Archive for September 10th, 2010

The nation’s infrastructure is crumbling … oh, really ?

September 10, 2010

The collapse of the Minneapolis bridge a couple of years ago was, indeed, a disaster.  One that prompted hysteria about the sad shape of all roads and bridges in the U.S. 

At the time, I thought “over-reaction”.

In fact, I can’t recollect hearing about any major bridge collapses since …

Sure, I’d like pot holes filled and more lanes on the DC Beltway … but is the infrastructure perilously crumbling?

Here’s an interesting twist …

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Excerpted from RCP: Can You Smell What Obama’s Cooking?, September 8, 2010

President Obama unveiled “an exhilarating new plan” that will not only “jump-start” job creation but also fund and rebuild the “crumbling” infrastructure of the United States.

Have you noticed that the infrastructure always is “crumbling” in news stories and presidential speeches — if less regularly in the real world.

For those of you who drive, though, a recent Reason Foundation study measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of roads — including deficient bridges, urban traffic congestion, fatality rates, pavement condition, etc. — and finds that roads haven’t been in better shape at any time in the past 19 years.

Full article:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/09/08/can_you_smell_what_obamas_cooking_107057.html

Posted in Roads, bridges, infrastructure | Leave a Comment »

John who? … Somebody explain this to me, please.

September 10, 2010

Yesterday in Cleveland –– actually, Parma – a suburb that Clevelanders have made fun of for decades, since the days of Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson and Tim Conway –- a feisty President Obama turned attack dog and called out House Minority Leader John Boehner nine times.

Forget that it was unseemly for the President to do it.

The odd attack must have left most people scratching their heads, wondering “Who the heck is John Boehner?”

Think about it.

Less than 2/3s of Americans can identify the sitting Vice President .  (Note: that’s giving credit for people who think it’s Hillary Clinton or Joe Somebody)

Less than 30% of the public knows who Chief Justice John Roberts is. (see chart below)

A CNN poll released the day of Obama’s speech slots Boehner between Biden and Roberts — 55% either have never heard of Boehner or have no opinion about him.

So why would Obama elevate and attack somebody who is unknown to the majority of Americans?

I must be missing something …

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Note: Accoding to Pew, more than 1 in 4 Americans don’t know that ObamaCare was passed … and they get to vote … that’s scary !

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http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1668/political-news-iq-update-7-2010-twitter-tarp-roberts

Posted in Obama Administration, Politics - General | 1 Comment »

Bending the cost curve … well, maybe not … oops, again.

September 10, 2010

A report by federal number-crunchers casts fresh doubt on Democrats’ argument that the health-care law would curb the sharp increase in costs over the long term,

“The health-care overhaul enacted last spring won’t significantly change national health spending over the next decade compared with projections before the law was passed”.

U.S. health spending is projected to rise 9.2% in 2014, up from the 6.6% projected before the law took effect.

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WSJ, Health Outlays Still Seen Rising, Sept. 8, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704362404575480161749608830.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

Posted in Health Care / Medical Insurance | Leave a Comment »

Men only: dance moves guaranteed to attract the ladies …

September 10, 2010

Excerpted from: Digital Journal, Study: Certain male dance moves attract women, Sept. 8, 2010

Researchers in the UK have discovered what moves women find attractive while watching men dance.

The study used computerized 3D avatar figures to see what “key movement areas of the male dancer’s body influence female perceptions.”

There were eight “movement variables” that the women found to be either good or bad in a male dancer, including the size and variability of neck, torso, left shoulder and wrist movement – and the right knee’s speed of movement.

The women liked seeing “large and varied movements involving the neck and torso.”

“The dance moves may form honest signals of a man’s reproductive quality, in terms of health, vigor or strength.”

“This is the first study to show objectively what differentiates a good dancer from a bad one.

“If a man knows what the key moves are, he can improve his chances of attracting females.”

Watch the video at:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/297221

Posted in Dance, dance, dance, Laughs | Leave a Comment »