it`s President Obama who is waging a war on women.
The Obama campaign is taking every opportunity to paint Mitt Romney as
rich and out of touch, so today the president and vice president released
their tax returns, daring Romney to do the same.
And "Let Me Finish" tonight with a battle from the 2008 campaign
that`s still not finished, Barack Obama versus Bill Clinton.
We begin with guns. Former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell is an
MSNBC political analyst, and Alan Gottlieb is with the Second Amendment
Foundation and is joining us from the NRA convention in St. Louis.
Gentlemen, speaking at that NRA convention late this afternoon, Mitt
Romney decried what he called the president`s assault on basic freedoms,
but largely avoided diving into the issues of gun control and the 2nd
Amendment. It wasn`t until 15 minutes into the speech before he mentioned
the right to bear arms. Here it is.
MITT ROMNEY (R-MA), FMR. GOV., PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This
administration`s attack on freedom extends even to rights explicitly
guaranteed by the Constitution! The right to bear arms is so plainly
stated, so unambiguous, that liberals have a hard time challenging it
directly. Instead, they`ve been employing every imaginable ruse and ploy
to restrict it.
SMERCONISH: Now, Mitt Romney has supported some gun control measures
in the past. As governor, he signed a law that made permanent a ban on
assault-type rifles, although it was coupled with measures that some gun
rights groups supported. And while running for the U.S. Senate against
Edward Kennedy, Romney supported an assault weapons ban and the federal
Brady gun control law.
In 2007 on "MEET THE PRESS," Tim Russert asked Romney about his past
positions on guns and here`s what he said.
ROMNEY: My position on guns is the same position I`ve had for a long,
long time. And that position is that I don`t line up 100 percent with the
NRA. I don`t see eye to eye with the NRA on every issue.
SMERCONISH: And of course, it was in 2007 that there was this famous
description by Governor Romney and his hunting experience. Let`s watch.
ROMNEY: Well, I`m -- I`m not a -- I`m not a big game hunter. I`ve
made it very clear. I`ve always been a -- if you will, a rodent and rabbit
hunter, all right, small -- small varmints, if you will. And I began when
I was, oh, 15 or so, and hunted those kinds of varmints since then more
than two times. I also hunted quail in -- in Georgia. So I`ve -- it`s not
really big game hunting, if you will, however. It`s not deer and large
animals, but I`ve hunted a number of times of various types of small
SMERCONISH: Mr. Gottlieb, with that primer, please answer the
question of whether Governor Romney can overcome some of the issues in his
past with your group.
ALAN GOTTLIEB, SECOND AMENDMENT FOUNDATION: Well, I think when we`re
listening to comments of NRA members who attend the NRA convention, I think
he can overcome it two ways. One, he`s not hostile to gun rights. And the
second thing is, is the average gun owner is a little upset with Barack
Obama, particularly his appointments to the federal courts, Supreme Court
on down.
And as you`re aware, there`s a significant number of 2nd Amendment
court cases the Second Amendment Foundation and other groups have filed
that are going through the court system, and the gun owners are very
concerned about who`s going to be -- who`s making those rulings on the
federal benches.
SMERCONISH: Mr. Gottlieb, isn`t the issue with President Obama in the
minds of 2nd Amendment advocates always what he`s going to do, what he
might do, as compared to what he has done? I mean, has he done something
thus far that you believe threatens 2nd Amendment rights?
GOTTLIEB: Well, the main thing, of course, is the anti-gun judges
he`s appointed to the federal courts. But if you look at his record both
as United States senator, and when he was in the state senate in Illinois,
he was extremely hostile to gun rights. He hasn`t exactly been a friend of
gun rights, with some executive orders banning certain imports of antique
firearms, almost, into the United States. So we`re -- and his calls -- you
know, his administration has been putting out test balloons to try and
reinstitute the so-called Clinton administration`s ban on semi-automatic
As a result, we know where his heart is. We know where his head is.
We know he`s met with anti-gun groups. He`s not met with any pro-gun
rights leaders at all. He`s basically told the other side that when the
time`s right, he`ll push for his agenda. But right now, of course, the
current makeup of the House of Representatives makes it very difficult for
him to get anti-gun legislation passed.
SMERCONISH: Mayor Rendell, you follow my point. I remember there was
a run on ammunition in 2008. In fact, I think talk show hosts are the ones
who propelled that. It`s always that he`s going to come for your bullets,
he`s going to come for your guns. But the reality is that the Obama
administration hasn`t moved on the gun issues. Do you disagree?
ED RENDELL (D-PA), FMR. GOVERNOR, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: No, I
don`t. But let me say one thing quickly first, Michael. Those of us who
believe in the 2nd Amendment but also believe in gun control know that the
2nd Amendment, like all amendments, has its limits.
The 1st Amendment very clearly spells out the right to free speech,
but you can`t go into a crowded movie theater and cry fire. You`re not
allowed to do that because there are limits.
And there are limits on what is reasonable gun ownership, and that`s
all we`re trying to do. And take the Gabby Giffords case. The president
dropped the ball there by not pushing hard enough to support legislation
which would have reinstituted part of the assault weapons ban that would
have banned these multiple-bullet magazines. The magazine that the killer
in Gabby Giffords` case used had 33 bullets in it.
Before the assault weapons ban was dropped by the Congress -- it
wasn`t reinstituted -- but we had a ban that said you could only have a
magazine with 11 bullets. Had that ban been in effect that day, people in
Arizona would be alive today who died that day.
SMERCONISH: Well, that`s my question. Why has the gun debate dropped
off the radar? I`ll give you some examples of folks who`ve addressed this.
In today`s DailyBeast, New York city mayor Michael Bloomberg writes, "To
hear most pundits and political strategists tell it, Americans are
hopelessly divided by guns. But we`re not. Polls show that NRA members
support common sense steps"...
RENDELL: Absolutely.
SMERCONISH: ... "to ensure that guns are kept out of the hands of
And gun issues have not headlined President Obama`s agenda.
RENDELL: Michael...
SMERCONISH: In today`s -- one other thing, if I may, Mayor. (sic)
RENDELL: Sure.
SMERCONISH: In today`s "LA Times," law professor Adam Winkler says,
quote, "Few presidents have shown as little interest in gun control as
Barack Obama. It`s as if avoid gun control at all costs has become a plank
in the Democratic Party platform." Go ahead and react.
RENDELL: Well, first of all, Michael Bloomberg...
SMERCONISH: Mr. Gottlieb, you`ll respond in one moment. Go ahead,
RENDELL: They`re not a loser. Guys like Mr. Gottlieb and the NRA are
very effective at spinning and lobbying. But take a law that I tried to
get instituted in Pennsylvania, one handgun a month, barring people from
buying more than one handgun a month. That would stop straw purchasers.
Forty percent of our crime guns in Pennsylvania come from straw purchasers.
But it would have allowed you to buy 12 handguns a year, 24 if you`re
married. That`s no limitation at all in a practical sense.
So 70 percent of Pennsylvanians, including 60 percent of Republicans,
favored that law. I couldn`t even get it out of committee because everyone
is afraid because the NRA has done such a good job of spooking our cowardly
SMERCONISH: Mr. Gottlieb, the success I think that you`ve had is with
this mindset of, You can`t -- the slippery slope, you can`t give an inch
because if we give anything on any issues, then it will be the ammunition,
then it will be...
RENDELL: And it`s purely bull.
SMERCONISH: ... the weapons.
RENDELL: Purely bull.
SMERCONISH: And that`s worked.
GOTTLIEB: Well -- well, unfortunately, we`ve seen that happen in not
only in the United States but in other countries, as well. But what --
what -- what the former governor is talking about here, though, is prior
restraint, limiting how many guns you can buy, limiting what kind of
ammunition you can use, limiting the size of your magazine.
You know, we never put up with prior restraint with the 1st Amendment.
Granted, you can`t yell fire in a crowded theater, you also can`t use a gun
to go murder somebody illegally, but you don`t take the gun away ahead of
time. You don`t take free speech away ahead of time, either. And that`s
what the Democrats (INAUDIBLE)
RENDELL: Mr. Gottlieb, let me ask you a simple question. Let me ask
you a simple question. Why would any law-abiding citizen need a magazine
that has 33 bullets in it?
GOTTLIEB: Why?
RENDELL: Why?
GOTTLIEB: (INAUDIBLE) a gun range and shoot. Why? Because I happen
to like to go out to a gun range and shoot, and for target practice,
certain guns (ph) that they (ph) have are much more easy to use by using a
higher-capacity magazine.
RENDELL: You mean it`s too much...
RENDELL: It`s too much trouble at a gun range to ask him to insert
three 11-shot magazines. It`s too much of an inconvenience? That`s
GOTTLIEB: Governor...
RENDELL: That`s just plain baloney.
GOTTLIEB: Governor, law-abiding citizens using magazines that fire
more than 10 rounds is not a problem. The problem is keeping the criminals
off the streets.
RENDELL: Right, and the assault weapons ban...
RENDELL: ... keeps those magazines out of the hands of crazy guys
like the guy who shot Gabby Giffords.
SMERCONISH: Wait. Mayor Rendell, I want to ask you this question, if
I might...
SMERCONISH: Mr. Gottlieb, Mr. Gottlieb, hold your thought...
SMERCONISH: Just hold your thought for a moment. As governor of
Pennsylvania, you vetoed "stand your ground," am I correct?
RENDELL: Correct.
SMERCONISH: And it was your successor, Tom Corbett, who came in and
signed it into law. I guess you`re looking like a soothsayer,
unfortunately, in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin.
SMERCONISH: My question for you, though, is this. Do you think that
the Trayvon Martin case is going to cause a reexamination, a serious
reexamination of "stand your ground" in those states across the country
that now have it on their books?
RENDELL: I hope so, and Mayor Bloomberg has called for that. And let
me say this. It`s interesting on the "stand your ground" legislation --
every police group on Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania district attorneys
association, made up of 50 Republican DAs and 17 Democratic DAs all urged
me to veto it.
So why don`t we listen to law enforcement, Mr. Gottlieb? They`re
telling us we`ve got to do something to stop gun violence. Why don`t we
listen to the police and DAs?
SMERCONISH: Mr. Gottlieb?
GOTTLIEB: It`s great -- it`s great to listen to the police, but we
also don`t want a police state. We enjoy freedom in America!
RENDELL: Oh!
GOTTLIEB: We`re not like a lot of other countries run by despots and
dictators! That`s why!
RENDELL: Like the British?
SMERCONISH: Mr. Gottlieb -- Mr. Gottlieb...
RENDELL: Like the British.
SMERCONISH: ... a very quick final question, if I might, for you. I
just want to return to this issue of what the president is about to do.
The president doesn`t know if he`s getting a second term. So if he were
the Manchurian candidate, prepared to do evil things, wouldn`t he do them
now while he`s in office and now await a potential second term?
GOTTLIEB: Good question. The real battle right now is in the courts.
If you take a look at the appointments that Barack Obama has appointed to
the federal courts, you can`t find one person who supports gun rights.
That`s the problem.
SMERCONISH: I appreciate both Ed Rendell and Alan Gottlieb being
here. Thank you, men.
RENDELL: Thank you.
SMERCONISH: Coming up: The Romney campaign caught a break with Hilary
Rosen`s slight against stay-at-home moms. But even so, Mitt Romney has a
very real gender problem, and we`re going to get to that next.
This is HARDBALL.
SMERCONISH: President Obama is heading to South America, but his
audience may well be Latino voters who are right here at home. The
president will attend the Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia,
and he kicked off his trip with a stop in Tampa, highlighting the benefits
of Latin American trade.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, tomorrow President Obama will participate
in a forum with the presidents of Brazil and Colombia and it`ll be
moderated by our own Chris Matthews.
We`ll be right back.
SMERCONISH: Welcome back to HARDBALL. A CNN contributor with no role
in President Obama`s campaign somehow became a major talking point for the
Romney team and conservatives in general this week. Hilary Rosen kicked
up a storm on Wednesday night with her comments about Ann Romney. And by
the end of Thursday, everybody from the president to the vice president to
the first lady had responded. And they mostly distanced themselves from
Rosen`s comments.
Of course, Stephen Colbert had some fun with the faux outrage from the
STEPHEN COLBERT, "THE COLBERT REPORT": Full disclosure. I have a
personal stake in this issue because I have a mom -- my mom, which makes me
half mom on my mom`s side.
COLBERT: And these remarks infuriate me, folks. I got to tell you,
folks, this is good! This is good! This story is delicious! Jimmy, put
Rosen`s quote up on the crawl right now. Let`s put it up there all the
time. That`s nice! Now, play the quote on a loop. Just play it on a
HILARY ROSEN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: His wife has actually never
worked a day in her life. His wife has actually never worked a day in her
life. His wife has...
COLBERT: Now drop a fat bean (ph) on it!
SMERCONISH: Lost in the firestorm were the deeper issues that many
female voters care about. Mitt Romney still has a lot of ground to go to
go to make up after the bruised primary that only hurt his image among
Well, Michelle Bernard is the president of the Bernard Center for
Women, Politics and Public Policy, and Michelle Goldberg is a contributing
writer for "Newsweek" and TheDailyBeast.
Ladies, thank you for being here. This issue is so hot that the
Romney team tried to keep the controversy surrounding Hilary Rosen`s
comments going for yet another day, when this afternoon Mitt Romney
introduced his wife -- where? At the NRA convention. And then both
Romneys talked about, not surprisingly, the subject of motherhood.
Listen to what was said.
MITT ROMNEY: I happen to believe that all moms are working moms, and
if you have five sons, why, your work is never over.
ANN ROMNEY, MITT ROMNEY`S WIFE: Let me give a shoutout to all moms
that are working, and by the way, to all dads that are working. We love
all of you. You know, I often think that you`re only, as a parent, as
happy as your saddest child. And you never, ever stop being a parent.
SMERCONISH: Michelle Bernard, what`s the legitimate issue in all of
this? Clearly, Hilary Rosen should never have said that Ann Romney never
worked a day in her life. What`s the legitimate issue?
MICHELLE BERNARD, BERNARD CENTER, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean,
you know, the legitimate public policy issues are, should Mitt Romney be
elected president of the United States? What public policies is he going
to put forth that are going to help America`s women, whether they are women
that stay at home and work at home raising children, or whether they are
women who are out in the workforce. Those are the most important issues.
Social Security, health care, the supplemental nutrition assistance
program otherwise known as food stamps, the Women, Infants and Children
program -- I mean, quite frankly, my mantra, personal mantra has always
been that all issues are women`s issues.
But there are certain issues that are very, very important to women,
and they involve health care, which is another discussion where we seem to
be going backwards in time, rather than forward. And you know, all the
issues that I just set forth are going to be very important to women
voters, period.
SMERCONISH: Well, I think you raised interesting matters of
substance. In fact, Michelle Goldberg, on the heels of that, let me point
out that some of the economic positions Mitt Romney has embraced might hurt
him with women.
Bloomberg News points out that the Paul Ryan budget, for example, has
some major red flags for a lot of women. Here are some examples. The plan
would make cuts to the food stamp program, while two thirds of adult food
stamp recipients? Female. The plan would also cut funding for Pell
grants. About two thirds of students who get those? Female. It would cut
funds for Medicaid and about 70 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries are
Michelle Goldberg, that seems to get lost in all of this. Instead,
people are getting hung up on, has she ever worked a day in her life? And
of course, she has.
MICHELLE GOLDBERG, "NEWSWEEK": Well, I think the idea that women --
that women voters are going to be more influenced by something dismissive
that a pundit on CNN said than by the very real threats to their livelihood
that a Romney presidency would present -- I mean, that is so much more
insulting to women voters than anything Hilary Rosen said.
There`s a reason that Mitt Romney has lost the women`s vote in every
general election that he`s ever run, sometimes very substantially. I mean,
he was creamed by Ted Kennedy in 1994. And it`s because when women get a
look at his economic policies, because social issues weren`t really an
issue in those earlier races, because he was still pro-choice, they recoil.
SMERCONISH: But in this case, Michelle Bernard, I think the social
issues are a factor. And my view is that this is a part and parcel of the
brand of the GOP at present.
BERNARD: Absolutely.
SMERCONISH: A couple things I -- a couple of things I wrote notes
about, the whole vaginal probe in Virginia issue, questions about
contraception largely based on commentary from Senator Santorum, but I
don`t think Governor Romney pulled in from it.
He said he wants to defund Planned Parenthood and wants to overturn
Roe vs. Wade. Those are all matters of substance that will affect women.
BERNARD: Absolutely.
And the reason why they`re so important, and probably even more
important today than they were during the 2008 election, is that they deal
with issues of personal liberty that nine out of 10 women absolutely had
every reason to believe were behind us, that were decided many, many years
And the Republican brand, not just Mitt Romney, but the Republican
brand in general seems to have this nostalgia for a bygone era that many
women never, ever want to go back to. And, for example, if you look, there
was a state senator in Wisconsin who earlier this week it`s been reported
that one could argue that money is more important to men than women, and,
therefore, there is no war on women.
We have had Harry Reid, I believe, who said that if you asked women
whether or not this was an issue, most women would say no, and then we had
three Republican members of Congress come out and say, if you don`t -- for
example, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska who came and out said if you don`t
think that there is a war on women, then you need to go home and talk to
your wife and your daughters.
This is a very serious problem in terms of Republican branding,
SMERCONISH: Michelle Goldberg, I think a blown opportunity by
Governor Romney -- he is facing a 19-point deficit and that`s a very real
figure in terms of a one-on-one matchup with President Obama.
This is "The Washington Post" and ABC, 57-38, the latest poll. I
think back to what went on with the Limbaugh controversy and the horrific
things that he said about a co-ed from Georgetown.
Now, there was a perfect opportunity where Governor Romney could have
taken on Rush, but, of course, he cowered in the face of the right wing of
the party.
GOLDBERG: Right.
SMERCONISH: And so instead of engendering some support with females
by calling that for what it was, despicable, he hid under the desk.
GOLDBERG: Well, yes.
And let`s compare the way that Obama handled this recent non-scandal
with Hilary Rosen, when he and basically his whole team rushed to
disassociate themselves from her I think rather innocuous comments,
although they were ill-chosen.
And then look at how Mitt Romney handles Rush`s kind of vile three-day
assault on this woman. He said, those aren`t the words I would have used,
as if he would have something like trollop?
SMERCONISH: Michelle, may I interrupt you and play it just to remind
everybody? And then you can analyze it.
GOLDBERG: Yes.
Roll the tape.
QUESTION: Governor, anything on Rush?
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It`s not the language I
would have used. I would love to stay on the issues that I think are
significant in the country today, and that`s why I`m here talking about
jobs in Ohio.
SMERCONISH: There it is, Michelle Goldberg.
GOLDBERG: Well, yes. Right. That`s the kind of best he can do is
say that he wouldn`t have called her a slut. Presumably, he would have
called her something more decorous, but equally insulting.
The thing about Romney is that it`s not even just that he doesn`t get
it. It`s that I think he shows absolutely no interest in getting kind of
the issues that are fundamental to women`s lives. Let`s remember that the
thing that set off this whole uproar that Hilary Rosen was responding to
was that Romney said that wife -- quote, unquote -- "reports" to him on
what women think.
SMERCONISH: Right.
GOLDBERG: He can`t even bother to pretend to listen to women, who are
more than half the electorate.
SMERCONISH: Thank you for your analysis, Michelle Bernard and
Michelle Goldberg. And have a nice weekend.
BERNARD: You, too.
SMERCONISH: Up next: Wouldn`t you know it? Rick Santorum is already
talking about 2016. Stick around for the "Sideshow."
You`re watching HARDBALL.
SMERCONISH: Welcome back to HARDBALL. Now for the "Sideshow."
First up, boy, that was fast. After Rick Santorum`s loss in the
Wisconsin primary, people started asking if he might be starting to set his
sights on the 2016 race instead. And this was his reaction earlier this
RICK SANTORUM (R), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: Next time?
QUESTION: Yes.
SANTORUM: You haven`t talked to my wife, obviously.
QUESTION: Well, if the purpose is next time around, though...
SANTORUM: Yes. You didn`t hear what I said. You haven`t talked to
my wife about next time. The last thing we`re thinking about is next time.
SMERCONISH: Well, Santorum struck a different tune when asked about
2016 during an interview on FOX last night.
SANTORUM: I feel like a young man. And I will hopefully feel like a
young man four years from now.
This last year put a couple years on me. There are a lot of issues
out there that I feel very deeply about that I think we introduced into the
debate. For us to do as well as we did, in spite of the overwhelming odds
that we faced on a variety of different fronts, I think shows that there`s
still a lot of people in this country who still believe in the things that
made this country great.
SMERCONISH: Look, as I said in my commentary right here last night,
if -- and that`s an if -- Romney loses to President Obama this November, it
could very well be Rick Santorum stepping up in four years and saying, I
told you so to the Republicans who shut him out this time.
And, also, a nugget on the veepstakes. Remember this cringe-worthy
debate moment during the Bush-Gore face-off in 2000?
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It`s not only what is your
philosophy and what is your position on issues, but can you get things
BUSH: And I believe I can.
SMERCONISH: Not a winning move for Gore, but get this. Bush was
ready for it, thanks in part to a guy who is probably on Mitt Romney`s V.P.
short list, Ohio Senator Rob Portman.
Now, according to a "TIME" piece, Portman portrayed Gore during some
mock debates with Bush -- quote -- "Ohio Representative Rob Portman noticed
that in a previous debate, Gore had left his stool and approached Bill
Bradley during a question and answer, seeming to try a little physical
intimidation to rattle him." That`s what Portman says.
Well, Portman did the same thing with Bush during a prep session, so
it was little surprise when Gore pulled the same move on Governor Bush
during their final debate.
And now for tonight`s "Big Number."
Charging $50 a pop for a photo with Newt Gingrich didn`t put much of a
dent in his campaign`s debt of over $4 million. Well, how is this for plan
B. Outside groups can now buy access to the campaign`s donor list at what
cost? Up to $26,000.
One former staffer says the campaign -- quote -- "overspent to keep up
appearances of being a top-tier candidate" -- not quite a winning strategy.
Up to $26,000 for access to Newt`s list of donors, that`s tonight`s "Big
Up next: the Trayvon Martin case. After weeks of publicity and
protests across the country, can George Zimmerman get a fair trial? We
will ask criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos when we return.
You`re watching HARDBALL.
BRIAN SULLIVAN, CNBC CORRESPONDENT: I`m Brian Sullivan with your CNBC
"Market Wrap."
And fairly strong earnings from two banking giants not enough to boost
stocks on this Friday. The Dow lost 137 points, S&P down 17, the Nasdaq
off 44. J.P. Morgan Chase said it lent more money in the first quarter,
helping profits beat estimates by 15 cents a share. Wells Fargo also
turned in a strongly quarterly performance.
And a new estimate from the Treasury shows that taxpayers will likely
make a profit of $10 billion to $100 billion on the 2008 bailout. A little
good news on this Friday the 13th.
That is it from CNBC -- now back to HARDBALL.
SMERCONISH: Welcome back to HARDBALL.
George Zimmerman`s attorney will try next Friday, April 20, to get
Zimmerman out of jail while he awaits a trial for the shooting death of
Trayvon Martin. Meanwhile, the judge in the case brought up a potential
conflict of interest this afternoon when she announced that her husband`s
colleague, a CNN legal analyst, had denied Zimmerman`s request to represent
him last month.
Joy-Ann Reid is the managing editor for TheGrio.com, as well as an
MSNBC contributor. She`s in Sanford, Florida, with the latest.
Joy, what`s going on?
JOY-ANN REID, THEGRIO.COM: Well, at issue basically is the judge in
this case, Jessica Recksiedler. Her husband, Jason, is in a civil attorney
in the law firm of a guy named Mark NeJame.
And if that sounds familiar to you, Michael, it`s because he has the
nickname the Johnnie Cochran of Central Florida. He represented Tiger
Woods after that infamous car crash in his home where there was a golf club
apparently involved, and he also, in the past, represented the parents of
Casey Anthony in that huge trial here.
So this is a very prominent attorney who apparently was contacted very
early on by George Zimmerman, before he got his first set of attorneys to
represent him. He declined to do so, but that contact with George
Zimmerman and more importantly with his parents is what is now concerning
Mark O`Mara, who is essentially saying this.
He is saying this is a guy who has had contact with George Zimmerman`s
parents in the past. He is now an analyst on CNN. That combination
worries him because he`s worried that potentially that contact could happen
again. So that is the issue.
SMERCONISH: I find it unusual -- I find it unusual that a defense
lawyer would turn down such a high-profile case. Do we know anything about
his rationale?
REID: We don`t know why he turned that case down. I believe he had
other cases at the time, but he did give a reason obviously to George
Zimmerman why he didn`t take it.
And then in between him and Mark O`Mara, of course, we had Hal Uhrig,
another set of lawyers. But what we do still know now is that the judge
disclosed this herself. She went ahead and disclosed the potential for the
appearance of conflict. And now she`s leaving it up to Mark O`Mara, to the
attorney, what he wants to do. He could actually file a motion to have her
removed and have her replaced with another judge.
SMERCONISH: A week from today seems like it will be a significant
date in the chronology of this case, because that`s when O`Mara will try to
have George Zimmerman released from jail.
REID: Absolutely, Michael, and here`s the issue.
The previous attorneys for George Zimmerman had made a big issue of
the idea that he`s unsafe in this community, that people in this community,
particularly in the African-American community, are sort of out to get
George, that he wasn`t safe.
So it`s a question now why he would want to be released right back
into this community.
SMERCONISH: Where would he go?
REID: So I did ask -- yes, and I did ask leaders in the African-
American community, as well as the mayor of Sanford, you know, what do they
think about this?
And from the police department, which said that they would be prepared
if necessary, to the mayor who said that the city would be prepared, to
black leaders who said, frankly, look, there is a process in place.
African-Americans here are satisfied that a process has begun and would do
So it`s pretty much been across the board that he wouldn`t be in any
danger, but it is an interesting contrast to what was said before.
SMERCONISH: Joy-Ann Reid, thank you so much for your report.
REID: Thank you.
SMERCONISH: With me now, criminal defense attorney, famed criminal
defense attorney Mark Geragos.
Hey, Mark, thank you so much for being here. You know how much I
respect your legal opinion.
MARK GERAGOS, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Thank you, Michael.
SMERCONISH: And I also respect the legal opinion -- thank you -- of
Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, who last night right here made some
news with his take on the affidavit of probable cause.
Will you please watch Professor Dershowitz and react to this?
AND GAZA": Most affidavits of probable cause are very thin. This is so
thin that it won`t make it past the judge on a second degree murder charge.
It`s not only thin. It`s irresponsible. I think that what you have
here is an elected public official who made a campaign speech last night
for reelection when she gave her presentation, and overcharged, way
overcharged. This case will not -- if the evidence is no stronger than
what appears in the probable cause affidavit, this case will result in an
SMERCONISH: Mark Geragos, your thoughts?
GERAGOS: Well, I don`t disagree at all.
I was -- I stated publicly when I saw the affidavit that this was
about as bare-bones an affidavit as I have ever seen, and I would agree
with the professor. In fact, I suspect that there has to be more.
Otherwise, I don`t know -- and the parts I might disagree with, I don`t
know that it gets to a jury.
Remember, they have this kind of unusual two-step process, in that,
besides having a probable cause proceeding, they also have what`s called an
immunity proceeding and -- the stand your ground proceeding, where it`s a
determination by the judge as to whether or not to grant immunity.
If the judge finds that he was acting, and it`s just by a
preponderance, a little bit more than the other side in terms of the
evidence, they could grant immunity. This would never see a jury.
SMERCONISH: I guess many of us were looking at the affidavit of
probable cause for a sign of what the prosecution believes took place that
caused the attack or the altercation, whatever it was, to begin.
And here`s the critical paragraph. And I will put it up on the
screen. "Zimmerman confronted Martin and a struggle ensued. Witnesses
heard people arguing and what sounded like a struggle. During this time
period, witnesses heard numerous calls for help and some of these were
recorded in 911 calls to police. Trayvon Martin`s mother has reviewed the
911 calls and identified the voice crying for help as Trayvon Martin`s
Now, as you point out, Mark, they arguably have much more than this,
but they`re not telling us anything as to why they disbelieve Zimmerman.
Presumably, he`s offering an account that says, I was not the initiator.
GERAGOS: Right.
And, presumably, at least if you believe the police report, when they
got there, he was wet, he had grass on him, he was bleeding. They`re --
the -- the way that narrative you just read comes off, that`s still a self-
defense. That still falls within stand your ground.
So that alone, I don`t believe, ever gets you to a jury. That having
been said, that`s if you`re taking a dispassionate view. I mean, there is
a lot of us who believe that the standard for probable cause nowadays is,
is my client breathing, and that most judges will let you just go to trial
on anything.
SMERCONISH: All right. Let me --
GERAGOS: That having been said, again -- well.
SMERCONISH: Let me ask you something else, Mark Geragos, with your
experience. I found it unusual, but my expertise is on the civil side of
this, that Angela Corey, the special prosecutor, the state attorney, was in
that court yesterday and agreed with an effort by defense counsel for at
least the time being to seal all the records.
Read the tea leaves. What do you think of this?
GERAGOS: Well, I think one of the problems the prosecution may have
is for whatever reason they don`t want what they have, all of the evidence
that they have, released. I mean, one of the problems you have in a case
like this is that virtually everything ends up getting released, it gets
parsed out by the media and in the public sphere, and when that happens, a
lot of times that affects witnesses and everything else.
I wouldn`t read any nefarious connotations into that.
SMERCONISH: Well, it`s nothing that was nefarious. I wasn`t reading
anything nefarious into it, but maybe I was reading too much into it and
thinking that perhaps there`s a plea deal already being discussed.
GERAGOS: Well, you know, that is something that I wouldn`t be
surprised. A lot of people have talked about, look, it`s a second degree.
During the Conrad Murray case, I was always kind of perplexed as to why the
LADA didn`t file a second degree, because what that does is when you`re
facing life and you`ve got a second degree, somebody offers you a
manslaughter with a fixed number of years, you`ve got quite an incentive to
take that plea deal.
SMERCONISH: You pointed out previously that the real critical
juncture is going to be the "Stand Your Ground" evidentiary hearing. Would
you expect that Zimmerman would take the stand at that hearing? And if
he`s unsuccessful, what does that do to his testimony and his Fifth
Amendment rights for the final trial?
GERAGOS: Well, I`m not going to pretend to be an expert on what
Florida law allows. I would expect that he does take the stand, or at the
very least, that if they`re allowed to do it, they put the officer on who
took his statement that evening and get it in through hearsay if they can
do it procedurally. Either way, they need to get his statement in, because
you`re not going to be able to prove "Stand Your Ground" unless his
statement that he gave to the police the night of the incident is in
evidence or he gets on the stand and tells what his statement is or what
his state of mind was and then allows the prosecution to impeach him with
whatever his statement was.
But either way, I expect that you`re going to hear the words of
George Zimmerman at that "Stand Your Ground" hearing.
SMERCONISH: Mark Geragos, thank you so much for your analysis. Have
a good weekend.
GERAGOS: Thank you. Glad to see you.
SMERCONISH: All right. Up next, in the never-ending quest to paint
Mitt Romney as an out-of-touch rich guy, President Obama and Vice President
Biden released their tax returns. And, tonight, we have new information
about when Mitt Romney will do the same.
By the way, you know the rules. You can follow me on Twitter so long
as you can spell Smerconish.
This is HARDBALL.
SMERCONISH: Hey, we couldn`t let this go by without a mention. Take
a close look at the cover of this week`s "Economist" magazine. The British
news weekly takes an in-depth look at our presidential race, calling it
"The hardball campaign". Chris is going to be thrilled to know they`re
fans of the program.
We`ll be right back.
SMERCONISH: We`re back.
The White House today released President Obama and Vice President
Biden`s 2011 tax returns, hoping for another opportunity to paint multi-
millionaire Mitt Romney as out of touch with average Americans. President
Obama earned just under $789,000 last year and paid just over $162,000 in
taxes, which puts his effective tax rate at 20.5 percent.
We learned today Mitt Romney filed for an extension, but it`s early
estimate for 2011 showed him taking in more than $20 million and paying an
effective tax rate of 15.4 percent.
For the politics of this fight, let me bring in Sam Stein to "The
Huffington Post," and Van Jones, author of "Rebuild the Dream."
Van, last week, I was here for Chris. And interviewed Mike Allen.
He`s writing this book "Inside the Circus," a lot of details about the
presidential race thus far.
And in his book, he points out that it was all Mitt Romney who was
reluctant to release his tax returns in the first go-around. And the
question I guess I have is, for a campaign that is so controlled, how do
they screw up their approach? For example, today we learned he`s going to
file an extension. We know we`re going to see the returns. You know the
returns are going to show him to be a very wealthy guy.
Why do they create all this intrigue and drama and prolong it?
VAN JONES, AUTHOR, "REBUILD THE DREAM": I don`t know. I mean, I
don`t know whether this guy is wanting to be president or if he`s
auditioning for like a villain in a James Bond movie. He`s got this like
secret Swiss bank account. He`s got a corporation in Bermuda that nobody
knows about.
And everything he does rather than just getting it out there, flush
the toilet and get it done, he does everything he can to draw more
attention to his, you know, kind of -- I mean, I don`t know what he has to
hide. But, you know, his dad, in 1968, released, I think, 10 years` worth
of tax stuff with no problem. I don`t know what this guy`s problem is.
SMERCONISH: Yes. Sam, today is Friday. In fact, it`s Friday the
13th. You know the rules. You release bad rules on a Friday and it gets
drowned out.
SAM STEIN, THE HUFFINGTON POST: Yes, they released five minutes ago
that they would be doing an extension, and they said --
SMERCONISH: Exactly.
STEIN: -- somewhere between now and six months from now, they`ll put
up the data.
You know, but I think this is sort of a mistake, and I think -- I`d
like to echo what Van says, is that he actually draws more attention to the
issue than it would have otherwise. Obviously, we`re going to see before
the election, whether it`s by people screaming about it and demanding it or
whether it`s by him just releasing it.
And what he`s doing now is he`s drawing attention to his record on
transparency, which beyond just the tax issues, if you look at the
bundlers, he has a very bad record on transparency. And I think the more
this goes on, the more people, especially in the press, are going to be
uncomfortable by it.
SMERCONISH: Van, yesterday in New Hampshire, Vice President Biden
took the opportunity to label Mitt Romney as out of touch. Watch this and
react to it.
JOSEPH BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Governor Romney
calls the president out of touch -- out of touch. Hey, how many of y`all
have a Swiss bank account?
BIDEN: You know what I mean?
BIDEN: You don`t?
And how many have somewhere between $20 million and $100 million in
your IRA?
SMERCONISH: Van Jones, what are the politics of this? I mean, you
know, you can`t beat up on the American dream, I think the vice president
has to walk a fine line in his criticism.
JONES: I think that`s right. But I think the problem is when you`re
trying to get waivers to put an elevator in your house for your car, you
got a Swiss bank account -- I mean, everybody lo loves an economic winner,
people don`t like economic cheaters.
If there`s a sense that you`ve done well in America but you`re not
doing well by America. You make your money here but you hide it overseas
and you`re actually acting like you think you should be treated differently
and special, you don`t want to pay your taxes like everybody, now you`re
starting to look like an economic cheater than an economic winner. And it
makes easy for the vice president to do it, because -- I mean, please,
don`t throw glass hour -- don`t throw a stone if you live in a crystal
house like he does.
SMERCONISH: Sam, a Romney spokesman had this to say about a recent
criticism before the announcement of the extension filing, quote, "It`s not
surprise that the worst job creation record in modern history that
President Obama would try to distract Americans from the real issues with
the series of sideshows. Governor Romney has already released his 2010
return, an estimate of his 2011 income taxes. He`ll release his full 2011
return when it`s filed.
My question to you -- how is this playing with independents? The
back and forth and the quibbling over tax returns.
STEIN: Well, I think it`s lost on independents except when it can be
applied to a policy issue that they get. And so, for instance, what White
House is trying to do and what the campaign is trying to do is not just
talk about Romney`s wealth, and the fact that he`s not releasing his taxes.
But you talk about it in the context of the so-called Buffett Rule,
which says that millionaires should not pay a tax rate that`s lower than
their secretaries. If they can apply that policy prescription with Mitt
Romney as the personification of it, then it does resonate. If they just
stick to Mitt Romney is rich and he`s out of touch, well, that`s a little
bit difficult.
SMERCONISH: You know, it`s funny, both sides trying to gain an
advantage from this, Van. Earlier this afternoon, I took a look at Drudge
and I saw that the home page, in fact, maybe we`ll put it up on the screen,
there you go -- "Obama doesn`t qualify for Buffett Rule." The implication
being he earned 700 some grand and he himself, you know, wouldn`t apply,
but he`s seeking to impose it.
And if you go t the upper left to the screen, there are all these
terrible things about Obama and his return, et cetera, et cetera, et
cetera. Same question to you, what`s the net-net politically speaking?
JONES: Well, I agree with Sam. He`s got to be able to tie this to
something real. For instance, next week, there`s going to will be an
opportunity, a vote, on this Buffett Rule. One of the things that, I
think, some of the younger people are saying is that the student debt is
awful right now. That`s a real bread and butter issue. The student -- the
interest rate on student debt could go up from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.
With the Buffett Rule, you could use some of that money, fairer taxes from
rich people, to actually help young people go to college.
If you can connect this sort of arrogance on the part of Romney and
disrespected the country by hiding his money overseas to problems that
people have like going to college, he might be able to really draw the
right comparison.
SMERCONISH: All legal, by the way. I mean, the guy is a straight
arrow, which is one more reason why doesn`t he just get it over with.
JONES: Fair enough
SMERCONISH: And put it out there.
Anyway, thank you, gentlemen. We`re out of time. But, Sam Stein and
Van Jones, we appreciate you being here.
STEIN: Thank you.
SMERCONISH: When we return, allow me to finish with an unfinished
battle from the 2008 campaign. Barack Obama verses Bill Clinton.
You`re watching HARDBALL.
SMERCONISH: "Let Me Finish" tonight with a great example of
Bill Clinton might be retired, fit, and tan, but he still seems to
relish mixing it up in the arena and settling a few old scores. A case
point happened just last night.
Now, here`s today`s front page of my hometown newspaper, "The
Intelligencer" in suburban Philadelphia. It tells the story of Clinton
campaigning Thursday in a high school before a crowd of 750 that were
assembled for a state attorney general candidate Kathleen Kane.
Clinton told the group that Kane was, quote, the only candidate you
can vote and said that she was best suited to put away murderers, keep kids
out of jail, or help senior citizens who are victimized by financial scams.
What he didn`t mention was Kathleen Kane`s opponent, former Congressman
Patrick Murphy for whom Clinton himself had campaigned just six years ago.
The closest he came to mentioning Murphy was when he said, quote, "You
don`t have to say a bad thing about anybody else running, you just ask who
can do more to help more people in the job, the answer is easy, Kathleen
Three days before, Clinton`s campaign event for Kane, David Axelrod
made his own campaign appearance, only his was in support of Patrick
Murphy. One clue as to why Axelrod got involved in this state attorney
general`s race, he said, "I don`t think Barack Obama has had a better
friend in politics than Patrick Murphy."
What`s going on here? Why is Clinton getting involved in a state
A.G. race and on the opposite side of the president`s top advisor? The
answer: history. See, in 2008, Patrick Murphy gave an early endorsement to
Barack Obama who was then locked in a battle with Clinton`s wife, the now
secretary of state. Meanwhile, Kathleen Kane was a Hillary Clinton
And then in 2010, it was Murphy, an Iraq veteran, who introduced the
repeal of "don`t ask, don`t tell," implemented by -- that`s right -- Bill
Clinton back in 1993.
Kathleen Kane said it was easy to get Clinton to campaign for her.
She said she Googled his office, got the phone number and asked him.
A reporter named Phil John Picarro (ph) pointed out there`s no phone
number listed on the Clinton Foundation Web site. It makes you wonder if
the big dog even had to be asked. Oh, the event last night, it was held a
short distance from Murphy`s house.
Pollster and Professor Terri McDonough (ph) said it best. It goes to
show that not all politics is local. All politics are personal. And that
really is hardball.
That`s HARDBALL for now. Thanks for being with us.
"POLITICS NATION" with Al Sharpton starts right now.
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Another Linux powered device
March 2, 2007 by davidallen | Leave a Comment
The Grundig B700 is a mobile phone that looks as if it has Blackberry and PDA capabilities, on the other hand when turned off so that the screen is blank, it does actually look like a calculator, which is maybe a security feature, no one is going to steal a calculator are they? This is […]
GUPP Phreedom: Linux-based WiFi/GSM Smartphone
February 28, 2007 by poeloq | 1 Comment
Malaysian startup GUPP is expected to ship a Linux-based smartphone, called Phreedom [sic], in the second quarter of 2007. The Phreedom is a dual mode WiFi/GSM&GPRS phone that will allow traditional mobile telephony with a cellphone carrier as well as VoIP via a WiFi connection (VoWiFi). The Phreedom smartphone features a 2.5″ QVGA display with […]
Grunding's Linux-based mobile phone
February 24, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
I must admit, I haven't heard about Grunding consumer products really since Philipps gave up on the German company in 1998. But now they have released a mobile phone, which is not only single-chip based but also runs on Linux. The Grunding U900 was presented at the 3GSM in Barcelona and will probably not break […]
GSM/WiFi Linux cellphone: E2831
February 20, 2007 by poeloq | 8 Comments
The E2831 is a Linux-powered cellphone from Shanghai based manufacturer E28 Ltd., which has been recently been approved by the FCC. It supports normal mobile telephony using any network SIM and GSM, but also offers VoIP via the SIP Protocol and WiFi. It is powered by a OMAP TI 730 processor and 64 MB RAM […]
System 76 Ubuntu Linux laptop now available
February 5, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
The Ubuntu Linux laptop by System 76 we reported about, is now available: the System 76 Darter. It is a ultraportable with quite minimal specs, but very affordable starting at $995. The spec: Celeron M 410 1.46 GHz 1MB 533 FSB CPU 13.3" Widescreen WXGA (1280X800) LCD 512 MB DDR2 667 MHz RAM Intel GMA […]
Install Linux from Windows
January 28, 2007 by poeloq | Leave a Comment
Yesterday the OSDL's Review of Desktop Linux 2006 was published, stating that the deployment of Linux on Desktops in 2006 stalled slightly compared to previous years. But with the great achievements of Ubuntu and related distributions it is getting easier to install and use Linux on desktops without having to earn a computer science degree […]
Darter 76 Ultraportable Ubuntu Notebook
January 25, 2007 by poeloq | 3 Comments
The prototype of a new Darter 76 ultraportable Notebook with Ubuntu Linux, the operating system I am using to research and write this right now, was spotted by a visitor at a conference. The model pictured left does not only come Windows-less and instead powered by a very reliable and easy-to-use operating system and is […]
Adobe unveils Flash Player 9 for Linux
January 18, 2007 by techbuzz | Leave a Comment
It was on last week when Adobe Systems Inc. has come-up with came-up with security patches for Acrobat Reader. This week Adobe Systems Inc. is again in the news. This time it has unveiled Adobe Flash Player 9 for Linux. Its lucrative features include 10 times faster operation of the scripts. It also has advanced […]
Adobe releases security patches for Acrobat and Reader
January 11, 2007 by techbuzz | 1 Comment
Nokia Electronics launches the new Nokia N800-the internet tablet
January 9, 2007 by techbuzz | 1 Comment
The new Nokia N800, unveiled at CES in Las Vegas, is Nokia's successor to the 770, Nokia's first go at an Internet Tablet. The Linux powered N800 is aimed at users that are looking for connectivity from almost anywhere or anyplace.The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet already appeared in stores over the weekend. The Nokia N800 […]