Archive for October 13, 2009
Say It Ain’t So – Robert Wexler to Resign
Good luck to Robert Wexler (D-FL). So sorry to see one of the most committed progressives and a seven-term member leave the House.
(Can’t wait to hear the back story on this.)
Did Larry King Get a Facelift?
I watched him — off and on tonight — for the first time in about a year. He’s way younger looking (well, you know, relatively speaking).
Don Imus Sinks in Fox Business Network Ratings
Business and financial expert Don Imus “premiered on the Fox Business Network (FBN) on October 5 to 177,000 total viewers…” Ratings for his first full week however, weren’t so good: “Imus in the Morning averaged a .2 rating and 148,000 viewers P2+ in its 6-9 a.m. time slot for the week of October 5-9.”
Then again, all this is speculation because, as with all things Fox, facts are verboten: “A spokesperson for FBN would neither confirm nor deny the numbers, as the network is not publicly rated by Nielsen.”
Not publicly rated? That is FBN afraid of? I thought coming clean was a big deal over there. (Oh, that’s right. That only applies to Democrats.)
How is the Post Office Preparing for the Swine Flu?
I have a very close friend who has been a letter carrier for more than 20 years. The other day I asked her what the United States Postal Service has said about its plans to deal with the Swine flu. You know, stay home? Cough into your sleeve? Use hand sanitizer? No, none of that. She has been told to “wash her hands and stand back when you talk to someone.”
Moral of the story: Wash your hands after you retrieve your mail. Wash your hands after you open it. Wash your hands after you dispose of it and don’t talk to your carrier. Knowing the P.O. as I do through my friend, he/she is probably being pressured to come to work even if they’re sick as a dog.
Unions React to Senate Finance Committee Health Care Bill
They’re pissed. They want real reform: “About 30 unions will run a full-page ad in newspapers Wednesday announcing their opposition to the Senate Finance Committee’s health overhall bill, a top labor lobbyist said.”
Good for them. The labor unions and labor lobbyists are just about the only voice the people have in Washington and the people want real reform too.
Howard Kurtz Makes False Comparison Between Fox and MSNBC
In his Washington Post article today, alleged “media critic,” Howard Kurtz, writes about the “war” between the White House and Fox:
Plus, if you look at MSNBC’s lineup after 6 p.m., Fox isn’t the only network that goes heavy on the opinionated hosts.
There’s no comparison Howard. Fox is a synchronized, fine-tuned machine that propagandizes 24/7. Everything it talks about has some relevance to either bashing the Democrats or promoting (or protecting) Republicans.
MSNBC features three liberals: Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. Chris Matthews is no liberal. He sticks his finger into the wind before every show and takes off in whatever direction it’s blowing. Andrea Mitchell? She’s a liberal? I don’t think so. And what about the three embarrassing hours (so elementary) of “Morning Joe?” Really. The comparison is a lame effort to let Fox off the hook and you’re making yourself look stupid doing it. But hey, not take them to task? Don’t tell me you don’t know what they’re up to. Oh, that’s right; you guys are all buddies so ah, never mind.
The GOP Admits it Has no Future Leaders
The GOP debuted its new website this morning but oops, something’s missing: The “Future Leaders” page is blank.
(I just tried the link but the connection was “interrupted.” Guess they’re working on digging up some, ah, future leaders. Then again, how hard is it to slap a picture of Eric Cantor, Rick Perry and Tim Pawlenty the entire Fox “News” crew and Rush Limbaugh up there?)
Beware Gift Cards
One of the big business news stories out there today is about how retailers are going to push gift cards this holiday season in order to “lure reluctant buyers” and “boost spending.”
While some states have toughened laws regarding gift cards, others have not; gift cards can be a bad deal for consumers. There are several reasons why retailers love them: Purchase fees, maintenance fees, inactivity fees. Fees, fees, fees. Some gift cards lose value over time. The average person who redeems a gift card spends 40% more than the value of the card itself. Gift cards expire and balances go unused, thus giving free money to the retailer — all good things for the merchant but not so good for you. So, beware.
They Think We’re Really, Really Dumb
The accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers admits that the audit it performed for AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) which was released late Sunday night and was Topic #1 yesterday, didn’t include cost savings from the bill.
Gosh. What a shock.
What ever happened to integrity?
Class Warfare in Colorado
Compare these two headlines from today’s Denver Post:
* This is the first decrease in the minimum wage in Colorado since 1938.
Enough Already
Turned on the teevee this morning. Saw NBC’s Jamie Gangel interviewing Rush Limbaugh. Turned the teevee off.
Turned the radio on. Listened to BBC News.
