Wednesday, December 8, 2010
'Tis the Season to be Jolly
Almost over night San Francisco resident has become the most famous Santa impostor in the world. After being fired from his 20-year job at Macy's, he didn't let it get him down, but instead got a job as the Santa at Lefty O'doul's Restaurant just a couple buildings away.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Democrats elect Nancy Pelosi as the party's minority leader
On wednesday Nancy Pelosi was elected to be the Democrat's minority leader despite presiding over a
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/18/MN2E1GDK0A.DTL&type=politics
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/18/MN2E1GDK0A.DTL&type=politics
The U.S. is upping the ante in agression towards the Taliban
For the first time in the Afghan war the U.S. is deploying heavily armored battle tanks in an effort to further the U.S. military's tactics for defeating the Taliban.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111806856.html?hpid=topnews
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/18/AR2010111806856.html?hpid=topnews
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Is the Tea Party partying too hard for the Republican party?
Certain Tea Party trends and antics have become too outrageous, and are actually now taking away from the Republican party's influence on the American people. The obvious example of Tea Partying too hard is the Rand Paul supporter stomping on a protesting woman's head. This is clearly the worst of the Tea Partying, but whose to say the trend won't continue?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/27/AR2010102707428.html?hpid=topnews
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/27/AR2010102707428.html?hpid=topnews
Meg Whitman refuses to stop attack ads
After being asked to put an end to the negative campaign ads that Whitman and Jerry Brown have been making against each other, Brown said he would immediately if Whitman did. Meg Whitman on the other hand stuck to her techniques and tried to allow herself to keep showing these adds while putting down Brown by saying she wouldn't because she has to address Brown's less than satisfactory past as California state governor. The crowd showed obvious resentment towards this statement.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/27/MNTH1G2C1A.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/27/MNTH1G2C1A.DTL
San Franciscans using internet domain names to get a quick buck in case pot is legalized
Kevin Faler, a former police officer who worked with narcotics, came up with an easy way to make money off of the legalization of marijuana; by selling internet domain names. He figures that once weed is legal, thousands of sites will appear and they will have to buy their domain names from Mr. Faler in order to do so.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/us/28pot.html?ref=us
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/us/28pot.html?ref=us
Obama's coalition splitting appart for the upcoming midterms
Some key parts of the coalition that put Democrats in control of congress and Obama in the White House are changing sides for rapidly approaching midterm elections and voting republican. It will be interesting to see which party comes out on top.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/us/politics/28poll.html?_r=1&hp
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/us/politics/28poll.html?_r=1&hp
Friday, October 15, 2010
U.S. Threatening Taliban With Attacks to Move Towards a Deal
The United States is trying to move towards peace with the Taliban by using military attacks as persuasion. American pilots attacked the Taliban with 2,100 bombs or missiles from June through September, with 700 in September alone, so it will be interesting to see how the Taliban reacts to this pressure.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/world/asia/15afghan.html?_r=1&ref=world
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/world/asia/15afghan.html?_r=1&ref=world
GE is Bringing Stocks Down Further
Despite Ben Bernanke's reiteration that the central bank will soon be stimulated by new purchases of treasury bonds, the concerns about banking and the drop in revenue at General Electric give little hope to Americans as the Dow Jones Industrial Average continues to fall.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/15/financial/f033527D32.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/15/financial/f033527D32.DTL
Oakland Using Medical Marijuana as a Cash Cow to be Milked for Everything its Worth
Oakland's city council unanimously approved a measure that doubles the medical marijuana dispenseries in Oakland, nearly trippled the sales tax rate on marijuana, and doubled the cost of annual permit fees to $60,000. It appears that Oakland is leading the way for a changing tide in the field of medical marijuana.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/15/BAPD1FT0E5.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/15/BAPD1FT0E5.DTL
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Miners in Chile Get a Cherry on Top Alongside Their Recent Freedom
Of the 33 workers, most now have $10,000 in the bank as well as a free trip to Greece. It appears that accomplishing great achievements like surviving in a hole thousands of feet under the ground for over two months has its upsides.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/world/americas/15chile.html?_r=1&ref=world
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/15/world/americas/15chile.html?_r=1&ref=world
Boxer's losing this round
It looks like Barbara Boxer's confusion about the tax cuts and stimulus bill have cost her not only 1.8 million dollars which the GOP gave to Carly Fiorina instead, but also a large number of votes.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=74636&tsp=1
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=74636&tsp=1
Political Philosophy Quiz Results
Here are my political philosophy quiz results. The summary it gave me was mostly accurate with a few changes I might make to it...
The following are your scores. They are based on a gradual range of 0 to 12. For instance, a Conservative/Progressive score of 3 and 0 will both yield a result of social conservative, yet 0 would be an extreme conservative and 3 a moderate conservative
Conservative/Progressive score: 9
You are a social progressive. You generally consider yourself a humanist first. You probably think that religion and patriotism go too far in society. You probably consider yourself to be a citizen of Earth first rather than a citizen of your country.
Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist score: 10
You're a Social Capitalist, you think that, left to its own, Capitalism leaves a lot of people behind. You think that Health Care should be free to all, that the minimum wage should be raised, and that the government should provide jobs to all that are capable of having them. You likely hated the Bush tax cuts, and believe that the middle class has gotten poorer, and the rich have gotten richer over the past several years. The far extreme of social capitalism is socialism.
Libertarian/Authoritarian score: 7
You're a Moderate. You think that we all have certain inalienable rights that must be protected, but that sometimes laws need to be made to protect the majority's lives or quality of lives. You might think that the 2nd amendment isn't necessary anymore because letting everyone a gun is extremely dangerous to the community. You might also be against illegal drug use or public pornography because of its possible harmful effects to society.
Pacifist/Militarist score: 2
You're a Pacifist. You are angered that the United States thinks it should dominate the world through its military force. You think that the only time war is necessary is when we are in direct danger of being attacked. You also believe the US spends way too much of its money on defense, as we can practically cut it in half and still easily defend ourselves, and use that money to fix all our economic problems.
Overall, you would most likely fit into the category of Democrat
Currently, after 69443 submissions, the average Conservative/Progressive score is 5.98, the average Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist score is 6.72, the average Libertarian/Authoritarian score is 5.51, and the average Pacifist/Militarist score is 4.58
1. Are our gun control laws too strict? - 28% said yes, 72% said no
2. Should gay marriage be legalized? - 64% said yes, 36% said no
3. Should we consider invading Iran? - 24% said yes, 76% said no
4. Should intelligent design be taught in public schools alongside evolution? - 50% said yes, 50% said no
5. Does the US need a system of universal health care? - 60% said yes, 40% said no
6. Should marijuana be legalized? - 57% said yes, 43% said no
7. Should we repeal [or substantially change] the Patriot Act? - 58% said yes, 42% said no
8. Does the US have a right to stop countries we do not trust from getting weapons? - 51% said yes, 49% said no
9. Should we end (or reduce the use of) the death penalty? - 40% said yes, 60% said no
10. Should there be a higher minimum wage? - 67% said yes, 33% said no
11. Does affirmative action do more harm than good? - 64% said yes, 36% said no
12. Is the United States spending too much money on defense? - 55% said yes, 45% said no
13. Should embryonic stem cell research be funded by the government? - 59% said yes, 41% said no
14. Should flag burning be legal? - 44% said yes, 56% said no
15. Should all people (rich and poor) pay fewer taxes? - 60% said yes, 40% said no
16. Should the US begin withdrawing from Iraq? - 77% said yes, 23% said no
17. Is it sometimes justified to wiretap US citizens without a warrant? - 34% said yes, 66% said no
18. Should the government be involved in reducing the amount of violence/pornography in tv/movies/games/etc? - 25% said yes, 75% said no
19. Should the United States only start a war if there is an imminent threat of being attacked ourselves? - 76% said yes, 24% said no
20. Should stopping illegal immigration be one of our top priorities? - 56% said yes, 44% said no
21. Is outsourcing of American jobs justified if it allows for cheaper goods? - 29% said yes, 71% said no
22. Are all abortions unethical? [with the exception of risk to mother's health] - 38% said yes, 62% said no
23. Should social security be privatized? - 55% said yes, 45% said no
24. Should the United States ever go to war even if the UN is against it? - 52% said yes, 48% said no
The following are your scores. They are based on a gradual range of 0 to 12. For instance, a Conservative/Progressive score of 3 and 0 will both yield a result of social conservative, yet 0 would be an extreme conservative and 3 a moderate conservative
Conservative/Progressive score: 9
You are a social progressive. You generally consider yourself a humanist first. You probably think that religion and patriotism go too far in society. You probably consider yourself to be a citizen of Earth first rather than a citizen of your country.
Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist score: 10
You're a Social Capitalist, you think that, left to its own, Capitalism leaves a lot of people behind. You think that Health Care should be free to all, that the minimum wage should be raised, and that the government should provide jobs to all that are capable of having them. You likely hated the Bush tax cuts, and believe that the middle class has gotten poorer, and the rich have gotten richer over the past several years. The far extreme of social capitalism is socialism.
Libertarian/Authoritarian score: 7
You're a Moderate. You think that we all have certain inalienable rights that must be protected, but that sometimes laws need to be made to protect the majority's lives or quality of lives. You might think that the 2nd amendment isn't necessary anymore because letting everyone a gun is extremely dangerous to the community. You might also be against illegal drug use or public pornography because of its possible harmful effects to society.
Pacifist/Militarist score: 2
You're a Pacifist. You are angered that the United States thinks it should dominate the world through its military force. You think that the only time war is necessary is when we are in direct danger of being attacked. You also believe the US spends way too much of its money on defense, as we can practically cut it in half and still easily defend ourselves, and use that money to fix all our economic problems.
Overall, you would most likely fit into the category of Democrat
Currently, after 69443 submissions, the average Conservative/Progressive score is 5.98, the average Capitalist Purist/Social Capitalist score is 6.72, the average Libertarian/Authoritarian score is 5.51, and the average Pacifist/Militarist score is 4.58
1. Are our gun control laws too strict? - 28% said yes, 72% said no
2. Should gay marriage be legalized? - 64% said yes, 36% said no
3. Should we consider invading Iran? - 24% said yes, 76% said no
4. Should intelligent design be taught in public schools alongside evolution? - 50% said yes, 50% said no
5. Does the US need a system of universal health care? - 60% said yes, 40% said no
6. Should marijuana be legalized? - 57% said yes, 43% said no
7. Should we repeal [or substantially change] the Patriot Act? - 58% said yes, 42% said no
8. Does the US have a right to stop countries we do not trust from getting weapons? - 51% said yes, 49% said no
9. Should we end (or reduce the use of) the death penalty? - 40% said yes, 60% said no
10. Should there be a higher minimum wage? - 67% said yes, 33% said no
11. Does affirmative action do more harm than good? - 64% said yes, 36% said no
12. Is the United States spending too much money on defense? - 55% said yes, 45% said no
13. Should embryonic stem cell research be funded by the government? - 59% said yes, 41% said no
14. Should flag burning be legal? - 44% said yes, 56% said no
15. Should all people (rich and poor) pay fewer taxes? - 60% said yes, 40% said no
16. Should the US begin withdrawing from Iraq? - 77% said yes, 23% said no
17. Is it sometimes justified to wiretap US citizens without a warrant? - 34% said yes, 66% said no
18. Should the government be involved in reducing the amount of violence/pornography in tv/movies/games/etc? - 25% said yes, 75% said no
19. Should the United States only start a war if there is an imminent threat of being attacked ourselves? - 76% said yes, 24% said no
20. Should stopping illegal immigration be one of our top priorities? - 56% said yes, 44% said no
21. Is outsourcing of American jobs justified if it allows for cheaper goods? - 29% said yes, 71% said no
22. Are all abortions unethical? [with the exception of risk to mother's health] - 38% said yes, 62% said no
23. Should social security be privatized? - 55% said yes, 45% said no
24. Should the United States ever go to war even if the UN is against it? - 52% said yes, 48% said no
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Mental Health Break: America needs more politicians as passionate as Phil Davison...
This campaigner for Ohio Stark County treasurer obviously cares a lot about this position, and possibly sets the new standard for politicians throughout America. Here is some input on Davison's exciting speech that has become a viral sensation.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/09/phil_davison_vs_the_youtube_ge.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/09/phil_davison_vs_the_youtube_ge.html
Obama's breathing down China's neck about currency issues
President Barack Obama is pressing on China to revalue its currency today saying, "the Chinese don’t take actions, we have other means of protecting U.S. interests.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/24/world/24prexy.html?_r=1&ref=world
Opposing candidates find common ground
California state Governor candidates, Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman are both on the same page when it comes to Prop. 23, the initiative that would suspend the state's landmark climate change law. They agree that this could kill jobs and overall harm California's economy.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/23/MNDN1FINRK.DTL&tsp=1
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Majority of New Yorkers reject the ground zero mosque
A poll shows that 2/3 of the locals around ground zero don't want the mosque that close, giving America a less inviting feel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/nyregion/03poll.html?scp=6&sq=ground%20zero%20mosque&st=cse
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/nyregion/03poll.html?scp=6&sq=ground%20zero%20mosque&st=cse
Florida pastor maybe seeing the error of his ways?
Rev. Terry Jones recently had second thoughts about creating national Koran burning day on 9/11, possibly because he realized its incredibly offensive or possibly because Obama referred to it as a "recruitment bonanza for al-Qaeda" a few hours before the reverend made this decision. Either way, now that the earth is flat and globalization is a necessity for any thriving country, America may have just dodged a bullet that could have closed many doors to our nation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/09/AR2010090900743.html?hpid=topnews
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/09/AR2010090900743.html?hpid=topnews
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Car companies in competition
With the automobile industry trying to kickstart again, certain car companies all over the world are prevailing while others continue to wither due to the recently flattened playing field that is earth.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/global/03toyota.html?ref=international_trade_and_world_market
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/business/global/03toyota.html?ref=international_trade_and_world_market
Don't forget about climate change
Could the economic crisis in America be overshadowing our other big issue; climate change? To environmental economists Mathew Kahn and Mathew Kotchen, they fear that Americans are forgetting that global warming exists.
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/climate-change-and-the-wealth-of-nations/?scp=2&sq=climate%20change&st=cse
The Burger King is leaving America
With respect to Tom Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded, this article adds more truth to the fact that the world is getting more flat, and foreign countries can now take over American franchises...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/09/02/financial/f062753D18.DTL
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/09/02/financial/f062753D18.DTL
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