Quick Links
    The time is now 4:07 am You last visited March 21, 2010, 3:50 am | Todd's Blog
November 23, 2009, 11:58 amPalin vs. Obama: The approval gap silently shrinks to a few points
Not that it matters politically because obviously she's a female Republican dunce and he's a male Democrat genius. But Sarah Palin's poll numbers are strengthening. And President Obama's are sliding. Guess what? They're about to meet in the 40s. Depending, of course, on which recent set of numbers you peruse and how the questions are phrased, 307 days into his allotted 1,461, the 44th president's approval rating among Americans has slid to 49% or 48%, showing no popularity bounce from his many happy trips, foreign and domestic.
One poll even gives her a 47% favorable. Most recent media attention has focused on the 60% who say she's unqualified to become president. Her unfavorable rating is 52%, down from 53%, which still doesn't ignite a lot of optimism for Palin lovers. On the other hand, 35 months before the 2008 election, that Illinois senator was such a nobody that no one even thought to ask such a question about him. Things seem to change much more quickly these days. Saturday night Palin's book bus swung by a mall in Roanoke, Va., a state Obama won a year ago but just recently elected a Republican governor to replace departing Tim Kaine, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The former Alaska governor wanted to greet the hundreds of fans already lining up in 39-degree weather for her Sunday morning signing. "She brings out a different crowd," Salem Republican Party Chairman Greg Habeeb told the Roanoke Times. Habeeb was struck by the numerous non-Republicans he spotted in the line snaking all over the mall. "She taps into something that the Republican Party really needs to tap into." Sunday, Palin flew ahead of her bus to visit the Rev. Billy Graham and his son Franklin at the father's North Carolina home before her appearance today at Fort Bragg. Overall, Palin's, well, campaign will visit 25 states, most of them politically crucial. Florida gets the most stops, three.
If she somehow mobilized Iowa's white evangelicals as Mike Huckabee did to win the 2008 season-opening caucus, many bets would be off about her unelectability. Right now, Palin holds 65% approval among white evangelical Protestants, not a bad place to start, if she decides to. Anyway, Palin says 2012's not on her radar. Which is a good idea. The year 2010 is much more important for both of these political personalities. No longer holding any office and personally set financially by the book's runaway success, Palin can devote her SarahPac and the entire year to collecting chits from local Republicans. As Mitt Romney has already been quietly doing. Other Republicans will no doubt nominate themselves to join along the way, especially if Obama looks vulnerable after November 2010. Although presidential incumbency has hardly kept Obama chained to the Oval Office, he and Vice President Joe Biden now own the U.S. economy, where their much-vaunted $787 billion economic stimulus package has so far stimulated unemployment to grow by from 8% to more than 10%. And then there's the growing deficit dread and the mounting costs — human and financial — in the increasingly unpopular Afghan conflict, where Obama is about to commit more U.S. troops at the end of the eighth and worst casualty year of the war. We'll all hear much next year about how jobs are the last thing to improve in a sour economy, even in congressional districts that don't actually exist. Which is too bad for Democrats because jobs are the obvious first measure the public uses to measure the economy. Historically, the White House party loses about 17 House seats in a normal midterm election cycle. That wouldn't change control of the House. George W. Bush's GOP actually gained seats in 2002. Democrat Bill Clinton's first midterm election was a political Katrina, producing the Contract with America and so-called Republican revolution that saw the GOP take control of both houses of Congress after years of minority status. Much of that turnaround was attributed to Clinton having run in 1992 as a centrist and then immediately pushed a more liberal agenda involving healthcare reform. But that couldn't possibly happen again because of the popularity of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose current favorable poll ratings are — let's see here — OMG, only about half of Palin's. Source: Related items:
Last Edited: November 23, 2009, 12:04 pm November 21, 2009, 7:05 pmWonderful montage of 100 greatest movie linesFor movie lovers everywhere!
Last Edited: November 21, 2009, 7:08 pm November 18, 2009, 7:50 amFantastic ad about health reformWe need more sensibile advertisements like this one. Note that it never attacks a group of people or says "the other side is stupid." It is nothing but common sense FACTS, spoken by a non-politician who has a ton of experience with the exact topic being spoken about. THIS is what civil debate is all about. From the web site rethinkreform.com.
November 14, 2009, 10:34 pmOMGHere's 1,000 words for ya...
...and here's another 1,000 words...
O ... M ... G !!! By the way, here's how the greetings SHOULD be done:
Last Edited: November 14, 2009, 10:37 pm November 3, 2009, 3:45 pmThis new remake of "V" sounds interestingFrom today's Chicago Tribune. "V" starts tonight on ABC at 8:00 Eastern (7:00 Central). 'V' aims at Obamamania By Glenn Garvin McClatchy/Tribune News
Imagine this. At a time of political turmoil, a charismatic, telegenic new leader arrives virtually out of nowhere. He offers a message of hope and reconciliation based on compromise and promises to marshal technology for a better future that will include universal health care. The news media swoons in admiration — one simpering anchorman even shouts at a reporter who asks a tough question: "Why don't you show some respect?!" The public is likewise smitten, except for a few nut cases who circulate batty rumors on the Internet about the leader's origins and intentions. The leader, undismayed, offers assurances that are soothing, if also just a tiny bit condescending: "Embracing change is never easy." So, does that sound like anyone you know? Oh, wait — did I mention the leader is secretly a totalitarian space lizard who's come here to eat us? Welcome to ABC's "V," the most fascinating and bound to be the most controversial new show of the fall television season. Nominally a rousing sci-fi space opera about alien invaders bent on the conquest (and digestion) of all humanity, it's also a barbed commentary on Obamamania that will infuriate the president's supporters and delight his detractors. "We're all so quick to jump on the bandwagon," observes one character. "A ride on the bandwagon, it sounds like fun. But before we get on, let us at least make sure it is sturdy." The bandwagon in this case is conspicuously saucer-shaped. "V" starts with the arrival of a couple of dozen ships from outer space, piloted by creatures who look like humans except a lot prettier. "Don't be frightened," says their luminously beautiful leader Anna (Morena Baccarin, "Serenity"). "We mean no harm." The aliens — who become known as V's, for visitors — quickly enthrall their wide-eyed human hosts. A handful of dissidents hold out against the rapturous reception given the V's. Some are simply uneasy, such as the youthful priest Father Jack (Joel Gretsch, "The 4400"), who sharply criticizes the Vatican's embrace of the V's as divine creations: "Rattlesnakes are God's creatures too." With or without the political sheen, "V" is sweeping television storytelling at its best. Whether you choose to view it as a blood-and-guts war story, a spy thriller (unlike the original show, these V's are perfect replicas of humans, so you never really know who might be sitting beside you at the bar), a high-stakes family drama (as households divide over the intentions of the V's), a religious allegory (the V's make a crippled man walk, filling up churches again) or just a sci-fi throwback to the days of "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" and "The Thing," "V" is irresistible. This bandwagon is definitely worth jumping on. http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-tc-tvcolumn-v-1102-1103nov03,0,7062976.story October 8, 2009, 11:44 amFirst Lady Now Requires 26 ServantsThe article posted by Konane in July actually understates Michelle Obama's apparent need to raise an army in the White House. The Canada Free Press apparently posted a follow-up article that raises the size of Michelle Obama's army of staff/servants to 26. Why in the world would any first lady need 26 people? This is ludicrous. Why are the Obamas going around saying how they are concerned with government spending when the first lady alone has more employees than most small businesses? It's a crock, and everyone knows it — even if they won't admit it. This is angering. Here's the article. First Lady Now Requires 26 Servants "In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much," she said. "See, that's why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service,"— Michelle Obama. We were wrong. Michelle Obama, as we reported on July 7, is not served by twenty-two attendants who stand by to cater to her every whim. She is served by twenty-six attendants, including a hair dresser and make-up artist. The annual cost to taxpayers for such unprecedented attention is approximately $1,750,000 without taking into account the expense of the lavish benefit packages afforded to every attendant. Little did American voters realize the call for "change" would result in the establishment of an Obama oligarchy. The discovery of the additional attendants was made by D'Angelo Gore of factcheck.org and by calls to Katie McCormick Lelyyeld, Michelle Obama's press secretary. Mr. Gore launched his investigation of the First Lady's staff in the wake of an article that appeared on thelastcrusade.org and Canada Free Press on July 7. The article, which became a chain letter viewed by millions of Americans, reported that Michelle Obama requires more than twenty attendants — more than any First Lady in U.S. History. It provided the following list of White House staff members assigned to the First Lady:
Readers throughout the country expressed outrage that Mrs. Obama would hire an unprecedented number of staffers in the midst of the Great Recession. Sample comments from the hundreds of letters that poured into Canada Free Press are as follows: Alan from Utah: "The sad part is that after billions spent "stimulating" the economy, the list of new staffers for the wife of our pretend president represents the only new jobs that have been created. We're screwed." Laurie from Texas: "....and not a one of those attendants can help her find something decent to wear...pathetic waste of taxpayer money....." Terry from Colorado: "This is from the family that supports a government run health care system. If they can't control the spending inside the White House, how can we believe they can save money elsewhere?" Lanette from California: "This is OBAMANABLY!!!! I've been laid off....wonder if she will hire me?" Bobby from Shanksville: "I didn't see anyone listed who wipes her ####." Lyle from Ilinois: "This is a crime. I am sure not one of those aides comes close to earning what they are paid. How could they? What is there for them to do? I can't believe Michelle will end up being a great first lady regardless how many aides she has. How will she ever survive at the end of his four-year term when she has to go back to being a civilian again. No way will the government pay for all these lackies for a civilian, no matter how hard she may try to make it happen. I recall a high school English teacher saying "like begets like" and it sure shows up with the Obama couple. They're both in it for as much as they can get for themselves." Michelle from Michigan: How can my nephew, who has been out of work for almost a year, get a job on Michelle's staff? The pay is better than anything available here and he is colleged educated. Betty from Pennsylvania: My husband and I have worked hard all our lives. We are people of integrity. And yet when I read of spending like this my blood boils. How dare she use my hard-earned money like this. How dare she take advantage of her position. She did not earn her position because of who she is or how hard she has worked. I don't know how she can sleep at night. Somehow, we need to get this President out of office before we lose all our rights. The allegations within the July 7 article seemed so outrageous that many readers questioned their accuracy. Does Mrs. Obama have an unprecedented number of staffers in a time when 34 million Americans — a record number — rely on food stamps to feed their families? The answer, as D'Angelo Gore of factcheck.org discovered, is yes. When questioned by Mr. Gore, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, Michelle Obama's press secretary, said that the First Lady does retain a staff of more than twenty who remain at her beck and call. But the actual number is 24, not 22, as the article reported. Mrs. Lelyyeld failed to provide the names of the two additional attendants to Mrs. Obama. But she did confirm that six staffers who do not have "first lady" in their title but are a part of the First Lady's office staff, such as Desiree Rogers, who bears the title "Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary," and Natalie Bookey, who is listed as a "staff assistant." What's more, even a list of 24 would be incomplete since it would fail to include the names of makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and "First Hairstylist" Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom travel aboard Air Force One and provide Mrs. Obama with daily attention. This adds up to a whopping $1,600,700.00 and the amount doesn't include the elite benefit packages granted to the White House staff and their significant others (include same-sex partners). Nor does the figure take into account the salaries for the two additional full-time staff members mentioned by Mrs. Obama's Press Secretary nor the full time hair-dresser and makeup artist assigned to her. A guesstimate of the total salaries for Mrs. Obama's attendants is $1,750,00.00 plus the additional benefits. For comparison, let's remember that poor Bess Truman and Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salaries for 5 of their personal secretaries from their own pocketbooks. Stephen Plotkin, reference archivist for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, says that Jacqueline Kennedy's office was "headed" by one person who supervised a staff of approximately nine full and part time workers (including the White House cooks and chambermaids). Kim Coryat, an archives technician at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, says that it is difficult to nail down a precise count of staff because "White House staffing for all offices ebbs and flows with time." But she points out that a White House telephone directory indicates that Hillary Clinton had a staff of thirteen in 1993 — this is telling since Mrs. Clinton intended to serve as a co-executive in the Oval Office by spearheading a health care reform program. Laura Bush was far from a fiscal conservative during her time in the White House and, like her husband, served to bloat the White House budget. A list of Mrs. Bush's staff attendants is as follows:
This amounts to a total of $1,083,700.00. Laura was no piker when it came to spending. But she pales in comparison with Miz Michelle, who requires eight to ten additional attendants at an extra cost to taxpayers of $700,000 and change — the only change American taxpayers can believe in. October 8, 2009, 11:15 am77 Tips for Windows 7Windows 7 will be officially released in a couple weeks, so lots of articles and books are starting to get published. One of the best such articles I have ready is 77 Windows 7 Tips. It contains lots of tips aimed at users who are comfortable with technology, but also has tips for anyone, regardless of proficiency level. I have been using Windows 7 since July, and I must say it's an absolutely wonderful operating system. It has been rock-solid stable, and I love the various changes they have made to Vista. September 22, 2009, 9:26 pmWhy the financial markets collapsed; an explanation that anyone can understandThis arrived in e-mail today. It's a wonderful little story that describes in clear terms how we got to where we are today. An Easily Understandable Explanation of Derivative Markets
Heidi is the proprietor of a bar in the city. She realizes that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with a new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now, but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting the customers loans). Word gets around about Heidi's "drink now, pay later" marketing strategy and, as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Heidi's bar. Soon she has the largest sales volume for any bar in the city. By providing her customers freedom from immediate payment demands, Heidi gets no resistance when, at regular intervals, she substantially increases her prices for wine and beer, the most consumed beverages. Consequently, Heidi's gross sales volume increases massively. A young and dynamic vice-president at the local bank recognizes that these customer debts constitute valuable future assets and increases Heidi's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for any undue concern, since he has the debts of the unemployed alcoholics as collateral. At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders transform these customer loans into DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS, and PUKEBONDS. These securities are then bundled and traded on international security markets. Naive investors don't really understand that the securities being sold to them as AAA-secured bonds are really the debts of unemployed alcoholics. Nevertheless, the bond prices continuously climb, and the securities soon become the hottest-selling items for some of the nation's leading brokerage houses. One day, even though the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager at the original local bank decides that the time has come to demand payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Heidi's bar. He so informs Heidi. Heidi then demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being unemployed alcoholics, they cannot pay back their drinking debts. Since Heidi cannot fulfill her loan obligations, she is forced into bankruptcy. The bar closes and the eleven employees lose their jobs. Overnight, DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS, and PUKEBONDS drop in price by 90%. The collapsed bond asset value destroys the bank's liquidity and prevents it from issuing new loans, thus freezing credit and economic activity in the community. The suppliers of Heidi's bar had granted her generous payment extensions and had invested their firms' pension funds in the various BOND securities. They find they are now faced with having to write off her bad debt and with losing over 90% of the presumed value of the bonds. Her wine supplier also claims bankruptcy, closing the doors on a family business that had endured for three generations. Her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and lays off 150 workers. Fortunately though, the bank, the brokerage houses, and their respective executives are saved and bailed out by a multi-billion, no-strings-attached cash infusion from the Government. The funds required for this bailout are obtained by new taxes levied on employed, middle-class, non-drinkers. Now, instead of "unemployed alcoholics", think "people who were allowed to get mortgages even though they couldn't afford to pay them" and you've got it. September 22, 2009, 8:11 amMotivational poster of the day
Last Edited: September 22, 2009, 8:13 am September 18, 2009, 7:48 pmI nominate this person "citizen of the year"These videos arrived in my e-mail inbox today. The videos are in 2 parts, both shown below. After Part 1 is complete, you can click right onto Part 2. This senior citizen and his wife made the tape from their ranch in south-central Texas. At their own expense, they made 1,000 copies and sent one to every single congressman and senator and some media outlets. Let's hope that each and every one of them watched and LISTENED!!! • • • • • • • • • • • PART 1
PART 2
September 12, 2009, 8:36 pmVIDEO: This is why they don't let you carry-on liquids when you flyThis video was put together by the BBC. It demonstrates how a small amount of liquid explosives can rip apart a plane. Look at the tiny amount used (maybe the size of a 20 oz. Coke bottle), and how harmless it looks. And look at the damage. September 9, 2009, 8:08 amVideo will bring a tear to the eye of every patriotic American
September 1, 2009, 10:23 amWoman fired for USING ALL CAPS IN E-MAILTHERE ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO SHOULD HAVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY FORCEABLY REMOVED FROM THEIR KEYBOARDS BECAUSE OF HOW ANNOYING IT IS TO SEE EVERYTHING THEY WRITE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. THOSE PEOPLE ACTUALLY THINK IT IS EASIER TO READ THEIR TEXT WHEN THEY TYPE IT LIKE THIS. But should someone be fired for it? Heck, maybe. At least that's what one company thought. Check it out: Woman fired for USING ALL CAPS IN E-MAIL Vicki Walker, an Auckland (New Zealand) accountant, was sacked for sending supposedly confrontational emails with words in red, in bold and in CAPITAL LETTERS. The Employment Relations Authority in New Zealand ruled that Walker was not fairly terminated from her position after sending the emails to co-workers. Her previous employers, ProCare, have now been ordered to pay New Zealand dollars $17,000 (US$11,500/€8000) for unfair dismissal. Fired in December 2007, after two years with the company, ProCare claim Walker had "caused disharmony in the workplace by using block capitals, bold typeface and red text in her emails." Walker claims that the one email used in evidence was in regard to how her team should fill claim forms, and specifies a time and date highlighted in bold red, and a sentence written in capitals and highlighted in bold blue. It reads: "To ensure your staff claim is processed and paid, please do follow the below checklist." Walker plans to seek further compensation. Last Edited: September 1, 2009, 10:24 am August 30, 2009, 8:51 amNew seniors association started because AARP is a sell-outThis is pasted from a Dick Morris e-mail i received this morning, and is good news for those who want a Seniors organization that truly represents the interest of Seniors. • • • • • • • • • A MESSAGE FROM THE AMERICAN SENIORS ASSOCIATION Dear Subscriber, I have gotten madder and madder at the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) for claiming to represent America's elderly when, in fact, it is just a vendor seeking to get revenue under the Obama health care plan. It was just such a conflict of interest that impelled the AARP to endorse Bush's prescription drug plan. The AARP has morphed from a group that speaks for seniors to one that tries to make money from them. My wife, Eileen, and I were thrilled to learn of a rival to the AARP that has sprung up -- The American Seniors Association (ASA) -- which opposes Obamacare and is willing to be an independent, disinterested voice speaking up for the elderly. We reached out to Stuart Barton, its President, and suggested that we send a letter from him to our readers (this is not a paid mailing; we are sending it around because we deeply believe in fashioning an alternative to AARP). We both suggest that you do as we are doing -- join ASA -- as a way of showing AARP that they do not speak for America's seniors. Obama's proposals represent a wholesale transfer of medical services away from the elderly and will force government rationing and denials of care for the very old and very ill. We need to fight against them and that is what ASA is doing and AARP is not! The letter from ASA's President, Stuart Barton, is below. Thanks, Dick Morris
Dear DickMorrisReports Subscriber, The American Seniors Association (ASA) invites any members of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to mail us your torn AARP card in order to receive a 2-year-for-1-year ASA membership. Indeed, anyone of any age can become an ASA member -- especially since young people, baby boomers, seniors, and just about all Americans are now under assault by various Obama healthcare proposals and by the sell-out AARP leadership. ASA is fighting congressional healthcare proposals that could cost perhaps $1.8 trillion or more over the next 10 years, to be accompanied by cuts in Medicare of $500 billion. ASA opposes a government-run plan that increase taxes and limit doctor-patient choice. We object to one House bill that would actually force individuals or their employers who do not have approved health insurance plans to pay a fine. Furthermore, none of these congressional proposals have a provision that people enjoying healthcare benefits must have their citizenship and legal residency status verified by all 50 states. That opens the door for citizen taxpayers to be gouged for the healthcare coverage of possibly 15-20 million illegal aliens! Please visit our website at AmericanSeniors.org and consider joining our important crusade. We are for targeted healthcare reforms, but Obamacare and a dismantling of our private enterprise system is not the cure! Also check out the rich variety of membership benefits that ASA provides. With kindest regards, Stuart Barton August 29, 2009, 11:02 amWonderful, mysterious, genius classical pianoThere is a CD you buy that will take you to another place — a place of wonderful, harmonious music. Philip Glass is one of the great classical piano composers and performers, and his Solo Piano album continues to be one of the single-greatest works of his. It is perfect for when you want to listen to music — not just background music while you use the computer, read a book, or do some work — I'm talking about those times when you want to sit with your eyes closed and allow the music to take you wherever it goes. Solo Piano is a succession of music that builds around a theme, and like most Philip Glass music it builds on the concept of repetition. It is a meditative miracle. If you have never listened to classical piano, there could be no better introduction. You won't want it to end, and it leaves you in a contemplative mood.  Page of 38  |
Riding the wave of immense publicity and symbiotic media interest over her new book, "Going Rogue," and the accompanying promotional tour, Palin's favorable ratings are now at 43%, according to ABC. That's up from 40% in July.
Everybody thinks 2012 when they think of Palin, who last week pushed Oprah Winfrey's television show to its highest ratings in nearly three years. Remember, though, in 2012 the first hurdles a rehabbed candidate Palin would face are her own party's primaries, where diligent conservatives conscientiously come out to play.
