I have a couple USB drives I use as backups for some of my data, like my genealogical database. Mine are more mundane than these, but I’m thinking these would be easier to claim if left behind somewhere.
(I can’t do politics 24/7. It’s starting to mess with my head!)
You can see more here.
I just watched the third installment in Katie Couric’s interview with Gov. Palin. For me the most interesting question was when Couric asked Palin what newspapers and magazines she read in Alaska to keep abreast of national news.
Palin could not name one source! She went on and on about how Alaska isn’t a foreign country, ya know, but even after Couric repeated the question, Palin came up with zippo.
Everyone is talking about how Gov. Palin will do on Thursday when she debates Sen. Biden. It appears that part of the strategy of the McCain campaign is to keep her isolated from the press because a) they are afraid she might say something stupid, or b) they think the press is being too mean to her.
I get the first premise, but am baffled by the second. Unless of course it is all a ruse to gain more sympathy for Gov. Palin from her supporters. I’m as sure as I can be that this same group would not be talking this way if Sen. Clinton were the Democratic presidential candidate, nor would Clinton expect or allow such treatment.
So the big question is how will Gwen Ifill treat Palin on Thursday night? Will she put gender aside and ask tough questions, questions that would be asked if Palin were male? Carl Hiaasen had an article in yesterday’s Miami Herald and here are some of the questions he’d like answers to:
If Palin were a male candidate, for example, she would again be asked (as Charles Gibson did) why she took credit for killing Alaska’s notorious Bridge to Nowhere, when in fact she supported the $223 million boondoggle until Congress turned against it.
If Palin were a male candidate, she might also be encouraged to discuss why she chose a high-school pal to head Alaska’s Division of Agriculture at a $95,000 salary. Among her flimsy qualifications, the woman, a former real-estate agent, claimed an affection of cows.
If Palin were a male candidate, she’d be asked why she put another childhood friend in charge of a money-losing, state-subsidized creamery that was supposed to shut down until Palin reversed the decision. As The Wall Street Journal reported, the doomed dairy cost Alaskans more than $800,000 in additional losses before it was finally closed.
In fact, during her short stint as governor, Palin has appointed several school buddies to well-paying state posts. Her legislative director was in the same junior-high band with Palin. Another old classmate was operating a Mailboxes, Etc. franchise when the governor appointed him head of the state’s economic development office.
If Palin were a male candidate who claimed to be a crusading, cost-cutting reformer, she’d be asked what made her any better than other politicians who hand out fat government jobs to cronies.
Well, Gwen which will it be?
I had a bad feeling about how this bailout plan was going to play out politically and now I have my answer. Apparently everything, including the financial solvency of the country, is a game to them. Rather than act like grown-ups trying to solve a problem, caused by their own deregulation policies, they want to firmly place the blame on the Democrats.
I was pleased to see several commentators take Republican strategists to task this morning by asking a very important question: “So are you saying that Republicans voted against putting country first because they had their feelings hurt by Nancy Pelosi?”
This is an ad the Republicans sent out before the vote yesterday. They were so certain the Democratic majority would pass the bill that they were ready to pounce on them for doing so. Very mature on their part.
[h/t Balloon Juice]
Did anyone see the premier last night of the TLC show “17 Kids and Counting?” I don’t have cable so I missed it, although to be honest I’m not sure I would have tuned in anyway.
Maybe it is easier having a brood because no one child expects to get much attention from mom and dad. I’m sure the older kids take care of the younger ones who probably entertain each other for hours and hours.
But still….
I’m wondering how mom and dad remember all the names. There’s Joshua, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa, Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Ana, Jeremiah, Jedidiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, and Jennifer. The baby, due on New Year’s Day, is said to be a girl.
I have one dog and half the time I call him by our previous dog’s name. And that dog has been dead 5+ years!
I guess the fascination with the Duggar family is in wanting to know how they do it.
If Gov. Palin decides she needs to drop out of the race so she can spend more time with her family, maybe Michelle Duggar would be available to run as McCain’s Vice President.
I’m currently reading Robert Frank’s book, Richistan. I’ve learned that quite a few Americans have gotten rich quickly over the last decade and their conspicuous consumption knows no bounds.
Until fairly recently, the need for well-trained household help was on the decline. It is now a growth industry. Butlers are so passe – the new title is Certified Household Manager.
Not just anyone can be a CHM, however. Starkey International in Denver has a training program that is often cited as the industry standard. I searched the website and couldn’t find the cost of the program, although Frank reports in his book that the cost was $12,000 a few years ago. Training to become a Jeeves 2.0 isn’t cheap, but the rewards are many. Starkey claims the starting salary for a CHM is $80,000 plus benefits, often including housing. In exchange for this salary, you will have to sell your soul to the devil because you will be at the beck and call of the newly rich 24/7.
Here’s what I think it would be like working as a CHM. The master of the house awakens one morning to find a mouse in the house. You are called upon to rid the mouse from the house. You call an exterminator who comes and sets a trap. The mouse eventually meets his demise in the trap so you call the House Maintenance Supervisor to come remove the mouse. Or you become responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the family’s swimming pool. You supervise the Pool Technician who takes the pool’s temperature and chemical levels on an hourly basis. You enter this data into an Excel spreadsheet so your master can access this very important data with the click of a few buttons. Or you spend several days buying special, personalized gifts for the family’s friends and relatives. You might even learn the fine art of gift wrapping using uncut sheets of $1 bills.
If rubbing elbows with the rich sounds like your thing, but you’re not quite ready to invest $12,000+, you can check out Estate Jobs to see who’s hiring what.
When did this happen? There was a time when I thought the media was at least able to tell us the truth. Not anymore. Available at Bumper Art.
I’m sorry, but I simply cannot see these two people as President and Vice President of the United States. This is worse than a Disney movie.
Does John McCain believe what’s coming out of his mouth or is all that “Country First” stuff just part of the game he’s playing?
Don’t bother answering. I already know the answer.
On a lighter note, take a minute to listen to this:
Wonder how long it took to set this up? It’s quite clever, I suppose.
I’m more confused now than ever. Do I call my representative and tell her to vote for or against the proposed bailout?
Warren Buffett says yes. Paul Krugman basically agrees and grudgingly says it needs to be passed. Nouriel Roubini, whom I’ve seen on The Charlie Rose Show, says no. And then there’s Michael Moore, who sent me an email this morning urging protests, etc. over the bailout. I wouldn’t call Moore a financial expert but he’s mad as hell over how the Wall Street fat cats have stuck it to the little guy and apparently are now coming in for the kill.
No one is able to say with much confidence that this plan will work. Equally disturbing is what might occur if no action is taken. As I write this post the Dow is down about 290 points, so investors aren’t feeling the love this morning either.
It’s very easy to sit here and say we absolutely should not give Wall Street this money. They broke it, they own it. It’s also easy to fall prey to fear and agree with the Chicken Littles who are claiming the sky is falling, the sky is falling.
My guess is that the answer falls somewhere between the two extremes. Is that the plan Congress is currently considering?
Who knows. I think I’ll go bury my head in the sand for a couple of days.
At least Mr. gyma and I are out of the market and our money is safely deposited in one of the newly failed banks. I feel better already.
