Note the teddy bear on the bench:
Palin’s Lackluster Reading Skills Exposed
From an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace:
WALLACE: I know that three years is an eternity in politics. But how hard do you think President Obama will be to defeat in 2012?
PALIN: It depends on a few things. Say he played, and I got this from Buchanan, reading one of his columns the other day. Say he played the war card. Say he decided to declare war on Iran, or decided to really come out and do whatever he could to support Israel, which I would like him to do. But that changes the dynamics in what we can assume is going to happen between now and three years. Because I think if the election were today, I do not think Obama would be re-elected.
But three years from now things could change if on the national security threat —
WALLACE: You're not suggesting that he would cynically play the war card.
PALIN: I'm not suggesting that. I'm saying, if he did, things would dramatically change if he decided to toughen up and do all that he can to secure our nation and our allies. I think people would perhaps shift their thinking a little bit and decide, well, maybe he's tougher than we think he is today. And there wouldn't be as much passion to make sure that he doesn't serve another four years —
So there it is. Palin read a Pat Buchanan article, and thinks that Obama would be well-advised to start a war with Iran.
The problem? Well, here is the Pat Buchanan article, entitled "Will Obama Play The War Card?"
And guess what? Buchanan argued against war with Iran.
Palin apparently didn't read beyond the headline.
Does The Public Support Obama Or The GOP?
Nate Silver has an excellent post wherein he breaks down 25 major issues being pushed by Obama and the Democrats, and sizes them up against public opinion polling.
The bottom line?
Of these 25 issues, Obama's position appears to be on the right side of public opinion on 14: the bank tax, repealing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, campaign finance, the credit card bill, D.C. voting rights, fair pay, financial regulation, gays in the military, hate crimes, the jobs bill, mortgage relief, PAYGO, SCHIP, and Sotomayor. It would appear to be on the wrong side of public opinion on five issues: the GM/Chrysler bailout, Guantanamo Bay, health care, the extension of the TARP program, and terrorist trials. On the other six issues, the polling is probably too ambiguous to render a clear verdict.
Republicans, on the other hand, have been overwhelmingly opposed to almost all of these measures with the exception of Ben Bernanke and Afghanistan troops, both of which poll ambiguously, and the credit card bill, which polled well.
Obviously, this analysis is superficial in certain ways. All issues are by no means created equal, and health care in particular, which is unpopular, has weighed heavily upon the public's perception of the Democrats. In addition, there is probably another layer of 'meta-argument' that goes beyond specific issues, and at which the GOP has tended to excel.
Nevertheless, it runs in contrast to the objective evidence when one asserts, as Hanson does, that "On every issue … the Obama position polls 5-15 points below 50 percent." Rather, the votes taken by the Republican Congress have far more often been out of step with those of the median voter.
Silver's caveats are well-advised, but the larger point here is that Obama and the Democrats are, for the most part, doing what the people want. One wonders then why they have a hard time actually getting things done.
Right Wing Sign Of The Day
I should make this a regular feature of this blog.
Anyway, today's sign comes from yesterday's rally for Republican Rick Perry, running for Texas governor. Sarah Palin was at the event.
The Answer Is “No”
Actual billboard in Minnesota (NPR has the backstory)
Forever Plaid: The Plug
From the Winston-Salem Journal:
Tried and true colors – Nostalgia for a simpler time keeps crooners coming back for just one more performance
Published: February 7, 2010
They've done it before. Audiences loved it, so Theatre Alliance will reprise one of its hit shows as a Valentine offering.
Forever Plaid, a musical with tried-and-true sentiments to match the holiday, will open Friday night.
Remembering the best of the '50s croon tunes is a good bet. Think of all those PBS specials with Doo-Wop groups. This show taps a similar nostalgia for folks who lived through the '50s, and it probably won't sound bad for younger generations who might be wishing that love were as simple as it sounds in such long-ago ballads as "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing" and "No, Not Much."
This kind of simple, secure and silky notion of love is what makes the show so popular. Theatre Alliance first presented it in 2001, and, in 2008, the company presented a Christmas version called Plaid Tidings.
Some of the original stars from these earlier shows return for Forever Plaid.
In a four-man cast — the show is about a croon quartet from the '50s called The Plaids — Neil Shepherd will repeat his performance as "Jinx." Jay Smith, who plays "Sparky," will repeat his role. The other quartet members are Jamie Lawson, Theatre Alliance's artistic director as "Smudge," and Gray Smith, a favorite with audiences, as "Frankie."
Essentially, you have four young men who were on their way to put on what they considered their best show ever when they were hit by a bus carrying young girls to see The Ed Sullivan Show — on the same night that the Beatles made their American television debut. The guys die, and as magical things are wont to happen out in the cosmos (or a writer's imagination), they return to earth to stage that show, which would have been the highlight of their career.
Naturally, audiences will hear hits from the era including those from groups like The Four Tops, The Four Aces, plus many Perry Como favorites.
"At the time, Perry Como was the epitome of the crooner type of music," Smith said. Throw in other favorites such as "Three Coins in a Fountain," "Rags to Riches," even "Sixteen Tons," and the hits just keep on coming.
"The heart of the show is the group's love of music and wanting to pass it on," Shepherd said.
According to Smith, "It's just great music. It's very touching. Each singer gets to tell something about their life — a special, magic moment.… It's the boys' love of music that makes the audience fall in love with the music."
"That era has always been looked on as the ideal," Shepherd said, "the nice, families-sit-down-together-for-meals, and watching The Ed Sullivan Show on Sundays, 8 p.m., CBS."
If the performers were from today's era, a Michael Buble or Harry Connick Jr. would be crooning the songs.
But for this show, it's The Plaids doing the singing and laughter, a love of music and their own lovable personalities that might just make Forever Plaid a hit worth bringing back.
Theatre Alliance presents
Forever Plaid
at 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Feb. 18-20 and 25-27; at 4 p.m. on Feb. 27; and at 2 p.m. next Sunday and Feb. 21 and 28. For tickets bought before Feb. 12, $1 of each advance ticket sale will go to the Red Cross for Haiti Relief. Tickets are $16, $14 for students and seniors. The theater is at 1047 Northwest Blvd. Call 800-838-3006.
Created Landscapes
This lake at the foot of some mountains does not exist in the real world. But the photo was not drawn, painted or photoshopped.
This landscape was constructed out of many different materials, including tile grout, moss, bottle brushes (pine trees). Actual clippings from ground cover and was built on top of standard outdoor patio table (water glass).
More from the artist (Matthew Albanese) here.
Who Wants To Get Rid Of Social Security?
I think many of the Teabaggers, especially the elder ones, will be surprised to learn that it isn't the Democrats who want to take away Social Security, Medicare, and the other programs of FDR. It's the Republicans…
…and they're starting to talk openly about it.
Sarah’s Crib Notes
Yes, everyone is talking about them.
For those in a cave this weekend, the issue is Sarah Palin at the Tea Party convention a few days ago. She gave a speech, and then there was a Q&A with a moderator. She clearly had something on her hand, which she referred to (subtly, she thought) in the course of answering questions.
A close-up of the hand reveals what her notes were:
The first word is "Energy".
The second part is the phrase "Budget Cuts" with the word "budget" crossed out, and the word "tax" written underneath to replace it.
And the final part is "Life American Spirits".
Why does this matter?
Well, for one thing, it comes after over a year of conservatives making fun of Obama because he uses — shocker — a teleprompter. This has to be one of the stupidest Obama criticisms ever (and there are plenty of stupid ones out there). After all, every President has used a teleprompter since the technology was available. Yes, even Reagan. But the whole point of the "teleprompter" criticism is to create the underlying (and somewhat racist) perception that Obama simply isn't all that smart, and that he is a prop for someone else pulling the strings.
Now comes Sarah Palin with her tele-palm-ter, and suddenly, conservatives don't get what the fuss is about. But clearly, they should be embarrassed. Sure, Sarah isn't the first politician to carry around notes. They might not remember the latest projected federal deficit projections, and they might keep that number handy (although most politicians would probably put it on a notecard because, you know, they aren't in high school anymore).
And, as Huffington Post’s Stefan Sirucek points out, Palin’s “extra help” in front of a friendly crowd is especially ironic because Obama wasn’t using notes of any kind during a recent unscripted Q & A with House Republicans. Obama has also recently held several town halls, where he took questions from the audience and spoke at length without notes.
But more to the point, Sarah's "hand job", as it's being called now, isn't the same thing as Obama's non-controversial use of a teleprompter. I mean, what kind of conservative has to make notes to remind herself that the right is in favor of tax cuts? Can you imagine the mockery if Hillary Clinton, while running for President, had to write on her palm "Pro-choice", just to remind herself of her position, or to remind herself to talk about her position?
Aside from that, Sarah's appearance at the Tea Party rally, was pretty much as you expected. For me, the best part was when she said to a roomful of people who paid $500 a ticket:
"It's so inspiring to see real people — not politicos, inside-the-beltway professionals — come out, stand up and speak out for common sense conservative principles."
Unfortunately, many "real people" of the Tea Party movement couldn't afford the $500 per person ticket fee, and have soured against the movement — and Palin — altogether. 600 people showed up for the event altogether — they had room for many more. An auspicious beginning to a political movement.
Oceanic 815 Crash — Side By Side
The scene from LOST with Jack and Rose on Oceanic 815, showing Season 1 on the left side and Season 6 on the right.
Jack is a long-haired hippie in the one on the right, and the stewardess's outfit (and dialogue) is slightly different. Will the Lost producers explain this?
PSA Of The Day
Corny perhaps, but this is a really good public service announcement for wearing seat belts:
“Down Under” vs. “Kookaberra”
A judge ruled today that the flute riff from Men At Work's "Down Under" is plagerized from the tune set to an Australian nursery rhyme called "Kookaburra" (also known by its first line: "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree").
I know "Down Under".
I know "Kookaburra".
The judge must be high.
Nobody Like Taxes, But Here Is What Happens When You Go Tax Cut Crazy
COLORADO SPRINGS — This tax-averse city is about to learn what it looks and feels like when budget cuts slash services most Americans consider part of the urban fabric.
More than a third of the streetlights in Colorado Springs will go dark Monday. The police helicopters are for sale on the Internet. The city is dumping firefighting jobs, a vice team, burglary investigators, beat cops — dozens of police and fire positions will go unfilled.
The parks department removed trash cans last week, replacing them with signs urging users to pack out their own litter.
Neighbors are encouraged to bring their own lawn mowers to local green spaces, because parks workers will mow them only once every two weeks. If that.
Water cutbacks mean most parks will be dead, brown turf by July; the flower and fertilizer budget is zero.
City recreation centers, indoor and outdoor pools, and a handful of museums will close for good March 31 unless they find private funding to stay open. Buses no longer run on evenings and weekends. The city won't pay for any street paving, relying instead on a regional authority that can meet only about 10 percent of the need.
There is a certain message out there, having been spread by fear-mongering conservative politicians, that taxes are merely "the government taking your money and putting it into their pockets". And stupid people buy into it, without realizing that taxes pay for the roads, streetlights, police and fire protection that we take for granted.
The people of Colorado Springs are about to learn that lesson.
Worst Campaign Ad Ever
Even conservatives like Michelle Malkin are shaking their heads at this bizarre campaign ad, put out by conservative California GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina in an attempt to attack her moderate GOP rival, House Rep. Tom Campbell. Bizarre tone, strange imagery, and totally confusing.
Which means "funny".
This, kids, is a prime example of a really bad attack ad, if only because you don't know what she's saying (Is her opponent a fake sheep, while she is a real one? WTF?!?)