October 5, 2008

Well Said!

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Amazing

He really is a nice man, even then.

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October 4, 2008

Can You Afford The McCain Health Tax?

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More on the Biden-Palin Debate

Carl Bernstein has a very interesting piece up at HP about the Biden-Palin Debate:

Who won the Palin-Biden debate? Barack Obama, I suspect.

Who was the big loser? In an historic fortnight that had already underscored his erratic nature, John McCain.

The fact that Palin was able to string her sentences together last night - which she couldn't manage to do in her unscripted interviews with Katie Couric -- shows only how low McCain has strapped his presidential quest.

Sarah Palin's task was an impossible one: to demonstrate that she is ready to be president of the United States. McCain put her in that impossible position; and her performance -- all prep and no depth -- demonstrated the bind he has put himself in.

I'm often floored by anyone that thinks that she is actually a good choice for anything. She's terrifyingly unqualified and she knows absolutely nothing about any of the issues. That is completely uncalled for in terms of someone that would be so close to the presidency of a candidate who has had cancer four times and won't let anyone view his medical records. It's an extremely valid concern that this woman might end up with her finger on the button should McCain win and from all indication she would set off "nucular" war thinking she was ordering coffee instead of setting off missiles.

Just how scary a notion that is went on full display last night: She appeared to lack any semblance of the requisite depth, knowledge, or sense of history we should expect in a president or vice president; then she sought to excuse it by saying, "I've only been at this for five weeks."

Yes, she could wink, she could tell Biden, "Say it ain't so, Joe, there you go again," and she could remind us again and again that she is a hockey Mom from the land of Joe-Six-pack (as if Western Republicans don't swill Pinot Grigio with the rest of the country at their fund-raisers). She seemed incapable of thinking through the American condition and responding to it except by scripted answers, theatrical gestures, and tested buzzwords -- and by announcing at the outset that she would decide which questions from the moderator to answer and which to ignore.

Yet Biden's performance (deeply knowledgeable, sensible, and generally responsive to the questions) was perhaps the best evidence that -- considered non-ideologically, but rather on judgment and temperament -- Obama may be ready to be president, and McCain -- who ought to be ready -- is not.

Time after time, Biden had to tell Palin what John McCain's real record is -- as instance after instance -- she misrepresented it (or misunderstood the legislative process), repeated easy slogans and bromides and, for the most part perhaps, offended the intelligence of voters who are not already die-hard, ideological proponents of right-wing Republicanism, creationism, or simplistic solutions to tough problems.

The winking thing was totally out of line. I mean seriously, you are in a vice presidential debate, not a beauty pageant so act like it! You looked like a simpering idiot and a complete disgrace to any self respecting woman who uses her brain instead of her eye lashes to argue a point! But of course that would mean actually having a point to begin with, which she has demonstrated time and time again that she just can not string together. Of all the Republican women he could have chosen that might actually have been able to intelligently argue their case (or at least try) he had to go and choose this woman who gives all women a bad name!

The sad thing is that she's not just turning off Democrats and Independents, she's also turning off some Republicans too and those Republicans are speaking out against her in increasing numbers. That in and of itself speaks volumes.

Read more at Huffington Post.

Posted by Dianne at 9:44 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Poetic Justice

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Former gridiron great O.J. Simpson was found guilty Friday of all 12 counts in the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers at a Las Vegas, Nevada, casino hotel last year.

Simpson, 61, and his co-defendant Clarence "C.J." Stewart, 54, were charged with a dozen offenses stemming from the sports memorabilia heist. Stewart was found guilty of the same charges as Simpson.

Simpson sat quietly and showed little emotion at the defense table as courtroom clerk Sandra Jeter read the verdicts.

After the verdicts were read, deputies immediately handcuffed Simpson and led him out of the courtroom.

Simpson and Stewart could spend the rest of their lives in prison for these convictions. Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass set sentencing for December 5.

Karma's a bitch!

Read more at CNN.

Posted by Dianne at 9:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

October 2, 2008

Fosset Wreckage Possibly Found

(CNN) -- Search teams looking for millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett may have found the wreckage of the plane he was flying when he disappeared more than a year ago.

The Madera County, California, Sheriff's Department said the wreckage was spotted Wednesday during an aerial search of the area where a hiker had discovered identification with the missing aviator's name.

According to The Associated Press, Preston Morrow said he found three identification cards with Fossett's name and about $1000 in cash Monday tangled in a bush just west of the town of Mammoth Lakes.

Erica Stuart, a spokesman for the sheriff's department, said a ground crew will be dispatched to make a definite determination on the wreckage. The sheriff is expected to reveal more information on Thursday.

Hopefully this will help his family have a bit of closure if it turns out to be what it appears to be. Still very sad though.

Read more at CNN.

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October 1, 2008

Register To Vote And Get Five Friends To Vote Too!

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September 30, 2008

Sarah Palin Numbers

Women Against Sarah Palin has a very nice break down of numbers of everything from how many foreign heads of state Palin has met, to how much debt she's racked up for not only her town, but the state of Alaska as well, along with many more interesting facts. Very eye opening.

Read the list here.

Posted by Dianne at 2:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 29, 2008

778 Points!

The DOW dropped 778 points today, it's largest point drop in a single day ever:

NEW YORK - Wall Street ended a stunning session with a huge loss Monday, with the Dow Jones industrial average plunging 778 points — its largest point drop ever — after the failure of a House vote on the financial bailout plan.

Wall Street started tumbling as the vote was shown on television Monday afternoon, sending investors fleeing to the relative safety of credit markets, worrying that the financial system would continue to sink under the weight of failed mortgage debt.

This is not good folks. Perhaps those who are still desperately clinging to the notion that the economy is fine will see just how bad off it truly is. This has taken eight long, tortuous years under Bush's leadership (or lack there of) to get to this point. There is not overnight fix for this and sadly the road is most likely going to get a lot more bumpy before this is all over.

Read more at MSNBC and CNN.

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Mia Farrow's Account of her Visit to Haiti

(CNN) -- I have just returned from my latest trip as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Once again I found myself in one of the world's poorest countries; once again I held children with stick limbs and distended bellies.

Again, most of these children are without clean water, adequate food, basic health care and the opportunity for an education. Again, before they reach the age of five, many will die from preventable diseases.

But this visit was not to Africa. These are the grim realities for the people of Haiti, just one hour from the shores of the United States.

Haiti is shattered by decades of poverty, violence, bad governance and neglect. There is little infrastructure, no jobs for 75% of the population, child trafficking is common, there are countless orphans and street children.

Then a few weeks ago, things got a whole lot worse for the people of Haiti, when the first of four hurricanes pounded their shores.

The damage wrought by Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike is beyond imagining or describing. Whole cities and villages are devastated, fields and crops lie beneath water. Roads and bridges are washed out. Many areas remain inaccessible to relief workers. We cannot yet know how many have perished.

Her account is truly heart breaking. There are so many things going on in the world that sometimes these types of things slip through the cracks. Very sad indeed.

Read more at CNN.

Posted by Dianne at 3:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

He Truly Was Amazing

CNN has a story up about people who actually met Paul Newman over the years. Very poignant! Check it out if you haven't already. He really was amazing!

Posted by Dianne at 3:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Not A Good Day To Be In The Stock Market

Investors who had been counting on the rescue plan sent the Dow Jones industrial average down as much as 700 points while watching the measure come up short of the necessary support, before rebounding slightly. The key stock reading was down nearly 700 points with about a half hour of trading left.

There are still too many loop holes in this plan. I personally think it's a bad idea overall, but then again so do a lot of people. The DOW was down over 700 points at one point but as of right now it is down almost 500. This is a very bumpy ride and I'm extremely glad I have nothing tied up in stocks at the moment!

Found via CNN Money.

Posted by Dianne at 3:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 27, 2008

A Great Loss

(CNN) -- Paul Newman, the legendary actor whose steely blue eyes, good-humored charm and advocacy of worthy causes made him one of the most renowned figures in American arts, has died of cancer at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 83.

He died Friday, according to spokeswoman Marni Tomljanovic.

Newman was half of one of the most successful showbiz marriages -- to Joanne Woodward, whom he married in 1958. He observed that just because he was a sex symbol there was no reason to commit adultery.

"Why would I go out for a hamburger when [I] have steak at home?" he asked.

Newman's daughters said described him as a devoted husband, a loving father, an adoring grandfather and a dedicated philanthropist.

"Our father was a rare symbol of selfless humility, the last to acknowledge what he was doing was special," they said in a statement. "Intensely private, he quietly succeeded beyond measure in impacting the lives of so many with his generosity.

"Always and to the end, Dad was incredibly grateful for his good fortune. In his own words: 'It's been a privilege to be here.'"

I found out that Mr. Newman had passed away while I was at the library waiting for Alexis' art/crafts class to end and I immediately began to tear up. I thought about making a blog entry right there from my iPod, but decided that I wanted to wait. I mean what to say? He was brilliant! He was a fabulous actor, by all accounts an amazing husband and family man, a philanthropist and he even made Richard Nixon's "enemies" list...How do you sum that up on an iPod, or even here as I sit and type this from my home computer still tearing up at just the thought of the man?

Rest in peace Mr. Newman. I always admired you. Your legacy definitely lives on through your charities and your family, not to mention your numerous films. The world without you seems such a foreign place...For as long as I remember I've known who you were. You will truly be missed.

Read more at CNN.

Posted by Dianne at 2:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

September 26, 2008

How Exactly?

How exactly do you win a debate that isn't happening until this evening and you weren't even going to show up for until a few hours ago?

Arrogance anyone??

Bueller? Bueller??

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Where Will Kyle Go?

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September 25, 2008

A Spirit At The Gym?

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