Link
Aug 26, 2009
Stimulus checks sent to 1700 inmates
The federal government mistakenly sent out stimulus checks to 1,700 prison inmates, the Social Security Administration said Tuesday -- a $425,000 error.
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor said in a written statement:
House Minority Whip Eric Cantor said in a written statement:
It is unacceptable for convicts to be getting stimulus funds. It speaks to the lack of oversight and accountability to have such nonsense coming out of Washington. Where is the accountability?
This is another embarrassment on Obama’s watch that is not being fully reported by the main stream media.
Link
Denver meth ring used comic books to launder cash
Investigators have broken up a massive methamphetamine ring in the Denver area that distributed pounds of the dangerous drug every week and laundered the profits using collectible comic books.
To launder the money you have to use something that is quick and convenient - in this case it was rare comic books.
To launder the money you have to use something that is quick and convenient - in this case it was rare comic books.
While arresting the alleged ringleaders, brothers Aaron and Alfonzo Castro, law enforcement officers seized about 100 boxes of first-edition collectible comic books.
Alfonzo Castro (on left) and Aaron Castro
Investigators say one title alone is worth $3,500 and the total collection of comics is worth half a million dollars.
The seized comic books included some first-edition Superman and Batman titles. The fragile, vintage comics were stored in plastic bags for protection.
Link
FOX far ahead in cable news race
Cable News viewership race
Monday August 24, 2009
As usual, Fox tops all cable news channels.
Fox News - Bill O’Reilly - 3,440,000
Fox News - Sean Hannity - 2,937,000
Fox News - Glenn Beck - 2,810,000
Fox News - Greta Van Susteren - 2,450,000
Fox News - Bret Baier - 2,066,000
Fox News - Shephard Smith - 1,860,000
MSNBC - Keith Olbernann - 1,114,000
CNN - Larry King - 1,063,000
MSNBC - Rachel Maddow - 885,000
CNN - Anderson Cooper - 827,000
MSNBC - Chris Matthews - 640,000
Monday August 24, 2009
As usual, Fox tops all cable news channels.
Fox News - Bill O’Reilly - 3,440,000
Fox News - Sean Hannity - 2,937,000
Fox News - Glenn Beck - 2,810,000
Fox News - Greta Van Susteren - 2,450,000
Fox News - Bret Baier - 2,066,000
Fox News - Shephard Smith - 1,860,000
MSNBC - Keith Olbernann - 1,114,000
CNN - Larry King - 1,063,000
MSNBC - Rachel Maddow - 885,000
CNN - Anderson Cooper - 827,000
MSNBC - Chris Matthews - 640,000
...from Matt Drudge
Bill O’Reilly has more viewers than Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow and Chirs Matthews combined!
New York Times tells seniors: be afraid - be very afraid
Even the ultra liberal New York Times has to admit that ObamaCare would push granny and gramps to an early grave.
A recent New York Times report is titled: A basis is seen for some health plan fears among the elderly.
The writer of the Times article tries to soften the news. However, if the Times is telling seniors to be worried, that's an unmistakable signal to seniors that ObamaCare is very bad news for them.
A report at the link below says:
A recent New York Times report is titled: A basis is seen for some health plan fears among the elderly.
The writer of the Times article tries to soften the news. However, if the Times is telling seniors to be worried, that's an unmistakable signal to seniors that ObamaCare is very bad news for them.
A report at the link below says:
Democrats in Congress are trying to build their political base on the backs of the nation's elderly, and the elderly won't forget that in 15 months.
After years of warning seniors that the GOP was gunning for them, the Obama-Pelosi coalition has emerged as the single greatest threat to the Greatest Generation (and even the front edge of the Boomers.)
The New York Times says that “Bills now in Congress would squeeze savings out of Medicare, a lifeline for the elderly, on the assumption that doctors and hospitals can be more efficient.
The only way the Obama administration can “squeeze savings” out of Medicare is to limit payments for the healthcare of the elderly.
Mr. Obama's falling approval ratings don't fully reflect the senior's increasing fear of his proposals.
When it sinks in to seniors how ObamaCare will really affect them Obama’s ratings will fall even faster.
The harder the administration tries to force ObamaCare on voters, the more congressional Democrats will pay in next fall's elections.
Link
Aug 25, 2009
Paddling a kayak around the British coast
Eric Innes, a 47-year-old retired military serviceman is paddling his way around the coast of Britain to raise money for Help For Heroes, a worthy organization that helps provide better facilities for wounded British servicemen and women.
Mr. Innes may be eccentric but he is also determined as he averages around 20 miles a day in his kayak.
From the Daily Mail online:
Mr. Innes may be eccentric but he is also determined as he averages around 20 miles a day in his kayak.
From the Daily Mail online:
There are only three vessels out here in the open sea right now. One is an oil tanker. One is the Rosslare ferry. And the other is a small kayak containing a middle-aged Yorkshireman who has almost completed a 1,700-mile, solo circumnavigation of Britain fuelled by sausage sandwiches, the occasional Guinness and an unshakeable sense of obligation towards our injured servicemen and women.
Every morning, this former soldier wakes up beneath an umbrella, drags his 17ft kayak into the water and then paddles until dusk, when he pulls the boat out of the water again and lies down under his umbrella somewhere else.
The Daily Mail further reports that Mr. Innes has no support boat and no welcoming committee in every port.
His chief navigation aids are a soggy road atlas and tips from passing skippers.
His method of navigation is simple: keep the coast of Britain on the right and the horizon on the left.
Link
The real reason Americans are angry
The New York Post nails it - the real reason Americans are angry:
It's been a hilarious August, watching media supporters of President Obama's health care package puzzle over the obscure motivations of the noncompliant Americans rallying against it.
New York Times columnist Paul Krugman said it was "Racial anxiety."
Joe Klein from Time said theorized it was "nihilism."
While the commentariat's condescension is almost comical, the whole evil-or-stupid explanation misses the elephant in Obama's room: Americans of all stripes, it turns out, aren't very keen about the government barging into their lives.
After 11 months of federal bailouts and freakouts, Americans have become bone tired of panicky power grabs from Washington. It's the big government, stupid.
FreedomWorks put the subject in a nutshell: "Stop spending so much money, stop borrowing so much money, and stop bailing out people who were irresponsible."
Bailouts of failed institutions, from AIG to American Axle, have been enormously unpopular.
More of the story here.
Cash for Clunkers over but good deals aren’t
The controversial Cash for Clunkers program officially ended at 8pm Monday night.
If you are a car buyer the good deals may still be there if your have a clunker to trade.
All those clunkers were scrapped which has meant a shortage of used cars. That translates to good news if you're hoping to make a trade.
This Clunker display was in Abilene, Kansas
If you are a car buyer the good deals may still be there if your have a clunker to trade.
All those clunkers were scrapped which has meant a shortage of used cars. That translates to good news if you're hoping to make a trade.
Contrary to its name, it's not always “Cash for Clunkers.” Sometimes it's cash for perfectly good cars.
The clunkers will be destroyed instead of going to a used car lot.
New car dealers traditionally rely on trade ins to populate their used car lots. With a shrinking used car inventory, this may be a great time to trade whether your car would have qualified as a clunker or not.
If you are looking for a used car, this may not be a good time to buy with inventories low and prices up.
Link
Panetta has tantrum - threatens to quit CIA post
ABC News reports on the screaming match at the White House:
A "profanity-laced screaming match" at the White House involving CIA Director Leon Panetta (pictured), and the expected release of another damning internal investigation, has administration officials worrying about the direction of its newly-appoint intelligence team.
Amid reports that Panetta had threatened to quit just seven months after taking over at the spy agency, other insiders tell ABCNews.com that senior White House staff members are already discussing a possible shake-up of top national security officials.
White House spokesman, Denis McDonough, said reports that Panetta had threatened to quit and that the White House was seeking a replacement were "inaccurate." However, as the ABC News report says:
According to intelligence officials, Panetta erupted in a tirade last month during a meeting with a senior White House staff member.
Panetta was reportedly upset over plans by Attorney General Eric Holder to open a criminal investigation of allegations that CIA officers broke the law in carrying out certain interrogation techniques that President Obama has termed "torture."
The proposed criminal investigation of the CIA is intended to take attention away from the administration’s problems passing ObamaCare.
No wonder CIA director Panetta is steamed!
Link
Over 60,000 quit AARP over ObamaCare support
CBS reports that more than 60,000 AARP members quit over health care reform.
The number is undoubtedly much higher by now.
Many are switching to the American Seniors Association, a group that calls itself the conservative alternative to AARP and their liberal political leanings.
Link to more of the story here.
The number is undoubtedly much higher by now.
Many are switching to the American Seniors Association, a group that calls itself the conservative alternative to AARP and their liberal political leanings.
Link to more of the story here.
Aug 24, 2009
Millions face shrinking Social Security payments
Those receiving Social Security payments learned their COLA (cost of living allowance) has been taken away for the next two years.
This will be the first time without a cost-of-living increase since the annual adjustments began in 1975.
This, combined with the increased cost of prescription drugs, will cause seniors to see their social security payments actually shrink.
This will be the first time without a cost-of-living increase since the annual adjustments began in 1975.
This, combined with the increased cost of prescription drugs, will cause seniors to see their social security payments actually shrink.
By law, Social Security benefits cannot go down. Nevertheless, monthly payments would drop for millions of people on the Medicare prescription drug program because the premiums, which often are deducted from Social Security payments, are scheduled to go up.
The article at the link below says that cost of living adjustments are pegged to inflation, which has been negative this year, largely because energy prices are below 2008 levels.
Seniors who have seen their food and clothing costs increase in the past year will not be convinced that we have had negative inflation.
The Obama administration may pay for this at the polls in 2010 as seniors will be unhappy that their Social Security income stay the same and in some cases will go down while every member of congress will have received a very generous increase in their cost of living allowance.
More of the story here.
Polls show GOP challengers would beat Harry Reid
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that polls show potential Republican challengers would beat Harry Reid (pictured) in his 2010 Senate re-election bid.
It's the highest stakes ever for a Nevada election, and former boxer Sen. Harry Reid is on the ropes early. Either Republican Danny Tarkanian or Sue Lowden would knock out Reid in a general election, according to a recent poll of Nevada voters.
Nevadans favored Tarkanian over Reid 49 percent to 38 percent and Lowden over Reid 45 percent to 40 percent, according to the poll.
Looks like ACORN and SEIU (Service Employees International Union) activists/thugs will have their work cut out for them if they want to see Reid re-elected.
Link
Cash strapped Colorado Police Department may sell seized firearms
The City Council in Colorado Springs, Colorado is considering a program to let the Police Department sell confiscated guns to licensed dealers. Sales could net $10,000 a year.
The Colorado Springs City Council is expected in coming weeks to approve the final details of a program that would allow the Police Department to sell confiscated firearms to federally licensed gun dealers. Police have already stopped melting down the hundreds of guns they collect from crime scenes, drug houses or civilians who don't need them anymore.
Aug 23, 2009
Report: Democrats could face uphill battle in 2010
A report at the link below says:
The divisive healthcare debate and sliding poll numbers for President Barack Obama are creating an even more difficult political environment for Democrats in 2010.
Democrats can’t ride Obama’s coattails as they did in 2008, when a strong turnout among young and minority voters helped them increase their House and Senate majorities.
In 2008, they said McCain would be a third term for George W. Bush. Running against Bush won’t work in 2010. Bush left office with a deficit of $1.3 trillion. Obama will have a deficit of at least $11 trillion!
The report also says the Democrats will be facing an older and whiter demographic in 2010, which would hurt Democrats in the best of circumstances.
Just as important is that Democrats are losing the messaging war with Republicans on healthcare, according to David Wasserman, who analyzes House races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
It predicted this week that Democrats could lose at least 20 seats in the House in 2010.
Especially vulnerable will be freshman Democrats in the House if they vote for ObamaCare which they will be pressured to do.
Much more of the story here.
Jobless rate skyrocketing under Obamanomics
The jobless rate in New York City is 9.6% - a 12-yr. high - story here.
Unemployment in California has climbed to 11.9 % - the highest since World War II - reported here.
Jobless rate in Las Vegas is a whopping 13.1 % - story here.
Unemployment in California has climbed to 11.9 % - the highest since World War II - reported here.
Jobless rate in Las Vegas is a whopping 13.1 % - story here.
Three questions:
1. Wasn’t the mega-billion-dollar stimulus package intended to create jobs?
2. Didn’t Mr. Obama promise that unemployment would not go above 7.8%?
3. Now the third and most troubling question - is double-digit unemployment actually sought after by the administration in order to keep inflation under control?
Brazen burglar targets Police Station
North Bend, Oregon Police Chief Steve Scibelli said it was pretty embarrassing to have a thief hit his downtown station last week.
The brazen thief stole a radio, two stunguns and a Crown Victoria patrol car. The one saving grace is that police made a quick arrest.
Scibelli, who oversees a department of 16 officers — including himself — said the burglary occurred when all the officers left a section of the building to respond to an assault call.
Link
The brazen thief stole a radio, two stunguns and a Crown Victoria patrol car. The one saving grace is that police made a quick arrest.
Scibelli, who oversees a department of 16 officers — including himself — said the burglary occurred when all the officers left a section of the building to respond to an assault call.
Link
Does popcorn really help fight cancer?
A report in The Scotsman claims popcorn helps fight off cancer. Does that mean we should go to the theater instead of the doctor’s office?
From the report:
From the report:
The cinema snack contains "surprisingly large" amounts of healthy antioxidant plant chemicals called polyphenols, said scientists.
Tests showed the compounds account for 2.5 per cent of popcorn kernels by weight – higher levels than other a range of cereals.
Polyphenols – also found in fruits, vegetables, chocolate, wine, coffee and tea – protect the heart and cut cancer risk.
People eating theater popcorn would probably get coronary artery disease the way the concession stands slather on the butter.
Hmm...wonder if the study was conducted by one of Orville Redenbacher’s descendents?
Link
Aug 22, 2009
Optical illusion reveals the face of Jesus
Please follow the instructions below for this optical illusion:
Stare at the four dots in the middle of the picture for 30 seconds and then stare at a plain sheet of white paper and blink your eyes a few times.
You should first see a circle of light and then the face of Jesus should come into view.
Stare at the four dots in the middle of the picture for 30 seconds and then stare at a plain sheet of white paper and blink your eyes a few times.
You should first see a circle of light and then the face of Jesus should come into view.
Where did the name QWERTY come from? How about Blog?
The name QWERTY, used to describe a computer keyboard, comes from the first six letters in the top alphabet row (the one just below the numbers) as shown below.
Long before computers came alone, it was referred to as the "Universal" keyboard.
The keyboard was the work of inventor C. L. Sholes, who put together the prototypes of the first commercial typewriter in a Milwaukee machine shop back in the 1860's.
Now it’s called the QWERTY keyboard.
By the way, every few weeks someone asks me where the name “Blog” came from. A blog is a web log that got its name from combining some of the letters in words web log:
weB LOG
Long before computers came alone, it was referred to as the "Universal" keyboard.
The keyboard was the work of inventor C. L. Sholes, who put together the prototypes of the first commercial typewriter in a Milwaukee machine shop back in the 1860's.
Now it’s called the QWERTY keyboard.
By the way, every few weeks someone asks me where the name “Blog” came from. A blog is a web log that got its name from combining some of the letters in words web log:
Aug 21, 2009
Clunker program ends Monday after bumpy ride
CNN Money reports:
(click on cartoon to enlarge)
With money running out, the $3 billion Cash for Clunkers program will end on Monday. The tally so far: 457,000 cars and $1.9 billion in rebates.
Dealers must submit any pending Clunker deals, including any necessary paperwork, by 8 p.m. ET Monday.
The Clunker program has been a fiasco from the start.
The Obama administration changed the ground rules the day before the program began nullifying many deals between car buyers and car dealers because of the last minute changes.
Many car dealers opted out of the program in disgust as reported here.
With negative stories about the Clunker program swirling around him, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had the audacity to say:
"It's been a thrill to be part of the best economic news story in America," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Now we are working toward an orderly wind down of this very popular program."
If the main stream media in this country reported political news factually, and without omitting news not favorable to the president, the Obama administration would be a laughingstock.
Link to the CNN Money clunker story here.
Letterman reruns top new Conan shows
Conan is shown with Jay Leno in photo above.
From a report at the link below:
NBC’s troubles in assembling a big audience for “The Tonight Show” were underscored again last week when David Letterman on CBS -- even in repeats -- scored an easy win over first-run shows with Conan O’Brien on NBC among total viewers.
It was a bigger win than the week before when Mr. Letterman’s repeats nosed out Mr. O’Brien by just 7,000 viewers. Last week he beat him by 280,000, with 2.95 million viewers to 2.67 million for Mr. O’Brien.
The Tonight Show was good with Jack Paar, best during Johnny Carson’s long run and back to good with Jay Leno. As for Conan, the tanking ratings tell that story.
Link
CNN has a list of 12 annoying types of Facebookers
A rant against what CNN calls annoying Facebookers can be found at the link below.
From the article:
From the article:
Facebook can be a great tool, and an occasional annoyance.
Facebook, for better or worse, is like being at a big party with all your friends, family, acquaintances and co-workers.
CNN lists one type of boring Facebooker they call, “The Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-of-My-Day Bore:
"I'm waking up." "I had Wheaties for breakfast." "I'm bored at work." "I'm stuck in traffic." You're kidding! How fascinating! No moment is too mundane for some people to broadcast unsolicited to the world. Just because you have 432 Facebook friends doesn't mean we all want to know when you're waiting for the bus.
At this point I hope that my Facebook friends don’t think I am sending any of them a special message. In other words, CNN does not reflect my personal views about Facebookers.
I enjoy reading all of their comments even though I don’t respond to most of them.
Link to the CNN story here.
Is Democrat probe of health insurers reprisal for opposing ObamaCare?
Health insurers fear probe by House Democrats is reprisal for opposing part of ObamaCare.
Reps. Henry Waxman, D-Calififornia (pictured), and Bart Stupak, D-Mich., sent a letter warning health insurers that the House Energy and Commerce Committee is "examining executive compensation and other business practices of the health industry."
Waxman and Stupak did not inform their Republican counterparts of their plans.
Raising the intimidation stakes: the Waxman letter offers insurers no explanation of what is being investigated or why.
Industry insiders fear the beginning of reprisals for anyone daring to dissent from the Obama agenda. One said it feels like a reprisal audit by the IRS.
Private health insurers warn that a public option could put them at a competitive disadvantage and even out of business, but they insist they support health care reform in general.
More of the story here.
Aug 20, 2009
Pan Am 103 bomber set free
Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi (shown in photo taken at his trial) was convicted of murdering 270 people by blowing Pan Am flight 103 out of the sky above the Scottish town of Lockerbie two decades ago. Now he is free and heading home to Libya on Thursday after Scottish authorities set him free.Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill ordered al Megrahi's release on compassionate grounds, saying he will be "going home to die."
He is suffering terminal prostate cancer and has three months to live, Scottish authorities said.
In the photos above rescue workers examine the nose of PanAm flight 103 near the town of Lockerbie, Scotland in December, 1988.
Just before Christmas in 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Scotland, killing all 259 passengers and 11 people on the ground. The plane was bound for New York from London.
Link
Democrat majority is history if ObamaCare fails?
A report at the link below says:
A top Obama ally predicted Wednesday in an interview with ABC News that Democrats will lose their congressional majority in next year's midterm elections if they fail to put a health-care reform bill on President Obama's desk.
The Obama ally referred to in the previous quote is Andy Stern, the president of the SEIU (Service Employees International Union).
Actually, if ObamaCare is crammed down voters throats, it may just as devastating for the Democratic Party.
Has Obama got his party in a no-win situation?
Further quoting Andy Stern from the article:
"It's hard to imagine the Democrats convincing the public that Republicans are to blame for health-care reform going down when the Democrats have such large majorities," he added. "After last year's promise of change, voters will start feeling buyer's remorse."
Obama continues to slide in the polls. Though not reported in most of the main-stream media, his popularity decline indicates that voters are already feeling buyer’s remorse.
Link
Many NY dealers pull out of clunker program
An article at the link below reports that hundreds of auto dealers in the New York area have withdrawn from the government's Cash for Clunkers program.
A dealership group said they are pulling out because of delays in getting reimbursed by the government.
A dealership group said they are pulling out because of delays in getting reimbursed by the government.
The Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, which represents dealerships in the New York metro area, said about half its 425 members have left the program because they cannot afford to offer more rebates. They're also worried about getting repaid.
The clunkers program offers up to $4,500 to shoppers who trade in qualifying vehicles.
Dealers pay the rebates out of pocket and then wait to be reimbursed by the government. However, administrative snags and heavy paperwork have created a backlog of unpaid claims and the group's dealers have been repaid for only about 2 percent of the clunkers deals they've made so far.
Link
Clunkers program boosts sales of Japanese cars
The cash-for-clunkers program, designed to help Detroit’s embattled carmakers, is turning out to be an even bigger boon for their Japanese rivals.
According to data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday, Americans are using the clunker program to buy more vehicles from Toyota than any of the three Detroit carmakers.
The top models bought since the scheme began on July 24 are the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Ford Focus, all small sedans. Three of the top five are Toyotas.
Link
According to data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday, Americans are using the clunker program to buy more vehicles from Toyota than any of the three Detroit carmakers.
The top models bought since the scheme began on July 24 are the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Ford Focus, all small sedans. Three of the top five are Toyotas.
Link
Does he bite?
A child reacts to an adult Tyrannosaurs Rex robotic dinosaur as it performed in London, England last March.
New ads warning of ObamaCare are highly effective
An independent polling company is out with a new survey with stunning news: Family Research Council’s ad warning of President Obama’s government takeover of health care is being highly effective.
The Family Research Council’s ads criticize the administraion’s plan for two fatal flaws: it will force Americans to pay for abortion-on-demand and it will lead to rationed health care for all Americans.
The article at the link below reports that sixty-four percent of Democrats found the ad effective. Eighty-one percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Independents agreed.
These are extraordinary numbers.
The Family Research Council’s ads criticize the administraion’s plan for two fatal flaws: it will force Americans to pay for abortion-on-demand and it will lead to rationed health care for all Americans.
The article at the link below reports that sixty-four percent of Democrats found the ad effective. Eighty-one percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Independents agreed.
These are extraordinary numbers.
The Washington Post reports that the Obama administration has been caught “by surprise” by the path of the debate on health care.
They hadn’t anticipated that the Left of their party would be so adamant about holding onto a “public option” as part of the President’s plan.
The poll shows that President Obama’s irrational idea that you can “reduce” the tragic toll of abortion by making abortion free is catching up with him.
Abortions are and will always be a part of ObamaCare cleverly disguised as “reproductive healthcare” and “family planning.”
Despite 36 years of liberals claiming that abortion is good for health, that it is nothing more than another medical procedure, Americans do not believe this. Even pro-choice Americans do not believe this.
Aug 19, 2009
You can’t fool all the people...
A report at the link below says:
The percentage of Americans who hold a favorable view of the Democratic Party has slipped below 50 percent for the first time since President Barack Obama took office, according to a new Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday.
Only 49 percent of Americans now hold a favorable view of the Democratic Party, down from 62 percent in the same poll shortly after Obama assumed office. Democratic favorable ratings hovered around 60 percent as recently as April, when 59 percent of those polled held a favorable view.
As Abraham Lincoln once said: You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
Link
DNA evidence can be fabricated
DNA evidence may no longer be the gold standard of proof in criminal cases.
Scientists in Israel have demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate DNA evidence.
Scientists in Israel have demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate DNA evidence.
The scientists fabricated blood and saliva samples containing DNA from a person other than the donor of the blood and saliva.
They also showed that if they had access to a DNA profile in a database, they could construct a sample of DNA to match that profile without obtaining any tissue from that person.
The planting of fabricated DNA evidence at a crime scene is only one implication of the findings. A potential invasion of personal privacy is another.
More of this eye-opening and troubling story here.
Turned away by fabricated DNA
“Your DNA tests showed that you are actually a 79-year-old Mongolian woman. We cannot hire you since we don’t hire women over the age of 65”
Florida population drops: 1st time since 1946
Florida's population has declined for the first time since 1946.
The head of the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research says Monday that the state's total population dropped by 58,000 in the past year.
It's the first decline since large numbers of military personnel left the state in 1946 after World War II.
The Obama Joker artist is fellow Chicagoan
Interesting posters began showed up in various cities depicting Barack Obama as the Joker from "Batman."
The first question was - who was behind the image?
Was it an ultra-conservative with a chip on his shoulder or a down-and-out street artist just wanting attention? Or maybe someone from the “he will pay my mortgage and buy my car gas” crowd who thought Obama wouldn’t deliver.
It was none of the above. It turns out the artist was a 20-year-old college student from Chicago named Firas Alkhateeb (shown above).
Alkhateeb, a senior history major at the University of Illinois, was bored during his winter school break.
He crafted the picture of Obama with the recognizable clown makeup using Adobe's Photoshop software.
Alkhateeb used a tutorial he'd found online about how to "Jokerize" portraits.
He downloaded the October 23, 2008 Time Magazine cover of Obama and began digitally painting over it.
The first question was - who was behind the image?
Was it an ultra-conservative with a chip on his shoulder or a down-and-out street artist just wanting attention? Or maybe someone from the “he will pay my mortgage and buy my car gas” crowd who thought Obama wouldn’t deliver.It was none of the above. It turns out the artist was a 20-year-old college student from Chicago named Firas Alkhateeb (shown above).
Alkhateeb, a senior history major at the University of Illinois, was bored during his winter school break.
He crafted the picture of Obama with the recognizable clown makeup using Adobe's Photoshop software.Alkhateeb used a tutorial he'd found online about how to "Jokerize" portraits.
He downloaded the October 23, 2008 Time Magazine cover of Obama and began digitally painting over it.
Two days before President Obama's inauguration, Alkhateeb uploaded the photo and put it on his Flickr site.
Someone else downloaded the image, removed the references to TIME, added the word "socialism," and created a poster that has appeared all over the country.
Aug 18, 2009
Influential columnist Robert Novak dies at age 78
Conservative columnist and former CNN "Crossfire" co-host Robert Novak (pictured) has died after a year-long battle with cancer, his family announced Tuesday. He was 78.
Mr. Novak died at home, just over a year after doctors diagnosed him with a malignant brain tumor in August 2008. He was a veteran columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and a regular commentator for CNN for 25 years, beginning when the network launched in 1980.
Novak also hosted a show with his longtime column co-author, Rowland Evans, and appeared as a panelist on shows like "The Capital Gang" and on PBS' "The McLaughlin Group."
The Sun-Times reported:
Mr. Novak died at home, just over a year after doctors diagnosed him with a malignant brain tumor in August 2008. He was a veteran columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and a regular commentator for CNN for 25 years, beginning when the network launched in 1980.Novak also hosted a show with his longtime column co-author, Rowland Evans, and appeared as a panelist on shows like "The Capital Gang" and on PBS' "The McLaughlin Group."
The Sun-Times reported:
His political columns were marked by his determination to dig out new information, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and Washington secrets to tell us something we didn’t know.
He combined that with sharp analysis, insightful commentary and passion about the issues facing the nation to emerge as a brawling contestant in the great national debates of his era.
That cell phone search turned out to be: “none of the above”
When we posted “Dreamin’ about a smartphone” (at the link below) the search was narrowed down to the Blackberry Curve (on left), Blackberry Bold (center) and the Blackberry Storm (on right) ... or ... maybe none of the above ...
It turned out to be none of the above. The final selection was not a smart phone. Instead, a feature phone was selected - the LG enV Touch shown below.
The enV touch was to be the next version of the popular LG Voyager until a lawsuit forced LG to stop using the Voyager name.
Plantronics makes Voyager bluetooth headsets and already owned the trademark before LG began using the name on wireless phones.
The Touch has an iPhone style accelorameter that works great as it rapidly and smoothly changes the display from portrait mode to landscape mode as the phone is rotated.
The phone allows website surfing, posting to blogs, Facebook, sending and receiving e-mail, etc.
The keys on the QWERTY keyboard are large enough for fast texting or document writing.
Link
It turned out to be none of the above. The final selection was not a smart phone. Instead, a feature phone was selected - the LG enV Touch shown below.
The enV touch was to be the next version of the popular LG Voyager until a lawsuit forced LG to stop using the Voyager name.Plantronics makes Voyager bluetooth headsets and already owned the trademark before LG began using the name on wireless phones.
The Touch has an iPhone style accelorameter that works great as it rapidly and smoothly changes the display from portrait mode to landscape mode as the phone is rotated.
The phone allows website surfing, posting to blogs, Facebook, sending and receiving e-mail, etc.
The keys on the QWERTY keyboard are large enough for fast texting or document writing.
Link
Will they start over on health care reform legislation?
Democrats in Washington may be backing away from the original ObamaCare.
What Obama really wanted was a single payer plan with the federal government as the single payer.
After facing intense opposition to ObamaCare in town hall after town hall, the administration appears to be waving the white flag.
Some Democrat politicians don’t even plan to go back to their districts during the summer recess. They just don’t want to face voters opposed to ObamaCare.
From the article at the link below:
What Obama really wanted was a single payer plan with the federal government as the single payer.
After facing intense opposition to ObamaCare in town hall after town hall, the administration appears to be waving the white flag.
Some Democrat politicians don’t even plan to go back to their districts during the summer recess. They just don’t want to face voters opposed to ObamaCare.From the article at the link below:
Acknowledging his amazement at the crowds gathered to debate health care at his town halls, Rep. Allen Boyd (pictured), D-Florida, faced three large gatherings on Monday with many questioners voicing skepticism about the proposals being debated in Washington.
Boyd represents a conservative area in northern Florida. He and other moderate Democrats from conservative districts will be hesitant to back the original 1,000 page ObamaCare bill for fear of losing in the next election.
In the article congressman Allen Boyd said it would be a good idea to start all over with health care reform.
Link
Aug 17, 2009
Study: 40 percent of tweets on Twitter are pointless babble
A study conducted by a US market research firm found that forty percent of the messages on Twitter are "pointless babble" along the lines of "I am eating a sandwich now."
Pear Analytics, based in San Antonio, Texas, said that it randomly sampled 2,000 messages from the public stream of Twitter and separated them into six categories.
The categories were: news, spam, self-promotion, pointless babble, conversational and pass-along value.
Pear said "pointless babble" accounted for 811 "tweets" or 40.55 percent of the total number of messages sampled.
Conversational messages -- defined by Pear as tweets that go back and forth between users or try to engage followers in conversation -- accounted for 751 messages or 37.55 percent.
Pear said tweets with "pass-along value" -- messages that are being "re-tweeted" or passed on by users to their followers -- accounted for 174 messages or 8.70 percent.
Self-promotion by companies was next with 117 tweets or 5.85 percent, followed by spam with 75 tweets or 3.75 percent.
It said tweets with news from mainstream media publications accounted for 72 tweets or 3.60 percent.
Link
Pear Analytics, based in San Antonio, Texas, said that it randomly sampled 2,000 messages from the public stream of Twitter and separated them into six categories.
The categories were: news, spam, self-promotion, pointless babble, conversational and pass-along value.Pear said "pointless babble" accounted for 811 "tweets" or 40.55 percent of the total number of messages sampled.
Conversational messages -- defined by Pear as tweets that go back and forth between users or try to engage followers in conversation -- accounted for 751 messages or 37.55 percent.
Pear said tweets with "pass-along value" -- messages that are being "re-tweeted" or passed on by users to their followers -- accounted for 174 messages or 8.70 percent.
Self-promotion by companies was next with 117 tweets or 5.85 percent, followed by spam with 75 tweets or 3.75 percent.
It said tweets with news from mainstream media publications accounted for 72 tweets or 3.60 percent.
Link
Sunrise on Mount Moses
Visitors watch the sunrise from Egypt's Mount Moses, where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments.
Summer of failure for broadcast TV
Will broadcast television rebound this fall?
This summer is one for the record books: more than a dozen new programs launched on broadcast television and not one breakout hit, with returning shows down and ratings at an all-time low.
The failing and floundering programs are in a wide range of genres and from every broadcaster.
There seems to be no clear trend that the programs have in common -- other than failing.
How is your favorite program measuring up?
Link
Aug 16, 2009
40 years later - Remembering Woodstock
Woodstock took place at a time when the divide between "straight" society and the so-called counter-culture were at their deepest.
By 1969, anti-hippie hysteria had reached epidemic proportions, with one town dignitary describing the typical hippie as "a creature full of communicable diseases who speaks an illiterate language." At best, they were thought of as unwashed commune dwellers.
The Rock Festival was intended to be held in Woodstock but was relocate to the hamlet of Bethel, 60 miles away. The Woodstock name stuck even though the town turned the festival away. Was it because the name Woodstock had a more intriguing ring than Bethel?
Third photo above shows Joe Cocker performing at Woodstock.
More than 185,000 people bought tickets for Woodstock, and it was only when hundreds of thousands more began amassing at the perimeter that the fences were torn down and the festival declared as free.
The actual attendance was estimated at about 500,000.
Many rock stars performed at the festival including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin (pictured) and the Santana blues band. Noticeably absent were Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and the Doors.
Within fourteen months of the Woodstock festival, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendricks were both dead as the result of drug use.
Traffic coming to the site was backed up for more than 50 miles. Attendees often just left their cars in the middle of the road and walked the rest of the way as shown above.
Some performers had to be flown to the site on Army helicopters.
Link
By 1969, anti-hippie hysteria had reached epidemic proportions, with one town dignitary describing the typical hippie as "a creature full of communicable diseases who speaks an illiterate language." At best, they were thought of as unwashed commune dwellers.
The Rock Festival was intended to be held in Woodstock but was relocate to the hamlet of Bethel, 60 miles away. The Woodstock name stuck even though the town turned the festival away. Was it because the name Woodstock had a more intriguing ring than Bethel?
Third photo above shows Joe Cocker performing at Woodstock.
More than 185,000 people bought tickets for Woodstock, and it was only when hundreds of thousands more began amassing at the perimeter that the fences were torn down and the festival declared as free.
The actual attendance was estimated at about 500,000.
Many rock stars performed at the festival including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin (pictured) and the Santana blues band. Noticeably absent were Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and the Doors.
Within fourteen months of the Woodstock festival, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendricks were both dead as the result of drug use.
Traffic coming to the site was backed up for more than 50 miles. Attendees often just left their cars in the middle of the road and walked the rest of the way as shown above.Some performers had to be flown to the site on Army helicopters.
Link
Bucket spinning
A child spins in a bucket at the Children's Park Playground near the Port Orchard, Washington Marina.
The picturesque speech of Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra (pictured), former catcher for the New York Yankees, is well known for his “picturesque speech.”
The two most popular Berra quotes are:
The two most popular Berra quotes are:
It ain’t over till it’s over.
It’s déjà vu all over again.
Other Berra-isms are:
A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.
Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.
Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half is physical.
He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.
I never said most of the things I said.
Media gets wrath of Obama for reporting healthcare backlash
Last Friday Barack Obama (pictured) accused television networks of being headline hungry and enflaming an ugly backlash by opponents of ObamaCare.
Until now the media has been stumbling over themselves to report only favorable White House news.
Welcome to the real world Mr. President!
The photo above shows protestors outside the “orchestrated” Obama town hall in Grand Junction, Colorado on Saturday.
Back to the article:
Until now the media has been stumbling over themselves to report only favorable White House news.Welcome to the real world Mr. President!
A combative Obama also accused health insurance firms of holding sick Americans "hostage" as he launched a weekend tour of mountain west states Montana, Colorado and Arizona where suspicion of Washington runs deep.
The photo above shows protestors outside the “orchestrated” Obama town hall in Grand Junction, Colorado on Saturday.
Back to the article:
"I know there's been a lot of attention paid to some of the town hall meetings that are going on around the country, especially when tempers flare," Obama said, at his own event with 1,300 people in an airport hangar.
Tempers have flared as voters have accused Obama of plotting a "socialized" takeover of the private health system.
Now it appears that Obama’s temper is flaring as prompt passage of the 1,000 page ObamaCare bill seems to be slipping away.
Link
Teacher fined $22,000 for 4-minute phone call
Asbury Park, New Jersey school teacher Desley Getty has been fined $23,000 for a 4-minute phone call made during class.
Court records show the Asbury Park High School performing arts teacher was covering for another teacher in 2008 when she called suspended superintendent Antonio Lewis.
A student recorded two students dancing while Getty was on the phone and posted it on YouTube.
The district prohibits teachers from making personal calls while performing assigned duties.
Over $5,700 per minute is a very expensive phone call!
Link
Aug 15, 2009
Aug 14, 2009
Criminal charge over school a mealtime prayer
Educators face jail in Florida over a school prayer.
Students, teachers and local pastors are protesting over a court case involving a northern Florida school principal and an athletic director who are facing criminal charges and up to six months in jail over their offer of a mealtime prayer.
Principal Frank Lay and school athletic director Robert Freeman, will go on trial Sept. 17 at a federal district court in Pensacola for breaching the conditions of a lawsuit settlement reached last year with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).
Link
Smokey the Bear turned 65
Smokey Bear was born in August 1944 but he has been denied retirement. Too much work to do.
He is a celebrity pitchman, pop icon and philanthropist.
He's so famous he was given his own ZIP Code, 20252, to handle the fan mail.
Smokey Bear is the longest-running public service campaign in U.S. history -- a simple message delivered by a humanistic bear.
He is a celebrity pitchman, pop icon and philanthropist.
He's so famous he was given his own ZIP Code, 20252, to handle the fan mail.
Smokey Bear is the longest-running public service campaign in U.S. history -- a simple message delivered by a humanistic bear.
Search: where are the stimulus jobs?
Searching for the stimulus jobs without much success
(click on picture to see video)
This is a lighthearted video, but the underlying point is no laughing matter.
At a time when Americans are looking to Washington for leadership, the trillion-dollar stimulus has been a wasteful failure.
Americans were promised the stimulus would keep the unemployment rate from going above eight percent. Its now nearly 10 percent, and rising.
Where are the jobs?
This is a lighthearted video, but the underlying point is no laughing matter.
At a time when Americans are looking to Washington for leadership, the trillion-dollar stimulus has been a wasteful failure.
Americans were promised the stimulus would keep the unemployment rate from going above eight percent. Its now nearly 10 percent, and rising.
Where are the jobs?
Air traffic controllers suspended over Hudson crash
The Federal Aviation Administration has suspended two air traffic controllers from New Jersey's Teterboro Airport over Saturday's collision of two aircraft over the Hudson that killed nine people.
The photo below shows the wreckage of the helicopter being lifted from the Hudson River.
The controller handling the flight of a Piper PA-32 Saratoga carrying three people was involved in apparently inappropriate conversations on the telephone at the time of the accident.
Also, the supervisor was not present in the building as required.
More of the story here.
The photo below shows the wreckage of the helicopter being lifted from the Hudson River.
The controller handling the flight of a Piper PA-32 Saratoga carrying three people was involved in apparently inappropriate conversations on the telephone at the time of the accident.
Also, the supervisor was not present in the building as required.
More of the story here.
News media ignored violence by liberals at Bush protest
News outlets that are focusing on the incendiary rhetoric of conservatives outside President Obama's town hall meeting Tuesday ignored the incendiary rhetoric -- and even violence -- of liberals outside an appearance by former President George W. Bush in 2002.
When Bush visited Portland, Ore., for a fundraiser, protesters stalked his motorcade, assailed his limousine and stoned a car containing his advisers. Chanting "Bush is a terrorist!", the demonstrators bullied passers-by, including gay softball players and a wheelchair-bound grandfather with multiple sclerosis.
Link
When Bush visited Portland, Ore., for a fundraiser, protesters stalked his motorcade, assailed his limousine and stoned a car containing his advisers. Chanting "Bush is a terrorist!", the demonstrators bullied passers-by, including gay softball players and a wheelchair-bound grandfather with multiple sclerosis.
Link
Video: Obama town hall orchestrated and controlled
Is the press corps starting to tire of the Obama Administration?
Even CBS White House correspondent Chip Reid (in the center of photo), along with Helen Thomas (in the left of photo), the consummate supporter of all things liberal, called Obama’s town hall meeting "orchestrated," "tightly-controlled," and seemingly "less transparent" than any previous White House occupants had ever dared.
Chip Reid and Helen Thomas double teamed Robert Gibbs (as shown in the video below) at the daily press briefing on the "tightly controlled" town hall meeting President Obama held on health care. Gibbs kept saying lets have this discussion AFTER the meeting.
Helen Thomas accused the White House of "controlling the press." She said almost all White House/Obama events are "prepackaged." She accused the White House of not "having any answers."
(click on picture to see video)
Even CBS White House correspondent Chip Reid (in the center of photo), along with Helen Thomas (in the left of photo), the consummate supporter of all things liberal, called Obama’s town hall meeting "orchestrated," "tightly-controlled," and seemingly "less transparent" than any previous White House occupants had ever dared.
Chip Reid and Helen Thomas double teamed Robert Gibbs (as shown in the video below) at the daily press briefing on the "tightly controlled" town hall meeting President Obama held on health care. Gibbs kept saying lets have this discussion AFTER the meeting.
Helen Thomas accused the White House of "controlling the press." She said almost all White House/Obama events are "prepackaged." She accused the White House of not "having any answers."
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