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Professional On Time Breakdown Recovery in Ballsbridge
Breakdown on the side of the road or the need for a breakdown recovery or involved in an accident in this area can be a stressful experience, and also one of the most frustrating situations that motorists can encounter within Ballsbridge area, calling us means a safe and reliable motors recovery.
24 Hour 7 Days A Week Breakdown Recovery in Ballsbridge
Emergency Breakdown Recovery In Ballsbridge
Ballsbridge Fast Recovery can help you with vehicle breakdown, motor accident, auto lockout, home start and more. If you need a vehicle recovery or roadside assistance in Ballsbridge our teams can take care of your problems.
We are here in Ballsbridge, we have wheel lift tow trucks and flat bed trucks. We can provide high quality breakdown recovery services in Ballsbridge, {county} area ranging from car transportation, vehicle breakdown recovery services and roadside assistance. We are fully insured, certified and bonded.
24/7 Breakdown Recovery in Ballsbridge
Emergency breakdown recovery in Ballsbridge:
24 hour Motor Emergency Battery Jump Start Service in Ballsbridge.
We can jump start Car, Bike, Machinery Plant and commercial vehicle requiring 12 – 24 volt battery. Whether you are at home or on the road and your battery failed, call Fast Recovery team.
Do not let an inexperienced person jump start the battery of your car. If you or a friend tries to do a car jump start, there is a very high possibility that it can cause some injury. This is because the car batteries is highly inflammable and even a small spark can cause a serious fire. Our professionals make sure that proper care is taken to ensure that before your car jump start procedure is started the likelihood of your car battery exploding is eliminated. If the jump start does not work for your vehicle, we then offer you vehicle recovery to a destination of your choice.
Motorcycle Breakdown Recovery Services in Ballsbridge
Fast Recovery provides breakdown recovery Services for Car, Van, Caravan and Motorcycle in Ballsbridge. We can also recover almost every vehicle up to 3.5t without key including LWB, High Top and Luton Van. Here at Fast Recovery we offer safe scooter and motorcycle recovery in Ballsbridge ranging from 50cc to 1400cc and as well as custom made tricycle recovery in Ballsbridge. Our recovery team are available to assist customers for breakdown recovery in Ballsbridge area, we can jump start car and also truck and bus requiring 24 volt battery.
We provide fast response time and speedy solutions to your vehicle problems in the most effective and convenient way possible, we offer an accident, breakdown, recovery service from a simple jumpstart or wheel changing service just to get you moving again to full total lift transportation towing service. No matter what your vehicle needs are, you can count on us to be there.
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Considering recycling your old car, van, or 4×4, all you need to do is call FAST Recovery team and we'll take care of all the requirement so there's nothing for you to worry about.
- Areas We Cover
- Breakdown Assistance Adamstown
- Breakdown Assistance Aghavannagh
- Breakdown Assistance Agher
- Breakdown Assistance Allen
- Breakdown Assistance Allenwood
- Breakdown Assistance Annacurra
- Breakdown Assistance Annagassan
- Breakdown Assistance Annamoe
- Breakdown Assistance Ardcath
Ballsbridge or Ball's Bridge (Irish: Droichead na Dothra, meaning "Dodder bridge") is an affluent neighbourhood of the city of Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. The area is largely north and west of a three-arch stone bridge across the River Dodder, on the south side of the city. The sign on the bridge still proclaims it as "Ball's Bridge", in recognition of the fact that the original bridge on that location was built and owned by the Ball family, a well-known Dublin merchant family in the 1500s and the 1600s.[1] The current bridge was built in 1791.
Ballsbridge was once part of the Pembroke Township.
Towing Safety Absolutely Critical
Let's face it, there's an excellent reason why there are many SUV's and pick-up trucks available when driving today– essentially, we are towing more than ever. Owners of jet-skis, bikes, pull-behind Motor Home's, boats– you call it– they all need to tow from time to time. While towing is a relatively straightforward operation, security must be made use of or it could come to be harmful or even deadly to various other drivers when traveling.
The proper use of safety chains is one way to make certain that the tow vehicle never gets divided from the trailer. Certainly, safety and security chains are needed by regulation so using them not just maintains every person risk-free, it additionally maintains you legal.
When utilizing safety and security chains during towing, it is very important that the chains cross under the tongue of the trailer. If for any type of factor the trailer were to become detached from the hitch, those chains will certainly prevent the trailer from falling to the ground and away from the tow vehicle. You additionally want to be sure that your safety and security chains hang enough for you to be able to earn turns while towing. Naturally, you don't want them so loose that they drag on the ground because that creates one more major towing hazard.
While towing, it is very important for the vehicles behind you to know when you are braking, transforming, or utilizing your headlights. It is needed by law that any trailer have brake lights, turn signals, and tail lights that work in unison with the lights on the tow vehicle. The individuals behind you might obtain baffled or not be mindful that you are braking or turning and a crash is most likely if they don't. Special electrical wiring harnesses are usually supplied with a trailer that should hook right into the wiring of the tow vehicle. If your trailer does not have such a wiring harness, they might be purchased separately at most vehicle components shops.
You also never want to be towing anything that goes beyond the maximum tow capacity of your vehicle. There are in fact 2 very good factors for this. When towing trailers past the towing capacity, the initial is that you will certainly harm your vehicle's drive train. The 2nd reason is connected to the very first: need to your drive train stop working and you are towing something up a slope– well, you get the picture!
Be certain that whatever you take place to be towing is protected correctly. Moving lots could trigger severe handling problems while towing. And in the worst instance situation, an unsafe tons may just diminish and trigger you real headaches while jeopardizing vehicle drivers.
By following the easy safety and security tips detailed above, you should safely move cargo from factor A to factor B without incident. Towing is a fairly easy procedure however it must just be done when security is made concern one.
If for any reason the trailer were to end up being removed from the hitch, those chains will avoid the trailer from falling to the ground and away from the tow vehicle. It is required by regulation that any trailer have brake lights, turn signals, and tail lights that work in unison with the lights on the tow vehicle. You additionally never desire to be towing anything that goes beyond the maximum tow capability of your vehicle. The very first is that you will certainly harm your vehicle's drive train when towing trailers beyond the towing capability.


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What happens when a new tourism hub is born? A leading and interesting question, no doubt. That new tourism hub is Victoria Falls and the catalyst for that birth is, of course, the Victoria Falls International Airport, scheduled to become operational in early December 2015.
While Victoria Falls, not only the world's largest waterfall, but also one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a Unesco World Heritage Site, has long been on many a traveller's bucket list, it is about to become a whole lot easier to get to. Direct flights to Victoria Falls from many corners of the globe will be a total game changer. Victoria Falls will grow from a charming little tourism town into a major tourism hub for the region, while maintaining its charm and attraction.
Why the hub status one may ask? The answer is very clear – look at a map of southern Africa and put a compass on Victoria Falls, and you will see clearly that it is right at the centre of the finest tourism and wildlife destinations and countries on the planet. Draw concentric circles from Victoria Falls out to 500km, 600km or 700km and note what amazing destinations and experiences, cultures and people, wildlife, flora and fauna abound! Victoria Falls is set to become a gateway from which to explore the entire region.
With five or six international air carriers looking closely and in talks with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe and Government about routes to Victoria Falls, one can but imagine the growth potential for tourism to the region in the coming few years. Throw in the likes of the expansion of the KAZA Univisa to include neighbouring countries, coupled with the easing of visa regulations in South Africa and Zimbabwe and it is easy to see how and why Victoria Falls will attain this hub status in coming years.
Some may believe Victoria Falls is better left as it is while others will embrace the counter argument that "growth is necessary and good". But what matters is that growth is inevitable, so both the public and the private sector must be responsible, accountable and caring in managing such expansion. As we know, tourism is a key pillar of many African economies, a major employer and contributor to communities and the fiscus, and so responsible growth should be embraced.
Let's all 'watch this space' and play a part in contributing to our wonderful industry, which showcases our continent extremely positively.
Source : Tourism update
1 December 2015

subset: commoncrawl


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Holy Fire map: Firefighters gain ground as acreage down to 22,885; full containment expected Tuesday
The Holy Fire has declined by about 100 acres to 22,885 acres by Monday morning, with containment up to 92 percent, Cleveland National Forest officials said.
All evacuation orders have been lifted and the total number of firefighters at the scene is down to 558.
Road closures have been lifted, but the Long Canyon Road loop will remain closed on the west above the entrance to Mystic Oaks and on the east on North Main Divide at Highway 74.
A suspect, Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, has been arrested in the Holy Fire wildfire case. He awaits a mental health evaluation before charges can be finalized.
SIGN UP FOR FACEBOOK NEWS ALERTS: Message us here to get started
WHAT'S THAT STUFF?:That red fire retardant being used in the Holy fire, won't hurt you. Here's what's in it
POTENTIALLY HARMFUL ASH:The Holy Fire is dropping ash. Here's how to safely remove it from your property
The fire moved into of Riverside County, prompting mandatory evacuations in some areas.
At one point, the fire quickly spread near Lake Elsinore. But on Saturday, previous evacuation orders in that area were lifted, fire officials announced Saturday morning on Twitter.
Temesecal Canyon High School has become an evacuation center for those evacuating nearby neighborhoods.
Full containment of the fire is estimated to happen by midnight Tuesday, Aug. 21.
SUSPECT:Holy Fire arson suspect Forrest Clark arraignment delayed again after bizarre court appearance
RELATED:In Idyllwild, the fire department helps insulate the town from wildfires but isn't insulated from politics


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I started listening to Stéphanie sometime in 2001-2002, when a friend gave me an eighties compilation CD. It featured the Stéphanie tracks "One Love To Give", "Rendez-Vous" and "Young Ones Everywhere". I instantly fell in love with the electronic euro disco/italo disco sound and Stéphanie's gentle voice.
A couple of years later I managed to track down both of Stéphanie's albums on CD, and though I like them both, my favourite is "Besoin" from 1986, since the sound is more electronic than on the 1991 "Stéphanie" album. My favourite track on the second album is "Winds Of Chance".
I wish Stéphanie would've continued doing electronic pop music. Sure, she isn't the best singer in the world, but her soft voice is perfect for italo disco music and French ballads.
My favourite Stéphanie tracks are "One Love To Give", "Irresistible", "Dance With Me", "Live Your Life" and "Young Ones Everywhere". I love the French versions too!


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Segregated Funds / Guaranteed Income Funds (GIF)
What is a Segregated Fund? A segregated fund is a type of investment vehicle commonly used by Canadian insurance companies to manage individual, variable annuity insurance products. A segregated fund offers investment capital appreciation and life insurance benefits.
Investors can expect to pay a slightly higher total expense ratio on segregated funds due to their more complex structure. Additionally, these fund offerings typically do not have aggressive fund objectives. Therefore, returns from the funds tend to be more modest.
What Is an Annuity? An annuity is a financial product that pays out a fixed stream of payments to an individual, and these financial products are primarily used as an income stream for retirees. Annuities are contracts issued and distributed (or sold) by financial institutions, which invest funds from individuals. They help individuals address the risk or outliving their savings. Upon annuitization, the holding institution will issue a stream of payments at a later point in time.
The period of time when an annuity is being funded and before payouts begin is referred to as the accumulation phase. Once payments commence, the contract is in the annuitization phase.
Personal & Commercial Insurance
Through HUB International, we are able to help our clients find insurance coverage for personal lines (auto & home) and commercial (business, liability, special, high risk).
© Copyright 2021 New Outlook Wealth Inc. Disclaimer. | ®™ Trademarks of AM Royalties Limited Partnership used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co. and New Outlook Wealth Inc.


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Presidents Club - How to Get and Stay Motivated: March 3, 2016
On the call for March 3, 2016: President's Club has a special training call for you today! Motivation is a key to your success, but getting motivated and STAYING motivated isn't always easy. Join Justin Tripp to figure out how to get, and stay, motivated!
Tune in for live dials by the President's Club team to help give you real world examples, reactions, and actions on how to how to handle them.
This call is full of great information that you do not want miss from some of the Alliance's best. Be sure to tune in today to take advantage of this great training!
President's Club calls are designed to provide high-level training and give insights into the mindsets of successful leaders of The Alliance. All President's Club team members are fully licensed, and are equipped with training and methods to help you take your business to the next level via their leadership development program. Tap into all their knowledge and help your team excel!
© 2021 National Agents Alliance. All Rights Reserved.


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Brandi Worley who has been charged with murder in the stabbing deaths her young son and daughter has been released from a hospital and was booked into jail Monday. (Photo: AP/ Facebook)
Darlington, Indiana: A central Indiana woman who confessed to fatally stabbing her young son and daughter has been released from a hospital and booked into jail.
Thirty-year-old Brandi Worley of Darlington was booked into the Montgomery County Jail Monday and is being held without bond. She had been hospitalized and treated for self-inflicted stab wounds to the neck after the Nov. 17 attack that left her children dead
She has been charged with murder in the deaths of 7-year-old Tyler and 3-year-old Charlee.
Court documents say Worley told police officers she used a combat knife to kill the children and stab herself because she didn't want her husband to take the children from her. Her husband, Jason Worley, had filed for divorce.


text: These outdoor living room ideas constructions were become welcoming space for us when we were come in into this mountain residence. The extravagance look of this space was side by side with the swimming pool so that when we were in this space, we will feel fresh and adorable. The outdoor system of this living room was accidentally designed by the designer to give different atmosphere and view for both owner and guest. If we were come into inside space of this home, we will welcome by elegance white indoor living room that looks similar with family room. We can call this room as multifunctional room when we can use this room based on our need. Filling by modern entertaining stuff, we can such as in a paradise if we were in this home. Nice atmosphere, nice design, enjoyable space, relax environment, completely handsome and inviting to come. Last but not least, these contemporary white bedroom inspirations were try to calm our sleeping time. We can still enjoy the exterior landscape of this home since this room was covered with huge glass window system in front of the bed set. Alright guys, now is our turn to see these classic mountain residence designs image and get the complete inspiration of this home included with warm house interior landscape.[via]


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Revising The Ten Commandments
Hitch gives it a go:
From his article on the subject:
It's difficult to take oneself with sufficient seriousness to begin any sentence with the words "Thou shalt not." But who cannot summon the confidence to say: Do not condemn people on the basis of their ethnicity or color. Do not ever use people as private property. Despise those who use violence or the threat of it in sexual relations. Hide your face and weep if you dare to harm a child. Do not condemn people for their inborn naturewhy would God create so many homosexuals only in order to torture and destroy them?
Be aware that you too are an animal and dependent on the web of nature, and think and act accordingly. Do not imagine that you can escape judgment if you rob people with a false prospectus rather than with a knife. Turn off that fucking cell phoneyou have no idea how unimportant your call is to us. Denounce all jihadists and crusaders for what they are: psychopathic criminals with ugly delusions. Be willing to renounce any god or any religion if any holy commandments should contradict any of the above. In short: Do not swallow your moral code in tablet form.


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The table below does not include all companies or all available products in the market but those that we promote as their affiliates. In full compliance with the FTC guidelines, please assume that any and all links on the table are affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click one of these and make a purchase. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own. All editorial content is written without prejudice or bias, regardless of sponsor or affiliate associations.
These are one of the most talked about appetite control and energy pills out there. This is perhaps due to the numerous success stories. It is the perfect weight loss formula as it involves none of the hassle that the other dietary supplements out there demand. It helps you achieve your weight goal while also ensuring overall health wellness. ACE means Appetite, Control and Energy according to the functions of the pills. Ace pills have many distributors and retails at roughly $60 per bottle.
Manufacturer Information and Claims about Ace Diet Pills
ACE diet pills are manufactured and distributed by Saba Company. The CEO/ President of Saba Company is known as Gary Hail. Saba is behind many healthy products and has been in existence for a long time. It has hundreds of distributors who are currently marketing the ACE products, particularly this diet pill. The claimed benefits of ACE diet pills include;
- Appetite suppression
- Enhanced energy levels
- Anti-stress and mood-lifting properties
- It helps fight arthritis, depression and fibromyalgia
How do Ace Diet Pills work?
These pills basically help you to control your unnecessary munching that eventually lead to weight gain. It also boosts your energy so that you are able to work out for longer periods of time. The following ingredients explain how ACE diet pills work;
Ace Diet Pills Active Ingredients
Natural caffeine
- This is naturally sourced BIO caffeine that increases energy, boosts metabolic rate and also improves mood, concentration and alertness.
Green tea extracts
- This is a very popular weight loss ingredient due to the fact that it is a potent fat burner.
- It is also packed with antioxidants that are disease fighting and boost the overall health of the user.
Vitamin B6
- This regulates at least 60 enzymes for optimum body function.
- It promotes the breakdown of carbohydrates that leads to more energy production in the body.
- This is a healthy algae that has appetite suppressing abilities.
- It also provides vitamin B12 foe energy as well as dozens of amino acids, nutrients, minerals and healthy enzymes.
- Helps to lower the body's sensitivity to insulin.
- Promotes loss of body fat which leads to increased lean muscle mass.
Cocoa powder
- This is a natural source of caffeine that provides one with boosted energy and also controls the appetite.
The other ingredients include; cellulose, vanadium, magnesium stearate, strearic acid, silica and geranium flower.
Ace Diet Pills Advantages
- ACE diet pill have weight loss properties.
- Do not leave you tired or fatigued but effectively controls your appetite.
- Comes from a reputable company.
- The official website provides a very detailed ingredient list.
- It is retailed at most of the popular online stores thus easily accessible.
- Have numerous success stories.
Ace Diet Pills Drawbacks
- It is among the more expensive diet pills.
- There are complaints about the new formula not being as effective as the original one.
Dosage Instructions
For effective results;
- Take only 2 pills of ACE per day.
- Consume lots of water throughout the day, more than 8 glasses. Aside from the fact that drinking a lot of water aids weight loss, ACE pills will leave you thirsty and failure to quench the thirst may lead to complications.
- You can skip taking the pill one day a week to allow your body to adjust to the ACE pills in the system.
- The first pill should be consumed 2 hours after breakfast and the next in the early afternoon before 4PM so that it controls the amount of food you will eat in the evening. You can experiment on different times and discover what times are most favorable for you.
- Stick to a healthy diet while taking this dietary supplement and avoid sugary foods and drinks.
Precautions and Warnings
Do not exceed the recommended dosage; taking more than 4 pills in a 24 hour period may be harmful to your health.
If taken after 4Pm it may alter the sleeping patterns.
Side Effects of Ace Diet Pills
There are some ingredients in ACE diet pills that could cause harm to your health with prolonged use of ACE diet pills. The effects include; headache, vomiting, complete appetite loss, tingling, nausea, stomach pains and on more severe cases high blood pressure and kidney failure.
Do these pills interact with other medication?
Do not ever use ACE diet pills with other medicines or vitamins.


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Guests: Krystal Ball, Jonathan Capehart, Karen Finney, Tim Dickinson, Ted Deutch, Maureen Russo, Andy Cohen
LAWRENCE O`DONNELL, HOST: Wow, talk about a coincidence. The biggest
liar of the presidential campaign is raising money tonight in Vegas, with
America`s biggest pathological liar.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mitt Romney accepts and plays the Trump card.
MARTIN BASHIR, MSNBC HOST: Doubling down Vegas style.
CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC HOST: Honeymoon in Vegas.
ALEX WAGNER, MSNBC HOST: Mitt Romney`s fund-raiser.
BASHIR: A $2 million Las Vegas fund-raiser.
WAGNER: With Donald Trump tonight.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to say thank you to
Donald Trump for his endorsement.
CHRIS JANSING, NBC NEWS: Donald Trump.
ANDREA MITCHELL, NBC NEWS: Donald Trump.
WAGNER: Donald Trump.
BASHIR: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
CHUCK TODD, NBC NEWS: It`s a total head scratcher.
MTICHELL: Trump is once against questioning the president`s birth
DONALD TRUMP, BUSINESSMAN: A lot of people are question his birth
MATTHEWS: The scam of birtherism.
WAGNER: The place of birth movement.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are courting disaster.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is about raising money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mitt Romney is not going to have trouble raising
JANSING: How do you let a guy --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump.
JANSING: -- run a $2 million fundraiser.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Choosing to actually stand next to this guy.
JANSING: To think that the president of the United States is
MITCHELL: What is the benefit here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just don`t even --
TRUMP: I thought your introduction was highly inappropriate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is some very nasty undertones.
WAGNER: Is this scary?
TRUMP: He was born in Kenya.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the most obnoxious swill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald, you`re beginning to sound a little
GEORGE WILL: This bloviating ignoramus --
JANSING: A kind of feud between Donald Trump and George Will.
MATTHEWS: George Will.
JANSING: Here`s how it started.
WILL: The cost of appearing with this bloviating ignoramus.
MATTHEWS: George Will questioned what Mitt Romney has to gain --
WILL: I don`t understand the benefit.
MATTHEWS: -- by associating himself with Donald Trump?
JANSING: Trump tweeted that.
WAGNER: Donald Trump tweeted today.
JANSING: "George Will may be the dumbest and most overrated political
commentator of all time.
WILL: I don`t understand the benefit, what is Romney seeking?
O`DONNELL: The Romney campaign gets to celebrate their victory in the
Texas primary tonight and they`re clinching of the Republican nomination,
officially. They get to celebrate that tonight in Las Vegas, where the
Romney campaign collided with the bloviating ignoramus, permanently
publicity tour that is the life of Donald Trump.
Here is the bloviating ignoramus on today. Now, you have one second
to guess what he`s going to talk about. Time`s up.
TRUMP: Nothing`s changed my mind.
His mother was never in the hospital. They don`t even know which
hospital it was. His grandmother said he was born in Kenya.
I`ve been known as being a very smart guy for a long time. I don`t
consider myself a birther or not birther. But there are some major
questions here.
A lot of people don`t think it was an authentic certificate. Many
people put this announcement in because they wanted to get the benefit of
being so-called born in this country.
O`DONNELL: Some of the bloviating ignoramus`s previously willing
servants of his self-promotion have grown a bit frustrated with him.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN: You`re beginning to sound a little ridiculous.
O`DONNELL: Beginning to sound a little ridiculous. Well, on CNN,
maybe, but not if you listen a word Donald Trump has said for the last
three years our so. The man has been ridiculous since America first
learned his name.
Wolf Blitzer took Trump`s argument about the president`s birth
certificate on its own terms and wonderfully and relentlessly confronted
him on his assertions that make absolutely no sense. Trump tried to
insist, to Wolf Blitzer that many, many, many people simply don`t believe
President Obama`s birth certificate is authentic and Wolf Blitzer simply
wanted to know who those people are.
BLITZER: Give me a name.
TRUMP: There are many people -- I don`t give names.
O`DONNELL: Of course Trump has no names, as the interview made
absolutely plain. Wolf Blitzer asked a follow-up question that I`ve been
dying to ask, since the day Trump lied and said he sent investigators to
Hawaii to investigate the president`s birth certificate.
BLITZER: Tell us with your people who were investigating in Hawaii,
what they found?
TRUMP: We don`t have to go into old news. That`s old news.
O`DONNELL: As to Mitt Romney`s reaction to Trump`s madness and his
definition of old news, he told reporters this last night.
MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don`t agree with all the
people that support me and my guess is they don`t all agree with everything
I believe in. But I need to get 50.1 percent or more and I`m appreciative
to have the help of a lot of good people.
O`DONNELL: Joining me now is Democratic strategist Krystal Ball and
"Washington Post" opinion writer Jonathan Capehart.
Thank you both for joining me.
I think -- I think you both and other close observers of this show
have figured out by now that I like and respect George Will, although I
disagree with him on most things. But, you know, there are actually times,
there are some times when I really, really love George Will, just love him,
like this Sunday when he said this.
WILL: I do not understand the cost-benefit here. The costs are
clear, the benefits -- what voter is going to vote for him because he`s
seen with Donald Trump? The cost of appearing this with bloviating
ignoramus is obvious it seems to me.
O`DONNELL: Now, I rarely get to explain something about Republican
politics to someone as smart as George Will. But, Krystal and Jonathan, my
view is very simple here. The Republicans and Mitt Romney have made the
cold calculation that they may win with 50.1 percent of the vote, but they
want 100 percent of the racist vote in America. They don`t want a single
racist to stay home. And so, they got the pied piper of American racism
and that is now Donald Trump to do his tune about hatred of the president
and the birth certificate.
And, Krystal, I think George Will is too noble a Republican to ever
have had down and strategized how to get the racist vote, which is
something, in fact, Nixon and other Republicans since then have strategized
KRYSTAL BALL, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Yes, I think you`re right about
that, and Donald Trump -- I mean, certainly embracing Donald Trump and his
ridiculous continued assertions that the president was not -- he said
clearly he was born in Kenya, like he is not even -- there was no doubt in
his mind that the president was born in the United States. Of course he
doesn`t actually believe that, but it`s a great way for him to promote
And other thing, we talk so much about the Joe Ricketts plan, to
attack the president based on Reverend Wright. And everybody came out
against that and said that`d be a terrible idea and it`s not in a proper
spirit of the campaign. Well, what they decided to do instead, instead of
using the racial Jeremiah Wright attacks, they have decided to finance a
film calling the Obama ideology anti-colonial Luo tribesmen based on a
Dinesh D`Souza book that created such a controversy last year.
So, clearly, this is a strategy that at least some in the Republican
Party believe will be effective.
And to your point, Lawrence, I mean, Mitt Romney at some point can`t
say oh, well I don`t agree with everything my supporters say. Donald Trump
is not some supporter, he is a surrogate. He tapes robocalls for Mitt
Romney in Michigan. He`s doing a very prominent fundraiser. He`s been
asked by the Romney campaign to go and do some of these interviews.
So this is not just some guy. You also think about someone like Ted
Nugent who Mitt Romney actually courted his endorsement and he said about
the President Obama, he`s a piece of et cetera, and I told him to go such
on my machine gun.
These are serious questions and Romney at some point if he is going to
have the character to lead this country, is going to have to say this is
not acceptable and it`s not what I`m about. So far, he has not done that.
O`DONNELL: Jonathan Capehart, absolutely no surprise in what Donald
Trump said today, the Romney campaign knows that this is the liturgy of
Donald Trump. This is what he loves to talk about. They know that he has
race-based analysis and demands, that he issues about President Obama`s
birth certificate and President Obama`s college transcripts, President
Obama`s law school grades, he doesn`t believe there`s anything legitimate
that President Obama has learned in his lifetime.
And the campaign knows he`s going to say this. They cannot have
entered into this honeymoon with Donald Trump without full knowledge.
JONATHAN CAPEHART, MSNBC CONTRIBUTOR: Right. Without full knowledge.
But, you know, Lawrence, on a night like tonight, a night when Governor
Romney has clinched the Republican nomination by winning the Texas primary
to get the 1,144 delegates that he needs to become the Republican nominee.
On the night that this happens, we`re now mixed up in the birther nonsense,
which is something that, you know, I have argued for a very long time that
even though Mitt Romney is a presumptive nominee, and by this count,
officially the nominee, was still trying to convince the base of the party,
which is increasingly far right and a lot of -- I won`t say a lot -- many
folks of the far right, on the extremist ring of the Republican Party are
clinging to these birther notions, he`s still trying to convince these
folks, Romney is, that he`s one of them. That he is a conservative, that
he is someone that can be their standard bearer and go after the president
in the way they want him to.
As Krystal was saying, if he`s not going to criticize Ted Nugent and
he`s not going to criticize Rush Limbaugh, and he`s not going to criticize
Donald Trump, at what point does Governor Romney show himself to be not
just the Republican nominee for the president of the United States, but a
leader in this country?
At some point, someone is going to have to convince him and tell him
to stand up in the way that Senator McCain did in 2008, when as we have
seen many times in the video, the woman at that town hall forum, saying
that Barack Obama, she didn`t like him, she didn`t trust him because she
was an Arab, and he grabbed the microphone from her and said, "No, ma`am,
no, ma`am." That was leadership. That was statesmanship.
And so far, time and time again, during this campaign, we have not
seen it from Mitt Romney.
O`DONNELL: Well, it`s now time to ask Mitt Romney -- do you think
that -- do you agree with Donald Trump, do you think that George Will is
really dumb, the dumbest? This George Will, this man with a Princeton PhD
is really dumb. Oh, by the way, while we`re at it, do you agree with
George Will that Trump is a bloviating ignoramus?
I mean, this fight with George Will is serious business. He is a
revered figure within a Republican thinking and within the Republican
Party. He is not a man that Trump should be fooling with in this way.
Krystal, I think there`s a spot here where Romney, just in terms of
the George Will factor, is going to have to do something.
BALL: Yes. I think you`re right about that, you know, Lawrence, I`m
sure George Will is doing a lot of soul searching tonight in response to
Donald Trump`s criticisms, I`m sure he`s going to be up late trying to
figure out where he went astray.
But, no, you`re absolutely right, at some point, Romney is going to
have to respond to these things. He can`t keep saying as he did with Rush
Limbaugh, it`s not the language or the words I would have chosen. He can`t
keep saying that I don`t agree with everything my supporters say.
At some point, if the American people are going to see him as
president of the United States, he is going to have to take an actual,
courageous real stand.
O`DONNELL: Well, the Romney campaign is determined not to leave a
single racist vote behind.
Jonathan Capehart and Krystal Ball, thank you both very much for
joining me tonight.
BALL: Thanks, Lawrence.
CAPEHART: Thanks, Lawrence.
O`DONNELL: Birtherism is now way out of control in Florida. A 91-
year-old decorated World War II veteran who was born in Brooklyn now has to
go find his birth certificate to prove that he should continue to be able
to be allowed to vote in Florida. Florida Democrats say that that is the
Republican birther movement and that is all about winning the state for
Romney. That`s coming up.
Also ahead, the real money men of the Romney campaign are real
billionaires. We have the author of the "Rolling Stone" page showing who
Romney`s billionaires are and what exactly do they want from Mitt Romney?
And political TV today includes Michelle Obama`s appearance on "The
View." TV wizard Andy Cohen is here to analyze the first lady`s interview
and to make her an offer she cannot refuse.
And in tonight`s rewrite, 65-year-old Mitt Romney is now lecturing us
on civil rights. That`s right, the same Mitt Romney, who sat out the civil
rights movement. The man who does not know that the civil rights issue of
his era was civil rights.
O`DONNELL: Mitt Romney spent an hour today talking to real
billionaire Sheldon Adelson, the man who has already donated $25 million
dollars to the 2012 Republican presidential race and not one penny to Mitt
Romney. How much has Donald Trump contributed to Mitt Romney? Two
thousand five hundred dollars.
Up next, "Rolling Stone" tells us which billionaires are donating to
Romney and what they want in return.
And later, Andy Cohen reviews Michelle Obama`s appearance on "The
View" today and he tells us why he is one tweet away from being fired. I`m
putting down the Twitter machine right now.
Mitt Romney will learn tonight in the rewrite for the very first time
that the civil rights issue of his era was civil rights.
SHELDON ADELSON, DONOR: The problem is -- and I have talked to Romney
many, many, many times -- he`s not the bold decision maker like Newt
Gingrich is. He doesn`t want to -- every time I talk to him, he says,
well, let me think about it. Everything I have said to Mitt, let me look
into it. He`s like Obama.
O`DONNELL: That was billionaire Newt Gingrich supporter Sheldon
Adelson back in March. Mitt Romney`s Donald Trump may have grabbed the
headlines today, but Romney`s one hour meeting today with the much richer
casino mogul Sheldon Adelson will be much more important to the Romney
campaign if Adelson starts contributing campaign money.
Sheldon Adelson is the single biggest donor in the 2012 campaign so
far. He has spent more than $25 million on conservative candidates, most
of which went to a Newt Gingrich super PAC.
Donald Trump meanwhile has donated a grand total, total, of $2,500 to
Mitt Romney.
Not one penny of Sheldon Adelson`s millions had gone to Mitt Romney.
But Romney was hoping that would change today.
NEWT GINGRICH (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Sheldon told me
that they were going to actively support Governor Romney and they`re deeply
committed on defeating Obama.
O`DONNELL: Joining me now, Tim Dickenson, contributing editor of "The
Rolling Stone," who most recently wrote, "Who`s Behind Mitt? A look at the
candidate`s top 16 billionaire donors."
And, Karen Finney, former DNC communications director and an MSNBC
political analyst.
Karen, according to Newt, it sounds like Adelson is on board with
Romney, and so, the Adelson millions should be flowing from those casino
tables straight into the Romney campaign.
KAREN FINNEY, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: Absolutely. And, you know, it
kind of makes you wonder why it is that the Romney campaign was so worried
about getting another $2 million by showing up with Donald Trump tonight
when he had Shelly in the pocket already and so many other guys as Tim
points out.
O`DONNELL: It ain`t about the money. Karen, it ain`t about the
FINNEY: I`m just playing along.
O`DONNELL: But, you know, look, Donald Trump is the dog whistle for
racist voters. It ain`t about the money.
FINNEY: Sure.
O`DONNELL: Trump has contributed next to nothing to Romney. He means
nothing to Romney financially. This is about leaving no racist voter
FINNEY: That`s right. Love all, serve all, right? That`s the Romney
campaign. Anybody who`s willing to write a check, we have got an issue for
you, we`re going to take care of you.
O`DONNELL: Yes. So, Tim Dickinson, there`s a bunch of millionaires
and Sheldon Adelson is the most active. But who else does he have lined up
with the money to support him?
TIM DICKINSON, ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE: The biggest guy behind Adelson
is Harold Simmons. He`s a Texas billionaire buyout king of great renown
from the `80s and is now making a big weight in nuclear waste that he wants
to import from 36 states into his dump in west Texas. But to do that, he
needs a very compliant EPA.
And so, I think he`s hoping that Romney will help him out with that.
O`DONNELL: You got a truck of nuclear waste on interstate highways,
Karen. You know, there`s some red tape involved that you might need to
deal with.
FINNEY: Yes, absolutely. I mean, you know, it`s interesting is that,
guess what? The rhetoric that each of these guys that are writing these
big checks want to hear seems to find their way into the stump speeches.
Every time Romney talks about how, you know, regulations are crushing
businesses, I want everybody to think about the millionaires and
billionaires, right, the pesky EPA that`s there to stop all that waste from
getting into our water supply and our air, and those pesky regulations that
you don`t can`t build a home substandard and that you don`t want to be sued
if something happens. I mean, each of these guys, as Tim points out, has
their issue that Romney is there to stand up for.
O`DONNELL: Tim Dickinson, in your exhaustive "Rolling Stone" study of
these billionaires and Romney, sure, there is money. But what I`m
wondering about is, if they didn`t give any money at all, isn`t Romney
already in agreement with what they want to do?
DICKINSON: You know, I think so -- certainly, about half of these
guys are private equity and hedge fund folks. Guys like John Paulson who
were involved in Goldman`s profanity deals and, you know, picking bad
These are folks that sort of won on the Wall Street casino and want to
go back to the way things were. So, Romney is obviously standing with
them, with carried interest loopholes as opposed to Buffett Rule that would
effectively double the taxes on their profits. And, you know, as
billionaires, they have a lot of money to pass on their kids and Romney
does himself and wants to eliminate the inheritance tax. And so, they have
just very natural affinities with Romney.
But they also have specific things that they want. They want help
suing Argentina to collect on defaulted debt. They, like, you know -- just
any number of things that these guys all have sort of pet interests. But
they`re pretty well in sync with Romney to begin with.
FINNEY: And other thing is, in each of these instances, these are
things that will hurt middle class Americans. I mean, if you are someone
who lives in a home that was built substandard and you try to go sue, and
Mitt Romney is president and those regulations are rolled back, you`re
screwed basically.
So, unfortunately, that`s the other part of the story that`s going to
be hard for Democrats to communicate is it`s not just that Romney is
protecting the two sets of rules and the 1 percenters, but the impact of
rolling back many of these things that these guys are opposed to will
actually end hurting middle class Americans.
O`DONNELL: And the impact of the money from the 16 billionaires that
Tim has profiled in "Rolling Stone" is now scaring the Obama re-election
campaign. A friend of the show, John Heilemann, in his "New York" piece
says that senior advisor David Plouffe at the White House told Heilemann,
that the president is likely to be overmatched financially by Romney.
Romney will probably overtake the president will take on the financing of
the campaign.
And Plouffe says, from a political standpoint, I`m almost as worried
about that -- almost as worried about that as I am about the question of
what is the economy going to do in the coming months.
Karen, that money definitely has them scared.
FINNEY: Oh, absolutely. I mean, that they know that they are going
to be outmanned. And remember, that money is going to unregulated -- that
money is going into these super-PACs that can issue ads are kind of a thing
of the past. They will attack this president directly and Mitt Romney has
shown they don`t care about lying to the American people about what`s true
and what`s not. So you know what? Team Obama should be worried about that
O`DONNELL: Tim Dickinson of "Rolling Stone" thank you very much for
your reporting. And, Karen Finney, thank you for joining us tonight.
DICKINSON: Good to be with you.
O`DONNELL: Coming up, Mitt Romney says education is the civil rights
issue of our era. Too bad he didn`t know that the civil rights issue of
Mitt Romney`s era was civil rights. That`s in tonight`s rewrite.
And Andy Cohen is here to review how Michelle Obama is doing as a
political player on television and why he lives in fear of Twitter. That`s
coming up.
O`DONNELL: Michelle Obama has been doing nonpolitical TV like "The
View" today, but is it really nonpolitical? Andy Cohen analyzes the first
lady`s performance and will make her an offer that Andy thinks she can`t
refuse. That`s coming up.
And in the rewrite tonight, Mitt Romney is now lecturing us on civil
rights. It`s too bad that Mitt Romney did not know that the civil rights
issue of his era was civil rights.
BILL INTERNICOLA, TOLD HE`S NOT A CITIZEN: I never had any trouble.
I have voted here for the last almost 15 years around here. And I have
voted in Brooklyn, when I lived in Brooklyn. And I really don`t understand
it. It`s -- to me, it`s like an insult.
O`DONNELL: I know you sound like you voted in Brooklyn, but that`s
what you get for being a registered Democrat in Florida these days, where
Birtherism is running out of control. Republican Governor Rick Scott has
ordered all non-citizens removed from voter rolls. Now, of course, it is
illegal for non-citizens to vote anywhere in the country.
And Florida officials have come up with a list of 180,000 suspects,
people who they think are not citizens and are on the voting rolls. It is
a list that Florida`s former secretary of state did not believe was
credible. The first 2,600 people on the list have now received letters
saying that Florida believes they are not citizens of this country.
But they will be allowed to prove their citizenship within 30 days in
order to stay on the voter rolls. The man you just heard saying he`s been
voting in Florida for 15 years is 91 years old. That`s 91-year-old Bill
Internicola, who was born in Brooklyn. He was awarded a bronze star for
service as a medic at the Battle of the Bulge. And he is a registered
The new NBC News Marist Poll in Florida shows President Obama at 45
percent and Mitt Romney at 40 percent. The new Quinnipiac Florida poll
shows Mitt Romney at 47 percent and President Obama at 41 percent. How
important are the millions of votes cast in Florida? And how important are
the votes that will be blocked by Governor Rick Scott`s sudden interest in
birth certificates?
In 2000, in the final official vote count, only 537 votes separated
George W. Bush and Al Gore.
Joining me now, Congressman Ted Deutch who represents Florida`s 9th
district and Broward County, Florida, resident, U.S. Citizen, Maureen
Russo, who received that same letter from the election supervisor informing
her she had to prove her citizenship.
Thank you both very much for joining me tonight. Maureen, I want to
read to you part of -- for our audience, because you`ve read it, but the
part of the letter that you received from the Board of Supervises. It says
"the Broward County Supervisor of Elections Office has received information
from the state of Florida that you are not a United States citizen.
However, you are registered to vote. If you agree with this information,
please complete the enclosed voter acceptance or denial of eligibility
form. If you believe this information is false, you may request a hearing
with the supervisor of elections for the purpose of providing proof that
you are a United States citizen."
Maureen, where does your case stand today after receiving that letter?
MAUREEN RUSSO, 40-YEAR OLD FLORIDA VOTER: Well, I sent a copy of my
passport because I didn`t want to go to a hearing. And I haven`t heard
back in the mail. It`s been about two weeks now. But I did get a call
today from Dr. Brenda Snipes stating that I was eligible to vote. And I
asked her if I could maybe get a new voter`s registration card or
something. She said oh, no, you don`t need that. You can go to the polls
and you`ll be fine to vote. Don`t worry.
O`DONNELL: Congressman Deutch, are you confident that after that
episode, if Maureen goes to the polls with or without her passport, she
actually will be able to vote, given all the hysteria that surrounds this?
REP. TED DEUTCH (D), FLORIDA: No, Lawrence. It`s good to be with
you, by the way. I`m not confident at all. I`m sitting with one U.S.
citizen who was told that she doesn`t have the right to vote. I spent the
morning with Bill Internicola. You just played back some of his thoughts
on this process, a 91-year-old war hero who was told that he`s not a
citizen and he doesn`t have the right to vote.
We have a history in this country, a tragic history of voter
suppression, through violence, through intimidation, through poll taxes.
This is the most insidious form of all, Lawrence. This is a purely
political ploy to strike 180,000 people from the rolls. I don`t have any
confidence at all in this governor. That`s why I think the governor should
stop this process immediately.
O`DONNELL: Maureen, you know, this is the time of year when the worst
news that can arrive in an American mailbox is a high school senior getting
a rejection letter from one of the colleges that he or she has applied to.
But I just can`t imagine, what was it like for you to open your mail box
and pull out this letter from the state of Florida saying to you, you`re
not a citizen. How did that feel?
RUSSO: I was very surprised. I -- it took me right off guard. I
didn`t really know what to do at first. But I have taken action and I`m
hoping it all comes out. I really would like something in writing, though,
of some sort. I don`t want to stand in line to vote -- it`s a very long
line -- and then get up there and them tell me I can`t vote.
O`DONNELL: Congressman Deutch, is there a counter-action to this
intimidation through the mail that is going on in Florida, some counter-
action that you think people should be taking?
DEUTCH: Sure, absolutely. We have to respond to this plan which, as
you point out, Lawrence, these individuals who are receiving this notice
risk losing the right to vote if they don`t respond. In Dade County,
Florida, in Miami-Dade County, with the largest number of voters who have
received this notice, there are already people who by failing to respond
have had their voting status wiped from the voter registry.
That`s what we have to combat. We have called upon my colleagues in
the Congress and the Democratic side of the aisle in Florida have called
upon the governor to stop this purge. There are efforts under way by civil
rights groups and voting rights groups that may ultimately lead to a
lawsuit, which I think is appropriate as well.
There`s so much we have to do to make this stop, to ensure that people
have the right to vote.
O`DONNELL: It`s absolutely outrageous. This is not the American way
of voting. Florida Congressman Ted Deutch and Maureen Russo, thank you
very much for joining us tonight. And Maureen, I hope you do get that
chance to vote.
RUSSO: Thank you. I do too.
O`DONNELL: Thank you. Coming up, Bravo`s Andy Cohen will join me to
discuss Michelle Obama`s TV appearances and where Andy thinks Michelle
Obama should appear next on TV? Can you guess? Anywhere? Maybe.
In the Rewrite tonight, Mitt Romney tries to lecture us about civil
rights. Yes, that`s the very same Mitt Romney who sat out the Civil Rights
O`DONNELL: In tonight`s Rewrite, Mitt Romney tries to Rewrite the
meaning of civil rights.
ROMNEY: Here we are in the most prosperous nation on Earth but
millions of our kids are getting a third world education. And America`s
minority children suffer the most. This is the civil rights issue of our
era. And it`s the greatest challenge of our time.
O`DONNELL: "This is the civil rights issue of our era." Well, it
could be. You could try to make that case, if you were born in, say, 1990
or after that and you`re neighbor 21 years old now, or if you were born
yesterday, like Mitt Romney thinks you were. But Mitt Romney was born in
The civil rights issue of Mitt Romney`s era was civil rights.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came to town when Mitt Romney
was 16 years old; 125,000 people marched with Dr. King that day in Detroit.
Mitt Romney wasn`t one of them. There were hundreds and hundreds of 16-
year-olds marching with Dr. King in that crowd of 125,000.
Mitt Romney had a chance to march with Dr. King when he was 16 years
old. He had a chance to march with history. And he didn`t do it. The
last time he was running for president, he lied and said that his father
did do it, did march with Martin Luther King, but his father didn`t do it
The civil rights issue of Mitt Romney`s era was civil rights.
Just after Romney finished his junior year of high school, the civil
rights martyrs James Cheney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were
murdered trying to help people get the right to vote in Mississippi. That
was when hundreds of college students just a few years older than Mitt
Romney were pouring into the south during the Civil Rights Movement.
A month after James Cheney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner gave
their lives for it, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law because the
civil rights issue of Mitt Romney`s era was civil rights. The Voting
Rights Act was signed into law two months after Mitt Romney graduated from
high school. Did Mitt Romney attend any of the civil rights demonstrations
in Detroit during his high school years? No, not one.
Did other American high school kids, both rich and poor, white and
black throughout this country attend civil rights demonstrations in the
1960s in Detroit and elsewhere? Yes, by the thousands. That`s because
they knew that the civil rights issue of Mitt Romney`s era was civil
High school is not an excuse for not taking a position, for not
participating in the great issues of your time. In my one and only run for
elective office, president of my high school, my number one issue was the
Vietnam War. I wanted our school to follow the example of colleges around
the country and go on strike against the war, a one day strike, a little
demonstration. I came in a close second to Joe Duffy, a legendary athlete
at my high school, who was and is an all around great guy, and needless to
say ran a much more disciplined campaign.
There were hundreds of high school students at every anti-war
demonstration that I attended in Boston and Washington when I was in high
school. Mitt Romney participated in exactly one demonstration in college.
It was one of the earlier campus demonstrations of the Vietnam War. Some
Stanford students organized a protest against the draft. Romney joined a
counter protest in favor of the draft.
That`s right, Mitt Romney is one of the very, very few Americans who
can claim to have been in a demonstration in favor of the draft during the
Vietnam War, not that Romney was willing to be drafted himself. Oh, no,
no, no. Nor was Romney was willing to enlist in the military, whose draft
he supported and whose war he supported.
Romney publicly urged his government to draft unwilling participants
into the war, to draft college classmates of his into the war, to send them
to their deaths, as long as Romney didn`t have to go to war himself.
Romney went to France instead, as a Mormon missionary, which he used to
preserve his deferment from the draft.
While he was trying and mostly failing to convert Parisians to
Mormonism, while Romney was safe in France and tens of thousands of young
Americans his age were being killed in Vietnam, Martin Luther King was
assassinated in 1968, when Romney was in France.
Perhaps Mitt Romney can tell us what the civil rights issue was in
Paris in 1968. But in Mitt Romney`s country, in the then not so united
United States of America, the civil rights of Mitt Romney`s era was civil
Mitt Romney was 21 years old when Martin Luther King was assassinated.
And for another 10 years after Martin Luther King was assassinated, until
Mitt Romney was 31 years old -- 31 years old, throughout his 20s, he would
sit back silently and watch as his church would continue to refuse to allow
black men to be priests.
Mitt Romney`s father, at the same time, took a much more enlightened
view of civil rights than his church did. According to the book "The Real
Romney," a Mormon official wrote to then Governor George Romney calling a
civil rights bill, quote, "vicious legislation," and saying that it was not
government`s job to remove God`s, quote, "curse upon the Negro," end quote.
Mitt Romney`s father knew the civil rights issue of Mitt Romney`s era
was civil rights. Mitt Romney did not protest his church`s racial
discrimination. He did not have the courage of the Reverend Helmut
Schueller, the Austrian priest who I`ve reported on here, who has been
publicly protesting his church`s ban on female priests and his church`s ban
on priest`s marrying.
In his 65 years, Mitt Romney has never protested the actions or
decisions of any figure in authority other than the people he has met on
campaign debate stages. Mitt Romney came of age in an era of protest. If
you are a 65-year-old American, the civil rights issue of your era was
civil rights.
Martin Luther King Jr. knew that. James Cheney knew that. Andrew
Goodman knew that. Michael Schwerner knew that. And Republican Governor
George Romney knew that.
But Mitt Romney, the man who now has the soulless audacity to read the
teleprompter words of a lecture to us written by his speech writers about
civil rights, that same Mitt Romney does not know that the civil rights
issue of Mitt Romney`s era was civil rights.
ANDY COHEN, "WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE": By the way, a word to the wise
about Twitter, I feel that I`m always one Tweet away from getting fired and
ruining my career and my life. So think before you Tweet.
O`DONNELL: Joining me now is Andy Cohen, executive vice president of
development and talent at Bravo and the host of "Watch What Happens Live."
And he`s the author of the new book, "Most Talkative, Stories From The
Front Lines of Pop Culture."
Andy, you said that this morning on "MORNING JOE," How close have you
come today to being fired for something you`ve Tweeted today.
COHEN: I`m trying to think. No, today was cool. I was under the
radar today. I was playing it cool today.
O`DONNELL: I share your feelings about that. I think with these kind
of shows, we`re one sentence away from getting fired. It can happen all
the time now. Have we gone too far with our sensibility about what`s in a
COHEN: With a 24-hour-plus news cycle, where every -- everywhere you
turn someone can pick up on something that you say and either misconstrue
it or just make a big deal out of it, it`s just really difficult. And
humor takes on -- you know, it`s really hard to read humor or irony or any
sort of layering in a Tweet, or in an email for that matter. So it`s
become a very volatile, dangerous situation.
O`DONNELL: Andy, politics is invading your jurisdiction, which is to
say non-political TV, kind of audience friendly, especially women friendly
audiences like "The View." Michelle Obama was there today. Let`s take a
look at Michelle Obama on "The View" today.
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": In an interview just recently you said,
and I quote, that you are "sometimes unsure if you are a classic First Lady
and if the things you do are OK." Why do you feel this way and who is your
idea of a classic First Lady?
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: I have never seen a First Lady hula hoop
on the south lawn, jump double Dutch. So there`s a lot of --
JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": Martha Washington didn`t do that?
WALTERS: Do you ever have doubts? do you say to yourself maybe I`ve
gone too far?
OBAMA: It`s not doubts. It`s just really wondering, not too many
people have done what I`ve done.
O`DONNELL: Andy, I think we know what Michelle Obama is up to and
what politics is up to in general when people like the First Lady go on
those kind of shows. They want to appeal to the voter who`s not going to
pay that much attention to this kind of political TV, but is checking in
with your TV, with Barbara`s TV there at "The View," with that kind of
That`s where to find that voter now, who`s not going to concentrate
until you get down to October, right?
COHEN: Yes. Look, I think Bill Clinton kind of rewrote the playbook
there when he played the saxophone on "Arsenio Hall" all those years ago.
Now it has become just part of the whistle stop tour, that people going,
you know, red, white and "the View." I like that backdrop there.
But I want Michelle Obama in my Bravo clubhouse. She`s the realist
housewife of them all. She`s the first housewife.
O`DONNELL: Andy, hold it. I don`t think that`s the way to get
Michelle Obama, to compare her to any real housewives of, pardon me, yours.
COHEN: I mean it as a complement.
O`DONNELL: I`m sure you do.
COHEN: I think that what -- I think what`s great about my show, not
to toot the horn, if Mrs. Obama is watching or her people, is that it`s
unscripted and it`s fun and it`s putting somebody you know in a different
environment that you have never seen them in. And I think that`s why she
goes on "The View" and Letterman and all these other shows. It`s just
another way to look in at something that you think you know or you have an
idea of.
O`DONNELL: The new book is "Most Talkative, Stories From the Front
Lines of Pop Culture." Andy, thank you very much for joining us tonight.
Copyright 2012 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by
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Guests: Krystal Ball, Jonathan Capehart, Karen Finney, Tim Dickinson, Ted Deutch, Maureen Russo, Andy Cohen


text:
Sat., October 12th: Creative Pathways to God
per item
Creative Pathways to God
Bill Tonnis, John Metz, Ken Cecil
9:30 am-2:30 pm
$45 includes lunch
Tap into the Creative Flow of Life! God is still creating and you are called to take part! Come and enjoy creative writing exercises led by Ken Cecil, art exercises led by John Metz and praise and worship led by Bill Tonnis. We will also experience the original inspirational music of Bill Tonnis and original paintings of John Metz. Expand the possibilities for your life's meaning … moving from darkness to light, discovering joy and peace!
No artistic or writing experience required.


text:
Is it possible that Sesame Street's debonair Count von Count may have predisposed the current generation of TV watchers to regard most vampires as gorgeous rather than grotesque? Almost all of the television Undead are portrayed with some level of allure; for the hundreds of disposable vamps staked by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there's always the dangerously attractive Angel, Drusilla, and Spike.
The classic vampiric traits of sensuality, immortality, violence, and angst can add appeal to almost any story. Even relatively obscure shows inspire devotion, with fans of Forever Knight's vampire detective Nick Knight or Blood Ties' Henry Fitzroy showing up to passionately plead their case in the comments of the omnipresent Internet polls asking readers if they prefer the Zeitgeist-dominating vamps of Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, or True Blood.
Modern vampires quickly made the jump from literature to film, but their small-screen presence has increased sharply as of late. Dark Shadows began featuring a recurring romantic undead character in 1966, and vampires began to manifest in programs such as '70s supernatural detective show Kolchack: The Night Stalker and Dr. Who.
The Canadian show Forever Knight ran for four years in the '90s, while south of the border vamps showed up in daytime soap Port Charles. Monster-of-the-week appearances continued as paranormal game-changer The X-Files provided the wretched "3" and the lighthearted "Bad Blood," which featured a foxy exsanguinating Luke Wilson, and David Hasselhoff offered vampire stories in both Baywatch and Baywatch Nights. UK series The Hunger has recently been getting DVD play in the U.S., while 1998 BBC miniseries Ultraviolet features a young Stephen Moyer playing a less gentlemanly vampire than he does in his current gig on True Blood. Unsurprisingly, bloodsuckers also visited supernaturally themed shows like Charmed, Smallville, Supernatural, and The Wizards of Waverly Place.
On the current global airwaves, the BBC's Being Human is beginning its third season, and the Israeli teen vampire drama Split appears to owe a lot to Buffy, including its trenchcoat-wearing bad boy vamp and the dorky friend crushing on the female protagonist. And with its international cast leading the way, HBO's True Blood is a worldwide phenomenon. The third season premieres this Sunday at 9pm, bringing werewolves into the already heady supernatural mix.
Here's a look at some past and current vampire-themed television shows:
|Network and Year(s)
|Buffy the Vampire Slayer
|Over seven seasons, Sarah Michelle Gellar's iconic Slayer and her quippy sidekicks traversed the treacherous grounds of demon-filled Hellmouths, high school betrayals, black magic, and first loves with increasing subtlety, reaping acclaim for episodes like the tragic "The Body" or the exhilarating musical "Once More, with Feeling." The Chosen One was recently voted #3 in an EW list of top 100 TV characters. Not surprising, considering she saved the world. A lot.
|Being Human
|BBC, 2008-present
|This witty dramedy follows the travails of three twentysomething Bristol roommates -- who happen to be a vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf, respectively -- as the reluctant supernaturals try to fit into both the real and paranormal worlds. The second season premieres on BBC America on July 24, while Syfy is currently developing an American version. Boo.
|True Blood
|HBO, 2008-present
|Alan Ball's insanely enjoyable escapist drama takes as its starting point Charlaine Harris' popular Southern Vampire Mysteries and expands their first-person narrative into a metaphorically rich melange of sexuality, sin, and the South. Out-of-the coffin vampires, telepaths, shapeshifters, small-town bigots, politicians, drug dealers, and other creatures revolve around one another in a pleasurably dense narrative that navigates camp, mystery, romance, humor, horror, violence, and heartbreak with sultry finesse.
|Buffy's vampire beau Angel (David Boreanaz) left one Hellmouth for another in this spinoff, heading to L.A. to combat the demonic corporate law firm Wolfram & Hart. Metaphors abounded as the firm was sustained by human evil while interdimensional demons ("Senior Partners") manipulated the strings. Angel was canceled despite its popularity, and the fantastically dark last season ended with an apocalyptic showdown that continued in the comic book Buffyverse.
|Dracula: The Series
|Syndicated, 1990
|This tongue-in-cheek half-hour Saturday morning serial follows two young Van Helsing descendents, their uncle Gustav, and their friend Sophie as they try to foil smooth-talking international corporate bloodsucker Alexander Lucard (hint: spell "A. Lucard" backwards). Geraint Wyn Davies, who appeared occasionally as a Dracula protégé (Draculackey?), would later star in another Canadian vampire series, Forever Knight. Wall Street 2, eat your heart out. Literally.
|Dark Shadows
|What started out as a gothic soap turned increasingly supernatural after ghosts appeared in its sixth episode, followed by other paranormal beasties such as the romantic yet creepy vampire Barnabas Collins. One in four households watched the premiere of the 1991 revival, but preemptions from the real-life horror of the Gulf War led to cancellation. Über-fan Johnny Depp will take on the Collins role in director Tim Burton's 2011 movie version.
|The Vampire Diaries
|CW, 2009-present
|Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) flaunt sharp teeth and sharper cheekbones as the respectively good and evil vampire brothers battling for the attentions of damaged yet feisty high schooler Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev). Based on the popular book series by L.J. Smith, this paranormal small-town show was created by Scream/Dawson's Creek alumnus Kevin Williamson. Team Pacey!
|Blade: The Series
|Spike, 2006
|This action drama, based on the comic book character and film series, starred rapper/actor Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones as the half-vampire, half-human vampire hunter and Jill Wagner as Krista Starr, his reluctant human partner with her own agenda. Blade was the first scripted show for the young male-oriented Spike network; show creator David S. Goyer wrote all three Blade films and also co-wrote The Dark Knight.
|Like Angel before him, hunky private investigator and vampire Mick St. John (Alex O'Loughlin) attempts to exorcise his personal demons by helping others in this well-liked though mostly critically unacclaimed paranormal romance. Luckily, St. John can go out during the day. Veronica Mars' Jason Dohring shines as St. John's undead friend Josef and Dr. Who's Sophia Myles tries her best American accent as a reporter/love interest Beth Turner.
|Kindred: The Embraced
|Fox, 1996
|Loosely based on the RPG Vampire: The Masquerade, this San Francisco-based show follows the organized crime-like machinations between five groups of vampires known as The Kindred, who are discovered by police detective Frank Kohanek (C. Thomas Howell) and of course an intrepid blonde reporter played by Gossip Girl mom Lily van der Woodsen (Kelly Rutherford). The show was canceled after only eight episodes.
What do you think?
What is your favorite vampire show? Are you a fan of True Blood? Let us know in the comments section below.


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Hollie Russon Gilman, a postdoctoral scholar and fellow in technology and public policy at SIPA, is an expert in technology, civic engagement, and governance. Gilman recently published the book Democracy Reinvented: Participatory Budgeting and Civic Innovation in America as part of a series from the Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center entitled Innovative Governance in the 21st Century. She is currently co-teaching (with Ari Wallach) the SIPA course Technology and the Future of Governance and Public Policy, which expands upon some of the themes in her book.
Of all the civic tech innovations that you mention in your book, why did you choose to focus on participatory budgeting?
I focus on participatory budgeting because it's an example of one of the most evolved democratic innovations occurring to engage citizens in decisionmaking. It started in Brazil—in Porto Alegre in 1989—and it's been implemented in over 2,500 localities, coming to the United States with $1 million dollars in one Chicago ward. Now upwards of $50 million dollars are decided by this process in the country.
It's a process to engage everyday people to identify budget needs in their area and work with government officials to draft viable budget proposals for the community to vote upon. The government, in turn, implements the projects decided by people every step of the way. Participatory budgeting is a useful lens for understanding innovation because it is a successful example of creating an infrastructure for civic engagement.
In the book, you discuss a tension between the perceived inefficiency of governance processes like participatory budgeting with the streamlining of service delivery promised by leveraging new technology. How should policymakers reconcile this tension?
At times we over-value things like ease and efficiency in public policy and undervalue the import of effectiveness. Making governance decisions is not like withdrawing cash from an ATM machine. You want your ATM machine to be there, you want it to be quick, and to be efficient, but there are other norms that are important when you think about democratic governance. For example: legitimacy, transparency, trust, and civic engagement can sometimes be at odds with an entirely mechanized or purely efficient processes. We need to take seriously what it means to do democratic innovation and civic participation effectively, and how digital tools can serve as amplifiers, and not the other way around.
Do you see this as a return to a certain ideal of small government? In the book, you mention Robert Dahl's conception of democracy as a polis.
Absolutely. In the ideal of the Athenian city-state, it was a very small area. People knew one another. They could talk to each other. Perhaps, somewhat counterintuitively, technology holds the potential to enable re-engagement on a more local level.
We're seeing these trends—people at the same time being more networked and also being hyperlocal, and investing in their communities, returning to their communities, and wanting to be part of them. Thus, there are questions about how technology could potentially amplify these engagements. think it can, but I think it takes intentionality.
Is there a way to objectively prove your thesis, that democratic engagement improves the governance process?
We definitely need more data. We need further research on these kinds of innovations, and their effectiveness. At the same time, we have to be careful about how we determine metrics. What are we measuring? Is it the number of people participating? Who is participating? Is it just the usual suspects? Diversity can also mean a lot of different things. It can mean your civic background. Are you someone who's participated before? Are you an English speaker?
There is also a certain variable that's very important, which is hard to measure. And that's, do you feel efficacious? Do I, as an individual citizen, living in a polity, feel I am a part of my government? It's very hard to quantify that. Several democratic governments are facing a crisis of trust in governance institutions. People don't think their institutions are working for them. They're very disillusioned on the national scale. Given this democratic deficit, we need further democratic experimentation.
Studying democratic innovation is not necessarily about proving people right or wrong. Rather, it's about studying emergent phenomena, which—even if they are not perfect—can generate momentum to deepen democratic engagement. When you talk to the individuals who participate, they often talk about what a transformative process it is. Even if they were frustrated or processes were more costly than expected, they were happy to be a part of the process—and that within itself is transformative.
Sometimes we are scared to open processes up to everyday people because they're too messy or they're too complicated. People can understand complex issues if you just take the time to explain them; but we're so worried about criticism. Government is risk averse. Electoral systems make people risk averse, for due reason, but we need to be able to experiment and take some risks. So that's why many—but not all—of the book's innovations are on the local level, where people can have a little more room for experimentation.
Civic tech is more than just adopting new tools; it's about a shift in mindset, right?
Yes. It's about pushing the envelope of how we typically do things. This includes greater experimentation, taking risks, and learning from "failure," which can be difficult in legacy institutions. There are other reasons why it's difficult too; if you have public funds, you want to be cautious with how you use those dollars. In the book I discuss opportunities for multi-sector actors to catalyze innovations. For example, there are opportunities where civil society, industry, philanthropy, or other kinds of resources, like university resources—such as smart SIPA students—could buttress taxpayer dollars.
Could you address SIPA's Tech and Policy initiative? Why is it important for policy students to learn about technology?
Tech & Policy at SIPA is an exciting new initiative, which includes the Dean's Challenge grant in addition to new courses, convenings, and research. It's examining several verticals of how technology can impact public policy. I think for tomorrow's leaders across sectors, who want to effect change and solve important social problems, technology will be an increasingly important part of the equation. Leaders who can understand people, politics, and institutions, in addition to technology, will be very well equipped to catalyze change.
— interview by Lindsay Fuller MPA '16


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A camper's beautiful description of night time at our sleep away campDecember 4, 2017
With school in session our sleep away camp in New Hampshire is still on the minds of many of our campers. They miss their summer home, camp friends, and the great times we have every day of our 7 week experience. Last week I shared a four article piece that one of our campers in NYC wrote for her school. It highlighted many of the things she loves about Kenwood and Evergreen, and some very wise solutions on how to overcome issues like homesickness. Today I am excited to share this description Evan from Marblehead penned describing one of the most beloved areas of our campus, an athletic field called The Hollow.
Campers and Counselors singing "Taps" after a game of Capture the Flag in The Hollow
The Hollow
After the evening dew sets in, the field looks like the ocean reflecting in the moon. In the sky, constellations gather, keeping watch on all below. The stars surrounded the moon like a sweater surrounds you when you put it on. The smell of wet grass and dirt filled the air. Evergreen trees surround one half of the field, and covering up the old gym, moss and rot on the tilted roof. The lines on the field almost invisible, washed away daily, no one ever bothering to re-paint it. The nice warm summer air almost gone as the night sets in, cold air fills the darkness. The smell of smoke and fire wood in the distance, someone having a campfire somewhere near. The smoke floats up like a person getting out of bed on a Monday morning, slowly. The bird chirping in the background is clear and interesting to hear, different birds responding to each other after every call, back and forth. The blanket that covers the wet cold grass, feels like a nail file, the scratchy cotton, almost hurts to lie on it. The tall long reeds by the trees flow in the crisp, late summer breeze. Out in the distance, birds flying away constantly, never stopping, even late at night.
– 4 year K&E camper Evan, Marblehead, MA
The Hollow is a great place to play games like Flag Football
The Hollow is a pretty special part of Kenwood and Evergreen. We gaze upon its lush green fields and picturesque Evergreen trees during our morning and evening all-camp assemblies. During the daytime it is one of the places we practice soccer, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee and flag football, and after dinner it is where so many of our campers and counselors spend their free time playing and hanging out with one another. At night it often transforms into the site for some of our campers' favorite evening activities: Jell-O Wrestling, Capture the Flag, Relay Shmeelay, and the Watermelon and Candy Bar Leagues.
RELATED: Our sleep away camp's beautiful facilities
It really is THAT much fun wrestling in a pool full of Jell-O!
We are fortunate to have so many beautiful facilities here are our sleep away camp in NH, as they help us have incredible moments througout our 7 week summer experience. We want to thank Evan for writing such an evocative description of a place we love so much, and for sharing it with all of us.


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Washingtonian senior writer Shane Harris purchased a four-foot-tall standing desk for his office. Photograph by Erik Uecke
Twelve days ago, the sounds of hammering, drilling, and swearing drew coworkers to my office, where they found me assembling a four-foot-tall wood-and-metal tower that looks like a bookcase with the back missing.
"It's a standing desk," I explained, trying to keep the sweat out of my eyes. This delighted the onlookers. They'd heard of this contraption, but most had never seen one up close, much less heard of someone actually buying one. (At $220, mine was on the cheaper end of the price range; some models cost upward of $1,500.) A few approached it in cautious amazement. It didn't look very sturdy. Would it fall over if they touched it? The more fearless among them walked right up and put their hands on the slide-out keyboard shelf, imagining themselves typing an e-mail while rocking on their heels.
But many were incredulous. My new acquisition is very tall. It's rather severe, a triumph of function over form. And when you consider that it's meant to keep you from sitting down, it has a kind of medieval torture device thing going on.
"You're really going to stand at this?" they asked. "All day? What's that about?"
I felt compelled to defend myself. I pointed out that sitting apparently kills you, which they agreed was a powerful incentive to get off my butt. I also pointed out that I'd witnessed a sit-to-stand conversion up close: My partner replaced his office desk with a counter-height kitchen table more than a year ago, and it's made him happier, healthier, and more productive. (He had worked at lecterns since 2007, and before that, he used a "laptop lifter" on his desk when he wanted to stand.)
But my real epiphany came on a recent vacation in France. Over the course of a week, in which my diet consisted primarily of duck fat, pastry cream, and red wine—frequently in the same meal—I actually lost weight. I attributed this to the ten to 12 hours a day I spent on my feet, walking the streets, ambling through churches, galleries, and shops, and just generally avoiding anything sedentary. I only sat down to eat. And I slept better and had more energy throughout the day than when I'm at home.
My job frequently keeps me out of the office, but when I'm in, I spend hours hunched over a desk, reading, writing, tweeting, organizing notes, and drawing storyboards. I saw no reason some of these tasks couldn't be accomplished on my feet, especially if it might keep me fitter—and alive.
See Also:
And so, I've embarked on a quest to become a stand-up guy. I've sent out a few tweets marking my progress, which prompted encouragement from some passionate members of this upright brigade. An appellate judge in Wisconsin wrote to tell me he's been using three standing desks since 1988—he has one at court and two at home, where he does most of his work. I became virtually acquainted with Mitch, a freelancer in New York, who is chronicling his own conversion. (Follow him @workstandingup.)
Reading the testimonials of vertical cohort, I find that everyone has the same lists of pluses and minuses. Standing during the day gives you more energy, strengthens the core muscles in your abdomen and back, and produces a heightened sense of alertness. But standing in one place also strains your legs; puts pressure on your lower back, ankles, and feet; and can make you tired, which is exactly what you're working to avoid. I'm hoping that the minor aches and pains are just part of the rookie experience, and that, like the judge—who is about 35 years my senior—I'll soon be standing most of the day.
So for those who might like to follow in my footprints, which are becoming an indelible part of my office floor, here are some tips to keep in mind.
1. Keep your old desk handy
I kept my computer desk for a week before deciding to commit to the standup model. It was always there in case I decided I'm just meant to be a sitter.
2. Sit down
We weren't meant to sit all day, but we weren't meant to stand in one place, either. I originally had two desks placed at 90-degree angles, and I kept one of them for tasks I prefer to do while sitting, such as reading long stories. I sit down for about 15 to 30 minutes every two to three hours. Even if you don't have room for two desks, keep your chair. You'll want it.
3. Buy for height
I'm six-foot-two, and the desk I purchased rises to a maximum height of 49 inches. That's a lot higher than most models I researched, and this feature was essential. You want your computer to sit at eye level, and you should position your keyboard so that when you type, your arms are parallel to the floor. If you're tilting your head to see the screen and raising your shoulders to type, or you're bending over, then you're going to hurt yourself.
4. Don't stand on one leg
Resist the temptation to shift your weight to one side, or to prop up a leg on a chair or stool. This just strains your standing leg and puts inordinate pressure on your lower back.
5. Get a mat
You'd be surprised how little support your carpet offers. You'll find a variety of options if you do a search for "anti-fatigue mat."
In the week and a half I've been standing, it has literally changed the way I work. (For instance, I'd never written a story standing up.) Whether it has changed my life for the better . . . we'll see. I gave that computer desk to another writer, so there's no turning back. My editor, who insists routinely I fall in and out of love with new routines, is skeptical. "Talk to me in six months," she says. "See how you feel about it then."
But so far, all those positive benefits I accrued in France are still with me in Washington. I'm more alert. I have more energy. And I'm sleeping better. I shall celebrate with a wine-soaked foie gras éclair.


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check (one's) six(redirected from check someone's 6)
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check (one's) six
To look behind oneself, typically by looking over one's shoulder. "Six o'clock" is a military term referring to the area behind oneself. Make sure to check your six, in case someone tries to follow you.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
check your six
tv. look behind you (where there may be danger). (see also on your six. Refers to six o'clock as being behind one, as if one were facing twelve o'clock.) Check your six, bud. Some gangsta's getting close to your wallet.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Hi there,
I am Christian, a single mother and a grandmother, and I have always loved to encourage people. I so love to see people do well and if I can be little help in getting them through their day then that makes me smile.
Personal development has been somewhat of a lifeline throughout my life. Whenever, I reached that moment in my life of becoming 'unsettled or dissatisfied, totally bored!!' with things I would end up finding something to study in order to learn something new and experience new things.
I love writing, its something I have always done, but only shared with literally one or two people in the past. My blog is my big step to putting my voice out their and encouraging others on a bigger scale. It's about bringing a simile to the face of the person who has taken the time to read my posts and hopefully being a friendly voice.
I write about a lot of things really but they are hopefully written in an inspiring and motivational way. It's all about change for me and change for the better.
These are some of my more popular posts and favourite posts so far. The first was my very first post which to my surprise was re-blogged minutes after I published it. That made my day at the time as a newbie blogger:-)
1. First Post
2. Kinky, Coily, Curly hair – The Miseducation
3. Writing The Beauty of Writing
5. Success Us It Your Driver of Self Worth?
I started this blog 7 years ago! I have been far from consistent, but in October 2020 I got my drive back to write consistently. A must for blogging.
I do have two other blogs. Both started by 2015. On focuses on my faith more and the other I currently write anonymously and focuses on my short story writings and photography. (Didn't want this blog to get over crowded with two many things.)
I hope you find my posts interesting and most of all they bring a smile.
Happy reading!!
Aquene7= Peace
Gloria, your blogs have been so interesting to read, thought provoking and encouraging at the same time. I find them really positive and I look forward to reading more! Jemma


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4:30am Ltd. - Products and Services
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4:30am ... it's about time
Establshed in 1999, 4:30am Ltd. specialises in developing software using NodeJS and ExtJS. We also provide IT infrastructure and configuration using wireless and wired networking with systems from Ubiquiti and Mikrotik.
With our own data centre, we can offer end-to-end managed solutions to any size of client
Our clients come from all over the UK. We strive to provide them, both big and small, with a no-nonsense approach to using the internet to increase their profits, benefit their customers and improve their businesses.


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PRAGUE, April 4, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The UN says deaths and injuries caused by land mines kill or maim between 15,000 and 20,000 people each year around the world. One in five of those victims is a child.
In Afghanistan, 70 to 100 people are killed or injured each month by the land mines or unexploded ordnance that was scattered across the country during nearly three decades of war.
Working Together
Thousands of demining experts from charity organizations like The HALO Trust are working with the Afghan government and UN efforts like the Afghan New Beginnings Program. Their task is to locate, collect, and destroy land mines and unexploded ammunition.
The sound of an enormous explosion echoes across the landscape as an enormous plume of smoke rises high into the sky. The HALO Trust has detonated another cache of mines it has put into a deep pit for demolition. Fared Hamayoon directs the activities of The HALO Trust in Afghanistan.
"We are actually marking the International Mine Action Day," he says. "We are in this place called Deh Sabz -- which is a district [north] of Kabul. We destroyed 368 antipersonnel mines that we have collected in cooperation with the [Afghan] Defense Ministry and the Afghan New Beginnings Program from the stockpiles."
Nearly 3,000 communities in Afghanistan -- with a total of more than 4 million people -- are affected by land mines. That has led the UN to rank Afghanistan with Cambodia and Colombia as the three countries with the highest number of land-mine victims.
A Land-Mine Free World?
The UN says it is possible to rid the world of land mines within years rather than decades as previously thought. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says the goal is achievable if clearing efforts by donors, the general public, and governments continue.
In 2003, Afghanistan signed the so-called Ottawa treaty on banning land mines. That document commits Afghanistan to clearing all minefields by 2013 and destroying all stockpiles of weapons from demilitarized militia groups by the end of next year.
Nurullah Khan is a former mujahedin fighter who lost his leg in a land-mine explosion six years ago while he was fighting against Afghanistan's Taliban regime. He says the land-mine problem in Afghanistan is urgent and critical.
"As long as there are mines in Afghanistan, we are in danger," he says. "Children are at risk. And people from abroad who aren't familiar with minefields feel in danger here."
Dr. Najmuddin lost both of his legs in a mine blast when he was 18-years old. Now he is a doctor who helps other mine victims at an orthopedic hospital in Kabul run by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Afghans Suffer Badly
"My message to all the world -- to those who are making [land mines], to those who are trafficking [land mines], to those who are sending [land mines] to countries, and to those who are planting mines," he says. "Stop this very bad fight against humanity."
The work of the Kabul Orthopedic Hospital includes the making of artificial legs for use by Afghan mine victims. The sheer number of Afghan mine victims keeps craftsmen at the workshop busy every day.
Up to 100,000 Afghans are thought to have been killed or injured by mines and unexploded ammunition since 1979. And there are new victims every day -- including a small Afghan child being treated on April 3 who was still in shock from a land-mine explosion.
The UN says much demining work also remains to be done in Iraq, Angola, Sudan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ethiopia, and Eritrea.
Tajikistan has problems with land mines along its borders with both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Parwiz Maulonkulov is the director of the Center for Land Mine Problems in Dushanbe. He says 500 people have been killed or injured by land mines in Tajikistan since 1992.
Maulonkulov says seven Tajiks were killed and 12 were injured by land mines last year. He says his group has helped clear 183 square kilometers of land during the last two years and plans to clear another 45 kilometers in the near future.
The UN says Chechnya also has a serious land-mine problem. The UN says Russian troops were still laying mines around their installations and security checkpoints in Chechnya last year. But Russian UN Ambassador Andrei Denisov has denied those claims. Denisov says that if land mines are still being laid in Chechnya, it is being done only by Chechen rebels.