By Hugh Atkin
Audio is edited and often does not reflect Mitt Romney’s original meaning. The Romney campaign was in no way involved in the production of this video.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Category: government
“We’re NASA and We Know It”
Boing Boing – Mars Curiosity/LFMAO parody video: “We’re NASA and We Know It”
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
The Mars Mission is likely a waste of money. But I must admit they’ve done a superb job of social media.
PQ proposes Charter of Secularism
The pro-independence party in Quebec proposes to forbid employees in public institutions from wearing overt religious symbols.
They want to separate Church from State.
You wouldn’t see these symbols associated with some (or all?) Quebec government employees.
Though the proposal is being mocked widely, there’s some logic to it.
… Hold on. …
PQ leader Pauline Marois says small symbols like a crucifix on a chain are OK.
That’s a problem. Where do you draw the line, Pauline?
Aside from all the many other problems with this proposal, it smacks of racism.
Why is it that the biggest minority in Canada, Francophones, are so often intolerant of minorities?
… Am I being intolerant of Québécois now? I was just there last week. Some of my best friends wear the Fleur de Lys.
And you know what — they can keep wearing the Fleur de Lys, even if they work for a PQ Provincial government. 🙂
Doesn’t the PQ have some serious issues to deal with Madame Marois?
economists should govern, not politicians
Watching the lies, damn lies and statistics on U.S. political ads is depressing.
Obama, Romney campaigns accuse each other of lies
The misinformation. 😦
What do economists believe?
JUSTIN WOLFERS:
… There’s remarkable agreement among economists on most policy questions.
… the stimulus succeeded in reducing the jobless rate. On the harder question of whether the benefit exceeded the cost, more than half thought it did, one in three was uncertain, and fewer than one in six disagreed.
Or consider the widely despised bank bailouts … while the public may not like them, there’s a striking consensus that they helped: The same survey found no economists willing to dispute the idea that the bailouts lowered unemployment…
How about the oft-cited Republican claim that tax cuts will boost the economy so much that they will pay for themselves? … The Booth poll couldn’t find a single economist who believed that cutting taxes today will lead to higher government revenue – even if we lower only the top tax rate.
freakonomics – The Secret Consensus Among Economists
NPR Planet Money:
One: Eliminate the mortgage tax deduction, which lets homeowners deduct the interest they pay on their mortgages.
Two: End the tax deduction companies get for providing health-care to employees.
Three: Eliminate the corporate income tax.
Four: Eliminate all income and payroll taxes. … Instead, impose a consumption tax, designed to be progressive to protect lower-income households.
Five: Tax carbon emissions.
Six: Legalize marijuana.
(via Kottke)
Sorkin – The Newsroom
Aaron Sorkin’s new TV show The Newsroom is pretty bloody great.
… behind-the-scenes events at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel. It features an ensemble cast including Jeff Daniels as anchor Will McAvoy …
The series premiered to strong ratings but mixed reviews. HBO has renewed it for a second season. …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Jane Fonda plays the CEO of Atlantis World Media, the parent company of ACN. Cute. 🙂
Obama – Call Me Maybe
Brilliant mashup.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Here’s the original by Carly Rae. VIDEO
(via Daily Beast)
Jon Stewart mocks Bloomberg’s Soda ban
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is getting mocked by just about everyone for his political stunt of proposing to ban sales of soft drinks larger than 16oz.
Jon Stewart:
… “Wow. Wow. Wow, Mayor Bloomberg. Wow. I love this idea you have of banning soda. It combines the draconian government overreach people love with the probable lack of results they expect” …
“Mr. Mayor, this plan makes your asinine look big.”
related – … Disney to ban junk food ads by 2015
Better. But I’m still skeptical.
Mugabe named U.N. Minister of Tourism
Oh that … The Onion.
Where do they come up with their hilarious spoofs on the News? 🙂
The idea that a possibly insane semi-dictator, who personally ruined one of the richest nations in Africa, might have any connection to tourism is sick.
… wait a minute.
This is a true story:
• Why Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe was named UN ‘tourism envoy’
• The UN’s new International Tourism Ambassador: Robert Mugabe
• Canada quitting UN agency over Mugabe appointment
Note to self — CANCEL my $1 billion donation to the United Nation.
stupid States have no helmet laws
I don’t like government regulations. But mandatory helmets for motorcycles is a no brainer. And State without a helmet law needs to have it’s head examined.
… A report released today by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) finds that no progress was made in reducing motorcyclist deaths in 2011.
Based upon preliminary data from 50 states and the District of Columbia, GHSA projects that motorcycle fatalities remained at about 4,500 in 2011, the same level as 2010. Meanwhile, earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projected that overall motor vehicle fatalities declined 1.7 percent in 2011, reaching their lowest level since 1949. Motorcycle deaths remain one of the few areas in highway safety where progress is not being made. …
Between 1994 and 2007, six states repealed laws that required all motorcyclists to wear helmets. Here’s a look at per-capita organ donations from male victims of motor-vehicle crashes in those states versus all other states.
George Zimmerman bloodied and bruised
… why did this take so long to be confirmed?
George Zimmerman bloodied and bruised, files show
Gunman who killed Trayvon Martin suffered a broken nose from a fight
For the first time I’m starting to wonder if he did (recklessly) use a gun in self-defense.
Rick McCharles 