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| TIME | SPEAKER | TEXT |
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| 00:00:04 |
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SHEPHERDSTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA, IT LOCATED IN THE EASTERN PANHANDLE OF THE STATE NEAR THE FAMOUS CIVIL... |
| 00:00:57 |
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DOUG BRINKLEY, WHY DID YOU WANT TO START OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT YOUR BOOK AT THIS CENTER. WELL, THIS... |
| 00:02:17 |
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WHEN DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN THEODORE ROOSEVELT? I LOVED HIM SINCE CHILDHOOD. I ENJOYED LEAD READING... |
| 00:04:53 |
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ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SEE THROUGHOUT THIS CENTER ARE STUFFED ANIMALS. |
| 00:04:59 |
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WELL, TAX DETERMINEY -- ROOSEVELT WAS TRAINED IN THE ARM OF TAXIDERMY. HIS TEACHER IN NEW YORK WAS... |
| 00:06:23 |
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BEFORE WE GO ANY FARTHER, EXPLAIN WHERE THIS CONSERVATION TRAINING CENTER IS LOCATED. |
| 00:06:31 |
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WE ARE IN SHEPHERDSTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA, NOT TOO FAR FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS... |
| 00:07:41 |
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WE'RE STANDING IN THE ROOSEVELT ROOM OF THE CENTER. WHEN YOU LOOK UP BEHIND YOU, THERE IS A PICTURE,... |
| 00:07:52 |
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THAT'S THEODORE ROOSEVELT WITH THE GREAT NATURALIST JOHN MUIR IN 1903. ROOSEVELT BECOMES PRESIDENT... |
| 00:11:24 |
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HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE IN THE UNITED STATES IN THOSE YEARS? |
| 00:11:29 |
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OH, GOSH, IN 20TH CENTURY? I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE WRONG NUMBER ON YOUR SHOW. |
| 00:11:33 |
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WE HAVE 300 PLUS MILLION |
| 00:11:34 |
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I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T WANT TO SAY WRONG. I WOULD SAY AROUND 150 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IF... |
| 00:12:06 |
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HOW OLD WAS HE WHEN HE WAS PRESIDENT? |
| 00:12:08 |
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HE CAME IN -- HE DIED WHEN HE WAS 60. HE WAS MAINLY PRESIDENT IN HIS 40'S. HE WAS AT THAT POINT OUR... |
| 00:13:25 |
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LET ME INTERRUPT AND ASK ANOTHER -- THIS PROBABLY ISN'T FAIR, BUT ARE YOU A LITTLE BIT LIKE HIM? |
| 00:13:29 |
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I IDENTIFY WITH HIM IN THE SENSE THAT I HAD ASTHMA AS A BOY AND IT WASN'T FUN HAVING ASTHMA. FOR... |
| 00:14:51 |
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I REMEMBER YOU SPENT A SUMMER IN NORTH DAKOTA. |
| 00:14:54 |
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THAT WAS 1992. I GO UP THERE EVERY -- NOT EVERY SUMMER, EVERY OTHER SUMMER. IN FACT, I DID A LOT... |
| 00:16:56 |
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IN AND AROUND PUBLISHING THIS BOOK, YOU HAVE PUBLISHED SEVERAL OTHER BOOKS AND ARTICLES. YOUR BOOK... |
| 00:17:04 |
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2006. |
| 00:17:05 |
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HAD YOU BEEN WORKING ON THIS BOOK? |
| 00:17:06 |
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I WAS. I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS BOOK FOR A LONG TIME. IT'S BEEN A PASSION. I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING... |
| 00:19:01 |
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HOW DID YOU CONVINCE OR DO YOU TRY TO CONVERSION HARPER COLLINS TO PUBLIC A 1,000-PAGE BOOK IN THIS... |
| 00:19:12 |
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MY VISION IS DO A QUARTET CALLED AMERICA AND THE AGE OF CONSERVATION WITH THE FIRST VOLUME REALLY... |
| 00:21:03 |
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YOU TALKED ABOUT MINDORO. HOW MANY OTHER PLACES DID YOU SPEND TIME IN TO RESEARCH THIS BOOK? |
| 00:21:09 |
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ALMOST ALL. THERE ARE HUNDREDS GOING DOWN, BUT ALL OF HIS NATIONAL PARKS AND HIS MONUMENTS I HAVE... |
| 00:22:48 |
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SO HERE AT THIS CENTER, THE NATIONAL CONSERVATION TRAINING CENTER OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE,... |
| 00:22:57 |
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NO, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED YOU TO COME AND I AM GLAD YOU CAME HERE. THEY HAVE A GREAT... |
| 00:25:18 |
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GO BACK TO THE BUSINESS OF THE ARCHIVES HERE. ARE YOU AFRAID MAYBE THAT YOU HAVE OPENED THIS PLACE... |
| 00:25:31 |
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NO. WHAT I WANT, BRIAN, IS TO COME. IT'S A CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT HERE. YOU WANT SCHOLARS TO START LOOKING... |
| 00:26:29 |
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THIS PLACE, TELL ME IF I'M WRONG, IT WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT ROBERT C BYRD, A WEST VIRGINIA PLACE,... |
| 00:26:43 |
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HE WOULD LOVE IT. |
| 00:26:44 |
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WOULD HE BE SURPRISED, THOUGH? |
| 00:26:48 |
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NO, I DON'T THINK HE WOULD BECAUSE HIS SENSE OF GRANDEUR WAS SO LARGE. I MEAN, HE WAS CREATING CONSERVATIONIST... |
| 00:27:54 |
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IF YOU LOOK AROUND AND ALL OF THESE BANNERS HANGING IN THIS ROOM HAVE LOCATIONS THAT HE WAS INVOLVED... |
| 00:28:00 |
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HE SAVED THESE. |
| 00:28:02 |
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AGAIN, AT THE TIME DO YOU THINK, HE LEFT WHEN HE WAS 51 YEARS OLD AND HE WAS PRESIDENT, HE DIDN'T... |
| 00:28:17 |
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HE WOULD BE PLEASED. BUT REMEMBER, BECAUSE OF OUR TIME LIMITS, I CAN'T GET INTO IT IN A MICROWAVE... |
| 00:28:26 |
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YOU MIGHT WANT TO BUY THE BOOK THEN? |
| 00:28:29 |
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WELL, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE BULL MOOSE IN THEODORE ROOSEVELT, THE BULL MOOSE PARTY IN AMERICAN HISTORY.... |
| 00:29:49 |
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IN YOUR BOOK, I HAVE HEARD THE STORY BEFORE, BUT YOU CREATE THAT SCENE WHERE ROOSEVELT AND TAFT ARE... |
| 00:30:03 |
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THEY DO GET TOGETHER AND HE REALLY BELIEVED IN TAFT A LOT DURING HIS PRESIDENCY AND THAT'S WHY HE... |
| 00:31:39 |
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WHAT I WAS GETTING AT WHEN HE WAS ASKED ABOUT WHETHER HE WANTED TO BE A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES... |
| 00:31:48 |
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HE PREFERRED TO BE A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE THAN BEING PRESIDENT. |
| 00:31:53 |
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HIS WIFE WANTED HIM TO BE PRESIDENT |
| 00:31:55 |
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NELLY WANTED HIM TO BE PRESIDENT. AND INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH AT THE TAFT INAUGURAL IN 1909, THERE WAS... |
| 00:34:05 |
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LET'S DO A LITTLE HISTORY. 1909 WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT BECOMES PRESIDENT. THE 1912 PRESIDENTIAL RACE... |
| 00:34:16 |
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YES. |
| 00:34:17 |
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THAT'S AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT YOU DON'T HEAR MUCH ABOUT. WHAT'S THAT STORY? |
| 00:34:22 |
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ROOSEVELT WAS RUNNING AS THE THIRD PARTY CANDIDATE, THE BULL MOOSER AGAINST WOO THROW WILSON AND WILLIAM... |
| 00:35:44 |
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I THINK IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT THE MOST POPULAR THING ABOUT THIS LOCATION TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS... |
| 00:36:13 |
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IN RECENT YEARS, I HAVE PEOPLE, BRIAN, TALKING ABOUT NASCAR. THERE IS A NASCAR VOTE. BIRD WATCHING... |
| 00:37:29 |
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WHY SHOULD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT TO PAY THIS KIND OF PRICE NATIONWIDE SETTING ASIDE, HOW MUCH LAND... |
| 00:37:41 |
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ROOSEVELT PUT ASIDE 240 MILLION ACRES. THE FIGURES CHANGE FROM T.R.'S RESERVES SUM BECAUSE SOMETIMES... |
| 00:42:02 |
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DO YOU LIKE THAT? |
| 00:42:04 |
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I THINK IT'S SPOT ON. WHO DOESN'T WANT TO -- YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITH YELLOWSTONE? ... |
| 00:42:35 |
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DO YOU LIKE THE IDEA THAT HE JUST DECLARED THAT IS GOING TO BE A WILDERNESS -- |
| 00:42:39 |
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I DID. |
| 00:42:41 |
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HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF SOMEONE DECLARED YOUR HOME? |
| 00:42:45 |
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THAT'S WHAT IT WAS LIKE BACK THEN. IT WAS A MOMENT TO SAVE WILD AMERICA AND IT WAS A MOMENT TO SAVE... |
| 00:45:06 |
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GO BACK TO DOUG BRINKLEY FOR A MOMENT. THIS BOOK, WHEN DID YOU START WRITING IT? WHEN DID YOU WRITE... |
| 00:45:15 |
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BOY, I STARTED WRITING MY PRO LOG ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO ON PELICAN ISLAND, FLORIDA, AND ABOUT HOW HE... |
| 00:45:26 |
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THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN 2005? |
| 00:45:29 |
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YEAH, EVEN BEFORE THAT. I STARTED ACTUALLY WRITING, BUT I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING ON THIS FOR MY FILES... |
| 00:45:38 |
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SO YOU WROTE THE PROLOGUE |
| 00:45:40 |
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I DID. I VISITED WITH A GUY THAT WORKS FOR U.S. FISH AND WILD LIFE THAT TOOK ME ON THE BOAT. ONE... |
| 00:46:38 |
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WHEN DID YOU THE GERALD FORD BOOK? |
| 00:46:42 |
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I DID IT FOR A SERIES THAT CAME OUT AROUND THAT TIME. WHEN YOU WRITE A LOT LIKE I DO, THERE ARE BIG... |
| 00:46:57 |
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ALL THAT SERIES WAS ABOUT 200 PAGES. |
| 00:47:00 |
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YEAH. THIS BOOK WAS FOR ME, THE BOOK I WAS GOING TO LIVE AND DIE BY, I WAS PUTTING EVERYTHING I HAD... |
| 00:47:40 |
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AND CERTAINLY I WANT TO GO BACK TO HOW YOU DID THIS, THE REAGAN DIARIES YOU EDITED. WHAT YEAR WAS... |
| 00:47:48 |
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REAGAN CAME OUT -- WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE REAGAN DIARIES WAS I WASN'T EXPECTING IT. I HAD WRITTEN... |
| 00:48:49 |
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YEAH. WE CAME BACK TO NEW ORLEANS. I WAS PROFESSOR ATTU LANE AND EVEN NAMED MY AMERICAN STUDIES CENTER... |
| 00:49:59 |
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WHEN DID YOU DO THE REAGAN DIARIES? |
| 00:50:00 |
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THAT CAME OUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO. WE DID IT PRETTY QUICKLY. AGAIN, I DIDN'T HAVE TO RIGHT THAT, IT'S... |
| 00:50:35 |
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WHERE IS IT? |
| 00:50:36 |
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THAT'S? SOUTHWEST COLORADO IN THE FOUR CORNERS REGION. IT'S THE ANCIENT ANAZAZI, THERE IS SOME ARGUMENT... |
| 00:51:50 |
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BEFORE I FORGET IT, YOU SAID YOUR WIFE ANN AND YOU MOVED TO AUSTIN, TEXAS, YOU TEACH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.... |
| 00:52:00 |
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IT'S NICE OF YOU TO ASK, BRIAN. I HAVE THREE KIDS. MY OLDEST DAUGHTER IS BENTON WHO IS 6. |
| 00:52:07 |
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NAMED AFTER? |
| 00:52:10 |
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AFTER THE FAMOUS PAINTER THOMAS HART BENTON. I MODELS MY CAREER AS IT WERE ON THOMAS HART BENTON BECAUSE... |
| 00:52:58 |
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YOU ARE GOING TO CALL HIM JOHNNY FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE OR JOHN. |
| 00:53:02 |
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I'M GOING TO CALL HIM JOHNNY. HE CAN MAKE THAT DECISION WHEN HE GETS OLDER. |
| 00:53:05 |
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YES. |
| 00:53:09 |
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MY YOUNGEST IS 2 AND THAT'S CASSIDY IS HER NAME AND IT'S FROM A CHARACTER OF ON THE ROAD AND A GRATEFUL... |
| 00:54:21 |
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200 TOY DUCKS? |
| 00:54:23 |
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SHE JUST SURROUNDED HER OF ALL OF THESE LITTLE, IT'S AN OBSESSION. BUT THE AUDUBON SOCIETY OF AMERICA... |
| 00:54:46 |
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THE WRITING OF ALL OF THIS, YOU TALK ABOUT PELICAN ISLAND. DO YOU STILL WRITE LONG HAND? |
| 00:54:52 |
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I AM MIXED THESE DAYS. I USED TO DO IT ALL THE TIME, BUT YES, WHEN I DO MY FIRST DRAFTS, REALLY MY... |
| 00:55:11 |
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ARE YOU LEFT-HANDED? |
| 00:55:14 |
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I AM. OBAMA IS LEFT-HANDED AND CLINTON WAS LEFT-HANDED AND BUSH 41 WAS LEFT-HANDED. |
| 00:55:21 |
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WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? |
| 00:55:22 |
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WE'RE A TRIBE. |
| 00:55:25 |
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WHO NAMED IT WILDERNESS WARRIOR? |
| 00:55:27 |
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I DID. I WAS LOOKING HARD FOR IT. MY WIFE I BOUNCED THESE OFF OF. SHE MAY BE THE ORIGINATOR OF IT... |
| 00:56:55 |
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WE'RE OUT OF TIME. WE HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO TALK ABOUT YOUR BOB DYLAN INTERVIEW AND YOUR "ROLLING STONE"... |
| 00:57:05 |
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ALL RIGHT. THANKS, BRIAN. |
NOTE: The transcript for this program was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.
