More at TechCrunch.com: “Diddit, a new site launching today to the public, is looking to help you check off all the things you’ve done with your life, and discover new things that you’d like to do. The site allows users to browse through thousands of activities in categories ranging from the bars you’ve visited to “Bizarre Retro Candies” you’ve eaten at one time or another. ”
-- I just joined, but I'm not sure what its value is -- perhaps as another form of networking?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
The irony of hope: Obama's not relying on it
To confront the most profound challenges to our financial system the people of the United States have invested their hope in a former lawyer turned community activist, Barack Obama. In his address to the U.S. Congress, watched by much of the nation Tuesday night, Obama offered an insight into what's been happening inside his administration during the first month he's been in office, but it's clear the work began well prior to inauguration day on a wide range of initiatives.You may argue that the cost of the Iraq war leaves us too far in debt to attain his ambitious goal of halving the national budget deficit in four years, or that the need for money to help homeowners and those losing their jobs is too urgent and will hamper his ability to attain those goals - and that's far from the only challenge the White House faces domestically, let alone on the stage of world affairs.
Still, we must reverse the unacceptable trends in the housing markets and the massive bleeding of the jobs from the workforce in the United States. We cannot simply wait and hope it gets better. Our long range future depends on a realistic assessment of the scope and scale of the problems and addressing not merely the budget deficit, but the deficit that average citizens feel when considering the leadership of our financial institutions and lawmakers that brought us to this critical point.
As the President rolls out the budget today, questions about fiscal policy in particular loom from all sides about more than the numbers. We must move to a system with clearer rules and better oversight to prevent another looting of our savings and investments in ways that benefit only a very few already wealthy individuals while leaving privatized retirement accounts and home values in tatters with echoes of the crisis around the globe.Fortunately, Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and their team are neither rookies nor have they been basking in the post-inaugural glow. They've had their sleeves rolled up for months. This administration has brought new vigor and insight to a variety of issues, clearly including the domestic economic crisis. Barack Obama gave an inspirational speech, despite unseemly catcalls from some of the opposition as he described an interlocking, holistic approach that combines controlling costs, retaining/creating job opportunities, and enhancing revenue by targeting three major sectors (energy, education, and health care.)
The man who had hope as a central theme of his campaign is not relying on hope. Obama's laid out a clear foundation for recovery that moves quickly into rebuilding our economy and infrastructure in a way that accounts for our place on the planet, both physically and metaphorically. He's not overlooking the threat from disaffected individuals in Afghanistan and elsewhere around the globe, but Obama his team have brought new energy and creativity to ordering our priorities, in a refreshingly open way.
Obama's asking a lot of people. Even mustering the energy to remain hopeful can be hard when challenges are so ubiquitous. Like the best doctor faced with a critical patient, though, Obama's asking more of himself, though, and his staff - they're not content to hope, they're leading by example. The executive branch of the U.S. is working aggressively on all fronts, using transfusions where appropriate to keep critical systems functioning, while focusing on the goal of stabilizing the U.S. and world economy that are intertwined with our other domestic challenges so that we can heal, and back to the American dream. That's a path I can believe in.
President Obama on the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget And Openess
More at The White House - Press Office: “In keeping with my commitment to make our government more open and transparent, this budget is an honest accounting of where we are and where we intend to go. For too long, our budget has not told the whole truth about how precious tax dollars are spent. Large sums have been left off the books, including the true cost of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. And that kind of dishonest accounting is not how you run your family budgets at home; it's not how your government should run its budgets, either. We need to be honest with ourselves about what costs are being racked up -- because that's how we'll come to grips with the hard choices that lie ahead. And there are some hard choices that lie ahead.”
-- President Obama is making good on his promise to be more open, but in the budgetary case that means more shocking news about what actually costs what. We've not -- in the Bush 2 years or Clinton -- seen a real budget that shows what the government is spending. Be ready for a shock, especially with the Iraq War. But see, that's where the savings come in because then when we see what all of this costs, the reductions will get us to a deficit drop.
-- President Obama is making good on his promise to be more open, but in the budgetary case that means more shocking news about what actually costs what. We've not -- in the Bush 2 years or Clinton -- seen a real budget that shows what the government is spending. Be ready for a shock, especially with the Iraq War. But see, that's where the savings come in because then when we see what all of this costs, the reductions will get us to a deficit drop.
Bobby Jindal Enrages Volcano Monitoring People By Mocking Volcano Monitoring People
More at Wonkette: “Bobby Jindal’s speechwriters, they are Gods. Check out this little one-two he pulled on the Democrats. See, he sets it up all good-like by saying that the stimulus package included “$140 million for something called ‘volcano monitoring,’” like wtf is that right, and then KA-CHING: “Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, D.C.” Get this guy a Washington Post column! He’d fit right in, because everyone already despises him.”
-- That is totally funny by Wonkette!
-- That is totally funny by Wonkette!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Apple's Steve Jobs Still Plans to Return After June
More ar SFGate: “Apple Inc. co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs still expects to return from his medical leave at the end of June, according to an Apple director who responded to an investor at the company's annual shareholder meeting Wednesday.
The investor — who was the only one to press for details on Jobs' health — had asked when the board knew Jobs planned to step away from his daily duties. Apple director Arthur Levinson responded that since Jobs announced Jan. 14 that he needed to go on leave, "nothing has changed."”
-- Having just lost a relative to Pancreatic Cancer I wonder how Jobs is being treated? What is the procedure and of course, how much did it cost?
The investor — who was the only one to press for details on Jobs' health — had asked when the board knew Jobs planned to step away from his daily duties. Apple director Arthur Levinson responded that since Jobs announced Jan. 14 that he needed to go on leave, "nothing has changed."”
-- Having just lost a relative to Pancreatic Cancer I wonder how Jobs is being treated? What is the procedure and of course, how much did it cost?
SF Chronicle's Fiscal Problems Due To Bad Management
The San Francisco Chronicle lost $50 million last year and is reportedly going to lose more this year. The reason isn't the Internet, that's a symptom. The reason is bad management and not wokring with New Media people.
For example, why didn't the SF Chron make it's own version of Craiglist? Why didb't it work with Craig Newmark, or at least try to? Why -- in the region that invented blogging -- did the SF Chronicle not work with blogger like myself so we can help extend their brand online?
It's because of a stupid SF Bay Area habit of not paying attention to someone because they're local. How else to explain why the SF Chron is losing money and having a hard time being successful online in an area that basically gave birth to the Internet?
Bad management is to blame. It's true for the Chronicle and for the Oakland Tribune and San Jose Mercury News. They can't fit a square print peg into a round New Media hole as much as they keep trying. I told a famous Chronicle columnist two years ago how to improve their online performance because our blog posts would out rank their articles in searches consistently.
His reaction? Well we know what we're doing.
Like hell you do. That's why your paper's about to go the way of the T-Rex, in fact that's a good comparison. It's not that the SF Chroncle or Tribune can't be saved, but both papers have to stop a number of practices large and small.
And before someone at the SF Chron claims they do better than the online HuffingtonPost.com -- they don't. A simple comparison using Alexa.com will show the HuffingtonPost to be well ahead of SFGate.com in page views, visitors and really all categories of web traffic analysis that are done in looking at value of a site both to advertiser and investors.
The SF Chronicle needs help but the best way to do it is to sack the current mangement and hire me. Seriously. Give me one year to turn it around and establish what should be: the tripod of print, TV, and Online content.
Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose Stupid "White House Watermelon" Email
Racism is a mental illness. How else to explain the actions of Los Alamitos mayor Dean Grose, who wrote a racist email to friends with a watermelon patch photo superimposed over one of the White House, the implication being that because the Obama's are Black, they like watermelon and there will not be an Easter Egg Hunt this year.
How stupid is that? Really. Why is it that someone White feels compelled to make racist statements, cartoons, jokes, and reference like this? Look, someone has to ask the question. What's the deal? We just came off the NY Post's racist cartoon issue, and now this?
Los Alamitos mayor Dean Grose should give a public video apology and then step down. This person can't be called a "public official" because they're not serving the public!
Text Of President Obama's Speech To Joint Session Of Congress - State Of The Nation
This is the text of the greatest speech President Barack Obama has ever given.
President Obama's Speech to Joint Session of Congress - February 24 2009 - Transcript
President Obama's Speech to Joint Session of Congress - February 24 2009 - Transcript
President Obama's Greatest Speech - State Of The Nation
In his best speech ever President Obama sounded the call for the need to stop sending jobs overseas. It was totally missed by pundits, but Obama just sounded the call for economic nationalism when he said that he would bring jobs back to America.
It's about time.
From 1960 to 1999, the USA added 20 million new jobs each decade, but from that point to today, just under 5 million jobs were added. Where did they go? Overseas to other nations in a large process of what economists call import replacing. One example of this is the growth of Airbus Industries in aircraft manufacturing where they got the largest tanker deal in American history -- $35 billion -- and over the Boeing Company costing 25,000 jobs.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Jerry Lewis Award Protest On Oscar Eve - 2009 Academy Awards
"The Trouble With Jerry" Is A group that was formed to protest the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decision to give the humanitarian award to Jerry Lewis because they claim he has exploited the disabled and treated them as second-class people.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TO SPEAK BEFORE CONGRESS AT 6 PM - 9 PM ET TIME
Just a note to remind all that President Barack Obama will speak before a joint session of Congress at 6 PM; 9 PM eastern time tonight according to the White House website .
Mitt "PAC man" Romney sends checks to GOP Reps who voted "NO" on stimulus
Wish I was so rich I could afford to play games with America's economy.
Former Governor Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC today sent $1,000 checks to a group of House Republicans for their votes against the $800 billion stimulus bill. Romney's obviously not worrying about making his mortgage or utility payments, let alone balancing state budgets, any more than the GOP millionaires in D.C., who he so desperately wants to be pals with.
Must be nice to be able to throw around the kind of money that shows you're a PAC leader. Of course, we all know he basically financed his own campaign out of what amounts to petty cash even though that amount would stagger any normal family in the U.S.
I'm not suggesting that this merits the sort of scrutiny that it would if there was evidence it was pre-arranged paying for votes, but consider this: Can you imagine how he'd be reacting to the current fiscal and economic situation if we'd elected smiling Mitt to be our President? Rhetoric about tax cuts for the rich providing a stimulus, maybe. While millions lose their jobs and face foreclosure, worrying about paying for meals and losing their health coverage, Romney's paying for deliberate obstructionism, not offering ways to make the bill or the situation better.
Former Governor Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC today sent $1,000 checks to a group of House Republicans for their votes against the $800 billion stimulus bill. Romney's obviously not worrying about making his mortgage or utility payments, let alone balancing state budgets, any more than the GOP millionaires in D.C., who he so desperately wants to be pals with.
Must be nice to be able to throw around the kind of money that shows you're a PAC leader. Of course, we all know he basically financed his own campaign out of what amounts to petty cash even though that amount would stagger any normal family in the U.S.I'm not suggesting that this merits the sort of scrutiny that it would if there was evidence it was pre-arranged paying for votes, but consider this: Can you imagine how he'd be reacting to the current fiscal and economic situation if we'd elected smiling Mitt to be our President? Rhetoric about tax cuts for the rich providing a stimulus, maybe. While millions lose their jobs and face foreclosure, worrying about paying for meals and losing their health coverage, Romney's paying for deliberate obstructionism, not offering ways to make the bill or the situation better.
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